Louisiana Tech

Jon Teitel's Coaching Greats Interview Series: Louisiana Tech's Andy Russo

Jon Teitel — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 22:19:48 -0800

In the most recent installment in his "Coaching Greats" interview series CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with former Louisiana Tech head coach Andy Russo. In six seasons at the school Russo led the Bulldogs to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and coached future Basketball Hall of Famer Karl Malone.

Jon Teitel: In 1970 you were co-captain of the Lake Forest HS team along with legendary computer magnate Mike Maiman. How good a player were you back in the day, and did you ever think that Mike would turn out to be so successful?

Andy Russo: Mike is still my best friend in the world. We are like brothers. I was not that good, and did not think that Mike would be such a success off the court, but he is the greatest overachiever I have ever known.

JT: In 1970 as coach at Brother Martin HS you went 36-0 and finished with the best record in Louisiana history. What did it mean to you to go undefeated?

AR: I started as a HS coach in Chicago. When I got the Louisiana Tech job, all the papers reported that I had coached at Brother Martin...but it was a completely different guy with the same name! I would have people come up to me in the stands and tell me that they knew me, and I would have to explain to them the case of mistaken identity. It has been a standing joke for many years.

JT: You were a graduate assistant at UTEP under Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins. What was the most important thing you learned from him, and what made him such a great coach?

AR: I learned more basketball from Coach Haskins in the first five minutes of practice then I ever learned before in my life. I recently saw a show about Vince Lombardi, and I felt very similar to John Madden watching Lombardi conduct a clinic. One of my biggest regrets was only spending one year at UTEP. Haskins was great at Xs and Os from a defensive standpoint, and as a motivator he was simply amazing. I attended Don's funeral a couple of years ago, and they handed out ID badges with his picture on it. I still see him every day because I have that photo of him sitting on my desk.

JT: When you arrived at Louisiana Tech as the youngest Division I head coach in the country, the pep band would often pack up after the legendary women's team games without staying for the men's games. Did you feel that you were ready to be a head coach, and what was it like to coach a men's team at a school that was more supportive of the women's team?

AR: The band left early a few times but not every time. One time we could not get out of the locker room because there were so many fans leaving after the women played the first game of a doubleheader with us. It took us five minutes just to get out to the court! I came from Panola JC, where the women's team had won a national title the year I got there. When Louisiana Tech interviewed me someone actually thought I was the other Andy Russo! I honestly think I got the job because I got along so well with women's coach Sonja Hogg. I even did color commentary for some of their games. I realized that if it could happen to them, then it could happen to me.

JT: What are your memories of the 1984 NCAA Tournament (Karl Malone had a one-handed alley-oop dunk that was shown over and over on national TV in a 10-point upset of Fresno State, then Malone scored 18 points in a seven-point loss to eventual runner-up Houston)?

AR: The biggest game of my career was actually prior to the NCAA tourney, as we won the Southland Conference title game by three points and snapped Lamar's 7-year home court winning streak in Beaumont. Everything after that was gravy. We were waiting for the selection committee to make their announcement, and I told one of my assistants that the one team I did not want to face was...Fresno! Karl definitely blossomed in the tourney but was in foul trouble during the Lamar game. We had a great team that year; it was not just Karl. I was licking my chops because Fresno had beaten Houston earlier in the year, but we just could not get it done against the Cougars. The Houston game was the last time my dad ever saw me coach, and he and I had a great time at the Final Four.

1985 NCAA Tournament

JT: Willie Simmons tallied 13 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Pittsburgh. Did you or your team have a different attitude going into the tournament as a favorite instead of an underdog?

AR: We were not a favorite, as Pitt had won the Big East that year. Earlier in the week Bill Raftery said that we were the most overrated team in the tourney, and he ended up announcing our game. It was a blowout, as we were up by 30 points in the 2nd half. Raftery interviewed me after the game and I told him, "Not bad for an overrated team, eh?" I never let him hear the end of it!

JT: Three-time All-American Wayman Tisdale had 23 points and 12 rebounds and made a shot with two seconds left that bounced around the rim several times before going in to clinch a two-point overtime win by #1-seed Oklahoma. How devastating was that shot and were you really out for revenge after Oklahoma coach Billy Tubbs reneged on a contract three years earlier to play in the opening game at your new arena?

AR: All the Louisiana Tech women's fans were cheering for our team which was great. Tisdale's shot was on the rim for several seconds before going in. You can still see it on ESPN Classic every so often. Tubbs was an old friend of mine and Oklahoma was supposed to come to the opening of our new arena, so that was definitely on my mind during the game. Billy never even called me to tell me that Oklahoma was not going to show up. I heard about it from Nolan Richardson.

JT: What are your memories of the 1986 NCAA Tournament in your first year as coach at Washington (Scott Skiles scored 31 points and made two free throws with two seconds left to clinch a two-point Michigan State win, and the two teams tied a tournament record by only having nine players combined who scored in the game)?

AR: We were up by double-digits at half and Michigan State had no inside presence. We made a couple of mistakes in the 2nd half, but they called a ticky-tack foul in a tie game at the end that got Skiles to the line. If we had won then we would have played Georgetown, who I think we could have beaten as Michigan State ended up beating the Hoyas. I was real disappointed as it would have set the tone for my entire career at Washington.

JT: You coached one year in the Italian Professional Basketball League, and in 2008 you became head varsity girls' coach at St. Andrew's School. What is the biggest difference between coaching college players vs. coaching European professionals vs. coaching high school girls?

AR: A lot of great college coaches have a hard time coaching professionals because it is more about managing than teaching. The pros think they know all the fundamentals but they honestly do not. Coaching girls was a tough adjustment for me as there was more drama, but my daughter was one of my players and she helped me a lot.

JT: When people look back on your career how do you want to be remembered the most?

AR: As a person who was honest and always took the high road. We never beat up on any team worse than we had to. The person I credit most is former Fresno coach Boyd Grant. When we pulled off the upset over his team in 1984, he said in interviews that he got outcoached and his team got outplayed. To give us credit rather than blame anyone was very classy of him.

Coach Russo is also on Jon's list of best coaches in WAC history.

Boise State: Bobby Dye (1983-1995) 213-133, 3 NCAA tourneys, 2 conference titles, 3-time conference COY

Fresno State: Boyd "Tiny" Grant (1977-1986) 194-74, 3 NCAA tourneys, 3 conference titles, 1 NIT title, 3-time conference COY

Hawaii: Riley Wallace (1987-2007) 334-265, 3 NCAA tourneys, 2 conference titles, 3-time conference COY

Idaho: Don Monson (1978-1983) 100-41, 2 NCAA tourneys, 2 conference titles, 1-time national COY, 2-time conference COY

Louisiana Tech: Andy Russo (1979-1985) 122-55, 2 NCAA tourneys, 1 conference title

Nevada: Mark Fox (2004-2009) 123-43, 3 NCAA tourneys, 4 conference titles, 3-time conference COY

New Mexico State: Lou Henson (1966-1975, 1997-2005) 289-152, 7 NCAA tourneys, 2 conference titles, 1-time conference COY

San Jose State: Walter McPherson (1940-1942, 1945-1960) 264-208, 1 NCAA tourney, 3 conference titles

Utah State: Stew Morrill (1998-present) 308-101, 7 NCAA tourney, 6 conference titles, 4-time conference COY

#113 Lousiana Tech: 2010-11 Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:06:03 -0700

Overall Rank: #113

Conference Rank: #4 Western Athletic Conference

2009-10: 24-11, 9-7

2009-10 postseason: CIT

Coach: Kerry Rupp (45-53 at Louisiana Tech, 54-57 overall)

Coach Kerry Rupp has done a great job at Louisiana Tech. In his first season with the Bulldogs, the team went a dismal 6-24 overall. The following year they improved to 15-18. That led to higher expectations during the 2009-2010 campaign and the Bulldogs did not disappoint with a 24 win season and a trip to the postseason. The roster may look much different without second round draft pick Magnum Rolle and super scorer Kyle Gibson, but this team has enough talent, albeit relatively inexperienced talent, to return to the postseason.

Key Losses: G Kyle Gibson, G Jamel Guyton, F David Jackson, C Magnum Rolle

Key Newcomers:

There are a whole slew of newcomers as Coach Rupp looks to fill his roster. The most important players will likely turn out to be the four transfers coming into the program. Three of them are big men. Antwond Roshell is the most likely candidate to step into Rolle’s big shoes, but J.L. Lewis and Romario Souza will need to play some as well. The frontcourt also adds freshmen Stojan Gjuroski and Deuce Johnson. The transfer heading into the backcourt is C.J. Scott. However, there are some freshmen who will look to make an impact in the backcourt this year, most notably Jamison Sterns and Kenyon McNeaill. Sterns is a superb scorer from anywhere on the floor and McNeaill is the point guard of the future. Lonnie Smith will bring more size to the perimeter, but he may find it difficult to steal minutes away from the returning players and the other newcomers during his freshman campaign.

Backcourt:

Despite the absence of Gibson and fellow starting guard Jamel Guyton, the group on the perimeter is in pretty good shape. DeAndre Brown has proven to be a quality point guard who can create for his teammates or score himself. A season ago he averaged 10.6 points and 3.4 assists per game and his point production could drastically increase if he starts hitting the three-point shot a little more consistently. Anson Barlett returns after spending much of last season coming in off the bench. He will likely do the same in 2010-2011, but he is an experienced option who can grab some boards from the wing. Louisiana Tech hopes the return of Brandon Gibson will help replace Kyle Gibson. Brandon Gibson did not play too much two years ago before breaking his foot and missing all of last season, but he is a great shooter and if he can find his stroke, he will be one of the top scorers on this team.

Frontcourt:

Replacing Rolle in the paint will be the bigger issue. If one of the newcomers is not up for the job, the Bulldogs will be in big trouble. Rolle averaged 13.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks during his last season in Ruston and no newcomer is going to do that right away. Ideally, Roshell will handle most of the load and Rouza and the rest of the newcomers can help him out a little bit. The lone returning forward is 6-5, 215 pound Darius Redding. Obviously he lacks the size to play the five spot, so it is imperative that one of the new big guys can at least play some defense and score a few points. Redding, however, is coming off of a decent freshman campaign and should be able to capably fill in off the bench at the three and four spots.

Who to Watch:

So why is the frontcourt not a complete mess and this team expected to fall apart up front without Rolle? The answer is Olu Ashaolu. The 6-7 wing may be listed as a guard, but spent last season at the four spot beside Rolle. And Ashaolu was nearly as productive as Rolle in the scoring and rebounding departments. Ashaolu will keep the frontcourt together and pick up any interior scoring and rebounding slack that the newcomers cannot handle.

Final Projection:

The one thing Ashaolu cannot do is block shots. That job will have to fall to Roshell or one of the other newcomers. Despite the inexperience, Louisiana Tech has plenty of scoring options, but playing defense will be the difference between another postseason berth or another losing season. With as many options as Coach Rupp has up front, somebody should be able to fill the void in the paint and the guards will lead this team to a 20 win season.

Projected Post-season Tournament: CBI/CIT

Projected Starting Five:

DeAndre Brown, Senior, Guard, 10.6 ppg

Jamison Sterns, Freshman, Guard, DNP last season

Brandon Gibson, Sophomore, Guard, DNP last season

Olu Ashaolu, Junior, Forward, 10.7 ppg

Antwond Roshell, Junior, Center, DNP last season

Next Top 144 Teams
114		115		116		117		..All

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

2010 CollegeHoops.net High-Major All-Americans

CHN — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:42:20 -0800

Talk about making an impact. Darington Hobson's first season of D1 basketball was certainly a memorable one. The CollegeHoops.net High-Major Player of the Year led New Mexico to an MWC title by averaging 16.2 ppg, 9.3 rpg, and 4.5 apg. He's joined on the High-Major First Team by guards Jordan Crawford, Jimmer Fredette, and Randy Culpepper, as well as WAC Player of the Year Luke Babbitt.

There are very few seniors on this year's High-Major All-America teams, meaning we should be in for a treat next year. Teams with multiple All-Americans include Gonzaga (Matt Bouldin & Elias Harris), New Mexico (Hobson & Roman Martinez), and UTEP (Culpepper & Derrick Caracter.)

CollegeHoops.net High-Major Player of the Year:

Darington Hobson, New Mexico, Jr

CollegeHoops.net First-Team High-Major All-America
G Jordan Crawford, Xavier, So
G Jimmer Fredette, BYU, Jr

G Randy Culpepper, UTEP, Jr
F Darington Hobson, New Mexico, Jr
F Luke Babbitt, Nevada, So

Second-Team High-Major All-America
G Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga, Sr
G Elliot Williams, Memphis, So
G Kevin Anderson, Richmond, Jr
F Aubrey Coleman, Houston, Sr

F Omar Samhan, Saint Mary's, Sr

Third-Team High-Major All-America
G Juan Fernandez, Temple, So
G Tre'von Willis, UNLV, Jr
G Jahmar Young, NMSU, Jr
F Derrick Caracter, UTEP, Jr
F Chris Wright, Dayton, Jr

Fourth-Team High-Major All-America
G Adrian Oliver, San Jose St, Jr
G Roman Martinez, New Mexico, Sr
F Elias Harris, Gonzaga, Fr
F Tai Wesley, Utah St, Jr

F Hassan Whiteside, Marshall, Fr

Honorable Mention

TJ Campbell, Portland
Osiris Eldridge, Illinois St
Jackson Emery, BYU
Dairese Gary, New Mexico

Paul George, Fresno St

Kyle Gibson, Louisiana Tech
David Gonzalvez, Richmond
Rodney Green, La Salle
Adam Koch, Northern Iowa

Jerome Jordan, Tulsa
Kawhi Leonard, San Diego St

Dior Lowhorn, San Francisco

Mickey McConnell, Saint Mary's

Elijah Millsap, UAB
Dinma Odiakosa, Illinois St

Jared Quayle, Utah St
Damian Saunders, Duquesne

Ben Uzoh, Tulsa

Check back tomorrow for our Mid-Major All-America Teams.

Also: National All-Americans

Poll: Who Will Win the WAC Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:58:28 -0800

BracketBusters Saturday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:04:02 -0800

FRIDAY RECAP
Northern Iowa 71, Old Dominion 62
The Panthers won their second straight without center Jordan Egleseder, knocking off the Monarch in Cedar Falls behind a 23-point night from Ali Farokhmanesh. Farokhmanesh hit five of nine shots from behind the arc and Kwadzo Ahelegbe added ten points. Gerald Lee led the Monarchs with 19 points but it wasn't enough to prevent ODU's first loss in the BracketBusters event.

Iona 69, William & Mary 53
The Gaels dealt the Tribe's at-large hopes a serious blow with a thorough beating in New Rochelle. Scott Machado led three Iona players in double figures with 17 points while Alejo Rodriguez and Jonathan Huffman added twelve apiece. David Schneider scored 17 to lead William & Mary but as a team they shot just 36.2% from the field.

SATURDAY PREVIEW

Nine televised games to be had on the ESPN family of networks with Siena and Butler kicking things off at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The most important player for the Saints if they're to win: shooting guard Clarence Jackson, who slid into the spot vacated by the graduation of Saints great Kenny Hasbrouck. When the Marlton, NJ native is on he can hit just about any shot in the gym but when he isn't Siena lacks one offensive weapon with the ability to be the ultimate "trump card". He will most certainly be tested by Shelvin Mack and with the two teams matching up well at the other positions this one likely determines the outcome. Also, keep an eye on Matt Howard's foul count. The Bulldogs got into trouble early in the year when he got into foul trouble and with Siena using three different players to guard him he's got to stay on the floor.

The final game of the night is also an intriguing affair with Wichita State taking on Utah State in one of the nation's best environments (which should be noted when looking at Saint Mary's since they won there). The Shockers still have the stigma of losing to previously winless Evansville a short time back, likely tossing away their at-large hopes in the process. A win in Logan would most certainly put them back into the conversation if not move them just short of "lock" status. But they'll have to deal with the tandem of forward Tai Wesley and point guard Jared Quayle, two of the best players out west. If Wichita State is to win they'll need to value the basketball and keep their heads on a swivel defensively; Stew Morrill's team runs an offensive system with enough sets to make NFL offensive coordinators jealous.

As for games not part of the televised portion of the event there are some intriguing matchups as well. Fairfield visits Vermont in a matchup of two teams that could very well make runs in their respective conference tournaments. Ed Cooley's Stags do as good a job as anyone at shrugging off injuries and simply competing; add in one of the best freshmen in America in guard Derek Needham and you have a team that's given Siena a hard time in both of their meetings. Mike Lonergan's Catamounts are a contender in America East thanks in large part to the conference's best player, forward Marqus Blakely. This should be one of the better games of the day despite the fact that it won't be televised nationally. Some have the ability to improve their at-large profiles while others are simply in need of a confidence-boosting win going into their league tournament, which should make for an entertaining day of basketball.

TV GAMES

11a ESPN2 Siena at Butler
Noon ESPNU Morgan St at Murray St
1p ESPN2 Louisiana Tech at Northeastern
3p ESPN2 Nevada at Missouri St
4p ESPNU Akron at VCU
8p ESPN2 College of Charleston at George Mason
8p ESPNU Western Carolina at Kent St
10p ESPNU New Mexico St at Pacific
11:59p ESPN2 Wichita St at Utah St

OTHER GAMES

2p Fairfield at Vermont
2p Buffalo at Saint Peter's
3:05p Western Michigan at Southern Illinois
4p Wright St at Ohio
4p Rider at Hofstra
5:05p Morehead St at Illinois St
7p Winthrop at Eastern Kentucky
8p Niagara at Milwaukee
8p Indiana St at Green Bay
8:05p Drexel at Bradley
8:30p Oral Roberts at Austin Peay
9p San Jose St at Montana St
10:30p UC Santa Barbara at Fresno St

ONE PREDICTION

Louisiana Tech over Northeastern: The Bulldogs nearly left Utah State with a win earlier this week; Kerry Rupp's team has one of the best tandems in the WAC in guard Kyle Gibson and forward Magnum Rolle. They will be tested by a Northeastern squad led by Matt Janning and Chaisson Allen but they've got the mettle required to win on the road in an unfamiliar environment. Bulldogs by four.

BracketBusters TV Pairings Announced

Press Release — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:57:22 -0800

ESPN announced today live on ESPNU’s 2010 BracketBusters Selection Show the pairings for the eighth annual BracketBusters – a two-day men’s college basketball event pitting NCAA Tournament hopefuls Friday, Feb. 19, and Saturday, Feb. 20. The field features two ranked teams, No. 15 Butler and No. 22 Northern Iowa, as well as the return of Siena, which also received votes in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll.

BracketBusters will feature 11 nationally televised games live, selected from a pool of 98 teams. ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network, will televise five BracketBusters games, and ESPN2 will televise six, all simulcast on ESPN360.com, ESPN’s customized broadband service. Three of the ESPN2 telecasts will be in high definition. The matchups are highlighted by Old Dominion at No. 22 Northern Iowa on Friday, Feb. 19, at 7 p.m., and Siena at No. 15 Butler on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 11 a.m. ET, both on ESPN2 HD and ESPN360.com.

2010 BracketBusters Schedule

Date	Time (ET)	Matchup	Network(s)
Fri, Feb 19	7 p.m.	Old Dominion at No. 22 Northern Iowa	ESPN2 HD / ESPN360.com
	9 p.m.	William & Mary at Iona	ESPNU
Sat, Feb 20	11 a.m.	Siena at No. 15 Butler	ESPN2 HD / ESPN360.com
	Noon	Morgan State at Murray State	ESPNU
	1 p.m.	Louisiana Tech at Northeastern	ESPN2 / ESPN360.com
	3 p.m.	Nevada at Missouri State	ESPN2 / ESPN360.com
	4 p.m.	Akron at Virginia Commonwealth	ESPNU
	8 p.m.	Coll. of Charleston at George Mason	ESPN2 HD / ESPN360.com
	8 p.m.	Western Carolina at Kent State	ESPNU
	10 p.m.	New Mexico State at Pacific	ESPNU
	11:59 p.m.	Wichita State at Utah State	ESPN2 / ESPN360.com

This year’s 22 BracketBusters teams represent 10 conferences and:

· Two ranked teams: No. 15 Butler and No. 22 Northern Iowa

· 19 teams in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) top 100: No. Iowa (16); Butler (18); Siena (44); Old Dominion (46); Wichita State (48); William & Mary (51); Utah State (55); Northeastern (56); Virginia Commonwealth (60); Nevada (66); Kent State (69); Western Carolina (73); La. Tech (74); New Mexico State (82); Missouri State (84); Iona (85); Murray State (92); College of Charleston (94); Pacific (95)

· Seven 2009 NCAA Tournament participants: Northern Iowa; Siena; Butler; Morgan Sate; Akron; Virginia Commonwealth; Utah State

· 16 teams with 15 or more wins overall: Old Dominion; Northern Iowa; William & Mary; Iona; Siena; Butler; Morgan State; Murray State; La. Tech; Missouri State; Akron; Virginia Commonwealth; George Mason; Western Carolina; Wichita State; Utah State

· Four teams undefeated in conference play: Butler; Siena; Morgan State and Murray State

College Hoops Thursday Recap: WAC and WCC Now Have Clear Favorites

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:21:46 -0800

Before getting into the games of Thursday it would be appropriate to mention the tragic death of University of Southern Indiana basketball player Jeron Lewis, who fell and hit his head during a game against Kentucky Wesleyan. Tragically the senior had returned to school following the birth of his first child around Christmas. An autopsy will be performed on Friday. Jeron Lewis was 21 years old.

Three Key Happenings

1. Gonzaga picks up a big win at Saint Mary's. After winning at Portland in their last game there was just one obstacle left in the way of Mark Few's team making the early statement in regards to who will eventually be the top dog in the WCC. And while Randy Bennett's Gaels were competitive for most of the game they didn't have an answer for Elias Harris, who scored a career-high 31 points and grabbed thirteen rebounds in the Bulldogs' 89-82 win. Now with wins over said contenders, on the road no less, the Bulldogs have taken a definitive step towards yet another WCC regular season title despite the fact that they're just two games into the league schedule.

What cost the Gaels? Simply put they couldn't get stops when they needed them. Gonzaga shot 59.7% from the field and outrebounded Saint Mary's 45-25. To put that in a proper place Omar Samhan had twelve of those rebounds for the home team; Gonzaga is too good of a team to be afforded that kind of edge on the glass. Samhan (31 points) and Matthew Dellavedova (23 points) led the way for SMC but it wasn't enough to pull off the win. Gonzaga has been through the battles in the non-conference schedule, a slate that has them more than ready to make a run at their tenth consecutive WCC title.

2. Louisiana Tech defends their home floor against Fresno State. Louisiana Tech had the look of a team that would have serious staying power in the WAC race going into tonight's game against Fresno State (who was also undefeated in league play). And they did little to dispel that notion in beating Fresno State 81-73 to move to 5-0 in WAC play and take early control of the regular season race. Kyle Gibson, one of the best guards in college basketball that you don't see on ESPN every night, led the way with 32 points while Jamel Guyton added seventeen and Magnum Rolle 16 points and 13 rebounds.

The good news for Kerry Rupp's team is that they already have wins over both Nevada and Utah State, and while both of those games were in Ruston they have an edge that could be a cushion once they hit the road for rematches if they take care of business. Four Fresno State players finished in double figures (Sylvester Seay's 19 led the way) but their rebounding (-9 margin) and three point shooting (33.3%/7-21 to Louisiana Tech's 47.8%/11-23) played a major role in their demise. There's still a long way to go in the WAC race but Louisiana Tech took a step in the direction of their first-ever WAC title.

3. Radford reminds Coastal Carolina that they're defending Big South champions. It's not like the Chanticleers didn't know that the Highlanders were the conference's representative in the NCAA Tournament. But on a night that began with the home folks hoping that Cliff Ellis' team could take a solid hold of the Big South race Radford responded with a gritty effort to win 62-52. Reigning conference Player of the Year Artsiom Parakhouski scored 20 points and grabbed ten rebounds in the win as Radford was first to wake up from a slow start to take a 26-19 lead into the locker room.

And while the second half brought an increase in offensive production the Highlanders remained in front as CCU shot just 31.7% from the field. And on a night that saw both teams struggle from behind the arc Radford did a better job of getting good looks to make up for the cold night. The ability to adjust is one more reason why Radford was the preseason pick to win the conference and they backed it up in Conway.

Top Three Games

1. Mississippi State 82, Arkansas 80 Jarvis Varnado posted his second triple-double in leading the Bulldogs to the win in Starkville. Dee Bost added 20 points while Marshawn Powell (25 points, eight rebounds) spearheaded a furious Razorback rally with 14 points in the final eight minutes.

2. New Orleans 67, Arkansas-Little Rock 66 (OT) A Carl Blair layup with 34 seconds left in overtime gave the Privateers the home win. Devin McDonald led UNO with 20 points and Charles Carmouche added 18 with leading scorer Billy Humphrey out with a knee injury. Courtney Jackson led the Trojans with sixteen points.

3. San Francisco 70, Loyola Marymount 67 Kwame Vaughn scored six of his seventeen points in the game's final two minutes to lead the Dons to the victory in Los Angeles. Larry Davis led the Lions with sixteen points off the bench.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Jarvis Varnado (Mississippi State) Varnado's triple-double (17 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks) led the Bulldogs to an 82-80 win over Arkansas.

2. G Chase Simon (Detroit) Simon scored 33 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in leading the Titans to an 81-65 win at Milwaukee.

3. F Elias Harris (Gonzaga) Harris scored 31 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the Bulldogs' 89-82 win at Saint Mary's.

College Hoops Thursday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:48:51 -0800

Thursday's schedule may be lacking in regards to "marquee" games but there are important conference games to check out. Louisiana Tech hosts Fresno State in a matchup of the WAC's only two undefeated and there will be plenty of offensive talent on display. Kyle Gibson currently leads the conference in scoring and teammate Magnum Rolle has played the way people expected the LSU transfer to play when his career began. But on the other end, Louisiana Tech will have to account for Paul George and Sylvester Seay, two wings with the ability to light up the scoreboard.

There are also important games in the West Coast and Big South conferences, with Gonzaga visiting Saint Mary's while defending Big South champ Radford takes on Coastal Carolina. The Bulldogs have already won at Portland so a win in Moraga would clearly hand them the driver's seat in the WCC. But Randy Bennett's squad will be up to the task thanks to the presence of Omar Samhan and others.

As for the Highlanders of Radford they'll lean on big man Artsiom Parakhouski in an important road game against the Chanticleers, who are 6-0 in conference play. Joseph Harris and Chad Gray make up one of the better frontcourt pairings many haven't heard about this season and they'll give Radford headaches if they aren't careful. A Radford win ties them in the loss column for first place while a win for Coastal Carolina provides the Chanticleers with much-desired separation.

TV GAMES

7p ESPN2 Auburn at Tennessee
7p ESPN Seton Hall at Georgetown
7p ESPNU Arkansas at Mississippi State
7p CBS-College Lehigh at Navy
9p ESPN Indiana at Michigan
9p ESPN2 Providence at DePaul
9p ESPNU Tennessee Tech at Tennessee-Martin
9p ESPN+ Fresno State at Louisiana Tech
10:30p FSN Stanford at Washington
11p ESPN2 Gonzaga at St. Mary's (Calif.)
11p ESPNU Santa Clara at Pepperdine

OTHER GAMES

7p Cleveland St at Butler
7p Radford at Coastal Carolina
7:30p Eastern Illinois at Eastern Kentucky
7:30p High Point at Charleston Southern
8p Wright St at Green Bay
8:30p Arizona St at Oregon
10p California at Washington St
10:30p Portland at San Diego

ONE PREDICTION

Louisiana Tech over Fresno State: The pick here is Louisiana Tech in the battle of the Bulldogs because of the rebounding ability of Ola Ashaolu. With all the scoring talent you'll see on the floor it will be the one player known more for his defense and rebounding that makes the difference.

College Basketball Lines & Predictions: Monday

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:30:13 -0800

Betting odds are a great guide to college basketball entertainment. I'll discuss my daily predictions after the lines.. these are posted solely for fun, as I do not bet on games myself, nor do I suggest anybody else does either (it's not easy). If you agree or disagree with my picks, have thoughts on the day's lines, or have upsets or picks to announce, post them below.

January 11th: College Basketball Lines & Predictions

- listed are the day's 6 most popular/intriguing games. I only predict games from this pool due to fan interest.

7:00

Canisius
at Siena

Favorite

Siena by 16

Over/Under

141.5

7:00

Niagara
vs St. Peter's

Favorite

Niagara by 4.5

Over/Under

127

7:00

Villanova
vs Louisville

Favorite

Louisville by 2.5

Over/Under

154

9:00

Oklahoma St.
at Oklahoma

Favorite

Oklahoma St by 1

Over/Under

146

9:05

Louisiana Tech
at Boise St.

Favorite

Louisiana Tech by 3

Over/Under

148.5

10:05

New Mexico St.
at Idaho

Favorite

Idaho by 7

Over/Under

150

- Lines as of 1:30 pm (from SportsBetting) - Check out the day's other odds as the day progresses, including odds from other betting sites. Predictions below:

College Hoops Monday Recap: Charleston Upsets North Carolina

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:13:52 -0800

With four minutes left in regulation it looked as if North Carolina was on its way to surviving a treacherous trip to Charleston to take on the preseason favorites to win the Southern Conference. But the fun had yet to begin, with Andrew Goudelock helping to spark a 12-1 run that he completed with a three-pointer to send the game into overtime. In fact, Goudelock scored the Cougars' last eight points in regulation on his way to a 24-point night for him and an 82-79 win for his team. Ed Davis led the Tar Heels with 19 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks but he wasn't enough on a night in which Carolina was without Marcus Ginyard and Will Graves due to injury.

Faced with a an opponent far deeper inside Charleston resorted to the three-pointer, attempting thirty-two of their seventy-six shots from behind the arc. North Carolina attempted just six, making one while the Cougars made thirteen shots from distance. The Tar Heels outrebounded Charleston by twenty but that edge can be negated when you get outscored by thirty-six points from downtown and just three players score in double figures. All five CofC starters reached double figures on a night in which Charleston shot a higher percentage from three (40.6%) than North Carolina shot from the field (38.0%), and for a program that consistently ranks among the nation's best in field goal percentage that's a surprise.

Is this a terrible loss for North Carolina? In regards to who they lost to they'll take some grief but Charleston is a solid team that could very well end up with its' league's automatic bid. But to finally get the game somewhat under control only to have it slip away is a disappointment.

Three Key Happenings

1. Louisiana Tech smokes Utah State in Ruston. Utah State needed a win to avoid an 0-2 start to WAC play with both losses coming on the road. Unfortunately for them Louisiana Tech was in no mood to cooperate, dominating from about the 14-minute mark of the first half on in an impressive 82-60 victory. Magnum Rolle led five Bulldogs in double figures with 21 points (and 14 rebounds) while Nate Bendall was the lone Aggie to reach double figures with fourteen. Louisiana Tech won the battle on the boards 37-25 and also finished with seventeen assists to thirteen turnovers. Utah State, normally one of the most efficient teams in America, had just nine assists to thirteen turnovers. Stew Morrill's Aggies aren't in dire straits as of yet; they enjoy one of the nation's best home-court advantages and that will give them ample opportunities to get right back into the WAC race. But for Louisiana Tech to beat Utah State like they did bodes well for their chances at the WAC crown.

2. Western Kentucky knocks off Mississippi State. The Hilltoppers led by as many as eleven in the second half at E.A. Diddle Arena but had to fight off a furious rally from Mississippi State to win 55-52. And you can bet that Rick Stanbury's team sat in the locker room shaking their heads afterward given their 14-for-27 night from the foul line. Steffphon Pettigrew led WKU with 17 points and eight rebounds while Jarvis Varnado paced MSU with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Neither team shot the ball well from the field, a fact that highlights the Bulldogs' struggles with the one shot in basketball that can't be defended. Western Kentucky, falling short in two other games against SEC opponents (LSU and South Carolina, both on the road), picks up their second victory of the year against the conference in road/neutral settings (they beat Vanderbilt on a neutral floor).

3. First place in the CAA belongs to...George Mason. Just last Wednesday Jim Larranaga's Patriots went to Radford and had their heads handed to them by Artsiom Parakhouski and company 80-53. Yet following wins over Old Dominion (Saturday) and Hofstra (tonight) Mason sits alone atop the CAA standings with a 3-0 league record. Ryan Pearson was the hero in the 67-63 win over the Pride, scoring sixteen of his seventeen points in the second half. Despite finishing the game with a rebounding margin of -10 George Mason won by forcing eighteen turnovers and limiting Charles Jenkins to 5-for-15 shooting and eleven points. How long can the Patriots remain atop the CAA standings? They'll be tested at Northeastern on Thursday night and the Huskies are playing good basketball of late, and this league doesn't look to have a runaway favorite as of right now. But you never know.

Top Three Games

1. Charleston 82, North Carolina 79 (OT) See above.

2. Eastern Illinois 97, Tennessee Tech 93 (OT) Tennessee Tech's Frank Davis led all scorers with twenty-seven points but it wasn't enough t knock off the Panthers on their home floor. Jeremy Granger paced the victors with 21 points while James Hollowell added 19 points and 12 rebounds.

3. Arkansas-Pine Bluff 69, Mississippi Valley St 68 (OT) Congrats to the Golden Lions, who picked up their first victory of the season in Itta Bena. UAPB's Lebaron Moore led all scorers with twenty points while Shannon Behling led MVSU with eighteen.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Andrew Goudelock (Charleston) Goudelock scored 24 points, including the Cougars' last eight of regulation, to lead Charleston to an 82-79 upset of North Carolina. Not to be forgotten is the play of North Carolina's Ed Davis, who finished with 19 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks.

2. G Lorenzo Keeler (Cal Poly) Keeler lit up UC Irvine for 38 points, making twelve of eighteen shots from the field in the Mustangs' 95-81 road victory.

3. F Luke Babbitt (Nevada) Babbitt made the New Mexico State crowd pay for booing him every time he touched the ball. 26 points on 10-for-14 shooting, 11 rebounds and two assists in the Wolf Pack's 77-67 victory.