Huskies, Ducks Squander Chances to Advance

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 22:01:52 -0800

Thursday turned into a day of missed opportunities for a number of bubble teams across the country, and the Pac-12 may be in danger of being a one-bid league as a result of two results that bookended the day in Los Angeles. Top-seed Washington dropped a tough 86-84 decision to nine-seed Oregon State and poor foul shooting for both teams played a role in the finish. Tony Wroten set a school record for most points in a game by a freshman with 29 to go along with seven rebounds and three assists, but missing his final four free throws with the game in the balance will linger for quite some time.

Washington didn't close out the first half like a team playing with a sense of urgency, trailing 46-33 at the half as the Beavers scored 12 of the final 17 points. Oregon State outscored the Huskies 30-18 in the paint in the first 20 minutes, also scoring 12 points off of ten Washington turnovers, and the Huskies didn't show off the best shot selection either. There was more of the same at the start of the second half before Lorenzo Romar's team finally snapped out of their funk, evenutally taking control of the game and leading by as many as eight points.

But Washington could not shake Craig Robinson's Beavers, who followed a pair of Wroten free throws with a 7-0 run to take an 86-83 lead with six seconds to go. Following the Cunningham free throws to give OSU the three-point lead, the two teams would combine to miss their next six free throws with Wroten, a 57% shooter, missing four. The freshman made nine of his first ten free throws on the day, and the move closer to his season average came at the worst possible time for the Huskies.

"We tried to let him know that we still had a chance to win the game after he missed those free throws," said senior forward Darnell Gant. "Then he got another opportunity, but even though he didn't seize that moment, I tried to stay encouraging towards him and let him know we still have a chance to win this game."

What the Huskies have to hope at this point is that the selection committee looks at them as they did UAB last season. However it's important to point out that the Blazers had a better RPI (31 according to realtimerpi.com; Washington entered the day at 54 according to the NCAA's numbers) but the strength of schedule numbers (UAB - 78; Washington - 77) are close. The problem for the Huskies is that their best non-conference win came at the expense of UCSB, and their lone Top 50 win was a home victory over Oregon on New Year's Eve. Talent-wise a good case can be made for Washington to be in the field, but the resume doesn't match up right now and that's a concern.

Oregon is also in a bit of trouble as they've got no more chances to add wins to their resume, and what makes the Ducks' 63-62 loss to Colorado even more painful is the fact that a win would have given them a shot at a Top 50 win (California). But Andre Roberson's put-back with 13 seconds remaining advanced the Buffaloes to the semifinals in their first Pac-12 tournament, and as a result Oregon has to root for other bubble teams to falter in the final days before Selection Sunday. Devoe Joseph scored just 12 points on 6-for-19 shooting from the field, and the defensive job done by Nate Tomlinson was an underrated aspect of the Buffs' victory.

As a team the Ducks shot just 4-for-22 from beyond the arc, and the reliance on perimeter shots resulted in Oregon shooting just 4-for-8 from the charity stripe. The foul line was just one of the little things that ended up being big issues in both Washington and Oregon's defeats on Thursday, and as a result a rough season for the Pac-12 could get even worse on Selection Sunday. Teams and conferences are judged by their entire bodies of work, and at this point the Pac-12 doesn't have a whole lot to offer.

Three Notable Performances

1. G DeAndre Kane (Marshall)
40 points (15-32 FG), seven rebounds, three assists and three steals in the Thundering Herd's 105-100 triple overtime win over Tulsa in a Conference USA quarterfinal.

2. F Perry Jones III (Baylor)
31 points (11-14 FG), 11 rebounds and two blocked shots in the Bears' 82-74 win over Kansas State in a Big 12 quarterfinal.

3. G Elijah Johnson (Kansas)
26 points (8-11 FG), four assists and three rebounds in the Jayhawks' 83-66 win over Texas A&M in a Big 12 quarterfinal.

Underrated NBA Prospects: The College Basketball List

Greg Mengelt — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:03:08 -0800

Each week, CollegeHoops.net's Greg Mengelt presents a different College Basketball List. This week, Greg takes a look at 10 underrated players who won't be lottery picks, but will still have lengthy NBA careers.

Note: The NBA comparisons are a vague approximation of skill-sets & physicality, not a projection that the prospect will ever reach the NBA player's success.

1. Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt Sr. SF: Taylor can shoot, slash, defend and run. He’s also smooth and athletic. Why Taylor is in the second round of some NBA mock drafts is a complete mystery. Outside of guys like Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist -- both of Kentucky -- no one has more star potential than Taylor does. NBA Comparison: Gerald Wallace.

2. Kendall Marshall, North Carolina So. PG: Marshall’s shooting limitations are far surpassed by his passing, his vision and his ability to get into the lane. And he makes everyone around him better. If his mid-range shot improves, Marshall could be an All-Star down the road. NBA Comparison: Rajon Rondo.

3. Tony Wroten, Washington Fr. PG: Wroten can handle and shoot and run the break, but what makes him special is his ability to get into the lane at will. He could probably use another year at UW, though. NBA Comparison: Raymond Felton.

4. Kevin Jones, West Virginia Sr. PF: Jones has proven he can score and rebound against some of college basketball’s best frontlines. He’ll never been an explosive player, but Jones will be a valuable asset to an NBA team next season. NBA Comparison: J.J. Hickson.

5. Tyler Zeller, North Carolina Sr. PF: Zeller is athletic for a 6-11 forward and runs the floor as well as most big men who are already in the NBA. His defensive instincts, his effort and his high basketball IQ will also serve him well at the next level. NBA Comparison: Serge Ibaka.

6. John Jenkins, Vanderbilt Jr. G: With Jenkins’ long-range shooting ability, he’ll find a spot on an NBA roster. Whether he becomes a serious contributor will depend upon his ability to handle and defend. NBA Comparison: Mike Bibby.

7. Damian Lillard, Weber State Jr. G: In order to be a success in the NBA, Lillard will have to transition to a playmaker from a pure scorer, but there's no doubt he can score from anywhere on the court and that he'll do what it takes to develop into a solid pro. NBA Comparison: Stephen Curry.

8. Henry Sims, Georgetown Sr. PF/C: The former McDonald's All-American is one of the best passing big men college basketball has seen in a long time. If he can develop some post moves, Sims has the potential to be a nice NBA player. NBA Comparison: Joakim Noah.

9. Scott Machado, Iona Sr. PG: Machado has outstanding vision and runs the break as well as anyone in college basketball. He’s also an underrated scorer. He has some athletic limitations and Iona's competition hasn't been stellar, but those things aren't enough to keep him off of an NBA roster. NBA Comparison: Jose Calderon.

10. Robbie Hummel, Purdue Sr. SF: Hummel has a ton of NBA skills: shooting, rebounding, instincts and the ability to find ways to put the ball in the basket. The only question about Hummel is whether his knee and back will hinder him from becoming a solid player at the next level. NBA Comparison: Luol Deng.

tony wroten

Huskies, Ducks Squander Chances to Advance

Underrated NBA Prospects: The College Basketball List