Memphis

Tuesday Recap: Kentucky Too Much on Both Ends For Florida

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:17:47 -0500

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other Notable Happenings

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quick Hitters

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

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

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

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

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

Three Notable Performances

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

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

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

Saturday Recap: Missouri's Finishing Kick Proves to Be the Difference

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:43:04 -0500

Rivalry games bring more to the table when it comes to intensity, and that was definitely the case in the battle between #4 Missouri and #8 Kansas in Columbia on Saturday night. In a game that featured many momentum swings and neither team leading by more than eight points, it was Frank Haith's Tigers who landed the final blow. Kansas led 71-63 with 3:25 remaining but they would not score again, as Missouri finished the game on an 11-0 run to win 74-71. Marcus Denmon, who entered the game having made just 34.9% of his shots in Big 12 play, shot 10-for-16 from the field and scored a game-high 29 points to lead the way.

"He made some tough shots," said Haith. "He got into a rhythm and when Marcus gets into a rhythm he can rattle off a few shots in a row. And I think at that point in time he just got in a rhythm."

But Denmon wasn't the only star for the Tigers, with Kim English scoring 18 points and Michael Dixon Jr. adding 15 off the bench. English received a lot of attention from the Kansas defense due to his three-point shooting ability but the senior from Baltimore made things happen in other ways. The foul line was huge for the Tigers, as their shot 14-for-20 from the charity stripe with Kansas making five of nine and being called for ten more fouls (20-10). Thomas Robinson led the Jayhawks with 25 points and 13 rebounds, and Tyshawn Taylor added 21, but the Missouri comeback was aided by player control fouls called on both down the stretch.

Robinson's fourth foul with 1:45 remaining ultimately led to a Denmon three to make the score 71-69, and Taylor's foul with ten seconds remaining led to a pair of Dixon Jr. free throws to give Missouri a 74-71 lead. Elijah Johnson ended up with the ball in his hands in the final seconds but he hesitated, eventually having to put up a highly-contested shot as time expired. Kansas played with a great deal of poise for just over 36 minutes, but when the Jayhawks needed sound execution to close out the contest the Tigers proved to be too much.

"We definitely did it to ourselves," remarked Jeff Withey when asked about the decisive stretch. "We had the lead and if we would have just held onto the ball, I think it would have been a way different outcome."

The end result: a three-way tie atop the Big 12 with Missouri boasting a 2-0 record vs. Kansas and Baylor. Ricardo Ratliffe was quiet due to his being in foul trouble for much of the night but others stepped up to help the Tigers hold their own on the glass. Denmon grabbed nine rebounds and five other players grabbed at least two as Missouri was out-rebounded by just three (29-26) on the night. Continue to point out Missouri's lack of size if you wish, but it should be pretty clear by now that they've got more than enough to compete for a national title.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Memphis comes back from ten down in the second half to beat Xavier, picking up a needed non-conference victory.
There was no mistaking how important the contest between Xavier and Memphis was for both teams with regards to their NCAA resumes, and the Musketeers looked to be well on their way to the key win. A Dezmine Wells three-point play with 6:16 remaining gave Xavier a 62-51 lead, but Josh Pastner's team refused to lie down. A Wesley Witherspoon three started a 17-1 run over the next six minutes, and Memphis would put away the 72-68 win from the foul line (Joe Jackson hit all four of his free throws to seal the deal). The question is which team needed the win more, and while it was vital for both teams a look at their remaining schedules will reveal the answer. Memphis won't have another shot at an RPI Top 50 win the remainder of the regular season while Xavier still has matchups with Temple and Saint Louis (both on the road) to deal with.

2. Florida State holds off Virginia at home to remain tied atop the ACC.
Low-scoring games tend to amp up those who feel that basketball has to be high-scoring in order to entertain, and those who took this route missed a very good battle in Tallahassee. Okaro White scored 13 points off the bench and Xavier Gibson added ten as Florida State won their seventh straight game to move to 7-1 in the ACC as they beat Virginia 58-55. Joe Harris and Mike Scott scored 16 apiece to lead the Cavaliers and Malcolm Brogdon added ten off the bench, but the struggles of Sammy Zeglinski (2-for-7, five points) down the stretch were just one reason why the Hoos were unable to pick up what would have been a very good road victory. In a game that finished with 63 possessions it was Florida State's work on the offensive glass (OR% of 34.3%) that made the difference (12-7 edge in second-chance points). Work of art? No, especially with the two teams combining for 39 turnovers. But it definitely was an entertaining show that the ACC's two best defensive teams put forth in Tallahassee.

3. Notre Dame puts it to Marquette in the second half to move to 7-3 in the Big East.
Once again Mike Brey is one of the favorites in the race for Big East Coach of the Year, as a team that looked to be well on its way to the NIT (or worse) in December finds itself in the thick of the race for second place. The Irish shot 57.7% from the field in the second half as they ran away from #15 Marquette to win 76-59, moving to within a half-game of second place as a result. Freshman Pat Connaughton led four Notre Dame players in double figures with 23 points, and the growth of he, Eric Atkins and Jerian Grant has played a huge role in Notre Dame not only surviving but thriving in dealing with life without the injured Tim Abromaitis. Grant's versatility was on display against Marquette, as he not only scored 11 points but dished out a team-high eight assists while Atkins scored 18. The play of Syracuse has turned the Big East into a league that will offer more suspense in the race for second, and at this point Notre Dame is just as capable as anyone else to grab that spot.

4. Iona's second half execution on both ends of the floor too much for Manhattan.
At the under-8 media timeout in the first meeting between the rivals separated by just nine miles, Iona held a 67-49 lead in a game that would eventually end on an Emmy Andujar three as time expired (75-72 Manhattan win). No such heroics this time around as the Gaels made sure to not allow the Jaspers to storm back, winning 85-73 thanks to improved play on the defensive end of the floor in the second half. Iona limited the quality looks for George Beamon, who finished with 26 points after scoring 19 in the first half, and as a team Manhattan shot just 38.2% from the field. Mike Glover led a balanced attack with 19 points and seven rebounds while Scott Machado (nine assists) and Momo Jones scored 18 apiece for the Gaels, who remain in first place with the win. Next up for Iona is a trip to Loyola (MD) on Friday night, which could also be a battle for first is the Greyhounds take care of business against Saint Peter's.

5. George Mason hangs on at home to beat ODU, resulting in a three-way tie atop the CAA.
Paul Hewitt's Patriots have now won seven of their last eight games, rebounding from a loss to Delaware to beat ODU 54-50 in a matchup of two of the four teams that entered Saturday tied for first in the CAA. George Mason got the job done by doing something simple in the second half: they made shots. GMU shot just 20% from the field in the first half, trailing 26-20 at the break and their 12 turnovers didn't help matters either. The second half was a different story as the Patriots shot 41.2% from the field while also refusing to settle for threes as they did in the first. George Mason's parade to the foul line (19-for-23 in the second half, 27-for-35 for the game) would prove to be the difference as the Patriots outscored the Monarchs by 17 from the charity stripe. VCU and Drexel are a part of the tie at this point, and while Mason doesn't play Drexel again (the Dragos won the first meeting) they do get two shots at VCU. Can someone in this group earn an at-large berth? The possibility is definitely there at this point.

Quick Hitters

1. No Kevin Parrom to start the trip and no Jordin Mayes on Saturday as well, but that didn't stop Arizona from beating Stanford 56-43 in Palo Alto. That completes the Wildcats' road sweep of the Bay Area schools and keeps them two games back the Pac-12 behind Washington. Kyle Fogg led four players in double figures with 14 points and the Wildcats limited Stanford to 25.4% shooting from the field.

2. Victor Oladipo scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Indiana past Purdue 78-61, snapping their five-game losing streak to the Boilermakers and moving the Hoosiers to 6-6 in the Big Ten. Robbie Hummel led the Boilers with 16 points and ten rebounds, but Purdue shot just 29.6% from the field in the loss.

3. One team that picked up a much-needed win for their resume was Wyoming, who knocked off #13 UNLV 68-66 in Laramie. Leonard Washington and Paco Cruz scored 16 points apiece and Luke Martinez 15 as the Cowboys made up for a disappointing loss to TCU earlier in the week. Larry Shyatt deserves a little more pub nationally than he's received for the Pokes' 18-5 start.

4. How the Atlantic 10 will shake out from an NCAA tournament bid standpoint has been one of the major points of conversation recently, but there may not be much doubt as to who the best team is. Temple sits alone in first place due to their 73-56 win over Rhode Island and La Salle's 70-66 loss to Saint Joseph's. The Owls' perimeter trio of Juan Fernandez, Ramone Moore and Khalif Wyatt may be the best in the A-10, something that seemed preposterous to suggest before the season started due to the presence of Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons at Xavier.

5. There's now a tie for first in the Missouri Valley as Northern Iowa knocked off #12 Creighton 65-62 on an Anthony James three as time expired. Wichita State took advantage of this, beating Indiana State 71-66 behind Garrett Stutz' 24 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks. The February 11th rematch in Omaha (Creighton won the first meeting) will likely determine the top seed in Arch Madness.

6. Nevada took their first loss in WAC play as they fell 72-68 to Idaho in Reno. Kyle Barone scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Vandals, who were able to take advantage of Dario Hunt and Malik Story combining to shoot 3-for-12 from the field. While the Wolf Pack are 19-4 overall (8-1 WAC) this is a tough loss to take in regards to a possible at-large bid should they need it (entered the week with an RPI of 59 and an SOS of 182 per the NCAA's numbers). That Sears BracketBusters game at Iona became a lot more important for the visitors.

7. While much of the country focused on the Kansas/Missouri battle there was a big matchup in the Big West, with the winner likely emerging as the biggest threat to Long Beach State in the conference tournament. Bob Burton's Cal State Fullerton squad made quite the statement, beating UCSB 99-86 thanks in large part to 37 points from Kwame Vaughn and 25 from Isiah Umipig. Fullerton shot 52.6% from the field and a ridiculous 17-for-26 from three to move into a tie for second with UCSB.

8. The majority of the talk surrounding the Conference USA race has centered around the four teams that looked to have the best shot at earning an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. But don't forget about Tulsa, who beat Marshall 79-70 at home to move to 7-2 in league play. Doug Wojcik's Golden Hurricane have won seven straight and while they do have to visit Southern Miss, Tulsa gets Memphis at home in the regular season finale.

9. Yes Fab Melo returned to the lineup for #2 Syracuse, but while the big man is definitely a major part of their plans to say his return was the only reason for the Orange's 95-70 win over St. John's would be short-sighted. Dion Waiters and C.J. Fair each scored 14 points and Michael Carter-Williams 13 off the bench and five Syracuse players finished in double figures.

10. Jared Sullinger scored 24 points and corralled ten rebounds as #3 Ohio State avenged last season's loss in Madison with a 58-52 win over Wisconsin. Deshaun Thomas added 16 for the Buckeyes while Wisconsin was done in by their 5-for-27 shooting from beyond the arc.

11. There have, and will be, matchups in which it looks unfair to have teams play #1 Kentucky. That's what happened to South Carolina, who was in over their heads in the 86-52 pasting that wasn't that close. Anthony Davis missed out on that elusive triple-double but 22 points, eight rebounds and eight blocks is nothing to scoff at. It will be fun to see how #11 Florida matches up with the Wildcats on Tuesday night, as the Gators may be the "last stand" for the rest of the SEC.

12. Florida took care of business at home with a 73-65 win over Vanderbilt in Gainesville with Kenny Boynton (18 points) and Bradley Beal (16 points, seven rebounds) leading four players in double figures. Jeffery Taylor led the Commodores with 25 points and John Jenkins added 15 but it's tough to win anywhere much less in the O-Dome when you shoot 8-for-25 from beyond the arc.

13. Without Jim Calhoun on the sidelines it was time for the Connecticut Huskies to step up both their play and their leadership. That happened, as UConn beat a Seton Hall team without the services of Herb Pope 69-46 in what would turn out to be a bad afternoon for Big East coaches from the Garden State. Kevin Willard would get ejected in the loss (Rutgers' Mike Rice was run at Louisville), the sixth in a row for the Pirates. Ryan Boatright led the Huskies with 19 points and Jeremy Lamb added 17 for UConn.

Five Notable Performances

1. G Kwame Vaughn and G Isiah Umipig (Cal State Fullerton)
Vaughn put up 37 points, six rebounds and six assists in the Titans' 99-86 win over UCSB while Umipig added 25 points, five assists and four rebounds.

2. F Josten Thomas (Hawai'i)
29 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in the Warriors' 83-81 overtime win at San Jose State.

3. G Reggie Hamilton (Oakland)
40 points (9-14 3PT), four rebounds and four assists in the Golden Grizzlies' 74-70 double overtime win at Western Illinois.

4. G Damian Lillard (Weber State)
34 points (12-18 FG), five assists, three rebounds and two steals in the Wildcats' 93-81 win over Northern Colorado. It's beyond time that Lillard receive some National Player of the Year pub.

5. G Marcus Denmon (Missouri)
29 points (10-16 FG), nine rebounds and two assists in the Tigers' 74-71 win over #8 Kansas.

#4 Missouri vs. #8 Kansas: Saturday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:41:31 -0500

One of the consequences of conference realignment has been the ending of some of the best rivalries in college sports. With #4 Missouri (20-2, 7-2) headed to the SEC after this season Saturday night's game with #8 Kansas (18-4, 8-1) could be the last time for a while these two teams meet in Columbia. But that's a mere subplot in this one as the Tigers are looking to move into a tie for first in the Big 12 while Kansas can strengthen their grip on the top spot with a win. The Jayhawks have won ten of the last eleven games in this series, a streak that includes the last two games at Mizzou Arena. That alone should be enough motivation for the Tigers, who have been one of the country's pleasant surprises.

Guard play is a big reason why, as Missouri's depth in this area has helped them make up for the loss of forward Laurence Bowers. Point guard Phil Pressey has run the show at a level that has many considering the sophomore to be one of the country's best point guards, despite the fact that he wasn't named a finalist for the Cousy Award. Pressey's averaging 6.0 assists per game and his assist-to-turnover ratio (2.6) is the best on the team. The sophomore can score as well, but that's not as necessary given the other options at his disposal.

Marcus Denmon (17.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg), Michael Dixon Jr. (12.1 ppg, 2.7 apg) and Matt Pressey (7.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg) are all reliable perimeter options with all three shooting at least 43% from the field. Kansas isn't as deep on the perimeter when it comes to scoring but they've got some talent as well, led by senior point guard Tyshawn Taylor. Taylor (16.7 ppg, 5.3 apg) has struggled with turnovers at times but the New Jersey native has reached double figures in scoring seven straight games (20+ points in four of those seven). Elijah Robinson (9.1 ppg, 3.6 apg) is also capable of making plays offensively and he's a good defender to boot, while Travis Releford (9.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg) has reached double figures in two straight games after being quiet in wins over Texas and Texas A&M.

The play in the front court is what many will keep an eye on due to Missouri's lack of size and Kansas having one of the early favorites for National Player of the Year. Junior forward Thomas Robinson (17.6 ppg, 12.0 rpg) is a grown man inside for the Jayhawks, and his power can make him a man among boys if teams don't do a good enough job defending him. Missouri doesn't have depth inside but they do have the nation's leader in field goal percentage in Ricardo Ratliffe. Ratliffe (14.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg) is shooting a staggering 75.1% from the floor, due in large part to his understanding that he's most effective within five feet of the rim. Kansas has to be successful in pushing him away from the hoop if they're to limit his scoring opportunities.

Missouri goes small at the four with senior Kim English (14.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg), whose ability to step out on the perimeter can prove problematic for opponents. Kansas' Jeff Withey (8.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.1 bpg) is better equipped to remain inside defensively, which likely means that Robinson gets the matchup with English to start. Foul trouble for both Robinson and Ratliffe will be something to watch early on, especially if the Jayhawks decide not to go small with their five. Justin Wesley and Kevin Young combine to play 21 minutes per game so it's difficult to expect either one to be the recipient of major minutes without foul trouble for one of the key contributors being a reason why.

Both teams are forcing at least 15 turnovers per game but Kansas averages three more miscues per game, something that can't happen in front of what should be a raucous crowd in Columbia. Take care of the basketball and the Jayhawks have the tools needed to take advantage of a Missouri defense that's allowed teams to shoot 43% from the field this season, and Kansas would likely be able to take advantage of their superior rebounding ability as well. Baylor remains a contender in the Big 12 race (and they still host Kansas) but the matchup between the Jayhawks and Tigers will go a long way in setting the tone for the second half of the Big 12 campaign.

There are two other games on the schedule matching ranked teams, and in both cases it's the higher ranked team that's on the road. Ohio State visits Wisconsin in a key Big Ten contest with the hot Badgers, who have won six straight games, looking to move into first place with a win. Jordan Taylor and company were able to knock off the Buckeyes in last season's meeting at the Kohl Center, an experience that should have stuck with the returning Ohio State players. Keep an eye on Deshaun Thomas and Lenzelle Smith Jr. for Ohio State, because if they're both on it's extremely difficult to beat Thad Matta's squad.

Virginia visits a hot Florida State team with the Seminoles looking to at the very least remain tied for first in the ACC, and with wins over North Carolina and Duke already to their credit Leonard Hamilton's team is every bit the threat to win the league. Michael Snaer's been playing well for FSU of late, and Virginia boasts a forward in Mike Scott who is one of the league's best players. If Joe Harris and Sammy Zeglinski play well Tony Bennett's team can leave Tallahassee with a win, and it should be fun to see how FSU attacks Virginia's pack line defense.

Xavier visits Memphis in a non-conference game that's gone from being one of the top matchups when looking at the schedules in October to one that both teams truly need for their respective resumes due to struggles before the calendar flipped to 2012. Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons need to get back to consistently being one of the nation's best backcourts for Xavier to be at their best, and Memphis needs consistent play from Joe Jackson. Will Barton has played well enough to merit All-America consideration for the Tigers, and a win for them would go a long way towards making sure Conference USA gets multiple NCAA tournament bids.

If college hoops had bowl games the Seton Hall/Connecticut game would be dubbed the "Desperation Bowl" as both teams are in serious need of some positive momentum. The Pirates have lost five straight as seniors Jordan Theodore and Herb Pope (who is out today due to bruised ribs) haven't always played their best and youngsters who were doing the little things before the skid have slipped as well. UConn has dropped four in a row and with Jim Calhoun taking an indefinite leave of absence to deal with spinal stenosis (get well soon, Coach) it's on a group that hasn't shown much in the way of leadership or resolve to figure things out before things get even worse.

Vanderbilt visiting Florida should be a fun game especially when considering the offensive end of the floor, with the Commodores boasting Jeffery Taylor and John Jenkins while the Gators have a three-headed attack on the perimeter consisting of Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton and Bradley Beal. Notre Dame (hosting Marquette) and Wyoming (hosting UNLV) get ranked teams at home, which could be a good boost for resumes that need some sprucing up in the final month before Selection Sunday, and in the MAAC two of the three teams tied for first meet in Riverdale as Manhattan hosts Iona. Emmy Andujar's banked-in three as time expired won the first meeting, a game that Iona led by 18 with less than eight minutes remaining.

Top 25 Games?
6:00 PM (1) Kentucky at South Carolina (ESPN)?
12:00 PM (2) Syracuse at St. John's (ESPN)
?2:00 PM (3) Ohio State at (20) Wisconsin (ESPN)
?9:00 PM (8) Kansas at (4) Missouri (ESPN)
?1:45 PM (6) Baylor at Oklahoma State (ESPN3) ?
4:00 PM (6) North Carolina at Maryland (ESPN)?
7:00 PM (9) Murray State at Tennessee-Martin (ESPN3) ?
1:00 PM Vanderbilt at (11) Florida (CBS) ?
5:00 PM (12) Creighton at Northern Iowa (ESPN3)
?4:00 PM (13) UNLV at Wyoming (The Mtn.)?
11:00 AM South Florida at (14) Georgetown (ESPNU) ?
1:00 PM (15) Marquette at Notre Dame (CBS) ?
10:00 PM TCU at (17) San Diego State (The Mtn.)
?1:00 PM (18) Virginia at (24) Florida State (ESPN3) ?
4:00 PM Auburn at (19) Mississippi State (ESPN3) ?
7:00 PM (20) Indiana at Purdue (BTN)
?7:00 PM Columbia at (23) Harvard ?
4:00 PM Rutgers at (25) Louisville (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
?12:00 PM Seton Hall at Connecticut (ESPN3) ?
12:00 PM Detroit at Butler (ESPN2)?
12:00 PM La Salle at Saint Joseph's (CBS SN Regional)
?1:00 PM Boston College at Georgia Tech (ESPNU)?
1:00 PM IPFW at IUPUI ?
1:00 PM Wake Forest at NC State (ESPN3) ?
1:00 PM Xavier at Memphis (FSN) ?
1:00 PM Hartford at Vermont ?
1:00 PM Navy at Lafayette ?
1:00 PM Charlotte at Fordham (YES)
?1:00 PM Winthrop at VMI
?1:45 PM Arkansas at LSU (ESPN3) ?
2:00 PM Sacred Heart at Fairleigh Dickinson ?
2:00 PM Central Michigan at Ohio ?
2:00 PM Temple at Rhode Island (ESPN2)?
2:00 PM Delaware at James Madison (TCN) ?
2:00 PM Charleston Southern at Coastal Carolina (MASN)?
2:00 PM Charleston at Appalachian State
?2:00 PM American at Colgate ?
2:00 PM Holy Cross at Lehigh ?
2:00 PM Georgia Southern at Western Carolina ?
2:00 PM Milwaukee at Green Bay (ESPN3)
?2:00 PM Samford at Wofford ?
3:00 PM Arizona at Stanford (FSN)?
3:00 PM UNC Greensboro at Furman ?
3:00 PM East Tennessee State at Kennesaw State ?
3:00 PM Penn State at Iowa (ESPNU) ?
3:00 PM UTSA at Lamar ?
3:00 PM Texas A&M-CC at Northwestern State ?
3:00 PM UCF at SMU ?
3:05 PM Evansville at Southern Illinois ?
3:15 PM Florida Gulf Coast at Jacksonville ?
3:30 PM Presbyterian at Campbell ?
3:30 PM Maine at UMBC ?
4:00 PM New Mexico at Boise State (NBC SN) ?
4:00 PM Robert Morris at Mount St. Mary's ?
4:00 PM Clemson at Virginia Tech (ESPN3) ?
4:00 PM Miami (OH) at Ball State ?
4:00 PM North Carolina A&T at Bethune-Cookman ?
4:00 PM Chattanooga at Davidson ?
4:00 PM Middle Tennessee at Denver (ESPN2)?
4:00 PM Georgia State at Hofstra (FiOS1)
?4:00 PM Texas A&M at Kansas State (ESPN3)
?4:00 PM Howard at Maryland-Eastern Shore
?4:00 PM Coppin State at Morgan State ?
4:00 PM Savannah State at South Carolina State ?
4:30 PM Central Connecticut State at LIU Brooklyn ?
4:30 PM USC Upstate at Mercer ?
4:30 PM Texas State at Nicholls State
?4:30 PM Bryant at St. Francis (NY) ?
5:00 PM Arizona State at California (CSN CA)
?5:00 PM Air Force at Colorado State (CBS SN) ?
5:00 PM Dayton at Saint Louis (FCS)
?5:00 PM Rice at East Carolina ?
5:00 PM Oregon State at Utah
?5:00 PM UCLA at Washington State (ROOT) ?
5:00 PM Texas-Arlington at Central Arkansas ?
5:00 PM Old Dominion at George Mason (ESPNU)
?5:30 PM Tennessee Tech at Jacksonville State ?
5:30 PM Alabama State at Mississippi Valley State ?
5:30 PM N.J.I.T. at Chicago State ?
6:00 PM North Carolina Central at Florida A&M ?
6:00 PM Northern Illinois at Bowling Green (ESPN3)
?6:00 PM Iowa State at Oklahoma (ESPN2)
?6:00 PM Pennsylvania at Brown ?
6:00 PM Southern University at Grambling State
?6:30 PM Alcorn State at Jackson State ?
7:00 PM Princeton at Yale
?7:00 PM Massachusetts at George Washington (CSN+) ?
7:00 PM Drexel at Towson (ESPN3) ?
7:00 PM Cornell at Dartmouth
?7:00 PM Texas Tech at Texas (LHN)
?7:00 PM Santa Clara at San Diego (CSN BAY)?
7:00 PM William & Mary at UNC Wilmington ?
7:00 PM Stony Brook at Albany ?
7:00 PM Boston University at Binghamton
?7:00 PM Army at Bucknell ?
7:00 PM DePaul at Cincinnati (ESPN3) ?
7:00 PM Norfolk State at Delaware State ?
7:00 PM Richmond at Duquesne (ESPNU)?
7:00 PM Morehead State at Eastern Illinois ?
7:00 PM Citadel at Elon ?
7:00 PM Florida International at Florida Atlantic ?
7:00 PM Gardner-Webb at High Point
?7:00 PM Western Michigan at Kent State ?
7:00 PM UNC-Asheville at Liberty (ESPN3) ?
7:00 PM Iona at Manhattan (ESPN3)
?7:00 PM Canisius at Marist ?
7:00 PM Quinnipiac at Monmouth
?7:00 PM Stetson at North Florida
?7:00 PM Sam Houston State at Southeastern Louisiana ?
7:00 PM Buffalo at Toledo ?
7:00 PM Northeastern at VCU (TCN) ?
7:00 PM Saint Francis (PA) at Wagner (Time Warner)
?7:00 PM Northern Colorado at Weber State (Altitude) ?
7:30 PM Eastern Michigan at Akron
?8:00 PM South Alabama at Western Kentucky (FCS) ?
8:00 PM Marshall at Tulsa ?
8:00 PM North Dakota at Texas-Pan American
?8:00 PM Ole Miss at Alabama (ESPN2)
?8:00 PM Alabama A&M at Arkansas-Pine Bluff ?
8:00 PM Louisiana-Monroe at Arkansas-Little Rock ?
8:00 PM Texas Southern at Prairie View A&M
?8:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at SIU-Edwardsville ?
8:00 PM Georgia at Tennessee (ESPN3) ?
8:00 PM Houston at Tulane ?
8:00 PM Wright State at Valparaiso
?8:00 PM Oakland at Western Illinois
?8:05 PM Missouri State at Drake (ESPN3)
?8:05 PM Utah Valley at Houston Baptist
?8:05 PM Bradley at Illinois State (ESPN3) ?
8:30 PM UMKC at South Dakota ?
8:30 PM Oral Roberts at North Dakota State
?8:30 PM Tennessee State at Southeast Missouri State ?
8:30 PM Southern Utah at South Dakota State ?
8:30 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Troy
?8:35 PM Portland State at Northern Arizona (FCS)
?9:00 PM Hawaii at San Jose State ?
9:00 PM Oregon at Colorado (ROOT) ?
9:00 PM Montana at Montana State
?9:00 PM Louisiana Tech at New Mexico State (ESPN3) ?
9:00 PM UC Santa Barbara at Cal State Fullerton (ESPNU) ?
9:00 PM UAB at UTEP (CSS)
?9:05 PM Sacramento State at Eastern Washington ?
10:00 PM UC Davis at UC Riverside
?10:00 PM Pacific at UC Irvine ?
10:00 PM San Francisco at Loyola Marymount ?
10:00 PM Idaho at Nevada ?
10:00 PM Gonzaga at Pepperdine (ROOT)
?10:00 PM BYU at Portland (BYU TV)
?10:00 PM Indiana State at Wichita State (ESPN2) ?
10:00 PM Cal Poly at Cal State Bakersfield
?10:05 PM Utah State at Fresno State
?10:10 PM Arkansas State at Seattle ?
10:30 PM Cal State Northridge at Long Beach State (FSN West) ?
11:00 PM USC at Washington (FSN)

#14 Georgetown vs. Connecticut: Wednesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:58:26 -0500

While both Connecticut (14-6, 4-4) and #14 Georgetown (16-4, 6-3) enter Wednesday night's contest off of losses over the weekend, the feelings regarding each program are drastically different at this time. John Thompson III's Hoyas have been one of the Big East's pleasant surprises, thanks in large part to some veteran leaders and a young group of players who have shown themselves to be ready for Big East play. UConn on the other hand has been one of the more disappointing teams in conference play, and their 50-48 loss to Notre Dame on Sunday has sparked major changes to their starting lineup.

Head coach Jim Calhoun announced the changes on Tuesday, with freshman guard Ryan Boatright (9.8 ppg, 3.4 apg) and sophomore forward Roscoe Smith (3.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg) moving in while Shabazz Napier (14.3 ppg, 6.1 apg) and Alex Oriakhi (6.5 rpg, 4.9 rpg) will come off the bench. Frankly the Huskies need a spark, and the hope is that these moves will provide that boost. Clearly a lot was lost with the departure of Kemba Walker but just as important as the tangible contributions were Walker's intangibles, which have proven to be difficult to account for. Regardless of a team's skill set it's difficult to win consistently without emotion, and that's been a lesson the Huskies have learned quite often in recent games.

What's interesting about these two teams is that they're practically even when it comes to offensive efficiency with the Huskies at 109.0 and Georgetown at 109.2, and both are shooting 47% from the field. But the Hoyas are averaging nearly two more points per game and their scoring balance is likely one of the reasons why. All seven of Georgetown's leaders in minutes per game shoot at least 46% from the field with wing Hollis Thompson (13.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg) leading the way at 50.7%. Georgetown's system, which more times than not is initiated by center Henry Sims (11.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.6 apg), has opened up passing lanes and quality shot opportunities for much of the season and they've taken advantage.

UConn on the other hand has relied more on one-on-one play to get their shots, a situation that turned downright ugly on Sunday afternoon. Jeremy Lamb (17.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg) leads the way offensively with Napier second on the team in scoring, and while that was expected to be the case before the season began the spacing and ball movement haven't been what is generally expected of teams pegged to contend for championships. And with Georgetown likely to employ a zone defense to take advantage of these issues, Connecticut had better improve in this area if they're to leave the nation's capital with a win.

The youngsters could tip the scales in one direction or the other at the Verizon Center, and one who has played very well is Georgetown's Otto Porter. Porter (8.5 ppg, 6.9 rpg) leads the Hoyas in rebounds and while he hasn't strung together consecutive double-digit scoring outings since November in the Maui Invitational there's no denying his improvement. If Boatright performs well as the starter and vets Napier and Oriakhi respond positively to their move to the bench UConn can win and turn things around. Talent-wise the Huskies are more than capable of doing so, but are capable when it comes to the intangibles? We'll get that answer on Wednesday.

Indiana visits Michigan in the night's lone matchup of ranked teams, with the Hoosiers looking to remain in the top half of the conference standings while Michigan needs a win to remain a game out of first in the loss column. The two frontrunners for Big Ten Rookie of the Year will also be on display, with Indiana's Cody Zeller and Michigan's Trey Burke being the focus. The outcome could ultimately be decided by veterans such as IU's Jordan Hulls and Michigan's Tim Hardaway Jr. Colorado State looks to build on their win over San Diego State win a win at UNLV, but look for the Runnin' Rebels to be fired up given the fact that the Rams won in Las Vegas last season. And the top two teams in Conference USA as Southern Miss hosts Memphis, and the hope for the home folks has to be that Larry Eustachy's bunch can finally beat Memphis.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM (6) Baylor at Texas A&M
9:00 PM Oklahoma at (8) Kansas
8:05 PM Illinois State at (12) Creighton (ESPN3)
10:30 PM Colorado State at (13) UNLV (The Mtn.)
7:00 PM Connecticut at (14) Georgetown (ESPN2)
10:15 PM Boise State at (17) San Diego State (CBS SN)
6:30 PM (20) Indiana at (22) Michigan (BTN)
7:00 PM Georgia Tech at (24) Florida State (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Xavier at George Washington (FCS)
7:00 PM George Mason at Delaware
7:00 PM Oakland at IUPUI
7:00 PM Vermont at Boston University
7:00 PM Drexel at Northeastern
7:00 PM SMU at East Carolina
7:00 PM Hartford at New Hampshire
7:00 PM Eastern Michigan at Miami (OH)
7:00 PM Fordham at Temple
7:00 PM Massachusetts at Rhode Island
7:00 PM Davidson at Furman
7:00 PM Saint Joseph's at Richmond
7:00 PM Tulane at Marshall
7:00 PM Georgia State at UNC Wilmington
7:00 PM UMBC at Albany
7:00 PM Toledo at Akron (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Ball State at Buffalo
7:00 PM Duquesne at Dayton
7:00 PM Towson at Hofstra
7:00 PM Charlotte at La Salle
7:00 PM Rutgers at Providence (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Binghamton at Stony Brook
7:00 PM Bowling Green at Western Michigan
7:00 PM VCU at William & Mary
7:00 PM Colgate at N.J.I.T.
7:30 PM Texas A&M-CC at Nicholls State
8:00 PM Georgia at Auburn (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Evansville at Bradley
8:00 PM NC State at Boston College (ESPN3)
8:00 PM St. Bonaventure at Saint Louis
8:00 PM UTEP at Rice
8:00 PM Drake at Indiana State (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Northwestern State at Central Arkansas
8:00 PM Maryland at Miami (FL) (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Ohio at Northern Illinois
8:00 PM McNeese State at Sam Houston State
8:00 PM Lamar at Southeastern Louisiana
8:00 PM Memphis at Southern Miss (CBS SN)
8:00 PM Texas State at Stephen F. Austin
8:00 PM Wyoming at TCU (The Mtn.)
8:05 PM Wichita State at Missouri State
8:30 PM Cal State Bakersfield at New Mexico State (ESPN3)
8:30 PM St. John's at DePaul (ESPN3)
8:30 PM Grambling State at Alabama State
8:30 PM Minnesota at Iowa (BTN)
9:00 PM Houston at UAB
9:00 PM UTSA at Texas-Arlington

Non-BCS Top 25: Memphis Making Move

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:42:51 -0500

The Non-BCS Top 25 is a weekly companion to the popular CHN Top 50 ranking, taking an in-depth look into the underrated universe of teams outside of the big six. The original Non-BCS ranking.

Non-BCS Top 25: January 22nd

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

	Team	Record	Last	Pre.
1	UNLV	20-3	1	7
2	Murray St	21-0	2	NA
3	Creighton	20-2	4	8
4	Saint Mary's	21-2	6	14
5	Gonzaga	17-3	5	3
6	San Diego St	18-3*	3	18
7	Harvard	18-2	7	21
8	Southern Miss	19-3	9	NA
9	Temple	15-5	11	4
10	Wichita St	18-4*	8	13
11	MTSU	20-3*	10	NA
12	New Mexico	17-4	12	5
13	Cleveland St	18-4	15	NA
14	Memphis	15-6	21	1
15	Saint Louis	16-5*	13	NA
16	Long Beach St	16-6	23	23
17	Iona	17-5*	14	NA
18	Davidson	15-5*	16	NA
19	Xavier	14-7*	18	2
20	BYU	18-6*	19	17

Not in CHN Top 50 Ranking

	Team	Record	Last	Pre.
21	Ohio	17-4	24	NA
22	Oral Roberts	20-4	25	NA
23	Nevada	18-3	27	NA
24	Dayton	14-7**	17	NA
25	Marshall	13-8**	20	10

pre. = preseason ranking

last = last ranking (end of 2010-11 season)

* = Losses in the last week

Next 5: George Mason (18-5), UMASS (16-5), Weber St (16-4*), UCF (15-6**), Bucknell (17-6),

Further 5: Colorado St (14-6*), La Salle (16-6), VCU (18-5), Akron (14-7), Wyoming (17-4*)

Dropped Out of Top 25 This Week:

#22 UCF

Dropped Out of Top 25 Since Preseason:

#6 Butler

#9 George Mason

#11 Drexel

#15 Kent St

#22 Utah St

#24 UAB

#25 GW

Agree/Disagree? Post your thoughts below or join us @collegehoopsnet

Check out last week's Non-BCS Top 25 Ranking

Saturday Recap: Iowa State Hands #5 Kansas Their First League Loss

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:59:36 -0500

To say that there were some complaints about the "quality" of Saturday's schedule would be an understatement as many felt that the college basketball slate wouldn't provide much intrigue. But once again college basketball didn't disappoint the fans, with the big result being Iowa State's 72-64 win over #5 Kansas. The Cyclones won despite turning the ball over 19 times by getting to the foul line and controlling the boards. ISU attempted 34 free throws (making 25) to just sixteen for the Jayhawks (who made ten) in handing the visitors their first Big 12 loss. Add in a 36-23 rebounding edge (with 11 offensive rebounds) and some "Hilton Magic" and the end result is a signature win for an Iowa State team that needed one for their NCAA Tournament hopes.

"It's the second time we've played Kansas and in both games our bigs did a heck of a job against some of the best front line players in the country so you have to take your hat off to them," said guard Scott Christopherson, who finished with 14 points (9-10 FT) and three assists. "Not only did they rebound but they defended really well. Kansas puts pressure on your bigs to guard, and our bigs definitely answered the bell today."

Royce White and Melvin Ejim combined to turn the ball over 13 times but they were also the teams leading scorers and rebounders. White, whose versatility has made him one of the best players in the Big 12, finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists while Ejim added 15 and eight rebounds. Iowa State won the majority of the 50/50 battles and that proved to be one of the key factors down the stretch despite their scoring just eight second chance points.

"We talk about 50/50 balls all the time. We don't put football pads on and dive after them but we talk about it a lot," said Iowa State head coach Fred Hoiberg. "We were the first to the floor a couple times and we talk a lot about that as well. Overall a great effort. The first few minutes of the second half was disappointing but we called a quick timeout and got them back out there and refocused. We finished off and played our best stretch of basketball of the season."

The play that essentlally clinched the game for Iowa State came by way of a Kansas turnover, with Chris Babb getting a steal with 1:21 remaining. The Penn State transfer would cash in on the change in possession 25 seconds later with a three-pointer to make the score 67-59, and Iowa State would go on to make five of their last six free throws to sew things up. Tyshawn Taylor led the Jayhawks with 16 points and ten assists and Thomas Robinson added 13 and seven rebounds, but on an afternoon that saw all five KU starters reach double figures their bench didn't provide much help.

Iowa State's reserves outscored the Jayhawk bench 15-5 with Anthony Booker and Tyrus McGee providing the points (and ten rebounds) for the victors. McGee's three-point play with 6:06 remaining broke a 53-all tie and gave the Cyclones the lead for good. Kansas will remain the favorite to win the Big 12 despite this result, but the win was huge for an Iowa State team that went into Saturday without a single RPI Top 50 win (going by realtimerpi.com's numbers). If they can continue to attack the boards (37.9% offensive rebounding percentage on Saturday) and play aggressive basketball, Iowa State has the tools needed to get to the Big Dance.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Saint Mary's takes care of BYU in Provo to remain undefeated in WCC play.
Having already dropped one game at home in conference play, Dave Rose's BYU Cougars needed a win over first-place Saint Mary's if they were to remain a major player in the WCC race. But with the Gaels showing a level of play on the road that's been absent in recent years BYU now finds themselves three games out of first with two games against Gonzaga still left on their schedule. Saint Mary's made up for 24 turnovers and allowing 17 offensive rebounds by shooting 55% from the field and going 25-for-33 from the foul line, winning 80-66 in front of a frenzied Marriott Center crowd that crossed the line at times with the throwing of objects onto the floor. What makes the win (and the margin) all the more surprising is the line that starting point guard Matthew Dellavedova put up, as he finished 1-for-4 from the field (ten points) to go along with seven rebounds, six turnovers and four assists.

But he had plenty of help, with redshirt freshman forward Brad Waldow (19 points, eight rebounds) continuing his solid play of late and Clint Steindl adding 16 points off the bench. Rob Jones scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Saint Mary's, who still has a trip to Gonzaga on their schedule to address. The BYU trio of Matt Carlino (15 points, three assists), Brandon Davies (14 points, seven rebounds) and Noah Hartsock (15 points, three rebounds) led the way but they didn't receive much help while the Gaels' stars did and that proved to be the difference. In prior seasons the late-season fade was an issue for Randy Bennett's team, but in their winning of a chippy affair (the officials were a little too vigorous in their use of the whistle, which didn't help either team) Saint Mary's showed that they've got the staying power needed to not only win the WCC but make some noise in the Big Dance.

2. #4 Syracuse survives a challenge from West Virginia...and the officials marred the ending as well.
What tends to happen in games that are marred by a missed call is that both teams get cheated. The losing team for obvious reasons but the winning squad as well, as they have to defend an outcome that came through no fault of their own. Three officials missed a clear goaltending violation by Baye Keita in the final seconds that would have tied the game, and with Gary Browne missing a last-second three West Virginia left the Carrier Dome with a 63-61 loss. Frankly the Mountaineers have a right to be furious over the missed call, which also overshadows the fact that they out-rebounded Syracuse 41-20 on the afternoon with 19 offensive rebounds. Safe to say that on the interior the Orange miss starting center Fab Melo, but when you get whipped like this one the glass the issue is bigger than one missing player.

Kevin Jones led the Mountaineers, who responded well to the whipping they took at St. John's on Wednesday night, with 20 points and eight rebounds and four other players grabbed at least five boards (three being guards) for the visitors. Looking at the box score it's natural to ask how did Syracuse win. They scored two more points at the foul line (13-11) but they also made up for a 4-for-18 afternoon from beyond the arc by shooting 63% from inside of it. West Virginia on the other hand shot 16-for-44 from two, which to a certain extent nullified their offensive rebounding performance (OR%: 55.9) as they only scored 13 second-chance points to eight for the Orange. Brandon Triche scored 18 points and Kris Joseph 13 to keep the Orange alone atop the Big East standings, leaving West Virginia to wonder what could have been had that violation been called.

3. Washington outlasts Arizona to complete their road sweep, and the Wildcats lose Kevin Parrom too.
Road sweeps will eventually determine who wins the Pac-12, as it tends to do in most seasons. But given the conference's struggled they've become even more important, making Washington's 69-67 win at Arizona that much bigger. Tony Wroten may have shot 5-for-18 from the field in scoring 17 points but his aggressiveness was just what the Huskies needed in front of a frenzied crowd, and his block of a Josiah Turner layup attempt just before the final buzzer preserved the win. Terrence Ross scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds and C.J. Wilcox added 15 off the bench (and five key free throws down the stretch) to keep the Huskies tied for first place in the conference. Solomon Hill was outstanding for Arizona as he finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds and Jesse Perry added 13 and 12, but the Wildcats were unable to finish off their late rally.

And Sean Miller's team was hit with another blow after the game as it was announced that wing Kevin Parrom would miss the remainder of the season with a broken bone in his right foot. Parrom missed the second half with the injury and it's a cruel twist for a young man who has fought a great amount of adversity this year. His loss is big for the Wildcats, as Parrom's versatility and savvy gave Arizona a player they could rely on to do whatever was required of him on the floor at any particular moment. Are youngsters such as Turner and Nick Johnson ready to step up? Can Kyle Fogg and Brendon Lavender give them more? The answers to those questions will determine Arizona's fate down the stretch. As for Washington the play of Wroten is quickly becoming the key to their hopes of winning the Pac-12, and if he can continue on this path the Huskies will be right there at the finish.

4. Good luck trying to figure out the Atlantic 10, but Temple made quite a statement at home.
Just as wild as the Pac-12 race (but better in terms of quality at the top) has been the Atlantic 10, which seems to become more unpredictable by the day. But if there's one thing that stands out after Saturday's action it's that Fran Dunphy's Temple Owls are currently a step ahead of the competition. Led by Ramone Moore (21 points) and Juan Fernandez (17 points) the Owls whipped city rival Saint Joseph's 78-60 in a game that saw all five Hawks starters fail to reach double figures. Khalif Wyatt added ten points and eight rebounds and Micheal Eric chipped in with 11 off the bench in a game Temple led by as many as 28 points late in the second half.

As a team the Owls shot 60% from the floor and 53.3% from three, overwhelming a Saint Joseph's team that was led by 6th man Ronald Roberts (17 points, ten rebounds). Temple is part of a three-way tie for first place in the Atlantic 10 with surprises Massachusetts (who beat Saint Louis) and La Salle (winners over Duquesne). Saint Louis, who has already won at Xavier, will remain a factor in the race as well Xavier (who won at Charlotte) and Dayton (who inexplicably lost at home to Rhode Island). But if one were to handicap the race right now Temple would be the likely choice to win the conference. The guard play has been well-documented and the return of Eric adds a big man the Owls were missing earlier in the season. If Temple continues to execute on the offensive end as they did against the Hawks they're going to be tough to knock off.

5. #13 Florida's shooting from deep proves to be the difference in their win over #16 Mississippi State.
In the first half of the Gators' 69-57 win over Mississippi State on Saturday the Bulldogs outscored the Gators 10-8 in the paint. That statistic flipped in a big way in the second half, with Florida outscoring the visitors 20-4 on their way to the win. Florida's ability to knock down three-pointers will get the majority of the headlines as they knocked down 11 of their 24 attempts on the day, but don't overlook the importance of their paint scoring. Bradley Beal led Florida with 19 points with Erik Murphy adding 14 and Patric Young 12, and nine of Florida's final eleven field goals were scored in the paint.

Murphy's ability to shoot from the perimeter (4-for-7 3PT) helped open things up for Florida inside, and the combined nine assists and no turnovers from Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton was key as well. Dee Bost and Arnett Moultrie scored 12 points apiece to lead Mississippi State (Moultrie also grabbed 13 rebounds) but Rick Stansbury's guys fell victim to an 11-0 run that put the game out of reach after a Bost three cut Florida's lead to four (51-47) with 8:01 remaining.

Quick Hitters

1. #6 Duke hung on to beat St. John's 83-76 but head coach Mike Krzyzewski was none too pleased after the game. The Blue Devils were sloppy in the second half offensively and defensively they didn't have an answer for Moe Harkless, who finished with 30 points and 13 rebounds. Ryan Kelly scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds and Mason Plumlee scored 15 and grabbed 17 rebounds for the Blue Devils, who need better guard play if they're to win the ACC.

2. Nasir Robinson scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds in Pittsburgh's 72-60 win over #10 Georgetown, moving the Panthers to 12-0 all-time at the Petersen Events Center against Top 10 opponents. This game is also another step in the right direction for Pitt, who assisted on 20 of their 25 made baskets. With Tray Woodall finally healthy the Panthers have their point guard back, and they can definitely make a run towards an NCAA berth.

3. There's more work to be done for Colorado State to earn an NCAA Tournament berth but their 77-60 win over #12 San Diego State was a step in the right direction. Wes Eikmeier scored 19 points and Will Bell 17 and five rebounds for the Rams, whose win also resulted in a tie atop the Mountain West as UNLV won in overtime at Air Force. Whether or not Tim Miles' team can make a run at the bubble (or better) remains to be seen, but this kind of win was absent from there resume before Saturday.

4. Wichita State was involved in a thriller but their 93-86 triple overtime loss at Drake dropped the Shockers a game behind Creighton in the Missouri Valley standings. Ben Simons led the Bulldogs with 29 points and eight rebounds and Kurt Alexander's 17 points off the bench were also key. Garrett Stutz led Wichita State with 27 points and Joe Ragland scored 25, but as a result of this loss the Shockers will likely need to win the games approaching the February 11th battle at Creighton to remain a game out.

5. So much for the momentum gained from their win over first-place LIU Brooklyn for Robert Morris, as they fell 81-68 to St. Francis (NY). The loss drops the Colonials two games behind LIU in the NEC, which is where they were before Thursday night's win. Glen Braica's Terriers, who were led by Brent Jones (19 points, four rebounds, four assists) and Travis Nichols (16 points off the bench), are now tied with Wagner a game behind their Brooklyn rivals.

6. Cal State Fullerton got their chance to not only make a statement but add some intrigue to the Big West race but Long Beach State was having no parts of that as they put together a late run to win 75-61. Dan Monson's team closed the game on a 22-10 run after having their lead cut to two points, and at 9-0 in league play the 49ers look to be in good position to win another regular season crown.

7. Kenny McGowen's three-pointer as time expired gave Idaho State a 64-62 win over Weber State, who entered the game undefeated in Big Sky play. McGowen scored 19 points to lead all scorers while Scott Bamforth led the Wildcats with 17 and Damian Lillard added 15. While the win breathes life into the Bengals' hopes of qualifying for the conference tournament it also gives new life to Montana, who is now tied in the loss column with Weber State atop the standings.

8. Dominique Morrison scored 28 points on 10-for-14 shooting from the field as Oral Roberts moved to 12-0 in the Summit League with a 77-67 win over UMKC. The Golden Eagles attempted just seven three-pointers but made five while also shooting 22-for-38 from two, and at 20-4 ORU hasn't received the level of national respect that they deserve. This team will be a tough out come March.

9. Speaking of March, good luck to the selection committee finding 37 at-large teams better than Middle Tennessee should the Blue Raiders not win the Sun Belt's automatic bid. Middle Tennessee lost 84-77 at Vanderbilt in what's a good win for the Commodores but the skill of players such as LaRon Dendy should not be lost in the final score. Few teams will be lining up to play Kermit Davis' club anytime soon.

10. Memphis and Southern Miss won the two matchups of the top four teams in Conference USA, setting up a showdown for sole possession of first place Wednesday night in Hattiesburg. Will Barton was outstanding for Memphis in their 83-76 win over Marshall, scoring 29 points and grabbing eight rebounds, while Neil Watson (23 points) and Darnell Dodson (22 points, eight rebounds) led Southern Miss to a 78-65 win at UCF.

11. Both Purdue and Illinois had chances to either move to or remain at the head of the pack in the middle of the Big Ten standings but only the Boilermakers took full advantage. Robbie Hummel's jumper from the left baseline in the final seconds gave Purdue a 58-56 win at Northwestern, but Illinois made some poor decisions late and ended up falling 77-72 at Minnesota. Tough to figure out how the middle of the conference will shake out but the ability to win tight games on the road will set teams apart.

Five Notable Performances

1. G Shane Gibson (Sacred Heart)
43 points (16-28 FG) and five rebounds in the Pioneers' 81-80 double overtime loss to Mount St. Mary's. Gibson's three at the end of regulation tied the score at 70 and sent the game into overtime.

2. F Ryan Pearson (George Mason)
29 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and two blocks in the Patriots' 89-79 win over James Madison.

3. F Moe Harkless (St. John's) and F Mason Plumlee (Duke)
Harkless accounted for 30 points and 14 rebounds in the Red Storm's 83-76 loss at #6 Duke while Plumlee led the victors with 15 points and 17 rebounds.

4. G Reggie Hamilton (Oakland)
37 points, six assists and four rebounds in the Golden Grizzlies' 78-75 loss to North Dakota State.

5. F Tony Mitchell (North Texas)
21 points, 15 rebounds and six blocks in the Mean Green's 76-64 win over Arkansas State.

Special Note: Towson picks up their first win of the season
Congrats to Pat Skerry's Towson Tigers, who picked up their first win of the season (and ended a 41-game losing streak) with a 66-61 win over UNC Wilmington. Marcus Damas led the way with 18 points while Deon Jones (15 points, six rebounds) and Robert Nwankwo (12 points, 11 rebounds) were also good. And Erique Gumbs, the lone member of the team to have experienced every loss, chipped in with 11 points and eight rebounds. Good to see the program get rewarded for the hard work put in; hope Binghamton (0-20) gets to experience this feeling soon as well.

New Mexico vs. #16 San Diego State: Wednesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:28:47 -0500

It looks as if the schedule-makers in the Mountain West wanted to spark some serious national conversation about the conference from the beginning of league play because the first full week of play will feature all three expected contenders facing each other. Wednesday's slate features #16 San Diego State (15-2, 1-0), fresh off of their two-point win over UNLV, visiting The Pit to take on a New Mexico (15-2, 1-0) squad that's quietly won thirteen in a row. The Lobos, preseason favorites to win the Mountain West, feature one of the best power forwards in senior Drew Gordon (12.4 ppg, 10.5 rpg) while guards Tony Snell (13.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg) and Kendall Williams (11.7 ppg, 4.4 apg, 3.6 rpg) have also played well during their current run.

Before scoring eight points in the Lobos' win at Wyoming on Saturday, Gordon reached double figures in eight straight games to rebound from an inconsistent start to the season. A key for SDSU will be to keep him off the offensive glass, something they've done a good job of this season as opponents rebound just 26.9% of their missed shots. If anything offensive rebounding will be a critical factor in the outcome as New Mexico grabs 36.4% of their misses and SDSU is a solid offensive rebounding team as well (33.4% OR percentage). The Aztecs don't have the marquee bodies in the frontcourt that they had last season but Steve Fisher's guys still attack the boards, and one of their best offensive rebounders is also an important scorer on the perimeter.

Jamaal Franklin (15.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg) grabs 1.6 offensive rebounds per game, a number that's third on the team to Deshawn Stephens (2.1) and Garrett Green (2.0). Franklin knocked down the game-winner on Saturday and scored 24 points while also grabbing ten rebounds, with the boards marking the third time in the last four games in which he's finished with ten caroms. If anything the Aztecs have plenty of depth on the perimeter as Chase Tapley (16.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg), Xavier Thames (11.0 ppg, 5.4 apg) and James Rahon (10.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg) all have the ability to hurt teams offensively. Rahon scored 22 points in the win over UNLV and seemed to have an answer for just about every UNLV charge.

Williams is one of the guards that Steve Alford will rely upon tonight, and he should be a solid bet to perform well coming off of back-to-back double-figure scoring performances for the first time since the final two games of the 76 Classic in late November. The one issue for Williams has been the drop in his percentages from last season, as his three-point percentage is down about ten points and the field goal percentage down six. But in the last three games Williams has made seven of eleven from distance, and the hope for UNM fans is that he'll continue on that path.

As for Snell (13.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg) he's been New Mexico's most consistent performer this season, increasing his scoring by nine points from last season and his percentages have made a signficant jump as well. Hugh Greenwood has missed the last two games with a sprained ankle, which has meant more time for Williams at the points and more minutes for Jamal Fenton (7.4 ppg, 2.6 apg) off the bench. Williams turned the ball over five times on Saturday but as a team the Lobos finished with 15 turnovers (they average 14 per game), so there wasn't a huge shift in that regard.

In addition to the rebounding three-point shooting is an area to keep an eye on with the Lobos scoring 30% of their points from beyond the arc. As a team New Mexico shoots 40.2% from deep, and while SDSU isn't a bad shooting team (35.2% 3PT) they rely more on getting to the basket. The Pit is one of the toughest environments in college basketball for a road team, and the Aztecs needed some big plays from D.J. Gay to win last year's meeting. He's no longer on Montezuma Mesa, meaning that a Franklin, Rahon or Tapley (Thames too) would likely have to be the guy. But as we've seen thus far, they're more than capable of doing so.

The Missouri Valley has a pair of marquee matchups on the slate with Creighton visiting Missouri State and Northern Iowa hosting Wichita State. Kyle Weems and the Bears handed Creighton its only league loss in Omaha earlier this month, and a sweep of the season series would go a long way in terms of bolstering a resume that's taken some hits as they've lost three of their last four.

As for UNI they sit at 3-4 in MVC play and their inconsistent offensive production is a big reason why. Do the Panthers have an answer for Garrett Stutz inside? He's raised his scoring nearly five points from last season and is grabbing nearly four more rebounds per game as well. WSU is 5-0 in road games this season and Stutz is averaging 16.4 points and 9.0 rebounds in those contests.

There's also a battle of Big Five teams as La Salle visits Temple and the perimeter matchups should be fun to watch. Dr. John Giannini's team has played both more consistently and unselfishly this season than last and guards Tyreek Duren and Ramon Galloway are two reasons why. Temple will counter with Ramone Moore, Khalif Wyatt and Juan Fernandez, but a player like Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson could factor into the outcome as the Explorers aren't the biggest team inside.

Also in the Atlantic 10 Saint Joseph's visits Xavier and UMass visits Duquesne in what should be two entertaining matchups. Cincinnati visits Connecticut in need of another resume-building win; keep in mind they've got that home loss to Presbyterian to account for and with the Huskies unlikely to have Ryan Boatright again the Bearcats will have an even better chance of winning. And keep an eye on two games involving Conference USA teams, with Memphis visiting UCF and Marshall stepping outside of the league to play West Virginia. Marquee games? Probably not, but there's more than enough to keep your attention tonight.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM (10) Murray State at Morehead State (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Cincinnati at (11) Connecticut
7:00 PM (13) Indiana at Nebraska (BTN)
9:00 PM (15) Mississippi State at Ole Miss (ESPN3)
10:00 PM (16) San Diego State at New Mexico (CBS SN)
8:05 PM (18) Creighton at Missouri State
10:30 PM TCU at (20) UNLV(The Mtn.)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Richmond at George Washington
7:00 PM St. John's at USF (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Georgia State at Northeastern
7:00 PM Old Dominion at Towson
7:00 PM Bowling Green at Miami (OH)
7:00 PM Kent State at Ohio (ESPN3)
7:00 PM La Salle at Temple
7:00 PM Seton Hall at Villanova (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Colgate at Army
7:00 PM James Madison at UNC Wilmington
7:00 PM Akron at Buffalo
7:00 PM Ball State at Central Michigan
7:00 PM Massachusetts at Duquesne
7:00 PM Western Michigan at Eastern Michigan
7:00 PM Rhode Island at Fordham
7:00 PM Delaware at George Mason (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Drexel at Hofstra
7:00 PM Bucknell at Lehigh
7:00 PM Clemson at Miami (FL) (ESPN3)
7:00 PM American at Navy
7:00 PM Northern Illinois at Toledo
7:00 PM Saint Joseph's at Xavier
7:30 PM Marshall at West Virginia (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Kennesaw State at Charlotte
8:00 PM Tennessee at Georgia (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Tulane at Tulsa
8:00 PM UAB at Rice
8:00 PM Texas-Arlington at Texas A&M-CC
8:00 PM Wyoming at Air Force (The Mtn.)
8:00 PM Nicholls State at Central Arkansas
8:00 PM Memphis at UCF
8:00 PM Indiana State at Illinois State (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Southeastern Louisiana at McNeese State
8:00 PM Wichita State at Northern Iowa (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Texas State at Sam Houston State
8:00 PM Houston at SMU
8:00 PM Northwestern State at UTSA
8:05 PM Drake at Southern Illinois
8:05 PM Bradley at Evansville
9:00 PM Oklahoma State at Iowa State
9:00 PM Northwestern at Wisconsin (BTN)
9:00 PM Texas at Kansas State
9:00 PM East Carolina at UTEP
10:00 PM Cal State San Marcos at Fresno State
10:05 PM UC Riverside at Cal State Fullerton

Monday Recap: The More Things Change...

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:05:15 -0500

Monday's showdown between #3 Baylor and #7 Kansas gave the visiting Bears a great chance to make the statement that they were ready to dethrone a program that's won at least a share of the last seven Big 12 titles. Well while there's still plenty of basketball to be played before the regular season champion is determined, it's safe to say that Bill Self's team has no plans to simply hand over the top spot. Thomas Robinson outplayed the highly-touted Baylor frontcourt, scoring 27 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, and Tyshawn Taylor scored a game-high 28 points and dished out six assists as the Jayhawks rolled to the 92-74 victory.

"We played terrific. That's the best game we've played all year," remarked Self. "The energy level was great and we got off to a great start."

Baylor looked to be every bit Kansas' equal after the Jayhawks jumped out to a 17-9 lead, putting together an 18-5 run over a nearly seven-minute stretch to take a 27-22 lead with 6:01 remaining. But to sustain such play at Allen Fieldhouse is difficult to say the least, and Kansas would close the half on a 17-2 run to take a 39-29 lead into the break. Taylor, who capped the half with a three-pointer from the top of the key, led the way with 14 points while Robinson added 12 and five boards. Rebounding was an issue all night for Baylor, who ignored the need to box out and it cost them.

Kansas grabbed 15 offensive rebounds on the night, scoring 17 second-chance points, and out-rebounded the Bears 39-24. And if that wasn't enough the Jayhawks outscored Baylor 48-34 in the paint and all five starters reached double figures in scoring. Jeff Withey, the player who had to show up lest Robinson be left to deal with the Baylor frontcourt by himself, posted a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds in addition to three blocked shots. With Baylor's starting frontcourt scoring 49 of their 74 points Withey had to be a factor and he was.

"When we get Jeff going, it really gets a lot of us going, and a lot of people don't know that," said Elijah Johnson, who finished with 11 points and five rebounds. "Jeff is a key player to our team, especially with getting us started. When he is on track, it can be a long night for some teams."

Perry Jones III led Scott Drew's club with 18 points and Quincy Miller scored 17 but it wasn't enough to avoid their first defeat of the year. Pierre Jackson scored 11 points off the bench in his sixth-man role to go along with 11 assists, but his solid performance was eclipsed by what Taylor was able to do. Provided they improve their rebounding, which is surprisingly mediocre given their size, Baylor will be a factor in both the Big 12 and national title races. But the biggest lesson to come out of Monday night is that to win the Big 12 the road once again goes through Lawrence.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Marquette climbs out of an 18-2 hole to beat Louisville at home.
Down 18-2, Marquette head coach Buzz Williams took what many would judge to be an unconventional approach to dealing with his team. He didn't flip out or panic, and as a result his lack of an overreaction proved to be the best move. The Golden Eagles would outscore Louisville 32-12 from that point forward to take a 34-30 halftime lead on their way to the 74-63 win at the Bradley Center. Darius Johnson-Odom led four Marquette players in double figures with 19 points, Davante Gardner scored 17 and grabbed six rebounds and Jae Crowder posted a double-double (14 points, 11 rebounds), but the foul line proved to be the difference on Monday afternoon.

Marquette made 16 of their 18 free throws while Louisville failed to take advantage of their opportunities, making four of ten from the charity stripe. Russ Smith scored 20 points to lead the Cardinals, who were once again without the injured Kyle Kuric, and their half-court offense remains an issue. Louisville finished with 17 assists but also turned the ball over 17 times, and the absence of Kuric severely hampers the bench production as Smith moves into the starting lineup. Marquette's reserves, led by Todd Mayo (11 points), outscored the Louisville reserves 15-3. Marquette could have lost their composure and allowed the Cardinals to run away with the game at 18-2 but they stayed the course and ultimately won.

2. Syracuse continues the best start in school history with a win over Pittsburgh.
Despite their recent track record of futility against Pittsburgh heading into Monday's game at the Carrier Dome (no current player had ever beaten the Panthers), few expected the top-ranked Orange to struggle with Jamie Dixon's club. And after 20 minutes of play it looked as if Syracuse was going to roll to their 20th consecutive win as they led 35-26. Pitt couldn't take care of the basketball, and their 11 first-half turnovers led to 12 Syracuse points. But the Panthers were able to remain within striking distance by hitting the glass,out-rebounding the Orange 22-14. That would continue in the second half, and while the Orange went on to win 71-63 the 40-28 disadvantage on the glass is something that sticks out for Jim Boeheim's 20-0 squad.

Dion Waiters led five players in double figures with 16 points and Fab Melo posted a double-double with ten points and ten assists while Pitt was led by three players who scored ten points apiece. But just like Louisville, the Panthers' woes at the foul line prevented them from making the game uncomfortably close for Syracuse. Syracuse made 20 of their 23 free throws while the Panthers shot 12-for-23 with Nasir Robinson missing six of his eight attempts.

Be it free throws or layups Pittsburgh is not completing the "simple" plays right now, and that's a big reason why they're off to their worst start in Big East play since the 1995-96 season. As for Syracuse, while they were the unanimous choice for the top spot in the coaches' poll this week there's still plenty to improve upon. For a team that can achieve special things this season, this is just one step on the road they hope leads them to New Orleans.

3. So much for the SWAC showdown, as Mississippi Valley State rolls Southern.
With Southern entering their road game in Itta Bena just a game out of first place in the loss column there was reason to believe that Rob Spivery's Jaguars would challenge the Delta Devils. Twenty-one turnovers later however Southern found themselves on the wrong end of a 77-56 result, as they also shot 38.8% from the field and gave up 19 offensive rebounds. Five MVSU players reached double figures with Cor-J Cox scoring a game-high 23 off the bench and Paul Crosby grabbed 14 rebounds in addition to scoring 18 points.

To say the least it's a lot easier to win when scoring 27 points off of 21 turnovers and 23 second-chance points, and as a result Sean Woods' Delta Devils find themselves in sole possession of first place with a 5-0 league mark. With five teams within two games of each other in the loss column it's anyone's guess as to how the race will shake out, but the Delta Devils' win keeps them above the rest for the time being.

Quick Hitters

1. From Sunday, there were two huge differences between Ohio State's 80-63 win over Indiana and their loss to the Hoosiers in the first meeting. One, Aaron Craft was much better running the show (seven assists and no turnovers; had six turnovers in Bloomington). And two, Lenzelle Smith Jr. went off to the tune of 28 points and seven rebounds on 10-for-12 shooting. If Smith Jr. can be a consistent supplement to William Buford, Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas, look out.

2. Missouri took care of business ahead of their meeting with Baylor in Waco on Saturday, beating Texas A&M 70-51. The point guard play wasn't close with Phil Pressey outplaying Dash Harris and that's one reason as to why Billy Kennedy's team has struggled this season. The Aggies need more from their guards if they're to have a shot at climbing into the middle of the Big 12 pack.

3. Logan Aronhalt scored 20 points and Mike Black 13 to lead Albany, but when two starters manage to go scoreless it's tough to win on the road. Guards D.J. Irving and Darryl Partin combined to score 32 points as Boston University beat the Great Danes 70-57 to move to 4-1 in America East play. The Terriers are a half-game behind Stony Brook for first place, as the Seawolves moved to 5-1 with a 71-62 win over New Hampshire.

4. In a matchup of undefeated (in league play) teams Norfolk State won 74-66 at Coppin State. Kyle O'Quinn, who has to be the frontrunner for MEAC Player of the Year right now, scored 24 points and grabbed 19 rebounds and Pendarvis Williams scored a game-high 25 points. The Spartans sit atop the MEAC standings with a 4-0 record.

5. Christian Williams made just three of twelve shots from the field but his three-pointer with 22 seconds remaining gave Jackson State a 52-51 lead on their way to the 54-51 win over previously undefeated Texas Southern. Jenirro Bush led the Tigers with 23 points and eight rebounds.

6. Memphis freshman Adonis Thomas could be done for the season due to an injury suffered in practice on Friday, according to Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com. A surgery that would repair a tendon between Thomas' ankle and foot would necessitate a recovery period of two to three months.

Three Notable Performances

1. F/C Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State)
24 points and 19 rebounds in the Spartans' 74-66 win over Coppin State.

2. F Thomas Robinson and G Tyshawn Taylor (Kansas)
Robinson scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and Taylor put up 28 points and six assists in the Jayhawks' 92-74 whipping of #3 Baylor.

3. G Melquan Bolding (Fairleigh Dickinson)
38 points, five rebounds and three steals in the Knights' 87-83 loss to Longwood.

Michigan vs. Northwestern: Wednesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:31:55 -0500

While there aren't any matchups of ranked teams on Wednesday's schedule there are some important contests to keep an eye on, one of which being Northwestern (11-4, 1-2) visiting Ann Arbor to take on a #13 Michigan (13-3, 3-1) squad that's got the look of a Big Ten contender. If you like the three-point shot this is the game for you, as the Wildcats and Wolverines are the top two teams in the Big Ten when it comes to the percentage of points scored via the bonus shot (Northwestern 38.1%, Michigan 36.1%).

Bill Carmody and John Beilein run similar systems, but the focal points in regards to who takes the shots differ. Michigan enjoys more of an equitable distribution of shots, with guards Tim Hardaway Jr. (15.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.7 apg) and Trey Burke (13.8 ppg, 5.0 apg, 3.4 rpg) leading the team in scoring. Three players average double figures for the maize and blue while three more average at least seven points per game, and as a team the Wolverines shoot 47.5% from the field.

Northwester on the other hand call on a pair of wings for the majority of their scoring, with John Shurna (18.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.8 apg) and Drew Crawford (17.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.9 apg) currently ranking as the conference's leading scoring duo. The Wildcats have three other players averaging between 6.0 and 8.4 points per game, but they have a much tougher time winning if either Crawford or Shurna were to go cold than Michigan would if one of their key players had a rough night.

Where this game will ultimately be decided is in the paint, especially when it comes to rebounding. Northwestern is the Big Ten's worst rebounding team when it comes to margin, as they're being out-rebounded by an average of nearly five rebounds per game. Michigan on the other hand has a margin of plus-3.3, and the tandem of Evan Smotrycz (10.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg) and Jordan Morgan (7.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg) are the chief producers.

As for the Wildcats, in addition to being their leading scorers Crawford and Shurna are also their leading rebounders, with senior forward Luka Mirkovic (7.4 ppg) being next in line with an average of 4.3 caroms per contest. He has to be a more consistent factor, both on Wednesday night as well as throughout the remainder of the season, if the Wildcats are to make good on their goal of earning the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament berth. Northwestern allows an average of nearly 12 offensive rebounds per game, and if Michigan can take advantage of that area this could end in a double-digit margin in favor of the home team.

Another game that sticks out is a hot Southern Miss, winners of 11 straight, visiting Memphis in a matchup of two Conference USA contenders. Joe Jackson will need to play well at the point for the Tigers to be the factor many believe they can be despite a slow start exacerbated by a very difficult schedule. Will Barton's played like one of the best players in C-USA to this point in the year, but the addition of Darnell Dodson has been a nice boost for the Golden Eagles.

There's also a pair of games in the Atlantic 10 to watch with Xavier hosting Duquesne and Temple visiting Saint Louis. Ron Everhart's Dukes are a middle of the pack team this season, but with T.J. McConnell and B.J. Monteiro leading their deep backcourt Duquesne has the ability to make things difficult on the Musketeers. But their lack of frontcourt depth could open things up for Andre Walker and Kenny Frease. As for the Owls, they're looking to rebound from their loss to Dayton on Saturday but it's going to be tough to do at Chaifetz. Rick Majerus' Billikens are led by Kwamain Mitchell, and they also have enough talent to win the A-10.

Missouri's trip to Iowa State should be fun due to the fact that the Tigers will have to provide an answer for one of the tougher matchups in the Big 12 in forward Royce White. White led the Cyclones to an emphatic win at Texas A&M with a triple-double, and given how much of the offense Fred Hoiberg runs through him White could very well post another at some point this season.

Also in the Top 10 Syracuse, Kentucky and Kansas all hit the road for games they're expected to win, but the Orange had better be careful with a Villanova team that really needs a win of this magnitude. As for a good non-conference game, Denver visits Colorado State in the final tune-up for Mountain West play for the Rams. Joe Scott's got a Sun Belt contender on his hands, so it wouldn't be a surprise if the Pioneers left Fort Collins with a win.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM (1) Syracuse at Villanova (ESPN2)
8:00 PM (2) Kentucky at Auburn (ESPN3)
8:00 PM (9) Missouri at Iowa State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM (10) Kansas at Texas Tech
6:30 PM Northwestern at (13) Michigan (BTN)
7:00 PM St. John's at (24) Marquette

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Rhode Island at George Washington
7:00 PM Old Dominion at Delaware
7:00 PM Navy at Holy Cross
7:00 PM Charlotte at Massachusetts
7:00 PM William & Mary at Towson
7:00 PM Wake Forest at Maryland (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Dayton at St. Bonaventure
7:00 PM Akron at Bowling Green
7:00 PM Buffalo at Ohio
7:00 PM Rutgers at Pittsburgh (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Longwood at Brown
7:00 PM Southern Miss at Memphis
7:00 PM Boston University at Maine
7:00 PM Army at Lafayette
7:00 PM New Hampshire at Albany
7:00 PM Colgate at Bucknell
7:00 PM Houston at UCF
7:00 PM Central Michigan at Eastern Michigan
7:00 PM Northeastern at Hofstra
7:00 PM Miami (OH) at Kent State
7:00 PM American at Lehigh
7:00 PM Stony Brook at UMBC
7:00 PM Fordham at Saint Joseph's
7:00 PM Northern Illinois at Western Michigan
7:00 PM Duquesne at Xavier (CBS SN)
7:30 PM Northwestern State at Nicholls State
8:00 PM Marshall at UAB
8:00 PM Arkansas at Ole Miss (ESPN3)
8:00 PM UTEP at Tulsa
8:00 PM Sam Houston State at Texas-Arlington
8:00 PM Stephen F. Austin at Central Arkansas (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Rice at SMU
8:00 PM Texas-Pan American at TCU
8:00 PM Morehead State at Tennessee State
8:00 PM Texas A&M-CC at UTSA
8:30 PM Penn State at Nebraska (BTN)
9:00 PM Denver at Colorado State (The Mtn.)
9:00 PM Temple at Saint Louis (CBS SN)
9:00 PM Georgia Tech at NC State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Texas A&M at Texas
9:00 PM LSU at Alabama (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Lamar at McNeese State

Bubble Watch: Memphis, Arkansas, UNI On the Edge

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:55:41 -0500

Based on CollegeHoops.net's most recent Bracketology projection, here is how the NCAA Tournament Bubble currently stands. CHN will publish Bubble Watch on Tuesday's following the Bracketology update.

As always, the field below is a prediction of what the committee would do as things stand today, not what they should do. Teams are listed in order of likelihood of making the tournament.

This week's notes: BYU & Iowa St jump into the field, replacing Florida St, Pittsburgh, and Minnesota. Dayton also enters the field as the new A10 leader, but as you see below, they'd most likely make the tourney as an at-large bid currently. Memphis remains just on the fringe, and Arkansas enters the bubble picture for the first time. Ohio, though still in the tourney as the projected MAC champs, would no longer be considered for an at-large bid in these projections.

Change	Seed	Team	Conf.	Record	RPI	KenPom	Sagarin	AP
	11	Texas	B12	11-4	72	26	44
	11	Arizona	P12	11-5	57	42	61
	12	Marshall	CUSA	10-4	46	54	51
	12	Cincinnati	BE	13-4	109	43	60
	12	Virginia Tech	ACC	11-4	40	38	41
	12	Xavier	A10	10-5	51	61	69
	12	BYU	WCC	12-4	45	21	28
	13	Northwestern	B10	11-4	31	67	50
	13	Iowa St	B12	12-3	44	53	54	38
Bubble
		Memphis	CUSA	10-5	36	31	30
		Arkansas	SEC	12-3	82	79	76	34
		Northern Iowa	MVC	11-4	23	47	46
		St. Joseph's	A10	11-5	47	59	57
		Florida St	ACC	9-6	85	46	73
		Pittsburgh	BE	11-5	84	62	77
		NC State	ACC	12-4	48	54	55
		Colorado St	B12	10-4	28	96	67
		Minnesota	B10	12-5	31	66	66

Dropped Out of Bubble Watch: Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Washington

Projected Conference Champs that would be on the Bubble if they lost title:

Change	Seed	Team	Conf.	Record	RPI	KenPom	Sagarin	AP
	10	Southern Miss	CUSA	13-2	11	72	34
	11	Dayton	A10	12-4	17	48	42	37
	11	Iona	MAAC	13-3	32	41	37
	13	Middle Tennessee	SB	14-2	86	58	43
Bubble
	13	Ohio	MAC	11-3	68	76	58
	13	Long Beach St	BW	8-6	22	40	38
		Belmont	ASUN	10-6	98	36	59
		Oral Roberts	SUM	14-4	53	52	48
		Nevada	WAC	11-3	81	86	79
		Davidson	SoCo	9-4	41	73	62

Projected Conference Leaders Out of Bubble Watch: Cleveland St

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