Mercer

Friday Tournament Predictions: Horizon, OVC, MVC, WCC

Greg Mengelt — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 07:55:14 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. He'll be picking every conference tournament game over the next 2 weeks. Read more about Championship Week at CollegeHoops.net.

ATLANTIC SUN SEMIFINALS: AT MACON, GA.

Belmont (25-7, 16-2) vs. East Tennessee State (17-13, 10-8)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: Comcast Sports. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 23 – Belmont 82-70; Feb. 18 – Belmont 80-58. RPI: Belmont 63, East Tennessee State 180. Analysis: Belmont beat the Buccaneers by a combined 34 points in two meetings this year. Can’t find a reason why the Bruins won’t blow them out again. Line: Belmont -12. Pick: Belmont 88, East Tennessee State 66.

Mercer (22-10, 13-5) vs. Florida Gulf Coast (14-16, 8-10)

Tipoff: Approx. 8:30 p.m. TV: Comcast Sports. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 2 – Mercer 76-54; Feb. 20 – Mercer 75-66. RPI: Mercer 126, Florida Gulf Coast 238. Analysis: Mercer looked better in its win over Lipscomb, but the Bears probably aren’t playing well enough yet to take them against the spread. Line: Mercer -9.5. Pick: Mercer 71, Florida Gulf Coast 67.

HORIZON LEAGUE QUARETRFINALS: AT VALPARAISO, IND.

(3) Detroit (19-13, 11-7) vs. (6) Youngstown State (16-14, 10-8)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: Horizon League Network/ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 1 – Youngstown 64-61*; Feb. 25 – Detroit 76-74*. RPI: Detroit 158, Youngstown State 166. Analysis: Detroit’s underachieving roller coaster season comes to an end. Line: Detroit -6. Pick: Youngstown State 68, Detroit 65.

(4) Milwaukee (20-12, 11-7) vs. (5) Butler (19-13, 11-7)

Tipoff: Approx. 8:30 p.m. TV: Horizon League Network/ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – Butler 54-50; Jan. 26 – Milwaukee 53-42. RPI: Milwaukee 124, Butler 112. Analysis: The Butler magic lives on – for one more day. Line: Butler -1. Pick: Butler 66, Milwaukee 61.

MISSOURI VALLEY QUARTERFINALS: AT ST. LOUIS

(1) Wichita State (26-4, 16-2) vs. (8) Indiana State (17-13, 8-10)

Tipoff: 1 p.m. TV: MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 15 – Wichita State 75-65*; Feb. 4 – Wichita State 71-66. RPI: Wichita State 12, Indiana State 130. Analysis: This isn’t a typical 1/8 matchup with the Sycamores finishing a game behind third place. Indiana State is closer to the team that won last year’s tournament than to the one that struggled during the middle of this season. Line: Wichita St -10. Pick: Wichita State 70, Indiana State 62.

(4) Illinois State (18-12, 9-9) vs. (5) Northern Iowa (19-12, 9-9)

Tipoff: Approx. 3:30 p.m. TV: MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 29 – Illinois State 65-61; Feb. 11 – Northern Iowa 78-63. RPI: Illinois State 125, Northern Iowa 62. Analysis: This game could go either way, so take the team with more post-season experience. Line: Northern Iowa -2. Line: Northern Iowa -2. Pick: Northern Iowa 70, Illinois State 67.

(2) Creighton (25-5, 14-4) vs. (7) Drake (16-14, 9-9)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 3 – Creighton 76-59; Jan. 25 – Creighton 77-69. RPI: Creighton 25, Drake 127. Analysis: Except for a late push against Long Beach State, the Blue Jays just aren’t playing as well as they were earlier this season. It would be tough to take them by more than a handful of points. Line: Creighton -8. Pick: Creighton 69, Drake 65.

(3) Evansville (15-14, 9-9) vs. (6) Missouri State (16-15, 9-9)

Tipoff: Approx. 9:30 p.m. TV: MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 15 – Evansville 87-82 (OT)*; Feb. 25 – Evansville 75-70 (OT). RPI: Evansville 138, Missouri State 108. Analysis: Missouri State senior Kyle Weems will find a way to shine in his final week, and the Bear defense will clamp down on Ace star Colt Ryan. Line: Missouri State -2. Pick: Missouri State 77, Evansville 70.

OHIO VALLEY SEMIFINALS: AT NASHVILLE

(1) Murray State (28-1, 15-1) vs. (4) Tennessee Tech (19-12, 9-7)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Murray State 82-74; Feb. 25 – Murray State 69-64*. RPI: Murray State 31, Tennessee Tech 151. Analysis: Tennessee Tech found a way to keep both regular-season meetings close, and Kevin Murphy and the Eagles will push the Racers again. Line: Murray St -8. Pick: Murray State 70, Tennessee Tech 64.

(2) Tennessee State (19-11, 11-5) vs. (3) Morehead State (18-14, 10-6)

Tipoff: Approx. 8 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 11 – Tennessee State 77-72. RPI: Tennessee State 131, Morehead State 173. Analysis: With an extra day of rest, Tennessee State will pull away from the Eagles early in the second half. Line: Tennessee St -4. Pick: Tennessee State 81, Morehead State 69.

WCC QUARTERFINALS: AT LAS VEGAS

(4) Loyola Marymount (19-11, 11-5) vs. (5) San Francisco (19-12, 8-8)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – Loyola Marymount 77-76 (OT)*; Feb. 4 – Loyola Marymount 90-88. RPI: Loyola Marymount 119, San Francisco 147. Analysis: Vegas is begging you to take LMU, don't fall for it. Line: San Francisco -1.5. Pick: Loyola Marymount 78, San Francisco 75.

(3) BYU (24-7, 12-4) vs. (6) San Diego (12-17, 9-7)

Tipoff: Approx. 11 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – BYU 88-52; Jan. 16 – BYU 82-63*. RPI: BYU 50, San Diego 193. Analysis: BYU will control the boards and its defensive end en route to an easy win. Line: BYU -13. Pick: BYU 78, San Diego 55.

*Road win

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 95-62-2

Afternoon Upsets in the Big South: Wednesday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 23:14:27 -0800

The biggest development on Wednesday night were the wins picked up by Cincinnati, Colorado State and USF, as all three strengthened their arguments for an NCAA tournament bid.

1. Two of the top three seeds in the Big South saw their seasons come to an end in the quarterfinals.
The beginning of an almost nonstop afternoon basketball got underway on Wednesday, and from an upset standpoint the Big South certainly didn't disappoint. But if you're a fan of either Coastal Carolina or Campbell it wasn't a good day, as both saw their seasons come to an end (unless selected for a postseason tournament) despite entering the conference tournament as the two and three seeds. CCU ran into a VMI team that got hot from three, knocking down 14 of their 28 attempts from beyond the arc on the way to an 85-68 victory. Starters Keith Gabriel (20 points) and Stan Okoye (15) played well, but the 17-point outing from Jordan Weethee (5-6 3PT) off the bench was just as important. CCU didn't help themselves by turning the ball over 16 times either.

As for Campbell turnovers were a problem for them as well in their 71-55 loss to six-seeded Winthrop. The Camels turned the ball over 16 times to just eight for the Eagles, who are looking to rid themselves of the bad taste left in their mouths following a disappointing regular season. Campbell also couldn't slow down Reggie Middleton, who scored a game-high 25 points (5-10 3PT) and dished out four assists to lead the way for Winthrop. Darren White led Campbell with 15 points but no other Campbell player reached double figures, and when combined with the turnovers that proved to be too much to overcome. On the other side of the bracket top seed UNC Asheville and four-seed Charleston Southern advanced, and the key for UNCA at this point is to remain focused on the task at hand instead of worrying about how the bottom half of the bracket opened up. Do that and Eddie Biedenbach's team could make a return trip to the Big Dance.

2. Miami follows up their big win over Florida State with...a loss at NC State.
What the Hurricanes have done over the last four days is exactly why concrete verdicts shouldn't be rendered in regards to the tournament prospects of teams based on one game. On Sunday Jim Larranaga's team looked very good as they beat Florida State with Reggie Johnson out of the lineup. But with Johnson back the Hurricanes were unable to build on the positive momentum as they fell to the Wolfpack 77-73. And if not for their 22 offensive rebounds the margin of defeat could have been even larger for Miami, who shot just 35.6% from the field while NC State made half of their field goal attempts.

C.J. Leslie led four NC State players in double figures with 21 points while also grabbing 11 boards as the Pack snapped their four-game losing streak. Rion Brown led the Hurricanes with 15 points off the bench but with Kenny Kadji and Durand Scott shooting a combined 6-for-24 from the field Miami couldn't counter NC State scoring 43 second-half points. With a home game against Boston College being the regular season finale, it's likely that Miami will need to make some noise in the ACC tournament to further state their case.

3. It was also a bad night for bubble teams in the Atlantic 10 as both Dayton and Saint Joseph's fell.
One day after Xavier fell hard at Saint Louis two more teams suffered defeats that could have the A-10 sliding toward being a two-bid league. Phil Martelli's Hawks were unable to build on their win over Temple in Olean as they fell to St. Bonaventure 98-93 in double overtime. Andrew Nicholson, who is a candidate for A-10 Player of the Year, scored 32 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the Bonnies to a win that locked up a first-round bye in next week's conference tournament. The Hawks got themselves in trouble by getting out-rebounded 49-30, with the Bonnies grabbing 20 offensive rebounds.

As for the Flyers, their loss was even more damaging as they fell 82-71 at Richmond. Darien Brothers led the Spiders with 30 points and Kendall Anthony added 20 off the bench as Richmond dropped Dayton into a three-way tie for sixth. Chris Johnson scored 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead Dayton, who was outscored 19-9 at the charity stripe. Richmond held the edge in bench points (29-15) thanks in large part to Anthony, and they were also able to score 21 second-chance points to just 13 for the Flyers. A win over George Washington won't do much for Dayton's profile and Saint Joseph's regular season is done, meaning that both are looking at the prospect of likely needing the automatic bid to go dancing.

Quick Hitters

1. The top two seeds took the floor in the Atlantic Sun quarters, and while Mercer had to work a bit harder than anticipated both the Bears and Belmont advanced. Jake Gollon led Mercer to their 61-53 win over Lipscomb with 19 points and eight rebounds, and as a team the Bears made up for committing twice as many turnovers (16) as Lipscomb by making nine three-pointers. Belmont beat Jacksonville 76-62 behind Kerron Johnson's 19 points, five rebounds and five assists.

2. Three of the four quarterfinals in the Patriot League went according to seed on Wednesday. The lone exception: Lafayette's 84-76 win at Holy Cross in the 4/5 game. Rob Delaney (25 points) and Jim Mower (18) combined to score 43 points for the Leopards, who will visit top-seed Bucknell in the semifinals on Saturday.

3. Mitchell Watt scored 22 points and grabbed six rebounds to Buffalo to a 74-70 win at Akron in a key MAC battle. The win moves the Bulls to within a game of the Zips for first place in the MAC East with one game remaining, and just as importantly they're a game up on Ohio in the race for second place.

4. Sheldon McClellan scored 24 points and J'Covan Brown 22 as Texas avoided what would have been a rough loss to have on their resume, as they beat Oklahoma 72-64 in Austin. The Longhorns end the regular season with a trip to Kansas, and an upset in Lawrence would undoubtedly punch their ticket.

5. Brian Williams scored all 18 of his points in the second half, and his three-pointer with 33 seconds remaining gave Jacksonville State the lead for good in their 75-70 win over Austin Peay in an OVC first round matchup. In the other OVC tournament game Southeast Missouri State beat Eastern Kentucky 75-65.

6. A rough run through WCC play mercifully came to an end for Santa Clara in Las Vegas as they fell 74-70 to Portland in the first round of the WCC tournament. Losing Marc Trasolini on the preseason trip to Canada with a torn ACL was hard enough to deal with, but once Kerry Keating had to suspend Kevin Foster the Broncos seemed destined for a winless league campaign.

7. Northwestern had a golden opportunity to pick up a signature win, but Jared Sullinger's bucket in the final seconds gave Ohio State the 75-73 win in Evanston. Drew Crawford and John Shurna combined to lead the Wildcats with 45 points but that wasn't enough as the Buckeyes had four players put up double figures. The Northwestern storyline is going to be one of the interesting stories to keep an eye on in Indianapolis next week.

Wednesday's Conference Tournament Primer

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 01:27:24 -0800

Four more conferences join in on the tournament fun on Wednesday while the Big South moves on to the quarterfinal round, meaning that more teams will see their season come to an end. The top two seeds in the Atlantic Sun, regular season champion Belmont and host school Mercer, begin their journey in Macon and both teams will be prohibitive favorites to advance. Rick Byrd's Bruins enter tournament play on an 11-game win streak and they won both regular season meetings with 8-seed Jacksonville by double digits.

However both of those meetings came in January and the Dolphins won three straight before falling to North Florida in their regular season finale. In the second meeting, an 85-71 Belmont win, the Bruins shot 5-for-9 from three and scored 46 points after going into the half tied at 39. Guard Kerron Johnson, one of three Bruins named First Team All-Atlantic Sun, scored 21 points in the win and three other Belmont players reached double figures. Belmont's balance, which comes as a result of their deep rotation, makes them a tough matchup for many teams on the defensive end of the floor.

Aloys Cabell and Russell Powell led the way for the Dolphins in that contest, scoring a combined 37 points but as the game wore on it was apparent that Jacksonville didn't have the number of weapons needed to keep up with Belmont. Therein lies the problem for the Dolphins, whose opponents have shot 47% from the field this season. Add in big men Scott Saunders and Mick Hedgepeth and it's easy to see that JU will have a hard time slowing Belmont down unless multiple Bruins have off nights.

Bob Hoffman's Bears won nine straight games entering their stretch run but dropped three of their final four games, but maybe getting to host the conference tournament can turn things around. Mercer takes on Lipscomb, a team they swept with the most recent meeting being a 63-54 victory on the 23rd. Mercer limited the Bison to 33.3% shooting from the field and 38.6% from two, but the Bears had better improve their rebounding if they're to avoid an upset. Lipscomb grabbed 17 offensive rebounds but luckily for Mercer the Bison were unable to take advantage.

Jake Gollon and Langston Hall struggled in that contest but Bud Thomas stepped up to score 15 points and Daniel Coursey added 12. Lipscomb freshman Malcolm Smith was named to the All-Freshman Team and rightfully so, as he ranks second on the team in scoring despite starting just eight games this season. Others need to step up with Smith essentially being the man with jordan Burgason no longer with the team. The winners of these games have Thursday off, a built-in perk for the higher-seeded teams provided they take care of business.

Atlantic Sun (quarterfinals)
#1 Belmont vs. #8 Jacksonville, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
#2 Mercer vs. #7 Lipscomb, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN3)

Big South (quarterfinals)
#2 Coastal Carolina vs. #7 Radford, 12:00 p.m. (Big South Network)
#3 Campbell vs. #6 Winthrop, 2:00 p.m. (Big South Network)
#1 UNC Asheville vs. #8 High Point, 6:00 p.m. (Big South Network)
#4 Charleston Southern vs. #5 Liberty, 8:00 p.m. (Big South Network)

One would expect the top three seeds, led by regular season champ UNC Asheville, to take care of business and move on to the semifinals with all three having swept their opponents in the regular season. If there's one matchup of those three to keep an eye on its Winthrop/Campbell, with the Camels winning by just three points in the meeting at Winthrop. And despite the two games separating them in the standings that 4/5 battle could go right down to the wire as Charleston Southern and Liberty split their two meetings. Antwan Burrus' three-pointer in the final seconds of the second meeting gave the Flames a 75-74 win on February 9th.

Ohio Valley (first round)
#5 Southeast Missouri vs. #8 Eastern Kentucky, 6:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)
#6 Austin Peay vs. #7 Jacksonville State, 8:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)

Murray State's clearly the favorite to win the OVC crown but they won't play until Friday, so the question is whether or not one of the four teams playing on Thursday has the ability to make it to that point. Southeast Missouri State would be the most likely choice given their 9-7 conference record, but the Redhawks limp into the tournament on a four-game losing streak. Dave Loos' Austin Peay squad could be the better choice as they boast four players averaging double figures (TyShawn Edmondson leads the way at 12.5 ppg), and the Governors have won three in a row entering their game against Jacksonville State.

Patriot League (quarterfinals)
#8 Navy at #1 Bucknell, 7:00 p.m.
#5 Lafayette at #4 Holy Cross, 7:00 p.m.
#7 Colgate at #2 Lehigh, 7:00 p.m.
#6 Army at #3 American, 7:30 p.m.

The question in the Patriot League on Wednesday night is whether or not any of the visitors have the ability to knock off one of the top three teams. Navy? Highly unlikely as the Midshipmen went 0-14 in league play, something no team has accomplished since Army did so in 2002-03. Colgate? The Raiders' lone conference wins came at the expense of Navy, and outside of NJIT they haven't beaten a team other than the Mids since mid-December (Dartmouth). Army would be the best choice given the presence of Ella Ellis, but they lost both meetings with American by double digits (by 12 at home and by 24 at AU). Lafayette and Holy Cross split their season series so that would be the game that should garner the most attention. If one of the top three should lose it would be a huge surprise.

WCC (first round)
#8 Portland vs. #9 Santa Clara, 9:00 p.m.

Simple storyline here: Kerry Keating's Broncos have seen a year that was supposed to be promising unravel right before their eyes, beginning with Marc Trasolini's torn ACL during a summer trip to Canada. Kevin Foster's been suspended for the remainder of the season and the play of Evan Rocquemore notwithstanding it's easy to see why Santa Clara went winless in WCC play. Portland doesn't arrive in Las Vegas scalding hot themselves, as the Pilots have lost 12 of their last 13 games. Winner gets San Francisco on Thursday night.

Wednesday'sTournament Predictions: Atlantic Sun, Big South, Patriot

Greg Mengelt — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:18:38 -0800

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

BIG SOUTH TOURNAMENT AT ASHEVILLE, N.C.

(2) Coastal Carolina (19-10, 12-6) vs. (7) Virginia Military (15-15, 8-10)

Tipoff: Noon. TV: Big South Network. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 1 – Coastal Carolina 87-78; Feb. 25 – Coastal Carolina 81-64*. RPI: Coastal Carolina 179; VMI 287. Analysis: The Chanticleers struggled late in the regular season. With a game under its belt, VMI should be able to keep this game close. Line: Coastal Carolina -6. Pick: Coastal Carolina 73, VMI 64.

(3) Campbell (17-14, 11-7) vs. (6) Winthrop (11-19, 8-10)

Tipoff: 2 p.m. TV: Big South Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 17 – Campbell, 54-51*; Feb. 9 – Campbell, 67-58. RPI: Campbell 201; Winthrop 274. Analysis: Campbell really faded down the stretch. This could be the first conference tournament upset. Line: Campbell -1½. Pick: Campbell 61, Winthrop 60.

(1) UNC-Asheville (21-9, 16-2) vs. (8) High Point (11-19, 6-12)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: Big South Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Asheville, 86-79*; Jan. 26 – Asheville, 90-70. RPI: Asheville 123; High Point 276. Analysis: High Point has more talent than its record indicates and has a chance to keep this game close. Line: Asheville -8½. Pick: Asheville 80, High Point 73.

(4) Charleston Southern (18-11, 11-7) vs. (5) Liberty (14-17, 9-9)

Tipoff: 8 p.m. TV: Big South Network. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – Charleston Southern, 81-76*; Feb. 9 – Liberty 75-74*. RPI: Charleston Southern 178; Liberty 282. Analysis: CSU is the higher seed and has the better record, but Liberty is playing better behind do-everything Jesse Sanders. Line: Charleston Southern -3½. Pick: Liberty 72, Charleston Southern 65.

PATRIOT LEAGUE AT CAMPUS SITES

(8) Navy (3-25, 0-14) at (1) Bucknell (22-8, 12-2)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 28 – Bucknell 66-51*; Feb. 25 – Bucknell 64-55. RPI: Bucknell 83, Navy 328. Analysis: It would take the return of David Robinson for Navy to stay in this game. Line: Bucknell -21½. Pick: Bucknell 80, Navy 51.

(7) Colgate (8-21, 2-12) at (2) Lehigh (23-7, 11-3)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 24 – Lehigh 78-56*; Feb. 11 – Lehigh 89-69. RPI: Lehigh 109, Colgate 300. Analysis: The Hawks will roll into the title game. Line: Lehigh -21½. Pick: Lehigh 75, Colgate 53.

(5) Lafayette (12-17, 7-7) at (4) Holy Cross (15-13, 9-5)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 19 – Lafayette 54-43*; Feb. 22 – Holy Cross 70-63*. RPI: Holy Cross 165, Lafayette 210. Analysis: The Crusaders win the rubber match with their seventh straight win. Line: Holy Cross -6½. Pick: Holy Cross 60, Lafayette 55.

(3) American (19-10, 10-4) at (6) Army (12-17, 5-9)

Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 21 – American 67-55; American 74-50*. RPI: American 152, Army 300. Analysis: American has won 6 of 8 and the hot play with continue Wednesday. Line: American -13. Pick: American 73, Army 52.

ATLANTIC SUN TOURNAMENT AT MACON, GA.

(1) Belmont (24-7, 16-2) vs. (8) Jacksonville (8-21, 6-12)

Tipoff: 2:30 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 4 – Belmont 75-63*; Jan. 28 – Belmont 85-51. RPI: Belmont 61, Jacksonville 263. Analysis: Belmont’s explosive offense has led the Bruins to 11 straight wins. Make it 12. Line: Belmont -16. Pick: Belmont 90, Jacksonville 64.

(2) Mercer (21-10, 13-5) vs. (7) Lipscomb (13-17, 8-10)

Tipoff: 8:30 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 1 – Mercer 79-72*; Feb. 23 – Mercer 63-54. RPI: Mercer 125, Lipscomb 219. Analysis: Mercer has had a nice season, but the Bears aren’t playing well late in the season. Line: Mercer -10. Pick: Mercer 68, Lipscomb 62.

*Road win

UConn Won But Don't Be Fooled: Monday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:59:52 -0800

We're going with a different setup for daily recaps in hopes of making the reading easier. One piece will focus on the game of the night (or day) and the top individual performances, and the other will touch on other key happenings and some quick hitters on other games.

1. Shabazz Napier's shot gives UConn a much-needed win, but calm down on the "turning point" talk.
The battle between the Huskies and Villanova was a matchup of teams trending in the wrong direction at this point in the season. Jay Wright's young Wildcats were without point guard Maalik Wayns as well as coming off of a tough overtime loss to Notre Dame on Saturday night, and UConn was looking to rebound from a 15-point loss to Marquette. Shabazz Napier called out his teammates following that loss, so it was fitting that the sophomore ended up being the difference in UConn's 73-70 win. Napier knocked down a 30-footer with two-tenths of a second remaining, and with #2 Syracuse next on the slate this was big win for the Huskies.

But to used the phrase "turning point" ignores both the fact that Villanova lacks any kind of depth and the Huskies' level of play throughout the night. There were still mental and physical errors being made, and Jeremy Lamb was UConn's lone player in double figures with 32 points. He's a likely lottery selection but to have that kind of split between Lamb and the rest of the team underlines the issues that UConn has had to deal with this season. The consistency hasn't been there, and coming out of the gates and trailing by as many as 18 points early showed a lack of urgency on their part. The talent is definitely there but the effort isn't always present, which is why UConn finds themselves in their current position. Does all of that automatically change because of one shot? No.

2. Mercer falls two games behind Belmont in the Atlantic Sun race due to a loss at North Florida.
Bob Hoffman's Bears had two games to win to remain a game behind Belmont in the standings leading into the regular season finale between the two teams on February 28th in Macon. But they were unable to accomplish that goal, falling at North Florida 75-66, and that combined with Belmont's 88-79 win over USC Upstate pushed the margin out to two games. The culprit for Mercer in losses to Jacksonville and North Florida: defense, as the Dolphins shot 50% from the field and UNF 45.7%.

The Bears had no answer for Parker Smith, who went off to the tune of 46 points (11-17 3PT) to lead the Ospreys. Langston Hall scored 17 points and dished out four assists to lead Mercer but their inablity to slow down Smith proved costly. The good news for Mercer is that they also host the A-Sun tournament and the worst they'll finish is third, but with their defensive effort not being up to par the last two games the Bears need to correct some things if they're to threaten the defending champs. This should be seen as a minor bump in the road however, as Mercer defended at a high level during their nine-game win streak before this weekend.

3. Paul Crosby's three gives Mississippi Valley State the SWAC regular season title.
Sean Woods' Delta Devils were in good shape to win the SWAC heading into Monday night's game against Texas Southern as they led the pack by four games with four to play. Mississippi Valley State clinched the outright title and moved to 15-0 in league play with a 56-53 win over the Tigers, as Paul Crosby knocked down a three-pointer with six seconds remaining to break a 53-all tie. In fact Crosby did the same in MVSU's win over Prairie View A&M on Saturday, which clinched a share of the SWAC title.

Terrence Joyner led the way for MVSU with 17 points and Crosby tallied a double-double with 11 points and ten rebounds, as the Delta Devils won despite shooting 32% from the field and 9-for-31 from beyond the arc. Who has the ability to take out MVSU in the conference tournament? Texas Southern would be a clear choice with Southern ineligible for postseason play, and Prairie View A&M and Alabama State will also be heard from. But the Delta Devils are hot and have now won 15 straight, meaning that knocking them off will be an extremely difficult task for anyone in the SWAC.

Quick Hitters

1. Alabama head coach Anthony Grant made the move on Monday to keep suspended forward Tony Mitchell out of the lineup for the remainder of the season while reinstating JaMychal Green, which provides some needed closure to the situation. With Green back Alabama could lock down a tournament bid with good play down the stretch, but at the least Monday's decisions provide some closure for all involved.

2. The ACC reprimanded official Karl Hess for his actions in Saturday's game between Florida State and NC State in Raleigh. Once again the league noted that Hess' mistake was in using arena security instead of game management to remove Tom Gugliotta and Chris Corchiani from the arena and not whether or not the long-time official overreacted. Hess was in Queens officiating the DePaul/St/ John's game on Monday.

3. Keep an eye on Fairfield in the Metro Atlantic, and sure enough the Stags have a matchup with first-place Iona on Friday night. Derek Needham led three Stags in double figures with 16 points in Fairfield's 60-49 win at Marist, but the bigger story was the visitors' work on the defensive end. Marist shot 32.7% from the field and turned the ball over 16 times against Fairfield's tough defense, and the Stags have now won seven straight MAAC contests to move to within a game of Iona.

4. Tahj Tate and Marques Oliver scored 20 points apiece to lead Delaware State past Hampton in double overtime by the final score of 73-68. The win keeps the Hornets a game behind Savannah State, who whipped Bethune-Cookman 67-44, in the race for first place in the MEAC with three league games remaining.

5. The race for Big East Rookie of the Year should be fin to watch if only because there's the question of whether or not two St. John's players could cancel each other out in the voting. D'Angelo Harrison scored 23 points while also racking up five assists and five rebounds in the Red Storm's 79-72 win over DePaul, and Moe Harkless added another double-double with 14 and ten rebounds. Harkless would be the pick here, but you never know how the voting may break down.

Monday's Recap: Quincy Acy Leads Baylor Past Texas

Texas vs. #14 Baylor: Monday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 20:04:56 -0800

With the time between now and Selection Sunday getting shorter, every opportunity for a team to bolster its resume takes on added importance. This is the situation that Texas (17-10, 7-7), coming off of a 90-78 loss at Oklahoma State, finds itself in as they host #14 Baylor (22-5, 9-5) in the second of two meetings this season. Baylor is looking to rebound themselves as they fell 57-56 at home to Kansas State, a loss that essentially shuts the door on the chance of winning the league as the Bears sit three games behind both Kansas and Missouri. The goal now: improve every game leading into the Big 12 tournament and lock down the #3 position in the Big 12 standings (currently tied with Iowa State).

A quick look at the Longhorns' credentials underlines the importance of Monday night, as Rick Barnes' team was 2-6 against teams in the RPI Top 50 according to the NCAA's most recently released (to the public) numbers. And if they're to beat Baylor, Texas' front court has to do a better job of defending Perry Jones III than they did in Baylor's 76-71 win in Waco on January 28th. Jones III posted one of his best lines of the season on that day as he finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds, a far cry from his four-point, four-rebound outing against K-State. That's not going to get it done against Texas, and that level of play should be unacceptable for a player of Jones III's talent.

Overall the Baylor big men were far superior in the first meeting, with Quincy Acy scoring ten points and grabbing ten rebounds while Quincy Miller added 18 points. Clint Chapman and freshman Jaylen Bond have shown flashes of being able to get some things done but on paper this matchup shouldn't be all that close. Alexis Wangmene has been very quiet after back-to-back double figure scoring outings against Texas A&M and Kansas State, and he accounted for just two points and four rebounds in the first meeting. Texas will likely need to hope that their big men can do enough to remain competitive in the paint and allow their guards to win the game.

Leading scorer J'Covan Brown definitely has the ability to do so, and Baylor should have a very good idea of what the junior brings to the table as he scored 32 in the January meeting. Brown also dished out five assists, and while there are still bouts with questionable decision-making to be fair he has to be the "risk-taker" for this young group. Freshman Myck Kabongo has turned the ball over five times in each of the last three games, but that number doesn't tell the entire story when it comes to the strides being made by the Toronto native. Kabongo, who scored 22 points in Stillwater, is averaging 16.0 points per game over the last three and he did rack up seven assists in the win over Oklahoma.

Turnovers have also been the focus for Baylor's perimeter and for much of the season the group led by junior Pierre Jackson has been solid in that area. Jackson may not start but if there's a play to be made in late-game situations more often than not the ball is in his hands. Jackson did finish the first meeting with five turnovers but he also had seven assists, and he's racked up 20 helpers over the last three games. But he's been quiet in the scoring department, and when combined with A.J. Walton not being a lights-out scorer and Brady Heslip reaching double figures on Saturday (13 points) for the first time since the first game against Texas it's easy to see how important Pierre is offensively.

To win Texas is going to need their youngsters to step up, and that's beyond what Bond, Kabongo and Sheldon McClellan bring to the table. Jonathan Holmes and Julien Lewis combine to average 14.9 points per game and they combined for 13 in the first meeting (Lewis: 3-9 FG). Also important will be the rebounding, as Baylor's had issues in this department on the defensive end of the floor. Texas grabbed 13 offensive boards in the first meeting but was out-rebounded 40-28 thanks to the fact that they took 13 more shots. If Baylor doesn't box out and watch the back side when in their zone defense, Texas can do more than simple compete. They'll likely win.

Also on Monday's slate is a possible preview of the SWAC title game as first-place (and undefeated) Mississippi Valley State hosts Texas Southern, who would be the two-seed if the season ended today. MVSU won the first meeting 77-69 in overtime thanks to a balanced effort led by Terrence Joyner (18 points) and Brent Arrington (17), and Paul Crosby added a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Crosby's been one of the best players in the SWAC all season long and the Tigers will need to neutralize him in order to win in Itta Bena, and Omar Strong will need to play well for a team that has six players averaging between 5.5 and 12.1 (Strong) points per game. Texas Southern also turns the ball over 17 times per game but it was rebounding and not turnovers that hurt them in the first meeting, as MVSU out-rebounded the Tigers 47-36 and grabbed 18 offensive rebounds.

The top two teams in the Atlantic Sun are also in action as Mercer visits North Florida and first-place Belmont hosts USC Upstate. The Bruins regained the top spot thanks to Mercer's loss on Saturday, and given the fact that Rick Byrd's team has won eight straight the Bears may need to win out until the two meet in the regular season finale for both on the 28th.

And despite the struggles of both we can't forget about Connecticut's trip to Philadelphia to take on Villanova, a game that will say a lot about where the Huskies are headed. The aftermath of Saturday's loss to Marquette was ugly, and it's a situation that can either motivate or incinerate a team. UConn really hasn't shown the leadership needed to turn things around so maybe the Wildcats can get a much-needed win even with Maalik Wayns likely out.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM (14) Baylor at Texas (ESPN)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Texas Southern at Mississippi Valley State (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Connecticut at Villanova (ESPN)
7:00 PM Kennesaw State at Jacksonville
7:00 PM Fairfield at Marist
7:00 PM Longwood at Norfolk State
7:00 PM Mercer at North Florida
7:30 PM Maryland-Eastern Shore at Howard
7:30 PM East Tennessee State at Lipscomb (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Florida A&M at South Carolina State
8:00 PM USC Upstate at Belmont
8:00 PM Delaware State at Hampton
8:00 PM Bethune-Cookman at Savannah State
8:30 PM Alcorn State at Alabama A&M
8:30 PM Southern University at Alabama State
8:30 PM Prairie View A&M at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
9:00 PM DePaul at St. John's (ESPNU)
10:10 PM UC Davis at Seattle

Lobos Strengthen Grip on Mountain West: Saturday's Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 07:37:42 -0800

With games at #13 San Diego State and against #11 UNLV this week, Steve Alford's New Mexico Lobos had a great opportunity to not only take control of the Mountain West but also make a statement nationally.

Mission accomplished.

Drew Gordon was outstanding, scoring 27 points and grabbing 20 rebounds as the Lobos whipped UNLV 65-45 in Albuquerque. And while Gordon was outstanding the effort of New Mexico on the defensive end of the floor shouldn't be ignored. UNLV shot just 31.1% from the field for the game, by far their worst performance of the season, and the Runnin' Rebels scored just 18 points in the second half. Anthony Marshall, who finished with 18 points, scored 12 of those second half points and outside of the junior UNLV shot 2-for-13 from the field.

Meanwhile Gordon was a man among boys in the final 20 minutes as he shot 9-for-13 from the field and accounted for 18 points and 11 rebounds. Tony Snell added 12 points in a game that saw both teams go on runs early, but neither could establish any kind of distance in the first half. But the Lobos' intensity on the defensive end combined with heavy doses of Gordon proved to be too much in front of a frenzied crowd at The Pit.

"I don't know if we are the best team in this league yet but there is no team in the last month that has guarded the way that we have guarded," remarked Alford. "To hold a team like this who is averaging 80 points a game, and you hold them to four field goals in one half is great."

In addition to their victory New Mexico received some help from an unlikely source as San Diego State fell 58-56 at Air Force. As a result the Lobos find themselves two games up on both the Aztecs and Runnin' Rebels with four league games to go. Remember that SDSU/UNLV "round three" that many (myself included) were clamoring for in light of their split of the season series? We may get that matchup, but thanks to New Mexico it will likely have to come a round early in the Mountain West tournament.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Murray State takes care of a hobbled Saint Mary's in the Sears BracketBusters headliner.
Much importance was placed on the Sears BracketBusters matchup between Murray State and Saint Mary's, with many hypothesizing that the Racers would have to get this game in order to have a shot at an at-large bid (at 25-1 coming in, this talk seemed to be an absurd overreaction). The Gaels were with a hobbled Matthew Dellavedova and without the injured Stephen Holt, and Isaiah Canaan and company took care of business accordingly. Canaan scored 23 points and dished out four assists in leading Murray State to the 65-51 win, and despite their size disadvantage inside Steve Prohm's club out-rebounded SMC 31-24.

Just as important as Canaan however was the Murray State effort on the defensive end, as they limited Saint Mary's to 37.7% shooting and 2-for-14 from beyond the arc. Dellavedova managed a team-best 17 points but getting outscored by 21 points from beyond the arc (27-6) and Jorden Page and Rob Jones combining to shoot 3-for-18 from the field proved to be too much to overcome. The win should satisfy the masses with regards to Murray State's chances should they not win the OVC's automatic bid, and the task for Randy Bennett's team is to simply get healthy and protect their one-game lead in the WCC.

2. Trey Burke makes the difference as Michigan beat Ohio State in Ann Arbor.
It may be time to end the debate as to not only who the best freshman point guard in America is but also the conversation regarding the Big Ten's best point guard regardless of class. Michigan's Trey Burke scored 17 points and dished out five assists in the Wolverines' 56-51 win over #6 Ohio State to pull into a tie with the Buckeyes a game behind Michigan State in the loss column. His work against Aaron Craft proved to be the difference as Craft struggled, scoring four points on 1-for-6 shooting with three assists and two turnovers.

Deshaun Thomas led the Buckeyes with 25 points and Jared Sullinger was able to muster 14 despite being the focus of Michigan's interior defense, but with Tim Hardaway Jr. adding 13 points and Jordan Morgan a double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds) Michigan was able to give the home folks what they wanted. Guard play wins out more times than not especially in March, and it's very apparent that Michigan is in a good position thanks to Burke.

3. Antoine Young's shot with three-tenths of a second remaining completes the Creighton comeback.
This Sears BracketBuster did not fail to live up to the hype that preceded it as the 49ers and Bluejays put on a show in Omaha. Dan Monson's club led for much of the night but down the stretch Creighton was able to turn the momentum in their favor. And they were able to do so by ramping up their intensity of the defensive end of the floor. "Holding" a team to 50% shooting from the field isn't all that impressive until two factors are noticed: Long Beach State shot 68% in the first half, and the 49ers were just 1-for-5 from beyond the arc after shooting 60% in the first half. Antoine Young would cap the rally with a jumper over T.J. Robinson with less than a second remaining, giving Creighton a needed 81-79 win.

Long Beach State's versatility allows them to switch just about any ball screen, and to head coach Greg McDermott and his players' credit they were able to take advantage of it. Creighton's win can't be mentioned without noting the play of Doug McDermott either, who took full advantage of playing a team unfamiliar with his skill set by scoring 36 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Robinson (20 points, eight rebounds) and Casper Ware (21 points) led the way for the 49ers, who have the remainder of the Big West season to look forward to. Creighton likely locked up an at-large bid barring a collapse, and while Long Beach State has seen some of their bigger wins devalued two things need to be remembered. One, it's not their fault that Xavier and Pittsburgh haven't performed to expectations, and two 37 teams are needed should the 49ers not win the automatic bid. Are there really 37 teams better than Long Beach State? No.

4. Kansas State picks up a win they truly needed as they beat #10 Baylor in Waco.
Given the tough four-game stretch that Frank Martin's team is currently in, it was clear that the Wildcats would have their work cut out for them from a tournament resume standpoint. But those games can be looked at as either a challenge or an opportunity, and how they're seen is up to the team and no one else. Opportunity knocked in the form of a trip to Baylor on Saturday and the Wildcats took advantage, beating the Bears 57-56 in a weird finish. A Jordan Henriquez dunk with 1:55 remaining gave K-State a 57-56 lead, and with neither team scoring another point that would be the final score as well.

Quincy Acy, who finished with 14 points, looked to have been fouled just over 20 seconds later on a shot attempt but no call came and Quincy Miller (12 points, 11 rebounds) missed a shot that would have given the Bears the lead in the final seconds. Angel Rodriguez and Rodney McGruder scored 15 apiece to lead the Wildcats, but the biggest story on the box score has to be the lack of production from Perry Jones III. Jones III managed just four points and four rebounds before fouling out in just 22 minutes of action, and if Baylor's to do anything of note in March these kind of performances can't happen. Kansas State picked up a win they desperately needed however, helping to relieve some of the pressure they may have felt going to their game at Missouri on Tuesday night.

5. Washington beats Arizona but was there anything gained from the result?
There's no denying the fact that the game between the Huskies and Wildcats was an important one within the Pac-12, as the Huskies (tied with California) enjoyed a one-game lead over Arizona (Colorado and Oregon as well) going into Saturday's action. But what does the game, which Washington won 79-70, mean to both in regards to their hopes of an at-large berth? For Arizona it seems quite simple in defeat: win out with games against the L.A. schools at home and a trip to Arizona State and then do some damage at the Pac-12 tournament.

The Wildcats shot just 35.5% from the field in the second half, 2-for-13 from three, as they were unable to make up the two-point halftime deficit (39-37). Terrence Ross led the Huskies with 25 points and Tony Wroten added 22 and nine assists, but with computer numbers that don't jump off the screen at first glance and an 0-4 record against RPI Top 50 teams it will be interesting to see what's made of the Huskies. To say the least a regular season Pac-12 crown would help their cause immensely, and Washington took a step in that direction on Saturday afternoon.

Quick Hitters

1. There were few results more impressive than Wichita State's 91-74 win at Davidson, moving the Shockers to 24-4 on the season. Joe Ragland scored 30 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the way for Wichita State, who shot a scalding 63.5% from the field. Jake Cohen led the Wildcats, who are the prohibitive favorite to win the SoCon's automatic bid, with 25 points.

2. The story of Florida State's 76-62 win at NC State should be the Seminoles limiting the Wolfpack to 29.3% shooting from the field, but thanks to the actions of official Karl Hess that's not the case. Hess thought it necessary to throw Wolfpack legends Tom Gugliotta and Chris Corchiani out of the RBC Center, and according to those in the area it was a blatant overreaction. Much has been made about officials being overworked, but the real problem is that some act as if the fans show up to watch them. This really needs to be dealt with.

3. Things have gotten even worse for Connecticut and Illinois as both teams were on the receiving end of whippings on Saturday afternoon. The Huskies fell to #13 Marquette 79-64 thanks to 53 combined points from Jae Crowder (29 points, 12 rebounds) and Darius Johnson-Odom (24 points). But the bigger issue was point guard Shabazz Napier calling out his teammates following the game. The Huskies don't have the look of a team capable of turning things around and neither does Illinois, who was whipped at Nebraska. In the 80-57 loss the Fighting Illini saw Bo Spencer score 27 points and Nebraska shoot 55.3% from the field.

4. Saint Mary's may have lost but they actually gained a game in the loss column with regards to the WCC race. Rashad Green's jumper with 3.3 seconds remaining pushed San Francisco past #24 Gonzaga by the final score of 66-65. Gonzaga's now tied with BYU for second place at 11-3 with Saint Mary's a game ahead at 12-2 with all three having two games remaining, and the Bulldogs and Cougars meet in Spokane on Thursday night.

5. One way to make earning an NCAA berth tougher than it should be is to lose games you're supposed to win, which is exactly what #23 Mississippi State did. The Bulldogs struggled offensively, shooting 35.2% from the field and 5-for-22 from three in a 65-55 loss at Auburn. Frankie Sullivan led the Tigers with 16 points and Kenny Gabriel added 15 and nine boards.

6. Drexel went on the road and beat Cleveland State 69-49, and while the Vikings are a far different team without D'Aundray Brown this was an impressive result for the Dragons. Drexel has now won 15 in a row, and it may be time to consider where Bruiser Flint's team stacks up against last year's George Mason squad. The Patriots won 16 in a row but would eventually need an at-large bid (8-seed), and a quick look at the numbers (see the "Rankings" area) for both teams shows how difficult it could be for the CAA to get two bids.

7. Both Memphis and Southern Miss dropped games they weren't expected to, meaning that not only do the two teams remain tied for first in Conference USA but they also move closer to the pack. UTEP was able to come back and beat Memphis 60-58 for their first road win of the season, and Houston knocked off Southern Miss 73-71 as Jonathon Simmons led the Cougars with 28 points and eight rebounds. Conference USA needed Southern Miss and Memphis to separate in order to feel good about two bids, and that may not happen at this rate.

8. The streak will live for another year as Dayton was once again unable to win at Xavier, losing 86-83 in overtime at the Cintas Center. The Flyers, who were led by Kevin Dillard's 20 points and six assists, haven't beaten the Musketeers in Cincinnati since 1981. Tu Holloway (32 points, six rebounds, five assists) and Mark Lyons (20 points, three rebounds) led the way for the Musketeers, who remain in the A-10 race with the win.

9. The Patriot League race has become much tighter than expected with two games remaining. While both American (74-50 win at Army) and Lehigh (72-53 win over Lafayette) took care of business they received the help they needed from Holy Cross, who beat first-place Bucknell 54-52 despite 20 points and ten rebounds from Mike Muscala. The Bison are now just a game up on the Eagles and Mountain Hawks, and with two to go there's always the chance that Bucknell could drop all the way down to the 3rd seed. Bucknell and American meet in D.C. on Thursday night.

10. Not only did Belmont take care of what they needed to do in beating East Tennessee State 80-58 but they also received help in the form of Jacksonville's 81-75 win over Mercer. This gives the Bruins a one-game lead over the Bears in the Atlantic Sun with three to go, and the regular season finale is a battle between the two at Mercer (the Bears also host the conference tournament).

11. Similar to the battle between Arizona and Washington, the second meeting of the season between Wyoming and Colorado State is a contest that we'll still have some work to do when it comes to figuring out the meaning. Behind Greg Smith (14 points, eight rebounds) and a defense that limited the Cowboys to 38.6% shooting, the Rams picked up a much-needed split of the season series with a 54-46 win (Wyoming won the first meeting in Laramie by 19). Both teams have plenty of work to do (despite solid computer numbers for CSU) but this is a good step for the Rams.

12. Not only did Northwestern pick up a much-needed win (64-53 over Minnesota) but John Shurna became the school's all-time leading scorer. The senior was all over the stat sheet for the Wildcats, finishing with 18 points, five rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocked shots. At 6-8 in league play Northwestern has opportunities remaining as they host Michigan and Ohio State, while the remaining road games are Penn State and Iowa.

13. Harvard once again took care of Yale, this time by the final score of 66-51, to remain alone in first place in the Ivy League. Brandyn Curry scored 18 points and Keith Wright ten as the Crimson, who host Princeton and Penn next week, soundly defeated the Bulldogs for the second time this season despite 22 and 11 from Greg Magnano. A sweep of next weekend would guarantee Tommy Amaker's bunch at least a share of the Ivy crown.

14. The nation's second-longest win streak came to an end on Saturday night as Weber State edged out UT-Arlington 72-70 in Ogden. The Mavericks, who had won 16 in a row, limited the nation's leading scorer (Damian Lillard) to 17 points but Scott Bamforth scored 16 of his 19 in the second half to propel the Wildcats to the victory.

15. Two teams in need of wins took losses on the road Saturday as Texas fell 90-78 to Oklahoma State and Seton Hall dropped a 62-57 decision at Cincinnati. Safe to say that both the Longhorns and Pirates have work to do if they're to go dancing, but the good news for both is that their leagues will provide the opportunities needed to strengthen their case.

Five Notable Performances

1. F Drew Gordon (New Mexico)
27 points and 20 rebounds in the Lobos' 65-45 win over #11 UNLV.

2. G Keiton Page (Oklahoma State)
40 points (20-20 FT) in the Cowboys' 90-78 win over Texas.

3. F/C Andrew Nicholson (St. Bonaventure)
32 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots in the Bonnies' 81-61 win over Rhode Island.

4. F Doug McDermott (Creighton)
36 points and 11 rebounds in the Bluejays' 81-79 win over Long Beach State.

5. G Louie Krogman (South Dakota)
37 points, six assists and four steals in the Coyotes' 93-92 loss to Texas State.

Monday Recap: Huskies Observe Second Half Dunk Contest in Loss

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:58:36 -0800

Quite a bit was made of the team meeting called by UConn forward Alex Oriakhi on Friday, and how it may have sparked a revival of the reigning national champions. But maybe that should have been another red flag, given the first couple of paragraphs in the Hartford Courant recapping the Huskies' 69-46 win over Seton Hall. Oriakhi mentioned that he'd been advised by people to call a team meeting, and while the junior is getting used to a new role within the team as its elder statesman the fact that such a push would need to be made is far more concerning than anyone seemed to realize.

The Huskies hit the road on Monday without head coach Jim Calhoun for the first time, and after hanging around for most of the first half things went downhill in a big way as Louisville rolled 80-59. Louisville hit UConn in the mouth, going on a 14-2 run halfway through the second half to push their lead out to 58-34, and instead of fighting back the Huskies seemed to play dead in hopes that the Cardinals would let up. What happened instead was a parade of Louisville players to the basket for emphatic dunks with some backbreaking three-pointers mixed in.

"I sure hope they do," remarked interim head coach George Blaney when asked if the players were embarrassed by their showing. "That was a pretty good beating in the second half. Fifty-one points and 50 percent shooting, seven or eight threes I think."

Gorgui Dieng, who was a gametime decision due to a sprained ankle suffered in Saturday's win over Rutgers, outplayed the UConn front court and finished with 15 points, six rebounds and six steals and guard Chris Smith scored a team-high 16 points. Ryan Boatright led the Huskies with 18 points and five assists, but it was troubling to see that as a team the Huskies finished with seven assists to 15 turnovers. Those mistakes were converted into 20 points by the Cardinals, with 12 of those points coming in the second half. It also didn't help matters that Louisville did such a good job on Jeremy Lamb, limiting the All America candidate to seven points and three turnovers.

"[Dick McGuire] said inferior guards play on the sidelines and great guards play in the middle," said Louisville head coach Rick Pitino of his late friend. "What we try to do with guys like that is to keep them on the sideline as much as possible. We try to take their talents away, and we did a great job of that today."

Louisville looks to be in good shape, but the same cannot be said for UConn with two of their next three games being Syracuse (on the road) and Marquette, a team that will fight for every inch of real estate on the court. Lamb, Oriakhi and Shabazz Napier have not stepped up to a championship level from a leadership standpoint, and the other guys are either too inconsistent (Andre Drummond was practically non-existent on Monday night) or in the case of Boatright really haven't played enough to cement themselves as the team leader. Who steps up? That remains to be seen, but if they all don't show up in the Carrier Dome looking for a fight this season's going to get even worse.

Other Notable Happenings (with some Sunday notes mixed in)

1. Reggie Johnson shines on Super Bowl Sunday as Miami wins for the first time at Duke.
Few people (if any) outside of the Miami basketball family gave the Hurricanes any chance of picking up their first-ever win at Cameron Indoor Stadium, seeing it as one final bit of hoops entertainment before watching the Super Bowl. But the Hurricanes believed, and thanks in large part to an outstanding afternoon from their big man Miami not only beat Duke 78-74 in overtime but may have also revived their NCAA tournament hopes. Reggie Johnson outplayed the Duke front court, scoring 27 points and grabbing 12 rebounds to lead the way and Kenny Kadji added 15 and eight boards.

Seth Curry (22 points) and Austin Rivers (20) led the way offensively for the Blue Devils but the poor performances of their front court didn't allow Duke to take advantage of Miami's starting guards (Malcolm Grant, Shane Larkin and Durand Scott) shooting a combined 6-for-29. Duke has some things to figure out ahead of their battle with North Carolina on Wednesday night, most importantly getting consistent production from the Plumlee brothers and Ryan Kelly.

2. Draymond Green shakes off his knee injury to lead Michigan State past Michigan.
The health of the senior forward was one of the keys to the matchup between the Spartans and Wolverines, but there was no doubt that Green would be on the Breslin Center floor. And he was highly effective as well, leading Michigan State to the 64-54 win with 14 points and 16 rebounds. Michigan State, who shot 52.2% from the field, was so dominant on the glass that Green's rebounding total matched that of Michigan's entire team (40-16 MSU edge) and the Spartans rebounded 48% of their missed shots.

That made up for Michigan State's 15 turnovers as they still finished with an efficiency of 108.5 to Michigan's 91.5. Michigan shot just 39.6% from the floor and the shooting of Tim Hardaway Jr. was one reason why the Wolverines struggled offensively as he made just one of ten shots from the field (four points). With the win the Spartans remain a game behind Ohio State in the Big Ten standings, and with two games against the Buckeyes still to be played Tom Izzo's team will contend throughout the remainder of the season.

3. Texas picks up a key win on the road as they beat Texas A&M.
Rick Barnes' Longhorns entered Monday's game in College Station with a record of 1-5 in true road games, and a return trip to the NCAA tournament will likely hinge on what they can do down the stretch away from Austin. The Longhorns shot 58.3% from the field in the second half and turned the ball over just eight times, winning 70-66 to move to 5-6 in Big 12 play. J'Covan Brown led the way with 20 points and seven assists and Sheldon McClellan added 15 for Texas, who put together their most efficent offensive showing in Big 12 play this season.

It didn't hurt to go up against a Texas A&M team without Dash Harris and Khris Middleton (Kourtney Roberson's also been out for quite some time with a fractured ankle), but regardless of who was on the floor Texas really needed a win to improve their profile. With road games against the likes of Oklahoma and Kansas remaining on the slate, this could be the confidence boost that Barnes' young team needed for a stretch run.

Quick Hitters

1. One of the things to watch on Monday was how Missouri would move on from their emotional win over Kansas on Saturday night. Oklahoma gave the Tigers all they wanted and then some, but Steven Pledger's game-tying three was off the mark and Missouri left with a 71-68 victory. Marcus Denmon scored 25 points as the Tigers won despite being out-rebounded 36-22 (Ricardo Ratliffe grabbed ten of those 22 boards). Mizzou now gets some much-needed rest before hosting Baylor on Saturday.

2. One of the tougher things to do in recent years is figure out which Illinois team will show up on any given day, and that was once again the case on Sunday as they lost 74-70 to Northwestern in Champaign. The Wildcats shot 60.4% from the field and 75.0% from two in the win, with John Shurna (24 points) and Reggie Hearn (20 points) leading the way. If Illinois is to be a factor come March they need to get more from D.J. Richardson, who scored nine points (3-9 FG) on Sunday and has reached double figures just twice since opening Big Ten play with three straight double figure scoring efforts.

3. Jamie Dixon's Pittsburgh Panthers won their fourth straight game on Sunday as they beat Villanova 79-70, and with their upcoming schedule Pitt could sprint right into an NCAA tournament bid. Tray Woodall, whose return to full strength sparked this run, scored 19 points and dished out five assists while Ashton Gibbs added 25 and they combined to go 19-for-19 from the foul line. There aren't many teams in the Big East volunteering to play the Panthers right now.

4. With a 54-46 win over East Tennessee State, Bob Hoffman's Mercer Bears moved into sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Sun. Mercer, who is tied with Belmont in the loss column but has one more win, had three players score 11 points to lead the way and Jake Gollon made up for his cold shooting by grabbing 11 boards. Not only does Mercer get Belmont at home in the regular season finale but they also host the conference tournament, which will add more suspense than last season when Belmont rolled to the crown.

5. Davidson clinched at least a share of the South Division crown in the SoCon with their 76-54 win over Wofford, limiting the Terriers to 26.9% shooting and 15 points in the first half (Wofford had as many turnovers (seven) as field goals in the half). J.P. Kuhlman and De'Mon Brooks led four players in double figures with 14 and 13 points respectively, and Bob McKillop's team turned the ball over just six times on the night.

6. A pair of Dominique Sutton free throws with three seconds remaining sealed North Carolina Central's 81-79 win over Bethune-Cookman, adding even more intrigue to the MEAC race. With the Eagles' victory six teams are separated by two games in the loss column atop the MEAC with 9-2 Norfolk State leading the way. Levelle Moton's got some talented players with Sutton leading the way, and while they'll need some outside help keep an eye on NCCU down the stretch.

7. There was some important recruiting news as 2012 forward Ricardo Gathers (former St. John's verbal) committed to Baylor. The Louisiana native has a build ready for professional football much less college basketball, and to add him alongside the slender Isaiah Austin is quite the coup for Scott Drew and his staff.

Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List Released

Six Notable Performances (Sunday and Monday)

1. C Reggie Johnson (Miami)
27 points and 12 rebounds in the Hurricanes' 78-74 overtime win at Duke.

2. G Truck Bryant (West Virginia) and G Gerard Coleman (Providence)
Bryant scored 32 points and knocked down the game-winning three-pointer in the Mountaineers' 87-84 overtime win at Providence, while Coleman paced the Friars with a career-high 30.

3. F Draymond Green (Michigan State)
14 points and 16 rebounds in the Spartans' 64-54 win over #22 Michigan.

4. G Marcus Denmon (Missouri)
25 points and two steals in the Tigers' 71-68 win at Oklahoma.

5. G Tray Woodall and G Ashton Gibbs (Pittsburgh)
Woodall accounted for 29 points, six rebounds and five assists while Gibbs finished with 25 points in the Panthers' 79-70 win over Villanova.

6. G Kendrick Perry (Youngstown State)
28 points (11-14 FG), seven steals and six assists in the Penguins' 80-63 win over Loyola (IL).

#25 Louisville vs. Connecticut: Monday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:52:53 -0800

On the heels of their decisive win over Seton Hall, Connecticut (15-7, 5-5) will look to keep things going as they visit #25 Louisville (18-5, 6-4) in a critical Big East matchup. For all the issues that UConn's dealt with recently they're just a game out of fourth, and with that being the final double-bye slot in the Big East Championship this is a game both teams need.

The Huskies are being coached by George Blaney due to Jim Calhoun's indefinite leave of absence, but the biggest development from their win on Saturday was the fact that the guys on the floor finally took the reins and showed leadership. If they can build on that aspect of their win, UConn could be in line to go on a run despite a tough week that also features a trip to Syracuse.

Wing Jeremy Lamb (17.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg) is the primary offensive option for UConn, with his smooth game invoking memories of Richard Hamilton among many involved with the program. But part of the problem during the Huskies' skid was the fact that neither Lamb, Shabazz Napier (13.3 ppg, 5.7 apg, 4.0 rpg) nor Alex Oriakhi (6.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg) seemed capable of leading the way.

Napier and Oriakhi were moved to the bench in hopes of providing a spark to an offense that's been stagnant, especially against zone defenses, and freshman Ryan Boatright has been that guy. Boatright (9.8 ppg, 3.5 apg) scored 19 points and dished out five assists against Seton Hall and the offense looked a bit crisper with him running the show.

Louisville is going to come at UConn with their full-court pressure, which could be an issue for a team that's averaging 13.4 turnovers per game. But it would have been an even bigger problem without Boatright, and if anything the Huskies may be more concerned about Louisville's 2-3 zone than anything.

The Cardinals allow opponents to shoot just 37% from the field and 33.3% from three, and it isn't as if all 16 of the turnovers that Rick Pitino's team forces comes by way of the press. The Cardinals need to be careful with the basketball themselves as they average 15 turnovers per game, and the run-out opportunities that could result may give UConn the boost they need.

Peyton Siva (8.5 ppg, 5.6 apg) is a highly athletic guard who runs the show for the Cardinals, but he's also averaging 3.5 turnovers per game. Both he and sixth man Russ Smith (12.4 ppg, 2.2 apg) need to make smart decisions while not losing their aggressive nature, a task that's proven easier said than done at times.

Louisville is the deeper team on the perimeter, with the likes of Chris Smith and the versatile Kyle Kuric also playing integral roles in the Cardinal attack. What happens on the perimeter will be key to the outcome but the play inside will be just as important for both, especially for a UConn team that needs its big men to be productive offensively.

Freshman Andre Drummond (10.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.7 bpg) can at times look to be a man among boys on the court, and that's what happened on Saturday as the Pirates were without Herb Pope. But he's going to run into some resistance in the form of the much-improved Gorgui Dieng (10.2 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 3.5 bpg), the Big East's leader in blocked shots.

Dieng (sprained his right ankle in Saturday's win ) has become more confident offensively, and even with him the Cardinals can also call on a Chane Behanan as well. This is where Oriakhi, Tyler Olander and Roscoe Smith come into play; they need to be productive if the Huskies are to win on the road. The Huskies have been a slightly better rebounding team but both can hit the offensive glass, and with the shooting being what it can be second-chance points should be right up there in regards to importance.

Also of note on Monday is the first of two meetings this season between Texas and Texas A&M, made even more important by the fact that both teams are in desperate need of wins from an NCAA tournament resume standpoint. The Aggies have been without both Khris Middleton and Dash Harris of late due to injury, meaning that Elston Turner will need to be even more effective as a scorer. If he can get some help from Naji Hibbert A&M will have an even better chance of defending their home floor.

Mercer has the opportunity to take over sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Sun as they host East Tennessee State in what's also a key game for the Bucs as they jostle for seeding in the upcoming conference tournament. Belmont, who's tied with the Bears atop the A-Sun, takes on Austin Peay in a non-conference matchup (this will be a league game next year as the Bruins will join the OVC) and Wofford visits Davidson in a SoCon battle in hopes of moving one step closer to locking down that other conference tournament bye out of the South Division.

Davidson's three games up with four to go, and a win would clinch at least a tie for the division crown. Lastly, Missouri looks to build on their win over Kansas as they visit an Oklahoma team that's hanging on to hopes of earning an at-large bid. Steven Pledger has been one of the most improved players in the Big 12, and he's going to need to play extremely well if the Sooners are to pull off the upset.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM (4) Missouri at Oklahoma (ESPNU)
9:00 PM (15) Marquette at DePaul (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Connecticut at (25) Louisville (ESPN)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Stony Brook at New Hampshire (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Stetson at Jacksonville
7:00 PM Vermont at Maine
7:00 PM USC Upstate at Kennesaw State (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Boston University at Albany
7:00 PM Wofford at Davidson
7:00 PM Appalachian State at Elon
7:00 PM East Tennessee State at Mercer
7:00 PM Florida Gulf Coast at North Florida
7:30 PM North Carolina A&T at Florida A&M
7:30 PM Furman at Georgia Southern
7:30 PM North Carolina Central at Bethune-Cookman
7:30 PM Hampton at Delaware State
7:30 PM Norfolk State at Maryland-Eastern Shore
7:30 PM Howard at Morgan State
7:30 PM Longwood at South Carolina State
8:00 PM Austin Peay at Belmont
8:00 PM Texas A&M-CC at Savannah State
8:30 PM Alabama State at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
8:30 PM Southern University at Jackson State
8:30 PM Alabama A&M at Mississippi Valley State
9:00 PM Idaho State at Montana
9:00 PM Texas at Texas A&M (ESPN)
9:00 PM Alcorn State at Grambling State

Monday Recap: Woodall Leads Pitt Past West Virginia

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:16:12 -0800

It wasn't that long ago that many left the Pittsburgh Panthers for dead, as they were in the midst of what would eventually become an eight-game losing streak. A key factor in the struggles that Jamie Dixon's team experienced was the absence of point guard Tray Woodall, who was out with abdominal and groin injuries. Woodall's back now and he looks to be healthy as well, as he led Pittsburgh to a 72-66 win over rival West Virginia in Morgantown with 24 points, four rebounds and three assists on the night. Woodall scored 16 of his 24 in the first half, proving too difficult for the Mountaineers to stop regardless of who they put on him.

Ashton Gibbs added 15 points for Pittsburgh, who didn't shoot well from three (3-for-10) but did make 21 of their 26 free throws. Also of importance in the win was the fact that Pitt outscored West Virginia 36-26 in the paint, a surprising stat given how much the Mountaineers call on forwards Kevin Jones (21 points, 13 rebounds) and Deniz Kilicli (12 points, nine rebounds). Neither team shot well from the perimeter, making the hustle plays even more of a factor in the outcome. And more times than not it was a Panther who came up with the big play.

"They out-toughed us. We blocked three shots in the first half, and they pick it up and get three-point plays out of it," remarked WVU head coach Bob Huggins when asked what the difference was. "We just don't get to the ball. Four balls went out of bounds and they save it back inbounds and we have a guy here and a guy here and they have a guy behind our two guys and he runs in and catches it and shoots a lay-up and our two guys still have yet to move. We just didn't get to the ball."

Pitt got off to a good start to the second half and they received the added boost of a technical foul assessed to Huggins despite the fact that he was yelling at Truck Bryant for missing a defensive rotation. Given what happened at Syracuse on Saturday another missed call could have been used as an excuse for the Mountaineers to self-destruct but they didn't, eventually cutting the Pitt lead to two points with 8:14 remaining.

This would be as close as the Mountaineers would get as a Panther team that's playing with a great deal of confidence hung on down the stretch. It's been known that this team has a great deal of pride, and players such as Gibbs, Woodall and Nasir Robinson won't allow them to lie down. Can Pittsburgh do enough to work their way back into the NCAA Tournament conversation? Don't rule that out, especially with Woodall back and playing the way he has of late.

"Obviously, I'm very happy for our guys and what they have done and how they have battled and what they have become," said Dixon following the game. "As you coach, you want to talk about what you can become and what you want to be and this is an example of a team that continued to battle and do the work."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Sears BracketBusters pairings announced, and quite a few fan bases aren't pleased with the results.
Monday was a big day in college basketball as the pairings for the upcoming Sears BracketBusters event were announced, and in the end it was tough to find many please fan bases outside of Saint Mary's and Murray State, who will play each other in Murray on February 18th. The Gaels are currently undefeated in the WCC and with a 21-2 record Randy Bennett's team will provide a major test for a Murray State team that's the nation's lone undefeated squad.

Long Beach State, who has taken on all comers in their non-conference schedule, will visit a Creighton team that leads the Missouri Valley and boasts an 8-2 record against RPI Top 100 teams. The 49ers are 2-5 against such teams and their two wins (Xavier and Pittsburgh) lost some luster due to the struggles of those teams, which sparked anger on the part of the Bluejay fan base.

Another fan base that was none too thrilled with their draw was that of Wichita State (3-4 vs. RPI Top 100), who will visit a Davidson (1-3 vs. RPI Top 100) team that owns a win over Kansas (in Kansas City) but has also played nine games (8-1 record) against teams ranked 201st or worse in the NCAA's RPI rankings. George Mason, currently first in the CAA, didn't even merit a televised game (non-televised match ups) in the eyes of the schedule-makers. But a slate that features 19 games against teams ranked 101 or worse in the RPI (17-2 record) may have had something to do with that.

Oral Roberts is another team that has a beef with the process as they drew an Akron team whose profile won't do a whole lot to boost that of the Golden Eagles. Clearly not everyone's going to be thrilled with the match ups, but at this point teams have a couple of weeks to improve their own resumes beforehand. How useful is BracketBusters? You'll likely get different answers based on who you ask, but the formula for getting to the NCAA Tournament hasn't changed with or without the event: win.

2. Michael Dixon Jr's driving bucket pushes Missouri past Texas in Austin.
Following a Kim English three-pointer with 4:44 remaining Frank Haith's Tigers led 63-53 and looked to be a safe bet to close out Texas despite being on the road and getting out-rebounded by a 38-26 margin at game's end. But the Tigers would go nearly three minutes without a made field goal, leaving the door open for a Longhorn team that at times couldn't stay out of its own way on the offensive end.

Texas took advantage and eventually took the lead on a four-point possession triggered by a flagrant 1 foul on Michael Dixon Jr. Dixon Jr. made up for his foul 25 seconds after, scoring on a left-handed shot off glass to give Missouri the 67-66 win. Texas had 27 seconds to find a shot, and while Myck Kabongo did get a look the Longhorns looked too confused to be allowed to play the possession out as they had a timeout remaining.

"We had two things ready: one for man and one for zone," said Texas head coach Rick Barnes. "And the one for the zone, we didn't move or cut the way we needed to. But we knew. During the timeout, we said, 'You've got to be ready for a zone.' And what we wanted to do, we didn't do as hard and effective as we had to do it."

Dixon Jr. scored 21 points off the bench while Phil Pressey and Ricardo Ratliffe scored 13 apiece for the Tigers, who remained tied for first place in the Big 12 ahead of a huge battle with rival Kansas this coming weekend. Even with the rebounding and free throw (16-8 Texas edge in points) numbers working against them Missouri found a way to win, and that's what good teams do.

3. While Mississippi Valley State has a sold grip on first place in the SWAC, the race for the two-seed became much more intriguing.
The Delta Devils are now 9-0 in conference play following their 77-59 win over Grambling, and while Southern is 7-2 the Jaguars are ineligible for postseason play so they can't wrestle away the top seed for the conference tournament. Texas Southern is eligible, but their 66-59 overtime loss at Alabama State despite leading by as many as 18 points dropped them to 6-3 in SWAC play and they're now just a game ahead of the Hornets and Prairie View A&M at the halfway point.

Neither team shot well from the field but it was Alabama State who took better advantage of their own misses, grabbing 21 offensive rebounds (OR%: 47.7%) and out-rebounding the Tigers 47-36 on the night. Ivory White led the way for the victors with 21 points and nine rebounds, Phillip Crawford added 17 and Ryan Watts scored 15 points off the bench. Texas Southern's reserves outscored Alabama State's 40-19 (Fred Sturdivant scored 16 of the 40) but that didn't matter much due to the extra opportunities they gave up on the glass and the fact that the starters combined to shoot 8-for-25 from the field.

Next up for Texas Southern is a trip to Prairie View, which means that the race for the two-seed could become even more entertaining should the Tigers lose. Up 48-30 with 9:04 remaining the odds of Tony Harvey's team closing the game out looked to be good, but when you make just one field goal and turn the ball over seven times down the stretch that can come back to burn you. That's exactly what happened to Texas Southern, and as a result they now find themselves in a situation they could have easily avoided.

Quick Hitters

1. Clemson will be without the services of junior forward Milton Jennings at Virginia on Tuesday night as he's suspended due to a failure to comply with the team's academic standards. Jennings is averaging 8.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game for the Tigers, who are currently 11-9 overall and 3-3 in the ACC.

2. The strangest game of the night took place in Norfolk as Coppin State handed Norfolk State their first MEAC loss by the final score of 87-82. Fang Mitchell's team led 35-13 at the half, only to survive a staggering 69-point second half from the Spartans to move to 6-3 in the MEAC. Kyle O'Quinn, who can make a serious claim for being the nation's most underrated player, led NSU with 27 points and 18 rebounds.

3. Belmont and Mercer both took care of business, with the Bruins beating North Florida 83-69 in Nashville while Mercer won 75-66 at Florida Gulf Coast. Kerron Johnson led four Belmont players in double figures with 16 points and Blake Jenkins added 15 and seven rebounds, while Langston Hall's 20 points and six assists led Mercer to their win. USC Upstate is a game back in the loss column but after them the rest of the A-Sun is three games back.

4. Southeast Missouri State moved to 7-2 in the OVC with a 74-53 win at Eastern Illinois, and they remain in second place (two games behind Murray State) as a result. Marland Smith scored 19 points and Tyler Stone added 18 and ten boards for the Redhawks, who have won eight of their last ten games.

5. With head coach Bobby Cremins taking a leave of absence from the team due to an undisclosed health issue, it was good to see Charleston pick up a win. The Cougars won 68-52 at Samford as Antwaine Wiggins scored 25 points to lead the way.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Kevin Murphy (Tennessee Tech)
Murphy went off in the Golden Eagles' 98-80 win over SIU-Edwardsville, scoring 50 points (16-21 FG) and dishing out seven assists.

2. F/C Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State)
27 points and 18 rebounds in the Spartans' 87-82 loss to Coppin State.

3. G Tray Woodall (Pittsburgh)
24 points (8-12 FG), four rebounds and three assists in the Panthers' 72-66 win at West Virginia.