Minnesota

Gonzaga vs. #16 Saint Mary's: Thursday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:42:05 -0500

Could there be a changing of the guard in the West Coast Conference? While that may be a tough question to ask given the sustained run of success that Gonzaga (18-4, 8-2) has enjoyed over the years, winning the last eleven WCC regular season titles, Saint Mary's (22-2, 11-0) would establish a three-game lead with four conference games remaining with a win in Spokane. Led by seniors Matthew Dellavedova (15.5 ppg, 6.4 apg) and Rob Jones (14.8 ppg, 10.7 rpg), the Gaels have already swept BYU and handed Gonzaga an 83-62 loss back on January 12th. While Jones accounted for 11 rebounds and eight assists in that game he only scored two points, and the Gaels benefitted from other players stepping up their play.

One of those was redshirt freshman Brad Waldow (8.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg), who scored 17 points and grabbed ten rebounds in the first meeting. Waldow's reached double figures in points in each of the last four games, with a 14-point, 16-rebound performance at Santa Clara to begin the streak. Mitchell Young was also instrumental in the win over Gonzaga as he scored 12 points off the bench, and that production proved to be too much for the Bulldogs to overcome due in part to the quiet night that Robert Sacre (1-for-7, four points) had. Both Sacre (11.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg) and Elias Harris (13.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg) need to be productive if Gonzaga is to control the flow of the contest tonight.

Another issue for Gonzaga in the first meeting was the overall play of the backcourt, as Kevin Pangos was their most productive guard with 12 points and four assists. But the other members of the rotation, from David Stockton to Marquise Carter to Gary Bell Jr., were all relatively quiet as Dellavedova took over the game with 26 points and six assists. Stephen Holt was also a factor for the Gaels as he scored 17 points, and while Jorden Page and Clint Steindl were quiet on that night they both have the ability to step up as well. Steindl scored 16 points in 21 minutes off the bench in Saint Mary's win at BYU, knocking down four of six from beyond the arc.

While equal in three-point percentage (36.6%), Saint Mary's has been the better offensive team this season as they boast a higher efficiency (117.4 to 109.4) and a better assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4 to 1.04 for Gonzaga) on the season. Gonzaga is essentially breaking even on assists and turnovers to date, and they can't afford to do so if they're to beat Saint Mary's. If a guard other than Pangos can play well that will be just as much of a boost for the Zags as the raucous crowd. To become the champion sometimes it takes going into the house of the reigning champ and winning to take full possession of the throne, and that's the mission in front of Randy Bennett's team.

Illinois visits Indiana on the heels of a disappointing home loss to Norhtwestern, and it's a key game for both teams with regards to possible NCAA seeding down the line. The Hoosiers are coming off of a much-needed win at Purdue, and with the likes of Victor Oladipo and Jordan Hulls there isn't much reason to question the effort of Tom Crean's team. But for whatever reason that hasn't always been the case with the Fighting Illini, who really need to figure out their "identity" and how to get the most out of their talent. Meyers Leonard and Brandon Paul lead the way for Bruce Weber, but consistent play from the likes of Joseph Bertrand and D.J. Richardson is a must down the stretch.

There are a pair of important contests in the Pac-12 as Arizona hosts Colorado and Washington visits Oregon, with the Huskies currently alone in first place. The Wildcats, fresh off of their sweep of the Bay Area road trip, likely have the second-best at-large profile in the conference (Cal having the best) but falling too far out of first place could get them in trouble. Tad Boyle's Buffaloes have been a pleasant surprise within the league, and in Andre Roberson they've got the league's best rebounder. His battle with Solomon Hill will be worth the price of admission by itself, and the young talent on the floor for both teams should be a good sign for the future.

In Eugene Tony Wroten and Terrence Ross lead the way for a Washington team that allowed some important non-conference opportunities to slip away, making it even more important that they find a way to win the regular season crown. Oregon's perimeter trio of Devoe Joseph, Garrett Sim and E.J. Singler are skilled enough to be a handful themselves, and this game is usually one that gets the fans into Matthew Knight Arena.

Ole Miss could really use a win at Mississippi State to help their fleeting at-large hopes and the same goes for Minnesota, who hosts Wisconsin. NC State (at Georgia Tech) and Miami (hosting Virginia Tech) are both playing games they can't afford to lose for the sake of their respective resumes, and undefeated Murray State is also in action. Lastly the Horizon League features an important contest as Valparaiso visits Cleveland State with the Vikings (10-2) up a game in the loss column.

Top 25 Games
8:00 PM Tennessee State at (7) Murray State (ESPN3)
11:00 PM (13) Saint Mary's at Gonzaga (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Ole Miss at (18) Mississippi State (ESPN2)
7:00 PM (22) Wisconsin at Minnesota (ESPN)
8:00 PM Illinois at (23) Indiana (BTN)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Lehigh at American (CBS SN)
7:00 PM NC State at Georgia Tech (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Maine at Boston University
7:00 PM Albany at New Hampshire (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Appalachian State at Furman
7:00 PM Elon at Chattanooga (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Wofford at Georgia Southern
7:00 PM Siena at Niagara
7:00 PM High Point at Coastal Carolina
7:00 PM Valparaiso at Cleveland State
7:00 PM Winthrop at Campbell
7:00 PM Rider at Canisius
7:00 PM Denver at Florida Atlantic
7:00 PM North Texas at Florida International (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Radford at Gardner-Webb
7:00 PM VMI at Presbyterian
7:00 PM UMBC at Stony Brook
7:00 PM Davidson at Citadel
7:00 PM Butler at Youngstown State (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Utah Valley at N.J.I.T.
7:30 PM Liberty at Charleston Southern
7:30 PM Manhattan at Fairfield
8:00 PM Arkansas State at South Alabama
8:00 PM North Dakota State at UMKC
8:00 PM Western Carolina at Charleston (ESPN3)
8:00 PM South Dakota State at South Dakota
8:00 PM Western Kentucky at Middle Tennessee (FCS)
8:00 PM UNC Greensboro at Samford
8:00 PM Tennessee-Martin at Southeast Missouri State
8:00 PM Eastern Illinois at Tennessee Tech
8:05 PM IUPUI at Oral Roberts (FCS)
8:05 PM Arkansas-Little Rock at Louisiana-Lafayette
8:05 PM North Dakota at Chicago State
8:30 PM Utah at Arizona State
8:30 PM Marist at St. Peter's (ESPN3)
8:35 PM Weber State at Northern Arizona (FCS)
9:00 PM Colorado at Arizona (ESPN)
9:00 PM Iowa at Northwestern (ESPNU)
9:00 PM Western Illinois at Southern Utah
9:00 PM Virginia Tech at Miami (FL) (ESPN2)
9:05 PM Louisiana Tech at Utah State (ESPN3)
9:05 PM Montana at Northern Colorado
10:00 PM UC Riverside at Cal Poly
10:00 PM Fresno State at San Jose State (ESPN3)
10:00 PM Washington State at Oregon State
10:00 PM San Diego at Pepperdine
10:05 PM Montana State at Sacramento State
10:05 PM Portland State at Idaho State
10:05 PM UC Irvine at Cal State Fullerton
10:30 PM California at USC
10:30 PM Long Beach State at Pacific
11:00 PM Stanford at UCLA
11:00 PM New Mexico State at Idaho
11:00 PM Cal State Northridge at UC Davis
11:00 PM Washington at Oregon (FSN)
11:00 PM Loyola Marymount at Portland
11:00 PM Santa Clara at San Francisco (ESPNU)
12:00 AM Nevada at Hawaii

Wisconsin vs Minnesota: Prediction & Fan Poll

Greg Mengelt — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:32:21 -0500

No. 22 Wisconsin (18-6, 7-4 Big Ten) AT Minnesota (17-7, 5-6 Big Ten)

Time: 7 p.m. (6 p.m. CT)

TV: ESPN

Location: Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minn.

RPI Ratings

Wisconsin 31 (No. 5 Big Ten)

Minnesota 49 (No. 8 Big Ten)

Line: Wisconsin -1½ (O/U 112)

Wisconsin Players to Watch: G Jordan Taylor, 6-1 Sr. (14 ppg, 4.4 apg, 4.1 rpg); C Jared Berggren, 6-10 Jr. (10.5 ppg, 5 rpg, 35.4% 3s); F Ryan Evans, 6-6 Jr. (10 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.1 bpg). Taylor went 159 minutes without a turnover until he committed one with 12:43 left against Ohio State. He finished the loss with 12 points, six assists, three rebounds, two steals and three turnovers.

Minnesota Players to Watch: F Rodney Williams, 6-7 Jr. (10.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 57.2% FG); G Julian Welch, 6-3 Jr. (10.2 ppg, 2.7 apg, 45.3% 3s); G Chip Armelin, 6-3 So. (6.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.2 apg). Armelin is coming off the best performance of his career, putting up 15 points (on 7-of-11 shooting), five rebounds and three assists in 24 minutes of the Gophers’ 69-61 win at Nebraska on Sunday.

Storylines: Ohio State ended Wisconsin’s 6-game winning streak – and likely its bid to win the regular-season Big Ten championship on Sunday. Still, the Badgers are 7-4 in the conference after starting 1-3. The Gophers are 5-6 in the Big Ten after Sunday’s win over Nebraska and are hanging around on the NCAA Tournament bubble.

Keys: Wisconsin is 5-2 in true road games this season, including a 4-1 mark in the Big Ten, and the Gophers are 12-2 at Williams Arena this season, including big victories over Northwestern and Illinois in their last two home games. The Badgers are surrendering just 54 points and 36.9 percent from the field in conference road games. However, they have shot just 31.7 percent and have scored 52 points or fewer in their last two trips to Minneapolis (both losses). Wisconsin shots just 40 percent and was 5-for-27 from 3-point range in Sunday’s loss to Ohio State. The Gophers shot 54 percent from the floor and 41.2 from the 3-point line in Saturday’s triumph at Nebraska. However, they went 8-for-16 from the line and are just 17 of their last 30 at the charity stripe. Both teams have very balanced offenses. Only Taylor averages more than 10.5 points for either team. Minnesota has superior depth, going 10 deep comfortably. Five players off the Gopher bench average at least 10 minutes per game. Led by Armelin, the Minnesota bench outscored Nebraska’s 40-7 on Saturday. Minnesota is 14-3 this season and 79-38 all-time when it outscores the opposing bench under coach Tubby Smith. Wisconsin leads the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 49.8 points per game and it is second to Kentucky in field goal defense at 36.5 percent. Minnesota is third in the Big Ten in field goal percentage, connecting on 47.5 percent of its shots and 36 percent of its 3-pointers. Led by Ralph Sampson’s 1.3 blocked shots per game, the Gophers lead the Big Ten at 5.4 swats per contest. That’s 22^nd best in America. The Gophers are second in the conference with 16 assists per game (behind Michigan State’s 16.2), good for 20^th in the country. However, the Gophers turn the ball over a league-high 14 times per game (tied with Nebraska). The Badgers are the Big Ten’s best, committing just 8.8 errors per contest. Minnesota leads the “Border War” series, 94-85 over Wisconsin, including a 61-31 record at home against he Badgers all-time.

The Bottom Line: Minnesota’s height, depth and athleticism – particularly that of Williams and Welch – could be tough for the Badgers to handle. Throw the homecourt advantage and their desperation to stay in NCAA Tournament and the Gophers have an excellent shot at pulling off a minor upset.

The Pick: Minnesota 64, Wisconsin 59

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 58-34

Xavier vs. Saint Louis: Wednesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:15:50 -0500

Neither team is currently in first place in the Atlantic 10 but if anything that magnifies the importance of Saint Louis (15-4, 3-2) heading east to take on Xavier (13-6, 4-2) at the Cintas Center. Both teams are a game out of first place in the loss column, and a closer look at the Billikens' computer numbers shows that they could use a win like this to bolster the resume. According to the most recent "nitty gritty" report released by the NCAA Saint Louis is currently 51st in the RPI, but their problem is a non-conference strength of schedule of 211 (overall SOS of 124).

Xavier has no such issue currently but after a loss at Dayton the Musketeers need to get back on track to remain a game behind the Flyers in the loss column. While the Phyrric victory over Cincinnati hurt the chemistry and psyche of Chris Mack's team, there's also the issue of Xavier not being as efficient offensively as they were last season. The Musketeers are averaging just 1.04 points per possession this season and they're also not shooting the three well, making 35.3% of their shots to date.

Guards Tu Holloway (15.7 ppg, 5.6 apg) and Mark Lyons (16.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg) lead the way for Xavier, but Holloway's percentages have taken a hit (40.9% FG, 31.6% 3PT). But without consistent production from the big men more responsibility ends up on their shoulders. Senior Kenny Frease (8.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg) has been around for four seasons and while there always seems to be the feeling that he's just one step away, that progression just hasn't happened. Vanderbilt transfer Andre Walker (6.1 rpg) leads the team in rebounding but neither he nor Monmouth transfer Travis Taylor has shown themselves to be capable of being a bell cow for the Musketeers on the block.

Freshman wing Dezmine Wells (10.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg) has been one of the best first-year players in the A-10, and he has to be on the short list of the most explosive finishers in college basketball. He's done well as Xavier's third scorer but with his best work coming in the open floor, someone inside needs to step up. Saint Louis also has three players averaging double figures, one of which comes off the bench. Forward Cody Ellis (11.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg) checks in at 6'8", 240 but he's more comfortable on the perimeter (40.2% 3PT), and his shooting is balanced out by Brian Conklin's willingness to go inside.

Conklin is shooting 58.6% from the field on the season with just one three-point attempt, so it's safe to say that he won't be out firing away with reckless abandon. Guard Kwamain Mitchell (11.8 ppg, 3.8 apg) runs the show but also leads SLU in field goal attempts, and his individual matchup with Holloway should be fun to watch. Saint Louis has five players who have attempted 40 three-pointers or more, with three of those players attempting more than half their shots from distance and as a team the Billikens score 31.2% of their points on the bonus shot.

If there's one area to watch it will be turnovers, especially if Xavier gets impatient and looks to force the issue offensively. Saint Louis' opponents average 15.7 turnovers per game, and with the Billikens averaging a shade under 63 possessions per game that's a sizable number. Holloway and Lyons need to make plays without getting out of control, and if they don't Saint Louis has the ability to make them pay. SLU is 2-3 on the road this season but it's not like the Musketeers have been invincible at home (9-2), which should make for an entertaining matchup.

Wednesday's schedule features five ranked teams taking on unranked opponents on the road, one of which being #6 Duke taking on a young Maryland team in College Park. The Terrapins are led by sophomore guard Terrell Stoglin, but while Maryland has the ability to give Duke some trouble on the perimeter they lack interior depth and the shot selection leaves something to be desired at times. The same could be said for Oklahoma State, who hosts #2 Missouri, and Texas Tech as a player in Jordan Tolbert that can make life difficult for #24 Kansas State.

Minnesota visits #11 Michigan State in need of a resume-building victory but to say the least it's going to be tough for Tubby Smith's team to leave East Lansing with a win. Minnesota has received good play of late from Joe Coleman, and they do have a win at Indiana to their credit. BYU's trip to Virginia Tech is big for both teams as the victor would end up with a resume-building victory that could be a difference-maker come Selection Sunday.

Also keep an eye on Georgia State visiting Drexel in hopes of sweeping the season series, with both in hot pursuit of George Mason in the CAA. Colorado State/New Mexico and Notre Dame/Seton Hall are both solid conference match ups that will also have an impact on the resumes of all four teams.

Top 25 Games
7:30 PM (2) Missouri at Oklahoma State (ESPN2)
6:30 PM Penn State at (3) Ohio State (BTN)
9:00 PM (6) Duke at Maryland (ESPN)
8:30 PM Minnesota at (11) Michigan State (BTN)
8:05 PM (14) Creighton at Drake (ESPN3)
10:00 PM (15) UNLV at Boise State (The Mtn.)
8:00 PM LSU at (16) Mississippi State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM (24) Kansas State at Texas Tech (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Villanova at (25) Louisville (ESPN)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Delaware at Northeastern
7:00 PM VCU at Towson
7:00 PM Southern Miss at East Carolina
7:00 PM Florida State at Wake Forest (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Maine at New Hampshire
7:00 PM DePaul at Rutgers (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Central Michigan at Bowling Green
7:00 PM Toledo at Miami (OH)
7:00 PM Western Michigan at Ohio (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Providence at Pittsburgh (ESPN3)
7:00 PM St. Bonaventure at Rhode Island (CBS SN)
7:00 PM Fordham at Richmond
7:00 PM BYU at Virginia Tech (ESPN3)
7:00 PM UAB at Marshall (CSS)
7:00 PM Holy Cross at Army
7:00 PM Old Dominion at UNC Wilmington
7:00 PM Binghamton at Albany
7:00 PM American at Bucknell
7:00 PM Lafayette at Colgate
7:00 PM Loyola (IL) at Detroit
7:00 PM Georgia State at Drexel
7:00 PM George Mason at Hofstra (FiOS 1)
7:00 PM Northern Illinois at Kent State
7:00 PM George Washington at La Salle
7:00 PM West Virginia at St. John's (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Dayton at Saint Joseph's (TCN Philadelphia)
7:00 PM Hartford at Stony Brook
7:00 PM UIC at Wright State
7:00 PM Saint Louis at Xavier (FSN MW)
7:05 PM Northern Iowa at Indiana State
7:05 PM Missouri State at Illinois State (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Temple at Charlotte
7:30 PM McNeese State at Nicholls State
7:30 PM Air Force at TCU (The Mtn.)
8:00 PM UCF at Tulsa (CBS SN)
8:00 PM Rice at Memphis
8:00 PM Texas State at Texas A&M-CC
8:00 PM Lamar at Northwestern State
8:00 PM Central Arkansas at Southeastern Louisiana
8:00 PM Notre Dame at Seton Hall (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Alabama at South Carolina (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Sam Houston State at Stephen F. Austin (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Jarvis Christian at UTSA
8:00 PM SMU at Tulane
8:00 PM Evansville at Wichita State (ESPN3)
8:15 PM North Texas at Louisiana-Lafayette
9:00 PM Auburn at Arkansas (ESPN3)
10:00 PM Colorado State at New Mexico (CBS SN)

#5 Ohio State vs. #7 Indiana: Sunday Thoughts

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 11:48:48 -0500

Sunday's a quiet day with regards to the number of games on the college basketball schedule, but there's a critical matchup of Top 10 teams in Columbus as #7 Indiana (15-2, 3-2) visits. #5 Ohio State (15-3, 3-2) in their second meeting of the season. The Hoosiers won the first meeting 74-70 back on New Year's Eve, and a big reason why was the way in which they defended point guard Aaron Craft. Tom Crean threw multiple guys at the sophomore point guard, and the varying looks were a big reason why Craft turned the ball over a season-high six times.

Be it Jordan Hulls, Verdell Jones III or Victor Oladipo, the Hoosiers made things difficult for Craft and by extension the Ohio State offense as a whole. William Buford shot 3-for-7 from the field and scored eight points, and also of note in this contest is that Craft attempted the most shots (ten) for the Buckeyes. Jared Sullinger and Cody Zeller essentially canceled each other out with foul trouble for both being an issue for much of the game (Sullinger: 3-5, 15 points and nine rebounds; Zeller: 5-9, 14 points and four rebounds).

From an efficiency standpoint that was Ohio State's worst game of the Big Ten slate thus far, as they averaged exactly one point per possession. Indiana's been the more efficient team when looking at the numbers throughout the season, and they're going to need that to be the case again today if they're to have any shot of winning at Value City Arena. If the Hoosiers can get another good outing from Hulls and Oladipo (combined to score 32 points in the first meeting) they can win, but the return meeting will be an entirely different animal based on how Ohio State played against the two teams they lost to on the road last season.

Ohio State's 87-64 win over Purdue was actually the first meeting of two last season, with E'Twaun Moore going off in the return contest in West Lafayette, so it's likely better to use OSU's rematch with Wisconsin as the example. After losing in Madison 71-67 on February 12, the Buckeyes went off in the March 6 meeting, knocking down 14 of 15 from beyond the arc on their way to the 93-65 victory. Without a Jon Diebler on this year's team that kind of marksmanship is unlikely to happen, but when motivated by the sting of a road defeat Thad Matta's team is extremely difficult to beat.

Also of note: Both Minnesota and Wisconsin have games that they'll be expected to win, and both will need to win for the sake of their respective resumes. The Golden Gophers take on Penn State in Happy Valley and will need to keep Tim Frazier in check, and the Badgers host a Nebraska team that features Bo Spencer. Bo Ryan's team whipped the Huskers in Lincoln in Nebraska's first-ever league game as a Big Ten member, so at the least Doc Sadler's team should have a better feel for the Badgers' style of basketball.

Duke visits Clemson in what could be a trickier game than many will expect, with the Tigers' play at Littlejohn Coliseum being a big reason why. The Tigers, who blew out Florida State at home in their ACC opener, need Devin Booker and Milton Jennings to play well if they're to have a shot at beating Duke. Maryland could use a win to establish themselves as a top-half of the ACC squad, and if they can keep Georgia Tech's Glen Rice Jr. in check the Terps can get it done. Sophomore guard Terrell Stoglin has been one of the league's best scorers to this point in the season, but to be a truly elite player he has to raise his level on the defensive end.

Big games in the MAAC, MVC: The two teams tied for first place in the Metro Atlantic meet in New Rochelle as Iona host Loyola (MD). The Gaels fell to a surprising Manhattan team on Thursday night on an Emmy Andujar three as time expired while the Greyhounds came back to win at Fairfield despite trailing by as many as 17 in the second half. Robert Olson got hot late for Jimmy Patsos' team and in Dylon Cormier the Greyhounds have one of the best players in the league, which should make for an entertaining battle between he and Scott Machado. The Gaels did the exact opposite of Loyola on Thursday, taking their foot off the gas with a 17-point late with less than eight minutes remaining.

And while Wichita State's trip to Terre Haute isn't a matchup of teams atop the Missouri Valley, simply put the Sycamores need the win to avoid dropping to 2-5 in league play. Joe Ragland's played well on the perimeter and Toure Murry is arguably the MVC's best sixth man, but it's been the recent play of center Garrett Stutz that's made the difference for Gregg Marshall's team. Dwayne Lathan and Jake Odum have led the way for Indiana State but the bigger issue has been their defense, as opponents shoot 43.7% from the field. They'll likely need to hold the Shockers to below 40% if they're to win tonight.

Thursday Recap: Virginia Falls Short at Duke

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:04:00 -0500

Thursday was a big night for the Virginia Cavaliers as they were looking for their first win at Duke since 1995, and a victory over the sixth-ranked Blue Devils would raise their ceiling even higher.

Despite shooting 0-for-11 from three in the second half Tony Bennett's team still had two chances to send the game into overtime, but neither fell and the Blue Devils hung on to win 61-58. On a night that Duke shot 5-for-20 from three against the ACC's best when it comes to defending the bonus shot the Blue Devils needed a group effort to move their home win streak to 44 games.

Mason Plumlee scored 12 points to lead four players in double figures, and he could have scored more if not for a 2-for-10 outing at the foul line. Duke finished the game with a field goal percentage of 52.2%, as making 73.0% of their two-point attempts made up for the poor perimeter shooting. With their outside shots not falling Duke needed to clamp down on defense, and they did just that as two Virginia starters (Jontel Evans and Sammy Zeglinski) failed to score a single point.

"I also thought it was by far the best defensive game that Andre Dawkins has ever played," said Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski of his junior guard's defensive contribution. "Everyone talks about his shooting, but he really played well defensively. And we did a good job against Zeglinski and Harris...we were able to at least limit Harris and we were fortunate we shut down Zeglinski."

The one player Duke didn't have an answer for was forward Mike Scott, who scored a game-high 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds in a losing effort. Virginia had the pace they preferred, playing a 59-possession game on the road against an opponent that averages 70 possessions/game, and they did a good job of limiting the open looks for Duke's prolific shooters.

That's definitely something the Cavaliers can build on in the days leading up to their game at Georgia Tech next Thursday. Coach Bennett and his team certainly shouldn't be in the business of claiming moral victories but if anything Virginia showed that, in addition to their own growth as a program, there's a sizeable gap between the top three and the rest of the ACC.

"Tonight, it could have been the same situation, and I thought they got a little tougher and stingier defensively," said Bennett when asked to compare this season's meeting to last year's (76-60 Duke win). "That got us back on track. Then we made some baskets. That is why we at least had some chances at the end to send it into overtime."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Wisconsin jumps out to a big lead and picks up a much-needed win at Purdue.
Slow starts had been a problem in recent games for Bo Ryan's team leading up to their game in West Lafayette, and with a 1-3 record in Big Ten play Wisconsin needed to figure out a solution. Instead of the usual methodical pace the Badgers found (and made) quick looks from beyond the arc in their swing offense to take control of the game, scoring 22 of the first 26 points before holding on in the second half to win 67-62. Five players reached double figures for the Badgers but the biggest surprise had to be senior Mike Bruesewitz, a glue guy who knocked down all four of this three-point attempts and scored 12 points.

Terone Johnson led Purdue with 16 points off the bench and Robbie Hummel added 13, but with Lewis Jackson not 100% physically and other options struggling from the field the Boilermakers didn't have enough to overcome the hole they dug for themselves early. As a team Purdue made just 35.1% of their two-point shots, a far cry from their mark for the season (49.4%), and that's a testament to Wisconsin's defense and not just Purdue's inability to make shots. In order to get back on track Wisconsin looked for scoring opportunities earlier in their sets to start the game, and that proved to be the difference.

"We gave them respect and talked about not giving them 'rhythm shots' and I think they got too many 'rhythm shots' and got their head up early," remarked Purdue head coach Matt Painter after the game.

2. Saint Mary's whips Gonzaga to go 2-0 against the other WCC contenders at home.
Saint Mary's early WCC schedule can be summed up by using the title of Jay-Z's "Blueprint 2" album. "The Gift" was getting to host both BYU and Gonzaga early in league play. The key for Randy Bennett's team is to make sure that having to play both teams on the road in the second half of the season season doesn't turn out to be "The Curse". The Gaels controlled the Bulldogs in the second half on Thursday night, pushing their lead out to as many as 24 after leading 37-32 just over a minute into the half. Saint Mary's won 83-62 despite forward Rob Jones not scoring until 1:39 remaining in the game, but he made up for the lack of scoring by grabbing 11 rebounds and racking up eight assists.

A big reason why Saint Mary's was able to pull away in spite of Jones' lack of scoring was the play of forward Brad Waldow, who posted his first career double-double with 17 points and ten rebounds. And with Gonzaga's Robert Sacre making just one of seven shots and scoring four points, the visitors from Spokane couldn't take advantage. Matthew Dellavedova, who like Seton Hall's Jordan Theodore continues to make the Cousy Award selection committee look siily for leaving him off the finalists list, scored a game-high 26 points and dished out six assists while Stephen Holt added 15 and six assists. But essentially the Gaels held serve in the three-team race for the WCC crown with the two home wins. Whether or not Saint Mary's can take this show on the road will determine whether or not they end up on top at the end of the season.

3. Drexel ends George Mason's 18-game regular season conference win streak.
After wins over Old Dominion and Georgia State, Paul Hewitt's Patriots entered Thursday's matchup with Drexel full of confidence and rightfully so as George Mason had won 18 straight regular season CAA games. But thanks in large part to a freshman who had made five of his last fifteen field goals, the Dragons snapped Mason's streak and forced a three-way tie for first place in the CAA. Damion Lee made eight of his fourteen shots and scored a game-high 21 points (16 in the second half), picking up the slack for Drexel as fellow starters Frantz Massenat (4-18 FG, 12 points) and Derrick Thomas (2-9 FG, eight points) struggled from the field.

What also helped Drexel was their effort on the defensive end, as they harassed Ryan Pearson and Vertail Vaughns into a combined 2-for-16 night from the field. What also didn't help George Mason were their turnovers, more specifically Drexel's ability to take advantage of the Patriots' miscues. George Mason turned the ball over just ten times (Drexel finished with nine turnovers), but the Dragons scored 16 points off of those turnovers compared to six for the visitors. Drexel also won the battle on the boards (41-30), grabbing 18 offensive rebounds and while they didn't cash those in at a great clip (11 second-chance points) those extra shots can make the difference when shooting just 36.2%. Lee's second half will stick out however and rightfully so, as his outburst not only tightened things up at the top of the CAA but kept Drexel in the discussion.

Quick Hitters

1. Virginia wasn't the only team to show well on the road in defeat. Colorado did the same, and their 57-50 loss at California was closer than the final margin would indicate. Tad Boyle's team leads the Pac-12 in scoring defense, and Carlon Brown has done a much better job of picking his spots over the last month. And in forward Andre Roberson, who leads the conference in rebounding and accounted for 11 points and 14 rebounds on Thursday, Colorado's got one of the nation's most underrated players.

2. Minnesota picked up their first Big Ten win of the season at Indiana of all places, beating the Hoosiers 77-74. Austin Hollins led the Golden Gophers with 18 points, and they did just enough late to hold off an Indiana team that refused to quit. Indiana's problem: they made just four of eighteen shots from three on the night, a far cry from their percentage for the season (45.9%).

3. Saturday's showdown in the Big Sky will feature teams undefeated in league play as Montana (4-0) and Weber State (5-0) took care of business against Northern Arizona and Montana State respectively. Scott Bamforth scored 20 points in Weber State's 63-49 win over Montana State while Kareem Jamar led three Montana starters in double figures with 15 points (and seven rebounds) in the Grizzlies' 78-53 win at NAU.

4. It was a struggle but Oral Roberts found a way to remain undefeated in Summit League play, moving to 7-0 with a 71-70 double overtime win at Western Illinois. Dominique Morrison played all 50 minutes and scored a game-high 27 points and Steven Roundtree added 12 off the bench for the Golden Eagles.

5. UNC Asheville came back from a 12-point halftime deficit at Campbell to beat the Camels 89-82 and move to 6-0 in the Big South. Jeremy Atkinson was the catalyst as he scored 19 of his 22 points in the second half. Matt Dickey chipped in with 19 points and ten rebounds, J.P. Primm scored 18 and sixth man Jaron Lane added 13 off the bench.

6. The comeback of the day, and possibly of the season to date, happened in New Rochelle as Manhattan stormed back from 17 down with less than eight minutes remaining to beat rival Iona 75-72. Emmy Andujar's turnaround three as time expired was the difference, but don't discount the effort of Rhamel Brown (17 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks) either. Steve Masiello's surprising Jaspers are now just a game out of first place in the MAAC, and this result also makes Friday's game between Loyola (MD) and Fairfield even more important.

7. Quinnipiac picked up a much-needed win as they beat Robert Morris in Moon Township 78-76 to move to 2-3 in the NEC. With just the top eight teams qualifying for the conference tournament Tom Moore's team needed a win, and thanks to 22 points from James Johnson and 18 from Dave Johnson (no relation) the mission was accomplished.

8. Yes things got heated during overtime in Arizona's 91-83 win over Oregon State, with OSU's Joe Burton and Arizona's Kyryl Natyazhko being ejected for leaving their respective bench areas. But no punches were thrown during an interaction that featured more jawing than anything else thanks to quick-acting coaches and officials. Instead the focus should be on the fact that Craig Robinson's team dropped to 1-4 in conference play, and anything less than a split of the weekend (they visit Arizona State on Saturday) would be the end of the Beavers' title hopes despite the wide-open nature of the conference.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Phil Martin (UC Riverside)
Long Beach State has sole possession of first place in the Big West and Martin's a big reason why. Martin scored 33 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the Highlanders' 79-70 overtime win over UCSB.

2. C Vander Joaquim (Hawaii)
23 points (9-11 FG), 16 rebounds and three blocked shots in the Warriors' 74-68 overtime win at Fresno State.

3. C John Fraley (Austin Peay)
25 points (10-12 FG) and 12 rebounds in the Governors' 80-65 win over Eastern Kentucky.

Tuesday Recap: Pittsburgh Has Some Issues to Address

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:31:12 -0500

Outside of Xavier it's difficult to think of many two-game losing streaks this season that have sparked as much concern nationally as the one Pittsburgh is currently going through. A team that looked preoccupied with their Christmas break plans on Friday in a 59-54 home loss to Wagner dropped another game on Tuesday, 72-59 at Notre Dame. The second half was a serious departure from what the Panthers do on both ends of the court, with Notre Dame being able to accomplish just about whatever they wanted to offensively. Mike Brey's team shot a staggering 72% in the second half and scored 42 points, and Alex Dragicevic scored a career-high 22 points to lead the way.

"He was 2-for-6 in the first half. Then in the second half the three-pointers and the some lay-ups got him going," said Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon of Dragicevic. "That's where it really got started and then their three-pointers broke it open. Give them credit they were patient we had some breakdowns that were pretty hard to recover from."

Point guard Tray Woodall returned to the rotation for Pittsburgh after being out since the Duquesne game with groin and abdominal injuries, and it's safe to say that the redshirt junior wasn't 100% on Tuesday. Woodall played 18 minutes and did not score, tallying two assists and two turnovers off the bench. Talib Zanna led the way for the Panthers with 13 points and 12 rebounds off the bench, but that wasn't enough to make up for Pitt making just one of fourteen shots from beyond the arc and being outscored 21-3 on three-pointers. But the biggest concern for Pittsburgh going forward has to be the defensive breakdows, as the Fighting Irish were able to find a number of open looks in the second half as they ran away with the game.

"Second half the defense just let down for us," said Dixon. "They executed - converted lay-ups that they turned into open jump shots and they started making those. We need to play better, we will play better and that's what we have to work on."

In addition to Dragicevich, Eric Atkins and Jerian Grant scored 15 points apiece for Notre Dame, who has now beaten the Panthers in each of their last four meetings. The Irish scored 1.24 points per possession and finished with an efficiency of 124.1, the highest number Pitt has allowed since their loss to Long Beach State in the third game of the season. Challenging cutters and playing tough defense has been one of the trademarks of the Pitt program going back to the Ben Howland years, but that wasn't on display Tuesday night. With talented players such as Woodall, Ashton Gibbs and Nasir Robinson the potential to turn things around is defintely there. Whether or not the Panthers act on that potential is entirely up to them.

Other Notable Happenings

1. After a quick start, Nebraska gets a rude introduction to Big Ten basketball from Wisconsin.
While there's no doubt that Nebraska was coming from a very tough basketball conference in the Big 12, their first taste of Big Ten basketball was going to be an interesting experience for Doc Sadler's program. Things were going very well for the Huskers to begin their game against Wisconsin as they jumped out to a 7-0 lead. But the Badgers stayed the course and did what they do: execute on both ends of the floor at their tempo. What resulted was a thorough beating of Nebraska in Lincoln, with Wisconsin holding the home team to 14 second-half points in the 64-40 win.

Ryan Evans scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed six rebounds and Wisconsin made 11 of 21 shots from beyond the arc on the night. Jordan Taylor finished with 15 points, five assists, three rebounds and three steals with just one turnover, and the Badgers picked apart the Nebraska defense to shoot 51% from the field while holding the Huskers to 31% shooting. Nebraska will encounter different styles of play in their first run through the Big Ten, but they found out that playing Bo Ryan's team is an experience unlike any other.

2. Moe Harkless puts up a performance for the ages in a St. John's blowout of Providence.
The question for St. John's was a simple one entering Big East play: even with the arrival of Amir Garrett would the Red Storm have enough depth to navigate the conference slate? Hard to glean a concrete conclusion from one game, but to say the least the Big East opener for the Johnnies. Moe Harkless put up a performance for the ages with 32 points and 13 rebounds while D'Angelo Harrison added 25 points and seven rebounds in the 91-67 win over Providence. This was a stunning outcome considering the Friars' 11-2 start under first-year head coach Ed Cooley, not to mention the struggles of the home team. And that "performance for the ages" line isn't hyperbole, it's fact.

Harkless' point total replaced the 30 points scored by Troy Murphy and Allen Iverson in their Big East debuts as the highest point total in conference history. Think about all the great freshmen who have played in the Big East through the years, and that makes Harkless' achievement all the more noteworthy. St. John's shot 56.5% from the field and forced 20 Providence turnovers, converting those miscues into 34 points. For the talk of Providence feeling a bit disrespected due to the game being played at Carnesecca Arena instead of MSG they sure didn't look like a team that deserved that stage on Tuesday, and that's a credit to how well St. John's played.

3. Illinois needs double overtime to beat Minnesota in Champaign.
The end of game execution for both teams left much to be desired with Illinois becoming stagnant offensively and Minnesota not fouling when down six with less than a minute in double overtime, but that shouldn't take away from how entertaining the Big Ten opener was. Brandon Paul led the Fighting Illini to the 81-72 win with 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists while Meyers Leonard added 20 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots. Illinois turned the ball over 21 times but ended up winning by limiting the Golden Gophers to 37.7% shooting, and Minnesota could only manage 16 points off of those turnovers.

By comparison Illinois scored 19 points off of 14 Minnesota turnovers, as a result helping to minimize the impact of their mistakes. Ralph Sampson III led Minnesota with 22 points and nine rebound but the Gophers had just two players score in double figures while Illinois finished with five, and that's not going to get it done for Tubby Smith's team down the line if they want to be an NCAA Tournament team. Illinois will need to cut down on their turnovers but it should be seen as an encouraging sign that Bruce Weber's team was able to make up for the discrepancy in other areas to pull out the win.

Quick Hitters

1. Georgia needed overtime to beat Winthrop at home 82-76, but the question is whether or not the game should have gone to overtime to begin with. With the Eagles leading 76-74 in the final seconds, Georgia's Gerald Robinson junior got away with a blatant travel and scored the game-tying basket.

2. Rhode Island head coach Jim Baron made the decision on Tuesday to dismiss leading scorer Jamal Wilson (16.4 ppg) for a violation of team rules. To say the least this is the last thing the Rams, who are 1-11 on the season. Mid-year transfers Andre Malone and Billy Baron should have every opportunity to take over as the primary scoring options as a result of this move.

3. Also on Tuesday, Illinois guard Crandall Head announced his decision to leave the school. Head, whose older brother is Illinois great Luther Head, averaged just 6.4 minutes per game this season.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Moe Harkless and G D'Angelo Harrison (St. John's)
Harkless finished with 32 points, 13 rebounds and four assists while Harrison added 25, seven assists and three steals in the Red Storm's 91-67 win over Providence.

2. G Andre Jones (Winthrop)
33 points (10-15 FG) and three rebounds in the Eagles' 82-76 overtime loss at Georgia.

3. F Ryan Evans (Wisconsin)
22 points (9-11 FG), six rebounds and two assists in the Badgers' 64-40 win over Nebraska.

Tuesday Preview: Minnesota at Illinois

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:47:20 -0500

After a day off college basketball is back with a small albeit important slate to keep an eye on. Why? The start of conference play in both the Big East and Big Ten, with more leagues due to join in on the fun later in the week. Tuesday's game of interest matches #24 Illinois (11-2), who is undefeated at home and looking to bounce back from their loss to rival Missouri, and a Minnesota (12-1) team that's managed to win six straight games. Many thought that the roof would cave in on Tubby Smith's team after losing Trevor Mbakwe for the year with a torn ACL, but guys have stepped up in his absence.

Before a five-point outing against North Dakota State on Thursday, guard Julian Welch (9.9 ppg, 2.5 apg) had reached double figures in eight straight games. He's shooting 48.8% from the field and 44.4% from beyond the arc, both which are improvements on his numbers as a freshman at UC Davis during the 2009-10 season. Andre Hollins (6.1 ppg), Austin Hollins (8.7 ppg, 2.0 rpg) and Chip Armelin (6.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg) are all players the Golden Gophers call on for production on the perimeter, and without a marquee scoring option they've adjusted their tempo some (267th in adjusted tempo per Ken Pomeroy).

Illinois will counter on the perimeter with D.J. Richardson (14.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg), Brandon Paul (11.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and Sam Maniscalco (10.6 ppg, 2.9 apg), and freshman Joseph Bertrand stepped up with 19 points in the loss to Missouri. But the one issue with the three starters has been shot-making, with Richardson's 43.1% being the highest number. Paul's only making 36.7% of his shots from the field, and that's a number that will have to improve in Big Ten play if the Illini are to contend. The real key for Illinois will be to make sure they get their big man quality touches inside.

Sophomore Meyers Leonard has improved a great deal since last season, and he's second on the team in scoring (13.4 ppg) while leading the way in both rebounding (8.2 ppg) and blocked shots (2.4 bpg). One thing that's seemed to be an issue for the Illinois backcourt has been the art of the entry pass, and with Minnesota ranking in the Top 10 nationally in steal percentage (14.3%) Bruce Weber's team will need to be sound with the basketball. Minnesota will counter with Ralph Sampson III (8.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.1 apg) and the high-flying Rodney Williams (9.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.5 apg), and it's become even more important that they stay out of foul trouble with Mbakwe's injury.

However it's Illinois that's taken better care of the basketball to this point in the season, and Welch and Andre Collins both have personal turnover rates approaching 28%. Sound decision-making will be key for the Golden Gophers on the road, and even though school's not in session Champaign is a tough place to play. Minnesota's done a good job of getting to the foul line, as their lack of an outstanding perimeter shooter means that they've got to attack the basket more than most teams. Whichever team continues to attack the basket while limiting their opponent's opportunities will likely win, meaning that Illinois can't afford to fall in love with the jump shot.

Also in the Big Ten, Nebraska gets their first taste of league play as they host #14 Wisconsin. The individual matchup between Jordan Taylor and Bo Spencer will be fun to watch, and the Huskers are going to need a big night from Jorge Brian Diaz as well. In the Big East, surprising Providence visits St. John's in a game both teams need as the schedules get much more difficult in their next games (Providence visits Georgetown, St. John's visits UConn). And Pittsburgh looks to rebound from their loss to Wagner at Notre Dame, and it's a game-time decision as to whether or not Tray Woodall will be able to go. But if the Panthers don't step up their perimeter defense with (or without) Woodall they could be in trouble against Notre Dame's Eric Atkins.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM (13) Pittsburgh at Notre Dame (ESPN2)
9:00 PM (14) Wisconsin at Nebraska (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Maryland-Eastern Shore at (24) Virginia

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Winthrop at Georgia (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Providence at St. John's (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Minnesota at Illinois (BTN)
8:00 PM Texas Southern at Saint Louis
8:00 PM New Orleans at North Texas
8:00 PM Belhaven at Southern Miss
8:00 PM Cal State Bakersfield at Texas Tech (ESPN3)
8:30 PM Eureka at Western Illinois
9:00 PM Cal State San Marcos at BYU (BYU TV)
9:00 PM Vanguard at Loyola Marymount

Bracketology: Minnesota, Ole Miss Join Field

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:02:18 -0500

Collegehoops.net's Bracketology projections have consistently proven to be the best in the business. Over the last 4 years, Shawn Siegel is the #1 ranked Bracketologist according to the Bracket Project. This ranking includes the likes of Joe Lunardi, Gary Parrish, Jerry Palm, and Andy Glockner.. none of whom come close.

As always, the field below is a prediction of what the committee would do as things stand today, not what they should do. This is done by taking into account standings, polls, computer rankings, and the committee's historical biases. Check out the follow up Bubble Watch for rankings and standings of teams on the NCAA Tournament Bubble

Notes:

Arrows indicate how many seeds a team has moved up or down since the previous update. Teams in Green are new to the field today. Teams in CAPS have locked up a bid. **=Projected Conference Champs

ONE

TWO

Baylor**

Duke**

Missouri

THREE

Xavier**

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

Vanderbilt

Harvard**

EIGHT

UNLV**

NINE

San Diego St

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE + 2

Minnesota

West Virginia

Mississippi / Temple

Kansas St/ Wichita St

THIRTEEN

Belmont**

Kent St**

Tulane**

George Mason**

FOURTEEN

Iona**

Nevada**

Charleston**

MTSU**

FIFTEEN

Weber St**

UCSB**

South Dakota St**

Coastal Carolina**

SIXTEEN + 2

American**

CCSU**

Lamar** / Texas Southern**

Norfolk St** / Albany**

Last In: Wichita St, Temple, Kansas St, Ole Miss

First Out: New Mexico, BYU, Virginia Tech, Marshall

Further Four: Oklahoma, Oregon, Miami, St. Joseph's

Dropped Out Of Field (at-large): Miami, Villanova, Washington

New (at-large): Minnesota, Ole Miss, West Virginia, Wichita St

Conference Bids

- Multiple Bid Leagues

Big Ten - 9

Big East - 8

Big 12 - 6

SEC - 6

ACC - 4

A-10 - 3

MVC - 3

Pac-12 - 3

CUSA - 2

MWC - 2

WCC - 2

------------------- (20 one-bid leagues)

League Leaders/Winners (31)

- #1 projected team for now.

- New leaders in green

America East - Albany
A-10 - Xavier
ACC - Duke
Atlantic Sun - Belmont
Big 12 - Baylor
Big East - Syracuse
Big Sky - Weber St
Big South - Coastal Carolina
Big Ten - Ohio St
Big West - UCSB
CAA - George Mason
Conference USA - Tulane
Horizon - Cleveland St
Ivy - Harvard
MAAC - Iona
MAC - Kent St
MEAC - Norfolk St
MVC - Creighton
MWC - UNLV
Northeast - CCSU
Ohio Valley - Murray St
Pac-12 - Stanford
Patriot - American
SEC - Kentucky
Southern - Charleston
Southland - Lamar
SWAC - Texas Southern
Summit - South Dakota St
Sun Belt - Middle Tennessee
WAC - Nevada
WCC - St. Mary's

Check out the companion Bubble Watch for a more in-depth look at teams on the NCAA Bubble.

College Hoops Monday Recap: Musketeer Guards Lead the Way

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:44:26 -0500

There is no doubt that the Xavier Musketeers have one of the best backcourt tandems in the country with Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons, and the duo combined on Monday night to provide more evidence in the affirmative. Despite shooting a combined 13-for-38 from the field Holloway and Lyons scored 43 points for the Musketeers, with Lyons knocking down the game-tying shot with 6.5 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime. From there it was the "Tu Holloway Show:, with the All-American scoring ten of his team-high 24 points in the extra session.

Holloway's two three-pointers during what would become a 12-0 run gave Xavier a 74-66 lead with 2:27 remaining. Vanderbilt could only manage four points in overtime, squandering a second half in which they shot 56.5% from the field. John Jenkins led three Vanderbilt starters in double figures with 20 points while Lance Goulbourne and Jeffery Taylor added 18 apiece, but Kevin Stallings turned the ball over 18 times and Xavier took full advantage with a 22-8 split in points off turnovers.

"They were very costly," said Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings of the turnovers. "Turnovers are generally careless or selfish. Neither of those has anything to do with the other team."

In addition to the points off turnovers discrepancy there was also the matter of Xavier out-rebounding Vanderbilt 54-33. Andre Walker, who transferred to Xavier from Vanderbilt after graduating in the spring, grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds and six other Musketeers grabbed at least four caroms. Xavier grabbed an astonishing 25 offensive rebounds, and while they held a comparatively small 15-9 edge in second-chance points that number takes a toll as the game wears on. Would the presence of Festus Ezeli have helped Vanderbilt in this regard? Possibly but he won't be back for a couple more weeks, meaning that the guys able to play need to step up.

Another problem for Vanderbilt: perimeter defense. Entrusting Jenkins and Brad Tinsley to stop opposing guards in general, much less guards the caliber of Holloway and Lyons, isn't the best move at this point in time. Can they be solid defenders down the road? That's a tough question to answer with a 'yes' or 'no', but if the Commodores want to hang around in March longer than they have in recent years they'd better improve. Monday night however was more about what Xavier did, especially on the glass given the fact that outside of Kenny Frease the Musketeers don't have a true big man. If players such as Walker, Travis Taylor and Jeff Robinson can continue their work on the boards look out. At the very least Xavier will compete for every inch of space on the floor, a trait that will serve them well as the season wears on.

"I am proud of our kids," said Xavier head coach Chris Mack. "It is their first game on the road in a very hostile environment. To have 25 offensive rebounds shows how badly our kids wanted it...Our players won this; it has nothing to do with coaching."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Minnesota gets the news they feared on Sunday regarding forward Trevor Mbakwe.
There was much concern amongst members of the Minnesota basketball program on Sunday night following their loss to Dayton regarding the health of senior forward Trevor Mbakwe. Mbakwe went down in the second half with an injury to his right knee, and things did not look good at the time. Those fears were confirmed on Monday as an MRI revealed a torn ACL, ending Mbakwe's season and possibly his career at Minnesota. Mbakwe is Minnesota's leading scorer and rebounder on the season, and losing him leaves a significant hole in the Golden Gopher rotation.

What's this mean? Ralph Sampson III, who has dealt with a sprained ankle for much of the early going, and Rodney Williams need to step up. Williams is healthy but has been quiet as well, and Mbakwe's injury also highlights the impact of Colton Iverson transferring to Colorado State. Tubby Smith will be light on frontcourt depth, but he may be able to get away with playing small provided Sampson III and Williams do a good job of avoiding foul trouble. Is Minnesota's season over with the loss of Mbakwe? Even though it's a major blow, the answer is entirely up to the remaining players.

2. Saint Mary's withstands a great performance from Damian Lillard to beat Weber State.
Outside of Xavier's trip to Vanderbilt the best matchup of the night took place in Moraga, California with an expected contender in the WCC (Saint Mary's) hosting the preseason favorite in the Big Sky (Weber State). The game certainly didn't disappoint either, with Weber State going into the half with a 32-31 lead. But Matthew Dellavedova and the rest of the Gaels got things rolling in the second half, shooting 69% from the field and scoring 56 points in what would end up being an 87-70 win. Dellavedova established a new career high with 11 assists to go along with 25 points while Rob Jones put up a double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds.

Kenton Walker II added 14 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for Saint Mary's, who improved to 4-1 on the season. Damian Lillard led the way for the Wildcats with 36 points and Kyle Tresnak added 17 (but made just three of ten free throws), but while Weber State shot 53% from the field in the second half it was no match for the hot Gaels. Another key was the three-point shooting, with Saint Mary's making eight of thirteen and outscoring Weber State by 15 points in this category. Expect to hear more from both teams as the season wears on.

3. Oakland retires Keith Benson's number and beats Tennessee.
It was a special night in Rochester, Michigan with the Oakland program retiring the jersey of former center Keith Benson at halftime of their game against Tennessee. The game also provided Greg Kampe's program with the rare chance to host a team from a BCS AQ conference on their home floor, and thanks to large part to guard Reggie Hamilton the Golden Grizzlies took advantage. Hamilton scored a game-high 35 points in leading Oakland to the 89-81 win over the Volunteers while Drew Valentine led four other Golden Grizzlies in double figures with 15, and Corey Petros grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.

The difference ultimately was the bench, and specifically Laval Lucas-Perry, who score 14 of Oakland's 19 bench points (Tennessee had just nine bench points). After dropping their first two games of the season (to Alabama and Arkansas), the Golden Grizzlies have won four straight. Life without Benson and Larry Wright certainly isn't (and won't be) easy, but the Golden Grizzlies showed on Monday night that they've got enough talent back to remain a factor in the Summit League.

Quick Hitters

1. After a 1-2 Maui Invitational that featured some shoddy defensive play, Memphis limited Jackson State to 32% shooting in their 70-45 win. Offensively Joe Jackson scored 15 points and Chris Crawford 14 to lead the Tigers.

2. Few teams will be able to live to tell the story of running with Iona, who beat Long Island 100-84 in New Rochelle. When you have a point guard the caliber of senior Scott Machado it's easy to get out in lanes and run, and few teams have a point guard as good as Machado.

3. Joe Mihalich may not have the most experienced team, but Niagara is definitely a team that won't lie down. For the second time this season the Purple Eagles came back from an 18-point, first half deficit as they beat Saint Francis (PA) 65-63.

4. Andre Roberson scored 15 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in Colorado's 70-68 win over Georgia in Boulder. Roberson is a good athlete with a high motor, which helps make up for the lack of refined skills in his game. As that part of his game improves, look for Roberson to be a major player in the Pac-12.

5. Louisville used their pressure early to get to Long Beach State, leading by as many as 15 points in their 79-66 home victory. Long Beach State turned the ball over 21 times on the night, and Chris Smith led five Cardinals in double figures with 18 points.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Reggie Hamilton (Oakland)
35 points, six rebounds and three assists in the Grizzlies' 89-81 win over Tennessee.

2. G Matthew Dellavedova and F Rob Jones (Saint Mary's)
Dellavedova scored 25 points and dished out 11 assists while Jones posted 24 and 12 rebounds, offsetting 36 points from Damian Lillard in the Gaels' 87-70 win over Weber State.

3. G Bradley Beal (Florida)
22 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocks in the Gators' 96-70 win over Stetson, Billy Donovan's 450th as a head coach.

College Hoops Sunday Recap: Atlantic 10 Earns Two Titles

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:06:23 -0500

Sunday set up to be a big day for the Atlantic 10 with Dayton (Old Spice Classic) and Saint Louis (76 Classic) playing in the title game of their respective in-season tournaments. And even better for the conference is that both picked up wins, displaying the depth of a league thought by many to be Xavier, Temple and 12 other teams before the season began.

Saint Louis used an 18-2 run halfway through the second half to pull away from Oklahoma, winning 83-63 in Anaheim. Tournament MVP Brian Conklin made nine of his eleven shots from the field and scored 25 points, and as a team the Billikens shot 60.4% from the field and 52.9% from beyond the arc. Rick Majerus' team scored 1.32 points/possession, and their offensive efficiency of 131.7 was their best performance of the season, surpassing the 125.0 posted in their win over Villanova on Friday (numbers courtesy of statsheet.com).

"I thought the guys played with good poise and composure," said Majerus. "We were good with shot selection. A big goal of ours was to restrict the three. I thought [Conklin] deserved the tournament MVP, if nothing else for his defense and rebounding, and he was a beneficiary of his hard work in the summer."

The key for Saint Louis (as is the case with UNLV, who beat top-ranked North Carolina on Saturday night) will be how they deal with prosperity. A lot is made of how teams deal with adversity, but some things about Conklin and his teammates will be learned in their game at Loyola Marymount on Tuesday night. As for Dayton, their three wins in Orlando were a big deal in the first season of the Archie Miller era. Kevin Dillard was outstanding for the Flyers, posting a line of 19 points, 10 assists, seven steals and three blocks in winning the tournament MVP award.

Chris Johnson (18 points), Josh Benson (16), Josh Parker (12) and Luke Fabrizius (11) also reached double figures in Dayton's best offensive performance of the season since their opening win over Western Illinois. In Dayton's three best offensive games of the season they've assisted on at least 63% of their baskets, providing a blueprint for what the Flyers will need to do in order to continue on this path. And just like Saint Louis, Dayton will need to show that they can deal with prosperity. Following a home game against Buffalo the Flyers visit Great Alaska Shootout champ Murray State and host Alabama, meaning that a lot more will be learned about this team's potential.

While there were disappointments for the Atlantic 10 on Sunday (more on those below), the tournament wins for Dayton and Saint Louis show that the conference has something that it hasn't always had in recent seasons: depth. St. Bonaventure (who lost at Virginia Tech on Sunday), Duquesne and George Washington are three other teams that could be a factor in the A-10 race come January, and the race is setting up to be a very entertaining one at that.

Other Notable Happenings

1. A foul-counting mishap aids in Villanova's late collapse against Santa Clara.
With just over seven seconds remaining Villanova asked for their team foul count during a timeout while leading Santa Clara 64-61. Jay Wright and his staff were told that they only had five team fouls, and that was also displayed in Anaheim Arena. But when Darrun Hilliard gave the foul the Wildcats were found to have actually committed their seventh team foul, sending Evan Roquemore to the line for a 1-and-1. Roquemore made both, and after JayVaughn Pinkston missed the front end of his 1-and-1 he fouled Roquemore in his pursuit of the loose ball. The Bronco guard came through once again, making both free throws to give Santa Clara the stunning 65-64 win.

While the administrative error didn't help Villanova at all, they really have no one to blame but themselves for ending up in that situation. Leading 64-57 with 2:56 left in the game, Villanova failed to score again and turned the ball over four times in the final 2:56. Raymond Cowels III led Santa Clara with 20 points, and he combined with Roquemore to score 24 second-half points on a night that saw Kevin Foster (5-17 FG, 13 points) struggle. As for Villanova, Mouphtaou Yarou led the way with 19 points, and for them to be successful as the season wears on they'll need more than a combined 4-for-15 outing from Dominic Cheek (10 points) and James Bell (seven). Can this group that's adjusting to life without Corey Stokes, Corey Fisher and Antonio Pena produce enough offensively to account for those losses? We shall see.

2. Indiana has an impressive second half in pulling away from Butler.
While some have pointed out the improved play of Tom Crean's Hoosiers to start the season, skeptics pointed at their schedule and wanted to see more evidence against credible competition. Indiana got their chance on Sunday night with two-time defending national runners-up Butler visiting Assembly Hall, and after a 30-minute slugfest the Hoosiers separated with an 11-2 run. Indiana went on to win 75-59 with Will Sheehey (Hoosier Invitational MVP) scoring a career-high 21 points and Cody Zeller leading three other Hoosiers in double figures with 16, but the bigger story was their defense.

Butler finished the game with seven assists and 21 turnovers, which means an assist-to-turnover ratio of 0.33. Crean praised his team for their defensive effort, pointing out that Indiana had 74 deflections on the night. Indiana shot 50% in the second half as they outscored Butler 44-31, and outside of Chrishawn Hopkins (19 points) and Khyle Marshall (16) the Bulldogs couldn't establish much of anything offensively. With NC State and Kentucky in two of their next three games, Indiana will definitely be challenged. But for the first time in Crean's tenure at IU, it can be said that the Hoosiers look capable of attacking those challenges head-on.

3. Syracuse makes the move to fire associate head coach Bernie Fine after new information "surfaces".
Unfortunately there was more off-court news involving the sexual assault accusations levied against now-former Syracuse associate head coach Bernie Fine. Not only did a third accuser surface but a recorded phone call between Fine accuser Bobby Davis and Fine's wife Laurie from 2002 was released by ESPN's Outside the Lines. Both chancellor Nancy Cantor and head coach Jim Boeheim released statements on Sunday night in support of the action taken against Fine by the school, with this being a sharp departure from the defiant stance taken by Boeheim in support of his long-time assistant and friend when these allegations were first made. The question now is just how far this investigation goes, and what effect it may have on the Orange on the floor. Given the way they dealt with the distractions on their way to the NIT Season Tip-Off crown last week and the team's experience, Syracuse will likely be fine on the floor. But given both the sensitive nature of the charges and the statement issued by Boeheim in the beginning, this situation likely won't be solved for a while.

Quick Hitters

1. With Trevor Mbakwe scheduled for an MRI on his right knee, injured in their loss to Dayton, Minnesota has a lot on the line with regards to their season. Hopefully he checks out OK, but that would be a major loss for the Golden Gophers if he were to be ruled out for a significant amount of time.

2. The most disappointing in-season performance of the weekend: Washington State, who capped an 0-3 weekend in Anaheim with a 64-63 loss to UC Riverside. Yes the Cougars lost Klay Thompson and DeAngelo Casto, but there's talent back in Pullman. Not a good weekend for the Cougars or the Pac-12.

3. Team that should feel good about their weekend: DePaul. The Blue Demons made things tougher on themselves than they should have late but they did enough to hold off Arizona State 68-64 in the fifth place game at the Old Spice Classic (2-1 for the weekend). Cleveland Melvin led the way with 18 points and seven rebounds.

4. Cleveland State whipped Rhode Island 67-45 in Kingston in the final day of that particular three-game Legends Classic round-robin. Jim Baron's team turned the ball over an astonishing 17 times in the first half and as a result trailed 40-23 at the break. Rhody finished the game with 21 turnovers (27-23 CSU in the second half).

5. Bowling Green scored a nice win for both themselves and the MAC with a 67-64 win over Temple. BGSU shot 58% from the field in the second half and 56% for the game, and A'uston Calhoun led the way with 16 points and seven rebounds.

6. What's going on with UAB? Mike Davis' Blazers dropped to 1-4 on the season with a 59-54 loss to UT-Martin despite 15 points apiece from Cameron Moore and Jordan Swing. Mike Liabo scored 22 points off the bench to lead the Skyhawks, who entered the game having lost five of their first six games.

7. Indiana State hung on to beat Fairfield 72-66 in the third place game of the Old Spice Classic. Jake Odum posted ISU's first triple-double in 32 years and Dwayne Lathan and Myles Walker scored 16 apiece, with the Sycamores controlling the play in the paint throughout (34-20 points in the paint advantage).

Three Notable Performances

1. F Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State)
23 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in the Spartans' 70-63 win over Eastern Kentucky.

2. G Jake Odum (Indiana State)
10 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in the Sycamores' 72-66 win over Fairfield. The triple-double is the first in ISU history since the great Larry Bird posted one in 1979.

3. G Kevin Dillard (Dayton)
19 points, 10 assists, seven steals and three blocks in the Flyers' 86-70 win over Minnesota.