Mississippi St

Early 2012-13 Ranking: Teams 46 to 60

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 08:05:33 -0700

Continuing with the Early 2012-13 Ranking, here are teams 46 to 60.

Its worth repeating that I had to make many assumptions about the NBA Draft in compiling the following list, and I've noted which assumptions I've made. This ranking will be updated later in the summer once players have made their official draft decisions. Also uncertain is where some remaining unsigned recruits will end up, and how the coaching carousel will take form. I purposely made no assumptions about where unsigned prospects will end up. (All prospect rankings are according to the Rivals 150 ranking.)

Early 2012-13 Ranking: Teams 45-60

46 Miami Another year under Jim Larranaga should find the Hurricanes on the inside of the NCAA Tournament bubble. Malcolm Grant departs but he did not have a terribly good season anyways.

47 Butler After a down year, Butler should once again be the class of the Horizon League. Transfer Rotnei Clarke gives them a scoring-punch that was severely lacking this year. Three solid guards enter as freshmen, who should help with depth.

48 Colorado Carlon Brown and Austin Dufault are not small loses, but the hope is that Andre Roberson blossoms into a Pac-12 Player of the Year candidate. The Buffs recruiting haul is easily their best of the last decade.

49 BYU The Cougars lose veterans Hartsock and Abouo but should still settle into their usual bubble-bound slot. Another year of improvement from Matt Carlino should help.

50 Pittsburgh Coming off of a disastrous season, Pittsburgh has no where to go but up. Although Gibbs and Robinson depart, the Panthers welcome 4th ranked recruit Steven Adams, one of their best-ever recruits. A healthy Tray Woodall would certainly help as well.

51 UCF After being a fringe-bubble team that last two years, UCF will once again be hoping to make the tourney. Although PG AJ Rompza graduates, the team returns solid All-CUSA caliber players in Keith Clanton, Marcus Jordan, and Isaiah Sykes.

52 Temple The Owls should take a step back with key senior losses, including leader Ramone Moore, but expect them to still be competitive in the A10. Khalif Wyatt could score 20 ppg now that the team is fully in his hands. The recruiting haul might be Temple's best since 2007.

53 Xavier Besides leader Tu Holloway, they also loses Kenny Frease and Andre Walker. Role players like Travis Taylor and Jeff Robinson will really need to step it up if Xavier wants to makes its 8th tourney in a row. 4-star recruit Semaj Christon is capable of contributing at PG from day one.

54 UCONN Jeremy Lamb and Andre Drummond will presumably go pro, and the roster looks pretty thin without them. Last year's shock tourney run covers up what has been 3 years in a row of .500 or worse basketball in Big East play. Add in the potential sanctions and Calhoun's health, and you have yourself a lot of questions.

55 Belmont Seniors Drew Hanlen, Mick Hedgepeth, and Scott Saunders depart, but Kerron Johnson and Ian Clark are still two of the A-Sun's top players. Incoming PG Craig Bradshaw is one of Belmont's better pickups and should fit right into the program.

56 South Florida Three seniors that played over 25 minutes per game depart, but South Florida shouldn't expect too much of a drop-off. USF's 4-person recruiting class is solid for their standards, but still mediocre as far as the Big East goes.

57 Mississippi St With Dee Bost a senior and Arnett Moultrie presumably going pro, Mississippi St loses its leading scorer, passer, rebounder, and defender. Although an underrated 5-person recruiting class was set to come in, Rick Stanbury's retirement does open some questions.

58 West Virginia For a team that often struggled to score the ball, it will be interesting to see how they'll manage without Kevin Jones and Darryl Bryant. Those two scored almost 50% of the Mountaineers points. Aaric Murray and Juwan Staten are solid transfers who will help.

59 Southern Miss USM was never as good as their gaudy RPI suggested.. Graduations will put a major dent into their major strength, which was depth, but their top two scorers do return.

60 Iowa St The key for Iowa St is whether Royce White decides to go pro. I'm assuming here that he does, which would mean the Cyclones lose their 3 leading scorers. A pair of solid transfers enter the mix, as well as their best recruiting class in a few years.

Also Under Consideration (alphabetical order)

Akron

California

Harvard

Illinois St

Minnesota

Nevada

Ole Miss

Oregon

Providence

Vanderbilt

Virginia

<< Return to 2012-13 Ranking: Teams 1 to 45

Bracketology: Colorado St In, Mississippi St Out

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:30:57 -0800

Bracketology projections will be coming fast and furious right up until Selection Sunday. While the top two seed lines remain unchanged in this update, there are a ton of changes around the Bubble. Colorado St not only moves into the field, but jumps to an 11 seed, as competitors like Seton Hall, Washington, and Northwestern faltered.

However, the big loser is Mississippi St, who drops out of the field. The Bulldogs fell to Georgia in the SEC Tournament, their sixth loss in eight tries. Mississippi St is also looking at an RPI in the 70's when the #'s update tomorrow morning. Drexel is currently the last team out, but I could move them into the field before Sunday. A10 hopefuls St. Joseph's and Dayton have big games tomorrow.. a loss by either would eliminate them from contention.

Why Pay Attention to What I Have to Say: Collegehoops.net's 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 updates about teams on the NCAA Tournament Bubble, and NITology for a ranking of the best of the rest.

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. Locked Up Bid.

ONE

Kansas**

TWO

Duke**

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

Temple**

SIX

SEVEN

Memphis**

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

Harvard**

ELEVEN

VCU**

Colorado St

TWELVE

THIRTEEN + 2

Washington / Northwestern

Belmont**

Nevada**

FOURTEEN

Davidson**

South Dakota St**

Akron**

Montana**

FIFTEEN

Loyola (MD)**

Long Island**

Lehigh**

Texas-Arlington**

SIXTEEN + 2

Detroit**

UNC-Asheville**

Stony Brook** / Mississippi Valley St**

Western Kentucky** / Savannah St**

Last In: Northwestern, Washington, Miami, Seton Hall

First Out: Drexel, Mississippi St, Oregon, South Florida

Further Four: NC State, Ole Miss, St. Joseph's, Dayton

Dropped Out Of Field (at-large): Mississippi St

New (at-large): Colorado St

Conference Bids

- Multiple Bid Leagues

Big East - 9

Big Ten - 7

Big 12 - 6

ACC - 5

SEC - 5

MWC - 4

A-10 - 3

WCC - 3

CUSA - 2

MVC - 2

Pac-12 - 2

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

League Leaders/Winners (31)

- #1 team according to current standings

- New leaders in green

- Locked Up Bid

America East - Stony Brook
A-10 - Temple
ACC - Duke
Atlantic Sun - Belmont
Big 12 - Kansas
Big East - Syracuse
Big Sky - Montana
Big South - UNC-Asheville
Big Ten - Michigan St
Big West - Long Beach
CAA - VCU
Conference USA - Memphis
Horizon - Detroit
Ivy - Harvard
MAAC - Loyola (MD)
MAC - Akron
MEAC - Savannah St
MVC - Creighton
MWC - San Diego St
Northeast - Long Island
Ohio Valley - Murray St
Pac-12 - California
Patriot - Lehigh
SEC - Kentucky
Southern - Davidson
Southland - Texas-Arlington
SWAC - Mississippi Valley St
Summit - South Dakota St
Sun Belt - Western Kentucky
WAC - Nevada
WCC - Saint Mary's

Check out Bubble Watch for updates and NITology for teams that are 2nd best. Follow Shawn @collegehoopsnet for his up to the minute bracketology thoughts.

Bracketology Implications: Saturday's 18 Bubble Games

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:35:17 -0800

As expected on a Saturday late in the season, there are tons of games with NCAA Tournament implications. Here's a breakdown of the day's action as it relates to Bracketology and the Bubble. The 18 games below feature 20 Bubble teams, listed in order from best to worst RPI:

#16 Southern Miss (22-6, 9-4) vs Rice (16-12, 7-6)

While mid-majors often get snubbed from the tourney, top 20 RPI teams do not get snubbed. Southern Miss fans felt the world collapsing after their loss to UTEP, but all is not lost. The Eagles don't just need a win, they need a blow out win to get back on track and finish the season strong.

#23 UCONN (17-10, 7-8) vs Syracuse (28-1, 15-1)

If there's ever a time for UCONN to break out of their slump, Saturday is the day. A win over #1 RPI Syracuse would erase two months of struggles and give the Huskies a resume that the committee couldn't ignore. A loss wouldn't eliminate UCONN, but it would mean they'd need to win their final two games.

#24 Colorado St (17-9, 6-5) at San Diego St (21-6, 7-5)

If San Diego St had fallen to Wyoming the other night, its conceivable they too would be on the bubble. But assuming SDSU is safe, the focus is on Colorado St. The Rams biggest problem is their lack of road success. All of their good wins in non-conference and MWC play have come at home. This is their last chance for a big road win, so they better bring their A+ game.

#26 Memphis (20-8, 10-3) at #52 Marshall (17-10, 8-5)

One of two games today between two bubble teams. Memphis seems like a lock with their good RPI, but look closer and you realize they still have work to do. After all, they haven't beaten a ranked team and a win at Miami is their best road win. Just as Memphis isn't completely in the field, Marshall isn't completely out. The Herd looked like a tourney team earlier in the year before fading with a couple out of character losses. But they can go out in style with a win today and by beating Southern Miss to close the regular season. This is a must win for Marshall.

#29 Alabama (18-9, 7-6) vs #60 Mississippi St (19-9, 6-7)

Anthony Grant gained a lot of respect by leading his team to back to back wins despite all the turmoil surrounding the program. A win over Mississippi St would not only lead to more respect, but a virtual lock on a tourney bid. Had Mississippi St finished strong against Kentucky, they too may have locked up a tourney bid. Instead, they're fighting for their postseason life.

#32 Seton Hall (19-8, 8-8) vs Rutgers (12-16, 4-11)

The key to Seton Hall's success this season has been taking care of business at home. Yes, they have two home losses, but they won all the home games they were supposed to. This is another game they're supposed to and have to win.

#42 Middle Tennessee (25-4, 14-1) at Western Kentucky (10-18, 6-9)

This is MTSU's last regular season, and considering how solid they've been, it would be a shame if they slipped up now. A loss would 100% eliminate them from at-large contention, but a win doesn't really change anything unfortunately. MTSU simply has to hope that the committee philosophically favors dominant mid-majors over .500 power conference teams for once.

#45 Oral Roberts (25-5, 16-1) at Southern Utah (13-15, 8-9)

Earlier in the season, ORU lost by 7 to both Gonzaga and WVU on the road. If they had won just one of those games, I think they'd be considered tournament locks. As it is, they probably have slim hopes despite being an extremely dangerous team that deserves a serious look. ORU can't slip up now.

#50 Purdue (18-10, 8-7) at Michigan (21-7, 11-4)

Purdue has a wide range of Tournament possibilities, they could be left out of the field or easily earn a single-digit seed. With the exception of a blowout loss at Michigan St, the Boilers have been very competitive on the road, winning the games they should and pushing the likes of Ohio St to the brink. I'd go so far as to say that if Purdue wins here, they'd lock up a bid.

#54 Washington (19-6, 12-3) at Washington St (14-13, 6-9)

The best thing you can say about the Huskies is that they don't have any bad losses. Granted, with the exception of perhaps a road win at Arizona, its not like they have any great wins either. So Washington's tourney hopes bank on their ability to beat mediocre teams like WSU.

#55 Xavier (17-10, 8-5) vs Richmond (15-14, 6-8)

Richmond just put a major dent into St. Joseph's at-large hopes, and they can be a major pest once again here. Xavier can't seem to put two good games together and you never know how they'll play in a given day.

#57 Nevada (22-5, 10-1) at Fresno St (13-16, 3-8)

While the BracketBusters loss to Iona probably sealed Nevada's fate, the Pack have gotten media love and their RPI is bubble-worthy. Anything less than a 3-0 finish to their WAC schedule will officially end their at-large dreams.

#62 NC State (18-10, 7-6) at Clemson (14-13, 6-7)

NC State has ridden the ACC roller coaster.. losing 3 straight to top teams after having won 3 straight against bad teams. Usually, 7-6 in the ACC is good enough for a bid, but rarely does the ACC have so many teams below 125 in the RPI. Clemson is one of those weak teams, but yet they are favored by 5 at home. A sign of how little the smart money respect NC State.

#63 LSU (17-10, 7-6) at Ole Miss (15-12, 5-8)

After a couple early season losses to Coastal Carolina and South Alabama, LSU was left for dead. But the Tigers have won 4 straight to move over .500 in SEC play and their RPI isn't half bad. The reality is that the SEC isn't that great, and only one of their 7 league wins is over a .500 team. The other reality is that LSU hasn't beaten a top 100 RPI team away from home. A win over Ole Miss would fill that major resume gap.

#64 UCF (19-8, 8-5) vs UTEP (14-13, 7-6)

UCF needs to win their remaining three games to give the committee reason to take them seriously. Yes, the Knights beat UCONN and Memphis, but they have a few weak losses to offset that. UTEP has beaten Memphis and Southern Miss, and are the CUSA's new giant-killers. If UTEP wins again, they will kill off UCF's tourney hopes.

#69 VCU (24-6, 14-3) vs George Mason (23-7, 14-3)

George Mason's loss at Northeastern eliminated them from at-large contention. The best they can do is win the CAA or hope for an NIT invite. They can also play spoiler to VCU's hopes, as a Rams home loss would probably eliminate them from contention as well.

#70 Arizona (20-9, 11-5) vs UCLA (16-12, 9-6)

Arizona has a similar resume to the likes of Belmont, Davidson, and VCU; mid-majors that have little shot at at-large bids. But they do have historical cachet, and a couple "almost" losses to Florida and San Diego St that can fool the committee. Another thing Arizona has on its side is a lack of bad losses.. a road loss to UCLA being their worst. A second loss to UCLA would be devastating.

#81 Drexel (24-5, 15-2) at Old Dominion (19-11, 13-4)

Drexel hasn't lost since January 2nd at Georgia St, and they can't afford to slip up now. Considering how many games Drexel has won in a row and their sudden Top 25 hype, you'd think they be heavy favorites here. But they're actually 2 point dogs. Considering Drexel got lucky with scheduling and didn't face VCU or GMU on the road, this is their toughest league game of the season.

#101 Tennessee (15-13, 7-6) at South Carolina (10-17, 2-11)

While the committee talks about at looking at the totality of a team's season, history shows that they're overly infatuated with "big" wins and recent wins. Both play into the Vols favor as they're playing better basketball now and have 3 top 30 RPI wins. Their big flaw is a lack of road wins. Sadly, a win at South Carolina would double their road win total.

Poll: Which Bubble Team Is Most Likely to Get a Bid?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:55:18 -0800

Mississippi State vs. #1 Kentucky: Tuesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:47:52 -0800

While Mississippi State's (19-8, 6-6) NCAA tournament prospects won't boil down to just one game there's no mistaking the importance of their game against #1 Kentucky (26-1, 12-0) in light of their three-game losing streak. It's one thing to drop three straight games at this point in the season and another to have those defeats come against Georgia, LSU and Auburn. That's not going to get it done for Rick Stansbury's squad, and their inability to take care of the basketball in recent games has been a big reason why.

Point guard Dee Bost leads the team in scoring (15.8) and assists (5.0) but over the last three games he's racked up 11 turnovers while interior presence Arnett Moultrie has ten. If your two primary offensive weapons are averaging a combined seven turnovers per game it's difficult to win games regardless of the opponent. Kentucky may only force 12.7 turnovers per game but with their talent, live-ball turnovers by the Bulldogs could turn the game into a rout quickly. And even if Mississippi State can take care of the ball, there's a presence on the back line unmatched by any team in America in the form of freshman Anthony Davis.

Not only is Davis the best freshman in the country, he's also made a strong case for being the national player of the year, something that hasn't happened since Kevin Durant was at Texas. Davis leads Kentucky in scoring and rebounding while blocking 4.9 shots per game, and while Mississippi State does have the experience of playing a long-limbed team in Baylor none of those players compare to Davis. Alongside Davis is Terrence Jones, who posted his first double-double of the season in the Wildcats' win over Ole Miss on Saturday.

If he can build on that Kentucky become even tougher to beat, and with Moultrie struggling and Renardo Sidney banged up the Bulldogs could be in serious trouble. UK rebounds 39% of their missed shots on the season, and even though Mississippi State has done a solid job of protecting the glass that becomes more important on Tuesday night. But back to Bost and the play of Mississippi State on the perimeter, which has to improve if they're to lock down a tournament bid.

He's a player who takes a high number of shots, and there isn't a serious problem with that considering the fact that Mississippi State needs him to in order to be successful. But as a senior he can't be lax with the basketball, and with a player like Rodney Hood on the wing there really isn't a reason for Bost to press when looking to make plays. Kentucky will counter with freshman Marquis Teague, who has played very well in recent games and may be the key to them not only getting to the Final Four but winning it all.

Doron Lamb and Darius Miller are steadying influences with the ability to score and distribute as well, and their play allowed the Wildcats to continue winning in spite of Teague's early struggles. These two teams are even when looking at the turnover percentage category (17.9%) but UK has done a better job of forcing them, as opponents turn the ball over on 19.1% of their possessions. The formula for Mississippi State is a simple one: quality shots, take care of the basketball and use their home crowd at The Hump for a slight energy boost. Executing this, especially against Kentucky, won't be simple at all however.

Mississippi State isn't the only team in need of a home win to bolster their NCAA tournament hopes as four teams in BCS leagues will take the floor looking for the same. Northwestern welcomes a Michigan team fresh off of a win over Ohio State to Evanston, and given the roles that John Shurna and Drew Crawford play it may take someone else stepping up for the Wildcats to win. Dave Sobolewski? Reggie Hearn? One of those players has to perform well in order to counter what Trey Burke and the rest of the Wolverines are capable of doing,

Seton Hall and NC State both get shots at Top 10 teams at home and it would be in the best interest of both if they were to pull off the upset. The Pirates host Georgetown, whose standout freshman Otto Porter is dealing with a thigh bruise but should be able to play. The key for Seton Hall is to remain disciplined on the defensive end of the floor, as the Hoyas run an offense that can slice teams apart if they don't pay attention to detail. NC State had the look of a mentally fragile team in their loss to Florida State, which came on the heels of a heartbreaking loss at Duke. Mark Gottfried's team has to move forward, and their big men have to remain on the floor if they're to beat North Carolina.

Kansas State will look to build on their win at Baylor as they visit Missouri, a contest that is a tougher matchup for the Wildcats. Angel Rodriguez has had his share of difficulties running the show for the K-State, and that cannot be the case against Phil Pressey on Tuesday night. K-State has players such as Rodney McGruder and Jamar Samuels who can be effective in this kind of contest, and they did win the first meeting in Manhattan, but beating Mizzou in Columbia is a much tougher task.

And in the Mountain West, Colorado State begins a three-game gauntlet that will ultimately decide their NCAA tournament hopes as they host first-place New Mexico. The Lobos took the Rams out behind the woodshed at The Pit, and the way that Drew Gordon's playing right now makes Steve Alford's team a very tough out. Greg Smith and Pierce Hornung are the two Rams to watch, because if they can't hold their own in the front court this could get bad.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM (1) Kentucky at Mississippi State (ESPN)
7:00 PM Kansas State at (3) Missouri (ESPN2)
8:00 PM (7) North Carolina at NC State (ESPN3)
7:00 PM (8) Georgetown at Seton Hall (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Illinois at (9) Ohio State (ESPN)
7:00 PM Auburn at (11) Florida (ESPNU)
8:00 PM (13) Michigan at Northwestern (BTN)
10:00 PM (21) New Mexico at Colorado State (The Mtn.)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Stony Brook at Hartford
7:00 PM Clemson at Georgia Tech (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Xavier at Massachusetts
7:00 PM Kent State at Miami (OH) (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Vermont at Binghamton
7:00 PM Illinois-Chicago at Butler
7:00 PM Wofford at UNC Greensboro
8:00 PM Miami (FL) at Maryland (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Evansville at Creighton (FCS/ESPN3)
8:00 PM Cleveland State at Green Bay
8:05 PM Loyola (IL) at Valparaiso
9:00 PM Virginia at Virginia Tech (ESPNU)

Bracketology Review: Illinois, Mississippi St, NC St, SDSU, SMC, UNLV

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 22:21:05 -0800

Six of last week's CollegeHoops.net Top 50 teams lost twice since last Sunday: UNLV, San Diego St, Saint Mary's, Mississippi St, NC State, and Illinois. In last Tuesday's Bracketology Projection, those team's were seeded as follows:

UNLV - 3 seed

San Diego St - 5 seed

Saint Mary's - 5 seed

Mississippi St - 7 seed

NC State - 11 seed

Illinois - 11 seed

Illinois and Mississippi St were already in downtrends heading into this past week's debacle, while the other 4 teams were mostly cruising along without incident. While I can't say exactly where these 6 teams will fall in this week's projection (that won't be finalized until tomorrow night), I thought it would be a good time to discuss the best and worst case scenarios facing these teams.

UNLV (22-6, 6-4, tied 2nd MWC)

Last Week: 3 seed

This Week Probable: 4-5 seed

Despite back to back losses, UNLV still has a chance to work their way back into a very high seed. With the big win against UNC under their belt, UNLV still sits impressively at 12th in the RPI. The TCU loss was their only to a team outside of the Top 100, and that game went to OT. More problematic is that in road games against solid teams like New Mexico, Wichita St, and Wisconsin, the Rebels lost by 10+ points each time. This could scare committee members who think UNLV can only win in Las Vegas. Winning their lone remaining road game at Colorado St (not an easy place to play) would help quell those fears.

Outside of that Colorado St game, UNLV's other 3 games are probable wins. And with the conference tournament in Vegas, there's no reason they shouldn't make a good run. If UNLV can beat Colorado St, its not inconceivable they could re-earn an extremely high seed.

Best Case Selection Sunday: 3 seed

Worst Case Selection Sunday: 8 seed

Saint Mary's (23-5, 12-2, 1st in WCC)

Last Week: 5 seed

This Week Probable: 5-7 seed

Saint Mary's was put in a tough spot having to fly across the country in the middle of February to face Murray St. It was a game that they really were not expected to win, and I don't think the committee will make much of it. However, the timing was quite poor considering they were coming off a dud loss to Loyola Marymount. LMU is an underrated Top 100 squad, but teams with aspirations of a 4 seed shouldn't lose home games to teams outside of the Top 50.

With only 2 conference games left, both on the road to subpar opponents, SMC probably won't have another chance for a marquee win unless they face Gonzaga in the conference finals. Thus they are put in a tough spot: they can only go down from here and not up.

Best Case Selection Sunday: 5 seed

Worst Case Selection Sunday: 9 seed

San Diego St (20-6, 6-4, tied 2nd MWC)

Last Week: 5 seed

This Week Probable: 7-8 seed

Despite entering the week 13th in the AP Poll, the computer rankings were never in love with San Diego St. After 2 losses this week, SDSU dropped to 33rd in the RPI and 61st in Ken Pomeroy's ranking. This is mainly because although the Aztecs have nice wins over UNLV, New Mexico, and Cal, they played 8 games against joke sub-200 teams that killed their schedule strength. Losing at Air Force was completely out of character for a team that does a great job of winning the games they're supposed to win. SDSU hadn't lost to a sub-50 RPI team since January 9th, 2010. Not a bad run.

With 4 games remaining (and none against UNLV or UNM), it would not surprise me to see SDSU finish 10-4 in conference play. This would keep them in contention for an AP Top 25 spot and thus a high seed in the tournament. A loss however coupled with a further erosion of their RPI into the 40's could push SDSU down into a double-digit seed.

Best Case Selection Sunday: 5 seed

Worst Case Selection Sunday: 10 seed

Mississippi St (19-8, 6-6, tied 4th SEC)

Last Week: 7 seed

This Week Probable: 9-12 seed

Up until February 10th, Mississippi St had a solid, yet unspectacular resume that was devoid of a bad loss. The road loss at Arkansas wasn't that big of a deal, and neither was the early home loss to an Akron squad that played themselves onto the fringe of the NCAA bubble. But then the Bulldogs went and loss at home to Georgia, on the road to LSU, and on Saturday they fell to Auburn. With a mediocre RPI of 59, they're suddenly just hoping to back into the NCAA Tournament.

Mississippi St's season could go one of two directions from here on out. They have 4 games before the conference tournament, including must-wins (at South Carolina, vs Arkansas) and resume-boosting home games against Kentucky and Alabama. Obviously, a win over UK would be a game-changer with huge ramifications. More likely, 3-1 with a win in the SEC Tournament should lead to a bid. However, 2-2 or worse mixed with an early exit in the SEC Tournament could find the Bulldogs a 3 or 4 seed.. in the NIT.

Best Case Selection Sunday: 6 seed

Worst Case Selection Sunday: NIT

NC State (18-9, 7-5, tied 4th ACC)

Last Week: 11 seed

This Week Probable: Firmly on Bubble

NC State dropped to 60th in the RPI after losing to Duke and FSU. While .500 or better in the ACC usually garners a bid, the conference is down compared to recent years. 8-8 won't get it done for NC State this year, they need to win at least 2 of their remaining 4 games (home vs UNC and Miami, and on the road at Clemson and VT.) The Miami game looms particularly large considering Miami has bubble aspirations of their own. Right now, Miami is NC State's lone Top 50 RPI win (though Texas is 51st) so its not like they've been world-beaters. (Oddly, NC State could beat Miami, knock Miami out of the Top 50, and thus be left with no Top 50 wins by winning the game.)

Best Case Selection Sunday: 8 seed

Worst Case Selection Sunday: NIT

Illinois (16-11, 5-9, tied 9th Big Ten)

Last Week: 11 seed

This Week Probable: NIT

Its odd to be talking about a 9th place team even having a chance to make the Dance. But the Big Ten is loaded this year, and 6 or 7 teams are likely to make the tournament. With MSU, OSU, UM, UW, and IU looking like locks, this leaves the likes of Purdue, Northwestern, Illinois, and Minnesota fighting over one or potentially two spots.

Despite having lost 8 of 9 games, Illinois is not officially out of contention yet (even if fans want to run Bruce Weber out of town.) No other bubble team can match the Illini's marquee wins over Gonzaga, Ohio St, and Michigan St. The committee likes "big" wins, and all 3 of those teams are in the RPI Top 20.

The Big Ten is deep enough that if Illinois went 3-1 the rest of the way and won a game in the conference tournament, they could get in. To go 3-1 though, Illinois would have to beat one of Ohio St and Wisconsin the road, no small feat for a team that's lone conference road win was by a point at Northwestern. Illinois is hanging on by the slimmest of margins.

Best Case Selection Sunday: 10 seed

Worst Case Selection Sunday: CBI/CIT

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.

Poll: Who Is the Best Unranked Team?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 08:08:31 -0800

Wright's Buzzer-Beater Propels George Mason: Tuesday's Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:05:09 -0800

With 1:22 remaining VCU and George Mason were tied at 51 in a hotly-contested, defensive-minded affair. There were no easy shots to be found in the matchup of two of the three teams that entered Tuesday's action tied for first in the CAA. That's where the real fun began, with the Rams and Patriots combining to score 21 points in that final 1:22 to cap an outstanding matchup. The difference wasn't so much what one team did wrong but rather what one did right. Sherrod Wright.

Wright's 25-footer as time expired gave the Patriots the 62-61 win, moving them to 14-2 in the CAA and keeping them tied for first place with Drexel. A Bradford Burgess three with 1:20 remaining kicked off the scoring and a pair of Briante Weber free throws with 43 seconds remaining gave VCU a 56-51 lead. George Mason would respond with a Ryan Pearson three, and at that stage it was about extending the game for Paul Hewitt's team. There was one small issue, however: VCU took care of business from the foul line.

Shaka Smart's Rams would make seven of eight free throws in the final 43 seconds, and after two more Weber free throws made the score 60-56 with just over 11 seconds to go it was clear that the Patriots would need a three. Enter Vertail Vaughns, whose bonus shot cut the lead to one just seconds later, and the margin would grow to two with 3.8 seconds to go. 94 feet to go for George Mason, a distance covered by Wright's dribbling up the floor and game-winner.

"I'm sure we can watch the tape and nitpick and say 'well we should have pressured the ball a little bit more or we should have cotested a little bit more,'" said Smart. "But the reality is that Sherrod Wright made a phenomenal shot and he's a very good player.

Within the game it was Pearson who separated himself from the pack, finishing with 24 points and 11 rebounds as VCU struggled with finding a way in which to slow him down. The issue for George Mason was the foul trouble that Mike Morrison encountered, severely limiting his impact on the game. Burgess and Troy Daniels scored 13 apiece to lead VCU, who also had a big man struggle albeit in a different way. Juvonte Reddic shot 1-for-8 from the field and scored four points, and on a night that saw Morrison struggle for Mason a better performance from the sophomore big man would have helped.

With two conference games left there's still a lot to be decided in the CAA race, and the fact that VCU gets a rematch on their floor to end the regular season will help the Rams when it comes to possibly winning a share (at least) of the title. And if that matchup on February 25th is anything like Round One, college basketball fans should consider themselves lucky.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Hank Thorns burns his hometown school and leads TCU past #11 UNLV.
There were more than a few people who may have expected Wednesday's game between New Mexico and San Diego State to be a battle for a share of first place in the Mountain West, with it being a mere formality that UNLV would win at TCU. But the Horned Frogs had other ideas, specifically point guard and Las Vegas native Hank Thorns, as they beat the Runnin' Rebels 102-97 in a wild overtime affair. TCU had chance to win the game in regulation but an extra pass on the fast break (the proper basketball play in most instances) prevented the Frogs from getting their shot off in time. However that wouldn't stop TCU from completing their comeback from an 18-point second half deficit, and just as important as Thorns' scoring was TCU's work on the glass.

TCU out-rebounded UNLV 46-31 and their 19 offensive rebounds were a season high for a UNLV opponent. TCU only scored 19 second-chance points but that was more than enough when compared to UNLV's eight. J.R. Cadot (five offensive boards; 16 points and 12 rebounds) and Amric Fields (four offensive boards; 17 points and seven rebounds) were a problem for UNLV in that regard, and those second chances can add up over the course of a game. With the race at the top of the Mountain West being as tight as it is losses to teams outside of the top three could prove costly in the end. This makes Saturday's game at New Mexico even more important for Dave Rice's bunch.

2. Cleveland State continues their trend in the wrong direction as they fall at Milwaukee.
Just over a week ago Gary Waters' Vikings looked to be on their way to at the least a top two seed in the Horizon League tournament, which would advance them directly to the semifinals. But Cleveland State has now dropped three in a row to fall to 10-5 in league play, most recently losing 86-84 at Milwaukee on Tuesday night. As a result both Butler and Detroit trail Cleveland State by just a game in the loss column, meaning that the Vikings need to get things turned around quickly with three league games remaining. CSU played well offensively against the Panthers, shooting 60.9% from the field and 47.1% from three. But they were outscored by 15 points from three (39-24) and 13 from the foul line (33-20), which allowed Milwaukee to make up for their 7-for-17 night from inside of the arc. Tony Meier was fouled on a three-pointer with just over a second remaining and the score tied at 84, and he made two of three to provide the final margin. James Haarsma scored 25 to lead the victors and Trevon Harmon led Cleveland State with 27.

3. Both #22 Virginia and #23 Mississippi State fall on the road.
Neither Clemson nor LSU are likely to reach the NCAA tournament given their current records, but that doesn't mean they can't make things difficult for other teams within their respective conferences. Clemson was able to pull away from #22 Virginia in the second half, outscoring the Cavaliers 36-24 on their way to a 60-48 victory. The problem for Virginia was that they had just two scorers, as Jontel Evans (17 points) and Mike Scott (13) led the way. Joe Harris, who broke a bone in his non-shooting hand in Saturday's loss at North Carolina, scored just two points on 1-for-5 shooting and Sammy Zeglinski shot the same in scoring three. Those two will need to be better down the stretch if Tony Bennett's team is to go into postseason play with any kind of momentum.

As for LSU, Anthony Hickey's shot in the final seconds of overtime propelled them to a 69-67 win over Mississippi State in Baton Rouge. Ralston Turner led four Tigers in double figures with 17 points and Storm Warren added ten points and 11 rebounds off the bench, and LSU made up for a 43-32 rebounding disadvantage by racking up 15 steals and forcing 21 Mississippi State turnovers. Dee Bost led four Mississippi State players in double figures with 15 points but he (five turnovers) and Arnett Moultrie (six) combined for 11 of the 21 turnovers, a number that's too high to get away with especially on the road.

Quick Hitters

1. Anthony Raffa scored 20 points, leading four Coastal Carolina players in double figures as the Chanticleers beat UNC Asheville 74-69. The Bulldogs have already clinched the regular season title in the Big South but both CCU and Campbell are capable of knocking them off. While Matt Dickey (19 points) shot 6-for-12 from the field backcourt mates J.P. Primm (12 points) and Chris Stephenson (four points) shot a combined 7-for-26 on the night.

2. The battle behind Akron in the East Division of the MAC has been magnified in importance due to the league's move to seed one through twelve without regard to divisions. And with the top two seeds getting byes to the semifinals of the conference tournament it was critical that Kent State beat Buffalo, and they did by the final of 76-71. Justin Green led the Golden Flashes with 18 points and Micheal Porrini scored 14 in the second half, pulling Kent State into a tie with Buffalo for second place at 9-3.

3. Not only could Manhattan's chances of winning the MAAC be slipping away, but their hopes in the conference tournament may have taken a hit as well in their 70-64 loss at Siena. Starting point guard Michael Alvarado went down with an injury in the first half, one that head coach Steve Masiello stated could be a concussion and possible fracture of his eye socket according to Big Apple Buckets. To say that would be a big loss for the Jaspers would be accurate if he's out for an extended period.

4. Creighton ended their three-game losing streak with the greatest offensive performance in school history, shooting 75% in their 88-69 win at Southern Illinois. Doug McDermott led four starters in double figures with 18 points and Ethan Wragge added 15 off the bench for the Bluejays, who host Long Beach State on Saturday. As for the Salukis, this is just another sign of just how far things have fallen in Carbondale.

5. Part of the battle in getting to the NCAA tournament is making sure you don't lose the game you're supposed to win, so in that regard the wins by Texas (69-58 at Oklahoma) and Seton Hall (94-64 over St. John's) should be noted. While the focus centers on "marquee wins" when discussing resumes, the more teams can do to make sure they don't have "bad losses" the better.

6. Jared Sullnger and William Buford both bounced back from tough evenings in #6 Ohio State's loss to Michigan State to lead the Buckeyes past Minnesota by the final score of 78-68. Buford scored a game-high 24 points to go along with eight rebounds and five assists, and Sullinger finished with 23 and eight caroms.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Jake Odum (Indiana State)
34 points (8-12 FG, 17-21 FT), seven rebounds and seven assists in the Sycamores' 83-77 overtime win over Illinois State.

2. G Hank Thorns (TCU)
32 points (8-12 3PT), five rebounds and four assists in the Horned Frogs' 102-97 overtime win over #11 UNLV.

3. F Robert Covington (Tennessee State)
28 points and 12 rebounds in the Tigers' 69-64 overtime win over Jacksonville State.

Mississippi St: Cheerleader of the Day

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:29:49 -0800

CollegeHoops.net's Cheerleader of the Day is back in 2012. Picture courtesy of Icon Sports Media. Check out our new college cheerleader archive.

Cheerleaders of the Day
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