New Mexico St

Indiana vs New Mexico St: Prediction

Greg Mengelt — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:07:54 -0700

(4) Indiana vs. (13) New Mexico State: South Region

Records

Indiana 25-8, 11-7 Big Ten (At large)

New Mexico State 26-9, 10-4 WAC (Conference Tourney Champions)

Time: 9:45 p.m. Thursday

TV: CBS

Location: Rose Garden in Portland, Ore.

Winner will face: (5) Wichita State or (12) Virginia Commonwealth, Saturday

Rankings

Indiana No. 16 AP; No. 17 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

RPI Ratings

Indiana 14

New Mexico State 68

Line: Indiana -5½ (O/U 152)

Players to Watch

Indiana: C Cody Zeller, 6-11 Fr. (15.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 62.6% FG); G Victor Oladipo, 6-5 So. (10.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.4 spg); G Jordan Hulls, 6-0 Jr. (11.5 ppg, 3.2 apg, 49.2% 3s). Zeller continued an impressive initial college basketball season with 36 points on 9-of-18 shooting and 18-of-23 from the charity stripe in two Big Ten Tournament games.

New Mexico State: F Wendell McKines, 6-6 Sr. (18.8 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 1.6 apg); C Hamidu Rahman, 6-11 Jr. (10 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 60.3% FG); G Hernst Laroche, 6-1 Sr. (12 ppg, 3.8 apg, 1.8 spg). McKines dominated Louisiana Tech in the WAC championship game with 27 points (on 12-of-16 from the floor and 3-of-4 from the 3-point line) and 14 rebounds. It was the 20^th double-double of the season for the WAC’s leader in scoring and rebounding.

Why Each Team Dangerous

Indiana: The Hoosiers are a great shooting team, averaging 77.3 points per game (18^th in the country), 48.7 from the field (eighth nationally), 43.3 from the 3-point line (second in the nation) and 76.2 from the foul line (12^th in the country). Indiana can get scoring from everyone it puts on the floor. Four Hoosiers average double-figuring scoring and another three average at least 4.5.

New Mexico State: The Aggies have one of the biggest frontlines in all of college basketball with 6-11 Rahman, 6-10 Tshilidze Nephawe, 6-10 Renaldo Dixon and the strong 6-6 McKines. NMSU’s guard play is also solid with Laroche at the point and freshman Daniel Mullings, who had the first triple-double in school history this season. The Aggies are a great rebounding team at plus-8.7 on the boards this season. They out-rebounded Louisiana Tech by 19 in the WAC championship. They were also second in the WAC in steals at 6.8 per game and forced turnovers at 14.6 per contest.

Why Each Team is Vulnerable

Indiana: The Hoosiers obviously have no NCAA experience – and they’re still very young. Indiana already lacked quality depth before the loss of Verdell Jones III, who was lost for the season after suffering an ACL injury during the Big Ten Tournament. Size could be an issue, particularly against the huge Aggies. Outside of 6-11 Zeller and 6-9 Christian Watford, Indiana may have to try subs who rarely see playing time to matchup with the bigs. Indiana has struggled defensively at times, including allowing Wisconsin’s Rob Wilson, who averaged three points per game, to score 30 in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.

New Mexico State: The Aggies got a bit of a break when Louisiana Tech upset regular-season WAC champion Nevada in the semifinals. NMSU didn’t fare well against the best teams on its schedule, losing games to Southern Miss (twice), Nevada (twice), New Mexico and Arizona. The Aggies’ biggest problem in those losses was turnovers. They coughed up the ball 14.7 times per game.

The Bottom Line: Indiana may be the favorite in college basketball a year from now, but this year’s team can not hang with New Mexico St’s better size and experience.

The Pick: New Mexico State 80, Indiana 75

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 198-148-6 (Through Sunday, March 11)

New Mexico State Pre-Tournament Teleconference Notes

Jon Teitel — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:01:05 -0700

On Monday CHN writer Jon Teitel took part in New Mexico State's pre-tournament teleconference. Marvin Menzies' Aggies, winners of the WAC tournament, take on four-seed Indiana in a South Region matchup in Portland on Thursday. Keep an eye on Wendell McKines, one of the best players not talked about nationally on a daily basis.

New Mexico State head coach Marvin Menzies

On his team's mindset: "We have three seniors on the team so we know what to expect and not to be overwhelmed by winning the conference tournament. We just want to be aggressive and show people who we are. We are just going to ball."

On his expectations: "I would be lying if I said I did not expect to be here."

On their experience: "We will let the rest of the team know what it was like to be in the tournament back in 2010. Once the ball is tipped there are no nerves. It is all about basketball. Our experience worked well for us in the WAC tournament, but we all need to go out and try to improve from game to game. The upperclassmen have pulled along the younger guys a bit."

On his coaching approach: "You can always learn as a coach. Every year you have a different puzzle and you just try to put the pieces together. We felt early on that this group could be something special, but then you go through the hills and valleys. We have proved to everybody that this is a special group, but we still have some goals that we would like to achieve."

On his team's strengths: "We have more size and athleticism than the average mid-major, but do we have more than a high-major? No. There is no doubt that rebounding is one of our strengths. There are a lot of components to offensive rebounding, just ask Tom Izzo, the guru of rebounding."

On Indiana: "We have not faced a team with as many good three-point shooters as Indiana, and they can even bring tall guys off the bench who can shoot it. We have always emphasized defense...but it has not always been good! Tom Crean will mix it up and play different types of zone defense: I just started watching some tape last night."

On the other game in their pod: "VCU and Wichita State will be a heck of a game. You can throw the seeds out the window."

On Tom Crean's revival of Indiana: "Tom obviously hired a great staff and his players understand what it means to be a Hoosier and play in a big-time college town."

On the state having two tournament teams: "It is great for the state of New Mexico. The "Land of Enchantment" is alive and well!"

On Cody Zeller: "Cody Zeller by far has the best skill set of any center we have played this season. In my mind he is a potential first round pick."

On his team's balance: "A team is only as strong as its weakest link. All our guys from one through ten are on the same page. It is like a snowball effect. I recruit to a style of play that I like to coach, find out who our players are, and then figure out how we want to play."

NCAA Tournament: 10 Potential First Round Upsets

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:04:11 -0700

Top 10 Most Likely Upsets

March is no time to play it safe. When you fill in your brackets over the next few days, here are the 10 most likely First Round upsets to focus on:

10 #14 South Dakota St over #3 Baylor

Led by Nate Wolters, South Dakota St had a rock-solid season with only one bad loss. In games against power conference teams, they've been very competitive (including a shock 19 point win at Washington.) This is not the best match-up for the Jackrabbits though as Baylor's size will be hard for them to handle.

9 #12 VCU over #5 Wichita St

VCU arguably deserved a 10 or 11 seed, instead of getting unlucky going against a Wichita St team that arguably was a 4 seed. Although their not as good as last year's Final Four team, the Rams play solid D which keeps them in most games.

9 #15 Detroit over #2 Kansas

While no 16 seed has ever won a first round game, 15 seeds pull off an upset about once a decade. Will this be that time? Detroit is hot, having come out of the solid Horizon League, and they have a big-time player in Ray McCallum. And don't forget, Kansas lost a home game to Davidson earlier in the year, so they're vulnerable. Don't bet the house on this one, but if you're feeling uber-risky, maybe this is your play.

7 #13 New Mexico St over #4 Indiana

The Aggies have hit their stride over the last month, and face Indiana feeling quite confident. As good as Indiana was this year, they still were shaky on the road, losing to the likes of Iowa and Nebraska.

6 #11 Colorado St over #6 Murray St

According to the RPI, Colorado St is barely any worse than Murray St, with the 26th best ranking vs 22nd for Murray. In a sense, this is like a 6 seed vs 7 seed game by the RPI. The spread is only 2.5 points right now which shows you how close Vegas thinks this game is.

5 #12 Long Beach St over #5 New Mexico

According to most ratings (including the RPI and KenPom), Long Beach St is a top 40 team. They played an extremely hard non-conference schedule, but always seemed to come just short of the big upset. Is this the time they finally break through?

4 #12 Harvard over #5 Vanderbilt

While Vandy is appropriately seeded as a 5, Harvard arguably deserves to be a 9 or 10 seed. The Crimson beat the likes of Florida St and St. Joseph's earlier, and although they didn't dominate the Ivy League like many expected, the Ivy League was also better than most realize. So long as Harvard can keep the game at a slow pace, this should be a game until the final minutes.

3 #14 Saint Bonaventure over #3 Florida St

Florida St is a hard team to figure out. They've had great results against Duke and North Carolina, but yet lost to Boston College, Princeton, and Clemson. With Andrew Nicholson, the Bonnies have a player more talented than anyone on FSU.

2 #13 Ohio over #4 Michigan

Led by do-everything PG DJ Cooper, Ohio is a feared 13 seed. The Bobcats beat 7 top 100 teams, and MAC squads tend to fare well in the Tournament. Michigan was great at home this year, but no so great on the road. If the Wolverines aren't hitting threes, Ohio could pull off the upset.

1 #13 Davidson over #4 Louisville

Although Louisville won the Big East tournament, they seem very vulnerable here. Davidson not only beat Kansas on the road earlier in the year, but they only lost to 5 seed Vanderbilt by 4 points as well. Louisville wins by playing tight D, but because they struggle to score, they fail to crush weaker opponents and keep them in the game. This one could be interesting.

More Bracket Tips

Tournament Poll: Most Likely 13 vs 4 Upset?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 20:25:18 -0700

Bracketology: Sunday Morning Update

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 00:21:32 -0800

3:00 AM Sunday: This is the 2nd to last Bracketology projection of the season, with the last coming sometime before the Selection Show. Since Saturday evening's update, a few teams locked up conference titles, but the overall field looks quite similar. Titles went to Louisville (Big East), Missouri (Big 12), Long Beach St (Big West), Ohio (MAC), New Mexico (MWC), Mississippi Valley St (SWAC), and New Mexico St (WAC).

MVSU is headed for a First Four game, Ohio seems destined for a 14 seed, and New Mexico St will most likely be a 13. I currently have Long Beach as the first 12 seed, but an 11 is not out of the question. Missouri remains the #1 two seed for now, while Louisville stays a 5 despite the win. Its possible they move up to a 4 in final projection, replacing Wichita St. New Mexico moved into a 6 in this late night projection, replacing foe San Diego St. Those two along with UNLV form an odd threesome in the 6-7 range that I'm struggling to sort properly. The committee could conceivably place any of these teams in the 6 through 8 range.

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. Conference Champion.

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

Temple

SEVEN

San Diego St

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

Xavier**

TWELVE

THIRTEEN + 2

Tennessee / Northwestern

Belmont

Davidson

FOURTEEN

New Mexico St

South Dakota St

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN + 2

Lamar

Vermont / Mississippi Valley St

Norfolk St / Western Kentucky

Last In: Northwestern, Tennessee, NC State, Seton Hall

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

Further Four: Miami, Washington, Ole Miss, Dayton

Dropped Out Of Field (at-large): xx

New (at-large): xx

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 - Vermont
A-10 - Xavier
ACC - North Carolina
Atlantic Sun - Belmont
Big 12 - Missouri
Big East - Louisville
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 - Ohio
MEAC - Norfolk St
MVC - Creighton
MWC - New Mexico
Northeast - Long Island
Ohio Valley - Murray St
Pac-12 - Colorado
Patriot - Lehigh
SEC - Kentucky
Southern - Davidson
Southland - Lamar
SWAC - Mississippi Valley St
Summit - South Dakota St
Sun Belt - Western Kentucky
WAC - New Mexico St
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.

Conference Finals Predictions: Big 12, Big East, Pac-12 & More

Greg Mengelt — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 23:52:34 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. Here are is predictions for Saturday's conference championship game. Read more about Championship Week at CollegeHoops.net.

AMERICA EAST FINAL: AT STONY BROOK

(2) Vermont (22-11, 13-3) at (1) Stony Brook (22-8, 14-2)

Tipoff: 11:02 a.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 2 – Stony Brook 65-59; Feb. 12 – Vermont 68-49. RPI: Stony Brook 141, Vermont 156. Analysis: Vermont has been great for the last month-and-a-half and will break the hearts of the Seawolves home faithful. Line: Stony Brook -3½. Pick: Vermont 63, Stony Brook 58.

BIG 12 FINAL: AT KANSAS CITY

(2) Missouri (28-4, 14-4) vs. (4) Baylor (27-6, 12-6)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 21 – Missouri 89-88*; Feb. 11 – Missouri 72-57. RPI: Baylor 8, Missouri 17. Analysis: I picked Baylor the first two times. Sticking with the Bears. Pick: Baylor 79, Missouri 74.

BIG EAST FINAL: AT NEW YORK CITY

(4) Cincinnati (24-9, 12-6) vs. (7) Louisville (25-9, 10-8)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 23 – Cincinnati 60-56. RPI: Louisville 18, Cincinnati 40. Analysis: Louisville’s stifling defense has carried the Cardinals this far. A Big East title is next. Pick: Louisville 59, Cincinnati 53.

BIG WEST FINAL: AT ANAHEIM

(1) Long Beach State (24-8, 15-1) vs. (2) UC-Santa Barbara (20-9, 12-4)

Tipoff: 10 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 21 – Long Beach 71-48*; Feb. 22 – Long Beach 70-58. RPI: Long Beach 38, UCSB 126. Analysis: Do you think the 49ers have been looking forward to this game for a full year? They want blood – and they’ll get blood. Pick: Long Beach State 75, UC-Santa Barbara 54.

CONFERENCE USA FINAL: AT MEMPHIS

(1) Memphis (25-8, 13-3) vs. (6) Marshall (21-12, 9-7)

Tipoff: 11:35 a.m. TV: CBS. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 28 – Memphis 83-76; Feb. 25 – Memphis 87-67*. RPI: Memphis 16, Marshall 39. Analysis: The Memphis we’ve seen since the beginning of February is the Memphis we expected to see all season. Line: Memphis -9½. Pick: Memphis 90, Marshall 69.

MAC FINAL: AT CLEVELAND

(1) Akron (22-10, 13-3) vs. (3) Ohio (25-7, 11-5)

Tipoff: 8 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Akron 68-63; Feb. 26 – Ohio 85-61. RPI: Akron 50, Ohio 68. Analysis: Ohio had a disappointing regular season. It will be a memory because the Bobcats are going dancing. Pick: Ohio 75, Akron 68.

MEAC FINAL: AT WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.

(2) Norfolk State (24-9, 13-3) vs. (4) Bethune-Cookman (18-16, 11-5)

Tipoff: 1 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 25 – Norfolk State 75-72*. RPI: Norfolk State 134, B-C 243. Analysis: Norfolk is the class of the MEAC. Pick: Norfolk State 78, Bethune-Cookman 66.

MOUNTAIN WEST FINAL: AT LAS VEGAS

(1) San Diego State (26-6, 10-4) vs. (2) New Mexico (25-6, 10-4)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: NBC Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 18 – San Diego State 75-70*; Feb. 15 – New Mexico 77-67*. RPI: San Diego State 22, New Mexico 34. Analysis: How good did the Pack look in a virtual road game on Friday? Whoa! Pick: New Mexico 79, San Diego State 73.

PAC-12 FINAL: AT LOS ANGELES

(4) Arizona (23-10, 12-6) vs. (6) Colorado (22-11, 11-7)

Tipoff: 6:10 p.m. TV: CBS. Regular-season meetings: Jan 21 – Colorado 64-63; Feb. 9 – Arizona 71-57. RPI: Colorado 77, Arizona 84. Analysis: How does the Pac-12 deserve more than one team? Anyway, this one is a toss-up. Pick: Arizona 63, Colorado 58.

SOUTHLAND FINAL: AT KATY, TEXAS

(3) Lamar (22-11, 11-5) vs. (4) McNeese State (17-14, 10-6)

Tipoff: 3 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 11 – McNeese 57-54; March 3 – Lamar 78-68. RPI: Lamar 118, McNeese 177. Analysis: Did you see what the Cowboys did to the UTA, which dominated the league all season? Take the points. Line: Lamar -5½. Pick: McNeese State 71, Lamar 69.

SWAC FINAL: AT GARLAND, TEXAS

(1) Mississippi Valley State (20-12, 17-1) vs. (2) Texas Southern (17-14, 13-5)

Tipoff: 8 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 23 – MVSU 77-69 (OT)*; Feb. 20 – MVSU 56-53. RPI: MVSU 153, Texas Southern 231. Analysis: Valley wins, but the Tigers cover. Pick: Mississippi Valley State 60, Texas Southern 59.

WAC FINAL: AT LAS VEGAS

(2) New Mexico State (25-9, 10-4) vs. (5) Louisiana Tech (18-15, 6-8)

Tipoff: Midnight. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 7 – NMSU 83-73*; Feb. 4 – NMSU 83-72. RPI: New Mexico State 69, Louisiana Tech 170. Analysis: Been saying all year that the Aggies would win this tournament. Nevada’s elimination only solidifies that. Pick: New Mexico State 84, Louisiana Tech 72.

2012 All High-Major Team: CollegeHoops.net

CHN — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 22:39:54 -0800

Player of the Year Doug McDermott, only a sophomore, highlights CollegeHoops.net's 2012 All High-Major Team. McDermott averaged 23 ppg while shooting over 60% from the floor in leading Creighton to an MVC Tournament title.

McDermott is joined on the First Team by fellow sophomores Mike Moser of UNLV and Will Barton of Memphis. Matthew Dellavedova of Saint Mary's and Ramone Moore of Temple round out the squad.

CollegeHoops.net All High-Major Teams were voted on by staffers Shawn Siegel, Raphielle Johnson, Greg Mengelt, and Jon Teitel. The High-Major Team is comprised of players in the Atlantic 10, Conference USA, Missouri Valley, Mountain West, and West Coast Conference.

Last year's winner was BYU's Jimmer Fredette.

High-Major Player of the Year: F Doug McDermott, Creighton, So

First Team High-Major

G Matthew Dellavedova, Saint Mary's, Jr
G Ramone Moore, Temple, Sr
F Doug McDermott, Creighton, So
F Will Barton, Memphis, So
F Mike Moser, UNLV, So

Second Team High-Major

G Deonte Burton, Nevada, So
G Jamaal Franklin, San Diego St, So
F Wendell McKines, New Mexico St, Sr
F Andrew Nicholson, Saint Bonaventure, Sr
F Drew Gordon, New Mexico, Sr

Third Team High-Major

G Tu Holloway, Xavier, Sr
G Khalif Wyatt, Temple, Jr
F Noah Hartsock, BYU, Sr
F Garrett Stutz, Wichita St, Sr
F Rob Jones, Saint Mary's, Sr

Fourth Team High-Major

G Kevin Dillard, Dayton, Jr
G Joe Ragland, Wichita St, Sr
F Chris Gaston, Fordham, Jr
F Cameron Moore, UAB, Sr
F Kyle Weems, Missouri St, Sr

Ducks Get Hot in the Second Half: Thursday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 07:32:39 -0800

Florida State's Ian Miller knocked down a three-pointer with eight tenths of a second remaining to give the Seminoles a 63-60 win at Virginia, who will finish the regular season without a win over any of the top three teams in the ACC.

1. Oregon scored 54 second-half points to erase a five-point halftime deficit and beat Colorado.
The battle in Eugene between the Ducks and Buffaloes was likely more of a "bubble eliminator" contest, with the loser most likely needing to win the Pac-12 tournament in order to go dancing. Unfortunately for Colorado, who has struggled on the road all season, their play on the defensive end let them down in the second half. Oregon shot 61.5% in the second half of their 90-81 win, which also moved the Ducks closer to a first-round bye in next week's conference tournament. Devoe Joseph scored 24 points and Garrett Sim added 19 for Oregon, who shot 8-for-14 from beyond the arc as well. Carlon Brown snapped out of his funk to lead four Colorado players in double figures with 20 points, and despite the loss that's an important development for the Buffs. If he's playing efficiently they can win the Pac-12 tournament, which they will likely have to do in order to reach the Field of 68.

2. Nevada clinches the WAC regular season title, and there won't be many highly ranked teams who will line up to face them in the Big Dance.
Regardless of what seed line David Carter's Wolf Pack end up on, they're not going to be a fun matchup for the team that draws them should they win the WAC's automatic bid. Olek Czyz led three Nevada players in double figures with 15 points and their defending of a ball screen in the final seconds eventually forced a New Mexico State turnover to seal the 65-61 win. NMSU's final sequence looked to be doomed from the start but head coach Marvin Menzies chose to play it out despite having a timeout remaining, ultimately leading to Hernst LaRoche throwing the ball away. Wendell McKines led the Aggies with 19 points and LaRoche added 12 in what could have been a preview of next weekend's title game. With the likes of Czyz, Deonte Burton, Dario Hunt and Malik Story the Wolf Pack have talented weapons that can give teams fits, and there won't be any highly-seeded teams lining up for their shot at Nevada.

3. Quinnipiac is the lone road team to win in the NEC quarterfinals.
Of course in a conference tournament in which the higher seeded teams host all the game the 4/5 matchup tends to be the one most likely to produce a win for the road team. That rang true for the Patriot League Wednesday night (Lafayette) and for the NEC on Thursday, as fifth-seed Quinnipiac beat St. Francis (NY) 80-72 to set up a semifinal matchup with regular season champion LIU Brooklyn. The Bobcats, who are the best rebounding team in the NEC, grabbed 20 offensive rebounds and out-rebounded the Terriers 48-36 on the night. James Johnson didn't shoot well from the field (4-for-14) but he did make 12 of 17 from the foul line and scored a game-high 22 points to go along with eight rebounds, and Ike Azotam scored 15 and grabbed 12 boards inside. Brent Jones led four SFNY players in double figures with 21 points but the rebounding issues were too much to overcome. And that aspect of Quinnipiac's game is what gives them more than a puncher's chance at LIU on Sunday.

Quick Hitters

1. D.J. Covington scored 16 points and blocked four shots in 20 minutes of action to help lead VMI past Winthrop 75-55 as the Keydets advanced to the Big South title game. The seven-seed will face regular season champ UNC Asheville, who whipped Charleston Southern 91-64, on Saturday afternoon.

2. Darius Miller scored 17 points on Senior Night to help lead #1 Kentucky to a 79-49 win over Georgia, moving the Wildcats' win streak to 21. UK shot 15-for-27 from three, and when the Wildcats are rolling like that it's near impossible to knock them off.

3. Meyers Leonard scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds but it wasn't enough to lead Illinois past #16 Michigan, who won 72-61. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 25 points and grabbed 11 boards for the Wolverines, who remain alive in the Big Ten title race.

4. Five Mississippi Valley State players reached double figures in scoring but it wasn't enough to lock up an undefeated run through SWAC play as the Delta Devils lost 78-67 at UAPB. Daniel Broughton scored 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds off the bench to lead the Golden Lions. But regardless of the result Sean Woods' club will enter the conference tournament as the clear favorite to grab the automatic bid.

5. UCLA didn't look too distracted by the Sports Illustrated article that came out earlier this week, as they whipped Washington State 78-46 at the Sports Arena. Lazeric Jones knocked down eight of his ten shots from the field and scored 18 points to lead the Bruins, who host a Washington team looking to wrap up the outright regular season crown on Saturday.

6. Doubleheaders in the Missouri Valley, Ohio Valley and WCC all went according to seed on Thursday night, and if one team were to be pegged as most likely to win on Friday it could be Tennessee Tech. The Golden Eagles held off a Southeast Missouri State rally to win 77-73, and with players such as Kevin Murphy (24 points) and Jud Dillard (18) they've got the horses needed to upset top-seed Murray State in the semis. Also keep an eye on Indiana State, who beat Southern Illinois 65-49 to set up a matchup with MVC champ Wichita State, especially if point guard Jake Odum's foot holds up.

7. Binghamton, who won just one game during the regular season, knocked off eight-seed UMBC 73-67 in overtime to advance to the quarterfinals in the America East tournament. Ben Dickinson led the Bearcats, who will take on regular season champion Stony Brook, with 21 points.

8. Derrick Rudolph led three players in double figures with 21 points in Savannah State's 73-54 win at Maryland-Eastern Shore, wrapping up the Tigers' first-ever MEAC regular season title. The coaches picked Horace Broadnax's team to finish 11th in the preseason.

Nevada vs New Mexico St: Prediction & Fan Poll

Greg Mengelt — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:31:35 -0800

NEW MEXICO STATE (22-8, 9-3 WAC) AT NEVADA (23-5, 11-1 WAC)

Time: 11 p.m. (8 p.m. Pacific)

TV: ESPN2

Location: Lawlor Events Center in Reno, Nev.

RPI Ratings

New Mexico State 74 (No. 2 WAC)

Nevada 61 (No. 1 WAC)

Line: Nevada -3½ (O/U 144)

New Mexico State Players to Watch: F Wendell McKines, 6-6 Sr. (18.4 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 46% FG); C Hamidu Rahman, 6-11 Sr. (10.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 63.6% FG); G Daniel Mullings, 6-2 Fr. (9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 50.5% FG). Mullings had a triple-double with 28 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in last Thursday’s 115-73 win over Hawaii and followed that performance with a solid 10-point, 5-rebound, 4-assist, 2-steal outing in Saturday’s 79-68 triumph over San Jose State on Saturday.

Nevada Players to Watch: G Deonte Burton, 6-1 So. (15.3 ppg, 4.2 apg, 38.6% 3s); F Olek Czyz, 6-7 Sr. (13.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 55.5% FG); F Dario Hunt, 6-8 Sr. (10.3 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 2.2 bpg). Hunt is one of the toughest power forward in the country with 12 double-doubles this season. He has a double-double in four straight games and has had at least 11 rebounds in his last six outings. He’s also blocked 15 shots in the Packs’ last five games.

Storylines: Nevada has won 20 of its last 22 to clinch at least a share of the WAC. The Aggies, who have won five straight and 8-of-9, can stay in the race with a road upset on Thursday.

Keys: The Wolfpack held New Mexico State to 17-of-52 from the field in a 68-60 win at Las Cruces on Jan. 26. Burton scored 17 points and Hunt had 15 points and eight boards as Nevada shot 57 percent to improve win its 14^th-straight game. After their 115-point explosion against defenseless Hawaii, the Aggies are up to 14^th in the nation in scoring at 78.8 points per game. They also lead the WAC in field goal percentage at 47.7. Nevada is third in scoring (71.1) and second in scoring defense (64.8) in the WAC. The Wolfpack lead the conference in field goal defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 41.1 percent. NMSU and Nevada are two of the worst free throw shooting teams in the WAC. The Aggies shoot 66.3 from the line, while Nevada’s percentage stands at 64.3. New Mexico State ranks fourth in the nation in rebounding margin at plus-8.1 Nevada has out-rebounded its opponents by 3.2 per game this season. The Aggies are 6-4 in true road games this season, but they haven’t played away from home since Feb. 11 when they beat Utah State, 80-69. The Wolfpack are 13-2 at the Lawlor Center this season, including an 11-game winning streak that ended Feb. 4 in a loss to Idaho, 72-68. The loss also snapped the Packs’ 16-game winning streak overall. They are just 4-2 since that loss and needed three overtimes to beat Fresno State on Saturday.

The Bottom Line: It’s tough not to go with Nevada in a close game in Reno, but the way the Aggies are playing, they seem poised to steal the Wolfpacks’ presumed NCAA Tourney bid next week.

The Pick: Nevada 73, New Mexico State 71

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 89-59

Oregon vs. Colorado: Thursday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:42:15 -0800

Thursday's Conference Tournament Primer

Thursday night features a very important matchup in the Pac-12 of teams that are hoping to make a good case that they should be in the NCAA tournament field. Oregon (20-8, 11-5), who is 13-3 at Matthew Knight Court this season, hosts Colorado (19-9, 11-5) in a matchup of two teams who staged a tight (and controversial) contest about a month ago. A foul call on E.J. Singler with less than a second remaining proved to be the difference in Colorado's 72-71 win in Boulder, and a sweep of the season series would definitely help the Buffaloes when it comes to a possible bubble pecking order.

The officiating was a point of contention throughout the game for Duck fans as Colorado attempted thirteen more free throws (30-17), but the bigger issue was a combined 29 turnovers. One of the biggest culprits for either team was Colorado senior guard Carlon Brown, and frankly he had a February to forget. Brown reached double figures three times but hasn't shot better than 41.6% from the field since a late January win over USC, and if he can't make better decisions the Buffaloes can end up in trouble. The good news for Tad Boyle: he's got other guys who can step up, most notably a freshman named Spencer Dinwiddie.

Dinwiddie's fourth on the team in scoring with an average of 10.6 points per game, and after a pair of rough games against Utah and Stanford the California native rebounded with 15 points in the win over Cal on Sunday. Nate Tomlinson has steadily improved running the show and freshman Askia Booker (17 points in the first meeting) has been a capable reserve for much of the season. CU's got some talent on the perimeter but they'll have their hands full with the Oregon backcourt, which is led by Minnesota transfer Devoe Joseph. Joseph, who some believe to be a Pac-12 Player of the Year candidate, leads the team in scoring and ranks second in assists.

The addition of Joseph as a mid-year transfer has done a great deal for Dana Altman's team, as his ability to create has boosted the likes of Singler and Garrett Sim. Singler has been one of the Pac-12's most versatile players and he put up 13 and 13 in the first meeting, and while Sim struggled (six points) he is a 1,000-plus point scorer over his career. The play in the front court will also be worth watching, because while the Ducks have an edge in height Colorado's the better rebounding team thanks in large part to Andre Roberson. Roberson leads the Pac-12 in rebounding with an average of 11.4 rebounds per game, a number that places him in the Top 10 nationally.

Senior Austin Dufault has been the anchor in the middle but he's grabbing just 4.6 rebounds per game, as Colorado tends to rebound by committee outside of Roberson. Oregon has seven players averaging between 3.0 and 5.4 rebounds per game, with Singler leading the way and bigs Olu Ashaolu and Tony Woods being the starters inside. The high-flying Carlos Emory is a key reserve, as are Tyrone Nared and Jeremy Jacob. The problem for Oregon: they allow opponents to grab 31.6% of their misses, but they did a good job of keeping the Buffs off the glass in the first meeting (four offensive rebounds).

There wasn't much separating these two teams on February 4th and there likely won't be on Thursday night either. If Oregon can keep Roberson off the glass and knock down a few three-pointers they'll be in good position to pick up the win. Colorado on the other hand needs Brown to snap out of his funk, or at the very least be sure not to become a hindrance due to questionable shot selection. A win won't do a great amount for either team's resume in regards to the computer numbers, but it could serve the victor well if the two should be compared in the selection room.

Virginia is likely in good shape for an at-large bid but it never hurts to pick up another win against a ranked team, and the Cavaliers will have the opportunity to do so with #22 Florida State visiting Charlottesville. Mike Scott has been one of the best players in the ACC but he's going to need some help from the likes of Sammy Zeglinski and Jontel Evans against one of the nation's best defensive teams. FSU won a tight affair between the two in Tallahassee, and the return meeting should be along those lines as well.

Illinois still has plenty of work to do in regards to simply making the tournament, and a win over #16 Michigan would do wonders for a resume that was nearly ripped to shreds during their recent skid. If Brandon Paul can score and be efficient while doing so the Illini are more than capable of knocking off the Wolverines, and it's important that they remember Meyers Leonard inside as well. And in the WAC the matchup of New Mexico State and Nevada could be a preview of next weekend's WAC tournament final. Deonte Burton and the Wolf Pack have been the best team in the WAC all season long, and a win over the Aggies would mean an outright regular season title.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM Georgia at (1) Kentucky (ESPN)
7:00 PM (16) Michigan at Illinois (ESPN)
7:00 PM (22) Florida State at Virginia (ESPN2)

NCAA Division I Games
2:30 PM North Florida vs East Tennessee State* (ESPN3)
6:00 PM VMI vs Winthrop* (ESPNU)
7:00 PM North Carolina Central at Hampton
7:00 PM Sacred Heart at LIU Brooklyn
7:00 PM Monmouth at Robert Morris
7:00 PM Quinnipiac at St. Francis (NY)
7:00 PM Southeast Missouri State vs Tennessee Tech*
7:00 PM Central Connecticut State at Wagner
7:05 PM Southern Illinois vs Indiana State*
7:30 PM Morgan State at Florida A&M
7:30 PM Coppin State at Bethune-Cookman
7:30 PM South Carolina State at Delaware State
7:30 PM Savannah State at Maryland-Eastern Shore
8:00 PM Texas Southern at Alcorn State
8:00 PM Charleston Southern at UNC-Asheville (ESPNU)
8:00 PM Norfolk State at North Carolina A&T
8:15 PM Binghamton vs UMBC*
8:30 PM Jackson State at Alabama A&M
8:30 PM Grambling State at Alabama State
8:30 PM Mississippi Valley State at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
8:30 PM Prairie View A&M at Southern
8:30 PM Florida Gulf Coast vs USC Upstate* (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Villanova at Rutgers (ESPN2)
9:00 PM Virginia Tech at Clemson (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Jacksonville State vs Morehead State*
9:00 PM Portland vs San Francisco* (ESPN3)
9:35 PM Bradley vs Drake*
10:00 PM UC Davis at Cal Poly
10:00 PM Utah at Oregon State
10:00 PM Pacific at UC Santa Barbara
10:05 PM Utah State at San Jose State
10:30 PM Washington State at UCLA
10:30 PM Washington at USC
10:30 PM Colorado at Oregon (FSN)
11:00 PM Louisiana Tech at Fresno State
11:00 PM Pepperdine vs San Diego* (ESPN3)
11:00 PM New Mexico State at Nevada (ESPN2)
12:00 AM Idaho at Hawaii