Northwestern

Monday Recap: Huskies Observe Second Half Dunk Contest in Loss

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:58:12 -0500

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other Notable Happenings (with some Sunday notes mixed in)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quick Hitters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List Released

Six Notable Performances (Sunday and Monday)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday Recap: Northwestern, Florida State Pick Up Important Wins

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:06:41 -0500

There weren't many opportunities to watch ranked teams play each other (there was just one, which is discussed below), but Saturday's slate provided many teams the chance to improve their resumes. Florida State and Northwestern took full advantage of their opportunities as they both knocked off Top 10 opponents at home, albeit in different ways.

While #6 Michigan State put up a fight in losing to Northwestern 81-74 in Evanston, #3 North Carolina offered no such challenge for Florida State in Tallahassee. Deividas Dulkys, who entered the game averaging 6.2 points per game, went off to the tune of 32 points (8-10 3PT) in the 90-57 beating.

Roy Williams' team went into the locker room at the half down just eight points at 36-28, but the Tar Heels didn't look like a team that wanted to fight back in the second half. Entering the game Florida State was the worst team in the ACC when it came to taking care of the basketball, but it was North Carolina that turned the ball over 22 times on Saturday with Kendall Marshall tallying seven.

FSU did turn the ball over 17 times but six of those belonged to Luke Loucks, and all six came in the first half. Leonard Hamilton's team didn't shoot better in the second half (47.1% to 50.0% in the first), but they took better care of the basketball (six turnovers). And combining that with their defense (33.3% FG allowed) meant bad things for the visitors from Chapel Hill.

"I think it was a team effort just defending their system," said Hamilton when asked of how they limited Tyler Zeller (14 points, 14 rebounds) and John Henson (ten points, three rebounds). "You just try to limit the clean looks they get and make them work for whatever they get."

As for Northwestern, they received help from the supporting cast and that was a big reason why the Wildcats were able to beat Michigan State. John Shurna (22 points) and Drew Crawford (20 points) did what they normally do, but Davide Curletti and Reggie Hearn (10 points) also reached double figures. As a team the Wildcats shot 50.0% from the field and assisted on 20 of 26 made field goals with just seven turnovers.

Bill Carmody's team also played well defensively in the second half, limiting Michigan State to 34.4% shooting overall and 7-for-21 on two-point shots. Michigan State scored 37 points in both halves, but the drop in their accuracy on two-point shots (61.5%) and efficiency helped Northwestern take control of the game and eventually push their lead out to 12 (69-57) with 6:45 remaining.

Keith Appling scored 17 points and Draymond Green 14, but they were the only two Spartans to reach double figures. Both Northwestern and Florida State were "out of character" in their victories on Saturday, with the Seminoles taking better care of the basketball and the Wildcats getting scoring from guys other than their two primary options. But the wins aren't going to mean much if they can't build on the outcomes and continue to improve.

"In order for this game to be meaningful we need to continue to stacking on these types of games," remarked Hamilton. Can't say it any better than that.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Jamaal Franklin's runner in the final seconds pushes #22 San Diego State past #12 UNLV.
The lone contest on the schedule matching ranked teams was also the Mountain West opener for both the Aztecs and Runnin' Rebels, and they gave the fans either at Viejas Arena or watching on TV a treat. Jamaal Franklin, who had to leave the game with 1:01 remaining after injuring his ankle, returned to the floor 30 seconds later and provided the winning points for San Diego State.

Franklin's driving bucket with three-tenths of a second remaining was the difference in the Aztecs' 69-67 win over UNLV, who remained within striking distance thanks in large part to their work on the offensive glass. UNLV grabbed 19 offensive rebounds, leading to ten second-chance points.

Franklin was outstanding despite some early issues with rushed shots, finishing with 24 points and ten rebounds. But he wasn't the only key contributor for Steve Fisher's team, as James Rahon scored 22 points and Chase Tapley 11. Anthony Marshall led UNLV with 26 points, but he was the Runnin' Rebels' lone double figure scorer as SDSU did a solid job of defending the likes of Chace Stanback (3-9 FG, seven points) and Mike Moser (3-11 FG, nine points, 11 rebounds).

UNLV entered the game averaging more than 18 assists per game but they finished with just nine, and the foul line didn't help matters either. UNLV made 11 of 21 from the charity stripe while SDSU knocked down 16 of 20, and leaving points at the foul line is one of the easiest ways to lose a close contest. With New Mexico getting their shot at both teams next week (SDSU in Albuquerque on Wednesday, at UNLV on Saturday) there isn't much time to rest on this outcome, but at the very least San Diego State held serve at home.

2. Oregon hangs on the beat Arizona, pulling off the road sweep of the Arizona schools for the first time in 34 years.
Dana Altman's team entered Saturday's game in Tucson needing a win to remain a game out of first place in the loss column, but to say the least history was not on their side as they hadn't beaten both Arizona and Arizona State on the road in the same season in 34 years. But thanks to a balanced offensive effort (four players scored either 12 or 13 points) the Ducks made program history in winning 59-57 despite blowing a 17-point lead. The Wildcats had two chances in the waning moments to either tie or win the game but couldn't make either shot, and quiet afternoons from Jesse Perry (2-4 FG, eight points) and Kyle Fogg (1-9 FG, five points) didn't help matters either.

Arizona's had trouble with bigger teams this season, and that was no different with the Ducks having Tony Woods and Olu Ashaolu to pester Perry inside. Does Oregon have enough to contend for the Pac-12 crown? The addition of guard Devoe Joseph is one reason why, and E.J. Singler has played well for much of the season. In a wide-open league the teams that can pull off road sweeps will likely have the best chance of winning the title. This is a big weekend for Oregon from a historical standpoint, but how big it is this season depends on whether or not they can build on the positive momentum.

3. Kentucky makes the plays they needed to make late to win at Tennessee.
Cuonzo Martin welcomed freshman Jarnell Stokes (nine points, four rebounds) into the fold on Saturday, and while he still has a way to go with regards to both conditioning and understanding the system there's no denying Stokes' talent. In spite of a fired up crowd at Thompson-Boling Arena and a team that refused to lie down, Kentucky found a way to leave Knoxville with a win thanks in large part to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. It's become obvious that the freshman is Kentucky's leader and he once again made the "winning plays" needed to close teams out, finishing with 17 points, 12 rebounds and three steals in the 65-62 win.

Anthony Davis added 18 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots and Terrence Jones ten points as Kentucky won their second conference road game of the season. That matches their total from all of last season, which should be a good sign for John Calipari's young team. Cameron Tatum led Tennessee with 16 points and Jeronne Maymon added 15 and ten rebounds, but the Volunteers couldn't overcome Kentucky's seven-point edge (21-14) at the foul line. Tennessee gave Kentucky everything they wanted and will get better as the season wears on, but a team with a glue guy the caliber of Kidd-Gilchrist is tough to beat.

4. Weber State makes quite the statement in whipping Montana to take sole possession of first place in the Big Sky.
The second-biggest game of the day out west took place in the Big Sky, with Montana and Weber State being the lone remaining undefeated teams in the conference. But with the return of two key cogs in the attack, Randy Rahe's Wildcats made a statement in their 80-64 win over the Grizzlies in Ogden. Damian Lillard (21 points) and Scott Bamforth (15 points) are names known by most college basketball fans, but what about Frank Otis and Gelaun Wheelwright? Otis, who like Kyle Bullinger missed multiple games due to injury, sparked a Weber State run from the eight-minute mark of the first half that resulted in a 49-36 halftime lead.

Both he and Wheelwright finished with seven points and Kyle Tresnak scored 12 as the Wildcats proved to be too much for Montana on both ends of the floor. Montana shot just 35.7% in the first half and 38.5% for the game as their six-game win streak came to an end. There's a lot of basketball to be played before Wayne Tinkle's team gets another shot at Weber State (the regular season finale for both on February 28th), but Weber State's performance on Saturday night clearly makes them the team to beat.

5. Oklahoma picks up a much-needed win, knocking off #18 Kansas State in Norman.
There aren't many teams that are going to beat Missouri and Kansas period, much less in back-to-back games, so there wasn't much shame in falling to those teams as Lon Kruger's Sooners did to start Big 12 play. But to lose at Oklahoma State on Monday night to fall to 0-3 made Saturday's game against #18 Kansas State even more important, and the Sooners rose to the challenge as they won 82-73 in Norman. Andrew Fitzgerald scored 21 points and Steven Pledger and Romero Osby scored 18 apiece for Oklahoma, who shot 70.0% from the field in the second half to maintain the nine-point spread they built in the first half.

Kansas State shot just 33.3% from the field in the first half and trailed 38-29 at the break, and a big problem for them was the lack of productivity from their starters other than Rodney McGruder (19 points, ten rebounds) and Will Spradling (11 points). The other three starters combined to score just ten points with nine coming from Jamar Samuels, and while Nino Williams and Jeremy Jones scored 12 apiece off the bench it wasn't enough as the Wildcats were unable to get stops in the second half. Whether or not the Sooners can make a run at a tournament bid remains to be seen and it will be tough since the Big 12 is now a true round-robin, but at the least they needed a win Saturday and they got one.

Quick Hitters

1. While neither team won on Saturday, both Pittsburgh and Villanova played far better than they did on Wednesday in losses to Rutgers and Syracuse respectively. The Panthers fell at #24 Marquette 62-57, but the move to put Isaiah Epps in the starting lineup at the point served as a boost for Ashton Gibbs (29 points). As for Villanova, Maalik Wayns (39 points, 13 rebounds, six assists) was outstanding but it wasn't enough in an 82-78 loss at Cincinnati. Whether or not these two can play their way into NCAA Tournament consideration remains to be seen, but at the least they've shown signs of life. That wasn't the case on Wednesday.

2. There may not have been a more impressive bounce-back from a bad outing earlier in the week than what Iowa was able to do, as they beat #13 Michigan 75-59 in Iowa City following a 95-61 loss at Michigan State on Wednesday. Matt Gatens led four Hawkeyes in double figures with 19 points and Fran McCaffery's team assisted on 18 of their 25 made baskets. It also didn't hurt to have Michigan shoot 8-for-31 from beyond the arc.

3. Good luck attempting to handicap the Atlantic 10 race, but unlike the Pac-12 that action would be to sift through quality options as opposed to detritus. Xavier looks to be back to their normal selves as they beat St. Bonaventure 77-64 at home, and Saint Louis was finally able to win a close game as they won 68-67 at Charlotte. But Temple and Saint Joseph's weren't as fortunate, falling to Richmond (76-65) and a surprising UMass (71-62) respectively. This is going to be a fun race to watch unfold.

4. Another non-BCS race to keep an eye on is the NEC, which currently has one undefeated team (LIU Brooklyn at 6-0), three teams at 5-1 (CCSU, St. Francis (NY) and Wagner) and Robert Morris sits a game behind those teams at 4-2. Dan Hurley's Seahawks beat CCSU 67-58 at home despite 21 turnovers, moving their win streak to seven games (Wagner hadn't done that since the 1979-80 season) thanks in large part to their defense (19 TOs forced, 38.8% FG allowed). Jonathon Williams led Wagner with 18 points while CCSU was paced by Robby Ptacek, who finished with 26.

5. The three remaining undefeated teams (Baylor, Murray State and Syracuse) all won on Saturday afternoon, with the Bears and Orange both blowing out overmatched opponents (Baylor beat Oklahoma State 106-65 while Syracuse beat Providence (without the suspended Vincent Council) 78-55). Murray State dealt with a stiffer challenge, beating Tennessee Tech 82-74 thanks in large part to a combined 52 points from guards Donte Poole (28) and Isaiah Canaan (24). With Ivan Aska out for the next month or so while his broken hand heals, the Racers are going to need more from their frontcourt to remain atop the OVC.

6. Zeke Marshall (17 points, six rebounds) became the 8th player in MAC history to block at least 200 shots in a career, but the biggest reason for Akron's 68-63 win over Ohio was the production of their bench. Nick Harney and Brett McClanahan scored 10 points apiece and the Zips' reserves outscored Ohio's 31-18. Keith Dambrot's team moved to 3-0 in league play and there's little doubt that Akron has the tools needed to return to the NCAA Tournament.

7. Arnett Moultrie won the individual matchup between he and JaMychal Green, scoring 25 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, and as a result #20 Mississippi State beat Alabama 53-50 in Starkville. Dee Bost added 17, and it should be seen as a good sign for Rick Stansbury's team that they found a way to win with starters Rodney Hood and Jalen Steele combining to shoot 0-for-11 from the field.

8. Despite Shabazz Napier's foot still bothering him and guard Ryan Boatright being held out due to eligibility concerns, #16 Connecticut ended Notre Dame's 29-game home win streak with a 67-53 win. Napier scored a team-high 16 points, Alex Oriakhi had arguably his best game of the season (12 points, seven rebounds) and Andre Drummond posted another double-double (10 points, 13 rebounds) to make up for Jeremy Lamb scoring just six points. Eric Atkins scored 20 but Notre Dame made just 32.3% of their shots on the day.

9. Early pick for Ivy League Player of the Year? Has to be Penn guard Zack Rosen, who scored 18 points and dished out five assists (five steals as well) in the Quakers' 64-52 win at Cornell. Penn's off to a 2-0 start in conference play, and while there's quite the gulf between Harvard and the rest of the league Rosen and Tyler Bernardini (18 points, eight rebounds) are two reasons why Jerome Allen's team may be their biggest threat.

10. Bob McKillop's Davidson squad took control of the South Division of the SoCon with their 83-79 win at Appalachian State, moving to 6-0 in league play. Jake Cohen scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds and De'Mon Brooks scored seven straight during a 10-0 run to move the Wildcats to 12-4 overall. And with Georgia Southern losing at Wofford, Davidson is two games up on the second place Eagles.

Five Notable Performances

1. G Maalik Wayns (Villanova)
39 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in the Wildcats' 82-78 loss at Cincinnati.

2. G Deividas Dulkys (Florida State)
32 points (8-10 3PT) and four assists in the Seminoles' 90-57 pasting of #3 North Carolina.

3. C Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State) and F Dewayne Jackson (Morgan State)
In Norfolk State's 90-89 double overtime win O'Quinn posted a line of 25 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks while Jackson led the Bears with 33 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.

4. G J'Covan Brown (Texas)
34 points (10-16 FG), four rebounds and two assists in the Longhorns' 84-73 loss at #9 Missouri.

5. F T.J. Robinson (Long Beach State)
14 points and 19 rebounds in the 49ers' 76-66 win over Pacific, Long Beach State's 17th straight win at home.

#22 San Diego State vs. #12 UNLV: Saturday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:25:01 -0500

The Mountain West, similar to the Ivy League and Great West, had to start conference play later than other conferences due to the fact that they've got just eight members. Saturday marks the beginning of conference play and there are two key games to keep an eye on, most notably #22 San Diego State (14-2) hosting #12 UNLV (16-2) in the day's lone matchup of ranked teams.

Both teams have some quality wins on their schedules but the extra week to schedule non-conference games hurt the strength of schedule numbers for both teams, so getting into league play should give the Runnin' Rebels and Aztecs the boost they need to ensure good seeds in the NCAA Tournament provided they take care of business.

Steve Fisher's team was thought to be a clear third option to win the Mountain West behind UNLV and New Mexico due to the four starters lost from last year's Sweet 16 team. But thanks in large part to their backcourt the Aztecs have exceeded expectations thus far. Chase Tapley (17.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg), San Diego State's lone returning starter, has adjusted well to being the primary scoring option as he's shooting 52.6% from the field and 50.0% from three.

In addition to Tapley there's Jamaal Franklin (15.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg), Xavier Thames (11.4 ppg, 5.5 apg, 3.7 rpg) and James Rahon (10.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg) to contend with, and these guards for the most part are good at creating their own offense (SDSU assists on just 49.4% of their made baskets).

UNLV's got some very good perimeter players as well, with Anthony Marshall (10.6 ppg, 4.9 apg, 4.3 rpg) and Oscar Bellfield (9.6 ppg, 5.3 apg) being the players most likely to initiate the offense for Dave Rice. In addition to their offensive skills both are good defenders and Marshall is also a prolific athlete who can finish above the rim.

And sixth man Justin Hawkins (9.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg) doesn't receive the pub that the majority of the other Rebels do but he's a good basketball player who would start for many teams. And on the wing the Rebels have senior Chace Stanback (14.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg), who has raised his scoring average and shooting percentages in his final campaign.

Both teams boast a great deal of talent on the perimeter, but the outcome may depend on what the interior players provide. UNLV's got the advantage with regards to size but San Diego State's big men have done a good job of simply doing what's needed instead of trying to do what Kawhi Leonard, Billy White and Malcolm Thomas did last year.

Tim Shelton (4.1 rpg) has been around for quite some time and his savvy makes him a valuable defender despite knees that have been an issue throughout his collegiate career. LSU transfer Garrett Green (7.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg) leads the team in rebounding while Deshawn Stephens (6.3 rpg, 5.9 rpg) isn't far behind.

UNLV also works as a committee inside, with Brice Massamba (5.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg) being the starter while Quintrell Thomas (5.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg) and Carlos Lopez (7.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg) come off the bench. Those three are called on for rebounding and defense, while at the "4" the Rebels have one of the nation's most productive transfers in Mike Moser.

Moser (14.2 ppg, 11.1 rpg) was outstanding early in the season as teams failed to come up with an answer for the versatile UCLA transfer, and he's remained a solid bet for a double-double as the year's worn on. With both teams having rebounding margins around a plus-3, Moser may be the difference on the glass in spite of SDSU's ability to hit the offensive boards.

With rebounding about even, the way in which UNLV scores their points will be something to watch on Saturday afternoon. UNLV averages 18.8 assists per game, assisting on 65% of their made baskets. The Rebels have players who can create on their own, but the offense runs better when they're able to create for each other. If SDSU can limit the drive and kick situations that result in UNLV scoring 31% of their points from beyond the arc, "The Show" and the other fans at Viejas Arena have a good chance of going home happy.

Also in the Mountain West on Saturday is New Mexico's trip to Laramie to take on a Wyoming squad that's surprised folks in Larry Shyatt's first season (second stint) at the helm. Drew Gordon and Kendall Williams have played much better over the last month than they did at the beginning of the year, and sophomore Tony Snell hasn't received as much credit as he should for his play throughout the year. Senior Adam Waddell has been a good frontcourt option for the Cowboys, who have improved a great deal on the defensive end since last season.

Florida State has a great opportunity to boost their profile on the heels of a win over Virginia Tech as they host #3 North Carolina. The Seminoles aren't a terrible shooting team as many would lead you to believe. The problem for Leonard Hamilton's team is that they don't take care of the basketball, boasting a turnover rate of around 26%. Giving up too many opportunities to Kendall Marshall and company could result in a blowout if FSU isn't smart with the ball.

Northwestern finds themselves in a similar position as they host red-hot #7 Michigan State and Iowa State visits #10 Kansas with forwards Royce White (ISU) and Thomas Robinson (Kansas) being the marquee attractions. In the Big East, Pittsburgh needs a win at #24 Marquette to avoid their first 0-5 start in conference play since the 1999-2000 season. Tray Woodall's still out due to injury, meaning that players such as John Johnson and Lamar Patterson need to step up and help out Ashton Gibbs.

#16 Connecticut will be without the services of freshman guard Ryan Boatright, who is being held out due to the NCAA looking into possible extra benefits received in high school, as they look to beat Notre Dame in South Bend. The Fighting Irish, led by sophomore point guard Eric Atkins, has won the last three games in the series and have the ability to make it four if the Huskies aren't ready to go from the start.

And even with the great number of games on television a contest that will only be available online will rank among the best games out west. Montana visits Weber State in the first meeting of the two favorites to win the Big Sky this season, and the Grizzlies have the talent to make things tough on the Wildcats despite the presence of Damian Lillard. Kareem Jamar is one of Montana's key players on the perimeter while Derek Selvig is an important piece inside. And there's also a meeting of contenders in the MAC as Ohio visits Akron, with two POY candidates (Ohio guard D.J. Cooper and Akron center Zeke Marshall) on display.

Top 25 Games
6:00 PM Providence at (1) Syracuse (ESPN3)
12:00 PM (2) Kentucky at Tennessee (ESPN)
2:00 PM (3) North Carolina at Florida State (ESPN)
3:00 PM Oklahoma State at (4) Baylor (ESPN2)
3:00 PM (7) Michigan State at Northwestern (BTN)
1:00 PM Texas at (9) Missouri (ESPN2)
4:00 PM Iowa State at (10) Kansas (ESPN3)
4:00 PM (12) UNLV at (22) San Diego State (NBC SN)
1:00 PM (13) Michigan at Iowa (BTN)
6:00 PM Tennessee Tech at (14) Murray State (ESPNU)
4:00 PM DePaul at (15) Louisville (ESPN3)
11:00 AM (16) Connecticut at Notre Dame (ESPN2)
1:30 PM (18) Kansas State at Oklahoma (ESPN3)
7:00 PM (19) Florida at South Carolina (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Alabama at (20) Mississippi State (ESPN3)
8:00 PM (23) Gonzaga at Loyola Marymount (ROOT NW)
2:00 PM Pittsburgh at (24) Marquette (ESPNU)
2:00 PM George Washington at (25) Harvard

NCAA Division I Games
12:00 PM Stony Brook at Boston University (ESPN3)
12:00 PM Hofstra at Old Dominion (MSG)
12:00 PM Villanova at Cincinnati (ESPN3)
12:00 PM St. Bonaventure at Xavier (ESPNU)
1:00 PM William & Mary at Northeastern
1:00 PM Bryant University at Mount St. Mary's
1:00 PM Tulsa at East Carolina
1:00 PM NC State at Wake Forest (ESPN3)
1:00 PM Bucknell at Lafayette
1:00 PM Gardner-Webb at Campbell
1:30 PM Ole Miss at Auburn (ESPN3)
1:45 PM Texas Tech at Texas A&M (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Brown at Yale
2:00 PM Holy Cross at American
2:00 PM Longwood at Dartmouth
2:00 PM Duquesne at Rhode Island
2:00 PM Rutgers at West Virginia (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Davidson at Appalachian State
2:00 PM Eastern Michigan at Ball State
2:00 PM Lehigh at Colgate
2:00 PM Towson at Georgia State
2:00 PM Saint Louis at Charlotte (CBS SN)
2:00 PM Sam Houston State at Nicholls State
2:00 PM Central Arkansas at Northwestern State
2:00 PM UAB at Southern Miss (FSN)
2:00 PM Toledo at Western Michigan
2:00 PM Furman at Western Carolina
2:00 PM Wright State at Green Bay (ESPN3)
2:00 PM SUNY-Cobleskill at NJIT
2:30 PM Army at Navy (CBS SN)
3:00 PM Virginia Tech at Boston College (ESPN3)
3:00 PM Vermont at New Hampshire
3:00 PM Texas-Arlington at Lamar
3:00 PM Howard at North Carolina A&T
3:00 PM Chattanooga at Samford
3:30 PM Oregon at Arizona (CBS)
3:30 PM East Tennessee State at Jacksonville
3:30 PM New Mexico at Wyoming (The Mtn.)
4:00 PM Colorado at Stanford (FSN)
4:00 PM VCU at Delaware (TCN)
4:00 PM Loyola (IL) at Illinois-Chicago (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Saint Joseph's at Massachusetts
4:00 PM Elon at Charleston (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Georgia at Vanderbilt (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Ohio at Akron (ESPNU)
4:00 PM Southern University at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
4:00 PM South Carolina State at Bethune-Cookman
4:00 PM Hampton at Coppin State
4:00 PM Norfolk State at Morgan State
4:00 PM Quinnipiac at Saint Francis (PA)
4:30 PM Presbyterian at Coastal Carolina
4:30 PM Monmouth at LIU Brooklyn
4:30 PM Central Michigan at Northern Illinois
4:30 PM Pepperdine at San Francisco (CSN CA)
4:30 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at St. Francis (NY)
5:00 PM McNeese State at Texas State
5:00 PM North Texas at Louisiana-Monroe
6:00 PM Air Force at Boise State (The Mtn.)
6:00 PM Buffalo at Miami (OH) (ESPN3)
6:00 PM Alcorn State at Mississippi Valley State
6:05 PM Eastern Washington at Northern Colorado (Altitude)
6:30 PM Savannah State at Florida A&M
6:30 PM Alabama A&M at Alabama State
6:30 PM Prairie View A&M at Jackson State
6:30 PM Texas Southern at Grambling State
7:00 PM Oral Roberts at IUPUI
7:00 PM Princeton at Columbia
7:00 PM Pennsylvania at Cornell
7:00 PM George Mason at James Madison (CSN)
7:00 PM Temple at Richmond (CBS SN)
7:00 PM UCF at Marshall
7:00 PM Drexel at UNC Wilmington
7:00 PM Maine at Albany
7:00 PM La Salle at Dayton
7:00 PM Middle Tennessee at Florida Atlantic
7:00 PM UNC-Asheville at High Point
7:00 PM Bowling Green at Kent State
7:00 PM Winthrop at Liberty (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Siena at Manhattan (ESPN3)
7:00 PM USC Upstate at North Florida
7:00 PM Sacred Heart at Robert Morris
7:00 PM Texas A&M-CC at Southeastern Louisiana
7:00 PM UTSA at Stephen F. Austin
7:00 PM Central Connecticut State at Wagner
7:00 PM Georgia Southern at Wofford
7:00 PM Oakland at IPFW
7:05 PM Pacific at Long Beach State (FSN PT)
7:05 PM UNC Greensboro at Citadel
7:30 PM Florida Gulf Coast at Lipscomb
7:30 PM Maryland-Eastern Shore at Delaware State
7:45 PM Eastern Kentucky at Morehead State
8:00 PM Oregon State at Arizona State (FSN AZ)
8:00 PM Santa Clara at BYU (ESPNU)
8:00 PM Detroit at Milwaukee (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Rice at Tulane (LHN)
8:00 PM Radford at VMI (MASN)
8:00 PM Southern Utah at Western Illinois
8:05 PM Arkansas-Little Rock at Arkansas State
8:15 PM Stetson at Belmont
8:30 PM Florida International at Louisiana-Lafayette
8:30 PM South Dakota at North Dakota State (ESPN3)
8:30 PM UMKC at South Dakota State
8:35 PM Montana State at Northern Arizona (NAU TV)
8:45 PM Jacksonville State at Austin Peay
9:00 PM LSU at Arkansas (ESPN3)
9:00 PM TCU at Colorado State (The Mtn.)
9:00 PM Idaho at New Mexico State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Memphis at Houston (CBS SN)
9:00 PM Eastern Illinois at Southeast Missouri State
9:00 PM SIU-Edwardsville at Tennessee State
9:00 PM SMU at UTEP
9:00 PM South Alabama at Troy (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Montana at Weber State
9:30 PM Utah State at Louisiana Tech
10:00 PM Cal Poly at UC Riverside
10:00 PM San Jose State at Fresno State
10:00 PM Hawaii at Nevada
10:00 PM UC Irvine at UC Santa Barbara
10:00 PM Cal State Fullerton at Cal State Bakersfield
10:05 PM Idaho State at Sacramento State
10:05 PM UC Davis at Cal State Northridge
10:30 PM Utah at California (CSN CA)
11:00 PM Portland at Saint Mary's (CSN BAY)

Wednesday Recap: Pittsburgh May Have Hit Rock Bottom

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:04:21 -0500

It was thought that Pittsburgh's loss at DePaul last week was the epitome of "rock bottom" for Jamie Dixon's program, which is still without injured point guard Tray Woodall. But in hindsight that high-scoring defeat at the hands of the Blue Demons was nothing compared to what happened at the Petersen Events Center on Wednesday night. Pitt scored the fewest points in their history as a Big East member, falling 62-39 at Rutgers in front of a stunned crowd.

The Panthers shot 21.1% from both the field and from three in the loss, which moved their overall losing streak to five games. Also Pittsburgh is off to their first 0-4 Big East start since the 1999-2000 campaign, when they dropped their first five conference games. J.J. Moore scored ten points off the bench to lead Pittsburgh in scoring, and with Ashton Gibbs making just two of eleven shots and Lamar Patterson faring even worse (1-for-7) Moore's points went for naught.

"Honestly it seemed like they knew our plays," said Gibbs of the Scarlet Knights' defensive effort. "Coach Rice did a good job of scouting us and it led to them making great switches off of screens. We have to do a better job executing our offense."

Eli Carter led the Scarlet Knights, who were coming off of a 67-60 win over Connecticut, with 14 points while Dane Miller showed off the skills that can make him one of the more versatile producers in the Big East when he's fully engaged with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Rutgers out-rebounded Pittsburgh 51-35 on the night and while the shooting woes definitely played a role in that discrepancy, Rutgers did grab 19 offensive rebounds (22 second-chance points).

"It was the most disappointing thing about the game because that is our main focus," said Nasir Robinson, who finished with four rebounds and no points. "We have to do a better job boxing out and we can't let [teams] out-hustle us."

Execution is a without a doubt a huge part of winning games, but sometimes what happens on the floor boils down to toughness and how a team responds when hit in the mouth. Pittsburgh didn't respond well when that happened on Wednesday night, and that's the most concerning aspect of the loss going forward. Pitt has long be one of the toughest teams in the Big East, and they need to get that confidence back in order to turn things around.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Michigan outlasts Northwestern in overtime, moving to 4-1 in Big Ten play.
Facing a team that plays a similar style of basketball, Northwestern was presented with a great opportunity to bolster their resume with a win at #13 Michigan. But unfortunately for the Wildcats they fell just short, losing 66-64 in overtime. Drew Crawford and John Shurna did what they could, combining for 41 points and 13 rebounds while Crawford added seven assists, but they didn't get much help from their teammates. Dave Sobolewski (nine points) and Reggie Hearn (seven points) both managed to exceed their scoring averages on Wednesday night.

But with Alex Marcotulio scoring just one point and Luka Mirkovic scoring two it was going to be tough for the Wildcats to make that play offensively to get over the hump. Michigan, despite shooting 7-for-30 from three, had better scoring distribution with Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke scoring 19 apiece and Stu Douglass adding ten off the bench. Turnovers were ultimately the biggest killer however, as Northwestern turned the ball over a season-high 16 times. To say the least the Wildcats, who have lost their last two games by a combined three points, could have used a few of those lost possessions in the end.

2. Missouri survives a quiet night from Marcus Denmon to win at Iowa State.
Entering the Tigers' game at Iowa State Denmon averaged 18.7 points per game to lead Frank Haith's team, meaning that anyone told that he made just one field goal would likely expect Missouri to leave Ames with a loss. But despite his off night, and 5-for-21 shooting from three, Missouri won 76-69 thanks in large part to their offensive balance. The other six players to see the floor for Missouri all scored in double figures, with Matt Pressey scoring a team-high 14 and three others scoring 12 points apiece.

And Missouri, generally accepted to be the smallest team in the Big 12, out-rebounded the Cyclones 36-25 and outscored them 40-20 in the paint. Missouri also did a better job defensively in the second half, challenging more looks as ISU shot 4-for-11 from three after making eight of twelve in the first half. Iowa State doesn't have the size that teams such as Kansas State and Baylor possess, but they were a good challenge for the Tigers on the heels of their first loss of the season. And with their leading scorer having an off night, Denmon's teammates stepped up their play and earned an important victory as a result.

3. Temple rebounds from their loss to Dayton, winning at Saint Louis.
One important aspect of league play when looking to contend for a conference title is to make sure losses don't turn into losing streaks. Temple was able to do that as they went to Saint Louis and won 72-67. Khalif Wyatt led the way with 22 points and Ramone Moore added 18 as the Owls moved to 1-1 in Atlantic 10 play. Kwamain Mitchell knocked down some big shots late in hopes of pulling the Billikens ahead, but Temple did a good job of limiting his quality looks (6-for-16 FG) for much of the night.

The three-point shot, or SLU's inability to knock the shots down, proved to be the difference as Saint Louis shot 6-for-16 while Temple made five of their seven. Fran Dunphy's team did a good job of not settling for deep shots, shooting 56.6% from the field. With Xavier looking like a team that's starting to return to form, this was a critical game for both Temple and Saint Louis in regards to winning the A-10 crown. Thanks in large part to their solid shot selection, Temple picked up a nice result on the road.

Quick Hitters

1. The top two teams both won games by margins that would fool the casual observer. Syracuse was far more dominant in their 79-66 win over Villanova than that score would indicate, and Kentucky closed their 68-53 win at Auburn with a 23-6 run.

2. With all the consternation surrounding the ACC's lack of depth, NC State losing 82-71 to Georgia Tech at home won't help matters. Four Yellow Jacket starters reached double figures and Glen Rice Jr. scored 22 off the bench, and the visitors also made nine of fifteen deep. The Wolfpack shot 5-for-19 from deep, and that's essentially where the game was lost.

3. No matter how talented they are, Southern Miss just can't seem to get over the hump in their series with Memphis. The Tigers won their 18th straight in the series, 60-58, with Chris Crawford's two free throws being the difference. Cedric Jenkins, who committed the foul that sent Crawford to the line with 31.6 seconds left in a tie game, missed a three as time expired.

4. While Temple did a good job of bouncing back from their loss to Dayton, the Flyers didn't do a great job of dealing with prosperity as they lost 81-73 at St. Bonaventure. Andrew Nicholson led the Bonnies with 30 points and 13 rebounds and the home team made 24 of 28 free throws as well, while Dayton shot 11-for-30 from three.

5. Old Dominion didn't shoot well as they made just 36.4% of their shots, but the Monarchs made up for it by grabbing 20 offensive rebounds in a 68-66 overtime win at Delaware. Kent Bazemore scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the way for ODU, who moved to 4-1 in CAA play.

6. After dropping their MAC opener at Bowling Green on Saturday, Ohio rebounded with a 60-52 win over Buffalo in Athens. D.J. Cooper led the way with 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists while Buffalo's Javon McCrea made just four of thirteen shots from the field.

7. They were picked in the preseason poll to finish 4th in the Patriot League by the coaches but Lafayette is off to a good start, moving to 2-0 in conference play with a 75-63 win over Army. Rob Delaney scored a career-high 19 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Leopards while Levi Giese scored ten off the bench. Does Fran O'Hanlon's team have enough firepower to hang with preseason favorite Bucknell? We'll find out on Saturday when they host the Bison.

8. Out west, Colorado State picked up a nice win as they beat Denver 79-75 in Fort Collins. Wes Eikmeier scored 22 points while Greg Smith (17 points, seven rebounds) and Dorian Green (15 points) also played well. CSU now moves into conference play, where they have the ability to be a factor in the league race.

Three Notable Performances

1. F/C Andrew Nicholson (St. Bonaventure)
30 points and 13 rebounds in the Bonnies' 81-73 win over Dayton.

2. G Kent Bazemore (Old Dominion)
27 points and 12 rebounds in the Monarchs' 68-66 overtime win at Delaware.

3. F Davante Gardner (Marquette)
22 points, 15 rebounds and two blocked shots in the Golden Eagles' 81-63 win over St. John's.

Michigan vs. Northwestern: Wednesday's Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday Recap: Temple Knocks Off #3 Duke

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:04:27 -0500

The question asked going into Temple's matchup with #3 Duke was whether or not they would be able to take care of business in the paint with the injured Micheal Eric still out. But by the end of the contest it was apparent that wasn't the biggest issue to be addressed for either team as the Owls won 78-73.

Temple relies heavily on their guards for offense, and Duke didn't have the answers for Fran Dunphy's perimeter players on either end of the floor. Khalif Wyatt led Temple with 22 points, Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson added 17 and three other players scored 11 points in leading the program to their first win over Duke since 1996 (nine meetings).

"I think there was only one way we could win, and that is to manage the game and have those three guys [in control]," said Temple head coach Fran Dunphy of Moore, Wyatt and Juan Fernandez. "And they're pretty good basketball players and they're going to be able to make good decisions with the ball."

Rebounding wasn't a concern for the Owls either as they out-rebounded Duke 32-29. Temple did turn the ball over 17 times in the win, but the Owls also forced 16 Duke turnovers with eleven coming by way of a steal. Duke's guards had a rough time on both ends of the floor, but the more glaring issue for the Blue Devils came on the defensive end.

As a team Temple shot 56.4% from the field as they were able to find the looks they desired when running their offense. Duke on the other hand made 47.5% of their shots, and while that's not a bad number the good looks were tougher to come by for Mike Krzyzewski's team. There's also the offensive end of the floor for the Duke perimeter, which failed to take advantage of the play of big men Mason and Miles Plumlee, who combined for 33 points and 17 rebounds.

Duke's starting guards (Austin Rivers, Seth Curry and Tyler Thornton) combined to make seven of twenty-one shots from the field while reserves Quinn Cook (2-6 FG) and Andre Dawkins (0-3 FG) didn't fare much better. Outside of Rivers the Blue Devils (right now) don't have players who can apply pressure to defenses with their playmaking ability, and that got them in trouble against Temple's experienced backcourt.

The key for Rivers, who will likely have to develop into the lead option for this role, is to develop into a guard who can also set up his teammates. That may be Duke's best hope in the long-term when thinking about whether or not they can win a national title.

"We wanted to take away the three and try to run them off the three-point line a little bit," said Dunphy of their defensive strategy. "I was pleased with our defense and obviously when you can win a game like this, everybody has to play well and you have to get a little lucky, and I think we did that."

The benefit of a game like this in defeat is that Duke has a far better idea of what they need to clean up going into ACC play than they likely would had this contest been against a lesser opponent. As for Temple, winning in front of the third-largest crowd to watch a basketball game at Wells Fargo Center is quite the boost for the program as they go into Atlantic 10 play.

There's been more than enough time to adjust to not having Eric or Scootie Randall, and the Owls will benefit as it has allowed player such as Anthony Lee to take advantage of more playing time. With Xavier going through their struggles the top spot in the A-10 is up for grabs, and Temple is more than capable of grabbing the regular season title.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Georgetown comes back from 17 down to beat #20 Marquette.
With 13:13 left in the game Buzz Williams' Golden Eagles led #9 Georgetown 56-39 and looked to be well on their way to a big conference road victory. But the Hoyas refused to quit, rallying all the way back to tie the score at 66 with 2:33 to go. And John Thompson III's team completed the comeback in thrilling fashion as Hollis Thompson knocked down a three with 24 seconds remaining to give the Hoyas a 73-70 win at the Verizon Center. Jason Clark scored a game-high 26 points to lead the victors, but the big switch occurred in the points in the paint and "paint touches" that are a core value of the Marquette program.

In the first half the Golden Eagles held a 22-8 edge in points in the paint, taking a 43-29 lead into the half as a result. Things flipped in the second half, as Georgetown outscored Marquette 20-4 in the paint. Marquette also falied to score a single fast break point in the second half, and Georgetown taking better care of the basketball (five turnovers compared to 12 in the first half) had a lot to do with that. Georgetown added another line to what is currently the Big East's best resume with a thrilling comeback, while Marquette was issued a tough reminder of what happens when they stray away from what makes them so successful.

2. Kansas controls the boards in a double-digit win over #22 Kansas State.
With Kansas State being the better rebounding team entering Wednesday's showdown it was imperative that Kansas take care of the glass at Allen Fieldhouse. Bill Self's team did that and then some, bludgeoning the Wildcats to the tune of a 50-26 edge on the boards in a 67-49 victory. K-State didn't help themselves by shooting 31.6% from the field (Kansas made 45.5% of their shots) either, but for the Wildcats to resort to shooting 20 three-pointers (making five) is an issue for a team that makes just 33% of their three-pointers on the season.

Thomas Robinson led the way for Kansas with 15 points and 14 rebounds, but it was the play of Travis Releford that stole the show. Releford scored a team-high 16 points while also grabbing 11 rebounds for his first career double-double, providing the help that Kansas will need more of as the season wears on if they're to compete with a team like Baylor in the race for the Big 12 title. Jeff Withey chipped in with eight points and six blocks, rebounding from an uninspired performance in the Jayhawks' win over North Dakota. If guys such as Releford and Withey can be consistent factors Kansas can win another conference title.

3. La Salle takes controls of the game late in the first half on their way to a win over Xavier.
It's been tough sledding for Chris Mack's Xavier club since the brawl with Cincinnati in December, as the combination of suspensions and a challenging schedule proved to be a bit much for the Musketeers. But with all parties involved back, should it really be taking this long to regain the confidence and chemistry they had before that incident? That's a definite concern for Xavier going forward, but on Wednesday night it was all about Dr. John Giannini's Explorers at Tom Gola Arena.

With the program's greatest player not named Tom Gola (Lionel Simmons) in attendance, La Salle closed the first half on a 22-6 run and went on to win 80-70 in the Atlantic 10 opener for both teams. Earl Pettis scored 23 points and Ramon Galloway added 16 as four players reached double figures for the Explorers, who have now won nine of their last ten games. La Salle assisted on 20 of their 26 baskets, and outscoring Xavier 27-12 from deep was key as well. Xavier will be the attention-grabber due to the preseason expectations, but be sure to keep an eye on the Explorers as well.

Quick Hitters

1. Northwestern was presented a nice opportunity to pick up a quality win with Illinois visiting Evanston, and Bill Carmody's Wildcats couldn't get the job done as they fell 57-56. Myers Leonard's block of a Drew Crawford shot in the final seconds preserved the win for the Fighting Illini, dropping Northwestern to 1-2 in Big Ten play.

2. Without Josh Benson, Dayton still found a way to win their Atlantic 10 opener as they beat Saint Louis 79-72 in overtime. Cody Ellis banked in a three with two seconds remaining to send the game to overtime, but the Billikens were unable to get over the hump in the extra session. Kevin Dillard led the Flyers with 18 points.

3. Yancy Gates (and Cheikh Mbodj) returned to the floor for Cincinnati, chipping in with six points, eight rebounds and three blocks in the Bearcats' 71-55 win over Notre Dame. Dion Dixon led Mick Cronin's team with 18 points, and Cincinnati has the look of a team that's comfortable in its new style. UC hasn't lost since the brawl with crosstown rival Xavier, winning seven straight games.

4. Well, it may be time to start taking Ron Hunter's Georgia State team seriously, as they followed up a win over Drexel with a 55-53 win at VCU tonight. Jihad Ali scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Panthers, who are now 3-0 in CAA play and have an overall record of 11-3.

5. Even with wins over Robert Morris and Charlotte there wasn't the most positive feeling about Memphis' hopes as they approach Conference USA play. That may have changed on Wednesday as the Tigers beat Tennessee 69-51, controlling the run of play for much of the night. Antonio Barton led the Tigers with 19 points and Tarik Black added 18 and seven rebounds.

6. Iowa held on despite some bad free throw shooting to win their second straight conference road game, 64-62 at Minnesota. Matt Gatens scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead the Hawkeyes while Minnesota shot 4-for-23 from deep, allowing Iowa to get away with Melsahn Basabe going scoreless in 11 minutes of action.

7. There may not be a better piece of evidence to use in explaining the wild nature of the Missouri Valley than the fact that Southern Illinois is now 2-1 in league play thanks to their 74-65 win at Bradley. Mamadou Seck played very well, finishing with 15 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to lead the Salukis to their second straight league victory. SIU is part of a six-way tie for first place in the MVC.

8. Someone may want to frame the box score from Florida State's 85-56 win over Auburn, because in all honesty it's going to be tough for the Seminoles to match that offensive output in ACC play. FSU made 70.5% of their two-point shots while Auburn made just a third of theirs, scoring 16 points in the first half (FSU led 50-16 at the break). Michael Snaer led the victors with 22 points.

Three Notable Performances

1. C Garrett Stutz (Wichita State)
Stutz scored a career-high 29 points (12-14 FG), grabbed ten rebounds, dished out four assists and blocked three shots in the Shockers' 67-66 win at Evansville. Colt Ryan paced the Purple Aces with 31 points.

2. F Jamelle Hagins (Delaware)
21 points, 18 rebounds and five blocked shots in the Blue Hens' 67-66 win over Hofstra.

3. G Mike James (Lamar)
31 points (12-16 FG) and three steals in the Cardinals' 74-58 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

Wednesday's Preview: #22 Kansas State at #15 Kansas

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:34:35 -0500

Wednesday's schedule features two match ups of Top 25 teams, but only one ranks among the better rivalries in college basketball. #22 Kansas State (11-1), winners of six straight games, takes on #15 Kansas (10-3) in Lawrence in the first of two meetings this season. And despite its rivalry status this is a series the Jayhawks have dominated of late, winning seven straight and eleven of twelve before the Wildcats won 84-68 in Manhattan last February. The key for Frank Martin's team is a simple one: limit the paint touches for junior forward Thomas Robinson (17.7 ppg, 12.2 rpg), as he's near unstoppable when given the opportunity to go to work around the basket.

Jeff Withey has also been an important figure for the Jayhawks up front as he's shown the ability to be a key contributor at times. But he played just eight minutes against North Dakota, as Bill Self sent the message that the junior needs to be more aggressive if he's to continue to get minutes. This may also apply to junior Kevin Young, who only played six minutes against North Dakota, and while he only averages ten minutes per contest against the deeper front courts of the Big 12 Young will have to step up. What these two can do to help out Robinson on the glass tonight could determine the outcome, as K-State has the edge on depth and rebounding margin up front.

Jamar Samuels (11.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg) is the leader in the front court for the Wildcats, and he's allowed to step out and do more work on the wing thanks to the presence of Thomas Gipson (10.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg) and Jordan Henriquez-Roberts (7.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg). Kansas State out-rebounds their opponents by a margin of 7.1 rebounds per game, while Kansas has a margin of just plus-0.9. Kansas State is also good at attacking the offensive boards, grabbing 15.2 which is good for a offensive rebounding percentage of 42.3%.

Turnovers, especially among the guards, will also be key as Kansas has struggled with taking care of the basketball at times. Senior Tyshawn Taylor (15.3 ppg, 5.2 apg) is also averaging 3.8 turnovers per game, and he's had some absolute clunkers this season in this regard. But he's turned the ball over six times in the last three games, which is quite the improvement when compared to his 12 turnovers in the games against Ohio State and Davidson that preceded that stretch. Elijah Johnson (10.2 ppg, 3.7 apg) and Travis Releford (8.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg) are the other starters on the perimeter, with Johnson being the best at taking care of the ball when looking at assist-to-turnover ratios.

Kansas State averages 14.7 turnovers per game, which is slightly higher than Kansas' 14.6 average, but the Wildcats have a "better" distribution of those mistakes as no one averages more than 1.9 per game. Guards Will Spradling (11.8 ppg, 2.7 apg) and Rodney McGruder (12.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg) handle the majority of the offensive duties for the Wildcats while Martavious Irving (6.2 ppg) is one of the better defensive guards in the Big 12. And a player to watch as a reserve is freshman Angel Rodriguez, who has scored in double figures in four of the last five games. If he can bring scoring punch while playing in control, K-State will be that much tougher to beat.

The other Top 25 matchup pits #20 Marquette against #9 Georgetown at the Verizon Center, with the winner remaining undefeated in Big East play. Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder have been two of the best players in the Big East, but what they get from Vander Blue could be the difference between a good season and a special one. It will also be interesting to see what Davante Gardner, who played very well against Villanova after being removed from the starting lineup, can do against Georgetown's Henry Sims. Sims is a tough matchup within Georgetown's system due to his ability to step out and make plays, and having perimeter players like Jason Clark and Hollis Thompson doesn't hurt either.

Duke plays a non-conference game before diving into ACC play and it won't be an easy one either, as they take on Temple in Philadelphia. The Blue Devils have to have an answer defensively for Ramone Moore, and senior Juan Fernandez had back-to-back games of 20+ points before scoring 11 in the Owls' win at Delaware. The question for Temple is whether or not they've got the bodies inside to keep Mason Plumlee off the glass. If not, beating Duke will become an even tougher task. In the CAA it's time to find out just how good Ron Hunter's Georgia State team is, as they visit a red-hot VCU team. Devonta White has helped lead the Panthers to a 10-3 start but with a strength of schedule of 344, we'll learn a lot more about their staying power tonight.

Indiana State/Northern Iowa is a key game in the Missouri Valley race with UNI already having two losses in league play, and in the Atlantic 10 Saint Louis visits Dayton in the Flyers' first full game without the injured Josh Benson (torn ACL). Those are both key contest when considering where those final at-large bids could go come Selection Sunday. Illinois' trip to Northwestern would qualify for that distinction as well, with the home team having never been to the Big Dance. Yancy Gates returns to the rotation as Cincinnati hosts Notre Dame, so that should be interesting to watch. And lastly, top-ranked Syracuse visits Providence as the late Dave Gavitt will be honored. The city is naming a street in honor of Gavitt, who founded the Big East Conference. Can Ed Cooley's team ride the emotion to what would be a historic upset? Not so sure about that.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM (1) Syracuse at Providence (ESPN3)
7:00 PM (3) Duke at Temple (ESPN2)
7:00 PM (20) Marquette at (9) Georgetown (ESPN2)
8:00 PM (22) Kansas State at (15) Kansas (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at (18) Murray State

NCAA Division I Games
6:00 PM Xavier at La Salle
7:00 PM Hofstra at Delaware
7:00 PM Auburn at Florida State (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Illinois at Northwestern (BTN)
7:00 PM UNC Wilmington at Northeastern
7:00 PM Delaware State at North Carolina State
7:00 PM West Virginia at Rutgers (ESPN3)
7:00 PM George Washington at St. Bonaventure
7:00 PM Pennsylvania at Lafayette
7:00 PM FGCU at Kennesaw State
7:00 PM Florida A&M at Ball State
7:00 PM Tulane at UCF
7:00 PM Notre Dame at Cincinnati (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Columbia at Colgate
7:00 PM Towson at Drexel
7:00 PM Saint Joseph's at Duquesne
7:00 PM USC Upstate at East Tennessee State
7:00 PM James Madison at William & Mary
7:15 PM Belmont at Jacksonville
7:30 PM Coppin State at Howard
7:30 PM Stetson at Mercer
7:30 PM Richmond at Charlotte
7:30 PM Georgia State at VCU
7:45 PM Lipscomb at North Florida
8:00 PM Southern Illinois at Bradley (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Mayville State at North Dakota
8:00 PM Texas Tech at Oklahoma State
8:00 PM Tennessee at Memphis
8:00 PM Tulsa at Houston
8:00 PM Southeastern Louisiana at Texas-Arlington
8:00 PM UTEP at Marshall
8:00 PM Stephen F. Austin at Texas State
8:00 PM Lamar at Texas A&M-CC (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Saint Louis at Dayton
8:00 PM Indiana State at Northern Iowa
8:00 PM Eastern Illinois at SIU-Edwardsville
8:00 PM East Carolina at Southern Miss
8:00 PM Rice at TCU
8:00 PM Nicholls State at UTSA
8:05 PM Wichita State at Evansville
8:05 PM Illinois State at Missouri State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Texas at Iowa State
9:00 PM Iowa at Minnesota (BTN)

Wednesday Recap: Georgetown Wins at Louisville

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 02:47:01 -0500

A lot of talk surrounding this week of games for the Louisville Cardinals centered on the importance of their game with in-state rival Kentucky on Saturday afternoon. And while that game is extremely important the Cardinals still had to attend to the business of their Big East opener. Thanks to career nights from both Markel Starks and Otto Porter however it was Georgetown that took care of business, handing the Cardinals their first loss of the season by the final score of 71-68. Starks made seven of eight shots from the field in scoring a career-high 20 points while Porter added 14 points and 14 rebounds for his first career double-double.

"Collectively, I don't think you can look at anybody on this team as a measure of points," said Georgetown head coach John Thompson III. "[Starks] made some big plays and his defensive got better in the second half. The same thing I said about the freshmen, these guys are players. Age, class, maturation goes out the window."

Georgetown wasn't great offensively as they turned the basketball over 16 times on the night, but they were still more efficient that a Louisville team that's had trouble scoring consistently in the half court. The Cardinals made two more field goals than the Hoyas but needed 12 more attempts to do so, and they outscored Georgetown by just three points (24-21) from beyond the arc despite attempting 13 more shots (24-11). Kyle Kuric led three Louisville players in double figures with 17 points while Peyton Siva added 15 and Russ Smith 14, but the half-court offensive execution and their struggles from the foul line (10-for-17) doomed the home team.

"I thought we really rushed, jacked up shots when it was still a game," remarked Louisville head coach Rick Pitino. "There were 15 seconds on the clock and we were looking for a three. We haven't done that. But they were a better basketball team. They, at this stage of the season, execute offensively better than we do."

Looking ahead to Saturday at Rupp Arena it's pretty obvious what Louisville's focus will be, and their offensive execution is something that will have to improve if they're to win the Big East as well. When forcing turnovers at a high rate the Cardinals can get away with averaging just over a point per possession, but that won't get it done especially when encountering a team that can execute at a level similar to that of Georgetown. As for the Hoyas, it's still early for a young team that's got talent and the potential to make some waves this season. And they're not going to consistently turn the ball over on a quarter of their possessions either. Winning in a hostile environment despite quiet nights from their three most experienced players (Jason Clark, Henry Sims and Hollis Thompson) is a nice way to start league play for Georgetown.

Other Notable Happenings

1. In a game featuring multiple big runs, Michigan State beats Indiana.
After Keith Appling knocked down a three-pointer with 5:11 remaining in the first half, #17 Michigan State led #15 Indiana 34-16 and looked to be well on their way to an emphatic win in the Big Ten opener for both teams. But Tom Crean's team, much to their credit, refused to give in and went on a 25-2 run to wrestle away control of the contest despite Cody Zeller being in foul trouble. Indiana went from trailing by 18 to eventually leading by nine following a Christian Watford three with just over 11 minutes remaining in the game, and they looked to be a safe bet to wrap up the victory. But the Spartans fought back in front of the home crowd, going on a 20-0 run and winning 80-65 thanks in large part to Appling. Appling, a question mark early in the season when it came to running the point, finished the game with 25 points, seven assists and six rebounds with just two turnovers in his best game of the season.

Also of importance for Michigan State was the play of big man Derrick Nix off the bench, as he scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds in 23 minutes of action. Tim Izzo's team turned the ball over just nine times and made 17 of 22 from the charity stripe, where they outscored the Hoosiers by 12. Watford led Indiana with 26 points and ten rebounds but the early favorite for Big Ten Rookie of the Year (Zeller) attempted just five shots and scored four points in a tough night at the office. In moving to 12-2 on the season the Spartans also scored 23 points off of 13 Indiana turnovers, and if they can continue to use their defense to spark the offense look out. As for Indiana, they weren't done any favors by the league schedule-makers as next up for them is Ohio State in Bloomington.

2. Pierre Jackson's drive gives Baylor the win over Mississippi State.
With both teams entering the game in Dallas ranked within the Top 15 many were using the game between #7 Baylor and #14 Mississippi State as a litmus test of sorts. And if anything can be gleaned from the Bears' 54-52 win over the Bulldogs it's that both teams, while definitely talented, have a lot of work to do in order to reach their full potential. Pierre Jackson, whose layup with 28 seconds remaining, scored 14 points but also turned the ball over four times and didn't always exhibit the best shot selection. Mississippi State once again experienced the roller coaster that is big man Renardo Sidney as he alternated displays of what he's capable of doing (10 points) with moments of (to be blunt) basketball incompetence, picking up a technical foul after being called for his fifth foul. Luckily for the Bulldogs, Baylor made just two of the resulting four free throws to tie the game at 52 but that would only delay the inevitable.

The Bulldogs' final possession of the game was just as mystifying, with Dee Bost unable to get open which resulted in a near 10-second game of catch at the top of the Baylor zone. Mississippi State never found the look they wanted, with Jackson ultimately knocking the loose ball to the other end of the floor in the final seconds to preserve the victory. Baylor won by outscoring Mississippi State 11-3 from the foul line and finishing with a 40-32 edge on the boards. Without those advantages it's tough to see the Bears being able to make up for their poor shooting (34.5% FG), but the fact remains that they won and are off the the best start in school history (13-0). While they'll enjoy the win, Scott Drew's team is likely aware of the fact that in order to be Big 12 title good they'll need to get better.

3. Missouri State reminds everyone that they're the defending MVC regular season champs.
Greg McDermott's Bluejays had more than earned the praise bestowed upon them for their hot start to the season, and the same goes for the Missouri Valley Conference as a whole. However going into the start of league play some may have forgotten which team win the regular season title last season, but Kyle Weems and company provided the reminder in Omaha. Weems scored 31 points and grabbed seven rebounds and Anthony Downing knocked down a huge three-pointer with 1:11 remaining to push the Missouri State lead to six (71-65). The Bears went on to win 75-65, outscoring Creighton 45-31 and limiting the preseason favorite to win the MVC to 33.3% shooting in the second half.

While Creighton's Doug McDermott made just eight of eighteen shots and didn't touch the ball as often as many would have liked at key junctures in the second half, he did finish with 18 points and 12 rebounds. The issue for the Bluejays offensively is that Missouri State didn't allow the other starters to get going. Antoine Young scored 13 points but made just three of thirteen shots from the field, and none of the other three starters (Grant Gibbs, Jahenns Manigat and Gregory Echenique) made more than one field goal (combined 3-for-12). That's not going to get it done when Weems and Downing combine to score 57 points with Jamar Gulley adding another twelve. Two things to take out of this result: don't forget about Paul Lusk's team in the title race, and Creighton's game at Wichita State on Saturday became that much more important.

Quick Hitters

1. Fab Melo took another step in his development Wednesday night, tallying a school-record 10 blocked shots in addition to 12 points and seven rebounds in Syracuse's 75-49 win over Seton Hall. Syracuse did all of this without leading scorer Kris Joseph scoring a single point.

2. Jay Wright's team hung tough for about 35 minutes in Morgantown, but Villanova didn't have the horses to win as West Virginia handed the Wildcats an 83-69 defeat. Gary Browne and Truck Bryant combined to score WVU's final 22 points, with Bryant finishing with a game-high 34 points.

3. It's one thing for Northwestern to lose at Ohio State; that was to be expected. But for Drew Crawford and John Shurna to shoot a combined 9-for-30 in an 87-54 loss to the Buckeyes? Ohio State out-rebounded the Wildcats 48-28 and William Buford led the way with 28 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

4. Under the radar quality road win: Loyola (MD) beating Patriot League favorite Bucknell 72-67. Erik Etherly led the Greyhounds with 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four blocks, and Loyola out-rebounded the Bison by ten (33-23). A lot of the MAAC chat has centered on Iona and Fairfield, but don't ignore Jimmy Patsos' 9-3 team.

5. Speaking of Fairfield, they fell 77-69 at Drexel as Samme Givens went off for the CAA favorites. Givens scored 31 points to go along with nine rebounds, three assists and two steals, and Drexel made 22 of 27 from the charity stripe (Fairfield finished 10-for-13).

6. In a stunning result for "margin of victory" reasons, North Dakota State whipped Oakland 96-69 to move even with the Golden Grizzlies at 2-1 in Summit League play. Reggie Hamilton scored 24 points to lead Oakland but he needed 20 shots to do so (making seven), while Taylor Braun led four Bison starters in double figures with 21.

7. New Mexico exacted a measure of revenge on their in-state rivals, beating New Mexico State 89-69 in Las Cruces. Tony Snell scored 24 points and Drew Gordon added 23 and 19 rebounds for the Lobos, who lost the first meeting this season on their home floor back on November 16th. Steve Alford's team has improved a great deal since then and have won eight straight games.

8. In another MVC score of note Drake knocked off Indiana State 79-64 in Des Moines. Karl Madison scored 24 points and Rayvonte Rice 22 as the Bulldogs won despite not receiving a single point from their bench. Drake shot 71% from the field in the second half to pull away.

9. Maryland received a much-needed boost to their rotation as freshman center Alex Len made his debut. Len, who was suspended by the NCAA for the first ten games of the season, scored 14 points while also grabbing eight rebounds and blocking three shots in the Terrapins' 83-72 win over Albany.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Kyle Weems (Missouri State)
Weems gave folks a nice reminder of who the reigning MVC Player of the Year is, scoring 31 points to go along with seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks in the Bears' 77-65 win over #19 Creighton.

2. F Drew Gordon (New Mexico) and F Cameron Moore (UAB)
They played in different games but both did yeoman's work in their respective teams' victories. Gordon scored 23 points and grabbed 19 rebounds in the Lobos' 89-69 win over New Mexico State, and Moore scored 19 points and grabbed 24 rebounds in the Blazers' 56-49 win at George Washington. Moore out-rebounded the Colonials 24-22.

3. G Truck Bryant (West Virginia)
34 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals in the Mountaineers' 83-69 win over Villanova.

Wednesday Preview: #12 Georgetown at #4 Louisville

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 23:45:01 -0500

There are three games on Wednesday matching ranked teams, but in terms of a conference title race the matchup between #12 Georgetown (10-1) and #4 Louisville (12-0) may have the greatest impact at the end of the regular season. John Thompson III's Hoyas have matured at a rapid rate but this will be their toughest test to date, and the same goes for the Cardinals (until they face Kentucky on Saturday). One reason to watch is the individual battle between two of the Big East's best centers, and their responsibilities are drastically different due to the systems both play in.

Georgetown senior Henry Sims (12.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.7 apg) is called upon to be a facilitator of sorts in the Hoya offensive system, and he's done a very good job of it thus far. An afterthought (to put it kindly) his first three seasons in the nation's capital, a very good case can be made for Sims being the Big East's most improved player. But the same can be said for Louisville sophomore Gorgui Dieng (10.8 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 2.9 bpg), whose primary responsibilities are to defend and rebound and he's done a very good job of that. While these two have far different roles there's no underestimating the importance of either as both teams look to win a Big East title.

While Louisville may be able to shuttle in more "true" big men the two teams enter Wednesday's game with identical rebounding margins of plus-6.9. Rick Pitino can call on freshman Chane Behanan (8.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg), Josh Swopshire (5.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and Rakeem Buckles (5.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg) for interior play, with Buckles' return resulting in fewer minutes for Swopshire of late. Georgetown on the other hand attacks the glass by committee, with four players averaging at least five rebounds per game. Junior wing Hollis Thompson (14.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg) is a versatile player who's shooting 54% from the field and 48% from three in addition to leading the Hoyas in rebounding.

Starter Nate Lubick (4.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg) is also the team's second-leading assist man (Sims) and freshman reserve Otto Porter (8.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg) is Georgetown's second-leading rebounder. The key for Georgetown will be two-fold: keep Louisville off the offensive glass (the Cardinals corral 40.1% of their misses) and account for Kyle Kuric at the foul line should they decide to go zone. Kuric (13.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg) was the spark Louisville needed in their win over College of Charleston, as the strategic move of the versatile senior to the four took advantage of the "sweet spot" all teams want to get the ball to when dealing with a 2-3 zone.

The two teams are only two possessions per game apart with regards to their season averages, but what happens within those possessions will determine the outcome at the KFC Yum! Center. Jason Clark (15.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg) and Markel Starks (9.7 ppg, 1.6 apg) have to control things for the Hoyas in the face of an intense Louisville defense. Peyton Siva (9.0 ppg, 6.4 apg) and Chris Smith (10.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.9 apg) are both very good athletes who can make plays in the passing lanes (as can Kuric), and in redshirt freshman Russ Smith (10.5 ppg, 2.5 spg, 1.9 apg) the Cardinals have one of the top reserve guards in the Big East.

His decision-making can alternate between electrifying and infuriating as if flipping a coin, but Smith's aggressive nature can pay dividends when Louisville needs him the most (see: College of Charleston). Louisville forces an average of 17.5 turnovers per game while Georgetown only turns it over 11.8 times on the average. With the Cardinals essentially breaking even in assist-to-turnover ratio and both teams forcing opponents to hand the ball over at least 23% of the time (Georgetown: 23.3%, Louisville: 25.5%), turnovers and the points scored off of them will be something to keep an eye on.

Also in the Big East, top-ranked Syracuse hosts one of the season's pleasant surprises in Seton Hall. Seniors Jordan Theodore and Herb Pope (who's 100% after never being his full self last season) have done an excellent job of leading Kevin Willard's team on the floor and in the locker room, and in sophomore Fuquan Edwin the Pirates also boast the nation's best thief (3.25 spg). Syracuse should be more than ready for this one as Seton Hall stunned the Orange in the Carrier Dome last season. And Villanova visits West Virginia in a game that could be a separator in regards to the last NCAA Tournament bids for the Big East, but the Mountaineers (led by forward Kevin Jones) look to be a much safer bet for the Field of 68 at this point in the season.

There's also a marquee non-conference matchup on the slate with #14 Mississippi State taking on #7 Baylor in Dallas. For the Bulldogs to be able to truly compete inside against Scott Drew's front court they need Renardo Sidney to show up. Arnett Moultrie has been outstanding for much of the season but to ask him to take on the Bears' deep front line by himself would be a tall task (no pun intended). The Big Ten's got some big match ups as well, with Northwestern visiting Ohio State and Indiana visiting Michigan State. The Wildcats rely on Drew Crawford and John Shurna, but what they're able to do with Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas will determine whether or not they can win in Columbus.

The Hoosiers, arguably the most-improved team in America, are still undefeated but it's going to be tough to beat the Spartans in East Lansing. Tom Izzo's team hasn't lost since that North Carolina/Duke stretch to begin the season, and young guards Keith Appling and Travis Trice seem to become more comfortable running things by the game (inside Adriean Payne has shown signs of maturation as well).

And in the Missouri Valley be sure to catch Missouri State visiting Creighton, with two of the Valley's best players taking center stage. Kyle Weems won the league's Player of the Year award last season as the Bears won the regular season crown, but Doug McDermott has played at an All-America level for the Bluejays. Buffalo taking on Temple and Fairfield visiting Drexel will make for a good night of hoops in Philadelphia, and there's the rematch between New Mexico and New Mexico State (the Aggies won the first meeting this season in Albuquerque) to account for out west.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM Seton Hall at (1) Syracuse (ESPN3)
5:30 PM Northwestern at (2) Ohio State (BTN)
8:30 PM Lamar at (3) Kentucky (ESPNU)
7:00 PM (12) Georgetown at (4) Louisville (ESPN2)
9:00 PM (14) Mississippi State vs. (7) Baylor* (ESPN2)
9:00 PM (9) Connecticut at USF (ESPN3)
7:30 PM (15) Indiana at (17) Michigan State (BTN)
8:00 PM Missouri State at (19) Creighton (ESPN3)
10:00 PM Central Arkansas at (20) UNLV

NCAA Division I Games
3:00 PM North Carolina A&T at Houston
6:00 PM UNC Asheville at Western Carolina
6:30 PM Oklahoma State vs. SMU* (ESPNU)
7:00 PM UAB at George Washington
7:00 PM Buffalo at Temple
7:00 PM Liberty at Richmond
7:00 PM Villanova at West Virginia (ESPN3)
7:00 PM UMBC at Niagara
7:00 PM Monmouth at Lafayette
7:00 PM Loyola (MD) at Bucknell
7:00 PM Quinnipiac at Colgate
7:00 PM Bowling Green at Duquesne
7:00 PM Siena at Florida Atlantic
7:00 PM Columbia at Marist
7:00 PM Army at Presbyterian
7:00 PM Wofford at South Carolina (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Morgan State at Saint Joseph's
7:00 PM Lehigh at Saint Peter's
7:00 PM Cornell at Stony Brook
7:00 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at NJIT
7:30 PM Binghamton at Canisius (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Erskine at Charleston Southern
7:30 PM Fairfield at Drexel
8:00 PM Charlotte at Arkansas
8:00 PM Wichita State at Bradley
8:00 PM Albany at Maryland
8:00 PM Southern Utah at South Dakota
8:00 PM Texas A&M-CC at Rice
8:00 PM Oakland at North Dakota State (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Samford at Sam Houston State
8:00 PM IPFW at South Dakota State
8:00 PM UC Riverside at UTSA
8:00 PM Cleveland State at Toledo
8:05 PM Oral Roberts at UMKC
8:05 PM Indiana State at Drake
8:30 PM Huston-Tillotson at Texas State
8:30 PM Morehead State at Southeast Missouri State
9:00 PM New Orleans at Colorado
9:00 PM New Mexico at New Mexico State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Portland at Gonzaga (ROOT NW)
9:00 PM Colorado State at UTEP
9:05 PM Eastern Washington at Montana State
9:05 PM Portland State at Montana
9:30 PM Mercer at Tulsa
9:30 PM Purdue at Iowa (BTN)
10:00 PM Cedarville at Nevada
11:00 PM Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. Jacksonville State*

Thursday Recap: Missouri Wins Braggin' Rights Yet Again

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 06:10:58 -0500

The "Braggin' Rights" game between Illinois and Missouri is alway an intense affair, with the fans in the stands split by the halfcourt line and both teams understanding what's at stake before they even hit the floor. This season's game was no different, although for a good portion of the first half it seemed as if the undefeated Tigers were on their way to a romp. Bruce Weber's team refused to fold, and once Missouri got out of control Illinois was able to mount their rally. Illinois went on a 17-3 run halfway through the second half with Joseph Bertrand (19 points, 9-9 FG) leading the way to take a 62-61 lead, but it was Missouri's backcourt that made the plays late to win 78-74.

Phil Pressey led the Tigers with 18 points and five assists, and his layup with 12 seconds remaining sealed the deal as Illinois decided not to foul. Michael Dixon Jr. also scored 18 points and in total four Tigers reached double figures, but they allowed the pace to get a little too fast in the second half. Instead of working the ball around for good shots Missouri took hurried looks, and the "bailouts" allowed Illinois to go down to the other end and string together quality possessions. Bertrand was a big key in that, as he made all nine of his shots while making sound decisions with the basketball.

During that 17-3 run there were also better opportunities for Meyers Leonard, who finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds and five assists on the night. The Illini did a better job of finding and getting Leonard the ball in positions where he could be most effective, and that's something that will have to continue for the Illini to reach their full potential. But Illinois once again lost sight of what sparked their run in the final minutes, which allowed the Tigers to regain the lead and ultimately win. Illinois shot 50% from the field and out-rebounded Missouri 35-30 but those numbers didn't matter as much as their 17 turnovers in the end.

Illinois turned the ball over on 24% of their possessions and made just four of sixteen shots from beyond the arc with Sam Maniscalco and D.J. Richardson combining to make just one of eight (Richardson entered the game having made five threes in each of Illinois' last two games). As for the Tigers, while they averaged more than a point per possession they didn't approach their season average in terms of offensive efficiency (126.2), finishing at a 109.9.

They finished below their season averages in many of the tempo-free categories and their getting out of control at times had something to do with it. But Coach Haith and his players understand what they do best and what needs to be done to improve on Thursday's showing. The last time a Missouri team got off to a 12-0 start was back in 1981-82, and that team won 19 straight and finished 27-4. Could this group of Tigers do the same? They sure can.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Georgetown takes care of business and hands Memphis their fifth loss of the season.
The rematch of the Maui Invitational meeting between Memphis and #16 Georgetown was supposed to be a tight affair throughout, but things didn't work out that way for Josh Pastner's Tigers. Frankly Memphis was outworked for much of the game, trailing by as many as 20 points in the second half before finally fighting back. Georgetown would go on to win 70-59 with Jason Clark scoring 18 points and Hollis Thompson adding 17 and nine rebounds. Four starters scored in double figures for the Hoyas, and veterans such as Clark, Thompson and Henry Sims underline exactly what Memphis is lacking right now. When things begin to go wrong on the court who's the guy that will hold himself and his teammates accountable?

The talent is definitely there, with Will Barton being one of the best players in the country. But there are also guys who haven't held up their end of the bargain for a team that's now 6-5 on the season. Senior Wesley Witherspoon? Five minutes tonight and eight over the last two games. Tarik Black? Fouled out in 13 nondescript minutes. Things have gotten to the point where Coach Pastner held a team meeting immediately after the game that lasted nearly two hours. Ferrakhon Hall added something from an effort and toughness standpoint when he was on the floor, but if the meetings haven't fully sunk in it's time to use the motivation of the bench to light a fire under guys. Memphis will have the most talent in Conference USA once they enter league play, but if they don't match that with high-level effort they're going to be in more trouble than this group bargained for.

2. Not only does Texas A&M fall to Rice but they also lost Kourtney Roberson.
Even with an all-conference talent like Arsalan Kazemi to contend with, few people expected Billy Kennedy's Aggies to struggle with a Rice team that entered Thursday's game with three wins over non-Division I opponents to their credit. But that's exactly what happened in College Station as Texas A&M shot just 39% from the field in a 65-58 loss to the Owls. Tamir Jackson scored a team-high 13 points while Kazemi (10 points, 13 rebounds), Ahmad Ibrahim (12 points) and Lucas Kuipers also reached double figures for the Owls, who picked up their first win over a Division I opponent in nearly a month. But the loss may be the least of Texas A&M's concerns with Kourtney Roberson being lost for four-to-six weeks with a fractured left ankle suffered in the first half.

David Lobeau led four Aggies in double figures with 14 points but when two starters (Jordan Green and Keith Davis) go scoreless there's going to be trouble. Khris Middleton and Ray Turner have shown at different stages in the season that they can be primary scorers, which goes without saying for Middleton as he was expected to be. But other than that guys are going to have to step up and be consistent factors on offense. Not everyone can score in double figures; that's not realistic for Texas A&M given their tempo and frankly they don't need everyone to. But they need guys to provide something. That didn't happen against Rice, and the end result was a disappointing defeat.

3. Long Beach State beats Xavier, and a freshman may be the key in them winning the Big West.
Tu Holloway made his return to the Xavier lineup after a one-game suspension for his role in that ugly brawl with city rival Cincinnati. But that didn't matter much as the Musketeers still had their problems executing on the offensive end of the floor. Where the Musketeers really ran into trouble was on the other end of the floor, as Long Beach State outscored Xavier by 12 (21-9) from beyond the arc in winning 68-58. Six players scored for the 49ers but five finished in double figures, with freshman Michael Caffey scoring 14 off the bench to lead the way. Xavier made just three of fifteen shots from beyond the arc, and the only reason why the margin wasn't any worse was the fact that The Beach shot 15-for-28 from the foul line.

But back to Caffey, who was a steal for Dan Monson and his staff as he didn't qualify until late (two of his teammates at Corona (CA) Centennial were Gelaun Wheelwright (Weber State) and Dominique Dunning (New Mexico)). If Caffey can continue to progress that will take some weight off the shoulders of senior point guard Casper Ware, who has the responsibilities of running the show as well as scoring, the 49ers will be that much better for it. In fact it can be argued that the absence of such a player was the big reason why Long Beach State couldn't turn their Big West regular season title into an NCAA Tournament bid. Next up for The Beach is Auburn in a Diamond Head Classic semifinal, and it's a game that will have a bigger impact should they lose as opposed to picking up the win.

Quick Hitters

1. They may have won on Thursday, beating Fairfield 79-71, but Connecticut wasn't at their best after jumping out to a 20-point halftime lead. That's been an issue for the Huskies in a few games this season; once they've figured out that the game's over they've allowed teams to hang around. The Huskies need to change that mindset as they head into Big East play.

2. Ian Miller and Antwan Space saw their first action of the season for Florida State but it didn't matter as they fell to rival Florida 82-64 in Gainesville. Bradley Beal scored 21 and grabbed six rebounds and all five Gator starters scored in double figures. Florida simply had too many weapons, and the Seminoles don't have a Patric Young either.

3. Drew Crawford scored 34 points and John Shurna added 18, nine rebounds and six assists but it wasn't enough as Northwestern fell at #21 Creighton 87-79. Doug McDemott scored 27 points and the Bluejays took advantage of Crawford leaving the game early in the second half with his fourth foul. That's another good win for Creighton ,and a missed opportunity for an improved Northwestern.

4. A sophomore who's played well of late but remains under the radar is UTEP's Mike Perez, who scored a career-high 25 points in the Miners' 61-48 win over Clemson at the Diamond Head Classic. Perez has scored at least 17 points in five of UTEP's last six games and has emerged as a go-to option that Tim Floyd and his staff didn't expect to have before the season began.

5. The biggest threat to Belmont in the Atlantic Sun is likely Mercer, and the Bears picked up a 65-59 win at Georgia Tech. Monty Brown scored 13 points off the bench and Bud Thomas added 12 points, seven rebounds and three steals for the Bears, who lost a Belmont by just four earlier this month. Bob Hoffman's got a contender on his hands, and with Belmont being their regular season finale you never know what could be on the line.

6. Charleston did a good job of bouncing back from their tough loss at Louisville, winning 77-70 at Big South contender Coastal Carolina. Andrew Lawrence led the way with 18 points and seven assists while Matt Sundberg added 17 off the bench for the Cougars, who are now 10-2 on the season.

7. Congratulations are in order for Bob Huggins, who won his 700th game as a head coach on Thursday night. West Virginia needed a Gary Browne three-pointer to push Missouri State to overtime in Las Vegas, and they went on to win 70-68. Next up for WVU is #7 Baylor.

8. And Butler did what they had to do to get a split of their two games in beating Stanford 71-66 at Maples Pavilion. Ronald Nored scored 18 points and dished out five assists while Jackson Aldridge added 15 off the bench.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Chris Gaston (Fordham)
35 points (13-17 FG) and 15 rebounds in the Rams' 81-70 win over Texas State.

2. F Arnett Moultrie (Mississippi State)
24 points (8-11 FG), 14 rebounds and four assists in the Bulldogs' 82-67 win over Northwestern State.

3. F/C Brennan Cougill (Green Bay)
19 points, 19 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks in the Phoenix's 63-61 win over Idaho.