Oklahoma St

Oklahoma St vs Georgia Tech: Preview/Prediction

Jeff Borzello — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:03:51 -0400

Start: Mar 19 2010 - 7:15pm

Team Previews: #7 Oklahoma St -- #10 Georgia Tech

Vegas Odds: Oklahoma St -1.5 Bet at bodog

Why Georgia Tech will win:

The Yellow Jackets were inconsistent throughout the season, but they have the size to give Oklahoma State a miserable time. Derrick Favors and Gani Lawal are future lottery picks in the post, and Zach Peacock can step out and shoot. Iman Shumpert is a talented guard.

Yellow Jacket to Watch:

Derrick Favors, F - 13 ppg, 9 rpg, 2 bpg

Favors came into the season as one of the more highly-touted recruits in the country. He is a powerful inside player who has the ability to dominate the paint, at both ends of the floor. He will need to control the post against OK State.

Why Oklahoma St will win:

The Cowboys have been solid all year, led by their perimeter-oriented offense. James Anderson might be the best two-guard in the country, and Obi Muonelo is a match-up nightmare on the wing. Keiton Page doesn't look like much, but he can shoot the three with consistency.

Cowboy to Watch:

James Anderson, G/F - 23 ppg, 6 rpg

Anderson was the Big 12 Player of the Year, and a player capable of going off for 30 or 40 points without batting an eye. He is an absolutely explosive scorer who has scored at least 30 points on five occasions this season.

How it will go down:

This will be a battle between Oklahoma State's perimeter attack against Georgia Tech's talented interior group. In the end, I think that the Yellow Jackets' duo of Lawal and Favors will be too much on the inside, and Shumpert will be able to score just enough to limit OK State's advantage at guard.

Betting Pick: Georgia Tech + 1.5

Real Pick: Georgia Tech

Oklahoma St 2010 NCAA Tournament Capsule

Joel Welser — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:38:35 -0500

Oklahoma State Cowboys

Big 12 Conference (22-10, 9-7)

Big Wins: 1/23 at Kansas State (73-69), 2/20 Baylor (82-75), 2/27 Kansas (85-77)

Bad Losses: 12/2 at Tulsa (65-86), 1/11 at Oklahoma (57-62), 2/6 at Texas Tech (74-81)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2009, Second Round loss to Pittsburgh

Coach: Travis Ford (1-2 in 2 NCAA appearances)

Why They Can Surprise:

Oklahoma State has a couple superstars in James Anderson and Obi Muonelo. Anderson is one of the best pure scorers in the nation. There is not a way that he cannot score. He is a fine outside shooter, can use his 6-6 frame to get to the basket and has a nice mid-range game. He even gets to the charity stripe an amazing 7.9 times per game and is more than capable of grabbing an offensive rebound and taking it right back up for an easy bucket. That is how somebody in the Big 12 can average 22.6 points per game.

Muonelo cannot attack the basket as well as Anderson, but he is a more consistent outside shooter and has connects on 43.3 percent of his attempts from long range. His ability to hit the glass is also very important on a team that lacks size.

Why They Can Disappoint:

And it is that lack of size that is a big problem for the Cowboys. Generally Coach Travis Ford will have Anderson and Muonelo at the three and four spots and start two 5-9 players in the backcourt. Keiton Page has done an admirable job and has turned into a steady ballhandler who can also hit the outside shot. Ray Penn has been inconsistent during his freshman campaign and a knee has sidelined him for the season. Fred Gulley and Nick Sidorakis have had to step up in Penn’s absence. Gulley has some size for a ballhandler, which has earned him a handful of starts, but he is not much of a scorer at this point of his career.

Who To Watch:

Usually OSU plays their four guards with Marshall Moses in the middle. And Moses does a good job in that role, averaging 8.7 points and 8.2 rebounds. He is a good interior scorer and does as well as he can mopping up the rebounds while the guards are sprinting down the court. Yet, he is only 6-7 and that can be a problem on the defensive end against much taller opposition. However, there is another option for Coach Ford. Matt Pilgrim, a transfer from Hampton, is a big bodied forward who was inserted in the starting lineup while Penn was out with an injury and at times has taken over the Moses’ starting gig. Pilgrim is averaging 8.3 points and 6.8 rebounds on the season, but his best games were when he was in the starting lineup. If Oklahoma State has to play big, and they can go big with wings that are 6-5 and 6-6, Pilgrim will play a huge role.

Probable Starters:

Fred Gulley, Freshman, Guard, 1.6 ppg, 1.3 apg

Keiton Page, Sophomore, Guard, 10.7 ppg, 2.7 apg

Obi Muonelo, Senior, Guard, 13.4 ppg, 2.3 apg, 5.1 rpg

James Anderson, Junior, Guard, 22.6 ppg, 2.4 apg, 5.8 rpg

Matt Pilgrim, Junior, Forward, 8.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg

Key Roleplayers:

Roger Franklin, Freshman, Forward, 2.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg

Marshall Moses, Junior, Forward, 8.7 ppg, 8.2 rpg

Nick Sidorakis, Junior, Guard, 2.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 74.4 (64^th in nation, 8^th in conference)

Scoring Defense: 67.6 (166, 6)

Field-Goal Percentage: 44.8 (100, 6)

Field-Goal Defense: 41.6 (97, 6)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.2 (20, 1)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 35.0 (128, 10)

Free-Throw Percentage: 71.6 (84, 6)

Rebound Margin: 2.4 (99, 6)

Assists Per Game: 12.3 (219, 11)

Turnovers Per Game: 12.7 (76, 4)

Follow Joel Welser's Postseason Capsules & College Basketball Previews on Twitter @Joel_Welser and on his Facebook page. Joel will be back in June for his annual Top 144 Teams in 144 Days preview on CollegeHoops.net

+ NCAA Basketball Tournament

• 210 NCAA Tournament Coverage

• NCAA Tournament Capsules

• NIT Capsules

• NCAA Tournament Schedule

• Venue Info & Tickets

• Bracketology

2010 CollegeHoops.net College Basketball All-Americans

CHN — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:53:10 -0500

Player of the Year Evan Turner and super-freshman John Wall highlight CollegeHoops.net's 2010 All-America teams. Turner averaged 19.5 ppg, 9.4 rpg, and 5.8 apg while helping Ohio St finish tied atop the Big Ten standings. Wall averaged 16.8 ppg and 6.2 apg, helping lead Kentucky to an impressive 29-2 record and an SEC title. They are joined on the First Team by Wall's teammate DeMarcus Cousins, Villanova leader Scottie Reynolds, and Big 12 Player of the Year James Anderson.

Besides Kentucky, other schools to have multiple players selected include Duke (John Scheyer 2nd Team & Kyle Singler 4th) and Kansas (Sherron Collins & Cole Aldrich 3rd Team). Purdue has three players on the Honorable Mention list, while Baylor has two. Returnees from the 2009 list include Turner, Singler, Collins & Aldrich, Luke Harangody, Kalin Lucas, and Patrick Patterson.

CollegeHoops.net Player of the Year:

Evan Turner, Jr, Ohio St

CollegeHoops.net First-Team All-America
G John Wall, Kentucky, Fr

G Scottie Reynolds, Villanova, Sr
G/F James Anderson, Oklahoma St, Jr
G/F Evan Turner, Ohio St, So
C DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky, Fr

CollegeHoops.net Second-Team All-America
G Greivis Vasquez, Maryland, Sr
G Jon Scheyer, Duke, Sr

F Wesley Johnson, Syracuse, Jr
F Luke Harangody, Notre Dame, Sr
C Greg Monroe, Georgetown, So

CollegeHoops.net Third-Team All-America
G Sherron Collins, Kansas, Sr
G Jacob Pullen, Kansas St, Jr
G/F Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia, Sr
F Damion James, Texas, Sr
C Cole Aldrich, Kansas, Jr

CollegeHoops.net Fourth-Team All-America
G Jerome Randle, California, Sr
G Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech, Jr
G Jordan Crawford, Xavier, So
F Darington Hobson, New Mexico, Jr
F Kyle Singler, Duke, Jr

Honorable Mention
Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest
Luke Babitt, Nevada
Trevor Booker, Clemson
Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga
Devan Downey, South Carolina

LaceDarius Dunn, Baylor
Jimmer Fredette, BYU
Austin Freeman, Georgetown
Lazar Hayward, Marquette
Darington Hobson, New Mexico
Trevon Hughes, Wisconsin
Robbie Hummel, Purdue
JaJuan Johnson, Purdue
Dominique Jones, South Florida
Kalin Lucas, Michigan St
E'Twaun Moore, Purdue
Patrick Patterson, Kentucky
Quincy Pondexter, Washington
Omar Samhan, Saint Mary's
Donald Sloan, Texas A&M
Ekpe Udoh, Baylor

Check back tomorrow for our High-Major & Mid-Major All-America Teams.

Poll: Who Will Win the Big 12 Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:17:10 -0500

College Hoops Saturday Recap: Commodores Hand One Over

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 02:59:10 -0500

The BracketBusters Saturday recap can be found here.

It wasn't the prettiest game and the rising emotions on the floor likely had something to do with it. But when the game between Kentucky and Vanderbilt came down to crunch time it was the younger squad that made the winning plays in a hostile environment. A John Wall free throw (he'd made two prior to give them a 57-53 lead) gave the Wildcats the 58-56 win but this was more about the Commodores missing valuable opportunities to put the game away. DeMarcus Cousins led all scorers with 19 points while Wall and Patrick Patterson (13 rebounds) added 13 points apiece in leading Kentucky to a win that likely sews up the SEC title.

Vanderbilt, who went into the game leading the SEC in free throws attempted, took 25 foul shots yet did themselves in by stubbornly firing away from behind the arc when shots weren't falling. The Commodores, who were led by Jeffrey Taylor's 17 points, made just two of twenty shots from behind the arc and also turned the ball over fifteen times. The worst transgression: Jermaine Beal passing up a drive to the basket to kick the ball out to John Jenkins, whose three-pointer was blocked by Wall to preserve a one-point lead (57-56) with three seconds left in the game. The national Player of the Year candidate made the second of two free throws to extend the lead and when A.J. Ogilvy's (3-8 FG, 9 points) floater missed the Wildcats extended their lead in the SEC East to two games with four to go.

"This is the type of win that I love," remarked John Calipari. "We were able to grind it out. Everyone knows that we like to play fast, but we don't force our will on the opponent. When it comes to tournament time, you have to be able to play different styles and we did that tonight (quote courtesy of UK Athletics)."

It was a significant test for Kentucky, one that more than a few did not expect them to pass. But in completing the week 2-0 with a couple of tough wins in hostile environments the Wildcats were able to show off some of the mettle needed to cut down the nets in April. You're not going to be dominant every night; some games you'll simply have to win by making a play or two late and Kentucky got the job done.

Three Key Happenings

1. Florida wins in Oxford, boosting their Tournament hopes while crushing those of Ole Miss. In a game that both teams needed in order to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive the Gators made the crucial plays late to win 64-61. The loss represents two missed chances at resume wins for the Rebels (lost to Vanderbilt on Thursday) and with both games being at Tad Smith Coliseum it wouldn't be a stretch to say that they're in dire straits now. Vernon Macklin led all scorers with 22 points while also grabbing seven rebounds while Terrance Henry scored seventeen off the bench to pace the Rebels.

The problem for Ole Miss, as it's been for much of the season, was shot selection. Not so much who's shooting (of course you want Chris Warren and Terrico White with the ball) but the fact that they take so many contested perimeter shots. As a result Florida essentially won the game from the foul line, outscoring the Rebels by sixteen points (25-27 to 9-11) and that's a margin that's virtually unheard of in favor of a visiting team. The win keeps Florida in the at-large conversation at a time when many teams are doing more to eliminate themselves from consideration, and that's the least you can ask for this time of the year.

2. Oklahoma State picks up an important win over Baylor. James Anderson (31 points, 12 rebounds) and Keiton Page (22 points) led the way as the Pokes may have punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament with an 82-75 win over Baylor in Stillwater. Travis Ford's Cowboys begin a four-game stretch against ranked opponents, providing ample opportunities for them to not only play themselves into the Big Dance but also improve their seeding along the way. Tweety Carter led the Bears with 25 points but he needed twenty shots to do so while LaceDarius Dunn made just five of seventeen from the field.

Anderson and Page both made five of eight from behind the arc and for the game Oklahoma State hit fourteen of twenty-five on the afternoon. Baylor wasn't too shabby themselves in making twelve of twenty-two, but when your overall field goal percentage is 38.8% you're going to have a tough time winning on the road (doing the math, Baylor shot 31.1% (14-45) from two). But this was more about Oklahoma State picking up a win they needed if they're to get back to the NCAA Tournament. Left over in the four-game stretch are road games against Texas and Texas A&M with the home contest being against...Kansas.

3. Cliff Tucker's three gives Maryland the win over Georgia Tech. How often do you see a team hit a game-winning shot yet have it nullified by a timeout...and then they come back and hit a shot to win the game? That's exactly what happened at the Comcast Center as Maryland beat Georgia Tech 76-74 to strengthen their NCAA Tournament argument. After a Derrick Favors (21 points, 18 rebounds) putback gave the Yellow Jackets a 74-73 lead with just over two seconds remaining Greivis Vasquez made the charge up the floor, banking in a three pointer. But the shot didn't count because Maryland called a timeout before the release, allowing Gary Williams the opportunity to draw up a final play. Coach Williams drew up a play that looked eerily similar to the one that Georgia Tech used in the 1992 NCAA Tournament to beat USC (James Forrest), and when Cliff Tucker's three fell the crowd went wild.

Vasquez, in leading the Terps with 18 points, became the first player in ACC history to account for at least 2,000 points, 700 assists and 600 rebounds. Yet for all that the senior from Venezuela has accomplished in his four years even he recognized how important Tucker's shot was. "Every win we got, we got it as a team. This is nothing about me; our team has done a great job, being positive. Praise Cliff. He made that big shot for us and won the game (quote courtesy of Maryland Athletics)." Maryland moves closer to locking up a first-round bye in the ACC Tournament and likely locked up an NCAA berth in the process.

Top Three Games

1. Maryland 76, Georgia Tech 74 See above.

2. Kentucky 58, Vanderbilt 56 See above.

3. New Mexico 59, Air Force 56 The Lobos survived an upset bid from the Falcons that if completed would have supplanted Penn's win over Cornell as the biggest surprise of the season. Darington Hobson's (17 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast) putback with 16.9 seconds remaining gave UNM the lead for good, keeping them in a tie for first place in the Mountain West. Grant Parker led the Falcons with 17 points.

Three Notable Performances

1. G James Anderson (Oklahoma St) 31 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in the Cowboys' 82-75 win over Baylor.

2. G Kyle Ohman (Liberty) Ohman scored 39 points and grabbed ten rebounds in the Flames' 76-67 win over High Point.

3. F Derrick Favors (Georgia Tech) Favors went for 21 points and 18 rebounds in the Yellow Jackets' 76-74 loss at Maryland.

Poll: Who is the Big 12 MVP So Far?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:34:43 -0500

College Hoops Monday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 22:06:49 -0500

If either Connecticut or Louisville shows up at Freedom Hall not understanding the magnitude of the game they should be eliminated from at-large consideration. Hate to be so harsh but both teams are essentially at the point where they need to go on a run if they're to make the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies, who have been without head coach Jim Calhoun for the last four games due to health reasons, own just one Top 25 win (Texas) and they've yet to beat anyone of consequence on the road (as a matter of fact they've yet to win a true road game). UConn has three capable scorers in Jerome Dyson, Stanley Robinson and Kemba Walker, and Gavin Edwards has done a good job off the bench.

But when you're averaging 14.7 turnovers per game (14th in the Big East) you're not going to win big games. Of course Syracuse is 15th but compare their offensive weapons to Connecticut's and you can figure out which one has the better chance of winning on an off night. That's been an issue for Rick Pitino's Cardinals as well, and they're hoping to bounce back from a painful loss of their own with West Virginia winning by three on Saturday. One area that has to worry the Cardinals, although it may not cost them on Monday night, is defending the three. Opponents are shooting 42.1% from distance this season, by far the worst number for any defense in the Big East.

Louisville will need to look inside early and often to Samardo Samuels; it's tough to think that Alex Oriakhi, Ater Majok or Charles Okwandu have the presence and experience to muscle up to the sophomore and shut him down. The Cardinals will also need to use their full-court pressure to turn over a UConn team that's proven to be prone to being careless with the basketball. In a game matching two teams that if not for the underwhelming play of many other "bubble teams" they may be in even more trouble when it comes to the Tournament, the home court advantage may be the deciding factor.

Other games of importance include a struggling Texas visiting Stillwater with hopes of ending their current skid, but they'll have their hands full with swingman James Anderson. The question: can the Longhorns generate enough offense, especially if J'Covan Brown continues to come off the bench? Whether or not they can will determine the outcome of this one, with both teams being relatively close in statistical categories such as points per possession and offensive efficiency. Iona host Canisius and with a win they move into sole possession of second place in the MAAC, and two of the better teams in the SWAC face off when Jackson State visits Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

TV GAMES

7p ESPN Connecticut at Louisville
7p ESPNU Prairie View A&M at Alabama State
9p ESPN Texas at Oklahoma State
9p ESPNU South Carolina State at Florida A&M

OTHER GAMES

7p Belmont at East Tennessee St
7p Northern Illinois at Kent St
7p Canisius at Iona
7:30p Howard at Delaware St
8:30p Jackson St at Arkansas-Pine Bluff

ONE PREDICTION

Louisville over Connecticut: Both teams can be a bit careless with the basketball but since the Cardinals have displayed a better ability to make things happen in regards to forcing turnovers they're the pick. Look for Samuels to have a productive game inside while his teammates use pressure to win the turnover battle. Cards by seven.

College Hoops Saturday Recap: Huskies Get Statement Win

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 01:15:37 -0500

Most of the talk surrounding Connecticut's game against top-ranked Texas focused on the fact that it was a good thing the Huskies ended their three-game losing streak on Wednesday night against St. John's. Few people expected the team, currently being run by George Blaney due to Jim Calhoun's leave of absence, to beat the Longhorns despite playing on campus in front of a frenzied crowd. And about 30 seconds into the second half, when one basket was followed by yet another turnover and Texas hoop to make it 44-34, it looked like the game was definitely headed in that direction. But from that timeout taken by Coach Blaney on the Huskies controlled the game, even executing in the half-court and on inbounds plays at a level seldom seen in recent games to win going away 88-74.

Jerome Dyson was the most important constant for UConn, scoring a career-high 32 points while Stanley Robinson (17 points, 12 rebounds) and Kemba Walker (19 points, 10 assists) helped lead the Huskies to their best win of the season and first over a ranked team. It was also the program's second all-time over a top-ranked team with the first coming against Duke for their first national title in 1999. The key for Connecticut? They simply settled down. UConn turned the ball over sixteen times in the first half, resulting in 25 points for the Longhorns and a 42-34 UT lead at the half. But after that turnover to start off the second half UConn turned the ball over just three more times the rest of the game. From there it was Texas who struggled to score in the half-court while Walker and company rose to the occasion.

In addition the points scored by the three aforementioned players there were other key contributors to the Husky cause. Ater Majok had his best defensive game in a UConn uniform, blocking four shots and contesting many others in 31 minutes of play. Gavin Edwards added eleven points off the bench and repeatedly outran the Longhorn bigs down the floor, which was a factor in Dexter Pittman's subpar showing (five points, two rebounds, three turnovers and five fouls in 15 minutes). Even Donnell Beverly provided some important minutes off the bench, accounting for three assists and two steals in his seven minutes of action.

Connecticut finished the game with a 36-34 rebounding edge and while Damion James led the Longhorns with 23 points he had just one made field goal in the first fifteen minutes of the second half. The 13-0 run that flipped the game from a 52-45 Texas lead to 58-52 in favor of the Huskies changed the tide of the game for good, with UT unable to get anything done offensively while Kemba Walker's improved play (17 points, two turnovers) gave Connecticut the spark they needed to close out a week that began with uncertainty in splendid fashion. And while their work is by no means done in regards to the season, Saturday could be a day they look back on as a starting point should they accomplish something special.

Three Key Happenings

1. Duke picks up their first true road victory of the season. Few people picked the Blue Devils to beat Clemson on the road, bringing up their lack of a true road victory this season and last year's beating they took at Littlejohn Coliseum. But what people didn't take into account was Clemson's inability to make an outside shot, and that combined with Duke doing a solid job of handling the Tiger pressure resulted in a 60-47 win for the road team. The "big three" did their job with Nolan Smith leading the way with 22 points and Lance Thomas added 13 points and seven rebounds in the win. Duke kept their turnovers down as well (finishing with twelve), and when a team struggles offensively like the Tigers did the lack of points off turnovers can prove lethal.

Trevor Booker made ten of fourteen shots from the field to finish with 22 points, but the other Tigers combined to shoot a brutal 8-for-34 (23.5%) from the field as the team finished at 37.5%. While the Blue Devils picked up a quality road win and thrust themselves right back into an ACC race with just two teams sitting at one league loss (Maryland and Virginia), Clemson needs to find scoring outside of Booker and Demontez Stitt and a capable outside shooter or two.

2. Oklahoma State bolsters their resume with a win at Kansas State. After their win over top-ranked Texas on Monday a lot of pundits skipped straight ahead to Kansas State's game against Kansas next Saturday. Only problem: Frank Martin's team had games to play before that date, including a dangerous Oklahoma State team that left Manhattan with the 73-69 victory. James Anderson scored 30 points in leading the Cowboys to their first road win over a Top 10 opponent since 1958, when a team that included Eddie Sutton as a player beat #2 Kansas in Lawrence. The Wildcats made just 35.6% of their shots in falling to Oklahoma State for the twelfth time in their last fourteen meetings and they didn't help themselves out at the foul line (19-for-33) either.

Denis Clemente led K-State with 19 points but despite fifteen offensive rebounds the Wildcats were a minus-5 in rebounding margin. By comparison they were a plus-9 on Monday night against a Texas squad with more size and more depth. Uneasy is the head that wears the crown and while Kansas State was by no means the frontrunner in the Big 12 Monday's win did place a bull's eye on their collective chests. And they didn't handle it as well as they could have, but some of that was due to the play of the Cowboys.

3. Georgia picks up the first defining win of the Mark Fox era. Yes the Bulldogs had a win over in-state rival Georgia Tech but the Yellow Jackets weren't a Top 10 team and that game was close. Saturday's 78-63 beating of #8 Tennessee got out of hand early thanks to the Bulldogs' 12-0 run to take a 14-4 lead (Georgia shot 65% from the field in the first half), and with Scotty Hopson being the lone Volunteer to make a three pointer it was all downhill from there. Trey Thompkins led Georgia with 21 points while Travis Leslie added 19 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, continuing his development as a solid scoring option alongside Thompkins.

Georgia shot 56.3% from the field, also making seven of their twelve shots from behind the arc, while Tennessee made just 42.3% of their shots (3-for-16 3PT). And when going up against a zone, a defense that Mark Fox ran for most of Saturday's win, the inability to make perimeter shots will send you home with a loss if you can't get the ball inside. Wayne Chism scored just six points on the afternoon, and the Vols were a minus-11 in rebounding margin while finishing with just nine assists. The win was just Georgia's first SEC win of the year but it's something that Coach Fox and his staff can build on as they develop the program.

Top Three Games

1. Northwestern State 99, Nicholls State 98 (2OT) The Demons survived an outstanding day from the Colonels' Anatoly Bose, who scored 46 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in defeat. Northwestern State won the game on a Devon Baker free throw with one second left in the second overtime and Damon Jones led the winners with 25 points.

2. USF 109, Providence 105 (OT) The Bulls came back from eleven down with 1:31 to go, tying the game on Toarlyn Fitzpatrick's second three pointer of the season to send the game into overtime. From there Dominique Jones continued his mastery of the Friars in setting a school record of 46 points. Jones grabbed ten rebounds and fell just two assists short of a triple-double. The win is USF's third road victory in their four years as a Big East member.

3. West Virginia 71, Ohio State 65 The Mountaineers came back from a twelve-point halftime deficit to beat the Buckeyes in Morgantown. Da'Sean Butler scored 16 of his 21 points in the second half while William Buford led OSU with 22 points and Evan Turner added a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Dominique Jones (USF) 46 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in the Bulls' 109-105 overtime win at Providence.

2. G/F Anatoly Bose (Nicholls State) 46 points and 14 rebounds for the swingman in the Colonels' 99-98 double overtime loss to Northwestern State.

3. G Jimmer Fredette (BYU) Fredette made eleven of nineteen from the field, scoring 33 points while also accounting for five assists and three rebounds in the Cougars 71-69 win at San Diego State.

College Hoops Monday Recap: Villanova Wins "Whistlefest"

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 01:41:16 -0500

The first Big Monday of the season was supposed to be tipped off with an entertaining affair from the Big East between Villanova and Louisville. With both teams entering the game undefeated in league play there was no reason to think otherwise...until the game got underway. When it was all said and done there were sixty-seven fouls, ninety-four foul shots, forty-four turnovers...and one 36-point performance from Scottie Reynolds. Reynolds scored sixteen points in the final six minutes of the game on Monday night, leading the fourth-ranked Wildcats to a 92-84 victory.

Louisville's pressure was able to force turnovers in the first half but they missed opportunities to extend their lead approaching halftime, instead going into the locker room with a 43-36 lead. Seventeen of Villanova's 22 turnovers came in the first half, and combining their improvement in taking care of the ball with two other key factors (Louisville turning the ball over and also not getting the ball to Samardo Samuels early in the second half) the Wildcats were able to wrestle away control of the game. Samuels still led the Cardinals with 21 points but something has to be said for the fact that he had just four official field goal attempts (making all four) and scored 13 points from the foul line.

The disparity in field goal percentage told the story of the second half, as Villanova made 51.9% of their shots while holding the Cardinals to 29.2% from the field. Their defense was far more active while offensively they did a better job of finding better shots. And it also didn't hurt that Scottie Reynolds caught fire late to sew up the victory.

Three Key Happenings

1. Yet another in-season firing. Will DePaul really gain anything from it? Of course the frustration of losing 22 consecutive Big East regular season got to many around the DePaul program, leading to today's firing of Jerry Wainwright. But the question needs to be asked in this case, as it was with firings at Fordham and Penn: is there really anything to be gained from this move at this point in time? You can make a good case for "no" as Tracy Webster takes over on an interim basis. The first sign may have come in the off-season when Wainwright was forced to make changes to his staff, bringing in three guys with extensive Chicago ties. But when you play far from campus in front of relatively (compared to many other Big East schools) sparse crowds you're going to struggle on the court as well as in recruiting.

Now with the head coaching position needing to be filled (AD Jean Lenti Ponsetto stated in the press conference that there will be a national search at the end of the season) how can the staff go out and capably recruit? And lost in the "sudden" fall of the Blue Demons following their surprising 5-1 start is the fact that Mac Koshwal missed eight games (DePaul went 5-3; his first game back was a rusty effort in their loss at Florida Gulf Coast). Obviously things needed to change but if you're going to make a move why not do it before the season began? You already made the coach revamp his entire staff; the move itself makes sense but the timing is woefully off.

2. Oklahoma State loses a game that they should have won. "Bedlam Series" or not if the Cowboys expect to hear their name called on Selection Sunday they cannot afford to lose many more games like the one they dropped in Norman. Behind a double-double of 13 points and 18 rebounds from Tiny Gallon and 15 points from Willie Warren the Sooners beat Oklahoma State 62-57 in overtime. The game featured bad shot selection and questionable ball-handling (Warren matched his seven assists with seven turnovers) but Oklahoma made the plays down the stretch.

The two guys to look at when examining the Pokes' offensive issues: Keiton Page (1-7 FG) and Obi Muonelo (1-12 FG). There were times when Muonelo forced the issue offensively and when you're having the night that he had it may benefit the team if you attempt to find better shots within the offense. Oklahoma State has to be more consistent on offense if they want to be a tournament team come March; they found out first-hand what happens when they aren't on Monday night.

3. Murray State makes a second-half statement to the rest of the OVC. Eastern Illinois showed up in Murray with a 4-1 record in the OVC hoping to pull off the upset and head back home in a tie for first place with the Racers. And they looked solid in the first twenty minutes, leading 28-24 at the half. But in the final twenty minutes the Racers possibly declared themselves the favorite in the regular season race, winning 75-59 behind 21 points from Isaac Miles. Now 6-0 in conference play, Murray State is off to its best conference start since going 13-0 during the 1998-99 season.

The Racers shot just 34.5% from the field but they did two things on Monday night: hit their free throws (28-31) and forced the Panthers to commit twenty turnovers. Already possessing a 30-point win over defending champion Morehead State (86-56 on December 5th), Murray State has the ability to go on a run and cement their status as the OVC favorites.

Top Three Games

1. Saint Peter's 90, Niagara 86 (2OT) Nick Leon (29 points) and Wesley Jenkins (27) combined for fifty-six points in leading the Peacocks to the double overtime win in Jersey City. Niagara, who needed a Tyrone Lewis (27 points) three to send the game to overtime, shot just 37.3% from the field.

2. Bethune-Cookman 66, North Carolina A&T 65 C.J. Reed's jumper with four seconds left in the game gave the Wildcats the win, moving BCC to 3-0 in the MEAC. Albert Abrahams led the Wildcats and all scorers with 19 points while North Carolina A&T was led by Dwane Joshua's fifteen.

3. New Mexico St 75, Idaho 72 Jahmar Young took over for the Aggies, scoring nineteen of his game-high 32 points in the game's final 7:36 to lead NMSU to the comeback win. Mac Hopson led the Vandals in scoring with seventeen.

Three Notable Perfomances

1. Scottie Reynolds (Villanova) Reynolds led the Wildcats to a 94-86 win at Louisville with thirty-six points.

2. Jahmar Young (New Mexico St) Young scored thirty-two points in the Aggies' 75-72 victory at Idaho, scoring nineteen in the game's final 7:36.

3. Savannah State As a team the Tigers shot 70% from the field (28-40) and 75% from behind the arc (9-12) in their 73-63 win at Central Connecticut State.

College Hoops Monday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 01:15:17 -0500

The first "Big Monday" of the season delivers a pair of undefeated teams (in conference play) in the Big East followed by "Bedlam" in the Big 12. Villanova visits Louisville in a game that should prove to be entertaining given the deep backcourts. Villanova will have to deal with a Louisville defense that pressured full-court only to fall into an active 2-3 zone. But they've got plenty of playmakers and perimeter shooters with Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher leading the way. The key for the Cardinals will be to turn the Wildcats over while limiting their own miscues. The trio of Edgar Sosa, Jerry Smith and Preston Knowles has the experience and talent to handle themselves well against Villanova's backcourt but will they display the required discipline?

Inside Villanova will have to keep Samardo Samuels from getting too involved in the Louisville offense. Luckily for them Antonio Pena has played solid basketball all season and Isaiah Armwood has also earned a spot in the rotation. Jay Wright can also turn to Mouphtaou Yarou, who is expected to see between twenty and twenty-five minutes on Monday as the Wildcats slowly work him back following his bout with Hepatitis B. Look for both team to run so the impact of tempo should be minimal; instead keep an eye on turnover margin and rebounding margin. The winner in those two areas will most likely move to 4-0 in Big East play.

As for the Bedlam Series game between Oklahoma State and Oklahoma this may be "circle the wagons" time for the Sooners, who have struggled mightily and are coming off of a 91-60 beating at Baylor on Saturday. Simply put Jeff Capel has a young team that's been rather inconsistent within games much less their season, but the hope is that the sight of a bitter rival can give this team some life. Oklahoma State will pressure and offensively lean on one of the nation's best small forwards in James Anderson. If Willie Warren and Tommy Mason-Griffin can't deal with the Cowboys' pressure this one could get ugly.

TV GAMES

7p ESPN Villanova at Louisville
7p ESPNU Morgan State at Hampton
9p ESPN Oklahoma State at Oklahoma
9p ESPNU Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Alabama State

OTHER GAMES

7p Iona at Loyola (MD)
7p Canisius at Siena
8p Eastern Illinois at Murray St
9p Belmont at Lipscomb
9:05p Hawaii at Utah St
10p San Jose St at Fresno St

ONE PREDICTION

Villanova over Louisville: Despite the experience of the Louisville guards they have trouble at times taking care of the basketball and not falling victim to poor shot selection. In addition to the play of their experienced guards Villanova has freshman Maalik Wayns, who was named Big East Rookie of the Week last week and has earned more and more playing time. The Wildcats are an extremely difficult team to guard with either man or zone, which will be the difference at Freedom Hall.