Penn

Company/Product Review: Retro College Cuts

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:23:57 -0500

Just a few years ago the demand for throwback jerseys was impossible to ignore, with many flocking to stores in search of that item that would allow them to relive their "glory days" as a fan. But the wearing of tops has faded away somewhat, and the words of one Sean Carter in his song "What More Can I Say" may sum up why for many people.

"And I don't wear jerseys I'm 30-plus..."

So what's a college basketball fan to do if they want to travel back in time without the throwback jersey? The founders of the company Retro College Cuts have just the answer: throwback shorts. Founded in 2011 by a pair of former college basketball players, Retro College Cuts specializes in the selling of replicas of game shorts worn by some of the more famous teams in college basketball history.

According to one of the founders the NCAA merchandising market grosses anywhere from $4-$4.5 billion, but the shorts market only makes up about $50 million of that amount. But while there's certainly a market for replica game shorts, this business isn't solely about making money.

"It started with my own crazy interest and passion for college basketball," he noted in a phone conversation earlier this week when asked about the reason for beginning the company. "I'm a former college basketball player and my dad was a Division III coach."

That devotion and knowledge of college basketball is noticeable from the moment you visit the site, as a highlight montage featuring some of the top players and teams of yesteryear plays. Each of the fourteen shorts in the first "class" has a story, with a paragraph of information on that specific team accompanying the page where customers can buy the shorts of their choice. There's also a link to a YouTube video for each team, which helps bring back memories of the "glory days" that each short is made to represent.

One may ask why there are only fourteen teams represented at this point, and this was a question posed to the founder during our chat. There are three different governing bodies when it comes to applying for the rights to sell officially licensed collegiate apparel, and they need to be negotiated with separately. Retro College Cuts was able to procure those rights with two of them and are currently negotiating with the third, which will open up the possibility of additions being made to the "catalog" later this year.

Retro College Cuts isn't just about shorts either as they also sell select retro T-shirts. They also offer a "combo" deal where customers can purchase a shirt and a pair of shorts for $99, a price that includes membership in their VIP program (which gives a 10% off discount for life) and free shipping (a perk that normally isn't given unless $75 or more is spent in a transaction). And $1 of every purchase is donated to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, which is another positive.

But what about the quality of the short? Made in the USA, the shorts are made of a fabric blend that replicates the weight and quality of an actual game short. The shorts are comfortable and with a 22" outseam there's no concern of replicating the size of those old-school shorts (which is good from a personal pride standpoint). The graphics are digitally printed and as an officially licensed product there's isn't a concern of being duped into buying something that isn't legit. From personal experience I can tell you that the shorts, which run large, fit well and look good.

Retro College Cuts also has a few promotions running that you should take advantage of in addition to checking out the gear. Twitter is utilized on both Tuesdays and Thursdays, with the "TIXonTUESDAY" promotion giving Twitter followers the chance to win a pair of college basketball tickets. The possible reward for "ThrowbackThursday" is either a retro t-shirt or a pair of replica game shorts. The "cost" of entry: just a simple follow of their Twitter account and a retweet of the message that they send out.

Lastly there's the contest that the founders are running, which closes on February 24th with a prize that the college hoops fan would definitely appreciate: an all-expenses paid trip for two (the winner and a guest of their choice) to Las Vegas for the first weekend of the NCAA tournament. The prize includes a three-day stay at The Hotel boutique and round-trip airfare, and with Vegas being what it is on that weekend the experience would be a phenomenal one.

Retro College Cuts is a new company that should meet the demand of college basketball fans hoping for a way to relive some of their favorite moments from back in the day in a fashion beyond searching the web for grainy video footage. The shorts certainly won't turn you into a Mark Jackson, Larry Johnson or Xavier McDaniel (our phone chat included the founder saying that the Wichita State design was his favorite) once you put them on, but they'll allow you to think back on their exploits and smile.

Texas vs. #4 Missouri: Monday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:22:09 -0500

With the final month of regular season play just two days away, the focus turns to the resumes that teams have put together in hopes of being one of the 68 teams in the NCAA Tournament. While Frank Haith's Missouri (19-2, 6-2) has no such concerns at this point the team they visit on Monday night isn't in the same position. Rick Barnes' young Texas (13-8, 3-5) need to improve their resume and soon if they're to return to the NCAA Tournament. The Longhorns' best wins to date are home wins over Temple and Iowa State, and with a 12-1 record at home Texas is more than a tough out at the Erwin Events Center.

Missouri last won in Austin in 2009, which isn't a bad streak when considering the fact that they would only play once a season before the drop to ten conference teams. Frank Haith's team has lost to Kansas State and Oklahoma State on the road with rebounding being a key factor, just as it was in their win at Baylor. Texas is a slightly better rebounding team when considering margin but they also allow teams to grab just over 13 offensive rebounds per game, which could be an issue with Ricardo Ratliffe (14.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg) averaging 2.9 offensive rebounds per game.

Ratliffe leads the nation in field goal percentage due to the fact that he rarely attempts a shot more than five feet away from the basket. Texas will counter with a frontline that goes four deep but the most talented players are the least experienced. Seniors Alexis Wangmene and Clint Chapman share time with freshmen Jaylen Bond and Jonathan Holmes, and this four-man group averages a combined 22.9 points and 20.0 rebounds per game. If they can get Ratliffe in foul trouble the dynamic inside changes, because even though Steve Moore has made solid contributions there's a drop in production when Ratliffe is saddled with foul trouble.

The problem for Texas lies on the perimeter, because even though they're talented the Longhorns lack experience when compared to the Tigers. Phil Pressey (9.8 ppg, 6.1 apg) is one of the best point guards in the country, and his playmaking ability will be a serious test for Texas freshman Myck Kabongo (9.9 ppg, 5.5 apg) on the defensive end. Pressey sets the table for Missouri's capable rotation of perimeter scorers, from leader Marcus Denmon to wing Kim English to sixth man Michael Dixon Jr. and those are just three of the benefactors. Texas calls on junior J'Covan Brown (19.7 ppg, 4.0 apg) to make big shots but while his decision-making has improved during his time in Austin there are still moments where he strays off the path.

Freshmen Shelden McClellan and Julien Lewis are averaging a combined 19.0 points per game and with the majority of Missouri's defensive attention likely being on Brown, at least one of these two will need to make an impact on the offensive end. Missouri boasts the better efficiency numbers on both ends of the floor, and that can't be the case for the Longhorns if they're to pull off the win. If Texas can also attack the offensive glass, as they enter with an offensive rebounding percentage of 39.7%, and cash in on some second-chance points they'll have a shot. Do that and get Ratliffe in early foul trouble, and it could be a good night on the 40 Acres.

Also of note are a pair of conference rivalry games, as Pittsburgh visits Morgantown to take on West Virginia and Penn hosts Princeton in an important Ivy League battle. Jamie Dixon's Panthers have won two straight games and with a healthy Tray Woodall at the point they're a much better team than the one that lost eight straight games. As for West Virginia they'll be looking to rebound from a tough loss at Syracuse, one marred by a missed goaltending violation in the final seconds of the game. Kevin Jones is one of the frontrunners for Big East Player of the Year at this point while their young guards have shown signs of improvement.

As for the Ivy League battle, Jerome Allen's Quakers remain undefeated in conference play (and tied with Harvard in the loss column) while Princeton is 1-1 in league play and needs a win to remain a major player in the race. Penn guard Zach Rosen has to be considered the best player in the Ancient Eight right now and classmate Tyler Bernardini is no slouch himself. Forward Ian Hummer and guard Doug Davis lead the way for the Tigers, who split their opening weekend of play with a loss at Cornell followed by a win at Columbia.

In the A-Sun Mercer visits Florida Gulf Coast in a key game for both teams, but moreso for Bob Hoffman's Bears as they're currently tied for the league lead with Belmont. Justin Cecil and Jakob Gollon lead a balanced offensive attack for Mercer, while Sherwood Brown and Bernard Thompson lead the way for FGCU, who also have one of the conference's better freshmen performers in point guard Brent Comer. Coppin State visits undefeated Norfolk State in an important MEAC battle and Southeast Missouri State looks to hold their two-game edge in the loss column for second place in the OVC as they visits a struggling Eastern Illinois squad.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM (4) Missouri at Texas (ESPN)

NCAA Division I Games
6:15 PM USC Upstate at Jacksonville State
7:00 PM Kennesaw State at Stetson
7:00 PM Princeton at Pennsylvania
7:00 PM Pittsburgh at West Virginia (ESPN)
7:00 PM Palm Beach Atlantic at UCF
7:00 PM James Madison at East Tennessee State
7:00 PM Morgan State at Hampton (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Western Carolina at Wofford
7:05 PM Mercer at Florida Gulf Coast
7:30 PM Jacksonville at Lipscomb
7:30 PM Maryland-Eastern Shore at North Carolina Central
7:30 PM Howard at South Carolina State
8:00 PM North Florida at Belmont
8:00 PM Southeast Missouri State at Eastern Illinois
8:00 PM Delaware State at North Carolina A&T
8:00 PM Coppin State at Norfolk State
8:00 PM Charleston at Samford
8:00 PM Austin Peay at Tennessee State
8:00 PM SIU-Edwardsville at Tennessee Tech
8:30 PM Prairie View A&M at Alabama A&M
8:30 PM Jackson State at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
8:30 PM Grambling State at Mississippi Valley State
8:30 PM Northern Colorado at Northern Arizona (FCS)
9:00 PM Texas Southern at Alabama State (ESPNU)

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.

#5 Duke vs Penn: Prediction & Poll

Greg Mengelt — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:43:47 -0500

PENN (6-6) AT #5 DUKE (10-1)

Time/TV: 5 p.m./ESPNU

Location: Cameron Indoor Arena

Line: Duke -22

Penn Players to Watch: G Zack Rosen, Sr. (20.2 ppg, 6.5 apg); G Tyler Bernardini, Sr. (15.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg); G Rob Belcore, Sr. (6.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg). Rosen, Bernardini and Belcore make up the best backcourt in the Ivy League.

Duke Players to Watch: G Austin Rivers, Fr. (15.6 ppg, 41.9% 3s); PF Mason Plumlee, Jr. (12.5 ppg, 10 rpg); PF Ryan Kelly, Jr. (12.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg). Mason Plumlee has become one of the nation’s most efficient scorers and most ferocious rebounders. He’s shooting 66 percent from the floor.

Storylines: Duke and Penn appear to be the second-best teams in their respective conferences.

Keys to Victory: Duke will easily dominate the paint, but behind Rosen and Bernardini, Penn has the 3-point shooting to keep this game close.

The Bottom Line: The Blue Devils will win, but it’s far from a mismatch.

The Pick: Duke 80, Penn 73.

Friday Recap: Wagner Knocks off #15 Pittsburgh

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 04:52:10 -0500

Plenty of teams have pre-Christmas letdowns, when they allow their minds to wander a bit against teams they're expected to beat. But in a lot of those cases the favored team is able to bounce back and do enough to eventually win the game. But that wasn't the case for #15 Pittsburgh, who turned the ball over 18 times against a team in Wagner that was talented enough to make them pay for those errors. Dan Hurley's Seahawks scored 14 points off of those turnovers and limited Pitt to 2-for-15 shooting in winning 59-54, the program's first win over a ranked opponent since 1978 (Alabama).

Latif Rivers led Wagner with 18 points but the player with just as big of an impact was guard Kenny Ortiz, who scored 12 points and dished out seven assists while also being the main man responsible for defending Ashton Gibbs. Gibbs, the preseason Big East Player of the Year, shot1-for-7 from beyond the arc and 5-for-16 overall in scoring 14 points while turning the ball over four times (one assist). Pittsburgh's turnover count was their highest since losing point guard Tray Woodall to groin and abdominal injuries following a win over Duquesne at the end of November, and when combining that with a clear lack of energy and focus it wasn't hard to see why Pitt lost (in addition to what Wagner did to make it happen).

"They pressured us and we didn't have a turnover in the backcourt, but in the second half we had a lot of turnovers that hard to understand," said Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon after the game. "We didn't play well and we got what we deserved."

While the offense will be the primary focus of the critiques on the Panthers' play against Wagner, the long-term concern has to be their perimeter defense as Woodall will improve their execution on the other end of the floor. With Ortiz, Rivers and Tyler Murray (12 points), Wagner was able to spread out the Pitt defense and take advantage of the gaps that resulted, leading by as many as 12 in the second half before the Panthers would look to rally for the win. But for every charge that Pittsburgh made the Seahawks, expected to be one of the contenders in the NEC, had an answer. As a result they've given themselves and the Staten Island school an early Christmas present no one expected beforehand.

"This is big for us as individuals and as a team," said Rivers. "When you play a top ranked team and can come into their home court and come out with the win, that's big."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Pierre Jackson makes the big plays late to lead Baylor past West Virginia.
We all know what the big question regarding the Baylor Bears is, and it will likely hover over Scott Drew's squad throughout the season. But the question about whether or not they had the guard play required to be a national title contender received quite the answer from junior Pierre Jackson. Jackson scored a team-high 23 points, including the game-tying three late in regulation, to go along with five rebounds, four assists and three steals to lead Baylor to an 83-81 overtime win over West Virginia in the title game of the Las Vegas Classic. Also big for the Bears was Boston College transfer Brady Heslip, who knocked down five of seven from beyond the arc and scored 19 points.

With Gary Franklin adding eight points in 22 minutes and A.J. Walton finishing with four assists the backcourt played pretty well in the victory. West Virginia had a chance to tie the game at the end of overtime but Jabarie Hinds' shot fell short as time expired. Kevin Jones was outstanding for the Mountaineers as he scored 28 points and grabbed 17 rebounds against one of the best frontcourts in America. Hinds added 18 points and seven assists while Truck Bryant scored 16, and the Mountaineers out-rebounded Baylor 39-36 with 15 offensive rebounds. But with guard play being key late, it was Baylor whose guards stepped up. That's a good sign for the Bears moving forward.

2. Josten Thomas' bucket results in the first three-game skid of the Chris Mack era at Xavier.
Chris Mack's team, which had its starting backcourt of Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons on the floor together for the first time since their win over Cincinnati, led by as many as 12 points early in the second half and looked to be a good bet to beat host Hawaii at the Diamond Head Classic. But the offense bogged down in the second half as the Musketeers shot just 40.6% from the field in the final 20 minutes of regulation. Gib Arnold's Warriors took advantage of this to force overtime, and Josten Thomas' basket with eight tenths of a second remaining proved to be the difference in Hawaii's 84-82 win.

The loss makes three straight for Xavier, the first such streak in Mack's tenure at his alma mater. They'll get Dezmine Wells back after the final game of this event but even with the suspensions no one envisioned Xavier dropping their first two games of the event. What's become apparent in the aftermath of the brawl with rival Cincinnati is that the Musketeers lost all momentum gained from such an emphatic victory that moved them to 8-0 at the time. This is a talented team for sure, but they've got some work to do when it comes to regaining their confidence, and there's no better way to start that process than to end their trip to Hawaii with a good showing against Southern Illinois on Sunday.

3. UNLV controls the game from start to finish in whipping California.
Everyone knew how big of a game this was for both California and the Pac-12, with both entities being short on marquee victories. But the best thing that may have come out of their 85-68 loss to #21 UNLV is the fact that this could be their final game of the regular season against a ranked opponent. Cal has played two games against ranked teams and lost by a combined 56 points, and they haven't really been in either game (Missouri in Kansas City being the other). Anthony Marshall was too much for the Golden Bears as he led four Runnin' Rebels in double figures with 22 points and nine rebounds, and UNLV assisted on 22 of their 34 baskets while also out-rebounding a Cal team without the injured Richard Solomon 46-37.

But to be fair even if Solomon were out on the court it likely would not have mattered, as UNLV would take a 46-26 lead into the half. Cal shot just 32% in the first half while UNLV made 54% of their shots and assisted on 14 of their 19 field goals. To their credit Cal fought back to within 13 in the second half, but it was essentially "name your score" time at Thomas & Mack. UNLV had the look of a contender in the Mountain West alongside the likes of New Mexico and San Diego State, handing Cal and the Pac-12 another blemish neither the team nor the conference could afford at this point.

Quick Hitters

1. Angel Rodriguez scored 11 of his 16 points in the second half to help lead Kansas State past UTEP 78-70 in the semis of the Diamond Head Classic. Will Spradling added 11 and Jamar Samuels posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

2. Larry Anderson scored 16 points to lead three players in double figures as Long Beach State beat Auburn 64-43 to advance to Sunday's title game against Kansas State. Dan Monson's team was the better squad throughout and pulled away in the second half with a 16-0 run.

3. Is UCLA starting to figure things out? They capped a five-game stretch leading into Pac-12 play with a 71-63 win over Richmond, moving to 7-5 on the season. Jeremy Anderson accounted for 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists as five Bruins finished in double figures. As guys begin to step up offensively Ben Howland may be able to find more minutes for Anthony Stover, his best frontcourt defender. Stover played just seven minutes on Friday.

4. Pe'Shon Howard made his highly-anticipated season debut for Maryland, playing 32 minutes (seven points, three rebounds) in Maryland's 65-60 win over Radford. With Howard back and big man Alex Len slated to make his debut in Maryland's next game, Mark Turgeon will receive a much-needed boost in the depth department.

5. Bryce Cotton scored 16 second-half points and hit two three-pointers in an 8-0 run that set in motion Providence pulling away to beat in-state rival Rhode Island 80-61. The debut of transfers Andre Malons and Billy Baron provided a spark early for the Rams, but they were unable to sustain the momentum and fell to 1-11. The Friars finish non-conference play 11-2, and snapped an eight-game losing streak for the road team in this series.

6. Russ Smith scored 23 points while also tallying three rebounds, three assists and two steals at Louisville rallied to beat Western Kentucky 70-60 to remain undefeated. One of the best decisions of the off-season in college basketball may have been Rick Pitino's decision to no longer attempt to shoehorn Smith into the point guard position. He's far more effective at the two despite his height, and has had a major impact in the last two wins.

7. John Groce's Ohio Bobcats moved to 11-1 on the season with an 82-66 win over North Carolina A&T. Nick Kellogg and Walter Offutt scored 14 points apiece while Ivo Baltic added 12 for the Bobcats, who have won eight straight games.

8. Keep an eye on Penn in the Ivy League, as they've got one of the best point guards around in senior Zack Rosen. Rosen scored 13 points and dished out 12 assists while Tyler Bernardini knocked down eight three-pointers and scored 30 points for the Quakers, who had all five starters score in double figures as they beat Marist 84-71. Harvard is the clear favorite but look for Jerome Allen's team to put up a good fight.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Kevin Jones (West Virginia)
28 points, 17 rebounds and two assists in the Mountaineers' 83-81 overtime loss to #7 Baylor in Las Vegas.

2. G/F Alex Young (IUPUI)
27 points, six assists, five rebounds, three steals and two blocks in the Jaguars' 97-88 win over Valparaiso.

3. G Jordan Theodore (Seton Hall)
26 points, six assists, four rebounds and two steals in the Pirates' 80-61 win at Longwood.

College Hoops Tuesday Recap: Buckeyes Blow Out Duke

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 01:24:17 -0500

The game between #3 Duke and #2 Ohio State was a matchup expected to be a barnburner throughout. But in runs to begin and end the first half, the Buckeyes made a case to their fans and a national television audience that they should be mentioned in the same breath as Kentucky and North Carolina when talking about early favorites to win the national title. Thad Matta's team opened the game on an 11-0 run and finished the half with an 11-2 run on their way to the 85-63 win at Value City Arena, and four of their five starters finished in double figures.

Jared Sullinger scored a team-high 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds while William Buford added 20, and Buford would combine with Aaron Craft (17 points, eight assists) to score nine of Ohio State's first eleven points (Sullinger scored the other two). Duke would fight their way back into the game thanks in large part to freshman guard Austin Rivers, who finished with a game-high 22 points and three assists. Rivers was able to get to the basket with a variety of moves while also knocking down perimeter shots but when the time came for his teammates to step up they were unable to, and that's a credit to the Buckeyes.

"We couldn't hit a shot," said Duke head coach Mike Krzyzweski. "Their defense was outstanding and then they got hot. They can score from a number of different positions. They had a great crowd, they had a lot going for them and they took advantage of everything."

Mason Plumlee played well for the Blue Devils as he finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, but the other three starters combined for just seven points (all scored by Seth Curry). Not only were Andre Dawkins and Ryan Kelly scoreless but they took just three shots combined, and few teams much less one the caliber of Duke can win big games with that happening. As a team Duke shot 47% on the night but made just three of fifteen shots from beyond the arc, a far cry from Ohio State's 8-for-14 night.

As for the run to end the first half, Deshaun Thomas was a big factor as he scored Ohio State's final nine points to push the margin out to 19 (47-28) at the intermission. Thomas finished with 18 points, scoring 13 of those in the final 7:41 of the first half. In pulling away the Buckeyes outscored Duke 10-0 in second-chance points in the first half, and they would lead by as many as 24 in the second half. While many will look to jump on the backs of the Blue Devils as a result of the big loss, more energy should be spent crediting Ohio State for their play.

"This team is still so young at times I don't know what to expect from them," said Matta. "There's a lot of uncertainty going into games like this, so I'm always excited to see how we respond. Our guys played to their strengths tonight which is a credit to them."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Virginia defends their home floor and beats Michigan.
It's still early but what a difference a year makes for Tony Bennett's Virginia Cavaliers, especially defensively. Last season the Cavaliers ranked 11th in the ACC in points allowed per possession, and their field goal percentage defense finished in the same spot. Through seven games this season Virginia leads the ACC in points allowed per possession and rank second in the conference in field goal percentage defense. Michigan shot 44% on Tuesday night but with Tim Hardaway Jr. limited to just five points the Wolverines fell 70-58 in Charlottesville. Michigan's offensive efficiency was 12 points below their season average as a result of Virginia's packline defense, and offensively Joe Harris and Mike Scott scored 18 points apiece to lead the way. Virginia moved to 6-1 on the season, and has the look of a team that can challenge for a possible NCAA Tournament berth.

2. Don't read too much into Saint Louis' loss at Loyola Marymount.
Saint Louis, fresh off of winning the 76 Classic over the holiday weekend, took on the test of playing a road game against a well-rested team in playing their fourth game in six days. LaRon Armstead scored a game-high 22 points and Anthony Ireland (17 points) made some big shots late to lead LMU to the 75-68 win at Gersten Pavilion. Cody Ellis led SLU with 18 points off the bench, but the fact that they turned the ball over 15 times (24.6% of their possessions) proved to be too much to overcome. Did fatigue play a role in the outcome? It likely did for a team that while talented has been out on the road for a week. So try not to make too big of a deal about this loss because there's plenty of time left in the season for a team that's proven itself to be a viable NCAA Tournament candidate. Plus, this isn't the first time LMU has beaten a ranked opponent this season (UCLA).

3. Arizona's freshman guards step up in a good win at New Mexico State.
Make no mistake about the fact that Arizona's short trip east to take on New Mexico State was a dangerous one, and given how the Wildcats began their last game (a home loss to San Diego State) it would have been easy to expect the Aggies to win. But Sean Miller's team rose to the challenge, winning 83-76 thanks in part to good nights from freshman guards Nick Johnson and Josiah Turner. Johnson scored a game-high 19 points in his first start of the season and Turner added 12 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals off the bench. With Kyle Fogg and Jordin Mayes quiet for much of the night it's likely a safe assumption that Arizona loses if not for their freshmen. The consistent Jesse Perry posted another double-double (15 points, 12 rebounds) and Solomon Hill scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds to carry the load in the frontcourt. The reconfigured starting lineup avoided the slow start, and as a result Arizona picked up a solid road victory.

Quick Hitters

1. For a team that some thought could be an NCAA Tournament possibility out of the Big Ten, things sure have gone downhill for the Iowa Hawkeyes. They were ice cold from the field in a 71-55 loss to Clemson at home, shooting 28.6% from the field and scoring 20 points in the first half. Fran McCaffery's team has lost three of their last four, with all three losses being by 16 points or more.

2. Perry Jones III made his return to the floor at Baylor and it was a triumphant one as the Bears rolled Prairie View A&M 90-54. Jones finished the game with 27 points and six rebounds, but Pierre Jackson's line may be the eye-opener. 17 points and eight assists off the bench for Jackson, who turned the ball over just two times. It's been said many times: if the Bears can get solid backcourt play to go with their deep and talented front line, look out.

3. Harvard might have the best team in the Ivy League, but the best point guard in the league is Penn senior Zack Rosen. Rosen scored a team-high 20 points and dished out five assists in the Quakers' 75-72 win over Manhattan to move to 4-4 on the season.

4. Life without Demetri McCamey has gotten off to a very good start for Illinois, who moved to 7-0 with a 71-62 win at Maryland. The big reason why: the steady play of Bradley transfer Sam Maniscalco, who scored a team-high 24 points to lead the way.

5. As if things weren't going bad enough for UMBC, the 0-6 Retrievers learned that senior point guard Chris De La Rosa was leaving the team for personal and family-related matters. He played in just one game this season, but De La Rosa accounted for nearly a quarter of UMBC's field goals and more than half their assists in 2010-11.

6. Oregon lost another freshman with the announcement that Bruce Barron decided to leave the team. But the departures of he and Jabari Brown opens the door minutes-wide for the remaining players, and Johnathan Loyd took advantage to the tune of a career-high 24 points in the Ducks' 64-59 win over UTEP.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Wendell McKines (New Mexico State)
28 points (10-18 FG) and 10 rebounds in the Aggies' 83-76 loss to Arizona.

2. F Perry Jones III (Baylor)
27 points (10-14 FG) and six rebounds in the Bears' 90-54 win over Prairie View A&M.

3. F John Shurna (Northwestern)
25 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and three steals in the Wildcats' 76-60 win over Georgia Tech.

College Hoops Thursday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 03:57:37 -0500

Thursday's schedule is highlighted by three in-season tournaments, with action in Charleston, New York City and San Juan. The 2K Sports Classic Benefitting Coaches vs. Cancer semifinals will be played at Madison Square Garden with Texas A&M playing Mississippi State in the opener and St. John's and Arizona doing battle in the nightcap. The second game jumps out not only because of the fact that it will be a home game for the Red Storm but also due to the roles that newcomers play on both teams. The story of the Red Storm has been told countless times, and that's to be expected when your roster returns just one letterwinner (guard Malik Stith) from the previous season.

But the newcomers have played well in three games for the Red Storm, with junior college transfers Nurideen Lindsey and God'gift Achiuwa and freshmen Maurice Harkless and D'Angelo Harrison leading the way. Those four are all averaging double figures in scoring with Achiuwa leading the way in both scoring (17.7 ppg) and rebounding (8.3 rpg). His athleticism and strength could be a problem for an Arizona team that's seen its big men outside of senior forward Jesse Perry struggle thus far.

Angelo Chol and Kyryl Natyazhko have seen the majority of the minutes at center thus far, but Chol is young and raw while Natyazhko is more the "dirty work" type of big. What Arizona will likely have to do is use their depth as St. John's can only effectively go seven deep with Phil Greene and Sir'Dominic Pointer coming off the bench. St. John's will still look to get out in the open floor, and their trapping defense could be an issue for the Arizona guards. While talented they've also been a bit turnover-prone thus far, and along those lines it remains to be seen if the benching of Josiah Turner proves to spark his game.

Arizona can call on a number of players to handle the basketball, including Jordin Mayes, Kyle Fogg and Nick Johnson, and just as important is the return of wing Kevin Parrom. While still working into game shape the junior is essentially a jack of all trades for the Wildcats given what he provides on both ends of the floor. Can Arizona take care of the basketball? Can St. John's keep Achiuwa out of foul trouble against a deeper front line? The answers will provide the winner.

In the first game Texas A&M is without Khris Middleton due to a partially torn meniscus while it looks as if Mississippi State will have Renardo Sidney (groin), but the Bulldogs could still be at a disadvantage. Forward Ray Turner scored 20 points in each of the first two games and David Lobeau has a great deal of experience. The backcourt is deep as well for Texas A&M, and overall they've shown a greater ability to make smart decisions than Mississippi State. Dee Bost and Arnett Moultrie will have to be the reliable forces that they can be, because it's anyone's guess which Sidney will show up underneath the bright lights.

The likely game of the day in Puerto Rico matches Purdue and preseason MAAC favorite Iona, with the Gaels looking for a BCS AQ scalp to add to their pre-conference resume. Given the additions of players such as MoMo Jones and Rashad James combined with a wealth of returnees led by Scott Machado, Mike Glover and Kyle Smyth, many expect this to be a big year for Tim Cluess' team. As for Purdue, Robbie Hummel is back and along with point guard Lewis Jackson will look to set the tone from the start. If the Boilermakers turn this into a half-court affair they'll be in better shape to pull off the win.

And in Charleston while there isn't a game that truly stands out from a national standpoint Northwestern can ill-afford a loss to an LSU team that's coming off of a loss at Elon. John Shurna and Drew Crawford lead the way for Bill Carmody's Wildcats, and it's only a matter of time before people ask the question of when this program that's never danced will make an NCAA Tournament appearance. Given the tournament field Northwestern may need to get to the title game in order to bolster their resume, but with many of these teams looking to be close with regards to skill level, just about anything can happen.

Other games to keep tabs on include USC visiting San Diego State, and you can bet that "The Show" will be ready to welcome the Trojans to San Diego, Fairfield visits Minnesota and Penn visits Rider in a game that both teams (especially the winless Broncs) need.

Top 25
7:00 PM Maine at (4) Connecticut (Full Court)
8:00 PM North Florida at (8) Florida
5:00 PM Maryland vs. (15) Alabama* (ESPN2)
9:30 PM St. John's vs. (16) Arizona* (ESPN2)
8:30 PM Western Illinois at (17) Michigan (ESPN3)
7:00 PM (18) Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State* (ESPN2)
8:00 PM Niagara at (25) Missouri(Full Court)

NCAA Division I Games
10:30 AM Temple vs. Western Michigan* (ESPNU)
12:30 PM Tulsa vs. Western Kentucky* (ESPN3)
1:00 PM Purdue vs. Iona* (ESPNU)
3:00 PM LSU vs. Northwestern* (ESPN)
5:30 PM Virginia Commonwealth vs. Seton Hall* (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Lyndon State at Yale
7:00 PM NJIT at Massachusetts
7:00 PM Fairfield at Minnesota (BTN)
7:00 PM Mercer at Furman
7:00 PM Hampton at Richmond
7:00 PM Alcorn State at West Virginia (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Northwestern State at Alabama State
7:00 PM Florida Christian College at Bethune-Cookman
7:00 PM North Carolina A&T at Campbell
7:00 PM Loyola (MD) at UMBC
7:00 PM Asbury at Morehead State
7:00 PM NC Pembroke at UNC Greensboro
7:00 PM Pennsylvania at Rider
7:05 PM Prairie View A&M at Florida Gulf Coast
7:30 PM Wichita State vs. Colorado* (ESPNU)
7:30 PM Coker at East Carolina
7:30 PM Sacred Heart at Rutgers
7:30 PM Western Carolina at Presbyterian
8:00 PM Southern at Rice
8:00 PM Northern Illinois at Iowa
8:00 PM Georgia Tech vs. Saint Joseph's* (ESPN3)
8:05 PM Tennessee-Martin at Arkansas State
8:05 PM SIU-Edwardsville at Illinois State
8:30 PM TENN-Temple at Murray State
9:00 PM Idaho at Montana
9:00 PM Mont St Billings at Southern Utah
9:00 PM Lipscomb at Illinois (BTN)
9:00 PM Southern Miss at Denver
10:00 PM USC at San Diego State (The Mtn.)
10:00 PM Canisius at UNLV
10:00 PM Pacific at Nevada
10:00 PM Eastern Washington at Oregon
10:05 PM Sacramento State at Washington State

College Hoops Monday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 12:44:44 -0500

ESPN's 24-hour college hoops tipoff marathon will get off to a good start at midnight as rivals Washington State and Gonzaga meet at The Kennel in Spokane. The Cougars have embarked on life without Klay Thompson and DeAngelo Casto, and while that means they've got a lot of scoring to account for Ken Bone's got some established returnees back to lead a solid recruiting class. As for Gonzaga, the best news for them may be the health of junior foward Elias Harris. Harris, who was unable to get healthy last season, is 100% and his game should at the very least reach the level it was at as one of the best freshmen in America two seasons ago.

Harris scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the Bulldogs' 77-69 win over Eastern Washington on Friday night while Robert Sacre (22 points, 10 rebounds) and guard Marquise Carter (17 points, five steals, four assists) led the way. Mark Few's team is deep and talented, boasting a good mix of youth and experience with freshmen such as Gary Bell Jr. and Kevin Pangos factoring into the rotation. At the point the Zags are better from a scoring standpoint with Carter taking over for Demetri Goodson, who's now a defensive back at Baylor.

Two things that Gonzaga did well in their season-opening win were rebounding (50-29 edge) and getting to the foul line, where they attempted a staggering 51 free throws. Therein lies what Washington State will need to do in order to have any chance of winning at McCarthey Athletic Center: hold their own on the glass while limiting Gonzaga's trips to the charity stripe. In Marcus Capers the Cougars have one of the best defensive players in the country, and it's going to be interesting to see who his assignment is. Senior point guard Reggie Moore runs the show but he along with scoing guard Faisal Aden and forward Abe Lodwick missed their final exhibition due to nagging injuries.

That gave the newcomers more time to shine, something that will have to happen if Washington State is to make a push for the bottom of the top half of the Pac 12. De'Vonte Lacy scored a game-high 21 points against Lewis-Clark State College and Mike Ladd added 14, and they're likely to come off the bench tonight with Moore and Aden back. The good news in that exhibition was Washington State's rebounding, as they held a 43-17 edge, but they're up against a much stiffer test in Spokane. Given the newcomers this season in addition to a good 2012 recruiting class many expect this to be an "in-between" season for Wazzu. They can change that perception with a win tonight.

Also of interest on the slate is the return of Ed Cooley to Fairfield, where he led the Stags to a regular season MAAC title last year before taking the Providence job. The good news for Cooley is that he's back in his hometown. The bad news for tonight is that he left a loaded Fairfield team for Sydney Johnson, and players such as Derek Needham and Rakim Sanders are more than capable of sending the Friars home with a loss. The point guard matchup between Needham (who had to deal with second half foul trouble against Quinnipiac on Friday) and Vincent Council (who struggled from the field against FDU on Saturday) will be a good one, and will likely determine the outcome as well.

UCF makes the trip north to take on Michael Snaer, Bernard James and the Seminoles, who play some of the best defense in the country. It could be tough sledding for Donnie Jones' team if they don't answer the physical challenge that's bound to come. And there's a good matchup of sophomore point guards in South Bend as Ray McCallum Jr. leads Detroit against Eric Atkins and Notre Dame. Atkins was outstanding in the Irish's season-opening win as he scored 27 points, helping to make up for the suspension of senior forward Tim Abromaitis. And there's also a pair of rivalry matchups on deck as Temple visits the Palestra to take on city rival Penn and Nevada visits UNLV.

Top 25
7:30 PM Wagner at (4) Connecticut
7:00 PM Manhattan at (5) Syracuse (ESPNU)
8:00 PM Oakland at (17) Alabama
8:30 PM Towson at (18) Michigan (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Norfolk State at (21) Marquette
12:00 AM Washington State at (23) Gonzaga (ESPN)
8:00 PM Mercer at (25) Missouri (Full Court)

NCAA Division I Games
4:00 PM Brown vs. Albany*
7:00 PM UNC Greensboro at Georgetown
7:00 PM Washington Adventist at Howard
7:00 PM Stetson at Florida A&M
7:00 PM UCF at Florida State (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Marist at USF (Full Court)
7:00 PM Delaware State at Georgia Tech (ESPN3)
7:00 PM New Hampshire at Boston College
7:00 PM Northeastern at Massachusetts
7:00 PM Furman at Columbia
7:00 PM Binghamton at Cornell
7:00 PM Radford at Penn State
7:00 PM Temple at Pennsylvania
7:00 PM Monmouth at Virginia Tech (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Long Island at Old Dominion
7:00 PM Maine-Machias at Maine
7:00 PM Central Connecticut State at Niagara
7:00 PM East Carolina at Campbell
7:00 PM Florida Atlantic vs. Georgia State*
7:00 PM American at Maryland-Eastern Shore
7:00 PM Murray State at Morgan State
7:00 PM Savannah State at North Florida
7:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at Presbyterian
7:00 PM Lafayette at St. Francis (PA)
7:00 PM Liberty at William & Mary
7:00 PM Penn State Abington at NJIT
7:00 PM Piedmont at USC Upstate
7:05 PM Ave Maria at Florida Gulf Coast
7:30 PM Providence at Fairfield
7:30 PM Coppin State at Loyola (MD)
7:30 PM High Point at Purdue
8:00 PM Kennesaw State at Auburn
8:00 PM SMU vs. Colorado State*
8:00 PM Tennessee State at Western Kentucky
8:00 PM South Dakota State at Minnesota
8:00 PM Grambling State at Ole Miss
8:00 PM Utah Valley at Houston
8:00 PM East Texas Bapt at Texas-Arlington
8:00 PM Denver at Texas A&M-CC
8:00 PM Talladega at Alabama A&M
8:00 PM North Carolina A&T at Iowa
8:00 PM Loyola (IL) at Kansas State (FSKC)
8:00 PM Indiana State at Louisiana-Monroe
8:00 PM Concordia College at Nebraska-Omaha
8:00 PM Milwaukee at Northern Illinois
8:00 PM Harris Stowe at Southeast Missouri State
8:05 PM Bethune-Cookman at Houston Baptist
8:05 PM Holy Cross at Valparaiso
8:15 PM Richmond at Davidson
8:30 PM Mississippi Valley State at DePaul
8:30 PM SIU-Edwardsville at Illinois
9:00 PM Detroit at Notre Dame (ESPNU)
9:00 PM University of Great Falls at Montana
9:00 PM Idaho State at North Dakota
9:00 PM San Diego Christian at Utah
9:00 PM Austin at TCU
9:30 PM FIU vs. George Mason* (ESPN3)
10:00 PM UC Irvine at San Jose State
10:00 PM Concordia (OR) at Idaho
10:00 PM West Alabama at Oregon State
10:00 PM Portland at Washington (RTNW)
10:00 PM Stephen F. Austin at San Diego
10:00 PM Nevada at UNLV (CBSN)
10:30 PM Nebraska at USC (Prime Ticket)
11:00 PM Fresno State at Stanford
2:00 AM Northern Iowa at Saint Mary's (ESPN)
4:00 AM Cal State Northridge at Hawaii (ESPN)

College Hoops Tuesday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 11:03:06 -0500

It's a mixed bag today as three leagues determine their NCAA Tournament representatives and four others begin their sprint to the finish line. But the preview today will focus on the lone "regular season" game because there's an awful lot riding on it. Rivals Princeton and Pennsylvania meet at the Palestra, and the visiting Tigers need a win to force a playoff with Harvard for the Ivy League title (that game would be played at Yale).

Princeton won the first meeting, which came in the middle of their 8-0 run to start league play but that was a 62-59 overtime decision in which the Quakers shot 60.9% from the field in the second half. Rebounding played a role as Penn was even in the second half after being out-rebounded in the first half by seven. That will be the key for Jerome Allen's team, who has a negative rebounding margin on the season to date.

Forwards Ian Hummer and Kareem Maddox make it tough for Princeton's opponents to hit the boards hard, combining to average 13.7 rebounds per game in addition to their scoring averages of 13.9 and 13.7 points respectively. Both were quite scoring-wise in that meeting but the combined to grab 20 of the Tigers' 39 rebounds with seven being of the offensive variety. By comparison Penn's top three rebounders on that day (Fran Dougherty, Jack Eggleston and Zach Rosen) combined to grab 20 with three being offensive boards.

On the perimeter Doug Davis and Dan Mavraides are also averaging double figures on the season, and the Tigers score 53.4% of their points on two-point baskets. Both teams rely on the three but Penn does at a higher rate (30.2% of their points), and with Princeton allowing opponents to shoot 32.8% from deep this could be an issue for the Quakers.

These two schools had long been the standard by which the Ivy League has been measured before Cornell's run of three straight titles. But it's been a little while since this rivalry's had the impact on the championship race that many had come to expect. While Princeton would love to have a shot at getting back to the top of the Ancient Eight, Penn would love nothing more than to delay that ascension. There are some people up in Cambridge would love it as well.

The three titles to be decided are the Horizon, Summit and Sun Belt with a number of eyes trained in on what happens in Milwaukee between Butler and Milwaukee. The Panthers are the top seed hence their hosting of this game, and with Anthony Hill and Tone Boyle head coach Rob Jeter has a tandem that may be overlooked by many outsiders. Just as important is the fact that five players average at least eight points per game for the Panthers, and they'll need that balance against a Butler team that's one of the better defensive teams in the conference.

But will Butler get enough offensively from someone other than Matt Howard or Shelvin Mack? They did in the January 23rd meeting in this same building but it wasn't enough as Milwaukee won 86-80. If tonight's meeting is a grind the edge goes to the Bulldogs, who limits opponents to an offensive efficiency of 98.4 on the season. The Summit League also matches the top two seeds with Oakland controlling the league race from start to finish. But in Dominique Morrison Oral Roberts has a player who can light it up. And the wild Sun Belt Tournament has yielded a final matching the four and five seeds from the West Division with Johnny Jones' North Texas Mean Green rounding into form at just the right time.

In the Big East Tournament the team to watch is Marquette, who will need to once again slow down Providence's Marshon Brooks to advance. With their four wins over RPI Top 25 teams the Golden Eagles are in good shape for a bid but nothing's set in stone as of yet. Villanova needs to snap out of their funk with a win over USF and in-state rivals Rutgers and Seton Hall follow UConn taking on DePaul in the opener.

The Atlantic 10 will pare their field down to eight with the top four seeds already headed to Atlantic City, and the MAC will do the same with the destination being Cleveland. The Big Sky semis are on tap at Northern Colorado but either Montana or Weber State is capable of winning the final depends on who survives their matchup, and MEAC play begins with a first-round matchup between UMES and FAMU. Selection Sunday is just five days away; time for many of the nation's teams to start adding to their resumes.

7:00 PM Princeton at Pennsylvania (ESPN3)

Atlantic 10 First Round
5:00 PM La Salle at St. Bonaventure (CBS College)
7:00 PM Saint Joseph's at George Washington (CBS College)
7:00 PM Saint Louis at Rhode Island
9:00 PM Dayton at Massachusetts (CBS College)

Big East First Round (New York City)
12:00 PM DePaul vs. Connecticut (ESPN2)
2:00 PM Rutgers vs. Seton Hall (ESPN2)
7:00 PM USF vs. Villanova (ESPNU)
9:00 PM Providence vs. Marquette (ESPNU)

Big Sky Semifinals (Greeley, CO)
7:30 PM Weber State vs. Montana
10:00 PM Northern Arizona at Northern Colorado

Horizon Final
9:00 PM Butler at Milwaukee (ESPN)

MAC First Round
7:00 PM Northern Illinois at Bowling Green
7:00 PM Toledo at Ohio
7:00 PM Eastern Michigan at Akron
7:00 PM Central Michigan at Buffalo

MEAC First Round (Raleigh, NC)
6:30 PM Maryland-Eastern Shore vs. Florida A&M
9:15 PM Delaware State vs. South Carolina State

Summit Final (Sioux Falls, SD)
9:00 PM Oral Roberts vs. Oakland (ESPN2)

Sun Belt Final (Hot Springs, AR)
7:00 PM Arkansas-Little Rock vs. North Texas

Ivy League Notes and Quotes

Jon Teitel — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 15:30:13 -0500

With Ivy League become fully joined so to speak this weekend it's a good opportunity to take a look at the league to this point in the season. CHN writer Jon Teitel compiled some quotes from the coaches' midseason media teleconference a couple weeks ago, and those will be combined with notes and evaluations of each of the Ancient Eight. This weekend's schedule:

Friday, January 28th
7:00 PM Brown at Princeton
7:00 PM Cornell at Dartmouth
7:00 PM Columbia at Harvard
7:00 PM Yale at Penn

Saturday, January 29th
6:00 PM Cornell at Harvard
6:00 PM Yale at Princeton
7:00 PM Brown at Penn
7:00 PM Columbia at Dartmouth

Harvard (13-3, 2-0)
It's been a good season thus far for Tommy Amaker's Crimson, who boast wins over Boston College and Colorado not to mention a three-point loss at Michigan. Expected to be one of the contenders to win the league, Harvard has lived up to that status despite Kyle Casey missing four games due to injury. Freshman guard Laurent Rivard has been one of the reasons as to why, averaging 12.6 points per game. Forward Keith Wright leads Harvard in both scoring (14.3) and rebounding (8.3), and with four players in double figures Harvard is a difficult team to slow down offensively. Harvard leads the Ivy League in assists per game as well.

Princeton head coach Sydney Johnson on Harvard: "Harvard and Penn are the most talented teams from top to bottom, but everyone is playing good basketball."

Dartmouth head coach Paul Cormier on Harvard: "I hope Harvard is the most talented team we face all year, because they are really, really good."

Columbia (11-5, 2-0)
The Lions have also gotten off to a good start, winning both meetings with Cornell to begin league play with a 2-0 record. As expected Norwua Agho has been the lead option offensively, averaging 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. Kyle Smith's squad is the best rebounding team in the Ivy League, boasting a margin of plus-6.8 rebounds per game. Columbia's best non-conference victory may be a 74-71 win over Maine, who currently leads America East. Next up for the Lions is that trip to Harvard on Friday night, a significant step up in competition despite Cornell's status as three-time defending league champions.

Head coach Kyle Smith: "Noruwa Agho has been playing great. I have been really impressed with how he passes the ball, as he has changed from a scorer to a playmaker. It is hard to rebound when you are hurt and playing on back-to-back nights, but we have been emphasizing it in practice."

Yale (9-7, 2-0)
James Jones' team has won four straight, most recently sweeping a pair of games from Brown over the last two weeks. Center Greg Magnano has already won or shared three Player of the Week awards while Austin Morgan has one to his credit as well. Freshman Jeremiah Kreisberg has started six games, even winning the Rookie of the Week award for his play last week. Three Bulldogs average double figures, and just like their bitter rival they also own a victory over Boston College this season. Yale visits Penn and Princeton this weekend.

Head coach James Jones on Magnano: "Greg Mangano has been real important for us on both offense and defense: drawing double-teams, making good decisions, etc. It is kind of hard to say whether Greg is best big-man in conference, but if he is not the best then he is one of the best. "

Princeton (12-4, 0-0)
The Tigers have yet to enter league play but they've done a solid job of navigating their non-conference schedule. Forwards Ian Hummer and Kareem Maddox have both played well, each showing off the talent to earn postseason honors in the form of one of the All-Ivy teams. Four Tigers average from 13.1 to 13.8 points per game with Hummer and Maddox being two; the others are guards Dan Mavraides and Douglas Davis and the two forwards are also in the top five in the league in rebounding. Tops in the Ivy League in field goal percentage, Princeton also ranks well in the league with regards to both field goal and three point percentage defense. They get Brown and Yale this weekend, with the latter possibly being a big one if the Bulldogs arrive at Jadwin Gym 3-0 in league play.

Head coach Sydney Johnson on Ian Hummer: "Ian Hummer has gotten more comfortable this season, and has always had the enthusiasm."

Penn (6-8, 0-0)
Penn may have taken on the most ambition non-conference schedule, playing the likes of Kentucky, Pittsburgh and Big 5 rival Villanova, and while they didn't win any of those contests the experience of playing such competition could help them in league play. Zack Rosen and Jack Eggleston lead the way offensively and freshman guard Miles Cartwright has been a good addition to the rotation. But the Quakers will need to improve defensively if they're to contend as they're last in the Ivy in field goal percentage defense (47.3%) and sixth in three-point percentage defense (35.7%). Penn is also sixth in rebounding margin, meaning that they'll need to help out Eggleston (8.1 rpg) in this area as well. Conference play opens with a tough battle tonight as they host Penn at the Palestra.

Head coach Jerome Allen on Rosen: "Zack Rosen does everything for us, and is a great leader both on and off the floor. He wants to be coached and wants to get better."

Allen on Cartwright: "Miles Cartwright has done a tremendous job of blending in with the group on both ends of the court."

Allen on their early-season scheduling: "We do not schedule games to learn lessons. We schedule them to win. We are just trying to establish our identity on the defensive end, regardless of who we are playing. Our three games against Top 10 teams taught us that every possession counts."

Brown (7-9, 0-2)
Brown opened up league play with two games against Yale, dropping both by a combined 13 points, most recently falling 59-51 in New Haven last weekend. Four players average at least 9.4 points per game with senior Peter Sullivan's 13.6 leading the way. Sophomore Tucker Halpern has raised his scoring average three points this season and is shooting higher percentages from both the field and three. Brown's been a middle of the pack team in many of the major statistical categories, which could be an explanation for their current record. But they're also the worst three-point shooting team in the league, and they'll need to become more proficient in that department if they're to finish league play with a solid record. They'll visit Princeton and Penn this weekend, with the latter possibly being the better choice in regards to which game the Bears can win to earn a split.

Head coach Jesse Agel on his rotation: "It takes a village for us to be good. We do not have one specific guy who will carry us. When we win, we usually have 5-7 guys who play very well. It excites me that we still have not hit our peak yet, as we are getting better in every practice."

Agel on Sullivan's change in role: "Peter Sullivan has become more of a facilitator during the season, which is why his free throw attempts have gone down. He is still getting into the lane, but is just kicking it out to an open man once he gets there."

Cornell (4-12, 0-2)
The reigning three-time defending Ivy champs dropped a pair of tough games to Columbia in the beginning of their quest for a fourth crown, and their non-conference slate may have been a bit ambitious given the coach and roster turnover. First-year head coach Bill Courtney has a team that's finally approaching good health and in Chris Wroblewski one of the better guards in the Ivy League. Cornell is second in the league in three-point percentage but just seventh in overall field goal percentage (just 41.5% of their points come on two-point shots). Cornell visits Dartmouth tonight in a matchup of two 0-2 teams in league play and with Harvard on Saturday night the game against the Big Green becomes that much bigger.

Head coach Bill Courtney on Wroblewski: "It has been an adjustment for Chris Wroblewski, as he hurt his ankle early on and was a role player last year, but as of late he has been terrific."

Courtney on the season to date: "We have had some ups and downs, which were expected after losing so many seniors from last season, but we are as healthy as we have been since the start of the season. We have learned a lot about our strengths and weaknesses, both as players and coaches."

Dartmouth (4-12, 0-2)
In their first season under Paul Cormier the Big Green have struggled offensively, ranking at or near the bottom of the Ivy League in many of the major statistical categories. R.J. Griffin, David Rufful and Jabari Trotter all average nine points per game to lead the way but it's tough to win games consistently when as a team you average less than 59 points per game. It also didn't help matters that senior point guard Ronnie Dixon has missed the last six games with a broken hand, and the date of a possible return remains to be seen. Dartmouth's two league games came against Harvard, most recently losing by nine at Harvard last weekend. Just like Cornell the Big Green could have Friday's contest circled as an opportunity to get into the win column conference-wise.

Head coach Paul Cormier on Dixon: "Ronnie Dixon is an important asset to our team. He was starting to have a real good season before breaking his hand last month. One of our biggest weaknesses is shooting, as we seem to be rushing some of our shots. If we are not risking any further injury to Ronnie, we will put him back in there. He is a senior who deserves all the minutes he can get, but he will be out for the bulk of the season. He is only going to be able to play for 1/3 of the season, so it is a real shame."

Player of the Week History

11/15 F Keith Wright (Harvard)
11/22 G Christian Webster (Harvard) and G Austin Morgan (Yale)
11/29 Wright
12/6 F Ian Hummer (Princeton)
12/13 G Norwua Agho (Columbia) and F Kareem Maddox (Princeton)
12/20 Maddox
12/27 G Zack Rosen (Penn)
1/3 G Chris Wroblewski (Cornell)
1/10 Agho and C Greg Magnano (Yale)
1/17 Agho and Magnano
1/24 Magnano

Rookie of the Week History

11/15 G Miles Cartwright (Penn)
11/22 G Sean McGonagill (Brown)
11/29 Cartwright
12/6 G Laurent Rivard (Harvard)
12/13 G Steve Frankoski (Columbia)
12/20 F Gediminias Bertasius (Dartmouth)
12/27 Cartwright
1/3 Rivard
1/10 F Dockery Walker (Brown)
1/17 Rivard
1/24 F Jeremiah Kreisberg (Yale)