Purdue

Tuesday Recap: Kentucky Too Much on Both Ends For Florida

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:17:47 -0500

The matchup between the two best teams in the SEC was expected to be a competitive affair, one that would challenge John Calipari's squad and show how much of a national title contender they really are. The answer was an emphatic one, as Kentucky controlled the game on both ends of the floor in a 78-58 win that didn't seem all that close in the second half. Doron Lamb scored 18 points to lead four players in double figures (and Darius Miller scored nine points) while both Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (13 points, 13 rebounds) and Marquis Teague (12 points, ten assists) posted double-doubles.

This wasn't just a win over a Top 10 opponent but rather a thorough beating that should put the rest of the country on notice. The Wildcats' effort on the defensive end of the floor will likely receive the lion's share of the headlines as they limited Florida to 34.9% shooting from the field and 6-for-27 from three, resulting in the Gators' worst shooting performance in SEC play (according to Statsheet.com's numbers their loss at Tennessee was Florida's worst from an efficiency standpoint). But Kentucky's offensive performance was also excellent as they shot 52.7% from two and 60% from three, finishing the game with a staggering efficiency of 132.2 and the much-maligned point guard was a big reason why.

"What about Marquis Teague? 12 points, 10 assists," noted Calipari after the game. "He is playing, getting everybody shots. He ended the half Doron three, Doron three. He got him those shots. That gave us some breathing room, up 12. He played well. Doron made shots. Darius made shots. We played pretty good."

As a team the Wildcats finished with 18 assists, five more than their season average and six players had at least one helper on the night. Outside of Kenny Boynton (4-8 3PT, 18 points) no one could really get going for the Gators, and Teague's defensive effort against Erving Walker was a sight to behold as well. Walker was held scoreless as he missed all seven of his field goal attempts and finished with just one assist, by far his worst outing of the season.

Should we be ready to crown Kentucky on the heels of this performance? No, because there's still plenty of basketball to be played. But if anything was learned from the Wildcats' performance it's that knocking off a group that still has its best basketball ahead of it will be extremely difficult to do. And that message is magnified within the SEC, because even with road games at Vanderbilt and Florida still on the schedule there won't be many willing to bet against Kentucky.

"You could say that. They've proven it," said Boynton when asked if the result showed just how far Kentucky is ahead of the rest of the SEC. "They've beaten good teams by twenty, the last teams they played."

Other Notable Happenings

1. William Buford's play down the stretch the difference in Ohio State's win over Purdue.
The senior, who by the end of his career at Ohio State could be the school's all-time leading scorer, tends to be the forgotten member of the trio that includes Jared Sullinger and Aaron Craft. But with those two on the bench dealing with foul trouble in the latter stages of the second half (and Sullinger being lost late due to a hip injury suffered in a hard fall) it was Buford who stepped up, going on a personal 7-0 run to give Ohio State the lead for good in an 87-84 win. Buford finished with a career-high 29 points on the night, and the foul line was just as important in the Buckeyes' victory.

Ohio State made 26 of their 34 attempts from the charity stripe while Purdue finished 17-for-25. D.J. Byrd was outstanding for the Boilermakers as he scored 24 points and grabbed six rebounds, but his foul issues kept him off the floor at what would turn out to be the turning point of the game. Sullinger scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds while Craft finished with 13 and two assists, but Tuesday's game served as a reminder to those who take Buford for granted just how important he is to the Ohio State attack.

2. Creighton loses at Evansville, dropping down to second place in the Missouri Valley.
The Bluejays hit the road on Tuesday night in their final game before hosting Wichita State on Saturday with first place in the Valley on the line. But life on the road is difficult, something Greg McDermott's team learned at the hands of Marty Simmons' Evansville Aces, who closed the game on a 13-1 run and handed Creighton a 65-57 loss to drop the Bluejays into second place. The biggest issue for Creighton was turnovers, as they turned the ball over 16 times in a sixty possession game (26.7% turnover percentage). That's a big deal, even in a game in which Evansville scored just 14 points off of turnovers (Creighton scored 13 points on nine Evansville turnovers).

Add in Creighton shooting 4-for-22 from three (Evansville finished 3-for-8) and you've got the recipe for an upset. Doug McDermott finished with 21 points and eight rebounds to lead the Bluejays while Colt Ryan led Evansville with 14 points despite shooting 3-for-14 from the field. The best Creighton can do against Wichita State now is tie for the league lead with a win on Saturday, and the fact that they won the first meeting would give them the tiebreaker should they do so.

3. Le'Bryan Nash leads Oklahoma State past Iowa State, handing the Cyclones a critical loss.
There hasn't been much separating Iowa State and Oklahoma State this season, with Scott Christopherson's three as time expired giving the Cyclones the win in the first meeting this season. Oklahoma State got their revenge on Tuesday night as freshman Le'Bryan Nash knocked down a fadeaway jumper with 4.7 seconds remaining gave the Pokes a 69-67 lead, and his block of a Chris Allen shot shortly thereafter gave them the win.

Nash was one of four Cowboys to finish in double figures with 18 points and six rebounds and the high-flying Markel Brown led the way with 19, but while the Pokes are certainly talented this result hurts the Cyclone resume as they look to make a run at an NCAA tournament bid. Iowa State shot just 38.4% from two, a number that hurt them far more than the 38.1% from three as Oklahoma State was far more effective inside of the arc (58.8%). Allen (22 points) and Royce White (15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists) led the way for Iowa State but they shot a combined 13-for-33 in doing so.

Quick Hitters

1. As first reported by Brett McMurphy of CBSSports.com, Memphis has accepted an invitation to join the Big East with a teleconference schedule for Wednesday morning. With the loss of Pittsburgh, Syracuse and West Virginia the league needed to boost its hoops profile, and adding the Tigers should do just that.

2. Eric Griffin scored 25 points and grabbed ten rebounds as Campbell won 81-75 at Coastal Carolina. Not to be ignored are guards Darren White and Lorne Merthie, who combined to score 26 points off the bench for the Camels. Coastal Carolina is still in good shape to lock down the two-seed (up two games in the loss column with two games in hand) but the loss means it will be even tougher to catch 13-1 UNC Asheville.

3. Despite six first half three pointers from Bryce Cotton, Providence couldn't shut the door on Villanova. Villanova would trail by as many as 19 points before storming back to beat the Friars 74-72 on a JayVaughn Pinkston basket in the final seconds. Pinkston scored 28 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in his best performance as a Wildcat.

4. There's no better team to see if you're a Big 12 team in a funk than Texas Tech, who fell to 0-11 in conference play with a 65-46 loss at Kansas State. Shane Southwell led three Wildcats in double figures with 13 points off the bench, and K-State's parade to the foul line (30-for-40) negated the fact that they shot just 30% from the field.

5. The ACC's leading scorer was at it again, as Maryland guard Terrell Stoglin scored 27 points in the Terrapins' 64-62 win over Clemson. Efficiency from beyond the arc proved to be the difference as Maryland made eight of eleven while the Tigers finished 7-for-20.

Three Notable Performances

1. F JayVaughn Pinkston (Villanova)
28 points, 14 rebounds and one game-winning shot in the Wildcats' 74-72 win over Providence.

2. F Eric Griffin (Campbell)
25 points, ten rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in the Camels' 81-75 win over Coastal Carolina.

3. G William Buford (Ohio State)
29 points, seven rebounds in the Buckeyes' 84-81 win over Purdue.

#1 Kentucky vs. #7 Florida: Tuesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:26:57 -0500

While there's little doubt at this point in the season as to who many believe to be the best team in the country as top-ranked Kentucky (23-1, 9-0) is the unanimous selection in both major polls, some doubt can be added to the SEC race should #7 Florida (19-4, 7-1) win in Lexington on Tuesday night.

These are the two best teams in the SEC in both the standings and from a talent standpoint, which should make for a fun contest. This is Florida's third shot at a team ranked in the Top 5 of the polls this season, with the prior two contests both being losses on the road (Ohio State and Syracuse).

The Gators rely heavily on a perimeter attack led by a pair of veterans in senior Erving Walker (12.6 ppg, 5.1 apg, 2.9 rpg) and junior Kenny Boynton (17.6 ppg, 2.8 apg, 2.4 rpg). But while these two tend to take the majority of the shots, Florida's best option when it comes to sustained success in March could be the play of freshman Bradley Beal (14.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg).

The McDonald's All-American can do just about anything on the floor that head coach Billy Donovan asks of him, with the issue at this stage him not being as assertive on the offensive end as many would hope. But Beal's improved in this area as well, and with his skill set could be the Gators' best bet for a huge bucket as the games become even more important.

Kentucky's no slouch on the perimeter either as they feature a nice mix of youth and experience at the two positions. Doron Lamb (13.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg) and Darius Miller (10.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.2 apg) are the experienced members of the trio, with Lamb second on the team in scoring and Miller being one of the first reserves off the bench thanks to his ability as a defender.

Running the show is freshman Marquis Teague (9.6 ppg, 4.3 apg), and as with any team handing over the reins to a newcomer it can be a roller coaster with the Indianapolis native within the course of a game. But to be fair he does boast the best assist-to-turnover ratio of the three, who according to head coach John Calipari also need to chip in a bit more on the glass.

To be fair the Wildcat guards fall into the trap of watching one of the nation's best front courts go to work instead of following up with the effort needed to get that done. And with the trio of Anthony Davis (13.9 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 4.8 bpg), Terrence Jones (12.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (12.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg) there it's easy to take for granted the effort needed to be a good defensive team. Davis is a departure from the stereotypical shot blocker that tends to lead the nation in the category as he's more than capable of defending on the perimeter as well.

This could prove beneficial in a matchup with Florida's Erik Murphy (10.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg), as Murphy is more comfortable on the perimeter than he is banging inside. That task is left to Patric Young (10.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg) and Will Yeguete, with the former being a possible matchup issue for the slender UK big men...provided Florida get Young enough touches inside. Davis and Kidd-Gilchrist are two big reasons why Kentucky is the best in the SEC in both field goal and three-point percentage defense, and Florida will need to limit their impact (on both ends of the floor) if they're to entertain any thoughts of winning at Rupp Arena.

Purdue visits Ohio State in a game that's important for both teams, albeit for different reasons. Thad Matta's Buckeyes are looking to remain on top of the Big Ten standings while the Boilermakers are looking to both improve their resume and bounce back from a disappointing loss to rival Indiana on Saturday night. Point guard play will be critical for both teams, but how the Boilers go about defending Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas inside will determine whether or not the game is close late.

Iowa State and Oklahoma State are both in position to play their way into an NCAA bid, making the battle between the two in Stillwater all the more impotant. Royce White has led the way for the Cyclones from the point, and having a 6'9" forward capable of doing so can prove problematice for Iowa State's opponents. And Maryland visits Clemson with both teams in dire need of a victory to keep alive tournament hopes that may be slipping away. Sophomore guard Terrell Stoglin could be the ACC's best scorer but he and the rest of the Terrapins need to be more active defensively if they're to go dancing.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM (7) Florida at (1) Kentucky (ESPN)
9:00 PM Purdue at (3) Ohio State (ESPN)
8:05 PM (15) Creighton at Evansville

NCAA Division I Games
6:00 PM Mid-Continent College at Eastern Kentucky
7:00 PM Iowa State at Oklahoma State (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Maryland at Clemson (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Campbell at Coastal Carolina
7:00 PM Hartford at UMBC
8:00 PM Providence at Villanova (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Texas Tech at Kansas State (ESPN3)
8:05 PM IPFW at Chicago State
9:00 PM Alabama at Auburn (ESPNU)
10:05 PM Seattle at Idaho

Purdue vs Indiana: Predictio & Fan Poll

Greg Mengelt — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:55:49 -0500

NO. 20 INDIANA (17-6, 5-6 Big Ten) AT PURDUE (15-7, 5-4 Big Ten)

Time/TV: 7 p.m./Big Ten Network

Location: Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind.

RPI Ratings

Indiana 23 (No. 5 Big Ten)

Purdue 54 (No. 9 Big Ten)

Line: Purdue -4.5 (o/u 144)

Indiana Players to Watch: F Cody Zeller, 6-11 Fr. (15.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 66.1% FG); G Jordan Hulls, 6-0 Jr. (11.9 ppg, 3.2 apg, 48.4% 3s); G Victor Oladipo, 6-5 So. (10.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 48.6% FG). After a career-high 26 points in Sunday’s 103-89 win over Iowa, Zeller went just 4-for-9 from the field and scored just 11 points in Wednesday’s 68-56 defeat at Michigan.

Purdue Players to Watch: F Robbie Hummel, 6-8 Sr. (15.2 ppg, 6 rpg, 1.2 bpg); G Lewis Jackson, 5-9 Sr. (10.2 ppg, 3.9 apg, 3.3 rpg); G Terone Johnson, 6-2 So. (7.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 46.5% FG). Johnson had one of his best performances of the season in Saturday’s 58-56 win over Northwestern, going 6-for-10 from the field and finishing with 14 points. In three Big Ten road games this season, Johnson is averaging 10 points per game.

Storylines: The Boilermakers and Hoosiers are in the middle of the Big Ten pack, but little of that matters when the two teams meet twice annually. The good news for the rivalry is that – for the first time in a while – both teams are solid and appear to be NCAA Tournament-bound.

Keys: Indiana ranks fourth in the country in field goal percentage at 49.9 percent and is 18^th in scoring at 78.5 points per game. The Hoosiers lead the Big Ten and are third in the nation, making 43.8 percent of their 3-point shots. However, the Hoosiers have been inconsistent of late, scoring 103 points in a win over Iowa but a combined 106 in losses at Wisconsin and Michigan. Indiana ranks second in the Big Ten at the foul line. The Hoosiers make 73.7 percent from the charity stripe. The Boilers are last in the conference – and 308^th of 338 nationally – at 62.9 percent. Indiana averages 34.3 rebounds per game and out-rebounds its opponents by 3.3 per game. Purdue grabs 33.7 boards but has been out-rebounded by its opponents this season. The Boilermakers are second in the Big Ten in turnover margin. They turn the ball over just 9.4 times per game, which is second to Wisconsin nationally, and they’re second to Northwestern in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.4-to-1. Hummel has just 16 turnovers in 676 minutes and Ryne Smith has turned the ball over only 13 times in 609 minutes. Indiana averages 13.9 errors per game and has a plus-1.26 turnover margin. The Hoosiers average 1.1 assists to each turnover. Hummel is the only Purdue player who has ever experienced a loss to rival Indiana. The Boilermakers have beaten Indiana five straight times, including four straight at West Lafayette. Hummel was a freshman when the Boilers lost to the Hoosiers, 77-68 in Bloomington in 2007-08. Indiana hasn’t won in West Lafayette since 2006, when Purdue went 9-19 in Gene Keady’s last season on the sidelines. Indiana has won two Big Ten road games in four years under Crean – both at Penn State. The Hoosiers are 3-5 on the road this season. After winning their first two and three of their first four on the road, they have lost three straight road games in league play. The Boilers are 11-2 at home, but they have lost two of their last three at Mackey Arana. Purdue leads the all-time series 112-84.

The Bottom Line: Unless Zeller completely dominates under the basket, which he very well could, the home-court advantage should be enough to give the Boilermakers their sixth straight win over their in-state rivals.

The Pick: Purdue 67, Indiana 62

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 55-29

College Basketball Awards: Carmichael, Primm, UMASS, Hummel

Greg Mengelt — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:32:51 -0500

A review of the week that was in college basketball focusing on the best (and worst) performances. Check in every Monday morning for our weekly awards.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Jackie Carmichael, Illinois State: The Cardinal junior forward had a 47-point, 27-rebound week as Illinois State knocked off Missouri State and Southern Illinois last week.

Carmichael, who hit his first career 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat Evansville on Jan. 7, had 26 points and 16 rebounds to help the Cardinals knock off Missouri State, 76-69 on Wednesday. He made 8-of-15 shots from the field and 10-of-12 at the foul line and added two assists, a block and a steal.

In Saturday’s 60-40 victory over Southern Illinois on Saturday, Carmichael scored nine of the Cardinals’ first 12 points en route to 19 points and 11 rebounds for his seven double-double of the season and the 12^th of his career, including three in his last four outing. He was 8-for-12 from the field and had three blocked shots in the triumph.

For the season, Carmichael is averaging 13.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 blocks per contest.

Last week's Player of the Week was Washington St's Faisal Aden.

MID-MAJOR PLAYER OF THE WEEK

J.P. Primm, UNC-Asheville Senior Guard: Primm scored 53 points and had 10 assists in a pair of pair of Bulldog Big South victories this week.

Primm went 16-for-31 from the field, connected on 10-of-22 3-pointers and made all 11 of his free throws as Asheville knocked off High Point and Campbell to improve to 11-1 in the conference.

“J.P. Primm can score in a lot of different way,” Asheville coach Eddie Biedenbach said.

Primm is averaging 16.3 points while making 41 percent of his 3s and 83 percent of his foul shots. He’s also averaging 4.2 assists, 3.3 rebounds and two steals for the 16-7 Bulldogs, who maintain a game-and-a-half lead over Coastal Carolina in the Big South.

TEAM OF THE WEEK

Massachusetts: A week after knocking off Richmond on the road, the Minutemen knocked off Saint Louis Saturday at home to move into a first-place tie with LaSalle and St. Bonaventure in a wild Atlantic 10 race.

Led by Raphiael Putney’s 22 points and 10 rebounds, UMass shot 65.5 in the first half and built a 19-point halftime lead over the 16-5 Billikens, who were also playing for spot at the top of the A-10 standings.

The Minutemen, who shot 50 percent from the field and held Saint Louis to 34, go to Rhode Island on Wednesday. The Rams are coming off of an 86-81 win at Dayton for their first league win.

SINGLE-GAME PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

Brandon Richardson, Nebraska Senior Guard: Richardson finished with a career-high 25 points in the Cornhuskers’ first Big Ten road victory in school history at Iowa.

Richardson made 9-of-10 field goals, including six of his seven 3-point attempts, grabbed six boards, handed out five assists and got two steals as Nebraska toppled the Hawkeyes, 79-73.

The Cornhuskers, who were coming off a 34 points home loss to No. 6 Ohio State, are now 11-9 overall and 3-6 in the Big Ten heading into Thursday’s contest at Northwestern.

UPSET OF THE WEEK

Samford 77, Davidson 74: At just 6-13 entering the contest, Samford certainly wasn’t expected to be the squad to hand the Wildcats their first Southern Conference loss in Birmingham on Saturday.

Jeffrey Merritt scored 20 points and Will Cook hit two free throws with 1.2 seconds left to left the Bulldogs to their biggest win of the season.

“This is probably No. 1 in my college career,” Cook said. “Davidson was the top team in the conference, so this was a huge victory to knock them off.”

The Bulldogs have another tough one today when they host the College of Charleston.

WIN OF THE WEEK

Valparaiso 55, Milwaukee 52: In its fourth straight road game, Valpo knocked off Milwaukee Saturday to break a second-place tie in the Horizon League.

The Crusaders pulled within a half-game of Cleveland State, which they beat 72-66 on Jan. 15 in their last home game.

Valpo held the Panthers to 17-for-48 from the field, including 6-of-22 from the 3-point line, and held Milwaukee to 17 second-half points and rally from an 11-point second-half deficit.

“Our players did all the work. It was a joy to sit there and watch them play,” said first-year Valparaiso coach Bryce Drew.

Ryan Broekhoff led the Crusaders with 11 points, 11 boards, three assists and three steals.

LOSS OF THE WEEK

Notre Dame 50, Connecticut 48: For the second week in a row, the defending national champions get the dishonor of being getting the “Loss of the Week” after Sunday’s 50-48 home loss to Notre Dame.

The 19-for-47 shooting night, which included 3-of-13 from beyond the 3-point arc, led to the Huskies third loss in a row and fifth in seven games. What’s worse is UConn has lost back-to-back games at home after starting 10-0 at Gampel Pavilion.

Eric Atkins (13), Jerian Grant (11) and Scott Martin (10) scored in double figures for the Irish. Martin also had seven boards. UConn’s Jeremy Lamb led all scorers with 16, but he missed a 5-footer at the buzzer that would have sent the game into overtime.

“If Jeremy’s shot had gone in, I wasn’t going to be jumping,” Huskies coach Jim Calhoun said. “The game was lost over the 40 minutes. It particularly was lost as we began the second half.”

PLAY OF THE WEEK

Hummel’s floater lift Boilers past Northwestern: Four nights after missing two potential winning shots in a 66-64 loss to Michigan, Hummel hit a baseline jumper with eight seconds to play to give Purdue a big 58-56 win over Northwestern in Evanston.

With the score tied at 56-apiece, Hummel took a pass from Lewis Jackson in the right corner. Hummel went by Wildcat freshman Dave Sobolewski and nailed the 15-footer to lift Purdue to 5-4 in Big Ten play. Northwestern’s John Shurna missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer as the Wildcats dropped their third straight.

Hummel finished with 11 points on 5-of-11 shooting.

“It was a game we had to have,” the fifth-year senior said. “It was really that important.”

- Editor: Check out Greg's recent Feature on Robbie Hummel.

Saturday Recap: Iowa State Hands #5 Kansas Their First League Loss

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:59:36 -0500

To say that there were some complaints about the "quality" of Saturday's schedule would be an understatement as many felt that the college basketball slate wouldn't provide much intrigue. But once again college basketball didn't disappoint the fans, with the big result being Iowa State's 72-64 win over #5 Kansas. The Cyclones won despite turning the ball over 19 times by getting to the foul line and controlling the boards. ISU attempted 34 free throws (making 25) to just sixteen for the Jayhawks (who made ten) in handing the visitors their first Big 12 loss. Add in a 36-23 rebounding edge (with 11 offensive rebounds) and some "Hilton Magic" and the end result is a signature win for an Iowa State team that needed one for their NCAA Tournament hopes.

"It's the second time we've played Kansas and in both games our bigs did a heck of a job against some of the best front line players in the country so you have to take your hat off to them," said guard Scott Christopherson, who finished with 14 points (9-10 FT) and three assists. "Not only did they rebound but they defended really well. Kansas puts pressure on your bigs to guard, and our bigs definitely answered the bell today."

Royce White and Melvin Ejim combined to turn the ball over 13 times but they were also the teams leading scorers and rebounders. White, whose versatility has made him one of the best players in the Big 12, finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists while Ejim added 15 and eight rebounds. Iowa State won the majority of the 50/50 battles and that proved to be one of the key factors down the stretch despite their scoring just eight second chance points.

"We talk about 50/50 balls all the time. We don't put football pads on and dive after them but we talk about it a lot," said Iowa State head coach Fred Hoiberg. "We were the first to the floor a couple times and we talk a lot about that as well. Overall a great effort. The first few minutes of the second half was disappointing but we called a quick timeout and got them back out there and refocused. We finished off and played our best stretch of basketball of the season."

The play that essentlally clinched the game for Iowa State came by way of a Kansas turnover, with Chris Babb getting a steal with 1:21 remaining. The Penn State transfer would cash in on the change in possession 25 seconds later with a three-pointer to make the score 67-59, and Iowa State would go on to make five of their last six free throws to sew things up. Tyshawn Taylor led the Jayhawks with 16 points and ten assists and Thomas Robinson added 13 and seven rebounds, but on an afternoon that saw all five KU starters reach double figures their bench didn't provide much help.

Iowa State's reserves outscored the Jayhawk bench 15-5 with Anthony Booker and Tyrus McGee providing the points (and ten rebounds) for the victors. McGee's three-point play with 6:06 remaining broke a 53-all tie and gave the Cyclones the lead for good. Kansas will remain the favorite to win the Big 12 despite this result, but the win was huge for an Iowa State team that went into Saturday without a single RPI Top 50 win (going by realtimerpi.com's numbers). If they can continue to attack the boards (37.9% offensive rebounding percentage on Saturday) and play aggressive basketball, Iowa State has the tools needed to get to the Big Dance.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Saint Mary's takes care of BYU in Provo to remain undefeated in WCC play.
Having already dropped one game at home in conference play, Dave Rose's BYU Cougars needed a win over first-place Saint Mary's if they were to remain a major player in the WCC race. But with the Gaels showing a level of play on the road that's been absent in recent years BYU now finds themselves three games out of first with two games against Gonzaga still left on their schedule. Saint Mary's made up for 24 turnovers and allowing 17 offensive rebounds by shooting 55% from the field and going 25-for-33 from the foul line, winning 80-66 in front of a frenzied Marriott Center crowd that crossed the line at times with the throwing of objects onto the floor. What makes the win (and the margin) all the more surprising is the line that starting point guard Matthew Dellavedova put up, as he finished 1-for-4 from the field (ten points) to go along with seven rebounds, six turnovers and four assists.

But he had plenty of help, with redshirt freshman forward Brad Waldow (19 points, eight rebounds) continuing his solid play of late and Clint Steindl adding 16 points off the bench. Rob Jones scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Saint Mary's, who still has a trip to Gonzaga on their schedule to address. The BYU trio of Matt Carlino (15 points, three assists), Brandon Davies (14 points, seven rebounds) and Noah Hartsock (15 points, three rebounds) led the way but they didn't receive much help while the Gaels' stars did and that proved to be the difference. In prior seasons the late-season fade was an issue for Randy Bennett's team, but in their winning of a chippy affair (the officials were a little too vigorous in their use of the whistle, which didn't help either team) Saint Mary's showed that they've got the staying power needed to not only win the WCC but make some noise in the Big Dance.

2. #4 Syracuse survives a challenge from West Virginia...and the officials marred the ending as well.
What tends to happen in games that are marred by a missed call is that both teams get cheated. The losing team for obvious reasons but the winning squad as well, as they have to defend an outcome that came through no fault of their own. Three officials missed a clear goaltending violation by Baye Keita in the final seconds that would have tied the game, and with Gary Browne missing a last-second three West Virginia left the Carrier Dome with a 63-61 loss. Frankly the Mountaineers have a right to be furious over the missed call, which also overshadows the fact that they out-rebounded Syracuse 41-20 on the afternoon with 19 offensive rebounds. Safe to say that on the interior the Orange miss starting center Fab Melo, but when you get whipped like this one the glass the issue is bigger than one missing player.

Kevin Jones led the Mountaineers, who responded well to the whipping they took at St. John's on Wednesday night, with 20 points and eight rebounds and four other players grabbed at least five boards (three being guards) for the visitors. Looking at the box score it's natural to ask how did Syracuse win. They scored two more points at the foul line (13-11) but they also made up for a 4-for-18 afternoon from beyond the arc by shooting 63% from inside of it. West Virginia on the other hand shot 16-for-44 from two, which to a certain extent nullified their offensive rebounding performance (OR%: 55.9) as they only scored 13 second-chance points to eight for the Orange. Brandon Triche scored 18 points and Kris Joseph 13 to keep the Orange alone atop the Big East standings, leaving West Virginia to wonder what could have been had that violation been called.

3. Washington outlasts Arizona to complete their road sweep, and the Wildcats lose Kevin Parrom too.
Road sweeps will eventually determine who wins the Pac-12, as it tends to do in most seasons. But given the conference's struggled they've become even more important, making Washington's 69-67 win at Arizona that much bigger. Tony Wroten may have shot 5-for-18 from the field in scoring 17 points but his aggressiveness was just what the Huskies needed in front of a frenzied crowd, and his block of a Josiah Turner layup attempt just before the final buzzer preserved the win. Terrence Ross scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds and C.J. Wilcox added 15 off the bench (and five key free throws down the stretch) to keep the Huskies tied for first place in the conference. Solomon Hill was outstanding for Arizona as he finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds and Jesse Perry added 13 and 12, but the Wildcats were unable to finish off their late rally.

And Sean Miller's team was hit with another blow after the game as it was announced that wing Kevin Parrom would miss the remainder of the season with a broken bone in his right foot. Parrom missed the second half with the injury and it's a cruel twist for a young man who has fought a great amount of adversity this year. His loss is big for the Wildcats, as Parrom's versatility and savvy gave Arizona a player they could rely on to do whatever was required of him on the floor at any particular moment. Are youngsters such as Turner and Nick Johnson ready to step up? Can Kyle Fogg and Brendon Lavender give them more? The answers to those questions will determine Arizona's fate down the stretch. As for Washington the play of Wroten is quickly becoming the key to their hopes of winning the Pac-12, and if he can continue on this path the Huskies will be right there at the finish.

4. Good luck trying to figure out the Atlantic 10, but Temple made quite a statement at home.
Just as wild as the Pac-12 race (but better in terms of quality at the top) has been the Atlantic 10, which seems to become more unpredictable by the day. But if there's one thing that stands out after Saturday's action it's that Fran Dunphy's Temple Owls are currently a step ahead of the competition. Led by Ramone Moore (21 points) and Juan Fernandez (17 points) the Owls whipped city rival Saint Joseph's 78-60 in a game that saw all five Hawks starters fail to reach double figures. Khalif Wyatt added ten points and eight rebounds and Micheal Eric chipped in with 11 off the bench in a game Temple led by as many as 28 points late in the second half.

As a team the Owls shot 60% from the floor and 53.3% from three, overwhelming a Saint Joseph's team that was led by 6th man Ronald Roberts (17 points, ten rebounds). Temple is part of a three-way tie for first place in the Atlantic 10 with surprises Massachusetts (who beat Saint Louis) and La Salle (winners over Duquesne). Saint Louis, who has already won at Xavier, will remain a factor in the race as well Xavier (who won at Charlotte) and Dayton (who inexplicably lost at home to Rhode Island). But if one were to handicap the race right now Temple would be the likely choice to win the conference. The guard play has been well-documented and the return of Eric adds a big man the Owls were missing earlier in the season. If Temple continues to execute on the offensive end as they did against the Hawks they're going to be tough to knock off.

5. #13 Florida's shooting from deep proves to be the difference in their win over #16 Mississippi State.
In the first half of the Gators' 69-57 win over Mississippi State on Saturday the Bulldogs outscored the Gators 10-8 in the paint. That statistic flipped in a big way in the second half, with Florida outscoring the visitors 20-4 on their way to the win. Florida's ability to knock down three-pointers will get the majority of the headlines as they knocked down 11 of their 24 attempts on the day, but don't overlook the importance of their paint scoring. Bradley Beal led Florida with 19 points with Erik Murphy adding 14 and Patric Young 12, and nine of Florida's final eleven field goals were scored in the paint.

Murphy's ability to shoot from the perimeter (4-for-7 3PT) helped open things up for Florida inside, and the combined nine assists and no turnovers from Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton was key as well. Dee Bost and Arnett Moultrie scored 12 points apiece to lead Mississippi State (Moultrie also grabbed 13 rebounds) but Rick Stansbury's guys fell victim to an 11-0 run that put the game out of reach after a Bost three cut Florida's lead to four (51-47) with 8:01 remaining.

Quick Hitters

1. #6 Duke hung on to beat St. John's 83-76 but head coach Mike Krzyzewski was none too pleased after the game. The Blue Devils were sloppy in the second half offensively and defensively they didn't have an answer for Moe Harkless, who finished with 30 points and 13 rebounds. Ryan Kelly scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds and Mason Plumlee scored 15 and grabbed 17 rebounds for the Blue Devils, who need better guard play if they're to win the ACC.

2. Nasir Robinson scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds in Pittsburgh's 72-60 win over #10 Georgetown, moving the Panthers to 12-0 all-time at the Petersen Events Center against Top 10 opponents. This game is also another step in the right direction for Pitt, who assisted on 20 of their 25 made baskets. With Tray Woodall finally healthy the Panthers have their point guard back, and they can definitely make a run towards an NCAA berth.

3. There's more work to be done for Colorado State to earn an NCAA Tournament berth but their 77-60 win over #12 San Diego State was a step in the right direction. Wes Eikmeier scored 19 points and Will Bell 17 and five rebounds for the Rams, whose win also resulted in a tie atop the Mountain West as UNLV won in overtime at Air Force. Whether or not Tim Miles' team can make a run at the bubble (or better) remains to be seen, but this kind of win was absent from there resume before Saturday.

4. Wichita State was involved in a thriller but their 93-86 triple overtime loss at Drake dropped the Shockers a game behind Creighton in the Missouri Valley standings. Ben Simons led the Bulldogs with 29 points and eight rebounds and Kurt Alexander's 17 points off the bench were also key. Garrett Stutz led Wichita State with 27 points and Joe Ragland scored 25, but as a result of this loss the Shockers will likely need to win the games approaching the February 11th battle at Creighton to remain a game out.

5. So much for the momentum gained from their win over first-place LIU Brooklyn for Robert Morris, as they fell 81-68 to St. Francis (NY). The loss drops the Colonials two games behind LIU in the NEC, which is where they were before Thursday night's win. Glen Braica's Terriers, who were led by Brent Jones (19 points, four rebounds, four assists) and Travis Nichols (16 points off the bench), are now tied with Wagner a game behind their Brooklyn rivals.

6. Cal State Fullerton got their chance to not only make a statement but add some intrigue to the Big West race but Long Beach State was having no parts of that as they put together a late run to win 75-61. Dan Monson's team closed the game on a 22-10 run after having their lead cut to two points, and at 9-0 in league play the 49ers look to be in good position to win another regular season crown.

7. Kenny McGowen's three-pointer as time expired gave Idaho State a 64-62 win over Weber State, who entered the game undefeated in Big Sky play. McGowen scored 19 points to lead all scorers while Scott Bamforth led the Wildcats with 17 and Damian Lillard added 15. While the win breathes life into the Bengals' hopes of qualifying for the conference tournament it also gives new life to Montana, who is now tied in the loss column with Weber State atop the standings.

8. Dominique Morrison scored 28 points on 10-for-14 shooting from the field as Oral Roberts moved to 12-0 in the Summit League with a 77-67 win over UMKC. The Golden Eagles attempted just seven three-pointers but made five while also shooting 22-for-38 from two, and at 20-4 ORU hasn't received the level of national respect that they deserve. This team will be a tough out come March.

9. Speaking of March, good luck to the selection committee finding 37 at-large teams better than Middle Tennessee should the Blue Raiders not win the Sun Belt's automatic bid. Middle Tennessee lost 84-77 at Vanderbilt in what's a good win for the Commodores but the skill of players such as LaRon Dendy should not be lost in the final score. Few teams will be lining up to play Kermit Davis' club anytime soon.

10. Memphis and Southern Miss won the two matchups of the top four teams in Conference USA, setting up a showdown for sole possession of first place Wednesday night in Hattiesburg. Will Barton was outstanding for Memphis in their 83-76 win over Marshall, scoring 29 points and grabbing eight rebounds, while Neil Watson (23 points) and Darnell Dodson (22 points, eight rebounds) led Southern Miss to a 78-65 win at UCF.

11. Both Purdue and Illinois had chances to either move to or remain at the head of the pack in the middle of the Big Ten standings but only the Boilermakers took full advantage. Robbie Hummel's jumper from the left baseline in the final seconds gave Purdue a 58-56 win at Northwestern, but Illinois made some poor decisions late and ended up falling 77-72 at Minnesota. Tough to figure out how the middle of the conference will shake out but the ability to win tight games on the road will set teams apart.

Five Notable Performances

1. G Shane Gibson (Sacred Heart)
43 points (16-28 FG) and five rebounds in the Pioneers' 81-80 double overtime loss to Mount St. Mary's. Gibson's three at the end of regulation tied the score at 70 and sent the game into overtime.

2. F Ryan Pearson (George Mason)
29 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and two blocks in the Patriots' 89-79 win over James Madison.

3. F Moe Harkless (St. John's) and F Mason Plumlee (Duke)
Harkless accounted for 30 points and 14 rebounds in the Red Storm's 83-76 loss at #6 Duke while Plumlee led the victors with 15 points and 17 rebounds.

4. G Reggie Hamilton (Oakland)
37 points, six assists and four rebounds in the Golden Grizzlies' 78-75 loss to North Dakota State.

5. F Tony Mitchell (North Texas)
21 points, 15 rebounds and six blocks in the Mean Green's 76-64 win over Arkansas State.

Special Note: Towson picks up their first win of the season
Congrats to Pat Skerry's Towson Tigers, who picked up their first win of the season (and ended a 41-game losing streak) with a 66-61 win over UNC Wilmington. Marcus Damas led the way with 18 points while Deon Jones (15 points, six rebounds) and Robert Nwankwo (12 points, 11 rebounds) were also good. And Erique Gumbs, the lone member of the team to have experienced every loss, chipped in with 11 points and eight rebounds. Good to see the program get rewarded for the hard work put in; hope Binghamton (0-20) gets to experience this feeling soon as well.

Robbie Hummel: Fighting Adversity (And MSU Fans)

Greg Mengelt — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:14:24 -0500

It’s a shame what happened to Purdue senior Robbie Hummel at the Breslin Center during Saturday’s 83-58 loss to the Spartans.

Hummel was reportedly taunted by a Michigan State fan, who shouted at Hummel that he hoped he would tear his ACL a third time, according The Lafayette Journal & Courier’s Jeff Washburn.

Hummel, who has been one of the best players in the Big Ten since arriving at West Lafayette in 2007, has had a heartbreaking career at Purdue and he deserves more respect than that.

Purdue coach Matt Painter agrees. He called out the student for his behavior and lectured him during the game.

“I was just trying to fight,” Painter told Journal & Courier. “I think (the Michigan State student section is) great. But if they are going to say, ‘I hope you tear your ACL again,’ I’m going to say something. He doesn’t deserve that.”

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said if he had heard it, “I would throw the guy out of here. It’s just uncalled for. It’s ridiculous. So if that made Matt Painter mad, I completely understand.”

What’s even more of a shame is the affect Hummel’s knee injuries have had on his game. The Valparaiso, Ind., native averaged 11.4 points as a freshman, 12.5 as a sophomore and was having a Big Ten Player of the Year-type season when he suffered his first injury at Minnesota late in his junior season. At the time, Hummel was averaging 15.7 points and 6.3 rebounds, and the Boilermakers were 19-3 and riding a 10-game winning streak and were ranked third in the nation.

Without Hummel, Purdue went 4-3 down the stretch and lost to eventual national champion Duke in the Sweet 16.

Hummel returned for the 2010-11 season, only to tear his ACL on the first day of practice. Even without Hummel, the Boilermakers raced out to a 15-1 start before going 26-8 and finishing second in the Big Ten at 14-4.

Boilermaker fans are left only to wonder about what would have happened during those two seasons had Hummel been healthy. A serious argument can be made that the Hummel-led Boilermakers may have gone to back-to-back Final 4s and made runs at a national title or two.

The good news was that Hummel got to return this season. The problem is his surrounding cast – outside of fellow-senior point guard Lewis Jackson – simply doesn’t have enough high-level Big Ten talent. Through Tuesday, the Boilermakers are 14-7 overall, 4-4 in the Big Ten – after back-to-back home losses to Wisconsin and Michigan – and are in danger of making Hummel’s senior season less than memorable.

As good and courageous as Hummel has been, it’s clear he’s not 100 percent healthy. He leads the Boilermakers with 15.4 points and 6.3 rebounds, but his field goal percentage is down significantly.

Through no fault of his own, Hummel has also disappeared late in games, likely a sign of a fatigued knee. Against Xavier and Butler, he shot 7-of-21 and 6-of-17, respectively, and went scoreless down the stretch in both games, allowing the Musketeers and Bulldogs earn come-from-behind victories after being down double-digits in the final 10 minutes.

In Saturday’s loss to No. 9 Michigan State, Hummel’s career hit a low point. He didn’t make a shot for the first time in his career, going 0-for-11 and finishing with two points in a 83-58.

“I thought I got a lot of good looks and just didn’t make them. It’s pretty frustrating, really,” Hummel said. “There’s not much to say really. It’s pretty embarrassing that I didn’t make a shot.”

In Tuesday’s loss to No. 20 Michigan, Hummel scored 16 points, but he missed two 3-point attempts late as the Boilermakers lost 66-64.

“I got great looks, I just didn’t knock them down,” Hummel said. “I was basically wide open.”

“I would run that play 100 more times,” Jackson said of Hummel’s final game-winning attempt. “Rob’s a great shooter.”

And he’s been a great, great player – arguably the best in the Big Ten over the past half-decade and one of Purdue’s greatest of all time. It would be a shame to see Hummel’s career end the way it appears to be heading.

He deserves better.

Tuesday Recap: Travel Issues, Cowboys Can't Derail San Diego State

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:35:27 -0500

It's been an interesting couple of days in college basketball when it comes to travel issues, with Purdue having to bus to Michigan State in the early hours of Saturday for a noon tip. While the Boilermakers hung tough in the first half they lost their legs in the second as the Spartans rolled. So what was going to happen to San Diego State, whose trek to Laramie for an important Mountain West game against Wyoming took 20 hours, not to mention the fact that they'd be playing more than 7,000 feet above sea level? The Aztecs seemed to find their second wind in the second half, opening the stanza on a 16-4 run on their way to the 52-42 win.

SDSU shot 57.1% from the field in the second half while limiting the Cowboys to 7-for-27, and their defense helped make up for 19 turnovers that Wyoming was able to convert into 18 points. Chase Tapley and Jamaal Franklin scored 12 points apiece for San Diego State, who remains a game ahead of UNLV with a 4-0 league mark, and Franklin also grabbed eleven rebounds (unfortunately he was three turnovers away from a triple-double).

Leonard Washington (12 points, eight rebounds) and Luke Martinez (11 points) led the way for the Pokes, who have dropped two conference home games (New Mexico before this) and are still in search of a marquee win to add to their resume. Foul trouble short-circuited Wyoming in the first half but they were able to hang close, trailing 25-22 at the break. But their offensive struggles coming out of the gates in the second half proved to be the difference.

"They played very good position defense, but they didn't pressure us other than for a few possessions when JayDee [Luster] was out," remarked Wyoming head coach Larry Shyatt. "They are a tough, competitive group of kids, and they have an arrogance where they expect to win. All good teams have that."

Given the fact that there were just 58 possessions in the game neither team was all that great at taking care of the basketball, combining for 34 turnovers on the night. San Diego State made the most of the possessions they were able to get through without turning the ball over, shooting 51.2% from the field and 45.5% from three. Both teams made five three-pointers on the night, but SDSU only attempted 11 to Wyoming's 22. The Cowboys attempted eight more field goals and six more free throws but it was they who looked to be the team that spent 20 hours on the road, and that's a credit to Steve Fisher, his staff and most importantly the players.

"It had no impact on the game at all, in my opinion," said Fisher of the travel issues. "We've had problems in Laramie my thirteen trips in here. It's a hard place to play and win. To come in here and get a win, I'm very appreciative, and do believe we earned it."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Michigan hangs on to beat Purdue in West Lafayette.
It's safe to say that Michigan didn't get off to a good start at Arkansas on Saturday afternoon, but to their credit the Wolverines fought back before falling short 66-64. No such beginning on Tuesday night for Michigan, but they needed a missed Robbie Hummel three in the final seconds to beat Purdue 66-64 in West Lafayette. Tim Hardaway Jr. led four Michigan players in double figures with 19 points and forwards Jordan Morgan and Evan Smotrycz combined for 22 points in the win.

Michigan wasn't as reliant on the three-point shot as they normally are in their system, attempting 14 (making six). But that's fine when they're able to find enough good shots from two to shoot 58.3% inside of the arc. Purdue on the other hand shot 9-for-26 from deep, and Hummel and Lewis Jackson combined to score 33 of their 64 points. With the win Michigan remains atop the Big Ten standings with a 6-2 mark, and if they can get play like this from Morgan and Smotrycz on a consistent basis they'll remain a contender for the Big Ten title.

2. Baylor bounces back from an 0-2 week by winning at Oklahoma.
It was a tough week for Scott Drew's Bears but that was understandable given the fact that they were playing a Top 10 team on the road (Kansas) and a Top 5 team at home (Missouri). The issue came in how they lost especially when considering rebounding, and while Oklahoma still managed to grab 12 offensive rebounds they weren't able to fully take advantage. Perry Jones III scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Baylor to the 77-65 win, with Oklahoma's poor three-point shooting (3-for-12) also playing a role in the outcome.

Baylor on the other hand made nine of their eighteen shots from beyond the arc, and when combined with a 14-for-17 night from the charity stripe it isn't too difficult to figure out why the 12 offensive boards allowed wasn't a killer. Pierre Jackson scored 16 points and dished out seven assists but also had six of Baylor's 12 turnovers, but the Sooners only scored 12 points off of those turnovers. Romero Osby scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Steven Pledger scored 17 to lead Oklahoma, who dropped to 2-5 in league play with the defeat.

3. Texas picks up a key win over Iowa State to split the season series.
Fred Hoiberg's Cyclones have made their way into the NCAA Tournament discussion with their play throughout the season but they let a good opportunity slip through their fingers with a 72-65 loss at Texas. A win would have given the Cyclones a sweep of the season series, and if both teams were to end up on the bubble that would be a nice line to have on their resume. What makes the defeat even more painful is that Texas won despite J'Covan Brown shooting 3-for-16 from the field.

Myck Kabongo led the Longhorns with 13 points and Julien Lewis chipped in with 12 and seven rebounds, giving Texas a much-needed home win as their next two games are at Baylor and home against Missouri. Iowa State shot just 33.3% from the field and 5-for-21 from three, and starters Scott Christopherson and Chris Allen combined to make just two of their fourteen shots from the field. Iowa State will have plenty of good opportunities for resume-building wins between now and March, but this defeat may put a little more pressure on them to split their next two games (home against Kansas and Kansas State).

Quick Hitters

1. Despite 25 points and nine rebounds from Ball State's Jarrod Jones, Akron won 70-58 in Muncie to remain in sole possession of first place in the MAC East. Quincy Diggs and Brian Walsh scored 16 points apiece to lead the Zips and Alex Abreu added 12 on four three-pointers.

2. Kentucky forward Anthony Davis moved to third on the list of most blocked shots in a single season in SEC history, blocking five shots to move his total to 98 in the Wildcats' 57-44 win at Georgia. Darius Miller scored 19 points off the bench and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist added 14 and 11 rebounds as Kentucky moved to 6-0 in conference play.

3. In Nashville, Vanderbilt blitzed Tennessee early on their way to a 65-47 win as Jeffery Taylor led the way with 23 points, nine rebounds and four steals. John Jenkins added 16 as the Commodores were able to win in comfortable fashion in spite of Festus Ezeli's ejection for a flagrant 2 foul in the first half.

4. With two of their next three games being road contests against ranked teams, there was some thought that we'd find out how good USF is. The first game didn't go well for the Bulls as they fell 67-47 at #18 Marquette. Toarlyn Fitzpatrick led the Bulls with 19 points and ten rebounds but as a team USF shot 35.6% from the field and turned the ball over 20 times, leading to 20 Marquette points.

5. If Jim Larranaga's Miami team is to make a run at a spot on the NCAA Tournament bubble they need to avoid stubbing their toe against teams they're expected to beat in the ACC. That was the case on Tuesday as the Hurricanes beat Georgia Tech 64-49 thanks in large part to 21 points and eight rebounds from Kenny Kadji. Miami needs to take care of business against Boston College and Maryland ahead of their trip to Duke on February 5th.

6. While Buffalo does have one of the country's most underrated players in Javon McCrea, they've also got another solid forward by the name of Mitchell Watt. Watt scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds to compliment McCrea's 17 points as the Bulls beat Eastern Michigan 67-47 to remain a game behind Akron in the MAC East.

Three Notable Performances

1. F/C Will Davis II (UC Irvine)
21 points (9-10 FG), ten rebounds and five blocks in the Anteaters' 78-67 win over Seattle.

2. F Perry Jones III (Baylor)
21 points and 12 rebounds in the Bears' 77-65 win at Oklahoma.

3. F Jeffery Taylor (Vanderbilt)
23 points, nine rebounds and four steals in the Commodores' 65-47 win over Tennessee.

#9 Michigan St vs Purdue: Prediction & Fan Poll

Greg Mengelt — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:52:16 -0500

PURDUE (14-5, 4-2 Big Ten) AT NO. 9 MICHIGAN STATE (15-4, 4-2 Big Ten)

Time/TV: Noon/ESPN

Location: Jack Breslin Student Events Center

RPI Ratings:

Purdue 43 (No. 8 Big Ten)

Michigan State 4 (No. 1 Big Ten)

Line: Michigan St -7.5 (136)

Purdue Players to Watch: F Robbie Hummel, 6-8 Sr. (16.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.7 apg); G Lewis Jackson, 5-9 Sr. (10 ppg, 3.7 apg, 1.2 spg); G Kelsey Barlow, 6-5 Jr. (8.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.1 apg). Hummel broke out of a mini-slump with 17 p oints, 11 rebounds, three assists and two blocks in Purdue’s 75-68 win over Iowa on Tuesday.

Michigan State Players to Watch: F Draymond Green, 6-7 Sr. (15.4 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 3.4 apg); G Branden Dawson, 6-6 Fr. (7.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 56.1% FG); G Brandon Wood, 6-2 Sr. (9.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.4 apg). Dawson, a Hoosier who chose Michigan State over Purdue, has struggled of late. He has scored in double-figures six times this year, but none of them came in the last six games.

Storylines: The Boilermakers and Spartans are tied in second place – a half-game behind leader Michigan – in the Big Ten. After a 2-0 start, Purdue has split its last two games, including a home loss to Wisconsin. Michigan State has lost two in a row – on the road at Northwestern and Michigan – following a 15-game winning streak.

Keys: When comparing team state, Michigan State is superior across the board. They shoot better, are far superior on the boards and stack up at least evenly defensively. The one area Purdue could have an advantage is ball security. The Boilermakers turn the ball over just 9.6 times per game and they average 13.9 assists per contest. The Spartans are 12^th in the nation in rebounds per game (40.2) and are plus-10 per contest, are 15^th in assists (16.7) and 32^nd in field goal percentage (47.9). Despite the heartbreaking loss to Michigan, the Spartans out-rebounded the Wolverines 31-18. However, they did allow their rivals to shoot 51 percent from the floor. The Boilers haven’t lost consecutive games this season. The Spartans now have two 2-game losing streaks. Jackson is playing through back spasms and planter fasciitis, but has a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Purdue is one of the worst free throw shooting teams in the nation at 61.9 percent. Terone Johnson, who is averaging 12 points in Purdue’s last three games, has made only 18-of-52 foul shots this season. Five Boiler regulars are shooting under 67 percent from the charity stripe. Purdue is a tough road opponent. The Boilers are 3-2 in true road games, including Big Ten victories at Iowa and Minnesota. They have also won at the Breslin Center each of the past two seasons. In those wins, Purdue held the Spartans to a combined 32.7 shooting. Purdue hasn’t won three straight at East Lansing since winning five straight from 1993-98. Michigan State is unbeaten at home this season (11-0) and none of the wins were closer than nine points.

The Bottom Line: These teams similar in a lot of ways, but at East Lansing, the Spartans should win comfortably. If it comes down to crunch time, Purdue has the advantage with the game’s best perimeter go-to scorer in Hummel and the game’s best shooter in Ryne Smith. However, the Spartans have a significant advantage at the foul line and on the boards. That could be the difference.

The Pick: Michigan State 71, Purdue 60.

Thursday Recap: Virginia Falls Short at Duke

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:04:00 -0500

Thursday was a big night for the Virginia Cavaliers as they were looking for their first win at Duke since 1995, and a victory over the sixth-ranked Blue Devils would raise their ceiling even higher.

Despite shooting 0-for-11 from three in the second half Tony Bennett's team still had two chances to send the game into overtime, but neither fell and the Blue Devils hung on to win 61-58. On a night that Duke shot 5-for-20 from three against the ACC's best when it comes to defending the bonus shot the Blue Devils needed a group effort to move their home win streak to 44 games.

Mason Plumlee scored 12 points to lead four players in double figures, and he could have scored more if not for a 2-for-10 outing at the foul line. Duke finished the game with a field goal percentage of 52.2%, as making 73.0% of their two-point attempts made up for the poor perimeter shooting. With their outside shots not falling Duke needed to clamp down on defense, and they did just that as two Virginia starters (Jontel Evans and Sammy Zeglinski) failed to score a single point.

"I also thought it was by far the best defensive game that Andre Dawkins has ever played," said Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski of his junior guard's defensive contribution. "Everyone talks about his shooting, but he really played well defensively. And we did a good job against Zeglinski and Harris...we were able to at least limit Harris and we were fortunate we shut down Zeglinski."

The one player Duke didn't have an answer for was forward Mike Scott, who scored a game-high 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds in a losing effort. Virginia had the pace they preferred, playing a 59-possession game on the road against an opponent that averages 70 possessions/game, and they did a good job of limiting the open looks for Duke's prolific shooters.

That's definitely something the Cavaliers can build on in the days leading up to their game at Georgia Tech next Thursday. Coach Bennett and his team certainly shouldn't be in the business of claiming moral victories but if anything Virginia showed that, in addition to their own growth as a program, there's a sizeable gap between the top three and the rest of the ACC.

"Tonight, it could have been the same situation, and I thought they got a little tougher and stingier defensively," said Bennett when asked to compare this season's meeting to last year's (76-60 Duke win). "That got us back on track. Then we made some baskets. That is why we at least had some chances at the end to send it into overtime."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Wisconsin jumps out to a big lead and picks up a much-needed win at Purdue.
Slow starts had been a problem in recent games for Bo Ryan's team leading up to their game in West Lafayette, and with a 1-3 record in Big Ten play Wisconsin needed to figure out a solution. Instead of the usual methodical pace the Badgers found (and made) quick looks from beyond the arc in their swing offense to take control of the game, scoring 22 of the first 26 points before holding on in the second half to win 67-62. Five players reached double figures for the Badgers but the biggest surprise had to be senior Mike Bruesewitz, a glue guy who knocked down all four of this three-point attempts and scored 12 points.

Terone Johnson led Purdue with 16 points off the bench and Robbie Hummel added 13, but with Lewis Jackson not 100% physically and other options struggling from the field the Boilermakers didn't have enough to overcome the hole they dug for themselves early. As a team Purdue made just 35.1% of their two-point shots, a far cry from their mark for the season (49.4%), and that's a testament to Wisconsin's defense and not just Purdue's inability to make shots. In order to get back on track Wisconsin looked for scoring opportunities earlier in their sets to start the game, and that proved to be the difference.

"We gave them respect and talked about not giving them 'rhythm shots' and I think they got too many 'rhythm shots' and got their head up early," remarked Purdue head coach Matt Painter after the game.

2. Saint Mary's whips Gonzaga to go 2-0 against the other WCC contenders at home.
Saint Mary's early WCC schedule can be summed up by using the title of Jay-Z's "Blueprint 2" album. "The Gift" was getting to host both BYU and Gonzaga early in league play. The key for Randy Bennett's team is to make sure that having to play both teams on the road in the second half of the season season doesn't turn out to be "The Curse". The Gaels controlled the Bulldogs in the second half on Thursday night, pushing their lead out to as many as 24 after leading 37-32 just over a minute into the half. Saint Mary's won 83-62 despite forward Rob Jones not scoring until 1:39 remaining in the game, but he made up for the lack of scoring by grabbing 11 rebounds and racking up eight assists.

A big reason why Saint Mary's was able to pull away in spite of Jones' lack of scoring was the play of forward Brad Waldow, who posted his first career double-double with 17 points and ten rebounds. And with Gonzaga's Robert Sacre making just one of seven shots and scoring four points, the visitors from Spokane couldn't take advantage. Matthew Dellavedova, who like Seton Hall's Jordan Theodore continues to make the Cousy Award selection committee look siily for leaving him off the finalists list, scored a game-high 26 points and dished out six assists while Stephen Holt added 15 and six assists. But essentially the Gaels held serve in the three-team race for the WCC crown with the two home wins. Whether or not Saint Mary's can take this show on the road will determine whether or not they end up on top at the end of the season.

3. Drexel ends George Mason's 18-game regular season conference win streak.
After wins over Old Dominion and Georgia State, Paul Hewitt's Patriots entered Thursday's matchup with Drexel full of confidence and rightfully so as George Mason had won 18 straight regular season CAA games. But thanks in large part to a freshman who had made five of his last fifteen field goals, the Dragons snapped Mason's streak and forced a three-way tie for first place in the CAA. Damion Lee made eight of his fourteen shots and scored a game-high 21 points (16 in the second half), picking up the slack for Drexel as fellow starters Frantz Massenat (4-18 FG, 12 points) and Derrick Thomas (2-9 FG, eight points) struggled from the field.

What also helped Drexel was their effort on the defensive end, as they harassed Ryan Pearson and Vertail Vaughns into a combined 2-for-16 night from the field. What also didn't help George Mason were their turnovers, more specifically Drexel's ability to take advantage of the Patriots' miscues. George Mason turned the ball over just ten times (Drexel finished with nine turnovers), but the Dragons scored 16 points off of those turnovers compared to six for the visitors. Drexel also won the battle on the boards (41-30), grabbing 18 offensive rebounds and while they didn't cash those in at a great clip (11 second-chance points) those extra shots can make the difference when shooting just 36.2%. Lee's second half will stick out however and rightfully so, as his outburst not only tightened things up at the top of the CAA but kept Drexel in the discussion.

Quick Hitters

1. Virginia wasn't the only team to show well on the road in defeat. Colorado did the same, and their 57-50 loss at California was closer than the final margin would indicate. Tad Boyle's team leads the Pac-12 in scoring defense, and Carlon Brown has done a much better job of picking his spots over the last month. And in forward Andre Roberson, who leads the conference in rebounding and accounted for 11 points and 14 rebounds on Thursday, Colorado's got one of the nation's most underrated players.

2. Minnesota picked up their first Big Ten win of the season at Indiana of all places, beating the Hoosiers 77-74. Austin Hollins led the Golden Gophers with 18 points, and they did just enough late to hold off an Indiana team that refused to quit. Indiana's problem: they made just four of eighteen shots from three on the night, a far cry from their percentage for the season (45.9%).

3. Saturday's showdown in the Big Sky will feature teams undefeated in league play as Montana (4-0) and Weber State (5-0) took care of business against Northern Arizona and Montana State respectively. Scott Bamforth scored 20 points in Weber State's 63-49 win over Montana State while Kareem Jamar led three Montana starters in double figures with 15 points (and seven rebounds) in the Grizzlies' 78-53 win at NAU.

4. It was a struggle but Oral Roberts found a way to remain undefeated in Summit League play, moving to 7-0 with a 71-70 double overtime win at Western Illinois. Dominique Morrison played all 50 minutes and scored a game-high 27 points and Steven Roundtree added 12 off the bench for the Golden Eagles.

5. UNC Asheville came back from a 12-point halftime deficit at Campbell to beat the Camels 89-82 and move to 6-0 in the Big South. Jeremy Atkinson was the catalyst as he scored 19 of his 22 points in the second half. Matt Dickey chipped in with 19 points and ten rebounds, J.P. Primm scored 18 and sixth man Jaron Lane added 13 off the bench.

6. The comeback of the day, and possibly of the season to date, happened in New Rochelle as Manhattan stormed back from 17 down with less than eight minutes remaining to beat rival Iona 75-72. Emmy Andujar's turnaround three as time expired was the difference, but don't discount the effort of Rhamel Brown (17 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks) either. Steve Masiello's surprising Jaspers are now just a game out of first place in the MAAC, and this result also makes Friday's game between Loyola (MD) and Fairfield even more important.

7. Quinnipiac picked up a much-needed win as they beat Robert Morris in Moon Township 78-76 to move to 2-3 in the NEC. With just the top eight teams qualifying for the conference tournament Tom Moore's team needed a win, and thanks to 22 points from James Johnson and 18 from Dave Johnson (no relation) the mission was accomplished.

8. Yes things got heated during overtime in Arizona's 91-83 win over Oregon State, with OSU's Joe Burton and Arizona's Kyryl Natyazhko being ejected for leaving their respective bench areas. But no punches were thrown during an interaction that featured more jawing than anything else thanks to quick-acting coaches and officials. Instead the focus should be on the fact that Craig Robinson's team dropped to 1-4 in conference play, and anything less than a split of the weekend (they visit Arizona State on Saturday) would be the end of the Beavers' title hopes despite the wide-open nature of the conference.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Phil Martin (UC Riverside)
Long Beach State has sole possession of first place in the Big West and Martin's a big reason why. Martin scored 33 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the Highlanders' 79-70 overtime win over UCSB.

2. C Vander Joaquim (Hawaii)
23 points (9-11 FG), 16 rebounds and three blocked shots in the Warriors' 74-68 overtime win at Fresno State.

3. C John Fraley (Austin Peay)
25 points (10-12 FG) and 12 rebounds in the Governors' 80-65 win over Eastern Kentucky.

#6 Duke vs. #17 Virginia: Thursday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:08:39 -0500

The ACC has been assumed by many to be a conference that goes three-deep at the top with an unpredictable group beneath. But how close is the third team, #16 Virginia (14-1, 1-0), to the generally accepted top two of North Carolina and #8 Duke (13-2, 1-0)? That question will be answered tonight as the Cavaliers look for their first win at Cameron Indoor Stadium since 1995, and they've also lost the last seven games in the series. But armed with arguably the ACC's most versatile player in Mike Scott and their tough pack-line defense, the Cavaliers are capable of doing so.

Scott (16.5 ppg, 8.9 rpg) has a vast array of skills on the offensive end of the floor, shooting 59.5% from the field and a respectable 37.5% from three. His ability to score either inside or out makes him a tough matchup for many front court players, but there's also Joe Harris to take into consideration. Harris (12.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg) leads the team in minutes and also shoots well from the field, making nearly 46% of his field goal attempts. It will also be interesting to see who Harris matches up with defensively as Duke goes with a three-guard lineup.

Duke possesses an impressive amount of depth on the perimeter, with Austin Rivers, Seth Curry and Tyler Thornton being the starters. Rivers (14.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.1 apg) leads the team in scoring, and he's become more comfortable with experience. Thornton's insertion into the lineup was done in hopes of improving Duke's perimeter defense, which can be exploited by teams with the ability to break guys down off the dribble. Temple was able to get that done last week, but it may not be as easy for Virginia to do the same.

Point guard Jontel Evans (6.0 ppg, 3.5 apg) will be critical in this regard, as his job is to find the likes of Harris and Scott for quality looks. Senior guard Sammy Zeglinski (9.9 ppg, 2.7 apg) has dealt with injuries for much of his time in Charlottesville but when healthy he's one of the better shooters on the team. And freshman Malcolm Brogdon has been a solid addition to the rotation, and his role as sixth man has become more important due to the mid-year transfer of K.T. Harrell.

Duke has the Plumlee brothers, Mason and Miles, in addition to Ryan Kelly to rely on inside, with the Plumlees providing the muscle while Kelly is more of a face-up "4" who is more comfortable on the perimeter than inside. Mason's averaging 11.7 points and a team-best 9.8 rebounds while also blocking nearly two shots per contest. Miles has worked out better as a reserve in his senior campaign, and this group could prove problematic for Assane Sene and company.

But Virginia is one of the best rebounding teams in the ACC, boasting a margin of plus-8.9. A big difference between the two teams is tempo, with Duke averaging nine more possessions per game. Far more likely to get out and run, the Blue Devils will look to speed things up and if they're knocking down three-pointers early things could get away from the Cavaliers.

However, Virginia has the best three-point percentage defense in the ACC, allowing teams to shoot just 27.7% so that will be an area to watch with Duke shooting 41.7% from distance. Virginia can make quite the statement in Durham tonight, and for the first time in years they've got the ability to take advantage of the opportunity.

Out west, Gonzaga visits Saint Mary's in a matchup of the top two teams in the WCC. The Gaels, who have already beaten BYU in Moraga, have an outstanding point guard in Matthew Dellavedova and forward Rob Jones has been outstanding this season as well. Kevin Pangos hit the ground running for Gonzaga, and he's continued to improve and has to be the early favorite for WCC Rookie of the Year. Up front the Bulldogs can call on Elias Harris, Robert Sacre and Sam Dower, so it will be interesting to see who steps up to help out Jones inside for SMC.

In the Big Ten, Wisconsin visits Purdue in a game both teams need albeit for far different reasons. The Boilermakers are currently 3-1 in conference play and a win over the Badgers would keep them in the thick of the Big Ten race. Wisconsin on the other hand is 1-3, and a loss in West Lafayette would do some serious damage to their hopes of at least getting back into the top half of the Big Ten standings. Wisconsin will need more from Ryan Evans and Jared Berggren if they're to do so, and that goes for the remainder of the season as well.

There's also a big game in the CAA as Drexel, who beat VCU on Sunday night, hosts first-place George Mason. The Mason point guard play has improved in recent games but they're going to encounter a serious test in dealing with Drexel's Frantz Massenat. Massenat was outstanding against VCU, scoring 24 points in the 64-58 win.

Look for this battle, which also features the likes of Mike Morrison and Ryan Pearson for Mason and Samme Givens for Drexel, to be a rugged contest with the winning team likely being the one that better navigates foul difficulties. And Colorado visits California and Oregon State is in Tucson to take on Arizona in Pac-12 play, with the Buffaloes currently leading the conference with a 3-0 league mark.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM (17) Virginia at (6) Duke (ESPN)
8:00 PM Minnesota at (8) Indiana (BTN)
8:00 PM Jacksonville State at (14) Murray State
9:00 PM Tennessee at (20) Mississippi State (ESPN2)
11:00 PM (23) Gonzaga at Saint Mary's(ESPN2)

NCAA Division I Games
6:00 PM James Madison at VCU (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Southern Utah at IUPUI
7:00 PM Clemson at Boston College (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Central Connecticut State at Mount St. Mary's
7:00 PM Wofford at Chattanooga
7:00 PM Binghamton at Vermont
7:00 PM Samford at Georgia Southern
7:00 PM Manhattan at Iona
7:00 PM Gardner-Webb at Coastal Carolina
7:00 PM Furman at Appalachian State (ESPN3)
7:00 PM UNC-Asheville at Campbell
7:00 PM Western Carolina at Davidson
7:00 PM UNC Wilmington at Georgia State
7:00 PM Winthrop at High Point
7:00 PM Radford at Liberty (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at LIU Brooklyn
7:00 PM Idaho at Louisiana Tech (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Wisconsin at Purdue (ESPN)
7:00 PM Quinnipiac at Robert Morris
7:00 PM Rider at Siena (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Monmouth at St. Francis (NY)
7:00 PM Sacred Heart at Saint Francis (PA)
7:00 PM Bryant at Wagner
7:05 PM Elon at Citadel
7:30 PM Presbyterian at Charleston Southern
8:00 PM UNC Greensboro at Charleston (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Western Kentucky at North Texas
8:00 PM Wright State at Milwaukee (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at Austin Peay
8:00 PM George Mason at Drexel (ESPNU)
8:00 PM Tennessee-Martin at Eastern Illinois
8:00 PM Middle Tennessee at Florida International
8:00 PM UMKC at North Dakota State
8:00 PM SIU-Edwardsville at Southeast Missouri State
8:00 PM South Dakota at South Dakota State
8:00 PM Oral Roberts at Western Illinois
8:00 PM Detroit at Green Bay
8:05 PM South Alabama at Louisiana-Lafayette
8:05 PM Crowley's Ridge College at Houston Baptist
8:30 PM Oregon State at Arizona (FSN)
8:35 PM Montana at Northern Arizona
9:00 PM Arkansas-Little Rock at Louisiana-Monroe
9:00 PM Montana State at Weber State
9:05 PM Utah State at New Mexico State (ESPN3)
9:05 PM Portland State at Northern Colorado
9:30 PM Valley City State at North Dakota
10:00 PM Utah at Stanford
10:00 PM UC Santa Barbara at UC Riverside
10:00 PM Hawaii at Fresno State
10:00 PM Cal Poly at UC Irvine
10:00 PM San Jose State at Nevada
10:00 PM Loyola Marymount at Pepperdine (ESPNU)
10:00 PM Portland at San Francisco
10:00 PM San Diego at Santa Clara
10:05 PM Eastern Washington at Sacramento State
10:05 PM UC Davis at Long Beach State
10:05 PM Pacific at Cal State Northridge
10:30 PM Oregon at Arizona State (FSN)
11:00 PM Colorado at California (CSN CA)