Rider

Iona vs. Rider: Friday Thoughts

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:16:23 -0800

Light schedule tonight with Ivy League Fridays not really getting going on a consistent basis until next weekend, but there are some entertaining matchups to keep fans occupied. Both MAAC matchups consist of top-half (of the standings) teams taking on squads hoping to avoid "First Round Friday" in March's conference tournament. One such game is Iona hosting Rider on ESPNU, and while Tommy Dempsey's Broncs have been a major disappointment this year they have the firepower necessary to keep up with the Gaels.

But can Danny Stewart and company defend well enough to keep talents such as Scott Machado (the national leader in assists) and Mike Glover (AKA Optimus Prime) in check? Novar Gadson, who has found the going tough in recovering from offseason microfracture surgery, has shot 5-for-17 in his last three games and one has to wonder if there's some fatigue at play. The chemistry was off during non-conference play, especially with the addition of Virginia transfer Jeff Jones, but that seemed to be improving some before dropping games at Siena and Fairfield.

Also in the MAAC surprising Manhattan visits a Marist team that seems to be young every season, and it could become a situation where Chuck Martin's club needs a run in the MAAC Tournament to avoid a regime change. Freshman Chavaughn Lewis has been one of the better rookies in the MAAC and he's second on the team in scoring to Devin Price, but the Red Foxes average 15.7 turnovers per game. That could be an issue against Steve Masiello's Jaspers, who will look to ramp up the tempo with their full-court pressure.

George Beamon has led the way offensively for Manhattan, and after last season some seemed to forget how explosive a scorer he was in high school. Manhattan is a young team as well but they've all bought in to Masiello's vision for the program, and the team's experienced more success than expected as a result. Last year's meeting in Poughkeepsie looked to be a win for the home team...until Michael Alvarado did this. Hopefully we get similar fireworks tonight.

The best game of the night is in the Horizon League as first-place Milwaukee visits a Youngstown State team that's turned some heads this season. Seniors Kaylon Williams and Tony Meier lead the way for Rob Jeter's club, but they're going to have to be at their best defensively especially on the perimeter as the Penguins have multiple scoring options there. But what Youngstown State doesn't have is muscle in the paint, and Milwaukee may be able to take advantage of that. Butler was able to do so last weekend in their home win over YSU, and that could be what keeps Youngstown State from being a title contender this season.

Cleveland State is another Horizon contender and they host Green Bay, a team that has the ability to upset an unsuspecting title contender if not work their way back into the race. Center Alec Brown leads the way for the Phoenix, and his height (7'1") could be an issue for the Vikings in the paint. But can Green Bay slow down Jeremy Montgomery? That's easier said than done. And in the Atlantic Sun, Florida Gulf Coast visits Stetson in a battle of teams that are hoping to eventually separate from a middle of the pack that features five teams with either three or four league losses.

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Florida Gulf Coast at Stetson (ESPN3)
7:05 PM Milwaukee at Youngstown State (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Green Bay at Cleveland State (ESPNU)
9:00 PM Manhattan at Marist (ESPN3)
10:00 PM Rider at Iona (ESPNU)

Monday Recap: Baylor Workmanlike in Win over Texas A&M

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 22:18:49 -0800

With the Baylor Bears achievig the highest ranking in school history on Monday it would have been easy for Scott Drew's team to suffer a letdown against Texas A&M. But the fourth-ranked Bears were ready from the start, scoring the first eight points of the game on their way to a 61-52 win that wasn't as close as the margin would indicate. The Bears shot just 35.7% from the field in the first half but still went into the break with a 30-17 lead thanks to their defense, which limited the Aggies to 21.4% shooting. Perry Jones III led four starters in double figures with 14 points to go along with 12 rebounds and the Bears led by as many as 19 points early in the second half.

"We came in prepared, but we played very timidly and a little bit overwhelmed," said Texas A&M guard Elston Turner, who led the Aggies with 21 points. "The fact that we weren't making shots didn't help either. Like coach said, the foul trouble kind of got our offense out of sync."

Khris Middleton, who entered the game as Texas A&M's leading scorer, finished with 14 points but played just ten minutes in the first half due to foul trouble (scoring three points). It also didn't help that David Lobeau picked up three first-half fouls and didn't attempt a shot, and he was unable to get into the flow of things at all for that reason. Texas A&M needed guys to step up to assist Turner and that simply did not happen, with the other three starters scoring 15 points combined and the bench getting outscored 13-2 by Baylor. That didn't get it done in Waco and similar production will land the Aggies in serious trouble down the line as well, but they won't encounter many defenses like Baylor's either.

"The back line of that zone is very big and takes time to adjust to," said Texas A&M head coach Billy Kennedy. "I thought we got some pretty good looks early. We just didn't make them and got in foul trouble. We didn't get a whole lot of help from the bench either."

Baylor won comfortably despite 16 turnovers (Pierre Jackson had seven) and A&M limiting Jackson and Brady Heslip to four points combined, as A.J. Walton picked up the slack with 10 points and two assists. That's the scary thing about the Bears: while they've had some good wins the potential is there to be a much better team. And with the players Baylor has on the back line of that zone, from Jones III to Quincy Acy to Quincy Miller, Anthony Jones and even Cory Jefferson they're an extremely difficult matchup. The turnovers and rebounding need to be cleaned up, but this could be a special season in Waco.

"One game it might be the guards, one game it might be the wings and one game it is the inside players," said Drew of his team's versatility. "It all depends on what the defense gives you and that is what makes us good - our depth. We're unselfish and we work for each other."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Another rough day for the bottom of the ACC as Boston College and Wake Forest both fall.
The ACC hasn't had the best start to the season from a non-conference standpoint when you remove Duke, North Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech. Florida State is 0-2 against the Ivy League and other teams have also had their issues. So what Boston College and Wake Forest did on Monday didn't help matters despite the fact that neither has the look of a team headed for postseason play come March. The Eagles fell 78-72 in double overtime to a Rhode Island team that's won just three games on the season, with the combination of 16 turnovers, URI making 27 free throws to BC's 11 and a 46-35 URI rebounding edge dooming Steve Donahue's team.

As for the Demon Deacons, with C.J. Harris (groin) out they fell to Wofford 56-52 in Winston-Salem. Wake shot 34.8% from the field in the first half as they trailed 32-22 at the break, and they couldn't do enough in the second half to make it up. Results like these won't do the ACC any favors in the computers, and that could be the difference for a league bubble team. So for the sake of the middle of the pack, the teams at the bottom needed to do more to carry their weight outside of the league. Safe to say that hasn't been the case.

2. Robert Morris finds a way to win at Ohio despite turning the ball over 31 times.
Very rarely will a team that turns the ball over 31 times and shoots 21 fewer shots than their opponent ends up winning, but that's exactly what happened for Andy Toole's Colonials as they beat Ohio 70-67. Why was Robert Morris able to end the Bobcats' nine-game win streak? Because of their defense, which didn't allow Ohio to take advantage of those extra opportunities. Ohio shot just 35.3% from the field and Walter Offutt and D.J. Cooper combined to make six of their thirty-two shots from the field, and as a team the Bobcats also shot 3-for-26 from beyond the arc.

Velton Jones led three RMU starters in double figures with 17 points, and it's difficult to see the Colonials turning the ball over 31 times in a game again. With Wagner's excellent holiday run and this win the Northeast Conference has received a welcome boost, which should make the race for the regular season title all the more entertaining. Robert Morris will definitely be a player, and an NCAA Tournament bid is definitely possible for a team that was one win away last season.

3. Orlando Johnson makes up for a quiet night with a big shot to lead UCSB past Cal Poly.
Monday marked the first game in over a week for UCSB and it wasn't an easy contest either, as the Gauchos were on the road to take on a Cal Poly team that's surprised folks this season. Orlando Johnson, UCSB's leading scorer, made just three of his first thirteen shots from the field in what was one of his worst outings of the season. But he saved his best for last, getting a shooter's roll on a three-pointer with 5.1 seconds remaining being the difference in UCSB's 58-57 win. Alan Williams was the unsung hero for UCSB with 13 points and ten rebounds off the bench as the Gauchos picked up a key Big West victory, while Will Taylor led the Mustangs with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Even with the time off not playing a home game in 35 days took its toll on UCSB, who is expected to be right there with Long Beach State in the run for the regular season title. And with Johnson and James Nunnally leading the way, Bob Williams team should be able to do just that.

Quick Hitters

1. Staying in the Big West for a moment, keep an eye on Cal-State Fullerton. Bob Burton's Titans moved to 10-3 overall and 2-0 in league play with a 78-73 win over Pacific, and their surplus of Division I transfers could make them the dark horse in that title race. Cal transfer D.J. Seeley scored 20 points and San Francisco transfer Kwame Vaughn scored a team-best 21, while another former Golden Bear (Amondi Omoke) scored 11 and grabbed 11 rebounds.

2. It wasn't pretty as the two teams combined to turn the ball over 31 times but Virginia did what they had to do in beating LSU 57-52 in Baton Rouge. Sammy Zeglinski led three starters in double figures with 17 points as the Cavailers had the offensive balance that LSU failed to create (outside of Justin Hamilton (21 points, 9-14 FG) the Tigers shot 12-for-34 from the field.

3. Can Rider (4-11) find a way to snap out of their funk and be a factor in the MAAC race? That remains to be seen, but the Broncs took the first step in their 88-77 win at Manhattan. Novar Gadson led five players in double figures with 21 points and Brandon Penn posted a double-double (12 points, 11 rebounds) as Rider avenged their loss to Manhattan last month. The talent's there to make a run but the productivity needs to be there as well.

4. Staying in the MAAC, Niagara picked up a big victory as they won 66-61 at Loyola (MD). Juan'Ya Green and Antoine Mason combined to score 35 points while Ameen Tanksley added 15 (averaging 8.2 per game) as the Purple Eagles handed the Greyhounds their first conference loss.

5. Campbell moved to 3-0 in Big South play as they beat Coastal Carolina 70-65 in overtime. CCU turned the ball over 20 times as they fell to 3-1 in league play and Trey Freeman led the Camels to the win with 20 points and five assists. Look for these two teams to be right there with UNC Asheville in the run for the Big South crown.

6. Big news from early Monday in Stillwater as Oklahoma State announced that guard J.P. Olukemi would miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL. With the Cowboys losing two guards at the end of the semester (transferring) this was one loss they didn't need. Even more will be asked of Keiton Page and Cezar Guerrero now, and going into Big 12 play shorthanded could be too much for Travis Ford's team.

7. It's early but VCU is looking to be the class of the CAA right now. The Rams have won 10 of their last 11 games, beating Hofstra 80-63 in Hempstead. Also preseason favorite Drexel fell at Georgia State 58-44, and even with players such as Chris Fouch at his disposal scoring could once again be a concern for Bruiser Flint.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Kenny Gabriel (Auburn)
24 points (11-13 FG), 13 rebounds, ten blocked shots, four steals and three assists in the Tigers' 67-41 win over Bethune-Cookman.

2. F Kenny Kadji (Miami) and G Trevis Simpson (UNC Greensboro)
Both players put up career-best performances in the Hurricanes' 99-89 victory. Kadji finished with 30 points and 12 rebounds while Simpson paced the Spartans with 36 points and some emphatic above-the-rim finishes.

3. F Stan Okoye (VMI)
25 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, four steals and three blocks in the Keydets' 76-72 win over Gardner-Webb.

Wednesday Recap: Bearcats' Small Lineup a Success in Game One

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:32:49 -0800

With suspensions ruling out two of their key interior players for the next six games, many wondered what Mick Cronin's Cincinnati Bearcats would do to make up for the absence of Yancy Gates and Cheikh Mbodj. Without a consistent scoring option in the paint the strategy was to let the guards go to work, and that they did in the Bearcats' 78-58 win at Wright State. Sean Kilpatrick, who was a non-factor in their loss at Xavier on Saturday, scored a game-high 20 points (6-12 3PT) while JaQuon Parker added 14 points and all five starters finished in double figures.

Freshman Jermaine Sanders, one of the players expected to benefit from those losses as more minutes have become available, scored nine points and grabbed four rebounds in 18 minutes of play and point guard Cashmere Wright dished out eight assist to three turnovers to go along with 12 points. Cincinnati fired away from deep throughout the night, making 14 of their 32 shots from beyond the arc. The Bearcats average seven makes and 17 attempts from beyond the arc on the season, but with Gates out those numbers figure to increase until he returns.

A.J. Pacher and John Balwigaire scored 11 points apiece to lead the Raiders, who shot 47.5% from the field but turned the ball over 13 times and were out-rebounded 31-22. Two other areas that cost Billy Donlon's team were points in the paint (22-18 Cincinnati) and second-chance points (23-2 Cincinnati), and these are areas that one wouldn't expect Cincinnati to control given their lack of interior depth. But they found a way to do so, and with the offensive issues that Wright State's had this season (averaging 55 points per game) the Bearcats' fast start proved to be too much to overcome.

The good news for Cincinnati is that their next three games, Radford, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Chicago State, are all winnable games that they should be able to win despite the depth issues. And with a loss to Presbyterian already on their resume it's critical that the Bearcats take care of business and avoid any more bad losses as there won't be another marquee non-conference opportunity available. Game one offered a blueprint for the Bearcats with regards to how they'll score with Gates out of the lineup, with the guards needing to take on greater scoring responsibilities. It also won't hurt if they can knock down shots from deep at a similar clip to Wednesday's mark.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Did an injury impact UCLA's defensive efficiency? It very well could have.
With forward Travis Wear missing Wednesday's game against Eastern Washington with a skin infection on his left foot there were minutes up for grabs in the frontcourt for someone. That turned out to be Anthony Stover, who missed the early portion of the season with a shoulder injury, and he took full advantage of the increased minutes in the Bruins' 60-47 win over the Eagles. Stover played 18 minutes but blocked three shots and grabbed three rebounds, providing the spark UCLA needed on the defensive end of the floor. EWU shot a season-low 25.9% from the field and turned the ball over 12 times to just five assists on the night.

Cliff Ederaine and Colin Chiverton had particularly rough nights as they combined to make just eight of thirty-one shots for a combined 21 points. Lazeric Jones had another solid scoring performance for the Bruins with 19 points to go along with six rebounds and four assists and Tyler Lamb added 14, but for Ben Howland's team to be successful they have to be better defensively. Wednesday was a step in the right direction, and they can partially thank Stover for that.

2. Charleston recovers from a slow start to defend their home floor against Tennessee.
To the surprise of many Cuonzo Martin's Volunteers led College of Charleston by as many as 11 points in the first half at TD Arena. But as the game wore on Bobby Cremins' Cougars got back into the game and would lead by as many as 14 in the second half on their way to the 71-65 win. This is the second straight season that Charleston has beaten Tennessee, and the tandem of Antwaine Wiggins and Andrew Lawrence led the way on Wednesday.

Wiggins scored a game-high 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds while Lawrence added 14 points, five steals and four assists. Charleston scored 22 points off of 16 Tennessee turnovers, and the six-point edge in that category proved to be the difference. The Cougars were also aided by a ten-point edge in points from the foul line (14-4), moving to 8-1 on the season as a result. It took some time but the Cougars were able to put together a stretch worthy of a team looking to compete for a conference title. The key now is to consistently put forth that kind of effort for entire games.

3. Princeton's three-pointer at the buzzer hands Rider their tenth loss of the season.
According to The Beatles, "one is the loneliest number", and in addition to that fact it was also the most important number in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Mack Darrow made just one shot on the night: a three-pointer as time expired to give Princeton a 72-71 overtime win at Rider to drop the Broncs to a stunning 1-10 mark on the season. The Tigers probably should have sewn things up in regulation as they led 65-61 with less than 30 seconds remaining after trailing by as many as 16 late in the first half, but the Broncs sent the game into overtime thanks to four Brandon Penn points.

Things remained tight in the extra session but Rider left the door open by missing three of their final four free throws. Douglas Davis would take Daniel Stewart's second miss and drive down the court, finding Darrow for the game-winning bucket. The Tigers will be a factor in the Ivy League race but it's very difficult to say the same about Tommy Dempsey's Broncs in the MAAC. A team that many expected to finish in the top four at the very least may struggle to finish outside of the bottom four at their current pace, and that's something that no one familiar with Rider's talent expected in October.

Quick Hitters

1. In the lone afternoon game of the day Iona picked up a good road victory at Richmond. In the 88-79 win Scott Machado dished out 15 assists and scored 13 points while Mike Glover led the way with 24 points and eight rebounds. Iona shot 67.7% from the field in the second half and finished the game with an offensive efficiency of 118.9. Richmond opponents average an efficiency of 98.5 on the season.

2. Jared Sullinger didn't start for Ohio State but he did return to the lineup, scoring 12 points and grabbing ten rebounds in 25 minutes of action as the Buckeyes beat USC Upstate 82-58. Ohio State shot 56.9% from the field on the night, beginning to pull away late in the first half thanks to 13 forced turnovers. Deshaun Thomas led the way with 23 points, his ninth straight double-figure scoring outing.

3. Kyle O'Quinn scored 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and Quasim Pugh scored 10 points in 15 minutes off the bench as Norfolk State beat LIU 73-62. The Spartans limited LIU to 33.8% shooting from the field and 5-for-21 from beyond the arc.

4. FIU led for much of the night at Maryland but couldn't seal the deal, allowing the Terrapins to escape with 65-61 victory in front of a sparse crowd at the Comcast Center. FIU shot 35.5% from the field in the second half, and for the game Maryland outscored the Golden Panthers 22-9 from the foul line.

5. It isn't far-fetched to think that Denver may be the best team in the state of Colorado. Joe Scott's Pioneers beat Northern Colorado 71-65 in Greeley with Brian Stafford (16 points) and Royce O'Neale (14) leading the way offensively and Chris Udofia blocking three shots. Denver visits Colorado State on January 11th, and a win in Fort Collins would be another piece of evidence in support of them being the best in the state.

6. Baylor took care of business in their 69-42 win over Bethune-Cookman, but the real test comes on Saturday as they visit BYU. The Bears limited Bethune-Cookman to 34.8% shooting and Pierre Jackson scored 12 points and dished out four assists in 23 minutes off the bench.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State)
22 points, 14 rebounds and four assists in the Spartans' 73-62 win over Long Island.

2. G Scott Machado (Iona)
15 assists, 13 points and six rebounds in the Gaels' 88-79 win at Richmond.

3. F Ian Hummer (Princeton)
21 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and four steals in the Tigers' 72-71 overtime win at Rider.

College Hoops Friday Recap: Jardine Leads Orange to Win

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 22:00:00 -0800

To this point in the season Dion Waiters was playing more minutes per game than senior starter Scoop Jardine, as the Syracuse sophomore was playing good basketball. But Jardine displayed his value in the second half of Friday's game against Florida, scoring eight of Syracuse' nine points during a critical stretch that put the Orange in control of a game they went on to win 72-68. Jardine finished with 16 points and seven assists while Brandon Triche (20 points) and Kris Joseph (14) also finished in double figures. Guards Kenny Boynton (22 points) and Erving Walker (17) led the Way for Florida, who lost their second game of the season against a Top 5 opponent due in large part to Jardine.

"He did what he was supposed to do," said Triche of his backcourt partner's performance. "As an experienced guard he came down the stretch and knocked down shots. The biggest thing was his three steals in a row and we were able to get them in foul trouble or convert on most of them."

The question for Florida wasn't so much how well they'd shoot given the ability of their perimeter players but rather the quality of the shots they took. The Gators made nine of twenty-six shots from beyond the arc but the 20 turnovers against the Syracuse zone proved to be the bigger issue. One thing that the Orange do well defensively is essentially decide who will take the shots. Will Yeguete had multiple opportunities in the high post, which is exactly where teams want to get the ball against a zone defense, but his inability to knock down mid-range jumpers is exactly why the Orange allowed him to shoot.

It also didn't help matters that Patric Young had to deal with foul trouble, and this changed the way in which the Gators went about attacking the Syracuse zone as they no longer had a viable low post threat. Syracuse outscored Florida 17-7 at the foul line and out-rebounded them by seven (40-33), with C.J. Fair grabbing 11 rebounds to go along with his nine points. Florida's offensive efficiency was more than 25 points below their season average, showing what can happen when taking on a defense with the length of Syracuse's. But the play and leadership of Jardine, who sat in favor of Waiters in New York last week, will be a key throughout the season. If Scoop's doing what Jim Boeheim needs him to do, this is a Final Four-caliber team.

"When you are trying to win championships, like we are doing here, we are going to need guys that make sacrifices and leave egos at the door," said Jardine. "If I can do it, I've been here five years, anyone can do it and that is one of the things I have done as a leader. Coach said it and congratulated me on it but it's going to be for everybody and that's how it is."

Link: Boeheim apologizes for his words in immediate response to the Bernie Fine charges.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Vanderbilt's foul shooting costs them the game at Louisville.
It is extremely rare for a team that boasts a free throw rate of 54.5% while their opponent is down at 18.3% to lose a game, regardless of the quality of said opponent. But when you don't take advantage of that edge, as Vanderbilt did on Friday night, the door is left open. Sure enough, Vanderbilt going 14-for-24 from the foul line ultimately cost them as Louisville came back to win 62-60 in overtime. The win capped a 4-0 night for the Big East in the HTC Big East/SEC Invitational, but that news is secondary to the way in which the Commodores lost. Kevin Stallings team, which led by nine with just under nine minutes remaining, couldn't shut the door due to their offensive execution and foul shooting.

John Jenkins led the way with 27 points while Lance Goulbourne and Jeffery Taylor scored 11 apiece, but outside of those three there wasn't much production. And come crunch time Vanderbilt almost seemed as if they tensed up, failing to display the aggressive nature needed to close out tough games. It all makes you wonder just how much had changed in Nashville. The familiar line outside of the program is that things will change once Festus Ezeli returns, but is he enough to change this team's mental fortitude?

2. Rider loses their MAAC opener by 16, dropping to 1-7 on the year.
While Tommy Dempsey's team got off to a horrific start offensively against Manhattan, they trailed just 26-25 at the half thanks to 9 Jasper turnovers. But the most troubling number in the first half for the Broncs was 15, as in the number of three-pointers they attempted (making one), and that didn't improve much in the second half. Each team would make five three-pointers in the second half with Manhattan needing nine attempts to do so while Rider hoisted fourteen, and the Jaspers made 16 of 18 from the charity stripe as they pulled away for the 71-55 win.

The loss dropped the talented Broncs to 1-7 on the season, and a team thought to be right there with Loyola above the fray yet below favorites Iona and Fairfield in the MAAC looks more like a team destined to lose 20 games. Novar Gadson led three Broncs in double figures with 16 points, but the inconsistent nature of this group has been a theme all season long. Can they snap out of it before it's too late? Tough question to answer right now.

3. Washington's failure to foul sends them to an overtime loss at Nevada.
In spite of early struggles Lorenzo Romar's team had every opportunity to sew up a win at Nevada late Friday night, but the inability to act on a simple instruction opened the door for the Wolf Pack. Following a 1-for-2 trip to the foul line that gave the Huskies a 66-63 lead in the final seconds Romar instructed his team to give the foul before Deonte Burton, who was red hot in the second half and overtime, got off a shot. What happened was a half-hearted attempt at the foul by Tony Wroten Jr. far too close to shooting range, and with the foul going uncalled Burton knocked down the three to send the game into overtime.

Burton continued his work in the extra session, leading Nevada to the 76-73 win. Washington got two shots at the tie, but Darnell Gant (shot blocked) and Abdul Gaddy were the shooters instead of either C.J. Wilcox or Terrence Ross. Why was Nevada able to hang around despite their own offensive difficulties? Twenty-one Washington turnovers, with Wroten and Gaddy combining for nine of them. Given the strength (or lack thereof) of the Pac-12 this season the Huskies will likely be involved in a number of thrillers, and just how successful they are will depend on late-game execution. And judging by Friday night there's a lot of work to be done.

Quick Hitters

1. The big injury news of the day regarded Ohio State forward Jared Sullinger, who won't play tomorrow against UTPA due to back spasms that flared up against Duke on Tuesday night. How long the All-American is out remains to be seen, but this means that Deshaun Thomas and Evan Ravenel will need to step up if Sullinger is out for an extended period.

2. Next in line was Pittsburgh point guard Tray Woodall, who will miss the next month or so with groin and abdominal injuries suffered in the Panthers' win over Duquesne on Wednesday. This could mean more time at the point for Ashton Gibbs, and John Johnson and Cam Wright (who was suspended for Wednesday's game) need to step up.

3. Seton Hall put forth an impressive showing in their 81-59 win over Auburn, and the difference in this team is quite apparent. The Pirates are playing loose but smart and look as if they enjoy being on the floor and playing as a team, a testament to what Kevin Willard and his staff have done.

4. There are few teams as inconsistent as Loyola Marymount, who lost 69-61 to a Columbia that was without their best player in shooting guard Norwua Agho. While Max Good's team has beaten UCLA and Saint Louis they've also lost to Middle Tennessee and now a team expected to finish in the bottom half of the Ivy League.

5. Cameron Clark scored 18 points to lead three starters in double figures in Oklahoma's 82-53 win over Sacramento State. That balance will be something that Lon Kruger relies on with Calvin Newell deciding the transfer despite averaging 13.0 ppg on the season.

6. While they are one of the top scoring teams in the country, Iona's NCAA Tournament hopes will depend upon their ability to defend. Tim Cluess' Gaels put forth their best defensive showing of the season in a 69-57 win at Canisius, forcing 21 turnovers (turnover percentage of 35%) on the night.

7. Dion Dixon came up big for Cincinnati in the second half, scoring 16 of his 19 points to help lead the Bearcats to a 57-51 win at Georgia. With that home loss to Presbyterian hanging over the team, Mick Cronin's squad could not afford to drop this one.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Juan'Ya Green (Niagara)
The freshman guard nearly delivered a win but came up short in the Purple Eagles' 79-75 loss to Fairfield. Green finished with 35 points, six rebounds and three assists.

2. F Herb Pope (Seton Hall)
23 points, 12 rebounds and two assists in the Pirates' 81-59 win over Auburn.

3. G Marcus Denmon (Missouri)
31 points (7-10 3PT), six rebounds and two assists in the Tigers' 90-56 win over Northwestern State.

College Hoops Friday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:24:08 -0800

The Friday night schedule may be light in quantity but it certainly doesn't lack for quality, with a pair of Top 20 matchups in the HTC Big East/SEC Invitational. #9 Florida (5-1) visits #3 Syracuse (7-0) in a game that promises to be played at a fast tempo, and given the offensive weapons that will be on display it should be high-scoring as well. This is the Gators' second true road game against a Top 5 opponent this season, as they fell at Ohio State in mid-November, which should pay off for this group when the stakes get raised in SEC play. Florida will encounter one of the tougher defenses in the nation in Syracuse's 2-3 zone, an active defense that's bolstered by the length of the Syracuse defenders.

The good news for the Gators is that they've made at least ten three-pointers in every game they've played this season, and that should come as no surprise given the caliber of shooters at Billy Donovan's disposal. Freshman Bradley Beal (17.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg), Erving Walker (13.7 ppg, 5.3 apg) and Kenny Boynton (18.5 ppg, 3.3 apg) start while Rutgers transfer Mike Rosario (12.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg) is one of the first subs off the bench, four key components for a team that shoots 42.9% from three on the season. The key for Florida in this regard will be to get the perimeter looks that they want instead of settling too often for the ones that Syracuse gives them.

With forward Erik Murphy injured Will Yeguete has started in his place, and despite the presence of Patric Young (10.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg) the Orange likely have the advantage inside due to their depth. Kris Joseph (14.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg) would count more as a wing in the Syracuse attack, and in addition to him Jim Boeheim can call upon sophomores Fab Melo (5.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.6 bpg), James Southerland (10.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg) and C.J. Fair (8.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg) as well as freshman Rakeem Christmas (4.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg). Fair, who was arguably Syracuse's best freshman last season, and the in-shape Melo have both made strides in their development from last season to this.

The same can be said for reserve guard Dion Waiters (11.9 ppg, 3.4), who has been outstanding after a frustrating 2010-11 campaign. The Philadelphia native offers up quite the contrast to fifth-year senior Scoop Jardine (7.0 ppg, 4.1 apg) due to his athleticism, which allows him to apply pressure to defenses in either the half or open court. The Florida guards, which will include capable defender Scottie Wilbekin, have to limit Waiters' opportunities in the open floor to make play. It will also help the Gators if they can limit Brandon Triche early, as he tends to be inconsistent depending on the result of his first few looks at the basket.

Offensively the Gators have been the better of the two teams when looking at the efficiency numbers, and while they do average four more possessions per game it isn't as if Syracuse can't play at a fast pace. Neither team has been that reliant on points from the foul line, and Florida scores 40% of their points from three-point range, a number they're likely to reach given the Syracuse zone (Syracuse's opponents have scored 38% of their points from deep thus far). It won't be how many points Florida scores from so much as how easily those points come about. It'll be tough to win at the Carrier Dome, but Florida has more than enough pieces to get the job done.

Also on tap is Vanderbilt's trip to Louisville, and the Cardinals have played good basketball for much of the season despite dealing with multiple injuries. The question is a simple one for Vanderbilt: can guards Brad Tinsley and John Jenkins get the job done on the defensive end of the floor? After dealing with Xavier guards Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons, the Commodores face a deep stable led by Peyton Siva and Chris Smith. In the frontcourt freshman Chane Behanan has been outstanding for the Cardinals thus far, and while the game is likely to be played at a fast pace the question is whether or not Kevin Stallings' team can both withstand and throw a few body blows.

Preseason MAAC favorite Iona and defending regular season champion Fairfield both open their conference slates with games in western New York, with the Gaels taking on a Canisius team that will be without the injured Gaby Belardo and Fairfield playing at Niagara. Niagara is a very young team, and freshmen such as guard Juan'Ya Green will be tested by Rakim Sanders, Derek Needham and company. Cincinnati visits Georgia in a game the Bearcats may need for their resume given their home losses to Presbyterian and Marshall, and in another MAAC matchup slumping Rider needs to rebound with Manhattan visiting the Broncs Zoo. Lastly, Washington closes out the night with a game at Nevada, and the talented Wolf Pack will provide a stiff test for the Huskies.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM (9) Florida at (3) Syracuse (ESPN)
9:00 PM (19) Vanderbilt at (6) Louisville (ESPN)
8:00 PM Northwestern State at (13)Missouri (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
5:00 PM North Texas vs. La Sierra University*
7:00 PM Cincinnati at Georgia (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Fairfield at Niagara (MAAC TV)
7:00 PM Iona at Canisius (MAAC TV)
7:00 PM South Carolina State at Longwood
7:00 PM Manhattan at Rider (MAAC TV)
8:00 PM Mississippi Valley State at Northwestern (BTN)
8:00 PM Sacramento State at Oklahoma (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Auburn at Seton Hall (ESPNU)
9:05 PM Haskell at Utah Valley
10:00 PM Columbia at Loyola Marymount
10:05 PM BYU Hawaii at Long Beach State
11:00 PM Washington at Nevada (ESPNU)

College Hoops Friday Recap: Huskies, Seminoles Fall in Bahamas

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 13:51:04 -0800

Prevailing wisdom had Florida State and Connecticut playing on Saturday in the title game of the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas. Well, they'll be playing on Saturday...but with third place on the line as both lost their semifinal games in disappointing fashion. The Huskies looked to be in good shape as they held a 50-33 lead on UCF early in the second half, despite a lackluster shooting performance from Jeremy Lamb. But it was almost as if UConn turned off their "power source", and the Knights took full advantage.

Marcus Jordan scored 20 points to go along with seven rebounds and seven assists to lead a comeback that resulted in a 68-63 win, and Keith Clanton scored 20 as well. UConn couldn't score and they couldn't stop the Knights either, and the defensive side of the floor is where they ultimately lost the game. UCF shot 46% in the second half after making just a third of their shots in the first 20 minutes, outscoring UConn 39-25. The Huskies were nowhere near as efficient offensively as they were in the first half, but simply put if they string a couple stops together the comeback is likely stunted.

"I can't be more disappointed in how we played," said UConn head coach Jim Calhoun after the game. "We just stopped playing. We couldn't even get the ball inbounded near the end. Nobody stepped up and it was a complete disaster for us."

Florida State's loss to Harvard could also be described as disastrous, but for what happened with them offensively. There's no disguising the fact that the Seminoles have their issues offensively, and despite those issues Leonard Hamilton's team reached the Sweet 16 last season. But things may have gotten worse for FSU, as in their 46-41 loss to the Crimson they finished with a offensive efficiency of 66.1.

Michael Snaer led the way with ten points but it wasn't enough to earn the win, setting up the third-place battle between the Seminoles and Connecticut. The good news for UConn is that Ryan Boatright (NCAA suspension) makes his season debut, giving them another ball-handler in the backcourt. That's something they need to help out Shabazz Napier, who turned the ball over seven times against UCF and will need someone to relieve some of the workload he's been given. Can the Huskies defend better? Can FSU shoot better? The answers will determine the outcome.

Other Notable Happenings

1. The Atlantic 10 will have two teams playing for championships on Sunday night.
Annually the talk regarding the Atlantic 10 from a national point of view has centered around Xavier and Temple, and rightfully so given the success of those two programs. But if early returns are any indication on the strength of the conference, there will be more for the rest of the country to pay attention to. After wins on Friday, Dayton (Old Spice Classic) and Saint Louis (76 Classic) will play for the title in those events on Sunday. Dayton shot just 36% from the field but Archie Miller's team turned the ball over just nine times and outscored Fairfield by 15 points from beyond the arc in their 56-49 win over the Stags. As for Saint Louis, Jordair Jett scored 19 points off the bench and the Billikens neutralized everyone outside of Maalik Wayns and James Bell in their 80-68 win over Villanova. Both have winnable matchups on Sunday, with Dayton playing Minnesota and Saint Louis taking on Oklahoma, and that's a good development for the conference in regards to possible rewards in March.

2. Oklahoma remains undefeated and looks to be a better basketball team.
A long rebuilding process was expected for Oklahoma when Lon Kruger took over the program in the off-season. Not much in the cupboard talent-wise along with NCAA sanctions made many think that though could be a rough campaign for the Sooners. But if there's one thing (among many) that Kruger can do it's rebuild programs, and the Sooners look to be on the right track with their 4-0 start. Oklahoma limited Santa Clara to 26% shooting in the first half and took a 42-19 lead into the break on their way to an 85-73 win. Steven Pledger scored 26 points and three other Sooners reached double figures, but the biggest differences between this team and the last two seasons are the effort on the defensive end and their unselfishness. It's still going to be a process for Oklahoma, and there will likely be disappointments along the way, but the Sooners are putting together a solid foundation.

3. Kris Joseph takes over late, allowing Syracuse to rally past Stanford.
Johnny Dawkins' Stanford Cardinal put forth an impressive battle in the title game of the NIT Season Tip-Off, leading favored Syracuse for much of the first 30 minutes. But the Orange went their full-court pressure and senior Kris Joseph scored 12 of his 18 points in the second half as they won 69-63. Could Joseph be the go-to guy that so many have looked for on this deep team? Friday was certainly a good start in that regard, but the two games in NYC were also good for sophomores C.J. Fair and Dion Waiters. They scored ten points apiece with Waiters adding three assists and three steals, and both were named to the All-Tournament Team as a result. Joseph can be considered a known commodity but for Fair and Waiters to begin their seasons in this fashion is a good sign of things to come, especially in March.

Quick Hitters

1. What's up with Rider? A team some thought could be a factor for third in the MAAC is 1-5 following an 86-69 loss to James Madison in the Philly Hoop Group Classic. The Dukes outscored the Broncs 48-31 in the second half, shooting 60% from the field in the final 20 minutes.

2. Southern Miss out-rebounded New Mexico State 38-26 and limited the Aggies to 41.7% shooting in their 80-72 win in a Great Alaska Shootout semifinal. LaShay Page scored 22 points to lead the Golden Eagles, who play Murray State in the title game.

3. Kendall Marshall scored just four points in North Carolina's 87-62 win over South Carolina, but his true value can be seen in his 14 assists and six steals. As long as he's on the floor the Tar Heels are going to be extremely difficult to slow down.

4. Marshall picked up a good road win as they beat Cincinnati 73-69 in overtime. Damier Pitts came up big late for the Thundering Herd, picked by many to be Memphis' chief competition in Conference USA. As for the Bearcats, this makes that loss to Presbyterian even costlier.

5. Good luck trying to slow down the Florida Gators. In their 107-62 win over Jacksonville five Gators reached double figures with Kenny Boynton (22 points) and Erving Walker (21) combining to score 43 points. Florida has made ten or more three-pointers in each of their games this season.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Doug McDermott (Creighton)
31 points and 11 rebounds in the Bluejays' 104-81 win over Campbell.

2. G Reggie Hamilton (Oakland) and G Isiah Williams (Utah Valley)
In the Golden Grizzlies' 89-83 win over Utah Valley Hamilton scored 34 points (five assists, five steals and three rebounds) while Williams paced the Wolverines with 35 of his own (three rebounds, three assists).

3. F Patrick Heckmann (Boston College)
32 points and five rebounds in the Eagles' 66-62 win over UC Riverside.

College Hoops Thursday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:58:01 -0800

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 Friday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 07:44:20 -0800

Friday marks the first big day of the college basketball season with more than 100 games on the schedule. Sure most of the games look to be of the "opening sacrifice" variety, but a closer look reveals some intriguing matchups. It only makes sense to begin with the game that needs little introduction, the Carrier Classic game matching preseason national title favorite North Carolina and Michigan State. The game will be played on the USS Carl Vinson in San Diego, which will likely cue a few "I'm on a boat" jokes.

As for the teams themselves, the Tar Heels and Spartans arrive in different situations. Roy Williams' team is absolutely loaded, a product of players such as Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Tyler Zeller all deciding to return after last seaon's Elite 8 run. Point guard Kendall Marshall runs the show for UNC, and the team that scored 77.5 points per game in 2010-11. Given this group, when adding in the likes of Dexter Strickland, Reggie, Leslie McDonald Bullock and freshmen James Michael McAdoo and P.J. Hairston, it's expected that this group will be even better offensively.

Michigan State on the other hand has to account for the loss of Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers, but in senior Draymond Green the Spartans return a versatile forward who is essentially an extension of Izzo on the floor. The Spartans could never seem to get things rolling last season, and with their nucleus being even younger one would think that things could be the same in 2011-12. But that could be a mistake, with guard Keith Appling ready to take over at the point. Appling was more valuable defensively last season, which was largely a product of Lucas' presence. With more on his plate the sophomore will have every opportunity to take over.

Add in freshman forward Branden Dawson and while Michigan State will be a young team they won't lack for talent. Dawson, Adriean Payne and Derrick Nix will be interesting to watch as they'll need to hold their own with UNC's highly touted front line, which became tougher when Delvon Roe had to end his playing career due to chronic knee issues. The Carrier Classic will have much of the nation's attention, but it's certainly not the only quality game (or attractive storyline) on the schedule.

Many have looked at this weekend as a coronation of sorts for Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who is just a couple wins away from overtaking his college coach (Bob Knight) for the lead in all-time wins. And while that could happen for the Blue Devils this weekend, people had better not overlook the Belmont Bruins. Rick Byrd's team, which went 30-5 last season, returns nearly all of their key contributors from last season's Atlantic Sun championship team and big men Scott Saunders and Mick Hedgepeth will be a challenge for the Duke frontcourt. Don't be surprised if this game is tight throughout, especially when considering Duke losing Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler.

Vanderbilt also opens play, and they'll host an intriguing Oregon squad without the services of center Festus Ezeli. Ezeli, who was suspended for the first six games due to an NCAA violation, also injured his knee in preseason camp and that pushes his return back even more. But the Commodores have bodies up front, with Lance Goulbourne and Steve Tchiengang back along with other contributors. And in John Jenkins and Jeffery Taylor Vandy has two of the better perimeter players in the country.

As for Oregon, a lot of people believe that Dana Altman's team is ready to make a jump in the Pac-12. Freshman Jabari Brown has the ability to be one of the best freshmen in the country, and the Ducks also return key players from last year's CBI championship squad. But how do they account for the loss of big man Joevan Catron? Tyrone Nared is one key frontcourt player for Oregon, and wing E.J. Singler is a versatile veteran who will be asked to do a number of things on the floor. But the bulk is gone, meaning that Oregon will need to get it done by committee.

There's also a big rivalry game with BYU visiting Utah State, with both teams looking to make up for major personnel losses. BYU lost Jimmer Fredette and Jackson Emery from that Sweet 16 squad while the Aggies begin life without Tai Wesley, but both teams have solid returnees who can get their teams back to the NCAA Tournament. Noah Hartsock and Charles Abouo return for the Cougars, who also regain the services of Brandon Davies, and Utah State returns Brockeith Pane and Brady Jardine. If you can find this one on TV be sure to tune in, as it could end up being the most intense game all night (keep in mind the controversial technical foul called on Wesley late in last year's game in Provo).

There are also a pair of enticing games on the schedule taking place about two hours apart, with Rider visiting Robert Morris and Oral Roberts in Morgantown to play West Virginia. The Broncs are down to just eight scholarship players right now but Tommy Dempsey's got some talented players still at his disposal, and they'll be needed against a team expected to once again contend in the NEC. And Oral Roberts has almost everyone back from last year's team, led by Dominique Morrison, and it shouldn't be much of a surprise if they were to find a way to knock off the young Mountaineers.

College basketball is back so grab your favorite snacks and make sure the batteries in the remote (and laptop) are ready to go. We'll have some fun between now and early April.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM (1) North Carolina vs. Michigan State* (ESPN)
7:00 PM Marist at (2) Kentucky (Sun Sports)
9:00 PM Wright State at (3) Ohio State (BTN)
7:00 PM Columbia at (4) Connecticut (ESPNU)
9:00 PM Belmont at (6) Duke (ESPNU)
10:00 PM Oregon at (7) Vanderbilt (FSN)
7:00 PM Tennessee-Martin at (8) Louisville (MASN)
7:00 PM Jackson State at (10) Florida (FS Florida)
7:00 PM Albany at (11) Pittsburgh (SNY)
10:00 PM Texas Southern at (12) Baylor
8:00 PM Towson at (13) Kansas (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Morgan State at (15) Xavier (FS Cincinnati)
8:00 PM North Florida at (17) Alabama
7:00 PM Ferris State at (18) Michigan
10:30 PM Loyola Marymount at (20) UCLA (FS West)
9:00 PM Mount St. Mary's at (21) Marquette (SNY)
11:05 PM Eastern Washington at (23) Gonzaga
10:30 PM UC Irvine at (24) California
8:00 PM Southeast Missouri State at (25) Missouri

NCAA Division I Games
2:00 PM NW Missouri State at UMKC
3:00 PM Hartford vs. Sacred Heart*
4:30 PM Montana State at Arizona State
5:00 PM Northeastern at Boston University
5:00 PM Johnson and Wales (Den) at Brown
5:00 PM Eastern Illinois at Indiana State
5:30 PM Fairfield vs. Quinnipiac*
6:00 PM Montreat College at Presbyterian
6:30 PM Simpson University at Utah Valley
7:00 PM Maryland-Eastern Shore at George Washington
7:00 PM Jacksonville at Florida State (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Stony Brook at Indiana (BTN)
7:00 PM Anderson IND at IUPUI
7:00 PM MIT at Harvard
7:00 PM Milligan at East Carolina
7:00 PM UNC Asheville at North Carolina State
7:00 PM Loyola (MD) at Wake Forest (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Suffolk University at New Hampshire
7:00 PM Cornell at St. Bonaventure
7:00 PM Howard at Bowling Green
7:00 PM Monmouth at Villanova
7:00 PM Covenant at Coastal Carolina
7:00 PM Lees McRae at Appalachian State
7:00 PM St. Peter's at Buffalo
7:00 PM Lake Erie College at Detroit
7:00 PM Illinois-Chicago at Eastern Michigan
7:00 PM Long Island at Hofstra
7:00 PM Lafayette at La Salle
7:00 PM Randolph College at Liberty
7:00 PM Navy at Longwood
7:00 PM Tennessee Tech at Miami (FL)
7:00 PM Northern Illinois at Purdue (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Delaware at Radford
7:00 PM Rider at Robert Morris
7:00 PM Western Carolina at South Carolina (Sports South/ESPN3)
7:00 PM UNC Greensboro at Tennessee (FSN/ESPN3)
7:15 PM Bethune-Cookman at Stetson
7:30 PM Louisiana-Monroe at Ole Miss
7:30 PM Dartmouth at Rutgers
7:30 PM Roanoke at Furman
7:30 PM Holy Cross at Charleston
7:30 PM American University at Richmond
7:30 PM Alabama State at Marshall
7:30 PM Valparaiso at Georgia Southern
7:30 PM Southern Utah vs. UC Davis*
7:30 PM Houston Baptist at Campbell
7:30 PM Cheyney at Coppin State
7:30 PM Rhode Island at George Mason
7:30 PM Pennsylvania at UMBC
7:30 PM North Carolina Central at Charlotte
7:30 PM St. Francis (PA) at Virginia Commonwealth (ESPN3)
8:00 PM McNeese State at Auburn
8:00 PM USC Upstate at Arkansas
8:00 PM Florida A&M at Georgia Tech (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Wofford at Georgia (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Saint Joseph's at Western Kentucky (FCS)
8:00 PM Bucknell at Minnesota
8:00 PM South Dakota at Nebraska
8:00 PM Texas A&M-CC at Oklahoma State
8:00 PM Idaho State at Oklahoma (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Arkansas-Little Rock at Tulsa
8:00 PM Gardner-Webb at Clemson (ESPN3)
8:00 PM St Gregory's at North Texas
8:00 PM Yale vs. Central Connecticut State*
8:00 PM Guilford at Davidson
8:00 PM Chicago State at Iowa
8:00 PM Charleston Southern at Kansas State (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Austin Peay at Middle Tennessee
8:00 PM Le Tourneau at Northwestern State
8:00 PM McMurry at Southern Methodist
8:00 PM Centenary at Stephen F. Austin
8:00 PM Florida Gulf Coast at TCU
8:00 PM University of Mary at Green Bay
8:05 PM North Carolina A&T at Creighton
8:15 PM Fort Valley State at Lipscomb
8:30 PM Harris Stowe at Murray State
8:30 PM Tennessee State at Saint Louis
8:30 PM Texas Lutheran at Texas State
8:30 PM Arkansas State at Lamar
8:30 PM Dillard at Southern University
9:00 PM Montana at Colorado State
9:00 PM Miles at Jacksonville State
9:00 PM Elon at Massachusetts
9:00 PM New Orleans at New Mexico
9:00 PM Oral Roberts at West Virginia (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Texas-Pan American at DePaul
9:00 PM Loyola (IL) at Illinois
9:00 PM North Dakota State at San Francisco
9:00 PM Alabama A&M at Tulane
9:05 PM Brigham Young at Utah State
9:05 PM UT-San Antonio at UTEP
9:30 PM CO Christian at Boise State
9:30 PM Army at Air Force (CBSN)
9:30 PM Portland State at Denver (Root RM)
9:30 PM Claflin at South Carolina State
9:30 PM Troy at Texas Tech (FS Southwest)
10:00 PM Central Arkansas at Stanford
10:00 PM Cal Lutheran at UC Riverside
10:00 PM Ft. Lewis at Colorado
10:00 PM Illinois State at Fresno State
10:00 PM Grand Canyon at UNLV
10:00 PM Missouri State at Nevada
10:00 PM Chapman at UC Santa Barbara
10:00 PM Fresno Pacific at Saint Mary's
10:00 PM Northern New Mexico at Weber State
10:05 PM Redlands at Cal State Fullerton
10:30 PM Bryant University at San Diego State
10:30 PM California Merced at Santa Clara
10:35 PM Menlo College at Sacramento State
11:00 PM Cal State Northridge at USC
11:30 PM Northern Arizona vs. Louisiana-Lafayette*
11:59 PM Citadel vs. Virginia Military* (CBSN)

Iona's Glover Named Preseason MAAC Player of the Year

Press Release — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:56:02 -0700

Springfield, Mass. - Iona College senior forward Mike Glover has been named the 2011-2012 MAAC Men's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year, as selected by the league's 10 head coaches.

Glover is joined on the first team by Fairfield University junior guard Derek Needham and senior center Ryan Olander, Iona senior guard Scott Machado and Rider University senior guard/forward Novar Gadson.

Glover, who was named to the Preseason Top 50 List for the John R. Wooden Award, ranked 48th in the nation in scoring last season, netting 18.4 points per game for the Gaels. He also tied for 21st place on the NCAA rebounding chart with 10.1 caroms an outing during his junior campaign. Glover proved he was an expert marksman last season, connecting on a conference-high 61 percent of his attempts from the field.

Needham was an All-MAAC First Team selection last season. He ranked sixth in the MAAC in scoring, averaging 14.1 points per outing for the Stags. He also ranked third in the league in assists (4.5 per game), fifth in steals (1.4 per game) and 13th in free throw percentage (70 percent) during his sophomore campaign.

Olander, an All-MAAC Second Team choice last season, was second on the team in scoring as a junior with 10.4 points per game, good for 21st place on the MAAC scoring chart. He also recorded 6.8 rebounds per game (ninth in the MAAC) along with 2.1 blocks (third) an outing for the Stags. Olander owned a 53.2 percent field goal percentage, ranking him second in the league behind Glover.

Machado was a member of the All-MAAC First Team last season. He is the league's top assists leader, dishing out down 7.6 a night for the Gaels, good for second in the nation. Machado also contributed 13.2 points per game (eighth in the MAAC) and netted 67.5 percent of his shots from the charity stripe (15th).

Gadson, a 2010-11 All-MAAC Second Team pick, fin- ished his junior campaign seventh on the MAAC scoring list,netting13.7pointsanightfortheBroncs. Hefinished 15th in rebounding last season, pulling down 5.8 boards per game. Gadson also ranked ninth in the MAAC with his 47 percent field goal percentage.

2011-2012 Preseason All-MAAC Teams

First Team
Derek Needham, Fairfield Jr. G 5-11 Dolton, Ill.
Ryan Olander, Fairfield Sr. C 7-0 Mansfield, Conn.
Mike Glover, Iona Sr. F 6-7 Bronx, N.Y.
Scott Machado, Iona Sr. G 6-1 Queens, N.Y.
Novar Gadson, Rider Sr. G/F 6-7 Philadelphia, Pa.

Second Team
Gaby Belardo, Canisius Jr. G 6-2 San Juan, P.R.
Rakim Sanders, Fairfield Sr. G 6-2 Pawtucket, R.I.
Erik Etherly, Loyola Jr. F 6-7 Alexandria, Va.
Shane Walker, Loyola Sr. F 6-10 Northampton, England
George Beamon, Manhattan Jr. G/F 6-4 Roslyn, N.Y.

Third Team
Kyle Smyth, Iona Jr. G 6-4 River Edge, N.J.
Jeff Jones, Rider Sr. G 6-4 Chester, Pa.
Daniel Stewart, Rider So. F 6-7 Philadelphia, Pa.
Darius Conley, Saint Peter's Jr. F 6-7 Newport News, Va.
OD Anosike, Siena Jr. F 6-8 Staten Island, N.Y.

2011-2012 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year:
Mike Glover, Iona

MAAC Hoops

Iona Tabbed Preseason Favorite

Press Release — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:21:14 -0700

Springfield, Mass. - Iona College, the runner-up in last year's title game, is the preseason favorite to win the 2012 MAAC Men's Basketball Championship, according to the MAAC Pre- season Coaches' Poll.

Iona received eight of the first-place votes and 97 points, followed by last season's preseason pick Fairfield University,which received two first-place votes and 92 points. Loyola University (Maryland) finished in third with 76 points.

Rider University followed in fourth place with 71 points, while defending champion Saint Peter's College took fifth with 52points. Siena College received 44 points to finish sixth, followed by Niagara University (42 points) in seventh, Manhattan College (33) in eighth, Canisius College (25) in ninth and Marist College (18) in 10th to round out the poll.

Last season, the Gaels made their first appearance in the MAAC Championship final since winning the league crown in 2006 and also reached the title game of the 2011 CollegeInsider. com Postseason Tournament. Iona returns three starters from that squad -- preseason All-MAAC First Team picks Mike Glover and Scott Machado and Third Team member Kyle Smyth. Glover, named to the Preseason Top 50 List for the John R. Wooden Award, is the league's top returning scorer(18.4ppg) and rebounder (10.1rpg).

Machado finished second in the nation in assists per game with 7.6 an outing. Smyth averaged 10.1 points per game during his sophomore campaign, connecting on 45.1 percent of his shots from the field and 39.3 percent from three-point range. Second-year head coach Tim Cluess will also look to senior Jermel Jenkins, junior Lamont Jones and sophomore Sean Armand to help lead the Maroon and Gold in their quest for an eighth MAAC Championship.

Fairfield returns four starters and eight letterwinners that helped earn the MAAC regular season title last season. The Stags, who previously registered a league-high scoring defense of 58.3 points per game, will be led by preseason All-MAAC First Team selections Derek Needham and Ryan Olander as well as Rakim Sanders of the Second Team. Needham recorded 14.1 points and 4.5 assists per game during his sophomore campaign, while Olander averaged 10.4 points per game and shot 53.2 percent from the floor.

First-year head coach Sydney Johnson will also rely onthe efforts of juniors Colin Nickerson and Sean Crawford along with sophomores Maurice Barrow and Jamel Fields as the Stags look to earn the program's first MAAC championship title in 15 years.

MAAC Hoops