San Diego

Friday Tournament Predictions: Horizon, OVC, MVC, WCC

Greg Mengelt — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 07:55:14 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. He'll be picking every conference tournament game over the next 2 weeks. Read more about Championship Week at CollegeHoops.net.

ATLANTIC SUN SEMIFINALS: AT MACON, GA.

Belmont (25-7, 16-2) vs. East Tennessee State (17-13, 10-8)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: Comcast Sports. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 23 – Belmont 82-70; Feb. 18 – Belmont 80-58. RPI: Belmont 63, East Tennessee State 180. Analysis: Belmont beat the Buccaneers by a combined 34 points in two meetings this year. Can’t find a reason why the Bruins won’t blow them out again. Line: Belmont -12. Pick: Belmont 88, East Tennessee State 66.

Mercer (22-10, 13-5) vs. Florida Gulf Coast (14-16, 8-10)

Tipoff: Approx. 8:30 p.m. TV: Comcast Sports. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 2 – Mercer 76-54; Feb. 20 – Mercer 75-66. RPI: Mercer 126, Florida Gulf Coast 238. Analysis: Mercer looked better in its win over Lipscomb, but the Bears probably aren’t playing well enough yet to take them against the spread. Line: Mercer -9.5. Pick: Mercer 71, Florida Gulf Coast 67.

HORIZON LEAGUE QUARETRFINALS: AT VALPARAISO, IND.

(3) Detroit (19-13, 11-7) vs. (6) Youngstown State (16-14, 10-8)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: Horizon League Network/ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 1 – Youngstown 64-61*; Feb. 25 – Detroit 76-74*. RPI: Detroit 158, Youngstown State 166. Analysis: Detroit’s underachieving roller coaster season comes to an end. Line: Detroit -6. Pick: Youngstown State 68, Detroit 65.

(4) Milwaukee (20-12, 11-7) vs. (5) Butler (19-13, 11-7)

Tipoff: Approx. 8:30 p.m. TV: Horizon League Network/ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – Butler 54-50; Jan. 26 – Milwaukee 53-42. RPI: Milwaukee 124, Butler 112. Analysis: The Butler magic lives on – for one more day. Line: Butler -1. Pick: Butler 66, Milwaukee 61.

MISSOURI VALLEY QUARTERFINALS: AT ST. LOUIS

(1) Wichita State (26-4, 16-2) vs. (8) Indiana State (17-13, 8-10)

Tipoff: 1 p.m. TV: MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 15 – Wichita State 75-65*; Feb. 4 – Wichita State 71-66. RPI: Wichita State 12, Indiana State 130. Analysis: This isn’t a typical 1/8 matchup with the Sycamores finishing a game behind third place. Indiana State is closer to the team that won last year’s tournament than to the one that struggled during the middle of this season. Line: Wichita St -10. Pick: Wichita State 70, Indiana State 62.

(4) Illinois State (18-12, 9-9) vs. (5) Northern Iowa (19-12, 9-9)

Tipoff: Approx. 3:30 p.m. TV: MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 29 – Illinois State 65-61; Feb. 11 – Northern Iowa 78-63. RPI: Illinois State 125, Northern Iowa 62. Analysis: This game could go either way, so take the team with more post-season experience. Line: Northern Iowa -2. Line: Northern Iowa -2. Pick: Northern Iowa 70, Illinois State 67.

(2) Creighton (25-5, 14-4) vs. (7) Drake (16-14, 9-9)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 3 – Creighton 76-59; Jan. 25 – Creighton 77-69. RPI: Creighton 25, Drake 127. Analysis: Except for a late push against Long Beach State, the Blue Jays just aren’t playing as well as they were earlier this season. It would be tough to take them by more than a handful of points. Line: Creighton -8. Pick: Creighton 69, Drake 65.

(3) Evansville (15-14, 9-9) vs. (6) Missouri State (16-15, 9-9)

Tipoff: Approx. 9:30 p.m. TV: MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 15 – Evansville 87-82 (OT)*; Feb. 25 – Evansville 75-70 (OT). RPI: Evansville 138, Missouri State 108. Analysis: Missouri State senior Kyle Weems will find a way to shine in his final week, and the Bear defense will clamp down on Ace star Colt Ryan. Line: Missouri State -2. Pick: Missouri State 77, Evansville 70.

OHIO VALLEY SEMIFINALS: AT NASHVILLE

(1) Murray State (28-1, 15-1) vs. (4) Tennessee Tech (19-12, 9-7)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Murray State 82-74; Feb. 25 – Murray State 69-64*. RPI: Murray State 31, Tennessee Tech 151. Analysis: Tennessee Tech found a way to keep both regular-season meetings close, and Kevin Murphy and the Eagles will push the Racers again. Line: Murray St -8. Pick: Murray State 70, Tennessee Tech 64.

(2) Tennessee State (19-11, 11-5) vs. (3) Morehead State (18-14, 10-6)

Tipoff: Approx. 8 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 11 – Tennessee State 77-72. RPI: Tennessee State 131, Morehead State 173. Analysis: With an extra day of rest, Tennessee State will pull away from the Eagles early in the second half. Line: Tennessee St -4. Pick: Tennessee State 81, Morehead State 69.

WCC QUARTERFINALS: AT LAS VEGAS

(4) Loyola Marymount (19-11, 11-5) vs. (5) San Francisco (19-12, 8-8)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – Loyola Marymount 77-76 (OT)*; Feb. 4 – Loyola Marymount 90-88. RPI: Loyola Marymount 119, San Francisco 147. Analysis: Vegas is begging you to take LMU, don't fall for it. Line: San Francisco -1.5. Pick: Loyola Marymount 78, San Francisco 75.

(3) BYU (24-7, 12-4) vs. (6) San Diego (12-17, 9-7)

Tipoff: Approx. 11 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – BYU 88-52; Jan. 16 – BYU 82-63*. RPI: BYU 50, San Diego 193. Analysis: BYU will control the boards and its defensive end en route to an easy win. Line: BYU -13. Pick: BYU 78, San Diego 55.

*Road win

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 95-62-2

Friday's Conference Tournament Primer

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 07:37:47 -0800

Friday will be a busy night in regards to conference tournaments, with eight leagues paring down their respective fields. But there's no team on the slate more in need of a win than BYU, who takes on six-seed San Diego in the second quarterfinal of the night. The uncertainty that surrounds forward Noah Hartsock's knee injury doesn't help matters for Dave Rose's team, but whether or not he's able to play the Cougars need to avoid a misstep agains the Toreros.

Johnny Dee went off on Pepperdine on Thursday night, scoring 30 points to lead San Diego to the 76-54 win. As a team Bill Grier's squad shot 56.3% from the field against the Waves while turning the ball over just nine times. The Toreros will have to duplicate that performance if they're to have a shot at knocking off a BYU team that beat them twice during the regular season, and neither meeting was all that close.

BYU won 88-52 in Provo and 82-63 in San Diego, with the meeting at Jenny Craig Pavilion being the more recent of the two. BYU dominated the battle on the glass, out-rebounding USB 46-28 with an offensive rebounding percentage of 41.7%. And in that contest BYU didn't get much from Hartsock, but the triumvirate of Charles Abouo, Brandon Davies and Brock Zylstra grabbed a combined 26 rebounds. Six of Davies' 12 rebounds were of the offensive variety, and if that happens again the third meeting will end up like the first two.

Two things will need to happen if the Toreros are to knock off BYU: they're all going to need to step up on the boards to help out Dennis Kramer and Chris Manresa on the glass, and freshman point guard Chris Anderson will have to "win" the matchup with BYU's Matt Carlino. Anderson's gotten better as the season's worn on, which is something a team would hope for from its freshmen.

BYU still may have some work to do in regards to reaching the NCAA tournament, and to do so would at the very least require a third meeting with Gonzaga, which is what awaits the winner. Dave Rose's team would be pushing their luck if they weren't the Bulldogs' opponent on Saturday night.

In the first quarterfinal in Las Vegas the four and five seeds meet, with the winner becoming a serious threat to snatch the WCC's automatic bid. Max Good's team was 7-1 in conference games away from home, and with Anthony Ireland and Drew Viney the Lions have two of the league's better players.

But it isn't as if Rex Walters' Dons lack talent, as they're led by Angelo Caloiaro and Perris Blackwell. Four Dons average double figures, and these two teams have played two high-scoring thrilled with LMU winning both. The winner gets Saint Mary's, and there's no reason why neither can knock off the Gaels and advance to the title game as well.

WCC - Quarterfinals
#4 Loyola Marymount vs. #5 San Francisco, 9:00 p.m. (BYUtv)
#3 BYU vs. #6 San Diego, 11:00 p.m. (BYUtv)

Atlantic Sun - Semifinals
#1 Belmont vs. #4 ETSU, 6:00 p.m. (ASun TV/CSS)
#2 Mercer vs. #6 FGCU, 8:30 p.m. (ASun TV/CSS)

Three of the top four seeds made it through to the semifinals of the A-Sun tournament, but losing five of their last six to end the regular season didn't stop six-seed FGCU from knocking off USC Upstate 71-61. Chris Varidel led five Eagles in double figures with 14 points off the bench, and FGCU managed to score 50 points in the second half. They'll take on host Mercer, who swept the regular season series and limited the Eagles to 37% shooting in the second meeting. Langston Hall scored a game-high 20 points in the 75-66 Mercer victory at FGCU, and three others scored ten apiece for the Bears.

In the other semifinal regular season champion Belmont takes on ETSU, a team the Bruins beat twice by double digits this year. Kerron Johnson has played well on the perimeter and big men Mick Hedgepeth and Scott Saunders make up a formidable tandem in the paint for Rick Byrd's squad. The Bucs will need big games from Isiah Brown and Adam Sollazzo if they're to knock off the defending champs but it can be done.

Colonial - First Round
#8 James Madison vs. #9 UNCW, Noon
#5 Delaware vs. #12 Towson, 2:30 p.m.
#7 Northeastern vs. #10 William & Mary, 6 p.m.
#6 Georgia State vs. #11 Hosftra, 8:30 p.m.

First Round Preview by Robert Canady

Horizon - Quarterfinals
#6 Youngstown State vs. #3 Detroit, 6 p.m. (Horizon League Network/ESPN3)
#5 Butler vs. #4 Milwaukee, 8:30 p.m. (Horizon League Network/ESPN3)

Play resumes in the Horizon League with a pair of games to be played at Valparaiso, with the winners moving on to face the regular season champion Crusaders and two-seed Cleveland State. Butler will be the focus of many given their recent tournament history, but they've got a tough matchup on their hands in the form of the Milwaukee Panthers. These two teams split a pair of physical contests during the regular season with the home team winning both and neither scoring more than 54 points in either game. Milwaukee limited Butler to 20% shooting in the second half of their 53-42 win on January 26th, but the improved play of Andrew Smith inside is something to keep an eye on.

Milwaukee has three starters averaging between 10.7 and 11.1 points per game with Tony Meier leading the way while Smith is the lone Butler player averaging double figures. The first quarterfinal should be interesing given the Penguins' reliance on the three-point shot, and while Detroit didn't make good on the many predictions that they would win the league there's still more than enough talent needed to make a run at the league's automatic bid. Youngstown State has four players averaging at least 10.2 points per game with Kendrick Perry leading the way at 16.8. Detroit won 76-74 in the regular season finale for both last Saturday.

Metro Atlantic - First Round
#8 Marist vs. #9 Saint Peter's, 7:30 p.m.
#7 Niagara vs. #10 Canisius, 9:30 p.m.

"MAACachusetts" (their word, not mine) gets underway with a pair of games in Springfield, and while it will be interesting to see how the tournament fares in a truly neutral environment from an attendance standpoint there will be good basketball to watch as well. Rivals Niagara and Canisius meet in the second half of the doubleheader, and with the Golden Griffins lacking the depth needed to be successful throughout the regular season maybe they can salvage something in Springfield. But they're going to have their hands full with NU freshmen Juan'ya Green and Antoine Mason, both of whom made the All-Rookie Team with Green winning Rookie of the Year. In the other first round matchup Marist, who has a very good freshman of their own in Chavaughn Lewis, takes on a young Saint Peter's squad that took their share of defeats as well. The Red Foxes swept the season series, winning the most recent meeting by 19 in Poughkeepsie on February 9th.

Missouri Valley - Quarterfinals
#1 Wichita State vs. #8 Indiana State, 1:00 p.m. (MVC TV)
#4 Illinois State vs. #5 Northern Iowa, 3:30 p.m. (MVC TV)
#2 Creighton vs. #7 Drake, 7:00 p.m. (MVC TV)
#3 Evansville #6 Missouri State, 9:30 p.m. (MVC TV)

"Arch Madness" moves on to the quarterfinals, and while the top two seeds can be knocked off the 4/5 and 3/6 games will likely offer more intrigue. The four teams in those two contests all finished 9-9 in MVC play, and the battle between Evansville and Missouri State features two of the Valley's best players in UE's Colt Ryan and Missouri State's Kyle Weems. Ryan averages 20.5 points per game while the versatile Weems leads the Bears in both scoring and rebounding, but the Purple Aces won both regular season meetings by five points. As for the Panthers and Redbirds, they split their two meetings with the home team winning both.

Ben Jacobson's Panthers can defend with anyone and they limited Illinois State to an average of 64 points per game in the two contests. UNI knocked down 12 of 21 three-pointers in their 78-63 win over the Redbirds on February 11th, with Johnny Moran knocking down four of his six attempts. ISU has a very good interior player in Jackie Carmichael, and he can be a problem for the Panthers in the paint if their bigs don't limit the number of quality touches he gets.

Ohio Valley - Semifinals
#1 Murray State vs. #4 Tennessee Tech, 6:00 p.m. (ESPNU)
#2 Tennessee State vs. #3 Morehead State, 8:00 p.m. (ESPN3)

The top two teams in the OVC finally take the court with just one win separating them from the title game. All eyes from a national standpoint will be on the Racers, who have done enough to merit an at-large bid should they need one. Isaiah Canaan and Donte Pool have been the best guard tandem in the OVC this season but they're in for a challenge as Kevin Murphy and Jud Dillard can light it up as well. Murphy and Dillard average a combined 38.7 points per game for the Golden Eagles, who lost both regular season meetings with the Racers.

The second semifinal features the lone team to have beaten Murray State in league play as Tennessee State takes on three-seed Morehead State. The Tigers and Eagles played just once in the regular season, with Tennessee State knocking down 13 three-pointers in their 77-72 victory. Robert Covington has been outstanding for Tennessee State this season and Morehead State had no answer for him as he scored 30 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the January meeting. Ty Proffitt runs the show for Morehead State but he has to keep the turnovers down (five in the regular season meeting) if the Eagles are to win.

Southern - First Round
#4S College of Charleston vs. #5N Appalachian State, 11:30 a.m.
#3N Western Carolina vs. #6S The Citadel, 2:00 p.m.
#4N Samford vs. #5S Furman, 6:00 p.m.
#3S Georgia Southern vs. #6N Chattanooga, 8:30 p.m.

The SoCon tournament tips off with four games, beginning with Charleston taking on Appalachian State. The South Division has been stronger for quite some time and that was no different this season, so the expectation would be that teams such as the Cougars and Georgia Southern will take care of business and advance to the quarterfinals. Samford and Furman met just 13 days ago with the Bulldogs winning 55-49, limiting the Paladins to 34.6% shooting from the field. One issue for Furman was that they resorted to firing away from beyond the arc, and when you shoot 6-for-29 as they did that's a problem. Drew Windler led Samford with 18 points off the bench in that meeting.

Conference play can be an opportunity for teams who have disappointed to make one final run, and that's what John Shulman's Chattanooga Mocs should use as motivation. The Mocs were the pick of many to at least win the North Division and yet they finished last in the division. Redeeming themselves will be tough however as Georgia Southern went 12-6 in conference play. Charlton Young's Eagles dropped their final two regular season games (Charleston and Davidson) and the beat the Mocs by just three points (75-72) in their lone meeting, so maybe Chattanooga can pull off the upset.

College Hoops Tuesday Recap: Syracuse Beats Michigan State

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 12:43:44 -0800

Many will say that Michigan State is the best three-loss team in America, and you're unlikely to find many arguments to the contrary as all three of their losses have come to teams currently ranked in the Top 10. Connecticut, Duke and now Syracuse have all had the Spartans' number, with the Orange beating Michigan State 72-58 in the second game of the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. Rick Jackson posted yet another double-double, this time scoring 17 points and grabbing 16 rebounds while Scoop Jardine led all scorers with 19. Durrell Summers led Michigan State with 18 and Korie Lucious added 10 off the bench, but it was another maddening performance for one of the nation's more experienced teams.

The statement has been made many times over this season, that Tom Izzo's teams are much better in March than they are in November and December. But given a team of this level of experience, with the two aforementioned players going along with the likes of Kalin Lucas, Draymond Green and Delvon Roe, shouldn't they be able to hit the ground running to a certain extent? At the very least Michigan State should not be averaging 17 turnovers per game (which they matched last night) with Lucas accounting for six of those. Green and Lucious combined for 10 assists and four turnovers and have been MSU's most consistent decision-makers to this point in the season but they'll need others to get on board in regards to valuing the basketball if they're to live up to the favorite status in the Big Ten. Another concern from Tuesday's loss: their overuse of the perimeter shot.

Teams traditionally put up a high percentage of three pointers when playing Syracuse due to the length of the Orange zone, but for 24 of their 54 shots to come from behind the arc seems a bit high for Michigan State. Credit the Syracuse defense, especially Jackson and Moussa Keita inside, but if you're the Spartans you have to be more aggressive in probing the spaces within the defense. That, along with a 38-30 deficit on the glass, may be two of the reasons why Coach Izzo used the word "sissy" in describing the play of his team. You have to think that the Spartans will be fine by the time Big Ten play rolls around in a few weeks, but there are issues in regards to their decision-making that must be ironed out if they're to contend with the likes of Illinois, Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin.

As for Syracuse, the Orange will be come an even better offensive team as guys further accept the value of a good shot. Jim Boeheim's team made just two of eleven shots from behind the arc, but at the least they did a better job of working the ball inside through either dribble penetration or entry passes into the post. And given how well Jackson can pass the basketball it may serve them well to have guards Jardine and Brandon Triche work the ball inside to their senior a bit more as the season wears on. And given the hype that surrounded Fab Melo before the season began who would have thought that Keita off the bench would be the more effective post player of the two? In 27 minutes off the bench he accounted for three points, three blocks and a critical assist on a Jackson dunk that put Syracuse up 60-50 with 5:34 remaining. Along with classmates C.J. Fair and Dion Waiters, Keita will be a valuable resource off the bench for a Syracuse team whose strength lies in its balance. Provided they all keep this in mind, the Orange will be a contender in the Big East.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Kansas still has some kinks to work out before the addition of Josh Selby.
Solely looking at the final score of a game can be misleading, as is the case with Kansas' 81-68 win over Memphis in the first game of the Jimmy V Classic. Kansas assisted on 19 of their 32 made baskets, but also turned the basketball over 22 times to result in a turnover rate of 29.7%. Thomas Robinson provided a double-double off the bench with 10 points and 10 rebounds while the Morris twins combined for 30 points and 15 rebounds, but there were some troubling stretches in the first half where they struggled mightily against the Memphis pressure. Could that mean more minutes in the backcourt for Elijah Johnson, who had three assists (no turnovers) to go along with seven points while starters Brady Morningstar and Tyrel Reed struggled? Tyshawn Taylor had four turnovers to go along with four assists and 13 points, but even when Selby is able to play Kansas needs to find a way to keep Johnson in the rotation. As the competition gets even tougher in Big 12 play the Jayhawks will need to get back to their efficient ways (average offensive efficiency: 122.8, last night's: 109.5) in terms of taking care of the basketball (their effective FG% last night was at their season average, which underlines the turnover problem).

2. Despite the enthusiasm surrounding the program St. John's still has to find itself.
Dwight Hardy scored a career-high 24 points for the Red Storm, but their 5-game win streak came to an end as Andrew Nicholson led a Bona comeback in a 67-66 victory for the Bonnies. Nicholson was quiet in the first half but had a stretch in the second half where he scored seven straight points to kick-start a 12-2 St. Bonaventure run to tie the game at 49. Nicholson finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds while Michael Davenport scored 22 to lead the winners, while outside of Hardy and Justin Brownlee (14 points, four assists) the Red Storm struggled offensively. Dwayne Polee has been quiet since reaching double figures in the first two games of the season (played just 15 minutes the last two games) and D.J. Kennedy, a preseason All-Big East selection, has scored six points of fewer in three of the last four games. There are still bouts with inconsistency for Steve Lavin's team, as is to be expected of a program in the first year of a new regime. Should there be panic amongst the masses? Definitely not, but maybe the optimism becomes a bit more guarded in realizing that Rome wasn't built in a day.

3. Since their first-round win over UConn in 2008 it's been a steady plummet for San Diego.
The Toreros won 21 games that season and the West Coast Conference Tournament crown in Bill Grier's first season in charge of the program. But in the two full seasons since Coach Grier's teams have posted records of 16-16 and 11-21, and last night's 74-70 loss to Fresno State dropped USD to 1-7 on the season. After last season's tough non-conference slate the hope was that the Toreros would be able to bounce back this season given the number of young players who had to make contributions a season ago. But if the seven consecutive losses are any indication of what's in story this season, USD is in for a long rebuilding campaign as their lone win came over a Non-Division I opponent (Occidental). Darian Norris led the way for San Diego with 14 points but without a true difference-maker on the offensive end of the floor the Toreros are bound to struggle in the WCC.

Top Three Games

1. Belmont 88, Middle Tennessee 87 (2 OT) Jordan Campbell's 24 points led the way for the Bruins, who scored at least 85 points for the fourth consecutive game in beating the Blue Raiders in Nashville. Ian Clark (15 points) and Mick Hedgepeth (10) also scored in double figured for Belmont while Middle Tennessee was led by Jason Jones, J.T. Sulton and James Washington who scored 19 points apiece.

2. Georgia 73, Georgia Tech 72 Dustin Ware scored 21 points, making seven three pointers with the last giving the Bulldogs the lead with 15.3 seconds remaining as they knocked off their rivals in Atlanta. Trey Thompkins added 21 of his own while Iman Shumpert led the Yellow Jackets with 18.

3. St. Bonaventure 67, St. John's 66

Three Notable Performances

1. G/F Will Clyburn (Utah) 23 points, 13 rebounds, seven steals and four assists in the Utes' 67-67 win over Pepperdine.

2. F Justin Rutty (Quinnipiac) 27 points and 11 rebounds in the Bobcats' 84-78 win over Lehigh. Rutty made all 11 free throws attempted one game after making just two of eight.

3. G Jordan Campbell (Belmont) Made eight of fourteen three-pointers on the night, scoring 24 points in the Bruins' 88-87 double overtime win over Middle Tennessee.

WCC Basketball Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:10:30 -0800

Gonzaga lacks the star power of recent seasons, so perhaps this is the year they get knocked out of 1st place. Portland looks to have the best chance, but Santa Clara, San Diego, and Saint Mary's are no slouches either.

Conference Rank: 16th

10 year average: 12th

Conference Page

All-WCC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Matt Bouldin	Gonzaga	Sr
G	Nik Raivio	Portland	Sr
G	Brandon Johnson	San Diego	Sr
F	Dior Lowhorn	San Francisco	Sr
C	Omar Samhan	Saint Mary's	Sr

Player of the Year - Matt Bouldin Freshman of the Year - Matthew Dellavedova (SMC)
CHN Award Winners		Leaders
Mid-Major All-Americans Matt Bouldin (1st Team) Omar Samhan (3rd) Steven Gray Brandon Johnson Dior Lowhorn		Best Scorer: Dior Lowhorn Best Rebounder: Omar Samhan Best Playmaker: Brandon Johnson

WCC Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

31	Gonzaga	WCC	1	NCAA
88	Portland	WCC	2	CBI/CIT
121	Santa Clara	WCC	3	CBI/CIT
173	St. Mary's	WCC	4
196	San Diego	WCC	5
254	Pepperdine	WCC	6
300	San Francisco	WCC	7
339	Loy Marymount	WCC	8

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the WCC?

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Poll: Who Will Win the WCC?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:51:54 -0700

WCC Tournament: Preview & Odds

Evan Dorey — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 18:01:18 -0800

This is one in a series of conference tournament previews, in which I run down all the teams involved, give a brief statistical review and present the log5 projections, using in-conference offensive and defensive efficiency. The basic log5 methodology comes from Bill James, and this is an area Ken Pomeroy has looked at in the past as well. I claim nothing new in the application, but obviously with slightly different methodologies, these numbers may differ from others you find. I don’t claim to be an expert on any particular conference, and I’m sure there are some mis-characterizations on some players I’ve seen sparingly at best, so please add your thoughts in the comments. Anyway, with no further ado, the preview follows below:

West Coast Conference

The WCC the tournament are playing at a neutral site in Las Vegas for the first time, but the format, with a double bye for the top 2 seeds and a bye for seeds 3 and 4, is the same as it has been.

#	Team	SF	F	W
1	Gonzaga	100.00%	95.87%	82.74%
2	St. Mary's	100.00%	68.55%	12.68%
3	Portland	85.03%	30.13%	3.57%
4	Santa Clara	64.98%	3.18%	0.82%
5	San Diego	35.02%	0.95%	0.15%
6	Pepperdine	14.97%	1.32%	0.04%

Gonzaga is of course the huge favorite, but Patty Mills’ return will give St. Mary’s a somewhat better shot than these odds indicate.

#1 – Gonzaga Bulldogs (24-5, 14-0) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.286

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2008 (1^st Round)

A perfect conference season earned the Bulldogs yet another conference title, and they richly deserve it, having dominated the league, outscoring opponents by an average of 20 points, and finishing atop the conference in all but a couple of offensive categories. The conference’s top offense is among the nation’s best in making shots, both from two and three, and in avoiding turnovers, and is very difficult to stop. The defense has also been excellent, but does have a weakness, as Gonzaga hasn’t been great at stopping three-pointers. It’s made up for it by being the country’s best defenders inside the arc, but teams that take a lot of outside shots can catch the Bulldogs by surprise.

Players to watch:

6-11 SR Josh Heytvelt, 15.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 58.4 eFG% - Heytvelt leads the team in scoring, and is the Bulldogs’ most efficient offensive player. He rarely turns the ball over, and shoots 55% from the field, with the ability to step out and hit the three point shot.

6-5 JR Matt Bouldin, 13.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 59.2 eFG% - Bouldin is another very efficient forward, about equal to Heytvelt in shooting percentages from the floor and at the stripe, and a good player at forcing steals and holding onto the ball.

#2 – St. Mary’s Gaels (23-5, 10-4) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.135

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2008 (1^st Round)

The Patty Mills injury seemed to have totally derailed the Gaels when they lost four of five games, though this stretch did include the toughest three road games in the league schedule. A recovery in the second half of February saw them secure second place, and put themselves back in the conversation for an NCAA at-large bid. While they finished just one game ahead of Portland, they are the clear #2 team in the league. It’s interesting that despite Mills being the headline player, St. Mary’s plays best inside, an excellent offensive rebounding team that hits more than 50% of shots inside the arc. St. Mary’s opponents tend to take most of their shots inside the arc, where the Gaels take advantage of good rebounding and strong defense.

Players to watch:

6-11 JR Omar Samhan, 13.9 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.1 BPG, 55.8 eFG% - Mills may get most of the credit, but Samhan is a real force for the Gaels inside, along with Diamon Simpson. Samhan shoots 56% from the field, and manages to nearly average a double-double without leading his team in points or rebounds. He’s also a very good free throw shooter, and his shot-blocking adds an important defensive element.

6-0 SO Patrick Mills, 18.8 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 3.9 APG, 2.4 SPG, 49.8 eFG% - Mills’ status will be a critical question for the Gaels in their quest for the conference title; he’s easily the most important player on offense, 2^nd in the conference in scoring and 3^rd in assists. He’s not a great percentage shooter, but does a good job on a high volume of attempts, and his quickness helps him to lead the league in steals.

#3 – Portland Pilots (18-11, 9-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.082

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1996 (1^st Round)

The Pilots were right in the battle for the conference’s second spot, but lost twice on their season-ending road trip to lose their hold on the second round bye. Their offense is all about ball movement and getting opportunities from three; they’re well over 40% from behind the arc. Portland hasn’t been as good defensively, able to shut down opponents on the outside, but not very strong on the inside and quite foul-prone.

Players to watch:

5-9 JR T.J. Campbell, 11.3 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 5.0 APG, 65.4 eFG% - Campbell doesn’t take a lot of shots, but maybe he should take more, he’s a spectacular long-distance specialist, hitting 54% from behind the arc. Besides his shooting, he’s also a great distributor of the ball, a deadly combination of skills.

6-4 JR Nik Raivio, 15.7 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 48.9 eFG% - Raivio leads the Pilots in both scoring and rebounding, he’s an average shooter, but takes a lot of shots and helps to give the team’s better shooters chances.

#4 – Santa Clara Broncos (15-16, 7-7) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.021

Last NCAA Tournament bid: None

Santa Clara had an up and down season, starting poorly, then running off a six-game winning streak that including beating St. Mary’s pretty handily, but then losing a pair of road games against weak opposition to finish the season. It’s been just about average on both ends of the floor, so a .500 record is appropriate. The Broncos are good inside scorers, but have really struggled with turnovers, giving up the ball nearly once out of every four possessions. They’ve also forced very few turnovers, which has somewhat undermined a stalwart interior defense.

Players to watch:

6-10 SR John Bryant, 18.0 PPG, 13.9 RPG, 2.5 BPG, 60.7 eFG% - The WCC’s player of the year is a spectacular big man, a game-changing force who has been key to the Broncos’ inside success this season. He’s second nationally in rebounding, and has put up the nation’s best rate on the defensive glass. He’s also an excellent shot-blocker, and hits 61% from the floor and78% from the free-throw line. Few teams in the country have a single player as important to them as Bryant is to the Broncos.

6-2 FR Kevin Foster, 14.4 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 52.0 eFG% - The freshman guard has improved his play markedly over the second half of the season, and is averaging almost 20 points in his last four games. He’s an very good three-point shooter, and can rack up a lot of points from behind the arc, including 31 in a memorable duel with St. Mary’s Patty Mills.

#5 – San Diego Toreros (16-15, 6-8) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.030

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2008 (2^nd Round)

San Diego has been one of the biggest disappointments of the season, as a team that returned a lot from last year’s group that beat UConn in the NCAA tournament has floundered in the WCC. The Toreros opened the tournament with a solid win over Loyola, but face a much tougher challenge in Santa Clara. They’re the fifth of five teams that have held WCC opponents beneath a point-per-possession, thanks to getting opponents to give the ball up a lot, and defending shots effectively. San Diego’s problem has been on the offensive end, where its been one of the worst teams in the conference, terrible on the offensive glass and struggling to make free throws.

Players to watch:

6-8 SR Gyno Pomare, 14.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.2 BPG, 53.5 eFG% - Pomare has regressed a little from his strong junior season, but still leads the Toreros in both points and rebounds, and is the team’s most efficient offensive option. He’s a good inside scorer who rarely turns the ball over and can chip in with some key blocks.

6-6 SO Rob Jones, 9.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 46.8 eFG% - Jones doesn’t really play all that well, but is the second most important player to the USD offense. His shooting has been below average, and he rarely gets to the free throw line, but he’s a good rebounder and inside defender.

#6 – Pepperdine Waves (9-22, 5-9) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.168

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2002 (1^st Round)

Pepperdine actually pulled a bit of an upset in making the second round, despite finishing as the #6 seed, as it has been easily the second-worst team in the conference, and is extremely unlikely to advance past Portland. The Waves have been terrible offensively, making just 37% of shots, including barely 40% of twos and under 30% of threes. Their defense has been a little better, but has struggled to defend the inside, allowing a high percentage of two-point shots and poor on the glass.

Players to watch:

6-3 FR Keion Bell, 12.8 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, 49.7 eFG% - The freshman has improved over the course of the season, and has been very good of late, averaging nearly 20 over his last two games. He needs a lot of work in a couple of typical freshman weak areas, shot selection and turnovers, but he has shown the ability to score inside and a good ability for assists and steals.

6-7 FR Taylor Darby, 6.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 37.0 eFG% - An interesting freshman prospect, Darby has a long way to go with his offensive game, but is an excellent rebounder, and has improved his percentages over the last month.

My statistical all-West Coast team (a very inside-heavy one):

St. Mary’s SO G Patrick Mills, 18.8 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 3.9 APG, 2.4 SPG, 49.8 eFG%

San Francisco JR F Dior Lowhorn, 20.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 52.3 eFG%

Gonzaga SR F Josh Heytvelt, 15.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 58.4 eFG%

St. Mary’s JR C Omar Samhan, 13.9 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.1 BPG, 55.8 eFG%

Santa Clara SR C John Bryant, 18.0 PPG, 13.9 RPG, 2.5 BPG, 60.7 eFG%

WCC All-Conference Team: Bryant is POY

Press Release — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 05:53:07 -0800

SAN BRUNO, Calif. -- Santa Clara senior center John Bryant turned in one of the most dominating seasons in the last 30 years in WCC history and was rewarded on Monday by being named the Conference Player of the Year in a vote by the league's head coaches. Saint Mary's senior forward Diamon Simpson joined Bryant among the yearly conference award recipients, taking home his second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year honor. Santa Clara's Kevin Foster and Portland's T.J. Campbell shared the Newcomer of the Year award, while Portland Head Coach Eric Reveno was named the Coach of the Year.

Bryant, who is the eighth different Santa Clara player to earn WCC's top honor, was an immovable force during conference play, ranking second in the league in scoring with 18.0 points per game to go along with a staggering 15.1 rebounds per game. Bryant's 15.1 rpg average is the highest clip in the WCC since former San Francisco standout Bill Cartwright averaged 16.1 rpg during the 1978-79 season. In addition, the San Pablo, CA native also paced the conference in field goal percentage (.621) and blocked shots (34). Bryant currently leads the nation in overall rebounds (430), double-doubles (24), and 20-point/20-rebound games (5).

Saint Mary's senior forward Diamon Simpson becomes the first player in WCC history to win multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards. Simpson, last season's WCC Defensive Player of the Year, ranked in the top 10 in rebounding (2nd-9.6rpg), steals (7th-1.43 spg), blocks (5th-1.36 bpg), and defensive rebounds (2nd-6.36). Simpson enters the WCC Tournament needing just three more steals to become the first player in conference history to lead his respective school's career blocks, rebounds and steals charts.

Campbell and Foster made significant impacts on their respective teams this season. Campbell paced the WCC in assists (4.86 apg) during conference play, while scoring 12.6 ppg and shooting an amazing 60 percent (39-for-65) from the three-point line. Foster enjoyed a standout first season, ranking third in the WCC in scoring (16.5 ppg) during conference play. In addition, Foster ranked sixth in assists (3.14 apg) and third in three-point field goals (38). Foster enters the WCC Tournament with 448 points, shattering Kurt Rambis' school freshman scoring record (414).

Reveno, in his third season at the helm of the Portland program, led the Pilots to the program's highest season win total since posting a 19-11 record and going to the 1996 NCAA Tournament. The Pilots, picked sixth in the WCC preseason poll, finished third in the final regular season standings with a 9-5 conference mark. The nine league victories are tied for the second most in program history, trailing only the 1995 season (10-4).

2009 WCC CONFERENCE HONORS

Player of the Year
John Bryant, SCU

Defensive Player of the Year
Diamon Simpson, SMC

Co-Newcomer of the Year
T.J. Campbell, POR
Kevin Foster, SCU

Coach of the Year
Eric Reveno, POR

All-WCC First Team
Matt Bouldin, GON - JR - G
John Bryant, SCU - SR - C
T.J. Campbell, POR - JR - G
Josh Heytvelt, GON - SR - C
Dior Lowhorn, USF - JR - F
Patrick Mills, SMC - SO - G
Gyno Pomare, USD - SR - F/C
Nik Raivio, POR - JR - G
Omar Samhan, SMC - JR - C
Diamon Simpson, SMC - SR - F

All-WCC Freshman Team
Keion Bell, PEP - G
Jarred DuBois, LMU - G
Kevin Foster, SCU - G
James Rahon, SCU - G
Marc Trasolini, SCU - F

All-WCC Honorable Mention
Austin Daye, GON - SO - F
Kevin Foster, SCU - FR - G
Steven Gray, GON - SO - G
Jeremy Pargo, GON - SR - G
Robin Smeulders, POR - JR - F
Jared Stohl, POR - SO - G

2009 WCC Tournament: Schedule/Pairings

Press Release — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:16:58 -0800

SAN BRUNO, Calif. - With the conclusion of the West Coast Conference men's basketball regular season, conference squads now turn their attention to the WCC Tournament, which begins on Friday, March 6 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Gonzaga secured the top seed, posting a perfect 14-0 record in conference play to win its ninth consecutive WCC regular season title and the Bulldogs' 11th in the last 12 seasons. It marks an unprecedented third undefeated conference season for the Zags. Saint Mary's owns the No. 2 seed and like Gonzaga will earn a bye until the semifinals on March 9.

Portland earned the No. 3 seed, while Santa Clara finished fourth in the conference standings to earn the No. 4 seed. The Pilots and the Broncos earn first round byes and will play in the quarterfinal round on March 7. San Diego, last season's tournament champion, is the No. 5 seed, while Pepperdine is the No. 6 seed. San Francisco is the No. 7 seed, while the Loyola Marymount Lions are the No. 8 seed.

A limited number of single session tickets for the Friday, March 6 game will go on sale Wednesday, March 4 at 10:30 a.m. Single session tickets for all remaining dates will not be available until the day of the game at 10:30 a.m.

Single session tickets will be available at the Orleans Arena Box Office on 4500 West Tropicana Avenue in Las Vegas. Phone and Internet orders will be also taken before 2:00 p.m. on the day of the game by calling 888-834-2234 or visiting www.orleansarena.com. The number of single session tickets available will depend on the quantity of unused student tickets returned by the participating institutions.

Men's single session ticket prices are $65/$50 for preliminary sessions on March 6 and 7, $75/$55 for the semifinals on March 8, and $85/$65 for the championship game on March 9. Women's single session ticket prices are $15 for the preliminary sessions on March 6-8 and $20 for the championship game on March 9. A limited number of packages including all four women's sessions are still available for $35.

For more information on the 2009 West Coast Conference Basketball Championships, please visit www.wccsports.com.

The 2009 WCC Tournament marks the first year that the conference's premier event will be held at a neutral site. The capacity for the Orleans Arena at the four-day event is 7,845, making it the largest venue to ever house the WCC Tournament. The 2009 basketball championships will be the 23rd annual event on the men's side and the 17th annual women's tournament. The WCC advanced three teams to last year's NCAA Tournament, the most in conference history and the fifth highest percentage of teams from one conference last season.

2009 WCC Men's Basketball Tournament Seeds
1. Gonzaga
2. Saint Mary's
3. Portland
4. Santa Clara
5. San Diego
6. Pepperdine
7. San Francisco
8. Loyola Marymount

WCC Tournament Schedule

March 6th
#5 San Diego vs #8 Loyola Marymount - 6 PM
#6 Pepperdine vs #7 San Francisco

March 7th
#5/8 vs #4 Santa Clara - 6 PM
#6/7 vs #3 Portland

March 8th
#4/5/8 vs #1 Gonzaga - 6:30 PM, ESPN2
#3/6/7 vs #2 Saint Mary's - 8:30 PM, ESPN2

March 9th
Championship - 6 PM, ESPN

College Basketball: 20 Random Thoughts & Observations

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:26:11 -0800

20 Random Rants, Thoughts, and Observations from the Week in College Basketball by CollegeHoops.net Editor Shawn Siegel:

1 - Everyone knows the Big East is loaded. This is most unfortunate for Rutgers who will have a hard time winning more than a game or two in league play. The Knights have already lost to Lehigh, Binghamton, and St. Bonaventure (2 of those coming at home.) When they go on the road to face UNC in 2 weeks, the score could potentially be 100-0.

2 - One of the Big East's other 2nd rate teams is DePaul. It's only a matter of time before Jerry Wainwright loses his job. Home losses to Morgan State won't cut it.

3 - Gonzaga is real good.. and whether you like him or not, Josh Heytvelt is going to be on an NBA roster in less than 12 months.

4 - Davidson finally knocked off what will be an RPI Top 100 team for the first time in about 5 regular seasons. Granted, the opponent, West Virginia, was missing their starting backcourt, and it went down to the wire, but still.. a win is a win. Give Davidson a lot of credit for scheduling some tough non-conference games, which still includes Purdue and Duke. The administration was smart to maximize the programs' sudden national TV opportunities.

5 - I was at the Jimmy V Classic last night, and maybe I only saw him at his best, but Davidson freshman Ben Allison has some raw potential to look out for in the future. A lively and physically impressive 6-9 player out of England, Allison could become a top-level SoCo performer.

6 - Whatever happened to.. Scottie Reynolds? Except for a stat-boosting joke win over Houston Baptist, the Nova junior has been highly mediocre. His game has mostly remained stagnant since his breakout freshman season.

7 - On the flip side, Dante Cunningham has made impressive gains each of his four seasons in Philly. His stats have improved across the board (he's now averaging 18 & 8), and his 15 foot jumper is suddenly a weapon.

8 - I mentioned this on the message board, but since when did UMASS forward Tony Gaffney get good? The 5th year senior has been filling the stat sheet with averages of 13 points, 13 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 2 steals per game. Gaffney made another triple-double run tonight with 17, 11, and 8 blocks in a win over Holy Cross. Will NBA scouts begin to take notice of his production?

9 - San Diego is now just 4-5, a weak start for a program some experts felt would make a push for a repeat tourney bid. Don't forget though that if not for hosting the WCC tourney, the Toreros would simply have never made the Dance, and no one would have paid attention to them in the off-season.

10 - Butler's solid start continued with a win at Bradley tonight, which sets up a very intriguing test against unbeaten Ohio State on Saturday. The player to watch is Gordon Hayward, a 6-8 wing who has quietly emerged as one of the country's best freshmen. Hayward's best weapon is his top-notch 3-point shot, but he's surprisingly athletic and can board, defend, and even pass the ball around with ease.

11 - Last week I spoke about Charlotte being a bit unlucky. Equally snake-bitten is Idaho State, who lost 3 overtime games in a row in November (against Hawaii, Boise State, and LBSU). Following an upset win over Utah earlier in the week, ISU almost pulled of a shock upset over Wisconsin last night. This is a dangerous team once Big Sky play takes off.

12 - While Eric Maynor is a lock to win the CAA Player of the Year award, next year's winner might be Hofstra's Charles Jenkins. Following the graduation of Antoine Agudio, the sophomore has emerged as the Pride's go-to scorer and overall leader. He's averaging 22 points, 5 boards, and 5 assists a game, and is one of the most consistent contributors on a night to night basis. Hofstra's 7-1 start has to be considered a surprise.

13 - I thought tonight would be NJIT's big breakthrough, but the winless Highlanders lost to lowly St Peter's at home. I don't see a winnable game on their schedule for almost another month.

14 - One formerly winless team off the hook is Wright State. The Raiders beat Toledo 50-35 to end a 6-game skid. This was a team that was supposed to contend for the Horizon title, but who so far as been a major disappointment. Even in the win, they shot a brutal 1-19 from three.

15 - Every season, I put together a best names in college basketball list.. Creighton's Booker Woodfox is definitely making an appearance.

16 - It boggles my mind that I'm not winning CHN's pickem game yet. You should sign up if you get the chance. (Need to get a little CHN promotion in here each week..)

17 - BYU has played an extremely soft schedule, so you can't get overly excited about their 8-0 start. But the Cougars have been pummeling people all year, and I'm a believer in this team's Top 25 pedigree. They make their debut on the national scene next week when they face ranked Arizona State. Lee Cummard is legit.

18 - For his sake and the female involved, lets hope today's story about Eric Devendorf hitting a student in the face turns out to be false. If it is true, I hope the University takes a firm stance and doesn't relax the rules because he's a basketball player.

19 - Somehow #19 ended up being a copy of #1 in a faulty copy and paste move along the way.. so a day late, here's the new #19: I cried last night knowing that Billy Packer won't be covering any more Final Fours..

20 - Tomorrow night is awful for college basketball fans. Just 8 games, and the lone TV affair (St. Joe's at Villanova) shouldn't be terribly exciting. Saturday's action can't get here soon enough.

- Think I'm wrong? Let's hear it below:

GameNight: San Diego vs UNLV

Fairway Jay — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 11:03:15 -0800

Start: Nov 15 2008 - 5:30pm

Preview & Prediction: By Fairway Jay

Big story here is suspensions. San Diego stud center Gyno Pomare (14.1ppg, 7.4rpg) and point guard Trumaine Johnson (5.7ppg, 2.7apg) will be sorely missed and backup forward Clinton Houston (1.1ppg), who became a key backup by the end of last year (played 25 minutes v UCONN) is suspended as well. In addition, sophomore guard De'Jon Jackson (7.6ppg, 3.4rpg, 2.3apg) who we last saw burying a clutch shot to upset UCONN in the tournament will most likely miss this game with a knee injury.

Pomare's absence will be well documented, but Trumaine Johnson may be just as missed. Last year The Torreros really took off when Trumaine Johnson was made the full time point guard. USD will have two starters from last year in the lineup in Brandon Johnson (16.9ppg, 4.1rpg, 3.5apg) and Rob Jones (9.0ppg, 5.8rpg) but will start a former walk-on in sophomore guard Devin Ginty, and two newcomers in JUCO transfers Matt Dorr and Robert Mafra. This short handed USD team only beat Cal State Los Angeles in their exhibition game 71-67.

UNLV also struggled in their exhibition against Washburn (Topeka Kansas), but Lon Kruger is a long time friend of Washburn coach Bob Chipman. Kruger's team played sloppy in the exhibition actually turning the ball over 23 times, which is very uncharacteristic for a Kruger team. However, Kruger said the film would be a great teaching tool for his team.

USD will be thin up front with out Pomare, and UNLV now has more rebounding strength with some players that can play in the post after lacking big men inside last year. Beas Hamga is a touted 7-foot freshman that is raw but will be a strength on the defensive boards, while redshirt freshman Brice Massamba is another big body at 6-10, 255lbs that Kruger was able to add from the JC ranks. Top guard and All-Conference performer Wink Adams provides scoring (16.9ppg) and senior leadership while the Rebels turn over the point guard duties to freshman Oscar Bellfield from Los Angeles and Memphis transfer Trevon Willis, who will emerge while initially bringing spark off the bench.

With returning senior forwards Rene Rougeau and Joe Darger, the Rebels are the team to beat in the MWC this season. Anticipate UNLV to constantly cover senior guard Brandon Johnson with their relentless defensive pressure and for San Diego to have a rough time finding anyone else to score. Rebels roll to a big victory.

Winner: UNLV By: Pick'em - Close - 10+