San Diego St

Poll: Who is The Coach of the Year So Far?

Greg Mengelt — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:30:51 -0500

Coach of the Year Candidates: The College Basketball List

Greg Mengelt — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:19:13 -0500

Each week, CollegeHoops.net's Greg Mengelt presents a different College Basketball List. This week, Greg takes a look at the top candidates for Coach of the Year:

1. Steve Fisher, San Diego State: What Fisher done in San Diego is near miraculous, and until the Aztecs flounder down the stretch, he’s the clear National Coach of the Year. Most expect San Diego State to be NIT bound (at best) after losing Kwahi Leonard, D.J. Gay, Malcolm Thomas and Billy White and the 49 points and 24 rebounds per game that went with them. No one expected anything near last year's 34-3 record and run to the Sweet 16, yet, Fisher has the Aztecs at 18-2 overall and on top of the Mountain West again at 4-0.

2. Frank Haith, Missouri: Haith wasn’t the first choice of Missouri fans, but even the most strident skeptics can’t deny he’s had a great impact on the program. With only seven scholarship players available – and only two of them 6-8 or taller – Haith has the Tigers at 18-2 overall and 5-2 in the Big East and ranked second in the nation.

3. Steve Prohm, Murray State: Murray State was predicted to finish second in the Ohio Valley, but Prohm has led the Racers to only unbeaten mark in the nation through Jan. 26. And he’s done it after losing three starters from last year’s team. At 20-0, the first-year Murray State head coach has his team on the precipice of history.

4. Tom Crean, Indiana: Indiana was expected to make a huge leap forward after finishing last in the Big Ten in the past three years under Crean. But few expected the leap the Hoosiers have made. Under Crean’s direction, Indiana has knocked off No. 1 Kentucky and No. 2 Ohio State this season. The Hoosiers are ranked 17^th in the nation and, at 16-4 overall, are on the verge of making their first NCAA Tournament since 2008.

5. Fred Hoiberg, Iowa State: Of course, it helps that Royce White transferred from Minnesota, but the job The Mayor has done in his second season in Ames is undeniable. After a 16-16 mark in his first season, including 3-13 in the Big East, Hoiberg has the Cyclones at 14-6 overall and 4-3 in the Big 12. They have a great opportunity to make their first NCAA appearance since 2005.

6. Mick Cronin, Cincinnati: After home losses to Presbyterian and Marshall early in the season – then the brawl that got several Bearcats suspended – it looked like Cincinnati’s season was headed nowhere. Since the brawl, however, Cronin has guided Cincy to a 10-3 record and at 15-6 overall and 5-3 in the Big East, they’re back into the NCAA Tournament mix.

7. Ron Hunter, Georgia State: Hunter guided a fledgling IUPUI program to the NCAA Tournament in 2003. Now, he’s trying to do the same thing in Atlanta. The Panthers went 12-19 a year ago and the Panthers were predicted to finish ninth in the Colonial. Instead, Georgia State is 14-7 overall and 6-4 in the CAA under Hunter’s direction.

8. Bill Self, Kansas: Self probably won’t get the credit he deserves for merely keeping the Jayhawks on top of the Big 12 standings. But getting Kansas to the top of the league was a more difficult task than the last eight seasons. Despite returning on one starter and one valuable sub, the Jayhawks are ranked fifth in America at 17-3. At 7-0 in the conference, Kansas is vying for its ninth straight league crown under Self.

9. Tony Bennett, Virginia: Like Crean at Indiana, Bennett’s Cavaliers were expected to make a move in the right direction. And like the Hoosiers, Virginia has surpassed expectations. As of Jan. 26, the Cavs are 15-3 overall behind Bennett’s defensive philosophy. The 21^st-ranked Cavaliers have allowed 60-plus points just one time this season, and that was in a victory.

10. John Thompson III, Georgetown: The way the Hoyas finished the past two seasons with blowout losses in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, it was hard to know what to expect from Georgetown this season. With the losses of Austin Freeman, Chris Wright and Julian Vaughn, the Hoyas were expected to finish near the middle or back of the Big East pack. Instead, Thompson has No. 10 Georgetown at 16-3 overall and in second place in the conference at 6-2.

Others Worthy of Note: Larry Eustachy, Southern Miss; Bob Hoffman, Mercer; Steve Masiello, Manhattan; Scott Sutton, Oral Roberts; Tom Izzo, Michigan State; Gary Waters, Cleveland State; Dan Hurley, Wagner; Rick Majerus, Saint Louis; Derek Kellogg, UMass; Saul Phillips, North Dakota State; Kermit Davis, Middle Tennessee; David Carter, Nevada; Bruiser Flint, Drexel; Dan Monson, Long Beach State; Frank Martin, Kansas State; Kevin Willard, Seton Hall; Wayne Tinkle, Montana; Bryce Drew, Valparaiso; Mike Anderson, Arkansas.

Poll: Vote On Your Coach of the Year So Far

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other Notable Happenings

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quick Hitters

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

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

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

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

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

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

Three Notable Performances

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

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

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

#12 San Diego St at Wyoming: Prediction

Greg Mengelt — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:36:11 -0500

NO. 12 SAN DIEGO STATE (17-2, 3-0 MWC) AT WYOMING (16-3, 2-1 MWC)

Time/TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. local/The Mtn.

Location: University of Wyoming Arena-Auditorium

RPI Ratings

San Diego State 27 (No. 3 MWC)

Wyoming 85 (No. 5 MWC)

Line: Wyoming -1

San Diego State Players to Watch: G Chase Tapley, 6-2 Jr. (16.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.5 apg, 2.2 spg); G Xavier Thames, 6-3 So. (11.3 ppg, 5.1 apg, 3.3 rpg); G Jamaal Franklin, 6-5 So. (15.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.4 spg). With his 16-point performance in Saturday’s 57-44 win over Air Force, Tapley has scored in double figures 13 consecutive times and in 17 of 19 games this season.

Wyoming Players to Watch: C Adam Waddell, 6-10 Sr. (9.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 61.8% FG); F Leonard Washington, 6-7 Jr. (12.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 62.3% FG); G JayDee Luster, 5-9 Sr. (5.8 ppg, 3.6 apg, 45.5% 3s). Luster has 68 assists against only 20 turnovers and 19 games this season.

Storylines: It’s the third straight game for San Diego State that the Mountain West lead is on the line. The Aztecs are the only unbeaten MWC after beating the two other teams – UNLV and New Mexico – considered contenders in the league. Wyoming dropped its MWC opener at home to New Mexico before beating Air Force and Colorado State to stay within a game of the Aztecs.

Keys: This is the 70^th meeting between the Aztecs and Cowboys. Wyoming leads the all-time series 37-32, but SDSU has won the last three and six of the last 10.San Diego State has climbed to No. 12 in the most recent ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and to No. 13 in the AP poll, thanks to a 10-game winning streak. The Aztecs are 51-5 since the start of last season and 18-2 in their last 20 road games. Wyoming’s Leonard Washington is the reigning MWC Player of the Week. He had career-highs of 32 points and 14 rebounds in the Cowboys’ 70-51 win over Colorado State on Saturday. The Cowboys shot 42.1 percent from 3-point range in the win and are 13-0 when shooting a higher percentage from the 3-point line than their opponents. The Aztecs are shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 35.6 from the 3-point line, but scoring will be a challenge against the Cowboys. Wyoming leads the MWC in scoring defense at 53.1 points per game and is second (to New Mexico) in field goal defense. The Cowboys have allowed opponents to shoot 38.4 from the floor and a league-best 29.7 from behind 3-point line. If the game comes down to a free throw shooting contest, Wyoming has a huge advantage. Led by Larry Nance Jr.’s 91 percent and Luke Martinez’s 83 percent, the Cowboys shooting 76.1 percent from the stripe. The Aztecs are a MWC-worst 66.3 percent. San Diego State may have a slight advantage on the boards. It averages 38.4 rebounds per contest, while giving up just 33.4 per game. The Aztecs lead the league with 27.2 defensive rebounds per game. Wyoming gets 30.3 rebounds per night and is almost even with its opponents for the season (plus-12). Led by Luster, Wyoming turns the ball over just 11.7 times per game. The Cowboys also force 15.7 errors per game for a MWC-best plus-4 per game in the turnover category. Wyoming’s 64-53 2in over Air Force on Wednesday ended its 16-game losing streak in MWC road games. The Aztecs held Air Force to 1-of-18 from the 3-point line in Saturday’s victory. SDSU has surrendered just 32 percent from behind the 3-point arc this season, and 28.9 in three league games. SDSU has won 41 straight when holding its opponents under 60 points. The Cowboys are 11-1 in home games this season. After winning their first 10, they lost at home to New Mexico, 72-62 on Jan. 14. The Aztecs are 4-1 in true road games. Their only loss came in Waco against sixth-ranked Baylor on Nov. 15. They own impressive wins at Arizona (61-57 on Nov. 23), UC-Santa Barbara (76-75 in OT on Nov. 26) and at New Mexico (75-70 on Wednesday).

The Bottom Line: Laramie is a tough place to play and – with its defense and high-percentage shooting – is a tough matchup for the Aztecs. However, after wins over UNLV and at New Mexico, it’s hard to doubt San Diego State’s ability to win tough games.

The Pick: San Diego State 64, Wyoming 62

Wyoming vs. #12 San Diego State: Tuesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:41:42 -0500

It's been a while since there's been the ability to say "Wyoming" and "NCAA Tournament" in the same sentence, but in the first season of Larry Shyatt's second run in Laramie the Cowboys (16-3, 2-1) have turned some heads. With first-place #12 San Diego State (17-2, 3-0) visiting, not only can the Pokes pull into a tie atop the Mountain West with a win but they can also lend the NCAA talk a little credibility with a win. Despite their gaudy record Wyoming has that albatross of a strength of schedule (268 overall, 328 non-conference per the most recent NCAA "nitty gritty" sheet) to deal with, a number that could prove costly without some marquee wins within league play.

Wyoming has four players averaging at least 9.7 points per game but their most important player could very well be Jaydee Luster, a point guard averaging just 5.8 points but leading the team with 3.6 assists per contest. Luster's improved as a floor general for the Cowboys, which has led to good things for his teammates, one of which being forward Leonard Washington (12.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg). The USC transfer was too much for Colorado State on Saturday as we punished the Rams with 32 points and 14 rebounds. Joining him in the front court is senior Adam Waddell (9.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg) and reserve Larry Nance Jr. (3.8 rpg, 3.5 ppg), but the Cowboys essentially break even on the glass.

That's not going to get it done against San Diego State, who still causes problems on the offensive glass despite losing their three best rebounders from a season ago. As a team the Aztecs corral 32.9% of their missed shots and out-rebound opponents by five rebounds per game, and big men Deshawn Stephens, Garrett Green and Tum Shelton lead the way on the offensive glass. The SDSU guards are also good rebounders, with Jamaal Franklin (15.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg) leading the team in rebounding while Xavier Thames (11.3 ppg, 5.1 apg, 3.3 rpg) and Chase Tapley (16.6. ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.5 apg) do their part as well.

The challenge for the Wyoming guards, which in addition to Luster features Paco Cruz (12.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg) and Luke Martinez (13.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg), will be to keep the SDSU guards out of the lane. Percentage-wise the Aztecs are a better three-point shooting team than Wyoming but they're also less reliant on the shot for points, scoring 56% of their points on two-point shots. If this one is close late free throw shooting could come into play and the Cowboys are one of the best in the country there, making 76.7% of their foul shots, so keep an eye on that area in addition to the rebounding numbers. Wyoming's schedule may lead some to underestimate the program's growth, but they've got a great opportunity to show just how far they've come tonight.

Tuesday's action also features a few teams looking to bounce back from disappointing weekend results, most notably Baylor (who visits Oklahoma) and both teams in the Michigan/Purdue matchup. The Bears were outworked on the glass by both Kansas and Missouri last week, and while the Sooners may not be as strong as either of those teams they've got some guys who can hurt you (Steven Pledger being one). Baylor simply has to rebound, and that doesn't mean just jump for the ball. Proper fundamentals, zone defense or not, such as boxing out need to be utilized if the Bears are to take full advantage of their height.

Michigan and Purdue fell on the road on Saturday, with the Wolverines losing at Arkansas while the Boilermakers were whipped by Michigan State. Michigan's issue was that they were cold early while the Razorbacks were red-hot, while Purdue's travel issues weren't as big a deal as the Spartans shooting 62% in the second half. USF, off to a surprising 5-2 start in the Big East, will see the schedule get tougher beginning with a trip to Milwaukee to take on #18 Marquette.

Freshman point guard Anthony Collins has been solid for the Bulls, who have had multiple guys step up and make plays, but they'll have their hands full with Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder. Also keep an eye on Tennessee's trip to Nashville to play Vanderbilt and Iowa State taking on Texas in Austin, as those both are games that will have an impact on the midsection of the SEC and Big 12 standings respectively.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM (1) Kentucky at Georgia (ESPN)
8:00 PM (7) Baylor at Oklahoma (ESPN3)
8:30 PM (12) San Diego State at Wyoming (The Mtn.)
8:00 PM South Florida at (18) Marquette (ESPN3)
7:00 PM (22) Michigan at Purdue (ESPN)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM UMBC at Boston University
7:00 PM Tennessee at Vanderbilt (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Akron at Ball State (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Eastern Michigan at Buffalo
7:00 PM South Carolina State at Hampton
7:00 PM Morehead State at Norfolk State
7:05 PM Longwood at Florida Gulf Coast
8:00 PM Western Illinois at Nebraska Omaha
8:05 PM Bradley at Southern Illinois
8:05 PM Texas-Arlington at Houston Baptist
9:00 PM Miami (FL) at Georgia Tech (ESPNU)
9:00 PM Iowa State at Texas (LHN)
10:00 PM Seattle at UC Irvine

Wednesday Recap: Kilpatrick Lifts Cincinnati Past UConn

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:31:06 -0500

Following Shabazz Napier's game-tying three-pointer most coaches would choose to call a timeout to draw up a play, risking the chance of the defense aligning and taking away the primary scoring option. But with the man he wanted to take the final shot already in possession of the basketball, Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin decided against calling a timeout and as a result his Bearcats are now 5-1 in the Big East. Sean Kilpatrick, who led five Cincinnati players in double figures with 16 points, knocked down a three with 2.7 seconds remaining to give the Bearcats the 70-67 victory.

"I was watching just to make sure he or Dion [Dixon] had the ball," said Cronin of their final offensive sequence. "It's to the point with both of those guys with their ability to score off the dribble, and make shots. If he would have hesitated, I would have called a timeout."

Napier led all scorers with 27 points and Jeremy Lamb added 14 to go along with eight rebounds and five assists despite Jim Calhoun not thinking much of his performance, but UConn was done in by the fact that they didn't receive much from their frontcourt despite playing a team that's made its living of late by playing small. Starting forwards Andre Drummond and Alex Oriakhi combined for just six points and twelve rebounds, while reserves Roscoe Smith and Tyler Olander added a combined eight points and seven rebounds off the bench. UConn grabbed 44% of their missed shots but due to the lack of production inside the Huskies were unable to take advantage of the edge they had on paper entering the contest.

"When you start the game with a 6-10, 280 pound guy, and another guy 6-9, 245 pounds, and they can't rebound, or you can't throw them the ball, or they're getting backed down into the post, you've got a problem," said Calhoun of his starting big men. "That was our game plan. And that didn't work out very well for us."

Cincinnati's undergone quite the transformation in winning ten of eleven games since the blowout loss and brawl at Xavier, and not just in regards to their style of play. While guards such as Kilpatrick, Dixon and Cashmere Wright have more leeway to make plays offensively, the Bearcats are a more unified team as well. Yancy Gates (13 points, 12 rebounds) has accepted his new role and has been productive in it, and that's one more reason why Cincinnati is currently the answer to the trendy "who's the second-best team in the Big East" question.

Of course with games against West Virginia and Syracuse next on the schedule the Bearcats stand the chance of losing, but that shouldn't nullify the potential shown at Gampel Pavilion. Cincinnati believes is Coach Cronin's plan, and just as importantly they believe in each other. And that's an attitude that wasn't always on display on the court, making the Bearcats all the more dangerous throughout the remainder of the regular season and even into the postseason.

"Coming into Gampel and getting a win is huge. Obviously, they have a great team and arguably the best coach in college basketball," said Cronin. "It's a big win for us but you've got to win these kinds of games if you're going to compete for the Big East championship."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Indiana takes their foot off the gas and ends up losing their third straight game.
With 7:06 remaining Tom Crean's Hoosiers led Nebraska 60-49 and looked to be well on their way to leaving Lincoln with a win to snap their two-game losing streak. But Indiana played the game as if it were over from that point forward, and they paid dearly as Nebraska scored 21 of the game's final 30 points to win 70-69. Jorge Brian Diaz's two free throws with 11 seconds remaining gave Nebraska their first lead of the game at just the right time, completing a rally that happened despite shooting just 34.4% from the field in the second half. Nebraska scored 16 points off of 15 Indiana turnovers while also limiting the Hoosiers to just two second-chance points on the night.

And the Huskers also did a good job of keeping Christian Watford (eight points, ten rebounds) and Victor Oladipo (five points, four assists) quiet. Watford's play is one example of what's plagued the Hoosiers during this current stretch, as they haven't played consistently at the level that made wins over Kentucky and Ohio State possible. That's the next step Indiana needs to take in their climb back, and they've found out the last three games that the return to prominence is just as much about the "routine" victories as it is the headline-grabbing results.

2. San Diego State remains composed and ends up winning at New Mexico as a result.
Down 10-0 in one of the nation's toughest environments would be a convenient reason for many teams to simply lie down and take their beating. That wasn't the case for Steve Fisher's Aztecs, who got back into the game by going on a 12-2 run and eventually beat New Mexico 75-70 in front of a stunned crowd at The Pit. Xavier Thames led the way with 22 points and four assists for SDSU, who is tied for first place in the Mountain West with Colorado State as a result of the win, and the limited the Lobos to 39.1% shooting on the night. How'd SDSU do it defensively? They kept New Mexico off the foul line (3-7 FT), and while scoring 55.7% of your points from beyond the arc would be good for most teams that wasn't necessarily the case for the home team.

Phillip McDonald scored 20 points (6-9 3PT), Kendall Williams 16 and Drew Gordon 15 to lead New Mexico, but their inability to get inside of the three-point line resulted many times in them having to fire away from deep. And while they entered the game having scored 32% of their points from deep, New Mexico also scored 22% of their points from the foul line. San Diego State was the team that stayed with their game plan and as a result they're the ones who remained atop the Mountain West at the end of the night.

3. Creighton and Wichita State both win, giving the MVC race even more clarity.
Entering Wednesday's action the Bluejays and Shockers were tied atop the Missouri Valley standings with 6-1 records, holding a two-game lead on Missouri State and Drake. Thanks to wins by both (Creighton over Missouri State and Wichita State over Northern Iowa) there's even more clarity with regards to the MVC race, with Drake being the lone team within two games of first place. In Wichita State's 71-68 win at UNI Toure Murry scored a game-high 24 points and Garrett Stutz once again came up big on the road with 17 and nine rebounds (Stutz entered the game averaging 16.4 points and 9.0 rebounds in five road games). Another reason why the Shockers won was the foul line, where they made 20 of 24 attempts.

As for Creighton life on the road was difficult but just like Wichita State it was rewarding as well, as two Missouri State misses in the final ten seconds locked up the 66-65 victory. Gregory Echenique bounced back from a poor performance in the first meeting to score 16 points and grab seven rebounds while Doug McDermott added 15 and six, and Grant Gibbs and Antoine Young scored nine points apiece. Creighton turned the ball over 14 times to just three for Missouri State, but the Bluejays made up for that by limiting the Bears to 39.1% shooting. Kyle Weems finished with 13 points and seven rebounds, making just five of sixteen shots against a team he lit up for 31 and seven in the first meeting. To ensure multiple NCAA bids come March the Valley likely needs a team or two to separate from the pack, and that's a step both Creighton and Wichita State have taken.

Quick Hitters

1. While their win over Duquesne on Saturday was a sign that Xavier was regaining their flow, the Musketeers likely needed to do that against an Atlantic 10 contender to show the rest of the league they remained the top dog. It's safe to say that Chris Mack's team did so in a 68-55 win over Saint Joseph's, limiting the Hawks to 16 second-half points. Tu Holloway scored just six points but dished out 12 assists and Mark Lyons led four Musketeers in double figures with 17 points.

2. Despite 16 turnovers Villanova picked up their second Big East victory as they beat Seton Hall 84-76 at The Pavilion. The Wildcats were a plus-9 (45-36) on the boards and JayVaughn Pinkston put together the best game of his young career with 23 points and 11 rebounds. If Jay Wright's team is to make a run towards the middle of the Big East they need another consistent option to go along with Maalik Wayns (25 points, seven assists).

3. Zach Filzen led four players in double figures with 21 points as Buffalo handed Akron their first MAC loss by the final score of 82-70. Buffalo assisted on 23 of their 29 field goals and the Zips turned the ball over 18 times in defeat. The Bulls' win pulls Akron (3-1) closer to the pack, with the five teams below them in the MAC East all with 2-2 league records.

4. UCF made history and to a certain extent the Knights have the official who felt that NBA-style continuation was a part of college basketball to thank for it. Keith Clanton's three-point play gave UCF the 68-67 win over Memphis, their first-ever win over the Tigers. Clanton scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Marcus Jordan added 20, while Will Barton led Memphis with 24 and eight boards.

5. Scott Christopherson's banked-in three as time expired gave Iowa State a 71-68 win over Oklahoma State in a game the Cyclones trailed by three with 15 seconds remaining. In addition to Christopherson, Royce White and Tyrus McGee scored 17 points apiece as Fred Hoiberg's team stayed on track for an NCAA Tournament appearance.

6. California announced on Wednesday afternoon that sophomore forward Richard Solomon would be academically ineligible for the remainder of the season. Solomon averaged 6.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game for the Golden Bears, who visit the Washington schools this weekend and are tied atop the Pac-12 standings with Stanford. David Kravish stands to see an increase in minutes as a result, and the Bears also need to hope that starting forward Harper Kamp remains healthy.

7. Murray State had their hands full with bitter rival Morehead State for much of the night but Isaiah Canaan and company did enough to win 66-60 and move to 19-0 on the season. Canaan and Donte Poole combined to score 35 points for the Racers, who moved to 7-0 in the OVC and remain a game ahead of Southeast Missouri State in the loss column. Those two meet for the first time this season on February 2nd in Murray.

8. After playing to a 30-30 tie at the half the difference between West Virginia and Marshall was more than apparent in the second half as the Mountaineers pulled away to win 78-62. Kevin Jones (25 points, seven rebounds) and Truck Bryant (22 points) led the way for WVU, who avenged last season's loss to the Thundering Herd. WVU made 17 of 22 free throws while Marshall finished the night 3-for-6.

9. Also in the Atlantic 10, Temple made up for 15 turnovers by shooting 51.9% from the field in their 75-70 win over La Salle. Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson led the way with 19 points and seven rebounds, taking advantage of the Owls' size advantage inside against the smaller Explorers.

Three Notable Performances

1. G/F Colt Ryan (Evansville)
39 points (8-14 3PT), nine rebounds and three assists in the Purple Aces' 90-67 win over Bradley.

2. G Rodney McGruder (Kansas State)
33 points (11-16 FG) and eight rebounds in the Wildcats' 84-80 win over Texas.

3. G Anthony Marshall (UNLV)
27 points, nine assists, five rebounds and three blocks in the Runnin' Rebels' 101-78 win over TCU.

New Mexico vs. #16 San Diego State: Wednesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:28:47 -0500

It looks as if the schedule-makers in the Mountain West wanted to spark some serious national conversation about the conference from the beginning of league play because the first full week of play will feature all three expected contenders facing each other. Wednesday's slate features #16 San Diego State (15-2, 1-0), fresh off of their two-point win over UNLV, visiting The Pit to take on a New Mexico (15-2, 1-0) squad that's quietly won thirteen in a row. The Lobos, preseason favorites to win the Mountain West, feature one of the best power forwards in senior Drew Gordon (12.4 ppg, 10.5 rpg) while guards Tony Snell (13.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg) and Kendall Williams (11.7 ppg, 4.4 apg, 3.6 rpg) have also played well during their current run.

Before scoring eight points in the Lobos' win at Wyoming on Saturday, Gordon reached double figures in eight straight games to rebound from an inconsistent start to the season. A key for SDSU will be to keep him off the offensive glass, something they've done a good job of this season as opponents rebound just 26.9% of their missed shots. If anything offensive rebounding will be a critical factor in the outcome as New Mexico grabs 36.4% of their misses and SDSU is a solid offensive rebounding team as well (33.4% OR percentage). The Aztecs don't have the marquee bodies in the frontcourt that they had last season but Steve Fisher's guys still attack the boards, and one of their best offensive rebounders is also an important scorer on the perimeter.

Jamaal Franklin (15.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg) grabs 1.6 offensive rebounds per game, a number that's third on the team to Deshawn Stephens (2.1) and Garrett Green (2.0). Franklin knocked down the game-winner on Saturday and scored 24 points while also grabbing ten rebounds, with the boards marking the third time in the last four games in which he's finished with ten caroms. If anything the Aztecs have plenty of depth on the perimeter as Chase Tapley (16.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg), Xavier Thames (11.0 ppg, 5.4 apg) and James Rahon (10.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg) all have the ability to hurt teams offensively. Rahon scored 22 points in the win over UNLV and seemed to have an answer for just about every UNLV charge.

Williams is one of the guards that Steve Alford will rely upon tonight, and he should be a solid bet to perform well coming off of back-to-back double-figure scoring performances for the first time since the final two games of the 76 Classic in late November. The one issue for Williams has been the drop in his percentages from last season, as his three-point percentage is down about ten points and the field goal percentage down six. But in the last three games Williams has made seven of eleven from distance, and the hope for UNM fans is that he'll continue on that path.

As for Snell (13.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg) he's been New Mexico's most consistent performer this season, increasing his scoring by nine points from last season and his percentages have made a signficant jump as well. Hugh Greenwood has missed the last two games with a sprained ankle, which has meant more time for Williams at the points and more minutes for Jamal Fenton (7.4 ppg, 2.6 apg) off the bench. Williams turned the ball over five times on Saturday but as a team the Lobos finished with 15 turnovers (they average 14 per game), so there wasn't a huge shift in that regard.

In addition to the rebounding three-point shooting is an area to keep an eye on with the Lobos scoring 30% of their points from beyond the arc. As a team New Mexico shoots 40.2% from deep, and while SDSU isn't a bad shooting team (35.2% 3PT) they rely more on getting to the basket. The Pit is one of the toughest environments in college basketball for a road team, and the Aztecs needed some big plays from D.J. Gay to win last year's meeting. He's no longer on Montezuma Mesa, meaning that a Franklin, Rahon or Tapley (Thames too) would likely have to be the guy. But as we've seen thus far, they're more than capable of doing so.

The Missouri Valley has a pair of marquee matchups on the slate with Creighton visiting Missouri State and Northern Iowa hosting Wichita State. Kyle Weems and the Bears handed Creighton its only league loss in Omaha earlier this month, and a sweep of the season series would go a long way in terms of bolstering a resume that's taken some hits as they've lost three of their last four.

As for UNI they sit at 3-4 in MVC play and their inconsistent offensive production is a big reason why. Do the Panthers have an answer for Garrett Stutz inside? He's raised his scoring nearly five points from last season and is grabbing nearly four more rebounds per game as well. WSU is 5-0 in road games this season and Stutz is averaging 16.4 points and 9.0 rebounds in those contests.

There's also a battle of Big Five teams as La Salle visits Temple and the perimeter matchups should be fun to watch. Dr. John Giannini's team has played both more consistently and unselfishly this season than last and guards Tyreek Duren and Ramon Galloway are two reasons why. Temple will counter with Ramone Moore, Khalif Wyatt and Juan Fernandez, but a player like Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson could factor into the outcome as the Explorers aren't the biggest team inside.

Also in the Atlantic 10 Saint Joseph's visits Xavier and UMass visits Duquesne in what should be two entertaining matchups. Cincinnati visits Connecticut in need of another resume-building win; keep in mind they've got that home loss to Presbyterian to account for and with the Huskies unlikely to have Ryan Boatright again the Bearcats will have an even better chance of winning. And keep an eye on two games involving Conference USA teams, with Memphis visiting UCF and Marshall stepping outside of the league to play West Virginia. Marquee games? Probably not, but there's more than enough to keep your attention tonight.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM (10) Murray State at Morehead State (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Cincinnati at (11) Connecticut
7:00 PM (13) Indiana at Nebraska (BTN)
9:00 PM (15) Mississippi State at Ole Miss (ESPN3)
10:00 PM (16) San Diego State at New Mexico (CBS SN)
8:05 PM (18) Creighton at Missouri State
10:30 PM TCU at (20) UNLV(The Mtn.)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Richmond at George Washington
7:00 PM St. John's at USF (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Georgia State at Northeastern
7:00 PM Old Dominion at Towson
7:00 PM Bowling Green at Miami (OH)
7:00 PM Kent State at Ohio (ESPN3)
7:00 PM La Salle at Temple
7:00 PM Seton Hall at Villanova (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Colgate at Army
7:00 PM James Madison at UNC Wilmington
7:00 PM Akron at Buffalo
7:00 PM Ball State at Central Michigan
7:00 PM Massachusetts at Duquesne
7:00 PM Western Michigan at Eastern Michigan
7:00 PM Rhode Island at Fordham
7:00 PM Delaware at George Mason (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Drexel at Hofstra
7:00 PM Bucknell at Lehigh
7:00 PM Clemson at Miami (FL) (ESPN3)
7:00 PM American at Navy
7:00 PM Northern Illinois at Toledo
7:00 PM Saint Joseph's at Xavier
7:30 PM Marshall at West Virginia (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Kennesaw State at Charlotte
8:00 PM Tennessee at Georgia (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Tulane at Tulsa
8:00 PM UAB at Rice
8:00 PM Texas-Arlington at Texas A&M-CC
8:00 PM Wyoming at Air Force (The Mtn.)
8:00 PM Nicholls State at Central Arkansas
8:00 PM Memphis at UCF
8:00 PM Indiana State at Illinois State (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Southeastern Louisiana at McNeese State
8:00 PM Wichita State at Northern Iowa (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Texas State at Sam Houston State
8:00 PM Houston at SMU
8:00 PM Northwestern State at UTSA
8:05 PM Drake at Southern Illinois
8:05 PM Bradley at Evansville
9:00 PM Oklahoma State at Iowa State
9:00 PM Northwestern at Wisconsin (BTN)
9:00 PM Texas at Kansas State
9:00 PM East Carolina at UTEP
10:00 PM Cal State San Marcos at Fresno State
10:05 PM UC Riverside at Cal State Fullerton

Saturday Recap: Northwestern, Florida State Pick Up Important Wins

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:06:41 -0500

There weren't many opportunities to watch ranked teams play each other (there was just one, which is discussed below), but Saturday's slate provided many teams the chance to improve their resumes. Florida State and Northwestern took full advantage of their opportunities as they both knocked off Top 10 opponents at home, albeit in different ways.

While #6 Michigan State put up a fight in losing to Northwestern 81-74 in Evanston, #3 North Carolina offered no such challenge for Florida State in Tallahassee. Deividas Dulkys, who entered the game averaging 6.2 points per game, went off to the tune of 32 points (8-10 3PT) in the 90-57 beating.

Roy Williams' team went into the locker room at the half down just eight points at 36-28, but the Tar Heels didn't look like a team that wanted to fight back in the second half. Entering the game Florida State was the worst team in the ACC when it came to taking care of the basketball, but it was North Carolina that turned the ball over 22 times on Saturday with Kendall Marshall tallying seven.

FSU did turn the ball over 17 times but six of those belonged to Luke Loucks, and all six came in the first half. Leonard Hamilton's team didn't shoot better in the second half (47.1% to 50.0% in the first), but they took better care of the basketball (six turnovers). And combining that with their defense (33.3% FG allowed) meant bad things for the visitors from Chapel Hill.

"I think it was a team effort just defending their system," said Hamilton when asked of how they limited Tyler Zeller (14 points, 14 rebounds) and John Henson (ten points, three rebounds). "You just try to limit the clean looks they get and make them work for whatever they get."

As for Northwestern, they received help from the supporting cast and that was a big reason why the Wildcats were able to beat Michigan State. John Shurna (22 points) and Drew Crawford (20 points) did what they normally do, but Davide Curletti and Reggie Hearn (10 points) also reached double figures. As a team the Wildcats shot 50.0% from the field and assisted on 20 of 26 made field goals with just seven turnovers.

Bill Carmody's team also played well defensively in the second half, limiting Michigan State to 34.4% shooting overall and 7-for-21 on two-point shots. Michigan State scored 37 points in both halves, but the drop in their accuracy on two-point shots (61.5%) and efficiency helped Northwestern take control of the game and eventually push their lead out to 12 (69-57) with 6:45 remaining.

Keith Appling scored 17 points and Draymond Green 14, but they were the only two Spartans to reach double figures. Both Northwestern and Florida State were "out of character" in their victories on Saturday, with the Seminoles taking better care of the basketball and the Wildcats getting scoring from guys other than their two primary options. But the wins aren't going to mean much if they can't build on the outcomes and continue to improve.

"In order for this game to be meaningful we need to continue to stacking on these types of games," remarked Hamilton. Can't say it any better than that.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Jamaal Franklin's runner in the final seconds pushes #22 San Diego State past #12 UNLV.
The lone contest on the schedule matching ranked teams was also the Mountain West opener for both the Aztecs and Runnin' Rebels, and they gave the fans either at Viejas Arena or watching on TV a treat. Jamaal Franklin, who had to leave the game with 1:01 remaining after injuring his ankle, returned to the floor 30 seconds later and provided the winning points for San Diego State.

Franklin's driving bucket with three-tenths of a second remaining was the difference in the Aztecs' 69-67 win over UNLV, who remained within striking distance thanks in large part to their work on the offensive glass. UNLV grabbed 19 offensive rebounds, leading to ten second-chance points.

Franklin was outstanding despite some early issues with rushed shots, finishing with 24 points and ten rebounds. But he wasn't the only key contributor for Steve Fisher's team, as James Rahon scored 22 points and Chase Tapley 11. Anthony Marshall led UNLV with 26 points, but he was the Runnin' Rebels' lone double figure scorer as SDSU did a solid job of defending the likes of Chace Stanback (3-9 FG, seven points) and Mike Moser (3-11 FG, nine points, 11 rebounds).

UNLV entered the game averaging more than 18 assists per game but they finished with just nine, and the foul line didn't help matters either. UNLV made 11 of 21 from the charity stripe while SDSU knocked down 16 of 20, and leaving points at the foul line is one of the easiest ways to lose a close contest. With New Mexico getting their shot at both teams next week (SDSU in Albuquerque on Wednesday, at UNLV on Saturday) there isn't much time to rest on this outcome, but at the very least San Diego State held serve at home.

2. Oregon hangs on the beat Arizona, pulling off the road sweep of the Arizona schools for the first time in 34 years.
Dana Altman's team entered Saturday's game in Tucson needing a win to remain a game out of first place in the loss column, but to say the least history was not on their side as they hadn't beaten both Arizona and Arizona State on the road in the same season in 34 years. But thanks to a balanced offensive effort (four players scored either 12 or 13 points) the Ducks made program history in winning 59-57 despite blowing a 17-point lead. The Wildcats had two chances in the waning moments to either tie or win the game but couldn't make either shot, and quiet afternoons from Jesse Perry (2-4 FG, eight points) and Kyle Fogg (1-9 FG, five points) didn't help matters either.

Arizona's had trouble with bigger teams this season, and that was no different with the Ducks having Tony Woods and Olu Ashaolu to pester Perry inside. Does Oregon have enough to contend for the Pac-12 crown? The addition of guard Devoe Joseph is one reason why, and E.J. Singler has played well for much of the season. In a wide-open league the teams that can pull off road sweeps will likely have the best chance of winning the title. This is a big weekend for Oregon from a historical standpoint, but how big it is this season depends on whether or not they can build on the positive momentum.

3. Kentucky makes the plays they needed to make late to win at Tennessee.
Cuonzo Martin welcomed freshman Jarnell Stokes (nine points, four rebounds) into the fold on Saturday, and while he still has a way to go with regards to both conditioning and understanding the system there's no denying Stokes' talent. In spite of a fired up crowd at Thompson-Boling Arena and a team that refused to lie down, Kentucky found a way to leave Knoxville with a win thanks in large part to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. It's become obvious that the freshman is Kentucky's leader and he once again made the "winning plays" needed to close teams out, finishing with 17 points, 12 rebounds and three steals in the 65-62 win.

Anthony Davis added 18 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots and Terrence Jones ten points as Kentucky won their second conference road game of the season. That matches their total from all of last season, which should be a good sign for John Calipari's young team. Cameron Tatum led Tennessee with 16 points and Jeronne Maymon added 15 and ten rebounds, but the Volunteers couldn't overcome Kentucky's seven-point edge (21-14) at the foul line. Tennessee gave Kentucky everything they wanted and will get better as the season wears on, but a team with a glue guy the caliber of Kidd-Gilchrist is tough to beat.

4. Weber State makes quite the statement in whipping Montana to take sole possession of first place in the Big Sky.
The second-biggest game of the day out west took place in the Big Sky, with Montana and Weber State being the lone remaining undefeated teams in the conference. But with the return of two key cogs in the attack, Randy Rahe's Wildcats made a statement in their 80-64 win over the Grizzlies in Ogden. Damian Lillard (21 points) and Scott Bamforth (15 points) are names known by most college basketball fans, but what about Frank Otis and Gelaun Wheelwright? Otis, who like Kyle Bullinger missed multiple games due to injury, sparked a Weber State run from the eight-minute mark of the first half that resulted in a 49-36 halftime lead.

Both he and Wheelwright finished with seven points and Kyle Tresnak scored 12 as the Wildcats proved to be too much for Montana on both ends of the floor. Montana shot just 35.7% in the first half and 38.5% for the game as their six-game win streak came to an end. There's a lot of basketball to be played before Wayne Tinkle's team gets another shot at Weber State (the regular season finale for both on February 28th), but Weber State's performance on Saturday night clearly makes them the team to beat.

5. Oklahoma picks up a much-needed win, knocking off #18 Kansas State in Norman.
There aren't many teams that are going to beat Missouri and Kansas period, much less in back-to-back games, so there wasn't much shame in falling to those teams as Lon Kruger's Sooners did to start Big 12 play. But to lose at Oklahoma State on Monday night to fall to 0-3 made Saturday's game against #18 Kansas State even more important, and the Sooners rose to the challenge as they won 82-73 in Norman. Andrew Fitzgerald scored 21 points and Steven Pledger and Romero Osby scored 18 apiece for Oklahoma, who shot 70.0% from the field in the second half to maintain the nine-point spread they built in the first half.

Kansas State shot just 33.3% from the field in the first half and trailed 38-29 at the break, and a big problem for them was the lack of productivity from their starters other than Rodney McGruder (19 points, ten rebounds) and Will Spradling (11 points). The other three starters combined to score just ten points with nine coming from Jamar Samuels, and while Nino Williams and Jeremy Jones scored 12 apiece off the bench it wasn't enough as the Wildcats were unable to get stops in the second half. Whether or not the Sooners can make a run at a tournament bid remains to be seen and it will be tough since the Big 12 is now a true round-robin, but at the least they needed a win Saturday and they got one.

Quick Hitters

1. While neither team won on Saturday, both Pittsburgh and Villanova played far better than they did on Wednesday in losses to Rutgers and Syracuse respectively. The Panthers fell at #24 Marquette 62-57, but the move to put Isaiah Epps in the starting lineup at the point served as a boost for Ashton Gibbs (29 points). As for Villanova, Maalik Wayns (39 points, 13 rebounds, six assists) was outstanding but it wasn't enough in an 82-78 loss at Cincinnati. Whether or not these two can play their way into NCAA Tournament consideration remains to be seen, but at the least they've shown signs of life. That wasn't the case on Wednesday.

2. There may not have been a more impressive bounce-back from a bad outing earlier in the week than what Iowa was able to do, as they beat #13 Michigan 75-59 in Iowa City following a 95-61 loss at Michigan State on Wednesday. Matt Gatens led four Hawkeyes in double figures with 19 points and Fran McCaffery's team assisted on 18 of their 25 made baskets. It also didn't hurt to have Michigan shoot 8-for-31 from beyond the arc.

3. Good luck attempting to handicap the Atlantic 10 race, but unlike the Pac-12 that action would be to sift through quality options as opposed to detritus. Xavier looks to be back to their normal selves as they beat St. Bonaventure 77-64 at home, and Saint Louis was finally able to win a close game as they won 68-67 at Charlotte. But Temple and Saint Joseph's weren't as fortunate, falling to Richmond (76-65) and a surprising UMass (71-62) respectively. This is going to be a fun race to watch unfold.

4. Another non-BCS race to keep an eye on is the NEC, which currently has one undefeated team (LIU Brooklyn at 6-0), three teams at 5-1 (CCSU, St. Francis (NY) and Wagner) and Robert Morris sits a game behind those teams at 4-2. Dan Hurley's Seahawks beat CCSU 67-58 at home despite 21 turnovers, moving their win streak to seven games (Wagner hadn't done that since the 1979-80 season) thanks in large part to their defense (19 TOs forced, 38.8% FG allowed). Jonathon Williams led Wagner with 18 points while CCSU was paced by Robby Ptacek, who finished with 26.

5. The three remaining undefeated teams (Baylor, Murray State and Syracuse) all won on Saturday afternoon, with the Bears and Orange both blowing out overmatched opponents (Baylor beat Oklahoma State 106-65 while Syracuse beat Providence (without the suspended Vincent Council) 78-55). Murray State dealt with a stiffer challenge, beating Tennessee Tech 82-74 thanks in large part to a combined 52 points from guards Donte Poole (28) and Isaiah Canaan (24). With Ivan Aska out for the next month or so while his broken hand heals, the Racers are going to need more from their frontcourt to remain atop the OVC.

6. Zeke Marshall (17 points, six rebounds) became the 8th player in MAC history to block at least 200 shots in a career, but the biggest reason for Akron's 68-63 win over Ohio was the production of their bench. Nick Harney and Brett McClanahan scored 10 points apiece and the Zips' reserves outscored Ohio's 31-18. Keith Dambrot's team moved to 3-0 in league play and there's little doubt that Akron has the tools needed to return to the NCAA Tournament.

7. Arnett Moultrie won the individual matchup between he and JaMychal Green, scoring 25 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, and as a result #20 Mississippi State beat Alabama 53-50 in Starkville. Dee Bost added 17, and it should be seen as a good sign for Rick Stansbury's team that they found a way to win with starters Rodney Hood and Jalen Steele combining to shoot 0-for-11 from the field.

8. Despite Shabazz Napier's foot still bothering him and guard Ryan Boatright being held out due to eligibility concerns, #16 Connecticut ended Notre Dame's 29-game home win streak with a 67-53 win. Napier scored a team-high 16 points, Alex Oriakhi had arguably his best game of the season (12 points, seven rebounds) and Andre Drummond posted another double-double (10 points, 13 rebounds) to make up for Jeremy Lamb scoring just six points. Eric Atkins scored 20 but Notre Dame made just 32.3% of their shots on the day.

9. Early pick for Ivy League Player of the Year? Has to be Penn guard Zack Rosen, who scored 18 points and dished out five assists (five steals as well) in the Quakers' 64-52 win at Cornell. Penn's off to a 2-0 start in conference play, and while there's quite the gulf between Harvard and the rest of the league Rosen and Tyler Bernardini (18 points, eight rebounds) are two reasons why Jerome Allen's team may be their biggest threat.

10. Bob McKillop's Davidson squad took control of the South Division of the SoCon with their 83-79 win at Appalachian State, moving to 6-0 in league play. Jake Cohen scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds and De'Mon Brooks scored seven straight during a 10-0 run to move the Wildcats to 12-4 overall. And with Georgia Southern losing at Wofford, Davidson is two games up on the second place Eagles.

Five Notable Performances

1. G Maalik Wayns (Villanova)
39 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in the Wildcats' 82-78 loss at Cincinnati.

2. G Deividas Dulkys (Florida State)
32 points (8-10 3PT) and four assists in the Seminoles' 90-57 pasting of #3 North Carolina.

3. C Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State) and F Dewayne Jackson (Morgan State)
In Norfolk State's 90-89 double overtime win O'Quinn posted a line of 25 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks while Jackson led the Bears with 33 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.

4. G J'Covan Brown (Texas)
34 points (10-16 FG), four rebounds and two assists in the Longhorns' 84-73 loss at #9 Missouri.

5. F T.J. Robinson (Long Beach State)
14 points and 19 rebounds in the 49ers' 76-66 win over Pacific, Long Beach State's 17th straight win at home.

#22 San Diego State vs. #12 UNLV: Saturday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:25:01 -0500

The Mountain West, similar to the Ivy League and Great West, had to start conference play later than other conferences due to the fact that they've got just eight members. Saturday marks the beginning of conference play and there are two key games to keep an eye on, most notably #22 San Diego State (14-2) hosting #12 UNLV (16-2) in the day's lone matchup of ranked teams.

Both teams have some quality wins on their schedules but the extra week to schedule non-conference games hurt the strength of schedule numbers for both teams, so getting into league play should give the Runnin' Rebels and Aztecs the boost they need to ensure good seeds in the NCAA Tournament provided they take care of business.

Steve Fisher's team was thought to be a clear third option to win the Mountain West behind UNLV and New Mexico due to the four starters lost from last year's Sweet 16 team. But thanks in large part to their backcourt the Aztecs have exceeded expectations thus far. Chase Tapley (17.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg), San Diego State's lone returning starter, has adjusted well to being the primary scoring option as he's shooting 52.6% from the field and 50.0% from three.

In addition to Tapley there's Jamaal Franklin (15.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg), Xavier Thames (11.4 ppg, 5.5 apg, 3.7 rpg) and James Rahon (10.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg) to contend with, and these guards for the most part are good at creating their own offense (SDSU assists on just 49.4% of their made baskets).

UNLV's got some very good perimeter players as well, with Anthony Marshall (10.6 ppg, 4.9 apg, 4.3 rpg) and Oscar Bellfield (9.6 ppg, 5.3 apg) being the players most likely to initiate the offense for Dave Rice. In addition to their offensive skills both are good defenders and Marshall is also a prolific athlete who can finish above the rim.

And sixth man Justin Hawkins (9.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg) doesn't receive the pub that the majority of the other Rebels do but he's a good basketball player who would start for many teams. And on the wing the Rebels have senior Chace Stanback (14.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg), who has raised his scoring average and shooting percentages in his final campaign.

Both teams boast a great deal of talent on the perimeter, but the outcome may depend on what the interior players provide. UNLV's got the advantage with regards to size but San Diego State's big men have done a good job of simply doing what's needed instead of trying to do what Kawhi Leonard, Billy White and Malcolm Thomas did last year.

Tim Shelton (4.1 rpg) has been around for quite some time and his savvy makes him a valuable defender despite knees that have been an issue throughout his collegiate career. LSU transfer Garrett Green (7.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg) leads the team in rebounding while Deshawn Stephens (6.3 rpg, 5.9 rpg) isn't far behind.

UNLV also works as a committee inside, with Brice Massamba (5.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg) being the starter while Quintrell Thomas (5.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg) and Carlos Lopez (7.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg) come off the bench. Those three are called on for rebounding and defense, while at the "4" the Rebels have one of the nation's most productive transfers in Mike Moser.

Moser (14.2 ppg, 11.1 rpg) was outstanding early in the season as teams failed to come up with an answer for the versatile UCLA transfer, and he's remained a solid bet for a double-double as the year's worn on. With both teams having rebounding margins around a plus-3, Moser may be the difference on the glass in spite of SDSU's ability to hit the offensive boards.

With rebounding about even, the way in which UNLV scores their points will be something to watch on Saturday afternoon. UNLV averages 18.8 assists per game, assisting on 65% of their made baskets. The Rebels have players who can create on their own, but the offense runs better when they're able to create for each other. If SDSU can limit the drive and kick situations that result in UNLV scoring 31% of their points from beyond the arc, "The Show" and the other fans at Viejas Arena have a good chance of going home happy.

Also in the Mountain West on Saturday is New Mexico's trip to Laramie to take on a Wyoming squad that's surprised folks in Larry Shyatt's first season (second stint) at the helm. Drew Gordon and Kendall Williams have played much better over the last month than they did at the beginning of the year, and sophomore Tony Snell hasn't received as much credit as he should for his play throughout the year. Senior Adam Waddell has been a good frontcourt option for the Cowboys, who have improved a great deal on the defensive end since last season.

Florida State has a great opportunity to boost their profile on the heels of a win over Virginia Tech as they host #3 North Carolina. The Seminoles aren't a terrible shooting team as many would lead you to believe. The problem for Leonard Hamilton's team is that they don't take care of the basketball, boasting a turnover rate of around 26%. Giving up too many opportunities to Kendall Marshall and company could result in a blowout if FSU isn't smart with the ball.

Northwestern finds themselves in a similar position as they host red-hot #7 Michigan State and Iowa State visits #10 Kansas with forwards Royce White (ISU) and Thomas Robinson (Kansas) being the marquee attractions. In the Big East, Pittsburgh needs a win at #24 Marquette to avoid their first 0-5 start in conference play since the 1999-2000 season. Tray Woodall's still out due to injury, meaning that players such as John Johnson and Lamar Patterson need to step up and help out Ashton Gibbs.

#16 Connecticut will be without the services of freshman guard Ryan Boatright, who is being held out due to the NCAA looking into possible extra benefits received in high school, as they look to beat Notre Dame in South Bend. The Fighting Irish, led by sophomore point guard Eric Atkins, has won the last three games in the series and have the ability to make it four if the Huskies aren't ready to go from the start.

And even with the great number of games on television a contest that will only be available online will rank among the best games out west. Montana visits Weber State in the first meeting of the two favorites to win the Big Sky this season, and the Grizzlies have the talent to make things tough on the Wildcats despite the presence of Damian Lillard. Kareem Jamar is one of Montana's key players on the perimeter while Derek Selvig is an important piece inside. And there's also a meeting of contenders in the MAC as Ohio visits Akron, with two POY candidates (Ohio guard D.J. Cooper and Akron center Zeke Marshall) on display.

Top 25 Games
6:00 PM Providence at (1) Syracuse (ESPN3)
12:00 PM (2) Kentucky at Tennessee (ESPN)
2:00 PM (3) North Carolina at Florida State (ESPN)
3:00 PM Oklahoma State at (4) Baylor (ESPN2)
3:00 PM (7) Michigan State at Northwestern (BTN)
1:00 PM Texas at (9) Missouri (ESPN2)
4:00 PM Iowa State at (10) Kansas (ESPN3)
4:00 PM (12) UNLV at (22) San Diego State (NBC SN)
1:00 PM (13) Michigan at Iowa (BTN)
6:00 PM Tennessee Tech at (14) Murray State (ESPNU)
4:00 PM DePaul at (15) Louisville (ESPN3)
11:00 AM (16) Connecticut at Notre Dame (ESPN2)
1:30 PM (18) Kansas State at Oklahoma (ESPN3)
7:00 PM (19) Florida at South Carolina (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Alabama at (20) Mississippi State (ESPN3)
8:00 PM (23) Gonzaga at Loyola Marymount (ROOT NW)
2:00 PM Pittsburgh at (24) Marquette (ESPNU)
2:00 PM George Washington at (25) Harvard

NCAA Division I Games
12:00 PM Stony Brook at Boston University (ESPN3)
12:00 PM Hofstra at Old Dominion (MSG)
12:00 PM Villanova at Cincinnati (ESPN3)
12:00 PM St. Bonaventure at Xavier (ESPNU)
1:00 PM William & Mary at Northeastern
1:00 PM Bryant University at Mount St. Mary's
1:00 PM Tulsa at East Carolina
1:00 PM NC State at Wake Forest (ESPN3)
1:00 PM Bucknell at Lafayette
1:00 PM Gardner-Webb at Campbell
1:30 PM Ole Miss at Auburn (ESPN3)
1:45 PM Texas Tech at Texas A&M (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Brown at Yale
2:00 PM Holy Cross at American
2:00 PM Longwood at Dartmouth
2:00 PM Duquesne at Rhode Island
2:00 PM Rutgers at West Virginia (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Davidson at Appalachian State
2:00 PM Eastern Michigan at Ball State
2:00 PM Lehigh at Colgate
2:00 PM Towson at Georgia State
2:00 PM Saint Louis at Charlotte (CBS SN)
2:00 PM Sam Houston State at Nicholls State
2:00 PM Central Arkansas at Northwestern State
2:00 PM UAB at Southern Miss (FSN)
2:00 PM Toledo at Western Michigan
2:00 PM Furman at Western Carolina
2:00 PM Wright State at Green Bay (ESPN3)
2:00 PM SUNY-Cobleskill at NJIT
2:30 PM Army at Navy (CBS SN)
3:00 PM Virginia Tech at Boston College (ESPN3)
3:00 PM Vermont at New Hampshire
3:00 PM Texas-Arlington at Lamar
3:00 PM Howard at North Carolina A&T
3:00 PM Chattanooga at Samford
3:30 PM Oregon at Arizona (CBS)
3:30 PM East Tennessee State at Jacksonville
3:30 PM New Mexico at Wyoming (The Mtn.)
4:00 PM Colorado at Stanford (FSN)
4:00 PM VCU at Delaware (TCN)
4:00 PM Loyola (IL) at Illinois-Chicago (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Saint Joseph's at Massachusetts
4:00 PM Elon at Charleston (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Georgia at Vanderbilt (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Ohio at Akron (ESPNU)
4:00 PM Southern University at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
4:00 PM South Carolina State at Bethune-Cookman
4:00 PM Hampton at Coppin State
4:00 PM Norfolk State at Morgan State
4:00 PM Quinnipiac at Saint Francis (PA)
4:30 PM Presbyterian at Coastal Carolina
4:30 PM Monmouth at LIU Brooklyn
4:30 PM Central Michigan at Northern Illinois
4:30 PM Pepperdine at San Francisco (CSN CA)
4:30 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at St. Francis (NY)
5:00 PM McNeese State at Texas State
5:00 PM North Texas at Louisiana-Monroe
6:00 PM Air Force at Boise State (The Mtn.)
6:00 PM Buffalo at Miami (OH) (ESPN3)
6:00 PM Alcorn State at Mississippi Valley State
6:05 PM Eastern Washington at Northern Colorado (Altitude)
6:30 PM Savannah State at Florida A&M
6:30 PM Alabama A&M at Alabama State
6:30 PM Prairie View A&M at Jackson State
6:30 PM Texas Southern at Grambling State
7:00 PM Oral Roberts at IUPUI
7:00 PM Princeton at Columbia
7:00 PM Pennsylvania at Cornell
7:00 PM George Mason at James Madison (CSN)
7:00 PM Temple at Richmond (CBS SN)
7:00 PM UCF at Marshall
7:00 PM Drexel at UNC Wilmington
7:00 PM Maine at Albany
7:00 PM La Salle at Dayton
7:00 PM Middle Tennessee at Florida Atlantic
7:00 PM UNC-Asheville at High Point
7:00 PM Bowling Green at Kent State
7:00 PM Winthrop at Liberty (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Siena at Manhattan (ESPN3)
7:00 PM USC Upstate at North Florida
7:00 PM Sacred Heart at Robert Morris
7:00 PM Texas A&M-CC at Southeastern Louisiana
7:00 PM UTSA at Stephen F. Austin
7:00 PM Central Connecticut State at Wagner
7:00 PM Georgia Southern at Wofford
7:00 PM Oakland at IPFW
7:05 PM Pacific at Long Beach State (FSN PT)
7:05 PM UNC Greensboro at Citadel
7:30 PM Florida Gulf Coast at Lipscomb
7:30 PM Maryland-Eastern Shore at Delaware State
7:45 PM Eastern Kentucky at Morehead State
8:00 PM Oregon State at Arizona State (FSN AZ)
8:00 PM Santa Clara at BYU (ESPNU)
8:00 PM Detroit at Milwaukee (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Rice at Tulane (LHN)
8:00 PM Radford at VMI (MASN)
8:00 PM Southern Utah at Western Illinois
8:05 PM Arkansas-Little Rock at Arkansas State
8:15 PM Stetson at Belmont
8:30 PM Florida International at Louisiana-Lafayette
8:30 PM South Dakota at North Dakota State (ESPN3)
8:30 PM UMKC at South Dakota State
8:35 PM Montana State at Northern Arizona (NAU TV)
8:45 PM Jacksonville State at Austin Peay
9:00 PM LSU at Arkansas (ESPN3)
9:00 PM TCU at Colorado State (The Mtn.)
9:00 PM Idaho at New Mexico State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Memphis at Houston (CBS SN)
9:00 PM Eastern Illinois at Southeast Missouri State
9:00 PM SIU-Edwardsville at Tennessee State
9:00 PM SMU at UTEP
9:00 PM South Alabama at Troy (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Montana at Weber State
9:30 PM Utah State at Louisiana Tech
10:00 PM Cal Poly at UC Riverside
10:00 PM San Jose State at Fresno State
10:00 PM Hawaii at Nevada
10:00 PM UC Irvine at UC Santa Barbara
10:00 PM Cal State Fullerton at Cal State Bakersfield
10:05 PM Idaho State at Sacramento State
10:05 PM UC Davis at Cal State Northridge
10:30 PM Utah at California (CSN CA)
11:00 PM Portland at Saint Mary's (CSN BAY)

#12 UNLV at #22 San Diego St: Prediction & Poll

Greg Mengelt — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:11:52 -0500

NO. 12 UNLV (16-2, 0-0 MWC) AT NO. 22 SAN DIEGO STATE (14-2, 0-0 MWC)

Time/TV: 4 p.m./NBC Sports Network

Location: Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl

RPI Ratings: UNLV 13 (No. 1 Mountain West); San Diego State 58 (No. 3 Mountain West).

Line: UNLV -2

UNLV Players to Watch: F Chace Stanback, 6-8 Sr. (14.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 50.3% FG); F Mike Moser, 6-8 So. (14.2 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 48.3% FG); G Oscar Bellfield, 6-2 Sr. (9.6 ppg, 5.3 apg, 34.9% 3s). Moser’s 17-point, 11-rebound performance in their most recent win – a 89-57 victory over Cal State Bakersfield last Thursday – was his eight double-double of the season.

San Diego State Players to Watch: G Chase Tapley, 6-2 Jr. (17.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 52.6% FG); G Jamaal Franklin, 6-5 So. (15.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.5 spg); G Xavier Thames, 6-3 So. (11.4 ppg, 5.5 apg, 3.7 rpg). Thames is the engine that makes SDSU go, but the Aztecs were 3-0 while he missed time with a knee injury. Thames is expected to return against UNLV.

Storylines: Both teams have won seven straight games heading into Mountain West Conference play and each has earned its way into the AP and Coaches’ Polls. With its talent, balance and depth, UNLV was expected to be really good, perhaps not this good. San Diego State – after losing four starters – is the surprise of the MWC at 14-2. Although the two programs have combined to win five of the last six league titles, this is the first time the two programs have ever met while both were ranked in the Top 25.

What You Should Know: UNLV has one of the most efficient offenses in the nation, ranking 10^th in points at 81.3 and 31^st in field goal percentage with a 48.1 percent clip. The Rebels have scored at least 80 points in 10 of their 18 games. San Diego State can score itself. The Aztecs are averaging 75.2 points while shooting better than 47 percent from the field. Both teams like to run, so UNLV’s superior depth could be an advantage. The Rebels are also a better free throw shooting team and that often makes the difference in games that are expected to come down to the final horn. Whether Thames is able to play will also be key.

The Bottom Line: San Diego State has won five in a row and 8-of-9 against the Rebels. However, UNLV proved with a win at Illinois on Dec. 17, it is capable of beating good teams away from home.

The Pick: UNLV 85, San Diego State 81.