San Diego St

Bracketology: Saturday Night NCAA Tournament Projection

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 23:07:58 -0400

The latest Bracketology projection as of 11:00 PM, March 16th. One more day until Selection Sunday.

Why Pay Attention to What I Have to Say: Collegehoops.net's projections have consistently proven to be the best in the business. Over the last 5 years, Shawn Siegel is one of the Top 5 Bracketologists according to the Bracket Project. This ranking includes the likes of Joe Lunardi, Gary Parrish, Jerry Palm, and Andy Glockner.. none of whom come close.

As always, the field below is a prediction of what the committee would do as things stand today, not what they should do. This is done by taking into account standings, polls, computer rankings, and the committee's historical biases. Check out the follow up Bubble Watch for updates about teams on the NCAA Tournament Bubble, and NITology for a ranking of the best of the rest.

Notes:

Arrows indicate how many seeds a team has moved up or down since the previous update. Conference Champ.

ONE

Gonzaga 7

Louisville 3

Duke 1

Kansas 5

TWO

Indiana 10

New Mexico 2

Georgetown 9

Miami 4

THREE

Ohio St 11

Michigan St 8

Florida 6

Marquette 13

FOUR

Michigan 18

Syracuse 12

Kansas St 16

Oklahoma St 27

FIVE

UCLA 23

Saint Louis 22

Arizona 15

Wisconsin 28

SIX

Memphis 14

Pittsburgh 42

Creighton 26

North Carolina 17

SEVEN

Butler 21

VCU 25

Notre Dame 36

Colorado St 19

EIGHT

UNLV 24

Missouri 35

North Carolina St 30

Illinois 40

NINE

Oregon 49

San Diego St 32

Saint Mary's 33

Iowa St 44

TEN

Temple 41

Oklahoma 40

Villanova 52

Cincinnati 48

ELEVEN

Wichita St 37

Minnesota 34

Belmont 20

Ole Miss 50

TWELVE

Boise St 43

Akron 46

Colorado 38 / Tennessee 59

La Salle 45 / UCONN 47 California 53

THIRTEEN + 2

Bucknell 51

South Dakota St 63

New Mexico St 57

Valparaiso 58

FOURTEEN

Davidson 61

Montana 83

Florida Gulf Coast 93

Harvard 94

FIFTEEN

Northwestern St 96

Iona 97

Pacific 105

Western Kentucky 150

SIXTEEN + 2

Albany 128

Long Island 175

James Madison 182 / Liberty 288

Southern 181 / North Carolina A&T 211

Last In: California, Tennessee, La Salle, Colorado

First Out: Maryland 66, Middle Tennessee 31, Kentucky 56, Southern Miss 29

2012-13 Non-BCS Top 25: November 19th

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 00:11:32 -0500

The Non-BCS Top 25 is a CollegeHoops.net original, copied by multiple major outlets. As a weekly companion to our popular CHN Top 50 ranking, it takes an in-depth look into the underrated universe of teams outside of the big six. The original Non-BCS ranking.

Non-BCS Top 25: November 19th

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

	Team	Record	Last
1	Creighton	3-0	x
2	Gonzaga	3-0	x
3	Memphis	2-0	x
4	UNLV	2-0	x
5	San Diego St	2-1	x
6	St. Mary's	3-0	x
7	New Mexico	3-0	x
8	Ohio	3-0	x
9	Murray St	3-1*	x
10	St. Joseph's	2-1*	x
11	Northern Iowa	3-0	x
12	South Alabama	2-0	x
13	Colorado St	3-0	x
14	Wichita St	4-0	x
15	Santa Clara	2-0	x
16	Saint Louis	1-1*	x
17	Temple	2-0	x
18	Belmont	3-0	x
19	VCU	2-1*	x

Not in CHN Top 50 Ranking

	Team	Record	Last
20	Bucknell	5-0	x
21	Butler	1-1*	x
22	Xavier	3-0	x
23	CS-Northridge	6-0	x
24	Akron	3-2**	x
25	Illinois St	3-0	x

last = last week's ranking

* = Losses this week

Next 5: UCF (3-0), Dayton (3-1*), Davidson (1-2**), Detroit (2-1*), Utah St (2-1*)

Further 5: SMU (3-0), Drexel (1-2**), Southern Miss (2-0), BYU (2-2**), Cleveland St (2-1*)

Agree/Disagree? Post your thoughts below or join us @collegehoopsnet

Check out last week's Non-BCS Top 25 Ranking

Early 2012-13 Ranking: A Look Ahead

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:38:44 -0400

Although the Sweet Sixteen looms later this week, its still time to start looking ahead to the 2012-13 season. Sure, the usual assortment of stars like Anthony Davis, Thomas Robinson, and Jared Sullinger will be heading to the NBA, there's still a ton of talent returning next year. Especially in the non-BCS ranks, many of this year's top teams were led by juniors and sophomores.

I've had to make many assumptions about the NBA Draft in compiling the following list. Once players make their official decisions, this ranking will be updated later in the summer. Also uncertain is where some remaining unsigned recruits will end up. In particular, Shabazz Muhammad (#1 by Rivals.com), Anthony Bennett (#7), Devonta Pollard (#9), and Nerlens Noel (#3 in 2013) remain up for grabs. I purposely made no assumptions about where unsigned prospects will end up.

For now, here are next year's Top 60 teams, starting with the first 15. (16 to 30 can be found here.) All prospect rankings are using the Rivals 150 ranking.

Early Top 15

1 Duke Miles Plumlee is the only senior on the roster, and although Austin Rivers could certainly go pro, his season didn't warrant a top 10 selection. The addition of guard Rasheed Sulaimon, ranked 32nd by Rivals helps overcome a potential Rivers loss. This will be revisited if Rivers (and to a lesser extent Mason Plumlee) do in fact enter the Draft.

2 Indiana Assuming Zeller doesn't go pro, the top 5 scorers return from a Sweet Sixteen team. Add a loaded class that includes Rivals #16 Hanner Parea, #17 Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell, and #48 Jeremy Hollowell, and you got yourself a title contender.

3 Michigan Rivals #3 Mitch McGary joins a squad that was already Top-20 caliber this year. Glenn Robinson III, 34th ranked, is another solid prospect that can offset the loss of senior Steve Novak. If Trey Burke were to go pro, this ranking would certainly change.

4 Baylor Perry Jones is as good as gone, and Quincy Miller could be tempted to bolt as well. But the cupboard isn't bare with the likes of Jackson and Heslip returning. Scott Drew also adds future pro Isaiah Austin along with 2 other 4-star recruits.

5 North Carolina Zeller graduates after a fine career, and Harrison Barnes, John Henson, and Kendall Marshall are likely to bolt for the pros. But players like Bullock, Hairston, and McAdoo are ready to step out of the shadows. #40 prospect Marcus Paige and #49 Brice Johnson are solid additions, but UNC could use one more superstar recruit.

6 Wisconsin While senior Jordan Taylor had a disappointing season according to some, he was still the main cog in the Badgers wheel. However, the other key players from this Sweet Sixteen team return, and will be joined by Sam Dekker, Wisconsin's first 5-star recruit since Joe Krabbenhoft in 2005.

7 Louisville Although Kyle Kuric and Chris Smith graduate, expect more of the same from Louisville next year: a starless team that wins by defense. PG Terry Rozier is the only recruit locked up right now.

8 Syracuse While Kris Joseph and Scoop Jardine are major losses, Syracuse's 2012-13 hopes rest on offseason Draft decisions. Dion Waiters could go pro and Fab Melo is as good as gone. There's still talent remaining on the roster and the addition of #27 prospect DaJuan Coleman will help as well.

9 NC State Mark Gottfried inherited a talented roster, and did the best of it with a surprise Sweet Sixteen run. CJ Williams is a senior and CJ Leslie could decide to turn pro, but the rest of the roster returns intact. Even if Leslie leaves, NC State re-loads with 6th ranked prospect Rodney Purvis, #23 TJ Warren and #55 Tyler Lewis. Expectations will be higher than they've been in years.

10 Kentucky Kentucky's roster will most likely be decimated as Anthony Davis and Terrence Jones will undoubtedly leave, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is 70% gone (even if he says he's staying), and Doron Lamb and Marquis Teague are certainly First Round worthy. Plus Darius Miller and Eloy Vargas are seniors. Archie Goodwin, Alex Poythress, and Willie Cauley are all Top 40 prospects, but not as good as the guys they're replacing.

11 Creighton While Antoine Young is a major loss, the return of Doug McDermott gives Creighton one of the country's top handful of players. Along with 3 other returning starters, Creighton will be the class of the MVC.

12 Ohio St Jared Sullinger will presumably leave after his sophomore season, and William Buford is a senior. The x-factor is Deshaun Thomas. He played well enough down the stretch to warrant going pro, but he could certainly return as well. OSU does not have any reinforcement on the way as of now.

13 San Diego St The Aztecs were a surprise team this year, thanks to emerging stars Jamaal Franklin and Chase Tapley. Besides their return, the squad also welcomes a solid recruiting class, including 40th ranked Winston Shepard.

14 Kansas Tyshawn Taylor is the major senior loss, and Thomas Robinson will probably declare for the Draft. Its also conceivable that Jeff Withey declares for the pros as well. This would leave only 2 players that averaged over 5 ppg. Perry Ellis will be expected to come in and contribute from day one.

15 Michigan St Besides losing their leading everything in senior Draymond Green, Brandon Wood and Austin Thompson also graduate. Next year's freshmen class is similar in talent to this year's that produced Dawsen and Trice.

Teams 16 to 30: Kansas St, Memphis, Texas, and more.. Check back next week for teams 31 to 60.

San Diego St vs North Carolina St: Prediction

Greg Mengelt — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 01:40:55 -0400

(6) San Diego State vs. (11) North Carolina State: Midwest Region

Records

San Diego State 26-7, 10-4 MWC (Regular-season Co-MWC champions; At large)

North Carolina State 22-12, 9-7 ACC (At large)

Time: 12:40 p.m. Friday

TV: TruTV

Location: Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio

Winner will face: (3) Georgetown or (14) Belmont, Sunday

Rankings

San Diego State No. 22 AP; No. 23 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

N.C. State No. 38 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

RPI Ratings

San Diego State 28

N.C. State 48

Line: North Carolina State -2 (O/U 137)

Players to Watch

San Diego State: G Jamaal Franklin, 6-5 So. (17.2 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.5 apg); G Chase Tapley, 6-3 Jr. (15.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.2 apg); G Xavier Thames, 6-3 So. (10.3 ppg, 4.2 apg, 3.2 rpg). With a brilliant sophomore season, Franklin became the Aztecs’ second MWC Player of the Year and just the third sophomore to win the award. Franklin earned his 12 double-double in his last 19 games during SDSU’s 68-59 MWC championship game loss to New Mexico on Saturday.

N.C. State: F C.J. Leslie, 6-8 So. (14.9 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 53.2% FG); G Lorenzo Brown, 6-5 So. (12.7 ppg, 6.4 apg, 1.8 spg); F Scott Wood, 6-6 Sr. (12.5 ppg, 41.1% 3s, 91.9% FT). Brown, who was second in the ACC in assists, was named 3^rd-team All-ACC after a season in which he significantly increased his scoring, rebounds and assists during his sophomore season.

Why Each Team Dangerous

San Diego State: After losing four starters from last year’s Sweet 16 team, little was expected from the Aztecs. Young talent and great coaching has them at 26 wins. Franklin is an obvious go-to scorer for a team that averages 71.2 points. Although SDSU is capable of big nights offensively, it has won mostly with defense. It has held opponents to 40 percent from the floor and 33.8 from the 3-point line and the Aztecs force 13 turnovers per game. They’re also a strong rebounding team, out-boarding opponents by 5.2 per game this season.

N.C. State: Since a 4-game losing streak that saw the its NCAA bid slipping away, NC State has won 4-of-5, including wins over Miami and Virginia and a close loss to No. 4 UNC. The Wolfpack are very talented, led by sophomores Leslie and Brown. The Pack led the ACC in field goal percentage at 46.3 and they’re a solid rebounding team. The Pack out-rebounded opponents by 3.7 per game, averaging 12.1 offensive boards per game. Brown is a great floor leader, helping NC State to 16 assists per game, which is 13^th-best in the nation.

Why Each Team is Vulnerable

San Diego State: SDSU is young and, therefore, inconsistent. And they haven’t performed well against the best teams on their schedule. The Aztecs are 5-6 against tournament teams. The Aztecs have a negative assist-to-turnover ratio (12.4-to-12.9) and they’re an average shooting team at best. They are shooting 45.6 percent from the field and 34.1 percent from the 3-point line. In their recent MWC Tourney loss to New Mexico, they were just 23-for-62 from the field with 15 turnovers in the defeat.

N.C. State: The Wolfpack has had some head-scratching performances, including losses to Georgia Tech, Clemson and Stanford. With the exception of Wood, it doesn’t have much perimeter firepower. They made just 182 3s this season, which ranks 235^th in the country. Seven NC State players average at least 19 minutes per game. No other play more than 11, so depth is an issue.

The Bottom Line: This is one of the best matchups of the first round. Franklin will be the difference in a tight game.

The Pick: San Diego State 70, North Carolina State 67

NCAA Tournament Preview: Backcourts to Watch

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 11:28:31 -0400

It's stated all the time this season. Guard play makes all the difference in the NCAA tournament, and to be honest it's hard to argue with that statement. So who are some of the top guard groups in this year's field? Here are 12 below along with a few superlatives. Not all of the usual suspects make the list, but try not to automatically dismiss the less heralded names either.

South Region

1. Duke
While this group does struggle at times on the defensive end of the floor there's no doubt that the Blue Devils' guards can fill it up. Austin Rivers is their best playmaker, and as long as the ACC Rookie of the Year can properly balance scoring with creating for his teammates he's very tough to stop. Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins are both dead-eye shooters, and Tyler Thornton is the best defender. But as noted above, if the defense isn't there Duke could find themselves in trouble.

2. Xavier
The Musketeers have to get past a tough Notre Dame team before a possible matchup with Duke (don't sleep on Lehigh's C.J. McCollum), but despite their struggles throughout the season Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons aren't to be ignored. Holloway runs the show and Lyons mans the two, and they can also call on Brad Redford for perimeter shooting.

3. UNLV
Most are likely going to wonder why the Runnin' Rebels are on this list and not, say, UConn but the fact of the matter is that Dave Rice's group has been more consistent throughout the season. Anthony Marshall is one of the best athletes in the country and Oscar Bellfield's impact tends to be overlooked by many. Add in a very good defender in Justin Hawkins and shooter Kendall Wallace and Dave Rice has a corps of guards capable of winning multiple games in the tournament.

Guards you'll love: C.J. McCollum (Lehigh) and Nate Wolters (South Dakota State)
Both are among the nation's best scorers, and Wolters leads the Jackrabbits in points, rebounds and assists. Each one has a matchup in which they could become household names, with McCollum taking on Duke and Wolters matching up with Baylor.

Best defender: Victor Oladipo (Indiana)
Good luck getting past the athletic Oladipo, whose offensive game has gotten closer to his defensive skills as the season's progressed. At the least the sophomore could be a first team All-Big Ten player next year.

The difference-maker: Marquis Teague (Kentucky)
If Kentucky's to reach their full potential (win a national title) the play of Teague will be key. He had an inconsistent SEC tournament but played his best basketball as the regular season came to a close.

The enigmatic group: Connecticut
Talent-wise there may not be a better group in the region. But despite the talent of Ryan Boatright, Jeremy Lamb and Shabazz Napier there are questions, most importantly will they be "there" for the entire 40 minutes. Drifting in and out of a game will get you beat this time of the year.

East Region

1. Syracuse
The Orange at the least can go three deep with starters Scoop Jardine and Brandon Triche with one of the nation's best reserves in Dion Waiters coming off the bench. The key to a national title will be Jardine, because while the Orange can easily plug someone into his role skill-wise if the fifth-year senior's struggling they can't replace the experience. And with Fab Melo out the guards become even more important.

2. Ohio State
This region has two elite defenders with the Buckeyes' Aaron Craft being one (more on the other later), and William Buford could become the program's all-time leading scorer with a deep run in the tournament. The Buckeyes aren't particularly deep on the perimeter (Jordan Sibert backs up Craft) but they are talented.

3. Florida State
If Luke Loucks takes care of the basketball this group has the ability to be even better than third best in the region. Michael Snaer has beenvery good all season long and the midseason addition of Ian Miller definitely helped on the offensive end. Deividas Dulkys can get hot from deep, as he did in their regular season win over North Carolina, and all can defend.

Guards you'll love: Will Cherry (Montana) and Kevin Pangos (Gonzaga)
Cherry's the other defensive star in this region, as he was named Defensive Player of the Year in the Big Sky and is among the best in the country in steals. Pangos is just a freshman, and his first introduction to college basketball came in the form of his impressive shooting performance in Gonzaga's tip-off marathon appearance.

Best defender: Craft

The difference-maker: Jordan Taylor (Wisconsin)
Wisconsin's been a team some have pegged as a possible upset victim, and if the Badgers are to not only avoid that but win multiple games their senior point guard will have to be at his best.

The enigmatic group: Cincinnati
The Bearcats were able to make a shift to a smaller lineup comfortably with the emergence (and return to health) of Jaquon Parker, and they've been a better team as a result. But given the number of threes that Dion Dixon, Sean Kilpatrick and Cashmere Wright get to take, the Bearcats need them to be on if they're to make a run.

Midwest Region

1. Temple
North Carolina has Kendall Marshall and Kansas can point to Tyshawn Taylor and Elijah Johnson. But the three-headed attack that Fran Dunphy has could be the best backcourt in the region. Juan Fernandez, Ramone Moore and Khalif Wyatt can all do a variety of things, making them interchangable in a sense. If they're on the Owls have the ability to not only reach the Sweet 16 but possibly go even further.

2. Kansas
Tyshawn Taylor shouldn't be questioned at this point, as the senior's matured and made better decisions with the basketball at this point in the season. The guy the Jayhawks need to be a factor over the next couple of weeks is Elijah Johnson, as he can relieve some of the pressure on the shoulders of Taylor and Thomas Robinson. Travis Releford has also been a key cog this season, and that will need to continue if Kansas is to reach New Orleans.

3. San Diego State
The Aztecs go four deep on the perimeter and all four can hurt you in different ways. Xavier Thames runs the show at the point and Chase Tapley is a solid scorer at the two, and all Jamaal Franklin did was win Mountain West Player of the Year. Last but not least is James Rahon, a key reserve in their Elite 8 run last season who can not only knock down perimeter shots but also do the little things.

Guys you'll love: D.J. Cooper (Ohio) and Kerron Johnson (Belmont)
Cooper was a key figure in the Bobcats' whipping of Georgetown in the 2010 tournament, and he's improved as a scorer while remaining a very good distributor. Johnson leads the way for Belmont, a team that's been a popular selection when it comes to teams that can pull off an upset (or two).

Best defender: Jorge Gutierrez (California)
Gutierrez won Pac-12 Player and Defensive Player of the Year for his efforts and with good reason. The senior is one guard few will be looking forward to seeing on the other side of the floor, beginning with USF on Wednesday night.

The difference-maker: Kendall Marshall (North Carolina)
The best passer in the region will be the guy who determines the winner of the Midwest. Marshall has also been more willing to punish sagging defenders by way of the jump shot, an aspect of his game that's improved over the course of the season.

Emerging star: Lorenzo Brown (NC State)
For a short time some asked if Brown was in fact the best point guard in the ACC. He's that talented, and with his size the sophomore has the potential to be a matchup problem for teams this week. And he's only going to get better with more experience.

West Region

1. Missouri
The Tigers navigated Laurence Bowers' torn ACL quite well thanks to their guards, going 30-4 and winning the Big 12 tournament title. Phil Pressey runs the show while Marcus Denmon and Kim English are the leading scorers. There's also Phil's older brother Matt and off the bench Michael Dixon Jr. is one of the best sixth men in the country. English's ability to produce at the four is tough to match, and unless a team has Jamar Samuels-like presence (Kansas State beat the Tigers twice for this reason) Mizzou could be headed to New Orleans.

2. Florida
The Gators are also deep on the perimeter but the key for them will be the decision making of Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker. If those two are unselfish and get the ball to Bradley Beal and Patric Young then Florida has the look of a team that can get to a Final Four. When they don't things tend to go wrong. Virginia's pack line defense will force Florida to make perimeter jumpers, but that's one of the things they do best.

3. Murray State
We all know about Isaiah Canaan by this point and rightfully so as the OVC Player of the Year is also an All-American. But Donte Poole can play as well, averaging 14.2 points per game. Add in senior Jewuan Long and you've got a nice group of guard capable of leading the Racers to the second weekend of the tournament.

Guys you'll love: Jason Brickman (LIU Brooklyn) and Casper Ware (Long Beach State)
Tried to go a bit off the radar with one of these selections, and with the high tempo that the Blackbirds prefer the sophomore from Texas will be fun to watch against Michigan State. Ware's been outstanding for four years and finally gets his shot at the game's biggest stage after two straight losses in the Big West tournament final.

Best defender: Darius Johnson-Odom (Marquette)
If Long Beach State's Larry Anderson were 100% he could qualify as would teammate James Ennis. But DJO, who is also one of the best scorers in the field, is also a good defender who can get out in passing lanes. With the Golden Eagles lacking a defensive presence in the paint the defensive effort of Johnson-Odom on the perimeter becomes even more important.

The difference-maker: Joe Jackson (Memphis)
One of the reasons why Josh Pastner's team has played so well down the stretch is that they've allowed Chris Crawford to take on more of the distribution duties. That in turn has relieved some of the pressure on Jackson, but he's still going to have to play well if the Tigers are to go out and prove that they were underseeded.

Another difference-maker: Peyton Siva (Louisville)
The question of which Siva will we see in Portland is similar to which Louisville team will we see: the one that was inconsistent during Big East play and struggled to score, or the one that won four games in New York City last week. If Siva's on and making good decisions the Cardinals are capable of beating anyone. If not then they're also capable of losing to anyone.

Conference Finals Predictions: Big 12, Big East, Pac-12 & More

Greg Mengelt — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 02:52:10 -0500

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. Here are is predictions for Saturday's conference championship game. Read more about Championship Week at CollegeHoops.net.

AMERICA EAST FINAL: AT STONY BROOK

(2) Vermont (22-11, 13-3) at (1) Stony Brook (22-8, 14-2)

Tipoff: 11:02 a.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 2 – Stony Brook 65-59; Feb. 12 – Vermont 68-49. RPI: Stony Brook 141, Vermont 156. Analysis: Vermont has been great for the last month-and-a-half and will break the hearts of the Seawolves home faithful. Line: Stony Brook -3½. Pick: Vermont 63, Stony Brook 58.

BIG 12 FINAL: AT KANSAS CITY

(2) Missouri (28-4, 14-4) vs. (4) Baylor (27-6, 12-6)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 21 – Missouri 89-88*; Feb. 11 – Missouri 72-57. RPI: Baylor 8, Missouri 17. Analysis: I picked Baylor the first two times. Sticking with the Bears. Pick: Baylor 79, Missouri 74.

BIG EAST FINAL: AT NEW YORK CITY

(4) Cincinnati (24-9, 12-6) vs. (7) Louisville (25-9, 10-8)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 23 – Cincinnati 60-56. RPI: Louisville 18, Cincinnati 40. Analysis: Louisville’s stifling defense has carried the Cardinals this far. A Big East title is next. Pick: Louisville 59, Cincinnati 53.

BIG WEST FINAL: AT ANAHEIM

(1) Long Beach State (24-8, 15-1) vs. (2) UC-Santa Barbara (20-9, 12-4)

Tipoff: 10 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 21 – Long Beach 71-48*; Feb. 22 – Long Beach 70-58. RPI: Long Beach 38, UCSB 126. Analysis: Do you think the 49ers have been looking forward to this game for a full year? They want blood – and they’ll get blood. Pick: Long Beach State 75, UC-Santa Barbara 54.

CONFERENCE USA FINAL: AT MEMPHIS

(1) Memphis (25-8, 13-3) vs. (6) Marshall (21-12, 9-7)

Tipoff: 11:35 a.m. TV: CBS. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 28 – Memphis 83-76; Feb. 25 – Memphis 87-67*. RPI: Memphis 16, Marshall 39. Analysis: The Memphis we’ve seen since the beginning of February is the Memphis we expected to see all season. Line: Memphis -9½. Pick: Memphis 90, Marshall 69.

MAC FINAL: AT CLEVELAND

(1) Akron (22-10, 13-3) vs. (3) Ohio (25-7, 11-5)

Tipoff: 8 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Akron 68-63; Feb. 26 – Ohio 85-61. RPI: Akron 50, Ohio 68. Analysis: Ohio had a disappointing regular season. It will be a memory because the Bobcats are going dancing. Pick: Ohio 75, Akron 68.

MEAC FINAL: AT WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.

(2) Norfolk State (24-9, 13-3) vs. (4) Bethune-Cookman (18-16, 11-5)

Tipoff: 1 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 25 – Norfolk State 75-72*. RPI: Norfolk State 134, B-C 243. Analysis: Norfolk is the class of the MEAC. Pick: Norfolk State 78, Bethune-Cookman 66.

MOUNTAIN WEST FINAL: AT LAS VEGAS

(1) San Diego State (26-6, 10-4) vs. (2) New Mexico (25-6, 10-4)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: NBC Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 18 – San Diego State 75-70*; Feb. 15 – New Mexico 77-67*. RPI: San Diego State 22, New Mexico 34. Analysis: How good did the Pack look in a virtual road game on Friday? Whoa! Pick: New Mexico 79, San Diego State 73.

PAC-12 FINAL: AT LOS ANGELES

(4) Arizona (23-10, 12-6) vs. (6) Colorado (22-11, 11-7)

Tipoff: 6:10 p.m. TV: CBS. Regular-season meetings: Jan 21 – Colorado 64-63; Feb. 9 – Arizona 71-57. RPI: Colorado 77, Arizona 84. Analysis: How does the Pac-12 deserve more than one team? Anyway, this one is a toss-up. Pick: Arizona 63, Colorado 58.

SOUTHLAND FINAL: AT KATY, TEXAS

(3) Lamar (22-11, 11-5) vs. (4) McNeese State (17-14, 10-6)

Tipoff: 3 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 11 – McNeese 57-54; March 3 – Lamar 78-68. RPI: Lamar 118, McNeese 177. Analysis: Did you see what the Cowboys did to the UTA, which dominated the league all season? Take the points. Line: Lamar -5½. Pick: McNeese State 71, Lamar 69.

SWAC FINAL: AT GARLAND, TEXAS

(1) Mississippi Valley State (20-12, 17-1) vs. (2) Texas Southern (17-14, 13-5)

Tipoff: 8 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 23 – MVSU 77-69 (OT)*; Feb. 20 – MVSU 56-53. RPI: MVSU 153, Texas Southern 231. Analysis: Valley wins, but the Tigers cover. Pick: Mississippi Valley State 60, Texas Southern 59.

WAC FINAL: AT LAS VEGAS

(2) New Mexico State (25-9, 10-4) vs. (5) Louisiana Tech (18-15, 6-8)

Tipoff: Midnight. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 7 – NMSU 83-73*; Feb. 4 – NMSU 83-72. RPI: New Mexico State 69, Louisiana Tech 170. Analysis: Been saying all year that the Aggies would win this tournament. Nevada’s elimination only solidifies that. Pick: New Mexico State 84, Louisiana Tech 72.

Consensus Ranking: Drexel, Murray, San Diego St Overrated

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 15:23:45 -0500

In the latest Consensus Ranking (CR), Colorado St, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and NC State are the hottest teams over the last 10 days. All four of those squads are on the NCAA Tournament bubble, and rising at the right time. Cincinnati also rose 9 spots to 41st and has to be considered a Tournament lock at this point. The bubble team that fell the most was Seton Hall.

According to the CR, Drexel, San Diego St, and Murray St are extremely overrated vs the AP ranking. This is something to consider when you fill out your brackets next week. On the underrated side, Saint Louis and Memphis remain the most underrated. If these two teams get 6 or 7 seeds, they could be very dangerous to 2 or 3 seeds.

The computers like Ohio St as much as AP #2 Syracuse, and think Indiana is better than their AP ranking suggests. In general, the computers think the Big Ten is even better than people realize, with the lone exception being Michigan.

What Is It?
With the advent of computer rankings & metrics, we have many tools that attempt to overcome historical biases to rank teams fairly. Taking a consensus average of these rankings, we get a good sense of the lay of the land and can see where the human voters differ with the computers. More importantly, we can see whether there is a pattern to the human biases and whether certain teams are consistently mis-valued compared to their peers.

83 teams are ranked, consisting of A) any team with AP votes, B) any team in the RPI Top 60, C) any team in CHN Top 50, D) any team in the KenPom Top 50, and E) any team previously included. The teams are ranked by an average of their RPI, Sagarin, and KenPom ratings. At the right of the chart is the team's current AP ranking and their consensus ranking in the last two updates.

Rank	Team	RPI	KenPom	Sagarin	Avg	Last	2 Weeks	AP
1	Kentucky	2	1	1	1.3	1	1	1
2	Ohio St	7	2	2	3.7	3	4	7
3t	Syracuse	1	6	5	4.0	4	2t	2
3t	UNC	3	5	4	4.0	6	6	4
5	Kansas	6	4	3	4.3	5	5	3
6	Michigan St	5	3	6	4.7	2	2t	8
7t	Duke	4	16	10	10.0	7	8	6
7t	Indiana	11	10	9	10.0	13t	13	15
9	Missouri	16	9	7	10.7	9	7	5
10	Wichita St	14	8	11	11.0	8	14	16
11	Baylor	9	14	12	11.7	11t	12	12
12t	Wisconsin	24	7	8	13.0	13t	9t	14
12t	Marquette	8	17	14	13.0	10	11	9
14	Georgetown	17	13	13	14.3	11t	9t	13
15	Memphis	18	11	15	14.7	15t	23	31
16	Michigan	12	19	20	17.0	18	18	10
17	Saint Louis	30	12	17	19.7	19	16	37t
18	Florida	29	18	16	21.0	15	15	22
19	UNLV	10	32	22	21.3	17	19t	20
20	Louisville	20	26	19	21.7	21	21	27
21	New Mexico	34	15	18	22.3	20	17	29
22t	Vanderbilt	28	20	29	25.7	22t	24	32t
22t	Florida St	23	28	26	25.7	26	19t	17
24	Temple	13	34	34	27.0	27	25	21
25	Creighton	22	36	27	28.3	30	28	19
26t	Kansas St	44	21	21	28.7	29	31t	36
26t	California	35	23	28	28.7	28	22
28t	Purdue	41	22	24	29.0	32	40
28t	Gonzaga	25	31	31	29.0	25	26	24
30	Virginia	42	25	23	30.0	24	27	30
31	Alabama	32	29	30	30.3	22t	29
32t	Texas	43	27	25	31.7	34	31t
32t	Iowa St	33	30	32	31.7	31	35t	25
34	St. Mary's	26	42	35	34.3	35	39	26
35	Murray St	19	44	41	34.7	40	46	11
36	UCONN	31	37	37	35.0	33	33
37	Notre Dame	37	38	39	38.0	36	38	23
38	Belmont	60	24	33	39.0	38	44
39t	Harvard	36	40	44	40.0	37	30	37t
39t	Long Beach St	39	39	42	40.0	39	41	35
41t	Cincinnati	59	33	36	42.7	50	52	34
41t	San Diego St	27	55	46	42.7	46	48	18
43	Miami	52	35	43	43.3	44	45
44t	West Virginia	51	43	38	44.0	45	34
44t	VCU	38	45	49	44.0	51t	57	32t
46	BYU	45	49	40	44.7	41	35t
47	Southern Miss	15	68	54	45.7	42t	37
48	Iona	40	53	52	48.3	47	49
49	NC State	55	48	45	49.3	59	53t
50	Seton Hall	64	47	47	52.7	42t	42
51t	South Dakota St	48	56	60	54.7	55	x
51t	Colorado St	21	72	71	54.7	66	69
53t	Drexel	70	41	56	55.7	58	64	28
53t	MTSU	58	59	50	55.7	48	43
55	Northwestern	57	57	55	56.3	49	47
56	Xavier	54	60	57	57.0	53	53t
57	Arizona	77	50	48	58.3	51t	50
58	South Florida	46	65	67	59.3	62	62
59	St. Joseph's	61	64	58	61.0	54	51
60t	Minnesota	87	54	51	64.0	64t	55
60t	Tennessee	78	52	62	64.0	75	x
60t	Oregon	63	63	66	64.0	63	61
63	Washington	68	66	61	65.0	56	58
64	Dayton	74	62	63	66.3	57	75
65t	Stanford	97	51	53	67.0	70	71
65t	Davidson	65	67	69	67.0	61	68
67	La Salle	80	58	65	67.7	69	56
68	Marshall	56	75	76	69.0	73	63
69	Akron	62	79	73	71.3	67t	60
70	Ole Miss	53	80	82	71.7	80	79
71	Ohio	69	74	74	72.3	72	78
72t	Illinois	91	70	59	73.3	60	59
72t	UCF	50	81	89	73.3	76	70
74	Mississippi St	71	83	68	74.0	67t	66
75	Oral Roberts	47	100	80	75.7	64t	65
76	UCLA	129	46	64	79.7	x	x
77	Northern Iowa	73	96	78	82.3	71	67
78	Cleveland St	84	84	81	83.0	74	73
79	Denver	92	76	84	84.0	77	74
80	Nevada	49	103	101	84.3	79	76
81	Virginia Tech	114	86	79	93.0	78	77
82	Wagner	88	115	102	101.7	81	72
83	Arkansas	110	132	110	117.3	82	80

Most Overrated: AP vs. the computer ranking:

Drexel +25

Murray St +24

San Diego St +23

Notre Dame +14

VCU +12

Saint Mary's +8

Cincinnati +7

Iowa St +7

Creighton +6

Michgan +6

Most Underrated: AP vs. the computer ranking:

Teams w/ votes

Saint Louis -20

Memphis -16

Kansas St -10

Vanderbilt -10

Indiana -8 / UNM -8

Teams w/ no votes

California

Purdue

Alabama

Texas

UCONN

Biggest Changes In Last Week:

Rising

Colorado St +15

Tennessee +10

NC State +10

Ole Miss +10

Cincinnati +9

Falling

Illinois -12

Oral Roberts -11

Alabama -9

Seton Hall -8

What do you think? Post comments below, send a tweet to @collegehoopsnet, or follow facebook.com/collegehoopsnet.

2012 All High-Major Team: CollegeHoops.net

CHN — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 01:39:30 -0500

Player of the Year Doug McDermott, only a sophomore, highlights CollegeHoops.net's 2012 All High-Major Team. McDermott averaged 23 ppg while shooting over 60% from the floor in leading Creighton to an MVC Tournament title.

McDermott is joined on the First Team by fellow sophomores Mike Moser of UNLV and Will Barton of Memphis. Matthew Dellavedova of Saint Mary's and Ramone Moore of Temple round out the squad.

CollegeHoops.net All High-Major Teams were voted on by staffers Shawn Siegel, Raphielle Johnson, Greg Mengelt, and Jon Teitel. The High-Major Team is comprised of players in the Atlantic 10, Conference USA, Missouri Valley, Mountain West, and West Coast Conference.

Last year's winner was BYU's Jimmer Fredette.

High-Major Player of the Year: F Doug McDermott, Creighton, So

First Team High-Major

G Matthew Dellavedova, Saint Mary's, Jr
G Ramone Moore, Temple, Sr
F Doug McDermott, Creighton, So
F Will Barton, Memphis, So
F Mike Moser, UNLV, So

Second Team High-Major

G Deonte Burton, Nevada, So
G Jamaal Franklin, San Diego St, So
F Wendell McKines, New Mexico St, Sr
F Andrew Nicholson, Saint Bonaventure, Sr
F Drew Gordon, New Mexico, Sr

Third Team High-Major

G Tu Holloway, Xavier, Sr
G Khalif Wyatt, Temple, Jr
F Noah Hartsock, BYU, Sr
F Garrett Stutz, Wichita St, Sr
F Rob Jones, Saint Mary's, Sr

Fourth Team High-Major

G Kevin Dillard, Dayton, Jr
G Joe Ragland, Wichita St, Sr
F Chris Gaston, Fordham, Jr
F Cameron Moore, UAB, Sr
F Kyle Weems, Missouri St, Sr

Poll: Which West Coast Team is Most Dangerous in March?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:31:08 -0500

Weekly Awards: Devoe Joseph, Rakim Sanders, Ohio St & More

Greg Mengelt — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:06:03 -0500

A review of the week that was in college basketball focusing on the best (and worst) performances. Check in every Monday morning for CollegeHoops.net's weekly awards by Greg Mengelt.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Devoe Joseph, Oregon Senior Guard: Joseph led Oregon to wins over Colorado and Utah with 45 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and four steals.

On Thursday, Joseph went 11-for-16 from the field, including 2-for-4 from the 3-point line, and scored 24 points in the Ducks’ 90-81 win over Colorado. He also had five boards, five assists and two steals in the win.

The senior guard came back for 21 points – on 8-of-9 from the floor – six boards, five assists and a pair of steals in a 94-48 win over Utah on Saturday.

Behind Joseph – Oregon’s leading scorer at 16.8 points per game – the Ducks have won three straight and five of their last six, and at 22-8, they may be a viable option for an NCAA Tournament bid.

MID-MAJOR PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Rakim Sanders, Fairfield Senior Forward: Sanders had team-bests with 15 points and eight rebounds in Saturday’s MAAC Tournament quarterfinal win over Rider.

In Sunday’s 85-75 upset of Iona, Sanders was even better. He went 11-for-17 from the field and 2-for-3 from the 3-point line and scored 26 points as Fairfield advanced to Monday’s title game against Loyola (Md.). He also had 12 rebounds, two assists, two steals and a blocked shot against the Gaels.

For the season, Sanders is averaging 16.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.4 steals and is shooting 50 percent from the floor.

TEAM OF THE WEEK

Ohio State: The 11^th-ranked Buckeyes earned a pair of road victories to come two games from behind and clinch a share of their third consecutive Big Ten regular-season title.

Jared Sullinger banked in the game winner with 3.1 seconds left Wednesday to give OSU a 75-73 win over Northwestern.

On Sunday, the Buckeyes overcame an early 23-9 deficit to beat league-leader Michigan State, 72-70. William Buford hit a 20-foot jumper over the outstretched fingertips of Keith Appling with a second to play.

“I was fortunate to knock down the big shot of the night to give us another Big Ten title,” said Buford, who finished with a game-high 25 points.

Ohio State, which finished the regular season 25-6 overall, is the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and will face either Purdue or Penn State in Friday’s conference quarterfinal.

SINGLE-GAME PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State Sophomore Guard: Franklin concluded his second regular season at SDSU with his best performance as an Aztec.

In Saturday’s 98-92 overtime road win over Texas Christian, which gave the Aztecs a share of the Mountain West Conference championship, Franklin went off for 35 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, two steals and a blocked shot. He made nine of his 18 shots from the floor, 14-of-17 from the charity stripe and went 3-for-8 from the 3-point line.

For the season, Franklin is averaging 17.1 points, eight boards, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals.

WIN OF THE WEEK

North Carolina 88, Duke 70: The Tar Heels jumped out to a 24-8 lead midway through the first half and were never really threatened en route to the ACC regular-season crown.

The 18-point win was the third-largest victory ever at Cameron Indoor Stadium. UNC led 48-24 at the half, shot 54.5 percent from the field, out-rebounded the Blue Devils 45-28 in its seventh straight victory.

“We were kind of overwhelmed by them and the situation,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski admitted.

The No. 6 Tar Heels, who were led by sophomore Kendall Marshall’s 20 points and 10 assists, will face either Maryland or Wake Forest in Friday’s ACC quarterfinal as the tourney’s top seed.

UPSET OF THE WEEK

Arkansas State 64, Middle Tennessee 61: Arkansas State entered the Sun Belt Tournament with just 11 wins. The Red Wolves had lost two straight, five of their last seven and 10 of their last 14.

But after Saturday’s first-round win over Florida Atlantic, the tournament’s No. 9 seed earned its biggest win of the season by knocking off the top-seeded Blue Raiders.

Middle Tennessee is 25-6 overall, is ranked 47^th in the latest RPI and has wins over UCLA, Akron, Belmont and Mississippi on its resume. The Raiders will have to wait a week to find out whether that’s enough to get them into the NCAA Tournament.

LOSS OF THE WEEK

Fairfield 85, Iona 75: The nation’s leading scoring team was held to 75 points as its 6-game winning streak came to an end.

On the other end, Fairfield shot 59.6 percent from the field, out-rebounded the Gaels 32-20 and went on a 16-1 run midway through the second half to turn a 60-54 deficit into a 70-61 lead.

Iona’s fate will now be decided by the NCAA Tournament committee. The Gaels have 25 wins, a strong RPI at 48 and have victories over Nevada, Maryland, St. Joseph’s, Long Island, Denver, Marshall and Richmond.

PLAY OF THE WEEK

Jewaun Long’s layup sinks Tennessee State’s hopes: Murray State trailed 50-43 with five minutes left, and after a 9-2 run got the Racers even with the Tigers, Long hit a layup with 4.4 seconds left to send Murray to the NCAA Tournament.

The senior scored just six points on 2-of-7 shooting.

“I’ve got a lot of confidence in him,” Murray State coach Steve Prohm said. “He hadn’t made a lot of shots all night, but that’s his shot.”

Long’s shot put the No. 9 Racers within a game of their school-record 31^st win and gave them their seventh consecutive triumph.

It was heartbreak for Tennessee State, which handed Murray its only loss on Feb. 9. But it was relief for several teams on the bubble. With the Racers already presumably in the field, if the Tigers had held on, they would have bumped one of the current bubble teams out of the field.