Santa Clara

Non-BCS Top 25: Dayton, Santa Clara Drop Out

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 19:46:42 -0800

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: January 13th

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

	Team	Record	Last
1	Gonzaga	15-1	1
2	Creighton	16-1	2
3	Butler	14-2	3
4	San Diego St	14-2	4
5	New Mexico	15-2	6
6	UNLV	14-3*	5
7	Wichita St	15-2*	7
8	VCU	14-3	9
9	Wyoming	14-1*	8
10	Memphis	12-3	12
11	Boise St	13-2	13
12	Temple	11-4*	10
13	Bucknell	14-3	14
14	Colorado St	13-3*	11
15	BYU	14-4	19
16	Belmont	13-4	18
17	Saint Louis	12-4*	15
18	St. Mary's	13-4*	17

Not in CHN Top 50 Ranking

	Team	Record	Last
19	North Dakota St	15-3	22
20	MTSU	14-4	20
21	Charlotte	14-2	21
22	Murray St	12-4*	16
23	Utah St	14-1	25
23	Southern Miss	13-4	NA
24	Akron	11-4	NA

last = last week's ranking

* = Losses this week

Next 5: Stephen F Austin (14-1), Louisiana Tech (14-3), Eastern Kentucky (14-3), Xavier (9-6), La Salle (11-4*)

Further 5: Stony Brook (12-4), Western Illinois (14-3), Lehigh (11-4), Saint Joseph's (9-5*), Evansville (11-6)

Out of Top 25: Santa Clara (12-6**), Dayton (10-6**)

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

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

Afternoon Upsets in the Big South: Wednesday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 23:14:27 -0800

The biggest development on Wednesday night were the wins picked up by Cincinnati, Colorado State and USF, as all three strengthened their arguments for an NCAA tournament bid.

1. Two of the top three seeds in the Big South saw their seasons come to an end in the quarterfinals.
The beginning of an almost nonstop afternoon basketball got underway on Wednesday, and from an upset standpoint the Big South certainly didn't disappoint. But if you're a fan of either Coastal Carolina or Campbell it wasn't a good day, as both saw their seasons come to an end (unless selected for a postseason tournament) despite entering the conference tournament as the two and three seeds. CCU ran into a VMI team that got hot from three, knocking down 14 of their 28 attempts from beyond the arc on the way to an 85-68 victory. Starters Keith Gabriel (20 points) and Stan Okoye (15) played well, but the 17-point outing from Jordan Weethee (5-6 3PT) off the bench was just as important. CCU didn't help themselves by turning the ball over 16 times either.

As for Campbell turnovers were a problem for them as well in their 71-55 loss to six-seeded Winthrop. The Camels turned the ball over 16 times to just eight for the Eagles, who are looking to rid themselves of the bad taste left in their mouths following a disappointing regular season. Campbell also couldn't slow down Reggie Middleton, who scored a game-high 25 points (5-10 3PT) and dished out four assists to lead the way for Winthrop. Darren White led Campbell with 15 points but no other Campbell player reached double figures, and when combined with the turnovers that proved to be too much to overcome. On the other side of the bracket top seed UNC Asheville and four-seed Charleston Southern advanced, and the key for UNCA at this point is to remain focused on the task at hand instead of worrying about how the bottom half of the bracket opened up. Do that and Eddie Biedenbach's team could make a return trip to the Big Dance.

2. Miami follows up their big win over Florida State with...a loss at NC State.
What the Hurricanes have done over the last four days is exactly why concrete verdicts shouldn't be rendered in regards to the tournament prospects of teams based on one game. On Sunday Jim Larranaga's team looked very good as they beat Florida State with Reggie Johnson out of the lineup. But with Johnson back the Hurricanes were unable to build on the positive momentum as they fell to the Wolfpack 77-73. And if not for their 22 offensive rebounds the margin of defeat could have been even larger for Miami, who shot just 35.6% from the field while NC State made half of their field goal attempts.

C.J. Leslie led four NC State players in double figures with 21 points while also grabbing 11 boards as the Pack snapped their four-game losing streak. Rion Brown led the Hurricanes with 15 points off the bench but with Kenny Kadji and Durand Scott shooting a combined 6-for-24 from the field Miami couldn't counter NC State scoring 43 second-half points. With a home game against Boston College being the regular season finale, it's likely that Miami will need to make some noise in the ACC tournament to further state their case.

3. It was also a bad night for bubble teams in the Atlantic 10 as both Dayton and Saint Joseph's fell.
One day after Xavier fell hard at Saint Louis two more teams suffered defeats that could have the A-10 sliding toward being a two-bid league. Phil Martelli's Hawks were unable to build on their win over Temple in Olean as they fell to St. Bonaventure 98-93 in double overtime. Andrew Nicholson, who is a candidate for A-10 Player of the Year, scored 32 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the Bonnies to a win that locked up a first-round bye in next week's conference tournament. The Hawks got themselves in trouble by getting out-rebounded 49-30, with the Bonnies grabbing 20 offensive rebounds.

As for the Flyers, their loss was even more damaging as they fell 82-71 at Richmond. Darien Brothers led the Spiders with 30 points and Kendall Anthony added 20 off the bench as Richmond dropped Dayton into a three-way tie for sixth. Chris Johnson scored 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead Dayton, who was outscored 19-9 at the charity stripe. Richmond held the edge in bench points (29-15) thanks in large part to Anthony, and they were also able to score 21 second-chance points to just 13 for the Flyers. A win over George Washington won't do much for Dayton's profile and Saint Joseph's regular season is done, meaning that both are looking at the prospect of likely needing the automatic bid to go dancing.

Quick Hitters

1. The top two seeds took the floor in the Atlantic Sun quarters, and while Mercer had to work a bit harder than anticipated both the Bears and Belmont advanced. Jake Gollon led Mercer to their 61-53 win over Lipscomb with 19 points and eight rebounds, and as a team the Bears made up for committing twice as many turnovers (16) as Lipscomb by making nine three-pointers. Belmont beat Jacksonville 76-62 behind Kerron Johnson's 19 points, five rebounds and five assists.

2. Three of the four quarterfinals in the Patriot League went according to seed on Wednesday. The lone exception: Lafayette's 84-76 win at Holy Cross in the 4/5 game. Rob Delaney (25 points) and Jim Mower (18) combined to score 43 points for the Leopards, who will visit top-seed Bucknell in the semifinals on Saturday.

3. Mitchell Watt scored 22 points and grabbed six rebounds to Buffalo to a 74-70 win at Akron in a key MAC battle. The win moves the Bulls to within a game of the Zips for first place in the MAC East with one game remaining, and just as importantly they're a game up on Ohio in the race for second place.

4. Sheldon McClellan scored 24 points and J'Covan Brown 22 as Texas avoided what would have been a rough loss to have on their resume, as they beat Oklahoma 72-64 in Austin. The Longhorns end the regular season with a trip to Kansas, and an upset in Lawrence would undoubtedly punch their ticket.

5. Brian Williams scored all 18 of his points in the second half, and his three-pointer with 33 seconds remaining gave Jacksonville State the lead for good in their 75-70 win over Austin Peay in an OVC first round matchup. In the other OVC tournament game Southeast Missouri State beat Eastern Kentucky 75-65.

6. A rough run through WCC play mercifully came to an end for Santa Clara in Las Vegas as they fell 74-70 to Portland in the first round of the WCC tournament. Losing Marc Trasolini on the preseason trip to Canada with a torn ACL was hard enough to deal with, but once Kerry Keating had to suspend Kevin Foster the Broncos seemed destined for a winless league campaign.

7. Northwestern had a golden opportunity to pick up a signature win, but Jared Sullinger's bucket in the final seconds gave Ohio State the 75-73 win in Evanston. Drew Crawford and John Shurna combined to lead the Wildcats with 45 points but that wasn't enough as the Buckeyes had four players put up double figures. The Northwestern storyline is going to be one of the interesting stories to keep an eye on in Indianapolis next week.

Wednesday's Conference Tournament Primer

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 01:27:24 -0800

Four more conferences join in on the tournament fun on Wednesday while the Big South moves on to the quarterfinal round, meaning that more teams will see their season come to an end. The top two seeds in the Atlantic Sun, regular season champion Belmont and host school Mercer, begin their journey in Macon and both teams will be prohibitive favorites to advance. Rick Byrd's Bruins enter tournament play on an 11-game win streak and they won both regular season meetings with 8-seed Jacksonville by double digits.

However both of those meetings came in January and the Dolphins won three straight before falling to North Florida in their regular season finale. In the second meeting, an 85-71 Belmont win, the Bruins shot 5-for-9 from three and scored 46 points after going into the half tied at 39. Guard Kerron Johnson, one of three Bruins named First Team All-Atlantic Sun, scored 21 points in the win and three other Belmont players reached double figures. Belmont's balance, which comes as a result of their deep rotation, makes them a tough matchup for many teams on the defensive end of the floor.

Aloys Cabell and Russell Powell led the way for the Dolphins in that contest, scoring a combined 37 points but as the game wore on it was apparent that Jacksonville didn't have the number of weapons needed to keep up with Belmont. Therein lies the problem for the Dolphins, whose opponents have shot 47% from the field this season. Add in big men Scott Saunders and Mick Hedgepeth and it's easy to see that JU will have a hard time slowing Belmont down unless multiple Bruins have off nights.

Bob Hoffman's Bears won nine straight games entering their stretch run but dropped three of their final four games, but maybe getting to host the conference tournament can turn things around. Mercer takes on Lipscomb, a team they swept with the most recent meeting being a 63-54 victory on the 23rd. Mercer limited the Bison to 33.3% shooting from the field and 38.6% from two, but the Bears had better improve their rebounding if they're to avoid an upset. Lipscomb grabbed 17 offensive rebounds but luckily for Mercer the Bison were unable to take advantage.

Jake Gollon and Langston Hall struggled in that contest but Bud Thomas stepped up to score 15 points and Daniel Coursey added 12. Lipscomb freshman Malcolm Smith was named to the All-Freshman Team and rightfully so, as he ranks second on the team in scoring despite starting just eight games this season. Others need to step up with Smith essentially being the man with jordan Burgason no longer with the team. The winners of these games have Thursday off, a built-in perk for the higher-seeded teams provided they take care of business.

Atlantic Sun (quarterfinals)
#1 Belmont vs. #8 Jacksonville, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
#2 Mercer vs. #7 Lipscomb, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN3)

Big South (quarterfinals)
#2 Coastal Carolina vs. #7 Radford, 12:00 p.m. (Big South Network)
#3 Campbell vs. #6 Winthrop, 2:00 p.m. (Big South Network)
#1 UNC Asheville vs. #8 High Point, 6:00 p.m. (Big South Network)
#4 Charleston Southern vs. #5 Liberty, 8:00 p.m. (Big South Network)

One would expect the top three seeds, led by regular season champ UNC Asheville, to take care of business and move on to the semifinals with all three having swept their opponents in the regular season. If there's one matchup of those three to keep an eye on its Winthrop/Campbell, with the Camels winning by just three points in the meeting at Winthrop. And despite the two games separating them in the standings that 4/5 battle could go right down to the wire as Charleston Southern and Liberty split their two meetings. Antwan Burrus' three-pointer in the final seconds of the second meeting gave the Flames a 75-74 win on February 9th.

Ohio Valley (first round)
#5 Southeast Missouri vs. #8 Eastern Kentucky, 6:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)
#6 Austin Peay vs. #7 Jacksonville State, 8:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)

Murray State's clearly the favorite to win the OVC crown but they won't play until Friday, so the question is whether or not one of the four teams playing on Thursday has the ability to make it to that point. Southeast Missouri State would be the most likely choice given their 9-7 conference record, but the Redhawks limp into the tournament on a four-game losing streak. Dave Loos' Austin Peay squad could be the better choice as they boast four players averaging double figures (TyShawn Edmondson leads the way at 12.5 ppg), and the Governors have won three in a row entering their game against Jacksonville State.

Patriot League (quarterfinals)
#8 Navy at #1 Bucknell, 7:00 p.m.
#5 Lafayette at #4 Holy Cross, 7:00 p.m.
#7 Colgate at #2 Lehigh, 7:00 p.m.
#6 Army at #3 American, 7:30 p.m.

The question in the Patriot League on Wednesday night is whether or not any of the visitors have the ability to knock off one of the top three teams. Navy? Highly unlikely as the Midshipmen went 0-14 in league play, something no team has accomplished since Army did so in 2002-03. Colgate? The Raiders' lone conference wins came at the expense of Navy, and outside of NJIT they haven't beaten a team other than the Mids since mid-December (Dartmouth). Army would be the best choice given the presence of Ella Ellis, but they lost both meetings with American by double digits (by 12 at home and by 24 at AU). Lafayette and Holy Cross split their season series so that would be the game that should garner the most attention. If one of the top three should lose it would be a huge surprise.

WCC (first round)
#8 Portland vs. #9 Santa Clara, 9:00 p.m.

Simple storyline here: Kerry Keating's Broncos have seen a year that was supposed to be promising unravel right before their eyes, beginning with Marc Trasolini's torn ACL during a summer trip to Canada. Kevin Foster's been suspended for the remainder of the season and the play of Evan Rocquemore notwithstanding it's easy to see why Santa Clara went winless in WCC play. Portland doesn't arrive in Las Vegas scalding hot themselves, as the Pilots have lost 12 of their last 13 games. Winner gets San Francisco on Thursday night.

#8 Michigan State vs. #17 Wisconsin: Thursday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:15:39 -0800

Thursday night provides a big matchup in the Big Ten, as #8 Michigan State (20-5, 9-3) looks to remain tied for first place with a win over #17 Wisconsin (19-6, 8-4). Their first meeting, a 63-60 Michigan State win in overtime on January 3rd, ended with Ryan Evans' game-tying three being ruled to have come after time had expired, so the rematch in East Lansing will likely be just as competitive. The Badgers, who score 35.1% of their points from beyond the arc, shot just 5-for-22 from deep in the first meething and they'll clearly need to be better in order to win at the Breslin Center.

Michigan State allows opponents to shoot just 28.9% from three this season, a number that's second in the Big Ten (Wisconsin is tops at 26.7%). Clearly the focus of Michigan State's defensive efforts will be Wisconsin's senior point guard Jordan Taylor (14.5 ppg, 4.2 apg), who leads the team in both scoring and assists. Taylor's only shooting 33.3% from beyond the arc but remains more than capable of stringing a few together if left alone, and the Badgers have other capable shooters as well.

Josh Gasser (7.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and Ben Brust (8.6 ppg) can both knock down the shot while forwards Evans (10.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and Mike Bruesewitz (6.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg) may not have the best percentages but neither will hesitate to put up an open shot. Clearly the key for Michigan State in defending Bo Ryan's swing offense will be to not give up open looks on the perimeter, and forward Jared Berggren (10.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg) is another player to keep an eye on, and they've shown throughout the season that they're capable of doing so.

The Spartans were a bit more balanced in the first meeting as Draymond Green finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds and Keith Appling added 16 points. Green (15.0 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 3.5 apg) is a coach on the floor for the Spartans, and his ability to do just about anything on the floor makes the senior one of the tougher matchups in the Big Ten. But Michigan State wouldn't be in first place if not for the growth of guards such as Appling (11.9 ppg, 3.8 apg) and Brandon Wood (8.6 ppg). This group has improved by the game, and that's one reason why the Spartans are a serious Final Four contender.

The same can be said of Michigan State's young frontcourt players, from the versatile Branden Dawson to returnees Adriean Payne and Derrick Nix. Dawson is an athletic above the rim finisher who's shooting at a 57.1% clip in his freshman campaign. Nix and Payne are more valuable on the defensive end of the floor but both can get some things done offensively as well. In the win at Ohio State on Saturday Payne made all six of his field goal attempts and scored 15 points, adding to the joint effort he and Nix put forth defensively against Jared Sullinger.

The difference could come on the glass, where Michigan State ranks among the best in the country. The Spartans currently boast a rebounding margin of plus-10.6, and their 13 offensive rebounds per game works out to an offensive rebounding percentage of 40%. Wisconsin isn't bad in this area themselves as they manage to grab 31% of their missed shots, but that's quite the gap when comparing the two teams. Michigan State grabbed 34.3% of their misses in the first meeting, and a number similar to that could prove problematic for the Badgers.

Also of note on Thursday night is NC State making the short trek to Durham to take on #4 Duke, and to say the least the Wolfpack can use a win of this caliber for their resume. Lorenzo Brown has been one of the best point guards in the ACC and he'll need to be that and then some against the Blue Devils, who are currently tied in the loss column atop the conference with North Carolina and Florida State. Austin Rivers looks primed to take off in the aftermath of the game-winner at UNC, but to be fair the freshman had been playing well before that. C.J. Leslie and Scott Wood will also need to step up for the Wolfpack as they look for their first win at Cameron since 1995.

As a result of Loyola Marymount's win at Saint Mary's on Wednesday night, Gonzaga will take the court at Santa Clara with a share of first place in the WCC on the line. It will also help the Bulldogs to not have to deal with the suspended Kevin Foster, meaning that Evan Roquemore is the primary scoring option to be concerned with. Even though this season hasn't gone well for Kerry Keating's Broncos (0-12 in league play) Thursday night's game provides the opportunity to salvage something from a disappointing campaign. California hosts Oregon in a game that's big on two fronts: Cal enters the game in first place a game ahead of three teams (including Oregon), and the Ducks are in dire need of a resume-building win and taking on the team with the Pac-12's best RPI is a great opportunity.

Lastly there's the second installment of the "Backyard Brawl" this season, with West Virginia looking for revenge as they visit Pittsburgh. Tray Woodall was outstanding in the first meeting, a Pitt win that ultimately did not prove to be the catalyst that Jamie Dixon's team needed to make a run at an NCAA tournament bid. The Mountaineers need to get rolling as well, as close losses can blend together when being evaluated by the selection committee if you have too many of them. Kevin Jones and Deniz Kilicli will lead the way inside but WVU really needs sound decision-making from guards Truck Bryant, Gary Browne and Jabarie Hinds if they're to leave The Pete with a win.

Top 25 Games?
9:00 PM NC State at (4) Duke (ESPN3)?
7:00 PM (17) Wisconsin at (8) Michigan State (ESPN) ?
7:00 PM Virginia Tech at (21) Florida State (ESPN2)
?11:00 PM (24) Gonzaga at Santa Clara (ESPN2)

NCAA Division I Games?
7:00 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at Mount St. Mary's (ESPN3) ?
7:00 PM Florida International at Arkansas-Little Rock (ESPN3) ?
7:00 PM Lehigh at Bucknell ?
7:00 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Denver (ROOT RM)?
7:00 PM Sacred Heart at LIU Brooklyn ?
7:00 PM St. Francis (NY) at Quinnipiac ?
7:00 PM Bryant at Robert Morris ?
7:00 PM Central Connecticut State at Saint Francis (PA)
?7:00 PM Monmouth at Wagner
?7:00 PM Citadel at Western Carolina
?8:00 PM Florida Atlantic at Western Kentucky (FCS)?
8:00 PM Iowa at Penn State (ESPNU) ?
8:00 PM Louisiana-Monroe at North Texas ?
8:00 PM NJIT at Texas-Pan American ?
8:05 PM Troy at Arkansas State
?8:05 PM Chicago State at Houston Baptist ?
8:30 PM Portland at San Diego ?
9:00 PM Boston College at Maryland (ESPN3)
?9:00 PM Vanderbilt at Ole Miss (ESPN2) ?
9:00 PM West Virginia at Pittsburgh (ESPN) ?
9:00 PM Arizona at Washington State (FSN AZ) ?
9:00 PM North Dakota at Louisiana Tech ?
10:00 PM Oregon State at Stanford ?
10:00 PM BYU at San Francisco (ESPNU) ?
10:10 PM Pepperdine at Seattle ?
10:30 PM Oregon at California ?
11:00 PM Arizona State at Washington (FSN)

College Hoops Thursday Recap: Broncos Survive in Overtime

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 05:01:06 -0800

While people didn't necessarily give up on Santa Clara when it came to discussing who could win the West Coast Conference, there weren't a lot of outside believers in Kerry Keating's team once forward Marc Trasolini was lost for the season in the summer due to a knee injury. And there were even fewer folks left in the aftermath of their 89-56 loss at UCSB just over a week ago. But if their 79-76 overtime win over New Mexico in a 76 Classic quarterfinal showed anything it's that Santa Clara remains capable of being a factor in the WCC race.

"The media was saying that New Mexico was going to win this whole tournament," said Kevin Foster. "We have a chip on our shoulder and bring it every day. It was a full team effort and we hope we could keep that going."

Guards Foster and Evan Roquemore scored 26 points apiece for the Broncos, who led by as many as 12 points in the first half before the preseason Mountain West favorites made their charge. Tony Snell led UNM with 18 points and freshman Hugh Greenwood added 14, but Steve Alford needs his two bell cows to get rolling. Drew Gordon did score 11 points and grab ten rebounds but was only 2-for-8 from the field and Kendall Williams wend 0-for-4, scoring all six of his points from the charity stripe.

The biggest development for Santa Clara in this win may actually be the play of forward Niyi Harrison, who scored a career-high 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds in 44 minutes of action. He's one of the players who has been asked to step up with Trasolini done for the season, and his scoring average has jumped more than ten points from last season to this. It's a pretty safe bet that Foster and Roquemore will be productive offensively, but if Santa Clara is to challenge the likes of Gonzaga, BYU and Saint Mary's they'll need the big men to chip in as well.

"We are happy that we got a chance to compete against [New Mexico]," said Keating following the game. "We have a really young team, but we grew up a little bit, showing some resiliency tonight. We came out with a great win,"

Other Notable Happenings

1. The perception of the Pac-12 takes another hit with three in-season tournament losses.
It's no secret that much of the college basketball world doesn't think much of the Pac-12, but to be fair the conference hasn't done well in improving that perception. Thursday night certainly didn't help with three teams losing by double digits, but it should also be noted that the three losers (Arizona State, Utah and Washington State) were all picked to finish in the bottom half of the league in the preseason. Utah was overmatched from the opening tip against Harvard as they were whipped 75-47 in the Battle For Atlantis in the Bahamas. Arizona State couldn't make shots as they lost to Fairfield 55-44 at the Old Spice Classic, and Washington State couldn't match the energy level of Oklahoma in the Sooners' 74-59 win at the 76 Classic. Washington State scored just 19 points in the second half and turned the ball over 22 times for the game. So what's the culprit in regards to the conference's struggles? Talent, youth or a combination of both? That's a question the Pac-12 teams will collectively look to erase in the final month before conference play.

2. Indiana State uses defense to beat Texas Tech and remain undefeated.
It certainly wasn't pretty but Greg Lansing's Sycamores were able to hold off Texas Tech 60-49 due to their play on the defensive end. The Red Raiders shot a better percentage from the field than Indiana State (42.9% to 35.7%), but their 18 turnovers in a 62 possession game resulted in a horrific offensive efficiency of 79.0. That's not going to get it done against many teams, much less one that's expected to be a major player in the Missouri Valley race along with Creighton and Wichita State. Jake Odum led the Sycamores with 13 points and four assists, and in addition to their ability to turn Texas Tech over ISU attempted 31 free throws to the Red Raiders' nine (25-5 scoring edge from the charity stripe). They'll face a Minnesota team that's got some size inside, but there's no reason why Indiana State can't win the Old Spice Classic.

3. Connecticut needs to get more production from their frontcourt, namely Alex Oriakhi.
There's no doubt that the Huskies have one of the best backcourts in the nation in point guard Shabazz Napier and shooting guard Jeremy Lamb. But if Jim Calhoun's team is tobe mentioned in a similar class to the likes of North Carolina, Kentucky and Ohio State come March they're going to need more from the frontcourt. The defending national champs' fast start established enough breathing room to take care of UNC Asheville 73-63, but they may not be so lucky against teams with better (and bigger) big men. Andre Drummond got the start for Alex Oriakhi and scored nine points while Tyler Olander added four and Oriakhi scored four off the bench. That's not going to be enough from those three as the Huskies move into Big East play. Keith Clanton and company will provide a good challenge on Friday, and whichever team they play in their final game in the Bahamas (Harvard or Florida State) should do so as well. The pieces are there for a run at a repeat, but not if the UConn big men don't bring their collective A-game.

Quick Hitters

1. Florida State once again has one of the best defenses in the country, but if they don't take better care of the basketball it'll be tough for them to mount a significant challenge to North Carolina and Duke in the ACC. FSU turned the ball over 23 times against UMass on Thursday, with Luke Loucks leading the way with six and Okaro White had five.

2. Be patient with DePaul. This is a team that's essentially being taught how to win by Oliver Purnell and his staff, and they received a tough lesson in their 86-85 loss to Minnesota. But the signs of improvement are definitely there, and in Cleveland Melvin (20 points) and Brandon Young (23 points) they've got one of the better sophomore tandems in the Big East.

3. At this point it would be a surprise if New Mexico State didn't win the Great Alaska Shootout. Marvin Menzies' team dropped the hammer on Central Michigan, winning 78-49 thanks in large part to their defense (CMU turned the ball over 21 times and was out-rebounded 54-35) and a balanced scoring effort in which all ten players who played scored (team-high 15 points for Bandja Sy).

4. UCF outscored College of Charleston 18-5 over the final 7:50 to win 74-63 in the Battle for Atlantis, and their defense was a key factor. Also of importance: the Knights' offensive rebounding rate of 40%, which played a big factor in their 44-25 rebounding edge.

5. All five starters reached double figures for Dayton in their 80-76 win over Wake Forest, but the biggest line could be that of Matt Kavanaugh. The junior forward/cernter put up 15 points and 13 rebounds, and is averaging 9.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Kavanaugh averaged just nine minutes and two points per game last season.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Keith Clanton (UCF)
28 points and 14 rebounds in the Knights' 74-63 win over College of Charleston.

2. G Kevin Foster and G Evan Roquemore (Santa Clara)
26 points apiece and nine assists combined in the Broncos' 79-76 win over New Mexico.

3. G Shabazz Napier (Connecticut)
23 points and seven assists in the Huskies' 73-63 win over UNC Asheville.

College Hoops Thursday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 09:25:34 -0800

Happy Thanksgiving! And while football tends to take center stage on this day there are also four in-season tournaments playing games, with action spreading from the Bahamas to Alaska. There really isn't a marquee matchup so to speak but there are games that could become important once March arrives, with New Mexico's game against Santa Clara in the 76 Classic being one. The Lobos were the preseason pick to win the Mountain West, and with players such as Drew Gordon and Kendall Williams there's no doubt that they can win this event. But in the Broncos of Santa Clara they'll take on a team that was a trendy sleeper pick in the WCC, and even with Marc Trasolini lost for the year with a knee injury they can still be a factor in the race.

Guard Kevin Foster is one of the top perimeter scorers on the west coast, as he scored 20 points or more in 16 games (30+ in three games) last season. The junior's shooting percentages are down through three games, but there's no doubt that Foster can turn it on in a hurry for Kerry Keating. Foster leads four Broncos in double figures, but just as important as Foster are forwards Niyi Harrison and John McArthur. Those two have had to step up in the aftermath of Trasolini's injury and they've done a solid job to start the year. But a lot more will be learned about both as they take on Gordon, who's scoring a shade under ten points per game while grabbing ten rebounds per contest.

Gordon may be the Lobo most likely choice to win Mountain West Player of the Year, Steve Alford's got a number of perimeter options from which to choose. Kendall Williams, Tony Snell and Demetrius Walker are three of New Mexico's top four scorers and freshman Hugh Greenwood may be ready to take over the starting point guard job as the Lobos look to make up for the graduation of Dairese Gary. UNM shoots 38% from beyond the arc and their effective field goal percentage of 53.2% is better than Santa Clara's by nearly five percentage points. The outcome will boil down to which team does a better job of generating quality looks, and that was a serious problem for Santa Clara in their blowout loss at UCSB.

Which game should you keep an eye on in the Battle of Atlantis in the Bahamas? Likely the first game of the day as College of Charleston takes on UCF, with the Knights needing to pick up a quality win in light of their 23-point loss to Florida State in their second game of the season. But that's easier said than done against Bobby Cremins' team, which is coming off of a good win at Clemson. Antwaine Wiggins and Andrew Lawrence have led the way for the Cougars, and their offensive execution looks to be the difference on paper (efficiency of 110.4 while UCF is down at 98.1).

In Orlando the Fairfield Stags have a game that, thanks to the current NCAA Clearinghouse issues for freshman guard Jahii Carson, has gone from "opportunity to pick up a decent win against a BCS AQ opponent" to "lose and essentially flush any at-large hopes down the drain". Sydney Johnson's team has already dropped games to Providence (home) and at Minnesota, and an early trip to the consolation bracket would be the worst possible outcome for the defending MAAC regular season champions.

And at the Great Alaska Shootout there's the chance to check out New Mexico State as either the food-induced coma wears off or die-hard shoppers fight off sleep in the quest to show up early for the "Black Friday" specials. The Aggies, who already have a win at New Mexico to their credit, are led by guards Christian Kabongo and Hernst LaRoche and forward Wendall McKines, with McKines averaging 18.0 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Central Michigan has sophomore guards Trey Zeigler and Derek Jackson, but for the Chippewas to have a shot at the upset they'll need to exercise good shot selection.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM UNC Asheville vs. (4) Connecticut* (HDNet)
4:30 PM Massachusetts vs. (20) Florida State* (Versus)

NCAA Division I Games
12:00 PM Texas Tech vs. Indiana State* (ESPN2)
2:00 PM Boston College vs. Saint Louis* (ESPNU)
2:00 PM Charleston vs. UCF* (Versus)
2:30 PM Minnesota vs. DePaul* (ESPN2)
4:30 PM Villanova vs. UC Riverside* (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Dayton vs. Wake Forest* (ESPN2)
9:00 PM New Mexico vs. Santa Clara* (ESPNU)
9:30 PM Harvard vs. Utah* (HDNet)
9:30 PM Arizona State vs. Fairfield* (ESPN2)
10:30 PM Central Michigan vs. New Mexico State* (FCS)
11:30 PM Oklahoma vs. Washington State* (ESPN2)
12:30 AM UC Irvine vs. Southern Miss* (FCS)

Ten Non-NCAA Teams to Watch in 2011-12

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 23:03:56 -0700

While many tend to ignore the "other" postseason tournaments in March due to the overwhelming popularity of the NCAA Tournament, there's an awful lot to be gained from said events especially if a team has a lot due back the following season. So similar to those bowl games outside of the BCS in college football, teams gain valuable practice and game experience. Below are ten teams (in alphabetical order) who fit the mold, including one that didn't play in the postseason at all, and could make some noise in 2011-12.

(1) Alabama (25-12, 12-4 SEC)
Anthony Grant's Crimson Tide were ultimately done in by a non-conference schedule that featured losses to the likes of Iowa, Providence and Seton Hall, having to settle for a Postseason NIT berth as a result. But they took advantage of the extra games, getting all the way to the title game before falling to Wichita State. While Alabama will have three seniors to replace (Charvez Davis, Senario Hillman and Chris Hines) the top three scorers will be back, including forwards JaMychal Green and Tony Mitchell. Guard Trevor Releford was one of the best freshmen in the SEC this season, and a four-player recruiting class led by guard Levi Randolph and forward Nick Jacobs will likely keep Bama atop the SEC West at the very least.

(2) Baylor (18-13, 7-9 Big 12)
Scott Drew's Bears were arguably the most disappointing team in America, going from a team some thought could make some noise to one that didn't play anywhere in the postseason. The Big 12's all-time leading scorer (LaceDarius Dunn) graduates but with Perry Jones III deciding to return to Waco next season look for high expectations once again. Quincy Acy and Anthony Jones will also return up front, and the addition of guard Deuce Bello and forward Quincy Miller will add even more talent-wise. But the biggest question is point guard play, something that cost the Bears dearly this season. If A.J. Walton and JUCO transfer Pierre Jackson can take care of the basketball look out. But if not, things could get sloppy.

(3) Harvard (23-7, 12-3 Ivy)
Tommy Amaker's Crimson put forth arguably the best season in school history but thanks to Doug Davis' shot at the buzzer that still wasn't enough to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1946. But for many who follow the Ivy League 2011-12 was supposed to be Harvard's year, and with everyone expected back that may very well be the case. Kyle Casey and Keith Wright will lead the way up front, and guards such as Oliver McNally, Laurent Rivard and Christian Webster can get it done on the perimeter. Add in the Ivy's best incoming recruiting class that's six-deep and should at the very least offer a challenge in practice, and Harvard could very well end up in the Big Dance.

(4) Iona (25-13, 13-5 MAAC)
Tim Cluess' Gaels picked the wrong time to go cold offensively, struggling to crack the tough Saint Peter's defense in the MAAC Tournament final and ending up in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament as a result. Iona reached the title game in that event as well, losing to Santa Clara but gaining valuable game and practice time as a result. The lone departures will be seniors Rashon Dwight and Alejo Rodriguez, and with point guard Scott Machado and power forward Mike Glover leading the way Iona could be the preseason favorite in the MAAC. The key for the Gaels: defense. If they can defend at a solid clip this will be a tough team to beat given all the offensive weapons at Coach Cluess' disposal.

(5) Kent State (25-12, 12-4 MAC)
Of the ten teams on this list Kent State is the only one to lose it's head coach, with Geno Ford moving on to take the Bradley job. But by no means does that kill the Golden Flashes' chances of getting to the NCAA Tournament. New head coach Rob Senderoff obviously knows the personnel having been promoted from assistant, and with just one of their top five scorers (Rodriguez Sherman) moving on Kent State can win a lot of games next season. Justin Greene and Carlton Guyton are the leading returning scorers, and incoming freshman Kris Brewer should help make up for Sherman's departure on the perimeter. Tough to peg the MAC given its wild nature, but look for the Golden Flashes to be one of the favorites.

(6) Long Beach State (22-12, 14-2 Big West)
Dan Monson's 49ers took on one of the toughest schedules in the nation last season, with Larry Anderson missing a decent portion of that stretch due to injury. But once he returned The Beach took control of the Big West, comfortably winning the Big West regular season title before falling to UCSB in the tournament final. The top three scorers all return and that includes Anderson in addition to guard Casper Ware and forward T.J. Robinson, and another tough non-conference schedule will prepare them for another run through the Big West. But for one-bid leagues one weekend in early March can undo all that hard work, something Long Beach State will be more than aware of.

(7) Montana (21-11, 12-4 Big Sky)
Wayne Tinkle's Grizzlies were one win away from representing the Big Sky in the NCAA Tournament, falling to regular season champ Northern Colorado in the title game on the road. But with the Bears taking on heavy personnel losses it's unlikely they're the preseason favorite to win the league, and with all that Montana has coming back they likely assume that role. The Grizzlies do have to replace big man Brian Qvale but Derek Selvig returns for his senior campaign, and the backcourt should be in good hands with Will Cherry, Kareem Jamar and Art Steward. It should surprise no one if Montana were to be the Big Sky's tournament representative.

(8) Oral Roberts (19-16, 13-5 Summit)
The last two seasons it's been Oakland who has won the Summit League, but despite the return of Reggie Hamilton the Golden Grizzles do have to account for important losses including big man Keith Benson. So who has the good to challenge Oakland if not dethrone them? Scott Sutton's Golden Eagles look to be in good position to do so, with Dominique Morrison leading the way. ORU's top five scorers are all due back and in Morrison they've got a tough scorer who most likely will be the preseason Player of the Year in the Summit League. It should be a good year for the Golden Eagles, and that may be a conservative statement.

(9) Santa Clara (24-14, 8-6 WCC)
There will be two major national storylines in the West Coast Conference to start next season: the arrival of BYU (football independence but all other sports in the WCC) and Gonzaga being the preseason favorite to win the conference. But people had better not ignore Kerry Keating's Broncos, who won the CollegeInsider.com Tournament and replace just one senior of note (Ben Dowdell). Kevin Foster, Evan Roquemore and Marc Trasolini all return for Santa Clara, and they also welcome in a four-member recruiting class with Robert Garrett having the ability to add some interior depth. If anyone in the WCC can prevent Gonzaga from coasting to the conference title it may be Santa Clara.

(10) Wichita State (29-8, 14-4)
Gregg Marshall's Shockers were the preseason favorites to win the Missouri Valley and while they didn't accomplish that feat in either the regular season (Missouri State) or postseason (Indiana State), Wichita State was able to win the Postseason NIT. There will be some key losses, most notably leading scorer J.T. Durley, but given the number of players due back and the offensive balance (eight players scored at least six points per game) the Shockers could make a run at the regular season crown. David Kyles, Toure Murry and Garrett Stutz all return, and with Coach Marshall giving so many guys a chance to play meaningful minutes this year the Shockers should be able to hit the ground running in 2011-12.

Five others: California (18-15, 10-8 Pac-10), UCF (21-12, 6-10 Conference USA), Drexel (21-10, 11-7 CAA), Florida Atlantic (21-11, 13-3 Sun Belt), New Mexico (22-13, 8-8 Mountain West).

College Hoops Thursday Recap: Huskies Make Pac-10 Statement

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 12:13:01 -0800

One sequence, featuring Darnell Gant and Isaiah Thomas, summed up the second half for the Washington Huskies last night.

The series of events that would underline the Huskies' pulling away in an 85-68 victory began with Gant forcing a bad pass inside to Aziz N'Diaye, resulting in a turnover. But instead of sulking and lazily getting back on defense, Gant hustled to the other end and blocked a Kevin Parrom shot...which was then kept inbounds by a diving Thomas. Wait for one of the premier point guards in America to get back into play...give him the ball and watch him go to work. "Work" on this play meant finding an open Gant on the left elbow, and the three-pointer that ended the series gave Washington a 59-50 lead with 11:22 remaining in the game. From that point on Arizona could get no closer than five points, with Washington outscoring them 24-12 after the Wildcats made it 61-56 on a Derrick Williams layup at the 9:33 mark.

"I knew the ball was right there and I was going to do whatever I could to get that," said Thomas of his hustle play. "And we got it and Darnell knocked down a big three and that kind of changed the momentum to our side and we just kept the lead. That was a big shot by Darnell. I've been on him this whole week, you have to knock these open shots down, and he did."

Williams led the Wildcats with 22 points and 11 rebounds but despite that line (8-15 FG) there were issues in regards to the switching defenses that Lorenzo Romar and his staff employed. The key for Arizona, both in Seattle and the remainder of the season, is the ability of the "supporting cast" to step up and provide consistent backup for Williams. Solomon Hill added 12 points while Momo Jones scored 10 but overall players not named Derrick Williams shot 16-for-45 from the field. That didn't get it done last night and it won't get it done in March either. But for much of the game the young Wildcats were able to hang around, with the mastery of Thomas being the difference in the end.

"[Thomas] getting to the middle really hurt our team," said Hill of Thomas' performance. "When he did get to the middle we collapsed and he passed it for the open three, and when we didn't help he was able to score or get to the line. He had 22 and 10 [assists]. He was really the man for them tonight."

The best part of Thomas' showing was that he finished with just one turnover on the night. With point guard Abdul Gaddy going down a couple weeks ago the senior has taken on the responsibility of running the show in impeccable fashion, continuing to score (albeit at a more efficient rate) while improving his ability to get the likes of Justin Holiday (22 points) and Matthew Bryan-Amaning (18 points, seven rebounds) more involved in the scoring. Thanks in large part to Thomas the Huskies cemented themselves as the favorite in the Pac-10, and the "raise the roof" phenomenon has returned as well. Given the number of overall weapons that Coach Romar's team has, a return to the Sweet 16 (and maybe more) is well within their reach. (quotes courtesy of Washington Athletics)

Other Notable Happenings

1. Virginia Tech gets a great performance from Erick Green and beats Maryland.
The play of point guard Erick Green has improved since his move to the starting lineup, and Thursday night's performance showed just how important he can be as Seth Greenberg's depleted team tries to grab that elusive NCAA Tournament bid. Green scored a career-high 24 points while also accounting for four steals and two assists in the 74-57 Virginia Tech victory, moving the Hokies to 3-2 in the ACC while Maryland drops to 1-3 in ACC play. Malcolm Delaney scored 19 while dishing out seven assists and Victor Davila added 13 points in a crucial win for a team that's been hammered by the injury bug this season. Jordan Williams posted yet another double-double for Maryland with 11 points and 11 rebounds (breaking Len Elmore's school record of 12 straight double-doubles), but for a player of his quality to only get ten shots speaks to either of two things: Virginia Tech absolutely swarming him, or his teammates did a poor job of getting the best big man in the ACC the basketball. "He's not like a guard, you have to get the ball to the inside player," said Maryland head coach Gary Williams. "We didn't look inside very well. We missed looks that we shouldn't be missing at this point (quote courtesy of Maryland Athletics)." The Virginia Tech victory keeps the Hokies out of the spot that Maryland now finds themselves in: having to face the prospect of needing to jump so many team in the similar position of needing wins to grab an NCAA berth. And in the wild ACC that's the one thing you want to avoid.

2. Long Island and Wagner make statements in the NEC race.
Third place to eleventh in the NEC standings has a separation of just two games, and with only the top eight teams earning spots in the conference tournament, only six of those teams can play in March (Bryant is one of those eight teams but with them being ineligible for the NCAA Tournament until 2012-13 (provisional Division I member) a spot opens). That makes it all the more important to remain above the fray, something accomplished by both Long Island and Wagner last night. LIU (6-1 NEC) was impressive in the second half, going on a 14-2 run to put away defending conference champion Robert Morris 83-67 in Moon Township. Michael Culpo led five Blackbirds in double figures with 19 points, and the win is their sixth straight in NEC play. The last time LIU did that: 1997-98, when Charles Jones and company ended up in the NCAA Tournament. And how about the job Dan Hurley has done at Wagner? The Seahawks moved to 5-2 in conference play with a 90-80 win over defending regular season co-champ Quinnipiac on Staten Island, with freshman Latif Rivers putting on a show with 30 points and four assists. Wagner also had five players in double figures against a Bobcat squad that clearly misses preseason player of the year Justin Rutty (injury). But in a league that's been more than open the entire season a step above the rest is a very good spot for both LIU and Wagner to be in right now.

3. Santa Clara knocks off Gonzaga to hand Bulldogs first WCC loss.
To say the least these Gonzaga Bulldogs aren't on the same level of prior squads who made the WCC their personal playground in years past. But that doesn't automatically have to be seen as a negative, as another consequence of Gonzaga's run (one that's been overlooked by many) is that their excellence has challenged the other schools in the conference to improve their programs in order to simply keep pace. Saint Mary's has displayed staying power and San Diego had their run from the mid to late portion of the last decade. Could Kerry Keating have Santa Clara headed in the same direction? Thursday night's 85-71 win over the Bulldogs would be a nice first step if that's indeed the case, with Kevin Foster going off for the home team. Foster made 11 of 20 shots from the field (6-14 3PT, 8-10 FT) in scoring 36 points and all five Santa Clara starters reached double figures in the win. Steven Gray (17 points) and Robert Sacre (16) led the way for Gonzaga but with Elias Harris netting just six points they were in trouble, not to mention 18 turnovers and Santa Clara shooting 17-for-29 (58.6%) from two-point range. While the immediate action will be to forecast doom for Mark Few's team they're still going to win their fair share of games the rest of the way and likely end up in the NCAA Tournament. But the bigger statement may have been that another team was able to challenge the Bulldogs and ultimately win, which is a good thing for the WCC (and BYU arrives next year, which should make the conference even stronger as a whole).

Top Three Games

1. UCLA 86, California 84 A Reeves Nelson tip-in at the buzzer was the difference in Los Angeles last night. He and Lazeric Jones led the Bruins with 24 points apiece (career-high for Nelson) while Harper Kamp led the Golden Bears with 21. An Allen Crabbe three with 10 seconds remaining tied the game at 84, setting the stage for Nelson's heroics.

2. Utah Valley 107, North Dakota 96 (4 OT) Three Wolverines established career-highs in scoring while another did so in rebounds as Utah Valley moved to 2-0 in the Great West. The scorers: Isiah Williams (30), Jordan Swarbrick (24) and Ben Aird (23); and Geddes Robinson grabbed 17 rebounds for Utah Valley. Six players for North Dakota reached double figures with Aaron Anderson's 19 leading the way, and Brandon Brekke grabbed 15 boards in defeat.

3. UMKC 85, IUPUI 77 (2 OT) Spencer Johnson provided the heroics for the Kangaroos, knocking down game-tying three pointers at the end of both regulation and the first overtime to keep UMKC alive. They then outscored the Jaguars by 8 in the second overtime to move to 4-4 in the Summit League. Jay Couisnard led the way with 27 points and 12 rebounds while Alex Young led IUPUI with 32 (career-high) and 10 boards.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Isaiah Thomas (Washington) 22 points, 10 assists and six rebounds in the Huskies' 85-68 win over Arizona.

2. F Ken Horton (Central Connecticut State) 28 points and 14 rebounds in the Blue Devils' 66-47 win at Monmouth.

3. G Jordan Swarbrick (Utah Valley) 24 points, nine rebound and nine assists in the Wolverines' 107-96 four-overtime win at North Dakota.

#139 Santa Clara Broncos: 2010-11 Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 18:38:36 -0700

Overall Rank #139

Conference Rank: #3 West Coast Conference

2009-10: 11-21, 3-11

2009-10 postseason: none

Coach: Kerry Keating (42-54 at Santa Clara, 42-54 overall)

It is pretty safe to say that for the last three years Santa Clara has been unlucky. Transfers and injuries have pretty much made Coach Kerry Keating have to start over every season since he took over the team prior to the 2007-2008 campaign. The results have not been pretty and the Broncos bottomed out last year, finishing tied for last place in the West Coast Conference with a 3-11 record. With everybody back and an increasingly healthy Kevin Foster, this should be the year Coach Keating leads Santa Clara to a winning record…and better things would then await in 2011-2012.

Key Losses: none

Key Newcomers:

Coach Keating is a proven recruiter and this should turn out to be his best class yet at Santa Clara. Center John McArthur headlines the group of freshmen. The big man was a great pickup and should compete for playing time right away. Yannick Atanga is less proven than McArthur, but he has a ton of potential and those two could dominate the frontcourt in a couple of years. Julian Clarke will add some much needed depth on the perimeter, as will Evan Roquemore. Roquemore is a superb athlete who can also knock down the long ball, which is something this team desperately needs.

Backcourt:

Robert Smith has cemented his role as a starter during his freshman campaign. He is not much of an outside shooter, although that does not stop him from trying, but Smith is a capable passer and a good scorer inside the arc. On a team that struggled offensively for much of the 2009-2010 campaign, Smith did an admirable job as a freshman trying to keep the team under control. His turnover numbers need to go down and hitting a few more three-pointers would be nice, yet Smith is already turning into a leader on this team. Ray Cowels and Michael Santos were a couple of the players who had to step up and perform on the wing after Foster went down with an injury six games into the season. Cowels started 11 games and did his best to pick up the outside shooting that was lost with Foster. His numbers were not all that impressive, but he did have a promising freshman campaign. Santos will likely see his playing time decrease after averaging 26.8 minutes per game last year with the return of Foster and the addition of Roquemore and Clarke, yet Coach Keating may need to call upon the senior to provide leadership on the perimeter.

Frontcourt:

The star of the frontcourt is Marc Trasolini. The 6-9, 235 pound junior is the closest thing the Broncos have to a center even though Trasolini is not opposed to stepping outside and knocking down the mid-range jumper. The good news is that he is a relatively effective scorer around the basket and is a fine rebounder and shot blocker on the other end of the floor. Troy Payne was the only player to start every game last year and will likely start beside Trasolini again this season. Payne is not much of a scorer, but he is a tough rebounder and will create space for Trasolini. Niyi Harrison, Ben Dowdell and Chris Cunningham also have starting experience and all three of them are capable of giving Trasolini and Payne a break without too much of a drop off in production.

Who to Watch:

When Foster was lost for the year with a broken foot six games into the season, the offense never recovered. Some younger players were forced to step up and that may turn into a good thing in the long run, but it made last season unbearable. The Broncos tried to even things up by playing tough defense, but most of the time they could just not score enough. Foster should be back at full strength for the 2010-2011 season and that alone makes this a dangerous team. In his six games last year, Foster averaged 19.8 points, 2.8 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 2.2 steals. If he can keep that up for a full season, Santa Clara will do more than just have a winning record.

Final Projection:

The most important thing that was lost with Foster was the team’s outside shooting. Even Foster hoisted up a lot of long balls at a pretty low connection rating, but at least he was an outside shooting threat. This is a team that really needs to find an outside shooter. If it is not Foster, it better be one of the sophomores like Smith or Cowels or a newcomer like Roquemore. If the shooting is as bad as it was last year, Santa Clara will be too easy to stop and the offense will continue to struggle even with Foster back and a year of experience for the rest of the team.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

Robert Smith, Sophomore, Guard, 12.1 ppg

Kevin Foster, Junior, Guard, 19.8 ppg

Ray Cowels, Sophomore, Forward, 7.3 ppg

Troy Payne, Senior, Forward, 4.4 ppg

Marc Trasolini, Junior, Forward, 13.7 ppg

*Updated August 15th

Next Top 144 Teams
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College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

College Basketball Lines & Predictions: Tuesday

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:45:06 -0800

Betting odds are a great guide to college basketball entertainment. Unlike fans, who often ride the wave of media predictions, betting lines tend to be a bit more focused and can give you an objective picture of how teams matchup (though lines too can get caught up in the wave of human emotion).

I'll discuss my daily predictions after the lines.. these are posted solely for fun, as I do not bet on games myself, nor do I suggest anybody else does either (it's not easy). If you agree or disagree with my picks, have thoughts on the day's lines, or have upsets or picks to announce, post them below.

December 1st: College Basketball Lines & Predictions

- listed are the day's 9 most popular/intriguing games. I only predict games from this pool due to fan interest.

7:00

Wake Forest
at Purdue

Favorite

Purdue by 11

Over/Under

7:00

Northwestern
at N.C. State

Favorite

NC State by 4.5

Over/Under