St Joseph's

#13 Florida vs. #16 Mississippi State: Saturday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 10:11:57 -0500

While Kentucky is the clear favorite to win the SEC, the battle beneath them should be a spirited one. #16 Mississippi State (17-4, 4-2), who has already won at Vanderbilt, could win the tiebreaker with #13 Florida (16-4, 4-1) with a win in Gainesville on Saturday afternoon. That's easier said than done as Billy Donovan's team is 10-0 at home this season, but the Bulldogs have won four of the last five meetings in this series. A big reason why Rick Stansbury's team can win at the O-Dome is UTEP transfer Arnett Moultrie (17.1 ppg, 11.2 rpg), who has to be considered one of the early favorites for SEC Player of the Year.

Moultrie is shooting 56.3% from the field and his arrival has allowed the Bulldogs to not have to rely on the enigmatic Renardo Sidney as much. Sidney has a great amount of potential, and to be fair he's played solid if not spectacular basketball of later, but he's essentially a bit player at this stage. They'll be faced with the task of slowing down Florida's Patric Young (11.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg), one of college basketball's most impressive physical specimens. But Young has been banged up recently, and when adding that to the fact that the Gators tend to forget about him in the paint Mississippi State should be able to guard him effectively.

Florida also has Erik Murphy (10.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and Will Yeguete (4.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg) to rely on inside, with Murphy being the just as comfortable if not more on the perimeter while Yeguete does a lot of the dirty work in the paint. What will ultimately decide the contest is the play of the guards, most notably a Florida group that's extremely talented but doesn't always make the best decisions. Erving Walker (12.8 ppg, 5.1 apg) and Kenny Boynton (18.0 ppg, 2.9 apg) are the primary ball-handlers for Florida, and while they've improved some when it comes to decision-making there are still strides to be made.

Florida's best guard? That could very well be freshman Bradley Beal (13.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg), who at this stage needs to be more assertive on the offensive end of the floor. The McDonald's All-America has the talent needed to take over games but he's almost deferential to a fault within their offense, and Rutgers transfer Mike Rosario (8.5 ppg) provides scoring off the bench. Mississippi State is solid on the perimeter as well with senior Dee Bost (16.0 ppg, 4.7 apg, 3.6 rpg) leading the way. Bost has been a steadying influence for the Bulldogs, something that didn't happen at times last season. His role is made important by the fact that outside of classmate Brian Bryant the Bulldogs rely on youngsters in their rotation.

Freshman Rodney Hood (11.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg) is one of the best jumpers in the SEC but don't let that overshadow his skill set. Hood's shooting 47.5% from the field and 39.7% from beyond the arc on the season and his assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.6 is the best on the team. Sophomore Jalen Steele and freshman Deville Smith are also important contributors for Rick Stansbury's team on the perimeter. Florida's been the better team in regards to efficiency numbers while Mississippi State's been slightly better on the glass, which should make for a good contest.

Also of note on Saturday is a big matchup in the WCC between first-place Saint Mary's and BYU in Provo, with the Cougars needing to hold serve at home in order to remain in the race. Matthew Dellavedova and Rob Jones were difference-makers in their first meeting, a 98-82 SMC win in Moraga, and the play of redshirt freshman Brad Waldow of late has been a solid boost for the Gaels. The key for BYU: run more of their offense through forwards Brandon Davies and Noah Hartsock. Matt Carlino has been ice cold of late and the same could be said of Charles Abouo, and frankly it isn't realistic to expect this perimeter group to do what Jimmer Fredette did last season in his role.

Kansas visits Iowa State in what could be a dangerous game for the Jayhawks given how tough it is to win in Ames. Two of the best forwards in the Big 12 will be on display as well, and the fact that they get the job done in different ways will make for a fun matchup. Thomas Robinson is an elite finisher and Kansas calls on him for interior offense while also being able to step out and knock down the occasional jumper. Iowa State features Royce White, who they use in a point guard role and he's done a very good job in his first season of eligibility for the Cyclones. If Fred Hoiberg's team is to make a run at an NCAA bid they'll need a win like this for their resume.

Middle Tennessee visits Vanderbilt in a critical contest for the Blue Raiders when it comes to possibly earning an at-large bid because their gaudy record the resume lacks a marquee victory. LaRon Dendy is the ring leader for Kermit Davis' squad, which leads the Sun Belt in scoring and field goal percentage, and they're more than capable of knocking off the Commodores. In order to do so the Blue Raiders will need to keep John Jenkins and Jeffery Taylor in check while also holding their own on the glass against Festus Ezeli and Lance Goulbourne.

Other games to keep an eye on include Saint Joseph's visiting Temple in a key matchup within both the Atlantic 10 and the Big 5, Georgetown visiting Pittsburgh in a game the Panthers could definitely use for their resume and West Virginia visiting Syracuse. Virginia/NC State should be a fun battle in the ACC with both teams hoping to further establish themselves as upper echelon squads, Cal State Fullerton has a chance to make a statement as they visit Long Beach State and in the NEC surprising St. Francis (NY) visits a Robert Morris team fresh off of their win over first-place LIU Brooklyn.

Top 25 Games
4:00 PM (1) Kentucky at LSU (ESPN3)
1:30 PM Texas Tech at (2) Missouri (ESPN3)
1:00 PM West Virginia at (4) Syracuse (ESPNU)
2:00 PM (5) Kansas at Iowa State (ESPN)
12:00 PM St. John's at (6) Duke (ESPN)
1:00 PM Texas at (7) Baylor (CBS)
8:00 PM Eastern Illinois at (9) Murray State (ESPN3)
4:00 PM (10) Georgetown at Pittsburgh (ESPN)
4:00 PM (12) San Diego State at Colorado State (NBC SN)
1:30 PM (16) Mississippi State at (13) Florida (ESPN3)
8:05 PM Bradley at (14) Creighton (ESPN3)
9:00 PM (15) UNLV at Air Force (The Mtn.)
12:00 PM (18) Marquette at Villanova (ESPN2)
9:00 PM (20) Saint Mary's at BYU (ESPNU)
8:00 PM (21) Virginia at NC State (ESPN2)
6:00 PM (23) Harvard at Brown
7:00 PM Oklahoma at (24) Kansas State (ESPN3)
8:00 PM (25) Louisville at Seton Hall (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
11:00 AM Ball State at Ohio (ESPNU)
12:00 PM Hofstra at Northeastern (MSG+)
12:00 PM Wake Forest at Clemson (ESPN3)
1:00 PM Arkansas State at North Texas (ESPN3)
1:00 PM American at Lafayette
1:00 PM George Washington at Fordham (YES)
1:00 PM Buffalo at Northern Illinois
1:30 PM Arkansas at Alabama (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Saint Louis at Massachusetts (CBS SN Regional)
2:00 PM UNC Wilmington at Towson (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Middle Tennessee at Vanderbilt
2:00 PM Valparaiso at Milwaukee (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Binghamton at Maine
2:00 PM Elon at Appalachian State
2:00 PM Delaware at Drexel (CSN Philadelphia)
2:00 PM James Madison at George Mason (CSN)
2:00 PM Western Carolina at UNC Greensboro
2:00 PM Wagner at Quinnipiac
2:30 PM Virginia Tech at Maryland (ESPN3)
3:00 PM Chicago State at North Dakota
3:00 PM Wofford at Charleston (ESPN3)
3:00 PM Nicholls State at Lamar
3:00 PM Tennessee Tech at Morehead State (ESPNU)
3:00 PM Southeastern Louisiana at Northwestern State
3:00 PM Tulsa at SMU (FSN)
3:15 PM Mercer at Stetson
3:30 PM Wyoming at Boise State (The Mtn.)
3:30 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at Central Connecticut State (CPTV)
3:30 PM Mount St. Mary's at Sacred Heart
4:00 PM Colorado at UCLA (FCS)
4:00 PM Albany at Hartford
4:00 PM Purdue at Northwestern (ESPN2)
4:00 PM Saint Joseph's at Temple (CSN Philadelphia)
4:00 PM Oklahoma State at Texas A&M (ESPN3)
4:00 PM William & Mary at Old Dominion (CSN)
4:00 PM VCU at Georgia State (CSS)
4:00 PM Delaware State at North Carolina Central
4:00 PM Maryland-Eastern Shore at North Carolina A&T
4:00 PM Liberty at Radford (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Howard at Savannah State
4:00 PM Miami (OH) at Western Michigan
4:00 PM High Point at Winthrop
4:00 PM Monmouth at Bryant University
4:05 PM Southern Illinois at Illinois State (ESPN3)
4:30 PM Campbell at UNC-Asheville
5:00 PM Washington State at Arizona State (ROOT)
5:00 PM Colgate at Holy Cross (CBS SN)
5:00 PM Texas-Arlington at Texas State
5:00 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Louisiana-Monroe
5:00 PM Davidson at Samford
5:00 PM Alcorn State at Southern
5:00 PM Northern Iowa at Missouri State (ESPNU)
5:00 PM Sam Houston State at UTSA
5:15 PM Kennesaw State at Florida Gulf Coast
5:30 PM SIU-Edwardsville at Jacksonville State
5:30 PM Jackson State at Mississippi Valley State
6:00 PM Bethune-Cookman at Florida A&M
6:00 PM Cincinnati at Rutgers (ESPN3)
6:00 PM TCU at New Mexico (The Mtn.)
6:00 PM Texas Southern at Alabama A&M
6:00 PM Prairie View A&M at Alabama State
6:00 PM Bowling Green at Eastern Michigan (ESPN3)
6:00 PM Coppin State at Hampton
6:00 PM Morgan State at Norfolk State
6:00 PM North Dakota State at Oakland
6:00 PM Auburn at Tennessee (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Washington at Arizona (ESPN)
7:00 PM Dartmouth at Yale
7:00 PM South Carolina at Ole Miss (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Columbia at Cornell
7:00 PM Richmond at St. Bonaventure
7:00 PM Southern Miss at UCF (BHSN)
7:00 PM Akron at Central Michigan
7:00 PM Rhode Island at Dayton
7:00 PM La Salle at Duquesne
7:00 PM Coastal Carolina at Gardner-Webb
7:00 PM Bucknell at Navy
7:00 PM Xavier at Charlotte (FSN Ohio)
7:00 PM St. Francis (NY) at Robert Morris
7:00 PM LIU Brooklyn at St. Francis (PA)
7:00 PM Kent State at Toledo
7:00 PM Butler at Green Bay (ESPNU)
7:00 PM South Dakota State at IPFW
7:05 PM Furman at Citadel
7:05 PM Cleveland State at Youngstown State
7:30 PM Georgia Southern at Chattanooga
7:30 PM North Florida at Lipscomb
7:30 PM Western Kentucky at Florida International (FCS)
7:30 PM Charleston Southern at Presbyterian
8:00 PM East Carolina at UAB
8:00 PM Illinois at Minnesota (BTN)
8:00 PM Tulane at Rice
8:00 PM UTEP at Houston
8:00 PM UC Santa Barbara at Pacific
8:00 PM Houston Baptist at Texas-Pan American
8:00 PM UC Riverside at UC Irvine (FSN PT)
8:00 PM Stephen F. Austin at Texas A&M-CC
8:00 PM Grambling State at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
8:00 PM Denver at Arkansas-Little Rock
8:00 PM Nevada at Louisiana Tech
8:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at Tennessee State
8:00 PM IUPUI at Western Illinois
8:05 PM UMKC at Oral Roberts (FCS)
8:15 PM Jacksonville at Belmont
8:30 PM Tennessee-Martin at Austin Peay
9:00 PM Marshall at Memphis (CSS)
9:00 PM Wichita State at Drake (ESPN3)
9:05 PM Weber State at Idaho State
9:05 PM San Jose State at Utah State (ESPN3)
9:05 PM Montana State at Eastern Washington
9:05 PM N.J.I.T. at Utah Valley
9:30 PM Fresno State at New Mexico State (ESPN3)
9:30 PM South Dakota at Southern Utah
10:00 PM Cal Poly at UC Davis
10:00 PM Portland at Loyola Marymount (FSN West)
10:00 PM Santa Clara at Pepperdine
10:00 PM San Diego at San Francisco (CSN Bay Area)
10:00 PM Cal State Northridge at Cal State Bakersfield
10:05 PM Northern Arizona at Sacramento State
11:00 PM Utah at USC (FCS)
11:00 PM Cal State Fullerton at Long Beach State (ESPNU)
11:05 PM Hawaii at Idaho (ESPN3)

Wednesday Recap: Oklahoma State Beats #2 Missouri

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:11:39 -0500

Consistency has been an issue for the Oklahoma State Cowboys this season, and it's been an issue for highly-touted freshman Le'Bryan Nash as well. After scoring 21 points in the Cowboys' 71-68 loss to Iowa State (which ended at the buzzer on a Scott Christopherson three) Nash scored just four points in a 66-58 home loss to Kansas State. But the Dallas native brought his "A-game" to Gallagher-Iba Arena on Wednesday night, making 12 of 18 shots from the field to score 27 points while also grabbing four rebounds in Oklahoma State's 79-72 win over #2 Missouri.

"Le'Bryan Nash played at a very high level. All his moves were a little bit more explosive," remarked Oklahoma State head coach Travis Ford. "Everyone is going to look at his 27 points, but his defense was better than his offense. It's not a coincidence that he told me yesterday he was going to be ready today and he had a good practice."

Brian Williams added 22 points and Keiton Page 12 on a night that saw the Pokes shoot 59.6% from the field, a stunning development given the fact that Oklahoma State entered the game dead last in the Big 12 in field goal percentage. But as with Nash personally it was Oklahoma State's improved defensive effort down the stretch that allowed them to put the game away. Phil Pressey, who leads the conference in assists per game, could only muster two assists and as a team Missouri finished with just eight assists (they average nearly 16 per game). Missouri assists on 56.4% of their baskets on the season but the number on Wednesday was 30.8%, which played right into the hands of the Cowboys.

Nash's performance became even more important when Markel Brown was given his second technical foul after an emphatic dunk with 6:57 remaining. Following two Marcus Denmon free throws the Cowboys were down 58-53 and two more free throws from Ricardo Ratliffe put the Tigers up seven. Nash scored 13 points in the final 6:31 to lead the Cowboys to a win that the young players really needed given their two games prior to Wednesday. Ratliffe led the Tigers with 25 points and 12 rebounds but they were unable to take advantage of 20 points off of 16 OSU turnovers and a 16-6 edge in second-chance points. The key for both Nash and Oklahoma State now is to play a consistent brand of basketball.

"It's a huge win for us, it's a big win, but it just shows us what we're capable of," said Page. "It shows us that we can play with anybody. We still have a long ways to go...We've gotta get more wins, get some wins on the road."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Saint Louis wins at Xavier, and after Wednesday 11 of the 14 teams in the A-10 have either two or three league losses.
Despite entering their game with a 15-4 record Rick Majerus' Billikens needed a solid road victory due in large part to a strength of schedule that left something to be desired. Brian Conklin scored 19 points and Rob Loe led three other SLU players in double figures with 14 points on their way to the 73-68 win over the Musketeers at the Cintas Center. Conklin was a big reason for Saint Louis' 28-18 edge in points in the paint, and the Billikens received more contributions across the board than a Xavier team that didn't receive much help outside of Mark Lyons (career-high 27 points) and Tu Holloway (22 points).

Jeff Robinson scored ten points and grabbed six rebounds for Xavier but the other big men didn't do much of consequence. Xavier has been the gold standard in the Atlantic 10 for quite some time, and while there's more competition atop the conference it's important to not think that their run is suddenly over. Saint Joseph's win over Dayton pulled the Flyers back to the pack, as now 11 teams sit anywhere from 4-2 to 3-3. To say the least the race for the A-10 crown will be wildly entertaining over the next month.

2. Pittsburgh finally gets their first Big East win as they took their frustrations out on Providence.
The struggles of the Panthers, who entered Wednesday with an eight-game losing streak, were well-doucmented and hadn't been seen in the Steel City for quite some time. That made the game against Providence that much more important, and thanks to a hot Ashton Gibbs the Panthers picked up their first Big East win. Gibbs scored 14 straight points late in the first half as Pittsburgh took control of the game, finishing with 22 points while Tray Woodall (17 points, nine assists) and Nasir Robinson (14 points, six rebounds) also reached double figures in the 86-74 win.

Pittsburgh, who assists on 61.2% of their baskets this season, finished Wednesday's game with an assist percentage of 68.8% and Woodall (who didn't have the rust that was evident in Saturday's loss to Louisville) is a big reason why. The shame for Providence is that their defensive performance overshadowed an outstanding night from point guard Vincent Council (26 points, ten rebounds and nine assists), but there isn't a whole lot you can do when a team makes 11 of 20 shots from beyond the arc. Whether or not this win serves as a major catalyst for Pitt remains to be seen, but they simply needed to get something going and they did that.

3. BYU beats Virginia Tech by two in Blacksburg, but was this a game that would have had a bigger impact in defeat?
Dave Rose's Cougars entered this week with an RPI of 55 and a strength of schedule of 97, and while games against Saint Mary's and Gonzaga are bigger in the grand scheme of things their final non-conference game of the season was also important. But thanks in large part to Virginia Tech's struggles the Cougars' game in Blacksburg took on the appearance of one that could do more harm in defeat than good in victory. BYU took care of business, winning 70-68, with Noah Hartsock (22 points, seven rebounds) and Brandon Davies (17 points, five rebounds) leading the way.

The Cougars won despite a poor shooting night from Charles Abouo and Matt Carlino, who combined to make just six of twenty-eight shots on the night. While many may expect this group to attempt to fire away from deep as they did last season with Jimmer Fredette and (to a lesser extent) Jackson Emery, that isn't realistic at this point. Relying on Davies and Hartsock in the frontcourt could be BYU's best bet when it comes to getting back into the WCC race, and it could be what they need to do to make sure they've got staying power in March as well.

Quick Hitters

1. Congratulations to Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo on his 400th victory, as the Spartans beat Minnesota 68-52 to move into a tie for first place in the Big Ten. Draymond Green led the way with 22 points, 14 rebounds and six assists and Branden Dawson added 16, four rebounds and four blocks.

2. Maryland honored former head coach Gary Williams, naming the Comcast Center court in his honor, but the emotion of the night wasn't enough to lead the Terrapins past #6 Duke. Mason Plumlee scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds (four assists as well) in the Blue Devils' 74-61 win that was closer than the final score would indicate. Maryland shot 40.4% from the field but the bigger issue was the foul line, where they made 11 of 21 on the night.

3. With Creighton and Wichita State both winning while their closest competition in the Missouri Valley lost, the Bluejays and Shockers are four games up on the pack with eight to go. Unless one of those other teams can make something happen in "Arch Madness" it's very likely that the Valley is just a two-bid league. Garrett Stutz led the Shockers to an 86-74 win over Evansville with 23 points and eight rebounds, and Doug McDermott led Creighton past Drake with 30 points and nine rebounds.

4. Of the top four teams leading Conference USA it's anyone's guess as to who ends up reaching the NCAA Tournament, meaning that avoiding bad losses will be key in the final month-plus of the season. No such luck for Marshall, who lost 56-49 to UAB at home, or UCF as the Knights lost 66-61 at Tulsa. Memphis and Southern Miss both avoided this fate by taking care of business.

5. Just two weeks ago Seton Hall looked to be in good shape when it came to getting back to the Big Dance for the first time since 2006. But with three straight losses it may be wise to avoid that discussion, with the Pirates falling 55-42 to Notre Dame in Newark. Senior leaders Jordan Theodore and Herb Pope combined to shoot 6-for-28 from the field, and Seton Hall struggled with Notre Dame's deliberate offense. Next up for Kevin Willard's team is Louisville, followed by road games at Marquette, UConn and rival Rutgers.

6. That could also apply to Alabama, who lost 56-54 at South Carolina on a Bruce Ellington basket with 1.4 seconds remaining. Ellington and Damontre Harris scored 12 points apiece and Malik Cooke led the Gamecocks with 18 points. Levi Randolph scored 12 points off the bench to lead the Crimson Tide, who are now 2-4 in the SEC, and JaMychal Green's ankle injury didn't help matters either.

7. Chris Fouch scored 15 points off the bench as Drexel whipped Georgia State 68-46 in Philadelphia to not only avenge their loss in Atlanta but establish some distance between the top four and the rest of the CAA. George Mason remains in first place with a 9-1 record after beating Hofstra while VCU and Old Dominion are tied with Drexel with 8-2 marks. The top four teams get first round byes in the CAA Tournament.

8. Things didn't go too well for West Virginia in their trip to Madison Square Garden as St. John's jumped them early on their way to the 78-62 victory. The favorite for Big East Rookie of the Year, Moe Harkless, led the Red Storm with 23 points and 13 rebounds while D'Angelo Harrison led three other Johnnies in double figures with 19 points. Kevin Jones led the Mountaineers with 26 points and 14 boards, but they never seemed to figure out the matchup zone St. John's threw their way.

Four Notable Performances

1. F Jackie Carmichael (Illinois State)
26 points, 16 rebounds and two assists in the Redbirds' 76-69 win over Missouri State.

2. F Draymond Green (Michigan State)
22 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in the Spartans' 68-52 win over Minnesota.

3. F Mike Moser (UNLV)
18 points, 21 rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and two steals in UNLV's 77-72 overtime win at Boise State.

4. F Jared Sullinger (Ohio State)
20 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots in the Buckeyes' 78-54 win over Penn State.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday Recap: Northwestern, Florida State Pick Up Important Wins

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other Notable Happenings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quick Hitters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Five Notable Performances

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday Recap: Five Ranked Teams Fall to Unranked Opponents

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 04:27:34 -0500

The first Saturday of the new year proved to be far more exciting than anticipated, much to the detriment of ranked teams who took their show on the road. Removing #7 Missouri and #20 Marquette, who both lost on the road to ranked opponents (more on both of those games below), five ranked teams lost to unranked opponents with four of the losses coming on the road. The Big East provided the most intrigue, with #8 Connecticut and #9 Georgetown falling on the road while #10 Louisville lost in double overtime at home. So which of the three defeats is most concerning? That's likely a toss-up between the Huskies and Cardinals.

Connecticut lost at Rutgers, who already owned a win at The RAC over then-#10 Florida, 67-60 with Eli Carter leading the Scarlet Knights with 19 points. It was a Saturday night to forget for Jeremy Lamb, who scored just eight points before fouling out. With the preseason All-America dealing with foul trouble for much of the night, Rutgers head coach Mike Rice was able to go with a zone defense to take advantage of the Huskies' issues in dealing with zones.

While UConn's 36.5% shooting from deep on the season isn't a great number it's definitely better than the 4-for-19 performance they put up against Rutgers. But of more concern than the lack of perimeter shooting is the lack of leadership and toughness for this group, something that was lost with the departure of Kemba Walker. And it's a sore subject for head coach Jim Calhoun, who returned to the bench after missing the last three games due to an NCAA suspension.

"There's not a lack of leadership, there's none," said Calhoun. Short, and to the point.

As for Louisville, their issues of running a half-court offense with cohesion has been well documented, and for that reason it's reasonable to say that Rick Pitino's team was given too much credit earlier in the season. Eric Atkins' shot with 17 seconds remaining gave the Fighting Irish a 65-63 lead and his two free throws in the final seconds of the second overtime sealed the 67-65 victory, giving Notre Dame their first win in the Commonwealth of Kentucky until 1980.

Louisville shot much better from the field, making 42.3% of their shots compared to 31.7% for Notre Dame. But when you hand the ball over 18 times, allowing Notre Dame to score 16 points off of turnovers, there's a good chance that the outcome won't be a positive one. The Cardinals now already have two home conference losses, and that's definitely not a good spot to be in if they're to contend for a Big East title.

"Hard fought game, but if you break it down, they made their free throws and we didn't," said Pitino. "To lose two home games in the Big East with the type of schedule we have is very destructive to say the least."

The other two losses to unranked opponents came in the SEC, with Florida kicking off the crazy day with a 67-56 loss to Tennessee (more on that below) and #15 Mississippi State getting lit up at Arkansas 98-88. The Bulldogs weren't much more than a sieve defensively, allowing the Razorbacks to shoot 56.5% from the field for the game. Rick Stansbury's team seemed to be in solid shape at the half, trailing by just six (43-37) despite turning the ball over eleven times to just two for Arkansas.

But that optimism was misguided as the Bulldogs allowed 55 points in the final 20 minutes with the Hogs making 67.9% of their shots. Julysses Nobles and B.J. Young scored 24 points apiece to lead Arkansas, who finished with five players in double figures, and they were also aided by the fact that three players scored 63 of Mississippi State's 88 points. Arnett Moultrie scored just nine but did grab ten rebounds before fouling out with over six minutes remaining, but his fifth foul essentially signaled the end of the game for Mississippi State. The lesson the Bulldogs learned was similar to that learned by the other ranked teams to fall: anyone can fall on any given day.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Kansas State takes advantage of #7 Missouri's lack of interior depth and hands the Tigers their first loss.
There were certainly concerns about how Frank Haith's team would deal with bigger teams as the season wore on, as Missouri has just seven scholarship players and two true frontcourt players. And at the "Octagon of Doom" the Tigers got their first glimpse of how difficult things could be, especially if their perimeter scorers aren't as productive as expected. Missouri shot just 32.7% from the field and were out-rebounded 39-25 by #23 Kansas State in the Wildcats' 75-59 victory, suffering their first loss of the season.

It didn't help matters that starting forward Ricardo Ratliffe played just 14 foul-riddled minutes, scoring two points and grabbing one rebounds. The Tigers can't afford that level of production when their guards are on, much less when Phil Pressey misses all six of his shots from the field and the team shoots 7-for-24 from three. Rodney McGruder led K-State with 20 points and as a team the Wildcats assisted on 18 of their 28 field goals, resulting in an efficiency (111.9) 21 points higher than what Missouri opponents averaged on the season.

2. Syracuse runs out to a big lead and hangs on to beat Marquette in the Carrier Dome.
Thanks to a 23-1 run in the first half to turn a 12-11 lead into a seemingly insurmountable 35-12 edge, top-ranked Syracuse seemed to be well on their way to an emphatic victory over #20 Marquette. But Jim Boeheim's team apparently left their intensity in the locker room, as they came out of halftime flat while Buzz Williams' team displayed the fight expected of his program. Marquette would eventually pull to within two points (59-57) but could get no closer as the Orange would eventually win 73-66, moving to 17-0 and by the end of the night sitting alone atop the Big East standings.

Marquette could hit nothing in the first half, shooting 30% from the field and going 1-for-7 from beyond the arc. But led by Darius Johnson-Odom (19 points), Jae Crowder (15 points, seven rebounds) and Junior Cadougan (10 points, five assists) the Golden Eagles attacked the inside of the Syracuse zone, resulting in quality looks that were few and far between in the first half. But with Kris Joseph scoring 17 points and reserves C.J. Fair and Dion Waiters combining to score 25 points Syracuse was able to sew things up late, and while they weren't as efficient as usual the Orange did assists on 19 of 24 made baskets. While the landscape beneath them is too muddled to make sense of, it's pretty clear that the Orange are the class of the Big East.

3. Florida has some things to work on defensively if they're to be a factor come March.
The first thing that will stick out in#13 Florida's 67-56 loss at Tennessee is likely the fact that they scored just 56 points, shooting 35.7% from the field in doing so. But what should really be taken out of the defeat is their play on the defensive end of the floor, because despite the struggles offensively Billy Donovan's team won't lack for scoring options. Simply put, can Florida get the stops needed when the possessions become even bigger in March? If they're going to do so some things will need to change, with one being the lack of ball pressure on the perimeter. The issue against Tennessee wasn't about what the Volunteers could do off the dribble but rather the lack of pressure on entry passes.

On multiple occasions the lack of pressure on passers allowed a Jeronne Maymon (12 points, seven rebounds) or Kenny Hall (13 points, five rebounds) the time to walk their man up the lane and out of prime defensive position. If Florida couldn't get away with this against Tennessee, what are they going to do in their two meetings with Kentucky? And it's not out of the realm of possibility that a team like Alabama (or even Mississippi State) that has multiple big men could give them a hard time inside. The Vols entered Saturday's game scoring 33% of their points from three, but they didn't have to do that as the paint was open for business. Florida can't allow that to happen if they're to reach their full potential, prolific offense or not.

4. George Mason beats Georgia State to take over sole possession of first place in the CAA.
In prior seasons the three-game stretch for Georgia State of Drexel/VCU/George Mason would elicit bets of what the Panthers' combined margin of defeat would be. To say the least things have changed under Ron Hunter, as they'd won the first two games of that stretch going into Saturday's showdown with the Patriots for sole possession of first place in the CAA. But despite Ryan Pearson failing to make a single field goal it was George Mason who was able to make the key baskets late on their way to the 61-56 win. Neither team shot well from the field and George Mason turned the ball over 19 times, but the deciding factor was the charity stripe.

George Mason, who shot 67.3% from the line on the season, made 18 of 21 on Saturday night and outscored the Panthers by eight in that department. Vertail Vaughns (17 points) and Mike Morrison (14 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks) more than made up for Pearson's 0-for-4 night, while the Georgia State combo of Josh Micheaux and Devonta White shot a combined 3-for-15 (they entered the game averaging a combined 20.2 points/game). Jihad Ali led Georgia State with 19 points, and while they didn't win the Panthers have the look of a team that could hang around the race throughout the season. But they didn't have enough down the stretch, allowing the Patriots to take control of the driver's seat a quarter of the way through CAA play.

5. Oral Roberts blows out South Dakota State and moves to 6-0 in the Summit League.
The matchup between the Golden Eagles and Jackrabbits was anticipated by some due to not only the matchup of early Summit League POY frontrunners Dominique Morrison (ORU) and Nate Wolters (SDSU) (Oakland's Reggie Hamilton will also figure in the discussion). But they game didn't live up to that, much to the detriment of the Jackrabbits, who fell 97-75 in Tulsa. Morrison was outstanding as he finished with 38 points and seven rebounds, but he had plenty of help as Steven Roundtree scored 17 off the bench and Michael Craion and Warren Niles scored 15 apiece.

Wolters led five SDSU players in double figures with 22 points to go along with six assists, but the Jackrabbits' biggest problem was they they couldn't stop the Golden Eagles. ORU shot 60.7% from the field on the night and 67.5% from two while also making ten of twenty-one from beyond the arc, and when ORU's got it rolling like that they're extremely difficult to beat at the Mabee Center. Oral Roberts finished the game with an offensive efficiency of 154.0, scoring 1.5 points/possession on the night. To say the least South Dakota State will do their best to make sure that doesn't happen in the rematch on February 2nd.

Quick Hitters

1. Saturday marked the first step towards another March in which Virginia Tech is once again discussed as a bubble team, with the Hokies losing at Wake Forest 58-55. Erick Green was solid for the Hokies, finishing with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists, but more is needed from Dorenzo Hudson (4-13, eight points) if they're to be a tournament team.

2. Entering the week with an 0-2 league record, UCLA couldn't afford anything less than a split with the Arizona schools if they wanted to be a contender in the Pac-12 race. Ben Howland's squad did better than that, wrapping up a sweep with a 75-58 win over Arizona State. Travis Wear scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds and Joshua Smith added 18 off the bench.

3. Few people gave Colorado a shot at being in first place in the Pac-12 at this point in the season, but there they sit after sweeping the Washington schools this weekend. A big reason why: defense. In their 71-60 win over Washington State, Colorado limited the Cougars to 36.5% shooting and none of their three league opponents have shot over 40% from the field. Also in forward Andre Roberson, Tad Boyle's got one of the most underrated players in the country.

4. Of the four teams tied for first place in the MVC the most surprising has to be Illinois State, who beat Evansville 75-73 on a miraculous shot by Jackie Carmichael. Carmichael, who finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and four blocks, banked in his first career three-pointer as time expired to win the game. We'll find out how much staying power the Redbirds have immediately too, as they visit Wichita State and host Creighton in their next two games.

5. In a matchup of teams undefeated in SoCon play Davidson shot 60% from the field and made 11 three-pointers in their 96-74 win over Georgia Southern. Jake Cohen (29 points) and De'Mon Brooks (24 points) combined to score 53 points with Cohen also grabbing 12 rebounds in the victory.

6. There was also a matchup of undefeated teams in the NEC, and that game wasn't particularly close either. Ken Horton scored 21 points and grabbed ten rebounds while Robbie Ptacek scored 24 points and Kyle Vinales 18 in Central Connecticut State's 68-53 win over Robert Morris. Robert Morris shot just 30.3% from the field and turned the ball over 15 times in defeat.

7. Back in the ACC, Florida State laid a serious egg in their ACC opener as they fell 79-59 at Clemson. Not only did the Seminoles struggle offensively, shooting 35.5% and turning the ball over 15 times, but they also allowed the Tigers to shoot 60% from two and 49% overall. Leonard Hamilton's team can ill-afford the defensive breakdowns they had on Saturday if they're going to be a tournament team.

8. Both Temple and Saint Joseph's dropped conference games at home on Saturday, with Dayton pulling away late to be at the Owls 87-77 and Charlotte shocking the Hawks 57-52. Archie Miller's Flyers picked up a key resume-building win, and Charlotte's victory was a good step for Alan Major as he looks to rebuild that program.

9. Bowling Green also provided a surprise in their MAC opener as they beat Ohio 67-57. Jordon Crawford led the way, scoring 16 points to go along with five assists, four rebounds and two steals. BGSU turned the ball over 20 times (Crawford: six turnovers) but the Bobcats shot 4-for-20 from three, alliowing the home team to lock up the victory.

10. And in terms of a possible changing of the guard Nevada may have struck the biggest blow, handing Utah State their first conference home loss since 2007 by the final score of 78-71. Deonte Burton, who finished with 25 points and five assists, provided the dagger in the form of a four-point play with 37 seconds remaining while Dario Hunt scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

Five (plus one) Notable Performances

1. F Doug McDermott (Creighton)
44 points (18-23 FG), eight rebounds and two assists in the Bluejays' 92-83 win at Bradley.

2. F Dominique Morrison (Oral Roberts)
38 points (11-15 FG), seven rebounds and two assists in the Golden Eagles' 97-75 win over South Dakota State.

3. G Damian Lillard (Weber State)
38 points (8-14 3PT), five rebounds and five assists in the Wildcats' 88-81 win at Portland State.

4. G Isaiah Canaan (Murray State)
35 points (7-8 3PT), five assists and two rebounds in the Racers' 87-75 win at Austin Peay.

5. F Kevin Jones (West Virginia)
22 points (8-12 FG) and 16 rebounds in the Mountaineers' 74-62 win over #9 Georgetown.

Plus One: F Royce White (Iowa State)
18 rebounds, ten points and ten assists in the Cyclones' 74-50 demolition of Texas A&M in College Station.

Game of the Day: Stanford 103, Oregon State 101 (4 OT)
If you missed this one late that's too bad, because the Cardinal and Beavers combined to play an instant classic. The game didn't truly take off until the final moments of regulation, as Stanford's game-winning basket was ruled to have come after time expired. Stanford would eventually win as Roberto Nelson's three-point attempt as time expired missed the mark. Chasson Randle led six Stanford players in double figures with 24 points off the bench while Nelson and Jared Cunningham led six Oregon State players in double figures with 19 apiece.

Saturday Recap: Kidd-Gilchrist Leads Kentucky Past Louisville

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:36:51 -0500

The game between Top 5 teams and in-state rivals Louisville and Kentucky was expected to be a high-intensity affair played at a good pace. Well thanks to the "third team" we got the intensity but not the pace, but by the end of the afternoon at Rupp Arena it was clear that Kentucky's 69-62 victory would be long remembered for the play of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Kidd-Gilchrist, who has emerged as the leader of John Calipari's talented squad, stole the show with 24 point and 19 rebounds in leading Kentucky to their 44th straight home victory.

Just over a week ago Kidd-Gilchrist's mother was in the hospital with an unspecified illness, and on Saturday he put forth an outstanding performance with her in attendance. Kentucky has needed a leader to step up within the team and the freshman from Somerdale, New Jersey has been that man in their 13-1 start. Neither team shot the ball particularly well, with Kentucky making just 29.8% of their shots and Louisville not much better at 32.3%. It was a game that had to be won with heart, and that was the difference for the Wildcats despite a valiant 30-point performance from Russ Smith.

"It was a grittiness," said Calipari. "Of all the foul trouble in the first half, the foul trouble really throughout the game and playing guys, I even went with Twany, who I barely played, I thought Kyle Wiltjer was not afraid to play, went out there and did some good stuff. With bad lineups, no point guard, we figured out how to win."

A big problem for Louisville was the play of their starting backcourt, with Peyton Siva and Chris Smith combining for just 15 points on 4-for-23 shooting from the field. Louisville's had issues scoring in the half-court for much of the season, making their points off of turnovers that much more important. The Cardinals could muster just 15 points off of 21 Kentucky turnovers while the Wildcats scored 19 off of 14 Louisville miscues. And when adding to that deficits of 57-31 in rebounds and 20-6 in second-chance points it's not too difficult to see where this game was won (or lost).

The battle of the big men went to Anthony Davis, who posted a double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds) to go with six blocks while Gorgui Dieng finished with five points, five rebounds and six blocks. Obviously Louisville isn't going to run into many teams with the skill level of Kentucky (Syracuse and Connecticut being the exceptions right now), but the half-court offense issue is something that could short-circuit the season for Rick Pitino's team much earlier than expected once the NCAA Tournament rolls around. As for Kentucky while there's plenty to improve upon as they enter SEC play the Wildcats have a special player in Kidd-Gilchrist, one who has impressed with both his skills and leadership abilities. That could take this team a long way.

"He wasn't bothered as much as some of the other players by the physical play," remarked Calipari. "He almost relished it and just went after it, and that's why he played the way he did."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Iowa takes advantage of Wisconsin's three-point shooting to win in Madison.
Going into Saturday's game the Badgers were 78-6 at the Kohl Center under Bo Ryan, so it's understandable if few people gave Fran McCaffery's team much of a chance to win. But the guys in that locker room believed and Aaron White scored 18 points off the bench to lead the Hawkeyes to the 72-65 win. The biggest culprit for the Badgers: three-point shooting. On the season Wisconsin scores 35.8% of their points from beyond the arc, a number that ranks third in the Big Ten behind Northwestern and Michigan. Saturday, Wisconsin shot a miserable 3-for-28 from beyond the arc compared to Iowa's 2-for-6 afternoon. That's the opening that the Hawkeyes needed to pull off the upset, and thanks to reserves White and Bryce Cartwright (17 points, five assists) they were able to capitalize.

2. Creighton bounces back from their loss to Missouri State and wins at Wichita State.
After dropping their MVC opener at home earlier this week, Greg McDermott's Bluejays needed to bounce back at Wichita State to avoid an 0-2 start. Antoine Young led four starters in double figures with 19 points while guard Grant Gibbs may have had the largest impact with his 11 points, six assists and four rebounds in the 68-61 win in Wichita to move both teams to 1-1 in the MVC. The idea of plus/minus in basketball can be a tricky one as there are many variables to consider, but Gibbs finished the night with a plus/minus of +25 and he made many sound decisions throughout his 26 minutes on the floor. Carl Hall was outstanding for the Shockers with 17 points and 13 rebounds but it wasn't enough to knock off the Bluejays. A loss wouldn't have eliminated Creighton from the Missouri Valley race by any means, but it was clear that they needed this road win after dropping one at home. Mission accomplished.

3. Indiana gets it done down the stretch, beating #2 Ohio State in Bloomington.
Highly-ranked teams may want to avoid Assembly Hall, as Ohio State became the second team to go into the building and leave with a loss. All five Indiana players finished in double figures with Jordan Hulls leading the way with 17 points, and the defense of Victor Oladipo (15 points, six rebounds) on Aaron Craft also had a major impact on the Hoosiers' 74-70 victory. Craft finished the game with a season-worst six turnovers in the first game this season that's seen the sophomore finish with more turnovers than assists. The battle between Jared Sullinger (15 points, nine rebounds) and Cody Zeller (14 points, four rebounds) was largely dictated by foul trouble (Zeller would eventually foul out), meaning that other players had to step up. And with William Buford and Deshaun Thomas combining for just 13 points, it was Indiana who won that battle.

4. Gonzaga hits the road and picks up a big non-conference win at Xavier.
Even with an RPI of 17 and a strength of schedule that ranked 21st going into Saturday's action (per realtimerpi.com), Mark Few's team could have used another big non-conference victory from an NCAA Tournament seeding standpoint. And thanks in large part to Sam Dower the Bulldogs did just that, beating Xavier 72-65 at the Cintas Center. Dower scored 20 points and grabbed ten rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench while the Bulldogs' freshman backcourt was solid against one of the best backcourts in the country. Kevin Pangos made just three of his ten shots from the field but he dished out seven assists , and Gary Bell did a solid job defensively on Tu Holloway. The problem for the Musketeers: outside of Holloway, Mark Lyons and Kenny Frease (42 combined points) there wasn't a whole lot of productivity. Xavier also shot 3-for-16 from beyond the arc (24-9 Gonzaga edge in points scored) and was out-rebounded 41-27, which allowed Gonzaga to get away with turning the ball over 17 times (Pangos had five).

5. Harvard comes back from a 12-point deficit to beat Saint Joseph's.
17 seconds into the second half Saint Joseph's took a 50-38 lead on a Halil Kanacevic jumper, and with the 23rd-ranked Crimson playing arguably their worst defense of the season there was a real chance of the Hawks leaving Lavietes Pavilion with a huge win for their resume. But Tommy Amaker's team buckled down, limiting Saint Joseph's to 19 points the rest of the way to come back and win 74-69. SJU shot just 29.8% from the field in the second half while Kyle Casey scored 20 of his 26 points (ten rebounds on the day as well) to lead the charge. Carl Jones led Saint Joseph's with 22 points but that wasn't enough to hold off Harvard, who outscored SJU 22-12 in the paint in the final 20 minutes after the Hawks led that category 20-16 in the first half. With Harvard's remaining schedule consisting of the Ivy League slate and non-conference games against Fordham, Monmouth and George Washington this was a game the Crimson needed for a resume that will take some hits from a computer numbers standpoint between now and March.

Quick Hitters

1. Billy Donovan's team bounced back from their loss at Rutgers with a 90-70 win over Yale, but that wasn't the only bit of good news for Florida on Saturday. 2013 point guard Kasey Hill tweeted after attending the game that he'd verbally committed to the program, and this is a big get for the Gators given how many players will be out of eligibility by the time 2013 rolls around.

2. Seth Greenberg's Virginia Tech Hokies picked up a needed win on Saturday as they won 67-61 at Oklahoma State. But this was a game that would have more of an impact on their NCAA Tournament resume had they lost, so avoiding that fate was critical. At 11-3, Virginia Tech is in a solid spot ahead of what should be a wild ACC season.

3. Youngstown State handed Cleveland State their first conference loss of the season by the final score of 73-67. Damian Eargle led the Penguins with 20 points and ten rebounds, and while YSU may not be a serious contender in the Horizon League come March they're going to scare some folks.

4. Despite Tyler Lamb scoring a career-high 26 points UCLA fell 85-69 at California to go 0-2 in the Bay Area this weekend. Why? Lazeric Jones made just two of seven shots and he along with Jerime Anderson and Joshua Smith combined to score 12 points on 4-for-15 shooting from the field.

5. With Wisconsin losing to Iowa some the question of who the second-best team is in the Big Ten looks to be wide-open. How about Purdue? The Boilermakers moved to 2-0 in conference play with a 75-60 win over Illinois, and they have the ability to be right there with the likes of Michigan State, Indiana and Wisconsin.

6. The Mountain West picked up a good resume-building victory as New Mexico beat Saint Louis 64-60 at The Pit. Drew Gordon scored 18 points and nine rebounds to lead the Lobos, who have won ten straight games and look like the conference title contender many expected them to be in the preseason.

7. With Creighton's win over Wichita State there's just one team in the MVC with a 2-0 record in conference play. That would be Missouri State, who beat Drake 72-61 at JQH Arena. Kyle Weems followed up his impressive performance at Creighton with 22 points and nine rebounds to lead the Bears past the Bulldogs.

8. Friday night had big news on the injury front as Dayton lost starting big man Josh Benson for the season with a torn ACL. The Flyers were able to overcome his loss to beat Ole Miss 62-50 on Friday but against the better teams in the Atlantic 10 not having Benson could be an issue.

9. Also on Friday Seton Hall bounced back from their blowout loss at Syracuse in a big way, beating West Virginia 67-48 at The Rock. Fuquan Edwin, who leads the nation in steals, led the way offensively with 19 points and Jordan Theodore added 18. With UConn next on the schedule Kevin Willard's team couldn't afford to lose lest they risk an 0-3 start to Big East play, and they got the job done.

Five Notable Performances

1. F Thomas Robinson (Kansas)
30 points (10-14 FG), 21 rebounds and four assists in the Jayhawks' 84-58 win over North Dakota.

2. F Brandon Davies (BYU)
21 points (8-13 FG), 22 rebounds and four assists in the Cougars' 88-52 win over San Diego.

3. F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Kentucky)
24 points and 19 rebounds in the Wildcats' 69-62 win over #4 Louisville.

4. F Greg Magnano (Yale)
26 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks in the Bulldogs' 90-70 loss at #10 Florida.

5. F Stan Okoye (VMI)
27 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals in the Keydets' 78-70 overtime win over Presbyterian.

#24 Harvard vs St. Joseph's: Preview & Prediction

Greg Mengelt — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:01:17 -0500

ST. JOSEPH’S (10-3) AT NO. 24 HARVARD (10-1)

Time: 4 p.m.

Location: Lavietes Pavilion

Line: Harvard -6.5.

St. Joseph’s Players to Watch: G Carl Jones, Jr. (18.5 ppg, 3.2 apg); G Langston Galloway, So. (16 ppg, 49.3% 3s); C C.J. Aiken, So. (11.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 4.3 bpg). Jones and Galloway are top-notch scorers and Aiken protects the rim like no one else in America.

Harvard Players to Watch: F Keith Wright, Sr. (10.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg); F Kyle Casey, Jr. (11.5 ppg, 53.5% FG); PG Brandyn Curry, Jr. (6.7 ppg, 4.8 apg). Wright’s scoring average is down nearly four points from last year, but he’s shooting 58 percent from the field. Casey – Harvard’s leading scorer – has scored just nine points in his last two outings.

Storylines: This is a big game for both teams, which would both be borderline at-large NCAA teams if one or the other doesn’t win its conference. St. Joseph’s lost a couple of head-scratchers early, but has looked like one of the Atlantic 10’s best teams during a 10-game winning streak, which includes a 74-58 win over Villanova. Harvard has won 11 of 12 and is coming off a 21-point bombing of Boston College.

Keys to Victory: Both teams are very balanced. Harvard will have to have its perimeter game going – as it has most of the season – with Aiken manning the middle for the Hawks.

The Bottom Line: Close games almost always come down to players who can create their own offense. The two best offensive weapons on the floor are Jones and Galloway, giving the Hawks a slight advantage, even on the road.

The Pick: St. Joseph’s 73, Harvard 68.

Saturday Recap: Balanced Louisville Too Much for Memphis

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 03:59:08 -0500

The first meeting between Memphis and Louisville since the 2005 Conference USA title game certainly did not disappoint from a drama standpoint, with both teams landing major blows throughout the contest. But despite a combined 74 first-half points the play was ragged for much of the contest, with the Cardinals taking a 42-32 lead into the break thanks to the Tigers shooting 29% from the field and turning the ball over ten times. But led by Will Barton (28 points, 16 rebounds) Josh Pastner's team refused to fold, fighting back to take a 57-55 lead with 11 minutes remaining.

But Memphis' many defensive breakdowns proved costly in the long run, as Louisville scored 53 second-half points on their way to the 95-87 win. Russ Smith made the most of his 25 minutes of action with 24 points and seven steals, and all seven Louisville players to see double-digit minutes reached double figures in the scoring column. Louisville didn't shoot well from the field (40%) or from three (30.4%) but they did attempt 40 free throws, making 32 of those. The Cardinals were also good at setting each other up, assisting on 60.7% of their made baskets while Memphis assisted on just 42.3% of theirs.

"I thought most of the time we were playing great defense," said Louisville head coach Rick Pitino. "They were trying to penetrate and we were forced to help, and then the guy who had to help then circled for a 3. They had a good strategy and they are a very tough team to play against."

Another player whose contributions cannot be ignored is center Gorgui Dieng, who was outstanding with 14 points, 14 rebounds and six blocked shots in 40 minutes of action. Dieng's game has grown a great deal since his arrival on campus, and at this rate he may end up being one of the top centers in the Big East if he isn't in that class already. To get this kind of play from guys such as Dieng and Smith right now is a huge boost for Louisville, which welcomed Kevin Ware (only six minutes due in large part to Memphis going to a zone defense) and will hopefully regain the services of the injured Wayne Blackshear at some point in Big East play.

"Memphis surprised me by going zone because they haven't shown it. He's going to be fine," said Pitino of Ware. "He is a terrific athlete, good off the bounce, and much more a point guard than I anticipated. We are very excited to have him. Next game, he will be able to play a little bit more."

Memphis drops to 5-4 on the season but with the schedule they've played to date the Tigers are likely the most-tested team in the country. Barton in recent games has looked like a player who has figured things out and with his talent the sky's the limit, and Joe Jackson added 22 points. But Memphis has to tighten things up on the defensive end of the floor, as there were far too many breakdowns that led to either baskets or fouls. And turning the ball over on 20% of their possessions didn't help matters either. Louisville is still figuring things out as well, and as they welcome back key contributors and fine-tune things the Cardinals will begin to look even more like a national title contender than they do now.

Other Notable Happenings

1.Baylor survives two scares in beating BYU in Provo.
There was no doubt among those who follow college basketball that Scott Drew's team would have a hard time at the Marriott Center, one of the toughest environments in America for visiting teams. #6 Baylor was playing their first true road game of the season, and despite their talent there was an adjustment to be made. But thanks in large part to sophomore forward Perry Jones III and guard Pierre Jackson the Bears hung on for the 86-83 win. Jones put together an impressive stat line, finishing with 28 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals while also scaring both himself and the team with a knee injury in the second half. Luckily for both "PJ3" and the Bears it was simply a matter of banging knees with a BYU player and he was able to return.

Where did Jackson come into play? The JUCO transfer scored 13 points and dished out seven assists (five turnovers), and his block of Brandon Davies' (18 points, 13 rebounds) attempt to tie the game preserved the victory. Brady Heslip's marksmanship from beyond the arc was another key factor for Baylor, allowing them to withstand a very good effort from the Cougars. Matt Carlino scored 18 points off the bench in his first action in a BYU uniform, and it's difficult to see the UCLA transfer not starting when the Cougars take the court again. Baylor's win on the road is one more step in the right direction for a team that's looking more and more like a national title contender by the game.

2. Ohio State wins despite losing Jared Sullinger to a foot injury.
Sophomore forward Jared Sullinger moved back into the starting lineup for Saturday's game at South Carolina after coming off the bench in their win over USC Upstate earlier in the week. But the All-American wasn't on the floor for long in the Buckeyes' 74-66 win over the Gamecocks as his left foot was stepped on after just six minutes of action. X-rays came up negative for Sullinger, with the diagnosis being a bone bruise. To say the least Ohio State dodged a bullet with his injury, but they also had some key figures step up just a week after their loss at Kansas without the big man.

Deshaun Thomas was outstanding, scoring 30 points to go along with six rebounds and three assists. Thomas has made his last 17 two-point field goal attempts, and his emergence as a consistent scoring option will benefit Ohio State with or without Sullinger on the floor. William Buford added 17 points and Aaron Craft was his usual self on the defensive end of the floor. Ohio State basically left Columbia with two blocks on which to build: Sullinger will be fine, and players stepping up in his absence displayed growth from last weekend's loss in Lawrence.

3. Philly guards lead Syracuse to a win at NC State.
With NC State jumping out to a 12-4 lead the usual opinion about #1 Syracuse's non-conference schedule was conveniently brought up by many. Their first true road game, never leaving the state of New York until Big East play...and so it went. But in the midst of some patting themselves on the back they may have forgotten about the amount of talent at Jim Boeheim's disposal. What ensued was a stunning 20-0 Syracuse run, with the Orange playing their best basketball of the season during that stretch. The Wolfpack, much to their credit, would fight back and tie the game in the second half but that would be short-lived.

Guards Dion Waiters (22 points) and Scoop Jardine (16 points, four assists) led the way as the Orange pulled away for an 88-72 victory, and Kris Joseph added 21 points and five rebounds. In addition to Waiters, C.J. Fair and James Southerland scored 11 points apiece as the Orange reserves outscored NC State's bench 46-4 on the night. Feel free to use the convenient reasons to question Syracuse if you wish, but do so at your own peril.

4. Speaking of Philadelphia, Saint Joseph's makes their first home game against Villanova a memorable one.
In the history of the Big 5 Saint Joseph's had never hosted Villanova at Hagan Arena before Saturday night, usually playing their home games at The Palestra. Thanks to the trio of Carl Jones, C.J. Aiken and Langston Galloway the Hawks made the first meeting a memorable one, outclassing the Wildcats 74-58 in a game they led by as many as 20 in the second half. Saint Joseph's shot 50.8% from the field while limiting the visitors to 33.3% shooting, and the second half turned into a dunk contest of sort at one point. Galloway finished with 20 points and six assists while Jones (15 points, four assists) and Aiken (11 points, seven rebounds and four blocks) also played well, and Ronald Roberts added 12 off the bench.

Outside of Maalik Wayns (19 points) Villanova received little of consequence offensively from anyone, and with Mouphtaou Yarou less than 100% they needed a Dominic Cheek (or anyone else) to step up. But the Wildcats looked startled by the environment, and instead of becoming more comfortable with the surroundings the opposite seemed to happen as the game wore on. There are some definite questions for Villanova to answer, especially their lack of three-point shooting, but there's no doubt that Saint Joseph's can be a factor in the Atlantic 10.

5. Florida jumps Texas A&M from the start in what turned out to be a comfortable win.
There were concerns about what Billy Kennedy's team would be able to do in the second game of the Orange Bowl Classic against Florida given their strength of schedule, especially in the backcourt. Well, things got out of hand quickly as Florida jumped out to a 20-5 lead on their way to 50 first-half points and an 84-64 win. Kenny Boynton led four starters in double figures with 22 points (Erik Murphy's validated his return to the starting lineup with 13 points) and the Gators made 23 of 30 free throws to outscore the Aggies by 16 from the charity stripe. This all happened with Florida big man Patric Young taking just two shots on the afternoon.

Foul trouble didn't help the big man but this was a prime opportunity for an opponent to punish Florida for this, but Texas A&M was incapable of doing so. Shooting guard Elston Turner finished with 20 points and forwards Ray Turner (20 points) and Khris Middleton (12 points) were solid as well, but A&M can't entertain realistic thoughts of contending in the Big 12 if they don't get more out the guards not named Turner. Dash Harris, Jamal Branch and Jordan Green combined to shoot just 3-for-9 from the field, and that simply will not get it done.

6. It may be too much to say that Butler saved their season, but that wouldn't be far off.
At the half of Butler's game against Purdue at Conseco Fieldhouse the Bulldogs trailed 46-35, but that margin didn't tell the whole story for Brad Stevens' team. Purdue shot 66.7% on two-point shots and turned the ball over just three times to Butler's nine, underlining the fact that the Bulldogs weren't defending at the level they need to in order to be successful. The choice was simple from an observer's standpoint: either Butler gets better defensively and has a shot at avoiding a seventh loss on the season, or they continue on that path and end up getting run out of the gym.

Butler chose the former, limiting Purdue to 19 points and 6-for-29 from the field in the second half to get back into the game. Andrew Smith's putback with a second remaining proved to be the difference in Butler's 67-65 win, an outcome the Bulldogs desperately needed. Smith and Kameron Woods scored 12 points apiece to lead the way offensively while Chase Stigall knocked down some big shots on his way to 11 points. Save their season? That may be a bit too dramatic but if Butler makes a run their win over Purdue will likely be seen as the catalyst.

Quick Hitters

1. The Elias Harris that many expect to see every game for Gonzaga showed up in Seattle, scoring 25 points (11-15 FG) and grabbing eight rebounds in the Bulldogs' 71-60 win over Arizona. Gonzaga scored the first 15 points of the game, establishing enough distance to hold off multiple Wildcat rallies.

2. If losing at Middle Tennessee earlier in the week wasn't hard enough, Belmont fell 66-61 at Miami (Ohio) on Saturday. The reason: Belmont shot 6-for-28 from beyond the arc, and Julian Mavunga led the home team with 17 points and ten rebounds.

3. Miami big man Reggie Johnson returned to the lineup in his first action of the season, and the difference in the Hurricanes was noticeable in their wild 93-90 double overtime win over FAU. Johnson accounted for 15 points, nine rebounds, five assists and five blocks in 36 minutes of action and Kenny Kadji led the way with 21 points. FAU may have one of the most entertaining backcourts that receives a limited amount of publicity, with Raymond Taylor (20 points, nine assists) and Omari Grier (27 points) giving the Canes fits all afternoon.

4. Vanderbilt was handed their fourth loss of the season, this time losing at home 61-55 to Indiana State. Jake Odum controlled the flow of the action for the Sycamores, who received a nice boost off the bench from R.J. Mahurin (14 points). John Jenkins scored 11 points, making just three of ten shots for the Commodores. While Vandy may be in some trouble right now, it's safe to say that the race Indiana State will be a part of in the Missouri Valley will be fun to watch unfold.

5. Kansas State moved to 7-1 thanks to a 71-58 win over #21 Alabama in Kansas City. One of the big reasons for the victory was the play of seven-footer Jordan Henriquez-Roberts, who put forth arguably the best game of his career with 17 points and eight rebounds. K-State out-rebounded the Crimson Tide 32-28 and took advantage of Alabama's inability to knock down perimeter shots (2-14 3PT) in the second half.

6. Remember when New Mexico had the look of an early season disappointment? Steve Alford's team won its sixth straight on Saturday night, beating Oklahoma State 66-56 in Oklahoma City. Drew Gordon grabbed 20 rebounds and scored 13 points while Kendall Williams led the Lobos with 16 points.

7. Stallon Saldivar's three-pointer with less than a second remaining gave Northern Arizona a much-needed 69-68 win over Arizona State in Tempe. The Lumberjacks are just one week removed from having Mike Adras step down as head coach due to their 2-7 start, and they've won two straight since. Saturday's win is also their second straight over Arizona State.

8. They didn't get to welcome Marquette transfer Reggie Smith to the rotation (that will come on Monday) but that made little difference for UNLV, who got it done defensively in their 64-48 win over Illinois at the United Center. The Fighting Illini shot a frigid 25.4% from the field and Mike Moser led the Runnin' Rebels with 17 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.

Six Notable Performances

1. G Reggie Hamilton (Oakland)
Hamilton was outstanding in the Golden Grizzlies' 82-80 win over Valparaiso, scoring 41 points to go along with four rebounds, four steals and three assists. Hamilton's jumper at the buzzer proved to be the difference.

2. G Steven Pledger (Oklahoma)
31 points (10-13 FG), 10 rebounds and two steals in the Sooners' 79-74 win over Houston.

3. F Tyler Zeller (North Carolina)
31 points (11-15 FG) and 10 rebounds in the Tar Heels' 97-82 win over Appalachian State.

4. G Mike Moore (Hofstra)
32 points (7-11 3PT), seven rebounds and two steals in the Pride's 82-62 win over Manhattan, tying a school record for three-pointers made in a game.

5. F Julian Boyd (Long Island) and F Will Barton (Memphis)
Boyd finished with 29 points and 17 rebounds in the Blackbirds' 82-80 win over Saint Peter's while Barton put up 28 and 16 in Memphis' 95-87 loss at Louisville.

6. F Anthony Davis (Kentucky) and F Drew Gordon (New Mexico)
Davis tallied 14 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks in Kentucky's 87-62 win over Chattanooga while Gordon led New Mexico to their 66-56 win over Oklahoma State with 13 points and 20 rebounds.

Saturday Preview: #22 Texas A&M vs. #13 Florida

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 00:32:22 -0500

The end of finals week for many schools means a step up in competition on Saturday, and one contest that will garner attention is the second game of the Orange Bowl Classic in Sunrise, Florida. #22 Texas A&M (8-1), which has a strength of schedule that ranks 341st in the country, takes on #13 Florida (7-2) in what should be an interesting matchup. Do the Aggies have the horses on the perimeter to hang with the Gator guards? That's a big question that A&M needs answered in the affirmative if they're to have a shot at knocking off Florida, but it's going to be difficult to say the least.

Dash Harris (3.7 ppg, 4.1 apg) is called upon more for his distribution skills, and with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.6 he's done a good job of taking care of the basketball. But he's also shooting a meager 25.6% from the field, making it likely that Florida essentially dares him to shoot from the perimeter. Washington transfer Elston Turner (12.1 ppg) provides the scoring for the starting backcourt, and at this stage he may be an upgrade over last year's starter B.J. Holmes. Jordan Green, who moved into the starting lineup when Khris Middleton went down with a knee injury, is averaging 5.7 points and 2.9 rebounds per game while shooting 47.8% from the field.

Florida can counter with four guards who average at least 9.8 points per game and a fifth (Scottie Wilbekin) who sees minutes due to his ability to take care of the basketball and defend. Erving Walker (13.9 ppg, 5.1 apg) and Kenny Boynton (18.7 ppg, 3.1 apg) are both tough guards who can get their looks in a variety of ways. However the key for them, as well as reserve Mike Rosario (9.8 ppg) is shot selection. All three can get a bit wild on occasion, which can lead to the neglect of their weapon in the post. As for freshman Bradley Beal, simply put the St. Louis native is going to be a star. Beal's second on the team in scoring (15.1 ppg) and third in rebounding (6.6 rpg), and if he can cut down on the turnovers look out.

But back to Florida's interior weapon, sophomore Patric Young. A player some scouts compared to Dwight Howard before he played a game at the collegiate level, the sophomore is averaging 11.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game on the season. With more minutes his field goal percentage, assists and blocks have increased as well, but there have been times where his teammates seem to forget how important it is to keep him involved offensively. Young's taken ten or more shots in just two games this season, attempting just seven in the Gators' last outing. Florida needs to get him involved from the start against the Aggies' deep and active frontcourt.

Middleton (15.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and David Lobeau (11.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg) lead the way from an experience standpoint but junior Ray Turner (13.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg) has been a factor for Billy Kennedy's team as well. Turner opened the season with consecutive 20-point outings, and his field goal percentage (63.7%) leads Texas A&M. Kourtney Roberson and Keith Davis provide additional size off the bench for the Aggies, and on the perimeter they can call on vet Naji Hibbert and freshman Jamal Branch as well.

Florida will also look for quality minutes from forwards Will Yeguete (6.5 points, 6.8 rpg) and Erik Murphy (8.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg) along with wing Casey Prather. While there's a sizable difference in the number of possessions per game (Florida averages seven more possessions per game), Texas A&M has been the better team on the glass. The Aggies out-rebound their opponents by 10.3 rebounds per game while the Gators grab 7.9 more boards, but there's also the matter of offensive rebounding to take into consideration.

Florida's grabbed 40.8% of their misses while Texas A&M's opponents have an offensive rebounding rate of just 25.1%. That area, along with A&M's turnovers (their turnover percentage is six points higher than Florida's), will ultimately determine whether or not Texas A&M can pick up a key victory. The Aggies won't be the only Big 12 team to hit the road for a big game as #7 Baylor visits one of the toughest environments in college basketball as they take on BYU in Provo. The frontcourt play will be worth the price of admission itself, but the key for the Bears will be how their guards perform in their first true road game. Also of note will be mid-year transfers Gary Franklin (Baylor) and Matt Carlino (BYU) making their first appearances with their new programs.

A rivalry from the days of the Metro Conference and Conference USA will also be rekindled as Louisville hosts Memphis. The Tigers welcome back guard Charles Carmouche, who was suspended four games by the NCAA, while the Cardinals hope to have Kevin Ware available for his first action of the season. But Ware sprained his ankle in practice earlier in the week so it remains to be seen if he can go. The perimeter play with the likes of Peyton Siva and Joe Jackson will be fun to watch, but for Memphis to win big man Tarik Black needs to stay on the floor. Louisville's Chane Behanan has been one of the best interior freshmen in the country to date.

UNLV taking on Illinois in the United Center is a contest that could have a serious impact on what happens come March, especially for the Runnin' Rebels. Dave Rice was hopeful that Marquette transfer Reggie Smith would be able to make his debut but that may not come until Monday. This contest also offers another good test for Illinois big man Meyers Leonard; with the Rebels being able to more than hold their own against North Carolina a few weeks ago it's obvious that this experienced corps can give he and the rest of the Fighting Illini forwards a hard time. Mike Moser leads the nation in rebounding and can do a little bit of everything for UNLV, while Chace Stanback is one of their many versatile perimeter options.

There's also the matter of the "Holy War" between Villanova and Saint Joseph's, with the Wildcats visiting Hawk Hill to take on the Hawks in the refurbished Hagan Arena. The Big 5 always offers highly competitive basketball but this one will be at a fevered pitch as the Hawks never get to host Villanova, and with Carl Jones, Langston Galloway and C.J. Aiken they've got the weapons to send the Wildcats home with a loss. It will be imperative that Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek lead in more ways than the scoring column given the youth of Jay Wright's team.

Out west there's another enticing matchup as Arizona takes on Gonzaga in Seattle. Which Elias Harris shows up for the Bulldogs will likely determine the outcome of the game as Arizona may not have the depth required to deal with both he and Robert Sacre if the junior is on his game. But Arizona wasn't expected to hang with Florida in Gainesville and all they did was take the Gators to overtime. Nick Johnson is one of the top freshman guards around, and if the Wildcats can get something of import from Josiah Turner things could get interesting. It isn't Christmas yet, but this slate is a nice holiday present for college hoops fans.

Top 25 Games
6:30 PM (1) Syracuse at North Carolina State (ESPN2)
12:00 PM (2) Ohio State at South Carolina (ESPN)
8:00 PM Chattanooga at (3) Kentucky (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Memphis at (4) Louisville (CBS)
6:00 PM Appalachian State at (6) North Carolina (ESPNU)
2:00 PM (7) Baylor at Brigham Young (BYU TV)
4:00 PM Northern Colorado at (11) Marquette (ESPN3)
2:30 PM (22) Texas A&M vs. (13) Florida* (FSN)
6:00 PM South Carolina State at (14) Pittsburgh (ESPN3)
12:00 PM (16) Mississippi State at Detroit (ESPN3)
12:00 PM American University at (17) Georgetown (ESPN3)
12:00 PM Alabama A&M at (18) Michigan (BTN)
5:00 PM UNLV vs. (19) Illinois (BTN)
4:30 PM Notre Dame vs. (20) Indiana* (ESPN2)
10:00 PM (21) Alabama vs. Kansas State* (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Bowling Green at (23) Michigan State (BTN)
8:05 PM Houston Baptist at (24) Creighton
5:30 PM Indiana State at (25) Vanderbilt (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
12:00 PM Elon at Dartmouth
12:00 PM Stony Brook vs. Rutgers* (MSG)
12:00 PM Florida Atlantic vs. Miami (FL)* (FSN)
1:00 PM Marist at New Hampshire
1:00 PM Iona at Vermont
2:00 PM Central Connecticut State at Northwestern
2:00 PM Albany at Cornell
2:00 PM Texas A&M-CC at West Virginia (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Radford at Cincinnati (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Saint Peter's at Long Island
2:00 PM Southern Illinois at Northern Illinois (FCS)
2:00 PM Butler vs. Purdue* (CBS)
2:00 PM Duquesne at Western Michigan
2:05 PM Tennessee Tech at Evansville
2:30 PM Temple at Texas (ESPN2)
2:30 PM Fordham at St. John's (MSG)
3:00 PM Southeastern Louisiana at Arkansas
3:00 PM UC Davis at UCLA (FSN PT)
3:00 PM Missouri Valley at Northwestern State
3:05 PM Kennesaw State at Missouri State
3:15 PM USC Upstate at Stetson
4:00 PM Campbell at Virginia Tech (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Florida A&M at Akron
4:00 PM Bradley at Drexel
4:00 PM Arizona vs. Gonzaga* (CBS)
4:00 PM Binghamton at Hofstra
4:00 PM Chicago State at Loyola (IL)
4:30 PM Belmont at Miami (OH)
4:30 PM Winthrop at Clemson (ESPN3)
4:30 PM Ole Miss at Southern Miss (ESPN3)
5:00 PM Old Dominion at UCF
5:00 PM Spring Hill at Samford
5:00 PM Pacific at Santa Clara
6:00 PM Northern Arizona at Arizona State (FSN AZ)
6:00 PM Charleston Southern at Charleston (ESPN3)
6:00 PM UC Riverside at Nevada
6:30 PM Boise State at Denver (Root NW)
7:00 PM Quinnipiac at Massachusetts (NESN)
7:00 PM Ohio at Wright State
7:00 PM Texas-Arlington at Tulsa
7:00 PM High Point at Marshall
7:00 PM Richmond at Bucknell
7:00 PM FIU at Dayton
7:00 PM Tennessee State at Delaware State
7:00 PM Hampton at Liberty
7:00 PM Rider at UMBC
7:00 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Robert Morris
7:00 PM Youngstown State at Toledo
7:00 PM UNC Wilmington at VCU (ESPN3)
8:00 PM North Florida at Auburn
8:00 PM San Diego at Stanford
8:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at Jacksonville State
8:00 PM Arkansas State at Murray State
8:00 PM Furman at Western Kentucky (FCS)
8:00 PM Alabama State at Saint Louis
8:00 PM Alcorn State at Nebraska (BTN.com)
8:00 PM Houston vs. Oklahoma* (ESPNU)
8:00 PM Lamar at Rice
8:00 PM Nebraska Omaha at Milwaukee
8:00 PM Arkansas-Pine Bluff at DePaul
8:00 PM Rochester Coll at Austin Peay
8:00 PM Arkansas-Little Rock at Louisiana Tech
8:00 PM Mayville State at North Dakota State
8:00 PM Villanova at Saint Joseph's (CBSSN)
8:05 PM Oakland at Valparaiso
9:00 PM UMES at Air Force
9:00 PM Drake at Iowa (BTN)
9:00 PM Texas College at Stephen F. Austin
9:00 PM Southern at UTEP
9:05 PM Seattle at Utah State (ESPN3)
9:05 PM La Verne at Cal State Fullerton
9:05 PM Georgia State at Utah Valley
10:00 PM Georgia at USC (FSN)
10:00 PM Cal Poly at Fresno State
10:00 PM Montana at Portland
10:00 PM Menlo College at San Francisco
10:00 PM Bethune-Cookman at Saint Mary's
10:05 PM Cal State Bakersfield at Idaho
10:05 PM Pacifica College at Cal State Northridge
10:30 PM New Mexico vs. Oklahoma State* (ESPN2)

Saturday Recap: Watford's Shot Lifts Indiana Past Kentucky

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 11:42:13 -0500

In the days leading up to Indiana's game against#1 Kentucky at Assembly Hall there weren't too many people who thought that the Hoosiers could knock off the Wildcats. There were a few outside of the Indiana fan base who picked Tom Crean's team to win, but the majority of the predictions ranged anywhere from a close loss to a Kentucky blowout with IU's schedule to date being the main reason why. But what didn't seem realistic in the days leading up to the game became reality thanks to Christian Watford, who knocked down a three from the left elbow as time expired to give Indiana the 73-72 win.

Watford led five Hoosiers in double figures with 20 points in his best performance of the season, with Victor Oladipo (13 points, seven rebounds) and Cody Zeller (11 points, seven rebounds) chipping in as well. Zeller was also the focal point of what plagued Indiana as they watched a ten-point lead slip away, as the Hoosiers threw up wild shots instead of getting their freshman the ball.

Kentucky's Anthony Davis was either out of the game or playing with four fouls for a good portion of that stretch, which should have lent itself to getting Zeller the ball. But the Hoosiers survived and won a game that in recent years they'd either lose late or not be in to begin with, so this is a big step in the return to national prominence.

"It's a great moment for us.," said Crean. "It's a great victory because it's just such an outstanding team and a team, you can see it, the explosiveness, the athleticism, the skill level, the coaching, it's top notch and to get a win like that is huge and to have it be at home where our fans had so much to do with it is the biggest part of the day."

Doron Lamb (19 points) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (18 points, nine rebounds) led the way for the Wildcats while Marquis Teague scored the majority of his 15 points in a solid second half, but they needed more from sophomore forward Terrence Jones. Jones didn't look to be himself from an activity standpoint, finishing with four points and one rebound in 28 minutes of action.

But in spite of his struggles and Davis' foul trouble Kentucky still had a chance to get out of Bloomington with the win. Lamb made one of two free throws with 5.6 seconds remaining to give UK a 72-70 lead, setting the stage for Kentucky to give a foul since they had two to give. But whether it was a matter of the Kentucky defender (Teague) not being convincing enough in his attempt to foul or the official failing to make the call, that didn't happen. And as a result, Kentucky likely won't be ranked number one on Monday.

"We were going to foul them," said Calipari. "We had two fouls to use. So, the whole timeout was about fouling. Marquis tried to foul and they didn't call it. No one fouled."

Kentucky made 55.6% of their shots on the afternoon, but Indiana outscored the Wildcats 27-6 in points from beyond the arc. That discrepancy made up for Indiana shooting just 43.1% overall and 37.2% on two-point baskets, the latter number partially reflecting the effects of the wingspan of Kentucky's front line. But Indiana hung in there and ultimately won, and it has to be considered the watershed moment of the Crean era. But there's still plenty of work to be done and games to be won, so it may be wise to hold off on declaring Indiana to be all the way "back".

Other Notable Happenings

1. Key figures step up in Kansas' win over a Jared Sullinger-less Ohio State.
Unfortunately for Thad Matta the All-American power forward was unable to go due to back spasms, and this development opened the door for Kansas to knock off the #2 team in the country. The Jayhawks took full advantage, with Thomas Robinson scoring 21 points and Tyshawn Taylor (playing with a torn meniscus, which will sideline him for the next three weeks) dishing out 13 assists in Kansas' 78-67 win in Lawrence. Ohio State fell behind by double figures in the first half and couldn't get over the hump despite nunerous attempts to take the lead.

William Buford scored 21 points to lead the Buckeyes and Deshaun Thomas added 19, but shooting 39% from the field led to their first loss of the season. The question for Ohio State with Sullinger out is a simple one: who steps up to create offense for this team. Aaron Craft scored 11 points and dished out six assists, but Ohio State will need to do more in 1-on-1 situations while the big man is out. But the Buckeyes will be fine due to the remaining talent and experience.

2. Xavier's emphatic win over Cincinnati sullied by both teams embarrassing their institutions.
It would be nice to be able to focus on the Musketeers' 76-53 win over city rival Cincinnati for the play on the floor, as Chris Mack's team pulled away late in the first half and added to their lead throughout the final 20 minutes. However thanks to a bench-clearing brawl that resulted in the game being ended with 9.3 seconds remaining the actual game takes a back seat to one of the ugliest sights in recent memory. Whether citing the statement made by Cincinnati's Sean Kilpatrick earlier in the week or the chirping going on before the national anthem, it was pretty clear that the Bearcats and Musketeers were going to have some issues throughout the course of the game.

But a brawl? There were so many things to point out during the fracas that have no place in sports, from Tu Holloway talking to the Cincinnati bench to the standoff between he and Ge'Lawn Guyn (with Dezmine Wells entering himself with a shove) to Yancy Gates decking Kenny Frease and Cheikh Mbodj following up with an Ndamukong Suh-esque stomp to Frease's head. There was also the bright idea to allow Holloway and Mark Lyons to speak to the media in the aftermath of the fight, and that clearly didn't go well. Per NCAA rules the three players ejected for fighting (Gates and Mbodj for Cincinnati, Wells for Xavier) will sit out their team's next game but it's clear that one game won't be enough for many of the players involved. It will be interesting to see how the schools and their respective conferences hand out discipline for this disgraceful showing.

3. UNLV can't get their tempo going in a loss at Wisconsin.
Few people expected Dave Rice's Runnin' Rebels to be able to go into the Kohl Center and play the fast tempo that they prefer. Wisconsin's just that good at controlling the flow of the game thanks to Bo Ryan's system, and that ultimately resulted in a 62-51 Badger victory. Jordan Taylor scored just four points and missed all ten of his shots from the field, but the Rebels couldn't take advantage due to their own poor shooting. Removing Chace Stanback (5-9 FG, 16 points), UNLV's starters made just seven of twenty-four shots from the field and as a team the Rebels were outscored by 15 points (30-15) from beyond the arc.

On the season Wisconsin scores 41% of their points from deep but on Saturday that number was up to 48%, and that's a number that can be tough to overcome when a team makes just 38% of their two-point shots as UNLV did. Ben Brust was outstanding off the bench as he made all seven of his three-point attempts in scoring a game-high 25 points. Brust gives the Badgers a scoring punch off the bench that they haven't had especially in the backcourt, and if he can continue to provide that Wisconsin has a weapon that teams will find difficult to match. But even with Brust's play UNLV has to assign more blame to their own offensive performance for the defeat.

4. Draymond Green leads Michigan State to a good road win at Gonxaga.
One thing that's been quite apparent over the last year plus is just how good of a leader Michigan State senior forward Draymond Green is. And with the young team that Tom Izzo has this season it's imperative that Green continue to carry the load in that area, which he's done all season long. The Spartans' leader in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals was outstanding in their 74-67 win at Gonzaga, scoring 34 points while providing great on-court leadership. As a team Michigan State shot 54.2% from the field and assisted on 18 of their 26 made baskets while Gonzaga's assist/turnover split (nine assists, 20 turnovers) played a big role in their demise. Also of import was the defense that Michigan State played in slowing down Elias Harris and Kevin Pangos, who shot a combined 5-for-19 from the field. But all that together and you end up with one of the more impressive road victories of the season to date.

5. Saint Joseph's hands #17 Creighton their first loss of the season.
There was no doubting the fact that Phil Martelli's improved Hawks had a shot to knock off undefeated Creighton going into Saturday's matinee. And thanks to Carl Jones, who scored a game-high 29 points, the Hawks got the job done by the final score of 80-71. Doug McDermott led Creighton with yet another double-double as he finished with 26 points and ten rebounds, but the Bluejay reserves were outscored 20-6 by the Saint Joseph's tandem of Ronald Roberts Jr. (12 points) and Chris Wilson (eight). Add in the fact that the Hawks attempted 23 more free throws (making 19 to Creighton's six) and it's pretty easy to see why the home team won. The Hawks' offensive numbers were significantly better than what the Bluejays allow on the average this season, and they've played much improved basketball when compared to 2010-11. Just another good non-conference win for the Atlantic 10, one of the leagues likely to profit from a down Pac-12 come March.

Quick Hitters

1. Duke had the look of a marathoner who got off to a fast start only to hold on for dear life towards the end as cramping set in with their 86-80 win over Washington. Austin Rivers scored 18 points and Andre Dawkins added 17 off the bench, but Washington's Tony Wroten was a major player in the Huskies' comeback with 23 points.

2. Don't look now but Columbia has now won seven straight thanks to their 63-53 win over NEC favorite LIU. Mark Cisco and John Daniels scored 12 points apiece and defensively the Lions limited LIU to 36.4% shooting from the field. And this has happened with Norwua Agho missing the last nine games with a torn patellar tendon.

3. Nick Johnson scored 14 points and Solomon Hill 13 in Arizona's 63-47 win over Clemson in a game that also featured the return of point guard Josiah Turner. Turner finished with six points and five turnovers in 17 minutes of action, but if Sean Miller can get him to buy in the Wildcats will be one of the favorites in the Pac-12.

4. Ramone Moore scored 32 points and grabbed six rebounds in Temple's 78-67 win over Villanova. Maalik Wayns, Dominic Cheek and Mouphtaou Yarou scored 47 of the Wildcats' 67 points on the afternoon, and to be frank if they don't get contributions from the supporting cast it could be tough for Jay Wright's team to grab an 8th straight NCAA Tournament bid.

5. Lazeric Jones led four UCLA players in double figures with 21 points as the Bruins beat Penn 77-73 in their first game post-Reeves Nelson. Penn's field goal (44.8%) and effective field goal (55.2%) percentages were actually improvements for UCLA defensively when looking at their season averages. The chemistry may be better without Nelson but talent-wise there's still a long way to go for Ben Howland's team.

6. While Tennessee won't be a national contender, Austin Peay picked up an important 74-70 win in Knoxville. Josh Terry scored 20 points and TyShawn Edmondson added 19 off the bench as the Governors picked up their second win of the season. Dave Loos' team can still be a factor in the OVC despite the slow start.

7. Jarrod Jones scored 21 points and his jumper with 48 seconds remaining proved to be the difference in Ball State's 58-55 home win over Butler. As for the Bulldogs, outside of Khyle Marshall (9-15 FG, 21 points) the team shot 11-for-40 from the field. Brad Stevens needs guys to step up as consistent offensive options if Butler is to be a contender in the Horizon League.

Five Notable Performances

1. G/F Alex Young (IUPUI)
43 points (14-20 FG), nine rebounds and three steals in the Jaguars' 84-76 win over Western Kentucky.

2. F Javon McCrea (Buffalo)
29 points (14-17 FG), 13 rebounds and three steals in the Bulls' 80-72 win over Youngstown State.

3. F Draymond Green (Michigan State)
34 points (11-13 FG), three assists and three steals in Michigan State's 74-67 win over Gonzaga.

4. G Damian Lillard (Weber State)
Lillard bounced back from an off night at BYU with 31 points (9-15 FG), nine assists and three rebounds in the Wildcats' 84-66 win over Southern Utah.

5. G Bryce Cotton (Providence)
34 points (11-16 FG) and three rebounds inthe Friars' 72-61 win over Brown.