Seton Hall

Huskies, Bulls Winners on Big East "Bubble Day"

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 21:39:12 -0800

Wednesday shaped up as a big day at Madison Square Garden, as four of the eight teams in action were looking to boost their respective NCAA tournament resumes. Two of the four teams, Connecticut and West Virginia, kicked things off in a tight contest that neither team led by more than eleven points (WVU). And while there were plenty of head-scratching decisions made down the stretch by both teams, Jim Calhoun's Huskies were the ones best able to navigate those issues, winning 71-67 in overtime to advance to Thursday's quarterfinals.

UConn gets the ultimate "signature win" opportunity as they take on a Syracuse games that's lost just one game this season and beaten the Huskies twice. Shabazz Napier led the way for the Huskies with 26 points, six assists and four rebounds, eventually fouling out early in overtime after waiting too long and ending up having to force a challenged three at the end of regulation. But his decision-making issues were trumped by West Virginia guard Truck Bryant, who forced some really bad shots down the stretch as the Mountaineers sputtered offensively.

"When coach asked us to run a play, we have to execute it as well as possible, and I don't think we do a good job of that," said Kevin Jones, who finished with 25 points and ten rebounds. "Also, we don't do a good job of staying strong with the ball. We let people take the ball from us, and it's kind of a matter of getting out?toughed the last five minutes."

Turnovers were one issue, but the biggest was the fact that WVU failed to get the ball to Jones down the stretch. The senior from nearby Mount Vernon, NY, who many claimed should have been Big East Player of the Year, attempted a shot with 7:16 remaining in regulation and didn't take another until he missed a three with 1:30 to go...in overtime. Some of the credit can be given to Andre Drummond, whose performance on the defensive end improved greatly in the second half, but the overwhelming feeling is that WVU didn't execute well enough to get Jones the ball.

The Mountaineers squandered a dominant effort on the glass, as they grabbed 26 offensive boards and out-rebounded UConn 47-31 on the afternoon. But those issues executing, with the guards as a whole struggling to get the ball where it needed to go, along with Jeremy Lamb waking up with Napier finished to knock down a key three-pointer with 1:05 remaining in overtime, proved costly. WVU played a good non-conference schedule and that's something the selection committee tends to reward, so the Mountaineers will likely end up in the Big Dance.

It's not so cut and dry at this point for Seton Hall, with the Pirates now turning into spectators following their 61-55 loss to Louisville. Kevin Willard's Pirates approach Selection Sunday having lost four of their last six games, and was a struggle offensively against the Cardinals. Point guard Jordan Theodore finished with a team-high 17 points but just two assists, with the first not coming until nine minutes remaining in the game. Have the Pirates done enough to be a part of the field? It's going to be a stressful couple of days for Seton Hall, who hope that their high strength of schedule can push them through.

USF completed the night with a 56-47 win over Villanova, and the key at this point for Stan Heath's Bulls is to simply keep winning. Freshman point guard Anthony Collins led the way with 17 points and four assists in what was an ugly game offensively, and a third win over the Wildcats won't do a whole lot for their resume. But to get a matchup with Notre Dame is a great opportunity for the Bulls, who with a win on Thursday night would make their first-ever semifinal appearance. The simplest thing for a bubble team to do at this time of the season is to make sure they live to fight another day. Connecticut and USF did just that on Wednesday.

Three Notable Performances

1. C Mike Muscala (Bucknell) and G C.J. McCollum (Lehigh)
Muscala accounted for 30 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots in the Bison's 82-77 loss to Lehigh in the Patriot League final. McCollum led the Mountain Hawks with 29 points, five assists, three rebounds and three steals.

2. G Damian Lillard (Weber State) and F Mathias Ward (Montana)
Lillard finished with 29 points, ten rebounds and seven assists in the Wildcats' 85-66 loss to Montana in the Big Sky final. Ward led the Grizzlies with 23 points, knocking down ten of his sixteen shots from the field to go along with eight rebounds.

3. F Rian Pearson (Toledo)
20 points and 15 rebounds in the Rockets' 75-72 win over Northern Illinois.

Wednesday Predictions: Big Sky, NEC, Patriot Finals & More

Greg Mengelt — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 08:16:51 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. He'll be picking (just about) every conference tournament game over the next week, including tonight's three key championship games. Games listed in order with later rounds on top and earlier rounds at the bottom. Read more about Championship Week at CollegeHoops.net.

BIG SKY CHAMPIONSHIP: AT MONTANA

(2) Weber State (24-5, 14-2) at (1) Montana (24-6, 15-1)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Weber State 80-64; Feb. 28 – Montana 66-51. RPI: Montana 82, Weber State 69. Analysis: The Grizzlies are simply the better team. With the homecourt advantage, it should be a comfortable win for Montana. Pick: Montana 71, Weber State 61.

NORTHEAST CHAMPIONSHIP: AT LIU

(3) Robert Morris (24-9, 13-5) at (1) Long Island (24-8, 16-2)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 26 – Robert Morris 75-66. RPI: Long Island 91, Robert Morris 109. Analysis: Velton Jones is one of the hottest players in the country and should help the Colonials punch their ticket. Line: Long Island -1. Pick: Robert Morris 69, Long Island 65.

PATRIOT LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP: AT BUCKNELL

(2) Lehigh (25-7) at (1) Bucknell (11-3)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: CBS Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 18 – Bucknell 68-61*; Feb. 16 – Lehigh 56-53*. RPI: Bucknell 89, Lehigh 113. Analysis: Lehigh’s C.J. McCollum is a superstar, but beating the Bison on the road twice may be too much to ask. Line: Bucknell -5. Pick: Bucknell 66, Lehigh 59.

BIG EAST SECOND ROUND: AT NEW YORK CITY

(8) West Virginia (19-12, 9-9) vs. (9) Connecticut (19-12, 8-10)

Tipoff: Noon. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 9 – Connecticut 64-57. RPI: Connecticut 33, West Virginia 42. Analysis: Two good performances in a row may be too much to ask of this UConn team. Line: UConn -2. Pick: West Virginia 68, Connecticut 62.

(5) Georgetown (22-7, 12-6) vs. (13) Pittsburgh (17-15, 5-13)

Tipoff: 2 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 28 – Pitt 72-60. RPI: Georgetown 9, Pittsburgh 90. Analysis: Pitt may not win the game, but the Panthers should cover in a low-scoring game. Line: Georgetown -6. Pick: Georgetown 57, Pittsburgh 53.

(7) Louisville (22-9, 10-8) vs. (10) Seton Hall (20-11, 8-10)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 28 – Louisville 60-51*. RPI: Louisville 28, Seton Hall 60. Analysis: Great matchup for Louisville. The Cardinals defense will lead them to a big win. Pick: Louisville 59, Seton Hall 47.

(6) South Florida (19-12, 12-6) vs. (14) Villanova (13-18, 5-13)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 5 – South Florida 74-57*; Feb. 15 – South Florida 65-51. RPI: South Florida 43, Villanova 105. Analysis: Love the Wildcats for the upset. Pick: Villanova 55, South Florida 52.

PAC-12 FIRST ROUND: AT LOS ANGELES

(8) Washington State (15-15, 7-11) vs. (9) Oregon State (17-13, 7-11)

Tipoff: 3:10 p.m. TV: FSN. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – Washington State 81-76; Feb. 9 – Washington State 83-73. RPI: Washington State 170, Oregon State 151. Analysis: Close game. The Beavers will at least cover. Line: Oregon State -3½. Pick: Oregon State 78, Washington State 76.

(5) UCLA (18-13, 11-7) vs. (12) USC (6-25, 1-17)

Tipoff: 5:40 p.m. TV: FSN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 15 – UCLA 66-47*; Feb. 15 – UCLA 64-54. RPI: UCLA 103, USC 259. Analysis: UCLA is playing its best basketball, rallying around Coach Ben Howland. The Bruins may make a run in this tourney. Line: UCLA -12½. Pick: UCLA 73, USC 51.

(7) Stanford (20-10, 10-8) vs. (10) Arizona State (10-20, 6-12)

Tipoff: 9:10 p.m. TV: FSN. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 2 – Stanford 68-44. RPI: Stanford 96, Arizona State 248. Analysis: The Cardinal will blow out Arizona State for the second time this season. Line: Stanford -10. Pick: Stanford 71, Arizona State 54.

(6) Colorado (19-11, 11-7) vs. (11) Utah (6-24, 3-15)

Tipoff: 11:40 p.m. TV: FSN. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – Colorado 73-33; Feb. 18 – Colorado 55-48. RPI: Colorado 81, Utah 265. Analysis: The Buffaloes are really pretty good, and Utah … isn’t. Line: Colorado -11½. Pick: Colorado 66, Utah 51.

*Road win

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 137-103-3

Wednesday's Conference Tournament Primer

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 07:13:22 -0800

Day two of the Big East Championship features four teams looking to improve their chances of reaching the NCAA tournament, with the biggest game of the day being the first. Nine-seed Connecticut, who opener their tournament with an 81-67 win over DePaul on Tuesday, takes on eight-seed West Virginia with the winner likely locking up a tournament berth. These two teams met once during the regular season, a 64-57 UConn victory at the XL Center on January 9th, and with so much change over the nearly two months since that game there may not be a whole lot to take from it.

But there is rebounding, something the Mountaineers did extremely well in defeat and had they not gone cold in the second half Bob Huggins' team likely wins the game. WVU grabbed 20 offensive rebounds in the Januar meeting...twenty. The Mountaineers have been a very good team at hitting the offensive glass for most of Huggins' tenure at his alma mater, with the big men expected to give maximum effort in that department. This season West Virginia averages 14.7 offensive rebounds per game, which works out to the Mountaineers grabbing 40.7% of their misses per statsheet.com.

Kevin Jones, who led the Big East in both scoring and rebounding this season, has led the way and maybe he uses the slight of not being a unanimous All-Big East selection as motivation (this is the injustice Mountaineer fans should be upset about as opposed to the Player of the Year award). UConn clearly will try to account for Jones with their stable of big men, but if Deniz Kilicli brings the effort as well it will be tough for the Husky big men from a toughness standpoint. Roscoe Smith has played well of late and at this point is a key figure in the rotation, while getting the likes of Andre Drummond and Alex Oriakhi to play well on a consistent basis has remained an issue.

Guard play will be critical as well, especially with the Mountaineers calling on freshman guards Gary Browne and Jabarie Hinds in addition to senior Truck Bryant. Bryant needs to consistently make sound decisions if WVU is to be successful, and the same can be said for UConn's Jeremy Lamb and Shabazz Napier. The guards who play smarter will lead the winning team in this one.

Also on the bubble "stage" are Seton Hall and USF, with both teams likely needing wins albeit for different reasons. The Pirates looked to be a safe bet for the Field of 68 before dropping games to Rutgers and DePaul, so a win over Louisville would do a great deal for their hopes. USF simply needs to keep playing, as their unbalanced league slate has devalued their 12 league wins in the eyes of many.

Big East - Second Round
#8 West Virginia vs. #9 Connecticut, Noon (ESPN)
#5 Georgetown vs. #13 Pittsburgh, 2:00 p.m. (ESPN)
#7 Louisville vs. #10 Seton Hall, 7:00 p.m. (ESPN)
#6 USF vs. #14 Villanova, 9:00 p.m. (ESPN)

Big 12 - First Round
#8 Oklahoma vs. #9 Texas A&M, 7:00 p.m. (Big 12 Network)
#7 Oklahoma State vs. #10 Texas Tech, 9:30 p.m. (Big 12 Network)

Not a whole lot to see here, other than the fact that the two winners will move on to face Kansas and Missouri on Thursday. Oklahoma likely has the most to gain from today's action, as a win would guarantee a .500 (or better) finish and put them in line for a postseason berth in Lon Kruger's first season. The extra game and practice action can do a great deal for the Sooners, almost akin to what bowl practices can do for college football teams. The other three will need to win the conference tournament to either guarantee a .500 finish (Oklahoma State) or go to the postseason.

Big Sky - Title Game
#2 Weber State at #1 Montana, 9:00 p.m. (ESPN2)

The two best teams in the Big Sky all season long meet in Missoula with the winner getting the NCAA berth and the loser headed to the NIT. Weber State and Montana split the regular season series, with the home team winning both by double digits. The backcourt battle could be the best in the country on today's schedule, with Weber State's Damian Lillard and Scott Bamforth battling Montana's Will Cherry and Kareem Jamar. One area to watch tonight will be offensive rebounding, something the Wildcats have done well in both meetings. If Darin Mahoney and Kyle Tresnak can control the boards once again they can win in Missoula, and with the Grizzlies not being the best rebounding team that's definitely possible. Unlike the first two meetings, look for the rubber match to go right down to the wire.

Conference USA - First Round
#7 Rice vs. #10 East Carolina, 1:00 p.m. (CSS)
#6 Marshall vs. #11 SMU, 3:30 p.m. (CSS)
#8 UTEP vs. #9 Houston, 7:30 p.m. (CSS)
#5 UAB vs. #12 Tulane, 10:00 p.m. (CSS)

Similar to the Big 12's first round there's not much to see in Memphis in regards to who will make the NCAA tournament out of Conference USA (Memphis, who will reach the Sweet 16, is a lock. Who joins them?). UAB, Marshall, Rice and Houston are all playing for postseason berths, with the Thundering Herd having the best shot at finding somewhere to play next week. The other three all need multiple wins to ensure finishing .500 or better, and outside of the Herd (led by DeAndre Kane and Damier Pitts) and UAB (Cameron Moore is a player) it's tough to find any team capable of making a run to either Friday or Saturday.

MAC - Second Round
#12 Northern Illinois vs. #8 Western Michigan, 7:00 p.m. (STO)
#7 Toledo vs. #11 Central Michigan, 9:30 p.m. (STO)

The winners of tonight's action in Cleveland move on to battle Ohio and Kent State on Thursday night in the newly recorfigured MAC tournament, and for the Huskies and Chippewas to reach this point is a surprise in itself. NIU takes on a Western Michigan team that swept the regular season series, with the game in Kalamazoo being the closer of the two. CMU looks to be in better shape from a competitive standpoint in their matchup with Toledo, as the Chips lost to the Rockets by just five in their second meeting. Rian Pearson leads the way for the Rockets, and if CMU finds away to neutralize him they've got a shot at the win.

MEAC - Opening Round/Quarterfinals
# 1 Savannah State vs. #8 Hampton, 6:00 p.m.
# 2 Norfolk State vs. #10 Howard, 8:00 p.m.

The top two seeds begin their march towards the MEAC's automatic bid, and both Savannah State and Norfolk State will be favored to get to the semifinals. Horace Broadnax's Tigers won the regular season title outright, quite the achievement for a team not only picked to finish 11th in the preseason poll but also in its first season as a full Division I (and MEAC) member. NSU, who many expected to win the league, finished a game out of first and has the MEAC's best player in forward Kyle O'Quinn. Hampton may be able to give Savannah State some trouble and the same goes for Howard, but both favorites should move on.

NEC - Title Game
#3 Robert Morris at #1 LIU Brooklyn, 7:00 p.m. (ESPN2)

The NEC delivers a rematch of last season's title game, a battle that went right down to the wire with the home team (LIU Brooklyn) winning by a basket. The rematch should be just as close, with Velton Jones leading the Colonials and forwards Julian Boyd and Jamal Olasewere pacing the Blackbirds. LIU has to rebound, something they haven't always done consistently this season, if they're to defend their home floor and make a return trip to the Big Dance. RMU has done a solid job defensively of late, and that will be the ticket for them if they're to win an NEC title on the road for the second time in three seasons.

Pac-12 - First Round
#8 Washington State vs. # 9 Oregon State, 3:10 p.m. (FSN)
# 5 UCLA vs. # 12 USC, 5:40 p.m. (FSN)
# 7 Stanford vs. # 10 Arizona State, 9:10 p.m. (FSN)
# 6 Colorado vs. # 11 Utah, 11:40 p.m. (FSN)

The Pac-12 is essentially a tournament where one could toss two NCAA bids in the middle of the Staples Center and let all 12 teams fight to the death for them. The resumes are that bad, and without any true separation there isn't a clear favorite either. Colorado and Utah kick off their first Pac-12 tournament experiences and the Buffs will be favored to beat the Utes in the final game of the day. But a sleeper to grab the automatic berth may lie in the second game, as UCLA is coming off of a home sweep of the Washington schools as they brushed off the Sports Illustrated article that painted the program in a negative light. If Joshua Smith can stay on the floor and be a factor, there's no reason why the Bruins can't win the tournament. Oregon State and Stanford could also make a run, with the Cardinal likely being the better choice despite the presence of OSU's Jared Cunningham.

Patriot - Title Game
#2 Lehigh at #1 Bucknell, 7:00 p.m. (CBS SN)

The road team won both meetings during the regular season, with a C.J. McCollum dagger giving the Mountain Hawks the win in the second meeting. McCollum and Bucknell's Mike Muscala were the two best players in the Patriot League this season, with McCollum winning Player of the Year. But the key for the Mountain Hawks may be to make sure that Joe Willman doesn't have a big night alongside Muscala. Willman averaged 10.8 points per game and was a Second Team All-Patriot League selection, as was guard Cameron Ayers. Inside for Lehigh Gabe Knutson and Holden Grenier have both played well this season, providing good frontcourt scoring to balance out what McCollum brings to the table.

Southland - Quarterfinals
# 2 Stephen F. Austin vs. # 7 Sam Houston St, 1:00 p.m.
# 3 Lamar vs. # 6 Northwestern St., 3:30 p.m.
# 1 UT Arlington vs. # 8 Nicholls St., 6:00 p.m.
# 4 McNeese St. vs. # 5 UTSA, 8:30 p.m.

The Southland tournament gets going today (there's an off day between the semifinals and title game), and regular season champ UT-Arlington enters as the favorite. LaMarcus Reed III was one of the leaders for a team that lost just one game in conference play, but they won't go unchallenged in Katy either. Reigning tournament champion UTSA returned a number of key players from last season's team, most notable Melvin Johnson III and reserve Kannor Burrage leading the way. Pat Knight's Lamar Cardinals are another possible winner, provided seniors like Mike James take the reins from a leadership standpoint. Look for there to be an upset or two on our way to the championship.

SWAC -Quarterfinals
#2 Texas Southern vs. #7 Alabama A&M, 1:30 p.m. (SWAC TV)
#1 Mississippi Valley State vs. #8 Jackson State, 9:00 p.m. (SWAC TV)

MIssissippi Valley State begins tournament play with Jackson State, and while they ran through the SWAC without much fuss, the Delta Devils' overall record will make them a 16-seed should they get the automatic bid. Paul Crosby, Terrence Joyner and company have taken nearly a third of their shots from beyond the arc this season, and if those shots are falling MVSU is a tough team to beat. Jackson State played them close in both meetings, so the question for tonight is whether or not they have enough to get over the hump. Texas Southern gets the two-seed due to Southern's ineligibility, and they swept Alabama A&M during the regular season with both wins by double digits.

Detroit Grabs First Bid Since 1999: Tuesday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 23:09:23 -0800

When Western Kentucky fired Ken McDonald on January 6th few envisioned the young Hilltoppers earning a bid to the NCAA tournament. But they did just that, beating North Texas 74-70 in the Sun Belt title game.

1. Another team playing their best basketball at the right time is Detroit, who pulled away to beat top-seed Valparaiso on the Horizon League title game.
Ray McCallum Sr.'s Titans struggled offensively in the first half of thir contest with top seed Valparaiso, shooting just 29% from the field. But they trailed by just three points thanks to their effort on the defensive end, forcing the Crusaders into 11 first half turnovers. Things would change for Detroit in the second half, as Ray McCallum Jr. took control of the contest and as a team the Titans shot 57.7% while limiting Valpo to 31.8% from the field. The end result was a 70-50 win for Detroit, who has now won ten of their last eleven games heading into the Big Dance.

McCallum Jr. finished with a team-high 21 points to go along with six rebounds, four steals and three assists. Jason Calliste added 17 points and LaMarcus Lowe 14 and ten rebounds, and three of Valparaiso's four best players were kept in check. Will Bogan, Ben Boggs and Erik Buggs combined to score just five points, shooting a poor 1-for-12 on the night. Depending on their seed Detroit is more than capable of throwing a scare into a high seed, and with the amount of talent at McCallum Sr.'s disposal it likely wouldn't be a stunner if they were to pick up a win next week.

2. South Dakota State caps the five-year trek with an NCAA bid, beating Western Illinois in overtime to win the Summit League.
To become a full-fledged Division I member schools have to go through a five-year provisional period, meaning that while they can compete in conferences and win regular season titles they're ineligible to compete in NCAA championship events. That five-year wait for the South Dakota State Jackrabbits was likely a rough one in that regard, but they were able to make up for Nate Wolters' off night to beat Western Illinois 54-52 in overtime.

Wolters shot 5-for-22 from the field, 4-for-17 from beyond the arc due in part to WIU's play defensively. But others stepped up, most notably Griffin Callahan, as he scored ten points and grabbed six rebounds to help lead the charge. If the Jackrabbits are to have any shot at a tournament win next week Wolters will need to have one of his best games of the season, but it will help matters if his teammates take advantage of their opportunities as well.

3. Princeton knocks off rival Penn, which gives Harvard their first NCAA tournament bid since 1946.
Rivalry games with a title on the line can be tricky affairs, especially if one team no longer has a shot at the title. That's exactly what Penn had to deal with on Tuesday night, as they visited rival Princeton looking for the win that would result in sharing the regular season title with Harvard and setting up a one-game playoff. Penn came out of the gatest slow, scoring just 17 points in the first half of what would become a 62-52 Princeton win. Zack Rosen scored 19 points to lead the Quakers, but he also had seven turnovers. Shooting would be the bigger issue for Jerome Allen's team as they shot 38.6% from inside of the arc, squandering an opportunity to take advantage of 20 Princeton turnovers. Add in a nearly unstoppable Ian Hummer and it becomes rather simple to figure out why the Crimson were able to wrap up an outright Ivy League title despite not playing. .

Quick Hitters

1. Day one at the Big East Championship didn't provide much in the way of drama as all four games were decided by at least 14 points. But most importantly both Connecticut and Seton Hall advanced, and they'll both have good opportunities for quality wins on Wednesday. UConn, who beat DePaul 81-64, takes on eight seed West Virginia in the first game of the day. Seton Hall will look to follow their 79-47 win over Providence with a win over seven-seed Louisville, and it's safe to say that both the Huskies and Pirates need to do the bare minimum and keep winning.

2. The home teams held serve in the first round of the Atlantic 10 tournament, with all four winning to advance to Atlantic City. This development also set up what will be a huge quarterfinal between four-seed Xavier and five-seed Dayton, as both teams are in serious need of wins at this point. The Flyers beat 12-seed George Washington 67-50, limiting the Colonials to 17 first-half points.

3. The fans will get what they wanted to see in the Big Sky: round three between regular season champion Montana and runner-up Weber State, as both won their semifinal matchups on Tuesday night. Mathias Ward scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the Grizzlies' 74-66 win over Eastern Washington but it was Kareem Jamar who left his fingerprints all over the game, accounting for 18 points, 13 rebounds and two steals. Damian Lillard put up 22 points, four assists and four steals to lead Weber State to a 69-63 win over Portland State. The home team won both meetings during the regular season, but that tends to go out of the window in tournament finals.

4. Back to the Big East for a second, as it is important to point out how critical the offseason will be for Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights ended their season with a 70-49 loss to Villanova on Tuesday, and while the addition of Kansas State transfer Wally Judge will help those youngers who were thrown into the fire this season need to improve if Mike Rice's team is to make a move in the Big East.

5. A lack of familiarity can spark some interesting (and unexpected) happenings, which was the case in Florida A&M's 74-72 win over Coppin State in the first round of the MEAC tournament. FAMU trailed 43-28 at the half and by six with 4:38 to go, but an 11-3 run put the Rattlers in the driver's seat. The only other lower-seeded team to win in Winston-Salem was Howard, who beat North Carolina A&T 51-50 on a Calvin Thompson layup with 46 seconds remaining

Tuesday's Conference Tournament Primer

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 09:03:10 -0800

While there's plenty of conference tournament action on Tuesday's schedule, and three bids to be distributed, there's also a huge game in the Ivy League as Penn (19-11, 11-2) visits rival Princeton (18-11, 9-4). What's on the line for the Quakers? A share of the Ivy League title with Harvard, which would force a one-game playoff between the two teams at a site to be determined. Jerome Allen's Quakers are led by the outstanding senior guard triumvirate of Zack Rosen, Tyler Bernardini and Miles Cartwright, with Rosen being the likely choice for Ivy League Player of the Year.

Rosen (18.5 ppg, 5.3 apg) has scored 20 points or more in four of Penn's last six games, and in Penn's 82-67 win over Princeton back on January 30th he scored 28 and dished out five assists. Job one for any team taking on Penn is to limit Rosen's impact on the game, but that's a task that's far easier said than done. And in most instances this season it's fallen short. Bernardini had to deal with foul trouble in that game yet still managed to score 14 points in 25 minutes, and the Quakers will need him to snap out of his current slump tonight if they're to force a playoff.

While Penn's won seven straight it isn't as if the Tigers come in playing poorly, as they've won seven of their last eight. Forward Ian Hummer's been a critical factor all season long for Mitch Henderson, leading the team in both scoring and rebounding and ranking second on the team with three assists per game. Hummer's a versatile forward who can be a difficult matchup for teams, and he combined with center Brendan Connolly to score 36 points in the first meeting (21 for Hummer).

Those two got their points but rebounding was a problem at the Palestra, as Penn grabbed 13 offensive boards and out-rebounded the Tigers 33-19. Pretty easy to figure out what Princeton needs to change from that first meeting if they're to defend their home floor. Princeton also has senior Douglas Davis in the backcourt, who averages 13.0 points per game, and point guard T.J. Bray has proven himself to be effective as both a distributor (3.6 apg) and a rebounder (4.5 rpg) at his position. If Penn wins the battle on the glass and shoots 10-for-18 from three as they did at The Palestra, there will likely be a playoff this weekend. But with Princeton playing better now than they were at the end of January, look for the rematch to be a 40-minute dogfight.

Atlantic 10 - First Round
#9 Duquesne at #8 Massachusetts, 7:00 p.m.
#12 Charlotte at #5 Saint Joseph's, 7:00 p.m.
#10 Richmond at #7 La Salle, 7:00 p.m.
#11 George Washington at #6 Dayton, 7:00 p.m.

The four winners will advance to the quarterfinals in Atlantic City, where the top four seeds await. Tonight's action is most important for Saint Joseph's and Dayton, two teams clinging to hopes of making a run at an NCAA tournament bid. For that to happen one would think that the Hawks and Flyers need to get to Sunday's final given recent missteps, but the simplest thing to do at this point is go out and win; live to fight another day.

Carl Jones, Langston Galloway and C.J. Aiken have the ability to lead Saint Joseph's on a run, and it's not like Archie Miller's Flyers lack for talent either. But keep an eye on La Salle, who has one of the best point guards in the conference in Tyreek Duren, and that 8/9 matchup could be the most entertaining given the pressure applied by both Duquesne and UMass.

Big East - First Round
# 16 DePaul vs. #9 Connecticut, Noon (ESPN2)
# 13 Pittsburgh vs. # 12 St. John's, 2:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
# 15 Providence vs. # 10 Seton Hall, 7:00 p.m. (ESPNU)
# 14 Villanova vs. # 11 Rutgers (ESPNU)

So, UConn begins their Big East Championship in the same spot they began their "five games in five days" run last season. But it's an entirely different scenario for the Huskies, who were safely in the NCAA tournament last season, and they had an assertive leader in Kemba Walker. That guy hasn't stepped up yet for the Huskies, who are also taking a DePaul team that despite their last place finish has improved since last season. Cleveland Melvin and Brandon Young are both very good sophomores, and freshman Jamee Crockett has improved his play. UConn can't afford to stumble, but they're likely in better shape than a slumping Seton Hall squad that dropped games to Rutgers and DePaul to end the regular season. Providence lacks depth but with Bryce Cotton, Vincent Council and LaDontae Henton the Friars can definitely scare the Pirates if not win.

Big Sky - Semifinals (at Montana)
#3 Portland State vs. #2 Weber State, 7:30 p.m. (Altitude)
#4 Eastern Washington at #1 Montana, 10:00 p.m. (Altitude)

The top four teams in the Big Sky meet up in Missoula, and few are expecting anything less than a Weber State/Montana rubber game on Wednesday night. Tyler Geving's Portland State team has won four straight and seven of their last eight game, and with Charles Odum and Chehales Tapscott he's got two of the better players in the Big Sky. But the question for PSU is whether or not they can limit Damian Lillard, and if the two regular season meetings are any indication of what could happen tonight their chances aren't good. Lillard's two point totals against the Vikings this season: 38 points on the road, 40 at home.

Eastern Washington has won three of their last four games, but in a weird scheduling quirk all three wins came at the expense of Idaho State (two regular season games, then their conference tournament meeting on Saturday). And they're running to a Montana squad that swept the two regular season meetings, and the Grizzlies are hot right now as well with a streak of 12 straight wins. Will Cherry and Kareem Jamar have played well on the perimeter all season long, and even with Cliff Colimon it's going to be tough for the Eagles to win on the Grizzlies' home floor.

Horizon League - Title Game
#3 Detroit at #1 Valparaiso, 9:00 p.m. (ESPN)

Valparaiso hosts a Detroit team that's gotten things going at just the right time, winning four straight and nine of their last ten heading into tonight's title game. The two regular season meetings were close but Bryce Drew's Crusaders won both, most recently beating the Titans at home on February 2nd. It was a tale of two halves, as Detroit shot 61% and scored 45 points in the first half, only to see VU clamp down and limit them to 34.5% shooting in the second half. Ray McCallum Jr. and Eli Holman are two key figures for Detroit but it's important to point out that five Titans finished that game in double figures.

The key for Detroit: slow down Horizon League Player of the Year Ryan Broekhoff, who scored 26 points in the second meeting (6-6 3PT). Kevin Van Wijk has done well inside for the Crusaders, averaging 14.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in Valpo's last two games, and if he can come close to those numbers tonight Valparaiso will have a better shot at returning to the Big Dance for the first time since 2004.

MEAC - Opening Round
# 8 Hampton vs. # 9 Morgan State, 11:00 a.m.
# 7 North Carolina A&T vs. #10 Howard, 1:30 p.m.
# 5 North Carolina Central vs. # 12 UMES, 4:00 p.m.
# 4 Bethune-Cookman vs. # 13 South Carolina State, 6:30 p.m.
# 6 Coppin State vs. # 11 Florida A&M, 9:00 p.m.

Given the nature of the MEAC race beneath regular season champion Savannah State and second-place finisher Norfolk State this could be a wild five days in Winston-Salem. The top three seeds take Tuesday off, and Bethune-Cookman and North Carolina Central shouldn't have much trouble with South Carolina State and UMES, respectively.

But beginning with Coppin State/FAMU things could get interesting, especially considering the fact that somehow the two teams didn't meet during the regular season. Tony Gallo leads four Eagles in double figures, and with both teams having issues defensively this could be a wild contest that goes down to the wire. Hampton/Morgan State shouldn't lack for entertainment value either with the two teams splitting their regular season meetings, but neither winner reached 70 points so don't expect offensive fireworks.

Summit League - Title Game
#4 Western Illinois vs. #2 South Dakota State, 9:00 p.m. (ESPN2)

Many expected the top two seeds to meet for the Summit League crown, but the Leathernecks took care of those plans with a 54-53 win over Oral Roberts on Monday night. Defending Dominique Morrison was tough enough and he still finished with 23 points, but just as it was on Monday the key for WIU in beating the Jackrabbits will be to make Nate Wolters' teammates don't go off as well.

Wolters, who led SDSU to a 63-47 win over Southern Utah with 31 points, seven rebounds and six assists, has an impact in all facets of the game for the Jackrabitts, and if he's able to get his teammates going offensively there's no telling how many points they could end up scoring (they hung 93 on Washington earlier this season). Ceola Clark III and Obi Emegano lead the way offensively for WIU, who will need a low-scoring (and low-possession) game if they're to pull off the upset.

Sun Belt - Title Game
#5 North Texas vs. #7 Western Kentucky, 7:00 p.m. (ESPN2 - Summit Arena)

When Ken McDonald was fired on January 6th, few people thought that a young Western Kentucky squad would have enough left to make a run at a Sun Belt title. But thanks in large part to new head coach Ray Harper and a freshman in Derrick Gordon who is going to win a conference Player of the Year award before his career's over, the Hilltoppers find themselves one win away from an improbable NCAA tournament appearance. On the other side of the floor is North Texas, a team many pegged as a team that could win the league thanks to the addition of one-time Missouri signee Tony Mitchell.

North Texas won the lone regular season meeting 84-67 back on January 12th, but this is a far different WKU team than the one that set foot in Denton on that night. Does WKU have enough left in the tank, playing their fourth game in four days, to win the title? It will be tough, but there's no reason to assume that can't at this point.

North Carolina Wins ACC Title: Saturday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 06:10:15 -0800

Three teams (Belmont, Murray State and UNC Asheville) punched their tickets to the NCAA tournament on Saturday.

1. North Carolina jumps out to a big lead at Cameron, spoling Duke's Senior Day and winning the ACC regular season title.
Pouring salt in the wound of another isn't ever a good idea, and apparently the showing of a montage of big plays late in Duke's comeback win in Chapel Hill fired up UNC point guard Kendall Marshall. Marshall, and by extension his teammates, felt disrespected and as a result the Tar Heels had a little extra motivation to go along with the desire to beat their rival and win the ACC regular season crown. UNC jumped out to a 22-5 lead, withstood a Blue Devil rally in the second half and went on to win 88-70. Marshall led the way with 20 points and ten assists, knocking down seven of his fifteen shots from the field to make a defense that allowed him to shoot pay. In fact, Marshall was one of three starters to post a double-double, as Tyler Zeller (19 points, ten rebounds) and John Henson (13 points, ten rebounds) also had good nights.

All five starters finished in double figures for the Tar Heels, who also bludgeoned Duke on the glass 45-28 with 14 offensive rebounds. Mason (17 points, four rebounds) and Miles (16 points, 11 rebounds) Plumlee led the Blue Devils but the slow start landed them in a hole too deep to crawl out of. North Carolina did a better job of defending the three, and part of the battle was to make sure the Blue Devils didn't get the chance to attempt 36 as they did in Chapel Hill. Duke finished 6-for-21 from beyond the arc, and when combined with their 47.6% shooting inside of the arc that wasn't enough to withstand UNC shooting 60.3% from two and 54.5% overall. With both teams still in the fight for a one-seed in the NCAA tournament splitting the regular season series was key for North Carolina. One would think that an ACC tournament crown would be the "tiebreaker".

2. BYU gets outclassed by Gonzaga and now has to sweat out a week of action.
For the sake of the Cougars it may be a good thing if the selection committee got in some rest before they begin their week-long process of filling the 68-team field, because they did not look good in their WCC semifinal matchup with Gonzaga. The Bulldogs showed no ill effects of playing their first game of the tournament, coming out firing and jumping to a 12-4 lead by the first media timeout and leading by as many as 18 in the first half. BYU was able to close the margin to 12 at the half (38-26), but they were no match for Kevin Pangos and the Bulldogs in the second half as Gonzaga rolled to the 77-58 win. Pangos scored 30 points and dished out four assists, advancing the Bulldogs to the title game where they will play nemesis Saint Mary's, and the Zags limited BYU to 37.7% shooting on the night.

The question for BYU is how much damage does this defeat do to their NCAA tournament hopes. According to realtimerpi.com the Cougars entered Saturday with an RPI of 47, but their strength of schedule number (108) has to be a bit of a concern at this point. BYU does have three RPI Top 50 wins at this point, as they've beaten Oregon and Weber State in addition to Gonzaga, but two of those wins came at home and the Oregon win came in Salt Lake City. Saturday night notwithstanding BYU has the look of a tournament team, with Brandon Davies and Noah Hartsock inside leading the way. But does the resume match up? That's a question that many will ponder over the next week.

3. Illinois State upsets Wichita State in the Missouri Valley semis, setting up a date with Creighton.
It was the situation that many bubble teams fear annually: a team not expected to go to the NCAA tournament makes a run in their conference tournament to possibly take an available bid off the board. Illinois State is 40 minutes away from doing just that as they beat top-seed Wichita State 65-64 in St. Louis. Tyler Brown led the way with 25 points and six rebounds, and his two free throws with 6.4 seconds remaining gave the Redbirds a 65-64 lead they would not relinquish. Garrett Stutz had a good look at the basket just before time expired but his shot fell short, eliminating the possibility of a third meeting between the Shockers and Creighton. But neither that nor the fate of bubble teams is (or should be) of concern to Illinois State, and Tim Jankovich also has Jackie Carmichael to call on inside. If the Redbirds get better on the boards (Wichita State grabbed 17 offensive rebounds) they'll have every chance of beating the Bluejays and winning the MVC tournament title.

4. Chalk rules in the CAA semis, setting up a massive battle between George Mason and VCU.
Many have joined the "two bids for the CAA" campaig, citing the gaudy records of Drexel, VCU and George Mason as one reason why. All three needed to reach the semis to make that goal a possibility, and along with four-seed Old Dominion they all took care of business on Saturday. George Mason needed a Bryon Allen reverse in the final seconds to beat Georgia State 54-52 while Drexel and VCU would both pull away in their wins over UNCW and Northeastern. That sets up a critical battle between VCU and George Mason on Sunday afternoon, with the winner likely having the best case for an at-large bid, and Drexel takes on ODU in what should be a slugfest. Getting two bids may be tough given strength of schedule numbers but with numerous bubble teams stumbling down the stretch the door remains open, and that's the least the CAA can ask for at this point.

5. Seton Hall wraps up an 0-2 finish against teams they were expected to beat, casting doubt on their NCAA tournament hopes.
One of those stumbling bubble teams is Seton Hall, and all the Pirates had to do was beat Rutgers and DePaul in their last two games heading into the Big East Championship. Last Saturday they fell to Rutgers at home in overtime, and things got even worse a week later as the Pirates were blown out by the Blue Demons 86-58. Kevin Willard's team just never seemed ready to go, trailing by 13 at the half and things would only get worse from there. Jamee Crockett led four DePaul players in double figures with 21 points and as a team the Blue Demons put on a clinic offensively, assisting on 23 of their 29 made baskets and shooting 53.7% from the field. Now Seton Hall has to get things going in New York, beginning with a first round matchup with a Providence team capable of beating just about anyone (they beat Louisville by 33 earlier this season) despite their lack of depth. Seton Hall has the opportunity to leave a better impression, but after Saturday's debacle there may be doubt as to whether or not the Pirates can take advantage.

Quick Hitters

1. Two teams to watch in next week's Pac-12 tournament are Oregon and UCLA as both enter the event playing well. The Ducks embarrassed Utah 92-46 in their regular season finale, jumping out to a 32-2 lead and never looking back. As for UCLA, they came back to beat Washington 75-69 to cap a 2-0 week that was kickstarted by a negative story in Sports Illustrated. Given the wide-open nature of the league it wouldn't be a shock if either of these teams put together a run. Oh, that loss didn't help the Huskies one bit from a bubble standpoint.

2. Butler won't have the opportunity to make another trip to the NCAA tournament this season, as they fell 65-46 at top-seed Valparaiso in the Horizon League semifinals. Horizon League Player of the Year Ryan Broekhoff led the Crusaders with 19 points and 16 rebounds as VU jumped out early and never looked back. This ends an impressive run for Brad Stevens' program, but the combination of a strong recruiting class and Arkansas transfer Rotnei Clark will give the Bulldogs a nice boost next season.

3. Higher-seeded teams advanced in three of the four quarterfinals in the Metro Atlantic with the lone exception being six-seed Siena, who beat three-seed Manhattan 84-82 in an overtime thriller. Owen Wignot's three with eight seconds remaining sent the game into overtime, and the Saints navigated a five minutes that would have wilted most teams that lack depth as they do. Mitch Buonaguro's team takes on Loyola (MD) in one semi while Fairfield and Iona meet on the other side of the bracket.

4. Memphis went on the road and beat Tulsa 78-66 to clinch the outright Conference USA title, and don't be surprised if Josh Pastner's team ends up in the Sweet 16 either. Will Barton scored 30 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the way but a key factor in their recent success has been the play of Chris Crawford. His steadying influence (seven assists, zero turnovers on Saturday) has allowed Joe Jackson to simply go out and make plays, and while the turnovers for Jackson are still an issue (six against Tulsa) the emergence of Crawford has helped buffer the impact.

5. In a matchup of two teams perceived to be on the bubble, West Virginia beat USF 50-44 in Tampa to pick up a much-needed road victory. Neither team shot well (WVU shot 28.8%, USF 39.5%) but the Mountaineers were able to grab 12 offensive boards and Kevin Jones posted another double-double with 18 points and 11 boards. USF's the six-seed in the Big East Championship next week, and they're going to have some work to do at MSG.

6. Speaking of the Big East, Jim Calhoun made his return to the sidelines and provided a spark to his team as UConn beat Pittsburgh 74-65. Roscoe Smith made some huge plays late to help the Huskies hold off the Panthers and Shabazz Napier finished with 23 points, six rebounds and four steals. UConn begins their Big East Championship with a game against DePaul, but unlike last year's team there's no Kemba walking through that door. But at least they have their coach back.

7. Iowa State scored 50 second half points, erasing a seven-point halftime deficit to beat Baylor 80-72 and grab the three-seed in next week's Big 12 tournament. Scott Christopherson led the Cyclones with 23 points and six assists, and while Bill Self will most likely win Big 12 Coach of the Year (and rightfully so) an argument can be made for Fred Hoiberg as well.

8. The top two seeds in the Patriot League will meet on Wednesday night as both Bucknell and Lehigh won their semifinal matchups by wide margins. C.J. McCollum put up 27, ten and six assists in Lehigh's 85-66 win over American, and Bucknell beat Lafayette 79-52 thanks in part to 18 points apiece from Mike Muscala and Joe Willman. The two teams split their two regular season meetings with the road team winning both, and it was a McCollum dagger in the final seconds that made the difference in Lewisburg.

9. The North Division of the Southern Conference didn't have the best-looking records at the end of the regular season but three teams from that division make up the final four in that tournament. The lone exception is overall champion Davidson, who beat Furman 73-54. UNCG and Western Carolina meet in one semi while the Wildcats will take on Elon, who beat Georgia Southern in the nightcap 65-58.

10. Jamaal Franklin was outstanding for San Diego State on Saturday, accounting for 35 points, 13 rebounds and five assists as the Aztecs handed TCU their first home conference loss this season in overtime (98-92). The win, combined with New Mexico's 78-61 win over Boise State, means a shared conference title and it's anyone guess who will grab the automatic bid. One would think that the Mountain West is in line to receive four bids come Selection Sunday.

11. Harvard wrapped up a share of the Ivy League title as they beat Cornell 67-63. Penn remained tied in the loss column with their 68-47 win over Yale, and all that stands between the Quakers and a one-game playoff is bitter rival Princeton. That won't be a walk in the park for Zack Rosen and company to say the least.

12. One of the biggest questions going into the SEC tournament is whether or not Tennessee can make a run at an at-large bid. To think that this would have been a topic for discussion back in December would have been borderline absurd, but Cuonzo Martin's team is a different one since the addition of Jarnell Stokes. The Vols beat Vanderbilt 68-61, led by Cameron Tautm's 18 points and Trae Golden's 17, five rebounds and four assists.

13. Northwestern avoided what would have been a damaging blow to their NCAA tournament hopes as they beat Iowa 70-66 in Iowa City. The Wildcats did what they needed to do (at minimum) in their final three games, which was beat Penn State and Iowa (their loss was to Ohio State at home), and that keeps them alive heading into the Big Ten tournament.

14. There's just one undefeated (in conference play) team remaining in college basketball as Long Beach State, Ut-Arlington and Utah Valley all dropped their first conference games on Saturday. This comes just days after Mississippi Valley State lost their SWAC finale, leaving Kentucky as the lone undefeated. The Wildcats take on Florida Sunday afternoon in Gainesville.

15. Dominique Morrison shot just 2-for-11 from the field but thanks to Michael Craion and company Oral Roberts was able to withstand an IPFW challenge, winning 71-67 in a Summit League quarterfinal. Craion scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds, and Warren Niles scored a team-high 17 as the Golden Eagles escaped.

Davis Leads #1 Kentucky Past Vanderbilt: Saturday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 20:30:42 -0800

#4 Kansas clinched their eighth consecutive Big 12 title with a wild 87-86 overtime win over #3 Missouri, placing head coach Bill Self in some esteemed company. Here are today's "Quick Hitters":

1. #1 Kentucky wraps up another SEC title with a win over Vanderbilt.
In what has been a superlative season for freshman Anthony Davis, the Chicago native may have saved his best performance (thus far) for Saturday. Davis made ten of his eleven shots from the field and scored 28 points while also grabbing 11 boards and blocking six shots to lead Kentucky to an 83-74 win over Vanderbilt. The victory also locked up the 45th SEC title in program history, and it's been clear that there's a lot more this group can achieve before this season ends. Jeffery Taylor scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Vanderbilt, who may have enough to hang around longer than they have in recent NCAA appearances when that time comes.

But on this day it was about the impact of Davis on an afternoon that saw Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (eight points, eight rebounds) and Terrence Jones (12 points, six rebounds) play 29 and 23 minutes respectively. Vandy may have out scored Kentucky 21-6 from beyond the arc but they also made just 42.2% of their shots inside of the arc, and going 15-for-23 from the foul line doesn't help on the road either.

Marquis Teague got off to a slow start but he got going as the game wore on, finishing with 15 points and six assists, and Darius Miller scored nine points off the bench. Kentucky won with two starters in foul trouble and a third (Doron Lamb) scoring just seven points. That lack of production is not going to happen very often between now and the end of the season, so good luck to all future opponents.

2. With #21 New Mexico completing an 0-2 week the Mountain West title is once again up for grabs.
After wins over San Diego State and UNLV last week Steve Alford's Lobos were undoubtedly the class of the Mountain West. But after losses to Colorado State and TCU, New Mexico is back in a three-way tie for first with the Aztecs and Runnin' Rebels going into the last week of regular season play. After going to the half tied (38-all) New Mexico was outscored 45-26 by the Horned Frogs in the 83-64 beating, moving TCU to a surprising 7-5 in conference play and 6-0 in league home games. J.R. Cadot led six TCU players in double figures with 15 points while also grabbing ten rebounds and point guard Hank Thorns dished out nine assists to go along with his 14 points, and a team few expected to contend remains alive in the Mountain West title race.

UNLV was able to hold off a pesky Air Force squad in Las Vegas, winning 68-58 with Chace Stanback's 21 points and eight rebounds leading the way, and San Diego State held off Colorado State 74-66. Jamaal Franklin, who's been banged up of late, went off for 31 points and 16 rebounds to lead the way. With all three teams at 8-4 having played each other twice the Mountain West race will be decided by how they all do against the rest of the conference (the three-way tie at this point would be broken by record vs. the fourth place team).

Before this week the Lobos were the ones who hadn't slipped up, but obviously that's changed. Drew Gordon and Kendall Williams need to be consistent if New Mexico is to win the MWC but at this point anything can happen, and given how dangerous the likes of TCU, Colorado State and Wyoming have played it probably will.

3. Gonzaga's 11-year reign atop the WCC ends as Saint Mary's clinches the WCC title.
While Kansas' current streak of eight straight Big 12 titles is nothing to scoff at, Gonzaga had won 11 straight West Coast Conference titles heading into this season. But that streak came to an end on Saturday night as Saint Mary's beat San Francisco 67-60, wrapping up the regular season title for the Gaels. It wasn't a pretty effort for Randy Bennett's team as they shot just 6-for-28 from beyond the arc, but Saint Mary's made the plays they needed to make down the stretch.

Clint Steindl, who entered the starting lineup with Stephen Holt out with a knee inury, scored a team-high 16 points while Matthew Dellavedova and Rob Jones (14 rebounds) scored 14 points apiece. Jones wasn't the only Gael to post a double-double either as Brad Waldow, who has emerged as the Gaels' second-best interior player in WCC play, scored ten points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

Saint Mary's and Gonzaga wrapped up byes to the semifinals of next weekend's WCC tournament with the results while BYU and Loyola Marymount receive byes to the quarters as the third and fourth seeds. One would think that the top three teams are all safely into the Field of 68 at this point, and Max Good's Lions have the ability to run through the conference tournament and get the WCC a fourth NCAA bid.

Gonzaga's run atop the WCC may have ended but by no means is this "the end", in regards to both this season as well as the future. Players such as Kevin Pangos, Gary Bell and Guy Landry Edi will all have an impact for the Zags (and Kelly Olynyk will be back in the fold next season), and they'll need to if Mark Few's team is to make some noise next month.

4. #2 Syracuse wraps up the tenth Big East regular season title in school history with a win at UConn.
Jim Boeheim's team was walking into what was sure to be a charged environment, given the "ESPN College Gameday" presence and Connecticut's need for a marquee win. And even though things got tight down the stretch Syracuse was able to pick up their first-ever win at Gampel Pavilion, winning 71-69 with C.J. Fair blocking a Roscoe Smith shot in the final seconds to preserve the lead.

The concerns about rebounding going into the game given the Huskies' size inside? No issue for the Orange, who out-rebounded the Huskies 39-35 and grabbed 14 offensive rebounds (UConn finished with 15 but was outscored 16-14 in second-chance points) on the night.Fab Melo's follow-up dunk with 31 seconds remaining gave Syracuse, who led by as many as 17 points, the victory but it was Kris Joseph and their reserves who stood out.

Joseph scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds as he bounced back from a 5-for-17 night in Syracuse's win over USF on Wednesday night. As for the reserves once again Syracuse showed that they're the deepest team in America. Dion Waiters led the way with ten points while Fair (six points, seven rebounds) and James Southerland (seven points) also made an impact. The Orange reserves outscored the UConn bench 26-0 on the night, allowing Syracuse to successfully navigate a quiet night from Brandon Triche (18 minutes played) and Scoop Jardine shooting 3-for-10 from the field (seven points, six assists).

With something of consequence from Shabazz Napier or Tyler Olander off the bench UConn would have had an even better shot of winning, and that's going to be the key in their games against Providence and Pittsburgh. Gain some consistency and the Huskies have the ability to be a tough out in the Big Dance, and while their close loss showed UConn's potential it also showed the difference between a team that can win games and one that can win a championship.

5. Northwestern and Texas avoid what would have been bad losses while Seton Hall and NC State aren't as fortunate.
The focus for bubble teams this time of the year tends to be on the search for that "signature win", but just as important is the ability to avoid shooting oneself in the foot. Northwestern and Texas looked to be headed towards bad (or in the case of Texas, catastrophic) losses but both the Wildcats and Longhorns were able to pull out victories on the road.

John Shurna made a pair of free throws with 2.6 seconds remaining to give Northwestern a 67-66 win at Penn State (the foul should have been called on the catch before Shurna was ever fouled on his shot attempt). And in Lubbock it took seven points from J'Covan Brown in the final 2:16 of overtime for the Longhorns to beat Texas Tech 71-67, with Rick Barnes' team closing the game on a 10-0 run.

Seton Hall and NC State weren't as fortunate, with the Pirates' slide commencing with Pope being called for an offensive foul (that many SHU fans vigorously disputed) with 44.1 seconds remaining in overtime and the score tied at 72. From there in-state rival Rutgers would score the final five points, exacting a measure of revenge on a team that beat them at the RAC in the first meeting this season. Jordan Theodore led the Pirates with 17 points and nine assists but it was Rutgers' Dane Miller (21 points, ten rebounds, four assists and three blocks) who stood out.

At least the Pirates are likely on the right side of the fence (or at least close to it) in spite of the loss. The same cannot be said for Mark Gottfried's Wolfpack, who seem to be freefall mode as they dropped their fourth straight game (72-69 at Clemson). Lorenzo Brown and C.J. Leslie scored 18 points apiece to lead the Wolfpack but it wasn't enough as Scott Wood (1-6 FG) struggled and Milton Jennings led three Tigers in double figures with 17 points. The difference was the foul line, as NC State made five of thirteen and Clemson finished 16-for-21. While there are still games to be played there doesn't seem to be much sand left in the hourglass for NC State.

Quick Hitters

1. From Friday night the Big East Player of the Year race may have received some clarity. With three starters (Vander Blue, Junior Cadougan and Darius Johnson-Odom) suspended for the first half of #10 Marquette's game at West Virginia and Todd Mayo suspended for the second, Jae Crowder did everything in his power to lead the Golden Eagles to the 61-60 win. Crowder finished with 26 points and four rebounds while outplaying WVU's Kevin Jones, who didn't receive a who lot of help down the stretch from his teammates. And while Buzz Williams' dancing received the bulk of the postgame attention, Bob Huggins' visible frustration with his team shouldn't be ignored either.

2. There's now a tie atop the Ivy League in the loss column as Penn snapped Harvard's 28-game home win streak by the final score of 55-54. Zack Rosen's two free throws with 23 seconds remaining proved to be the difference for the Quakers, who are now 9-2 in league play (Harvard's 10-2). But don't start planning for a possible playoff just yet, as Jerome Allen's team still has games against Yale (home) and Princeton (road) to deal with. And if you haven't seen Rosen play by now...shame.

3. Following Purdue's blowout loss to Michigan State forward Ryne Smith made the comment that the dismissal of Kelsey Barlow was "addition by subtraction." Smith may have been proven right on Saturday as the Boilermakers handed #13 Michigan their first home loss of the season by the final score of 75-61. Terone Johnson led the way with 22 points and Purdue enjoyed a stretch in the second half in which they scored on 11 of 13 possessions. That's how you cement your status as a tournament team.

4. Arizona and Washington both did what they needed to do on Saturday, escaping with wins against UCLA and Washington State respectively. Kyle Fogg led the Wildcats to the 65-63 win on Senior Day in Tucson with 20 points and nine rebounds, giving Arizona their 21st win of the season. Tony Wroten accounted for 21 points, six rebounds and five assists in Washington's 59-55 win at Washington State, a game the Huskies trailed 45-32 with 11 minutes remaining. It remains to be seen how many teams the Pac-12 can get into the tournament, but at this point the best strategy for both is to simply keep winning.

5. Another interesting day in the Atlantic 10 as Saint Louis suffered a brutal loss for their resume while Dayton and Saint Joseph's picked up needed victories. Billy Baron's shot in the final seconds gave Rhode Island a 64-62 win over the Billikens in Kingston, but regardless of the venue that's a game Rick Majerus' team did not need on their resume as a loss. Langston Galloway led four Saint Joseph's players in double figures with 22 points as the Hawks beat #22 Temple 82-72 to earn a share of the Big 5 title, and Dayton blew out UMass 76-43 at home. Three seems to be the number of bids most expect the A-10 to receive, which makes games like these even more important down the stretch.

6. Cleveland State finally looked like a cohesive group with D'Aundray Brown out of the lineup as they beat Wright State 77-55. Trevon Harmon scored 20 points and Jeremy Montgomery 17 for the Vikings, who locked up the two-seed in next week's Horizon League tournament. That earns them (along with regular season champ Valparaiso) a bye to the semifinals, a perk that was much-needed by the Vikings.

7. Behind 31 points from Bradford Burgess, VCU was able to jump on George Mason early in what ended up being an 89-77 win in Richmond to grab the two-seed in the CAA tournament. VCU scored 12 points within a stretch of less than two minutes in the first half to establish a margin the Patriots were unable to overcome despite 24 points and nine rebounds from Ryan Pearson. These two could very well meet in the CAA semis next weekend, and a rubber match would have huge implications in regards to the NCAA tournament.

8. The pace wasn't in their favor but #7 North Carolina found a way to win as they beat Virginia 54-51 in Charlottesville. Tyler Zeller scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds on the afternoon and John Henson added 15 and 11 with two blocked shots. Defensively the Tar Heels were able to keep Mike Scott in check, something they were unable to do in Chapel Hill. Scott shot just 3-for-13 from the field and scored six points for the Cavaliers, who shot 6-for-23 from beyond the arc.

9. Fred Hoiberg's Iowa State Cyclones did themselves a favor from an NCAA tournament seeding standpoint with their 65-61 win at Kansas State, who was coming off of consecutive road wins at Baylor and Missouri. Scott Christopherson scored 29 points and Royce White added nine points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. The win also keeps the Cyclones tied with Baylor for third place, and they'll host the Bears in the regular season finale for both next weekend.

10. The Northeast Conference tournament, which begins on Thursday night, has the potential to be a wild event of Saturday's results are a harbinger of things to come. The top four seeds (who will host games on Thursday) all lost, including regular season champ LIU-Brooklyn getting pasted 106-78 at Monmouth, while seeds five through eight all won. King Rice's Hawks may be the hottest team entering the tournament as they've won seven of their last nine games, and Quinnipiac hasn't been bad either as they've won eight of their last eleven. LIU's the favorite with Wagner right behind them but don't be surprised if there's an upset along the way.

11. Things got a bit wild in Huntington but that didn't deter Memphis, who whipped Marshall 87-67 to remain in first place in Conference USA. Will Barton scored 24 points, Joe Jackson 21 and Chris Crawford added 16 and eight assists to lead the Tigers, who have enough talent to give an opponent headaches in the Big Dance. Josh Pastner's team has been maddeningly inconsistent at times this season, but don't sleep on them.

Pierce Hornung Leads Colorado State Past New Mexico

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:08:02 -0800

This eight-day stretch for Colorado State has the potential to be a season-defining on as Tim Miles' team faces all three of the teams ahead of them in the Mountain West standings. Thanks to Pierce Hornung the Rams are off to a good start, as the senior accounted for 13 points, 15 rebounds and four steals in the 71-63 win at Moby Arena. About a month ago the Lobos embarrassed Colorado State at The Pit, doing whatever they pleased in an 85-52 laugher that was part of a 2-5 stretch for the Rams.

And coming off of a big win at home over UNLV, maybe the leftover euphoria from Saturday combined with thoughts of that first meeting lulled UNM into a false sense of security. Hornung's play on both ends of the floor was critical for Colorado State, especially on the defensive end where he was one of the undersized bodies that helped frustrate Gordon. After going off for 27 points and 20 rebounds against UNLV the shots didn't come as easily for Gordon, who finished with 13 points, six rebounds and six turnovers.

"You have to be active," remarked Hornung. "He's a heck of a player and he was tough to go against all night. You have to be physical, match his physicality and tenacity (quote from Colorado State Athletic Media Relations)."

Colorado State doubled the post practically every time that Gordon touched the ball on the block and he struggled in dealing with this strategy. As a whole the Lobos struggled to take care of the basketball as they finished with 17 turnovers on the night, and their guards were outplayed despite 16 points from Kendall Williams. Dorian Green led all scorers with 17 points and Wes Eikmeier added 11, and the steady play of reserve Jesse Carr (nine points, five assists and one turnover) shouldn't be ignored either.

"I really like our guards," Head Coach Tim Miles said. "They know they can put it on the deck, create for somebody else, move it, move it, move it, we're going to get a better shot later. I thought that we did that a lot tonight (quote from Colorado State Athletic Media Relations)."

The obvious question for many will be what a win like this does for a team that entered the week with an RPI of 30 according to the NCAA's most recently released numbers, but with games against San Diego State (away) and UNLV up next that's unlikely to be CSU's concern. Will Bell didn't play on Tuesday night due to injury but the Rams stepped up on the glass, finishing with just three fewer rebounds than the Lobos. And a lot of the credit for that should go to Hornung, whose made a career of doing the little things that don't show up in the box score. He certainly came up big on Monday night.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Kendall Marshall (North Carolina)
22 points, 13 assists and no turnovers in the Tar Heels' 86-74 win at NC State.

2. G Chaz Williams (Massachusetts) and G Jordan Theodore (Seton Hall)
Williams tallied 29 points, nine assists and five rebounds in the Minutemen's 80-73 win over Xavier. Theodore matched the point total with five assists and four rebounds in Seton Hall's 73-55 win over #8 Georgetown.

3. F Pierce Hornung (Colorado State)
13 points and 15 rebounds to go along with some solid defense on reigning Mountain West Player of the Week Drew Gordon to lead the Rams past #21 New Mexico 71-63.

Seton Hall, Kansas State bolster NCAA prospects

Seton Hall Whips Georgetown: Tuesday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:14:07 -0800

In the recap of Tuesday's big game, Pierce Hornung led Colorado State to a key win over New Mexico. The rest of Tuesday's key happenings include:

1. Jordan Theodore leads Seton Hall to a statement victory over #8 Georgetown.
To say the least this was a huge game for Kevin Willard's Pirates, as they were looking to bounce back from a 62-57 loss to fellow bubbler Cincinnati on Saturday afternoon. Enter senior point guard Jordan Theodore, who took control of the game as seniors are expected to this time of the year. Theodore led Seton Hall to the 73-55 win over the Hoyas with 29 pointsfive assists and four rebounds, and he had a role (scoring four points and assisting on two Herb Pope buckets) in Seton Hall's first eight points of the game. Herb Pope added 12 points and Fuquan Edwin and reserve Brandon Mobley scored ten apiece, for the Pirates, who have won four of their last five after losing six straight.

Offensively the Pirates were outstanding as they shot 61% from the field and posted eighteen assists to just eight turnovers. Georgetown on the other hand finished the night with a field goal percentage of 40.4%, and John Thompson III's team uncharacteristically finished with more turnovers (11) than assists (nine). For the second time in the last three games Seton Hall has shot better than 61% (62.3% against St. John's), and according to statsheet.com's numbers Tuesday marked their most efficient offensive performance of the season. SHU's final two regular season games (Rutgers, at DePaul) are ones that will have a bigger impact if lost than one, but with Theodore leading the way it's difficult to think that they'll fail to take care of business.

2. Kansas State sweeps the season series with #3 Missouri.
Last season Frank Martin's Wildcats inexplicably lost to Colorado (now in the Pac-12, of course) three times. It was all a matter of matchups, just as Kansas State sweeping their season series with Missouri this season is. Kansas State beat the Tigers 78-68 in Columbia on Tuesday night, limiting the Tigers to 38.8% shooting from the field and Rodney McGruder led the way offensively with 24 points. With consecutive road wins at Baylor and Missouri the Wildcats have added two big wins to their resume, likely punching their ticket barrin a collapse. One key in both wins over Missouri for K-State has been the play of Jamar Samuels in his matchup with Missouri's Kim English.

Against most teams the matchup between English, a guard who plays the four for Frank Haith's team, and the opposing team's four is a mismatch in favor of the Tigers. That hasn't been the case against K-State, who can count on the athletic Samuels to limit the senior's quality looks from the perimeter. In the two games English has scored 17 points (8.5 ppg) on 6-for-12 shooting, a far cry from his season average of 14.0 points per game. Also of note is that in both games the Wildcats have set the tone, leading by 19 at the half in Manhattan and leading by ten at the break on Tuesday night.

3. #13 Michigan takes Northwestern to overtime and controls the extra session to win going away.
Never been a big fan of placing "Northwestern" and "bubble" in the same sentence due to the fact that the Wildcats have never reached the NCAA tournament. But to be fair Bill Carmody's team had reached that point going into their game against Michigan, which represented a golden opportunity for the Wildcats to pick up a big win. Michigan would refuse to go down without a fight, as Tim Hardaway Jr. tied the game at 49 on a three-pointer with 1:41 remaining and the Wolverines would outscore Northwestern 18-6 in overtime to win 67-55. Hardaway Jr. finished with 14 points while Trey Burke led the way with 19, and crucial threes from Zack Novak and Stu Douglass in overtime established a nine-point margin the Wildcats couldn't overcome.

John Shurna led the Wildcats with 14 points but he shot just 6-for-16 from the field, and sidekick Drew Crawford had a quiet night with just six points in 27 minutes of action. Michigan (37.5%) shot a lower percentage from the field than Northwestern (41.2%), which isn't a surprise given the similarities found in their offensive systems, but they took better care of the basketball (seven turnovers to NU's 14). Northwestern scored .937 points per possession while Michigan was at 1.164, and that turned out to be the difference. The key for Northwestern now is to make sure that Michigan doesn't "beat them twice" with a trip to Penn State up next.

Quick Hitters

1. Three things in the second half in Starkville pushed #1 Kentucky to a 73-64 win over Mississippi State. One was the shifting of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to Dee Bost on the defensive end, a move made possible in part by Rodney Hood going down with an injury in the first half. After scoring 16 points in the first half Bost managed just five in the second, and as a team the Bulldogs shot just 32% from the field. Secondly there was the effort of senior guard Darius Miller, who scored all 12 of his points in the second half and knocked down some huge shots. And Terrence Jones played far better in the second half as the Wildcats clinched at least a share of the SEC title with the win.

2. The upset of the year in college basketball took place in Vestal, New York as Binghamton, who entered the game 0-26, knocked off Vermont 57-53 for their first win of the season. After a Matt Glass jumper 41 seconds into the game opened the scoring the Catamounts wouldn't lead again, and Binghamton led by as many as 12 points. Robert Mansell led the Bearcats with 18 points and Ben Dickinson added 16 and 11 boards, and the result also gave Stony Brook sole possession of first place in America East.

3. As if it wasn't time to get concerned about Xavier before their game at UMass, the Musketeers didn't show up on the defensive end in their 80-73 loss. Chaz Williams went off for 29 points, nine assists and rebounds to lead the Minutemen, who have road games at Dayton and Temple next. As for Xavier, Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons combined to shoot 8-for-29 from the field, and if not for Dezmine Wells' 19 the final score would have been a more accurate representation of what happened in the Mullins Center.

4. It wasn't a good night for ACC bubble teams as both Miami and NC State fell. NC State can point to the fact that their loss came at the hands of North Carolina, who frankly is not a good matchup for the Wolfpack. Kendall Marshall scored 22 points and handed out 13 assists...without one turnover. Few teams will beat UNC when their sophomore point guard is dealing like that. As for the Hurricanes, they lost 75-70 at Maryland, a defeat that dropped Miami to 7-6 in league play. The win at Duke certainly helps their cause, but it would be wise for Jim Larranaga's team to pick up another resume-building victory.

5. Anton Grady scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Cleveland State, but it wasn't enough as the Vikings lost 71-67 at Green Bay. All of a sudden Gary Waters' team sits a game behind Butler in the loss column for second place, and that seed receives the other bye straight to the semis in the Horizon League tournament. The other bye goes to Valparaiso, who clinced the regular season title by beating Loyola (IL) in overtime. It hasn't helped CSU that D'Aundray Brown's been out due to injury, and they've dropped five straight with him on the sidelines.

6. Creighton nearly took the momentum gained from their comeback win over Long Beach State and flushed it down the drain but a Josh Jones shot with 23 seconds remaining in overtime gave the Bluejays a 93-92 win over Evansville. Creighton survived a 43-point night from Evansville's Colt Ryan, and it took a Gregory Echenique putback as time expried to send the game into overtime. Creighton picked up the win but there's no doubt that they have to get better defensively (UE shot 58.9%) if they're to make some noise in March.

7. Two key personnel notes in the SEC on Tuesday involving Alabama and Florida. Alabama head coach Anthony Grant stated that the recently reinstated JaMychal Green is unlikely to play on Thursday at Arkansas, and Green's return (whenever that happens) will have an impact on the Crimson Tide's at-large hopes. As for the Gators, forward Will Yeguete is out indefinitely due to a broken foot suffered in their 63-47 win over Auburn. His absence puts even more pressure on Patric Young and Erik Murphy inside, but it helps to have guards can hit the glass like Bradley Beal and Erving Walker (seven boards on Tuesday).

Mississippi State vs. #1 Kentucky: Tuesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:47:52 -0800

While Mississippi State's (19-8, 6-6) NCAA tournament prospects won't boil down to just one game there's no mistaking the importance of their game against #1 Kentucky (26-1, 12-0) in light of their three-game losing streak. It's one thing to drop three straight games at this point in the season and another to have those defeats come against Georgia, LSU and Auburn. That's not going to get it done for Rick Stansbury's squad, and their inability to take care of the basketball in recent games has been a big reason why.

Point guard Dee Bost leads the team in scoring (15.8) and assists (5.0) but over the last three games he's racked up 11 turnovers while interior presence Arnett Moultrie has ten. If your two primary offensive weapons are averaging a combined seven turnovers per game it's difficult to win games regardless of the opponent. Kentucky may only force 12.7 turnovers per game but with their talent, live-ball turnovers by the Bulldogs could turn the game into a rout quickly. And even if Mississippi State can take care of the ball, there's a presence on the back line unmatched by any team in America in the form of freshman Anthony Davis.

Not only is Davis the best freshman in the country, he's also made a strong case for being the national player of the year, something that hasn't happened since Kevin Durant was at Texas. Davis leads Kentucky in scoring and rebounding while blocking 4.9 shots per game, and while Mississippi State does have the experience of playing a long-limbed team in Baylor none of those players compare to Davis. Alongside Davis is Terrence Jones, who posted his first double-double of the season in the Wildcats' win over Ole Miss on Saturday.

If he can build on that Kentucky become even tougher to beat, and with Moultrie struggling and Renardo Sidney banged up the Bulldogs could be in serious trouble. UK rebounds 39% of their missed shots on the season, and even though Mississippi State has done a solid job of protecting the glass that becomes more important on Tuesday night. But back to Bost and the play of Mississippi State on the perimeter, which has to improve if they're to lock down a tournament bid.

He's a player who takes a high number of shots, and there isn't a serious problem with that considering the fact that Mississippi State needs him to in order to be successful. But as a senior he can't be lax with the basketball, and with a player like Rodney Hood on the wing there really isn't a reason for Bost to press when looking to make plays. Kentucky will counter with freshman Marquis Teague, who has played very well in recent games and may be the key to them not only getting to the Final Four but winning it all.

Doron Lamb and Darius Miller are steadying influences with the ability to score and distribute as well, and their play allowed the Wildcats to continue winning in spite of Teague's early struggles. These two teams are even when looking at the turnover percentage category (17.9%) but UK has done a better job of forcing them, as opponents turn the ball over on 19.1% of their possessions. The formula for Mississippi State is a simple one: quality shots, take care of the basketball and use their home crowd at The Hump for a slight energy boost. Executing this, especially against Kentucky, won't be simple at all however.

Mississippi State isn't the only team in need of a home win to bolster their NCAA tournament hopes as four teams in BCS leagues will take the floor looking for the same. Northwestern welcomes a Michigan team fresh off of a win over Ohio State to Evanston, and given the roles that John Shurna and Drew Crawford play it may take someone else stepping up for the Wildcats to win. Dave Sobolewski? Reggie Hearn? One of those players has to perform well in order to counter what Trey Burke and the rest of the Wolverines are capable of doing,

Seton Hall and NC State both get shots at Top 10 teams at home and it would be in the best interest of both if they were to pull off the upset. The Pirates host Georgetown, whose standout freshman Otto Porter is dealing with a thigh bruise but should be able to play. The key for Seton Hall is to remain disciplined on the defensive end of the floor, as the Hoyas run an offense that can slice teams apart if they don't pay attention to detail. NC State had the look of a mentally fragile team in their loss to Florida State, which came on the heels of a heartbreaking loss at Duke. Mark Gottfried's team has to move forward, and their big men have to remain on the floor if they're to beat North Carolina.

Kansas State will look to build on their win at Baylor as they visit Missouri, a contest that is a tougher matchup for the Wildcats. Angel Rodriguez has had his share of difficulties running the show for the K-State, and that cannot be the case against Phil Pressey on Tuesday night. K-State has players such as Rodney McGruder and Jamar Samuels who can be effective in this kind of contest, and they did win the first meeting in Manhattan, but beating Mizzou in Columbia is a much tougher task.

And in the Mountain West, Colorado State begins a three-game gauntlet that will ultimately decide their NCAA tournament hopes as they host first-place New Mexico. The Lobos took the Rams out behind the woodshed at The Pit, and the way that Drew Gordon's playing right now makes Steve Alford's team a very tough out. Greg Smith and Pierce Hornung are the two Rams to watch, because if they can't hold their own in the front court this could get bad.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM (1) Kentucky at Mississippi State (ESPN)
7:00 PM Kansas State at (3) Missouri (ESPN2)
8:00 PM (7) North Carolina at NC State (ESPN3)
7:00 PM (8) Georgetown at Seton Hall (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Illinois at (9) Ohio State (ESPN)
7:00 PM Auburn at (11) Florida (ESPNU)
8:00 PM (13) Michigan at Northwestern (BTN)
10:00 PM (21) New Mexico at Colorado State (The Mtn.)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Stony Brook at Hartford
7:00 PM Clemson at Georgia Tech (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Xavier at Massachusetts
7:00 PM Kent State at Miami (OH) (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Vermont at Binghamton
7:00 PM Illinois-Chicago at Butler
7:00 PM Wofford at UNC Greensboro
8:00 PM Miami (FL) at Maryland (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Evansville at Creighton (FCS/ESPN3)
8:00 PM Cleveland State at Green Bay
8:05 PM Loyola (IL) at Valparaiso
9:00 PM Virginia at Virginia Tech (ESPNU)