South Carolina St

College Hoops Monday Recap: Guards Lead UConn to Victory

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:31:46 -0800

Just two days after being "embarrassed" in a 60-48 loss at Cincinnati, few people expected Connecticut to have a shot at third-ranked Villanova on Monday night. But the team that hasn't lived up to its talent thus far once again showed what they were capable of against a "name" opponent. But with Kemba Walker leading the way offensively and Jerome Dyson doing a solid job defensively on Scottie Reynolds the Huskies were able to resuscitate (for the time being) their NCAA Tournament hopes with an 84-75 win. Walker scored a career-high 29 points while also turning the ball over just once and Dyson added 15 points and six assists.

Head coach Jim Calhoun made a change to his starting lineup, going with Charles Okwandu alongside Ater Majok instead of freshman Alex Oriakhi. What did this accomplish? It allowed Oriakhi the time to watch the game from the bench and get a better feel for the flow of the game. He came of the bench to score ten points while classmate Jamal Coombs-McDaniel hit a pair of three pointers on his way to eight points, both playing with a confidence that they haven't displayed during much of the Big East schedule. The Huskies were also far more efficient on offense, shooting 66.7% from the field in the second half and getting to the foul line (35-44; Villanova went 16-20) while also out-rebounding the Wildcats 40-29.

Reynolds led the Wildcats with 18 but Dyson made him work, something the Huskies had trouble with in prior games against the senior. He made just two of seven three-point attempts and did not attempt a foul shot, and Corey Stokes made just one field goal (four attempts) before fouling out. The question now for the Huskies: can they keep the momentum rolling with a trip to Rutgers on deck? As Georgetown found out Sunday the RAC isn't an easy place to leave with a win and Fred Hill's team has been playing decent basketball of late. Add in the fact that UConn tends to come out flat against teams they're expected to beat and it's too early to put them back into the NCAA Tournament field. But in winning a game they needed, UConn has at least given themselves life.

Three Key Happenings

1. Kansas makes the big plays late to win at Texas A&M. In front of the best home-court advantages in the nation the Jayhawks were able to remain undefeated in Big 12 play while also ending the Aggies' 16-game home win streak. On a night that saw Sherron Collins hit just two of nine shots from the field it was Kansas' defense that sealed the deal. The Jayhawks limited Texas A&M to 25% shooting in the second half and 34.9% for the game while three players (Cole Aldrich, Xavier Henry and Marcus Morris) led the way with twelve points apiece. Donald Sloan, the Aggies' leading scorer who had twelve at the half, scored just three second-half points as Kansas tightened things up on that end of the floor.

"I thought the last five minutes our defense was really good," said head coach Bill Self. "We got some stops and some key rebounds, which was the difference. Sometimes you get lucky when they miss open looks and you get unlucky when they make guarded ones (quote courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics)." When looking at offense and defense a case can be made for Kansas being the country's most complete team, and on a night where their offense wasn't clicking on all cylinders they found a way to get the job done.

2. Greivis Vasquez lights up Virginia. Looking at the starting lineups it was hard not to notice that Virginia was initially matching up Sammy Zeglinski on Greivis Vasquez. But given what the senior from Venezuela did to five other guards who took turns guarding him the Cavaliers could have brought back Cornel Parker and still not stopped Vasquez. Greivis scored a game-high 30 points in a key 85-66 win in College Park to bounce back from a poor outing at Duke on Saturday. Maryland led 52-34 at the half thanks to 25 points from Vasquez and as a team the Terrapins shot 56.3% from the field. Jeff Jones and Mike Scott scored 16 points apiece for the Cavaliers, who dropped to 14-9 overall and 5-5 in the ACC. And given their overall resume they're in need of a run going into the ACC Tournament if they're to be an NCAA possibility.

As for Maryland they remain a game behind Duke in the loss column, and while the Blue Devils have separated themselves from the pack another loss isn't out of the realm of possibility. Four starters scored in double figures on Monday night and their efficiency was the highest it's been since their 81-59 win over Miami back on January 26th. If Maryland's complimentary pieces can offer consistent support to Vasquez offensively this is a team that has to be accounted for throughout the remainder of the ACC schedule.

3. South Carolina State hands Morgan State their first MEAC loss. Not much attention is paid to the MEAC on a national level but the league did see it's lone undefeated fall...at home. The Bulldogs of South Carolina State did the honors, beating Morgan State 71-68 behind 24 points from Jason Flagler. With that ends the Bears' 11-game win streak (they had also won 11 straight at home) and cuts their lead over Delaware State to two games. Can the Hornets catch them? It may seem unlikely but they do host Morgan State on Wednesday night.

Reggie Holmes led MSU with seventeen points but the Bulldogs put the game away with an 11-0 run to push the lead to twelve with just over six minutes remaining. Also, SCSU made up for sixteen turnovers by shooting 57.1% from the field and finishing with an efficiency rating of 106.0. The Bears currently lead the MEAC in both offensive efficiency and opponent's efficiency, and when your opponent exceed that number (92) by fourteen you'll be in trouble. While no one may catch Morgan State for the regular season title they're far from a lock to win the MEAC's automatic bid, and South Carolina State's win should make that even more apparent.

Top Three Games

1. Tennessee St 109, Tennessee Tech 102 (2OT) Robert Covington (12 rebounds) and Jeremiah Crutcher scored 24 points apiece in leading the Tigers to their third consecutive OVC victory. Tech's Elijah Muhammad led all scores with 26 while also tallying eight assists.

2. Kansas 59, Texas A&M 54 See above.

3. Jackson St 70, Texas Southern 67 (OT) The Tigers strengthened their hold on first place in the SWAC with a win in Houston. Garrison Johnson knocked down seven three pointers in scoring 27 points to lead the Tigers while Junior Treasure scored 23 for Texas Southern.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Greivis Vasquez (Maryland) 30 points, eight rebounds and five assists (no turnovers) in the Terrapins' whipping of Virginia.

2. G Kemba Walker (UConn) A career-high 29 points to go along with nine rebounds, three assists and most importantly just one turnover in the Huskies' win at Villanova.

3. F Robert Covington (Tennessee St) 24 points and 12 rebounds in the Tigers' win over Tennessee Tech.

Poll: Who Will Win the MEAC?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:19:16 -0700

South Carolina St Basketball Preview: #142

Joel Welser — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:54:49 -0700

South Carolina State Bulldogs

Overall Rank: #142

Conference Rank: #1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

2008-09: 17-14, 10-6

2008-09 postseason: none

Coach: Tim Carter (30-34 at South Carolina State, 201-202 overall)

The 2008-2009 season was supposed to be the year South Carolina State made a run at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title. The talent was there, but in the end the Bulldogs finished behind a much better Morgan State squad. Without a trio of key contributors, on paper SCSU should take a step back, but Coach Tim Carter is at the school for his third year and the team is beginning to look like his kind of team.

Key Losses: G Jessie Burton, C Josh Jackson, F Jason Johnson

Key Newcomers:

Coach Carter had to go the junior college route to fill in some glaring holes. It is possible that Tyvon Williams, a 5-11 point guard out of Monroe Community College, and power forward Rondrico Hightower could be starting from day one. Fellow junior college transfers Devon McBride and Joe Wright will add some much needed depth.

Backcourt:

Without Burton, the new star on the perimeter will be Jimmy Williams. Williams had a superb freshman campaign, tallying 8.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists per contest. His do-it-all mentality will be extremely valuable to this team. Williams can hit the outside shot with consistency and will use his 6-4 frame to get to the basket. Junior Carrio Bennett is nearly as productive as Williams. His outside shot could use a little work, but Bennett still connected on one three-pointer per game and will be a threat to score 20 points on any given night. Either of those two could move to the point if necessary, but the Bulldogs hope that job can be filled by a newcomer so Williams and Bennett can worry about scoring.

Frontcourt:

It is in the frontcourt where there are bigger concerns. Losing Jason Johnson and Josh Jackson is huge. Johnson alone averaged 13.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. Jackson was a nice compliment to him, tallying 8.0 points per and 4.7 boards. However, the frontcourt cupboard is not bare. Jason Flagler is really a 6-4 wing, but he has the strength to battle in the paint and play the four position. By the end of the year Flagler was battling with Johnson in both the scoring and the rebounding department and should be able to average 14 points and eight rebounds during his senior season.

Who to Watch:

However, no matter how strong and productive he may be, Flagler is still only 6-4 and cannot move from the three spot to the five spot. There is not much else on the roster as far as forwards go and that will put a lot of pressure on newcomers Hightower and Wright. Those two will have to manage nearly all the minutes at the five spot and that is asking a lot from two relatively untested players. If Hightower is not ready to play the five spot at the Division I level and Wright cannot give the team a force off the bench, South Carolina State will not win the conference.

Final Projection:

But otherwise there is enough talent here to make a nice little run at in the MEAC. Williams, Bennett and Flagler are all players who have proven that they can play basketball and will step up big time now that they will be forced to become the leaders on the team. The key is how well Coach Carter can fill in the holes at center and point guard. Those are a couple important positions, but the coaching staff did a good job giving itself plenty of options.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Tyvon Williams, Junior, Guard, DNP last season

Carrio Bennett, Junior, Guard, 7.3 points per game

Jimmy Williams, Sophomore, Guard, 8.6 points per game

Jason Flagler, Senior, Forward, 12.8 points per game

Rondrico Hightower, Junior, Forward, DNP last season

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Preview Interviews

MEAC Basketball Preview: 08-09

CHN — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:54:55 -0800

Conference Rank: 30th

Conference Page

All-MEAC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Tywain McKee	Coppin St	Sr
G	Reggie Holmes	Morgan St	Jr
G/F	Corey Lyons	Norfolk St	Sr
F	Marquise Kately	Morgan St	Sr
F	Jason Johnson	So. Carolina St	Sr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
none		Points: Tywain McKee 16.6 Rebounds: Jason Johnson 7.5 Assists: Joe Ballard (FAMU) 3.8

MEAC Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

126	Morgan State*	MEAC	1	NCAA
167	Hampton	MEAC	2
197	Delaware State	MEAC	3
240	Norfolk State	MEAC	4
254	South Carolina St	MEAC	5
283	Florida A&M	MEAC	6
301	Coppin State**	MEAC	7
310	NC A&T	MEAC	8
317	Howard	MEAC	9
319	Bethune-Cookman	MEAC	10
339	UMES	MEAC	11

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the MEAC?

Other MEAC Content

Conference Media Poll

Other

Rise & Fall: MEAC

Daily Conference Poll: Who Will Win the MEAC?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 08:07:48 -0700

State of '08: South Carolina

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:11:18 -0700

Duke or Carolina? BC or UMASS? Gonzaga or Washington.. or Washington State? What is the best program in each state? While there's not much competition in Hawaii.. there are great debates to be had in loaded regions like California, North Carolina, and Texas. The State of '08 is a ranking of every program in every state.. based mostly on recent success (the last five years) mixed in with subjective factors such as conference prestige, historical success, and overall program direction.

For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

SOUTH CAROLINA

CLEMSON - Amazingly Clemson made the NCAA Tournament for just the first time in a decade, losing to Villanova in the opening round. The Tigers were an NIT team the previous three seasons, but have still trumped Winthrop in RPI in 6 of 8 seasons.

WINTHROP - The Eagles simply own the Big South right now. In Greg Marshall's ten-yea reign, Winthrop has made an amazing 8 NCAA Tournaments, and a 9th is possible in '09. In '07, Winthrop also knocked off Notre Dame in the tourney's First Round.

SOUTH CAROLINA - In Dave Odom's 7-year tenure, the Gamecocks were invited to one NCAA Tournament and 2 NITs. Former WKU Coach Darrin Horn was brought in to make the program more competitive in the SEC. Not since 1998 has USC finished over .500 in conference play.

CHARLESTON - For a long-time in the 90's up until a few years ago, Charleston was one of the top mid-major programs in the country. Ever since John Kresse retired, the Cougars have lost a little bit of their lustre and last year was the first time they finally finished below .500 in the Southern Conference.

SOUTH CAROLINA STATE - This is has long been one of the premier programs in the MEAC.. which isn't saying much because it is the MEAC. Since their last conference title in 2003, there has been some slippage however. Last year's 9-9 conference record was their worst in a decade, and RPIs of 290 & 284 in the past two years are anything but impressive.

6. FURMAN - In the previous six seasons, Furman was consistently a .500 team in the Southern Conference. But last year the bottom fell out and the Paladins struggled to a horrible 6-14 conference record, and an even worse 7-23 overall record. However, the team was young and most onlookers expect serious improvement in Jeff Jackson's third season.

7. COASTAL CAROLINA - In 2006, the Chanticleers were just a basket away from advancing to the Big Dance. This was an an aberration for a program that otherwise has been a middling to poor Big South team over the last 10 years.

8. WOFFORD - The Terriers have had similar overall success to Coastal Carolina above, hovering around winning 40 to 50% of their conference games on a yearly basis. Last season the team shocked Purdue on the road, and played Alabama very close as well.

9. CHARLESTON SOUTHERN - Other than two years of mediocrity in '05 & '06, this has been one of the worst programs in the country for quite some time. The Bucs have only won 10 D1 games the last 2 seasons, with an average RPI of 328th

10. THE CITADEL - Avoid being in last solely because there were two D1-newcomers in South Carolina last year. The Bulldogs haven't won 10 games since 2002, which was also the last season they finished above 290 in the RPI. Brutal stuff.

11. SOUTH CAROLINA UPSTATE - The Spartans beat six D1 teams in its initial season, including a decent Gardner-Webb squad. Upstate also has an advantage over Presbyterian due to their affiliation with the Atlantic Sun conference.

12. PRESBYTERIAN - Not much to say here. In the program's first full D1 season, the team went 2-25 (against D1 teams) with wins over Radford and Army.

Last: Pennsylvania - Next: Tennessee

State of '08: The Introduction (& State list/links)

Carter Named New Head Coach at South Carolina State

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 07 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700