Stanford

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

Bracketology: Remaining Teams That Can Steal Bids

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 19:55:54 -0800

While bubble teams were able to breathe easier when Murray St and Creighton won close conference titles, the coast is not entirely clear.

Here's a brief look at the remaining teams most likely to "steal" bids from the bubble hopefuls**.

ACC

With UNC and Duke lurking, its hard to imagine a spoiler coming from the ACC, but you never know..

Clemson (16-14, 8-8, RPI #138)

The ACC might be down this year, but .500 in that league still counts for something. The Tigers would need to beat VT in the opening round and then steal one from Duke. Clemson only lost to Duke by 7 at Cameron.

Maryland (16-14, 6-10, RPI #110)

The Terps have an easy opening game against Wake Forest, and they'd they have to beat UNC in the quarterfinals.

Atlantic 10
While Temple and St Louis are locks, there is a ton of parity in the A10. All of these teams deserve more respect than they get nationally and are extremely dangerous in the A10 tournament.

Dayton (20-11, 9-7, #73)

Dayton cruised past GW in the opening round and now faces Xavier. While Xavier is more likely to get an at-large bid, both teams have similar resumes. The loser of that game will be eliminated from at-large contention.

La Salle (210-11, 9-7, #79)

La Salle beat a tough Richmond squad in the opening round and now faces Saint Louis. La Salle struggled against the Billikens earlier in the year, but does have a geographical advantage playing in Atlantic City.

St Bonaventure (17-11, 10-6, #95)

A dangerous squad, St Bonaventure faces bubble team Saint Joseph's Wednesday afternoon. The Bonnies have already beaten Saint Joe's and with Andrew Nicholson leading the way, no one wants to face them.

UMASS (21-10, 9-7, #87)

UMASS topped Duquesne Tuesday night, which sets up an afternoon game with #1 seed Temple. UMASS took Temple to OT a few weeks, so they're far from scared.

Big East

UCONN showed that its not impossible to run through the Big East Tournament from a Tuesday start.

Pittsburgh (17-15, 5-13, #98)

Perhaps there is a little bit of magic left from this preseason top 25 team that struggled mightily.

Big Ten
These 3 teams have had their moments during the season, and would need to go on epic runs to win the league.

Illinois (17-14, 6-12, #82)

As bad as Illinois has been, how many teams have beaten the likes of Michigan St, Ohio St, and Gonzaga. The Illini would need Brandon Paul to go off for 40 every game in Indy..

Iowa (16-15, 8-10, #131)

Iowa has been surprisingly competitive this year, and has beaten Wisconsin twice along with beating Michigan and Indiana. They face Illinois in round one, the winner could have great momentum going forward.

Minnesota (18-13, 6-12, #81)

Once considered a potential tourney team, Minnesota's season went south in a hurry. They face bubble team Northwestern in round one and could seriously hurt the Wildcats at-large hopes.

Conference USA

While the RPI suggests Memphis and Southern Miss are by far the class of this league, these teams certainly have to be feared. If not for the tournament being in Memphis, the odds of one of these teams stealing a bid would be even bigger.

UCF (21-9, 10-6, #64)

With an opening round by, the Knights would face the winner of UAB or Tulane in round two. UCF is a close loss or two away from being firmly in the NCAA Tournament field. With the exception of one bad showing at Memphis, UCF has been competitive in every CUSA game.

Marshall (18-12, 9-7, #66)

Like UCF, Marshall is a dangerous squad that could be looking at the NCAA's with a little more luck. As it is, they have a very favorable spot in the bracket, opening against SMU and then potentially facing Tulsa in the quarterfinals.

Tulsa (17-13, 10-6, #112)

Most wouldn't have guessed that Tulsa would earn the #3 seed in the CUSA Tournament.

UTEP (14-16, 7-9, #158)

A real darkhorse as a #8 seed, UTEP has beaten Memphis and Southern Miss this year, so you never what could happen if they got hot.

MWC
The MWC is a small league, so you only have to win 3 games to earn the title.

Wyoming (20-10, 6-8, #80)

The Cowboys face UNLV in the opening round, and have already beaten the Rebels. While they've struggled away from home, they can't be written off.

TCU (17-13, 7-7, #101)

TCU can ruin Colorado St's bubble hopes in the opening round. The two split their season series, and the game should be close.

Pac-12
The Pac-12 is a complete mess. Cal and Washington can't be considered locks and a ton of teams could potentially win the league title.

Arizona (21-10, 12-6, #77)

Arizona awaits the winner of UCLA/USC after getting a first round bye.

Colorado (19-11, 11-7, #83)

The #6 seed opens with lowly Utah. The Buffs aren't that much worse than anyone else in the league.

Stanford (20-10, 10-8, #97)

The only team in the league to beat a Top 50 opponent in non-conference play, Stanford has been playing better after slumping a few weeks back.

UCLA (18-13, 11-7, #118)

With the tournament in Los Angeles, and a favorable bracket, you certainly can't write off the Bruins.

SEC

Outside of Kentucky, the SEC is much more even than you might think. Teams like Florida and Vanderbilt are overrated, and 2nd seed Tennessee is not that great away from home. Kentucky might lose focus, and then the league is up for grabs.

Arkansas (18-13, 6-10, #100)

If the Hogs can get by LSU, they'd face Kentucky in the quarterfinals. If they could somehow beat UK..

LSU (17-13, 7-9, #89)

The same exact situation as Arkansas.

**I'll define the bubble as including the following teams:

BYU

California

Colorado St

Drexel

Miami

NC State

Northwestern

Ole Miss

Oregon

Saint Joseph's

Seton Hall

South Florida

Tennessee

Texas

UCONN

Washington

Xavier

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10 Teams To Watch Next Year: The College Basketball List

Greg Mengelt — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 07:15:21 -0800

Each week, CollegeHoops.net's Greg Mengelt presents a different College Basketball List. This week, Greg takes a look at 10 teams that are setting up well for next year..

Note: This is not a list of next year’s top 10 teams. It’s simply 10 teams to keep an eye on.. The list can't take into account possible surprise defections to the NBA..

1. Syracuse: The Orange will have to replace Kris Joseph and Scoop Jardine, but C.J. Fair and Dion Waiters are more than capable of filling their roles. Expect Brandon Triche to take a larger scoring role, and Fab Melo and Rakeem Christmas to improve under the basket. There are two keys to Syracuse's 2013 season: The NBA Draft and James Southerland. If no more than Melo or Waiters go pro and Southerland becomes the star he’s capable of being, Syracuse could win it all in 2013.

2. Duke: The Blue Devils only lose light-scoring senior Miles Plumlee and aside from Austin Rivers, who could jump to the NBA, the entire Duke roster should return in intact. Mason Plumlee will continue to dominate on the boards and on defense. Quinn Cook, Tyler Thornton and Marshall Plumlee will take more prominent roles, and Ryan Kelly may become the Devils’ go-to player.

3. Texas: One of the best freshman classes in the country in 2011-12 should return intact for the 2012-13 season, along with leading scorer J’Covan Brown, who should have a big senior season. Myck Kabongo – the only Longhorn who could conceivably leave for the NBA – will benefit from a rough freshman season that will show him where he needs to improve. Jonathan Holmes, Julien Lewis, Sheldon McClellen and Jaylen Bond will give Texas a deep and talented roster. Freshman big man Cameron Ridley, a 5-star recruit, should add much needed size.

4. Indiana: Tom Crean’s rebuilding process will be complete. Indiana loses nothing of significance and Maurice Creek could return from a knee injury. Cody Zeller (assuming he stays) will only improve. Victor Oladipo, Christian Watford, Will Sheehy and Jordan Hulls are also expected to return. Add in two Top 20 recruits, Hanner Perea and Kevin Ferrell, and the Hoosiers have a shot at a Final 4 run.

5. Creighton: The Blue Jays will miss Antoine Young, but their current depth – led by freshman PG Austin Chatman – should more than make up for his absence. Doug McDermott will continue to refine his game and center Gregory Echenique will become more dominant. Sharpshooters Ethan Wragge, Grant Gibbs and Jahenns Mangiat are all expected to return, as well.

6. Saint Joseph’s: There’s not a single senior on a Hawk roster dominated by its talented sophomore class. Junior Carl Jones and sophomore Langston Galloway are already an explosive scoring threat and will only improve. C.J. Aiken will continue to dominate the paint defensively, and Halil Kanacevic is expected to play a bigger role.

7. Stanford: The Cardinal have one of the deepest and most talented sophomore classes in the country, led by PF Dwight Powell and SG Chasson Randle, who is technically a redshirt freshman this season. Aaron Bright is a strong shooter and John Huestis is an incredibly savvy player. Stanford will be one of the best teams in the Pac-12 next season and should be a national championship threat in 2013-14.

8. Davidson: The Wildcats have five players averaging in double-figures this season and none of them are seniors. Sophomore De’Mon Brooks is the team’s leading scorer at 15.5 points per game. Jake Cohen, Nik Cochran and J.P. Kuhlman are also juniors for a Davidson team that is 14-2 in the SoCon and knocked off Kansas in Lawrence in December.

9. Long Island: The Blackbirds are 22-7 and have dominated the NEC without a single senior who is a significant contributor. Juniors Julian Boyd and Jamal Olasewere combine for 34.2 points per game and both should be back next season along with sophomore Jason Brickman, who leads LIU at seven assists per game.

10. South Dakota State: The Jackrabbits will have to replace their best shooter in Griffan Callahan, but he is the only senior on the SDSU roster. Nate Wolters will no longer be considered a hidden gem after this season, in which he’s averaging 21.8 points, 6.1 assists, five rebounds and 1.6 steals. With Dominique Morrison graduating from Oral Roberts, South Dakota State should be the Summit League favorite heading into next season.

Bearcats Pick Up Needed Win: Thursday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 22:55:26 -0800

In the game of the night Duke rode the hot shooting of Andre Dawkins and the playmaking of Austin Rivers to avenge an earlier loss to Florida State, winning 74-66 in Tallahassee.

1. The game wasn't pretty but Cincinnati did enough to beat #17 Louisville.
It went without saying that Mick Cronin's Bearcats needed another good win for their resume due in large part to their weak non-conference slate. Their contest with #17 Louisville won't be a video that basketball purists eagerly throw into the DVD player but all that matters is the result, a 60-56 Bearcat victory to move to 10-5 in the Big East. Cashmere Wright rebounded from a second half ankle injury to lead Cincinnati with 22 points, five rebounds and five assists, and the Bearcats' superiority from beyond the arc proved to be the difference. Cincinnati made 11 of their 27 shots from deep while Louisville finished 1-for-14.

Peyton Siva scored 14 points and Gorgui Dieng and Chane Behanan scored 11 apiece (20 combined rebounds as well), but the struggles of Kyle Kuric and Chris Smith were critical. Those two combined to shoot 0-for-15 from the field with Kuric missing all seven of his three-point attempts, and Louisville can't win when that happens. There's more work for Cincinnati to do to make their Selection Sunday as stress-free as possible, but beating the Cardinals at home is a good start to the stretch run.

2. Likely needing a weekend sweep to enter the bubble conversation, Colorado gets whipped at home by Stanford.
With a 13-1 home record entering Thursday's action, Tad Boyle's Colorado Buffaloes had the look of a team that would enhance its NCAA prospects by winning at home against Stanford. But the Cardinal had other plans, as they jumped the Buffs in the first half on their way to the 74-50 victory. Chasson Randle scored 20 to lead the way offensively, and Johnny Dawkins' club was able to navigate 18 turnovers by limiting the Buffaloes to 29.6% shooting. Askia Booker led Colorado with 14 points, but a look at their resume depicts a team in need of a major run to reach the Big Dance. Andre Roberson (nine points, 11 rebounds) struggled, but he found other areas in which he could attempt to have an impact.

The same can't be said for guard Carlon Brown, who shot 1-for-8 from the field and has shot 6-for-28 over the last three games. As a result of Stanford's victory the Cardinal are back in the tournament discussion, but just ilke Colorado nothing other than the Pac-12's automatic berth will get them in at this point. Next up for Colorado is Cal on Sunday afternoon, and with a national audience watching that could be the Buffs' last stand. The hope in Boulder is that they find a way to avoid the slow start that has been their Achille's heal in recent weeks.

3. Gonzaga evens the score with BYU to keep alive their hopes of a 12th straight WCC title.
Elias Harris scored 19 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs to a 74-63 win over the Cougars, avenging their loss in Provo and moving into sole possession of second place in the WCC. Brandon Davies led BYU with 23 points and ten rebounds but it was obvious that BYU was missing something with Noah Hartsock (knee) sitting out the majority of the game due to his injury. The Cougars attempted 37 more field goals than Gonzaga (78-41) but they made just 30.8% of their shots, and making the same number of three-pointers as the Bulldogs (six) with fifteen more attempts (28-13) didn't help matters either.

Gonzaga turned the ball over 20 times but their parade to the foul line more than made up for that. Gonzaga attempted 44 free throws, making 36 and pushing the Bulldogs' total to 72 free throw attempts in two games against BYU. Gonzaga didn't have much of an answer for Davies in the post when he received the ball, but the Cougars had their issues in the second half as well. The win moves Gonzaga to second place with one league game remaining, which also means that the Bulldogs are still alive for their 12th consecutive WCC title.

Quick Hitters

1. Two more teams locked up postseason (NIT) berths on Thursday night: Belmont (Atlantic Sun) and LIU Brooklyn (Northeast). The Bruins whipped Kennesaw State 90-50 as Mick Hedgepeth and Scott Saunders scored 12 points apiece to lead four players in double figures. Jamal Olasewere scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Julian Boyd went off for 21 and 20 to lead LIU past Fairleigh Dickinson 91-80.

2. JaMychal Green didn't play but Alabama still found a way to pick up a key road win as they beat Arkansas 79-68. Andrew Steele scored 15 points and Trevor Releford 14 for the Crimson Tide, who also received 31 points from Rodney Cooper (17) and Nick Jacobs (14) off the bench. At 18-9 and 7-6 in the SEC, Anthony Grant's team will likely reach the Big Dance with a respectable finish to the regular season.

3. Long Beach State clinched a share of the Big West title and the top seed in the conference tournament, but they still aren't the outright champs...yet. Cal State Fullerton needed an Isiah Umipig three with 13 seconds remaining to beat Pacific 69-68, moving the Titans to 10-3 in league play. Fullerton is a game up on UCSB in the race for second with three games remaining for both.

4. It was the "Matt Gatens Show" in Iowa City, complete with a bobblehead given out to fans before the game, as Gatens led Iowa to a 67-66 win over #15 Wisconsin. Gatens scored a career-high 33 points, and the last player to do that against the Badgers was Stephen Curry ('08 Sweet 16).

5. Don't look now but Butler is a win away from locking up the two-seed in the upcoming Horizon League conference tournament. Brad Stevens' team won on Tuesday, and Cleveland State's 77-64 win over Detroit eliminates the possibility of the Titans winning a tiebreaker between the two. But locking up the seed will be tough, as the Bulldogs visit regular season champ Valparaiso on Friday night.

6. Isaiah Canaan scored 24 points and Donte Poole 16 to lead #12 Murray State to an 80-62 win over Tennessee State, the team responsible for the lone blemish on the Racers' record. Murray won despite being out-rebounded 33-22, but that tends to happen when a team shoots 56.5% from the field and 12-for-22 from three.

7. Also locking up a postseason berth on Thursday night was Middle Tennessee, who won 94-61 at Louisiana-Monroe to move to 14-1 in Sun Belt play. Kermit Davis' team assisted on 30 of their 35 field goals and 12 of the 15 Blue Raiders who played ended up scoring.

8. Thanks to 26 points and 14 rebounds from center Mike Muscala, Bucknell won 55-50 at American to clinch at least a share of the Patriot League title. The Bison entered Thursday's game on a two-game losing streak, which added some unexpected drama to the league race. Daniel Munoz led three Eagles in double figures with 15 points, and they now need a win and some help this weekend to wrestle away the two-seed from Lehigh.

#16 Florida State vs. #4 Duke: Thursday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 07:24:38 -0800

There's the perception that the trip to Tallahassee has been a nightmare for #4 Duke (23-4, 10-2) in recent years, but while it is a tough trip the Blue Devils hadn't lost there since 2006 before their 66-61 loss last January. On the line tonight is a share of first place (with North Carolina), a position few expected #16 Florida State (19-7, 10-2) to be in as they were struggling in November and December. FSU won the first meeting this season on a Michael Snaer three as time expired, but the Seminoles' offensive performance in the second half of that game was arguably their best of the season.

Florida State scored 50 points in the second half of the January 21 meeting, shooting 66.7% from the field, 80% from three and assisting on 11 of their 18 made baskets. Leonard Hamilton's team was successful due to their offensive balance and they took care of the basketball, finishing the game with 12 turnovers. On the season however, Florida State turns the ball over an average of 16.7 times per game, a number that remains the worst in the ACC (their assist-to-turnover ratio is also the worst in the conference). Ian Miller's return has improved things offensively in terms of adding a guard who can make plays, but the turnovers have been a concern all season long.

Florida State's lost just once in the seven games since their win at Cameron Indoor Stadium but they've racked up 15 or more turnovers in five of those. This isn't a "vintage" Duke team from a defensive standpoint, especially on the perimeter outside of Tyler Thornton, but they have enough players who can give Florida State some trouble if the Seminoles are careless with the ball. Miller, Snaer, Deividas Dulkys and Luke Loucks all have to make sound decisions with the basketball if Florida State is to feed off of what should be a raucous crowd. Duke's issues in the first meeting (besides Snaer's shot) came inside of the arc offensively, thanks in large part to FSU's defensive prowess.

Mike Krzyzewski's club shot just 37.5% from two in the first meeting, with guard Seth Curry (2-for-8) and Ryan Kelly (1-for-7) being the biggest culprits. The Blue Devils can go blow for blow with anyone in the ACC on the perimeter thanks to Curry, Austin Rivers and sharpshooter Andre Dawkins (Kelly can also step out and knock down shots), but at a certain point tonight they're going to need tough buckets inside from Miles and Mason Plumlee. Mason's been the more productive of the two in both scoring (11.2 ppg) and rebounding (9.7 rpg) but Miles has played well of late, which is a good sign heading into a game against a frontcourt as physical as FSU's.

Xavier Gibson, Bernard James and Okaro White lead the way inside for Florida State and seven-footer Jon Kreft will also see some time, and this group is a big reason why Florida State leads the ACC in both field goal percentage defense (37%) and adjusted defensive efficiency per Ken Pomeroy's stats (85.4; subscription required for link). Duke's biggest issue in the first meeting was the simple act of missing shots, and the fact that they scored 41 points in the second half shows that they're more than capable of navigating the Seminoles' tough defense.

Turnovers are going to be key on both sides of the basketball, especially when Florida State has possession. Live-ball turnovers against Duke, whose shooters are very good when it comes to finding open spots in odd-man situations, are a good way to get beat regardless of the venue. Duke's also done a better job of keeping opponents off the offensive boards than Florida State, owning a slight edge in opponents' offensive rebounding percentage. Duke grabbed 14 offensive rebounds in the first meeting but thanks to Snaer's heroics it didn't burn the Seminoles. FSU may not be as fortunate this time around, especially if they don't keep their turnovers in check.

Also of importance on Thursday night is the second meeting of the season of BYU and Gonzaga, with the winner remaining alive in the race for the WCC title. BYU won the first meeting in Provo as their frontcourt tandem of Brandon Davies and Noah Hartsock was too much for Elias Harris and Robert Sacre. But things may change in front of "The Kennel", as both Bulldogs play better at home. The key for BYU will be the decision-making of Matt Carlino at the point as well as getting contributions from a player such as Anson Winder, who scored ten points in the Cougars' win in Provo.

Alabama may or may not have JaMychal Green back in the lineup for their game at Arkansas, but either way this is a critical game for both teams in regards to reaching the NCAA tournament. Mike Anderson's Razorbacks have been brutal on the road this season, which in turn makes the home games they get even more important. B.J. Young has been one of the best freshmen in the SEC, and his performance tonight against Trevor Releford will go a long way in determining the outcome. If the Hogs can turn Alabama over and get some fast-break opportunities they'll have a good chance of picking up another win at Bud Walton Arena.

And Thursday night is a big one on the bubble as Cincinnati and Colorado host key league games. The Bearcats will look to knock off #17 Louisville in a game they really need to boost their resume. The big problem for Cincinnati has been that weak non-conference slate, which includes losses to Presbyterian and a Marshall team that hasn't played as well in Conference USA as many expected them to. Cashmere Wright (UC) and Peyton Siva (Louisville) will be the most important players on the floor; whichever point guard plays better will end up leading the winning team.

Colorado kicks off a big weekend with a matchup against Stanford, who is also hoping to fight their way into the bubble conversation. Tad Boyle's Buffaloes are 13-1 at home this season and a sweep of Stanford and Cal would go a long way when it comes to getting into the bubble conversation. Andre Roberson and Spencer Dinwiddie need to have big games if the Buffs are to defend their home floor. Stanford freshman Chasson Randle has been one of the Pac-12's best freshmen (as has Dinwiddie), and his skill gives the Cardinal a good shot at leaving Boulder with a win.

Lastly the Patriot League title will be decided tonight as Bucknell visits American. Dave Paulsen's Bison entered last week's play 10-0 in league play only to drop games to Lehigh and Holy Cross, opening the door for both the Mountain Hawks (10-3) and American (9-3). Led by big man Mike Muscala (21 points, 12 rebounds) the Bison won the first meeting 67-61 as they shot 52% from the field. But the Eagles still had a chance to win thanks to their ability to get to the foul line and rebound, and in Charles Hinkle American has one of the best players in the Patriot League. Two weeks ago Bucknell was a win from locking up the regular season title. A loss tonight and they could find themselves in third place.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM (4) Duke at (16) Florida State (ESPN)
8:00 PM (12) Murray State at Tennessee State (ESPNU)
9:00 PM (15) Wisconsin at Iowa (ESPN2)
9:00 PM (17) Louisville at Cincinnati (ESPN)
10:00 PM (23) Saint Mary's at Portland (ESPNU)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Alabama at Arkansas (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Bucknell at American University (CBS SN)
7:00 PM LIU Brooklyn at Fairleigh Dickinson
7:00 PM Chattanooga at Furman
7:00 PM Detroit at Cleveland State
7:00 PM Belmont at Kennesaw State
7:00 PM Albany at Binghamton (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Mount St. Mary's at Central Connecticut State (MSG+)
7:00 PM Elon at Davidson
7:00 PM Stetson at East Tennessee State
7:00 PM South Alabama at Florida Atlantic
7:00 PM Coastal Carolina at Liberty (ESPN3)
7:00 PM St. Francis (NY) at Monmouth
7:00 PM Gardner-Webb at UNC-Asheville
7:00 PM St. Francis (PA) at Quinnipiac
7:00 PM Presbyterian at Radford
7:00 PM Robert Morris at Sacred Heart
7:00 PM Charleston Southern at VMI
7:00 PM Samford at Western Carolina
7:00 PM Wright State at Youngstown State
7:00 PM Wagner at Bryant
7:30 PM SIU-Edwardsville at Eastern Kentucky
7:30 PM Troy at Florida International
7:30 PM Lipscomb at Mercer
7:30 PM Eastern Illinois at Morehead State
7:30 PM Florida Gulf Coast at USC Upstate
8:00 PM Milwaukee at Illinois-Chicago
8:00 PM Arkansas State at Western Kentucky (FCS)
8:00 PM Oakland at UMKC
8:00 PM Georgia Southern at Charleston (ESPN3)
8:00 PM IPFW at South Dakota
8:00 PM North Texas at Arkansas-Little Rock
8:00 PM San Jose State at Louisiana Tech
8:00 PM Green Bay at Loyola (IL)
8:00 PM IUPUI at North Dakota State
8:00 PM Western Illinois at South Dakota State
8:30 PM UCLA at Arizona State (FSNAZ.com)
8:30 PM USC at Arizona (FSN AZ)
8:30 PM Middle Tennessee at Louisiana-Monroe
8:30 PM Austin Peay at Tennessee-Martin
8:45 PM Southeast Missouri State at Jacksonville State
9:00 PM Northern Arizona at Montana (Altitude)
9:00 PM Hawaii at New Mexico State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM California at Utah
9:00 PM Siena at Marist (ESPN3)
9:05 PM Eastern Washington at Idaho State
9:05 PM Weber State at Northern Colorado
9:05 PM Houston Baptist at Utah Valley
10:00 PM Seattle at Fresno State
10:00 PM Cal State Fullerton at Pacific
10:00 PM San Diego at Loyola Marymount
10:00 PM Pepperdine at Santa Clara (CSN CA)
10:30 PM Stanford at Colorado (FSN)
10:35 PM Portland State at Sacramento State
11:00 PM BYU at Gonzaga (ESPN2)

Cal vs Stanford: Prediction & Fan Poll

Greg Mengelt — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:49:37 -0800

STANFORD (15-5, 5-3 Pac-12) AT CALIFORNIA (16-5, 6-2 Pac-12)

Time/TV: 8:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. local)/Fox Sports Network

Location: Haas Pavilion

RPI Ratings

Stanford 79 (No. 5 Pac-12)

California 34 (No. 1 Pac-12)

Line: Cal -8.5 (130.5 o/u)

Stanford Players to Watch: F Josh Owens, 6-8 Sr. (13.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 60.9% FG); G Chasson Randle, 6-1 Fr. (12.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.2 apg); G Aaron Bright, 5-11 So. (12.2 ppg, 3.4 apg, 43% 3s). Owens, who scored 14 points on 7-of-13 shooting and pulled down nine boards in the Cardinal’s 76-63 loss at Washington last Saturday, should have his best game ever against the rival Bears. It won’t be hard. In five career games against Cal, he has 15 points and 11 rebounds combined.

Cal Players to Watch: G Jorge Gutierrez, 6-3 Sr. (14.3 ppg, 5 rpg, 4.5 apg); G Allen Crabbe, 6-6 So. (15.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 44.5% 3s); G Justin Cobbs, 6-2 So. (13 ppg, 4.8 apg, 53.8% 3s, 50.8% FG). Gutierrez is making a case for Pac-12 Player of the Year. He’s 10^th in the league in scoring, fifth in assists, eight in free throw percentage (80.3), eighth in steals (1.3), sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2-to-1), 21^st in rebounds and 11^th in defensive rebounds (4.3).

Storylines: After Washington topped Arizona yesterday, Cal is a game behind the conference lead at 6-2. Stanford was also in the title hunt until back-to-back losses to Washington State and Washington. The Cardinal are now a game back of Cal at 5-3.

Keys: Cal has the home-court, the experience and possibly a slight talent edge over the Cardinal, but Stanford appears to have a size, depth and balance advantages in the matchup. The Cardinal have three players who score in double-figures, fiver over six points per game and 10 players who average at least three points per game. Cal is shooting 29.1 percent from the 3-point line (16-for-55) in its past four games. Before that stretch, the Bears were making 44 percent from beyond the arc. Both teams average in the 72-point range, but Cal has an edge in scoring defense and field goal defense. The Bears surrender only 60.2 points per game (second to USC’s 58.8) to Stanford’s 62.8, and Cal has the Pac-12’s best scoring margin at plus-12.1. California gives up just 40.4 percent from the floor to its opponents, while the Cardinal surrender 42.1. Cal also leads the league in free throw percentage at 74.8 percent (Stanford is ninth with a 65.7 percentage) and 3-point percentage at 40.1 (the Cardinal are seventh at 36.3). Stanford is second in the Pac-12 in rebounding margin at plus-5.8 per game (behind only Colorado’s plus-6.4), but it was out-rebounded 47-32 by Washington State and 39-30 by Washington. Against WSU, the Cardinal shot just 3-for-19 from the 3-point line. The Cardinal gave up 33 points to the Cougars’ Faisal Aden, who was later named the collegehoops.net Player of the Week. The Cardinal shot just 11-for-52 from the 3-point line in their 2-game trip to Washington. Cal is 13-0 at Haas Pavilion this season, while the Cardinal are 3-3 in true road games after the back-to-back losses to Washington and Washington State last weekend. Stanford has an edge in the series, which dates back to 1913-14, 141-113 all-time. Cal has won four of the last five meetings overall, including the last three in Berkeley, with the Cardinal winning 82-68 last January. The two sides have split the last 10 meetings.

The Bottom Line: In the Pac-12, it’s really hard to tell what’s going to happen. When two teams match up this similarly, it’s always wise to take the home team.

The Pick: Cal 69, Stanford 63

Saturday Recap: Five Ranked Teams Fall to Unranked Opponents

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 01:27:58 -0800

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other Notable Happenings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quick Hitters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Five (plus one) Notable Performances

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thursday Recap: Rutgers Beats #10 Florida

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 08:50:46 -0800

The matchup between #10 Florida and Rutgers on Thursday night was hyped up due to the return of Mike Rosario, who transferred from the New Jersey school following two seasons in New Brunswick. But his return was a subplot in what turned out to be one of the best games of the calendar year, with the focus by the end being Mike Rice's young guards. Eli Carter led the way with 31 points, seven rebounds and seven assists while Myles Mack knocked down some big shots late in regulation and during the overtime periods to lead Rutgers to the 85-83 double overtime victory.

Jerome Seagears added 13 points and junior forward Dane Miller was his usual versatile self with 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Kenny Boynton led four Florida players in double figures with 26 points, but the Gators seemed to bog down offensively down the stretch, once again not getting the ball inside enough to Patric Young. Young finished with 11 points but took just eight shots in 41 minutes of play, and there was even a possession where Florida failed to get him the ball despite being guarded by the 6'3" Carter. Florida's guards had the experience advantage, but it was Rutgers that made that one extra big play to win the game.

"Would I have liked them to get into our sets a little quicker? Sure," said Rice after the game. "But there was such a poise, such a confidence. They responded at the end. I always take it back because they practice like that ...hopefully this is [what's] to come."

For all their youth Rutgers turned the ball over just 11 times compared to 18 Florida turnovers, and their assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.64 was nearly double their season average (0.86). Also critical for the Scarlet Knights was their play on the boards, as they were out-rebounded by just one (37-36) on the night with Derrick Randall supplying eight rebounds in 17 minutes of play. The Rutgers reserves, led by Mack (14 points), outscored Florida's bench 22-8 with Rosario scoring five points for the Gators. The Scarlet Knights are young and there will be bumps in the road in Big East play, but as Coach Rice said after the game the future is bright.

"This is what happens when you don't think impossible is impossible," said Rice. "This is what happens when young men are determined to follow the formula and play for one another."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Vanderbilt jumps Marquette from the start and picks up a much-needed resume builder.
Much of the country didn't get to see the beginning of Vanderbilt/Marquette due to the length of Rutgers' win over Florida, and by the time ESPN2 switched over the game was essentially finished. Kevin Stallings' Commodores jumped out to a 19-4 lead and didn't look back, leading by as many as 25 points in the first half (31-6) on their way to a 74-57 victory. Marquette couldn't hit the broad side of a barn in the first half as they shot 21.2% from the field and finished the game making 32.2% of their shots.

Jeffery Taylor led four Commodores in double figures with 19 points while Lance Goulbourne added 13 to go along with 16 rebounds, and Marquette's inability to make shots allowed the visitors to get away with 17 turnovers. Jae Crowder (16 points) and Darius Johnson-Odom (12 points) reached double figures but with fellow starters Junior Cadougan and Vander Blue combining to make two of ten shots from the field the Golden Eagles weren't able to get back into the game. Vanderbilt needed a win like this to re-establish some national credibility after an 8-4 start, and this will help as they go into SEC play.

2. Saint Mary's welcomes BYU to the WCC with 98 points in Moraga.
BYU and Saint Mary's went into Thursday's game familiar with each other since they met last season, even with some of the key figures in that meeting no longer in school. But confernce play can be an entirely different animal, as the Cougars found out in the second half of the Gaels' 98-82 victory. Randy Bennett's team made 55.4% of their shots and assisted on 23 of 31 made baskets, and individually both Matthew Dellavedova and Rob Jones posted double-doubles. Dellavedova ran the show for Saint Mary's, finishing with 18 points and 12 assists, while Jones was a matchup nightmare for BYU with 24 points and 15 rebounds.

Brandon Davies was outstanding for BYU in scoring 28 points and grabbing seven rebounds, but there wasn't enough offensive help for Davies when considering the fact that four SMC starters finished in double figures. Stephen Holt made eight of his ten shots in scoring 21 points and Jorden Page added 13 and five assists. On a night filled with offense, BYU simply could not get stops when they needed them the most. Of the three contenders for the WCC title (Gonzaga) the Gaels have the weakest non-conference resume, so that regular season crown may be most important for them when it comes to the NCAA Tournament. Thursday night was a good first step in that direction.

3. Cashmere Wright takes matters into his own hands late to lead Cincinnati past Oklahoma.
One question regarding Cincinnati's smaller lineup in light of the suspensions of Yancy Gates and Cheikh Mbodj was how the Bearcats would deal with bigger teams, something that wasn't an issue in wins over lesser competition. Oklahoma provided that challenge, and while it wasn't pretty Cincinnati found a way to win 56-55. That way: give Cashmere Wright the chance to make plays late. The junior point guard scored just eight points on the night (3-14 FG), but he made two huge baskets in the final minute including the game-winner with 8.8 seconds to go. Cincinnati turned the ball over just eight times on the night compared to 17 for the Sooners (UC: 16 points off turnovers), and while they were a minus-9 in rebounding margin the Bearcats grabbed 13 offensive boards and scored ten second-chance points (OU finished with 11). Cincinnati's taken full advantage of what could have been a crippling turn of events, becoming a better basketball team as a result.

Quick Hitters

1. It was a bad night for ACC bottom-feeders on Thursday, with Boston College losing to #24 Harvard for the fourth consecutive time (67-46) and Georgia Tech losing at Fordham (72-66). To say the least these results don't do much to maintain the league's computer numbers, and it could be a long conference season for both the Eagles and Yellow Jackets. And it should also be noted that Wake Forest nearly lost to Yale after leading by 19, ultimately hanging on to beat the Bulldogs 72-71.

2. Freshman guard Jamal Branch has left the Texas A&M program and will transfer according to multiple media outlets. Branch averaged just 4.2 points and 2.5 assists per game, but his departure leaves the Aggies one option short on a perimeter that hasn't played at a championship level this season.

3. Two teams that took hits to their chances of an at-large bid on Thursday are Marshall and Iona, with both falling on the road. Iona couldn't recover from 19 first half turnovers in an 83-75 loss at Hofstra while the Thundering Herd lost 79-74 to a Belmont team they beat just ten days ago. The Herd may have a better shot at earning an at-large given their conference affiliation (Conference USA), but the climb for both teams became a lot tougher.

4. Shaka Smart's VCU Rams won their seventh straight game on Thursday, winning 76-75 in overtime at Akron. Bradford Burgess led four Rams in double figures with 19 points (and seven rebounds) and VCU forced 20 Akron turnovers on the night.

5. Getting to conference play wasn't the catalyst for Austin Peay that some thought it would be as the Governors lost 67-65 at Eastern Kentucky. Dave Loos' team dropped to 3-11 on the season (0-1 OVC) while the Colonels are now 2-0 in league play.

6. In the "inexplicable loss" category are the defeats suffered by American and James Madison, who in losing to Mount St. Mary's and Rhode Island respectively lost to teams that entered Thursday with a combined 2-21 record.

7. Even though they were the home team it's likely that few people expected Illinois State to beat Northern Illinois in the MVC opener for both teams. But that's exactly what happened as the Redbirds, led by Jackie Carmichael (19 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks), beat the Panthers 65-61.

8. The opening night of Pac-12 play didn't lack excitement either, with Stanford hanging on to beat UCLA 60-59. UCLA took 13 shots in the second half that would have given them the lead if converted...and missed them all. And in Seattle, Tony Wroten led Washington to a 95-80 win over Oregon State with 26 points, nine rebounds and four assists. If the freshman continues to learn how to use his talents to make his teammates better, look out.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Eli Carter (Rutgers)
31 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the Scarlet Knights' 85-83 double overtime win over #10 Florida.

2. F Will Barton (Memphis)
27 points, 13 rebounds and three assists in the Tigers' 64-47 win over Robert Morris.

3. F Chris Gaston (Fordham)
23 points and 17 rebounds in the Rams' 72-66 win over Georgia Tech.

Thursday Preview: BYU at Saint Mary's

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:31:47 -0800

It can be argued that Vanderbilt's trip to #13 Marquette is the big game of the day on Thursday, especially when considering a Commodore resume that could use some added bulk. But there's also the first-ever conference game as a member of the West Coast Conference for BYU (11-3), and they're jumping directly into the fire thanks to the league schedule-makers. Dave Rose's Cougars visit Saint Mary's (11-2) in the league opener for both teams, and there are some very good individual battles to keep track of in Moraga. The Gaels are 9-0 at home on the season thanks to both a tough environment for visitors at McKeon Pavilion and the talented players at Randy Bennett's disposal. The one who "stirs the drink": junior point guard Matthew Dellavedova.

Dellavedova (13.9 ppg, 6.3 apg), who was inexplicably left off of the first Cousy Award candidate list, is called upon to score as well as set up the Gaels' other options. The Australian shoots at a good clip from both the floor (44.3%) and from three (36.5%), with Steven Holt (8.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.5 apg) and Jorden Page (7.7 ppg) also factoring into things on the perimeter. Senior forward Clint Steindl (9.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg) is shooting 44.9% from beyond the arc, and he can be a matchup problem for teams given his comfort on the perimeter. Thanks in large part to this perimeter rotation the Gaels average 17.0 assists and 11.5 turnovers per game, and their efficiency (114.1) is tops in the WCC.

BYU ranks third in the conference in offensive efficiency (111.3), and the addition of UCLA transfer Matt Carlino at the end of the fall semester has paid dividend for the Cougars. Carlino (17.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg), who some have envisioned as possibly become a southpaw guard in the mold of Jimmer Fredette, has hit the ground running in shooting 54.5% from both the field and from three. Wings Charles Abouo (11.9 ppg, 7.0 ppg) and Brock Zylstra (9.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg) were BYU's best perimeter scorers before Carlino became eligible, and they're both clearly going to remain key options offensively. But what Carlino's arrival has done is make opponents account for the point guard spot supplying credible scoring, something that wasn't happening when he wasn't available.

The play inside will be where BYU may have to take control of the game, and they're more than capable of doing so with one of the top frontcourts on the west coast. Obviously Abouo's going to help on the glass given the fact that he's the Cougars' second-leading rebounder, but BYU can call on the experienced Noah Hartsock (17.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg) and Brandon Davies (11.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg) for scoring and muscle inside. Hartsock is shooting 59.1% from the field on the season, which is quite the achievement when considering that he's taken the most shots on the team (159). Davies is a very good athlete who does the majority of his work in the paint, and while his field goal percentage is down from his first two seasons in Provo that's got more to do with Davies' larger role.

As for Saint Mary's their best frontcourt player is senior Rob Jones (14.0 ppg, 10.6 rpg), who leads the team in both scoring and rebounding while also ranking third on the team in assists. If Saint Mary's isn't calling upon Dellavedova to make something happen more likely than not it's Jones who shoulders that responsibility. The other interior players are called upon more for defense and rebounding than scoring, with the experienced Kenton Walker and Mitchell Young combining with freshman Brad Waldow and sophomore Beau Levesque in a four-man platoon (seven-footer Kyle Rowley also plays 6.2 mpg). This group has to help out Jones on the boards against a BYU team that's the better rebounding squad of the two.

The Cougars out-rebound their opponents by an average of 5.1 rebounds per game while the Gaels are almost breaking even (plus-0.3) in rebounding margin. With these being the top two defensive teams in the WCC from an efficiency (and field goal percentage) standpoint, rebounding and second-chance points could make the difference. If Davies, Hartsock and the rest of the Cougars can attack the offensive glass successfully they've got a shot at leaving Moraga with the win. But they're also going to need either Anson Winder or Craig Cusick to step up and take advantage of whatever opportunities come their way on the perimeter. With Gonzaga also factoring into the WCC race, one of these two teams will get a much-appreciated jump on the competition with a win.

Vanderbilt, to their credit, has played a tough schedule to this point in the season but at 8-4 there's no doubt that the Commodores could use another quality win before the start of SEC play. Thursday night's game at #13 Marquette offers the perfect opportunity to pick one up, but John Jenkins and Jeffery Taylor are going to have their hands full on the perimeter. In addition to Darius Johnson-Odom there's also point guard Junior Cadougan, Vander Blue and reserve Todd Mayo to account for. And in an inside/out role Jae Crowder is one of the top forwards in the Big East. Whether or not Vanderbilt can leave Milwaukee with the win could depend on what they get from Brad Tinsley and Festus Ezeli.

Pac-12 plays also gets underway, and while the much-maligned conference doesn't have a single ranked team that doesn't mean that the action will lack suspense. Oregon State visits Washington with a chance to prove that they're ready to be an actual factor in the title race as opposed to a spolier, and with Jared Cunningham leading the way it's definitely possible. Washington needs to find a way to mesh the talents of Abdul Gaddy and Tony Wroten on the perimeter while also getting the ball to C.J. Wilcox and Terrence Ross on the wings. If one were to combine the raw talent of Wroten with the savvy of Gaddy the end result would be the perfect point guard for Lorenzo Romar's system, but obviously that isn't possible.

UCLA's trip to Stanford is another matchup of interest as the Bruins have won five straight games. One big reason why is that they're defending better, and the improved execution on the offensive end hasn't hurt either. Stanford counters with forward Josh Owens and freshman guard Chaisson Allen, who is going to be a star in the Pac-12 and possibly sooner rather than later. Harvard will likely be expected to win at Boston College and Mike Rosario returns to Rutgers in a pair of games in the northeast that the visitors are expected to win, and Memphis had better be careful to not underestimate Andy Toole's Robert Morris Colonials.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM Elon at (6) North Carolina (ESPNU)
7:00 PM (10) Florida at Rutgers (ESPN2)
9:00 PM Vanderbilt at (13) Marquette (ESPN2)
7:30 PM Penn State at (16) Michigan (BTN)
8:00 PM Howard at (18) Kansas (ESPN3)
7:00 PM (23) Harvard at Boston College (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
2:00 PM Brown at St. Francis (NY)
4:00 PM American University at Mount St. Mary's
4:30 PM Utah Valley vs. Hampton*
6:00 PM Spring Hill at Louisiana Tech
7:00 PM Grambling State at LSU (CST)
7:00 PM North Carolina Central at East Carolina
7:00 PM Campbell at NC State
7:00 PM Yale at Wake Forest
7:00 PM Sacred Heart at New Hampshire
7:00 PM William & Mary at Miami (OH)
7:00 PM Robert Morris at Memphis
7:00 PM Longwood at Chattanooga
7:00 PM VCU at Akron
7:00 PM Green Bay at Butler (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Stetson at UCF
7:00 PM Pennsylvania at Davidson
7:00 PM Austin Peay at Eastern Kentucky
7:00 PM Iona at Hofstra (FiOS 1)
7:00 PM Boston University at La Salle
7:00 PM Citadel at Tennessee (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Arkansas-Pine Bluff at UTEP
7:05 PM Maine at Florida Gulf Coast
8:00 PM Detroit at Illinois-Chicago (HLN)
8:00 PM Arkansas Tech at Texas A&M
8:00 PM Arkansas-Little Rock at North Texas
8:00 PM Texas-Arlington at Texas-Pan American
8:00 PM Southern Illinois at Evansville (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Marshall at Belmont
8:00 PM Georgia Tech at Fordham (CBSSN)
8:00 PM Wright State at Loyola (IL) (HLN)
8:00 PM FIU at Middle Tennessee
8:00 PM Tennessee Tech at SIU-Edwardsville
8:00 PM Alcorn State at Southern Miss
8:00 PM Milwaukee at Valparaiso
8:05 PM Northern Iowa at Illinois State
8:30 PM Western Kentucky at Louisiana-Monroe
8:30 PM Tennessee-Martin at Tennessee State
8:35 PM Kent State at Arkansas State
8:35 PM Sacramento State at Northern Arizona
9:00 PM Coppin State vs. San Jose State*
9:00 PM USC at California (CSN CA)
9:00 PM Jacksonville State vs. Colorado State*
9:00 PM Oregon State at Washington (ROOT)
9:00 PM Oregon at Washington State (CSN NW)
9:00 PM Jacksonville at Alabama (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Wagner vs. Air Force*
9:00 PM Oklahoma at Cincinnati (ESPNU)
9:00 PM Troy at Denver
9:00 PM Idaho State at Weber State
9:30 PM James Madison vs. Rhode Island*
10:00 PM Hope International at Cal Poly
10:00 PM UC Irvine at Cal State Northridge
10:00 PM San Francisco at Pepperdine
10:05 PM UC Davis at Cal State Fullerton
10:30 PM Fresno State at Pacific
11:00 PM UCLA at Stanford (FSN)
11:00 PM Brigham Young at Saint Mary's (ESPN2)
11:15 PM Eastern Michigan at Santa Clara
11:15 PM Nebraska-Omaha at Seattle
1:00 AM South Carolina State at Hawaii

Thursday's Preview: #24 Illinois vs. #8 Missouri

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:19:47 -0800

Thursday is the final "busy day" on the college basketball schedule before Christmas and there's important business to address in St. Louis: Braggin' Rights. Undefeated and eighth-ranked Missouri (11-0) looks for its third straight win over #24 Illinois (11-1) in the series, and despite the change in head coach the Tigers remain one of the most balanced teams in the country. Four players average double figures and two more average at least eight points per game, and with the team averaging 17.3 assists per game it's obvious that Missouri has no problem sharing the wealth.

Marcus Denmon (19.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg) leads the way offensively for Frank Haith's squad while senior Kim English is second on the team in both minutes and scoring (16.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg). English plays the four at times for the Tigers due to their lack of depth inside with the loss of Laurence Bowers and he's done a good job in the role. A player with his versatility can cause fits for opposing players at the four, and that's something that the Illini may be concerned with on Thursday. Illinois will also need to contend with the physical Ricardo Ratliffe (14.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg) inside, which should be a good measuring stick for seven-footer Meyers Leonard.

Leonard (13.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 2.4 bpg) got off to a good start but according the head coach Bruce Weber the sound of folks around him talking "NBA" may have gotten to the sophomore. Baby steps, folks. Leonard has shown himself to be a much-improved product this season but he's still got plenty of work to do. Ratliffe and Steve Moore will both be stronger than Leonard, who will need to counter with his ability to step away from the basket without falling in love with the the mid-range game and neglecting the post. Tyler Griffey is averaging a shade under five rebounds per game and has filled a role similar to that of the departed Bill Cole in that he'll be called on to do many of the little things that teams require in order to be successful.

On the perimeter is where Illinois could have trouble despite the presence of Brandon Paul (10.7 ppg, 3.2 apg) and D.J. Richardson (14.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg), with the latter being one of the better defenders in the Big Ten. Sam Maniscalco (10.9 ppg, 3.0 apg) runs the show at the point and has been good for Illinois thus far, but his defensive ability will definitely be tested by the Tiger guards. In addiiton to Denmon there's Phil Pressey (8.6 ppg, 6.0 apg), who has done an outstanding job of running the show for Missouri. Matt Pressey and Michael Dixon Jr. are two other options that Missouri can call upon with Dixon averaging 12.6 points per game off the bench.

The one thing that Illinois cannot do is turn the ball over, as Missouri still takes the ball away at a decent clip despite scrapping the full-court pressure employed by Mike Anderson. Missouri's opponents have turned the ball over on 24% of their possessions, and with the Tigers turning the ball over just nine times per game they aren't exactly going to give the ball back either. Illinois turns the ball over on one-fifth of their possessions, a reason why their offensive efficiency is 22.4 points below that of Missouri. With the two teams having nearly the same rebounding margin, turnovers (and the points scored off of them) will likely tell the tale in St. Louis.

Also of note are in-season tournaments in both Las Vegas and Honolulu, with many likely to be trained in on Long Beach State playing Xavier at the Diamond Head Classic. Tu Holloway returns from his one-game suspension but Mark Lyons and Dezmine Wells are both out for the Musketeers, which presents a great opportunity to Dan Monson's 49ers despite the matchup between Holloway and Casper Ware. A key for the Musketeers will be the play of Kenny Frease, as in T.J. Robinson the 49ers bring a very active interior player who brings the effort every night.

In Las Vegas, Saint Mary's could use a marquee win for their resume and Baylor would be a great team to do that against. But do the Gaels have enough help for Rob Jones inside to deal with the Bears' frontcourt? Saint Mary's will lean heavily on Jones and point guard Matthew Dellavedova, with the latter being a good test for Scott Drew's backcourt. Memphis, who has played one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country, will look to apply the lessons learned from their loss to Georgetown in Maui as they visit the Hoyas in the nation's capital. But in order to do so the Tigers must eliminate the defensive lapses that have const them in other big games this season if they're to win.

Connecticut (hosting Fairfield) and Marquette (hosting Milwaukee) should be on notice in their game, with the Golden Eagles looking to rebound from their loss at LSU and the Huskies taking on a Fairfield team that will contend in the MAAC. There's also going to be a pair of Olanders on the floor in that one, as older brother Ryan (Fairfield) looks to hand Tyler's Huskies a very rare non-conference loss to an in-state opponent. Butler visits Stanford in a game the Bulldogs really need for their profile before heading into Horizon League play, Kansas visits a USC team that looked like an offensive juggernaut on Monday night, and Tulane gets a chance to show that they're as good as their record in the Carrier Dome.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM Tulane at (1) Syracuse (SNY)
8:30 PM Miami (OH) at (2) Ohio State (BTN)
1:00 PM Loyola (MD) at (3) Kentucky (ESPN3)
10:30 PM Saint Mary's vs. (7) Baylor (ESPN3)
9:00 PM (24) Illinois at (8) Missouri (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Fairfield at (9) Connecticut (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Milwaukee at (10) Marquette (ESPN3)
11:00 PM (11) Kansas at USC (FSN)
7:00 PM Florida State at (12) Florida (ESPNU)
11:00 PM Long Beach State vs. (15) Xavier* (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Memphis at (16) Georgetown (ESPN2)
8:00 PM Northwestern State at (17) Mississippi State
6:00 PM UMBC at (18) Indiana (ESPN3)
6:30 PM Bradley at (19) Michigan (BTN)
9:00 PM Lehigh at (20) Michigan State (ESPNU)
8:05 PM Northwestern at (21) Creighton (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Florida Atlantic at (25) Harvard

NCAA Division I Games
2:30 PM UTEP vs. Clemson* (ESPNU)
3:00 PM Texas A&M-CC vs. Bethune-Cookman*
4:30 PM Kansas State vs. Southern Illinois* (ESPNU)
5:00 PM South Alabama vs. San Diego*
5:30 PM Tennessee Tech vs. Kennesaw State*
6:00 PM Mount St. Mary's at Savannah State
7:00 PM Bryant at Arizona (FSN AZ)
7:00 PM James Madison at George Washington
7:00 PM Delaware at Howard
7:00 PM Mercer at Georgia Tech
7:00 PM Bucknell at Boston University
7:00 PM San Francisco at Holy Cross
7:00 PM Davidson at Massachusetts
7:00 PM Gardner-Webb at East Carolina
7:00 PM Northeastern at NC State (ESPN3)
7:00 PM American at Villanova
7:00 PM Eastern Michigan at Virginia Tech (ESPN3)
7:00 PM VMI at Old Dominion
7:00 PM Charleston at Coastal Carolina
7:00 PM Sam Houston State at Cleveland State
7:00 PM Campbell at Appalachian State
7:00 PM Drexel at Binghamton
7:00 PM La Salle at Central Connecticut State
7:00 PM Alabama State at Detroit
7:00 PM Texas State at Fordham
7:00 PM Georgia Southern at Georgia State
7:00 PM Colgate at Hofstra
7:00 PM Rider at Monmouth
7:00 PM VCU at UNC Greensboro (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Navy at Presbyterian
7:00 PM Niagara at Quinnipiac
7:00 PM Princeton at Siena (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Central Michigan at Wright State
7:05 PM Toledo at Florida Gulf Coast
7:05 PM Robert Morris at Youngstown State
7:30 PM Elon at San Diego State
7:30 PM NJIT at Rutgers (RVision)
7:30 PM Loyola (IL) at Canisius (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Bowling Green at Florida International
7:30 PM Miami (FL) at Charlotte
7:30 PM North Carolina Central vs. Prairie View A&M*
7:30 PM Texas-Arlington vs. Saint Peter's*
8:00 PM Jacksonville at UAB
8:00 PM Louisiana Tech at Arkansas
8:00 PM North Dakota State at Minnesota
8:00 PM Arkansas State at Saint Louis
8:00 PM Rice at Texas A&M
8:00 PM LSU at North Texas
8:00 PM Missouri State vs. West Virginia* (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Dallas Christian at SMU
8:00 PM USF at Southern Miss
8:00 PM Grambling State at TCU
8:00 PM UTSA at Troy
8:00 PM North Dakota at Western Illinois
8:00 PM Idaho at Green Bay
8:05 PM Texas Tech at Oral Roberts
8:30 PM Boise State at Iowa (BTN.com)
9:00 PM Butler at Stanford (FSN)
9:00 PM Texas Southern at Colorado
9:00 PM Utah Valley at Montana
9:00 PM UMKC at New Mexico
9:00 PM UCSB at BYU (BYU TV)
9:00 PM UC Davis at Southern Utah
9:00 PM Wyoming at Idaho State
9:00 PM Citadel at Denver
9:00 PM Air Force at Gonzaga (Root NW)
9:00 PM Colorado State at Northern Colorado
9:00 PM Utah at Weber State
10:00 PM San Jose State at UC Riverside
10:00 PM Cal State Northridge at Washington
10:00 PM Hope International at UC Irvine
10:00 PM Portland at Nevada
10:00 PM Stephen F. Austin at Oregon
10:00 PM Washington State at Pepperdine
10:00 PM Pacific at Cal State Bakersfield
10:05 PM Southeast Missouri State at Sacramento State
10:05 PM Kent State at Utah State
10:05 PM Portland State at Cal State Fullerton
1:00 AM Auburn at Hawaii (ESPNU)