Texas A&M

South Region Preview: Duke Leads The Way

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:05:41 -0400

Not that anyone gets an “easy” route to the Final Four but Duke may have a bracket in which their biggest challengers bludgeon each other on their way to the Elite 8. ACC regular season co-champions and tournament champs, the Blue Devils begin the quest for their first Final Four since 2004 with the winner of the opening round game between Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Winthrop. The trio of Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith has led the way but they’re going to need the frontcourt quartet of Lance Thomas, Brian Zoubek and the Plumlee brothers (Miles and Mason) to produce if they’re to get to Indy.

Behind them: Villanova, who ended the season with two consecutive losses (West Virginia and Marquette), yet despite their depth they do have issues to address if they’re to get to their second straight Final Four. Taylor King was out for personal reasons but did return for the Big East Tournament; he, Isaiah Armwood and Mouphtaou Yarou will all need to step up to go along with Antonio Peña in the frontcourt.

The guards, led by Scottie Reynolds, Corey Fisher and Reggie Redding, can play with anyone in America but something else the Wildcats must do in the NCAA Tournament is limit the number of points they give away at the foul line. They heard a lot of whistles in Big East play; whether the move to less familiar faces in stripes means more of the same or an increased ability to play physical remains to be seen.

Next in line is Baylor, a team that possesses both explosive guard play (LaceDarius Dunn and Tweety Carter) and a deep frontcourt led by Ekpe Udoh and Quincy Acy. Scott Drew has more than enough talent at his fingertips to make a run deep into the tournament, with Indianapolis being a definite possibility. Duke also got a wounded Purdue squad, who has struggled offensively since Robbie Hummel went down with a torn ACL. Ja’Juan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore have the ability to score but the Boilers are going to need Keaton Grant to step up if they’re to advance.

Matt Painter’s team isn’t even a guarantee to get out of the first round; Fran McCaffery’s Siena Saints have a talented core that’s more than experienced in the art of not just getting to the Big Dance but also being successful once they do. A lot of people will pick the Saints to win their opener but don’t expect that to get to their heads; point guard Ronald Moore leads the nation in assists and given the many offensive weapons from which to choose it’s no surprise that he does.

Another Big 12 team blessed with frontcourt depth is in the region in the form of Texas A&M. Brian Davis is just one of the bodies that Mark Turgeon can turn to, but he’s going to need his guards to knock down perimeter shots if the Aggies are to excel. And similar to Baylor their fans won’t have to leave the state should they get to the second weekend (Houston hosts the regional). Notre Dame rode a team transformation and change in philosophy to a six-seed, but in Old Dominion they’ll face a very good team that’s been tested in the non-conference as well as in the CAA. The matchup of Luke Harangody and Gerald Lee will be a good one to keep an eye on when these two meet.

Richmond and St. Mary's will get together in an intriguing matchup with the Spiders boasting an excellent backcourt tandem (Kevin Anderson and David Gonzalvez) and a style that’s tough to prepare for. Randy Bennett’s Gaels can counter with Omar Samhan and Ben Allen inside and Matthew Dellavedova and Mickey McConnell at the guard spots. This should be an entertaining matchup, as will California and Louisville.

The Cardinals have the edge in depth but they’ll have to find a way in which to bottle up point guard Jerome Randle; the Pac-10 Player of the Year has the speed to cause the Louisville pressure fits. But the key for the Golden Bears will be how their bigs deal with Samardo Samuels and Terrence Jennings, both of whom can hurt you on the offensive boards if you aren’t careful.

And there’s also the matter of Utah St, a team that will make the Texas A&M assistant assigned to this scout earn his pay in the coming days. Stew Morrill’s team, led by Jared Quayle and Tai Wesley, had won 17 straight before losing to New Mexico State in the WAC final and runs enough offensive sets to rival that of an NFL playbook. The way this region sets up, the winner could either be the team that has the fortune of watching others fall or the one that wins a survival of the fittest. You may think Duke was given an easy road but there’s no such thing when you get a better picture.

Predictions

Pick: Baylor

Sweet 16: Duke, Texas A&M and Villanova

Best 1^st Round Game: #10 Saint Mary’s vs. #7 Richmond

1^st Round Upset Possibility: #13 Siena over #4 Purdue

Scary Underachiever: #9 Louisville

Sweet 16 “Crasher”: Louisville

Players who can shoot their team to an upset:

G Clarence Jackson (Siena), G Kevin Anderson (Richmond), G Jared Quayle (Utah State), G Jerome Randle (California)

South Region Team (one per team):

G Jon Scheyer (Duke), G LaceDarius Dunn (Baylor), G Scottie Reynolds (Villanova), F Luke Harangody (Notre Dame), C Ja’Juan Johnson (Purdue)

Texas A&M 2010 NCAA Tournament Preview

Joel Welser — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:46:36 -0500

Texas A&M Aggies

Big 12 Conference (23-9, 11-5)

Big Wins: 2/6 Baylor (78-71), 2/27 Texas (74-58), 3/3 Oklahoma State (76-61)

Bad Losses: 12/22 at Washington (64-73), 1/16 at Texas (67-72), 1/27 at Oklahoma State (69-76)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2009, Second Round loss to Connecticut

Coach: Mark Turgeon (4-3 in 3 NCAA appearances)

Why They Can Surprise:

The Aggies are by no means a team that slows down the tempo of a game, but they are among the leaders in the nation in turnovers per game, committing a mere 12.4 per contest. Sophomore Dash Harris deserves a lot of credit for keeping Texas A&M under control while running the floor. Harris is not much of a scoring threat, but that is not a problem on this team. As long as he can continue to dish out 3.3 assists per game and only turn the ball over 1.7 times, Coach Mark Turgeon’s offense will run smoothly. However, a wrist injury suffered in the conference tournament may limit Harris’ effectiveness.

Fellow guards B.J. Holmes and Donald Sloan deserve some accolades for the low turnover numbers, but they do much more than that. Holmes will provide a great spark off the bench and is the team’s most prolific long range shooter. Sloan is the other capable shooter on the team, especially with the season ending injury to Derrick Roland, but Sloan is more than just a shooter. He does a great job using his 6-3 frame to get to the basket and averages 18.2 points per game.

Why They Can Disappoint:

Despite all the decent scorers, this is not a great shooting team. Sloan and Holmes are the only two players on the team that are legitimate outside shooting threats and neither of them are very consistent. Forwards Nathan Walkup and Khris Middleton will both test their shooting range and connect on less than 30 percent of their attempts from long range. The Aggies are smart enough not to waste possessions by jacking up three pointers all the time, but it would be nice if there were a couple players that the opposition had to defend on the perimeter. And that could be why Walkup and Middleton continue to attempt the outside shot, but they are much more effective mixing it up in the paint or looking for an open 15-footer.

Who To Watch:

And it is not like the Aggies do not get open looks on the perimeter. Bryan Davis and David Loubeau are both capable interior scorers and that should lead to open looks on the perimeter. At the least it should lead to buckets for Davis and Loubeau. Davis, a 6-9, 250 pound senior, averages nearly ten points per game and is also the team’s best rebounder. Loubeau is not as big as Davis, but he is a great player to have on the bench or in the starting lineup and he averages 9.0 points and 4.6 rebounds and all of that is in only about 22 minutes per game.

Probable Starters:

Dash Harris, Sophomore, Guard, 5.0 ppg, 3.3 apg

Donald Sloan, Senior, Guard, 18.2 ppg, 2.2 apg

Khris Middleton, Freshman, Forward, 7.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg

David Loubeau, Sophomore, Forward, 9.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg

Bryan Davis, Senior, Forward, 9.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.8 bpg

Key Roleplayers:

Naji Hibbert, Freshman, Guard, 1.9 ppg, 1.5 rpg

B.J. Holmes, Junior, Guard, 9.3 ppg, 1.8 apg

Nathan Walkup, Junior, Forward, 5.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 72.0 (103^rd in nation, 11^th in conference)

Scoring Defense: 64.4 (78, 2)

Field-Goal Percentage: 44.3 (134, 9)

Field-Goal Defense: 40.4 (53, 4)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.1 (174, 10)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 33.3 (201, 12)

Free-Throw Percentage: 65.4 (272, 11)

Rebound Margin: 2.9 (85, 5)

Assists Per Game: 12.1 (229, 12)

Turnovers Per Game: 12.4 (67, 2)

Follow Joel Welser's Postseason Capsules & College Basketball Previews on Twitter @Joel_Welser and on his Facebook page. Joel will be back in June for his annual Top 144 Teams in 144 Days preview on CollegeHoops.net

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Poll: Who Will Win the Big 12 Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:17:10 -0500

College Hoops Monday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:47:46 -0500

The big game on Monday matches up the nation's top-ranked team and one of the hotter teams in the Big 12. Kansas has taken care of all comers since their loss at Tennessee, taking full control of their contest at Texas last Monday. However, in Texas A&M they'll take on a squad that's playing better basketball than the Longhorns were and Mark Turgeon's team is also "more secure" in their roles than Texas was. Donald Sloan has taken ownership since good friend Derrick Roland went down with a fractured leg at Washington back in December, averaging 19.3 points per game in the 12 games since Roland's injury. But the key for the Aggies will be how well they defend one of the nation's best offenses.

Kansas leads the Big 12 in offensive efficiency and averages just over eighty-three points per game on the season. Sherron Collins leads the way at the point, equally adept at scoring himself and distributing the ball to teammates who contribute to the conference's best shooting team (they lead the Big 12 in both field goal and three-point percentage). A&M will also need to rebound as a group led by Cole Aldrich ranks second in the conference in rebounding margin; however it's up to the Jayhawks to remember to get the big fella the basketball on the block. Brian Davis and company will have their hands full with the likes of Aldrich and the Morris twins (Marcus and Markieff), and with eight players averaging at least fifteen minutes per game Bill Self doesn't lack for answers.

Virginia and Maryland make up their postponed game as well, with the winner taking a step towards NCAA Tournament inclusion. The Terrapins need to defend their home floor while also making up for Saturday's disappointing showing at Duke, and the Cavaliers need a win to bolster what was an underwhelming strength of schedule. And in the Big East, Villanova looks to continue their march towards a one-seed with a win over a reeling Connecticut squad that we may all finally be facing reality with. Key Huskies made comments during head coach Jim Calhoun's leave of absence along the lines of "he'll know what to do with us when he gets back". A bit troubling; at what point do the upperclassmen step up and "take ownership" of the team? Unfortunately for them it may be too late, even with a win in Philadelphia.

TV GAMES

7p ESPN Connecticut at Villanova
7p ESPNU South Carolina State at Morgan State
9p ESPN Kansas at Texas A&M
9p ESPNU Jackson State at Texas Southern

OTHER GAMES

7p Rider at Saint Peter's
8p Virginia at Maryland
8p Jacksonville St at Austin Peay

ONE PREDICTION

Kansas over Texas A&M: The Aggies will hang around for most of the game but in the end it will be the Jayhawks' offensive execution that nets a few key baskets in the end. Kansas can get themselves in trouble if they neglect to get Aldrich the ball but that's not going to happen. Kansas wins by five.

Donald Sloan: CollegeHoops.net Player of the Week

Jeff Borzello — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:36:01 -0500

CollegeHoops.net Player of the Week: Donald Sloan, Texas A&M

With only a few weeks left until Selection Sunday, the competition for this week’s Player of the Week honors was in high gear. Teams are fighting for positioning on Selection Sunday, while others are aiming for a high seed. Either way, it led to some tremendous performances from a variety of players. There was UNLV’s Tre’Von Willis scoring 33 points and dishing out eight assists against BYU; West Virginia’s Da’Sean Butler averaging 25.5 points in two games; Denis Clemente of Kansas State pouring in 53 points in two road wins; Virginia Tech’s Malcolm Delaney averaging 25.5 in two big ACC wins; Wayne Chism of Tennessee averaging 25.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in a couple of victories; Arkansas’ Courtney Fortson averaging 25.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in two games; and New Mexico’s Darington Hobson leading the Lobos to two MWC wins by averaging 24.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists.

However, one of the best team performances of the week belonged to Texas A&M, mainly as a result of the play of guard Donald Sloan. The Aggies picked up two huge wins in the Big 12 this week, knocking off Missouri on the road, snapping the Tigers’ 32-game home winning streak, and then taking down top-25 Baylor over the weekend. While Sloan didn’t put up the gaudy numbers of some of the aforementioned players, he was still extremely impressive. In the two wins, he averaged 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per contest. Sloan had 17 points and eight rebounds in the victory at Missouri, then followed it up with 20 points and five boards against Baylor. He shot 14-for-15 from the free-throw line in the two games and also picked up two steals.

With the two wins, Texas A&M has positioned itself very well for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Aggies are now 16-6 overall, 6-3 in the Big 12, with an RPI in the low 20s and four top-50 wins. Three of their next four games are on the road, with the lone home game coming against Kansas. After that gauntlet, they finish the season with Texas, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma. It is a very tough stretch, but if Sloan puts up more performances like this week, the Aggies will be dancing come Selection Sunday.

Previous CHN Player of the Week:

Feb 2: Devan Downey - South Carolina

Jan 26: Jerome Dyson - UCONN

Jan 19: Scottie Reynolds - Villanova

Jan 12: Scotty Hopson - Tennessee

Jan 5: Ashton Gibbs - Pittsburgh

Dec 29: Mike Gerrity / Devin Ebanks

Dec 22: Dexter Pittman - Texas

Dec 14: Jacob Pullen - Kansas St

Dec 7: Trevon Hughes - Wisconsin

College Hoops Wednesday Recap: Separation in Conference USA

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:24:18 -0500

Wednesday was a big night in Conference USA with the top six teams in the standings playing each other. And with the results the race is now pared down to four teams separated by one game, with Tulsa and UTEP both coming back from double-digit deficits while Memphis beat UAB in a game much tighter than the 85-75 final would indicate. There were 31 lead changes, with the Tigers taking the lead for good on a pair of Wesley Witherspoon free throws with 3:40 remaining. Over the final 3:40 Memphis outscored the Blazers 16-6, making key plays on the defensive end to move their conference record to 6-2 while dropping UAB to the same record.

Witherspoon, who made some critical comments about the Tiger fan base on Facebook earlier this week (which he apologized for following the game), made up for a pair of poor showings on the road with a career-high 29 points while Elliot Williams added 25. "He was phenomenal tonight. He was absolutely outstanding," said head coach Josh Pastner of Witherspoon. "I'm so proud of him for the way he played tonight (quote courtesy of University of Memphis Athletics)."

Memphis made 60% of their shots in the second half but the defensive efforts of Will Coleman (a crucial block of a dunk attempt as the Blazers looked to make a final push) and Doneal Mack (who was the "1" in Memphis' box-and-1 set in response to Jamarr Sanders' 14 first-half points). Elijah Millsap scored sixteen points in the second half to lead UAB in scoring with eighteen but the Tigers' defense, forcing nineteen turnovers, combined with their offensive performance ultimately decided the outcome. As a result both are within striking distance of first place going into the weekend.

As for the Golden Hurricane, they used an early second half run to knock off Marshall 73-69 and drop the Thundering Herd to 4-4 in league play (tied with Houston), with Jerome Jordan outplaying Hassan Whiteside in a matchup of NBA prospects. Jordan posted a double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds while the freshman managed just one rebound to go with ten points. Tyler Wilkerson (Marshall) led all scorers with 26 points but the foul line (Tulsa +12 in points from the charity stripe) was the deciding factor.

And in El Paso, Derrick Caracter accounted for 22 points and 13 rebounds in the Miners' 65-58 win over Houston. In winning UTEP made the explosive Aubrey Coleman work; he scored a game-high 27 but did so on 9-for-27 shooting. How many bids can Conference USA earn? At this rate you can't rule out three teams, especially given how soft the bubble looks to be at this time. But there's still a month between now and the conference tournament in Tulsa, giving all parties involved ample time to decide their own fate in one way or another.

Three Key Happenings

1. Break up the USF Bulls! Stan Heath's program is on a roll that's never been seen at the Tampa school during their time in the Big East, winning their fourth consecutive league game on Wednesday night 72-64 at Georgetown. Dominique Jones, who really should be considered for All-America honors at season's end, scored 22 second-half points on his way to a game-high 29 while Mike Mercer added 12 for the victorious Bulls. Greg Monroe and Austin Freeman scored 21 points apiece to lead Georgetown but both were relatively quiet in the second half, and Monroe fouled out with just under three minutes left in the game.

The difference? Turnovers. Georgetown, who led at the half 35-26, turned the ball over eight times in the second half (three assists) on their way to fourteen for the game. By comparison, USF turned the ball over just eight times for the entire game and now the question has to be whether or not they're a part of the "bubble" conversation. They've got some solid victories to their credit and with Gus Gilchrist likely due back within the next week they've got a chance to keep the ball rolling. And while they're going to have to deal with opponents fully aware of what they are capable of, this is a time to recognize how important this win is to the USF program.

"We never won a game like this on the road and our confidence has been growing and we won some games on the road but this one is a huge jump on the radar screen," said Coach Heath after the game. "There will be a lot of people that are really shocked and all we are trying to do is keep going through the journey and doing the best job we can and grow as players and people (quote courtesy of Georgetown University Athletics)."

2. Texas A&M picks up a key win on the road. Mark Turgeon's Aggies let one get away at Texas on January 16th, falling in overtime 72-67 and with their best wins coming either at home or on a neutral floor they needed a good road win. How does ending Missouri's 32-game home win streak sound? That's exactly what Texas A&M was able to do on Wednesday night, surviving a late Tiger rally to win 77-74. David Loubeau led the Aggies with 17 points, scoring twelve in the second half, while the team held Missouri without a field goal for ten minutes of the second half. Donald Sloan and Khris Middleton added 17 and 16 points respectively while Kim English led the Tigers with 15.

For the game the Aggies made 52% of their shots while Missouri hit just 41.7% of theirs, negating a ten shot edge in regards to attempts while also shooting 9-for-28 from distance (A&M, on the other hand, made six of ten). Texas A&M also controlled the boards, outrebounding the smaller Tigers 41-24 to make up for twenty turnovers against the Missouri press. While this win isn't the one that will push the Aggies over the hump in regards to making the NCAA Tournament it certainly doesn't hurt, and with games against Baylor, Kansas and Texas at home they'll have opportunities to improve their resume even more.

3. Evan Turner should be the frontrunner for National Player of the Year. For those who had any doubt in regards to the frontrunner for National Player of the Year you may want to remember how the Ohio State Buckeyes played when the junior was out with a back injury. Solid players struggled due to the loss of their best distributor, rebounder and scorer, and there's no player that has this kind of impact on his team (especially a winning one). Turner put together another standout performance on Wednesday night, accounting for 27 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in Ohio State's 75-62 win over Penn State.

Turner currently leads the Big Ten in scoring and rebounding while ranking second in assists per game, and he scored 22 points in the second half to withstand a Nittany Lion rally and a Jon Diebler three with 1:29 to go gave the Buckeyes the breathing room they needed. As Turner goes so goes the rest of Thad Matta's team, and while other Player of the Year candidates can afford to have off nights due to the talent that surrounds them, there really is no other player that can take over a game for Ohio State. Evan Turner has received much praise this season and all of it is warranted.

Top Three Games

1. Tulsa 73, Marshall 69 See above.

2. Saint Louis 67, St. Bonaventure 65 A Kwamain Mitchell jumper with 1.4 seconds left gave the Billikens the two-point home victory. Mitchell scored 16 of his game-high 17 points in the second half while Andrew Nicholson and Jonathan Hall scored 13 apiece for the Bonnies.

3. Kansas 72, Colorado 66 The Jayhawks survived a game group of Buffaloes in Boulder, dominating the boards in the extra session to avoid the upset. Colorado's Marcus Relphorde led all scorers with 18 points while Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich scored 16 apiece for Kansas.

Three Notable Performances

1. G/F Evan Turner (Ohio State) 27 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in the Buckeyes' 75-62 win over Penn State.

2. G/F Anatoly Bose (Nicholls State) 38 points (11-22 FG) and six rebounds in the Colonels' 68-67 loss at Stephen F. Austin. The problem: the other four starters managed to score just ten points combined.

3. G Dominique Jones (USF) 29 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals in the Bulls' 72-64 win at #8 Georgetown.

Poll: Who is the Big 12 MVP So Far?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:34:43 -0500

College Hoops Tuesday Recap: Longhorn Depth Does in Michigan State

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:40:38 -0500

The stars for #2 Texas in the win over North Carolina on Saturday were Dexter Pittman and Damion James, who combined for 48 points and 30 rebounds. But what would Rick Barnes' team do if one of those two (in this case Pittman; James was the best player on the floor with 23 and 13, becoming the school's all-time leading rebounder) was saddled with foul trouble? We found out on Tuesday night in a late-game display that showed off the depth that makes the Longhorns a serious Final Four/national title contender. Gary Johnson and Dogus Balbay came up big for Texas, using defense to spearhead a runaway 79-68 win over #9 Michigan State.

Neither is expected to score due to the firepower already at Coach Barnes' disposal but for Balbay and Johnson to combine for six steals on a night that saw Pittman play just twelve minutes due to foul trouble was huge. Balbay had the job of slowing down All-America candidate Kalin Lucas and he did just that, limiting Lucas to 11 points on 3-11 shooting to go along with six turnovers. Most people tend to point to the native of Turkey as the Longhorn's "weak link" due to his relative lack of scoring. But after tonight there should be no question of Balbay's value at the point on both ends of the floor (six assists, no turnovers).

As for Johnson, he accounted for seven points, two rebounds and two assists in addition to the three steals. He hasn't played as much as he did last season but it's a credit to him that he's stayed mentally ready to contribute. The two steals at the top of the key late in the game ended any thoughts of a Michigan State rally and showed off one more piece that the Longhorns have. The list of teams as deep as Texas is a short one, giving them an edge on most of their competition for the national title.

Three Key Happenings

1. Texas A&M suffers a key loss in Derrick Roland. The fact that the Aggies fell to Washington in Seattle 73-64 pales in comparison to the loss of their senior defensive stalwart due to a broken leg. Roland, who did an outstanding job on Isaiah Thomas in the first half (zero points), fell onto the court in terrible fashion due to breaking both the tibia and fibula in his right leg. In Roland the Aggies will be without their best perimeter defender and their second-leading scorer. But most importantly they'll be down a leader on the court, and the emotional toll of the injury was clearly too much for this team to withstand as the second half progressed. The workload will become a bit heavier for Donald Sloan, Dash Harris and B.J. Holmes as Mark Turgeon's team gets into Big 12 play; it's extremely difficult to make up for the loss of a player/leader the caliber of Roland.

2. Florida loses their third consecutive game. The Gators looked to be a team on the rise at the end of November, boasting an undefeated mark on the season due to a more equitable distribution of shots. But that early optimism has been replaced by anxiety due to a losing streak that's reached three thanks to to their 67-66 loss to South Alabama. The Jaguars won on a follow by DeAndre Hersey with 1.8 seconds remaining on the clock, and Erving Walker's 3/4-court heave hit the back iron.

The reason for Florida's recent struggles: shooting. In their last two games the Gators have shot 38.2% (Richmond) and 36.8% in tonight's loss. On the season Florida is shooting 45.6% from the field and when you're not a great rebounding team shooting slumps are harder to cover up. With their final three games before the start of SEC play being American, Presbyterian and NC State look for Billy Donovan's team to find their shooting touch. But they clearly need to turn things around before that opening trip to Vanderbilt.

3. Can Washington State be a contender in the Pac-10? Yes. The Cougars are now 10-2 on the year following a 72-70 overtime win over LSU at the Cougar Hardwood Classic in Seattle with Klay Thompson leading the way with 26. Thompson in fact may be one of the best players in the country and it's rare for him to shoot a percentage like the one he shot against the Tigers (7-18 FG, 38.9%). Reggie Moore and DeAngelo Casto can take some of the pressure off of the sophomore and Nikola Koprivica has shown the ability to add scoring off the bench.

And to be frank the conference hasn't been at its best to start the season; it wouldn't be much of a stretch to say that anyone outside of the Oregon schools could compete with Cal and Washington atop the standings. Unlike past editions this Cougar squad can get to the foul line; Wazzu was 31-40 from the line against LSU. Ken Bone has this team playing at a higher tempo but it hasn't had a negative effect on their decision-making. Expect to hear more from the Cougars as the season wears on.

Top Three Games

1. Denver 84, Seattle 83 Denver's Andrew Hooper made just one shot the entire game: a three pointer that came off a play similar to the one run by Valparaiso against Ole Miss in the 1998 NCAA Tournament. The difference: imagine Bryce Drew tapping the ball to a wide-open teammate in the corner instead of shooting it (had there been enough time to do that). Hooper was that man and he came through.

2. Washington State 72, LSU 70 (OT) See above.

3. BYU 110, Nevada 104 Defense optional in this one at the Las Vegas Classic, with the Cougars scoring 64 points in the second half to earn the victory. Jimmer Fredette (33 points) and Jackson Emery (27) led the way for BYU while Armon Johnson led the Wolf Pack with 30 points.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Kevin Thompson (Morgan State) Thompson was sensational in the Bears' 87-80 win over Towson, scoring 23 points and grabbing 25 rebounds. As a team Morgan State outrebounded the Tigers 52-27.

2. F Jonathan Rodriguez (Campbell) and F Quincy Pondexter (Washington) Both finished the night with lines of 25 points and 13 rebounds. Rodriguez did his damage in the Camels' 88-80 loss to Longwood while Pondexter led the Huskies to a 73-64 loss over Texas A&M.

3. G Greivis Vasquez (Maryland) Vasquez led the Terrapins to a 98-55 win over Winston Salem State with 27 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.

Big 12 Basketball Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:38:45 -0500

While Kansas may be too much for the rest of the Big 12 too handle, no league features as many intriguing individual stars (young & old) on a nightly basis. Arguably the best conference in the country.

Conference Rank: 2nd

10 year average: 5th

Big 12 Page

All-BIG 12 Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Sherron Collins	Kansas	Sr
G	Willie Warren	Oklahoma	So
G	James Anderson	Oklahoma St	Jr
F	Craig Brackins	Iowa State	Jr
C	Cole Aldrich	Kansas	Jr
Second Team
G	Denis Clemente	Kansas St	Sr
G	Avery Bradley	Texas	Fr
G	Xavier Henry	Kansas	Fr
F	Damion James	Texas	Sr
C	Bryan Davis	Texas A&M	Sr

Player of the Year - Sherron Collins Freshman of the Year - Avery Bradley
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
CHN All-Americans Cole Aldrich (1st Team) Sherron Collins (1st) Willie Warren (3rd) James Anderson (4th) Craig Brackins (4th) Avery Bradley Denis Clemente Damion James All-Freshman Team Avery Bradley (1st) Xavier Henry (1st) Keith Gallon (2nd) Jordan Hamilton (3rd) Tommy Mason-Griffin (3rd) Wally Judge		Points: Craig Brackins 20.2 Rebounds: Cole Aldrich 11.1 Assists: John Roberson 6.4 Team: Missouri 81.5

Big 12 Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

1	Kansas	Big 12	1	NCAA
5	Texas	Big 12	2	NCAA
25	Kansas State	Big 12	3	NCAA
29	Texas A&M	Big 12	4	NCAA
35	Oklahoma State	Big 12	5	NCAA
37	Oklahoma	Big 12	6	NCAA
49	Missouri	Big 12	7	NCAA
58	Baylor	Big 12	8	NIT
77	Iowa State	Big 12	9	NIT
107	Nebraska	Big 12	10	CBI/CIT
130	Texas Tech	Big 12	11
170	Colorado	Big 12	12

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the Big 12?

Other Big 12 Content

Big 12 Fantasy Stats Preview

Big 12: Top 25 Players

Big 12: Five Year Ranking l

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Big 12 Basketball: Top 25 Players

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:42:19 -0500

Ranking players is more art then science. How do you compare the potential of freshmen with seniors who have already peaked? How much does physical talent come into play versus intangibles and experience? How big a role do numbers play?

In some situations, the bigger challenge is deciding what position to list a player. College basketball is filled with combo guards, wings who can play from the 2 to 4, centers who are really power forwards, and so on.

All of these questions make lists like this fun and debatable.. if you disagree with CHN's rankings, post what you think below.

BIG 12

PG
1. Sherron Collins - Kansas
2. Denis Clemente - Kansas State
3. Tommy Mason-Griffin - Oklahoma
4. Donald Sloan - Texas A&M
5. John Roberson - Texas Tech

SG
1. James Anderson - Oklahoma State
2. Willie Warren - Oklahoma
3. LaceDarius Dunn - Baylor
4. Cory Higgins - Colorado
5. Avery Bradley - Texas

- This is a talented set of guards overall. Warren might be the best pro prospect of the bunch, but he's still improving. Collins is one of the front-runners for national Player of the Year. Higgins is an underrated performer for Colorado.

SF
1. Damion James - Texas
2. Mike Singletary - Texas Tech
3. Obi Muonelo - Oklahoma State
4. Kim English - Missouri
5. Marqus Gilstrap - Iowa State

PF
1. Craig Brackins - Iowa State
2. Marcus Morris - Kansas
3. Gary Johnson - Texas
4. Keith Gallon - OKlahoma
5. Jamar Samuels - Kansas State

C
1. Cole Aldrich - Kansas
2. Dexter Pittman - Texas
3. Bryan Davis - Texas A&M
4. Ekpe Udoh - Baylor
5. Christopher Niemann - Nebraska

- Compared to some other leagues, the Big 12's big man crop is impressive, though the wing position isn't quite as strong. Freshman Jordan Hamilton of Texas might have more pure talent then any other SF in the league, but it might take him time to become a top-level performer.

-- SEC Top 25 Players

-- Pac-10 Top 25 Players

-- Big Ten Top 25 Players

-- Big East Top 25 Players