Texas-Arlington

Montana Wins Big Sky Title: Wednesday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 23:50:31 -0800

UConn and USF were the big winners on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden, while West Virginia and Seton Hall now await their NCAA tournament fate.

1. Montana pulls away in the second half to beat Weber State and win the Big Sky's automatic bid.
The Big Sky title game was one of two championship game rubber matches on Wednesday night, and even though the home team won each meeting by double digits the expectation was that the Wildcats and Grizzlies would be close throughout. That was true for about 33 minutes, as from the 6:41 mark on Montana outscored Weber State 27-14 on their way to the 85-66 victory. Damian Lillard played very well for Weber State, finishing with 29 points, ten rebounds and seven assists, but on this night he likely would have needed to score in upwards of 40 points to give Randy Rahe's team a shot at winning.

Why? Because while Montana didn't receive one point from their bench all five starters reached double figures, with Kareem Jamar and Mathias Ward scored 23 points apiece to lead the way. In addition to those two the Grizzlies can also call on guard Will Cherry and Derek Selvig, which could make them a tough matchup for someone next week. Both teams will return some key pieces next season, meaning that Weber State and Montana could very well meet with another NCAA berth on the line in 2013.

2. C.J. McCollum and Gabe Knutson prove to be too much for Bucknell in the Patriot League final.
Patriot League Player of the Year McCollum did what he's done all season long in scoring 29 points to lead Lehigh offensively, but the fact that the Mountain Hawks had a second scorer while the Bison did not proved to be the difference. Gabe Knutson added 23 points and seven rebounds, five of them being offensive, in the Mountain Hawks' 82-77 win at Bucknell to take the automatic bid. Mike Muscala was outstanding for the Bison as he finished with 30 points and 14 rebounds, but the next scorer for Bucknell finished with just 11 points (Bryson Johnson, who made two of his three field goals in the final minute).

Lehigh did a better job of executing offensively as they found quality looks and shot 50% from the field, finishing with an efficiency of 113.9. According to statsheet.com a Bucknell opponent hadn't approached that number since Loyola (MD) posted a 116.1 back in December. Lehigh proved to be too much for Bucknell offensively, especially when factoring in the fact that Muscala didn't receive consistent scoring help on the other end.

3. LIU Brooklyn takes care of Robert Morris to win their second consecutive NEC tournament crown.
For the second straight season the Colonials and Blackbirds met with a trip to the NCAA tournament on the line, and just like last season it was the home team that emerged victorious. All five starters reached double figures for the Blackbirds, who pulled away in the second half to win 90-73. C.J. Garner led the way with 21 points and backcourt partner Jason Brickman added 18 and 11 assists, while forward Julian Boyd finished with 18 and ten rebounds.

Andy Toole's Colonials suffered a pair of unfortunate blows during the game as both Velton Jones and Mike McFadden suffered injuries, but the game was more about what Brickman was able to do at the point in running the LIU attack. The Blackbirds also outscored the Colonials 31-14 from the foul line, and their sheer ability to score helped make up for Robert Morris grabbing 21 offensive rebounds. Rebounding's been an issue for much of the season for LIU, and if they want to improve their chances of winning a game Boyd, Jamal Olasewere and Kenny Onyechi will need to lead the way towards improvement.

Quick Hitters

1. After winning the MEAC regular season crown in their first year as a full member of the league, Savannah State fell 59-46 to Hampton in a MEAC tournament quarterfinal. Horace Broadnax's team shot 27.1% from the field and 5-for-22 from beyond the arc, and their 20 turnovers didn't help matters either. The regular season title does guarantee the Tigers an NIT berth, but obviously they would rather not have to use that automatic bid.

2. Two disciplinary actions taken on Wednesday did a better job of summing up what this season has been like for the Pac-12 than any stat that's been thrown out there. Arizona suspended starting point guard Josiah Turner indefinitely due to a violation of team rules, and he won't be playing at all this weekend. And UCLA head coach Ben Howland sat big man Joshua Smith for the first half of their 55-40 win over USC due to his being late for the team bus to the arena.

3. Compared to how they were playing in for most of conference play, these last couple of weeks have been a bit of a struggle for Sean Woods' Mississippi Valley State team. The Delta Devils survived their SWAC quarterfinal on Wednesday, beating Jackson State 63-60 to advance to the semis. Cor-J Cox provided a spark off the bench with 12 points, six rebounds and five steals, but if MVSU is to back up their regular season title with a tournament crown they can't afford to shoot 3-for-17 from three as they did against Jackson State.

4. The top four seeds in the Southland all advanced to the semifinals, with the top seeds making short work of their respective opponents. Regular season champ UT Arlington beat Nicholls State 96-48 as Bo Ingram led four Mavericks in double figures with 21 points to go along with seven rebounds. Two-seed Stephen F. Austin beat Sam Houston State 68-46, shooting 55.6% from the field and 24-for-30 from the foul line. Also advancing were Lamar and McNeese State.

5. On a day that saw three of the four higher-seeded teams advance at the Conference USA tournament the one winner that should stand out is Marshall, who beat SMU 74-56. DeAndre Kane led the way with 18 points and Dennis Tinnon grabbed 15 rebounds for the Thundering Heard, who have the talent necessary to make a run through the tournament.

6. Chalk ruled the two matchups in the MAC on Wednesday as Western Michigan and Toledo advanced to the quarterfinals. The Rockets led Northern Illinois by 11 with just over four minutes remaining, only to see the Huskies nearly come back and grab the win. Rian Pearson led Toledo with 20 points and 15 rebounds.

7. While the CBI has taken teams with losing records in the past, Oklahoma's season may be finished thanks to their 62-53 loss to Texas A&M in the first round of the Big 12 tournament. David Lobeau and Khris Middleton led the Aggies with 15 points apiece, combing for 30 points and 16 rebounds on the night. Also advancing was Oklahoma State, who beat Texas Tech 76-60.

Conference USA Having Bubble Issues: Wednesday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:39:10 -0800

In the big game of the night #18 Notre Dame continued their run with a 71-44 beating of West Virginia in South Bend.

1. While Memphis took care of business Southern Miss and UCF didn't, which is bad news for Conference USA.
For some time it's been assumed by many that Conference USA would send two teams to the NCAA tournament, with those teams likely being Memphis and Southern Miss. UCF has tried to fight their way into consideration of late but the Knights may have done irreparable harm to their at-large hopes on Wednesday night. Up 49-37 at the half at Rice, Donnie Jones' team was outscored 45-26 in the second half of what would become an 83-74 loss. How did this happen? UCF turned the ball over 18 times to just nine for the Owls, who converted those UCF mistakes into 21 points, and wound up being outscored in the paint 38-20. When that happens on a night that saw Rice's Arsalan Kazemi make two field goals it's easy to see that there were problems.

Southern Miss would most likely still make the tournament at this point barring an absolute disaster, but their margin for error is smaller thanks to their 76-68 double overtime loss at UTEP. C.J. Cooper led five Miners in double figures with 16 points and as a team UTEP shot 50% from the field while Southern Miss made just 37.5% of their shots. Shots inside of the arc proved to be the difference as UTEP shot 58.5% to just 34.8% for the Golden Eagles, who were led by Darnell Dodson (16 points). Could C-USA ultimately end up being a one-bid league? While this is an unlikely scenario for the league they've lost some of their margin for error with Wednesday's results.

2. USF and Wyoming allow great opportunities on the road to slip away.
Stan Heath's Bulls got off to an excellent start at the Carrier Dome as they took on #2 Syracuse. The team many refused to respect due to the lack of marquee wins on their schedule held a 20-7 lead nearly ten minutes into the first half. This would be where the tide turned however as the Orange went on a drawn out 26-0 run to gain control of the game, and even though USF hung tough throughout they didn't have enough offensively to win. Scoop Jardine led Syracuse to the 56-48 win with 15 points and four assists, and Anthony Collins led the Bulls with 12 points and ten assists. USF's pace worked out well as their deliberate style limted the Orange's fast-break opportunities. But when teams turned the ball over twice as many times as their opponent, especially on the road, it becomes near impossible to win.

Wyoming on the other hand took control of their game at #24 San Diego State in the second half, as they led by as many as nine points and had the hobbled Aztecs on the ropes. Larry Shyatt's team couldn't land the knockout blow however, eventually leading to the game going into overtime and the Aztecs winning 67-58. Wyoming scored just three points in the extra session, and to not have Leonard Washington (nine points, five rebounds) on the floor didn't help matters either. SDSU shot and made twice as many two-point shots as Wyoming, and the 14 points scored by Garrett Green proved to be huge with Washington struggling. USF and Wyoming will still have chances to reach the field, but things got a lot tougher for two teams whose resumes aren't the greatest when looking at their strength of schedule numbers.

3. Northeastern upsets George Mason, dropping the Patriots out of first in the CAA.
Turnovers have been an issue for Paul Hewitt's team for much of the season, but the Patriots may have hit fock bottom in that area. Mason turned the ball over 21 times (Northestern 22) in a game they would go on to drop 85-82 in overtime in Boston. This result leaves Drexel in sole possession of first place going into this weekend's matchups pitting the top four teams in the league against each other. Jonathan Lee scored 27 points and Kashief Edwards 22 to lead the Huskies past George Mason, and the job NU did on Ryan Pearson defensively was nothing short of impressive.

Pearson, widely regarded by many as the clear choice to be named CAA Player of the Year, shot just 3-for-12 from the field and scored 11 points. To win a share of the regular season title George Mason needs to beat VCU while also receiving help in the form of s Drexel loss to Old Dominion. Next weekend's conference tournament in Richmond is too tough to call at this point, and given the play of the upper half of the league against the lower half the most important thing for the contenders to do at this point is set themselves for th highest seed possible.

Quick Hitters

1. Minnesota's hopes of an at-large berth likely ended with their 66-61 loss to #6 Michigan State at The Barn, and Tubby Smith's team has no one to blame but themselves. The Golden Gophers went more than three minutes without scoring a point until Andre Hollins made a three with less than two seconds remaining. At 5-10 in Big Ten play Minnesota would likely not only have to win their last three league games but also do some damage at the Big Ten tournament to make a solid case for a bid.

2. Joe Ragland scored 14 points and Garrett Stutz added 12 and 14 rebounds as #19 Wichita State beat Illinois State 68-55 to wrap up the Missouri Valley Conference regular season crown. Gregg Marshall's team has multiple offensive weapons, and the fact that the Shockers are willing to defend (the Redbirds shot 37.7%) makes them a serious threat to reach the second weekend of the NCAA tournament.

3. Also clinching their regular season league title was UT-Arlington, who won at McNeese State 93-89 behind 28 points from LaMarcus Reed. Four starters reached double figures for the Mavericks, who got back on the right track after a two-point loss at Weber State ended their 16-game win streak. UT-Arlington shot 10-for-18 from three and 27-for-20 from the foul line, making up for the fact that McNeese State grabbed 14 offensive boards.

4. #22 Temple found a way to hang onto sole possession of first place in the Atlantic 10 as they won 80-79 at La Salle in overtime. Micheal Eric played very well as he finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds and six blocked shots and Khalif Wyatt scored 25 to lead the Owls offensively. Earl Pettis scored 33 to lead the Explorers but it wasn't enough as the Owls also clinched a share of the Big 5 crown.

5. Keep an eye on the play of #5 Kansas guard Elijah Johnson as it will likely play an important role in the Jayhawks' play in the next month. Johnson scored 21 points as Kansas survived a tough night for Thomas Robinson, winning 66-58 at Texas A&M. Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor are the offensive leaders for Bill Self's team, but the more he can get from Johnson and Jeff Withey down the stretch the better.

6. Kevin Jones has some company in the race for Big East Player of the Year, and at this rate #10 Marquette forward Jae Crowder may even pass the Mountaineer senior. Crowder was all over the box score in the Golden Eagles' 82-65 win over Rutgers, accounting for 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists, four steals and three blocked shots. He and Darius Johnson-Odom are two big reasons why Buzz Williams' team has been one of the best in the Big East.

7. Zeke Marshall led five Akron players in double figures with 16 points as the Zips locked up a share of the MAC regular season title with a 79-68 win over Bowling Green. Marshall also grabbed seven rebounds for the Zips, who have now won 20 or more games in seven straight seasons under head coach Keith Dambrot.

Lobos Strengthen Grip on Mountain West: Saturday's Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 07:37:42 -0800

With games at #13 San Diego State and against #11 UNLV this week, Steve Alford's New Mexico Lobos had a great opportunity to not only take control of the Mountain West but also make a statement nationally.

Mission accomplished.

Drew Gordon was outstanding, scoring 27 points and grabbing 20 rebounds as the Lobos whipped UNLV 65-45 in Albuquerque. And while Gordon was outstanding the effort of New Mexico on the defensive end of the floor shouldn't be ignored. UNLV shot just 31.1% from the field for the game, by far their worst performance of the season, and the Runnin' Rebels scored just 18 points in the second half. Anthony Marshall, who finished with 18 points, scored 12 of those second half points and outside of the junior UNLV shot 2-for-13 from the field.

Meanwhile Gordon was a man among boys in the final 20 minutes as he shot 9-for-13 from the field and accounted for 18 points and 11 rebounds. Tony Snell added 12 points in a game that saw both teams go on runs early, but neither could establish any kind of distance in the first half. But the Lobos' intensity on the defensive end combined with heavy doses of Gordon proved to be too much in front of a frenzied crowd at The Pit.

"I don't know if we are the best team in this league yet but there is no team in the last month that has guarded the way that we have guarded," remarked Alford. "To hold a team like this who is averaging 80 points a game, and you hold them to four field goals in one half is great."

In addition to their victory New Mexico received some help from an unlikely source as San Diego State fell 58-56 at Air Force. As a result the Lobos find themselves two games up on both the Aztecs and Runnin' Rebels with four league games to go. Remember that SDSU/UNLV "round three" that many (myself included) were clamoring for in light of their split of the season series? We may get that matchup, but thanks to New Mexico it will likely have to come a round early in the Mountain West tournament.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Murray State takes care of a hobbled Saint Mary's in the Sears BracketBusters headliner.
Much importance was placed on the Sears BracketBusters matchup between Murray State and Saint Mary's, with many hypothesizing that the Racers would have to get this game in order to have a shot at an at-large bid (at 25-1 coming in, this talk seemed to be an absurd overreaction). The Gaels were with a hobbled Matthew Dellavedova and without the injured Stephen Holt, and Isaiah Canaan and company took care of business accordingly. Canaan scored 23 points and dished out four assists in leading Murray State to the 65-51 win, and despite their size disadvantage inside Steve Prohm's club out-rebounded SMC 31-24.

Just as important as Canaan however was the Murray State effort on the defensive end, as they limited Saint Mary's to 37.7% shooting and 2-for-14 from beyond the arc. Dellavedova managed a team-best 17 points but getting outscored by 21 points from beyond the arc (27-6) and Jorden Page and Rob Jones combining to shoot 3-for-18 from the field proved to be too much to overcome. The win should satisfy the masses with regards to Murray State's chances should they not win the OVC's automatic bid, and the task for Randy Bennett's team is to simply get healthy and protect their one-game lead in the WCC.

2. Trey Burke makes the difference as Michigan beat Ohio State in Ann Arbor.
It may be time to end the debate as to not only who the best freshman point guard in America is but also the conversation regarding the Big Ten's best point guard regardless of class. Michigan's Trey Burke scored 17 points and dished out five assists in the Wolverines' 56-51 win over #6 Ohio State to pull into a tie with the Buckeyes a game behind Michigan State in the loss column. His work against Aaron Craft proved to be the difference as Craft struggled, scoring four points on 1-for-6 shooting with three assists and two turnovers.

Deshaun Thomas led the Buckeyes with 25 points and Jared Sullinger was able to muster 14 despite being the focus of Michigan's interior defense, but with Tim Hardaway Jr. adding 13 points and Jordan Morgan a double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds) Michigan was able to give the home folks what they wanted. Guard play wins out more times than not especially in March, and it's very apparent that Michigan is in a good position thanks to Burke.

3. Antoine Young's shot with three-tenths of a second remaining completes the Creighton comeback.
This Sears BracketBuster did not fail to live up to the hype that preceded it as the 49ers and Bluejays put on a show in Omaha. Dan Monson's club led for much of the night but down the stretch Creighton was able to turn the momentum in their favor. And they were able to do so by ramping up their intensity of the defensive end of the floor. "Holding" a team to 50% shooting from the field isn't all that impressive until two factors are noticed: Long Beach State shot 68% in the first half, and the 49ers were just 1-for-5 from beyond the arc after shooting 60% in the first half. Antoine Young would cap the rally with a jumper over T.J. Robinson with less than a second remaining, giving Creighton a needed 81-79 win.

Long Beach State's versatility allows them to switch just about any ball screen, and to head coach Greg McDermott and his players' credit they were able to take advantage of it. Creighton's win can't be mentioned without noting the play of Doug McDermott either, who took full advantage of playing a team unfamiliar with his skill set by scoring 36 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Robinson (20 points, eight rebounds) and Casper Ware (21 points) led the way for the 49ers, who have the remainder of the Big West season to look forward to. Creighton likely locked up an at-large bid barring a collapse, and while Long Beach State has seen some of their bigger wins devalued two things need to be remembered. One, it's not their fault that Xavier and Pittsburgh haven't performed to expectations, and two 37 teams are needed should the 49ers not win the automatic bid. Are there really 37 teams better than Long Beach State? No.

4. Kansas State picks up a win they truly needed as they beat #10 Baylor in Waco.
Given the tough four-game stretch that Frank Martin's team is currently in, it was clear that the Wildcats would have their work cut out for them from a tournament resume standpoint. But those games can be looked at as either a challenge or an opportunity, and how they're seen is up to the team and no one else. Opportunity knocked in the form of a trip to Baylor on Saturday and the Wildcats took advantage, beating the Bears 57-56 in a weird finish. A Jordan Henriquez dunk with 1:55 remaining gave K-State a 57-56 lead, and with neither team scoring another point that would be the final score as well.

Quincy Acy, who finished with 14 points, looked to have been fouled just over 20 seconds later on a shot attempt but no call came and Quincy Miller (12 points, 11 rebounds) missed a shot that would have given the Bears the lead in the final seconds. Angel Rodriguez and Rodney McGruder scored 15 apiece to lead the Wildcats, but the biggest story on the box score has to be the lack of production from Perry Jones III. Jones III managed just four points and four rebounds before fouling out in just 22 minutes of action, and if Baylor's to do anything of note in March these kind of performances can't happen. Kansas State picked up a win they desperately needed however, helping to relieve some of the pressure they may have felt going to their game at Missouri on Tuesday night.

5. Washington beats Arizona but was there anything gained from the result?
There's no denying the fact that the game between the Huskies and Wildcats was an important one within the Pac-12, as the Huskies (tied with California) enjoyed a one-game lead over Arizona (Colorado and Oregon as well) going into Saturday's action. But what does the game, which Washington won 79-70, mean to both in regards to their hopes of an at-large berth? For Arizona it seems quite simple in defeat: win out with games against the L.A. schools at home and a trip to Arizona State and then do some damage at the Pac-12 tournament.

The Wildcats shot just 35.5% from the field in the second half, 2-for-13 from three, as they were unable to make up the two-point halftime deficit (39-37). Terrence Ross led the Huskies with 25 points and Tony Wroten added 22 and nine assists, but with computer numbers that don't jump off the screen at first glance and an 0-4 record against RPI Top 50 teams it will be interesting to see what's made of the Huskies. To say the least a regular season Pac-12 crown would help their cause immensely, and Washington took a step in that direction on Saturday afternoon.

Quick Hitters

1. There were few results more impressive than Wichita State's 91-74 win at Davidson, moving the Shockers to 24-4 on the season. Joe Ragland scored 30 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the way for Wichita State, who shot a scalding 63.5% from the field. Jake Cohen led the Wildcats, who are the prohibitive favorite to win the SoCon's automatic bid, with 25 points.

2. The story of Florida State's 76-62 win at NC State should be the Seminoles limiting the Wolfpack to 29.3% shooting from the field, but thanks to the actions of official Karl Hess that's not the case. Hess thought it necessary to throw Wolfpack legends Tom Gugliotta and Chris Corchiani out of the RBC Center, and according to those in the area it was a blatant overreaction. Much has been made about officials being overworked, but the real problem is that some act as if the fans show up to watch them. This really needs to be dealt with.

3. Things have gotten even worse for Connecticut and Illinois as both teams were on the receiving end of whippings on Saturday afternoon. The Huskies fell to #13 Marquette 79-64 thanks to 53 combined points from Jae Crowder (29 points, 12 rebounds) and Darius Johnson-Odom (24 points). But the bigger issue was point guard Shabazz Napier calling out his teammates following the game. The Huskies don't have the look of a team capable of turning things around and neither does Illinois, who was whipped at Nebraska. In the 80-57 loss the Fighting Illini saw Bo Spencer score 27 points and Nebraska shoot 55.3% from the field.

4. Saint Mary's may have lost but they actually gained a game in the loss column with regards to the WCC race. Rashad Green's jumper with 3.3 seconds remaining pushed San Francisco past #24 Gonzaga by the final score of 66-65. Gonzaga's now tied with BYU for second place at 11-3 with Saint Mary's a game ahead at 12-2 with all three having two games remaining, and the Bulldogs and Cougars meet in Spokane on Thursday night.

5. One way to make earning an NCAA berth tougher than it should be is to lose games you're supposed to win, which is exactly what #23 Mississippi State did. The Bulldogs struggled offensively, shooting 35.2% from the field and 5-for-22 from three in a 65-55 loss at Auburn. Frankie Sullivan led the Tigers with 16 points and Kenny Gabriel added 15 and nine boards.

6. Drexel went on the road and beat Cleveland State 69-49, and while the Vikings are a far different team without D'Aundray Brown this was an impressive result for the Dragons. Drexel has now won 15 in a row, and it may be time to consider where Bruiser Flint's team stacks up against last year's George Mason squad. The Patriots won 16 in a row but would eventually need an at-large bid (8-seed), and a quick look at the numbers (see the "Rankings" area) for both teams shows how difficult it could be for the CAA to get two bids.

7. Both Memphis and Southern Miss dropped games they weren't expected to, meaning that not only do the two teams remain tied for first in Conference USA but they also move closer to the pack. UTEP was able to come back and beat Memphis 60-58 for their first road win of the season, and Houston knocked off Southern Miss 73-71 as Jonathon Simmons led the Cougars with 28 points and eight rebounds. Conference USA needed Southern Miss and Memphis to separate in order to feel good about two bids, and that may not happen at this rate.

8. The streak will live for another year as Dayton was once again unable to win at Xavier, losing 86-83 in overtime at the Cintas Center. The Flyers, who were led by Kevin Dillard's 20 points and six assists, haven't beaten the Musketeers in Cincinnati since 1981. Tu Holloway (32 points, six rebounds, five assists) and Mark Lyons (20 points, three rebounds) led the way for the Musketeers, who remain in the A-10 race with the win.

9. The Patriot League race has become much tighter than expected with two games remaining. While both American (74-50 win at Army) and Lehigh (72-53 win over Lafayette) took care of business they received the help they needed from Holy Cross, who beat first-place Bucknell 54-52 despite 20 points and ten rebounds from Mike Muscala. The Bison are now just a game up on the Eagles and Mountain Hawks, and with two to go there's always the chance that Bucknell could drop all the way down to the 3rd seed. Bucknell and American meet in D.C. on Thursday night.

10. Not only did Belmont take care of what they needed to do in beating East Tennessee State 80-58 but they also received help in the form of Jacksonville's 81-75 win over Mercer. This gives the Bruins a one-game lead over the Bears in the Atlantic Sun with three to go, and the regular season finale is a battle between the two at Mercer (the Bears also host the conference tournament).

11. Similar to the battle between Arizona and Washington, the second meeting of the season between Wyoming and Colorado State is a contest that we'll still have some work to do when it comes to figuring out the meaning. Behind Greg Smith (14 points, eight rebounds) and a defense that limited the Cowboys to 38.6% shooting, the Rams picked up a much-needed split of the season series with a 54-46 win (Wyoming won the first meeting in Laramie by 19). Both teams have plenty of work to do (despite solid computer numbers for CSU) but this is a good step for the Rams.

12. Not only did Northwestern pick up a much-needed win (64-53 over Minnesota) but John Shurna became the school's all-time leading scorer. The senior was all over the stat sheet for the Wildcats, finishing with 18 points, five rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocked shots. At 6-8 in league play Northwestern has opportunities remaining as they host Michigan and Ohio State, while the remaining road games are Penn State and Iowa.

13. Harvard once again took care of Yale, this time by the final score of 66-51, to remain alone in first place in the Ivy League. Brandyn Curry scored 18 points and Keith Wright ten as the Crimson, who host Princeton and Penn next week, soundly defeated the Bulldogs for the second time this season despite 22 and 11 from Greg Magnano. A sweep of next weekend would guarantee Tommy Amaker's bunch at least a share of the Ivy crown.

14. The nation's second-longest win streak came to an end on Saturday night as Weber State edged out UT-Arlington 72-70 in Ogden. The Mavericks, who had won 16 in a row, limited the nation's leading scorer (Damian Lillard) to 17 points but Scott Bamforth scored 16 of his 19 in the second half to propel the Wildcats to the victory.

15. Two teams in need of wins took losses on the road Saturday as Texas fell 90-78 to Oklahoma State and Seton Hall dropped a 62-57 decision at Cincinnati. Safe to say that both the Longhorns and Pirates have work to do if they're to go dancing, but the good news for both is that their leagues will provide the opportunities needed to strengthen their case.

Five Notable Performances

1. F Drew Gordon (New Mexico)
27 points and 20 rebounds in the Lobos' 65-45 win over #11 UNLV.

2. G Keiton Page (Oklahoma State)
40 points (20-20 FT) in the Cowboys' 90-78 win over Texas.

3. F/C Andrew Nicholson (St. Bonaventure)
32 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots in the Bonnies' 81-61 win over Rhode Island.

4. F Doug McDermott (Creighton)
36 points and 11 rebounds in the Bluejays' 81-79 win over Long Beach State.

5. G Louie Krogman (South Dakota)
37 points, six assists and four steals in the Coyotes' 93-92 loss to Texas State.

Lobos Take Win and Driver's Seat: Wednesday's Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 06:49:39 -0800

Wednesday night's game between New Mexico and San Diego State was a big one for the visitors, as Steve Alford's team didn't own a single win over a Top 25 team. But also on the line was sole possession of first place in the Mountain West after UNLV fell at TCU on Tuesday night.

And the team many expected to win the conference before the season began, New Mexico, took control of the wheel ahead of their matchup with the Runnin' Rebels with a 77-67 win at Viejas Arena. Kendall Williams posted his highest point total since January 7th against North Dakota, scoring a game-high 21 points, and Drew Gordon was a handful inside as he finished with 17 points and 17 rebounds.

"I think Kendall Williams was probably the most important guy, but Drew Gordon was very good with the way he played," remarked SDSU head coach Steve Fisher in his postgame radio interview. "They have guys that stepped up. Whether it was guys that started or coming off the bench, they made it difficult for us."

Speaking of those reserves, the New Mexico bench outscored San Diego State's reserves 33-12 with guard Jamal Fenton providing 15 of those points. The decision-making of both he and Hugh Greenwood was going to be an important aspect of the game to keep track of, and they were solid in combining for just two turnovers (both by Greenwood).

Fenton's scoring was also welcome due to the fact that leading scorer Tony Snell was held scoreless, as he missed all four of his shots from the field. But the Lobos were able to make up for that due to their reserves, which also included Chase Adams scoring eight points in seven minutes of action.

Jamaal Franklin led the Aztecs with 16 points and ten rebounds and Tim Shelton (13 points) and James Rahon (11) also reached double figures, but Chase Tapley couldn't get going as he shot 3-for-11 from the field. As a team SDSU made just three off their fourteen three-point attempts, and when compared to the Lobos' 10-for-19 night that's a tough mountain to climb.

Next up for New Mexico is a home game against UNLV on Saturday, and a win at The Pit would make all three teams 2-2 against each other. That would in turn place more emphasis on how each of the three does against the non-contenders, and New Mexico has yet to drop one of those games. To say the least Saturday offers UNM a golden opportunity to take full control of the Mountain West race.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Illinois drops a close one at home to Purdue, and it may be approacing "that time" in Champaign.
From the orange blazer donned by head coach Bruce Weber to the fact that Illinois had lost five of their last six games, Wednesday's game against Purdue dripped of desperation for the Fighting Illini. But that still wouldn't be enough for Illinois, who fell at home 67-62, dropping their sixth game out of the last seven. While the season still has games left to be played Illinois doesn't have the look of a team poised to turn things around, meaning that the chances of returning to the Big Dance are dwindling away. And in the postgame press conference the words coming from the head coach didn't sound like those of a man confident that his guys could turn things around.

"Instead of creating toughness and developing a team, I coached not to lose this year. That's really sad." To be fair Weber did also say that "it's never too late" to turn things around, and while that is the case one has to wonder if this group has the ability not just physically but mentally to do so. Illinois shot 3-for-21 from beyond the arc against Purdue, and while that didn't reach the depths of SMU's shooting (3-for-29 in a 28-point outing for their entire team) with a 7-footer like Meyers Leonard (4-7 FG, nine points, 12 rebounds) inside that's inexcusable. Until this group executes better offensively they'll continue to struggle, and the longer that happens the louder the "job security" talk gets.

2. Max Good's road warriors tighten up the WCC race with a win at #16 Saint Mary's.
Loyola Marymount may have some mystifying losses to their credit this season, there's little doubt that the Lions are the best road team in the WCC. LMU spoiled "Senior Night" for Saint Mary's as they beat the Gaels 75-60, moving to 7-1 in league road games this season. Drew Viney (17 points) and Anthony Ireland (16 points, seven assists) led the way and Jarred DuBois added 15 off the bench for LMU, who won despite allowing the Gaels to grab 16 offensive rebounds. Rob Jones led the way for SMC with 25 points and 15 rebounds but Matthew Dellavedova was quiet (ten points, six assists) and Stephen Holt was lost for the game early in the second half with a knee injury.

What this result does is drop Saint Mary's into a tie for first place with Gonzaga in the loss column, which more than opens up the possibility of the Bulldogs winning at least a share of their 12th consecutive WCC regular season title. And of course Mark Few's team is the only one to have beaten Loyola Marymount at home, as they beat the Lions 78-59 in Spokane last week. So even with the discussion of NCAA bids stopping at three (adding BYU into the discussion), LMU has the look of a team that can get hot in Las Vegas and leave with the automatic bid.

3. Miami lets a great opportunity slip away as North Carolina grabs 24 offensive rebounds in the win.
North Carolina shot just 5-for-18 from beyond the arc, and while Miami wasn't a great deal better at 8-for-23 the Hurricanes had every opportunity to take advantage of that lack of accuracy. But they couldn't, and UNC's work on the offensive glass was the big reason why. The Tar Heels grabbed 24 offensive rebounds, which resulted in 23 second chance points in their 73-64 victory. North Carolina was also a plus-10 in points from the foul line, as they shot 16-for-23 from the charity stripe (Miami: 6-for-9). Harrison Barnes scored 23 points and grabbed six rebounds and John Henson added a double-double with 14 and 11 (with three blocks) to keep the Heels tied atop the ACC in the loss column (9-2; Duke and Florida State are both 8-2). Durand Scott led four Hurricanes in double figures with 15 points but they were unable to add another big win to their resume, and rebounding was the big reason why.

Quick Hitters

1. While beating Villanova isn't a "marquee" win by any stretch of the imagination, the fact that USF was able to take care of business is a good sign for the Bulls as they head into the stretch run. In the 65-51 win over the Wildcats, Victor Rudd Jr. scored 14 points and Anthony Collins added ten points and seven assists as USF moved to 9-4 in Big East play. The Bulls need to find a resume-building victory at some point, but to say the least this season is progress for a program that taken more than its fair share of lumps during their time in the conference.

2. In a stunning result in the MAAC, Marist beat Loyola (MD) 72-54 in Poughkeepsie as Adam Kemp finished two blocks short of a triple-double (17 points, 11 rebounds and eight blocks) and three other starters scored in double figures. The Red Foxes' win also gives Iona, who won 75-62 at Rider, sole possession of first place with two games remaining on the league slate.

3. Warren Niles scored 24 points and Michael Craion 18 to help lead Oral Roberts past IPFW 75-71 in Fort Wayne, clinching the Summit League regular season crown for the Golden Eagles. ORU has won 17 of their last 18 games and will host Akron as part of the Sears BracketBusters event, and they're going to be a tough out in the conference tournament in a couple of weeks.

4. While New Mexico may have locked up a third bid for the Mountain West, thanks to both Wyoming and Colorado State that may be all the league gets come Selection Sunday. Michael Lyons knocked down six three-pointers and scored 24 points to lead Air Force past the Cowboys 58-53 in Laramie. And in Boise it was Derrick Marks who went the length of the court to score the game-winning bucket with under a second remaining to push Boise State past CSU 70-69. Given their tenuous statuses going into Wednesday, Wyoming and Colorado State may have seen their bubbles burst with these defeats.

5. Back in 2004-05 Savannah State went 0-28, and there were few who thought it possible that the Tigers would one day sit in first place in the MEAC. That day has come thanks to Delaware State's 73-63 overtime win at Norfolk State, with Tahj Tate's 25 points leading the victors. Brandon Wheeless scored 17 points to lead Norfolk State (10-3), who just like DSU (9-3) is a game behind Savannah State (9-2) in the loss column but the Tigers have two games in hand on the Spartans.

6. Neil Watson's game-tying three with less than a second remaining got Southern Miss to overtime in a key Conference USA battle with Tulsa, a game the Golden Eagles went on to win 77-69 to remain tied with Memphis atop the conference standings. Jonathan Mills scored a career-high 25 points and grabbed ten rebounds to lead Southern Miss, whose win also establishes two games of separation between themselves and Memphis and the rest of C-USA.

7. LaMarcus Reed III scored 18 points to help lead UT-Arlington back from a 15-point deficit in beating Stephen F. Austin 51-47 to remain undefeated in Southland play at 12-0. The Mavericks will take a 16-game win streak into Saturday's Sears BracketBusters matchup at Weber State, and with their three-game lead in the loss column UTA is well on their way to the Southland regular season crown.

8. Garrett Stutz knocked down all four of his three-point attempts and finished with 21 points and ten rebounds to lead #24 Wichita State past Missouri State 73-58 to clinch at least a share of the Missouri Valley crown. The Shockers have now won 13 of their last 14 games, and the defeat was of the triple-overtime variety at Drake. Gregg Marshall's team seems to be clicking just as the games become magnified in importance, which is a good thing.

9. Northwestern let a resume-building opportunity slip away as they fell 71-66 at #20 Indiana. While the win gives the Hoosiers their first 20-win season of the Tom Crean era, the visiting Wildcats dropped to 15-10 overall and 5-8 in Big Ten play. John Shurna led Northwestern with 29 points and Frew Crawford added 18, but no other Wildcat was able to reach double figures. Cody Zeller led three Indiana starters in double figures with 23 points and seven rebounds.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Darrion Pellum (Hampton)
33 points, six steals and five rebounds in the Pirates' 82-62 win over Maryland-Eastern Shore.

2. G Nate Wolters (South Dakota State)
30 points (14-18 FG), five assists and three steals in the Jackrabbits' 80-57 win over North Dakota State.

3. G Kendall Williams and F Drew Gordon (New Mexico)
Williams scored 21 points (7-10 FG) and grabbed four rebounds while Gordon finished with 17 points and 17 rebounds in the Lobos' 77-67 win at #15 San Diego State.

Rivers' Shot Caps Duke Rally: Wednesday Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:36:40 -0800

There have been some thrilling comebacks in the history of the Duke/North Carolina rivalry, but surprisingly there haven't been many games that have been decided at the buzzer. Wednesday night's game in Chapel Hill wasn't a case of "down eight with 17 seconds to go" as it was in meetings in 1974 (UNC with the comeback and win) and 1995 (Duke with the comeback but UNC ended up winning), but with the Tar Heels up ten (80-70) with 3:35 remaining one would expect them to win.

But missed free throws and botched possessions late left the door slightly ajar, and the Blue Devils would take advantage as Austin Rivers' three from the right wing as time expired gave Duke the 85-84 win. Rivers was Duke's best offensive player as he scored 29 points, but even with his numbers the many critics were sharpening their knives with the expectation being that North Carolina would close the game out. Rivers and company would prevent that by outscoring UNC 15-4 over the final 3:35, resulting in a three-way tie atop the ACC.

"They made the right plays and we didn't. I mean, it's just that simple," said UNC wing Harrison Barnes, who scored 19 of his 25 points in the second half. "You've got to give credit where credit is due, and they played a great game."

Rivers is the focus on any night for the Blue Devils for the simple fact that he is Duke's most talented perimeter player, and the key for the Blue Devils down the road is that the freshman uses his talent to not only get his points but also get others involved. Ryan Kelly and Seth Curry scored 15 points apiece and Tyler Thornton knocked down a critical three during the final run, displaying a confidence one wouldn't expect from a player who'd gone 0-for-5 from deep to that point in the contest.

Barnes had a bit of a roller coaster game, as he was quiet in the first half only to get rolling in the first ten minutes of the second and then fade into the background down the stretch. Tyler Zeller (23 points, 11 rebounds) played well throughout but will be remembered more for the missed free throws and the fateful switch that resulted in him guarding Rivers on the final sequence, and John Henson (12 points, 17 rebounds) posted a double-double as well. If anything the contest was a mixture of North Carolina not taking care of business and Duke refusing to quit. And with a player like Austin Rivers at your disposal anything is possible.

"Austin was magnificent. We had a play set for a three, a different three, if they hit both free throws," said Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. "But when they missed the second, we wanted to go to a quick angle and he could either take it to the basket or he shot it, and he shot it and it was all net."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Kansas goes on a 34-6 run spanning both halves to soundly defeat Baylor in Waco.
Jeff Withey proved to be a problem for Baylor in the first meeting between the two teams as he finished two blocked shots short of a triple double, and that was also the case on Wednesday night in Waco. Withey scored 17 of his 25 points in the first half to help Kansas navigate the half despite Thomas Robinson being in foul trouble. The Jayhawks' run reached the point to where they led by 20 points, and they never relinquished control in the 68-54 victory.

Tyshawn Taylor added 19 points and Robinson scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Kansas, who is tied with Missouri atop the Big 12 standings. The Jayhawks hit Baylor in the mouth and the Bears didn't respond well at all, with the game getting to the point where it's fair to wonder whether or not Scott Drew's team has the mettle required to make a run in March. The Bears have a great deal of talent but when Perry Jones III accounts for just five points and a player who burned them the first time does so again, it's difficult to expect the Bears to be a national title hopeful at this point.

2. Kris Joseph scores 29 points to lead Syracuse past Georgetown in overtime.
There were people who truly wondered how Georgetown would be able to hang with #2 Syracuse at the Carrier Dome, seeming to forget the fact that the Hoyas had the system and the personnel to give the Orange some trouble. That's exactly what happened as Georgetown grabbed 23 offensive rebounds and out-rebounded to Orange 52-35, making up for their poor shooting. But it wasn't enough to leave with a win at Kris Joseph scored 29 points ot lead Syracuse to the 64-61 win.

Joseph and Fab Melo (11 points, seven rebounds and six blocks) were the only Syracuse players to score in double figures on a night that saw their guards struggle and the other frontcourt players used weren't much better. But that was countered by the struggles of Georgetown's Henry Sims, who shot 1-for-12 from the field in scoring six points, somewhat negating the impact he had as a distributor from the high post. Syracuse had the one player on the floor who didn't seem to have any issues finding good looks in crunch time in Joseph, and that ultimately was the difference on a night that saw them get whipped on the glass.

3. Arkansas leaves the Fayetteville and promptly gets blown out by Georgia.
There's a reason why so many were hesitant to give the Razorbacks that NCAA tournament "stamp of approval" after their win over Vanderbilt. The Hogs entered Wednesday's game at Georgia 0-6 in true road games and it was easy to see why by halftime with the Bulldogs taking a 43-24 lead into the break. Arkansas shot 26.1% from the field in the first half and where soundly whipped on the glass by a count of 25-10 (eight offensive rebounds for the Bulldogs), ending up in a hole that was too big to climb out of in an 81-59 defeat.

Gerald Robinson Jr. went just about wherever he wanted to, finishing with 27 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope chipped in with 18 and five rebounds. Arkansas has shot better than 40% from the field just once in seven road games this season, and that's a big reason why they haven't won on the road. Not sure what the missing spark is for the Razorbacks but they'd better figure out how to get things going away from Bud Walton Arena before it lands them in the NIT.

Quick Hitters

1. David Kyles scored 16 points off the bench and Toure' Murry led four players in double figures with 21 points as Wichita State took sole possession of first place in the MVC with an 82-57 win over Northern Iowa. Gregg Marshall's Shockers have the look of a team that can do some serious damage come March, and a win at Creighton on Saturday would give them a two-game lead.

2. Florida State's offensive execution down the stretch reverted to its pre-seven game win streak form in Chestnut Hill, and the end result was a 64-60 loss to Boston College. Jordan Daniels scored 21 points and dished out five assists to lead the Eagles, who snapped a six-game losing streak. Florida State is now part of a three-way tie for first in the ACC.

3. Cody Ellis scored 20 points and grabbed four rebounds off the bench to lead Saint Louis to a 72-60 win at Saint Joseph's, keeping them tied with Xavier in second place in the Atlantic 10 a game behind Temple (who came back from 15 down to beat George Washington) in the loss column. Rick Majerus has a solid eight-man rotation on which to rely, and he's one of the best in America at putting together a game plan.

4. Two possible conference champions to keep an eye on come March remained undefeated in league play with road wins on Wednesday night. UT Arlington moved to 10-0 in the Southland with a 75-63 win at Sam Houston State and Bucknell took care of Colgate 66-50 to move to 9-0 in the Patriot League. In LaMarcus Reed III (UT Arlington) and Mike Muscala (Bucknell) these two teams feature players currently on the short list for Player of the Year in their respective leagues.

5. Southern Miss did themselves no favors on the road as they fell 71-61 at UAB. The Golden Eagles simply did not have an answer for Cameron Moore, who accounted for 27 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots. Southern Miss is now tied with Memphis (7-2) atop the Conference USA standings and UCF (7-3) is just a game back in the loss column due to their win over Marshall.

6. In a matchup of the top two teams in the NEC it was LIU Brooklyn who came out victorious as they beat borough rival St. Francis (NY) 81-71 at Madsion Square Garden. Jamal Olasewere (21 points, 11 rebounds) and Julian Boyd (17 points, 11 rebounds) both posted double-doubles and C.J. Garner scored 19 points to lead the Blackbirds. They play again on Saturday, and a Terrier win could be the only thing that keeps Jim Ferry's squad from winning the regular season title as LIU has already swept second-place Wagner.

7. Form held in the CAA as the top four teams all won, widening the gap between themselves and the rest of the league. In most season that would essentially guarantee the conference cashing in to the tune of multiple NCAA tournament berths, but due to the league's profile and team's non-conference resumes that may not be the case this season. George Mason, VCU and Drezel are all 12-2 in league play while Old Dominion is a game out at 11-3.

8. In two other Big East results worth mentioning, Pittsburgh saw their run of success ended in Tampa as they shot just 34.6% from the field in a 63-51 loss at USF. Hugh Robertson led three Bulls in double figures with 18 points and Ashton Gibbs shot just 2-for-9 from the field and scored four points. And Jordan Theodore scored 24 points to lead Seton Hall past Rutgers 59-54, meaning that the senior will finish his career with a 4-0 mark on the floor of the Pirates' in-state rival.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Cameron Moore (UAB)
27 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots in the Blazers' 71-61 win over Southern Miss.

2. F Kris Joseph (Syracuse)
29 points, five rebounds and three steals in the Orange's 64-61 overtime win over Georgetown.

3. G Austin Rivers (Duke)
29 points, five rebounds and two steals and the game-winning three as time expired in the Blue Devils' 85-84 win at North Carolina.

Wednesday Recap: Lineup Changes Spark Nothing As UConn Falls

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:56:20 -0800

Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun knew heading into Wednesday's game that his struggling team, losers of three straight, needed some kind of spark to get things going. That meant shuffling the lineup, with Shabazz Napier and Alex Oriakhi being replaced as starters by Ryan Boatright and Roscoe Smith, and for a short time on Wednesday night the move paid off. UConn got out to a 13-7 lead at the first media timeout and generally played better basketball on the offensive end, which was likely the desired effect of the move.

But Georgetown went to their 2-3 zone defense, and against zones UConn has shown neither the confidence nor the basketball IQ needed to solve such a riddle. It didn't help matters that Boatright, who did a good job of facilitating the offense, picked up his second foul with just over ten minutes left in the half and the Huskies leading 15-14. It was essentially all downhill from there as the Hoyas woud outscore the Huskies 17-6 the remainder of the half, going on to beat UConn 58-44 and lead many to ask whether or not the defending national champs had what it took to turn things around.

"We come back from six [down] and somebody went for a steal, next thing you know we took a bad shot and now were down ten," remarked Calhoun of his team's struggles. "And you can't keep running up the hill for only so long and so that's where we picked up our fourth straight loss and should have lost all four games."

So how did the four players involved in the lineup changes respond? Not well, with Boatright having his performance short-circuited by foul trouble (zero points, four assists) being the biggest blow given how the flow of the contest changed when he had to sit. Napier, who earlier in the season lamented the lack of a response to his attempts to be a leader, shot 0-for-9 from the field and scored just one point while Oriakhi went scoreless. And Smith opened the scoring 33 seconds into the game...only to not score again.

Last year's team struggled in conference play, but the difference is that (in addition to having Kemba Walker) they were a lot tougher mentally than this group. Who steps up to change the path that this season is currently travelling? Jeremy Lamb's not the vocal type and while he scored 14 points it took 18 shots to do so (making four), and while Andre Drummond (18 points, seven rebounds) was UConn's best player on the floor it's tough to ask a freshman to become the team leader.

The truth of the matter is that Napier and Oriakhi should be the leaders for this team, and yet neither has shown the ability to do so. The teams that leave a mark in March will fight for everything in the face of adversity, pulling together to accomplish the common goal. That hasn't been a trait of this current edition of Huskies, as they either fail to respond or the "fight back" dissolves into guys trying to close the gap all by themselves.

Georgetown, a team picked to finish tenth in the Big East in the preseason, should be the story here given the play of Hollis Thompson (18 points, nine rebounds) and Jason Clark (11 points, five rebounds), and they're likely to improve even more as the season approaches it's defining month. Can the same be said for UConn? That's a tough question to answer at this point, but with a game against a Seton Hall team that's also struggling a lot will be learned about the toughness of both teams on Saturday.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Michigan jumps out to a big lead and holds off Indiana's second half rally to remain undefeated at home.
There's no doubt that Tom Crean's Hoosiers can win big games at home, with the energy provided by the Assembly Hall crowd providing a needed boost to a program that's definitely improved. But what about on the road, where teams have to manufacture their own energy in the face of a hostile crowd? That question remains unanswered thanks to Indiana's slow start in Ann Arbor, as they trailed Michigan by as many as 20 points in the first half on the way to a 68-56 defeat. Indiana was able to get as close as two points (52-50) with less than four minutes remaining but they couldn't overtake the Wolverines, who were led offensively by Trey Burke (18 points, four assists), Zack Novak (13 points) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (13 points).

Indiana shot a respectable 42.9% from the field in the first half but they turned the ball over eight times to just one for Michigan, and the Wolverines converted those miscues into eleven points (led 33-22 at the half). Michigan's now 13-0 at home this season while Indiana remains with just one conference road victory (Penn State) this season. While the Hoosiers are in a dogfight to remain in the top half of the league standings Michigan's bounce back from the loss at Ohio State shows that they remain a serious contender for the Big Ten crown.

2. UT-Arlington opens their new arena with a win over UTSA, increasing their lead in the Southland.
Wednesday night was a special night in the history of UT-Arlington, with the Mavericks playing in the new College Park Center for the first time. And they picked a good matchup for the debut, as defending Southland tournament champ UTSA was in town looking to move into a tie for first place with the Mavericks. But despite turning the ball over 23 times on the night UT-Arlington found a way to win, beating the Roadrunners 67-66 to expand their lead to two games. A pair of Kevin Butler free throws with 13.7 seconds remaining proved to be the points the Mavs needed to remain on track for the regular season crown in their final campaign before they head to the WAC in July.

LaMarcus Reed III scored 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the way while Butler added 21 and eight, and these two are a big reason why the Mavs were able to make up for their turnovers by out-rebounding the Roadrunners 46-33 and score 16 second-chance points to just seven for UTSA. Kannon Burrage led the Roadrunners with 21 points off the bench and Melvin Johnson III added 14, but with Michael Hale III and Stephen Franklin combining to shoot 2-for-18 UTSA wasn't able to take full advantage of their turnover margin edge. With these two meeting in the regular season finale UTSA essentially has to win out while hoping for some help, and with UT-Arlington having won 12 straight that strategy may not bear fruit.

3. Pierre Jackson and Quincy Acy make big plays late to lead Baylor past Texas A&M.
Scott Drew's Bears seemed to try their best to give Texas A&M the game in the second half as they shot 31% from the field while the Aggies made half their field goals. But thanks to big plays down the stretch from Pierre Jackson (14 points, five assists) and Quincy Acy (11 points, four rebounds) Baylor escaped College Station with a 63-60 win in what could be the last regular season meeting in the "Battle of the Brazos" for a long time. A Jackson three with 17 seconds remaining proved to be the push Baylor needed to get to the finish line, and his two free throws with just over a second remaining sealed it.

Those two free throws came as a result of a hustle play by Acy, whose quick move to tip Jackson's missed free throw out (which Jackson was able to chase down), gave the junior college transfer a second chance at increasing the Bears' lead and he cashed in. After a Ray Turner basket gave A&M a 49-44 lead it was Acy who scored six of Baylor's nine points in a 9-0 run that put them up 53-49 with 6:13 to go. While the lottery picks (Perry Jones III and Quincy Miller) will enjoy the majority of the attention the contributions of a player like Acy cannot be ignored. In fact, that may be what allows Baylor to go deep into the NCAA tournament.

Quick Hitters

1. While the Atlantic 10 has enough quality teams to warrant four bids to the NCAA tournament, the chances of that happening become slimmer when teams at the top of the conference don't take care of business as they should. Wednesday's results of note were UMass losing 81-78 in overtime at Rhode Island and Dayton losing 83-73 at home to Duquesne. Xavier nearly joined those two teams but Tu Holloway's layup with 30 seconds remaining capped a good night for him (21 points, seven assists, six rebounds) and pushed the Musketeers past George Washington 59-58.

2. In a battle for sole possession of first place in Conference USA, Southern Miss finally got over the hump as they beat Memphis 75-72 to snap an 18-game losing streak in the series. Darnell Dodson and Neil Watson combined to score 40 points off the bench for the Golden Eagles, who are now 7-1 in conference play.

3. Center Garrett Stutz has been outstanding in road games for Wichita State this season and that trend continued in the Shockers' 74-67 win at Missouri State as he scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds on the night. Ben Smith added 21 for Wichita State, who remains a game behind first-place Creighton (102-74 win over Illinois State) as a result of the victory.

4. With seven freshmen and three sophomores on the roster many expected the first year of Mountain West play to be a tough one for Boise State and it has been. But they've also shown signs of growth, and if not for a missed Thomas Bropleh three as time expired the Broncos would have left San Diego State with a win. Leon Rice's team has the ability to scare some teams in the MWC, and with the likes of Bropleh and Anthony Drmic the future looks to be bright for Boise State.

5. There's now a three-way tie for first place in the CAA as Delaware beat George Mason 65-60 in Newark. Kyle Anderson shot 8-for-11 from the field and scored 21 points to lead the way for the Blue Hens, and as a team Delaware shot 7-for-14 from deep (Mason finished 3-for-16). Drexel and VCU both picked up victories on Wednesday, and with the league's profile being poorer than in seasons past the fight for the CAA crown should be even fiercer than it's been of late.

6. Huge news in the recruiting world was broken by ESPN's Dave Telep, who reported that Tilton School big man Nerlens Noel move back to the 2012 class. Noel, who counts Kentucky and Syracuse among his most vigorous suitors, returns to his original class and is now right there with Shabazz Muhammad for the honor of being the best player in the class.

7. Vermont held off a Boston University rally to beat the Terriers 68-67 in Boston to take over sole possession of second place in America East. Luke Apfeld scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Catamounts, who swept the season series as a result of the win.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Julian Mavunga (Miami (OH))
19 points, 19 rebounds and eight assists in the RedHawks' 62-57 overtime win over Eastern Michigan.

2. F Thomas Robinson (Kansas)
20 points, 17 rebounds and four assists in the Jayhawks' 84-62 win over Oklahoma.

3. F Orion Outerbridge (Rhode Island)
29 points and 11 rebounds in the Rams' 81-78 overtime win over Massachusetts.

#96 Oklahoma: 2010-11 Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 18:21:36 -0700

Overall Rank: #96

Conference Rank: #10 Big 12 Conference

2009-10: 13-18, 4-12

2009-10 postseason: none

Coach: Jeff Capel (82-51 at Oklahoma, 161-92 overall)

Oklahoma only returns three players who averaged over two minutes per game. The loss of so many talented players makes one wonder what really went wrong last season, but it is time for Coach Jeff Capel to rebuild the Sooners and start fresh. A great recruiting class will help and this is still a talented team that should win more than four conference games. Yet, last year’s team should have gone 12-4, not 4-12.

Key Losses: G Tony Crocker, F Tiny Gallon, G Tommy Mason-Griffin, G Willie Warren, F Ryan Wright

Key Newcomers:

With only three players of any importance returning, this group of eight newcomers will have to make an impact right away. The four frontcourt newcomers have experience, but it is in the backcourt where the real future, and hopefully present, talent resides. It all starts with New Orleans transfer Carl Blair. The 6-2 point guard will be eligible immediately after averaging 9.2 points, 3.7 assists and 4.4 rebounds as a freshman last year. He only got better as the season progressed and that one year of Division I experience puts him in the lead to take over the point guard duties. Cameron Clark is the best recruit of the bunch and the 6-6 wing should find a spot in the starting lineup. He is a great athlete who can use his size to attack the basket. T.J. Taylor is a scorer first, but he can run the point if Blair is not up for the job. So can fellow combo guard Calvin Newell. Like Taylor, Newell is a scorer first, and a very prolific one at that, but somebody has to at least be a backup point guard and either Taylor or Newell should be able to handle that job.

Backcourt:

On a team with Willie Warren, Tommy Mason-Griffin and Tony Crocker, Cade Davis was often left out of the spotlight. Now the spotlight shines brightly on the senior. Davis managed to tally 9.9 points per game last season even with all of that talent in front of him and started 27 games. This year he will have to be the leader on and off the floor. His outside shooting was streaky last season, but he has a nice shot and if he can be consistent, the rest of the team could follow. Speaking of consistent, or inconsistent, shooting, nobody fits that mold quite like Steven Pledger. The freshman started out extremely hot from beyond the arc and then went cold for a long period of time. By the end of the year Pledger was hot again. If he gets hot again and remains that way, the sophomore could find a spot in the starting lineup. However, he would also make a great shooter off the bench.

Frontcourt:

Andrew Fitzgerald is all that is left of the Oklahoma frontcourt. The 6-8, 237 pound sophomore only averaged 4.7 points and 1.9 rebounds per game during his debut campaign in Norman, but he was noticeably improving as the season progressed and Coach Capel and company hope that he continues to improve and becomes a force in the frontcourt. The rest of the frontcourt has to be filled in by newcomers like freshmen Tyler Neal and Abdul Ahmed and junior college transfers Nick Thompson and C.J. Washington.

Who to Watch:

It is Thompson and Washington who are expected to make the biggest impact this season because of their experience. Thompson is surprisingly versatile for a 6-9, 212 pound forward. He is not a great scorer and probably never will be, but he can handle the ball and find his teammates in addition to the usual rebounding and defensive duties. Washington is a more traditional big man despite being smaller than Thompson. But Washington is the type of player who can hit the glass hard and score some points in the paint.

Final Projection:

Obviously there are a lot of questions surrounding this team, but Coach Capel has done a great job plugging the holes. The newcomers have a lot of work to do and Davis has a lot of pressure on him to be a leader, but if this group can turn into a team, they will do better than they did last year. If they can hover over the .500 mark, a postseason invite will be waiting for them; and with a young team like this, they should take it.

Projected Post-season Tournament: CBI/CIT

Projected Starting Five:

Carl Blair, Sophomore, Guard, DNP last season

Cade Davis, Senior, Guard, 9.9 ppg

Cameron Clark, Freshman, Guard, DNP last season

C.J. Washington, Junior, Forward, DNP last season

Andrew Fitzgerald, Sophomore, Forward, 4.7 ppg

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College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Daily Conference Poll: Who Will Win the Southland?

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 08:25:58 -0800

Southland Basketball Preview: 08-09

CHN — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 07:17:58 -0800

Conference Rank: 21st

10 year average: 27th

Southland Conference Page

All-Southland Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Devin Gibson	Texas-SA	So
G	Josh Alexander	SFA	Sr
G	Kenny Dawkins	Lamar	Sr
F	Anthony Vereen	Texas-Arlington	Sr
F	Matt Kingsley	SFA	Sr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
Mid-Major All-Americans Josh Alexander Devin Gibson		Points: Josh Alexander 16.0 Rebounds: Brandon Bush (Tex St) 7.2 Assists: Eric Bell (SFA) 5.7

Southland Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

84	Stephen F. Austin	Southland	1	NCAA
133	Lamar	Southland	2
150	Texas Arlington**	Southland	3
187	Sam Houston St	Southland	4
230	McNeese State	Southland	5
242	Northwestern St	Southland	6
250	Texas San Anton	Southland	7
257	SE Louisiana	Southland	8
272	TAMU CC	Southland	9
277	Texas State	Southland	10
294	Nicholls State	Southland	11
312	Central Arkansas	Southland	12

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the Southland? (soon)

Other SLC Content

Conference Media/Coaches Poll

Other

Rise & Fall: Southland

State of 08: Texas

State of '08: Texas

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:15:15 -0700

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

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

TEXAS

TEXAS - Easy one here. Texas has made ten straight NCAA Tournaments under Rick Barnes, and have reached the Sweet Sixteen or better fives times.

TEXAS A&M - From 1988 to 2004, A&M was a horrendous BCS program that managed justt one NIT appearance. But thanks to Billy Gillispie, A&M has won at least 20 games and made the postseason in four straight seasons. The future of the program is a bit less certain under Mark Turgeon.

TEXAS TECH - In Bob Knight's six full seasons, the Red Raiders made 4 NCAA Tournaments and reached the NIT semifinals. Last year's team was destined to miss the postseason regardless of who the coach was, and its hard to project what type of coach Pat Knight will be.

BAYLOR - Scott Drew took over a broken program at the start of the 03-04 season, but has managed to turn things around. Last year the team won 21 games and reached the Big Dance. Many pundits expect a Top 25 squad this year. Not bad considering the 21-53 record from '04 to '07.

UTEP - Since 2004, a year after Billy Gillispied took over, UTEP has made two NCAA Tournaments and the CBI. The Niners should once again make a postseason push (probably NIT or CBI) in 2009.

6. HOUSTON - Its been over 15 years since Houston last made the NCAA Tournament, but Tom Penders teams have been consistently competitive. His four teams have all won at least 9 games in Conference USA, and 3 made the postseason (2 NITS and the CBI last year).

7. NORTH TEXAS - Johnny Jones has quietly transformed UNT from a consistent loser into a consistent winner. The Mean Green made the Big Dance in 2007 after rolling through the Sun Belt Tournament, and were solid last year, going 17-11 against D1 teams. Once again in 2008, North Texas should be dangerous in league play.

8. SAM HOUSTON STATE - Last year's Bearkats fizzled out after a great start, and late-season SLC tournament success has been hard to come by recently. But overall, this has been the most consistently solid SLC team over the last decade, and one of the only league teams capable of knocking off big-name non-conference opponents.

9. RICE - The program finally parted ways with 16-year coach Willis Wilson, whose teams varied from good to horrible and anywhere in between. From '03 to '05, the Owls finished in the RPI Top 100, but have gone steadily downhill since. Last year's 3-27 finish was an unfortunate end to Wilson's tenure.

10. STEPHEN F AUSTIN - SFA's great 26 win season, which included wins over Oklahoma and Top 100 San Diego, came out of nowhere considering the Lumberjacks were a sub-200 RPI team the previous three seasons. SFA is the 2009 favorite to accomplish what they couldn't last year, winning the Southland tournament.

11. TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI - Ronnie Arrow did a masterful job in his tenure at TAMU-CC, turning a green D1 program into a 20-win program. But after making the Dance in 2007, Arrow left, and its hard to tell whether the program can regain a decent level of success under Perry Clark.

12. TCU - In six seasons under Neil Dougherty, TCU never finished over .500 in either the CUSA or MWC, although the 2005 team did sneak into the NIT. Former Kent State coach Jim Christian was hired in the off-season to turn things around.

13. LAMAR - In the last 7 seasons, Lamar has finished .500 or better in the SLC six times, but have never really been able to put together a dangerous postseason run.

14. UT-ARLINGTON - After making the NCAAs last year, UTA is once again one of the league favorites. In the previous 9 seasons though, the Mavs won just a single SLC Tourney game.

15. SMU - The last time SMU was any good was 2003, and the last time SMU was Tournament good was 1993. Matt Doherty was brought in to turn things around, but his teams have gone 7-25 in CUSA play.

16. UTSA - Once one of the more consistently solid Southland teams, UTSA simply hasn't been good the past few seasons. A 2009 .500 finish in the league would be a step in the right direction.

17. UTPA - Considering they've been stuck as an independent for a decade now, UTPA's minimal success isn't that bad. They've been able to beat a good amount of the in-state Southland members over the years, but haven't beaten a Top 200 team since December of 2004.

18. TEXAS STATE - In '06 & '07, this was one of the worst programs in the country, with just 8 D1 wins. That makes last year's 10-16 D1 record shockingly good.

19. TEXAS SOUTHERN - After winning the SWAC in 2003, there hasn't been much to cheer about at Texas Southern. The team has hovered around 300 in the RPI.

20. PRAIRIE VIEW - Like Texas Southern above, Prairie View hasn't been good since 2003.. but unlike Texas Southern who has at least been decent in SWAC play, the Panthers have been atrocious.

*Houston Baptist will also join D1 this season

Last: Tennessee - Next: Utah

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