Texas Southern

Conference Finals Predictions: Big 12, Big East, Pac-12 & More

Greg Mengelt — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 23:52:34 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. Here are is predictions for Saturday's conference championship game. Read more about Championship Week at CollegeHoops.net.

AMERICA EAST FINAL: AT STONY BROOK

(2) Vermont (22-11, 13-3) at (1) Stony Brook (22-8, 14-2)

Tipoff: 11:02 a.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 2 – Stony Brook 65-59; Feb. 12 – Vermont 68-49. RPI: Stony Brook 141, Vermont 156. Analysis: Vermont has been great for the last month-and-a-half and will break the hearts of the Seawolves home faithful. Line: Stony Brook -3½. Pick: Vermont 63, Stony Brook 58.

BIG 12 FINAL: AT KANSAS CITY

(2) Missouri (28-4, 14-4) vs. (4) Baylor (27-6, 12-6)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 21 – Missouri 89-88*; Feb. 11 – Missouri 72-57. RPI: Baylor 8, Missouri 17. Analysis: I picked Baylor the first two times. Sticking with the Bears. Pick: Baylor 79, Missouri 74.

BIG EAST FINAL: AT NEW YORK CITY

(4) Cincinnati (24-9, 12-6) vs. (7) Louisville (25-9, 10-8)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 23 – Cincinnati 60-56. RPI: Louisville 18, Cincinnati 40. Analysis: Louisville’s stifling defense has carried the Cardinals this far. A Big East title is next. Pick: Louisville 59, Cincinnati 53.

BIG WEST FINAL: AT ANAHEIM

(1) Long Beach State (24-8, 15-1) vs. (2) UC-Santa Barbara (20-9, 12-4)

Tipoff: 10 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 21 – Long Beach 71-48*; Feb. 22 – Long Beach 70-58. RPI: Long Beach 38, UCSB 126. Analysis: Do you think the 49ers have been looking forward to this game for a full year? They want blood – and they’ll get blood. Pick: Long Beach State 75, UC-Santa Barbara 54.

CONFERENCE USA FINAL: AT MEMPHIS

(1) Memphis (25-8, 13-3) vs. (6) Marshall (21-12, 9-7)

Tipoff: 11:35 a.m. TV: CBS. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 28 – Memphis 83-76; Feb. 25 – Memphis 87-67*. RPI: Memphis 16, Marshall 39. Analysis: The Memphis we’ve seen since the beginning of February is the Memphis we expected to see all season. Line: Memphis -9½. Pick: Memphis 90, Marshall 69.

MAC FINAL: AT CLEVELAND

(1) Akron (22-10, 13-3) vs. (3) Ohio (25-7, 11-5)

Tipoff: 8 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Akron 68-63; Feb. 26 – Ohio 85-61. RPI: Akron 50, Ohio 68. Analysis: Ohio had a disappointing regular season. It will be a memory because the Bobcats are going dancing. Pick: Ohio 75, Akron 68.

MEAC FINAL: AT WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.

(2) Norfolk State (24-9, 13-3) vs. (4) Bethune-Cookman (18-16, 11-5)

Tipoff: 1 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 25 – Norfolk State 75-72*. RPI: Norfolk State 134, B-C 243. Analysis: Norfolk is the class of the MEAC. Pick: Norfolk State 78, Bethune-Cookman 66.

MOUNTAIN WEST FINAL: AT LAS VEGAS

(1) San Diego State (26-6, 10-4) vs. (2) New Mexico (25-6, 10-4)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: NBC Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 18 – San Diego State 75-70*; Feb. 15 – New Mexico 77-67*. RPI: San Diego State 22, New Mexico 34. Analysis: How good did the Pack look in a virtual road game on Friday? Whoa! Pick: New Mexico 79, San Diego State 73.

PAC-12 FINAL: AT LOS ANGELES

(4) Arizona (23-10, 12-6) vs. (6) Colorado (22-11, 11-7)

Tipoff: 6:10 p.m. TV: CBS. Regular-season meetings: Jan 21 – Colorado 64-63; Feb. 9 – Arizona 71-57. RPI: Colorado 77, Arizona 84. Analysis: How does the Pac-12 deserve more than one team? Anyway, this one is a toss-up. Pick: Arizona 63, Colorado 58.

SOUTHLAND FINAL: AT KATY, TEXAS

(3) Lamar (22-11, 11-5) vs. (4) McNeese State (17-14, 10-6)

Tipoff: 3 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 11 – McNeese 57-54; March 3 – Lamar 78-68. RPI: Lamar 118, McNeese 177. Analysis: Did you see what the Cowboys did to the UTA, which dominated the league all season? Take the points. Line: Lamar -5½. Pick: McNeese State 71, Lamar 69.

SWAC FINAL: AT GARLAND, TEXAS

(1) Mississippi Valley State (20-12, 17-1) vs. (2) Texas Southern (17-14, 13-5)

Tipoff: 8 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 23 – MVSU 77-69 (OT)*; Feb. 20 – MVSU 56-53. RPI: MVSU 153, Texas Southern 231. Analysis: Valley wins, but the Tigers cover. Pick: Mississippi Valley State 60, Texas Southern 59.

WAC FINAL: AT LAS VEGAS

(2) New Mexico State (25-9, 10-4) vs. (5) Louisiana Tech (18-15, 6-8)

Tipoff: Midnight. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 7 – NMSU 83-73*; Feb. 4 – NMSU 83-72. RPI: New Mexico State 69, Louisiana Tech 170. Analysis: Been saying all year that the Aggies would win this tournament. Nevada’s elimination only solidifies that. Pick: New Mexico State 84, Louisiana Tech 72.

Radford, Gardner-Webb the First Casualties: Monday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 22:21:32 -0800

#12 Georgetown had three players finish in double figures while also frustrating #19 Notre Dame on the other end of the floor in a 59-41 win at the Verizon Center.

1. Conference tournament play is underway with High Point and VMI moving on in the Big South.
The Big South got things going with the bottom four teams facing off for the right to take on top seeds UNC Asheville and Coastal Carolina on Wednesday. It was all chalk on Monday night but not without suspense as #7 VMI and #8 High Point both won at home to advance to the quarterfinals. Stan Okoye's steal with 19 seconds remaining led to the senior making a pair of free throws to push VMI's lead over #10 Radford to 54-51, and after Javonte Green missed the front end of a 1-and-1 the Keydets sealed the 55-53 win with a Ron Burks free throw. Okoye led the Keydets with 16 points and nine rebounds and Keith Gabriel added 11, but it's going to take a lot more to knock off two-seed Coastal Carolina on Wednesday afternoon. CCU swept the regular season series, winning 87-78 on December 1st and 81-64 on Saturday at VMI, limiting the Keydets to 26.5% shooting in the second half.

High Point took advantage of the foul line in their 68-58 win over Gardner-Webb, outscoring the Bulldogs 18-7 from the charity stripe with 15 of those points coming in the second half. Neither team shot well from the field in a game that featured 39 offensive and 82 total rebounds, and the Panthers were helped by 17 second-half bench points. Tashan Newsome paced GWU with 21 points but no other Bulldogs reached double figures, compared to Nick Barbour leading three Panthers in double figures with 22. Corey Law was huge off the bench for High Point as he finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes of play. HPU gets the regular season champ UNC Asheville, who swept the season series (86-79 at HPU, 90-70 at UNCA), on Wednesday night.

2. Not sure which All-America team Tyshawn Taylor ends up on but the senior deserves a mention.
Remember when the Kansas point guard was struggling mightily with turnovers earlier this season? Well Taylor's play of late has the New Jersey native looking like an All-America candidate, and his 27 points were a big reason why Bill Self's Jayhawks left Oklahoma State with a 70-58 win. The result locked up the outright regular season crown for Kansas, who won despite nine points combined from Travis Releford and Elijah Johnson. Keiton Page did his best to deliver the win on Senior Night by scoring 29 points but outside of Brian Williams (20 points) the Cowboys didn't have enough firepower with Le'Bryan Nash injured. Taylor shot 10-for-15 from the field, including 4-for-7 from beyond the arc, in his third 20-plus point performance in the last five games. Over the last two games Taylor's shot 60.7% from the field, and while the point totals may not be as high in future games an efficient Taylor means a better Kansas.

3. Savannah State is now just one win away from completing a remarkable season in the MEAC.
With this being the first season for Savannah State as a member of the MEAC there wasn't much expected of Horace Broadnax's Tigers as they were picked to finish 11th. But thanks to a 62-50 win over North Carolina A&T the Tigers are now 13-2 in MEAC play and a win in their regular season finale away from winning the regular season crown. Savannah State took a 42-28 lead into the half thanks to their effort on the defensive end, limiting A&T to 34.5% shooting from the field and 7-for-19 from two. Deric Rudolph scored 15 points and Preston Blackmon added 14 to lead the way for the Tigers, who rode their defense in the second half to survive shooting 27.6% from the field. A win over UMES on Saturday would give Savannah State the most unlikely conference title in the nation this season, and while their goal isn't to go to the NIT this season a postseason berth for a program that was 0-28 seven years ago is a noteworthy achievement.

Quick Hitters

1. With Southern ineligible for the SWAC tournament it's become apparent that Texas Southern is the biggest threat to Mississippi Valley State grabbing the automatic bid. Omar Strong scored 17 points and Madarious Gibbs 14 to go along with five steals in the Tigers' 69-59 win over Alabama A&M to move to 11-5 in league play. How much of a threat Texas Southern (or anyone else for that matter) is remains to be seen however, as the Delta Devils have run through the SWAC (17-0 record).

2. #10 Baylor went on a 25-4 run to close the first half in their 77-48 pasting of an overmatched Texas Tech squad. The win was also the 95th for seniors Quincy Acy, Fred Ellis and Anthony Jones, and they're the winningest class in school history.

3. The most exciting team to watch in the upcoming MEAC tournament may in fact be Delaware State, who fell 73-72 to Morgan State on Monday night (to say the finish was controversial would be accurate). Over the last seven games for the Hornets four have been decided by three points or less and two others have gone to overtime.

4. One reserve to keep an eye on in the WCC tournament this weekend is Gonzaga's Gary Bell Jr. Of course the caliber of the opposition (Longwood) needs to be considered, but Bell Jr. scored 20 points in just 15 minutes of action in the Bulldogs' 92-60 win. If Gonzaga can get solid play from Bell Jr. in Las Vegas a tournament crown is definitely possible.

5. Eastern Illinois announced on Monday that it will not renew the contract of head coach Mike Miller after the season, marking the end of his tenure. Miller is 75-130 in seven seasons at the OVC school, and the Panthers finished the season with a 12-17 record (5-11 OVC).

6. Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun underwent a successful procedure in New York on Monday to treat the spinal stenosis that has kept him away from the team for the Huskies' last seven games. According to the Associated Press, Calhoun hopes to rejoin the team in time for their regular season finale against Pittsburgh on Saturday.

Texas vs. #14 Baylor: Monday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 20:04:56 -0800

With the time between now and Selection Sunday getting shorter, every opportunity for a team to bolster its resume takes on added importance. This is the situation that Texas (17-10, 7-7), coming off of a 90-78 loss at Oklahoma State, finds itself in as they host #14 Baylor (22-5, 9-5) in the second of two meetings this season. Baylor is looking to rebound themselves as they fell 57-56 at home to Kansas State, a loss that essentially shuts the door on the chance of winning the league as the Bears sit three games behind both Kansas and Missouri. The goal now: improve every game leading into the Big 12 tournament and lock down the #3 position in the Big 12 standings (currently tied with Iowa State).

A quick look at the Longhorns' credentials underlines the importance of Monday night, as Rick Barnes' team was 2-6 against teams in the RPI Top 50 according to the NCAA's most recently released (to the public) numbers. And if they're to beat Baylor, Texas' front court has to do a better job of defending Perry Jones III than they did in Baylor's 76-71 win in Waco on January 28th. Jones III posted one of his best lines of the season on that day as he finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds, a far cry from his four-point, four-rebound outing against K-State. That's not going to get it done against Texas, and that level of play should be unacceptable for a player of Jones III's talent.

Overall the Baylor big men were far superior in the first meeting, with Quincy Acy scoring ten points and grabbing ten rebounds while Quincy Miller added 18 points. Clint Chapman and freshman Jaylen Bond have shown flashes of being able to get some things done but on paper this matchup shouldn't be all that close. Alexis Wangmene has been very quiet after back-to-back double figure scoring outings against Texas A&M and Kansas State, and he accounted for just two points and four rebounds in the first meeting. Texas will likely need to hope that their big men can do enough to remain competitive in the paint and allow their guards to win the game.

Leading scorer J'Covan Brown definitely has the ability to do so, and Baylor should have a very good idea of what the junior brings to the table as he scored 32 in the January meeting. Brown also dished out five assists, and while there are still bouts with questionable decision-making to be fair he has to be the "risk-taker" for this young group. Freshman Myck Kabongo has turned the ball over five times in each of the last three games, but that number doesn't tell the entire story when it comes to the strides being made by the Toronto native. Kabongo, who scored 22 points in Stillwater, is averaging 16.0 points per game over the last three and he did rack up seven assists in the win over Oklahoma.

Turnovers have also been the focus for Baylor's perimeter and for much of the season the group led by junior Pierre Jackson has been solid in that area. Jackson may not start but if there's a play to be made in late-game situations more often than not the ball is in his hands. Jackson did finish the first meeting with five turnovers but he also had seven assists, and he's racked up 20 helpers over the last three games. But he's been quiet in the scoring department, and when combined with A.J. Walton not being a lights-out scorer and Brady Heslip reaching double figures on Saturday (13 points) for the first time since the first game against Texas it's easy to see how important Pierre is offensively.

To win Texas is going to need their youngsters to step up, and that's beyond what Bond, Kabongo and Sheldon McClellan bring to the table. Jonathan Holmes and Julien Lewis combine to average 14.9 points per game and they combined for 13 in the first meeting (Lewis: 3-9 FG). Also important will be the rebounding, as Baylor's had issues in this department on the defensive end of the floor. Texas grabbed 13 offensive boards in the first meeting but was out-rebounded 40-28 thanks to the fact that they took 13 more shots. If Baylor doesn't box out and watch the back side when in their zone defense, Texas can do more than simple compete. They'll likely win.

Also on Monday's slate is a possible preview of the SWAC title game as first-place (and undefeated) Mississippi Valley State hosts Texas Southern, who would be the two-seed if the season ended today. MVSU won the first meeting 77-69 in overtime thanks to a balanced effort led by Terrence Joyner (18 points) and Brent Arrington (17), and Paul Crosby added a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Crosby's been one of the best players in the SWAC all season long and the Tigers will need to neutralize him in order to win in Itta Bena, and Omar Strong will need to play well for a team that has six players averaging between 5.5 and 12.1 (Strong) points per game. Texas Southern also turns the ball over 17 times per game but it was rebounding and not turnovers that hurt them in the first meeting, as MVSU out-rebounded the Tigers 47-36 and grabbed 18 offensive rebounds.

The top two teams in the Atlantic Sun are also in action as Mercer visits North Florida and first-place Belmont hosts USC Upstate. The Bruins regained the top spot thanks to Mercer's loss on Saturday, and given the fact that Rick Byrd's team has won eight straight the Bears may need to win out until the two meet in the regular season finale for both on the 28th.

And despite the struggles of both we can't forget about Connecticut's trip to Philadelphia to take on Villanova, a game that will say a lot about where the Huskies are headed. The aftermath of Saturday's loss to Marquette was ugly, and it's a situation that can either motivate or incinerate a team. UConn really hasn't shown the leadership needed to turn things around so maybe the Wildcats can get a much-needed win even with Maalik Wayns likely out.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM (14) Baylor at Texas (ESPN)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Texas Southern at Mississippi Valley State (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Connecticut at Villanova (ESPN)
7:00 PM Kennesaw State at Jacksonville
7:00 PM Fairfield at Marist
7:00 PM Longwood at Norfolk State
7:00 PM Mercer at North Florida
7:30 PM Maryland-Eastern Shore at Howard
7:30 PM East Tennessee State at Lipscomb (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Florida A&M at South Carolina State
8:00 PM USC Upstate at Belmont
8:00 PM Delaware State at Hampton
8:00 PM Bethune-Cookman at Savannah State
8:30 PM Alcorn State at Alabama A&M
8:30 PM Southern University at Alabama State
8:30 PM Prairie View A&M at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
9:00 PM DePaul at St. John's (ESPNU)
10:10 PM UC Davis at Seattle

Monday Recap: Woodall Leads Pitt Past West Virginia

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:16:12 -0800

It wasn't that long ago that many left the Pittsburgh Panthers for dead, as they were in the midst of what would eventually become an eight-game losing streak. A key factor in the struggles that Jamie Dixon's team experienced was the absence of point guard Tray Woodall, who was out with abdominal and groin injuries. Woodall's back now and he looks to be healthy as well, as he led Pittsburgh to a 72-66 win over rival West Virginia in Morgantown with 24 points, four rebounds and three assists on the night. Woodall scored 16 of his 24 in the first half, proving too difficult for the Mountaineers to stop regardless of who they put on him.

Ashton Gibbs added 15 points for Pittsburgh, who didn't shoot well from three (3-for-10) but did make 21 of their 26 free throws. Also of importance in the win was the fact that Pitt outscored West Virginia 36-26 in the paint, a surprising stat given how much the Mountaineers call on forwards Kevin Jones (21 points, 13 rebounds) and Deniz Kilicli (12 points, nine rebounds). Neither team shot well from the perimeter, making the hustle plays even more of a factor in the outcome. And more times than not it was a Panther who came up with the big play.

"They out-toughed us. We blocked three shots in the first half, and they pick it up and get three-point plays out of it," remarked WVU head coach Bob Huggins when asked what the difference was. "We just don't get to the ball. Four balls went out of bounds and they save it back inbounds and we have a guy here and a guy here and they have a guy behind our two guys and he runs in and catches it and shoots a lay-up and our two guys still have yet to move. We just didn't get to the ball."

Pitt got off to a good start to the second half and they received the added boost of a technical foul assessed to Huggins despite the fact that he was yelling at Truck Bryant for missing a defensive rotation. Given what happened at Syracuse on Saturday another missed call could have been used as an excuse for the Mountaineers to self-destruct but they didn't, eventually cutting the Pitt lead to two points with 8:14 remaining.

This would be as close as the Mountaineers would get as a Panther team that's playing with a great deal of confidence hung on down the stretch. It's been known that this team has a great deal of pride, and players such as Gibbs, Woodall and Nasir Robinson won't allow them to lie down. Can Pittsburgh do enough to work their way back into the NCAA Tournament conversation? Don't rule that out, especially with Woodall back and playing the way he has of late.

"Obviously, I'm very happy for our guys and what they have done and how they have battled and what they have become," said Dixon following the game. "As you coach, you want to talk about what you can become and what you want to be and this is an example of a team that continued to battle and do the work."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Sears BracketBusters pairings announced, and quite a few fan bases aren't pleased with the results.
Monday was a big day in college basketball as the pairings for the upcoming Sears BracketBusters event were announced, and in the end it was tough to find many please fan bases outside of Saint Mary's and Murray State, who will play each other in Murray on February 18th. The Gaels are currently undefeated in the WCC and with a 21-2 record Randy Bennett's team will provide a major test for a Murray State team that's the nation's lone undefeated squad.

Long Beach State, who has taken on all comers in their non-conference schedule, will visit a Creighton team that leads the Missouri Valley and boasts an 8-2 record against RPI Top 100 teams. The 49ers are 2-5 against such teams and their two wins (Xavier and Pittsburgh) lost some luster due to the struggles of those teams, which sparked anger on the part of the Bluejay fan base.

Another fan base that was none too thrilled with their draw was that of Wichita State (3-4 vs. RPI Top 100), who will visit a Davidson (1-3 vs. RPI Top 100) team that owns a win over Kansas (in Kansas City) but has also played nine games (8-1 record) against teams ranked 201st or worse in the NCAA's RPI rankings. George Mason, currently first in the CAA, didn't even merit a televised game (non-televised match ups) in the eyes of the schedule-makers. But a slate that features 19 games against teams ranked 101 or worse in the RPI (17-2 record) may have had something to do with that.

Oral Roberts is another team that has a beef with the process as they drew an Akron team whose profile won't do a whole lot to boost that of the Golden Eagles. Clearly not everyone's going to be thrilled with the match ups, but at this point teams have a couple of weeks to improve their own resumes beforehand. How useful is BracketBusters? You'll likely get different answers based on who you ask, but the formula for getting to the NCAA Tournament hasn't changed with or without the event: win.

2. Michael Dixon Jr's driving bucket pushes Missouri past Texas in Austin.
Following a Kim English three-pointer with 4:44 remaining Frank Haith's Tigers led 63-53 and looked to be a safe bet to close out Texas despite being on the road and getting out-rebounded by a 38-26 margin at game's end. But the Tigers would go nearly three minutes without a made field goal, leaving the door open for a Longhorn team that at times couldn't stay out of its own way on the offensive end.

Texas took advantage and eventually took the lead on a four-point possession triggered by a flagrant 1 foul on Michael Dixon Jr. Dixon Jr. made up for his foul 25 seconds after, scoring on a left-handed shot off glass to give Missouri the 67-66 win. Texas had 27 seconds to find a shot, and while Myck Kabongo did get a look the Longhorns looked too confused to be allowed to play the possession out as they had a timeout remaining.

"We had two things ready: one for man and one for zone," said Texas head coach Rick Barnes. "And the one for the zone, we didn't move or cut the way we needed to. But we knew. During the timeout, we said, 'You've got to be ready for a zone.' And what we wanted to do, we didn't do as hard and effective as we had to do it."

Dixon Jr. scored 21 points off the bench while Phil Pressey and Ricardo Ratliffe scored 13 apiece for the Tigers, who remained tied for first place in the Big 12 ahead of a huge battle with rival Kansas this coming weekend. Even with the rebounding and free throw (16-8 Texas edge in points) numbers working against them Missouri found a way to win, and that's what good teams do.

3. While Mississippi Valley State has a sold grip on first place in the SWAC, the race for the two-seed became much more intriguing.
The Delta Devils are now 9-0 in conference play following their 77-59 win over Grambling, and while Southern is 7-2 the Jaguars are ineligible for postseason play so they can't wrestle away the top seed for the conference tournament. Texas Southern is eligible, but their 66-59 overtime loss at Alabama State despite leading by as many as 18 points dropped them to 6-3 in SWAC play and they're now just a game ahead of the Hornets and Prairie View A&M at the halfway point.

Neither team shot well from the field but it was Alabama State who took better advantage of their own misses, grabbing 21 offensive rebounds (OR%: 47.7%) and out-rebounding the Tigers 47-36 on the night. Ivory White led the way for the victors with 21 points and nine rebounds, Phillip Crawford added 17 and Ryan Watts scored 15 points off the bench. Texas Southern's reserves outscored Alabama State's 40-19 (Fred Sturdivant scored 16 of the 40) but that didn't matter much due to the extra opportunities they gave up on the glass and the fact that the starters combined to shoot 8-for-25 from the field.

Next up for Texas Southern is a trip to Prairie View, which means that the race for the two-seed could become even more entertaining should the Tigers lose. Up 48-30 with 9:04 remaining the odds of Tony Harvey's team closing the game out looked to be good, but when you make just one field goal and turn the ball over seven times down the stretch that can come back to burn you. That's exactly what happened to Texas Southern, and as a result they now find themselves in a situation they could have easily avoided.

Quick Hitters

1. Clemson will be without the services of junior forward Milton Jennings at Virginia on Tuesday night as he's suspended due to a failure to comply with the team's academic standards. Jennings is averaging 8.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game for the Tigers, who are currently 11-9 overall and 3-3 in the ACC.

2. The strangest game of the night took place in Norfolk as Coppin State handed Norfolk State their first MEAC loss by the final score of 87-82. Fang Mitchell's team led 35-13 at the half, only to survive a staggering 69-point second half from the Spartans to move to 6-3 in the MEAC. Kyle O'Quinn, who can make a serious claim for being the nation's most underrated player, led NSU with 27 points and 18 rebounds.

3. Belmont and Mercer both took care of business, with the Bruins beating North Florida 83-69 in Nashville while Mercer won 75-66 at Florida Gulf Coast. Kerron Johnson led four Belmont players in double figures with 16 points and Blake Jenkins added 15 and seven rebounds, while Langston Hall's 20 points and six assists led Mercer to their win. USC Upstate is a game back in the loss column but after them the rest of the A-Sun is three games back.

4. Southeast Missouri State moved to 7-2 in the OVC with a 74-53 win at Eastern Illinois, and they remain in second place (two games behind Murray State) as a result. Marland Smith scored 19 points and Tyler Stone added 18 and ten boards for the Redhawks, who have won eight of their last ten games.

5. With head coach Bobby Cremins taking a leave of absence from the team due to an undisclosed health issue, it was good to see Charleston pick up a win. The Cougars won 68-52 at Samford as Antwaine Wiggins scored 25 points to lead the way.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Kevin Murphy (Tennessee Tech)
Murphy went off in the Golden Eagles' 98-80 win over SIU-Edwardsville, scoring 50 points (16-21 FG) and dishing out seven assists.

2. F/C Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State)
27 points and 18 rebounds in the Spartans' 87-82 loss to Coppin State.

3. G Tray Woodall (Pittsburgh)
24 points (8-12 FG), four rebounds and three assists in the Panthers' 72-66 win at West Virginia.

Syracuse Bounces Back on the Road: Monday's Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:45:40 -0800

For Syracuse fans watching Monday's game between the Orange and Cincinnati, the fact that the Bearcats made four of their first five three-pointers may have been a cause for concern. But the Bearcats made just four the rest of the game (with 20 more attempts), making it important to note that those deep threes that fall early more times than not are "fool's gold" against the Syracuse zone. Kris Joseph rebounded from a quiet game on Saturday to score 17 points on 8-for-11 shooting and as a team the Orange outscored Cincinnati 36-24 in the paint on their way to the 60-53 win.

"In the game against Notre Dame, we got off to a bad start. We just never fought back. Tonight, they hit the four threes," said Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim. "Sometimes, it's a good thing when they start a game like that. Not always, but sometimes. I wasn't as concerned as I was the other night because we were getting good things on offense."

Syracuse's bench, which allowed them to hang around at Notre Dame while the starters struggled, was quiet with Dion Waiters and James Southerland combining to score nine points on 4-for-15 shooting. But starting guards Brandon Triche and Scoop Jardine improved their play as they combined to score 24 points and dish out nine assists. Rakeem Christmas, who looked overwhelmed in the middle at Notre Dame, played much better defense and did things that couldn't be measured simply by looking at his four-point, four-rebound stat line.

"[Rakeem] was huge. Inside on Gates, he did a very good job for a freshman," noted Boeheim. "I thought he was really good in the middle."

Cashmere Wright led the Bearcats with 17 points and four assists and Yancy Gates added 16 and ten rebounds, but the shooting struggles of Dion Dixon and Rakeem Christmas (5-for-18 FG, 3-for-11 3PT) combined with Cincinnati's 3-for-9 night from the foul line did them in. And that's with Syracuse making just five of their fifteen shots from the line. Cincinnati got off to a hot start against the Melo-less Orange, but unlike Saturday the Orange were better equipped mentally to deal with such an opening blow.

"I told the players this was as good a regular-season bounce-back win that I can remember at Syracuse," said Boeheim. "We were just so woeful Saturday night. But, coming here in that atmosphere, the way they started the game to play the way we did - I thought was tremendous."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Iona once again relaxes after getting a big lead and they pay dearly for it.
Just eleven days ago Tim Cluess' Gaels lost at the buzzer to Manhattan in a game they led 67-49 at the under-8 media timeout, and their second meeting with Siena came just 20 days after blowing out the Saints at Madison Square Garden. So jumping out to a 20-2 lead means "game over", right? That's what the Gaels seemed to think, and as a result of that complacency the Saints were able to fight their way to a stunning 65-62 win at the Times Union Center. O.D. Anosike led the Saints with 17 points and 15 rebounds, Kyle Downey added 16 and Rob Poole scored 14 off the bench as a team that can only go seven deep picked up the best win of its season to date. On the flip side is the shocking tumble of the Gaels, and the foul trouble of Scott Machado is one reason why.

The senior finished with 16 points, 12 of which came during that opening run, but played just 25 minues due to three first-half fouls (the third coming on a technical for arguing a call from the bench). Mike Glover accounted for 19 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots but Sean Armand, who knocked down ten three-pointers in the first meeting, attempted just one shot and Momo Jones shot 7-for-20 from the field. Kyle Smyth finished 1-for-5 from deep and as a team the Gaels shot 3-for-16, but the biggest issue has been the on/off switch they use far too often. Now tied with Manhattan and Loyola (MD) atop the MAAC standings, the Gaels likely now find themselves in a position where they have to win the conference tournament to get to the Big Dance.

2. Kansas remains undefeated in Big 12 play despite a spirited fight from Texas A&M.
Many like myself expected Bill Self's team to roll over a Texas A&M squad that was without the services of the injured Khris Middleton. But due to both the Aggies' refusal to lie down and the Jayhawks being a bit too fond of the perimeter shot in the first half Texas A&M took a two-point lead into the locker room at halftime. Kansas would rebound thanks in large part to Tyshawn Taylor, who scored 17 points, and 11 points off turnovers as they won 64-54 at Allen Fieldhouse.

Thomas Robinson led Kansas with 18 points and grabbed ten rebounds while Elston Turner led all scorers with 24 points, but the absence of Middleton and the balky ankle of Dash Harris proved to be too much to overcome for the visitors. And the play of Jeff Withey can't be ignored either, as he finished the night with ten points, eight blocked shots and four rebounds. Kansas learned a good lesson in victory, as they'll likely have it drilled into their heads that they're too good to settle for 20 three-point attempts (making just four).

3. Mississippi Valley State increases their lead to two games with an OT win at Texas Southern.
The matchup of the top two teams in the SWAC was nowhere to be found on television but that shouldn't diminish the importance of the Delta Devils' 77-69 overtime win at Texas Southern. Neither team shot particularly well as both hovered around the 38% mark, but the Delta Devils' work on the glass proved to be the difference. MVSU out-rebounded the Tigers 47-36, grabbing 18 offensive boards and outscoring Texas Southern 29-20 in the paint.

Terrence Joyner led four players in double figures with 18 points and Paul Crosby put up a double-double with 15 points and ten rebounds. Texas Southern was done in by three starters combining for just nine points, which proved costly despite the fact that the game reached overtime. Texas Southern would be the two-seed in the conference tournament at this point since Southern (Grambling as well) is ineligible for postseason play due to APR issues, but they allowed a great opportunity to at least gain separation on the rest of the conference to slip through their fingers.

Quick Hitters

1. Belmont bounced back from their tough loss to USC Upstate with an 82-70 win at East Tennessee State to remain tied atop the Atlantic Sun with Mercer. Mick Hedgepeth led five Bruins in double figures with 17 points as Belmont won despite shooting 5-for-19 from three and turning the ball over 19 times.

2. The struggles continue for Towson, who hung with Delaware for nearly 30 minutes or so before falling 62-43. The Blue Hens outscored the Tigers, now 0-21 on the season, 20-4 over the final 10:30 and made 18 of 20 from the charity stripe (Towson finished 7-for-14).

3. Loyola Marymount moved to 5-0 in road WCC games as they beat Santa Clara 74-62. Anthony Ireland led the way with 25 points and five assists, and Max Good's team has the talent needed to remain in the race with Saint Mary's, Gonzaga and BYU if not win it.

4. North Carolina A&T nearly blew a 20-points second half lead at Coppin State, but thanks to an Adrian Powell three with 39 seconds remaining in overtime the Aggies left Baltimore with a 93-92 win. In fact, A&T needed a Nic Simpson (22 points) layup as time expired to simply get the game into overtime.

5. Playing in their road uniforms due to having some of their home jerseys swiped over the weekend, Old Dominion beat Northeastern 69-57 to remain a game behind George Mason in the CAA. Trian Iliadis scored 18 points and Chris Cooper posted a double-double (15 points, ten rebounds) as the Monarchs rebounded from their loss at VCU.

Three Notable Performances

1. F O.D. Anosike (Siena)
The nation's leading rebounder scored 17 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in the Saints' 65-62 win over Iona.

2. C Matt Groselle (Citadel)
20 points and 14 rebounds in the Bulldogs' 78-72 double-overtime loss at Georgia Southern. Groselle played 49 of the 50 minutes.

3. G D.J. Brown (San Jose State)
33 points (9-11 FG, 9-10 FT) and four rebounds in the Spartans' 78-70 win over Cal State Bakersfield.

Cncinnati vs. #4 Syracuse: Monday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:51:59 -0800

While tonight's game between #4 Syracuse (20-1, 7-1) and Cincinnati (15-5, 5-2) may have lost a little luster from a national standpoint with both teams falling on the road Saturday, that shouldn't take away from the importance of Monday to Mick Cronin's Bearcats. The computer numbers are still a bit low although the Bearcats would most likely be a tournament team if the season ended today, so a win over a Top 5 opponent would be a nice line to add to the resume. While the absence of Syracuse center Fab Melo won't make things easier for Cincinnati it does change the dynamic in the paint.

Without Melo on Saturday at Notre Dame the Orange were out-rebounded by 13 (38-25), and the extra possessions that came as a result of the Fighting Irish's work on the offensive glass put Syracuse in a hole they couldn't climb out of. Yancy Gates (12.2 ppg, 9.4 rpg) leads the way for the Bearcats with an average of 3.1 offensive rebounds per game and they've got some guards who have also been good in this area, meaning that Cincinnati has the tools to take advantage of Syracuse allowing opponents to corral 38% of their missed shots.

C.J. Fair (8.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg), who moved into the starting lineup as a result of Melo's absence, is one of Syracuse's best reserves but he didn't have his best game on Saturday. But the same can be said of senior wing Kris Joseph (13.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg), and these two have to chip in on the glass with the Orange relying on the slender Rakeem Christmas and Baye Keita in the middle for the time being. As mentioned earlier the Bearcats have guards who do a good job on the offensive boards, including one in Jaquon Parker (9.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg) who was thrust into the power forward position due to the loss of two key bigs (Gates and Cheikh Mbodj) following the Xavier game.

Those guards can also score, with Sean Kilpatrick (16.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and Dion Dixon (13.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg) leading the way while Cashmere Wright (10.8 ppg, 4.8 apg) runs the show. Add in Parker and freshman Jeremiah Davis and there's a good reason why the Bearcats now score 34% of their points from beyond the arc, as the suspensions resulted in Cronin and his staff giving the perimeter guys more freedom to make things happen. Gates has fit in well since his return despite the drop in post touches, and defensive stalwart Justin Jackson has also been valuable in his role.

Syracuse's guards have played well for much of the season but starters Scoop Jardine (8.3 ppg, 4.9 apg) and Brandon Triche (9.8 ppg, 2.9 apg) can still have those moments where they struggle with decision-making (Jardine) or drift out of the action (Triche). That happened on Saturday in South Bend and was one reason why Notre Dame was able to lead by as many as 18 points in the first half. Dion Waiters (13.0 ppg, 2.7 apg) has been one of the Big East's best players this season, and he's a tough matchup due to both his athleticism and improved skill set. How Syracuse controls their defensive glass will go a long way in determining the outcome, but the guard play won't be far behind.

Also of note tonight is Texas A&M making what is likely their final trip to Phog Allen Fieldhouse for a long time to take on #5 Kansas, and with Khris Middleton banged up this could get out of hand. Thomas Robinson is one of the best players in the country and Tyshawn Taylor has played well of late at the point, giving the Jayhawks a decided advantage in that area as well. Keep an eye on Belmont's trip to East Tennessee State as the Bruins are now tied for first in the A-Sun with Belmont and the Bucs are one of three teams just a game back (the other two teams, Lipscomb and USC Upstate, meet tonight). And in the SWAC the top two teams meet as Mississippi Valley State visits Texas Southern in a game that features MVSU center Paul Crosby and Texas Southern guard Omar Strong.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM (4) Syracuse at Cincinnati (ESPN)
9:00 PM Texas A&M at (5) Kansas (ESPN)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Towson at Delaware (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Citadel at Georgia Southern
7:00 PM Northeastern at Old Dominion (ESPN3)
7:00 PM North Florida at Kennesaw State
7:00 PM North Carolina A&T at Coppin State (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Belmont at East Tennessee State
7:00 PM James Madison at Georgia State
7:00 PM Jacksonville at Mercer
7:00 PM Stetson at Savannah State
7:00 PM Iona at Siena (TWC)
7:00 PM Hofstra at VCU (TCN)
7:00 PM Drexel at William & Mary
7:00 PM Brown at Bryant
7:00 PM Lipscomb at USC Upstate
7:30 PM Florida A&M at Delaware State
7:30 PM Bethune-Cookman at Maryland-Eastern Shore
7:30 PM North Carolina Central at Morgan State
8:00 PM Alabama A&M at Alcorn State
8:30 PM Alabama State at Southern
9:00 PM UNC Wilmington at George Mason (MASN)
9:00 PM Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Prairie View A&M (ESPNU)
9:00 PM Mississippi Valley State at Texas Southern
10:00 PM Cal State Bakersfield at San Jose State
10:00 PM Loyola Marymount at Santa Clara

Monday's Recap: Technical Sparks UConn Rally

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:30:22 -0800

On the heels of losses at Seton Hall and Rutgers, with the leadership capabilities of the team being questioned both within and outside of the locker room, Connecticut needed a win over West Virginia in a big way. But the Huskies didn't play with that sense of urgency out of the gates, as the Mountaineers grabbed eight offensive rebounds to UConn's zero on their way to a 33-28 lead. If the rebounding wasn't bad enough the turnovers were, as the Huskies turned the ball over nine times leading to 15 Mountaineer points.

Things weren't much better for Jim Calhoun's team at the start of the second half either, eventually trailing 46-36 with just under 12 minutes to go following a technical foul on Calhoun (Truck Bryant made one of two free throws) followed by a Deniz Kilicli jumper. But that technical provided the spark that UConn needed as they went on a 17-3 run to take control of the game. The end result: a 64-57 win with Jeremy Lamb scoring 25 points and Andre Drummond adding 20 to go along with 11 rebounds and three blocks.

After [the free throws] we got a stop, [and then] we got a score," said Lamb, who bounced back from a quiet eight point performance against Rutgers. "It got real loud and just pushed us through that time."

West Virginia attempted 18 more shots but couldn't take advantage, shooting just 32.3% from the field on the night. Drummond was just as important in defending Kevin Jones as the early favorite for Big East Player of the Year accounted for 22 points but grabbed just five rebounds, well below his conference-leading average of 11.5 caroms per game. Truck Bryant's offensive struggles didn't help the visitors either, as he scored eight points by made just two of thirteen field goal attempts.

The problem for West Virginia was their lack of patience in finding quality looks. While Jones and (when on) Bryant are both capable scorers, they have to rely on each other in order to be successful offensively. That got them in trouble during UConn's run, and it's something that will need to improve as the Mountaineers get deeper into Big East play.

As for UConn, while there's still plenty to be improved upon Monday's win was a step in the right direction. Alex Oriakhi played better while Shabazz Napier made up for missing all six shots by dishing out eight assists. UConn was punched in the mouth and thanks to their coach they responded, something that didn't happen in New Jersey.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Cincinnati picks up a much-needed victory for their resume at Georgetown.
Somewhat lost in the midst of Cincinnati's seven-game win streak, which was ended by St. John's on Saturday, was the fact that the opposition for Mick Cronin's team didn't do a whole lot for their resume. Cincinnati entered Monday night's game at Georgetown with a strength of schedule of 258 according to realtimerpi.com, and they still hadn't picked up a win that would qualify as a suitable counter for the home loss to Presbyterian. But Sean Kilpatrick scored a career-high 27 points and Dion Dixon added 22 as the Bearcats beat the 11th-ranked Hoyas 68-64 at the Verizon Center. With Cashmere Wright struggling, scoring just two points and missing all six shots from the field, the Bearcats needed Kilpatrick and Dixon to step up and they did.

Late in the game Cincinnati spread out the Hoyas, using their two leading scorers to take advantage of defensive mismatches to attack the rim. As for Georgetown, as strange as it may seem to say their relatively equal shot selection may have done them in. Hollis Thompson made all five of his shots in the first half, only to attempt one (which he missed) in the second. Four starters scored in double figures with a high of 14 points (Thompson and Jason Clark), but neither got the number of shots they could have commanded. Cincinnati played the hot hands, and the end result was a much-needed road win.

2. Oklahoma fails to bounce back from Saturday's loss, falling in Stillwater to the rival Cowboys.
Few expected Lon Kruger's team to beat Kansas at home on Saturday, so there wasn't much made of their defeat. But despite the fact that Monday's matchup with Oklahoma State was a rivalry game, it was one the Sooners had to have. But OU couldn't hit anything from the field until it was too late, making 32.4% of their shots in the 72-65 loss to the Cowboys. Travis Ford's team didn't shoot much better from the floor, making just 38.6% of their field goals, but they made up for it by getting to the foul line.

Oklahoma State finished 23-for-30 from the charity stripe while the Sooners made 13 of 20, and the ten-point edge gave OSU the cushion they needed to move to 2-1 in league play. Le'Bryan Nash led the way with 21 points and seven rebounds and Keiton Page added 18 for the victors, while OU's Steven Pledger made just three of thirteen shots from the field. Now 0-3 in league play, Oklahoma finds themselves in a position where they likely need to sweep their two-game home stand against Kansas State and Texas Tech.

3. Saint Mary's takes care of business, but the bigger issue is the defensive woes of their opponent.
Randy Bennett's Gaels did what they had to do in order to remain tied with Gonzaga atop the WCC standings. Matthew Dellavedova scored 27 points, Rob Jones 18 and Stephen Holt added 11 and ten rebounds, but it isn't ad if the visiting Dons did a great job of making things difficult on the Gaels. Saint Mary's shot 67.3% from the field and 11-for-19 from beyond the arc in the 87-72 win, dropping San Francisco to 0-4 in WCC play.

Defense has been the problem for Rex Walters' team, as they've allowed three of their four league opponents to shoot 52% or better from the field. The one exception was Loyola Marymount, who beat the Dons by a point on New Year's Eve. The talent and athletic ability are definitely there, with the likes of Angelo Caloiaro and Perris Blackwell leading four players averaging double figures, but if the desire to defend isn't there as well more results like this will occur. Once thought to be a team in the middle of the WCC who could give the three favorites fits, San Francisco finds themselves in desperate need of a league win.

Quick Hitters

1. There were two mid-year transfer decisions announced on Monday, one of which being former Pittsburgh forward Khem Birch deciding to transfer to UNLV. Birch, who was a McDonald's All-American out of high school, is a big pickup for Dave Rice's program. Could this help the Runnin' Rebels with marquee 2012 recruits Shabazz Muhammad and Anthony Bennett? That remains to be seen, but at the very least to get a player of Birch's caliber into the program is an important get for UNLV.

2. The other announcement came from former Texas A&M guard Jamal Branch, who has decided to transfer to St. John's. Branch's addition adds some depth to the Red Storm backcourt, and with Steve Lavin essentially using this season to recruit while recuperating from prostate cancer treatment he needed a commitment to spark things on the trail. Maybe this is it.

3. Morgan State played without suspended head coach Todd Bozeman and dropped a close one 57-55 at Savannah State. Rashad Hassan's dunk with 1:12 remaining proved to be the difference as the Tigers moved to 3-1 in MEAC play, and the Bears dropped to 1-1 and 3-10 overall. Norfolk State leads the conference with a 4-0 record.

4. Also in the MEAC North Carolina Central handed Bethune-Cookman their first league loss, winning 69-64 in Durham. Ray Willis scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds in leading the Eagles while Dominique Sutton added 11 and ten rebounds. Talent-wise, Levelle Moton's team can hang with any team in the conference.

5. While Lipscomb's win over Belmont on Friday opened things up in the Atlantic Sun, Monday's results showed just how wide open the league could be. Six teams sit one game behind the first-place Bruins in the loss column, and it's anyone's guess who the best option to challenge Belmont may end up being. One option: Mercer, who boasts a 4-2 league record (12-7 overall) after winning 73-66 at USC Upstate. Justin Cecil, who finished with a game-high 26 points, sparked a 14-1 second half run that helped the Bears take control of the action.

6. It's pretty much a lock at this point in the season that the automatic qualifier out of the SWAC will be playing in one of the four first-round games, but that doesn't mean that the race will lack intrigue. Texas Southern and Mississippi Valley State lead the league with matching 3-0 marks as the Delta Devils won 81-69 at Alabama A&M. Falando Holmes led five MVSU players in double figures with 18 points, and the Delta Devils scored 45 second half points.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Sean Kilpatrick (Cincinnati)
Career-high 27 points (10-16 FG) and four steals in the Bearcats' 68-64 win at #11 Georgetown.

2. G Matthew Dellavedova (Saint Mary's)
27 points (9-13 FG), six rebounds and four assists in the Gaels' 87-72 win over San Francisco.

3. C Andre Drummond (Connecticut)
20 points (9-11 FG), 11 rebounds and three blocks in the Huskies' 64-57 win over West Virginia.

College Hoops Friday Recap: Perennial Bubbler Finally Gets a Break

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 01:46:07 -0800

It's almost become an annual occurrence in college basketball: Seth Greenberg's Virginia Tech Hokies in their customary spot on the bubble. And they looked to be headed in that direction tonight against Florida State in the final quarterfinal of the night in Greensboro, trailing 27-19 at the half and shooting a brutal 17.9% from the field. The Seminoles outscored Virginia Tech 16-6 in the paint and 14-7 in bench points in the first half, and guards Malcolm Delaney and Erick Green combined to shoot 1-for-15. Florida State's defense hasn't been as good since star Chris Singleton went down with a broken foot six games ago but it's still formidable, and it proved to be more than a handful for Virginia Tech in the first half. If not for unsung hero Manny Atkins, who scored seven of his 14 points in the first half, Florida State likely wins the game in a walk.

"One thing I should say is Manny Atkins and that three he made in the corner, the ball was in the air for about 15 seconds," serif Greenberg. "He was phenomenal. He played so hard, and he had quite an accomplishment today."

The Hokies made an early charge in the second half but Florida State was able to hold them off for the time being, even pushing the margin out to 10 with just over 13 minutes left in the game. But Delaney and Green finally got going offensively, scoring 16 points combined in what was an offensive explosion when compared to the first half. Virginia Tech assisted on nine of their twelve made baskets in the second half, turning the ball over just three times. Florida State on the other hand turned the ball over 11 times, leading to 11 points for the Hokies and helping kickstart their struggling offense.

"We had a stretch there at the end of the first half where we were up 12 points and had three bad possessions in a row and I think they cut it to eight or seven," said Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton. "And we had another stretch there in the second half where we had a 10?point lead and we made three straight turnovers." (quotes courtesy of the Atlantic Coast Conference)

The outcome came down to two shots: one that counted and one that didn't. Delaney found Green for the jumper that put the Hokies ahead 52-51 with under five seconds left in the game following yet another Florida State turnover. But the Seminoles had one final chance to win and they seemingly took full advantage of it as Derwin Kitchen knocked down a fadeaway jumper from the right side as time expired. But upon video review the officials decided that the ball was still on Kitchen's fingertips, waving the shot off and touching off an emotional scene that included some tears from the head coach. And given the path that the Hokies have traveled over the last three years, in addition to this injury-plagued campaign, one couldn't blame Coach Greenberg one bit for shedding a few tears of joy (and maybe even relief).

Next up for the Hokies will be Duke, who pulled away from Maryland late thanks to the play of Kyle Singler. But the Blue Devils did lose point guard Nolan Smith late in the second half due to a toe injury, and whether or not he plays tomorrow afternoon has yet to be determined. Getting Smith back is crucial for a team that's still without Kyrie Irving (he did his rehab on the floor before the game, prompting many to wonder if he'd play), but at the very least maybe this weekend can be a catalyst to get Singler out of the slump he was mired in over the last three weeks of the season.

On the other side of the bracket Clemson picked up an important victory over Boston College in a game some saw as a "separator" in terms of the final at-large spots in the NCAA Tournament field. The Tigers were ready to go from the opening tip while the Eagles struggled offensively, and the final score of 70-47 wasn't the expectation after BC's win over Wake Forest on Thursday. Clemson moves on to play North Carolina, who finally woke up late in the second half to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat as time expired against Miami. Kendall Marshall found an open Tyler Zeller underneath the basket and the junior scored as time expired, capping either a thrilling comeback or an amazing choke job depending on one's point of view. But the story of the day will be Virginia Tech, who did an awful lot to solidify their NCAA Tournament status. Exactly what they were unable to do in previous seasons.

Other Notable Happenings

1. UConn goes where no Big East Tuesday team has ever gone and Louisville rises to the challenge in the nightcap.
Kemba Walker has officially turned Madison Square Garden into his own personal stage this week and his most recent act helped the Huskies do something that no team seeded from 9-16 has done in the Big East (in the years since all 16 teams have been invited to New York): win four games in four days. Walker finished with 33 points, 12 rebounds and five assists in the 76-71 overtime win over Syracuse, helping the Huskies become the first team since Pittsburgh in 2008 to win four games in four days. But once again it's not just Walker making things happen. Jeremy Lamb knocked down a pair of huge shots late in the game and finishing with 11 points, and Alex Oriakhi added 15 points and 11 rebounds as the Huskies out-rebounded the Orange 45-37.

But achieving the "impossible": winning five games in five days will depend on how well they do against a Louisville team that's given then fits. Notre Dame was in control of the game in the first half, leading by 14 at the break despite Ben Hansbrough not being as effective offensively as usual. In the second half the Cardinals rose to the challenge, slowing down everyone to get the game to overtime where the Irish had as many turnovers as made field goals (2). With Preston Knowles (20 points) and Peyton Siva (15 points, seven assists) leading the way this is a deep group that's far surpassed the preseason expectations. And to win the Big East title in this season would be a monumental achievement, but the same goes for UConn as well.

2. Michigan State and Penn State grab crucial victories in Indianapolis.
Two Big Ten teams in need of victories did so against highly regarded ranked opponents on Thursday night, with Michigan State whipping Purdue and Penn State simply having one more stone to throw than Wisconsin in the ultimate basketball rock fight. Kalin Lucas was ready from the opening tip, scoring a game-high 30 points and handing out three assists in addition to showing the level or leadership teams expect of their seniors this time of the year. Michigan State turned the ball over just eight times and limited the Boilermakers to 3-for-16 shooting from beyond the arc defensively (37.3% overall) while out-rebounding them 39-25. The Spartans' opponent in the Big Ten semifinals: Penn State, who got out to a fast start against Wisconsin then hung on as the game slowed to a crawl in the form of a 36-33 final.

Talor Battle was the leading scorer with a whopping nine points, but all that matters for Ed DeChellis' team is the fact that they live to play another day. The Nittany Lions need help to make their way into the field of 68, but it's much better to do so on your own terms as opposed to hoping that touting a resume gets through to the selection committee. That makes the matchup between Penn State and Michigan State more important to the Nittany Lions, who may need to win the conference tournament to get into the field. But there's a chance, and that's exactly what they hoped for going into tonight's contest.

3. Chaos occurs in the afternoon in Atlantic City, and the expected finalists in Conference USA do what they have to do.
Xavier's won the last five Atlantic 10 regular season titles but they haven't been successful in the conference tournament, last winning the event in 2006 when the tournament was played in Cincinnati. Boardwalk Hall: not so kind, and that trend continued as a pair of Luke Fabrizius free throws gave rival Dayton a 68-67 win to advance into Saturday's semifinals. The win marks the first time since 1981 than the Flyers have beaten Xavier anywhere outside of Dayton, the epitome of a one-sided rivalry. Dayton's opponent: 12th-seeded Saint Joseph's, who refuse to go down without a fight.

Phil Martelli notched win number 300 on Friday, ending the NCAA Tournament hopes of Duquesne in a 93-90 overtime thriller. Charoy Bentley found Ronald Roberts underneath the basket in the final seconds of regulation, showing a level of poise this young team would not have shown earlier in the season. Either Dayton or Saint Joseph's will be playing in Sunday's conference final, and despite the likely status as a big underdog to either Temple or Richmond, these are two teams playing with confidence. Bid "thief" nothing; should either underdog win the automatic bid they will have earned it.

4. The NIT gains two more teams that will have to use their automatic berths.
Those two entrants come from the MEAC and SWAC, as both conference tournaments saw their top seeds fall on Friday night. Bethune-Cookman was locked up by Morgan State, shooting just 38.8% in their 61-48 loss to the Bears. Todd Bozeman's team will play in its third consecutive conference final on Saturday, and if they get another 22-point, seven-rebound performance off the bench from Kevin Thompson the Bears could very well be headed back to the NCAA Tournament. Leading scorer C.J. Reed shot 4-for-17 in the loss, but the Wildcats' inability to shoot (3-for-13 3PT) did them in. SWAC regular season champion Texas Southern was far and away the best team in the league (16-2 record) but it did not matter to Alabama State.

The Hornets won 73-66 with Ivory White leading five players in double figures with 17 points, and Alabama State out-rebounded the Tigers 34-21 in a game that had just 68 possessions for each team and a combined 32 turnovers (ASU finished with a turnover percentage of 27.9% and still won). Alabama State will take on six-seed Grambling State in Saturday's title game, with the Tigers being the ultimate "Cinderella" as they went 8-10 in conference play and have knocked off both the two and three seeds in this tournament. Can they knock off the four as well? Anything's possible, even if the regular season champions enjoy show themselves to be superior to their competition by a solid margin throughout the course of the year.

5. Alabama mounts a furious rally to beat Georgia and get another shot at Kentucky.
Georgia's issue in many of their close losses this season: the lack of a floor general who can make the right decisions late in games. That bit them once again on Friday afternoon, and the end result could be a trip to the NIT. Leading Alabama 49-36 with six minutes left in the game, the Bulldogs went more than three minutes without a basket as the Crimson Tide made their charge. Chris Hines eventually tied the game at 53 on a layup with four seconds remaining, then the real hijinks began. Instead of calling a timeout after the basket Georgia head coach Mark Fox waited until there were eight tenths of a second remaining on the clock.

Don't even worry about the fact that Dustin Ware banked in a three-pointer that would have won the game, the game management issues down the stretch had just as much to to with their downfall as anything Alabama did. Going to overtime simply delayed the inevitable, with Alabama scoring the final six points of the game to pick up a critical win for the NCAA Tournament hopes. Anthony Grant's team gets another shot at Kentucky, a team they've beaten this season, while the Bulldogs make the short trek back to Athens wondering what could have been. And should they not hear their name called on Selection Sunday, those thoughts will be all the more painful.

Top Five Games

1 (tie). Virginia Tech 52, Florida State 51 and North Carolina 61, Miami (FL) 59

2. San Diego State 74, UNLV 72
A D.J. Gay driving basket with just under five seconds remaining proved to be the difference for the Aztecs as they earned a third shot at BYU tomorrow. Kawhi Leonard led the Aztecs with 18 points and eight rebounds while Chace Stanback led UNLV with 22 points. Tomorrow's Mountain West title game is the first matchup of 30-win teams this season.

3. Saint Joseph's 93, Duquesne 90 (OT)
The Hawks capped a wild afternoon in Atlantic City (Dayton knocked off Xavier in the first game) with a three-point win over Duquesne, likely ending the Dukes' hopes of going to the NCAA Tournament. Carl Jones led the Hawks with 28 points and seven assists, and Bill Clark and Damian Saunders scored 21 points apiece for the Dukes.

4 (tie). Connecticut 76, Syracuse 71 and Louisville 83, Notre Dame 77

5. Ohio State 67, Northwestern 61 (OT)
Unfortunately for the Wildcats the game turned for good on a technical foul called on Luka Mirkovic in overtime. The Buckeyes survive, moving on to play rival Michigan on Saturday afternoon. Jared Sullinger finished with 20 points and 18 rebounds, and John Shurna led Northwestern with 23 points.

Five Notable Performances

1. G Jimmer Fredette (BYU)
52 points (22-37 FG) and four assists in the Cougars' 87-76 win over New Mexico in a Mountain West semifinal.

2. G Kemba Walker (Connecticut)
33 points, 12 rebounds, six steals and five assists in the Huskies' 76-71 overtime win over Syracuse in a Big East semifinal.

3. F Jared Sullinger (Ohio State)
20 points and 18 rebounds in the Buckeyes' 67-61 overtime win over Northwestern in a Big Ten quarterfinal.

4. F Kyle Singler (Duke)
29 points and nine rebounds in the Blue Devils' 87-71 win over Maryland in an ACC quarterfinal.

5. G Carl Jones (Saint Joseph's)
28 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals in the Hawks' 93-90 overtime win over Duquesne in an Atlantic 10 quarterfinal.

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College Hoops Monday Recap: Syracuse Returns the Favor

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 09:45:23 -0800

Usually a concern to play a bit reckless when in his hometown of Philadelphia, Scoop Jardine had no such issues on Monday night in leading Syracuse to a 69-64 win over Villanova at the Well Fargo Center. Jardine made seven of eleven shots from the field, finishing with 20 points along with six assists and four rebounds and fellow Philadelphian Rick Jackson added 18 points and five rebounds. Offensively this contest was a far cry from the first meeting between the two, an 83-72 Villanova win that featured a combined 21 three-pointers made with the Wildcats making 11. Monday night's number: nine, and Jay Wright's team went 5-for-26 on the night.

Corey Stokes made his return to the lineup for the Wildcats and was their best offensive player, making seven of thirteen from the field to score a game-high 24 points, making all five Villanova three-pointers as well. But fellow guards Corey Fisher and Maalik Wayns were ice-cold from the field, shooting a combined 4-for-25 from the field and as a team Villanova shot 32.3%. Isaiah Armwood added a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds but it wasn't enough to avoid dropping to 9-6 in Big East play. Syracuse's third straight win moves them to 10-6 in Big East play and puts them back into the conversation for one of those double-bye slots in the upcoming Big East Tournament.

And in a weird scheduling break for the Orange they've got just two games left in the regular season: at Georgetown on Saturday and DePaul in the home finale the following week. They'll have plenty of time to make adjustments on both ends of the floor, with the hope likely being to get guys such as Fab Melo and James Southerland to reach a level where they can be counted on for a few minutes down the road. But at the very least the light schedule gives guys like Jackson, Jardine, Kris Joseph and Brandon Triche some time off as they'll be the ones who have to lead Syracuse in March.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Tyshawn Taylor's absence has no impact as Kansas throttles Oklahoma State.
Any chance that Oklahoma State had of leaving Lawrence with a much-needed victory disappeared about halfway through the first half, with Kansas going on a 23-6 run over an eight-minute stretch to blow the game wide open. Marcus Morris scored 27 points while brother Markieff and Elijah Johnson added 15 apiece in a 92-65 win that keeps the Jayhawks within a game of first place Texas atop the Big 12. Marshall Moses scored a game-high 27 points but it was an uphill battle for the senior, especially when Keiton Page shoots 2-for-11 and Matt Pilgrim finds a way to play just 13 minutes before fouling out early in the second half. The biggest impact felt in the suspenseon of guard Tyshawn Taylor: the opportunity for Johnson to play more minutes, and as he did early in the season with Josh Selby out he took advantage of the time. The Jayhawks shot 54.4% and out-rebounded the Cowboys 38-25 on the night, and it's near impossible to beat Kansas when they're able to do that.

2. Green Bay's win over Valparaiso adds a lot of intrigue to the Horizon League race.
Bryquis Perine came up with a good way to celebrate his Senior Night and in the process made things a lot more interesting in the Horizon League. Perine's jumper with 11 seconds left in overtime gave Green Bay an 81-80 win over then-first place Valparaiso, dropping the Crusaders into third place (tied with Milwaukee) with two league games to go. Cleveland State sits atop the league with a 12-4 record and just a half-game behind them at 12-5 in Butler, a team more than a few counted out of the title race just a couple weeks ago. All four teams have a shot at earning the top seed in the upcoming conference tournament, the golden carrot that also means hosting the quarters and semis of the event (the highest remaining seed hosts the final). At this point it's safe to assume that Butler, Cleveland State and Valparaiso will be playing in a postseason tournament in March. But the fight to figure out which one became even more interesting following Monday night's result.

3. Texas Southern avenges their lone conference loss to move to 13-1 in the SWAC.
Tony Harper's Tigers have now one seven straight games, beating Mississippi Valley State 58-55 in overtime on Monday night to avenge their lone SWAC loss to move to 13-1 in conference play. Texas Southern is now three games ahead of Jackson State in the loss column with four games to go, but thanks to their season sweep of JSU Coach Harvey's team is likely one win away from sewing up an NIT berth. Travele Jones scored 17 points and Lawrence Johnson-Danner added 13 for Texas Southern, who won just three games in the non-conference portion of their schedule. Jones has reached double-figures in every game he's played (missing the first seven due to compliance issues), and averages a team-best 17.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. They've been tested in the non-conference portion of their schedule and it's paid off within the SWAC for Texas Southern, the goal for many of the HBCUs who play such a schedule in order to both build experience and balance the athletic department accounts.

Top Three Games

1. Green Bay 81, Valparaiso 80 (OT)

2. Kent State 74, Western Michigan 72 Michael Porrini was the hero in Kalamazoo, scoring the final of his 19 points off the bench on a jumper with two seconds remaining to knock off WMU. Flenard Whitfield, whose layup with 48 seconds remaining tied the game at 72, finished with 24 points and eight rebounds to lead the Broncos.

3. (20) Syracuse 69, (14) Villanova 64

Three Notable Performances

1. C Alec Brown (Green Bay) 22 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and two blocks in the Phoenix' 81-80 overtime win over Valparaiso.

2. F Antwaine Wiggins (Charleston) 24 points (10-13 FG), nine rebounds and four assists in the Cougars' 75-49 win over Samford.

3. F Marcus Morris (Kansas) 27 points, five rebounds and two steals in the Jayhawks' 92-65 win over Oklahoma State.

College Hoops Monday Recap: Kansas State Whips Kansas

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 10:17:45 -0800

"I'm not going to the NIT. I won't play basketball in the NIT. I'm saying that now. If we lose, and we have to go to the NIT, I will not play."

Those were the words of Kansas State senior guard Jacob Pullen to Kellis Robinett of the Kansas City Star on January 12th, but from that point forward neither Pullen nor the rest of his teammates had done much to avoid such a decision. That was until last night, when Pullen scored a career-high 38 points in Kansas State's 84-68 home win over top-ranked Kansas. Pullen made nine of seventeen shots from the field (5-6 3PT) and made a regular trek to the foul line as well, where he knocked down 15 of 19.

But in addition to Pullen there was another important performer, center Jordan Henriquez-Roberts. On a night that saw Curtis Kelly largely invisible (six points, four assists, five turnovers), Henriquez-Roberts scored eight of his 10 points in the first half while also finishing with five rebounds. For the game Kansas State shot 56% from the field, and with Thomas Robinson out and some of their most important players making bad decisions Kansas had little chance to escape with a victory.

"I thought they did a very good job of being physical," remarked Kansas head coach Bill Self. "They cut off all our angles on both ends of the floor. We did not have anyone play well. Our three juniors did not come to play tonight."

Kansas State scored 22 points off of 18 Kansas turnovers, also out-rebounding the Jayhawks 29-23 on a night that saw both Morrises struggle (Marcus- 13 points, three rebounds; Markieff- 3 points, no rebounds). Kansas shot just 37% in the second half, and considering the fact that they made 52% of their shots in the first half and still trailed by nine at the break it wasn't difficult to figure out that they were in for a long night. The loss likely drops Kansas from their perch atop the polls next Monday but of far more importance is that they're now two games behind first-place Texas in the Big 12 standings. And when the head-to-head result is factored in it's more like three games, meaning that their chances of winning the regular season crown may have dissolved in Manhattan.

The bigger question on the night is what the win means for Kansas State. While more than a few have put the Wildcats into the field of 68 thanks to the win, keep in mind that Monday's conquest is also their first win over a team in the RPI Top 50 this season. There's still plenty of work to be done, with two more opportunities for good wins (home vs. Missouri and at Texas) mixed in with games against Oklahoma, Nebraska (road) and Iowa State they need to avoid dropping. But when your fate is up in the air there's nothing a coach would rather see than his expected leader rising to the challenge, and Jacob Pullen did that last night.

"Jake has been playing good for a while now," said head coach Frank Martin. "He has been real good and is playing as a big-time point guard right now. I am happy that he had that type of night tonight." (quotes courtesy of Kansas State Athletics)

Other Notable Happenings

1. Brandon Triche puts forth one of his best performances in Syracuse's win over West Virginia.
Coming off of a loss at Louisville the Syracuse Orange needed a win to get back on track and retain hopes of possibly getting back into the race for a double-bye in the upcoming Big East Tournament. And they got just that on Monday night, beating West Virginia 63-52 behind 20 points from Brandon Triche and 16 from Kris Joseph. Casey Mitchell led the Mountaineers with a career-high 23 but the Orange proved to be too much on a night that saw both Truck Bryant and Kevin Jones (combined 3-for-14 FG) struggle from the field. But the problem for West Virginia is that nearly everyone struggled from two, as they made just six of 25 shots from inside the arc. And even when a team manages to knock down half of their three-point attempts (11-for-22), a loss is more than likely when putting forth a performance like that. As for Syracuse, the win means that 10 league wins is a good possibility with road games against Villanova and Georgetown sandwiched in between home games against Rutgers and DePaul. And if Triche can build on Monday's performance the Orange can get some things done in March as well.

2. There's now a three-way tie in the loss column atop the MEAC standings.
One of the tighter races in the mid-major ranks hasn't received much press, something that may be caused by the league's relative lack of national TV appearances outside of their weekly game on ESPNU. But the MEAC race will be an entertaining one to watch the remainder of the season, with three teams tied atop the standings with three losses apiece and another just one game behind with four. Hampton, who went into Monday night leading the conference, lost at North Carolina A&T to drop into a tie with Bethune-Cookman and Morgan State (the Bears have eight wins to Hampton and BCC's nine). And the changes are just in time as the Pirates host Bethune-Cookman on Saturday evening. Kwame Morgan II scored 27 points in Hampton's loss at A&T, and with more playing time the junior's raised his scoring some eight points per game this season. Meanwhile Bethune-Cookman made short work of UMES as C.J. Reed led five Wildcats in double figures with 21 points (Kevin Dukes and Dion Holloman combined for 30 off the bench). Hampton won the first meeting (in Daytona Beach) 68-56 on January 22nd, making Saturday all the more important to the Wildcats.

3. Texas Southern hangs on at Grambling to move to 11-1 in SWAC play.
The formula for many teams in the two HBCU conferences at the Division I level (MEAC and SWAC) is a simple one: hit the road for a number of guarantee games in November and December, with the hope being to not just line the athletic department's coffers but to set yourself up for a run at a conference championship. That's seemed to have worked well to this point for Texas Southern, who moved to 11-1 in the SWAC with a 51-49 win over Grambling State. Harrison Smith's layup with three seconds remaining won the game for the Tigers (Houston version), who nearly allowed a five-point lead with less than five minutes remaining slip away. Texas Southern won just two of eleven non-conference games, going 0-8 against teams ranked in the RPI Top 150. While that record may have "first round in Dayton" written all over it the overall benefits of such a schedule have Texas Southern atop the SWAC by two games in the loss column with six to go. And they already own a season sweep of Jackson State, meaning that taking care of business in the remainder of their games in addition to beating Mississippi Valley State (their lone league loss) on February 21st should be good enough to clinch at the very least an NIT bid.

Top Three Games

1. North Carolina Central 77, Coppin State 75 Nick Chasten's layup with less than a second remaining was the difference as North Carolina Central won the battle of the Eagles in Durham. C.J. Wilkerson led the home team with 21 points while Michael Harper scored the same to lead Coppin State.

2. Savannah State 65, Citadel 61 (OT) Jovonni Shuler knocked down a three-pointer to kick off a 7-0 run to start the extra session in the Tigers' win at The Citadel. Shuler finished with a game-high 24 points, and Zach Urbanus led the Bulldogs with 17.

3. Hawaii 69, Nevada 67 (OT) Vander Joaquim led the way with 24 points and nine rebounds as the Warriors knocked off the Wolf Pack. Jeremiah Ostrowski's shot with 21 seconds to go proved to be the difference in Honolulu. Deonte Burton led Nevada, who had two chances to either tie or win the game, with 21.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Jacob Pullen (Kansas State) 38 points in the Wildcats' 84-68 win over top-ranked Kansas.

2. F Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State) 20 points and 15 rebounds in the Spartans' 76-68 win over Howard.

3. C Vander Joaquim (Hawaii) 24 points and nine rebounds in the Warriors' 69-67 overtime win over Nevada.