UTEP

Sunday Recap: Kansas State Controls Title Game Throughout

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 00:59:42 -0500

The question leading into the title game of the Diamond Head Classic was how would Kansas State deal with Long Beach State guard Casper Ware. But by the end of the game it was obvious that the better question to ask was how the senior would navigate the Wildcats' tough perimeter defense. Thanks in large part to Will Spradling and Martavious Irving the Wildcats harassed Ware in to a 5-for-18 night from the field, and they took control of the game at both ends on their way to a 77-60 win in Honolulu. Rodney McGruder led the way offensively with 28 points and six rebounds, and he was named tournament MVP as a result of his play all weekend.

As a team the 49ers shot just 36.8% from the field and 6-for-19 from beyond the arc, and while they did manage to grab 17 offensive rebounds it wasn't enough to overcome the K-State attack. Ware and Larry Anderson scored 17 points apiece for the 49ers but no other player would score more than eight on the night for them. In addition to McGruder's performance Spradling scored 17 points and Jamar Samuels added 11 to go along with eight rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots. Kansas State out-rebounded Long Beach State 39-32 and outscored the 49ers 48-38 in the paint, making 54% of their two-point shots.

Long Beach State by comparison made just 39% of their two-point shots, and when adding to that a minus-8 in points from the foul line (20-12; LBSU shot 12-for-21) there's no mystery as to why they were unable to make a comeback. Kansas State led by as many as 18 points in the second half of a game they never trailed, and it's time to start thinking of Frank Martin's club as a serious contender in the Big 12. They've got the bodies up front, with Samuels, Thomas Gipson and Jordan Henriquez-Roberts, and the perimeter depth is there as well. Baylor, Missouri and Kansas are the names that have received the headlines early, but K-State isn't far behind.

As for Long Beach State, while a win on Sunday would have been another solid boost for a non-conference schedule that is the toughest in America they essentially did what they had to do. In beating Xavier they landed a second win over a Top 15 (at the time) team, and their win over Auburn meant avoiding the possibility of having a "bad loss" take away from their resume. In Big West play they're not going to encounter a team like Kansas State, so while UCSB will once again provided a stiff challenge and Cal Poly's been a surprise the 49ers should be fine. They simply ran into a team that was able to put their stamp on the game early and determine the "rules of engagement" throughout.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Xavier beats Southern Illinois to end their three-game losing streak.
Falling to host Hawaii on Friday was tough enough for the Musketeers, who lost their third straight game for the first time in Chris Mack's tenure as head coach. But the situation would have been nothing compared to what could have been had they left the islands 0-3. Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons combined to score 38 points (Holloway dished out seven assists while Lyons grabbed ten rebounds) as the Musketeers beat Southern Illinois 87-77 in the seventh place game. Dantiel Daniels led four Salukis in double figures with 22 points but SIU shot just 40% from the field. So how did they score 77 points? Xavier couldn't keep them off the glass, as Southern Illinois grabbed 19 offensive rebounds on the afternoon.

But Xavier got to the foul line early and often, making 36 of their 48 attempts to take advantage of a 28-16 foul count. In addition to Lyons forward Andre Walker (13 points, 10 rebounds) recorded the first double-double of his career, and it couldn't have come at a better time for a team in desperate need of a win. Will this result allow Xavier to regain the confidence lost in the aftermath of the Cincinnati game? They get Dezmine Wells back so that will definitely help, and they've got a little time before Atlantic 10 play begins to regain the chemistry. This is not a team anyone will line up to face anytime soon.

2. UTEP makes the plays late to pull away from Auburn for third place.
Many picked Tim Floyd's team, which features nine players in their first season on the floor for the program, to finish in the bottom three of Conference USA. Either C-USA is a much-tougher conference than it's given credit for or people were wrong about the Miners, because in going 2-1 at the Diamond Head Classic that did not look like a team that would finish 10th-12th in the league. John Bohannon played his best game of the tournament in the Miners' 83-76 win over Auburn, finishing with 20 points and nine rebounds, and guard Michael Perez added 18 points and a couple of daggers late to seal the deal.

Five UTEP players reached double figures while Tim Floyd's move to a box-and-1 on Frankie Sullivan took the Auburn star out of the flow of the offense in the second half. Kenny Gabriel stepped up with 24 points, eight rebounds and four assists but that wasn't enough to make up for Sullivan scoring seven points on 2-for-5 shooting from the field. UTEP isn't particularly deep as they used just seven players and the inexperience has been documented. But when considering players like Bohannon and Perez, who are getting used to bigger roles, and a transfer in Jacques Streeter who's run a team at this level before (Cal-State Fullerton) maybe they can surprise some folks in Conference USA.

3. Zane Johnson's shooting sparks Hawaii's win over Clemson.
While most visitors to the islands leave with memories they'll never forget, the same may not be said for the Clemson Tigers in terms of their on-court experience. Milton Jennings was suspended for Sunday's fifth-place game against Hawaii due to conduct detrimental to the team for his behavior in a timeout in Friday's win over SIU, but it might not have mattered if he were on the floor Sunday. Zane Johnson made six of his twelve three-point attempts in scoring a game-high 27 points and the Warriors made 16 of 19 free throws in their 75-68 victory.

Vander Joaquim added 14 points and 10 rebounds while Hauns Brereton chipped in with 10 points off the bench. Clemson simple couldn't shoot well enough from inside of the arc, making 18 of 48 shots from two on the afternoon. Gib Arnold's team winning two of three games is a good boost for them as they approach WAC play, where many expect them to slot into the middle of the pack. As for Clemson, they picked up a win but it wasn't pretty. If Jennings and Devin Booker can't provide consistent help for Tanner Smith and Andre Young it could be a long season in the ACC despite the wide-open nature of the league outside of the top two.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Rodney McGruder (Kansas State)
28 points and six rebounds in the Wildcats' 77-60 win over Long Beach State.

2. G Zane Johnson (Hawaii)
27 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals in the Warriors' 75-68 win over Clemson.

3. C John Bohannon (UTEP)
20 points (6-9 FG, 8-9 FT), nine rebounds, three assists and two steals in the Miners' 83-76 win over Auburn.

Diamond Head Classic All-Tournament Team

G Rodney McGruder (Kansas State) - MVP
G Zane Johnson (Hawaii)
G Michael Perez (UTEP)
G Larry Anderson (Long Beach State)
F Jamar Samuels (Kansas State)

Sunday Preview: Long Beach State vs. Kansas State

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 12:31:25 -0500

Happy Holidays to you all. Before getting into a preview of today's action, here are two stories here and here that you all will enjoy (h/t to Jameson Fleming of CBSSports.com and College Hoops Journal).

The only games being played on Christmas Day are out in Hawaii, with the Diamond Head Classic wrapping up. The title game matches Long Beach State (7-5), who has played one of the toughest schedules in the country to date, and a Kansas State (9-1) team that's been better than some expected. After beating Xavier in the first round the 49ers took care of business against Auburn in a matchup that would have done more harm in a loss than good in a win from a resume standpoint. As for Kansas State, they've beaten both Southern Illinois and UTEP in games they were expected to win, with the latter offering up more of a challenge than many anticipated going into the event.

The question for the Wildcats is how they go about defending Long Beach State point guard Casper Ware (16.7 ppg, 3.8 apg), who runs the show for the 49ers while also being asked to lead the team in scoring. Ware's shooting percentages aren't all that impressive, but that's got more to do with the number of shots Dan Monson has him take in their offense than shot selection. A key factor for the 49ers, both this weekend and in Big West play, will be freshman Michael Caffey. Caffey played very well in their win over Xavier, and his emergence off the bench will both keep Ware fresh and allow the senior to do more work off the ball when paired together with Caffey.

Kansas State has also had a reserve emerge while in Hawaii, as freshman Angel Rodriguez (7.7 ppg, 2.6 apg) has averaged 16.5 points per game in the tournament. Rodriguez made 10 of 16 shots from the field in the two wins, by far his best performance this season. If he can keep this up the freshman will be a nice addition to starters Will Spradling (11.2 ppg, 2.9 apg) and Rodney McGruder (10.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg) not to mention fellow reserve Shane Southwell. Long Beach State overall has more firepower on the perimeter however, with senior Larry Anderson (14.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg) and junior James Ennis (9.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.8 apg) also being key cogs in their attack.

The battle up front will be interesting to watch, with the Wildcats being the bigger of the two teams. But that doesn't mean that life will be easy for them, as the experienced T.J. Robinson (12.3 ppg, 10.0 rpg) and Eugene Phelps (9.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg) anchoring things for the 49ers. Long Beach State can also bring Edis Dervisevic off the bench, and this is something they may have to do against the K-State attack. Jamar Samuels (12.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg) leads the way for Kansas State while freshman Thomas Gipson (11.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg) has the build of a player far more experienced than he actually is.

There's also junior Jordan Henriquez-Roberts, who has progressed a great deal in his two-plus seasons in Manhattan. He'll be a key figure for the Wildcats going forward into Big 12 play, as they'll encounter some deep frontcourts. Kansas State has been the better rebounding team of the two, and they even average more possessions per game than Long Beach State. The 49ers have to hold their own on the glass in order to win, and given their schedule to date they're more than capable of doing so. Keep an eye on turnover margin as well, with both teams breaking even on assist-to-turnover ratio while forcing at least 16 turnovers per game defensively.

In the other games in Honolulu Xavier looks to bounce back from a disappointing loss to Hawaii against Southern Illinois, and the truth is that Chris Mack's team should win by a good margin. The Salukis have a good player in senior Mamadou Seck, and they have been competitive in their two games on the island, but Chris Lowery's bunch is in for a tough time in the Missouri Valley.

Clemson and host Hawaii play in the fifth-place game, as Tanner Smith stepped up for the Tigers in their win over SIU. Forwards Josten Thomas and Vander Joaquim provide a tough matchup inside however, meaning that it's time for Devin Booker to step up with Milton Jennings suspended. And in the third-place game UTEP, led by Jacques Streeter and the surprising Michael Perez, takes on Auburn in what should be a toss-up.

Top 25 Games
2:00 PM Southern Illinois vs. #14 Xavier (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
4:30 PM Clemson vs. Hawaii (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Auburn vs. UTEP (ESPN2)
9:30 PM Kansas State vs. Long Beach State (ESPN2)

Thursday Recap: Missouri Wins Braggin' Rights Yet Again

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 06:10:58 -0500

The "Braggin' Rights" game between Illinois and Missouri is alway an intense affair, with the fans in the stands split by the halfcourt line and both teams understanding what's at stake before they even hit the floor. This season's game was no different, although for a good portion of the first half it seemed as if the undefeated Tigers were on their way to a romp. Bruce Weber's team refused to fold, and once Missouri got out of control Illinois was able to mount their rally. Illinois went on a 17-3 run halfway through the second half with Joseph Bertrand (19 points, 9-9 FG) leading the way to take a 62-61 lead, but it was Missouri's backcourt that made the plays late to win 78-74.

Phil Pressey led the Tigers with 18 points and five assists, and his layup with 12 seconds remaining sealed the deal as Illinois decided not to foul. Michael Dixon Jr. also scored 18 points and in total four Tigers reached double figures, but they allowed the pace to get a little too fast in the second half. Instead of working the ball around for good shots Missouri took hurried looks, and the "bailouts" allowed Illinois to go down to the other end and string together quality possessions. Bertrand was a big key in that, as he made all nine of his shots while making sound decisions with the basketball.

During that 17-3 run there were also better opportunities for Meyers Leonard, who finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds and five assists on the night. The Illini did a better job of finding and getting Leonard the ball in positions where he could be most effective, and that's something that will have to continue for the Illini to reach their full potential. But Illinois once again lost sight of what sparked their run in the final minutes, which allowed the Tigers to regain the lead and ultimately win. Illinois shot 50% from the field and out-rebounded Missouri 35-30 but those numbers didn't matter as much as their 17 turnovers in the end.

Illinois turned the ball over on 24% of their possessions and made just four of sixteen shots from beyond the arc with Sam Maniscalco and D.J. Richardson combining to make just one of eight (Richardson entered the game having made five threes in each of Illinois' last two games). As for the Tigers, while they averaged more than a point per possession they didn't approach their season average in terms of offensive efficiency (126.2), finishing at a 109.9.

They finished below their season averages in many of the tempo-free categories and their getting out of control at times had something to do with it. But Coach Haith and his players understand what they do best and what needs to be done to improve on Thursday's showing. The last time a Missouri team got off to a 12-0 start was back in 1981-82, and that team won 19 straight and finished 27-4. Could this group of Tigers do the same? They sure can.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Georgetown takes care of business and hands Memphis their fifth loss of the season.
The rematch of the Maui Invitational meeting between Memphis and #16 Georgetown was supposed to be a tight affair throughout, but things didn't work out that way for Josh Pastner's Tigers. Frankly Memphis was outworked for much of the game, trailing by as many as 20 points in the second half before finally fighting back. Georgetown would go on to win 70-59 with Jason Clark scoring 18 points and Hollis Thompson adding 17 and nine rebounds. Four starters scored in double figures for the Hoyas, and veterans such as Clark, Thompson and Henry Sims underline exactly what Memphis is lacking right now. When things begin to go wrong on the court who's the guy that will hold himself and his teammates accountable?

The talent is definitely there, with Will Barton being one of the best players in the country. But there are also guys who haven't held up their end of the bargain for a team that's now 6-5 on the season. Senior Wesley Witherspoon? Five minutes tonight and eight over the last two games. Tarik Black? Fouled out in 13 nondescript minutes. Things have gotten to the point where Coach Pastner held a team meeting immediately after the game that lasted nearly two hours. Ferrakhon Hall added something from an effort and toughness standpoint when he was on the floor, but if the meetings haven't fully sunk in it's time to use the motivation of the bench to light a fire under guys. Memphis will have the most talent in Conference USA once they enter league play, but if they don't match that with high-level effort they're going to be in more trouble than this group bargained for.

2. Not only does Texas A&M fall to Rice but they also lost Kourtney Roberson.
Even with an all-conference talent like Arsalan Kazemi to contend with, few people expected Billy Kennedy's Aggies to struggle with a Rice team that entered Thursday's game with three wins over non-Division I opponents to their credit. But that's exactly what happened in College Station as Texas A&M shot just 39% from the field in a 65-58 loss to the Owls. Tamir Jackson scored a team-high 13 points while Kazemi (10 points, 13 rebounds), Ahmad Ibrahim (12 points) and Lucas Kuipers also reached double figures for the Owls, who picked up their first win over a Division I opponent in nearly a month. But the loss may be the least of Texas A&M's concerns with Kourtney Roberson being lost for four-to-six weeks with a fractured left ankle suffered in the first half.

David Lobeau led four Aggies in double figures with 14 points but when two starters (Jordan Green and Keith Davis) go scoreless there's going to be trouble. Khris Middleton and Ray Turner have shown at different stages in the season that they can be primary scorers, which goes without saying for Middleton as he was expected to be. But other than that guys are going to have to step up and be consistent factors on offense. Not everyone can score in double figures; that's not realistic for Texas A&M given their tempo and frankly they don't need everyone to. But they need guys to provide something. That didn't happen against Rice, and the end result was a disappointing defeat.

3. Long Beach State beats Xavier, and a freshman may be the key in them winning the Big West.
Tu Holloway made his return to the Xavier lineup after a one-game suspension for his role in that ugly brawl with city rival Cincinnati. But that didn't matter much as the Musketeers still had their problems executing on the offensive end of the floor. Where the Musketeers really ran into trouble was on the other end of the floor, as Long Beach State outscored Xavier by 12 (21-9) from beyond the arc in winning 68-58. Six players scored for the 49ers but five finished in double figures, with freshman Michael Caffey scoring 14 off the bench to lead the way. Xavier made just three of fifteen shots from beyond the arc, and the only reason why the margin wasn't any worse was the fact that The Beach shot 15-for-28 from the foul line.

But back to Caffey, who was a steal for Dan Monson and his staff as he didn't qualify until late (two of his teammates at Corona (CA) Centennial were Gelaun Wheelwright (Weber State) and Dominique Dunning (New Mexico)). If Caffey can continue to progress that will take some weight off the shoulders of senior point guard Casper Ware, who has the responsibilities of running the show as well as scoring, the 49ers will be that much better for it. In fact it can be argued that the absence of such a player was the big reason why Long Beach State couldn't turn their Big West regular season title into an NCAA Tournament bid. Next up for The Beach is Auburn in a Diamond Head Classic semifinal, and it's a game that will have a bigger impact should they lose as opposed to picking up the win.

Quick Hitters

1. They may have won on Thursday, beating Fairfield 79-71, but Connecticut wasn't at their best after jumping out to a 20-point halftime lead. That's been an issue for the Huskies in a few games this season; once they've figured out that the game's over they've allowed teams to hang around. The Huskies need to change that mindset as they head into Big East play.

2. Ian Miller and Antwan Space saw their first action of the season for Florida State but it didn't matter as they fell to rival Florida 82-64 in Gainesville. Bradley Beal scored 21 and grabbed six rebounds and all five Gator starters scored in double figures. Florida simply had too many weapons, and the Seminoles don't have a Patric Young either.

3. Drew Crawford scored 34 points and John Shurna added 18, nine rebounds and six assists but it wasn't enough as Northwestern fell at #21 Creighton 87-79. Doug McDemott scored 27 points and the Bluejays took advantage of Crawford leaving the game early in the second half with his fourth foul. That's another good win for Creighton ,and a missed opportunity for an improved Northwestern.

4. A sophomore who's played well of late but remains under the radar is UTEP's Mike Perez, who scored a career-high 25 points in the Miners' 61-48 win over Clemson at the Diamond Head Classic. Perez has scored at least 17 points in five of UTEP's last six games and has emerged as a go-to option that Tim Floyd and his staff didn't expect to have before the season began.

5. The biggest threat to Belmont in the Atlantic Sun is likely Mercer, and the Bears picked up a 65-59 win at Georgia Tech. Monty Brown scored 13 points off the bench and Bud Thomas added 12 points, seven rebounds and three steals for the Bears, who lost a Belmont by just four earlier this month. Bob Hoffman's got a contender on his hands, and with Belmont being their regular season finale you never know what could be on the line.

6. Charleston did a good job of bouncing back from their tough loss at Louisville, winning 77-70 at Big South contender Coastal Carolina. Andrew Lawrence led the way with 18 points and seven assists while Matt Sundberg added 17 off the bench for the Cougars, who are now 10-2 on the season.

7. Congratulations are in order for Bob Huggins, who won his 700th game as a head coach on Thursday night. West Virginia needed a Gary Browne three-pointer to push Missouri State to overtime in Las Vegas, and they went on to win 70-68. Next up for WVU is #7 Baylor.

8. And Butler did what they had to do to get a split of their two games in beating Stanford 71-66 at Maples Pavilion. Ronald Nored scored 18 points and dished out five assists while Jackson Aldridge added 15 off the bench.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Chris Gaston (Fordham)
35 points (13-17 FG) and 15 rebounds in the Rams' 81-70 win over Texas State.

2. F Arnett Moultrie (Mississippi State)
24 points (8-11 FG), 14 rebounds and four assists in the Bulldogs' 82-67 win over Northwestern State.

3. F/C Brennan Cougill (Green Bay)
19 points, 19 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks in the Phoenix's 63-61 win over Idaho.

Wednesday Preview: Cincinnati at Wright State

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:39:19 -0500

Thanks to the events of Saturday afternoon and their aftermath a dangerous road trip is now even tougher for Cincinnati (5-3), who will be shorthanded on their trip to Wright State (4-6). Yancy Gates, Cheikh Mbodj and Octavius Ellis are all suspended six games for their roles in Saturday's brawl at Xavier while Ge'Lawn Guyn sits one game, meaning that even with the Raiders having lost five of their last seven they've got every chance to defend their home floor successfully. So who steps up for the Bearcats? It will likely have to be three guards who have started all eight games thus far.

Cashmere Wright (8.6 ppg, 4.4 apg) runs the show while Dion Dixon (13.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and Sean Kilpatrick (14.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg) will be the likely primary options with the Bearcats lacking an interior game offensively. There is Justin Jackson, and athletic big man who can run the floor and block shots, but to expect him to pick up where Gates left off scoring-wise would be unrealistic. One would have to think that freshmen Jermaine Sanders and Kelvin Gaines, both of whom haven't played much to date, would get a chance early to prove that they can contribute and the return of JaQuon Parker means one more weapon on the perimeter.

As for the Raiders they've struggled mightily on the offensive end of the floor, shooting 36.9% from the field on the season. Billy Donlon's team averages the same number of possessions per game as Cincinnati (66) but they're averaging only 55.5 points per game, a number that ranks 333rd nationally. So with a leading scorer (guard Julius Mays) who averages just 10.2 points per game, how has Wright State found a way to win four games? Defense.

Wright State's allowing just 59.6 points per game and they make opponents battle for everything they get offensively, which could be an issue for Cincinnati given the personnel losses. Opponents turn the ball over on 25.4% of their possessions, and they're third in the Horizon League in points allowed per possession. The field goal percentage defense (42.5%) doesn't jump off the stat sheet as much as the number of turnovers they force per game (16.2), and with both teams averaging more turnovers than assists per game things could get sloppy in Dayton.

How will Cincinnati deal with the possible adversity that comes with being shorthanded on the road? We'll find out, but given losses to Presbyterian and Marshall already on the resume, Mick Cronin's team can't afford to drop this one. Losses in games like this one tend to come back to haunt teams in March. Also on the schedule Wednesday is a rare afternoon game with Iona visiting Richmond, and it will be interesting to see how much energy remains in the legs of Tim Cluess' Gaels. Iona hasn't played a home game all month, and even with the Spiders getting used to life without Kevin Anderson and Justin Harper there's still talent at Chris Mooney's disposal.

Tim Floyd's young UTEP squad heads west to take on a UNLV team that's dropped two of their last three games, and sophomore guard Mike Perez has emerged in recent games as a good scoring option for the Miners. Perez is averaging 18.5 points over the last two games, and with a squad that has five players averaging between seven and ten points per game UTEP needs someone to step up. Also of note is Tennessee visiting Charleston days after losing at home to Austin Peay, and Bobby Cremins' team will be a very tough test for Trae Golden and company. In fact Antwaine Wiggins and company should be expected to defend their home floor, so the Volunteers had better be ready from the moment they walk into the gym.

Top 25 Games
7:30 PM USC Upstate at (2) Ohio State (BTN)
8:00 PM Bethune-Cookman at (7) Baylor (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
3:00 PM Iona at Richmond
7:00 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Ole Miss (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Marietta at Ohio
7:00 PM Morgan State at UMBC
7:00 PM Long Island at Norfolk State
7:00 PM Princeton at Rider (Comcast)
7:00 PM Cincinnati at Wright State (ESPN2)
7:05 PM Charleston Southern at Citadel
7:30 PM FIU at Maryland (ESPN)
7:30 PM Towson at Coppin State
8:00 PM Louisiana College at Rice
8:00 PM Huston-Tillotson at Lamar
8:00 PM McNeese State at Louisiana Tech
8:05 PM Seattle at Arkansas State
8:05 PM Campbell at Houston Baptist
8:05 PM Chicago State at Wichita State
9:00 PM West New Mexico at New Mexico State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Tennessee at Charleston (ESPN2)
9:00 PM DePaul at Northern Illinois
9:05 PM Denver at Northern Colorado (Altitude)
9:30 PM USF at Auburn (ESPN3)
10:00 PM Menlo College at Cal Poly
10:00 PM UC Santa Cruz at UC Riverside
10:00 PM UTEP at UNLV (The Mtn.)
10:30 PM Eastern Washington at UCLA

College Hoops Friday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:49:48 -0500

Friday offers up some big matchups but none may be bigger than Georgia and Alabama in the first game of the day at the SEC Tournament. Both can still use wins (to be honest, who can't?) with the winner today keeping alive the ability to state their case on the floor while the loser has to hope their resume is good enough to warrant an NCAA Tournament bid. And the scouting reports should be fresh as the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide met in Saturday's regular season finale, a 65-57 Alabama victory in Tuscaloosa. The difference: turnovers. Georgia finished with 16 to Alabama's eight, allowing the Crimson Tide to make up for their 39.3% shooting on the afternoon.

JaMychal Green (19 points, nine rebounds) and Tony Mitchell (13 and 11) were a collective handful for Georgia, who despite their size with Trey Thompkins and Jeremy Price had trouble with the athletic Mitchell. Add in guard Charvez Davis scoring 17 points for Alabama and Gerald Robinson Jr. making just two of his twelve shots from the field and it isn't too difficult to see what has to change for the Bulldogs today. Georgia holds the edge in many of the major offensive categories on paper, but that means nothing if their guards aren't effective.

Robinson Jr., Travis Leslie and Dustin Ware will all need to be at their best as defensively Anthony Grant's team allows opponents to shoot 37.9% from the field, forces nearly 16 turnovers per game and limits teams to an offensive efficiency of just 89.0. Who needs the game more from a resume standpoint? That's debatable, as the two teams have the same number of wins against Top 25 (1) and RPI Top 50 (3) teams. But the difference is what the two teams have done against teams they're supposed to beat. Georgia is 15-0 against teams with an RPI of 101 or worse while Alabama has three losses to teams below that line. The advice to both: leave no doubt.

That same message can be applied to Boston College and Clemson, who meet in the second game of the day at the ACC Tournament. The Tigers won their lone regular season meeting 77-69 in February 8th, with Reggie Jackson and Joe Trapani combining for 49 points but receiving little help from their teammates. Clemson by comparison finished with four players in double figures, shooting 52.9% from the field and limiting the Eagles to 9-for-30 from beyond the arc. Boston College has been the better offensive team from a numbers standpoint but players such as Jerai Grant and Demontez Stitt have helped the Tigers limit opponents to 39% shooting.

How efficient the Eagles are at finding good looks for Jackson and Trapani in addition to Corey Raji off the bench will determine the outcome, but it's possible both teams hear their names called on Sunday regardless of this result. Big games are on tap for Maryland (Duke) and Virginia Tech (Florida State) as well, with the Hokies in much better position to feel good about their tournament chances with a win than Maryland.

One more will be officially punched today with Lafayette, who knocked off two-seed American in the Patriot League semis, visiting regular season champ Bucknell. The Leopards lost both regular season meetings with the first being a 75-56 whipping at Sojka Pavilion, with Bucknell winning the battle on the boards (37-25) and shooting a far superior percentage on two-point shots (54.8% to Lafayette's 35.2%). And when a team breaks even in points from three in addition to the aforementioned numbers, the end result is usually a blowout.

That didn't happen in the rematch, a 74-69 Bucknell win on February 16th that saw the Leopards hold their own for 45 minutes. They'll need a similar performance from Jim Mower (19 points), and Jared Mintz and Ryan Willen have to shoot better from the field (combined 4-for-17) despite combining for 26 points if they're to win. In Darryl Shazier the Bisons have one of the best point guards in the Patriot League (5.7 apg). Player of the Year Mike Muscala will be a handful for Lafayette as well, but having already won two tournament games on the road Fran O'Hanlon's Leopards at least have a puncher's chance of winning the crown.

Also in important bubble matchups are a pair of quarterfinals in the Atlantic 10, with Duquesne likely needing to win the entire tournament to merit an NCAA bid and Richmond looking to avoid an early exit that would likely mean an NIT bid. But in seniors Kevin Anderson and Justin Harper the Spiders have two outstanding players capable of taking the team to Sunday's final. Illinois/Michigan is an important game in the Big Ten Tournament especially for the Wolverines, who could use one more solid victory to feel comfortable with their prospects. And in the evening session both Michigan State and Penn State look to pick up one more resume-building victory (the Nittany Lions need a run this weekend).

The Conference USA semis should also be fun with Memphis, Tulsa and UTEP all in play at this stage with the latter two playing each other. Doug Wojcik's Golden Hurricane have been overlooked by many but with Justin Hurtt leading the way it wouldn't be a major surprise if they were to win the title. New Mexico can revive their hopes with a third win over BYU and the same goes for USC out west as they take on Pac-10 regular season champion Arizona.

The Big East and Big 12 semifinal rounds should both be entertaining, with Notre Dame and Louisville looking to build off of impressive wins last night. And the early game matches Connecticut and Syracuse, who in their last Big East Championship meeting went six overtimes two years ago. In Kansas City the expectation is that Kansas and Texas advance to the title game, but in Colorado and Texas A&M there are two opponents who have played well of late.

The problem for the Aggies is that they don't match up well at all with the Longhorns, but the Buffaloes could knock off Kansas if the Jayhawks play as they did against Oklahoma State. Semifinals in the Big West, Great West, MAC, MEAC, SWAC and WAC are also on the slate for tonight.

10:00 PM Weber State at Saint Mary's

Atlantic 10 Quarterfinals (Atlantic City)
12:00 PM Dayton vs. Xavier
2:30 PM Saint Joseph's vs. Duquesne
6:30 PM La Salle vs. Temple
9:00 PM Rhode Island vs. Richmond

ACC Quarterfinals (Greensboro)
12:00 PM Miami (FL) vs. North Carolina (ESPN2)
2:30 PM Boston College vs. Clemson (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Maryland vs. Duke (ESPN2)
9:30 PM Virginia Tech vs. Florida State

Big 12 Semifinals (Kansas City)
7:00 PM Colorado vs. Kansas (ESPN3)
9:30 PM Texas A&M vs. Texas (ESPN3)

Big East Semifinals (New York City)
7:00 PM Connecticut vs. Syracuse (ESPN)
9:00 PM Louisville vs. Notre Dame (ESPN)

Big Ten Quarterfinals (Indianapolis)
12:00 PM Northwestern vs. Ohio State (ESPN)
2:00 PM Illinois vs. Michigan (ESPN)
6:30 PM Michigan State vs. Purdue (BTN)
8:55 PM Penn State vs. Wisconsin (BTN)

Big West Semifinals (Anaheim, CA)
9:30 PM UCSB vs. Long Beach State (ESPNU)
12:00 AM UC Riverside vs. Cal State Northridge

Conference USA Semifinals (El Paso)
4:00 PM UTEP vs. Tulsa (CBS College)
6:30 PM East Carolina vs. Memphis (CBS College)

Great West Semifinals (Orem, UT)
7:00 PM Houston Baptist vs. North Dakota
9:30 PM South Dakota vs. Utah Valley

MAC Semifinals (Cleveland)
7:00 PM Akron vs. Western Michigan (ESPN3)
9:30 PM Ball State vs. Kent State (ESPN3)

MEAC Semifinals (Winston-Salem, NC)
6:00 PM Norfolk State vs. Hampton
8:00 PM Morgan State vs. Bethune-Cookman

Mountain West Semifinals (Las Vegas)
9:00 PM New Mexico vs. BYU (CBS College)
11:30 PM UNLV vs. San Diego State (CBS College)

Pac-10 Semifinals (Los Angeles)
9:00 PM USC vs. Arizona (FSN)
11:30 PM Oregon vs. Washington (FSN)

Patriot Final (Lewisburg, PA)
4:45 PM Lafayette at Bucknell (ESPN2)

SEC Quarterfinals (Atlanta)
1:00 PM Georgia vs. Alabama (ESPN3)
3:30 PM Mississippi vs. Kentucky (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Tennessee vs. Florida (ESPN3)
10:00 PM Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State (ESPN3)

SWAC Semifinals (Garland, TX)
3:30 PM Grambling State vs. Jackson State
9:00 PM Alabama State vs. Texas Southern

WAC Semifinals (Las Vegas)
9:00 PM San Jose State vs. Utah State
12:00 AM New Mexico State vs. Boise State (ESPN2)

College Hoops Saturday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 23:52:37 -0500

Saturday brings about the biggest game in the history of the San Diego State (27-1, 12-1) program, which before the recent run of Steve Fisher has been an afterthought in southern California. BYU (26-2, 12-1) visits Viejas Arena with the winner taking a significant step towards not only the Mountain West's regular season crown but possible a one seed in the NCAA Tournament. Both have resumes that could merit such mention should the winner go on to win out, including the conference tournament (BYU is 8-1 vs. RPI Top 50, SDSU 4-1), but that's of little concern. Jimmer Fredette scored 43 points in BYU's 71-58 win back on January 26th and it's pretty obvious that job one for the Aztecs defensively is to force the senior to take tough shots.

The problem there, even with SDSU likely to show Fredette a number of looks beginning with Billy White, is that Fredette is one of the most impressive shot-makers in college basketball. But the permanent green light can get you in trouble as well, and Fredette shot 9-for-26 in scoring 34 points in BYU's win over Colorado State earlier this week. In BYU's win over San Diego State Brandon Davies was the only other Cougar to reach double figures (14 points), and Jackson Emery shot 1-for-7 from the field. Emery likely needs to be a factor on Montezuma Mesa, and he has the potential to be if left alone with his 22-point performance in BYU's win at UNLV being a prime example.

San Diego State has an All-America worthy star themselves in sophomore forward Kawhi Leonard, who battled sickness in posting a line of 22 points and 15 rebounds in Provo. Leonard ranks among the most versatile players in America, and his overall skill set provides SDSU with an individual matchup few teams can match. The key for the Aztecs will be the play of their interior players, most notably White, Brian Carlwell and Malcolm Thomas. Carlwell played just four minutes in the first meeting while Thomas and White combined to shoot 7-for-20 from the field. They'll need to be better in the rematch if the Aztecs are to exact a measure of revenge, but one positive SDSU could take out of that game is their 42-35 rebounding edge.

The Aztecs are a very good rebounding team, especially on the offensive end (38.2% OR%) and if the Cougars fail to keep Leonard and company off the boards they'll be in for a long afternoon. Davies and Noah Hartsock are the leading rebounders for BYU but they both hover around the six per game mark. It will need to be a team effort on the glass for Dave Rose's team at Viejas, because if the the game is played closer to the tempo SDSU prefers (63.8 possessions/game to BYU 72.5) and they don't those extra possessions become even tougher to withstand. Despite the difference in possessions and points per game (BYU: 83.0; SDSU: 72.4) the two teams are close in regards to offensive efficiency and rebounding is a reason why. While Fredette can go off for 43 again, the safer bet for them winning would be to hold their own on the boards.

San Diego State has some good guards as well with D.J. Gay and James Rahon leading the way. Gay leads the team in minutes played and the Mountain West in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.0). He can also knock down shots, averaging 12.1 points per game and the ability to get hot if left alone as he did in the win at New Mexico last month. Rahon's been their best three-point shooter with a percentage of 43.1%, and Chase Tapley can also knock down the perimeter jumper at a solid rate. They may need to do so if BYU makes the move to collapse on SDSU's interior game, and despite the Aztecs' ability to execute offensively they stand a good chance to run into a few zone defenses down the road (pick your poison). The only negative for this game: it has to start at 11 am local time, meaning that the team with the upper hand early will be the one that's alert from the opening tip.

Virginia Tech host top-ranked Duke in a contest the Hokies need to feel completely secure with their NCAA Tournament prospects. That's what happens when you go on the road and lose to Virginia, but a win over the Blue Devils in front of what should be a charged crowd would go a long way in erasing the sting of being swept by the Cavaliers. The matchup between Malcolm Delaney and Nolan Smith should be worth the price of admission itself, but if those two cancel each other out Jeff Allen and Kyle Singler could be the players to determine the outcome. Georgetown plays their first full game without point guard Chris Wright (broken left hand) and maybe the presence of bitter rival Syracuse brings out the best in the Hoyas. It will be interesting to see how John Thompson III and his staff go about dividing the point guard duties between now and the NCAA Tournament, when they hope to have their senior back.

Florida visits Kentucky and St. John's takes on Villanova in two other games matching ranked teams, and Arizona visits UCLA with a chance to clinch at least a share of the Pac-10 title. Reeves Nelson played well in the first meeting between the two but the Wildcats proved to be too much. This time around it's going to take a group effort to not only slow down Derrick Williams but beat the Wildcats. Memphis and UTEP meet with both teams in desperate need for wins, not just for a puncher's chance at an NCAA bid but also to keep pace in a Conference USA race that has five team within a game of each other atop the standings. And many conferences are wrapping up their regular seasons this weekend, meaning a lot's too be decided with regards to seeding for a number of conference tournaments (Wichita State at Missouri State will determine the MVC champ).

Top 25
9:00 PM (1) Duke at Virginia Tech (ESPN)
4:00 PM (2) Kansas at Oklahoma (ESPN)
2:00 PM (7) BYU at (4) San Diego State (CBS)
4:00 PM (5) Texas at Colorado (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Seton Hall at (9) Notre Dame (ESPNU)
4:00 PM (10) Arizona at UCLA (FSN)
12:00 PM (20) Syracuse at (11) Georgetown (CBS)
4:00 PM (13) Florida at (22) Kentucky (CBS)
2:00 PM (25) St. John's at (14) Villanova (ESPN)
9:00 PM (17) Texas A&M at Baylor (ESPNU)
1:45 PM (18) Vanderbilt at LSU (ESPN3)
12:00 PM (21) Missouri at Kansas State (ESPN)
9:00 PM Idaho at (23) Utah State
2:00 PM (24) Temple at George Washington

NCAA Division I Games
11:00 AM Bowling Green at Miami (OH) (ESPNU)
12:00 PM Boston College at Virginia
12:00 PM James Madison at VCU
1:00 PM UNC Wilmington at Northeastern
1:00 PM Wichita State at Missouri State (ESPN2)
1:05 PM Southern Illinois at Indiana State
1:05 PM Milwaukee at Youngstown State
1:30 PM Arkansas at Auburn (ESPN3)
1:30 PM Texas Tech at Oklahoma State (ESPN3)
1:45 PM Nebraska at Iowa State (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Miami (FL) at Florida State (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Georgia Tech at North Carolina State (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Wofford at Furman
2:00 PM South Florida at DePaul (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Green Bay at Cleveland State
2:00 PM Citadel at Appalachian State
2:00 PM Loyola (IL) at Butler
2:00 PM UNC Greensboro at Davidson
2:00 PM Rhode Island at Fordham
2:00 PM Delaware at Hofstra
2:00 PM Central Connecticut State at Long Island
2:00 PM Radford at UNC Asheville
2:30 PM NJIT at North Dakota
3:00 PM Texas-San Antonio at Texas State
3:00 PM Texas-Arlington at Northwestern State
3:00 PM Memphis at UTEP (ESPN2)
3:00 PM New Orleans at Victory University
3:05 PM Illinois State at Evansville
3:30 PM USC Upstate at Campbell
3:30 PM Monmouth at Sacred Heart
4:00 PM Lehigh at Holy Cross
4:00 PM Drexel at Towson
4:00 PM Alabama at Mississippi (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Wake Forest at Clemson
4:00 PM William & Mary at Old Dominion
4:00 PM American at Lafayette
4:00 PM Army at Bucknell
4:00 PM Colgate at Navy
4:00 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at Quinnipiac
4:00 PM Central Arkansas at Southeastern Louisiana
4:00 PM St. Bonaventure at Saint Joseph's
4:05 PM Arkansas-Little Rock at Arkansas State (ESPN3)
4:30 PM Michigan at Minnesota (BTN)
4:30 PM South Carolina State at Bethune-Cookman
4:30 PM Coastal Carolina at Charleston Southern
4:30 PM Nicholls State at McNeese State
4:30 PM Howard at Maryland-Eastern Shore
4:30 PM Lipscomb at Mercer
4:30 PM Coppin State at North Carolina A&T
4:30 PM Bryant University at St. Francis (NY)
4:30 PM Charleston at Western Carolina
5:00 PM Chattanooga at Samford
5:30 PM Prairie View A&M at Alabama State
5:30 PM IUPUI at Centenary
5:30 PM Jackson State at Mississippi Valley State
6:00 PM Harvard at Yale
6:00 PM Columbia at Princeton
6:00 PM California at Oregon State
6:00 PM Dartmouth at Brown
6:00 PM UAB at Houston (CBS College)
6:00 PM George Mason at Georgia State
6:00 PM Stanford at Oregon
6:00 PM Mississippi State at Tennessee (ESPN)
6:30 PM North Carolina Central at Florida A&M
6:30 PM Colorado State at Air Force (The Mtn.)
6:30 PM Ball State at Central Michigan
6:30 PM Morgan State at Norfolk State
7:00 PM Jacksonville at Stetson
7:00 PM South Carolina at Georgia (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Cornell at Pennsylvania
7:00 PM Southern Methodist at Marshall
7:00 PM Iowa at Illinois (BTN)
7:00 PM Buffalo at Akron
7:00 PM Southern Miss at UCF
7:00 PM Troy at Florida International
7:00 PM High Point at Gardner-Webb
7:00 PM Ohio at Kent State
7:00 PM Richmond at Charlotte
7:00 PM Wagner at Robert Morris
7:00 PM Mount St. Mary's at St. Francis (PA)
7:00 PM Northern Illinois at Toledo
7:00 PM Virginia Military at Winthrop
7:05 PM Drake at Bradley
7:30 PM Arizona State at USC
7:30 PM Elon at Georgia Southern
7:30 PM Belmont at Kennesaw State
7:30 PM Texas Southern at Alabama A&M
7:30 PM Hampton at Delaware State
7:30 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Louisiana-Monroe
7:30 PM Liberty at Presbyterian
7:30 PM Morehead State at Tennessee-Martin
7:45 PM North Florida at Florida Gulf Coast
8:00 PM Louisiana Tech at San Jose State
8:00 PM UC Davis at UC Riverside
8:00 PM Duquesne at Saint Louis
8:00 PM Tulane at Tulsa
8:00 PM East Carolina at Rice
8:00 PM Western Kentucky at Middle Tennessee
8:00 PM New Mexico at TCU (CBS College)
8:05 PM IPFW at UMKC
8:05 PM Western Illinois at Oral Roberts (ESPN3)
8:05 PM UC Santa Barbara at Long Beach State (ESPN2)
8:05 PM Montana at Eastern Washington
8:05 PM Sam Houston State at Lamar
8:05 PM Illinois-Chicago at Valparaiso
8:30 PM Denver at North Texas
8:30 PM St. Thomas (TX) at Texas-Pan American
8:30 PM Pacific at UC Irvine
8:45 PM Eastern Kentucky at Murray State (ESPN3)
8:45 PM Southeast Missouri State at Austin Peay
9:00 PM Northern Iowa at Creighton
9:00 PM Gonzaga at San Diego
9:00 PM Grambling State at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
9:00 PM Alcorn State at Southern University
9:00 PM Eastern Illinois at Tennessee State
9:00 PM Jacksonville State at Tennessee Tech
9:00 PM Houston Baptist at Utah Valley
9:05 PM Northern Arizona at Northern Colorado
9:30 PM Chicago State at South Dakota
9:30 PM Oakland at Southern Utah
10:00 PM Wyoming at UNLV (The Mtn.)
10:00 PM Loyola Marymount at San Francisco
10:00 PM Pepperdine at Santa Clara
10:00 PM Seattle at Cal State Bakersfield
10:05 PM Weber State at Sacramento State
10:05 PM Montana State at Portland State
10:30 PM Boise State at Nevada (ESPN3)
11:00 PM Portland at Saint Mary's
11:05 PM Cal Poly at Cal State Fullerton (ESPNU)
12:00 AM New Mexico State at Hawaii (ESPN3)

HOOPS TALK LIVE SATURDAY 11am- NOON!

College Hoops Wednesday Recap: Even More Bubble Follies

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 06:02:22 -0500

Well, someone has to go to the NCAA Tournament. But there are more than a few teams who either don't value the importance of making a statement at this point or are willing to roll the dice on Selection Sunday. Wednesday was one of those nights, with a number of teams squandering opportunities to either bolster their causes or avoid stubbing their toe in contests they should win. Boston College qualifies, as they fell behind Miami at home by as many as 21 points before rallying back, ultimately losing 73-64. Reggie Jackson and Joe Trapani shot a combined 10-for-25, with the other three starters going 3-for-9. The Eagles shot 38.8% and didn't fare much better defensively as the Hurricanes made 51% of their shots.

Also called onto the carpet is Baylor, who once again failed to take care of the basketball and fell 77-59 at Missouri. The Bears turned the ball over 21 times with LaceDarius Dunn compounding his 4-for-14 night from the field with a team-worst six turnovers. Perry Jones III turned the ball over four times and Anthony Jones and A.J. Walton finished with three apiece. Laurence Bowers led the Tigers with 20 points and nine rebounds to go along with six steals and two blocks, and as a team the TIgers out-rebounded Baylor 34-32. That's quite the achievement for a team (Missouri) that's dropped games this season due to their inability to keep bigger opponents off the boards. While winning in Columbia is tough, what Wednesday's loss did for Baylor was make Saturday's loss to Texas Tech at home stand out even more. That's why teams can ill-afford to drop games they're expected to win.

Then there's Duquesne and UTEP, two teams who are either at or near the top of their respective leagues but have limited credentials. The Dukes fell to Rhode Island at home 77-76, and after an 8-0 start to Atlantic 10 play Ron Everhart's team has lost four of their last five and hold just a one-game lead in the loss column for fourth place (the top four get a bye to the quarterfinals of the conference tournament). As for the Miners, they fell 83-76 at East Carolina in a game that saw both head coach Tim Floyd and an assistant tossed for arguing with the officials. As a result of the defeat UTEP drops a game behind the trio of Memphis, Southern Miss and UAB in the Conference USA, making Saturday's game at Memphis all the more important. The good news for UTEP: the conference tournament in on their floor, and they'll more than likely need that automatic bid to feel secure about their prospects.

Other teams taking on tough losses were Florida State (at Maryland), New Mexico (UNLV at home) and VCU (at Drexel). Florida State's the most interesting case of these three due to the loss of Chris Singleton due to injury. Since losing him in the win over Virginia they've beaten Wake Forest and lost at Maryland, and while taking care of business against Miami and NC State should help (with North Carolina in between) the selection committee does look at how teams are playing after an injury. With their best player the Seminoles are a much better team, but that also means they'll need to impress to a certain extent with Singleton out in order to lock down an at-large bid. But the bubble's weakness likely provides a number of teams with extra opportunities simply by default, because once again someone has to go dancing.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Cincinnati picks up a win at Georgetown and the Hoyas also lose Chris Wright.
The game at Georgetown was one many circled in regards to Mick Cronin's team picking up a statement victory on the road. The Bearcats got it done at the Verizon Center, beating the Hoyas 58-46 in a game that will be talkes about more for the broken left hand suffered by Georgetown point guard Chris Wright. Dion Dixon and Yancy Gates scored 17 points apiece (Gates also grabbed 11 rebounds) and Rashad Bishop added 12, and Austin Freeman scored 19 to lead Georgetown (Freeman was the only Hoya to make more than one field goal). Georgetown shot 25% from the field for the game, including 4-for-23 in the second half, and they struggled offensively before Wright left for good.

Now the question is how the Hoyas go about winning without the senior, beginning with Saturday's game against Syracuse. Vee Sanford and Markel Starks stand to see an increase in minutes and the same likely goes for Hollis Thompson if John Thompson III decided to use Jason Clark at the point more. Losing Wright is a serious blow but the Hoyas have to have the mentality of "next man up". Losing their senior point guard indefinitely can kill their season if they allow it to, but there are some veterans on this team who have the ability to step up. Whether or not they do so will be up to them.

2. Kyle Singler snaps out of his shooting slump in Duke's win over Temple.
In Duke's two games before the matchup with Temple the senior forward shot a combined 6-for-19 in wins over Virginia and Georgia Tech (expanding that out to the last five games, Singler shot 20-for-61). When you have teammates like Nolan Smith and Seth Curry to pick up the slack offensively a short slump can be navigated, but at some point the Blue Devils needed Singler to return to the form many have become accustomed to seeing. That happened against Temple as Singler made 10 of 19 shots and scored 28 points in the Blue Devils' 78-61 win over the Owls. Nolan Smith added 15 and Mason Plumlee grabbed 13 rebounds, and Duke scored 18 points off of 12 Temple turnovers.

Singler's "return" is the biggest thing to take out of the contest, a good opportunity for both teams to take on a non-conference opponent that offers a challenge similar to what awaits in the NCAA Tournament. "Tonight he took them with more physicality, much more force and finished," remarked head coach Mike Krzyzewski. "The first shot he took tonight was like the shots he has been taking. He missed that layup. You got to attack the rim. We reminded of that and he did attack the rim the rest of the game." (quote courtesy of Duke Athletics)

3. Missouri State and Wichita State both win, setting up a showdown on Saturday for the Missouri Valley crown.
While Utah State (WAC) became the most recent team to lock up at the least an NIT bid, Wednesday's results set up a showdown for a postseason berth with Missouri State and Wichita State both winning to remain tied atop the MVC. Will Creekmore had one of the best performances of his career, leading Missouri State with 26 points and 11 rebounds in a 76-58 win at Southern Illinois. In moving to 14-3 in league play Cuonzo Martin's team set school records for league wins (both road and overall) in a season. The Bears shot 53% from the field while limiting the Salukis to 33%, also out-rebounding Southern Illinois 36-25 on the night. Their reward comes in the form of hosting the Shockers on Saturday afternoon with the crown on the line as Wichita State hung on to beat Creighton 67-65.

Aaron Ellis' shot with 1.5 seconds remaining was the difference at Charles Koch Arena, and J.T. Durley (16 points) and Joe Ragland (15) led the way offensively for Gregg Marshall's team. Wichita State assisted on 19 of their 22 field goals and turned the ball over just nine times while forcing 15 Blue Jay turnovers. The Bears won the first meeting back on January 9th 59-56, outscoring the Shockers by 12 from beyond the arc (24-12) with both teams turning the ball over 15 times. Wichita State was unable to take advantage of their edge in size, something they'll need to do on Saturday if they're to beat the Bears at JQH Arena.

Top Three Games

1. (9) Notre Dame 94, Providence 93 Marshon Brooks made history in Providence, scoring a Big East (and school) record 52 points on 20-for-28 shooting from the field. But it wasn't enough to ensure an upset for the Friars as Ben Hansbrough (32 points) and Tim Abromaitis (28) combined to score 60 points for the Fighting Irish.

2. (12) Wisconsin 53, Michigan 52 Ignore the final score, as this may have been the most heartbreaking defeat incurred by any team this season. After the Wolverines expertly used their fouls to give, Jordan Taylor found an open Josh Gasser, who banked home the game-winning three as time expired. Taylor finished with 20 points, five assists and four rebounds to lead the Badgers. Tim Hardaway Jr. led Michigan with 16 points.

3. Arkansas 77, (22) Kentucky 76 (OT) The Razorbacks snapped their 10-game losing streak to Kentucky while also dropping the Wildcats to 1-6 in SEC road games. Rotnei Clarke (26 points) and Marshawn Powell (22 points, 10 rebounds) led Arkansas while Brandon Knight paced the Wildcats with 26, eight rebounds and five assists.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Marshon Brooks (Providence) 52 points (20-28 FG) , five rebounds and four assists in the Friars' 94-93 loss to Notre Dame. Notre Dame's Ben Hansbrough scored 32 points and handed out four assists.

2. G Chad Tomko (UNC Wilmington) 21 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists in the Seahawks' 71-64 loss to Hofstra.

3. G Adrian Oliver (San Jose State) 36 points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists in the Spartans' 72-70 overtime win over New Mexico State.

HOOPS TALK LIVE THURSDAY 6-7PM EST

Non-BCS Top 25: UTEP into Top 10

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 23:48:17 -0500

The Non-BCS Top 25 is a weekly follow-up to the popular CHN Top 50 ranking. Using the power-conference teams ranked in the CHN Top 50 as a base, an in-depth look at the world of "mid-major" basketball is pieced together. The Non-BCS Top 25 will be released early Monday morning following the Top 50..

Non-BCS Top 25: February 6th

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

	Team	Record	Last	T50
1	San Diego St	23-1	1	3
2	BYU	22-2	2	7
3	Utah St	22-2	3	20
4	Temple	17-5	5	26
5	Saint Mary's	20-4	7	28
6	Wichita St	20-4	11	30
7	Xavier	16-6*	9	32
8	Cleveland St	21-4*	8	33
9	UTEP	18-5	13	35
10	UNLV	17-6*	6	37
11	Missouri St	18-6*	10	38
12	Memphis	17-6*	4	40
13	Richmond	18-6	15	42
14	George Mason	19-5	16	44
15	Old Dominion	18-6*	12	46
16	VCU	19-6*	14	48

T50 = Ranking in CHN Weekly Top 50

* = Losses in the last week

Not in CHN Top 50

17	Coastal Carolina	22-2	16	*
18	Southern Miss	18-5	NA
19	Harvard	16-5*	19	*
20	Duquesne	16-6*	18	*
21	UAB	16-6*	20	*
22	Northern Iowa	18-7*	21	*
23	New Mexico	16-7	23	*
24	Butler	15-9*	24	*
25	Belmont	22-4	25	*

Next 5:

Dayton (17-7), Colorado St (16-7*), FAU (18-7), Princeton (16-4), Drexel (16-7)

Further 5:

Valparaiso (17-7*), Portland (17-7*), James Madison (17-8**), Fairfield (18-5*), Oakland (17-9*)

Dropped Out of Top 25:

James Madison

Agree/Disagree? Post Your Thoughts Below! Check the archives for older Non-BCS Top 25 Rankings

#42 UTEP Miners: 2010-11 Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 19:31:37 -0400

Overall Rank: #42

Conference Rank: #2 Conference USA

2009-10: 26-7, 15-1

2009-10 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Tim Floyd (First year at UTEP, 327-181 overall)

After one of the most successful season in UTEP history, Coach Tony Barbee split for the SEC. Coach Tim Floyd was an interesting choice to take over the Miners, but this is a team that needs to build off of their recent success and that is something Coach Floyd can do. He is also a former UTEP assistant and knows what he can do with the program.

Key Losses: F Derrick Caracter, F Arnett Moultrie, G Myron Strong

Key Newcomers:

The unexpected departures of Derrick Caracter and Arnett Moultrie will leave a gaping hole in the frontcourt and newcomers Michael Haynes and John Bohannon will have to help out right away. Haynes is a little undersized at 6-6, but he is a superb rebounder and that alone makes him a solid option off the bench at the four spot. Bohannon, at 6-10 and 200 pounds, has more size, but he needs to add strength quickly if he is going to battle in the paint against some tough C-USA opponents. The backcourt adds Michael Perez and Deshun Watkins. Perez could find a spot in the regular rotation if he can beat out some returning players for minutes.

Backcourt:

The backcourt is in great shape again this season. Randy Culpepper is a superstar who averaged 17.9 points per game last season. There is nothing the 6-0 senior cannot do on the offensive end. Culpepper is a fine outside shooter and one of the most explosive athletes attacking the basket in the nation. Christian Polk started 15 games last season and has turned into a dynamic scorer in his own right. After tallying 9.4 points per game during his junior campaign, Polk is ready for an even better senior season. Julyan Stone is a very interesting player. At 6-6, he does not look like a point guard, but he is a great ballhandler and distributor. On top of his 5.5 assists per contest, Stone averaged 6.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals during his junior campaign. Isaac Gordon may not be the best sixth man around, but he is an experienced player and a solid shooter who can fill in at multiple positions.

Frontcourt:

Obviously the key to this team will be the play of the frontcourt. When Caracter was eligible for the second semester last year, he really opened up the offense for everybody else. Now the pressure is on part-time starter Jeremy Williams. The 6-7, 215 pound senior averaged 10.0 points and 4.7 rebounds last season and should be able to increase those numbers now that he will be asked to do a lot more for the frontcourt. Williams can handle taking over some of the scoring and rebounding left behind by Caracter and Arnett Moutlrie, but those two did a lot of scoring and rebounding. Even if Williams can improve his overall game, this team still needs to find a center and some decent frontcourt depth.

Who to Watch:

Two options to play the center position are Claude Britten and Wayne Portalatin. Britten has been a decent roleplayer and certainly has the size to make an impact, but he has never been able to contribute consistently for long periods of time. Portalatin is another big senior, but like Britten he has never seen too much playing time. Britten is the more likely candidate to play more minutes this season, but he will likely just keep the five spot warm while waiting for the newcomers to eventually take over the starting role.

Final Projection:

Thanks to Julyan Stone’s ability to rebound and defend, this team can play small at times. That would likely place 6-6 freshman Haynes at the power forward spot and 6-7 Williams at the center position. That lineup will not work all the time, but the Miners would be strong enough on the glass despite the undersized frontcourt. That should allow Britten to play spot minutes and give Bohannon time to add some strength and get used to banging under the basket.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Julyan Stone, Senior, Guard, 6.1 ppg

Randy Culpepper, Senior, Guard, 17.9 ppg

Christian Polk, Senior, Guard, 9.4 ppg

Jeremy Williams, Senior, Forward, 10.0 ppg

Claude Britten, Senior, Center, 4.9 ppg

Next Top 144 Teams
43		44		45		46		..All

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

College Basketball Coaching Changes 2010

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:19:42 -0400

We'll track coaching changes as they occur. If there's any missing on here, or if you have contract info to add (including salaries), please mention it in the comments section.

Latest 8/20: UIC tabs Wisconsin assistant to replace Collins

BCS Conferences

Auburn
Was: Jeff Lebo
Is: Tony Barbee (UTEP)

Boston College
Was: Al Skinner
Is: Steve Donahue (Cornell)

Clemson
Was: Oliver Purnell
Is: Brad Brownell (Wright State)

Colorado
Was: Jeff Bzdelik
Is: Tad Boyle (Northern Colorado)

DePaul
Was: Jerry Wainwright
Interim: Tracy Webster
Is: Oliver Purnell

Iowa
Was: Todd Lickliter
Is: Fran McCaffery (Siena)

Iowa State
Was: Greg McDermott
Is: Fred Hoiberg (VP of Basketball Operations, Minnesota Timberwolves)

Oregon
Was: Ernie Kent
Is: Dana Altman (Creighton)

Rutgers
Was: Fred Hill Jr.
Is: Mike Rice (Robert Morris)

Seton Hall
Was: Bobby Gonzalez
Is: Kevin Willard (Iona)

St. John's
Was: Norm Roberts
Is: Steve Lavin (not coaching)

Wake Forest
Was: Dino Gaudio
Is: Jeff Bzdelik (Colorado)

High-Majors

Boise St
Was: Greg Graham
Is: Leon Rice (Gonzaga Asst)

Central Florida
Was: Kirk Speraw
Is: Donnie Jones (Marshall)

Charlotte
Was: Bobby Lutz
Is: Alan Major (Ohio State Asst)

Creighton
Was: Dana Altman
Is: Greg McDermott (Iowa State)

East Carolina
Was: Mark McCarthy
Is: Jeff Lebo (Auburn)

Fordham
Was: Dereck Whittenburg
Interim: Jared Grasso (Interim)
Is: Tom Pecora (Hofstra)

Hawaii
Was: Bob Nash
Is: Gib Arnold (USC Asst)

Hofstra
Was: Tom Pecora
Was: Tim Welsh
Is:Mo Cassara (Hofstra Asst)

Houston
Was: Tom Penders
Is: James Dickey (not coaching)

Indiana State
Was: Kevin McKenna (Oregon assistant)
Is: Greg Lansing (Indiana State assistant)

Marshall
Was: Donnie Jones
Is: Bill Herrion (Pittsburgh Asst)

Tulane
Was: Dave Dickerson
Is: Ed Conroy (Citadel)

UNCW
Was: Benny Moss
Interim: Brooks Lee
Is: Buzz Peterson (Appalachian State)

UTEP
Was: Tony Barbee
Is: Tim Floyd (not coaching)

Mid-Majors

Columbia
Was: Joe Jones
Is: Kyle Smith (Saint Mary's assistant)

Cornell
Was: Steve Donahue
Is: Bill Courtney (Virginia Tech Assistant)

Dartmouth
Was: Terry Dunn
Interim: Mark Gaupe (Interim)
Is: Paul Cormier (scout; Golden State Warriors)

Illinois-Chicago
Was: Jimmy Collins (retiring effective August 31st)
Is: Howard Moore (Wisconsin assistant)

Iona
Was: Kevin Willard
Is: Tim Cluess (CW Post)

Louisiana-Lafayette
Was: Robert Lee
Is: Bob Marlin (Sam Houston St)

Louisiana-Monroe
Was: Orlando Early
Is: Keith Richard (LSU assistant)

Penn
Was: Glen Miller
Interim: Jerome Allen
In: Jerome Allen (Interim)

Siena
Was: Fran McCaffery
Is: Mitch Buonaguro (Siena Asst)

Toledo
Was: Gene Cross
Is: Tod Kowalczyk (UWGB)

UC-Irvine
Was: Pat Douglass
Is: Russell Turner (Golden State Warriors assistant)

UWGB
Was: Tod Kowalczyk
Is: Brian Wardle (UWGB Asst)

Wright State
Was: Brad Brownell
Is: Billy Donlon (Wright State Associate head coach)

Low-Majors

Appalachian State
Was: Buzz Peterson
Is: Jason Capel (Appalachian State assistant)

Central Arkansas
Was: Rand Chappell
Is: Corlis Williamson (Arkansas Baptist)

Chicago State
Was: Benjy Taylor
Is: Tracy Dildy (UIC assistant)

Citadel
Was: Ed Conroy
Is: Chuck Driesell (Maryland assistant)

Gardner-Webb
Was: Ricky Scruggs
Is: Chris Holtmann (Ohio Asst)

Hartford
Was: Dan Leibovitz
Is: Joe Gallagher (Boston College Asst)

Holy Cross
Was: Sean Kearney
Is: Milan Brown (Mount St. Mary's)

Howard
Was: Gil Jackson
Is: Kevin Nickleberry (DePaul assistant)

Mount St. Mary's
Was: Milan Brown
Is: Robert Burke (American assistant)

Northern Colorado
Was: Tad Boyle
Is: B.J. Hill (Northern Colorado assistant)

Robert Morris
Was: Mike Rice
Is: Andrew Toole (Robert Morris assistant)

Sam Houson St
Was: Bob Marlin
Is: James Hooten (Asst)

St. Francis (NY)
Was: Brian Nash
Is: Glenn Braica (St. John's assistant)

Wagner
Was: Mike Deane
Is: Danny Hurley (St. Benedict's HS)