Wichita State

Thursday's Action Underwhelms But Colorado & VCU Win

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 23:24:37 -0700

The first full day of action in the NCAA tournament didn't produce the number of surprises that many fans both expected and wanted, with just two lower-seeded teams advancing to Saturday's action. While one should come as no surprise to the country the other finds itself carrying the banner for an entire conference...in its first season in the league. Here are the key happenings by location, highlighted by wins for Colorado (Albuquerque) and VCU (Portland).

Albuquerque: Colorado builds a large lead and holds on to beat 6-seed UNLV, winning thier sixth straight game.
Tad Boyle's Buffaloes put together a performance similar to their win over Arizona in the Pac-12 tournament final on Saturday. Colorado got out to a big lead and controlled play for much of the game, ultimately running out of gas down the stretch but finding a way to hold on. Austin Dufault scored 14 points and Andre Roberson added 12 and 16 rebounds to lead Colorado to the 68-64 win, giving the Buffaloes their first NCAA tournament win since 1997. UNLV shot just 32.4% from the field but was able to close the margin to two points due to their pressure, which forced 23 Colorado turnovers on the night.

But Chace Stanback and Mike Moser combined to shoot 7-of-27 from the field, and the Runnin' Rebels could get no closer. Next up for Colorado is old Big 12 foe Baylor, who held off a tough South Dakota State team by the final score of 68-60. Few expected the Buffs to compete for a spot in the top half of the Pac-12 when the season began, but here they are carrying the banner for a struggling conference with 40 minutes between them and the Sweet 16.

Louisville: Iowa State drops the hammer on UConn early, advancing to face top seed Kentucky on Saturday.
The immediate reaction of many on Selection Sunday was excitement in regards to a possible matchup between the defending national champs and top over all seed Kentucky on Saturday. There were so many speaking as if a UConn/Kentucky match-up was a lock that two important factors were ignored. One, the Huskies really hadn't played well despite picking up two wins in New York City. Two, and most importantly, was the fact that UConn had to deal with a good Iowa State team to reach Saturday.

And they couldn't. Royce White was solid with 15 points and 13 rebounds, setting the tone of a game UConn didn't look too prepared to play with a dunk on the opening possession. Iowa State led by as many as 20 in the first half, and whenever the Huskies looked to be making a run they'd make a bad decision. Iowa State advanced with the 77-64 win, and one has to wonder about the direction of the Connecticut program. There's a strong chance that the Huskies won't be eligible for next year's tournament, and if the ban is upheld following the school's final appeal in April that may trigger a mass exodus for their best players. Troubling times in Storrs, that's for sure.

Pittsburgh: Syracuse rallies late to beat UNC Asheville in a game that left many upset with the officiating.
The battle between the Orange and Bulldogs was a wild one, and even with Syracuse not having Fab Melo the game was much closer than anyone anticipated. Eddie Biedenbach's team hung around throughout despite Matt Dickey shooting 1-of-13 from the field, but they couldn't get that one play they needed down the stretch to complete what would have been the first-ever win for a 16-seed over a one. Syracuse hung on for the 72-65 win, advancing to take on 8-seed Kansas State for the right to go to the Sweet 16.

James Southerland came up big off the bench, just as he did in the Big East Championship win over UConn in the quarters, scoring 15 points and grabbing eight boards. Outside of Dickey the Bulldogs had other issues, most notably a few whistles that did not go their way late. But to be fair the game was horrendously officiated throughout out, with both teams ending up on the short end of the stick. Did UNC Asheville outplay Syracuse? For much of the afternoon they did, but the final score is what ultimately determines which team advances and which one sees its season end. Syracuse found a way to survive and advance, and regardless of the aesthetic beauty (or lack thereof) of the win that's all that matters in March.

Portland: VCU makes the big plays late to beat 5-seed Wichita State; gets Indiana next.
In the matchup practically no one wanted to see at this point in the tournament given the potential of both teams it was VCU who found a way to win. Bradford Burgess' three with 1:33 remaining gave the Rams the lead for good as they beat the Shockers 62-59. VCU will look to unleash their "havoc" style of play on Indiana, who beat New Mexico State in the final game of the night. Burgess scored 16 points and Darius Theus and Troy Daniels added ten apiece. VCU did its best work on the defensive end as they were able to harass Wichita State into shooting just 38.7% from the field.

Garrett Stutz, whose three just before time expired went long, struggled to deal with the pace within each possession and VCU's D.J. Haley defended the First Team All-MVC player well throughout. Neither team shot well from three but it was VCU's superior percentage inside of the arc that proved to be the difference. It's unfair to attempt to compare this year's group to last year's, but rest assured that the current group of Rams are just as capable of doing even more damage in the tournament.

Three Notable Performers

1. F Jae Crowder (Marquette)
25 points, 16 rebounds and four assists in the Golden Eagles' 88-68 win over BYU.

2. F Deshaun Thomas (Ohio State)
31 points and 12 rebounds in the Buckeyes' 78-59 win over Loyola (MD).

3. G Rodney McGruder (Kansas State)
30 points (11-16 FG) four rebounds and four steals in the Wildcats' 70-64 win over Southern Miss.

Thursday's NCAA Tournament Games to Watch

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 01:47:35 -0700

With CHN's Greg Mengelt handling previews and predictions for every game the daily preview will look a little different for the NCAA tournament, with the focus being the game of the day in each region. Below are the games on Thursday's slate that you should make time for, and with four networks (CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV) showing every game in its entirety, there's no excuse (besides a lack of TVs or laptops) for you to not have a multiple TV/computer setup in your home. Enjoy the games.

Albuquerque: (4) Wisconsin vs. (13) Montana
2:10 PM EST; TNT

Many have gone with the Grizzlies in this one, citing the Badgers' reliance on the 3-pointer and the quality of Montana guards Will Cherry and Kareem Jamar. Those are indeed good reasons to go with Wayne Tinkle's team to win, not to metion Derek Selvig insde. However keep in mind that Bo Ryan is 9-1 at Wisconsin in opening games in the NCAA tournament, having won five straight.

They'll be prepared for what Montana looks to throw at them, and with an experienced leader in point guard Jordan Taylor Wisconsin will be tough to knock off. Cherry will draw that defensive assignment, and the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year is capable of getting the job done. The winner gets the winner of the Vanderbilt/Harvard matchup on Saturday, with the winner of this four-team pod off to Boston for next week's East Regional.

Rest of the day in Albuquerque
(5) Vanderbilt vs. (12) Harvard; 4:40 PM EST (TNT)
(3) Baylor vs. (14) South Dakota State; 7:27 PM EST (truTV)
(6) UNLV vs. (11) Colorado; 9:57 PM EST (truTV)

Louisville: (8) Iowa State vs. (9) Connecticut
9:20 PM EST; TBS

Many have jumped to the conclusion that the Huskies will take on Kentucky on Saturday, and that's a very dangerous position to take especially if the UConn players take the same approach. At 6-9, 270 Iowa State's Royce White is the kind of player that UConn hasn't seen this season, as he runs the point and is just as good at distributing as he is at scoring himself. Roscoe Smith will iikely get the call defensively but he doesn't have the physical strength of White.

Just as important for the Huskies will be the play of their big men, led by Andre Drummond and Alex Oriakhi. Outside of White the Huskies have a clear edge in the paint, but that's only as effective as they make it. How well UConn defends the three will also be important as the Cyclones are a very good perimeter shooting team. Scott Christopherson and Chris Allen can both knock down shots, and Chris Babb will have the task of guarding Jeremy Lamb. This one's going to go down to the wire.

Rest of the day in Louisville
(6) Murray State vs. (11) Colorado State, 12:15 PM EST (CBS)
(3) Marquette vs. (14) BYU, 2:45 PM EST (CBS)
(1) Kentucky vs. (16) Western Kentucky (TBS)

Pittsburgh: (7) Gonzaga vs. (10) West Virginia
7:20 PM EST; TNT

Arguably the most overrated aspect of this game is the fact that Pittsburgh is 90 minutes away from Morgantown. Sure the Mountaineers will likely enjoy an advantage when considering the crowd but it isn't as if natives of the Steel City are lining up to cheer on WVU. Gonzaga should (and likely will) be more concerned with senior foward Kevin Jones, who led the Big East in both scoring and rebounding this season. Elias Harris and Robert Sacre' need to bring it from an effort standpoint if they're to slow Jones down.

The other key aspect of this matchup is the decision-making of West Virginia's guards, most notably Truck Bryant. If the senior's struggling in this regard then the freshmen are likely to follow suit. Kevin Pangos has been one of the best freshman guards in the country for Gonzaga, and classmate Gary Bell Jr. is also capable of breaking out. Keeping WVU off the boards is the one thing Gonzaga has to do in order to win, but that's definitely possible.

Rest of the day in Pittsburgh
(8) Kansas State vs. (9) Southern Miss, 12:40 PM EST (truTV)
(1) Syracuse vs. (16) UNC Asheville, 3:10 PM EST (truTV)
(2) Ohio State vs. (15) Loyola (MD), 9:50 PM EST (TNT)

Portland: (5) Wichita State vs. (12) VCU
7:15 PM EST; CBS

There weren't too many people thrilled with this matchup, especially if you're a fan of the mid-major. Both the Shockers and Rams have the potential to reach New Orleans, but after this battle only one of them will remain in the field. VCU is going to throw their "havoc" system at Wichita State throughout, and if the Shockers are unable to handle that pressure it could be a long night in Portland. Joe Ragland was very good this season for WSU and they've got other solid options on the perimeter as well.

There are two keys for VCU: Bradford Burgess plays well, and D.J. Haley and Juvonte Reddic can combine to perform well against All-MVC center Garrett Stutz. Gregg Marshall's Shockers have enough talent and depth to handle the VCU pressure with a minimal number of turnovers, and if they can the dynamic of the game will change. Both head coaches will be hot names on the open job market during the offseason but that's of little concern to either team at this point in the season.

Rest of the day in Portland
(4) Louisville vs. (13) Davidson, 1:40 PM EST (TBS)
(5) New Mexico vs. (12) Long Beach State, 3:10 PM EST (TBS)
(4) Indiana vs. (13) New Mexico State, 9:45 PM EST (CBS)

Wichita St vs VCU: Prediction

Greg Mengelt — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 23:11:06 -0700

(5) Wichita St vs. (12) Virginia Commonwealth: South Region

Records

Wichita State 27-5, 16-2 MVC (Regular-season Conference Champions; At large)

VCU 28-6, 15-3 CAA (Conference Tournament Champions)

Time: 7:15 p.m. Thursday

TV: CBS

Location: Rose Garden in Portland, Ore.

Winner will face: (4) Indiana vs. (13) New Mexico State, Saturday

Rankings

Wichita State No. 18 AP; No. 19 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

VCU No. 32 AP; No. 31 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

RPI Ratings

Wichita State 16

VCU 40

Line: Wichita State -5½ (O/U 134)

Players to Watch

Wichita State: G Joe Ragland, 6-0 Sr. (13.4 ppg, 3.4 apg, 56.7% FG); C Garrett Stutz, 7-0 Sr. (13.5 ppg, 8 rpg, 55.6% FG); G Toure’ Murry, 6-5 Sr. (12.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.3 apg). Ragland is one of the most improved players in the country from last year to this, improving his scoring average from 7.0 to 13.4. He increased his shooting percentage from 44.3 a year ago to 56.7 this year and his 3-point accuracy from 31.3 to 50 percent.

VCU: F Bradford Burgess, 6-6 Sr. (13.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.5 apg); F Juvonte Reddic, 6-9 So. (10.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 51.6% FG); G Darius Theus, 6-3 Jr. (8.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.9 spg). Theus got better as the season wound down and he came up big in the 59-56 win over Drexel in the CAA championship game with 16 points, five assists, five steals and four rebounds.

Why Each Team is Dangerous

Wichita State: Although this is Wichita’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2006, the current Shockers have more experience than any team in the field with four seniors and a junior in the starting lineup. They are incredibly balanced with six players averaging at least 8.3 points and another at 5.7. The Shockers are strong up the middle with Stutz and Hall providing scoring, defense and toughness. They shot 48.5 percent from the field and 37.3 from the 3-point line. They also had a plus-5.7 rebounding margin and shoot 75.1 percent from the charity stripe.

VCU: The Rams are coming off a 5-win run to the Final 4 a year ago. Only Burgess played significant minutes on that team, but this year’s squad should be confident in itself, particularly after winning six straight and 17 of their last 18 through Monday’s title-game win. VCU plays the best full-court defense in the country, forcing 610 turnovers, including a nation-best 361 steals (10.6 per game). The Rams had a plus-6.5 turnover margin.

Why Each Team is Vulnerable

Wichita State: The Shockers’ season opened unimpressively in Puerto Rico and their tournament run ended with a thud as it went scoreless in the final 2:51 in a MVC semifinal loss to interior Illinois State. Wichita doesn’t get to the foul line often and sometimes gives team too many second-chance opportunities, and shot selection has been a concern at times. Stutz has had issues with foul troubles and the Shockers have struggled without him at times.

VCU: The young Rams just aren’t a very good offensive team, with the exception of Burgess. Much of their offense comes from their defense. If VCU isn’t effective in turning teams over, it really struggles in the half-court. They shot 41 percent from the floor this season, including just 33.7 from the 3-point line. VCU has also been pounded on the boards at times. It was out-rebounded by 2.0 boards per game this season.

The Bottom Line: Can’t put together any scenario where this game is close.

The Pick: Wichita State 66, Virginia Commonwealth 52

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 198-148-6 (Through Sunday, March 11)

Tournament Poll: Most Likely 12 vs 5 Upset?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 20:20:04 -0700

2012 All High-Major Team: CollegeHoops.net

CHN — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 22:39:54 -0800

Player of the Year Doug McDermott, only a sophomore, highlights CollegeHoops.net's 2012 All High-Major Team. McDermott averaged 23 ppg while shooting over 60% from the floor in leading Creighton to an MVC Tournament title.

McDermott is joined on the First Team by fellow sophomores Mike Moser of UNLV and Will Barton of Memphis. Matthew Dellavedova of Saint Mary's and Ramone Moore of Temple round out the squad.

CollegeHoops.net All High-Major Teams were voted on by staffers Shawn Siegel, Raphielle Johnson, Greg Mengelt, and Jon Teitel. The High-Major Team is comprised of players in the Atlantic 10, Conference USA, Missouri Valley, Mountain West, and West Coast Conference.

Last year's winner was BYU's Jimmer Fredette.

High-Major Player of the Year: F Doug McDermott, Creighton, So

First Team High-Major

G Matthew Dellavedova, Saint Mary's, Jr
G Ramone Moore, Temple, Sr
F Doug McDermott, Creighton, So
F Will Barton, Memphis, So
F Mike Moser, UNLV, So

Second Team High-Major

G Deonte Burton, Nevada, So
G Jamaal Franklin, San Diego St, So
F Wendell McKines, New Mexico St, Sr
F Andrew Nicholson, Saint Bonaventure, Sr
F Drew Gordon, New Mexico, Sr

Third Team High-Major

G Tu Holloway, Xavier, Sr
G Khalif Wyatt, Temple, Jr
F Noah Hartsock, BYU, Sr
F Garrett Stutz, Wichita St, Sr
F Rob Jones, Saint Mary's, Sr

Fourth Team High-Major

G Kevin Dillard, Dayton, Jr
G Joe Ragland, Wichita St, Sr
F Chris Gaston, Fordham, Jr
F Cameron Moore, UAB, Sr
F Kyle Weems, Missouri St, Sr

Bracketology: Saturday Afternoon Bubble Update

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 13:51:35 -0800

At this point in the season, a few hours can make or destroy a team's season. Besides conference titles on the line, at-large bids, NIT invites, and seeding remain up in the air. Since yesterday's Bracketology projection, here are the results that matter and how the impact postseason hopes:

Saturday Afternoon

Cincinnati 72 - Villanova 68
Having beaten Marquette last time out, Cincinnati seemed safely in the tournament for the first time in weeks. However, a loss to Villanova followed by a loss in the Big East Tournament could have pushed them right back to the edge. Instead, Cincy picked up a road win and a probable NCAA bid.

Cincinnati's projected seed: 10-11

Marquette 83 - Georgetown 69
Both of these teams were 3 seeds in my latest projection. Georgetown could certainly drop into the 4 seed range depending on how the likes of Wisconsin and Indiana fare over the weekend.

Marquette's projected seed: 2-3
Georgetown's projected seed: 3-4

Memphis 78 - Tulsa 66
With a win, the Tigers locked up the CUSA regular season title. With the tournament being held in Memphis, they have a great shot to win the postseason tournament as well. With a Top 25 RPI and a string of wins, Memphis is approaching a 6 seed.

Memphis' projected seed: 6-7

Murray St 54 - Tennessee St
It wasn't easy, but Murray St escaped with a 2-point win in the OVC Finals to lock up a bid. As a neutral bracketologist, a win by Tennessee St would have been much more interesting. Murray has a wider range of seeds compared to most teams considering their unique situation.

Murray St's projected seed: 4-6

Northwestern 70 - Iowa 66

Nothing comes easy for Northwestern. Wildcats trailed by a bunch, then led by a bunch, then escaped with a nail-biting win. As it is, Northwestern is still in the field, but a lot can change over the next week. A first-round exit in the Big Ten tournament could be enough to knock them right back out. (Iowa could have finished an impressive 9-9 with a win, but their best case postseason scenario is hosting an NIT first round game.)

Northwestern's projected seed: 11-13

Marshall 79 - Southern Miss 75
Southern Miss showed a lot of toughness fighting back from multiple deficits, but the Eagles could never pull away. A win would have no doubt locked up a bid for Southern Miss, but instead they drop closer to the bubble. I think they're still in, but there are a lot of analysts who question how good this team really is. (Marshall is fighting for an NIT bid, and this win certainly helped.)

Southern Miss projected seed: 11-12

UCONN 74 - Pittsburgh 65
The Huskies looked dominant in the first half, almost blew the lead, and then ended up pulling out a 9 point win. A loss would have 100% eliminated UCONN from NCAA Tournament contention. As it is, they exemplify what it means to be a bubble team. South Florida's loss to West Virginia definitely helped UCONN's cause.

UCONN's projected seed: 13 or NIT.

UNC-Asheville 80 - VMI 64
After a tight first half, VMI ran out of gas and UNC-Asheville cruised to the Big South title. Despite a solid 24-9 season and dominant Big South record, UNCA will most likely be looking at a 16 seed.

UNCA's projected seed: 16 (potentially in First Four game.)

UCLA 75 - Washington 69
While I question why the Pac-12 deserves more than one bid, you can rest assured the league will at least get 2 bids. This loss not only prevented the Huskies from locking up the regular season title, it also pushes them down out of a single-digit seed.

Washington's projected seed: 10-11

West Virginia 50 - South Florida 44
In an offensively inept game between bubble squads, West Virginia pulled out a huge road win. The Mountaineers once looked like a tourney lock, but needed two wins to close the season to remain in the field. As it is, they're in for now but can't be considered a 100% lock. After South Florida finally worked their way into my projected field of 68, they're back on the outside now. They certainly still have a chance to work their way back in, but if USF loses their first game at the Big East Tournament, they'd officially be toast.

West Virginia's projected seed: 11-12
South Florida's projected seed: NIT

Illinois St 65 - Wichita St 64

The Shockers have certainly locked up a bid, but this loss may have knocked them back from the lofty 4 seed I had them pegged at. More importantly, it opens the possibility that Illinois St could win the MVC title tomorrow over Creighton/Evansville and steal a bubble bid. Should be fun to watch tomorrow.

Wichita St's projected seed: 4-5

Xavier 72 - Charlotte 63
With 8 minutes to go, Charlotte led by 4 and Xavier's NCAA hopes were on the verge of collapsing. Tu Holloway scored 10 points in the final 8 minutes to spearhead a Xavier run that might have saved their season.

Xavier's projected seed: 12-13

Friday Night

BYU 73 - San Diego 68
The Cougars were pushed from the opening tip by San Diego, but escaped with a much-needed win. BYU's spot in the tournament is far from certain. Only if they go on to beat Gonzaga tonight would I say they're safe.

BYU's projected seed: 10-11

Creighton 68 - Drake 61
Doug McDermott's 26 points helped Creighton escape with a win over a pesky Drake squad. While Creighton is a tourney lock, a loss last night could have potentially dropped them as far as an 8 or 9 seed.

Creighton's projected seed: 6-7

Harvard 77 - Columbia 70 (OT)
While most have assumed for months that Harvard would win the Ivy League, they're only a half-game up on Penn. Not only would a lost last night have put Harvard's Ivy hopes in danger, it would have been crippling for their at-large hopes as well. There's no way the committee puts a 3-loss Ivy team into the tournament.

Harvard's projected seed: 11

Semifinals Predictions: Horion, MVC, Patriot, WCC

Greg Mengelt — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 10:16:07 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. He'll be picking every conference tournament game over the next 2 weeks. Read more about Championship Week at CollegeHoops.net.

HORIZON LEAGUE SEMIFINALS: AT VALPARAISO, IND.

(2) Cleveland State (22-9, 12-6) vs. (3) Detroit (20-13, 11-7)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 3 – Cleveland State 66-61*; Feb. 23 – Cleveland State 77-64. RPI: Cleveland State 82, Detroit 157. Analysis: With D’Aundray Brown expected to make his return tonight, stay away from this one. He may light up the Titans and he may cause a rift in chemistry – as newly returning players often do for a game or two. Line: Cleveland State -1. Pick: Cleveland State 64, Detroit 62.

(1) Valparaiso (21-10, 14-4) vs. (5) Butler (20-13, 11-7)

Tipoff: 8:30 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 3 – Valparaiso 77-71 (OT)*; Feb. 24 – Valparaiso 71-59. RPI: Valparaiso 95, 112. Analysis: Oh-oh! Butler’s getting hot again at the right time. The Bulldogs haven’t lost a game in March since 2009. Still, tough to take them in Valpo. Line: Even. Pick: Valparaiso 60, Butler 52.

MISSOURI VALLEY SEMIFINALS: AT ST. LOUIS

(1) Wichita State (27-4, 16-2) vs. (4) Illinois State (19-12, 9-9)

Tipoff: 2:30 p.m. TV: Fox Sports Midwest/MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 10 – Wichita State 65-62; Feb. 22 – Wichita State 68-55*. RPI: Wichita State 12, Illinois State 124. Analysis: Illinois State wins with toughness, rebounding and defense. Guess what. The Shockers are tough, they rebound and play defense – and much, much more. Line: Wichita State -12. Pick: Wichita State 68, Illinois State 52.

(2) Creighton (26-5, 14-4) vs. (3) Evansville (16-14, 9-9)

Tipoff: 5 p.m. TV: Fox Sports Midwest/MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 7 – Evansville 65-57; Feb. 21 – Creighton 93-92 (OT). RPI: Creighton 25, Evansville 135. Analysis: Creighton will use a little better shot selection than Missouri State did against the Aces and pull away in the second half. Line: Creighton -6. Pick: Creighton 80, Evansville 71.

PATRIOT LEAGUE SEMIFINALS: AT CAMPUS SITES

(3) American (20-10, 10-4) at (2) Lehigh (24-7, 11-3)

Tipoff: 2 p.m. TV: CBS Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 11 – Lehigh 71-60; Feb. 9 – American 71-62. RPI: Lehigh 117, American 150. Analysis: It is games like this in which Hawk star C.J. McCollum takes over, but the line seems way too high. Line: Lehigh -9½. Pick: Lehigh 64, American 58.

(5) Lafayette (13-17, 7-7) at (1) Bucknell (23-8, 12-2)

Tipoff: 4:30 p.m. TV: CBS Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Bucknell 79-65*; Feb. 11 – Bucknell 90-78. RPI: Bucknell 92, Lafayette 199. Analysis: Bucknell’s Mike Muscala has scored 51 points against the Leopards in two outings. He’ll do it again on Saturday. Line: Bucknell -11½. Pick: Bucknell 83, Lafayette 65.

WCC SEMIFINALS: AT LAS VEGAS

(1) Saint Mary’s (25-5, 14-2) vs. (5) San Francisco (20-12, 8-8)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 9 – Saint Mary’s 87-72; Feb. 25 – Saint Mary’s 67-60*. RPI: Saint Mary’s 37, San Francisco 142. Analysis: The Dons are playing well, including a 7-point loss at Saint Mary’s just a week ago. And the Gaels are still a little banged up, so USF should keep it close. Line: Saint Mary’s -7½. Pick: Saint Mary’s 71, San Francisco 66.

(2) Gonzaga (24-5, 13-3) vs. (3) BYU (24-7, 12-4)

Tipoff: 11 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 2 – BYU 83-78; Feb. 23 – Gonzaga 74-63. RPI: Gonzaga 24, BYU 52. Analysis: Interesting matchup featuring strong front lines and good shooters, but the Bulldogs have the better overall talent. Line: Gonzaga -1½. Pick: Gonzaga 69, BYU 62.

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 100-69-2

BYU Avoids a Crippling Defeat: Friday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 05:30:13 -0800

1. BYU survived a pesky San Diego squad to advance to the WCC semifinals.
A win over San Diego wasn't going to do a whole lot for BYU from a resume standpoint. Sure the Cougars would pick up a 25th win on the season, but a loss would have had a much larger impact on their NCAA tournament hopes than a win. That's what made the return of Noah Hartsock so important, given how much the Cougars struggled with the pesky Toreros.

Hartsock, who played just seven minutes at Gonzaga and sat out the Portland game with a knee injury, returned to give BYU 19 points and five rebounds in 27 minutes of action as the Cougars beat San Diego 73-68 in a WCC quarterfinal. The win moves BYU to 25-7 and sets up a third meeting with Gonzaga, but most importantly the Cougars avoid a damaging loss and likely avoid any of the selection committee hijinks that could have sprung up with a loss.

"I knew my knee wouldn't be 100 percent, but the trainers did a great job of helping me rehab and get stronger," said Hartsock. "I was able to come out tonight and really produce. It started to feel, as the game went on, that the adrenaline and blood started pumping."

San Diego's small, quick guards gave the Cougars fits for much of the night, especially point guard Matt Carlino. Carlino, who knocked down two important three-pointers in the second half, had his hands full with Christopher Anderson all night long. Carlino finished with eight points and seven assist but he also turned the ball over nine times. Anderson finished with 14 points and six assists while Dennis Kramer led the Toreros with 17 points and nine rebounds, but unfortunately for them Johnny Dee made just three of his eleven shots after scoring 30 on Thursday night.

BYU gets another shot at Gonzaga, who beat the Cougars by eleven last Thursday, and having a relatively healthy Hartsock is a dimension they were missing in Spokane. The senior went off for 24 points and 14 rebounds in BYU's 83-73 win over Gonzaga in Provo, and there's no doubt that his presence alongside Brandon Davies (16 points, five rebounds against USD) is a key factor in BYU's success. BYU isn't a "bubble" team but a loss to the Toreros could have added some doubt to the situation. Thanks to Hartsock that won't be an issue.

2. The top two seeds advance in the OVC while FGCU upsets host Mercer in the A-Sun semis.
The semifinals of the OVC tournament went according to form on Friday night as the top two seeds, Murray State and Tennessee State, advanced to Saturday's title game. Kevin Murphy scored 31 points to lead Tennessee Tech but with Jud Dillard (3-9 FG, eight points) struggling offensively the Golden Eagles were unable to keep up with the Racers, who went on to win

78-58. Donte Poole scored 25 points and grabbed seven boards and Isaiah Canaan added 18 to set up a rubber match with Tennessee State, who beat Morehead State 59-52. Robert Covington scored 14 points for the Tigers, who also received 13 points apiece from Patrick Miller and reserve Jordan Cyphers. The road team won both regular season meetings between the Racers and Tigers, which should make for an interesting tiebreaker in Nashville.

As for the Atlantic Sun semifinals, for the second straight season a team in its first year of eligibility for an NCAA bid advanced to the title game. Sherwood Brown scored 14 points and Christophe Varidel added 13 off the bench to help lead Florida Gulf Coast past two-seed (and host) Mercer 62-58 in the second semifinal of the night. Jakob Gollon scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Langston Hall added 16 to lead the Bears but they went cold at the wrong time, failing to score a field goal over the final 6:18 of the game.

The opponent for the Eagles in Saturday's title game will be top-seed Belmont, who blew out upstart North Florida in last season's title game. The Bruins beat ETSU 69-61 thanks in part to 19 points, four rebounds and four assists from Ian Clark, who made five of their twelve three-pointers. The 24-point disparity in points from beyond the arc made up for Belmont's poor free throw shooting, as they finished the night 13-for-25 from the charity stripe.

3. Butler dominates the second half to advance to the Horizon League semifinals.
Regardless of what happens in the regular season games that lead into March, Brad Stevens' Bulldogs have been a very tough team to beat in the month of March. Khyle Marshall and Roosevelt Jones scored 17 points apiece (Marshall also grabbed ten rebounds) to help lead Butler past Milwaukee 71-49 to set up a semifinal meeting with top-seed Valparaiso on Saturday.

Beginning with a Marshall dunk with 48 seconds remaining in the first half Butler went on an 11-0 run to push their lead out to 31-18, and another Marshall bucket (with 7:15 remaining) started a 25-5 run that put the Panthers away. Butler was efficient offensively as they shot 50% from the field but they were even better on the other end of the floor. Milwaukee shot just 31% from the field, which included a cold 6-for-23 night from three, and Butler out-rebounded the Panthers 42-23.

Also advancing to the semifinals was Detroit, who shot 60% from the field and had five players score 11 points or more in their 93-76 win over Youngstown State. Ray McCallum Jr. scored 22 points to lead the Titans, who will take on two-seed Cleveland State in the other semifinal on Saturday. Youngstown State did manage to shoot 55% from the field but there were just 6-for-20 from three, and for a team that relies so much on the shot that didn't bode well for the Penguins.

Quick Hitters

1. The higher seeded teams held serve for the second straight day at Arch Madness, which featured Wichita State's dominant performance against Indiana State. The Sycamores weren't helped by the fact that point guard Jake Odum was dealing with plantar fasciitis and a stress fracture in his foot, but to be honest that didn't have much of an impact in the Shockers' 72-48 win. Toure' Murry and Joe Ragland led a balanced attack with 14 points apiece, and the Shockers will take on four-seed Illinois State on Saturday.

2. In the night session Creighton made the plays they needed to make late in order to survive Drake, beating the Bulldogs 68-61. Doug McDermott, who won the Larry Bird Trophy as MVC Player of the Year, scored 26 points and grabbed ten rebounds to lead the Bluejays, who also received valuable contributions from Antoine Young (16 points) and Gregory Echenique (ten points, five rebounds). Next up for Creighton is three-seed Evansville, who received 20 points and eight rebounds from Kenneth Harris to go along with 19 from Colt Ryan.

3. BYU may have avoided a loss to a lower seeded team in Las Vegas but the same can't be said for Loyola Marymount, who dropped a 67-60 decision to San Francisco. The game changed for LMU when point guard Anthony Ireland injured his groin on a collision with the basket support in the second half, but to be fair the Lions were having trouble guarding the Dons for much of the night. Michael Williams scored 19 points and Cody Doolin 16 to lead San Francisco, who gets another shot at regular season champ Saint Mary's in Saturday's semifinals.

4. It was a good day for the five seeds in the Southern Conference tournament as both Appalachian State and Furman advanced to the quarterfinals. The Mountaineers shot 53% from both the field and from three in their 93-81 win over College of Charleston, with Mike Neal leading five starters in double figures with 21 points. As for the Paladins, Bobby Austin and Charlie Reddick scored 15 points apiece to lead them to a 75-66 win over Samford.

5. Three of the four games at the CAA tournament in Richmond went according to form, with the lone exception being UNC Wilmington's 70-59 win over James Madison in the 8/9 game. The Seahawks, who were led by Cedrick Williams' 22 points and eight rebounds, shot just 39.6% from the field but unlike the Dukes (13-23 FT) Buzz Peterson's team took advantage of the foul line (26-32).

6. #19 Notre Dame attempted just ten three-pointers in their 75-69 win over Providence to lock up a double-bye in next week's Big East Championship, and Jack Cooley's play was a big reason why. Cooley scored 27 points and grabbed 17 boards for the Irish, who attempted fifteen more free throws (26-11) than the Friars while also having five players reach double figures.

7. Kyle Casey scored 19 points to lead Harvard past Columbia 77-70 in overtime on Friday night, keeping the Crimson a half-game ahead of Penn in the Ivy League race. Harvard closes their regular season with a game at Cornell on Saturday night while the Quakers, who beat Brown 54-43 on Friday, closes out with games against Yale and rival Princeton. Should the two teams finish tied atop the standings there will be a one-game playoff.

8. One day after their season ended with a loss to Indiana State in the first round of the MVC tournament Southern Illinois decided to fire head coach Chris Lowery. Lowery, who led the Salukis to three NCAA appearances in his eight seasons in Carbondale, struggled the last couple of years culminating in an 8-23 mark this season. Some have already suggested that SIU may be interested in talking to Bruce Weber, who was the head coach at SIU before moving on to Illinois.

9. No surprises in the first round of the MAAC tournament on Friday night as Marist and Niagara advanced to the quarterfinals with two of the conference's best freshmen playing well. Chavaughn Lewis led the Red Foxes to a 64-57 win over Saint Peter's with 17 points and seven rebounds, and MAAC Rookie of the Year Juan'ya Green scored a team-high 20 in the Purple Eagles' 80-70 win over rival Canisius.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Jack Cooley (Notre Dame)
27 points and 17 rebounds in the Fighting Irish's 75-69 win over Providence.

2. G Eric Ferguson (Georgia Southern)
26 points, eight rebounds and three steals in the Eagles' 76-70 win over Chattanooga.

3. G Donte Poole (Murray State)
25 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the Racers' 78-58 win over Tennessee Tech.

Friday Tournament Predictions: Horizon, OVC, MVC, WCC

Greg Mengelt — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 07:55:14 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. He'll be picking every conference tournament game over the next 2 weeks. Read more about Championship Week at CollegeHoops.net.

ATLANTIC SUN SEMIFINALS: AT MACON, GA.

Belmont (25-7, 16-2) vs. East Tennessee State (17-13, 10-8)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: Comcast Sports. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 23 – Belmont 82-70; Feb. 18 – Belmont 80-58. RPI: Belmont 63, East Tennessee State 180. Analysis: Belmont beat the Buccaneers by a combined 34 points in two meetings this year. Can’t find a reason why the Bruins won’t blow them out again. Line: Belmont -12. Pick: Belmont 88, East Tennessee State 66.

Mercer (22-10, 13-5) vs. Florida Gulf Coast (14-16, 8-10)

Tipoff: Approx. 8:30 p.m. TV: Comcast Sports. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 2 – Mercer 76-54; Feb. 20 – Mercer 75-66. RPI: Mercer 126, Florida Gulf Coast 238. Analysis: Mercer looked better in its win over Lipscomb, but the Bears probably aren’t playing well enough yet to take them against the spread. Line: Mercer -9.5. Pick: Mercer 71, Florida Gulf Coast 67.

HORIZON LEAGUE QUARETRFINALS: AT VALPARAISO, IND.

(3) Detroit (19-13, 11-7) vs. (6) Youngstown State (16-14, 10-8)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: Horizon League Network/ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 1 – Youngstown 64-61*; Feb. 25 – Detroit 76-74*. RPI: Detroit 158, Youngstown State 166. Analysis: Detroit’s underachieving roller coaster season comes to an end. Line: Detroit -6. Pick: Youngstown State 68, Detroit 65.

(4) Milwaukee (20-12, 11-7) vs. (5) Butler (19-13, 11-7)

Tipoff: Approx. 8:30 p.m. TV: Horizon League Network/ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – Butler 54-50; Jan. 26 – Milwaukee 53-42. RPI: Milwaukee 124, Butler 112. Analysis: The Butler magic lives on – for one more day. Line: Butler -1. Pick: Butler 66, Milwaukee 61.

MISSOURI VALLEY QUARTERFINALS: AT ST. LOUIS

(1) Wichita State (26-4, 16-2) vs. (8) Indiana State (17-13, 8-10)

Tipoff: 1 p.m. TV: MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 15 – Wichita State 75-65*; Feb. 4 – Wichita State 71-66. RPI: Wichita State 12, Indiana State 130. Analysis: This isn’t a typical 1/8 matchup with the Sycamores finishing a game behind third place. Indiana State is closer to the team that won last year’s tournament than to the one that struggled during the middle of this season. Line: Wichita St -10. Pick: Wichita State 70, Indiana State 62.

(4) Illinois State (18-12, 9-9) vs. (5) Northern Iowa (19-12, 9-9)

Tipoff: Approx. 3:30 p.m. TV: MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 29 – Illinois State 65-61; Feb. 11 – Northern Iowa 78-63. RPI: Illinois State 125, Northern Iowa 62. Analysis: This game could go either way, so take the team with more post-season experience. Line: Northern Iowa -2. Line: Northern Iowa -2. Pick: Northern Iowa 70, Illinois State 67.

(2) Creighton (25-5, 14-4) vs. (7) Drake (16-14, 9-9)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 3 – Creighton 76-59; Jan. 25 – Creighton 77-69. RPI: Creighton 25, Drake 127. Analysis: Except for a late push against Long Beach State, the Blue Jays just aren’t playing as well as they were earlier this season. It would be tough to take them by more than a handful of points. Line: Creighton -8. Pick: Creighton 69, Drake 65.

(3) Evansville (15-14, 9-9) vs. (6) Missouri State (16-15, 9-9)

Tipoff: Approx. 9:30 p.m. TV: MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 15 – Evansville 87-82 (OT)*; Feb. 25 – Evansville 75-70 (OT). RPI: Evansville 138, Missouri State 108. Analysis: Missouri State senior Kyle Weems will find a way to shine in his final week, and the Bear defense will clamp down on Ace star Colt Ryan. Line: Missouri State -2. Pick: Missouri State 77, Evansville 70.

OHIO VALLEY SEMIFINALS: AT NASHVILLE

(1) Murray State (28-1, 15-1) vs. (4) Tennessee Tech (19-12, 9-7)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Murray State 82-74; Feb. 25 – Murray State 69-64*. RPI: Murray State 31, Tennessee Tech 151. Analysis: Tennessee Tech found a way to keep both regular-season meetings close, and Kevin Murphy and the Eagles will push the Racers again. Line: Murray St -8. Pick: Murray State 70, Tennessee Tech 64.

(2) Tennessee State (19-11, 11-5) vs. (3) Morehead State (18-14, 10-6)

Tipoff: Approx. 8 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 11 – Tennessee State 77-72. RPI: Tennessee State 131, Morehead State 173. Analysis: With an extra day of rest, Tennessee State will pull away from the Eagles early in the second half. Line: Tennessee St -4. Pick: Tennessee State 81, Morehead State 69.

WCC QUARTERFINALS: AT LAS VEGAS

(4) Loyola Marymount (19-11, 11-5) vs. (5) San Francisco (19-12, 8-8)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – Loyola Marymount 77-76 (OT)*; Feb. 4 – Loyola Marymount 90-88. RPI: Loyola Marymount 119, San Francisco 147. Analysis: Vegas is begging you to take LMU, don't fall for it. Line: San Francisco -1.5. Pick: Loyola Marymount 78, San Francisco 75.

(3) BYU (24-7, 12-4) vs. (6) San Diego (12-17, 9-7)

Tipoff: Approx. 11 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – BYU 88-52; Jan. 16 – BYU 82-63*. RPI: BYU 50, San Diego 193. Analysis: BYU will control the boards and its defensive end en route to an easy win. Line: BYU -13. Pick: BYU 78, San Diego 55.

*Road win

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 95-62-2

Cinderella Madness: '06 Wichita St vs '07 UNLV

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:15:20 -0800

WhatIfSports.com and CollegeHoops.net have partnered up to bring you Cinderella Madness 2012. This college basketball simulation tournament features 16 of the most memorable Cinderella stories from the past eight seasons. We invited teams outside the BCS conferences, seeded 7th or lower that advanced to the Sweet 16 or beyond in their bracket to participate. Teams were seeded 1 through 16 and then simulated using WhatIfSports.com's award-winning college basketball simulation engine. Each match was "played" 501 times.

2006-07 UNLV vs 2005-06 Wichita St

2006-07 UNLV: The three-guard lineup that Lon Kruger was able to rely on was a special trio, made up of his son Kevin, Wink Adams and Wendell White on the wing. All three averaged between 13.5 and 14.4 points per game, and White was also the team's leading rebounder. Gaston Essengue and Joel Anthony were called on for defense and rebounding and reserves such as Curtis Terry and Joe Darger not only understood but carried out their assigned roles. After beating BYU to win the Mountain West's automatic bid, the Runnin' Rebels beat Georgia Tech and Wisconsin before falling to Oregon in the Sweet 16.

2005-06 Wichita State: Mark Turgeon's Shockers went 14-4 in league play to win the Missouri Valley regular season crown, an accomplishment that made them a lock to be one of the four teams from the league to earn NCAA bids. But while the traditionalists and pundits complained, the Shockers went to work, whipping Seton Hall thanks to a three-point barrage and then knocking off Tennessee to reach the Sweet 16. Paul Miller and Sean Ogirri (whose afro gained a lot of attention) led four starters in double figures for Wichita State, with Miller, P.J. Couisnard and Kyle Wilson being the best rebounders as well. Wichita State fell to George Mason in the Sweet 16.

Game Recap: UNLV 71 - Wichita St 63 (Boxscore)

The Missouri Valley Conference has produced its share of fairy tales on the hardwood, but there will be no glass slipper for the Shockers in Cinderella Madness. The vaunted trinity of Adams, Kruger and White blasted the scoreboard for 47 points, and the Runnin' Rebels kept the Wichita State bench at bay in UNLV's first-round 69-62 victory.

Down four at half, the Shockers kept it close in the onset of the second half, trailing by just two with 15 minutes to go. Alas, the Rebels went on a 13-4 run (with six points coming from guard Michael Umeh) that proved too arduous of a task to overcome for Turgeron's squad.

White's versatility as swingman correlated into a game-high 22 points, and his prowess on the glass led to a team-best nine boards. While UNLV let Miller, Ogirri and Karon Bradley stuff the stat sheet (the three combined for 43 points), no other Shocker was able to score more than six, and Wichita State shot less than 24 percent from beyond the arc. Current NBAer Anthony delivered an admirable defensive display in reserve, redirecting the flights of four errant shot attempts.

Player of the game: Wendell White (22 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals)

Winning Percentage of 501 Simulations: '07 UNLV 78.8% - '06 Wichita State 21.2%

More Cinderalla Madness with the complete bracket.