Wyoming

Non-BCS Top 25: Davidson In, Wyoming Out

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 21:05:29 -0800

The Non-BCS Top 25 is a CollegeHoops.net original, copied by multiple major outlets. As a weekly companion to our popular CHN Top 50 ranking, it takes an in-depth look into the underrated universe of teams outside of the big six. The original Non-BCS ranking.

Non-BCS Top 25: February 18th

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

	Team	Record	Last
1	Gonzaga	27-2	1
2	New Mexico	23-4	2
3	Memphis	24-3	7
4	Wichita St	24-5	6
5	VCU	22-6*	3
6	Butler	22-6*	4
7	Colorado St	21-6**	5
8	MTSU	25-4	10
9	UNLV	21-7	11
10	San Diego St	20-7	8
11	Saint Louis	21-5	12
12	St. Mary's	24-5	13
13	Creighton	22-7*	9
14	Belmont	22-6	14
15	Temple	19-8	15
16	Akron	22-4	18
17	Bucknell	23-5	17
18	La Salle	19-7*	16

Not in CHN Top 50 Ranking

	Team	Record	Last
19	Louisiana Tech	24-3	19
20	Boise St	18-8	20
21	Stephen F Austin	23-3	24
22	BYU	20-9*	22
23	Southern Miss	21-7*	23
24	Davidson	21-7	NA
25	Ohio	20-7*	25

last = last week's ranking

* = Losses this week

Next 5: Stony Brook (21-6), Valparaiso (22-7), Charlotte (18-8*), Wyoming (18-9**), Denver (18-8)

Further 5: Xavier (15-11*), Weber St (20-5), Air Force (15-10*), Northern Iowa (17-12), Indiana St (17-11*),

Out of Top 25: Wyoming

Agree/Disagree? Post your thoughts below or join us @collegehoopsnet

Check out last week's Non-BCS Top 25 Ranking

College Basketball Top 50: Boise St, Maryland, Wyoming Debut

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 16:48:53 -0800

Collegehoops.net's Top 50 Power Ranking is your weekly dive into the national college basketball scene. The CHN Top 50 is brought to you before all the other polls late Sunday night. Arrows represent notable moves. (Also: Check out the weekly Non-BCS Top 25 Ranking.)

Top 50 Ranking: December 2nd

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

	Team	Record	Last
1	Indiana	8-0	1
2	Michigan	7-0	2
3	Duke	8-0	3
4	Florida	6-0	7
5	Syracuse	5-0	4
6	Louisville	6-1	6
7	Ohio State	5-1*	5
8	Gonzaga	8-0	10
9	Arizona	5-0	11
10	Kansas	6-1	14
11	Missouri	6-1	15
12	Cincinnati	7-0	18
13	Creighton	7-1*	9
14	New Mexico	8-0	19
15	Illinois	8-0	21
16	Minnesota	8-1	23
17	Michigan State	6-2*	12
18	San Diego St	5-1	20
19	North Carolina	6-2*	13
20	Colorado	6-1*	16
21	UNLV	5-1	24
22	Oklahoma St	5-1*	17
23	Wichita St	8-0	28
24	Notre Dame	7-1	30
25	UCONN	6-1	25
26	Pittsburgh	7-1	27
27	Baylor	5-2	34
28	Kentucky	4-3**	8
29	NC State	4-2*	22
30	Georgetown	5-1	31
31	Murray St	6-1	32
32	Kansas St	6-1	33
33	Alabama	6-1*	35
34	Oregon	7-1	39
35	Colorado St	6-0	41
36	Memphis	4-2	40
37	Temple	5-0	44
38	Ohio	6-1*	26
39	Wyoming	8-0	NA
40	Xavier	6-1	47
41	Bucknell	7-1	NA(+5)
42	Wisconsin	5-3*	36
43	St. Joseph's	4-2*	42
44	VCU	5-3	NA(+5)
45	California	6-1*	29
46	Virginia Tech	7-0	NA
47	Maryland	6-1	NA
48	Boise St	6-1	NA
49	Marquette	5-2*	37
50	Belmont	5-2*	50

* = losses this week

last = last week's ranking

Next Five: Butler (5-2), Miami (5-1), Ole Miss (6-0), Arizona St (6-1), Saint Mary's (5-2)

Top 50 Drop Outs

		Week
Santa Clara	5-2**	3
Tennessee	4-2*	3
Northwestern	6-2**	3
UCLA	5-3*	3
Florida State	4-3**	3
Saint Louis	4-3*	3
St. Mary's	5-2	2
Texas	5-2	2
Northern Iowa	4-3	2
Iowa St	5-2	2
South Alabama	4-3	2

week = week dropped out of Top 50

During the season, don't forget to check out the CHN Top 50 Power Ranking every Sunday night!

For more depth, check out the weekly the Non-BCS Top 25 ranking.

You can also revisit the Top 50 archive and view this week's AP Top 25.

Bracketology: Remaining Teams That Can Steal Bids

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 19:55:54 -0800

While bubble teams were able to breathe easier when Murray St and Creighton won close conference titles, the coast is not entirely clear.

Here's a brief look at the remaining teams most likely to "steal" bids from the bubble hopefuls**.

ACC

With UNC and Duke lurking, its hard to imagine a spoiler coming from the ACC, but you never know..

Clemson (16-14, 8-8, RPI #138)

The ACC might be down this year, but .500 in that league still counts for something. The Tigers would need to beat VT in the opening round and then steal one from Duke. Clemson only lost to Duke by 7 at Cameron.

Maryland (16-14, 6-10, RPI #110)

The Terps have an easy opening game against Wake Forest, and they'd they have to beat UNC in the quarterfinals.

Atlantic 10
While Temple and St Louis are locks, there is a ton of parity in the A10. All of these teams deserve more respect than they get nationally and are extremely dangerous in the A10 tournament.

Dayton (20-11, 9-7, #73)

Dayton cruised past GW in the opening round and now faces Xavier. While Xavier is more likely to get an at-large bid, both teams have similar resumes. The loser of that game will be eliminated from at-large contention.

La Salle (210-11, 9-7, #79)

La Salle beat a tough Richmond squad in the opening round and now faces Saint Louis. La Salle struggled against the Billikens earlier in the year, but does have a geographical advantage playing in Atlantic City.

St Bonaventure (17-11, 10-6, #95)

A dangerous squad, St Bonaventure faces bubble team Saint Joseph's Wednesday afternoon. The Bonnies have already beaten Saint Joe's and with Andrew Nicholson leading the way, no one wants to face them.

UMASS (21-10, 9-7, #87)

UMASS topped Duquesne Tuesday night, which sets up an afternoon game with #1 seed Temple. UMASS took Temple to OT a few weeks, so they're far from scared.

Big East

UCONN showed that its not impossible to run through the Big East Tournament from a Tuesday start.

Pittsburgh (17-15, 5-13, #98)

Perhaps there is a little bit of magic left from this preseason top 25 team that struggled mightily.

Big Ten
These 3 teams have had their moments during the season, and would need to go on epic runs to win the league.

Illinois (17-14, 6-12, #82)

As bad as Illinois has been, how many teams have beaten the likes of Michigan St, Ohio St, and Gonzaga. The Illini would need Brandon Paul to go off for 40 every game in Indy..

Iowa (16-15, 8-10, #131)

Iowa has been surprisingly competitive this year, and has beaten Wisconsin twice along with beating Michigan and Indiana. They face Illinois in round one, the winner could have great momentum going forward.

Minnesota (18-13, 6-12, #81)

Once considered a potential tourney team, Minnesota's season went south in a hurry. They face bubble team Northwestern in round one and could seriously hurt the Wildcats at-large hopes.

Conference USA

While the RPI suggests Memphis and Southern Miss are by far the class of this league, these teams certainly have to be feared. If not for the tournament being in Memphis, the odds of one of these teams stealing a bid would be even bigger.

UCF (21-9, 10-6, #64)

With an opening round by, the Knights would face the winner of UAB or Tulane in round two. UCF is a close loss or two away from being firmly in the NCAA Tournament field. With the exception of one bad showing at Memphis, UCF has been competitive in every CUSA game.

Marshall (18-12, 9-7, #66)

Like UCF, Marshall is a dangerous squad that could be looking at the NCAA's with a little more luck. As it is, they have a very favorable spot in the bracket, opening against SMU and then potentially facing Tulsa in the quarterfinals.

Tulsa (17-13, 10-6, #112)

Most wouldn't have guessed that Tulsa would earn the #3 seed in the CUSA Tournament.

UTEP (14-16, 7-9, #158)

A real darkhorse as a #8 seed, UTEP has beaten Memphis and Southern Miss this year, so you never what could happen if they got hot.

MWC
The MWC is a small league, so you only have to win 3 games to earn the title.

Wyoming (20-10, 6-8, #80)

The Cowboys face UNLV in the opening round, and have already beaten the Rebels. While they've struggled away from home, they can't be written off.

TCU (17-13, 7-7, #101)

TCU can ruin Colorado St's bubble hopes in the opening round. The two split their season series, and the game should be close.

Pac-12
The Pac-12 is a complete mess. Cal and Washington can't be considered locks and a ton of teams could potentially win the league title.

Arizona (21-10, 12-6, #77)

Arizona awaits the winner of UCLA/USC after getting a first round bye.

Colorado (19-11, 11-7, #83)

The #6 seed opens with lowly Utah. The Buffs aren't that much worse than anyone else in the league.

Stanford (20-10, 10-8, #97)

The only team in the league to beat a Top 50 opponent in non-conference play, Stanford has been playing better after slumping a few weeks back.

UCLA (18-13, 11-7, #118)

With the tournament in Los Angeles, and a favorable bracket, you certainly can't write off the Bruins.

SEC

Outside of Kentucky, the SEC is much more even than you might think. Teams like Florida and Vanderbilt are overrated, and 2nd seed Tennessee is not that great away from home. Kentucky might lose focus, and then the league is up for grabs.

Arkansas (18-13, 6-10, #100)

If the Hogs can get by LSU, they'd face Kentucky in the quarterfinals. If they could somehow beat UK..

LSU (17-13, 7-9, #89)

The same exact situation as Arkansas.

**I'll define the bubble as including the following teams:

BYU

California

Colorado St

Drexel

Miami

NC State

Northwestern

Ole Miss

Oregon

Saint Joseph's

Seton Hall

South Florida

Tennessee

Texas

UCONN

Washington

Xavier

+2012 NCAA Tournament

• Basketball Tournament Coverage

• Bracketology

• NCAA Tournament Bracket

• Bracket Contest

• 2012 Tournament Schedule

CHN's Bracket Contest

Conference USA Having Bubble Issues: Wednesday's Quick Hitters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quick Hitters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#18 Notre Dame vs. West Virginia: Wednesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 06:55:27 -0800

With Tim Abromaitis out for the year with a torn ACL, #18 Notre Dame (19-8, 11-3) had the look of a team destined for the NIT or another non-NCAA postseason tournament as their young players got acclimated to bigger roles. But that's all changed in Big East play as Mike Brey's Fighting Irish are not only surviving but thriving, and the possibility of earning a double-bye in the Big East Championship remains on the table. Notre Dame looks to move to 15-1 at home on Wednesday night as they host a West Virginia (17-10, 7-7) squad that is 1-4 against Top 25 teams this season.

Bob Huggins has one of the favorites for Big East Player of the Year in Kevin Jones (20.4 ppg, 11.3 rpg), the only player in the conference currently averaging at least 20 points and ten rebounds per game. The Mount Vernon, NY product does a lot of his damage in the mid-range and post areas, and while he can step out and knock down the three his 28.8% mark for the season suggests that the senior is better served to do the majority of his work inside of the arc. Alongside Jones in the paint is the muscular Deniz Kilicli, who is a handful in the paint. WVU averages 14.5 offensive rebounds per game, and if the Mountaineers can approach that number they'll be in good shape despite being on the road.

Even with Abromaitis the Irish weren't going to be the type of team that pushes opponents around in the pain, but Jack Cooley has improved a great deal since the beginning of his career. His scoring average has increased by more than eight points from last season to this, and he's nearly tripled his rebounding average. That's how you take advantage of increased playing time, and Cooley isn't alone in the frontcourt either. Scott Martin (8.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg) is a versatile forward who can have an impact in multiple areas within the course of a game, and he added 12 points to Cooley's 21 and 12 line in the first meeting.

Both teams are young on the perimeter but it's been Notre Dame's backcourt that's shown more maturity throughout Big East play. Eric Atkins has played very well in his sophomore campaign, leading the team in scoring at 13.0 and ranking second on the team in assists. The assist leader is none other than freshman Jerian Grant, a 6'5" guard also averaging 12.9 points per game and leading the team with a 2.9 assist-to-turnover ratio. Add in Patt Connaughton, who knocked down six three-pointers in their comeback win over Villanova, and Alex Dragicevich and you've got a group of guards who are going to be even better than they have been with more experience.

The same can be said for West Virginia's backcourt, but they're led by senior Truck Bryant. Bryant's had a good year, most notably going off on Providence in the Mountaineers' overtime win over the Friars, but he couldn't get the shots to fall in the first meeting with Notre Dame. While he did dish out eight assists with just one turnover, Bryant went scoreless and missed all six of his shots from the field. WVU can ill-afford a similar performance in South Bend if they're to win. The youth is supplied by freshmen Gary Browne and Jabarie Hinds, two guards who will be a handful for opponents in the future. Hinds racked up 17 points on 8-for-12 shooting in the first meeting.

West Virginia's played ten games against teams in the RPI Top 50 this season, winning three. A fourth win coming on the road would do wonders for their profile, and in order to do so they have to find a way to get to the foul line. WVU was 1-for-3 from the charity stripe in Morgantown compared to 10-for-14 for Notre Dame, and the Mountaineers were called for just one more personal foul (12-11) than the Irish. Jones and Kilicli will need to set the tone inside, and if they can get Cooley and/or Martin in early foul trouble the chances of leaving South Bend with a win improve greatly.

Also of note on Wednesday is Wyoming's trip to #24 San Diego State, where the Cowboys will look to put their at-large chances on life support. Larry Shyatt's done a fantastic job of rejuvenating the once-moribund program in his return to Laramie, but at this point the profile doesn't look tournament-caliber. If anything the Pokes have an interior presence in Leonard Washington who can make some things happen against SDSU, who hopes to have Jamaal Franklin back on the court after he missed Saturday's loss at Air Force with a sprained ankle. It was clear just how important Franklin is to the Aztec attack, and if he's limited (or unable to go) that would help open things up for Wyoming's Paco Cruz and Luke Martinez.

In the Big East USF has a golden opportunity as they visit #2 Syracuse. Few believe Stan Heath's team is for real despite ten conference wins, and the quality of those victories combined with a less than stellar non-conference slate has them staring at tough odds with regards to make the Field of 68. A win at the Carrier Dome would change all of that, but clearly beating Syracuse is easier said than done. The Orange seem to have a different player step up every night, be it a starter (Scoop Jardine, Kris Joseph, Fab Melo or Brandon Triche) or a reserve (C.J. Fair or Dion Waiters). If the Bulls can avoid turnovers and settling for too many deep jumpers they can compete.

And in the Big West, the conference's most important rivalry going takes the national stage as UCSB visits Long Beach State. A win would wrap up at least a share of the regular season title for the 49ers, who are currently 12-0 in conference play and looking to rebound from their loss at Creighton. Casper Ware, Larry Anderson and T.J. Robinson lead the way for Dan Monson's team, and they dropped the hammer on the Gauchos in their first meeting of the season. James Nunnally was held in check in Santa Barbara, and he'll have to be much better alongside Orlando Johnson if UCSB is to have any shot of winning. A win over The Beach would provide a nice boost heading into the conference tournament, but keep in mind that the Gauchos lost both regular season meetings last year before knocking off LBSU in the Big West tournament final.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM South Florida at (2) Syracuse (ESPN3)
9:00 PM (5) Kansas at Texas A&M (ESPN2)
8:30 PM (6) Michigan State at Minnesota (BTN)
8:00 PM Rutgers at (10) Marquette (ESPN3)
7:00 PM West Virginia at (18) Notre Dame (ESPN2)
8:05 PM (19) Wichita State at Illinois State
10:00 PM Boise State at (20) UNLV (CBS SN)
7:00 PM (22) Temple at La Salle
7:00 PM North Carolina Central at (24) Indiana (BTN)
10:30 PM Wyoming at (25) San Diego State (The Mtn.)

NCAA Division I Games
6:30 PM Nebraska at Purdue (BTN)
7:00 PM Army at Holy Cross
7:00 PM George Mason at Northeastern (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Delaware at Towson (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Houston at Marshall
7:00 PM New Hampshire at Maine
7:00 PM Colgate at Lafayette
7:00 PM VCU at UNC Wilmington
7:00 PM Bowling Green at Akron
7:00 PM Ohio at Buffalo
7:00 PM James Madison at Drexel (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Dayton at Duquesne
7:00 PM Northern Illinois at Eastern Michigan
7:00 PM St. Bonaventure at Fordham
7:00 PM Old Dominion at Georgia State
7:00 PM Campbell at High Point
7:00 PM Virginia-Wise at Longwood
7:00 PM Boston University at UMBC
7:00 PM Lehigh at Navy
7:00 PM Richmond at Saint Joseph's
7:00 PM Ole Miss at Tennessee (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Central Michigan at Toledo
7:00 PM Ball State at Western Michigan
7:00 PM Hofstra at William & Mary (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Cal State Bakersfield at NJIT
7:05 PM Appalachian State at Citadel
7:30 PM Morgan State at Coppin State
7:30 PM George Washington at Charlotte
7:30 PM Central Arkansas at Nicholls State
8:00 PM Georgia at LSU (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Oklahoma State at Oklahoma (ESPN3)
8:00 PM East Carolina at Memphis (CBS SN)
8:00 PM South Carolina at Vanderbilt (ESPN3)
8:00 PM UTSA at Texas A&M-CC
8:00 PM TCU at Air Force (The Mtn.)
8:00 PM Stephen F. Austin at Lamar
8:00 PM Texas-Arlington at McNeese State
8:00 PM Bradley at Northern Iowa
8:00 PM Sam Houston State at Northwestern State
8:00 PM Texas State at Southeastern Louisiana
8:00 PM Tulane at SMU
8:05 PM Southern Illinois at Drake
8:05 PM Indiana State at Missouri State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Texas Tech at Iowa State (ESPNU)
9:00 PM UCF at Rice
9:00 PM Southern Miss at UTEP (CSS)
10:05 PM UC Riverside at Cal State Northridge
11:00 PM UC Santa Barbara at Long Beach State (ESPN2)

Bracketology Implications: 18 Bubble Games Wednesday

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:35:21 -0800

Tuesday's bubble teams went 3-6, including big wins by Seton Hall, Kansas St, and Colorado St. With 58 games on tap, here's what to watch for Wednesday as it relates to NCAA Tournament & NIT Bracketology:

Major Bubble Games

Minnesota (17-10, 5-9) vs #6 Michigan St (22-5, 11-3)

Coming off 3 straight losses, Minnesota needs a big win in the worst way. While their overall RPI is not good, they've beaten 6 RPI Top 100 teams, including a shock win at Indiana. Adding Michigan St to their resume suddenly puts them back in the Big Dance picture.. and would give them much needed momentum heading into a rematch with Indiana. This game could change Minnesota's season.

#2 Syracuse (27-1, 14-1) vs South Florida (17-10, 10-4)

Normally, 10-4 Big East teams are NCAA locks. But with the unbalanced schedule, South Florida's record isn't as good as it seems. USF has just one RPI Top 50 win (over Seton Hall) and some questionable losses to the likes of Penn State and Old Dominion. Obviously, it would be a game changer if South Florida managed to beat Syracuse at the Carrier Dome. Don't bank it.

#25 San Diego St (20-6, 6-4) vs Wyoming (18-8, 4-6)

Despite wins over UNLV and Colorado St, Wyoming's tournament hopes are fading fast. A win at SDSU would give them 3 Top 30 RPI wins, something very few teams can claim. San Diego St dropped 12 spots in the AP Poll Monday, and a loss to Wyoming would strip them of any votes. Also, its non inconceivable to suggest that a loss would put them back on the bubble considering they're mediocre RPI. SDSU needs to take care of business before their season spirals out of control.

Tennessee (14-13, 6-6) vs Ole Miss (15-11, 5-7)

Like LSU, Tennessee is also .500 in SEC play. The Vols have had an up and down season that includes wins over UCONN and Florida (twice.) Perhaps that shows those teams weakness more than anything else, but you can't argue that Tennessee is playing better of late. Tennessee has been great at home and can't afford a slip-up here. Ole Miss actually has a much better RPI than Tennessee at 62nd, but no wow wins. A 4-0 finish would certainly give them a chance though, so this game is big for both sides. Both teams need to treat this like an elimination game.

Secondary Bubble Games

St. Joseph's (18-10, 8-5) vs Richmond (14-14, 5-8)

This is a must-win for St. Joseph's. The Hawks beat Richmond on a road, so it seems like a lock, but you never know. If St. Joseph's won, it would set up a huge game against Temple later in the week. A Hawks team that was 20-10, and 10-5 in A10 play would suddenly look like a major NCAA threat.

Long Beach St (19-7, 12-0) vs UCSB (15-8, 9-3)

As much as media, fans, and various computer ranking respect Long Beach St, its hard to see them getting a bit at this point. Pitt's struggles have rendered that win meaningless, which leaves Xavier as the sole big win. Still, if LBSU rolled through their remaining 4 league games and went to the Big West finals, you never know.

Rice (15-12, 6-6) vs UCF (19-7, 8-4)

UCF has some big wins (UCONN & Memphis) and a head-scratching loss (ULL). A trip to Rice is far from easy, but extremely important. A win tonight followed by a win against UTEP sets up a huge game against Memphis next week. But the Memphis game becomes meaningless if they don't get the job done here.

LSU (16-10, 6-6) vs Georgia (12-14, 3-9)

LSU has a decent RPI (65th), and a decent .500 SEC record. They're a very good team at home, but decent overall. This is a must-win game against a sub-par opponent.

Fringe Bubble Games: Bubble Team in Bold

Drexel (23-5, 14-2) vs James Madison (11-18, 4-12)

Drexel's been getting hype with votes in both the AP & Coaches polls. Odd, considering they've lost to Delaware, Norfolk St, and Georgia St. Another win keeps hope (and the hype-machine) alive.

UNCW (9-18, 5-11) vs VCU (23-6, 13-3)

VCU fairs better in other statistical ratings than they do in the RPI. The Rams' best win all season was by a point at Akron. VCU needs to win out, head to the CAA finals, and then hope last year's run gives them extra cachet.

Northeastern (12-15, 8-8) vs George Mason (23-6, 14-2)

George Mason has overcome early struggles to have a fine season. But they only have 2 Top 100 RPI wins, and both came at home. Like VCU, they're only hope is to win out through the conference final and hope for the best.

Duquesne (15-11, 6-6) vs Dayton (16-10, 6-6)

A home loss to Duquesne was one of two straight home losses (the other being to URI) that really ruined the Flyers season. A revenge win would not only feel good, but keep their slim hopes alive.

Marshall (16-10, 7-5) vs Houston (12-13, 4-8)

Marshall's season had a lot of promise, but they've struggled on the road in conference play. Their schedule is very favorable from here and out, including home games against Memphis and Southern Miss. If they went 4-0 the rest of the way, they'd have the makings of a tournament-worthy resume.

Sort of Bubble Games: Bubble Team in Bold

La Salle (18-9, 7-5) vs #22 Temple (21-5, 10-2)

La Salle is quietly going about their business and having a very solid season. A win would push them into the 60's of the RPI and at 8-5 in a good A10, they'd have to be taken seriously.

Iowa St (19-8, 9-5) vs Texas Tech (8-18, 1-13)

While I have Iowa St as a #9 seed right now, others feel they are closer to the bubble. A shock loss to Texas Tech would put them right back on the bubble.

UTEP (13-13, 6-6) vs Southern Miss (22-5, 9-3)

With the 11th best RPI, you'd figure Southern Miss was as safe as can be. But this would ignore the committee's history of non-BCS bias. The loss to Houston raised a lot of eyebrows, and so would a loss to UTEP. This is far from a lock win (UTEP just won at Memphis), and Southern Miss is probably not as big of a lock as you might think.

Memphis (19-8, 9-3) vs East Carolina (12-13, 3-9)

Basically, the same sentiment as the Southern Miss game applies here. Despite the solid Top 30 RPI, the Tigers don't have a load of eye-catching wins, and the home loss to UTEP gave the doubters fodder. This is an easy game, so a loss against ECU would be devastating.

Akron (19-8, 11-1) vs Bowling Green (14-12, 7-5)

Akron's a solid team with a solid #63 RPI. In a different conference, they'd be a bubble team, but in the MAC, they have virtually no chance.. which is why this is the "sort of" category.

Lobos Strengthen Grip on Mountain West: Saturday's Recap

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

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

Mission accomplished.

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

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

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

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

Other Notable Happenings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quick Hitters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Five Notable Performances

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other Notable Happenings

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

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

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

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

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

Quick Hitters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Three Notable Performances

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

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

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

#15 San Diego State vs. New Mexico: Wednesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:29:00 -0800

With Selection Sunday rapidly approaching the chances left for teams to improve their tournament resumes are dwindling, which makes this week vitally important to Steve Alford's New Mexico (20-4, 6-2) Lobos. While the have an impressive record there aren't a lot of marquee wins to their credit, but they've got a shot at one on the road as they visit #15 San Diego State (20-4, 6-2). What's also on the line this week: the driver's seat in the Mountain West race, as UNM has lost to both SDSU and UNLV while those two split their two meetings.

The first meeting (at The Pit) looked to be headed in the direction of the home team at the outset as New Mexico scored the first ten points of the game. But Steve Fisher's Aztecs didn't wilt in front of the hostile crowd, outscoring the Lobos by 15 points the rest of the way in a 75-70 victory. The key for the Lobos will be the play of guard Kendall Williams (12.2 ppg, 4.3 apg) and forward Drew Gordon (11.9 ppg, 10.5 rpg), two players expected to rank among the best in the Mountain West before the season began.

Both got off to slow starts to the season but have been two key reasons why the Lobos haven't lost to any other teams in league play. Gordon can be a handful in the paint, which should concern SDSU after the ease with which UNLV's Brice Massamba was able to establish position at times on Saturday afternoon. Tim Shelton is one of the better defenders in the Mountain West but neither he nor Garrett Green or DeShawn Stephens has the build to keep a player like Gordon off the glass without help.

The situation on the perimeter is a different story however, as San Diego State has one of the best backcourts on the west coast. Chase Tapley (16.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg) is the leading scorer for the Aztecs and their four main guards all average at least 9.5 points per game. Jamaal Franklin (16.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg) is their leading rebounder, and his ability to get to the rim offensively makes Franklin a tough matchup for anyone. Xavier Thames (10.2 ppg, 4.7 apg) leads the team in assists and makes sound decisions when running the show while veteran James Rahon (9.5 ppg) has been an important glue guy who can also knock down open shots when needed.

UNM counters on the perimeter with a deep corps in addition to Williams, led by leading scorer Tony Snell. Snell (12.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg), who was a high school teammate of former SDSU great Kawhi Leonard, is a very good shooter who knocks down 49% of his shots from the field and 42.7% from three. In addition to those two there's the point guard tandem consisting of freshman Hugh Greenwood and sophomore Jamal Fenton, who combine to average 5.3 assists per game. The key for Fenton will be his decision-making, which can be an issue at times despite the fact that he averages just 1.3 turnovers per game.

Where will this game be won? Possibly on the glass as the Lobos manage to corral 37.3% of their missed shots on the season. That all leads back to Gordon, who's currently averaging 2.9 offensive rebounds per game. If he can control the boards on both ends and the young guard (Fenton and Greenwood) don't struggle with either SDSU's capable defenders or "The Show", New Mexico has a shot at leaving Montezuma Mesa with a much-needed win and sole possession of first place. San Diego State is 15-1 at home for a reason however, so accomplishing those tasks is far easier said than done.

The Top 25 features two other contests in which the unranked team could use a resume-building victory, beginning with Northwestern visiting #20 Indiana. Bill Carmody's Wildcats fell at Purdue on Sunday night so a win in Bloomington would definitely help them out from an NCAA tournament standpoint. Drew Crawford and John Shurna rank among the best scoring tandems in the country but the play of Reggie Hearn could prove critical down the stretch. The biggest question for Northwestern is whether or not they have an answer for Cody Zeller inside. Combining a hot Zeller with the Hoosiers' capable perimeter shooters would spell doom for many teams much less Northwestern.

Also in the Big Ten, Purdue visits Illinois in a game the Illini desperately need at this point. Bruce Weber's team has been struggling mightily of late, and part of the reason could be the health of point guard Sam Maniscalco. Without the Bradley transfer Illinois really doesn't have another credible option to get the offense going, and in turn key figures such as Brandon Paul and Meyers Leonard haven't been as good as they can be. Matt Painter's club is looking to build on their win over Northwestern, and with Kelsey Barlow and D.J. Byrd coming off of good performances maybe the Boilermakers can go on a run down the stretch.

Miami, a team that many did not think would be able to work their way into a "bubble" situation, is right there with a shot at their second win over a Top 10 team as they host #7 North Carolina. This game should be played at a pace more comfortable for the Tar Heels than Saturday's win over Virginia was, and for the Hurricanes that means veteran guards Malcolm Grant and Durand Scott need to make sound decisions alongside freshman Shane Larkin. But the battle in the paint will prove to be worth the cost of admission alone, as Miami's Reggie Johnson and Kenny Kadji have the ability to make things difficult on John Henson and Tyler Zeller.

In the Atlantic 10, Temple hits the road to take on St. Bonaventure and the Owls better be careful in Olean. The Bonnies have a first-round draft pick in the middle in senior center Andrew Nicholson, but truth be told this trip would be even more treacherous if Micheal Eric weren't back in the rotation for the Owls. The key for Bona will be how they match up with Temple's perimeter stars, with Khalif Wyatt and Ramone Moore rolling and Juan Fernandez also more than capable of making things happen.

USC looks for some revenge in the second meeting with city rival UCLA but that's going to be tough given the many injuries the Trojans have had to deal with this season. But in Maurice Jones, USC has a tough, skilled guard who should be on one of the All Pac-12 teams at the end of the season. Without the Saginaw, Michigan native who knows how many games Kevin O'Neil's team would have found a way to win. And back in the Mountain West both Wyoming and Colorado State have games they can't afford to lose if they're to have any shot of going dancing. The Pokes host Air Force, who just fired they coach last week, while CSU heads north to take on Boise State.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM Oklahoma State at (3) Missouri (ESPN3)
8:00 PM (7) North Carolina at Miami (FL) (ESPN)
8:00 PM (14) Murray State at Southeast Missouri State (ESPN3)
10:15 PM New Mexico at (15) San Diego State (CBS CN)
10:30 PM Loyola Marymount at (16) Saint Mary's
6:30 PM Northwestern at (20) Indiana (BTN)
7:00 PM Rutgers at (25) Notre Dame (ESPNU)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM DePaul at Connecticut (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Maine at Hartford (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Villanova at South Florida (ESPN3)
7:00 PM South Dakota at IUPUI
7:00 PM New Hampshire at Boston University
7:00 PM Bowling Green at Ohio
7:00 PM Saint Joseph's at Rhode Island
7:00 PM Canisius at Niagara
7:00 PM Holy Cross at Lafayette
7:00 PM Vermont at Albany
7:00 PM Miami (OH) at Akron
7:00 PM Chattanooga at Appalachian State
7:00 PM Toledo at Ball State
7:00 PM UMBC at Binghamton
7:00 PM Army at Colgate
7:00 PM Samford at Davidson
7:00 PM Charlotte at Dayton (FCS)
7:00 PM Fordham at Duquesne
7:00 PM Maryland-Eastern Shore at Hampton
7:00 PM Washington Adventist at Longwood
7:00 PM Loyola (MD) at Marist
7:00 PM Charleston at UNC Greensboro
7:00 PM Southern Utah at Oakland
7:00 PM Iona at Rider (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Georgia at South Carolina (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Elon at Wofford
7:00 PM Detroit at Wright State
7:00 PM Oral Roberts at IPFW
7:30 PM Navy at American
7:30 PM Georgia Tech at Wake Forest (ESPN3)
7:30 PM St. Peter's at Fairfield
7:30 PM Delaware State at Norfolk State
8:00 PM Drake at Bradley (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Richmond at Saint Louis
8:00 PM Temple at St. Bonaventure
8:00 PM Texas A&M-CC at Texas State
8:00 PM Morehead State at Austin Peay
8:00 PM SIU-Edwardsville at Eastern Illinois
8:00 PM Southeastern Louisiana at Lamar
8:00 PM UTSA at McNeese State
8:00 PM Western Michigan at Northern Illinois
8:00 PM Central Arkansas at Sam Houston State
8:00 PM UAB at SMU
8:00 PM North Dakota State at South Dakota State
8:00 PM Tulsa at Southern Miss
8:00 PM Texas-Arlington at Stephen F. Austin
8:00 PM Arkansas at Tennessee (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at Tennessee Tech
8:00 PM Memphis at Tulane
8:00 PM UMKC at Western Illinois
8:00 PM Air Force at Wyoming (The Mtn.)
8:05 PM Northern Iowa at Evansville
8:05 PM Missouri State at Wichita State (ESPN3)
8:30 PM Purdue at Illinois (BTN)
9:00 PM Weber State at Montana State
9:00 PM Providence at Cincinnati (ESPNU)
9:05 PM Northern Colorado at Eastern Washington
10:00 PM Cal State Fullerton at UC Riverside
10:00 PM Colorado State at Boise State (The Mtn.)
10:00 PM UC Santa Barbara at UC Irvine
10:00 PM Cal Poly at Cal State Northridge
10:05 PM Sacramento State at Portland State
10:30 PM USC at UCLA (FSN PT)

Saturday Recap: Missouri's Finishing Kick Proves to Be the Difference

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:43:28 -0800

Rivalry games bring more to the table when it comes to intensity, and that was definitely the case in the battle between #4 Missouri and #8 Kansas in Columbia on Saturday night. In a game that featured many momentum swings and neither team leading by more than eight points, it was Frank Haith's Tigers who landed the final blow. Kansas led 71-63 with 3:25 remaining but they would not score again, as Missouri finished the game on an 11-0 run to win 74-71. Marcus Denmon, who entered the game having made just 34.9% of his shots in Big 12 play, shot 10-for-16 from the field and scored a game-high 29 points to lead the way.

"He made some tough shots," said Haith. "He got into a rhythm and when Marcus gets into a rhythm he can rattle off a few shots in a row. And I think at that point in time he just got in a rhythm."

But Denmon wasn't the only star for the Tigers, with Kim English scoring 18 points and Michael Dixon Jr. adding 15 off the bench. English received a lot of attention from the Kansas defense due to his three-point shooting ability but the senior from Baltimore made things happen in other ways. The foul line was huge for the Tigers, as their shot 14-for-20 from the charity stripe with Kansas making five of nine and being called for ten more fouls (20-10). Thomas Robinson led the Jayhawks with 25 points and 13 rebounds, and Tyshawn Taylor added 21, but the Missouri comeback was aided by player control fouls called on both down the stretch.

Robinson's fourth foul with 1:45 remaining ultimately led to a Denmon three to make the score 71-69, and Taylor's foul with ten seconds remaining led to a pair of Dixon Jr. free throws to give Missouri a 74-71 lead. Elijah Johnson ended up with the ball in his hands in the final seconds but he hesitated, eventually having to put up a highly-contested shot as time expired. Kansas played with a great deal of poise for just over 36 minutes, but when the Jayhawks needed sound execution to close out the contest the Tigers proved to be too much.

"We definitely did it to ourselves," remarked Jeff Withey when asked about the decisive stretch. "We had the lead and if we would have just held onto the ball, I think it would have been a way different outcome."

The end result: a three-way tie atop the Big 12 with Missouri boasting a 2-0 record vs. Kansas and Baylor. Ricardo Ratliffe was quiet due to his being in foul trouble for much of the night but others stepped up to help the Tigers hold their own on the glass. Denmon grabbed nine rebounds and five other players grabbed at least two as Missouri was out-rebounded by just three (29-26) on the night. Continue to point out Missouri's lack of size if you wish, but it should be pretty clear by now that they've got more than enough to compete for a national title.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Memphis comes back from ten down in the second half to beat Xavier, picking up a needed non-conference victory.
There was no mistaking how important the contest between Xavier and Memphis was for both teams with regards to their NCAA resumes, and the Musketeers looked to be well on their way to the key win. A Dezmine Wells three-point play with 6:16 remaining gave Xavier a 62-51 lead, but Josh Pastner's team refused to lie down. A Wesley Witherspoon three started a 17-1 run over the next six minutes, and Memphis would put away the 72-68 win from the foul line (Joe Jackson hit all four of his free throws to seal the deal). The question is which team needed the win more, and while it was vital for both teams a look at their remaining schedules will reveal the answer. Memphis won't have another shot at an RPI Top 50 win the remainder of the regular season while Xavier still has matchups with Temple and Saint Louis (both on the road) to deal with.

2. Florida State holds off Virginia at home to remain tied atop the ACC.
Low-scoring games tend to amp up those who feel that basketball has to be high-scoring in order to entertain, and those who took this route missed a very good battle in Tallahassee. Okaro White scored 13 points off the bench and Xavier Gibson added ten as Florida State won their seventh straight game to move to 7-1 in the ACC as they beat Virginia 58-55. Joe Harris and Mike Scott scored 16 apiece to lead the Cavaliers and Malcolm Brogdon added ten off the bench, but the struggles of Sammy Zeglinski (2-for-7, five points) down the stretch were just one reason why the Hoos were unable to pick up what would have been a very good road victory. In a game that finished with 63 possessions it was Florida State's work on the offensive glass (OR% of 34.3%) that made the difference (12-7 edge in second-chance points). Work of art? No, especially with the two teams combining for 39 turnovers. But it definitely was an entertaining show that the ACC's two best defensive teams put forth in Tallahassee.

3. Notre Dame puts it to Marquette in the second half to move to 7-3 in the Big East.
Once again Mike Brey is one of the favorites in the race for Big East Coach of the Year, as a team that looked to be well on its way to the NIT (or worse) in December finds itself in the thick of the race for second place. The Irish shot 57.7% from the field in the second half as they ran away from #15 Marquette to win 76-59, moving to within a half-game of second place as a result. Freshman Pat Connaughton led four Notre Dame players in double figures with 23 points, and the growth of he, Eric Atkins and Jerian Grant has played a huge role in Notre Dame not only surviving but thriving in dealing with life without the injured Tim Abromaitis. Grant's versatility was on display against Marquette, as he not only scored 11 points but dished out a team-high eight assists while Atkins scored 18. The play of Syracuse has turned the Big East into a league that will offer more suspense in the race for second, and at this point Notre Dame is just as capable as anyone else to grab that spot.

4. Iona's second half execution on both ends of the floor too much for Manhattan.
At the under-8 media timeout in the first meeting between the rivals separated by just nine miles, Iona held a 67-49 lead in a game that would eventually end on an Emmy Andujar three as time expired (75-72 Manhattan win). No such heroics this time around as the Gaels made sure to not allow the Jaspers to storm back, winning 85-73 thanks to improved play on the defensive end of the floor in the second half. Iona limited the quality looks for George Beamon, who finished with 26 points after scoring 19 in the first half, and as a team Manhattan shot just 38.2% from the field. Mike Glover led a balanced attack with 19 points and seven rebounds while Scott Machado (nine assists) and Momo Jones scored 18 apiece for the Gaels, who remain in first place with the win. Next up for Iona is a trip to Loyola (MD) on Friday night, which could also be a battle for first is the Greyhounds take care of business against Saint Peter's.

5. George Mason hangs on at home to beat ODU, resulting in a three-way tie atop the CAA.
Paul Hewitt's Patriots have now won seven of their last eight games, rebounding from a loss to Delaware to beat ODU 54-50 in a matchup of two of the four teams that entered Saturday tied for first in the CAA. George Mason got the job done by doing something simple in the second half: they made shots. GMU shot just 20% from the field in the first half, trailing 26-20 at the break and their 12 turnovers didn't help matters either. The second half was a different story as the Patriots shot 41.2% from the field while also refusing to settle for threes as they did in the first. George Mason's parade to the foul line (19-for-23 in the second half, 27-for-35 for the game) would prove to be the difference as the Patriots outscored the Monarchs by 17 from the charity stripe. VCU and Drexel are a part of the tie at this point, and while Mason doesn't play Drexel again (the Dragos won the first meeting) they do get two shots at VCU. Can someone in this group earn an at-large berth? The possibility is definitely there at this point.

Quick Hitters

1. No Kevin Parrom to start the trip and no Jordin Mayes on Saturday as well, but that didn't stop Arizona from beating Stanford 56-43 in Palo Alto. That completes the Wildcats' road sweep of the Bay Area schools and keeps them two games back the Pac-12 behind Washington. Kyle Fogg led four players in double figures with 14 points and the Wildcats limited Stanford to 25.4% shooting from the field.

2. Victor Oladipo scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Indiana past Purdue 78-61, snapping their five-game losing streak to the Boilermakers and moving the Hoosiers to 6-6 in the Big Ten. Robbie Hummel led the Boilers with 16 points and ten rebounds, but Purdue shot just 29.6% from the field in the loss.

3. One team that picked up a much-needed win for their resume was Wyoming, who knocked off #13 UNLV 68-66 in Laramie. Leonard Washington and Paco Cruz scored 16 points apiece and Luke Martinez 15 as the Cowboys made up for a disappointing loss to TCU earlier in the week. Larry Shyatt deserves a little more pub nationally than he's received for the Pokes' 18-5 start.

4. How the Atlantic 10 will shake out from an NCAA tournament bid standpoint has been one of the major points of conversation recently, but there may not be much doubt as to who the best team is. Temple sits alone in first place due to their 73-56 win over Rhode Island and La Salle's 70-66 loss to Saint Joseph's. The Owls' perimeter trio of Juan Fernandez, Ramone Moore and Khalif Wyatt may be the best in the A-10, something that seemed preposterous to suggest before the season started due to the presence of Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons at Xavier.

5. There's now a tie for first in the Missouri Valley as Northern Iowa knocked off #12 Creighton 65-62 on an Anthony James three as time expired. Wichita State took advantage of this, beating Indiana State 71-66 behind Garrett Stutz' 24 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks. The February 11th rematch in Omaha (Creighton won the first meeting) will likely determine the top seed in Arch Madness.

6. Nevada took their first loss in WAC play as they fell 72-68 to Idaho in Reno. Kyle Barone scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Vandals, who were able to take advantage of Dario Hunt and Malik Story combining to shoot 3-for-12 from the field. While the Wolf Pack are 19-4 overall (8-1 WAC) this is a tough loss to take in regards to a possible at-large bid should they need it (entered the week with an RPI of 59 and an SOS of 182 per the NCAA's numbers). That Sears BracketBusters game at Iona became a lot more important for the visitors.

7. While much of the country focused on the Kansas/Missouri battle there was a big matchup in the Big West, with the winner likely emerging as the biggest threat to Long Beach State in the conference tournament. Bob Burton's Cal State Fullerton squad made quite the statement, beating UCSB 99-86 thanks in large part to 37 points from Kwame Vaughn and 25 from Isiah Umipig. Fullerton shot 52.6% from the field and a ridiculous 17-for-26 from three to move into a tie for second with UCSB.

8. The majority of the talk surrounding the Conference USA race has centered around the four teams that looked to have the best shot at earning an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. But don't forget about Tulsa, who beat Marshall 79-70 at home to move to 7-2 in league play. Doug Wojcik's Golden Hurricane have won seven straight and while they do have to visit Southern Miss, Tulsa gets Memphis at home in the regular season finale.

9. Yes Fab Melo returned to the lineup for #2 Syracuse, but while the big man is definitely a major part of their plans to say his return was the only reason for the Orange's 95-70 win over St. John's would be short-sighted. Dion Waiters and C.J. Fair each scored 14 points and Michael Carter-Williams 13 off the bench and five Syracuse players finished in double figures.

10. Jared Sullinger scored 24 points and corralled ten rebounds as #3 Ohio State avenged last season's loss in Madison with a 58-52 win over Wisconsin. Deshaun Thomas added 16 for the Buckeyes while Wisconsin was done in by their 5-for-27 shooting from beyond the arc.

11. There have, and will be, matchups in which it looks unfair to have teams play #1 Kentucky. That's what happened to South Carolina, who was in over their heads in the 86-52 pasting that wasn't that close. Anthony Davis missed out on that elusive triple-double but 22 points, eight rebounds and eight blocks is nothing to scoff at. It will be fun to see how #11 Florida matches up with the Wildcats on Tuesday night, as the Gators may be the "last stand" for the rest of the SEC.

12. Florida took care of business at home with a 73-65 win over Vanderbilt in Gainesville with Kenny Boynton (18 points) and Bradley Beal (16 points, seven rebounds) leading four players in double figures. Jeffery Taylor led the Commodores with 25 points and John Jenkins added 15 but it's tough to win anywhere much less in the O-Dome when you shoot 8-for-25 from beyond the arc.

13. Without Jim Calhoun on the sidelines it was time for the Connecticut Huskies to step up both their play and their leadership. That happened, as UConn beat a Seton Hall team without the services of Herb Pope 69-46 in what would turn out to be a bad afternoon for Big East coaches from the Garden State. Kevin Willard would get ejected in the loss (Rutgers' Mike Rice was run at Louisville), the sixth in a row for the Pirates. Ryan Boatright led the Huskies with 19 points and Jeremy Lamb added 17 for UConn.

Five Notable Performances

1. G Kwame Vaughn and G Isiah Umipig (Cal State Fullerton)
Vaughn put up 37 points, six rebounds and six assists in the Titans' 99-86 win over UCSB while Umipig added 25 points, five assists and four rebounds.

2. F Josten Thomas (Hawai'i)
29 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in the Warriors' 83-81 overtime win at San Jose State.

3. G Reggie Hamilton (Oakland)
40 points (9-14 3PT), four rebounds and four assists in the Golden Grizzlies' 74-70 double overtime win at Western Illinois.

4. G Damian Lillard (Weber State)
34 points (12-18 FG), five assists, three rebounds and two steals in the Wildcats' 93-81 win over Northern Colorado. It's beyond time that Lillard receive some National Player of the Year pub.

5. G Marcus Denmon (Missouri)
29 points (10-16 FG), nine rebounds and two assists in the Tigers' 74-71 win over #8 Kansas.