NC State

The Starting Fives: ACC

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:11:16 -0700

Unlike the NBA, where most starting lineups are set in stone weeks before the season, NCAA starting fives are highly unsettled and constantly in flux. Going through the BCS leagues this week, I'll be projecting the starting fives for each team. Also included is the team's most important bench option, and some notes on other possible lineups.

In the case where a quality player is ineligible for the fall semester or suspended for the opening few games, I've still included them in the projections. These are really supposed to be projections of how lineups will look in February and March.

Next week, based on these lineups, I'll be throwing out statistical projections for major BCS contributors.

THE ACC

Boston College

G Biko Paris So
G Tyrese Rice Sr
F Rakim Sanders So
F Corey Raji So
C Josh Southern So

6 Joe Trapani (PF)

Notes: BC's lineup is pretty well settled. Tyler Roche could be just as important as Southern or Trapani in the frontcourt. Freshman guards Reggie Jackson and Dallas Elmore should also figure into the regular rotation.

Clemson

G Demontez Stitt So
G Terrence Oglesby So
G KC Rivers Sr
F Raymond Sykes Sr
C Trevor Booker Jr

6 Andre Young (PG)

Notes: The freshman Young is well-hyped, but Clemon's returnees are too solid for him to sneak into the starting five. David Potter and Jerai Grant should be the other reserves seeing major minutes.

Duke

G Greg Paulus Jr
G Jon Scheyer Jr
G Gerald Henderson Jr
F Kyle Singler So
C Brian Zoubek Jr

6 Lance Thomas (PF)

Notes: Compared to the above teams, Duke's minutes are up for grabs. Scheyer isn't a lock to start, as both Elliot Williams and Nolan Smith will push him for minutes. I put Thomas as the 6th man because he'll inevitably see major minutes when Zoubek gets tired, hurt, or in foul-trouble.

Florida State

G Toney Douglas Sr
G Derwin Kitchen So
F Chris Singleton Fr
F Uche Echefu Sr
F Solomon Alabi Fr

6 Ryan Reid (PF)

Notes: The Noles will be relying on youth as much as any ACC team. Alabi is a raw, talented freshman, but it wouldn't suprise me if Reid ends up starting at some point. Another freshman, Deividas Dulkys, could be the team's highest scoring option off the bench.

Georgia Tech

G Maurice Miller So
G Lewis Clinch Sr
F Iman Shumpert Fr
F Gani Lawal So
C Zack Peacock Jr

6 D'Andre Bell (G/F)

Notes: Unless he's a bust, there's no reason Shumpert won't start from day one. Bell could be one of the ACC's best reserves, while senior Alade Aminu is the best forward off the bench.

Maryland

G Greivis Vasquez So
G Eric Hayes Jr
F Landon Milbourne Jr
F Jerome Burnley So
C Braxton Dupree So

6 Sean Mosley (SG)

Notes: The only possible change from this lineup is that Dino Gregory beats out Burnley for the PF spot. Cliff Tucker and Adrian Bowie will also get major reserve minutes, and could possibly start if Milbourne falters.

Miami

G Lance Hurdle Sr
G Jack McClinton Sr
F James Dews Jr
F Dwayne Collins Jr
C Jimmy Graham Sr

6 Brian Asbury (PF)

Notes: Miami has more experience and more depth than most ACC teams. Asbury is good enough to start, and could relegate either Dews or Graham to a reserve role. Arkansas transfer Cyrus McGowan could also take minutes from Graham. Edwin Rios will be the backup point guard, while freshman swing-man DeQuan Jones should also see 15-20 mpg.

NC State

G Farnold Degand Jr
G Courtney Fells Sr
F Tracy Smith So
F Brandon Costner Jr
C Ben McCauley Sr

6 Julius Mays (G)

Notes: This seems to be the consensus starting five that everyone expects. The addition of freshman Mays is big, because he should allow the Pack to play quicker three-guard lineups (perhaps relegating Smith to the bench). Dennis Horner should be the first of State's weak frontcourt reserves to see action.

North Carolina

G Ty Lawson Jr
G Wayne Ellington Jr
F Marcus Ginyard Sr
F Deon Thompson Jr
F Tyler Hansbough Sr

6 Danny Green (SF)

Notes: This lineup should be familiar, since it returns untouched from last year. Bobby Frasor will be the other piece of UNC's seven-man core. One of either freshman Ed Davis or Tyler Zellar will emerge as the first big off the bench.

Virginia

G Calvin Baker Jr
G Jeff Jones So
F Mamadi Diane Sr
F Mike Scott So
C Laurynas Mikalauskas Sr

6 Sylven Landesberg (SG)

Notes: UVA has some options, unfortunately most of them aren't very good. Sammy Zeglinski is a possible starter at the point, but I expect Baker to win the job. The freshman Landesberg could replace Jones, but might be better as a super-sub to start. Up front, Jamil Tucker will probably be the first big man off the pine.

Virginia Tech

G Malcolm Delaney So
G AD Vassallo Sr
F JT Thompson So
F Jeff Allen So
F Victor Davila Fr

6 Lewis Witcher (PF)

Notes: This lineup is definitely not set in stone. Davila and Witcher could swap starting spots, but I'm going with Davila because he's the better offensive player. Hank Thorns (who began last year as the starting PG) could regain a starting spot, pushing Vassallo to the wing and Thompson to the 6th man role.

Wake Forest

G Ishmael Smith Jr
G Jeff Teague So
F Al-Farouq Aminu Fr
F James Johnson So
C Chas McFarland Jr

6 LD Williams (G/F)

Notes: Wake is getting a lot of hype due to its freshmen, but the returning players aren't bad either. Harvey Hale will join Williams as the two main guards/wings off the bench. Front-court minutes are up for grabs. Besides newcomers Ty Walker and Tony Woods fighting for the backup center role, you also have PF Jamie Skeen who would start for most teams. Junior big David Weaver might be the odd man out.

Think my projections are off, let me know below where you differ!

State of '08: North Carolina

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:45:49 -0700

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

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

NORTH CAROLINA

NORTH CAROLINA - In the past four years, UNC has won 3 ACC regular season titles, 2 conference tournaments, advanced to 2 Final Fours, and won a National Championship. Not bad.

DUKE - In most other states, Duke would be the run away top program.. but UNC happens to be in the middle of a nice run. Still, the Blue Devils have reached the Sweet Sixteen in 8 of the last 11 years.

DAVIDSON - Bob McKillop's teams have long dominated the Southern Conference. The Wildcats have finished 1st or 2nd in the conference in 12 of 13 seasons, including at least 10 league wins in those 12 years. But last year, the program reached another level by advancing to the Elite Eight.

WAKE FOREST - For obvious reasons, the past few seasons have been disappointing for the Wake community. But most fans are expecting a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005, and perhaps the Deacons' first Sweet Sixteen trip since 2004.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE - For whatever reasons, NC State was never satisfied with Herb Sendek even though he took over a program struggling under Les Robinson, and led them to five straight NCAA Tournaments from 2002 to 2006. Sidney Lowe will most likely end his 3rd season without a Tournament bid, though next year's recruiting haul is impressive.

6. CHARLOTTE - From 1995 to 2005, the 49ers made the Big Dance in 8 of 11 seasons. In the last three years since joining the A10, there's just been a pair of NIT selections. This year's team should once again be in the postseason mix.

7. UNC WILMINGTON - Ever since Jerry Wainright took over in 1995, UNCW has been one of the most consistent teams in the CAA. From 2000 to 2006, UNCW made 4 NCAA Tournaments. Third year coach Benny Moss will have to probably wait until at least 2010 for his first postseason trip.

8. APPALACHIAN STATE - Houston Fancher's 8 year tenure at App State has been solid, but he's still looking for that elusive NCAA Tournament appearance. In 2007, the Mountaineers did make the NIT after finishing the regular season with an RPI of 65.

9. UNC ASHEVILLE - Coming off one of the program's better seasons (19 D1 wins, and a conference finals trip), the Bulldogs should struggle once again in 2009. UNCA did make the Tourney in 2003, coming out of nowhere to win the Big South after a sub-par regular season.

10. UNC GREENSBORO - The Spartans knocked off Georgia Tech early last year on their way to a solid 19-win season. It was their best campaign since 2002, when they reached the NIT a year after losing to Stanford in the Big Dance.

11. HIGH POINT - Considering the program is barely a decade old at the D1 level, High Point's limited success is actually impressive. In both 06 & 07, the Panthers were a Top 200 RPI team, something that very few programs in the state can claim. 2009 should be the 4th season in a row with a finish of .500 or better in the Big South.

12. GARDNER-WEBB - The Bulldogs join the Big South this year, after less than a decade in the A-Sun. Except for a disappointing 2007 campaign, the program has actually been respectable recently.

13. ELON - 2006 was arguably the high-water mark in Elon history. The Phoenix shocked Clemson, and finished 10-4 in the Southern Conference. Last year, despite a mediocre regular season, Elon surprised many by reaching the conference title game.

14. EAST CAROLINA - While ECU has had some success on the football field, the hardcourt is another story. In the last two years, the Pirates have won just 12 D1 games and even lost to an NAIA squad last December.

15. WESTERN CAROLINA - In the last decade, WCU hasn't finished above .500 in the Southern Conference, and their top RPI finish is 230th.

16. CAMPBELL - The Camels lone NCAA Tournament came in 1992. The next one might be years away.. Campbell hasn't even reached .500 in the Atlantic Sun since 2000. There is at least some hope for respectability in 2009 thanks to star Jonathan Rodriguez.

17. NORTH CAROLINA A&T - From 03 to 06, A&T was one of the worst teams in the country. The team has at least been competitive in the MEAC the past two years, but its still the MEAC..

18. WINSTON-SALEM STATE - The Rams improved in their 2nd season at the top level, winning an impressive 11 D1 games. The team should be good enough in 2009 to perhaps knock off their first Top 200 team.

19. NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL - The Eagles transition to D1 started slowly with a 4-26 record last year.

Last: New York - Next: Ohio

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

2008-09 NC State Basketball Preview: #103

Joel Welser — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 07:59:15 -0700

North Carolina State Wolfpack

Overall Rank: #103

Conference Rank: #10 ACC

2007-08: 15-16, 4-12, 11^th

2007-08 postseason: none

North Carolina State might as well just throw away the 2007-2008 season and move on. The Wolfpack lost their last nine games and the momentum is going way down for a team that had such high expectations heading into the campaign. But it is a new year and Coach Sidney Lowe has some talent to work with. Things could be just as bad as they were last season, but this is also a group that could put together a solid season and win 20 games.

Who’s Out:

The early departure of J.J. Hickson to the NBA does not make matters any better. Hickson led the team with 14.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. Forward Gavin Grant tallied 13.1 points and 4.5 rebounds during his senior campaign. Hickson’s and Grant’s numbers are not really replaceable, but the Wolfpack have a couple of experienced forwards who could have great years if they are mentally ready to become team leaders again.

Who’s In:

This is not the greatest group of newcomers ever to head into Raleigh, but they should fill some holes and have the possibility of developing into major contributors in the coming years. Point guard Julius Mays should spend this year on the bench, but if what happened last year happens again this year, he will be needed. Mays is more of a shooting guard than a point guard, but his 6-2 size will likely make his future at the point. C.J. Williams and Johnny Thomas will add depth on the wings. And that is where this team really needs depth, not to mention a starter. Williams played some point guard during his prep career and it is never a bad thing to have another ballhandler on the wing. Williams needs to get stronger and develop more consistency on his jumper, but he has the tools to be successful; as does Thomas…as long as he can stay healthy.

Who to Watch:

Just how much the newcomers need to play will depend a little bit on who starts where. Fernald Degand will almost certainly start at the point guard spot again. The speedster averaged 2.9 assists per game before going out with an injury ten games into the 2007-2008 season. While the Wolfpack season was falling apart without Degand, Javier Gonzalez was earning some valuable experience. He did not look very comfortable bringing the ball up the court at times, but Gonzalez can do more than he did last year since the pressure will be off with Degand on the floor. The question becomes whether those two will play side by side much, or at all. Courtney Fells has the versatility to play at the two and three spot. Fells is a great scorer and the team’s most prolific outside shooter, but he will need to hit the glass more effectively if he is going to be playing the three spot. The other option is sliding Trevor Ferguson into the two spot. Ferguson is a good shooter, but he will have to do more than shoot if he wants to find a starting job.

Final Projection:

While there are major questions in the backcourt, the frontcourt is what has everybody talking. Two years ago Ben McCauley and Brandon Costner combined to average 31.2 points and 14.2 rebounds. Last year those numbers were 14.6 and 7.0, respectively. The addition of Hickson certainly had something to do with it, but still that is a huge, huge drop in production. If McCauley and Costner are back to their old forms, especially now that Hickson is gone, the Wolfpack frontcourt will be just as productive as it was last year. If it is more of the same as it was in 2007-2008 for McCauley and Costner, it will be more of the same for the entire team.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

Farnold Degand, Junior, Guard, 6.9 points per game

Trevor Ferguson, Junior, Guard, 3.6 points per game

Courtney Fells, Senior, Guard, 10.6 points per game

Brandon Costner, Junior, Forward, 8.5 points per game

Ben McCauley, Senior, Forward, 6.1 points per game

Complete Top 144 Ranking | 2008-09 Preview & Awards | Coach Interviews | Discuss the Preview

Poll: Who Will Be the Worst Team in the ACC?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:32:49 -0700

JJ Hickson: NBA Draft Profile

Jeff Fox — Mon, 19 May 2008 07:57:16 -0700

JJ Hickson

College: North Carolina State

Class: Freshman

Position: PF

Height: 6’9”

Weight: 242lbs

Accolades: ACC All-Freshman Team (08), Honorable Mention All-ACC (08), Honorable Mention All-Freshman Team – CHN (08), McDonald’s All-American – high school (07), Second Team Parade All-American – high school (07).

Scouting Report: A strong, athletic big man from a tough conference.

Strengths: Strong finisher – can absorb contact and still score. Nice hands. Long wingspan. Strong, thick frame. Nice post moves. Great shot-blocker. Great rebounder – had 10 double-digit rebounding games his freshman year. Very accurate from the field. Was “the man” on a team that plays in one of college’s best conferences. Athletic for a big man.

Weaknesses: Will be too small to play center in the NBA. Undersized – might only be 6’8”. Needs to develop range on his jumper. Relies too much on size/athleticism to score in college, but needs to diversify game to succeed at pro level. Very inexperienced. Needs to get in better shape. Is he quick enough to cover NBA power forwards?

Projected 2008 Draft Range: Late first round pick.

Consensus: There is no way Hickson should remain in this deep draft considering he is only a borderline first round choice. He needs to go back to school and develop more of his game and try again next draft.

Stats: JJ Hickson Stats

CHN's Six-Star Ranking System

= Superstar/All-NBA Potential

= Potential NBA All-Star

= Consistent NBA Starter

= 6th Man/Fringe Starter

= Career Reserve

= Fringe NBA Player/12th Man

0 stars = Life in the Minor Leagues

More 2008 NBA Draft Profiles

Current NBA Mock Draft Position

Complete NBA Draft coverage

Seven Day Stretch: Championship Week Review

Rob Carpentier — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 07:40:33 -0700

The “Curse” bit Stanford, Valparaiso, Arizona and even me last week. That’s right; I was the victim of my own making. I went on a national radio show to talk a bit on the upcoming NCAA Tournament and when asked about which team I thought was “this year’s George Mason”, I talked about South Alabama. The Jaguars lost that very night on their home floor to put their NCAA status in serious doubt. Sorry, Jags…next time I’ll keep my mouth shut.

Seven Day Savior (Team): George Mason Patriots

Everybody’s darling of two years ago, (remember the Final Four run?), is back! Mason won the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament by defeating William & Mary this past Monday night. The Patriots are going to be a scary opponent for whoever draws them in the Field of 65. They still have five players from that Final Four squad, including two, Will Thomas and Folarin Campbell, who played significant minutes on that 2006 team. That experience, coupled with the solid coaching of Jim Larranaga, makes Mason a solid choice for a “Cinderella” getting past the first round. What makes this story even more unlikely is that the Patriots were only the #3 seed in the conference tourney and this was the first time that that any of the Patriot players had won the conference tournament title. Even the Final Four team had to get an at-large bid on Selection Sunday.

Honorable Mention to Davidson as the Wildcats were able to complete a perfect conference season, both regular and tournament. Davidson will be a difficult opponent, too, as close losses to North Carolina, Duke and UCLA can attest.

Seven Day Savior (Player): Michael Jenkins, Winthrop Eagles

After the week he had in the Big South Tournament, how could anyone not pick the Eagle senior? Jenkins, who has dedicated this season and Winthrop’s to a teammate who was killed last year, led the Eagles in the first two games of the Big South Tourney and then exploded in the title game. In that game, against a UNC-Asheville team that had already swept the Eagles in the regular season, Jenkins score 20 of his team’s first 30 points and finished with 33. Jenkins is clearly one of those kids that is going to be a handful for any BCS conference team in the upcoming NCAAs. It’s not as if Jenkins is the only good player on the Winthrop squad. Coach Randy Peele can count on scoring from several of Jenkins’ teammates should a team decide to take Jenkins out of the game. Jenkins is unselfish, he’s a leader and he has the look of a young man who will do whatever it takes to win his next game.

News of the Week: The Return of Lute

It was announced earlier this week that Lute Olson will return to the sidelines for Arizona starting next season. This has some serious ramifications, not the least of which is the probable end of Kevin O’Neill’s short term as head coach. Olson’s return goes deeper than that, though. Over the past several seasons Olson’s Arizona squads had fallen closer and closer to mediocrity. Olson, who is a proponent of the motion offense and zone defenses, had been consistently outcoached by his Pac-10 Conference brethren and it was only the talent that Olson had on his roster that prevented a full collapse. The only way to change that is for Olson to come back reenergized and committed to getting Arizona to the top of the Pac-10, let alone the nation, again. While he can still do that, the reality is that Olson isn’t getting any younger, a fact that other pac-10 schools will undoubtedly point out to recruits. Olson had been making recruiting mistakes over the past several years in that he was only going after blue-chippers and those “glue guys” that every good team needs to make a deep run in March weren’t getting much playing time. There is nothing that indicates that Olson will have changed his recruiting strategy.

Arizona had an opportunity to have Olson leave with dignity, and he still may. After all, a coach with his track record does deserve to leave on his own terms, but this is going to be a long-term problem for Arizona as Olson probably only has a few years left in him at best. With his return, Arizona will see the transfer in Pac-10 power, which is moving towards the California schools, become more pronounced, and it may take a long time for Arizona to fully catch up once Lute does call it a career.

Game of the Week (The one you DON’T know about): Miami v. Virginia Tech

In order for this game to take place in the ACC Tournament, Miami first needs to take care of North Carolina State. Assuming that happens, this game could be huge. Depending on how things break, the ACC could be looking at only four bids to the NCAA Tournament. If that’s the case, that means that Miami, Va Tech and Maryland are fighting for one berth. This could change, of course, if two of these three teams make a deep ACC run. However, a game between the Hurricanes and the Hokies could have serious implications for both teams’ postseason aspirations. Miami is actually in a better position to suffer a loss and still receive an NCAA bid. That’s because, even though the Hokies finished higher in the final ACC standings, they did so because they only had to face the “tough” teams, (Duke and UNC), once each. Virginia Tech needs this game badly. At a time when most bracketologists are talking about the “bubble” games coming up in the Pac-10 Tournament, none of those may be bigger than this potential match-up.

Seven Days Under the Radar: Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Notre Dame finished in third place in the Big East, arguably the toughest conference in the country, yet no one has really talked up their chances in the Big East Tournament. That’s because the Irish are much better in the friendly home confines of the Joyce Center than they are on the road. However, the Irish did win five conference road games, and while only the Villanova win stands out at all, Notre Dame has slowly been gaining confidence away from home. They have a very good “go-to” player in Luke Harangody and they can shoot from beyond the arc. The only thing that Coach Mike Brey has to be able to do is convince the Irish that every defensive stop they can get is important. If the Irish play decent defense then they very well could be playing for the conference title on Saturday.

Seven Days on the Hot Seat: Sidney Lowe, North Carolina State

Lowe is only finishing his second season in Raleigh but this year has been a disaster as far as Wolfpack fans are concerned. Lowe took over a program that was becoming the consistent third power in the ACC behind UNC and Duke. However, fans thought that Lowe’s predecessor, Herb Sendek didn’t win enough and they didn’t like his methodical offensive system. When the head coaching position opened NC State took a run at several higher profile candidates, (like Steve Lavin), but ended up “settling” on Lowe. When I say “settling”, I mean that Lowe was clearly not NC State’s first choice. That being the case Lowe could have thought of himself as keeping the seat warm until someone else was ready. In other words, because he wasn’t the first choice, and in spite of his NBA coaching pedigree Lowe has a much shorter leash when it comes to rebuilding. But that’s Lowe’s problem; he shouldn’t be rebuilding. Most observers felt that NC State should at least be an NCAA Tourney team this season. One thing’s for sure, there isn’t anyone who pegged the Wolfpack for anywhere near last place and that’s exactly where they stand. Lowe will get some slack because he lost point guard Farnold Degand in late December to an ACL tear. Losing your point guard isn’t a good thing, especially when his only back-up is a true freshman. That was Lowe’s predicament heading into the New Year. However, that doesn’t explain the coaching blunders and the complete meltdown competitively by the Pack over the last three weeks. This doesn’t sit well in Raleigh. Lowe won’t lose his job at the end of this season, but anything less than a top three finish in the ACC next year will mean a pink slip.

Seven Days of Head Scratching: The “Curse”

I’ve made a great deal of “hay” about the “curse” that I “created” when I started the SDS column back in January. In all honesty, I have never really believed in it or any other real superstitious thing. I simply thought it was a fun thing to add to the column. However, except for one week, every team that I’ve either given the Seven Day Savior award to, either the team award or to a player on that team, has lost the following week. This has included small schools, like UNC-Asheville, which went on a three game losing streak the week of their selection as the Savior of the week, and big schools, like Stanford, which I selected as my Seven days Under the Radar team last week. The Cardinal proceeded to go out and lose two straight games in Los Angeles to close out their Pac-10 regular season. Because of these odd happenings, I am now really beginning to believe in the curse. Look let’s face it, I have people holding candle-light vigils now on the quads of their favorite school pleading with the powers-that-be in an attempt to prevent me from putting them in the dreaded Seven Day Stretch. I was thinking that once the brackets for the Big Dance come out, that I’ll write a supplemental SDS mentioning all the possible teams that my favorite team might face…that way I can do my part to help my school win a national title.

You know what I’ve really figured out over the years? There are people who really think like this. I also figured out that I take myself way too seriously sometimes. Everybody have a great weekend of college hoops, (really, is there any other kind?), and get ready to go dancing.

Man, I love my job!

Games of the Night: UNC at NC State

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:38:57 -0800

Games of the Night

A companion to our daily Three Stars of the Day, we present the top three Games of the Night.

#3 North Carolina (24-2) at NC State (15-10)

7:00 PM ESPN

There will be a lot of discussion about this game on ESPN all day and all night so there's not too much I can or want to add..

Prediction: North Carolina

Houston (19-5) at UAB (17-8)

8:00 PM

The CUSA is obviously a one horse race. But its not completely out of the question that one of these teams could squeak into the tourney as an at-large bid with a big finish. Houston is the more likely invite with a higher RPI and better overall and conference record. However, Houston hasn't beaten many good teams.. with a win at Kentucky their best yet. Similarly, a win over Houston would be UAB's best yet.. so one of these teams gets a big boost tomorrow. UAB is great at home (just the blown loss to Memphis) and should come out the victor.

Prediction: UAB

#8 Butler (24-2) at UIC (14-12)

8:00 PM

This game might not look like much going by the records. But UIC definitely has a chance to upset the Bulldogs tonight. Last year, UIC was one of three HL teams to beat Butler, knocking them off 73-67 early in 2007 after the Bulldogs were 14-1. This year, UIC beat 3rd place Cleveland State at home and only lost to 2nd place Wright State by a point. Junior guard Josh Mayo is one of the best guards in the league (he hit big shots in the win last year), and gives UIC a chance to beat anyone at the Pavilion. An upset here wouldn't be that shocking.

Prediction: Butler

Previous Game of the Night (Predictions, 64-38)

February 19th - Purdue at Indiana (2-1)

February 18th - Texas A&M at Texas (2-1)

February 16th - Stanford at Arizona (1-2)

February 14th - Wisconsin at Indiana (2-1)

February 12th - Michigan State at Purdue (2-1)

February 11th - Kansas at Texas (2-1)

February 10th - Indiana at Ohio State (2-1)

February 9th - Georgetown at Louisville (2-1)

February 7th - UCLA at Washington State (2-1)

February 6th - Duke at North Carolina (1-2)

February 5th - Florida at Tennessee (2-1)

February 4th - Gonzaga at SMC (1-2)

Three Stars of the Day: Hansbrough, McCauley, Hughes

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 21:54:18 -0800

Three Stars of The Day

We handpick the best performances of the day, whether it be stat lines that make you drool, or clutch performances. Either way, its our way of showing the love:

Tyler Hansbrough - UNC

Scored 8 of his 22 points in OT, and finished with a career-high 21 rebounds, as the Tar Heels escaped with a win over FSU

Ben McCauley - NC State

The junior's putback dunk at the buzzer sealed an important win over Wake Forest

Trevon Hughes - Wisconsin

The Badgers leading scorer put up 20 for the first time in a month and added 6 steals

Other Top Performers

Jonathan Han - Fairfield - Played all 40 minutes, leading the Stags to a win behind 16 points and 9 assists

Ryan Reid - Florida State - Despite the loss, Reid's unexpected three (his first ever) with 8 seconds to go sent the game to OT

Previous Stars of the Day

January 30th - Chase Budinger, Arizona

January 29th - Beasley/Walker, Kansas State

January 28th - Chris Godzinski, Wofford

January 27th - DeMarcus Nelson, Duke

January 26th - Hackett/Lewis/Mayo, USC

January 24th - Jerryd Bayless, Arizona

January 22nd - Patrick Patterson, Kentucky

January 21st - DJ Augustin, Texas

January 20th - Dezmon Harris, Weber State

January 19th - James Gist, Maryland

January 18th - Abbott/Harden, Arizona State

January 17th - Dionte Christmas, Temple

January 14th - Roy Hibbert, Georgetown

January 11th - Lester Hudson, Tennessee-Martin

January 9th - DJ White, Indiana

January 8th - Lester Hudson, Tennessee-Martin

January 7th - Wayne Ellington, UNC

January 6th - Shan Foster, Vanderbilt

January 5th - Damon Huffman, Brown

January 4th - Luke Harangody, Notre Dame

January 3rd - Damon Huffman, Brown

January 2nd - Martin Zeno, Texas Tech

November/December Star of the Day Archive

ACC: All-December Team

Jeff Fox — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 09:29:23 -0800

With conference play just getting under way, this is the time of year that men separate from the boys. A couple of youngsters have popped up on the ACC’s All-December list. Will they rise to the challenge in conference play?

Guard – Greivis Vasquez – Maryland – SO
16.7ppg, 6.2apg, 5.2rpg
Best game – Dec 28th – Delaware – 18 points, 8 assists, 6 boards, 3 steals

In a so-so season thus far for the Terrapins, the Venezuelan guard has been a bright light. Vasquez scored in double figures in all his team’s December games, putting up about 18 points, seven assists and five boards for the month.

Guard/Forward – K.C. Rivers – Clemson – JR
16.0ppg, 7.3rpg, 1.6spg
Best game – Dec 20th – PR Mayaguez – 21 points, 11 boards

Despite suffering their first defeat of the year at the hands of Ole Miss, the surprising Tigers keep on rolling – blasting Samford and Alabama in their last two games. Rivers has been the main reason for their early success, as he’s scored in double figures in all of the team’s games to date, and averaged about 17 points, seven boards and two steals in December.

Forward – James Johnson – Wake Forest – FR
13.2ppg, 9.1rpg, 1.6spg, 1.4bpg
Best game – Dec 1st – USC Upstate – 15 points, 11 boards, 4 steals

Another under-the-radar freshman, Johnson cranked his game up a notch in December for Wake. He put up four double-doubles for the month, and ending up averaging around 14 points and 10 boards.

Forward - Tyler Hansbrough – North Carolina – JR
22.2ppg, 9.8rpg, 1.5spg
Best game – Dec 4th – Penn – 29 points, 10 boards, 12-16 FG

The big guy continues to get the job done for the top ranked Heels. Five out of the team’s seven December contests saw Hansbrough post double-doubles. An All-November ACC pick also, Psycho T is heating up just in time for conference play.

Forward/Center – J.J. Hickson – North Carolina State – FR
17.8ppg, 8.3rpg, 1.9bpg, 71.4% FG
Best game – Dec 29th – Western Carolina – 33 points, 13 boards, 3 blocks

You read that right – Hickson is shooting over 70% from the field this season. Another member of the ACC All-November team, the freshman is not cooling off with the weather, as his stat line above versus Western Carolina shows.

- Next up – the Big 10.

ACC: All-November Team

Jeff Fox — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 19:08:36 -0800

CHN is doing BCS all-conference teams in December? Perhaps it is a tad early, but it should be interesting comparing the names on the All-November to the names that ultimately make the grade come March. As all fans know, not all non-conference schedules are made the same, so these lists are weighted more heavily towards the top players on the top teams in the nation who have played the top competition - the top of the tops. We’ll start things off with the Atlantic Coast Conference:

Guards

Sean Singletary – Virginia – SR

Player Info

20.4ppg, 6.9rpg, 4.4apg

Best game – Nov 14^th – Howard – 23 points, 8 assists, 4 boards

Singletary has helped lead the Cavaliers to 6-1 record and an upset victory of Arizona in Tucson. Now if he could only get his turnovers to less than five a game and shoot better than 40% from the field he’d really be cooking.

Tyrese Rice – Boston College – JR

Player Info

23.4ppg, 6.8apg, 4.0rpg

Best game – Nov 28^th – Michigan – 28 points, 8 boards, 5 assists

BC has a knack for replacing departed starts – Craig Smith begat Jared Dudley who begat Tyrese Rice. After a rather soft early schedule, it will be interesting to see if Rice can keep up the blistering pace once conference play kicks off.

Tyler Hansbrough – North Carolina – JR

Player Info

20.3ppg, 9.6rpg, 1.6spg

Best game – Nov 18^th – Iona – 27 points, 9 boards, 3 steals

No surprise here – Hansbrough has been a beast for the top-ranked Tar Heels. Yes, they’re playing a weak schedule out of the gate (no teams currently in the top-25 through their first 14 games), but don’t expect a significant drop off in Hansbrough’s play when he faces the big boys later in the season.

Kyle Singler – Duke – FR

Player Info

14.1ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.0bpg

Best game – Nov 19^th – Princeton – 21 points, 12 boards

On a Blue Devil team lacking quality bigs, the undersized Singler (6’8” 220lbs) has been a godsend, leading the team in scoring and rebounding. Against top-25 competition he is averaging 19ppg and 6.5rpg.

J.J. Hickson – North Carolina State – FR

Player Info

18.5ppg, 8.3rpg, 2.5bpg

Best game – Nov 28^th – Michigan State – 21 points, 10 boards, 4 blocks

It’s been disappointing results in the early going for highly touted NC State with losses to New Orleans and a blowout loss to Michigan State already on their resume. However, Hickson has been all he’s been advertised as plus more, leading the Wolfpack in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots while shooting an unreal 72.9% from the floor.

Next up – the Big 12.