Big West

Jon Teitel's "Coaching Greats": UCSB's Bob Williams

Jon Teitel — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 11:54:09 -0700

In the latest installment in his "Coaching Greats" series CHN writer Jon Teitel caught up with current UCSB head coach Bob Williams, the lone coach in this series to represent two schools in the same conference. Williams led UC Davis as a Division II school, building the program up to the point where he won a national title in 1998. From there Williams moved on to UCSB, where he's led the Gauchos to three NCAA tournament appearances and five Big West titles.

Jon Teitel: You became coach at UC Davis in 1990 despite being in the only league in all of Division II at the time that did not give out scholarships. How were you able to be so competitive against other teams who did have scholarships?

Bob Williams: We struggled with some of the elite non-conference teams at the time, but we did okay and had a bunch of great kids with a good work ethic, so the cream rose to the top.

JT: In 1998 you went 31-2 as head coach en route to winning the Division II title and being named Division II Coach of the Year. What did it mean to you to win the title, and what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor?

BW: It was a great honor to be Coach of the Year, but it meant a hell of a lot more to win the title! To be the only non-scholarship team to ever win the title was a Hoosiers-like moment as well as the culmination of eight years of growth and hard work.

JT: After that season you left Davis to become coach at UCSB. Why did you make the move?

BW: I made the move in order to go to a Division I school, and as a California native I had long looked at the UCSB job as a great situation. I had followed the Big West Conference and recruited against it in the past. The scholarships were awful nice to have as well!

JT: What are your memories of the 2002 NCAA tournament (Jason Gardner scored 28 points to lead Arizona to the five-point victory)?

BW: That was definitely our closest game. We competed at a high level and had a free throw to cut it to two with 90 seconds left, but just could not get any closer than that.

JT: What are your memories of the 2010 NCAA tournament (Jon Diebler scored 23 points (7-12 3PT) in the Ohio State victory)?

BW: We were overmatched a little bit but happy to be back in the tournament. Our star Orlando Johnson played well, but Dallas Lauderdale (12 rebounds, eight blocked shots and two steals) was much better defensively than we anticipated.

JT: What are your memories of the 2011 NCAA tournament (Erving Walker scored 18 points to lead Florida past the Gauchos)?

BW: They came out red-hot and we were never in it, especially after losing our starting center Jaime Serna with a broken wrist two minutes into the game.

JT: You recently passed Jerry Pimm for the most wins in school history. What did it mean to you to break the record, and do you think that anyone will ever break your own record?

BW: I am sure someone will break it: records are made to be broken. To have followed Coach Pimm and then won more games than him has been great, but he built this program and it was a much tougher road for him.

JT: Last March you had a three-point loss to Idaho in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. How will you be able to build on that for next year knowing that your top three scorers are graduating (Serna, Johnson and James Nunnally)?

BW: We are losing a lot (including two of the best scorers in school history), but have put together back-to-back good recruiting classes. We feel we have a chance to be competitive but our preseason schedule will test us greatly.

JT: You currently have the best W/L% of all active Big West coaches. What makes you such a good coach, and how long do you plan on sticking around for?

BW: I do not know about either one to be honest. I think you can only be a good coach when you have good players so we try to recruit very well. I will coach as long as I am enjoying what I do.

JT: When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most?

BW: I think I want to be remembered for the quality of people we had here.

Williams is also on Jon's list of best coaches in Big West history.

Cal Poly: Jeff Schneider (1995-2001) 70-84, 1 conference title
Cal State Fullerton: Bob Burton (2003-present) 155-122, 1 NCAA tourney, 1 conference title
Cal State Northridge: Bobby Braswell (1996-present) 237-241, 2 NCAA tourneys, 3 conference titles, 3-time conference COY
UC Riverside: John Masi (1979-2005) 462-269, 6-time conference COY
UC Davis: Bob Williams (1990-1998) 158-76, 4 conference titles, 1 D-2 title, 1-time national COY
Long Beach State: Jerry Tarkanian (1968-1973) 122-20, 4 NCAA tourneys, 4 conference titles
Pacific: Bob Thomason (1988-present) 392-296, 4 NCAA tourneys, 5 conference titles, 5-time conference COY
UC Irvine: Pat Douglass (1997-2010) 197-191, 2 conference titles, 1-time conference COY
UCSB: Bob Williams (1998-present) 237-181, 3 NCAA tourneys, 5 conference titles, 3-time conference COY (ALSO UC DAVIS)

Saturday's Conference Tournament Primer

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 06:40:33 -0800

Pac-12 - Title Game
#4 Arizona vs. #6 Colorado, 6:10 p.m. (CBS)

With Selection Sunday just a day away, one of the big questions out there is how the selection committee will deal with the Pac-12. The league that's underachieved in historic fashion this season will get at least one team into the field (since that's the rule), but how many more? Regular season champion Washington and runner-up California have both been eliminated, leaving them at the mercy of the committee. The best thing for a team to do is make sure they remain in control of their own fate, which is what Arizona and Colorado have done by reaching the conference title game.

Colorado, in their first season in the Pac-12, has exceeded all expectations and that's that a credit to the job that Tad Boyle has done. Picked to finish in a tie for tenth in October, the Buffaloes managed to win 11 league games despite some major personnel losses and now sit one game away from their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2003. A balanced effort, with four players reaching double figures, is what got them past Cal on Friday night and a similar performance will be needed if they're to beat Arizona.

As for the Wildcats they've reached the final despite having to suspend point guard Josiah Turner, but to be fair was the personnel loss that big? Sean Miller's team may not have a "perfect" option at the point but they've got some versatile guys who can help with the duties. Nick Johnson has played some point as has Jordin Mayes, and senior Kyle Foog has been a "jack of all trades" kind of player on the perimeter. Add in forwards Jesse Perry and Solomon Hill and you've got a solid nucleus than can give opposing teams fits.

The home team won both of the regular season meetings, with Arizona putting forth the better performance in their victory than CU did in theirs. If Carlon Brown can continue his solid play for one more game the Buffs are more than capable of winning and grabbing that automatic bid, and forward Andre Roberson is a warrior on the glass. Last year's game went down to the wire, with Washington's Isaiah Thomas providing a moment that few will ever forget. With there not being much separating Arizona and Colorado we could be headed towards a similar finish today.

America East - Title Game
#2 Vermont at #1 Stony Brook, 11:02 a.m. (ESPN2)

The top two seeds in America East meet for a trip to the NCAA tournament, and it's interesting that Vermont's loss to Binghamton ended up being the difference. The home team won both meetings, and in a tight gym like Stony Brook's the Seawolves likely hold an advantage there. But with Matt Glass and Four McGlynn among other players, the Catamounts are more than capable of leaving Long Island with the title. For Stony Brook they need a good day at the point from Bryan Dougher, but he's going to have his hands full with Sandro Carissimo being one of the conference's best on-ball defenders.

ACC - Semifinals
#1 North Carolina vs. #5 NC State, 1:00 p.m. (ESPN/ACC Network)
#2 Duke vs. #3 Florida State, 3:00 p.m. (ESPN/ACC Network)

The team with the most to gain in Atlanta is NC State, who may have sealed their trip to the NCAA tournament with their win over Virginia on Friday afternoon. But a win over the Tar Heels, who may not have John Henson (wrist), would be quite the achievement due not only to their NCAA hopes but also he fact that Carolina won both regular season meetings by comfortable margins. In game two it's the rematch of a thriller at Cameron, won by the Seminoles on a Michael Snaer three as time expired (Duke did win the return meeting in Tallahassee).

Florida State's coming off one of the best offensive performances of the season, turning the ball over just 11 times and finishing their win over Miami with an efficiency of 122.1. Ian Miller and company will need to take care of the ball against Duke if they're to win, and with Ryan Kelly out this weekend the Seminole big men will have an edge from a depth standpoint.

Atlantic 10 - Semifinals
#8 Massachusetts vs. #4 St. Bonaventure, 1:00pm (CBS SN)
#2 Saint Louis vs. #3 Xavier, 3:30pm (CBS SN)

Xavier may be in following their win over Dayton last night but why leave anything to chance? In order to reach Sunday's final they're going to have to beat Saint Louis, who is one of the most disciplined teams in America. Rick Majerus has done an outstanding job with the Billikens, and players such as Brian Conklin and Kwamain Mitchell have played well all year long. In the first semifinal it's UMass and St. Bonaventure, which should provide an interesting contrast in styles. Point guard Chaz Williams has been outstanding for the Minutemen, and the same goes for the Bonnies' Andrew Nicholson. If St. Bonaventure can take care of the ball and not end up in a track meet, which is what UMass wants, they'd likely be the favorite to advance.

Big 12 - Title Game
#4 Baylor vs. #2 Missouri, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN)

Both teams have a lot to gain from this one. Baylor, who knocked off Kansas on Friday night, could pick up wins over the top two teams in the conference in consecutive days and that would be quite some confidence boost heading into the Big Dance. As for the Tigers, a win could put them in line for a one-seed if not at the very least having their road to the Final Four goiing through St. Louis. A.J. Walton has been a bit of an unsung hero for the Bears this week, and they're going to need more of the same from him against Missouri's talented backcourt. And it's safe to say that Marcus Denmon is going 0-for-10 as he did in the Tigers' win over Texas.

Big East - Title Game
#4 Cincinnati vs. #7 Louisville, 9:00 p.m. (ESPN)

Despite their shared history throughout the years, this is just the second time that the Bearcats and Cardinals have met in a conference tournament final (1981 as members of the Metro Conference). The transformation made by Mick Cronin's team throughout the season has been something else, and with the Bearcats playing as they are a Big East title is definitely possible. The same goes for Louisville with point guard Peyton Siva playing as well as he has in New York. One more solid performance from Yancy Gates could be enough to push Cincinnati to the Big East title, but he'll have his hands full with Chane Behanan and Gorgui Dieng. Look for this one to go right down to the wire.

Big Ten - Semifinals
#1 Michigan State vs. #4 Wisconsin, 1:40 p.m. (CBS)
#3 Michigan vs. #2 Ohio State, 4:05 p.m. (CBS)

The top four seeds all advanced to the semifinals for the first time in the history of the Big Ten tournament and neither matchup should disappoint. Michigan State swept the regular season series with the Badgers, and as it's been pointed out the 2000 national champions beat the Badgers four times on their way to the title. That's going to be far easier said than done this time around, especially with Rob Wilson playing his best basketball at just the right time. In game two Ohio State and Michigan meet for the third time, with the home team winning both meetings. Jared Sullinger was outstanding in the Buckeyes' win over Purdue and the same goes for Michigan's Trey Burke in their win over Minnesota.

Big West - Title Game
#1 Long Beach State, #3 UCSB, 10:00 pm (ESPN2)

Remains to be seen whether or not the 49ers can grab an at-large bid, but at the very least they'd want to win this one for pride. UCSB has won the last two Big West tournaments, and with Orlando Johnson a third is possible.

Conference USA - Title Game
#6 Marshall vs. #1 Memphis, 11:35 a.m. (CBS)

A Memphis win could make C-USA a two-bid league with Southern Miss being the other team. Should Marshall win, the league is likely looking at three bids. Bubble team will be tuned into this one. Will Barton's played at an All-America level this season, and Marshall's got an experienced group led by Damier Pitts and DeAndre Kane.

Great West - Title Game
#4 NJIT vs. #2 North Dakota, 5:00 p.m.

The winner gets an automatic berth to the CIT, and with North Dakota having won the league last season they'll likely be motivated by the prospects of a repeat. NJIT brings Chris Flores and Isaiah Wilkerson to the table, and a tournament title would be quite the achievement for a program just a few years removed from one of the longest losing streaks in Division I history.

MAC - Title Game
#1 Akron vs. #3 Ohio, 8:00 p.m. (ESPN2)

The winner goes to the Big Dance while the loser is likely NIT-bound. Zeke Marshall has played well for Akron and the same goes for Ohio point guard D.J. Cooper. Keith Dambrot's team won the regular season title but the Bobcats are more than capable of knocking them off, evidenced by their resounding win over the Zips in Athens just a couple weeks ago.

MEAC - Title Game
#4 Bethune-Cookman vs. #2 Norfolk State, 1:00 PM (ESPN2)

Regular season champ Savannah State may not be here but the team many expected to win the conference, Norfolk State, is. Kyle O'Quinn is a force inside for the Spartans, and BCC is going to need to account for him if they're to win. On the other side Clifford Reed has relied on a balanced attack, with Adrien Coleman and Kevin Dukes leading four players in double figures with an average of 11.5 points per game.

Mountain West - Title Game
#1 San Diego State vs. #2 New Mexico, 7:00 p.m.(NBC SN)

The top two seeds in the Mountain West meet for the third time this season, with the road teams winning both meetings. UNM's victory came during their huge week that also included a resounding home win over UNLV. The key for SDSU defensively is simple yet difficult to carry out: keep Drew Gordon from consistently establishing position in the paint. Tim Shelton, Garrett Green and DeShawn Stephens will be key in this regard. UNM's going to need their guard to play well given the fact that the Aztecs lean on MWC Player of the Year Jamaal Franklin and Chase Tapley. Demetrius Walker has played well off the bench for the Lobos, averaging 15.5 points per game off the bench this week.

SEC - Semifinals
#1 Kentucky vs. #4 Florida, 1:00 p.m. (ABC)
#7 Ole Miss vs. #3 Vanderbilt, 3:30 p.m. (ABC)

Similar to NC State in the ACC tournament there's one team with a lot to gain and three others who have a good idea where they're headed. Ole Miss moved a step closer to an NCAA berth on Friday night with their win over Tennessee, and a win over Vanderbilt this afternoon would likely put them into the field. Game one is all about confidence, as Kentucky won both regular season meetings by solid margins. If Florida can win that would be quite a boost for Billy Donovan's team, but he's going to need solid play from Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker in order to get the desired result.

Southland - Title Game
#3 Lamar vs. #4 McNeese St., 3:00 p.m. (ESPN2)

Much was made of Pat Knight's scathing critique of his senior class, but the fact of the matter is that Lamar hasn't lost a game since. Senior Mike James can score with the best of them provided he exercises good shot selection, and he'll need to do so against a McNeese State team that knocked off top-seed UT Arlington in Thursday's semifinals.

SWAC - Title Game
#2 Texas Southern vs. #1 Mississippi Valley State, 8:00 p.m. (ESPNU)

The top two seeds meet but there's quite the gap between the Delta Devils and Texas Southern, who would be the three seed had Southern been eligible to compete. Paul Crosby and Cor-J Cox lead the way for MVSU, who dominated the SWAC and play a style similar to what their head coach (Sean Woods) played under Rick Pitino at Kentucky. It would be a major surprise if Mississippi Valley State didn't win this one.

WAC - Title Game
#2 New Mexico State vs. #5 Louisiana Tech, Midnight (ESPN2)

Louisiana Tech pulled off the upset of the night on Friday as they knocked off top-seed Nevada, possibly relegating the Wolf Pack to the NIT. Next up is two-seed New Mexico State, who features Wendell McKines and freshman Daniel Mullings has played good basketball over the last month. The key for Marvin Menzies' team: no mental letdown. One would think that they came into the weekend expecting another shot at Nevada, but they can ill-afford to go into the game underestimating Louisiana Tech.

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

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

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

AMERICA EAST FINAL: AT STONY BROOK

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

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

BIG 12 FINAL: AT KANSAS CITY

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

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

BIG EAST FINAL: AT NEW YORK CITY

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

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

BIG WEST FINAL: AT ANAHEIM

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

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

CONFERENCE USA FINAL: AT MEMPHIS

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

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

MAC FINAL: AT CLEVELAND

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

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

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

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

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

MOUNTAIN WEST FINAL: AT LAS VEGAS

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

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

PAC-12 FINAL: AT LOS ANGELES

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

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

SOUTHLAND FINAL: AT KATY, TEXAS

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

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

SWAC FINAL: AT GARLAND, TEXAS

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

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

WAC FINAL: AT LAS VEGAS

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

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

Friday Conference Tournament Predictions

Greg Mengelt — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 11:15:17 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. He'll be picking every remaining conference tournament including today's loaded schedule. Games listed in order with later rounds on top and earlier rounds at the bottom. Read more about Championship Week at CollegeHoops.net.

BIG 12 SEMIFINALS: AT KANSAS CITY

(1) Kansas (27-5, 16-2) vs. (4) Baylor (26-6, 12-6)

Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 16 – Baylor 92-74; Feb. 8 – 68-54*. RPI: Kansas 6, Baylor 9. Analysis: Beating a team three times in a season isn’t that difficult. Beating a team three times with as much talent as the Bears have – that is. Line: Kansas -5½. Pick: Baylor 72, Kansas 67.

(2) Missouri (28-4, 14-4) vs. (6) Texas (20-12, 9-9)

Tipoff: 10 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Missouri 84-73; Jan. 30 – Missouri 67-66*. RPI: Missouri 16, Texas 58. Analysis: Missouri has come to play in the Big 12 tourney. Pick: Missouri 80, Texas 65.

BIG EAST SEMIFINALS: AT NEW YORK CITY

(1) Syracuse (31-1, 17-1) vs. (4) Cincinnati (23-9, 12-6)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 23 – Syracuse 60-53*. RPI: Syracuse 1, Cincinnati 69. Analysis: Was all set to take Cincinnati. Then double-overtime happened. Expect a more impressive performance from the Orange today. Line: Syracuse -7 ½. Pick: Syracuse 63, Cincinnati 52.

(3) Notre Dame (22-10, 13-5) vs. (7) Louisville (24-9, 10-8)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 7 – Notre Dame 67-65 (2OT). RPI: Louisville 21, Notre Dame 38. Analysis: Louisville’s offense was better Thursday and its defense will give the Irish fits. Pick: Louisville 59, Notre Dame 51.

BIG WEST SEMIFINALS: AT ANAHEIM

(3) Cal-Santa Barbara (19-9, 12-4) vs. (7) Cal-Irvine (12-19, 6-10)

Tipoff: 9:30 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – UCSB 74-56; Feb. 15 – UCSB 85-62. RPI: UCSB 127, UCI 270. Analysis: It looks like Santa Barbara and Long Beach are on a crash course again. Pick: Cal-Santa Barbara 74, Cal-Irvine 51.

(1) Long Beach State (23-8, 15-1) vs. (4) Cal Poly (18-14, 8-8)

Tipoff: Midnight. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 5 – LBSU 55-50; Jan. 19 – LBSU 78-69. RPI: LBSU 35, Cal Poly 226. Analysis: Long Beach will win this tournament, but the Mustangs are undervalued and will cover Friday. Pick: Long Beach State 67, Cal Poly 59.

CONFERENCE USA SEMINFINALS: AT MEMPHIS

(2) Southern Mississippi (25-7, 11-5) vs. (6) Marshall (20-12, 9-7)

Tipoff: 4 p.m. TV: CBS Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 21 – Southern Miss 67-63; March 3 – Marshall 79-75. RPI: Southern Miss 17, Marshall 56. Analysis: Southern Miss got a huge break after the Herd played double-overtime Thursday and will now have to play for a third straight day. Pick: Southern Mississippi 65, Marshall 54.

(1) Memphis (20-12, 9-7) vs. (4) Central Florida (22-9, 10-6)

Tipoff: 6:30 p.m. TV: CBS Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 18 – Central Florida 68-67; Feb. 28 – Memphis 84-55. RPI: Memphis 18, UCF 61. Analysis: The Knights do a lot well. Upsetting the Tigers in Memphis will be tough, but they should cover. Pick: Memphis 75, Central Florida 72.

MAC SEMIFINALS: AT CLEVELAND

(1) Akron (21-10, 13-3) vs. (4) Kent State (20-10, 10-6)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: STO. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 21 – Akron 84-75; March 2 – Akron 61-55*. RPI: Akron 62, Kent State 105. Analysis: Akron goes 3-for-3 against its rival. Pick: Akron 70, Kent State 63.

(2) Buffalo (19-9, 12-4) vs. (3) Ohio (24-7, 11-5)

Tipoff: 9:30 p.m. TV: STO. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 11 – Ohio 60-52; Feb. 22 – Ohio 88-77*. RPI: Ohio 70, Buffalo 76. Analysis: The Bobcats are the class of the MAC and they’ll prove it Friday. Pick: Ohio 73, Kent State 63.

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

(8) Hampton (12-20, 6-10) vs. (4) Bethune-Cookman (17-16, 11-5)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 27 – Bethune-Cookman 74-64. RPI: Hampton 305, Bethune-Cookman 254. Analysis: Haven’t seen either team. Grain of salt here. Pick: Bethune-Cookman 71, Hampton 67.

(2) Norfolk State (23-9, 13-3) vs. (11) Florida A&M (10-22, 6-10)

Tipoff: 8 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 27 – Norfolk State 79-70*. RPI: Norfolk State 133, Florida A&M 324. Analysis: Norfolk State led the MEAC all season before being passed by Savannah State late for the regular-season league title. The Spartans are not going to let another opportunity slip away. Pick: Norfolk State 80, Florida A&M 62.

MOUNTAIN WEST SEMIFINALS: AT LAS VEGAS

(1) San Diego State (25-6, 10-4) vs. (4) Colorado State (19-10, 8-6)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: CBS Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 28 – Colorado State 77-60; Feb. 25 – San Diego State 74-66. RPI: San Diego State 26, Colorado State 19. Analysis: The Rams may be the better team overall. Pick: Colorado State 75, San Diego State 71.

(2) New Mexico (25-6, 10-4) vs. (3) UNLV (25-7, 9-5)

Tipoff: 11:30 p.m. TV: CBS Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 21 – UNLV 80-63; Feb. 18 – New Mexico 65-45. RPI: UNLV 14, New Mexico 35. Analysis: Both teams looked really good on Thursday. The homecourt advantage should be the difference. Pick: UNLV 71, New Mexico 67.

PAC-12 SEMIFINALS: AT LOS ANGELES

(4) Arizona (22-10, 12-6) vs. (9) Oregon State (19-13, 7-11)

Tipoff: 9:10 p.m. TV: Fox Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 12 – Arizona 81-73 (OT). RPI: Arizona 85, Oregon State 140. Analysis: The Beavers are due for a sub-par performance. Pick: Arizona 68, Oregon State 59.

(2) California (24-8, 13-5) vs. (6) Colorado (21-11, 11-7)

Tipoff: 11:40 p.m. TV: Fox Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 12 – Cal 57-50; Feb. 26 – Colorado 70-57. RPI: Cal 34, Colorado 86. Analysis: Calling another Pac-12 tournament upset. Pick: Colorado 67, Cal 62.

SWAC SEMIFINALS: AT GARLAND, TEXAS

(2) Texas Southern (14-17, 12-6) vs. (6) Alcorn State (10-21, 6-12)

Tipoff: 1:30 p.m. TV: SWAC TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 3 – Texas Southern 87-52; March 1 – Texas Southern 56-54*. RPI: Texas Southern 239, Alcorn State 339. Analysis: Alcorn looks like a different team in the second half of the season. Pick: Texas Southern 70, Alcorn State 65.

(1) Mississippi Valley State (19-12, 17-1) vs. (5) Arkansas-Pine Bluff (11-21, 9-9)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: SWAC TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 3 – MVSU 82-67; March 1 – MVSU 78-67. RPI: MVSU 154, UAPB 309. Analysis: The Delta Devils better be careful. This one has upset possibilities. Pick: Mississippi Valley State 66, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 64.

WAC SEMINFINALS: AT LAS VEGAS

(2) New Mexico State (24-9, 10-4) vs. (6) Hawaii (16-15, 6-8)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: WSN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 22 – Hawaii 91-87; Feb. 23 – New Mexico State 115-73. RPI: New Mexico State 67, Hawaii 217. Analysis: These two teams have scored nearly 400 combined points in two games this season. Should be fun. Should be close. Pick: New Mexico State 81, Hawaii 78.

(1) Nevada (26-5, 13-1) vs. (5) Louisiana Tech (17-15, 6-8)

Tipoff: 11:30 p.m. TV: WSN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 28 – Nevada 65-63*; March 3 – Nevada 79-69. RPI: Nevada 45, Louisiana Tech 177. Analysis: Tech played the Pack well both times season. Why should Friday be different? Pick: Nevada 64, Louisiana Tech 63.

ACC QUARTERFINALS: AT ATLANTA

(1) North Carolina (27-4, 14-2) vs. (8) Maryland (17-14, 6-10)

Tipoff: Noon. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 4 – North Carolina 83-74*; Feb. 29 – North Carolina 88-70. RPI: UNC 3, Maryland 110. Analysis: No contest. Line: North Carolina -15½. Pick: North Carolina 78, Maryland 53.

(4) Virginia (22-8, 9-7) vs. (5) North Carolina State (21-11, 9-7)

Tipoff: 2 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 28 – Virginia 61-60*. RPI: Virginia 43, NC State 53. Analysis: The Pack wins it outright. Line: Virginia -2½. Pick: North Carolina State 66, Virginia 60.

(2) Duke (26-5, 13-3) vs. (10) Virginia Tech (16-16, 4-12)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 2 – Duke 75-60*; Feb. 25 – Duke 70-65 (OT). RPI: Duke 4, Virginia Tech 119. Analysis: Duke needed overtime to beat the Hokies last time. They’ll challenge the Blue Devils again. Pick: Duke 68, Virginia Tech 63.

(3) Florida State (21-9, 12-4) vs. (6) Miami (19-11, 9-7)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 11 – Florida State 64-59; Feb. 26 – Miami 78-62. RPI: FSU 20, Miami 49. Analysis: The Hurricanes probably have the better talent – at least offensively – and they’ll solve the Seminole D enough to get the win. Pick: Miami 61, Florida State 58.

ATLANTIC 10 QUARTERFINALS: AT ATLANTIC CITY

(1) Temple (24-6, 13-3) vs. (8) Massachusetts (21-10, 9-7)

Tipoff: Noon. TV: CBS Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 29 – Temple 90-88 (OT). RPI: Temple 12, UMass 80. Analysis: Expected the Owls to win by eight or more points is a lot to ask in what should be a low-scoring game. Line: Temple -7½ . Pick: Temple 60, Massachusetts 55.

(4) St. Bonaventure (17-11, 10-6) vs. (5) Saint Joseph’s (20-12, 9-7)

Tipoff: 2:30 p.m. TV: CBS Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 29 – St. Bonaventure 98-93 (2OT). RPI: St. Bonaventure 91, Saint Joseph’s 52. Analysis: Andrew Nicholson will be the best player on the floor, but the Hawks are the better team. Line: Saint Joseph’s -1. Pick: Saint Joseph’s 68, St. Bonaventure 62.

(2) Saint Louis (24-6, 12-4) vs. (7) LaSalle (21-11, 9-7)

Tipoff: 6:30 p.m. TV: CBS Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 11 – Saint Louis 59-51*. RPI: SLU 30, LaSalle 78. Analysis: The Billikens have been up-and-down, but you have to believe they’ll enter Atlantic City ready to roll. Line: Saint Louis -6. Pick: Saint Louis 63, LaSalle 52.

(3) Xavier (19-11, 10-6) vs. (6) Dayton (20-11, 9-7)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: CBS Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 21 – Dayton 87-72; Feb. 18 – Xavier 86-83 (OT). RPI: Xavier 56, Dayton 73. Analysis: Kevin Dillard will not let the Flyers lose. Line: Xavier -2. Pick: Dayton 73, Xavier 70.

BIG TEN QUARTRFINALS: AT INDIANAPOLIS

(1) Michigan State (24-7, 13-5) vs. (8) Iowa (17-15, 8-10)

Tipoff: Noon. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 10 – Michigan State 95-61. RPI: Michigan State 5, Iowa 133. Analysis: Avoid betting this line. If you insist on taking the bait, go with Sparty. Line: Michigan State -11. Pick: Michigan State 73, Iowa 61.

(4) Wisconsin (23-8, 12-6) vs. (5) Indiana (25-7, 11-7)

Tipoff: 2:25 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 26 – Wisconsin 57-50. RPI: Indiana 12, Wisconsin 22. Analysis: The loss of Verdell Jones – Indiana’s heart and soul – will hurt, but it won’t keep the Hoosiers from rolling to the semis. Line: Indiana -1½. Pick: Indiana 65, Wisconsin 58.

(2) Michigan (23-8, 13-5) vs. (10) Minnesota (19-13, 6-12)

Tipoff: 6:30 p.m. TV: Big Ten Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 1 – Michigan 61-56. RPI: Michigan 13, Minnesota 89. Analysis: The Gophers may not pull off another upset, but it’s doubtful that the Wolverines will cover. Pick: Michigan 58, Minnesota 55.

(3) Ohio State (25-6, 13-5) vs. (6) Purdue (21-11, 10-8)

Tipoff: 8:55 p.m. TV: Big Ten Network. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 7 – Ohio State 87-84. RPI: Ohio State 8, Purdue 40. Analysis: Purdue’s near-win at Columbus in early February set off a really good stretch for the Boilermakers. Pick: Ohio State 79, Purdue 76.

SEC QUARTERFINALS: AT NEW ORLEANS

(1) Kentucky (30-1, 16-0) vs. (8) LSU (18-13, 7-9)

Tipoff: 1 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 28 – Kentucky 74-50*. RPI: Kentucky 2, LSU 89. Analysis: Probably would avoid betting this one with the Tigers getting so many points, but there aren’t enough points to actually bet LSU. Line: Kentucky -16½. Pick: Kentucky 71, LSU 54.

(4) Florida (22-9, 10-6) vs. (5) Alabama (21-10, 9-7)

Tipoff: 3:30 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 14 – Florida 61-52*. RPI: Florida 28, Alabama 32. Analysis: It’s hard to take the Tide the way they’re playing. Pick: Florida 78, Alabama 61.

(2) Tennessee (18-13, 10-6) vs. (7) Mississippi (19-12, 8-8)

Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. TV: SEC Network. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 22 – Tennessee 73-60. RPI: Tennessee 74, Mississippi 51. Analysis: Tennessee is playing as well as anyone in the SEC (No. 1 Kentucky excepted) and could get to the title game. Pick: Tennessee 72, Mississippi 63.

(3) Vanderbilt (21-10, 10-6) vs. (11) Georgia (15-16, 5-11)

Tipoff: 10 p.m. TV: SEC Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan 14 – Vandy 77-66; Feb. 19 – Vandy 61-52. RPI: Vanderbilt 27, Georgia 108. Analysis: Another line that’s too close to play. Avoid it. Maybe take the over. Pick: Vanderbilt 82, Georgia 70.

*Road win

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 162-127-3

Friday's Conference Tournament Primer

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 07:25:01 -0800

ACC - Quarterfinals
#1 North Carolina vs. #8 Maryland, Noon (ESPN2/ACC Network)
#4 Virginia vs. #5 NC State, 2:00 p.m. (ESPN2/ACC Network)
#2 Duke vs. #10 Virginia Tech, 7:00 p.m. (ESPN2/ACC Network)
#3 Florida State vs. #6 Miami, 9:00 p.m. (ESPN2/ACC Network)

After wins on Thursday both NC State and Miami have shots at quality wins on Friday, and should both accomplish that the ACC may be able to grab six NCAA tournament bids. The Wolfpack take on Virginia, and with the lone regular season meeting decided by a single point (61-60 Virginia win on January 28th) this should be a close contest.

Tony Bennett's team has been banged up for much of the season and with freshman Malcolm Brogdon being ruled out for the season the Cavaliers are essentially down to six players in their rotation. But the most important one is still on the floor, as Mike Scott has been one of the best players in the ACC all season long.

The key for Virginia is getting consistent production from guard Sammy Zeglinski, because when he's shooting it well the Cavaliers are tougher to slow down. Tony Bennett's pack line defense can frustrate teams, so the Pack have to be smart in not settling for too many perimeter shots. C.J. Leslie scored 17 points in the first meeting and Richard Howell put up 11 and 18 rebounds, and as a team NC State out-rebounded Virginia 42-25 in Raleigh.

But they shot 2-for-15 from three and just 12-for-21 from the foul line, thus negating that edge on the glass. The Wolfpack may average 15 three-point attempts per game and if a decent chunk of those are taken by Scott Wood that's fine. But they can't fall in love with the shot as that's what Virginia wants teams to do. Work the ball inside and take advantage of their depth, and NC State likely wins.

As for Miami, the Hurricanes and Seminoles split the regular season series with the home team winning both meetings. Jim Larranaga's team won in Coral Gables with Reggie Johnson sitting due to an NCAA issue, with Miami shooting 61% from the field and scoring 54 points in the second half of the 78-62 win. And the Hurricanes got it done with offensive balance, as four players finished in double figures.

If they can be balanced, with Johnson and Kenny Kadji inside and guards Malcolm Grant, Shane Larkin and Durand Scott producing on the perimeter, Miami can pose problems for one of the ACC's best defensive teams. Florida State has to take care of the basketball, not just for tonight but also for the remainder of the season if they're to make any kind of noise.

Leonard Hamilton's team turns the ball over on 24% of their possessions, which is not part of the formula for winning in March. Luke Loucks and Ian Miller have to perform better in this area if the Seminoles are to hang around, because despite FSU's ability on the defensive end that can be nullified if they're giving away too many possessions.

Of course North Carolina and Duke can't be forgotten but both take on teams who aren't going to the Big Dance unless they win the ACC tournament. Maryland's a young team led by Terrell Stoglin, whose shot selection at times leaves much to be desired, and if the Terps are hot they can hang around with UNC. But don't expect that to happen, and while Virginia Tech tends to play Duke tough they likely don't have the horses even with Duke's Ryan Kelly missing the tournament with a foot injury.

Atlantic 10 - Quarterfinals
#1 Temple vs. #8 Massachusetts, 12:00pm (CBS SN syndicated)
#4 St. Bonaventure vs. #5 Saint Joseph's, 2:30pm (CBS SN syndicated)
#2 Saint Louis vs. #7 La Salle, 6:30pm (CBS SN syndicated)
#3 Xavier vs. #6 Dayton, 9:00pm (CBS SN syndicated)

In the final game of the night in Atlantic City, Xavier and Dayton are essentially playing for a trip to the NCAA tournament. Not sure if there's any other way to describe the game between the two rivals, which should make for a heated battle at Boardwalk Hall. Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons still haven't played their best basketball, and what better time to get going than right now? Dayton's led by point guard Kevin Dillard and they've got some good players on the wings, led by senior Chris Johnson.

Saint Joseph's can also work their way into the bubble chatter, and clearly getting to the semis with a win over St. Bonaventure would be a good start. The battle between C.J. Aiken and A-10 Player of the Year Andrew Nicholson will have a lot to say about the outcome, but the Bonnies will need to slow down guard Carl Jones as well. Temple and Saint Louis are well on their way to the Big Dance, but a loss today could have a negative impact from a seeding standpoint.

Big 12 - Semifinals
#4 Baylor vs. #1 Kansas, 7:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
#2 Missouri vs. #6 Texas, 10:00 p.m. (ESPNU)

While the buzz may be the fact that we're one win apiece away from a third meeting between Missouri and Kansas, the truth of the matter is that both have business to attend to tonight. The Jayhawks take on a Baylor team they beat decisively in both regular season meetings, with Thomas Robinson doing what he does and Jeff Withey absolutely killing the Bears inside. Baylor will need Perry Jones III to come out with the same aggression he did in Thursday's win over Kansas State, putting up 31 points and 11 boards.

The second game matches Missouri and six-seed Texas, who played well in the second half of their win over Iowa State on Thursday. It will be important for J'Covan Brown and Myck Kabongo to play well for the Longhorns, but if anything they're going to need Clint Chapman and the rest of their big men to go to work on the glass. It won't hurt to get Ricardo Ratliffe in foul trouble either but that can be easier said than done. Marcus Denmon, Phil Pressey and Kim English lead the way for the Tigers, who could still be in the discussion for a one-seed.

Big East - Semifinals
#1 Syracuse vs. #4 Cincinnati, 7:00 p.m. (ESPN)
#7 Louisville vs. #3 Notre Dame, 9:00 p.m. (ESPN)

Louisville is the lone team not in the top four to reach the Big East semifinals, as they jumped Marquette early and hung on to beat the Golden Eagles on Thursday night. They take on Notre Dame, who survived a comedy of errors down the stretch in their overtime win over USF. The key for the Cardinals will be to achieve a near-chaotic tempo within possessions against the Irish, who are extemely difficult to speed up. That game follows Syracuse and Cincinnati, with the Bearcats in position to help themselves out in the seeding department with a win. But beating the Orange is tough anywhere, much less in the Garden. Who steps up for Syracuse tonight? To have as many answers as they do is a nice luxury to have, but if Yancy Gates and Cashmere Wright play well the Bearcats can win.

Big Ten - Quarterfinals
#1 Michigan State vs. #8 Iowa, Noon (ESPN)
#4 Wisconsin vs. #5 Indiana, 2:25 p.m. (ESPN)
#2 Michigan vs. #10 Minnesota, 6:30 p.m. (BTN)
#3 Ohio State vs. #6 Purdue, 8:55 p.m. (BTN)

With Northwestern going down the bubble suspense has likely left the Big Ten tournament, unless either Iowa or Minnesota can get hot and get to Sunday's final. They take on the top two seeds in the event, and while Michigan State and Michigan won shares of the regular season title (along with Ohio State) they can be beat. The 4/5 matchup is the one to watch, not only because of how evenly matched Wisconsin and Indiana are but also because of the fact that this will be the first game for IU without Verdell Jones III, who tore his ACL on Thursday. This will be a good test for Tom Crean's team in that regard, because while they're deep enough rotation-wise to lose an important senior at this point in the year does require some adjusting.

Big West - Semifinals
#1 Long Beach State vs. #7 UC Irvine, 9:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
#3 UCSB vs. #4 Cal Poly, Midnight (ESPNU)

Top-seed Long Beach State, who is without their best defender (Larry Anderson) this weekend due to injury, received a nice break as UC Irvine knocked off two-seed Cal State Fullerton on Thursday night. With the Big West re-seeding its teams after the quarterfinals the 49ers take on the Anteaters, and while Russell Turner's team isn't to be underestimated this is a better semifinal matchup for Casper Ware and company than a battle with Cal Poly would have been. The Mustangs take on UCSB, who has won the last two conference tournament titles and with Orlando Johnson leading the way a third is not out of the realm of possibility. If the Gauchos have James Nunnally going as well look out.

Conference USA - Semifinals
#2 Southern Miss vs. #6 Marshall, 4:00 p.m. (CBS SN)
#1 Memphis vs. #4 UCF, 6:30 p.m. (CBS SN)

With Memphis safely in the NCAA tournament field the question for Conference USA is whether or not another team can pop up and earn a bid. That chatter focuses on Southern Miss, who likely wrapped up a spot with their escape against ECU. Larry Eustachy's team has an impressive set of computer numbers, so that likely means two bids for C-USA, but if DeAndre Kane can go off for 40 as he did in Marshall's win over Tulsa the Thundering Herd can earn a trip to the title game. Opposing Memphis is UCF, who likely needs to win the tournament if they're to go dancing, but with Keith Clanton leading the way they don't lack for talent either.

Great West - Semifinals
#4 NJIT vs. #1 Utah Valley, 1:00 p.m.
#3 Texas-Pan American vs. #2 North Dakota, 3:30 p.m.

MAC - Semifinals
#4 Kent State vs. # 1 Akron, 7:00 p.m. (STO)
#3 Ohio vs. # 2 Buffalo, 9:30 p.m. (STO)

The top four seeds in the MAC all hail from the East Division, and it should come as no surprise that these four meet in the semis. The question now is who has enough left to grab two wins and the league's automatic bid. The conversation has to start with regular season champion Akron, who won the tournament last season and in Zeke Marshall have a big man who can change games with his shot-blocking ability. Two-seed Buffalo counters with forwards Javon McCrea and Mitchell Watt, two very good players who will be a handful for Ohio tonight. The Bobcats have the league's best point guard in D.J. Cooper, and Kent State has three players averaging double figures with forward Justin Greene leading the way. Thursday may have gone according to plan with Ohio and Kent State moving on, and it wouldn't be a surprise if those two won again tonight.

MEAC - Semifinals
#8 Hampton vs. #4 Bethune-Cookman, 6:00 p.m.
#2 Norfolk State vs. #11 Florida A&M, 8:00 p.m.

Mountain West - Semifinals
#1 San Diego State vs. #4 Colorado State, 9:00 p.m. (CBS SN)
#2 New Mexico vs. #3 UNLV, 11:30 p.m. (CBS SN)

The two semifinals in Las Vegas promise to be entertaining affairs with both being regular season splits. San Diego State didn't look their best against a young Boise State team that's going to be good in years to come, and Jamaal Franklin and the rest of the Aztecs have to sharpen things up if they're to beat the Rams. Colorado State looked impressive in their win over TCU, and with Wes Eikmeier and Dorian Green leading the way Tim Miles' crew definitely has a shot at the tournament crown. In game two how UNLV defends Drew Gordon will go a long way in determining the outcome, as they were unable to slow him down in the second half of their loss in Albuquerque last month. Mike Moser also struggled in that game, and if he can get going early the Runnin' Rebels can take advantage of their home floor.

Pac-12 - Semifinals
#9 Oregon State vs. #4 Arizona, 9:10 p.m. (FSN)
#2 California vs. #6 Colorado, 11:40 p.m. (FSN)

Who wants an NCAA tournament bid? That's the question in Los Angeles as California is likely the only team secure with their prospects. Arizona has to beat Oregon State if they're to go dancing, but the same could have been true even if Washington were their opposition since the Huskies swept the regular season series from the Wildcats. Colorado and Oregon State know at this point that they'll have to win the automatic bid, and both are capable of doing just that. There's an awful lot on the line at Staples Center, truthfully more than many would expect to be in the semifinals of a BCS AQ conference tournament.

SEC - Quarterfinals
#8 LSU vs. #1 Kentucky, 1:00 p.m. (SEC Network)
#5 Alabama vs. #4 Florida, 3:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
#7 Ole Miss vs. #2 Tennessee, 7:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
#11 Georgia vs. #3 Vanderbilt, 10:00 p.m. (SEC Network)

Ole Miss/Tennessee is the game to watch from a bubble standpoint as both teams need wins, and with a number of bubble team across the country faltering of late either one can step up and earn a bid. Jarnell Stokes has helped change the prospects for the Volunteers, who with his addition had two tough players inside who give opponents fits (Jeronne Maymon). The Rebels will need Terrence Henry to play well again if they're to advance, and Murphy Holloway has played well for much of the season too. The other three games seem to be straightforward with Kentucky already having a one-seed in the NCAA tournament and Vanderbilt, Florida and Alabama all headed to the Big Dance as well.

SWAC- Semifinals
#2 Texas Southern vs. #6 Alcorn State, 1:30 p.m. (SWAC TV)
#1 Mississippi Valley State vs. #5 UAPB, 9:00 p.m. (SWAC TV)

WAC - Semifinals
#6 Hawai'i vs. #2 New Mexico State, 9:00 p.m. (WSN)
#5 Louisiana Tech vs. #1 Nevada, 11:30 p.m. (WSN)

Thursday's Conference Tournament Primer

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 06:29:32 -0800

Big 12 - Quarterfinals
#4 Baylor vs. #5 Kansas State, 12:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
#1 Kansas vs. #9 Texas A&M, 3:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
#2 Missouri vs. #7 Oklahoma State, 7:00 p.m. (Big 12 Network)
#3 Iowa State vs. #6 Texas, 9:30 p.m. (Big 12 Network)

The most important game in the Big 12 has to be the final game of the day in Kansas City, as Texas could really use a win over Iowa State on their resume. Rick Barnes' Longhorns are either just in or just out based on which projections you follow, but a win over the Cyclones would get them to the semifinals and that may end up being enough to punch their ticket. What remains to be seen is how Texas will defend 6'8" Royce White, who has a forward's build but point guard skills...and responsibilities. The Minnesota transfer is called on by Fred Hoiberg to get things going for the likes of Scott Christopherson and Chris Allen, and Melvin Ejim is another dangerous option Texas will need to account for.

As for Texas there's no secret that J'Covan Brown is their most important player, because when he plays well their young perimeter players can gradually work their way into the flow of the game. Point guard Myck Kabongo has matured throughout the course of the season, and while he's still got a way to go before reaching the status of former UT point guards such as T.J. Ford and D.J. Augustin the talent is definitely there. The key for Texas will be what they can get out of big men Clint Chapman and Alexis Wangmene, because if those two are productive in the paint the Longhorns are an entirely different team. That could prove to be difficult however given White's unique skill set, and Texas could have to go small to deal with him on the perimeter.

Kansas and Missouri are both still part of the battle for a top seed in the NCAA tournament, and while that may be a longshot for the Tigers a Big 12 tournament title would go a long way in changing that. Marcus Denmon and Phil Pressey have been two of the best guards in the country this season, but they'll need Ricardo Ratliffe to stay out of foul trouble if they're to have success this weekend. The matchup with Oklahoma State may play right into Missouri's hands with Le'Bryan Nash injured and the Cowboys not always displaying the best decision-making.

Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor will look to lead the Jayhawks to the tournament crown after winning the regular season title outright, but keep an eye on players such as Elijah Johnson and Jeff Withey this weekend. The play of those two will be very important in the NCAA tournament, and if they can go in with some positive momentum that would be even better for Bill Self and his team. The 4/5 matchup kicks things off, and big men other than Quincy Acy are going to have to bring it physically if the Bears are to beat Kansas State. K-State on the other hand needs sound decisions from Angel Rodriguez, and he's been a work in progress in that area all season long.

ACC - First Round
#8 Maryland vs. #9 Wake Forest, Noon (ESPNU/ACC Network)
#5 NC State vs. #12 Boston College, 2:00 p.m. (ESPNU/ACC Network
#7 Clemson vs. #10 Virginia Tech, 7:00 p.m. (ESPNU/ACC Network)
#6 Miami vs. #11 Georgia Tech, 9:00 p.m. (ESPNU/ACC Network)

Just like in the Big 12 the bubble teams will be the ones to watch in Atlanta, with NC State and Miami both needing to do some work in order to have their names called on Selection Sunday. That four-game skid that NC State hit, beginning with their tough loss at Duke, could be what ultimately sends Mark Gottfried's team to the NIT, but with talented players such as Lorenzo Brown, C.J. Leslie and Scott Wood the Wolfpack are more than capable of winning a couple games (a depleted Virginia awaits the winner of their game in the quarterfinals).

As for Miami they likely have less work to do than NC State despite finishing beneath them in the standings, and while they play Georgia Tech don't expect much of a home-court advantage for the Yellow Jackets. Reggie Johnson and Kenny Kadji make up a solid interior tandem, and with thei talented guards the Canes don't lack for pieces. A win over the Jackets would mean a third meeting with Florida State, and their half of the bracket looks more conducive to a run to the finals due to State's matchup issues with North Carolina.

Big East - Quarterfinals
#1 Syracuse vs. #9 Connecticut, Noon (ESPN)
#4 Cincinnati vs. #5 Georgetown, 2:00 p.m. (ESPN)
#2 Marquette vs. #7 Louisville, 7:00 p.m. (ESPN)
#3 Notre Dame vs. #6 USF, 9:00 p.m. (ESPN)

Seven of the top eight seeds will take part in the Big East quarters, with nine-seed UConn being the "party-crasher" in that regard. The Huskies, according to many, punched their ticket with a win over West Virginia on Wednesday, but until their name is actually called on Sunday the best strategy would be to simply keep winning. Syracuse swept the regular season series, winning by two in Storrs, and with their many weapons Jim Boeheim's team is also one of the two clear favorites to make a run all the way to New Orleans. Shabazz Napier has to make sound decisions with the basketball if UConn is to win; they're not going to get away with the same number of mistakes that they did against DePaul and WVU.

The only teams on the slate who may still have work to do: Cincinnati and USF. Mick Cronin's Bearcats should be an NCAA tournament team but it's difficult to tell just how much emphasis the selection committee will place on a team's computer numbers, so the best move for Cincinnati would be to go out and beat Georgetown. As for USF, a win over Notre Dame would give them the win over a top-level Big East team that their resume is missing, and with Notre Dame also preferring to slow things down the final game of the night may not surpass 60 possessions. Anthony Collins is going to be key on both ends of the floor, as in addition to running the offense he'll have to slow down Eric Atkins.

Big Ten - First Round
#8 Iowa vs. #9 Illinois, 11:30 a.m. (BTN)
#5 Indiana vs. #12 Penn State, 1:55 p.m. (BTN)
#7 Northwestern vs. #10 Minnesota, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
#6 Purdue vs. #11 Nebraska 7:55 p.m. (ESPN2)

With Purdue most likely in the Field of 68 and Illinois not looking like a tournament team at this point, most of the attention on day one in Indianapols will focus on Northwestern. Bill Carmody's Wildcats are still in search of the first NCAA berth in school history, and wings Drew Crawford and John Shurna are more than capable of getting hot and leading the Wildcats on a run. But they first have to get past Minnesota, who is wrapping up a season that really hasn't lived up to what many were hoping for even with Trevor Mbakwe going down with a torn ACL. Ralph Sampson III is banged up and if he can't go that limits the Golden Gophers even more when it comes to frontcourt depth. Iowa/Illinois looks to be a toss-up, and that fact is why Bruce Weber's seat is scalding at this point. Matt Gatens is a tough matchup, and if the Hawkeyes can get Melsahn Basabe going inside it could be them who faces top-seed Michigan State on Friday.

Big West - Quarterfinals
#3 UC Santa Barbara vs. #6 Pacific, 3:00 p.m. (BigWest.TV)
#2 Cal State Fullerton vs. #7 UC Irvine, 5:30 p.m. (BigWest.TV)
#1 Long Beach State vs. #8 UC Davis, 9:00 p.m. (BigWest.TV)
#4 Cal Poly vs. #5 UC Riverside, 11:30 p.m. (BigWest.TV)

The concern for top-seed Long Beach State isn't so much what will happen against UC Davis today but rather the remainder of the weekend as wing Larry Anderson will miss the conference tournament with a sprained knee suffered in their loss at Cal State Fullerton on Saturday. To lose a player of Anderson's caliber is a huge issue, especially when considering the fact that he's the Big West Defensive Player of the Year. Dan Monson's 49ers don't lack for talent with Casper Ware and T.J. Robinson leading the way, but it will be a tough adjustment throughout the weekend from a defensive standpoint.

UCSB has won the last two Big West tournament crowns, and with Orlando Johnson and James Nunnally the Gauchos are definitely capable of making it three straight, and Fullerton has done a very good job all season with their transfers being more than ready to take over. Johnson and Fullerton's Kwame Vaughn are the two players not at LBSU with the best chance of taking over in Anaheim, but keep an eye on UC Riverside's Phil Martin as well.

Conference USA - Quarterfinals
#2 Southern Miss vs. #10 East Carolina, 1:00 p.m. (CBS SN)
#3 Tulsa vs. #6 Marshall, 3:30 p.m. (CBS SN)
#1 Memphis vs. #8 UTEP, 7:30 p.m. (CBS SN)
#4 UCF vs. #5 UAB, 10:00 p.m. (CBS SN)

The day in Memphis appropriately tips off with Southern Miss, who despite their gaudy record still needs a strong conference tournament to feel comfortable with their NCAA tournament hopes. Larry Eustachy's team has very good computer numbers (17 RPI, 60 SOS) but there have been questions about the validity of those numbers. Whether or not that's fair is a conversation for another day, but the least that Neil Watson and company can do is simply keep winning. UCF likely needs to win the automatic bid, or at the very least reach Saturday's title game, to get to the Big Dance and the individual battle between Keith Clanton and UAB's Cameron Moore will go a long way in determining the outcome. Memphis takes on UTEP, and given the Miners' struggles on the offensive end of the floor the Tigers should advance provided Joe Jackson stays under control.

Great West - First Round
#5 Houston Baptist vs. #4 NJIT, 3:30 p.m.
The winner of the Great West Tournament gets an automatic bid to the CIT, and top seed Utah Valley is the favorite to get that done. The Wolverines take on the winner of HBU/NJIT, and the tandem of Chris Flores and Isaiah Wilkerson will need to play well if the Highlanders are to advance. Marcus Davis leads the way for Houston Baptist, and with the two teams splitting the regular season series it's anyone's guess as to who wins.

MAC - Quarterfinals
#8 Western Michigan vs. # 4 Kent State, 7:00 p.m. (STO)
#7 Toledo vs. # 3 Ohio, 9:30 p.m. (STO)

Ohio and Kent State make their debuts at the 2012 edition MAC tournament tonight, as they take on Toledo and Western Michigan respectively. The top four seeds all hail from the East Division, which underlines how much better it was than the West throughout the course of the season. D.J. Cooper has led the way at the point for John Groce's Bobcats, and his presence along with that of other key scoring options means that Ohio winning the tournament wouldn't be a shock. The same can be said for Rob Senderoff's Golden Flashes, who have four players averaging at least 9.8 points per game with Justin Greene leading the way. Akron and Buffalo await the winners in Friday's semifinals.

MEAC - Quarterfinals
#3 Delaware State vs. #11 Florida A&M, 6:00 p.m.
#5 North Carolina Central vs. #4 Bethune-Cookman, 8:00 p.m.

With top-seed Savannah State going down on Wednesday things have opened up at the top of the bracket, something that both Bethune-Cookman and North Carolina Central hope to take advantage of. NCCU is led by the tandem of Dominique Sutton and Ray Willis, as they're averaging 31.4 points per game. Guards Adrien Coleman and Kevin Dukes pace the Wildcats, who are also capable of not just winning tonight but getting to the NCAA tournament. On the other side of the bracket Delaware State and Florida A&M meet with the winner taking on Norfolk State tomorrow night, and the Hornets haven't disappointed in the suspense department this season. Don't be surprised if tonight's game goes down to the wire as well.

Mountain West - Quarterfinals
#1 San Diego State vs. #8 Boise State, 3:00 p.m. (The Mtn.)
#4 Colorado State vs. #5 TCU, 5:30 p.m. (The Mtn./CBS SN)
#2 New Mexico vs. #7 Air Force 9:00 p.m. (The Mtn.)
#3 UNLV vs. #6 Wyoming 11:30 p.m. (The Mtn./CBS SN)

The Mountain West has the look of a four-bid league at this point, but could there be a fifth team with the ability to pop up and grab the automatic bid? If so, TCU may be that team provided they take some of their mojo from Daniel Meyer Arena with them to Las Vegas. The Horned Frogs lost just one home conference game this season (SDSU), and with point guard Hank Thorns they have the best distributor in the conference. Their 4/5 battle with Colorado State should be highly entertaining given the caliber of CSU's guards, and while the Frogs have a little more size inside a lack of it hasn't prevented Pierce Hornung from out-toughing the opposition many times this season. SDSU, New Mexico and host UNLV are all playing to improve their NCAA tournament seeding, which should make for great semifinal action on Friday provided they all advance.

Pac-12 - Quarterfinals
#9 Oregon State vs. #1 Washington, 3:10 p.m. (FSN)
#5 UCLA vs. #4 Arizona, 5:40 p.m. (FSN)
#7 Stanford vs. #2 California, 9:10 p.m. (FSN)
#6 Colorado vs. #3 Oregon, 11:40 p.m. (FSN)

Thanks to Wednesday's action there's a new record for the teams to avoid: 94 points, as in the lowest combined point total in a Pac-12 tournament game (Colorado/Utah did that just hours after UCLA/USC established a "new" mark of 95 points). That's the way this season has gone for the conference, which will need some excellent basketball for its NCAA prospects. Washington won the regular season title and Cal has the best resume, but the Huskies would be well-served to not get bounced by Oregon State. Arizona suspended Josiah Turner for the tournament and UCLA had to bench Joshua Smith for the first half on Wednesday due to his tardiness in getting to the team bus. Colorado may have been poor offensively but both of their games with Oregon have been exciting contests that didn't lack for scoring. Any one of these teams can grab the automatic bid at this point, and that parity's been a bit of a curse for the Pac-12 this season.

SEC - First Round
#8 LSU vs. #9 Arkansas, 1:00 p.m. (SEC Network)
#5 Alabama vs. #12 South Carolina, 3:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
#7 Ole Miss vs. #10 Auburn, 7:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
#6 Mississippi State vs. #11 Georgia, 10:00 p.m. (SEC Network)

Seeds five through seven have the most on the line today in New Orleans, with the Crimson Tide looking to be the safest bet to go dancing. Mississippi State has faltered down the stretch and despite their individual talent it remains to be seen if they've got the mental toughness (and focus) required to turn things around. And while Ole Miss hasn't been discussed a great deal nationally in regards to the NCAA tournament bubble, Andy Kennedy's Rebels are still alive and a good showing this weekend could punch their ticket. Ole Miss also suspended Jelan Kendrick for the weekend due to his, shall we say interesting, actions before the Rebels' regular season finale. The key players today: Alabama's Trevor Releford and Mississippi State's Dee Bost. Those two play well and their teams will win; don't and both the Tide and Bulldogs will be headed home.

SWAC - Quarterfinals
#3 Prairie View A&M vs. #6 Alcorn State, 1:30 p.m. (SWAC TV)
#4 Alabama State vs. #5 UAPB, 9:00 p.m. (SWAC TV)

Top-seed Mississippi Valley State avoided disaster last night, advancing to the semis with a three-point win over Jackson State. Both they and texas Southern await the winners of today's quarterfinals, which begins with Prairie View A&M battling Alcorn State. Prairie View won by three in their last meeting...five days ago, with Jordan Demuynck going off for 27 points to lead the Panthers. Alabama State and UAPB both finished 9-9 in conference play, which makes it anyone's guess as to who wins tonight.

WAC - Quarterfinals
#3 Idaho vs. #6 Hawai'i, 3:00 p.m.
#2 New Mexico State vs. #7 Fresno State, 5:30 p.m.
#1 Nevada vs. #8 San Jose State, 9:00 p.m.
#4 Utah State vs. #5 Louisiana Tech, 11:30 p.m.

There are two conference tournaments in Las Vegas this weekend with the WAC taking over Orleans Arena this weekend. Nevada has been the best team all season long in the WAC but that would all be for naught if they were to get upset. New Mexico State is the team best equipped to grab the automatic bid if the Wolf Pack don't thanks to Wendell McKines, and Idaho handed Nevada their lone conference loss this season. As for the disappointing team that may be capable of making a run look no furthern than Hawai'i, who can call on Vander Joaquim and Joston Thomas inside.

Conference Tournament Schedules, Week 2

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 05:37:50 -0800

Week One Conference Tournament Schedules

ACC (March 8-11 in Atlanta)
Regular season champion: North Carolina
.pdf bracket

Thursday, March 8 - First Round
#8 Maryland 82, #9 Wake Forest 60
#5 NC State 78, #12 Boston College 57
#10 Virginia Tech 68, #7 Clemson 63
#6 Miami 54, #11 Georgia Tech 36

Friday, March 9 - Quarterfinals
#1 North Carolina 85, #8 Maryland 69
#5 NC State 67, #4 Virginia 64
#2 Duke 60, #10 Virginia Tech 56
#3 Florida State 82, #6 Miami 71

Saturday, March 10 - Semifinals
#1 North Carolina vs. #5 NC State, 1:00 p.m. (ESPN/ACC Network/ESPN3
#2 Duke vs. #3 Florida State, 3:00 p.m. (ESPN/ACC Network/ESPN3)

Sunday, March 11 - Title Game
Semifinal winners, 1:00 p.m. (ESPN/ACC Network/ESPN3)

Atlantic 10 (March 6 (at higher seeded teams), 9-11 in Atlantic City)
Regular season champion: Temple
.pdf bracket

Tuesday, March 6 - First Round
#8 Massachusetts 92, #9 Duquesne 83
#5 Saint Joseph's 80, #12 Charlotte 64
#7 La Salle 80, #10 Richmond 72
#6 Dayton 67, #11 George Washington 50

Friday, March 9 - Quarterfinals
#8 Massachusetts 77, #1 Temple 71
#4 St. Bonaventure 71, #5 Saint Joseph's 68
#2 Saint Louis 78, #7 La Salle 71
#3 Xavier 70, #6 Dayton 69

Saturday, March 10 - Semifinals
#8 Massachusetts vs. #4 St. Bonaventure, 1:00pm (CBS SN)
#2 Saint Louis vs. #3 Xavier, 3:30pm (CBS SN)

Sunday, March 11 - Title Game
Semifinal winners, 1:00pm (CBS)

Big 12 (March 7-10 in Kansas City)
Regular season champion: Kansas
.pdf bracket

Wednesday, March 7 - First Round
#9 Texas A&M 62, #8 Oklahoma 53
#7 Oklahoma State 76, #10 Texas Tech 60

Thursday, March 8 - Quarterfinals
#4 Baylor 82, #5 Kansas State 74
#1 Kansas 83, #9 Texas A&M 66
#2 Missouri 88, #7 Oklahoma State 70
#6 Texas 71, #3 Iowa State 65

Friday, March 9 - Semifinals
#4 Baylor 81, #1 Kansas 72
#2 Missouri 81, #6 Texas 67

Saturday, March 10 - Title Game
#4 Baylor vs. #2 Missouri, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN)

Big East (March 6-10 in New York City)
Regular season champion: Syracuse
.pdf bracket

Tuesday, March 6 - First Round
#9 Connecticut 81, # 16 DePaul 67
# 13 Pittsburgh 73, # 12 St. John's 59
# 10 Seton Hall 79, #15 Providence 47
# 14 Villanova 70, 11 Rutgers49

Wednesday, March 7 - Second Round
#9 Connecticut 71, #8 West Virginia (OT)
#5 Georgetown 64, #13 Pittsburgh 52
#7 Louisville 61 #10 Seton Hall 55
#6 USF 56, #14 Villanova 47

Thursday, March 8 - Quarterfinals
#1 Syracuse 58, #9 Connecticut 55
#4 Cincinnati 72, #5 Georgetown 70 (2OT)
#7 Louisville 84, #2 Marquette 71
#3 Notre Dame 57, #6 USF 53

Friday, March 9 - Semifinals
#4 Cincinnati 71, #4 Syracuse 68
#7 Louisville 64, #3 Notre Dame 50

Saturday, March 10 - Title Game
#4 Cincinnati vs. #7 Louisville, 9:00 p.m. (ESPN)

Big Ten (March 8-11 in Indianapolis)
Regular season champions: Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State
.pdf bracket

Thursday, March 8 - First Round
#8 Iowa 64, #9 Illinois 61
#5 Indiana 75, #12 Penn State 58
#10 Minnesota 75, #7 Northwestern 68
#6 Purdue 79, #11 Nebraska 61

Friday, March 9 - Quarterfinals
#1 Michigan State 92, #8 Iowa 75
#4 Wisconsin 79, #5 Indiana 71
#2 Michigan 73, #10 Minnesota 69 (OT)
#3 Ohio State 88, #6 Purdue 71

Saturday, March 10 - Semifinals
#1 Michigan State vs. #4 Wisconsin, 1:40 p.m. (CBS)
#3 Michigan vs. #2 Ohio State, 4:05 p.m. (CBS)

Sunday, March 11, 2012 - Title Game
Semifinal winners, 3:30 p.m. (CBS)

Big West (March 8-10 in Anaheim, CA)
Regular season champion: Long Beach State
.pdf bracket

Thursday, March 8 - Quarterfinals
#3 UC Santa Barbara 72, # 6 Pacific 52
#7 UC Irvine 65, #2 Cal State Fullerton 59
#1 Long Beach State 80, #8 UC Davis 46
#4 Cal Poly 66, #5 UC Riverside 54

Friday, March 9 - Semifinals
#1 Long Beach State 68, #7 UC Irvine 57
#3 UCSB 64, #4 Cal Poly 52

Saturday, March 10 - Title Game
#1 Long Beach State, #3 UCSB, 10:00 pm (ESPN2)

Conference USA (March 7-10 in Memphis, TN)
Regular season champion: Memphis
.pdf bracket

Wednesday, March 7 - First Round
#10 East Carolina 68, #7 Rice 66
#6 Marshall 74, #11 SMU 56
#8 UTEP 67, #9 Houston 62 (OT)
#5 UAB 72, #12 Tulane 64

Thursday, March 8 - Quarterfinals
#2 Southern Miss 81, #10 East Carolina 78 (OT)
#6 Marshall 105, #3 Tulsa 100 (3OT)
#1 Memphis 65, #8 UTEP 47
#4 UCF 64, #5 UAB 54

Friday, March 9 - Semifinals
#6 Marshall 73, #2 Southern Miss 62
#1 Memphis 83, #4 UCF 52

Saturday, March 10 - Title Game
#6 Marshall vs. #1 Memphis, 11:35 a.m. (CBS)

Great West (March 8-10 in Chicago, IL)
Regular season champion: Utah Valley
.pdf bracket

Thursday, March 8 - First Round
#4 NJIT 65, #5 Houston Baptist 64

Friday, March 9 - Semifinals
#4 NJIT 88, #1 Utah Valley 78 (OT)
#2 North Dakota 63, #3 UT-Pan American

Saturday, Mar 10 - Title Game
#4 NJIT vs. #2 North Dakota, 5:00 p.m.

Mid-American (March 5 (campus sites), 7-10 in Cleveland, OH)
Regular season champion: Akron
.pdf bracket

Monday, March 5 - First Round
#12 Northern Illinois 55, # 5 Eastern Michigan 52
#8 Western Michigan 69, #9 Ball State 63
#7 Toledo 60, Miami (OH) 53
#11 Central Michigan 54, # 6 Bowling Green 53

Wednesday, March 7 - Second Round
#8 Western Michigan 71, #12 Northern Illinois 54
#7 Toledo 75, #11 Central Michigan 72

Thursday, March 8 - Quarterfinals
#4 Kent State 76, #8 Western Michigan 72
#3 Ohio 65, #7 Toledo 57

Friday, March 9 - Semifinals
# 1 Akron 78, #4 Kent State 74
#3 Ohio 77, # 2 Buffalo 74

Saturday, March 10 - Title Game
#1 Akron vs. #3 Ohio, 8:00 p.m. (ESPN2)

MEAC (March 6-10 in Winston-Salem, NC)
Regular season champion: Savannah State
.pdf bracket

Tuesday, March 6 - Opening Round
#8 Hampton 69, # 9 Morgan State 65
#10 Howard 51, # 7 North Carolina A&T 50
#5 North Carolina Central 60, # 12 UMES 43
#4 Bethune-Cookman 62, # 13 South Carolina State 53
#11 Florida A&M 74, # 6 Coppin State 72

Wednesday, March 7 - Opening Round/Quarterfinals
#8 Hampton 59, #1 Savannah State 46
#2 Norfolk State 71, #10 Howard 61

Thursday, March 8 - Quarterfinals
#11 Florida A&M 65, #3 Delaware State 55 (OT)
#4 Bethune-Cookman 60, #5 North Carolina Central 59

Friday, March 9 - Semifinals
#4 Bethune-Cookman 81, #8 Hampton 72
#2 Norfolk State 58, #11 Florida A&M 46

Saturday, March 10 - Title Game
#4 Bethune-Cookman vs. #2 Norfolk State, 1:00 PM (ESPN2)

Mountain West (March 8-10 in Las Vegas)
Regular season champions: New Mexico and San Diego State
.pdf bracket

Thursday, March 8 - Quarterfinals
#1 San Diego State 65, #8 Boise State 62
#4 Colorado State 81, #5 TCU 60
#2 New Mexico 79, #7 Air Force 64
#3 UNLV 56, #6 Wyoming 48

Friday, March 9 - Semifinals
#1 San Diego State 79, #4 Colorado State 69
#2 New Mexico 72, #3 UNLV 67

Saturday, March 10 - Title Game
#1 San Diego State vs. #2 New Mexico, 7:00 p.m.(NBC SN)

Pac-12 (March 7-10 in Los Angeles)
Regular season champion: Washington
.pdf bracket

Wednesday, March 7 - First Round
#9 Oregon State 69, #8 Washington 64
#5 UCLA 55, #12 USC 40
#7 Stanford 85, #10 Arizona State 65
#6 Colorado 53, #11 Utah 41

Thursday, March 8 - Quarterfinals
#9 Oregon State 86, #1 Washington 84
#4 Arizona 66, #5 UCLA 58
#2 California 77, #7 Stanford 71
#6 Colorado 63, #3 Oregon 62

Friday, March 9 - Semifinals
#4 Arizona 72, #9 Oregon State 61
#6 Colorado 70, #2 California 59

Saturday, March 10 - Title Game
#4 Arizona vs. #6 Colorado, 6:10 p.m. (CBS)

SEC (March 8-11 in New Orleans)
Regular season champion: Kentucky
.pdf bracket

Thursday, March 8 - First Round
#8 LSU 70, #9 Arkansas 54
#5 Alabama 63, #12 South Carolina 57
#7 Ole Miss 68, #10 Auburn 54
#11 Georgia 71, #6 Mississippi State 61

Friday, March 9 - Quarterfinals
#1 Kentucky 60, #8 LSU 51
#4 Florida 66, #5 Alabama 63
#7 Ole Miss 77, #2 Tennessee 72 (OT)
#3 Vanderbilt 63, #11 Georgia 41

Saturday, March 10 - Semifinals
#1 Kentucky vs. #4 Florida, 1:00 p.m. (ABC)
#7 Ole Miss vs. #3 Vanderbilt, 3:30 p.m. (ABC)

Sunday, March 11 - Title Game
Semifinal winners, 1:00 p.m. (ABC)

Southland (March 7-8, 10 in Katy, TX)
Regular season champion: UT Arlington
.pdf bracket

Wednesday, March 7 - Quarterfinals
#2 Stephen F. Austin 68, #7 Sam Houston St 46
#3 Lamar 76, #6 Northwestern St. 69
#1 UT Arlington 96, #8 Nicholls St. 48
#4 McNeese St. 78, #5 UTSA 78 (OT)

Thursday, March 8 -Semifinals
#3 Lamar 55, #2 Stephen F. Austin 44
#4 McNeese St. 92, #1 UT Arlington 72

Saturday March 10 - Title Game
#3 Lamar vs. #4 McNeese St., 3:00 p.m. (ESPN2)

SWAC (March 7-10 in Garland, TX)
Regular season champion: Mississippi Valley State
.pdf bracket

Wednesday, March 7 -Quarterfinals
#2 Texas Southern 75, #7 Alabama A&M 62
#1 Mississippi Valley State 63, #8 Jackson State 60

Thursday, March 8 - Quarterfinals
#6 Alcorn State 103, #3 Prairie View A&M 79
#5 UAPB 60, #4 Alabama St. 56

Friday, March 9 - Semifinals
#2 Texas Southern 60, #6 Alcorn State 55
#1 Mississippi Valley State 71, #5 UAPB 64

Saturday, March 10 - Title Game
#2 Texas Southern vs. #1 Mississippi Valley State, 8:00 p.m. (ESPNU)

WAC (March 8-10 in Las Vegas)
Regular season champion: Nevada
.pdf bracket

Thursday, March 8 - Quarterfinals
#6 Hawai'i 72, #3 Idaho 70
#2 New Mexico State 65, #7 Fresno State 49
#1 Nevada 54, #8 San Jose State 44
#5 Louisiana Tech 72, #4 Utah State 72

Friday, March 9 - Semifinals
#2 New Mexico State 92, #6 Hawai'i 81
#5 Louisiana Tech 78, #1 Nevada 73

Saturday, March 10 - Title Game
#2 New Mexico State vs. #5 Louisiana Tech, Midnight (ESPN2)

Jon Teitel's All-Conference Teams, Part Two

Jon Teitel — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 21:01:39 -0800

Last week CHN writer Jon Teitel unvelied part one of his CollegeHoops.net All-Conference selections, featuring the fourteen conferences that begain conference tournament play at that time. The final seventeen teams are here, with the Player of the Year in each league in italics.

Atlantic 10
G Ramone Moore (Temple)
G Tu Holloway (Xavier)
G Khalif Wyatt (Temple)
F Chris Gaston (Fordham)
F Andrew Nicholson (St. Bonaventure)

ACC
G Terrell Stoglin (Maryland)
G C.J. Harris (Wake Forest)
F Tyler Zelller (North Carolina)
F Mike Scott (Virginia)
F John Henson (North Carolina)

Big 12
G J'Covan Brown (Texas)
G Marcus Denmon (Missouri)
G Tyshawn Taylor (Kansas)
F Thomas Robinson (Kansas)
F Royce White (Iowa State)

Big East
G Darius Johnson-Odom (Marquette)
G Jeremy Lamb (Connecticut)
F Kevin Jones (West Virginia)
F Jae Crowder (Marquette)
F Herb Pope (Seton Hall)

Big Ten
G Tim Frazier (Penn St.)
G Drew Crawford (Northwestern)
F John Shurna (Northwestern)
F Jared Sullinger (Ohio St.)
F Draymond Green (Michigan St.)

Big West
G Orlando Johnson (UCSB)
G Phil Martin (UC Riverside)
G Casper Ware (Long Beach St.)
F Stephan Hicks (Cal-State Northridge)
F T.J. Robinson (Long Beach St.)

Conference USA
G Will Barton (Memphis)
G DeAndre Kane (Marshall)
G Miguel Paul (East Carolina)
F Cameron Moore (UAB)
F Arsalan Kazemi (Rice)

Independents
G Mitch Albers (Nebraska-Omaha)
G Isaiah Wilkerson (NJIT)
F Aaron Broussard (Seattle)
F Jeremy Robinson (Chicago St.)
C Antwan Carter (Longwood)

Ivy
G Zack Rosen (Pennsylvania)
G Brian Barbour (Columbia)
G Sean McGonagill (Brown)
F Greg Mangano (Yale)
F Ian Hummer (Princeton)

Mid-American
G Rian Pearson (Toledo)
G Trey Ziegler (Central Michigan)
F Julian Mavunga (Miami (OH))
F Jarrod Jones (Ball St.)
F Mitchell Watt (Buffalo)

MEAC
G Darrion Pellum (Hampton)
G Tony Gallo (Coppin St.)
G Jay Threatt (Delaware St.)
F Brandon Riley (South Carolina St.)
C Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk St.)

Mountain West
G Wes Eikmeier (Colorado St.)
G Jamal Franklin (San Diego St.)
G Chase Tapley (San Diego St.)
F Mike Moser (UNLV)
F Drew Gordon (New Mexico)

Pac-12
G Jared Cunningham (Oregon St.)
G Tony Wroten (Washington)
G Devoe Joseph (Oregon)
F Brock Motum (Washington St.)
F Andre Roberson (Colorado)

SEC
G John Jenkins (Vanderbilt)
G Dee Bost (Mississippi St.)
F Jeffery Taylor (Vanderbilt)
F Arnett Moultrie (Mississippi St.)
F Anthony Davis (Kentucky)

Southland
G Mike James (Lamar)
G Anthony Miles (Lamar)
F Patrick Richard (McNeese St.)
F LaMarcus Reed III (UT-Arlington)
C William Mosley (Northwestern St.)

SWAC
G Quincy Roberts (Grambling St.)
G Savalace Townsend (UAPB)
G Terrence Joyner (Mississippi Valley St.)
F Quinton Doggett (Southern)
C Paul Crosby (Mississippi Valley St.)

WAC
G Kevin Olekaibe (Fresno St.)
G James Kinney (San Jose St.)
G Deonte Burton (Nevada)
F Wendell McKines (New Mexico St.)
C Vander Joaquim (Hawai'i)

Consensus Conference Ranking: February vs January

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 07:56:23 -0800

Although the conference table was mostly set back in January when we last updated the Consensus Conference Ranking, there have been some changes since. As you'll see below, the Mountain West dropped from 4th to 6th since January 3rd, while the Colonial and Ivy have jumped 2 spots. This often has to do with the benefits conferences get from regularly playing a Top ranked team: ie, Murray St's ranking rubbing off on the rest of the OVC teams, or Kentucky rubbing off on the SEC.

Below is the Consensus Conference Ranking as of today, as well as January's ranking below for reference. The difference in standings can be seen in green/red.

Rank	Conference	RPI	KenPom	Sagarin	Avg	Change
1	Big Ten	1	1	1	1.0
2	Big 12	3	2	2	2.3
3	Big East	2	3	3	2.7
4	SEC	4	4	4	4.0	+1
5	ACC	6	5	5	5.3	+1
6	Mountain West	5	6	6	5.7	-2
7	Atlantic 10	7	7	8	7.3	+2
8	Pac 12	10	8	7	8.3	-1
9	Missouri Valley	8	9	9	8.7	-1
10	CUSA	9	10	10	9.7
11	WCC	11	11	11	11.0
12	WAC	12	12	12	12.0	+1
13	Horizon	13	15	13	13.7	-1
14	Colonial	15	13	14	14.0	+2
15	Ivy	14	14	16	14.7	+2
16	MAC	17	17	15	16.3	-2
17t	Summit	16	18	19	17.7	-2
17t	Atlantic Sun	20	16	17	17.7
19	Sun Belt	19	19	18	18.7	-1
20	MAAC	18	20	20	19.3
21	Big West	24	21	21	22.0
22t	Patriot	22	22	23	22.3
22t	Ohio Valley	21	24	22	22.3	+2
24	Southern	23	23	25	23.7	-2
25	Big Sky	26	26	24	25.3	+1
26	Big South	27	25	26	26.0	+2
27	Northeast	25	27	28	26.7	+1
28	Southland	28	28	27	27.7	-1
29	America East	29	29	29	29.0
30	MEAC	30	30	30	30.0	-1
31	Independent	31	31	31	31.0
32	SWAC	32	32	32	32.0	-1

	January 3rd
1	Big Ten	1	1	1	1.0
2	Big 12	3	2	2	2.3
3	Big East	2	3	3	2.7
4	Mountain West	4	6	4	4.7
5	SEC	6	4	5	5.0
6	ACC	5	5	6	5.3
7	Pac 12	9	7	7	7.7
8	Missouri Valley	7	9	8	8.0
9	Atlantic 10	8	8	9	8.3
10	CUSA	11	10	10	10.3
11	WCC	10	11	11	10.7
12	Horizon	12	13	13	12.7
13	WAC	18	12	12	14.0
14	MAC	14	15	14	14.3
15	Summit	13	17	15	15.0
16	Colonial	20	14	16	16.7
17	Ivy	17	16	19	17.3
18	Sun Belt	15	20	17	17.3
19	Atlantic Sun	19	18	18	18.3
20	MAAC	16	19	21	18.7
21	Big West	21	21	20	20.7
22t	Patriot	23	22	26	23.7
22t	Southern	22	24	25	23.7
24t	Ohio Valley	24	25	24	24.3
24t	Big South	27	23	23	24.3
26	Big Sky	28	26	22	25.3
27	Southland	25	28	27	26.7
28	Northeast	26	27	28	27.0
29t	America East	31	29	29	29.7
29t	MEAC	29	30	30	29.7
31t	Independent	32	31	31	31.3
31t	SWAC	30	32	32	31.3

Cal State Fullerton's Success With Transfers Paying Off

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 23:12:18 -0800

Note: The original version of this story can be read here

Last season Bob Burton's Cal State Fullerton Titans took more than their fair share of lumps on the way to an 11-20 record. Fullerton was unable to recover from a 4-11 non-conference record, and the fact that they were able to go 7-9 in Big West play despite a seven-man rotation was likely an achieve unto itself. While the Titans took their lumps in games however, they could take solace in the fact that three very talented transfers were awaiting their chance to take the floor. Those three first-year players, combined with returnees who have accepted their augmented roles, are a bid reason why Burton's Titans are two wins away from a 20-win campaign.

Kwame Vaughn, D.J. Seeley and Omondi Amoke all arrived from Division I programs within the state, with Vaughn showing up by way of San Francisco while both Seeley and Amoke began their college careers at Cal. They're now three of the top four scorers for the Titans, who have won five straight and eight of their last nine games to move to 18-7 overall and 9-3 in conference play. In spite of the seven-win turnaround to this point it really shouldn't be a surprise that the Titans are having success with transfers. It's been something that Coach Burton and his staff have been able to do for some time now.

"We're notorious for transfers," Burton said in a phone conversation last week. "It's a way to get top-rated players here as opposed to recruiting them out of high school."

Given the presence of the Pac-12 and Mountain West in southern California when it comes to recruiting, it's not a bad strategy at all provided the guys taken in are good for team chemistry. Fullerton's most recent NCAA tournament trip (2008) was led by Washington State transfer Josh Akognon and their entire lineup consisted of transfers, the lone team in that tournament able to make that claim. But once again such strides can't be made if all parties aren't on board, and the chemistry of this current group of Titans is a big reason why they've played so well.

"Our number one concern was chemistry, but it was really good that most of our returnees knew that we needed help," noted Burton. "It's been difficult at times but we're really together right now."

Seeley (16.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and Vaughn (16.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.1 apg) are the leading scorers, and with regards to Vaughn's play the ninth-year head coach pointed to Fullerton's 73-66 loss at Cal State Bakersfield on November 26th as the turning point. In the middle game of Fullerton's three-game losing streak Vaughn scored a team-best 17 points but didn't tally a single assist, and for a player being used in a point guard role something had to give. And it isn't very often that the head coach will step up and admit that he needed to change his approach, as Burton did with Vaughn.

"At first we moved him to the two but after Fullerton we just let him settle in and play," said Burton of his scoring point guard. Since that game Vaughn has gone without an assist in just one game and he's averaging 5.2 helpers per contest over the last five. His best game was a 37-point, six-assist effort in the Titans' 99-86 win over UCSB on February 4th, a contest that did wonders for a program given the national TV audience and a sold-out Titan Gym.

While Seeley's been free to go to work on the perimeter as the Titans' primary scoring option, Amoke's been the anchor in the frontcourt for Fullerton. The 6'7" senior is averaging 12.2 points and a team-best 8.7 rebounds per game on the season, and he's got a 23-point, 17-rebound performance to his credit as well (94-84 win over UC Irvine). Amoke's had help inside as well, as one-time USF Bull Orane Chin has been a quiet, steady force with averages of 10.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game and Sedric Martin's been able to earn more minutes in recent games.

There's another returnee who certainly merits mention on the perimeter in sophomore Isiah Umipig, who averaged 7.4 points and 1.2 assists per game in 20.4 minutes of action as a freshman. Umipig has increased both his scoring (13.6) and assist (2.4) numbers playing alongside Vaughn, and there's no doubt that his experiences as a freshman have helped improve his game as a sophomore. Having Vaughn allows Umipig to continue to mature as a player, with the goal being that he's ready for more point guard responsibilities next season.

"He'll eventually be a point guard," said Burton of Umipig, who scored 25 points in the win over UCSB. "He just needs to keep maturing and get better at getting to the basket."

It's clear that Long Beach State, who is currently undefeated in Big West play (13-0), is the class of the conference heading into the stretch run and Coach Burton even said that in his view UCSB remains the second-best team in the Big West (they did win the first meeting in Santa Barbara). But thanks to their productive transfers and all parties (newcomers and returnees alike) being willing and able to coexist, it would be wise to keep an eye on Cal State Fullerton down the stretch. There's enough talent at Coach Burton's disposal for this season to go from being good to special.