Previews

College Hoops Thursday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 01:14:03 -0800

First place is on the line in the Colonial Athletic Association on Thursday night as Hofstra (14-6, 8-1) heads south to take on VCU (16-5, 8-1) in a matchup that features two of the best guards at the mid-major level. Charles Jenkins (23.7 ppg, 5.0 apg) is practically a household name at this point in his career and with a pro body combined with an excellent skill set the senior from Queens is a solid bet to end up on an NBA roster next season. But Shaka Smart's Rams have a very good point guard of their own in senior Joey Rodriguez (10.8 ppg, 4.8 apg), with his ability to run the show being a key factor in VCU's success. But the guards aren't the only players who will be on display Thursday night as each team has talent inside as well. The best player of this group may be VCU's Jamie Skeen, who's averaging a team-best 14.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.

Skeen shoots 54% from the field and also does a good job of getting to the foul line, knocking free throws down at a 74% clip. On the opposite side will be Hofstra senior Greg Washington, a slender big man who can step out and knock down the mid-range jumper in addition to blocking shots on the defensive end. Washington ranks second in the CAA in blocks with an average of two per game, and while he scores just seven points per game with the presence of Jenkins and Mike Moore (14.7 ppg) it's not Washington's job to be a lights-out scorer. David Imes provides some of the "muscle" up front for the Pride, who are being out-rebounded by an average of 2.8 rebounds per game. But that margin's better than VCU's, who have a rebounding margin of minus-4.0 on the season. With neither team being all that dominant on the boards rebounding could be one area that may decide the outcome.

In addition to Rodriguez on the perimeter VCU has junior Bradford Burgess, who averages 13.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while shooting 50.7% from the field and 44.3% from distance. Burgess doesn't have to create as many things offensively as Jenkins and Moore are required to do since he's got Rodriguez to do that, but he does a good job of producing (effective FG% : 59.1, offensive rating: 113.5) when the opportunities present themselves. In looking at the two teams the percentages from the field are very similar but Hofstra holds the edge in regards to the foul line, shooting 76% to 70% for the Rams. And that's to be expected when just one of the five Hofstra players who account for at least 18% of the team's possessions fails to make at least 70% of his free throws (Dwan McMillan-67.7%).

If the game is close late that could play a role in the outcome, especially with the presence of point guard Brad Kelleher lightening some of the load on Jenkins from a ball-handling standpoint. But VCU has won seven straight games and stands 9-0 at the Siegel Center, and with veterans such as Burgess, Rodriguez and Ed Nixon it comes as no surprise that the Rams are this good at home. But Mo Cassara's squad has gone out and simply gotten the job done on multiple occasions, and with a player the caliber of Jenkins a threat to score 30 every time out Hofstra has a shot to win not just on Thursday night but when the stakes are raised at the CAA Tournament in early March. Thursday's contest is the first step for one of these teams towards a first round by in said tournament, and just as importantly a step towards a regular season title.

Arizona hosting UCLA is another key game on the schedule from a "resume" standpoint, with both teams looking solid right now but a few more solid victories won't hurt either. The matchup between Derrick Williams (Arizona) and Reeves Nelson (UCLA) should be worth the price of admission alone, although Solomon Hill and Tyler Honeycutt should be entertaining as well. Saint Mary's looks to rebound from Saturday's loss at Vanderbilt with a win at Gonzaga, a task easier said than done due to both the atmosphere at The Kennel and Mark Few's team likely upset about dropping a pair of conference games last week. Boston College gets an opportunity at a huge victory as they visit Duke, and Maryland visits Virginia in desperate need of a win at this point in the season. Two other contest to keep an eye on are Oral Roberts visiting first-place Oakland in the Summit League, and Iona hosting Rider in a rematch of an entertaining 100-96 Iona victory earlier this month.

Top 25
8:00 PM Boston College at (3) Duke (ESPN3)
9:00 PM (21) Illinois at Indiana (BTN)
7:00 PM (22) Vanderbilt at Mississippi State (ESPN2)
11:00 PM (24) Saint Mary's at Gonzaga (ESPN2)
10:00 PM (25) Utah State at San Jose State

NCAA Division I Games
4:00 PM Towson at George Mason
7:00 PM Colgate at Holy Cross
7:00 PM Michigan at Michigan State (ESPN)
7:00 PM Long Island at Fairleigh Dickinson
7:00 PM UNC Greensboro at Chattanooga
7:00 PM Maryland at Virginia
7:00 PM Wofford at Appalachian State (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Kent State at Ball State
7:00 PM Mount St. Mary's at Central Connecticut State
7:00 PM Miami (OH) at Central Michigan
7:00 PM Middle Tennessee at Florida Atlantic
7:00 PM Western Kentucky at Florida International
7:00 PM Coastal Carolina at High Point
7:00 PM Saint Joseph's at La Salle
7:00 PM UNC Asheville at Liberty (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Oral Roberts at Oakland
7:00 PM Robert Morris at Quinnipiac
7:00 PM Charleston Southern at Radford
7:00 PM Saint Francis (PA) at Sacred Heart
7:00 PM Marist at Saint Peter's
7:00 PM Hofstra at VCU (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Gardner-Webb at Virginia Military
7:00 PM Furman at Western Carolina
7:00 PM Wagner at Bryant University
7:00 PM Centenary at IPFW
7:30 PM Rider at Iona
7:45 PM St. Francis (NY) at Monmouth
7:45 PM Tennessee State at Morehead State
8:00 PM Cleveland State at Illinois-Chicago
8:00 PM Louisiana-Monroe at Arkansas State
8:00 PM Austin Peay at Eastern Kentucky (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Idaho at Louisiana Tech (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Youngstown State at Loyola (IL)
8:00 PM Southern Utah at North Dakota State
8:00 PM Elon at Samford
8:00 PM UMKC at South Dakota State
8:00 PM South Alabama at Troy
8:05 PM North Texas at Louisiana-Lafayette
8:30 PM USC at Arizona State
8:45 PM Jacksonville State at Southeast Missouri State
9:00 PM UCLA at Arizona (ESPN2)
9:00 PM DePaul at South Florida (ESPNU)
9:00 PM Boise State at New Mexico State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Southern University at Alcorn State
9:00 PM Tennessee Tech at Eastern Illinois
9:00 PM Chicago State at Utah Valley
9:30 PM Texas-Pan American at North Dakota
9:30 PM Houston Baptist at South Dakota
10:00 PM UC Santa Barbara at Cal Poly
10:00 PM Oregon at Stanford
10:00 PM UC Riverside at UC Davis
10:00 PM San Francisco at Loyola Marymount
10:00 PM San Diego at Portland
10:05 PM Idaho State at Sacramento State
10:05 PM Cal State Northridge at UC Irvine
10:05 PM Portland State at Eastern Washington
10:30 PM Fresno State at Nevada (ESPN3)
10:30 PM Santa Clara at Pepperdine
11:00 PM Oregon State at California (FSN)

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College Hoops Wednesday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 11:58:19 -0800

First place in the Mountain West is on the line in Provo as undefeated San Diego State (20-0, 5-0) visits BYU (19-1, 5-0). The Aztecs will also take on history tonight, as they've beaten BYU just once in Provo since the inception of the Mountain West (59-57 in 2005) with that victory being part of their only season sweep of the Cougars as MWC members. Two of the best players in America will be on display in BYU point guard Jimmer Fredette (26.7 ppg, 4.4 apg) and San Diego State forward Kawhi Leonard (15.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg), but these aren't the only two outstanding players who will be on display. Jackson Emery may be one of the nation's most underrated players, averaging 13.0 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. But ask UNLV about the senior guard, who hit them up for 22 in BYU's 89-77 win at the Thomas & Mack Center back on January 15th. Emery's averaged 17.7 points per game in the Cougars' last three contests, and too much focus on Fredette could lead to Emery burning the opposition.

The Aztecs boast a talented frontcourt with Malcolm Thomas (11.9, 8.1) and Billy White (9.7, 3.4) just two of the contributors outside of Leonard. Both are active on both ends of the floor, with White owning a 30-point performance at the expense of Gonzaga and Thomas reaching double figures in 13 of SDSU's 20 games. Add in Brian Carlwell and Tim Shelton to the rotation and San Diego State has the depth to give Brandon Davies (11.3, 5.6), Noah Hartsock (9.8, 5.8) and company problems inside. SDSU has a rebounding margin of plus-6.5 on the season (and an offensive rebounding percentage of 38.3%), and while not a great deal higher than BYU's advantage (plus-4.3) those numbers are posted in different styles of play. The Cougars average 73 possessions per game, ten more than the Aztecs. The more possessions the lesser the impact that rebounding can have on a game in most cases, so keep an eye on tempo tonight. If Fredette and company can find good looks early in the shot clock and get the crowd at the Marriott Center involved this becomes their kind of game.

These teams have similar efficiency ratings offensively while averaging 1.16 points per possession, but the way in which they get their points displays the difference in philosophy. San Diego State scores 58.6% of their points on two-point shots, but don't be fooled into thinking that the Aztecs can't shoot from the perimeter. D.J. Gay, who got white-hot in the win at New Mexico, and James Rahon are both shooting over 40% from three and Chase Tapley is knocking them down at a 37% clip. BYU gets 30.5% of their points from three thanks in large part to Fredette and Emery. But Davies and Hartsock can get it done inside, and freshman Kyle Collinsworth will also provide some scoring from the wing. Collinsworth has reached double figures in each of the last three games, including 16 in BYU's win at Colorado State on Saturday. Rebounding and how the Aztecs manage the tempo will determine the outcome in this matchup of Top 10 teams, but while watching also keep in mind that both teams are more than just one player outfits. That's what makes both dangerous clubs in the month of March.

In other contests Texas visits Oklahoma State in what should be an emotional night for the home team, who will commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the tragic plane crash that took the lives of ten members of the OSU basketball family and community. Thankfully the plane issues for Massachusetts (at St. Bonaventure) and North Carolina (at Miami) were properly navigated and those games will go on tonight. A depleted West Virginia visits Louisville while St. John's looks to sweep the season series with rival Georgetown in the Big East, and UCF hopes to right the ship at Memphis. And in the Missouri Valley Creighton visits Northern Iowa in a critical matchup, especially for the Panthers who could still have a run in them to reach the top of the league standings with just two games separating them and first-place Missouri State.

Top 25
10:00 PM (4) San Diego State at (9) BYU (CBS College)
7:00 PM (7) Villanova at Providence (ESPN3)
7:30 PM (8) Texas at Oklahoma State (ESPN)
8:30 PM Northwestern at (18) Minnesota (BTN)
7:00 PM West Virginia at (19) Louisville (ESPNU)
7:00 PM St. John's at (20) Georgetown (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
5:00 PM Lafayette at Army
6:30 PM Iowa at Penn State (BTN)
7:00 PM Southern Miss at East Carolina
7:00 PM Massachusetts at St. Bonaventure
7:00 PM Eastern Michigan at Ohio
7:00 PM Charlotte at Temple
7:00 PM Drexel at James Madison
7:00 PM Charleston at Georgia Southern
7:00 PM Northeastern at UNC Wilmington
7:00 PM Citadel at Davidson
7:00 PM Duquesne at Fordham
7:00 PM Towson at George Mason
7:00 PM Old Dominion at Georgia State
7:00 PM Saint Joseph's at La Salle
7:00 PM Bucknell at Lehigh
7:00 PM Albany at UMBC
7:00 PM American University at Navy
7:00 PM Jacksonville at North Florida
7:00 PM Delaware at William & Mary
7:00 PM George Washington at Xavier
7:05 PM Wichita State at Southern Illinois
7:05 PM Evansville at Indiana State
7:30 PM North Carolina at Miami (FL) (ESPN2)
7:30 PM Akron at Northern Illinois (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Marshall at UAB
8:00 PM Air Force at Colorado State (The Mtn.)
8:00 PM Southern Methodist at Tulsa
8:00 PM UCF at Memphis (CBS College)
8:00 PM Texas A&M-CC at Texas State
8:00 PM Southeastern Louisiana at Central Arkansas
8:00 PM McNeese State at Nicholls State
8:00 PM Stephen F. Austin at Sam Houston State
8:00 PM Murray State at SIU-Edwardsville
8:00 PM LSU at Tennessee (ESPN3)
8:00 PM North Carolina Central at Western Illinois
8:05 PM Illinois State at Bradley
8:05 PM Northwestern State at Lamar
9:00 PM Texas Tech at Iowa State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Binghamton at Boston University
9:00 PM Rhode Island at Saint Louis
9:00 PM Houston at Rice
9:00 PM Rutgers at Cincinnati (ESPN3)
9:05 PM Creighton at Northern Iowa (ESPNU)
9:05 PM Tulane at UTEP
10:00 PM TCU at New Mexico
10:00 PM Long Beach State at Pacific

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College Hoops Saturday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 01:38:09 -0800

First place in the Big 12 in on the line Saturday afternoon with Texas (15-3, 3-0), fresh off of an impressive win over rival Texas A&M, visiting Kansas (18-0, 3-0) with the undefeated Jayhawks looking to keep their 69-game home win streak alive. In order for Texas to pick up the victory they're going to need their frontcourt to play as well as they did against the Aggies if not better because they'll be up against one of the premier frontcourts in America. The Morris twins, Marcus (17.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg) and Markieff (13.2, 8.7), were outstanding in the Jayhawks' pasting of Baylor on Monday night and with Thomas Robinson also contributing they've got three players (not to mention Mario Little) who can give the Longhorns' deep front line problems for all forty minutes. But it isn't as if Rick Barnes is calling on a group of stiffs either, with starters Gary Johnson (12.1, 7.1) and Tristan Thompson (13.1, 7.7) more than able to make some things happen on both ends of the floor.

Add in Alexis Wangmene and Matt Hill off the bench and the Longhorns have enough bodies to match up man for man with Kansas inside. But foul trouble is the variable (injury notwithstanding), so whichever team encounters this issue early could have a problem. But Texas also has a wing in Jordan Hamilton who's been outstanding this season, most recently hitting Texas A&M for 27 points on 10-for-14 shooting from the field. The sophomore averages 19.7 points per game on the season and for those who think he's a scorer and nothing more you don't just walk into 7.1 rebounds per game. The question for the Jayhawks is how they go about guarding Hamilton, and they have some options in this area. Tyshawn Taylor gives up a few inches but he did a good job of making LaceDarius Dunn work for his points on Monday night, so this could be his matchup to start. It's difficult to see either Brady Morningstar of Tyrel Reed getting the call but Marcus Morris or Mario Little are possibilities in addition to Taylor.

Kansas brings along a tough defensive matchup as well, and that would be freshman guard Josh Selby. The Baltimore native is averaging 12.1 points per game in his nine games thus far, and while possessing the explosive ability to make things happen offensively he's been a bit inconsistent over his last five games. A solid double-digit effort has been followed by a quiet outing and if the trend holds Saturday could be a tough day at the office. But big-time players step up in big-time games as the saying goes, meaning that it should be a safe bet that he plays well. Texas can put defensive dynamo Dogus Balbay on him, and that could make things tough offensively for Selby. Kansas needs impressive showing from Selby and Taylor if they're to defend their home court, and the same goes for the likes of J'Covan Brown, freshman Cory Joseph and Jai Lucas.

Offensive efficiency will more than likely decide the outcome in Lawrence with both teams allowing opponents to shoot 37% from the field. Kansas shoots an exceptional 52.4% from the field with the ability to get the ball inside being of great benefit to the Jayhawks offensively. They're the better offensive team of these two in nearly every facet of the game, meaning that Texas has to exercise good decision-making in regards to their shot selection. Rushed, challenged shots are the recipe for getting blown out of Allen Fieldhouse from the start for any team regardless of ranking. But Texas has been the better team in regards to taking care of the basketball with a turnover percentage of just 17.2% (Kansas has a percentage of 19.9%), and that along with shot selection will be the ticket for the Longhorns if they're to win the game. While neither team will be in dire straits with a loss, a victory puts the winner in the driver's seat for the time being in the Big 12 race.

There are a number of important contests on the schedule for Saturday, beginning with both Villanova and Syracuse looking to avoid falling a possible two games behind first-place Pittsburgh in the loss column. Kris Joseph, who missed Monday night's loss at Pitt due to a head injury suffered last week against Cincinnati, is expected to play for the Orange but with head injuries so unpredictable how many points he provides is an unknown at this point. For Villanova they need Corey Stokes to play well; he's been quiet of late and they've either struggled offensively or lost as a result. The Big Ten race will also have a lot decided on Saturday with Illinois hosting Ohio State and Michigan State visiting Purdue. The last thing any of the other three teams want is for the Buckeyes to end up two game ahead of the competition at this stage in the race, because another road victory for Thad Matta's team could signal the end of the race.

The most important game in regards to the NCAA Tournament field could actually be in the Mountain West with New Mexico visiting UNLV. The Rebels, who have some solid non-conference results, are struggling due to a lack of consistency on offense combined with the recent knee injury for Tre'Von Willis. Chace Stanback, Anthony Marshall and Oscar Bellfield are just three of the players that Lon Kruger needs to get going (and soon). The same goes for New Mexico's Dairese Gary, who they need to score in addition to set up his young teammates, and the Lobos right now are well out of the at-large picture. The winner stays alive while the loser suffers a fourth conference loss and could be on life support, with that diagnosis being generous. Also in the Mountain West is an upset possibility for Tim Miles' Colorado State club, who hosts BYU in Fort Collins. The Rams have yet to beat one of the top four teams in the league since Miles' arrival but this program is on the rise, and the opportunity to host a Top 10 club in a sold-out arena doesn't come every day. Bruce Pearl makes his one-game return to coach the Volunteers at Connecticut, and this is the kind of game that the Vols end up winning (then lose to a bad team shortly thereafter). Also keep an eye on Kansas State/Texas A&M (Wildcats need a win), Temple/Xavier (critical Atlantic 10 matchup) and Boston College/Florida State (another game to help figure out the ACC pecking order).

Top 25
12:00 PM (1) Ohio State at (22) Illinois (CBS)
4:00 PM (11) Texas at (2) Kansas (CBS)
12:00 PM (7) Villanova at (3) Syracuse (ESPN)
4:00 PM (4) Pittsburgh at DePaul (ESPN3)
4:00 PM (5) Duke at Wake Forest (ESPN)
2:00 PM Tennessee at (8) Connecticut (CBS)
9:00 PM (9) BYU at Colorado State (The Mtn.)
2:00 PM (24) Kansas State at (10) Texas A&M (ESPN)
6:00 PM (12) Kentucky at South Carolina (ESPN)
9:00 PM (18) Michigan State at (13) Purdue (ESPN)
9:00 PM Iowa State at (14) Missouri (ESPNU)
5:00 PM (15) Louisville at Providence (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Marquette at (16) Notre Dame (ESPN3)
7:00 PM (19) Minnesota at Michigan (BTN)
4:00 PM Arizona State at (20) Washington (FSN)
2:00 PM (21) Saint Mary's at Vanderbilt
10:30 PM (25) Arizona at Washington State

NCAA Division I Games
11:00 AM George Mason at James Madison (ESPNU)
12:00 PM Richmond at Massachusetts
12:00 PM Georgia Tech at Virginia (ESPN3)
12:00 PM Rutgers at Seton Hall (ESPN3)
1:00 PM Lehigh at Lafayette
1:00 PM Arkansas-Little Rock at Florida Atlantic (ESPN2)
1:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at Morehead State (ESPNU)
1:30 PM Colorado at Oklahoma (ESPN3)
1:45 PM Mississippi at LSU (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Stanford at UCLA (CBS)
2:00 PM Brown at Yale
2:00 PM St. Bonaventure at George Washington
2:00 PM American University at Holy Cross
2:00 PM Dartmouth at Harvard
2:00 PM La Salle at Rhode Island
2:00 PM Wright State at Cleveland State (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Northeastern at Drexel
2:00 PM Charlotte at Duquesne
2:00 PM Delaware at Georgia State
2:00 PM Loyola (MD) at Marist
2:00 PM Northern Illinois at Western Michigan
2:00 PM Hofstra at William & Mary
2:00 PM Samford at Wofford
2:30 PM Clemson at Maryland
3:00 PM Buffalo at Ohio (ESPN3)
3:00 PM McNeese State at Northwestern State
3:00 PM Southern Miss at Southern Methodist
3:00 PM Tulsa at Tulane
3:00 PM Temple at Xavier (ESPN2)
3:15 PM Stetson at Campbell
3:30 PM Wyoming at Air Force (The Mtn.)
3:30 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at Central Connecticut State
4:00 PM Boston University at Hartford (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Mississippi State at Georgia (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Appalachian State at Charleston (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Oklahoma State at Baylor (ESPN3)
4:00 PM VCU at Old Dominion
4:00 PM Illinois-Chicago at Loyola (IL)
4:00 PM New Mexico at UNLV (Versus)
4:00 PM Cal Poly at Cal State Northridge
4:00 PM Cincinnati at St. John's (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Monmouth at Bryant
4:30 PM Columbia at Cornell
4:30 PM Chattanooga at Furman
4:30 PM Hampton at Bethune-Cookman
4:30 PM Morgan State at Delaware State
4:30 PM Coppin State at Maryland-Eastern Shore
4:30 PM North Florida at Mercer
4:30 PM Charleston Southern at UNC Asheville
4:30 PM Southeastern Louisiana at Nicholls State
4:30 PM South Carolina State at North Carolina A&T
5:00 PM Creighton at Missouri State (ESPN2)
5:30 PM NJIT at Chicago State
5:30 PM Prairie View A&M at Mississippi Valley State
6:00 PM Alabama at Auburn (ESPN3)
6:00 PM Oregon at Oregon State (FSN)
6:00 PM Navy at Army
6:00 PM Portland at Santa Clara
6:00 PM Utah at TCU (The Mtn.)
6:30 PM Howard at Florida A&M
6:30 PM Southern at Alabama State
6:30 PM North Carolina Central at Norfolk State
7:00 PM Memphis at UAB (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Boston College at Florida State (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Quinnipiac at Mount St. Mary's
7:00 PM Saint Joseph's at Pennsylvania
7:00 PM Longwood at Virginia Tech
7:00 PM East Carolina at Marshall
7:00 PM Stony Brook at Maine
7:00 PM Colgate at Bucknell
7:00 PM Rice at UCF
7:00 PM Fordham at Dayton
7:00 PM Georgia Southern at Elon
7:00 PM Coastal Carolina at Gardner-Webb
7:00 PM Radford at Presbyterian
7:00 PM St. Francis (NY) at Robert Morris
7:00 PM Long Island at St. Francis (PA)
7:00 PM Texas-Arlington at Stephen F. Austin
7:00 PM Western Carolina at Citadel
7:00 PM Ball State at Toledo
7:00 PM Sacred Heart at Wagner
7:00 PM High Point at Winthrop
7:05 PM Detroit at Youngstown State
7:30 PM Cal State Bakersfield at San Diego
7:30 PM Jacksonville at Kennesaw State
7:30 PM Bowling Green at Akron
7:30 PM Alcorn State at Alabama A&M
7:30 PM Eastern Illinois at Tennessee-Martin
7:30 PM Nebraska at Texas Tech (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Jackson State at Grambling State
8:00 PM Arkansas at Florida (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Troy at Western Kentucky
8:00 PM UTEP at Houston
8:00 PM Sam Houston State at Texas A&M-CC
8:00 PM Denver at Middle Tennessee
8:00 PM Gonzaga at San Francisco
8:00 PM Texas State at Texas-San Antonio
8:05 PM Western Illinois at UMKC
8:05 PM Centenary at Oral Roberts (ESPN3)
8:05 PM Louisiana-Monroe at Louisiana-Lafayette
8:05 PM Central Arkansas at Lamar
8:05 PM Drake at Northern Iowa (ESPN3)
8:05 PM Northern Arizona at Portland State
8:05 PM Indiana State at Wichita State
8:30 PM Arkansas State at North Texas
8:30 PM Oakland at North Dakota State
8:30 PM IPFW at South Dakota State
8:35 PM Florida International at South Alabama
8:45 PM Southeast Missouri State at Murray State
8:45 PM Jacksonville State at Austin Peay
8:45 PM Texas-Pan American at Houston Baptist
9:00 PM Towson at UNC Wilmington (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Texas Southern at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
9:00 PM Tennessee Tech at Tennessee State
9:05 PM Montana State at Montana
9:05 PM UC Santa Barbara at Cal State Fullerton
9:05 PM Weber State at Northern Colorado
9:30 PM Utah Valley at South Dakota
9:30 PM IUPUI at Southern Utah
10:00 PM Boise State at Idaho (ESPN3)
10:00 PM Long Beach State at UC Irvine
10:00 PM Pacific at UC Davis
10:00 PM Loyola Marymount at Pepperdine
10:05 PM Eastern Washington at Sacramento State
10:30 PM Louisiana Tech at Nevada
11:00 PM California at USC
11:00 PM New Mexico State at Utah State (ESPNU)
12:00 AM San Jose State at Hawaii

Hoops Talk Live Saturday 11AM-Noon EST

College Hoops Thursday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 02:03:04 -0800

The game of the night on Thursday takes place in the Pacific Northwest as Arizona (15-3, 4-1) takes on Washington (13-4, 5-1) in Seattle. Before the season began these were the two teams many people expected to be atop the Pac-10 standings at season's end and thus far both have lived up to those expectations. Also on display will be two of the best players in the country, including a sophomore power forward that has proven to be near unstoppable for much of the season. Arizona's Derrick Williams leads Sean Miller's team in both points (19.7 ppg) and rebounds (7.3 rpg), meaning that he's the top line of any opponent's scouting report. Williams has the physical strength to go to work on the block, boasting a solid array of post moves, but he can also step out onto the perimeter. Williams can knock down the mid-range jumper when given room but more times than not he'll drive the ball to the basket (especially from the right wing), a welcome sight in an era that feature so many big men who would rather hang out on the perimeter even if their skill set blatantly shows they're incapable of such skill.

But if there's any team in the Pac-10 who can throw a variety of bodies at Williams with the hope of slowing him down it would be Washington, who has at least three players they can call on. At the top of the list is Matthew Bryan-Amaning, who played very well for the Huskies down the stretch last season and has built upon that progression in 2010-11. The London native is second on the team in scoring (15.2 ppg) while also grabbing an average of 7.7 rebounds per game, which leads the Huskies. Bryan-Amaning has the muscle to bang with Williams inside while also possessing the footwork required in dealing with the sophomore's forays to the basket from the perimeter. Seven-footer Aziz N'Diaye and junior Darnell Gant could be called upon as well but the key will be to keep Bryan-Amaning out of foul trouble in order to slow down Williams. Arizona has other capable frontcourt players such as wings Solomon Hill, Jamelle Horne and Kevin Parrom while junior college transfer Jesse Perry does a lot of the dirty work inside.

On the perimeter may be where the Huskies enjoy an advantage, even with point guard Abdul Gaddy done for the year with a torn ACL. In Isaiah Thomas, Lorenzo Romar has one of the most prolific offensive players in the country much less the Pac-10 and when the 5-9 junior gets going he's tough to stop. Thomas leads Washington in scoring with an average of 16.5 points per game, and with a field goal percentage above 45% that's usually a good indication of the quality of shots he regularly takes. Senior Venoy Overton isn't as offensively inclined as Thomas is but that's OK given what he brings to the defensive end of the floor. Overton's ability to pressure opposing guards for 94 feet will test Arizona point guards Momo Jones and Jordin Mayes, and both will need to be sound with the basketball if the Cats are to have a chance to win. And the question of the most improved player in the Pac-10 can likely be answered as well by Washington, with senior Justin Holiday raising his scoring average nearly seven points from last season and helping the Huskies make up for the graduation of Quincy Pondexter.

Given what the Huskies can bring to the table in the frontcourt Arizona's chances of winning will more than likely rest on the shoulders of the players not named Derrick Williams. In addition to Jones and Mayes junior Kyle Fogg will need to play well, but in terms of long-term impact Momo may be the guy. Immensely talented, the Harlem native can get in trouble when the focus is on an individual challenge instead of running the team. Arizona's had a storied history of point guards who can light it up while also making sure their teammates get their opportunities as well, and in an environment like the one the Wildcats will encounter on Thursday night making sure the team runs its sets efficiently will be Jones' most important responsibility. Not too many people nationally have talked much about Arizona since their hard-fought loss to Kansas in Las Vegas. Thursday night allows them a good opportunity to get the folks talking about them again, but it won't be easy.

The other important game on the schedule with March implications is Virginia Tech visiting Maryland in a matchup of teams who have allowed golden opportunities slip away. Maryland most recently went cold in the second half and lost a game at Villanova that one can argue they should have won. Jordan Williams has been outstanding for the Terps inside and given the Hokies' many injury issues up front he could be on his way to another double-double. But can Maryland's freshman guards deal with senior Malcolm Delaney? Given Virginia Tech's lack of depth a lot rests on his shoulders, and Delaney is more than capable of getting the job done. But the key for the Hokies in College Park will be Jeff Allen. It's been said countless times but he's got to show up fully invested if they're to win. Wagner host Quinnipiac in an important NEC contest, Coastal Carolina is at UNC Ashville in hopes of further separating themselves from the pack in the Big South and Gonzaga joins Florida as teams in good NCAA Tournament shape looking to avoid stubbing their toe on the road.

Top 25
9:00 PM Indiana at (17) Wisconsin (ESPN)
10:30 PM (25) Arizona at (20) Washington (FSN)

NCAA Division I Games
6:30 PM SIU-Edwardsville at Northwestern
7:00 PM Florida at Auburn (ESPN)
7:00 PM UMBC at Hartford
7:00 PM Sacred Heart at Mount St. Mary's (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Vermont at New Hampshire
7:00 PM USF at Rutgers (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Samford at Furman
7:00 PM Western Carolina at Charleston
7:00 PM Binghamton at Albany
7:00 PM Florida Gulf Coast at Campbell
7:00 PM Northern Illinois at Central Michigan
7:00 PM Davidson at Elon
7:00 PM Arkansas-Little Rock at Florida International
7:00 PM Charleston Southern at Gardner-Webb
7:00 PM VMI at Liberty (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Jacksonville at Mercer
7:00 PM Coastal Carolina at UNC Asheville
7:00 PM Georgia Southern at UNC Greensboro
7:00 PM High Point at Presbyterian
7:00 PM Marist at Rider
7:00 PM Long Island at Robert Morris
7:00 PM St. Francis (NY) at St. Francis (PA)
7:00 PM Appalachian State at Citadel
7:00 PM Quinnipiac at Wagner
7:00 PM Radford at Winthrop
7:00 PM Chattanooga at Wofford
7:00 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at Bryant University
7:30 PM Stony Brook at Boston University
7:30 PM Detroit at Cleveland State
7:30 PM North Florida at Kennesaw State
7:45 PM Central Connecticut State at Monmouth
7:45 PM Wright State at Youngstown State
8:00 PM Manhattan at Loyola (MD)
8:00 PM Troy at Middle Tennessee (ESPN3)
8:00 PM IPFW at North Dakota State
8:00 PM Oakland at South Dakota State
8:00 PM Southeast Missouri State at Tennessee-Martin
8:05 PM Western Kentucky at South Alabama
8:05 PM IUPUI at UMKC
8:30 PM Dillard at New Orleans
8:45 PM Eastern Illinois at Murray State
8:45 PM Tennessee Tech at Austin Peay (ESPNU)
9:00 PM Virginia Tech at Maryland (ESPN2)
9:00 PM Western Illinois at Southern Utah
9:00 PM Louisiana Tech at Utah State
9:00 PM Arkansas State at Denver
9:00 PM North Texas at Louisiana-Monroe
9:00 PM Gonzaga at Santa Clara (ESPNU)
9:00 PM Jacksonville State at Tennessee State
9:05 PM Montana at Idaho State
9:30 PM Utah Valley at North Dakota
10:00 PM Cal Poly at UC Riverside
10:00 PM Arizona State at Washington State
10:05 PM Northern Colorado at Sacramento State
10:05 PM Northern Arizona at Eastern Washington
10:05 PM Weber State at Portland State
10:30 PM California at UCLA
10:30 PM Stanford at USC
10:30 PM New Mexico State at Nevada
10:30 PM Portland at San Francisco
12:00 AM Fresno State at Hawaii

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College Hoops Tuesday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:45:06 -0800

While some may use a pair of comeback overtime victories as proof that Tom Izzo's Michigan State (12-5, 4-1) Spartans are back on the right track, the true test of such recovery comes on the road. That's what lies in front of the Spartans as they face an Illinois (13-5, 3-2) squad that's dropped back-to-back games on the road and needs a win to avoid falling three games behind Ohio State in the loss column. Consistency has been a concern for Bruce Weber's team, and the fact that Jereme Richmond didn't even play in the loss at Wisconsin (he did make the trip, however) after missing a pair of practices to address personal issues. While it's tough (and a bit unfair) to attempt to get into the minds of the Illinois players, the combo of Richmond's issue and losses at Penn State and Wisconsin means that this is a great time to be playing in front of the home crowd. And with players like Demetri McCamey, Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale, Coach Weber has a group that doesn't lack for experience. Now it's time for the veterans to figure out the solutions before things spiral out of control.

On the court Illinois had struggled offensively in regards to consistent execution recently, costing them dearly down the stretch at Penn State. McCamey leads the team in scoring (16.2 ppg) while also handing out seven assists per game, and when he struggles the team as a whole tends to follow suit. The two Mikes have been a conversation piece the last couple of seasons due to a more finesse approach, and they're going to need to rise to the challenge physically against the Michigan State frontcourt. Draymond Green has been one of the Big Ten's best players for much of the season, and his strength (and versatility) makes him one of the tougher matchups in the league. The Spartans also send the likes of Delvon Roe, Derrick Nix and Adriean Payne to the glass, contributing to a rebounding margin of plus-4.4 boards per game. Illinois out-rebounds their opponents by just two rebounds per game on the average, meaning that Davis, Tisdale and Bill Cole will need to perform well.

In the backcourt Michigan State brings a variety of options to the table, led by seniors Kalin Lucas (14.7 ppg, 3.6 apg) and Durrell Summers (14.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg) with junior Korie Lucious (6.8 ppg, 4.1 apg) coming off the bench. Lucas didn't shoot well in Saturday's win over Northwestern (the same goes for Summers) but he made plays in other areas to ensure the overtime result. The Illini have been the better team offensively in regards to scoring and shooting percentages but Michigan State is more than capable of keeping up. The key for the Spartans: limiting turnovers, as they have a turnover rate of 21% (Illini opponents average a turnover on 20.8% of their possessions). Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson are two additional scoring options for Illinois but they'll need to get back to their efficient ways if they're to defend their home floor. Look for the Orange Krush to announce their presence well before the opening tip, but Michigan State is one of the few teams around with the experience required to deal with such an environment.

Some other games to keep an eye on include Tennessee visiting Georgia and Colorado looking to continue their conference win streak at Nebraska. The matchup between the Vols and Bulldogs will be interesting to watch as Tennessee is coming off of an emotional comeback win over Vanderbilt; do they have the maturity to build on that momentum and win in Athens? They haven't for much of the season, meaning that they'll need to reverse the trend soon. Colorado plays the first of two manageable road games (Oklahoma is next), and while they've already won at Kansas State Tad Boyle's team will need to show that they can consistently take care of business on the road. And both Marquette and Northwestern look to bounce back from tough losses on Saturday at home, taking on opponents that they need and will be expected to beat. Lastly, it will be interesting to watch how North Carolina comes out against Clemson given the Tar Heels' second half disappearance at Georgia Tech on Sunday. The Tigers have never won in Chapel Hill but they've got a good chance to do so if they can make the contest physical.

Top 25
10:00 PM TCU at (10) Brigham Young (The Mtn.)
9:00 PM (15) Kentucky at Alabama (ESPN)
7:00 PM (24) Michigan State at (16) Illinois (ESPN)
7:00 PM (19) Georgetown at Seton Hall (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Tennessee at Georgia (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Colorado at Nebraska (ESPN2)
7:00 PM N.J.I.T. at Longwood
7:00 PM Stetson at Savannah State
7:30 PM Maine at Vermont
8:00 PM Clemson at North Carolina
8:00 PM Texas Tech at Oklahoma
8:00 PM Texas A&M-Int at Texas-Pan American
8:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at SIU-Edwardsville
8:05 PM Evansville at Southern Illinois
8:05 PM Illinois State at Drake
9:00 PM Michigan at Northwestern
9:00 PM DePaul at Marquette (ESPNU)

College Hoops Monday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 21:48:15 -0800

While there are four games on Monday involving ranked teams it doesn't take much effort to realize which contest gets the main line on the marquee. Syracuse (18-0, 5-0) heads south to take on Pittsburgh (17-1, 5-0) in a matchup of the two 5-0 Big East teams, and the Orange have yet to lose at all this season. But the dynamic of this contest changed some when Syracuse wing Kris Joseph hit his head on the Carrier Dome floor in the first half of Saturday's win over Cincinnati. Head coach Jim Boeheim said after the game that the prospects of Joseph playing on Monday night weren't good, and if that's the case then a little bit of the spotlight likely shifts onto freshman forwards James Southerland (6.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 38.7% 3PT). Southerland, highly touted out of high school for his perimeter shooting ability, has improved defensively as the season's worn on and his development on one of the wings will be crucial at the Pete as the Orange take on a group that's had a good amount of success against their 2-3 zone.

Leading scorers Ashton Gibbs (16.3 ppg, 3.5 apg) and Brad Wanamaker (12.8 ppg, 5.3 apg) both shoot better than 40% from beyond the arc and the same can be said for Gilbert Brown (11.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg). But Jamie Dixon's team is well-versed in how to attack Syracuse's zone defense, doing a good job of working the ball into the high post and not settling too often for the three. So many coaches and analysts highlight that foul line area as the key for breaking down a zone but when it comes time to perform many teams fail to fully utilize the area. Pitt can either flash a perimeter player into the area or they'll have a Gary McGhee, who isn't a prolific scorer but does a good job of passing the ball from that area when needed, flash into the opening. Frontcourt players like Dante Taylor and Nasir Robinson will also have opportunities against the Syracuse defense, and with Pitt boasting an offensive rebounding percentage of 46.3% keeping the big men off the offensive glass will be crucial for the Orange.

Syracuse doesn't lack for interior muscle (and depth) themselves, and their frontcourt is led by a senior forward in Rick Jackson who has a solid argument for All-America status. Jackson leads Syracuse in minutes per game, also averaging 13.2 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. The Philadelphia native is also adept at the art of the outlet pass, which allows guards Scoop Jardine and Brandon Triche to run out with designs on scoring some easy fast break points. Jardine leads the team in assists (6.1) while ranking behind only Joseph in scoring (13.7), with his game benefitting from an offseason body transformation similar to that of Jackson's. Also of importance to Syracuse is the play of freshmen centers Fab Melo and Moussa Keita, who alternate in the lineup in a fashion similar to what Craig Forth and Jeremy McNeil did during their 2002-03 national title season.

Keita has been the more consistent of the two this season, with the more publicized Melo proving to be a bit more of a project than many expected before his arrival on campus. But the Brazilian played well on Saturday afternoon, and the hope for the Orange (and their fan base) is that Melo's play against the Bearcats is a harbinger of things to come. Keita's consistency is due in part to his better understanding of playing the middle in that zone defense, and given the number of scoring options Syracuse has he simply needs to focus on defending and rebounding right now. If Pittsburgh can exploit the Syracuse youth in the middle offensively they've got a good chance of playing efficient offensively (efficiency of 121. 8 on the season; Syracuse opponents average an efficiency of 88.9). Both teams defend the three well with Syracuse limiting opponents to 28.1%, so while Pitt will need to knock down a few perimeter shots they can't afford to fall in love with them. Look for another physical battle between the Orange and Panthers with the winner making themselves the early favorite a third of the way through the Big East schedule.

The other undefeated team in Big East play is 4-0 Villanova, and they hit the road to take on a Connecticut team that's maturing by the game and playing good basketball. But the one thing about the Huskies that some forget is that they've got two losses in conference play, making a win on Monday afternoon vital if they're to remain in the discussion for one of those four double-byes in the Big East Tournament. Guard Kemba Walker is definitely important but UConn will need their big men to play as well as they did at DePaul on Saturday in order to win, and while they don't have a player the caliber of Maryland's Jordan Williams the Huskies do have a few bodies to throw at Mouphtaou Yarou and Antonio Pena.

In the Big 12 a rejuvenated Kansas State takes on Missouri in Columbia, with the Tigers looking to rebound from their loss at Texas A&M while the Wildcats hope the build on a beating of Texas Tech. Missouri has two conference losses already, meaning that they can ill-afford a third at this point in the season if they're to remain a factor in the Big 12 title chase. And Kansas visits Baylor with the Bears in desperate need of a marquee victory for a resume that's devoid of such bulk, and the frontcourt matchup of players such as the Morris twins (Kansas) and Perry Jones/Quincy Acy (Baylor) should be worth the price of admission alone. Other matchups to keep tabs on include Fairfield visiting Rider in a matchup of two of the top three teams in the MAAC while Idaho, playing their best basketball as a member of the WAC, visits Fresno State.

Top 25
9:30 PM (3) Kansas at Baylor (ESPN)
7:30 PM (4) Syracuse at (5) Pittsburgh (ESPN)
3:30 PM (7) Villanova at (9) Connecticut (ESPN)
5:30 PM (20) Kansas State at (12) Missouri (ESPN)

NCAA Division I Games
1:00 PM Quinnipiac at Brown
2:00 PM Niagara at Manhattan
2:00 PM Loyola (MD) at St. Peter's
4:00 PM Dartmouth at Colgate
4:30 PM Bethune-Cookman at Maryland-Eastern Shore
5:00 PM Albany at Stony Brook (ESPN3)
7:00 PM UAB at East Carolina
7:00 PM Houston Baptist at Fairleigh Dickinson
7:00 PM Charleston at Chattanooga
7:00 PM Elon at Appalachian State
7:00 PM Hartford at Binghamton
7:00 PM Boston University at UMBC
7:00 PM Davidson at UNC Greensboro
7:00 PM Jackson State at Prairie View A&M (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Fairfield at Rider
7:00 PM Canisius at Siena
8:00 PM South Carolina State at Coppin State
8:00 PM Florida A&M at Delaware State
8:00 PM Citadel at Samford
8:05 PM Lamar at Arkansas State
8:30 PM Campbell at Lipscomb
8:30 PM North Carolina A&T at Hampton
9:00 PM Norfolk State at Howard (ESPNU)
9:00 PM Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Alcorn State
9:00 PM Mississippi Valley State at Southern University
9:00 PM Grambling State at Texas Southern
10:00 PM Idaho at Fresno State

College Hoops Saturday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 19:09:33 -0800

While Saturday brings about the standard fare in regards to a full schedule offering a host of enticing matchups, the game of the day may be #12 Missouri (15-2, 1-1) making the trek to College Station. There await Mark Turgeon's Texas A&M Aggies (15-1, 2-0), one of the hotter teams in America but they've flown a bit under the radar since going 2-1 in the Old Spice Classic. The meeting between the Tigers and Aggies promises to be a battle of tempo, with Mike Anderson's squad looking to ramp things up while A&M is better suited for half-court play. What these two teams do have in common is the fact that their respective defenses define who they are, and the team that can make the game theirs will likely leave Reed Arena with a valuable Big 12 victory.

Texas A&M averages just 65 possessions per game but they do a solid job of maximizing those opportunities, boasting an offensive efficiency of 111.3 and an effective field goal percentage above 50%. Three players average double figures in scoring, and the fact that all three are forwards is an indicator of what the Aggies want to do with the basketball. Khris Middleton (14.8 ppg), David Lobeau (11.4 ppg) and Nathan Walkup (10.3 ppg) are all solid offensive options who shoot at least 49% from the field. While none of the three would be considered a "marquee" scoring option they all understand their strengths and play to them. Naji Hibbert adds around nine points per game off the bench while guards B.J. Holmes and Dash Harris can both attack defenses, although Harris hasn't shot particularly well from the perimeter thus far (26.7% FG, 17.1% 3PT). Holmes and Harris will be critical on Saturday afternoon in dealing with a Missouri defense that forces nineteen turnovers per game (turnover percentage of 25.6%).

The Tigers on the other hand average 75 possessions per game, and despite the sometimes frenetic pace Mike Anderson's club does a very good job of sharing the basketball and limiting their own turnovers. Guard Marcus Denmon has been one of the best players in the Big 12 to this point in the season, averaging 17.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. Denmon is shooting an impressive 51% from the field and 50% from three, and he's just one of five Tigers averaging double figures in scoring. Add in two players in Justin Safford and Matt Pressey who are just above seven points per game and you've got a versatile group who can hurt opponents in a variety of ways. Forwards Laurence Bowers (12.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and Ricardo Ratliffe (11.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg) are the main cogs on the boards, and they'll have their work cut out for them as the Aggies are one of the best rebounding teams in the nation (margin of plus-12.0).

Regardless of the tempo that's played in College Station the visitors will need to hold their own on the boards in order to win. Missouri actually has an offensive rebound percentage of 35.1%, but Texas A&M allows opponents to grab just 25% of their missed shots. Add in the Aggies grabbing a startling 42% of their misses and this one could become a methodical beating if the Tigers aren't careful. The question since Thanksgiving weekend has been how good are the Aggies, and while they aren't the best shooting team around the fact that they understand their skill sets and what makes them good may bode well for the future. Keep in mind that West Virginia grabbed around 40% of their misses a season ago, a number that played a large part in the Mountaineers getting to the Final Four.

In other action on Saturday Cincinnati gets another Big East road test, this time taking on undefeated Syracuse in the Carrier Dome. After a slow start at St. John's the Orange work up and took control of that contest, and their 2-3 zone will prove to be formidable for the Bearcats. The key for Mick Cronin's team will be to not settle for the "fool's gold" three that Syracuse will allow you to take. The good news for Cincinnati is that reserve Sean Kilpatrick has played very well this season, doing a good job of finding quality perimeter shots. All four remaining undefeated teams are in action but the one with the toughest challenge could be San Diego State, who visits New Mexico in what should be a charged atmosphere. Add players such as Dairese Gary, Phillip McDonald and Kendall Williams and it would not be a surprise if the Aztecs were to suffer their first loss at The Pit. UCF visits Southern Miss in a matchup of Conference USA contenders, Illinois is at Wisconsin and rivals Dayton and Xavier meeting in an important early Atlantic 10 matchup.

Top 25
2:00 PM Virginia at (1) Duke (ESPN)
5:30 PM Penn State at (2) Ohio State (BTN)
2:00 PM Nebraska at (3) Kansas (ESPNU)
12:00 PM Cincinnati at (4) Syracuse (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Seton Hall at (5) Pittsburgh (ESPN3)
6:00 PM (6) San Diego State at New Mexico (CBS College)
1:00 PM Maryland at (7) Villanova (CBS)
2:00 PM (9) Connecticut at DePaul (ESPN3)
1:00 PM (12) Missouri at (13) Texas A&M (ESPN2)
4:00 PM Oklahoma at (14) Texas (ESPN3)
4:00 PM LSU at (15) Kentucky (ESPN3)
3:00 PM (16) Illinois at (21) Wisconsin (BTN)
11:00 AM Marquette at (17) Louisville (ESPN2)
12:00 PM (19) Georgetown at Rutgers (ESPNU)
1:30 PM Texas Tech at (20) Kansas State (ESPN3)
5:00 PM (22) UCF at Southern Miss
12:00 PM (23) Temple at Duquesne
1:00 PM Northwestern at (24) Michigan State

NCAA Division I Games
12:00 PM Delaware at Towson
12:00 PM Marshall at Memphis
12:00 PM Vanderbilt at Tennessee (ESPN)
12:00 PM Northeastern at VCU
12:00 PM Illinois-Chicago at Green Bay
1:00 PM La Salle at Massachusetts
1:00 PM UMBC at Vermont
1:00 PM Navy at Lafayette
1:30 PM Alabama at Arkansas (ESPN3)
1:30 PM Oklahoma State at Colorado (ESPN3)
1:30 PM South Carolina at Florida (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Harvard at George Washington
2:00 PM Saint Joseph's at Saint Louis
2:00 PM Yale at Brown
2:00 PM Citadel at Charleston
2:00 PM Loyola (IL) at Milwaukee (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Furman at Georgia Southern
2:00 PM Southeastern Louisiana at Texas A&M-CC
2:00 PM Central Michigan at Ball State
2:00 PM American University at Colgate
2:00 PM Georgia State at George Mason
2:00 PM Canisius at Manhattan
2:00 PM Gardner-Webb at UNC Asheville
2:00 PM Niagara at Saint Peter's
2:00 PM New Hampshire at Stony Brook
2:00 PM Appalachian State at Western Carolina
2:30 PM Arizona State at Arizona (FSN)
3:00 PM Nicholls State at Sam Houston State
3:00 PM Houston at Southern Methodist
3:00 PM Jackson State at Texas Southern (ESPN2)
3:15 PM East Tennessee State at Jacksonville
3:30 PM Binghamton at Maine
3:30 PM Bryant at Sacred Heart
3:30 PM Utah at Wyoming (The Mtn.)
4:00 PM North Carolina A&T at Howard
4:00 PM NC State at Florida State (ESPN3)
4:00 PM South Dakota at North Dakota
4:00 PM North Carolina Central at Coppin State
4:00 PM Old Dominion at Hofstra
4:00 PM Texas State at McNeese State
4:00 PM Florida A&M at Maryland-Eastern Shore
4:00 PM Central Connecticut State at Quinnipiac
4:00 PM Austin Peay at Tennessee State (ESPNU)
4:00 PM Houston Baptist at NJIT
4:30 PM Presbyterian at Coastal Carolina
4:30 PM Winthrop at Charleston Southern
4:30 PM Wagner at LIU
4:30 PM Toledo at Northern Illinois
4:30 PM Mount St. Mary's at St. Francis (NY)
5:00 PM Georgia at Mississippi (ESPN3)
5:00 PM Tulane at East Carolina
5:00 PM Northwestern State at Central Arkansas
5:00 PM South Carolina State at Morgan State (ESPN2)
5:00 PM UCLA at Oregon
5:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at Southeast Missouri State
5:00 PM Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Southern University
5:30 PM Tennessee-Martin at Jacksonville State
5:30 PM Mississippi Valley State at Alcorn State
5:30 PM Southern Utah at Centenary
5:30 PM Texas-Pan American at Chicago State
6:00 PM Baylor at Iowa State (ESPN3)
6:00 PM UNLV at Air Force (The Mtn.)
6:00 PM Norfolk State at Hampton
6:00 PM Boston College at Miami (FL) (ESPNU)
6:30 PM Florida International at Denver
7:00 PM South Dakota State at IUPUI
7:00 PM Cornell at Columbia
7:00 PM Kent State at Ohio
7:00 PM Samford at Chattanooga
7:00 PM UNC Wilmington at James Madison
7:00 PM Boston University at Albany
7:00 PM Alabama State at Alabama A&M
7:00 PM Wofford at Davidson
7:00 PM Bethune-Cookman at Delaware State
7:00 PM Morehead State at Eastern Illinois
7:00 PM Virginia Military at High Point
7:00 PM Army at Lehigh
7:00 PM Fordham at Charlotte
7:00 PM USC Upstate at North Florida
7:00 PM Liberty at Radford
7:00 PM Monmouth at Robert Morris
7:00 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at Saint Francis (PA)
7:00 PM Drexel at William & Mary
7:00 PM Oakland at IPFW
7:05 PM Evansville at Illinois State
7:05 PM Cleveland State at Youngstown State
8:00 PM Washington State at Stanford
8:00 PM Michigan at Indiana (BTN)
8:00 PM Florida Atlantic at Western Kentucky
8:00 PM Lamar at Texas-Arlington
8:00 PM Wake Forest at Virginia Tech (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Arkansas-Little Rock
8:00 PM Loyola Marymount at Gonzaga
8:00 PM Hawaii at Louisiana Tech
8:00 PM Victory University at New Orleans
8:00 PM Stephen F. Austin at Texas-San Antonio
8:00 PM North Dakota State at Western Illinois
8:00 PM Dayton at Xavier (CBS College)
8:05 PM Louisiana-Monroe at South Alabama
8:05 PM UMKC at Oral Roberts
8:05 PM UAB at Tulsa
8:05 PM Middle Tennessee at Arkansas State
8:05 PM Wichita State at Drake
8:05 PM Southern Illinois at Northern Iowa (ESPN3)
8:15 PM Campbell at Belmont
8:30 PM Grambling State at Prairie View A&M
8:30 PM Murray State at Tennessee Tech (ESPN3)
8:30 PM North Texas at Troy (ESPN3)
8:35 PM Sacramento State at Northern Arizona
9:00 PM TCU at Colorado State (The Mtn.)
9:00 PM San Jose State at New Mexico State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM San Francisco at San Diego
9:05 PM Portland State at Montana
9:05 PM Rice at UTEP
9:05 PM Idaho State at Weber State
10:00 PM UC Irvine at Cal Poly
10:00 PM Pepperdine at Portland
10:00 PM UC Riverside at UC Santa Barbara
10:00 PM Idaho at Cal State Bakersfield
10:05 PM Cal State Fullerton at Cal State Northridge
10:30 PM Nevada at Boise State (ESPN3)
10:30 PM USC at Oregon State
11:00 PM Utah State at Fresno State
11:00 PM Pacific at Long Beach State
11:00 PM Santa Clara at Saint Mary's

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College Hoops Thursday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:59:31 -0800

If Minnesota (12-4, 1-3) is to entertain any thoughts of being a top five team in the Big Ten Thursday night is a game they must have. Visiting "The Barn" is #8 Purdue (15-1, 4-0), a team that's performed much better than some expected in the preseason when forward Robbie Hummel went down with a torn ACL. The two biggest reasons why Matt Painter's team is ranked in the Top 10 are seniors JaJuan Johnson (19.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg) and E'Twaun Moore (18.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg), two players who have played at an All-Big Ten level for much of the season to date. But Johnson's going to need help from his teammates against the Golden Gopher front line, which can go four or five players deep every night. The contributor in the news has been Trevor Mbakwe (13.4 ppg, 10.4 rpg), who was arrested a couple days ago for violating a restraining order. But he will play (will not start) and given the circumstances that surround the violation of the order it makes sense that the explosive power forward be allowed to play.

In addition to Mbakwe head coach Tubby Smith has three other forwards to call on regularly in Ralph Sampson III (10.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg), Rodney Williams (6.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and Colton Iverson (6.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg). This depth allows Minnesota to navigate foul trouble a bit easier than most teams, and they're a large part of the reason why the Gophers average 14 offensive rebounds per game. Purdue's no slouch on the boards themselves with a rebounding margin or plus-5.4, but outside of Travis Carroll they really don't have a lot of dependable size on which to call should Johnson need reinforcements. Patrick Bade and Sandi Marcius have both seen their playing time drop upon entering Big Ten play but both should be ready to go mentally in case Coach Painter feels the need to put them on the floor. Minnesota has an offensive rebounding percentage of 39.4%, meaning that all five Boilers on the floor need to box out Thursday night.

Offensively for Purdue Johnson and Moore are the known factors, but the play of Ryne Smith lately has been a welcome boost. Smith's reached double figures in each of the last four games, most recently scoring 20 in Purdue's win over Penn State and following that up with 18 against Iowa. In those four games the freshman has knocked down 18 of 27 shots from beyond the arc, and with teams tending to collapse on Johnson when he gets the ball inside this is a dimension the Boilers need in order to reach their full potential. Point guard Lewis Jackson has the responsibility to getting guys the shots they need in the positions that they're best suited for, and he's done a good job of that with 19 assists in four Big Ten games. But he's also turned the ball over four times in two of those contests, and dealing with a guard as solid defensively as Al Nolen (2.5 spg) is could be a challenge for the junior.

Nolen, who missed five games due to injury, has steadily improved his production since returning, averaging 12.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists in the last two games. But he and Blake Hoffarber will need to take care of things on the perimeter as the Gophers look to make up for the departure of Devoe Joseph. Austin Hollins plays just over 14 minutes per game but he's not a guy they're going to look to for a lot of scoring, meaning that the two seniors will have to get it done in order for Minnesota to win. Purdue's been the more efficient team on both ends of the floor, something that teams have to rely on when they hit the road. If the Boilers can hold their own on the glass while also knocking down some perimeter shots to alleviate the pressure on Johnson to score inside they've got a good shot at leaving Minneapolis with a win.

Also of importance on Thursday night is the debut of Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, and expect a charged atmosphere as Oregon hosts USC. The Trojans have steadily improved since gaining the services of Jio Fontan, who's made it easier for everyone else of the floor to get quality shots. The matchup between Nikola Vucevic (USC) and Joevan Catron (Oregon) will be an interesting one to watch, but the Ducks will need good nights from E.J. Singler and Jay-R Strowbridge if they're to pick up the win. Virginia Tech heads south to take on North Carolina in another of those "second best team in the ACC" elimination games that will eventually determine who ends up with an NCAA Tournament bid. UNC, who isn't deep inside themselves, may actually enjoy the edge given the many injuries the Hokies have dealt with but Virginia Tech does have Jeff Allen. If the senior shows up ready to go he's a tough matchup, and on the perimeter preseason ACC Player of the Year Malcolm Delaney can light it up. Some other games to keep an eye on late are Washington State visiting Cal, Loyola Marymount at Portland and Utah State visiting a Boise State team that's been pretty solid for much of the season.

Top 25
7:00 PM (8) Purdue at (25) Minnesota (ESPN)
10:00 PM (18) Washington at Stanford

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM North Dakota State at IUPUI
7:00 PM Buffalo at Miami (OH)
7:00 PM Rhode Island at Richmond (CBS College)
7:00 PM Providence at West Virginia (ESPN2)
7:00 PM USC Upstate at Jacksonville
7:00 PM Winthrop at Coastal Carolina
7:00 PM UNC Greensboro at Appalachian State
7:00 PM Old Dominion at Drexel (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Liberty at High Point (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Mount St. Mary's at Long Island
7:00 PM East Tennessee State at North Florida
7:00 PM Bryant University at Quinnipiac
7:00 PM Virginia Military at Radford
7:00 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at Robert Morris
7:00 PM Central Connecticut State at Sacred Heart
7:00 PM Wagner at St. Francis (NY)
7:00 PM Monmouth at St. Francis (PA)
7:00 PM Chattanooga at Citadel
7:00 PM Elon at Western Carolina
7:30 PM Presbyterian at Charleston Southern
8:00 PM Illinois-Chicago at Milwaukee
8:00 PM Louisiana-Monroe at Arkansas-Little Rock
8:00 PM UMKC at Centenary
8:00 PM San Jose State at Louisiana Tech
8:00 PM Florida Atlantic at Middle Tennessee
8:00 PM Western Kentucky at Troy
8:00 PM South Dakota State at Western Illinois
8:00 PM Loyola (IL) at Green Bay
8:05 PM Southern Utah at Oral Roberts (ESPN3)
8:05 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Arkansas State
8:30 PM UCLA at Oregon State
8:30 PM Florida International at North Texas
8:30 PM Georgia State at James Madison
8:30 PM Lipscomb at Belmont (ESPN3)
8:30 PM Houston Baptist at Chicago State
8:45 PM Murray State at Jacksonville State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Mississippi State at Mississippi (ESPN2)
9:00 PM Virginia Tech at North Carolina (ESPN)
9:00 PM Hawaii at New Mexico State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at Eastern Illinois
9:00 PM Pepperdine at Gonzaga
9:00 PM Morehead State at Southeast Missouri State
9:00 PM Tennessee-Martin at Tennessee Tech
9:00 PM Seattle at Utah Valley
9:05 PM Portland State at Montana State
9:05 PM Eastern Washington at Montana
9:05 PM Sacramento State at Weber State
9:30 PM Minot State at North Dakota
9:35 PM Idaho State at Northern Colorado
10:00 PM Cal State Fullerton at Cal Poly
10:00 PM Santa Clara at San Diego
10:00 PM UC Irvine at UC Santa Barbara
10:05 PM UC Riverside at Cal State Northridge
10:30 PM Washington State at California
10:30 PM Utah State at Boise State
10:30 PM USC at Oregon
10:30 PM San Francisco at Saint Mary's
11:00 PM Loyola Marymount at Portland (ESPN2)

Hoops Talk Live Thursday 6-7 PM EST

College Hoops Wednesday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 09:22:41 -0800

Another day, another matchup between ranked teams in the Big East as #17 Louisville (13-2, 2-0) heads northeast to take on #7 Villanova (14-1, 3-0). The question some have in regards to Rick Pitino's team is who have they beaten of consequence on the road, and with a 2-0 mark in such games a win in Philadelphia would go a long way in cementing them as a factor in the Big East race. The Cardinals want to play fast and they want to force you to play with discomfort, which more often than not results in turnovers and transition scoring opportunities for Louisville. That makes the job of guards Corey Fisher (15.1 ppg, 4.8 apg) and Maalik Wayns (13.1 ppg, 5.6 apg) that much more important on Wednesday night. While both aren't shooting at as high a percentage (Fisher: 39.0% FG, Wayns: 38.6% FG) as hoped this season it will be just as vital that they value the basketball in order for the Wildcats to remain undefeated in conference play (keep in mind that both played well in the win over Cincinnati).

Defensively the Cardinals limit opponents to 38% shooting and an offensive efficiency of just 88.6, and forcing teams to turn the ball over on more than 25% of their possessions isn't too shabby either. Guards Preston Knowles (14.9 ppg, 1.9 spg) and Peyton Siva (11.1 ppg, 2.1 spg) do a good job of getting after opposing guards and while Knowles is the better perimeter shooter both can make you pay offensively as well. Mike Marra (9.1 ppg) and Kyle Kuric (7.3 ppg, 41.2% 3PT) will get the majority of the ink in terms of shooting from beyond the arc (Kuric has been far more consistent), but keep tabs on Manhattan transfer Chris Smith coming off the bench. Smith averages more than nine points per game in just 21 minutes of action while shooting over 50% from both the field (56%) and from three (52%). The majority of the talent on both teams (Villanova also has Corey Stokes and Dominic Cheek to rely on for scoring) is on the perimeter, meaning that the interior players could ultimately make the difference.

Leading rebounder Rakeem Buckles has been out with a broken hand, meaning that Gorgui Dieng, Terrence Jennings and Stephan Van Treese all need to step up if Louisville is to hold their own against the better rebounding teams in the Big East. Villanova isn't blessed with a lot of size themselves but in Antonio Pena and Mouphtaou Yarou they've got two players averaging more than seven rebounds per game. Villanova's been the better team on the boards with a margin of plus-7.5 while the Cards have a margin of just plus-3.3 rebounds per game. Louisville's style of play tends to lead to more three point attempts, which in turn means more rebounding opportunities going by the percentages. Look for the team that controls the glass to end up with the victory in Philly.

In other games Georgetown hosts Pittsburgh in what could be a "last stand" type of contest in regards to the Hoyas' (1-3 in Big East play) conference title hopes. Simply put they need PG Chris Wright to play as well as he's capable of playing and their frontcourt will also need to bring it against the deeper Panthers. Michigan gets another opportunity at knocking off a Top 5 team as bitter rival Ohio State visits Ann Arbor, and top-ranked Duke hits the road to take on Florida State. The Seminoles historically put forth some of their best performances on when Duke shows up and Leonard Hamilton will have to hope that the case, especially on the offensive end. And out west two of the expected contenders in the Mountain West meet on Montezuma Mesa as undefeated San Diego State hosts UNLV. Given the quality of players such as Tre'Von Willis (UNLV) and Kawhi Leonard (SDSU) littering the rosters (just to name two players; both teams are blessed with quality performers all over the floor) you'd be advised to stay up late for this battle.

Top 25
9:00 PM (1) Duke at Florida State (ESPN)
6:30 PM (2) Ohio State at Michigan (BTN)
9:00 PM (3) Kansas at Iowa State (ESPN2)
7:00 PM (4) Syracuse at St. John's (ESPNU)
7:00 PM (5) Pittsburgh at (19) Georgetown (ESPN)
10:00 PM UNLV at (6) San Diego State (CBS College)
7:00 PM (17) Louisville at (7) Villanova (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Nebraska at (12) Missouri (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Oklahoma State at (13) Texas A&M (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Colorado at (20) Kansas State
7:30 PM St. Bonaventure at (23) Temple

NCAA Division I Games
4:00 PM Coppin State at South Carolina State
5:00 PM Texas-Pan American at NJIT
7:00 PM Maine at Albany
7:00 PM Fordham at George Washington
7:00 PM George Mason at Northeastern
7:00 PM Hofstra at Towson
7:00 PM UAB at East Carolina
7:00 PM Georgia Tech at Clemson
7:00 PM Georgia State at James Madison
7:00 PM Wofford at Georgia Southern
7:00 PM Colgate at Lafayette
7:00 PM Holy Cross at Army
7:00 PM Delaware at UNC Wilmington
7:00 PM Ohio at Akron
7:00 PM UMBC at Binghamton
7:00 PM Toledo at Central Michigan
7:00 PM South Florida at Cincinnati (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Furman at Davidson
7:00 PM Saint Joseph's at Dayton
7:00 PM Saint Louis at Duquesne
7:00 PM Pennsylvania at La Salle
7:00 PM Navy at Lehigh
7:00 PM VCU at William & Mary
7:00 PM Massachusetts at Xavier
7:30 PM Bucknell at American University
7:30 PM Western Michigan at Ball State
7:30 PM Wyoming at TCU
8:00 PM Arkansas at LSU (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Maryland at Wake Forest (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Georgia at Vanderbilt (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Southern Miss at Rice
8:00 PM Texas-San Antonio at Texas A&M-CC
8:00 PM Nicholls State at Northwestern State
8:00 PM Texas-Arlington at Sam Houston State
8:00 PM Memphis at Southern Methodist
8:00 PM Central Arkansas at Stephen F. Austin
8:00 PM UTEP at Tulane
8:05 PM Indiana State at Bradley
8:05 PM Wichita State at Creighton
8:05 PM Drake at Evansville
8:05 PM Northern Iowa at Illinois State
8:05 PM Southern Illinois at Missouri State
8:30 PM Tulsa at Arizona State
8:30 PM Northwestern at Iowa
8:35 PM McNeese State at Lamar
9:00 PM Seton Hall at DePaul (ESPN3)
9:00 PM South Carolina at Alabama (ESPN3)
10:00 PM Colorado State at New Mexico (The Mtn.)
11:00 PM Nevada at Idaho (ESPN2)
11:00 PM UC Davis at Long Beach State (ESPNU)

Hoops Talk Live Today 6-7 PM EST

College Hoops Tuesday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 22:59:28 -0800

Tuesday's marquee matchup takes place in the Big Ten with Michigan State (10-5) looking to rebound from their loss on Saturday at Penn State. The opponent is none other than Wisconsin (12-3), whose methodical style both limits mistakes on their end and frustrates opponents on the other. That has to be a concern for Tom Izzo's team as while they've improved of late in regards to taking care of the basketball the Spartans still average 15.1 turnovers per contest. Wisconsin on the other hand averages a paltry 8.1 turnovers, and while they don't force too many turnovers (11 tpg) the Badgers limit opponents to an effective field goal percentage of 45.1%. That's actually higher than what Michigan State allows (44.9%) but when taking into consideration that the Spartans also average around 11 more possessions per game, Wisconsin's number underlines the fact that you must be efficient in order to beat them.

The leaders offensively for Bo Ryan's team are forward Jon Leuer (19.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg) and point guard Jordan Taylor (16.4 ppg, 4.8 apg, 4.1 rpg), with both having the ability to impact the game in a variety of ways. Leuer stands at 6'10" but while capable with his back to the basket can also step out to either knock down perimeter jumpers or penetrate. Taylor on the other hand has to rank among the top point guards in America due to his ability to properly balance the role of chief distributor with that of a primary scoring option. Which player is it more important for Michigan State to neutralize? The answer would have to be Taylor given the Spartans' inconsistency at the position throughout much of the season. Kalin Lucas (14.3 ppg, 3.5 apg) and Korie Lucious (7.3 ppg, 4.1 apg) are both excellent players in their own right, something they'll need to prove on the floor on a consistent basis if Michigan State is to contend for another Big Ten crown. Keaton Nankivil and Mike Bruesewitz will provide depth on the boards while Josh Gasser is another player they look to for solid minutes.

As for how Michigan State likely deals with Leuer that should produce an exciting matchup between him and Draymond Green. Green's been the equivalent to a tool box for Coach Izzo, providing whatever the team needs at any given point in a contest. Green averages 11.7 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game and it can be argued that he's been the closest thing the Spartans have to a coach on the floor. Michigan State can also look to leading scorer Durrell Summers, who's one of the tougher matchups in the Big Ten when he's clicking on all cylinders. In order to defend their home floor MSU has to look for opportunities in transition without forcing the issue. They have enough offensive talent to produce points if they have to play a half-court game (although it won't be their preference), and the closer their turnover count is to what Wisconsin opponents average than their own the better off Michigan State will be.

Three other ranked teams hit the road on Tuesday with the hope of avoiding what happened to six ranked teams who visited unranked squads on Saturday. The best chance for an upset out of those three games may be a tie between Texas Tech (hosting Texas) and Utah (hosting BYU) as both games have some added vitriol to fire up the home folks. There's also the matter of Florida and Tennessee meeting in Knoxville with the Volunteers hoping to bounce back from their loss at Arkansas in the first game of Bruce Pearl's eight-game suspension. Both teams have dealt with issues involving focus the last couple of seasons and the winner takes an early step towards controlling their own fate in the SEC East. And NC State visits Boston College in one of the many games that should ultimately give a concrete answer to the question of who's the second best team in the ACC.

Top 25
7:00 PM Rutgers at (9) Connecticut
7:00 PM Auburn at (15) Kentucky (ESPNU)
7:00 PM (14) Texas at Texas Tech (ESPN2)
8:30 PM (10) Brigham Young at Utah (The Mtn.)
7:00 PM (21) Wisconsin at (24) Michigan State (ESPN)
9:00 PM (16) Illinois at Penn State (BTN)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Hartford at New Hampshire
7:00 PM Georgia Tech at Clemson
7:00 PM Northern Illinois at Eastern Michigan
7:00 PM Manhattan at Florida Atlantic
7:00 PM Bowling Green at Kent State
7:05 PM Wilberforce at Youngstown State
8:00 PM SIU-Edwardsville at IPFW
9:00 PM North Carolina State at Boston College (ESPNU)
9:00 PM Oklahoma at Baylor (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Florida at Tennessee (ESPN)
10:00 PM Cal State Bakersfield at Pacific