Boston College

Thursday First Round Predictions: ACC, Big Ten, SEC

Greg Mengelt — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 08:02:51 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. He'll be picking (just about) every conference tournament game over the next week, including tonight's three key championship games. Games listed in order with later rounds on top and earlier rounds at the bottom. Read more about Championship Week at CollegeHoops.net.

ACC FIRST ROUND: AT ATLANTA

(8) Maryland (16-14, 6-10) vs. (9) Wake Forest (13-17, 4-12)

Tipoff: Noon. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 11 – Maryland 70-64. RPI: Maryland 111, Wake Forest 169. Analysis: The ACC Tourney starts with an upset. Line: Maryland -3½. Pick: Wake Forest 60, Maryland 55.

(5) North Carolina State (20-11, 9-7) vs. (12) Boston College (9-21, 4-12)

Tipoff: 2 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 19 – N.C. State 76-62; Feb. 1 – N.C. State 56-51. RPI: N.C. State 52, BC 236. Analysis: The Wolfpack will pull away early for an easy win. Line: N.C. State -12. Pick: North Carolina State 73, Boston College 52.

(7) Clemson (16-14, 8-8) vs. (10) Virginia Tech (15-16, 4-12)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 4 – Virginia Tech 67-65; March 1 – Clemson 58-56. RPI: Clemson 138, Virginia Tech 119. Analysis: Remember when being .500 in the ACC meant a lock for the NCAA Tourney? Line: Clemson -2½. Pick: Clemson 64, Virginia Tech 62.

(6) Miami (18-11, 9-7) vs. (11) Georgia Tech (11-19, 4-12)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 24 – Miami 64-49*. RPI: Miami 50, Georgia Tech 183. Analysis: Strange line. Makes me think Vegas knows something the rest of us don’t. Oh, well. The Hurricanes are significantly better. Line: Miami -4. Pick: Miami 67, Georgia Tech 57.

BIG TEN FIRST ROUND: AT INDIANAPOLIS

(8) Iowa (16-15, 8-10) vs. (9) Illinois (17-14, 6-12)

Tipoff: 11:30 a.m. TV: Big Ten Network. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 26 – Illinois 65-54. RPI: Iowa 131, Illinois 77. Analysis: Not sure the Illinois players are interested in playing another game. Line: Illinois -2½. Pick: Iowa 60, Illinois 55.

(5) Indiana (24-7, 11-7) vs. (12) Penn State (12-19, 4-14)

Tipoff: 2 p.m. TV: Big Ten Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 8 – Indiana 88-82*; Jan. 22 – Indiana 73-54. RPI: Indiana 11, Penn State 156. Analysis: The Hoosiers are playing as well as anyone in the Big Ten – if not the nation. Line: Indiana -11½. Pick: Indiana 81, Penn State 67.

(7) Northwestern (18-12, 8-10) vs. (10) Minnesota (18-13, 6-12)

Tipoff: 5:30 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 22 – Minnesota 75-52; Feb. 18 – Northwestern 64-53. RPI: Northwestern 41, Minnesota 89. Analysis: John Shurna and Drew Crawford will not let the Wildcats lose this game. Line: Northwestern -2½. Pick: Northwestern 68, Minnesota 62.

(6) Purdue (20-11, 10-8) vs. (11) Nebraska (12-17, 4-14)

Tipoff: 8 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 22 – Purdue 83-65. RPI: Purdue 41, Nebraska 140. Analysis: Purdue has won 3-of-4 and even in the loss at Indiana, the Boilermakers played pretty well for most of the game. Line: Purdue -8. Pick: Purdue 79, Nebraska 64.

SEC FIRST ROUND: AT NEW ORLEANS

(8) LSU (17-13, 7-9) vs. (9) Arkansas (18-13, 6-10)

Tipoff: 1 p.m. TV: SEC Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Arkansas 69-60; Feb. 4 – LSU 71-65. RPI: LSU 84, Arkansas 92. Analysis: A strange season comes to an Arkansas. Things should start to improve next season under Mike Anderson. Line: LSU -1. Pick: LSU 73, Arkansas 68.

(5) Alabama (20-10, 9-7) vs. (12) South Carolina (10-20, 2-14)

Tipoff: 3:30 p.m. TV: SEC Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 25 – South Carolina 56-54. RPI: Alabama 32, USC 185. Analysis: This game could just go a lot of different ways, depending on how interested the Tide are, but eight points is too big of a line for what should be a low-scoring game. Line: Alabama -8. Pick: Alabama 58, South Carolina 52.

(7) Mississippi (18-12, 8-8) vs. (10) Auburn (15-15, 5-11)

Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. TV: SEC Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Auburn 69-68 (2OT); Feb. 11 – Ole Miss 61-54. RPI: Ole Miss 51, Auburn 136. Analysis: The Rebels are back on the bubble after three straight wins, but Auburn will end the dream. Line: Ole Miss -2½. Pick: Auburn 66, Mississippi 63.

(6) Mississippi State (21-10, 8-8) vs. (11) Georgia (14-16, 5-11)

Tipoff: 10 p.m. TV: SEC Network. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 11 – Georgia 70-68 (OT)*. RPI: MSU 64, Georgia 107. Analysis: Both teams are so unpredictable that it’s hard to tell how this one’s going to go. The Bulldogs are physically superior, though. Line: MSU -5. Pick: Mississippi State 71, Georgia 65.

*Road win

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 143-108-3

Monday Recap: Baylor Workmanlike in Win over Texas A&M

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 22:18:49 -0800

With the Baylor Bears achievig the highest ranking in school history on Monday it would have been easy for Scott Drew's team to suffer a letdown against Texas A&M. But the fourth-ranked Bears were ready from the start, scoring the first eight points of the game on their way to a 61-52 win that wasn't as close as the margin would indicate. The Bears shot just 35.7% from the field in the first half but still went into the break with a 30-17 lead thanks to their defense, which limited the Aggies to 21.4% shooting. Perry Jones III led four starters in double figures with 14 points to go along with 12 rebounds and the Bears led by as many as 19 points early in the second half.

"We came in prepared, but we played very timidly and a little bit overwhelmed," said Texas A&M guard Elston Turner, who led the Aggies with 21 points. "The fact that we weren't making shots didn't help either. Like coach said, the foul trouble kind of got our offense out of sync."

Khris Middleton, who entered the game as Texas A&M's leading scorer, finished with 14 points but played just ten minutes in the first half due to foul trouble (scoring three points). It also didn't help that David Lobeau picked up three first-half fouls and didn't attempt a shot, and he was unable to get into the flow of things at all for that reason. Texas A&M needed guys to step up to assist Turner and that simply did not happen, with the other three starters scoring 15 points combined and the bench getting outscored 13-2 by Baylor. That didn't get it done in Waco and similar production will land the Aggies in serious trouble down the line as well, but they won't encounter many defenses like Baylor's either.

"The back line of that zone is very big and takes time to adjust to," said Texas A&M head coach Billy Kennedy. "I thought we got some pretty good looks early. We just didn't make them and got in foul trouble. We didn't get a whole lot of help from the bench either."

Baylor won comfortably despite 16 turnovers (Pierre Jackson had seven) and A&M limiting Jackson and Brady Heslip to four points combined, as A.J. Walton picked up the slack with 10 points and two assists. That's the scary thing about the Bears: while they've had some good wins the potential is there to be a much better team. And with the players Baylor has on the back line of that zone, from Jones III to Quincy Acy to Quincy Miller, Anthony Jones and even Cory Jefferson they're an extremely difficult matchup. The turnovers and rebounding need to be cleaned up, but this could be a special season in Waco.

"One game it might be the guards, one game it might be the wings and one game it is the inside players," said Drew of his team's versatility. "It all depends on what the defense gives you and that is what makes us good - our depth. We're unselfish and we work for each other."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Another rough day for the bottom of the ACC as Boston College and Wake Forest both fall.
The ACC hasn't had the best start to the season from a non-conference standpoint when you remove Duke, North Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech. Florida State is 0-2 against the Ivy League and other teams have also had their issues. So what Boston College and Wake Forest did on Monday didn't help matters despite the fact that neither has the look of a team headed for postseason play come March. The Eagles fell 78-72 in double overtime to a Rhode Island team that's won just three games on the season, with the combination of 16 turnovers, URI making 27 free throws to BC's 11 and a 46-35 URI rebounding edge dooming Steve Donahue's team.

As for the Demon Deacons, with C.J. Harris (groin) out they fell to Wofford 56-52 in Winston-Salem. Wake shot 34.8% from the field in the first half as they trailed 32-22 at the break, and they couldn't do enough in the second half to make it up. Results like these won't do the ACC any favors in the computers, and that could be the difference for a league bubble team. So for the sake of the middle of the pack, the teams at the bottom needed to do more to carry their weight outside of the league. Safe to say that hasn't been the case.

2. Robert Morris finds a way to win at Ohio despite turning the ball over 31 times.
Very rarely will a team that turns the ball over 31 times and shoots 21 fewer shots than their opponent ends up winning, but that's exactly what happened for Andy Toole's Colonials as they beat Ohio 70-67. Why was Robert Morris able to end the Bobcats' nine-game win streak? Because of their defense, which didn't allow Ohio to take advantage of those extra opportunities. Ohio shot just 35.3% from the field and Walter Offutt and D.J. Cooper combined to make six of their thirty-two shots from the field, and as a team the Bobcats also shot 3-for-26 from beyond the arc.

Velton Jones led three RMU starters in double figures with 17 points, and it's difficult to see the Colonials turning the ball over 31 times in a game again. With Wagner's excellent holiday run and this win the Northeast Conference has received a welcome boost, which should make the race for the regular season title all the more entertaining. Robert Morris will definitely be a player, and an NCAA Tournament bid is definitely possible for a team that was one win away last season.

3. Orlando Johnson makes up for a quiet night with a big shot to lead UCSB past Cal Poly.
Monday marked the first game in over a week for UCSB and it wasn't an easy contest either, as the Gauchos were on the road to take on a Cal Poly team that's surprised folks this season. Orlando Johnson, UCSB's leading scorer, made just three of his first thirteen shots from the field in what was one of his worst outings of the season. But he saved his best for last, getting a shooter's roll on a three-pointer with 5.1 seconds remaining being the difference in UCSB's 58-57 win. Alan Williams was the unsung hero for UCSB with 13 points and ten rebounds off the bench as the Gauchos picked up a key Big West victory, while Will Taylor led the Mustangs with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Even with the time off not playing a home game in 35 days took its toll on UCSB, who is expected to be right there with Long Beach State in the run for the regular season title. And with Johnson and James Nunnally leading the way, Bob Williams team should be able to do just that.

Quick Hitters

1. Staying in the Big West for a moment, keep an eye on Cal-State Fullerton. Bob Burton's Titans moved to 10-3 overall and 2-0 in league play with a 78-73 win over Pacific, and their surplus of Division I transfers could make them the dark horse in that title race. Cal transfer D.J. Seeley scored 20 points and San Francisco transfer Kwame Vaughn scored a team-best 21, while another former Golden Bear (Amondi Omoke) scored 11 and grabbed 11 rebounds.

2. It wasn't pretty as the two teams combined to turn the ball over 31 times but Virginia did what they had to do in beating LSU 57-52 in Baton Rouge. Sammy Zeglinski led three starters in double figures with 17 points as the Cavailers had the offensive balance that LSU failed to create (outside of Justin Hamilton (21 points, 9-14 FG) the Tigers shot 12-for-34 from the field.

3. Can Rider (4-11) find a way to snap out of their funk and be a factor in the MAAC race? That remains to be seen, but the Broncs took the first step in their 88-77 win at Manhattan. Novar Gadson led five players in double figures with 21 points and Brandon Penn posted a double-double (12 points, 11 rebounds) as Rider avenged their loss to Manhattan last month. The talent's there to make a run but the productivity needs to be there as well.

4. Staying in the MAAC, Niagara picked up a big victory as they won 66-61 at Loyola (MD). Juan'Ya Green and Antoine Mason combined to score 35 points while Ameen Tanksley added 15 (averaging 8.2 per game) as the Purple Eagles handed the Greyhounds their first conference loss.

5. Campbell moved to 3-0 in Big South play as they beat Coastal Carolina 70-65 in overtime. CCU turned the ball over 20 times as they fell to 3-1 in league play and Trey Freeman led the Camels to the win with 20 points and five assists. Look for these two teams to be right there with UNC Asheville in the run for the Big South crown.

6. Big news from early Monday in Stillwater as Oklahoma State announced that guard J.P. Olukemi would miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL. With the Cowboys losing two guards at the end of the semester (transferring) this was one loss they didn't need. Even more will be asked of Keiton Page and Cezar Guerrero now, and going into Big 12 play shorthanded could be too much for Travis Ford's team.

7. It's early but VCU is looking to be the class of the CAA right now. The Rams have won 10 of their last 11 games, beating Hofstra 80-63 in Hempstead. Also preseason favorite Drexel fell at Georgia State 58-44, and even with players such as Chris Fouch at his disposal scoring could once again be a concern for Bruiser Flint.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Kenny Gabriel (Auburn)
24 points (11-13 FG), 13 rebounds, ten blocked shots, four steals and three assists in the Tigers' 67-41 win over Bethune-Cookman.

2. F Kenny Kadji (Miami) and G Trevis Simpson (UNC Greensboro)
Both players put up career-best performances in the Hurricanes' 99-89 victory. Kadji finished with 30 points and 12 rebounds while Simpson paced the Spartans with 36 points and some emphatic above-the-rim finishes.

3. F Stan Okoye (VMI)
25 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, four steals and three blocks in the Keydets' 76-72 win over Gardner-Webb.

Thursday Recap: Rutgers Beats #10 Florida

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 08:50:46 -0800

The matchup between #10 Florida and Rutgers on Thursday night was hyped up due to the return of Mike Rosario, who transferred from the New Jersey school following two seasons in New Brunswick. But his return was a subplot in what turned out to be one of the best games of the calendar year, with the focus by the end being Mike Rice's young guards. Eli Carter led the way with 31 points, seven rebounds and seven assists while Myles Mack knocked down some big shots late in regulation and during the overtime periods to lead Rutgers to the 85-83 double overtime victory.

Jerome Seagears added 13 points and junior forward Dane Miller was his usual versatile self with 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Kenny Boynton led four Florida players in double figures with 26 points, but the Gators seemed to bog down offensively down the stretch, once again not getting the ball inside enough to Patric Young. Young finished with 11 points but took just eight shots in 41 minutes of play, and there was even a possession where Florida failed to get him the ball despite being guarded by the 6'3" Carter. Florida's guards had the experience advantage, but it was Rutgers that made that one extra big play to win the game.

"Would I have liked them to get into our sets a little quicker? Sure," said Rice after the game. "But there was such a poise, such a confidence. They responded at the end. I always take it back because they practice like that ...hopefully this is [what's] to come."

For all their youth Rutgers turned the ball over just 11 times compared to 18 Florida turnovers, and their assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.64 was nearly double their season average (0.86). Also critical for the Scarlet Knights was their play on the boards, as they were out-rebounded by just one (37-36) on the night with Derrick Randall supplying eight rebounds in 17 minutes of play. The Rutgers reserves, led by Mack (14 points), outscored Florida's bench 22-8 with Rosario scoring five points for the Gators. The Scarlet Knights are young and there will be bumps in the road in Big East play, but as Coach Rice said after the game the future is bright.

"This is what happens when you don't think impossible is impossible," said Rice. "This is what happens when young men are determined to follow the formula and play for one another."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Vanderbilt jumps Marquette from the start and picks up a much-needed resume builder.
Much of the country didn't get to see the beginning of Vanderbilt/Marquette due to the length of Rutgers' win over Florida, and by the time ESPN2 switched over the game was essentially finished. Kevin Stallings' Commodores jumped out to a 19-4 lead and didn't look back, leading by as many as 25 points in the first half (31-6) on their way to a 74-57 victory. Marquette couldn't hit the broad side of a barn in the first half as they shot 21.2% from the field and finished the game making 32.2% of their shots.

Jeffery Taylor led four Commodores in double figures with 19 points while Lance Goulbourne added 13 to go along with 16 rebounds, and Marquette's inability to make shots allowed the visitors to get away with 17 turnovers. Jae Crowder (16 points) and Darius Johnson-Odom (12 points) reached double figures but with fellow starters Junior Cadougan and Vander Blue combining to make two of ten shots from the field the Golden Eagles weren't able to get back into the game. Vanderbilt needed a win like this to re-establish some national credibility after an 8-4 start, and this will help as they go into SEC play.

2. Saint Mary's welcomes BYU to the WCC with 98 points in Moraga.
BYU and Saint Mary's went into Thursday's game familiar with each other since they met last season, even with some of the key figures in that meeting no longer in school. But confernce play can be an entirely different animal, as the Cougars found out in the second half of the Gaels' 98-82 victory. Randy Bennett's team made 55.4% of their shots and assisted on 23 of 31 made baskets, and individually both Matthew Dellavedova and Rob Jones posted double-doubles. Dellavedova ran the show for Saint Mary's, finishing with 18 points and 12 assists, while Jones was a matchup nightmare for BYU with 24 points and 15 rebounds.

Brandon Davies was outstanding for BYU in scoring 28 points and grabbing seven rebounds, but there wasn't enough offensive help for Davies when considering the fact that four SMC starters finished in double figures. Stephen Holt made eight of his ten shots in scoring 21 points and Jorden Page added 13 and five assists. On a night filled with offense, BYU simply could not get stops when they needed them the most. Of the three contenders for the WCC title (Gonzaga) the Gaels have the weakest non-conference resume, so that regular season crown may be most important for them when it comes to the NCAA Tournament. Thursday night was a good first step in that direction.

3. Cashmere Wright takes matters into his own hands late to lead Cincinnati past Oklahoma.
One question regarding Cincinnati's smaller lineup in light of the suspensions of Yancy Gates and Cheikh Mbodj was how the Bearcats would deal with bigger teams, something that wasn't an issue in wins over lesser competition. Oklahoma provided that challenge, and while it wasn't pretty Cincinnati found a way to win 56-55. That way: give Cashmere Wright the chance to make plays late. The junior point guard scored just eight points on the night (3-14 FG), but he made two huge baskets in the final minute including the game-winner with 8.8 seconds to go. Cincinnati turned the ball over just eight times on the night compared to 17 for the Sooners (UC: 16 points off turnovers), and while they were a minus-9 in rebounding margin the Bearcats grabbed 13 offensive boards and scored ten second-chance points (OU finished with 11). Cincinnati's taken full advantage of what could have been a crippling turn of events, becoming a better basketball team as a result.

Quick Hitters

1. It was a bad night for ACC bottom-feeders on Thursday, with Boston College losing to #24 Harvard for the fourth consecutive time (67-46) and Georgia Tech losing at Fordham (72-66). To say the least these results don't do much to maintain the league's computer numbers, and it could be a long conference season for both the Eagles and Yellow Jackets. And it should also be noted that Wake Forest nearly lost to Yale after leading by 19, ultimately hanging on to beat the Bulldogs 72-71.

2. Freshman guard Jamal Branch has left the Texas A&M program and will transfer according to multiple media outlets. Branch averaged just 4.2 points and 2.5 assists per game, but his departure leaves the Aggies one option short on a perimeter that hasn't played at a championship level this season.

3. Two teams that took hits to their chances of an at-large bid on Thursday are Marshall and Iona, with both falling on the road. Iona couldn't recover from 19 first half turnovers in an 83-75 loss at Hofstra while the Thundering Herd lost 79-74 to a Belmont team they beat just ten days ago. The Herd may have a better shot at earning an at-large given their conference affiliation (Conference USA), but the climb for both teams became a lot tougher.

4. Shaka Smart's VCU Rams won their seventh straight game on Thursday, winning 76-75 in overtime at Akron. Bradford Burgess led four Rams in double figures with 19 points (and seven rebounds) and VCU forced 20 Akron turnovers on the night.

5. Getting to conference play wasn't the catalyst for Austin Peay that some thought it would be as the Governors lost 67-65 at Eastern Kentucky. Dave Loos' team dropped to 3-11 on the season (0-1 OVC) while the Colonels are now 2-0 in league play.

6. In the "inexplicable loss" category are the defeats suffered by American and James Madison, who in losing to Mount St. Mary's and Rhode Island respectively lost to teams that entered Thursday with a combined 2-21 record.

7. Even though they were the home team it's likely that few people expected Illinois State to beat Northern Illinois in the MVC opener for both teams. But that's exactly what happened as the Redbirds, led by Jackie Carmichael (19 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks), beat the Panthers 65-61.

8. The opening night of Pac-12 play didn't lack excitement either, with Stanford hanging on to beat UCLA 60-59. UCLA took 13 shots in the second half that would have given them the lead if converted...and missed them all. And in Seattle, Tony Wroten led Washington to a 95-80 win over Oregon State with 26 points, nine rebounds and four assists. If the freshman continues to learn how to use his talents to make his teammates better, look out.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Eli Carter (Rutgers)
31 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the Scarlet Knights' 85-83 double overtime win over #10 Florida.

2. F Will Barton (Memphis)
27 points, 13 rebounds and three assists in the Tigers' 64-47 win over Robert Morris.

3. F Chris Gaston (Fordham)
23 points and 17 rebounds in the Rams' 72-66 win over Georgia Tech.

Thursday Preview: #24 Harvard at #9 Connecticut

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:14:17 -0800

The schedule for Thursday is light in terms of the number of games, but there's an excellent matchup between ranked teams in Storrs to keep an eye on. #9 Connecticut (7-1) hosts #24 Harvard (8-0) with Tommy Amaker's team looking to remain undefeated and retain the program's first Top 25 ranking in school history for another week. An interesting fact regarding this contest is that they could have played in the Battle 4 Atlantis over the Thanksgiving holiday, but UConn's loss to UCF prevented that and Harvard went on to win the tournament. Instead there's just the one meeting, and with freshman guard Ryan Boatright firmly entrenched in the Husky rotation that should spice things up.

The Chicago native's impact has been immediate as he's averaging 18.5 points per game in wins over Florida State and Arkansas, and Boatright is a good fit alongside starters Shabazz Napier (16.8 ppg, 6.1 apg, 4.9 rpg) and Jeremy Lamb (20.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg). Those two have done the heavy lifting offensively for Jim Calhoun's team, with Napier being the floor general and Lamb the top scoring option. The slender 6'5" shooting guard has taken off since March, benefitting from not only the national title run but also a summer with USA Basketball.

Lamb is a far more assertive offensive player, possessing the ability to score points off the dribble for drives to the basket or pull-up jumpers as well as good catch-and-shoot fundamentals. Harvard counters with a deep and experienced backcourt of its own, with senior Oliver McNally (7.9 ppg, 2.9 apg) and juniors Brandyn Curry (6.6 ppg, 4.1 apg) and Christian Webster (4.5 ppg) getting the starts and Canadian Laurent Rivard (10.1 ppg) supplying the scoring punch off the bench. The Crimson have five players averaging between six and eleven points per game, and offensive balance is usually when Harvard is most efficient.

The battles inside are likely the ones that fans will focus in on, especially with this being the first chance that some will have had to see Harvard's Keith Wright (11.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and Kyle Casey (10.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg). Both are shooting above 50% from the field with Wright edging closer to 60% by the game, but Casey is the one more likely to step out and take some perimeter shots. Freshman Steve Mondou-Missi and Wesley Saunders will also figure into the rotation with Saunders playing out on the wing.

The Crimson grab 3.8 more rebounds per game than their opponents, with the low numbers (33.6 for, 29.8 against) due in large part to the fact that they're playing an average of 63 possessions per game. More work will be required against a UConn front line that has talent but hasn't consistently played to the expected level thus far. Freshman Andre Drummond (7.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg) is an athletic marvel, as he can run up and down the floor and finish at the rim, but the jumper and free throws need some serious work.

Alex Oriakhi (6.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg) is back in the starting lineup after coming off the bench for a couple games, and that's a development that's helped him out of late. But neither of these two have been the most consistent Husky inside. That distinction would best be given to sophomore Tyler Olander, who is averaging a shade below eight points per game while leading the team in rebounding. On the wing freshman DeAndre Daniels starts while Niels Giffey and Roscoe Smith also see action. The Huskies have six players grabbing at least 3.9 rebounds per game, and their margin of plus-8.0 could be an issue for Harvard if they aren't careful.

One thing that Harvard has done well offensively is get to the foul line, boasting a free throw rate of 45.0 and scoring 24% of their points from the foul line. But UConn allows opponents to score just 15.3% of their points from the charity stripe and the Crimson aren't far off with their opponents at 15.9%, so keep an eye on who makes the early trips to the line. As for a concern for Harvard, their opponents score 63% of their points on two-point shots and shoot 42% from the field. At the least they'll need to keep UConn's three main perimeter scorers out of the paint in order to have a shot at the upset.

Also on the slate is Bob Huggins taking on his most recent employer before West Virginia...but in Wichita. Kansas State is coming off of a solid road win at Virginia Tech, but it's safe to assume that Frank Martin will demand constant improvement from his team. What can the Wildcats do to slow down WVU senior Kevin Jones? Jamar Samuels will likely get that assignment, and offensive rebounding for both teams will be an important area to watch.

Boston College hits the road to take on Providence, with the Eagles being one of the youngest teams in college basketball and the Friars being extremely shallow in regards to their rotation. Cleveland State at Robert Morris will be a good game between teams expecting to contend in their respective leagues, and Oral Roberts would shock few people if they were to go into Norman and knock off Oklahoma.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM (24) Harvard at (9) Connecticut (ESPN2)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Southeastern University at Florida A&M
7:00 PM South Dakota at Canisius
7:00 PM Boston College at Providence (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Cleveland State at Robert Morris
7:00 PM Central Pennsylvania College at VMI
7:30 PM Maine at Notre Dame (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Western Michigan at Detroit
8:00 PM Oral Roberts at Oklahoma (ESPN3)
9:00 PM West Virginia vs. Kansas State* (ESPN2)
9:05 PM Linfield College at Eastern Washington
9:05 PM Eastern Michigan at Drake

College Hoops Saturday: North Carolina at Kentucky

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 02:15:18 -0800

The game that many college basketball fans have been anticipating for quite some time is finally here, as #5 North Carolina (6-1) visits #1 Kentucky (7-0) in Lexington. While both teams are coming off of wins in their last games, the way in which the results were achieved differ greatly. North Carolina had to deal with the challenge of play Wisconsin, given the Badgers' preference for a slow tempo, while Kentucky blew out a St. John's team that was severely overmatched from a depth standpoint. The Tar Heels will provide a far stiffer challenge for a Kentucky team that set a school record on Thursday night with an astonishing 18 blocked shots, and freshman phenom Anthony Davis (13.0 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 4.9 bpg) led the way with nine blocks.

The Chicago native is an extremely difficult matchup due to his wingspan and ability to run the floor, but Saturday will be the first time this season that Davis and the rest of the Kentucky thoroughbreds run into a front line that can match them in this regard. John Henson (14.7 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 3.3 bpg) and Tyler Zeller (13.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg) are experienced big men who can match the skill level of the young Wildcats, but will North Carolina will be able to match that depth? Freshman James Michael McAdoo is averaging a shade below six points per game in fourteen minutes of action, but that only makes three players for UNC. Kentucky can answer with Terrence Jones (15.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg), the versatile Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and if his defense is up to par Kyle Wiltjer.

The Wildcats average 11.4 blocked shots per game and who knows how many other shots they change each game. Kidd-Gilchrist could very well match up with sophomore wing Harrison Barnes (17.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg), who can be taken out of his offensive comfort zone if pressed into working for his looks. The good news for the Tar Heels is that they've got one of the best set-up men in the country in point guard Kendall Marshall (10.3 apg, 4.7 rpg). Marshall's got an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.8, and his assist percentage of 44.8% ranks seventh nationally according to statsheet.com.

Kentucky will have to cut off the head of the attack in order to slow down North Carolina, which means that freshman Marcus Teague (10.7 ppg, 4.1 apg) needs to play a mature brand of basketball. Teague is an impressive basketball player, but the transition to point guard in John Calipari's system has (and will) take some time (assist-to-turnover ratio: 1.3). Joining Teague in the backcourt for Kentucky are a pair of experienced hands in sophomore Doron Lamb (14.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.9 apg) and senior Darius Miller (8.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.6 apg), and both have been better than the freshman at taking care of the basketball.

Teague will more than likely have to deal with junior Dexter Strickland for part of the game, as Strickland did a solid job of defending Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor on Wednesday night. Strickland is an impressive athlete who has fit well into the role of the Tar Heels' defensive stopper, which is perfectly fine given the scoring firepower at Roy Williams' disposal. Reggie Bullock and P.J. Hairston (upgraded to questionable with an injury to his left wrist) will both see time off the bench and they combine to average more than thirteen points and six rebounds per game on the season.

Given the expected intensity of this contest, especially in the early going, depth could become a factor if anyone gets into early foul trouble. Unless the culprit is Henson or Zeller the Tar Heels should be fine in this area, but the bigger question for them is how effective Marshall can be as a defender. The sophomore was solid against Wisconsin, but the style that Kentucky plays can put more "immediate" pressure on a defender as opposed to the slower style played by the Badgers. A lot of the stats are close when looking at these two powers, which hopefully will mean a tight game throughout.

In other action on a busy Saturday, Ohio State plays what should be a routine game against UTPA with Jared Sullinger out due to back spasms. This should be a good game for an Evan Ravenel to get acclimated to playing more minutes should Sullinger be out for an extended period of time. But the big one has to be undefeated Marquette visiting Wisconsin in one of the better rivalry games around. Vander Blue plays his first college game in his hometown, but the reception he receives won't be the only intrigue. Buzz Williams' team gets after it on the defensive end, and seniors Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder have both gotten off to good starts to the season. Jordan Taylor and the Badgers will look to get back on track in front of the Grateful Red, and it wouldn't be a surprise at all if they did.

Purdue visiting Xavier, Iowa State visiting Michigan and Gonzaga playing Illinois at the United Center are three more games involving ranked teams to keep an eye on, and West Virginia's trip to Starkville should be intriguing as well. And while Boston College is struggling their battle with Boston University in the battle for Commonwealth Ave. should be fun if only to watch the Terriers' Darryl Partin. USC plays Minnesota in a matchup of teams who have been hit hard by the injury bug, and the hope is that more warm bodies occupy the Sports Arena with UCLA hosting Texas. In the Atlantic Sun defending champion Belmont hosts Mercer, with the Bears hoping to show that they can contend for the conference title.

There are too many good games on the schedule to touch on them all, but also of note is a Big 5 battle between Penn and Villanova, which will match two of the best guards in the city in Zack Rosen (Penn) and Maalik Wayns (Villanova), and the late games include Missouri State visiting New Mexico in the Mountain West/Missouri Valley challenge. Enjoy the first really big Saturday of the season.

Top 25 Games
12:00 PM (5) North Carolina at (1) Kentucky (CBS)
12:00 PM Texas-Pan American at (2) Ohio State (BTN.com)
4:30 PM (16) Marquette at (7) Wisconsin
3:15 PM Arkansas at (10) Connecticut (ESPN)
3:00 PM Purdue at (11) Xavier (ESPNU)
5:15 PM USF at (14) Kansas (ESPN2)
12:00 PM Iowa State at (15) Michigan (BTN)
5:15 PM (17) Pittsburgh at Tennessee (ESPN)
3:15 PM (18) Gonzaga at Illinois (ESPN2)
8:30 PM Austin Peay at (21) Memphis (CSS)
9:00 PM West Virginia at (24) Mississippi State (ESPNU)
8:00 PM Portland at (25) Saint Louis

NCAA Division I Games
12:00 PM Jacksonville at North Florida (ESPN3)
1:00 PM NJIT at Georgetown (ESPN3)
1:00 PM Old Dominion at Northeastern
1:00 PM Richmond at Wake Forest (ESPN3)
1:00 PM Longwood at Virginia (ESPN3)
1:00 PM Kennesaw State at Lipscomb
1:00 PM High Point at Campbell
1:00 PM Massachusetts at Miami (FL) (ESPNU)
2:00 PM Vermont at Yale
2:00 PM Boston University at Boston College (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Morgan State at Ohio
2:00 PM Illinois-Chicago at Milwaukee
2:00 PM Liberty at Coastal Carolina
2:00 PM Valparaiso at Butler
2:00 PM Cleveland State at Detroit
2:00 PM Navy at Elon
2:00 PM William & Mary at Georgia State
2:00 PM Georgia Tech at Tulane (CBSSN)
2:15 PM USC at Minnesota (BTN)
2:30 PM Colorado State at Northern Iowa
3:00 PM St. Thomas (TX) at Rice
3:00 PM Stony Brook at Eastern Illinois
3:00 PM Brown at Iowa
3:00 PM Bryant University at Quinnipiac
3:00 PM Cal State Fullerton at SIU-Edwardsville
3:00 PM Ball State at Tennessee-Martin
3:00 PM Youngstown State at Wright State
3:05 PM Toledo at Chicago State
3:30 PM Sacred Heart at Central Connecticut State
4:00 PM Drexel at Delaware (TCN)
4:00 PM Arizona State at Tulsa (CBSSN)
4:00 PM Central Michigan at Temple
4:00 PM Chattanooga at Charleston (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Utah at Fresno State
4:00 PM Florida A&M at Bethune-Cookman
4:00 PM W. Virginia Tech at Coppin State
4:00 PM James Madison at Hofstra
4:00 PM Bucknell at La Salle
4:00 PM Delaware State at Maryland-Eastern Shore
4:00 PM North Carolina A&T at North Carolina Central
4:00 PM Nebraska-Omaha at Northern Illinois
4:30 PM Texas at UCLA (FSN)
4:30 PM UNC Greensboro at Western Carolina
5:00 PM Charlotte at East Carolina
5:00 PM Oregon vs. Brigham Young* (ESPNU)
5:00 PM Idaho at UC Davis
5:00 PM Houston Baptist at Texas State
5:00 PM Hartford at UCF
5:15 PM East Tennessee State at Florida Gulf Coast
5:15 PM Mercer at Belmont
5:30 PM VMI at Charleston Southern
6:00 PM Texas Southern at Denver
6:00 PM Savannah State at Norfolk State
6:00 PM UMKC at Oakland
6:30 PM Northern Arizona at Arizona (FSN AZ)
6:35 PM Eastern Washington at Washington State (Root NW)
7:00 PM North Dakota State at IUPUI
7:00 PM New Hampshire at Holy Cross
7:00 PM Long Island at Mount St. Mary's
7:00 PM LSU at Rutgers (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Lehigh at Cornell
7:00 PM Pennsylvania at Villanova (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Army at Binghamton
7:00 PM St. Bonaventure at Buffalo (TWC SportsNet)
7:00 PM Furman at Davidson
7:00 PM Tennessee Tech at Duquesne
7:00 PM Brescia at Eastern Kentucky
7:00 PM Winthrop at Gardner-Webb (MASN)
7:00 PM UAB at Kent State
7:00 PM Radford at Presbyterian
7:00 PM Monmouth at Robert Morris
7:00 PM Loyola (MD) at Siena (Time Warner)
7:00 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at Saint Francis (PA)
7:00 PM St. Francis (NY) at Wagner
7:00 PM Citadel at Wofford
7:30 PM George Mason at Towson
7:30 PM Appalachian State at Georgia Southern
7:30 PM Alabama State at FIU
7:30 PM South Dakota at IPFW
8:00 PM Southern Utah at Oral Roberts
8:00 PM Stephen F. Austin at Texas A&M
8:00 PM Texas A&M-CC at Houston
8:00 PM Columbia vs. North Texas*
8:00 PM Air Force at Drake
8:00 PM Miami (OH) at Troy
8:00 PM South Dakota State at Western Illinois
8:00 PM Loyola (IL) at Green Bay (HLN)
8:05 PM Alabama A&M at South Alabama
8:05 PM TCU at Evansville
8:05 PM UNC Wilmington at Illinois State
8:05 PM Walla Walla University at Portland State
8:30 PM Louisiana Tech at Louisiana-Monroe
8:30 PM Southeastern Louisiana at Southeast Missouri State
9:00 PM Cal State Bakersfield at Montana State
9:05 PM North Dakota at Idaho State
9:05 PM Johnson and Wales (Den) at Northern Colorado
9:30 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Lamar
9:30 PM San Jose State at Weber State
10:00 PM Saint Mary's at Cal Poly
10:00 PM Indiana State at Boise State
10:00 PM Missouri State at New Mexico (The Mtn.)
10:00 PM San Diego at UC Irvine
10:00 PM Hawaii at Pepperdine
10:00 PM Cal State Northridge at Santa Clara
10:00 PM Bradley at Wyoming
10:05 PM Utah State at Pacific
10:30 PM La Sierra University at Loyola Marymount

College Hoops Friday Recap: Huskies, Seminoles Fall in Bahamas

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 13:51:04 -0800

Prevailing wisdom had Florida State and Connecticut playing on Saturday in the title game of the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas. Well, they'll be playing on Saturday...but with third place on the line as both lost their semifinal games in disappointing fashion. The Huskies looked to be in good shape as they held a 50-33 lead on UCF early in the second half, despite a lackluster shooting performance from Jeremy Lamb. But it was almost as if UConn turned off their "power source", and the Knights took full advantage.

Marcus Jordan scored 20 points to go along with seven rebounds and seven assists to lead a comeback that resulted in a 68-63 win, and Keith Clanton scored 20 as well. UConn couldn't score and they couldn't stop the Knights either, and the defensive side of the floor is where they ultimately lost the game. UCF shot 46% in the second half after making just a third of their shots in the first 20 minutes, outscoring UConn 39-25. The Huskies were nowhere near as efficient offensively as they were in the first half, but simply put if they string a couple stops together the comeback is likely stunted.

"I can't be more disappointed in how we played," said UConn head coach Jim Calhoun after the game. "We just stopped playing. We couldn't even get the ball inbounded near the end. Nobody stepped up and it was a complete disaster for us."

Florida State's loss to Harvard could also be described as disastrous, but for what happened with them offensively. There's no disguising the fact that the Seminoles have their issues offensively, and despite those issues Leonard Hamilton's team reached the Sweet 16 last season. But things may have gotten worse for FSU, as in their 46-41 loss to the Crimson they finished with a offensive efficiency of 66.1.

Michael Snaer led the way with ten points but it wasn't enough to earn the win, setting up the third-place battle between the Seminoles and Connecticut. The good news for UConn is that Ryan Boatright (NCAA suspension) makes his season debut, giving them another ball-handler in the backcourt. That's something they need to help out Shabazz Napier, who turned the ball over seven times against UCF and will need someone to relieve some of the workload he's been given. Can the Huskies defend better? Can FSU shoot better? The answers will determine the outcome.

Other Notable Happenings

1. The Atlantic 10 will have two teams playing for championships on Sunday night.
Annually the talk regarding the Atlantic 10 from a national point of view has centered around Xavier and Temple, and rightfully so given the success of those two programs. But if early returns are any indication on the strength of the conference, there will be more for the rest of the country to pay attention to. After wins on Friday, Dayton (Old Spice Classic) and Saint Louis (76 Classic) will play for the title in those events on Sunday. Dayton shot just 36% from the field but Archie Miller's team turned the ball over just nine times and outscored Fairfield by 15 points from beyond the arc in their 56-49 win over the Stags. As for Saint Louis, Jordair Jett scored 19 points off the bench and the Billikens neutralized everyone outside of Maalik Wayns and James Bell in their 80-68 win over Villanova. Both have winnable matchups on Sunday, with Dayton playing Minnesota and Saint Louis taking on Oklahoma, and that's a good development for the conference in regards to possible rewards in March.

2. Oklahoma remains undefeated and looks to be a better basketball team.
A long rebuilding process was expected for Oklahoma when Lon Kruger took over the program in the off-season. Not much in the cupboard talent-wise along with NCAA sanctions made many think that though could be a rough campaign for the Sooners. But if there's one thing (among many) that Kruger can do it's rebuild programs, and the Sooners look to be on the right track with their 4-0 start. Oklahoma limited Santa Clara to 26% shooting in the first half and took a 42-19 lead into the break on their way to an 85-73 win. Steven Pledger scored 26 points and three other Sooners reached double figures, but the biggest differences between this team and the last two seasons are the effort on the defensive end and their unselfishness. It's still going to be a process for Oklahoma, and there will likely be disappointments along the way, but the Sooners are putting together a solid foundation.

3. Kris Joseph takes over late, allowing Syracuse to rally past Stanford.
Johnny Dawkins' Stanford Cardinal put forth an impressive battle in the title game of the NIT Season Tip-Off, leading favored Syracuse for much of the first 30 minutes. But the Orange went their full-court pressure and senior Kris Joseph scored 12 of his 18 points in the second half as they won 69-63. Could Joseph be the go-to guy that so many have looked for on this deep team? Friday was certainly a good start in that regard, but the two games in NYC were also good for sophomores C.J. Fair and Dion Waiters. They scored ten points apiece with Waiters adding three assists and three steals, and both were named to the All-Tournament Team as a result. Joseph can be considered a known commodity but for Fair and Waiters to begin their seasons in this fashion is a good sign of things to come, especially in March.

Quick Hitters

1. What's up with Rider? A team some thought could be a factor for third in the MAAC is 1-5 following an 86-69 loss to James Madison in the Philly Hoop Group Classic. The Dukes outscored the Broncs 48-31 in the second half, shooting 60% from the field in the final 20 minutes.

2. Southern Miss out-rebounded New Mexico State 38-26 and limited the Aggies to 41.7% shooting in their 80-72 win in a Great Alaska Shootout semifinal. LaShay Page scored 22 points to lead the Golden Eagles, who play Murray State in the title game.

3. Kendall Marshall scored just four points in North Carolina's 87-62 win over South Carolina, but his true value can be seen in his 14 assists and six steals. As long as he's on the floor the Tar Heels are going to be extremely difficult to slow down.

4. Marshall picked up a good road win as they beat Cincinnati 73-69 in overtime. Damier Pitts came up big late for the Thundering Herd, picked by many to be Memphis' chief competition in Conference USA. As for the Bearcats, this makes that loss to Presbyterian even costlier.

5. Good luck trying to slow down the Florida Gators. In their 107-62 win over Jacksonville five Gators reached double figures with Kenny Boynton (22 points) and Erving Walker (21) combining to score 43 points. Florida has made ten or more three-pointers in each of their games this season.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Doug McDermott (Creighton)
31 points and 11 rebounds in the Bluejays' 104-81 win over Campbell.

2. G Reggie Hamilton (Oakland) and G Isiah Williams (Utah Valley)
In the Golden Grizzlies' 89-83 win over Utah Valley Hamilton scored 34 points (five assists, five steals and three rebounds) while Williams paced the Wolverines with 35 of his own (three rebounds, three assists).

3. F Patrick Heckmann (Boston College)
32 points and five rebounds in the Eagles' 66-62 win over UC Riverside.

College Hoops Monday Recap: Disciplined Wolverines Outclass Memphis

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 23:17:23 -0800

One of the keys in playing against Michigan is to remain composed and execute your game plan. Getting away from what you do well in attempts to get the Wolverines to play a style other than their own more times than not results in a loss. That was the lesson for the Memphis Tigers, who in spite of their athletic talents have some maturing to do before referring to themselves as sure-fire national title contenders. Tim Hardaway Jr. led Michigan with 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists and freshman guard Trey Burke added 14 points and four assists in the Wolverines' 73-61 victory, and they'll take on Duke in the semifinals of the Maui Invitational.

The problems for the Tigers came on both ends of the floor. Offensively Josh Pastner's team struggled to create good looks for themselves, instead settling for contested shots as they became more perplexed by the Michigan defense. Memphis shot 33% for the game and just 31% in the second half, and their efficiency numbers were a far cry from the marks reached in their season-opening win over Belmont. Memphis also had trouble defensively as Michigan shot 54% from the field, a number bolstered by making 70% of their two-point shots.

That more than made up for the Wolverines shooting 30% from beyond the arc, and for some reason the two teams took the same number of three-pointers (20) despite the fact that Memphis would have better served to attack the basket. Charles Carmouche led the Tigers with 14 points (their lone player in double figures), and he seemed to be the only player with any kind of idea as to what Michigan was trying to do defensively. Will Barton made just three of his twelve shots, and he was a little too wild for his (or the Tigers') good on that end of the floor. Memphis' running game was neutralized, limiting their offense for much of the game.

"I think that was one of the key things we did is communicate really well to stop the ball coming down the fast break," said Hardaway, Jr. "And just pointing out to your man who you [have], and I think communication is the whole key to having a successful defensive team on transition."

Michigan closed the first half on a 10-0 run sparked by their changing defenses, incorporating man-to-man and 2-3 zone looks as they frustrated the Tigers. There was brief "conference" at mid-court as the teams left the floor at the break, but that would change little for Memphis as the Wolverines continued to build on their lead in the second half. As a result Michigan gets a shot at the team that ended their season, and Memphis has the chance to use this tough lesson in a constructive manner.

"They hit some big shots in the second half, and it's just one of those things where we're playing a very good Michigan team, and we're a very good team," said Pastner. "That's why we're playing these type of games to see what adjustments we need to make. It's very early in the year, and this will give us a barometer of things we need to get better at."

Other Notable Happenings

1. J'Covan Brown's an impressive player, but his error in judgment sparked an NC State comeback.
Even with Brown picking up his fourth foul with 8:25 remaining the Longhorns seemed to be in good shape as they held a 65-52 lead in the third place game of the Ticket City Legends Classic. But Brown uttered one of those "magic words", and the resulting technical foul was also his fifth personal foul. From that point forward Mark Gottfried's Wolfpack took full advantage, continuing what would become a 19-1 run on their way to the 77-74 victory.

C.J. Leslie led the way with 17 points and the return of Scott Wood (16 points) also played a role in the comeback from 18 points down, but while this is definitely a boost for the Wolfpack the outcome highlighted how important Brown is to Texas. Myck Kabongo has a way to go before he's truly ready to run the show in crunch time, meaning that Brown has to remain on the floor. Silly mistakes like his technical foul will do the Longhorns no favors if allowed to become a trend.

2. Missouri and California put together impressive performances at the CBE Classic and will meet tomorrow night.
Notre Dame received a boost as Tim Abromaitis returned to the lineup, scoring 22 points and grabbing eight rebounds on the night. But the Irish were no match for Frank Haith's Missouri Tigers, who shot 63% from the field in the first half and scored 53 points on their way to an 87-58 win. The Tigers' guards, led by Marcus Denmon (26 points) and Phil Pressey (17 points), were simply too quick for Notre Dame in a dominant performance. And the team that many were concerned about due to the loss of Laurence Bowers out-rebounded Notre Dame 38-24, and while that disparity was affected by the disparity in shooting percentages (Mizzou 58%, Notre Dame 37%) the Tigers more than held their own.

They'll likley encounter a tougher challenge on Tuesday night as they take on the Cal Golden Bears, who snapped out of a slow start to beat Georgia 70-46. Cal gained their separation with a 14-0 run to end the first half and things only got worse after the break. Cal head coach Mike Montgomery credited the fact that the Bulldogs run a lot of sets that are similar to his own (Georgia head coach Mark Fox was an assistant of Trent Johnson's at Nevada, and Johnson was an assitant of Montgomery's at Stanford), and adding the Bears' experience to that made it nearly impossible for the Bulldogs to prevent things from getting out of hand. Harper Kamp led three Cal players in double figures with 16 points and defensively the Golden Bears limited Georgia to 32.8% shooting from the field. Tuesday's title game should be entertaining, but at the very least it will be a challenge for both.

3. Brad Tinsley's shot in the final seconds gives Vanderbilt the Legends Classic title.
Kevin Stallings' Commodores were locked in a tough battle with Oregon State at the Izod Center, never leading by more than nine points (45-36) and going back and forth with the Beavers in crunch time. It took a jumper from the right elbow from senior guard Brad Tinsley with 4.5 seconds remaining to give Vanderbilt the 64-62 win in a game that both teams can take positives from. One key for Vandy was the defense of Jeffery Taylor, who drew the assignment of guarding Jared Cunningham. Cunningham scored just nine points on the night, but OSU was able to hang around thanks to Devon Collier (19 points) and Ahmad Starks (16 points).

Another key contributor for Oregon State was Eric Moreland, who chipped in eight points and eight rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench. While it's still extremely early in the season Craig Robinson's group does not feel like previous Oregon State teams, ones that seemed to be locks to plummet to the bottom of the (then) Pac-10. As for Vanderbilt, these are the kinds of games that people have had questions about in March: are they tough enough to make the plays needed to win tight games? John Jenkins scored 14 points with Cunningham working hard to make his night difficult, and Lance Goulbourne made some key plays to supplement the efforts of Jenkins and Taylor. The game wasn't pretty, as Vandy turned the ball over 22 times, but winning an ugly game at this stage could pay dividends down the road.

Quick Hitters

1. While many will choose to focus on the 18 points scored by freshman Austin Rivers, the 17 points scored by Ryan Kelly in their 77-67 win over Tennessee could prove to be a more important development for Duke down the line. The Plumlee brothers struggled offensively, but if Kelly can build on this performance the front line becomes that much more formidable.

2. The stunning aspect of UMass' 82-46 win over Boston College wasn't the fact that the Minutemen won so much as the margin. For the Eagles to lose at home by 36 points underlines just how far Steve Donahue's team has to go, and their youth won't help matters in the ACC either.

3. Just one week after losing to Marquette by 30 points in Milwaukee, Norfolk State fought until the end and had a shot to win the title game of the Paradise Jam. But while the Golden Eagles survived 59-57, look for the Spartans to contend for the MEAC title. One thing that the Spartans can call on is their matchup zone, which pestered Marquette throughout.

4. Reeves Nelson sat out the first half of UCLA's win over Chaminade after missing the team flight out to Maui. The second half was more about the entire team finally bringing the level of effort needed to be a successful team than the return of Nelson, and it will be interesting to see if the Bruins can bring it against Kansas.

5. The three-point shooting struggles of last season are a thing of the past for Florida, who made ten threes in their 78-65 win over Wright State. Billy Donovan's team has made ten or more three-pointers in each of their games this season, and Bradley Beal and Kenny Boynton both scored 22 points on Monday night.

6. Another surprising margin of victory: George Washington beating Detroit 86-73, and the Colonials led by as many as 26 points in the second half. Tony Taylor led the way with 22 points and six assists and Lasan Kromah added 17 in the most impressive win of first-year head coach Mike Lonergan's short tenure.

7. This win won't make headlines nationwide, but Manhattan's 85-83 win over Fresno State is a good result for first-year head coach Steve Masiello. Donovan Kates and Mike Alvarado scored 14 points apiece to lead five Jaspers in double figures as they moved to 3-1 on the season.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Jared Sullinger (Ohio State)
27 points, 13 rebounds and three steals in the Buckeyes' 85-50 win over North Florida.

2. G/F Jason Guerrier (Albany)
28 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in 28 minutes off the bench in the Great Danes' 85-49 win over Monmouth.

3. F Thomas Robinson (Kansas)
20 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks in the Jayhawks' 67-63 win over Georgetown.

College Hoops Friday Recap: Bulldogs Win 2K Sports Classic

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 02:11:12 -0800

Just over a week ago there were many questions about the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the aftermath of their loss to defending MAC Tournament champion Akron, one that featured listless play from their big men and uneven play from their guards. But just as Rick Stansbury's team can be a bit maddening in one week they can be just as productive the next, which is what happened in New York this week. Led by 2K Sports Classic MVP Arnett Moultrie (19 points, 10 rebounds) the Bulldogs never trailed as they beat Arizona 67-57 in the championship game.

Defensively the Bulldogs performed well, limiting Arizona to 40.4% shooting from the field and finishing a plus-4 on the glass. Offensively it wasn't a pretty game for either team, with Jesse Perry (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Solomon Hill (12 points, nine rebounds) leading the way for the Wildcats, but when it came time for the "tough" plays to be made more times than not it was a Bulldog getting it done.

"This game was about effort and toughness," said Stansbury. "If you look at the stat sheet, you see who the tougher team was on that floor tonight. We hustled, played hard and made all of the effort plays you need to make to win a championship."

Point guard Dee Bost didn't have his best shooting performance as he made just three of twelve shots from the field, but he did dish out six assists and grab five rebounds to make up for the lack of scoring. Renardo Sidney, who still has a way to go from a stamina standpoint, scored eight points hand had his moments during his 20 minutes on the floor.

While Perry is a frontcourt player who can score inside as well as step out to 15 feet and beyond, Arizona doesn't have another interior scoring threat and that cost them against Mississippi State. Kyle Fogg and Jordin Mayes were quiet offensively and outside of a few flashes freshmen Nick Johnson and Josiah Turner didn't provide much more off the bench.

These games were good tests for both teams, but it can be argued that the Bulldogs needed the title a little more given their start to the season. The question now is whether or not Mississippi State can use the title as a springboard to bigger and better things. They have the potential to, but whether or not the job is done depends entirely on them.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Rough day for the CAA as both Drexel and VCU fall.
The Colonial Athletic Association has done a very good job in recent years of earning at-large bids, with league contenders getting the job done in non-conference play and then going on to stage a riveting league race. And while that may still happen, losses by Drexel and VCU on Friday won't help matters. VCU's loss to Georgia Tech, with Glen Rice Jr.'s second half shooting sparking a Yellow Jacket rally, isn't one that will boggle the mind. Shaka Smart's team is trying to adjust to new roles and that will be a work in progress.

But for Drexel to follow up their impressive performance at Rider with a loss in the Paradise Jam to Norfolk State isn't what was expected of Bruiser Flint's team. After being nearly unstoppable on Tuesday, Samme Givens scored just seven points and point guard Frantz Massenat finished with seven turnovers. As a result of these defeats VCU finds themselves needing a win on Sunday to avoid an 0-3 Charleston Classic and Drexel somewhat lucks out with a game against Virginia. Both teams will need to be better offensively if they're to be successful.

2. Houston scores 52 points in the second half and beats Arkansas in Little Rock.
This wasn't a true home game for Mike Anderson's Razorbacks, so that may have taken a little away from the vigor of the crowd. But to give up 52 points in a half has to be something that the Hogs' head coach will focus on in their next practice. Kirk Van Slyke scored 19 points off the bench to lead five Houston players in double figures in an 87-78 win over Arkansas on Friday night as James Dickey's team moved to 3-0 on the season.

Houston shot 52.5% from the field, and while their offensive efficiency (114.5) was lower than their season average (118.8) the Cougars were able to execute at a similar level against stiffer competition. However, Houston needs to improve on their ball security if they're to make a push in Conference USA as they turned the ball over 23 times. If Coach Dickey's team can shore things up in that regard, it may not take waiting for their very good 2012 recruiting class to arrive in order to have an impact.

3. Kendall Williams rebounds from a brutal performance to help lead New Mexico to a win at Arizona State.
After going a combined 0-for-13 from the field in the Lobos' loss to New Mexico State earlier this week usual starters Kendall Williams and Drew Gordon came off the bench on Friday. And both bounced back, with Williams scoing 16 points while also grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out seven assists while Gordon accounted for 13 points and nine rebounds in a 76-71 win at Arizona State.

Four Lobos finished in double figures, and the play of freshman guard Hugh Greenwood was also something to take note of. Greenwood made just two of ten shots from the field but he dished out five assists without a turnover, and the season wears on the Australian will most likely get the bulk of the minutes at the point. Steve Alford's team needed a positive result heading into next week's 76 Classic, and they got one.

Quick Hitters

1. Robbie Hummel will be the focal point for Purdue but senior point guard Lewis Jackson will be just as important. Jackson scored a game-high 26 points to go along with three assists in the Boilermakers' 85-77 win over Temple in a Puerto Rico Tipoff semifinal.

2. Virginia put forth a poor performance in their 57-55 loss to TCU at the Paradise Jam, with Joe Harris' game-winning three pointer falling just short as time expired. Not the best way for Tony Bennett's team to go about showing that they could be the fourth-best team in the ACC.

3. To say the least it's going to be a tough year for Boston College, but this was expected given their personnel losses combined with the need to rely on their young players. But to loss 86-64 to Holy Cross isn't the best way to go about that.

4. Gary Waters' defense was at it again as Cleveland State beat St. Bonaventure 67-64 due in large part to the 23 turnovers they forced. Trevon Harmon led three CSU starters in double figures with 20 points while D'Aundray Brown and Jeremy Montgomery scored 12 apiece.

5. Keith Dambrot's Akron team fell to Valparaiso 62-59 with Kevin Van Wijk scoring 21 points and grabbing ten rebounds on the night, with the foul line proving to be the deciding factor. Valpo attempted 38 free throws to Akron's seven.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Scott Machado (Iona)
17 points and 15 assists in Iona's 94-88 win over Western Michigan in a consolation bracket game in the Puerto Rico Tipoff

2. G Carl Jones (Saint Joseph's)
38 points (a tournament record), four rebounds, four assists and three steals in the Hawks' 78-70 loss to Seton Hall in a Charleston Classic semifinal.

3. G T.J. McConnell (Duquesne)
15 points, 11 assists and ten rebounds in the Dukes' 97-81 win over District of Columbia.

Who Will Win the 2011-12 ACC Title?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 18:50:47 -0800

ACC Basketball: 5-Year Ranking

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:02:26 -0800

Here's how the ACC teams stack up over the last five years according to conference wins. Unlike many leagues, the ACC has a relatively strict caste system, with Duke and UNC firmly at the top. Tony Bennett's Virginia Cavaliers are one of the few teams with a chance to jump up a level, while Wake Forest is clearly going in the wrong direction.

First Tier

1 - Duke - 58 - Steady as she goes for Coach K. Expect the same this year.
2 - UNC - 57 - Could surpass Duke if they runaway with the ACC title

Second Tier

3t - Florida St - 45 - Should once again finish 3rd or 4th in the league
3t - Maryland - 45 - Gary Williams' tenure ended in steady if not spectacular fashion
3t - Virginia Tech - 45 - And yet they haven't made the NCAA's since 2007
6 - Clemson - 44 - Could potentially go 9-7 for 4th year in a row

Wannabees

7- Boston College - 38 wins - Steve Donahue would love a 7th place finish this year
8 - Wake Forest - 37 - Just one conference win last year doesn't help the cause

Also-Rans

9 - Virginia - 32 - Have a chance to move up a tier with a big season
10 - Georgia Tech - 29 - Remember when Georgia Tech was a relevant program?
11 - Miami - 29 - Amazing Missouri went after Frank Haith
12 - NC State - 25 - Herb Sendek quietly laughing out in Arizona

Check back for the Big 12 ranking over the weekend.

All 5-Year Rankings.