CS Northridge

Who Will Win the 2011-12 Big WestTitle?

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 11:49:55 -0500

College Basketball Lines & Predictions: Friday

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:35:07 -0500

Betting odds are a great guide to college basketball entertainment. I'll discuss my daily predictions after the lines.. these are posted solely for fun, as I do not bet on games myself, nor do I suggest anybody else does either (it's not easy). If you agree or disagree with my picks, have thoughts on the day's lines, or have upsets or picks to announce, post them below.

December 18th: College Basketball Lines & Predictions

- listed are the day's 6 most popular/intriguing games. I only predict games from this pool due to fan interest.

7:00

NC-Greensboro
at Akron

Favorite

Akron by 11.5

Over/Under

132.5

10:05

Drexel
at CSU Northridge

Favorite

Northridge by 3

Over/Under

135.5

10:05

Pacific
at St. Mary's

Favorite

St. Mary's by 12

Over/Under

135.5

10:05

San Jose St.
at UC Irvine

Favorite

Irvine by 2

Over/Under

140.5

10:05

Utah St.
at Long Beach St.

Favorite

Utah St by 3.5

Over/Under

143

10:30

New Mexico St.
at Pepperdine

Favorite

Pepperdine by 2.5

Over/Under

161.5

- Lines as of 10:30 am (from BetEd) - Check out the day's other odds as the day progresses, including odds from other betting sites. Predictions below:

Poll: Who Will Win the Big West?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:45:50 -0400

Thursday Tournament Review: Sallie, Scares, and no Surprises

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:57:48 -0400

Well, ESPN has done it again. Instead of looking at the actual game they’ve decided to look at seeding alone and refer to Western Kentucky’s 76-72 win over Illinois as the “only major NCAA upset of Day 1”. Um, major? Maybe when you consider that 69% of players in their “Tournament Challenge” game picked the Illini it’s a major upset, but the Hilltoppers were in control of this game for thirty-plus minutes. Then the craziness ensued, with a combination of Illinois finally making shots and WKU turning the ball over. Not to mention one of the more bizarre calls of the season, with Illinois being given the ball after the Hilltoppers threw the ball directly out of bounds with 1:21 remaining.

In replays it looked like Mike Davis tipped the ball before it went out of bounds, but it wasn’t ruled that way. If Davis didn’t touch the ball then why was the clock reset to 1:20 instead of 1:21? But for all of the Illini’s fight the Tops were able to hang on, with a pair of Anthony Sally free throws sealed it with 0.9 seconds remaining sealing the deal. All five starters scored in double figures for the Hilltoppers, led by Steffphon Pettigrew’s seventeen. Illinois was led by senior guard Trent Meachem, who finished with twenty-four points. Western Kentucky now moves on to face Gonzaga Saturday evening. Here are some of the other key happenings on the first day of the NCAA Tournament.

1. Memphis survives thanks to a record-setting performance from a seldom-used reserve.

Roburt Sallie rarely got of the bench this season, due in large part to the fact that the junior college transfer has struggled on the defensive end of the floor. But with three starters on the bench with foul trouble in the first half, Sallie came off the bench to score thirty-five points on 10-for-15 from behind the arc. The point total passes the great Larry Kenon for the school record in an NCAA Tournament game, while the three pointers fell one shy of Loyola Marymount’s Jeff Fryer record of eleven back in 1990. If not for Sallie and Antonio Anderson the Tigers could have paid dearly for overlooking the Matadors of Cal-State Northridge, champions of the Big West who refused to back down.

“My job is to have the swagger role but I've got to be on top of the arrogance, because arrogance comes to slippage cool,” said head coach John Calipari after the game. “You want to be cool, versus really aggressive and tough. So the swagger for us went to a little bit of arrogance.” Next up for Memphis is ten-seed Maryland, who made a second-half run to put away Cal in the second game of the afternoon in Kansas City. Look for Memphis to be ready to go from the start on Saturday.

2. Same matchup, same result.

For the second consecutive year Texas A&M met BYU in an 8/9 game, and for the second consecutive year the Aggies rode solid inside play to the victory. Texas A&M came out of the gates on fire, hitting their first ten field goals to sprint out to a 24-8 lead. The Cougars could get no closer than eight (that was in the first half), shooting just thirty-nine percent from the field while the Aggies were 57.7%. Of the thirty field goals that A&M made twenty were assisted, and the only starter not to reach double figures (Chinemelu Elonu, 8 points) went ahead and grabbed ten rebounds.

Their physical ability inside is something that gives them a chance in their second round tilt Saturday with top seed Connecticut, something that the smaller Cougars could not handle. “We play physical,” said head coach Mark Turgeon after the game. “Good teams do. We don't play football, but we play physical. So I think it helped us.” Going up against the likes of Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien on Saturday, the Aggies will need that same level of physical play if they’re to advance to the Sweet 16.

3. Hot starts rule the afternoon.

The Aggies weren’t the only team in the day session to get out to a quick start. Purdue got out to a 16-6 lead on Northern Iowa in Portland, with the Panthers turning the ball over five times on their first ten possessions of the game. LSU ran out to a 9-0 lead on Butler in Greensboro, leading by as many as thirteen in the first half before taking a six-point lead into the locker room at the half. Maryland jumped out to a 10-3 lead on Cal in Kansas City. All three teams won, with their opponents expending a lot of energy to simply get back into the game. Another thing those three victors have in common: second-half runs to answer those comebacks. All will be going up against teams on Saturday that either have more offensive firepower or are seeded higher so they’ll need today’s quick start to become the norm in order to advance.

4. Down three with seconds to go against Michigan, Clemson really could have used Terrence Oglesby.

Oglesby, who struggled in a big way against the Wolverines’ zone defense, was thrown out early in the second half for an elbow thrown at Michigan’s Stu Douglass. Clemson came back from a second-half run that put the Wolverines up 58-43 with just under six minutes to go, holding John Beilein’s team without a field goal for more than five minutes. But down 62-59 with thirteen seconds remaining, a confusing possession ensued with senior K.C. Rivers eventually tossing up a contested three with two seconds to go. Shot goes wide, and Clemson is once again left to wonder “what if” following a disappointing NCAA Tournament loss.

Next up for Michigan is Oklahoma, and if they can play efficiently on the offensive end they may be able to give the Sooners some trouble with their zone defense.

5. Villanova survives American…in Philadelphia.

On Sunday it looked as if the Wildcats had their road to the East Regional in Boston paved for them with two games in Philadelphia. At halftime Thursday night there was the distinct possibility of Villanova taking the 17-mile trek back to their campus on the Main Line. Led by guards Derrick Mercer and Garrison Carr, the Eagles went into the locker room up ten and led in the second half by as many as fourteen before Jay Wright’s team snapped to life. The Wildcats, instead of trying to show that they could shoot from the perimeter as well (a strategy that didn’t work in the first half), attacked the basket and took control of the game once Carr went to the bench with his fourth foul. Finally the Wildcats were able to gain separation, winning 80-67 to move on to a second round showdown with UCLA Saturday.

“I think this game was more just us having bigger, stronger athletes at the end,” said head coach Jay Wright in the postgame press conference. “In the end, they were getting some good shots still. I think they were a little worn down. We were getting more rebounds. We were driving the ball better, getting to the foul line [as a result].” Villanova will have to do more of the same if they’re to beat the Bruins, a team that can make opponents one-dimensional on offense with their brand of defense.

6. Thursday Superlatives

Player of the Day: Memphis G Roburt Sallie (35 points, 10-for-15 3PT)

Team of the Day: Western Kentucky

Special Occasion: Tyler Hansbrough breaking J.J. Redick’s ACC career scoring record in the Tar Heels’ 101-58 beating of Radford.

What in the world were you thinking: Morgan State forward Ameer Ali for his judo throw of Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin.

Newsworthy ailment: Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun missed their first round game against Chattanooga due to dehydration. He’ll spend the night in a Philadelphia hospital (precautionary), most likely returning to the bench for the second round game on Saturday. “I think we would have been more fired up if coach was here,” said UConn point guard A.J. Price. “Chattanooga actually got off easy, I think, by coach not being here today.” Final score: 103-47.

7. Thursday’s Scores

East Region

Greensboro: #7 Texas 76, #10 Minnesota 62; #2 Duke 86, #15 Binghamton 62

Philadelphia: #3 Villanova 80, #14 American 67; #6 UCLA 65, #11 VCU 64

South Region

Greensboro: #8 LSU 75, #9 Butler 71; #1 North Carolina 101, #16 Radford 58

Kansas City: #10 Michigan 62, #7 Clemson 59; #2 Oklahoma 82, #15 Morgan State 54

Portland: #4 Gonzaga 77, #13 Akron 64; #12 Western Kentucky 76, #5 Illinois 72

West Region

Kansas City: #2 Memphis 81, #15 Cal-State Northridge 70; #10 Maryland 84, #7 California 71

Philadelphia: #9 Texas A&M 79, #8 BYU 66; #1 Connecticut 103, #16 Chattanooga 47

Portland: #5 Purdue 61, #12 Northern Iowa 56; #4 Washington 71, #13 Mississippi State 58

Northridge: 2009 NCAA Tournament Capsule

Joel Welser — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 13:26:19 -0400

Cal State Northridge Matadors

Big West (17-13, 11-5)

Big Wins: 1/29 at UCSB (72-70), 2/28 Long Beach State (95-74), 3/14 vs Pacific (71-66)

Bad Losses: 11/21 at Cal State Bakersfield (65-67), 1/21 Cal State Fullerton (87-91), 2/18 at UC Irvine (51-73)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2001, First Round loss to Kansas

Coach: Bobby Braswell (0-1 in 1 NCAA appearance)

Why They Can Surprise:

California State University, Northridge plays a high pressure defense. The team will generate a ton of steals, but that can lead to easy buckets for the opposition as well. If the Matadors can rattle the opposing point guard and force turnovers, they can stay close to any opponent. It is the emergence of the frontcourt that has turned CSUN into the Big West conference champions. Tremaine Townsend averaged 10.9 points and 8.4 rebounds on the season and is always a threat to tally a double-double. Townsend is even the best shot blocker on the team and will use his 6-9, 225 pound frame to play decent defense.

Willie Galick is his partner in the paint. The 6-8 transfer from Pepperdine compliments Townsend very well and has developed into a consistent scorer who can finish around the basket or step out and hit the mid-range jumper. Galick’s 6-8 frame is also beneficial on the glass and when Townsend and Galick are dominating the paint, the Matadors are dominating their opponent.

Why They Can Disappoint:

Not long ago the backcourt was the best asset on this team. However, Deon Tresvant, a terrific outside shooter and the team’s leading scorer, only played in 12 games this year before being suspended. To make matters worse, point guard Josh Jenkins was injured in a car accident in mid-February and will not be returning this season. That has put a ton of pressure on Rob Haynes and Mark Hill. Haynes has to pick up the scoring slack left behind by Tresvant, and he has done that most of the year. Hill has stepped into the starting point guard role and done a decent job.

Who To Watch:

Losing two guards has caused the Matadors to depend more on their bench too. Kenny Daniels usually started anyways and the 6-4 wing has emerged as a consistent and dangerous scoring threat late in the year. Rodrigue Mels has stepped up his scoring output late in the season as well. He scored 19 points against UC Santa Barbara and 18 against UC Davis in late February and early March. Mels followed those big games up with his two best games, tallying 28 points and 23 points, during the conference tournament. Therin Taylor will not explode for 20 points like Daniels and Mels could, but Coach Bobby Braswell will need Taylor to at least play some quality minutes to provide the backcourt a break from their high pressure defense.

Probable Starters:

Mark Hill, Junior, Guard, 7.9 ppg, 2.7 apg

Rob Haynes, Senior, Guard, 9.4 ppg, 1.0 apg

Kenny Daniels, Junior, Forward, 8.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg

Willie Galick, Junior, Forward, 9.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg

Tremaine Townsend, Senior, Forward, 10.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.0 bpg

Key Roleplayers:

Vincent Cordell, Junior, Forward, 3.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg

Rodrigue Mels, Senior, Guard, 8.8 ppg, 1.3 apg

Therin Taylor, Junior, Forward, 2.7 ppg, 2.1 rpg

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 74.1 (67^th in nation, 1^st in conference)

Scoring Defense: 70.4 (231, 6)

Field-Goal Percentage: 45.4 (91, 3)

Field-Goal Defense: 41.8 (93, 1)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.0 (95, 4)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 34.9 (131, 5)

Free-Throw Percentage: 69.6 (144, 5)

Rebound Margin: 3.4 (61, 2)

Assists Per Game: 14.2 (91, 3)

Turnovers Per Game: 17.6 (324, 9)

Following the Bracket announcement, more team info will be added, including final RPI, final team statistical rankings, Joel's prediction, and more!

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Big West Basketball Preview: 08-09

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 07:24:46 -0500

Conference Rank: 19th

Conference Page

All-BIG WEST Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Josh Jenkins	Northridge	Sr
G	Josh Akognon	Fullerton	Sr
G	Donovan Morris	LBSU	Sr
F	Chris Devine	UCSB	Sr
F	Tremaine Townsend	Northridge	Sr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
Mid-Major All-Americans Josh Akognon Donovan Morris		Points: Josh Akognon 20.2 Rebounds: Tremaine Townsend 9.8 Assists: Josh Jenkins 6.4

BIG WEST Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

98	Pacific	Big West	1	NCAA
115	CS Northridge	Big West	2
138	UC Santa Barbara	Big West	3
166	CS Fullerton**	Big West	4
182	Cal Poly	Big West	5
210	Long Beach St	Big West	6
259	UC Irvine	Big West	7
281	UC Riverside	Big West	8
311	UC Davis	Big West	9

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Note: A lot of changes have occurred at Pacific in the months since this preview was written. They would almost certainly not be our #1 choice as of today.

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the Big West?

Other BIG WEST Content

Conference Media Poll

Other

Rise & Fall: Big West

State of '08: California

Daily Conference Poll: Who Will Win the Big West?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 11:38:18 -0400

CS Northridge Basketball Schedule: 08-09

Press Release — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:57:26 -0400

Northridge, Calif. - The 2008-09 Cal State Northridge men's basketball team, expected to be the favorites to repeat as Big West regular season champions, will be gathering thousands of frequent flier miles during the early portion of the 2008-09 schedule which was announced on Wednesday by Matador head coach Bobby Braswell.

Following a Nov. 14 (7:05 p.m.) regular season home opener against Cal Lutheran at The Matadome, the Matadors embark on a highly competitive six game road trek that begins at one of the toughest venues in the Pac-10, Maples Pavilion on the campus of Stanford University (Nov. 18, 7:30 p.m.). For the past several years, the Cardinal has been one of the top teams in the country.

From Palo Alto, the Matadors head south to the home court of Cal State Bakersfield for a Nov. 21 (7:00 p.m.) non-league encounter. Then the six game road trip kicks into high gear when Cal State Northridge travels to The Pit in Albuquerque to face another high profile national program, the New Mexico Lobos on Nov. 24 (7:00 p.m.).

From there, the Matadors travel to relatively uncharted territory with two games in the East. Only four other times in the previous 50 years of Matador basketball has the team ventured this far from home. First, there is a stop on Nov. 29 (3:00 p.m.) at Rider College which is located in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Two days later, the Matadors will take a 45-minute bus trip to Philadelphia to play Drexel University on Dec. 1.

Then on Dec. 7 (7:00 p.m.), the six-game road trip ends with a highly anticipated contest at Pauley Pavilion to face the powerful UCLA Bruins. The Bruins, who have played in three straight Final Fours, are again expected to dominate the Pac-10 in 2008-09, and are again contenders to make the Final Four in 2009. The last time these two teams collided, the Matadors upset the nationally-ranked Bruins, 78-74, at Pauley Pavilion on Nov. 21, 2000.

The Matadors finally return home for two games on Dec. 1 (7:05 p.m.) against Denver and Dec. 18 (7:05 p.m.) against Pepperdine. But then again, it's back on the road, this time with trips to San Diego State (Dec . 22, 7:00 p.m.) and to open the Big West season on Dec. 29 (7:00 p.m.) at Cal State Fullerton.

Cal State Northridge will have 12 regular season home games including nine Big West contests. The conference home opener is Jan. 2 (7:05 p.m.) against another league favorite, the Pacific Tigers. Note: There is the possibility that another home game will be added to the existing schedule.

The 2008-09 CS Northridge Men's Basketball Schedule
Note: One more home game may be added at a later date

November
3 (MONDAY) - LA VERNE (EXHIBITION), 7:05 p.m.
8 (SATURDAY) - CARROLL COLLEGE (EXHIBITION), 7:05 p.m.
14 (FRIDAY) - CAL LUTHERAN, 7:05 p.m.
18 (Tuesday) - at Stanford, 7:30 p.m.
21 (Friday) - at Cal State Bakersfield, 7:00 p.m.
24 (Monday) - at New Mexico, 7:00 p.m.
29 (Saturday) - at Rider, 3:00 p.m.

December
1 (Monday) - at Drexel, tba
7 (Sunday) - at UCLA, 7:00 p.m.
9 (TUESDAY) - DENVER, 7:05 P.M.
18 (THURSDAY) - PEPPERDINE, 7:05 P.M.
22 (Monday) - at San Diego State, 7:00 p.m.
*29 (Monday) - at Cal State Fullerton, 7:00 p.m.

January
*2 (FRIDAY) - PACIFIC, 7:05 P.M.
*5 (MONDAY) - UC DAVIS, 7:05 P.M.
*14 (Wednesday) - at UC Riverside, 7:00 p.m.
*17 (Saturday) - at Long Beach State, 7:00 p.m.
*21 (WEDNESDAY) - CAL STATE FULLERTON, 7:05 P.M.
*24 (SATURDAY) - UC IRVINE, 7:05 P.M.
*29 (Thursday) - at UC Santa Barbara, 7:00 p.m.
*31 (Saturday) - at Cal Poly, 7:00 p.m.

February
5 (THURSDAY) - CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD, 7:05 P.M.
*11 (WEDNESDAY) - CAL POLY, 7:05 P.M.
*14 (SATURDAY) - UC RIVERSIDE, 7:05 P.M.
*18 (Wednesday) - at UC Irvine, 7:00 p.m.
21 (Saturday) - at ESPN Bracketbuster, tba
*25 (WEDNESDAY) - UC SANTA BARBARA, 7:05 P.M.
*28 (SATURDAY) - LONG BEACH STATE, 7:05 P.M.

March
*5 (Thursday) - at UC Davis, 7:00 p.m.
*7 (Saturday) - at Pacific, 7:00 p.m.
11-14 (Wednesday-Saturday) - at Big West Tournament (Anaheim, Ca), tba
19-22 (Thursday-Sunday) - at NCAA Tournament, tba
26-29 (Thursday-Sunday) - at NCAA Tournament, tba

April
4-6 Saturday-Monday - at NCAA Final Four (Detroit, Mi), tba

*Big West Conference Game

2008-09 Northridge Matadors Preview: #115

Joel Welser — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 11:35:32 -0400

California State Northridge Matadors

Overall Rank: #115

Conference Rank: #2 Big West

2007-08: 20-10, 12-4, 1^st

2007-08 postseason: none

Cal State Northridge has not had such high expectations since they joined the Big West. And the folks in the Valley think this could be the year that the Matadors make it back to the NCAA Tournament. With super sub Deon Tresvant back and leading the way, this really could be the year. Tresvant averaged a team high 13.9 points per game last year and never started a single game. The 6-0 senior is a great shooter and hit nearly three long balls per contest.

Who’s Out:

Oddly, the two players who paved the way for the Matadors success over the last four years are now gone, but that will not curb the enthusiasm in Northridge. Calvin Chitwood averaged 10.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks during his senior campaign. Jonathan Heard added 11.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals. Not only will their production be missed, but their leadership will be as well. Jayme Miller started all 30 games during his senior season. The 6-8, 240 pounder rarely put up huge numbers, but his presence under the basket will be missed. Rai Colston never really worked his way into the regular rotation during his two years with the team after transferring from a junior college.

Who’s In:

The Matadors need some depth up front and they found it with this group of newcomers. Willie Galick, a transfer from Pepperdine, is ready to step into a starting role. The 6-8 power forward started 21 games for the Waves two years ago and averaged 6.5 points and 3.7 rebounds. Galick can block a few shots, but it is his versatility to play inside and out that makes him so dangerous. Jermaine Smith missed last season with a knee injury. The junior college transfer will see his first playing time with the Matadors this year and will at least be a solid shotblocking and rebounding threat. Seven-footer Xavier Crawford will not do much scoring, but having a guy that big will make things interesting. Vincent Cordell and Kenny Daniels will add some depth on the wings. Both junior college transfers, the 6-6 Cordell and the 6-4 Daniels are ready to make an impact this year. Mark Hill will be eligible after the fall semester. The transfer from Tulsa will add even more depth at the point.

Who to Watch:

Tresvant is not the only experienced player returning to the backcourt. Josh Jenkins averaged 10.5 points per game and dished out 6.4 assists. Jenkins does a good job getting to the basket and creating for his teammates, but he could stand to develop a little more consistency on his jump shot. His 3.9 turnovers per game sounds high, but the Matadors will run at every opportunity so the turnovers will happen. Yet, there is room for improvement for his senior season. Paul Wayne is an experienced backup point guard. Rob Haynes and Rodrigue Mels will join Tresvant on the wings. Haynes is a decent scorer and slasher, but if expects to start at the three guard spot, Haynes needs to help out more on the glass. Mels saw limited action last year, but he has the potential to be a decent scoring threat off the bench and take over Tresvant’s old job as the sixth man.

Final Projection:

Up front Northridge will depend on Tremaine Townsend. The 6-9 senior has a big wing span and he used that asset to grab 9.8 rebounds and tally 1.2 blocks per contest last year. He is a solid scorer as well and can even step outside and consistently hit the mid-range jumper. Townsend was a double-double threat every game last year and will be so again this year. With Gallick by his side, Coach Bobby Braswell’s team has a solid frontcourt. Consistency of play might keep the Matadors away from being the obvious conference favorites, but this is a group who can beat just about anybody on any given night.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

Josh Jenkins, Senior, Guard, 10.5 points per game

Deon Tresvant, Senior, Guard, 13.9 points per game

Rob Haynes, Senior, Guard, 6.8 points per game

Willie Galick, Junior, Forward, DNP last season

Tremaine Townsend, Senior, Forward, 10.1 points per game

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

Daily Dribble: Friday Report Card

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 11:30:59 -0500

The Report Card

A - Big West Race

The battle for top spot in the Big West is shaping up to be an exciting race. The top four teams in the conference met last night with Pacific beating Northridge in OT and UCSB getting the best of Fullerton. These four teams are now all within a game of each other. Northridge is still the favorite in my opinion, as their schedule shapes up nicely.. with a challenging road game at Fullerton, but otherwise home games or easy road games remaining.

B - Pittsburgh

When Levance Fields and Mike Cook went down right before New Year's, this team looked like it might collapse. But since the Dayton debacle, the Panthers have hung tough in Big East play and currently sit at 6-4 after Ramon's buzzer-beater upended West Virginia. The Panthers did enough in their non-conference schedule so that anything over .500 in league play should situate them nicely for the Big Dance. The rest of their schedule is by no means a walk in the park, four road games at Marquette, ND, WVU, and Syracuse remain, which is why last night's win was so important.

C - Shaun Pruitt

Watching the senior hit only 1 of 7 free throws, including two at the end of the 2nd OT that could have won the game, was painful. But it pains me to put Pruitt low on the list, because he's one of my favorite players in the Big Ten, is the team's most consistent player, and he's worked hard to improve since freshman year.

D - Virginia

Remember when the Cavs beat Arizona back in November and then almost beat Syracuse a couple weeks later. They were 10-2 heading into January 1st, but are just 1-8 in 2008.. must have been some bad champagne on New Year's. Obviously the increased talent-level of the ACC competition is a big reason for the struggles, but they're not even coming close to winning games. Making things worse, its not like youth is an excuse. Singletary & Joseph are seniors, and Diane is a junior.

F - Illini Nation

Enough with the Eric Gordon obsession. It's not his fault your coach can't recruit.. brought in nobody with talent last year, and has no one good lined up for next year. At one point during the game, the announcers mentioned that this team "has more talent" than a 10-14 team. But that's completely wrong. This team barely has the talent of a 10-14 team.. but Weber's coaching (he can't recruit but he can coach) keeps them in games.

The Daily Report Card tells you all you need to know about the day in college hoops. From good to bad and bad to worse, I'll be laying down the law.

Previous Best / Worst

February 6th - Chris Lofton / Dick Vitale

February 5th - Bob Knight / Josh Heytvelt

February 4th - New York Giants / Washington State

February 1st - Nevada / Penn

January 31st - Kansas State / St. John's

January 29th - Winthrop / Dyson & Wiggins

January 28th - Rutgers / Doris Burke

January 25th - Ron Hunter / Princeton Offense

January 23rd - Kentucky / Archbishop Burke

January 22nd - DJ Augustin / Scott Sutton

January 21st - New York Giants / Marquette

January 20th - Maryland / ESPN.com editors

January 18th - Cleveland State / Marquette

January 17th - Drake / HP Laptops

January 14th - Roy Hibbert / Michigan State

January 10th - Tony Bennett / Saint Louis

January 9th - DJ White / CSTV

January 8th - Robert Morris / Schedule Makers

January 7th - Wayne Ellington / Illinois

January 6th - Herb Sendek / Kentucky