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College Basketball Coaching Changes: 2012

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:43:20 -0700

As usual, the 2012 college basketball off-season features a never-ending parade of coaching changes. Some moves make sense, others are questionable, while others are simply head-scratchers. Thanks to collegesportsinfo.com, where a lot of this info was gleaned from. Also, apologies if all the colors give you a headache!

College Basketball Coaching Changes 2012: Power Conferences

Illinois

In - Jim Groce (ohio hc)

Out - Bruce Weber (fired >> kansas st))

Kansas St

In - Bruce Weber (illinois hc)

Out - Frank Martin (resigned >> so carolina)

LSU

In - Johnny Jones (north texas hc)

Out - Trent Johnson (resigned)

Mississippi St

In - Rick Ray (clemson asst)

Out - Rick Stansbury (retired)

Nebraska

In - Tim Miles (colorado st hc)

Out - Doc Sadler (fired)

South Carolina

In - Frank Martin (kansas st hc)

Out - Darrin Horn (fired)

Virginia Teach

Out - Seth Greenberg (fired)

College Basketball Coaching Changes 2012: High-Majors

Air Force

In - Dave Philopovich (asst)

Out - Jeff Reynolds (fired)

Colorado St

In - Larry Eustachy (so miss hc)

Out - Tim Miles (resigned >> nebraska)

Duquesne

In - Jim Ferry (liu hc)

Out - Ron Everhart (fired)

Rhode Island

In - Danny Hurley (wagner hc)

Out - Jim Baron (fired >> canisius)

Southern Illinois

In - Barry Hinson (kansas asst)

Out - Chris Lowery (fired)

SMU

In - Larry Brown

Out - Matt Doherty (fired)

Southern Miss

Out - Larry Eustachy (resigned)

TCU

In - Trent Johnson (lsu hc)

Out - Jim Christian (resigned)

Tulsa

In - Danny Manning (kansas asst)

Out - Doug Wojcik (fired >> charleston)

UAB

In - Jerrod Hasse (unc asst)

Out - Mike Davis (fired)

College Basketball Coaching Changes 2012: Mid-Majors

Central Michigan

In - Keno Davis

Out - Ernie Ziegler (fired)

Charleston

In - Doug Wojcik (tulsa hc)

Out - Bobby Cremins (retired)

FIU

In - Richard Pitino (louisville asst)

Out - Isiah Thomas (fired)

Miami (OH)

In - John Cooper (tennessee st hc)

Out - Charlie Coles (retired)

North Texas

In - Tony Benford (marquette asst)

Out - Johnny Jones (resigned >> lsu)

Ohio

In - Jim Christian (tcu hc)

Out - John Groce (resigned >> illinois)

Western Kentucky

In - Ray Harper (asst)

Out - Ken McDonald (fired)

College Basketball Coaching Changes 2012: Low-Majors

Brown

Out - Jessie Angel (fired)

Canisius

In - Jim Baron (rhode island hc)

Out - Tom Parrotta (fired)

Eastern Illinois

In - Jay Spoonhour

Out - Mike Miller (fired)

Grambling

Out - Bobby Washington (fired)

Idaho St

In - Bill Evans (montana asst)

Out - Joe O'Brien (resigned)

LIU

In - Jack Perri (asst)

Out - Jim Perry (reisgned)

Mt St. Mary's

In - Jamion Christian (vcu asst)

Out - Robert Burke (reisgned)

NC A&T

In - Cy Alexander

Out - Jerry Evans (fired(

Northern Arizona

In - Jack Murphy (memphis asst)

Out - Mike Adras (resigned)

Samford

In - Bennie Seltzer

Out - Jimmy Tillette (fired)

Southern Utah

In - Nick Robinson (lsu asst)

Out - Roger Reid (retired)

SFPA

In - Rob Krimmel

Out - Don Friday (fired)

Tennessee St

In - Travis Williams (asst)

Out - John Cooper (resigned >> Miami OH)

UNCG

In - Wes Miller (asst)

Out - Mike Dement (fired)

Wagner

In - Bashir Mason (asst)

Out - Danny Hurley (resigned >> rhode island)

Winthrop

In - Pat Kelsey

Out - Randy Peele (fired)

Please email shawn@collegehoops.net if we're missing any transactions

Michigan State Forces a Tie for First: Saturday's Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:13:47 -0800

With first place on the line in Columbus the expectation was that #11 Michigan State and #3 Ohio State would play a tight, physical affair. And that's exactly what it was, with the visitors from East Lansing seeming to be the more comfortable of the two teams in the first half. Michigan State shot 46.9% from the field but the reason for their 35-25 lead at the half was their defense, as they limited Ohio State to 33.3% and forced eight turnovers. The Spartans' defending of Jared Sullinger was central to that effort, as they forced the sophomore big man into five of Ohio State's eight turnovers (he finished with ten) in the half. Michigan State scored 14 points off of those eight turnovers, and the ten-point margin proved too much for the home team to overcome in the 58-48 loss.

"You have to give them a lot of credit," said Ohio State point guard Aaron Craft, who finished with 15 points. "What they hang their hat on is big pressure defense. They limited us to one shot and they shrink the floor. Our guys weren't ready for it tonight."

Draymond Green didn't shoot his best from the field as he made just five of sixteen shots in scoring 12 points and grabbing nine rebounds, but his work on the defensive end of the floor more than made up for that. Keith Appling turned the ball over seven times but managed to score 14 points, but the star of the evening ended up being big man Adriean Payne. Payne, who entered the game averaging 7.3 points per game, made all six of his field goals in scoring 15 points in 20 minutes of action. Payne and Derrick Nix combined to guard Sullinger, who did score 17 points and grab 16 rebounds but those ten turnovers gave him an unwanted triple-double.

"Most of the turnovers I had were me going up for shots," noted Sullinger. "I wasn't expecting the [double-team] because that's not what Michigan State shows on the film. They dig but they don't dig like they did today. We have to give them credit, they had a great plan and they stuck to their system."

Payne was also a big reason why the Spartans outscored Ohio State 30-12 in the paint, and with William Buford and Deshaun Thomas both shooting 2-for-12 from the field this disadvantage proved to be too much for Ohio State to overcome. The win moves Michigan State into a tie with Ohio State atop the Big Ten standings, and while there's still a long way to go Tom Izzo's team made a major statement in a hostile environment. Michigan State is a Big Ten title contender, and at this rate there's a whole lot more that the Spartans can accomplish this season.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Wichita State wins big at Creighton and is well on their way to the MVC crown.
The rematch between the Shockers and Bluejays was one of the most-anticipated games on the schedule, as the outcome would go a long way in determining the regular season champ in the Missouri Valley. Creighton, who won the first meeting 68-61 in Wichita, would have pulled into a tie for first and owned the head-to-head tiebreaker with a win but they were outclassed on their home floor. Joe Ragland (24 points, six assists) and Ben Smith (22 points, six rebounds) led the way for Wichita State, who shot 58.2% in an 89-68 win to move two games ahead of Creighton in the standings.

Gregory Echenique led the Bluejays with 16 points and five rebounds but a quiet afternoon from Doug McDermott (5-14 FG, 15 points, six rebounds) and 40.4% shooting (5-for-23 from beyond the arc) proved to be too much to overcome when combined with Wichita State's offensive execution (efficiency of 141.3). Gregg Marshall's Shockers entered the game as the more balanced team when looking at their performance both offensively and defensively, and that's why they remain atop the MVC. Creighton, who has now lost three straight, needs to straighten things out defensively ahead of their BracketBusters game with Long Beach State next weekend. Because while the Bluejays remain a good bet to go dancing, their defensive performance will determine how long they stick around.

2. UNLV relies on their defense down the stretch to beat San Diego State.
There haven't been many home-and-home series this season that have been either as tight or as entertaining as the two games between UNLV and San Diego State, with the home team winning both contests by a margin of two points. Jamaal Franklin's runner was the difference in the first meeting, but the Runnin' Rebels had to lean on their defense to return the favor in Las Vegas. Dave Rice's team shot 39.4% from the field in the second half and went more than seven minutes without a made field goal, but steals from Mike Moser (which resulted in the Anthony Marshall layup that gave them a 64-63 lead), Marshall and Justin Hawkins proved to be the difference in the 65-63 win.

Moser scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds and Oscar Bellfield added 15 (Brice Massamba was also productive with 12 points as he outplayed the SDSU big men), but on an afternoon that saw Marshall and Chace Stanback combine to shoot 4-for-17 from the field UNLV was able to rely on their defense late. San Diego State turned the ball over 17 times to just eight for UNLV and was outscored 16-2 in fast break points, which negated their 49% shooting from the field and also didn't allow them to take advantage of UNLV shooting 6-for-25 from three. Chase Tapley led the Aztecs with 22 points and Franklin added 15, but James Rahon and Xavier Thames were quiet for much of the day. What does this all mean? We need a "Round 3" despite the fact that calls for such will likely motivate New Mexico, who is also 6-2 in the Mountain West.

3. North Carolina adjusts to the tempo well enough to beat Virginia.
Coming off of their tough loss to rival Duke on Wednesday, there were questions as to how #5 North Carolina would not only get over that defeat but deal with the slow pace that #19 Virginia would look to play at. Well, Roy Williams' team did just fine, pulling away with a 22-5 second half run to win 70-52 and remain part of a three-way tie for first in the ACC. Tyler Zeller, who took a great deal of criticism following Wednesday's loss due to missed free throws and his defending of Austin Rivers in the final sequence (he did go for 23 and 11), bounced back with 25 points and nine rebounds and as a team the Tar Heels made up for 35.3% shooting by grabbing 23 offensive rebounds.

Mike Scott led the Cavaliers with 18 points and six rebounds but it wasn't enough to make up for a 40-20 disadvantage in the paint and a 23-9 margin in second chance points. Unlike many teams that run into Virginia's pack line defense, North Carolina remained composed and didn't try to force things especially in the first half. And that's largely a credit to point guard Kendall Marshall, who dished out six assists and as a team the Tar Heels finished with just eight turnovers. Harrison Barnes (14 points, 11 rebounds) and John Henson (ten points, ten rebounds and four blocks) posted double-doubles, and while this result didn't make waves nationally UNC made sure to not allow Duke to beat them "twice".

4. Anthony Davis and Marquis Teague lead Kentucky past Vanderbilt in Nashville.
The national Player of the Year race seems to be a two-horse race at this point, with Kansas' Thomas Robinson and Kentucky's Anthony Davis being the thoroughbreds of choice. Davis was a key figure in the Wildcats' 69-63 win at Vanderbilt as he finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and seven blocked shots. But just as important was the play of point guard Marquis Teague, who followed up a double-double against Florida with 13 points, eight assists and four rebounds...with just one turnover. Four Kentucky starters finished in double figures as Doron Lamb led the way with 16 and Terrence Jones bounced back from a slow start to score 14 and grab nine boards, and they limited the Commodores to 27.6% shooting in the first half to take a 36-23 lead into the locker room.

But as expected Kevin Stallings' team fought back in the second half, scoring 40 points as they improved their shooting inside of the arc (45.4% to 25.0% in the first) and turned the ball over just two times. John Jenkins led four VU starters in double figures with 15 points but their 36.5% shooting from the field (and 35.7% from two) proved to be costly. Vanderbilt's going to win games down the stretch and reach the NCAA tournament, but the Wildcats are simply on another level right now. With Davis, Jones and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (who had a quiet game on Saturday night) John Calipari's got a front line that extremely difficult for opponents to score on. The key to cutting down the nets in New Orleans however could be Teague, which makes his improved play of late that much more important. While there definitely are other contenders (Syracuse chief among them), Kentucky's at the head of the class right now.

5. Missouri completes the season sweep of Baylor, whose ceiling really needs to be reevaluated.
The day's lone game matching Top 10 teams was intriguing not just because of the Big 12 race but also due to the fact that it gave viewers the chance to see how Baylor would bounce back from their loss to Kansas on Wednesday night. There was also the question of how the Bears would apply the lessons learned in their 89-88 home loss to Missouri last month, which would go a long way in determining the outcome. Well, Baylor made sure to not get whipped on the glass (40-27 edge) but they didn't accomplish much else, as Missouri limited the Bears to 36.2% shooting while knocking down 14 of 28 from beyond the arc in their 72-57 win. Paul Pressey led four Tigers in double figures with 19 points while Baylor's Quincy Miller (20 points, seven rebounds and three steals) had no such help from his teammates.

Removing Miller's 7-for-10 afternoon from the equation, Baylor shot a putrid 14-for-48 (29.2%) from the field on the day. Not going to beat many teams much less one the caliber of Missouri, who should definitely be considered to be a national title contender, by shooting that poorly. Perry Jones III, considered by many to be a lock for the lottery in the NBA Draft (should be leave), shot 2-for-12 and scored four points while Pierre Jackson (2-9 FG, five points) wasn't much better. Baylor went 0-4 in regular season games against Kansas and Missouri, and to be frank this team's ceiling is limited due to the inconsistency of their frontcourt and an inability to make key adjustments. When the stakes are raised simply relying on superior athletic ability won't get the job done, a lesson Baylor's had hammered home by both Missouri and Kansas.

Quick Hitters

1. Many were interested to see what Connecticut would bring to the table as they visited #2 Syracuse, and while the 85-67 final screams "blowout" the margin is a bit deceiving. The game turned for good when Andre Drummond left the game momentarily with an ankle injury, and the Orange went on a 19-3 run to put the game away. If the Huskies are to make a run at not just getting into the Big Dance but making waves once they get there, they need more from Alex Oriakhi (two points, two rebounds).

2. Wednesday night's hero was Austin Rivers but in #9 Duke's 73-55 win over Maryland it was the Plumlee brothers who led the way. Miles scored 13 points and grabbed 22 boards while Mason added 16 and ten to keep the Blue Devils tied with Florida State and North Carolina atop the ACC. If those two can build on this performance, Duke may end up being the favorite to win the league.

3. In a matchup of two of the top teams in the Atlantic 10, Temple sent a message in an 85-72 win over Xavier at the Liacouras Center. Ramone Moore scored 30 points, Micheal Eric added 11 and 16 boards inside and Khalif Wyatt scored 18 to move the Owls to 8-2 in conference play. Saint Louis, who won 59-51 at La Salle, are a game back in the loss column at 8-3.

4. Two ranked SEC teams did themselves no favors at home, as both #7 Florida and #18 Mississippi State dropped games they were expected to win. Trae Golden scored 17 points and dished out seven assists to lead Tennessee past the Gators 75-70 while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led Georgia past Mississippi State 60-58 in overtime with 20 points, eight rebounds and three assists. While both teams should be safely in the Field of 68, results like these don't do much to help their possible seeding.

5. The race in the Ivy League regained some intrigue on Saturday night as #21 Harvard fell 70-62 at Princeton. This wasn't a huge surprise as the Crimson haven't won at Jadwin Gym since 1989, and Ian Hummer led the victors with 20 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Keith Wright led Harvard with 16 points and 12 rebounds, but they still lead Yale and Penn by a game in the loss column.

6. The Big East Coach of the Year "race" should be interesting to keep an eye on in the final month of the season, and while Jim Boeheim coaches the league's best team there are other solid candidates. Mike Brey, who won the award last season, has a Notre Dame squad that moved to 9-3 on the season with an 84-76 win over DePaul. Buzz Williams is also worthy as #19 Marquette is now 10-3 in league play after they recovered from another slow start to blitz Cincinnati 95-78, and one can't forget USF's Stan Heath as his Bulls are 8-4 following their 55-48 comeback win at Providence. Georgetown's John Thompson III and #23 Louisville's Rick Pitino, whose Cardinals came back to beat West Virginia 77-74 in Morgantown, should also be considered.

7. It's time to move from "he lit up Baylor" to "he's doggone good" when it comes to #10 Kansas big man Jeff Withey, who was outstanding in the Jayhawks' 81-66 win over Oklahoma State. Withey scored 18 points, grabbed 20 rebounds and blocked seven shots, which proved to be too much for the Cowboys to overcome with Thomas Robinson going for 24 and 12. The better Withey gets the better this team gets, which makes Kansas a serious threat to get to New Orleans.

8. The Pac-12, at the very least, needed its top contenders to establish some separation from the rest of the conference and that happened on Saturday as all four contenders that played won. California moved into sole possession of first with a 73-63 win at UCLA (Washington can move into a tie for first with a win at Oregon State on Sunday) as Justin Cobbs scored 18 points and dished out five assists. A game behind them at 9-4 are Arizona (who rebounded from arguably their poorest half of basketball this season to beat Utah 70-61), Colorado (63-49 win over Arizona State) and Oregon (78-69 win over Washington State). That separation may not help the national perception much but it was necessary for the contenders to move away from the bottom seven in order to boost their chances come Selection Sunday.

9. #7 Murray State rebounded from their first loss of the season as they beat Austin Peay 82-63. Isaiah Canaan scored 23 points and dished out six assists and Ivan Aska and Jewuan Long scored 12 apiece, and they also received the boost from the bench that wasn't there on Thursday night as the reserved combined to score 24 points.

10. Kentucky (11-0 SEC) still has company when it comes to teams undefeated in conference play as Long Beach State (Big West) and Mississippi Valley State (SWAC) moved to 12-0 with wins on Saturday. Casper Ware (school's all-time assist record) and T.J. Robinson (conference's all-time leading rebounder) established new standards in the 49ers' 89-69 win at UC Davis, and Luka Pavjovic led four Delta Devils in double figures with 16 points in their 71-63 win at Alcorn State. There are five conference undefeateds in college basketball as Utah Valley (Great West), Bucknell (Patriot) and UT-Arlington (Southland) are also unblemished.

11. With Kevin Van Wijk (knee) out and Ben Boggs (reaction after being poked in the eye on Thursday night) limited, Valparaiso fell into a tie for first in the Horizon League with a 71-53 loss at Youngstown State. The Crusaders (11-4), who beat 10-4 Cleveland State 59-41 on Thursday, still don't know the severity of Van Wijk's injury and if he's lost for an extended period of time their regular season title hopes could be in trouble.

12. The CAA has gained a little separation at the top as the three teams tied for first are now two games up on the closest competition with three to go. VCU knocked off rival Old Dominion 68-64 with Bradford Burgess leading the way with 24 points, six rebounds and five steals to move to 13-2 in league play. Joining them are Drexel (78-67 win over Hofstra) and George Mason (75-69 win at UNC Wilimington), and the separation could be part of the equation when it comes to earning multiple NCAA bids. The possible keys now: a good showing in Sears BracketBusters next weekend and two of these three meeting in the CAA tournament final.

13. While Loyola Marymount has been the "road warrior" of the WCC, entering their game at Gonzaga with a 6-0 record in league road games, they were no match for "The Kennel" and the Bulldogs as they fell 78-59. Kevin Pangos scored 21 points and dished out nine assists and Elias Harris added 17 and 15 caroms in the win, which moved Gonzaga to 10-2 in WCC play. The win keeps Gonzaga a game behind Saint Mary's and one ahead of BYU, who whipped Pepperdine 86-48.

14. Antwaine Wiggins scored 25 points and grabbed ten rebounds as Charleston beat Davidson 86-78, dealing the Wildcats' at-large hopes a major blow. The good news for Davidson, who was led by De'Mon Brooks (25 points, nine rebounds), is that they host Wichita State next week in the Sears BracketBusters event.

15. Sometimes a coach has to put the future of a program ahead of the present regardless of the possible consequences, and that's what Alabama head coach Anthony Grant did in suspending three starters ahead of their 67-58 loss at LSU. Already without Tony Mitchell (also suspended), JaMychal Green, Trevor Releford and Andrew Steele were all left in Tuscaloosa due to conduct detrimental to the team. While the loss likely kills their at-large hopes, Grant made a decision that a lot of other coaches would not have been willing to make.

16. Saturday marked the end of crossover games in the Mid-American Conference, and that's probably a good thing for the West Division as the East went 30-6 in those games this season. Akron leads the division with a 10-1 record after 75-51 win over Northern Illinois, and the top five conference records in the conference are all in the East (Eastern Michigan leads the West with a 6-5 mark). Does this mean that the East dominates the conference tournament? That would be the expectation, but you never know especially with the Eagles beating Ohio 68-55 on Saturday afternoon.

Five Notable Performances

1. F Thomas Robinson and C Jeff Withey (Kansas)
Robinson scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds while Withey accounted for 18 points, 20 rebounds and seven blocks in the Jayhawks' 81-66 win over Oklahoma State.

2. F/C Andrew Nicholson (St. Bonaventure)
21 points and 23 rebounds in the Bonnies' 69-48 win over Duquesne.

3. F Mason Plumlee and F Miles Plumlee (Duke)
In the Blue Devils' 73-55 win over Maryland, Mason scored 16 points and grabbed ten rebounds and Miles scored 13 and grabbed 22 caroms.

4. G Tim Frazier (Penn State)
23 points, ten rebounds and nine assists in the Nittany Lions' 72-54 win over Nebraska.

5. G Kenny McGowen (Idaho State) and G Shane Gibson (Sacred Heart)
McGowen scored 37 points (7-12 3PT) and dished out three helpers in the Bengals' 79-73 win at Northern Arizona, and Gibson accounted for 34 points and four assists in the Pioneers' 72-46 win over Bryant.

Monday Recap: Woodall Leads Pitt Past West Virginia

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:16:12 -0800

It wasn't that long ago that many left the Pittsburgh Panthers for dead, as they were in the midst of what would eventually become an eight-game losing streak. A key factor in the struggles that Jamie Dixon's team experienced was the absence of point guard Tray Woodall, who was out with abdominal and groin injuries. Woodall's back now and he looks to be healthy as well, as he led Pittsburgh to a 72-66 win over rival West Virginia in Morgantown with 24 points, four rebounds and three assists on the night. Woodall scored 16 of his 24 in the first half, proving too difficult for the Mountaineers to stop regardless of who they put on him.

Ashton Gibbs added 15 points for Pittsburgh, who didn't shoot well from three (3-for-10) but did make 21 of their 26 free throws. Also of importance in the win was the fact that Pitt outscored West Virginia 36-26 in the paint, a surprising stat given how much the Mountaineers call on forwards Kevin Jones (21 points, 13 rebounds) and Deniz Kilicli (12 points, nine rebounds). Neither team shot well from the perimeter, making the hustle plays even more of a factor in the outcome. And more times than not it was a Panther who came up with the big play.

"They out-toughed us. We blocked three shots in the first half, and they pick it up and get three-point plays out of it," remarked WVU head coach Bob Huggins when asked what the difference was. "We just don't get to the ball. Four balls went out of bounds and they save it back inbounds and we have a guy here and a guy here and they have a guy behind our two guys and he runs in and catches it and shoots a lay-up and our two guys still have yet to move. We just didn't get to the ball."

Pitt got off to a good start to the second half and they received the added boost of a technical foul assessed to Huggins despite the fact that he was yelling at Truck Bryant for missing a defensive rotation. Given what happened at Syracuse on Saturday another missed call could have been used as an excuse for the Mountaineers to self-destruct but they didn't, eventually cutting the Pitt lead to two points with 8:14 remaining.

This would be as close as the Mountaineers would get as a Panther team that's playing with a great deal of confidence hung on down the stretch. It's been known that this team has a great deal of pride, and players such as Gibbs, Woodall and Nasir Robinson won't allow them to lie down. Can Pittsburgh do enough to work their way back into the NCAA Tournament conversation? Don't rule that out, especially with Woodall back and playing the way he has of late.

"Obviously, I'm very happy for our guys and what they have done and how they have battled and what they have become," said Dixon following the game. "As you coach, you want to talk about what you can become and what you want to be and this is an example of a team that continued to battle and do the work."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Sears BracketBusters pairings announced, and quite a few fan bases aren't pleased with the results.
Monday was a big day in college basketball as the pairings for the upcoming Sears BracketBusters event were announced, and in the end it was tough to find many please fan bases outside of Saint Mary's and Murray State, who will play each other in Murray on February 18th. The Gaels are currently undefeated in the WCC and with a 21-2 record Randy Bennett's team will provide a major test for a Murray State team that's the nation's lone undefeated squad.

Long Beach State, who has taken on all comers in their non-conference schedule, will visit a Creighton team that leads the Missouri Valley and boasts an 8-2 record against RPI Top 100 teams. The 49ers are 2-5 against such teams and their two wins (Xavier and Pittsburgh) lost some luster due to the struggles of those teams, which sparked anger on the part of the Bluejay fan base.

Another fan base that was none too thrilled with their draw was that of Wichita State (3-4 vs. RPI Top 100), who will visit a Davidson (1-3 vs. RPI Top 100) team that owns a win over Kansas (in Kansas City) but has also played nine games (8-1 record) against teams ranked 201st or worse in the NCAA's RPI rankings. George Mason, currently first in the CAA, didn't even merit a televised game (non-televised match ups) in the eyes of the schedule-makers. But a slate that features 19 games against teams ranked 101 or worse in the RPI (17-2 record) may have had something to do with that.

Oral Roberts is another team that has a beef with the process as they drew an Akron team whose profile won't do a whole lot to boost that of the Golden Eagles. Clearly not everyone's going to be thrilled with the match ups, but at this point teams have a couple of weeks to improve their own resumes beforehand. How useful is BracketBusters? You'll likely get different answers based on who you ask, but the formula for getting to the NCAA Tournament hasn't changed with or without the event: win.

2. Michael Dixon Jr's driving bucket pushes Missouri past Texas in Austin.
Following a Kim English three-pointer with 4:44 remaining Frank Haith's Tigers led 63-53 and looked to be a safe bet to close out Texas despite being on the road and getting out-rebounded by a 38-26 margin at game's end. But the Tigers would go nearly three minutes without a made field goal, leaving the door open for a Longhorn team that at times couldn't stay out of its own way on the offensive end.

Texas took advantage and eventually took the lead on a four-point possession triggered by a flagrant 1 foul on Michael Dixon Jr. Dixon Jr. made up for his foul 25 seconds after, scoring on a left-handed shot off glass to give Missouri the 67-66 win. Texas had 27 seconds to find a shot, and while Myck Kabongo did get a look the Longhorns looked too confused to be allowed to play the possession out as they had a timeout remaining.

"We had two things ready: one for man and one for zone," said Texas head coach Rick Barnes. "And the one for the zone, we didn't move or cut the way we needed to. But we knew. During the timeout, we said, 'You've got to be ready for a zone.' And what we wanted to do, we didn't do as hard and effective as we had to do it."

Dixon Jr. scored 21 points off the bench while Phil Pressey and Ricardo Ratliffe scored 13 apiece for the Tigers, who remained tied for first place in the Big 12 ahead of a huge battle with rival Kansas this coming weekend. Even with the rebounding and free throw (16-8 Texas edge in points) numbers working against them Missouri found a way to win, and that's what good teams do.

3. While Mississippi Valley State has a sold grip on first place in the SWAC, the race for the two-seed became much more intriguing.
The Delta Devils are now 9-0 in conference play following their 77-59 win over Grambling, and while Southern is 7-2 the Jaguars are ineligible for postseason play so they can't wrestle away the top seed for the conference tournament. Texas Southern is eligible, but their 66-59 overtime loss at Alabama State despite leading by as many as 18 points dropped them to 6-3 in SWAC play and they're now just a game ahead of the Hornets and Prairie View A&M at the halfway point.

Neither team shot well from the field but it was Alabama State who took better advantage of their own misses, grabbing 21 offensive rebounds (OR%: 47.7%) and out-rebounding the Tigers 47-36 on the night. Ivory White led the way for the victors with 21 points and nine rebounds, Phillip Crawford added 17 and Ryan Watts scored 15 points off the bench. Texas Southern's reserves outscored Alabama State's 40-19 (Fred Sturdivant scored 16 of the 40) but that didn't matter much due to the extra opportunities they gave up on the glass and the fact that the starters combined to shoot 8-for-25 from the field.

Next up for Texas Southern is a trip to Prairie View, which means that the race for the two-seed could become even more entertaining should the Tigers lose. Up 48-30 with 9:04 remaining the odds of Tony Harvey's team closing the game out looked to be good, but when you make just one field goal and turn the ball over seven times down the stretch that can come back to burn you. That's exactly what happened to Texas Southern, and as a result they now find themselves in a situation they could have easily avoided.

Quick Hitters

1. Clemson will be without the services of junior forward Milton Jennings at Virginia on Tuesday night as he's suspended due to a failure to comply with the team's academic standards. Jennings is averaging 8.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game for the Tigers, who are currently 11-9 overall and 3-3 in the ACC.

2. The strangest game of the night took place in Norfolk as Coppin State handed Norfolk State their first MEAC loss by the final score of 87-82. Fang Mitchell's team led 35-13 at the half, only to survive a staggering 69-point second half from the Spartans to move to 6-3 in the MEAC. Kyle O'Quinn, who can make a serious claim for being the nation's most underrated player, led NSU with 27 points and 18 rebounds.

3. Belmont and Mercer both took care of business, with the Bruins beating North Florida 83-69 in Nashville while Mercer won 75-66 at Florida Gulf Coast. Kerron Johnson led four Belmont players in double figures with 16 points and Blake Jenkins added 15 and seven rebounds, while Langston Hall's 20 points and six assists led Mercer to their win. USC Upstate is a game back in the loss column but after them the rest of the A-Sun is three games back.

4. Southeast Missouri State moved to 7-2 in the OVC with a 74-53 win at Eastern Illinois, and they remain in second place (two games behind Murray State) as a result. Marland Smith scored 19 points and Tyler Stone added 18 and ten boards for the Redhawks, who have won eight of their last ten games.

5. With head coach Bobby Cremins taking a leave of absence from the team due to an undisclosed health issue, it was good to see Charleston pick up a win. The Cougars won 68-52 at Samford as Antwaine Wiggins scored 25 points to lead the way.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Kevin Murphy (Tennessee Tech)
Murphy went off in the Golden Eagles' 98-80 win over SIU-Edwardsville, scoring 50 points (16-21 FG) and dishing out seven assists.

2. F/C Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State)
27 points and 18 rebounds in the Spartans' 87-82 loss to Coppin State.

3. G Tray Woodall (Pittsburgh)
24 points (8-12 FG), four rebounds and three assists in the Panthers' 72-66 win at West Virginia.

Alabama vs. Vanderbilt: Thursday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:24:31 -0800

With the SEC making the move away from two divisions, games such as the one between Vanderbilt (13-4, 3-0) and Alabama (13-4, 2-1) take on added importance in the race for one of those four first-round byes in the SEC Tournament. And while both teams presently have the look of NCAA Tournament clubs, there's nothing wrong with picking up another resume-building result. Kevin Stallings' Commodores have played well of late as they've won six straight games, but the three league wins have all come at the expense of teams expected to slug it out in the lower reaches of the SEC standings. They'll definitely be tested by the Crimson Tide, who have a pair of big men capable of testing Vanderbilt from a toughness standpoint.

JaMychal Green (14.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg) and Tony Mitchell (14.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg) form one of the better interior tandems in the country, with Green being a physical big man who will likely have the job of banging with Vandy's Festus Ezeli in the paint. Mitchell on the other hand is arguably the best dunker in the country, and if he's allowed to get out and fill lanes on the break it's going to be a long night at Coleman Coliseum for the Commodores. Freshman Nick Jacobs is the third member of the rotation for Anthony Grant, playing 18 minutes per game, but there's a signficant drop in production when either Green or Mitchell happens to get in foul trouble.

In addition to Ezeli the Commodores have a versatile high-flyer of their own in Jeffery Taylor (16.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg), who is also one of the better defensive players in the SEC. Taylor's shooting 54% from the field and while he isn't the marksman that John Jenkins is, Taylor has made 45% of his three-pointers this season. Lance Goulbourne (10.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg) has stepped up his production, which was key with Ezeli looking to shake off the rust brought on by an NCAA suspension and a knee injury. Rod Odom and Steve Tchiengang are also a part of the frontcourt rotation, and with the two teams being similar from a rebounding standpoint this matchup should be fun to watch.

The perimeter play, especially how well Vanderbilt takes care of the basketball, will go a long way in determining the outcome. The Commodores average 14.4 turnovers per game and have an assist-to-turnover ratio of 0.92, and with Alabama limiting opponents to a ratio of 0.70 it's imperative that Brad Tinsley (10.3 ppg, 4.3 apg) and company don't get careless with the basketball. Actually it's been Taylor who has been the worst with the ball, averaging 2.7 turnovers/game and Goulbourne (2.1) ranks second on the team so they're likely the ones to watch. In Jenkins (19.8 ppg) Vanderbilt has one of the SEC's best scorers, and Alabama will need to do their best to make him work for his looks.

And the Crimson Tide have the perimeter athletes to do so but they're young with the backcourt rotation being made up of one sophomore and four freshmen. That sophomore, Trevor Releford (12.5 ppg, 3.2 apg), runs the show and gets the job done for Alabama offensively while also leading the team with 1.6 steals per game. Freshmen Levi Randolph and Trevor Lacey are averaging a combined 13.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, and both are athletic enough to give Jenkins trouble defensively. Alabama forces 13.8 turnovers per game but the bigger sign of their defensive work is that opponents average 9.6 assists per game and shoot 36.8% from the field. Turning Jenkins into an offensive player that has to create his own shots as opposed to benefitting from off-ball screens should be a goal for Alabama.

Also of note on Thursday night is #6 North Carolina looking to rebound from an embarrassing performance on Saturday as they take on Virginia Tech, who is in desperate need of a win as they sit 0-4 in ACC play. The Hokies were without Erick Green due to injury on Saturday against Boston College and the impact was evident. They also need consistent play from Dorenzo Hudson if Seth Greenberg's team is to not only have a shot at an NCAA bid but simply work their way back into the discussion. North Carolina didn't respond well when Florida State hit them in the mouth, so they should be motivated to not only bounce back but do so in impressive fashion.

Charleston visits Davidson in a South Division battle in the SoCon, and the Wildcats could increase their lead to over the Cougars to three games with a win at home. De'Mon Brooks leads five Davidson players in double figures with an average of 15.6 points per game while Charleston will counter with Antwaine Wiggins. Wagner and St. Francis (NY) meet in an NEC showdown (both teams are 5-1 in league play, a game behind LIU Brooklyn), and in the Pac-12 California visits Washington. The Golden Bears no longer have the services of forward Richard Solomon, who was declared academically ineligible on Wednesday. Without him players such as David Kravish become even more important, and there may not be body parts more vital to the Pac-12 race than Harper Kamp's knees.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM Wake Forest at (4) Duke (ESPN)
9:00 PM (8) North Carolina at Virginia Tech (ESPN)
8:00 PM (17) Virginia at Georgia Tech (ESPN3)
10:00 PM Pepperdine at (23) Saint Mary's
9:00 PM (25) Illinois at Penn State (ESPN2)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Lafayette at Holy Cross (CBS SN)
7:00 PM Boston University at New Hampshire
7:00 PM Robert Morris at Fairleigh Dickinson
7:00 PM Georgia Southern at Furman
7:00 PM Albany at Vermont
7:00 PM Hartford at Maine
7:00 PM Vanderbilt at Alabama (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Bryant at Central Connecticut State
7:00 PM Charleston at Davidson (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Tennessee-Martin at Eastern Kentucky
7:00 PM Samford at Elon
7:00 PM Mount St. Mary's at LIU Brooklyn
7:00 PM Binghamton at UMBC
7:00 PM Saint Francis (PA) at Monmouth
7:00 PM Charleston Southern at UNC-Asheville
7:00 PM Chattanooga at UNC Greensboro
7:00 PM Campbell at Radford
7:00 PM Quinnipiac at Sacred Heart
7:00 PM Fairfield at Saint Peter's
7:00 PM High Point at VMI
7:00 PM Wagner at St. Francis (NY)
7:00 PM Gardner-Webb at Winthrop
7:00 PM Appalachian State at Wofford
7:00 PM Houston Baptist at NJIT
7:30 PM Siena at Loyola (MD)
8:00 PM Boston College at NC State (ESPN3)
8:00 PM IUPUI at South Dakota
8:00 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Arkansas-Little Rock
8:00 PM Niagara at Canisius (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Tennessee State at Eastern Illinois
8:00 PM Valparaiso at Loyola (IL)(ESPN3)
8:00 PM Arkansas State at Middle Tennessee (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Austin Peay at SIU-Edwardsville
8:00 PM Jacksonville State at Tennessee Tech
8:00 PM William & Mary at VCU (ESPNU)
8:05 PM Florida International at South Alabama
8:05 PM Western Illinois at UMKC
8:05 PM IPFW at Oral Roberts
8:05 PM Texas-Pan American at Chicago State
8:15 PM Florida Atlantic at Troy
8:30 PM Arizona State at Colorado
8:30 PM Butler at UIC (ESPN3)
8:30 PM Loyola Marymount at BYU (BYU TV)
8:30 PM Arizona at Utah
8:30 PM California at Washington
8:30 PM Denver at Louisiana-Monroe
8:30 PM USC at Oregon (CSN NW)
9:00 PM Northern Colorado at Montana
9:00 PM Oakland at Southern Utah
9:00 PM Northern Arizona at Weber State
9:05 PM Sacramento State at Montana State
10:00 PM Long Beach State at Cal Poly
10:00 PM San Francisco at Gonzaga (ESPNU)
10:00 PM Cal State Northridge at UC Santa Barbara
10:05 PM Stanford at Washington State
10:05 PM Utah State at Seattle
10:30 PM New Mexico State at San Jose State
10:30 PM UCLA at Oregon State (FSN)
11:00 PM San Diego at Portland (CSN NW)
12:00 AM Louisiana Tech at Hawaii

Thursday Recap: Missouri Wins Braggin' Rights Yet Again

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 03:11:22 -0800

The "Braggin' Rights" game between Illinois and Missouri is alway an intense affair, with the fans in the stands split by the halfcourt line and both teams understanding what's at stake before they even hit the floor. This season's game was no different, although for a good portion of the first half it seemed as if the undefeated Tigers were on their way to a romp. Bruce Weber's team refused to fold, and once Missouri got out of control Illinois was able to mount their rally. Illinois went on a 17-3 run halfway through the second half with Joseph Bertrand (19 points, 9-9 FG) leading the way to take a 62-61 lead, but it was Missouri's backcourt that made the plays late to win 78-74.

Phil Pressey led the Tigers with 18 points and five assists, and his layup with 12 seconds remaining sealed the deal as Illinois decided not to foul. Michael Dixon Jr. also scored 18 points and in total four Tigers reached double figures, but they allowed the pace to get a little too fast in the second half. Instead of working the ball around for good shots Missouri took hurried looks, and the "bailouts" allowed Illinois to go down to the other end and string together quality possessions. Bertrand was a big key in that, as he made all nine of his shots while making sound decisions with the basketball.

During that 17-3 run there were also better opportunities for Meyers Leonard, who finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds and five assists on the night. The Illini did a better job of finding and getting Leonard the ball in positions where he could be most effective, and that's something that will have to continue for the Illini to reach their full potential. But Illinois once again lost sight of what sparked their run in the final minutes, which allowed the Tigers to regain the lead and ultimately win. Illinois shot 50% from the field and out-rebounded Missouri 35-30 but those numbers didn't matter as much as their 17 turnovers in the end.

Illinois turned the ball over on 24% of their possessions and made just four of sixteen shots from beyond the arc with Sam Maniscalco and D.J. Richardson combining to make just one of eight (Richardson entered the game having made five threes in each of Illinois' last two games). As for the Tigers, while they averaged more than a point per possession they didn't approach their season average in terms of offensive efficiency (126.2), finishing at a 109.9.

They finished below their season averages in many of the tempo-free categories and their getting out of control at times had something to do with it. But Coach Haith and his players understand what they do best and what needs to be done to improve on Thursday's showing. The last time a Missouri team got off to a 12-0 start was back in 1981-82, and that team won 19 straight and finished 27-4. Could this group of Tigers do the same? They sure can.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Georgetown takes care of business and hands Memphis their fifth loss of the season.
The rematch of the Maui Invitational meeting between Memphis and #16 Georgetown was supposed to be a tight affair throughout, but things didn't work out that way for Josh Pastner's Tigers. Frankly Memphis was outworked for much of the game, trailing by as many as 20 points in the second half before finally fighting back. Georgetown would go on to win 70-59 with Jason Clark scoring 18 points and Hollis Thompson adding 17 and nine rebounds. Four starters scored in double figures for the Hoyas, and veterans such as Clark, Thompson and Henry Sims underline exactly what Memphis is lacking right now. When things begin to go wrong on the court who's the guy that will hold himself and his teammates accountable?

The talent is definitely there, with Will Barton being one of the best players in the country. But there are also guys who haven't held up their end of the bargain for a team that's now 6-5 on the season. Senior Wesley Witherspoon? Five minutes tonight and eight over the last two games. Tarik Black? Fouled out in 13 nondescript minutes. Things have gotten to the point where Coach Pastner held a team meeting immediately after the game that lasted nearly two hours. Ferrakhon Hall added something from an effort and toughness standpoint when he was on the floor, but if the meetings haven't fully sunk in it's time to use the motivation of the bench to light a fire under guys. Memphis will have the most talent in Conference USA once they enter league play, but if they don't match that with high-level effort they're going to be in more trouble than this group bargained for.

2. Not only does Texas A&M fall to Rice but they also lost Kourtney Roberson.
Even with an all-conference talent like Arsalan Kazemi to contend with, few people expected Billy Kennedy's Aggies to struggle with a Rice team that entered Thursday's game with three wins over non-Division I opponents to their credit. But that's exactly what happened in College Station as Texas A&M shot just 39% from the field in a 65-58 loss to the Owls. Tamir Jackson scored a team-high 13 points while Kazemi (10 points, 13 rebounds), Ahmad Ibrahim (12 points) and Lucas Kuipers also reached double figures for the Owls, who picked up their first win over a Division I opponent in nearly a month. But the loss may be the least of Texas A&M's concerns with Kourtney Roberson being lost for four-to-six weeks with a fractured left ankle suffered in the first half.

David Lobeau led four Aggies in double figures with 14 points but when two starters (Jordan Green and Keith Davis) go scoreless there's going to be trouble. Khris Middleton and Ray Turner have shown at different stages in the season that they can be primary scorers, which goes without saying for Middleton as he was expected to be. But other than that guys are going to have to step up and be consistent factors on offense. Not everyone can score in double figures; that's not realistic for Texas A&M given their tempo and frankly they don't need everyone to. But they need guys to provide something. That didn't happen against Rice, and the end result was a disappointing defeat.

3. Long Beach State beats Xavier, and a freshman may be the key in them winning the Big West.
Tu Holloway made his return to the Xavier lineup after a one-game suspension for his role in that ugly brawl with city rival Cincinnati. But that didn't matter much as the Musketeers still had their problems executing on the offensive end of the floor. Where the Musketeers really ran into trouble was on the other end of the floor, as Long Beach State outscored Xavier by 12 (21-9) from beyond the arc in winning 68-58. Six players scored for the 49ers but five finished in double figures, with freshman Michael Caffey scoring 14 off the bench to lead the way. Xavier made just three of fifteen shots from beyond the arc, and the only reason why the margin wasn't any worse was the fact that The Beach shot 15-for-28 from the foul line.

But back to Caffey, who was a steal for Dan Monson and his staff as he didn't qualify until late (two of his teammates at Corona (CA) Centennial were Gelaun Wheelwright (Weber State) and Dominique Dunning (New Mexico)). If Caffey can continue to progress that will take some weight off the shoulders of senior point guard Casper Ware, who has the responsibilities of running the show as well as scoring, the 49ers will be that much better for it. In fact it can be argued that the absence of such a player was the big reason why Long Beach State couldn't turn their Big West regular season title into an NCAA Tournament bid. Next up for The Beach is Auburn in a Diamond Head Classic semifinal, and it's a game that will have a bigger impact should they lose as opposed to picking up the win.

Quick Hitters

1. They may have won on Thursday, beating Fairfield 79-71, but Connecticut wasn't at their best after jumping out to a 20-point halftime lead. That's been an issue for the Huskies in a few games this season; once they've figured out that the game's over they've allowed teams to hang around. The Huskies need to change that mindset as they head into Big East play.

2. Ian Miller and Antwan Space saw their first action of the season for Florida State but it didn't matter as they fell to rival Florida 82-64 in Gainesville. Bradley Beal scored 21 and grabbed six rebounds and all five Gator starters scored in double figures. Florida simply had too many weapons, and the Seminoles don't have a Patric Young either.

3. Drew Crawford scored 34 points and John Shurna added 18, nine rebounds and six assists but it wasn't enough as Northwestern fell at #21 Creighton 87-79. Doug McDemott scored 27 points and the Bluejays took advantage of Crawford leaving the game early in the second half with his fourth foul. That's another good win for Creighton ,and a missed opportunity for an improved Northwestern.

4. A sophomore who's played well of late but remains under the radar is UTEP's Mike Perez, who scored a career-high 25 points in the Miners' 61-48 win over Clemson at the Diamond Head Classic. Perez has scored at least 17 points in five of UTEP's last six games and has emerged as a go-to option that Tim Floyd and his staff didn't expect to have before the season began.

5. The biggest threat to Belmont in the Atlantic Sun is likely Mercer, and the Bears picked up a 65-59 win at Georgia Tech. Monty Brown scored 13 points off the bench and Bud Thomas added 12 points, seven rebounds and three steals for the Bears, who lost a Belmont by just four earlier this month. Bob Hoffman's got a contender on his hands, and with Belmont being their regular season finale you never know what could be on the line.

6. Charleston did a good job of bouncing back from their tough loss at Louisville, winning 77-70 at Big South contender Coastal Carolina. Andrew Lawrence led the way with 18 points and seven assists while Matt Sundberg added 17 off the bench for the Cougars, who are now 10-2 on the season.

7. Congratulations are in order for Bob Huggins, who won his 700th game as a head coach on Thursday night. West Virginia needed a Gary Browne three-pointer to push Missouri State to overtime in Las Vegas, and they went on to win 70-68. Next up for WVU is #7 Baylor.

8. And Butler did what they had to do to get a split of their two games in beating Stanford 71-66 at Maples Pavilion. Ronald Nored scored 18 points and dished out five assists while Jackson Aldridge added 15 off the bench.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Chris Gaston (Fordham)
35 points (13-17 FG) and 15 rebounds in the Rams' 81-70 win over Texas State.

2. F Arnett Moultrie (Mississippi State)
24 points (8-11 FG), 14 rebounds and four assists in the Bulldogs' 82-67 win over Northwestern State.

3. F/C Brennan Cougill (Green Bay)
19 points, 19 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks in the Phoenix's 63-61 win over Idaho.

Tuesday Recap: Louisville Rallies to Remain Undefeated

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:02:19 -0800

For a while on Tuesday night it looked as if a Southern Conference team would hand another undefeated team its first defeat of the season. But an important suggestion by Louisville assistant coach Richard Pitino set things in motion for the fourth-ranked Cardinals, sparking a rally that resulted in a 69-62 victory. The idea: instead of relying on the frontcourt tandem of Gorgui Dieng and Chane Behanan to occupy the foul line area against the Charleston zone, use the versatile Kyle Kuric at the four. The move paid off, with Kuric scoring a team-high 17 points and grabbing eight rebounds.

"He made the move of the game," said head coach Rick Pitino of his son. "He told me to play Kyle in the four slot because the middle was wide open and they weren't playing it. He said, 'Put Kyle in there; he'll make the shot or something good will happen.' And he got in there and really bothered them."

Kuric may not have registered an assist but his presence in the high post made the Cougars respect the area, something they didn't have to do with either Behanan or Rakeem Buckles occupying the area. But he wasn't the only issue for Charleston, as redshirt freshman Russ Smith was also a handful. Smith has the ability to be both electrifying and mystifying within the same possession, and he was able to harness his energy enough to contribute 12 points, five steals and four rebounds in 27 minutes of action. He helped ramp up the pace to a level that made Charleston uncomfortable in the second half, and while both teams were reckless with the basketball such a change worked in Louisville's favor.

"I haven't coached any guys who are great steal guys on the ball like Russ Smith," said Pitino. "He is the best I have seen at that. You have a lot of guys who anticipate well and shoot the gaps well but he is awesome on the ball. He basically won the game for us."

Antwaine Wiggins led the Cougars with 23 points but was their only player in double figures, and the guards had their issues taking care of the basketball as well. Andrew Lawrence finished the night with eight turnovers and Anthony Stitt tallied five off the bench, and as a team Charleston turned the ball over 22 times. Both of Charleston's starting guards (Lawrence and Jordan Scott) finished with more turnovers than assists, while for Louisville both Peyton Siva (six assists, four turnovers) and Chris Smith (four assists, one turnover) finished with more assists than turnovers. Add in some key missed opportunites around the rim for the visitors and the end result is Louisville moving to 11-0 on the season.

Other Notable Happenings

1. C.J. Leslie's shot (which St. Bonaventure fans would argue shouldn't have counted) gives NC State the win.
It would be safe to say that the Wolfpack's 67-65 win over the Bonnies in Rochester, NY was the most controversial result on the night, with many wondering whether or not Leslie stepped out of bounds before taking the shot. Since it wasn't called whether or not Leslie stepped on the baseline is of little consolation for St. Bonaventure, who missed out on at the very least overtime as a result. If anything the Bonnies have their offensive showing in the second half to blame, as they shot just 29.2% from the field in the second half and turned the ball over eight times (four assists).

Andrew Nicholson and Demetrius Conger scored 16 points apiece to lead the way for St. Bonaventure while Scott Wood paced the Pack with 20 points despite making just two of eight from beyond the arc. Mark Gottfried's team was impressive in how unselfish they were, assisting on 21 of their 25 made field goals. Regardless of how the game was won this is a good result for NC State to build on, and they deserve credit for bouncing back from their loss to top-ranked Syracuse on Saturday.

2. Ohio picks up the most impressive win of the night at Northern Iowa.
John Groce's Bobcats have flown under the radar nationally for much of the season despite having one of the nation's better point guards in D.J. Cooper. That may all change on the heels of their performance on Tuesday, as they beat Northern Iowa 76-59 in Cedar Falls. Ivo Baltic made 10 of 14 from the field in leading four Ohio players in double figures with 22 points and the Bobcats shot 51.7% from the field on the night against one of the stingier defenses in the country. Ohio had it going from deep as well, knocking down 11 of 21 while UNI made just six of their twenty attempts from beyond the arc.

And it was Ohio, who allows opponents to shoot 39% from the field, who put forth the superior defensive effort. UNI shot just 35.2% and while both reached double figures, leading scorers Anthony James (11 points) and Jake Koch (15 points) combined to make just eight of their twenty-three shots from the field. Ohio's lone defeat was a 59-54 loss at Louisville, and with wins over Marshall, Oakland and now Northern Iowa the Bobcats are building a nice profile as they head into MAC play. Cooper and company sent Georgetown home in the first round a couple of years ago as a 14-seed; they can do the same (with a better seed) this season.

3. Arizona puts together their best offensive outing of the year to beat Oakland.
No one would have blamed any Arizona fans if they were nervous about the Wildcats' game against Oakland. With the Golden Grizzlies having one of the nation's best scorers in Reggie Hamilton and Arizona having their issues offensively, the visitors leaving with a win was a definite possibility. But Solomon Hill and company would have none of that, shooting 55.6% from the field on their way to the 85-73 win. Hill was outstanding with 23 points, 11 rebounds and three assists while Kyle Fogg (17 points) and Jesse Perry (13 points) also reached double figures and Nick Johnson dished out six assists.

Arizona went into the game making just 50.1% of their two-point shots but they made 61.1% of their attempts against Oakland. As for Hamilton, he proved to be as advertised with 31 points and six assists but as a team the Golden Grizzlies made just nine of thirty-two from beyond the arc (Arizona finished 8-for-18). With their next two games being against Bryant and in-state rival Arizona State (Pac-12 opener), Sean Miller's team has a chance to get rolling ahead of their visit to the LA schools the first weekend of January.

Quick Hitters

1. Not only did Jared Sullinger return to the lineup for Ohio State but he played 30 minutes, scoring 18 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in the Buckeyes' 70-50 win over Lamar. With Pat Knight coaching the Cardinals, Ohio State took the opportunity to honor the 1960 national champions. One member of that team: none other than Bob Knight.

2. Darien Brothers had a good night for Richmond, shooting 7-for-11 from three on his way to 38 points in the Spiders' 90-82 overtime win over Old Dominion. Darius Garrett had an impact inside, grabbing 13 boards and blocking eight shots to go along with nine points. Next up for Richmond: a game at UCLA on Friday and they can definitely win there.

3. Two player transactions within the Big East to take note of: Providence's Kadeem Batts saw his suspension end, and St. John's freshman Amir Garrett has made it through the NCAA Clearinghouse. Batts scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds in the Friairs' 67-52 win over New Hampshire, and Garrett could be in unform for the Red Storm's game against UTPA on Wednesday.

4. Butler will struggle to score this season due to a lack of premier offensive weapons, but what three of their key cogs managed in a 71-55 loss at Gonzaga isn't going to get it done in the Horizon League if it happens on a consistent basis. Chase Stigall, Chrishawn Hopkins and Andrew Smith combined to score just seven points on 3-for-21 shooting. Those guys have to be consistent factors for Brad Stevens' team.

5. Congrats to Prairie View A&M, who picked up their first win over a Division I opponent this season in beating Stephen F. Austin 53-50 in Eugene, Oregon. As for the Lumberjacks, that's not a good result for a team expected to be a contender in the Southland and it will definitely hurt the team's (and league's) computer numbers.

6. Unlike Marist last season, who began MAAC play 2-0 then plummeted to the bottom of the standings once play resumed in January, Manhattan may have some staying power. Not saying that Steve Masiello's team will be on the level of Iona, Fairfield or Loyola (MD), but the Jaspers have played some good basketball. Manhattan moved to 8-4 with an 81-62 win over winless Towson, with George Beamon scoring 21 points and Kidani Brutus adding 18 off the bench.

7. Terrence Jones didn't play due to a dislocated finger suffered in Kentucky's win over Chattanooga, but that wasn't an issue as the Wildcats blew out Samford. Doron Lamb scored 26 points and three other starters reached double figures in the 82-50 romp.

8. Shaka Smart's VCU Rams have the look of a team beginning to figure things out after struggling early due to the many personnel losses from last year's Final Four team. The Rams won their fifth straight on Tuesday, shutting down UAB 68-49 in Richmond. VCU forced 23 Blazer turnovers and Treveon Graham scored 18 points off the bench to lead the way offensively.

Four Notable Performances

1. F Nneka Ogwumike (Stanford)
A special mention for Ogwumike, who went off in #4 Stanford's 97-80 win over #6 Tennessee. Ogwumike finished with 42 points, 17 rebounds, three assists and two steals, making 11 straight shots from the field at one point.

2. G Darien Brothers (Richmond)
38 points (7-11 3PT) in the Spiders' 90-82 overtime win over Old Dominion.

3. G Preston Medlin (Utah State)
27 points (8-12 FG), eight assists and four rebounds in the Aggies' 73-69 win over UT Arlington.

4. G Vincent Council (Providence)
17 points (7-12 FG), 12 assists and seven rebounds in the Friars' 67-52 win over New Hampshire.

Tuesday's Preview: Butler at Gonzaga

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:39:48 -0800

Tuesday night's action features a few critical match ups when considering at-large possibilities in March, with one such game being Butler (5-6) taking on Gonzaga (7-2) in Spokane. Brad Stevens' Bulldogs looked to be in serious trouble on Saturday but a furious rally to beat Purdue may have been the win that sparks a turnaround. But they didn't do themselves many favors in that regard from a scheduling standpoint, with Gonzaga boasting a 93-7 record in the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Gonzaga jumped Arizona early on Saturday with Elias Harris playing arguably his best game of the season in the 71-60 victory, and they're one of the favorites in the WCC with BYU and Saint Mary's also in the discussion. Both have played tough schedules to date but with an 0-3 road record, Butler needs this one with a return to Horizon League play right around the corner.

Job one for Butler will be to limit the effectiveness of Harris (13.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg) and Robert Sacre (14.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg), because when these two have it rolling offensively Gonzaga is a very difficult team to stop. Both have good field goal percentages while Harris is also shooting at a 42% clip from beyond the arc, and his versatility could be an issue for the Butler front court. Andrew Smith (10.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg), who scored the game-winner on Saturday, and Khyle Marshall (10.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg) are Butler's best front court players thus far. They'll need to be once again, with some help from Roosevelt Jones (5.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg), in order to have a shot at pulling off the win.

Gonzaga can also call upon Sam Dower (6.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg), who is capable of having a noticeable impact on the game despite averaging just 16 minutes per contest. Gonzaga's been the better rebounding team of the two with a margin of plus-6.2 (Butler has a margin of plus-3.0), and with GU grabbing nearly 39% of their misses Butler has to keep those second-chance opportunities to a minimum. Butler's done a good job of that to date, allowing the opposition to corral 28.5% of their missed shots.

The play on the perimeter offers up a nice contrast, with Gonzaga's guards being the more aggressive of the two groups when it comes to scoring. Freshman Kevin Pangos (13.1 ppg, 3.7 apg) has been very good for Gonzaga in his inaugural campaign, as he can take full advantage of the opportunities that come his way while also taking care of the basketball. Classmate Gary Bell (8.4 ppg) is fourth on the team in minutes while veterans David Stockton and Marquise Carter also playing key roles in the Gonzaga attack.

As for Butler senior Ronald Nored (5.4 ppg, 4.9 apg) is shooting just 32% from the field and 20% from three, but his true value comes on the defensive end of the floor. Nored is averaging 2.5 steals per game and is a handful for opposing point guards on that end of the floor. The key scorers for Butler on the perimeter are Chase Stigall (9.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg) and Chrishawn Hopkins (9.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg), and both will need to shoot better than their current 35% clips on Tuesday night.

As a team Butler makes just 39.1% of their shots from the field and 28.9% from beyond the arc, but those numbers could see an increase on Tuesday with Gonzaga allowing teams to shoot 43.5% and 37.2% in those areas. Gonzaga's points allowed per possession number is equal to what Butler averages on offense (0.97), so the key will be how well Butler defends a team that averages 1.1 points per possession. There's no doubt that Butler is tough enough to hang around, but are they efficient enough? That's the key.

The best game involving a ranked team is #4 Louisville hosting a 9-1 College of Charleston team that's got a pair of nice weapons in point guard Andrew Lawrence and forward Antwaine Wiggins. Inside the Cougars look to senior Trent Wiedeman to lead the way, but he'll have his hands full with a deep Cardinals front court. Gorgui Dieng was outstanding in Louisville's win over Memphis, and the next step in his progression is to be a consistent force in the paint. The same goes for Russ Smith on the perimeter, as the Big East Player of the Week can both amaze and infuriate within the same possession.

Old Dominion visiting Richmond has the look of being an entertaining game to watch, but how pretty it will be likely depends on the Monarchs. Blaine Taylor's team can be as fun to deal with from a defensive standpoint as a root canal, as they make teams earn every foot of space on the floor. UNC Asheville has a realistic shot at beating Tennessee in Knoxville as does Mercer in their game at Georgia, and the same goes for St. Bonaventure as they take on NC State in Rochester. Out west, college hoops fans need to keep an eye on Oakland's game at Arizona.

Reggie Hamilton is one of the most prolific guards in the country, most recently shown in his 41-point outing (and game-winning shot) at Valparaiso on Saturday. Arizona's Kyle Fogg is a good defender as is freshman Nick Johnson, but the Wildcats still have plenty to figure out as they approach Pac-12 play. And it goes without saying that the much-maligned league that lacks a marquee non-conference win at this stage can ill-afford many more losses in games the masses believe they "should" win.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM Bucknell at (1) Syracuse (ESPNU)
8:30 PM Lamar at (2) Ohio State (BTN)
7:00 PM Samford at (3) Kentucky (ESPN2)
9:00 PM Charleston at (4) Louisville (ESPNU)
7:00 PM St. Francis (PA) at (14) Pittsburgh (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
TBA Rust College at Alcorn State
6:30 PM IPFW at Purdue (BTN)
7:00 PM Mercer at Georgia (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Manhattan at Towson
7:00 PM NC State vs. St. Bonaventure*
7:00 PM Evansville at Miami (OH)
7:00 PM Old Dominion at Richmond
7:00 PM Montreat College at Liberty
7:00 PM Texas State at Long Island
7:00 PM Furman at Presbyterian
7:00 PM New Hampshire at Providence (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Eastern Michigan at Radford
7:00 PM Hampton at Robert Morris
7:00 PM UNC Asheville at Tennessee (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Norfolk State at Toledo
7:00 PM Winthrop at Western Michigan
7:00 PM Idaho at Wright State
7:05 PM Arkansas-Little Rock at Illinois State
7:30 PM St. Peter's vs. Kent State*
7:30 PM Prairie View A&M vs. Stephen F. Austin*
7:30 PM UAB at VCU
8:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at Arkansas
8:00 PM Oakland at Arizona (FSN AZ+)
8:00 PM Western Carolina at Bradley
8:00 PM Central Michigan at Nebraska (BTN.com)
8:00 PM UTSA at Houston (CSS)
8:00 PM Grambling State at North Texas
8:00 PM Northeastern at Louisiana Tech
8:00 PM Valparaiso at Northern Illinois
8:00 PM Ohio at Northern Iowa
8:00 PM Northern Arizona at Sam Houston State
8:00 PM Southern Utah at Troy
9:00 PM Montana State at New Mexico
9:00 PM Buffalo at BYU (BYU TV)
9:00 PM Butler at Gonzaga (ESPN2)
10:00 PM UC Davis at San Jose State
10:00 PM North Carolina Central at Oregon
10:05 PM Texas-Arlington at Utah State
10:30 PM UC Irvine at UCLA (FS PT)

Wednesday Recap: Bearcats' Small Lineup a Success in Game One

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:32:49 -0800

With suspensions ruling out two of their key interior players for the next six games, many wondered what Mick Cronin's Cincinnati Bearcats would do to make up for the absence of Yancy Gates and Cheikh Mbodj. Without a consistent scoring option in the paint the strategy was to let the guards go to work, and that they did in the Bearcats' 78-58 win at Wright State. Sean Kilpatrick, who was a non-factor in their loss at Xavier on Saturday, scored a game-high 20 points (6-12 3PT) while JaQuon Parker added 14 points and all five starters finished in double figures.

Freshman Jermaine Sanders, one of the players expected to benefit from those losses as more minutes have become available, scored nine points and grabbed four rebounds in 18 minutes of play and point guard Cashmere Wright dished out eight assist to three turnovers to go along with 12 points. Cincinnati fired away from deep throughout the night, making 14 of their 32 shots from beyond the arc. The Bearcats average seven makes and 17 attempts from beyond the arc on the season, but with Gates out those numbers figure to increase until he returns.

A.J. Pacher and John Balwigaire scored 11 points apiece to lead the Raiders, who shot 47.5% from the field but turned the ball over 13 times and were out-rebounded 31-22. Two other areas that cost Billy Donlon's team were points in the paint (22-18 Cincinnati) and second-chance points (23-2 Cincinnati), and these are areas that one wouldn't expect Cincinnati to control given their lack of interior depth. But they found a way to do so, and with the offensive issues that Wright State's had this season (averaging 55 points per game) the Bearcats' fast start proved to be too much to overcome.

The good news for Cincinnati is that their next three games, Radford, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Chicago State, are all winnable games that they should be able to win despite the depth issues. And with a loss to Presbyterian already on their resume it's critical that the Bearcats take care of business and avoid any more bad losses as there won't be another marquee non-conference opportunity available. Game one offered a blueprint for the Bearcats with regards to how they'll score with Gates out of the lineup, with the guards needing to take on greater scoring responsibilities. It also won't hurt if they can knock down shots from deep at a similar clip to Wednesday's mark.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Did an injury impact UCLA's defensive efficiency? It very well could have.
With forward Travis Wear missing Wednesday's game against Eastern Washington with a skin infection on his left foot there were minutes up for grabs in the frontcourt for someone. That turned out to be Anthony Stover, who missed the early portion of the season with a shoulder injury, and he took full advantage of the increased minutes in the Bruins' 60-47 win over the Eagles. Stover played 18 minutes but blocked three shots and grabbed three rebounds, providing the spark UCLA needed on the defensive end of the floor. EWU shot a season-low 25.9% from the field and turned the ball over 12 times to just five assists on the night.

Cliff Ederaine and Colin Chiverton had particularly rough nights as they combined to make just eight of thirty-one shots for a combined 21 points. Lazeric Jones had another solid scoring performance for the Bruins with 19 points to go along with six rebounds and four assists and Tyler Lamb added 14, but for Ben Howland's team to be successful they have to be better defensively. Wednesday was a step in the right direction, and they can partially thank Stover for that.

2. Charleston recovers from a slow start to defend their home floor against Tennessee.
To the surprise of many Cuonzo Martin's Volunteers led College of Charleston by as many as 11 points in the first half at TD Arena. But as the game wore on Bobby Cremins' Cougars got back into the game and would lead by as many as 14 in the second half on their way to the 71-65 win. This is the second straight season that Charleston has beaten Tennessee, and the tandem of Antwaine Wiggins and Andrew Lawrence led the way on Wednesday.

Wiggins scored a game-high 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds while Lawrence added 14 points, five steals and four assists. Charleston scored 22 points off of 16 Tennessee turnovers, and the six-point edge in that category proved to be the difference. The Cougars were also aided by a ten-point edge in points from the foul line (14-4), moving to 8-1 on the season as a result. It took some time but the Cougars were able to put together a stretch worthy of a team looking to compete for a conference title. The key now is to consistently put forth that kind of effort for entire games.

3. Princeton's three-pointer at the buzzer hands Rider their tenth loss of the season.
According to The Beatles, "one is the loneliest number", and in addition to that fact it was also the most important number in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Mack Darrow made just one shot on the night: a three-pointer as time expired to give Princeton a 72-71 overtime win at Rider to drop the Broncs to a stunning 1-10 mark on the season. The Tigers probably should have sewn things up in regulation as they led 65-61 with less than 30 seconds remaining after trailing by as many as 16 late in the first half, but the Broncs sent the game into overtime thanks to four Brandon Penn points.

Things remained tight in the extra session but Rider left the door open by missing three of their final four free throws. Douglas Davis would take Daniel Stewart's second miss and drive down the court, finding Darrow for the game-winning bucket. The Tigers will be a factor in the Ivy League race but it's very difficult to say the same about Tommy Dempsey's Broncs in the MAAC. A team that many expected to finish in the top four at the very least may struggle to finish outside of the bottom four at their current pace, and that's something that no one familiar with Rider's talent expected in October.

Quick Hitters

1. In the lone afternoon game of the day Iona picked up a good road victory at Richmond. In the 88-79 win Scott Machado dished out 15 assists and scored 13 points while Mike Glover led the way with 24 points and eight rebounds. Iona shot 67.7% from the field in the second half and finished the game with an offensive efficiency of 118.9. Richmond opponents average an efficiency of 98.5 on the season.

2. Jared Sullinger didn't start for Ohio State but he did return to the lineup, scoring 12 points and grabbing ten rebounds in 25 minutes of action as the Buckeyes beat USC Upstate 82-58. Ohio State shot 56.9% from the field on the night, beginning to pull away late in the first half thanks to 13 forced turnovers. Deshaun Thomas led the way with 23 points, his ninth straight double-figure scoring outing.

3. Kyle O'Quinn scored 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and Quasim Pugh scored 10 points in 15 minutes off the bench as Norfolk State beat LIU 73-62. The Spartans limited LIU to 33.8% shooting from the field and 5-for-21 from beyond the arc.

4. FIU led for much of the night at Maryland but couldn't seal the deal, allowing the Terrapins to escape with 65-61 victory in front of a sparse crowd at the Comcast Center. FIU shot 35.5% from the field in the second half, and for the game Maryland outscored the Golden Panthers 22-9 from the foul line.

5. It isn't far-fetched to think that Denver may be the best team in the state of Colorado. Joe Scott's Pioneers beat Northern Colorado 71-65 in Greeley with Brian Stafford (16 points) and Royce O'Neale (14) leading the way offensively and Chris Udofia blocking three shots. Denver visits Colorado State on January 11th, and a win in Fort Collins would be another piece of evidence in support of them being the best in the state.

6. Baylor took care of business in their 69-42 win over Bethune-Cookman, but the real test comes on Saturday as they visit BYU. The Bears limited Bethune-Cookman to 34.8% shooting and Pierre Jackson scored 12 points and dished out four assists in 23 minutes off the bench.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State)
22 points, 14 rebounds and four assists in the Spartans' 73-62 win over Long Island.

2. G Scott Machado (Iona)
15 assists, 13 points and six rebounds in the Gaels' 88-79 win at Richmond.

3. F Ian Hummer (Princeton)
21 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and four steals in the Tigers' 72-71 overtime win at Rider.

Wednesday Preview: Cincinnati at Wright State

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:39:43 -0800

Thanks to the events of Saturday afternoon and their aftermath a dangerous road trip is now even tougher for Cincinnati (5-3), who will be shorthanded on their trip to Wright State (4-6). Yancy Gates, Cheikh Mbodj and Octavius Ellis are all suspended six games for their roles in Saturday's brawl at Xavier while Ge'Lawn Guyn sits one game, meaning that even with the Raiders having lost five of their last seven they've got every chance to defend their home floor successfully. So who steps up for the Bearcats? It will likely have to be three guards who have started all eight games thus far.

Cashmere Wright (8.6 ppg, 4.4 apg) runs the show while Dion Dixon (13.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and Sean Kilpatrick (14.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg) will be the likely primary options with the Bearcats lacking an interior game offensively. There is Justin Jackson, and athletic big man who can run the floor and block shots, but to expect him to pick up where Gates left off scoring-wise would be unrealistic. One would have to think that freshmen Jermaine Sanders and Kelvin Gaines, both of whom haven't played much to date, would get a chance early to prove that they can contribute and the return of JaQuon Parker means one more weapon on the perimeter.

As for the Raiders they've struggled mightily on the offensive end of the floor, shooting 36.9% from the field on the season. Billy Donlon's team averages the same number of possessions per game as Cincinnati (66) but they're averaging only 55.5 points per game, a number that ranks 333rd nationally. So with a leading scorer (guard Julius Mays) who averages just 10.2 points per game, how has Wright State found a way to win four games? Defense.

Wright State's allowing just 59.6 points per game and they make opponents battle for everything they get offensively, which could be an issue for Cincinnati given the personnel losses. Opponents turn the ball over on 25.4% of their possessions, and they're third in the Horizon League in points allowed per possession. The field goal percentage defense (42.5%) doesn't jump off the stat sheet as much as the number of turnovers they force per game (16.2), and with both teams averaging more turnovers than assists per game things could get sloppy in Dayton.

How will Cincinnati deal with the possible adversity that comes with being shorthanded on the road? We'll find out, but given losses to Presbyterian and Marshall already on the resume, Mick Cronin's team can't afford to drop this one. Losses in games like this one tend to come back to haunt teams in March. Also on the schedule Wednesday is a rare afternoon game with Iona visiting Richmond, and it will be interesting to see how much energy remains in the legs of Tim Cluess' Gaels. Iona hasn't played a home game all month, and even with the Spiders getting used to life without Kevin Anderson and Justin Harper there's still talent at Chris Mooney's disposal.

Tim Floyd's young UTEP squad heads west to take on a UNLV team that's dropped two of their last three games, and sophomore guard Mike Perez has emerged in recent games as a good scoring option for the Miners. Perez is averaging 18.5 points over the last two games, and with a squad that has five players averaging between seven and ten points per game UTEP needs someone to step up. Also of note is Tennessee visiting Charleston days after losing at home to Austin Peay, and Bobby Cremins' team will be a very tough test for Trae Golden and company. In fact Antwaine Wiggins and company should be expected to defend their home floor, so the Volunteers had better be ready from the moment they walk into the gym.

Top 25 Games
7:30 PM USC Upstate at (2) Ohio State (BTN)
8:00 PM Bethune-Cookman at (7) Baylor (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
3:00 PM Iona at Richmond
7:00 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Ole Miss (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Marietta at Ohio
7:00 PM Morgan State at UMBC
7:00 PM Long Island at Norfolk State
7:00 PM Princeton at Rider (Comcast)
7:00 PM Cincinnati at Wright State (ESPN2)
7:05 PM Charleston Southern at Citadel
7:30 PM FIU at Maryland (ESPN)
7:30 PM Towson at Coppin State
8:00 PM Louisiana College at Rice
8:00 PM Huston-Tillotson at Lamar
8:00 PM McNeese State at Louisiana Tech
8:05 PM Seattle at Arkansas State
8:05 PM Campbell at Houston Baptist
8:05 PM Chicago State at Wichita State
9:00 PM West New Mexico at New Mexico State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Tennessee at Charleston (ESPN2)
9:00 PM DePaul at Northern Illinois
9:05 PM Denver at Northern Colorado (Altitude)
9:30 PM USF at Auburn (ESPN3)
10:00 PM Menlo College at Cal Poly
10:00 PM UC Santa Cruz at UC Riverside
10:00 PM UTEP at UNLV (The Mtn.)
10:30 PM Eastern Washington at UCLA

College Hoops Saturday Recap: "Game of the Year" Lives Up to Hype

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 23:18:36 -0800

One of the most anticipated regular season college basketball games in recent memory came down to wingspan. That was the difference between Kentucky and North Carolina as freshman Anthony Davis got a hand on John Henson's jumper in the final seconds to preserve a 73-72 win at Rupp Arena. UNC would enjoy the largest lead for either team with just under seven minutes left in the first half as they led 34-25, and the two titans would play close throughout. But in spite of the close nature of the score there were areas in which John Calipari's team separated itself and ultimately won the game.

The biggest discrepancy could be found in the paint, where the Wildcats outscored the Tar Heels 36-14 on the afternoon. Unlike North Carolina, who scored 45.8% of their points from beyond the arc, the Wildcats were able to consistently attack the basket and scored 65.8% of their points on two-point baskets. Terrence Jones (14 points, seven rebounds) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (17 points, 11 rebounds) were two of the key factors in this department, with Kidd-Gilchrist successfully attacking Harrison Barnes off the dribble on multiple occasions.

"At the 12-minute timeout I told them who was doing the scoring for them and it was Teague and [Kidd-] Gilcrhist and the guys taking the ball to the basket so our defense had to get stronger," said UNC head coach Roy Williams. "You look at the stat sheet and (Kentucky) shot 56 percent in the second half but they were a little more patient with it than we were."

North Carolina's biggest weapon on the offensive end was the three-point shot as they made 11 of their 18 attempts. Four players made those 11 shots with Harrison Barnes (14 points) and P.J. Hairston (11) leading the way with four and three made bonus shots respectively. But the Tar Heels didn't attack the rim nearly as much as Kentucky throughout the course of the game, and that posed some issues as the game wore on. Doron Lamb woke up from his slow offensive start to score 12 of his 14 points in the second half to help lead the Wildcats, and he simply began to make better decisions after a slow start was amplified by four turnovers.

"I thought in the second half, I put the ball in his hands saying, 'Let's go down'," said Kentucky head coach John Calipari. "He [had] a couple layups. He had a couple 3s. They were big shots. That one in the corner was a huge shot. He knocked it down."

The question now is what the two teams need to do in order to position themselves for a possible rematch down the line. North Carolina displayed a level of toughness some wanted to see in the aftermath of their loss to UNLV, and the young Wildcats turned the ball over just nine times with Marcus Teague having just one. While there are definitely issues for both to work out, and there will be a large number of challengers for the national title, it isn't unrealistic to think that these two could meet again this season with a lot more on the line.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Marquette picks up a good win at Wisconsin despite personnel "limitations".
Before the game it was learned that head coach Buzz Williams suspended junior point guard Junior Cadougan for a violation of team rules. Add to that the foul trouble that Jae Crowder had to deal with and there would be little chance of Marquette leaving Madison with a win, right? Wrong. Darius Johnson-Odom scored 17 points and Todd Mayo added 14 off the bench as the Golden Eagles beat in-state rival Wisconsin 61-54.

How did Marquette get it done? Defense and toughness, as they limited the Badgers to 32% shooting from the field (35.4% on twos and 26.3% on threes) and controlled the boards to the tune of a 44-32 advantage. The numbers weren't pretty but Marquette won by attacking Wisconsin on both ends of the floor, and there were a number of players who contributed to the effort. Buzz Williams' teams will make opponents fight for every inch of space, and that's a big reason why this group is capable of being a player in the Big East race.

2. Down 19 at one points in the second half, Xavier storms back to beat Purdue.
It was absolutely ugly for Chris Mack's Musketeers in the first half as they turned the ball over 18 times and trailed Purdue 33-22 at the break. Things would get worse before they got better in the second half as the Boilermakers led 55-36 with 10:44 remaining, but Xavier's "never say die" attitude resulted in a comeback for the ages. Tu Holloway made up for a rough 30 minutes with some impressive pressure shot-making and Xavier limited Purdue to 37.9% shooting in the second half on their way to the 66-63 win.

Matt Painter's team wasn't helped by the fact that Robbie Hummel had to deal with leg cramps down the stretch, and his absence in the final seconds was apparent as the team struggled to fine a good look for Ryne Smith. Holloway would lead four Xavier starters in double figures with 21 points, and there may not be another player in the country who can not only take the big shots but embrace the pressure that comes with them. He and Mark Lyons form the kind of backcourt that can lead a team deep into the NCAA Tournament, and their aggressive nature makes them a handful for whoever the Musketeers face.

3. A power outage seemingly robs UCLA of their energy as they fall to Texas at home.
Late in the first half the LA Sports Arena lost power, and with UCLA leading by double figures this was the worst possible time for a team of shaky temperment to have to leave the court. Of course after the break Texas would outscore UCLA 9-4 to end the half, and Rick Barnes' team kept the ball rolling in the second half on their way to a 69-59 win. J'Covan Brown scored 22 points and Myck Kabongo added 13 points and eight assists in leading the comeback, but the soap opera that is UCLA Basketball added another unfortunate chapter on Saturday afternoon.

Reeves Nelson was benched the entire second half due to a missed defensive assignment, and outside of Lazeric Jones (21 points) and Travis Wear (13 points) the Bruins didn't get much done offensively. While Texas shot 54.7% from the field UCLA limped to the finish shooting at a 38.6% clip, and they struggled to keep the Longhorns off of the offensive glass as well (Texas' offensive rebounding percentage: 48.0%). With just one win over a Division I opponent it's extremely difficult to see UCLA contending for a conference championship with the current level of play, regardless of how weak the Pac-12 has been.

4. Charleston's late-game execution ultimately results in a double-overtime victory.
With 21 seconds remaining Bobby Cremins' team trailed visiting Chattanooga 65-61, and the Mocs looked to be a decent bet to pick up their first SoCon win of the season after dropping their league opener. But College of Charleston refused to lie down, and in coming back the Cougars played smart basketball in eventually forcing overtime. Andrew Lawrence scored five of his career-high 25 points in the final ten seconds of regulation to send the game into overtime, and the Cougars would ultimately take advantage of the second chance in winning 87-85 in double overtime.

Anthony Stitt came off the bench to score 20 points, and Trent Wiedeman (15 points, 12 rebounds) and Antwaine Wiggins (14 and 12) both posted double-doubles to back up Lawrence. The result dropped Chattanooga to 0-2 in SoCon play, and that's exactly the start that the Mocs were hoping to avoid given their status as the preseason favorite in the North Division. But execution is critical in games such as this one, and Charleston's ability to play smart basketball without panicking is why they were able to come back.

5. Tulane moves to 9-0 with a win over Georgia Tech, but how good are they?
You never want to discount a team's 9-0 start to a season, especially when that team has struggled as much in recent years as the Tulane Green Wave. But even with Ed Conroy's team off to a 9-0 start with their most recent outing being a 57-52 win over Georgia Tech, there remain questions about Tulane due to a strength of schedule that ranks 342nd nationally. Ricky Tarrant picked up the slack for leading scorers Kendall Timmons and Josh Davis with 24 points on Saturday, and on the season four players are averaging double figures in scoring.

Tulane shot just 31% from the field against the Yellow Jackets but won because of a +12 differential in points from the foul line along with 8-for-16 shooting from beyond the arc. Tulane likely won't overwhelm teams offensively once they get into Conference USA play but this is an improved basketball team. Just beware reading too much into the record, as the Green Wave likely won't be tested again until they visit Syracuse on the 22nd. So the answer to the question of how good Tulane is: we don't have enough information right now.

Quick Hitters

1. The development of big man Meyers Leonard has been a sight to behold in Champaign, and despite foul trouble he put up 21 points and six rebounds in Illinois' 82-75 win over Gonzaga. Leonard has added a physical dimension inside that Bruce Weber hasn't had for a couple years, and this could end up being one of his best teams as a result.

2. At some point in his career B.J. Young will be an All-SEC player at Arkansas. The freshman scored 28 points in 27 minutes off the bench, but it wasn't enough to lead the Razorbacks to a win at Connecticut as they fell 75-62. Another encouraging development for the Hogs: 27 offensive rebounds despite losing Marshawn Powell for the season with a knee injury last week.

3. Valparaiso won a thriller in their Horizon League opener as they beat Butler 77-71 in overtime at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Richie Edwards led five players in double figures with 18 points off the bench, and the Crusaders were solid enough defensively to limit the Bulldogs to 34.3% shooting from the field.

4. Mississippi State outscored West Virginia 23-10 over the final 8:02 in beating the Mountaineers 75-62 in Starkville. Arnett Moultrie led the way with 21 points and 13 rebounds and Dee Bost chipped in with 17 points, seven assists, five rebounds and five steals.

5. It was quite obvious how much Rutgers needed big man Gilvydas Biruta on the floor, as his foul trouble in the second half coincided with the Scarlet Knights' struggles in a 55-50 loss to LSU. Mike Rice's team scored just two points after Biruta fouled out with 4:49 remaining, and they had a hard time controlling LSU defensively when he wasn't in as well.

Five Notable Performances

1. F Greg Magnano (Yale)
22 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks in the Bulldogs' 68-52 win over Vermont.

2. G Kevin Giltner (Wofford)
28 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in the Terriers' 83-63 win over The Citadel.

3. G Taylor Braun (North Dakota State)
30 points (9-11 FG), eight rebounds and three assists in the Bison's 84-79 win at IUPUI.

4. G C.J. McCollum (Lehigh)
31 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals in the Mountain Hawks' 81-79 overtime loss at Cornell.

5. F Noah Hartsock (BYU)
23 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks and two assists in the Cougars' 79-65 win over Oregon.