Charlotte

Non-BCS Top 25: New Mexico New #1, Charlotte Enters

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 18:35:32 -0800

The Non-BCS Top 25 is a CollegeHoops.net original, copied by multiple major outlets. As a weekly companion to our popular CHN Top 50 ranking, it takes an in-depth look into the underrated universe of teams outside of the big six. The original Non-BCS ranking.

Non-BCS Top 25: December 9th

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

	Team	Record	Last
1	New Mexico	10-0	3
2	Gonzaga	9-1*	1
3	Creighton	9-1	2
4	San Diego St	7-1	4
5	UNLV	7-1	5
6	Wichita St	9-0	6
7	Murray St	7-1	7
8	Memphis	6-2	9
9	Wyoming	10-0	12
10	Bucknell	8-1	14
11	Temple	6-1*	10
12	St. Joseph's	5-2	15
13	VCU	6-3	16
14	Butler	7-2	19
15	Xavier	7-2*	13
16	Belmont	6-2	18
17	Ohio	7-2*	11
18	Colorado St	6-2**	8

Not in CHN Top 50 Ranking

	Team	Record	Last
19	St. Mary's	6-2	20
20	Boise St	6-2*	17
21	Santa Clara	6-2	21
22	Saint Louis	5-3	22
23	Charlotte	9-0	NA(+5)
24	Dayton	7-2	25
25	Akron	4-2	24

last = last week's ranking

* = Losses this week

Next 5: UIC (8-1), SMU (8-1), Utah St (5-1), Illinois St (6-3*), MTSU (7-2)

Further 5: Southern Miss (6-3**), Louisiana Tech (8-2*), Davidson (5-4*), George Mason (6-4*), CS Northridge (7-3*)

Out of Top 25: Southern Miss (6-3**)

Who Will Win the 2011-12 Atlantic 10 Title?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 22:38:24 -0800

Jon Teitel's "Coaching Greats" Series: Former Charlotte head coach Bobby Lutz

Jon Teitel — Tue, 10 May 2011 09:35:44 -0700

In the most recent installment in his "Coaching Greats" series CHN writer Jon Teitel took some time to talk with former Charlotte head coach Bobby Lutz. During his time at Charlotte, Lutz led the 49ers to five NCAA Tournament appearances. Coach Lutz recently became a member of new head coach Mark Gottfried's staff at NC State.

Jon Teitel: From 1984-1986 you were an assistant for Cliff Ellis at Clemson. What made Ellis such a great coach, and what is the most important thing you ever learned from him?

Bobby Lutz: Coach Ellis taught me the value of attention to detail in all phases of your program. He was/is a master of changing defenses, dictating tempo, and preparing a proper game strategy. I also learned the value of recruiting. By the way, Coach Ellis won his 600th game last season at Coastal Carolina.

JT: In 1986 you were named head coach at Pfeiffer College, and in 1995 you led the Falcons to the NAIA title game before losing to Birmingham Southern. Did you consider your run in the NAIA Tournament to be a success (due to making it to the title game), or a failure (due to getting so close but not winning it all), or something in between?

BL: When we took over at Pfeiffer, the program had made only one trip to the NAIA National Tournament in the previous 50 years. Our last six seasons there we won six conference titles and made six national tournaments. We went to a Final 8, two Final Fours (losing to eventual champ Oklahoma City twice in the semifinals), and lost in the title game in 1995. We graduated 33 of 36 players during that time. Of all our great teams, the 1994-95 squad was not the most talented but still made it to the finals. They were on a mission and are now collectively a part of the Pfeiffer Hall of Fame. It was absolutely a success despite the disappointment of not winning the title.

JT: In 1995 you were named head coach at Gardner-Webb, but resigned two weeks after accepting the job in order to become an assistant coach at Charlotte. Did you have any regrets about making the switch, and what did it mean to you to return to your alma mater?

BL: A little background is necessary to understand my actions after leaving Pfeiffer in April of 1995 to go to Gardner-Webb. I had attempted to join Coach Jeff Mullins at UNC Charlotte three times during my nine years at Pfeiffer. As I was about to accept the Gardner-Webb job, Coach Mullins called me and said that he would hire me if a spot opened up (he anticipated that an assistant might get a head coaching position elsewhere). I told President White and AD Eddie Holbrook at G-W before accepting the job that I would take a position at UNC Charlotte if it was offered to me. I wanted them to know the risk up front, but they still hired me. Two months (and six signed recruits later), Coach Mullins called me and offered me a job. It was difficult to leave G-W but I made the change. Joining the staff at UNC Charlotte was a special opportunity for me. Honestly, I was frustrated that despite our success at Pfeiffer I could not get an interview for a Division I position. There are so many excellent coaches at lower levels who never get a chance at the highest level.

1999 NCAA Tournament (head coach at Charlotte)

JT: Galen Young had 17 points and 10 rebounds in an overtime win over URI. How big a deal was it to win a game in the tourney?

BL: We won four games in four days to win the C-USA conference tourney in l999 (my first season as head coach), which included wins over Cincinnati in the semis and Louisville in the finals; it was very special. We were a #5-seed and drew URI and Lamar Odom in the first round. We were a sizable underdog according to the experts, but we won in overtime thanks to a team effort. C-USA tourney MVP Young was marvelous before fouling out, and his fellow Memphis native Marlon Thomas did a great job guarding Odom in OT. This team understood their roles, and was the best team I ever had at understanding scouting reports.

JT: Young had 23 points and 13 rebounds in a loss to Oklahoma. Did he just carry the team on his back that March, and what was the reaction like when you got back to campus?

BL: After the URI win, Kelvin Price got the flu and was getting IV fluids before the game. He tried to play but was ineffective, so we had to play a freshman in the post against OK. We were not a real deep team (especially up front), and although we fought valiantly, we fell short. It was difficult to lose, especially without having KP. Our campus was excited about the season both before and after the tourney.

2001 NCAA Tournament

JT: Rodney White had 12 points and nine rebounds in a seven-point win over Tennessee. What did your team learn from the 1999 tourney that helped you in 2001?

BL: In the 2000 conference tourney we were not quite as talented but still made the semifinals vs. DePaul (who had four future NBA players). We had the lead at halftime before Tremaine Gardiner pulled his groin. 2001 was our most talented team, and had it not been for injuries we might have had a much higher seed than the #9-seed we received after winning the CUSA conference tourney again. We were better than Tennessee despite not playing particularly well, and we felt we had a great shot at beating the #1-seed Illinois and Coach Bill Self.

JT: Demon Brown scored 19 points in a loss to Illinois. Did Illinois just have a more talented team, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterwards?

BL: Illinois was very physical and was able to dominate us. We did not shoot the ball well, which we needed to do against them. After Illinois beat Kansas in the Sweet 16 they lost their next game to eventual national runner-up Arizona (who shot 56 free throws in that game!). We were not able to get to the line in our loss, as we only took 17 free throws. We were disappointed, but proud of the season that we had. White declared for the NBA draft and was the 9th overall pick (one spot ahead of Joe Johnson) after being named ESPN's Freshman of the Year.

JT: What are your memories of the 2002 NCAA Tournament (Ryan Humphrey had 20 points and 11 rebounds in a win by Notre Dame)?

BL: 2002 was special because we lost a lot of talent off the 2001 team yet still made the NCAA Tournament behind Jobey Thomas, Cam Stevens, and Brown. We liked our match-up with Notre Dame, but once again the flu hit us as Thomas was sick and on IV fluids. He played but was not even close to half-strength, and without him we were no match for the Irish. Humphrey led Notre Dame after also playing on the Oklahoma team that beat us in the 1999 NCAA Tournament.

JT: In November 2003 Brendan Plavich scored 31 points (including a Carrier Dome-record 10 3PM) in 30 minutes for a four-point win over Syracuse, as you became the 1st team in NCAA history to beat the defending national champions in their home opener (despite allowing Syracuse to score 63 PTS in the 2nd half). Was it just one of those scenarios where every shot he put up seemed to go in because he was "in the zone", and how on earth did you win after giving up 63 points in the 2nd half?

BL: We went to Syracuse for their home opener after they had won the title the previous spring, and won behind Brendan's 10 3-PT baskets. We were an attacking team and were able to break their press and get easy baskets for Brendan. Curtis Withers was also terrific against their big inside players, which allows us to build a huge lead. Gerry McNamara was phenomenal in the 2nd half (scoring 28 of his career-high 34 points) and we held on for a win despite them scoring 63 PTS in the 2nd half. It was a tale of two halves, but we won the 40-minute game despite being on the road against a team that seldom loses to non-conference opponents at home. It was a fun game, and perhaps our best non-conference road win ever.

JT: What are your memories of the 2004 NCAA Tournament (Withers had 17 points and nine rebounds in a three-point loss to Texas Tech)?

BL: 2004 was another fun/good season. We were unable to beat Bobby Knight's team (led by Andre Emmett), but Withers played well and we made a late run to lose by just three points. Martin Iti got a couple of tough foul calls against him in the first half, which really hurt us because he was a major defensive factor for us all year and in that game as well. With him sitting out due to foul trouble, we watched a close game turn into a comfortable margin for them that we could not overcome despite a great 2nd half effort.

JT: What are your memories of the 2005 NCAA Tournament (Eddie Basden had 15 points and 10 rebounds in 40 minutes in a loss to NC State)?

BL: 2005 was a great season, but we ended it with tough losses due in large part to scheduling. We were at Louisville on senior night and got beat while playing for the regular season title. After that 9PM loss on a Thursday, we traveled to South Florida for an early afternoon game on a Saturday, and I made a mistake by practicing on Friday because our seniors wanted to practice. I should have just had a walk-through and shoot-around, because we had no legs left on Saturday as we lost at USF. Then went to Memphis for the conference tourney and lost our opener to Memphis. They were very talented, but we had beaten them at home in Halton Arena earlier that season. We lost a little confidence going into the NC State game in the NCAA tourney, but played great and had a big lead in the first half. Brendan made a lot of early 3-PT shots, but then NC State got very physical with him off the ball. I will never forget Brendan coming to me as soon as the half ended and pulling his jersey up: his chest was red from all the scratches/bruises. I had him show referee Ed Hightower, which just pissed him off even more. A former ACC head coach who was at the game told me afterward that had it been JJ Redick instead of Brendan, he would have shot 20 free throws in that game. C-USA POY and Defensive POY Basden was terrific in the game, but down the stretch our team could not make enough plays. Julius Hodge led his team to the victory despite our best efforts.

JT: After spending last year as an assistant coach to Fred Hoiberg at Iowa State, you recently took a job with NC State. How did you like working for Hoiberg, and why did you decide to take the new job?

BL: My experience at Iowa State was tremendous in every way. Hoiberg (who was named rookie COY by Basketball Times) was wonderful to work for, and the future of Cyclone basketball is in good hands. We shared similar philosophies in terms of both basketball and life. The team won the most games it had in the past 5 years, and will be a contender in the Big 12 next season. My decision to return to the state of North Carolina (and NC State specifically to work for Mark Gottfried) was both complex/simple. I will miss not being a part of the Cyclone team that I helped to build for the 2011-12 season. However, every professional decision I have made has been primarily focused on my family since I left Clemson in 1986 to go to Pfeiffer after my sister Tammy was killed in a car accident. Similarly, my father recently had a heart attack on February 18th, and the opportunity to return to North Carolina made perfect sense. In addition, the opportunity to work for Mark and to be in the ACC was obviously very attractive. I look forward to assisting Wolfpack basketball's return to national prominence.

Coach Lutz is also on Jon's list of best fantasy coaches in A-10 history.

Charlotte: Bobby Lutz (1998-2009) 199-146, 5 NCAA tourneys, 1 conference title
Dayton: Don Donoher (1964-1989) 437-275, 8 NCAA tourneys, 1 NIT title
Duquesne: Chick Davies (1924-1943, 1946-1948) 314-106, 1 NCAA tourney, 3 NIT appearances, 1 conference title
Fordham: John Bach (1949-1968) 263-193, 2 NCAA tourneys, 1 conference title
George Washington: William Reinhart (1935-1966) 319-237, 2 NCAA tourneys, 2 conference titles, 1-time conference COY
La Salle: Ken Loeffler (1949-1955) 144-28, 2 NCAA tourneys, 1 NCAA title, 1 NIT title
Massachusetts: John Calipari (1988-1996) 189-70, 5 NCAA tourneys, 5 conference titles, 1-time national COY, 3-time conference COY
Rhode Island: Frank Keaney (1920-1948) 401-124, 8 conference titles
Richmond: Dick Tarrant (1981-1993) 239-126, 5 NCAA tourneys, 5 conference titles, 4-time conference COY
Saint Louis: Eddie Hickey (1947-1958) 211-89, 2 NCAA tourneys, 3 conference titles, 1 NIT title, 2-time conference COY
St. Bonaventure: Larry Weise (1961-1973) 202-90, 2 NCAA tourneys
St. Joseph's: Jack Ramsay (1955-1966) 234-72, 7 NCAA tourneys, 7 conference titles
Temple: John Chaney (1982-2006) 516-253, 17 NCAA tourneys, 8 conference titles, 2-time national COY, 5-time conference COY
Xavier: Pete Gillen (1985-1994) 202-75, 7 NCAA tourneys, 6 conference titles, 5-time conference COY

#95 Charlotte: 2010-11 Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 18:24:39 -0700

Overall Rank: #95

Conference Rank: #8 Atlantic 10 Conference

2009-10: 19-12, 9-7

2009-10 postseason: none

Coach: Alan Major (First year at Charlotte, 0-0 overall)

Since Charlotte joined the Atlantic 10 in 2005, the 49ers have just made two postseason appearances and neither were the NCAA Tournament. It was time for a change and Charlotte went after Coach Alan Major who has served under Thad Matta at Xavier and Ohio State. Coach Major inherits a pretty experienced squad, but also a group that has been quite inconsistent over the last few seasons.

Key Losses: G Ian Andersen, G RaShad Coleman, G Charles Dewhurst, G DiJuan Harris

Key Newcomers:

Two years ago Jamar Briscoe averaged 17.8 points per game as a freshman at North Carolina Central. That was good enough to rank second among freshman behind Seth Curry. Briscoe shot a lot when he played for the Eagles and pretty much took that team over. He is a capable outside shooter, but he does need to learn Charlotte has more talent than NCCU and that hoisting up shots at will is not beneficial to the team. Keeping his game under control and cutting back on the turnovers will be another issue, but otherwise the 49ers have found themselves a very good shooter who could be the team’s leading scorer right from the start. The only other newcomer is incoming freshman Luka Voncina. The 6-4 Slovenian may be forced into action in a relatively slim backcourt.

Backcourt:

The loss of point guard DiJuan Harris is a huge blow. Junior Derrio Green will have to take over a majority of the ballhandling. Last season Green was free to roam and look for open shots and he did do a pretty good job in the scoring column, averaging 13.1 points per game. However, having Green spend more time on the ball may not be a bad thing since he shot way too much from beyond the arc. Now that job belongs to Briscoe and he may be able to connect on more than 31.3 percent of his attempts from long range. There are no other guards listed on the roster that have any semblance of real playing time. However, Gokham Sirin and An’Juan Wilderness can easily be considered guards. Sirin is 6-9, but he is pretty much a shooter off the bench despite his size.

Frontcourt:

The frontcourt returns leading scorer Shamari Spears, leading rebounder Chris Braswell and leading shot blocker Phil Jones. Spears and Braswell should once again earn the starting jobs. Spears is a superb all-around scorer who has the ability to step outside and consistently hit the mid-range jumper. He is a great athlete who can attack the basket and finish with ease. Braswell is the more traditional back to the basket big man. And at 6-9 and 235 pounds, he is pretty big. More important than his size is his toughness on the glass and Braswell eats up any ball that comes near him. Jones will come in off the bench and play some great defense when the other forwards need a break or run into foul trouble. K.J. Sherrill is coming off of a decent freshman campaign and could play a bigger role on the team if Coach Major wants to keep his big men fresh.

Who to Watch:

Wilderness will not fill up the stat sheet, but he is the glue guy on this team. He will score a little bit when he has to and he can play solid defense and hit the glass. The 6-6 senior has the size and versatility to do whatever the team needs him to do. He missed some time last year with a stress fracture in his foot, but Wilderness should be ready for a strong senior season even if the numbers say otherwise.

Final Projection:

This team will really come down to the backcourt. Can Green run the point efficiently? Can Briscoe live up to the hype? Is there enough depth behind them to keep those two stars fresh down the stretch? If so, Charlotte will have a great season. Most likely all of those things will not happen, but this is still a more talented team than they were a year ago and this group should be on the cusp of an NIT berth even in what should be a very tough conference.

Projected Post-season Tournament: CBI/CIT

Projected Starting Five:

Derrio Green, Junior, Guard, 13.0 ppg

Jamar Briscoe, Sophomore, Guard, DNP last season

An’Juan Wilderness, Senior, Forward, 5.7 ppg

Shamari Spears, Senior, Forward, 16.0 ppg

Chris Braswell, Sophomore, Forward, 9.5 ppg

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College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Charlotte 2010 NIT Capsule

Joel Welser — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:08:43 -0800

Charlotte 49ers

Atlantic 10 Conference (19-12, 9-7)

Big Wins: 12/5 at Louisville (87-65), 1/20 at Richmond (71-59), 1/27 Temple (74-64)

Bad Losses: 2/17 Duquesne (77-83), 2/27 at George Washington (70-75), 3/9 vs Massachusetts (56-59)

Coach: Bobby Lutz

Why They Can Surprise:

Charlotte tries to score a lot of points every game, but sometimes they just cannot do it. The overall shooting numbers are pretty awful, but at least the 49ers have an inside/outside duo in Shamari Spears and Derrio Green that keep them in just about every game. Green is easily the most prolific shooter on the team and is very tough to stop when he is having a good day. However, shooting 31.3 percent from beyond the arc, those good days do not happen too often at this point.

Spears, a 6-6 junior who spent a couple seasons at Boston College, is much more consistent. He can do a little bit of everything when it comes to scoring. Nobody on the team gets to the line as much as he does, but he can also keep the defense honest with his outside shooting ability. He hits the occasional three-pointer, but even stretching the defense out with a 15 to 18 foot jumper does the job. The emergence of freshman center Chris Braswell has given the team another scoring option, at least occasionally. Braswell is extremely inconsistent, but even when he is not scoring, he will be hitting the glass and clearing space for Spears and Green.

Why They Can Disappoint:

There are lots of reasons this team can make an early tournament exit. If Green is not hitting shots and Braswell is not scoring in the paint, Charlotte will not beat any quality opponent. The turnover numbers are a little high and the turnover margin on any given day can easily lead to a loss. Most of those concerns stem from a lack of depth. An’Juan Wilderness missed some time early in the year and has been inconsistent ever since. However, due to his size, he has been inserted into the starting lineup many times anyway. The only other options are the more experienced Charles Dewhurst or big man Phil Jones.

Who To Watch:

Dewhurst is pretty much just another point guard, but DiJuan Harris handles that job pretty well, although having both on the floor is a necessity in certain situations. Harris has turned into a fine leader on the floor and averages 4.6 assists per game and just 2.1 turnovers. The 5-9 speedster can blow past most defenders and create easy shots for the big guys under the basket or a slashing Spears or Green sitting in the corner ready to hoist up another three. But Harris’ shooting ability has made him even more dangerous this year. He will not hit a lot of outside shots, but just the threat means the opposition has to guard him beyond the arc and that gives Harris the space to run right past them.

Probable Starters:

DiJuan Harris, Senior, Guard, 8.3 ppg, 4.6 apg

Derrio Green, Sophomore, Guard, 13.1 ppg, 2.3 apg, 1.5 spg

An’Juan Wilderness, Junior, Forward, 5.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg

Shamari Spears, Junior, Forward, 16.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg

Chris Braswell, Freshman, Forward, 9.5 ppg, 8.6 rpg

Key Roleplayers:

Ian Anderson, Senior, Guard, 4.0 ppg, 1.2 rpg

Charles Dewhurst, Junior, Guard, 2.8 ppg, 1.4 apg

Phil Jones, Junior, Center, 5.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.1 bpg

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 74.0 (75^th in nation, 3^rd in conference)

Scoring Defense: 71.5 (249,10)

Field-Goal Percentage: 42.0 (239, 11)

Field-Goal Defense: 41.8 (103, 8)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.5 (132, 5)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 31.6 (244, 9)

Free-Throw Percentage: 73.4 (30, 1)

Rebound Margin: 2.6 (96, 7)

Assists Per Game: 13.3 (146, 8)

Turnovers Per Game: 13.3 (137, 7)

Follow Joel Welser's Postseason Capsules & College Basketball Previews on Twitter @Joel_Welser and on his Facebook page. Joel will be back in June for his annual Top 144 Teams in 144 Days preview on CollegeHoops.net

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College Hoops Tuesday Recap: Charlotte is Done

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:53:25 -0800

It's been a couple of years since the first round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament had this much attention. Charlotte, Dayton and Rhode Island all hosted games and needed to move on to Atlantic City in order to maintain their hopes of getting into the NCAA Tournament as an at-large. But while the Rams took care of business by beating Saint Joseph's 87-76 and Dayton beating George Washington 70-60, the 49ers weren't as fortunate, falling to an opponent you have to beat if you're to make a solid case to the selection committee.

The 49ers dropped a 59-56 decision to UMass thanks in large part to huge plays and 24 points from Ricky Harris. Neither team shot well from the field, with the Minutemen shooting just 32.1%, but they got to the foul line (18-22; Charlotte was 5-8) and took full advantage of those "free" points. An'Juan Wilderness led Charlotte with eleven points but that wasn't enough to stem the tide of a late 9-0 run that gave UMass control of the game for good. And to a certain extent Bobby Lutz's team has no one to blame but themselves; the run was aided in large part by a Charlotte technical foul...for having six players on the court. Not going to get it done.

So while Rhode Island and Dayton get to take on the cream of the Atlantic 10 crop in Atlantic City and take one more shot at a big win the 49ers get to sit at home and think about what could have been. And also look into possible opponents in the NIT.

Three Key Happenings

1. Butler leaves no doubt in the Horizon League final. This was a game that worried bubblers across the nation since this would be a definite "bid thief" situation has the Raiders won. But the Bulldogs left no doubt in extending their nation's best win streak to 20 games, whipping Wright State 70-45 at Hinkle Fieldhouse to wrap up the automatic bid. Tournament MVP Matt Howard led the way with 14 points and nine rebounds (Shelvin Mack also scored fourteen) and the Butler defense harassed the Raiders into fifteen turnovers and 2-for-20 from beyond the arc. N'Gai Evans led the visitors with 13 points but neither of the other key contributors, Vaughn Duggins or Todd Brown, shot well from the field against Butler's stifling defense. The win also completed an undefeated run through the Horizon League in both the regular season and conference tournament; to accomplish such a feat is simply amazing. Brad Stevens' squad will most definitely be a tough out in the NCAA Tournament.

2. North Texas caps a wacky year in the Sun Belt with a conference title. Josh White picked exactly the right time to master the pull-up jumper in the Sun Belt final. Struggling for much of the game due to his tendency to over-penetrate, White sank a pull-up jumper with 22 seconds remaining to give the Mean Green the lead for good in a game they eventually won 66-63. He shot just 3-for-11 from the field but that doesn't matter when you knock down the game-winner. Forwards Eric Tramiel (20 points, 10 rebounds) and George Odufuwa (11 points, 17 rebounds) took care of business in the frontcourt, allowing North Texas a 36-26 rebounding advantage on the night. Four Trojans scored in double figures, led by Brandon Hazzard's 15, but it wasn't enough to overcome White's big play. And as a result the Mean Green will make their first NCAA appearance since 2007.

3. Connecticut gets embarrassed at Madison Square Garden.

Top Three Games

1. North Texas 66, Troy 63 See above.

2. Seton Hall 109, Providence 106 There were few people (if any) who thought it possible for the Friars to come back when the score hit 76-47 with 13:36 to go. But they did just that, fighting back to within three before a Duke Mondy three in the final seconds missed wide left. Jamine Peterson led all scorers with 38 points (and 16 rebounds) while Herb Pope led the Pirates with 27 points and 11 rebounds.

3. Massachusetts 59, Charlotte 56 See above.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Jamine Peterson (Providence) The redshirt sophomore finished with 38 points, 16 rebounds and four assists in the Friars' 109-106 loss to Seton Hall.

2. F Derick Nelson (Oakland) Nelson led the Grizzlies to the Summit League crown with 36 points, nine rebounds and two assists.

3. F Herb Pope (Seton Hall) 27 points, 11 rebounds and five assists for Pope in the Pirates' victory over Providence.

Poll: How Many A-10 Bubble Teams Will Make the Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 07:45:07 -0800

College Hoops Saturday Recap: Who Will Be #1 On Monday?

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 21:39:29 -0800

With there still being one day left in the weekend we've gout ourselves quite the question: who should be the nation's top-ranked team when the new polls are released on Monday? The top two teams, Kansas and Kentucky, went on the road Saturday and return to their respective campuses with losses. The Jayhawks fell to an Oklahoma State team likely one marquee win away from sewing up an NCAA bid 85-77 as they were unable to slow down James Anderson (27 points, eight rebounds) and three other Cowboys who finished in double figures. Despite an offense that struggled once Oklahoma State got their lead it was the defense that had head coach Bill Self the most concerned.

"[And] obviously our toughness level defensively today was very, very poor and that can happen in the tournament in a one-and-done deal again," said Self. "Hopefully we can learn from that and understand that we weren't ready to defend today (quote courtesy of the Associated Press)." Oklahoma State shot 60.4% from the field and 52.6% from behind the arc. Also, the taller Jayhawks were out-rebounded by the smallish Cowboys 34-26, something that frankly should never happen when comparing the two frontcourts.

As for the Wildcats, they fell behind big at Tennessee and while they were able to fight their way back into the game picking up the win was another matter. Led by J.P. Prince, who scored 20 points and made three key baskets late, the Volunteers held off Kentucky 74-65 to give Bruce Pearl's team wins over both Kansas and Kentucky. Scotty Hopson added fifteen as Tennessee made a solid first half stand in which they limited the Wildcats to 24.5% shooting (led 40-29). Was Kentucky's lack of a prolific three-point shooter highlighted in this loss? They went 2-for-22 from behind the arc and didn't make their charge until John Wall (19 points) began driving to the basket with regularity.

"There are lots of ways to score against a zone other than the 3-point shot, but the 3-point shot certainly does open things up more," said Pearl. "They were 2-for-22 from 3-point range, and that is a big factor (quote courtesy of University of Tennessee Athletics)." If Kentucky resorts to firing away from deep against zones then they will have difficulties, but they saw for themselves what attacking the gaps of a zone can do. So while the top two teams went down on Saturday (and for different reasons) the wins mean more for their opponents than the losses do for them right now. As for who should be number one on Monday we received a rather emphatic answer on that as well.

Three Key Happenings

1. Syracuse makes a loud statement to the rest of the Big East...and the nation. The Orange clinched at least a share of the Big East regular season title and the top seed at the Big East Tournament with their 95-77 win over Villanova, a game that unfolded in a similar fashion to their blowout of Georgetown last month. The Wildcats took the lead early by knocking down some deep three-pointers, as did the Hoyas. And just like Georgetown they continued to fire away instead of committing to working the ball into the gaps of the zone, and that's just what the Orange want their opponents to do. After making four of their first five three-pointers Villanova missed twelve of their next thirteen as the Orange took a 46-36 lead into the locker room. The catalysts for Syracuse's comeback: Scoop Jardine and Kris Joseph.

Both came off the bench ready to go and while the Syracuse reserves may not have the "strength in numbers" quality of other teams they make up for that lack of quantity with quality that few can match. For the game these two outscored Villanova's reserves 32-21 to supplement four starters reaching double figures. "The first half I thought Kris and Scoop were huge. They got us back into the game," said Coach Boeheim. "I've said all year long that those two guys are just like starters and they played just like starters (quote courtesy of Syracuse Athletics)." Add in the performances of Andy Rautins, Wes Johnson and Rick Jackson (can't forget Arinze Onuaku either) and Saturday night was just one more piece of evidence as to why Syracuse will be a one-seed come Selection Sunday and likely the top-ranked team come Monday.

2. New Mexico clinches a share of the Mountain West title with their seventh conference road win. The Mountain West's best road team got the job done again on Saturday, making big plays late to leave Provo with an 83-81 win over BYU. Dairese Gary led the way with 23 points while Darington Hobson scored 20 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and came up with the blocked shot of the year as far as their run to the conference title is concerned. Jimmer Fredette, considered to be right there with Hobson in terms of Mountain West Player of the Year, played just fifty-nine seconds in the second half due to a stomach virus and wasn't particularly effective in the first half either (six points). But by no means was this the reason for the Cougars' loss.

Michael Loyd Jr. (19 pts off the bench) and Tyler Haws (18 points) sparked the 12-1 early-second half run that turned an ten-point New Mexico lead into a 47-46 lead with 15:22 remaining. But in addition to these two getting going the Lobos obliged by not getting the ball inside and playing inside-out offensively, settling for contested perimeter jumpers that missed the mark. On the road attack the rim in some way, shape or form, and once Steve Alford's team got back to that they became more effective. Hobson and the oft-overlooked Roman Martinez (at least nationally) hit three pointers on consecutive possessions to take an 80-76 lead with 2:58 to go, and after Loyd Jr. tied the game with four straight points A.J. Hardeman scored on a crucial putback to give the Lobos the lead for good. Round three in Las Vegas? Definitely a possibility.

3. Charlotte and Rhode Island just two of many to squander opportunities. But is their fall costlier? The reason for the question: conference affiliation. Despite the caliber of play in the Atlantic 10 the fact is teams in higher-profile (read: BCS) leagues get more leeway for losing games against teams in the bottom half of the standings. Is this fair? No, but another fact is that those teams tend to have higher strength of schedule numbers due to the affiliation. That's why the 49ers (George Washington) and Rams (St. Bonaventure) dropping games on the road Saturday hurts a bit more than Florida losing at Georgia. Now both teams find themselves in the position of possibly having to win out as well as make a run in Atlantic City in two weeks if they're to be in the field of 65.

It also doesn't help when a team like Notre Dame, without Luke Harangody, can go on the road and win at Georgetown by double digits. Mississippi State avoided what would have been a damaging loss and won at South Carolina. Even Minnesota, who is still far off the at-large radar, bounced back from their loss to Purdue and won at Illinois. Are the Golden Gophers a viable option right now? Highly unlikely but who really knows what the selection committee is thinking? This is the kind of result that can erase a mediocre or bad loss and vault a team into consideration. In other words late-February and early-March is more about not giving the committee a reason to leave you out for bubble teams, especially if you're not in a BCS conference. Charlotte and Rhode Island may learn that the hard way if they don't round back into form soon.

Top Three Games

1. Marshall 121, UCF 115 (3OT) Chris Lutz led the Thundering Herd with 25 points while freshman big man Hassan Whiteside put up another triple-double (14 pts, 11 reb and 13 blocks) in Marshall's home win. Taylor Young led the Knights with 23 points while Isaac Sosa and Keith Clanton scored 20 apiece.

2. Maryland 104, Virginia Tech 100 (2OT) Delayed for a few hours due to water main breaks sparked by a beer truck hitting a fire hydrant, the Terps and Hokies still treated fans to a classic. Greivis Vasquez led all scorers with 41 points (seven rebounds and six assists as well) while Malcolm Delaney led Virginia Tech with 27 and Jeff Allen added 25 and 15 rebounds.

3. Morgan State 88, Norfolk State 87 (2OT) Troy Smith's layup with four seconds remaining gave the MEAC champs the win in Baltimore despite the Spartans receiving 23 points apiece from Michael Deloach and Kyle O'Quinn. Reggie Holmes led all scorers with 25 for the victors.

Three Notable Performances

1. G J.B. Conley (Texas State) In the Bobcats' 89-75 win over Northwestern State the junior, who now averages 8.4 points per game, went off for 42 points on 14-22 FG. He also grabbed seven rebounds and picked up three steals.

2. G Greivis Vasquez (Maryland) The senior made a major statement in the way of being named ACC Player of the Year, scoring 41 points while grabbing seven boards and handing out six assists in the Terps' 104-100 double-overtime win at Virginia Tech.

3. F Hassan Whiteside (Marshall) and F Adnan Hodzic (Lipscomb) Had to find room for both on this list. Whiteside posted his third triple-double of the season with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 13 blocks in a win over UCF. As for Hodzic, he likely sealed up Atlantic Sun Player of the Year with his 37 points and 17 boards in a win over Mercer.

Sunday's Big Games

Marquette at Seton Hall (Noon) The Golden Eagles look to be in good shape but the same can't be said for the Pirates. A win here would vault Bobby Gonzalez's team squarely into the conversation and may drop Marquette a rung.

Richmond at Xavier (1 PM) The winner grabs control of the Atlantic 10 race, and along with Temple these are the conference's three likely "shoo-ins" for the NCAA Tournament. A road win for the Spiders would be huge for their possible seeding while the Musketeers look to extend their run of dominance within the league.

Louisville at Connecticut (2 PM) The Huskies need to avenge their loss at Freedom Hall on Senior Day while a road win would more than likely punch Louisville's ticket to the NCAA Tournament. UConn has played well in their last three games and with Kemba Walker playing the best basketball of his career this is a team that could be getting hot at just the right time.

Michigan State at Purdue (4 PM) The Boilermakers play their first game without junior Robbie Hummel (torn right ACL) but they're still right in the middle of the race for the Big Ten title. The Spartans sit a game behind Purdue for first place and their veterans, most notably Raymar Morgan, need to raise their level of consistency in West Lafayette.

Non-BCS Top 25: Gonzaga, UNLV, Charlotte Drop

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 19:45:55 -0800

The Non-BCS Top 25 is a weekly follow-up to the popular CHN Top 50 ranking. Using the power-conference teams ranked in the CHN Top 50 as a base, an in-depth look at the world of "mid-major" basketball is pieced together. The Non-BCS Top 25 will be released early Monday morning following the Top 50..

Non-BCS Top 25: February 22nd (Week Fifteen)

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

Team Record Last T50

1 New Mexico 25-3 1 9

2 BYU 25-3 3 12

3 Butler 25-4 5 14

4 Temple 22-5 4 15

5 Gonzaga 22-5* 2 20

6 Northern Iowa 24-3 6 21

7 Richmond 22-6 8 24

8 UTEP 20-5 12 30

9 Cornell 23-4 9 31

10 Xavier 19-7 13 32

11 UNLV 20-7* 7 34

12 Rhode Island 20-6* 10 35

13 Saint Mary's 22-5 15 40

14 UAB 21-5 14 43

15 Utah St 22-6 21 44

16 Siena 22-6* 11 45

17 Dayton 18-8* 18 48

18 Old Dominion 21-8* 16 49

T50 = Ranking in CHN Weekly Top 50

* = Losses in the last week

Not in CHN Top 50

19 Murray St 26-3 19 *

20 San Diego St 20-7 25 *

21 Memphis 20-7 22 *

22 Wichita St 21-7* 20 *

23 Charlotte 18-8** 17 *

24 Louisiana Tech 21-6* 24 *

25 William & Mary 19-8* 23 *

Next 5: St Louis (18-8), Kent St (20-8), New Mexico St (17-9), Northeastern (18-10*), Marshall (20-7)

Further 5: Coastal Carolina (24-5), Oakland (22-8), Sam Houston St (19-6*), VCU (19-7), Illinois St (20-8)

Dropped Out of Top 25: none

Agree/Disagree? Post Your Thoughts Below! Check the archives for older Non-BCS Top 25 Rankings

College Hoops Wednesday Recap: Vanderbilt Wins in Knoxville

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:29:59 -0800

Before recapping Wedneday's happenings I just wanted to relay a very good idea from College Hoops Journal's Matt Norlander, who is also a contributor to Yahoo's "The Dagger" college basketball blog. In response to the SEC fining South Carolina $25,000 for their fans storming the floor following Tuesday's win over Kentucky, he suggested that the school donate the money to relief efforts in Haiti. I second this.

Despite going into their game at Tennessee with a nine-game win streak there were some who questioned just how good the Vanderbilt Commodores were and with good reason. Of those nine wins none were over RPI Top 50 (according to statsheet.com) teams and Florida was the highest-ranked victim (ranked 59th). And with just three of those wins coming over RPI Top 100 teams they needed a win on Wednesday night to further validate their season. And they did just that, beating the Volunteers 85-76 in Knoxville behind 25 points from point guard Jermaine Beal.

"Beal was special. Part of our success against Vanderbilt in the past was that we had got the better of him," remarked Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl after the game. "Everybody talks about A.J. Ogilvy, and whether he's a factor, but, in my mind, Beal has always been the guy that has made the team go" (quote courtesy of VUCommodores.com).

Vanderbilt finished with five players in double figures and shot 50.9% from the field, finishing with an efficiency rating of 118.1 (Tennessee opponents before Wednesday averaged an efficiency of 89.8). J.P. Prince led the Volunteers with 22 points on 9-for-10 shooting and Bobby Maze added 12 points and seven assists but they simply couldn't string together stops down the stretch. On a night that saw A.J. Ogilvy struggle with foul trouble and Jeffrey Taylor make just three of seven shots it was Beal who led the way for the Commodores.

Overall this is a veteran team that's now 5-0 in SEC play heading into their game at Kentucky on Saturday, a trait that should mean success as the season progresses. Can Vanderbilt be a second weekend team in the NCAA Tournament? It's definitely possible, and Wednesday's game provided one more reason (their offensive efficiency) why.

Three Key Happenings

1. UConn fails to show up for the second half at Providence. For those wondering when the letdown of not having head coach Jim Calhoun on the sidelines would come, you got a rather emphatic answer at the Dunkin' Donuts Center as Providence whipped the Huskies 81-66. Despite making 46.7% of their shots and leading by as many as ten points UConn went into the locker room at the half down by one (36-35) and it was all downhill from there. Jamine "Greedy" Peterson led the Friars with 23 points and 14 rebounds while PC also received further confirmation that Vincent Council is their point guard (allowing Sharaud Curry to do more off the ball) in the form of eight points, eight assists and seven rebounds. And that's coming from a guy who head coach Keno Davis said in last week's Big East teleconference that Council "has exceeded our expectations of being ready to contribute."

As for the Huskies, they made just 31.3% of their shots in the second half and Jerome Dyson followed up his 32-point showing in the win over Texas with a virtual disappearing act after a hot start to the game. He made just three of fourteen field goal attempts and the big three of Dyson, Stanley Robinson and Kemba Walker combined to make sixteen of their forty-two field goal attempts (38.1%). And when you lack any other scorers outside of Gavin Edwards (17 points off the bench) you're going to struggle when faced with a team boasting a variety of scoring options. Marshon Brooks and Duke Mondy combined to score nineteen points off the bench for the Friars and Bilal Dixon added 11 points and 12 rebounds inside. The overwhelming theme from Providence: despite Saturday's big win all isn't right with the Huskies and it takes more than one game to figure it out.

2. New Mexico picks up their fourth win over a ranked team this season. Darington Hobson gets the bulk of the attention when teams prepare to face Steve Alford's Lobos. But there was a different hero in New Mexico's 76-72 win over #10 BYU with Dairese Gary scoring a team-high 25 points. On Gary's performance, BYU head coach Dave Rose stated that "he was a great finisher, terrific free-throw shooter, and he was obviously a huge factor for them tonight" (quote courtesy of GoLobos.com). Both teams made 38.1% of their shots from the field, with the difference being New Mexico's plus-6 (47-41) rebounding margin and their plus-5 margin from the foul line (points).

Jimmer Fredette led the Cougars with 27 points and seven assists but made just eight of twenty-one field goal attempts, and Jonathan Tavernari scored seventeen off the bench. But when starters Chris Miles, Jackson Emery and Tyler Haws combine to shoot 6-for-21 (28.6%) from the field you're going to have trouble on the road. For the Lobos, Hobson had a brutal night from the field himself, making just one of eleven but he didn't allow his shooting to seep into other areas of his game. He grabbed a game-high fourteen rebounds and handed out four assists in the win but this was Gary's night. Now just a game behind BYU in the loss column, the Lobos picked up another win over a ranked team and put themselves back into the Mountain West title conversation.

3. Charlotte adds some intrigue to the Atlantic 10 race. Derrio Green led the 49ers to the 74-64 win over #15 Temple with 26 points and five assists, moving Charlotte into a tie for first place in the Atlantic 10 (with Temple). The Owls attempted more than half of their field goals from behind the arc, and while scoring 33 points from distance (11-for-35) isn't terrible when you shoot just 38.7% (12-for-31) from inside the arc that combination can get you into trouble. Charlotte did a better job of finding decent looks, finishing the game with an offensive efficiency of 112.1 to Temple's 97.0 (courtesy of statsheet.com).

Temple grabbed seventeen offensive rebounds yet finished just a plus-2 (40-38) in rebounding margin and with Juan Fernandez hitting just one field goal on five shot attempts, Fran Dunphy's team was going to have a tough time getting out of Halton Arena with a win (they shot 25% from three in the second half as well). The 49ers were rewarded for their refusal to settle for perimeter shots, attempting thirty-one free throws to the Owls' eleven and outscoring Temple by seventeen (24-7) from the charity stripe. Almost a forgotten entity nationally in regards to at-large hopes for the likes of Dayton, Rhode Island, Temple and Xavier, the 49ers are a serious challenger in the A-10. At the least they should be considered an at-large possibility over the Flyers right now.

Top Three Games

1. New Mexico 76, BYU 72 See above.

2. Colgate 69, Holy Cross 68 A Yaw Gyawu jumper with 2.9 seconds remaining gave the Raiders the one-point win in Hamilton. Gyawu (17 points) and Kyle Roemer (18 points) led the way as Colgate ended their four-game losing streak. Mike Cavataio led the Crusaders with 12 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.

3. Memphis 75, Marshall 72 A pair of Roburt Sallie free throws with 6.2 seconds remaining sealed the Tigers' victory at Marshall. Shaquille Thomas had the chance to give the Thundering Herd the lead but missed a pair of free throws, setting up Sallie. Elliot Williams led the Tigers with 24 points while freshman Hassan Whiteside paced Marshall with 22 points, eight rebounds and seven blocks.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Tommy Mason-Griffin (Oklahoma) The freshman went off on Wednesday night, scoring 38 points and dishing out six assists in the Sooners' 89-84 win over Iowa State.

2. F Jamine "Greedy" Peterson (Providence) If you haven't seen Greedy play this season this man is a highlight waiting to happen. In the Friars' 81-66 win over Connecticut Peterson scored 23 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.

3. F Hassan Whiteside (Marshall) This freshman hasn't received the level of attention that some others have received when it comes to possible first round picks. Whiteside scored 22 points while adding eight rebounds and seven blocks in the Thundering Herd's 75-72 loss to Memphis.

19	Murray St	26-3	19	*
20	San Diego St	20-7	25	*
21	Memphis	20-7	22	*
22	Wichita St	21-7*	20	*
23	Charlotte	18-8**	17	*
24	Louisiana Tech	21-6*	24	*
25	William & Mary	19-8*	23	*