Clemson

Jon Teitel's "Forgotten Legends": Clemson guard Terrell McIntyre

Jon Teitel — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 19:24:30 -0700

In the most recent installment in his "Forgotten Legends" interview series, CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with former Clemson point guard Terrell McIntyre. McIntyre, who had to retire professionally due to arthritis in his hip, ranks as one of the best players in school history. McIntyre is still the school's all-time leader in made three-pointers, and he ranks in the top three in scoring (2nd), assists (3rd) and steals (2nd) as well.

Jon Teitel: You played for Rick Barnes at Clemson. What made him such a great coach, and what was the most important thing you learned from him?

Terrell McIntyre: He understood his players and demanded a lot from us. He treated everyone the same, which is rare. I learned the definition of hard work from him because that is what he preached.

JT: What are your memories of the 1996 NCAA tournament (McIntyre scored ten points in a seven-point loss to Georgia)?

TM: It was a long time ago but I remember that we were just happy to be there. We kind of lost our focus that we actually had a game to play.

1997 NCAA tournament

JT: You scored ten points in a ten-point win over Miami (OH). What did you learn from the loss in 1996 that helped you succeed in 1997?

TM: We learned to go in focused and ready to play and we felt confident that we could go far that year.

JT: You scored 17 points in a six-point, double-overtime loss to Minnesota (Tony Christie made a finger roll at the end of regulation, but Bobby Jackson had a career-high 36 points in 49 minutes). How devastating was that loss, and where does Jackson's performance rank among the best you have ever seen?

TM: In college Jackson was one of the best I ever played against. He just willed his team to a win even after we took the lead in the second overtime. Even with Jackson's performance we still could have won if we had just held his teammate Sam Jacobson under 20, but he also had a big game and scored 29 points.

JT: In January 1998 you missed a shot at the end of a one-point loss at Duke, lost to them by four at home that February and then William Avery scored in the final second of a two-point Duke win in the ACC semifinals in March. Did Duke just have your number that winter, and do you think that you should have won some or all of those games?

TM: We felt that we should have won the ACC tournamet game and also had a good chance at home but they just had our number.

JT: What are your memories of the 1998 NCAA tournament (McIntyre finished with ten points and four steals in a three-point loss to Western Michigan)?

TM: I was injured for most of that year and never got in a good rhythm, so I barely got to practice. It did not get a lot of attention but we also had a lot of off-the-court problems that affected our play.

JT: In 1999 you led the ACC with 17.9 points per game. What is your secret for being a great scorer?

TM: I could always score the ball from the point guard position. My high school coach said that I would have to put up big numbers to get noticed due to my small size.

1999 Postseason NIT

JT: You scored 20 points in a three-point win over Xavier after Lenny Brown's three-pointer at the buzzer bounced off the rim. Did you think that Brown's shot was going in, and what was the mood of the team like going into the title game?

TM: The shot had a chance to go in, but we were up by 20 during that game and we should have never let them back into it. We were confident going into the championship game.

JT: You scored 17 points in a one-point loss to California (Geno Carlisle's three-point play with five seconds left won the game). What was the feeling like in your locker room afterwards, and what was the reaction like when you got back to campus?

TM: Carlisle made a tough "and-1" to win it. Our fans were always great and greeted us and treated us well even though we did not make the NCAA tournament.

JT: You won the Italian Championship with Montepaschi Siena for four straight seasons and were named Italian League Finals MVP in three straight title series. Did you consider yourself to be the best point guard in Europe, and do they treat you like a rock star over there?

TM: During that stretch I felt that way. I do not like talking about myself but to have the impact we did in Europe made me feel like the best American point guard over there.

JT: You were named first team All-Euroleague in both 2008 and 2009. What is the biggest difference between college basketball and European basketball?

TM: European ball is similar but more physical. The bigger guys are better shooters and everyone in a ten-man rotation can play. The crowds are unbelievable. They treat every game like Game 7 of the Finals and if you lose it is also a big deal.

McIntyre is also on Jon's list of best fantasy players in ACC history.

Boston College: Troy Bell (2003) 2632 PTS (#1), 272 STL (#2), 300 3PM (#1), 86.8 FT% (#1), 2-time All-American, 2-time conference POY
Clemson: Terrell McIntyre (1999) 1839 PTS (#2), 577 AST (#3), 194 STL (#2), 259 3PM (#1)
Duke: Christian Laettner (1992) 2460 PTS (#2), 1149 REB (#2), 243 STL (#5), 145 BLK (#5), 48.5 3P% (#1), 3-time All-American, conference POY, national POY, NCAA MOP
Florida State: Bob Sura (1995) 2130 PTS (#1), 435 AST (#5), 209 STL (#3), 214 3PM (#2), 2-time All-American
Georgia Tech: Mark Price (1986) 2193 PTS (#3), 240 STL (#1), 44 3P% (#1), 85 FT% (#1), 3-time All-American
Maryland: Juan Dixon (2002) 2269 PTS (#1), 333 STL (#2), 239 3PM (#1), 85 FT% (#3), 2-time All-American, conference POY, NCAA MOP
Miami (FL): Rick Barry (1965) 2298 PTS (#1), 1274 REB (#1), All-American
North Carolina: Tyler Hansbrough (2009) 2872 PTS (#1), 1219 REB (#1), 4-time All-American, conference POY, national POY
NC State: David Thompson (1975) 2309 PTS (#2), 3-time All-American, 3-time conference POY, 2-time national POY, NCAA MOP
Virginia: Ralph Sampson (1983) 2228 PTS (#4), 1511 REB (#1), 462 BLK (#1), 4-time All-American, 3-time conference POY, 3-time national POY, NIT MVP, HOF
Virginia Tech: Dell Curry (1986) 2389 PTS (#2), 407 AST (#5), 295 STL (#1), All-American, conference POY
Wake Forest: Dickie Hemric (1955) 2587 PTS (#1), 1802 REB (#1), 2-time All-American, 2-time conference POY

Thursday First Round Predictions: ACC, Big Ten, SEC

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

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

ACC FIRST ROUND: AT ATLANTA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BIG TEN FIRST ROUND: AT INDIANAPOLIS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEC FIRST ROUND: AT NEW ORLEANS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Road win

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

Wright's Buzzer-Beater Propels George Mason: Tuesday's Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:05:09 -0800

With 1:22 remaining VCU and George Mason were tied at 51 in a hotly-contested, defensive-minded affair. There were no easy shots to be found in the matchup of two of the three teams that entered Tuesday's action tied for first in the CAA. That's where the real fun began, with the Rams and Patriots combining to score 21 points in that final 1:22 to cap an outstanding matchup. The difference wasn't so much what one team did wrong but rather what one did right. Sherrod Wright.

Wright's 25-footer as time expired gave the Patriots the 62-61 win, moving them to 14-2 in the CAA and keeping them tied for first place with Drexel. A Bradford Burgess three with 1:20 remaining kicked off the scoring and a pair of Briante Weber free throws with 43 seconds remaining gave VCU a 56-51 lead. George Mason would respond with a Ryan Pearson three, and at that stage it was about extending the game for Paul Hewitt's team. There was one small issue, however: VCU took care of business from the foul line.

Shaka Smart's Rams would make seven of eight free throws in the final 43 seconds, and after two more Weber free throws made the score 60-56 with just over 11 seconds to go it was clear that the Patriots would need a three. Enter Vertail Vaughns, whose bonus shot cut the lead to one just seconds later, and the margin would grow to two with 3.8 seconds to go. 94 feet to go for George Mason, a distance covered by Wright's dribbling up the floor and game-winner.

"I'm sure we can watch the tape and nitpick and say 'well we should have pressured the ball a little bit more or we should have cotested a little bit more,'" said Smart. "But the reality is that Sherrod Wright made a phenomenal shot and he's a very good player.

Within the game it was Pearson who separated himself from the pack, finishing with 24 points and 11 rebounds as VCU struggled with finding a way in which to slow him down. The issue for George Mason was the foul trouble that Mike Morrison encountered, severely limiting his impact on the game. Burgess and Troy Daniels scored 13 apiece to lead VCU, who also had a big man struggle albeit in a different way. Juvonte Reddic shot 1-for-8 from the field and scored four points, and on a night that saw Morrison struggle for Mason a better performance from the sophomore big man would have helped.

With two conference games left there's still a lot to be decided in the CAA race, and the fact that VCU gets a rematch on their floor to end the regular season will help the Rams when it comes to possibly winning a share (at least) of the title. And if that matchup on February 25th is anything like Round One, college basketball fans should consider themselves lucky.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Hank Thorns burns his hometown school and leads TCU past #11 UNLV.
There were more than a few people who may have expected Wednesday's game between New Mexico and San Diego State to be a battle for a share of first place in the Mountain West, with it being a mere formality that UNLV would win at TCU. But the Horned Frogs had other ideas, specifically point guard and Las Vegas native Hank Thorns, as they beat the Runnin' Rebels 102-97 in a wild overtime affair. TCU had chance to win the game in regulation but an extra pass on the fast break (the proper basketball play in most instances) prevented the Frogs from getting their shot off in time. However that wouldn't stop TCU from completing their comeback from an 18-point second half deficit, and just as important as Thorns' scoring was TCU's work on the glass.

TCU out-rebounded UNLV 46-31 and their 19 offensive rebounds were a season high for a UNLV opponent. TCU only scored 19 second-chance points but that was more than enough when compared to UNLV's eight. J.R. Cadot (five offensive boards; 16 points and 12 rebounds) and Amric Fields (four offensive boards; 17 points and seven rebounds) were a problem for UNLV in that regard, and those second chances can add up over the course of a game. With the race at the top of the Mountain West being as tight as it is losses to teams outside of the top three could prove costly in the end. This makes Saturday's game at New Mexico even more important for Dave Rice's bunch.

2. Cleveland State continues their trend in the wrong direction as they fall at Milwaukee.
Just over a week ago Gary Waters' Vikings looked to be on their way to at the least a top two seed in the Horizon League tournament, which would advance them directly to the semifinals. But Cleveland State has now dropped three in a row to fall to 10-5 in league play, most recently losing 86-84 at Milwaukee on Tuesday night. As a result both Butler and Detroit trail Cleveland State by just a game in the loss column, meaning that the Vikings need to get things turned around quickly with three league games remaining. CSU played well offensively against the Panthers, shooting 60.9% from the field and 47.1% from three. But they were outscored by 15 points from three (39-24) and 13 from the foul line (33-20), which allowed Milwaukee to make up for their 7-for-17 night from inside of the arc. Tony Meier was fouled on a three-pointer with just over a second remaining and the score tied at 84, and he made two of three to provide the final margin. James Haarsma scored 25 to lead the victors and Trevon Harmon led Cleveland State with 27.

3. Both #22 Virginia and #23 Mississippi State fall on the road.
Neither Clemson nor LSU are likely to reach the NCAA tournament given their current records, but that doesn't mean they can't make things difficult for other teams within their respective conferences. Clemson was able to pull away from #22 Virginia in the second half, outscoring the Cavaliers 36-24 on their way to a 60-48 victory. The problem for Virginia was that they had just two scorers, as Jontel Evans (17 points) and Mike Scott (13) led the way. Joe Harris, who broke a bone in his non-shooting hand in Saturday's loss at North Carolina, scored just two points on 1-for-5 shooting and Sammy Zeglinski shot the same in scoring three. Those two will need to be better down the stretch if Tony Bennett's team is to go into postseason play with any kind of momentum.

As for LSU, Anthony Hickey's shot in the final seconds of overtime propelled them to a 69-67 win over Mississippi State in Baton Rouge. Ralston Turner led four Tigers in double figures with 17 points and Storm Warren added ten points and 11 rebounds off the bench, and LSU made up for a 43-32 rebounding disadvantage by racking up 15 steals and forcing 21 Mississippi State turnovers. Dee Bost led four Mississippi State players in double figures with 15 points but he (five turnovers) and Arnett Moultrie (six) combined for 11 of the 21 turnovers, a number that's too high to get away with especially on the road.

Quick Hitters

1. Anthony Raffa scored 20 points, leading four Coastal Carolina players in double figures as the Chanticleers beat UNC Asheville 74-69. The Bulldogs have already clinched the regular season title in the Big South but both CCU and Campbell are capable of knocking them off. While Matt Dickey (19 points) shot 6-for-12 from the field backcourt mates J.P. Primm (12 points) and Chris Stephenson (four points) shot a combined 7-for-26 on the night.

2. The battle behind Akron in the East Division of the MAC has been magnified in importance due to the league's move to seed one through twelve without regard to divisions. And with the top two seeds getting byes to the semifinals of the conference tournament it was critical that Kent State beat Buffalo, and they did by the final of 76-71. Justin Green led the Golden Flashes with 18 points and Micheal Porrini scored 14 in the second half, pulling Kent State into a tie with Buffalo for second place at 9-3.

3. Not only could Manhattan's chances of winning the MAAC be slipping away, but their hopes in the conference tournament may have taken a hit as well in their 70-64 loss at Siena. Starting point guard Michael Alvarado went down with an injury in the first half, one that head coach Steve Masiello stated could be a concussion and possible fracture of his eye socket according to Big Apple Buckets. To say that would be a big loss for the Jaspers would be accurate if he's out for an extended period.

4. Creighton ended their three-game losing streak with the greatest offensive performance in school history, shooting 75% in their 88-69 win at Southern Illinois. Doug McDermott led four starters in double figures with 18 points and Ethan Wragge added 15 off the bench for the Bluejays, who host Long Beach State on Saturday. As for the Salukis, this is just another sign of just how far things have fallen in Carbondale.

5. Part of the battle in getting to the NCAA tournament is making sure you don't lose the game you're supposed to win, so in that regard the wins by Texas (69-58 at Oklahoma) and Seton Hall (94-64 over St. John's) should be noted. While the focus centers on "marquee wins" when discussing resumes, the more teams can do to make sure they don't have "bad losses" the better.

6. Jared Sullnger and William Buford both bounced back from tough evenings in #6 Ohio State's loss to Michigan State to lead the Buckeyes past Minnesota by the final score of 78-68. Buford scored a game-high 24 points to go along with eight rebounds and five assists, and Sullinger finished with 23 and eight caroms.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Jake Odum (Indiana State)
34 points (8-12 FG, 17-21 FT), seven rebounds and seven assists in the Sycamores' 83-77 overtime win over Illinois State.

2. G Hank Thorns (TCU)
32 points (8-12 3PT), five rebounds and four assists in the Horned Frogs' 102-97 overtime win over #11 UNLV.

3. F Robert Covington (Tennessee State)
28 points and 12 rebounds in the Tigers' 69-64 overtime win over Jacksonville State.

#1 Kentucky vs. #7 Florida: Tuesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:27:21 -0800

While there's little doubt at this point in the season as to who many believe to be the best team in the country as top-ranked Kentucky (23-1, 9-0) is the unanimous selection in both major polls, some doubt can be added to the SEC race should #7 Florida (19-4, 7-1) win in Lexington on Tuesday night.

These are the two best teams in the SEC in both the standings and from a talent standpoint, which should make for a fun contest. This is Florida's third shot at a team ranked in the Top 5 of the polls this season, with the prior two contests both being losses on the road (Ohio State and Syracuse).

The Gators rely heavily on a perimeter attack led by a pair of veterans in senior Erving Walker (12.6 ppg, 5.1 apg, 2.9 rpg) and junior Kenny Boynton (17.6 ppg, 2.8 apg, 2.4 rpg). But while these two tend to take the majority of the shots, Florida's best option when it comes to sustained success in March could be the play of freshman Bradley Beal (14.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg).

The McDonald's All-American can do just about anything on the floor that head coach Billy Donovan asks of him, with the issue at this stage him not being as assertive on the offensive end as many would hope. But Beal's improved in this area as well, and with his skill set could be the Gators' best bet for a huge bucket as the games become even more important.

Kentucky's no slouch on the perimeter either as they feature a nice mix of youth and experience at the two positions. Doron Lamb (13.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg) and Darius Miller (10.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.2 apg) are the experienced members of the trio, with Lamb second on the team in scoring and Miller being one of the first reserves off the bench thanks to his ability as a defender.

Running the show is freshman Marquis Teague (9.6 ppg, 4.3 apg), and as with any team handing over the reins to a newcomer it can be a roller coaster with the Indianapolis native within the course of a game. But to be fair he does boast the best assist-to-turnover ratio of the three, who according to head coach John Calipari also need to chip in a bit more on the glass.

To be fair the Wildcat guards fall into the trap of watching one of the nation's best front courts go to work instead of following up with the effort needed to get that done. And with the trio of Anthony Davis (13.9 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 4.8 bpg), Terrence Jones (12.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (12.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg) there it's easy to take for granted the effort needed to be a good defensive team. Davis is a departure from the stereotypical shot blocker that tends to lead the nation in the category as he's more than capable of defending on the perimeter as well.

This could prove beneficial in a matchup with Florida's Erik Murphy (10.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg), as Murphy is more comfortable on the perimeter than he is banging inside. That task is left to Patric Young (10.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg) and Will Yeguete, with the former being a possible matchup issue for the slender UK big men...provided Florida get Young enough touches inside. Davis and Kidd-Gilchrist are two big reasons why Kentucky is the best in the SEC in both field goal and three-point percentage defense, and Florida will need to limit their impact (on both ends of the floor) if they're to entertain any thoughts of winning at Rupp Arena.

Purdue visits Ohio State in a game that's important for both teams, albeit for different reasons. Thad Matta's Buckeyes are looking to remain on top of the Big Ten standings while the Boilermakers are looking to both improve their resume and bounce back from a disappointing loss to rival Indiana on Saturday night. Point guard play will be critical for both teams, but how the Boilers go about defending Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas inside will determine whether or not the game is close late.

Iowa State and Oklahoma State are both in position to play their way into an NCAA bid, making the battle between the two in Stillwater all the more impotant. Royce White has led the way for the Cyclones from the point, and having a 6'9" forward capable of doing so can prove problematice for Iowa State's opponents. And Maryland visits Clemson with both teams in dire need of a victory to keep alive tournament hopes that may be slipping away. Sophomore guard Terrell Stoglin could be the ACC's best scorer but he and the rest of the Terrapins need to be more active defensively if they're to go dancing.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM (7) Florida at (1) Kentucky (ESPN)
9:00 PM Purdue at (3) Ohio State (ESPN)
8:05 PM (15) Creighton at Evansville

NCAA Division I Games
6:00 PM Mid-Continent College at Eastern Kentucky
7:00 PM Iowa State at Oklahoma State (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Maryland at Clemson (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Campbell at Coastal Carolina
7:00 PM Hartford at UMBC
8:00 PM Providence at Villanova (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Texas Tech at Kansas State (ESPN3)
8:05 PM IPFW at Chicago State
9:00 PM Alabama at Auburn (ESPNU)
10:05 PM Seattle at Idaho

Tuesday Recap: Spartans Lose Green and the Game

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:18:12 -0800

Tuesday's night matchup between #9 Michigan State and Illinois wasn't a pretty affair, as neither team could establish much of a rhythm on the offensive end of the floor. Whether it was due to good defense or just an inability to make shots on a consistent basis, neither the Spartans nor the Fighting Illini had much succes on that end of the floor. But when it's all said and done what matters is the result, which was a 42-41 Illinois victory as Brandon Paul made two free throws with 45 seconds remaining.

Paul finished with a game-high 18 points, and while he didn't shoot well from the field (6-for-17) the junior guard would be the closest thing to "scalding hot" that this contest would deliver. Freshman forward Branden Dawson led the way for Michigan State with 12 points and 13 rebounds, but their biggest loss came late in the second half as senior forward (and team leader) Draymond Green went down with a knee injury. There's been no word on the severity of the injury (that will likely come sometime on Wednesday), but a loss that simply prevented the Spartans from moving into a first-place tie in the Big Ten could become a lot more painful if he's ruled out for an extended period.

Before the injury Green's night was a microcosm of the contest as a whole, as frustration led to a poor performance highlighted by a technical foul that was also his third personal in the first half. Green finished with five points (1-6 FG), eight rebounds and five turnovers while Keith Appling wasn't much better with four points (1-11 FG), two assists and five turnovers. Even with Illinois struggling as they were offensively and Michigan State grabbing 23 offensive rebounds, it's extremely difficult to win anywhere (much less on the road) when your two best players have poor nights.

"I didn't think we handled adversity very well at all," remarked Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo after the game. "My two best players had their worst games." (quote credit: Associated Press)

Illinois now has two wins over teams ranked in the Top 10 this season as they beat Ohio State in Champaign on January 10th, but while that's a good stat to claim it also has to make one wonder why the Illini can't carry their play over. Following that win the Illini dropped three straight, including road losses at Penn State and Minnesota. Bruce Weber's team is clearly talented enough to beat many teams both within the Big Ten and nationally, yet for some reason this group doesn't seem to deal well with prosperity.

Next up is Northwestern at home before trips to Indiana and Michigan, and while Tuesday's win showed that Illinois can gut out a victory on a night where things aren't going their way more will be learned about this group based on how they navigate this stretch of games.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Jae Crowder leads Marquette past Seton Hall, handing the Pirates their fifth straight loss.
Remember when Seton Hall was one of the country's biggest turnaround stories and looked poised to earn their first NCAA tournament berth since 2006? Well, the Pirates dropped their fifth straight game on Tuesday night and look more likely to end up in the NIT at this point. With Davante Gardner sidelined due to a sprained knee #18 Marquette did what they've tended to do during Buzz Williams' tenure in Milwaukee, and that's find a way to win tough ball games. Jae Crowder led the Golden Eagles to the 66-59 win with 20 points and 12 rebounds while Vander Blue (16 points, eight rebounds) and Darius Johnson-Odom (14 points, seven assists, five rebounds) also scored in double figures.

One of the major issues for Kevin Willard's team during this skid has been the productivity of senior point guard Jordan Theodore. Theodore shot 3-for-14 from the field last night, scoring seven points while dishing out seven assists. On a team that lacks consistent scoring punch behind he, Herb Pope (16 points, seven rebounds) and Fuquan Edwin (13 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals), Theodore can ill-afford to have nights like that. Theodore's shot 26.7% from the field in Seton Hall's last five games and while it would be unfair to place the losing streak on his shoulders alone, Seton Hall needs their senior leader to step up and soon. Their NCAA hopes may very well depend on how quickly he can get going.

2. Royce White's jumper with less than two seconds remaining caps Iowa State's comeback win.
With 14:27 remaining Kansas State led 53-39 and had the look of a team that was well on its way to a good win at Iowa State. But whether it was "Hilton Magic" or the fact that the Wildcats simply failed to execute down the stretch, it was the Cyclones who emerged victorious as Royce White scored the winning points in the 72-70 result. White (22 points, eight rebounds) was able to use a ball screen to work his way to the right side of the lane, and an up fake gave the Minnesota transfer enough room to get off a clean look that fell with 1.8 seconds remaining. Thomas Gipson led four K-State players in double figures with 13 points but that wasn't enough as the Wildcats fell despite shooting 58.3% from beyond the arc and grabbing 12 offensive rebounds.

Offensive rebounding was essentially the difference in the first half as Kansas State grabbed seven, converting them into nine second-chance points. Iowa State did a better job of keeping the Wildcats off the glass in the second half, limiting the Wildcats to five offensive boards while grabbing eight of their own. There were questions as to how Fred Hoiberg's team would bond given the fact that so many were transfers but these last two games are evidence that the Cyclones have established good chemistry, and they'll be a factor in the Big 12 the rest of the way.

3. Arkansas moves to 16-0 at home with an 82-74 win over Vanderbilt.
Mike Anderson's Razorbacks didn't shoot the ball well in the first half, making just 37.5% of their shots from the field. But the fact that they trailed #25 Vanderbilt by just two points (34-32) at the break had to have been an encouraging sign for the Hogs, whose problem was making shots as opposed to finding the looks they wanted. That changed in the second half as Arkansas scored 50 points, shooting 55.2% from the field, on their way to the 82-74 win. Rickey Scott led five Arkansas players in double figures with 18 points and Julysses Nobles added 17 for a team that's now 16-0 at Bud Walton Arena. John Jenkins (19 points, five rebounds) and Jeffery Taylor (18 and six rebounds) led the way for the Commodores, who did themselves no favors by shooting 6-for-21 from three.

So the question regarding Arkansas at this point has to be what are their chances of getting to the Big Dance. But with an overall record of 16-6 it's pretty clear that the focus at this point has to be winning some key games away from Fayetteville. NCAA tournament games are played on neutral floors but a team's success away from home is usually one of the factors that the selection committee values when filling out the field. That's what makes their games at LSU and Georgia that much more important despite the caliber of those teams (Arkansas doesn't have a quality road win opportunity left on their schedule outside of a trip to Mississippi State). If Mike Anderson's young team can take care of business away from home they can exceed the preseason expectations, but at the least their win on Tuesday is a good result to take to Baton Rouge.

Quick Hitters

1. Wisconsin didn't get off to the best of starts at Penn State, shooting 26.9% from the field and trailing 23-17 at the half. But Jordan Taylor (18 points, five assists) and company were able to rebound in the final 20 minutes, winning 52-46. The Badgers, who host Ohio State on Saturday, have won six straight games after starting Big Ten play 1-3.

2. Clemson fought hard despite the absence of forward Milton Jennings (academic suspension) but they fell just short in losing 65-61 at Virginia. The Cavaliers shot 63.2% from the field in the second half (efficiency: 140.3) and Mike Scott led the way with 23 points and ten rebounds.

3. Top-ranked Kentucky did allow 13 offensive rebounds in their 69-44 win over Tennessee, but that shouldn't overshadow how good the Wildcats were defensively. Tennessee shot just 28.1% from the field and 9-for-39 on two-point shots (23%). Having the likes of Anthony Davis (18 points, eight rebounds and seven blocks), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (16 points, eight rebounds) and Terrence Jones (11 points, six rebounds) up front will have that kind of effect on teams.

4. North Carolina didn't play particularly well in Winston-Salem but they still beat Wake Forest 68-53. Is that a sign of how talented the Tar Heels are, or is it a sign of just how far Jeff Bzdelik's program has to go before they can be a consistently competitive team in the ACC? It's unfortunate for the Demon Deacons because in guard C.J. Harris they've got one of the better players in the league (Travis McKie can also play but he was kept in check by UNC), but due to their struggles he doesn't always receive the credit that he should.

5. New Mexico had no trouble with Air Force as they jumped out to a 40-19 halftime lead on their way to an 81-42 win in Colorado Springs. The Falcons, who took UNLV to overtime on Saturday night, had no such fortune against the Lobos as they shot 25.9% in the first half and 29.4% for the game. Drew Gordon and Kendall Williams scored 13 apiece to lead UNM, and two other Lobos finished with 11.

6. Washington State received the news many feared when guard Faisal Aden went down late in the first half of their loss at Arizona on Thursday night, with his season coming to an end due to a torn ACL. Aden averaged 14.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game for the Cougars, who will now likely give even more opportunities on the offensive end to freshman DaVonte Lacy.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Markel Brown (Oklahoma State)
Brown led the Cowboys to an 80-63 win over Texas Tech by scoring 30 points and grabbing seven rebounds.

2. G Kendrick Perry (Youngstown State)
Scored 30 points and dished out four assists in the Penguins' 73-65 win at Milwaukee.

3. F Tyler Zeller (North Carolina)
18 points, 18 rebounds and three blocked shots in North Carolina's 68-53 win at Wake Forest.

Illinois vs. #10 Michigan State: Tuesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:27:38 -0800

One of the season's bigger mysteries in the Big Ten has been figuring out which Illinois (15-6, 4-4) team would show up on any given night. A big reason for that is their inconsistent nature on the offensive end of the floor, as the Illini go through bouts with poor shot selection that's gotten them in trouble at times. Despite being at home they can ill-afford to go through such issues against #10 Michigan State (17-4, 6-2), who looks every bit the Big Ten title contender few expected them to be back in October.

Tom Izzo's team could be short-handed however as freshman guard Travis Trice is dealing with a groin injury and was deemed questionable on Monday. Not having him would limit the Spartans' backcourt depth but the progression of guards Keith Appling and Brandon Wood have played a major role in Michigan State's growth as a team. Appling (12.3 ppg, 4.0 apg) has done a better job of taking care of the basketball while also being the team's second-leading scorer, and Wood (9.2 ppg, 2.3 apg) has improved as well.

Illinois' perimeter rotation is in for a challenge, especially juniors Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson. Paul (14.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg) leads the team in scoring and does have that scintillating 43-point performance against Ohio State to his credit, but the efficiency numbers tend to show that him firing away at will is a bad thing for the Illini more times than not. Richardson's been inconsistent of late as he's reached double figures in just two of Illinois' last six games (33.3% FG in those games). That can't happen against a Michigan State defense that's allowing opponents to shoot 38% from the field, a number that ranks second in the Big Ten.

Also of note for Illinois are senior point guard Sam Maniscalco and freshman Joseph Bertrand, with Maniscalco recently returning from an ankle injury (still not 100%) and Bertrand averaging 8.8 points per game since his 25-point outing against Nebraska on January 7th. The play in the paint will be just as important, with Michigan State being led by one of the frontrunners for Big Ten Player of the Year and Illinois calling on a seven-footer who's likely the league's most improved player. Draymond Green (15.3 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 3.7 apg) does just about everything for the Spartans, and his comfort both inside and out makes him a very tough matchup.

Meyers Leonard (13.4 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.0 bpg) has stepped up for Bruce Weber's team, giving them a more consistent option inside than their two departed seniors did last season. But he's got to become more assertive on the offensive end of the floor, as this could end up helping the Illini avoid some of the bad perimeter shots they take. Michigan State's deeper inside as they can call on Adriean Payne, Derrick Nix and Branden Dawson, and it isn't out of the realm of possibility that multiple players are given the responsibility of guarding Leonard.

Those big men for Michigan State are one reason why they're so good on the glass, out-rebounding their opponents by 9.5 rebounds per game and boasting an offensive rebounding percentage of 38.8%. Illinois has done a good job of taking care of their defensive glass and they'll need to continue that in front of the home folks if they're to win. But shot selection, especially for Paul and Appling, will go a long way in determining the outcome as well.

Also of note is Seton Hall's trip to Milwaukee, where the slumping Pirates will look to boost their profile and pick up a much-needed win against #18 Marquette. There weren't many people outside of the Marquette fan base who thought that Buzz Williams' team would be 7-2 at the halfway point in the Big East, especially with the loss of center Chris Otule, but the Golden Eagles have stepped up.

Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder have been the two biggest reasons but the play of forward Davante Gardner has been just as important. Seton Hall needs seniors Jordan Theodore and Herb Pope to get back to playing as they did earlier this month, and their NCAA hopes could hinge on how quickly that turnaround occurs.

Kansas State's trip to Ames has become a little more important for the Wildcats due to their loss to Oklahoma over the weekend, and while Iowa State is coming off of a win over Kansas Fred Hoiberg's team can use all the quality wins they can get. Royce White has been one of the best players in the Big 12 this season, and slowing him down will be a tough task for a K-State team whose front court players outside of Jamar Samuels are far more comfortable in the paint.

Can Will Spradling and Rodney McGruder perform well enough to push Kansas State to a win on the road? Clemson, who will be without Milton Jennings due to suspension (unresolved academic issue), visits Virginia and Vanderbilt visits Arkansas in two other intriguing match ups. And in the nightcap New Mexico had better be careful at Air Force as the Falcons nearly knocked off UNLV in overtime on Saturday.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM Tennessee at (1) Kentucky (ESPNU)
9:00 PM (6) North Carolina at Wake Forest (ESPNU)
7:00 PM (10) Michigan State at Illinois (ESPN)
8:00 PM Seton Hall at (15) Marquette (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Clemson at (18) Virginia (ESPN2)
8:00 PM (20) Wisconsin at Penn State (BTN)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Trinity Baptist at Savannah State
7:07 PM Kent State at Central Michigan (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Youngstown State at Milwaukee
8:00 PM Southern Illinois at Northern Iowa (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Oklahoma State at Texas Tech (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Vanderbilt at Arkansas (ESPN)
9:00 PM Kansas State at Iowa State (ESPN3)
10:00 PM New Mexico at Air Force (The Mtn.)

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.

Clemson vs #8 Duke: Prediction & Poll

Greg Mengelt — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 12:37:28 -0800

NO. 8 DUKE (14-2, 2-0 ACC)

CLEMSON (9-7, 1-1 ACC)

Time/TV: 6 p.m./ESPNU

Location: Littlejohn Coliseum

RPI Ratings: Duke 2 (No. 1 ACC); Clemson 163 (No. 11 ACC).

Duke Players to Watch: F Mason Plumlee, 6-10 Jr. (11.7 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 63% FG); G Seth Curry, 6-2 Jr. (12.8 ppg, 2.8 apg, 41.4% 3s); G Quinn Cook, 6-0 Fr. (5.3 ppg, 2.3 apg, 44.8% FG). Cook, who had 10 points and five assists in Duke’s 81-74 victory over Georgia Tech, may be the Blue Devils’ best passer and has supplanted Tyler Thornton in the starting lineup.

Clemson Players to Watch: F Devin Booker, 6-8 Jr. (10.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 48.9% FG); G Andre Young, 5-9 Sr. (13.1 ppg, 3.4 apg, 1.8 spg); G Tanner Smith, 6-5 Sr. (10.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.1 apg). Young went over 1,000 points for his career with 18 points in the Tigers’ 20-point win over Florida State. He has 201 career 3-pointers, making him the sixth Clemson player to go over 200 for his career. Young is also shooting over 90 percent from the charity stripe.

Storylines: With ACC wins over Georgia Tech and Virginia, Duke is tied with rival North Carolina atop the league standings at 2-0. Clemson opened ACC play with a 79-59 trouncing of Florida State before a bad 59-57 road loss at Boston College on Thursday.

What You Should Know: Duke has struggled on the road with a recent loss to Temple and a sluggish win over Georgia Tech. One slight advantage Clemson may have is its perimeter defense. The Tigers average 7.2 steals per game and force 14.8 turnovers and the Blue Devils have been prone to turnovers at times this season. Duke should dominate on the inside with Plumlee, his brother Miles Plumlee and Ryan Kelly. If Duke is shooting well, this game will be over early. If not, Clemson could stick around for a while.

The Bottom Line: It will take a stellar performance – one like it had against Florida State – for the Tigers to knock off the No. 8 Blue Devils.

The Pick: Duke 85, Clemson 70.

Sunday Recap: Kansas State Controls Title Game Throughout

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 22:00:06 -0800

The question leading into the title game of the Diamond Head Classic was how would Kansas State deal with Long Beach State guard Casper Ware. But by the end of the game it was obvious that the better question to ask was how the senior would navigate the Wildcats' tough perimeter defense. Thanks in large part to Will Spradling and Martavious Irving the Wildcats harassed Ware in to a 5-for-18 night from the field, and they took control of the game at both ends on their way to a 77-60 win in Honolulu. Rodney McGruder led the way offensively with 28 points and six rebounds, and he was named tournament MVP as a result of his play all weekend.

As a team the 49ers shot just 36.8% from the field and 6-for-19 from beyond the arc, and while they did manage to grab 17 offensive rebounds it wasn't enough to overcome the K-State attack. Ware and Larry Anderson scored 17 points apiece for the 49ers but no other player would score more than eight on the night for them. In addition to McGruder's performance Spradling scored 17 points and Jamar Samuels added 11 to go along with eight rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots. Kansas State out-rebounded Long Beach State 39-32 and outscored the 49ers 48-38 in the paint, making 54% of their two-point shots.

Long Beach State by comparison made just 39% of their two-point shots, and when adding to that a minus-8 in points from the foul line (20-12; LBSU shot 12-for-21) there's no mystery as to why they were unable to make a comeback. Kansas State led by as many as 18 points in the second half of a game they never trailed, and it's time to start thinking of Frank Martin's club as a serious contender in the Big 12. They've got the bodies up front, with Samuels, Thomas Gipson and Jordan Henriquez-Roberts, and the perimeter depth is there as well. Baylor, Missouri and Kansas are the names that have received the headlines early, but K-State isn't far behind.

As for Long Beach State, while a win on Sunday would have been another solid boost for a non-conference schedule that is the toughest in America they essentially did what they had to do. In beating Xavier they landed a second win over a Top 15 (at the time) team, and their win over Auburn meant avoiding the possibility of having a "bad loss" take away from their resume. In Big West play they're not going to encounter a team like Kansas State, so while UCSB will once again provided a stiff challenge and Cal Poly's been a surprise the 49ers should be fine. They simply ran into a team that was able to put their stamp on the game early and determine the "rules of engagement" throughout.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Xavier beats Southern Illinois to end their three-game losing streak.
Falling to host Hawaii on Friday was tough enough for the Musketeers, who lost their third straight game for the first time in Chris Mack's tenure as head coach. But the situation would have been nothing compared to what could have been had they left the islands 0-3. Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons combined to score 38 points (Holloway dished out seven assists while Lyons grabbed ten rebounds) as the Musketeers beat Southern Illinois 87-77 in the seventh place game. Dantiel Daniels led four Salukis in double figures with 22 points but SIU shot just 40% from the field. So how did they score 77 points? Xavier couldn't keep them off the glass, as Southern Illinois grabbed 19 offensive rebounds on the afternoon.

But Xavier got to the foul line early and often, making 36 of their 48 attempts to take advantage of a 28-16 foul count. In addition to Lyons forward Andre Walker (13 points, 10 rebounds) recorded the first double-double of his career, and it couldn't have come at a better time for a team in desperate need of a win. Will this result allow Xavier to regain the confidence lost in the aftermath of the Cincinnati game? They get Dezmine Wells back so that will definitely help, and they've got a little time before Atlantic 10 play begins to regain the chemistry. This is not a team anyone will line up to face anytime soon.

2. UTEP makes the plays late to pull away from Auburn for third place.
Many picked Tim Floyd's team, which features nine players in their first season on the floor for the program, to finish in the bottom three of Conference USA. Either C-USA is a much-tougher conference than it's given credit for or people were wrong about the Miners, because in going 2-1 at the Diamond Head Classic that did not look like a team that would finish 10th-12th in the league. John Bohannon played his best game of the tournament in the Miners' 83-76 win over Auburn, finishing with 20 points and nine rebounds, and guard Michael Perez added 18 points and a couple of daggers late to seal the deal.

Five UTEP players reached double figures while Tim Floyd's move to a box-and-1 on Frankie Sullivan took the Auburn star out of the flow of the offense in the second half. Kenny Gabriel stepped up with 24 points, eight rebounds and four assists but that wasn't enough to make up for Sullivan scoring seven points on 2-for-5 shooting from the field. UTEP isn't particularly deep as they used just seven players and the inexperience has been documented. But when considering players like Bohannon and Perez, who are getting used to bigger roles, and a transfer in Jacques Streeter who's run a team at this level before (Cal-State Fullerton) maybe they can surprise some folks in Conference USA.

3. Zane Johnson's shooting sparks Hawaii's win over Clemson.
While most visitors to the islands leave with memories they'll never forget, the same may not be said for the Clemson Tigers in terms of their on-court experience. Milton Jennings was suspended for Sunday's fifth-place game against Hawaii due to conduct detrimental to the team for his behavior in a timeout in Friday's win over SIU, but it might not have mattered if he were on the floor Sunday. Zane Johnson made six of his twelve three-point attempts in scoring a game-high 27 points and the Warriors made 16 of 19 free throws in their 75-68 victory.

Vander Joaquim added 14 points and 10 rebounds while Hauns Brereton chipped in with 10 points off the bench. Clemson simple couldn't shoot well enough from inside of the arc, making 18 of 48 shots from two on the afternoon. Gib Arnold's team winning two of three games is a good boost for them as they approach WAC play, where many expect them to slot into the middle of the pack. As for Clemson, they picked up a win but it wasn't pretty. If Jennings and Devin Booker can't provide consistent help for Tanner Smith and Andre Young it could be a long season in the ACC despite the wide-open nature of the league outside of the top two.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Rodney McGruder (Kansas State)
28 points and six rebounds in the Wildcats' 77-60 win over Long Beach State.

2. G Zane Johnson (Hawaii)
27 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals in the Warriors' 75-68 win over Clemson.

3. C John Bohannon (UTEP)
20 points (6-9 FG, 8-9 FT), nine rebounds, three assists and two steals in the Miners' 83-76 win over Auburn.

Diamond Head Classic All-Tournament Team

G Rodney McGruder (Kansas State) - MVP
G Zane Johnson (Hawaii)
G Michael Perez (UTEP)
G Larry Anderson (Long Beach State)
F Jamar Samuels (Kansas State)

Sunday Preview: Long Beach State vs. Kansas State

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 09:31:49 -0800

Happy Holidays to you all. Before getting into a preview of today's action, here are two stories here and here that you all will enjoy (h/t to Jameson Fleming of CBSSports.com and College Hoops Journal).

The only games being played on Christmas Day are out in Hawaii, with the Diamond Head Classic wrapping up. The title game matches Long Beach State (7-5), who has played one of the toughest schedules in the country to date, and a Kansas State (9-1) team that's been better than some expected. After beating Xavier in the first round the 49ers took care of business against Auburn in a matchup that would have done more harm in a loss than good in a win from a resume standpoint. As for Kansas State, they've beaten both Southern Illinois and UTEP in games they were expected to win, with the latter offering up more of a challenge than many anticipated going into the event.

The question for the Wildcats is how they go about defending Long Beach State point guard Casper Ware (16.7 ppg, 3.8 apg), who runs the show for the 49ers while also being asked to lead the team in scoring. Ware's shooting percentages aren't all that impressive, but that's got more to do with the number of shots Dan Monson has him take in their offense than shot selection. A key factor for the 49ers, both this weekend and in Big West play, will be freshman Michael Caffey. Caffey played very well in their win over Xavier, and his emergence off the bench will both keep Ware fresh and allow the senior to do more work off the ball when paired together with Caffey.

Kansas State has also had a reserve emerge while in Hawaii, as freshman Angel Rodriguez (7.7 ppg, 2.6 apg) has averaged 16.5 points per game in the tournament. Rodriguez made 10 of 16 shots from the field in the two wins, by far his best performance this season. If he can keep this up the freshman will be a nice addition to starters Will Spradling (11.2 ppg, 2.9 apg) and Rodney McGruder (10.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg) not to mention fellow reserve Shane Southwell. Long Beach State overall has more firepower on the perimeter however, with senior Larry Anderson (14.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg) and junior James Ennis (9.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.8 apg) also being key cogs in their attack.

The battle up front will be interesting to watch, with the Wildcats being the bigger of the two teams. But that doesn't mean that life will be easy for them, as the experienced T.J. Robinson (12.3 ppg, 10.0 rpg) and Eugene Phelps (9.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg) anchoring things for the 49ers. Long Beach State can also bring Edis Dervisevic off the bench, and this is something they may have to do against the K-State attack. Jamar Samuels (12.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg) leads the way for Kansas State while freshman Thomas Gipson (11.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg) has the build of a player far more experienced than he actually is.

There's also junior Jordan Henriquez-Roberts, who has progressed a great deal in his two-plus seasons in Manhattan. He'll be a key figure for the Wildcats going forward into Big 12 play, as they'll encounter some deep frontcourts. Kansas State has been the better rebounding team of the two, and they even average more possessions per game than Long Beach State. The 49ers have to hold their own on the glass in order to win, and given their schedule to date they're more than capable of doing so. Keep an eye on turnover margin as well, with both teams breaking even on assist-to-turnover ratio while forcing at least 16 turnovers per game defensively.

In the other games in Honolulu Xavier looks to bounce back from a disappointing loss to Hawaii against Southern Illinois, and the truth is that Chris Mack's team should win by a good margin. The Salukis have a good player in senior Mamadou Seck, and they have been competitive in their two games on the island, but Chris Lowery's bunch is in for a tough time in the Missouri Valley.

Clemson and host Hawaii play in the fifth-place game, as Tanner Smith stepped up for the Tigers in their win over SIU. Forwards Josten Thomas and Vander Joaquim provide a tough matchup inside however, meaning that it's time for Devin Booker to step up with Milton Jennings suspended. And in the third-place game UTEP, led by Jacques Streeter and the surprising Michael Perez, takes on Auburn in what should be a toss-up.

Top 25 Games
2:00 PM Southern Illinois vs. #14 Xavier (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
4:30 PM Clemson vs. Hawaii (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Auburn vs. UTEP (ESPN2)
9:30 PM Kansas State vs. Long Beach State (ESPN2)