Coastal Carolina

Thursday Tournament Predictions: A-Sun, Big South, NEC, OVC

Greg Mengelt — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:26:26 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. He'll be picking almost conference tournament game over the next 2 weeks.

BIG SOUTH SEMIFINALS: AT ASHEVILLE

(7) VMI (16-15, 8-10) vs. (6) Winthrop (12-19, 8-10)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 7 – Winthrop 91-84; Feb. 4 – VMI 86-79. RPI: VMI 275, Winthrop 264. Analysis: The Keydets have won 4 of 5 and don’t appear to be a fluke after Wednesday’s blowout win over 2-seed Coastal Carolina. Pick: VMI 85, Winthrop 80.

(1) UNC-Asheville (22-9, 16-2) vs. (4) Charleston Southern (19-11, 11-7)

Tipoff: 8 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 19 – Charleston Southern 93-88*. RPI: Asheville 122, Charleston Southern 178. Analysis: This appears to be the Big South championship, for all intents and purposes. Hard to imagine either side wins by more than five or six. Pick: Asheville 83, Charleston Southern 79.

ATLANTIC SUN QUARTERFINALS: AT MACON, GA.

(4) East Tennessee State (16-13, 10-8) vs. (5) North Florida (16-15, 10-8)

Tipoff: 2:30 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 16 – ETSU 64-63*; Feb. 11 – ETSU 65-50. RPI: East Tennessee 191, North Florida 168. Analysis: Both teams have won three straight and are playing as well as anyone in the league except Belmont. This one could go either way. Line: East Tennessee State -2. Pick: North Florida 69, East Tennessee State 66.

(3) USC-Upstate (20-11, 13-5) vs. (6) Florida Gulf Coast (13-16, 8-10)

Tipoff: 8:30 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Dec.19 – Upstate 80-75*; Feb. 23 – Upstate 87-74. RPI: Upstate 134, Florida Gulf Coast 237. Analysis: It may be tough to beat a team three times in a season, but not when you’re the significantly better team. Line: Upstate -8. Pick: USC-Upstate 79, Florida Gulf Coast 62.

OHIO VALLEY QUARTERFINALS: AT NASHVILLE

(4) Tennessee Tech (18-12, 9-7) vs. (5) Southeast Missouri State (15-15, 9-7)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: OVCSports.TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 21 – Tennessee Tech 77-62. RPI: Tennessee Tech 159, Southeast Missouri State 255. Analysis: Tech is the better team, but with a game under its belt in the tournament, the Redhawks will keep it competitive. Pick: Tennessee Tech 70, Southeast Missouri State 68.

(3) Morehead State (17-14, 10-6) vs. (7) Jacksonville State (14-17, 8-8)

Tipoff: 8 p.m. TV: OVCSports.TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 5 – Morehead State 63-55*; Feb. 8 – Jacksonville State 69-55*. RPI: Morehead State 175, 228. Analysis: The Gamecocks are playing very well. This would be a good time to take an underdog straight up. Pick: Jacksonville State 66, Morehead State 62.

NORTHEAST QUARTERFINALS: AT CAMPUS SITES

(8) Sacred Heart (14-17, 8-10) at (1) Long Island (22-8, 16-2)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 5 – Long Island 87-81*; Feb. 16 – Long Island 103-91 (OT). RPI: Sacred Heart 239, Long Island 100. Analysis: Long Island will run its way to a runaway. Line: Long Island -9. Pick: Long Island 91, Sacred Heart 72.

(7) Central Connecticut State (13-15, 10-8) at (2) Wagner (24-5, 15-3)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Wagner 67-58; Feb. 25 – Central Connecticut 78-61. RPI: Wagner 89, Central Connecticut 225. Analysis: Ignore the records. These teams have similar talent and this one will be close. Line: Wagner -10. Pick: Wagner 74, Central Connecticut 72.

(6) Monmouth (12-19, 10-8) at (3) Robert Morris (22-9, 13-5)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 3 – Robert Morris 69-51; Jan. 21 – Robert Morris 81-73 (OT). RPI: Robert Morris 121, Monmouth 235. Analysis: RMU is poised to make a deep run in this tourney. Line: Robert Morris -10. Pick: Robert Morris 76, Monmouth 59.

(5) Quinnipiac (17-12, 10-8) at (4) St. Francis (NY) (15-14, 12-6)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 5 – St. Francis 73-72; Feb. 16 – St. Francis 64-56*. RPI: St. Francis 203, Quinnipiac 169. Analysis: St. Francis got the better of the regular-season matchups, but the Bobcats should move on in the post-season. Line: Quinnipiac -2½. Pick: Quinnipiac 67, St. Francis 64.

*Road win

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 89-59

Afternoon Upsets in the Big South: Wednesday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 23:14:27 -0800

The biggest development on Wednesday night were the wins picked up by Cincinnati, Colorado State and USF, as all three strengthened their arguments for an NCAA tournament bid.

1. Two of the top three seeds in the Big South saw their seasons come to an end in the quarterfinals.
The beginning of an almost nonstop afternoon basketball got underway on Wednesday, and from an upset standpoint the Big South certainly didn't disappoint. But if you're a fan of either Coastal Carolina or Campbell it wasn't a good day, as both saw their seasons come to an end (unless selected for a postseason tournament) despite entering the conference tournament as the two and three seeds. CCU ran into a VMI team that got hot from three, knocking down 14 of their 28 attempts from beyond the arc on the way to an 85-68 victory. Starters Keith Gabriel (20 points) and Stan Okoye (15) played well, but the 17-point outing from Jordan Weethee (5-6 3PT) off the bench was just as important. CCU didn't help themselves by turning the ball over 16 times either.

As for Campbell turnovers were a problem for them as well in their 71-55 loss to six-seeded Winthrop. The Camels turned the ball over 16 times to just eight for the Eagles, who are looking to rid themselves of the bad taste left in their mouths following a disappointing regular season. Campbell also couldn't slow down Reggie Middleton, who scored a game-high 25 points (5-10 3PT) and dished out four assists to lead the way for Winthrop. Darren White led Campbell with 15 points but no other Campbell player reached double figures, and when combined with the turnovers that proved to be too much to overcome. On the other side of the bracket top seed UNC Asheville and four-seed Charleston Southern advanced, and the key for UNCA at this point is to remain focused on the task at hand instead of worrying about how the bottom half of the bracket opened up. Do that and Eddie Biedenbach's team could make a return trip to the Big Dance.

2. Miami follows up their big win over Florida State with...a loss at NC State.
What the Hurricanes have done over the last four days is exactly why concrete verdicts shouldn't be rendered in regards to the tournament prospects of teams based on one game. On Sunday Jim Larranaga's team looked very good as they beat Florida State with Reggie Johnson out of the lineup. But with Johnson back the Hurricanes were unable to build on the positive momentum as they fell to the Wolfpack 77-73. And if not for their 22 offensive rebounds the margin of defeat could have been even larger for Miami, who shot just 35.6% from the field while NC State made half of their field goal attempts.

C.J. Leslie led four NC State players in double figures with 21 points while also grabbing 11 boards as the Pack snapped their four-game losing streak. Rion Brown led the Hurricanes with 15 points off the bench but with Kenny Kadji and Durand Scott shooting a combined 6-for-24 from the field Miami couldn't counter NC State scoring 43 second-half points. With a home game against Boston College being the regular season finale, it's likely that Miami will need to make some noise in the ACC tournament to further state their case.

3. It was also a bad night for bubble teams in the Atlantic 10 as both Dayton and Saint Joseph's fell.
One day after Xavier fell hard at Saint Louis two more teams suffered defeats that could have the A-10 sliding toward being a two-bid league. Phil Martelli's Hawks were unable to build on their win over Temple in Olean as they fell to St. Bonaventure 98-93 in double overtime. Andrew Nicholson, who is a candidate for A-10 Player of the Year, scored 32 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the Bonnies to a win that locked up a first-round bye in next week's conference tournament. The Hawks got themselves in trouble by getting out-rebounded 49-30, with the Bonnies grabbing 20 offensive rebounds.

As for the Flyers, their loss was even more damaging as they fell 82-71 at Richmond. Darien Brothers led the Spiders with 30 points and Kendall Anthony added 20 off the bench as Richmond dropped Dayton into a three-way tie for sixth. Chris Johnson scored 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead Dayton, who was outscored 19-9 at the charity stripe. Richmond held the edge in bench points (29-15) thanks in large part to Anthony, and they were also able to score 21 second-chance points to just 13 for the Flyers. A win over George Washington won't do much for Dayton's profile and Saint Joseph's regular season is done, meaning that both are looking at the prospect of likely needing the automatic bid to go dancing.

Quick Hitters

1. The top two seeds took the floor in the Atlantic Sun quarters, and while Mercer had to work a bit harder than anticipated both the Bears and Belmont advanced. Jake Gollon led Mercer to their 61-53 win over Lipscomb with 19 points and eight rebounds, and as a team the Bears made up for committing twice as many turnovers (16) as Lipscomb by making nine three-pointers. Belmont beat Jacksonville 76-62 behind Kerron Johnson's 19 points, five rebounds and five assists.

2. Three of the four quarterfinals in the Patriot League went according to seed on Wednesday. The lone exception: Lafayette's 84-76 win at Holy Cross in the 4/5 game. Rob Delaney (25 points) and Jim Mower (18) combined to score 43 points for the Leopards, who will visit top-seed Bucknell in the semifinals on Saturday.

3. Mitchell Watt scored 22 points and grabbed six rebounds to Buffalo to a 74-70 win at Akron in a key MAC battle. The win moves the Bulls to within a game of the Zips for first place in the MAC East with one game remaining, and just as importantly they're a game up on Ohio in the race for second place.

4. Sheldon McClellan scored 24 points and J'Covan Brown 22 as Texas avoided what would have been a rough loss to have on their resume, as they beat Oklahoma 72-64 in Austin. The Longhorns end the regular season with a trip to Kansas, and an upset in Lawrence would undoubtedly punch their ticket.

5. Brian Williams scored all 18 of his points in the second half, and his three-pointer with 33 seconds remaining gave Jacksonville State the lead for good in their 75-70 win over Austin Peay in an OVC first round matchup. In the other OVC tournament game Southeast Missouri State beat Eastern Kentucky 75-65.

6. A rough run through WCC play mercifully came to an end for Santa Clara in Las Vegas as they fell 74-70 to Portland in the first round of the WCC tournament. Losing Marc Trasolini on the preseason trip to Canada with a torn ACL was hard enough to deal with, but once Kerry Keating had to suspend Kevin Foster the Broncos seemed destined for a winless league campaign.

7. Northwestern had a golden opportunity to pick up a signature win, but Jared Sullinger's bucket in the final seconds gave Ohio State the 75-73 win in Evanston. Drew Crawford and John Shurna combined to lead the Wildcats with 45 points but that wasn't enough as the Buckeyes had four players put up double figures. The Northwestern storyline is going to be one of the interesting stories to keep an eye on in Indianapolis next week.

Wednesday'sTournament Predictions: Atlantic Sun, Big South, Patriot

Greg Mengelt — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:18:38 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. He'll be picking almost conference tournament game over the next 2 weeks.

BIG SOUTH TOURNAMENT AT ASHEVILLE, N.C.

(2) Coastal Carolina (19-10, 12-6) vs. (7) Virginia Military (15-15, 8-10)

Tipoff: Noon. TV: Big South Network. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 1 – Coastal Carolina 87-78; Feb. 25 – Coastal Carolina 81-64*. RPI: Coastal Carolina 179; VMI 287. Analysis: The Chanticleers struggled late in the regular season. With a game under its belt, VMI should be able to keep this game close. Line: Coastal Carolina -6. Pick: Coastal Carolina 73, VMI 64.

(3) Campbell (17-14, 11-7) vs. (6) Winthrop (11-19, 8-10)

Tipoff: 2 p.m. TV: Big South Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 17 – Campbell, 54-51*; Feb. 9 – Campbell, 67-58. RPI: Campbell 201; Winthrop 274. Analysis: Campbell really faded down the stretch. This could be the first conference tournament upset. Line: Campbell -1½. Pick: Campbell 61, Winthrop 60.

(1) UNC-Asheville (21-9, 16-2) vs. (8) High Point (11-19, 6-12)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: Big South Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Asheville, 86-79*; Jan. 26 – Asheville, 90-70. RPI: Asheville 123; High Point 276. Analysis: High Point has more talent than its record indicates and has a chance to keep this game close. Line: Asheville -8½. Pick: Asheville 80, High Point 73.

(4) Charleston Southern (18-11, 11-7) vs. (5) Liberty (14-17, 9-9)

Tipoff: 8 p.m. TV: Big South Network. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – Charleston Southern, 81-76*; Feb. 9 – Liberty 75-74*. RPI: Charleston Southern 178; Liberty 282. Analysis: CSU is the higher seed and has the better record, but Liberty is playing better behind do-everything Jesse Sanders. Line: Charleston Southern -3½. Pick: Liberty 72, Charleston Southern 65.

PATRIOT LEAGUE AT CAMPUS SITES

(8) Navy (3-25, 0-14) at (1) Bucknell (22-8, 12-2)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 28 – Bucknell 66-51*; Feb. 25 – Bucknell 64-55. RPI: Bucknell 83, Navy 328. Analysis: It would take the return of David Robinson for Navy to stay in this game. Line: Bucknell -21½. Pick: Bucknell 80, Navy 51.

(7) Colgate (8-21, 2-12) at (2) Lehigh (23-7, 11-3)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 24 – Lehigh 78-56*; Feb. 11 – Lehigh 89-69. RPI: Lehigh 109, Colgate 300. Analysis: The Hawks will roll into the title game. Line: Lehigh -21½. Pick: Lehigh 75, Colgate 53.

(5) Lafayette (12-17, 7-7) at (4) Holy Cross (15-13, 9-5)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 19 – Lafayette 54-43*; Feb. 22 – Holy Cross 70-63*. RPI: Holy Cross 165, Lafayette 210. Analysis: The Crusaders win the rubber match with their seventh straight win. Line: Holy Cross -6½. Pick: Holy Cross 60, Lafayette 55.

(3) American (19-10, 10-4) at (6) Army (12-17, 5-9)

Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 21 – American 67-55; American 74-50*. RPI: American 152, Army 300. Analysis: American has won 6 of 8 and the hot play with continue Wednesday. Line: American -13. Pick: American 73, Army 52.

ATLANTIC SUN TOURNAMENT AT MACON, GA.

(1) Belmont (24-7, 16-2) vs. (8) Jacksonville (8-21, 6-12)

Tipoff: 2:30 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 4 – Belmont 75-63*; Jan. 28 – Belmont 85-51. RPI: Belmont 61, Jacksonville 263. Analysis: Belmont’s explosive offense has led the Bruins to 11 straight wins. Make it 12. Line: Belmont -16. Pick: Belmont 90, Jacksonville 64.

(2) Mercer (21-10, 13-5) vs. (7) Lipscomb (13-17, 8-10)

Tipoff: 8:30 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 1 – Mercer 79-72*; Feb. 23 – Mercer 63-54. RPI: Mercer 125, Lipscomb 219. Analysis: Mercer has had a nice season, but the Bears aren’t playing well late in the season. Line: Mercer -10. Pick: Mercer 68, Lipscomb 62.

*Road win

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.

Tuesday Recap: Kentucky Too Much on Both Ends For Florida

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:18:11 -0800

The matchup between the two best teams in the SEC was expected to be a competitive affair, one that would challenge John Calipari's squad and show how much of a national title contender they really are. The answer was an emphatic one, as Kentucky controlled the game on both ends of the floor in a 78-58 win that didn't seem all that close in the second half. Doron Lamb scored 18 points to lead four players in double figures (and Darius Miller scored nine points) while both Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (13 points, 13 rebounds) and Marquis Teague (12 points, ten assists) posted double-doubles.

This wasn't just a win over a Top 10 opponent but rather a thorough beating that should put the rest of the country on notice. The Wildcats' effort on the defensive end of the floor will likely receive the lion's share of the headlines as they limited Florida to 34.9% shooting from the field and 6-for-27 from three, resulting in the Gators' worst shooting performance in SEC play (according to Statsheet.com's numbers their loss at Tennessee was Florida's worst from an efficiency standpoint). But Kentucky's offensive performance was also excellent as they shot 52.7% from two and 60% from three, finishing the game with a staggering efficiency of 132.2 and the much-maligned point guard was a big reason why.

"What about Marquis Teague? 12 points, 10 assists," noted Calipari after the game. "He is playing, getting everybody shots. He ended the half Doron three, Doron three. He got him those shots. That gave us some breathing room, up 12. He played well. Doron made shots. Darius made shots. We played pretty good."

As a team the Wildcats finished with 18 assists, five more than their season average and six players had at least one helper on the night. Outside of Kenny Boynton (4-8 3PT, 18 points) no one could really get going for the Gators, and Teague's defensive effort against Erving Walker was a sight to behold as well. Walker was held scoreless as he missed all seven of his field goal attempts and finished with just one assist, by far his worst outing of the season.

Should we be ready to crown Kentucky on the heels of this performance? No, because there's still plenty of basketball to be played. But if anything was learned from the Wildcats' performance it's that knocking off a group that still has its best basketball ahead of it will be extremely difficult to do. And that message is magnified within the SEC, because even with road games at Vanderbilt and Florida still on the schedule there won't be many willing to bet against Kentucky.

"You could say that. They've proven it," said Boynton when asked if the result showed just how far Kentucky is ahead of the rest of the SEC. "They've beaten good teams by twenty, the last teams they played."

Other Notable Happenings

1. William Buford's play down the stretch the difference in Ohio State's win over Purdue.
The senior, who by the end of his career at Ohio State could be the school's all-time leading scorer, tends to be the forgotten member of the trio that includes Jared Sullinger and Aaron Craft. But with those two on the bench dealing with foul trouble in the latter stages of the second half (and Sullinger being lost late due to a hip injury suffered in a hard fall) it was Buford who stepped up, going on a personal 7-0 run to give Ohio State the lead for good in an 87-84 win. Buford finished with a career-high 29 points on the night, and the foul line was just as important in the Buckeyes' victory.

Ohio State made 26 of their 34 attempts from the charity stripe while Purdue finished 17-for-25. D.J. Byrd was outstanding for the Boilermakers as he scored 24 points and grabbed six rebounds, but his foul issues kept him off the floor at what would turn out to be the turning point of the game. Sullinger scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds while Craft finished with 13 and two assists, but Tuesday's game served as a reminder to those who take Buford for granted just how important he is to the Ohio State attack.

2. Creighton loses at Evansville, dropping down to second place in the Missouri Valley.
The Bluejays hit the road on Tuesday night in their final game before hosting Wichita State on Saturday with first place in the Valley on the line. But life on the road is difficult, something Greg McDermott's team learned at the hands of Marty Simmons' Evansville Aces, who closed the game on a 13-1 run and handed Creighton a 65-57 loss to drop the Bluejays into second place. The biggest issue for Creighton was turnovers, as they turned the ball over 16 times in a sixty possession game (26.7% turnover percentage). That's a big deal, even in a game in which Evansville scored just 14 points off of turnovers (Creighton scored 13 points on nine Evansville turnovers).

Add in Creighton shooting 4-for-22 from three (Evansville finished 3-for-8) and you've got the recipe for an upset. Doug McDermott finished with 21 points and eight rebounds to lead the Bluejays while Colt Ryan led Evansville with 14 points despite shooting 3-for-14 from the field. The best Creighton can do against Wichita State now is tie for the league lead with a win on Saturday, and the fact that they won the first meeting would give them the tiebreaker should they do so.

3. Le'Bryan Nash leads Oklahoma State past Iowa State, handing the Cyclones a critical loss.
There hasn't been much separating Iowa State and Oklahoma State this season, with Scott Christopherson's three as time expired giving the Cyclones the win in the first meeting this season. Oklahoma State got their revenge on Tuesday night as freshman Le'Bryan Nash knocked down a fadeaway jumper with 4.7 seconds remaining gave the Pokes a 69-67 lead, and his block of a Chris Allen shot shortly thereafter gave them the win.

Nash was one of four Cowboys to finish in double figures with 18 points and six rebounds and the high-flying Markel Brown led the way with 19, but while the Pokes are certainly talented this result hurts the Cyclone resume as they look to make a run at an NCAA tournament bid. Iowa State shot just 38.4% from two, a number that hurt them far more than the 38.1% from three as Oklahoma State was far more effective inside of the arc (58.8%). Allen (22 points) and Royce White (15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists) led the way for Iowa State but they shot a combined 13-for-33 in doing so.

Quick Hitters

1. As first reported by Brett McMurphy of CBSSports.com, Memphis has accepted an invitation to join the Big East with a teleconference schedule for Wednesday morning. With the loss of Pittsburgh, Syracuse and West Virginia the league needed to boost its hoops profile, and adding the Tigers should do just that.

2. Eric Griffin scored 25 points and grabbed ten rebounds as Campbell won 81-75 at Coastal Carolina. Not to be ignored are guards Darren White and Lorne Merthie, who combined to score 26 points off the bench for the Camels. Coastal Carolina is still in good shape to lock down the two-seed (up two games in the loss column with two games in hand) but the loss means it will be even tougher to catch 13-1 UNC Asheville.

3. Despite six first half three pointers from Bryce Cotton, Providence couldn't shut the door on Villanova. Villanova would trail by as many as 19 points before storming back to beat the Friars 74-72 on a JayVaughn Pinkston basket in the final seconds. Pinkston scored 28 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in his best performance as a Wildcat.

4. There's no better team to see if you're a Big 12 team in a funk than Texas Tech, who fell to 0-11 in conference play with a 65-46 loss at Kansas State. Shane Southwell led three Wildcats in double figures with 13 points off the bench, and K-State's parade to the foul line (30-for-40) negated the fact that they shot just 30% from the field.

5. The ACC's leading scorer was at it again, as Maryland guard Terrell Stoglin scored 27 points in the Terrapins' 64-62 win over Clemson. Efficiency from beyond the arc proved to be the difference as Maryland made eight of eleven while the Tigers finished 7-for-20.

Three Notable Performances

1. F JayVaughn Pinkston (Villanova)
28 points, 14 rebounds and one game-winning shot in the Wildcats' 74-72 win over Providence.

2. F Eric Griffin (Campbell)
25 points, ten rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in the Camels' 81-75 win over Coastal Carolina.

3. G William Buford (Ohio State)
29 points, seven rebounds in the Buckeyes' 84-81 win over Purdue.

Tuesday Recap: Michigan Moves Streak to Three

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:31:32 -0800

Given how reliant Michigan is on the three-point shot, many would think it highly unlikely that John Beilein's team would win a game in which they shot 6-for-21 from beyond the arc. But thanks to a late basket from Stu Douglass and some solid defense on the final possession of the game, that's exactly what happened as the Wolverines beat in-state rival Michigan 60-59 at Crisler Arena. Trey Burke scored a game-high 20 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. and Zack Novak scored ten points apiece, but Novak's biggest contribution came on the defensive end of the floor.

Despite giving up three inches in height the senior did an outstanding job of guarding Draymond Green, with Green making three of eight shots for seven points. Green, who did grab 11 rebounds, also turned the ball over five times against a Michigan defense that held him scoreless over the final fifteen minutes of the game. Michigan State fought their way back into the game by shooting 52.4% from the field in the second half, and it didn't hurt to have a reserve in Derrick Nix score a season-high 13 points off the bench.

Brandan Kearney's three with 6:45 remaining gave the Spartans their first lead of the game at 50-49, and at that point it would have been easy for the Wolverines to fold. But they didn't, remaining within striking distance thanks in part to a switch to their 1-3-1 zone before taking the lead on Douglass' bucket that Burke assisted on with 36.5 seconds remaining. And while Michigan State did get two attempts to take the lead in the final seconds neither came without pressure from Michigan (one of which was blocked), resulting in opportunities that weren't as good as the Spartans would have hoped for.

"We really tried to completely deny Draymond the ball," said Beilein of the final sequence of the game. "You almost have to double him sometimes. We had to today, and then he passed the ball out of there. Fortunately they didn't have any success with either one."

Michigan's win means that they remain a player in the Big Ten race, which is currently led by Illinois by a game in the loss column. The Wolverines have won the last three games in the series, but while the recent run of success gives Michigan bragging rights it's just a portion of the big picture. Both teams remain contenders for the Big Ten title, meaning that the meeting in East Lansing on February 5th will be just as important in determining whether or not either team can win the league. Round one goes to Michigan.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Florida State builds on Saturday's win by whipping Maryland in Tallahassee.
On the heels of their emphatic win over North Carolina it would have been easy for Florida State to go into their game against Maryland dwelling on what happened Saturday. But Leonard Hamilton's team displayed both maturity and some offensive firepower on Tuesday night, beating the Terrapins 84-70 in their second straight excellent performance. One factor in the Seminoles' win was that they took care of the basketball, finishing the game with just nine turnovers (four in the second half). Michael Snaer led the way with 19 points while Ian Miller and Okaro White combined to score 31 points off the bench in a balanced effort for the Seminoles.

Maryland's Terrell Stoglin led all scorers with 27 points but the only other Maryland player to reach double figures was Nick Faust, and he finished with ten points. Florida State was balanced in their scoring and efficient in their execution, which led to them leading by as many as 21 points in the second half. FSU visits Duke this weekend, and it will be interesting to see if they can continue to play as they have the last two games. If so, the Seminoles have the ability to leave Durham with a win.

2. UNC Asheville extends its lead in the Big South to two games with a win over Coastal Carolina.
All six players who scored for Coastal Carolina reached double figures, with Sam McLaurin scoring 17 points to lead the way, but it wasn't enough to win at UNC Asheville due in large part to the Bulldogs' ability to get to the foul line and take advantage of those trips. Eddie Biedenbach's team attempted 33 free throws and made 31, winning 88-81 to take a two-game lead in the Big South as a result. J.P. Primm scored 23 points to lead the Bulldogs and Matt Dickey added 19 with 12 of his points coming from the foul line.

While it's well-known that this tandem is a handful, when they score a combined 20 points from the foul line Primm and Dickey are near impossible to beat. With the victory the Bulldogs took an important step towards the regular season crown, and with the champion getting to host the semifinals and title game of the Big South Tournament that's an important advantage to have. The goal for CCU now is to at the least remain two games back before the two teams meet again on Valentine's Day, and if they can get some help as well the Big South title would still be a realistic possibility.

3. Anthony Davis breaks Kentucky's single-season blocks record in the Wildcats' win over Arkansas.
In freshman Anthony Davis it's become quite apparent that Kentucky head coach John Calipari has a player that is extremely difficult for opponents to deal with. And now there's also the historical aspect of Davis' freshman campaign, as he is now the school record-holder for the most blocked shots in a season with 89 (blocking seven on Tuesday) and still counting. The blocked shots weren't Davis' sole contribution however as he scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the Wildcats' 86-63 win.

Five players reached double figures for Kentucky, who shot 57.1% from the field and out-rebounded Arkansas 38-26. Doron Lamb scored 14 points off the bench, Terrence Jones (13 points, nine rebounds and five blocks) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (ten points, four rebounds and four assists) were both all over the stat sheet and Marquis Teague played arguably his best game in a Kentucky uniform with nine assists and four rebounds with just three turnovers. With all of their young talent Kentucky's got unlimited potential, and the fact that the Wildcats have yet to play their best basketball should concern the rest of the SEC.

Quick Hitters

1. One of the keys for getting into the NCAA Tournament is to avoid bad losses, and that's exactly what Colorado State did in their 66-55 win over Boise State. Dorian Green scored a game-high 20 points and Pierce Hornung grabbed ten rebounds off the bench as Tim Miles' team moved to 2-0 in Mountain West play.

2. Louisville, which has been hit hard by injuries this season, found out on Tuesday that forward Rakeem Buckles was done for the year with a torn ACL. Buckles, who averaged 4.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, injured himself in the Cardinals' loss at Marquette on Monday.

3. So Western Carolina took on Toccoa Falls on Tuesday night as they wanted to avoid having too much time off between games. The final score: 141-39. Nine Catamounts scored in double figures and two others scored nine points, and WCU also held a 62-19 edge on the boards. Things got out of hand in Cullowhee.

4. Campbell picked up a 54-51 win at Winthrop, and as a result the Camels are tied with Coastal Carolina two games behind UNC Asheville in the Big South. Eric Griffin scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half while also grabbing 11 rebounds, and the Camels outscored Winthrop 13-4 over the final 6:40 of the game.

5. Robbie Hummel scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Lewis Jackson added 14 as Purdue rebounded from a slow start to beat Iowa 75-68 in West Lafayette. The Boilermakers shot just 41.1% from the field but they out-rebounded the Hawkeyes by nine (41-32) and coverted 13 Iowa turnovers into 20 points.

6. Georgetown proved to be too much for DePaul, winning 83-75 at Allstate Arena, but the improvement that the Blue Demons have made under Oliver Purnell is definitely noticeable. Outside of Jeremiah Kelly and Krys Faber the rotation is young, meaning that as upperclassmen talented players such as Brandon Young and Cleveland Melvin will be well-equipped to improve the standing of the program within the Big East.

Three Notable Performances

1. F/C Anthony Davis (Kentucky)
27 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks in the Wildcats' 86-63 win over Arkansas.

2. G Jason Clark (Georgetown)
Career-high 31 points (11-14 FG), five rebounds and four steals in the Hoyas' 83-75 win at DePaul.

3. G Nick Barbour (High Point)
33 points (11-16 FG) and three assists, but he didn't receive much help in the Panthers' 85-66 loss at Radford.

UNC-Asheville vs Coastal Carolina: Preview & Prediction

Greg Mengelt — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:42:20 -0800

COASTAL CAROLINA (13-4, 6-1 Big South) AT UNC-ASHVILLE (12-6, 7-0 Big South)

Time/TV: 7 p.m./ESPN Full-Court, ESPN3

Location: Justice Center

RPI Ratings: Coastal Carolina 135 (Big South No. 2); UNC-Ashville 130 (Big South No. 1).

Coastal Carolina Players to Watch: F Chris Gradnigo, 6-7 Sr. (16.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.5 apg); G Anthony Raffa, 6-1 Jr. (17 ppg, 4 rpg, 49.3% FG); F Sam McLaurin, 6-8 Jr. (9.7 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.4 bpg). With his next blocked shot, McLaurin will have 143 for his career, making him Coastal Carolina’s all-time leader

UNC-Asheville Players to Watch: G Matt Dickey, 6-1 Sr. (16.1 ppg, 3.6 apg, 3.4 rpg); G J.P. Primm, 6-1 Sr. (14.2 ppg, 4.3 apg, 37.9% 3s); G Chris Stephenson, 6-3 Sr. (14.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 53.4% FG). Stephenson was last week’s Big South Player of the Week. He averaged 20.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals, while shooting 60 percent from the floor, in road victories over Campbell and High Point.

Storylines: Ashville is the last remaining unbeaten in the Big South at 7-0. The Chanticleers are just a game back at 6-1. Coastal’s lone league loss came at Campbell on Jan. 2 in overtime. This could be a big game toward determining who will represent in the Big South in the NCAA Tournament since the regular-season champion gets home-court advantage throughout the conference tournament. Campbell (5-2) and Charleston Southern (5-3) could still figure into the Big South race.

Keys: The key in this one could be size matchup. Coastal Carolina is much bigger with Gradnigo, McLaurin and 6-1 Jon Pack, while its rare that a Bulldog over 6-foot-4 sees more than a handful of minutes. However, the Bulldogs’ team speed and depth could be a big advantage if they try to push the pace. They average 82.5 point per game, which ranked eighth in the nation. … The Chanticleers are just 2-3 in true road games this season, although they did beat Clemson at Littlejohn Coliseum. Asheville is 6-1 and has won six straight at home. The Bulldogs, who were the pre-season Big South favorites, only loss at the Justice Center came on Nov. 13, 91-75 to North Carolina. … The Bulldogs have plenty of experience in big games with four seniors and junior Jeremy Atkinson in the starting lineup.

The Bottom Line: Home court, a slight experience edge and an explosive offense equal a close victory for UNC-Asheville.

The Pick: UNC-Asheville 81, Coastal Carolina 74.

#19 Michigan vs. #9 Michigan State: Tuesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:51:21 -0800

Tuesday night's schedule may be light but that simply allows one of the Big Ten's more heated rivalries to take center stage as #19 Michigan (14-4, 4-2) hosts in-state rival #9 Michigan State (15-3, 4-1). With both teams coming off of road losses on Saturday (Michigan at Iowa and Michigan State at Northwestern) there will be an added sense of urgency to not only get back on track but to remain one of the key players in the conference title race. The key for Michigan State is to remain disciplined on the defensive end of the floor, something they did not do when faced with a similar offensive system to the one they'll see from Michigan in their loss to Northwestern (NU: 50% FG, 126.6 efficiency per statsheet.com).

Michigan is second in the Big Ten in points scored by way of the three-pointer as 36.1% of their points come by way of that shot. Five different players have the ability (and the green light) to fire away from deep in John Beilein's system with Evan Smotrycz (9.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and Zak Novak (9.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg) being the most accurate. Smotrycz, who normally is a tough matchup for opposing power forwards due to his ability to step out, will see a lot of either Draymond Green (15.8 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 3.4 apg) or Branden Dawson (8.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg) when on offense.

But Green offers a unique matchup when the Spartans are on offense as well, as his versatility allows Tom Izzo to run a lot of their stuff through the senior in a role that could be described as a "point forward". This, combined with playing games, has helped young guards Keith Appling (12.9 ppg, 3.8 apg) and Travis Trice (5.8 ppg, 2.1 apg) grow into their roles in the backcourt. Add in Valparaiso transfer Brandon Wood (10.1 ppg, 2.4 apg) and the Spartans have a core trio of guards that have improved a great deal since those losses to North Carolina and Duke to start the season.

They're in for a serious test in Ann Arbor as freshman Trey Burke (14.3 ppg, 4.9 apg, 3.6 rpg) and junior Tim Hardaway Jr. (15.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.6 apg) rank among the best backcourts in the Big Ten. Burke's been one of the best freshmen in the country, especially when considering his role as the point guard, and Hardaway Jr. has continued to develop as a primary scoring option. That's been a big reason as to why the Wolverines have been able to account for the early departure of Darius Morris, who was a second-round draft pick last June.

If there's one stat to keep an eye on Tuesday night it's the rebounding margin because while Michigan State isn't dominant in this area they're far better than Michigan. The Spartans out-rebound their opponents by an average of 6.1 rebounds per game while the Wolverines are just below breaking even (minus-0.6). And that's due in large part to the number of perimeter shots they take as opposed to getting whipped on the offensive glass, as opponents have grabbed just 9.3 offensive rebounds per game.

Michigan State has rebounded 39.7% of their misses this season, and if the likes of Adriean Payne and Derrick Nix can help out Green and Dawson in this area it could be tough sledding for a Michigan team whose leading rebounders (Smotrycz and Jordan Morgan) average a combined 11.0 rebounds per game. Look for Michigan's rebounding and Michigan State's defense of the three (opponents shoot 30.2%) to ultimately decide the victor.

Also of note on Tuesday is an ACC tilt between Maryland and Florida State, as the Seminoles look to build on their win over North Carolina while the Terrapins need quality wins to work their way into the NCAA Tournament conversation. It's anyone's guess as to how the middle of the conference will shake out and these are two of the teams that can make a run for that final first-round bye slot come ACC Tournament time.

Terrell Stoglin ranks among the best guards in the ACC, but a concern for Mark Turgeon's young guards has been shot selection. They'll need to keep that under control in dealing with one of the league's best defenses, and the same goes for Florida State in the turnover department. It's no coincidence that Leonard Hamilton's team pulled away when they took better care of the basketball and Deividas Dulkys (32 points) got hot.

#2 Kentucky hosts Arkansas in a game that may not impress from a scoring margin standpoint as the Wildcats (on paper) are far superior to the Razorbacks. But it does offer viewers the opportunity to watch some of the SEC's best freshmen. Kentucky's crop is well-known at this point in the season, but in guard B.J. Young the Hogs have one of the conference's most prolific scorers. If Mike Anderson's team can harass Marquis Teague with their pressure this could be a more strenuous exercise for Kentucky than many anticipate.

There's also a big game in the Big South as defending conference tournament champ UNC Asheville hosts the reigning regular season champ in Coastal Carolina. J.P. Primm and Matt Dickey are arguably the best backcourt in the conference and Eddie Biedenbach's club currently leads the conference with a 7-0 record, but Cliff Ellis' Chnaticleers are just a game back at 6-1. With the regular season champion hosting the conference tournament semis and title game the outcome will go a long way in determining who gets that honor come March.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM Arkansas at (2) Kentucky (ESPN)
7:00 PM (9) Michigan State at (19) Michigan (ESPN)
7:00 PM (12) Georgetown at DePaul (ESPN2)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM UMBC at Hartford
7:00 PM Auburn at LSU (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Coastal Carolina at UNC-Asheville (ESPN3)
7:00 PM High Point at Radford
7:00 PM Toccoa Falls at Western Carolina
7:00 PM Campbell at Winthrop
8:00 PM North Dakota State at North Dakota
8:00 PM Texas Tech at Oklahoma (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Iowa at Purdue (BTN)
9:00 PM Maryland at Florida State (ESPNU)
10:00 PM Boise State at Colorado State (The Mtn)
10:00 PM Nebraska Omaha at Nevada
10:30 PM Cal State Bakersfield at Pacific

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other Notable Happenings

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

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

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

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

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

Quick Hitters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Three Notable Performances

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

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

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

Monday Recap: #10 Marquette, #12 Kansas Both Upset

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:18:10 -0800

What looked to be a routine post-finals Monday in college basketball turned out to be anything but as two ranked teams fell. #10 Marquette went on the road to take on an LSU team that much isn't expected of this season and found themselves in a dog fight. Averaging 81 points per game the Golden Eagles finished the game 22 points below their average in the 67-59 loss to the Tigers, with LSU making the required plays on both ends of the floor late.

Ralston Turner led the way with 22 points while Justin Hamilton (13 points, seven rebounds) and Storm Warren (10 points, six rebounds) also reached double figures and point guard Anthony Hickey added eight points, six assists and four steals. LSU very well could have allowed things to get out of hand from the start as Marquette rushed out to a 13-0 lead, but Trent Johnson's team didn't panic and they used defense to get back into the contest. Marquette shot 36.3% from the field and turned the ball over 15 times, and their bench was outscored 24-4 as well.

"We got hit in the face a little bit with that 13-0 run," said Johnson. "I thought those guys (senior reserves Malcolm White, Storm Warren and Chris Bass) came in and gave us a lot of energy. They competed their tails off and then we got back in the thing and found out that we can compete a little bit."

How often will Buzz Williams' team have to account for quiet nights from Vander Blue (four points, 1-4 FG), Junior Cadougan (six points, 3-10 FG) and Todd Mayo (two points, 0-5 FG)? Probably won't happen all that much, and when adding to that LSU's offensive efficiency of 103.1 despite turning the ball over on 28% of their possessions the makings for an upset are there. Jae Crowder (22 points) and Darius Johnson-Odom (16 points but six turnovers) led the way offensively for Marquette, and a positive they can take out of the game was the seven points and eight rebounds supplied by Davante Gardner.

Not as much luck for #12 Kansas, who trailed for much of the night in their 80-74 loss to Davidson in Kansas City. The big question for Bill Self's team in the aftermath of the defeat: outside of Thomas Robinson (21 points, 18 rebounds) where did the Jayhawks have a clear edge on the Wiildcats? Davidson turned the ball over 12 times in the first half yet still went into the break with a 33-32 lead as the Jayhawks shot just 39.8% from the field.

Bob McKillop's team would be even better in the second half taking care of the basketball, not turning it over once. Nik Cochran led four starters in double figures with 21 points and while Davidson didn't shoot well from the field (41.0%) they shot well from the foul line (19-25) while Kansas left points on the board in shooting 18-for-31. It's one thing to shoot poorly from the field, but leaving points at the charity stripe will more times than not come back to haunt you.

The Wildcats also outscored Kansas 33-18 from beyond the arc, with Cochran being the main marksman by knocking down four of five attempts. Kansas made a few threes late to stay in the game but it was too little too late, as Davidson put more effort as the game wore on in doubling Robinson inside. The Jayhawks simply couldn't get over the hump in front of a partisan crowd, and in the final minutes Davidson landed the critical blows needed to bounce back with a win following their blowout loss at Charlotte.

"I thought we came out in the second half and scored two baskets, which at least put us in the center ring for the rest of the half," remarked McKillop. "I thought our resiliency was a great statement about our team maturing and showing poise and taking a week of practice after a tough loss and really capitalizing on it."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Marshall beats Belmont by one in a thriller in Huntington.
The game of the night did not disappoint, with Marshall needing a missed Kerron Johnson layup as time expired to hang on for the 87-86 win. Damier Pitts (19 points, 11 assists) and Dennis Tinnon (24 points, ten rebounds) each posted double-doubles while DeAndre Kane led the way with 29 points for the Thundering Herd, who are now 8-2 and have the talent to challenge Memphis in Conference USA. Johnson led six Belmont players in double figures with 18 points, but despite the margin of defeat Rick Byrd's team will be able to point at second-chance points as the difference.

Marshall grabbed 14 offensive boards and outscored Belmont 23-7 in second-chance points, a margin that did more damage to the visitors than the 16-4 spread in fast-break points. The good news for the Bruins is that they'll get another shot at the Herd in ten days in Nashville, but if they can't rectify the issues on the boards between now and then the rematch will likely net the same result. As for Marshall this is another solid win for their resume, and if they can to C-USA play with an 11-2 record Bill Herrion's team would be a a nice spot in terms of a possible at-large berth.

2. No Gutierrez or Solomon? No problem for Cal, who blew out UCSB.
With forward Richard Solomon out for at least the next two games with a stress fracture in his left foot and guard Jorge Gutierrez falling ill, the Golden Bears were without two key cogs for their game against UCSB. With the Gauchos having one of the more potent perimeter attacks in James Nunnally and Orlando Johnson a loss at home was a distinct possiblity. But Justin Cobbs would have none of that talk, scoring a career-high 25 points (10-12 FG) and Allen Crabbe adding 19 in the Golden Bears' 70-50 victory.

Nunnally and Johnson combined to score just 19 points, making nine of twenty-five shots from the field and as a team UCSB made two of thirteen from beyond the arc (Cal finished 11-for-20). Freshman David Kravish replaced Solomon in the starting lineup, finishing with seven points, nine rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Kravish isn't needed to be a scorer as the Bears have enough weapons to take care of that department, but his ability to hit the glass and do the little things has been a factor in their 10-2 start. Next up for Cal is a tough non-conference game at UNLV this weekend before they begin Pac-12 play next week.

3. Denver does the job defensively in handing Wyoming their second loss.
There was the question of just how legit Larry Shyatt's Cowboys were as they boasted an 11-1 record going into Monday's game at Denver. But in the aftermath of the Pioneers' 57-46 win at Magness Arena the better conclusion to draw may be that Joe Scott's got a Sun Belt title contender on his hands. Denver attempted just 39 shots for the game but they outscored the Cowboys 27-3 from beyond the arc, and Chase Hallam scored 21 points in his third double-digit effort of the season.

Wyoming shot 37.2% from the field while making just one of thirteen from beyond the arc, and that difference proved costly as the Pioneers made six of nine from three in the second half. Hallam's a key figure for Denver if they're going to be right there with Middle Tennessee in the Sun Belt race. After averaging 12.5 points per game and shooting 46.2% from the field in 2010-11 Hallam's numbers have dropped significantly this season (7.8 ppg, 40.3% FG), and that will need to change in order to supplement the efforts of Brian Stafford and Chris Udofia. The hope for Denver is that Hallam's 21-point outing is a step in the right direction.

Quick Hitters

1. A third head coach stepped down on Monday, with Idaho State and Joe O'Brien parting ways. The Bengals are 2-8 on the season and O'Brien concludes his tenure at ISU with a record of 56-105. Assistant coach Deane Martin was named interim head coach.

2. North Carolina grabbed a staggering 72 rebounds in their 99-49 win over Nicholls State. The Colonels have to adjust to life without the graduated Anatoly Bose, and it's been a rough go as they dropped to 4-8 on the season. Three UNC players grabbed at least ten rebounds with two more grabbing at least seven, and as a team the Tar Heels finished with 31 offensive rebounds.

3. It might be time to speak of Creighton forward Doug McDermott the same way Bum Phillips used to speak of Earl Campbell when he coached the Houston Oilers. He might not be the best forward in the country but it doesn't take long to call roll, and McDermott put up 35 points (career-high) and seven rebounds in the Bluejays' 83-64 win at Tulsa.

4. Another forward moving in that direction is West Virginia forward Kevin Jones. Jones put up 25 points, 14 rebounds and two assists in the Mountaineers' 72-53 win over Tennessee Tech, and he's got six double-doubles in ten games.

5. Kudos to USF for proving this writer wrong with their 70-55 win over Cleveland State. Jawanza Poland made his return and scored 13 points off the bench while Cleveland State made just seven of twenty-six shots from beyond the arc in their second loss of the season. Good win for Stan Heath's club.

6. Two teams tied for first place in the Big South dropped non-conference road games on Monday night, as Campbell lost to UNC Wilmington 67-65 and Coastal Carolina was whipped 76-51 by East Carolina. The Chanticleers made just three of twenty-one shots from three in their loss at ECU while Matt Wilson's tip-in with 1.4 seconds remaining spelled doom for the Camels.

7. Welcome back, Darnell Dodson. His three-pointer as time expired gave Southern Miss a 64-61 win at Arizona State in what turned out to be a wild affair. Well before the Golden Eagles blew a nine-point lead in the final minute USM's Torye Pelham and ASU's Ruslan Pateev were ejected for fighting, and LaShay Page scored all 14 of his points in the second half.

8. What's more surprising about USC's 83-59 beating of TCU: that they scored 83 points or that they got college basketball's "iron man" Maurice Jones four minutes of rest? Jones, who leads the nation in minutes per game, led four Trojans in double figures with 25 points and USC shot 50.9% from the field. That "extra" rest could come into play on Thursday night as USC hosts Kansas.

9. The Basketball Hall of Fame released its first list of candidates for the Cousy Award on Monday, and two names are missing from the list: Saint Mary's Matthew Dellavedova and Missouri's Phil Pressey.

Four Notable Performances

1. F Kevin Jones (West Virginia)
25 points, 14 rebounds and two assists in the Mountaineers' 72-53 win over Tennessee Tech.

2. F Doug McDermott (Creighton)
Career-high 35 points and seven rebounds in the Bluejays' 83-64 win over Tulsa.

3. F Thomas Robinson (Kansas)
21 points and 18 rebounds in the Jayhawks' 80-74 loss to Davidson.

4. C Meyers Leonard (Illinois)
19 points, 16 rebounds and two assists in the Fighting Illini's 64-60 win over Cornell.