Iowa

Northwestern and USF Stumble Late: Thursday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 06:16:19 -0800

It was a tough day for bubble teams in the Pac-12 as both Washington and Oregon fell in the quarterfinals.

1. Also stumbling on Thursday were Northwestern and USF, with the former being in far greater trouble at this point.
Northwestern University has never made the NCAA tournament, and with their 75-68 overtime loss to Minnesota in the first round of the Big Ten tournament that could very well remain the case after Sunday. In each of the last two seasons there seems to be a moment where Bill Carmody's team needs to make one play, be it a score or a defensive stop, to get the job done but the Wildcats simply can't. The problem against Minnesota: they couldn't shoot inside of the arc.

Both teams finished the game 11-for-26 from beyond the arc, but the Wildcats squandered a 17-6 edge from the foul line (points) by making just nine of their thirty-one shots from two (29%). John Shurna scored 21 points on the afternoon but made just two of eight two-point shots, and Drew Crawford did the same while scoring just eight. If not for JerShon Cobb putting up 24 points and eight rebounds, there likely would not have been an overtime period to play.

As for USF, while many can argue with the aesthetics you really can't argue with the results, as Stan Heath's Bulls have won 13 conference games when adding their second round win over Villanova. But against a team that also plays a deliberate brand of basketball USF was unable to pick up the signature win they needed, falling to Notre Dame 57-53 in overtime in the final game of the night in the Big East Championship. Stan Heath's team looked to be in good shape late in regulation, but stunning decisions lef the door for the Irish, and USF's execution on their final possessions of overtime provided a fitting ending for a frustrating night. But unlike Northwestern the Bulls were able to win a game in their conference tournament, so they have that going for them at least.

2. Texas was one team that took advantage of their opportunity as they beat Iowa State.
It seemed to take a while on Thursday to find a team that truly took advantage of its opportunity to make a statement to the selection committee, but Rick Barnes' Longhorns didn't disappoint in the final game of the night at the Big 12 tournament. After shooting 26.3% from the field in the first half Texas shot 50% in the second, scoring 46 points to beat three-seed Iowa State 71-65 to advance to the Big 12 semis. Texas shot 54% from two and got to the foul line at a higher rate, knocking down 14 of their 17 attempts while the Cyclones could manage just four attempts.

J'Covan Brown led the way with 23 points and five rebounds while Myck Kabongo added 11 and five assists with no turnovers, and Clint Chapman was solid on both ends of the floor with ten points and eight rebounds while also helping defend Royce White. Texas should feel good about their NCAA hopes but there is the matchup with Missouri on Friday night, and a win there would provide a nice boost to their seeding as well.

3. Indiana beats Penn State but they may have lost Verdell Jones III for the remainder of the season.
Tom Crean's Hoosiers knocked off Penn State 75-58 in a Big Ten tournament game, out-rebounding the Nittany Lions 45-29 to make up for shooting just 36.5% from the field. But it may have been a Phyrric victory, as senior guard Verdell Jones III went down with that was reported to be a sprained knee during the first half. More tests will be done on Friday, but when an injury occurs like Jones' (non-contact) there isn't a very positive outlook.

Head coach Tom Crean was near tears when discussing the injury in postgame interviews, and it's easy to see why. Jones III was one of the guys who was there with Crean from the start, going through the horrible 6-25 campaign and the tough process of bringing Indiana basketball back to this point. Do the Hoosiers have the depth needed to make up for Jones' loss if he can't go in the NCAA tournament? They do, and this likely means more minutes for a Will Sheehy, but it's deeper than that. For all the work Verdell Jones III put into the program it would be fitting that he's on the floor in the Big Dance. Sadly, that may not happen.

Quick Hitters

1. One more team was added to the NIT field on Thursday night as the regular season champ in the Southland, UT Arlington, fell 92-72 to McNeese State. The defense let the Mavs down as McNeese State shot 54.2% from the field and knocked down 11 of 24 three-point shots to ensure the win.

2. Also of note in New York was Syracuse's 58-55 win over Connecticut, and for a team that's had so many answers this season the Orange found another on Thursday. James Southerland scored ten points off the bench and Scoop Jardine 18 as Syracuse advanced to Friday's quarterfinal.

3. Two players their respective teams will need to step up in the Big Dance did just that in the Big 12 quarterfinals, as Perry Jones III put up a double-double (31 points, 11 rebounds) in Baylor's 82-74 win over Kansas State. As for the other player that would be none other than Kansas' Elijah Johnson, as he scored 26 points in the Jayhawks' 83-66 win over Texas A&M.

4. Iowa may have brought an end to the Bruce Weber era in Champaign, beating Illinois 64-61 in the first game of the day at the Big Ten tournament. Matt Gatens paced the Hawkeyes with so 20 points and Aaron White added 13 and nine rebounds off the bench. In fact it was announced that Weber will not be retained as head coach on Friday morning.

5. The game of the day may not have been artistic by any means, but that's of little concern for a Marshall team that outlasted Tulsa 105-100 in triple overtime. DeAndre Kane led all scorers with 40 points, and it would come as no surprise if the Herd were to reach Saturday's title game.

6. Cal State Fullerton picked arguably the worst time of the season to have their three-point shot to betray them. In the Titans' 65-59 loss to UC Irvine the Titans shot 5-for-20 from three while the Mustangs shot 10-for-22 from beyong the arc. Chris McNealy led the way with 24 points.

7. ACC bubble teams NC State and Miami took care of business on Thursday night, beating Boston College and Georgia Tech respectively to advance to the quarterfinals. Next up for the Wolfpack is four-seed Virginia, while the Hurricanes take on Florida State in the day's final quarterfinal.

8. It wasn't the prettiest shot but all that matters is the end result, as Jamaal Franklin's three as time expired gave San Diego State a 65-62 win over Boise State in a Mountain West quarterfinal. The top four seeds all advanced and that includes Colorado State, who beat TCU 81-60 and should be safely in the NCAA tournament field at this point.

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

Bracketology: Remaining Teams That Can Steal Bids

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 19:55:54 -0800

While bubble teams were able to breathe easier when Murray St and Creighton won close conference titles, the coast is not entirely clear.

Here's a brief look at the remaining teams most likely to "steal" bids from the bubble hopefuls**.

ACC

With UNC and Duke lurking, its hard to imagine a spoiler coming from the ACC, but you never know..

Clemson (16-14, 8-8, RPI #138)

The ACC might be down this year, but .500 in that league still counts for something. The Tigers would need to beat VT in the opening round and then steal one from Duke. Clemson only lost to Duke by 7 at Cameron.

Maryland (16-14, 6-10, RPI #110)

The Terps have an easy opening game against Wake Forest, and they'd they have to beat UNC in the quarterfinals.

Atlantic 10
While Temple and St Louis are locks, there is a ton of parity in the A10. All of these teams deserve more respect than they get nationally and are extremely dangerous in the A10 tournament.

Dayton (20-11, 9-7, #73)

Dayton cruised past GW in the opening round and now faces Xavier. While Xavier is more likely to get an at-large bid, both teams have similar resumes. The loser of that game will be eliminated from at-large contention.

La Salle (210-11, 9-7, #79)

La Salle beat a tough Richmond squad in the opening round and now faces Saint Louis. La Salle struggled against the Billikens earlier in the year, but does have a geographical advantage playing in Atlantic City.

St Bonaventure (17-11, 10-6, #95)

A dangerous squad, St Bonaventure faces bubble team Saint Joseph's Wednesday afternoon. The Bonnies have already beaten Saint Joe's and with Andrew Nicholson leading the way, no one wants to face them.

UMASS (21-10, 9-7, #87)

UMASS topped Duquesne Tuesday night, which sets up an afternoon game with #1 seed Temple. UMASS took Temple to OT a few weeks, so they're far from scared.

Big East

UCONN showed that its not impossible to run through the Big East Tournament from a Tuesday start.

Pittsburgh (17-15, 5-13, #98)

Perhaps there is a little bit of magic left from this preseason top 25 team that struggled mightily.

Big Ten
These 3 teams have had their moments during the season, and would need to go on epic runs to win the league.

Illinois (17-14, 6-12, #82)

As bad as Illinois has been, how many teams have beaten the likes of Michigan St, Ohio St, and Gonzaga. The Illini would need Brandon Paul to go off for 40 every game in Indy..

Iowa (16-15, 8-10, #131)

Iowa has been surprisingly competitive this year, and has beaten Wisconsin twice along with beating Michigan and Indiana. They face Illinois in round one, the winner could have great momentum going forward.

Minnesota (18-13, 6-12, #81)

Once considered a potential tourney team, Minnesota's season went south in a hurry. They face bubble team Northwestern in round one and could seriously hurt the Wildcats at-large hopes.

Conference USA

While the RPI suggests Memphis and Southern Miss are by far the class of this league, these teams certainly have to be feared. If not for the tournament being in Memphis, the odds of one of these teams stealing a bid would be even bigger.

UCF (21-9, 10-6, #64)

With an opening round by, the Knights would face the winner of UAB or Tulane in round two. UCF is a close loss or two away from being firmly in the NCAA Tournament field. With the exception of one bad showing at Memphis, UCF has been competitive in every CUSA game.

Marshall (18-12, 9-7, #66)

Like UCF, Marshall is a dangerous squad that could be looking at the NCAA's with a little more luck. As it is, they have a very favorable spot in the bracket, opening against SMU and then potentially facing Tulsa in the quarterfinals.

Tulsa (17-13, 10-6, #112)

Most wouldn't have guessed that Tulsa would earn the #3 seed in the CUSA Tournament.

UTEP (14-16, 7-9, #158)

A real darkhorse as a #8 seed, UTEP has beaten Memphis and Southern Miss this year, so you never what could happen if they got hot.

MWC
The MWC is a small league, so you only have to win 3 games to earn the title.

Wyoming (20-10, 6-8, #80)

The Cowboys face UNLV in the opening round, and have already beaten the Rebels. While they've struggled away from home, they can't be written off.

TCU (17-13, 7-7, #101)

TCU can ruin Colorado St's bubble hopes in the opening round. The two split their season series, and the game should be close.

Pac-12
The Pac-12 is a complete mess. Cal and Washington can't be considered locks and a ton of teams could potentially win the league title.

Arizona (21-10, 12-6, #77)

Arizona awaits the winner of UCLA/USC after getting a first round bye.

Colorado (19-11, 11-7, #83)

The #6 seed opens with lowly Utah. The Buffs aren't that much worse than anyone else in the league.

Stanford (20-10, 10-8, #97)

The only team in the league to beat a Top 50 opponent in non-conference play, Stanford has been playing better after slumping a few weeks back.

UCLA (18-13, 11-7, #118)

With the tournament in Los Angeles, and a favorable bracket, you certainly can't write off the Bruins.

SEC

Outside of Kentucky, the SEC is much more even than you might think. Teams like Florida and Vanderbilt are overrated, and 2nd seed Tennessee is not that great away from home. Kentucky might lose focus, and then the league is up for grabs.

Arkansas (18-13, 6-10, #100)

If the Hogs can get by LSU, they'd face Kentucky in the quarterfinals. If they could somehow beat UK..

LSU (17-13, 7-9, #89)

The same exact situation as Arkansas.

**I'll define the bubble as including the following teams:

BYU

California

Colorado St

Drexel

Miami

NC State

Northwestern

Ole Miss

Oregon

Saint Joseph's

Seton Hall

South Florida

Tennessee

Texas

UCONN

Washington

Xavier

+2012 NCAA Tournament

• Basketball Tournament Coverage

• Bracketology

• NCAA Tournament Bracket

• Bracket Contest

• 2012 Tournament Schedule

CHN's Bracket Contest

NITology: Iowa Making Move, Marshall Fading

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 09:10:34 -0800

Iowa and TCU join the fray, while Wyoming gets edged out in the latest 2012 NIT field. The field below is not who I think deserves to be in, but simply a prediction of what the committee would do as things stand today. NIT-Ology is released following CollegeHoops.net's weekly 2012 Bracketology update.

Notes on the NIT Field and NIT Bracketology: The NIT field is compose of 32 teams, including regular season champions that do not win their conference tournament. There is no way to predict how many regular season champions will lose their tournaments or which teams that might be. Thus, all that is listed here is the 24 most likely "at-large" teams.

For a statistical breakdown of NCAA Bubble teams, check out the weekly Bubble Watch.

Arrows indicate teams that made a major move since the previous week. New teams in green. Teams that are currently winning their conference tournament (and thus projected to be in the NCAA field) are not included.

First Out: South Florida, St. Joseph's, VCU, Dayton

Further Four: Tennessee, Oregon, Colorado St, NC State

NCAA BUBBLE: Last 5 In

West Virginia

Cincinnati

Mississippi St

Texas

Arizona (complete NCAA projection)

ONE

Tennessee

South Florida

St. Joseph's

NC State

TWO

Dayton

Colorado St

VCU

Oregon

THREE

Illinois

LSU

Colorado

Maryland

FOUR

Arkansas

Stanford

Iowa

UCF

FIVE

Ole Miss

Northern Iowa

New Mexico St

UMASS

SIX

Oklahoma St

Ohio

George Mason

TCU

SEVEN

?

?

?

?

EIGHT

?

?

?

?

First Out: Wyoming, Missouri St, South Dakota St, La Salle

Dropped Out of NIT Field: La Salle, Marshall, Missouri St, Pittsburgh, Wyoming

Bearcats Pick Up Needed Win: Thursday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 22:55:26 -0800

In the game of the night Duke rode the hot shooting of Andre Dawkins and the playmaking of Austin Rivers to avenge an earlier loss to Florida State, winning 74-66 in Tallahassee.

1. The game wasn't pretty but Cincinnati did enough to beat #17 Louisville.
It went without saying that Mick Cronin's Bearcats needed another good win for their resume due in large part to their weak non-conference slate. Their contest with #17 Louisville won't be a video that basketball purists eagerly throw into the DVD player but all that matters is the result, a 60-56 Bearcat victory to move to 10-5 in the Big East. Cashmere Wright rebounded from a second half ankle injury to lead Cincinnati with 22 points, five rebounds and five assists, and the Bearcats' superiority from beyond the arc proved to be the difference. Cincinnati made 11 of their 27 shots from deep while Louisville finished 1-for-14.

Peyton Siva scored 14 points and Gorgui Dieng and Chane Behanan scored 11 apiece (20 combined rebounds as well), but the struggles of Kyle Kuric and Chris Smith were critical. Those two combined to shoot 0-for-15 from the field with Kuric missing all seven of his three-point attempts, and Louisville can't win when that happens. There's more work for Cincinnati to do to make their Selection Sunday as stress-free as possible, but beating the Cardinals at home is a good start to the stretch run.

2. Likely needing a weekend sweep to enter the bubble conversation, Colorado gets whipped at home by Stanford.
With a 13-1 home record entering Thursday's action, Tad Boyle's Colorado Buffaloes had the look of a team that would enhance its NCAA prospects by winning at home against Stanford. But the Cardinal had other plans, as they jumped the Buffs in the first half on their way to the 74-50 victory. Chasson Randle scored 20 to lead the way offensively, and Johnny Dawkins' club was able to navigate 18 turnovers by limiting the Buffaloes to 29.6% shooting. Askia Booker led Colorado with 14 points, but a look at their resume depicts a team in need of a major run to reach the Big Dance. Andre Roberson (nine points, 11 rebounds) struggled, but he found other areas in which he could attempt to have an impact.

The same can't be said for guard Carlon Brown, who shot 1-for-8 from the field and has shot 6-for-28 over the last three games. As a result of Stanford's victory the Cardinal are back in the tournament discussion, but just ilke Colorado nothing other than the Pac-12's automatic berth will get them in at this point. Next up for Colorado is Cal on Sunday afternoon, and with a national audience watching that could be the Buffs' last stand. The hope in Boulder is that they find a way to avoid the slow start that has been their Achille's heal in recent weeks.

3. Gonzaga evens the score with BYU to keep alive their hopes of a 12th straight WCC title.
Elias Harris scored 19 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs to a 74-63 win over the Cougars, avenging their loss in Provo and moving into sole possession of second place in the WCC. Brandon Davies led BYU with 23 points and ten rebounds but it was obvious that BYU was missing something with Noah Hartsock (knee) sitting out the majority of the game due to his injury. The Cougars attempted 37 more field goals than Gonzaga (78-41) but they made just 30.8% of their shots, and making the same number of three-pointers as the Bulldogs (six) with fifteen more attempts (28-13) didn't help matters either.

Gonzaga turned the ball over 20 times but their parade to the foul line more than made up for that. Gonzaga attempted 44 free throws, making 36 and pushing the Bulldogs' total to 72 free throw attempts in two games against BYU. Gonzaga didn't have much of an answer for Davies in the post when he received the ball, but the Cougars had their issues in the second half as well. The win moves Gonzaga to second place with one league game remaining, which also means that the Bulldogs are still alive for their 12th consecutive WCC title.

Quick Hitters

1. Two more teams locked up postseason (NIT) berths on Thursday night: Belmont (Atlantic Sun) and LIU Brooklyn (Northeast). The Bruins whipped Kennesaw State 90-50 as Mick Hedgepeth and Scott Saunders scored 12 points apiece to lead four players in double figures. Jamal Olasewere scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Julian Boyd went off for 21 and 20 to lead LIU past Fairleigh Dickinson 91-80.

2. JaMychal Green didn't play but Alabama still found a way to pick up a key road win as they beat Arkansas 79-68. Andrew Steele scored 15 points and Trevor Releford 14 for the Crimson Tide, who also received 31 points from Rodney Cooper (17) and Nick Jacobs (14) off the bench. At 18-9 and 7-6 in the SEC, Anthony Grant's team will likely reach the Big Dance with a respectable finish to the regular season.

3. Long Beach State clinched a share of the Big West title and the top seed in the conference tournament, but they still aren't the outright champs...yet. Cal State Fullerton needed an Isiah Umipig three with 13 seconds remaining to beat Pacific 69-68, moving the Titans to 10-3 in league play. Fullerton is a game up on UCSB in the race for second with three games remaining for both.

4. It was the "Matt Gatens Show" in Iowa City, complete with a bobblehead given out to fans before the game, as Gatens led Iowa to a 67-66 win over #15 Wisconsin. Gatens scored a career-high 33 points, and the last player to do that against the Badgers was Stephen Curry ('08 Sweet 16).

5. Don't look now but Butler is a win away from locking up the two-seed in the upcoming Horizon League conference tournament. Brad Stevens' team won on Tuesday, and Cleveland State's 77-64 win over Detroit eliminates the possibility of the Titans winning a tiebreaker between the two. But locking up the seed will be tough, as the Bulldogs visit regular season champ Valparaiso on Friday night.

6. Isaiah Canaan scored 24 points and Donte Poole 16 to lead #12 Murray State to an 80-62 win over Tennessee State, the team responsible for the lone blemish on the Racers' record. Murray won despite being out-rebounded 33-22, but that tends to happen when a team shoots 56.5% from the field and 12-for-22 from three.

7. Also locking up a postseason berth on Thursday night was Middle Tennessee, who won 94-61 at Louisiana-Monroe to move to 14-1 in Sun Belt play. Kermit Davis' team assisted on 30 of their 35 field goals and 12 of the 15 Blue Raiders who played ended up scoring.

8. Thanks to 26 points and 14 rebounds from center Mike Muscala, Bucknell won 55-50 at American to clinch at least a share of the Patriot League title. The Bison entered Thursday's game on a two-game losing streak, which added some unexpected drama to the league race. Daniel Munoz led three Eagles in double figures with 15 points, and they now need a win and some help this weekend to wrestle away the two-seed from Lehigh.

Company/Product Review: Retro College Cuts

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:24:21 -0800

Just a few years ago the demand for throwback jerseys was impossible to ignore, with many flocking to stores in search of that item that would allow them to relive their "glory days" as a fan. But the wearing of tops has faded away somewhat, and the words of one Sean Carter in his song "What More Can I Say" may sum up why for many people.

"And I don't wear jerseys I'm 30-plus..."

So what's a college basketball fan to do if they want to travel back in time without the throwback jersey? The founders of the company Retro College Cuts have just the answer: throwback shorts. Founded in 2011 by a pair of former college basketball players, Retro College Cuts specializes in the selling of replicas of game shorts worn by some of the more famous teams in college basketball history.

According to one of the founders the NCAA merchandising market grosses anywhere from $4-$4.5 billion, but the shorts market only makes up about $50 million of that amount. But while there's certainly a market for replica game shorts, this business isn't solely about making money.

"It started with my own crazy interest and passion for college basketball," he noted in a phone conversation earlier this week when asked about the reason for beginning the company. "I'm a former college basketball player and my dad was a Division III coach."

That devotion and knowledge of college basketball is noticeable from the moment you visit the site, as a highlight montage featuring some of the top players and teams of yesteryear plays. Each of the fourteen shorts in the first "class" has a story, with a paragraph of information on that specific team accompanying the page where customers can buy the shorts of their choice. There's also a link to a YouTube video for each team, which helps bring back memories of the "glory days" that each short is made to represent.

One may ask why there are only fourteen teams represented at this point, and this was a question posed to the founder during our chat. There are three different governing bodies when it comes to applying for the rights to sell officially licensed collegiate apparel, and they need to be negotiated with separately. Retro College Cuts was able to procure those rights with two of them and are currently negotiating with the third, which will open up the possibility of additions being made to the "catalog" later this year.

Retro College Cuts isn't just about shorts either as they also sell select retro T-shirts. They also offer a "combo" deal where customers can purchase a shirt and a pair of shorts for $99, a price that includes membership in their VIP program (which gives a 10% off discount for life) and free shipping (a perk that normally isn't given unless $75 or more is spent in a transaction). And $1 of every purchase is donated to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, which is another positive.

But what about the quality of the short? Made in the USA, the shorts are made of a fabric blend that replicates the weight and quality of an actual game short. The shorts are comfortable and with a 22" outseam there's no concern of replicating the size of those old-school shorts (which is good from a personal pride standpoint). The graphics are digitally printed and as an officially licensed product there's isn't a concern of being duped into buying something that isn't legit. From personal experience I can tell you that the shorts, which run large, fit well and look good.

Retro College Cuts also has a few promotions running that you should take advantage of in addition to checking out the gear. Twitter is utilized on both Tuesdays and Thursdays, with the "TIXonTUESDAY" promotion giving Twitter followers the chance to win a pair of college basketball tickets. The possible reward for "ThrowbackThursday" is either a retro t-shirt or a pair of replica game shorts. The "cost" of entry: just a simple follow of their Twitter account and a retweet of the message that they send out.

Lastly there's the contest that the founders are running, which closes on February 24th with a prize that the college hoops fan would definitely appreciate: an all-expenses paid trip for two (the winner and a guest of their choice) to Las Vegas for the first weekend of the NCAA tournament. The prize includes a three-day stay at The Hotel boutique and round-trip airfare, and with Vegas being what it is on that weekend the experience would be a phenomenal one.

Retro College Cuts is a new company that should meet the demand of college basketball fans hoping for a way to relive some of their favorite moments from back in the day in a fashion beyond searching the web for grainy video footage. The shorts certainly won't turn you into a Mark Jackson, Larry Johnson or Xavier McDaniel (our phone chat included the founder saying that the Wichita State design was his favorite) once you put them on, but they'll allow you to think back on their exploits and smile.

Saturday Recap: Northwestern, Florida State Pick Up Important Wins

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 21:07:05 -0800

There weren't many opportunities to watch ranked teams play each other (there was just one, which is discussed below), but Saturday's slate provided many teams the chance to improve their resumes. Florida State and Northwestern took full advantage of their opportunities as they both knocked off Top 10 opponents at home, albeit in different ways.

While #6 Michigan State put up a fight in losing to Northwestern 81-74 in Evanston, #3 North Carolina offered no such challenge for Florida State in Tallahassee. Deividas Dulkys, who entered the game averaging 6.2 points per game, went off to the tune of 32 points (8-10 3PT) in the 90-57 beating.

Roy Williams' team went into the locker room at the half down just eight points at 36-28, but the Tar Heels didn't look like a team that wanted to fight back in the second half. Entering the game Florida State was the worst team in the ACC when it came to taking care of the basketball, but it was North Carolina that turned the ball over 22 times on Saturday with Kendall Marshall tallying seven.

FSU did turn the ball over 17 times but six of those belonged to Luke Loucks, and all six came in the first half. Leonard Hamilton's team didn't shoot better in the second half (47.1% to 50.0% in the first), but they took better care of the basketball (six turnovers). And combining that with their defense (33.3% FG allowed) meant bad things for the visitors from Chapel Hill.

"I think it was a team effort just defending their system," said Hamilton when asked of how they limited Tyler Zeller (14 points, 14 rebounds) and John Henson (ten points, three rebounds). "You just try to limit the clean looks they get and make them work for whatever they get."

As for Northwestern, they received help from the supporting cast and that was a big reason why the Wildcats were able to beat Michigan State. John Shurna (22 points) and Drew Crawford (20 points) did what they normally do, but Davide Curletti and Reggie Hearn (10 points) also reached double figures. As a team the Wildcats shot 50.0% from the field and assisted on 20 of 26 made field goals with just seven turnovers.

Bill Carmody's team also played well defensively in the second half, limiting Michigan State to 34.4% shooting overall and 7-for-21 on two-point shots. Michigan State scored 37 points in both halves, but the drop in their accuracy on two-point shots (61.5%) and efficiency helped Northwestern take control of the game and eventually push their lead out to 12 (69-57) with 6:45 remaining.

Keith Appling scored 17 points and Draymond Green 14, but they were the only two Spartans to reach double figures. Both Northwestern and Florida State were "out of character" in their victories on Saturday, with the Seminoles taking better care of the basketball and the Wildcats getting scoring from guys other than their two primary options. But the wins aren't going to mean much if they can't build on the outcomes and continue to improve.

"In order for this game to be meaningful we need to continue to stacking on these types of games," remarked Hamilton. Can't say it any better than that.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Jamaal Franklin's runner in the final seconds pushes #22 San Diego State past #12 UNLV.
The lone contest on the schedule matching ranked teams was also the Mountain West opener for both the Aztecs and Runnin' Rebels, and they gave the fans either at Viejas Arena or watching on TV a treat. Jamaal Franklin, who had to leave the game with 1:01 remaining after injuring his ankle, returned to the floor 30 seconds later and provided the winning points for San Diego State.

Franklin's driving bucket with three-tenths of a second remaining was the difference in the Aztecs' 69-67 win over UNLV, who remained within striking distance thanks in large part to their work on the offensive glass. UNLV grabbed 19 offensive rebounds, leading to ten second-chance points.

Franklin was outstanding despite some early issues with rushed shots, finishing with 24 points and ten rebounds. But he wasn't the only key contributor for Steve Fisher's team, as James Rahon scored 22 points and Chase Tapley 11. Anthony Marshall led UNLV with 26 points, but he was the Runnin' Rebels' lone double figure scorer as SDSU did a solid job of defending the likes of Chace Stanback (3-9 FG, seven points) and Mike Moser (3-11 FG, nine points, 11 rebounds).

UNLV entered the game averaging more than 18 assists per game but they finished with just nine, and the foul line didn't help matters either. UNLV made 11 of 21 from the charity stripe while SDSU knocked down 16 of 20, and leaving points at the foul line is one of the easiest ways to lose a close contest. With New Mexico getting their shot at both teams next week (SDSU in Albuquerque on Wednesday, at UNLV on Saturday) there isn't much time to rest on this outcome, but at the very least San Diego State held serve at home.

2. Oregon hangs on the beat Arizona, pulling off the road sweep of the Arizona schools for the first time in 34 years.
Dana Altman's team entered Saturday's game in Tucson needing a win to remain a game out of first place in the loss column, but to say the least history was not on their side as they hadn't beaten both Arizona and Arizona State on the road in the same season in 34 years. But thanks to a balanced offensive effort (four players scored either 12 or 13 points) the Ducks made program history in winning 59-57 despite blowing a 17-point lead. The Wildcats had two chances in the waning moments to either tie or win the game but couldn't make either shot, and quiet afternoons from Jesse Perry (2-4 FG, eight points) and Kyle Fogg (1-9 FG, five points) didn't help matters either.

Arizona's had trouble with bigger teams this season, and that was no different with the Ducks having Tony Woods and Olu Ashaolu to pester Perry inside. Does Oregon have enough to contend for the Pac-12 crown? The addition of guard Devoe Joseph is one reason why, and E.J. Singler has played well for much of the season. In a wide-open league the teams that can pull off road sweeps will likely have the best chance of winning the title. This is a big weekend for Oregon from a historical standpoint, but how big it is this season depends on whether or not they can build on the positive momentum.

3. Kentucky makes the plays they needed to make late to win at Tennessee.
Cuonzo Martin welcomed freshman Jarnell Stokes (nine points, four rebounds) into the fold on Saturday, and while he still has a way to go with regards to both conditioning and understanding the system there's no denying Stokes' talent. In spite of a fired up crowd at Thompson-Boling Arena and a team that refused to lie down, Kentucky found a way to leave Knoxville with a win thanks in large part to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. It's become obvious that the freshman is Kentucky's leader and he once again made the "winning plays" needed to close teams out, finishing with 17 points, 12 rebounds and three steals in the 65-62 win.

Anthony Davis added 18 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots and Terrence Jones ten points as Kentucky won their second conference road game of the season. That matches their total from all of last season, which should be a good sign for John Calipari's young team. Cameron Tatum led Tennessee with 16 points and Jeronne Maymon added 15 and ten rebounds, but the Volunteers couldn't overcome Kentucky's seven-point edge (21-14) at the foul line. Tennessee gave Kentucky everything they wanted and will get better as the season wears on, but a team with a glue guy the caliber of Kidd-Gilchrist is tough to beat.

4. Weber State makes quite the statement in whipping Montana to take sole possession of first place in the Big Sky.
The second-biggest game of the day out west took place in the Big Sky, with Montana and Weber State being the lone remaining undefeated teams in the conference. But with the return of two key cogs in the attack, Randy Rahe's Wildcats made a statement in their 80-64 win over the Grizzlies in Ogden. Damian Lillard (21 points) and Scott Bamforth (15 points) are names known by most college basketball fans, but what about Frank Otis and Gelaun Wheelwright? Otis, who like Kyle Bullinger missed multiple games due to injury, sparked a Weber State run from the eight-minute mark of the first half that resulted in a 49-36 halftime lead.

Both he and Wheelwright finished with seven points and Kyle Tresnak scored 12 as the Wildcats proved to be too much for Montana on both ends of the floor. Montana shot just 35.7% in the first half and 38.5% for the game as their six-game win streak came to an end. There's a lot of basketball to be played before Wayne Tinkle's team gets another shot at Weber State (the regular season finale for both on February 28th), but Weber State's performance on Saturday night clearly makes them the team to beat.

5. Oklahoma picks up a much-needed win, knocking off #18 Kansas State in Norman.
There aren't many teams that are going to beat Missouri and Kansas period, much less in back-to-back games, so there wasn't much shame in falling to those teams as Lon Kruger's Sooners did to start Big 12 play. But to lose at Oklahoma State on Monday night to fall to 0-3 made Saturday's game against #18 Kansas State even more important, and the Sooners rose to the challenge as they won 82-73 in Norman. Andrew Fitzgerald scored 21 points and Steven Pledger and Romero Osby scored 18 apiece for Oklahoma, who shot 70.0% from the field in the second half to maintain the nine-point spread they built in the first half.

Kansas State shot just 33.3% from the field in the first half and trailed 38-29 at the break, and a big problem for them was the lack of productivity from their starters other than Rodney McGruder (19 points, ten rebounds) and Will Spradling (11 points). The other three starters combined to score just ten points with nine coming from Jamar Samuels, and while Nino Williams and Jeremy Jones scored 12 apiece off the bench it wasn't enough as the Wildcats were unable to get stops in the second half. Whether or not the Sooners can make a run at a tournament bid remains to be seen and it will be tough since the Big 12 is now a true round-robin, but at the least they needed a win Saturday and they got one.

Quick Hitters

1. While neither team won on Saturday, both Pittsburgh and Villanova played far better than they did on Wednesday in losses to Rutgers and Syracuse respectively. The Panthers fell at #24 Marquette 62-57, but the move to put Isaiah Epps in the starting lineup at the point served as a boost for Ashton Gibbs (29 points). As for Villanova, Maalik Wayns (39 points, 13 rebounds, six assists) was outstanding but it wasn't enough in an 82-78 loss at Cincinnati. Whether or not these two can play their way into NCAA Tournament consideration remains to be seen, but at the least they've shown signs of life. That wasn't the case on Wednesday.

2. There may not have been a more impressive bounce-back from a bad outing earlier in the week than what Iowa was able to do, as they beat #13 Michigan 75-59 in Iowa City following a 95-61 loss at Michigan State on Wednesday. Matt Gatens led four Hawkeyes in double figures with 19 points and Fran McCaffery's team assisted on 18 of their 25 made baskets. It also didn't hurt to have Michigan shoot 8-for-31 from beyond the arc.

3. Good luck attempting to handicap the Atlantic 10 race, but unlike the Pac-12 that action would be to sift through quality options as opposed to detritus. Xavier looks to be back to their normal selves as they beat St. Bonaventure 77-64 at home, and Saint Louis was finally able to win a close game as they won 68-67 at Charlotte. But Temple and Saint Joseph's weren't as fortunate, falling to Richmond (76-65) and a surprising UMass (71-62) respectively. This is going to be a fun race to watch unfold.

4. Another non-BCS race to keep an eye on is the NEC, which currently has one undefeated team (LIU Brooklyn at 6-0), three teams at 5-1 (CCSU, St. Francis (NY) and Wagner) and Robert Morris sits a game behind those teams at 4-2. Dan Hurley's Seahawks beat CCSU 67-58 at home despite 21 turnovers, moving their win streak to seven games (Wagner hadn't done that since the 1979-80 season) thanks in large part to their defense (19 TOs forced, 38.8% FG allowed). Jonathon Williams led Wagner with 18 points while CCSU was paced by Robby Ptacek, who finished with 26.

5. The three remaining undefeated teams (Baylor, Murray State and Syracuse) all won on Saturday afternoon, with the Bears and Orange both blowing out overmatched opponents (Baylor beat Oklahoma State 106-65 while Syracuse beat Providence (without the suspended Vincent Council) 78-55). Murray State dealt with a stiffer challenge, beating Tennessee Tech 82-74 thanks in large part to a combined 52 points from guards Donte Poole (28) and Isaiah Canaan (24). With Ivan Aska out for the next month or so while his broken hand heals, the Racers are going to need more from their frontcourt to remain atop the OVC.

6. Zeke Marshall (17 points, six rebounds) became the 8th player in MAC history to block at least 200 shots in a career, but the biggest reason for Akron's 68-63 win over Ohio was the production of their bench. Nick Harney and Brett McClanahan scored 10 points apiece and the Zips' reserves outscored Ohio's 31-18. Keith Dambrot's team moved to 3-0 in league play and there's little doubt that Akron has the tools needed to return to the NCAA Tournament.

7. Arnett Moultrie won the individual matchup between he and JaMychal Green, scoring 25 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, and as a result #20 Mississippi State beat Alabama 53-50 in Starkville. Dee Bost added 17, and it should be seen as a good sign for Rick Stansbury's team that they found a way to win with starters Rodney Hood and Jalen Steele combining to shoot 0-for-11 from the field.

8. Despite Shabazz Napier's foot still bothering him and guard Ryan Boatright being held out due to eligibility concerns, #16 Connecticut ended Notre Dame's 29-game home win streak with a 67-53 win. Napier scored a team-high 16 points, Alex Oriakhi had arguably his best game of the season (12 points, seven rebounds) and Andre Drummond posted another double-double (10 points, 13 rebounds) to make up for Jeremy Lamb scoring just six points. Eric Atkins scored 20 but Notre Dame made just 32.3% of their shots on the day.

9. Early pick for Ivy League Player of the Year? Has to be Penn guard Zack Rosen, who scored 18 points and dished out five assists (five steals as well) in the Quakers' 64-52 win at Cornell. Penn's off to a 2-0 start in conference play, and while there's quite the gulf between Harvard and the rest of the league Rosen and Tyler Bernardini (18 points, eight rebounds) are two reasons why Jerome Allen's team may be their biggest threat.

10. Bob McKillop's Davidson squad took control of the South Division of the SoCon with their 83-79 win at Appalachian State, moving to 6-0 in league play. Jake Cohen scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds and De'Mon Brooks scored seven straight during a 10-0 run to move the Wildcats to 12-4 overall. And with Georgia Southern losing at Wofford, Davidson is two games up on the second place Eagles.

Five Notable Performances

1. G Maalik Wayns (Villanova)
39 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in the Wildcats' 82-78 loss at Cincinnati.

2. G Deividas Dulkys (Florida State)
32 points (8-10 3PT) and four assists in the Seminoles' 90-57 pasting of #3 North Carolina.

3. C Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State) and F Dewayne Jackson (Morgan State)
In Norfolk State's 90-89 double overtime win O'Quinn posted a line of 25 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks while Jackson led the Bears with 33 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.

4. G J'Covan Brown (Texas)
34 points (10-16 FG), four rebounds and two assists in the Longhorns' 84-73 loss at #9 Missouri.

5. F T.J. Robinson (Long Beach State)
14 points and 19 rebounds in the 49ers' 76-66 win over Pacific, Long Beach State's 17th straight win at home.

Tuesday Recap: Paul Leads Illinois Past Ohio State

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:41:56 -0800

The matchup between Ohio State and Illinois was anticipated by many for the individual matchup between the Buckeyes' Jared Sullinger and Illinois' Meyers Leonard. Then there was the ceremony honoring Lou Henson, the all-time winningest coach in Illinois history. But few people expected Brandon Paul to end up being the center of attention, which is exactly what happened in the Fighting Illini's 79-74 win at Assembly Hall.

Palu scored a career-high 43 points, making 11 of his 15 shots from the field (8-10 3PT) and 13 of 15 from the charity stripe to lead Bruce Weber's squad to the win. But it wasn't all about the points for Paul, as he contributed in other areas as well. Paul also led the team in rebounds (eight) and blocked shots (four), more than making up for his game-high seven turnovers. Wehn you've got it rolling like Paul did on this night, the mistakes tend to fade into the background.

"I was laughing a couple times. After the first couple threes, I just said I was going to keep shooting," remarked Paul. "That's the mindset that I've got to have."

Paul's offensive explosion was essentially the difference in the game as both teams finished with four starters reaching double figures and zero points from their respective benches. Deshaun Thomas (23 points, six rebounds) and Sullinger (21 points, five rebounds and three steals) led Ohio State offensively, but Sullinger was also their best three-point shooter as he made both of his attempts.

The rest of the team made just three of thirteen from beyond the arc and with Paul shooting the way he was, Thad Matta's team found itself in trouble throughout much of the second half. Shooting 60% from the field and 61% from three can cure a lot of ills, as it did for the Illini as they turned the ball over 18 times. It also didn't hurt Illinois to have a plus-7 advantage in points from the foul line (14-7), with Sullinger not attempting his lone free throws of the night until late in the game.

All things considered Leonard did a good job in his individual matchup with Sullinger, scoring 14 points and grabbing five rebounds in 38 minutes of action. But Tuesday night was all about the guard who got hot early and stayed so throughout. Even switching Aaron Craft, one of the best defenders in the country, onto Paul did the visitors from Columbus any good. Sometimes guys just have one of those nights, and that was exactly the case for Brandon Paul.

Other Notable Happenings

1. If you haven't given Baylor their due by now, this would be a good time to do so.
For whatever reason, Scott Drew's Baylor Bears haven't been discussed in the same realm as teams such as Syracuse, North Carolina, Kentucky and Ohio State despite owning some impressive wins to date. But after the Bears made the winning plays they needed to make late in their 75-73 win at #18 Kansas State, it's time for the nation to put the Bears in that company when discussing teams that can not only get to the Final Four but win the national title. Perry Jones III led four players in double figures with 17 points and eight rebounds while two other players (A.J. Walton and Quincy Miller) scored eight and nine points, respectively.

By the four minute mark of the second half five Baylor players had four fouls, but none fouled out and it was one of those players who stepped up big in crunch time. Quincy Acy, who played just 24 minutes due to foul trouble, scored a basket and then stole a pass on Kansas State's ensuing possession to give the Bears a 73-71 lead with 3:14 remaining. The Bears wouldn't trail again, and it was Acy's deflection of a pass in the final seconds that preserved the victory. Rodney McGruder led K-State with 30 points but their mistakes late opened the door for the Bears, and the visitors took advantage.

2. Providence honors the '87 Final Four team and blows out Louisville for their first league win.
It seems as if every time Rick Pitino brings a team to Providence his 1987 squad that reached the Final Four is being honored. After Tuesday night however, he may look to no longer be involved in such ceremonies at The Dunk. Louisville didn't look ready for a street fight from the start, and that's a bad way to enter a game when playing a team desperate for its first league win. Bryce Cotton and Kadeem Batts scored 27 points apiece as the Friars more than made up for the absence of Gerard Coleman (back injury), beating the Cardinals 90-59 to give Ed Cooley his first Big East victory.

Louisville couldn't turn over the Friars as point guard Vincent Council was the consummate floor general with 15 points, 14 assists and just two turnovers, and from there things really got out of hand for the visitors. It's been known that Peyton Siva and the rest of the Cardinals have a hard time scoring when they're unable to get out and run off of turnovers. And until that changes results like this remain a possibility as they encounter league opponents who can take care of the basketball. Hindsight is 20/20, but it looks as if those who felt that the Cardinals were overrated when they reached the Top 5 were ahead of the curve.

3. Northern Iowa forced Antoine Young to make plays, and he did as Creighton kept pace atop the MVC.
UNI needed a win in Omaha to remain within striking distance of the top of the Missouri Valley thanks to their losses to Illinois State and Evansville, with the latter coming at home. But due to two defensive moves the Panthers left town with a 2-3 record as they fell to the Bluejays 63-60. Ben Jacobson's squad essentially dared Creighton guard Antoine Young to make them pay offensively, and he did just that with a game-high 21 points. On the other hand Greg McDermott and his staff made the defensive move that may have won the game, placing more emphasis on limiting Marc Sonnen's perimeter looks.

Sonnen scored 15 points in the first half as he made all five of his three-point attempts. Sonnen finished the game with 15 points, and without his shooting the Panthers sputtered offensively. UNI shot 33.3% from the field and 28.6% from three in the second half, a far cry from their first half numbers of 42.3% and 66.7%. In addition to Young, Creighton received some big plays from Grant Gibbs (ten points) and Doug McDermott (14 points, eight rebounds) in addition to 11 rebounds from Gregory Echenique.

Quick Hitters

1. Playing their first game as a ranked team in 11 years, Seton Hall used a 17-1 second half run to put away DePaul 94-73. Fuquan Edwin scored a career-high 28 points to go along with nine rebounds, and point guard Jordan Theodore finished with 26 and 11 assists. Theodore's play this season has been outstanding, so much so that he has to be considered for Big East Player of the Year. Makes you wonder what the Cousy Award committee was thinking when they left Theodore off the list of 20 finalists for the award.

2. After winning consecutive conference road games at Wisconsin and Minnesota, Iowa has found out the hard way that they've still got some distance to travel before becoming a factor in the Big Ten. Michigan State whipped the Hawkeyes 95-61 in East Lansing, and in their last two games Iowa has lost by a combined 63 points.

3. Bernard James put forth an impressive performance for Florida State, scoring 18 points and grabbing 15 rebounds in the Seminoles' 63-59 win at Virginia Tech. James also blocked three shots and Ian Miller scored 15 off the bench as FSU picked up a much-needed win on the heels of their embarassing effort at Clemson.

4. An Atlantic 10 team to keep an eye on over the next two months: La Salle. The Explorers have won 11 of their last 12 games, beating Big 5 rival Penn 68-57 at The Palestra on Tuesday night. Point guard Tyreek Duren scored 21 points and dished out six assists while Earl Pettis added 18. The key for Dr. John Giannini's team, whose guards can play with anyone in the A-10, will be how they deal with bigger teams in league play.

5. Washington made things far more difficult than they needed to be in beating Seattle 91-83, but then again is anything expected to be "easy" for the Pac-12 this season? C.J. Wilcox scored a team-high 25 points off the bench while Tony Wroten scored 24 for the Huskies, who are off until Sunday's matchup with in-state rival Washington State.

6. Missouri State and Wichita State both took care of business at home to remain tied with Creighton atop the MVC standings, with the Bears beating Southern Illinois and Wichita State holding off Illinois State. And in Kyle Weems (MSU) and Joe Ragland (WSU), these two teams have players who can go off on a moment's notice if teams don't limit their looks.

7. Harvard avoided what would have been a catastrophic loss with regards to a possible at-large berth (should they need it) as they beat Monmouth 70-61. Keith Wright led the way with 18 points and 15 rebounds for the Crimson, who play George Washington before heading back into Ivy League play.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Brandon Paul (Illinois)
43 points (11-15 FG, 8-10 3PT), eight rebounds, four blocks, two assists and two steals in the Fighting Illini's 79-74 win over #5 Ohio State.

2. F Fuquan Edwin and G Jordan Theodore (Seton Hall)
The old Paterson Catholic teammates led the way for the Pirates in their 94-73 win over DePaul. Edwin scored a career-high 28 points and grabbed nine rebounds while Theodore added 26 and 11 assists.

3. F Kadeem Batts (Providence)
Batts, who was suspended for the fall semester, was one of the key figures in the Friars' 90-59 win over #15 Louisville. Batts scored 27 points, grabbed ten rebounds and blocked three shots in helping lead the Friars to their first Big East win under head coach Ed Cooley.

Wednesday Recap: Temple Knocks Off #3 Duke

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:04:51 -0800

The question asked going into Temple's matchup with #3 Duke was whether or not they would be able to take care of business in the paint with the injured Micheal Eric still out. But by the end of the contest it was apparent that wasn't the biggest issue to be addressed for either team as the Owls won 78-73.

Temple relies heavily on their guards for offense, and Duke didn't have the answers for Fran Dunphy's perimeter players on either end of the floor. Khalif Wyatt led Temple with 22 points, Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson added 17 and three other players scored 11 points in leading the program to their first win over Duke since 1996 (nine meetings).

"I think there was only one way we could win, and that is to manage the game and have those three guys [in control]," said Temple head coach Fran Dunphy of Moore, Wyatt and Juan Fernandez. "And they're pretty good basketball players and they're going to be able to make good decisions with the ball."

Rebounding wasn't a concern for the Owls either as they out-rebounded Duke 32-29. Temple did turn the ball over 17 times in the win, but the Owls also forced 16 Duke turnovers with eleven coming by way of a steal. Duke's guards had a rough time on both ends of the floor, but the more glaring issue for the Blue Devils came on the defensive end.

As a team Temple shot 56.4% from the field as they were able to find the looks they desired when running their offense. Duke on the other hand made 47.5% of their shots, and while that's not a bad number the good looks were tougher to come by for Mike Krzyzewski's team. There's also the offensive end of the floor for the Duke perimeter, which failed to take advantage of the play of big men Mason and Miles Plumlee, who combined for 33 points and 17 rebounds.

Duke's starting guards (Austin Rivers, Seth Curry and Tyler Thornton) combined to make seven of twenty-one shots from the field while reserves Quinn Cook (2-6 FG) and Andre Dawkins (0-3 FG) didn't fare much better. Outside of Rivers the Blue Devils (right now) don't have players who can apply pressure to defenses with their playmaking ability, and that got them in trouble against Temple's experienced backcourt.

The key for Rivers, who will likely have to develop into the lead option for this role, is to develop into a guard who can also set up his teammates. That may be Duke's best hope in the long-term when thinking about whether or not they can win a national title.

"We wanted to take away the three and try to run them off the three-point line a little bit," said Dunphy of their defensive strategy. "I was pleased with our defense and obviously when you can win a game like this, everybody has to play well and you have to get a little lucky, and I think we did that."

The benefit of a game like this in defeat is that Duke has a far better idea of what they need to clean up going into ACC play than they likely would had this contest been against a lesser opponent. As for Temple, winning in front of the third-largest crowd to watch a basketball game at Wells Fargo Center is quite the boost for the program as they go into Atlantic 10 play.

There's been more than enough time to adjust to not having Eric or Scootie Randall, and the Owls will benefit as it has allowed player such as Anthony Lee to take advantage of more playing time. With Xavier going through their struggles the top spot in the A-10 is up for grabs, and Temple is more than capable of grabbing the regular season title.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Georgetown comes back from 17 down to beat #20 Marquette.
With 13:13 left in the game Buzz Williams' Golden Eagles led #9 Georgetown 56-39 and looked to be well on their way to a big conference road victory. But the Hoyas refused to quit, rallying all the way back to tie the score at 66 with 2:33 to go. And John Thompson III's team completed the comeback in thrilling fashion as Hollis Thompson knocked down a three with 24 seconds remaining to give the Hoyas a 73-70 win at the Verizon Center. Jason Clark scored a game-high 26 points to lead the victors, but the big switch occurred in the points in the paint and "paint touches" that are a core value of the Marquette program.

In the first half the Golden Eagles held a 22-8 edge in points in the paint, taking a 43-29 lead into the half as a result. Things flipped in the second half, as Georgetown outscored Marquette 20-4 in the paint. Marquette also falied to score a single fast break point in the second half, and Georgetown taking better care of the basketball (five turnovers compared to 12 in the first half) had a lot to do with that. Georgetown added another line to what is currently the Big East's best resume with a thrilling comeback, while Marquette was issued a tough reminder of what happens when they stray away from what makes them so successful.

2. Kansas controls the boards in a double-digit win over #22 Kansas State.
With Kansas State being the better rebounding team entering Wednesday's showdown it was imperative that Kansas take care of the glass at Allen Fieldhouse. Bill Self's team did that and then some, bludgeoning the Wildcats to the tune of a 50-26 edge on the boards in a 67-49 victory. K-State didn't help themselves by shooting 31.6% from the field (Kansas made 45.5% of their shots) either, but for the Wildcats to resort to shooting 20 three-pointers (making five) is an issue for a team that makes just 33% of their three-pointers on the season.

Thomas Robinson led the way for Kansas with 15 points and 14 rebounds, but it was the play of Travis Releford that stole the show. Releford scored a team-high 16 points while also grabbing 11 rebounds for his first career double-double, providing the help that Kansas will need more of as the season wears on if they're to compete with a team like Baylor in the race for the Big 12 title. Jeff Withey chipped in with eight points and six blocks, rebounding from an uninspired performance in the Jayhawks' win over North Dakota. If guys such as Releford and Withey can be consistent factors Kansas can win another conference title.

3. La Salle takes controls of the game late in the first half on their way to a win over Xavier.
It's been tough sledding for Chris Mack's Xavier club since the brawl with Cincinnati in December, as the combination of suspensions and a challenging schedule proved to be a bit much for the Musketeers. But with all parties involved back, should it really be taking this long to regain the confidence and chemistry they had before that incident? That's a definite concern for Xavier going forward, but on Wednesday night it was all about Dr. John Giannini's Explorers at Tom Gola Arena.

With the program's greatest player not named Tom Gola (Lionel Simmons) in attendance, La Salle closed the first half on a 22-6 run and went on to win 80-70 in the Atlantic 10 opener for both teams. Earl Pettis scored 23 points and Ramon Galloway added 16 as four players reached double figures for the Explorers, who have now won nine of their last ten games. La Salle assisted on 20 of their 26 baskets, and outscoring Xavier 27-12 from deep was key as well. Xavier will be the attention-grabber due to the preseason expectations, but be sure to keep an eye on the Explorers as well.

Quick Hitters

1. Northwestern was presented a nice opportunity to pick up a quality win with Illinois visiting Evanston, and Bill Carmody's Wildcats couldn't get the job done as they fell 57-56. Myers Leonard's block of a Drew Crawford shot in the final seconds preserved the win for the Fighting Illini, dropping Northwestern to 1-2 in Big Ten play.

2. Without Josh Benson, Dayton still found a way to win their Atlantic 10 opener as they beat Saint Louis 79-72 in overtime. Cody Ellis banked in a three with two seconds remaining to send the game to overtime, but the Billikens were unable to get over the hump in the extra session. Kevin Dillard led the Flyers with 18 points.

3. Yancy Gates (and Cheikh Mbodj) returned to the floor for Cincinnati, chipping in with six points, eight rebounds and three blocks in the Bearcats' 71-55 win over Notre Dame. Dion Dixon led Mick Cronin's team with 18 points, and Cincinnati has the look of a team that's comfortable in its new style. UC hasn't lost since the brawl with crosstown rival Xavier, winning seven straight games.

4. Well, it may be time to start taking Ron Hunter's Georgia State team seriously, as they followed up a win over Drexel with a 55-53 win at VCU tonight. Jihad Ali scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Panthers, who are now 3-0 in CAA play and have an overall record of 11-3.

5. Even with wins over Robert Morris and Charlotte there wasn't the most positive feeling about Memphis' hopes as they approach Conference USA play. That may have changed on Wednesday as the Tigers beat Tennessee 69-51, controlling the run of play for much of the night. Antonio Barton led the Tigers with 19 points and Tarik Black added 18 and seven rebounds.

6. Iowa held on despite some bad free throw shooting to win their second straight conference road game, 64-62 at Minnesota. Matt Gatens scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead the Hawkeyes while Minnesota shot 4-for-23 from deep, allowing Iowa to get away with Melsahn Basabe going scoreless in 11 minutes of action.

7. There may not be a better piece of evidence to use in explaining the wild nature of the Missouri Valley than the fact that Southern Illinois is now 2-1 in league play thanks to their 74-65 win at Bradley. Mamadou Seck played very well, finishing with 15 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to lead the Salukis to their second straight league victory. SIU is part of a six-way tie for first place in the MVC.

8. Someone may want to frame the box score from Florida State's 85-56 win over Auburn, because in all honesty it's going to be tough for the Seminoles to match that offensive output in ACC play. FSU made 70.5% of their two-point shots while Auburn made just a third of theirs, scoring 16 points in the first half (FSU led 50-16 at the break). Michael Snaer led the victors with 22 points.

Three Notable Performances

1. C Garrett Stutz (Wichita State)
Stutz scored a career-high 29 points (12-14 FG), grabbed ten rebounds, dished out four assists and blocked three shots in the Shockers' 67-66 win at Evansville. Colt Ryan paced the Purple Aces with 31 points.

2. F Jamelle Hagins (Delaware)
21 points, 18 rebounds and five blocked shots in the Blue Hens' 67-66 win over Hofstra.

3. G Mike James (Lamar)
31 points (12-16 FG) and three steals in the Cardinals' 74-58 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

Saturday Recap: Kidd-Gilchrist Leads Kentucky Past Louisville

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 16:37:15 -0800

The game between Top 5 teams and in-state rivals Louisville and Kentucky was expected to be a high-intensity affair played at a good pace. Well thanks to the "third team" we got the intensity but not the pace, but by the end of the afternoon at Rupp Arena it was clear that Kentucky's 69-62 victory would be long remembered for the play of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Kidd-Gilchrist, who has emerged as the leader of John Calipari's talented squad, stole the show with 24 point and 19 rebounds in leading Kentucky to their 44th straight home victory.

Just over a week ago Kidd-Gilchrist's mother was in the hospital with an unspecified illness, and on Saturday he put forth an outstanding performance with her in attendance. Kentucky has needed a leader to step up within the team and the freshman from Somerdale, New Jersey has been that man in their 13-1 start. Neither team shot the ball particularly well, with Kentucky making just 29.8% of their shots and Louisville not much better at 32.3%. It was a game that had to be won with heart, and that was the difference for the Wildcats despite a valiant 30-point performance from Russ Smith.

"It was a grittiness," said Calipari. "Of all the foul trouble in the first half, the foul trouble really throughout the game and playing guys, I even went with Twany, who I barely played, I thought Kyle Wiltjer was not afraid to play, went out there and did some good stuff. With bad lineups, no point guard, we figured out how to win."

A big problem for Louisville was the play of their starting backcourt, with Peyton Siva and Chris Smith combining for just 15 points on 4-for-23 shooting from the field. Louisville's had issues scoring in the half-court for much of the season, making their points off of turnovers that much more important. The Cardinals could muster just 15 points off of 21 Kentucky turnovers while the Wildcats scored 19 off of 14 Louisville miscues. And when adding to that deficits of 57-31 in rebounds and 20-6 in second-chance points it's not too difficult to see where this game was won (or lost).

The battle of the big men went to Anthony Davis, who posted a double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds) to go with six blocks while Gorgui Dieng finished with five points, five rebounds and six blocks. Obviously Louisville isn't going to run into many teams with the skill level of Kentucky (Syracuse and Connecticut being the exceptions right now), but the half-court offense issue is something that could short-circuit the season for Rick Pitino's team much earlier than expected once the NCAA Tournament rolls around. As for Kentucky while there's plenty to improve upon as they enter SEC play the Wildcats have a special player in Kidd-Gilchrist, one who has impressed with both his skills and leadership abilities. That could take this team a long way.

"He wasn't bothered as much as some of the other players by the physical play," remarked Calipari. "He almost relished it and just went after it, and that's why he played the way he did."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Iowa takes advantage of Wisconsin's three-point shooting to win in Madison.
Going into Saturday's game the Badgers were 78-6 at the Kohl Center under Bo Ryan, so it's understandable if few people gave Fran McCaffery's team much of a chance to win. But the guys in that locker room believed and Aaron White scored 18 points off the bench to lead the Hawkeyes to the 72-65 win. The biggest culprit for the Badgers: three-point shooting. On the season Wisconsin scores 35.8% of their points from beyond the arc, a number that ranks third in the Big Ten behind Northwestern and Michigan. Saturday, Wisconsin shot a miserable 3-for-28 from beyond the arc compared to Iowa's 2-for-6 afternoon. That's the opening that the Hawkeyes needed to pull off the upset, and thanks to reserves White and Bryce Cartwright (17 points, five assists) they were able to capitalize.

2. Creighton bounces back from their loss to Missouri State and wins at Wichita State.
After dropping their MVC opener at home earlier this week, Greg McDermott's Bluejays needed to bounce back at Wichita State to avoid an 0-2 start. Antoine Young led four starters in double figures with 19 points while guard Grant Gibbs may have had the largest impact with his 11 points, six assists and four rebounds in the 68-61 win in Wichita to move both teams to 1-1 in the MVC. The idea of plus/minus in basketball can be a tricky one as there are many variables to consider, but Gibbs finished the night with a plus/minus of +25 and he made many sound decisions throughout his 26 minutes on the floor. Carl Hall was outstanding for the Shockers with 17 points and 13 rebounds but it wasn't enough to knock off the Bluejays. A loss wouldn't have eliminated Creighton from the Missouri Valley race by any means, but it was clear that they needed this road win after dropping one at home. Mission accomplished.

3. Indiana gets it done down the stretch, beating #2 Ohio State in Bloomington.
Highly-ranked teams may want to avoid Assembly Hall, as Ohio State became the second team to go into the building and leave with a loss. All five Indiana players finished in double figures with Jordan Hulls leading the way with 17 points, and the defense of Victor Oladipo (15 points, six rebounds) on Aaron Craft also had a major impact on the Hoosiers' 74-70 victory. Craft finished the game with a season-worst six turnovers in the first game this season that's seen the sophomore finish with more turnovers than assists. The battle between Jared Sullinger (15 points, nine rebounds) and Cody Zeller (14 points, four rebounds) was largely dictated by foul trouble (Zeller would eventually foul out), meaning that other players had to step up. And with William Buford and Deshaun Thomas combining for just 13 points, it was Indiana who won that battle.

4. Gonzaga hits the road and picks up a big non-conference win at Xavier.
Even with an RPI of 17 and a strength of schedule that ranked 21st going into Saturday's action (per realtimerpi.com), Mark Few's team could have used another big non-conference victory from an NCAA Tournament seeding standpoint. And thanks in large part to Sam Dower the Bulldogs did just that, beating Xavier 72-65 at the Cintas Center. Dower scored 20 points and grabbed ten rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench while the Bulldogs' freshman backcourt was solid against one of the best backcourts in the country. Kevin Pangos made just three of his ten shots from the field but he dished out seven assists , and Gary Bell did a solid job defensively on Tu Holloway. The problem for the Musketeers: outside of Holloway, Mark Lyons and Kenny Frease (42 combined points) there wasn't a whole lot of productivity. Xavier also shot 3-for-16 from beyond the arc (24-9 Gonzaga edge in points scored) and was out-rebounded 41-27, which allowed Gonzaga to get away with turning the ball over 17 times (Pangos had five).

5. Harvard comes back from a 12-point deficit to beat Saint Joseph's.
17 seconds into the second half Saint Joseph's took a 50-38 lead on a Halil Kanacevic jumper, and with the 23rd-ranked Crimson playing arguably their worst defense of the season there was a real chance of the Hawks leaving Lavietes Pavilion with a huge win for their resume. But Tommy Amaker's team buckled down, limiting Saint Joseph's to 19 points the rest of the way to come back and win 74-69. SJU shot just 29.8% from the field in the second half while Kyle Casey scored 20 of his 26 points (ten rebounds on the day as well) to lead the charge. Carl Jones led Saint Joseph's with 22 points but that wasn't enough to hold off Harvard, who outscored SJU 22-12 in the paint in the final 20 minutes after the Hawks led that category 20-16 in the first half. With Harvard's remaining schedule consisting of the Ivy League slate and non-conference games against Fordham, Monmouth and George Washington this was a game the Crimson needed for a resume that will take some hits from a computer numbers standpoint between now and March.

Quick Hitters

1. Billy Donovan's team bounced back from their loss at Rutgers with a 90-70 win over Yale, but that wasn't the only bit of good news for Florida on Saturday. 2013 point guard Kasey Hill tweeted after attending the game that he'd verbally committed to the program, and this is a big get for the Gators given how many players will be out of eligibility by the time 2013 rolls around.

2. Seth Greenberg's Virginia Tech Hokies picked up a needed win on Saturday as they won 67-61 at Oklahoma State. But this was a game that would have more of an impact on their NCAA Tournament resume had they lost, so avoiding that fate was critical. At 11-3, Virginia Tech is in a solid spot ahead of what should be a wild ACC season.

3. Youngstown State handed Cleveland State their first conference loss of the season by the final score of 73-67. Damian Eargle led the Penguins with 20 points and ten rebounds, and while YSU may not be a serious contender in the Horizon League come March they're going to scare some folks.

4. Despite Tyler Lamb scoring a career-high 26 points UCLA fell 85-69 at California to go 0-2 in the Bay Area this weekend. Why? Lazeric Jones made just two of seven shots and he along with Jerime Anderson and Joshua Smith combined to score 12 points on 4-for-15 shooting from the field.

5. With Wisconsin losing to Iowa some the question of who the second-best team is in the Big Ten looks to be wide-open. How about Purdue? The Boilermakers moved to 2-0 in conference play with a 75-60 win over Illinois, and they have the ability to be right there with the likes of Michigan State, Indiana and Wisconsin.

6. The Mountain West picked up a good resume-building victory as New Mexico beat Saint Louis 64-60 at The Pit. Drew Gordon scored 18 points and nine rebounds to lead the Lobos, who have won ten straight games and look like the conference title contender many expected them to be in the preseason.

7. With Creighton's win over Wichita State there's just one team in the MVC with a 2-0 record in conference play. That would be Missouri State, who beat Drake 72-61 at JQH Arena. Kyle Weems followed up his impressive performance at Creighton with 22 points and nine rebounds to lead the Bears past the Bulldogs.

8. Friday night had big news on the injury front as Dayton lost starting big man Josh Benson for the season with a torn ACL. The Flyers were able to overcome his loss to beat Ole Miss 62-50 on Friday but against the better teams in the Atlantic 10 not having Benson could be an issue.

9. Also on Friday Seton Hall bounced back from their blowout loss at Syracuse in a big way, beating West Virginia 67-48 at The Rock. Fuquan Edwin, who leads the nation in steals, led the way offensively with 19 points and Jordan Theodore added 18. With UConn next on the schedule Kevin Willard's team couldn't afford to lose lest they risk an 0-3 start to Big East play, and they got the job done.

Five Notable Performances

1. F Thomas Robinson (Kansas)
30 points (10-14 FG), 21 rebounds and four assists in the Jayhawks' 84-58 win over North Dakota.

2. F Brandon Davies (BYU)
21 points (8-13 FG), 22 rebounds and four assists in the Cougars' 88-52 win over San Diego.

3. F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Kentucky)
24 points and 19 rebounds in the Wildcats' 69-62 win over #4 Louisville.

4. F Greg Magnano (Yale)
26 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks in the Bulldogs' 90-70 loss at #10 Florida.

5. F Stan Okoye (VMI)
27 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals in the Keydets' 78-70 overtime win over Presbyterian.