Marquette

Early 2012-13 Ranking: Teams 16-30

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 01:44:40 -0400

With most teams eliminated from competition, its time to start looking ahead to the 2012-13 season. Following up on yesterday's Early 2012-13 Top 15, here are teams 16 to 30.

I had to make many assumptions about the NBA Draft in compiling the following list, and I've noted which assumptions I've made. Once players make their official Draft decisions later in the summer, this ranking will be updated. Also uncertain is where some remaining unsigned recruits will end up. In particular, Shabazz Muhammad (#1 by Rivals.com), Anthony Bennett (#7), Devonta Pollard (#9), and Nerlens Noel (#3 in 2013) remain up for grabs. I purposely made no assumptions about where unsigned prospects will end up. (All prospect rankings are according to the Rivals 150 ranking.)

Early 2012-13 Ranking: Teams 16-30

16 Kansas St Kansas State had a solid season, but they were always a step behind the elite teams. With Jamar Samuels being the lone senior of note, they should be able to take another step forward next year. A pair of solid bigs including 43rd ranked Robert Upshaw join the fray.

17 Memphis The key for Memphis is whether Will Barton decides to enter the Draft. Assuming he doesn't, the Tigers return a talented squad that only loses Wes Witherspoon. Three more 4-star recruits also enter the mix. With Barton back, Memphis has top 10 talent, but it remains to be seen whether Pastner is a top 10 coach.

18 Gonzaga While Robert Sacre graduates, the question remains whether Elias Harris goes pro. If Harris bolts, the roster would be deep, young, and talented, but thin up front. Little used guys like Hart and Spangler would need to emerge as legit contributors. Even without Harris, Gonzaga has top 20 potential.

19 Texas With such a young squad this year, simply making the tournament was an accomplishment. Veteran bigs Chapman and Wangmene graduate, but they'll be replaced by better prospects such as big man Cameron Ridley (#21 on Rivals) and Prince Ibeh (10th ranked center). I'm assuming J'Covan Brown returns, but that's no guarantee.

20 Saint Mary's Rob Jones graduates after a great career, but the rest of this squad returns intact. Freshman Brad Waldow has the potential to be even better than Jones, and so long as Dellavedova is around, Saint Mary's will be fine. They also have solid a solid PF prospect on the way who can help ease the Jones loss.

21 Notre Dame The Irish endured a lot of difficulties to put together a surprisingly fine season. If Tim Abromaitis is granted a redshirt season, Notre Dame could even exceed this ranking. Scott Martin graduates, but the 3-person recruiting class is full of solid forwards.

22 New Mexico Drew Gordon is a huge loss, as he was by far the Lobos best player. But 3 of their 4 next highest scorers were sophomores who should improve substantially. UNM's recruiting class is solid but unspectacular.

23 Florida Erving Walker is the Gators lone senior loss, but I'm assuming that both Brad Beal and Patric Young go pro in this projection. If even one of them returns, they could move up the ranking. Either way, Boynton, Murphy, and Rosario are solid players who will be joined by a 3-man class that lacks a blockbuster name (although 62nd ranked PG Braxton Ogbueze could be underrated).

24 Marquette In Jae Crowder and Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette loses its two best players and 36 ppg. But although they'll take a step back, don't expect Marquette to be complete irrelevant. There are emerging talents on the roster and the 4-person recruiting class will add scoring punch.

25 VCU Unlike most schools that will be awaiting NBA Draft decisions, the big x-factor for VCU is whether Shaka Smart returns. Brad Burgess was the lone senior on a team that looks very dangerous next year. There are even 3 solid newcomers, led by Jordan Burgess, an underrated wing.

26 florida St the Noles will take a step back after a surprise ACC title. They lose the core of the team in James, Dulkys, and Louks. However, a quality 4-person class full of Top 100 prospects will provide added depth. The real key is whether Michael Snaer decides to go pro. As of now, I'm assuming he's back.

27 Saint Louis The Bills lose their leading scorer in Brian Conklin, but the rest of this deep roster remains intact. There is no help on the way in terms of major recruits, but many of this year's sophomores could take major steps forward.

28 Alabama While losing senior JaMychal Green hurts, the bigger question is whether Anthony Grant returns as head coach. He did a fine job this season despite many distractions. However, if he leaves, the Tide would have to drop.

29 Drexel The dragons do lose their leading rebounder in Samme Givens, but the rest of the roster returns. Its been 13 years since Bruiser Flint has made the NCAA Tournament, this should be the year.

30 UCLA Despite a seemingly disastrous season, UCLA remained competitive in the Pac-12. Senior's Lazeric Jones and Jerime Anderson depart, but those losses are more than made up by the entry of Kyle Anderson, the country's 2nd best prospect. If UCLA were to also add Shabazz Muhammad, they'd jump even higher.

>> Continue to 2012-13 Ranking: Teams 31 to 45

<< Return to 2012-13 Ranking: Teams 1 to 15

Thursday's Sweet 16 Thoughts

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:25:02 -0400

With the Sweet 16 not tipping off for another two days, this seemed like a good time to offer up some basic thoughts on the match-ups. Here are the four games in the East and West regions, where play will begin on Thursday night.

East Region (Boston)

(1) Syracuse vs. (4) Wisconsin (7:15 PM, CBS)
This will be an interesting matchup due to the 3-point shot. Playing against a zone defense tends to lead teams in the direction of attempting more shots from beyond the arc than they normally do, but Wisconsin may be fine with that. Bo Ryan's team scores 36.3% of its points on the 3-pointer, and they've got multiple players who can and will fire away.

Rob Wilson's played well down the stretch for Wisconsin, providing another perimeter scorer to go along with senior point guard Jordan Taylor. Mike Bruesewitz and Ryan Evans will both step out on the perimeter, and there's also Ben Brust and Josh Gasser for Syracuse to account for. However if there's one thing that Syracuse does well in defending the three (30.7%) it that they know who they want taking those shots.

Syracuse can also extend their defense due to the activity of a guard like Dion Waiters and the length of their wings. The three will be the most discussed factor going into Thursday's contest, but there's also the matter of how well Rakeem Christmas plays. The freshman had a very good second half against Kansas State, and he'll need to do that for all 40 minutes against Jared Berggren.

How well will the Syracuse guards play in what should be a slower tempo than they prefer (Wisconsin averages eight fewer possessions per game)? Waiters, Scoop Jardine and Brandon Triche can't get out of control in hopes of speeding things up, and the same likely goes for a Kris Joseph as well. Lastly keep an eye on how well Syracuse cleans up the offensive glass. The Badgers aren't world-beaters when it comes to offensive rebounds, but there will be opportunities against a team that allows opponents to grab 39.7% of their misses.

(2) Ohio State vs. (6) Cincinnati (9:45 PM, CBS)
It's a chore to get these two schools to play each other, and that will add intrigue to the second half of Thursday's doubleheader in Boston. While Cincinnati has gone small they do have bodies in the paint, led by Yancy Gates and Justin Jackson. But the question for Cincinnati is how do they go about slowing down Deshaun Thomas. With Jaquon Parker at the "4" to start things off, look for the Buckeyes to try to get Thomas going early.

The combo of Thomas and Jared Sullinger is tough for just about any team to stop, and that could be the case for the Bearcats if Yates were to land in early foul trouble. The key to limiting their paint touches may actually lie on the perimeter, where it's imperative that Cincinnati not allow Aaron Craft and others clean looks into the post. William Buford can hurt teams in a variety of ways offensively, but forcing him to take challenged shots is the way to go there.

Which UC guard is the most important one for the Buckeyes to slow down? That would be Cashmere Wright, as he runs the show. Wright has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.1, and to reach that number (if not better) against Craft would bode well for the Bearcats' chances. He'll have help from Dion Dixon and Sean Kilpatrick is a very good perimeter shooter who can get hot, but Wright's play may determine the outcome.

Both teams have done well when it comes to forcing turnovers (UC: 14.1, OSU: 14.7) but the Buckeyes have been the more efficient of the two on both ends of the floor. Paint touches for the Buckeyes and the number of 3-pointers that Cincinnati can make (they will take a lot of them) are areas to keep an eye on in the nightcap.

West Region (Phoenix)

(1) Michigan State vs. (4) Louisville (7:47 PM, TBS)
A rematch of the 2009 Midwest regional final, these two teams enter in different roles this time around. That season Louisville was the top overall seed in the tournament coming off of a blowout win over Arizona, only to see the Spartans advance to the Final Four. While Louisville has played their best basketball of the season over the last two weeks, they'll be the underdog against Michigan State.

The biggest question for the Cardinals is how they go about defending Draymond Green, who is as influential a players as you'll find in the country. He can score inside or out, is a good distributor and will also hit the glass. Louisville will pressure and then use an active 2-3 zone, so that may help slow Green down some. But one would have to think that he'll spend a lot of time in the high post, an important area to target in regards to cracking the 2-3 zone.

From an efficieny standpoint the Spartans are the better offensive team and that has a lot to do with the fact that they don't settle for bad shots. The same can't always be said for Louisville, especially guards Peyton Siva and Russ Smith. Both are going to play fast and that's fine, but the Cardinals can't afford for them to play reckless. Keith Appling will be dared to shoot by Louisville, and Michigan State will hope that his big shot against Saint Louis gives the sophomore some added confidence in his ability to make the Cardinals pay.

Two other players to watch for Michigan State are Derrick Nix and Adriean Payne, who have both played well down the stretch for the Spartans. Michigan State is the superior rebounding team, and if these two can build on what they've been able to produce (especially last weekend in Columbus) it will be a tough match-up for Chane Behanan and Gorgui Dieng. Louisville needs Kyle Kuric and Chris Smith to be productive on the wings, and with MSU's Branden Dawson done for the year it may be even more important that the Cardinals take advantage of his absence and do so.

(3) Marquette vs. (7) Florida (10:17 PM, TBS)
While both teams have rotations dominated by guards the big men may have the final say as to which team advances to the Elite 8. Marquette was able to get 12 minutes out of Davante Gardner on Saturday in spite of his balky knee, but it remains to be seen how effective he can be against Florida. The days off should help Gardner recuperate some, and that's crucial as he'll likely see a lot of Patric Young when on the floor.

Young is a highly-athletic big man who gets high-percentage looks around the rim. The key for Young is whether his teammates fall in love with the three. If Florida takes smart perimeter shots they're tough to beat, but clearly that hasn't always been the case. Erik Murphy can step out and knock down threes, giving Florida a "stretch 4" that's tough for most teams to match up with.

Marquette can counter with Jae Crowder however, so Murphy's impact could most likely be lessened on Thursday. Jamil Wilson will be in the rotation of forwards who get a shot at defending Young, and if he can get Marquette in some early foul trouble that would bode well for the Florida. On the perimeter Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker have to make sound decisions with the basketball, and that includes making sure Bradley Beal gets his touches. The freshman is a tough matchup for anyone, and that includes Marquette despite their perimeter skill.

Can Florida slow down Darius Johnson-Odom? One would think that Boynton and Beal would be the two most likely given this task, and if they can mix things up in terms of the looks that Johnson-Odom sees that would be optimal. Vander Blue, Junior Cadougan and Todd Mayo will also factor into the Marquette attack, and with Mayo playing well last week that gives them another perimeter option who can get things done.

Marquette's done a good job of defending the three but they haven't been as good on the defensive glass, allowing opponents to grab 35.5% of their misses. Florida scores 38% of their points on 3-pointers while Marquette allows teams just 27% of their points on the shot, so something has to give there.

Tempo neutral stats courtesy of statsheet.com.

Marquette vs Florida: Prediction

Greg Mengelt — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:53:30 -0400

(3) Marquette vs. (7) Florida: West Region

Records

Marquette 27-7, 14-4 Big East (At large)

Florida 25-10, 10-6 SEC (At large)

Time: 10:17 p.m. Thursday

TV: TBS

Location: U.S. Airways Arena in Phoenix

Winner will face: (1) Michigan State or (4) Louisville, Sunday

Tournament Results

Marquette def. BYU, 88-68; def. Murray State, 62-53

Florida def. Virginia, 71-45; def. Norfolk State, 84-50

Rankings

Marquette No. 11 AP; No. 11 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

Florida No. 25 AP; No. 21 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

RPI Ratings

Marquette 6

Florida 20

Line: Marquette -1½ (O/U 146)

Players to Watch

Marquette: F Jae Crowder, 6-6 Sr. (17.6 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.5 spg); G Darius Johnson-Odom, 6-2 Sr. (18.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.8 apg); G Junior Cadougan, 6-1 Jr. (6.5 ppg, 5.4 apg, 1.2 spg). Crowder earned his fifth straight double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds in Saturday’s win over Murray State. During that stretch, the senior is averaging 18.6 points, 13.4 boards, 3.1 steals and three assists per game.

Florida: G Kenny Boynton, 6-2 Jr. (16 ppg, 2.5 apg, 41.5% 3s); C Patric Young, 6-9 So. (10.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 61.8% FG); G Bradley Beal, 6-3 Fr. (14.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.1 apg). Beal continues to raise his game, scoring 28 points, grabbing 20 boards, handing out four assists and hitting 9-of-16 from the field in the Gators’ two NCAA blowout wins.

Why Each Team Dangerous

Marquette: Crowder and Johnson-Odom are among the best duos left in the tournament, similar to the Nolan Smith-Kyle Singler combo that led Duke to the national championship two years ago. Behind the two seniors, the Eagles average 76 points per game, but its defense that makes them go. Opponents score 65.9 points per game and shoot 40.2 percent and 31.8 percent from deep against Marquette. The Eagles force 16.6 turnovers per game, having a 3.4 turnover margin and a 1.26-to-1 assist-to-turnover margin. The Eagles have proven their mental toughness is as strong as anyone in the nation.

Florida: The Gators are a great shooting team and they have a lot of different players who can score from the perimeter. They shot 52.8 percent from the floor and 35.7 from deep against Norfolk State and have out-scored their NCAA Tournament opponents 155-95. For the season, Florida shoots 38.3 percent from behind the arc (30^th nationally) and score 38.6 percent of their points from deep (sixth in the nation). Florida forces 12.8 turnovers per game and gets 6.4 steals per contest.

Why Each Team is Vulnerable

Marquette: Unlike the Singler-Smith combo, Marquette doesn’t have the offensive balance or depth that the Blue Devils did in 2010. When Chris Otule went down for the season, it put a serious dent in Marquette’s depth and size. For the season, the Golden Eagles have been out-rebounded 1,233-1,200. They also turn the ball over 13.3 times per game and allow 7.2 steals, and that could be a concern against a perimeter-oriented Florida team.

Florida: The Gators have no frontline depth. Having to guard Crowder could cause foul trouble, which could doom the Gators. Young is a decent defender, but otherwise, Florida has almost no defensive presence in the paint. For the year, Florida has out-rebounded its opponents by 2.9 per game, including a 40-30 margin over the Spartans, but they allow offensive rebounds on 30.3 percent of opponents’ shots. Their 71.1 free throw percentage could be a concern in what should be a tight game. Florida has four regulars who shoot under 75 percent at the stripe.

The Bottom Line: After wins over a limited Virginia team and a fluky Norfolk State, there’s far too much love for a streaky Florida team with no frontline. Can the Gators win? Of course. Can they win by have another offensive explosion? Yes. Is either of those things likely against Marquette? Don’t think so.

The Pick: Marquette 79, Florida 74

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 214-164-6

NCAA Tournament (through first two rounds): 27-21-1

Marquette vs Murray St: Prediction

Greg Mengelt — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 16:59:27 -0400

(3) Marquette vs. (6) Murray State: West Region

Records

Marquette 26-7, 14-4 Big East (At large)

Murray State 31-1, 15-1 OVC (Regular-season and Conference Tournament Champions)

Time: 5:15 p.m. Saturday

TV: CBS

Location: KFC Yum! Center in Louisville

First Round Results

Marquette def. BYU, 88-68

Murray State def. Colorado State 58-41

Winner will face: (2) Missouri, (7) Florida, (10) Virginia or (15) Norfolk State, Thursday at U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix

Rankings

Marquette No. 11 AP; No. 11 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

Murray State No. 12 AP; No. 9 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

RPI Ratings

Marquette 8

Murray State 22

Line: Marquette -5 (O/U 142½)

Players to Watch

Marquette: F Jae Crowder, 6-6 Sr. (17.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.4 spg); G Darius Johnson-Odom, 6-2 Sr. (18.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.8 apg); C Davante Gardner, 6-8 So. (9.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 57.6% FG). The Eagles are clearly better since Gardner worked his way back into the lineup. In Thursday’s win over BYU, Gardner battled the Cougars’ outstanding bigs and had a 15-point, 6-rebound, 2-assist outing.

Murray State: G Isaiah Canaan, 6-0 Jr. (19.2 ppg, 3.7 apg, 3.3 rpg, 1.4 spg, 47.3% 3s); G Donta Poole, 6-3 Sr. (14.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2 spg); F Ivan Aska, 6-7 Sr. (10.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 50% FG). Canaan has the ability to be one of those small-conference players who lifts his team to greatness. The junior wasn’t spectacular on Thursday with 15 points, seven rebounds and a pair of assists. Expect Canaan to lift his game to the greater competition.

Why Each Team Dangerous

Marquette: After an 88-point performance on Thursday, Marquette is scoring 75.9 points per game, which is 31^st in the country. The Eagles share the ball well, averaging 16.8 assists and force 16.7 turnovers per contest. Crowder has been a beast of late. Including Thursday’s 25-point, 16-rebound performance, Crowder is averaging 26.7 points and 12.8 rebounds over his last six games. Behind Crowder, the Eagles out-rebounded the bigger Cougars 48-32. The Eagles also forced 17 turnovers, 19 assists, shot 45 percent from the 3-point line and held BYU to 26-of-61 from the field.

Murray State: The Racers clearly have a go-to scorer in Canaan and that could be a factor in what should be a close game. MSU ranks sixth nationally in 3-point percentage (40.3), 21^st in points per possession (1.11), 31^st in free throws made per game (16.9), they’re 19^th nationally in steals per game (8.4), they shoot 73 percent from the charity stripe and they rebound 35.2 percent of their own misses. Opponents shot just 42.1 percent from the floor, 29.5 from 3 and Murray made almost as many free throws (529) as its opponents shot (577). The Racers do a lot of different things very well.

Why Each Team is Vulnerable

Marquette: Before Thursday’s win, Marquette had been struggling. It had lost two of its last three and given up 72 and 84 points to Cincinnati and Louisville – not exactly explosive offensive – respectively, in those defeats. The Eagles aren’t very big, even with Gardner back. They were out-rebounded by their opponents this season (1,156-1,146). Against the Racers’ active bigs, that could be an issue. Murray’s pressure defense could also be an issue, since the Eagles turn the ball over 13.3 times per game.

Murray State: This is arguably the best team the Racers have played all season. They’re schedule wasn’t exactly challenging. A lot of it wasn’t Murray’s faul, since the OVC was significantly down this season. It will be interesting to see if the Racers raise their game, but it has to be questioned. The Racers crash the offensive boards hard, but they only have a plus-1.7 rebounding margin. The way Crowder is rebounding, that will be a concern. MSU also turns the ball over 14 times per game despite playing at a slower pace than the Eagles.

The Bottom Line: The bottom line is Murray State is really good. They may fall behind, but Racers are going to score a ton of points and advance to the Sweet 16. It’s a shame one of these teams have to be eliminated in the first weekend.

The Pick: Murray State 89, Marquette 86

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 206-158-6 (Through Thursday, March 16)

Marquette vs BYU: Prediction

Greg Mengelt — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 01:22:48 -0400

(4) Marquette vs. (13) Brigham Young: West Region

Records

Marquette 25-7, 14-4 Big East (At large)

BYU 26-8, 12-4 WCC (At large)

Time: 2:45 p.m. Thursday

TV: CBS

Location: KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.

Winner will face: (6) Murray State or (11) Colorado State, Saturday

Rankings

Marquette No. 11 AP; No. 11 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

RPI Ratings

Marquette 8

BYU 46

Players to Watch

Marquette: F Jae Crowder, 6-6 Sr. (17.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.4 spg); G Darius Johnson-Odom, 6-2 Sr. (18.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.8 apg); G Junior Cadougan, 6-1 Jr. (6.5 ppg, 5.5 apg, 1.2 spg). Crowder and Johnson-Odom were the only teammates to make the All-Big Ten first team. In the Eagles’ most recent outing – an 84-71 loss to Louisville in the Big East Tournament – DJO went for 23 points, six rebounds and three assists, while Crowder had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

BYU: F Noah Hartsock, 6-8 Sr. (16.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 56.5% FG); F Brandon Davies, 6-9 Jr. (15 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 51.6% FG); G Charles Abouo, 6-5 Sr. (11.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.6 apg). As they have been all season, Hartsock and Davies were brilliant in Tuesday’s win over Iona. They combined for 41 points – on 18-of-28 shooting – 20 rebounds, four blocks and four steals in the comeback victory.

Why Each Team is Dangerous

Marquette: Marquette has a great 1-2 punch in seniors Johnson-Odom and Crowder, who combine to score 47 percent of the team’s points and grab 32 percent of the Eagles’ rebounds. Quality 1-2 connections have often led to deep runs in the NCAA Tournament. Marquette led the Big East in scoring at 75.9 points per game. The Eagles are excellent at getting to the foul line and shoot 72 percent while there. Only 10 teams nationally had more assists than Marquette. Cadougan is a very good floor leader and distributor.

BYU: After Tuesday’s win, it’s clear that the Cougars are very well coached. Iona scored 55 points in the first 15 minutes and then held the nation’s highest-scoring team to just 17 in the final 25 minutes. Much of that came after Rose’s adjustments. All season, the Cougars have shown great poise and Tuesday was no different. With Hartsock and Davies, BYU is big, strong and diverse. The Cougars have held opponents to 41.2 percent from the field and 31.1 from the 3-point line this season and they force 15.8 turnovers per game.

Why Each Team is Vulnerable

Marquette: With injuries to Chris Otule, who is done for the season, and Davante Gardner, who returned for the team’s last two games and was basically ineffective, Marquette has almost no size. That could hurt against a big, strong BYU squad. Over the season, the Eagles had one more rebound than their opponents and they were out-rebounded by Big East opponents by 18.

BYU: It was obvious early in Tuesday’s win that the Cougars have trouble with quicker, fast-paced teams. The Eagles will likely pose some matchup problems with their athleticism at several positions. BYU isn’t a great perimeter shooting team, particularly from behind the 3-point line (34.2 percent).

The Bottom Line: This will be a matter of which team is able for force its will upon the other. In what should be such a close game, my advice is always take the team (against the spread) that has already played a game.

The Pick: Marquette 77, BYU 76

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 198-150-6 (Through Tuesday, March 14)

Michigan State Earns a One Seed: West Region Thoughts

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:35:19 -0400

,pdf bracket

The West Region is where the S-curve, a tool used to rank the teams from 1 to 68, went to die apparently and that means some tough matchups on the way to New Orleans. Top-seed Michigan State was rewarded for their non-conference slate and winning the Big Ten tournament crown with the fourth number one seed, and while LIU Brooklyn can pose some problems a 16-seed has never beaten a one. Of greater interest is the 8/9 matchup, which consists of a battle between Memphis and Saint Louis.

Rick Majerus is one of the great tacticians in college basketball and it's going to be interesting to see what he put together in the game preparation when it comes to slowing down a Memphis team playing its best basketball of the year. Josh Pastner has an All-America caliber wing in Will Barton, and the move to make Chris Crawford more of a playmaker has both relieved some of the pressure on Joe Jackson and make the Tigers a better team. Either team can win this one, and either team can also reach the Sweet 16.

Memphis has to be considered one of the most underseeded teams in the field, but while they receive a two-seed the Missouri Tigers likely belong in the discussion as well. The selection committee cited their non-conference strength of schedule as the reason why, but if Frank Haith's team is considered to be the weakest two...well, not really sure what to say about that. But the Tigers, who have one of the best backcourts in the country led by Phil Pressey and Marcus Denmon, are more than capable of winning a national title.

Their pod features a seven-seed in Florida that has enough talent to get to New Orleans, provided guards Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker make sound decisions. One of those would be to make sure that wing Bradley Beal and power forward Patric Young get more touches. Virginia's been hit hard by the injury bug and outside of Mike Scott really aren't playing well, and 15-seed Norfolk State has Kyle O'Quinn but the Tigers should be fine there. And should Missouri reach the Sweet 16, there's a matchup with a similarly-sized power conference team on the horizon.

Three-seed Marquette has seen Chris Otule (torn ACL) go down for the year and Davante Gardner have to deal with a sprained knee, and while that has limited them in the paint Buzz Williams' team did finish second in the Big East. Jae Crowder, Big East Player of the Year, and Darius Johnson-Odom are two big reasons why, but they're going to need improved play from point guard Junior Cadougan in order to go far. They'll get either BYU or Iona on Thursday, and that matchup is the best First Four contest. Can Iona defend well enough to slow down Brandon Davies and Noah Hartsock? Can BYU slow down one of the best offenses in the country led by Scott Machado? That's going to be fun to watch.

Also in Louisville is six-seed Murray State, who's led by junior point guard Isaiah Canaan and he's going to be on more than a few All-America teams. They may not be thrilled with their seed but the Racers did draw a similarly-sized team in Colorado State, but don't sleep on Tim Miles' guards either. Jesse Carr, Wes Eikmeier and Dorian Green can all get it done, but the most important question for the Rams is the health of wing Greg Smith. He missed the Mountain West tournament with a sprained ankle but has been given a clean bill of health for this week.

The four-seed in the West is Louisville, who likely jumped a couple lines with their winning the Big East Championship. But which team makes the trip out the Portland: the one that struggled with turnovers throughout the regular season, or the one that tightened things up in New York? Either way the Cardinals had better be wary of Davidson, as the Wildcats have a very good frontcourt tandem (De'Mon Brooks and Jake Cohen) to go along with a very good guard in J.P. Kuhlman.

The 5/12 battle will also be fun to watch as New Mexico, who is playing arguably their best basketball of the season, takes on Long Beach State. The Lobos feature Drew Gordon inside and guards Tony Snell and Kendall Williams on the perimeter, but the 49ers can counter with Casper Ware and T.J. Robinson. How well they defend Gordon will be a key factor as will the health of Larry Anderson, who missed the Big West tournament with a knee injury. Michigan State may be on top of the bracket, but there are a number of teams with the talent needed to take them down.

Winner: Missouri

Best second round matchup: Louisville vs. Davidson

All-Region Team
G Marcus Denmon (Missouri)
G Casper Ware (Long Beach State)
G Scott Machado (Iona)
F Jae Crowder (Marquette)
F Draymond Green (Michigan State)

#3 Duke vs. #6 North Carolina: Saturday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 10:07:30 -0500

Saturday's Conference Tournament Primer

For 37 minutes #6 North Carolina (26-4, 13-2) had the look of a team poised to beat their bitter rival and take control (at the time) of the ACC race. But the Tar Heels made mistakes that #3 Duke (26-4, 13-2) was ready to take advantage of, culminating with a Austin Rivers three as time expired to give the Blue Devils the 85-84 win. Saturday's winner will be the outright ACC regular season champion, and it's also important when considering the race for the two one-seeds that Kentucky and Syracuse haven't "spoken for" in regards to the NCAA tournament.

The area that North Carolina will have to defend on Saturday night is easy to figure out: the three-point line. Duke attempted 36 three-pointers in the first meeting, making 14 which was good for a percentage of 38.9%. Duke scored 49.4% of their points from three, and on the season they score 31.9% of their points via that shot. Seth Curry, Andre Dawkins and Austin Rivers can all knock down the shot and the same goes for forward Ryan Kelly. North Carolina has to turn Duke players into dribblers as opposed to shooters, but that's easier said than done.

Those three-pointers were an issue for North Carolina not only because of the number made but also because of the Tar Heels' struggles with the shot. UNC made just one of six, and perimeter shooting has been more of an issue than many expected in the preseason. Harrison Barnes has made just eight of twenty-seven shots from beyond the arc since the Duke game, and the Heels need both he and Reggie Bullock to shoot well in order to open things up even more for John Henson and Tyler Zeller inside.

Henson and Zeller combined to grab 28 of North Carolina's 42 rebounds in the early February meeting, and they could enjoy a similar advantage inside in the rematch. But the Plumlee brothers, Miles and Mason, have been playing solid basketball of late and Mason grabbed 14 boards in Chapel Hill. If they can stay out of foul trouble and make things difficult for Henson and Zeller inside the Blue Devils will have a good chance of winning. While defending the three will be key for North Carolina rebounding will be important for the Blue Devils, and whichever team gets the job done will ultimately win the ACC title.

Two other games match ranked teams, with both being Big East contests. While #2 Syracuse and #18 Louisville are locked into their respective seeds (SU - 1, U of L - 7) this is a big contest for the Cardinals when it comes to their NCAA tournament seeding. A win over the Orange would be a nice line to add to their resume, and the hope is that more minutes for Wayne Blackshear will get them over the hump. The winner of #12 Georgetown and #7 Marquette will wrap up the final double-bye, and despite teams lack of success with the perk that would be a valuable day of rest for two teams (especially Marquette) than don't have a great amount of depth.

Memphis, who has played very well of late, can wrap up the Conference USA regular season title with a win at Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane have surprised some by hanging in the C-USA race but Doug Wojcik's team has taken advantage of a schedule that brought other title contenders to Tulsa without a return trip. Can they do the same against the Tigers and lock up the three-seed in next week's conference tournament? They'll need to slow down Will Barton if they're to do so. In the Mountain West both #23 San Diego State and Colorado State had better be careful on the road, especially the Aztecs who visit a TCU team that's undefeated in conference home games. The Rams, who beat UNLV on Wednesday night, visit an Air Force teams that's played better since the firing of Jeff Reynolds.

Washington and Northwestern both have road games they can't afford to lose at this point in the season, with the Huskies looking to win the Pac-12 title outright with a victory over UCLA. The Bruins played their best game of the season on Thursday night as they blew out Washington State, and if they can force Tony Wroten and Terrence Ross to play a half-court game UCLA's got a shot. As for Northwestern, they need to win at Iowa to keep their Big Ten tournament trip "manageable" in regards to how much work they may need to do in order to lock up an at-large bid. John Shurna and Drew Crawford can both score but they're going to need help against the Hawkeyes, who are led offensively by the talented Matt Gatens.

Temple can win the Atlantic 10 outright with a win at Fordham and Long Beach State can cap an undefeated run through the Big West win a win at Cal State Fullerton, while Texas has a golden opportunity at their fingertips as they visit #4 Kansas. The Longhorns could use a signature victory for their resume and to do so at Allen Fieldhouse would make quite the impression. But that's far easier said than done, especially on Senior Day in Lawrence. The same goes for hard-charging Tennessee, who hosts Vanderbilt and would make for an interesting case in the selection room given their play since the addition of Jarnell Stokes. Lastly both West Virginia and USF need a win to solidify their tournament hopes, but the truth is that both will need to do work in New York next week as well.

Top 25 Games
4:00 PM (18) Louisville at (2) Syracuse (CBS)
7:00 PM (6) North Carolina at (3) Duke (ESPN)
9:00 PM Texas at (4) Kansas (ESPN3)
2:00 PM (12) Georgetown at (7) Marquette (ESPN3)
4:00 PM (8) Missouri at Texas Tech (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Tennessee State vs (9) Murray State* (ESPN)
7:00 PM (10) Baylor at Iowa State (ESPN3)
2:35 PM Illinois State vs (14) Wichita State* (ESPN3)
10:00 PM Wyoming at (17) UNLV (The Mtn.)
9:00 PM San Francisco vs (21) Saint Mary's* (ESPNU)
7:00 PM (23) San Diego State at TCU (The Mtn.)
5:05 PM Evansville vs (24) Creighton* (ESPN3)
4:00 PM (25) Temple at Fordham

NCAA Division I Games
12:00 PM Pittsburgh at Connecticut (ESPN)
12:00 PM West Virginia at South Florida (ESPN3)
12:00 PM Wake Forest at Georgia Tech (ESPN3)
12:00 PM Ohio at Miami (OH)
12:00 PM Memphis at Tulsa (CBS)
12:00 PM George Washington at Dayton
12:00 PM UNC Wilmington vs Drexel* (ESPN3)
12:00 PM Saint Louis at Duquesne
12:00 PM VMI at UNC-Asheville (ESPN3)
12:00 PM Appalachian State vs UNC Greensboro* (ESPN3)
12:05 PM Binghamton vs Stony Brook*
12:30 PM Nebraska at Minnesota (BTN)
1:30 PM Oklahoma State at Kansas State (ESPN3)
1:45 PM South Carolina at Georgia (ESPN3)
2:00 PM LSU at Auburn (CBS)
2:00 PM Washington at UCLA (CBS)
2:00 PM Cincinnati at Villanova (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Southern Miss at Marshall
2:00 PM Northern Illinois at Ball State
2:00 PM St. Bonaventure at La Salle
2:00 PM American University at Lehigh
2:00 PM Eastern Michigan at Toledo
2:00 PM Western Carolina vs Wofford* (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Charlotte at Xavier
2:15 PM New Hampshire vs Albany*
2:30 PM Delaware vs Old Dominion* (ESPN3)
2:30 PM Rider vs Fairfield* (ESPN3)
2:30 PM Northwestern at Iowa (BTN)
2:30 PM Boston College at Miami (FL) (ESPN3)
3:00 PM Utah Valley at North Dakota
3:00 PM UTEP at SMU
4:00 PM Rhode Island at Massachusetts
4:00 PM Alabama at Ole Miss (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Boise State at New Mexico (NBC SN)
4:00 PM Texas A&M at Oklahoma (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Colorado at Oregon State
4:00 PM Colorado State at Air Force (The Mtn.)
4:00 PM Vanderbilt at Tennessee (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Chicago State at NJIT
4:30 PM Marist vs Iona* (ESPN3)
4:30 PM Lafayette at Bucknell
4:30 PM McNeese State at Lamar
4:30 PM Southeastern Louisiana at Nicholls State
5:00 PM Sam Houston State at Texas State
5:00 PM Idaho State at Eastern Washington
5:00 PM Arkansas at Mississippi State (ESPN3)
5:00 PM Prairie View A&M at Alcorn State
5:00 PM Texas Southern at Southern
6:00 PM Washington State at USC
6:00 PM Seton Hall at DePaul (ESPN3)
6:00 PM Detroit vs Cleveland State* (ESPN3)
6:00 PM Grambling State at Alabama A&M
6:00 PM Jackson State at Alabama State
6:00 PM Bowling Green at Buffalo (ESPN3)
6:00 PM Furman vs Davidson* (ESPN3)
6:00 PM Utah at Oregon
6:00 PM Northeastern vs VCU* (ESPN3)
6:05 PM Maine vs Vermont*
7:00 PM Troy vs South Alabama*
7:00 PM Dartmouth at Columbia
7:00 PM Harvard at Cornell (ESPN3)
7:00 PM IPFW vs Oral Roberts*
7:00 PM Yale at Pennsylvania
7:00 PM Florida Gulf Coast vs Belmont* (ESPN3)
7:00 PM UAB at UCF
7:00 PM Northwestern State at Stephen F. Austin
7:05 PM Long Beach State at Cal State Fullerton
7:15 PM Arkansas State vs Florida Atlantic*
7:15 PM Texas-Arlington at UTSA
7:30 PM Brown at Princeton
7:30 PM Niagara vs Loyola (MD)* (ESPN3)
8:00 PM UC Irvine at UC Riverside
8:00 PM St. John's at Rutgers (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Houston at Rice
8:00 PM Central Arkansas at Texas A&M-CC
8:00 PM East Carolina at Tulane
8:05 PM Texas-Pan American at Houston Baptist
8:15 PM Hartford at Boston University
8:30 PM Georgia Southern vs Elon* (ESPN3)
8:30 PM Georgia State vs George Mason* (ESPN3)
8:30 PM Butler at Valparaiso
9:30 PM Florida International vs Western Kentucky*
9:30 PM Siena vs Manhattan* (ESPN3)
9:30 PM IUPUI vs South Dakota State*
10:00 PM Pacific at Cal Poly
10:00 PM Idaho at San Jose State
10:00 PM New Mexico State at Fresno State
10:00 PM Louisiana Tech at Nevada
10:00 PM Montana State at Portland State
10:00 PM UC Davis at UC Santa Barbara
11:00 PM Brigham Young vs Gonzaga* (ESPN2)
12:00 AM Utah State at Hawaii

Marquette vs Georgetown: Prediction & Fan Poll

Greg Mengelt — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 18:35:50 -0500

NO. 12 GEORGETOWN (22-6, 12-5 Big East) AT NO. 7 MARQUETTE (24-6, 13-4 Big East)

Time: 2 p.m.

TV: Big East Network/MASN/ESPN Full Court/ESPN3 (Mike Gleason play-by-play, Mike Kelley color)

Location: Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisc.

RPI Ratings

Georgetown 9 (No. 3 Big East)

Marquette 7 (No. 2 Big East)

Line: Marquette -4½ (O/U 129)

Georgetown Players to Watch: G Jason Clark, 6-2 Sr. (14.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.7 spg); C Henry Sims, 6-10 Sr. (11.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.5 apg); F Otto Porter, 6-8 Fr. (8.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 49.2% FG). On Senior Night, Clark and Sims combined for 25 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in a 59-41 win over No. 20 Notre Dame. Clark had 13 points and six rebounds, while Sims finished with 12 points, six boards and five assists.

Marquette Players to Watch: G Darius Johnson-Odom, 6-2 Sr. (18.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.8 apg); F Jae Crowder, 6-6 Sr. (17.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 51.6% FG); G Junior Cadougan, 6-1 Jr. (6.5 ppg, 5.5 apg, 1.1 spg). Johnson-Odom and Crowder – the 2-time reigning Big East Player of the Week and current collegehoops.net national Player of Week – will play their final game at the Bradley Center Saturday. The two have combined for 2,514 points, 784 rebounds, 369 assists and 310 3-pointers as Golden Eagles.

Storylines: The Hoyas, who have won four of their last five, can secure a first-round bye in the Big East Tournament. Marquette, which saw its 5-game winning streak end on Wednesday at the hands of Cincinnati, 72-61, can secure the No. 2 seed – and avoid No. 2 Syracuse until the championship game – with a victory.

Keys: Clark scored 26 points and Hollis Thompson hit a 3 with 24 seconds left as Georgetown beat the Eagles 73-70 on Jan. 4. The Hoyas, who shot 62.8 percent from the field and held Marquette to 44.2 percent, trailed 43-29 at the break. Marquette ranks second in the Big East (to Syracuse) in scoring at 75.9 per game, while the Hoyas are second (to South Florida) in scoring defense at 58.1. Georgetown has held two straight opponents under 40 percent from the field, including Notre Dame, which only managed to shoot 33.3. The Hoyas shot 52.3 percent in the victory. The Hoyas are second in the Big East in field goal percentage (46.4) and field goal defense (38.5). Marquette is third in field goal percentage at 45.9. The Eagles are second in the Big East in turnover margin at plus-3.77, having turned it over 386 times and forced 499 errors. Marquette is 14-1 at home this season with the lone loss coming on Dec. 29 to Vanderbilt, 74-57. The Eagles are 8-0 at the Bradley Center in Big East play. The Hoyas are 6-4 in true road games and 7-4 away from home.

The Bottom Line: Georgetown may win this one straight up, but expect the Hoyas to at least cover.

The Pick: Marquette 68, Georgetown 66

CollegeHoops.net Awards: Crowder, Horton, Belmont, Kansas

Greg Mengelt — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:08:30 -0500

A review of the week that was in college basketball focusing on the best (and worst) performances. Check in every Monday morning for CollegeHoops.net's weekly awards by Greg Mengelt.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Jae Crowder, Marquette Senior Forward: Crowder – the reigning Big East Player of the Week – scored 53 points, grabbed 11 boards, handed out five assists and had five blocks and five steals in a pair of Golden Eagle wins.

In Wednesday’s 82-65 win over Rutgers, Crowder made 11 of his 14 field goal attempts and finished with 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists, four steals and three blocked shots.

He followed that performance with 26 points, four rebounds, two blocks, two steals and an assist in Marquette’s big 61-60 win at West Virginia.

“He’s a really good player,” Mountaineer star Kevin Jones said. “He came in with a chip on his shoulder. You can’t take away anything from him and his team. They’re a tough team, as you can see.”

For the season, the senior forward is averaging 17.4 points on 51.6 percent shooting. He’s also gets 7.6 rebounds, 2.4 steals, two assists and a block per night.

MID-MAJOR PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Ken Horton, Central Connecticut State Senior Forward: Horton ended his scoring slump in a big way last week, scoring 61 points in a pair of Blue Devil wins last week.

In Thursday’s 78-63 victory over Mt. St. Mary’s, Horton went for a career-high 39 points on 15-of-20 from the field, including 4-of-8 from behind the 3-point line. He also had 13 rebounds, six steals, five assists and a blocked shot. On Saturday, he scored 22 points, grabbed seven boards, blocked five shots and had four steals and three assists in a 78-61 win over Wagner.

For the season, Horton is averaging 18.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals, 1.7 assists and 1.4 blocks while shooting 49.3 percent from the field.

TEAM OF THE WEEK

Belmont: After clinching at least a share of the Atlantic Sun regular-season title with an 88-79 win over South Carolina-Upstate on Monday, the 24-7 Bruins clinched the championship outright with a 62-61 win at second-place Mercer on Saturday.

In the win over USCU, five Belmont players scored in double-figures. On Saturday, Mick Hedgepeth hit a free throw with 12 seconds left to seal the conference title. Ian Clark led four Bruins in double-figures with 16 points.

SINGLE-GAME PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

Daniel Mullings, New Mexico State Freshman Guard: Mullings continued a nice freshman campaign with a triple-double in Thursday’s 115-73 win over Hawaii.

Mullings led the Aggies’ offensive explosion with a career-high 28 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, five steals and a blocked shot. He made 11 of his 15 field goal attempts and 6-of-9 foul shots. It was the first triple-double in NMSU history

The Toronto native, who hadn’t had a double-double before Thursday’s triple-double, is averaging nine points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.7 steals for the year. He’s averaging 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and four steals over his last four games.

WIN OF THE WEEK

Kansas 87, Missouri 86 (OT): The Jayhawks clinched their eighth consecutive Big 12 championship by coming from 19 points down in the second half to defeat their rivals in overtime.

Tyshawn Taylor hit a pair of free throws with 8.3 seconds left in overtime as Kansas improved to 24-5 overall and 14-2 in the Big 12. The Jayhawks now have a 2-game lead over Missouri with two games to play. They only need to win at Oklahoma State on Monday or at home against Texas on Saturday to clinch the title outright.

“That couldn’t have been scripted a lot better for us,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “I’m not the most emotional guy, but that’s about as good as it gets.”

The 19-point comeback tied the largest ever for Kansas at home (it did the same against UCLA on Dec. 2, 1995 in an 85-70 win) and was three points shy of its largest comeback in program history.

“We had the game in our hands, and we gave them a gift,” Missouri senior Kim English told the Associated Press.

With the 105-year rivalry coming to a close – at least for the time being – Kansas will have eternal bragging rights.

UPSET OF THE WEEK

Penn 55, Harvard 54: Zack Rosen scored 20 points, including Penn’s last nine, and nailed a pair of free throws with 23 seconds left as the Quakers kept Harvard from essentially wrapping up the Ivy League title and the first NCAA Tournament bid.

With the win, Penn pulled within a half-game of the Crimson and only has to beat Brown (Friday) and Yale (Saturday) at home and at Princeton (March 3) to force a 1-game playoff between the Quakers and Crimson for the Ivy League’s tourney bid.

LOSS OF THE WEEK

Northeastern 85, George Mason 82 (OT): Any hope George Mason had of collecting an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament probably went away when 13-15 Northeastern outscored the Patriots 10-7 in overtime.

On Saturday, GMU fell to VCU, 89-77 to fall to third in the Colonial standings, making a CAA tournament championship run vital for the Patriots.

PLAY OF THE WEEK

No shot?: After Taylor hit his free throws to give Kansas an 87-86 lead, Missouri’s Michael Dixon dribbled out the final 8.3 seconds of the clock and the Tigers never got a chance to upset the Jayhawks.

With a second left, Dixon finally got the ball to Marcus Denmon, who hit a 3-pointer but not until after the buzzer had sounded as Missouri dropped consecutive games for the first time this season.

Iona vs. Fairfield: Friday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:04:36 -0500

After winning their first three MAAC games (two of which were played in December), Sydney Johnson's Fairfield (17-11, 12-4) Stags lost three straight league games and looked to be anything but a contender for the regular season title. Well the players have looked more comfortable with their first-year head coach, and sure enough here are the Stags sitting just a game out of first place heading into the final weekend of league play. Tonight they visit Iona (22-6, 13-3) with first place on the line, and a win for the Gaels would clinch their first regular season title since the 2000-01 season.

Iona won the first meeting 71-62 on January 27th and Fairfield has won seven of eight since, with Derek Needham and Rakim Sanders both playing good basketball. Needham was a preseason candidate for MAAC Player of the Year, and while the season hasn't worked out in that fashion the Illinois product has the ability to get things rolling offensively. Needham shot 4-for-12 in the first meeting, scoring 11 points to go along with eight rebounds and four assists, and he's shot worse than 44% from the field in just two games since. Sanders leads the Stags in scoring and rebounding, and his versatility makes the Boston College transfer a threat both inside and out.

Fairfield may not score as much as Iona but that doesn't mean the Stags lack guys who can score. In addition to Needham and Sanders Fairfield has Maurice Barrow and Ryan Olander inside, with Barrow being a workhorse on the glass and Olander possessing range out to about 15 feet with consistency. But the problems for Fairfield in the first meeting came on the defensive end, which was somewhat predictable given how potent the Iona attack is. The Gaels shot 50% from the field in Bridgeport, and the straw that stirs the drink is senior point guard Scott Machado.

The nation's leading assist man had just five assists in the first meeting but he made seven of thirteen shots from the field and scored 18 points. Add Momo Jones' 20 to that and there's a big reason why the Gaels were so successful against the Fairfield defense. Jones has become more comfortable in his role after some early struggles, which has added to an offense that also features Mike Glover inside and shooters Sean Armand and Kyle Smyth. Tempo is going to be key, because the more possessions the tougher things get for Fairfield. The Stags average just one point per possession and Iona enters the game at a 1.15, but if they can make this a half-court battle they've got a shot.

West Virginia gets another shot at a win over a ranked opponent as they host #10 Marquette, who has played outstanding basketball of late. On an individual level three of the top candidate for Big East Player of the Year will be on display, as Kevin Jones and the Mountaineers look to slow down Jae Crowder and Darius Johnson-Odom. Crowder and DJO were unstoppable last week in their win at Connecticut, and Buzz Williams' team is more than tough enough to go into a hostile environment and win. WVU needs their guards to play consistently in order to win, especially Truck Bryant and Jabarie Hinds. A West Virginia win would go a long way towards locking up an NCAA bid.

Harvard can clinch at least a share of the Ivy League title this weekend with home games against Princeton and Penn, beginning with the Tigers tonight. Princeton handed the Crimson their only league loss to date a couple weeks ago but with Kyle Casey playing better of late it's going to be much tougher for Ian Hummer and company this time around. And the matchup between Butler and Valparaiso could be a preview of a Horizon League title game, but the Bulldogs need a win to lock down the two-seed in the conference tournament. A loss to the Crusaders, who may have Kevin Van Wijk (sprained knee) back, would open the door for Cleveland State to swipe the spot with a win on Saturday.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM (10) Marquette at West Virginia (ESPN)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Columbia at Yale
7:00 PM Princeton at Harvard
7:00 PM Pennsylvania at Dartmouth
7:00 PM Cornell at Brown
7:00 PM North Florida at Jacksonville (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Canisius at Manhattan
7:00 PM Loyola (MD) at Rider (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Butler at Valparaiso (ESPNU)
8:00 PM Niagara at St. Peter's
9:00 PM Fairfield at Iona (ESPNU)
9:05 PM Idaho at Utah State (ESPN3)