Jackson St

Monday Recap: The More Things Change...

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:05:15 -0500

Monday's showdown between #3 Baylor and #7 Kansas gave the visiting Bears a great chance to make the statement that they were ready to dethrone a program that's won at least a share of the last seven Big 12 titles. Well while there's still plenty of basketball to be played before the regular season champion is determined, it's safe to say that Bill Self's team has no plans to simply hand over the top spot. Thomas Robinson outplayed the highly-touted Baylor frontcourt, scoring 27 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, and Tyshawn Taylor scored a game-high 28 points and dished out six assists as the Jayhawks rolled to the 92-74 victory.

"We played terrific. That's the best game we've played all year," remarked Self. "The energy level was great and we got off to a great start."

Baylor looked to be every bit Kansas' equal after the Jayhawks jumped out to a 17-9 lead, putting together an 18-5 run over a nearly seven-minute stretch to take a 27-22 lead with 6:01 remaining. But to sustain such play at Allen Fieldhouse is difficult to say the least, and Kansas would close the half on a 17-2 run to take a 39-29 lead into the break. Taylor, who capped the half with a three-pointer from the top of the key, led the way with 14 points while Robinson added 12 and five boards. Rebounding was an issue all night for Baylor, who ignored the need to box out and it cost them.

Kansas grabbed 15 offensive rebounds on the night, scoring 17 second-chance points, and out-rebounded the Bears 39-24. And if that wasn't enough the Jayhawks outscored Baylor 48-34 in the paint and all five starters reached double figures in scoring. Jeff Withey, the player who had to show up lest Robinson be left to deal with the Baylor frontcourt by himself, posted a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds in addition to three blocked shots. With Baylor's starting frontcourt scoring 49 of their 74 points Withey had to be a factor and he was.

"When we get Jeff going, it really gets a lot of us going, and a lot of people don't know that," said Elijah Johnson, who finished with 11 points and five rebounds. "Jeff is a key player to our team, especially with getting us started. When he is on track, it can be a long night for some teams."

Perry Jones III led Scott Drew's club with 18 points and Quincy Miller scored 17 but it wasn't enough to avoid their first defeat of the year. Pierre Jackson scored 11 points off the bench in his sixth-man role to go along with 11 assists, but his solid performance was eclipsed by what Taylor was able to do. Provided they improve their rebounding, which is surprisingly mediocre given their size, Baylor will be a factor in both the Big 12 and national title races. But the biggest lesson to come out of Monday night is that to win the Big 12 the road once again goes through Lawrence.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Marquette climbs out of an 18-2 hole to beat Louisville at home.
Down 18-2, Marquette head coach Buzz Williams took what many would judge to be an unconventional approach to dealing with his team. He didn't flip out or panic, and as a result his lack of an overreaction proved to be the best move. The Golden Eagles would outscore Louisville 32-12 from that point forward to take a 34-30 halftime lead on their way to the 74-63 win at the Bradley Center. Darius Johnson-Odom led four Marquette players in double figures with 19 points, Davante Gardner scored 17 and grabbed six rebounds and Jae Crowder posted a double-double (14 points, 11 rebounds), but the foul line proved to be the difference on Monday afternoon.

Marquette made 16 of their 18 free throws while Louisville failed to take advantage of their opportunities, making four of ten from the charity stripe. Russ Smith scored 20 points to lead the Cardinals, who were once again without the injured Kyle Kuric, and their half-court offense remains an issue. Louisville finished with 17 assists but also turned the ball over 17 times, and the absence of Kuric severely hampers the bench production as Smith moves into the starting lineup. Marquette's reserves, led by Todd Mayo (11 points), outscored the Louisville reserves 15-3. Marquette could have lost their composure and allowed the Cardinals to run away with the game at 18-2 but they stayed the course and ultimately won.

2. Syracuse continues the best start in school history with a win over Pittsburgh.
Despite their recent track record of futility against Pittsburgh heading into Monday's game at the Carrier Dome (no current player had ever beaten the Panthers), few expected the top-ranked Orange to struggle with Jamie Dixon's club. And after 20 minutes of play it looked as if Syracuse was going to roll to their 20th consecutive win as they led 35-26. Pitt couldn't take care of the basketball, and their 11 first-half turnovers led to 12 Syracuse points. But the Panthers were able to remain within striking distance by hitting the glass,out-rebounding the Orange 22-14. That would continue in the second half, and while the Orange went on to win 71-63 the 40-28 disadvantage on the glass is something that sticks out for Jim Boeheim's 20-0 squad.

Dion Waiters led five players in double figures with 16 points and Fab Melo posted a double-double with ten points and ten assists while Pitt was led by three players who scored ten points apiece. But just like Louisville, the Panthers' woes at the foul line prevented them from making the game uncomfortably close for Syracuse. Syracuse made 20 of their 23 free throws while the Panthers shot 12-for-23 with Nasir Robinson missing six of his eight attempts.

Be it free throws or layups Pittsburgh is not completing the "simple" plays right now, and that's a big reason why they're off to their worst start in Big East play since the 1995-96 season. As for Syracuse, while they were the unanimous choice for the top spot in the coaches' poll this week there's still plenty to improve upon. For a team that can achieve special things this season, this is just one step on the road they hope leads them to New Orleans.

3. So much for the SWAC showdown, as Mississippi Valley State rolls Southern.
With Southern entering their road game in Itta Bena just a game out of first place in the loss column there was reason to believe that Rob Spivery's Jaguars would challenge the Delta Devils. Twenty-one turnovers later however Southern found themselves on the wrong end of a 77-56 result, as they also shot 38.8% from the field and gave up 19 offensive rebounds. Five MVSU players reached double figures with Cor-J Cox scoring a game-high 23 off the bench and Paul Crosby grabbed 14 rebounds in addition to scoring 18 points.

To say the least it's a lot easier to win when scoring 27 points off of 21 turnovers and 23 second-chance points, and as a result Sean Woods' Delta Devils find themselves in sole possession of first place with a 5-0 league mark. With five teams within two games of each other in the loss column it's anyone's guess as to how the race will shake out, but the Delta Devils' win keeps them above the rest for the time being.

Quick Hitters

1. From Sunday, there were two huge differences between Ohio State's 80-63 win over Indiana and their loss to the Hoosiers in the first meeting. One, Aaron Craft was much better running the show (seven assists and no turnovers; had six turnovers in Bloomington). And two, Lenzelle Smith Jr. went off to the tune of 28 points and seven rebounds on 10-for-12 shooting. If Smith Jr. can be a consistent supplement to William Buford, Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas, look out.

2. Missouri took care of business ahead of their meeting with Baylor in Waco on Saturday, beating Texas A&M 70-51. The point guard play wasn't close with Phil Pressey outplaying Dash Harris and that's one reason as to why Billy Kennedy's team has struggled this season. The Aggies need more from their guards if they're to have a shot at climbing into the middle of the Big 12 pack.

3. Logan Aronhalt scored 20 points and Mike Black 13 to lead Albany, but when two starters manage to go scoreless it's tough to win on the road. Guards D.J. Irving and Darryl Partin combined to score 32 points as Boston University beat the Great Danes 70-57 to move to 4-1 in America East play. The Terriers are a half-game behind Stony Brook for first place, as the Seawolves moved to 5-1 with a 71-62 win over New Hampshire.

4. In a matchup of undefeated (in league play) teams Norfolk State won 74-66 at Coppin State. Kyle O'Quinn, who has to be the frontrunner for MEAC Player of the Year right now, scored 24 points and grabbed 19 rebounds and Pendarvis Williams scored a game-high 25 points. The Spartans sit atop the MEAC standings with a 4-0 record.

5. Christian Williams made just three of twelve shots from the field but his three-pointer with 22 seconds remaining gave Jackson State a 52-51 lead on their way to the 54-51 win over previously undefeated Texas Southern. Jenirro Bush led the Tigers with 23 points and eight rebounds.

6. Memphis freshman Adonis Thomas could be done for the season due to an injury suffered in practice on Friday, according to Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com. A surgery that would repair a tendon between Thomas' ankle and foot would necessitate a recovery period of two to three months.

Three Notable Performances

1. F/C Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State)
24 points and 19 rebounds in the Spartans' 74-66 win over Coppin State.

2. F Thomas Robinson and G Tyshawn Taylor (Kansas)
Robinson scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and Taylor put up 28 points and six assists in the Jayhawks' 92-74 whipping of #3 Baylor.

3. G Melquan Bolding (Fairleigh Dickinson)
38 points, five rebounds and three steals in the Knights' 87-83 loss to Longwood.

How Will Teams Account for Major Personnel Losses?

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:46:17 -0500

One question that seems to float around college basketball on an annual basis is the "how will they replace..." inquiry. That could apply to just about any player, from a key sub to a starter to a conference player of the year honoree. But the danger of using the word "replace" is that sometimes the departed players is too difficult to account for by simply plugging someone else into their role. According to kenpom.com, these were the top ten players in the country last season in percentage of possessions used:

1 Anatoly Bose (Nicholls St.) 36.7
2 Jimmer Fredette (BYU) 36.4
3 Keion Bell (Pepperdine) 35.7
4 Brandon Bowdry (Eastern Michigan)34.4
5 Adrian Oliver (San Jose State) 33.8
6 Xavier Silas (Northern Illinois) 33.8
7 Will Pratt (Northwestern St.) 33.4
8 Grant Maxey (Jackson State) 33.2
9 Andrew Goudelock (Charleston) 33.1
10 Shawn Lewis (Cal Poly) 32.6

Nine of these players were seniors last season and the tenth (Keion Bell) has since transferred to Missouri, where he will have one year of eligibility in 2012-13 after sitting out this season (11th on the list is Lehigh's C.J. McCollum, one of the better guards in America who gets limited national exposure). But the question for each of these teams is how they go about redistributing the possessions that went to these players.

It goes without saying how important a Fredette or Goudelock was to their team last season, which makes it so difficult to simply say that they need to be "replaced". Attempting to replace a player of this influence can get teams in trouble, so the sooner a program figures out how to make up for the departure the better.

"At first we thought we could just run the same stuff and I was wrong," said College of Charleston head coach Bobby Cremins in a phone conversation last week. "We added some new stuff, went back and forth and then realized that we had to change."

The changes were all about comfort for the Cougars, who not only lost Goudelock but also guard Donovan Monroe (12.4 ppg) and forward Jeremy Simmons (13.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg). Goudelock and Monroe were responsible for 56.5% of Charleston's made three pointers in 2010-11, meaning that the Cougars will need multiple players to step up in that department.

One option: point guard Andrew Lawrence, who gained experience playing with the English National Team during the summer, and 74% of his points last season came from beyond the arc. Coach Cremins noted that Lawrence's experience this summer was a great one, and the starting point guard has the ability to set up teammates in addition to knock down shots. Obviously Lawrence's role will expand, but to expect him to pick up where Goudelock left off would be unfair.

In additon to Lawrence on the perimeter there are three players competing for the starting shooting guard role, with one of those options being Jordan Scott. Scott scored a team-high 23 points in their exhibition win over Queens College and 15 in the win over Limestone, but by no means did that lock up the starting nod, as Nori Johnson and Trevonte Dixon will also get opportunities to produce. In speaking with Coach Cremins he was still looking for improvement from Scott, and as the temperament improves his game should as well.

Charleston will also call on their lone returning starter for offense, and after missing the 2009-10 season due to a knee injury Antwaine Wiggins should be fully recovered. Wiggins averaged 7.9 points and 5.6 rebounds last season, making 51.1% of his two-point attempts and just 35.3% from beyond the arc. That percentage needs to improve if he's to raise his scoring, and that was a point of emphasis for the Cougars.

"He's playing well and trying to become a better shooter [form-wise]," noted Cremins. "He can be an NBA player if his shot improves."

Charleston also has the tough Trent Wiedeman in the frontcourt, but the loss of Willis Hall places a little more pressure on freshman Adjehi Baru, and the Cougars will have a chance to be a factor in the SoCon if the highly-touted newcomer is a factor. Charleston is young and has some big production losses to account for, but the Cougars have plenty back when compared with Colorado.

It's been well-documented the situation that Tad Boyle is in as the Buffaloes begin their first season in the Pac-12. In Alec Burks, Cory Higgins, Levi Knutson and Marcus Relphorde the Buffs lost 75% of their offense from last season's 24-14 team, meaning that there's a strong chance that they won't be able to simply look for guys to replicate the production of that quartet.

"We're not changing our system but adjustments need to be made," said Colorado head coach Tad Boyle. "We've stressed not trying to have a player be one of the departed, but to be themselves and understand why [the departed players] were successful and add to their games."

One player who will need to make this transition is point guard Nate Tomlinson, who had the luxury of being able to get the ball to players such as Burks and Higgins, who could then make a play and score baskets. "Nate has to be more of a playmaker himself and become more aggressive, but not just in terms of scoring," noted Boyle.

Tomlinson accounted for just 3.5% of the Buffaloes' points last season, but look for that number to increase by a substantial amount out of necessity. But he isn't the only player Colorado will call on for points, as a pair of seniors will also need to be involved. Forward Austin Dufault (6.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and guard Carlon Brown (Utah transfer) will also be key cogs in the Buffaloes' up-tempo system, and how they execute in their "secondary break" will be something to watch.

"Last year's team was good at taking care of the basketball and we have to continue that," said Boyle when asked what his team will need to do offensively this season. "We have to be patient offensively, and we're having issues with that now. We don't have a Burks or Higgins to make plays in our secondary break."

Can Brown do that? He's got the athletic ability to do so as do freshmen Askia Booker and Spencer Dinwiddie, and sophomore Andre Roberson will also be called upon in the frontcourt. And in Dufault the Buffaloes have a big man who can score either inside or out. Coach Boyle noted that Dufault has to do a good job of understanding his matchup and knowing where his advantage is in order to be successful.

How teams go about accounting for major personnel losses will be something to keep an eye on, not just in the distribution from a numbers standpoint but also in what kinds of sets they run. Teams who could give the ball to a dominant figure and ask him to make a play might have to do more work off the ball to get good scoring opportunities, but the thought of simply replacing a player is a simplistic one. Look out for this in the first month of the season, as how this is handled will shape the seasons of many teams.

Some Other Teams to Watch

Arizona: The Wildcats not only lost a lottery pick in forward Derrick Williams but an assertive point guard in Lamont "MoMo" Jones (transferred to Iona). That means that the Wildcats will be young at the point with either sophomore Jordin Mayes or freshman Josiah Turner, and they don't have a big man on the block that can take the ball and get the team a basket whenever. More will be asked of Solomon Hill on the wing, senior Kyle Fogg is experienced as well and the sooner Kevin Parrom can return the better.

BYU: This one is pretty obvious due to the graduation of Jimmer Fredette, but don't forget about what Jackson Emery brought to the Cougars as well. The good news for Dave Rose is that Charles Abouo and Noah Hartsock return, as does Brandon Davies (suspended for an honor code violation late last season). The Cougars may have to rely more on their big men for points, especially early in the season, and it's going to be interesting to see how they incorporate UCLA transfer Matt Carlino once he's eligible in December.

Connecticut: The Huskies were a young team last year, but losing a player the caliber of Kemba Walker is a big deal, especially with freshman Ryan Boatright sitting per NCAA inquiry. That puts more on the plate of Shabazz Napier, and look for wing Jeremy Lamb to be used at the point on occasion as well. Lamb's best role offensively may end up being one similar to how Richard Hamilton was used during his time in Storrs, as Lamb is also a tough matchup coming off of screens.

Hofstra: Charles Jenkins left Hempstead as the greatest player in the history of the school, so there really isn't a way to simply plug someone into his open spot. Rhode Island transfer Steve Mejia is more of a distributor than scorer at the point, but in shooting guard Mike Moore the Pride have a player capable of assuming that alpha role on offense. Bryant Crowder, Nathaniel Lester and David Imes will also have roles that are larger than they would have been with a player of Jenkins' caliber still on campus.

Jackson State: Losing Grant Maxey, who was responsible for 33.2% of the Tigers' possessions last season, is a tough departure to account for but he's not the only loss for JSU. De'Suan Dixon and Tyrone Hanson were also significant contributors according to Ken Pomeroy's numbers, leaving Jenniro Bush as the main option. Bush was named Preseason POY in the SWAC, and JSU will need that kind of production to account for the loss of four starters.

Kansas: The Jayhawks have to account for the loss of not just the Morrii (Marcus and Markieff) but also Tyrel Reed and Brady Morningstar, their most successful three-point shooters with regards to number of shots made and percentage (Markieff Morris shot 42% from three but on nearly have as many attempts). Junior forward Thomas Robinson will be the primary option on the block, but it doesn't help that guards Tyshawn Taylor and Elijah Robinson have both been suspended already (only for the two exhibition games).

St. John's: Who didn't the Red Storm lose? Other than Malik Stith, who played just 12.2 minutes per game last season, no one of consequence returns from that NCAA Tournament team. But the newcomers are extremely talented, led by junior college transfers Nurideen Lindsey and God'sgift Achiuwa and freshmen Maurice Harkless and Sir'Dominic Pointer. To say the least this thin roster will need to remain healthy, and possible mid-season additions Norvel Pelle and Amir Garrett would be welcomed with open arms.

#140 Jackson St: 2010-11 Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 21:32:20 -0400

Overall Rank: #140

Conference Rank: #1 Southwestern Athletic Conference

2009-10: 19-13, 17-1

2009-10 postseason: NIT

Coach: Tevester Anderson (114-113 at Jackson State, 217-165 overall)

Jackson State dominated the Southwestern Athletic Conference in 2009-2010 with a 17-1 record. Yet the team failed to show up when it mattered the most, and fell in the first round of the conference tournament. That left the Tigers in the NIT instead of the NCAA Tournament. But all of that work was done mostly without preseason conference player of the year Grant Maxey who played in just two games before suffering a season ending ankle injury. The young team has grown up and should be able to cruise through the SWAC yet again.

Key Losses: G Garrison Johnson

Key Newcomers:

Kelsey Howard will probably end up being the star of this recruiting class. The 6-4 guard is a pure scorer and has enough size to attack the basket when he is not knocking down an outside shot. In a conference like the SWAC most pure scorers are strictly shooters, but because of Howard’s size he has the ability to be a multi-dimensional scorer and that will make him a good player sooner or later. Fellow freshman guard Scottie Sterling will not do nearly as much scoring, but he is a solid defender and ball handler. Derrell Taylor, a 6-7, 175 pound forward, needs to bulk up a bit, but he will eventually provide some depth to the frontcourt. Wing Jeniro Bush and 7-2 center Jamarious Sykes sat out last season and will look for minutes this time around.

Backcourt:

Without Maxey around a lot of players stepped up to fill the scoring void. The now departed Garrison Johnson did the most scoring, but Tyrone Hanson, De’Suan Dixon, Cason Burk and Phillip Williams all played their part too. Hanson was second on the team in scoring with 11.4 points per game and proved to be a very consistent outside shooter. While he may play his best basketball as a shooter off the bench, he may be too talented to not start. Dixon, a 6-5 senior, is not a shooter, but he did average 10.6 points and a team high 6.7 rebounds last year. Speaking of rebounding guards, Burk fits into that category as well after tallying 6.5 boards per contest. With Burk and Dixon being 6-5 and Hanson at 6-7, Jackson State has a ton of size on the perimeter. Williams does not have the size, but he could turn into a decent scorer off the bench if given the opportunity.

Frontcourt:

Maxey is 6-7 as well, but he usually plays the power forward position. Two years ago Maxey led the team with 16.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. He also added 2.3 assists and 1.6 steals. Maxey’s ability to attack the basket and stretch out the defense with his outside shooting ability will make this team even more difficult to stop than they were last season. Getting somebody back with his kind of talent would make any team better. The Tigers will be a perimeter orientated team again, but Raymond Gregory and Gertavian Blake will need to manage the center position and spend some time at the four spot. Both earned some starts last season, but finding a consistent interior scorer would be beneficial.

Who to Watch:

Rod Melvin is the player who makes this team go…and they like to go fast. Melvin is unlikely to take over much of the scoring load left behind by Johnson, but he is the catalyst of the offense and he will find the scorers. He is barely a threat to shoot, but as long as he continues to find his teammates and play stellar defense, Jackson State will win plenty of conference games.

Final Projection:

Melvin is now an upperclassman and a leader and a bulk of the responsibility to get last year’s disappointment behind the team will fall on his shoulders. This is a team that should win the conference again, but they may not soon forget what Grambling did to them in the first round of the conference tournament. By March Jackson State had better put 2009-2010 behind them and not allow the loss last season to beat them again.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Rod Melvin, Junior, Guard, 5.4 ppg

De’Suan Dixon, Senior, Guard, 10.6 ppg

Tyrone Hanson, Senior, Guard, 11.4 ppg

Grant Maxey, Senior, Forward, 6.5 ppg

Gertavian Blake, Senior, Center, 2.3 ppg

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Jackson St 2010 NIT Capsule

Joel Welser — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:19:02 -0500

Jackson State Tigers

Southwestern Athletic Conference (19-12, 17-1)

Big Wins: 2/1 at Arkansas Pine Bluff (72-67), 2/15 at Texas Southern (70-67), 3/1 Arkansas Pine Bluff (57-54)

Bad Losses: 12/22 vs Wagner (62-71), 1/18 Texas Southern (44-51), 3/10 vs Grambling (57-65)

Coach: Tevester Anderson

Why They Can Surprise:

Jackson State usually wins games with their defense and that is no different this season. However, it is the scorers on the perimeter that have really stepped up their game and carried the Tigers to a conference championship. Most notable is Garrison Johnson. The 6-5 wing has taken over this team and is a dynamic scorer. He is the team’s most prolific outside shooter, but he does most of his scoring damage using his size to get to the basket. Averaging 17.6 points per game is impressive enough, but Johnson also averages 4.5 rebounds per game and that is not bad at all for a player who spends most of his time on the wing.

Tyrone Hanson and De’Suan Dixon add even more size to the perimeter. Hanson has started quite a few games this year, but he seems to excel as the shooter off the bench. Yet, just calling him a shooter does not do him justice. Hanson does connect on 39.5 percent of his attempts from long range, but he is much more than just a shooter and is quite productive attacking the basket. Dixon is yet another 6-5 wing. Even some Southeastern Conference teams will have trouble with the Tigers rotation of 6-5 guards. Dixon is not much of a shooter, but he is still a great scorer and a superb rebounder. That also makes him capable of stepping into the power forward position against some opponents.

Why They Can Disappoint:

It was supposed to be Grant Maxey who led this team to a Southwestern Athletic Conference title. However, he went down with an injury and only played in two games. That has forced yet another 6-5 guard, Cason Burk, into the starting lineup. Burk is not the scorer that Johnson, Hanson and Dixon are, but he is a superb rebounder and is tough enough to play the power forward position. But there are other options. Oliver Jefferson has earned some starts and has plenty of size, but he rarely plays over ten minutes in a game. Gertavian Blake and Raymond Gregory are both 6-10 and 260 pounds. Those two can clog the paint very effectively. However, neither are good scorers and they are pretty much on the floor for their rebounding and defensive abilities. And they hardly play any more minutes than Jefferson.

Who To Watch:

Rod Melvin has the job of setting up all the scorers on the wing. The 6-1 sophomore is not much of a scorer, but he has two years of starting experience under his belt and has done a superb job of creating opportunities for Johnson, Hanson and Dixon on the wings. Melvin is playing like an upperclassman and that needs to continue into March if Jackson State has any hopes of pulling off an upset.

Probable Starters:

Rod Melvin, Sophomore, Guard, 5.3 ppg, 3.8 apg

De’Suan Dixon, Junior, Guard, 10.8 ppg, 1.3 apg, 6.5 rpg

Garrison Johnson, Senior, Guard, 17.6 ppg, 1.5 apg, 4.5 rpg

Cason Burk, Junior, Guard, 5.0 ppg, 1.8 apg, 6.5 rpg

Oliver Jefferson, Sophomore, Center, 1.5 ppg, 1.2 rpg

Key Roleplayers:

Gertavian Blake, Junior, Center, 2.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg

Raymond Gregory, Freshman, Center, 2.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg

Tyrone Hanson, Junior, Forward, 11.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg

Phillip Williams, Sophomore, Guard, 4.6 ppg, 1.0 apg

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 63.5 (280^th in nation, 8^th in conference)

Scoring Defense: 64.8 (84, 2)

Field-Goal Percentage: 40.1 (307, 5)

Field-Goal Defense: 40.4 (52, 2)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.4 (250, 5)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 32.9 (215, 3)

Free-Throw Percentage: 64.6 (292, 4)

Rebound Margin: 2.4 (102, 2)

Assists Per Game: 11.5 (272, 7)

Turnovers Per Game: 14.7 (243, 2)

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

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College Hoops Wednesday Recap: Montana Stuns Weber State

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:59:54 -0500

Montana was dead to rights late in the first half, trailing by 22 points and going into the locker room down 20 at intermission. No way could they come back on the road and keep Weber State from punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament. The final twenty minutes were supposed to be a coronation for the Wildcats, most of America thought.

Well, Anthony Johnson made sure that we all thought wrong.

Johnson went off, scoring 34 of his Big Sky Tournament record 42 points, in the second half as the Grizzlies stormed back to win by the final score of 66-65. Johnson scored the Grizzlies' final 21 points of the game in a run similar to what LeBron James did in Detroit in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals a few years back. The junior college transfer hit 13 of 22 shots from the field and all fourteen of his free throws in the herculean effort. Derek Selvig added 12 points off the bench and Brian Qvale grabbed 14 rebounds for Montana, who makes their first NCAA appearance since 2006. Damian Lillard led Weber State with 16 points but shooting 37.3% from the field eventually caught up with the regular season Big Sky champs.

What kind of seed can the Grizzlies expect? It really doesn't matter after a game like this; the sheer euphoria of winning a game in the fashion that they did should have Wayne Tinkle's team (and their fan base) floating on Cloud 9 right through Selection Sunday. And for those who didn't know Anthony Johnson's name before Tuesday night: you do know. Truly a performance for the ages.

Three Key Happenings

1. Luke Harangody leads Notre Dame to a win over Seton Hall.

2. Grambling stuns SWAC regular season champ Jackson State. The Tigers of Jackson State were far and away the best teams in the SWAC this season, losing just one of their eighteen conference games. And in facing a Grambling State team that finished 4-14 in league play, many expected Jackson State to move right on to the next round. But thanks to Donald Qualls' 20 points and eight rebounds Grambling became the first eight-seed to knock off the top seed in the SWAC Tournament since 2004. But it's worth noting that in their second meeting the regular season champs won by just five points on the road. Garrison Jackson led all scorers with 27 points but it wasn't enough to make up for Jackson State shooting 26.4% from the field. Grambling keeps alive unfathomable NCAA dreams while the favorites are not headed to the NIT.

3. Robert Morris repeats as NEC champion. The two best teams in the NEC all season long, Robert Morris and Quinnipiac were expected to play to the bitter end in deciding who would represent the conference in the NCAA Tournament. And they did just that, but it was the visitors who found a way to win in the end. RMU, led by Karon Abraham's 16 points, won their second consecutive NEC Tournament crown by holding the Bobcats to 34.8% shooting overall and 3-for-13 from beyond the arc. James Feldeine (17 points) and Justin Rutty (12 points) led the way for Quinnipiac but their other three starters combined to shoot 3-for-16 on the night. Dallas Green's deflection and ensuing free throws gave the Colonials the win, and it's fitting that a senior who's heard Mike Rice preach defense for four years would make the final big defensive play.

Top Three Games

1. Montana 66, Weber St 65 See above.

2. Robert Morris 52, Quinnipiac 50 See above.

3. Cincinnati 69, Louisville 66

Three Notable Performances

1. G Anthony Johnson (Montana) Johnson went off in the second half, scoring 34 for his Big Sky Tournament-record 42 points in the second half to lead the Grizzlies back from a 20-point halftime deficit to win the automatic bid at Weber State.

2. F Luke Harangody (Notre Dame) The senior had 20 points and 10 rebounds in the Irish's 68-54 win over Seton Hall in the Big East Tournament.

3. F Anatoly Bose (Nicholls State) Bose scored 40 points (15-23 FG) in NSU's 62-57 loss to Sam Houston State. No other player had more than six points on the night.

College Hoops Monday Recap: Who is Texas and Who Can They Be?

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 03:50:17 -0500

Is Texas the team flush with talent that can play with anyone in the country? Or is Texas the team still searching for role definition that can lose to just about anyone in the country? We saw ample evidence of both answers being "yes" on Monday night but when the game ended Rick Barnes' team beat Oklahoma 87-76 in Austin. Senior Damion James led the way with 24 points and eight rebounds while four other Longhorns (three coming off the bench) reached double figures as well. The game turned on a 21-10 Texas run that spanned just over eight minutes and gave the Longhorns the lead for good. Tony Crocker (24 points) and Cade Davis (22 points) led the way for the Sooners but they were unable to stem the tide once Texas got going.

"They [Texas] were the tougher team down the stretch," said Oklahoma head coach Jeff Capel. "I thought we played well for 31 minutes. Then their older guys stepped up and made plays (quote courtesy of the University of Texas)." What cost Oklahoma? Their inability to get stops and that's been an issue for much of Big 12 play for this young team; Texas shot 53.6% in each half as well as for the game. Oklahoma, on the other hand, shot just 23.1% from behind the arc after making seven of eleven three-pointers in the first half to take a 40-38 lead into the locker room. Does not having Willie Warren hurt? Of course it does but for a team that's struggled defensively how much of a difference does Warren really make on that end of the floor?

As for Texas and their prospects in March this could be one team that experts and office pool hopefuls have a difficult time figuring out. Every March there's a team that underachieves throughout the regular season only to turn it on in the Big Dance and make a run. But there's also an underachiever every season that simply fizzles out early, showing that they never had the chops to begin with. Which one is Texas? They still have the potential to be either one at this point.

Three Key Happenings

1. West Virginia clinches a double bye in the Big East Tournament. With Austin Freeman sent back to the nation's capital due to a stomach virus the slumping Georgetown Hoyas were without their leading scorer, a serious blow going into Monday's matchup at West Virginia. And the Mountaineers took full advantage of his absence in the first half, gradually building their lead to seventeen by halftime on the way to an 81-68 victory. Da'Sean Butler led the way on Senior Night with 22 points, six rebounds and six assists while three other Mountaineers also scored in double figures. WVU didn't shoot particularly well from the field (42.9% overall; 33.3% second half) but they got to the foul line, attempting 34 free throws to the Hoyas' 21.

Greg Monroe (22 points) and Chris Wright (21 points) led the way for Georgetown but without a third scorer (after Vee Sanford's nine points no one else scored more than five) they didn't stand much of a chance once they fell behind by double digits. West Virginia's defense was just as important on Monday, forcing twenty turnovers and scoring 24 points off of the Hoyas' miscues. On a night in which they were actually out-rebounded 33-31 and scored just three more 2nd chance points than Georgetown, the Mountaineers found another way in which to take care of business. That should serve them well going into the regular season finale at Villanova and the Big East Tournament.

2. Jackson State clinches the outright SWAC regular season title. Behind 18 points from Garrison Johnson the Tigers wrapped up the SWAC title with their 57-54 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Neither team shot particularly well from the field but the Tigers got the job done with turnovers, forcing eighteen UAPB miscues while handing over the ball just six times themselves. But how much does the top seed mean despite Tevester Anderson's Tigers being far and away the best team in the SWAC? In the last decade the top seed won the league's automatic bid just five times; it's essentially an even bet when taking history into account. And if there's one area that could get Jackson State into trouble it could be foul shooting; the Tigers made just nineteen of thirty-two from the charity stripe to make things more stressful than they needed to be.

3. Binghamton withdraws from the America East Tournament. With a lengthy review of the athletic department still ongoing the powers that be at Binghamton made the decision on Monday to pull the team from the upcoming America East Conference Tournament. Mark Macon's team was to be the fifth seed but due to "possible distractions" the Bearcats won't be playing. Is it right to punish young men who had little to do with the issues that got the school into trouble to begin with? You could argue no. But with other league members applying pressure to Binghamton to make this move why not do it earlier? For coaches to lose preparation time, regardless of how little that may have been, due to the delay of releasing the matchups is an inconvenience to say the least. Four months is a length of time it should take to complete an investigation not figure out whether or not you'll be playing in the conference tournament.

Top Three Games

1. Texas 87, Oklahoma 76 See above.

2. UNC Greensboro 81, Georgia Southern 79 Ben Stywall bounced back from a horrific performance in a loss to Davidson with a UNCG record 14th double-double (30 points and 11 rebounds) as the Spartans hung on for dear life at home. Antonio Hanson led the Eagles with 20 points.

3. Jackson St 57, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 54 See above.

Three Notable Performances

1. Ben Stywall (UNC Greensboro) 30 points, 11 rebounds in the Spartans' 81-79 win over Georgia Southern.

2. Damion James (Texas) On Senior Night James scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the Longhorns' 87-76 win over Oklahoma.

3. Reggie Holmes (Morgan State) Holmes led the way with 32 points and five rebounds as the Bears erased a ten-point second half deficit to win going away 81-67 against North Carolina A&T.

College Hoops Monday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 20:38:09 -0500

At one point a near-lock to wrap up a double-bye in the upcoming Big East Tournament, West Virginia finds itself just a game ahead of Louisville and Marquette in the race for one of those final two slots. They host a Georgetown squad that's in serious need of some positive momentum coming off of a double-digit home loss to Notre Dame on Saturday afternoon. The formula for the Hoyas is a rather simple one: as Chris Wright goes so do the Hoyas. John Thompson III's team can avoid this simple fate when Austin Freeman and Greg Monroe are both scoring but it undoubtedly makes things tougher for Georgetown. The junior point guard needs to be ready to go from the start on Monday night.

As for West Virginia getting off to slow starts has been an issue of late. They aren't the most accurate team when it comes to shooting, ranking 11th in the Big East in field goal percentage in league games at just over 43%. But their offensive rebounding has been what's kept them in the top four of the Big East all season; the Mountaineers have an offensive rebounding percentage of 42.1% which is the conference's best by 2.6 percentage points. The Hoyas must keep the likes of Da'Sean Butler, Devin Ebanks and Kevin Jones off the boards if they're to have any chance of winning on the road. It's the rebounding that makes West Virginia a slightly more efficient offensive team and if Georgetown can take that away they've got the edge.

Part two of the Red River Rivalry follows that one and with Oklahoma being shorthanded and slumping this could be the game where Texas rebounds from a loss at Texas A&M. J'Covan Brown took a bad fall on Saturday and may not be available but with Willie Warren likely being out the Longhorns still have the edge. And in the SWAV first-place Jackson State hosts second-place Arkansas-Pine Bluff with the opportunity to both extend their win streak to eleven and wrap up the outright regular season title. The Tigers had to hold on in the first meeting, winning 72-67 after leading by as many as nineteen in the first half. Round three could come in the SWAC Tournament final.

TV GAMES

6:30p Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Jackson State
7p ESPN Georgetown at West Virginia
9p ESPNU North Carolina A&T at Morgan State
9p ESPN Oklahoma at Texas

ONE PREDICTION

West Virginia over Georgetown: The Mountaineers may be prone to slow starts of late but what their trio of Butler, Ebanks and Jones will give Bob Huggins on most nights is pretty much known. As for Georgetown's Chris Wright, he's the player whose performance is most tied with the Hoyas' record. Tough to see him going off in Morgantown; Mountaineers by eight.

College Basketball Saturday Preview: Top 5 Worst Games

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:18:36 -0500

February is a great time for college basketball, but with 149 D1 games scheduled on Saturday, there's sure to be some duds. The games below are hideous, either due to the wide disparity in opponents or the utter lack of quality between the sides.

#25 Cornell vs Brown - 7:00
-- Brown is 5-14 against D1 competition. Meanwhile, Cornell's won their last 3 Ivy games by 36, 34, and 26. This will get ugly, real ugly.

Jackson St vs Alcorn St - 6:30
-- JSU leads the SWAC with an 8-1 record, and has won 10 of 11 games. On the flip-side, Alcorn St is a shocking 0-22 right now and 2nd to last out of 346 teams in the RPI. When first hosts worst, good things never happen.

NC Central vs Savannah St - 7:00
-- NCCU is winless against D1 teams, but have a chance to finally win one against a a Savannah St squad that's just 1-9 away from home. I'm calling a win for the Eagles here to get of the schnide..

Tennessee-Martin vs Tennessee St - 7:00
-- UTM is 0-11 in the Ohio Valley Conference, while Tennessee St is 1-11. If UTM doesn't win this one, they might not win a game the rest of the season (5 of their last 7 are on the road.) If they go winless the rest of the way, their lone win the entire season against a D1 team would have come against independent SIUE.

UC Irvine vs Cal State Bakersfield - 10:35
-- Irvine is 9-14 and towards the bottom of the Big West standings at 3-7. Their season, simply put, is going nowhere. Making things more meaningless is that CSB is an independent, so this game has no implications. The lone intrigue is that CSB did beat UCI at home on Wednesday, so the Anteaters may be out for revenge. But even if they win, only the most die-hard of die-hards will notice.

Others
NJIT vs Longwood
CCSU vs Bryant
UIC vs Illinois-Chicago

College Hoops Monday Recap: BracketBusters Games Announced

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:31:30 -0500

For fans of schools in a number of non-BCS conferences Monday was a big day with the announcement of the eleven televised games in the ESPNU BracketBusters event. And the masses received their wish in regards to the headline contest with Siena visiting Butler on February 20th (11 AM on ESPN2). With both teams still undefeated in their respective conferences at this time it could possibly match up ranked teams if both continue on their current runs. The goal of the eleven TV games is to match up teams in hopes of bolstering their resumes for NCAA Tournament seeding (and in some cases a possible at-large selection). The other televised games are:

2/19 Old Dominion at Northern Iowa (7p ESPN2)
2/19 William & Mary at Iona (9p ESPNU)
2/20 Morgan State at Murray State (Noon ESPNU)
2/20 Louisiana Tech at Northeastern (1p ESPN2)
2/20 Nevada at Missouri State (3p ESPN2)
2/20 Akron at VCU (4p ESPNU)
2/20 College of Charleston at George Mason (8p ESPN2)
2/20 Western Carolina at Kent State (8p ESPNU)
2/20 New Mexico State at Pacific (10p ESPNU)
2/20 Wichita State at Utah State (11:59p ESPN2)

But while Monday was definitely a big day for these schools in regards to finding out who they'll be playing, the game is still three weeks away. In order for it to truly mean anything, especially for teams such as Butler, Northern Iowa and Siena, you've got to take care of business in the conference games leading up to BracketBusters weekend. For if you can't do that it's essentially guaranteed that you won't have much of a chance in what's been an at-large pool flooded with mediocre teams with "big names".

Three Key Happenings

1. Texas relies on a freshman to snap out of their three-game losing skid. The Longhorns lost three straight games with their sudden lack of consistent scoring being a concern for many. But thanks to freshman Jordan Hamilton, who's played just two minutes in their overtime loss to Baylor on Saturday, Texas won at Oklahoma State 72-60. The Los Angeles native hit five of eight three pointers on his way to 27 points and as a team the Longhorns made 59.3% of their shots in the second half. James Anderson, the Cowboys' leading scorer, managed just four points in the second half thanks to a much-improved defensive effort from the Texas backcourt (especially Dogus Balbay) and essentially put the game away.

But the performance put up by Hamilton is an important development for Rick Barnes' squad, especially if the freshman can provide consistent scoring punch off the bench. It's essentially he and J'Covan Brown getting the lion's share of the minutes off the bench and when they score Texas can better manage the lack of scoring from Balbay at the point. Also, Texas took far better care of the basketball than they had in any of their three losses, turning the ball over just five times. While their defending of Anderson in the first half left much to be desired, Texas showed what will ultimately make them successful in March.

2. Louisville beats Connecticut and buys itself a little more time. The Big East matchup on Monday night was more about which team could pick up a win and apply a band-aid to their tournament hopes. And with much work left to be done it was Louisville who came out early with an understanding of the moment, jumping out to an early lead on their way to the 82-69 win at Freedom Hall. Edgar Sosa led four Cardinals in double figures with fifteen points and eight assists while Jerome Dyson led the Huskies with a game-high eighteen.

"He (Sosa) has been distributing all year," said head coach Rick Pitino after the game. "I think a lot of the time the guys get fouled and he doesn't get the assist (quote courtesy of uoflsports.com)."

Another key for Louisville was the three-point shot, something that isn't a huge surprise when considering the history of the program under Coach Pitino. But when you go into a game ranking tenth in the Big East in three point percentage in conference games (31.8%) you won't be expected to shoot 10-for-22 as the Cards did on Monday night. While most of the credit should go to their offensive execution they found a number of looks that were either open or not challenged with the most vigor. While both teams may have known the importance of the moment it was Louisville who played with a sense of urgency from the start.

3. Jackson State retains control of the SWAC race. A loss at Arkansas-Pine Bluff would have dropped the Tigers into a tie for first with Texas Southern. But thanks to seventeen points apiece from Garrison Johnson and Phillip Williams they retained their one-game lead with a 72-67 win at UAPB. In a game that features fifty-seven fouls, seventy-five foul shots and forty turnovers it was Jackson State who took better advantage of their opportunities, making 47.5% of their shots and outrebounding the Golden Lions 31-24 while limiting them to 38.3% shooting. And with three games between the Tigers and their rematch with Texas Southern (who won the first meeting 51-44) this is a big result. Those three games: home meetings with SWAC bottom-feeders Alcorn State and Southern followed by what should be a challenging contest at Prairie View A&M. Halfway through the conference schedule, Jackson State finds itself in the driver's seat in the SWAC.

Top Three Games

1. Lipscomb 60, Campbell 59 A Josh Slater three-pointer with two seconds remaining proved to be the difference as the Bisons won on the road to move to within a half-game of first-place Jacksonville in the Atlantic Sun. Adnan Hodzic (24 points, 11 rebounds) led the winners while Jonathan Rodriguez (15 points, 14 rebounds) led the Camels in a losing effort.

2. Prairie View A&M 56, Alabama State 55 A Darnell Hugee shot with four seconds left moved the Panthers into a tie with the Hornets and Arkansas-Pine Bluff for third place in the SWAC. Hugee led all scorers with 19 points while Tramaine Butler led ASU with 15 points, including a layup that gave the home team a 55-54 lead with 29 seconds to go.

3. Eastern Michigan 62, Akron 59 Carlos Medlock scored four points in the final 51 seconds to help lead the Eagles to the win at Akron. EMU's Jay Higgins led all scorers with 17 points while Brett McKnight was the lone Zip in double figures with thirteen points.

Three Notable Performances

1. G/F Jordan Hamilton (Texas) The freshman led the Longhorns to a 72-60 win at Oklahoma State with 27 points (5-8 3PT) and four rebounds.

2. F Adnan Hodzic (Lipscomb) Hodzic scored 24 points and grabbed eleven rebounds in the Bisons' 60-59 win at Campbell.

2. G James Anderson (Oklahoma State) Anderson's team fell short but he didn't disappoint, accounting for 28 points, six rebounds and three assists for the Cowboys in their loss to Texas.

Poll: Who Will Win the SWAC?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:15:02 -0400