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College Hoops Monday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 21:29:56 -0800

Finals week kicked off last week with Louisville and Tennessee picking up big wins on Saturday as the Cardinals beat UNLV while the Vols handled Pittsburgh. And what did both teams do in their next act? They lost games many expected them to win to Drexel and Oakland respectively. A key trait of teams who tend to reach high levels come March is the ability to maintain focus and take care of business regardless of the opponent, and that's why the matinee between Jacksonville (6-3) and Florida (8-2) is a game to keep an eye on. Billy Donovan's Gators are coming off of an impressive defensive performance against Kansas State, limiting the Wildcats to 22.2% shooting from the field (and 0-10 from three) in the second half of the 57-44 victory. Their play defensively helped make up for eighteen turnovers, and Kenny Boynton led three Gators in double figures with 15.

Florida goes into Monday's game with the nation's best strength of schedule and sits second in the RPI, but while those numbers may take a hit in playing Cliff Warren's Dolphins this could be a tough contest if they don't show up ready to go. Senior forward Ayron Hardy leads JU in scoring (12.6 ppg), rebounding (7.0 rpg) and assists (3.7 apg), but this is a balanced club that offensively has six other players who average at least seven points per game and four others who grab at least four rebounds. This is a balanced outfit that will win games this season due to the sum of the parts as opposed to one exemplary player. But the Dolphins are up against history as they've beaten Florida just once since 1980 (68-64 win in 1994) and the average margin of defeat is fifteen points.

Another issue for Jacksonville, who has dropped their last two games to Winthrop and Saint Louis, is their lack of size when compared to Florida. Forwards Delwan Graham and Shamile Jeffers are the tallest players in the Jacksonville rotation and they're both 6'7". Compared to the size and strength of players such as Vernon Macklin, Alex Tyus and Patric Young the Dolphins will be at a disadvantage on paper. But numbers don't account for the intangibles, meaning that they've got a chance provided they keep Florida off of the offensive boards (offensive rebound percentage of 39.5%). Add in the tough matchup of versatile wing Chandler Parsons and to say the least the Dolphins will have their work cut out for them. But with the tip being an afternoon game during the week, and with the students on holiday break, Jacksonville could put a scare into the Gators if Billy Donovan's team isn't focused on the task at hand. And as Louisville and Tennessee showed last week, doing such could result in an unexpected outcome.

Four other ranked teams are in action on Monday, including an inexperienced Memphis squad that's struggled with seemingly inferior competition this season (Arkansas State and Austin Peay have both taken the Tigers to overtime). Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is only 4-6 on the young season but they've played the 11th-toughest schedule in the nation thus far, including road games at Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Kansas, and the Islanders are coming off of a win over Houston. If any of the ranked teams in action could be susceptible to a pre-Christmas letdown it could be the Tigers, who are dealing with the loss of Wesley Witherspoon while also trying to figure out the roles of their talented youngsters. Winthrop's trip to Dayton could prove profitable for the Big South team given the Flyers' struggles at times, and Brian Gregory's team has proven to play only as well as PG Juwan Staten does running the show. And the Aeropostale Holiday Festival tips off in New York, with Northwestern and St. John's looking to move into Tuesday's title game with wins over St. Francis (NY) and Davidson respectively.

Top 25
7:00 PM Elon at (1) Duke (FS South)
7:00 PM Coppin State at (4) Connecticut (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Morgan State at (5) Syracuse (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Texas A&M-CC at (19) Memphis
1:00 PM Jacksonville at (24) Florida (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
5:00 PM Valparaiso vs. Eastern Michigan*
7:00 PM American University at Mount St. Mary's
7:00 PM Bucknell at Cornell
7:00 PM Norfolk State at Virginia
7:00 PM Thomas More at Coastal Carolina
7:00 PM Illinois State at North Carolina-Wilmington
7:00 PM Belmont at Alabama State
7:00 PM South Dakota State at Central Michigan
7:00 PM Winthrop at Dayton (FS Cincinnati)
7:00 PM Towson at Hampton
7:00 PM Northwestern vs. St. Francis (NY)* (MSG)
7:30 PM Vermont at Fairfield
7:30 PM Rochester Coll at Oakland
8:00 PM Eastern Washington at South Dakota
8:00 PM Xavier LA at Southern University
8:00 PM North Dakota at Green Bay
8:05 PM Jackson State at Bradley
8:05 PM Western Illinois at Creighton
8:05 PM Savannah State at Arkansas State
9:00 PM Northern Colorado at Colorado State
9:00 PM Samford at Texas-San Antonio
9:00 PM Centenary at Wyoming
9:00 PM Mayville State at Utah Valley
9:30 PM Davidson at St. John's (MSG)
10:30 PM Portland State at Nevada
10:30 PM Stephen F. Austin at UTEP

College Hoops Saturday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 20:03:01 -0800

Saturday usually marks the transition from the fall semester to winter break for most schools and with that comes the mid-season additions that many like to analyze in regards to their possible impact. And no addition may be bigger than that of freshman guard Josh Selby to the Kansas Jayhawks, who host USC at Noon. Bill Self's team has done fine without him in the win column as they're still undefeated on the season. But a look at their backcourt thus far reveals the need for a player who can make things happen in an explosive fashion, and the Baltimore native fits that role to a T. Coach Self has tried to temper expectations for Selby in the days leading up to Saturday but the hype from the Jayhawks fan base has rivaled that of Chuck Norris (if you're on Twitter then you've likely seen some of the comparisons). But just like Kansas, USC will see their lineup bolstered by a mid-season addition as well.

Jio Fontan, who transferred west after a season and a half of frustration at Fordham, will be handed the keys to the Trojan attack from the opening tip on Saturday and he could have an even bigger impact than that of Mike Gerrity last year. Fontan led the Rams in scoring and assists during his time in the Bronx, and head coach Kevin O'Neill is banking on him being the difference-maker in order for the Trojans to make some noise in the Pac-10. Adding a true point to the likes of forwards Alex Stepheson and Nikola Vucevic and 6th man Donte Smith should make USC a better offensive team, but will it be enough to pull off what would amount to the upset of the season given Kansas' success at Phog Allen Fieldhouse? There will be a lot more in play than to simply have Fontan play well at the point if the Trojans are to do so.

USC is going to need their frontcourt to hold their own on the glass, and the triumvirate of the Morris twins (Marcus and Markieff) and Thomas Robinson will make that a difficult task to accomplish. The Jayhawks, who will be without the indefinitely suspended Mario Little, rank among the nation's best in rebounding margin and in Marcus they've got one of the most talented forwards in the country. The key for those three offensively will be to not settle so easily for mid-range jumpers. While they can knock them down when left open Kansas operates much better when they're attacking the rim. The chemistry of both teams, especially Kansas since many like them to get to Houston, will be key on Saturday afternoon.

While all involved have said that adding Selby won't hurt the chemistry of the Jayhawk backcourt there's a difference between practice and actual games, when guys start losing minutes and shots. So keep an eye on Elijah Johnson, Brady Morningstar and Tyrel Reed in this one. So long as the play without worrying as to when their opportunities will arise Kansas should be fine. Saturday provides quite the schedule as the last big weekend day of 2010, and Kansas State takes on Florida in the Orange Bowl Classic in a game many will keep their eye on. The Wildcats haven't played their best but they keep winning games, and Frank Martin's frontcourt will meet a physical test especially if guys such as Curtis Kelly aren't ready to go. And with so many athletic perimeter players on the floor it's important that Florida do the job defensively on Jacob Pullen. He may not be knocking down shots at his usual rate but a scorer of his caliber can go off on a moment's notice, but even if his shot isn't falling the senior will step up to make those winning plays late.

Texas and North Carolina get together in Greensboro, and while the Longhorns don't have the tandem of Damion James and Dexter Pittman this time around, Rick Barnes has a number of frontcourt players to turn to against a UNC front line that lacks depth and muscle. If John Henson and Tyler Zeller hold their own this one likely comes down to guard play, which could be an adventure since both have some serious issues currently. Gonzaga takes on Baylor in Dallas in a game the Bulldogs desperately need if they're to have any shot at an at-large berth. The Bulldogs, just like UCLA (who plays BYU in Anaheim), have played some difficult games but that does you little good in the selection room come March if you've lost them all. Elias Harris and Steven Gray will need to be big for Mark Few's team if they're to win, and another scoring option (Robert Sacre) will need to step up as well. Also making mid-season additions is Mississippi State, who adds forward Renardo Sidney (he played in their exhibition against Bellhaven the other night) and point guard Dee Bost for their matchup with Virginia Tech in a game both teams need.

Rick Stansbury loaded the schedule with games so the suspensions ran their course early but a win over the Hokies would make up for the home loss to East Tennessee State. And just as teams such as Gonzaga and UCLA have failed to take advantage of golden resume-building opportunities so have the Hokies, who need to get better play from their frontcourt as well as wing Dorenzo Hudson if they're to be a factor in the ACC. If you're looking for upset possibilities keep an eye on undefeated Cleveland State taking on West Virginia in Morgantown. Gary Waters' team has been playing some very good basketball this season and senior guard Norris Cole is one of the top players in the Horizon League. And the matchup between Iona and Syracuse should also be entertaining as two of the best forwards in America (Iona's Michael Glover and Syracuse's Rick Jackson) face off. Happy Holidays.

Top 25
2:00 PM South Carolina at (2) Ohio State (CBS)
12:00 PM USC at (3) Kansas (ESPN)
7:00 PM Iona at (5) Syracuse (ESPN3)
3:30 PM (6) Kansas State vs. (24) Florida*
7:00 PM Maryland-Eastern Shore at (8) Pittsburgh (ESPN3)
4:30 PM Gonzaga vs. (9) Baylor* (ESPN2)
10:00 PM UC Santa Barbara at (10) San Diego State
7:30 PM Delaware at (11) Villanova (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Central Arkansas at (12) Missouri (ESPN3)
12:00 PM Loyola (MD) at (13) Georgetown (ESPN3)
2:00 PM (14) Illinois vs. Illinois-Chicago* (BTN)
6:30 PM Prairie View A&M at (15) Michigan State (BTN)
8:00 PM Mississippi Valley State at (16) Kentucky (ESPN3)
4:05 PM Indiana State vs. (17) Purdue* (BTN)
5:30 PM (18) Brigham Young vs. UCLA* (FSN)
3:30 PM Gardner-Webb at (21) Louisville (ESPN3)
10:00 PM Southern Utah at (22) UNLV (The Mtn.)
4:00 PM (25) Texas vs. North Carolina* (CBS)

NCAA Division I Games
12:00 PM Arkansas State at Georgia (ESPN3)
12:00 PM Oakland at Michigan (ESPN3)
12:00 PM Belmont at Troy
12:30 PM East Carolina at Coastal Carolina
1:00 PM UCF vs. Miami (FL)*
1:00 PM Drexel at St. Francis (PA)
1:05 PM North Dakota at UMKC
2:00 PM Ohio at St. Bonaventure
2:00 PM Northern Illinois at Temple
2:00 PM New Hampshire at Rhode Island
2:00 PM Arkansas vs. Texas A&M* (ESPN2)
2:00 PM Centenary at Marquette
2:00 PM Cleveland State at West Virginia (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Loyola (IL) at DePaul (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Bethune-Cookman at Akron
2:00 PM Cornell at Binghamton
2:00 PM Stanford at Butler (CBS)
2:00 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at St. Peter's
2:00 PM Tulane at VCU
2:00 PM South Dakota State at Western Michigan
2:30 PM South Alabama at Georgia Southern
2:45 PM Long Beach State vs. Saint Mary's*
3:00 PM Asbury at Samford
3:05 PM Middle Tennessee at Evansville
4:00 PM East Tennessee State at Mississippi
4:00 PM UMBC at Morgan State
5:00 PM Cal Poly at California
5:00 PM Richmond vs. Georgia Tech*
6:00 PM Florida A&M at Georgia State
6:30 PM Alabama vs. Oklahoma State* (ESPN2)
7:00 PM James Madison at South Florida
7:00 PM Eastern Washington at Nebraska
7:00 PM Southeastern Louisiana at Vanderbilt
7:00 PM Radford at North Carolina-Wilmington
7:00 PM Mount St. Mary's at Albany
7:00 PM Robert Morris at Appalachian State
7:00 PM Detroit at Central Michigan (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Western Carolina at Dayton
7:00 PM IUPUI at Duquesne
7:00 PM Sam Houston State at Florida International
7:00 PM William & Mary at Liberty
7:00 PM Hofstra at Manhattan
7:00 PM Rutgers at Monmouth
7:00 PM Furman at North Florida
7:00 PM Florida Gulf Coast at Toledo
7:00 PM High Point at Wofford
7:00 PM Miami (OH) at Wright State
7:00 PM New Orleans at Southeastern University
7:30 PM George Washington at Oregon State
7:30 PM Northern Colorado at Denver
8:00 PM Presbyterian at Auburn
8:00 PM Wichita State at LSU
8:00 PM Virginia Tech vs. Mississippi State*
8:00 PM Bowling Green at Milwaukee
8:00 PM Houston at Texas A&M-CC
8:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at Austin Peay (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Iowa at Drake
8:00 PM Texas-Arlington at Louisiana Tech
8:00 PM Jarvis Christian at Stephen F. Austin
8:00 PM Saint Louis at Missouri State
8:00 PM IPFW at Valparaiso
8:00 PM Wake Forest at Xavier (CBSC)
8:05 PM Idaho State at Creighton (ESPN3)
8:30 PM Western Kentucky at Murray State
8:30 PM Southern Methodist at McMurry
9:00 PM Pacific at New Mexico State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Cincinnati vs. Oklahoma* (ESPNU)
9:00 PM Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Air Force
9:00 PM Utah State at Utah Valley
9:05 PM Occidental at Cal State Fullerton
9:15 PM Kennesaw State at Lipscomb
9:35 PM Southwest at Weber State
10:00 PM San Francisco at Washington
10:00 PM North Dakota State at Fresno State
10:00 PM UC Irvine at Pepperdine
10:00 PM Texas Tech at UTEP
10:00 PM Cal State Northridge at Cal State Bakersfield
10:05 PM Montana at Idaho
10:05 PM Portland at Portland State
10:10 PM San Jose State at Seattle
11:00 PM Florida State at Loyola Marymount (ESPNU)

Other Events
Hoop Group Tip-Off Showcase (Plainfield (NJ) HS and Seton Hall University)
City of Palms Classic (Fort Meyers, FL) *.pdf file*
Randy Foye Foundation Classic (at Villanova)

College Hoops Saturday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 00:39:49 -0800

A pair of undefeated teams will meet in the final game of the SEC/Big East Invitational as #11 Tennessee (6-0) takes on #3 Pittsburgh (10-0) at the new CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh. The Volunteers, who won the NIT Season Tip-Off by beating Villanova in the title game, are actually the top ranked team in the RPI and they've done a good job so far of not allowing the issues swirling around their head coach to affect their play. Three Volunteers are averaging double figures in scoring with freshman forward Tobias Harris (16.7 ppg) and junior guard Scotty Hopson (16.3 ppg) leading the way. Cameron Tatum has been the underrated member of the Tennessee perimeter as he's got the highest overall offensive rating and plus/minus on the team, and point guard Melvin Goins has improved at the point. One area that's helped out Tennessee offensively, despite going into Saturday's game with an offensive efficiency about 16 points lower than Pittsburgh's, is their ability to get to the foul line. Tennessee has a free throw rate of 58.7 and 28.6% of their points come from the charity stripe.

The good news for Pitt is that they're averaging only seventeen fouls per game, and while they've only forced thirteen turnovers per game Tennessee is handing it over sixteen times on the average. The Panthers have been a far better team offensively than recent editions, as junior guard Ashton Gibbs leads the team with an average of more than seventeen per game. But the true "star", if there's any such thing for this team, would have to be Brad Wanamaker. Wanamaker is averaging 12.8 points and 5.7 assists per game, and he'll be a key figure against the Tennessee pressure. The junior is turning the ball just over two times per game and his steady decision-making has been a factor in the Panthers' success. Gibbs, Wanamaker and Travon Woodall are the perimeter players that Jamie Dixon will rely on to handle the Tennessee pressure with a minimal number of turnovers. The one area where Pitt may enjoy a solid edge is in the frontcourt, especially when considering the depth of the two teams.

Brian Williams shoulders a large part of the rebounding responsibilities with an average of eight boards per game, while the others chip in by committee. That's been good enough for a rebounding margin of plus-9.3, but that's nowhere near the early dominance that the Panthers have displayed on the glass. Pittsburgh has a rebounding margin of plus-16.7 on the season, which is impressive despite the fact that the Vols have played a tougher schedule to date. Gary McGhee, widely regarded as the best defensive big man in the Big East, is grabbing a team-best 6.6 rebounds per game and six Pitt players average at least 4.7 rebounds per game. Dante Taylor posted his first double-double of the season in Pitt's win over Delaware State, but this is no MEAC squad they're going up against. That being considered, when you add to these two the likes of Gilbert Brown (who's an athletic wing who can attack the basket), Nasir Robinson and Talib Zanna you've got a deep group who can give the Vols fits inside.

Tennessee's hopes for victory hinge largely on two factors: their ability to turn the Panthers over, and how competitive they can be on the glass. Besides Williams, Bruce Pearl can call on the likes of John Fields and Kenny Hall but with Hall averaging just six minutes per game not much has been expected from him there. That may have to change on Saturday, and overall every Volunteer will need to attack the glass (especially on the defensive end) for forty minutes. Pitt's been the better offensive team and a big reason for that has been their willingness to share the basketball, averaging 20 assists per game (assisting on 67% of their field goals). Tennessee's percentage isn't bad (57%) but they've got guys who can at times decide to go on their own offensively. They'll need good shot selection since the Panther defense does a good job of not allowing opponents to create off the dribble without having to deal with a significant amount of help. Look for this to be an exciting matchup between two teams with the ability to make some noise as the season wears on.

In other matchups Saturday Gonzaga heads to South Bend to take on Notre Dame in a game they may need in regards to possible at-large hopes. Steven Gray was kept under wraps by Washington State's Marcus Capers earlier this week but he won't see an on-ball defender that good on Saturday, which could mean a return to normal for the senior. But Mark Few needs Elias Harris to return to the form that made him one of the nation's best freshmen a season ago. They're a marginal NCAA Tournament team when he's not playing to his full potential, and to this point in the season you could even argue that they're an NIT team.

Two of the best teams out west meet in Salt Lake City as Arizona looks to avenge last year's loss to BYU that featured Jimmer Fredette scoring a McKale Center record 49 points, Indiana visits Kentucky in a big rivalry game and Washington goes to Texas A&M in a game the Aggies could definitely use. Wisconsin going to Marquette is another very good matchup, especially considering how big that rivalry is along with the Golden Eagles' need for a resume-bolstering win. And if matchups between top teams from non-BCS leagues is what you like to watch, VCU visits Richmond and Rhode Island visits NEC favorite Quinnipiac.

Top 25
12:00 PM Saint Louis at (1) Duke (CBS)
3:15 PM (13) Tennessee vs. (3) Pittsburgh* (ESPN)
6:30 PM Colorado State vs. (4) Kansas* (ESPN2)
4:00 PM (5) Kansas State at Loyola (IL) (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Colgate at (7) Syracuse (ESPN3)
12:30 PM (8) Michigan State vs. Oakland*
5:00 PM Presbyterian at (11) Missouri (ESPN3)
10:00 PM San Diego at (15) San Diego State
5:15 PM Indiana at (16) Kentucky (ESPN)
6:30 PM North Florida at (18) Purdue (BTN)
12:00 PM (19) UNLV at Louisville (ESPNU)
1:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at (20) Minnesota (BTN)
6:00 PM Arizona at (21) Brigham Young
4:30 PM (22) Washington at Texas A&M (ESPN2)
8:30 PM Gonzaga at (23) Notre Dame (ESPN2)
4:00 PM Texas State at (25) Texas (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
12:30 PM Auburn vs. Rutgers*(ESPN2)
1:00 PM Longwood at Virginia Military
1:00 PM Tennessee-Martin at IPFW
2:00 PM Gardner-Webb at Arizona State
2:00 PM Delaware State at Delaware
2:00 PM Boston University at Harvard
2:00 PM USC Upstate at North Carolina State
2:00 PM TCU at Nebraska (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at Iona
2:00 PM Green Bay at Buffalo
2:00 PM Detroit at Eastern Michigan
2:00 PM Lafayette at Long Island
2:00 PM Binghamton at Manhattan
2:00 PM Alabama at Providence (ESPNU)
2:00 PM Sacred Heart at Stony Brook
2:05 PM Southern Illinois at Western Kentucky
2:30 PM Wisconsin at Marquette (ESPN2)
3:00 PM Oral Roberts at Oklahoma (ESPN3)
3:00 PM Murray State at Chattanooga
3:00 PM Mississippi at Arkansas-Little Rock
3:00 PM Rhode Island at Quinnipiac
3:00 PM Tusculum at Wright State
4:00 PM Northern Arizona at USC
4:00 PM Savannah State at Georgia Tech
4:00 PM Bryant University at Columbia
4:00 PM Niagara at St. Bonaventure
4:00 PM W. Virginia Tech at Coppin State
4:00 PM Rider at Drexel
4:00 PM Florida Atlantic at Hofstra
4:00 PM Mount St. Mary's at Loyola (MD)
4:00 PM Louisiana Tech at McNeese State
4:00 PM Hartford at Monmouth
4:30 PM Troy at Miami (OH)
4:30 PM Milligan at Charleston Southern
4:30 PM Montreat College at North Carolina-Asheville
4:30 PM Cleveland State at Sam Houston State
5:00 PM Bethune-Cookman at UCF
5:00 PM Texas-Arlington at Samford
5:00 PM Hannibal-LaGrange at Southeast Missouri State
5:00 PM Southern Miss at CS Monterey Bay
6:00 PM Grambling State vs. Central Arkansas*
6:00 PM Portland at Denver
7:00 PM Seton Hall at Massachusetts
7:00 PM Long Beach State at North Carolina
7:00 PM Army at Dartmouth
7:00 PM Texas-San Antonio at Houston
7:00 PM Virginia Commonwealth at Richmond
7:00 PM Brewton Parker at Georgia Southern
7:00 PM Dayton at Old Dominion
7:00 PM Central Connecticut State at Albany
7:00 PM Mississippi Valley State at Butler
7:00 PM Charlotte at Davidson
7:00 PM Western Illinois at Eastern Illinois
7:00 PM St. John's at Fordham
7:00 PM George Mason at Liberty
7:00 PM Towson at UMBC
7:00 PM Centenary at Louisiana-Monroe
7:00 PM James Madison at Radford
7:00 PM Youngstown State at Robert Morris
7:00 PM Wofford at South Carolina
7:00 PM St. Peter's at Wagner
7:00 PM Valparaiso at Toledo
7:05 PM Saint Joseph's at Creighton (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Warner Southern at Florida A&M
8:00 PM Cal Poly at UCLA
8:00 PM Central Michigan at LSU
8:00 PM Missouri State at Oklahoma State (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Jackson State at North Texas
8:00 PM East Tennessee State at Mississippi State
8:00 PM Utah Valley at Cincinnati
8:00 PM Western Michigan at Georgia State
8:00 PM San Francisco St. at Nevada
8:00 PM North Dakota at North Dakota State
8:00 PM Idaho at Seattle
8:00 PM Kennesaw State at SIU-Edwardsville
8:00 PM Milwaukee at South Dakota State
8:00 PM Southeastern Louisiana at Southern University
8:00 PM Lipscomb at Tennessee Tech
8:05 PM Maryland-Eastern Shore at Evansville
8:05 PM Alabama State at Arkansas State
8:05 PM Illinois-Chicago at Illinois State
8:05 PM Huston-Tillotson at Lamar
8:05 PM Morehead State at Northern Iowa
8:15 PM Chicago State at Stephen F. Austin
8:30 PM Ball State at DePaul
8:30 PM Fontbonne at Austin Peay
9:00 PM New Mexico State at New Mexico (The Mtn.)
9:00 PM Cal State Bakersfield at Utah State
9:00 PM North Carolina Central at Air Force
9:05 PM UMKC at Idaho State
9:35 PM Weber State at Southern Utah
10:00 PM Pepperdine at Fresno State
10:00 PM Stanislaus State at Pacific
10:00 PM South Dakota at Loyola Marymount
10:00 PM Willamette at Oregon
12:00 AM Hawaii Pacific at Hawaii

College Hoops Thursday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 00:08:33 -0800

Thursday's schedule is a light one in regards to the number of games, but there are games that folks should keep an eye on. At the top of that list is Georgetown (8-0) heading up to Philadelphia to take on Temple (5-2), with the Owls looking to exact some revenge for last year's close loss in the nation's capital. The Hoyas are coming off of a week that featured wins over Missouri and Utah State, and their offensive play has been a major reason why. The three-headed perimeter attack of Jason Clark, Austin Freeman and Chris Wright is averaging fifty points per game on the season, and any hope of beating Georgetown begins with slowing them down. Clark hasn't reached double figures in two of the Hoyas' last three games but he's been a factor in games against their best competition. The junior scored 26 points in the win over Missouri, knocking down three huge three pointers in the overtime session. If Georgetown is to be a true contender in the Big East this season it may be his play that gets them over the hump.

As for the Owls, Fran Dunphy's team can use a win like this one to make up for their 1-2 showing in Orlando at the Old Spice Classic. Temple is the preseason favorite to win the Atlantic 10 but given the struggles of some of the other teams in the league a win here would be a nice boost for the league's computer numbers. Juan Fernandez and Ramone Moore are the guys Coach Dunphy will rely on in the backcourt but whether or not Temple wins will likely hinge on the frontcourt of Lavoy Allen and Micheal Eric. Allen, the preseason Player of the Year in the A-10, is averaging 10.9 points and just fewer than nine rebounds per game on the season and has posted double-doubles in each of Temple's last two games. Consistency was an issue for Allen and the rest of the Temple frontcourt in Orlando with foul trouble being an issue across the board. Going against a frontcourt that is looking for consistency in its own right, Temple will need to hold the upper hand on the boards as well as in the points in the paint category.

While Temple has offensive weapons at their disposal it will be their defense that wins the game on Thursday night if they're to get the job done. Georgetown boasts an offensive efficiency of 115.7 to this point in the season, a field goal percentage of 51% and an effective field goal percentage of 59.5%. Those numbers are all a far cry above what Temple's produced this year, with an issue for the Owls being that so much of their offense is reliant upon the key scoring options making things happen for themselves. Temple assists on only half of their baskets on the year while Georgetown has an assist percentage of 62.2%, meaning that the Owls will also need to force the Hoyas to become 1-on-1 offensive players on the other end. Temple's been very sound defensively, but don't expect a scoring output similar to last year's 46-45 outcome.

The other key games include Butler visiting Xavier in a game both teams need if they're to have any chance of being an at-large selection in March although both may need major runs in league play given the lack of marquee victories. The return of Ronald Nored helped Butler in Saturday's loss to Duke but they're also going to need Shawn Vanzant to be an aggressive offensive player to go along with Shelvin Mack. And Nored will be tested defensively by Tu Holloway, one of the best scoring guards in the Atlantic 10. Expect Xavier to be motivated by last year's controversial finish at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Ohio State shouldn't fall to IUPUI at home they should expect a challenge from one of the favorites in the Summit League, with the tandem of Alex Young and LeRoy Nobles leading the way. And Florida will be looking to build on their win over American but Kent State provides a solid test. Forward Justin Greene could be a handful for Florida up front despite the number of bodies they have inside.

Top 25
7:00 PM IUPUI at (2) Ohio State (BTN)
9:00 PM (10) Georgetown at Temple (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Kent State at (24) Florida (ESPN2)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM La Salle at Boston University
7:00 PM Army at New Hampshire
7:00 PM Maryland-Eastern Shore at Old Dominion
8:00 PM Gardner-Webb at Oklahoma (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Jarvis Christian at McNeese State
9:00 PM University of Great Falls at Montana
9:00 PM Butler at Xavier (ESPN)
10:00 PM Redlands at Pepperdine
10:05 PM George Fox University at Portland State

College Hoops Wednesday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 12:50:49 -0800

Eleven games involving Top 25 teams are on the schedule for tonight, with the lone meeting of ranked teams taking place in the second game of the SEC/Big East Invitational doubleheader at Freedom Hall. Notre Dame, winners of the Old Spice Classic, takes on a Kentucky team that's coming off of a close loss at North Carolina over the weekend. While many are obsessing over the question as to whether or not the school's appeal of Enes Kanter's suspension is upheld, the true concern for John Calipari's team right now may be the play at the point despite that lack of frontcourt depth. Brandon Knight was given the keys to the offense from the moment he arrived on campus, but in terms of running the show there have been growing pains against a tough non-conference schedule as he averages 4.7 turnovers per game.

The Wildcats have essentially gone seven deep to this point in the season with four players scoring in double figures, but given the fact that they traditionally like to play fast the lack of bodies has had an impact on their performance late in close games. Terrence Jones was the breakout performer in Maui but struggled against North Carolina while Doron Lamb led the way offensively on Saturday off the bench. Mike Brey's team doesn't play as fast as they have in previous seasons but defensively they do a good job of making their opponents work on every possession. Notre Dame opponents are shooting just 38% from the floor this season and have an offensive efficiency of 90.3. Kentucky isn't far off from last season in regards to possessions per game (69.6 to 70.7) but they're shooting just 46.3% on the season thus far (they shot 55% last year).

Notre Dame will need to limit the number of good looks the Wildcats get from the field, forcing them into hurried, contested shots at the end of the shot clock. Ben Hansbrough and Tim Abromaitis will be called upon to lead the way offensively for the Fighting Irish, who assist on more than 68% of their made baskets and they've done a good job of using the foul line (27.4% of their points come from the charity stripe). If Abromaitis, Scott Martin, Tyrone Nash and Carleton Scott can control the boards for Notre Dame they'll have a good chance of winning in front of what should be a pro-Kentucky crowd. The Wildcats will need to get Jones and Knight untracked while avoiding foul trouble in the frontcourt, and if they get good shots look for them to shoot a good percentage from the field.

Other games to keep an eye on include the first game of the doubleheader at Freedom Hall, which matches Arkansas and Seton Hall. The Pirates finally had a little time to reconfigure things without Jeremy Hazell but their offensive discipline will be tested by a Razorbacks squad that will look to push the basketball. Rotnei Clarke and Delvon Johnson have led the way offensively for John Pelphrey's team, which stands at 4-1 on the season. But if the Pirates, who have played the tougher schedule to date, can force the Razorbacks to play out of control while maintaining theirs they become the favorite to leave Freedom Hall with a win. Vanderbilt going to Missouri is another very good matchup on the schedule, with the Commodores boasting the tandem of John Jenkins and Jeffrey Taylor in addition to SEC Player of the Week Festus Ezeli. Brad Tinsley could be the most important player for them however as they need to take care of the basketball if they're to win in Columbia. Providence meets Boston College in a matchup of former conference foes off to surprising starts, and San Diego State heads north to take on California in Berkeley.

Top 25
9:00 PM Bradley at (1) Duke (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Delaware State at (3) Pittsburgh (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at (6) Connecticut (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Vanderbilt at (11) Missouri (ESPNU)
7:00 PM (12) Villanova at Pennsylvania (CSN)
10:30 PM (15) San Diego State at California (CSN-CA)
9:30 PM (23) Notre Dame vs. (16) Kentucky* (ESPN)
8:00 PM Oakland at (17) Illinois (BTN)
10:00 PM Boise State at (19) UNLV (The Mtn.)
7:00 PM (20) Minnesota at Saint Joseph's
7:00 PM Vermont at (21) Brigham Young (CBSC)

NCAA Division I Games
6:00 PM Toledo at IPFW
7:00 PM Seton Hall vs. Arkansas* (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Towson at George Washington
7:00 PM San Francisco at Louisville (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Providence at Boston College
7:00 PM Rhode Island at Northeastern
7:00 PM Maine at Massachusetts
7:00 PM Western Kentucky at Bowling Green
7:00 PM NJIT at Lafayette
7:00 PM North Carolina at Evansville (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Hofstra at Binghamton
7:00 PM Niagara at Buffalo
7:00 PM Kentucky Christian at Eastern Kentucky
7:00 PM Manhattan at Fordham
7:00 PM Loyola (MD) at George Mason
7:00 PM Delaware at Hampton
7:00 PM Princeton at Monmouth
7:00 PM Hartford at Sacred Heart
7:00 PM High Point at Tennessee Tech
7:00 PM Detroit at Western Michigan
7:00 PM Air Force at Wright State
7:00 PM Yale at Bryant
7:30 PM UNC Greensboro at Maryland
7:30 PM Loyola-New Orleans at Nicholls State
7:30 PM UMBC at Rider
7:30 PM Voorhees at South Carolina State
7:30 PM Virginia Military at Virginia Commonwealth
8:00 PM Alcorn State at Nebraska
8:00 PM Prairie View A&M at Texas A&M (ESPN3)
8:00 PM DePaul at Indiana State
8:00 PM Tennessee-Martin at Central Arkansas
8:00 PM Ball State at Eastern Illinois
8:00 PM Drake at Eastern Michigan
8:00 PM Iona at Long Island
8:00 PM SIU-Edwardsville at Loyola (IL)
8:00 PM North Texas at Sam Houston State
8:00 PM Mayville State at South Dakota State
8:00 PM TCU at Texas Tech
8:00 PM Culver-Stockton at Western Illinois
8:05 PM Southeast Missouri State at Southern Illinois
8:05 PM Utah Valley at UMKC
8:05 PM Ohio at Illinois State
8:05 PM Duquesne at Green Bay
8:30 PM Cal State Fullerton at Arizona
8:30 PM Milwaukee at Wisconsin
8:35 PM Texas-Pan American at Northern Arizona
9:00 PM Oklahoma State at Tulsa
10:00 PM Colorado State at Colorado
10:00 PM Denver at Saint Mary's
11:00 PM Gonzaga at Washington State (FSN NW)

College Hoops Tuesday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:07:33 -0800

Tuesday night features one of the best in-season events in terms of both the caliber of play on the court and the larger purpose it serves off of it: the Jimmy V Classic. The doubleheader at Madison Square Garden may feature four ranked teams but they're at different stages in terms of finding out who they are and what they can potentially be. The first game matches a young Memphis squad that's gotten away with inconsistent play of late and a team in Kansas that right now isn't what they'll be in three weeks much less three months. Josh Pastner's Tigers have seven players averaging at least seven points per game on the season with senior wing Wesley Witherspoon's 13.7 points leading the way. And with ten players averaging at least 12.7 minutes per game there's plenty of depth on the roster. But there's also a lack of overall experience and there are times where the leadership is lacking.

They played better in Saturday's win over Western Kentucky, which came on the heels of a disappointing performance in an overtime win over Arkansas State. The issues against the Red Wolves: a lack of maturity that resulted in the Tigers not dropping the hammer on their visitors in the first half when the opportunity presented itself. Freshman point guard Joe Jackson led the way against Western Kentucky with 15 points and six assists (including an impressive dunk on Juan Patillo), but he also turned the ball over five times and as a team Memphis turned the ball over 21 times in the 77-61 victory. WKU made just 22 of 70 shots from the field and on the season Memphis opponents are shooting 36.9% for the season with an offensive efficiency of 86. Given the fact that Kansas lacks a perimeter player who can create things off the dribble consistently (that will change when Josh Selby becomes eligible), Memphis could give the Jayhawks some trouble defensively.

But the Jayhawks are the nation's best team in regards to offensive efficiency and the frontcourt is a major reason why. The Morris twins, Marcus and Markieff, can be a handful provided they don't become too content to settle for the mid-range jumper as they did in a win over Arizona. Marcus leads four Jayhawks in double figures with an average of 18.6 points per game while Markieff leads the way with 9.1 rebounds per game, and Thomas Robinson comes off the bench to add nine points. The Memphis front line, which primarily consists of Angel Garcia, Will Coleman, Tarik Black and D.J. Stephens, will need to make the Kansas bigs settle for the jump shot on a regular basis while also keeping them off the glass if they're to win. Kansas boasts and offensive rebounding rate of 34.4% and Memphis opponents have a rate of 35.8%.

The second game matches two teams that boast significant experience while also looking to work some new pieces into the fold. Syracuse brought in a highly touted recruiting class led by C.J. Fair, Fab Melo and Dion Waiters to go along with key returnees such as Rick Jackson, Scoop Jardine and Kris Joseph, and they've predictably struggled offensively in replacing what the departed Wes Johnson and Andy Rautins provided. One thing they'll need to do more of against Michigan State is feed Jackson (13.1 ppg, 12.4 rpg), as according to Ken Pomeroy he ranks 36th among Big East players in offensive rating. Joseph (63rd) and Jardine (80th) are further down the line, likely meaning that the better shots they get Jackson the better their looks become in return. Michigan State's defenders can make it tough on perimeter players to get good looks, and while Jardine has steadily improved throughout his career he won't give the Spartans the same issues that Duke's Kyrie Irving did last week.

A positive that came from Michigan State's loss at Cameron Indoor Stadium had to be the play of backup guard Korie Lucious, who scored 20 points and handed out eight assists. He wasn't as effective in an easy win over Bowling Green this weekend but to have the junior play well in a hostile environment should be a harbinger of things to come once MSU gets into Big Ten play. Seven Michigan State players average at least six points per game with senior point guard Kalin Lucas leading the way, but the question for Tom Izzo's team is consistency especially when discussing Lucas and Durrell Summers. Against the Syracuse zone all three will need to shoot well when called upon without falling victim to those "fool's gold" three pointers that so many teams allow themselves to be seduced by when playing the Orange. Draymond Green is a jack of all trades type who should be able to do a variety of things against the 2-3 zone, and ball movement will be key if Michigan State is to win.

Other intriguing matchups on the schedule include the renewal of the rivalry between Georgia and Georgia Tech with the Yellow Jackets in serious need of a win they can hang their hats on. Georgia didn't fare too well at the Old Spice Classic as their lone win came against Manhattan, meaning that this could be a matchup for them that they can ill-afford to lose in regards to NCAA Tournament hopes down the line. The defending NEC champions (Robert Morris) head to Morgantown to take on a West Virginia team that blew a 13-point second half lead in losing at Miami on Saturday, and the Mountaineers will need to establish some consistency among their key cogs in order to avoid the upset. RMU welcomes back sophomore guard Karon Abraham from a four-game suspension and forward Lijah Thompson has played very well to this point in the year. Northern Iowa looks to knock off in-state rival Iowa on the road, and in a matchup of preseason contenders out west Long Beach State visits Utah State.

Top 25
7:00 PM (15) Memphis vs. (4) Kansas* (ESPN)
9:00 PM (6) Michigan State vs. (7) Syracuse* (ESPN)
9:00 PM (18) Purdue at Valparaiso (ESPNU)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Georgia at Georgia Tech (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Stony Brook at Holy Cross
7:00 PM Worcester Tech at Harvard
7:00 PM Old Dominion at East Carolina
7:00 PM Wagner at Columbia
7:00 PM Saginaw Valley at Miami (OH)
7:00 PM East Tennessee State at Charleston
7:00 PM Radford at Virginia
7:00 PM James Madison at Marshall
7:00 PM Robert Morris at West Virginia (ESPN3)
7:00 PM W. Virginia Tech at Cleveland State
7:00 PM Central Connecticut State at Dayton
7:00 PM Gardner-Webb at Elon
7:00 PM Howard at Fairfield
7:00 PM St. Catharine at Morehead State
7:00 PM Lehigh at Quinnipiac
7:00 PM Colgate at St. Francis (NY)
7:00 PM St. Bonaventure at St. John's (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Marist at Rutgers
7:30 PM Mount St. Mary's at Penn State
7:30 PM Navy at Coppin State
7:30 PM Winthrop at Charlotte
8:00 PM Canisius at South Dakota
8:00 PM Centenary at Ark Monticello
8:00 PM Philander Smith at Arkansas-Little Rock
8:00 PM Lipscomb at Austin Peay
8:00 PM Northern Iowa at Iowa
8:00 PM Louisiana Tech at Northwestern State
8:15 PM Middle Tennessee at Belmont
8:30 PM Tennessee State at Alabama A&M
9:00 PM Pepperdine at Utah
9:00 PM Texas A&M-CC at Marquette (ESPN3)
9:05 PM Long Beach State at Utah State
10:00 PM Fresno State at San Diego
10:05 PM Cal Lutheran at Cal State Northridge
10:05 PM Idaho State at Cal State Bakersfield
10:35 PM Sacramento State at Loyola Marymount

College Hoops Saturday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 07:41:22 -0800

The question that's dominated discussion for many in regards to the Gonzaga Bulldogs has been what's up with Elias Harris. One of the best freshmen in America last season, Harris has been dealing with shoulder and knee injuries in the Bulldogs' 4-2 start. Can he increase his production on Saturday when the Bulldogs take on Illinois in Seattle? Whether or not the swingman is healthy enough to make a significant impact will determine whether or not the Bulldogs are able to knock off the Illini in an environment that while defined as "neutral" will be anything but. Guard Steven Gray and center Robert Sacre have been the scoring leaders for Mark Few's team in the scoring department, but they're going to need Harris and Demetri Goodson to bring more to the table as the season wears on if the Zags are to reach their potential.

Bruce Weber's team is coming off of a solid win over North Carolina on Tuesday, but if there was one concern for Illinois after that game it would have to be rebounding. The Tar Heels were able to hold their own on the glass despite lacking depth up front. Illinois isn't the strongest team in the frontcourt but with the likes of Mike Davis, Mike Tisdale and Meyers Leonard they've got enough depth to ensure that there won't be a huge drop-off in production through the course of 40 minutes. And while the Bulldogs aren't the most physical team themselves they have five players averaging at least four rebounds per game. Both teams will rebound collectively as the slender Tisdale has the highest rebounding average at 7.3. Whichever team can control the boards, especially considering the fact that both like to take a lot of perimeter shots, will have the upper hand.

Perimeter play will also be something to keep an eye, more specifically if the Gonzaga guards can stay in front of Demetri McCamey and company. McCamey at times throughout the course of his career would look for his shot a little too much, but this season the senior is averaging 7.8 assists per game and has done a good job of setting up the likes of Brandon Paul, D.J. Richardson and freshman standout Jereme Richmond. There's a reason why this team has five players scoring at least nine points per game and a large part of that would be McCamey. Given Gonzaga's reliance on Gray it should come as no surprise that he also leads the team in assists, but they're going to need something from Demetri Goodson this afternoon if they're to win the game. Expect rebounding (Gonzaga has a higher offensive rebounding rate) and the contributions of Gonzaga's complimentary parts to determine the outcome.

Of course given the fact that they met in last season's national title game some will look at Butler taking on Duke in the Izod Center as a big game to watch but the Bulldogs will have a much harder time sticking around in the rematch, even if point guard Ronald Nored is able to play (missed the last two games due to concussion symptoms). Kentucky visiting North Carolina will be intriguing as the Wildcats, while the younger team of the two may be in better shape right now in regards to knowing where each of their parts fits. The Tar Heels have struggled against top competition this season and perimeter play is a major reason why. Larry Drew II and Dexter Strickland will need to play their best basketball of the season to date if UNC is to defend their home floor.

Utah State visiting Georgetown is another early game to keep an eye on as the Aggies have an outstanding forward who can test the maturation of the Hoya frontcourt in Tai Wesley. And in head coach Stew Morrill Utah State has one of the better coaches in America that you don't see being drooled over on a nightly basis by major networks. West Virginia goes to Miami (FL) in a game that the home team could win provided guards Malcolm Grant and Durand Scott play with some level of control while also making plays offensively. The Mountaineers need guard Truck Bryant and forward Dan Jennings to show up ready to play; head coach Bob Huggins benched both due to some practice issues and hopefully that was enough to get both going in the right direction. The best games at night: Murray State visits Morehead State in a matchup of the two favorites in the OVC and Wichita State looks to salvage something for the Missouri Valley when they take on San Diego State at the Viejas Center.

Top 25
3:15 PM Butler vs. (1) Duke* (ESPN)
2:00 PM Rider at (3) Pittsburgh (ESPN3)
1:30 PM Bowling Green at (6) Michigan State (BTN)
5:15 PM North Carolina State at (7) Syracuse (ESPN3)
12:30 PM (11) Kentucky at North Carolina (CBS)
8:00 PM Cornell at (13) Minnesota (BTN)
12:00 PM Utah State at (14) Georgetown (ESPNU)
8:00 PM Western Kentucky at (15) Memphis
3:30 PM Alabama at (18) Purdue (ESPN3)
10:05 PM Wichita State at (19) San Diego State (The Mtn.)
5:15 PM (21) Illinois vs. (24) Gonzaga* (ESPN)
4:00 PM Texas Tech at (22) Washington (FSN)
11:00 PM (23) UNLV at Nevada
6:00 PM Hawaii at (25) Brigham Young

NCAA Division I Games
12:00 PM Wright State at Detroit
12:00 PM William & Mary at Virginia Commonwealth
12:30 PM Pennsylvania at Army
1:00 PM South Alabama at Louisville (ESPN3)
1:00 PM Harvard at Michigan (BTN)
1:00 PM Holy Cross at Wake Forest
1:00 PM Western Carolina at Chattanooga (ESPN3)
1:00 PM Yale at Vermont
1:00 PM Oklahoma State at La Salle
1:00 PM Presbyterian at Virginia Military
1:35 PM Idaho State at Iowa
2:00 PM California at Iowa State
2:00 PM Marshall at Ohio
2:00 PM Belmont at Vanderbilt
2:00 PM Longwood at Marquette
2:00 PM South Dakota at Wisconsin (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Brown at Maine
2:00 PM Charleston Southern at Coastal Carolina
2:00 PM New Hampshire at Colgate
2:00 PM James Madison at Georgia State
2:00 PM St. Francis (PA) at Long Island
2:00 PM Mount St. Mary's at Quinnipiac
2:00 PM Wagner at Sacred Heart
2:00 PM North Carolina Central at South Carolina State
2:00 PM Manhattan at St. Peter's
2:00 PM Northern Iowa at TCU
2:00 PM Alma at Western Michigan
2:00 PM Youngstown State at Green Bay
2:00 PM St. Joseph's (NY-Brooklyn) at N.J.I.T.
3:00 PM Troy at Arkansas
3:00 PM Lamar at Rice
3:00 PM Ecclesia at Prairie View A&M
3:00 PM Houston at Sam Houston State
3:00 PM Davidson at Citadel
3:00 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Tulane
3:15 PM Florida Gulf Coast at Jacksonville
4:00 PM Akron at Illinois-Chicago
4:00 PM Drexel at Northeastern
4:00 PM Central Connecticut State at Fairleigh Dickinson
4:00 PM Stony Brook at Columbia
4:00 PM Towson at Hofstra
4:00 PM Valparaiso at Loyola (IL)
4:00 PM West Virginia at Miami (FL)
4:00 PM Coppin State at Morgan State
4:00 PM Norfolk State at North Carolina A&T
4:00 PM Rhode Island at Providence (ESPN3)
4:05 PM Seattle at Weber State
4:30 PM Robert Morris at St. Francis (NY)
5:00 PM Fayetteville St. at East Carolina
5:00 PM Southeastern Louisiana at UCF
5:00 PM Appalachian State at Samford
5:30 PM Southern Illinois at Chicago State
6:00 PM Savannah State at Indiana
6:00 PM Duquesne at Penn State
6:00 PM Georgia Southern at Charleston
6:00 PM Florida International at Jackson State
6:00 PM UMKC at Oakland
6:00 PM Grambling State at Southern Methodist
6:30 PM Boston College at Massachusetts
6:30 PM Cal State Northridge at Denver
7:00 PM Old Dominion at Delaware
7:00 PM Oral Roberts at IUPUI
7:00 PM Buffalo at St. Bonaventure
7:00 PM Boston University at Bucknell
7:00 PM Delaware State at Maryland-Eastern Shore
7:00 PM Austin Peay at Eastern Illinois
7:00 PM Tennessee-Martin at Eastern Kentucky
7:00 PM Wofford at Elon
7:00 PM North Carolina-Asheville at High Point
7:00 PM Winthrop at Liberty
7:00 PM Stetson at North Florida
7:00 PM Gardner-Webb at Radford
7:00 PM Albany at Siena
7:00 PM Cincinnati at Toledo
7:05 PM Indiana State at Wyoming
7:30 PM Bethune-Cookman at Florida A&M
7:30 PM Mercer at Lipscomb
7:30 PM North Carolina-Wilmington at George Mason (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Fordham at Lehigh
7:30 PM Southern Utah at IPFW
8:00 PM Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Auburn
8:00 PM Hampton at Howard
8:00 PM Southern Miss at Mississippi
8:00 PM Pacific at Texas A&M (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Cleveland State at Milwaukee
8:00 PM Alabama State at Mississippi State
8:00 PM Martin Methodist at Alabama A&M
8:00 PM Miami (OH) at Dayton
8:00 PM South Florida at Florida Atlantic
8:00 PM Louisiana-Monroe at Louisiana Tech
8:00 PM Murray State at Morehead State (ESPN3 )
8:00 PM Pensacola Chrisitan College at New Orleans
8:00 PM Middle Tennessee at SIU-Edwardsville
8:00 PM North Texas at Texas Southern
8:00 PM Centenary at Western Illinois
8:05 PM Utah at Bradley
8:05 PM Montana State at Illinois State
8:05 PM Central Arkansas at Missouri State
8:30 PM North Dakota vs. Eastern Michigan*
8:30 PM Tennessee State at Southeast Missouri State
8:30 PM North Dakota State at South Dakota State
8:35 PM Texas State at Houston Baptist
8:35 PM Bethany (CA) at Northern Arizona
8:45 PM Tennessee Tech at Jacksonville State
9:00 PM Fresno State at Colorado State
9:00 PM New Mexico at New Mexico State (ESPN3)
9:05 PM San Diego at Cal State Fullerton
9:05 PM Sacramento State at Utah Valley
9:30 PM Black Hills State at Northern Colorado
10:00 PM Oregon State at Colorado
10:00 PM San Jose State at UC Irvine
10:00 PM Notre Dame CA at UC Davis
10:00 PM Cal Poly at Loyola Marymount
10:00 PM Texas-San Antonio at Pepperdine
10:00 PM UC Santa Barbara at Santa Clara
10:00 PM San Francisco at Cal State Bakersfield
10:05 PM New Hope Christian College at Eastern Washington
11:00 PM Monmouth at Idaho

College Hoops Thursday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 11:35:37 -0800

While much of the nation turns its attention to the soap opera that is the return of LeBron James to Cleveland, there are three more games in the Big 12/Pac 10 Hardwood series in addition to some key conference games as we approach that part of the season. Arizona State heading to Waco to take on Baylor may be the Pac 10's best chance of picking up a win tonight, although Mac Court should be in frenzy with Missouri visiting Eugene. Herb Sendek's team has had some good opportunities to pick up decent resume wins thus far, although win over Weber State in the semis of the Great Alaska Shootout is outweighed by losses to New Mexico and St. John's. That makes this week a big one for Arizona State, as they host Richmond on Sunday in addition to tonight's tilt. There's some experience and talent on hand for them with the likes of Ty Abbott, Rihards Kuksiks and Trent Lockett to help shepherd a talented freshman class led by Keala King.

But while there's definitely talent in Tempe, do they have enough perimeter shooting ability (and passing) to navigate one of the tougher zone defenses in America? Baylor head coach Scott Drew takes full advantage of the wingspan of his frontcourt, with Quincy Acy, Anthony Jones and Perry Jones being the players getting the most minutes. Both Acy and Perry Jones are averaging more than nine rebounds per game, a large part of their rebounding margin of over +11 rebounds per game. Baylor's best scoring threat is obviously senior shooting guard LaceDarius Dunn, who leads the team in scoring with an average of 22 points per game (he's only played in two games due to suspension). But Dunn, whose action has come against Lipscomb and Prairie View A&M, will be facing a tougher opponent tonight. Rust most certainly wasn't an issue for him in those two contests but maybe Arizona State can make things tougher for him. They'll need to if they're to pull off the road upset.

Arizona State has already played at The Pit this season so they should be fine in regards to dealing with the Bear Pit, but the more important question is how their youngsters go about dealing with the Baylor zone. The Sun Devils have a turnover rate of 20.1% but through five games Baylor opponents have a rate of 26.5% and the length of their zone defense has a lot to do with that. Something else to keep an eye on in regards to turnovers and their effect will be the number of possessions. The Bears currently average 19 turnovers per game, but due to the level of opposition as well as their 74 possessions per game they haven't paid the price for such transgressions as of yet. If Arizona State can not only force turnovers but turn the Baylor miscues into points they'll have a shot at leaving with a win few expect them to grab. But that's easier said that done against a team of Baylor's quality.

UCLA going to Kansas represents a major resume-building opportunity for Ben Howland's team, and it could be one they need a little more thanks to a solid win over Pacific looking worse by the game and VCU (a quality loss) falling at USF last night. And given the critique of his frontcourt following Saturday night's win over Arizona it will be interesting to see if Bill Self's statements got through to the Morris twins and Thomas Robinson. UCLA freshman Josh Smith will have his hands full tonight but at least he's got the tough Reeves Nelson there to help out. Solid matchups in the Southern (Davidson visits Charleston) and Northeast (Robert Morris visits LIU in a battle of expected contenders) conferences are also on tap, making for a decent night of college hoops.

Top 25
9:00 PM UCLA at (4) Kansas (ESPN)
11:00 PM (8) Missouri at Oregon (FSN)
7:00 PM Arizona State at (10) Baylor (ESPN)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Brown at Hartford
7:00 PM Centenary at IUPUI
7:00 PM Bryant University at Fairleigh Dickinson
7:00 PM Davidson at Charleston
7:00 PM Appalachian State at Chattanooga
7:00 PM Gardner-Webb at High Point
7:00 PM Louisiana-Monroe at Kent State
7:00 PM Robert Morris at Long Island
7:00 PM St. Peter's at Loyola (MD)
7:00 PM Rider at Manhattan
7:00 PM Southern Utah at Oakland
7:00 PM North Carolina-Asheville at Radford
7:00 PM Mount St. Mary's at Sacred Heart
7:00 PM Fairfield at Savannah State
7:00 PM St. Francis (PA) at St. Francis (NY)
7:00 PM Georgia Southern at Citadel
7:00 PM Winthrop at Virginia Military
7:00 PM UNC Greensboro at Wofford
7:00 PM UMKC at IPFW
7:15 PM Stetson at Jacksonville
7:45 PM Tennessee-Martin at Morehead State
7:45 PM Florida Gulf Coast at North Florida
8:00 PM Valparaiso at Illinois-Chicago
8:00 PM Stephen F. Austin at Texas A&M (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Grambling State at North Texas
8:00 PM Youngstown State at Milwaukee
8:00 PM Murray State at Eastern Kentucky (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Central Baptist Coll at Northwestern State
8:00 PM Western Carolina at Samford
8:00 PM Cleveland State at Green Bay
8:15 PM Mercer at Belmont
8:30 PM Northern Illinois at DePaul (ESPN3)
8:30 PM Tennessee State at Eastern Illinois
8:30 PM Austin Peay at Southeast Missouri State
9:00 PM Cal State Northridge at Air Force
9:00 PM Presbyterian at Liberty
9:00 PM Oral Roberts at Western Illinois
10:00 PM Texas-San Antonio at UC Riverside
10:05 PM BYU Hawaii at Long Beach State

College Hoops Wednesday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:51:56 -0800

Wednesday is the final day of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, and with a 4-2 lead following Tuesday's action all the Big Ten needs in order to win the competition for a second consecutive season is two victories. Will one of those two wins come at Cameron Indoor Stadium? That's the question that the Michigan State Spartans hope to answer in the affirmative in the marquee game of the event. Tom Izzo's team won two of three at the Maui Invitational (losing to eventual champion Connecticut), returning home to beat Tennessee Tech with an effort that left the coach less than pleased. Can Kalin Lucas and company ramp up their performance to the level needed to leave Cameron with a win? The experience is there for Michigan State, given the presence of tested vets such as Lucas, Durrell Summers, Draymond Green and Delvon Roe just to name four players.

But to go into Duke's home building and leave with a win is something that rarely happens (they've won 80 straight). What will Michigan State need to do in order to win? Most importantly they'll need to be more efficient offensively than they have been through six games. 23.1% of their possessions end in a turnover, a number that has to be a concern since Spartan opponents have a turnover rate of 21.5%. Duke, who has already taken care of Marquette and Kansas State, forces turnovers on 24% of their opponents' possessions. That's where Michigan State cannot afford to hand over scoring opportunities, because when considering the number of offensive weapons the Blue Devils have things can go downhill in a hurry if you're not careful. Five Duke players average at least 11 points per game with seniors Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler leading the way, and as a team they shoot over 50% from the field and 44% from three.

Michigan State opponents on the season shoot 35.6% from beyond the arc and the Spartans will need to be at their best on perimeter closeouts if they're to avoid a blitzkrieg in Durham. While it sounds strange, especially considering the pedigree of freshman point guard Kyrie Irving, Michigan State may be best served making Duke beat them one-on-one offensively. Add in some solid contributors in the frontcourt (Mason Plumlee chief among them) and two more dead-eye shooters in Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins, and Duke has a multitude of weapons to stretch the Michigan State defense with. In most statistical categories the Blue Devils have been the better team, which shouldn't come as a surprise. But if there's anyone on the schedule who would have a chance at leaving Cameron with a win it would be Michigan State given their experience and the desire to improve on their play of late.

That matchup follows a huge tilt in Blacksburg between Purdue and Virginia Tech, with the home team needing a marquee non-conference victory while the visitors are looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss in their last outing. The Boilermakers shot just 30.2% from the field in the loss to Richmond on Saturday night, and the play of E'Twaun Moore will go a long way in determining how good Matt Painter's team can be without Robbie Hummel (Moore shot 4 for 17 on Saturday). Virginia Tech is coming into the game with a similar request of their number two scorer: Dorenzo Hudson missed all seven of his field goal attempts in their loss to UNLV in the 76 Classic final and point blank neither team can consistently navigate such poor performances from players of their importance.

Other games to keep an eye on include Saint Mary's visiting San Diego State in a matchup of two of the better teams on the West Coast, two Mountain West/Missouri Valley matchups (UNLV/Illinois State and BYU/Creighton), Richmond visiting Old Dominion in a matchup of two teams who could be at-large candidates come March and NC State visiting Wisconsin. For a conference game, keep an eye on Butler's trip to Loyola (IL) as they'll once again be without starting point guard Ronald Nored (concussion symptoms). With the Ramblers returning the top six players in their rotation from a season ago (all five starters) they definitely have a chance of getting off to a 1-0 start in the Horizon League at the expense of the Bulldogs.

Top 25
9:30 PM (6) Michigan State at (1) Duke (ESPN)
9:15 PM Duquesne vs. (3) Pittsburgh* (ESPNU)
8:00 PM Arkansas State at (15) Memphis
7:00 PM (16) Florida at UCF (ESPN3)
7:30 PM (18) Purdue at Virginia Tech (ESPN)
10:30 PM Saint Mary's at (19) San Diego State (The Mtn.)
8:00 PM Lamar at (20) Texas (ESPN3)
8:05 PM (23) UNLV at Illinois State
8:05 PM (25) Brigham Young at Creighton

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Virginia Commonwealth at South Florida (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Florida International at Louisville (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Fordham at Harvard
7:00 PM Western Michigan at Towson
7:00 PM Charlotte at East Carolina
7:00 PM Xavier at Miami (OH)
7:00 PM Elon at Furman
7:00 PM Dartmouth at Vermont
7:00 PM American University at West Virginia (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Richmond at Old Dominion
7:00 PM Susquehanna University at Lafayette
7:00 PM Buffalo at Army
7:00 PM Florida Christian College at Bethune-Cookman
7:00 PM Columbia at Bucknell
7:00 PM Temple at Central Michigan
7:00 PM Wright State at Cincinnati
7:00 PM East Tennessee State at Dayton
7:00 PM Akron at Detroit
7:00 PM Saint Joseph's at Drexel
7:00 PM George Washington at George Mason
7:00 PM James Madison at Longwood
7:00 PM Washington Adventist at North Carolina Central
7:00 PM Northeastern at Providence
7:00 PM Massachusetts at Quinnipiac
7:00 PM Delaware State at South Carolina
7:00 PM Wagner at St. John's
7:00 PM Lehigh at Stony Brook
7:00 PM SIU-Edwardsville at Tennessee Tech
7:00 PM Howard at William & Mary
7:15 PM Indiana at Boston College (ESPNU)
7:15 PM North Carolina State at Wisconsin (ESPN2)
7:30 PM N.J.I.T. at Rutgers
8:00 PM Jacksonville State at UAB
8:00 PM Oklahoma at Arkansas (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Drake at Colorado State
8:00 PM Jackson State at Nebraska
8:00 PM Central Arkansas at Oklahoma State
8:00 PM Wyoming at South Dakota
8:00 PM Arizona at Rice
8:00 PM St. Edwards at Texas A&M-CC
8:00 PM Southern Methodist at Louisiana Tech
8:00 PM Butler at Loyola (IL) (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at McNeese State
8:00 PM Iowa State at Northern Iowa (ESPN3)
8:00 PM St. Thomas (TX) at Sam Houston State
8:00 PM Alcorn State at Southern Miss
8:00 PM Prairie View A&M at TCU
8:05 PM New Mexico at Southern Illinois
8:05 PM Arkansas-Little Rock at Missouri State
8:05 PM Chicago State at Wichita State
8:30 PM South Alabama at Alabama
8:45 PM Dillard at Southeastern Louisiana
9:00 PM Western Kentucky at Vanderbilt (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Utah State at Denver
9:15 PM Maryland at Penn State (ESPN2)
10:00 PM Hawaii at Cal Poly
10:00 PM Utah Valley at Oregon State
10:00 PM UC Irvine at San Diego
10:00 PM Holy Names at San Francisco
10:00 PM Loyola Marymount at UC Santa Barbara
10:05 PM Seattle at Portland State
10:30 PM UC Davis at California
10:30 PM Pepperdine at Pacific

College Hoops Wednesday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 09:36:25 -0800

Wednesday night marks the end of the EA Sports Maui Invitational, with surprising Connecticut taking on young but talented Kentucky in the title game. Junior point guard Kemba Walker has been a house afire for the Huskies, having scored 30 or more points in each of his last three games. With impressive shot-making ability, handle and the skill to also set up his young teammates the junior from the Bronx has arguably been the best player in America to this point in the season. Also of importance for Jim Calhoun's team has been the play of sophomore forward/center Alex Oriakhi, who scored 15 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in the 70-67 semifinal win over Michigan State. Those 17 boards aren't even a season best for Oriakhi, who grabbed 18 in the season-opening win over Stony Brook. The task for Kentucky will be to put a body on Oriakhi to make sure he doesn't control the glass again.

Kentucky got to the final by surviving an emotionally charged matchup against Washington with much of the drama surrounding the events that led Terrence Jones to Lexington. Despite being booed every time he touched the basketball Jones accounted for 16 points and 17 rebounds in the 74-67 victory, and with the help of Josh Harrelson (14 rebounds) they grabbed 31 of UK's 49 boards (49-39 advantage). Kentucky grabbed 19 offensive rebounds for an impressive offensive rebounding percentage of 44.2%, and rebounding will play a major role in the outcome of tonight's game due to the fact that both teams like to get the ball and go on missed shots.

The player to watch for Kentucky: that would be point guard Brandon Knight, who scored 24 points (10-17 FG) in Tuesday's victory. Hailed as one of the top incoming players before the season began, Knight has lived up to the hype but he'll be in for a challenge in defending Walker. If Knight can do the job defensively on Walker it would force a Shabazz Napier or Roscoe Smith to step up for the Huskies, although UConn could most certainly use a third option anyway. Kentucky's balance on offense could be the deciding factor but it may be foolhardy to assume that Kemba Walker can't go off again. While there's still a long way to go this season a win tonight may accelerate the learning curve for both teams, especially the upstart Huskies.

Other games tonight include the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off, with VCU taking on Tennessee followed by UCLA/Villanova. The Rams will look to pressure the Volunteers, and given the troubles that Bruce Pearl's team has encountered in regards to taking care of the basketball Shaka Smart's team would surprise few with a victory. UCLA will be interesting to watch given the progress shown by players such as Tyler Honeycutt, Lazeric Jones, Brendan Lane and Reeves Nelson in their undefeated start. To say the least Ben Howland's team will be tested by the experienced Wildcats, especially if Malcolm Lee (ankle) remains on the sidelines. Missouri takes on La Salle in Cancun in the title game of that tournament and the Great Alaska Shootout tips off as well. Happy Thanksgiving.

Top 25
5:00 PM (2) Michigan State vs. (11) Washington* (ESPN2)
9:00 PM UCLA vs. (7) Villanova* (ESPN2)
10:00 PM Connecticut vs. (9) Kentucky* (ESPN)
9:30 PM (12) Missouri vs. La Salle* (CBSC)
8:00 PM North Dakota State at (17) Minnesota (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Virginia Commonwealth vs. (24) Tennessee* (ESPN2)

NCAA Division I Games
1:00 PM Our Lady of the Lake at Texas State
1:00 PM Northern Illinois at Maryland-Eastern Shore
1:30 PM Western Illinois vs. Prairie View A&M*
2:30 PM Oklahoma at Chaminade (ESPNU)
4:00 PM St. Francis (NY) at Brown
4:00 PM Morgan State vs. North Florida*
4:00 PM Harvard at Bryant University
4:30 PM Princeton vs. Presbyterian*
5:00 PM Louisiana College at New Orleans
6:00 PM Air Force at Wofford
7:00 PM St. Francis (PA) at Hartford
7:00 PM American Intl at Massachusetts
7:00 PM Navy at Towson
7:00 PM Lenoir Rhyne at East Carolina
7:00 PM Drexel at Rhode Island
7:00 PM Jackson State at Chattanooga
7:00 PM Bucknell at James Madison
7:00 PM Loyola (MD) at Vermont
7:00 PM Cleveland State at Akron
7:00 PM Savannah State at Cincinnati
7:00 PM Florida A&M at Dayton (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Radford at George Mason
7:00 PM Wyoming vs. Providence* (CBSC)
7:30 PM Wichita State vs. Virginia* (ESPNU)
7:30 PM McNeese State at Miami (FL)
7:35 PM Toledo at Youngstown State
8:00 PM Southeast Missouri State at Arkansas
8:00 PM Kennesaw State at Iowa State
8:00 PM Central Michigan at Illinois-Chicago
8:00 PM Centenary at LSU
8:00 PM Grambling State at Vanderbilt
8:00 PM SUNY-Cobleskill at Texas-Pan American
8:00 PM Jacksonville at Samford
8:00 PM Wayland Baptist Univ at Southern Methodist
8:05 PM Eastern Illinois at Bradley
8:05 PM SIU-Edwardsville at UMKC
8:05 PM Arkansas-Little Rock at Oral Roberts
8:05 PM Evansville at Middle Tennessee
9:00 PM Northwood at New Mexico
9:00 PM Utah at Utah State
9:00 PM Alcorn State at Denver
9:05 PM Eastern Washington at Boise State
9:05 PM San Francisco at Montana State
10:00 PM Loyola Marymount at Cal Poly
10:00 PM Charlotte at Oregon State
10:00 PM San Jose State at Cal State Bakersfield
10:30 PM Cal State Fullerton at USC
11:30 PM Southern Utah vs. Drake*
12:00 AM Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Hawaii
1:45 AM Ball State vs. St. John's*(MSG+)