anthony davis

Early Entry 2012 NBA Draft: Staying or Going?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:53:20 -0700

With the NBA Draft set for June 28th, time is running out for players to decide on their professional futures. We'll update the list every couple of days as players announce their status.

Also check out our 2012 NBA Draft Calendar for key dates in the process.

Staying or Going: NBA Draft Early Entry Decisions

Entering the Draft - Has Agent / Will Hire Agent

Harrison Barnes - G, North Carolina

Will Barton - SF, Memphis

Brad Beal - G, Florida

J'Covan Brown - G, Texas

Dominic Cheek - G, Villanova

Jared Cunningham - G, Oregon

Anthony Davis - F, Kentucky

Andre Drummond - C, UCONN

Justin Hamilton - C, LSU

Moe Harkless - SF, St. John's

John Henson - F, North Carolina

John Jenkins - G, Vanderbilt

Perry Jones - F, Baylor

Terrence Jones - F, Kentucky

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - F, Kentucky

Doron Lamb - G, Kentucky

Jeremy Lamb - G, UCONN

Meyers Leonard - F, Illinois

Damian Lillard - G, Weber St

Kendall Marshall - G, UNC

Fab Melo - C, Syracuse

Khris Middleton - F, Texas A&M

Quincy Miller - G, Baylor

Tony Mitchell - F, Alabama

Arnett Moultrie - F, Mississippi St

Austin Rivers - PG, Duke

Quincy Roberts - SG, Grambling

Thomas Robinson - F, Kansas

Terrence Ross - G, Washington

Renardo Sidney - PF, Mississippi St

Jonathon Simmons - G, Houston

Jared Sullinger - F, Ohio St

Raymond Taylor - G, Florida Atlantic

Marquis Teague - G, Kentucky

Hollis Thompson - F, Georgetown

Dion Waiters - G, Syracuse

Maalik Wayns - G, Villanova

Royce White - F, Iowa St

Tony Wroten - G, Washington

Undecided

PJ Hairston - F, UNC

Josh Smith - C, UCLA

Staying in College

Kenny Boynton - G, Florida

Trey Burke - G, Michigan

Isaiah Canaan - G, Murray St

Tim Hardaway Jr. - G, Michigan

Myck Kabongo - PG, Texas

CJ Leslie - F, NC State

James McAdoo - F, UNC

CJ McCollum - G, Lehigh

Doug McDermott - SF, Creighton

Tony Mitchell - F, North Texas

Mike Moser - F, UNLV

Mason Plumlee - F, Duke

Andre Roberson - F, Colorado

Victor Rudd - SF, South Florida

Deshaun Thomas - F, Ohio St

Christian Watford - F, Indiana

Rodney Williams - F, Minnesota

Jeff Withey - C, Kansas

BJ Young - G, Arkansas

Patric Young - PF, Florida

Cody Zeller - F, Indiana

Please email shawn@collegehoops.net if you news has come out that contradicts this list.

NCAA Tournament Preview: Frontcourts to Watch

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:27:34 -0700

While you definitely need guards to win a national title big men are very important in their own right. Whether a team has projected lottery picks or guys who have been solid throughout their careers, a team has to be able to hold their own in the paint. If not a tournament experience that can last two or three weeks gets derailed far sooner. Here are some front courts you'll need to know this week.

South Region

1. Kentucky
This one's pretty simple. The Wildcats have the nation's best freshman in Anthony Davis (who may also be the best player in the country regardless of class) and a wing in Michael Kidd-Gilchrist who is one of the best leaders as well as a very talented player. Terrence Jones has played well of late, and while the effort may still wane on occasion he's extremely talented. This group is a big reason why the Wildcats are the overwhelming favorite to win it all.

2. Baylor
The Bears aren't that far behind Kentucky as they can go five deep with a few lottery-caliber talents mixed in. The two lottery guys are Perry Jones III and Quincy Miller, with the former needing to remain engaged in the action consistently if the Bears are to make a deep run. Quincy Acy is the toughest of the bunch, a guy likely to enjoy a long pro career based on his effort and rebounding ability alone, with Cory Jefferson and Anthony Jones rounding out the group.

3. Connecticut
The Huskies may not win the vote in the South for best front court but it's a safe bet that they'd win for most frustrating. Andre Drummond and Alex Oriakhi get the most minutes while Tyler Olander and Roscoe Smith will also rotate in. If they all play consistently the Huskies can do some damage this week. If not, Iowa State's Royce White will put on a show in Louisville.

Biggest question mark: Ryan Kelly's foot (Duke)
Kelly missed the ACC tournament due to his foot injury, and the Blue Devils have been preparing for Lehigh as if they won't have him. Kelly's absence changes things offensively, as he's able to play on the perimeter. That opens things up for their guards, and without him Duke has two guys inside (Mason and Miles Plumlee) instead of one.

Guys you'll love: UNLV's Mike Moser and Wichita State's Garrett Stutz
Moser can play both inside and out for the Runnin' Rebels, and the UCLA transfer was instantly one of the best players in the Mountain West. As for Stutz, he played well enough to earn first team All-MVC honors, and the seven-footer is a tough matchup in the paint for most teams.

The difference-maker: Cody Zeller (Indiana)
Other than the improvement of their returning players a big reason for Indiana's return to the national stage was the play of Zeller, who with Michigan's Trey Burke was the best freshman in the Big Ten. He opens things up for the Hoosiers' capable shooters, and he'll need to be at his best against a New Mexico State team that can hit the boards.

West Region

1. Michigan State
Two words, one man: Draymond Green. The Big Ten player of the year is the biggest reason why the Spartans won a share of the Big Ten regular season crown and followed that up with the Big Ten tournament title. But with Branden Dawson done for the year with a torn ACL the play of Derrick Nix and Adriean Payne has become even more important. They've done well to to this point, and if they can do so four more times a trip to New Orleans is more than possible.

2. Davidson
Surprised, huh? Don't be. De'Mon Brooks is one of the best players in the country who isn't a staple on "SportsCenter", winning SoCon Player of the Year as well as MVP of the conference tournament. Alongside him is Jake Cohen, whose game has progressed a great deal due in part to a stint with the Israeli national team over the summer. If the Wildcats beat Louisville it's a safe bet that these two are a big reason why.

3. BYU
Whether or not the Cougars reach the main field remains to be seen, but in all honesty their two big men are far better than what you'd generally find on a 14-seed. Noah Hartsock is effective either inside or out, and Brandon Davies is a handful in the paint. The key for BYU is to make sure they get the ball consistently, which can be an issue on occasion.

The X-factor: Tarik Black and foul trouble (Memphis)
This was a serious problem for the Tigers earlier this season, and there's no coincidence that as he's remained on the floor the Tigers have played their best basketball. Ferrakhon Hall helps but when Black gets the ball around the rim he's tough to stop. Keep him on the floor and Memphis can win multiple games in the tournament.

Guys you'll love: Drew Gordon (New Mexico) and Mike Scott (Virginia)
Both guys are familiar names by this point, which means that the choices could have been Julian Boyd (LIU Brooklyn) and T.J. Robinson (Long Beach State). But both Gordon and Scott had very good cases to win Player of the Year honors in their respective conferences but neither did. Virginia needs Scott to be the best player on the floor against Florida as they're low on numbers, and Gordon't the kind of interior presence that can lead a team to the Sweet 16 and beyond.

The difference-maker: Patric Young (Florida)
Young is a player talented enough to merit comparisons to Dwight Howard as a McDonald's All-American, and with his physical strength it's easy to see why. The key for Young: getting enough touches. That means no wild shot attempts from the Florida guards.

East Region

1. Ohio State
With Syracuse losing their most important piece Ohio State is now the favorite to win the East Region in the eyes of most people. Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas are both tough to slow down, but Thomas will need to exercise good shot selection on a consistent basis. On the wing there's Lenzelle Smith Jr., a player most tend to underestimate offensively, and Evan Ravenel gives them solid defense off the bench.

2. Florida State
The Seminoles may not have an All-America candidate along the lines of Sullinger but they do have athleticism and depth, two factors that helped them win the ACC tournament. Bernard James and Xavier Gibson are the starters while Jon Kreft and Okaro White provide depth off the bench. FSU is one of the biggest teams in the country and all of these guys can move as well.

3. Kansas State
The Wildcat front court is the big reason why many are picking them to go to the Sweet 16, as they hit the offensive boards with the best of them and top-seed Syracuse is a subpar defensive rebounding team. Jamar Samuels was a big reason why they swept the season series with Missouri, and both Thomas Gipson and Jordan Henriquez-Roberts have improved as the season's worn on.

Biggest question mark: Syracuse without Fab Melo
The Orange have plenty of front court talent without the sophomore from Brazil (and would have a very good argument to be on the above list), but on a team blessed with so much depth Melo was the closest to being indispensable. Without him both Rakeem Christmas and Baye Keita will have to pick up the torch in the middle of their 2-3 zone.

Guys you'll love: Andrew Nicholson (St. Bonaventure) and Keith Wright (Harvard)
Vanderbilt's Jeffery Taylor deserves some mention here as well, but we'll go with the A-10 Player of the Year and one of the big reasons why Harvard's back in the Dance for the first time since 1946 instead. Nicholson finished two blocks short of a triple-double in the A-10 tournament final and his name will be called in June. Wright is the man the Crimson run their offense through and he's been extremely productive as a result.

The workhorse: Kevin Jones (West Virginia)
There are few players in America more valuable than Jones. Without him the Mountaineers most likely aren't playing in any tournament much less the Big Dance. The senior from Mount Vernon, NY led the Big East in both scoring and rebounding this season. "Money earnin'" indeed (that's the nickname for Mount Vernon).

Midwest Region

1. North Carolina
The expectation is that John Henson's left wrist is ready to go this week, and his presence on the court beside ACC Player of the Year Tyler Zeller makes UNC a much better defensive team. Henson's averaging more than three blocked shots per game, and when that's missing the Carolina perimeter defenders can get exposed some. James Michael McAdoo and Justin Watts will also see some time, with the undersized Watts more than willing to fill in wherever needed.

2. Kansas
If Anthony Davis doesn't win a particular National Player of the Year award it should go to Robinson. That's how much those two have separated themselves from the rest of the country. Robinson is essentially an automatic double-double for the Jayhawks, who also need Jeff Withey to show on the big stage that his improved play throughout the conference slate wasn't a mirage. It's highly likely that he will, although their battle with Detroit will provide a good test.

3. Creighton
The Bluejays have one of the best players in the country in sophomore Doug McDermott, who can score both inside and out for the Missouri Valley tournament champs. But there's also banger Gregory Echenique to account for, and those two have the ability to lead Creighton on a special run. The key for them will be defense, especially with a matchup with North Carolina awaiting them should the Bluejays take care of Alabama.

Most Improved: Henry Sims (Georgetown)
For three seasons Sims was essentially an afterthought for the Hoyas. Now he's an essential figure, leading the team in assists while also proving to be a capable scorer out to about 15 feet or so. If he's playing well the Hoyas offensively will prosper as a whole.

Guys you'll love: Rob Jones (Saint Mary's) and C.J. Leslie (NC State)
Jones has been a double-double machine this season for the Gaels, and while he's undersized at the four the senior can put opposing teams at a disadvantage regardless of his height. As for Leslie it would have been difficult to imagine him being in this spot a season ago, but that only displays how much he's improved. And he can finish well above the rim as well.

One last hurrah: Robbie Hummel (Purdue)
Hummel's absence last season due to a torn ACL was a major reason why the Boilermakers were bounced by VCU (but by no means should that take away from how well the Rams played). No JaJuan Johnson or E'Twaun Moore but the fifth-year senior can still get it done, and he'll have to if the Boilers are to get past Saint Mary's.

Kentucky's Run to Start in Louisville: South Region Thoughts

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 20:54:54 -0700

.pdf bracket

The Kentucky Wildcats, as has been expected for quite some time, is the top overall seed and they will begin their (hopeful) journey to New Orleans on the floor of bitter rival Louisville. That won't be a problem however as Big Blue Nation likely planned months in advance for their first two games being at the KFC Yum! Center.

First up for them is the winner of the First Four game between Mississippi Valley State and Western Kentucky, with both possibilities offering up subplots that will certainly be discussed.

Ray Harper's led the Hilltoppers from the depths of the Sun Belt to the Big Dance, and a win would match them up with the preeminent program in the state. MVSU is led by head coach Sean Woods, who is a Kentucky alum and hish shot gave UK a 102-101 lead on Duke with 2.1 seconds remaining in the 1992 East Regional final (more on this angle later). But after that, one couldn't blame John Calipari if he were to ask what the perks of being the top overall seed are besides geographical preference.

That 8/9 game looks like a very good battle as Iowa State takes on Connecticut. The Huskies are one of the nation's biggest underachievers, going from preseason Top 5 to a team that some asked whether or not they'd end up in the NIT.

Jim Calhoun's team doesn't lack for talent and it's a safe assumption that they'll be prepared as Calhoun has lost just one opening game (2008 vs. San Diego) during his tenure in Storrs. But in Royce White they'll take on a 6'9" point guard, and the Cyclones' many perimeter shooters could give the Huskies trouble.

The two-seed in the region is Duke, and if the bracket plays out according to seeds we could end up with Kentucky/Duke for a trip to the Final Four...20 years after they met in Philadelphia in one of the greatest games ever played.

The Blue Devils will need a healthy Ryan Kelly to be at their best offensively, and their perimeter defense needs to be better as well. They'll have to beat Lehigh (C.J. McCollum) followed by Notre Dame (Eric Atkins and Jerian Grant) or Xavier (Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons) in order to reach the Sweet 16.

As for the three-seed, that distinction belongs to Scott Drew's Baylor Bears and their presence adds to the South Region's edge in the "projected NBA lottery picks" department. Quincy Acy and Perry Jones III are the leaders up front and the Bears can go five deep there, and guard Pierre Jackson has been one of the nation's best newcomers.

The Bears get South Dakota State and Nate Wolters first, and the Jackrabbits are capable of pulling off the upset. And that 6/11 battle between UNLV and Colorado could end up providing more suspense than the casual fan would think given the struggles of the Pac-12.

Indiana makes their return to the Big Dance and while Tom Crean's club is more than capable of stringing together some wins the committee didn't give them the easiest matchup. New Mexico State features the talented Wendell McKines and they've got some size inside as well.

The biggest "wrong" in the region: the 5/12 matchup, as both Wichita State and VCU have the potential to do some special things this month. Instead, one of them is guaranteed to head home. Kentucky will be the clear favorite to get through the region, but despite the Louisville to Atlanta path they didn't receive a road that's smoothly paved.

Winner: Kentucky

Best second round matchup: Wichita State vs. VCU

All-Region Team
G Austin Rivers (Duke)
G Jeremy Lamb (Connecticut)
F Anthony Davis (Kentucky)
F Royce White (Iowa State)
F Quincy Acy (Baylor)

NCAA Tournament 2012: Top 68 Players

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 22:08:10 -0800

When it comes time to pick your NCAA Bracket, its a good strategy to focus on teams with superstar players. Just look at UCONN last year: Kemba Walker put the Huskies on his back and led them to a surprise National Championship.

Which individual stars will lead their teams to success in the 2012 Tournament? It might be household stars like Anthony Davis, or lesser known stars like Casper Ware and Nate Wolters. Here are the 68 best players in the Dance:

LET THE DEBATES BEGIN...

Rank	Player	School	League	Yr	Pos
1	Anthony Davis	Kentucky	SEC	Fr	F
2	Thomas Robinson	Kansas	B12	Jr	F
3	Jared Sullinger	Ohio St	B10	So	F
4	Doug McDermott	Creighton	MVC	So	F
5	Draymond Green	Michigan St	B10	Sr	F
6	John Henson	North Carolina	ACC	Jr	F
7	Harrison Barnes	North Carolina	ACC	So	F
8	Michael Kidd-Gilchrist	Kentucky	SEC	Fr	F
9	Isaiah Canaan	Murray St	OVC	Jr	G
10	Marcus Denmon	Missouri	B12	Sr	G
11	Perry Jones	Baylor	B12	So	F
12	Kevin Jones	West Virginia	BE	Sr	F
13	Will Barton	Memphis	USA	So	G
14	Jeremy Lamb	UCONN	BE	So	G
15	Cody Zeller	Indiana	B10	Fr	C
16	Tyler Zeller	North Carolina	ACC	Jr	C
17	Mike Scott	Virginia	ACC	Sr	F
18	John Jenkins	Vanderbilt	SEC	Jr	G
19	Kenny Boynton	Florida	SEC	Jr	G
20	Tyshawn Taylor	Kansas	B12	Sr	G
21	Scott Machado	Iona	MAAC	Sr	G
22	Jae Crowder	Marquette	BE	Sr	F
23	Kendall Marshall	North Carolina	ACC	So	G
24	J'Covan Brown	Texas	B12	Jr	G
25	Trey Burke	Michigan	B10	Fr	G
26	Tu Holloway	Xavier	A10	Sr	G
27	Austin Rivers	Duke	ACC	Fr	G
28	Robbie Hummel	Purdue	B10	Sr	F
29	Matthew Dellavedova	St. Mary's	WCC	Jr	G
30	Darius Johnson-Odom	Marquette	BE	Sr	G
31	Jordan Taylor	Wisconsin	B10	Sr	G
32	Casper Ware	Long Beach St	BW	Sr	G
33	Dion Waiters	Syracuse	BE	So	G
34	Kris Joseph	Syracuse	BE	Sr	F
35	Drew Gordon	New Mexico	MWC	Sr	F
36	Nate Wolters	South Dakota St	SUM	Jr	G
37	Wendell McKines	New Mexico St	WAC	Sr	F
38	CJ McCollum	Lehigh	PAT	Jr	G
39	JaMychal Green	Alabama	SEC	Sr	F
40	William Buford	Ohio St	B10	Sr	G
41	Henry Sims	Georgetown	BE	Sr	C
42	Bradley Beal	Florida	SEC	Fr	G
43	Mike Moser	UNLV	MWC	So	F
44	Jamaal Franklin	San Diego St	MWC	So	G
45	Jason Clark	Georgetown	BE	Sr	G
46	Aaron Craft	Ohio St	B10	So	G
47	Ramon Moore	Temple	A10	Sr	G
48	Mike Glover	Iona	MAAC	Sr	F
49	Royce White	Iowa St	B12	So	F
50	Jeff Taylor	Vanderbilt	SEC	Sr	G
51	Andrew Nicholson	St Bonaventure	A10	Sr	F
52	Doron Lamb	Kentucky	SEC	So	G
53	Shabazz Napier	UCONN	BE	So	G
54	Terrence Jones	Kentucky	SEC	So	F
55	Lorenzo Brown	NC State	ACC	So	G
56	Kerron Johnson	Belmont	AS	Jr	G
57	Chance Stanback	UNLV	MWC	Sr	F
58	Rob Jones	St. Mary's	SEC	Sr	F
59	DJ Cooper	Ohio	MAC	Jr	G
60	Garrett Stutz	Wichita St	MVC	Sr	C
61	Mark Lyons	Xavier	A10	Jr	G
62	Kim English	Missouri	B12	Sr	G
63	Jake Cohen	Davidson	SoCo	Jr	F
64	Ray McCallum	Detroit	HL	So	G
65	Bernard James	Florida St	ACC	Sr	C
66	Elias Harris	Gonzaga	WCC	Sr	F
67	Sean Kilpatrick	Cincinncati	BE	So	G
68	Khalif Wyatt	Temple	A10	Jr	G

Top 10 One-Bid League Stars

1 Isaiah Canaan - Murray St

2 Casper Ware - Long Beach St

3 Nate Wolters - South Dakota St

4 CJ McCollum - Lehigh

5 Kerron Johnson - Belmont

5 DJ Cooper - Ohio

6 Jake Cohen - Davidson

7 Ray McCallum - Detroit

8 Will Cherry - Montana

9 Matt Dickey - UNC-Asheville

10 TJ Robinson - Long Beach St

2012 All-America Team: CollegeHoops.net

CHN — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 22:44:56 -0800

Player of the Year Anthony Davis, only a freshman, highlights CollegeHoops.net's 2012 All-America Team. Davis, the nation's leading shot-blocker, led Kentucky to a 30-1 regular season record. Davis is joined on the First Team by Thomas Robinson of Kansas, Draymond Green of Michigan State, Doug McDermott of Creighton, and Isaiah Canaan of Murray State.

Davis is one of only two freshmen on the list, as teammate Michael Kidd-Gilchrist made the Third Team.

CollegeHoops.net All-America Teams were voted on by staffers Shawn Siegel, Raphielle Johnson, Greg Mengelt, and Jon Teitel.

Last year's winner was BYU's Jimmer Fredette.

Player of the Year: F Anthony Davis, Kentucky, Fr

First Team All-American

G Isaiah Canaan, Murray St, Jr
F Doug McDermott, Creighton, So
F Draymond Green, Michigan St, Sr
F Thomas Robinson, Kansas, Jr
F Anthony Davis, Kentucky, Fr

Second Team All-American

G Scott Machado, Iona, Sr
G Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas, Sr
G Damian Lillard, Weber St, Jr
F Jared Sullinger, Ohio St, So
F Tyler Zeller, North Carolina, Jr

Third Team All-American

G Marcus Denmon, Missouri, Sr
G John Jenkins, Vanderbilt, Jr
F John Henson, North Carolina, Jr
F Mike Scott, Virginia, Sr
F Kevin Jones, West Virginia, Sr

Fourth Team All-American

G Kendall Marshall, North Carolina, So
G Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette, Sr
F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky, Fr
F Will Barton, Memphis, So
F Jae Crowder, Marquette, Sr

Honorable Mention

G Harrison Barnes, North Carolina, So
G Kenny Boynton, Florida, Jr
G J'Covan Brown, Texas, Jr
F Perry Jones III, Baylor, So
F Kris Joseph, Syracuse, Sr
G Jeremy Lamb, UCONN, So
F Mike Moser, UNLV, So
F Arnett Moultrie, Mississippi St, Jr
F John Shurna, Northwestern, Sr
F Royce White, Iowa St, So

Davis Leads #1 Kentucky Past Vanderbilt: Saturday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 20:30:42 -0800

#4 Kansas clinched their eighth consecutive Big 12 title with a wild 87-86 overtime win over #3 Missouri, placing head coach Bill Self in some esteemed company. Here are today's "Quick Hitters":

1. #1 Kentucky wraps up another SEC title with a win over Vanderbilt.
In what has been a superlative season for freshman Anthony Davis, the Chicago native may have saved his best performance (thus far) for Saturday. Davis made ten of his eleven shots from the field and scored 28 points while also grabbing 11 boards and blocking six shots to lead Kentucky to an 83-74 win over Vanderbilt. The victory also locked up the 45th SEC title in program history, and it's been clear that there's a lot more this group can achieve before this season ends. Jeffery Taylor scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Vanderbilt, who may have enough to hang around longer than they have in recent NCAA appearances when that time comes.

But on this day it was about the impact of Davis on an afternoon that saw Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (eight points, eight rebounds) and Terrence Jones (12 points, six rebounds) play 29 and 23 minutes respectively. Vandy may have out scored Kentucky 21-6 from beyond the arc but they also made just 42.2% of their shots inside of the arc, and going 15-for-23 from the foul line doesn't help on the road either.

Marquis Teague got off to a slow start but he got going as the game wore on, finishing with 15 points and six assists, and Darius Miller scored nine points off the bench. Kentucky won with two starters in foul trouble and a third (Doron Lamb) scoring just seven points. That lack of production is not going to happen very often between now and the end of the season, so good luck to all future opponents.

2. With #21 New Mexico completing an 0-2 week the Mountain West title is once again up for grabs.
After wins over San Diego State and UNLV last week Steve Alford's Lobos were undoubtedly the class of the Mountain West. But after losses to Colorado State and TCU, New Mexico is back in a three-way tie for first with the Aztecs and Runnin' Rebels going into the last week of regular season play. After going to the half tied (38-all) New Mexico was outscored 45-26 by the Horned Frogs in the 83-64 beating, moving TCU to a surprising 7-5 in conference play and 6-0 in league home games. J.R. Cadot led six TCU players in double figures with 15 points while also grabbing ten rebounds and point guard Hank Thorns dished out nine assists to go along with his 14 points, and a team few expected to contend remains alive in the Mountain West title race.

UNLV was able to hold off a pesky Air Force squad in Las Vegas, winning 68-58 with Chace Stanback's 21 points and eight rebounds leading the way, and San Diego State held off Colorado State 74-66. Jamaal Franklin, who's been banged up of late, went off for 31 points and 16 rebounds to lead the way. With all three teams at 8-4 having played each other twice the Mountain West race will be decided by how they all do against the rest of the conference (the three-way tie at this point would be broken by record vs. the fourth place team).

Before this week the Lobos were the ones who hadn't slipped up, but obviously that's changed. Drew Gordon and Kendall Williams need to be consistent if New Mexico is to win the MWC but at this point anything can happen, and given how dangerous the likes of TCU, Colorado State and Wyoming have played it probably will.

3. Gonzaga's 11-year reign atop the WCC ends as Saint Mary's clinches the WCC title.
While Kansas' current streak of eight straight Big 12 titles is nothing to scoff at, Gonzaga had won 11 straight West Coast Conference titles heading into this season. But that streak came to an end on Saturday night as Saint Mary's beat San Francisco 67-60, wrapping up the regular season title for the Gaels. It wasn't a pretty effort for Randy Bennett's team as they shot just 6-for-28 from beyond the arc, but Saint Mary's made the plays they needed to make down the stretch.

Clint Steindl, who entered the starting lineup with Stephen Holt out with a knee inury, scored a team-high 16 points while Matthew Dellavedova and Rob Jones (14 rebounds) scored 14 points apiece. Jones wasn't the only Gael to post a double-double either as Brad Waldow, who has emerged as the Gaels' second-best interior player in WCC play, scored ten points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

Saint Mary's and Gonzaga wrapped up byes to the semifinals of next weekend's WCC tournament with the results while BYU and Loyola Marymount receive byes to the quarters as the third and fourth seeds. One would think that the top three teams are all safely into the Field of 68 at this point, and Max Good's Lions have the ability to run through the conference tournament and get the WCC a fourth NCAA bid.

Gonzaga's run atop the WCC may have ended but by no means is this "the end", in regards to both this season as well as the future. Players such as Kevin Pangos, Gary Bell and Guy Landry Edi will all have an impact for the Zags (and Kelly Olynyk will be back in the fold next season), and they'll need to if Mark Few's team is to make some noise next month.

4. #2 Syracuse wraps up the tenth Big East regular season title in school history with a win at UConn.
Jim Boeheim's team was walking into what was sure to be a charged environment, given the "ESPN College Gameday" presence and Connecticut's need for a marquee win. And even though things got tight down the stretch Syracuse was able to pick up their first-ever win at Gampel Pavilion, winning 71-69 with C.J. Fair blocking a Roscoe Smith shot in the final seconds to preserve the lead.

The concerns about rebounding going into the game given the Huskies' size inside? No issue for the Orange, who out-rebounded the Huskies 39-35 and grabbed 14 offensive rebounds (UConn finished with 15 but was outscored 16-14 in second-chance points) on the night.Fab Melo's follow-up dunk with 31 seconds remaining gave Syracuse, who led by as many as 17 points, the victory but it was Kris Joseph and their reserves who stood out.

Joseph scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds as he bounced back from a 5-for-17 night in Syracuse's win over USF on Wednesday night. As for the reserves once again Syracuse showed that they're the deepest team in America. Dion Waiters led the way with ten points while Fair (six points, seven rebounds) and James Southerland (seven points) also made an impact. The Orange reserves outscored the UConn bench 26-0 on the night, allowing Syracuse to successfully navigate a quiet night from Brandon Triche (18 minutes played) and Scoop Jardine shooting 3-for-10 from the field (seven points, six assists).

With something of consequence from Shabazz Napier or Tyler Olander off the bench UConn would have had an even better shot of winning, and that's going to be the key in their games against Providence and Pittsburgh. Gain some consistency and the Huskies have the ability to be a tough out in the Big Dance, and while their close loss showed UConn's potential it also showed the difference between a team that can win games and one that can win a championship.

5. Northwestern and Texas avoid what would have been bad losses while Seton Hall and NC State aren't as fortunate.
The focus for bubble teams this time of the year tends to be on the search for that "signature win", but just as important is the ability to avoid shooting oneself in the foot. Northwestern and Texas looked to be headed towards bad (or in the case of Texas, catastrophic) losses but both the Wildcats and Longhorns were able to pull out victories on the road.

John Shurna made a pair of free throws with 2.6 seconds remaining to give Northwestern a 67-66 win at Penn State (the foul should have been called on the catch before Shurna was ever fouled on his shot attempt). And in Lubbock it took seven points from J'Covan Brown in the final 2:16 of overtime for the Longhorns to beat Texas Tech 71-67, with Rick Barnes' team closing the game on a 10-0 run.

Seton Hall and NC State weren't as fortunate, with the Pirates' slide commencing with Pope being called for an offensive foul (that many SHU fans vigorously disputed) with 44.1 seconds remaining in overtime and the score tied at 72. From there in-state rival Rutgers would score the final five points, exacting a measure of revenge on a team that beat them at the RAC in the first meeting this season. Jordan Theodore led the Pirates with 17 points and nine assists but it was Rutgers' Dane Miller (21 points, ten rebounds, four assists and three blocks) who stood out.

At least the Pirates are likely on the right side of the fence (or at least close to it) in spite of the loss. The same cannot be said for Mark Gottfried's Wolfpack, who seem to be freefall mode as they dropped their fourth straight game (72-69 at Clemson). Lorenzo Brown and C.J. Leslie scored 18 points apiece to lead the Wolfpack but it wasn't enough as Scott Wood (1-6 FG) struggled and Milton Jennings led three Tigers in double figures with 17 points. The difference was the foul line, as NC State made five of thirteen and Clemson finished 16-for-21. While there are still games to be played there doesn't seem to be much sand left in the hourglass for NC State.

Quick Hitters

1. From Friday night the Big East Player of the Year race may have received some clarity. With three starters (Vander Blue, Junior Cadougan and Darius Johnson-Odom) suspended for the first half of #10 Marquette's game at West Virginia and Todd Mayo suspended for the second, Jae Crowder did everything in his power to lead the Golden Eagles to the 61-60 win. Crowder finished with 26 points and four rebounds while outplaying WVU's Kevin Jones, who didn't receive a who lot of help down the stretch from his teammates. And while Buzz Williams' dancing received the bulk of the postgame attention, Bob Huggins' visible frustration with his team shouldn't be ignored either.

2. There's now a tie atop the Ivy League in the loss column as Penn snapped Harvard's 28-game home win streak by the final score of 55-54. Zack Rosen's two free throws with 23 seconds remaining proved to be the difference for the Quakers, who are now 9-2 in league play (Harvard's 10-2). But don't start planning for a possible playoff just yet, as Jerome Allen's team still has games against Yale (home) and Princeton (road) to deal with. And if you haven't seen Rosen play by now...shame.

3. Following Purdue's blowout loss to Michigan State forward Ryne Smith made the comment that the dismissal of Kelsey Barlow was "addition by subtraction." Smith may have been proven right on Saturday as the Boilermakers handed #13 Michigan their first home loss of the season by the final score of 75-61. Terone Johnson led the way with 22 points and Purdue enjoyed a stretch in the second half in which they scored on 11 of 13 possessions. That's how you cement your status as a tournament team.

4. Arizona and Washington both did what they needed to do on Saturday, escaping with wins against UCLA and Washington State respectively. Kyle Fogg led the Wildcats to the 65-63 win on Senior Day in Tucson with 20 points and nine rebounds, giving Arizona their 21st win of the season. Tony Wroten accounted for 21 points, six rebounds and five assists in Washington's 59-55 win at Washington State, a game the Huskies trailed 45-32 with 11 minutes remaining. It remains to be seen how many teams the Pac-12 can get into the tournament, but at this point the best strategy for both is to simply keep winning.

5. Another interesting day in the Atlantic 10 as Saint Louis suffered a brutal loss for their resume while Dayton and Saint Joseph's picked up needed victories. Billy Baron's shot in the final seconds gave Rhode Island a 64-62 win over the Billikens in Kingston, but regardless of the venue that's a game Rick Majerus' team did not need on their resume as a loss. Langston Galloway led four Saint Joseph's players in double figures with 22 points as the Hawks beat #22 Temple 82-72 to earn a share of the Big 5 title, and Dayton blew out UMass 76-43 at home. Three seems to be the number of bids most expect the A-10 to receive, which makes games like these even more important down the stretch.

6. Cleveland State finally looked like a cohesive group with D'Aundray Brown out of the lineup as they beat Wright State 77-55. Trevon Harmon scored 20 points and Jeremy Montgomery 17 for the Vikings, who locked up the two-seed in next week's Horizon League tournament. That earns them (along with regular season champ Valparaiso) a bye to the semifinals, a perk that was much-needed by the Vikings.

7. Behind 31 points from Bradford Burgess, VCU was able to jump on George Mason early in what ended up being an 89-77 win in Richmond to grab the two-seed in the CAA tournament. VCU scored 12 points within a stretch of less than two minutes in the first half to establish a margin the Patriots were unable to overcome despite 24 points and nine rebounds from Ryan Pearson. These two could very well meet in the CAA semis next weekend, and a rubber match would have huge implications in regards to the NCAA tournament.

8. The pace wasn't in their favor but #7 North Carolina found a way to win as they beat Virginia 54-51 in Charlottesville. Tyler Zeller scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds on the afternoon and John Henson added 15 and 11 with two blocked shots. Defensively the Tar Heels were able to keep Mike Scott in check, something they were unable to do in Chapel Hill. Scott shot just 3-for-13 from the field and scored six points for the Cavaliers, who shot 6-for-23 from beyond the arc.

9. Fred Hoiberg's Iowa State Cyclones did themselves a favor from an NCAA tournament seeding standpoint with their 65-61 win at Kansas State, who was coming off of consecutive road wins at Baylor and Missouri. Scott Christopherson scored 29 points and Royce White added nine points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. The win also keeps the Cyclones tied with Baylor for third place, and they'll host the Bears in the regular season finale for both next weekend.

10. The Northeast Conference tournament, which begins on Thursday night, has the potential to be a wild event of Saturday's results are a harbinger of things to come. The top four seeds (who will host games on Thursday) all lost, including regular season champ LIU-Brooklyn getting pasted 106-78 at Monmouth, while seeds five through eight all won. King Rice's Hawks may be the hottest team entering the tournament as they've won seven of their last nine games, and Quinnipiac hasn't been bad either as they've won eight of their last eleven. LIU's the favorite with Wagner right behind them but don't be surprised if there's an upset along the way.

11. Things got a bit wild in Huntington but that didn't deter Memphis, who whipped Marshall 87-67 to remain in first place in Conference USA. Will Barton scored 24 points, Joe Jackson 21 and Chris Crawford added 16 and eight assists to lead the Tigers, who have enough talent to give an opponent headaches in the Big Dance. Josh Pastner's team has been maddeningly inconsistent at times this season, but don't sleep on them.

College Basketball Top 100 Players: Davis Now #1

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 09:57:40 -0800

The Collegehoops.net Top 100 is the ultimate ranking of college basketball's best players. Almost two months have gone by since our last update, and many opinions have changed . Some players such as WVU's Kevin Jones have continued to improve, while others such as Kentucky's Terrence Jones have disappointed. There was also a major change at the top, where Anthony Davis has taken the #1 spot from Jared Sullinger. Sullinger certainly hasn't been playing bad, but Davis has proven to be on the biggest defensive forces college basketball has seen in years. Remember, the CHN Top 100 Ranking is based on the following criteria:

A) Performance/stats

B) Skill/talent

C) Pro potential

D) Inangibles/value to team.

This is not an NBA prospect ranking, which can be found here. The ranking is compiled by CHN Editor Shawn Siegel with an assist from Assistant Editor Raphielle Johnson.

LET THE DEBATES BEGIN...

Rank	Last	Player	School	League	Yr	Pos	PPG	RPG	APG
1	2	Anthony Davis	Kentucky	SEC	Fr	F	14	10	1
2	1	Jared Sullinger	Ohio St	B10	So	F	17	9	1
3	6	Thomas Robinson	Kansas	B12	Jr	F	18	12	2
4	3	Jeremy Lamb	UCONN	BE	So	G	18	4	2
5	4	Harrison Barnes	North Carolina	ACC	So	F	17	5	1
6	20	Michael Kidd-Gilchrist	Kentucky	SEC	Fr	F	13	8	2
7	9	John Henson	North Carolina	ACC	Jr	F	15	10	1
8	29	Doug McDermott	Creighton	MVC	So	F	23	9	1
9	18	Marcus Denmon	Missouri	B12	Sr	G	18	5	3
10	7	Perry Jones	Baylor	B12	So	F	14	7	1
11	37	Kevin Jones	West Virginia	BE	Sr	F	21	12	1
12	16	John Jenkins	Vanderbilt	SEC	Jr	G	20	3	1
13	45	Draymond Green	Michigan St	B10	Sr	F	15	10	4
14	50	Damian Lillard	Weber St	SKY	Jr	G	25	6	4
15	39	Cody Zeller	Indiana	B10	Fr	C	15	7	1
16	22	Darius Johnson-Odom	Marquette	BE	Sr	G	18	3	3
17	21	Will Barton	Memphis	USA	So	G	19	9	3
18	15	Bradley Beal	Florida	SEC	Fr	G	14	6	2
19	24	Tyler Zeller	North Carolina	ACC	Jr	C	14	9	1
20	34	Kenny Boynton	Florida	SEC	Jr	G	18	3	3
21	35	Tyshawn Taylor	Kansas	B12	Sr	G	17	2	5
22	66	Isaiah Canaan	Murray St	OVC	Jr	G	19	3	4
23	80	Mike Scott	Virginia	ACC	Sr	F	17	9	2
24	12	William Buford	Ohio St	B10	Sr	G	15	5	3
25	10	Tu Holloway	Xavier	A10	Sr	G	16	3	6
26	19	Kendall Marshall	North Carolina	ACC	So	G	6	3	10
27	14	Quincy Miller	Baylor	B12	Fr	F	13	5	2
28	28	Herb Pope	Seton Hall	BE	Sr	C	17	11	2
29	17	J'Covan Brown	Texas	B12	Jr	G	20	4	4
30	30	Doron Lamb	Kentucky	SEC	So	G	14	4	2
31	31	John Shurna	Northwestern	B10	Sr	F	19	6	3
32	44	Arnett Moultrie	Mississippi St	SEC	Jr	F	16	11	1
33	38	Maalik Wayns	Villanova	BE	Jr	G	19	4	5
34		Trey Burke	Michigan	B10	Fr	G	15	4	5
35	23	JaMychal Green	Alabama	SEC	Sr	F	14	7	2
36	33	Shabazz Napier	UCONN	BE	So	G	15	4	6
37	8	Ashton Gibbs	Pittsburgh	BE	Sr	G	16	3	3
38	11	Jordan Taylor	Wisconsin	B10	Sr	G	14	4	4
39	13	Robbie Hummel	Purdue	B10	Sr	F	15	6	2
40	27	Terrence Ross	Washington	P12	So	G	15	7	2
41		Meyers Leonard	Illinois	B10	So	G	13	8	1
42	42	Jason Clark	Georgetown	BE	Sr	G	16	4	2
43	25	Austin Rivers	Duke	ACC	Fr	G	14	3	2
44	64	Terrell Stoglin	Maryland	ACC	So	G	21	3	2
45	36	Aaron Craft	Ohio St	B10	So	G	8	3	5
46	5	Terrence Jones	Kentucky	SEC	So	F	12	6	1
47	56	Andre Drummond	UCONN	BE	Fr	C	10	8	1
48	94	Dion Waiters	Syracuse	BE	So	G	13	2	3
49		Scott Machado	Iona	MET	Sr	G	13	5	11
50	26	Kris Joseph	Syracuse	BE	Sr	F	14	5	2
51	55	Jeff Taylor	Vanderbilt	SEC	Sr	G	17	6	2
52	65	Drew Gordon	New Mexico	MWC	Sr	F	13	10	1
53		Wendell McKines	New Mexico St	WAC	Sr	F	19	11	1
54	88	Matthew Dellavedova	St. Mary's	WCC	Jr	G	16	3	7
55	83	Arsalan Kazemi	Rice	USA	Jr	F	14	12	3
56		Reggie Hamilton	Oakland	SUM	Sr	G	23	3	5
57	90	Moe Harkless	St. John's	BE	Fr	F	16	8	1
58	62	Tony Wroten	Washington	P12	Fr	G	17	5	3
59	32	Marquis Teague	Kentucky	SEC	Fr	G	11	3	4
60		Mike Moser	UNLV	MWC	So	F	14	11	2
61	85	Nate Wolters	South Dak St	SUM	Jr	G	21	5	6
62	86	Mike Glover	Iona	MET	Sr	F	19	9	1
63		Dominique Morrison	Oral Roberts	SUM	Sr	F	20	5	2
64	69	Jared Cunningham	Oregon St	P12	Jr	G	18	4	3
65		Tim Frazier	Penn State	B10	Jr	G	18	5	7
66	41	Tim Hardaway Jr	Michigan	B10	So	G	15	4	3
67	79	Ryan Pearson	George Mason	CAA	Sr	F	17	8	2
68	89	CJ McCollum	Lehigh	PAT	Jr	G	21	6	3
69		Alex Young	IUPUI	SUM	Sr	F	21	6	2
70		Henry Sims	Georgetown	BE	Sr	C	12	6	4
71		Casper Ware	Long Beach St	BW	Sr	G	17	3	3
72	52	CJ Harris	Wake Forest	ACC	Jr	G	17	3	3
73		Khalif Wyatt	Temple	A10	Jr	G	17	3	3
74	67	Mason Plumlee	Duke	ACC	Jr	C	11	9	2
75	82	Travon Woodall	Pittsburgh	BE	Jr	G	11	3	7
76	53	Mark Lyons	Xavier	A10	Jr	G	17	4	3
77	49	Lorenzo Brown	NC State	ACC	So	G	13	4	7
78	73	Chance Stanback	UNLV	MWC	Sr	F	15	5	1
79		Jordan Theodore	Seton Hall	BE	Sr	G	16	3	8
80	81	Jae Crowder	Marquette	BE	Sr	F	16	7	2
81	68	Orlando Johnson	UCSB	BW	Sr	G	20	6	3
82	96	Rob Jones	St. Mary's	SEC	Sr	F	15	11	3
83		Bernard James	Florida St	ACC	Sr	C	11	9	0
84	59	Keith Clanton	UCF	USA	Jr	F	15	9	2
85	57	Dee Bost	Mississippi St	SEC	Sr	G	16	3	4
86	46	Trevor Mbakwe	Minnesota	B10	Sr	F	14	9	1
87	84	C.J. Leslie	NC State	ACC	So	F	13	6	1
88	40	Mouphtaou Yarou	Villanova	BE	Jr	C	12	8	1
89	51	Festus Ezeli	Vanderbilt	SEC	Sr	C	8	7	0
90		Ricardo Ratliffe	Missouri	B12	Sr	F	15	7	1
91	47	Robert Sacre	Gonzaga	WCC	Sr	C	11	7	1
92	71	Kim English	Missouri	B12	Sr	G	14	5	2
93	97	Chase Tapley	San Diego St	MWC	Jr	G	16	4	3
94	98	Kerron Johnson	Belmont	AS	Jr	G	14	3	5
95	63	Tim Abromaitis	Notre Dame	BE	Sr	F	14	7	3
96	76	Andrew Nicholson	St Bonaventure	A10	Sr	F	16	7	0
97		Rodney McGruder	Kansas St	B12	Jr	G	16	6	1
98		Jamaal Franklin	San Diego St	MWC	So	G	15	7	1
99	72	Cleveland Melvin	DePaul	BE	So	F	18	6	1
100		Tony Mitchell	North Texas	SB	Fr	F	16	9	2

Stats as of 1/25

+ The next 25 players who just missed the cut.

+ Vote: Who is the Country's Top Senior?

+ Post your thoughts below or drop a line @collegehoopsnet

College Basketball Top 25 Freshmen

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:22:13 -0800

As a companion to CollegeHoops.net's Top 100 Players Ranking, we present the first edition of this season's Top 25 freshmen list. Players are judged on a combination of a) talent/potential and b) performance. While the top names on this list (Davis, Kidd-Gilchrist, Rivers, etc) are known to most college basketball fans, there are surprise names further down including some hidden mid-major and low-major gems (such as CCSU's Kyle Vinales and Oakland's Corey Petros).

Rank	Player	Team	League	POS	PPG	RPG	APG
1	Anthony Davis	Kentucky	SEC	F	12	9	1
2	Michael Kidd-Gilchrist	Kentucky	SEC	F	13	7	1
3	Bradley Beal	Florida	SEC	G	15	7	2
4	Quincy Miller	Baylor	B12	F	13	5	3
5	Andre Drummond	UCONN	BE	C	8	6	0
6	Austin Rivers	Duke	ACC	G	16	3	2
7	Cody Zeller	Indiana	B10	C	15	7	1
8	Myck Kabongo	Texas	B12	G	11	4	6
9	Marquis Teague	Kentucky	SEC	G	11	2	4
10	Tony Wroten	Washington	P12	G	14	5	3
11	LeBryan Nash	Oklahoma St	B12	F	13	5	0
12	Kyle Vinales	CCSU	NEC	G	20	3	4
13	Ryan Boatright	UCONN	BE	G	16	3	4
14	Moe Harkless	St. John's	BE	F	15	8	1
15	Corey Petros	Oakland	SUM	F	12	11	1
16	BJ Young	Arkansas	SEC	G	17	4	2
17	Kentavious Caldwell-Pope	Georgia	SEC	F	13	5	1
18	LaDontae Henton	Providence	BE	F	14	9	1
19	Adonis Thomas	Memphis	USA	G	10	4	1
20	Kendall Anthony	Richmond	A10	G	15	1	1
20	Trey Freeman	Campbell	AS	G	17	5	1
21	Kevin Pangos	Gonzaga	WCC	G	13	3	3
23	PJ Hairston	North Carolina	ACC	G	8	2	0
24	James McAdoo	North Carolina	ACC	F	5	4	0
25	Jordan Tolbert	Texas Tech	B12	F	13	6	0

**Stats are current as of 12/14. Includes red-shirt freshmen.

What do you think? Post your thoughts in the comments section below or join us @collegehoopsnet

Who Will be the #1 Pick in the 2012 NBA Draft?

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 08:29:38 -0800