Oregon

Bracketology: Saturday Night NCAA Tournament Projection

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 20:08:23 -0700

The latest Bracketology projection as of 11:00 PM, March 16th. One more day until Selection Sunday.

Why Pay Attention to What I Have to Say: Collegehoops.net's projections have consistently proven to be the best in the business. Over the last 5 years, Shawn Siegel is one of the Top 5 Bracketologists according to the Bracket Project. This ranking includes the likes of Joe Lunardi, Gary Parrish, Jerry Palm, and Andy Glockner.. none of whom come close.

As always, the field below is a prediction of what the committee would do as things stand today, not what they should do. This is done by taking into account standings, polls, computer rankings, and the committee's historical biases. Check out the follow up Bubble Watch for updates about teams on the NCAA Tournament Bubble, and NITology for a ranking of the best of the rest.

Notes:

Arrows indicate how many seeds a team has moved up or down since the previous update. Conference Champ.

ONE

Gonzaga 7

Louisville 3

Duke 1

Kansas 5

TWO

Indiana 10

New Mexico 2

Georgetown 9

Miami 4

THREE

Ohio St 11

Michigan St 8

Florida 6

Marquette 13

FOUR

Michigan 18

Syracuse 12

Kansas St 16

Oklahoma St 27

FIVE

UCLA 23

Saint Louis 22

Arizona 15

Wisconsin 28

SIX

Memphis 14

Pittsburgh 42

Creighton 26

North Carolina 17

SEVEN

Butler 21

VCU 25

Notre Dame 36

Colorado St 19

EIGHT

UNLV 24

Missouri 35

North Carolina St 30

Illinois 40

NINE

Oregon 49

San Diego St 32

Saint Mary's 33

Iowa St 44

TEN

Temple 41

Oklahoma 40

Villanova 52

Cincinnati 48

ELEVEN

Wichita St 37

Minnesota 34

Belmont 20

Ole Miss 50

TWELVE

Boise St 43

Akron 46

Colorado 38 / Tennessee 59

La Salle 45 / UCONN 47 California 53

THIRTEEN + 2

Bucknell 51

South Dakota St 63

New Mexico St 57

Valparaiso 58

FOURTEEN

Davidson 61

Montana 83

Florida Gulf Coast 93

Harvard 94

FIFTEEN

Northwestern St 96

Iona 97

Pacific 105

Western Kentucky 150

SIXTEEN + 2

Albany 128

Long Island 175

James Madison 182 / Liberty 288

Southern 181 / North Carolina A&T 211

Last In: California, Tennessee, La Salle, Colorado

First Out: Maryland 66, Middle Tennessee 31, Kentucky 56, Southern Miss 29

Huskies, Ducks Squander Chances to Advance

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 22:01:52 -0800

Thursday turned into a day of missed opportunities for a number of bubble teams across the country, and the Pac-12 may be in danger of being a one-bid league as a result of two results that bookended the day in Los Angeles. Top-seed Washington dropped a tough 86-84 decision to nine-seed Oregon State and poor foul shooting for both teams played a role in the finish. Tony Wroten set a school record for most points in a game by a freshman with 29 to go along with seven rebounds and three assists, but missing his final four free throws with the game in the balance will linger for quite some time.

Washington didn't close out the first half like a team playing with a sense of urgency, trailing 46-33 at the half as the Beavers scored 12 of the final 17 points. Oregon State outscored the Huskies 30-18 in the paint in the first 20 minutes, also scoring 12 points off of ten Washington turnovers, and the Huskies didn't show off the best shot selection either. There was more of the same at the start of the second half before Lorenzo Romar's team finally snapped out of their funk, evenutally taking control of the game and leading by as many as eight points.

But Washington could not shake Craig Robinson's Beavers, who followed a pair of Wroten free throws with a 7-0 run to take an 86-83 lead with six seconds to go. Following the Cunningham free throws to give OSU the three-point lead, the two teams would combine to miss their next six free throws with Wroten, a 57% shooter, missing four. The freshman made nine of his first ten free throws on the day, and the move closer to his season average came at the worst possible time for the Huskies.

"We tried to let him know that we still had a chance to win the game after he missed those free throws," said senior forward Darnell Gant. "Then he got another opportunity, but even though he didn't seize that moment, I tried to stay encouraging towards him and let him know we still have a chance to win this game."

What the Huskies have to hope at this point is that the selection committee looks at them as they did UAB last season. However it's important to point out that the Blazers had a better RPI (31 according to realtimerpi.com; Washington entered the day at 54 according to the NCAA's numbers) but the strength of schedule numbers (UAB - 78; Washington - 77) are close. The problem for the Huskies is that their best non-conference win came at the expense of UCSB, and their lone Top 50 win was a home victory over Oregon on New Year's Eve. Talent-wise a good case can be made for Washington to be in the field, but the resume doesn't match up right now and that's a concern.

Oregon is also in a bit of trouble as they've got no more chances to add wins to their resume, and what makes the Ducks' 63-62 loss to Colorado even more painful is the fact that a win would have given them a shot at a Top 50 win (California). But Andre Roberson's put-back with 13 seconds remaining advanced the Buffaloes to the semifinals in their first Pac-12 tournament, and as a result Oregon has to root for other bubble teams to falter in the final days before Selection Sunday. Devoe Joseph scored just 12 points on 6-for-19 shooting from the field, and the defensive job done by Nate Tomlinson was an underrated aspect of the Buffs' victory.

As a team the Ducks shot just 4-for-22 from beyond the arc, and the reliance on perimeter shots resulted in Oregon shooting just 4-for-8 from the charity stripe. The foul line was just one of the little things that ended up being big issues in both Washington and Oregon's defeats on Thursday, and as a result a rough season for the Pac-12 could get even worse on Selection Sunday. Teams and conferences are judged by their entire bodies of work, and at this point the Pac-12 doesn't have a whole lot to offer.

Three Notable Performances

1. G DeAndre Kane (Marshall)
40 points (15-32 FG), seven rebounds, three assists and three steals in the Thundering Herd's 105-100 triple overtime win over Tulsa in a Conference USA quarterfinal.

2. F Perry Jones III (Baylor)
31 points (11-14 FG), 11 rebounds and two blocked shots in the Bears' 82-74 win over Kansas State in a Big 12 quarterfinal.

3. G Elijah Johnson (Kansas)
26 points (8-11 FG), four assists and three rebounds in the Jayhawks' 83-66 win over Texas A&M in a Big 12 quarterfinal.

Weekly Awards: Devoe Joseph, Rakim Sanders, Ohio St & More

Greg Mengelt — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 11:06:27 -0800

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

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Devoe Joseph, Oregon Senior Guard: Joseph led Oregon to wins over Colorado and Utah with 45 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and four steals.

On Thursday, Joseph went 11-for-16 from the field, including 2-for-4 from the 3-point line, and scored 24 points in the Ducks’ 90-81 win over Colorado. He also had five boards, five assists and two steals in the win.

The senior guard came back for 21 points – on 8-of-9 from the floor – six boards, five assists and a pair of steals in a 94-48 win over Utah on Saturday.

Behind Joseph – Oregon’s leading scorer at 16.8 points per game – the Ducks have won three straight and five of their last six, and at 22-8, they may be a viable option for an NCAA Tournament bid.

MID-MAJOR PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Rakim Sanders, Fairfield Senior Forward: Sanders had team-bests with 15 points and eight rebounds in Saturday’s MAAC Tournament quarterfinal win over Rider.

In Sunday’s 85-75 upset of Iona, Sanders was even better. He went 11-for-17 from the field and 2-for-3 from the 3-point line and scored 26 points as Fairfield advanced to Monday’s title game against Loyola (Md.). He also had 12 rebounds, two assists, two steals and a blocked shot against the Gaels.

For the season, Sanders is averaging 16.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.4 steals and is shooting 50 percent from the floor.

TEAM OF THE WEEK

Ohio State: The 11^th-ranked Buckeyes earned a pair of road victories to come two games from behind and clinch a share of their third consecutive Big Ten regular-season title.

Jared Sullinger banked in the game winner with 3.1 seconds left Wednesday to give OSU a 75-73 win over Northwestern.

On Sunday, the Buckeyes overcame an early 23-9 deficit to beat league-leader Michigan State, 72-70. William Buford hit a 20-foot jumper over the outstretched fingertips of Keith Appling with a second to play.

“I was fortunate to knock down the big shot of the night to give us another Big Ten title,” said Buford, who finished with a game-high 25 points.

Ohio State, which finished the regular season 25-6 overall, is the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and will face either Purdue or Penn State in Friday’s conference quarterfinal.

SINGLE-GAME PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State Sophomore Guard: Franklin concluded his second regular season at SDSU with his best performance as an Aztec.

In Saturday’s 98-92 overtime road win over Texas Christian, which gave the Aztecs a share of the Mountain West Conference championship, Franklin went off for 35 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, two steals and a blocked shot. He made nine of his 18 shots from the floor, 14-of-17 from the charity stripe and went 3-for-8 from the 3-point line.

For the season, Franklin is averaging 17.1 points, eight boards, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals.

WIN OF THE WEEK

North Carolina 88, Duke 70: The Tar Heels jumped out to a 24-8 lead midway through the first half and were never really threatened en route to the ACC regular-season crown.

The 18-point win was the third-largest victory ever at Cameron Indoor Stadium. UNC led 48-24 at the half, shot 54.5 percent from the field, out-rebounded the Blue Devils 45-28 in its seventh straight victory.

“We were kind of overwhelmed by them and the situation,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski admitted.

The No. 6 Tar Heels, who were led by sophomore Kendall Marshall’s 20 points and 10 assists, will face either Maryland or Wake Forest in Friday’s ACC quarterfinal as the tourney’s top seed.

UPSET OF THE WEEK

Arkansas State 64, Middle Tennessee 61: Arkansas State entered the Sun Belt Tournament with just 11 wins. The Red Wolves had lost two straight, five of their last seven and 10 of their last 14.

But after Saturday’s first-round win over Florida Atlantic, the tournament’s No. 9 seed earned its biggest win of the season by knocking off the top-seeded Blue Raiders.

Middle Tennessee is 25-6 overall, is ranked 47^th in the latest RPI and has wins over UCLA, Akron, Belmont and Mississippi on its resume. The Raiders will have to wait a week to find out whether that’s enough to get them into the NCAA Tournament.

LOSS OF THE WEEK

Fairfield 85, Iona 75: The nation’s leading scoring team was held to 75 points as its 6-game winning streak came to an end.

On the other end, Fairfield shot 59.6 percent from the field, out-rebounded the Gaels 32-20 and went on a 16-1 run midway through the second half to turn a 60-54 deficit into a 70-61 lead.

Iona’s fate will now be decided by the NCAA Tournament committee. The Gaels have 25 wins, a strong RPI at 48 and have victories over Nevada, Maryland, St. Joseph’s, Long Island, Denver, Marshall and Richmond.

PLAY OF THE WEEK

Jewaun Long’s layup sinks Tennessee State’s hopes: Murray State trailed 50-43 with five minutes left, and after a 9-2 run got the Racers even with the Tigers, Long hit a layup with 4.4 seconds left to send Murray to the NCAA Tournament.

The senior scored just six points on 2-of-7 shooting.

“I’ve got a lot of confidence in him,” Murray State coach Steve Prohm said. “He hadn’t made a lot of shots all night, but that’s his shot.”

Long’s shot put the No. 9 Racers within a game of their school-record 31^st win and gave them their seventh consecutive triumph.

It was heartbreak for Tennessee State, which handed Murray its only loss on Feb. 9. But it was relief for several teams on the bubble. With the Racers already presumably in the field, if the Tigers had held on, they would have bumped one of the current bubble teams out of the field.

North Carolina Wins ACC Title: Saturday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 06:10:15 -0800

Three teams (Belmont, Murray State and UNC Asheville) punched their tickets to the NCAA tournament on Saturday.

1. North Carolina jumps out to a big lead at Cameron, spoling Duke's Senior Day and winning the ACC regular season title.
Pouring salt in the wound of another isn't ever a good idea, and apparently the showing of a montage of big plays late in Duke's comeback win in Chapel Hill fired up UNC point guard Kendall Marshall. Marshall, and by extension his teammates, felt disrespected and as a result the Tar Heels had a little extra motivation to go along with the desire to beat their rival and win the ACC regular season crown. UNC jumped out to a 22-5 lead, withstood a Blue Devil rally in the second half and went on to win 88-70. Marshall led the way with 20 points and ten assists, knocking down seven of his fifteen shots from the field to make a defense that allowed him to shoot pay. In fact, Marshall was one of three starters to post a double-double, as Tyler Zeller (19 points, ten rebounds) and John Henson (13 points, ten rebounds) also had good nights.

All five starters finished in double figures for the Tar Heels, who also bludgeoned Duke on the glass 45-28 with 14 offensive rebounds. Mason (17 points, four rebounds) and Miles (16 points, 11 rebounds) Plumlee led the Blue Devils but the slow start landed them in a hole too deep to crawl out of. North Carolina did a better job of defending the three, and part of the battle was to make sure the Blue Devils didn't get the chance to attempt 36 as they did in Chapel Hill. Duke finished 6-for-21 from beyond the arc, and when combined with their 47.6% shooting inside of the arc that wasn't enough to withstand UNC shooting 60.3% from two and 54.5% overall. With both teams still in the fight for a one-seed in the NCAA tournament splitting the regular season series was key for North Carolina. One would think that an ACC tournament crown would be the "tiebreaker".

2. BYU gets outclassed by Gonzaga and now has to sweat out a week of action.
For the sake of the Cougars it may be a good thing if the selection committee got in some rest before they begin their week-long process of filling the 68-team field, because they did not look good in their WCC semifinal matchup with Gonzaga. The Bulldogs showed no ill effects of playing their first game of the tournament, coming out firing and jumping to a 12-4 lead by the first media timeout and leading by as many as 18 in the first half. BYU was able to close the margin to 12 at the half (38-26), but they were no match for Kevin Pangos and the Bulldogs in the second half as Gonzaga rolled to the 77-58 win. Pangos scored 30 points and dished out four assists, advancing the Bulldogs to the title game where they will play nemesis Saint Mary's, and the Zags limited BYU to 37.7% shooting on the night.

The question for BYU is how much damage does this defeat do to their NCAA tournament hopes. According to realtimerpi.com the Cougars entered Saturday with an RPI of 47, but their strength of schedule number (108) has to be a bit of a concern at this point. BYU does have three RPI Top 50 wins at this point, as they've beaten Oregon and Weber State in addition to Gonzaga, but two of those wins came at home and the Oregon win came in Salt Lake City. Saturday night notwithstanding BYU has the look of a tournament team, with Brandon Davies and Noah Hartsock inside leading the way. But does the resume match up? That's a question that many will ponder over the next week.

3. Illinois State upsets Wichita State in the Missouri Valley semis, setting up a date with Creighton.
It was the situation that many bubble teams fear annually: a team not expected to go to the NCAA tournament makes a run in their conference tournament to possibly take an available bid off the board. Illinois State is 40 minutes away from doing just that as they beat top-seed Wichita State 65-64 in St. Louis. Tyler Brown led the way with 25 points and six rebounds, and his two free throws with 6.4 seconds remaining gave the Redbirds a 65-64 lead they would not relinquish. Garrett Stutz had a good look at the basket just before time expired but his shot fell short, eliminating the possibility of a third meeting between the Shockers and Creighton. But neither that nor the fate of bubble teams is (or should be) of concern to Illinois State, and Tim Jankovich also has Jackie Carmichael to call on inside. If the Redbirds get better on the boards (Wichita State grabbed 17 offensive rebounds) they'll have every chance of beating the Bluejays and winning the MVC tournament title.

4. Chalk rules in the CAA semis, setting up a massive battle between George Mason and VCU.
Many have joined the "two bids for the CAA" campaig, citing the gaudy records of Drexel, VCU and George Mason as one reason why. All three needed to reach the semis to make that goal a possibility, and along with four-seed Old Dominion they all took care of business on Saturday. George Mason needed a Bryon Allen reverse in the final seconds to beat Georgia State 54-52 while Drexel and VCU would both pull away in their wins over UNCW and Northeastern. That sets up a critical battle between VCU and George Mason on Sunday afternoon, with the winner likely having the best case for an at-large bid, and Drexel takes on ODU in what should be a slugfest. Getting two bids may be tough given strength of schedule numbers but with numerous bubble teams stumbling down the stretch the door remains open, and that's the least the CAA can ask for at this point.

5. Seton Hall wraps up an 0-2 finish against teams they were expected to beat, casting doubt on their NCAA tournament hopes.
One of those stumbling bubble teams is Seton Hall, and all the Pirates had to do was beat Rutgers and DePaul in their last two games heading into the Big East Championship. Last Saturday they fell to Rutgers at home in overtime, and things got even worse a week later as the Pirates were blown out by the Blue Demons 86-58. Kevin Willard's team just never seemed ready to go, trailing by 13 at the half and things would only get worse from there. Jamee Crockett led four DePaul players in double figures with 21 points and as a team the Blue Demons put on a clinic offensively, assisting on 23 of their 29 made baskets and shooting 53.7% from the field. Now Seton Hall has to get things going in New York, beginning with a first round matchup with a Providence team capable of beating just about anyone (they beat Louisville by 33 earlier this season) despite their lack of depth. Seton Hall has the opportunity to leave a better impression, but after Saturday's debacle there may be doubt as to whether or not the Pirates can take advantage.

Quick Hitters

1. Two teams to watch in next week's Pac-12 tournament are Oregon and UCLA as both enter the event playing well. The Ducks embarrassed Utah 92-46 in their regular season finale, jumping out to a 32-2 lead and never looking back. As for UCLA, they came back to beat Washington 75-69 to cap a 2-0 week that was kickstarted by a negative story in Sports Illustrated. Given the wide-open nature of the league it wouldn't be a shock if either of these teams put together a run. Oh, that loss didn't help the Huskies one bit from a bubble standpoint.

2. Butler won't have the opportunity to make another trip to the NCAA tournament this season, as they fell 65-46 at top-seed Valparaiso in the Horizon League semifinals. Horizon League Player of the Year Ryan Broekhoff led the Crusaders with 19 points and 16 rebounds as VU jumped out early and never looked back. This ends an impressive run for Brad Stevens' program, but the combination of a strong recruiting class and Arkansas transfer Rotnei Clark will give the Bulldogs a nice boost next season.

3. Higher-seeded teams advanced in three of the four quarterfinals in the Metro Atlantic with the lone exception being six-seed Siena, who beat three-seed Manhattan 84-82 in an overtime thriller. Owen Wignot's three with eight seconds remaining sent the game into overtime, and the Saints navigated a five minutes that would have wilted most teams that lack depth as they do. Mitch Buonaguro's team takes on Loyola (MD) in one semi while Fairfield and Iona meet on the other side of the bracket.

4. Memphis went on the road and beat Tulsa 78-66 to clinch the outright Conference USA title, and don't be surprised if Josh Pastner's team ends up in the Sweet 16 either. Will Barton scored 30 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the way but a key factor in their recent success has been the play of Chris Crawford. His steadying influence (seven assists, zero turnovers on Saturday) has allowed Joe Jackson to simply go out and make plays, and while the turnovers for Jackson are still an issue (six against Tulsa) the emergence of Crawford has helped buffer the impact.

5. In a matchup of two teams perceived to be on the bubble, West Virginia beat USF 50-44 in Tampa to pick up a much-needed road victory. Neither team shot well (WVU shot 28.8%, USF 39.5%) but the Mountaineers were able to grab 12 offensive boards and Kevin Jones posted another double-double with 18 points and 11 boards. USF's the six-seed in the Big East Championship next week, and they're going to have some work to do at MSG.

6. Speaking of the Big East, Jim Calhoun made his return to the sidelines and provided a spark to his team as UConn beat Pittsburgh 74-65. Roscoe Smith made some huge plays late to help the Huskies hold off the Panthers and Shabazz Napier finished with 23 points, six rebounds and four steals. UConn begins their Big East Championship with a game against DePaul, but unlike last year's team there's no Kemba walking through that door. But at least they have their coach back.

7. Iowa State scored 50 second half points, erasing a seven-point halftime deficit to beat Baylor 80-72 and grab the three-seed in next week's Big 12 tournament. Scott Christopherson led the Cyclones with 23 points and six assists, and while Bill Self will most likely win Big 12 Coach of the Year (and rightfully so) an argument can be made for Fred Hoiberg as well.

8. The top two seeds in the Patriot League will meet on Wednesday night as both Bucknell and Lehigh won their semifinal matchups by wide margins. C.J. McCollum put up 27, ten and six assists in Lehigh's 85-66 win over American, and Bucknell beat Lafayette 79-52 thanks in part to 18 points apiece from Mike Muscala and Joe Willman. The two teams split their two regular season meetings with the road team winning both, and it was a McCollum dagger in the final seconds that made the difference in Lewisburg.

9. The North Division of the Southern Conference didn't have the best-looking records at the end of the regular season but three teams from that division make up the final four in that tournament. The lone exception is overall champion Davidson, who beat Furman 73-54. UNCG and Western Carolina meet in one semi while the Wildcats will take on Elon, who beat Georgia Southern in the nightcap 65-58.

10. Jamaal Franklin was outstanding for San Diego State on Saturday, accounting for 35 points, 13 rebounds and five assists as the Aztecs handed TCU their first home conference loss this season in overtime (98-92). The win, combined with New Mexico's 78-61 win over Boise State, means a shared conference title and it's anyone guess who will grab the automatic bid. One would think that the Mountain West is in line to receive four bids come Selection Sunday.

11. Harvard wrapped up a share of the Ivy League title as they beat Cornell 67-63. Penn remained tied in the loss column with their 68-47 win over Yale, and all that stands between the Quakers and a one-game playoff is bitter rival Princeton. That won't be a walk in the park for Zack Rosen and company to say the least.

12. One of the biggest questions going into the SEC tournament is whether or not Tennessee can make a run at an at-large bid. To think that this would have been a topic for discussion back in December would have been borderline absurd, but Cuonzo Martin's team is a different one since the addition of Jarnell Stokes. The Vols beat Vanderbilt 68-61, led by Cameron Tautm's 18 points and Trae Golden's 17, five rebounds and four assists.

13. Northwestern avoided what would have been a damaging blow to their NCAA tournament hopes as they beat Iowa 70-66 in Iowa City. The Wildcats did what they needed to do (at minimum) in their final three games, which was beat Penn State and Iowa (their loss was to Ohio State at home), and that keeps them alive heading into the Big Ten tournament.

14. There's just one undefeated (in conference play) team remaining in college basketball as Long Beach State, Ut-Arlington and Utah Valley all dropped their first conference games on Saturday. This comes just days after Mississippi Valley State lost their SWAC finale, leaving Kentucky as the lone undefeated. The Wildcats take on Florida Sunday afternoon in Gainesville.

15. Dominique Morrison shot just 2-for-11 from the field but thanks to Michael Craion and company Oral Roberts was able to withstand an IPFW challenge, winning 71-67 in a Summit League quarterfinal. Craion scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds, and Warren Niles scored a team-high 17 as the Golden Eagles escaped.

Ducks Get Hot in the Second Half: Thursday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 07:32:39 -0800

Florida State's Ian Miller knocked down a three-pointer with eight tenths of a second remaining to give the Seminoles a 63-60 win at Virginia, who will finish the regular season without a win over any of the top three teams in the ACC.

1. Oregon scored 54 second-half points to erase a five-point halftime deficit and beat Colorado.
The battle in Eugene between the Ducks and Buffaloes was likely more of a "bubble eliminator" contest, with the loser most likely needing to win the Pac-12 tournament in order to go dancing. Unfortunately for Colorado, who has struggled on the road all season, their play on the defensive end let them down in the second half. Oregon shot 61.5% in the second half of their 90-81 win, which also moved the Ducks closer to a first-round bye in next week's conference tournament. Devoe Joseph scored 24 points and Garrett Sim added 19 for Oregon, who shot 8-for-14 from beyond the arc as well. Carlon Brown snapped out of his funk to lead four Colorado players in double figures with 20 points, and despite the loss that's an important development for the Buffs. If he's playing efficiently they can win the Pac-12 tournament, which they will likely have to do in order to reach the Field of 68.

2. Nevada clinches the WAC regular season title, and there won't be many highly ranked teams who will line up to face them in the Big Dance.
Regardless of what seed line David Carter's Wolf Pack end up on, they're not going to be a fun matchup for the team that draws them should they win the WAC's automatic bid. Olek Czyz led three Nevada players in double figures with 15 points and their defending of a ball screen in the final seconds eventually forced a New Mexico State turnover to seal the 65-61 win. NMSU's final sequence looked to be doomed from the start but head coach Marvin Menzies chose to play it out despite having a timeout remaining, ultimately leading to Hernst LaRoche throwing the ball away. Wendell McKines led the Aggies with 19 points and LaRoche added 12 in what could have been a preview of next weekend's title game. With the likes of Czyz, Deonte Burton, Dario Hunt and Malik Story the Wolf Pack have talented weapons that can give teams fits, and there won't be any highly-seeded teams lining up for their shot at Nevada.

3. Quinnipiac is the lone road team to win in the NEC quarterfinals.
Of course in a conference tournament in which the higher seeded teams host all the game the 4/5 matchup tends to be the one most likely to produce a win for the road team. That rang true for the Patriot League Wednesday night (Lafayette) and for the NEC on Thursday, as fifth-seed Quinnipiac beat St. Francis (NY) 80-72 to set up a semifinal matchup with regular season champion LIU Brooklyn. The Bobcats, who are the best rebounding team in the NEC, grabbed 20 offensive rebounds and out-rebounded the Terriers 48-36 on the night. James Johnson didn't shoot well from the field (4-for-14) but he did make 12 of 17 from the foul line and scored a game-high 22 points to go along with eight rebounds, and Ike Azotam scored 15 and grabbed 12 boards inside. Brent Jones led four SFNY players in double figures with 21 points but the rebounding issues were too much to overcome. And that aspect of Quinnipiac's game is what gives them more than a puncher's chance at LIU on Sunday.

Quick Hitters

1. D.J. Covington scored 16 points and blocked four shots in 20 minutes of action to help lead VMI past Winthrop 75-55 as the Keydets advanced to the Big South title game. The seven-seed will face regular season champ UNC Asheville, who whipped Charleston Southern 91-64, on Saturday afternoon.

2. Darius Miller scored 17 points on Senior Night to help lead #1 Kentucky to a 79-49 win over Georgia, moving the Wildcats' win streak to 21. UK shot 15-for-27 from three, and when the Wildcats are rolling like that it's near impossible to knock them off.

3. Meyers Leonard scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds but it wasn't enough to lead Illinois past #16 Michigan, who won 72-61. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 25 points and grabbed 11 boards for the Wolverines, who remain alive in the Big Ten title race.

4. Five Mississippi Valley State players reached double figures in scoring but it wasn't enough to lock up an undefeated run through SWAC play as the Delta Devils lost 78-67 at UAPB. Daniel Broughton scored 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds off the bench to lead the Golden Lions. But regardless of the result Sean Woods' club will enter the conference tournament as the clear favorite to grab the automatic bid.

5. UCLA didn't look too distracted by the Sports Illustrated article that came out earlier this week, as they whipped Washington State 78-46 at the Sports Arena. Lazeric Jones knocked down eight of his ten shots from the field and scored 18 points to lead the Bruins, who host a Washington team looking to wrap up the outright regular season crown on Saturday.

6. Doubleheaders in the Missouri Valley, Ohio Valley and WCC all went according to seed on Thursday night, and if one team were to be pegged as most likely to win on Friday it could be Tennessee Tech. The Golden Eagles held off a Southeast Missouri State rally to win 77-73, and with players such as Kevin Murphy (24 points) and Jud Dillard (18) they've got the horses needed to upset top-seed Murray State in the semis. Also keep an eye on Indiana State, who beat Southern Illinois 65-49 to set up a matchup with MVC champ Wichita State, especially if point guard Jake Odum's foot holds up.

7. Binghamton, who won just one game during the regular season, knocked off eight-seed UMBC 73-67 in overtime to advance to the quarterfinals in the America East tournament. Ben Dickinson led the Bearcats, who will take on regular season champion Stony Brook, with 21 points.

8. Derrick Rudolph led three players in double figures with 21 points in Savannah State's 73-54 win at Maryland-Eastern Shore, wrapping up the Tigers' first-ever MEAC regular season title. The coaches picked Horace Broadnax's team to finish 11th in the preseason.

Oregon vs. Colorado: Thursday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:42:15 -0800

Thursday's Conference Tournament Primer

Thursday night features a very important matchup in the Pac-12 of teams that are hoping to make a good case that they should be in the NCAA tournament field. Oregon (20-8, 11-5), who is 13-3 at Matthew Knight Court this season, hosts Colorado (19-9, 11-5) in a matchup of two teams who staged a tight (and controversial) contest about a month ago. A foul call on E.J. Singler with less than a second remaining proved to be the difference in Colorado's 72-71 win in Boulder, and a sweep of the season series would definitely help the Buffaloes when it comes to a possible bubble pecking order.

The officiating was a point of contention throughout the game for Duck fans as Colorado attempted thirteen more free throws (30-17), but the bigger issue was a combined 29 turnovers. One of the biggest culprits for either team was Colorado senior guard Carlon Brown, and frankly he had a February to forget. Brown reached double figures three times but hasn't shot better than 41.6% from the field since a late January win over USC, and if he can't make better decisions the Buffaloes can end up in trouble. The good news for Tad Boyle: he's got other guys who can step up, most notably a freshman named Spencer Dinwiddie.

Dinwiddie's fourth on the team in scoring with an average of 10.6 points per game, and after a pair of rough games against Utah and Stanford the California native rebounded with 15 points in the win over Cal on Sunday. Nate Tomlinson has steadily improved running the show and freshman Askia Booker (17 points in the first meeting) has been a capable reserve for much of the season. CU's got some talent on the perimeter but they'll have their hands full with the Oregon backcourt, which is led by Minnesota transfer Devoe Joseph. Joseph, who some believe to be a Pac-12 Player of the Year candidate, leads the team in scoring and ranks second in assists.

The addition of Joseph as a mid-year transfer has done a great deal for Dana Altman's team, as his ability to create has boosted the likes of Singler and Garrett Sim. Singler has been one of the Pac-12's most versatile players and he put up 13 and 13 in the first meeting, and while Sim struggled (six points) he is a 1,000-plus point scorer over his career. The play in the front court will also be worth watching, because while the Ducks have an edge in height Colorado's the better rebounding team thanks in large part to Andre Roberson. Roberson leads the Pac-12 in rebounding with an average of 11.4 rebounds per game, a number that places him in the Top 10 nationally.

Senior Austin Dufault has been the anchor in the middle but he's grabbing just 4.6 rebounds per game, as Colorado tends to rebound by committee outside of Roberson. Oregon has seven players averaging between 3.0 and 5.4 rebounds per game, with Singler leading the way and bigs Olu Ashaolu and Tony Woods being the starters inside. The high-flying Carlos Emory is a key reserve, as are Tyrone Nared and Jeremy Jacob. The problem for Oregon: they allow opponents to grab 31.6% of their misses, but they did a good job of keeping the Buffs off the glass in the first meeting (four offensive rebounds).

There wasn't much separating these two teams on February 4th and there likely won't be on Thursday night either. If Oregon can keep Roberson off the glass and knock down a few three-pointers they'll be in good position to pick up the win. Colorado on the other hand needs Brown to snap out of his funk, or at the very least be sure not to become a hindrance due to questionable shot selection. A win won't do a great amount for either team's resume in regards to the computer numbers, but it could serve the victor well if the two should be compared in the selection room.

Virginia is likely in good shape for an at-large bid but it never hurts to pick up another win against a ranked team, and the Cavaliers will have the opportunity to do so with #22 Florida State visiting Charlottesville. Mike Scott has been one of the best players in the ACC but he's going to need some help from the likes of Sammy Zeglinski and Jontel Evans against one of the nation's best defensive teams. FSU won a tight affair between the two in Tallahassee, and the return meeting should be along those lines as well.

Illinois still has plenty of work to do in regards to simply making the tournament, and a win over #16 Michigan would do wonders for a resume that was nearly ripped to shreds during their recent skid. If Brandon Paul can score and be efficient while doing so the Illini are more than capable of knocking off the Wolverines, and it's important that they remember Meyers Leonard inside as well. And in the WAC the matchup of New Mexico State and Nevada could be a preview of next weekend's WAC tournament final. Deonte Burton and the Wolf Pack have been the best team in the WAC all season long, and a win over the Aggies would mean an outright regular season title.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM Georgia at (1) Kentucky (ESPN)
7:00 PM (16) Michigan at Illinois (ESPN)
7:00 PM (22) Florida State at Virginia (ESPN2)

NCAA Division I Games
2:30 PM North Florida vs East Tennessee State* (ESPN3)
6:00 PM VMI vs Winthrop* (ESPNU)
7:00 PM North Carolina Central at Hampton
7:00 PM Sacred Heart at LIU Brooklyn
7:00 PM Monmouth at Robert Morris
7:00 PM Quinnipiac at St. Francis (NY)
7:00 PM Southeast Missouri State vs Tennessee Tech*
7:00 PM Central Connecticut State at Wagner
7:05 PM Southern Illinois vs Indiana State*
7:30 PM Morgan State at Florida A&M
7:30 PM Coppin State at Bethune-Cookman
7:30 PM South Carolina State at Delaware State
7:30 PM Savannah State at Maryland-Eastern Shore
8:00 PM Texas Southern at Alcorn State
8:00 PM Charleston Southern at UNC-Asheville (ESPNU)
8:00 PM Norfolk State at North Carolina A&T
8:15 PM Binghamton vs UMBC*
8:30 PM Jackson State at Alabama A&M
8:30 PM Grambling State at Alabama State
8:30 PM Mississippi Valley State at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
8:30 PM Prairie View A&M at Southern
8:30 PM Florida Gulf Coast vs USC Upstate* (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Villanova at Rutgers (ESPN2)
9:00 PM Virginia Tech at Clemson (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Jacksonville State vs Morehead State*
9:00 PM Portland vs San Francisco* (ESPN3)
9:35 PM Bradley vs Drake*
10:00 PM UC Davis at Cal Poly
10:00 PM Utah at Oregon State
10:00 PM Pacific at UC Santa Barbara
10:05 PM Utah State at San Jose State
10:30 PM Washington State at UCLA
10:30 PM Washington at USC
10:30 PM Colorado at Oregon (FSN)
11:00 PM Louisiana Tech at Fresno State
11:00 PM Pepperdine vs San Diego* (ESPN3)
11:00 PM New Mexico State at Nevada (ESPN2)
12:00 AM Idaho at Hawaii

Cheerleader Of The Day: Oregon

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 08:07:00 -0800

CollegeHoops.net's Cheerleader of the Day is back in 2012. Picture courtesy of Icon Sports Media. Check out our new college cheerleader archive.

Cheerleaders of the Day
>>		>>		>>			..Archive

#8 Michigan State vs. #17 Wisconsin: Thursday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:15:39 -0800

Thursday night provides a big matchup in the Big Ten, as #8 Michigan State (20-5, 9-3) looks to remain tied for first place with a win over #17 Wisconsin (19-6, 8-4). Their first meeting, a 63-60 Michigan State win in overtime on January 3rd, ended with Ryan Evans' game-tying three being ruled to have come after time had expired, so the rematch in East Lansing will likely be just as competitive. The Badgers, who score 35.1% of their points from beyond the arc, shot just 5-for-22 from deep in the first meething and they'll clearly need to be better in order to win at the Breslin Center.

Michigan State allows opponents to shoot just 28.9% from three this season, a number that's second in the Big Ten (Wisconsin is tops at 26.7%). Clearly the focus of Michigan State's defensive efforts will be Wisconsin's senior point guard Jordan Taylor (14.5 ppg, 4.2 apg), who leads the team in both scoring and assists. Taylor's only shooting 33.3% from beyond the arc but remains more than capable of stringing a few together if left alone, and the Badgers have other capable shooters as well.

Josh Gasser (7.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and Ben Brust (8.6 ppg) can both knock down the shot while forwards Evans (10.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and Mike Bruesewitz (6.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg) may not have the best percentages but neither will hesitate to put up an open shot. Clearly the key for Michigan State in defending Bo Ryan's swing offense will be to not give up open looks on the perimeter, and forward Jared Berggren (10.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg) is another player to keep an eye on, and they've shown throughout the season that they're capable of doing so.

The Spartans were a bit more balanced in the first meeting as Draymond Green finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds and Keith Appling added 16 points. Green (15.0 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 3.5 apg) is a coach on the floor for the Spartans, and his ability to do just about anything on the floor makes the senior one of the tougher matchups in the Big Ten. But Michigan State wouldn't be in first place if not for the growth of guards such as Appling (11.9 ppg, 3.8 apg) and Brandon Wood (8.6 ppg). This group has improved by the game, and that's one reason why the Spartans are a serious Final Four contender.

The same can be said of Michigan State's young frontcourt players, from the versatile Branden Dawson to returnees Adriean Payne and Derrick Nix. Dawson is an athletic above the rim finisher who's shooting at a 57.1% clip in his freshman campaign. Nix and Payne are more valuable on the defensive end of the floor but both can get some things done offensively as well. In the win at Ohio State on Saturday Payne made all six of his field goal attempts and scored 15 points, adding to the joint effort he and Nix put forth defensively against Jared Sullinger.

The difference could come on the glass, where Michigan State ranks among the best in the country. The Spartans currently boast a rebounding margin of plus-10.6, and their 13 offensive rebounds per game works out to an offensive rebounding percentage of 40%. Wisconsin isn't bad in this area themselves as they manage to grab 31% of their missed shots, but that's quite the gap when comparing the two teams. Michigan State grabbed 34.3% of their misses in the first meeting, and a number similar to that could prove problematic for the Badgers.

Also of note on Thursday night is NC State making the short trek to Durham to take on #4 Duke, and to say the least the Wolfpack can use a win of this caliber for their resume. Lorenzo Brown has been one of the best point guards in the ACC and he'll need to be that and then some against the Blue Devils, who are currently tied in the loss column atop the conference with North Carolina and Florida State. Austin Rivers looks primed to take off in the aftermath of the game-winner at UNC, but to be fair the freshman had been playing well before that. C.J. Leslie and Scott Wood will also need to step up for the Wolfpack as they look for their first win at Cameron since 1995.

As a result of Loyola Marymount's win at Saint Mary's on Wednesday night, Gonzaga will take the court at Santa Clara with a share of first place in the WCC on the line. It will also help the Bulldogs to not have to deal with the suspended Kevin Foster, meaning that Evan Roquemore is the primary scoring option to be concerned with. Even though this season hasn't gone well for Kerry Keating's Broncos (0-12 in league play) Thursday night's game provides the opportunity to salvage something from a disappointing campaign. California hosts Oregon in a game that's big on two fronts: Cal enters the game in first place a game ahead of three teams (including Oregon), and the Ducks are in dire need of a resume-building win and taking on the team with the Pac-12's best RPI is a great opportunity.

Lastly there's the second installment of the "Backyard Brawl" this season, with West Virginia looking for revenge as they visit Pittsburgh. Tray Woodall was outstanding in the first meeting, a Pitt win that ultimately did not prove to be the catalyst that Jamie Dixon's team needed to make a run at an NCAA tournament bid. The Mountaineers need to get rolling as well, as close losses can blend together when being evaluated by the selection committee if you have too many of them. Kevin Jones and Deniz Kilicli will lead the way inside but WVU really needs sound decision-making from guards Truck Bryant, Gary Browne and Jabarie Hinds if they're to leave The Pete with a win.

Top 25 Games?
9:00 PM NC State at (4) Duke (ESPN3)?
7:00 PM (17) Wisconsin at (8) Michigan State (ESPN) ?
7:00 PM Virginia Tech at (21) Florida State (ESPN2)
?11:00 PM (24) Gonzaga at Santa Clara (ESPN2)

NCAA Division I Games?
7:00 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at Mount St. Mary's (ESPN3) ?
7:00 PM Florida International at Arkansas-Little Rock (ESPN3) ?
7:00 PM Lehigh at Bucknell ?
7:00 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Denver (ROOT RM)?
7:00 PM Sacred Heart at LIU Brooklyn ?
7:00 PM St. Francis (NY) at Quinnipiac ?
7:00 PM Bryant at Robert Morris ?
7:00 PM Central Connecticut State at Saint Francis (PA)
?7:00 PM Monmouth at Wagner
?7:00 PM Citadel at Western Carolina
?8:00 PM Florida Atlantic at Western Kentucky (FCS)?
8:00 PM Iowa at Penn State (ESPNU) ?
8:00 PM Louisiana-Monroe at North Texas ?
8:00 PM NJIT at Texas-Pan American ?
8:05 PM Troy at Arkansas State
?8:05 PM Chicago State at Houston Baptist ?
8:30 PM Portland at San Diego ?
9:00 PM Boston College at Maryland (ESPN3)
?9:00 PM Vanderbilt at Ole Miss (ESPN2) ?
9:00 PM West Virginia at Pittsburgh (ESPN) ?
9:00 PM Arizona at Washington State (FSN AZ) ?
9:00 PM North Dakota at Louisiana Tech ?
10:00 PM Oregon State at Stanford ?
10:00 PM BYU at San Francisco (ESPNU) ?
10:10 PM Pepperdine at Seattle ?
10:30 PM Oregon at California ?
11:00 PM Arizona State at Washington (FSN)

Michigan State Forces a Tie for First: Saturday's Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:13:47 -0800

With first place on the line in Columbus the expectation was that #11 Michigan State and #3 Ohio State would play a tight, physical affair. And that's exactly what it was, with the visitors from East Lansing seeming to be the more comfortable of the two teams in the first half. Michigan State shot 46.9% from the field but the reason for their 35-25 lead at the half was their defense, as they limited Ohio State to 33.3% and forced eight turnovers. The Spartans' defending of Jared Sullinger was central to that effort, as they forced the sophomore big man into five of Ohio State's eight turnovers (he finished with ten) in the half. Michigan State scored 14 points off of those eight turnovers, and the ten-point margin proved too much for the home team to overcome in the 58-48 loss.

"You have to give them a lot of credit," said Ohio State point guard Aaron Craft, who finished with 15 points. "What they hang their hat on is big pressure defense. They limited us to one shot and they shrink the floor. Our guys weren't ready for it tonight."

Draymond Green didn't shoot his best from the field as he made just five of sixteen shots in scoring 12 points and grabbing nine rebounds, but his work on the defensive end of the floor more than made up for that. Keith Appling turned the ball over seven times but managed to score 14 points, but the star of the evening ended up being big man Adriean Payne. Payne, who entered the game averaging 7.3 points per game, made all six of his field goals in scoring 15 points in 20 minutes of action. Payne and Derrick Nix combined to guard Sullinger, who did score 17 points and grab 16 rebounds but those ten turnovers gave him an unwanted triple-double.

"Most of the turnovers I had were me going up for shots," noted Sullinger. "I wasn't expecting the [double-team] because that's not what Michigan State shows on the film. They dig but they don't dig like they did today. We have to give them credit, they had a great plan and they stuck to their system."

Payne was also a big reason why the Spartans outscored Ohio State 30-12 in the paint, and with William Buford and Deshaun Thomas both shooting 2-for-12 from the field this disadvantage proved to be too much for Ohio State to overcome. The win moves Michigan State into a tie with Ohio State atop the Big Ten standings, and while there's still a long way to go Tom Izzo's team made a major statement in a hostile environment. Michigan State is a Big Ten title contender, and at this rate there's a whole lot more that the Spartans can accomplish this season.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Wichita State wins big at Creighton and is well on their way to the MVC crown.
The rematch between the Shockers and Bluejays was one of the most-anticipated games on the schedule, as the outcome would go a long way in determining the regular season champ in the Missouri Valley. Creighton, who won the first meeting 68-61 in Wichita, would have pulled into a tie for first and owned the head-to-head tiebreaker with a win but they were outclassed on their home floor. Joe Ragland (24 points, six assists) and Ben Smith (22 points, six rebounds) led the way for Wichita State, who shot 58.2% in an 89-68 win to move two games ahead of Creighton in the standings.

Gregory Echenique led the Bluejays with 16 points and five rebounds but a quiet afternoon from Doug McDermott (5-14 FG, 15 points, six rebounds) and 40.4% shooting (5-for-23 from beyond the arc) proved to be too much to overcome when combined with Wichita State's offensive execution (efficiency of 141.3). Gregg Marshall's Shockers entered the game as the more balanced team when looking at their performance both offensively and defensively, and that's why they remain atop the MVC. Creighton, who has now lost three straight, needs to straighten things out defensively ahead of their BracketBusters game with Long Beach State next weekend. Because while the Bluejays remain a good bet to go dancing, their defensive performance will determine how long they stick around.

2. UNLV relies on their defense down the stretch to beat San Diego State.
There haven't been many home-and-home series this season that have been either as tight or as entertaining as the two games between UNLV and San Diego State, with the home team winning both contests by a margin of two points. Jamaal Franklin's runner was the difference in the first meeting, but the Runnin' Rebels had to lean on their defense to return the favor in Las Vegas. Dave Rice's team shot 39.4% from the field in the second half and went more than seven minutes without a made field goal, but steals from Mike Moser (which resulted in the Anthony Marshall layup that gave them a 64-63 lead), Marshall and Justin Hawkins proved to be the difference in the 65-63 win.

Moser scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds and Oscar Bellfield added 15 (Brice Massamba was also productive with 12 points as he outplayed the SDSU big men), but on an afternoon that saw Marshall and Chace Stanback combine to shoot 4-for-17 from the field UNLV was able to rely on their defense late. San Diego State turned the ball over 17 times to just eight for UNLV and was outscored 16-2 in fast break points, which negated their 49% shooting from the field and also didn't allow them to take advantage of UNLV shooting 6-for-25 from three. Chase Tapley led the Aztecs with 22 points and Franklin added 15, but James Rahon and Xavier Thames were quiet for much of the day. What does this all mean? We need a "Round 3" despite the fact that calls for such will likely motivate New Mexico, who is also 6-2 in the Mountain West.

3. North Carolina adjusts to the tempo well enough to beat Virginia.
Coming off of their tough loss to rival Duke on Wednesday, there were questions as to how #5 North Carolina would not only get over that defeat but deal with the slow pace that #19 Virginia would look to play at. Well, Roy Williams' team did just fine, pulling away with a 22-5 second half run to win 70-52 and remain part of a three-way tie for first in the ACC. Tyler Zeller, who took a great deal of criticism following Wednesday's loss due to missed free throws and his defending of Austin Rivers in the final sequence (he did go for 23 and 11), bounced back with 25 points and nine rebounds and as a team the Tar Heels made up for 35.3% shooting by grabbing 23 offensive rebounds.

Mike Scott led the Cavaliers with 18 points and six rebounds but it wasn't enough to make up for a 40-20 disadvantage in the paint and a 23-9 margin in second chance points. Unlike many teams that run into Virginia's pack line defense, North Carolina remained composed and didn't try to force things especially in the first half. And that's largely a credit to point guard Kendall Marshall, who dished out six assists and as a team the Tar Heels finished with just eight turnovers. Harrison Barnes (14 points, 11 rebounds) and John Henson (ten points, ten rebounds and four blocks) posted double-doubles, and while this result didn't make waves nationally UNC made sure to not allow Duke to beat them "twice".

4. Anthony Davis and Marquis Teague lead Kentucky past Vanderbilt in Nashville.
The national Player of the Year race seems to be a two-horse race at this point, with Kansas' Thomas Robinson and Kentucky's Anthony Davis being the thoroughbreds of choice. Davis was a key figure in the Wildcats' 69-63 win at Vanderbilt as he finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and seven blocked shots. But just as important was the play of point guard Marquis Teague, who followed up a double-double against Florida with 13 points, eight assists and four rebounds...with just one turnover. Four Kentucky starters finished in double figures as Doron Lamb led the way with 16 and Terrence Jones bounced back from a slow start to score 14 and grab nine boards, and they limited the Commodores to 27.6% shooting in the first half to take a 36-23 lead into the locker room.

But as expected Kevin Stallings' team fought back in the second half, scoring 40 points as they improved their shooting inside of the arc (45.4% to 25.0% in the first) and turned the ball over just two times. John Jenkins led four VU starters in double figures with 15 points but their 36.5% shooting from the field (and 35.7% from two) proved to be costly. Vanderbilt's going to win games down the stretch and reach the NCAA tournament, but the Wildcats are simply on another level right now. With Davis, Jones and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (who had a quiet game on Saturday night) John Calipari's got a front line that extremely difficult for opponents to score on. The key to cutting down the nets in New Orleans however could be Teague, which makes his improved play of late that much more important. While there definitely are other contenders (Syracuse chief among them), Kentucky's at the head of the class right now.

5. Missouri completes the season sweep of Baylor, whose ceiling really needs to be reevaluated.
The day's lone game matching Top 10 teams was intriguing not just because of the Big 12 race but also due to the fact that it gave viewers the chance to see how Baylor would bounce back from their loss to Kansas on Wednesday night. There was also the question of how the Bears would apply the lessons learned in their 89-88 home loss to Missouri last month, which would go a long way in determining the outcome. Well, Baylor made sure to not get whipped on the glass (40-27 edge) but they didn't accomplish much else, as Missouri limited the Bears to 36.2% shooting while knocking down 14 of 28 from beyond the arc in their 72-57 win. Paul Pressey led four Tigers in double figures with 19 points while Baylor's Quincy Miller (20 points, seven rebounds and three steals) had no such help from his teammates.

Removing Miller's 7-for-10 afternoon from the equation, Baylor shot a putrid 14-for-48 (29.2%) from the field on the day. Not going to beat many teams much less one the caliber of Missouri, who should definitely be considered to be a national title contender, by shooting that poorly. Perry Jones III, considered by many to be a lock for the lottery in the NBA Draft (should be leave), shot 2-for-12 and scored four points while Pierre Jackson (2-9 FG, five points) wasn't much better. Baylor went 0-4 in regular season games against Kansas and Missouri, and to be frank this team's ceiling is limited due to the inconsistency of their frontcourt and an inability to make key adjustments. When the stakes are raised simply relying on superior athletic ability won't get the job done, a lesson Baylor's had hammered home by both Missouri and Kansas.

Quick Hitters

1. Many were interested to see what Connecticut would bring to the table as they visited #2 Syracuse, and while the 85-67 final screams "blowout" the margin is a bit deceiving. The game turned for good when Andre Drummond left the game momentarily with an ankle injury, and the Orange went on a 19-3 run to put the game away. If the Huskies are to make a run at not just getting into the Big Dance but making waves once they get there, they need more from Alex Oriakhi (two points, two rebounds).

2. Wednesday night's hero was Austin Rivers but in #9 Duke's 73-55 win over Maryland it was the Plumlee brothers who led the way. Miles scored 13 points and grabbed 22 boards while Mason added 16 and ten to keep the Blue Devils tied with Florida State and North Carolina atop the ACC. If those two can build on this performance, Duke may end up being the favorite to win the league.

3. In a matchup of two of the top teams in the Atlantic 10, Temple sent a message in an 85-72 win over Xavier at the Liacouras Center. Ramone Moore scored 30 points, Micheal Eric added 11 and 16 boards inside and Khalif Wyatt scored 18 to move the Owls to 8-2 in conference play. Saint Louis, who won 59-51 at La Salle, are a game back in the loss column at 8-3.

4. Two ranked SEC teams did themselves no favors at home, as both #7 Florida and #18 Mississippi State dropped games they were expected to win. Trae Golden scored 17 points and dished out seven assists to lead Tennessee past the Gators 75-70 while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led Georgia past Mississippi State 60-58 in overtime with 20 points, eight rebounds and three assists. While both teams should be safely in the Field of 68, results like these don't do much to help their possible seeding.

5. The race in the Ivy League regained some intrigue on Saturday night as #21 Harvard fell 70-62 at Princeton. This wasn't a huge surprise as the Crimson haven't won at Jadwin Gym since 1989, and Ian Hummer led the victors with 20 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Keith Wright led Harvard with 16 points and 12 rebounds, but they still lead Yale and Penn by a game in the loss column.

6. The Big East Coach of the Year "race" should be interesting to keep an eye on in the final month of the season, and while Jim Boeheim coaches the league's best team there are other solid candidates. Mike Brey, who won the award last season, has a Notre Dame squad that moved to 9-3 on the season with an 84-76 win over DePaul. Buzz Williams is also worthy as #19 Marquette is now 10-3 in league play after they recovered from another slow start to blitz Cincinnati 95-78, and one can't forget USF's Stan Heath as his Bulls are 8-4 following their 55-48 comeback win at Providence. Georgetown's John Thompson III and #23 Louisville's Rick Pitino, whose Cardinals came back to beat West Virginia 77-74 in Morgantown, should also be considered.

7. It's time to move from "he lit up Baylor" to "he's doggone good" when it comes to #10 Kansas big man Jeff Withey, who was outstanding in the Jayhawks' 81-66 win over Oklahoma State. Withey scored 18 points, grabbed 20 rebounds and blocked seven shots, which proved to be too much for the Cowboys to overcome with Thomas Robinson going for 24 and 12. The better Withey gets the better this team gets, which makes Kansas a serious threat to get to New Orleans.

8. The Pac-12, at the very least, needed its top contenders to establish some separation from the rest of the conference and that happened on Saturday as all four contenders that played won. California moved into sole possession of first with a 73-63 win at UCLA (Washington can move into a tie for first with a win at Oregon State on Sunday) as Justin Cobbs scored 18 points and dished out five assists. A game behind them at 9-4 are Arizona (who rebounded from arguably their poorest half of basketball this season to beat Utah 70-61), Colorado (63-49 win over Arizona State) and Oregon (78-69 win over Washington State). That separation may not help the national perception much but it was necessary for the contenders to move away from the bottom seven in order to boost their chances come Selection Sunday.

9. #7 Murray State rebounded from their first loss of the season as they beat Austin Peay 82-63. Isaiah Canaan scored 23 points and dished out six assists and Ivan Aska and Jewuan Long scored 12 apiece, and they also received the boost from the bench that wasn't there on Thursday night as the reserved combined to score 24 points.

10. Kentucky (11-0 SEC) still has company when it comes to teams undefeated in conference play as Long Beach State (Big West) and Mississippi Valley State (SWAC) moved to 12-0 with wins on Saturday. Casper Ware (school's all-time assist record) and T.J. Robinson (conference's all-time leading rebounder) established new standards in the 49ers' 89-69 win at UC Davis, and Luka Pavjovic led four Delta Devils in double figures with 16 points in their 71-63 win at Alcorn State. There are five conference undefeateds in college basketball as Utah Valley (Great West), Bucknell (Patriot) and UT-Arlington (Southland) are also unblemished.

11. With Kevin Van Wijk (knee) out and Ben Boggs (reaction after being poked in the eye on Thursday night) limited, Valparaiso fell into a tie for first in the Horizon League with a 71-53 loss at Youngstown State. The Crusaders (11-4), who beat 10-4 Cleveland State 59-41 on Thursday, still don't know the severity of Van Wijk's injury and if he's lost for an extended period of time their regular season title hopes could be in trouble.

12. The CAA has gained a little separation at the top as the three teams tied for first are now two games up on the closest competition with three to go. VCU knocked off rival Old Dominion 68-64 with Bradford Burgess leading the way with 24 points, six rebounds and five steals to move to 13-2 in league play. Joining them are Drexel (78-67 win over Hofstra) and George Mason (75-69 win at UNC Wilimington), and the separation could be part of the equation when it comes to earning multiple NCAA bids. The possible keys now: a good showing in Sears BracketBusters next weekend and two of these three meeting in the CAA tournament final.

13. While Loyola Marymount has been the "road warrior" of the WCC, entering their game at Gonzaga with a 6-0 record in league road games, they were no match for "The Kennel" and the Bulldogs as they fell 78-59. Kevin Pangos scored 21 points and dished out nine assists and Elias Harris added 17 and 15 caroms in the win, which moved Gonzaga to 10-2 in WCC play. The win keeps Gonzaga a game behind Saint Mary's and one ahead of BYU, who whipped Pepperdine 86-48.

14. Antwaine Wiggins scored 25 points and grabbed ten rebounds as Charleston beat Davidson 86-78, dealing the Wildcats' at-large hopes a major blow. The good news for Davidson, who was led by De'Mon Brooks (25 points, nine rebounds), is that they host Wichita State next week in the Sears BracketBusters event.

15. Sometimes a coach has to put the future of a program ahead of the present regardless of the possible consequences, and that's what Alabama head coach Anthony Grant did in suspending three starters ahead of their 67-58 loss at LSU. Already without Tony Mitchell (also suspended), JaMychal Green, Trevor Releford and Andrew Steele were all left in Tuscaloosa due to conduct detrimental to the team. While the loss likely kills their at-large hopes, Grant made a decision that a lot of other coaches would not have been willing to make.

16. Saturday marked the end of crossover games in the Mid-American Conference, and that's probably a good thing for the West Division as the East went 30-6 in those games this season. Akron leads the division with a 10-1 record after 75-51 win over Northern Illinois, and the top five conference records in the conference are all in the East (Eastern Michigan leads the West with a 6-5 mark). Does this mean that the East dominates the conference tournament? That would be the expectation, but you never know especially with the Eagles beating Ohio 68-55 on Saturday afternoon.

Five Notable Performances

1. F Thomas Robinson and C Jeff Withey (Kansas)
Robinson scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds while Withey accounted for 18 points, 20 rebounds and seven blocks in the Jayhawks' 81-66 win over Oklahoma State.

2. F/C Andrew Nicholson (St. Bonaventure)
21 points and 23 rebounds in the Bonnies' 69-48 win over Duquesne.

3. F Mason Plumlee and F Miles Plumlee (Duke)
In the Blue Devils' 73-55 win over Maryland, Mason scored 16 points and grabbed ten rebounds and Miles scored 13 and grabbed 22 caroms.

4. G Tim Frazier (Penn State)
23 points, ten rebounds and nine assists in the Nittany Lions' 72-54 win over Nebraska.

5. G Kenny McGowen (Idaho State) and G Shane Gibson (Sacred Heart)
McGowen scored 37 points (7-12 3PT) and dished out three helpers in the Bengals' 79-73 win at Northern Arizona, and Gibson accounted for 34 points and four assists in the Pioneers' 72-46 win over Bryant.

Murray State Suffers First Loss: Thursday's Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:05:44 -0800

As the streak grew longer, it seemed as if it became a foregone conclusion in the eyes of many that Murray State would simply run through the Ohio Valley Conference on their way to a Sears BracketBusters contest against Saint Mary's. Steve Prohm's head coaching career got off to a dream start, as the Racers won 23 straight games with Isaiah Canaan and Donte Poole leading the way. That run came to an end on Thursday night as the Racers fell 72-68 to a Tennessee State team that relied on balance to grab their eighth win in the last nine games.

Robert Covington led four Tigers in double figures with 17 points (and eight rebounds), scoring on a key tip-in with 1:25 remaining to give TSU a 69-65 lead. Just as important were the contributions of Kenny Moore (16 points) and Jordan Cyphers (ten points, three assists), who led a Tennessee State bench that outscored Murray State's reserves 30-10. Canaan scored 31 points to lead all scorers and Poole added ten but they were the only Murray State players to reach double figures, and their reliance on Canaan got the Racers in trouble down the stretch.

Jewuan Long's attempt to get Canaan (who was being double-teamed) was stolen by Patrick Miller and ultimately ended up in the hands of Covington, who missed both free throws to keep the score at 69-68. Canaan would drive the length of the floor before getting into trouble as he approached the foul line, ultimately turning the ball over and getting called for a foul with 3.5 seconds remaining. But if there's a question about how Murray handled their final possession (following a pair of Moore free throws), it would have to be why they attempted a length of the court baseball pass.

Why? The Racers had two timeouts remaining, and with that amount of time on the clock a play in which Murray State could complete the inbounds pass at around half court and use one of those timeouts may have been best. But hindsight is 20/20, and for a team that hasn't been in many situations like this down the stretch Murray State will get better from this.

The key: achieve better offensive balance, because while there certainly isn't a problem with Canaan and Poole being the primary options those two are going to need more consistent help. Outside of those two, Murray State shot 10-for-27 from the field, and the 18 turnovers the Racers racked up (Canaan: six) didn't help matters either. Does this outcome make the Saint Mary's game more important? From a seedind standpoint yes, due to the fact that Murray State is 3-0 against the RPI Top 100 and 12 of their 23 wins (three don't "count" in the NCAA evaluation process since they came against non-Division I opponents) are against teams with an RPI of 201 or worse.

But can someone honestly say with a straight face that Murray State, provided the wheels don't fall off, wouldn't be one of the 37 best teams should they not grab the OVC's automatic bid? Remember that bubble so many criticize (annually) for being weak? Let's step away from the ledge when discussing the at-large possibilities for Murray State, because there's a long way to go. The Racers now have the task of learning from their late-game miscues, and while this current team hasn't had to do that there's enough experience on the roster to make sure they do so.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Gonzaga not ready to hand over the WCC crown just yet.
There were many (myself included) who wondered if there was about to be a changing of the guard in the WCC on Thursday as Saint Mary's visited Gonzaga, as a win would give the Gaels a three-game lead with four to go. But the Bulldogs, who have won the last eleven regular season titles, weren't ready or willing to hand over the crown as they won 73-59. Kevin Pangos scored a game-high 27 points and three other starters reached double figures for the Bulldogs, who are now just a game behind Saint Mary's in the loss column. Matthew Dellavedova scored 20 points in a losing effort, but he shot 1-for-5 from the field in the second half and as a team the Gaels shot just 36% in the final 20 minutes.

By comparison the Bulldogs found just about any shot they wanted and knocked them down too, shooting 60% from the field (second half efficiency: 133.0) with Pangos scoring 15 of their 39 points. Robert Sacre, who wasn't a factor in the first meeting, scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Bulldogs, who still have a home game against BYU on the schedule. Mark Few's team may not be in the driver's seat at this point, but if Saint Mary's is going to win the WCC the Bulldogs made sure it wasn't going to happen in their house.

2. As soon as we think we know who the Pac-12 frontrunner is, of course Washington gets blown out.
At this point it may be best to institute a rule stating that no one will attempt to anoint anone as the pacemaker in the Pac-12 race, because as soon as it seems like something is "known", that fact gets ripped to shreds. Lorenzo Romar's Huskies went to Eugene and got manhandled by Oregon, who raced out of the gates on an 8-0 run (all eight scored by Garrett Sim) and didn't look back until the 82-57 romp ended. Carlos Emory scored 16 points off the bench and Sim was one of three starters to score 13 points, and Dana Altman's team just looked far more prepared for what what going to happen on the floor than the Huskies.

That result dropped the Huskies into a tie for first with California, who took advantage of Maurice Jones picking up his third foul to whip USC 75-49. And just a game behind those two are Oregon, Arizona and Colorado, with the Wildcats beating the Buffaloes 71-57 thanks in part to double-doubles posted by Solomon Hill and Jesse Perry. Winners of three straight Arizona is the hottest team in this quintet, and with Utah visiting on Saturday afternoon it would be expected that the Wildcats earn the sweep. The Pac-12 needed some separation to ensure multiple NCAA bids (Cal and Arizona look to have the best resumes to date), but that doesn't seem likely to happen at this point.

3. Indiana proves to be too much for Illinois in the second half.
Illinois is a likely NCAA tournament team at this point, but they've done themselves no favors of late to say the least. The issue on Thursday night: Indiana's parade to the foul line, where they made 35 of 42 in their 84-71 win over the Fighting Illini. Illinois attempted just 15 free throws (making 12), and when a team can shoot 60% from the field and attempt 26 free throws (making 19) as Indiana did in the second half it's highly unlikely that they lose anywhere much less at sold-out Assembly Hall. Cody Zeller scored 22 points and grabbed five rebounds to lead the Hoosiers while Christian Watford and Victor Oladipo scored 18 apiece for a team that's won consecutive games for the first time since early January.

D.J. Richardson led the illini with 19 points and Meyers Leonard added 17, but the problem offensively for Illinois was that they essentially had three scorers to Indiana's four. Joe Bertrand and Tracy Abrams were both quiet in their starting roles, and Illinois made as many three-pointers as Indiana (seven) while attempting nine more (21-12). Indiana worked the ball inside of the arc for quality shots and it paid off, as they were frequent visitors to the foul line down the stretch. Bruce Weber's team has dropped five of their last six games, and with a trip to Michigan next on the schedule the Illini had better be careful. This isn't rock bottom, but things could spiral out of control if Illinois doesn't take care of their issues soon.

Quick Hitters

1. Minnesota was unable to take advantage of the opportunity to add a quality win to their resume as they fell at home to Wisconsin 68-61 in overtime. Wisconsin didn't make a field goal over the last ten-plus minutes of regulation but they were still able to get to the extra session, where Jordan Taylor and company took care of the Golden Gophers. At 17-8 overall and 5-7 in league play, Tubby Smith's squad still has home games against Ohio State, Michigan State and Indiana and they need to take advantage of those opportunities.

2. While transfers have played a major role in the success being enjoyed at Iowa State and Cal State Fullerton, it can be argued that the transfer with the biggest impact is Mississippi State's Arnett Moultrie. Moultrie scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the Bulldogs' 70-60 win over Ole Miss, and Dee Bost added 15 points and 13 assists. Moultrie's play has been a big reason why Mississippi State has been one of the best teams in the SEC.

3. The Horizon League featured a matchup of the top two teams in the standings, and unfortunately for Cleveland State they couldn't get much of anything going offensively. Valparaiso jumped out to a 22-4 lead and really weren't challenged in a 59-41 win to take over sole possession of first place. Unfortunately for the Crusaders however, they lost Kevin Van Wijk to a knee injury in the first half and did not return. More should be learned about his status on Friday, and Van Wijk being out for an extended period of time would be a tough blow to take.

4. The race of interest in the South Division of the SoCon has been the one for second place (and the other first round SoCon tournament bye) thanks to the play of first-place Davidson, and Georgia Southern took a big step towards grabbing that spot with a 63-49 win over Wofford. The Eagles, who were led by Eric Ferguson's 15 points and 11 rebounds, moved to 10-4 in conference play while dropping the Terriers to 8-6.

5. Guess who could be making a charge into the top three of the MAAC: Fairfield. The Stags moved to 9-4 in conference play with a 60-54 win over Manhattan, who sits alone in third with a 10-4 mark. Sydney Johnson's team was expected to be Iona's toughest challenger but things haven't worked out that way to this point. With a deep rotation led by the likes of Derek Needham and Rakim Sanders however, Fairfield is more than capable of winning the automatic bid.

6. The Summit League race took a turn in the wrong direction for South Dakota State on Thursday night as they lost 72-68 at South Dakota, dropping two games behind Oral Roberts in the loss column. The Golden Eagles beat IUPUI 76-74 in overtime with Roderick Pearson's driving shot as time expired being the difference.

7. With UCSB off Bob Burton's Cal State Fullerton Titans could have taken over sole possession of second place in the Big West and that they did, scoring 60 points in the second half of their 100-94 win over UC Irvine. D.J. Seeley and Kwame Vaughn combined to score 51 points as the Titans won despite not having the injured Omondi Amoke at their disposal. Long Beach State is the class of the Big West, but Fullerton is just as capable as UCSB of knocking the 49ers off in the conference tournament.

Three Notable Performances

1. C Ben Aird (Utah Valley)
24 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots in the Wolverines' 99-97 win at NJIT.

2. C Al'Lonzo Coleman (Presbyterian)
26 points (10-14 FG), 12 rebounds and two assists in the Blue Hose's 94-74 win over VMI. Coleman's shot 20-for-28 from the floor over the last two games.

3. G Alex Young (IUPUI)
34 points, seven rebounds and two steals in the Panthers' 76-74 overtime loss at Oral Roberts.