South Florida

Early 2012-13 Ranking: Teams 46 to 60

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 08:05:33 -0700

Continuing with the Early 2012-13 Ranking, here are teams 46 to 60.

Its worth repeating that I had to make many assumptions about the NBA Draft in compiling the following list, and I've noted which assumptions I've made. This ranking will be updated later in the summer once players have made their official draft decisions. Also uncertain is where some remaining unsigned recruits will end up, and how the coaching carousel will take form. I purposely made no assumptions about where unsigned prospects will end up. (All prospect rankings are according to the Rivals 150 ranking.)

Early 2012-13 Ranking: Teams 45-60

46 Miami Another year under Jim Larranaga should find the Hurricanes on the inside of the NCAA Tournament bubble. Malcolm Grant departs but he did not have a terribly good season anyways.

47 Butler After a down year, Butler should once again be the class of the Horizon League. Transfer Rotnei Clarke gives them a scoring-punch that was severely lacking this year. Three solid guards enter as freshmen, who should help with depth.

48 Colorado Carlon Brown and Austin Dufault are not small loses, but the hope is that Andre Roberson blossoms into a Pac-12 Player of the Year candidate. The Buffs recruiting haul is easily their best of the last decade.

49 BYU The Cougars lose veterans Hartsock and Abouo but should still settle into their usual bubble-bound slot. Another year of improvement from Matt Carlino should help.

50 Pittsburgh Coming off of a disastrous season, Pittsburgh has no where to go but up. Although Gibbs and Robinson depart, the Panthers welcome 4th ranked recruit Steven Adams, one of their best-ever recruits. A healthy Tray Woodall would certainly help as well.

51 UCF After being a fringe-bubble team that last two years, UCF will once again be hoping to make the tourney. Although PG AJ Rompza graduates, the team returns solid All-CUSA caliber players in Keith Clanton, Marcus Jordan, and Isaiah Sykes.

52 Temple The Owls should take a step back with key senior losses, including leader Ramone Moore, but expect them to still be competitive in the A10. Khalif Wyatt could score 20 ppg now that the team is fully in his hands. The recruiting haul might be Temple's best since 2007.

53 Xavier Besides leader Tu Holloway, they also loses Kenny Frease and Andre Walker. Role players like Travis Taylor and Jeff Robinson will really need to step it up if Xavier wants to makes its 8th tourney in a row. 4-star recruit Semaj Christon is capable of contributing at PG from day one.

54 UCONN Jeremy Lamb and Andre Drummond will presumably go pro, and the roster looks pretty thin without them. Last year's shock tourney run covers up what has been 3 years in a row of .500 or worse basketball in Big East play. Add in the potential sanctions and Calhoun's health, and you have yourself a lot of questions.

55 Belmont Seniors Drew Hanlen, Mick Hedgepeth, and Scott Saunders depart, but Kerron Johnson and Ian Clark are still two of the A-Sun's top players. Incoming PG Craig Bradshaw is one of Belmont's better pickups and should fit right into the program.

56 South Florida Three seniors that played over 25 minutes per game depart, but South Florida shouldn't expect too much of a drop-off. USF's 4-person recruiting class is solid for their standards, but still mediocre as far as the Big East goes.

57 Mississippi St With Dee Bost a senior and Arnett Moultrie presumably going pro, Mississippi St loses its leading scorer, passer, rebounder, and defender. Although an underrated 5-person recruiting class was set to come in, Rick Stanbury's retirement does open some questions.

58 West Virginia For a team that often struggled to score the ball, it will be interesting to see how they'll manage without Kevin Jones and Darryl Bryant. Those two scored almost 50% of the Mountaineers points. Aaric Murray and Juwan Staten are solid transfers who will help.

59 Southern Miss USM was never as good as their gaudy RPI suggested.. Graduations will put a major dent into their major strength, which was depth, but their top two scorers do return.

60 Iowa St The key for Iowa St is whether Royce White decides to go pro. I'm assuming here that he does, which would mean the Cyclones lose their 3 leading scorers. A pair of solid transfers enter the mix, as well as their best recruiting class in a few years.

Also Under Consideration (alphabetical order)

Akron

California

Harvard

Illinois St

Minnesota

Nevada

Ole Miss

Oregon

Providence

Vanderbilt

Virginia

<< Return to 2012-13 Ranking: Teams 1 to 45

Ohio vs South Florida: Prediction

Greg Mengelt — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 20:18:25 -0700

(12) South Florida vs. (13) Ohio: Midwest Region

Records

South Florida 22-13, 12-6 Big East (At large)

Ohio 28-7, 11-5 MAC (Conference Tournament Champions)

Time: 7:10 p.m. Sunday

TV: TBS

Location: Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

Winner will face: (1) North Carolina or (8) Creighton, Friday in St. Louis

First round results

South Florida def. Temple, 58-44

Ohio def. Michigan, 65-60

RPI Ratings

South Florida 34

Ohio 46

Line: South Florida -4 (O/U 114½)

Players to Watch

South Florida: G Anthony Collins, 6-1 Fr. (8.6 ppg, 5.2 apg, 1.7 spg); F Victor Rudd Jr., 6-7 So. (8.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.3 apg); F Augustus Gilchrist, 6-10 Sr. (9.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.3 bpg). Collins was phenomenal Friday against Temple’s more experience backcourt. He made six of his 12 field goal attempts and 5-of-7 free throws for 17 points. He also had five assists, four rebounds and a steal in the win.

Ohio: G D.J. Cooper, 5-11 Jr. (14.6 ppg, 5.7 apg, 2.4 spg); G Walter Offutt, 6-3 Jr. (11.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 35.2% 3s); F Ivo Baltic, 6-8 Jr. (9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 47.8% FG). Baltic’s performance was huge for the Bobcats Friday. He played 36 minutes, scored 10 points, grabbed seven boards and, along with Reggie Keely, gave the Bobcats a nice lift in the paint.

Why Each Team Dangerous

South Florida: The Bulls have one of the best defenses in the tournament, and in the second half on Friday, their offense came alive for 43 points. For the season, USF is holding opponents to 38.8 percent from the floor, including a 15-for-42 night by Temple. Opponents are shooting just 29.7 percent from behind the 3-point line, including 2-for-12 from the Owls. South Florida forces 13.7 turnovers per game. Coach Stan Heath’s defense is outstanding inside and out.

Ohio: Cooper is a stellar and clearly a solid go-to scorer. That’s always crucial in the NCAA Tournament. Cooper was at his best Friday, hitting seven of his 11 shots, three of his six 3-pointers and four of his five foul shots. He also had five assists. As Cooper goes, so go the Bobcats. Ohio held Michigan to 40.7 percent from the field and 7-of-23 from the 3-point line and scoreless for the final 4:12 of the contest. And it wasn’t an anomaly. For the season, opponents are shooting just 41.2 percent from the field and 29.6 from the 3-point line. The Bobcats get 9.4 steals per game and force an astounding 17.7 turnovers.

Why Each Team is Vulnerable

South Florida: Even with 43 points in the second half Friday, the Bulls shot just 34 percent from the floor against Temple. This is not a good offensive team. For the year, the Bulls shoot 43.6 percent from the floor, and despite an 8-for-15 night against the Owls, USF shoots just 31.6 percent from 3. Against a stellar Ohio perimeter defense, points are going to be tough to come by.

Ohio: The Bobcats get much of their point production from Cooper’s ability to penetrate defense, as it was Friday against the Wolverines. His going will be tough against South Florida’s defense. Aside from Keely and T.J. Hall, Ohio has almost no depth. Against a physical South Florida team, foul trouble could really hurt the Bobcats. Despite a 51.2 percent performance from the floor against Michigan, Ohio doesn’t typically shoot well. For the season, Ohio is a 43.2 percent shooting team and hits just 33.9 percent of its 3-pointers.

The Bottom Line: Usually, my advice is to take the player with the experienced go-to scorer. In this case, though, I love the way USF is playing.

The Pick: South Florida 60, Ohio 53

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 216-165-6 (Through Friday, March 17)

Round of 32 Against the Spread: 19-12-1

Temple vs South Florida: Prediction

Greg Mengelt — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 13:46:51 -0700

(5) Temple vs. (12) South Florida: Midwest Region

Records

Temple 24-7, 13-3 A-10 (Regular-season Conference Champions; At large)

South Florida 21-13, 12-6 Big East (At large)

Time: 9:50 p.m. Friday

TV: TNT

Location: Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

Winner will face: (4) Michigan or (13) Ohio, Sunday

Rankings

Temple No. 26 AP; No. 28 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

RPI Ratings

Temple 18

South Florida 45

Players to Watch

Temple: G Ramone Moore, 6-4 Sr. (17.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.5 apg); G Juan Fernandez, 6-4 Sr. (11.4 ppg, 3.9 apg, 38.8% 3s); C Michael Eric, 6-11 Sr. (9.1 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 2 bpg). Eric missed 13 games from Nov. 27 to Jan. 18 with a knee injury. Since Feb. 11, Eric has five double-digit scoring games, six double-digit rebound games and he has 24 blocks in his last 11 games.

South Florida: F Augustus Gilchrist, 6-10 Sr. (9.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.3 bpg); G Anthony Collins, 6-1 Fr. (8.5 ppg, 5.3 apg, 1.7 spg); F Victor Rudd, 6-7 So. (8.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.3 apg). Rudd has played his best basketball of late. In his last three games, he’s scored 44 points and yanked down 18 boards, including a 15-point, 5-rebound performance in Wednesday’s 65-54 NCAA win over Cal.

Why Each Team Dangerous

Temple: The Owls have three excellent starting guards and another strong wing in Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson. They shoot 47.2 percent from the field (32^nd in the nation), 40.2 from behind the 3-point arc (eighth in the country), leading to 76 points per game, which is 30^th-best in college basketball. Their 1.25-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio is solid. Temple’s 15.6 assists is the 19^th-best average in the nation. They get 7.2 steals per game in forcing 12.5 turnovers.

South Florida: The Bulls are one of best defensive teams in the tournament, and on Wednesday, they showed they can play a little offense, too. USF shot 57.1 percent from the field and scored 36 first-half points to run out to a 36-13 halftime advantage on Cal. Defensively, teams shoot just 38.8 percent overall and 29.7 from the 3-point line against the Bulls. They out-rebound their opponents 34.3-30.6 on average to go along with 5.5 steals and 3.8 blocks per game.

Why Each Team is Vulnerable

Temple: The Owls have struggled a bit in their last five games on the heels of a 12-game winning streak that gave them the A-10 regular-season championship. The Owls have allowed four straight opponents to shoot 43.5 percent or better from the floor, including a 26-for-48 performance by Fordham in an Owl overtime win. Even with Eric, Temple is small. It only out-rebounded its opponents by 1.1 per contest.

South Florida: Despite Wednesday’s performance, South Florida typically struggle to score. They have scored 53 points or fewer 12 times, including four times in their last seven games. For the season, the Bulls are shooting 43.6 percent from the field (155^th nationally) and they score just 59.2 points per contest (328^th in the country). They have a negative assist to turnover ratio (368-452) and a negative turnover margin (11.2-13.7).

The Bottom Line: Temple’s good but has struggled down the stretch. The Owls are senior-dominated but has played below their standards a few times this season. I like South Florida’s defense to keep the Bulls close in this one, and an upset is possible.

The Pick: Temple 62, South Florida 60

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 199-151-6 (Through Wednesday, March 15)

No Suspense in Dayton on Wednesday Night

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 21:56:36 -0700

After the wild doubleheader that took place at UD Arena on Tuesday night college basketball fans were due for a letdown. That's exactly what happened on Wednesday as Vermont and USF won their games in comfortable fashion, paring the field down to 64 teams.

Four McGlynn scored 18 points in 27 minutes off the bench and Brian Voelkel provided his customary all-around game with 12 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Catamounts to the 71-59 win over Lamar. Vermont's award for the second NCAA tournament win in program history is a matchup with Midwest Region top seed North Carolina on Friday in Greensboro.

"I got into a really good flow," said McGlynn. "My teammates, I have to give credit to them, because they're the ones, especially Brian Voelkel who gives me the ball in spots I'm wide open. It's easy to knock down open shots, especially when you're getting great passes."

The first half boiled down to the simple fact that Pat Knight's Cardinals couldn't make shots, whether that was because of them missing good looks or the more likely reason that Vermont played well defensively. Lamar shot just 29% from the field in the first half, trailing 30-21 as a result. Lamar would shoot slightly better in the second half but so would the Catamounts, who knocked down 54.5% of their shots in the final 20 minutes.

Mike James and Devon Lamb scored 16 points apiece to lead the Cardinals, who were unable to take advantage of 19 offensive rebounds. Lamar outscored Vermont 16-8 in second chance points, but that was nullified and then some by the Catamounts' 35-5 edge in bench points.

Lamar entered Wednesday having won six straight games, playing inspired basketball after their seniors were called out by Knight on February 22nd. But they were unable to get going offensively against a Vermont team that limits opponents to 40.5% shooting, and that proved to be their downfall.

The second half of the doubleheader was about over by the under-8 timeout in the first half. USF was able to get just about whatever look they wanted against California, and their length and size on the defensive end proved to be too much for the Golden Bears. Cal took five minutes to score and they went into the locker room down 36-13 at the break.

A late run provided a deceiving 65-54 final score, with the Bulls picking up the first NCAA tournament win in school history. Victor Rudd Jr. led four Bulls in double figures with 15 points and five rebounds, and point guard Anthony Collins added 12. Collins may have had just one assist but Toarlyn Fitzpatrick and Hugh Robertson combined to dish out seven.

Rudd was also productive on the defensive end as he was the primary defender on Allen Crabbe. Crabbe finished with ten points on 3-of-14 shooting, and as a team the Golden Bears made just 36.2% of their shots compared to USF shooting 57.1%. Say what you will about the Pac-12 but that shouldn't take away from how well the Bulls played, looking like a team more than capable of beating Temple on Friday night in Nashville.

"I like what Coach said about getting in your breath and making you uncomfortable. That's what I tried to do to him," said Rudd of his strategy in guarding Crabbe. "I shadowed him wherever he went, and I didn't want to give him a good look off of it."

Player of the Night: USF G Victor Rudd (15 points, five rebounds and limited Cal's Allen Crabbe to 3-of-14 shooting)

Stat of the Night: Lamar shot 33.3% on the night. During their six-game win streak going into Wednesday they shot at least 42% in every game.

Making history: USF picked up the school's first-ever NCAA tournament win, leaving Northwestern and Nebraska as the lone BCS AQ conference members still without one.

Cal vs South Florida: First Four Prediction

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 23:51:50 -0700

(12) CALIFORNIA vs. (12) SOUTH FLORIDA: MIDWEST

Time: 9:10 p.m., Wednesday

TV: TruTV

Location: University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio

Who the Winner Will Play Next: (5) Temple, Friday (at Nashville)

RPI Ratings

Cal 37

South Florida 45

Line: Cal -3

Players to Watch

California: G Jorge Gutierrez, 6-3 Sr. (13.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.1 apg); G Allen Crabbe, So. (15.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.2 apg); F. Harper Kamp, 6-8 Sr. (11.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 55.1% FG). Gutierrez is capable of big games, including a 22-point, 7-assist, 6-rebound performance in Cal’s last win, a 77-71 victory over Stanford in the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals.

South Florida: G Anthony Collins, 6-1 Fr. (8.5 ppg, 5.3 apg, 50% FG); F Augustus Gilchrist, 6-10 Sr. (9.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.3 bpg); F Toarlyn Fitzpatrick, 6-8 Jr. (8 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 44.5% FG). Collins played a huge role in the Bulls turnaround this season. After having three double-figure scoring games through January, the freshman scored at least 10 points in nine of USF’s last 12 games.

Why They're Dangerous

Cal is: The Bears are led by a pair of tough, experienced seniors, including playmaker Gutierrez. That’s always a vital element in a tournament run. Cal is big and strong at nearly every position. The Bears are an efficient shooting team, ranking 20^th in the nation at 47.9 percent from the floor. They also shoot well at the stripe, hitting 74.6 percent of their free throws.

South Florida: Defense. The Bulls allowed opponents to score just 58.3 points per game. Opponents shot just 44.3 percent from the floor and 30.8 from the 3-point line. Behind Collins, USF usually is able to control the pace of the game.

Why They're Vulnerable

Cal: Cal struggled with consistency all season, including late in the year when it lost 3-of-4, including two double-figure losses to Colorado. The Cal defense is average at best. It gets just 4.8 steals per game, turns teams over just 12.2 times and blocks just 3.2 shots per game. The Bears give up way too many easy baskets. While the Bears are a good free throw shooting team, they don’t get to the line often.

South Florida: Offense. The Bulls really struggle to score at 59.2 points per game, a field goal percentage of 43.6. They also struggle form the 3-point line at 31.6 percent. USF is an average rebounding team and its offense turns the ball over 13.7 times per game.

The Bottom Line: These two teams appear about even in every way. Cal, though, has more firepower and should score just enough to win the game and cover the spread.

The Pick: California 50, South Florida 44

(Winner would face #5 seed Temple)

Bracketology Poll: Who is the Worst At-Large Team?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 20:29:03 -0700

Tournament Poll: Most Likely 12 vs 5 Upset?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 20:20:04 -0700

Northwestern and USF Stumble Late: Thursday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 06:16:19 -0800

It was a tough day for bubble teams in the Pac-12 as both Washington and Oregon fell in the quarterfinals.

1. Also stumbling on Thursday were Northwestern and USF, with the former being in far greater trouble at this point.
Northwestern University has never made the NCAA tournament, and with their 75-68 overtime loss to Minnesota in the first round of the Big Ten tournament that could very well remain the case after Sunday. In each of the last two seasons there seems to be a moment where Bill Carmody's team needs to make one play, be it a score or a defensive stop, to get the job done but the Wildcats simply can't. The problem against Minnesota: they couldn't shoot inside of the arc.

Both teams finished the game 11-for-26 from beyond the arc, but the Wildcats squandered a 17-6 edge from the foul line (points) by making just nine of their thirty-one shots from two (29%). John Shurna scored 21 points on the afternoon but made just two of eight two-point shots, and Drew Crawford did the same while scoring just eight. If not for JerShon Cobb putting up 24 points and eight rebounds, there likely would not have been an overtime period to play.

As for USF, while many can argue with the aesthetics you really can't argue with the results, as Stan Heath's Bulls have won 13 conference games when adding their second round win over Villanova. But against a team that also plays a deliberate brand of basketball USF was unable to pick up the signature win they needed, falling to Notre Dame 57-53 in overtime in the final game of the night in the Big East Championship. Stan Heath's team looked to be in good shape late in regulation, but stunning decisions lef the door for the Irish, and USF's execution on their final possessions of overtime provided a fitting ending for a frustrating night. But unlike Northwestern the Bulls were able to win a game in their conference tournament, so they have that going for them at least.

2. Texas was one team that took advantage of their opportunity as they beat Iowa State.
It seemed to take a while on Thursday to find a team that truly took advantage of its opportunity to make a statement to the selection committee, but Rick Barnes' Longhorns didn't disappoint in the final game of the night at the Big 12 tournament. After shooting 26.3% from the field in the first half Texas shot 50% in the second, scoring 46 points to beat three-seed Iowa State 71-65 to advance to the Big 12 semis. Texas shot 54% from two and got to the foul line at a higher rate, knocking down 14 of their 17 attempts while the Cyclones could manage just four attempts.

J'Covan Brown led the way with 23 points and five rebounds while Myck Kabongo added 11 and five assists with no turnovers, and Clint Chapman was solid on both ends of the floor with ten points and eight rebounds while also helping defend Royce White. Texas should feel good about their NCAA hopes but there is the matchup with Missouri on Friday night, and a win there would provide a nice boost to their seeding as well.

3. Indiana beats Penn State but they may have lost Verdell Jones III for the remainder of the season.
Tom Crean's Hoosiers knocked off Penn State 75-58 in a Big Ten tournament game, out-rebounding the Nittany Lions 45-29 to make up for shooting just 36.5% from the field. But it may have been a Phyrric victory, as senior guard Verdell Jones III went down with that was reported to be a sprained knee during the first half. More tests will be done on Friday, but when an injury occurs like Jones' (non-contact) there isn't a very positive outlook.

Head coach Tom Crean was near tears when discussing the injury in postgame interviews, and it's easy to see why. Jones III was one of the guys who was there with Crean from the start, going through the horrible 6-25 campaign and the tough process of bringing Indiana basketball back to this point. Do the Hoosiers have the depth needed to make up for Jones' loss if he can't go in the NCAA tournament? They do, and this likely means more minutes for a Will Sheehy, but it's deeper than that. For all the work Verdell Jones III put into the program it would be fitting that he's on the floor in the Big Dance. Sadly, that may not happen.

Quick Hitters

1. One more team was added to the NIT field on Thursday night as the regular season champ in the Southland, UT Arlington, fell 92-72 to McNeese State. The defense let the Mavs down as McNeese State shot 54.2% from the field and knocked down 11 of 24 three-point shots to ensure the win.

2. Also of note in New York was Syracuse's 58-55 win over Connecticut, and for a team that's had so many answers this season the Orange found another on Thursday. James Southerland scored ten points off the bench and Scoop Jardine 18 as Syracuse advanced to Friday's quarterfinal.

3. Two players their respective teams will need to step up in the Big Dance did just that in the Big 12 quarterfinals, as Perry Jones III put up a double-double (31 points, 11 rebounds) in Baylor's 82-74 win over Kansas State. As for the other player that would be none other than Kansas' Elijah Johnson, as he scored 26 points in the Jayhawks' 83-66 win over Texas A&M.

4. Iowa may have brought an end to the Bruce Weber era in Champaign, beating Illinois 64-61 in the first game of the day at the Big Ten tournament. Matt Gatens paced the Hawkeyes with so 20 points and Aaron White added 13 and nine rebounds off the bench. In fact it was announced that Weber will not be retained as head coach on Friday morning.

5. The game of the day may not have been artistic by any means, but that's of little concern for a Marshall team that outlasted Tulsa 105-100 in triple overtime. DeAndre Kane led all scorers with 40 points, and it would come as no surprise if the Herd were to reach Saturday's title game.

6. Cal State Fullerton picked arguably the worst time of the season to have their three-point shot to betray them. In the Titans' 65-59 loss to UC Irvine the Titans shot 5-for-20 from three while the Mustangs shot 10-for-22 from beyong the arc. Chris McNealy led the way with 24 points.

7. ACC bubble teams NC State and Miami took care of business on Thursday night, beating Boston College and Georgia Tech respectively to advance to the quarterfinals. Next up for the Wolfpack is four-seed Virginia, while the Hurricanes take on Florida State in the day's final quarterfinal.

8. It wasn't the prettiest shot but all that matters is the end result, as Jamaal Franklin's three as time expired gave San Diego State a 65-62 win over Boise State in a Mountain West quarterfinal. The top four seeds all advanced and that includes Colorado State, who beat TCU 81-60 and should be safely in the NCAA tournament field at this point.

Huskies, Bulls Winners on Big East "Bubble Day"

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 21:39:12 -0800

Wednesday shaped up as a big day at Madison Square Garden, as four of the eight teams in action were looking to boost their respective NCAA tournament resumes. Two of the four teams, Connecticut and West Virginia, kicked things off in a tight contest that neither team led by more than eleven points (WVU). And while there were plenty of head-scratching decisions made down the stretch by both teams, Jim Calhoun's Huskies were the ones best able to navigate those issues, winning 71-67 in overtime to advance to Thursday's quarterfinals.

UConn gets the ultimate "signature win" opportunity as they take on a Syracuse games that's lost just one game this season and beaten the Huskies twice. Shabazz Napier led the way for the Huskies with 26 points, six assists and four rebounds, eventually fouling out early in overtime after waiting too long and ending up having to force a challenged three at the end of regulation. But his decision-making issues were trumped by West Virginia guard Truck Bryant, who forced some really bad shots down the stretch as the Mountaineers sputtered offensively.

"When coach asked us to run a play, we have to execute it as well as possible, and I don't think we do a good job of that," said Kevin Jones, who finished with 25 points and ten rebounds. "Also, we don't do a good job of staying strong with the ball. We let people take the ball from us, and it's kind of a matter of getting out?toughed the last five minutes."

Turnovers were one issue, but the biggest was the fact that WVU failed to get the ball to Jones down the stretch. The senior from nearby Mount Vernon, NY, who many claimed should have been Big East Player of the Year, attempted a shot with 7:16 remaining in regulation and didn't take another until he missed a three with 1:30 to go...in overtime. Some of the credit can be given to Andre Drummond, whose performance on the defensive end improved greatly in the second half, but the overwhelming feeling is that WVU didn't execute well enough to get Jones the ball.

The Mountaineers squandered a dominant effort on the glass, as they grabbed 26 offensive boards and out-rebounded UConn 47-31 on the afternoon. But those issues executing, with the guards as a whole struggling to get the ball where it needed to go, along with Jeremy Lamb waking up with Napier finished to knock down a key three-pointer with 1:05 remaining in overtime, proved costly. WVU played a good non-conference schedule and that's something the selection committee tends to reward, so the Mountaineers will likely end up in the Big Dance.

It's not so cut and dry at this point for Seton Hall, with the Pirates now turning into spectators following their 61-55 loss to Louisville. Kevin Willard's Pirates approach Selection Sunday having lost four of their last six games, and was a struggle offensively against the Cardinals. Point guard Jordan Theodore finished with a team-high 17 points but just two assists, with the first not coming until nine minutes remaining in the game. Have the Pirates done enough to be a part of the field? It's going to be a stressful couple of days for Seton Hall, who hope that their high strength of schedule can push them through.

USF completed the night with a 56-47 win over Villanova, and the key at this point for Stan Heath's Bulls is to simply keep winning. Freshman point guard Anthony Collins led the way with 17 points and four assists in what was an ugly game offensively, and a third win over the Wildcats won't do a whole lot for their resume. But to get a matchup with Notre Dame is a great opportunity for the Bulls, who with a win on Thursday night would make their first-ever semifinal appearance. The simplest thing for a bubble team to do at this time of the season is to make sure they live to fight another day. Connecticut and USF did just that on Wednesday.

Three Notable Performances

1. C Mike Muscala (Bucknell) and G C.J. McCollum (Lehigh)
Muscala accounted for 30 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots in the Bison's 82-77 loss to Lehigh in the Patriot League final. McCollum led the Mountain Hawks with 29 points, five assists, three rebounds and three steals.

2. G Damian Lillard (Weber State) and F Mathias Ward (Montana)
Lillard finished with 29 points, ten rebounds and seven assists in the Wildcats' 85-66 loss to Montana in the Big Sky final. Ward led the Grizzlies with 23 points, knocking down ten of his sixteen shots from the field to go along with eight rebounds.

3. F Rian Pearson (Toledo)
20 points and 15 rebounds in the Rockets' 75-72 win over Northern Illinois.

Wednesday Predictions: Big Sky, NEC, Patriot Finals & More

Greg Mengelt — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 08:16:51 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. He'll be picking (just about) every conference tournament game over the next week, including tonight's three key championship games. Games listed in order with later rounds on top and earlier rounds at the bottom. Read more about Championship Week at CollegeHoops.net.

BIG SKY CHAMPIONSHIP: AT MONTANA

(2) Weber State (24-5, 14-2) at (1) Montana (24-6, 15-1)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Weber State 80-64; Feb. 28 – Montana 66-51. RPI: Montana 82, Weber State 69. Analysis: The Grizzlies are simply the better team. With the homecourt advantage, it should be a comfortable win for Montana. Pick: Montana 71, Weber State 61.

NORTHEAST CHAMPIONSHIP: AT LIU

(3) Robert Morris (24-9, 13-5) at (1) Long Island (24-8, 16-2)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: ESPN2. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 26 – Robert Morris 75-66. RPI: Long Island 91, Robert Morris 109. Analysis: Velton Jones is one of the hottest players in the country and should help the Colonials punch their ticket. Line: Long Island -1. Pick: Robert Morris 69, Long Island 65.

PATRIOT LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP: AT BUCKNELL

(2) Lehigh (25-7) at (1) Bucknell (11-3)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: CBS Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 18 – Bucknell 68-61*; Feb. 16 – Lehigh 56-53*. RPI: Bucknell 89, Lehigh 113. Analysis: Lehigh’s C.J. McCollum is a superstar, but beating the Bison on the road twice may be too much to ask. Line: Bucknell -5. Pick: Bucknell 66, Lehigh 59.

BIG EAST SECOND ROUND: AT NEW YORK CITY

(8) West Virginia (19-12, 9-9) vs. (9) Connecticut (19-12, 8-10)

Tipoff: Noon. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 9 – Connecticut 64-57. RPI: Connecticut 33, West Virginia 42. Analysis: Two good performances in a row may be too much to ask of this UConn team. Line: UConn -2. Pick: West Virginia 68, Connecticut 62.

(5) Georgetown (22-7, 12-6) vs. (13) Pittsburgh (17-15, 5-13)

Tipoff: 2 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 28 – Pitt 72-60. RPI: Georgetown 9, Pittsburgh 90. Analysis: Pitt may not win the game, but the Panthers should cover in a low-scoring game. Line: Georgetown -6. Pick: Georgetown 57, Pittsburgh 53.

(7) Louisville (22-9, 10-8) vs. (10) Seton Hall (20-11, 8-10)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 28 – Louisville 60-51*. RPI: Louisville 28, Seton Hall 60. Analysis: Great matchup for Louisville. The Cardinals defense will lead them to a big win. Pick: Louisville 59, Seton Hall 47.

(6) South Florida (19-12, 12-6) vs. (14) Villanova (13-18, 5-13)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 5 – South Florida 74-57*; Feb. 15 – South Florida 65-51. RPI: South Florida 43, Villanova 105. Analysis: Love the Wildcats for the upset. Pick: Villanova 55, South Florida 52.

PAC-12 FIRST ROUND: AT LOS ANGELES

(8) Washington State (15-15, 7-11) vs. (9) Oregon State (17-13, 7-11)

Tipoff: 3:10 p.m. TV: FSN. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – Washington State 81-76; Feb. 9 – Washington State 83-73. RPI: Washington State 170, Oregon State 151. Analysis: Close game. The Beavers will at least cover. Line: Oregon State -3½. Pick: Oregon State 78, Washington State 76.

(5) UCLA (18-13, 11-7) vs. (12) USC (6-25, 1-17)

Tipoff: 5:40 p.m. TV: FSN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 15 – UCLA 66-47*; Feb. 15 – UCLA 64-54. RPI: UCLA 103, USC 259. Analysis: UCLA is playing its best basketball, rallying around Coach Ben Howland. The Bruins may make a run in this tourney. Line: UCLA -12½. Pick: UCLA 73, USC 51.

(7) Stanford (20-10, 10-8) vs. (10) Arizona State (10-20, 6-12)

Tipoff: 9:10 p.m. TV: FSN. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 2 – Stanford 68-44. RPI: Stanford 96, Arizona State 248. Analysis: The Cardinal will blow out Arizona State for the second time this season. Line: Stanford -10. Pick: Stanford 71, Arizona State 54.

(6) Colorado (19-11, 11-7) vs. (11) Utah (6-24, 3-15)

Tipoff: 11:40 p.m. TV: FSN. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – Colorado 73-33; Feb. 18 – Colorado 55-48. RPI: Colorado 81, Utah 265. Analysis: The Buffaloes are really pretty good, and Utah … isn’t. Line: Colorado -11½. Pick: Colorado 66, Utah 51.

*Road win

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 137-103-3