SEMO

Thursday Tournament Predictions: A-Sun, Big South, NEC, OVC

Greg Mengelt — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:26:26 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. He'll be picking almost conference tournament game over the next 2 weeks.

BIG SOUTH SEMIFINALS: AT ASHEVILLE

(7) VMI (16-15, 8-10) vs. (6) Winthrop (12-19, 8-10)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 7 – Winthrop 91-84; Feb. 4 – VMI 86-79. RPI: VMI 275, Winthrop 264. Analysis: The Keydets have won 4 of 5 and don’t appear to be a fluke after Wednesday’s blowout win over 2-seed Coastal Carolina. Pick: VMI 85, Winthrop 80.

(1) UNC-Asheville (22-9, 16-2) vs. (4) Charleston Southern (19-11, 11-7)

Tipoff: 8 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 19 – Charleston Southern 93-88*. RPI: Asheville 122, Charleston Southern 178. Analysis: This appears to be the Big South championship, for all intents and purposes. Hard to imagine either side wins by more than five or six. Pick: Asheville 83, Charleston Southern 79.

ATLANTIC SUN QUARTERFINALS: AT MACON, GA.

(4) East Tennessee State (16-13, 10-8) vs. (5) North Florida (16-15, 10-8)

Tipoff: 2:30 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 16 – ETSU 64-63*; Feb. 11 – ETSU 65-50. RPI: East Tennessee 191, North Florida 168. Analysis: Both teams have won three straight and are playing as well as anyone in the league except Belmont. This one could go either way. Line: East Tennessee State -2. Pick: North Florida 69, East Tennessee State 66.

(3) USC-Upstate (20-11, 13-5) vs. (6) Florida Gulf Coast (13-16, 8-10)

Tipoff: 8:30 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Dec.19 – Upstate 80-75*; Feb. 23 – Upstate 87-74. RPI: Upstate 134, Florida Gulf Coast 237. Analysis: It may be tough to beat a team three times in a season, but not when you’re the significantly better team. Line: Upstate -8. Pick: USC-Upstate 79, Florida Gulf Coast 62.

OHIO VALLEY QUARTERFINALS: AT NASHVILLE

(4) Tennessee Tech (18-12, 9-7) vs. (5) Southeast Missouri State (15-15, 9-7)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: OVCSports.TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 21 – Tennessee Tech 77-62. RPI: Tennessee Tech 159, Southeast Missouri State 255. Analysis: Tech is the better team, but with a game under its belt in the tournament, the Redhawks will keep it competitive. Pick: Tennessee Tech 70, Southeast Missouri State 68.

(3) Morehead State (17-14, 10-6) vs. (7) Jacksonville State (14-17, 8-8)

Tipoff: 8 p.m. TV: OVCSports.TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 5 – Morehead State 63-55*; Feb. 8 – Jacksonville State 69-55*. RPI: Morehead State 175, 228. Analysis: The Gamecocks are playing very well. This would be a good time to take an underdog straight up. Pick: Jacksonville State 66, Morehead State 62.

NORTHEAST QUARTERFINALS: AT CAMPUS SITES

(8) Sacred Heart (14-17, 8-10) at (1) Long Island (22-8, 16-2)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 5 – Long Island 87-81*; Feb. 16 – Long Island 103-91 (OT). RPI: Sacred Heart 239, Long Island 100. Analysis: Long Island will run its way to a runaway. Line: Long Island -9. Pick: Long Island 91, Sacred Heart 72.

(7) Central Connecticut State (13-15, 10-8) at (2) Wagner (24-5, 15-3)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Wagner 67-58; Feb. 25 – Central Connecticut 78-61. RPI: Wagner 89, Central Connecticut 225. Analysis: Ignore the records. These teams have similar talent and this one will be close. Line: Wagner -10. Pick: Wagner 74, Central Connecticut 72.

(6) Monmouth (12-19, 10-8) at (3) Robert Morris (22-9, 13-5)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 3 – Robert Morris 69-51; Jan. 21 – Robert Morris 81-73 (OT). RPI: Robert Morris 121, Monmouth 235. Analysis: RMU is poised to make a deep run in this tourney. Line: Robert Morris -10. Pick: Robert Morris 76, Monmouth 59.

(5) Quinnipiac (17-12, 10-8) at (4) St. Francis (NY) (15-14, 12-6)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 5 – St. Francis 73-72; Feb. 16 – St. Francis 64-56*. RPI: St. Francis 203, Quinnipiac 169. Analysis: St. Francis got the better of the regular-season matchups, but the Bobcats should move on in the post-season. Line: Quinnipiac -2½. Pick: Quinnipiac 67, St. Francis 64.

*Road win

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 89-59

Afternoon Upsets in the Big South: Wednesday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 23:14:27 -0800

The biggest development on Wednesday night were the wins picked up by Cincinnati, Colorado State and USF, as all three strengthened their arguments for an NCAA tournament bid.

1. Two of the top three seeds in the Big South saw their seasons come to an end in the quarterfinals.
The beginning of an almost nonstop afternoon basketball got underway on Wednesday, and from an upset standpoint the Big South certainly didn't disappoint. But if you're a fan of either Coastal Carolina or Campbell it wasn't a good day, as both saw their seasons come to an end (unless selected for a postseason tournament) despite entering the conference tournament as the two and three seeds. CCU ran into a VMI team that got hot from three, knocking down 14 of their 28 attempts from beyond the arc on the way to an 85-68 victory. Starters Keith Gabriel (20 points) and Stan Okoye (15) played well, but the 17-point outing from Jordan Weethee (5-6 3PT) off the bench was just as important. CCU didn't help themselves by turning the ball over 16 times either.

As for Campbell turnovers were a problem for them as well in their 71-55 loss to six-seeded Winthrop. The Camels turned the ball over 16 times to just eight for the Eagles, who are looking to rid themselves of the bad taste left in their mouths following a disappointing regular season. Campbell also couldn't slow down Reggie Middleton, who scored a game-high 25 points (5-10 3PT) and dished out four assists to lead the way for Winthrop. Darren White led Campbell with 15 points but no other Campbell player reached double figures, and when combined with the turnovers that proved to be too much to overcome. On the other side of the bracket top seed UNC Asheville and four-seed Charleston Southern advanced, and the key for UNCA at this point is to remain focused on the task at hand instead of worrying about how the bottom half of the bracket opened up. Do that and Eddie Biedenbach's team could make a return trip to the Big Dance.

2. Miami follows up their big win over Florida State with...a loss at NC State.
What the Hurricanes have done over the last four days is exactly why concrete verdicts shouldn't be rendered in regards to the tournament prospects of teams based on one game. On Sunday Jim Larranaga's team looked very good as they beat Florida State with Reggie Johnson out of the lineup. But with Johnson back the Hurricanes were unable to build on the positive momentum as they fell to the Wolfpack 77-73. And if not for their 22 offensive rebounds the margin of defeat could have been even larger for Miami, who shot just 35.6% from the field while NC State made half of their field goal attempts.

C.J. Leslie led four NC State players in double figures with 21 points while also grabbing 11 boards as the Pack snapped their four-game losing streak. Rion Brown led the Hurricanes with 15 points off the bench but with Kenny Kadji and Durand Scott shooting a combined 6-for-24 from the field Miami couldn't counter NC State scoring 43 second-half points. With a home game against Boston College being the regular season finale, it's likely that Miami will need to make some noise in the ACC tournament to further state their case.

3. It was also a bad night for bubble teams in the Atlantic 10 as both Dayton and Saint Joseph's fell.
One day after Xavier fell hard at Saint Louis two more teams suffered defeats that could have the A-10 sliding toward being a two-bid league. Phil Martelli's Hawks were unable to build on their win over Temple in Olean as they fell to St. Bonaventure 98-93 in double overtime. Andrew Nicholson, who is a candidate for A-10 Player of the Year, scored 32 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the Bonnies to a win that locked up a first-round bye in next week's conference tournament. The Hawks got themselves in trouble by getting out-rebounded 49-30, with the Bonnies grabbing 20 offensive rebounds.

As for the Flyers, their loss was even more damaging as they fell 82-71 at Richmond. Darien Brothers led the Spiders with 30 points and Kendall Anthony added 20 off the bench as Richmond dropped Dayton into a three-way tie for sixth. Chris Johnson scored 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead Dayton, who was outscored 19-9 at the charity stripe. Richmond held the edge in bench points (29-15) thanks in large part to Anthony, and they were also able to score 21 second-chance points to just 13 for the Flyers. A win over George Washington won't do much for Dayton's profile and Saint Joseph's regular season is done, meaning that both are looking at the prospect of likely needing the automatic bid to go dancing.

Quick Hitters

1. The top two seeds took the floor in the Atlantic Sun quarters, and while Mercer had to work a bit harder than anticipated both the Bears and Belmont advanced. Jake Gollon led Mercer to their 61-53 win over Lipscomb with 19 points and eight rebounds, and as a team the Bears made up for committing twice as many turnovers (16) as Lipscomb by making nine three-pointers. Belmont beat Jacksonville 76-62 behind Kerron Johnson's 19 points, five rebounds and five assists.

2. Three of the four quarterfinals in the Patriot League went according to seed on Wednesday. The lone exception: Lafayette's 84-76 win at Holy Cross in the 4/5 game. Rob Delaney (25 points) and Jim Mower (18) combined to score 43 points for the Leopards, who will visit top-seed Bucknell in the semifinals on Saturday.

3. Mitchell Watt scored 22 points and grabbed six rebounds to Buffalo to a 74-70 win at Akron in a key MAC battle. The win moves the Bulls to within a game of the Zips for first place in the MAC East with one game remaining, and just as importantly they're a game up on Ohio in the race for second place.

4. Sheldon McClellan scored 24 points and J'Covan Brown 22 as Texas avoided what would have been a rough loss to have on their resume, as they beat Oklahoma 72-64 in Austin. The Longhorns end the regular season with a trip to Kansas, and an upset in Lawrence would undoubtedly punch their ticket.

5. Brian Williams scored all 18 of his points in the second half, and his three-pointer with 33 seconds remaining gave Jacksonville State the lead for good in their 75-70 win over Austin Peay in an OVC first round matchup. In the other OVC tournament game Southeast Missouri State beat Eastern Kentucky 75-65.

6. A rough run through WCC play mercifully came to an end for Santa Clara in Las Vegas as they fell 74-70 to Portland in the first round of the WCC tournament. Losing Marc Trasolini on the preseason trip to Canada with a torn ACL was hard enough to deal with, but once Kerry Keating had to suspend Kevin Foster the Broncos seemed destined for a winless league campaign.

7. Northwestern had a golden opportunity to pick up a signature win, but Jared Sullinger's bucket in the final seconds gave Ohio State the 75-73 win in Evanston. Drew Crawford and John Shurna combined to lead the Wildcats with 45 points but that wasn't enough as the Buckeyes had four players put up double figures. The Northwestern storyline is going to be one of the interesting stories to keep an eye on in Indianapolis next week.

Thursday Recap: Cougars Bounce Back in Provo

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:46:00 -0800

A week after being outclassed at home by first-place Saint Mary's there was no ignoring the importance of BYU's game against Gonzaga, especially if the Cougars were to remain alive in the race for second place in the WCC. Dave Rose's team responded as good teams should, taking control of the game with an 11-4 run to close out the first half on their way to an 83-73 victory. The frontcourt matchup proved to be the difference as BYU's duo of Noah Hartsock and Brandon Davies outplayed Elias Harris and Robert Sacre, with Hartsock's 24 points and 14 rebounds leading the way.

Davies added 15 points and five rebounds for BYU, who picked up an important resume-building victory to move to 19-6 (7-3) on the season. Harris attempted just three shots for the Bulldogs, making one and finishing with seven points in 21 minutes of action, while Sacre scored 11 points and grabbed five boards. Sam Dower (15 points, five rebounds) and Marquise Carter (11 points) led the way off the bench for Gonzaga, who as a whole didn't not deal well with one of the toughest environments in college basketball.

"We were rattled, frazzled, played with no poise and no composure," remarked Gonzaga head coach Mark Few. "We have two freshmen guards out there. But they were only part of the problem. It was everybody - seniors, juniors. BYU came out and played us physical and got after us. Their posts attacked us very well - Hartsock and Davies."

Gonzaga did manage to score 49 points in the second half as they shot 51.4% from the field but that didn't matter much as BYU was able to find the shots they wanted on the other end (45 points, 54.5% FG). Two reasons for that were guards Matt Carlino (18 points, five assists) and Anson Winder (10 points, five assists). Winder made his first start of the year on Thursday night, replacing Brock Zylstra in the starting lineup as Rose hoped that Zylstra would provide a spark to the bench scoring. Safe to say that Winder provided a boost himself by reaching double figures for the first time since December 20th.

Entering the week ranked 48th in the NCAA's most recently released RPI, BYU was without a win over an RPI Top 50 opponent (0-4) going into Thursday night. To take care of that now is a good development for the Cougars, who wouldn't have another shot until their regular season finale in Spokane. But more importantly the win keeps BYU in the conversation for one of the two double-byes in the conference tournament, which leaves a team two games away from an automatic bid.

"That's a big win for our team and for our guys," said Rose. "Every player that went in the game tonight played with real urgency and a great effort. Our effort was extremely high the whole night and that was our focus going in."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Arizona makes big plays late to win at Cal, showing that they aren't done yet.
There were some who left the Arizona Wildcats for dead in the aftermath of Kevin Parrom's season-ending injury as he broke his right foot in the first half of their two-point loss to Washington (the Huskies are now in sole possession of first place). And the Wildcats did little to erase that doubt early in Berkeley as they trailed Cal by as many as 12 halfway through the first half. But Arizona stormed back, outscoring the Golden Bears 36-14 over the final 10:43 of the half and holding off Cal's many attempts to wrestle away control in the second half to win 78-74. Kyle Fogg came up big on a night that saw Solomon Hill struggle with foul trouble, scoring 23 points and blocking an Allen Crabbe three that would have tied the game in the final seconds.

Jesse Perry added 18 points and four rebounds but there was also a bit of a youth movement for the Wildcats as well. Nick Johnson, who also had a critical blocked shot in the final minute of play, scored 11 points and dished out a team-high five assists and Angelo Chol added eight points, four rebounds and two blocked shots in his best performance of the season with regards to both the stat line and his activity. Josiah Turner was solid as well despite four turnovers, and he's going to have more on his plate with Jordin Mayes going down with a foot injury that could sideline him for the remainder of the season. That would be another tough blow for Arizona to absorb, but if Thursday's effort showed anything it's that they won't be going down without a fight.

2. Murray State storms back in the second half to remain undefeated.
Second-place Southeast Missouri State is the biggest threat to Murray State's hope of winning the OVC's automatic bid, and the Redhawks showed why in the first half on Thursday night as they led by as many as 11 and took a 39-33 lead into the half. But that margin proved to be too close for comfort on the road as Isaiah Canaan and company got rolling in the final 20 minutes. Murray shot 22-for-28 from the foul line and out-rebounded SEMO 28-18 (14 offensive rebounds) on their way to the 81-73 win.

Canaan finished with 32 points, five rebounds and three assists and Ivan Aska was one of three other players to reach double figures with ten points and 11 rebounds, moving the Racers to 22-0 on the season. Marcus Brister led four Redhawks in double figures with 17 points and eight rebounds but it's tough to win anywhere, much less on the road, when allowing a team to not only whip you on the offensive glass but also attempt 28 free throws. They'll get another crack at Murray State on the 15th, allowing Dickey Nutt's team the opportunity to apply the lessons they've learned, but that's far easier said than done against Steve Prohm's talented squad.

3. St. Francis (NY) beats CCSU to move to 9-2 in the NEC.
One of the better (and more unheralded) coaching jobs has been done in Brooklyn, and while many will rush to point out what Jim Ferry has done at LIU Brooklyn (and rightfully so) he's not the only one getting it done in the borough. Glen Braica's St. Francis (NY) Terriers have been the surprise of the NEC this season, and the continued their run of success with a 73-67 win over Central Connecticut State to move to 9-2 in league play. Akeem Johnson and Travis Nichols scored 16 points apiece to lead the way for the Terriers, who won despite allowing the Blue Devils to grab 18 offensive rebounds.

The reason: balance. The CCSU trio of Ken Horton, Robbie Ptacek and Kyle Vinales combined to score 53 points but no other Blue Devil put up more than four while SFNY had four players reach double figures. Also SFNY took care of the basketball as they finished with just eight turnovers, a far cry from their season average of 16.7 per game. St. Francis (NY) doesn't have the star power of an LIU or a Wagner but they're every bit the threat to win the league, something they can take advantage of with two meetings with their borough rivals next week.

Quick Hitters

1. In recent years the matchup with Virginia Tech has given Duke trouble, but there was no such luck for the Hokies on Thursday as the Blue Devils won 75-60. Austin Rivers accounted for 18 points, five rebounds and five assists and Seth Curry and Ryan Kelley combined to score 26 points off the bench.

2. #11 Florida shot just 37.3% from the field against South Carolina but made up for it by making 23 of their 32 free throws in a 74-66 win. Kenny Boynton scored 24 points and Bradley Beal added his first career double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Quick turnaround for the Gators too as they host Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon.

3. Nate Wolters scored 24 points and dished out nine assists to lead South Dakota State past Oral Roberts 75-60, handing the Golden Eagles their first Summit League loss of the season. Dominique Morrison struggled with foul trouble all night, scoring 12 points but attempting just eight shots before fouling out.

4. Josh Brown scored 21 points and grabbed ten rebounds and Elfrid Payton added 20 off the bench as Louisiana-Lafayette beat Denver 72-71 in overtime, a result that left the visitors none too pleased thanks to some dubious officiating late. Denver needs to bounce back quickly however as their host the Sun Belt's best team (Middle Tennessee, who beat North Texas) on Saturday afternoon.

5. Idaho State was the preseason pick to finish last in the Big Sky, but after the second game-winning shot from Kenny McGowen (30 points) in less than a week the Bengals are now tied for third with Montana State (who they beat 87-86). At the least ISU is doing themselves the favor of remaining above the fight for those final Big Sky tournament slots, something few expected to happen back in October.

6. Latif Rivers scored 28 points in leading Wagner past Robert Morris 80-69 to keep the Seahawks a game behind LIU Brooklyn in the NEC race. Wagner's tied for second with surprising SFNY, who plays LIU Brooklyn twice next week and the outcome could very well open things up atop the NEC standings.

7. Wes Miller's making it tough on the administration to look for someone other than he to lead the UNC Greensboro program on a permanent basis. The Spartans beat The Citadel 82-71 to move to 7-4 in SoCon play, remaining atop the North Division standings. Trevis Simpson scored 23 and grabbed seven rebounds and Aloysius Henry and Derrell Armstrong combined to score 27 points off the bench.

8. Thanks to some questionable decisions from Detroit early in the second half along with their own shooting Valparaiso moved to 9-3 in the Horizon League with a 78-73 win. Valpo shot 57.9% from the field and 15-for-20 from the foul line in the second half, and Ryan Broekhoff led three Crusaders in double figures with 26 points.

9. Marcos Knight scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead Middle Tennessee to a 68-66 win at North Texas, moving the Blue Raiders to 10-0 in the Sun Belt. Alzee Williams scored 29 points to lead the Mean Green, who will be a team to keep an eye on in the conference tournament due to talented players such as Williams and Tony Mitchell. But Kermit Davis' team is clearly the class of the conference, and they're up four games in the loss column in the East Division with six to play.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Lamont "MoMo" Jones and G Scott Machado (Iona)
Jones set a Hynes Center record by scoring 43 points in the Gaels' 105-86 win over Canisius while Machado dished out 14 assists with just two turnovers (14 points as well).

2. G Damian Lillard (Weber State)
The nation's leading scorer put up 40 points and five assists in the Wildcats' 92-79 win over Portland State.

3. G Kevin Murphy (Tennessee Tech) and C John Fraley (Austin Peay)
These were two of the stars in the matchup between the Golden Eagles and the Governors, which Tennessee Tech won 94-88. Murphy, who scored 50 points in a game earlier this week, paced Tennessee Tech with 33 points and seven rebounds while Fraley scored 31 and grabbed 17 rebounds in a losing effort. Can't forget Tennessee Tech's Jud Dillard either as he scored 29 and grabbed nine boards.

BYU vs. Gonzaga: Thursday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:13:45 -0800

While they're likely a long shot to get back into contention for the WCC regular season title, Dave Rose's BYU (18-6, 6-3) need to make sure they at the very least finish no worse than fourth in the conference. With the setup for the WCC Tournament being what it is the top two seeds receive byes to the semifinals while the third and fourth seeds get a bye to the quarterfinals.

Thursday night presents the challenge of dealing with the program that's set the standard in the WCC for more than a decade. Gonzaga (17-3, 7-1) needs a win to make sure they at least remain a game behind Saint Mary's in the loss column to ensure that their meeting with the Gaels on February 9th truly means something in the standings.

Mark Few has led the Gonzaga program to eleven straight WCC regular season titles, and despite their current place in the standings this is the matchup that many looked forward two when it was announced that BYU would be joining the league. BYU will need solid guard play if they're to defend the Marriott Center, and that's been an issue of late.

UCLA transfer Matt Carlino (12.4 ppg, 4.4 apg) is third on the team in scoring but shot selection has been an issue at times, and he shooting just 25.0% from the field over the last four games. Craig Cusick and Anson Winder will also see time on the perimeter as both have the ability to run the show, but they aren't the offensive threats that Carlino can be when on.

Gonzaga counters with a first-year player of their own in Canadian Kevin Pangos (13.3 ppg, 3.6 apg), who leads the Bulldogs in minutes and assists while also ranking second in scoring. But while he shoots 42.5% from the field on the season Pangos has made 33.3% of his shots over the last four games, and even more importantly he's turned the ball over four times in three of those contests. The Bulldogs have won four straight anyway, and their depth on the perimeter has been a reason why.

In addition to Pangos Gonzaga can call on classmate Gary Bell Jr., sophomore David Stockton and senior Marquise Carter, who all bring something different to the table. Bell, who is averaging 9.9 points per game, has been one of Gonzaga's best perimeter defenders for much of the season. Stockton, whose father was a pretty good point guard for the Utah Jazz, averages just 4.7 points per game but is second on the team in assist-to-turnover margin while Carter is third on the team in assists.

The matchups inside are the ones that will garner the most attention and rightfully so, as both teams call on interior tandems for scoring. BYU brings Brandon Davies (14.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg) and Noah Hartsock (17.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg) to the table, and Gonzaga will counter with Elias Harris (13.7 ppg, 8.0 rpg) and Robert Sacre (11.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg). BYU also has a wing in senior Charles Abouo who has a pro build and can score either inside or on the perimeter. Michael Hart and Guy Landry Edi aren't called on to score much but they'll need to perform well defensively and keep Abouo in check.

Gonzaga also has a reserve in Sam Dower who is averaging nearly nine points per game off the bench. Gonzaga's big men are a big reason why the Bulldogs rebound 35.9% of their missed shots, but with BYU limiting opponents to an offensive rebound percentage of 25.5% this is one area to keep an eye on. BYU averages five more possessions per game and has the better efficiency margin, and if they can do this against Gonzaga the Cougars will have a good shot of handing the Bulldogs their second league loss of the season.

In the ACC, Seth Greenberg's Virginia Tech squad looks to breathe some life into NCAA tournament hopes that are practically gone at this point with a win over #5 Duke. Erick Green's been banged up in recent weeks and Dorenzo Hudson hasn't been the most consistent player for the Hokies, but playing Duke in Blacksburg tends to fire up both the players and fans at Cassell Coliseum.

Duke didn't play particularly well in the second half of their win over St. John's, so expect a spirited effort from the Blue Devils. Mason Plumlee has played very well inside, and that could continue on Thursday night. Duke needs consistent play from their guards to both win the ACC and possibly win a national title, objectives that are still on the table at this point.

Undefeated #9 Murray State hosts Southeast Missouri State in a matchup of the top two teams in the OVC, with the Redhawks two games up on the pack for second place. Isaiah Canaan and Donte Poole have been one of the country's best perimeter tandems and the return of Ivan Aska was an important development for the Racers. Also of note are matchups in the NEC (Robert Morris visits Wagner), Pac-12 (Arizona looks to rebound from losing Kevin Parrom for the season in Berkeley against California) and WAC (Utah State visits Nevada with the hope of avenging their loss in Logan last month).

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM (5) Duke at Virginia Tech (ESPN)
8:00 PM Southeast Missouri State at (9) Murray State (ESPNU)
9:00 PM South Carolina at (11) Florida (ESPN2)
10:00 PM San Diego at (16) Saint Mary's

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Nebraska at Northwestern (ESPN2)
7:00 PM St. Francis (PA) at Mount St. Mary's
7:00 PM Quinnipiac at Fairleigh Dickinson
7:00 PM James Madison at Old Dominion
7:00 PM Canisius at Iona (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Samford at Appalachian State
7:00 PM Wright State at Butler
7:00 PM Charleston Southern at Campbell
7:00 PM Charleston at Elon
7:00 PM Presbyterian at High Point (MASN)
7:00 PM Gardner-Webb at Liberty
7:00 PM Bryant at LIU Brooklyn
7:00 PM Southern Virginia at Longwood
7:00 PM Sacred Heart at Monmouth
7:00 PM Citadel at UNC Greensboro
7:00 PM Winthrop at Radford
7:00 PM Central Connecticut State at St. Francis (NY)
7:00 PM UNC-Asheville at VMI
7:00 PM Robert Morris at Wagner (MSG)
7:00 PM Chattanooga at Western Carolina (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Detroit at Valparaiso (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Youngstown State at Illinois-Chicago
8:00 PM Middle Tennessee at North Texas
8:00 PM Utah Valley at Texas-Pan American
8:00 PM Tennessee Tech at Austin Peay
8:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at Eastern Illinois
8:00 PM Marist at Manhattan
8:00 PM Southern Utah at North Dakota State (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Morehead State at SIU-Edwardsville
8:00 PM Oral Roberts at South Dakota State
8:00 PM Jacksonville State at Tennessee-Martin
8:00 PM IPFW at Western Illinois
8:05 PM Florida Atlantic at South Alabama
8:05 PM Denver at Louisiana-Lafayette
8:05 PM North Dakota at Houston Baptist
8:30 PM Florida International at Troy
8:35 PM Eastern Washington at Northern Arizona (FCS)
9:00 PM Oregon State at Colorado
9:00 PM Idaho State at Montana State
9:00 PM Oregon at Utah
9:00 PM UCLA at Washington (ESPN)
9:00 PM Louisiana-Monroe at Arkansas State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Portland State at Weber State
9:05 PM Sacramento State at Northern Colorado
10:00 PM Arizona State at Stanford
10:00 PM Idaho at Fresno State
10:00 PM Portland at Santa Clara (ESPNU)
10:05 PM USC at Washington State
10:05 PM Cal Poly at Cal State Fullerton
10:05 PM Utah State at Nevada
10:05 PM UC Santa Barbara at Cal State Northridge
10:30 PM UC Davis at UC Irvine
10:30 PM Pepperdine at Loyola Marymount (FSN PT)
11:00 PM Arizona at California (FSN)
11:00 PM Pacific at UC Riverside
11:00 PM Gonzaga at BYU (ESPN2)

Monday Recap: Woodall Leads Pitt Past West Virginia

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:16:12 -0800

It wasn't that long ago that many left the Pittsburgh Panthers for dead, as they were in the midst of what would eventually become an eight-game losing streak. A key factor in the struggles that Jamie Dixon's team experienced was the absence of point guard Tray Woodall, who was out with abdominal and groin injuries. Woodall's back now and he looks to be healthy as well, as he led Pittsburgh to a 72-66 win over rival West Virginia in Morgantown with 24 points, four rebounds and three assists on the night. Woodall scored 16 of his 24 in the first half, proving too difficult for the Mountaineers to stop regardless of who they put on him.

Ashton Gibbs added 15 points for Pittsburgh, who didn't shoot well from three (3-for-10) but did make 21 of their 26 free throws. Also of importance in the win was the fact that Pitt outscored West Virginia 36-26 in the paint, a surprising stat given how much the Mountaineers call on forwards Kevin Jones (21 points, 13 rebounds) and Deniz Kilicli (12 points, nine rebounds). Neither team shot well from the perimeter, making the hustle plays even more of a factor in the outcome. And more times than not it was a Panther who came up with the big play.

"They out-toughed us. We blocked three shots in the first half, and they pick it up and get three-point plays out of it," remarked WVU head coach Bob Huggins when asked what the difference was. "We just don't get to the ball. Four balls went out of bounds and they save it back inbounds and we have a guy here and a guy here and they have a guy behind our two guys and he runs in and catches it and shoots a lay-up and our two guys still have yet to move. We just didn't get to the ball."

Pitt got off to a good start to the second half and they received the added boost of a technical foul assessed to Huggins despite the fact that he was yelling at Truck Bryant for missing a defensive rotation. Given what happened at Syracuse on Saturday another missed call could have been used as an excuse for the Mountaineers to self-destruct but they didn't, eventually cutting the Pitt lead to two points with 8:14 remaining.

This would be as close as the Mountaineers would get as a Panther team that's playing with a great deal of confidence hung on down the stretch. It's been known that this team has a great deal of pride, and players such as Gibbs, Woodall and Nasir Robinson won't allow them to lie down. Can Pittsburgh do enough to work their way back into the NCAA Tournament conversation? Don't rule that out, especially with Woodall back and playing the way he has of late.

"Obviously, I'm very happy for our guys and what they have done and how they have battled and what they have become," said Dixon following the game. "As you coach, you want to talk about what you can become and what you want to be and this is an example of a team that continued to battle and do the work."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Sears BracketBusters pairings announced, and quite a few fan bases aren't pleased with the results.
Monday was a big day in college basketball as the pairings for the upcoming Sears BracketBusters event were announced, and in the end it was tough to find many please fan bases outside of Saint Mary's and Murray State, who will play each other in Murray on February 18th. The Gaels are currently undefeated in the WCC and with a 21-2 record Randy Bennett's team will provide a major test for a Murray State team that's the nation's lone undefeated squad.

Long Beach State, who has taken on all comers in their non-conference schedule, will visit a Creighton team that leads the Missouri Valley and boasts an 8-2 record against RPI Top 100 teams. The 49ers are 2-5 against such teams and their two wins (Xavier and Pittsburgh) lost some luster due to the struggles of those teams, which sparked anger on the part of the Bluejay fan base.

Another fan base that was none too thrilled with their draw was that of Wichita State (3-4 vs. RPI Top 100), who will visit a Davidson (1-3 vs. RPI Top 100) team that owns a win over Kansas (in Kansas City) but has also played nine games (8-1 record) against teams ranked 201st or worse in the NCAA's RPI rankings. George Mason, currently first in the CAA, didn't even merit a televised game (non-televised match ups) in the eyes of the schedule-makers. But a slate that features 19 games against teams ranked 101 or worse in the RPI (17-2 record) may have had something to do with that.

Oral Roberts is another team that has a beef with the process as they drew an Akron team whose profile won't do a whole lot to boost that of the Golden Eagles. Clearly not everyone's going to be thrilled with the match ups, but at this point teams have a couple of weeks to improve their own resumes beforehand. How useful is BracketBusters? You'll likely get different answers based on who you ask, but the formula for getting to the NCAA Tournament hasn't changed with or without the event: win.

2. Michael Dixon Jr's driving bucket pushes Missouri past Texas in Austin.
Following a Kim English three-pointer with 4:44 remaining Frank Haith's Tigers led 63-53 and looked to be a safe bet to close out Texas despite being on the road and getting out-rebounded by a 38-26 margin at game's end. But the Tigers would go nearly three minutes without a made field goal, leaving the door open for a Longhorn team that at times couldn't stay out of its own way on the offensive end.

Texas took advantage and eventually took the lead on a four-point possession triggered by a flagrant 1 foul on Michael Dixon Jr. Dixon Jr. made up for his foul 25 seconds after, scoring on a left-handed shot off glass to give Missouri the 67-66 win. Texas had 27 seconds to find a shot, and while Myck Kabongo did get a look the Longhorns looked too confused to be allowed to play the possession out as they had a timeout remaining.

"We had two things ready: one for man and one for zone," said Texas head coach Rick Barnes. "And the one for the zone, we didn't move or cut the way we needed to. But we knew. During the timeout, we said, 'You've got to be ready for a zone.' And what we wanted to do, we didn't do as hard and effective as we had to do it."

Dixon Jr. scored 21 points off the bench while Phil Pressey and Ricardo Ratliffe scored 13 apiece for the Tigers, who remained tied for first place in the Big 12 ahead of a huge battle with rival Kansas this coming weekend. Even with the rebounding and free throw (16-8 Texas edge in points) numbers working against them Missouri found a way to win, and that's what good teams do.

3. While Mississippi Valley State has a sold grip on first place in the SWAC, the race for the two-seed became much more intriguing.
The Delta Devils are now 9-0 in conference play following their 77-59 win over Grambling, and while Southern is 7-2 the Jaguars are ineligible for postseason play so they can't wrestle away the top seed for the conference tournament. Texas Southern is eligible, but their 66-59 overtime loss at Alabama State despite leading by as many as 18 points dropped them to 6-3 in SWAC play and they're now just a game ahead of the Hornets and Prairie View A&M at the halfway point.

Neither team shot well from the field but it was Alabama State who took better advantage of their own misses, grabbing 21 offensive rebounds (OR%: 47.7%) and out-rebounding the Tigers 47-36 on the night. Ivory White led the way for the victors with 21 points and nine rebounds, Phillip Crawford added 17 and Ryan Watts scored 15 points off the bench. Texas Southern's reserves outscored Alabama State's 40-19 (Fred Sturdivant scored 16 of the 40) but that didn't matter much due to the extra opportunities they gave up on the glass and the fact that the starters combined to shoot 8-for-25 from the field.

Next up for Texas Southern is a trip to Prairie View, which means that the race for the two-seed could become even more entertaining should the Tigers lose. Up 48-30 with 9:04 remaining the odds of Tony Harvey's team closing the game out looked to be good, but when you make just one field goal and turn the ball over seven times down the stretch that can come back to burn you. That's exactly what happened to Texas Southern, and as a result they now find themselves in a situation they could have easily avoided.

Quick Hitters

1. Clemson will be without the services of junior forward Milton Jennings at Virginia on Tuesday night as he's suspended due to a failure to comply with the team's academic standards. Jennings is averaging 8.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game for the Tigers, who are currently 11-9 overall and 3-3 in the ACC.

2. The strangest game of the night took place in Norfolk as Coppin State handed Norfolk State their first MEAC loss by the final score of 87-82. Fang Mitchell's team led 35-13 at the half, only to survive a staggering 69-point second half from the Spartans to move to 6-3 in the MEAC. Kyle O'Quinn, who can make a serious claim for being the nation's most underrated player, led NSU with 27 points and 18 rebounds.

3. Belmont and Mercer both took care of business, with the Bruins beating North Florida 83-69 in Nashville while Mercer won 75-66 at Florida Gulf Coast. Kerron Johnson led four Belmont players in double figures with 16 points and Blake Jenkins added 15 and seven rebounds, while Langston Hall's 20 points and six assists led Mercer to their win. USC Upstate is a game back in the loss column but after them the rest of the A-Sun is three games back.

4. Southeast Missouri State moved to 7-2 in the OVC with a 74-53 win at Eastern Illinois, and they remain in second place (two games behind Murray State) as a result. Marland Smith scored 19 points and Tyler Stone added 18 and ten boards for the Redhawks, who have won eight of their last ten games.

5. With head coach Bobby Cremins taking a leave of absence from the team due to an undisclosed health issue, it was good to see Charleston pick up a win. The Cougars won 68-52 at Samford as Antwaine Wiggins scored 25 points to lead the way.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Kevin Murphy (Tennessee Tech)
Murphy went off in the Golden Eagles' 98-80 win over SIU-Edwardsville, scoring 50 points (16-21 FG) and dishing out seven assists.

2. F/C Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State)
27 points and 18 rebounds in the Spartans' 87-82 loss to Coppin State.

3. G Tray Woodall (Pittsburgh)
24 points (8-12 FG), four rebounds and three assists in the Panthers' 72-66 win at West Virginia.

Texas vs. #4 Missouri: Monday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:22:33 -0800

With the final month of regular season play just two days away, the focus turns to the resumes that teams have put together in hopes of being one of the 68 teams in the NCAA Tournament. While Frank Haith's Missouri (19-2, 6-2) has no such concerns at this point the team they visit on Monday night isn't in the same position. Rick Barnes' young Texas (13-8, 3-5) need to improve their resume and soon if they're to return to the NCAA Tournament. The Longhorns' best wins to date are home wins over Temple and Iowa State, and with a 12-1 record at home Texas is more than a tough out at the Erwin Events Center.

Missouri last won in Austin in 2009, which isn't a bad streak when considering the fact that they would only play once a season before the drop to ten conference teams. Frank Haith's team has lost to Kansas State and Oklahoma State on the road with rebounding being a key factor, just as it was in their win at Baylor. Texas is a slightly better rebounding team when considering margin but they also allow teams to grab just over 13 offensive rebounds per game, which could be an issue with Ricardo Ratliffe (14.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg) averaging 2.9 offensive rebounds per game.

Ratliffe leads the nation in field goal percentage due to the fact that he rarely attempts a shot more than five feet away from the basket. Texas will counter with a frontline that goes four deep but the most talented players are the least experienced. Seniors Alexis Wangmene and Clint Chapman share time with freshmen Jaylen Bond and Jonathan Holmes, and this four-man group averages a combined 22.9 points and 20.0 rebounds per game. If they can get Ratliffe in foul trouble the dynamic inside changes, because even though Steve Moore has made solid contributions there's a drop in production when Ratliffe is saddled with foul trouble.

The problem for Texas lies on the perimeter, because even though they're talented the Longhorns lack experience when compared to the Tigers. Phil Pressey (9.8 ppg, 6.1 apg) is one of the best point guards in the country, and his playmaking ability will be a serious test for Texas freshman Myck Kabongo (9.9 ppg, 5.5 apg) on the defensive end. Pressey sets the table for Missouri's capable rotation of perimeter scorers, from leader Marcus Denmon to wing Kim English to sixth man Michael Dixon Jr. and those are just three of the benefactors. Texas calls on junior J'Covan Brown (19.7 ppg, 4.0 apg) to make big shots but while his decision-making has improved during his time in Austin there are still moments where he strays off the path.

Freshmen Shelden McClellan and Julien Lewis are averaging a combined 19.0 points per game and with the majority of Missouri's defensive attention likely being on Brown, at least one of these two will need to make an impact on the offensive end. Missouri boasts the better efficiency numbers on both ends of the floor, and that can't be the case for the Longhorns if they're to pull off the win. If Texas can also attack the offensive glass, as they enter with an offensive rebounding percentage of 39.7%, and cash in on some second-chance points they'll have a shot. Do that and get Ratliffe in early foul trouble, and it could be a good night on the 40 Acres.

Also of note are a pair of conference rivalry games, as Pittsburgh visits Morgantown to take on West Virginia and Penn hosts Princeton in an important Ivy League battle. Jamie Dixon's Panthers have won two straight games and with a healthy Tray Woodall at the point they're a much better team than the one that lost eight straight games. As for West Virginia they'll be looking to rebound from a tough loss at Syracuse, one marred by a missed goaltending violation in the final seconds of the game. Kevin Jones is one of the frontrunners for Big East Player of the Year at this point while their young guards have shown signs of improvement.

As for the Ivy League battle, Jerome Allen's Quakers remain undefeated in conference play (and tied with Harvard in the loss column) while Princeton is 1-1 in league play and needs a win to remain a major player in the race. Penn guard Zach Rosen has to be considered the best player in the Ancient Eight right now and classmate Tyler Bernardini is no slouch himself. Forward Ian Hummer and guard Doug Davis lead the way for the Tigers, who split their opening weekend of play with a loss at Cornell followed by a win at Columbia.

In the A-Sun Mercer visits Florida Gulf Coast in a key game for both teams, but moreso for Bob Hoffman's Bears as they're currently tied for the league lead with Belmont. Justin Cecil and Jakob Gollon lead a balanced offensive attack for Mercer, while Sherwood Brown and Bernard Thompson lead the way for FGCU, who also have one of the conference's better freshmen performers in point guard Brent Comer. Coppin State visits undefeated Norfolk State in an important MEAC battle and Southeast Missouri State looks to hold their two-game edge in the loss column for second place in the OVC as they visits a struggling Eastern Illinois squad.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM (4) Missouri at Texas (ESPN)

NCAA Division I Games
6:15 PM USC Upstate at Jacksonville State
7:00 PM Kennesaw State at Stetson
7:00 PM Princeton at Pennsylvania
7:00 PM Pittsburgh at West Virginia (ESPN)
7:00 PM Palm Beach Atlantic at UCF
7:00 PM James Madison at East Tennessee State
7:00 PM Morgan State at Hampton (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Western Carolina at Wofford
7:05 PM Mercer at Florida Gulf Coast
7:30 PM Jacksonville at Lipscomb
7:30 PM Maryland-Eastern Shore at North Carolina Central
7:30 PM Howard at South Carolina State
8:00 PM North Florida at Belmont
8:00 PM Southeast Missouri State at Eastern Illinois
8:00 PM Delaware State at North Carolina A&T
8:00 PM Coppin State at Norfolk State
8:00 PM Charleston at Samford
8:00 PM Austin Peay at Tennessee State
8:00 PM SIU-Edwardsville at Tennessee Tech
8:30 PM Prairie View A&M at Alabama A&M
8:30 PM Jackson State at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
8:30 PM Grambling State at Mississippi Valley State
8:30 PM Northern Colorado at Northern Arizona (FCS)
9:00 PM Texas Southern at Alabama State (ESPNU)

Thirty-Two Impact Freshmen, Part Two

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 21:59:30 -0700

After going over the teams expected to win their regular season titles, we move on to talking about the top freshmen in each conference. Will all automatically take over and become the stars of their respective teams and leagues? It's tough to say at this point in the season, but that doesn't mean that we can't discuss it. Below are the picks for final 16 conferences, and Part One can be found here.

MAC: Kris Brewer (Kent State)
The Memphis native spent last season at Brehm Prep in Illinois, and his presence will add to the options that Rob Senderoff can call upon. The Golden Flashes are expected to contend in the MAC this season due to their returnees, but the ability of a player like Brewer will help as well.

MEAC: Dwight Meikle (Hampton)
Meikle was originally expected to attend St. John's but the school released him from his Letter of Intent in April, clearing the way for Hampton to land a player who could be among the best in the MEAC. Meikle's a versatile wing who can both score and attack the glass, something the Pirates will need if they're to win the MEAC.

Missouri Valley: Christian Kirk (Missouri State)
Kirk had to sit out his senior season due to Missouri transfer rules, but there's no doubt that Missouri State gets a player who is a serious candidate for Newcomer of the Year honors. As a junior at St. Charles (MO) High, Kirk averaged 17.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.

Mountain West: Hugh Greenwood (New Mexico)
Big things are expected from the Australian, who many expect to slide right into the starting role left open by the departed Dairese Gary. Greenwood averaged 17.1 points per game for the Australian U-19 team at the U-19 World Championships this summer in Latvia, and at 6'3", 209 he's got the size needed to play the point with a physicality not seen in many freshmen.

Northeast: Andrew Nicholas (Monmouth)
Nicholas has the ability to step in and play right away in the first season of the King Rice era at Monmouth. Nicholas can play both forward positions and is a versatile offensive player, something the Hawks need given their offensive issues last season (averaged just 60.5 points per game).

Ohio Valley: Nino Johnson (Southeast Missouri State)
Getting the Memphis native to commit during the early signing period last season was quite the coup for the Redhawks, who get a 6'8" forward more than capable of contributing immediately. Johnson's physical tools have made him the trendy pick to be the best freshman in the OVC, and it would come as no surprise if he were to make good on the preseason praise.

Pac-12: Josiah Turner (Arizona)
The case could be made that the Sacramento native is the best point guard in the Pac-12 before playing a game in college. He's that skilled, possessing the ability to make plays for himself as well as setting up teammates for quality shots. If Turner performs at the level many expect him to, don't be surprised if the Wildcats win the league.

Patriot: Justin Burrell (Holy Cross)
The Crusaders lost their leading assist man in Andrew Beinert, which could open the door for the 5'8" Burrell. The Virginia native averaged 20.0 points, 8.0 assists and 4.0 steals per game as a high school senior and spent last year at Fishburne Military School in Virginia.

SEC: Anthony Davis (Kentucky)
Davis' upside (not going to go into the overused story of his growth spurt during high school) makes him a candidate to be one of the best players in America and not just one of the nation's best freshmen. The power forward can do a variety of things on both ends of the floor, and his play as a senior earned him a McDonald's All-America Game selection.

Southern: Adjehi Baru (College of Charleston)
With returning starter Willis Hall being lost for the season due to a torn ACL it was critical that the Cougars received some good news from the NCAA on Baru. Thursday brought that news, bolstering the frontcourt of a team expected to once again contend for the SoCon title. Baru averaged 19.0 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game at The Steward School in Richmond, Virginia last year.

Southland: Luke Mergerson (Texas State)
With just two starters returning the Bobcats will likely need to call on some of their nine newcomers to contribute this year. One of those players is Mergerson, who played at Duncanville (TX) High School. At 6'8", 240, Mergerson has the size needed to be an impact freshman in the Southland Conference.

SWAC: LeAntwan Luckett (Alcorn State)
Luther Riley takes over as head coach at Alcorn State with the hope being that he can turn around a program that won just six game over the last two seasons. Luckett will be a key component for the Braves, as he is a slasher who averaged just under 20 points per game as a high school senior. Luckett received offers from BCS programs but chose Alcorn, and the Braves could benefit greatly from his decision.

Summit: Matt Poches (Oakland)
Given the loss of big man Keith Benson, some may not think that Greg Kampe's Golden Grizzlies can win the Summit League again. But they will be right back in the mix thanks in large part to the number of contributors returning on the perimeter. There lies the problem for a talented player like Poches: when and how often can he get on the floor? But the freshman is athletic enough to help Oakland out if he can earn playing time.

Sun Belt: Mychal Ammons (South Alabama)
Ammons led his Vicksburg (MS) High team to a 6A state title last season, averaging 21.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game as a senior. And as Ronnie Arrow looks to rebound from a disappointing 2010-11 without four starters from that team, players such as the versatile Ammons will need to step up.

WCC: Gary Bell, Jr. (Gonzaga)
Mark Few put together a very good recruiting class and the Kent, Washington native is the centerpiece of it. Bell was the state's Mr. Basketball last year, and he also played on the same Seattle Rotary Select team as Washington freshman Tony Wroten Jr. Bell's versatility on the wing will help account for the loss of Steven Gray and allow the Zags to once again contend for a WCC title.

WAC: Shaquille Stokes (Hawaii)
It's probably a safe assumption that Stokes doesn't have issues with homesickness given the fact that the New York City native picked the furthest possible location to attend college. Stokes averaged 18.4 points and four assists per game as a senior at Lincoln (NY) High, helping lead the Railsplitters to a 29-3 record last season.

Jon Teitel's "Forgotten Legends" Series: Southeast Missouri's Carl Ritter

Jon Teitel — Mon, 23 May 2011 21:41:01 -0700

In the latest installment in his "Forgotten Legends" interview series CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with Carl Ritter, who to this day remains the all-time leading scorer in Southeast Missouri history. Ritter, who also sits atop the record books in career free throw percentage, helped lead SEMO to the 1961 Division II Tournament finals.

Jon Teitel: In 1957 your Advance High School team had a one-point loss to Pembroke Country Day in the Class M state title game. Did you feel like you should have won that game, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterwards?

Carl Ritter: I definitely feel like we should have won it: Pembroke made a shot with 7 seconds left that went in off the side of the backboard. I was the tallest guy on my team at 6'2", but Pembroke had some guys who were 6'6"/6'7".

JT: You were a two-time first team all-state player and you scored almost 30 points per game as a senior in 1958. How good a player were you back in the day, and what is the secret to being a great scorer?

CR: I was a natural-born shooter, but still put in a lot of practice even as a kid in my kitchen. Later I would practice out in my backyard, and then found a friend who had a basket in his backyard. A lot of teams back then played a slower game but we were a run-and-gun team. The high school coach first put me on his 8th grade team even though I was just a 6th grader. By the time I was a high school senior I was a marked man, and the opposing team would put their best defender on me in every game.

JT: Why did you decide to attend Southeast Missouri?

CR: I was offered several scholarships to places like Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Memphis State, etc. My dad was from the St. Louis area but was not a big basketball fan. He did not get to see a lot of my high school games due to his heart trouble, so I thought about going to St. Louis and playing for Hall of Fame Coach Ed Hickey on a full scholarship. However that summer they got a new coach who had brought in some players from Drake, so I decided to go elsewhere. I had visions of going to a bigger school, but since my dad was in bad health I felt that I should go to Southeast Missouri to be near him. I do not regret it for one minute. I felt that I could shoot with anyone on the floor back then, even in Division I.

JT: In the 1961 Division II Tournament you had a four-point loss to Wittenberg and legendary coach Ray Mears in the finals. Did you consider your run in the tournament to be a success (due to making it to the title game) or a failure (due to getting so close but not winning it all)?

CR: We beat SIU to go to the nationals that year and they had future ABA All-Star Chico Vaughn. Wittenberg's offense was their defense, as they controlled the tempo of the game due to no shot clock. They basically took us out of our running style so we only scored 38 points. I felt that it was a success to get to the title game. Of course I wanted to be on a national championship team, but it was a privilege and honor to make it that far: there were a lot of teams at home who would have traded places with us in a second! That being said, it was disappointing to lose.

JT: You were named to the all-tournament team that year. What did it mean to you to win such an outstanding individual honor?

CR: It was a great honor to be among the five players who were picked. I was a team player so I would rather have had my team win it all then for me to make the all-tournament team. You cannot win a national championship with one player. It takes an entire team.

JT: You remain the all-time leading scorer in school history. Did you realize at the time how prolific a player you were, and do you think anyone will ever break your record?

CR: I was second team All-American in 1961 and 1962, and Southeast Missouri retired my number a few decades later. I am the only player to ever have his jersey retired, and I was also the first player inducted into the Southeast Missouri Hall of Fame (in 2002). I have eight school records that still stand: highest career FT%, most FT made in a game, etc. My family and I are very proud of the records but I never bragged about it. If we had a three-point line back then I would have scored even more points as many of my shots were from far away. If God had not given me my talent I could have never made it to college. I got married during my freshman year, and my wife supported me in everything I did. I think someone will break my record because the players today play a lot more games now than we ever did. I knew that I was a good player, but never felt that I was a player who people would look up to or that I was better than my teammates.

JT: In the summer of 1963 you were drafted by St. Louis but you did not end up making the roster. Were you thrilled to have been drafted or disappointed to not make the roster?

CR: Harry Gallatin was the St. Louis coach at the time. My knee had been hurting during my senior year and crumbled on me during the first day of practice in the NBA, and that just ended my career. The Hawks' #1 choice that year was Gerry Ward from BC. I thought I could have played as well as Ward but never got the opportunity. I am a believer that things happen to us for a reason, even if we do not understand why.

JT: In 1980 you coached Bell City to an upset victory over eventual 2A state champion Scott County (its only loss of the season). How good was that Scott City team, and how on earth were you able to beat them?

CR: Scott County was very good that year but so were we, even though we did not have a single player over 6' tall. We had a very quick team with shooters who could really jump. That was a big win for us.

JT: Your granddaughter Kacie played volleyball at Southeast Missouri and your grandson Jared played basketball there. Why did they choose to follow in your footsteps, and do they credit at least some of their success to genetics?

CR: I retired as basketball coach in the 1990s to become school principal, and I was asked to coach the girls' volleyball team. We won the state tourney in 1996! At the ceremony when Southeast Missouri retired my jersey, they gave me a ball and asked me to take a three-point shot. I swished it and I even have the tape to prove it! Jared used to follow me around all the time (he probably thinks I can walk on water), so he always wanted to follow in my footsteps even though he was not a big kid. He decided to walk on at Southeast Missouri and his grades started to slip a lot, but as soon as he joined the team as a scholarship player his grades started to improve. Kacie was also a pretty good athlete, as she played four years of college volleyball.

JT: When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most?

CR: When I was a principal I always told my students that I hoped people would 1 day say that they want to be like the man I was. I hope I set a good example, as I have always been helpful to children. My records are not my legacy. I want to be a role model to my grandkids, my family, and my community.

Ritter is also on Jon's list of best players in OVC history.

Austin Peay: Bubba Wells (1997) 2267 PTS (#1), 40.5 3P% (#3), All-American, conference POY
Eastern Illinois: Henry Domercant (2003) 2602 PTS (#1), 798 REB (#2), 66 BLK (#5), 285 3PM (#1), 40.5 3P% (#4), 85.2 FT% (#2), All-American, conference POY
Eastern Kentucky: Mike Rose (2009) 1763 PTS (#2), 184 STL, 271 3PM (#2), 38.2 3P%, 75 FT%
Jacksonville State: Robert Lee Sanders (1990) 1983 PTS (#1), 256 3PM (#1), All-American, conference POY
Morehead State: Ricky Minard (2004) 2381 PTS (#1), 417 AST (#2), 247 STL (#1), 226 3PM (#1), conference POY
Murray State: Popeye Jones (1992) 2057 PTS (#4), 1374 REB (#1), 2-time conference POY
SE Missouri State: Carl Ritter (1963) 1916 PTS (#1), 87.3 FT% (#1), All-American
Tennessee State: Dick Barnett (1959) 3209 PTS (#1), 3-time All-American
Tennessee Tech: Earl Wise (1990) 2196 PTS (#1), 845 REB (#4), 155 STL (#5), All-American
Tennessee-Martin: Lester Hudson (2009) 1727 PTS (#2), 169 STL (#3), 230 3PM (#2), 85.6 FT% (#1), All-American, 2-time conference POY

College Hoops Wednesday Recap: Lobos Completes Sweep of BYU

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:31:39 -0800

There was the question about how BYU would get along without the suspended Brandon Davies, who was their third-leading scorer and leading rebounder before his dismissal. But while the early returns certainly don't look good, keep in mind the fact that New Mexico beat BYU in their first meeting with Davies on the floor. But they weren't beaten on the boards in that contest as they were tonight, as the Lobos out-rebounded BYU 45-29 on their way to an impressive 82-64 win at the Marriott Center.

Phillip McDonald led four New Mexico players in double figures with 26 points and the Lobos landed the first blow early, going with both Drew Gordon (15 points, 16 rebounds) and A.J. Hardeman (eight rebounds) in the starting lineup in hopes of taking advantage of BYU's lack of size.

The idea for Dave Rose's team without Davies in the lineup is to speed up the pace, but if you can't rebound it's tough to spark those scoring opportunities. Add in the Cougars shooting 5-for-26 from deep (Jimmer Fredette made just one of nine despite scoring a game-high 33) and the end result is a game that heads in the wrong direction for BYU.

"I thought a big key to the win was we did a good job understanding what we had to do," said New Mexico head coach Steve Alford. "We beat them on the boards." (quote courtesy of BYU Athletics)

The rebounding advantage allowed the Lobos to navigate 18 turnovers, with BYU scoring just 12 points off of those miscues. BYU never led and with just two players in double figures (Fredette and Jackson Emery) it was quite apparent that the Cougars need more time to get adjusted to life without Davies. But that's the key; similar to Purdue losing Robbie Hummel late last season (the Boilermakers did have a little more time to get used to playing without Hummel) there isn't much time left for BYU to figure things out.

Running basketball begins with defense and rebounding, and if BYU struggles in those two areas (UNM shot 46.6% from the field) it's going to be tough to play faster. But there's still one more regular season game to be played (Wyoming) followed by the Mountain West Tournament, and with players such as Emery, Fredette and Charles Abouo BYU has the talent and experience needed to figure things out. But can they do it at a level that will ensure NCAA Tournament success? That remains to be seen, but at the least give them the chance to provide more than just one piece of evidence.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Duke and North Carolina take care of business, setting up a showdown for the outright ACC crown.
The two rivals had one piece of business left to take care of before they meet in Chapel Hill on Saturday night with a pair of hungry teams standing in their way. Duke maintained a decent amount of separation in beating Clemson 70-59 behind seniors Kyle Singler (18 points, 11 rebounds) and Nolan Smith (21 points, seven assists). Seth Curry, who was scoreless in the loss at Virginia Tech on Saturday, added 18 on a night that saw none of the reserves score a point. Can Duke get away with such contributions on Saturday night? That's possible but may be asking a little too much of their leaders, given how well North Carolina has played of late.

Harrison Barnes knocked down the game-winning three from the top of the key with three seconds remaining to give the Tar Heels the win at Florida State, and he finished with 18 points to go along with John Henson's 19 and 12 rebounds. But the Heels' growth has been made possible by freshman point guard Kendall Marshall, who has an impeccable basketball mind. Marshall finished the game with eight assists to just three turnovers, and he leads the ACC in assists per game. North Carolina is without Reggie Bullock, which limits their bench on the perimeter, but Leslie McDonald scored 10 points off the bench and similar performances will be needed down the stretch. Any game in this rivalry is big, but the addition of a conference title being on the line spices things up even more.

2. Cincinnati continues their revival with a win at Marquette.
About a month ago there were serious questions about the Cincinnati Bearcats. Were they a fraud propped up by a weak non-conference schedule? When would Yancy Gates show off the fire that would match his skill set? Mick Cronin's gotten the needed answers of late, with the most recent win being a 67-60 victory at Marquette to put themselves in position to earn a first round bye in the Big East Tournament. Cashmere Wright finished with 15 points and five assists while Gates posted a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, and fellow starters Dion Dixon and Ibrahima Thomas scored 12 points apiece.

Jimmy Butler led Marquette with a game-high 30 points and Darius Johnson-Odom added 15, but the Golden Eagles shot 38.8% from the field on the night (the rest of the team was 7-for-23). Cincinnati's improved defensively and become more unselfish offensively (17 assists on 23 made baskets), making them a tougher team to contend with on both ends of the floor. And as a result it's near impossible to envision an NCAA Tournament field without them in it.

3. Both games in the OVC Tournament result in wins for the lower-seeded teams.
East Tennessee State needed a steal late to survive in the Atlantic Sun Tournament, and outside of Holy Cross losing to Lafayette the Patriot League quarterfinals were all chalk. This wasn't the case in the OVC, where both lower-seeded teams won the first-round games. Southeast Missouri State held Eastern Kentucky to 28.1% shooting with the Colonels going 9-for-29 on two-point shots in their 65-49 victory. Marland Smith led the Redhawks with 20 points and 11 rebounds and Leon Powell added 12 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

As for the other first round matchup Tennessee-Martin knocked off Tennessee State behind 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists from Terence Smith. Defensively the Skyhawks got the job done beyond the arc, limiting the conference's third-best team in regards to percentage to 13.3% (2-for-15). Next up for these two upstarts: Tennessee Tech (UT Martin) and Austin Peay (Southeast Missouri State), with both having been swept in the regular season series. The good news for UT Martin is that one of their losses to Tennessee Tech was a 109-105 triple-overtime affair, while the Redhawks lost both game to Austin Peay by double figures. But given the unpredictable nature of conference tournaments anything is possible.

Top Three Games

1. (13) North Carolina 72, Florida State 70

2. Nicholls State 83, Northwestern State 81 (OT)
Anatoly Bose took over in the extra session, scoring nine of his thirty points to lead the Colonels to an 83-81 win at home. Will Pratt led the Demons with 24 points as they dropped a game behind McNeese State atop the East Division of the Southland Conference.

3. Lamar 113, Texas State 102
Talk about a wild one. Mike James scored 30 points and Brandon Davis 22 to lead the Cardinals, who led by as many as 25 in the second half before hanging on for dear life. Tony Bishop led Texas State with 27 points and 12 rebounds in defeat.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Tony Bishop (Texas State)
27 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and two blocks in the Bobcats' 113-102 loss at Lamar.

2. F Andy Ogide (Colorado State)
24 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocks in the Rams' 78-6 win over Utah.

3. F Vlad Moldeveanu (American)
31 points (11-19 FG), seven rebounds and two assists in the Eagles' 69-53 win over Colgate in a Patriot League quarterfinal.

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OVC Tournament Preview & Predictions

Evan Dorey — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:44:02 -0800

This is one in a series of my conference tournament previews, in which I run down all the teams involved, giving a brief statistical review and picking out some of the key players, and presenting the log5 projections, using in-conference offensive and defensive efficiency. The basic log5 methodology comes from Bill James, and this is an area Ken Pomeroy has looked at in the past as well. I claim nothing new in the application, but obviously with slightly different methodologies, these numbers may differ from others you find. I don’t claim to be an expert on any particular conference, and I’m sure there are some mis-characterizations on some players I’ve seen sparingly at best, so please add your thoughts in the comments. Anyway, with no further ado, the preview follows below:

Ohio Valley

The OVC Tournament features the top 8 teams out of a 10 team league, with the quarterfinals being hosted at the home courts of the top 4 seeds, and the two later rounds hosted at the Sommet Center in Nashville.

OVC Tournament Odds

#	Team	SF	F	W
1	Tennessee Martin	90.91%	58.86%	30.81%
2	Austin Peay	80.67%	25.43%	10.06%
3	Murray St.	93.43%	69.19%	42.55%
4	Morehead St.	73.48%	30.09%	12.17%
5	Eastern Kentucky	26.52%	8.67%	2.81%
6	Tennessee St.	6.57%	1.87%	0.35%
7	Eastern Illinois	19.33%	3.50%	0.82%
8	Tennessee Tech	9.09%	2.37%	0.45%

It’s interesting to see that the #1 seeds and league champions aren’t the favorites, a title that belongs to #3 Murray St. The first four teams were separated by just two games in the standings, but the efficiency stats tell us that Martin and Murray St. are in a separate class.

#1 – Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks (21-8, 14-4) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.114

Last NCAA Tournament bid: None

Tennessee-Martin has had an excellent season, claiming its first OVC regular season title, powered by a ten-game winning streak early in the conference schedule. The Skyhawks aren’t spectacular in any area, but do a lot of things well, and don’t make a lot of mistakes. Their main weakness is long-distance shooting, where they sit last in the OVC, but they make up for it by shooting 74% at the free throw line and earning a lot of extra possessions on the glass and by avoiding turnovers. Martin also defends well, managing to dominate the turnover margin by forcing a lot.

Players to watch:

6-2 SR Lester Hudson, 26.6 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 2.4 SPG, 50.8 eFG% - The only player more important to his team than Hudson is some Curry guy that you might have heard about once or twice. Like Curry, Hudson’s shooting percentages aren’t that impressive on their own, but when you consider how many shots he takes, you really get a sense of how valuable he is. He also is a key player in lot of other areas, leading the Skyhawks in rebounding and steals, and putting up a very good assist rate.

6-1 JR Delrico Lane, 5.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 4.9 APG, 2.3 SPG, 51.5 eFG% - Lane doesn’t score much, but let’s face it, there’s not a lot of shots available once Hudson and second-best scorer Marquis Weddle get their share. Lane has done a good job getting the ball to Hudson, leading the OVC in assists, and like Hudson has an excellent steal rate.

#2 – Austin Peay Governors (17-12, 13-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.053

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2008 (1^st Round)

The Governors face the strange situation of being lucky, as their record is somewhat better than their efficiency margin would suggest, but also unlucky, as a couple of losses in overtime are the only thing separating them from a conference title. Still, it’s telling that this is the #4 favorite by the log5 method, and to see them suffer an ‘upset’ wouldn’t be a big surprise. Austin Peay is the best pure shooting team in the conference, well over 50% from inside and at 39% from behind the arc, and the second best OVC offense overall. For all their ability to make shots, though, stopping opponents from doing the same has been difficult, especially from long distance, where they put up the conference’s worst defensive mark. The Governors are the only team of the top 4 seeds to give up more than a point-per possession, and their defensive woes will probably be their downfall.

Players to watch:

6-5 SR Drake Reed, 22.4 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 59.0 eFG% - In a lot of other conferences in the nation, Reed’s numbers would be good enough to make him a clear top scorer and the favorite for player of the year, but with Hudson taking the spotlight, Reed has to settle for being the OVC’s #2 scorer. Reed doesn’t take as large a proportion of his team’s shots as Hudson does, but he’s much more efficient, nearly 60% from inside the arc and a 40% outside shooter. He’s also in the top 5 in the conference in rebounding and rarely turns the ball over.

6-3 JR Wes Channels, 16.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 51.1 eFG% - Channels takes a similar proportion of the Governors’ shots as Reed, but is much more dependent on the three-pointer, and isn’t quite as good a percentage shooter. Still, he’s a good scoring guard who leads the team in assists, and combines with Reed to form a deadly inside-outside duo.

#3 – Murray St. Racers (17-12, 13-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.129

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2006 (1^st Round)

Murray St. may be the third seed, but don’t be surprised to see it run off with a 14^th NCAA tourney appearance, the best of any OVC team. The worst of the Racers’ five losses came by 6 points, meaning that their efficiency margin is the highest in the league. This is mostly due to a defense that is clearly the best in the OVC; opponents make few threes and turn the ball over a lot, a clear sign of how good the Racers are on the perimeter. They aren’t great at making threes themselves, but tend to focus on scoring from two, where they are efficient enough to have a decent offense overall. The Racers’ style probably contributes to why they’ve had so many close losses; their defensive, slow-paced game makes it a lot more difficult to get a big margin against weaker teams.

Players to watch:

6-2 SO Isaac Miles, 10.3 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 3.8 APG, 48.2 eFG% - The team’s second leading scorer is entering the tournament on a roll, having scored in double digits in each of the last five games, and has done this despite taking a lot of bad shots from behind the arc, where he hits less than 30%. He’s a good scorer from two who gets a lot of chances at the line, and while he puts up a lot of assists, he also has occasional bouts of major turnover trouble.

6-4 JR Danero Thomas, 11.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 47.1 eFG% - Thomas isn’t a great offensive player, but leads the Racers in scoring, and is a decent shooter, though like Miles he struggles from behind the arc. His best performance comes on the defensive end, where he’s the team’s best shot-blocker and one of the conference leaders in steals.

#4 – Morehead St. Eagles (16-15, 12-6) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.066

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1984 (1^st Round)

The last of the teams that open the season at home, Morehead seemed to be destined for a tough year when they started 0-6, but had turned it around by the time conference play began, though they should be concerned after closing the season on a four-game losing streak. The Eagles are similar to Murray St., depending on inside play on the offensive end, but doing their best work defensively, but they aren’t as effective at either end as the Racers. Morehead isn’t too strong from the field, but is a good offensive rebounding team that does a great job getting to the line, and making shots once there. Defensively, the Eagles best play also comes inside, as they hold opponents to a conference-best 44.5% from two, and are good rebounders and shot-blockers.

Players to watch:

6-8 SO Kenneth Faried, 13.5 PPG, 12.6 RPG, 2.1 SPG, 2.0 BPG, 56.4 eFG% - Faried is probably the conference’s best big man, fourth nationally in rebounding and the only Valley player averaging more than nine boards a game. He’s a 56% shooter from the field who also sits in the top 3 of the conference rankings in steals and blocks. The only real weakness in his game is his free throw shooting, where he’s worse than from the field, but he looks like he’ll be a great player in the conference in the years to come.

6-5 SR Leon Buchanan, 15.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 53.5 eFG% - Buchanan is a great interior partner for Faried, a decent rebounder who shoots a good percentage, and unlike the sophomore, does a really great job at the free throw line. He’s an 81% shooter who makes a lot of appearances, and the points he gets there are enough to make him the team’s leading scorer.

#5 – Eastern Kentucky Colonels (18-12, 10-8) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.036

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2007 (1^st Round)

Eastern Kentucky are an ideal example of how a team’s tempo can confuse those who don’t take it into account. The Colonels are easily the slowest team in the OVC, and a look at their point-per-game numbers would lead you to suggest that they are merely average offensively. In reality, the Colonels tend to be involved in the conference’s most offensively efficient games, boasting the OVC’s best offense, and the worst defense of the teams qualifying for the tournament. The Colonels are an offensive dream, putting up a 55.7 eFG% in conference, and one of the nation’s best marks in the category of the whole season, and having the OVC’s lowest turnover rate. Their problems come inside, where they don’t get much of their offense (the second-most three-dependent team in the country), and are terrible on the glass. Opponents shred EKU’s defense seemingly at will, shooting 54%, and even the ability to force a lot of turnovers doesn’t help much.

Players to watch:

6-4 SR Mike Rose, 20.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 59.2 eFG% - The third 20 PPG player in the conference, Rose is the deadliest three-point shooter on a team that thrives behind the arc. Shooting 49% from long-distance is the kind of percentage we expect from an occasional shooter, not someone who puts up more than 200 attempts a season. He’s one of the team’s better rebounders and a solid defender, but his value is all in that shot.

6-7 SO Justin Stommes, 10.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 59.4 eFG% - Behind Rose, there are a group of other strong shooters, though none with the frequency, or the success, of the Colonels’ leading scorer. Stommes is the best of the bunch, and he provides a great alternative option from outside.

#6 – Tennessee St. Tigers (12-17, 9-9) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.048

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1994 (1^st Round)

The Tigers made a lot of headlines, and got a lot of criticism, for firing Cy Alexander mid-season, but it worked out pretty well, as they went 6-1, including six straight wins entering the tournament, to manage a .500 finish in the conference. Tennessee St.’s defense is almost as bad as EKU’s, one of the worst in the tournament, but unlike the Colonels, TSU’s offense isn’t good enough to bail it out. Tennessee St. is focused on attacking the inside, and does it decently, but struggles with turnovers and free throws. The Tigers should watch their opponents to find a better example of inside play, as they allow 52% of attempts from inside, and don’t do much on the defensive glass either. They actually have the poorest odds of any team in the tournament, and a #6 seed probably flatters them somewhat.

Players to watch:

6-7 SO Darius Cox, 10.8 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.9 BPG, 54.3 eFG% - Cox is just fourth on the team in scoring, but is the most efficient offensive option when Tennessee St. has the ball, shooting over 50% from the field. He’s also an excellent rebounder, and a good shot-blocker.

6-8 SR Jerrell Houston, 14.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.3 BPG, 51.4 eFG% - Houston is another good interior player, with similar numbers to Cox, but with a larger role in the offense, and a much bigger problem with turnovers.

#7 – Eastern Illinois Panthers (12-17, 8-10) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.019

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2001 (1^st Round)

After talking about a couple of teams that struggle on the defensive end, Eastern Illinois are a bit of change of pace, decent defenders but the worst offensive team in the conference. A bright note for the Panthers’ offense is that they make a decent percentage of both threes and free throws; unfortunately, they don’t get to the line much, and take a large majority of their shots from inside the arc. Defensively, EIU is a solid team, especially inside, where it holds opponents to just 46% shooting. However, their offensive woes are too great to overcome, and they enter the tournament on a real low, losing their last six conference games.

Players to watch:

6-1 SO Tyler Laser, 11.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, 56.5 eFG% - Laser isn’t a go-to scorer, but is the kind of pure shooter who can be really effective as a secondary option. He hits over 40% from behind the arc, and is 6^th nationally in free throw percentage, 50-of-52 on the season. He’s a good distributor of the ball and can also score from inside the arc, the kind of player who could really break out if he can handle a bigger role in future seasons.

6-3 JR Romain Martin, 15.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 53.5 eFG% - Martin is the other guy on the Panthers who can make threes, and while his percentage isn’t as high as Laser’s, he takes a lot more shots, and is much more important in the offense. Most of his value depends on his shooting, he doesn’t really contribute much in the other statistical areas.

#8 – Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (12-17, 6-12) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.034

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1963 (1^st Round)

Tennessee Tech is the OVC’s fastest paced team, but its high speed hasn’t equalled highly effective offensive possessions, especially from two-point range, where you’d expect such a team to score in transition. Instead, the Golden Eagles are best when they put up threes, over 38% from behind the arc. This doesn’t happen nearly enough, though, with poor rebounding, turnovers, and a fairly two-point-heavy offense combining to limit the Eagles’ long distance-scoring. Defensively, Tennessee Tech force a lot of turnovers, but are terrible defensive rebounders and commit a lot of fouls.

Players to watch:

6-9 SR Daniel Northern, 12.4 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 2.5 BPG, 49.4 eFG% - Northern is an excellent big-man in almost every area except field goal percentage, and it’s only his 49% from the field that holds him back. He’s the second-best rebounder in the OVC, and leads the conference in shot-blocking. He gets to the line a lot, and while his 65% from the stripe isn’t great, it’s not too bad, and shows a clear improvement from previous seasons.

6-2 JR Frank Davis, 10.1 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 59.2 eFG% - If you’re looking for a great example of how a player who isn’t the offensive focus can really thrive, Davis may be a perfect. He doesn’t take a lot of shots, but his contribution on the stat sheet will be basically limited to whatever he manages to score. He’s a 43% three-point shooter, and has taken more attempts from behind the arc than the Eagles’ next two most prolific shooters combined. He doesn’t turn the ball over much, but he’s not the kind of player who will do much beside shoot when he does get it.

My statistical all-OVC team:

Tennessee Martin SR G Lester Hudson, 26.6 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 2.4 SPG, 50.8 eFG%

Eastern Kentucky SR G Mike Rose, 20.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 59.2 eFG%

Austin Peay SR F Drake Reed, 22.4 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 59.0 eFG%

Morehead St. SR F Leon Buchanan, 15.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 53.5 eFG%6-8,

Morehead St. SO F/C Kenneth Faried, 13.5 PPG, 12.6 RPG, 2.1 SPG, 2.0 BPG, 56.4 eFG%