Southern Miss

College Basketball Coaching Changes: 2012

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:43:20 -0700

As usual, the 2012 college basketball off-season features a never-ending parade of coaching changes. Some moves make sense, others are questionable, while others are simply head-scratchers. Thanks to collegesportsinfo.com, where a lot of this info was gleaned from. Also, apologies if all the colors give you a headache!

College Basketball Coaching Changes 2012: Power Conferences

Illinois

In - Jim Groce (ohio hc)

Out - Bruce Weber (fired >> kansas st))

Kansas St

In - Bruce Weber (illinois hc)

Out - Frank Martin (resigned >> so carolina)

LSU

In - Johnny Jones (north texas hc)

Out - Trent Johnson (resigned)

Mississippi St

In - Rick Ray (clemson asst)

Out - Rick Stansbury (retired)

Nebraska

In - Tim Miles (colorado st hc)

Out - Doc Sadler (fired)

South Carolina

In - Frank Martin (kansas st hc)

Out - Darrin Horn (fired)

Virginia Teach

Out - Seth Greenberg (fired)

College Basketball Coaching Changes 2012: High-Majors

Air Force

In - Dave Philopovich (asst)

Out - Jeff Reynolds (fired)

Colorado St

In - Larry Eustachy (so miss hc)

Out - Tim Miles (resigned >> nebraska)

Duquesne

In - Jim Ferry (liu hc)

Out - Ron Everhart (fired)

Rhode Island

In - Danny Hurley (wagner hc)

Out - Jim Baron (fired >> canisius)

Southern Illinois

In - Barry Hinson (kansas asst)

Out - Chris Lowery (fired)

SMU

In - Larry Brown

Out - Matt Doherty (fired)

Southern Miss

Out - Larry Eustachy (resigned)

TCU

In - Trent Johnson (lsu hc)

Out - Jim Christian (resigned)

Tulsa

In - Danny Manning (kansas asst)

Out - Doug Wojcik (fired >> charleston)

UAB

In - Jerrod Hasse (unc asst)

Out - Mike Davis (fired)

College Basketball Coaching Changes 2012: Mid-Majors

Central Michigan

In - Keno Davis

Out - Ernie Ziegler (fired)

Charleston

In - Doug Wojcik (tulsa hc)

Out - Bobby Cremins (retired)

FIU

In - Richard Pitino (louisville asst)

Out - Isiah Thomas (fired)

Miami (OH)

In - John Cooper (tennessee st hc)

Out - Charlie Coles (retired)

North Texas

In - Tony Benford (marquette asst)

Out - Johnny Jones (resigned >> lsu)

Ohio

In - Jim Christian (tcu hc)

Out - John Groce (resigned >> illinois)

Western Kentucky

In - Ray Harper (asst)

Out - Ken McDonald (fired)

College Basketball Coaching Changes 2012: Low-Majors

Brown

Out - Jessie Angel (fired)

Canisius

In - Jim Baron (rhode island hc)

Out - Tom Parrotta (fired)

Eastern Illinois

In - Jay Spoonhour

Out - Mike Miller (fired)

Grambling

Out - Bobby Washington (fired)

Idaho St

In - Bill Evans (montana asst)

Out - Joe O'Brien (resigned)

LIU

In - Jack Perri (asst)

Out - Jim Perry (reisgned)

Mt St. Mary's

In - Jamion Christian (vcu asst)

Out - Robert Burke (reisgned)

NC A&T

In - Cy Alexander

Out - Jerry Evans (fired(

Northern Arizona

In - Jack Murphy (memphis asst)

Out - Mike Adras (resigned)

Samford

In - Bennie Seltzer

Out - Jimmy Tillette (fired)

Southern Utah

In - Nick Robinson (lsu asst)

Out - Roger Reid (retired)

SFPA

In - Rob Krimmel

Out - Don Friday (fired)

Tennessee St

In - Travis Williams (asst)

Out - John Cooper (resigned >> Miami OH)

UNCG

In - Wes Miller (asst)

Out - Mike Dement (fired)

Wagner

In - Bashir Mason (asst)

Out - Danny Hurley (resigned >> rhode island)

Winthrop

In - Pat Kelsey

Out - Randy Peele (fired)

Please email shawn@collegehoops.net if we're missing any transactions

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

NCAA Tournament Interviews: Southern Miss guard LaShay Page

Jon Teitel — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:06:11 -0700

Recently CHN writer Jon Teitel caught up with Southern Miss guard LaShay Page as part of his NCAA tournament interview series. Page, who 11.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game for the Golden Eagles, who take on Kansas State in an 8/9 game in the East Region on Thursday.

Jon Teitel: Coach Larry Eustachy was recently named Conference USA Coach of the Year. What makes him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing you ever learned from him?

LaShay Page: He is brutally honest with all of his players and challenges us a lot. He helps build our character and makes us better both on and off the court.

JT: Last year your team declined an invite to both the CBI and CollegeInsider.com tournaments. Did you agree with that decision at the time, and looking back do you have any regrets?

LP: No regrets. I think Coach made the right move because we needed to get caught up in classes.

JT: In November you scored a career-high 30 points (8-11 3PT) in a 21-point win over Colorado State. Was it just one of those situations where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were "in the zone"?

LP: Definitely. After you get in a groove and have teammates who get you the ball in the right spots you can score a lot of points.

JT: In February you had 12 points and a career-high ten rebounds in a three-point win over Memphis. How on earth does a 6-2 guard get ten rebounds in a game?!

LP: It is all about hunger and the "want to". Coach challenged me and our other guards to rebound more, and I figured that I could get in there while the big men blocked out.

JT: Darnell Dodson is a transfer from Kentucky, where he scored six points in a loss to West Virginia in the 2010 Elite 8. How important is it to have a player with actual tournament experience in March?

LP: It is real important. He is a great guy on and off the court and is the sparkplug of our team who gives us instant offense. I think his experience will help us down the road.

JT: Neil Watson was named both C-USA Newcomer and 6th Man of the Year. How has he been able to come in and be so successful so quickly?

LP: He is just willing to listen to Coach and the older players. He is a great point guard and a great shooter who earned both of those awards.

JT: After leading the conference in free throw shooting during the regular season (74%), you shot eight of fourteen (57%) in a loss to Marshall in the conference tournament. Are you concerned that free throw shooting might cost you a game in the tournament?

LP: No. If we defend and out-rebound our opponent, I think we will be fine.

JT: You school is heading to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 21 years. What has the reaction been like on campus?

LP: It has been great. I am glad that it is our group that has been able to get our school back to the tournament. We have been a football school recently, and it is nice to see fans come out to cheer on the basketball team.

JT: How do you feel about your seed, and how do you think you will matchup against Kansas State?

LP: I think we were fortunate with a 9-seed. An 8/9 game is pretty much an even matchup. If we play our game we should be in a position at the end to win, but it will be a dogfight.

JT: Your mom Cathy passed away last month. How have you been able to cope with her loss, and will her memory give you some extra inspiration in the tournament?

LP: She was proud of me, so every time I go out to play it is for her. Playing basketball and being around the guys has been able to let me clear my mind. I have not had much time to sit down and think about it.

Kansas St vs Southern Miss: Prediction

Greg Mengelt — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 20:43:06 -0700

(8) Kansas State vs. (9) Southern Mississippi: East Region

Records:

Kansas State 21-10, 10-8 Big 12 (At large)

Southern Miss 25-8, 11-5 Conference USA (At large)

Time: 12:40 p.m. Thursday

TV: TruTV

Location: Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Winner will face: (1) Syracuse or (16) North Carolina-Asheville, Saturday

Rankings

Kansas State No. 37 AP; No. 32 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

RPI Ratings

Kansas State 41

Southern Miss 21

Line: Kansas State -6½ (O/U 133½)

Players to Watch

Kansas State: G Rodney McGruder, 6-4 Jr. (15.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.4 apg); F Jamar Samuels, 6-7 Sr. (10.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1 spg); C Jordan Henriquez, 6-11 Jr. (7.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.4 bpg). Henriquez has been inconsistent but came on strong in the end. In K-State’s last two games, the junior scored 38 points, had 22 rebounds and blocked six shots while hitting 16 of 21 shots from the field.

Southern Miss: G Darnell Dodson, 6-7 Sr. (11.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 45.3% FG); G Neil Watson, 5-11 So. (12.2 ppg, 4.5 apg, 1.2 spg); F Jonathan Mills, 6-6 Jr. (9.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 50.5% FG). Watson was the C-USA Newcomer of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year and was named Second-Team All-Conference following his first full college basketball season.

Why Each Team is Dangerous

Kansas State: The Wildcats surprisingly played the fastest pace in the Big 12, averaging 67.9 offensive possessions per game. The Wildcats are big and strong. They rebound well (plus-4.9 per game) and they get to the free throw line 24 times per game. If Samuels is hitting from the outside, he’s almost unstoppable and could be a matchup nightmare for the Eagles. K-State should have the more athletic team and Southern Miss has struggled against really athletic teams at times.

Southern Miss: Southern Miss is an excellent free throw shooting team at 73.6 percent, which could be a factor in what should be a close game. Only 21 teams in the country get to the foul line as often as the Eagles. K-State appears to have an advantage on the boards, but the Eagles rebound well, too. They out-rebounded opponents by 4.6 boards per game. Led by Watson, the Eagles are very protective of the basketball, only turning it over 11 times per game. USM gives up only 8.8 offensive boards per game.

Why Each Team is Vulnerable

Kansas State: The Wildcats were wildly inconsistent. They looked brilliant in easy wins over Missouri and lost in home losses to Oklahoma and Iowa State. Youth in the backcourt has contributed. With its young backcourt, K-State turns the ball over a lot (14.5 times per game) and the Eagles force over 14. While K-State gets to the foul line often, it doesn’t hit them at a very high rate.

Southern Miss: The Eagles have no tournament experience. In fact, Southern Miss hadn’t sent a team to the tournament since 1991. USM split it last 10 games and couldn’t overcome a Marshall team that was coming off a triple-overtime game in the Conference USA Tournament. This may be a bad matchup for Southern Miss with its slow pace playing into the hands of the bigger, stronger Wildcats.

The Bottom Line: A slow, grind-it-out game probably gives Kansas State an advantage, but neither team will score enough for the game to be decided by more than six points.

The Pick: Kansas State 61, Southern Miss 56

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 198-148-6 (Through Sunday, March 11)

Bracketology: Saturday Afternoon Bubble Update

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 13:51:35 -0800

At this point in the season, a few hours can make or destroy a team's season. Besides conference titles on the line, at-large bids, NIT invites, and seeding remain up in the air. Since yesterday's Bracketology projection, here are the results that matter and how the impact postseason hopes:

Saturday Afternoon

Cincinnati 72 - Villanova 68
Having beaten Marquette last time out, Cincinnati seemed safely in the tournament for the first time in weeks. However, a loss to Villanova followed by a loss in the Big East Tournament could have pushed them right back to the edge. Instead, Cincy picked up a road win and a probable NCAA bid.

Cincinnati's projected seed: 10-11

Marquette 83 - Georgetown 69
Both of these teams were 3 seeds in my latest projection. Georgetown could certainly drop into the 4 seed range depending on how the likes of Wisconsin and Indiana fare over the weekend.

Marquette's projected seed: 2-3
Georgetown's projected seed: 3-4

Memphis 78 - Tulsa 66
With a win, the Tigers locked up the CUSA regular season title. With the tournament being held in Memphis, they have a great shot to win the postseason tournament as well. With a Top 25 RPI and a string of wins, Memphis is approaching a 6 seed.

Memphis' projected seed: 6-7

Murray St 54 - Tennessee St
It wasn't easy, but Murray St escaped with a 2-point win in the OVC Finals to lock up a bid. As a neutral bracketologist, a win by Tennessee St would have been much more interesting. Murray has a wider range of seeds compared to most teams considering their unique situation.

Murray St's projected seed: 4-6

Northwestern 70 - Iowa 66

Nothing comes easy for Northwestern. Wildcats trailed by a bunch, then led by a bunch, then escaped with a nail-biting win. As it is, Northwestern is still in the field, but a lot can change over the next week. A first-round exit in the Big Ten tournament could be enough to knock them right back out. (Iowa could have finished an impressive 9-9 with a win, but their best case postseason scenario is hosting an NIT first round game.)

Northwestern's projected seed: 11-13

Marshall 79 - Southern Miss 75
Southern Miss showed a lot of toughness fighting back from multiple deficits, but the Eagles could never pull away. A win would have no doubt locked up a bid for Southern Miss, but instead they drop closer to the bubble. I think they're still in, but there are a lot of analysts who question how good this team really is. (Marshall is fighting for an NIT bid, and this win certainly helped.)

Southern Miss projected seed: 11-12

UCONN 74 - Pittsburgh 65
The Huskies looked dominant in the first half, almost blew the lead, and then ended up pulling out a 9 point win. A loss would have 100% eliminated UCONN from NCAA Tournament contention. As it is, they exemplify what it means to be a bubble team. South Florida's loss to West Virginia definitely helped UCONN's cause.

UCONN's projected seed: 13 or NIT.

UNC-Asheville 80 - VMI 64
After a tight first half, VMI ran out of gas and UNC-Asheville cruised to the Big South title. Despite a solid 24-9 season and dominant Big South record, UNCA will most likely be looking at a 16 seed.

UNCA's projected seed: 16 (potentially in First Four game.)

UCLA 75 - Washington 69
While I question why the Pac-12 deserves more than one bid, you can rest assured the league will at least get 2 bids. This loss not only prevented the Huskies from locking up the regular season title, it also pushes them down out of a single-digit seed.

Washington's projected seed: 10-11

West Virginia 50 - South Florida 44
In an offensively inept game between bubble squads, West Virginia pulled out a huge road win. The Mountaineers once looked like a tourney lock, but needed two wins to close the season to remain in the field. As it is, they're in for now but can't be considered a 100% lock. After South Florida finally worked their way into my projected field of 68, they're back on the outside now. They certainly still have a chance to work their way back in, but if USF loses their first game at the Big East Tournament, they'd officially be toast.

West Virginia's projected seed: 11-12
South Florida's projected seed: NIT

Illinois St 65 - Wichita St 64

The Shockers have certainly locked up a bid, but this loss may have knocked them back from the lofty 4 seed I had them pegged at. More importantly, it opens the possibility that Illinois St could win the MVC title tomorrow over Creighton/Evansville and steal a bubble bid. Should be fun to watch tomorrow.

Wichita St's projected seed: 4-5

Xavier 72 - Charlotte 63
With 8 minutes to go, Charlotte led by 4 and Xavier's NCAA hopes were on the verge of collapsing. Tu Holloway scored 10 points in the final 8 minutes to spearhead a Xavier run that might have saved their season.

Xavier's projected seed: 12-13

Friday Night

BYU 73 - San Diego 68
The Cougars were pushed from the opening tip by San Diego, but escaped with a much-needed win. BYU's spot in the tournament is far from certain. Only if they go on to beat Gonzaga tonight would I say they're safe.

BYU's projected seed: 10-11

Creighton 68 - Drake 61
Doug McDermott's 26 points helped Creighton escape with a win over a pesky Drake squad. While Creighton is a tourney lock, a loss last night could have potentially dropped them as far as an 8 or 9 seed.

Creighton's projected seed: 6-7

Harvard 77 - Columbia 70 (OT)
While most have assumed for months that Harvard would win the Ivy League, they're only a half-game up on Penn. Not only would a lost last night have put Harvard's Ivy hopes in danger, it would have been crippling for their at-large hopes as well. There's no way the committee puts a 3-loss Ivy team into the tournament.

Harvard's projected seed: 11

Bracketology: Top 10 Games to Watch This Week

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 11:23:32 -0800

We're getting down to the nitty gritty. Some leagues have already wrapped up their schedules, while others have a couple of games left. Here's a breakdown of this week's Top 10 games as it relates to NCAA Tournament Bracketology and the Bubble:

1) Wednesday: Northwestern (17-11, 7-9) vs Ohio St (23-5, 11-4)

Even average sports fans know that Northwestern has never made the NCAA Tournament. If the Wildcats could somehow knock off the top 10 Buckeyes, their tourney dreams could finally come true. But that's a big if. When Northwestern went to Columbus back in December, the Buckeyes won by 33 points. But Northwestern has been solid at home, and its fun to keep dreams alive.

2) Wednesday: NC State (18-11, 7-7) vs Miami (16-10, 7-6)

NC state has lost 4 straight at the worst possible time. But if they were to beat Miami and then finish 9-7 in the ACC, they'd certainly have a shot at the bubble. Miami is in a very similar situation, stringing along near .500 in conference, trying to take advantage of the ACC's weakness. Miami has the better RPI and the better marquee win (at Duke), but no non-conference wins of note. The loser should be relegated to the NIT.

3) Tuesday: UCONN (17-11, 7-9) at Providence (14-15, 3-13)

UCONN came oh so close to topping Syracuse on Saturday, and perhaps booking their ticket to the Dance. Instead, they have a road game at Providence and a home tilt with Pittsburgh to prove they deserve a bid. Despite PC's weak overall record, they've been competitive at home and should give UCONN a stiff test. If UCONN can't win this game they don't deserve to go anywhere near the NCAA Tournament.

4) Saturday: South Florida (17-11, 10-5) vs West Virginia (17-12, 7-9)

A month ago, West Virginia seemed like a tourney lock, and South Florida didn't even seem like an NIT team. But in college basketball, a few weeks can change everything. WVU has lost 7 of 9 games, including 4 in a row at home. After hosting DePaul on Tuesday (they can't conceivably lose that game, can they?), West Virginia heads to Tampa to face a Bulls team with an outside shot at a bid as well. This could very well be an elimination game, the loser's dreams busted.

5) Tuesday: Saint Louis (22-6, 10-4) vs Xavier (18-10, 9-5)

Xavier is a perfect example of a bubble team. A team that top teams would be afraid to face, yet a team that can't seem to put it all together. They've been playing .500 ball for a month, and haven't beaten a top 100 team on the road since late November (Vanderbilt.) SLU blew a golden chance to lock up a tourney bid by losing to URI on Saturday. It was their first bad loss of the season, and came at the worst possible time. If they were to bounce back and beat Xavier, they'd 100% be assured of a spot in the field of 68. If SLU were to lose.. well, Bills fans don't want to even consider that possibility.

6) Wednesday: Tennessee (16-13, 8-6) at LSU (17-11, 7-7)

LSU simply didn't show up at Ole Miss on Saturday, losing by 24. That game probably ruined their at-large hopes, but they can still play spoiler against a Tennessee team riding the bubble. Tennessee has two wins over Florida and a win over UCONN, not to mention an over .500 SEC record. Their biggest problem has been winning on the road. If they were to top LSU, adding both a road win and another Top 100 RPI win to their resume, the Vols might be Dancing. Who would have guessed that after a 2-6 start?

7) Tuesday: UCF (20-8, 9-5) at Memphis (21-8, 11-3)

After a shock loss to UTEP last week, Memphis bounced back with 2 straight wins, including a 20 point blowout over Marshall. This probably assures them of a tourney bid. UCF still has slim bubble chances, but a win over Memphis is a must. The Knights already topped Memphis at home, and also have a win against UCONN under their belt. A second win over Memphis and a strong 11-5 CUSA record would certainly look good to the committee. But their dreams are 100% dashed if they don't win.

8) Saturday: Southern Miss (23-16, 10-4) at Marshall (17-11, 8-6)

Despite a top 20 RPI, Southern Miss has not locked up a bid. Two straight road losses to Houston and UTEP last week came at the worst possible time. Marshall is a solid team, but their blowout loss to Memphis on Saturday shows how vulnerable they are. Southern Miss not only need a win, but they need an equally emphatic win to show they're for real. If Southern Miss beats SMU on Wednesday and then rolls against Marshall, I don't see how the committee couldn't give them a bid.

9) Wednesday: Saint Joseph's (19-11, 9-6) vs Saint Bonaventure (16-10, 9-5)

The Hawks don't get much attention nationally, but I think they have the committee's attention. After all, they're ranked 51st in the RPI, and hold wins over Creighton and Temple, not to mention 6 other top 100 w's. If not for a 3-point hiccup loss to Richmond last week, they might very well be featured in every Bracketology projection. As it is, they're on the outside looking in, needing a strong finish to their season. This is by no means an easy game, but the Hawks can't afford to lose.

10) Saturday: Washington (20-8, 13-3) at UCLA (16-13, 9-7)

The way things have played out, it does look like the Pac-12 will get a 2nd bid. Whether the league actually deserves a 2nd bid is an open question. Washington finishes their schedule with road games in Los Angeles, at USC and then at UCLA. Assuming they beat lowly USC, this sets up an intriguing nationally televised CBS game in which UCLA can play the roll of spoiler. I wouldn't say UW 100% needs this win, but a loss would not help the cause..

Poll: Who Will Be the Best RPI Team Not to Make the Tourney?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 10:26:26 -0800

Conference USA Having Bubble Issues: Wednesday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:39:10 -0800

In the big game of the night #18 Notre Dame continued their run with a 71-44 beating of West Virginia in South Bend.

1. While Memphis took care of business Southern Miss and UCF didn't, which is bad news for Conference USA.
For some time it's been assumed by many that Conference USA would send two teams to the NCAA tournament, with those teams likely being Memphis and Southern Miss. UCF has tried to fight their way into consideration of late but the Knights may have done irreparable harm to their at-large hopes on Wednesday night. Up 49-37 at the half at Rice, Donnie Jones' team was outscored 45-26 in the second half of what would become an 83-74 loss. How did this happen? UCF turned the ball over 18 times to just nine for the Owls, who converted those UCF mistakes into 21 points, and wound up being outscored in the paint 38-20. When that happens on a night that saw Rice's Arsalan Kazemi make two field goals it's easy to see that there were problems.

Southern Miss would most likely still make the tournament at this point barring an absolute disaster, but their margin for error is smaller thanks to their 76-68 double overtime loss at UTEP. C.J. Cooper led five Miners in double figures with 16 points and as a team UTEP shot 50% from the field while Southern Miss made just 37.5% of their shots. Shots inside of the arc proved to be the difference as UTEP shot 58.5% to just 34.8% for the Golden Eagles, who were led by Darnell Dodson (16 points). Could C-USA ultimately end up being a one-bid league? While this is an unlikely scenario for the league they've lost some of their margin for error with Wednesday's results.

2. USF and Wyoming allow great opportunities on the road to slip away.
Stan Heath's Bulls got off to an excellent start at the Carrier Dome as they took on #2 Syracuse. The team many refused to respect due to the lack of marquee wins on their schedule held a 20-7 lead nearly ten minutes into the first half. This would be where the tide turned however as the Orange went on a drawn out 26-0 run to gain control of the game, and even though USF hung tough throughout they didn't have enough offensively to win. Scoop Jardine led Syracuse to the 56-48 win with 15 points and four assists, and Anthony Collins led the Bulls with 12 points and ten assists. USF's pace worked out well as their deliberate style limted the Orange's fast-break opportunities. But when teams turned the ball over twice as many times as their opponent, especially on the road, it becomes near impossible to win.

Wyoming on the other hand took control of their game at #24 San Diego State in the second half, as they led by as many as nine points and had the hobbled Aztecs on the ropes. Larry Shyatt's team couldn't land the knockout blow however, eventually leading to the game going into overtime and the Aztecs winning 67-58. Wyoming scored just three points in the extra session, and to not have Leonard Washington (nine points, five rebounds) on the floor didn't help matters either. SDSU shot and made twice as many two-point shots as Wyoming, and the 14 points scored by Garrett Green proved to be huge with Washington struggling. USF and Wyoming will still have chances to reach the field, but things got a lot tougher for two teams whose resumes aren't the greatest when looking at their strength of schedule numbers.

3. Northeastern upsets George Mason, dropping the Patriots out of first in the CAA.
Turnovers have been an issue for Paul Hewitt's team for much of the season, but the Patriots may have hit fock bottom in that area. Mason turned the ball over 21 times (Northestern 22) in a game they would go on to drop 85-82 in overtime in Boston. This result leaves Drexel in sole possession of first place going into this weekend's matchups pitting the top four teams in the league against each other. Jonathan Lee scored 27 points and Kashief Edwards 22 to lead the Huskies past George Mason, and the job NU did on Ryan Pearson defensively was nothing short of impressive.

Pearson, widely regarded by many as the clear choice to be named CAA Player of the Year, shot just 3-for-12 from the field and scored 11 points. To win a share of the regular season title George Mason needs to beat VCU while also receiving help in the form of s Drexel loss to Old Dominion. Next weekend's conference tournament in Richmond is too tough to call at this point, and given the play of the upper half of the league against the lower half the most important thing for the contenders to do at this point is set themselves for th highest seed possible.

Quick Hitters

1. Minnesota's hopes of an at-large berth likely ended with their 66-61 loss to #6 Michigan State at The Barn, and Tubby Smith's team has no one to blame but themselves. The Golden Gophers went more than three minutes without scoring a point until Andre Hollins made a three with less than two seconds remaining. At 5-10 in Big Ten play Minnesota would likely not only have to win their last three league games but also do some damage at the Big Ten tournament to make a solid case for a bid.

2. Joe Ragland scored 14 points and Garrett Stutz added 12 and 14 rebounds as #19 Wichita State beat Illinois State 68-55 to wrap up the Missouri Valley Conference regular season crown. Gregg Marshall's team has multiple offensive weapons, and the fact that the Shockers are willing to defend (the Redbirds shot 37.7%) makes them a serious threat to reach the second weekend of the NCAA tournament.

3. Also clinching their regular season league title was UT-Arlington, who won at McNeese State 93-89 behind 28 points from LaMarcus Reed. Four starters reached double figures for the Mavericks, who got back on the right track after a two-point loss at Weber State ended their 16-game win streak. UT-Arlington shot 10-for-18 from three and 27-for-20 from the foul line, making up for the fact that McNeese State grabbed 14 offensive boards.

4. #22 Temple found a way to hang onto sole possession of first place in the Atlantic 10 as they won 80-79 at La Salle in overtime. Micheal Eric played very well as he finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds and six blocked shots and Khalif Wyatt scored 25 to lead the Owls offensively. Earl Pettis scored 33 to lead the Explorers but it wasn't enough as the Owls also clinched a share of the Big 5 crown.

5. Keep an eye on the play of #5 Kansas guard Elijah Johnson as it will likely play an important role in the Jayhawks' play in the next month. Johnson scored 21 points as Kansas survived a tough night for Thomas Robinson, winning 66-58 at Texas A&M. Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor are the offensive leaders for Bill Self's team, but the more he can get from Johnson and Jeff Withey down the stretch the better.

6. Kevin Jones has some company in the race for Big East Player of the Year, and at this rate #10 Marquette forward Jae Crowder may even pass the Mountaineer senior. Crowder was all over the box score in the Golden Eagles' 82-65 win over Rutgers, accounting for 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists, four steals and three blocked shots. He and Darius Johnson-Odom are two big reasons why Buzz Williams' team has been one of the best in the Big East.

7. Zeke Marshall led five Akron players in double figures with 16 points as the Zips locked up a share of the MAC regular season title with a 79-68 win over Bowling Green. Marshall also grabbed seven rebounds for the Zips, who have now won 20 or more games in seven straight seasons under head coach Keith Dambrot.

Poll: How Many CUSA Teams Will Make the Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 08:47:30 -0800

Lobos Strengthen Grip on Mountain West: Saturday's Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 07:37:42 -0800

With games at #13 San Diego State and against #11 UNLV this week, Steve Alford's New Mexico Lobos had a great opportunity to not only take control of the Mountain West but also make a statement nationally.

Mission accomplished.

Drew Gordon was outstanding, scoring 27 points and grabbing 20 rebounds as the Lobos whipped UNLV 65-45 in Albuquerque. And while Gordon was outstanding the effort of New Mexico on the defensive end of the floor shouldn't be ignored. UNLV shot just 31.1% from the field for the game, by far their worst performance of the season, and the Runnin' Rebels scored just 18 points in the second half. Anthony Marshall, who finished with 18 points, scored 12 of those second half points and outside of the junior UNLV shot 2-for-13 from the field.

Meanwhile Gordon was a man among boys in the final 20 minutes as he shot 9-for-13 from the field and accounted for 18 points and 11 rebounds. Tony Snell added 12 points in a game that saw both teams go on runs early, but neither could establish any kind of distance in the first half. But the Lobos' intensity on the defensive end combined with heavy doses of Gordon proved to be too much in front of a frenzied crowd at The Pit.

"I don't know if we are the best team in this league yet but there is no team in the last month that has guarded the way that we have guarded," remarked Alford. "To hold a team like this who is averaging 80 points a game, and you hold them to four field goals in one half is great."

In addition to their victory New Mexico received some help from an unlikely source as San Diego State fell 58-56 at Air Force. As a result the Lobos find themselves two games up on both the Aztecs and Runnin' Rebels with four league games to go. Remember that SDSU/UNLV "round three" that many (myself included) were clamoring for in light of their split of the season series? We may get that matchup, but thanks to New Mexico it will likely have to come a round early in the Mountain West tournament.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Murray State takes care of a hobbled Saint Mary's in the Sears BracketBusters headliner.
Much importance was placed on the Sears BracketBusters matchup between Murray State and Saint Mary's, with many hypothesizing that the Racers would have to get this game in order to have a shot at an at-large bid (at 25-1 coming in, this talk seemed to be an absurd overreaction). The Gaels were with a hobbled Matthew Dellavedova and without the injured Stephen Holt, and Isaiah Canaan and company took care of business accordingly. Canaan scored 23 points and dished out four assists in leading Murray State to the 65-51 win, and despite their size disadvantage inside Steve Prohm's club out-rebounded SMC 31-24.

Just as important as Canaan however was the Murray State effort on the defensive end, as they limited Saint Mary's to 37.7% shooting and 2-for-14 from beyond the arc. Dellavedova managed a team-best 17 points but getting outscored by 21 points from beyond the arc (27-6) and Jorden Page and Rob Jones combining to shoot 3-for-18 from the field proved to be too much to overcome. The win should satisfy the masses with regards to Murray State's chances should they not win the OVC's automatic bid, and the task for Randy Bennett's team is to simply get healthy and protect their one-game lead in the WCC.

2. Trey Burke makes the difference as Michigan beat Ohio State in Ann Arbor.
It may be time to end the debate as to not only who the best freshman point guard in America is but also the conversation regarding the Big Ten's best point guard regardless of class. Michigan's Trey Burke scored 17 points and dished out five assists in the Wolverines' 56-51 win over #6 Ohio State to pull into a tie with the Buckeyes a game behind Michigan State in the loss column. His work against Aaron Craft proved to be the difference as Craft struggled, scoring four points on 1-for-6 shooting with three assists and two turnovers.

Deshaun Thomas led the Buckeyes with 25 points and Jared Sullinger was able to muster 14 despite being the focus of Michigan's interior defense, but with Tim Hardaway Jr. adding 13 points and Jordan Morgan a double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds) Michigan was able to give the home folks what they wanted. Guard play wins out more times than not especially in March, and it's very apparent that Michigan is in a good position thanks to Burke.

3. Antoine Young's shot with three-tenths of a second remaining completes the Creighton comeback.
This Sears BracketBuster did not fail to live up to the hype that preceded it as the 49ers and Bluejays put on a show in Omaha. Dan Monson's club led for much of the night but down the stretch Creighton was able to turn the momentum in their favor. And they were able to do so by ramping up their intensity of the defensive end of the floor. "Holding" a team to 50% shooting from the field isn't all that impressive until two factors are noticed: Long Beach State shot 68% in the first half, and the 49ers were just 1-for-5 from beyond the arc after shooting 60% in the first half. Antoine Young would cap the rally with a jumper over T.J. Robinson with less than a second remaining, giving Creighton a needed 81-79 win.

Long Beach State's versatility allows them to switch just about any ball screen, and to head coach Greg McDermott and his players' credit they were able to take advantage of it. Creighton's win can't be mentioned without noting the play of Doug McDermott either, who took full advantage of playing a team unfamiliar with his skill set by scoring 36 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Robinson (20 points, eight rebounds) and Casper Ware (21 points) led the way for the 49ers, who have the remainder of the Big West season to look forward to. Creighton likely locked up an at-large bid barring a collapse, and while Long Beach State has seen some of their bigger wins devalued two things need to be remembered. One, it's not their fault that Xavier and Pittsburgh haven't performed to expectations, and two 37 teams are needed should the 49ers not win the automatic bid. Are there really 37 teams better than Long Beach State? No.

4. Kansas State picks up a win they truly needed as they beat #10 Baylor in Waco.
Given the tough four-game stretch that Frank Martin's team is currently in, it was clear that the Wildcats would have their work cut out for them from a tournament resume standpoint. But those games can be looked at as either a challenge or an opportunity, and how they're seen is up to the team and no one else. Opportunity knocked in the form of a trip to Baylor on Saturday and the Wildcats took advantage, beating the Bears 57-56 in a weird finish. A Jordan Henriquez dunk with 1:55 remaining gave K-State a 57-56 lead, and with neither team scoring another point that would be the final score as well.

Quincy Acy, who finished with 14 points, looked to have been fouled just over 20 seconds later on a shot attempt but no call came and Quincy Miller (12 points, 11 rebounds) missed a shot that would have given the Bears the lead in the final seconds. Angel Rodriguez and Rodney McGruder scored 15 apiece to lead the Wildcats, but the biggest story on the box score has to be the lack of production from Perry Jones III. Jones III managed just four points and four rebounds before fouling out in just 22 minutes of action, and if Baylor's to do anything of note in March these kind of performances can't happen. Kansas State picked up a win they desperately needed however, helping to relieve some of the pressure they may have felt going to their game at Missouri on Tuesday night.

5. Washington beats Arizona but was there anything gained from the result?
There's no denying the fact that the game between the Huskies and Wildcats was an important one within the Pac-12, as the Huskies (tied with California) enjoyed a one-game lead over Arizona (Colorado and Oregon as well) going into Saturday's action. But what does the game, which Washington won 79-70, mean to both in regards to their hopes of an at-large berth? For Arizona it seems quite simple in defeat: win out with games against the L.A. schools at home and a trip to Arizona State and then do some damage at the Pac-12 tournament.

The Wildcats shot just 35.5% from the field in the second half, 2-for-13 from three, as they were unable to make up the two-point halftime deficit (39-37). Terrence Ross led the Huskies with 25 points and Tony Wroten added 22 and nine assists, but with computer numbers that don't jump off the screen at first glance and an 0-4 record against RPI Top 50 teams it will be interesting to see what's made of the Huskies. To say the least a regular season Pac-12 crown would help their cause immensely, and Washington took a step in that direction on Saturday afternoon.

Quick Hitters

1. There were few results more impressive than Wichita State's 91-74 win at Davidson, moving the Shockers to 24-4 on the season. Joe Ragland scored 30 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the way for Wichita State, who shot a scalding 63.5% from the field. Jake Cohen led the Wildcats, who are the prohibitive favorite to win the SoCon's automatic bid, with 25 points.

2. The story of Florida State's 76-62 win at NC State should be the Seminoles limiting the Wolfpack to 29.3% shooting from the field, but thanks to the actions of official Karl Hess that's not the case. Hess thought it necessary to throw Wolfpack legends Tom Gugliotta and Chris Corchiani out of the RBC Center, and according to those in the area it was a blatant overreaction. Much has been made about officials being overworked, but the real problem is that some act as if the fans show up to watch them. This really needs to be dealt with.

3. Things have gotten even worse for Connecticut and Illinois as both teams were on the receiving end of whippings on Saturday afternoon. The Huskies fell to #13 Marquette 79-64 thanks to 53 combined points from Jae Crowder (29 points, 12 rebounds) and Darius Johnson-Odom (24 points). But the bigger issue was point guard Shabazz Napier calling out his teammates following the game. The Huskies don't have the look of a team capable of turning things around and neither does Illinois, who was whipped at Nebraska. In the 80-57 loss the Fighting Illini saw Bo Spencer score 27 points and Nebraska shoot 55.3% from the field.

4. Saint Mary's may have lost but they actually gained a game in the loss column with regards to the WCC race. Rashad Green's jumper with 3.3 seconds remaining pushed San Francisco past #24 Gonzaga by the final score of 66-65. Gonzaga's now tied with BYU for second place at 11-3 with Saint Mary's a game ahead at 12-2 with all three having two games remaining, and the Bulldogs and Cougars meet in Spokane on Thursday night.

5. One way to make earning an NCAA berth tougher than it should be is to lose games you're supposed to win, which is exactly what #23 Mississippi State did. The Bulldogs struggled offensively, shooting 35.2% from the field and 5-for-22 from three in a 65-55 loss at Auburn. Frankie Sullivan led the Tigers with 16 points and Kenny Gabriel added 15 and nine boards.

6. Drexel went on the road and beat Cleveland State 69-49, and while the Vikings are a far different team without D'Aundray Brown this was an impressive result for the Dragons. Drexel has now won 15 in a row, and it may be time to consider where Bruiser Flint's team stacks up against last year's George Mason squad. The Patriots won 16 in a row but would eventually need an at-large bid (8-seed), and a quick look at the numbers (see the "Rankings" area) for both teams shows how difficult it could be for the CAA to get two bids.

7. Both Memphis and Southern Miss dropped games they weren't expected to, meaning that not only do the two teams remain tied for first in Conference USA but they also move closer to the pack. UTEP was able to come back and beat Memphis 60-58 for their first road win of the season, and Houston knocked off Southern Miss 73-71 as Jonathon Simmons led the Cougars with 28 points and eight rebounds. Conference USA needed Southern Miss and Memphis to separate in order to feel good about two bids, and that may not happen at this rate.

8. The streak will live for another year as Dayton was once again unable to win at Xavier, losing 86-83 in overtime at the Cintas Center. The Flyers, who were led by Kevin Dillard's 20 points and six assists, haven't beaten the Musketeers in Cincinnati since 1981. Tu Holloway (32 points, six rebounds, five assists) and Mark Lyons (20 points, three rebounds) led the way for the Musketeers, who remain in the A-10 race with the win.

9. The Patriot League race has become much tighter than expected with two games remaining. While both American (74-50 win at Army) and Lehigh (72-53 win over Lafayette) took care of business they received the help they needed from Holy Cross, who beat first-place Bucknell 54-52 despite 20 points and ten rebounds from Mike Muscala. The Bison are now just a game up on the Eagles and Mountain Hawks, and with two to go there's always the chance that Bucknell could drop all the way down to the 3rd seed. Bucknell and American meet in D.C. on Thursday night.

10. Not only did Belmont take care of what they needed to do in beating East Tennessee State 80-58 but they also received help in the form of Jacksonville's 81-75 win over Mercer. This gives the Bruins a one-game lead over the Bears in the Atlantic Sun with three to go, and the regular season finale is a battle between the two at Mercer (the Bears also host the conference tournament).

11. Similar to the battle between Arizona and Washington, the second meeting of the season between Wyoming and Colorado State is a contest that we'll still have some work to do when it comes to figuring out the meaning. Behind Greg Smith (14 points, eight rebounds) and a defense that limited the Cowboys to 38.6% shooting, the Rams picked up a much-needed split of the season series with a 54-46 win (Wyoming won the first meeting in Laramie by 19). Both teams have plenty of work to do (despite solid computer numbers for CSU) but this is a good step for the Rams.

12. Not only did Northwestern pick up a much-needed win (64-53 over Minnesota) but John Shurna became the school's all-time leading scorer. The senior was all over the stat sheet for the Wildcats, finishing with 18 points, five rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocked shots. At 6-8 in league play Northwestern has opportunities remaining as they host Michigan and Ohio State, while the remaining road games are Penn State and Iowa.

13. Harvard once again took care of Yale, this time by the final score of 66-51, to remain alone in first place in the Ivy League. Brandyn Curry scored 18 points and Keith Wright ten as the Crimson, who host Princeton and Penn next week, soundly defeated the Bulldogs for the second time this season despite 22 and 11 from Greg Magnano. A sweep of next weekend would guarantee Tommy Amaker's bunch at least a share of the Ivy crown.

14. The nation's second-longest win streak came to an end on Saturday night as Weber State edged out UT-Arlington 72-70 in Ogden. The Mavericks, who had won 16 in a row, limited the nation's leading scorer (Damian Lillard) to 17 points but Scott Bamforth scored 16 of his 19 in the second half to propel the Wildcats to the victory.

15. Two teams in need of wins took losses on the road Saturday as Texas fell 90-78 to Oklahoma State and Seton Hall dropped a 62-57 decision at Cincinnati. Safe to say that both the Longhorns and Pirates have work to do if they're to go dancing, but the good news for both is that their leagues will provide the opportunities needed to strengthen their case.

Five Notable Performances

1. F Drew Gordon (New Mexico)
27 points and 20 rebounds in the Lobos' 65-45 win over #11 UNLV.

2. G Keiton Page (Oklahoma State)
40 points (20-20 FT) in the Cowboys' 90-78 win over Texas.

3. F/C Andrew Nicholson (St. Bonaventure)
32 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots in the Bonnies' 81-61 win over Rhode Island.

4. F Doug McDermott (Creighton)
36 points and 11 rebounds in the Bluejays' 81-79 win over Long Beach State.

5. G Louie Krogman (South Dakota)
37 points, six assists and four steals in the Coyotes' 93-92 loss to Texas State.