Missouri St

Friday Tournament Predictions: Horizon, OVC, MVC, WCC

Greg Mengelt — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 07:55:14 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. He'll be picking every conference tournament game over the next 2 weeks. Read more about Championship Week at CollegeHoops.net.

ATLANTIC SUN SEMIFINALS: AT MACON, GA.

Belmont (25-7, 16-2) vs. East Tennessee State (17-13, 10-8)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: Comcast Sports. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 23 – Belmont 82-70; Feb. 18 – Belmont 80-58. RPI: Belmont 63, East Tennessee State 180. Analysis: Belmont beat the Buccaneers by a combined 34 points in two meetings this year. Can’t find a reason why the Bruins won’t blow them out again. Line: Belmont -12. Pick: Belmont 88, East Tennessee State 66.

Mercer (22-10, 13-5) vs. Florida Gulf Coast (14-16, 8-10)

Tipoff: Approx. 8:30 p.m. TV: Comcast Sports. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 2 – Mercer 76-54; Feb. 20 – Mercer 75-66. RPI: Mercer 126, Florida Gulf Coast 238. Analysis: Mercer looked better in its win over Lipscomb, but the Bears probably aren’t playing well enough yet to take them against the spread. Line: Mercer -9.5. Pick: Mercer 71, Florida Gulf Coast 67.

HORIZON LEAGUE QUARETRFINALS: AT VALPARAISO, IND.

(3) Detroit (19-13, 11-7) vs. (6) Youngstown State (16-14, 10-8)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: Horizon League Network/ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 1 – Youngstown 64-61*; Feb. 25 – Detroit 76-74*. RPI: Detroit 158, Youngstown State 166. Analysis: Detroit’s underachieving roller coaster season comes to an end. Line: Detroit -6. Pick: Youngstown State 68, Detroit 65.

(4) Milwaukee (20-12, 11-7) vs. (5) Butler (19-13, 11-7)

Tipoff: Approx. 8:30 p.m. TV: Horizon League Network/ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – Butler 54-50; Jan. 26 – Milwaukee 53-42. RPI: Milwaukee 124, Butler 112. Analysis: The Butler magic lives on – for one more day. Line: Butler -1. Pick: Butler 66, Milwaukee 61.

MISSOURI VALLEY QUARTERFINALS: AT ST. LOUIS

(1) Wichita State (26-4, 16-2) vs. (8) Indiana State (17-13, 8-10)

Tipoff: 1 p.m. TV: MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 15 – Wichita State 75-65*; Feb. 4 – Wichita State 71-66. RPI: Wichita State 12, Indiana State 130. Analysis: This isn’t a typical 1/8 matchup with the Sycamores finishing a game behind third place. Indiana State is closer to the team that won last year’s tournament than to the one that struggled during the middle of this season. Line: Wichita St -10. Pick: Wichita State 70, Indiana State 62.

(4) Illinois State (18-12, 9-9) vs. (5) Northern Iowa (19-12, 9-9)

Tipoff: Approx. 3:30 p.m. TV: MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 29 – Illinois State 65-61; Feb. 11 – Northern Iowa 78-63. RPI: Illinois State 125, Northern Iowa 62. Analysis: This game could go either way, so take the team with more post-season experience. Line: Northern Iowa -2. Line: Northern Iowa -2. Pick: Northern Iowa 70, Illinois State 67.

(2) Creighton (25-5, 14-4) vs. (7) Drake (16-14, 9-9)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 3 – Creighton 76-59; Jan. 25 – Creighton 77-69. RPI: Creighton 25, Drake 127. Analysis: Except for a late push against Long Beach State, the Blue Jays just aren’t playing as well as they were earlier this season. It would be tough to take them by more than a handful of points. Line: Creighton -8. Pick: Creighton 69, Drake 65.

(3) Evansville (15-14, 9-9) vs. (6) Missouri State (16-15, 9-9)

Tipoff: Approx. 9:30 p.m. TV: MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 15 – Evansville 87-82 (OT)*; Feb. 25 – Evansville 75-70 (OT). RPI: Evansville 138, Missouri State 108. Analysis: Missouri State senior Kyle Weems will find a way to shine in his final week, and the Bear defense will clamp down on Ace star Colt Ryan. Line: Missouri State -2. Pick: Missouri State 77, Evansville 70.

OHIO VALLEY SEMIFINALS: AT NASHVILLE

(1) Murray State (28-1, 15-1) vs. (4) Tennessee Tech (19-12, 9-7)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Murray State 82-74; Feb. 25 – Murray State 69-64*. RPI: Murray State 31, Tennessee Tech 151. Analysis: Tennessee Tech found a way to keep both regular-season meetings close, and Kevin Murphy and the Eagles will push the Racers again. Line: Murray St -8. Pick: Murray State 70, Tennessee Tech 64.

(2) Tennessee State (19-11, 11-5) vs. (3) Morehead State (18-14, 10-6)

Tipoff: Approx. 8 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 11 – Tennessee State 77-72. RPI: Tennessee State 131, Morehead State 173. Analysis: With an extra day of rest, Tennessee State will pull away from the Eagles early in the second half. Line: Tennessee St -4. Pick: Tennessee State 81, Morehead State 69.

WCC QUARTERFINALS: AT LAS VEGAS

(4) Loyola Marymount (19-11, 11-5) vs. (5) San Francisco (19-12, 8-8)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – Loyola Marymount 77-76 (OT)*; Feb. 4 – Loyola Marymount 90-88. RPI: Loyola Marymount 119, San Francisco 147. Analysis: Vegas is begging you to take LMU, don't fall for it. Line: San Francisco -1.5. Pick: Loyola Marymount 78, San Francisco 75.

(3) BYU (24-7, 12-4) vs. (6) San Diego (12-17, 9-7)

Tipoff: Approx. 11 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – BYU 88-52; Jan. 16 – BYU 82-63*. RPI: BYU 50, San Diego 193. Analysis: BYU will control the boards and its defensive end en route to an easy win. Line: BYU -13. Pick: BYU 78, San Diego 55.

*Road win

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 95-62-2

Jon Teitel's "Coaching Greats": Missouri State/Saint Louis/UNLV's Charlie Spoonhour

Jon Teitel — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:49:57 -0800

In the latest installment of his "Coaching Greats" series CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with Jay Spoonhour, the son of the late Charlie Spoonhour. Spoonhour is widely regarded as the greatest coach in the history of Missouri State basketball, where he led the Bears to four conference titles and five NCAA tournament appearances. Spoonhour moved on to Saint Louis and UNLV, and he was an outstanding coach at the junior college level as well. Spoonhour passed away on February 1st at the age of 72.

Jon Teitel: In 1969 your dad was an assistant coach at Missouri State (then called Southwest Missouri State) as they went 24-5 and made it to the Division II title game before a four-point loss to defending champ Kentucky Wesleyan and tournament MOP George Tinsley. Did he consider it a success (due to making it so far) or a failure (due to not winning it all)?

Jay Spoonhour: He would never consider finishing second in the country to be a failure.

JT: In 1973 he was an assistant coach for the Mexican national team at the World University Games in Moscow. Why did he take the job, and how did he enjoy the experience?

JS: I know he enjoyed it, and the best part of the whole deal was just his stories about traveling around. His team was not very good and few of the players spoke English, so it was little rough at times.

JT: Your dad compiled a 205-63 record as a junior college coach, and was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame in 1991. What made him such a great junior college coach, and where did the induction rank among his career highlights?

JS: I think that was pretty high on the list. He always had a deep respect for junior college basketball, which has produced some great players like Bob McAdoo and Rickey Green (Vincennes JC). At the junior college level you have to keep things fairly simple because you only have guys for two years, and you have to communicate well and be able to pull everyone together as a group. He would say he was a good junior college coach because he was at good programs with good track records (Southeastern CC and Moberly JC).

JT: What are your memories of the 1987 NCAA tournament, the first in Missouri State history (Wayne Garland scored 24 points in a five-points upset of #4-seed Clemson, but Danny Manning scored a career-high 42 points in a four-point Kansas win)?

JS: The 1986 team went to the NIT and really made basketball explode at Missouri State by beating Pitt and Marquette before losing to Florida. We had Winston Garland, who ended up playing in the NBA for a decade. Just making it to the NCAA tournament was the greatest thing ever: they had only been in Division I for a couple of years at that point and here they were upsetting a team featuring ACC Player of the Year Horace Grant. It was a typical game, as we kept it in the fifties. Nobody could guard Manning...especially when the guy you put on him is only 6'7".

JT: After the 1992 season your dad became coach at Saint Louis. Why did he make the switch, and did he have any regrets?

JS: No regrets at all. He always saw SLU as a great program dating back to the 1940s and 1950s in the era of Ed Macauley. He always said that since they were once great they could be great again. I do not know what the deciding factor was but he might have just thought it was time for a different challenge. SLU was another program that had not been to the big dance in awhile but he was able to get them there after only a couple of years.

JT: Your dad was known for his possession-oriented style of play at Missouri State, but became a high-scoring/three-point shooting team at SLU. Why did he make the change in style, and how did his ability to adapt help his ability to coach?

JS: His ability to adapt was the main reason why he was such a good coach. You still have your same basic ideas, but the SLU players were good long-range shooters so he made use of their skills. They were not very athletic but they could play together and figure out how to win the game.

JT: In 1994 your dad led SLU to the NCAA tournament (its first since 1957) and won the USBWA Henry Iba Award as National Coach of the Year. How big a deal was it for the school to make it back to the tournament, and what did it mean to him to receive such an outstanding individual honor?

JS: Henry Iba's son Moe was one of my dad's best friends in the world, so winning any award with the Iba name attached to it was a pretty big deal. Those awards are usually reserved for coaches at big-time schools, so to win it while coaching SLU was very special. SLU only averaged about 4,000-6,000 fans a game the year before he got there, but they consistently averaged 17,000 fans a game for most of his time there (which was one of the biggest crowds in the country). To have everyone in a big city like St. Louis on board was amazing.

JT: What are your memories of the 1995 NCAA tournament (three-point overtime win over Minnesota for the school's first tourney win in over four decades, but Tim Duncan had 25 points and three blocked shots in a five-point win by one-seed Wake Forest)?

JS: The SLU center was Donnie Dobbs (who was 6'1") and he had to guard Duncan. Duncan scored at will on the inside but it was hard for a tall guy to guard a guy like Dobbs who had a lot of spin moves. That team lived by the three and died by the three.

JT: Your dad recruited future lottery pick and hometown hero Larry Hughes to SLU (the first McDonald's All-American in school history). Was Hughes the best player your dad ever recruited, and how was he able to convince him to go to SLU?

JS: Larry's younger brother Justin was in the middle of some serious medical problems while waiting for a heart transplant. Larry wanted to stay close to home, but we were competing against schools like Kansas and Syracuse to get him. If Larry was not the best then it would have to be Garland. The year before Larry got there we had a losing record because most of the stars had graduated, but Larry helped win 22 games during his one year at SLU.

JT: What are your memories of the 1998 NCAA tournament (Hughes scored 18 points in a five-point win over UMass, but tournament MOP Jeff Sheppard scored 18 in a win by eventual national champion Kentucky)?

JS: I was on the coaching staff that year. It was an early afternoon game in a big dome and UMass went 0-11 from behind the arc, so it was pretty ugly. We actually thought we could beat Kentucky, but their point guard blew right past us on the first possession of the game and it just got worse from there.

JT: After retiring from SLU in 1999 he spent two years in the booth as an analyst on college basketball broadcasts. How did he like the analyst gig compared to the coaching gig?

JS: I think he loved it, even though I think he planned on staying retired. He got to do everything he enjoyed (like being around coaches), but the best part was that after the game he could get in his car and leave!

JT: In 2001 he got out of the booth and back on the sideline by becoming coach at UNLV. Why did he decide to get back into coaching?

JS: He loved Las Vegas and lived there even after retiring. It was a great program that had hit some hard times and he had a clean reputation with the NCAA, which is what UNLV needed back then. We were on probation for three years there (including scholarship restrictions), but still averaged 20 wins per year.

2002 Mountain West Tournament

JT: Lou Kelly scored a career-high (and tournament-record) 35 points in a three-point double overtime win over New Mexico. Where does that game rank among the best you have ever seen?

JS: We were playing at home, but I am not sure if it was that big a benefit.

JT: Tournament MVP Randy Holcomb scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Kelly's half-court shot at the buzzer hit the back of the rim in a three-point San Diego State in title game. How devastating was that loss, and did you think Kelly's shot was going in?

JS: We had beaten them twice during the year and played well throughout the game, but turned the ball over late. Kelly thought he could make the shot and was actually mad because he thought it should have went in!

JT: What are your memories of the 2003 Mountain West tournament title game (Brian Greene scored 22 points, including a jumper with 5.7 seconds left, in a one-point Colorado State win)?

JS: We were up by ten points with about six minutes to go on our home floor against a team we had beaten twice before that season, but I do not think we made a field goal in the final four minutes.

Spoonhour is also on Jon's list of best coaches in MVC history.

Bradley: Chuck Orsborn (1956-1965) 194-56, 1 conference title, 3 NIT titles, 2-time conference COY
Creighton: Dana Altman (1994-2010) 327-176, 7 NCAA tourneys, 3 conference titles, 2-time conference COY
Drake: Maury John (1958-1971) 211-131, 3 NCAA tourneys, 4 conference titles, 1-time national COY, 4-time conference COY
Evansville: Jim Crews (1985-2002) 294-209, 4 NCAA tourneys, 5 conference titles, 4-time conference COY
Illinois State: Bob Donewald (1978-1989) 207-122, 3 NCAA tourneys, 1 conference title, 1-time conference COY
Indiana State: Glenn Curtis (1938-1946) 122-45
Missouri State: Charlie Spoonhour (1983-1992) 197-81, 5 NCAA tourneys, 4 conference titles, 3-time conference COY
Northern Iowa: Ben Jacobson (2006-present) 125-66, 2 NCAA tourneys, 2 conference titles, 2-time conference COY
Southern Illinois: Jack Hartman (1962-1970) 142-64, 1 NIT title
Chris Lowery (2004-present) 145-109, 3 NCAA tourneys, 2 conference titles, 1-time conference COY
Wichita State: Ralph Miller (1951-1964) 220-133, 1 NCAA tourney, 1 conference title, 1-time conference COY

Missouri St vs Wichita St: Prediction & Fan Poll

Greg Mengelt — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:12:57 -0800

WICHITA STATE (18-4, 9-2 MVC) AT MISSOURI STATE (13-10, 5-6 MVC)

Time: 8:05 p.m.

Location: JQH Arena

RPI Ratings

Wichita State 31 (No. 2 Missouri Valley)

Missouri State 81 (No. 4 Missouri Valley)

Line: Wichita State -5 (O/U 130)

Wichita State Players to Watch: G Joe Ragland, 6-0 Sr. (12.7 ppg, 3.4 apg, 54.3% FG); C Garrett Stutz, 7-0 Sr. (13.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 58.1% FG); G Toure’ Murry, 6-5 Sr. (12.5 ppg, 5 rpg, 3 apg). Stutz is playing the best basketball, and for the most part, is staying out of foul trouble. In his last two games, the 7-footer has played 77 minutes, made 19-of-27 shots, 11-of-13 free throws, scored 50 points, grabbed 13 boards and blocked four shots.

Missouri State Players to Watch: F Kyle Weems, 6-6 Sr. (16 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 40.2% 3s); G/F Jarmar Gulley, 6-4 Jr. (10.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 48% FG); G Michael Bizoukas, 6-2 Sr. (4.8 ppg, 6 apg, 3.5 rpg). Weems – the 2010-11 Missouri Valley Player of the Year – had the 13^th double-double of his career with 20 points and 10 rebounds in Saturday’s 63-51 home win over Northern Iowa. He has scored in double figures 102 times during his college career.

Storylines: After Saturday’s triple-overtime loss at Drake, this becomes a huge game in the Missouri Valley regular-season championship race for the Shockers. The loss ended their 8-game winning streak and dropped them a game behind league-leader Creighton. Since handing No. 19 Creighton its only MVC loss of the season on Dec. 28, Missouri State has gone just 5-5.

Keys: The Bears will be playing without 6-foot-11 center Caleb Patterson, who would have drawn the assignment against Stutz. Patterson injured his right ankle for the second time this season and there is no timetable for his return. Patterson was averaging 12.7 points, three rebounds and was shooting 49 percent from the floor. Gulley and Anthony Downing, who scored 16 points in Patterson’s absence on Saturday, will try to make up for his loss. Wichita State is the second-leading scoring team in the MVC behind Creighton. The Shockers are averaging 78.2 points per game, are allowing just 62.8 per game and are shooting 47.9 percent from the floor. Missouri State is in the middle of the conference back at 67.9 points per contest, while surrendering 62.7. The Bears shoot 34.7 percent from the 3-point line and WSU allows opponents to shoot only 29.3, which is best in the league. Wichita State should have a big advantage on the boards. It leads the conference in rebounds per game (38.6) and rebounding margin (plus-6.6). One key for the Bears will be turnovers. They get 4.5 steals per game and are second in the league with a 1.3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, which ranks 16^th in the nation. Bizoukas is third nationally with a 3.39-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and is 21^st in the nation at six assists per contest. The Bears average just 10.4 turnovers per night, which leads the MVC and is fifth in all of college basketball. The Shockers are third at 1.2-to-1. Missouri State is 2-4 in its last six games, but two of the losses came in overtime and the other two were by a single point. The Bears have beaten Wichita State four of the last five times the two sides have met, including a 69-64 win last Feb. 26 in Springfield in their last meeting. Weems had 11 points and nine boards in the victory. The Bears are 30-27 all-time against the Shockers, including 20-6 in Springfield. Missouri State is 7-4 at home this season and is just 3-3 on its own floor in MVC play, including recent back-to-back losses to Evansville (87-82 in OT on Jan. 15) and Creighton (66-65 on Jan. 18). The Shockers won their first six games on the road this season before the triple-overtime loss at Drake on Saturday. The defeat ended their 17-game conference road winning streak. The two teams will meet again in Wichita on Feb. 15.

The Bottom Line: It’s hard to imagine the Shockers aren’t a bit weary after a tough loss in Cedar Falls, but they’re an experience, senior-dominated team and should have enough to get the win. The Bears’ trend of losing close games continues.

The Pick: Wichita State 69, Missouri State 67

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 53-28

#18 Creighton at Missouri St: Preview & Prediction

Greg Mengelt — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:38:42 -0800

No. 18 CREIGHTON (16-2, 6-1 MVC)

MISSOURI STATE (11-8, 4-3 MVC)

Time: 8 p.m.

Location: JQH Arena

RPI Ratings:

Creighton 21 (No. 1 MVC);

Missouri State 79 (No. 4 MVC)

Line: Creighton -1 (Total 146)

Creighton Players to Watch: F Doug McDermott, 6-7 So. (24.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 62.1% FG, 53.2% 3s); G Antoine Young, 6-0 Sr. (12.3 ppg, 4.3 apg, 1.1 spg); G Grant Gibbs, 6-4 Jr. (8 ppg, 5.9 apg, 1.3 spg). In the middle of his sophomore season, McDermott has already passed the 1,000-point mark for his career. He did it with a 25-point performance in a 90-71 win over Southern Illinois on Sunday.

Missouri State Players to Watch: F Kyle Weems, 6-6 Sr. (16.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 40.5% 3s); C Caleb Patterson, 6-11 Sr. (12.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 50.3% FG); G Michael Bizoukas, 6-2 Sr. (5.1 ppg, 6.1 apg, 3.5 rpg). After missing two games with a concussion, Patterson returned Jan. 10 and went 7-for-8 from the field for a career-high 24 points.

Storylines: Creighton is in a first-place tie with Wichita State in the Missouri Valley at 6-1. Its lone loss came at home against Missouri State, 77-65. Since the big win over the Blue Jays, the Bears have lost 3-of-5 and two in a row. Two of those losses came at home against Illinois State and Evansville, not exactly the cream of the Missouri Valley crop. The Blue Jays, on the other hand, have won six straight since their only league-opening loss.

Keys: With two consecutive home losses to Missouri State, it’s safe to say that the Bears are a tough matchup for Creighton. The Missouri State defense has given McDermott – the nation’s second-leading scorer – fits. McDermott scored 19 points in the Dec. 28 meeting with the Bears, but he was just 8-of-18 from the field and scored just one points in the final 10 minutes. On the other hand, Weems has been a terror for the Blue Jays. In last year’s win in Omaha, he hit the game winning shots in the final seconds. This year, he had a season-high 31 points, including 25 in the second half – in the triumph. Weems – the reigning MVC Player of the Year – has scored in double-figures in 18 straight games. Creighton has scored 90 or more points in eight of its 18 games and is averaging 82.7 points per night. Creighton is 7-1 on the road this season. Its lone loss away from home was an 80-71 defeat in Philadelphia against St. Joseph’s on Dec. 10. The Blue Jays lead the nation in field goal percentage at 51.6 percent. Missouri State gives up just 39.2 percent to its opponents. The Bears are 0-3 when scoring 60 points or fewer. They are also 1-6 when committing 12 or more turnovers.

The Bottom Line: With Missouri State struggling and the Blue Jays out for revenge, the prevailing wisdom may be that Creighton will run away with this one. That’s unlikely. The more likely outcome is a one possession game either way.

The Pick: Creighton 81, Missouri State 80.

New Mexico vs. #16 San Diego State: Wednesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:29:11 -0800

It looks as if the schedule-makers in the Mountain West wanted to spark some serious national conversation about the conference from the beginning of league play because the first full week of play will feature all three expected contenders facing each other. Wednesday's slate features #16 San Diego State (15-2, 1-0), fresh off of their two-point win over UNLV, visiting The Pit to take on a New Mexico (15-2, 1-0) squad that's quietly won thirteen in a row. The Lobos, preseason favorites to win the Mountain West, feature one of the best power forwards in senior Drew Gordon (12.4 ppg, 10.5 rpg) while guards Tony Snell (13.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg) and Kendall Williams (11.7 ppg, 4.4 apg, 3.6 rpg) have also played well during their current run.

Before scoring eight points in the Lobos' win at Wyoming on Saturday, Gordon reached double figures in eight straight games to rebound from an inconsistent start to the season. A key for SDSU will be to keep him off the offensive glass, something they've done a good job of this season as opponents rebound just 26.9% of their missed shots. If anything offensive rebounding will be a critical factor in the outcome as New Mexico grabs 36.4% of their misses and SDSU is a solid offensive rebounding team as well (33.4% OR percentage). The Aztecs don't have the marquee bodies in the frontcourt that they had last season but Steve Fisher's guys still attack the boards, and one of their best offensive rebounders is also an important scorer on the perimeter.

Jamaal Franklin (15.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg) grabs 1.6 offensive rebounds per game, a number that's third on the team to Deshawn Stephens (2.1) and Garrett Green (2.0). Franklin knocked down the game-winner on Saturday and scored 24 points while also grabbing ten rebounds, with the boards marking the third time in the last four games in which he's finished with ten caroms. If anything the Aztecs have plenty of depth on the perimeter as Chase Tapley (16.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg), Xavier Thames (11.0 ppg, 5.4 apg) and James Rahon (10.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg) all have the ability to hurt teams offensively. Rahon scored 22 points in the win over UNLV and seemed to have an answer for just about every UNLV charge.

Williams is one of the guards that Steve Alford will rely upon tonight, and he should be a solid bet to perform well coming off of back-to-back double-figure scoring performances for the first time since the final two games of the 76 Classic in late November. The one issue for Williams has been the drop in his percentages from last season, as his three-point percentage is down about ten points and the field goal percentage down six. But in the last three games Williams has made seven of eleven from distance, and the hope for UNM fans is that he'll continue on that path.

As for Snell (13.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg) he's been New Mexico's most consistent performer this season, increasing his scoring by nine points from last season and his percentages have made a signficant jump as well. Hugh Greenwood has missed the last two games with a sprained ankle, which has meant more time for Williams at the points and more minutes for Jamal Fenton (7.4 ppg, 2.6 apg) off the bench. Williams turned the ball over five times on Saturday but as a team the Lobos finished with 15 turnovers (they average 14 per game), so there wasn't a huge shift in that regard.

In addition to the rebounding three-point shooting is an area to keep an eye on with the Lobos scoring 30% of their points from beyond the arc. As a team New Mexico shoots 40.2% from deep, and while SDSU isn't a bad shooting team (35.2% 3PT) they rely more on getting to the basket. The Pit is one of the toughest environments in college basketball for a road team, and the Aztecs needed some big plays from D.J. Gay to win last year's meeting. He's no longer on Montezuma Mesa, meaning that a Franklin, Rahon or Tapley (Thames too) would likely have to be the guy. But as we've seen thus far, they're more than capable of doing so.

The Missouri Valley has a pair of marquee matchups on the slate with Creighton visiting Missouri State and Northern Iowa hosting Wichita State. Kyle Weems and the Bears handed Creighton its only league loss in Omaha earlier this month, and a sweep of the season series would go a long way in terms of bolstering a resume that's taken some hits as they've lost three of their last four.

As for UNI they sit at 3-4 in MVC play and their inconsistent offensive production is a big reason why. Do the Panthers have an answer for Garrett Stutz inside? He's raised his scoring nearly five points from last season and is grabbing nearly four more rebounds per game as well. WSU is 5-0 in road games this season and Stutz is averaging 16.4 points and 9.0 rebounds in those contests.

There's also a battle of Big Five teams as La Salle visits Temple and the perimeter matchups should be fun to watch. Dr. John Giannini's team has played both more consistently and unselfishly this season than last and guards Tyreek Duren and Ramon Galloway are two reasons why. Temple will counter with Ramone Moore, Khalif Wyatt and Juan Fernandez, but a player like Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson could factor into the outcome as the Explorers aren't the biggest team inside.

Also in the Atlantic 10 Saint Joseph's visits Xavier and UMass visits Duquesne in what should be two entertaining matchups. Cincinnati visits Connecticut in need of another resume-building win; keep in mind they've got that home loss to Presbyterian to account for and with the Huskies unlikely to have Ryan Boatright again the Bearcats will have an even better chance of winning. And keep an eye on two games involving Conference USA teams, with Memphis visiting UCF and Marshall stepping outside of the league to play West Virginia. Marquee games? Probably not, but there's more than enough to keep your attention tonight.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM (10) Murray State at Morehead State (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Cincinnati at (11) Connecticut
7:00 PM (13) Indiana at Nebraska (BTN)
9:00 PM (15) Mississippi State at Ole Miss (ESPN3)
10:00 PM (16) San Diego State at New Mexico (CBS SN)
8:05 PM (18) Creighton at Missouri State
10:30 PM TCU at (20) UNLV(The Mtn.)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Richmond at George Washington
7:00 PM St. John's at USF (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Georgia State at Northeastern
7:00 PM Old Dominion at Towson
7:00 PM Bowling Green at Miami (OH)
7:00 PM Kent State at Ohio (ESPN3)
7:00 PM La Salle at Temple
7:00 PM Seton Hall at Villanova (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Colgate at Army
7:00 PM James Madison at UNC Wilmington
7:00 PM Akron at Buffalo
7:00 PM Ball State at Central Michigan
7:00 PM Massachusetts at Duquesne
7:00 PM Western Michigan at Eastern Michigan
7:00 PM Rhode Island at Fordham
7:00 PM Delaware at George Mason (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Drexel at Hofstra
7:00 PM Bucknell at Lehigh
7:00 PM Clemson at Miami (FL) (ESPN3)
7:00 PM American at Navy
7:00 PM Northern Illinois at Toledo
7:00 PM Saint Joseph's at Xavier
7:30 PM Marshall at West Virginia (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Kennesaw State at Charlotte
8:00 PM Tennessee at Georgia (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Tulane at Tulsa
8:00 PM UAB at Rice
8:00 PM Texas-Arlington at Texas A&M-CC
8:00 PM Wyoming at Air Force (The Mtn.)
8:00 PM Nicholls State at Central Arkansas
8:00 PM Memphis at UCF
8:00 PM Indiana State at Illinois State (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Southeastern Louisiana at McNeese State
8:00 PM Wichita State at Northern Iowa (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Texas State at Sam Houston State
8:00 PM Houston at SMU
8:00 PM Northwestern State at UTSA
8:05 PM Drake at Southern Illinois
8:05 PM Bradley at Evansville
9:00 PM Oklahoma State at Iowa State
9:00 PM Northwestern at Wisconsin (BTN)
9:00 PM Texas at Kansas State
9:00 PM East Carolina at UTEP
10:00 PM Cal State San Marcos at Fresno State
10:05 PM UC Riverside at Cal State Fullerton

Tuesday Recap: Paul Leads Illinois Past Ohio State

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:41:56 -0800

The matchup between Ohio State and Illinois was anticipated by many for the individual matchup between the Buckeyes' Jared Sullinger and Illinois' Meyers Leonard. Then there was the ceremony honoring Lou Henson, the all-time winningest coach in Illinois history. But few people expected Brandon Paul to end up being the center of attention, which is exactly what happened in the Fighting Illini's 79-74 win at Assembly Hall.

Palu scored a career-high 43 points, making 11 of his 15 shots from the field (8-10 3PT) and 13 of 15 from the charity stripe to lead Bruce Weber's squad to the win. But it wasn't all about the points for Paul, as he contributed in other areas as well. Paul also led the team in rebounds (eight) and blocked shots (four), more than making up for his game-high seven turnovers. Wehn you've got it rolling like Paul did on this night, the mistakes tend to fade into the background.

"I was laughing a couple times. After the first couple threes, I just said I was going to keep shooting," remarked Paul. "That's the mindset that I've got to have."

Paul's offensive explosion was essentially the difference in the game as both teams finished with four starters reaching double figures and zero points from their respective benches. Deshaun Thomas (23 points, six rebounds) and Sullinger (21 points, five rebounds and three steals) led Ohio State offensively, but Sullinger was also their best three-point shooter as he made both of his attempts.

The rest of the team made just three of thirteen from beyond the arc and with Paul shooting the way he was, Thad Matta's team found itself in trouble throughout much of the second half. Shooting 60% from the field and 61% from three can cure a lot of ills, as it did for the Illini as they turned the ball over 18 times. It also didn't hurt Illinois to have a plus-7 advantage in points from the foul line (14-7), with Sullinger not attempting his lone free throws of the night until late in the game.

All things considered Leonard did a good job in his individual matchup with Sullinger, scoring 14 points and grabbing five rebounds in 38 minutes of action. But Tuesday night was all about the guard who got hot early and stayed so throughout. Even switching Aaron Craft, one of the best defenders in the country, onto Paul did the visitors from Columbus any good. Sometimes guys just have one of those nights, and that was exactly the case for Brandon Paul.

Other Notable Happenings

1. If you haven't given Baylor their due by now, this would be a good time to do so.
For whatever reason, Scott Drew's Baylor Bears haven't been discussed in the same realm as teams such as Syracuse, North Carolina, Kentucky and Ohio State despite owning some impressive wins to date. But after the Bears made the winning plays they needed to make late in their 75-73 win at #18 Kansas State, it's time for the nation to put the Bears in that company when discussing teams that can not only get to the Final Four but win the national title. Perry Jones III led four players in double figures with 17 points and eight rebounds while two other players (A.J. Walton and Quincy Miller) scored eight and nine points, respectively.

By the four minute mark of the second half five Baylor players had four fouls, but none fouled out and it was one of those players who stepped up big in crunch time. Quincy Acy, who played just 24 minutes due to foul trouble, scored a basket and then stole a pass on Kansas State's ensuing possession to give the Bears a 73-71 lead with 3:14 remaining. The Bears wouldn't trail again, and it was Acy's deflection of a pass in the final seconds that preserved the victory. Rodney McGruder led K-State with 30 points but their mistakes late opened the door for the Bears, and the visitors took advantage.

2. Providence honors the '87 Final Four team and blows out Louisville for their first league win.
It seems as if every time Rick Pitino brings a team to Providence his 1987 squad that reached the Final Four is being honored. After Tuesday night however, he may look to no longer be involved in such ceremonies at The Dunk. Louisville didn't look ready for a street fight from the start, and that's a bad way to enter a game when playing a team desperate for its first league win. Bryce Cotton and Kadeem Batts scored 27 points apiece as the Friars more than made up for the absence of Gerard Coleman (back injury), beating the Cardinals 90-59 to give Ed Cooley his first Big East victory.

Louisville couldn't turn over the Friars as point guard Vincent Council was the consummate floor general with 15 points, 14 assists and just two turnovers, and from there things really got out of hand for the visitors. It's been known that Peyton Siva and the rest of the Cardinals have a hard time scoring when they're unable to get out and run off of turnovers. And until that changes results like this remain a possibility as they encounter league opponents who can take care of the basketball. Hindsight is 20/20, but it looks as if those who felt that the Cardinals were overrated when they reached the Top 5 were ahead of the curve.

3. Northern Iowa forced Antoine Young to make plays, and he did as Creighton kept pace atop the MVC.
UNI needed a win in Omaha to remain within striking distance of the top of the Missouri Valley thanks to their losses to Illinois State and Evansville, with the latter coming at home. But due to two defensive moves the Panthers left town with a 2-3 record as they fell to the Bluejays 63-60. Ben Jacobson's squad essentially dared Creighton guard Antoine Young to make them pay offensively, and he did just that with a game-high 21 points. On the other hand Greg McDermott and his staff made the defensive move that may have won the game, placing more emphasis on limiting Marc Sonnen's perimeter looks.

Sonnen scored 15 points in the first half as he made all five of his three-point attempts. Sonnen finished the game with 15 points, and without his shooting the Panthers sputtered offensively. UNI shot 33.3% from the field and 28.6% from three in the second half, a far cry from their first half numbers of 42.3% and 66.7%. In addition to Young, Creighton received some big plays from Grant Gibbs (ten points) and Doug McDermott (14 points, eight rebounds) in addition to 11 rebounds from Gregory Echenique.

Quick Hitters

1. Playing their first game as a ranked team in 11 years, Seton Hall used a 17-1 second half run to put away DePaul 94-73. Fuquan Edwin scored a career-high 28 points to go along with nine rebounds, and point guard Jordan Theodore finished with 26 and 11 assists. Theodore's play this season has been outstanding, so much so that he has to be considered for Big East Player of the Year. Makes you wonder what the Cousy Award committee was thinking when they left Theodore off the list of 20 finalists for the award.

2. After winning consecutive conference road games at Wisconsin and Minnesota, Iowa has found out the hard way that they've still got some distance to travel before becoming a factor in the Big Ten. Michigan State whipped the Hawkeyes 95-61 in East Lansing, and in their last two games Iowa has lost by a combined 63 points.

3. Bernard James put forth an impressive performance for Florida State, scoring 18 points and grabbing 15 rebounds in the Seminoles' 63-59 win at Virginia Tech. James also blocked three shots and Ian Miller scored 15 off the bench as FSU picked up a much-needed win on the heels of their embarassing effort at Clemson.

4. An Atlantic 10 team to keep an eye on over the next two months: La Salle. The Explorers have won 11 of their last 12 games, beating Big 5 rival Penn 68-57 at The Palestra on Tuesday night. Point guard Tyreek Duren scored 21 points and dished out six assists while Earl Pettis added 18. The key for Dr. John Giannini's team, whose guards can play with anyone in the A-10, will be how they deal with bigger teams in league play.

5. Washington made things far more difficult than they needed to be in beating Seattle 91-83, but then again is anything expected to be "easy" for the Pac-12 this season? C.J. Wilcox scored a team-high 25 points off the bench while Tony Wroten scored 24 for the Huskies, who are off until Sunday's matchup with in-state rival Washington State.

6. Missouri State and Wichita State both took care of business at home to remain tied with Creighton atop the MVC standings, with the Bears beating Southern Illinois and Wichita State holding off Illinois State. And in Kyle Weems (MSU) and Joe Ragland (WSU), these two teams have players who can go off on a moment's notice if teams don't limit their looks.

7. Harvard avoided what would have been a catastrophic loss with regards to a possible at-large berth (should they need it) as they beat Monmouth 70-61. Keith Wright led the way with 18 points and 15 rebounds for the Crimson, who play George Washington before heading back into Ivy League play.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Brandon Paul (Illinois)
43 points (11-15 FG, 8-10 3PT), eight rebounds, four blocks, two assists and two steals in the Fighting Illini's 79-74 win over #5 Ohio State.

2. F Fuquan Edwin and G Jordan Theodore (Seton Hall)
The old Paterson Catholic teammates led the way for the Pirates in their 94-73 win over DePaul. Edwin scored a career-high 28 points and grabbed nine rebounds while Theodore added 26 and 11 assists.

3. F Kadeem Batts (Providence)
Batts, who was suspended for the fall semester, was one of the key figures in the Friars' 90-59 win over #15 Louisville. Batts scored 27 points, grabbed ten rebounds and blocked three shots in helping lead the Friars to their first Big East win under head coach Ed Cooley.

Saturday Recap: Kidd-Gilchrist Leads Kentucky Past Louisville

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 16:37:15 -0800

The game between Top 5 teams and in-state rivals Louisville and Kentucky was expected to be a high-intensity affair played at a good pace. Well thanks to the "third team" we got the intensity but not the pace, but by the end of the afternoon at Rupp Arena it was clear that Kentucky's 69-62 victory would be long remembered for the play of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Kidd-Gilchrist, who has emerged as the leader of John Calipari's talented squad, stole the show with 24 point and 19 rebounds in leading Kentucky to their 44th straight home victory.

Just over a week ago Kidd-Gilchrist's mother was in the hospital with an unspecified illness, and on Saturday he put forth an outstanding performance with her in attendance. Kentucky has needed a leader to step up within the team and the freshman from Somerdale, New Jersey has been that man in their 13-1 start. Neither team shot the ball particularly well, with Kentucky making just 29.8% of their shots and Louisville not much better at 32.3%. It was a game that had to be won with heart, and that was the difference for the Wildcats despite a valiant 30-point performance from Russ Smith.

"It was a grittiness," said Calipari. "Of all the foul trouble in the first half, the foul trouble really throughout the game and playing guys, I even went with Twany, who I barely played, I thought Kyle Wiltjer was not afraid to play, went out there and did some good stuff. With bad lineups, no point guard, we figured out how to win."

A big problem for Louisville was the play of their starting backcourt, with Peyton Siva and Chris Smith combining for just 15 points on 4-for-23 shooting from the field. Louisville's had issues scoring in the half-court for much of the season, making their points off of turnovers that much more important. The Cardinals could muster just 15 points off of 21 Kentucky turnovers while the Wildcats scored 19 off of 14 Louisville miscues. And when adding to that deficits of 57-31 in rebounds and 20-6 in second-chance points it's not too difficult to see where this game was won (or lost).

The battle of the big men went to Anthony Davis, who posted a double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds) to go with six blocks while Gorgui Dieng finished with five points, five rebounds and six blocks. Obviously Louisville isn't going to run into many teams with the skill level of Kentucky (Syracuse and Connecticut being the exceptions right now), but the half-court offense issue is something that could short-circuit the season for Rick Pitino's team much earlier than expected once the NCAA Tournament rolls around. As for Kentucky while there's plenty to improve upon as they enter SEC play the Wildcats have a special player in Kidd-Gilchrist, one who has impressed with both his skills and leadership abilities. That could take this team a long way.

"He wasn't bothered as much as some of the other players by the physical play," remarked Calipari. "He almost relished it and just went after it, and that's why he played the way he did."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Iowa takes advantage of Wisconsin's three-point shooting to win in Madison.
Going into Saturday's game the Badgers were 78-6 at the Kohl Center under Bo Ryan, so it's understandable if few people gave Fran McCaffery's team much of a chance to win. But the guys in that locker room believed and Aaron White scored 18 points off the bench to lead the Hawkeyes to the 72-65 win. The biggest culprit for the Badgers: three-point shooting. On the season Wisconsin scores 35.8% of their points from beyond the arc, a number that ranks third in the Big Ten behind Northwestern and Michigan. Saturday, Wisconsin shot a miserable 3-for-28 from beyond the arc compared to Iowa's 2-for-6 afternoon. That's the opening that the Hawkeyes needed to pull off the upset, and thanks to reserves White and Bryce Cartwright (17 points, five assists) they were able to capitalize.

2. Creighton bounces back from their loss to Missouri State and wins at Wichita State.
After dropping their MVC opener at home earlier this week, Greg McDermott's Bluejays needed to bounce back at Wichita State to avoid an 0-2 start. Antoine Young led four starters in double figures with 19 points while guard Grant Gibbs may have had the largest impact with his 11 points, six assists and four rebounds in the 68-61 win in Wichita to move both teams to 1-1 in the MVC. The idea of plus/minus in basketball can be a tricky one as there are many variables to consider, but Gibbs finished the night with a plus/minus of +25 and he made many sound decisions throughout his 26 minutes on the floor. Carl Hall was outstanding for the Shockers with 17 points and 13 rebounds but it wasn't enough to knock off the Bluejays. A loss wouldn't have eliminated Creighton from the Missouri Valley race by any means, but it was clear that they needed this road win after dropping one at home. Mission accomplished.

3. Indiana gets it done down the stretch, beating #2 Ohio State in Bloomington.
Highly-ranked teams may want to avoid Assembly Hall, as Ohio State became the second team to go into the building and leave with a loss. All five Indiana players finished in double figures with Jordan Hulls leading the way with 17 points, and the defense of Victor Oladipo (15 points, six rebounds) on Aaron Craft also had a major impact on the Hoosiers' 74-70 victory. Craft finished the game with a season-worst six turnovers in the first game this season that's seen the sophomore finish with more turnovers than assists. The battle between Jared Sullinger (15 points, nine rebounds) and Cody Zeller (14 points, four rebounds) was largely dictated by foul trouble (Zeller would eventually foul out), meaning that other players had to step up. And with William Buford and Deshaun Thomas combining for just 13 points, it was Indiana who won that battle.

4. Gonzaga hits the road and picks up a big non-conference win at Xavier.
Even with an RPI of 17 and a strength of schedule that ranked 21st going into Saturday's action (per realtimerpi.com), Mark Few's team could have used another big non-conference victory from an NCAA Tournament seeding standpoint. And thanks in large part to Sam Dower the Bulldogs did just that, beating Xavier 72-65 at the Cintas Center. Dower scored 20 points and grabbed ten rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench while the Bulldogs' freshman backcourt was solid against one of the best backcourts in the country. Kevin Pangos made just three of his ten shots from the field but he dished out seven assists , and Gary Bell did a solid job defensively on Tu Holloway. The problem for the Musketeers: outside of Holloway, Mark Lyons and Kenny Frease (42 combined points) there wasn't a whole lot of productivity. Xavier also shot 3-for-16 from beyond the arc (24-9 Gonzaga edge in points scored) and was out-rebounded 41-27, which allowed Gonzaga to get away with turning the ball over 17 times (Pangos had five).

5. Harvard comes back from a 12-point deficit to beat Saint Joseph's.
17 seconds into the second half Saint Joseph's took a 50-38 lead on a Halil Kanacevic jumper, and with the 23rd-ranked Crimson playing arguably their worst defense of the season there was a real chance of the Hawks leaving Lavietes Pavilion with a huge win for their resume. But Tommy Amaker's team buckled down, limiting Saint Joseph's to 19 points the rest of the way to come back and win 74-69. SJU shot just 29.8% from the field in the second half while Kyle Casey scored 20 of his 26 points (ten rebounds on the day as well) to lead the charge. Carl Jones led Saint Joseph's with 22 points but that wasn't enough to hold off Harvard, who outscored SJU 22-12 in the paint in the final 20 minutes after the Hawks led that category 20-16 in the first half. With Harvard's remaining schedule consisting of the Ivy League slate and non-conference games against Fordham, Monmouth and George Washington this was a game the Crimson needed for a resume that will take some hits from a computer numbers standpoint between now and March.

Quick Hitters

1. Billy Donovan's team bounced back from their loss at Rutgers with a 90-70 win over Yale, but that wasn't the only bit of good news for Florida on Saturday. 2013 point guard Kasey Hill tweeted after attending the game that he'd verbally committed to the program, and this is a big get for the Gators given how many players will be out of eligibility by the time 2013 rolls around.

2. Seth Greenberg's Virginia Tech Hokies picked up a needed win on Saturday as they won 67-61 at Oklahoma State. But this was a game that would have more of an impact on their NCAA Tournament resume had they lost, so avoiding that fate was critical. At 11-3, Virginia Tech is in a solid spot ahead of what should be a wild ACC season.

3. Youngstown State handed Cleveland State their first conference loss of the season by the final score of 73-67. Damian Eargle led the Penguins with 20 points and ten rebounds, and while YSU may not be a serious contender in the Horizon League come March they're going to scare some folks.

4. Despite Tyler Lamb scoring a career-high 26 points UCLA fell 85-69 at California to go 0-2 in the Bay Area this weekend. Why? Lazeric Jones made just two of seven shots and he along with Jerime Anderson and Joshua Smith combined to score 12 points on 4-for-15 shooting from the field.

5. With Wisconsin losing to Iowa some the question of who the second-best team is in the Big Ten looks to be wide-open. How about Purdue? The Boilermakers moved to 2-0 in conference play with a 75-60 win over Illinois, and they have the ability to be right there with the likes of Michigan State, Indiana and Wisconsin.

6. The Mountain West picked up a good resume-building victory as New Mexico beat Saint Louis 64-60 at The Pit. Drew Gordon scored 18 points and nine rebounds to lead the Lobos, who have won ten straight games and look like the conference title contender many expected them to be in the preseason.

7. With Creighton's win over Wichita State there's just one team in the MVC with a 2-0 record in conference play. That would be Missouri State, who beat Drake 72-61 at JQH Arena. Kyle Weems followed up his impressive performance at Creighton with 22 points and nine rebounds to lead the Bears past the Bulldogs.

8. Friday night had big news on the injury front as Dayton lost starting big man Josh Benson for the season with a torn ACL. The Flyers were able to overcome his loss to beat Ole Miss 62-50 on Friday but against the better teams in the Atlantic 10 not having Benson could be an issue.

9. Also on Friday Seton Hall bounced back from their blowout loss at Syracuse in a big way, beating West Virginia 67-48 at The Rock. Fuquan Edwin, who leads the nation in steals, led the way offensively with 19 points and Jordan Theodore added 18. With UConn next on the schedule Kevin Willard's team couldn't afford to lose lest they risk an 0-3 start to Big East play, and they got the job done.

Five Notable Performances

1. F Thomas Robinson (Kansas)
30 points (10-14 FG), 21 rebounds and four assists in the Jayhawks' 84-58 win over North Dakota.

2. F Brandon Davies (BYU)
21 points (8-13 FG), 22 rebounds and four assists in the Cougars' 88-52 win over San Diego.

3. F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Kentucky)
24 points and 19 rebounds in the Wildcats' 69-62 win over #4 Louisville.

4. F Greg Magnano (Yale)
26 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks in the Bulldogs' 90-70 loss at #10 Florida.

5. F Stan Okoye (VMI)
27 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals in the Keydets' 78-70 overtime win over Presbyterian.

Wednesday Recap: Georgetown Wins at Louisville

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 23:47:25 -0800

A lot of talk surrounding this week of games for the Louisville Cardinals centered on the importance of their game with in-state rival Kentucky on Saturday afternoon. And while that game is extremely important the Cardinals still had to attend to the business of their Big East opener. Thanks to career nights from both Markel Starks and Otto Porter however it was Georgetown that took care of business, handing the Cardinals their first loss of the season by the final score of 71-68. Starks made seven of eight shots from the field in scoring a career-high 20 points while Porter added 14 points and 14 rebounds for his first career double-double.

"Collectively, I don't think you can look at anybody on this team as a measure of points," said Georgetown head coach John Thompson III. "[Starks] made some big plays and his defensive got better in the second half. The same thing I said about the freshmen, these guys are players. Age, class, maturation goes out the window."

Georgetown wasn't great offensively as they turned the basketball over 16 times on the night, but they were still more efficient that a Louisville team that's had trouble scoring consistently in the half court. The Cardinals made two more field goals than the Hoyas but needed 12 more attempts to do so, and they outscored Georgetown by just three points (24-21) from beyond the arc despite attempting 13 more shots (24-11). Kyle Kuric led three Louisville players in double figures with 17 points while Peyton Siva added 15 and Russ Smith 14, but the half-court offensive execution and their struggles from the foul line (10-for-17) doomed the home team.

"I thought we really rushed, jacked up shots when it was still a game," remarked Louisville head coach Rick Pitino. "There were 15 seconds on the clock and we were looking for a three. We haven't done that. But they were a better basketball team. They, at this stage of the season, execute offensively better than we do."

Looking ahead to Saturday at Rupp Arena it's pretty obvious what Louisville's focus will be, and their offensive execution is something that will have to improve if they're to win the Big East as well. When forcing turnovers at a high rate the Cardinals can get away with averaging just over a point per possession, but that won't get it done especially when encountering a team that can execute at a level similar to that of Georgetown. As for the Hoyas, it's still early for a young team that's got talent and the potential to make some waves this season. And they're not going to consistently turn the ball over on a quarter of their possessions either. Winning in a hostile environment despite quiet nights from their three most experienced players (Jason Clark, Henry Sims and Hollis Thompson) is a nice way to start league play for Georgetown.

Other Notable Happenings

1. In a game featuring multiple big runs, Michigan State beats Indiana.
After Keith Appling knocked down a three-pointer with 5:11 remaining in the first half, #17 Michigan State led #15 Indiana 34-16 and looked to be well on their way to an emphatic win in the Big Ten opener for both teams. But Tom Crean's team, much to their credit, refused to give in and went on a 25-2 run to wrestle away control of the contest despite Cody Zeller being in foul trouble. Indiana went from trailing by 18 to eventually leading by nine following a Christian Watford three with just over 11 minutes remaining in the game, and they looked to be a safe bet to wrap up the victory. But the Spartans fought back in front of the home crowd, going on a 20-0 run and winning 80-65 thanks in large part to Appling. Appling, a question mark early in the season when it came to running the point, finished the game with 25 points, seven assists and six rebounds with just two turnovers in his best game of the season.

Also of importance for Michigan State was the play of big man Derrick Nix off the bench, as he scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds in 23 minutes of action. Tim Izzo's team turned the ball over just nine times and made 17 of 22 from the charity stripe, where they outscored the Hoosiers by 12. Watford led Indiana with 26 points and ten rebounds but the early favorite for Big Ten Rookie of the Year (Zeller) attempted just five shots and scored four points in a tough night at the office. In moving to 12-2 on the season the Spartans also scored 23 points off of 13 Indiana turnovers, and if they can continue to use their defense to spark the offense look out. As for Indiana, they weren't done any favors by the league schedule-makers as next up for them is Ohio State in Bloomington.

2. Pierre Jackson's drive gives Baylor the win over Mississippi State.
With both teams entering the game in Dallas ranked within the Top 15 many were using the game between #7 Baylor and #14 Mississippi State as a litmus test of sorts. And if anything can be gleaned from the Bears' 54-52 win over the Bulldogs it's that both teams, while definitely talented, have a lot of work to do in order to reach their full potential. Pierre Jackson, whose layup with 28 seconds remaining, scored 14 points but also turned the ball over four times and didn't always exhibit the best shot selection. Mississippi State once again experienced the roller coaster that is big man Renardo Sidney as he alternated displays of what he's capable of doing (10 points) with moments of (to be blunt) basketball incompetence, picking up a technical foul after being called for his fifth foul. Luckily for the Bulldogs, Baylor made just two of the resulting four free throws to tie the game at 52 but that would only delay the inevitable.

The Bulldogs' final possession of the game was just as mystifying, with Dee Bost unable to get open which resulted in a near 10-second game of catch at the top of the Baylor zone. Mississippi State never found the look they wanted, with Jackson ultimately knocking the loose ball to the other end of the floor in the final seconds to preserve the victory. Baylor won by outscoring Mississippi State 11-3 from the foul line and finishing with a 40-32 edge on the boards. Without those advantages it's tough to see the Bears being able to make up for their poor shooting (34.5% FG), but the fact remains that they won and are off the the best start in school history (13-0). While they'll enjoy the win, Scott Drew's team is likely aware of the fact that in order to be Big 12 title good they'll need to get better.

3. Missouri State reminds everyone that they're the defending MVC regular season champs.
Greg McDermott's Bluejays had more than earned the praise bestowed upon them for their hot start to the season, and the same goes for the Missouri Valley Conference as a whole. However going into the start of league play some may have forgotten which team win the regular season title last season, but Kyle Weems and company provided the reminder in Omaha. Weems scored 31 points and grabbed seven rebounds and Anthony Downing knocked down a huge three-pointer with 1:11 remaining to push the Missouri State lead to six (71-65). The Bears went on to win 75-65, outscoring Creighton 45-31 and limiting the preseason favorite to win the MVC to 33.3% shooting in the second half.

While Creighton's Doug McDermott made just eight of eighteen shots and didn't touch the ball as often as many would have liked at key junctures in the second half, he did finish with 18 points and 12 rebounds. The issue for the Bluejays offensively is that Missouri State didn't allow the other starters to get going. Antoine Young scored 13 points but made just three of thirteen shots from the field, and none of the other three starters (Grant Gibbs, Jahenns Manigat and Gregory Echenique) made more than one field goal (combined 3-for-12). That's not going to get it done when Weems and Downing combine to score 57 points with Jamar Gulley adding another twelve. Two things to take out of this result: don't forget about Paul Lusk's team in the title race, and Creighton's game at Wichita State on Saturday became that much more important.

Quick Hitters

1. Fab Melo took another step in his development Wednesday night, tallying a school-record 10 blocked shots in addition to 12 points and seven rebounds in Syracuse's 75-49 win over Seton Hall. Syracuse did all of this without leading scorer Kris Joseph scoring a single point.

2. Jay Wright's team hung tough for about 35 minutes in Morgantown, but Villanova didn't have the horses to win as West Virginia handed the Wildcats an 83-69 defeat. Gary Browne and Truck Bryant combined to score WVU's final 22 points, with Bryant finishing with a game-high 34 points.

3. It's one thing for Northwestern to lose at Ohio State; that was to be expected. But for Drew Crawford and John Shurna to shoot a combined 9-for-30 in an 87-54 loss to the Buckeyes? Ohio State out-rebounded the Wildcats 48-28 and William Buford led the way with 28 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

4. Under the radar quality road win: Loyola (MD) beating Patriot League favorite Bucknell 72-67. Erik Etherly led the Greyhounds with 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four blocks, and Loyola out-rebounded the Bison by ten (33-23). A lot of the MAAC chat has centered on Iona and Fairfield, but don't ignore Jimmy Patsos' 9-3 team.

5. Speaking of Fairfield, they fell 77-69 at Drexel as Samme Givens went off for the CAA favorites. Givens scored 31 points to go along with nine rebounds, three assists and two steals, and Drexel made 22 of 27 from the charity stripe (Fairfield finished 10-for-13).

6. In a stunning result for "margin of victory" reasons, North Dakota State whipped Oakland 96-69 to move even with the Golden Grizzlies at 2-1 in Summit League play. Reggie Hamilton scored 24 points to lead Oakland but he needed 20 shots to do so (making seven), while Taylor Braun led four Bison starters in double figures with 21.

7. New Mexico exacted a measure of revenge on their in-state rivals, beating New Mexico State 89-69 in Las Cruces. Tony Snell scored 24 points and Drew Gordon added 23 and 19 rebounds for the Lobos, who lost the first meeting this season on their home floor back on November 16th. Steve Alford's team has improved a great deal since then and have won eight straight games.

8. In another MVC score of note Drake knocked off Indiana State 79-64 in Des Moines. Karl Madison scored 24 points and Rayvonte Rice 22 as the Bulldogs won despite not receiving a single point from their bench. Drake shot 71% from the field in the second half to pull away.

9. Maryland received a much-needed boost to their rotation as freshman center Alex Len made his debut. Len, who was suspended by the NCAA for the first ten games of the season, scored 14 points while also grabbing eight rebounds and blocking three shots in the Terrapins' 83-72 win over Albany.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Kyle Weems (Missouri State)
Weems gave folks a nice reminder of who the reigning MVC Player of the Year is, scoring 31 points to go along with seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks in the Bears' 77-65 win over #19 Creighton.

2. F Drew Gordon (New Mexico) and F Cameron Moore (UAB)
They played in different games but both did yeoman's work in their respective teams' victories. Gordon scored 23 points and grabbed 19 rebounds in the Lobos' 89-69 win over New Mexico State, and Moore scored 19 points and grabbed 24 rebounds in the Blazers' 56-49 win at George Washington. Moore out-rebounded the Colonials 24-22.

3. G Truck Bryant (West Virginia)
34 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals in the Mountaineers' 83-69 win over Villanova.

Wednesday Preview: #12 Georgetown at #4 Louisville

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:45:25 -0800

There are three games on Wednesday matching ranked teams, but in terms of a conference title race the matchup between #12 Georgetown (10-1) and #4 Louisville (12-0) may have the greatest impact at the end of the regular season. John Thompson III's Hoyas have matured at a rapid rate but this will be their toughest test to date, and the same goes for the Cardinals (until they face Kentucky on Saturday). One reason to watch is the individual battle between two of the Big East's best centers, and their responsibilities are drastically different due to the systems both play in.

Georgetown senior Henry Sims (12.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.7 apg) is called upon to be a facilitator of sorts in the Hoya offensive system, and he's done a very good job of it thus far. An afterthought (to put it kindly) his first three seasons in the nation's capital, a very good case can be made for Sims being the Big East's most improved player. But the same can be said for Louisville sophomore Gorgui Dieng (10.8 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 2.9 bpg), whose primary responsibilities are to defend and rebound and he's done a very good job of that. While these two have far different roles there's no underestimating the importance of either as both teams look to win a Big East title.

While Louisville may be able to shuttle in more "true" big men the two teams enter Wednesday's game with identical rebounding margins of plus-6.9. Rick Pitino can call on freshman Chane Behanan (8.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg), Josh Swopshire (5.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and Rakeem Buckles (5.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg) for interior play, with Buckles' return resulting in fewer minutes for Swopshire of late. Georgetown on the other hand attacks the glass by committee, with four players averaging at least five rebounds per game. Junior wing Hollis Thompson (14.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg) is a versatile player who's shooting 54% from the field and 48% from three in addition to leading the Hoyas in rebounding.

Starter Nate Lubick (4.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg) is also the team's second-leading assist man (Sims) and freshman reserve Otto Porter (8.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg) is Georgetown's second-leading rebounder. The key for Georgetown will be two-fold: keep Louisville off the offensive glass (the Cardinals corral 40.1% of their misses) and account for Kyle Kuric at the foul line should they decide to go zone. Kuric (13.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg) was the spark Louisville needed in their win over College of Charleston, as the strategic move of the versatile senior to the four took advantage of the "sweet spot" all teams want to get the ball to when dealing with a 2-3 zone.

The two teams are only two possessions per game apart with regards to their season averages, but what happens within those possessions will determine the outcome at the KFC Yum! Center. Jason Clark (15.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg) and Markel Starks (9.7 ppg, 1.6 apg) have to control things for the Hoyas in the face of an intense Louisville defense. Peyton Siva (9.0 ppg, 6.4 apg) and Chris Smith (10.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.9 apg) are both very good athletes who can make plays in the passing lanes (as can Kuric), and in redshirt freshman Russ Smith (10.5 ppg, 2.5 spg, 1.9 apg) the Cardinals have one of the top reserve guards in the Big East.

His decision-making can alternate between electrifying and infuriating as if flipping a coin, but Smith's aggressive nature can pay dividends when Louisville needs him the most (see: College of Charleston). Louisville forces an average of 17.5 turnovers per game while Georgetown only turns it over 11.8 times on the average. With the Cardinals essentially breaking even in assist-to-turnover ratio and both teams forcing opponents to hand the ball over at least 23% of the time (Georgetown: 23.3%, Louisville: 25.5%), turnovers and the points scored off of them will be something to keep an eye on.

Also in the Big East, top-ranked Syracuse hosts one of the season's pleasant surprises in Seton Hall. Seniors Jordan Theodore and Herb Pope (who's 100% after never being his full self last season) have done an excellent job of leading Kevin Willard's team on the floor and in the locker room, and in sophomore Fuquan Edwin the Pirates also boast the nation's best thief (3.25 spg). Syracuse should be more than ready for this one as Seton Hall stunned the Orange in the Carrier Dome last season. And Villanova visits West Virginia in a game that could be a separator in regards to the last NCAA Tournament bids for the Big East, but the Mountaineers (led by forward Kevin Jones) look to be a much safer bet for the Field of 68 at this point in the season.

There's also a marquee non-conference matchup on the slate with #14 Mississippi State taking on #7 Baylor in Dallas. For the Bulldogs to be able to truly compete inside against Scott Drew's front court they need Renardo Sidney to show up. Arnett Moultrie has been outstanding for much of the season but to ask him to take on the Bears' deep front line by himself would be a tall task (no pun intended). The Big Ten's got some big match ups as well, with Northwestern visiting Ohio State and Indiana visiting Michigan State. The Wildcats rely on Drew Crawford and John Shurna, but what they're able to do with Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas will determine whether or not they can win in Columbus.

The Hoosiers, arguably the most-improved team in America, are still undefeated but it's going to be tough to beat the Spartans in East Lansing. Tom Izzo's team hasn't lost since that North Carolina/Duke stretch to begin the season, and young guards Keith Appling and Travis Trice seem to become more comfortable running things by the game (inside Adriean Payne has shown signs of maturation as well).

And in the Missouri Valley be sure to catch Missouri State visiting Creighton, with two of the Valley's best players taking center stage. Kyle Weems won the league's Player of the Year award last season as the Bears won the regular season crown, but Doug McDermott has played at an All-America level for the Bluejays. Buffalo taking on Temple and Fairfield visiting Drexel will make for a good night of hoops in Philadelphia, and there's the rematch between New Mexico and New Mexico State (the Aggies won the first meeting this season in Albuquerque) to account for out west.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM Seton Hall at (1) Syracuse (ESPN3)
5:30 PM Northwestern at (2) Ohio State (BTN)
8:30 PM Lamar at (3) Kentucky (ESPNU)
7:00 PM (12) Georgetown at (4) Louisville (ESPN2)
9:00 PM (14) Mississippi State vs. (7) Baylor* (ESPN2)
9:00 PM (9) Connecticut at USF (ESPN3)
7:30 PM (15) Indiana at (17) Michigan State (BTN)
8:00 PM Missouri State at (19) Creighton (ESPN3)
10:00 PM Central Arkansas at (20) UNLV

NCAA Division I Games
3:00 PM North Carolina A&T at Houston
6:00 PM UNC Asheville at Western Carolina
6:30 PM Oklahoma State vs. SMU* (ESPNU)
7:00 PM UAB at George Washington
7:00 PM Buffalo at Temple
7:00 PM Liberty at Richmond
7:00 PM Villanova at West Virginia (ESPN3)
7:00 PM UMBC at Niagara
7:00 PM Monmouth at Lafayette
7:00 PM Loyola (MD) at Bucknell
7:00 PM Quinnipiac at Colgate
7:00 PM Bowling Green at Duquesne
7:00 PM Siena at Florida Atlantic
7:00 PM Columbia at Marist
7:00 PM Army at Presbyterian
7:00 PM Wofford at South Carolina (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Morgan State at Saint Joseph's
7:00 PM Lehigh at Saint Peter's
7:00 PM Cornell at Stony Brook
7:00 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at NJIT
7:30 PM Binghamton at Canisius (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Erskine at Charleston Southern
7:30 PM Fairfield at Drexel
8:00 PM Charlotte at Arkansas
8:00 PM Wichita State at Bradley
8:00 PM Albany at Maryland
8:00 PM Southern Utah at South Dakota
8:00 PM Texas A&M-CC at Rice
8:00 PM Oakland at North Dakota State (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Samford at Sam Houston State
8:00 PM IPFW at South Dakota State
8:00 PM UC Riverside at UTSA
8:00 PM Cleveland State at Toledo
8:05 PM Oral Roberts at UMKC
8:05 PM Indiana State at Drake
8:30 PM Huston-Tillotson at Texas State
8:30 PM Morehead State at Southeast Missouri State
9:00 PM New Orleans at Colorado
9:00 PM New Mexico at New Mexico State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Portland at Gonzaga (ROOT NW)
9:00 PM Colorado State at UTEP
9:05 PM Eastern Washington at Montana State
9:05 PM Portland State at Montana
9:30 PM Mercer at Tulsa
9:30 PM Purdue at Iowa (BTN)
10:00 PM Cedarville at Nevada
11:00 PM Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. Jacksonville State*

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.