TCU

Jon Teitel's Coaching Greats: Lamar, Oklahoma and TCU's Billy Tubbs

Jon Teitel — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:47:49 -0700

In the most recent installment in his "Coaching Greats" interview series CHN's Jon Teitel caught up with Billy Tubbs, who led three different schools to the NCAA tournament during his career. At TCU Tubbs won 156 games, leading the Horned Frogs to their last NCAA appearance (1998) during his time in Fort Worth. Also to his credit are multiple tournament appearances at both Lamar and Oklahoma, losing to Kansas in the 1988 national title game when at OU.

Jon Teitel: You were an All-American guard at Lon Morris JC, where you helped the Bearcats to the NJCAA semifinals. How good a player were you back then?

Billy Tubbs: I was an okay player who played on some good teams. I also played at Lamar where I was an average player at best.

1979 NCAA tournament (head coach at Lamar)

JT: Clarence Kea had 33 points and a tournament school-record 19 rebounds in 33 minutes in an eight-point upset of Detroit. What made Kea so unstoppable?

BT: He was a real tough kid who played hard. He was an undersized post man but was physically and mentally strong.

JT: Magic Johnson had a triple-double (13 points, 17 rebounds and ten assists) in a win by eventual champion Michigan State. Could you tell at the time that Magic was going to become a star?

BT: Magic was an All-American that year and it was quite obvious that he was a special player.

1980 NCAA tournament

JT: Mike Olliver had a tournament school-record 37 points in a one-point win over Weber State on its home court. How much of a home-court advantage did the Wildcats have, and how were you able to hang on for the win?

BT: Anytime you are playing a ranked team on their home floor it is a big advantage for them, but our guys accepted the challenge. We had a big lead and barely hung on to win the game, which helped us in the next game.

JT: Cestrakiah Lewis had 11 points and 11 rebounds in a four-point win over Oregon State, which is still the highest-ranked Division I team ever beaten by Lamar. Where does that win rank among the best in your career?

BT: That has to be one of the highlights, without question.

JT: In 1983 after becoming coach at Oklahoma you spent two weeks in intensive care after being hit by a car. How close did you come to dying, and what impact did that incident have on your life (if any)?

BT: I had a severe concussion and some pelvic injuries so I missed the last several games of the season. Many people thought that I would never coach again, but I was able to prove that I could make it back to the sideline.

JT: What are your memories of the 1984 NCAA tournament (Roosevelt Chapman scored 41 points in 40 minutes in a four-point Dayton upset victory)?

BT: We played pretty well but just could not stop Chapman. We had a first-round bye which is something I never wanted because they often led to upsets.

1985 NCAA tournament (at Oklahoma)

JT: Karl Malone had 20 points and 16 rebounds, but Wayman Tisdale made a turn-around eight-foot shot that bounced several times on the rim before going in with three seconds left in a two-point win over Louisiana Tech. Did you think that Tisdale's shot was going in, and was it extra-special to beat Coach Andy Russo after he said you reneged on a contract to play the first-ever game in Louisiana Tech's new arena three years before?

BT: Russo and I had played against each other back in college but the special thing was just to win the game. The fact that the shot rolled around the rim for a couple of seconds really helped us because Louisiana Tech did not have a chance to come down the court and respond.

JT: Keith Lee had 23 points and 11 rebounds in a two-point Memphis victory. How close did you come to winning that game?

BT: It could have gone either way at the end but Memphis made plays and we did not.

1987 NCAA tournament

JT: Tim McCalister had 28 points in a three-point win over Pittsburgh after Demetreus Gore and Jerome Lane each missed three-point shots in the final seconds. Did you think that you were headed to overtime?

BT: I just remember beating them. It was kind of an upset.

JT: Kevin Gamble had a career-high 26 points (11-13 FG) and made a 21-foot shot with two seconds left in a two-point overtime win by Iowa. Where does Gamble's shot rank among the most clutch you have ever seen?

BT: The thing I remember is that we ran a good out-of-bounds play that was set up to take a charge, but the ref made a no-call even after our guy got ran over.

JT: What are your memories of the 1988 NCAA title game (tournament MOP Danny Manning had 31 points and 18 rebounds in a four-point Kansas victory)?

BT: It was a hard-fought game. The whole Final Four process was very exhausting, especially talking to the media. We played the late game on Saturday and I think we were tired by Monday night.

JT: During a 1989 Oklahoma/Missouri game you picked up the microphone and told your fans to stop throwing things on the floor no matter how bad the referees were. Why did you do that, and would you do the same thing if you had it to do all over again?

BT: Probably. The refs were the ones who told me to tell the fans to stop throwing stuff.

JT: What are your memories of the 1989 NCAA tournament (Stacey King had 28 points and ten rebounds in a one-point win over #16-seed ETSU)?

BT: We were very lucky to win. The only time we had the lead was at the end of the game.

JT: What are your memories of the 1990 NCAA tournament (Rick Fox scored 23 points and made a leaner off the glass at the buzzer for a two-point North Carolina victory)?

BT: It was very unusual because even though we were the #1-seed we had to play a great team like North Carolina in the second round (they were the #8-seed). There were a couple of bad calls late. I could not say it back then, but I can say it now!

JT: What are your memories of the 1998 NCAA tournament as coach at TCU (Lee Nailon scored 32 points before fouling out in a nine-point loss to Florida State)?

BT: Florida State played exceptionally well. We had a good inside game but we were below-average from the perimeter. We had a really good year but could not get the win.

JT: You were known for having a high-scoring offense and full-court-pressing defense. How did you decide to use those styles, and why were they so effective?

BT: I liked to coach that way because that is how I had success as a player (in terms of offense). I think our defense was always underrated. It was a very hard defense to play against because we tried to cover 100% of the floor. It was a simple case of risk/reward and was great when it worked for us. That was how I believe the game should be played, and it attracted attention. Our fans liked it because it was fun to watch and it helped our recruiting because guys wanted to play for us. We recruited players who could run, jump and shoot. The main reason I played that style is because we could win that way!

JT: You are one of a handful of coaches in NCAA history to record 100 wins at three different schools. How were you able to have so much success at so many different programs?

BT: I considered myself a program-builder: I never inherited a lot of great teams. I liked to take programs that people said would not succeed and then show them that they could. When I left Lamar coach Pat Foster inherited a great team and took them to the NCAA tournament.

JT: Your son Tommy played point guard for you at Oklahoma and was an assistant coach for you at Lamar. What was it like to coach your own son, and how proud are you of all his success?

BT: It was great to coach Tommy. However, he is the only player who I ever thought I was unfair to: he probably deserved more playing time. The 1 thing that hurt Tommy is that I did not want to be like the little league baseball dad who let his son play the entire game...or at least that is what his mother always tells me!

Tubbs is also on Jon's list of best coaches in Mountain West history.

Air Force: Bob Spear (1957-1971) 165-166, 2 NCAA tourneys
Boise State: Bobby Dye (1983-1995) 213-133, 3 NCAA tourneys, 2 conference titles, 3-time conference COY
Colorado State: Jim Williams (1954-1980) 352-293, 4 NCAA tourneys, 1 conference title
New Mexico: Dave Bliss (1988-1999) 246-108, 7 NCAA tourneys, 1 conference title, 2-time conference COY
San Diego State: Steve Fisher (1999-present) 258-160, 5 NCAA tourneys, 3 conference titles, 1-time national COY, 1-time conference COY
TCU: Billy Tubbs (1994-2002) 156-95, 1 NCAA tourney, 1 conference title, 1-time conference COY
UNLV: Jerry Tarkanian (1973-1992) 509-105, 12 NCAA tourneys, 12 conference titles, 1 NCAA title, 1-time national COY, 8-time conference COY
Wyoming: Everett Shelton (1939-1959) 328-201, 8 NCAA tourneys, 8 conference titles, 1 NCAA title

Bracketology: Remaining Teams That Can Steal Bids

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 19:55:54 -0800

While bubble teams were able to breathe easier when Murray St and Creighton won close conference titles, the coast is not entirely clear.

Here's a brief look at the remaining teams most likely to "steal" bids from the bubble hopefuls**.

ACC

With UNC and Duke lurking, its hard to imagine a spoiler coming from the ACC, but you never know..

Clemson (16-14, 8-8, RPI #138)

The ACC might be down this year, but .500 in that league still counts for something. The Tigers would need to beat VT in the opening round and then steal one from Duke. Clemson only lost to Duke by 7 at Cameron.

Maryland (16-14, 6-10, RPI #110)

The Terps have an easy opening game against Wake Forest, and they'd they have to beat UNC in the quarterfinals.

Atlantic 10
While Temple and St Louis are locks, there is a ton of parity in the A10. All of these teams deserve more respect than they get nationally and are extremely dangerous in the A10 tournament.

Dayton (20-11, 9-7, #73)

Dayton cruised past GW in the opening round and now faces Xavier. While Xavier is more likely to get an at-large bid, both teams have similar resumes. The loser of that game will be eliminated from at-large contention.

La Salle (210-11, 9-7, #79)

La Salle beat a tough Richmond squad in the opening round and now faces Saint Louis. La Salle struggled against the Billikens earlier in the year, but does have a geographical advantage playing in Atlantic City.

St Bonaventure (17-11, 10-6, #95)

A dangerous squad, St Bonaventure faces bubble team Saint Joseph's Wednesday afternoon. The Bonnies have already beaten Saint Joe's and with Andrew Nicholson leading the way, no one wants to face them.

UMASS (21-10, 9-7, #87)

UMASS topped Duquesne Tuesday night, which sets up an afternoon game with #1 seed Temple. UMASS took Temple to OT a few weeks, so they're far from scared.

Big East

UCONN showed that its not impossible to run through the Big East Tournament from a Tuesday start.

Pittsburgh (17-15, 5-13, #98)

Perhaps there is a little bit of magic left from this preseason top 25 team that struggled mightily.

Big Ten
These 3 teams have had their moments during the season, and would need to go on epic runs to win the league.

Illinois (17-14, 6-12, #82)

As bad as Illinois has been, how many teams have beaten the likes of Michigan St, Ohio St, and Gonzaga. The Illini would need Brandon Paul to go off for 40 every game in Indy..

Iowa (16-15, 8-10, #131)

Iowa has been surprisingly competitive this year, and has beaten Wisconsin twice along with beating Michigan and Indiana. They face Illinois in round one, the winner could have great momentum going forward.

Minnesota (18-13, 6-12, #81)

Once considered a potential tourney team, Minnesota's season went south in a hurry. They face bubble team Northwestern in round one and could seriously hurt the Wildcats at-large hopes.

Conference USA

While the RPI suggests Memphis and Southern Miss are by far the class of this league, these teams certainly have to be feared. If not for the tournament being in Memphis, the odds of one of these teams stealing a bid would be even bigger.

UCF (21-9, 10-6, #64)

With an opening round by, the Knights would face the winner of UAB or Tulane in round two. UCF is a close loss or two away from being firmly in the NCAA Tournament field. With the exception of one bad showing at Memphis, UCF has been competitive in every CUSA game.

Marshall (18-12, 9-7, #66)

Like UCF, Marshall is a dangerous squad that could be looking at the NCAA's with a little more luck. As it is, they have a very favorable spot in the bracket, opening against SMU and then potentially facing Tulsa in the quarterfinals.

Tulsa (17-13, 10-6, #112)

Most wouldn't have guessed that Tulsa would earn the #3 seed in the CUSA Tournament.

UTEP (14-16, 7-9, #158)

A real darkhorse as a #8 seed, UTEP has beaten Memphis and Southern Miss this year, so you never what could happen if they got hot.

MWC
The MWC is a small league, so you only have to win 3 games to earn the title.

Wyoming (20-10, 6-8, #80)

The Cowboys face UNLV in the opening round, and have already beaten the Rebels. While they've struggled away from home, they can't be written off.

TCU (17-13, 7-7, #101)

TCU can ruin Colorado St's bubble hopes in the opening round. The two split their season series, and the game should be close.

Pac-12
The Pac-12 is a complete mess. Cal and Washington can't be considered locks and a ton of teams could potentially win the league title.

Arizona (21-10, 12-6, #77)

Arizona awaits the winner of UCLA/USC after getting a first round bye.

Colorado (19-11, 11-7, #83)

The #6 seed opens with lowly Utah. The Buffs aren't that much worse than anyone else in the league.

Stanford (20-10, 10-8, #97)

The only team in the league to beat a Top 50 opponent in non-conference play, Stanford has been playing better after slumping a few weeks back.

UCLA (18-13, 11-7, #118)

With the tournament in Los Angeles, and a favorable bracket, you certainly can't write off the Bruins.

SEC

Outside of Kentucky, the SEC is much more even than you might think. Teams like Florida and Vanderbilt are overrated, and 2nd seed Tennessee is not that great away from home. Kentucky might lose focus, and then the league is up for grabs.

Arkansas (18-13, 6-10, #100)

If the Hogs can get by LSU, they'd face Kentucky in the quarterfinals. If they could somehow beat UK..

LSU (17-13, 7-9, #89)

The same exact situation as Arkansas.

**I'll define the bubble as including the following teams:

BYU

California

Colorado St

Drexel

Miami

NC State

Northwestern

Ole Miss

Oregon

Saint Joseph's

Seton Hall

South Florida

Tennessee

Texas

UCONN

Washington

Xavier

+2012 NCAA Tournament

• Basketball Tournament Coverage

• Bracketology

• NCAA Tournament Bracket

• Bracket Contest

• 2012 Tournament Schedule

CHN's Bracket Contest

Wright's Buzzer-Beater Propels George Mason: Tuesday's Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:05:09 -0800

With 1:22 remaining VCU and George Mason were tied at 51 in a hotly-contested, defensive-minded affair. There were no easy shots to be found in the matchup of two of the three teams that entered Tuesday's action tied for first in the CAA. That's where the real fun began, with the Rams and Patriots combining to score 21 points in that final 1:22 to cap an outstanding matchup. The difference wasn't so much what one team did wrong but rather what one did right. Sherrod Wright.

Wright's 25-footer as time expired gave the Patriots the 62-61 win, moving them to 14-2 in the CAA and keeping them tied for first place with Drexel. A Bradford Burgess three with 1:20 remaining kicked off the scoring and a pair of Briante Weber free throws with 43 seconds remaining gave VCU a 56-51 lead. George Mason would respond with a Ryan Pearson three, and at that stage it was about extending the game for Paul Hewitt's team. There was one small issue, however: VCU took care of business from the foul line.

Shaka Smart's Rams would make seven of eight free throws in the final 43 seconds, and after two more Weber free throws made the score 60-56 with just over 11 seconds to go it was clear that the Patriots would need a three. Enter Vertail Vaughns, whose bonus shot cut the lead to one just seconds later, and the margin would grow to two with 3.8 seconds to go. 94 feet to go for George Mason, a distance covered by Wright's dribbling up the floor and game-winner.

"I'm sure we can watch the tape and nitpick and say 'well we should have pressured the ball a little bit more or we should have cotested a little bit more,'" said Smart. "But the reality is that Sherrod Wright made a phenomenal shot and he's a very good player.

Within the game it was Pearson who separated himself from the pack, finishing with 24 points and 11 rebounds as VCU struggled with finding a way in which to slow him down. The issue for George Mason was the foul trouble that Mike Morrison encountered, severely limiting his impact on the game. Burgess and Troy Daniels scored 13 apiece to lead VCU, who also had a big man struggle albeit in a different way. Juvonte Reddic shot 1-for-8 from the field and scored four points, and on a night that saw Morrison struggle for Mason a better performance from the sophomore big man would have helped.

With two conference games left there's still a lot to be decided in the CAA race, and the fact that VCU gets a rematch on their floor to end the regular season will help the Rams when it comes to possibly winning a share (at least) of the title. And if that matchup on February 25th is anything like Round One, college basketball fans should consider themselves lucky.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Hank Thorns burns his hometown school and leads TCU past #11 UNLV.
There were more than a few people who may have expected Wednesday's game between New Mexico and San Diego State to be a battle for a share of first place in the Mountain West, with it being a mere formality that UNLV would win at TCU. But the Horned Frogs had other ideas, specifically point guard and Las Vegas native Hank Thorns, as they beat the Runnin' Rebels 102-97 in a wild overtime affair. TCU had chance to win the game in regulation but an extra pass on the fast break (the proper basketball play in most instances) prevented the Frogs from getting their shot off in time. However that wouldn't stop TCU from completing their comeback from an 18-point second half deficit, and just as important as Thorns' scoring was TCU's work on the glass.

TCU out-rebounded UNLV 46-31 and their 19 offensive rebounds were a season high for a UNLV opponent. TCU only scored 19 second-chance points but that was more than enough when compared to UNLV's eight. J.R. Cadot (five offensive boards; 16 points and 12 rebounds) and Amric Fields (four offensive boards; 17 points and seven rebounds) were a problem for UNLV in that regard, and those second chances can add up over the course of a game. With the race at the top of the Mountain West being as tight as it is losses to teams outside of the top three could prove costly in the end. This makes Saturday's game at New Mexico even more important for Dave Rice's bunch.

2. Cleveland State continues their trend in the wrong direction as they fall at Milwaukee.
Just over a week ago Gary Waters' Vikings looked to be on their way to at the least a top two seed in the Horizon League tournament, which would advance them directly to the semifinals. But Cleveland State has now dropped three in a row to fall to 10-5 in league play, most recently losing 86-84 at Milwaukee on Tuesday night. As a result both Butler and Detroit trail Cleveland State by just a game in the loss column, meaning that the Vikings need to get things turned around quickly with three league games remaining. CSU played well offensively against the Panthers, shooting 60.9% from the field and 47.1% from three. But they were outscored by 15 points from three (39-24) and 13 from the foul line (33-20), which allowed Milwaukee to make up for their 7-for-17 night from inside of the arc. Tony Meier was fouled on a three-pointer with just over a second remaining and the score tied at 84, and he made two of three to provide the final margin. James Haarsma scored 25 to lead the victors and Trevon Harmon led Cleveland State with 27.

3. Both #22 Virginia and #23 Mississippi State fall on the road.
Neither Clemson nor LSU are likely to reach the NCAA tournament given their current records, but that doesn't mean they can't make things difficult for other teams within their respective conferences. Clemson was able to pull away from #22 Virginia in the second half, outscoring the Cavaliers 36-24 on their way to a 60-48 victory. The problem for Virginia was that they had just two scorers, as Jontel Evans (17 points) and Mike Scott (13) led the way. Joe Harris, who broke a bone in his non-shooting hand in Saturday's loss at North Carolina, scored just two points on 1-for-5 shooting and Sammy Zeglinski shot the same in scoring three. Those two will need to be better down the stretch if Tony Bennett's team is to go into postseason play with any kind of momentum.

As for LSU, Anthony Hickey's shot in the final seconds of overtime propelled them to a 69-67 win over Mississippi State in Baton Rouge. Ralston Turner led four Tigers in double figures with 17 points and Storm Warren added ten points and 11 rebounds off the bench, and LSU made up for a 43-32 rebounding disadvantage by racking up 15 steals and forcing 21 Mississippi State turnovers. Dee Bost led four Mississippi State players in double figures with 15 points but he (five turnovers) and Arnett Moultrie (six) combined for 11 of the 21 turnovers, a number that's too high to get away with especially on the road.

Quick Hitters

1. Anthony Raffa scored 20 points, leading four Coastal Carolina players in double figures as the Chanticleers beat UNC Asheville 74-69. The Bulldogs have already clinched the regular season title in the Big South but both CCU and Campbell are capable of knocking them off. While Matt Dickey (19 points) shot 6-for-12 from the field backcourt mates J.P. Primm (12 points) and Chris Stephenson (four points) shot a combined 7-for-26 on the night.

2. The battle behind Akron in the East Division of the MAC has been magnified in importance due to the league's move to seed one through twelve without regard to divisions. And with the top two seeds getting byes to the semifinals of the conference tournament it was critical that Kent State beat Buffalo, and they did by the final of 76-71. Justin Green led the Golden Flashes with 18 points and Micheal Porrini scored 14 in the second half, pulling Kent State into a tie with Buffalo for second place at 9-3.

3. Not only could Manhattan's chances of winning the MAAC be slipping away, but their hopes in the conference tournament may have taken a hit as well in their 70-64 loss at Siena. Starting point guard Michael Alvarado went down with an injury in the first half, one that head coach Steve Masiello stated could be a concussion and possible fracture of his eye socket according to Big Apple Buckets. To say that would be a big loss for the Jaspers would be accurate if he's out for an extended period.

4. Creighton ended their three-game losing streak with the greatest offensive performance in school history, shooting 75% in their 88-69 win at Southern Illinois. Doug McDermott led four starters in double figures with 18 points and Ethan Wragge added 15 off the bench for the Bluejays, who host Long Beach State on Saturday. As for the Salukis, this is just another sign of just how far things have fallen in Carbondale.

5. Part of the battle in getting to the NCAA tournament is making sure you don't lose the game you're supposed to win, so in that regard the wins by Texas (69-58 at Oklahoma) and Seton Hall (94-64 over St. John's) should be noted. While the focus centers on "marquee wins" when discussing resumes, the more teams can do to make sure they don't have "bad losses" the better.

6. Jared Sullnger and William Buford both bounced back from tough evenings in #6 Ohio State's loss to Michigan State to lead the Buckeyes past Minnesota by the final score of 78-68. Buford scored a game-high 24 points to go along with eight rebounds and five assists, and Sullinger finished with 23 and eight caroms.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Jake Odum (Indiana State)
34 points (8-12 FG, 17-21 FT), seven rebounds and seven assists in the Sycamores' 83-77 overtime win over Illinois State.

2. G Hank Thorns (TCU)
32 points (8-12 3PT), five rebounds and four assists in the Horned Frogs' 102-97 overtime win over #11 UNLV.

3. F Robert Covington (Tennessee State)
28 points and 12 rebounds in the Tigers' 69-64 overtime win over Jacksonville State.

Tuesday Recap: Crowder's Shot Lifts Marquette Past Washington

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:42:24 -0800

The Jimmy V Classic doubleheader at Madison Square Garden annually provides soe outstanding basketball, with all of it being for a good cause. Tuesday night was no exception, and in the second half of the doubleheader Marquette and Washington put forth a thrilling display of basketball. Ultimately a Jae Crowder three pointer with seven seconds remaining gave the Golden Eagles the 79-77 win, but while the Huskies did fall there are more reasons for optimism than doubt for a team that let one slip away at Nevada on Friday night.

Terrence Ross led four Washington players in double figures with 19 points, and the Huskies controlled the boards to the tune of a 46-32 edge with 18 offensive rebounds. But they need to get point guard Abdul Gaddy going in order to possibly win the Pac-12. Gaddy made just two of his eleven shots from the field and scored four points, breaking even on his assist-to-turnover ratio with two apiece. Washington is very talented on the perimeter with Gaddy, Ross, C.J. Wilcox and Tony Wroten (13 points) but they can ill-afford Gaddy having too many off nights.

As for Marquette, Buzz Williams' program always has and always will be regarded as tough. It's a basic requirement for being a part of the program, but this is also a group that's very talented. In addition to Crowder there are guards Vander Blue (11 points) and Darius Johnson-Odom (23 points), and reserve Todd Mayo is a key contributor as well. But the rebounding numbers are a concern; removing Tuesday night Marquette grabbed just over three rebounds per game more than their opponents and with Chris Otule going down with a sprained knee that was one less big body inside.

As a positive the Golden Eagles, just like Missouri in the first game, played an unselfish brand of basketball that resulted in 20 assists to ten turnovers and four players in double figures. Mayo and Junior Cadougan combined for ten assists and two turnovers on the night, and of the seven players to see double-digit minutes only Blue (two assists, three turnovers) had more turnovers than assists. Does Marquette have enough to crack the top three in the Big East? They don't have the true big men like Syracuse or Connecticut (or even Pittsburgh for that matter), but it would be wise to not rule that out. The nation saw first-hand that the Golden Eagles are talented, but most importantly Buzz Williams' team remains tough.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Missouri holds off Villanova, and their unselfish nature could lead the Tigers to big things.
While Missouri/Villanova was a good matchup in regards to style of play, it became rather apparent as the game went on the different ceilings for the two teams. Villanova is a middle of the pack team in the Big East while Missouri is capable of doing some serious damage...or even getting to New Orleans. Yes, New Orleans, because even though they're lacking depth up front Frank Haith's team is tough defensively and unselfish offensively (and in general). In the 81-71 win the Tigers assisted on 23 of their 28 field goals with just eight turnovers, and Marcus Denmon led the way offensively with 28 points. Ricardo Ratliffe put up another double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, and as a team Missouri was just a minus-1 (38-37) in rebounding margin.

Missouri outscored Villanova 31-20 in the paint and forced 15 Wildcat turnovers, and those numbers spelled doom for a team that's counting on young players at a number of key positions. Missouri may have changed their style with the arrival of Haith, eschewing the full-court pressure of the Mike Anderson era, but they've retained their unselfishness. That's one big reason why this team is still capable of great achievements despite a rotation that's essentially seven players deep.

2. Two more Pac-12 suspensions: UCLA's Reeves Nelson and Arizona's Josiah Turner.
Someone could make some good money doing a soap opera on the Pac-12 this season. Not only has the league continued to have issues in non-conference play, but some key talents can't seem to avoid trouble. Following on the heels of Utah suspending leading scorer Josh Watkins was the news on Tuesday that UCLA (Reeves Nelson) and Arizona (Josiah Turner) had to suspend key players...once again. Both Nelson nor Turner have been down this road before this season, and Nelson's situation has been bad enough that in some circles people hoped that the initial report that he'd been dismissed from the team was accurate. As for Turner, according to the Arizona website PointGuardU he missed practice on Monday and was left in Tucson ahead of their game Wednesday at Florida. Suspensions, transfers and on-court mediocrity has overshadowed the play of Oregon State and Stanford, two early-season surprises who could be capable of even more as the season wears on, which is bad news for the Pac-12 from a perception standpoint.

3. In a bizarre game Iowa goes from 10-0 up to losing by 20 at UNI.
Things were looking very good for Fran McCaffery's team in the early going at Northern Iowa as they jumped out to a 10-0 lead. But the Panthers would methodically work their way back into the game as the first half went on, eventually taking a 32-27 lead into the locker room. The wheels would eventually fall off for the Hawkeyes in the second half of what would finish as an 80-60 loss, complete with five technical fouls and McCaffery being ejected. Why were emotions so high for the visitors? A 33-9 difference in free throws attempted had a lot to do with it, and four of Iowa's technical fouls helped spark a 20-2 UNI run that put the game away. Another issue for Iowa in the loss was their three-point shooting, as they made just one of twelve shots and were outscored by 30 in that area by the Panthers. That split (along with the 29-3 UNI edge in points from the foul line) proved to be too much to overcome for the Hawkeyes.

Quick Hitters

1. If TCU is the 7th-best team in the Mountain West as the coaches predicted in October that league's going to be a beast come conference play. The Horned Frogs moved to 7-2 on the season with a 75-69 win over Texas Tech on Tuesday night, and the triumvirate of point guard Hank Thorns and guards Garlon Green and J.R. Cadot can give opponents fits.

2. Congrats to first-year Monmouth head coach King Rice, whose team picked up their first win of the season at Navy (69-67). While there are some holdovers from last year's team the Hawks are starting from scratch, and the adjustment on both ends of the floor has been a tough one. Jesse Steele led the way for MU with 20 points.

3. While he's been over 20 points in four of the last five games, Will Barton's performance on Tuesday night could be the one that Memphis followers look back to as a catalyst a month from now. The sophomore went for 27 points, 14 rebounds, four steals, three assists and two in the Tigers' 71-54 win at Miami (FL). Barton was all over the floor, and the best part (in addition to those numbers and the win): just one turnover.

4. One of the more stunning player progressions has been that of Kansas center Jeff Withey, who has taken advantage of the increased minutes due to Kansas' lack of interior depth. With finished with 13 points, 13 rebounds and nine blocks in the Jayhawks' 88-80 win over Long Beach State. One thing about KU however: they're not going very far if they rack up 22 turnovers on a consistent basis.

5. Brad Loesing scored 24 points to lead the way in Wofford's 61-50 win over Tulane, handing the Green Wave their first loss of the season. Ed Conroy's club made just two of sixteen shots from beyond the arc, and while they have definitely improved from last season a suspect early slate helped push them out of the gates to a 9-0 start.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Will Barton (Memphis)
27 points, 14 rebounds, four steals, three assists and two blocks in the Tigers' 71-54 win at Miami.

2. G Keith Rendleman (UNC Wilmington)
29 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and two blocks in the Seahawks' 77-68 win at Liberty.

3. C Jeff Withey and F Thomas Robinson (Kansas)
Withey finished with 13 points, 13 rebounds and nine blocks while Robinson put up 26 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in the Jayhawks' 88-80 win over Long Beach State.

Poll: Who Will Win the MWC Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:32:10 -0800

Cheerleader of the Day: TCU

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 07:42:09 -0800

Each day (just about), CollegeHoops.net features a Cheerleader (or Dancer) of the Day. Today's picture is courtesy of Icon Sports Media. Check out the archive for more

-- TCU

More Cheerleaders!
>>		>>		>>			..All

- Check out past Cheerleaders of the Day!

- Also check out the Picture of the Day!

- Watch all of CHN's favorite College Basketball Videos!

Cheerleader of the Day: TCU

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:32:20 -0800

Each day (just about), CollegeHoops.net features a Cheerleader (or Dancer) of the Day. Today's picture is courtesy of Icon Sports Media. Check out the archive for more

-- TCU

More Cheerleaders!
>>		>>		>>			..All

- Check out past Cheerleaders of the Day!

- Also check out the Picture of the Day!

- Watch all of CHN's favorite College Basketball Videos!

Cheerleader of the Day: TCU

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:51:03 -0800

Each day (just about), CollegeHoops.net features a Cheerleader (or Dancer) of the Day. Today's picture is courtesy of Icon Sports Media. Check out the archive for more

-- TCU

More Cheerleaders!
>>		>>		>>

- Check out past Cheerleaders of the Day!

- Also check out the Picture of the Day!

- Watch all of CHN's favorite College Basketball Videos!

MWC Basketball Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:20:12 -0800

BYU is the MWC favorite, but the rest of the league is wide-open, as 6 other teams have legitimate hopes of making a deep run in the league tournament.

Conference Rank: 9th

10 year average: 7th

MWC Conference Page

All-MWC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Jimmer Fredette	BYU	Jr
G	Afam Muojeke	Wyoming	So
G/f	Roman Martinez	New Mexico	Sr
F	Jonathan Tavernari	BYU	Sr
F	Billy White	San Diego St	Jr

Player of the Year - Greivis Vasquez Freshman of the Year - Kawhi Leonard (SDSU)
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
CHN All-Americans Jimmer Fredette High-Major All-Americans Jimmer Fredette (1st Team) Jonathan Tavernari (2nd) Roman Martinez Afam Muojeke Billy White All-Freshman Team Kawhi Leonard		Points: Jimmer Fredette 16.2 Rebounds: Zvonko Buljan 7.8 Assists: Dairese Gray 4.1

MWC Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

42	BYU	MWC	1	NCAA
62	Utah	MWC	2	NIT
85	UNLV	MWC	3	CBI/CIT
90	New Mexico	MWC	4	CBI/CIT
103	TCU	MWC	5	CBI/CIT
129	Wyoming	MWC	6
145	San Diego State	MWC	7
198	Colorado State	MWC	8
269	Air Force	MWC	9

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the MWC?

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

The Ultimate Schedule: Mountain West

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:55:39 -0700

Mountain West Scheduling “Rules”:

- Four non-conference games

- Eight conference games

Week 1: BYU vs. Oklahoma (September 5^th in Arlington, TX)

Very few people, if any, will expect the Cougars to beat the Sooners in the season opener. However, they’ve got the tools necessary to stick around for all four quarters. The last meeting came all the way back in 1994, when BYU beat Oklahoma in the Copper Bowl. The quarterback matchup alone should be worth the price of admission, with Max Hall facing off against reigning Heisman winner Sam Bradford. The question: how much pressure can the Cougars put on Bradford? If he’s allowed to stand in the pocket and find open guys without pressure it’ll be a long day for the Cougars. But if Jan Jorgensen and company can make life difficult for Bradford then BYU will have a shot.

Other Games Considered: Colorado State @ Colorado (9/6), San Diego State @ UCLA (9/5)

Week 2: Texas @ Wyoming (September 12^th)

Very rarely does a team in the position of the Cowboys get to host a traditional power like the Longhorns, and they’ll be fighting an uphill battle when Colt McCoy and company arrive in Laramie. New head coach Dave Christiansen has experience against Texas given his prior position as offensive coordinator at Missouri, but he also doesn’t have the same caliber of playmaker. Texas will have an advantage at every position on the field, but War Memorial Stadium can be a tough place to play if you fall behind early. The Cowboys have won their last two home games against BCS opponents, beating Virginia in 2007 and Ole Miss in 2004. But neither team had the ability that Mack Brown’s team does.

Other Games Considered: Air Force @ Minnesota (9/12), Oregon State @ UNLV (9/12)

Week 3: Utah @ Oregon (September 19^th)

The game that’s gotten the bulk of the attention on the Ducks’ schedule is their opening night trip to Boise State. But the Utes will be a handful and then some when they walk into Autzen Stadium. Utah beat Oregon in 2003, but they’ll find the task much tougher thanks to the presence of players such as QB Jeremiah Masoli and RB LaGarrette Blount. The Ducks return just nine starters, but the amount of talent at new head coach Chip Kelly’s fingertips is enough for some to peg Oregon as a team that could possibly dethrone USC in the Pac-10. Whichever team does the better job of stopping the run will have the upper hand as both rely on the ground game to open things up in the passing game.

Other Games Considered: Florida State @ BYU (9/19), Nevada @ Colorado State (9/19), Air Force @ New Mexico (9/19)

Week 4: TCU @ Clemson (September 26^th)

The Horned Frogs make their second and final trip of the season into ACC country, this time looking to knock off a Clemson team that’s hard to peg in Death Valley. Kyle Parker hasn’t played in a college football game but he’ll be the starting quarterback for the Tigers, and Willy Korn will also see time. But if TCU can’t keep RB C.J. Spiller and WR Jacoby Ford under wraps they’ll have a hard time leaving with a victory. The Horned Frogs have a good enough offense to keep Clemson’s offense off of the field, but they’ll need some plays from Gary Patterson’s dependable defense to ensure a win.

Other Games Considered: Colorado State @ BYU (9/26), New Mexico State @ New Mexico (9/26)

Week 5: Bye Week (October 3^rd)

There are a couple of appealing non-conference games on this date, most notably Air Force travelling to Navy in a game that will likely decide which service academy wins the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. UNLV will play in-state rival Nevada for the Fremont Cannon and New Mexico will visit Lubbock (Texas Tech), but none of those games are as appealing as the already selected non-conference games.

Week 6: BYU @ UNLV (October 10^th)

The trip to Las Vegas can be a tricky one, despite the recent struggles of the home team. If you allow yourself to get caught up in the bright lights that are “Sin City” a loss is a distinct possibility, despite the face that BYU has won the last four games in the series. The Cougars needed a touchdown in the final two minutes of the game to win last season, a game that came in the middle of a five-game skid for the Rebels. The Cougars have done well in navigating their trips to Vegas, having never lost to UNLV on the road. So long as Max Hall and company come out with a business-like approach BYU should be in decent shape, but the chance is always there for the Rebels.

Other Games Considered: Utah @ Colorado State (10/10), TCU @ Air Force (10/10)

Week 7: Colorado State @ TCU (October 17^th)

The Horned Frogs have won five straight in the series since Colorado State beat them in Fort Collins in 1998. They hadn’t played often in the past due to different conference affiliations, and the Rams have averaged just 8.4 points per game in those five losses. TCU’s defense can give many teams trouble, and they did just that in holding the Rams to just eleven yards rushing in last year’s 13-7 victory. And with Gartrell Johnson gone things could possibly get worse for CSU, but it isn’t like they weren’t in that game. If Colorado State can make a few plays offensively they can hang around. But if Jerry Hughes and company shut them down, look out.

Other Games Considered: Wyoming @ Air Force (10/17), Utah @ UNLV (10/17)

Week 8: TCU @ BYU (October 24^th)

The Mountain West title, and possibly even more, could be on the line when the Horned Frogs visit Provo. Last year’s meeting was the first tell-tale sign that everything wasn’t right with BYU, with TCU putting forth a dominant showing in the 32-7 blowout. BYU could establish nothing on the ground (23 yards rushing), and the one-dimensional version of the Cougar offense didn’t stand a chance. In fact, TCU held eight straight opponents to fewer than 100 yards on the ground to start 2008. Can things be different with a change of scenery? That’s what the Cougars will hope, having won three of the four meetings between the two teams in Provo.

Other Games Considered: Air Force @ Utah (10/24), San Diego State @ Colorado State (10/24)

Week 9: Air Force @ Colorado State (October 31^st)

The two Mountain West teams in Colorado square off on Halloween, with both looking to be teams caught in the midsection of the league. The Falcons have won the last three meetings in the series, with the neither of the last two being close. Air Force accounted for more than four hundred yards in last season’s 38-17 victory, even throwing for 171 yards. The Falcons are going to get their yards on the ground; when they’re able to hit the big play through the air as well Troy Calhoun’s team is virtually impossible to stop. If CSU can accomplish the task of limiting Air Force on the ground, they could win the Ram/Falcon Trophy for the first time in three years.

Other Games Considered: Wyoming @ Utah (10/31), UNLV @ TCU (10/31)

Week 10: BYU @ Wyoming (November 7^th)

We should have a good idea as to how much Coach Christiansen has changed the culture in Laramie by the time the first week of November rolls around; whether or not they can be competitive with the Cougars will show how far they have to go. BYU has won eight of the last nine meetings, and six of those eight meetings were decided by double digits. Six turnovers cost the Cowboys in last year’s 44-0 shutout, but even without those miscues Wyoming would have been in serious trouble. If Karsten Sween and company don’t take better care of the football they’ll be in for a long day.

Other Games Considered: Colorado State @ UNLV (11/7), TCU @ San Diego State (11/7)

Week 11: Utah @ TCU (November 14^th)

The second of three games that will most likely decide who wins the conference will be in Fort Worth, with TCU likely remembering the fact that they were one loss away from a trip to the BCS. Utah won 13-10 thanks to a touchdown pass from Brian Johnson to Freddie Brown with forty-eight seconds remaining in the game, sealing the fate of both teams. With the home-field advantage TCU will hope to turn the tables on Utah, this time finishing off a superior effort. The preseason signs point to a TCU win, but the Utes have won five of the six prior meetings. The winner will go a long way towards cementing a possible conference title, and maybe even a BCS bid.

Other Games Considered: UNLV @ Air Force (11/14), Wyoming @ San Diego State (11/14)

Week 12: Air Force @ BYU (November 21^st)

The Cougars have won the last five meetings in the series, including a 38-24 win in Colorado Springs last season. BYU won the time of possession battle by just over two minutes, but the key in their win was the fact that they took better advantage of their opportunities than the Falcons. The problem for Air Force is that they haven’t even been close in the series, with none of the last five games being decided by single digits. If Air Force can control the game on the ground and keep Max Hall from matching last year’s output (354 yards passing and two touchdowns) they’ll have a punchers chance. But make no mistake about it: Air Force will be fighting an uphill battle.

Other Games Considered: TCU @ Wyoming (11/21), Colorado State @ New Mexico (11/21)

Week 13: Utah @ BYU (November 28^th)

To say these two schools don’t like each other would be like saying that 1+1=2. There’s a reason why the game has the nickname of the “Holy War”, and Utah fans took great joy in watching their team embarrass the Cougars in Salt Lake City last year. Six BYU turnovers led to a 48-24 beating that sealed the Utes’ trip to New Orleans, ending a two-game losing streak in the series. Anything from a possible BCS berth to the conference bowl pecking order could be on the line, but those perks won’t replace the allure of bragging rights for a year.

Other Games Considered: Wyoming @ Colorado State (11/27), San Diego State @ UNLV (11/28)