Utah

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

Greg Mengelt — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:16:27 -0500

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

BIG SKY CHAMPIONSHIP: AT MONTANA

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

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

NORTHEAST CHAMPIONSHIP: AT LIU

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

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

PATRIOT LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP: AT BUCKNELL

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

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

BIG EAST SECOND ROUND: AT NEW YORK CITY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PAC-12 FIRST ROUND: AT LOS ANGELES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Road win

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

Thursday Recap: Can Pittsburgh or Villanova Turn Things Around?

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 01:34:46 -0500

To understand the funk that Pittsburgh and Villanova are currently mired in, it may take this fact about the two teams they lost to on Thursday night. This is the first time as members of the Big East (since 2005-06 for both) that DePaul and USF have won conference games on the same night. Yes, allowing that to sink in underlines the gravity of the situation for both the Panthers and Wildcats, as both teams are in need of some answers at this point in time.

Pittsburgh, once again playing without point guard Tray Woodall, had their biggest issues show up on the defensive end in their 84-81 loss to the Blue Demons. DePaul scored 53 points and shot 59.4% from the floor in the second half to make their comeback, and point guard Brandon Young was near unstoppable with 26 points, six assists, five steals and four rebounds with just one turnover. Pittsburgh held a 50-32 edge on the boards, but when a team makes 10 of 22 from beyond the arc as DePaul did, winning on the road becomes that much tougher.

Even with all five starters scoring in double figures (Talib Zanna led the way with 16), the Panthers were in trouble for much of the night due to the issues defensively to go along with some bad decisions late. Ashton Gibbs' decision to give the foul on Young as the sophomore was attempting what would be the game-winning layup with 17.2 seconds remaining may be the most glaring mistake, but there were issues in terms of shot selection and some costly turnovers as well.

As for Villanova the situation may be even worse, as Jay Wright's team is extremely young in key areas. And youth doesn't always have to be measured by years; lack of familiarity with a new role can be just as damning for a team and that could be the case for Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek.

Cheek now has to be a feature option for the Wildcats offensively, and while he had a key role last season Wayns is being entrusted with the task of running the show without a Corey Fisher alongside him. Other than these two and Mouphtaou Yarou, Villanova is relying a lot on their youngsters, and the 74-57 loss to USF further exposed the fact that they're not ready for the Big East yet.

While Villanova was expected to be a bubble team this season, the expectations were much higher for Pittsburgh. If anything the impact of the loss of players such as Fisher and Corey Stokes (Villanova), and Brad Wanamaker, Gary McGhee and Gilbert Brown (Pittsburgh) was underestimated by those outside of the respective programs.

While many are quick to point out the fact that leagues can eat their young in conference play, it can also expose older players as well. There's still time for both teams to turn things around, but Pittsburgh and Villanova both understand that they need to do so quickly.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Indiana hangs on to beat Michigan and remain undefeated at home.
The battle between the Hoosiers and Wolverines lived up to the pregame expectations, but at the end of the contest Indiana's starting frontcourt and Victor Oladipo's defense made the difference in the 73-71 win. Christian Watford was a matchup nightmare for Michigan, scoring 25 points to go along with seven rebounds and four assists, and Cody Zeller added 18, four rebounds and two blocks. By comparison, the Michigan starting frontcourt of Jordan Morgan (12 points, nine rebounds) and Evan Smotrycz (eight points) was solid but didn't have a similar impact.

As a team the Hoosiers shot 55.1% from the field and finished with an effective field goal percentage of 62.2%, well above what Michigan allowed entering the game (47.1%). Another area in which Indiana held their own was three-point shooting. Michigan did make ten, with Stu Douglass making three, but they needed twenty-four attempts to do so while Indiana made seven of their eleven attempts.

But back to Oladipo, who was given the responsibility of defending Tim Hardaway Jr. for much of the night. Hardaway Jr. led Michigan with 19 points, but he needed 19 shot attempts to do so (0-for-7 3PT). Oladipo didn't shoot well himself (2-for-10, five points) but that didn't stop him from taking care of business on the other end. There's also the matter of what Indiana's backcourt was able to do with Michigan freshman Trey Burke, who scored ten points on 4-for-15 shooting. Indiana's offense will get the headlines in many circles, but don't ignore their effort defensively.

2. Good luck making any sense of the Pac-12 this season.
Two happenings on Thursday sum up the conference: Utah won, and so did Arizona State with just six scholarship players after having to suspend three. Yeah, it's going to be a wacky year in the Pac-12, and that's not a good thing for a league that put together a 1-24 record against RPI Top 50 teams in non-conference play. My question on Twitter was a simple one, but one without a clear answer at this point in time. With so many meager non-conference resumes it may take at least 12 league wins to be a seriously discussed at-large candidate, but who can accomplish that in this conference?

The quick responses would likely yield Arizona, California and maybe Washington, but all three went on the road and lost on Thursday. Stanford? They fell at Oregon, who owns one of the two wins for road teams in the first week-plus of conference play (at Washington State last week). Oregon State, who went 0-2 against the Washington schools last week, could also be an option given their talent. But the fact that there are so many question marks is a bad thing for the Pac-12 in terms of their prospects come Selection Sunday.

Just one team remains undefeated in conference play: Colorado, who whipped the Huskies 87-69 in Boulder. But given the way things have played out thus far, the Buffaloes will likely fall against Washington State. One-bid league? Never thought it would be a serious possibility, but that could very well be the reality if a couple of teams don't rise above the rest of the conference.

3. Penn State hands Purdue a 20-point loss for their first Big Ten win of the season.
Patrick Chambers' Nittany Lions have taken their lumps, which was expected to happen given the major personnel losses from last season's NCAA Tournament team. But they gave a serious lump to Purdue on Thursday night, leading from start to finish in a 65-45 romp in Happy Valley. As a team the Boilermakers shot just 31.9% for the game, and outside of Robbie Hummel (14 points, five rebounds) Purdue starters shot 5-for-22 on the night. Tim Frazier played well for Penn State, finishing with 15 points, nine assists and five rebounds, but he wasn't the star as Billy Oliver knocked down seven of eleven three-pointers to score a game-high 21 points.

The 6'8" forward shoots 37% from beyond the arc, but this was quite the explosion for a player who had made three or more from deep in just three games this season. Purdue entered the contest with every opportunity to take care of business as a team hoping to contend for a conference title would, and they came out flat. Sometimes it takes getting drilled to remember that you can't get away with such starts.

Quick Hitters

1. No sequence summed up the night better than Louisiana-Lafayette playing the final seconds of overtime against Western Kentucky with six players on the floor. Yes, six. After nearly turning the ball over Elfrid Payton scored a layup that gave the Ragin' Cajuns a 72-70 win. According to the rules there was no way for the officials, who missed the error coming out of the timeout, to review the play and assess a technical foul (which should have been the call to begin with). There's also no way for the Sun Belt to go back and replay the final seconds, meaning that the Hilltoppers are out of luck.

2. Also in the Sun Belt, keep an eye on North Texas especially with Tony Mitchell now in the fold. Mitchell led the Mean Green to a 78-73 overtime win at South Alabama with 34 points and 16 rebounds, and if this is a harbinger of things to come this is a team that can contend to win the conference.

3. Manhattan was just seconds away from their third MAAC win, but a Dylon Cormier three from the corner gave Loyola (MD) the 61-60 win in Baltimore. Cormier was one of three Greyhounds to score 11 points while Erik Etherly added eight points, seven assists and six rebounds. George Beamon led the Jaspers with 18 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots.

4. Glen Braica's St. Francis (NY) Terriers moved to 2-1 in NEC play, beating Quinnipiac 73-72 in Brooklyn. The Terriers, who were led by Stefan Perunicic (21 points), likely won't be a contender for the league title but games like this make the difference between hosting and going on the road in the quarterfinals of the NEC Tournament. Good win for the Terriers.

5. Congratulations are in order for the Hartford Hawks, who picked up their first win of the season. Andres Torres scored 27 points and grabbed six rebounds as the Hawks beat New Hampshire 56-49 in West Hartford.

6. Wofford may not be one of the teams discussed as a contender in the SoCon, but the defending champs aren't in the business of conceding anything. Karl Cochran led four starters in double figures with 21 points as the Terriers beat College of Charleston 75-58 to move to 2-1 in league play. The Cougars made just 34.4% of their two-point shots on the night as Wofford did a good job of limiting their quality looks.

7. In the Big West, UCSB sent a message to Cal-State Fullerton in the form of a 77-64 win in their first home game since November 30th. Orlando Johnson scored 23 points and James Nunnally 18 as the Gauchos remained undefeated in league play while handing the Titans their first Big West loss. Fullerton will still be a factor in the race, but until further notice it's safe to say that UCSB and Long Beach State are the best bets to win the league.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Tony Mitchell (North Texas)
34 points and 16 rebounds in the Mean Green's 78-73 overtime win at South Alabama.

2. F Jamal Olasewere (Long Island)
29 points and 12 rebounds in the Blackbirds' 87-81 win at Sacred Heart.

3. F Rob Jones (Saint Mary's)
31 points, 12 rebounds and three steals in the Gaels' 78-72 win at San Diego.

Wednesday Recap: Florida Holds Off Arizona in OT

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:24:35 -0500

Much has been discussed about Florida's deep backcourt, a group that can score in a variety of ways but has some issues with decision-making when it comes to shots. But if anything was learend about what the Gators will need to do in order to achieve their goals it's that those talented guard better be sure to keep the big fella inside happy. Patric Young scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as he was essentially the one player Arizona could not match up with in Florida's 78-72 overtime win.

Young made 12 of 15 shots (all two-pointers) from the field while the other Gators combined to make just nine of twenty-seven, and given their affection for the jump shot that split isn't a huge surprise. Arizona was able to limit Florida's guards for much of the night, with Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker combining to shoot just 5-for-27 from the field. The Wildcats were without the services of point guard Josiah Turner, who missed practice on Tuesday and therefore was suspended.

Sean Miller played all five of his starters at least 32 minutes with senior guard Kyle Fogg playing all 40 minutes, and forward Jesse Perry led the way with 23 points. Arizona clearly won't be looking for any kind of moral victory, but some felt that without Turner the Wildcats were walking into a buzz saw. That clearly wasn't the case, and the hope now is that watching his teammates perform admirably without him will serve as the wake-up call Turner needs.

But back to Florida, who in Young has one of the tougher matchups in the SEC from a physical standpoint. Only twice this season has the sophomore taking ten or more shots, with the first occurrence coming in the Gators' second game of the season. That cannot happen consistently if Florida is to be an SEC title and Final Four contender. The tools in the backcourt can match those of any team in America, but sometimes overuse of the weapons can do more harm than good. Neglecting to get Young consistent touches would be a good example of that.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Festus Ezeli returns in Vanderbilt's win at Davidson with noticeable impact.
Some have said in the weeks prior to Vanderbilt center Festus Ezeli's return that the big man would be a clear difference-maker for the Commodores as quality big men aren't exactly a dime a dozen at the college level. Others have taken the more cautious approach, stating that Ezeli's return won't solve the team's problems in regards to perimeter defense and their play in tight games down the stretch. But there's no debating the fact that Ezeli is a factor, and his 15 points, six rebounds and two blocks were evidence of that in their 87-83 win at Davidson.

The senior has some work to do in shaking off the rust acquired thanks to a knee injury, and Wednesday's game also displayed how much work Kevin Stallings' team has to do in order to contend in the SEC. Vandy led by as many as 18 points in the second half, and Davidson forwards Jake Cohen and De'Mon Brooks combined to score 42 points and grab 16 rebounds. Jeffery Taylor led Vandy with 22 points, but if not for Davidson's 5-for-22 shooting from deep the Commodores could have been headed back to Nashville with a loss. So while the return of Ezeli is definitely a positive, don't expect Vanderbilt to think that suddenly things are OK.

2. Illinois holds off St. Bonaventure, but there's still plenty of room for improvement.
Bruce Weber's Fighting Illini are an improved basketball team to this point in the season despite the loss of Demetri McCamey, Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale, and sophomore center Meyers Leonard has been one of the Big Ten's most improved players. But there's still some distance to travel for both the Illini and Leonard, and that was apparent in their 48-43 win over St. Bonaventure. Brandon Paul led the way with 17 points and D.J. Richardson added 11, but Leonard took just three shots and scored nine points.

Leonard went up against St. Bonaventure senior Andrew Nicholson, one of the most polished interior players in the country. While Nicholson made just seven of eighteen shots, where he is from a development standpoint is where Illinois likely wants Leonard to be by the time he leaves Champaign. And therein lies the benefit of challenging non-conference games, as it's better to expose the flaws that need to be rectified early as opposed to having league opponents figure them out.

3. Iona comes back from 13 points down to win at Denver in overtime.
One of the big questions ahead of Iona's trip to Denver was how they would handle the altitude and it's possible effects on their desire to run. But by the end of their 80-78 win over the Pioneers it was Tim Cluess' team that looked the fresher thanks to their depth. Randy Dezouvre's jumper with less than two seconds in overtime proved to be the difference as Iona came back from a 13-point second half deficit to hand Denver their first home loss of the season. Momo Jones (21 points), who ran the show at Arizona, looked comfortable in his role which has been more off the ball due to the presence of point guard Scott Machado.

Machado turned the ball over seven times but ran the show well down the stretch and in the extra session, scoring 19 points to go along with seven rebounds and six assists. Iona also grabbed 41% of their misses on the night, outscoring Denver 15-9 on second-chance points. Brett Olson (20 points) and Chris Udofia (18 points) led the way for the Pioneers, who looked every bit the likely Sun Belt contender for much of the night. But Iona refused to be put away, and their determination was rewared with a win.

Quick Hitters

1. Utah may not win a game against a Division I opponent this season. Far-fetched? Possibly, but the Utes made unfortunate history in their 81-50 loss to Cal-State Fullerton. The Titans handed Utah their worst loss in the history of the Huntsman Center, which opened in 1969. On a more positive note, congratulations to Fullerton head coach Bob Burton on tying a school record with his 139th win at the school.

2. While there's been unfortunate freshman turmoil in the Pac-12 for some teams, Tad Boyle's got himself a good one in Spencer Dinwiddie. Dinwiddie scored 15 points in Colorado's 71-64 win over Fresno State and is averaging 8.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. And Andre Roberson is turning heads as well for CU as he posted his third double-double in the last four games (21 points, 10 rebounds).

3. There's few lines that concern a coach more than the "I have not connected with this team" line that Rutgers head coach Mike Rice said after the Scarlet Knights' 59-57 loss to Princeton. This is a young group but the hard lessons have come a bit more frequently than expected in New Brunswick.

4. The first game without Kyle Bullinger was a rough one for Weber State as they fell 94-66 at BYU. Damian Lillard scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds but the loss in the frontcourt proved to be too much to overcome against Noah Hartsock (19 points, 12 rebounds) and the rest of the BYU deep front line.

5. Nevada picked up their second win over a Pac-12 team in less than a week, winning 69-61 at Arizona State. Deonte Burton scored 28 points for the Wolf Pack, who have won six of their last seven on the heels of an 0-2 start.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Patric Young (Florida)
25 points, ten rebounds and two assists in the Gators' 78-72 overtime win over Arizona.

2. F/C Corey Petros (Oakland)
23 points, 16 rebounds and two assists in the Golden Grizzlies' 84-82 loss to Ohio.

3. G Nick Barbour (High Point)
35 points (7-11 3PT), five points and two assists in the Panthers' 87-83 loss to Wake Forest.

College Hoops Thursday Recap: Broncos Survive in Overtime

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 08:00:42 -0500

While people didn't necessarily give up on Santa Clara when it came to discussing who could win the West Coast Conference, there weren't a lot of outside believers in Kerry Keating's team once forward Marc Trasolini was lost for the season in the summer due to a knee injury. And there were even fewer folks left in the aftermath of their 89-56 loss at UCSB just over a week ago. But if their 79-76 overtime win over New Mexico in a 76 Classic quarterfinal showed anything it's that Santa Clara remains capable of being a factor in the WCC race.

"The media was saying that New Mexico was going to win this whole tournament," said Kevin Foster. "We have a chip on our shoulder and bring it every day. It was a full team effort and we hope we could keep that going."

Guards Foster and Evan Roquemore scored 26 points apiece for the Broncos, who led by as many as 12 points in the first half before the preseason Mountain West favorites made their charge. Tony Snell led UNM with 18 points and freshman Hugh Greenwood added 14, but Steve Alford needs his two bell cows to get rolling. Drew Gordon did score 11 points and grab ten rebounds but was only 2-for-8 from the field and Kendall Williams wend 0-for-4, scoring all six of his points from the charity stripe.

The biggest development for Santa Clara in this win may actually be the play of forward Niyi Harrison, who scored a career-high 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds in 44 minutes of action. He's one of the players who has been asked to step up with Trasolini done for the season, and his scoring average has jumped more than ten points from last season to this. It's a pretty safe bet that Foster and Roquemore will be productive offensively, but if Santa Clara is to challenge the likes of Gonzaga, BYU and Saint Mary's they'll need the big men to chip in as well.

"We are happy that we got a chance to compete against [New Mexico]," said Keating following the game. "We have a really young team, but we grew up a little bit, showing some resiliency tonight. We came out with a great win,"

Other Notable Happenings

1. The perception of the Pac-12 takes another hit with three in-season tournament losses.
It's no secret that much of the college basketball world doesn't think much of the Pac-12, but to be fair the conference hasn't done well in improving that perception. Thursday night certainly didn't help with three teams losing by double digits, but it should also be noted that the three losers (Arizona State, Utah and Washington State) were all picked to finish in the bottom half of the league in the preseason. Utah was overmatched from the opening tip against Harvard as they were whipped 75-47 in the Battle For Atlantis in the Bahamas. Arizona State couldn't make shots as they lost to Fairfield 55-44 at the Old Spice Classic, and Washington State couldn't match the energy level of Oklahoma in the Sooners' 74-59 win at the 76 Classic. Washington State scored just 19 points in the second half and turned the ball over 22 times for the game. So what's the culprit in regards to the conference's struggles? Talent, youth or a combination of both? That's a question the Pac-12 teams will collectively look to erase in the final month before conference play.

2. Indiana State uses defense to beat Texas Tech and remain undefeated.
It certainly wasn't pretty but Greg Lansing's Sycamores were able to hold off Texas Tech 60-49 due to their play on the defensive end. The Red Raiders shot a better percentage from the field than Indiana State (42.9% to 35.7%), but their 18 turnovers in a 62 possession game resulted in a horrific offensive efficiency of 79.0. That's not going to get it done against many teams, much less one that's expected to be a major player in the Missouri Valley race along with Creighton and Wichita State. Jake Odum led the Sycamores with 13 points and four assists, and in addition to their ability to turn Texas Tech over ISU attempted 31 free throws to the Red Raiders' nine (25-5 scoring edge from the charity stripe). They'll face a Minnesota team that's got some size inside, but there's no reason why Indiana State can't win the Old Spice Classic.

3. Connecticut needs to get more production from their frontcourt, namely Alex Oriakhi.
There's no doubt that the Huskies have one of the best backcourts in the nation in point guard Shabazz Napier and shooting guard Jeremy Lamb. But if Jim Calhoun's team is tobe mentioned in a similar class to the likes of North Carolina, Kentucky and Ohio State come March they're going to need more from the frontcourt. The defending national champs' fast start established enough breathing room to take care of UNC Asheville 73-63, but they may not be so lucky against teams with better (and bigger) big men. Andre Drummond got the start for Alex Oriakhi and scored nine points while Tyler Olander added four and Oriakhi scored four off the bench. That's not going to be enough from those three as the Huskies move into Big East play. Keith Clanton and company will provide a good challenge on Friday, and whichever team they play in their final game in the Bahamas (Harvard or Florida State) should do so as well. The pieces are there for a run at a repeat, but not if the UConn big men don't bring their collective A-game.

Quick Hitters

1. Florida State once again has one of the best defenses in the country, but if they don't take better care of the basketball it'll be tough for them to mount a significant challenge to North Carolina and Duke in the ACC. FSU turned the ball over 23 times against UMass on Thursday, with Luke Loucks leading the way with six and Okaro White had five.

2. Be patient with DePaul. This is a team that's essentially being taught how to win by Oliver Purnell and his staff, and they received a tough lesson in their 86-85 loss to Minnesota. But the signs of improvement are definitely there, and in Cleveland Melvin (20 points) and Brandon Young (23 points) they've got one of the better sophomore tandems in the Big East.

3. At this point it would be a surprise if New Mexico State didn't win the Great Alaska Shootout. Marvin Menzies' team dropped the hammer on Central Michigan, winning 78-49 thanks in large part to their defense (CMU turned the ball over 21 times and was out-rebounded 54-35) and a balanced scoring effort in which all ten players who played scored (team-high 15 points for Bandja Sy).

4. UCF outscored College of Charleston 18-5 over the final 7:50 to win 74-63 in the Battle for Atlantis, and their defense was a key factor. Also of importance: the Knights' offensive rebounding rate of 40%, which played a big factor in their 44-25 rebounding edge.

5. All five starters reached double figures for Dayton in their 80-76 win over Wake Forest, but the biggest line could be that of Matt Kavanaugh. The junior forward/cernter put up 15 points and 13 rebounds, and is averaging 9.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Kavanaugh averaged just nine minutes and two points per game last season.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Keith Clanton (UCF)
28 points and 14 rebounds in the Knights' 74-63 win over College of Charleston.

2. G Kevin Foster and G Evan Roquemore (Santa Clara)
26 points apiece and nine assists combined in the Broncos' 79-76 win over New Mexico.

3. G Shabazz Napier (Connecticut)
23 points and seven assists in the Huskies' 73-63 win over UNC Asheville.

College Hoops Wednesday Recap: Long Beach State Wins at Pittsburgh

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:37:53 -0500

Much has been made of Long Beach State playing five non-conference opponents who were ranked in the Top 15 of the major preseason polls. Many wondered how Dan Monson's team would navigate such a slate in spite of the fact that this experienced group went through a similar schedule last season. If Wednesday night showed anything about the 49ers it's that they're ready for the challenge, as they handed Pittsburgh its' first loss in November or December at the Petersen Events Center in the history of the arena.

Casper Ware scored a career-high 28 points and James Ennis led three other starters in double figures with 19 points as Long Beach State won 86-76. Ashton Gibbs led four Pittsburgh starters in double figures with 20 points, but it wasn't enough on a night that saw Long Beach State shoot 58% from the field and the Pitt reserves manage to score just three points. Things were bad enough that the Panthers, known for years for their tough man-to-man defense, went zone in hopes of slowing down the 49ers. No such luck on this night.

"We did not plan to play zone that much, we hoped we defended better," said Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon. "The man didn't work that well and zone didn't work very well either. Bottom line, it was the transition baskets that were killing us."

Long Beach State was able to get out on the break (25 fast-break points) on many occasions, and they were unselfish as well. Twenty-four of Long Beach State's 32 field goals were of the assisted variety, with Larry Anderson (seven assists), Ennis (six) and Ware (six) accounting for at least six assists each. As a result The Beach made 69.4% of their two-point shots while Pitt made 43.7% of theirs.

To use the word "upset" in labeling this performance could result in not realizing what happened in Pittsburgh. There was no luck or gimmicks on display. Long Beach State simply was the better basketball team, and they left with the ultimate reward as a result. But don't expect the 49ers to rest on this victory, because you're only as good as your last result. Wednesday's win is just one small step in the direction of their most important goal, one they didn't accomplish a season ago despite winning the Big West regular season title by a comfortable margin.

"We're going to enjoy this, and it's great for a mid-major because we'll be recognized a little bit," said Monson. "This group hasn't been to the NCAA Tournament yet and I think we would trade this for that. That goal at the end of the year is not attained in one game. We have a lot of work ahead of us."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Indiana picks up the second true road win of the Tom Crean era with a comfortable win at Evansville.
The cynic will ask what the big deal about a 94-73 win at Evansville is, but those who have followed the Indiana program in recent years know full well how important the outcome is. Verdell Jones III led five Hoosiers in double figures with 17 points (and seven assists) and the Hoosiers assisted on 24 of their 33 field goals while shooting 55.9% from the field. The Hoosiers held a 40-20 advantage in points in the paint and they led by as many as 33 points in the second half in their best all-around performance in quite some time. There are steps that need to be taken in the rebuilding of a program, especially when said program has fallen to the depths that Indiana's plummeted to in the aftermath of the Kelvin Sampson era. With the influx of young talent (Cody Zeller and company this year, a highly-touted 2012 class on the way) combined with veterans who took the bumps at the start of the Crean tenure Indiana looks to be on their way.

2. Creighton snaps UAB's 38-game non-conference home win streak.
UAB waited a bit longer than most teams in the country to play their first game of the season, and one has to wonder if in hindsight they wish their game with Creighton came later in the schedule. The Bluejays held the Blazers without a field goal over the final 11:21 of the first half to take a 32-25 lead into the intermission, and Doug McDermott's 27 points led the way in a 70-60 win in Birmingham. Antoine Young scored 13 points and Grant Gibbs added seven rebounds and seven assists (no turnovers) for Creighton, who moves to 3-0 in advance of their game against Iowa on Saturday. Creighton scored 20 points off of 18 UAB turnovers, and despite a career-high seven blocks by Cameron Moore the Blazers were still outscored 40-22 in the paint. The Bluejays did this with Jahenns Manigat missing all eight of his shots from the field, and McDermott and Gregory Echenique finished the game with five turnovers apiece. And they're going to get better as the season wears on, which is good news for Creighton fans.

3. New Mexico State lands the first blow in the two-part series with rival New Mexico.
The rivalry between New Mexico and New Mexico State is an interesting one, not only because of them sharing a state but more importantly because they play a home-and-home every year. Marvin Menzies' team landed the first punch on Wednesday night, beating the preseason Mountain West favorites 62-53 in front of a packed house at The Pit. The problem for New Mexico: leading scorers Drew Gordon and Kendall Williams combined to shoot a putrid 0-for-13 from the field, and as a team New Mexico shot 19% from the field in the second half. Wendell McKines led the Aggies with 14 points and nine rebounds and Bandja Sy added 12 off the bench, and New Mexico State's size proved to be problematic for the Lobos in the final 20 minutes (16-0 NMSU points in the paint). The rematch is on December 28th in Las Cruces, and given how physical the first round was (52 combined fouls) look for Round Two to offer more of the same.

Quick Hitters

1. Saturday will deliver a matchup of two of the hotter scorers in the country as Texas (J'Covan Brown) takes on Oregon State (Jared Cunningham). Cunningham led the Beavers to an 82-72 win over Hofstra with 35 points, and center Joe Burton dropped an assists (11)/rebounds (10) double-double.

2. Don't bother attempting to hold a vigorous debate over who's the worst team in a BCS AQ league. The answer is Utah, who went to Boise State and ended up on the receiving end of an 80-59 beating. It's going to be a long season for first-year head coach Larry Krystowiak.

3. No Eric Atkins (sick) or Tim Abromaitis (NCAA suspension) for Notre Dame but it didn't matter much in their 74-41 win over Sam Houston State. Freshman Pat Connaughton led the way with 24 points off the bench while Jerian Grant was all over the box score with 17 points, seven assists, six rebounds and two steals.

4. NAIA school Philander Smith scored a big victory, knocking off Central Arkansas 97-90 in Conway. What's the bigger concern for Central Arkansas head coach Corliss Williamson: the mere fact that the Bears lost, or the fact that they allowed 97 points and turned the ball over 23 times?

5. Freshman guard Cezar Guerrero saved Oklahoma State, scoring six of his 29 points in a five-second span to tie their game with UTSA in regulation, and the Cowboys went on to win 90-85 in overtime. Guerrero made eight three-pointers while Le'Bryan Nash added 18 and nine rebounds, and Travis Ford will call on these freshmen quite often this season.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Jared Cunningham (Oregon State)
35 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals in the Beavers' 82-72 win over Hofstra.

2. G Tim Frazier (Penn State)
26 points, 10 assists and five rebounds in the Nittany Lions' 77-68 win over Long Island.

3. G Casper Ware (Long Beach State)
28 points and six assists in the 49ers' 86-76 win at #9 Pittsburgh.

#104 Utah: 2010-11 Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 21:59:44 -0400

Overall Rank: #104

Conference Rank: #6 Mountain West Conference

2009-10: 14-17, 7-9

2009-10 postseason: none

Coach: Jim Boylen (56-42 at Utah, 56-42 overall)

The mass exodus out of Utah does not bode well for Coach Jim Boylen, but this could be a case of addition by subtraction. Sure the top three scorers are gone, but this was never a team that thrived offensively. The bevy of newcomers can do enough scoring to pick up the slack and as long as they buy into the team philosophy and play some solid defense, this Ute team will be better than the more experienced team of a year ago that disappointed so many by finishing 14-17.

Key Losses: G Carlon Brown, G Luka Drca, G Marshall Henderson, F Kim Tillie

Key Newcomers:

With all the defections, Coach Boylen hit the junior college ranks hard and came away with two point guards and two wings. Chris Kupets is more than just a ballhandler though and he could emerge as the scoring threat this team needs. That would leave Josh Watkins as the likely candidate to take over the point guard duties, although he will have some competition from incoming freshman Preston Guiot. Will Clyburn and Antonio DiMaria can do some scoring from the wing and both have good size and versatility. Incoming freshmen Josh Fuller and Dominique Lee will add even more options on the perimeter. The lone big man coming in is Neal Monson. With the talent in front of him, Monson will not be asked to do much as a freshman except gain a few pounds of muscle.

Backcourt:

Chris Hines will not give up the point guard duties to one of the newcomers without a fight, but after playing fewer than nine minutes per game last year, he will likely remain on the bench. Shawn Glover and Jace Tavita both started some games last year and could step back into a starting role. Glover is a better scorer and has more potential in that regard, but if the newcomers can score, Glover will not need to attack the basket. However, if his outside shot improves, there is room in the rotation for the 6-7 sophomore. The more important piece to the puzzle is Tavita. While he is not a scorer at all, Tavita is a great perimeter defender and a good team player who will find his teammates on the other end of the floor. That is why he started 19 games despite averaging a mere 1.4 points per game and shooting an ugly 18.2 percent from beyond the arc and 29.1 percent overall.

Frontcourt:

Tavita is not the only player on the team who plays great defense. David Foster is the conference’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year after blocking 4.0 shots per game and altering countless others. The 7-3 center is not a great scorer, adding to the team’s offensive woes, but he is an upperclassman now and should be able to increase his scoring output a little bit and at least become somewhat of an interior scorer threat. Jason Washburn is another seven-footer who can block some shots. Having one of those two guys on the floor at almost all times makes it extremely tough for the opposition to get anything going in the paint.

Who to Watch:

The scorer in the frontcourt is Jay Watkins. After spending most of last season coming in off the bench, Watkins should step into a starting role. The 6-8 senior is the team’s top returning scorer at 9.2 points per game and he will be the guy who forces the opposing defense to collapse in the paint and give the new players on the perimeter some open looks. Any help he can get from Washburn and Foster is just a bonus.

Final Projection:

Yet, last year the perimeter players often missed their open shots anyway. That has to change this time around and it really cannot get much worse after Utah shot very poorly as a team from the floor. There is nowhere to go but up and Coach Boylen has some players to pick and choose from to find the right players who will fit into the system and knock down those open looks. It may be slow going at first, but this is a team that should be able to turn out a winning record and get an invite to a postseason tournament.

Projected Post-season Tournament: CBI/CIT

Projected Starting Five:

Josh Watkins, Junior, Guard, DNP last season

Chris Kupets, Junior, Guard, DNP last season

Jace Tavita, Junior, Guard, 1.4 ppg

Jay Watkins, Senior, Forward, 9.2 ppg

David Foster, Junior, Center, 4.7 ppg

Next Top 144 Teams
105		106		107		108		..All

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Poll: Who Will Win the MWC Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:31:46 -0500

College Basketball Lines & Predictions: Wednesday

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 11:58:11 -0500

Betting odds are a great guide to college basketball entertainment. Unlike fans, who often ride the wave of media predictions, betting lines tend to be a bit more focused and can give you an objective picture of how teams matchup (though lines too can get caught up in the wave of human emotion).

I'll discuss my daily predictions after the lines.. these are posted solely for fun, as I do not bet on games myself, nor do I suggest anybody else does either (it's not easy). If you agree or disagree with my picks, have thoughts on the day's lines, or have upsets or picks to announce, post them below.

December 9th: College Basketball Lines & Predictions

- listed are the day's 9 most popular/intriguing games. I only predict games from this pool due to fan interest.

7:00

Duquesne
at West Virginia

Favorite

West Virginia by 17

Over/Under

136.5

8:00

Radford
vs Kansas

Favorite

Kansas by 31

Over/Under

148.5

8:00

Wisconsin
at Wis.-Green Bay

Favorite

Wisconsin by 4.5

Over/Under

131.5

9:00

Michigan
at Utah

Favorite

pickem

Over/Under

131.5

9:00

Villanova
at St. Joseph's

Favorite

Villanova by 14.5

Over/Under

148

9:30

Kentucky
at Connecticut

Favorite

Kentucky by 1

Over/Under

143.5

10:00

California
vs Pacific

Favorite

California by 6.5

Over/Under

133.5

11:00

Idaho
at Washington St.

Favorite

Washington St by 5

Over/Under

149

11:00

Louisiana Tech
at Arizona

Favorite

Arizona by 6.5

Over/Under

138

- Lines as of 11:30 am (from SportsBetting) - Check out the day's other odds as the day progresses, including odds from other betting sites.

College Hoops Wednesday Recap: Mountain West 2-0 in Rivalry Games

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:55:01 -0500

Wednesday offered Utah and UNLV the opportunity to knock off in-state rivals (Utah State and Nevada) who will enter their respective conference seasons expected to compete for league titles, and neither disappointed. The Utes were able to capitalize on seventeen Utah State turnovers and a hot-shooting Carlon Brown (sorry for referring to you as Carlton yesterday) to pull out the 68-67 win over the Aggies.

UNLV recovered from a slow first half to knock off Nevada 88-75 as Oscar Bellfield scored a career-high 22 points and the Runnin' Rebels outscored the Wolf Pack 55-37 in the second half. These are a pair of wins that while the may not look like much right now could end up being valuable resume-builders for both the teams and their conference.

Three Key Happenings

1. Cornell is a team to keep an eye on for the remainder of 2009. The Big Red picked up their second road win of the season, this time knocking off UMass 74-61 in Amherst. This follows their win at Alabama, but with the Crimson Tide rebuilding under a new head coach in Anthony Grant Wednesday's win may be the more impressive of the two. Cornell's Louis Dale (24 points) and UMass' Ricky Harris (26 points) had quite the individual duel but it was the overall shooting that did in the Minutemen. UMass shot just 36.7% from the field and turned the ball over nineteen times in the Legends Classic game. With SetonHall (home) and Syracuse (away) next on the schedule the two-time defending Ivy champs could have quite the resume heading into December.

2. This has the makings of a long season on The Farm. Stanford, who had already lost at home to San Diego, fell to Oral Roberts 83-81 at Maples Pavilion on Wednesday night. Not much was expected from Johnny Dawkins' team heading into the season but this just adds to the unimpressive start for the Pac-10. In their two losses this season the Cardinal have given up an average of eighty points per game and tonight the Golden Eagles shot 49.2% from the field. Landry Fields (28 points) and Jeremy Green (20 points) were effective scoring but this is not a team that will be consistently successful in outscoring opponents this season, so the defense must improve.

3. If Cincinnati can play this well offensively on a nightly basis look out. There was a lot of talk about the Bearcats possibly being the most improved team in the Big East due in large part to the arrival of Lance Stephenson and the return of Cashmere Wright in addition to standouts Deonta Vaughn and Yancy Gates. Mick Cronin's team definitely isn't short on individual talent but if they can execute offensively as they did in their 92-68 win over Toledo they'll be a handful. Cincinnati finished the night with twenty-seven assists (10 turnovers) on thirty-seven baskets and they shot 52.1% from the field. Maui next week will provide stiffer tests but their final tune-up is definitely a good start.

Top Three Games

1. North Texas 101, UT-Arlington 99 (2OT) The Mean Green moved to 2-0 on the season with the close win over the Mavericks. North Texas' Josh White led all scorers with thirty-five while Boston College transfer Marquez Haynes led the Mavs with twenty-nine.

2. Utah 68, Utah State 67 Carlon Brown led the Utes with twenty-two points in their win over the Aggies, the eighth straight time in the series that the home team has won. Jared Quayle led Utah State with 27 points and 11 rebounds.

3. Loyola (MD) 69, UMBC 66 Jamal Barney scored fourteen second-half points in helping to lead the Greyhounds over their neighbors in Baltimore. Chauncey Gilliam led all scorers with 22 points but it wasn't enough to lead the Retrievers to the home victory in the canine showdown.

Three Notable Offensive Performances

1. G Corey Hassan (Sacred Heart) The senior scored thirty-three points to go along with eleven rebounds in the Pioneers' 76-66 loss at Fordham.

2. F Dominique Morrison (Oral Roberts) Morrison scored thirty-one points and added nine rebounds and three assists in the Golden Eagles' 83-81 win at Stanford.

3. G James Anderson (Oklahoma State) Anderson led the Cowboys in their 93-61 win over Southern with thirty points and ten rebounds. Just imagine what he could have done had he shot better from behind the arc (3-10 3PT).

MWC Basketball Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:19:48 -0500

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