Vanderbilt

Early 2012-13 Ranking: Teams 46 to 60

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:05:09 -0400

Continuing with the Early 2012-13 Ranking, here are teams 46 to 60.

Its worth repeating that I had to make many assumptions about the NBA Draft in compiling the following list, and I've noted which assumptions I've made. This ranking will be updated later in the summer once players have made their official draft decisions. Also uncertain is where some remaining unsigned recruits will end up, and how the coaching carousel will take form. I purposely made no assumptions about where unsigned prospects will end up. (All prospect rankings are according to the Rivals 150 ranking.)

Early 2012-13 Ranking: Teams 45-60

46 Miami Another year under Jim Larranaga should find the Hurricanes on the inside of the NCAA Tournament bubble. Malcolm Grant departs but he did not have a terribly good season anyways.

47 Butler After a down year, Butler should once again be the class of the Horizon League. Transfer Rotnei Clarke gives them a scoring-punch that was severely lacking this year. Three solid guards enter as freshmen, who should help with depth.

48 Colorado Carlon Brown and Austin Dufault are not small loses, but the hope is that Andre Roberson blossoms into a Pac-12 Player of the Year candidate. The Buffs recruiting haul is easily their best of the last decade.

49 BYU The Cougars lose veterans Hartsock and Abouo but should still settle into their usual bubble-bound slot. Another year of improvement from Matt Carlino should help.

50 Pittsburgh Coming off of a disastrous season, Pittsburgh has no where to go but up. Although Gibbs and Robinson depart, the Panthers welcome 4th ranked recruit Steven Adams, one of their best-ever recruits. A healthy Tray Woodall would certainly help as well.

51 UCF After being a fringe-bubble team that last two years, UCF will once again be hoping to make the tourney. Although PG AJ Rompza graduates, the team returns solid All-CUSA caliber players in Keith Clanton, Marcus Jordan, and Isaiah Sykes.

52 Temple The Owls should take a step back with key senior losses, including leader Ramone Moore, but expect them to still be competitive in the A10. Khalif Wyatt could score 20 ppg now that the team is fully in his hands. The recruiting haul might be Temple's best since 2007.

53 Xavier Besides leader Tu Holloway, they also loses Kenny Frease and Andre Walker. Role players like Travis Taylor and Jeff Robinson will really need to step it up if Xavier wants to makes its 8th tourney in a row. 4-star recruit Semaj Christon is capable of contributing at PG from day one.

54 UCONN Jeremy Lamb and Andre Drummond will presumably go pro, and the roster looks pretty thin without them. Last year's shock tourney run covers up what has been 3 years in a row of .500 or worse basketball in Big East play. Add in the potential sanctions and Calhoun's health, and you have yourself a lot of questions.

55 Belmont Seniors Drew Hanlen, Mick Hedgepeth, and Scott Saunders depart, but Kerron Johnson and Ian Clark are still two of the A-Sun's top players. Incoming PG Craig Bradshaw is one of Belmont's better pickups and should fit right into the program.

56 South Florida Three seniors that played over 25 minutes per game depart, but South Florida shouldn't expect too much of a drop-off. USF's 4-person recruiting class is solid for their standards, but still mediocre as far as the Big East goes.

57 Mississippi St With Dee Bost a senior and Arnett Moultrie presumably going pro, Mississippi St loses its leading scorer, passer, rebounder, and defender. Although an underrated 5-person recruiting class was set to come in, Rick Stanbury's retirement does open some questions.

58 West Virginia For a team that often struggled to score the ball, it will be interesting to see how they'll manage without Kevin Jones and Darryl Bryant. Those two scored almost 50% of the Mountaineers points. Aaric Murray and Juwan Staten are solid transfers who will help.

59 Southern Miss USM was never as good as their gaudy RPI suggested.. Graduations will put a major dent into their major strength, which was depth, but their top two scorers do return.

60 Iowa St The key for Iowa St is whether Royce White decides to go pro. I'm assuming here that he does, which would mean the Cyclones lose their 3 leading scorers. A pair of solid transfers enter the mix, as well as their best recruiting class in a few years.

Also Under Consideration (alphabetical order)

Akron

California

Harvard

Illinois St

Minnesota

Nevada

Ole Miss

Oregon

Providence

Vanderbilt

Virginia

<< Return to 2012-13 Ranking: Teams 1 to 45

Wisconsin vs Vanderbilt: Prediction

Greg Mengelt — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 17:09:31 -0400

(4) Wisconsin vs. (5) Vanderbilt: East Region

Records

Wisconsin 25-9, 12-6 Big Ten (At large)

Vanderbilt 25-10, 10-6 SEC (Conference Tournament Champions)

Time: 6:10 p.m. Saturday

TV: TNT

Location: The Pit in Albuquerque, N.M.

First round results

Wisconsin def. Montana, 73-49

Vanderbilt def. Harvard, 79-70

Winner will face: (1) Syracuse or (8) Kansas State, Thursday in Boston

Rankings

Wisconsin No. 14 AP; No. 13 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

Vanderbilt No. 20 AP; No. 24 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

RPI Ratings

Vanderbilt 20

Wisconsin 21

Line: Vanderbilt -1 (O/U 120)

Players to Watch

Wisconsin: G Jordan Taylor, 6-1 Sr. (14.7 ppg, 4 apg, 3.7 rpg); F Ryan Evans, 6-6 Jr. (10.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.6 apg); C Jared Berggren, 6-10 Jr. (10.5 ppg, 5 rpg, 36.9% 3s). Berggren blocked seven shots in Thursday’s win over Montana after a previous career-high of five. He also added five points and three rebounds.

Vanderbilt: G John Jenkins, 6-4 Jr. (19.9 ppg, 47.8% FG, 44.8% 3s); F Jeffery Taylor, 6-7 Sr. (16.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 49.9% FG); C Festus Ezeli, 6-11 Sr. (10 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2 bpg). Jenkins brought his A-game to the tournament. He had his best scoring outburst in almost a month with a 27-point outing Thursday. He hit 7-of-12 from the field, including 3-of-8 from 3, and he made 10 of his 13 free throw attempts.

Why Each Team Dangerous

Wisconsin: The Badgers were really impressive against the Big Sky champions Thursday. They allowed Montana only 20 second-half points, went 17-for-19 from the foul line, had a 32-19 rebound advantage, blocked eight shots and assisted on 15 of their 23 field goal attempts. Wisconsin had the nation’s best scoring defense, allowing 52.9 points per game and holding opponents to 29.8 percent and only 3.5 makes from behind the 3-point line. That will be vital against the hot-shooting Commodores. The Badgers’ nine turnovers per game is second-fewest in the country.

Vanderbilt: Since struggling early, the Commodores have won eight of their last 10 games and they knocked off No. 1 Kentucky to win the SEC championship. On Thursday, Vandy hit 25 of its 46 field goal attempts, including 8-of-10 from 3. The Commodores also out-rebounded Harvard 35-22, including 10 offensive boards. For the season, they made 294 3-pointers, the fourth-best rate in the country and made 38.9 percent of them, which is 25^th-best nationally. Vandy scores 35.6 percent of its points from behind the 3-point and scores 1.1 points per possession. Vandy also plays excellent field goal defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 41.8 percent overall and 30.7 from deep. The ‘Dores have held their last six opponents to 70 points or fewer.

Why Each Team is Vulnerable

Wisconsin: Wisconsin really struggles to score at times. The Badgers shoot just 42.4 percent from the floor. They have scored 62 points or fewer 16 times in 34 games and have shot 50 percent or better just four times in their last 30 games. Wisconsin is usually known for its rebounding, but this year’s team only out-rebounds its opponents by 2.2 per game.

Vanderbilt: The Commodores have had a tough time beating opponents’ pressure and taking care of the basketball in the halfcourt. They turn the ball over 13.2 times per game and have a negative assist-to-turnover ratio and just a plus-0.4 turnover margin. Despite having Ezeli inside, Vandy only out-rebounds opponents by 1.2 per game.

The Bottom Line: There’s not enough defense in the world to stop Jenkins, Taylor and Ezeli, and the Badgers don’t have the firepower to hang with them.

The Pick: Vanderbilt 67, Wisconsin 60

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 206-158-6 (Through Thursday, March 16)

Vanderbilt vs Harvard: Prediction

Greg Mengelt — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:29:39 -0400

(5) Vanderbilt vs. (12) Harvard: East Region

Records

Vanderbilt 24-10, 10-6 SEC (Conference Tourney Champions)

Harvard 26-4, 12-2 Ivy League (Regular-season Conference Champions)

Time: 4:40 p.m. Thursday

TV: TNT

Location: The Pit in Albuquerque, N.M.

Winner will face: (4) Wisconsin or (13) Montana, Saturday

Rankings

Vanderbilt No. 20 AP; No. 24 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

Harvard No. 36 AP; No. 35 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll

RPI Ratings

Vanderbilt 20

Harvard 36

Line: Vanderbilt -5½ (O/U 123)

Players to Watch

Vanderbilt: G John Jenkins, 6-4 Jr. (20 ppg, 48.5% FG, 45.3% 3s); F Jeffery Taylor, 6-7 Sr. (16.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 50% FG); C Festus Ezeli, 6-11 Sr. (9.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 50% FG). X

Harvard: F Keith Wright, 6-8 Sr. (10.7 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 59.4% FG); F Kyle Casey, 6-7 Jr. (11.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 51.9% FG); G Brandyn Curry, 6-1 Jr. (7.8 ppg, 5 apg, 1.6 spg). Curry came up big when the Crimson needed him most. In the second half of March 3’s 67-63 league-clinching win over Cornell, the junior scored all of his 12 points – on four 3-pointers – in the 67-63 victory.

Why Each Team is Dangerous

Vanderbilt: Jenkins and Taylor are capable of carrying the Commodores, and while Ezeli wasn’t the player he was expected to be this season, he adds bulk and a defensive presence in the paint. Laurence Goulbourne and Brad Tinsley can score and create, as well, and Vandy has talented depth. Their 38.9 3-point percentage was 23^rd-best in the country, so they’re never out of games. Sunday’s win over Kentucky can do nothing but help a team that has had some confidence issues.

Harvard: The Crimson get contributions from all five starters and a handful of players off of the bench. All five starters average 30 minutes and at least 7.4 points per game. The Harvard defense is very strong at times. They allowed fewer than 55 points 18 times this season and opponents shot just 40.6 percent against its D.

Why Each Team is Vulnerable

Vanderbilt: Vandy has had some inconsistency issues and a lot of that has to do with its inability to take care of the basketball. Tinsley is a strong scorer, but he struggles with turnovers at times. The Commodores have to be the best team in the country with a negative turnover margin and assist-to-turnover ratio. That’s likely to cause them trouble in the long run. They are an average rebounding team – at best – with a plus-1.1 rebounding margin.

Harvard: This is Harvard’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1946, so needless to say, no one on the team – outside of coach Tommy Amaker – has any NCAA experience. Honestly, the Crimson aren’t playing their best basketball of late and they just got in. After losing at Princeton and at home to Penn in February, Harvard needed an overtime win at Columbia and a 4-point win over Cornell to earn the berth. While the balance on offense is nice, the Crimson lack a true go-to scorer. Wright never seemed comfortable with the role he expected to fill.

The Bottom Line: Vanderbilt is better than an average 5 seed and the 12 seed was way too high for a Harvard team that underperformed from its pre-season expectations. This should be an easy cover.

The Pick: Vanderbilt 80, Harvard 65

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

Tournament Poll: Most Likely 12 vs 5 Upset?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 23:19:40 -0400

ACC, A10, Big Ten, SEC Finals Predictions

Greg Mengelt — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 04:35:21 -0400

This is it, the final day of the regular season, Selection Sunday. Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year and will continue picking each game of the NCAA Tournament.

ACC CHAMPIONSHIP: AT ATLANTA

(1) North Carolina (29-4, 14-2) at (3) Florida State (23-9, 12-4)

Tipoff: 1 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Florida State 90-57. RPI: North Carolina 3, Florida State 17. Analysis: The absence of John Henson puts the Heels at a disadvantage. Even if he plays, the Seminoles will cover. Line: North Carolina -6. Pick: Florida State 69, North Carolina 65.

SEC CHAMPIONSHIP: AT NEW ORLEANS

(1) Kentucky (32-1, 16-0) at (3) Vanderbilt (23-10, 10-6)

Tipoff: 1 p.m. TV: ABC. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 11 – Kentucky 69-63*; Feb. 25 – Kentucky 83-74. RPI: Kentucky 1, Vanderbilt 22. Analysis: Taking Vandy to win. Expect the Commodores to at least cover. Line: Kentucky -7½. Pick: Vanderbilt 71, Kentucky 70.

ATLANTIC 10 CHAMPIONSHIP: AT ATLANTIC CITY

(3) Xavier (21-11, 10-6) at (4) St. Bonaventure (19-11, 10-6)

Tipoff: 1 p.m. TV: CBS. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Xavier 77-65. RPI: Xavier 38, St. Bonaventure 76. Analysis: I am all-aboard the Andrew Nicholson bandwagon. Line: Xavier -3½. Pick: St. Bonaventure 69, Xavier 67.

BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP: AT INDIANAPOLIS

(1) Michigan State (26-7, 13-5) at (2) Ohio State (27-6, 13-5)

Tipoff: 3:30 p.m. TV: CBS. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 11 – Michigan State 58-48*; March 4 – Ohio State 72-70. RPI: Michigan State 4, Ohio State 7. Analysis: The whole college basketball world – not just the Spartans – should be concerned about the way OSU is playing. Line: Ohio State -1½. Pick: Ohio State 66, Michigan State 60.

*Road win

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 195-147-6

Conference Semifinals Predictions: ACC, A10, Big Ten, SEC

Greg Mengelt — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 02:48:13 -0500

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. Here are is predictions for Saturday's conference semifinals game. Read more about Championship Week at CollegeHoops.net.

ACC SEMIFINALS: AT ATLANTA

(1) North Carolina (28-4, 14-2) vs. (5) North Carolina State (22-11, 9-7)

Tipoff: 1 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 26 – UNC 74-55; Feb. 21 – UNC 86-74*. RPI: UNC 3, NC State 44. Analysis: Don’t know what to make of the Henson wrist injury. Stay away from this game. If you must, take the Heels. Line: North Carolina -11. Pick: North Carolina 87, North Carolina State 74.

(2) Duke (27-5, 13-3) vs. (3) Florida State (22-9, 12-4)

Tipoff: 3 p.m. TV: ESPN. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 21 – Florida State 76-73*; Feb. 23 – Duke 74-66*. RPI: Duke 4, Florida State 22. Analysis: FSU covers and could beat the Devils again. Pick: Florida State 63, Duke 59.

ATLANTIC 10 SEMIFINALS: AT ATLANTIC CITY

(4) St. Bonaventure (18-11, 10-6) vs. (8) Massachusetts (22-10, 9-7)

Tipoff: 1 p.m. TV: CBS Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 8 – UMass 76-67. RPI: UMass 71, St. Bonaventure 86. Analysis: No clue what to make of this line, but St. Bona’s Andrew Nicholson and Minutemen PG Chaz Williams are both really good. Williams is clutch. Line: St. Bonaventure -3. Pick: Massachusetts 73, St. Bonaventure 72.

(2) Saint Louis (25-6, 12-4) vs. (3) Xavier (20-11, 10-6)

Tipoff: 3:30 p.m. TV: CBS Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 25 – Saint Louis 73-68*; Feb. 28 – Saint Louis 70-59. RPI: Saint Louis 29, Xavier 59. Analysis: The Billikens will be facing a desperate Xavier squad. They’ll pass the test. Pick: Saint Louis 68, Xavier 61.

BIG TEN SEMIFINALS: AT INDIANAPOLIS

(1) Michigan State (25-7, 13-5) vs. (4) Wisconsin (24-8, 12-6)

Tipoff: 1:40 p.m. TV: CBS. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 3 – Michigan State 63-60*; Feb. 16 – Michigan State 69-55. RPI: Michigan State 5, Wisconsin 20. Analysis: Baffled by this line. Rob Wilson isn’t going to score 30 points again. Line: Michigan State -4. Pick: Michigan State 58, Wisconsin 48.

(2) Ohio State (26-6, 13-5) vs. (3) Michigan (24-8, 13-5)

Tipoff: 4:05 p.m. TV: CBS. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 29 – Ohio State 64-49; Feb. 18 – Michigan 56-51. RPI: Ohio State 7, Michigan 10. Analysis: When the Buckeyes play well, they’re really good – and they’re playing well now. Pick: Ohio State 74, Michigan 61.

SEC SEMIFINALS: AT NEW ORLEANS

(1) Kentucky (31-1, 16-0) vs. (4) Florida (23-9, 10-6)

Tipoff: 1 p.m. TV: ABC. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 7 – Kentucky 78-58; March 4 – Kentucky 74-59*. RPI: Kentucky 1, Florida 21. Analysis: After the regular-season finale, it is obvious this is a bad matchup for the Gators. Line: Kentucky -9½. Pick: Kentucky 79, Florida 66.

(3) Vanderbilt (21-10, 10-6) vs. (7) Mississippi (20-12, 8-8)

Tipoff: 3:30 p.m. TV: ABC. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 16 – Vanderbilt 102-76*. RPI: Vanderbilt 28, Ole Miss 48. Analysis: No contest. Pick: Vanderbilt 81, Mississippi 66.

*Road win

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 182-141-5

2012 All-America Team: CollegeHoops.net

CHN — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 01:44:32 -0500

Player of the Year Anthony Davis, only a freshman, highlights CollegeHoops.net's 2012 All-America Team. Davis, the nation's leading shot-blocker, led Kentucky to a 30-1 regular season record. Davis is joined on the First Team by Thomas Robinson of Kansas, Draymond Green of Michigan State, Doug McDermott of Creighton, and Isaiah Canaan of Murray State.

Davis is one of only two freshmen on the list, as teammate Michael Kidd-Gilchrist made the Third Team.

CollegeHoops.net All-America Teams were voted on by staffers Shawn Siegel, Raphielle Johnson, Greg Mengelt, and Jon Teitel.

Last year's winner was BYU's Jimmer Fredette.

Player of the Year: F Anthony Davis, Kentucky, Fr

First Team All-American

G Isaiah Canaan, Murray St, Jr
F Doug McDermott, Creighton, So
F Draymond Green, Michigan St, Sr
F Thomas Robinson, Kansas, Jr
F Anthony Davis, Kentucky, Fr

Second Team All-American

G Scott Machado, Iona, Sr
G Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas, Sr
G Damian Lillard, Weber St, Jr
F Jared Sullinger, Ohio St, So
F Tyler Zeller, North Carolina, Jr

Third Team All-American

G Marcus Denmon, Missouri, Sr
G John Jenkins, Vanderbilt, Jr
F John Henson, North Carolina, Jr
F Mike Scott, Virginia, Sr
F Kevin Jones, West Virginia, Sr

Fourth Team All-American

G Kendall Marshall, North Carolina, So
G Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette, Sr
F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky, Fr
F Will Barton, Memphis, So
F Jae Crowder, Marquette, Sr

Honorable Mention

G Harrison Barnes, North Carolina, So
G Kenny Boynton, Florida, Jr
G J'Covan Brown, Texas, Jr
F Perry Jones III, Baylor, So
F Kris Joseph, Syracuse, Sr
G Jeremy Lamb, UCONN, So
F Mike Moser, UNLV, So
F Arnett Moultrie, Mississippi St, Jr
F John Shurna, Northwestern, Sr
F Royce White, Iowa St, So

Tennessee vs Vanderbilt: Prediction & Fan Poll

Greg Mengelt — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 18:41:32 -0500

VANDERBILT (21-9, 10-5 SEC) AT TENNESSEE (17-13, 9-6 SEC)

Time: 4 p.m.

TV: ESPN

Location: Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn.

RPI Ratings

Vanderbilt 22 (No. 3 SEC)

Tennessee 81 (No. 8 SEC)

Line: Vanderbilt -2 (O/U 134)

Vanderbilt Players to Watch: G John Jenkins, 6-4 Jr. (20.1 ppg, 49.3% FG, 46.7% 3s); F Jeffery Taylor, 6-7 Sr. (17.4 ppg, 6 rpg, 51.8% FG); C Festus Ezeli, 6-11 Sr. (10.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 54.3% FG). Jenkins, who had 22 points in Tuesday’s 77-66 win over Florida, leads the nation by making four 3-pointers by game. His 115 3s is the fifth-most made in SEC history and his 44.9 career percent from deep is second in SEC history. He leads the SEC in scoring at 20.1 per game.

Tennessee Players to Watch: G Trae Golden, 6-1 So. (13.3 ppg, 4.6 apg, 2.8 rpg); F Jeronne Maymon, 6-7 Jr. (12.6 ppg, 8 rpg, 57.1% FG); G Jordan McRae, 6-5 So. (9.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.5 apg). Golden has scored 399 points and has 137 assists. His assists have led to 331 points, meaning he has been involved in 35.3 percent of the Volunteer points this season.

Storylines: Vanderbilt has won five of its last seven with the only two losses coming by a combined 15 points to No. 1 Kentucky. With a win, the Commodores can do no worse than tied with Florida for second place in the SEC. With Florida facing Kentucky on Saturday, there’s a very good chance Vandy would finish with the No. 2 seed in the SEC tourney. Tennessee is suddenly getting NCAA Tournament consideration – and for good reason. The youthful Volunteers have won seven of their last eight and are tied with Alabama for fourth in the league. Since adding Jarnell Stokes, who is averaging nine points and seven rebounds, Tennessee is 9-6. If other bubble teams around the country continue to falter, a win over Vanderbilt might be too much for the selection committee to overlook.

Keys: Vanderbilt hit eight of its 18 3-point shots and held Tennessee to 35.3 percent from the field in a 65-47 victory on Jan. 24. Taylor scored 23 points and grabbed nine boards as the Commodores ran out to a 40-21 halftime lead. Stokes, who should still be a high school senior, had his best games yet in Wednesday’s 74-69 overtime road win over LSU, going 9-for-10 with a career-high 18 points, seven rebounds, a pair of steals and a block. Vanderbilt is the only team in the SEC with four 1,000-point scorers (Jenkins, Taylor, Ezeli and Brad Tinsley). Vanderbilt is 19-3 against unranked opponents and has beaten 13 of the last 14 it has faced. Vandy has swept Tennessee just 12 times during the 90-year history of the rivalry. Vandy leads the SEC in 3-point percentage (40.2) and 3-pointers made (301). The Volunteers allow opponents to shoot 34.5 percent from the 3-point line. Tennessee is third in the SEC, hitting seven 3s per game. The Volunteers have won six in a row at home. If not for a 3-point loss to No. 1 Kentucky, the streak would be at 12. Vandy is 13-5 at home this season, but they have won five of their last six and 10 of their last 12 at Memorial Gym.

The Bottom Line: Not saying Vandy can’t win in Knoxville against a large, hostile crowd and a vastly improved Volunteer squad. This is a toss up. Vandy and Tennessee a toss up? Crazy how things can chance from early in the season to late in college basketball.

The Pick: Tennessee 73, Vanderbilt 70

Hoosiers' Balance Too Much for Michigan State: Tuesday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 03:36:47 -0500

In other action on Tuesday night both Connecticut and Xavier fell on the road, and it's now beyond danger time for both teams.

1. Draymond Green played well, but Indiana's many contributors proved to be too much for Michigan State.
With the chance to clinch the outright Big Ten title #5 Michigan State hit the road to take on #18 Indiana in Bloomington. But while Green further strengthened his Big Ten Player of the Year candidacy with 29 points and eight rebounds his teammates struggled mightily, with no other Spartan scoring more than eight points (Austin Thornton). Indiana defended well (the other Spartans shot a combined 10-for-34 from the field) and they executed offensively, shooting 47.9% from the field and finishing with an efficiency of 120.7 in their 70-55 win. Michigan State wasn't bad offensively in the first half, shooting 40.7%, but on the other end of the floor they were unable to keep Victor Oladipo and the other Hoosiers from the foul line.

The aggressive Oladipo scored 11 of his 13 points in the first half, with seven of those points coming from the charity stripe, and as a team the Hoosiers shot 16-for-18 as they built a 41-27 lead. Cody Zeller finished the night as Indiana's leading scorer with 18 points while Verdell Jones III scored 12 off the bench and starters Jordan Hulls and Christian Watford (14 rebounds) scored ten apiece. Indiana has now won 23 games this season and at this rate Tom Crean's squad could earn a "protected" seed in the NCAA tournament given their resume that features three wins over Top 5 teams (Kentucky and Ohio State the others). Michigan State can still win the outright Big Ten crown with a win over Ohio State on Sunday, but in order to do so they're going to need more from Keith Appling and the rest of Draymond Green's supporting cast.

2. All four home teams hold serve in the first round of the Horizon League tournament.
There wasn't much suspense in the first round of the Horizon League tournament on Tuesday night as all four home teams advanced to the quarterfinals. Butler shot 53.7% from the field and Andrew Smith put up 25 points and seven rebounds in the Bulldogs' 70-52 win over Wright State. The Raiders have had issues offensively for much of the season, but it was their defense that let them down at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler will take on Milwaukee, who led UIC 35-14 at the half in a game the Panthers would win 68-55. Milwaukee shot 11-for-25 from beyond the arc, making up for their poor free throw shooting (13-for-24) and 19 turnovers. Butler and Milwaukee played a pair of low-scoring contests in the regular season, splitting the two games with the home team winning both games.

The other quarterfinal will match Detroit and Youngstown State, and those two split their regular season series with the visiting team winning both meetings. Detroit forced 23 Loyola (IL) turnovers in their 80-71 win over the Ramblers, and offensively Eli Holman (20 points, six rebounds) and Chase Simon (19 points, four steals) led five Titans in double figures. Youngstown State also won the turnover battle in their first round matchup, forcing 17 Green Bay turnovers while also knocking down ten three-pointers in their 77-60 win. YSU scored 45 points in the first half thanks in large part to making eight three-pointers out of twelve attempts, and with all five starters scoring in double figures the Penguins did enough in the first half to retain control of the game.

3. Montana controls play at home to beat Weber State and win the Big Sky regular season title.
The battle between the Grizzlies and Wildcats was arguably the most important regular season game on the schedule Tuesday night when considering what was at stake. The winner would not only win the regular season title but also host the semifinals and title game of the conference tournament, an honor that Montana earned with their 66-51 victory. Wayne Tinkle's team got the job done on the defensive end of the floor, limiting Weber State to 30.2% shooting and a frigid 3-for-26 from three. Weber State did manage to grab 16 offensive rebounds but due to their shooting woes the Wildcats were unable to take advantage.

Montana was led by guard Will Cherry, who was outstanding in scoring 23 points and dishing out four assists. Combining with Kareem Jamar (17 points, seven rebounds) on the perimeter, Montana's backcourt outplayed Weber State's Damian Lillard and Scott Bamforth. Lillard did manage to score 19 points but he needed 19 shots to do so, making just seven, while Bamforth scored nine points on 4-for-13 shooting. These two split the regular season series with the home team taking control in the latter stages of the first half in both meetings, which may add to the importance of having home court in a possible title game rubber match. And given how much better Montana and Weber State were than the rest of the Big Sky, it's expected that these two would meet for a third time this season.

Quick Hitters

1. For all the talk about Arkansas' struggles on the road, one would expect the Razorbacks to take care of business at home down the stretch. That wasn't the case on Tuesday as the Hogs allowed 51 second half points in a 77-75 loss to Ole Miss, and that's the last thing Mike Anderson's team needed given their at-large prospects. Arkansas will most likely need to win the SEC tournament to go dancing.

2. How's this for an impressive stat: according to Wisconsin Assistant Director of Athletic Communications Patrick Herb, the Badgers clinched a first-round bye in the Big Ten tournament for the 12th consecutive season with their 52-45 win over Minnesota. Wisconsin scored 36 of their points in the second half, quite the reversal from their 19% shooting in the first half.

3. Texas A&M may have shot 51% from the field but they still didn't have enough offensively to prevent Kansas State from leaving College Station with a 76-70 victory. K-State shot 12-for-17 from beyond the arc with Rodney McGruder going 5-for-7 (26 points) from deep, and Jamar Samuels added 17 and 11 rebounds.

4. Vanderbilt kept alive their hopes of finishing second in the SEC with 77-67 win over Florida in Nashville. John Jenkins made six of his nine shots from beyond the arc in scoring 22 points and Jeffery Taylor added 18 on what was an emotional night for the Commodores' senior class.

5. Led by Will Barton (18 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots), not only did Memphis move one step closer to an outright Conference USA title but they also may have ended UCF's at-large hopes in the 84-55 beating. Memphis shot 63.3% from the field in the second half, and while they anxiously await a definitive diagnosis of Antonio Barton's foot injury Josh Pastner's bunch has played some good basketball of late.

Vanderbilt vs Florida: Prediction & Fan Poll

Greg Mengelt — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:54:01 -0500

NO. 13 FLORIDA (22-7, 10-4 SEC) AT VANDERBILT (20-9, 9-5 SEC)

Time: 9 p.m.

TV: ESPN (Brad Nessler play by play, Jimmy Dykes color)

Location: Memorial Gym in Nashville, Tenn.

RPI Ratings

Florida 18 (No. 2 SEC)

Vanderbilt 23 (No. 3 SEC)

Line: Vanderbilt -2½ (O/U 141)

Florida Players to Watch: G Kenny Boynton, 6-2 Jr. (17.3 ppg, 2.6 apg, 44.1% 3s); G Erving Walker, 5-8 Sr. (12.5 ppg, 4.8 apg, 2.9 rpg); C Patric Young, 6-9 So. (10.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 61.2% FG). With 11 points in Saturday’s 74-62 loss to Georgia, Boynton passed the 1,500-point mark for his career. He is the 13^th Gator to reach the milestone. He also ranks fifth all-time in 3-pointers made at Florida.

Vanderbilt Players to Watch: G John Jenkins, 6-4 Jr. (20 ppg, 48.8% FG, 46% 3s); F Jeffery Taylor, 6-7 Sr. (17.3 ppg, 6 rpg, 52.3% FG); C Festus Ezeli, 6-11 Sr. (10.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.2 bpg). Jenkins is the SEC’s leading scorer in all games and in SEC games. He’s averaging 19.1 per game in conference play. If he holds on to the scoring lead he would be the first since LSU’s Ronnie Henderson to win back-to-back SEC scoring titles. He also leads the SEC in free throw percentage (87.5) and leads the nation in 3-pointers made per game at 3.9.

Storylines: Vanderbilt is playing its best basketball of the season. The Commodores have won 3 of 4 and four of their last six with the only losses coming in close contests against No. 1 Kentucky. The Gators were blown out by 13-15 Georgia on Saturday, ending its 3-game losing streak. With Kentucky still on the Gators’ schedule, this game appears to be for second place in the SEC and the second seed in the conference tournament. With a win, Florida would clinch the No. 2 seed.

Keys: Florida forced 17 turnovers and beat the Commodores 73-65 on Feb. 4. Four Gators scored in double-figures, led by Boynton’s 18. Taylor had a game-high 25. The Gators lead the SEC with 15.2 assists per game and a 1.3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Walker leads the league at 4.8 and 2.4-to-1. Florida leads the nation by making 10.1 3-pointers per contest. Vandy is 11^th with 8.8. The Gators made a season-low five 3s (only 23 attempts) in Saturday’s loss to the Bulldogs. Vandy leads the conference in 3-point percentage at 39.8 and Florida is second at 39.4. Vandy has much stronger 3-point defense, however. The Commodores allow opponents to shoot 31.9 percent from deep, while Florida surrenders 34.9 percent. The Gators have four players who average double-figures and another (Erik Murphy) scores 9.9. Florida is second in the SEC in scoring at 77.7 points per game and the Vandy is third at 73.9. The two teams also rank second and third in field goal percentage with the Gators shooting 46.5 and the Commodores 46.4 from the floor. Vanderbilt leads the all-time series 63-60, but the Gators have beaten the Commodores 22 of 33 times, including the last four, under coach Billy Donovan. Vandy is 12-5 at home this season. The Commodores are 5-2 at Memorial Gym in SEC play and have won three of their last four at home. Florida has struggled to a 4-6 mark on the road, but the Gators have won four of their last six away from home.

The Bottom Line: If the Commodores can keep the turnovers to a minimum, they should pull away from a big victory.

The Pick: Vanderbilt 76, Florida 67

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 81-51