Villanova

Texas vs. #14 Baylor: Monday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 20:04:56 -0800

With the time between now and Selection Sunday getting shorter, every opportunity for a team to bolster its resume takes on added importance. This is the situation that Texas (17-10, 7-7), coming off of a 90-78 loss at Oklahoma State, finds itself in as they host #14 Baylor (22-5, 9-5) in the second of two meetings this season. Baylor is looking to rebound themselves as they fell 57-56 at home to Kansas State, a loss that essentially shuts the door on the chance of winning the league as the Bears sit three games behind both Kansas and Missouri. The goal now: improve every game leading into the Big 12 tournament and lock down the #3 position in the Big 12 standings (currently tied with Iowa State).

A quick look at the Longhorns' credentials underlines the importance of Monday night, as Rick Barnes' team was 2-6 against teams in the RPI Top 50 according to the NCAA's most recently released (to the public) numbers. And if they're to beat Baylor, Texas' front court has to do a better job of defending Perry Jones III than they did in Baylor's 76-71 win in Waco on January 28th. Jones III posted one of his best lines of the season on that day as he finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds, a far cry from his four-point, four-rebound outing against K-State. That's not going to get it done against Texas, and that level of play should be unacceptable for a player of Jones III's talent.

Overall the Baylor big men were far superior in the first meeting, with Quincy Acy scoring ten points and grabbing ten rebounds while Quincy Miller added 18 points. Clint Chapman and freshman Jaylen Bond have shown flashes of being able to get some things done but on paper this matchup shouldn't be all that close. Alexis Wangmene has been very quiet after back-to-back double figure scoring outings against Texas A&M and Kansas State, and he accounted for just two points and four rebounds in the first meeting. Texas will likely need to hope that their big men can do enough to remain competitive in the paint and allow their guards to win the game.

Leading scorer J'Covan Brown definitely has the ability to do so, and Baylor should have a very good idea of what the junior brings to the table as he scored 32 in the January meeting. Brown also dished out five assists, and while there are still bouts with questionable decision-making to be fair he has to be the "risk-taker" for this young group. Freshman Myck Kabongo has turned the ball over five times in each of the last three games, but that number doesn't tell the entire story when it comes to the strides being made by the Toronto native. Kabongo, who scored 22 points in Stillwater, is averaging 16.0 points per game over the last three and he did rack up seven assists in the win over Oklahoma.

Turnovers have also been the focus for Baylor's perimeter and for much of the season the group led by junior Pierre Jackson has been solid in that area. Jackson may not start but if there's a play to be made in late-game situations more often than not the ball is in his hands. Jackson did finish the first meeting with five turnovers but he also had seven assists, and he's racked up 20 helpers over the last three games. But he's been quiet in the scoring department, and when combined with A.J. Walton not being a lights-out scorer and Brady Heslip reaching double figures on Saturday (13 points) for the first time since the first game against Texas it's easy to see how important Pierre is offensively.

To win Texas is going to need their youngsters to step up, and that's beyond what Bond, Kabongo and Sheldon McClellan bring to the table. Jonathan Holmes and Julien Lewis combine to average 14.9 points per game and they combined for 13 in the first meeting (Lewis: 3-9 FG). Also important will be the rebounding, as Baylor's had issues in this department on the defensive end of the floor. Texas grabbed 13 offensive boards in the first meeting but was out-rebounded 40-28 thanks to the fact that they took 13 more shots. If Baylor doesn't box out and watch the back side when in their zone defense, Texas can do more than simple compete. They'll likely win.

Also on Monday's slate is a possible preview of the SWAC title game as first-place (and undefeated) Mississippi Valley State hosts Texas Southern, who would be the two-seed if the season ended today. MVSU won the first meeting 77-69 in overtime thanks to a balanced effort led by Terrence Joyner (18 points) and Brent Arrington (17), and Paul Crosby added a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Crosby's been one of the best players in the SWAC all season long and the Tigers will need to neutralize him in order to win in Itta Bena, and Omar Strong will need to play well for a team that has six players averaging between 5.5 and 12.1 (Strong) points per game. Texas Southern also turns the ball over 17 times per game but it was rebounding and not turnovers that hurt them in the first meeting, as MVSU out-rebounded the Tigers 47-36 and grabbed 18 offensive rebounds.

The top two teams in the Atlantic Sun are also in action as Mercer visits North Florida and first-place Belmont hosts USC Upstate. The Bruins regained the top spot thanks to Mercer's loss on Saturday, and given the fact that Rick Byrd's team has won eight straight the Bears may need to win out until the two meet in the regular season finale for both on the 28th.

And despite the struggles of both we can't forget about Connecticut's trip to Philadelphia to take on Villanova, a game that will say a lot about where the Huskies are headed. The aftermath of Saturday's loss to Marquette was ugly, and it's a situation that can either motivate or incinerate a team. UConn really hasn't shown the leadership needed to turn things around so maybe the Wildcats can get a much-needed win even with Maalik Wayns likely out.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM (14) Baylor at Texas (ESPN)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Texas Southern at Mississippi Valley State (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Connecticut at Villanova (ESPN)
7:00 PM Kennesaw State at Jacksonville
7:00 PM Fairfield at Marist
7:00 PM Longwood at Norfolk State
7:00 PM Mercer at North Florida
7:30 PM Maryland-Eastern Shore at Howard
7:30 PM East Tennessee State at Lipscomb (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Florida A&M at South Carolina State
8:00 PM USC Upstate at Belmont
8:00 PM Delaware State at Hampton
8:00 PM Bethune-Cookman at Savannah State
8:30 PM Alcorn State at Alabama A&M
8:30 PM Southern University at Alabama State
8:30 PM Prairie View A&M at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
9:00 PM DePaul at St. John's (ESPNU)
10:10 PM UC Davis at Seattle

Tuesday Recap: Kentucky Too Much on Both Ends For Florida

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:18:11 -0800

The matchup between the two best teams in the SEC was expected to be a competitive affair, one that would challenge John Calipari's squad and show how much of a national title contender they really are. The answer was an emphatic one, as Kentucky controlled the game on both ends of the floor in a 78-58 win that didn't seem all that close in the second half. Doron Lamb scored 18 points to lead four players in double figures (and Darius Miller scored nine points) while both Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (13 points, 13 rebounds) and Marquis Teague (12 points, ten assists) posted double-doubles.

This wasn't just a win over a Top 10 opponent but rather a thorough beating that should put the rest of the country on notice. The Wildcats' effort on the defensive end of the floor will likely receive the lion's share of the headlines as they limited Florida to 34.9% shooting from the field and 6-for-27 from three, resulting in the Gators' worst shooting performance in SEC play (according to Statsheet.com's numbers their loss at Tennessee was Florida's worst from an efficiency standpoint). But Kentucky's offensive performance was also excellent as they shot 52.7% from two and 60% from three, finishing the game with a staggering efficiency of 132.2 and the much-maligned point guard was a big reason why.

"What about Marquis Teague? 12 points, 10 assists," noted Calipari after the game. "He is playing, getting everybody shots. He ended the half Doron three, Doron three. He got him those shots. That gave us some breathing room, up 12. He played well. Doron made shots. Darius made shots. We played pretty good."

As a team the Wildcats finished with 18 assists, five more than their season average and six players had at least one helper on the night. Outside of Kenny Boynton (4-8 3PT, 18 points) no one could really get going for the Gators, and Teague's defensive effort against Erving Walker was a sight to behold as well. Walker was held scoreless as he missed all seven of his field goal attempts and finished with just one assist, by far his worst outing of the season.

Should we be ready to crown Kentucky on the heels of this performance? No, because there's still plenty of basketball to be played. But if anything was learned from the Wildcats' performance it's that knocking off a group that still has its best basketball ahead of it will be extremely difficult to do. And that message is magnified within the SEC, because even with road games at Vanderbilt and Florida still on the schedule there won't be many willing to bet against Kentucky.

"You could say that. They've proven it," said Boynton when asked if the result showed just how far Kentucky is ahead of the rest of the SEC. "They've beaten good teams by twenty, the last teams they played."

Other Notable Happenings

1. William Buford's play down the stretch the difference in Ohio State's win over Purdue.
The senior, who by the end of his career at Ohio State could be the school's all-time leading scorer, tends to be the forgotten member of the trio that includes Jared Sullinger and Aaron Craft. But with those two on the bench dealing with foul trouble in the latter stages of the second half (and Sullinger being lost late due to a hip injury suffered in a hard fall) it was Buford who stepped up, going on a personal 7-0 run to give Ohio State the lead for good in an 87-84 win. Buford finished with a career-high 29 points on the night, and the foul line was just as important in the Buckeyes' victory.

Ohio State made 26 of their 34 attempts from the charity stripe while Purdue finished 17-for-25. D.J. Byrd was outstanding for the Boilermakers as he scored 24 points and grabbed six rebounds, but his foul issues kept him off the floor at what would turn out to be the turning point of the game. Sullinger scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds while Craft finished with 13 and two assists, but Tuesday's game served as a reminder to those who take Buford for granted just how important he is to the Ohio State attack.

2. Creighton loses at Evansville, dropping down to second place in the Missouri Valley.
The Bluejays hit the road on Tuesday night in their final game before hosting Wichita State on Saturday with first place in the Valley on the line. But life on the road is difficult, something Greg McDermott's team learned at the hands of Marty Simmons' Evansville Aces, who closed the game on a 13-1 run and handed Creighton a 65-57 loss to drop the Bluejays into second place. The biggest issue for Creighton was turnovers, as they turned the ball over 16 times in a sixty possession game (26.7% turnover percentage). That's a big deal, even in a game in which Evansville scored just 14 points off of turnovers (Creighton scored 13 points on nine Evansville turnovers).

Add in Creighton shooting 4-for-22 from three (Evansville finished 3-for-8) and you've got the recipe for an upset. Doug McDermott finished with 21 points and eight rebounds to lead the Bluejays while Colt Ryan led Evansville with 14 points despite shooting 3-for-14 from the field. The best Creighton can do against Wichita State now is tie for the league lead with a win on Saturday, and the fact that they won the first meeting would give them the tiebreaker should they do so.

3. Le'Bryan Nash leads Oklahoma State past Iowa State, handing the Cyclones a critical loss.
There hasn't been much separating Iowa State and Oklahoma State this season, with Scott Christopherson's three as time expired giving the Cyclones the win in the first meeting this season. Oklahoma State got their revenge on Tuesday night as freshman Le'Bryan Nash knocked down a fadeaway jumper with 4.7 seconds remaining gave the Pokes a 69-67 lead, and his block of a Chris Allen shot shortly thereafter gave them the win.

Nash was one of four Cowboys to finish in double figures with 18 points and six rebounds and the high-flying Markel Brown led the way with 19, but while the Pokes are certainly talented this result hurts the Cyclone resume as they look to make a run at an NCAA tournament bid. Iowa State shot just 38.4% from two, a number that hurt them far more than the 38.1% from three as Oklahoma State was far more effective inside of the arc (58.8%). Allen (22 points) and Royce White (15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists) led the way for Iowa State but they shot a combined 13-for-33 in doing so.

Quick Hitters

1. As first reported by Brett McMurphy of CBSSports.com, Memphis has accepted an invitation to join the Big East with a teleconference schedule for Wednesday morning. With the loss of Pittsburgh, Syracuse and West Virginia the league needed to boost its hoops profile, and adding the Tigers should do just that.

2. Eric Griffin scored 25 points and grabbed ten rebounds as Campbell won 81-75 at Coastal Carolina. Not to be ignored are guards Darren White and Lorne Merthie, who combined to score 26 points off the bench for the Camels. Coastal Carolina is still in good shape to lock down the two-seed (up two games in the loss column with two games in hand) but the loss means it will be even tougher to catch 13-1 UNC Asheville.

3. Despite six first half three pointers from Bryce Cotton, Providence couldn't shut the door on Villanova. Villanova would trail by as many as 19 points before storming back to beat the Friars 74-72 on a JayVaughn Pinkston basket in the final seconds. Pinkston scored 28 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in his best performance as a Wildcat.

4. There's no better team to see if you're a Big 12 team in a funk than Texas Tech, who fell to 0-11 in conference play with a 65-46 loss at Kansas State. Shane Southwell led three Wildcats in double figures with 13 points off the bench, and K-State's parade to the foul line (30-for-40) negated the fact that they shot just 30% from the field.

5. The ACC's leading scorer was at it again, as Maryland guard Terrell Stoglin scored 27 points in the Terrapins' 64-62 win over Clemson. Efficiency from beyond the arc proved to be the difference as Maryland made eight of eleven while the Tigers finished 7-for-20.

Three Notable Performances

1. F JayVaughn Pinkston (Villanova)
28 points, 14 rebounds and one game-winning shot in the Wildcats' 74-72 win over Providence.

2. F Eric Griffin (Campbell)
25 points, ten rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in the Camels' 81-75 win over Coastal Carolina.

3. G William Buford (Ohio State)
29 points, seven rebounds in the Buckeyes' 84-81 win over Purdue.

Wednesday Recap: Kilpatrick Lifts Cincinnati Past UConn

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:31:30 -0800

Following Shabazz Napier's game-tying three-pointer most coaches would choose to call a timeout to draw up a play, risking the chance of the defense aligning and taking away the primary scoring option. But with the man he wanted to take the final shot already in possession of the basketball, Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin decided against calling a timeout and as a result his Bearcats are now 5-1 in the Big East. Sean Kilpatrick, who led five Cincinnati players in double figures with 16 points, knocked down a three with 2.7 seconds remaining to give the Bearcats the 70-67 victory.

"I was watching just to make sure he or Dion [Dixon] had the ball," said Cronin of their final offensive sequence. "It's to the point with both of those guys with their ability to score off the dribble, and make shots. If he would have hesitated, I would have called a timeout."

Napier led all scorers with 27 points and Jeremy Lamb added 14 to go along with eight rebounds and five assists despite Jim Calhoun not thinking much of his performance, but UConn was done in by the fact that they didn't receive much from their frontcourt despite playing a team that's made its living of late by playing small. Starting forwards Andre Drummond and Alex Oriakhi combined for just six points and twelve rebounds, while reserves Roscoe Smith and Tyler Olander added a combined eight points and seven rebounds off the bench. UConn grabbed 44% of their missed shots but due to the lack of production inside the Huskies were unable to take advantage of the edge they had on paper entering the contest.

"When you start the game with a 6-10, 280 pound guy, and another guy 6-9, 245 pounds, and they can't rebound, or you can't throw them the ball, or they're getting backed down into the post, you've got a problem," said Calhoun of his starting big men. "That was our game plan. And that didn't work out very well for us."

Cincinnati's undergone quite the transformation in winning ten of eleven games since the blowout loss and brawl at Xavier, and not just in regards to their style of play. While guards such as Kilpatrick, Dixon and Cashmere Wright have more leeway to make plays offensively, the Bearcats are a more unified team as well. Yancy Gates (13 points, 12 rebounds) has accepted his new role and has been productive in it, and that's one more reason why Cincinnati is currently the answer to the trendy "who's the second-best team in the Big East" question.

Of course with games against West Virginia and Syracuse next on the schedule the Bearcats stand the chance of losing, but that shouldn't nullify the potential shown at Gampel Pavilion. Cincinnati believes is Coach Cronin's plan, and just as importantly they believe in each other. And that's an attitude that wasn't always on display on the court, making the Bearcats all the more dangerous throughout the remainder of the regular season and even into the postseason.

"Coming into Gampel and getting a win is huge. Obviously, they have a great team and arguably the best coach in college basketball," said Cronin. "It's a big win for us but you've got to win these kinds of games if you're going to compete for the Big East championship."

Other Notable Happenings

1. Indiana takes their foot off the gas and ends up losing their third straight game.
With 7:06 remaining Tom Crean's Hoosiers led Nebraska 60-49 and looked to be well on their way to leaving Lincoln with a win to snap their two-game losing streak. But Indiana played the game as if it were over from that point forward, and they paid dearly as Nebraska scored 21 of the game's final 30 points to win 70-69. Jorge Brian Diaz's two free throws with 11 seconds remaining gave Nebraska their first lead of the game at just the right time, completing a rally that happened despite shooting just 34.4% from the field in the second half. Nebraska scored 16 points off of 15 Indiana turnovers while also limiting the Hoosiers to just two second-chance points on the night.

And the Huskers also did a good job of keeping Christian Watford (eight points, ten rebounds) and Victor Oladipo (five points, four assists) quiet. Watford's play is one example of what's plagued the Hoosiers during this current stretch, as they haven't played consistently at the level that made wins over Kentucky and Ohio State possible. That's the next step Indiana needs to take in their climb back, and they've found out the last three games that the return to prominence is just as much about the "routine" victories as it is the headline-grabbing results.

2. San Diego State remains composed and ends up winning at New Mexico as a result.
Down 10-0 in one of the nation's toughest environments would be a convenient reason for many teams to simply lie down and take their beating. That wasn't the case for Steve Fisher's Aztecs, who got back into the game by going on a 12-2 run and eventually beat New Mexico 75-70 in front of a stunned crowd at The Pit. Xavier Thames led the way with 22 points and four assists for SDSU, who is tied for first place in the Mountain West with Colorado State as a result of the win, and the limited the Lobos to 39.1% shooting on the night. How'd SDSU do it defensively? They kept New Mexico off the foul line (3-7 FT), and while scoring 55.7% of your points from beyond the arc would be good for most teams that wasn't necessarily the case for the home team.

Phillip McDonald scored 20 points (6-9 3PT), Kendall Williams 16 and Drew Gordon 15 to lead New Mexico, but their inability to get inside of the three-point line resulted many times in them having to fire away from deep. And while they entered the game having scored 32% of their points from deep, New Mexico also scored 22% of their points from the foul line. San Diego State was the team that stayed with their game plan and as a result they're the ones who remained atop the Mountain West at the end of the night.

3. Creighton and Wichita State both win, giving the MVC race even more clarity.
Entering Wednesday's action the Bluejays and Shockers were tied atop the Missouri Valley standings with 6-1 records, holding a two-game lead on Missouri State and Drake. Thanks to wins by both (Creighton over Missouri State and Wichita State over Northern Iowa) there's even more clarity with regards to the MVC race, with Drake being the lone team within two games of first place. In Wichita State's 71-68 win at UNI Toure Murry scored a game-high 24 points and Garrett Stutz once again came up big on the road with 17 and nine rebounds (Stutz entered the game averaging 16.4 points and 9.0 rebounds in five road games). Another reason why the Shockers won was the foul line, where they made 20 of 24 attempts.

As for Creighton life on the road was difficult but just like Wichita State it was rewarding as well, as two Missouri State misses in the final ten seconds locked up the 66-65 victory. Gregory Echenique bounced back from a poor performance in the first meeting to score 16 points and grab seven rebounds while Doug McDermott added 15 and six, and Grant Gibbs and Antoine Young scored nine points apiece. Creighton turned the ball over 14 times to just three for Missouri State, but the Bluejays made up for that by limiting the Bears to 39.1% shooting. Kyle Weems finished with 13 points and seven rebounds, making just five of sixteen shots against a team he lit up for 31 and seven in the first meeting. To ensure multiple NCAA bids come March the Valley likely needs a team or two to separate from the pack, and that's a step both Creighton and Wichita State have taken.

Quick Hitters

1. While their win over Duquesne on Saturday was a sign that Xavier was regaining their flow, the Musketeers likely needed to do that against an Atlantic 10 contender to show the rest of the league they remained the top dog. It's safe to say that Chris Mack's team did so in a 68-55 win over Saint Joseph's, limiting the Hawks to 16 second-half points. Tu Holloway scored just six points but dished out 12 assists and Mark Lyons led four Musketeers in double figures with 17 points.

2. Despite 16 turnovers Villanova picked up their second Big East victory as they beat Seton Hall 84-76 at The Pavilion. The Wildcats were a plus-9 (45-36) on the boards and JayVaughn Pinkston put together the best game of his young career with 23 points and 11 rebounds. If Jay Wright's team is to make a run towards the middle of the Big East they need another consistent option to go along with Maalik Wayns (25 points, seven assists).

3. Zach Filzen led four players in double figures with 21 points as Buffalo handed Akron their first MAC loss by the final score of 82-70. Buffalo assisted on 23 of their 29 field goals and the Zips turned the ball over 18 times in defeat. The Bulls' win pulls Akron (3-1) closer to the pack, with the five teams below them in the MAC East all with 2-2 league records.

4. UCF made history and to a certain extent the Knights have the official who felt that NBA-style continuation was a part of college basketball to thank for it. Keith Clanton's three-point play gave UCF the 68-67 win over Memphis, their first-ever win over the Tigers. Clanton scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Marcus Jordan added 20, while Will Barton led Memphis with 24 and eight boards.

5. Scott Christopherson's banked-in three as time expired gave Iowa State a 71-68 win over Oklahoma State in a game the Cyclones trailed by three with 15 seconds remaining. In addition to Christopherson, Royce White and Tyrus McGee scored 17 points apiece as Fred Hoiberg's team stayed on track for an NCAA Tournament appearance.

6. California announced on Wednesday afternoon that sophomore forward Richard Solomon would be academically ineligible for the remainder of the season. Solomon averaged 6.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game for the Golden Bears, who visit the Washington schools this weekend and are tied atop the Pac-12 standings with Stanford. David Kravish stands to see an increase in minutes as a result, and the Bears also need to hope that starting forward Harper Kamp remains healthy.

7. Murray State had their hands full with bitter rival Morehead State for much of the night but Isaiah Canaan and company did enough to win 66-60 and move to 19-0 on the season. Canaan and Donte Poole combined to score 35 points for the Racers, who moved to 7-0 in the OVC and remain a game ahead of Southeast Missouri State in the loss column. Those two meet for the first time this season on February 2nd in Murray.

8. After playing to a 30-30 tie at the half the difference between West Virginia and Marshall was more than apparent in the second half as the Mountaineers pulled away to win 78-62. Kevin Jones (25 points, seven rebounds) and Truck Bryant (22 points) led the way for WVU, who avenged last season's loss to the Thundering Herd. WVU made 17 of 22 free throws while Marshall finished the night 3-for-6.

9. Also in the Atlantic 10, Temple made up for 15 turnovers by shooting 51.9% from the field in their 75-70 win over La Salle. Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson led the way with 19 points and seven rebounds, taking advantage of the Owls' size advantage inside against the smaller Explorers.

Three Notable Performances

1. G/F Colt Ryan (Evansville)
39 points (8-14 3PT), nine rebounds and three assists in the Purple Aces' 90-67 win over Bradley.

2. G Rodney McGruder (Kansas State)
33 points (11-16 FG) and eight rebounds in the Wildcats' 84-80 win over Texas.

3. G Anthony Marshall (UNLV)
27 points, nine assists, five rebounds and three blocks in the Runnin' Rebels' 101-78 win over TCU.

Saturday Recap: Northwestern, Florida State Pick Up Important Wins

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 21:07:05 -0800

There weren't many opportunities to watch ranked teams play each other (there was just one, which is discussed below), but Saturday's slate provided many teams the chance to improve their resumes. Florida State and Northwestern took full advantage of their opportunities as they both knocked off Top 10 opponents at home, albeit in different ways.

While #6 Michigan State put up a fight in losing to Northwestern 81-74 in Evanston, #3 North Carolina offered no such challenge for Florida State in Tallahassee. Deividas Dulkys, who entered the game averaging 6.2 points per game, went off to the tune of 32 points (8-10 3PT) in the 90-57 beating.

Roy Williams' team went into the locker room at the half down just eight points at 36-28, but the Tar Heels didn't look like a team that wanted to fight back in the second half. Entering the game Florida State was the worst team in the ACC when it came to taking care of the basketball, but it was North Carolina that turned the ball over 22 times on Saturday with Kendall Marshall tallying seven.

FSU did turn the ball over 17 times but six of those belonged to Luke Loucks, and all six came in the first half. Leonard Hamilton's team didn't shoot better in the second half (47.1% to 50.0% in the first), but they took better care of the basketball (six turnovers). And combining that with their defense (33.3% FG allowed) meant bad things for the visitors from Chapel Hill.

"I think it was a team effort just defending their system," said Hamilton when asked of how they limited Tyler Zeller (14 points, 14 rebounds) and John Henson (ten points, three rebounds). "You just try to limit the clean looks they get and make them work for whatever they get."

As for Northwestern, they received help from the supporting cast and that was a big reason why the Wildcats were able to beat Michigan State. John Shurna (22 points) and Drew Crawford (20 points) did what they normally do, but Davide Curletti and Reggie Hearn (10 points) also reached double figures. As a team the Wildcats shot 50.0% from the field and assisted on 20 of 26 made field goals with just seven turnovers.

Bill Carmody's team also played well defensively in the second half, limiting Michigan State to 34.4% shooting overall and 7-for-21 on two-point shots. Michigan State scored 37 points in both halves, but the drop in their accuracy on two-point shots (61.5%) and efficiency helped Northwestern take control of the game and eventually push their lead out to 12 (69-57) with 6:45 remaining.

Keith Appling scored 17 points and Draymond Green 14, but they were the only two Spartans to reach double figures. Both Northwestern and Florida State were "out of character" in their victories on Saturday, with the Seminoles taking better care of the basketball and the Wildcats getting scoring from guys other than their two primary options. But the wins aren't going to mean much if they can't build on the outcomes and continue to improve.

"In order for this game to be meaningful we need to continue to stacking on these types of games," remarked Hamilton. Can't say it any better than that.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Jamaal Franklin's runner in the final seconds pushes #22 San Diego State past #12 UNLV.
The lone contest on the schedule matching ranked teams was also the Mountain West opener for both the Aztecs and Runnin' Rebels, and they gave the fans either at Viejas Arena or watching on TV a treat. Jamaal Franklin, who had to leave the game with 1:01 remaining after injuring his ankle, returned to the floor 30 seconds later and provided the winning points for San Diego State.

Franklin's driving bucket with three-tenths of a second remaining was the difference in the Aztecs' 69-67 win over UNLV, who remained within striking distance thanks in large part to their work on the offensive glass. UNLV grabbed 19 offensive rebounds, leading to ten second-chance points.

Franklin was outstanding despite some early issues with rushed shots, finishing with 24 points and ten rebounds. But he wasn't the only key contributor for Steve Fisher's team, as James Rahon scored 22 points and Chase Tapley 11. Anthony Marshall led UNLV with 26 points, but he was the Runnin' Rebels' lone double figure scorer as SDSU did a solid job of defending the likes of Chace Stanback (3-9 FG, seven points) and Mike Moser (3-11 FG, nine points, 11 rebounds).

UNLV entered the game averaging more than 18 assists per game but they finished with just nine, and the foul line didn't help matters either. UNLV made 11 of 21 from the charity stripe while SDSU knocked down 16 of 20, and leaving points at the foul line is one of the easiest ways to lose a close contest. With New Mexico getting their shot at both teams next week (SDSU in Albuquerque on Wednesday, at UNLV on Saturday) there isn't much time to rest on this outcome, but at the very least San Diego State held serve at home.

2. Oregon hangs on the beat Arizona, pulling off the road sweep of the Arizona schools for the first time in 34 years.
Dana Altman's team entered Saturday's game in Tucson needing a win to remain a game out of first place in the loss column, but to say the least history was not on their side as they hadn't beaten both Arizona and Arizona State on the road in the same season in 34 years. But thanks to a balanced offensive effort (four players scored either 12 or 13 points) the Ducks made program history in winning 59-57 despite blowing a 17-point lead. The Wildcats had two chances in the waning moments to either tie or win the game but couldn't make either shot, and quiet afternoons from Jesse Perry (2-4 FG, eight points) and Kyle Fogg (1-9 FG, five points) didn't help matters either.

Arizona's had trouble with bigger teams this season, and that was no different with the Ducks having Tony Woods and Olu Ashaolu to pester Perry inside. Does Oregon have enough to contend for the Pac-12 crown? The addition of guard Devoe Joseph is one reason why, and E.J. Singler has played well for much of the season. In a wide-open league the teams that can pull off road sweeps will likely have the best chance of winning the title. This is a big weekend for Oregon from a historical standpoint, but how big it is this season depends on whether or not they can build on the positive momentum.

3. Kentucky makes the plays they needed to make late to win at Tennessee.
Cuonzo Martin welcomed freshman Jarnell Stokes (nine points, four rebounds) into the fold on Saturday, and while he still has a way to go with regards to both conditioning and understanding the system there's no denying Stokes' talent. In spite of a fired up crowd at Thompson-Boling Arena and a team that refused to lie down, Kentucky found a way to leave Knoxville with a win thanks in large part to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. It's become obvious that the freshman is Kentucky's leader and he once again made the "winning plays" needed to close teams out, finishing with 17 points, 12 rebounds and three steals in the 65-62 win.

Anthony Davis added 18 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots and Terrence Jones ten points as Kentucky won their second conference road game of the season. That matches their total from all of last season, which should be a good sign for John Calipari's young team. Cameron Tatum led Tennessee with 16 points and Jeronne Maymon added 15 and ten rebounds, but the Volunteers couldn't overcome Kentucky's seven-point edge (21-14) at the foul line. Tennessee gave Kentucky everything they wanted and will get better as the season wears on, but a team with a glue guy the caliber of Kidd-Gilchrist is tough to beat.

4. Weber State makes quite the statement in whipping Montana to take sole possession of first place in the Big Sky.
The second-biggest game of the day out west took place in the Big Sky, with Montana and Weber State being the lone remaining undefeated teams in the conference. But with the return of two key cogs in the attack, Randy Rahe's Wildcats made a statement in their 80-64 win over the Grizzlies in Ogden. Damian Lillard (21 points) and Scott Bamforth (15 points) are names known by most college basketball fans, but what about Frank Otis and Gelaun Wheelwright? Otis, who like Kyle Bullinger missed multiple games due to injury, sparked a Weber State run from the eight-minute mark of the first half that resulted in a 49-36 halftime lead.

Both he and Wheelwright finished with seven points and Kyle Tresnak scored 12 as the Wildcats proved to be too much for Montana on both ends of the floor. Montana shot just 35.7% in the first half and 38.5% for the game as their six-game win streak came to an end. There's a lot of basketball to be played before Wayne Tinkle's team gets another shot at Weber State (the regular season finale for both on February 28th), but Weber State's performance on Saturday night clearly makes them the team to beat.

5. Oklahoma picks up a much-needed win, knocking off #18 Kansas State in Norman.
There aren't many teams that are going to beat Missouri and Kansas period, much less in back-to-back games, so there wasn't much shame in falling to those teams as Lon Kruger's Sooners did to start Big 12 play. But to lose at Oklahoma State on Monday night to fall to 0-3 made Saturday's game against #18 Kansas State even more important, and the Sooners rose to the challenge as they won 82-73 in Norman. Andrew Fitzgerald scored 21 points and Steven Pledger and Romero Osby scored 18 apiece for Oklahoma, who shot 70.0% from the field in the second half to maintain the nine-point spread they built in the first half.

Kansas State shot just 33.3% from the field in the first half and trailed 38-29 at the break, and a big problem for them was the lack of productivity from their starters other than Rodney McGruder (19 points, ten rebounds) and Will Spradling (11 points). The other three starters combined to score just ten points with nine coming from Jamar Samuels, and while Nino Williams and Jeremy Jones scored 12 apiece off the bench it wasn't enough as the Wildcats were unable to get stops in the second half. Whether or not the Sooners can make a run at a tournament bid remains to be seen and it will be tough since the Big 12 is now a true round-robin, but at the least they needed a win Saturday and they got one.

Quick Hitters

1. While neither team won on Saturday, both Pittsburgh and Villanova played far better than they did on Wednesday in losses to Rutgers and Syracuse respectively. The Panthers fell at #24 Marquette 62-57, but the move to put Isaiah Epps in the starting lineup at the point served as a boost for Ashton Gibbs (29 points). As for Villanova, Maalik Wayns (39 points, 13 rebounds, six assists) was outstanding but it wasn't enough in an 82-78 loss at Cincinnati. Whether or not these two can play their way into NCAA Tournament consideration remains to be seen, but at the least they've shown signs of life. That wasn't the case on Wednesday.

2. There may not have been a more impressive bounce-back from a bad outing earlier in the week than what Iowa was able to do, as they beat #13 Michigan 75-59 in Iowa City following a 95-61 loss at Michigan State on Wednesday. Matt Gatens led four Hawkeyes in double figures with 19 points and Fran McCaffery's team assisted on 18 of their 25 made baskets. It also didn't hurt to have Michigan shoot 8-for-31 from beyond the arc.

3. Good luck attempting to handicap the Atlantic 10 race, but unlike the Pac-12 that action would be to sift through quality options as opposed to detritus. Xavier looks to be back to their normal selves as they beat St. Bonaventure 77-64 at home, and Saint Louis was finally able to win a close game as they won 68-67 at Charlotte. But Temple and Saint Joseph's weren't as fortunate, falling to Richmond (76-65) and a surprising UMass (71-62) respectively. This is going to be a fun race to watch unfold.

4. Another non-BCS race to keep an eye on is the NEC, which currently has one undefeated team (LIU Brooklyn at 6-0), three teams at 5-1 (CCSU, St. Francis (NY) and Wagner) and Robert Morris sits a game behind those teams at 4-2. Dan Hurley's Seahawks beat CCSU 67-58 at home despite 21 turnovers, moving their win streak to seven games (Wagner hadn't done that since the 1979-80 season) thanks in large part to their defense (19 TOs forced, 38.8% FG allowed). Jonathon Williams led Wagner with 18 points while CCSU was paced by Robby Ptacek, who finished with 26.

5. The three remaining undefeated teams (Baylor, Murray State and Syracuse) all won on Saturday afternoon, with the Bears and Orange both blowing out overmatched opponents (Baylor beat Oklahoma State 106-65 while Syracuse beat Providence (without the suspended Vincent Council) 78-55). Murray State dealt with a stiffer challenge, beating Tennessee Tech 82-74 thanks in large part to a combined 52 points from guards Donte Poole (28) and Isaiah Canaan (24). With Ivan Aska out for the next month or so while his broken hand heals, the Racers are going to need more from their frontcourt to remain atop the OVC.

6. Zeke Marshall (17 points, six rebounds) became the 8th player in MAC history to block at least 200 shots in a career, but the biggest reason for Akron's 68-63 win over Ohio was the production of their bench. Nick Harney and Brett McClanahan scored 10 points apiece and the Zips' reserves outscored Ohio's 31-18. Keith Dambrot's team moved to 3-0 in league play and there's little doubt that Akron has the tools needed to return to the NCAA Tournament.

7. Arnett Moultrie won the individual matchup between he and JaMychal Green, scoring 25 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, and as a result #20 Mississippi State beat Alabama 53-50 in Starkville. Dee Bost added 17, and it should be seen as a good sign for Rick Stansbury's team that they found a way to win with starters Rodney Hood and Jalen Steele combining to shoot 0-for-11 from the field.

8. Despite Shabazz Napier's foot still bothering him and guard Ryan Boatright being held out due to eligibility concerns, #16 Connecticut ended Notre Dame's 29-game home win streak with a 67-53 win. Napier scored a team-high 16 points, Alex Oriakhi had arguably his best game of the season (12 points, seven rebounds) and Andre Drummond posted another double-double (10 points, 13 rebounds) to make up for Jeremy Lamb scoring just six points. Eric Atkins scored 20 but Notre Dame made just 32.3% of their shots on the day.

9. Early pick for Ivy League Player of the Year? Has to be Penn guard Zack Rosen, who scored 18 points and dished out five assists (five steals as well) in the Quakers' 64-52 win at Cornell. Penn's off to a 2-0 start in conference play, and while there's quite the gulf between Harvard and the rest of the league Rosen and Tyler Bernardini (18 points, eight rebounds) are two reasons why Jerome Allen's team may be their biggest threat.

10. Bob McKillop's Davidson squad took control of the South Division of the SoCon with their 83-79 win at Appalachian State, moving to 6-0 in league play. Jake Cohen scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds and De'Mon Brooks scored seven straight during a 10-0 run to move the Wildcats to 12-4 overall. And with Georgia Southern losing at Wofford, Davidson is two games up on the second place Eagles.

Five Notable Performances

1. G Maalik Wayns (Villanova)
39 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in the Wildcats' 82-78 loss at Cincinnati.

2. G Deividas Dulkys (Florida State)
32 points (8-10 3PT) and four assists in the Seminoles' 90-57 pasting of #3 North Carolina.

3. C Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State) and F Dewayne Jackson (Morgan State)
In Norfolk State's 90-89 double overtime win O'Quinn posted a line of 25 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks while Jackson led the Bears with 33 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.

4. G J'Covan Brown (Texas)
34 points (10-16 FG), four rebounds and two assists in the Longhorns' 84-73 loss at #9 Missouri.

5. F T.J. Robinson (Long Beach State)
14 points and 19 rebounds in the 49ers' 76-66 win over Pacific, Long Beach State's 17th straight win at home.

Thursday Recap: Can Pittsburgh or Villanova Turn Things Around?

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:35:10 -0800

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.

#13 Marquette vs Villanova: Prediction & Poll

Greg Mengelt — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 09:40:36 -0800

VILLANOVA (7-6) AT NO. 13 MARQUETTE (11-2)

Time/TV: 1 p.m./ESPNU

Location: Bradley Center

Line: x

Villanova Players to Watch: G Maalik Wayns, Jr. (17.6 ppg, 5.3 apg); C Mouphtaou Yarou, Jr. (12.9 ppg, 8.5 rpg); G Dominic Cheek, Jr. (12.2 ppg, 87.2% FT). Wayns gets in the lane with easy and is a strong finisher.

Marquette Players to Watch: G/F Darius Johnson-Odom, Sr. (17.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.8 apg); F Jae Crowder, Sr. (17.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg); G Junior Cadougan, Jr. (7.6 ppg, 5.5 apg). Johnson-Odom is one of the most creative scorers in the country.

Storylines: Villanova is 0-1 in the Big East after a loss at West Virginia Wednesday. The Wildcats’ 8-year NCAA Tournament streak is in serious jeopardy. Marquette was embarrassed by a rejuvenated Vanderbilt squad Thursday. This is the Golden Eagles’ Big East opener.

Keys to Victory: Wayns is the key to this one. If he’s able to penetrate at will – as he does against most teams – the Wildcats can hang in with Marquette. If not, this one will get ugly early.

The Bottom Line: Marquette is a matchup team. With their strength and defense, the Eagles excel against smaller, more athletic teams, and they struggle against bigger, stronger teams. Fortunately for them, Villanova is the former.

The Pick: Marquette 78, Villanova 63.

Wednesday Recap: Georgetown Wins at Louisville

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other Notable Happenings

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quick Hitters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Three Notable Performances

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

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

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

Wednesday Preview: #12 Georgetown at #4 Louisville

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Who is the Country's Top Center?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 17:01:40 -0800

Saturday Preview: #22 Texas A&M vs. #13 Florida

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:32:46 -0800

The end of finals week for many schools means a step up in competition on Saturday, and one contest that will garner attention is the second game of the Orange Bowl Classic in Sunrise, Florida. #22 Texas A&M (8-1), which has a strength of schedule that ranks 341st in the country, takes on #13 Florida (7-2) in what should be an interesting matchup. Do the Aggies have the horses on the perimeter to hang with the Gator guards? That's a big question that A&M needs answered in the affirmative if they're to have a shot at knocking off Florida, but it's going to be difficult to say the least.

Dash Harris (3.7 ppg, 4.1 apg) is called upon more for his distribution skills, and with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.6 he's done a good job of taking care of the basketball. But he's also shooting a meager 25.6% from the field, making it likely that Florida essentially dares him to shoot from the perimeter. Washington transfer Elston Turner (12.1 ppg) provides the scoring for the starting backcourt, and at this stage he may be an upgrade over last year's starter B.J. Holmes. Jordan Green, who moved into the starting lineup when Khris Middleton went down with a knee injury, is averaging 5.7 points and 2.9 rebounds per game while shooting 47.8% from the field.

Florida can counter with four guards who average at least 9.8 points per game and a fifth (Scottie Wilbekin) who sees minutes due to his ability to take care of the basketball and defend. Erving Walker (13.9 ppg, 5.1 apg) and Kenny Boynton (18.7 ppg, 3.1 apg) are both tough guards who can get their looks in a variety of ways. However the key for them, as well as reserve Mike Rosario (9.8 ppg) is shot selection. All three can get a bit wild on occasion, which can lead to the neglect of their weapon in the post. As for freshman Bradley Beal, simply put the St. Louis native is going to be a star. Beal's second on the team in scoring (15.1 ppg) and third in rebounding (6.6 rpg), and if he can cut down on the turnovers look out.

But back to Florida's interior weapon, sophomore Patric Young. A player some scouts compared to Dwight Howard before he played a game at the collegiate level, the sophomore is averaging 11.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game on the season. With more minutes his field goal percentage, assists and blocks have increased as well, but there have been times where his teammates seem to forget how important it is to keep him involved offensively. Young's taken ten or more shots in just two games this season, attempting just seven in the Gators' last outing. Florida needs to get him involved from the start against the Aggies' deep and active frontcourt.

Middleton (15.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and David Lobeau (11.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg) lead the way from an experience standpoint but junior Ray Turner (13.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg) has been a factor for Billy Kennedy's team as well. Turner opened the season with consecutive 20-point outings, and his field goal percentage (63.7%) leads Texas A&M. Kourtney Roberson and Keith Davis provide additional size off the bench for the Aggies, and on the perimeter they can call on vet Naji Hibbert and freshman Jamal Branch as well.

Florida will also look for quality minutes from forwards Will Yeguete (6.5 points, 6.8 rpg) and Erik Murphy (8.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg) along with wing Casey Prather. While there's a sizable difference in the number of possessions per game (Florida averages seven more possessions per game), Texas A&M has been the better team on the glass. The Aggies out-rebound their opponents by 10.3 rebounds per game while the Gators grab 7.9 more boards, but there's also the matter of offensive rebounding to take into consideration.

Florida's grabbed 40.8% of their misses while Texas A&M's opponents have an offensive rebounding rate of just 25.1%. That area, along with A&M's turnovers (their turnover percentage is six points higher than Florida's), will ultimately determine whether or not Texas A&M can pick up a key victory. The Aggies won't be the only Big 12 team to hit the road for a big game as #7 Baylor visits one of the toughest environments in college basketball as they take on BYU in Provo. The frontcourt play will be worth the price of admission itself, but the key for the Bears will be how their guards perform in their first true road game. Also of note will be mid-year transfers Gary Franklin (Baylor) and Matt Carlino (BYU) making their first appearances with their new programs.

A rivalry from the days of the Metro Conference and Conference USA will also be rekindled as Louisville hosts Memphis. The Tigers welcome back guard Charles Carmouche, who was suspended four games by the NCAA, while the Cardinals hope to have Kevin Ware available for his first action of the season. But Ware sprained his ankle in practice earlier in the week so it remains to be seen if he can go. The perimeter play with the likes of Peyton Siva and Joe Jackson will be fun to watch, but for Memphis to win big man Tarik Black needs to stay on the floor. Louisville's Chane Behanan has been one of the best interior freshmen in the country to date.

UNLV taking on Illinois in the United Center is a contest that could have a serious impact on what happens come March, especially for the Runnin' Rebels. Dave Rice was hopeful that Marquette transfer Reggie Smith would be able to make his debut but that may not come until Monday. This contest also offers another good test for Illinois big man Meyers Leonard; with the Rebels being able to more than hold their own against North Carolina a few weeks ago it's obvious that this experienced corps can give he and the rest of the Fighting Illini forwards a hard time. Mike Moser leads the nation in rebounding and can do a little bit of everything for UNLV, while Chace Stanback is one of their many versatile perimeter options.

There's also the matter of the "Holy War" between Villanova and Saint Joseph's, with the Wildcats visiting Hawk Hill to take on the Hawks in the refurbished Hagan Arena. The Big 5 always offers highly competitive basketball but this one will be at a fevered pitch as the Hawks never get to host Villanova, and with Carl Jones, Langston Galloway and C.J. Aiken they've got the weapons to send the Wildcats home with a loss. It will be imperative that Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek lead in more ways than the scoring column given the youth of Jay Wright's team.

Out west there's another enticing matchup as Arizona takes on Gonzaga in Seattle. Which Elias Harris shows up for the Bulldogs will likely determine the outcome of the game as Arizona may not have the depth required to deal with both he and Robert Sacre if the junior is on his game. But Arizona wasn't expected to hang with Florida in Gainesville and all they did was take the Gators to overtime. Nick Johnson is one of the top freshman guards around, and if the Wildcats can get something of import from Josiah Turner things could get interesting. It isn't Christmas yet, but this slate is a nice holiday present for college hoops fans.

Top 25 Games
6:30 PM (1) Syracuse at North Carolina State (ESPN2)
12:00 PM (2) Ohio State at South Carolina (ESPN)
8:00 PM Chattanooga at (3) Kentucky (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Memphis at (4) Louisville (CBS)
6:00 PM Appalachian State at (6) North Carolina (ESPNU)
2:00 PM (7) Baylor at Brigham Young (BYU TV)
4:00 PM Northern Colorado at (11) Marquette (ESPN3)
2:30 PM (22) Texas A&M vs. (13) Florida* (FSN)
6:00 PM South Carolina State at (14) Pittsburgh (ESPN3)
12:00 PM (16) Mississippi State at Detroit (ESPN3)
12:00 PM American University at (17) Georgetown (ESPN3)
12:00 PM Alabama A&M at (18) Michigan (BTN)
5:00 PM UNLV vs. (19) Illinois (BTN)
4:30 PM Notre Dame vs. (20) Indiana* (ESPN2)
10:00 PM (21) Alabama vs. Kansas State* (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Bowling Green at (23) Michigan State (BTN)
8:05 PM Houston Baptist at (24) Creighton
5:30 PM Indiana State at (25) Vanderbilt (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
12:00 PM Elon at Dartmouth
12:00 PM Stony Brook vs. Rutgers* (MSG)
12:00 PM Florida Atlantic vs. Miami (FL)* (FSN)
1:00 PM Marist at New Hampshire
1:00 PM Iona at Vermont
2:00 PM Central Connecticut State at Northwestern
2:00 PM Albany at Cornell
2:00 PM Texas A&M-CC at West Virginia (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Radford at Cincinnati (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Saint Peter's at Long Island
2:00 PM Southern Illinois at Northern Illinois (FCS)
2:00 PM Butler vs. Purdue* (CBS)
2:00 PM Duquesne at Western Michigan
2:05 PM Tennessee Tech at Evansville
2:30 PM Temple at Texas (ESPN2)
2:30 PM Fordham at St. John's (MSG)
3:00 PM Southeastern Louisiana at Arkansas
3:00 PM UC Davis at UCLA (FSN PT)
3:00 PM Missouri Valley at Northwestern State
3:05 PM Kennesaw State at Missouri State
3:15 PM USC Upstate at Stetson
4:00 PM Campbell at Virginia Tech (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Florida A&M at Akron
4:00 PM Bradley at Drexel
4:00 PM Arizona vs. Gonzaga* (CBS)
4:00 PM Binghamton at Hofstra
4:00 PM Chicago State at Loyola (IL)
4:30 PM Belmont at Miami (OH)
4:30 PM Winthrop at Clemson (ESPN3)
4:30 PM Ole Miss at Southern Miss (ESPN3)
5:00 PM Old Dominion at UCF
5:00 PM Spring Hill at Samford
5:00 PM Pacific at Santa Clara
6:00 PM Northern Arizona at Arizona State (FSN AZ)
6:00 PM Charleston Southern at Charleston (ESPN3)
6:00 PM UC Riverside at Nevada
6:30 PM Boise State at Denver (Root NW)
7:00 PM Quinnipiac at Massachusetts (NESN)
7:00 PM Ohio at Wright State
7:00 PM Texas-Arlington at Tulsa
7:00 PM High Point at Marshall
7:00 PM Richmond at Bucknell
7:00 PM FIU at Dayton
7:00 PM Tennessee State at Delaware State
7:00 PM Hampton at Liberty
7:00 PM Rider at UMBC
7:00 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Robert Morris
7:00 PM Youngstown State at Toledo
7:00 PM UNC Wilmington at VCU (ESPN3)
8:00 PM North Florida at Auburn
8:00 PM San Diego at Stanford
8:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at Jacksonville State
8:00 PM Arkansas State at Murray State
8:00 PM Furman at Western Kentucky (FCS)
8:00 PM Alabama State at Saint Louis
8:00 PM Alcorn State at Nebraska (BTN.com)
8:00 PM Houston vs. Oklahoma* (ESPNU)
8:00 PM Lamar at Rice
8:00 PM Nebraska Omaha at Milwaukee
8:00 PM Arkansas-Pine Bluff at DePaul
8:00 PM Rochester Coll at Austin Peay
8:00 PM Arkansas-Little Rock at Louisiana Tech
8:00 PM Mayville State at North Dakota State
8:00 PM Villanova at Saint Joseph's (CBSSN)
8:05 PM Oakland at Valparaiso
9:00 PM UMES at Air Force
9:00 PM Drake at Iowa (BTN)
9:00 PM Texas College at Stephen F. Austin
9:00 PM Southern at UTEP
9:05 PM Seattle at Utah State (ESPN3)
9:05 PM La Verne at Cal State Fullerton
9:05 PM Georgia State at Utah Valley
10:00 PM Georgia at USC (FSN)
10:00 PM Cal Poly at Fresno State
10:00 PM Montana at Portland
10:00 PM Menlo College at San Francisco
10:00 PM Bethune-Cookman at Saint Mary's
10:05 PM Cal State Bakersfield at Idaho
10:05 PM Pacifica College at Cal State Northridge
10:30 PM New Mexico vs. Oklahoma State* (ESPN2)