UWM

Friday Tournament Predictions: Horizon, OVC, MVC, WCC

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

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

ATLANTIC SUN SEMIFINALS: AT MACON, GA.

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

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

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

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

HORIZON LEAGUE QUARETRFINALS: AT VALPARAISO, IND.

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

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

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

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

MISSOURI VALLEY QUARTERFINALS: AT ST. LOUIS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OHIO VALLEY SEMIFINALS: AT NASHVILLE

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

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

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

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

WCC QUARTERFINALS: AT LAS VEGAS

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

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

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

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

*Road win

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

Horizon League First Round Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:13:24 -0800

Play in the Horizon League tournament begins on Tuesday night with four games hosted by the higher-seeded team, including 5-seed Butler hosting 8-seed Wright State. While there are many who believe that the Bulldogs could once again make a run as they did last season, it's important to point out that last year's NCAA finalists found a way to earn a bye to the semifinals in the conference tournament. No such luck this time around as the Bulldogs host the Raiders, a team they swept during the regular season. Butler won the meeting at Hinkle 64-53 on February 7th, shooting 18-for-23 from the foul line and forcing 17 WSU turnovers.

Wright State has been one of the worst offensive teams in the Horizon, entering postseason play with the league's worst adjusted offensive efficiency according to Ken Pomeroy's numbers and also shooting 39.9% from the field. Julius Mays leads the Raiders with an average of 14.2 points per game but he was limited to just eight points while turning the ball over six times at Hinkle. Clearly Wright State will need more from him in addition to Armand Battle (18 points in the second meeting) if they're to successfully navigate a Bulldog defense that limits teams to 41.2% shooting.

Andrew Smith leads Butler in scoring with an average of 10.6 points per game and four other players average at least 7.8 points per contest, which makes sense given the absence of a go-to guy along the lines of a Shelvin Mack or Matt Howard. The key for Wright State is to keep Butler out of the lane, as the Bulldogs shoot 28.1% from three, the lowest number in the Horizon League. If Wright State can force Butler to rely on perimeter shots too score they've got a chance to leave Indianapolis with a win few expect them to get. However this has been the time of the season when Butler has found a way to play their best basketball, so that will be easier said than done for Wright State.

#10 Loyola (IL) at #3 Detroit (7 PM)
From a talent standpoint Ray McCallum Sr.'s Titans could be the best choice outside of the top two to win the Horizon League. But it's just as much about making sound decisions as it is raw skill this time of the year, and that's something that has been an issue for Detroit at times this season. The Titans did sweep the regular season series with the last-place Ramblers, winning both games by double digits. Loyola shot just 37% from the field in the meeting at Calihan Hall just over a month ago, relying on a balanced scoring attack in addition to grabbing sixteen offensive rebounds. Ray McCallum Jr., Eli Holman and the rest of the Titans are definitely talented enough to go on a run. The question now is whether or not they can go out and make good on their potential.

#7 Green Bay at #6 Youngstown State (7:05 PM)
Brian Wardle's Phoenix are playing well of late as they enter the conference tournament on a five-game win streak. That's good news as they visit the site of their worst defeat of the season, as YSU whipped Green Bay 77-47 back on January 22nd. Anything that could have gone wrong at the Beeghly Center on that Sunday afternoon did, as Green Bay shot 39.2% from the field while watching the Penguins shoot 12-for-24 from beyond the arc. Simply put the Phoenix have to defend the three-point line, as Blake Allen, Kendrick Perry and company can light it up if left alone. If Alec Brown and Brennan Cougill can control the play inside that would bode well for Green Bay.

#9 UIC at #4 Milwaukee (8 PM)
Rob Jeter's Panthers have been one of the better teams in the Horizon League when it comes to defensive efficiency and they host a UIC team that's struggled offensively with both field goal percentage (39.7%) and turnovers. If Howard Moore's Flames can't take care of the basketball or find quality shots it could be a long night for the visitors, although they were competitive in both meetings despite being swept. Milwaukee won the first meeting (at home) by two points and the second by 11 on Thursday night. UIC shot 32.3% from the field and was out-rebounded by ten in the second half of that defeat, and while Marc Brown led four Flames in double figures with 17 points they didn't get much of anything from their reserves. It's going to take more than that to knock off a Milwaukee team led by Kaylon Williams and Tony Meier.

Cinderella Madness: '04 Xavier vs '05 Milwaukee

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:11:59 -0800

WhatIfSports.com and CollegeHoops.net have partnered up to bring you Cinderella Madness 2012. This college basketball simulation tournament features 16 of the most memorable Cinderella stories from the past eight seasons. We invited teams outside the BCS conferences, seeded 7th or lower that advanced to the Sweet 16 or beyond in their bracket to participate. Teams were seeded 1 through 16 and then simulated using WhatIfSports.com's award-winning college basketball simulation engine. Each match was "played" 501 times.

2003-04 Xavier vs 2004-05 UW Milwaukee

2003-04 Xavier: The Xavier program bristles at being called a "mid-major" and rightfully so as the program has been a part of the national landscape for quite some time. Thad Matta, who is now the head coach at Ohio State, had an outstanding group at his fingertips and they fell just short of the Final Four. Lionel Chalmers and Romain Sato led the way on the perimeter while Anthony Myles was their most dependable option inside. Justin Doellman was the big suited for the pick-and-pop game while Justin Cage was another banger in the paint. The Musketeers took out Louisville, Mississippi State and Texas before falling to Duke by three in the regional final.

2004-05 UW-Milwaukee: Bruce Pearl's final team at Milwaukee before he took the Tennessee job was his best, as the Panthers won 26 games and made their first-ever Sweet 16 appearance. Milwaukee won the Horizon League with a 14-2 mark thanks in large part to the play of Ed McCants and Joah Tucker. Boo Davis was the other starter averaging double figures for the Panthers, who entered the tournament on a nine-game win streak. Once in the Big Dance, Milwaukee scored 83 points in each of their first two games, wins over Alabama and Boston College. But they fell by a score of 73-63 to an Illinois team that would go on to the national title game.

Game Recap: Xavier 72 - Milwaukee 70 (Boxscore)

Considering the coaching success Matta and Pearl enjoyed following their tenures at Xavier and Milwaukee, it's no surprise this game came down to a tale of two halves.

The Musketeers' 16-point lead at the break is a bit deceiving when you consider the Panthers only trailed by five just four minutes earlier. Led by Sato and Cage, Xavier ripped off a 12-1 run to finish out the first 20 minutes.

Unfortunately for X, their hot hands didn't carry over to the second stanza. The Panthers outscored their first-round opponent 23-6, obliterating the deficit and taking a 52-51 lead with a little more than 10 minutes remaining.

Both teams dealt with long scoring droughts the rest of the way, but the Musketeers managed to open up a seven point lead with less than 60 seconds to play after Justin Doellman connected on a turnaround jumper from the block.

Chucks from the charity stripe put this game away. Xavier survived and advanced 73-71.

Player of the game: Romain Sato (16 points, 9 rebounds)

Winning Percentage of 501 Simulations: '04 Xavier 58.9% - '05 UW-Milwaukee 41.1%

More Cinderalla Madness with the complete bracket.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other Notable Happenings

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

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

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

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

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

Quick Hitters

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

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

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

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

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

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

Three Notable Performances

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

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

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

Loyola (MD) vs. Iona: Friday Night Thoughts

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:49:50 -0800

Friday's schedule may be light but there's some good action to take in as direction of the Ivy and Metro Atlantic races will be determined. Iona (19-5, 11-2) and Loyola (MD) (18-5, 11-2) are tied for first place with two games separating them from the pack (Manhattan and Fairfield leading that group), and the winner would take a big step towards grabbing the regular season crown. What should viewers look forward to? One of the better guards matchups in the MAAC this season as Iona's deep corps led by Scott Machado and Momo Jones takes on a group of Greyhounds led by Dylon Cormier and Robert Olson.

Freshman R.J. Williams leads Loyola in assists with an average of 2.6 assists per game, and he's one of five Greyhounds averaging at least 1.6 assists per game. Jimmy Patsos may not have one guy who dominates the ball at the top of the offense but he's got versatility, as a number of players in the rotation can get things going. Machado runs the show but the Gaels also have Jones and Jermel Jenkins while wings Kyle Smyth and Sean Armand rank among the best shooters in the MAAC.

The interior play, especially concerning the work on the glass, may be the deciding factor in Baltimore. The Greyhounds are one of the best when it comes to attacking the offensive glass as they grab an average of 14.0 offensive boards per game. Erik Etherly and Shane Walker lead the way in the frontcourt for the Greyhounds while the versatile Justin Drummond grabs more than four rebounds per game. Mike Glover and Taaj Ridley start for Iona and while Randy Dezouvre is also a factor in the rotation, the fact that Machado's their second-leading rebounder could be something that comes back to haunt Iona if others don't step up.

Keep an eye on offensive rebounding and turnovers (Iona forces an average of 15.8 turnovers per game while Loyola forces 14.9), especially those of the live-ball variety. If Iona can get running, look out, because while Loyola has the bodies needed to run on occasion it won't be in their best interest to turn the game into a track meet. The battle in the Ivy matches Harvard and Penn, with the Quakers likely being the only team left that can provide some serious intrigue to the title race.

Zack Rosen's been outstanding for Penn this season and with classmate Tyler Bernardini forms one of the best guard tandems you don't see on TV every week. Harvard is deep and experienced, and with Keith Wright and Kyle Casey in the frontcourt Tommy Amaker's Crimson end up being a tough matchup for anyone in the Ancient Eight. They've already blown out Yale on the road, and a win over Penn at the Palestra would go a long way towards punching their first NCAA tournament ticket since 1946.

Milwaukee's trip to Detroit is an important game in the Horizon League from a tournament seeding standpoint as the Panthers are currently third and the Titans are looking to force a four-way tie for third (with Youngstown State and Butler). The Titans have talented pieces with Ray McCallum Jr. and Eli Holman leading the way, but they have issues at times when it comes to making sound decisions and that could be an issue against Milwaukee's tough defense. Saturday's slate is huge and without a doubt the best of the season, but tonight is a good appetizer for the main course.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM (21) Harvard at Pennsylvania

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Dartmouth at Princeton
7:00 PM Brown at Columbia
7:00 PM Yale at Cornell
7:00 PM Mercer at Kennesaw State (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Milwaukee at Detroit (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Iona at Loyola (MD) (ESPNU)
9:00 PM Green Bay at Wright State (ESPNU)

MAAC Hoops

Thursday Recap: Badgers Hold Off Indiana

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:28:45 -0800

The game between #17 Indiana and #25 Wisconsin proved to be every bit as competitive as expected with the largest margin either team held being seven points with two seconds remaining. In the end it was the little things that made the difference in the Badgers' 57-50 victory, as Bo Ryan's team shot 12-for-12 from the foul line in the second half and grabbed the final seven rebounds of the game. That rebound stretch was over the final 3:38 of the contest, with their offensive rebounds leading to four of their nine second-chance points. Wisconsin's offensive rebounding percentage in the second half was 33.3% after finishing the first half with a percentage of 22.2%, and that allowed them to shut the door late.

"It's our first game holding a team under 30 percent on the field, but they got a couple of really big rebounds at the end of the game at crucial times," remarked Indiana head coach Tom Crean. "We put ourselves in position to win, we just didn't finish it off."

Jordan Taylor didn't shoot particularly well, missing all five of his three-point attempts while scoring 12 points but there were other contributors to the win for Wisconsin. Ben Brust made three of his six shots from deep and scored 13 points off the bench while Mike Bruesewitz (ten points) and Ryan Evans (12 points, nine rebounds) reached double figures as well. The foul line was also critical on a night in which Wisconsin, who scores 35.4% of their points on threes, made just four or seventeen shots from distance. Wisconsin made 15 of 19 from the charity stripe, outscoring the Hoosiers by ten as Indiana made just half of their ten free throws.

"I've never tried to over-analyze free throws other than guys get their routine, they get comfortable, they get their elbow lift, they get their rotation, they get their target sights- some guys look to the front, some guys look to the back," said Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan. "And in every drill we do, you've got to be 80 percent or better. So, I think that's helped us over the years. We were close tonight."

Christian Watford and Verdell Jones III led the way for Indiana with 12 points apiece but Cody Zeller and a quiet night and Wisconsin's Jared Berggren was a big reason why. Zeller shot 2-for-7 from the field and scored seven points while grabbing just three rebounds in 19 minutes of action, and while the foul trouble was problematic having to deal with Berggren while he was on the floor didn't help matters. Berggren may not have done much offensively with just four points but he blocked five shots, helping limit the number of quality looks Indiana was able to get near the basket.

"I think he was in a help position and maybe got there a little late and tried to make sure that he didn't foul and waited until Zeller made his move, noted Ryan. "He was fairly effective with it, but Zeller's a good player- he got his offensive opportunities, he's the real deal inside and fortunately we got some fouls on him and that helped us."

With the win Wisconsin remains a game in the loss column behind the three teams atop the Big Ten, and despite their struggles earlier in league play the Badgers gave another reminder that it isn't wise to count Bo Ryan's team out of the title race.

Other Notable Happenings

1. North Carolina whips NC State in impressive fashion to move into a tie for first in the ACC.
Thursday night provided a good test for NC State in regards to how much staying power the Wolfpack could possibly have in the ACC race. Unfortunately for them North Carolina was ready to make a statement of their own, leading by as many as 29 points on their way to a 74-55 victory. Tyler Zeller (21 points, 17 rebounds) and John Henson (nine points, ten rebounds and five blocks) proved to be too much for the Wolfpack inside, and on the perimeter the Tar Heels performed well in their first game without starter Dexter Strickland.

Kendall Marshall dished out 11 assists to just three turnovers while both Harrison Barnes (15 points) and Reggie Bullock (11 points, five rebounds) reached double figures. Scott Wood led the Wolfpack with 11 points but they lost by 19 despite making nine three-pointers due to their struggles inside. NC State shot 32.4% from two as the Tar Heels outscored them 52-24 in that department, and the 46-28 rebounding discrepancy (UNC: 15 offensive rebounds) didn't help matters either. NC State is a bright future under Mark Gottfried with a talented recruiting class on the way and the current bunch is definitely capable of reaching the NCAA Tournament. But Thursday night showed that they may not be ready to think ACC title right now.

2. Robert Morris wins the guard battle and beats LIU Brooklyn to close the gap in the NEC.
LIU Brooklyn had a great opportunity to put even more distance between themselves and the pack in the Northeast Conference race, but winning at Robert Morris is a very difficult task. And in a rematch of last year's NEC Tournament title game, the Colonials went on two runs in the first half to establish a 34-26 halftime lead and led by as many as 15 in the second half of a 75-66 win. Julian Boyd and Jamal Olasewere did their part for the visitors as they combined for 43 points and Boyd grabbed 12 rebounds to go along with his 25 points. But their guards had a tough night and Robert Morris took advantage as Velton Jones scored 23 points, Coron Williams 13 and Lucky Jones ten.

Velton also dished out seven assists on the night, while LIU's perimeter trio of Jason Brickman, Michael Culpo and C.J. Garner combined to score 16 points on 5-for-24 shooting (Culpo shot 0-for-10). LIU shot 3-for-16 from three on the night and without the balance they normally enjoy offensively (24% of their points come from deep on the average) the Blackbirds were unable to beat the Colonials. RMU and surprising St. Francis (NY) are now a game back (and they play each other on Saturday) in the standings, and a race that could have been out of reach is now back on.

3. Milwaukee slows Butler to a crawl and moves to 7-3 in the Horizon League.
The matchup between the Panthers and Bulldogs was the defensive-minded slugfest that many expected going into the contest, with Butler taking a 25-24 lead into the half. But the Bulldogs went cold in the second half, shooting 5-for-25 from the field and scoring just 17 points in what would become a 53-42 loss. Milwaukee shot 48% in the second half and did a much better job of setting up good looks than they did in the first, assisting on ten of their 12 made baskets. Neither team finished with great efficiency numbers but Butler's were startling, as their offensive efficiency (67.7) and effective field goal percentage (28.9%) were season lows.

James Haarmsma (12 points) and Ryan Allen (11 points) led the way scoring-wise while Kaylon Williams made up for a rough shooting night by dishing out 11 assists and grabbing seven rebounds. Milwaukee remains a game behind Cleveland State in the loss column while Butler falls two games back, and they're also tied with Valparaiso in second place (the Crusaders lost to Green Bay). By no means is anything decided in the Horizon League, but Milwaukee took an important step with their win.

Quick Hitters

1. It's been a rough season for USC to say the least, but their injury issues reached a new low in their 74-50 loss to Colorado. Center Dwayne Dedmon was lost early in the game with a sprained knee (MRI scheduled for Friday) and late in the second half his replacement, James Blasczyk, went down with a lower leg injury. That left USC with just five healthy scholarship players, and at 0-8 in the Pac-12 things don't look good for the Trojans.

2. One player the nation needs to become more familiar with is UC Riverside guard Phil Martin. Martin nearly led the Highlanders past first-place Long Beach State with 31 points and seven rebounds but it wasn't enough as the 49ers strengthened their grip on first place with a 77-70 overtime win. All five starters for The Beach reached double figures with Casper Ware's 18 leading the way.

3. On Saturday, Arizona made just three of twenty shots from beyond the arc in a one-point loss at Colorado. Against Washington State on Thursday night the Wildcats made 15 of 26 in their 85-61 win over the Cougars, who also lost reigning Pac-12 Player of the Week Faisal Aden late in the first half with a left knee injury. Losing their most explosive scorer for an extended period time would be a terrible blow to take for the Cougars.

4. Interim head coach Wes Miller has done a good job of turning things around at UNC Greensboro, and the Spartans won their fifth straight 77-73 over Appalachian State in overtime. Derrell Armstrong scored 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds off the bench and Trevis Simpson added 24 for UNCG, who is now 5-4 in Southern Conference play (half-game behind Elon for first in the North Division).

5. Nevada was able to separate themselves from the pack in the WAC with a 68-60 win at New Mexico State, moving two games ahead of the Aggies in the standings. Deonte Burton scored 17 points and Dario Hunt added 15 and eight rebounds for the Wolf Pack, who also received some help in the form of Utah State's 77-72 win over Hawai'i.

6. Idaho State won a thriller at home, beating Northern Colorado 99-94 in double overtime. But even more important for the Bengals is that they're now a game ahead of both UNC and Eastern Washington in the standings at 4-4, and in the Big Sky only the top six teams qualify for the conference tournament. Chase Grabau led the way with 30 points on 11-for-15 shooting and Melvin Morgan added 22 and five assists for the Bengals.

7. Saint Mary's remained undefeated in WCC play with a 71-64 win at Loyola Marymount, remaining a game ahead of Gonzaga and two ahead of BYU with a trip to Provo next on the schedule (Saturday). Stephen Holt scored 19 points, Matthew Dellavedova 13 and Rob Jones 11 and 15 rebounds. But Brad Waldow's been a key contributor of late as well, scoring ten points following a 14-point, 16-rebound performance at Santa Clara.

Three Notable Performers

1. G Travis Bader (Oakland) and G Nate Wolters (South Dakota State)
Wolters posted a very good line of 21 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds, but it wasn't enough as Bader led the Golden Grizzlies to the 92-87 win with a record-setting night. Bader shot 10-for-14 from three on his way to 37 points off the bench.

2. G J.P. Primm (UNC Asheville)
30 points, five assists, five steals and four rebounds in the Bulldogs' 90-70 win over High Point.

3. G Kevin Murphy (Tennessee Tech)
34 points, six rebounds and three assists in the Golden Eagles' 82-65 win at Eastern Kentucky.

#25 Wisconsin vs. #17 Indiana: Thursday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:53:28 -0800

After dropping three straight Big Ten games #25 Wisconsin (16-5, 5-3) has won four straight games, but they face quite the challenge at the Kohl Center as #17 Indiana (16-4, 4-4) visits in a pivotal Big Ten battle. The leaders in the conference (Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State) are all 6-2, meaning that the Hoosiers can ill-afford to fall three games back in the loss column if they're to remain a factor in the title race. Tom Crean's squad ended a three-game losing streak with a win over Penn State, but the Badgers have won eight straight in this series and Indiana has never won in the Kohl Center.

Clearly the focus for Indiana defensively will be senior point guard Jordan Taylor (14.1 ppg, 4.4 apg), who has turned the ball over just one time in the last three games. Taylor's shooting numbers have dropped some when compared to last season but it's also important to point out that there's no Jon Leuer or Keaton Nankivil, and this played a part in both his and the Badgers's struggles earlier in conference play. Jared Berggren (11.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg) and Ryan Evans (9.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg) are two players Bo Ryan needs to play well on a consistent basis, and hopefully Berggren's 18 points in the win at Illinois is a step in the right direction (he'd gone five straight games without reaching double figures before that performance).

Indiana will need to defend the three if they're to have a shot at leaving Kohl with a win, because even though the Hoosiers are the superior shooting team percentage-wise the Badgers get 35.9% of their offense from the shot. In addition to the aformentioned forwards and Taylor, Wisconsin calls on guards Josh Gasser and Ben Brust from production from deep, and the number of players who can shoot from deep can be an issue for opponents. But Indiana is versatile as well, and their most important defensive player will likely draw the task of guarding Taylor.

Victor Oladipo (10.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg) has improved skill-wise from last season and he's also one of the Big Ten's best on-ball defenders. Indiana can call on multiple options to guard perimeter players but Oladipo is their best options. Jordan Hulls and Verdell Jones III are the other starters and the return of wing Will Sheehey has added another perimeter player capable of scoring in double figures. As a team the Hoosiers shoot 44.9% from three and assist on 53% of their made baskets, and they've been the more efficient team of the two on the offensive end of the floor. But they need to remember to throw the ball inside to freshman Cody Zeller, who has changed the dynamic of this team in his first season on campus.

Zeller (15.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg) gives Indiana a reliable interior scorer, something they didn't have last season, and his presence allows Christian Watford to play more on the perimeter. Watford (12.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg), who hit the game-winner against Kentucky back in December, is more comfortable outside of the paint but he has to avoid the tendency to sometimes drift out of the action. Rebounding numbers are similar except for the fact that Indiana opponents have grabbed an average of 11.9 offensive boards per game, and with the long rebounds that result from perimeter shots this is an area that could be of concern against Wisconsin. Indiana will need to make sure they aren't hurt in this area and also find a way to force turnovers if they're to win in Madison. But that's a task far easier said than done.

Also of note tonight is NC State visiting #7 North Carolina, with the Tar Heels playing without the injured Dexter Strickland (torn ACL) for the first time this season. Reggie Bullock moves into the starting lineup and P.J. Hairston will also see more minutes as a result, but the question for Carolina is how much of a drop will there be on the defensive end? Strickland was their best perimeter defender, and his absence could mean that Tyler Zeller and John Henson are called on more from a shot-blocking standpoint if the guards can't keep opponents out of the lane. And with the much-improved Wolfpack featuring a guard in Lorenzo Brown who is capable of doing just that, this should be an interesting matchup. If Mark Gottfried's team is to win they have to hold their own in the paint.

The NEC features a rematch of last year's tournament title game as LIU Brooklyn visits Robert Morris, and with the Blackbirds holding a two-game lead on the rest of the conference this could be the Colonials' last stand. RMU guard Velton Jones has been one of the best guards in the NEC but in order to win it will be the play of their frontcourt that is just as important. Julian Boyd and Jamal Olasewere have been the best frontcourt tandem in the NEC for Jim Ferry's Blackbirds, and it can be argued that this duo is underrated nationally as well. Also keep an eye on Saint Mary's visiting Loyola Marymount in the WCC, as the Lions have been playing well and with a 5-2 league record a win over the Gaels would vault them right into the discussion for the regular season title (they've already won at BYU).

Florida's trip to Ole Miss has the potential to be a dangerous one as the Rebels are a tough out in Oxford, and the Horizon League battle between Butler and Milwaukee is huge in regard to that race. Cleveland State and Valparaiso are tied for first place but the Bulldogs and Panthers are part of the three-team group just a game out, and the recent play of Roosevelt Jones is one reason why Butler remains in contention. Guard Kaylon Williams leads the way for Rob Jeter's team in scoring and assists (also third on the team in rebounding), and his matchup with Ronald Nored should be fun to watch given Nored's defensive ability.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM North Carolina State at (8) North Carolina (ESPN)
7:00 PM (13) Florida at Ole Miss (ESPN2)
9:00 PM (17) Indiana at (25) Wisconsin (ESPN2)
10:00 PM (20) Saint Mary's at Loyola Marymount
9:00 PM Boston College at (21) Virginia (ESPNU)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Davidson at Chattanooga
7:00 PM Monmouth at Central Connecticut State (CPTV)
7:00 PM Tennessee Tech at Eastern Kentucky
7:00 PM Western Kentucky at Florida Atlantic (FCS)
7:00 PM Campbell at Gardner-Webb
7:00 PM Nebraska at Iowa (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Navy at Lehigh
7:00 PM Fresno State at Louisiana Tech (ESPN3)
7:00 PM High Point at UNC-Asheville
7:00 PM Appalachian State at UNC Greensboro
7:00 PM South Dakota State at Oakland
7:00 PM Coastal Carolina at Presbyterian
7:00 PM Mount St. Mary's at Quinnipiac
7:00 PM VMI at Radford
7:00 PM St. Peter's at Rider (ESPN3)
7:00 PM LIU Brooklyn at Robert Morris
7:00 PM Wagner at Sacred Heart
7:00 PM St. Francis (NY) at Saint Francis (PA)
7:00 PM Wofford at Citadel
7:00 PM Elon at Western Carolina
7:00 PM Liberty at Winthrop
7:00 PM Fairleigh Dickinson at Bryant
7:00 PM North Dakota State at IPFW
8:00 PM Eastern Illinois at Jacksonville State
8:00 PM N.J.I.T. at North Dakota (FCS)
8:00 PM Furman at Charleston (ESPN3)
8:00 PM William & Mary at James Madison
8:00 PM Butler at Milwaukee (ESPN3)
8:00 PM South Alabama at Arkansas-Little Rock
8:00 PM Troy at Middle Tennessee (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Georgia Southern at Samford (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Austin Peay at Southeast Missouri State
8:00 PM Tennessee State at Tennessee-Martin
8:00 PM Valparaiso at Green Bay (ESPN3)
8:05 PM South Dakota at Oral Roberts (FCS)
8:30 PM Washington at Arizona State (ROOT)
8:30 PM Arkansas State at Denver
9:00 PM Nevada at New Mexico State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM UMKC at Southern Utah
9:05 PM Northern Colorado at Idaho State
9:05 PM Hawaii at Utah State (ESPN3)
9:05 PM Montana at Eastern Washington
9:05 PM Chicago State at Utah Valley
10:00 PM Long Beach State at UC Riverside
10:00 PM Cal Poly at Pacific
10:00 PM Pepperdine at San Diego
10:00 PM UC Santa Barbara at UC Davis
10:00 PM San Francisco at Santa Clara (CSN CA)
10:05 PM Weber State at Sacramento State
10:05 PM San Jose State at Idaho
10:05 PM Cal State Fullerton at Cal State Northridge
10:05 PM Montana State at Portland State
10:30 PM Washington State at Arizona (FSN)
10:30 PM Utah at UCLA (FCS)
10:30 PM Colorado at USC
11:00 PM Gonzaga at Portland (ESPN2)

Cleveland St vs Milwaukee: Prediction & Fan Poll

Greg Mengelt — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:27:36 -0800

WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE (13-7, 6-2 Horizon) AT CLEVELAND STATE (16-4, 6-2 Horizon)

Time: 7:05 p.m.

Location: Wolstein Center

RPI Ratings:

Milwaukee 102 (No. 2 Horizon)

Cleveland State 68 (No. 1 Horizon)

Line: Cleveland St -6 (o/u 110)

Milwaukee Players to Watch: G Kaylon Williams, 6-3 Sr. (11.3 ppg); F James Haarsma, 6-7 Jr. (10.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 52.2% FG); G Ryan Allen, 6-3 Sr. (9.2 ppg, 6 rpg, 51.3% FG). Williams, who had 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists in Friday’s 68-66 heartbreaking loss at Youngstown State, is one of the nation’s most complete players. He’s 10^th in the nation at 6.6 assists per game and has a 2.21 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Cleveland State Players to Watch: G D’Aundray Brown, 6-4 Sr. (11.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.6 spg); G Jeremy Montgomery, 6-2 Sr. (10.6 ppg, 3.2 apg, 36.1% 3s); F Tim Kamczyc, 6-7 Jr. (9.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 57.8% FG). Brown had a great all-around performance in Friday’s 78-68 win over Green Bay with nine points, seven assists, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks. He ranks seventh in the nation at 2.63 steals per contest.

Storylines: The Vikings’ win over Green Bay coupled with Milwaukee’s loss to Youngstown State on Friday put them and Valparaiso in a deadlock atop the Horizon League at 6-2. Cleveland State has won four of its last five, including a 76-69 win over defending Horizon League champion Butler on Jan. 13. Friday’s loss, in which they had two shots in the final 30 seconds to win or tie the game, ended the Panthers’ 3-game winning streak.

Keys: These are the two most balanced teams in the Horizon. Milwaukee has four players who average in double figures and eight who average at least 7.1 per game. The Vikings have four who averaging at least 9.1 points and nine who score more than two per game. Expect a low scoring game between two of the league’s best defensive teams. Milwaukee holds opponents to 39.5 percent from the field. It’s perimeter defense is outstanding. Opponents shoot a mere 25 percent from the 3-point line. Cleveland State, which thrives on full-court pressure defense, isn’t much worse. Opponents shoot just 43 percent from the floor and 30.5 from 3. Brown vs. Williams should be a great 1-on-1 matchup to watch. Each is his team’s leading scorer and the offenses go through the two seniors. One key to watch is turnovers. Both teams have been turnover prone at times and both teams force a lot of errors. Milwaukee averages 13.1 turnovers and forces 13.1. Cleveland State turns it over 14.2 times per game and forces a whopping 17.9. The Vikings turned it over 21 times in the win over Green Bay. The Panthers should have a slight advantage on the boards with Williams, Haarsma and Tony Meier off the bench. Milwaukee is 9-1 at home with its only loss coming against then-No. 15 Wisconsin, 60-54 on Dec. 13. The Vikings have been tremendous on the road. They are 8-2 in true road games, including victories over Vanderbilt, Kent State, Robert Morris and Butler.

The Bottom Line: Cleveland State is probably a slightly better team and is capable of pulling off the win, but in a college basketball game between teams this even, it’s always wise to go with the home team.

The Pick: Milwaukee 58, Cleveland State 54

Iona vs. Rider: Friday Thoughts

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:16:23 -0800

Light schedule tonight with Ivy League Fridays not really getting going on a consistent basis until next weekend, but there are some entertaining matchups to keep fans occupied. Both MAAC matchups consist of top-half (of the standings) teams taking on squads hoping to avoid "First Round Friday" in March's conference tournament. One such game is Iona hosting Rider on ESPNU, and while Tommy Dempsey's Broncs have been a major disappointment this year they have the firepower necessary to keep up with the Gaels.

But can Danny Stewart and company defend well enough to keep talents such as Scott Machado (the national leader in assists) and Mike Glover (AKA Optimus Prime) in check? Novar Gadson, who has found the going tough in recovering from offseason microfracture surgery, has shot 5-for-17 in his last three games and one has to wonder if there's some fatigue at play. The chemistry was off during non-conference play, especially with the addition of Virginia transfer Jeff Jones, but that seemed to be improving some before dropping games at Siena and Fairfield.

Also in the MAAC surprising Manhattan visits a Marist team that seems to be young every season, and it could become a situation where Chuck Martin's club needs a run in the MAAC Tournament to avoid a regime change. Freshman Chavaughn Lewis has been one of the better rookies in the MAAC and he's second on the team in scoring to Devin Price, but the Red Foxes average 15.7 turnovers per game. That could be an issue against Steve Masiello's Jaspers, who will look to ramp up the tempo with their full-court pressure.

George Beamon has led the way offensively for Manhattan, and after last season some seemed to forget how explosive a scorer he was in high school. Manhattan is a young team as well but they've all bought in to Masiello's vision for the program, and the team's experienced more success than expected as a result. Last year's meeting in Poughkeepsie looked to be a win for the home team...until Michael Alvarado did this. Hopefully we get similar fireworks tonight.

The best game of the night is in the Horizon League as first-place Milwaukee visits a Youngstown State team that's turned some heads this season. Seniors Kaylon Williams and Tony Meier lead the way for Rob Jeter's club, but they're going to have to be at their best defensively especially on the perimeter as the Penguins have multiple scoring options there. But what Youngstown State doesn't have is muscle in the paint, and Milwaukee may be able to take advantage of that. Butler was able to do so last weekend in their home win over YSU, and that could be what keeps Youngstown State from being a title contender this season.

Cleveland State is another Horizon contender and they host Green Bay, a team that has the ability to upset an unsuspecting title contender if not work their way back into the race. Center Alec Brown leads the way for the Phoenix, and his height (7'1") could be an issue for the Vikings in the paint. But can Green Bay slow down Jeremy Montgomery? That's easier said than done. And in the Atlantic Sun, Florida Gulf Coast visits Stetson in a battle of teams that are hoping to eventually separate from a middle of the pack that features five teams with either three or four league losses.

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Florida Gulf Coast at Stetson (ESPN3)
7:05 PM Milwaukee at Youngstown State (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Green Bay at Cleveland State (ESPNU)
9:00 PM Manhattan at Marist (ESPN3)
10:00 PM Rider at Iona (ESPNU)

Tuesday Recap: Seton Hall Blasts #8 Connecticut

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 22:03:03 -0800

Seton Hall's struggles with Connecticut in their series have been well-doucmented, as the Pirates went into Tuesday's meeting having lost eleve straight dating back to March 3, 2001. That matchup between eventual NIT teams went down to the wire as the Pirates won 65-63. There would be no such suspense in Seton Hall's first win over the Huskies since 2001, as they stormed back from an early 11-2 deficit to win 75-63 in a game that wasn't as close as the margin would lead one to believe.

Jordan Theodore led Seton Hall with 19 points and 11 assists, scoring all of his points in the second half and knocking down some key shots to put the game away. The Pirates finished with four players in double figures, and Fuquan Edwin posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. After leading 11-2 with 16:19 remaining in the first half, UConn was outscored 33-11 the rest of the half as they trailed 35-22 at the break. The Huskies turned the ball over 13 times, with Seton Hall scoring 12 points off of turnovers.

Also of note in that first half was the fact that Seton Hall outscored UConn 18-6 in the paint and 9-0 in second-chance points, as their effort was far superior to that of the Huskies. Effort is one thing that can't be disguised on the floor, and that was the biggest issue for UConn on the night. Whenever a play needed to be made there was a Seton Hall player willing to make it, eventually leading by as many as 21 points late in the second half.

Herb Pope was the best interior player on the floor for either team, thoroughly outplaying the UConn frontcourt. Jeremy Lamb scored 19 points to lead the visitors but he didn't have much assistance outside of the 11 points scored by Niels Giffey. With the Pirates sitting at 13-2 and 2-1 in Big East play, fans of Kevin Willard's program may allow their minds to wander in the direction of an NCAA Tournament appearance in March and rightfully so.

Some may bring up Seton Hall's win at Syracuse last season as a win that was supposed to be a similar catalyst, but this current team is light years ahead of a squad that would go on to finish the season with a losing record. Pope and Theodore have been excellent leaders for Coach Willard, as Pope's return to full health combined with a better understanding of what the coach wants done has allowed the Pirates to take off. Simply put Seton Hall's got staying power, and while there's still plenty of basketball to be played an NCAA Tournament berth is a realistic possibility.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Michigan State hangs on to beat Wisconsin in overtime, and the clock is a reason why.
When Ryan Evans rebounded Jordan Taylor's missed three-pointer in the final seconds of overtime and dribbled out to knock down a three of his own as time expired, it looked as if Bo Ryan's team would avoid dropping their second straight Big Ten home game. But thanks to the clock on top of the basket being faster than the one in the arena, the shot didn't count and Michigan State won by the final score of 63-60. Taylor led all scorers with 28 points but once again three-point shooting was the culprit for the Badgers, as they made five of twenty-two shots from distance and they've made just eight of their last forty-nine attempts.

For a team that's so reliant on the bonus shot it could be tough sledding for Wisconsin if they don't snap out of that funk soon. As for the Spartans Draymond Green led the way with 18 points and 14 rebounds and Keith Appling added 16, making Michigan State the lone 3-0 team in the Big Ten. The Spartans out-rebounded Wisconsin 41-33 on the night, and their 36-18 advantage in points in the paint played a major role in the outcome. Michigan State will be a major player in the Big Ten race, and if Wisconsin wants to get back into things they need to get better offensively.

2. Fordham picks up a big win, knocking off #22 Harvard at Rose Hill Gym.
It may not have been the biggest win of the night, but Fordham beating Harvard 60-54 may have been the most stunning outcome. Tommy Amaker's Crimson have a solid resume as they approach the start of Ivy League play, but a loss like this doesn't do them any favors. Bryan Smith led the Rams with 22 points while Chris Gaston added 18 and ten rebounds, but the biggest issue for Harvard was their offense. In a 60-possession game the Crimson attempted 30 of their 55 shots from beyond the arc, making just eight. By comparison Fordham made half of their twelve three-point attempts and they were more effective in getting to the foul line as well. Tom Pecora certainly had his work cut out for him when he took the job, and while the process is nowhere near complete he can point to a win like this as a sign of progress. As for Harvard, a loss like this could make it even more important that they run away with the Ivy crown.

3. Oral Roberts wins at Oakland to move to 4-0 in Summit League play.
Having lost games at North Dakota State and South Dakota State last week, Greg Kampe's Oakland squad needed to knock off Oral Roberts to remain in contack with the top of the Summit League. But while Reggie Hamilton scored a game-high 28 points it wasn't enough to hold off the Golden Eagles, who shot 66.7% from the field on their way to the 89-80 victory. ORU turned the ball over 18 times but had five players score in double figures, and it certainly didn't hurt to make 11 of 16 shots from beyond the arc as well. Dominique Morrison, the preseason Summit League Player of the Year, scored 20 points (6-8 3PT) to lead the way and Steven Roundtree added 16 off the bench for ORU, who is now 4-0 in league play and is tied with South Dakota State in first place. With the two Dakota schools visiting Tulsa on Thursday and Saturday, Scott Sutton's team could take a big step towards a regular season title.

Quick Hitters

1. Louisville got back on the right track, beating St. John's 73-58 to end their two-game losing streak. Russ Smith accounted for 17 points, seven assists and four steals off the bench while Kyle Kuric and Gorgui Dieng also put together solid stat lines. But the true star was the Louisville defense as the Red Storm shot just 28.1% from the field.

2. Sean Mosley led the way with 19 points as Maryland held on to beat Cornell 70-62 in their final tune-up for ACC play. The addition of Pe'Shon Howard and Alex Len have made Mark Turgeon's team a much better unit, and it isn't out of the realm of possibility that the Terrapins surprise people in conference play.

3. Siena didn't have much of a chance in the second half of the doubleheader at Madsion Square Garden as they were blitzed by Iona 95-59. Sean Armand set a MAAC record with ten three-pointers, scoring a career-high 32 points, and Jermel Jenkins added 16 off the bench. It's going to be extremely difficult for MAAC opponents to score with the Gaels, meaning that they'll need to do what Saint Peter's was able to do in the conference tournament title game last season. Make them grind it out and see what happens.

4. Rob Jeter's Milwaukee Panthers took a tough loss as they fell 72-61 at Western Michigan. The Broncos are 5-0 at home this season, so the outcome isn't as much of a surprise as the margin. Milwaukee couldn't get to the foul line, attempting just nine free throws (making three) to WMU's 37 (making 30), and that was the difference.

5. Creighton moved to 2-1 in MVC play with a 76-59 win over Drake in Omaha. Doug McDermott led three starters in double figures with 24 points to go along with seven rebounds as the Bluejays won comfortably despite turning the ball over 19 times.

6. Condolences go out to the Bartow family as Gene Bartow passed away on Tuesday at the age of 81. Bartow led Memphis to the 1973 national title game and was also the head coach at UCLA after John Wooden's retirement. His son Murry is the head coach at East Tennessee State.

Five Notable Performances

1. G Sean Armand (Iona)
32 points (10-19 3PT) and six rebounds in the Gaels' 95-59 win over Siena. Armand set a MAAC record for the most three-pointers made in a single game.

2. F Greg Magnano (Yale)
27 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in the Bulldogs' 82-67 win over Holy Cross.

3. F Draymond Green (Michigan State)
18 points and 14 rebounds in the Spartans' 63-60 overtime win at Wisconsin.

4. G Jordan Theodore (Seton Hall)
19 points, 11 assists and three steals in the Pirates' 75-63 win over #8 Connecticut.

5. F Anthony Davis (Kentucky)
22 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks in the Wildcats' 73-51 win over Arkansas-Little Rock.