Georgia State

CAA First Round Preview

CHN — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:46:47 -0800

By Robert Canady: robert_canady@msn.com

The Colonial Athletic Conference tournament begins Friday in Richmond, VA. The conference’s top four teams, Drexel (regular season champions) George Mason, Virginia Commonwealth and Old Dominion all have byes into the tournaments quarterfinals on Saturday. We will take a closer look at them later in the week. Here is a look at the first round matchups.

Game 1: #8 James Madison 12-19 (5-13) vs. #9 UNCW 9-20 (5-13) 12:00 pm

The two teams only met once in the conference season and that was a 69-61 JMU victory in Wilmington, NC on January 18^th. Senior guard Humpty Hitchens who had a career high 27 points in the win led the Dukes in scoring. Redshirt junior guard A.J. Davis also contributed 18 points and a career high eight rebounds. Kieth Rendleman the CAA’s fifth leading scorer (15.6) had 12 points to go along with 18 rebounds for the Seahawks.

While the teams may have finished in the lower half of the conference, the game could offer some good individual offensive performances. Four of the top league’s top 10 scorers will be in the matchup: JMU’s Davis 4^th and Hitchens 7^th along with UNCW’s Rendleman 5^th and Adam Smith 10^th.

Both teams finished season with an equal record in conference play. A key to the matchup may be determined from behind the 3-pt arc. JMU is second in the conference in three-point percentage. They are making a conference leading average of 7.8 per game and shooting .362 percent from 3-point range. UNCW on the other hand trails only Drexel and VCU in three-point defense, allowing only .314 percent.

Coaches: James Madison is coached by Matt Brady who is in his fourth year at the helm. Buzz Peterson, a member of North Carolina’s 1982 national championship team, is completing his second year as the Seahawks head coach. Pick: JMU 58 UNCW 52

Game 2: #5 Delaware 17-12 (12-6) vs. #12 Towson 1-30 (1-17) 2:30 pm

These two teams will be meeting for the third time this year and second time in the past nine days. Delaware won the first meeting of the year 62-43 in Newark. The Tigers played the Blue Hens much closer on February 22^nd in Towson before falling 76-69, a game that wasn’t decided until the last minute. In that game, Delaware freshman Jarvis Threatt scored a season high 29 points including 16 of 19 from the free throw line. Towson kept the result in doubt until the end, in part due to seven combined three-pointers from sophomore Marcus Damas (21 points) and freshman Kris Walden (18 points.)

There is a stat that no team that has played on Friday has made it to the final game of the tournament. Delaware is a team that is fully capable of pulling off that task. The Blue Hens enter the game on an eight game winning streak that started with a 65-60 victory over George Mason. They and Drexel are the only two CAA teams not to have lost during the month of February.

Delaware under head coach Monte’ Ross is loaded with offensive firepower. Threatt has been named CAA Rookie of the Week four times since January 23^rd. Sophomore Devon Saddler is second in the conference in scoring at 18.7 points per game. Junior Jamelle Hagins adds 12.7 points a game and guard Kyle Anderson leads the team and all freshman in the conference with 64 three pointers.

Coaches: Towson has begun rebuilding under first year head coach Pat Skerry. Despite the inexperienced roster that has only one scholarship letter winner, the Tigers have played very hard and taken a few of the league’s top teams down to the wire. Better days are ahead for the Tigers in the tournament, but this year most likely will not be one of them. Pick: Delaware 71 Towson 55

Game 3: #7 Northeastern 13-16 (9-9) vs. #10 William & Mary 6-25 (4-14) 6:00 pm

This may be the least intriguing game of the first day matchups. The two teams split the season series each winning at home, Northeastern prevailing 64-50 in January and William & Mary winning big 79-54 on February 11^th. Northeastern started the conference season with a promising 5-2 mark before losing six of their next eight games. They also had non-conference wins against, St. Johns, Boston University and Southern Illinois. In addition, Northeastern knocked George Mason out of a first place tie with Drexel in the second to last game of the season with an 85-82 Overtime victory at home.

Junior guard Jonathan Lee leads the Huskies. Lee provides constant on court leadership, as he was second in the CAA this year with 35.7 minutes played per game. He is also the team’s leading scorer contributing 14.6 points per game. Junior Joel Smith, who is the Huskies second leading scorer with 12.9 points per game, compliments Lee in the backcourt. Both players are capable of taking over a game and putting up big numbers. Smith ended the regular season averaging 20.7 points a game over his last four games and had a season high 29 points in the victory over St. Johns. Lee was very consistent all season, scoring in double figures in all but three games and two of those he had nine points. Lee had a season high 27 points in the win over George Mason.

The Tribe has a combination of experience and youth. Senior Quinn McDowell leads the way with 12.7 points per game and freshman Marcus Thornton is close behind with 11.1 per game. Thornton seems to thrive on tough completion as he had a team season high 28 points against VCU on February 1^st and scored 23 on the road against George Mason in January. McDowell for his part had 27 points against UNCW and 26 on the road at Towson.

Coaches: Bill Coen is completing his sixth season as head coach at Northeastern. Tony Shaver is in his 9^th year at William & Mary. He took his team to the 2010 NIT and is a two time (2008, 2010) CAA Coach of the Year. Pick: Northeastern 64 William & Mary 50

Game 4: #6 Georgia St. 20-10 (11-7) vs. #11 Hofstra 10-21 (3-15) 8:30 pm

Because of the CAA’s unbalanced schedule, these teams only met once and that was not until the 13^th conference game of the season in which Georgia St. won easily on the road in Hempstead, NY. Georgia State has had a roller coaster season if ever a team has had one. After losing all three games in the season opening World Vision Classic in Seattle Washington, they won 11 games in a row. That included a 5 -1 mark to start the conference part of the season. They played a killer stretch of three games in five days against Drexel at home, then VCU and George Mason on the road. The Panthers hit a bit of a mid season swoon as they dropped four out of five games in late January, including a double overtime loss at Delaware. Speaking of overtime, Georgia St. might be the only team in the country that has lost three conference overtime games in the same season. The first two of those came against the Blue Hens of Delaware.

Hofstra finished 3-15 in the conference but had their most impressive outing of the year in the season finale, a 93-64 win at home over UNCW. Hofstra boasts the CAA’s leading scorer, senior guard Mike Moore. Moore averaged a league best 20.7 points per game and had three outings of over 30 points, including the win over UNCW. Moore finished third in the conference with 79 three-pointers on the season including six in the season finale.

Coaches: Ron Hunter is in his first year as head coach at Georgia St. and has garnered some talk as a Coach of the Year candidate in leading the Panthers to 20 wins after taking over a team that had an 11-18 campaign last year. Mo Cassara completes his second season as Hofstra’s coach. He had a very successful first season leading the Pride to a 21-12 record. Pick: Georgia St. 78-69

Quarterfinals Saturday March 3^rd

#1 Drexel vs. JMU/UNCW winner 12:00 pm

#4 ODU vs. Delaware/Towson winner 2:30 pm

#2 VCU vs. Northeastern/William & Mary winner 6:00 pm

#3 George Mason vs. Georgia St/Hofstra winner 8:30 pm

Semifinals Sunday March 4^th

Drexel/JMU/UNCW vs. ODU/Towson/Delaware winner 2:00 pm

VCU/Northeastern/William & Mary vs. George Mason/Georgia St/Hofstra winner 4:30 pm

Championship Game Monday March 5^th at 7:00 pm

Coach of the Year Candidates: The College Basketball List

Greg Mengelt — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:19:37 -0800

Each week, CollegeHoops.net's Greg Mengelt presents a different College Basketball List. This week, Greg takes a look at the top candidates for Coach of the Year:

1. Steve Fisher, San Diego State: What Fisher done in San Diego is near miraculous, and until the Aztecs flounder down the stretch, he’s the clear National Coach of the Year. Most expect San Diego State to be NIT bound (at best) after losing Kwahi Leonard, D.J. Gay, Malcolm Thomas and Billy White and the 49 points and 24 rebounds per game that went with them. No one expected anything near last year's 34-3 record and run to the Sweet 16, yet, Fisher has the Aztecs at 18-2 overall and on top of the Mountain West again at 4-0.

2. Frank Haith, Missouri: Haith wasn’t the first choice of Missouri fans, but even the most strident skeptics can’t deny he’s had a great impact on the program. With only seven scholarship players available – and only two of them 6-8 or taller – Haith has the Tigers at 18-2 overall and 5-2 in the Big East and ranked second in the nation.

3. Steve Prohm, Murray State: Murray State was predicted to finish second in the Ohio Valley, but Prohm has led the Racers to only unbeaten mark in the nation through Jan. 26. And he’s done it after losing three starters from last year’s team. At 20-0, the first-year Murray State head coach has his team on the precipice of history.

4. Tom Crean, Indiana: Indiana was expected to make a huge leap forward after finishing last in the Big Ten in the past three years under Crean. But few expected the leap the Hoosiers have made. Under Crean’s direction, Indiana has knocked off No. 1 Kentucky and No. 2 Ohio State this season. The Hoosiers are ranked 17^th in the nation and, at 16-4 overall, are on the verge of making their first NCAA Tournament since 2008.

5. Fred Hoiberg, Iowa State: Of course, it helps that Royce White transferred from Minnesota, but the job The Mayor has done in his second season in Ames is undeniable. After a 16-16 mark in his first season, including 3-13 in the Big East, Hoiberg has the Cyclones at 14-6 overall and 4-3 in the Big 12. They have a great opportunity to make their first NCAA appearance since 2005.

6. Mick Cronin, Cincinnati: After home losses to Presbyterian and Marshall early in the season – then the brawl that got several Bearcats suspended – it looked like Cincinnati’s season was headed nowhere. Since the brawl, however, Cronin has guided Cincy to a 10-3 record and at 15-6 overall and 5-3 in the Big East, they’re back into the NCAA Tournament mix.

7. Ron Hunter, Georgia State: Hunter guided a fledgling IUPUI program to the NCAA Tournament in 2003. Now, he’s trying to do the same thing in Atlanta. The Panthers went 12-19 a year ago and the Panthers were predicted to finish ninth in the Colonial. Instead, Georgia State is 14-7 overall and 6-4 in the CAA under Hunter’s direction.

8. Bill Self, Kansas: Self probably won’t get the credit he deserves for merely keeping the Jayhawks on top of the Big 12 standings. But getting Kansas to the top of the league was a more difficult task than the last eight seasons. Despite returning on one starter and one valuable sub, the Jayhawks are ranked fifth in America at 17-3. At 7-0 in the conference, Kansas is vying for its ninth straight league crown under Self.

9. Tony Bennett, Virginia: Like Crean at Indiana, Bennett’s Cavaliers were expected to make a move in the right direction. And like the Hoosiers, Virginia has surpassed expectations. As of Jan. 26, the Cavs are 15-3 overall behind Bennett’s defensive philosophy. The 21^st-ranked Cavaliers have allowed 60-plus points just one time this season, and that was in a victory.

10. John Thompson III, Georgetown: The way the Hoyas finished the past two seasons with blowout losses in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, it was hard to know what to expect from Georgetown this season. With the losses of Austin Freeman, Chris Wright and Julian Vaughn, the Hoyas were expected to finish near the middle or back of the Big East pack. Instead, Thompson has No. 10 Georgetown at 16-3 overall and in second place in the conference at 6-2.

Others Worthy of Note: Larry Eustachy, Southern Miss; Bob Hoffman, Mercer; Steve Masiello, Manhattan; Scott Sutton, Oral Roberts; Tom Izzo, Michigan State; Gary Waters, Cleveland State; Dan Hurley, Wagner; Rick Majerus, Saint Louis; Derek Kellogg, UMass; Saul Phillips, North Dakota State; Kermit Davis, Middle Tennessee; David Carter, Nevada; Bruiser Flint, Drexel; Dan Monson, Long Beach State; Frank Martin, Kansas State; Kevin Willard, Seton Hall; Wayne Tinkle, Montana; Bryce Drew, Valparaiso; Mike Anderson, Arkansas.

Poll: Vote On Your Coach of the Year So Far

Xavier vs. Saint Louis: Wednesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:16:14 -0800

Neither team is currently in first place in the Atlantic 10 but if anything that magnifies the importance of Saint Louis (15-4, 3-2) heading east to take on Xavier (13-6, 4-2) at the Cintas Center. Both teams are a game out of first place in the loss column, and a closer look at the Billikens' computer numbers shows that they could use a win like this to bolster the resume. According to the most recent "nitty gritty" report released by the NCAA Saint Louis is currently 51st in the RPI, but their problem is a non-conference strength of schedule of 211 (overall SOS of 124).

Xavier has no such issue currently but after a loss at Dayton the Musketeers need to get back on track to remain a game behind the Flyers in the loss column. While the Phyrric victory over Cincinnati hurt the chemistry and psyche of Chris Mack's team, there's also the issue of Xavier not being as efficient offensively as they were last season. The Musketeers are averaging just 1.04 points per possession this season and they're also not shooting the three well, making 35.3% of their shots to date.

Guards Tu Holloway (15.7 ppg, 5.6 apg) and Mark Lyons (16.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg) lead the way for Xavier, but Holloway's percentages have taken a hit (40.9% FG, 31.6% 3PT). But without consistent production from the big men more responsibility ends up on their shoulders. Senior Kenny Frease (8.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg) has been around for four seasons and while there always seems to be the feeling that he's just one step away, that progression just hasn't happened. Vanderbilt transfer Andre Walker (6.1 rpg) leads the team in rebounding but neither he nor Monmouth transfer Travis Taylor has shown themselves to be capable of being a bell cow for the Musketeers on the block.

Freshman wing Dezmine Wells (10.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg) has been one of the best first-year players in the A-10, and he has to be on the short list of the most explosive finishers in college basketball. He's done well as Xavier's third scorer but with his best work coming in the open floor, someone inside needs to step up. Saint Louis also has three players averaging double figures, one of which comes off the bench. Forward Cody Ellis (11.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg) checks in at 6'8", 240 but he's more comfortable on the perimeter (40.2% 3PT), and his shooting is balanced out by Brian Conklin's willingness to go inside.

Conklin is shooting 58.6% from the field on the season with just one three-point attempt, so it's safe to say that he won't be out firing away with reckless abandon. Guard Kwamain Mitchell (11.8 ppg, 3.8 apg) runs the show but also leads SLU in field goal attempts, and his individual matchup with Holloway should be fun to watch. Saint Louis has five players who have attempted 40 three-pointers or more, with three of those players attempting more than half their shots from distance and as a team the Billikens score 31.2% of their points on the bonus shot.

If there's one area to watch it will be turnovers, especially if Xavier gets impatient and looks to force the issue offensively. Saint Louis' opponents average 15.7 turnovers per game, and with the Billikens averaging a shade under 63 possessions per game that's a sizable number. Holloway and Lyons need to make plays without getting out of control, and if they don't Saint Louis has the ability to make them pay. SLU is 2-3 on the road this season but it's not like the Musketeers have been invincible at home (9-2), which should make for an entertaining matchup.

Wednesday's schedule features five ranked teams taking on unranked opponents on the road, one of which being #6 Duke taking on a young Maryland team in College Park. The Terrapins are led by sophomore guard Terrell Stoglin, but while Maryland has the ability to give Duke some trouble on the perimeter they lack interior depth and the shot selection leaves something to be desired at times. The same could be said for Oklahoma State, who hosts #2 Missouri, and Texas Tech as a player in Jordan Tolbert that can make life difficult for #24 Kansas State.

Minnesota visits #11 Michigan State in need of a resume-building victory but to say the least it's going to be tough for Tubby Smith's team to leave East Lansing with a win. Minnesota has received good play of late from Joe Coleman, and they do have a win at Indiana to their credit. BYU's trip to Virginia Tech is big for both teams as the victor would end up with a resume-building victory that could be a difference-maker come Selection Sunday.

Also keep an eye on Georgia State visiting Drexel in hopes of sweeping the season series, with both in hot pursuit of George Mason in the CAA. Colorado State/New Mexico and Notre Dame/Seton Hall are both solid conference match ups that will also have an impact on the resumes of all four teams.

Top 25 Games
7:30 PM (2) Missouri at Oklahoma State (ESPN2)
6:30 PM Penn State at (3) Ohio State (BTN)
9:00 PM (6) Duke at Maryland (ESPN)
8:30 PM Minnesota at (11) Michigan State (BTN)
8:05 PM (14) Creighton at Drake (ESPN3)
10:00 PM (15) UNLV at Boise State (The Mtn.)
8:00 PM LSU at (16) Mississippi State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM (24) Kansas State at Texas Tech (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Villanova at (25) Louisville (ESPN)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Delaware at Northeastern
7:00 PM VCU at Towson
7:00 PM Southern Miss at East Carolina
7:00 PM Florida State at Wake Forest (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Maine at New Hampshire
7:00 PM DePaul at Rutgers (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Central Michigan at Bowling Green
7:00 PM Toledo at Miami (OH)
7:00 PM Western Michigan at Ohio (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Providence at Pittsburgh (ESPN3)
7:00 PM St. Bonaventure at Rhode Island (CBS SN)
7:00 PM Fordham at Richmond
7:00 PM BYU at Virginia Tech (ESPN3)
7:00 PM UAB at Marshall (CSS)
7:00 PM Holy Cross at Army
7:00 PM Old Dominion at UNC Wilmington
7:00 PM Binghamton at Albany
7:00 PM American at Bucknell
7:00 PM Lafayette at Colgate
7:00 PM Loyola (IL) at Detroit
7:00 PM Georgia State at Drexel
7:00 PM George Mason at Hofstra (FiOS 1)
7:00 PM Northern Illinois at Kent State
7:00 PM George Washington at La Salle
7:00 PM West Virginia at St. John's (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Dayton at Saint Joseph's (TCN Philadelphia)
7:00 PM Hartford at Stony Brook
7:00 PM UIC at Wright State
7:00 PM Saint Louis at Xavier (FSN MW)
7:05 PM Northern Iowa at Indiana State
7:05 PM Missouri State at Illinois State (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Temple at Charlotte
7:30 PM McNeese State at Nicholls State
7:30 PM Air Force at TCU (The Mtn.)
8:00 PM UCF at Tulsa (CBS SN)
8:00 PM Rice at Memphis
8:00 PM Texas State at Texas A&M-CC
8:00 PM Lamar at Northwestern State
8:00 PM Central Arkansas at Southeastern Louisiana
8:00 PM Notre Dame at Seton Hall (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Alabama at South Carolina (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Sam Houston State at Stephen F. Austin (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Jarvis Christian at UTSA
8:00 PM SMU at Tulane
8:00 PM Evansville at Wichita State (ESPN3)
8:15 PM North Texas at Louisiana-Lafayette
9:00 PM Auburn at Arkansas (ESPN3)
10:00 PM Colorado State at New Mexico (CBS SN)

Saturday Recap: Five Ranked Teams Fall to Unranked Opponents

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 01:27:58 -0800

The first Saturday of the new year proved to be far more exciting than anticipated, much to the detriment of ranked teams who took their show on the road. Removing #7 Missouri and #20 Marquette, who both lost on the road to ranked opponents (more on both of those games below), five ranked teams lost to unranked opponents with four of the losses coming on the road. The Big East provided the most intrigue, with #8 Connecticut and #9 Georgetown falling on the road while #10 Louisville lost in double overtime at home. So which of the three defeats is most concerning? That's likely a toss-up between the Huskies and Cardinals.

Connecticut lost at Rutgers, who already owned a win at The RAC over then-#10 Florida, 67-60 with Eli Carter leading the Scarlet Knights with 19 points. It was a Saturday night to forget for Jeremy Lamb, who scored just eight points before fouling out. With the preseason All-America dealing with foul trouble for much of the night, Rutgers head coach Mike Rice was able to go with a zone defense to take advantage of the Huskies' issues in dealing with zones.

While UConn's 36.5% shooting from deep on the season isn't a great number it's definitely better than the 4-for-19 performance they put up against Rutgers. But of more concern than the lack of perimeter shooting is the lack of leadership and toughness for this group, something that was lost with the departure of Kemba Walker. And it's a sore subject for head coach Jim Calhoun, who returned to the bench after missing the last three games due to an NCAA suspension.

"There's not a lack of leadership, there's none," said Calhoun. Short, and to the point.

As for Louisville, their issues of running a half-court offense with cohesion has been well documented, and for that reason it's reasonable to say that Rick Pitino's team was given too much credit earlier in the season. Eric Atkins' shot with 17 seconds remaining gave the Fighting Irish a 65-63 lead and his two free throws in the final seconds of the second overtime sealed the 67-65 victory, giving Notre Dame their first win in the Commonwealth of Kentucky until 1980.

Louisville shot much better from the field, making 42.3% of their shots compared to 31.7% for Notre Dame. But when you hand the ball over 18 times, allowing Notre Dame to score 16 points off of turnovers, there's a good chance that the outcome won't be a positive one. The Cardinals now already have two home conference losses, and that's definitely not a good spot to be in if they're to contend for a Big East title.

"Hard fought game, but if you break it down, they made their free throws and we didn't," said Pitino. "To lose two home games in the Big East with the type of schedule we have is very destructive to say the least."

The other two losses to unranked opponents came in the SEC, with Florida kicking off the crazy day with a 67-56 loss to Tennessee (more on that below) and #15 Mississippi State getting lit up at Arkansas 98-88. The Bulldogs weren't much more than a sieve defensively, allowing the Razorbacks to shoot 56.5% from the field for the game. Rick Stansbury's team seemed to be in solid shape at the half, trailing by just six (43-37) despite turning the ball over eleven times to just two for Arkansas.

But that optimism was misguided as the Bulldogs allowed 55 points in the final 20 minutes with the Hogs making 67.9% of their shots. Julysses Nobles and B.J. Young scored 24 points apiece to lead Arkansas, who finished with five players in double figures, and they were also aided by the fact that three players scored 63 of Mississippi State's 88 points. Arnett Moultrie scored just nine but did grab ten rebounds before fouling out with over six minutes remaining, but his fifth foul essentially signaled the end of the game for Mississippi State. The lesson the Bulldogs learned was similar to that learned by the other ranked teams to fall: anyone can fall on any given day.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Kansas State takes advantage of #7 Missouri's lack of interior depth and hands the Tigers their first loss.
There were certainly concerns about how Frank Haith's team would deal with bigger teams as the season wore on, as Missouri has just seven scholarship players and two true frontcourt players. And at the "Octagon of Doom" the Tigers got their first glimpse of how difficult things could be, especially if their perimeter scorers aren't as productive as expected. Missouri shot just 32.7% from the field and were out-rebounded 39-25 by #23 Kansas State in the Wildcats' 75-59 victory, suffering their first loss of the season.

It didn't help matters that starting forward Ricardo Ratliffe played just 14 foul-riddled minutes, scoring two points and grabbing one rebounds. The Tigers can't afford that level of production when their guards are on, much less when Phil Pressey misses all six of his shots from the field and the team shoots 7-for-24 from three. Rodney McGruder led K-State with 20 points and as a team the Wildcats assisted on 18 of their 28 field goals, resulting in an efficiency (111.9) 21 points higher than what Missouri opponents averaged on the season.

2. Syracuse runs out to a big lead and hangs on to beat Marquette in the Carrier Dome.
Thanks to a 23-1 run in the first half to turn a 12-11 lead into a seemingly insurmountable 35-12 edge, top-ranked Syracuse seemed to be well on their way to an emphatic victory over #20 Marquette. But Jim Boeheim's team apparently left their intensity in the locker room, as they came out of halftime flat while Buzz Williams' team displayed the fight expected of his program. Marquette would eventually pull to within two points (59-57) but could get no closer as the Orange would eventually win 73-66, moving to 17-0 and by the end of the night sitting alone atop the Big East standings.

Marquette could hit nothing in the first half, shooting 30% from the field and going 1-for-7 from beyond the arc. But led by Darius Johnson-Odom (19 points), Jae Crowder (15 points, seven rebounds) and Junior Cadougan (10 points, five assists) the Golden Eagles attacked the inside of the Syracuse zone, resulting in quality looks that were few and far between in the first half. But with Kris Joseph scoring 17 points and reserves C.J. Fair and Dion Waiters combining to score 25 points Syracuse was able to sew things up late, and while they weren't as efficient as usual the Orange did assists on 19 of 24 made baskets. While the landscape beneath them is too muddled to make sense of, it's pretty clear that the Orange are the class of the Big East.

3. Florida has some things to work on defensively if they're to be a factor come March.
The first thing that will stick out in#13 Florida's 67-56 loss at Tennessee is likely the fact that they scored just 56 points, shooting 35.7% from the field in doing so. But what should really be taken out of the defeat is their play on the defensive end of the floor, because despite the struggles offensively Billy Donovan's team won't lack for scoring options. Simply put, can Florida get the stops needed when the possessions become even bigger in March? If they're going to do so some things will need to change, with one being the lack of ball pressure on the perimeter. The issue against Tennessee wasn't about what the Volunteers could do off the dribble but rather the lack of pressure on entry passes.

On multiple occasions the lack of pressure on passers allowed a Jeronne Maymon (12 points, seven rebounds) or Kenny Hall (13 points, five rebounds) the time to walk their man up the lane and out of prime defensive position. If Florida couldn't get away with this against Tennessee, what are they going to do in their two meetings with Kentucky? And it's not out of the realm of possibility that a team like Alabama (or even Mississippi State) that has multiple big men could give them a hard time inside. The Vols entered Saturday's game scoring 33% of their points from three, but they didn't have to do that as the paint was open for business. Florida can't allow that to happen if they're to reach their full potential, prolific offense or not.

4. George Mason beats Georgia State to take over sole possession of first place in the CAA.
In prior seasons the three-game stretch for Georgia State of Drexel/VCU/George Mason would elicit bets of what the Panthers' combined margin of defeat would be. To say the least things have changed under Ron Hunter, as they'd won the first two games of that stretch going into Saturday's showdown with the Patriots for sole possession of first place in the CAA. But despite Ryan Pearson failing to make a single field goal it was George Mason who was able to make the key baskets late on their way to the 61-56 win. Neither team shot well from the field and George Mason turned the ball over 19 times, but the deciding factor was the charity stripe.

George Mason, who shot 67.3% from the line on the season, made 18 of 21 on Saturday night and outscored the Panthers by eight in that department. Vertail Vaughns (17 points) and Mike Morrison (14 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks) more than made up for Pearson's 0-for-4 night, while the Georgia State combo of Josh Micheaux and Devonta White shot a combined 3-for-15 (they entered the game averaging a combined 20.2 points/game). Jihad Ali led Georgia State with 19 points, and while they didn't win the Panthers have the look of a team that could hang around the race throughout the season. But they didn't have enough down the stretch, allowing the Patriots to take control of the driver's seat a quarter of the way through CAA play.

5. Oral Roberts blows out South Dakota State and moves to 6-0 in the Summit League.
The matchup between the Golden Eagles and Jackrabbits was anticipated by some due to not only the matchup of early Summit League POY frontrunners Dominique Morrison (ORU) and Nate Wolters (SDSU) (Oakland's Reggie Hamilton will also figure in the discussion). But they game didn't live up to that, much to the detriment of the Jackrabbits, who fell 97-75 in Tulsa. Morrison was outstanding as he finished with 38 points and seven rebounds, but he had plenty of help as Steven Roundtree scored 17 off the bench and Michael Craion and Warren Niles scored 15 apiece.

Wolters led five SDSU players in double figures with 22 points to go along with six assists, but the Jackrabbits' biggest problem was they they couldn't stop the Golden Eagles. ORU shot 60.7% from the field on the night and 67.5% from two while also making ten of twenty-one from beyond the arc, and when ORU's got it rolling like that they're extremely difficult to beat at the Mabee Center. Oral Roberts finished the game with an offensive efficiency of 154.0, scoring 1.5 points/possession on the night. To say the least South Dakota State will do their best to make sure that doesn't happen in the rematch on February 2nd.

Quick Hitters

1. Saturday marked the first step towards another March in which Virginia Tech is once again discussed as a bubble team, with the Hokies losing at Wake Forest 58-55. Erick Green was solid for the Hokies, finishing with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists, but more is needed from Dorenzo Hudson (4-13, eight points) if they're to be a tournament team.

2. Entering the week with an 0-2 league record, UCLA couldn't afford anything less than a split with the Arizona schools if they wanted to be a contender in the Pac-12 race. Ben Howland's squad did better than that, wrapping up a sweep with a 75-58 win over Arizona State. Travis Wear scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds and Joshua Smith added 18 off the bench.

3. Few people gave Colorado a shot at being in first place in the Pac-12 at this point in the season, but there they sit after sweeping the Washington schools this weekend. A big reason why: defense. In their 71-60 win over Washington State, Colorado limited the Cougars to 36.5% shooting and none of their three league opponents have shot over 40% from the field. Also in forward Andre Roberson, Tad Boyle's got one of the most underrated players in the country.

4. Of the four teams tied for first place in the MVC the most surprising has to be Illinois State, who beat Evansville 75-73 on a miraculous shot by Jackie Carmichael. Carmichael, who finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and four blocks, banked in his first career three-pointer as time expired to win the game. We'll find out how much staying power the Redbirds have immediately too, as they visit Wichita State and host Creighton in their next two games.

5. In a matchup of teams undefeated in SoCon play Davidson shot 60% from the field and made 11 three-pointers in their 96-74 win over Georgia Southern. Jake Cohen (29 points) and De'Mon Brooks (24 points) combined to score 53 points with Cohen also grabbing 12 rebounds in the victory.

6. There was also a matchup of undefeated teams in the NEC, and that game wasn't particularly close either. Ken Horton scored 21 points and grabbed ten rebounds while Robbie Ptacek scored 24 points and Kyle Vinales 18 in Central Connecticut State's 68-53 win over Robert Morris. Robert Morris shot just 30.3% from the field and turned the ball over 15 times in defeat.

7. Back in the ACC, Florida State laid a serious egg in their ACC opener as they fell 79-59 at Clemson. Not only did the Seminoles struggle offensively, shooting 35.5% and turning the ball over 15 times, but they also allowed the Tigers to shoot 60% from two and 49% overall. Leonard Hamilton's team can ill-afford the defensive breakdowns they had on Saturday if they're going to be a tournament team.

8. Both Temple and Saint Joseph's dropped conference games at home on Saturday, with Dayton pulling away late to be at the Owls 87-77 and Charlotte shocking the Hawks 57-52. Archie Miller's Flyers picked up a key resume-building win, and Charlotte's victory was a good step for Alan Major as he looks to rebuild that program.

9. Bowling Green also provided a surprise in their MAC opener as they beat Ohio 67-57. Jordon Crawford led the way, scoring 16 points to go along with five assists, four rebounds and two steals. BGSU turned the ball over 20 times (Crawford: six turnovers) but the Bobcats shot 4-for-20 from three, alliowing the home team to lock up the victory.

10. And in terms of a possible changing of the guard Nevada may have struck the biggest blow, handing Utah State their first conference home loss since 2007 by the final score of 78-71. Deonte Burton, who finished with 25 points and five assists, provided the dagger in the form of a four-point play with 37 seconds remaining while Dario Hunt scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

Five (plus one) Notable Performances

1. F Doug McDermott (Creighton)
44 points (18-23 FG), eight rebounds and two assists in the Bluejays' 92-83 win at Bradley.

2. F Dominique Morrison (Oral Roberts)
38 points (11-15 FG), seven rebounds and two assists in the Golden Eagles' 97-75 win over South Dakota State.

3. G Damian Lillard (Weber State)
38 points (8-14 3PT), five rebounds and five assists in the Wildcats' 88-81 win at Portland State.

4. G Isaiah Canaan (Murray State)
35 points (7-8 3PT), five assists and two rebounds in the Racers' 87-75 win at Austin Peay.

5. F Kevin Jones (West Virginia)
22 points (8-12 FG) and 16 rebounds in the Mountaineers' 74-62 win over #9 Georgetown.

Plus One: F Royce White (Iowa State)
18 rebounds, ten points and ten assists in the Cyclones' 74-50 demolition of Texas A&M in College Station.

Game of the Day: Stanford 103, Oregon State 101 (4 OT)
If you missed this one late that's too bad, because the Cardinal and Beavers combined to play an instant classic. The game didn't truly take off until the final moments of regulation, as Stanford's game-winning basket was ruled to have come after time expired. Stanford would eventually win as Roberto Nelson's three-point attempt as time expired missed the mark. Chasson Randle led six Stanford players in double figures with 24 points off the bench while Nelson and Jared Cunningham led six Oregon State players in double figures with 19 apiece.

George Mason at Georgia State: Prediction & Poll

Greg Mengelt — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:33:44 -0800

GEORGE MASON (11-4, 3-0 CAA) AT GEORGIA STATE (11-3, 3-0 CAA)

Time/TV: 7 p.m.; CSN

Location: Patriot Center

RPI Rankings: George Mason 148; Georgia State 183.

Line: George Mason -4

George Mason Players to Watch: F Ryan Pearson, 6-6 Sr. (18.7 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 54.9% FG); G Vertail Vaughns, 6-2 So. (11.2 ppg, 39.4%3s); F/C Erik Copes, 6-8 Fr. (3.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.9 bpg). Pearson continues to be one of the top contenders for the Colonial Player of the Year honor after Thursday’s 16-point, 14-rebound performance in the Patriots’ 63-54 win at Old Dominion Thursday.

Georgia State Players to Watch: G Devonta White, 5-10 So. (13.6 ppg, 3.4 apg, 1.7 spg); G Jihad Ali, 6-5 Sr. (12.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.3 spg); x James Fields (8.8 ppg, 3.3 apg, 47.7% FG). Fields has struggled, going 2-for-13 in his last two games, after a season-best performance in which he had 18 points, five assists, four rebounds and four steals in a 72-52 win over Georgia Southern on Dec. 22.

Storyline: The Colonial’s two remaining unbeaten teams go head-to-head in Atlanta on Saturday. Georgia State has been the surprise of the CAA after finishing 12-19 overall and 6-12 in the league a year ago.

Keys to Victory: Georgia State fans knew their team would be explosive offensively, but what has been the surprise has been the play of the Panther defense. GSU is holding opponents to 57 points per game, 37.5 percent from the field and is averaging 9.2 steals per contest. Its defense will be tested on Saturday. George Mason is shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from the 3-point line.

The Bottom Line: George Mason went into Old Dominion Thursday and came away with a nine-point victory. This will be another tough test, but one the Patriots should pass.

The Pick: George Mason 77, Georgia State 72.

Saturday Preview: #20 Marquette at #1 Syracuse

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 09:09:27 -0800

Just two games on the schedule for Saturday match ranked teams, one of which being #1 Syracuse (16-0, 3-0) hosting #20 Marquette (12-3, 1-1) with the visitors looking to rebound from a disappointing loss at Georgetown earlier this week. The Golden Eagles led by as many as 17 points in the second half but they went away from the "paint touches" that are so valued in Buzz Williams' program, which led to the Hoya comeback. Those paint touches will be even more important at the Carrier Dome, as Syracuse does a good job with their 2-3 zone at limiting those opportunities.

Jim Boeheim's team is always well-versed in who should be allowed to shoot perimeter shots and who should be defended tightly as well, meaning that Marquette will need to be judicious in their shot selection. As a team Marquette shoots 34.7% from three, scoring 22.3% of their points from distance on the season. The most reliable shooters are also their leading scorers: Darius Johnson-Odom (17.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.7 apg) and Jae Crowder (16.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg) both start while freshman Todd Mayo (10.2 ppg) come off the bench.

The Golden Eagles can match the Syracuse depth on the perimeter, with those three along with Vander Blue, Junior Cadougan and Derrick Wilson, but the Orange have been flat-out explosive this season. Scoop Jardine (8.7 ppg, 4.3 apg) and Brandon Triche (10.3 ppg, 3.1 apg) are the starters and have played well for much of the season, but in sixth man Dion Waiters (12.6 ppg, 2.8 apg) the Orange have one of the best reserves in the country. It can even be argued that Waiters is Syracuse's best option when considering postseason awards, which is a testament to his growth as well as Syracuse's depth.

Freshman Michael Carter-Williams also sees some time at guard, and on the wing the Orange are deep as well. Senior Kris Joseph (13.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg) leads the team in scoring and when allowed to get out and fill a lane on the break is a dangerous player to contend with. But there's also sophomore C.J. Fair (8.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg), who is second on the team in minutes, and junior James Southerland (8.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg) shoots 42.6% from beyond the arc. Marquette will be smaller than Syracuse on the wing, but they can manage the difference due to their speed. The real concern comes in the paint, where the Golden Eagles are without a key contributor.

Chris Otule is still out with a knee injury and there's been no announcement on his prospects for the remainder of the season, meaning that Davante Gardner (8.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg) had to step into the starting role. Gardner came off the bench in Marquette's win over Villanova after a subpar performance in the loss to Vanderbilt, but he responded with 13 points and ten rebounds and followed that up with 11 against Georgetown. Facing the much-improved Fab Melo (7.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.1 bpg), Gardner's going to need a similar performance if Marquette is to win. Turnovers will also be a major factor with Marquette forcing nearly 18 per game and Syracuse almost 19.

Also in the Big East, #9 Georgetown hits the road to take on West Virginia, and Bob Huggins' team could definitely use a win like this for their resume. Kevin Jones has been one of the best players in the Big East for the Mountaineers, who will need young guards Gary Browne and Jabarie Hinds to mature as the season wears on in order to be a team that can win games in the NCAA Tournament. And Seton Hall will look to build on the momentum gained in their win over Connecticut with a win at Providence, but with the Friars desperate for their first league win that's going to be a tough task for Kevin Willard's squad.

League play tips off in the ACC and SEC this weekend, with the former looking to sort itself out after the generally accepted top three of North Carolina, Duke and Virginia. While the Tar Heels shouldn't have much of a problem with Boston College, Duke should be on upset alert at Georgia Tech while Virginia hosts a Miami team that could be a factor in the ACC as Reggie Johnson approaches full strength. In the SEC Mississippi State visits Arkansas, and the Bulldogs had better make sure that freshman B.J. Young isn't allowed to heat up.

The Big 12's got a pair of dangerous games for ranked teams on the schedule as well, with Baylor visiting Texas Tech and Missouri taking on Kansas State in Manhattan. The Bears should beat the Red Raiders but that trip to Lubbock could be a tricky one if you're not focused. As for the Tigers, their interior depth will be tested by the Wildcats, led by Jamar Samuels, Thomas Gipson and Jordan Henriquez. If either Ricardo Ratliffe or Steve Moore get into early foul trouble, Missouri could end up in trouble as well.

Other games of note include Georgia State, who is currently in first place in the CAA, visiting George Mason just days after winning at VCU. Ron Hunter's done a masterful job with the GSU program in his first season in charge, and Devonta White and Jihad Ali have done a good job of leading the way offensively. Mike Morrison and Ryan Pearson can be a handful up front for the Colonials, and there's a strong possibility that this game isn't decided until late. Temple hosts Dayton in the Owls' Atlantic 10 opener, and after they beat Saint Louis in overtime this could be a big week for Dayton's resume if they can win at Liacouras Center as well.

Top 25 Games
4:00 PM (20) Marquette at (1) Syracuse (ESPN3)
4:00 PM South Carolina at (2) Kentucky (ESPN3)
12:00 PM (3) Duke at Georgia Tech (ESPNU)
2:30 PM Boston College at (4) North Carolina (ESPN3)
1:45 PM (5) Baylor at Texas Tech (ESPN3)
1:30 PM (6) Missouri at (22) Kansas State (ESPN3)
3:00 PM (7) Ohio State at Iowa (BTN)
8:00 PM (8) Connecticut at Rutgers (ESPN3)
12:00 PM (9) Georgetown at West Virginia (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Notre Dame at (10) Louisville (ESPNU)
11:00 AM (14) Florida at Tennessee (ESPN2)
2:00 PM (15) Kansas at Oklahoma (ESPNU)
9:00 PM (16) Mississippi State at Arkansas (ESPN3)
8:00 PM (18) Murray State at Austin Peay (ESPNU)
2:00 PM Dartmouth at (21) Harvard
6:00 PM Miami (FL) at (23) Virginia (ESPNU)
8:00 PM (24) Creighton at Bradley (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
12:00 PM Virginia Tech at Wake Forest (ESPN3)
12:00 PM Xavier at Fordham
12:00 PM Canisius at Loyola (MD)
12:00 PM Wagner at Monmouth
1:00 PM Nebraska at Illinois (BTN)
1:05 PM Missouri State at Indiana State (ESPN3)
1:30 PM Ole Miss at LSU (ESPN3)
1:30 PM Auburn at Vanderbilt (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Colgate at American
2:00 PM Mount St. Mary's at Fairleigh Dickinson
2:00 PM Albright at Cornell
2:00 PM Washington at Utah (FSN)
2:00 PM Northeastern at James Madison
2:00 PM Loyola (IL) at Cleveland State (ESPN3)
2:00 PM Western Michigan at Ball State
2:00 PM St. John's at Cincinnati (ESPN3)
2:00 PM NJIT at Longwood
2:00 PM LIU-Brooklyn at Quinnipiac
2:00 PM Charlotte at Saint Joseph's
2:00 PM Kennesaw State at USC Upstate
2:05 PM Evansville at Illinois State
2:30 PM Charleston at Furman (ESPN3)
2:30 PM UMBC at Maine
2:30 PM Western Illinois at IPFW
3:00 PM Georgia Southern at Davidson
3:00 PM Texas State at Northwestern State
3:05 PM Wichita State at Southern Illinois
3:15 PM Jacksonville at Stetson
3:30 PM Lehigh at Holy Cross
3:30 PM North Dakota at New Mexico
3:30 PM Robert Morris at Central Connecticut State
3:30 PM St. Francis (NY) at Sacred Heart
4:00 PM Washington State at Colorado (FSN)
4:00 PM Dayton at Temple
4:00 PM Florida State at Clemson (ESPN2)
4:00 PM Iowa State at Texas A&M (ESPN3)
4:00 PM Bucknell at Army
4:00 PM St. Bonaventure at Duquesne
4:00 PM Mercer at East Tennessee State
4:00 PM Florida A&M at North Carolina Central
4:00 PM Bethune-Cookman at North Carolina A&T
4:00 PM Eastern Michigan at Northern Illinois
4:00 PM Coppin State at Savannah State
4:00 PM Morgan State at South Carolina State
4:00 PM Southern Miss at Tulane
4:00 PM Delaware at William & Mary
4:00 PM VMI at Winthrop
4:00 PM St. Francis (PA) at Bryant
4:30 PM Denver at South Alabama (ESPN3)
4:30 PM Central Arkansas at Lamar
4:30 PM Liberty at UNC Asheville
4:30 PM Wofford at Western Carolina
5:00 PM Troy at Western Kentucky (FCS)
5:00 PM UCF at East Carolina
5:00 PM Jackson State at Alcorn State
5:00 PM Grambling State at Southern University
5:15 PM North Florida at Florida Gulf Coast
5:30 PM Tennessee State at Jacksonville State
5:30 PM Coastal Carolina at Charleston Southern
6:00 PM Ohio at Bowling Green (ESPN3)
6:00 PM San Francisco at BYU (BYU TV)
6:00 PM Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Alabama A&M
6:00 PM Mississippi Valley State at Alabama State
6:00 PM Howard at Hampton
6:00 PM Maryland-Eastern Shore at Norfolk State
6:00 PM IUPUI at Oakland
6:00 PM Seton Hall at Providence (ESPN3)
6:05 PM Fresno State at Idaho (ESPN3)
6:30 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Middle Tennessee
7:00 PM Alabama at Georgia (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Akron at Miami (OH)
7:00 PM Richmond at Rhode Island
7:00 PM Appalachian State at Chattanooga
7:00 PM Oklahoma State at Texas (LHN)
7:00 PM Towson at Old Dominion
7:00 PM Hofstra at UNC Wilmington
7:00 PM Kent State at Buffalo
7:00 PM Toledo at Central Michigan
7:00 PM Southeast Missouri State at Eastern Kentucky
7:00 PM High Point at Gardner-Webb
7:00 PM Georgia State at George Mason
7:00 PM Lafayette at Navy
7:00 PM Southeastern Louisiana at Stephen F. Austin
7:00 PM SIU-Edwardsville at Tennessee-Martin
7:00 PM Prairie View A&M at Texas Southern
7:05 PM Samford at Citadel
7:05 PM Illinois-Chicago at Youngstown State
7:30 PM Louisiana-Monroe at FIU
7:30 PM Campbell at Presbyterian
8:00 PM George Washington at Saint Louis
8:00 PM South Dakota State at Oral Roberts
8:00 PM SMU at Tulsa
8:00 PM Marshall at Rice
8:00 PM Nicholls State at Texas-Arlington
8:00 PM Green Bay at Milwaukee (ESPN3)
8:00 PM McNeese State at Texas A&M-CC
8:00 PM Florida Atlantic at Arkansas-Little Rock
8:00 PM Santa Clara at Gonzaga
8:00 PM New Mexico State at Louisiana Tech
8:00 PM Pepperdine at Portland
8:05 PM South Dakota at UMKC
8:05 PM North Texas at Arkansas State
8:05 PM Northern Iowa at Drake
8:05 PM Eastern Illinois at Houston Baptist
8:30 PM Morehead State at Tennessee Tech
9:00 PM Memphis at UAB
9:00 PM Nebraska Omaha at Colorado State
9:00 PM Loyola Marymount at San Diego
9:00 PM Houston at UTEP
9:05 PM Montana at Idaho State
9:05 PM Nevada at Utah State (ESPN3)
9:05 PM Northern Arizona at Eastern Washington
9:05 PM Seattle at Utah Valley
9:30 PM North Dakota State at Southern Utah
10:00 PM Cal State Fullerton at Cal Poly
10:00 PM Stanford at Oregon State
10:00 PM UC Riverside at Pacific
10:00 PM UC Irvine at UC Davis
10:00 PM Weber State at Portland State
10:00 PM Texas-Pan American at Cal State Bakersfield
10:05 PM Northern Colorado at Sacramento State
10:05 PM Long Beach State at Cal State Northridge
10:30 PM Arizona State at UCLA
12:05 AM San Jose State at Hawaii

Wednesday Recap: Temple Knocks Off #3 Duke

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:04:51 -0800

The question asked going into Temple's matchup with #3 Duke was whether or not they would be able to take care of business in the paint with the injured Micheal Eric still out. But by the end of the contest it was apparent that wasn't the biggest issue to be addressed for either team as the Owls won 78-73.

Temple relies heavily on their guards for offense, and Duke didn't have the answers for Fran Dunphy's perimeter players on either end of the floor. Khalif Wyatt led Temple with 22 points, Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson added 17 and three other players scored 11 points in leading the program to their first win over Duke since 1996 (nine meetings).

"I think there was only one way we could win, and that is to manage the game and have those three guys [in control]," said Temple head coach Fran Dunphy of Moore, Wyatt and Juan Fernandez. "And they're pretty good basketball players and they're going to be able to make good decisions with the ball."

Rebounding wasn't a concern for the Owls either as they out-rebounded Duke 32-29. Temple did turn the ball over 17 times in the win, but the Owls also forced 16 Duke turnovers with eleven coming by way of a steal. Duke's guards had a rough time on both ends of the floor, but the more glaring issue for the Blue Devils came on the defensive end.

As a team Temple shot 56.4% from the field as they were able to find the looks they desired when running their offense. Duke on the other hand made 47.5% of their shots, and while that's not a bad number the good looks were tougher to come by for Mike Krzyzewski's team. There's also the offensive end of the floor for the Duke perimeter, which failed to take advantage of the play of big men Mason and Miles Plumlee, who combined for 33 points and 17 rebounds.

Duke's starting guards (Austin Rivers, Seth Curry and Tyler Thornton) combined to make seven of twenty-one shots from the field while reserves Quinn Cook (2-6 FG) and Andre Dawkins (0-3 FG) didn't fare much better. Outside of Rivers the Blue Devils (right now) don't have players who can apply pressure to defenses with their playmaking ability, and that got them in trouble against Temple's experienced backcourt.

The key for Rivers, who will likely have to develop into the lead option for this role, is to develop into a guard who can also set up his teammates. That may be Duke's best hope in the long-term when thinking about whether or not they can win a national title.

"We wanted to take away the three and try to run them off the three-point line a little bit," said Dunphy of their defensive strategy. "I was pleased with our defense and obviously when you can win a game like this, everybody has to play well and you have to get a little lucky, and I think we did that."

The benefit of a game like this in defeat is that Duke has a far better idea of what they need to clean up going into ACC play than they likely would had this contest been against a lesser opponent. As for Temple, winning in front of the third-largest crowd to watch a basketball game at Wells Fargo Center is quite the boost for the program as they go into Atlantic 10 play.

There's been more than enough time to adjust to not having Eric or Scootie Randall, and the Owls will benefit as it has allowed player such as Anthony Lee to take advantage of more playing time. With Xavier going through their struggles the top spot in the A-10 is up for grabs, and Temple is more than capable of grabbing the regular season title.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Georgetown comes back from 17 down to beat #20 Marquette.
With 13:13 left in the game Buzz Williams' Golden Eagles led #9 Georgetown 56-39 and looked to be well on their way to a big conference road victory. But the Hoyas refused to quit, rallying all the way back to tie the score at 66 with 2:33 to go. And John Thompson III's team completed the comeback in thrilling fashion as Hollis Thompson knocked down a three with 24 seconds remaining to give the Hoyas a 73-70 win at the Verizon Center. Jason Clark scored a game-high 26 points to lead the victors, but the big switch occurred in the points in the paint and "paint touches" that are a core value of the Marquette program.

In the first half the Golden Eagles held a 22-8 edge in points in the paint, taking a 43-29 lead into the half as a result. Things flipped in the second half, as Georgetown outscored Marquette 20-4 in the paint. Marquette also falied to score a single fast break point in the second half, and Georgetown taking better care of the basketball (five turnovers compared to 12 in the first half) had a lot to do with that. Georgetown added another line to what is currently the Big East's best resume with a thrilling comeback, while Marquette was issued a tough reminder of what happens when they stray away from what makes them so successful.

2. Kansas controls the boards in a double-digit win over #22 Kansas State.
With Kansas State being the better rebounding team entering Wednesday's showdown it was imperative that Kansas take care of the glass at Allen Fieldhouse. Bill Self's team did that and then some, bludgeoning the Wildcats to the tune of a 50-26 edge on the boards in a 67-49 victory. K-State didn't help themselves by shooting 31.6% from the field (Kansas made 45.5% of their shots) either, but for the Wildcats to resort to shooting 20 three-pointers (making five) is an issue for a team that makes just 33% of their three-pointers on the season.

Thomas Robinson led the way for Kansas with 15 points and 14 rebounds, but it was the play of Travis Releford that stole the show. Releford scored a team-high 16 points while also grabbing 11 rebounds for his first career double-double, providing the help that Kansas will need more of as the season wears on if they're to compete with a team like Baylor in the race for the Big 12 title. Jeff Withey chipped in with eight points and six blocks, rebounding from an uninspired performance in the Jayhawks' win over North Dakota. If guys such as Releford and Withey can be consistent factors Kansas can win another conference title.

3. La Salle takes controls of the game late in the first half on their way to a win over Xavier.
It's been tough sledding for Chris Mack's Xavier club since the brawl with Cincinnati in December, as the combination of suspensions and a challenging schedule proved to be a bit much for the Musketeers. But with all parties involved back, should it really be taking this long to regain the confidence and chemistry they had before that incident? That's a definite concern for Xavier going forward, but on Wednesday night it was all about Dr. John Giannini's Explorers at Tom Gola Arena.

With the program's greatest player not named Tom Gola (Lionel Simmons) in attendance, La Salle closed the first half on a 22-6 run and went on to win 80-70 in the Atlantic 10 opener for both teams. Earl Pettis scored 23 points and Ramon Galloway added 16 as four players reached double figures for the Explorers, who have now won nine of their last ten games. La Salle assisted on 20 of their 26 baskets, and outscoring Xavier 27-12 from deep was key as well. Xavier will be the attention-grabber due to the preseason expectations, but be sure to keep an eye on the Explorers as well.

Quick Hitters

1. Northwestern was presented a nice opportunity to pick up a quality win with Illinois visiting Evanston, and Bill Carmody's Wildcats couldn't get the job done as they fell 57-56. Myers Leonard's block of a Drew Crawford shot in the final seconds preserved the win for the Fighting Illini, dropping Northwestern to 1-2 in Big Ten play.

2. Without Josh Benson, Dayton still found a way to win their Atlantic 10 opener as they beat Saint Louis 79-72 in overtime. Cody Ellis banked in a three with two seconds remaining to send the game to overtime, but the Billikens were unable to get over the hump in the extra session. Kevin Dillard led the Flyers with 18 points.

3. Yancy Gates (and Cheikh Mbodj) returned to the floor for Cincinnati, chipping in with six points, eight rebounds and three blocks in the Bearcats' 71-55 win over Notre Dame. Dion Dixon led Mick Cronin's team with 18 points, and Cincinnati has the look of a team that's comfortable in its new style. UC hasn't lost since the brawl with crosstown rival Xavier, winning seven straight games.

4. Well, it may be time to start taking Ron Hunter's Georgia State team seriously, as they followed up a win over Drexel with a 55-53 win at VCU tonight. Jihad Ali scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Panthers, who are now 3-0 in CAA play and have an overall record of 11-3.

5. Even with wins over Robert Morris and Charlotte there wasn't the most positive feeling about Memphis' hopes as they approach Conference USA play. That may have changed on Wednesday as the Tigers beat Tennessee 69-51, controlling the run of play for much of the night. Antonio Barton led the Tigers with 19 points and Tarik Black added 18 and seven rebounds.

6. Iowa held on despite some bad free throw shooting to win their second straight conference road game, 64-62 at Minnesota. Matt Gatens scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead the Hawkeyes while Minnesota shot 4-for-23 from deep, allowing Iowa to get away with Melsahn Basabe going scoreless in 11 minutes of action.

7. There may not be a better piece of evidence to use in explaining the wild nature of the Missouri Valley than the fact that Southern Illinois is now 2-1 in league play thanks to their 74-65 win at Bradley. Mamadou Seck played very well, finishing with 15 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to lead the Salukis to their second straight league victory. SIU is part of a six-way tie for first place in the MVC.

8. Someone may want to frame the box score from Florida State's 85-56 win over Auburn, because in all honesty it's going to be tough for the Seminoles to match that offensive output in ACC play. FSU made 70.5% of their two-point shots while Auburn made just a third of theirs, scoring 16 points in the first half (FSU led 50-16 at the break). Michael Snaer led the victors with 22 points.

Three Notable Performances

1. C Garrett Stutz (Wichita State)
Stutz scored a career-high 29 points (12-14 FG), grabbed ten rebounds, dished out four assists and blocked three shots in the Shockers' 67-66 win at Evansville. Colt Ryan paced the Purple Aces with 31 points.

2. F Jamelle Hagins (Delaware)
21 points, 18 rebounds and five blocked shots in the Blue Hens' 67-66 win over Hofstra.

3. G Mike James (Lamar)
31 points (12-16 FG) and three steals in the Cardinals' 74-58 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

Wednesday's Preview: #22 Kansas State at #15 Kansas

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 10:34:59 -0800

Wednesday's schedule features two match ups of Top 25 teams, but only one ranks among the better rivalries in college basketball. #22 Kansas State (11-1), winners of six straight games, takes on #15 Kansas (10-3) in Lawrence in the first of two meetings this season. And despite its rivalry status this is a series the Jayhawks have dominated of late, winning seven straight and eleven of twelve before the Wildcats won 84-68 in Manhattan last February. The key for Frank Martin's team is a simple one: limit the paint touches for junior forward Thomas Robinson (17.7 ppg, 12.2 rpg), as he's near unstoppable when given the opportunity to go to work around the basket.

Jeff Withey has also been an important figure for the Jayhawks up front as he's shown the ability to be a key contributor at times. But he played just eight minutes against North Dakota, as Bill Self sent the message that the junior needs to be more aggressive if he's to continue to get minutes. This may also apply to junior Kevin Young, who only played six minutes against North Dakota, and while he only averages ten minutes per contest against the deeper front courts of the Big 12 Young will have to step up. What these two can do to help out Robinson on the glass tonight could determine the outcome, as K-State has the edge on depth and rebounding margin up front.

Jamar Samuels (11.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg) is the leader in the front court for the Wildcats, and he's allowed to step out and do more work on the wing thanks to the presence of Thomas Gipson (10.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg) and Jordan Henriquez-Roberts (7.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg). Kansas State out-rebounds their opponents by a margin of 7.1 rebounds per game, while Kansas has a margin of just plus-0.9. Kansas State is also good at attacking the offensive boards, grabbing 15.2 which is good for a offensive rebounding percentage of 42.3%.

Turnovers, especially among the guards, will also be key as Kansas has struggled with taking care of the basketball at times. Senior Tyshawn Taylor (15.3 ppg, 5.2 apg) is also averaging 3.8 turnovers per game, and he's had some absolute clunkers this season in this regard. But he's turned the ball over six times in the last three games, which is quite the improvement when compared to his 12 turnovers in the games against Ohio State and Davidson that preceded that stretch. Elijah Johnson (10.2 ppg, 3.7 apg) and Travis Releford (8.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg) are the other starters on the perimeter, with Johnson being the best at taking care of the ball when looking at assist-to-turnover ratios.

Kansas State averages 14.7 turnovers per game, which is slightly higher than Kansas' 14.6 average, but the Wildcats have a "better" distribution of those mistakes as no one averages more than 1.9 per game. Guards Will Spradling (11.8 ppg, 2.7 apg) and Rodney McGruder (12.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg) handle the majority of the offensive duties for the Wildcats while Martavious Irving (6.2 ppg) is one of the better defensive guards in the Big 12. And a player to watch as a reserve is freshman Angel Rodriguez, who has scored in double figures in four of the last five games. If he can bring scoring punch while playing in control, K-State will be that much tougher to beat.

The other Top 25 matchup pits #20 Marquette against #9 Georgetown at the Verizon Center, with the winner remaining undefeated in Big East play. Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder have been two of the best players in the Big East, but what they get from Vander Blue could be the difference between a good season and a special one. It will also be interesting to see what Davante Gardner, who played very well against Villanova after being removed from the starting lineup, can do against Georgetown's Henry Sims. Sims is a tough matchup within Georgetown's system due to his ability to step out and make plays, and having perimeter players like Jason Clark and Hollis Thompson doesn't hurt either.

Duke plays a non-conference game before diving into ACC play and it won't be an easy one either, as they take on Temple in Philadelphia. The Blue Devils have to have an answer defensively for Ramone Moore, and senior Juan Fernandez had back-to-back games of 20+ points before scoring 11 in the Owls' win at Delaware. The question for Temple is whether or not they've got the bodies inside to keep Mason Plumlee off the glass. If not, beating Duke will become an even tougher task. In the CAA it's time to find out just how good Ron Hunter's Georgia State team is, as they visit a red-hot VCU team. Devonta White has helped lead the Panthers to a 10-3 start but with a strength of schedule of 344, we'll learn a lot more about their staying power tonight.

Indiana State/Northern Iowa is a key game in the Missouri Valley race with UNI already having two losses in league play, and in the Atlantic 10 Saint Louis visits Dayton in the Flyers' first full game without the injured Josh Benson (torn ACL). Those are both key contest when considering where those final at-large bids could go come Selection Sunday. Illinois' trip to Northwestern would qualify for that distinction as well, with the home team having never been to the Big Dance. Yancy Gates returns to the rotation as Cincinnati hosts Notre Dame, so that should be interesting to watch. And lastly, top-ranked Syracuse visits Providence as the late Dave Gavitt will be honored. The city is naming a street in honor of Gavitt, who founded the Big East Conference. Can Ed Cooley's team ride the emotion to what would be a historic upset? Not so sure about that.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM (1) Syracuse at Providence (ESPN3)
7:00 PM (3) Duke at Temple (ESPN2)
7:00 PM (20) Marquette at (9) Georgetown (ESPN2)
8:00 PM (22) Kansas State at (15) Kansas (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at (18) Murray State

NCAA Division I Games
6:00 PM Xavier at La Salle
7:00 PM Hofstra at Delaware
7:00 PM Auburn at Florida State (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Illinois at Northwestern (BTN)
7:00 PM UNC Wilmington at Northeastern
7:00 PM Delaware State at North Carolina State
7:00 PM West Virginia at Rutgers (ESPN3)
7:00 PM George Washington at St. Bonaventure
7:00 PM Pennsylvania at Lafayette
7:00 PM FGCU at Kennesaw State
7:00 PM Florida A&M at Ball State
7:00 PM Tulane at UCF
7:00 PM Notre Dame at Cincinnati (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Columbia at Colgate
7:00 PM Towson at Drexel
7:00 PM Saint Joseph's at Duquesne
7:00 PM USC Upstate at East Tennessee State
7:00 PM James Madison at William & Mary
7:15 PM Belmont at Jacksonville
7:30 PM Coppin State at Howard
7:30 PM Stetson at Mercer
7:30 PM Richmond at Charlotte
7:30 PM Georgia State at VCU
7:45 PM Lipscomb at North Florida
8:00 PM Southern Illinois at Bradley (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Mayville State at North Dakota
8:00 PM Texas Tech at Oklahoma State
8:00 PM Tennessee at Memphis
8:00 PM Tulsa at Houston
8:00 PM Southeastern Louisiana at Texas-Arlington
8:00 PM UTEP at Marshall
8:00 PM Stephen F. Austin at Texas State
8:00 PM Lamar at Texas A&M-CC (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Saint Louis at Dayton
8:00 PM Indiana State at Northern Iowa
8:00 PM Eastern Illinois at SIU-Edwardsville
8:00 PM East Carolina at Southern Miss
8:00 PM Rice at TCU
8:00 PM Nicholls State at UTSA
8:05 PM Wichita State at Evansville
8:05 PM Illinois State at Missouri State (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Texas at Iowa State
9:00 PM Iowa at Minnesota (BTN)

Friday Afternoon Conference Tournament Happenings

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:37:11 -0800

You know it's March where there's midday college basketball to be discussed. Friday afternoon delivered just six games (one in progress) but there hasn't been a lack of drama. The Colonial, Missouri Valley and Southern conferences all had afternoon doubleheaders in their tournaments, with the MVC in the quarterfinals while the other two leagues are playing first round games today.

Colonial

(8) Georgia State 58, (9) UNC Wilmington 52

The collegiate career of UNC Wilmington guard Chad Tomko came to a tough end in the first game of the day in Richmond. Tomko led the Seahawks with 19 points but he shot 7-for-21 from the field and finished with four turnovers, the last of which came with just over a minute remaining and UNCW trailing by five (54-49). As a team UNCW shot a season-worst 29.5% from the field, and they could never get into a groove offensively. It also didn't help that the Seahawks made just 10 of 20 from the foul line. Josh Micheaux led the Panthers, who earn the honor of facing regular season champion George Mason at noon tomorrow, with 14 points while Eric Buckner added 12 and Jihad Ali grabbed 11 rebounds to go along with his nine points. And the play of Marques Johnson shouldn't be overlooked either as he dished out seven assists to just one turnover on the day. George Mason beat Georgia State 66-51 in their lone meeting on January 15th.

(5) Drexel 75, (12) Towson 69

Considering the fact that Towson went into today's game winless in CAA contests this season, many expected Bruiser Flint's Dragons to simply run through the Tigers on their way to a matchup with VCU on Saturday. But that wasn't the case as Pat Kennedy's squad remained competitive throughout, but they couldn't take advantage of an opportunity to tie the game late due in part to some bad foul shooting by Drexel. The Dragons survive with Samme Givens leading the way, scoring 22 points and grabbing 14 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season. Chris Fouch added 15 points of the bench while CAA All-Rookie Team member Frantz Massenat scored 13 and handed out five assists. Dartaye Ruffin, who had a rough time at the charity stripe late, grabbed 12 rebounds while also scoring eight points. Josh Brown led four Tigers in double figures with 18 points but they were whipped on the boards by a 43-26 margin.

Missouri Valley

(1) Missouri State 58, (8) Southern Illinois 56

Southern Illinois got out of the gates quickly, outscoring the regular season champion Bears 11-3 over the first 2:53 of the game and led 32-24 at the half. But despite those facts and a 56-47 lead with 2:49 remaining, the Salukis went out in heartbreaking fashion as a Kyle Weems basket with 1.4 seconds to go capped an 11-0 run to end the game. Adam Leonard led Missouri State with a game-high 20 points while Weems added 14, making up for a 5-for-18 afternoon from the field with the late-game heroics. Mamadou Seck led SIU with 15 points and 14 rebounds and Kendal Brown-Surles and Justin Bocot scored 11 apiece. Rebounding (38-28 edge) and points from the foul line (15-6 advantage) helped out Cuonzo Martin's club, who has to come out with more energy to start in tomorrow's semifinal against Creighton if they're to get to Sunday's final.

(5) Creighton 70, (4) Northern Iowa 67

The Blue Jays survived some suspect play late, most notably a missed layup that would have sealed the game by Jahenns Manigat, to beat the Panthers in the second quarterfinal of the day. Kwadzo Ahelegbe tried to draw a foul on the final shot of the game but Manigat stayed on the ground, not falling for the shot fake and forcing the senior to put up a challenged shot that fell short. Forwards Doug McDermott and Kenny Lawson, Jr. were the difference for the Blue Jays, with McDermott scoring 16 points (including nine of the first 11) to go along with seven rebounds and Lawson dropped in 18 off the bench. UNI took away the inside play that hurt them in the first half, but all that did was allow the preseason MVC Player of the Year to do damage via Creighton's pick-and-pop game. Antoine Young scored 11 points and racked up seven assists, being every bit the problem for the Panthers that he was in the regular season. Ahelegbe finished with 14 points and four assists, and Anthony James added 10 for UNI.

Southern

UNC Greensboro 71, Davidson 64

To say the least it's a bit weird to talk about Davidson in March with the subject being their loss in the first round of the conference tournament. But that's exactly what happened to Bob McKillop's team, as UNCG sent them home in the first game of the day in Chattanooga. It doesn't help matters when you shoot 24% from the field, as the Wildcats made just 18 of 75 shots on the day. Freshman Trevis Simpson led the Spartans with 15 points and 10 rebounds and teammates Brandon Evans (12) and Kyle Randall (11) each reached double figures as they won their seventh game of the season. Brendan McKillop led Davidson with 14 points and J.P. Kuhlman added 11. Next up for UNC Greensboro is a matchup with the top seed in the North Division, Western Carolina.

Appalachian State 65, Georgia Southern 57

Donald Sims led three Mountaineers in double figures with a game-high 20 points to go along with four rebounds and two assists in the win over Georgia Southern. Neither team shot well from beyond the arc (combined 3-for-19) but Appalachian State scored 27 of their 65 points from the foul line in the win. Ben Drayton III led the Eagles with 16 points but it wasn't enough to prevent the end of their season. Next up for Appalachian State is defending tournament champion Wofford in the second quarterfinal tomorrow.

Tonight's Games

Atlantic Sun Semifinals (ESPN3)
(1) Belmont vs. (5) Mercer
(2) East Tennessee State vs. (6) North Florida

CAA First Round (CAASports.com)
(10) Northeastern vs. (7) Delaware (29-27 Northeastern at halftime)
(11) William & Mary vs. (6) James Madison

Horizon Quarterfinals (ESPN3)
(6) Wright State vs. (3) Cleveland State (31-27 Cleveland State at halftime)
(5) Detroit vs. (4) Valparaiso

MAAC First Round (MAACSports.com)
(8) Niagara vs. (9) Marist
(7) Siena vs. (10) Manhattan

Missouri Valley Quarterfinals (FSN Midwest)
(7) Bradley vs. (2) Wichita State
(6) Evansville vs. (3) Indiana State

Ohio Valley Semifinals (ESPNU)
(4) Tennessee Tech vs. (1) Murray State
(3) Austin Peay vs. (2) Morehead State

Southern Conference First Round (SoConSports.com)
(N6) Samford vs. (S3) Furman
(S5) The Citadel vs. (N4) Elon

WCC First Round (ESPN3)
(8) Loyola Marymount vs. (5) Portland
(7) San Diego vs. (6) Pepperdine

Other Games (regular season)
Brown at Cornell
Princeton at Dartmouth
Penn at Harvard
Yale at Columbia
Akron at Kent State
Ohio at Miami (OH)

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Jon Teitel's Interview Series: Georgia State's Lanard Copeland

Jon Teitel — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 22:11:30 -0700

Recentl, CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with Georgia State basketball legend Lanard Copeland, who after spending three years in the NBA went on to have an illustrious career in Australia. In his time overseas Copeland even played with the great Andrew Gaze, who some of you may remember for his one season as a Seton Hall Pirate in 1988-89 (lost the title game to Michigan in overtime). To this day Copeland remains one of, if not the greatest, Panthers to grace the hardwood.

Jon Teitel: Why did you choose to go to Georgia State?

Lanard Copeland: I was playing pick-up in their gym in the summertime and thought it was such a clean, nice school. It just smelled right, if you know what I mean.

JT: In 1987 you made 9-10 FG in a game against UTSA, which is still the 2nd-best shooting performance in school history. Was it just one of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were "in the zone"?

LC: I remember that game; it was one of those games where I could not miss. Now that I look back on it, I was in a zone, with many more to come.

JT: You played briefly in the NBA with both the 76ers and the Clippers. What is your favorite memory from your time in the NBA?

LC: My favorite NBA memory was just being on the floor with Barkley on one end and Jordan on the other, then Larry Bird, and Isiah, and Stockton. Wow; what a dream come true!

JT: After playing in the NBA you played professional basketball in Australia for almost two decades. Did you expect to have such a long pro career, and what is your secret for lasting so long?

LC: Australia has been fantastic for me. My first year we lost in the grand final, and I could have just left, but the second year we won it all. It was a great start to a wonderful career; I met my wife, we had some kids, and it has all been fun.

JT: You won league championships in 1993 and 1997 in Australia with the Melbourne Tigers. What did it mean to you to win a title, and what was the reaction like in Melbourne?

LC: To win in Melbourne was unreal. This country is sports mad. No really; if you win, they will come.

JT: You teamed up with Andrew "Drewy" Gaze to play for his father (Coach Lindsay Gaze) and form what many observers feel was the greatest backcourt duo in Australian basketball history. How big a star was Gaze in his homeland, and what was it like to play with him?

LC: He was the hardest working guy who I ever played with, and also a great friend. He never missed a single training session in twelve years; can you believe that?

JT: Some people say that you helped legitimize the sport of basketball in Australia. Do you agree with that, and if so, how do you feel that you helped legitimize it?

LC: I think basketball was growing when I got here; I just brought the alley-oop and a little excitement.

JT: You rank second to Gaze in almost every career statistical category in Melbourne history. Do you think you will eventually be inducted into the NBL Hall of Fame, and what will that mean to you?

LC: I just know it was all fun, and it is really not up to me, but I hope so.

JT: You currently own the Rush franchise in the Foot Locker Elite Classic. What is it like to own a franchise, and what do you hope to do in the future?

LC: It is a five-day tournament with prize money; just another way for me to stay in the game. Hopefully it will grow; you can check it out at www.highstakeshoops.com.

JT: When people look back on your career, what do you want them to remember the most?

LC: I just want people to say that I was a tough player and loved the game.

Lanard is also on my list of best pro players in CAA history:

CAA

Delaware: NO ALUMNI IN ABA/NBA

Drexel: Malik Rose (1997)

George Mason: Ricky Wilson (1988)

Georgia State: Lanard Copeland (1990)

Hofstra: Craig "Speedy" Claxton (2002)

James Madison: Linton Townes (1983)

UNC Wilmington: Brian Rowsom (1988)

Northeastern: Reggie Lewis (1988)

Old Dominion: Chris Gatling (1992)

Towson: Kurk Lee (1991)

VCU: Gerald Henderson (1980)

William & Mary: Andy Duncan (1949