Television - ESPN

2011 NCAA Tournament: CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV Schedule

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 15:23:18 -0800

For the first time, all 2011 NCAA Tournament games will be aired live on CBS, TNT, TBS, and truTV (ask your local cable provider where to find truTV.) Individual game slots will be announced following selection sunday.

March 13 - Sunday

12-1 pm - Road to the Final Four (CBS)

6-7 pm - National Championship Selection Show (CBS)

March 15 - Tuesday

6:30-11 pm - First Four (truTV)

March 16 - Tuesday

6:30-11 pm - First Four (truTV)

March 17 - Thursday

12-5 pm - Second Round (CBS)

7-12 pm - Second Round (CBS)

1:30-6 pm - Second Round (TBS)

6:45-12 pm - Second Round (TBS)

2-7 pm - Second Round (TNT)

7:15-12:15 pm - Second Round (TNT)

12:30-5:30 pm - Second Round (truTV)

7:15-12:15 pm - Second Round (truTV)

March 18 - Friday

12-5 pm - Second Round (CBS)

7-12 pm - Second Round (CBS)

1:30-6 pm - Second Round (TBS)

6:45-12 pm - Second Round (TBS)

2-7 pm - Second Round (TNT)

7:15-12:15 pm - Second Round (TNT)

12:30-5:30 pm - Second Round (truTV)

7:15-12:15 pm - Second Round (truTV)

March 19 - Saturday

12-10 pm - Third Round Quadruple-Header (CBS)

7-12 pm - Third Round (TBS)

6-10:30 pm - Third Round (TNT)

March 20 - Sunday

12-7:30 pm - Third Round Triple-Header (CBS)

7-12 pm - Third Round (TBS)

6-10:30 pm - Third Round (TNT)

7:30 pm - Third Round (truTV)

March 24 - Thursday

7-12 pm - Regional Semifinals (CBS)

7:15-12:30 pm - Regional Semifinals (TBS)

March 25 - Friday

7-12 pm - Regional Semifinals (CBS)

7:15-12:30 pm - Regional Semifinals (TBS)

March 26 - Saturday

3-4:30 pm - The Road to the Final Four

4:30-9 pm - Elite Eight (CBS)

(Also 1-3 pm - Division II Championship)

March 27 - Sunday

2-7 pm - Elite Eight (CBS)

April 1 - Friday

5:30 pm - College All-Star Game (truTV)

April 2 - Saturday

3:30 pm - The Road to the Final Four: Outside the Games

4-6 pm - The Final Four Show

6-11 pm - Men's Final Four (CBS)

April 4 - Monday

9 pm - Prelude to a Championship

9:30-11:30 pm - NCAA Men's Championship (CBS)

Opening Round Game Preview: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:56:49 -0700

Winthrop (19-13, 12-6 Big South) vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (17-15, 14-4 SWAC)
Location and Time: Dayton, OH (University of Dayton Arena); 7:30 PM
TV: ESPN

The NCAA Tournament begins on Tuesday night in Dayton with the annual opening round game, this time matching the champions of the Big South and Southwestern Athletic conferences. Neither team will light up the scoreboard but with both being solid defensive squads this has the makings of a low-scoring contest when you figure in both teams having just one full day of preparation. The key in a game like this: knowing who you are and what you need to do in order to win. A team can digest only so much in a scouting report about a team that in most cases you haven't seen much of outside of Championship Week.

Randy Peele's Eagles accomplished one of the tougher things to do in a conference tournament, winning on the home floor of the regular season champions (Coastal Carolina) to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008. Winthrop is not a good shooting team, shooting 38% from the field on the season. But Coach Peele's team is among the best defensive squads in the nation as their opponents shoot 39% and turn the ball over more than fifteen times per game. Frontcourt players Mantoris Robinson, Matt Morgan and Andy Buechert combine to average nearly seventeen rebounds per game and Reggie Middleton leads the team in scoring.

They took on some challenges in the non-conference schedule but they've got nothing on what George Ivory's team went through. A lot of teams that are HBCUs take on the role almost equivalent to that of a barnstorming outfit in November and December, taking on just about any opponent that offers a hefty paycheck in exchange for a game that the visitors are unlikely to win. The Golden Lions started the season 0-11, not winning a game until they beat Mississippi Valley State on January 4th. In that stretch they played four straight tournament teams (Oklahoma State, Georgia Tech, Missouri and Kansas State) and maybe there's something to be said for none of those games having a margin of more than eighteen points.

Guards Terrance Calvin and Savalace Townsend lead five UAPB players averaging at least eight points per game and Coach Ivory essentially sticks to his seven-man rotation. That's about the same number of players that Winthrop will play, although it will be interesting to see if either (or both) team extends their rotation in light of the hurried travel of having one day in between finding out the opponent and gameday. Calvin and Lebaron Weathers lead the way on the boards, and as a team UAPB out-rebounds their opponents by almost seven rebounds per game. The Golden Lions have a defensive rebounding percentage of 73.6% this season and that's a solid number.

The outcome will likely be determined by turnovers and which team can best capitalize on their opponent's mistakes. UAPB has a turnover rate of 24.5%; Winthrop is well below that at 18.2%. But that doesn't mean that the Eagles rely upon assisted baskets for the majority of their offense. Winthrop assists on 47.4% of their baskets, a far cry from Pine Bluff's 58.0% number. The players that Coach Peele relies upon to make things happen do a good job of not turning the ball over when they go to work and that could be the difference on Tuesday.

The winner gets Duke in Jacksonville on Friday, and the team heading to the Sunshine State will be Winthrop. Their ability to control tempo and defend while also not turning the ball over on offense will be the deciding factors in a six-point victory for the Eagles.

Thursday CBS Coverage Maps: What You'll See

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:47:42 -0700

One of the fun but also sometimes frustrating aspects of the NCAA Tournament is that CBS televises multiple games at once. This can lead to some exciting in-game looks at close exciting games, but it also means you might be missing the game you really want to see. CBS released their coverage maps of Thursday's opening round action, and I've linked to the maps for each time-slot below.

Smallest Coverage

Sam Houston St vs Texas (6%) - Pretty much only seen in Texas and fringe areas of New Mexico, but chopped off by UNT/KSU in Texas too.

Biggest Coverage

Florida vs BYU (54%) - Only three games in the 1st session.

CBS Regional Coverage Maps (from HD Sports Guide)

Window 1: 12:30 PM ET - Coverage Map
12:20 Florida vs BYU - 54%
12:25 Old Dominion vs Notre Dame - 27%
12:30 Robert Morris vs Villanova - 19%

Window 2: 2:30 PM ET - Coverage Map

2:30 Murray St vs Vanderbilt - 21%

2:50 North Texas vs Kansas St - 46%
2:55 Sam Houston St vs Baylor - 6%

3:00 St. Mary's vs Richmond- 27%

Window 2a: 5:00 PM ET
Available in areas of interest only
4:40 UTEP vs Baylor

Window 3: 7:00 PM ET - Coverage Map
7:10 Northern Iowa vs UNLV - 9%
7:15 ETSU vs Kentucky - 32%
7:20 Washington vs Marquette - 31%
7:25 Ohio vs Georgetown - 28%

Window 4: 9:30 PM ET - Coverage Map

9:40 Lehigh vs Kansas - 44%
9:45 Wake Forest vs Texas - 19%
9:50 Montana vs New Mexico - 31%
9:55 SDSU vs Tennessee - 9%

Here's what important regions/cities will be seeing:

New York/Tri-State Area

12:30 - Robert Morris/Villanova

2:30 - North Texas/Kansas St

7:00 - Ohio/Georgetown

9:30 - Lehigh/Kansas

- No surprise that NYC gets the 2 Big East games. The northeast gets Lehigh/Kansas as the #1 seed default, but there will definitely be switching around at night.

Los Angeles/Southern California

12:30 - Florida vs BYU

2:30 - North Texas/Kansas St

7:00 - Washington/Marquette

9:30 - SDSU/Tennessee

- Interesting at the 2:30 slot that they're going with the #2 Kansas St over California team St. Mary's vs Richmond.

Chicago

12:30 - Old Dominion vs Notre Dame

2:30 - North Texas/Kansas St

7:00 - Washington/Marquette

9:30 - Lehigh/Kansas

- With no Midwest teams playing at 2:30 & 7:30, Chicago simply gets the default top seed games in those slots.

- CBS Thursday Announcer Pairings

- Complete 2010 NCAA Tournament Coverage

- NCA Tournament Capsules

NCAA First Round Announcer Pairings: Friday

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:05:46 -0700

The tournament gets under way with the sweet sounds of Kevin Harlan. The lead Packer/Nantz crew is in Jacksonville so won't be heard from on Thursday.. they're covering Duke like they did last year. Newcomer Spero Dedes along with Bob Wenzel are relegated to the west coast to do the weird 2:30/5:00 time slot.. yet they have perhaps 2 of the most interesting games, where UTEP is a trendy pick over Butler and Murray St is easily the class of the #13 seeds. The Thursday night set of games seems particularly lacking in drama.

FRIDAY MARCH 19
Tip (ET)	Site	Game	Play-by-Play/Analyst
12:15 PM	Buffalo	Morgan St vs West Virginia	Gus Johnson/Len Elmore
12:25 PM	Milwaukee	Minnesota vs Xavier	Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel
12:30 PM	Jacksonville	Cornell vs Temple	Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg
2:30 PM	Spokane	Siena vs Purdue	Tim Brando/Mike Gminski
2:45 PM	Buffalo	Missouri vs Clemson	Johnson/Elmore
2:55 PM	Milwaukee	Oakland vs Pittsburgh	Eagle/Spanarkel
3:00 PM	Jacksonville	Wofford vs Wisconsin	Nantz/Kellogg
5:00 PM	Spokane	Utah St vs Texas A&M	Brando/Gminski

Tip (ET)	Site	Game	Play-by-Play/Analyst
7:10 PM	Buffalo	Florida St vs Gonzaga	Johnson/Elmore
7:15 PM	Milwaukee	Georgia Tech vs Oklahoma St	Eagle/Spanarkel
7:20 PM	Spokane	New Mexico St vs Michigan St	Brando/Gminski
7:25 PM	Jacksonville	Play-In vs Duke	Nantz/Kellogg
9:40 PM	Buffalo	Vermont vs Syracuse	Johnson/Elmore
9:45 PM	Milwaukee	UCSB vs Ohio St	Eagle/Spanarkel
9:50 PM	Spokane	Houston vs Maryland	Brando/Gminski
9:55 PM	Jacksonville	Louisville vs California	Nantz/Kellogg

- More info at CBSSports.com

- Thursday First Round pairings

- Announcer Ratings

+2010 NCAA Tournament

• All Tournament Coverage

• NCAA Tournament Capsules

• NIT Capsules

• Venue Info & Tickets

• Bracketology

NCAA First Round Announcer Pairings: Thursday

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:52:35 -0700

THURSDAY AFTERNOON, MARCH 18 (12:00 Noon-5:00 PM, ET)
Tip (ET)	Site	Game	Play-by-Play/Analyst
12:20 PM	Oklahoma City	Florida vs BYU	Kevin Harlan/Dan Bonner
12:25 PM	New Orleans	Old Dominion vs Notre Dame	Dick Enberg/Jay Bilas
12:30 PM	Providence	Robert Morris vs Villanova	Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery
2:30 PM	San Jose	Murray St vs Vanderbilt	Spero Dedes/Bob Wenzel
2:50 PM	Oklahoma City	North Texas vs Kansas St	Harlan/Bonner
2:55 PM	New Orleans	Sam Houston St vs Baylor	Enberg/Bilas
3:00 PM	Providence	St Mary's vs Richmond	Lundquist/Raftery
5:00 PM	San Jose	UTEP vs Butler	Dedes/Wenzel

Tip (ET)	Site	Game	Play-by-Play/Analyst
7:10 PM	Oklahoma City	Northern Iowa vs UNLV	Harlan/Bonner
7:10 PM	New Orleans	ETSU vs Kentucky	Enberg/Bilas
7:20 PM	San Jose	Washington vs Marquette	Dedes/Wenzel
7:25 PM	Providence	Ohio vs Georgetown	Lundquist/Raftery
9:40 PM	Oklahoma City	Lehigh vs Kansas	Harlan/Bonner
9:45 PM	New Orleans	Wake Forest vs Texas	Enberg/Bilas
9:50 PM	San Jose	Montana vs New Mexico	Dedes/Wenzel
9:55 PM	Providence	SDSU vs Tennessee	Lundquist/Raftery

- More info at CBSSports.com

- Friday pairings coming soon

- Announcer Ratings

+2010 NCAA Tournament

• All Tournament Coverage

• NCAA Tournament Capsules

• NIT Capsules

• Venue Info & Tickets

• Bracketology

NCAA Tournament on CBS: Announcer Ratings

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:24:28 -0700

When you watch as much of the NCAA Tournament as us die-hards do.. you inevitably form close bonds with the announcers on CBS. Some are strong congenial caring bonds.. others I could do without. Here is the CBS college basketball roster, including links to profiles on CBS.com, their role during the broadcast, and my rating of their recent work. (Check out my announcer rating from last year)

In 2009, we had huge changes as Clark Kellogg replaced Billy Packer as lead color-man alongside Jim Nantz. I was very down on that decision at the time as I find Kellogg to be on the low end of the announcing spectrum. The other big change was Greg Anthony moving into the studio, replacing Kellogg. This move, on the other hand, ended up being a great call by CBS. Anthony already trumps Seth Davis in the studio.

This year, there's not too much change, except for the addition of Spero Dedes getting some calls early in the tournament. Only 30, Dedes is an up-and-comer.

C is considered your run of the mill broadcaster, neither exceptional nor annoying. On the most part, CBS does a good job with their coverage, hence mostly respectable grades (as opposed to a similar report card I could do for ESPN...)

A Ian Eagle (Announcer)

A- Greg Anthony (Studio, Was New 2009)

A- Bill Raftery (Color)

B+ Jim Nantz (Announcer - FF)

B+ Jay Bilas (Color)

B Greg Gumbel (Studio)

B Kevin Harlan (Announcer)

B Gus Johnson (Announcer)

B Lesley Visser (Sideline)

B- Verne Lundquist (Announcer)

B- Spero Dedes (Announcer, New in 2010)

B- Len Elmore (Color)

C+ Stephen Bardo (Color)

C+ Dick Enberg (Announcer)

C Dan Bonner (Sideline)

C Tim Brando (Anouncer)

C Mike Gminski (Color)

C Jim Spanarkel (Color)

C Bob Wenzel (Color)

C Tracy Wolfson (Sideline)

C- Seth Davis (Studio)

D+ Clark Kellogg (Color - FF)

Notes:

Dedes grew up not to far from where I live and I'm more familiar with him then most around the country are. I think he'll prove to be a savvy choice by CBS. I still don't like Kellogg any more then I did last year.. and more and more I find I'm turned off by Seth Davis. On the flip side, Gus Johnson continues to grow on me, even if he is a one-man circus.

No Longer Part of CBS Team

C Carter Blackburn (Announcer, New 2009)

C Craig Bolerjack (Announcer, New 2009)

D Billy Packer (Retired)

B- Sam Ryan (Sideline)

These are my opinions of course, so how would you rate the CBS NCAA Tournament team?

College Hoops Wednesday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:31:22 -0800

Wednesday is the day where the final days before Selection Sunday begin to get ever more hectic. The Big 12 and Conference USA both begin play with four first round matchup, and while the teams set to represent the Big 12 in the NCAA Tournament appear to be set in stone the same can't be said for C-USA. On the "clock" Wednesday is none other than Tulsa, who be playing the tournament in their city even though the Bok Center is not their home floor. Rice is the opening round opponent, a team that they must be to simply retain hope of being a part of the discussion. But in all likelihood Ben Uzoh, Jerome Jordan and company need to win four games in four days if they're to hear their name called on CBS.

The Big East will have two games with significant bubble implications with USF taking on Georgetown and Seton Hall battling Notre Dame. Of these four teams the Hoyas are in while the Irish according to some are in decent shape; the Bulls and Pirates know that they need wins and the more the better. The Bulls won at Georgetown when they made their push towards the top half of the Big East standings with Dominique Jones putting on a show. But the Hoyas played extremely well in their last game, a 74-47 pasting of Cincinnati on Saturday. If Austin Freeman is 100% and Greg Monroe plays well Georgetown has a chance to return the favor. However, the Bulls are deep inside and can account for the Hoyas' big men defensively. That should make for a competitive game.

Also up for grabs are automatic bids out of the Big Sky and Northeast conferences. Weber State and Quinnipiac will have a decided advantage in playing on their respective home floors Wednesday night, but Weber split the regular season series with Montana (both teams winning at home). Guard Damian Lillard can be a handful for opponents but the Wildcats have to find an answer for Montana's Anthony Johnson. Four Grizzlies average at least eight points per game, and this is a matchup that should be tight throughout.

TV GAMES

Noon ESPN USF vs Georgetown (Big East 2nd Round)
2p ESPN St. John's vs Marquette (Big East 2nd Round)
5p MTN Air Force vs Wyoming (Mountain West 1st Round)
7p ESPN Seton Hall vs Notre Dame (Big East 2nd Round)
7p ESPN2 Robert Morris at Quinnipiac (NEC Final)
9p ESPN Cincinnati vs Louisville (Big East 2nd Round)
9p ESPN2 Montana vs Weber St (Big Sky Final)
11:30p FSN Washington St vs Oregon (Pac-10 1st Round)

OTHER TOURNAMENTS

Big 12 First Round (Kansas City)
12:30p Texas Tech vs Colorado
3p Nebraska vs Missouri
7p Oklahoma vs Oklahoma St
9:30p Iowa St vs Texas
Big West First Round (Anaheim, CA)
9p Cal-State Northridge vs Cal-State Fullerton
11:30p UC Irvine vs Cal Poly
Conference USA First Round (Tulsa, OK)
1p East Carolina vs Houston
3:30p Tulane vs Southern Miss
7p Rice vs Tulsa
9:30p UCF vs SMU
Great West Quarterfinals (Orem, UT)
4:30p Texas-Pan American vs Utah Valley
7p Chicago St vs Houston Baptist
9:30p NJIT vs North Dakota
MEAC First Round (Winston-Salem, NC)
3p Coppin St vs Maryland-Eastern Shore
Southland Quarterfinals (Katy, TX)
1p Texas-Arlington vs Stephen F. Austin
3:30p Texas-San Antonio vs Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
7p Nicholls St vs Sam Houston St
9:30p Texas St vs SE Louisiana
SWAC Quarterfinals (Shreveport, LA)
3:30p Mississippi Valley St vs Arkansas-Pine Bluff
9p Grambling vs Jackson St

ONE PREDICTION

Quinnipiac over Robert Morris: The Bobcats proved to have too many weapons in their lone regular season meeting, a game Tom Moore's team actually won in Moon Township. And that will once again be the difference with Justin Rutty leading the way inside. Quinnipiac makes their first-ever trip to the Tournament with a five-point victory.

Tuesday Big East Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:41:09 -0800

The 16-team brawl that is the Big East Tournament begins on Tuesday with teams nine through sixteen playing on the opening day. Similar to last season there are bubble teams playing with the hope of gaining the opportunity to bolster their resumes against stiffer competition later in the week. You've got the bubble angle for USF and Seton Hall, two teams who may be closer to working their way into the Tournament than anticipated a couple of weeks ago as the nation concentrated on Connecticut.

Speaking of the reeling Huskies, what will they bring to the table against St. John's? Head coach Jim Calhoun was none too happy with the play or leadership of his three seniors, benching the trio for the final sixteen minutes of their loss at USF on Saturday. Add in the rumor that this is the coaches' final Big East Tournament (SNY's Chris Carlin reported that "sources" tell him Calhoun will retire; CBS' Seth Davis later reported that Calhoun's son Jeff told him that there was no intention of retiring) and the questions regarding St. John's head coach Norm Roberts' job security and you've got a game that may be more interesting for reasons outside of the teams on the floor.

And there's the return of NYC high school legend Lance Stephenson, whose Cincinnati Bearcats will take on Rutgers in the final game of the night. While the Rookie of the Year award will have already been decided, the lone members of the All-Rookie Team to be unanimous selections (Stephenson and Rutgers' Dane Miller) will share the spotlight as will experienced guards Deonta Vaughn and Mike Rosario. Do the Bearcats have an NCAA pulse? It's definitely a faint one if there (same goes for the Huskies) but you never know when it comes to March. The winners move on to face seeds five through eight on Wednesday.

#9 USF vs. #16 DePaul (Noon; ESPN2)

This is the toughest game of the entire Big East Tournament to play; at least in the later rounds you've got a frenzied crowd to feed off of. The atmosphere in last year's Noon Tuesday tip: more like a lightly-attended high school game. That adds in the importance of bringing your own energy to the floor to the keys in this one. The Blue Demons (much to their chagrin) are in the game for the second consecutive season but they got the job done against Cincinnati and could do the same against USF. Two of the better scoring guards will be on display in USF's Dominique Jones and DePaul's Will Walker but if you were to ask which one is the more prolific that's an easy question to answer (Jones).

The key for DePaul: dealing with a team that's far deeper inside. Jarrid Famous, Toarlyn Fitzpatrick and Gus Gilchrist are just three of the players inside that the Blue Demons could have a tough time managing should Mac Koshwal get into foul trouble. DePaul really needs this to be a "sloppy" game if they're to win, and that's more than possible in this situation with the Bulls being in a position they haven't been in since 1992 (their last NCAA Tournament appearance). The key for USF: don't turn the ball over and take good shots. Outside of Jones there shouldn't be anyone else throwing up too many contested looks, and Mike Mercer is a player on the wing who can get to the rim and finish. Play the way that they have been of late and Stan Heath's team should move on.

#12 Connecticut vs. #13 St. John's (2 PM; ESPN2)

Looking for the least predictable game? This could be it, despite the Huskies dominating the series of late. Coach Calhoun will give his youngsters more time on Tuesday; whether or not they actually start remains to be seen. But it a few cases those are guys who have either played very limited minutes or not at all before Saturday's loss in Tampa. As for the Red Storm, you've got the rumblings about Norm Roberts' job status to deal with but they are coming off of a win to end the regular season (at DePaul in triple overtime). There's definitely talent and depth on that bench with D.J. Kennedy and Paris Horne leading the way, but they've been unable to put it together in Big East play. Could the tournament be the time when St. John's gets things to click?

Kemba Walker will run the show for Connecticut; that much is certain. But what roles will Jerome Dyson, Gavin Edwards and Stanley Robinson have? That's the major question mark. If they're limited youngsters such as Ater Majok, Alex Oriakhi, Jamal Coombs-McDaniel and Darius Smith will have plenty of minutes at their fingertips. The key for UConn: stay under control and execute. Far too often in recent games there have been forays to the basket with little clue of what the defense is doing or what the goal is.

#10 Seton Hall vs. #15 Providence (7 PM, ESPNU)

Given the up-tempo style that both teams like to play this is a dangerous game for Bobby Gonzalez's Pirates. The two met on Saturday with Seton Hall winning at The Dunk 94-82; neither team will struggle to score points. The difference will likely be shot selection and turnovers. With the likes of Jeremy Hazell (SHU) and Jamine Peterson (PC) on the floor there will be more than your fair share of free-wheelers when it comes to what kinds of shots are taken. But whichever team can harness that and find good looks while playing at their preferred tempo will more than likely move on to Wednesday night. Herb Pope has been one of the best newcomers in the Big East, showing the ability to score on the low block (and the occasional mid-range jumper) while also controlling the boards.

Freshman Bilal Dixon will need to combine with Peterson on the glass in order for the Friars to avoid Pope dominating the interior. And as with any team that likes to get out and run the point guards will be crucial tonight. Sharaud Curry (PC) and Eugene Harvey (SHU) have plenty of experience while younger guards such as Vincent Council (PC), Jordan Theodore and Keon Lawrence (SHU) have the skill to make things happen in a hurry (although Lawrence has struggled with his shot for more than a month). The Pirates still have hopes of going to the NCAA Tournament but a slip-up here would likely be fatal.

#11 Cincinnati vs. #14 Rutgers (9 PM; ESPNU)

The Bearcats limped to the finish line, most recently getting beat by 27 at Georgetown on Saturday. What can one make of Mick Cronin's team? The talent is definitely there with the likes of Stephenson, Deonta Vaughn, Yancy Gates and Cashmere Wright among others. But for some reason while they've been able to click on occasion the consistency hasn't been there. Now they face a Rutgers squad that's played better basketball through the second half of the conference slate, and in Defensive Player of the Year Hamady Ndiaye they've got a game-changer in the paint. The key for Rutgers: keeping Mike Rosario's shot selection in check.

The sophomore can put up points in a hurry but when he gets wild the entire offense suffers. There's more than enough help for Rosario, notably freshman Dane Miller and Florida transfer Jonathan Mitchell. But one guy straying off too often hurt Fred Hill's team dearly in the first half of Big East play, and that's something they need to avoid tonight. As for Cincinnati, they need Yancy Gates to show up ready to go. He's had stretches where he's looked unstoppable, only to flip the switch and look like he could care less as to whether or not he were on the floor. If he and Ibrahima Thomas play well up front the Bearcats are a tough team to beat.

Picks
USF over DePaul
Connecticut over St. John's
Seton Hall over Providence
Rutgers over Cincinnati

Live coverage at MSG

NYC Metro Hoops

College Hoops Tuesday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:37:58 -0800

For all the bubble teams not playing on Tuesday night there's really just one game they need to pay full attention to: the Horizon League final between host Butler and second-seeded Wright State. Point blank: if the Raiders find a way to knock off Gordon Hayward and company at Hinkle Fieldhouse one more bid goes off the board (if you're of the thinking that Saint Mary's wasn't a lock themselves before Monday night). The Bulldogs, as you likely already know, went through Horizon League play unscathed and would benefit from a win in regards to NCAA Tournament seeding with a "preferred" seed being more than possible. The last time these two teams met was back on February 6th, a game Butler won 74-62.

If Brad Brownell's team is to win one thing they can do is get Matt Howard into foul trouble. The junior forward has had more than his fair share of foul troubles this season but if he's on the floor and allowed to go to work it's going to be a long night. In the first meeting Butler turned the ball over seventeen times but more than made up for it by shooting a blistering 67.5% from the field (23-29 from two-point range). And that was a game in which Howard played just sixteen minutes; Willie Veasley led the way with nineteen points while Hayward added seventeen. Also of note: the average plus/minus for the starters in that contest.

Butler's starting five boasted an average plus/minus of +13 while the Raiders were far below that at -11.4. Todd Brown and Vaughn Duggins are two of those five starters and they must have superlative performances if Wright State is to pull off the upset. The game was essentially a matter of Butler getting whatever shot they desired; if the Raiders are unable to make them work for their shots they'll be in for a long night at Hinkle. As for other games bubble teams will be on display in both the Atlantic 10 and the Big East.

Rhode Island, Charlotte and Dayton all host first-round games and if they should lose there's no need to entertain thoughts of a Selection Show viewing party. As for the Big East, USF kicks things off with last-place DePaul. The Blue Demons may have the edge in regards to being ready to play in this noon tip since they were in the same exact spot against Cincinnati last season (the Bearcats were on the bubble in that game, similar to USF). The crowd could very well resemble that of a "friends and family night", meaning that the team that manufactures its own energy from the start will be at a decided advantage. Seton Hall is also a bubble team and they take on Providence in the first game of the night session. Those two met last Saturday with the Pirates winning on the road, but given the up-and-down styles that both teams play Seton Hall could have their work cut out for them.

Three total tickets to the NCAA Tournament will be punched with title games in the Sun Belt and Summit also taking place. Oakland was the best team in the Summit but it's not like Ron Hunter's Jaguars were that far off. And the Sun Belt was one of the most unpredictable leagues in college basketball this season, meaning that anyone's guess is a good one in regards to the matchup between Troy and North Texas. Before all the other major conferences tip off their league tournaments this will be a good mixture of games.

TV GAMES

Noon ESPN2 USF vs DePaul (Big East Tournament)
2p ESPN2 Connecticut vs St. John's (Big East Tournament)
7p ESPN2 North Texas vs Troy (Sun Belt Final)
7p ESPNU Seton Hall vs Providence (Big East Tournament)
9p ESPN Wright St at Butler (Horizon Final)
9p ESPN2 IUPUI vs Oakland (Summit Final)
9p ESPNU Cincinnati vs Rutgers (Big East Tournament)

OTHER TOURNAMENTS

Atlantic 10 First Round (campus sites)
7p Duquesne at St. Bonaventure
7p Saint Joseph's at Rhode Island
7p Massachusetts at Charlotte
7p George Washington at Dayton
Big Sky Semifinals (Ogden, UT)
6:35p Montana vs Northern Colorado
9p Portland St vs Weber St
MEAC First Round (Winston-Salem, NC)
6:30p Florida A&M vs Bethune-Cookman
9p North Carolina A&T vs Howard

OTHER GAME
8p Pennsylvania at Princeton

ONE PREDICTION

Seton Hall over Providence: Look for this to be the wildest game of the day at the Garden, but the pick here is Seton Hall. Both teams have stretches of lackadaisical play/bad shot selection but the Pirates are the better of the two teams when it comes to turning their opponents over. Seton Hall wins by five.

College Hoops Monday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 01:11:39 -0800

Northern Iowa became the fifth team to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament, beating Wichita State 67-52 to win their second consecutive Missouri Valley Conference tournament title. Trailing by three at the half, Ben Jacobson's Panthers outscored the Shockers 39-21 in the second half, holding Wichita State to 23.1% shooting in the final twenty minutes. Kwadzo Ahelegbe led the way with 24 points while Jake Koch added 13 off the bench. Koch's performance highlighted a solid effort from the UNI reserves, who helped spark the decisive 23-3 run.

"Our bench stepped up huge for us tonight just like they did the night before," said guard Ali Farokhmanesh. "I think our bench was the biggest difference in that stretch and then probably in the entire game overall." Where will the Panthers be seeded? Many projections have them looking at an eight or nine seed, and while that may be a bit low in regards to UNI's accomplishments no one's exactly lining up to play this team either. Northern Iowa will be a tough out in the NCAA Tournament.

As for Monday four tournament bids will be decided with the game having the most riding on it being the WCC final between Gonzaga and Saint Mary's out in Las Vegas. Mark Few's Bulldogs are safely in the field but a win would help their case in regards to playing the first two rounds at Spokane Arena. But that doesn't compare to the "pressure" that Randy Bennett's Gaels have to deal with. Last year Saint Mary's entered the final in a similar situation, feeling alright about their chances of earning an at-large berth provided Patty Mills be healthy enough to make a difference.

But he struggled and Gonzaga rolled, with the final result being a trip to the NIT instead. No such health concerns this time around although Omar Samhan did tweak his ankle late in the first half of their win over Portland; he played the second half with no trouble. Gonzaga won both regular season meetings and rebounding was a major factor in the first meeting. The Bulldogs out-rebounded the Gaels 45-27, winning 89-82 in Moraga. On a night that saw Robert Sacre grab just six rebounds Steven Gray and Elias Harris combined for 27; the Saint Mary's wings have a hard time rebounding at a rate similar to what these two can produce.

The second contest saw Saint Mary's come unglued to the tune of seventeen turnovers and 37.3% shooting from the field as they fell 80-61 in Spokane. Simply put Gonzaga has a number of weapons both in the starting lineup and on the bench; Saint Mary's will need big night from Samhan and Matthew Dellavedova as well as another player or two if they're to win the crown. At the least Saint Mary's needs to keep this close and play well; with six days between the final and Selection Sunday the worst final statement to make is to be blown out on national television.

As for the other three title games on tap, Siena may be under the most pressure to take care of business. The Saints have won 37 straight on the Times Union Center floor and will take on Fairfield in the MAAC title game, with the Stags having played them tougher than any other MAAC opponent this season. Siena won the second meeting (February 8th) by a 69-67 final as Fairfield outscored them 39-33 in the second half. The difference: turnover margin. The Stags turned the ball over fifteen times to the Saints' ten, and this will be a key Monday night as well.

Freshman point guard Derek Needham was the best rookie in the MAAC but he'll be going up a seasoned veteran in senior Ronald Moore. Fairfield will also need Anthony Johnson to stay out of foul trouble; he picked up three in the first half of their win over Niagara but Ryan Olander stepped up off the bench to keep the Stags afloat. They'll need that and then some in order to win in front of what will be a raucous crowd.

TV GAMES

7p ESPN CAA Final: William & Mary vs. Old Dominion
7p ESPN2 MAAC Final: Fairfield vs. Siena
9p ESPN WCC Final: Saint Mary's vs. Gonzaga
9p ESPN2 SoCon Final: Appalachian St vs. Wofford

OTHER GAMES

7p Summit Semi: IFPW vs. Oakland
9:30p Summit Semi: Oral Roberts vs. IUPUI
7p Sun Belt Semi: Western Kentucky vs. Troy
9:30p Denver vs. North Texas

ONE PREDICTION

Old Dominion over William & Mary: This is an intriguing matchup for the CAA title in Richmond; William & Mary is back playing the way they did early in the season when they beat the likes of Wake Forest and Maryland. But while Tony Shaver's club is playing well they don't have the size inside to match up with ODU's deeper frontcourt. The Monarchs won both meetings, including a 61-42 win at home in early February that saw ODU kill the Tribe on the boards 48-25. Danny Sumner and company can ill-afford for that to happen again if they're to win the battle of the 757. The rebounding discrepancy won't be as extreme but ODU wins by eight.