POSTERIZED: Quincy Acy is electric

Quincy Acy is the most powerful dunker in the country. He's not th flashiest, or the most creative, but nobody throws down a dunk harder and more ferocious than "The Cookie Monster".

Half of his career has been spent dunking over and on-top of people. In fact, 50% of his career field-gaol makes have been dunks.

And what he did against Xavier tonight was one of his best.



That's just mean. It's bad enough the Baylor has to wear those "conceded green" uniforms. Getting a facefull of highlighter can cause night-blindness. I'm pretty sure this hurt Kenny Frease as much as Yancy Gate's sucker-punch did. #TooSoon?

But was it as good as these?

Ramon Galloway/Rodney Williams, Minnesota vs. LaSalle, 3/15 James Michael McAdoo, North Carolina vs. Vermont, 3/16 Julian Boyd, Long Island vs. Robert Morris, 3/8
Andre Drummond, UConn vs. Syracuse, 3/8
C.J. Leslie, North Carolina State vs. Boston College, 3/8
Rondey Williams, Minnesota vs. Nebraska, 3/3
Isaiah Sykes, Central Florida vs. Memphis, 2/28
Brandon Mitchell, Arkansas vs. Ole Miss, 2/28
John Henson, North Carolina vs. Virginia, 2/25
C.J. Aiken, St. Joseph's vs. Temple, 2/25
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Anthony Davis, Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt, 2/25
Dion Waiters, Syracuse vs. UConn, 2/25
Weekend Recap, 2/18
Tony Wroten Jr./Aziz N'Diaye, Washington vs. Arizona, 2/18
Chris Czerapowicz, Davidson vs. Wichita State, 2/18
Darius Miller, Kentucky vs. Ole Miss, 2/18
Rodney Williams, Minnesota vs. Ohio State, 2/16
Darrion Pellom, Hampton vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore 2/15 (DotY Candidate)
Trency Jackson, Northwest Florida vs. Chipola, 2/15
Kwame Alexander, Cal St. San Bernadino, 2/12
Tahj Tate, Delaware State vs. Coppin State, 2/11
Weekend Recap, 2/10 - 2/12
Kyisean Reed, Utah State vs. Louisiana Tech, 2/9
Joshea Singleton, Bucknell vs. Colgate, 2/8
Kelsey Barlow, Purdue vs. Ohio State, 2/7
Markel Brown, Oklahoma State vs. Iowa State, 2/7
Roscoe Smith, UConn vs. Louisville, 2/7
Weekend Recap, 2/2 - 2/5
Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State vs. TCU, 2/4
Michael Carter-Williams, Syracuse vs. St. John's, 2/4
Kwame Alexander, Cal State-San Bernardino vs. Cal State-Dominguez Hills (D-II), 2/3
Bradley Beal, Florida vs. South Carolina, 2/2
Doug Anderson, Detroit vs. Valparaiso, 2/2
Thomas Robinson, Kansas vs. Oklahoma, 2/1
Markel Brown, Oklahoma state vs. Texas Tech, 1/31
Royce White, Iowa State vs. Kansas State, 1/31
Savalace Townsend, Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. Grambling State, 1/28 (DotY Candidate)
Weekend Recap, 1/25 - 1/29
Tony Wroten Jr., Washington vs. Arizona State, 1/26 (DotY Candidate)
Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph's vs. Dayton, 1/25
Markel Brown, Oklahoma State vs. Missouri, 1/25 (DotY Candidate)
Larry Nance Jr., Wyoming vs. San Diego State, 1/24
Dion Dixon, Cincinnati vs. Syracuse, 1/23
Victor Rudd Jr., South Florida vs. St. John's, 1/17 (DotY Candidate)
C.J. Fair, Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh, 1/16
TrayVonn Wright, North Dakota State vs. South Dakota, 1/14
Bandja Sy, New Mexico State vs. Utah State, 1/12
Kenny Hall, Tennessee vs. Mississippi State, 1/12
Dezmine Wells, Xavier vs. Duquesne, 1/11
Kadeem Batts, Providence vs. Louisville, 1/10
Karam Mashour, UNLV vs. CS-Bakersfield, 1/6
Tony Snell, New Mexico vs. Houston Baptist, 1/3
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Georgia Tech, 1/3
Trevis Simpson, UNC-Greensboro vs. Miami, 1/2
Orion Outerbridge, Rhode Island vs. Boston College, 1/2
Sam Thompson, Ohio State vs. Indiana, 12/31
DeShon Minnis, Texas Tech vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 12/30
Keith Gabriel, VMI vs. Old Dominion, 12/22
Eric Etherly, Loyola (Md.) vs. Kentucky, 12/22
Chris Evans, Kent State vs. Texas-Arlington, 12/21
P.J. Hairston, North Carolina vs. Texas, 12/21
Robbie Hummel, Purdue vs. IPFW, 12/20
Robert Brown, Virginia Tech vs. North Florida, 12/19
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Kansas State, 12/17
Torye Pelham, Southern Mississippi vs. Ole Miss, 12/17
Quincy Diggs, Akron vs. Florida A&M, 12/17
Anthony Davis, Kentucky vs. Chattanooga, 12/17
Langston Galloway/C.J. Aiken/Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph's vs. Villanova, 12/17
Terrence Ross, Washington vs. UC-Santa Barbara, 12/16
Jared Cunningham, Oregon State vs. Howard, 12/15
Raheem Appleby, Louisiana Tech vs. McNeese State, 12/14
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Detroit, 12/12
Vander Blue, Marquette vs. UW-Green Bay, 12/11
Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph's vs. Creighton, 12/10
Dion Waiters, Syracuse vs. George Washington, 12/10 (DotY Candidate)
Victor Oladipo, Indiana vs. Kentucky, 12/10
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia vs. Georgia Tech, 12/10
Vander Blue, Marquette vs. Washington, 12/6
Terrence Ross, Washington vs. Marquette, 12/6
Deville Smith, Mississippi State vs. West Virginia, 12/3
Terrence Jones, Kentucky vs. North Carolina, 12/3
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Georgetown, 12/1
Anthony Marshall, UNLV vs. UNC, 11/26
Michael Kidd-Glichrist, Kentucky vs. Portland, 11/26/11 (DotY Candidate)
Markel Brown, Oklahoma State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/25
Rodney Williams, Minnesota vs. DePaul, 11/24
Thomas Robinson, Kansas vs. Duke, 11/23
Stan Okoye, VMI vs. Ohio State, 11/23
Kyisean Reed, Utah State vs. Southern Utah, 11/19
Ra'Shad James, Iona vs. Western Michigan, 11/18
Alandise Harris, Houston vs. Arkansas, 11/18
Sam Thompson, Ohio State vs. Jackson State, 11/18
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Wichita State, 11/18
Eric Griffin, Campbell vs. North Carolina A&T, 11/18 (DotY Candidate)
Olek Czyz, Nevada vs. Pacific, 11/17
Chris Watson, Pikeville vs. Mountain State, 11/16
Ray Willis, North Carolina Central vs. Wagner, 11/16
Mike James, Lamar vs. Ohio, 11/15 (DotY Candidate)
Quincy Acy, Baylor vs. San Diego State, 11/15
Deniz Kilicli, West Virginia vs. Kent State, 11/15
Chris Evans, Kent State vs. West Virginia, 11/15
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Oakland, 11/14
Isaiah Brown, East Tennessee State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/12
Michael Lyons, Air Force vs. Army, 11/11
Dezmine Wells, Xavier vs. Morgan State, 11/11
Jeremy Lamb, UConn vs. Columbia, 11/11 (DotY Candidate)
Andre Drummond, UConn vs. CW Post, 11/4
Moe Harkless, St. John's vs. CW Post, 10/26

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Breaking Down: What was so bad about Baylor's defense?

On Wednesday night, Baylor lost to Kansas 68-54, which dropped them a game off of the pace in the Big 12 standings.

In the writeup that I did for SI.com on the game, I said that "for all the talent that the Bears have on their roster, they are not going to do anything of note in the postseason until they learn how to consistently defend at an elite level."

That statement was kind of vague, so I wanted to touch on it a bit deeper.
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Is Baylor's defense a concern?

What Kansas did to Baylor last night was impressive and noteworthy.

Jeff Goodman praised the fact that the Jayhawks are back. Rightfully so. This is a team that everyone wrote off back in December when they lost to Davidson in Kansas City, which is about as close as you can get to being a home game without being a home game. An 18 point beat down of previously undefeated and No. 3 Baylor will make a lot of people forget about the struggles you've had.

Seth Davis focused on Tyshawn Taylor, the enigmatic and inconsistent Kansas point guard that can be positively electrifying when he's right. The past two games, he's been right, finishing with a career-high 28 points in both games. But he's also committed nine turnovers in that span, which makes one wonder whether he's truly turned over a new leaf on his turnover problems.

Everything that those two gentlemen wrote from Phog Allen on Monday night was correct.

But they failed to mention an even more important point: Baylor's defense was positively dreadful.
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Its time to put Baylor amongst the elite of the elite

This post is sponsored by the Hampton Inn & Suites Cincinnati Uptown/University.

Its time to start mentioning Baylor in the same breath as Ohio State, Syracuse, Kentucky and North Carolina.

I firmly believe that.

And its not just because they left the Octagon of Doom with a 75-73 win over a scrappy Kansas State team on Tuesday night. Just take a look at what this team has done this season:
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The Emery Board: Featuring Chane Benhanan

This weekly column is in honor of BYU's Jackson Emery, who, for two straight seasons, claimed his squad would go undefeated and win the National Championship. Unfortunate for Jackson, his statements never really panned out. In 2009-2010, BYU went 30-6 and lost to Kansas State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. In 2010-2011, they finished 32-5, and lost to Florida in the Sweet-16. So, in those two years, BYU lost 11 games compared to Emery's projected total of zero, won zero National Championships, and in fact, didn't even win the the Mountain West Conference Tournament.

We were going to put the Emery Board to sleep this season. But thanks to Louisville freshman Chane Behanhan, this post has been giving new life.

If you remember correctly, about a week ago, the freshman forward stated that the Cardinals would not lose a single game this season, and that his team is the best in the country.

College basketball has not seen a team go undefeated since Bobby Knight's Indiana Hoosiers went 32-0 in 1975-1976. The closest we have seen since then was a Jameer Nelson-led St. Joseph's team that went 27-0 in the 2003-2004 season before losing to Xavier in the Atlantic-10 tournament. Every season a team flirts with the notion of an undefeated season, but every season that notion slowly fades as January turns to February and February turns to March.

The Emery Board: 5th Edition
Marquette dropped off the Emery Board thanks to a shaky performance at LSU. Louisville barely made it through the week undefeated, as they were given stern tests from Charleston and Western Kentucky. As conference play heats up, the Emery Board will get smaller and smaller. This week is loaded with a couple of very important games featuring undefeated teams. Will any of them suffer from the post-Holiday hangover?

No.1 Syracuse (13-0)
Next game: 12/28 vs. Seton Hall (11-1)
First realistic loss: 12/28 vs. Seton Hall (11-1)

Syracuse continues to play steady ball, easily handling Bucknell and Tulane this past week. Their game against Seton Hall should be a dandy. The Pirates have played much better than anybody expected, and have been flying way below the radar. The match-up between Herb Pope and whoever the Orange throw at him will be very interesting. I can see Fab Melo, James Southerland and Rakeem Christmas all taking shots at Pope, but I'm not sure which of the group will be able to shut him down. That being said, the Pirates don't have nearly as many weapons as the Orange, so conventional wisdom suggests that the 'Cuse should win. But this is a Big East game, so you never know what may happen.



No.4 Louisville (10-0)
Next game: 12/28 vs. No.12 Georgetown (10-1)
First realistic loss: 12/28 vs. No.12 Georgetown (10-1)

If anybody on Louisville going to make a bonehead statement, it makes sense that it was the freshman Benhanan. After all, he has yet to play a single Big East conference game. And wouldn't you know, the Cardinals get a top-15 opponent in their first conference game of the year. See Chane, this is what the Big East is like, and if your team struggled with Charleston and Western Kentucky, Georgetown might be the team to make you eat your words. But lets say Louisville does beat Georgetown, which they more then capable of doing, they get No.3 Kentucky on New Year's Ever in the only rivalry game in the country as tumultuous as the Crosstown Shootout. With what we saw from Louisville last week, I just can't put a lot of faith in them to enter the New Year with a "goose egg" in the loss column.



No.6 Baylor (12-0)
Next game: 12/28 vs. No.14 Mississippi State (12-1)
First realistic loss: 12/28 vs. No.14 Mississippi State (12-1)

The Bears are in the toughest portion of their non-conference schedule. They haven't looked uber-dominant, but they were able to beat a game BYU team in Provo, and beat Saint Mary's and West Virginia on a neutral court. Now comes their toughest test of the season: No.14 Mississippi State. The Bulldogs feature a front-court with enough size to give the bears some struggles, and back-court play could be the difference-maker in this game. If Pierre Jackson can come up large, as he did against BYU (game-clinching block) and WVU (game-winning shot), the Bears should squeak by with a victory.



No.8 Missouri (12-0)
Next game: 12/30 at Old Dominion (6-6)
First realistic loss: 12/30 at Old Dominion (6-6)

Realistically, Missouri should run through Old Dominion on New Year's Eve. But Blaine Taylor's squad is seasoned and tested. The Monarchs aren't nearly as good as they were two years ago, but this setting has all the makings of a trap game. The Tigers just defeated their "Border War" rivals Illinois last week, they had the holiday weekend off, and they start Big-XII play next week. If there was ever a time to catch Mizzou sleeping, it would be now. But let's say Missouri wins, which I expect them to do. It's possible that the Tigers are the last undefeated team standing. They start Big-XII play against Oklahoma, Kansas State, Iowa State and Texas. While that's not exactly an easy start, it's not a murder's row either. This team has showed very few weaknesses thus far, and I could totally see the Tigers being undefeated heading in to their 12/21 showdown with Baylor in Waco.



No.13 Indiana (12-0)
Next game: 12/28 at No.17 Michigan State (11-2)
First realistic loss: 12/28 at No.17 Michigan State (11-2)

The Hoosier's had cupcakes for Christmas, as they faced Howard (4-9) and UMBC (1-10). Indiana waxed the east coast teams by a combined score of 196-97. But the non-conference schedule is over, and the Hoosiers begin Big-Ten play with a murder's row: at No.17 Michigan State, No.2 Ohio State on New Year's Eve, and No.16 Michigan. The Hoosiers have been a pleasant surprise thus far, but I'm 100% confident that they will lose one of their next three games.



No.22 Murray State (13-0)
Next game: 12/30 at Eastern Illinois (6-5)
First realistic loss: 12/30 at Eastern Illinois (6-5)

So here we are. Murray State has finished their non-conference schedule and still has not been defeated, they are clearly the best team in the Ohio Valley Conference and will be the favorites in every game they play. But, like I said last week, they will be getting the best shot from every team they play. They will get more TV coverage, more publicity, more everything. I think Murray State will lose a game this year. In fact, I'm nearly sure of it. But I have exactly no idea which game it will be.



Bottom of the Barrel


Run The Floor did a good job breaking down the teams that have yet to notch a victory this year. I suggest you give their site a good-read, but not before you read our stuff first.


Binghamton (0-10)
Next game: 12/28 at Canisius (2-9)
First real chance to win: 12/28 at Canisius (2-9)

Chicago State (0-13)
Next game: 12/31 at Ball State (6-4)
First real chance to win: 1/15 vs. St. Francis (Ill) (Non-DI)

Grambling State (0-9)
Next game: 12/29 at LSU (9-3)
First real chance to win: 1/3 vs. Alabama State (2-9)

Hartford (0-11)
Next game: 12/31 at LaSalle (8-4)
First real chance to win: 1/15 at Binghamton (0-10)

Northern Illinois (0-11)
Next game: 1/2 vs. Roosevelt (Non-DI)
First real chance to win: 1/2 vs. Roosevelt (Non-DI)

Towson (0-12)
Next game: 12/30 vs. No.24 Virginia (10-1)
First real chance to win: 1/2 vs. Northeastern (3-7)

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The Emery Board: Chane Behanan Edition

Dear Louisville freshman Chane Behanan,

Thank You.

Sincerely,

Locker room bulletin boards everywhere


For now, this weekly post will remain as "The Emery Board", but a new title could be coming soon, and it's all thanks to the first-year forward.

You see, Louisville just beat Memphis this weekend in a tough non-conference affair to remain undefeated at 10-0, good enough to land them at No.4 in the AP/Coaches Poll. But according to Behanan, the Cardinals are better than that. His team is the best team in the country:
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The Emery Board

This weekly column is in honor of BYU's Jackson Emery, who, for two straight seasons, claimed his squad would go undefeated and win the National Championship.

College basketball has not seen a team go undefeated since Bobby Knight's Indiana Hoosiers went 32-0 in 1975-1976. The closest we have seen since then was a Jameer Nelson-led St. Joseph's team that went 27-0 in the 2003-2004 season before losing to Xavier in the Atlantic-10 tournament. Every season a team flirts with the notion of an undefeated season, but every season that notion slowly fades as January turns to February and February turns to March.

The Emery Board: 3rd Edition
After a roller-coaster weekend, we are left with just nine undefeated teams. Indiana remains undefeated thanks to a game-winning three point buzzer-beater by Christian Watford. Murray State stayed in the mix with a strong road victory at Memphis. Plus, there was the Crosstown Brawl. How does that effect Xavier's unbeaten record?


No.1 Syracuse (10-0)
Next game: 12/17 at North Carolina State (6-3)
First realistic loss: 12/17 at North Carolina State (6-3)

The Orange have looked down-right impressive this season. Fab Melo has improved by leaps and bounds, and the Orange sport one of the deepest benches in the country. Plus, all the distractions with the Bernie Fine investigation have yet to rattle this bunch. But they've also yet to play a true road game, and will receive a stern test from North Carolina State this Saturday.


No.4 Louisville (9-0)
Next game: 12/17 vs. Memphis (5-3)
First realistic loss: 12/17 vs. Memphis (5-3)

The Cardinals rolled through IUPUI and FDU this past week, and have a tough non-conference game against Memphis on the horizon. Gorgui Deing has been very impressive this year, and Kyle Kuric continues to improve as one of the leaders of this team. And remember, this team continues to fight the injury bug. With games against Georgetown and Kentucky down the road, it's unlikely they will stay undefeated for long, but this team should be considered a real threat to contend for a Final-Four bid.


No.7 Baylor (7-0)
Next game: 12/14 vs. Bethune-Cookman (3-4)
First realistic loss: 12/23 vs. West Virginia (6-2)

The Bears didn't play last week, and don't face any real competition until 12/22 when they play Saint Mary's. But that starts a tough stretch against quality teams, with West Virginia, Mississippi State and Texas A&M to follow. Guard-play and coaching will continue to be the team's question-marks. Can Pierre Jackson and A.J Walton get it done? And can Scott Drew actually coach this team up during late game situations? We should have some answers once 2012 rolls around.


No.8 Missouri (9-0)
Next game: 12/15 vs. Kennesaw State (2-5)
First realistic loss: 12/22 vs. No.19 Illinois (10-0)

This team continues to impress. The Tigers have yet to score less than 80 points in a game, and while rebounding will continue to be a question, the team's chemistry and efficiency will get them by. Phil Pressey is emerging as one of the best guards in the country, and if Kim English can continue to shoot well from outside, teams will have serious match-up problems. This team has rallied behind Frank Haith, and the results thus far have been tremendous. Illinois' seven-footer Meyers Leonard will provide Missouri with a tough match-up, but if the Tigers can defeat the Illini, it's likely they remain undefeated heading into the new year.


No.9 Xavier (8-0)
Next game: 12/18 vs. Oral Roberts (6-3)
First realistic loss: 12/18 vs. Oral Roberts (6-3)

If you spent your weekend under a rock, you might be confused as to why Oral Roberts has a chance to beat an undefeated, top-10 team. But due to the Crosstown Brawl, Xavier will be without their three best players for this game. While the length of suspensions are down-right embarrassing, this team is scary-good when they have all their horses on the court. After Oral Roberts, they play Long Beach State and Gonzaga. I have to imagine Xavier will lose one of the next three games. If not, then we have to start considering this team as a legitimate Final-Four contender.


No.11 Marquette (9-0)
Next game: 12/17 vs. Northern Colorado (3-5)
First realistic loss: 12/29 vs. No.25 Vanderbilt (6-3)

The Golden Eagles may be the most entertaining team in the country. They have a variety of weapons and role players, and one of the most talented coaches in the country. But injuries have started to pile up in the past week. Center Chris Otule will miss significant time with an ACL injury. Plus, freshman Juan Anderson injured his shoulder during practice and sophomore Jamil Wilson sprained his ankle late in the week. Marquette has a tough stretch of games towards the end of the month, and probably will suffer a defeat before January first. Nonetheless, this team is really talented and should be considered a legitimate Final-Four contender.


No.19 Illinois (10-0)
Next game: 12/17 vs. UNLV (9-2)
First realistic loss: 12/17 vs. UNLV (9-2)

Did any of us expect Illinois to be undefeated at this point in the season? If your answer is no, you're clearly lying. Center Meyers Leonard has been playing inspired basketball as of late, and transfer Sam Maniscalco has stepped up as well. This is a much different team than last year. The departures of Demetri McCamey and Jereme Richmond have made this team more cohesive and while they aren't uber-talented, they are a rough, tough team that will be a difficult out.


No.20 Indiana (9-0)
Next game: 12/17 vs. Notre Dame (7-4)
First realistic loss: 12/28 at Michigan State (8-2)

Christian Watford's buzzer-beating, game-winning three pointer against Kentucky has been the signature moment of the season. Indiana came into the contest undefeated but untested, and with the victory, Tom Crean got a career-defining win. This team has a superstar center in Cody Zeller, some big-time athletes in Will Sheehey and Victor Oladipo, and a bunch of veteran leadership. A let down will come at some point, but for now, this team should be given all the praise in the world.


Murray State (9-0)
Next game: 12/15 vs. Lipscomb (6-5)
First realistic loss: 12/30 at Eastern Illinois (6-3)

The Racers passed their first real test of the season, a road victory over Memphis. With all their tough non-conference games out of the way, the Racers have set themselves up to make a run at finishing the season undefeated. That might sound ridiculous, but no team in the Ohio Valley Conference is as talented as them, and if they can avoid a significant letdown, going undefeated isn't out of the realm of possibility.



Bottom of the Barrel

Binghamton (0-7)
Next game: 12/17 at Hofstra (3-7)
First real chance to win: 1/5 vs. Stony Brook (3-5)

Chicago State (0-9)
Next game: 12/14 at Wichita State (7-2)
First real chance to win: 12/17 at Loyola (IL) (2-7)

Grambling State (0-6)
Next game: 12/18 at Texas Tech (4-4)
First real chance to win: 1/3 vs. Alabama State (2-6)

Hartford (0-10)
Next game: 1221 at Marist (4/5)
First real chance to win: 1/15 at Binghamton (0-7)

Morgan State (0-7)
Next game: 12/14 at UMBC (1-7)
First real chance to win: 12/14 at UMBC (1-7)

Northern Illinois (0-8)
Next game: 12/14 vs. DePaul (6-3)
First real chance to win: 12/17 vs. Southern Illinois (1-5)

Towson (0-9)
Next game: 12/14 at Coppin State (3-5)
First real chance to win: 12/14 at Coppin State (3-5)



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College Hoops Week in Review: Tu Holloway, Baylor shine

Player of the Week: Tu Holloway, Xavier

Tu Holloway's final numbers from the week were impressive: 22.5 ppg, 4.0 apg, 4.5 rpg, 2.0 spg, six threes and 17-19 from the line. The wins that Xavier notched were equally good, as the Musketeers went into Nashville to knock off Vanderbilt in overtime on Monday and followed that up with a three-point win against Purdue on Saturday. What's more is that Xavier came from behind in both games, trailing Vanderbilt by 10 midway through the second half and finding themselves down 19 to Purdue with less than 10 minutes left.

Those numbers are more interesting, however, when you break up the game. For example, with 3:30 left in overtime against Vanderbilt, Holloway had just 14 points on 4-17 shooting. That stat line looks much more impressive after he hit back-to-back threes on the next two possessions and four straight free throws down the stretch to seal the win. Likewise, against Purdue, Holloway had just 10 points and six turnovers in the first 38 minutes of the game, but in the final two minutes he hit a three on three consecutive possessions and followed that up with two free throws, completing the most impressive comeback of the young season.


All told, Holloway had just 24 points on 6-23 shooting with seven turnovers in the two games prior to crunch time. But in the final three minutes against Vanderbilt and the last two minutes against Purdue, Holloway had 21 points, went 5-6 from beyond the arc and knocked down all six of his free throws attempts. And it was those 21 points that have kept Xavier among the ranks of the undefeated.

The All-They-Were-Good-Too Team

- G: Joe Ragland, Wichita State: Ragland had 15 points and three assists in a win over Cal St. Fullerton, but the reason he made this list is the 31 points -- on 8-9 shooting from three -- he had in an 89-70 win over UNLV. For the week, averaged 23.0 ppg, shooting 77.8% (14-18) from the floor and 84.6% (11-13) from three. He also added six assists and seven boards in the two games.

- G: Damian Lillard, Weber State: The Wildcats were just 1-1 on the week, losing to St. Mary's on the road, but that wasn't the result of anything that Lillard did. The dynamic scoring guard had 36 points in the loss to the Gaels and followed that up with 41 points in a double overtime win over San Jose State. Lillard hit a three to force the first overtime and won the game with an and-one in the second overtime.

- F: Hollis Thompson, Georgetown: Thompson led the Hoyas to a 3-0 week by averaging 17.7 ppg and 6.3 rpg. But it was the one game of the week where Thompson didn't score 20 points that he had the biggest impact. The junior forward buried a three from the wing with 1.8 seconds left to give Georgetown a two point win over Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

- F: Doug McDermott, Creighton: Doug McDermott had 25 points and 12 boards as the Bluejays knocked off Nebraska. That performance came just four days after McDermott went for 24 points and 12 boards as Creighton notched a win to put themselves on the map by coming from 17 down in the first half to beat San Diego State on the road.

- C: Mike Scott, Virginia: Scott averaged 19.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg and 3.5 apg as Virginia moved to 2-0 on the season with wins over Longwood and Michigan. In the win over Michigan, Scott had 18 points and 11 boards on 6-11 shooting, taking over for a four minute stretch in the second half that sparked the Cav's game-changing run.

- Bench: Ryan Boatright, UConn (23 pts, 6 asts, 5 rbs vs. Arkansas); Zach Filzen, Buffalo (25.0 ppg, 12-19 3's); Reggie Hamilton, Oakland (35 pts vs. Tennessee; 23.0 ppg, 6.0 apg in 3-0 week); Ken Horton, CCSU (31.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg); Anthony James, Northern Iowa (22.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg); Rob Jones, St. Mary's (21.0 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.5 bpg); James Kinney, SJSU (27.3 ppg, 18-31 3's); Arnett Moultrie, Mississippi State (21 pts, 13 rbs vs. West Virginia); Darryl Partin, Boston U (27.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg); Terrell Stoglin, Maryland (28.0 ppg)


Team of the Week: Baylor Bears

Let's start with the return of Perry Jones III. In his first game back from a five-game suspension stemming from illegal benefits that he received while in high school, Jones exploded for 27 points on 10-14 shooting, showcasing the kind of athleticism and versatility that makes NBA GM's salivate. Jones is a perfect fit for what Baylor wants to do on both ends of the floor, and while he had just 12 points and six boards in Baylor's win over Northwestern on Sunday, its obvious that his return has a chance to make Baylor a Final Four contender.


Speaking of that Northwestern game, Baylor recorded one of the most impressive defensive performances of the young season. Northwestern came in with one of the most high-powered offenses in the country, but after 40 minutes of dealing with the Bear's length and athleticism, the Wildcats managed just 41 points, shooting 24.1% from the floor and 4-26 from three. According to statsheet, the Wildcat's average offensive efficiency coming in was 110.5, but against Baylor, they posted an offensive efficiency of 66.2.

But as always, the issue with Baylor is at the point. Can AJ Walton and Pierre Jackson really be the kind of playmakers that Scott Drew's team needs? The 18 points, 8-10 shooting and eight assists the two combined for say yes. The seven turnovers they had say no.

Teams deserving a shout out

American: After knocking off St. Joe's at home on Sunday evening, the Eagles improved to 7-2 on the season and pushed their winning streak to seven games. With senior guard Charles Hinkle continuing his terrific play -- he had 32 points against St. Joe's after coming in averaging 22.3 ppg -- can the Eagles challenge Bucknell and Lehigh at the top of the Patriot League?

Boise State: The Broncos improved to 7-1 on the year with a sweep of MVC opponents this week, beating Drake by 44 points and following that up with a 74-65 win over Valley sleeper Indiana State. Could Boise State actually finish in the top half of the MWC?

Indiana: The Hoosiers knocked off Stetson by 34 on Saturday, but the win that everyone is going to take notice of was when they went into Raleigh and knocked off NC State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. With players like Jordy Hulls, Cody Zeller and Christian Watford, there's no question that Tom Crean's club can score. The question is whether they are going to be able to defend.

Kansas State: The Wildcats put together a couple of nice wins this week. They used a second half run to put away both George Washington and Virginia Tech to remain undefeated. Most impressive, however, was Frank Martin taking his team across the country to play a fellow potential bubble dweller and winning.

Louisville: The Cardinals put together a couple of nice wins this week, knocking off Long Beach State on Monday before making a comeback in the second half to beat Vanderbilt. The Cards did it short-handed with what feels like half their roster continues to recover from injuries. Peyton Siva slowly-but-surely seems to be taking over the roll of the star for Louisville.

Marquette: The Golden Eagles continue to string together impressive wins. On Saturday, they went into the Kohl Center and knocked off Wisconsin while Jae Crowder managed just two points on four shots.

Minnesota: Did we count Minnesota out too early? The Gophers won two games this week after Trevor Mbakwe injured his knee, beating both Virginia Tech and USC to improve to 8-1 on the season. More impressive, still, is that Minnesota was also missing Ralph Sampson.

Northern Iowa: The Panthers continue to impress, winning games against both Colorado State and Iowa State this past week. The star of the week was Anthony James, who averaged 22.5 ppg and 6.5 rpg in the two wins.

Oakland: The highlight of a 3-0 week for the Grizzles was that, for the second straight season, Oakland knocked off Tennessee. And, also for the second straight season, the Grizzlies did it on national television. With Reggie Hamilton playing like an all-american, this is a team you don't want to face in March.

Ohio: The Bobcats are now 5-1 on the season after another 2-0 week. After proving themselves feisty by hanging with Louisville at the Yum! Center, Ohio went into Huntington, WV, and knocked off Marshall on Wednesday.

Ohio State: Ohio State smacked Duke. But Jared Sullinger has back spasms. Anything else?

Syracuse: A 2-0 week with a win over Florida despite all the negative attention the program has received surrounding Bernie Fine is promising.

Tulane: For the first time in more than two decades, the Green Wave are now 9-0. And for the first time since 2003, Tulane knocked off a team from the ACC when they beat Georgia Tech on Saturday afternoon. Its tough to really get a feel for how good this team is -- Georgia Tech isn't exactly going to be a Final Four team this season, and that's Tulane's best win -- but 9-0 is 9-0. Can Tulane make it into the top half of C-USA?

Wichita State: You want to talk about an impressive win? The Shockers absolutely beat down a UNLV team that handed then-No. 1 UNC their first loss of the season. The final was 89-70, but the Runnin' Rebels were never really in this game after the first few minutes. With the way that the Valley has started off this season, I think multiple NCAA Tournament bids -- maybe as many as three -- are likely.


Five thoughts:

- Missouri Valley: Last week, I said that the WCC was the best mid-major conference in the country. I'm not yet ready to back track on that statement, but the Missouri Valley is making a push to be involved in the conversation. We all know about the success that Creighton has had early in the season, firmly entrenching themselves in the top 25 with a come-from-behind road win over San Diego State. After beating UNLV, Wichita State moved to 6-2 on the season with their only losses coming to Alabama and a Temple team that still had Michael Eric, both in Puerto Rico. Northern Iowa is 7-1 on the season, with their lone loss coming at St. Mary's. The Panthers have six won six in a row, including games against Providence, Iowa State and Colorado State. Indiana State has lost two of their last three, but they get a shot on Dec. 17th to prove themselves at Vanderbilt.

The Valley doesn't quite have the same depth as the WCC does at this point, but those four teams I just listed all have a real shot at bringing home a league title. As always, the Valley race should be fun, and as long as the top teams take care of the teams at the bottom of the league, we should be getting more than one Valley member dancing.

- There are three "What in the hell is going on with them" teams in the country right now: Dayton, Loyola Marymount and Tulsa. The Flyers earned themselves some attention by winning the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, beating the likes of Minnesota and Fairfield. But apparently Dayton never left Florida, at least mentally, as they've lost their last two games by a combined 46 points to Buffalo and Murray State.

LMU looked like they had finally decided to play up to their potential this year when they knocked off UCLA early in the season. The Lions followed that up, however, with Middle Tennessee State and Harvard. Then, after beating another ranked opponent in St. Louis, LMU followed that up with home losses to Columbia and North Texas. And, lastly, Tulsa has as much talent on their roster as anyone in Conference USA. But their chances of winning the league look slim as the Golden Hurricane have lost five of their last six games, including Sunday's home loss to Arizona State, quite possibly the worst high-major team in the country.

- Middle Tennessee State: This team just keeps posting win after win after win. Nothing is overwhelmingly impressive -- at LMU, at UCLA by 20, at home vs. Akron by 24, only loss at Belmont in double-overtime -- but when they are all put together, that's a pretty intriguing resume. The problem is that it will be another week before we really get a gauge on whether we need to watch the game: that's when MTSU hosts Belmont and travels to Ole Miss.

- Atlantic 10: Sunday was a bad day for the A-10, as four teams expected to finish in the top half of the league -- Dayton, George Washington, Rhode Island and St. Joe's -- lost to Murray State, VCU, Maine and American, respectively. This came in the same week that St. Bonaventure lost to Arkansas State, St. Louis was upset by LMU and Temple got beaten by Bowling Green as Michael Eric was injured for six week. Xavier is terrific, but its looking more and more like the exciting race in the Atlantic 10 is going to be for second-place.

- Big 12: The Big 12 may not have an Elite 8 team in their midst, but that doesn't mean that this league won't be fun. Baylor and Missouri are playing as well as they are going to all season long. Kansas has enough talent to compete even in a down year. Texas A&M is finally getting healthy. Throw in Kansas State -- who just won at Virginia Tech to improve to 5-0 -- and Texas -- who came from 13 down to beat UCLA by double figures in Westwood.


Games of the Week:

Kentucky 73, UNC 72: We all remember what happened here. The two most talented teams in the country traded haymakers for 40 minutes before UNC inexplicably forgot to foul when they were down one with six seconds left:



While the ending was a bit anti-climactic, that shouldn't take away from how good this game was on the whole. You ready for that rematch in New Orleans?

Nevada 76, Washington 73 OT: Deonte Burton finally looked like the Deonte Burton that we all expected to see from the start of the season. The dynamic point guard had 31 points, including a three that forced overtime and eight of the Wolfpack's 10 points in the extra frame.

UNLV 94, UCSB 88 2OT: The ending to this game was out of this world. At the end of regulation, UNLV opted to foul UCSB when the Rebels were up three with just a couple of seconds left. UCSB hit the first and missed the second, but 7'3" Greg Somogyi got the loose ball and scored on the putback as the buzzer sounded. Then at the end of the first overtime, UCSB opted not to foul when they were up three, and Chace Stanback he a tough, falling down three to force five more minutes where UNLV would prevail.


Matchups of the Week:

- Tue. 12/6, 7 p.m. No. 13 Missouri vs. Villanova
- Tue. 12/6, 9 p.m. No. 16 Marquette vs. Washington
- Tue. 12/6, 9 p.m. Long Beach State @ No. 14 Kansas
- Wed. 12/7, 7 p.m. Arizona @ No. 9 Florida
- Wed. 12/7, 9 p.m. No. 11 Xavier @ Butler
- Thu. 12/8, 9 p.m. Harvard @ No. 10 UConn
- Sat. 12/10, 12 p.m. Washington vs. No. 4 Duke
- Sat. 12/10, 12:30 p.m. Cincinnati @ No. 11 Xavier
- Sat. 12/10, 2 p.m. No. 20 UNLV @ No. 7 Wisconsin
- Sat. 12/10, 3:15 p.m. No. 2 Ohio State @ No. 14 Kansas
- Sat. 12/10, 5:15 p.m. No. 1 Kentucky @ Indiana
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POSTERIZED: Quincy Acy is the King of the Dunkers

Quincy had 181 dunks in his career heading into Tuesday afternoon's game against San Diego State.

Unfortunately for Garrett Green, Acy got his 182nd dunk. Right on his head. Those 182 dunks? They are over 50% of the field goals that Acy has made in his career. That's a wild stat:



But was it as good as these?

Deniz Kilicli, West Virginia vs. Kent State, 11/14
Chris Evans, Kent State vs. West Virginia, 11/14
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Oakland, 11/13
Isaiah Brown, East Tennessee State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/12
Michael Lyons, Air Force vs. Army, 11/11
Dezmine Wells, Xavier vs. Morgan State, 11/11
Jeremy Lamb, UConn vs. Columbia, 11/11 (DotY Candidate)
Andre Drummond, UConn vs. CW Post, 11/4
Moe Harkless, St. John's vs. CW Post, 10/26
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Is Stargell Love transferring a good sign for Baylor?

Baylor has the talent on their roster to be one of the best teams in the country next season. A Big 12 title is well within reach, and a Final Four is not out of the question.

Once Perry Jones -- a top five pick whenever he decides to leave -- made the decision to return to school, rejoining forces with Quincy Acy and Anthony Jones along Baylor's front line, the expectations for Scott Drew's team went through the roof. Throw in 6'8" small forward Quincy Miller and 6'4", high-flying guard Deuce Bello (who rank 5th and 49th, respectively, in our consensus recruiting rankings), and Baylor has as much raw talent as anyone this side of North Carolina and Kentucky.


But Baylor was in the same position a year ago, and they ended up 7-9 in the Big 12 in 2011 and missed the NCAA Tournament.

Much of that blame fell on the play of Baylor's point guards. AJ Walton, who started all 30 games that he played in, struggled with his decision making -- poor shot selection and turnover prone are attributes that you don't like to see in your point guard -- and freshman Stargell Love never found a rhythm before once he returned from a foot injury.

And now?

News has leaked that Love, a product of the same AAU program that produced Miller, Bello, and John Wall, is transferring out of Baylor and heading to a school closer to his North Carolina home.

At first glance, this appears to be bad news for the Bears, as it leaves them with just one point guard on the roster with any game experience under Drew.

Dig deeper, however, and it may end up being a good sign. Why? Because Scott Drew has brought in reinforcements at the point. Gary Franklin, a former top 100 recruit that spent the first half of last season at Cal, will be eligible for the Bears in December. Pierre Jackson, a JuCo all-american point guard a season ago at the College of Southern Idaho, will be eligible immediately. As will Boston College transfer Brady Heslip, who can play the point but made a name for himself playing off-the-ball on the same team as Cory Joseph.

Love transferred because he saw the writing on the wall. Not only was the guy that played 33 minutes per game at the point returning for his junior season, but Drew brought in three players that would have probably surpassed Love on the depth chart.

How good Baylor ends up being next season will likely be the result of how good their point guard play ends up being.

And having options never hurt anyone.
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Dave Bliss, still a dirtbag

You remember Dave Bliss, right?

How could you forget him?

He's the former Baylor head coach that tried to cover up his illicit payments to recruits and players by attempting to frame Patrick Dennehy -- a player murdered by his teammate Carlton Dotson -- as a drug dealer.

Scumbag-tastic, amirite? (I shouldn't be joking or snarky. What Bliss did is sickening to the umpteenth degree.)


Well, Bliss is back at it. Last summer, he was hired by Allen Academy, a small private school in Texas, to be their basketball coach and athletic director. It was championed as Bliss' chance at redemption, but that notion took less than a year to dissolve.

Last November, the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools ruled that two of the numerous players that Bliss recruited to Allen Academy received "improper inducement". In other words, they didn't have to pay the full $10,000 tuition to go to school there. Bliss also forged the signature of the school's headmaster for a player that did not end up enrolling at the school.

The punishment? A year suspension for Bliss and two years probation for the school. Instead of succumbing to those sanctions, Allen Academy opted to switch affiliations to the lesser Texas Christian Athletic League. They also downplayed the wrongdoing. From the AP:

Bliss has been admonished by the school for signing Rouse's name without authorization on the transfer form, but school officials downplay the matter.

"It's not like he forged his name and cashed a check for $100,000," said Jerry Bullin, who chairs the school's board of trustees.

Bliss said he signed the headmaster's name on the form because he was facing a deadline. There was no intent to deceive, he said.

"I have my scarlet letter, and I understand that," he said. "The only thing about it is, from this point forward, I am trying to do the right thing."

Others don't see it that way, however. One man is quoted in the AP story as saying that this scandal wasn't like opening a can of worms, it was a "can of snakes".

Bliss has spent the past eight years trying to rebuild his image. Part of his getting this job was to prove that he has seen the light, that he realized the err of his ways and to receive some kind of redemption.

Instead, he cheated -- again -- and is trying to cover it up and run from it -- again.

Good thing this guy is allowed to work with kids still.

h/t Lost Lettermen
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Perry Jones decides to return to Baylor

With names like John Henson, Tyler Zeller, Tristan Thompson, and Jared Sullinger already pulling their names out of the NBA Draft, its hard to believe that we would get a bigger surprise staying school.

Cue Perry Jones III.

Not only is the Baylor freshman a virtual lock to be taken in the top five, but he also will be suspended for the first five games of the 2011-2012 season and will have to repay about $700 in impermissible benefits stemming from a trip to see a football game that was paid for by an AAU coach that also helped out Jones' mother with her rent.


"This is the decision I think is right," Jones told reporters on Monday. "The whole college experience with my teammates. That was a big part of this decision. Having fun with them. Just enjoying everything, just enjoying life with them. I do not want to cut that short and just leave out of nowhere. I want to have another good time like I did this year."

This decision will immediately vault Baylor back into the conversation for the top ten in the preseason. With Jones joining a front court that will also include Quincy Acy, Anthony Jones, and Quincy Miller, the Bears are loaded with length and athleticism. Throw is Deuce Bello in the back court, and their may not be a more athletic team in the country next season.

Baylor's issue this year, however, wasn't their front court. It was that they lacked a point guard. It will be interesting to see how AJ Walton develops, and whether or not Stargell Love and JuCo signee Pierre Jackson can fill the void. Also keep in mind that Gary Franklin, the former top 100 guard that transferred out of Cal during the middle of the season, will become eligible in December.

The bigger issue, however, is how many players actually are returning to college hoops. Most believe that the NBA will, in fact, be locked out starting on July 1st, which means that they players with their name currently in the draft pool will have to survive on endorsements and loans from their agents. How many more players will the lockout scare off?

Will this affect the decision of kids like Harrison Barnes, Terrence Jones, and Brandon Knight? Will borderline first rounders like Klay Thompson, CJ Leslie, and Khris Middleton decide to declare because they have a better chance of being taken in the first round? Will a kid like Kawhi Leonard or Jordan Hamilton leave because of the higher likelihood of being taken in the lottery?

By coming back to school, these kids will have a chance to actually play and improve their game by returning to school should the lockout last a significant portion of the season. But by taking a gamble and declaring, some players have a chance of significantly improving the money that they are guaranteed should the lockout end earlier than expected. The fact that next year's draft will be absolutely loaded will also be a serious consideration for the players that aren't guaranteed to be taken in the first round.

It also sets up an interesting situation for college basketball next year. There could end up being a number of very, very good teams at the top.

This process will be fun to follow, but it will be a fluid situation until we have passed the May 8th deadline and know for certain what next year's rosters will look like.
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Perry Jones suspended, NCAA violations? Shouldn't be surprising

Update: From Jeff Goodman's blog, Jones was declared ineligible for pre-enrollment amateurism violation and preferential treatment involving three, 15-day loans between his mother and an AAU coach while he was in high school. Jones also apparently had a trip to San Diego to see a preseason football game paid for by that AAU coach.

According to Mark Viera of the New York Times, the three loans totaled less than $1,000.

According to numerous reports, Baylor freshman Perry Jones has been suspended for tonight's game against Oklahoma, and possibly longer.

A TV station in Dallas is reporting -- and Jason King is confirming -- that the suspension could be the result of Jones receiving impermissible benefits. According to King, Jones will be suspended for the rest of the season. It may not make much of a difference, as the Bears are currently sitting on the wrong side of the bubble and Jones had a foot out the door all season.

If you following college hoops at all, this shouldn't surprise you.


Baylor, somehow, has managed to turn themselves into a behemoth in the recruiting world, competing with the Kentucky's and the Louisville's and the Duke's of the world for the country's top prospects. Perry Jones was arguably the top big man in the class of 2010. Isaiah Austin, a top five recruit in the class of 2012, is currently committed to the Bears. They also earned a commitment from Quincy Miller, who is a top five talent in the class of 2011.

All this coming from a program that, seven years ago, dealt with a coach trying to cover up facts in a murder of one of his players by another one of his players. Baylor wasn't even on the map when Scott Drew took the program over.

Keep in mind the Bear's recruitment of John Wall. If you remember, Baylor hired Dwon Clifton, one of Wall's AAU coaches, back in June of 2008 to a newly created position, a ploy only a fool would believe wasn't an attempt to bring Wall to Waco. I say only a fool would believe it because Clifton has since left Baylor.

To become an adviser for the now professional John Wall.

Since Clifton's hiring, the NCAA has changed their rule on package deals like this.

Back in October, Baylor was investigated for text message violations regarding Indiana commit Hanner Parea, and there were reports earlier this year that Baylor was pursuing an 11 year old.

I am sure of one thing -- there won't be many coaches in the Big 12 upset over Drew getting getting caught.
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Five teams hope to get their questions answered in the Diamond Head Classic

The best part about the early season tournaments is that they allow us to get a feel for some of the best teams in the country against real competition.

For these five participants in the Diamond Head Classic, which kicks off at 3:00 pm this afternoon, the Christmas version of the Maui Invitational is a chance to answer some legitimate concerns:

Baylor: The Bears lost to Gonzaga on Saturday in their first loss away from Waco, TX, this season. It also happens to be the only game that Baylor has played away from Waco as well as their only game against real competition unless you consider Arizona State to be real competition. We know about the talent on this team -- from LaceDarius Dunn's golden jump shot to the length of guys like Perry Jones and Quincy Acy -- but if Baylor is truly going to be a contender for things like the Big XII title and the Final Four, they need to prove that they can win away from home.

Butler: The Bulldogs, much like last season, have plenty of doubters in regards to their ability to play against high-major competition. That's what happens when Gordon Hayward graduates and your team struggles against the only three tournament teams on your schedule. We know about how good Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard are, and some of Brad Steven's younger guys have played better in recent weeks. But this is still a team that needs to prove it can hang with the big boys. They should have an opportunity to do just that should they get by Utah in the first round.

Florida State: Florida State could very well be the bet defensive team in the country this season. They have size, they have length, they are athletic, and they have Chris Singleton, who is the best defender in the country. But the Noles can't score. I don't mean they have trouble scoring, I mean that when their offense looks the way that Kansas State's has the last two games, Florida State has played well. Personally, I'll be looking to see how Deividas Dulkys performs this week. He's the Noles second leading scorer right now and could end up being the missing piece.

Mississippi State: The questions the Bulldog's have are not going to be answered this week. Dee Bost doesn't return until the New Year. Renardo Sidney, who has been suspended for today's game against Washington State, is enough of a head case that his true impact on this team will not be known for some time. The question we are all waiting to find out is if this is truly a team that can compete for the top spot in the SEC West (which isn't saying much) and potentially a tournament berth. Don't expect any answers this week.

Washington State: Are the Cougars for real this year? Klay Thompson certainly is, as he has seemingly improved his all-around game to become more than strictly a jump shooter. But what about Faisal Aden? Can he keep this scoring rate up? Is Reggie Moore healthy? Will DeAngelo Casto ever develop into his potential? Does Wazzu really have some front court depth this season? This is an intriguing team, and should they beat Mississippi State today, they will be playing three games in four days against tournament caliber competition. Personally, I'm excited to finally try and get a read on this team.



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Baylor is recuiting an 11 year old?

Down in Conway, Arkansas, there is a young man named Adrian Moore.

Well, young man probably isn't the correct term. Kid isn't either. So let me rephrase that sentence.

Down in Conway, Arkansas, there is a child named Adrian Moore. This child is 11 years old, but since he is 6'3" and was able to dunk as a 6th grader, he's become a bit of a sensation. Middle School Elite has already profiled him, he's been ranked as high as No. 2 in the Class of 2016 (also known as 7th grade), and he's being compared to Josh Smith of the Atlanta Hawks. Hell, he even made it on The Big Lead.


Baylor has taken the bait. They've already sent Moore a recruiting questionnaire.

This shouldn't shock you in the least, not with George Dohrmann's book on Demetrius Walker still fresh in everyone's mind.

I've railed on the recruitment and the ranking of prepubescent boys many times, and as recently as September. I don't have the desire to do it again. Thinking about it makes me feel like I belong on an episode of Law and Order SVU.

Some hoped that Dohrmann's book would spark change, but few -- if anyone -- expected it. There is simply too much money on the line. Joe Keller, Walker's AAU coach, made a small fortune by attaching himself to the ten year old. He took a ride Walker's coattails and ended up establishing himself as the face of elite middle school basketball. In the process, Keller completely neglected what Walker needed to do to better himself as a basketball player. Once Keller realized that Walker was done growing at 6'3" and that he wasn't a sure fire first round draft pick, Keller discarded him.

Walker's issues were no different than what happens to a huge number of kids coming up on the AAU circuit. Their prodigies at a young age because of their physical ability or their god-given talents. For Walker, he happened to hit 6'3" and reach his peak athleticism before he got to high school. He was able to dominate because he was taller, stronger, and could jump higher than anyone he played against. But his reliance on his physical gifts cost him when he didn't grow.

At 6'3", Walker is a guard at the collegiate level. He's good enough at the sport that he is getting his education paid for first by Arizona State and now by New Mexico, where he is currently sitting out the season due to NCAA transfer rules.

Walker is, by no means, a failure. I wonder, however, how many people view his as such because he didn't live up to the unrealistic expectations that were placed on him at such a young age. I hope he doesn't view himself that way.

And I hope that the same thing doesn't happen to Adrian Moore.

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The Verdict in is: LaceDarius Dunn to miss three games

If you were like us and away from a computer last night, you may have missed Baylor's announcement that their star guard LaceDarius Dunn would be suspended for three games.

He sat out the Bears' first exhibition and a scrimmage against Ohio State. He was in street clothes last night (along with point guard AJ Walton, who was suspended for a violation of team rules) as Baylor beat Grambling State 87-52.

Dunn averaged 19.6 ppg for Baylor's Elite 8 team last season and was picked by many to be a preseason all-american. He will be eligible to return November 22nd against Lipscomb.

This post can also be found at Beyond the Arc.

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No. 8 Baylor Bears

To browse through the rest of our Top 50 Countdown, click here.

Last Season: 28-8, 11-5 (t-2nd Big XII), lost in the Elite 8 to Duke

Head Coach: Scott Drew

Key Losses: Tweety Carter, Ekpe Udoh, Josh Lomers

Newcomers: Perry Jones, Stargell Love, Levi Norwood, J'Mison Morgan

Projected Lineup:

• G: AJ Walton, So.
  
• G: LaceDarius Dunn, Sr.
  
• F: Anthony Jones, Jr.
  
• F: Quincy Acy, Jr.
  
• F: Perry Jones, Fr.
  
• Bench: Stargell Love, Fr.; J'Mison Morgan, Jr.; Nolan Dennis, So.
  

Outlook: Just seven short years ago, Baylor's basketball program was effectively dead thanks to Dave Bliss. Today, the Bears are coming off of a run to the Elite 8 and, thanks to Scott Drew, have become one of the best up and coming programs in the country. Right now, however, the issue surrounding the Baylor program is the cost at which that success is coming. There is the connection to the Cliftons, the potential texting violations by an assistant coach, and enough innuendo and rumor to momentarily make one forget about John Calipari.

None of that, however, has much of a bearing on this season. What does have a bearing on this year is the status of LaceDarius Dunn. Dunn is a 6'4" scoring guard that will make an appearance on quite a few first team preseason all-american lists. In a league full of talent, Dunn may just be the potent scorer in the Big XII. His offense centers around his jump shot, which he can hit with range and under pressure. In fact, his ability to hit contested threes may be his biggest fault; he tends to force jumpers early in the shot clock. He's not great when he puts the ball on the floor, but if he is able to beat his man, Dunn is very good at drawing contact and getting to the line. With Carter and Udoh both gone, he will be relied upon even more for scoring as a senior. So why the question about his status? Well, Dunn was accused of punching his girlfriend. He was suspended from school and from team activities, but has since been reinstated for both. There is no word yet on the length of a suspension he would face from the team (although I doubt it will be much more than a few games).

Beyond Dunn, the rest of the Baylor back court will be a bit of a question mark, especially at the point. Stargell Love is a top 100 freshman (and also part of that D-One Sports/Clifton Brothers pipeline that includes Quincy Miller, Deuce Bello, and would have included John Wall) and should see some minutes, but I personally expect AJ Walton to slide in and start at the point. Walton started the first four games of last season when Tweety Carter was out and did an solid job. But regardless of who is running the show, its tough not to envision a serious drop off in production from Carter. Nolan Dennis, a 6'6" two guard, will see minutes behind Dunn. He's a sophomore and a former top 50 recruit that originally committed to Memphis before John Calipari left for Kentucky.


Dunn may be this team's star, but the Bears' strength will be their front court. The guy you absolutely have to mention first is Perry Jones. Jones, a likely one-and-done kid, is 6'11" and a terrific athlete with the ability to score from just about anywhere on the court. He's more of a face-up player than a back to the basket threat at this point in his career, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing given the rest of the Baylor front line. What will be interesting to watch is whether or not Jones can develop on the defensive end. He has the tools to be as effective as Ekpe Udoh on that end of the floor, and if he does it will be a huge boost for this Baylor team defensively. From what I've seen written about Baylor, losing the defensive presence that Udoh provided seems to be a point that is being glossed over.

The other two guys that will see significant minutes in the paint are Quincy Acy and J'Mison Morgan. Acy is a 6'7" junior, an athletic freak, and quite possibly the hardest dunker in the country. His offensive game is not developed much beyond being a dunker, but he can block a few shots and grab a few boards. It will be interesting to see what Morgan provides. A big time recruit coming out of high school, Morgan never lived up to his top 25 billing while at UCLA. Part of it was effort, and part of it was simply being out of shape. He can be a force on the block, but it will be up to him to decide if he wants to be. He will be eligible to play immediately after getting a waiver from the NCAA.

Anthony Jones could be an x-factor on this team. He's a 6'10" lefty with three point range and one of the first blue-chip recruits that Scott Drew landed in his tenure. But Jones hasn't quite developed like people thought he would. He does, however, play the three and have a ton of length. The rest of the front court rotation for Baylor will be filled out by Cody Jefferson and Fred Ellis.

Baylor has a chance to be a very good team this season. They have a star in Dunn and they have quite a bit of size and athleticism up front. They have the kind of roster that, theoretically, will be effective in their 2-3 zone. But there are a number of question marks. How long will Dunn be out? Can Walton and Love replace Carter's production at the point? Will Jones or Morgan develop into a low-post scorer? Or defender? There's quite a bit of potential in Waco, but if Scott Drew can't put the pieces together, this is a ranking that has a chance to look silly come March.
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Quincy Miller, Deuce Bello, and LeBryan Nash all headed to the Big XII

Scott Drew struck gold on the recruiting trail once again.

First it was Perry Jones, a top five recruit in the class of 2010 that is currently at Baylor preparing for his freshman season. Then over the summer came the commitment from Isaiah Austin, a versatile seven-footer that will likely end up somewhere in the top 10 in the class of 2012 when it is all said and done.

This afternoon, it was Quincy Miller and Deuce Bello. Miller, a Chicago native that plays his high school and AAU ball in North Carolina, is a 6'9" small forward and the No. 4 player in our consensus recruiting rankings. Bello, Miller's high school and AAU teammate and the consensus No. 38 recruit, is a two-guard with out-of-this-world athleticism that confirmed the recruiting world's worst kept secret that these two would be attending college together.

I guess its here that I should mention that Miller and Bello played for the D-One Sports AAU program, the same program that produced John Wall. D-One Sports is run by Brian Clifton, who is the brother of Dwon Clifton. If you remember, Dwon Clifton is who Scott Drew hired to try and woo Wall into becoming a Bear.

The Bears weren't the only Big XII team to receive good news today. LeBryan Nash, the consensus No. 8 player in the country, is a 6'7" combo forward that's built like a tight end and may be the most impressive athletic specimen in the class. His decision came down to Kansas, Oklahoma State, and Baylor and ... well ... the picture says it all:




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LaceDarius Dunn is back in class

Its been a rough week for Baylor, but they got some huge news last night.

Their suspended star LaceDarius Dunn has been allowed to return to classest. He's not yet reinstated to the team, but if he is eventually, the chance to get back into class is important. He missed less than a week, meaning it will be quite possible for him to make up the work and prevent himself from becoming academically ineligible for the second semester.

No word yet on what his punishment will be from a basketball standpoint.

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Baylor's being investigated for recruiting violations involving text messages

Did you think that LaceDarius Dunn was going to be Baylor's only distraction heading into the season? Well, you were wrong.

You were also probably the guy that thought we were done hearing about recruiting violations involving excessive phone calls and text messages. Coaches have to smarten up at some point, right?

Well, you were wrong about that, too.

Late last night, Jeff Goodman broke what seemed like a month-long scoopless streak with this doozy: the NCAA is currently investigating Scott Drew's Baylor program for recruiting violations involving text messages that assistant coach Mark Morefield sent to Hanner Perea, a 6'9" junior from Colombia, and his coaches. According to Goodman's sources, Morefield sent dozens of texts to Perea's AAU and high school coaches while they were at tournaments, which is an NCAA no-no.

That's Mark Morefield sitting next to Scott Drew.
(photo credit: Baylor's Athletics website)

One of those text messages, which Goodman was able to get his hands on, said "I guarantee u if he does [commit to another school] he will be in Colombia for the spring and summer and next year. Don't forget it."

Yeah, that's not despicable at all.

Baylor has apparently already self-reported Morefield's violations to the NCAA. He's been suspended by the school, and wasn't allowed out on the road to recruit during July due to previous illicit text messages. But Drew has still hired a lawyer -- the same guy that represented Tim Floyd (yeesh, not someone you want to be associated with) -- and the NCAA is still expected to visit Waco this month.

Which means it can still get worse for Baylor.

If you following college hoops at all, that shouldn't surprise you.

Baylor, somehow, has managed to turn themselves into a behemoth in the recruiting world, competing with the Kentucky's and the Louisville's and the Duke's of the world for the country's top prospects. Perry Jones, arguably the top big man in the class of 2010, is currently enrolled at Baylor. Isaiah Austin, a top five recruit in the class of 2012, is currently committed to the Bears. They have a shot at landing Quincy Miller, who is a top five talent in the class of 2011.

All this coming from a program that, seven years ago, dealt with a coach trying to cover up facts in a murder of one of his players by another one of his players. Baylor wasn't even on the map when Scott Drew took the program over.

Keep in mind the Bear's recruitment of John Wall. If you remember, Baylor hired Dwon Clifton, one of Wall's AAU coaches, back in June of 2008 to a newly created position, a ploy only a fool would believe wasn't an attempt to bring Wall to Waco. I say only a fool would believe it because Clifton has since left Baylor.

To become an adviser for the now professional John Wall.

Since Clifton's hiring, the NCAA has changed their rule on package deals like this.
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