Twitter memes are awesome: PSU Riot Edition

The following post has almost nothing to do with college basketball. However, there was no college hoops on last night, and we are kinda-sorta addicted to Twitter.

Unless you've been sleeping under a rock for the past four days, you know what is going on at Penn State. Last night, students rallied together and rioted down Old Main. Not too long after the riots began, a hilarious twitter meme took off. One that, if you have 5-10 minutes to spare, you may enjoy catching up on. After the jump, a list of what other school's would do if they were forced to riot.

(NOTE: Listen, the actions at the forefront of this controversy are down-right disgusting. But we aren't here to discuss or debate that. We just want to shed light on a hilarious twitter trend that consumed our Tuesday night)

@ballinisahabit - Louisville's riot would be over in 15 seconds

@ballinisahabit - Coach Cal would lead a "rioter's first" riot only to see the riot vacated due to using ineligible chanting

@JamesonFleming - A Bobby Gonzalez lead riot would raid Nordstroms for their satchels

@JamesonFleming - Reggie Bush would steal a bunch of stuff during his riot, promise to give it back and then hold onto it

@SenatorGiggity - USC had to vacate it's riots from last year

@TomahawkNation - Iowa would riot... FOR AMERICA

@Marmon4270 - Nebraska would get jealous of Texas's riot and move to another block.

@PJASchultz - Syracuse fans would only riot inside

@Mengus22 - Without Gerry McNamara, Syracuse wouldn't have had ten f*****g riots. Not ten

@Mengus22 - Illinois rioters would go for two

@Mengus22 - Ole Miss has the hottest rioters

@Mengus22 - Texas A&M's riot would be really good...for a half

@Mengus22 - Baylor's riot would sue Texas A&M's riot

@Mengus22 - Boston College would sell tickets to its riot on Groupon

@MartinRickman - BC's riot wouldn't get any coverage in the Boston area anyway.

@MartinRickman - Not even a clearance sale at J Crew could save UVA from rioting

@MartinRickman - Miami's riot was a lot more impressive when there were still strippers and bounties involved

@RaphielleJ - Major outlets would declare Florida State and Miami's riots "back" every year...only to watch it fall apart after two blocks

@RaphielleJ - Texas would televise their riot on a special network...that almost no one owned

@FakeGimel - Hawaii will travel anywhere to riot and be respected.

@FakeGimel - Everybody would be ultra impressed w/ Boise State's riot at first, then discount it a few months later

@Kristaj19 - Boise State's riot wouldn't impress the computers

@Patherrants - Toledo would petition for Syracuse to vacate their riot

@Adam_1224 - Cincinnati's riot would only be to show they can riot like Ohio State, UK and Louisville

@Ncaabbguy - Best riot in the country undoubtedly would be basically any Ivy league school. Preferably Harvard, or Yale

@Joelabarker - Bruce Pearl would deny the riot took place at his house.

@Riles23 - Purdue's riot would end in torn ACLs

@CJDyal - Houston Nutt would invite way more people to the riot than they have room for, them tell some of them to go home

@KilroyFSU - UAB would have rioted, but Alabama's board of trustees wouldn't sign off on the proposal.

@TommyCat1225 - Oregon would pay a Texas rioting service to handle their riot.

@NunesMagician - A Georgetown riot would require Syracuse rioters to show up in order to look bigger

@NunesMagician - A UConn riot would take place in Best Buy and all the laptops would go missing

@MorseCode206 - Northwestern's riot would just steal everything from Nebraska's riot

@HLS_PootND - Notre Dame riots just discuss how the riots from the glory days were so much better

@HLS_PootND - Randy Edsall left UConn's riot stating that Maryland was truly his Dream Riot

@BCfremeau - Notre Dame is monitoring the super riot landscape but prefers to riot independently

@stb3rry - Rutgers would claim Occupy Wall Street is part of their riot.

@McshaneM - Jim Tressel knew about Ohio State's riot months ago

@Coach_Kerri - The Mizzou riot would be scheduled, then reconsidered, rescheduled, and reconsidered again

@tarheelfanblog - I am not sure how NC State is supposed to get quality rioters with UNC and Duke close by

@GeorgeK10 - USF's president is blocking UCF's riot

@900_Irving - Kansas' riot would look dominant before abruptly ending way too early in embarrassing fashion

@Frogkaytee - SMU would have to buy its riot

@JPGuerette - Seton Hall would have rioters, but no one would have a damn clue who they are

@FeatheStache - East carolina wouldn't get invited to riot

@BIAHTroyMachir - DePaul's riot would be #DePaulful

@CharlieToft - he BYU riot would begin, spend 2 years in Belize, and then pick up where it left off

@USFVoodoo5 - The Mountain West would step in so Boise State could not wear blue uniforms to their home riots.

@SenatorGiggity - ESPN picks who get's to riot & who doesn't

@MikeVorkunov - Penn State riot > Tebow

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The addition of Pitt to the ACC could help spark old rivalry

Conference realignment kills rivalries.

Syracuse and Georgetown? Goodbye. Texas and Texas A&M? Thank you for your time. Pitt and West Virginia? You cannot use our backyard anymore. Sure, the prevailing though is that "fans will get over it" and that "new rivalries will be born". But do you think Jim Boeheim will want to waste one of his valuble non-conference games by traveling to Georgetown every other year?

Now, it is likely that "The Backyard Brawl" does continue in some fashion. Even if West Virginia stays put, this rivalry is too passionate to dissolve. The profiles of the two schools are too similar to just discontinue competition between each other.

But the addition of the Panthers to the ACC could help spark another non-conference rivalry that has been dormant for some time.

The last time Pittsburgh and Penn State played on the hardwood was 2005. From 2000 to 2005 they played five times, with the Panthers winning four of five. Despite this, The Nittany Lions still hold the edge 78-68 in a series that dates back to 1905. In fact, the two schools played each other every year from 1935 to 1982. But since '82, in which Penn State won in double-overtime 52-46, the schools have faced just seven times, including the 1992 N.I.T game .

Pittsburgh and Penn State are the two largest universities in the state of Pennsylvania, separated by just 140 miles. While Pitt's success comes on the court and Penn State the gridiron, a rebirth of this rivalry in both sports would be a good thing for the state, the universities and the conferences.

Why?

What better way to welcome Pittsburgh to the ACC/Big-10 Challenge than with a tilt against their in-state rivals. Of all the cross-conference challenges that exists, the ACC/Big-Ten Challenge is the only one that is held in high regards by the basketball community. Yes, it's true, the Big East/SEC Invitational is trying to get revitalized, but while Pitt/Tennessee might be a great game, it's nothing more than that. Pitt/Penn State would be a story, an atmosphere, a rivalry.

A meeting between the two schools in the Panther's first ACC/Big-Ten Challenge could revitalize a rivalry that existed for nearly half a century but hasn't been relevant for quite a while.
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Did DJ Newbill do Southern Miss dirty?

From the outside, you'd think that the Southern Mississippi fan base and administration would be mad at DJ Newbill.

Newbill had a terrific freshman campaign, averaging 9.2 ppg and 6.2 rpg for the Golden Eagles as a 6'4", 205 lb guard. Newbill, who was without a scholarship as late as mid-July in 2010, started all 32 games and played over 30 mpg. Not bad for a late-addition to your program.

But Newbill will not be finishing his career at Southern Mississippi. He announced earlier this week that he would be transferring to Penn State and new head coach Pat Chambers to finish out his career, sitting out the 2011-2012 season per transfer rules.

"D.J. will make an immediate impact on our program with his toughness, basketball IQ and work ethic," Chambers said in a statement. "It's great to get a Philadelphia kid that is passionate about Penn State basketball and wants to be here. We are very confident he will show that a Philadelphia player can have great success and an outstanding career at Penn State."


Like I said, its easy for USM to be mad at Newbill. Here's a kid that was given a chance by Larry Eustachy that jumped ship to a bigger program after one successful season and just 32 games with the Golden Eagles. From the surface, it looks like Newbill is ungrateful, that he's just another spoiled, selfish athlete out to get his.

Saying that ignores the reason that Newbill was forced to go to Southern Miss in the first place.

Back in March of 2010, Newbill -- a Philly native -- signed with Marquette. He called it his dream school. But three months later, when a former top 100 recruit and Wisconsin native named Jamil Wilson decided he wanted to return home to finished out his collegiate career, Buzz Williams needed a scholarship. Newbill, who had signed a Letter of Intent, was the one on the chopping block. Marquette used some cover story about Newbill's academics and cut ties.

Now, as I explained in detail in this post from a year ago, I don't necessarily have a problem with Newbill being cut. It happens. What I do have a problem with is the LOI system that locks a player into a school but allows the school to drop the player when someone better comes along.

Newbill got screwed by the system.

For a Philly native that had chosen to go to college in the state of Wisconsin, I think its safe to say that attending college in Hattiesburg, MS, was not exactly his first choice. But at the time, he didn't exactly have many options. Eustachy offered him a lifeline, if you will; an opportunity to continue his education while playing a high-level of collegiate basketball.

Newbill took advantage of that opportunity, but with a chance to return to his native Pennsylvania, play for a guy that cut his teeth in Philly in Chambers, and get the exposure that the Big Ten brings, it only makes sense Newbill made the jump.

Did Southern Miss get screwed? Probably. Did they get taken advantage of? I'm sure some can make that argument, and I wouldn't necessarily disagree.

But can you really be mad at Newbill? If it wasn't for the hypocrisy of the LOI program, he never would have been in that position.
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Did Ed DeChellis land his point guard of the future?

Penn State lost their two point guards this season.

Talor Battle, one of the best players in the history of the school, has graduated after what felt like a 10 year career. His half-brother, freshman Taran Buie, is gone as well due to a number of disciplinary problems he had at school.

But over the weekend, Ed DeChellis landed his point guard of the future, assuming he is able to keep his job until the 2012-2013 season. Juwan Staten, a 5'11" point guard that averaged 8.5 ppg and 5.4 apg for Dayton this past season, picked the Nittany Lions as his transfer destination, over the likes of Louisville. Staten is a former-top 50 recruit and played on the same All-Ohio Red AAU team that produced Aaron Craft, Jared Sullinger, and Adreian Payne.

The year off may be beneficial for Staten. He's clearly a terrific playmaker -- averaging 5.4 apg as a freshman on a team that struggled to score points is impressive -- and is able to finish around (and above) the rim, but Staten is far from a good shooter. He shot just 38.8% from the floor this past season and was 4-26 from beyond the arc. If he can take this year off and improve his shooting, he has a chance to be a very good player in the Big Ten.

That said, there seem to be some off the court issues with Staten.

There were some chemistry issues between Staten and his upper-classmen teammates. It was bad enough that after Staten had made his decision to transfer, when Archie Miller -- the new Dayton head coach -- offered to allowed Staten to change his mind, the rest of the Flyer team advised against it.

Staten may be a me-first player, but he is also one of the most heralded players that DeChellis has brought into the Penn State program.

At this point, it is worth the risk.
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VIDEO: Juan Fernandez beats Penn State at the buzzer

Streak broken.

17 years to the day since Fran Dunphy's last NCAA Tournament win, when 11th seeded Penn Quakers knocked off No. 6 Nebraska in the first round in 1994, the Temple Owls advanced past Penn State with a 66-64 win.

After trading baskets for what seemed like the last 10 minutes of the game, Temple opened up a 64-61 lead on Penn State in the final minute, but the Owls lost Talor Battle on a screen and the Nittany Lions' star buried a 26 foot three to tie the game.

Coming out of the timeout, Dunphy isolated Fernandez, who was forced to pick up his dribble. The rest is, as they say, history:



Juan Fernandez and Ramone Moore both finished with 23 points while Lavoy Allen added 12 boards and four blocks as the Owls snapped a streak of three straight years of first round tournament losses.

Dunphy is one of the most respected coaches in the profession. His Penn teams were a regional power, and the Temple program has had a permanent spot at the top of the Atlantic 10 under Dunphy's watch. But for all of Dunphy's regular season success, he's never done much in the NCAA Tournament, with a career record of 1-12. Granted, nine of those tournaments came while Dunphy was at Penn, and the Ivy League doesn't have a great tradition of postseason success.

Regardless, its good to see Dunphy snap that streak. He's a great coach, and he deserves this win.

The Owls will advance to face the winner of San Diego State and Northern Colorado.
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Previewing the Madness: The Big Ten

The Big Ten is arguably the most disappointing conference in the country.

Its not because of anything Ohio State, Purdue, or Wisconsin did this season. The Buckeyes were thought to be a top five team coming into the season, and they may actually be better than most thought they could be. Purdue's terrific season is only marred by the thought of just how good this team would be if they still had Robbie Hummel. Wisconsin, as they do every season, proved why you should never, ever count them out, not when Bo Ryan and his efficient style are at the helm.

The disappointment lies with Michigan State, who went from a national title favorite in the preseason to the No. 7 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. It lies with Illinois, a Final Four sleeper that couldn't find any toughness inside or consistency out of Demetri McCamey. It lies with Minnesota, whose problems at the point cost this team the chance at a storybook season.

If anything, the theme of this tournament is redemption. There are four legitimate bubble teams in the league. Will anyone get in?

Where: Indianapolis, IN

When: March 10th-13th

Final: March 13th,


Favorite: Ohio State Buckeyes

The Buckeyes are the best team in the country. Its as simple as that. By now, you all know why. Jared Sullinger is the most dominant force in college basketball on the block, not just because of how he scores or rebounds, but because of how the Ohio State offense works through him. Aaron Craft has silenced all doubters with his terrific floor game and lock down defensive ability. Jon Diebler, David Lighter, and William Buford all play their role to perfection, and are all capable of exploding for 25 points when the moment calls. DeShaun Thomas and Dallas Lauderdale both understand and embrace their roles. Well coached. Talented. Tough defensively. Efficient offensively. To quote Jay-Z, what more can I say?

• Other Contenders: Purdue and Wisconsin are the other two contenders, although I would say that the Badgers have the better chance at winning. Why? Michigan State. The Boilermakers, who are led by Big Ten player of the year JaJuan Johnson, get the Spartans in the second round of the tournament if MSU can take care of Iowa. As much as Izzo's crew has struggled this season, this is still a talented group whose core has been to back-to-back Final Fours.
  
  Wisconsin has a much easier draw, playing Penn State or Indiana in their first game. I love the Badgers this season. They are the epitome of efficiency, led by Jordan Taylor, who is having arguably the most underrated season in the history of college basketball. They matchup well with Purdue, but as the 93-65 drubbing that Ohio State put on the Badgers in the season finale illustrates, Wisconsin does not have the same ceiling as the Buckeyes.

Sleeper: Penn State Nittany Lions

I refuse to refer to Illinois or Michigan State as sleepers out of principal, but even if I didn't, the Nittany Lions would be my pick in this conference. For starters, they have Talor Battle, who may be the best player in the country you have never seen play. They also have Jeff Brooks, who has developed into a solid secondary scoring option this season. Most importantly, however, PSU has won big games. They beat Michigan State, Illinois, Wisconsin, and swept Minnesota.

• Deeper Sleepers: Michigan was playing as well as anyone in the conference at the end of the regular season, winning eight of their last 11 games to play their way onto the bubble. The Wolverines have a talented and productive point guard in Darius Morris as well as one of the hottest freshman in the country in Tim Hardaway Jr.

Players to Watch: The Big Ten isn't short on talent, especially at the top of the league. Since those guys are household names by now, we are going to focus of the bottom of the league.

• John Shurna, Northwestern: Shurna had what was destined to be a great season absolutely derailed by ankle injuries and a concussion. But this kid can really play and is a perfect fit for the Wildcat's system. He's a lanky, 6'6" small forward with a deadly perimeter stroke that was averaging 24 ppg before rolling his ankle.
  
• Trevor Mbakwe, Minnesota: Its a shame that the Golden Gophers lost all their point guards, but Mbakwe is not getting lost in the shuffle. At 6'8", 240 pounds, he's a rebounding machine that dunks as hard as anyone in the league. Think Quincy Acy after spending three months training for the NFL combine.
• Melsahn Besabe, Iowa: Besabe has become a nightly double-double threat in Big Ten play, putting up impressive numbers against quality competition, including a 22 point, 13 board, six block night against Ohio State.
  

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Penn State loses at home ... to Bon Jovi?

The Bryce Jordan Center has become one of the toughest places to play in the Big Ten this season.

Unfortunately, the Penn State basketball team has become the second most important group playing there this week. Bon Jovi's Live 2011 Tour kicks off at the BJC a week from today, but the band has scheduled to take over the main arena floor for rehearsal, meaning that both the Penn State men's and women's basketball teams will be relegated to the practice gym and (gasp!) the intramural gym.


"It doesn't matter who it is," head coach Ed DeChellis told FightOnState.com before practice Monday. "I don't care if it's my granddaughter coming in to see Disney on Ice. It's a problem for us in mid-February … not to be able to use your home facility for that many days in a row when you're trying to make your run."

"It affects us when we can't get into our practice facility a day or so before the game, to get used to the background and used to the shooting. But I can't control that. What I can control is getting the guys ready to play."

The issue is that the Athletics Department does not control the Bryce Jordan Center. They actually rent space from the housing and food services department. That right there may be the bigger issue. Do you think a school like North Carolina or Kentucky or even an Ohio State or Michigan State would allow someone to take over the main practice floor for the basketball teams in the middle of February?

Not. A. Chance.

Perhaps therein lies the problem for Penn State's basketball program.

The ironic part?

This is the best season that the Nits have had since a 2002 NCAA Tournament bid. They've beaten MSU, Illinois, and Wisconsin at home and have a legitimate chance getting an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament if Jeff Brooks' shoulder injury isn't as bad as it sounds.


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Tuesday's Shootaround: Penn State gives Big Ten 1-0 lead

Penn State 69, Virginia 66: Believe it or not, Penn State becomes the first Big Ten* team to win three straight games in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge as they got 32 from Talor Battle to hold on against the Cavs. The Nittany Lions were up 55-43 with about four minutes left in the game, but Virginia made a furious rally, capped by two three pointers in the final minutes to cut the lead to one. Talor Battle, who had 28 second half points, hit two free throws and Sammy Zeglinski missed a three to end the game. Big road win for the Big Ten as they try to win their first challenge.

Kentucky 94, UNC-Asheville 57: Kentucky finally looked dominant against an inferior opponents as they utilized a full court press to open up a 80-36 lead midway through the second half. DeMarcus Cousins (24 points and 10 boards) and John Wall (12 points, 14 assists, 6 steals, and just 1 turnovers) played tremendous. But John Calipari happt for two reasons: youthful exuberance and lazy play. He said that the eight turnovers the Wildcats had was not enough because it meant they weren't aggressive enough offensively.

Other notable scores:

• Syracuse 92, Colgate 58: The Orange were up 47-16 at halftime in a game that was never in doubt. Wesley Johnson had 19 to lead five players in double figures.
• Georgetown 83, Mt. St. Mary's 62: Greg Monroe had 19 points and 11 rebounds while Chris Wright added 18 points on 4-5 from deep as the Hoyas rolled past MSM.
• Rider 81, St. Joe's 73: The Broncs used a 14-1 run late in the second half to take a 68-61 lead. Ryan Thompson had 21 to lead Rider.
• Seton Hall 93, NJIT 53: Herb Pope had 22 and 11 boards to lead the Pirates, his fourth straight double doube.
  
• Memphis 77, Oakland 46: 20 points from Elliot Williams carried the Tigers to a blow out win.
  
• Arizona State 74, Arkansas Pine-Bluff 57: Eric Boateng had 17 points and 7 boards as the Sun Devils defense held APB to just 37% shooting.
• St. Mary's 78, San Jose State 71: Mickey McConnell scored 19 points to lead the Gaels as they rallied from a 15 point halftime deficit. Wayne Hunter hit back-to-back threes with about 8 minutes left in the game to give SMC a lead they would never relinquish.
  

Tuesday's Best:

• Charles Jenkins of Hofstra had 38 points and 5 boards while hitting 5-7 from three as the Pride won 84-80 against Fairfield.
• Keith Gabriel of VMI was playing against DIII Lynchburg, but he still had a fantastic stat line - 34 points, 6 boards, 4 steals, and 3 assists.
• Penn State's Talor Battle scored 28 of his 32 points in the second half as the Nittany Lions won the opener of the ACC/Big Ten challenge.
• John Wall, the star freshman at Kentucky, had 12 points, 14 assists, 6 steals, and just 1 turnover in a blowout of UNC-Asheville.
  

*My bad, thought I wrote Big Ten team. In other news, BIAH needs a copy editor. Apply now!
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Monday's Pregame Beat

7:00 pm: UNC-Asheville @ Kentucky: The Wildcats have not been as good as advertised this season. They don't give consistent effort on the defensive end, and offensively they are either too selfish or don't quite understand the dribble-drive motion offense. Eric Bledsoe has been a turnover machine, and DeMarcus Cousins does not seem like he grasps the notion of team play. That said, isn't this what everyone expected? This is a team who's best players are mostly freshman. Give them some time and more experience against teams like Asheville. The Wildcats will get there.

7:00 pm: Penn State @ Virginia: The ACC/Big Ten Challenge kicks off in Charlottesville tonight.

9:00 pm: Arkansas-Pine Bluff @ Arizona State: ASU has visions of the NCAA Tournament. With how weak the Pac-10 is, these are games they need to win and need to win big.

Other notable games:

• 7:00 pm: Colgate @ Syracuse
• 7:00 pm: St. Joe's @ Rider
• 7:00 pm: NJIT @ Seton Hall
  
• 7:30 pm: Mt. St. Mary's @ Georgetown
• 8:00 pm: Oakland @ Memphis
• 10:00 pm: St. Mary's @ San Jose State
  

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Selection Sunday is Here! Our Last Minute Tournament Predictions

USC. Temple. Cleveland State. Mississippi State.

If your bubble bursts this weekend, chances one of these four teams is to blame. After the jump, our entire bubble breakdown. There is only one game with any bubble significance today, and that would be the SEC championship game. Tennessee is getting in the tournament. There is no doubt about that. But with the Bulldogs (ugly) win in the SEC championship, one more bubble team just had their tournament dreams ended.

As you know, The Big Lead, Rush The Court, College Hoops Journal, and myself are having a fight to the death friendly competition to see who can be the closest to picking the actual field for the dance. The bracket will be released at six.

Here is the breakdown (italics mean you are still alive in your conference tourney):

LOCKS:

• ACC: Florida State, UNC, Wake Forest, Boston College, Clemson (5)
  
• Big East: UConn, Pitt, Syracuse, West Virginia, Villanova, Marquette (6)
  
• Big Ten: Michigan State, Illinois, Ohio State/Purdue loser (3)
  
• Big XII: Oklahoma, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M (5)
  
• Pac-10: Washington, Arizona State, UCLA, Cal (4)
  
• SEC: LSU, Tennessee (2)
  
• MWC: BYU (1)
  
• A-10: Xavier, Dayton (2)
  
• Others: Butler (1)

BUBBLE:

• ACC: Maryland (1)
• Big East: Providence (1)
• Big Ten: Wisconsin, Penn State, Michigan, Minnesota (4)
• Pac-10: Arizona (1)
• SEC: Florida, South Carolina, Auburn (3)
• MWC: San Diego State (1)
• Others: Creighton, St. Mary's (2)

So there it is. Those 13 teams are fighting for five spots. Here are my picks for those final bids:

Michigan: There are four Big Ten teams on the bubble, but methinks the Wolverines are in the best shape. They have an RPI of 40, mainly because they played one of the country's ten toughest schedules. Wins against UCLA and Duke highlight a tough non-conference schedule, and the Wolverines also picked up wins against Illinois and Minnesota (sweep) in Big Ten play. All told, Michigan was 6-9 against the top 50 and had nine top 100 wins.

Wisconsin: The Badgers have an RPI and SOS similar to that of Michigan, but there are some things the Badgers have going against them - like the fact that they lack out of conference victories with the same oomph. Yes, the Badgers swept Michigan, but they are 4-10 vs. the top 50 RPI. Their best out of conference win is Va. Tech. That said, I still think Wisconsin will be in today.

Maryland: How is this team different from Boston College? They have three very good wins (UNC, Wake, MSU) and two really bad losses (Morgan State, UVA). Yes their RPI is a bit lower, but they also played a tougher schedule. The biggest issue is their road record. But doesn't some of that concern get erased by two wins at a neutral court? As long as they don't lose to Duke by 40 again, the Terps should get in.

Minnesota: The Gophers are another one of those Big Ten teams that look pretty good to get in. They are a bit behind Wisconsin and Michigan at this point because they only played one real team in the non-conference, but it just so happens that team was Louisville, and the Gophers just so happened to beat them. Their RPI is better than either Wisconsin or Michigan, but they also played a weaker schedule. Again I think they are in, but behind the Wolverines and the Badgers.

Arizona: The Wildcats have a very strong resume. They have beaten Washington, Kansas, Gonzaga, San Diego State and UCLA. But they were 2-9 on the road and lost five of their last six. Those five losses, however, came against four tournament teams and Washington State, who was the hottest team out west in the last few weeks. Arizona is 6-10 against the top 50, and I just think that the Wildcats are the one team on the bubble that I would want to play the least if I was a five or six seed.

St. Mary's: St. Mary's would have been the team that got in if Mississippi State lost today. They are now 20-2 with Patty Mills in the line-up, which includes an ever-improving win over San Diego State. I was also very impressed when they beat Utah State without Mills. Again, their resume isn't going to show it, but the Gaels are one of the top 25-30 teams in the country with a healthy Patty Mills.


Who is out:

Penn State: Penn State played a weak non-conference schedule, I know that. But they beat six top 50 teams in conference play, finished 10-8 in a league that could get 8 teams in, and they won at Illinois and at Michigan State. It is hard for me to leave a team with those wins out, but Ed Dechellis scheduled his non-conference to make sure he was NIT eligible. Ironically, it will send him to the NIT.

Creighton: Creighton is tough this year. They have an RPI in the low 40's and shared the MVC regular season crown. What impresses me the most is their 18 point win against Dayton, their 9-5 record against the top 100, and their 8-4 record on the road. They also have two road losses (Arkansas Little-Rock and Nebraska) that came on last second shots early in the season. The Bluejays are probably the first team out after the Gaels, simply because their resume just doesn't stack up against the Arizona, who beat three top 25 conference champs out of conference.

South Carolina: Winning a share of the SEC East is nice, but it is akin to winning the MVC this year. South Carolina has beaten one top 50 team (#46 Florida) and just lost a game they really needed to win against Mississippi State.

Florida: The Gators were terrible on the road this year, going just 2-7. They were also just 2-6 against the RPI top 50, and they lost a game to an Auburn team that may be the hottest team in the country.

Auburn: No one is playing better than the Tigers right now, but just because they are playing well this month doesn't help them over come a poor season. They've only beaten two top 50 teams and five top 100 teams, and all of those came in the last month. In fact, 15 of their 21 wins are against teams outside the the top 100 and their best non conference wins are Virginia and Tulane.

San Diego State: The Aztecs drop out after losing the MWC finals to Utah. Looking at their resume compared to everyone else on the bubble, the Aztecs just don't have the wins against good teams. They only have two top 50 RPI wins, and both came in conference.

Just for fun, I'll take a stab at the top four seeds:

1's: Louisville (#1 overall), UNC, Pitt, Memphis
2's: UConn, Duke, Michigan State, Kansas
3's: Missouri, Wake Forest, Oklahoma, Syracuse
4's: Washington, Gonzaga, Xavier, Villanova
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Friday Morning Shootaround: Penn State is dancing

Did somebody actually lock up a bid? Penn State did, thanks to this shot from Talor Battle:



With 3:52 left in the game, PSU was down 63-55 to the Illini, only to score the last nine points of the game to all but lock up a bid. Talor Battle finished with 15 points, while Stanley Pringle led the Nittany Lions with 20. Demetri McCamey had 16 and 7 assists for the Illini.

The rest of Thursday's games:

• Xavier 76, Dayton 59: Despite a little pre-game jawing, Xavier came out and jumped all over the Flyers en route to their third straight A-10 title. Dante Jackson scored Xavier's first 11 points as the pulled out to an early 11-2 lead and remained in control for the rest of the contest. BJ Raymond led X with 14.
  
• Stanford 74, Arizona State 64: The Cardinal got 20 points from Landry Fields as they got revenge for a 30 point whooping they took from the Sun Devils earlier in the season. ASU has now dropped three in a row.
• Tennessee 86, South Carolina 70: The Vols got 22 points and 7 assists from Tyler Smith and 20 points and 9 boards from JP Prince as they clinched at least a share of the SEC East crown (they win out right if they can beat Alabama on Sunday). The Vols may not be a lock to go dancing anymore, and should probably avoid losing to Georgia over the weekend.
• Villanova 97, Providence 80: Scottie Reynolds scored 23 points as the Wildcats locked up the #4 seed and thus a double bye in the Big East Tournament. Providence, who will be the 8 seed and will likely play the Cincinnati-DePaul winner, probably wants to beat Cinci (for the third time this season) in the second round if they want to avoid the NIT.
• Cal 83, Arizona 77: Jerome Randle had a career high 28 points, Theo Robertson had a career-high 24, and the Cal Bears put a serious damper on Arizona's tournament hopes. The Wildcats have now lost four in a row after their seven game winning streak.
• UCLA 79, Oregon State 54: Josh Shipp had 27 as the Bruins kept their title hopes alive.
  

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College Basketball Week In Review: Life on the Bubble

With just a week left in the regular season for most teams, let's take a look at who can help themselves the most over these next seven days:

• Virginia Tech 17-11, 7-7, 59 (RPI), 36 (SOS): The Hokies have been the most snakebitten team in the country this season (more on this later today), but still have a chance to reach the dance because they play UNC (home) and Florida State (away) to close out the season. They may need to win both if they want to lock up a bid.
• Maryland 18-10, 7-7, 58, 22: The Terps have a couple really nice wins (@ UNC, Michigan State), but a terrible loss (Morgan State) and a 2-5 road record. While a win at UVA helps bolster the road record, they may need to beat Wake Forest at home if they want a chance to dance.

• Providence 17-11, 10-7, 71, 38: The Friars have one game left on their schedule - at Villanova. At this point, they probably need to win that game for a shot at making the dance. If they lose, the committee can easily turn down a 12 loss team, but can they reject a team that went 11-7 in the Big East this year, with a win over Pitt and a win at Villanova?
• The Middle of the Big Ten: Illinois, Purdue, and Michigan State are dancing, but there are five teams within a game and a half of each other in the Big Ten standings that still can end up in the field of 65:
  
  - Wisconsin (18-10, 9-7, 32, 5): @ Minnesota, Indiana
  - Penn State (20-9, 9-7, 64, 92): Illinois, @ Iowa
  - Minnesota (20-8, 8-8, 37, 47): Wisconsin, Michigan
  - Ohio State (18-9, 8-8, 41, 24): @ Iowa, Northwestern
  - Michigan (17-12, 8-9, 47, 10): @ Minnesota
  
  Penn State and Ohio State probably need to win out to reach the dance (Penn State needs the wins, Ohio State can't afford the losses). Depending on how the games play out, two of Michigan/Minnesota/Wisconsin should be dancing as well.
• Oklahoma State 19-9, 8-6, 31, 13: See below.
• Florida 21-8, 8-6, 42, 93; Kentucky 18-10, 8-6, 66, 64: The Gators go to Mississippi State on Wednesday and the Wildcats get Georgia at home. Assuming both teams win those games (far from a sure thing, especially for Florida, who is 2-6 in true road games), on Saturday Kentucky heads to Gainesville in what will most likely be a play-in game. Does a 9-7 SEC team go dancing?
• Dayton 24-5, 10-4, 27, 105: Dayton has a great record and a great RPI, but probably needs to sweep this week (@ Xavier, Duquense) if they want to ensure an at-large bid. The wins against Marquette and Xavier are nice, but an SOS in the 100's and losses to St. Louis (113), UMass (162), and Charlotte (183) are not good.
  

PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Sherron Collins, Kansas Jayhawks
Much has been written about how young the Jayhawks are this year and how much they lost to graduation/NBA paychecks after winning the national title. But come March of 2009, the Baby Jayhawks are now all alone in first place in the Big XII, needing only to win at Texas Tech and to beat Texas at home to lock up a fifth straight conference title. This past week was huge, as KU knocked off both Oklahoma and Missouri. And as has been the case all season long, Sherron Collins was the best player on the floor for KU. Against Oklahoma, Collins shook off a bit of a slow start as he knocked down three huge three's late in the game, which helped to hold off a 20 point rally by the Blake Griffin-less Sooners. On Sunday, Collins scored 25 points and had 6 assists as Kansas jumped all over Mizzou early, winning the battle for first place 90-65. All told, Collins averaged 25.5 ppg, 4.5 apg, and 3.5 rpg, while shooting 50% from the field, 14-18 from the line, and 9-14 from deep.

Sherron Collins was on fire in two games last week.
(photo credit: Orlin Wagner/AP)

TEAMS OF THE WEEK:
Oklahoma State and LSU
OK State was not expected to be much of anything this year, especially not after their only legitimate post threat, Ibrahima Thomas, was kicked off of the team early in the season. Things looked bleak as the Cowboys lost six of eight early in the conference season, but they have responded admirably by winning five in a row, including two games this week - at Colorado and at home against Texas. The win against Texas was the most important win of the season, as it finally gave OK State a marquee win. The Cowboys are far from a lock at this point despite their very strong computer profile (31 RPI, 13 SOS), mainly because they haven't had all that much success against a very tough schedule (3-8 vs. top 50, 7-9 vs. top 100). But they still have games against Kansas State and Oklahoma. Winning one of those should get the Cowboys in, while winning both would guarantee a trip to the dance. For the week, the vastly underrated James Anderson led the Cowboys with 23 ppg, including a 30 and 10 board performance against Colorado. Marshall Moses averaged 11.5 ppg and 12.5 rpg this week.

LSU is leading the SEC with an impressive 25-4 record, 13-1 in the league. But they are far from getting the credit that record would deserve for two reasons: the general consensus is that the SEC is down quite a bit this year; but more so it is the fact that LSU has not been all that impressive on the road. They lost their first three games away from Baton Rouge (Texas A&M on a neutral court, at Utah by 30, and at Alabama). They have been much better on the road of late, winning, amongst others, at Tennessee, at Mississippi State, and at Arkansas (who, if you remember, beat Texas and Oklahoma in Fayetteville). If that still wasn't enough to convince you that LSU is for real this year, then maybe this week did. Not only did they beat Florida, but they won in Rupp, coming back from a ten point deficit to beat the Wildcats on a Tasmin Mitchell three pointer with less than 10 seconds left. The bottom-line, for me anyway, is that LSU passes the smell test - watching them play (I saw most of the two games this week, the first two I have seen the Tigers play this year, thank you very much Raycom Sports), they look like a team deserving of a top four seed.

Marcus Thornton hit five three's in a row in the first half against Florida
en route to 32 points in the Tiger's win.
(photo credit: Bill Feig/AP)

Marcus Thornton, when he is a hot, can put up points with the best of them (he averaged 27.5 ppg on the week). Garrett Temple ranks up there with Chris Kramer, Jerel McNeal, and Travis Walton as the best perimeter defenders in the nation. Tasmin Mitchell is a load on the block. Chris Johnson is an excellent shot blocker that will be a lottery pick once he can put on some muscle. Bo Spencer has turned into a good point guard that can protect the ball, make plays on both ends, and knock down a jump shot for you. The biggest problem? That is it for the Tigers. They might as well go just five deep, because there is not too much on their bench. They end with Vanderbilt and Auburn. If they win both, they will be 15-1 in the SEC. The league may be down this year, but 15-1 in any conference is impressive.

MATCH-UPS OF THE WEEK:
3/3 - Florida State @ Duke: Duke tends to struggle against bigger, more athletic teams. What is FSU? Bigger, and more athletic than just about every team in the country.

3/4 - Marquette @ Pitt: Marquette was at a serious disadvantage size wise before they had to replace 5'11" Dominic James with 5'7" Mo Acker.

3/4 - Oklahoma @ Missouri: ESPN really blew this one. Two clashes of top ten teams on a Wednesday night, and neither lands on the worldwide leader (Pitt-Marquette is ESPN 2, while Oklahoma-Mizzou is not even on the family of networks).

3/5 - Dayton @ Xavier: Xavier looks to get revenge after Dayton smacked X in Dayton back in January.

3/6 - The WCC and CAA tournaments start on Friday.

The last weekend of the regular season ends with an absolutely fantastic line-up of games, headlined by UConn heading to Pitt to play for the Big East crown, while UNC hosts Duke for the ACC title. More on this weekend's games on Friday. Continue reading...

Friday Morning Shootaround

There was only one real upset last night as Wisconsin used hot shooting in the first half to build up a 12 point halftime lead. The Badgers would extend that lead to as much as 17 in the second half, and Illinois never got closer than 10 before losing 63-50. Jason Bohannon snapped out of a shooting slump by hitting his first six three's, finishing the night with 20 points. This was a huge win for Wisconsin, who came in on a six game losing streak. They are not completely out of the NCAA tournament picture just yet (not with the Big Ten having the #2 conference RPI and the #1 conference SOS), but they are going to need to win a lot of games the rest of the way if they want to earn an at-large.

Illinois's offense has really been struggling of late, especially on the road. They haven't broken the 70 point plateau since Jan. 10th (against Indiana), and their last three road games they are averaging 48 ppg (including a 36 point performance against Minnesota). I know they have one of the best defenses in the country, allowing just 56 ppg, but that defense doesn't help when you score just 50 points.

There was another big game in the Big Ten last night as Michigan got on a role in the second half, beating Penn State 71-51. The loss snapped PSU's four game winning streak, while it should help Michigan get out of their funk (they lost five of six coming in). The Wolverines blew the game open with a 16-3 run midway through the second half. Manny Harris (who finished with 28, 7 boards, and 6 assists) and DeShawn Sims combined for 13 of those 16 points. Jamelle Cormley had 25 for the Nittany Lions, but Talor Battle and Stanley Pringle, who average 32 ppg combined, were held to just 16 points.

The rest of the night's action:

• Florida State 62, Georgia Tech 58: Toney Douglas scored 10 of his 21 in the last five minutes as the Seminoles were able to avoid losing at home by hitting seven of eight free throws down the stretch.
  
• Vanderbilt 79, Alabama 74
• Davidson 75, UNC-Greensboro 54: Steph Curry had 29.
  
• Xavier 83, Temple 74: BJ Raymond scored 24 points, hitting 5-7 from deep, as Xavier used a 10-0 run early in the second half to blow open a close game. As a team, the Musketeers finished 11-18 from deep. Raymond's 24 was his fourth straight game of 20+.
  
• Western Kentucky 64, Louisiana-Monroe 55
• Butler 66, Detroit 61: Gordon Hayward scored 22 points as Butler was able to rebound from their first conference loss by hanging on the beat Detroit.
  
• Arizona 56, Oregon State 53: Chase Budinger had 17 and 8 boards to lead the Wildcats, who nearly blew a 13 point second half lead. With 1:41 left, Rickey Claitt hit a three to tie the game at 53, but the Beavers wouldn't score again. Roeland Schaftenaar had a three rattle out at the buzzer that would have sent the game to OT.
  
• Seton Hall 91, St. John's 81
• Utah State 78, New Mexico State 59: Gary Wilkinson had 18 and 11 as the Aggies extended their winning streak to 17 games.
  
• Stanford 65, Washington State 54: Lawrence Hill scored 20 and Anthony Goods added 13 and 7 dimes as the Cardinal avenged a 55-54 loss in Pullman earlier this year.
• Arizona State 66, Oregon 57: James Harden scored 36 points as the Sun Devils snapped a two game losing streak.
  
• Cal 86, Washington 71: Jerome Randle scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half, sparking a 19-3 run that turned a nine point deficit into a ten point lead. The Bears would go on to build a lead as big as 19. Washington falls a game off the lead in the Pac-10, while Cal was able to win for just the second time in their past six games.
  
• Gonzaga 93, Portland 78: Matt Bouldin had 26 points and 8 assists and Jeremy Pargo added 22 as Gonzaga opened up a two game cushion in the WCC. Down by one at the half, the 'Zags used a stingy defensive effort to take control of this game.
  
• St. Mary's 79, San Francisco 58: Diamon Simpson had 23 and 9 as the Gaels won for the first time without PG Patty Mills.
  

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College Basketball Week In Review: Four Weeks, Four #1's

What We Learned This Week: How many bids is the SEC going to get this year? Right now, are they looking at more than two? The way I see it, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, LSU, South Carolina and maybe Mississippi State all have some sort of chance if they are able to win enough games (I don't want to get into it too much, I am working on a post for later in the week about it). Kentucky looked to be a lock before getting swept this week. Florida was looking good until they were blown out by Tennessee, who is far from a guarantee themselves.

The biggest issue for these teams is going to be the perception of the SEC as very weak. Outside of Arkansas's (seemingly) fluke wins over Texas and Oklahoma, there aren't many impressive non-conference wins to speak of. Tennessee beat Marquette, but the Golden Eagles still have a lot of doubters out there. They also beat Georgetown, which is looking less and less impressive by the day. Florida and LSU have wins over Washington and Washington State (respectively), but the Pac-10 is down this year. LSU lost by 30 at Utah. Kentucky's win over West Virginia will be canceled out by their loss to VMI. And what about Mercer's dominance over the Alabama schools?

When it comes down to it, the SEC is going to get hurt by the lack of big games in conference play. Let's say Providence and Kentucky are on a par right now (not really a stretch). Who's shoes would you rather be in? The team that gets a shot at a number of Big East big dogs, where all you will need is an upset or two to solidify your resume. Or the team who is going to have to come damn near winning out against the on-the-bubble-powerhouses of the SEC in order to ensure themselves an at-large bid. Personally, I'd want to be in the Friar's spot.

Georgetown (12-8, 3-6) and Notre Dame (12-8, 3-6), both on five game losing streaks, are far from out of NCAA contention. There is still a ton of basketball yet to be played, and both teams are going to get a number of chances against tournament and top 25 teams the rest of the way. Think back to last year and Arizona. The Wildcats played the second hardest schedule in the country last season en route to a 18-13 record, 8-10 in the Pac-10 (good enough for 7th). But the Pac-10 was considered the best conference in the country, and as a result, the Wildcats earned a 10 seed as an at-large before losing to West Virginia in the first round.

The Hoyas have played the toughest schedule in the country this year, and with their schedule "lightening" up a bit down the stretch (only four of their final nine games are against RPI top 50 as opposed to six of their last ten), if the Hoyas can get to 9-9 or 8-10 in the Big East, they should be fine. Notre Dame, on the other hand, is in much more dire straits. Their SOS is currently 50th in the country, but if they hope to snag an at-large bid, they are probably going to want to go 7-3 at worst the rest of the way. They do get a road game at UCLA, which would be a huge win, as well as four other games against RPI top 50. But the Irish really have their work cut out for them.

GAME OF THE WEEK:
Wake Forest 70, Duke 68
Not really that tough of a decision here. Wake Forest controlled this thing basically the entire game, eventually pushing their lead to 13 at 61-48. But that is when Duke started to chip away. Between Wake Forest missing free throws and taking questionable shots and Gerald Henderson and Kyle Singler taking over the game, Duke was able to eventually tie the game at 68 after a Henderson 15 footer with 10 seconds left. Wake would push the ball up the court, but missed two shots before Henderson was called for a travel on the rebound, giving the Deacs the ball underneath with 2.6 seconds left. Dino Gaudio drew up a play in the huddle, and James Johnson slipped a screen and found himself wide open for a lay-up to win the game. Johnson finished with 13 and 11 while Al-Farouq Aminu added 15 and 10. Henderson and Singler went 20/8 and 22/12, respectively. A full write-up from the game can be found here.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Jerel McNeal, Marquette
Blake Griffin. Stephen Curry. Luke Harangody. These are the names that have been tossed around as far as player of the year is concerned. Believe it or not, Jerel McNeal needs to be included in that conversation. I've written about him (here) before, but McNeal has just kept playing better and better. This past week, he led Marquette to two more wins as the Golden Eagles remained undefeated in the Big East. Against Notre Dame, McNeal led the Eagles with 27 points as they sent Notre Dame to their second straight loss at home. But that was far from McNeal's best game of the week. On Saturday, as the Eagles hosted Georgetown, McNeal posted one of the best all-around lines of the season: 26 points, 6 rebounds, 11 assists, 5 steals, and 3 blocks. The emergence of McNeal as an all-american has been the difference in Marquette being a good team in the Big East to the Eagles becoming a top ten team nationally.

TEAM OF THE WEEK:
Penn State
The Nittany Lions game their NCAA tournament hopes a huge boost on Sunday when they went into East Lansing and knocked off the Michigan State Spartans. Granted, MSU was playing without Raymar Morgan, but it is still a huge win on the road. Talor Battle had 29 to lead PSU in the win. With the win, Penn State moves into a three way tie in third place in the Big Ten (with Illinois and Minnesota) just a game behind Michigan State and 1/2 a game behind Purdue. Penn State has a win over both Michigan State and Purdue, but they will really get tested over their next six games - @ Michigan, Wisconsin, @ Purdue, Minnesota, @ Illinois, and @ Ohio State.

MATCH-UPS OF THE WEEK:
2/2 - UConn @ Louisville: Fantastic game between the two best teams in the Big East.

2/4 - Duke @ Clemson: There may not be two teams in the country that pressure the ball defensively as well as these two.

2/4 - Minnesota @ Michigan State: Can the Gophers handle the athleticism of the Spartans?

2/4 - Missouri @ Texas: The Longhorns get questionable PG play. How will they be able to hand the Mizzou pressure?

2/4 - West Virginia @ Syracuse: Syracuse has been slumping lately and is beat up physically. Not a good combo when you are facing a tough Mountaineer squad.

2/4 - USC @ UCLA: All of a sudden the Trojans are a game out in the Pac-10.

2/7 - Syracuse @ Villanova: Jonny Flynn goes toe-to-toe with Scottie Reynolds.

2/7 - Notre Dame @ UCLA: Notre Dame desperately needs this win.

2/7 - Memphis @ Gonzaga: Barring a collapse in conference play, both of these teams should be in the tourney. But a win like this could be the difference between an eight seed and a five seed.

2/8 - Purdue @ Illinois: Expect your typical Big Ten slugfest. Continue reading...