College Basketball Week In Review: Conference Favorites Emerge

What We Learned This Week: As we get farther into conference season, each league is starting to shake itself out and teams are starting to emerge as front runners for the regular season title. In a lot of cases, these are not necessarily the teams that were picked in the preseason, or even earlier during the season, to sit atop the league standings.

• Big East - What makes the Big East so much fun this year is that seemingly each week, there is a new favorite leading the charge to the conference title. Early on, it was UConn. Then it was Georgetown. Then Pitt. Now, it seems like Louisville is leading the way. They are as talented as any team in the conference and playing as well as anyone in the country after knocking off Pitt and Syracuse in their last three games. Louisville is tied with Marquette atop the Big East standings at 6-0.
  
• ACC - With Wake Forest losing to Virginia Tech, Duke is now the lone undefeated team in the ACC and most likely the #1 team in the country once the polls are released. If Louisville isn't the hottest team in the land, Duke is. They are rolling through ACC competition, which includes a 25 point win over Tech, the team currently in second place. The biggest reason for the rise of Duke to ACC favorite has been the emergence of Gerald Henderson as one of the best scorers in the league. The Blue Devils are 18-1 and 5-0 in the league, 1 1/2 games in front of Wake and 2 games up on UNC.
• SEC - With the underwhelming play of early favorites Florida and Tennessee, the SEC has started to look like a very weak league. Kentucky is the lone undefeated team in the conference, and the Wildcats are quietly having a great season riding the coattails of Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson.
• Big Ten - The Big Ten looked like it was going to be wide open this season as Michigan State and Purdue got off to slow starts and teams like Illinois and Minnesota kept winning games. While the Illini and the Gophers are still in the mix atop the conference standings, the Spartans and the Boilermakers have reasserted their control over the league. MSU is 6-1 while both Illinois (5-2) and Purdue (4-2) are one game back in the loss column.
• Big XII - This league has pretty much remained constant throughout the season, as Blake Griffin and the Sooners have been the favorite from Day 1. Texas and Missouri are both a game back in league play, but perhaps the biggest surprise is that Kansas is also undefeated in the Big XII. They don't look to be much of a threat just yet, however. While OU has beated Texas and Baylor in league play, Kansas has beaten up on the bottom for teams in the Big XII.
• Pac-10 - UCLA has been to three straight Final Fours and returned a number of players that have been to all three. Arizona State returned basically their entire team from last season, which included all-american James Harden. But seven games into the season, the Washington Huskies are now sitting on top of the Pac-10 standings after beating the Bruins as home by 11. Some might call it a fluke (they did beat UCLA at home), but the Huskies look like they may be for real. They have a legitimate beast in the post in Jon Brockman. They get excellent guard play out of Isaiah Thomas and Justin Dentmon. And they have a ton of athletes on the perimeter.
• MVC - Creighton, Drake, and Illinois State were the trendy preseason picks for this league, and both Bradley and Evansville made some noise early in the season. But the team that has emerged as the favorite and the MVC leader has been Northern Iowa. The Panthers are 8-1 in the conference, and their only loss has come to, oddly enough, cellar dweller Indiana State in OT.
  
• MWC - This might end up being the most exciting league to watch down the stretch as six of the nine teams are tied atop the standings with two losses. UNLV might be the most talented team, but BYU, Utah, and San Diego State all have enough to make a run at the title. It should be fun to watch these teams fight it out atop the standings.
  

GAME OF THE WEEK:
Arizona 96, Houston 90 OT
Down 87-78 with just 43 seconds left, Arizona managed to make a marvelous comeback to force over time. Chase Budinger hit a three to cut the lead to six. After Houston made one of two free throws, Nic Wise drove and made a lay-up to cut the lead to five. Houston then turned to ball over, and Jordan Hill was able to knock down a short jumper to cut the lead to three. UA fouled, and sent Kelvin Lewis, who had scored 35 in the game and 27 in the second half, to the line. Lewis missed both, and Nic Wise hit a three to send the game into overtime. In OT, Jordan Hill scored an and-one on the Wildcats first possession, and Arizona went on to the victory. Hill finished with 30 points, while Nic Wise added 23 and Chase Budinger 15.

This game was marred by one of the worst cheap shots I've seen in a while. Derek Vinyard Aubrey Coleman steps on Chase Budinger's face after being called for a charge midway through the second half. In his defense, Coleman has issued a statement of apology (and wrote a letter to Budinger) saying that it was accidental. Regardless, Coleman was issued a flagrant foul and ejected from the game.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech
The Hokies opened up league play by getting blown out at Duke, dropping them to 9-5 and making a NCAA berth seem so far away. But Tech bounced back with five consecutive wins, including two last week over then-#1 Wake Forest and Miami FL. The Hokies are now all alone in second place in the ACC at 4-1. The biggest reason for those wins was the play of Malcolm Delaney. For the week, Delaney averaged 25 ppg, 7 rpg, 2.5 apg, and 2.5 spg. Delaney made big shots in both games. Against Wake, the Demon Deacons had widdled a 16 point lead down to 71-69, but Delaney drew a foul and knocked down both free throws to help hold off Wake. Against Miami, Delaney's three-point with 1:49 left in OT gave the Hokies a lead they would never give up.

TEAMS OF THE WEEK:
Duke and UConn
Both the Huskies and the Blue Devils went 2-0 this week in impressive fashion, as they now look headed to be #1 and #2 in the polls. Duke did it by blowing out two middle-of-the-pack ACC teams. On Tuesday, they knocked off NC State 73-56, using a 27-5 run to close out the game. On Saturday, they blew out Maryland 85-44 in a game that, believe it or not, wasn't as close as the final score indicates (at one point, Duke was up 71-29). Gerald Henderson continued his phenomenal play this week, going for 21 points, 7 boards, 4 assists, 5 steals, and a block (all team-highs) against NC State, while adding 17 and 8 boards against the Terps. Even dating back to last season, I have been saying that for Duke to be considered a national title contender, they need either Henderson or Jon Scheyer to turn into a go-to scorer. With the way Henderson has been playing, it is hard to argue against that right now.

As for UConn, the Huskies beat Villanova 89-83 on Wednesday then ended Notre Dame's home court winning streak at 45 on Saturday night 69-61. Beating two ranked conference opponents in one week is impressive in itself, but what was more impressive was how the Huskies did it. They proved that they could force good teams to play the way the Huskies wanted to and assert their influence on the game. Against Villanova, one of the best defensive teams in the Big East, UConn turned the game into an up-and-down affair, going into half time tied at 48. Notre Dame is a much better team offensively than defensively, but the Huskies were able to force to Irish to play a slowed-down, grind-it-out defensive game. The Huskies look like a completely different team from the one that was blown out by Georgetown at home to start the Big East season.

MATCH-UPS OF THE WEEK:
1/26 - Marquette @ Notre Dame: Marquette looks to stay undefeated in the league, while Notre Dame is looking to end a three game losing streak.

1/27 - Texas @ Baylor: Oklahoma seems to be the clear-cut favorite in the Big XII, but it looks like these two teams are going to battle it out for second place.

1/28 - Duke @ Wake Forest: While it most likely won't be #1 vs. #2, this is still going to be a crucial match-up atop the ACC between two Final Four caliber teams.

1/29 - Illinois @ Minnesota: Illinois is looking to prove they belong in the conversation with Purdue and Michigan State.

1/29 - St. Mary's @ Gonzaga: Is it possible that these are the two best teams on the west coast?

As usual, Saturday provides us with an awesome slate of games:

• Notre Dame @ Pitt
• Georgetown @ Marquette
• Stanford @ UCLA
• West Virginia @ Louisville
• Washington @ Arizona State
• Michigan @ Purdue
• Baylor @ Missouri
  

2/1 - Pittsburgh @ Arizona: Wait, that's football... Continue reading...

Monday Morning Shootaround - Weekend Recap

A lot to get caught up on from a weekend full of basketball. Sunday's biggest game was played in Syracuse as Louisville went into the Carrier Dome and knocked off the Orange. The Cardinals were up for most of the game, but with 2:55 left Eric Devendorf knocked down a three off of a Jonny Flynn kick out to give Syracuse a 55-54 lead. Earl Clark would respond on the next possession with a three of his own, and Louisville would go on to score seven straight points, taking a 61-55 lead on a Terrence Williams jumper with 50 seconds left. Clark had 16, 13 boards, and 5 assists (but 7 of the 10 Cardinal turnovers) and Williams added 15, 9 boards, 3 assists, and 5 steals. Devendorf had 20 to lead Syracuse. Syracuse has now lost three of four in the Big East, while Louisville has won seven in a row and remains tied with Marquette atop to Big East at 6-0.

The rest of Sunday's action:

• Seton Hall 65, Georgetown 60: The Pirates held Georgetown to 32.7% shooting for the game and just four field goals over the last 16:33 as they earned their first Big East win of the season. The Hoyas fell to 3-4 in league play as they have now lost three straight, including two in the Big East. SHU won despite not hitting a three-pointer the entire game. Jeremy Hazell was 0-10 for deep, but still finished with 23 points and 7 boards. Robert Mitchell had 20, including a jumper with under four minutes left that gave the Pirates a 56-55 lead that they would never give up. Greg Monroe had 17 for the Hoyas, who missed three three's in a 40 second span when they were down by one possession.
• Michigan State 78, Ohio State 67: Durell Summers got the start (Chris Allen and Kalin Lucas were benched for missing some academic goals) and scored a career-high 26 points while hitting a career-high six three's as the Spartans bounced back strong from a home loss to Northwestern with a win over the Buckeyes on the road. Kalin Lucas scored 20 points off the bench, with 18 coming in the second half as Ohio State spread their zone to try and contain Summers. Evan Turner had 19 to lead OSU.
• Pittsburgh 79, West Virginia 67: Sam Young scored 16 of his 22 points in the final 16:29 as Pitt was too big inside for the Mountaineers. Up 50-48, Young had 12 in a 18-5 Panther run that put Pitt up 68-53. WVU would get no closer than 11 the rest of the way. DeJuan Blair has 16 and 11 while Da'Sean Butler had 21 to lead WVU.
• Clemson 73, Georgia Tech 59: Terrence Oglesby scored 18 points to lead the Tigers to a much needed bounce back win against Georgia Tech. Clemson started out 16-0 on the season before losing their last two to Wake Forest and UNC.
• Minnesota 67, Indiana 63: The Gophers focused on getting the ball into the paint, and Ralph Sampson III and Damian Johnson did not disappoint as they combined for 31 points and 14 rebounds to keep the Gophers from being upset by the Hoosiers.
  
• Florida 94, Vanderbilt 69: Chandler Parsons scored 27 points and hit seven three's as Florida bounced back from a last second loss to South Carolina (a game where Parsons missed the front end of a 1-and-1 which allowed SC to win it on a buzzer-beating lay-up).
• Virginia Tech 88, Miami FL 83: Malcolm Delaney scored 29 including a three-pointer with 1:49 left to give the Hokies a 84-83 lead they would never relinquish as Tech stayed hot after beating Wake Forest.
  
• Dayton 80, St. Bonaventure 68
• Northern Iowa 78, Missouri State 69
  

Now here are the big games from Saturday:

• Washington 86, UCLA 75: Isaiah Thomas scored 24 points and Jon Brockman bounced back from an 0-fer against USC to go for 18 and 8 boards as the Huskies moved into sole possession of first place in the Pac-10. Josh Shipp scored 25 points, but went scoreless over the last nine minutes. Justin Dentmon scored 8 of his 16 points in a decisive 12-0 run to give Washington a 79-66 lead late.
• UConn 69, Notre Dame 61: UConn ended Notre Dame's 45 game home court winning streak as the Huskies dominated the Irish physically, outrebounding them 53-39. Jeff Adrien had 12 points and 19 boards, Hasheem Thabeet added 9, 11 boards, and 5 blocks, and Jerome Dyson led the Huskies with 15. Luke Harangody had 24 and 15 for the Irish, but no one else on ND could get it going. Kyle McAlarney hit his first three three's, but missed his next 12 shots from the field and Ryan Ayers was just 1-10 on the game.
• Oklahoma 95, Baylor 76: The Sooners jumped out to a 58-31 halftime lead on the strength of 67% shooting and 14 points and 11 boards from Blake Griffin. Griffin ended up with 20 and 17, Taylor Griffin had 18, and Willie Warren added 17 on 6-8 shooting as the Sooners remained alone atop the Big XII.
• Memphis 54, Tennessee 52: Down 53-52, Tyler Smith missed a jumper with 5 seconds remaining as Memphis got revenge for a loss last season. It was a devastating loss for a Tennessee team desperate to get a big win. Neither team could really get anything going offensively as they both shot 33% from the field. Tyreke Evans scored 17 to lead Memphis.
  
• Xavier 80, LSU 70: Derrick Brown scored 22 points and hit three's on consecutive possessions to give Xavier its final lead as the Musketeers were able to hold off the Tigers. Neither LSU or Tennessee could land a marquee out-of-conference win, which could have done a lot to help boost the SEC conference RPI. It is looking more and more like it is a two or three bid league.
• Duke 85, Maryland 44: The Blue Devils got 17 and 8 from Gerald Henderson and were up 40-15 at halftime as they cruised in a rout of the Terps.
• Marquette 79, DePaul 70: Jerel McNeal had 21 points and Lazar Hayward added 16 and 17 boards as the Golden Eagles improved to 6-0 in the league.
• Texas 67, Texas A&M 58: Damion James scored 28, including 11 straight during a key second half run, as Texas remained a game back of Oklahoma in the Big XII.
• Illinois 64, Wisconsin 57: Demetri McCamey scored 25 (including 8 straight at the end to seal the win) and also had 7 assists as the Illini improved to 5-2 in the Big Ten. Wisconsin, who was held to 33% shooting, could not figure out the Illini's defense, which has been the best in the Big Ten.
• Villanova 70, South Florida 61: Dante Cunningham has 14 points and 8 boards despite being in foul trouble the whole game to lead 'Nova. The Wildcats were lucky to get this win as USF missed a number of free throws down the stretch, including two front ends and three total in the span of 11 seconds by Gus Gilchrist with the Bulls down by two.
• Butler 78, UW-Milwaukee 48: Butler held the Panthers, one of the best offenses in the Horizon League, to 24% shooting as the Bulldogs remained undefeated in the league. UWM had just 13 field goals, five fewer than the number of turnovers they had and two fewer than the number of three's Butler hit.
  
• Siena 82, Niagara 65
• Auburn 73, Arkansas 51
• Missouri 97, Texas Tech 86
• Kansas 82, Iowa State 67: Craig Brackins had 42 and 14 in a losing effort.
• BC 79, NC State 68
• Kentucky 61, Alabama 51
• Oklahoma State 76, Nebraska 74 OT
• Florida State 63, Virginia 52
• UNLV 75, Utah 65
• VCU 76, George Mason 71
• Northeastern 58, Old Dominion 42
  
• Arizona 96, Houston 90 OT: Houston was up big most of the game, and they were up 12 when Aubrey Coleman took this cheap shot on Chase Budinger. Arizona responded by coming back, including outscoring Houston 10-1 in the final 40 seconds, to force OT, where they would go on to win. Jordan Hill led the Wildcats with 30.
  
  
  
• Kansas State 77, Colorado 75 OT
• Cal 76, Oregon 69
• Mississippi State 67, Georgia 61
• Penn State 63, Iowa 59
• USC 46, Washington State 44
• Davidson 79, Wofford 56
• St. John's 70, Rutgers 59
• Michigan 68, Northwestern 59
• Gonzaga 93, Loyola Marymount 60
• South Carolina 82, Mississippi 71
• BYU 77, San Diego State 71
• Oregon State 77, Stanford 62
• Utah State 67, Hawaii 51
  

Continue reading...

Sunday Roundup

Recap of Saturday's games coming up in a bit. Here's the Sunday schedule:

A couple of excellent games in the Big East. First, at noon, Louisville (14-3, 5-0) heads up to Syracuse (17-3, 5-2) to take on the Orange. Louisville finally looks like the team that everyone thought was going to be a top 5 squad this season. The reason for that has been the play of Terrence Williams and Earl Clark, who are both making a serious case for first-team all big east honors. The 'Cuse, on the other hand, have lost two of their last three (both badly and on the road to Georgetown and Pitt). But the Orange are a tough team to play in the dome (their one win in that string was by 19 against Notre Dame at home). Syracuse doesn't have the athletes to go man against the 'Ville, but I think they sit back in their zone, and the Cardinals fire away from three. If they are hitting, they'll win. I don't think they will, and I see the Orange picking up the W.

Pitt (17-1, 5-1) also has to travel to West Virginia (14-4, 3-2) to face the Mountaineers in the Backyard Brawl at 4. I am really high on WVU this year, I like what they bring to the table. But they are a team that wins based on their defense, their hustle, and their offensive rebounding. Basically, they are Pitt Jr, and no one is going to beat Pitt at their own game. Panthers roll.

The rest of the day's action:

• 12:00 PM: Minnesota (16-3, 4-3) @ Indiana (5-12, 0-5)
• 1:30 PM: Florida (16-3, 3-1) @ Vanderbilt (12-6, 1-3)
• 2:00 PM: St. Bonaventure (11-7, 2-3) @ Dayton (17-2, 3-1)
• 2:00 PM: Georgetown (12-5, 3-3) @ Seton Hall (9-9, 0-5)
• 3:45 PM: Michigan State (15-3, 5-1) @ Ohio State (13-4, 3-3): Here is a chance for the Buckeyes to prove that they are for real this year, and didn't just happen to get hot early on in the season.
• 5:30 PM: Virginia Tech (13-5, 3-1) @ Miami FL (14-4, 3-2): These two teams are both sitting right in the middle of the pack in the ACC. Both have NCAA tournament hopes. These games between two bubble teams are going to play a huge role in the selection committee's decision come tourney time. I like Va Tech this year, but I think that Dwayne Collins eats up Jeff Allen in the paint.
• 7:45 PM: Georgia Tech (9-9, 0-5) @ Clemson (16-2, 2-2)
  

Continue reading...

Saturday Roundup

As usual, Saturday is the best day for college basketball this week as we get some really important games taking place. And for the first time maybe all season, none of the two or three most important games are taking place in the Big East today.

This biggest game of the day is being played all the way out in Washington as the Huskies (14-4, 5-1) host UCLA (15-3, 5-1). Would you have predicted that on January 24th, Washington would be hosting the Bruins with a chance to earn sole possession of first place in the Pac-10? I sure didn't. The Huskies match-up pretty well personal-wise with the Bruins. Isaiah Thomas and Justin Dentmon should be able to hang with Darren Collison and Josh Shipp. U-dub has a little more athleticism on the wings, but their advantage is going to come in the paint. UCLA doesn't have anyone that can match-up with Jon Brockman under the rim. Brockman struggled a bit with the length and athleticism of USC on Thursday, but UCLA doesn't have that same length. Expect a big day out of the big fella.

For Washington, they obviously need to keep Collison in front, keep Josh Shipp from getting good looks, etc. But more importantly right now, they need to get a hand up on Nikola Dragovic. Since being moved into the starting line-up five games ago, he has been on a tear. He is averaging 14.0 ppg while shooting 17-36 from three during that span. Collison and Shipp are going to get their's, but the Huskies need to limit scoring from the Bruin role player if they want to win.

As much as I like U-dub this year, I think UCLA gets this one. The Bruins are more experienced, especially in their back court (Shipp and Collison have gone to three Final Fours - can you get anymore experience) and know how to win. Case in point - Collison taking over the Washington State game down the stretch and leading a struggling UCLA team to the win. I also think Washington is a little bit too reckless offensively, and I see UCLA's defense taking advantage of that.

There are three other games with a lot of significance today as well:

• 3:30 PM: Memphis (15-3) @ Tennessee (12-5): Today's game doesn't have quite the same mystique as last year's match-up did, when it was #1 vs. #2. But that doesn't downplay the significance of this game. Both of these teams have struggled a bit this season after losing so much to the NBA/graduation. This game is going to turn into an offensive struggle a defensive battle, as both teams play good pressure defense and neither team is balanced offensively. It's going to come down to two things - who wins the rebounding battle and who can force turnovers. More directly, Tennessee needs to keep Memphis off of the defensive glass and force the Tigers perimeter players into turnovers and tough shots if they want to win. I think Tennessee does, and gets the W at home.
• 4:00 PM: Baylor (15-3, 3-1) @ Oklahoma (18-1, 4-0): It's time to see what the Bears are really made of!! I have been on the Baylor bandwagon all season, and it is time to see if they are as good as I've been preaching. These two teams are polar opposites, really. Oklahoma has an excellent front line made up of the Brothers Griffin, but their back court play has been inconsistent. Baylor has a loaded back court that goes four deep, but their front line is their question mark. If the Bears want to win this thing, they need to slow down Blake Griffin. Baylor does have some size inside in Kevin Rogers, Quincy Acy, and Mamadou Diene, and those three guy are probably going to need to use all 15 of their fouls in beating up on Griffin. The other thing I think Baylor needs to do is get OU tired. The Sooners are essentially just six deep. If the Bears can get out and run the floor while keeping the clock moving (fouls, travels, and other whistles stop the clock and allow the Sooners to catch their breath), I think they have a shot at this thing, especially since they have a very similar make-up to the Arkansas team that gave OU their only loss. I think Baylor springs the upset and moves into a first place tie in the league.
  
• 7:00 PM: UConn (17-1, 6-1) @ Notre Dame (12-5, 3-3): Notre Dame really needs this win as they have fallen to the middle of the pack in the Big East after losing two straight to Louisville and Syracuse. The Irish are going to have their hands full on the interior with the size of UConn's front line. But that mismatch works the other way as well. All three of the Irish front court players are perimeter oriented and can step out and knock down a jumper or put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. The Huskies big men are not the best perimeter defenders. I would imagine that Hasheem Thabeet would have to cover Luke Harangody, which should mean that 'Gody will have to spend a lot of time away from the basket shooting jumpers. The key for UConn is going to be their defense. They are so much more athletic than the Irish, and in order to win they need to impose their will and make ND uncomfortable with the ball. The Irish are basically a jump shooting team, and if the Huskies can get ND to have an off-night, they have a much better shot of snapping that Joyce Center win streak. I don't think they do it - ND wins.
  

The rest of the night's action, broke down by conference:

Big East:

• 12:00 PM: Villanova (14-4, 2-3) @ South Florida (7-11, 2-4): USF has been a tough out so far in the Big East - losing by 3 to WVU, 5 to Syracuse, and 13 (much closer than that) to Pitt. If Villanova isn't ready to play, they could be the team to actually get upset.
  
• 2:00 PM: DePaul (8-11, 0-6) @ Marquette (16-2, 5-0)
• 7:00 PM: Rutgers (9-10, 0-6) @ St. John's (10-8, 1-5)
  

Big Ten:

• 4:00 PM: Wisconsin (12-6, 3-3) @ Illinois (16-3, 4-2): Illinois's experienced back court should not be bothered by the defense of Wisconsin.
• 6:00 PM: Iowa (12-7, 2-4) @ Penn State (15-5, 4-3): The Nittany Lions have been on a roll this year. This is one of those "must-win" games in conference play.
• 8:00 PM: Northwestern (10-6, 2-4) @ Michigan (13-6, 3-4): Michigan has been struggling of late while Northwestern has been playing much better. The Wolverines really need this win to get back on track.
  

SEC:

• 1:05 PM: Auburn (11-7, 1-3) @ Arkansas (12-4, 0-3)
• 3:00 PM: Kentucky (15-4, 4-0) @ Alabama (12-6, 2-2): Really good chance for Alabama to get their season headed back in the right direction.
  
• 6:00 PM: Mississippi State (13-6, 3-1) @ Georgia (9-9, 0-3)
• 8:00 PM: Xavier (16-2) @ LSU (15-3): LSU is still looking for a signature win this season. The Tigers are undefeated this season at home, but Xavier is an experienced, well-coached team. It should be fun to see Tasmin Mitchell go up against Derrick Brown.
• 8:00 PM: Mississippi (10-8, 1-3) @ South Carolina (12-4, 2-2)
  

Big XII:

• 1:30 PM: Texas Tech (11-7, 1-3) @ Missouri (16-3, 3-1): This game has a chance to reach the 100's as both teams love to play an uptempo style and score a lot of points.
  
• 2:00 PM: Kansas (14-4, 3-0) @ Iowa State (12-6, 1-2): Craig Brackins is one of the best players you've never seen play. This one's on ESPN, so if you get a chance be sure to tune in.
  
• 4:00 PM: Oklahoma State (12-5, 1-2) @ Nebraska (12-5, 2-2): This game pits two teams that play very contrasting styles - Nebraska is a defensive team in the mold of Washington State while Oklahoma State likes to run more and shoot three's.
  
• 6:00 PM: Kansas State (11-7, 0-4) @ Colorado (8-9, 0-3): Does anyone care?
  
• 8:00 PM: Texas A&M (15-4, 1-3) @ Texas (13-4, 2-1): The Aggies are looking to get back on track after falling to 1-3 in the league. Texas has struggled a bit of late, but blew out Texas Tech when they moved Justin Mason off the ball and used Dogus Balbay and AJ Abrams more at the point.
  

ACC:

• 12:00 PM: Maryland (13-5, 2-2) @ Duke (17-1, 4-0): Maryland always plays Duke tough, but I just don't see the Terps having enough this year. Greivis Vazquez is a good player, but he does not strike me as the kind of kid that is going to lead his team to victory against the hated rival Dookies.
• 2:00 PM: NC State (10-6, 1-3) @ Boston College (14-6, 2-3): Tyrese Rice should have a field day against the weak back court of the Wolfpack.
• 4:00 PM: Florida State (15-4, 2-2) @ Virginia (7-8, 1-3): If Florida State is serious about making an NCAA tournament run this year (which they are more than talented enough for), then they need to take care of games like this. The Seminoles are bigger, more athletic, and just plain better than UVA. It may be on the road, but road wins in conference are the games that prove your merit as an at-large.
  

Pac-10:

• 6:00 PM: Houston (12-4) @ Arizona (11-8)
• 6:00 PM: Oregon (6-13, 0-7) @ Cal (15-4, 4-2): Cal has to win this game. Getting swept at home by the Oregon schools would be devastating for their Pac-10 and NCAA hopes.
• 6:00 PM: USC (12-6, 3-3) @ Washington State (11-7, 3-3): Both teams badly need this win. I think USC is going to struggle against Washington State, especially if Dwight Lewis doesn't play. When you go up against a good defensive team, a talented PG is so important. Daniel Hackett isn't the answer.
  
• 10:00 PM: Oregon State (7-10, 2-5) @ Stanford (13-3, 3-3): The Beavers have proven that you have to come ready to play against them.
  

Everyone else:

• 12:00 PM: Niagara (14-5, 5-2) @ Siena (14-5, 8-0)
• 2:00 PM: UW-Milwaukee (12-7, 7-2) @ Butler (17-1, 8-0)
• 2:00 PM: NJIT (1-18) @ Longwood (9-10): NJIT just broke a 51 game losing streak. Is two in a row too much to ask?
• 4:00 PM: Utah (12-6, 3-1) @ UNLV (15-4, 3-2)
• 4:00 PM: George Mason (14-4, 7-1) @ VCU (14-5, 7-1): Huge game in the CAA for first place in the league.
• 7:00 PM: Northeastern (12-6, 7-1) @ Old Dominion (11-7, 4-4): GMU and VCU will be keeping an eye on this one as well.
• 7:00 PM: Wofford (7-8, 3-3) @ Davidson (15-3, 8-0)
• 8:00 PM: Gonzaga (13-4, 4-0) @ Loyola Marymount (1-19, 0-4)
• 9:00 PM: San Diego State (13-4, 3-1) @ BYU (14-4, 2-2)
• 12:05 AM: Utah State (18-1, 6-0) @ Hawaii (9-9, 1-5)
  

Continue reading...

Friday Lay-up Lines

Nothing interesting tonight on the hoops front, so I hope everyone enjoys a safe and happy Friday.

I also want to apologize for the lack of material this week. Inauguration really kicked my ass, and this weekend I'll be heading back to school for my alumni game. Yup, I played college ball. Nope, I wasn't all that good. That's why I write about it now.

Back to the point, the recaps of Saturday's games won't be up until later in the day on Sunday, so don't hold it against me. I'll still be watching.

Anyway, things will be back to normal come Monday. I hope Troy didn't scare any of you off... Continue reading...

Friday Morning Shootaround

Four games out in the Pac-10 last night:

• UCLA 61, Washington State 59: The Bruins were able to hang on down the stretch after blowing a 15 point second half lead. UCLA jumped out to a big lead early, thanks in large part to the play of Nikola Dragovic, who was 6-7 of three for 18 first half points. In fact, most of the damage UCLA did during this game was done from the perimeter. Wazzu was packing in their defense, seemingly daring the Bruins to shoot, which doesn't really make sense to me considering the Cougars had a big size advantage on the block and UCLA has some very capable shooters.
  
  In the second half, when Wazzu made their run, they started getting out on shooters a little more. It really made a difference, as Dragovic and company were taking contested jumpers instead of wide open looks.
  
  Wazzu made a couple of little runs at UCLA early in the second half, but every time they did, the Bruins would respond by knocking down a big shot. With just under nine minutes left, Alfred Aboya hit a jumper to extend the UCLA lead back to 11, but that's when the Cougars would finally get the game close again. Wazzu scored 11 straight points, the last six by Caleb Forrest (who had a fantastic game, scoring 19 points). But Darren Collison took over, scoring the next six Bruin points, and UCLA hung on for the two point win as they forced Marcus Capers into a tough jumper at the end of the game.
  
  Don't be surprised UCLA won - they haven't lost a conference game on a Thursday night in Collison's tenure.
  
  I don't understand why teams go away from what had been working for them. The perfect example is Dragovic. He was on fire in the first half, hitting four of his three's in the last five minutes. Three of those came off of pick-and-pops (a pick-and-roll, where instead of rolling the big man flares out for a jumper). But in the second half, UCLA stopped running players off of screens from Dragovic. I know that Wazzu probably made an adjustment during halftime, but I can't remember UCLA even trying one screen with Dragovic. I feel like you need to go back to that well at least once, see if it still works.
  
  I was pretty impressed with this Washington State team. Taylor Rochestie is one of the most underrated point guards in the country. Aron Baynes is a solid, yet unspectacular, big man. Klay Thompson is a difference maker for them. He is a long and athletic wing that can do a lot of different things on the floor, but also has a good looking jumper. If Caleb Forrest can play like he did tonight, Wazzu could make some noise this year. How many teams can come back from 15 down in the second half against a team like UCLA?
  
  One last note about this game. I know that both teams are great defensively, but this was one of the most well played games offensively I've seen in a while. Neither team turned the ball over much (11 combined) while shooting the ball very well (Wazzu 48%, UCLA 49%).
• Washington 78, USC 73: The difference in this game was the play of Justin Dentmon and Isaiah Thomas in the second half. The two combined for 31 second half points, and Washington pulled away from USC late, eventually taking a 13 point lead. Neither of the Washington guards could get anything going in the first half, as USC played a triangle-and-two against them, with Demar Derozan and Daniel Hackett face guarding them. The difference was taking them off the ball offensively and allowing someone else to initiate the offense. When that happened, Washington was able to get some easy looks and easy buckets for other players. That took some of the focus off of Dentmon and Thomas, who were able to take over in the second half.
  
  The match-up inside between Taj Gibson and Jon Brockman sort of fizzled out as Brockman struggled to get going offensively. Both finished with 13 boards, but Gibson outscored Brockman 15-4. Brockman is more of a bruiser on the inside, and it seemed like he struggled a bit with the length and athleticism of USC.
  
  Daniel Hackett scored 24 points, dropped 4 dimes, and played an excellent game defensively, but USC is going to struggle all year because he is not a point guard. He can be a play maker, but he is much more effective when he can do it from the wing. He just makes poor decisions with the ball, and at times looks like he is just trying to get it out of his hands. He had five turnovers against Washington. Don't get me wrong, I really like his game, he just isn't a point guard, plain and simple.
  
  I really liked what I saw from Washington. They have an excellent back court with Thomas, Dentmon, and Denoy Overton. Brockman is their horse on the block. Quincy Pondexter can make plays from the wing. But I think their x-factor is going to be guys like Matthew Bryan-Amaning and Justin Holiday (Jrue's brother). Bryan-Amaning is an athletic front court player that is very active going to the offensive glass and is a great compliment to Brockman. Holiday is a lanky wing that can get out and run the floor alongside the Husky back court. Good teams have guys that play with energy and can make plays coming off their bench, and that is what the Huskies are going to need from those two.
  
  I don't want to get too ahead of myself, because USC was playing without leading scorer (and only shooter) Dwight Lewis, but if Washington can beat UCLA on Saturday, they will be all alone atop the Pac-10.
• Oregon State 69, Cal 65: Up 62-51 with 9:27 left, it looked like Cal was in control of this game. But Oregon State would outscore them 18-3 the rest of the way to win Craig Robinson's first game as the brother-in-law of the new president. Roeland Schaftenaar (22 points) and Calvin Haynes (21 points) would score 17 of the 18 for the Beavers. This loss is a huge blow to Cal. Not only do they fall a game behind UCLA and Washington a top the Pac-10, but in a season where it seems like everyone is destined for the bubble, losing a conference game at home to one of the bottom feeders is a pretty horrendous loss.
  
• Stanford 77, Oregon 55: Anthony Goods scored 20 as the Cardinal jumped out to a 40-18 halftime lead.
  

The rest of the night's games:

• West Virginia 75, Georgetown 58: West Virginia locked the Hoyas down defensively and killed them on the offensive glass as the Mountaineers won in DC. West Virginia got 14 offensive rebounds, which led to 16 second chance points, and forced 19 Hoya turnovers. Da'Sean Butler was the player of the game, going to 27 points on 11-18 shooting, while Alex Ruoff added 10 points and 9 assists and Truck Bryant poured in 13. The decisive run came midway through the second half as WVU went on a 12-3 spurt that took a two point lead and close game and blew it open.
• Purdue 70, Minnesota 62: The Boilermakers are finally getting healthy, and now look like the team that was picked to win the Big Ten. On the strength of 19 points, 8 boards, and 5 blocks from JaJuan Johnson and a defense that held the Gophers to 28% shooting (3-19 from three), Purdue opened up a lead as big as 16 in the second half. Minnesota did have 12 blocks and force 17 turnovers, but the difference was they allowed Purdue to shoot 50% from the floor and get too many good looks at the rim.
• Butler 68, Wisconsin Green-Bay 59: The Bulldogs overcame a sluggish start and some foul trouble to knock off the Pheonix and stay undefeated on top of the Horizon League. Matt Howard led Butler with 15 and 8 boards.
• St. Mary's 65, San Diego 42: The Gaels started out the game on a 17-4 run and cruised to the win on the strength of 16 and 11 from center Omar Samhan.
• Providence 98, Seton Hall 93 OT: Geoff McDermott hit 1-2 free throws for the Friars to send the game into OT, and Weyinmi Efejuku scored seven in overtime as the Friars improved to 5-2 in the league.
• Gonzaga 83, Pepperdine: Josh Heytvelt had 25 and Matt Bouldin had 14 and 10 dimes as the 'Zags rolled to the win.
• Cincinnati 71, St. John's 60: The Johnnies were up 11 at the half, but their best player, DJ Kennedy, was ejected (along with Rashad Bishop) early in the second half, and Deonta Vaughn took over. He scored 18 of his 23 in the last 17 minutes as the Bearcats won.
• Dayton 63, George Washington 61: Wanna hear a tough way to lose? At home against one of the best teams in the conference, you pick up a tech for six guys on the court up one with under 20 seconds left.
• Utah State 62, San Jose State 58
• Western Kentucky 73, Louisiana-Lafayette 68
• Arkansas Little-Rock 61, South Alabama 59
  

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Thursday Lay-up Lines

The big game of the night is up in Minnesota as the Golden Gophers host the Purdue Boilermakers on what ESPN is calling Thursday "Knight" basketball (three guesses who is doing color for that game). While it is still early in the conference season, this game carries all kinds of importance. Purdue sputtered out of the gates during Big Ten play, and is currently sitting at 3-2 in the conference, while Minnesota is coming off of a loss against Northwestern which dropped them to 4-2. With Michigan State losing last night, this is a great opportunity for both teams to make up a game on the Spartans (even more important for Minnesota, who has already lost to them). The key for the Gophers is going to be protecting the ball against the Purdue defense. They turned the ball over 19 times against Northwestern, and Purdue forces a league-high 16.7 per game.

I think Purdue wins this one. The Gophers have a very good defense, but what makes them so good is the fact that they switch between multiple defensive looks. Purdue is well-coached with bunch of smart players, and I don't see them getting thrown off by Minnesota changing defenses.

As is typical with Thursdays, we get four Pac-10 games tonight - the LA schools head to Washington and the Oregon schools make way to the Bay Area.

• 9:00 PM: UCLA (16-2, 4-1) @ Washington State (11-6, 3-2): The Bruins early season struggles look well behind them as they have become a much better team offensively while still playing their typical lockdown defense. Wazzu is 3-2 in the league, but their three wins have come against the Oregon schools and Stanford. I just don't see the Cougars having enough offensive firepower to beat the Bruins (which says a lot). UCLA wins, but neither team breaks 60.
  
• 10:30 PM: Oregon (6-12, 0-6) @ Stanford (12-3, 2-3): Stanford has a good looking record, but two one-point losses on their Washington trip could really hurt them come March. If they plan on making a run at the NCAA's, home games against Oregon have to be wins.
  
• 10:30 PM: Oregon State (6-10, 1-4) @ Cal (15-3, 4-1): Cal just lost to Stanford, but a road loss to your biggest rival when your coach is making his first trip back to the school he is a legend at isn't really all that big of a deal. But, like I said for Stanford, Cal must win these games if they want to reach the NCAA's.
  
• 11:00 USC (12-5, 3-2) @ Washington (13-4, 4-1): Game of the night out west. USC has been a bit of a disappointment this season, but bounce back wins against Arizona and Arizona State threw the Trojans right back into the mix of the Pac-10. Washington is one of the bigger surprises in the country, as they are tied for the lead in the Pac-10. Both of these teams look like they are going to be around the top of the league the rest of the year, and with both teams seemingly destined for the bubble, this game could carry some importance come March. The best match-up in this one will be seeing Taj Gibson go head-to-head with Jon Brockman. Where Brockman is a bruiser in the post and one of the best rebounders in the country, Gibson is more of an athletic, finesse player down low. I think Brockman gets the best of this one, but USC's athleticism on the perimeter will be too much for the smaller Huskies.
  

The rest of the night's games:

• 7:00 PM: West Virginia (13-4, 2-2) @ Georgetown (13-4, 3-2): Interesting match-up of styles. West Virginia is not a great team offensively, but they are a good defensive team that attacks the offensive glass. Georgetown's achilles heel this season has been their rebounding (or lack thereof). While the Mountaineers will put up a good fight, winning on the road in the Big East is damn near impossible.
• 7:00 PM: Wisconsin Green-Bay (14-5, 6-1) @ Butler (16-1, 7-0): The Pheonix are starting to look like they will be Butler's biggest competition in the Horizon League.
• 7:00 PM: Providence (12-6, 4-2) @ Seton Hall (9-8, 0-5): Providence really needs to keep winning against the lesser Big East teams, and eventually they will knock off one of the big boys. If that happens, they have a really good shot at making the tournament.
• 9:00 PM: St. Mary's (16-1, 4-0) @ San Diego (12-7, 4-0): San Diego has been a team devastated by injuries, but they still have managed to start out 4-0 in the top heavy WCC thanks in large part to the return of Trumaine Johnson (13.5 ppg). St. Mary's is rolling along again this year, and may actually be the best team in the conference. The Torreros win this one if Gyno Pomare has a big game against the St. Mary's front line.
• 9:00 PM: Gonzaga (12-4, 3-0) @ Pepperdine (4-15, 1-2)
  
• 9:00 PM: Cincinnati (12-7, 2-4) @ St. John's (10-7, 1-4)
  

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Thursday Morning Shootaround

I'm back!! I hope everyone enjoyed their time with Mr. Machir, but now that Barack is all settled in the oval office, it is time for you basketball messiah to return to his post.

First things first: Inauguration. If you weren't in DC this weekend, then you probably don't understand the insanity that was bestowed upon the city, especially for those of us that had to work those days. It was borderline impossible to get into DC from Virginia or Maryland as just about every road and bridge was closed to everything but pedestrian traffic. The metro was PACKED, to the point that the crowds were so massive, one woman was pushed onto the tracks of an oncoming train as the mob moved closer to the arriving train (she survived, DC built an overhanging ledge with a crawl space on every platform specifically for an incident like this).

Personally, I had a unique perspective. I work as a bartender at a restaurant in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood. The restaurant just happens to be all of five blocks from the White House and about 10 blocks from the National Mall, which means that we were in the high security zone. No cars, no bikes, no bags, and national guardsmen on every corner. We also just happened to be on one of the three exit routes people were allowed to take as they cleared out from the Mall after the Inauguration ceremony.

What does all of the mean? We were packed for just about the entire day on Tuesday. And when I say packed, I mean standing room only, two hour wait for a table (in a three floor restaurant). The most incredible part about it was the vibe of the people. Everyone was so happy, so jubilant. I'll never forget some of the things I saw that day. When the TV's showed Bush getting on the plane and taking off, the entire bar erupted in a chorus of "Na, Na, Na, Na, Hey Hey Hey, Goodbye". During Obama's acceptance speech, just about half of the people in the bar started tearing up. Black or White, Asian or Hispanic, it didn't matter. Everyone had a smile on their face.

One of the more poignant moments for me was when a fire fighter from NYC stood up and made a toast to everyone in the room. He said that change was here, and that we should all take this opportunity to better ourselves and try to change our world. He said that all it takes is every person just doing something nice for a stranger once a week. As cheesy as it sounds, it was a moment I'll probably never forget.

Not only were we very close to the mall, but the end of the parade was only a few blocks away. Event organizers used the street right outside our restaurant for parking for the buses of all the bands and groups that had marched. This meant that the parade essentially ended right outside our window. I even had a chance to talk with some of the band members (one guy was in a drumline from the Florida A&M band and said that after this, they were all hopping on a bus and headed to a competition in Atlanta. I asked him if it was like the Nick Cannon movie. He was none to pleased about that).

Anyway, enough about politics. This is a college basketblog. I'll leave you with this. If Obama is one-tenth as good of a president as he is a speaker, then our country will be just fine. On to last night's games:

I watched two games, but neither of them involved Wake Forest losing to Virginia Tech 78-71. Normally one of the best defensive teams in the country, Wake allowed Va. Tech to shoot 50% from the field (opponents were shooting 36% before this game, and no one had shot better than 47% all year) as the Hokies were able to penetrate at will. The Demon Deacons also struggled offensively, as they turned the ball over 16 times (leading to 25 points) and, outside of Jeff Teague's 10-16 performance, shot just 37% from the floor.

Virginia Tech blew this one open with a 13 minute stretch where they outscored Wake 25-6. All of those six points were scored by Teague, as the rest of the Wake Forest team shot 0-9. As a matter of fact, no one on the Deacs other than Teague and LD Williams scored until there was just three minutes left in the first half.

Wake was never really able to recover from that huge deficit. The closest they got it was 71-69 after a Teague three-pointer with under two minutes left. But Malcolm Delaney would hit two free throws, and Wake would never mount another threat. Delaney finished with 21 and 8 boards, while AD Vassallo and Jeff Allen both added 16. Jeff Teague led Wake with 23.

All in all, this is not an end-of-the-world type loss for Wake. Yes, they lost at home as the #1 team in the country to a team that was an ACC afterthought at the start of the season (sound familiar UNC?). But Va. Tech might be better than some people think. They are 13-5, but four of those losses came by a grand total of eight points, with three of them being away from home. So should the Demon Deacons be losing to this team at home? No, but when it is all said and done, this loss doesn't change my perception of Wake Forest, especially if they can knock off Duke next week. If anything, it should just tell them that they need to come out focused for every game.

Wake and Va. Teach are now both sitting at 3-1 in the league, one game behind 4-0 Duke.

The rest of the night's games:

• UNC 94, Clemson 70: Is UNC back on track again? It looks like it after they dismantled the Tigers in the second half (not really a surprise - Clemson is now 0-54 all time in Chapel Hill). During the first half, it was the same old UNC - push the ball up the floor, put up big time scoring numbers, but play no defense at the other end. The Heels allowed Clemson to score 40 first half points, mainly because they allowed penetration by the guards. Clemson was able to get into the paint and kick the ball out to open shooters. Of course, the Tiger's also shot incredibly well from deep (which changed in the second half), but a large part of that was all the open looks they were getting.
  
  It also helped that UNC stopped turning the ball over. Early in the first half, the Clemson press was wreaking havoc on the UNC guards. Not only were they turning the ball over, but the Tigers were able to get them playing a bit out of control and forcing tough shots. But that changed as Ellington and Lawson started to heat up and handle the press. Ellington had a fantastic game, going for 25, 7 dimes, and 6 boards.
  
  Lawson had 16 and 7 dimes while Hansbrough added 20 and 10. Terrence Oglesby led the Tigers with 22, but KC Rivers (9 points) and Trevor Booker (7 points) never got it going.
• UConn 89, Villanova 83: The Huskies were able to hold on at home against a scrappy Villanova team despite Hasheem Thabeet playing limited minutes (foul trouble). It was a bit of a worrisome win, if that is possible. Villanova is not a big team by any stretch of the imagination, especially when they play without Dante Cunningham (he only played 14 minutes before fouling out), while UConn is one of the biggest teams in the country. Villanova tied UConn in the rebounding battle, and also grabbed 12 offensive rebounds.
  
  UConn and Villanova are two of the better defensive teams in the Big East, and their battles are usually low-scoring, grind-it-out affairs. But in this one, both teams scored 48 in the first half, and finished the game giving up more than points over their season average.
  
  This game was decided by UConn's guard play, specifically Jerome Dyson and AJ Price. Price carried UConn in the first half, going for 20 points and hitting big shot after big shot, but Dyson was the guy in the second half. UConn's big run was a 10-0 spurt that turned a 59-56 deficit into a 66-59 lead. The last six were scored by Dyson, who made a steal and got a fast break dunk out of it (and was intentionally fouled, hitting both ends), then took the ball to the basket for an acrobatic lay-up which put the Huskies up seven. Dyson finished with 19 points and 3 steals, while Price had a career-high 29 points to go along with 5 boards and 5 assists.
• Northwestern 70, Michigan State 63: Northwestern got 31 points from Kevin Coble and 20 from Michael Thompson as they beat Michigan State on the road to improve to 10-6 on the year, 2-4 in conference. I know what you're thinking - big time upset, right? Maybe not. All of the Wildcat's six losses have come to quality opponents (@ Butler, @ Stanford, @ Penn State, @ Wisconsin, Michigan State, Purdue) and only one of those losses was a blow out. They've played a ridiculous early schedule in the Big Ten, but now boast wins over Minnesota and MSU, and should also have a win over Purdue. Granted, they still have a lot of work to do, but don't count out this Northwestern team.
• Oklahoma 72, Nebraska 61: The Sooners got 27 and 18 from Blake Griffin (who has set a Big XII record with eight games of 20 and 15, passing Michael Beasley and Kevin Durant), but needed a defensive stand down the stretch to pull out the win - Nebraska didn't score for a four minute stretch late in the second half.
  
• Louisville 78, Rutgers 59: The Cardinals jumped out to an early lead, and never looked back as they cruised to their sixth straight win and into a first place tie in the Big East. Terrence Williams had another double-double, going for 23 and 11 boards.
• Xavier 84, St. Bonaventure 64: The Musketeers ended the first half on an 18-2 run and got 15 points from CJ Anderson as X cruised to the win.
• Arizona State 53, Arizona 47: The Sun Devils got 21 points from James Harden, 17 of which came in the second half, and Derek Glasser hit two big three's late in the game - the second of which came with about two mintues left and gave ASU a lead they would never give up. Neither team shot well in this one as they struggled to figure out each other's zone defense - both were below 30% from the field. It was a huge road win for ASU, as they now are tied (one game behind in the loss column) with Cal, Washington, and UCLA atop the Pac 10.
• Baylor 83, Kansas State 65: LaceDarius Dunn scored 33 points and hit nine three's as Baylor rolled to a win at K-State.
• Memphis 80, Rice 52: Doneal Mack scored 14 and Robert Dozier had 13 and 9 as Memphis rolled to another C-USA win.
• Northeastern 58, George Mason 57: Manny Adako made a lay-up with 25 seconds left as NEU tied Mason atop the CAA standings at 7-1.
• Davidson 83, Furman 43: Steph had 30 and 5 dimes.
• VCU 65, Georgia State 50: VCU is 7-1 in the CAA as well.
• South Carolina 70, Florida 69: Watch this ending:
  
  
  
  
• St. Joe's 99, Duquense 98 OT: Idris Hilliard had 20 points, including a tip-in at the buzzer as St. Joe's stayed undefeated in the A-10. Ahmad Nivins added 34 and 16 for St. Joe's.
• Miami FL 75, Florida State 69: Jack McClinton had 28 and 6 dimes in the win.
• LSU 81, Mississippi State 57
• Alabama 76, Mississippi 73
• TCU 79, Wyoming 78 OT
• Northern Iowa 66, Bradley 61
• Iowa 73, Wisconsin 69 OT
• Missouri 97, Oklahoma State 95
  
• Kentucky 73, Auburn 64
• UNLV 76, BYU 70

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Trizzle's Takeover: Wednesday Lay-Up Lines

A full helping of college basketball is on the tube tonight. Twelve top-25 teams are in action tonight including 2 head-to-head match ups. I wonder how many points Jodie Meeks will put up tonight against Auburn, I'm going with 25+. I would definitely recommend watching the 'Nova v. Uconn game, its going to be a Big East classic.

Big Games To Watch:

• 7:00PM: Virginia Tech (12-5, 2-1) @ #1 Wake Forest (16-0, 3-0) ESPN2 - Wake's first defense of their #1 ranking shouldn't be too tough. Very few teams around the country can match up against Wake's starting 5. They pounded a ranked Clemson team over the weekend, VT shouldn't be nearly as tough of a challenge.
• 7:00PM: #21 Villanova (14-3, 4-2) @ #3 UConn (16-1, 5-1) ESPN - This is the game of the night in my opinion. Dante Cunningham has improved more this year than he had in his previous three years at 'Nova. Once just a solid rebounder, Cunningham in now a dominate, go-to low post threat. His size and athleticism make him dangerous at both ends. Watch for the rebounding battle between him and UConn's Jeff Adrian. UConn has won five straight since they lost their conference opener while holding the #1 spot in the polls to Georgetown.
• 7:00PM: #12 Louisville (13-3, 4-0) @ Rutgers (9-9, 0-5) ESPNU - Louisville clicked at the end of their last game, when they defeated then #1 Pitt. If they continue to shoot well and get inside work, they should be able to blow past Rutgers.
• 9:00PM: Nebraska (12-4, 2-1) @ #5 Oklahoma (17-1, 3-0) ESPNU - Blake Griffin had his first so-so performance of the year in the the Sooners last game. Griffin's supporting cast has been playing allot better and should be able to help propel the Sooners to a big win.
• 9:00PM: #9 Clemson (16-1, 2-1) @ #6 UNC (16-2, 2-2) ESPN - Clemson will try and avoid a second consecutive loss and a severe drop in the polls by taking down a re-energized UNC squad. Wayne Ellington shot lights out from beyond the arc against Miami and will be able to do the same against the Tigers. Ty Lawson is too quick for Clemson's fast-paced defense. I haven't even mentioned Tyler Hansbrough yet. UNC is picking up steam, and should be able to roll past an over-rated Clemson team.
• 9:00PM: #23 Baylor (14-3, 2-1) @ Kansas St. (11-6, 0-3) ESPN2 - Baylor needs to avoid getting behind early, as they did in their past two games, resulting in heavy second half pushes leading to close finishes. Another suspect loss and the Bears could see themselves out of the top-25 next week.
• 9:30PM: #16 Arizona St. (15-3, 4-2) @ Arizona (11-7, 2-4) - Two of the best players in the Pac-10 meet when ASU's James Harden and Arizona's George Hill square off. ASU is gaining confidence every game and with superstar Harden leading the way, should squeak past their rivals.

Other Action On The Court:

• 6:30PM: Northwestern (9-6, 1-4) @ #8 Michigan St.(15-2, 5-0)
• 7:00PM: #13 Xavier (15-2, 4-0) @ St. Bonaventure (11-6, 2-2)
• 7:00PM: Furman (2-13, 0-5) @ Davidson (14-3, 7-0)
• 7:00PM: Florida (16-2, 3-0) @ South Carolina (12-4, 1-2)
• 7:30PM: Florida St. (15-3, 2-1)@ Miami (13-4, 2-2)
• 8:00PM: Mississippi St. (13-5, 3-0) @ LSU (14-3, 2-1)
• 8:00PM: UTEP (11-6, 2-1) @ UAB (11-7. 1-2)
• 8:00PM: Mississippi (10-7, 1-2) @ Alabama (11-6, 1-2)
• 8:35PM: Wisconsin (12-5, 3-2) @ Iowa (11-7, 1-4)
• 8:05PM: Bradley (11-7, 5-2) @ Northern Iowa (12-6, 6-1)
• 9:00PM: Rice (6-11, 1-2) @ #24 Memphis (14-3, 4-0)
• 9:00PM: Auburn (11-6, 1-2) @ Kentucky (14-4, 3-0)
• 9:00PM: Missouri (15-3, 2-1) @ Oklahoma St. (12-4, 1-1)
• 10:00PM: UNLV (14-4, 2-2) @ BYU (14-3, 3-1)
• 10:30PM: New Mexico (11-7, 2-1) @ San Diego St. (12-4, 2-1)

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Trizzle's Takeover: Wednesday Morning Shootaround

I got home late tonight because of an intense intramural basketball showdown after my night class. I walked away from the game with a bloody nose and a jammed finger, not to mention 6points, 8boards, and 5 huge blocks in the one point loss. I blame it on the shotty refereeing. Did I mention that I'm also extremly out of shape?

Good thing I was able to record some games and watch them with a ice-pack on my face when I got home. A pretty descent night of hoops action as I had expected. I am definitely most impressed by Penn State. Last year they showed great strides in progressing their program and this year they are putting together a handful of strong wins. Is it enough of an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament? I hope.

Big Games That Happened:

• #2 Duke 73, North Carolina St. 56 - Gerald Henderson had ANOTHER huge game scoring 21pts and leading all statistical categories for the Devils. Duke was down at the half, but clamped down on D in the 2nd, and were able to hold the Wolf Pack scoreless for the last five minutes of the game. Duke Shot 50% from three-point-land while NC St. shot just 27%. A big second half from the Dukies propelled them to victory. Next up for Duke is Maryland on Saturday, then a match up with #1 Wake Forest next Wednesday.
• #24 Illinois 67, Ohio St. 49 - When Illinois C Mike Tisdale got shut down early, coach Bruce Weber replaced him with reserve Dominique Keller, who promptly sparked an Illinois run that lasted nearly then entire first half. Ohio St. did come out of the half blazing, but then Tisdale, previously benched, came back in the game and sparked another Illini run. Tisdale finished with 16 points, and Keller had 12 off the bench. Freshman Center BJ Mullens came off the bench and had 14 pts, 7boards for the OSU in the loss. He keeps progressing every game he plays. Hopefully he stays around long enough to improve. But the Buckeyes were too sloppy with turnovers, and let this thing get out of hand. A huge win for the previously-struggling Illini.
• South Florida 70, DePaul 61 - The Bulls got a huge game from G Dominique Jones who ended up with 26 and 10, not to mention going 9-11 from the line. It might be making some Bulls fans forget about the graduated Kentrell Gransburry. Dar Tucker and Mac Kohswal came off the bench for DePaul in this one, but were only two of the three Blue Demons that scored in double-digits. DePaul got dominated on the glass at both ends, being out-rebounded by 20.
• Penn St. 73, Michigan 58 - In the game that I thought would be most intriguing, Penn St. beat Michigan far worse than most people would expect. Michigan is definitely starting to show their youth and inexperience. With Belien at the helm we won't be saying the same thing in two years though. DeShawn Sims had 19 and 10, but for the most part, the Wolverines shot pretty cold. Taylor Battle is showing that he's a true leader for the Nittany Lions, as he had 15 points and had some highlight-reel assists. Did I mention how cold Michigan was? They were 5-30 from three-point-land.
• Maryland 84, Virginia 78 - Maryland led early, but squandered a 17 point lead. Although they never got behind, the game looked like it would swing in the opposite direction for the Terps. But in the last 4 minutes they pulled away and finished off the Cavs in a must win for Gary William's bunch. They get Duke this weekend, lucky them.
• Tennessee 76, Vanderbilt 63 - The Vols got production from all of their stars in this one. Wayne Chism had 16 of his 20 points in the first half. Tennessee led the whole way in this big team win. Vandy's big three - Olgilvy, Beal and Taylor went a combined 3 for 20. Tennessee is starting to put together a bit of a winning streak. Vandy continues to struggle and finds themselves treading water in a conference they were suppose to do well in.
• Boston College 80, Georgia Tech 76 OT - The Eagles blew a 14 point lead midway through the second half, but were able to right the ship late, before beating Tech in OT. Tyreese Rice was a big reason for the Eagle's resurgence late in the second. He had 24 of his 26 after the half, including six of BC's 14 overtime points. Tech finds themselves at 0-5 in the ACC. Freshman Iman Shumpert continues to shine for Tech despite the loss. He finished with 16 points. My question is, who really are the Boston College Eagles? They beat UNC, but lost to HARVARD, then had to recover in overtime to beat a suspect Georgia Tech squad.

Other Scores:

• North Dakota St. 98, Utah Valley 71 - As usual, Ben Woodside had another big game. This time he dropped 28 on Utah Valley.
• Drexel 79, Delaware 69
• Creighton 79, Evansville 57
• Ohio 70, Akron 65
• Ball St. 50, Western Michigan 44
• Northern Illinois 72, Eastern Michigan 52
• Eastern Kentucky 71, Chicago St. 68
• Liberty 61, High Point 56
• Winthrop 65, Charleston Southern 63
• Texas Tech 63, Colorado 55

If your lucky, all the Inauguration crowds will disperse from the nation's capital and Rob "The Brain" Dauster will be able to get back to his apartment and do write-ups of tomorrow's action thus freeing me from this 36-hour stretch of having anything and everything college basketball on the brain (not that I minded it). I have realized that writing for B.I.A.H takes allot more time and concentration than I expected.

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Trizzle's Takeover: Tuesday Lay-Up Lines

As Washington D.C. has most of the country transfixed, we should remember that it's mid-January, aka, the heart of the college basketball schedule. There are only a handful of weeks left until the start of conference tournaments. Many teams need to heat up soon in order to get themselves in NCAA tournament considerations. Lucky for us, there are a ton of games on tonight, many of which have some serious conference standings implications.

On a side note, I have heard that a couple teams playing on the road tonight have altered their flight/travel schedules in order to watch the inauguration and parade, so some of these games might start later than expected.

Games To Watch:

• 7:00PM ESPN: Ohio St. (13-3, 3-2) @ #24 Illinois (15-3, 3-2) - Both teams are coming in to this battle with two different mindsets. Ohio St. is coming off a big win against the upstart Wolverines of Michigan and has won three in a row. On the flip side, Illinois has lost two of its last four, and has Wisconsin and Minnesota up next. Having said this, The Illini have been one of the surprise teams in the first half of the season and find themselves in the top #25. A win for either team here would mean 3rd place in the Big Ten standings.
• 8:00PM: North Carolina St. (10-5, 1-2) @ #2 Duke(16-1, 3-0) - Hot off their impressive victory over my G'Town Hoyas, the Blue Devils look to continue their streak of solid play. Duke has won eight in a row and has a showdown with #1 Wake Forest next week. Lets hope they don't overlook the so-so Wolfpack. Brandon Costner and Courtney Fells need to have career games to propel NC State to victory. The Dukies have a handful of players who can step up and have big games, which should be more than enough to beat the Wolfpack.

Lets just hope that NC St. has ATLEAST studied Duke's in-bounds play. (Henderson arcs from the top left side, slashes to the hole while defender's backs are turned, in-bound alley-oop pass from Scheyer - 2 points. Duke is using this play on a regularly basis)

(It's #1 in the second video)

• 9:00PM ESPN: Tennessee (11-5, 2-1) @ Vanderbilt (12-5, 1-2) - Both these teams have tons of potential, but seem to be stuck in the mud in the mediocre-at-best SEC. Lets hope Bruce Pearl's team can hold a single Vanderbilt player to under 50 points (Jodie Meeks anyone?). If Vandy wants any shot at making the NCAA tourney whatsoever, they need to step it up now. They have Tennessee tonight and Florida on the weekend, meaning a week against the top two teams in the conference.
• 9:00PM: Michigan (13-5, 3-3) @ Penn St. (14-5, 3-3) - I really like both these teams. Penn State has been getting better and better every year. They have shown great strides this year, and a win against a Michigan team that was ranked two weeks ago could be huge for Penn State. Michigan was ranked earlier this season, but has lost two in a row. This is a must-win game for the Wolverines. These team's stats are nearly identical, but Michigan hasn't played well on the road.

Other Games Being Played:

• 7:00PM: Boston College (13-6, 1-3) @ Georgia Tech (9-8, 0-4)
• 7:00PM: Miami (OH) (6-9, 2-1) @ Bowling Green (8-8, 1-2)
• 7:00PM: Akron (9-7, 1-2) @ Ohio (9-7, 2-1)
• 7:00PM: Delaware (8-11, 2-5) @ Drexel (8-8, 4-3)
• 7:00PM: Liberty (13-6, 4-3) @ High Point (5-12, 1-6)
• 7:00PM: Western Michigan (6-10, 3-0) @ Ball St. (7-8, 2-1)
• 7:00PM: Central Michigan (4-11, 1-2) @ Toledo (3-14, 1-2)
• 7:05PM: Creighton(14-5, 4-3) @ Evansville (12-5, 4-3)
• 8:00PM: Virginia (7-7, 1-2) @ Maryland (12-5, 1-2)
• 8:00PM: Colorado (8-8, 0-2) @ Texas Tech (10-7, 0-2)
• 8:00PM: Utah Valley (8-7) @ North Dakota St. (12-5)
• 8:00PM: Eastern Michigan (3-14, 1-2) @ Northern Illinois (5-10, 1-2)
• 9:00PM: Eastern Kentucky (10-8) @ Chicago St. (10-8)
• 9:00PM: DePaul (8-10, 0-5)@ South Florida (6-11, 1-4)
• 10:00PM: Air Force (9-8, 0-4) @ Colorado St. (6-12, 1-3)

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Trizzle's Takeover: Tuesday Morning Shootaround

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009. Future text books will have this date marked down along the timeline of important dates in United States history. I will try to spare you all the political metaphors and crap, because clearly, that's not why you came to the site. If you haven't already read, B.I.A.H Mastermind Rob Dauster is swamped with work and is basically on lockdown in D.C. due to the Inauguration, so yours truly (Troy Machir) is stepping in to cover the games for a few days.

Inauguration Eve was relatively tame in college basketball land. Surprisingly enough there were tons of stellar NBA games on tonight, just not that many top-notch college games.

#4 Pittsburgh 78, #8 Syracuse 60 - DeJuan Blair put together his 12th double-double of the year, and Sam Young had 22points. The Orange have played five straight games that have been decided by 15 or more points (3 wins, 2 losses). Syracuse is either blowing teams out or getting blown out. Andy Rautins led the way with 17 points and seems fully recovered from his minor knee injury. But Paul Harris only scored 9 points and fouled out. Pitt bounces back as expected after losing to Louisville over the weekend. Plus you have to love it when the student section is singing the "hey, hey, hey, goodbye" song. That's how much the game got out of hand at the end.
Other Scores:

• Providence 72, Cincinnati 63 - Every Providence starter scored in double-digits EXCEPT for team leading scorer Weyinmi Efejuku, who went 3-12 from the field and ended with six points. But the friars held Deonta Vaughn in check, he finished with only six points. Cincy's bench outscored their own starting lineup 32-31. The game was close most of the first half, but the Friars showed that they can finish teams off as they did against the Bearcats in the second half. Providence gets a much needed victory as they leap into the #6 spot in the super-deep Big East.
• Kansas 73, Texas A&M 53 - Kansas started off strong and finished strong. I'm pretty sure A&M never led in this game, and the scored stretched passed 20pts on several occasions. Sherron Collins played outstanding and the crowd at the Phog wouldn't even let the Aggies make a game of it. Bryan Davis led in most statistical categories for the Aggies in the loss.
• Boston U. 99, Stony Brook 97 4OT- Boston's Corey Lowe had33pts, 8 boards, 7 assists, and John Holland put up 29, 7 and 3 (not too shabby) in this Am.-East Conference slugfest. Chris Martin had 26 points off the bench for the Sea Wolves in the loss.
• UAB 97, Louisiana-Layfayette 62 - Cameron Moore had a double-double off the bench, AND all five starters scored in double-digits for UAB.
• Manhattan 62, St. Peter's 60 - A close game the entire way, the Jaspers were able to squeak past the peacocks on a remarkable buzzer-beater by guard Antoine Pearson, who finished with 21 points, including the two most important points of the game.
• Eastern Tennessee St. 87, Belmont 57
• Howard 74, South Carolina St. 62
• Coastal Carolina 64, UNC-Ashville 57
• Maine 78, New Hampshire 75 2OT
• Vermont 76, UMBC 42

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Trizzle's Takeover: Monday Lay-up Lines

Since the Inauguration is taking over Washington D.C., "Mr. basketball" Rob Dauster wont be able to give his full attention to the upcoming games, so I'm getting up off the bench and filling in for him in his absence. I would like to thank him for giving me an opportunity to command your attention during one of the most important weeks in the last 100 years of American history.
But I digress, there aren't too many big games today other than Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh, so I should be able to find my range early.

Pitt is coming off its first loss of the season to #20 Louisville on the road. The Panthers dominated early, but the Cardinals clicked in the second half, and with DaJuan Blair in foul trouble, the Cardinals were able to control the boards and come from behind to knock off the #1 team in the country.
Syracuse dismantled Notre Dame on Saturday after getting blown out by Georgetown earlier in the week. Although Harangody had a big game, six 'Cuse players scored in double digits.

Game To Watch Tonight:

• 7:00PM : #8 Syracuse (17-2, 5-1) @ #4 Pittsburgh (16-1, 4-1) ESPN - Can Pitt rebound from their first loss of the season? If Blair stays out of foul trouble, and if Pitt can work their offense against Syracuse's zone D, then they have a good chance of winning this one. Plus they are playing at The Peterson Event Center A.K.A The Zoo, which is a chaotic place to play if you are the road team. Syracuse was able to beat Notre Dame without containing Luke Harangody. Can the Orange do the same to Pitt? Arinze Onuwaku is going to have a tough task to control Blair, but if 'Cuse's zone D is affective, Blair could be held in check. Also, watch to see what impact Andy Rautins has. He injured his left knee against Georgetown, but played 23 minutes against Notre Dame. He gives the Orange good range from outside.
  
  Other Games:
• 7:00PM: Belmont (10-6, 6-1) @ Eastern Tennessee State (12-5, 6-1) - Two of the best teams in the Atlantic Sun conference go toe-to-toe in a mid-major must-see.
• 7:00PM: South Carolina State (6-9, 1-2) @ Howard (2-14, 1-3) - I don't envy the bulldogs at all. They have to travel in and out of a packed Washington D.C. the night before the biggest day in the history of Washington D.C. I think its great that these two historically black colleges get to play in the nation's capital on M.L.K day, not to mention the day before the first African-American President of the United States is sworn in.
• 8:00PM: Cincinnati (12-6, 2-3) @ Providence (11-6, 3-2) - A match up between two teams that were darkhorses coming into the season. both these teams need to stockpile Big East wins in order to boost their standings come Big East tournament time. I like the match up between Deonta Vaughn from Cinncy and Weymi Efejuku for the Friars. Lets not forget about the great coaching matchup taking place. Both Cinncy's Mick Cronin and Providence's Keno Davis are fantastic coaches who are trying to rebuild their programs.
• 8:00PM: Louisiana- Layfayette (6-10, 3-3)@ UAB (10-7, 1-2)
• 9:00PM: Texas A&M (15-3, 1-2) @ Kansas (13-4, 2-0) A similar match up to the Cinncy vs. Providence game, as both of these teams are trying to boost their records in the topsy-turvy Big12. I give Kansas the edge, but A&M has already beaten a ranked Baylor team, who, I my opinion, is better than Kansas.
  
  Hopefully I did well for my first go. Ill be back tomorrow for the Tuesday morning shootaround to recap tonight's action.

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College Basketball Week In Review: The Abridged Version of Week in Review - Thank Barack

What We Learned This Week: Wake Forest looks like they are not only the best team in the ACC, but the best in the country.

Kentucky is the team to beat in the SEC.

USC and Stanford might be better than they are getting credit for.

Sam Young has some serious springs:



GAME OF THE WEEK:
Minnesota 78, Wisconsin 74 OT
The Golden Gophers came back from down 14 against Wisconsin in the Kohl Center on the strength of 29 points form Lawrence Westbrook. Check of the Friday Morning Shootaround for the full rundown from the game.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Jodie Meeks, Kentucky
Meeks had probably the single greatest performance I have ever seen on a basketball court as he went for 54 on 15-22 shooting (10-14 from deep). Meeks followed that up with a 22 point at Georgia as Kentucky improved to 3-0 in the SEC. Meeks has been having one of the best seasons in recent memory when you consider that he averages 25.9 ppg, but also averages 1.58 pps, an extremely efficient number for a guard. While he does have an issue with turnovers right now (six vs. Georgia), it is his scoring ability on the perimeter that allows the Kentucky big men to operate. He becomes even more important when you consider that the Wildcats don't have much else to speak of on their perimeter. It may not be all that impressive this year, but Kentucky looks like the team to beat in the SEC, thanks in (very) large part to Meeks.

TEAM OF THE WEEK:
USC
The Trojans beat both Arizona State and Arizona at home, and are all off a sudden looking like they could make some noise in the Pac-10. On paper, the Trojans look like one of the best teams in the country. The problem is that they have yet to really click as a team. That changed on Thursday, especially defensively, as they held the Sun Devils to 49 points and James Harden to just four points with out a field goal. The key for USC from here is point guard play - is someone going to step up and run this team?

MATCH-UPS OF THE WEEK:
1/19 - Syracuse @ Pitt

1/21 - Villanova @ UConn

1/21 - Clemson @ UNC

1/21 - Arizona State @ Arizona

1/22 - Purdue @ Minnesota

1/24 - UConn @ Notre Dame

1/24 - Baylor @ Oklahoma

1/25 - Louisville @ Syracuse Continue reading...

Monday Morning Shootaround

Quick shootaround this morning. The upset of the night goes to Northwestern, who knocked off Minnesota at home 74-65. It Minnesota went up 37-31 after a Lawrence Westbrook three-pointer early in the second half, but Northwestern responded with a 16-0 run. Northwestern was led by 22 from Craig Moore.

• UConn 76, Seton Hall 61: UConn got 23 points and 5 assists from AJ Price, and Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien combined for 28 points, 29 boards, and 6 blocks as the Huskies cruised to their fifth straight Big East win.
• Purdue 73, Iowa 53: The Boilermakers shot 49% from the field and 10-15 from beyond the arc as they cruised to a win over the Hawkeyes.
  
• Villanova 76, St. John's 57: Dante Cunningham had 17 and Dwayne Anderson 14 as the Wildcats jumped out to an early lead in winning their 24th straight home game, a team record.
• Xavier 73, La Salle 53: The Musketeers got 16 from BJ Raymond and 15 from Derrick Brown as they cruised to their fifth straight win since losing to Butler.
• Kentucky 68, Georgia 45
• St. Joe's 78, Charlotte 69
• Southern Illinois 68, Bradley 62
  

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Site Announcement!!!

Apologies to anyone that came today looking for a write up on the Pitt-Louisville or the Arizona State-UCLA games. It isn't like I didn't watch the two games. Clearly I did, because I have no life outside this godforsaken sport live and breath the utopia that is collegiate hoops. Both were classics by the way, and anyone that caught the endings knows why. What's happened is that it has been a hectic past two days and I just ran out of time to write them (and I did put in the effort, watching 12 hours of college basketball yesterday, getting a grand total on one hour's shut-eye, and seriously considering some sort of cocaine/meth pick-me-up to get me through today). Things aren't looking any better early next week. I guess it is to be expected when you work in the restaurant industry in DC during the inauguration of Barack Obama.

So what does it all mean? Well, for the next few days, all your daily college basketball info will be provided by the one and only Troy Machir. I will (hopefully) be stopping by periodically, maybe even to give a BIAH-worthy recap of the Syracuse-Pitt game I will most likely be listening to while serving all the faithful Obama-ites their grey-goose-and-cran's.

So if you have any questions or comments, or you just think Troy's an idiot, send those emails to contactbiah@gmail.com. Continue reading...