Monday Morning Shootaround: Duke Outlasts Wake Forest

On a Sunday that saw a lot of important basketball get played, the biggest game of the day was a top 10 battle in the ACC. Freshman Elliot Williams, starting his second game of the season, set the tone early as he picked up three steals in the opening minutes of the game. It would continue for the rest of the first half, as Duke went on a 26-4 run fueled by Wake Forest turnovers to open a 41-19 lead midway through the opening frame. Gerald Henderson scored 14 straight at one point during that stretch. All told, the Demon Deacons finished with 16 turnovers in the first half which led to 25 Duke points.

Down 22, Wake really started to turn things around, mainly because they stopped giving the ball away. Jeff Teague is the guy that woke them up. He still hadn't attempted a field goal when Duke pushed their lead to 22, but he scored 14 of Wake's next 21 points as they widdled the lead down to 11 at the break.

Wake would make a couple pushes in the second half, twice getting the lead down to just two. Wake was playing some extremely efficient basketball down the stretch on the offensive end, scoring just about everytime they had the ball (for the game, they were 36-59, or 61%, from the field and grabbed 11 offensive boards) and not committing a turnover until there were under five minutes left. The issue was one the defensive end, where they were just unable to get stops. Both Jon Scheyer and Gerald Henderson were on fire (career highs of 30 and 35, respectively), but even when those two missed, Duke was cleaning up the offensive glass. There must have been six or seven tip-ins by Duke players in the final 20 minutes.

Elliot Williams is going to be an excellent player for Duke. He is a tremendous athlete that loves to defend, and while he isn't quite there offensively yet (right now, his offense consists of putting the ball on the floor, going left, and trying to get to the rim), when he does he is going to be scary.

The Blue Devils eventually won 101-91. In addition to the 65 Duke got from Scheyer and Henderson, Williams and Kyle Singler added 11 apiece. Wake was led by 28 from Jeff Teague and 26 and 11 from James Johnson.

The rest of Sunday's games:

• Clemson 81, Wake Forest 73: Trevor Booker's 21 and 12 helped to lead the Tigers back from a early 15 point deficit. The win allowed Clemson to stay tied for second in the ACC, just a game back from UNC in the loss column.
  
• Villanova 89, Syracuse 86: Dwayne Anderson had 22 to lead six Wildcats in double figures as 'Nova was able to knock off the sputtering Orange. Dante Cunningham had 12, 12, and 6 dimes while Reggie Redding finished with 11, 7 assists, and 6 steals. For Syracuse, the issue was turnovers early. But as the game progressed, the Orange just got no production from Rick Jackson or Arinze Onuaku (combined, the two went for six points and ten boards). They were forced to go with Kristoff Ongenaet and Paul Harris quite a bit, and while those two are good players and had good games (11 boards for Ongenaet, 21 and 6 boards for Harris), the Orange lost all the scoring advantages they had inside. As a result, the Orange ended up shooting 39 three's on the game. It also didn't help that Jonny Flynn was suffering from a flu bug, but Villanova is a lot better than they are currently getting credit for. Banged up or not, the Wildcats were in control of this one for most of the game. They did turn the ball over a number of times late, which allowed the 'Cuse to make a run. But Flynn missed a great look at a three as the buzzer sounded.
  
• Arizona State 70, Arizona 68: A combination of hot shooting (10-16 from three in the first half) and forcing turnovers allowed ASU to build up a 17 points lead midway through the second half. But Arizona was able to make a comeback, going on a 25-6 run to take a 62-60 lead. Things would go back and forth from there, but with 25 seconds left, Jeff Pendergraph stepped to the line and hit two free throws for a 70-68 lead. Jordan Hill would miss a tough leaner off the glass, but it looked as if Zane Johnson was going to force OT. Unfortunately, Johnson missed the wide-open tip-in, and ASU would go on to win. James Harden had 18 points, 9 boards, and 5 assists while Jeff Pendergraph added 16 points and 12 boards. One thing about the Sun Devils in this game was that they were able to get just about any shot they wanted against the Arizona zone. The Wildcats were terrible on their rotations and left so many gaps open. They got lucky that ASU went cold for a stretch in the second half, because the Sun Devils got a lot of very good looks from three.
• Illinois 70, Ohio State 68: The Illini got 22 points from Mike Davis, while looking much better offensively than they did in their 38-33 loss to Penn State earlier in the week. Trent Meachem added 17 for Illinois, who moved into sole possession of third place in the league.
• Iowa 70, Michigan 60 OT: Jake Kelly had 23 points and 9 assists as the Hawkeyes knocked off Michigan, who all of a sudden look destined for the NIT. The Wolverines are now 7-8 in the Big Ten, good for eighth.
  
• Xavier 71, George Washington 53: CJ Anderson led five players in double figures with 14 points as the Musketeers moved a game up in the A-10.
• Temple 70, St. Bonaventure 56: Don't look now, but the Owls are tied for second, just a half game back of Xavier, in the A-10.
• Minnesota 72, Northwestern 45: Lawrence Westbrook had 17 to lead the Gophers to a much needed win in their quest for the dance.
  

Continue reading...

Blake Griffin: MRI Clean, Status Questionable

Blake Griffin didn't practice on Sunday, and his status is questionable for Monday night's showdown for first place in the Big XII. He apparently does have a concussion, but his MRI came back clear.

Jeff Capel isn't sure if Griffin will be available tomorrow night against Kansas, but it doesn't sound promising.

It is still unclear where or when Griffin suffered the injury. There is video of Griffin taking a shot too the face by Dexter Pittman (which also caused a bloody nose), but Griffin was also hit in the head by Dogus Balbay. Regardless of when it was, there is no question the fact that the big fella was hurting last night. Hopefully, he will be back tomorrow. I think everyone was excited to see Cole Aldrich and Griffin go head-to-head. Continue reading...

Blogging away the Sunday with BIAH

- Its over. MSU wins 61-50 on the strength of a 32-9 closing run. Goran Suton had 16 and 10 on the game, 14 and 7 in the second half.

- Michigan State dug themselves a 41-29 hole early in the second half, but they are slowly taking control of this game. As I am typing this, Goran Suton knocked down a free throw to give the Spartans the lead after a 18-4 run. The way the Spartans have done it is with tough, pressure defense and pounding the ball inside of offense. Raymar Morgan is still not 100%, but MSU looks pretty impressive considering they are beating up a tough Wisconsin team on the interior. If they get this kind of performance from Suton and Delvon Roe, and guys like Kalin Lucas and Chris Allen perform the way they are capable of on the perimeter, this is a dangerous team. That's a lot of ifs, however.

Chris Allen just knocked down a three in transition to give MSU a 52-47 lead. The run is now at 23-6.

- First round of games are done:

• Villanova 89, Syracuse 86: The Orange missed a number of open three's down the stretch, including one at the buzzer by Jonny Flynn that would have sent the game into overtime. Dwayne Anderson had 22 points for Villanova.
• Clemson 81, Georgia Tech 73: Trevor Booker went for 21 and 12 has Clemson was able to overcome an early fourteen point deficit.
• Illinois 70, Ohio State 68: The Illini got 22 points from Mike Davis, and looked much better than they did in a loss to Penn State earlier this week (when they scored just 33). With the win, Illinois stayed alone in third place in the Big Ten. OSU dropped their third straight game, falling to a three-way tie for sixth in the league (top five get a bye in the Big Ten tournament).
• Xavier 71, George Washington 53: CJ Anderson led five Musketeers in double figures with 14.
  

- Clemson and Illinois have both opened up eight point leads with under five minutes left. Villanova, after their 11-0 run, has held off a couple Syracuse pushes. Syracuse has just been making bad decision after bad decision - turnovers, quick threes, forced penetration. But they are still hanging around, down seven with 2:30 left. The Orange need to slow down the 'Nova guards and they have a shot.

- So after back-to-back threes by Andy Rautins put the Orange up 59-57, 'Nova responded by going on an 11-0 run, capped by two fast break dunks. Kellogg was right. That was quick. The last two baskets came off of Syracuse turnovers.

- Dante Cunningham wears some ENORMOUS shorts (h/t Buddens). Seriously, those things could be used as a parachute.

- Syracuse and Jonny Flynn have woken up in the second half. Flynn has scored four points and picked up another assist in a 9-2 run by the Orange to get the lead down to 57-56.

Clark Kellogg made a really good point about Scottie Reynolds. The guy never looks like he is playing hard. He doesn't blow by anyone. He isn't going to dunk on you. But he always seems to get to where he wants to be on the court and gets the shot that he wants.

- Halftime in Syracuse and the Orange are down 46-40. It is the little things killing the Orange right now - turnovers, offensive rebounds, and not playing any sort of defense ('Nova shot 55% from the field in the first half). Jonny Flynn never really got it going in the first half, going 1-6 from the floor, although he did have 5 dimes. Paul Harris led the Orange with 13 first half points. Villanova is getting balanced scoring, as Dwayne Anderson has 11 (3-4 on three's), Dante Cunningham has 10 and Corey Fisher 7. Scottie Reynolds has not played all that well either, but the Wildcats do have 13 assists on 17 field goals.

Other scores: Xavier is up 36-20 on GW, Clemson and Georgia Tech are tied, and Illinois is up on Ohio State 32-27.

- Clemson is in the midst of a 10-0 run, cutting the Ga Tech lead to 29-25. Gani Lawal just picked up his second foul as well.

- Just came across this gem from the UConn-South Florida news conference. This reporter doesn't sound like he knows what he is talking about.



My question: What is the Comcast deal he is referring too?

- Dwayne Anderson has nine early points as Villanova has opened up a 32-20 lead in the Carrier Dome. Devo has 10 points right now, but Syracuse needs to stop turning the ball over.

- Gani Lawal already has 10 points and 6 boards just 10 minutes into the Yellow Jackets game with Clemson as Ga Tech has taken a 25-10 lead. It would be interesting if the Jackets can hang on to win this thing - their only ACC win right now is against Wake Forest.

Yup, we are back couch side for all your college hoops needs. Here is a quick schedule four your Sunday viewing pleasure:

• 1:00 PM: Clemson (21-4, 7-4) @ Georgia Tech (10-15, 1-11)
• 1:00 PM: Villanova (21-5, 9-4) @ Syracuse (19-7, 7-6)
• 1:00 PM: George Washington (8-15, 2-9) @ Xavier (21-5, 9-3)
• 1:00 PM: Illinois (21-6, 9-5) @ Ohio State (17-7, 7-6)
• 3:00 PM: Wisconsin (17-9, 8-6) @ Michigan State (20-5, 10-3)
• 3:00 PM: West Virginia (18-8, 7-7) @ Rutgers (10-16, 1-12)
  
• 5:00 PM: Michigan (17-10, 7-7) @ Iowa (13-13, 3-10)
• 7:00 PM: Northwestern (14-10, 5-8) @ Minnesota (19-7, 7-7)
• 7:45 PM: Wake Forest (20-4, 7-4) @ Duke (21-5, 7-4)
• 10:00 PM: Arizona (18-8, 8-5) @ Arizona State (20-5, 9-4)
  

Continue reading...

Sunday Roundup

Ok, let's get caught up on everything we missed yesterday:

• Purdue 81, Indiana 67: The Boilermakers got a season high 26 form E'Twuan Moore and 14, 10, and 5 blocks from JaJuan Johnson as they moved a half-game behind Michigan State for first in the Big Ten.
• Washington State 82, UCLA 81: Taylor Rochestie scored 14 of the Cougars last 16 points and finished with 33 points as Wazzu was able to hang on against a scrambling UCLA team. Rochestie hit a three to put Wazzu up 73-65 with 2:18 left, but UCLA hit some three's and Wazzu missed some free throws. Klay Thompson blocked a Josh Shipp 35 footer at the buzzer to seal it.
• Florida 82, Vanderbilt 68: Erving Walker scored 17 points and Nick Calathes added 14 as the Gators jumped out to leads of 19-4 and 50-25. The Gators shot 61% from the field, hitting 10-19 three's.
• New Mexico 75, San Diego State 49: Tony Dandridge scored 25 points and the Lobos used a 18-4 run midway through the second half to blow open a close game. SDSU's Billy White, who came in averaging 9.0 ppg, left after a collision early in the first half and didn't return to the game. He was sitting on the bench with his knee wrapped and iced.
• Alabama 87, Mississippi State 85 2OT: Alonzo Gee scored 10 of his 28 in the second OT to lead the Crimson Tide.
• Siena 81, Northern Iowa 75: Kenny Hasbrouck led four Saints in double figures with 16 points in a game that was no where near as close as the final score indicated.
• Texas 73, Oklahoma 68: Blake Griffin got a concussion in the first half and didn't return to the game. Willie Warren carried the Sooners for a while, coming back from 12 down early in the second half to take a five point lead. But AJ Abrams was too much down the stretch as he scored 16 straight second half points to help Texas pick up a much-needed win.
  
• Kansas 70, Nebraska 53: Sherron Collins scored 22 points and Cole Aldrich added 18 points and 12 boards as Kansas moved into a tie with Oklahoma leading to their Big Monday showdown.
• Memphis 70, UTEP 63: Tyreke Evans scored 25 points to lead the Tigers to their 18th straight win.
• Washington 60, USC 51: Quincy Pondexter scored 22 points as the Huskies moved back into first place in the Pac-10 with the losses by UCLA and Cal.
  
• Oregon State 65, Cal 54: The Beavers got 19 points from Calvin Haynes as they won their third straight Pac-10 game. The loss knocked the Bears a game behind Washington in the Pac-10.
• St. Mary's 75, Utah State 64: Mickey McConnell scored a career-high 22 points as the Gaels were able to pick up a big win at home against the Aggies. Omar Samhan added 17 and 12 for St. Mary's. Jared Quayle led USU with 22.
• Kansas State 50, Iowa State 46: Jamar Samuels went for 13 and 10 off the bench as the Wildcats were able to overcome 24 from Craig Brackins.
  
• Texas A&M 79, Texas Tech 73: Chinemelu Elonu led four A&M players in double figures with 21 and 12.
  
• Pitt 80, DePaul 61: DeJuan Blair had a disappointing 4 points and 2 boards in the second half after going for 16 and 16 in the first half.
  
• South Carolina 82, Arkansas 78 OT: Devn Downey scored 25 points, hitting four big free throws down the stretch to help keep USC tied atop the SEC East.
  
• LSU 79, Auburn 72: The Tigers clinched the SEC West on the strength of 25 points from Marcus Thornton.
• St. Louis 57, Dayton 49: Kevin Lisch scored 16 to lead the Billikens to a win over Dayton.
• Florida State 67, Virginia Tech 65: Toney Douglas scored 22 points, inclding a runner in the lane with six seconds left. AD Vassallo had 15, but missed an open three from the top of the key as the buzzer sounded.
  
• Oregon 68, Stanford 60: The Ducks pick up their first Pac-10 win of the year.
• Gonzaga 92, Pepperdine 58: The 'Zags got 28 and 11 from Josh Heytvelt.
• Creighton 76, George Mason 63: Booker Woodfox scored 22 points, including two three's during a 21-7 second half run, which blew open a close game.
• UNLV 75, BYU 74: The Rebels got 22 points from Wink Adams, including key free throws down the stretch as the Cougars almost came back from a twelve points deficit with three minutes left.
  

Continue reading...

Blogging away the Saturday with BIAH

- Greivis Vazquez went nuts as Maryland came back from 16 down in the second half to force OT. In the extra frame, Maryland go some big baskets and timely free throws as they were able to hang on at the end.

Back to Vazquez. He went off to the tune of 35 points, 11 boards, and 10 dimes (ESPN showed a stat saying it was the most points in a triple double against a ranked team). Vazquez is such an inconsistent player, but there is no questioning his talent. When he is playing well (as he was today) he is as good as anyone in the ACC. His three with a minute left in OT gave Maryland their final lead at 84-81.

Ty Lawson played great, but he was the only guy that showed up for UNC down the stretch. Ellington, Green, and Hansbrough couldn't get anything going down the stretch. Lawson is a great player, but UNC needs more from the other guys if they want to make a Final Four.

- Georgetown went ice cold from three in the second half (the only one they hit came in the closing seconds) and Jerel McNeal (he had 22, 6 boards, and 7 dimes) took over down the stretch. The loss may have been the final blow to the Hoyas, who are now 5-9 in the Big East. It is pretty incredible to think that Georgetown, a team with wins over two top five schools (UConn and Memphis) may not reach the dance.

- A couple scores to get you caught up on:

• Louisville 72, Cincinnati 63: Terrence Williams and Earl Clark combined to go for 34 points, 17 boards, and 7 assists as the Cardinals pulled away from Cinci in the second half.
• UConn 64, South Florida 50: Hasheem Thabeet had 21 points, 9 boards, and 6 blocks in his first game after being embarrassed by DeJuan Blair as UConn bounced back to beat the Bulls.
• Oklahoma State 84, Baylor 74: The Cowboys got 23 from Byron Eaton and 20 from James Anderson as OSU got to .500 in the conference and improved their NCAA tourney chances.
• Washington State 42, UCLA 42: This is a halftime score. Remember when these were two of the best defensive teams in the country? Klay Thompson is leading all scorers with 15.
  

- Big win for Kentucky, knocking off Tennessee 77-58 in Rupp. Tennessee is all but in the tournament right now. Yes, they are 7-5 in the mediocre SEC, but they have played the toughest schedule in the country and have six RPI top 50 wins. Barring a collapse they should be alright. Kentucky is a different story. They have an average RPI (mid 60's) and play in a weak conference. But they have some really good wins (West Virginia, swept Tennessee, Florida). At face value, this was an important win for Kentucky because they showed that they aren't just Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson. Meeks had 14 on 4-14 from the field, and Patterson finished with 19 and 5. And the Wildcats still blew out Tennessee. A big reason was the play of Darius Miller, who has looked really good at time over the last few weeks. He finished with 17 points and 6 dimes.

- A couple very entertaining games going on in the Big East right now. Marquette and Georgetown are in the midst of a shootout. Lazar Hayward hit a three at the buzzer to send the teams to the locker rooms tied at 44. Georgetown is 17-32 from the floor and 7-11 from deep. Marquette is 18-29 and 6-12. The question in this game is who is going to get some stops? Georgetown was on fire in the first half against Marquette the first time these two teams played, but the Eagles pulled away at the end to win 94-82. The biggest issue right now for Marquette is finding someone that can guard Wesley Matthews. He had 18 in the first half, and spent most of the game being guarded by one of Georgetown's bigs.

In Cincinnati, Louisville is ahead 37-34 at the half in a game pitting two of the toughest, most athletic teams in the country. Terrence Williams and Earl Clark have been too much for Cincinnati as the Bearcats don't have anyone that can match-up with the versatility of those two. Both had ten in teh first half. Deonta Vaughn is carrying Cinci with 9 points and 5 dimes.

- Some scores to get you up on:

• Miami 69, BC 58: Big win for the Hurricanes. Jack McCinton had 22 as the 'Canes held Tyrese Rice to 11.
• Notre Dame 103, Providence 84: Luke Harangody finished with 18 and 7, K-Mac had 25, and Ryan Ayers went for 28 as the Irish picked up another big win in their quest to go dancing.
• Butler 75, Davidson 60: With less than a minute to go, Butler is going to win this thing. The Bulldogs got 27 and 10 from Gordon Hayward and help Steph Curry to 19 on 6-23 shooting, 2-13 from deep.
• Kentucky 31, Tennessee 22: Patrick Patterson is playing today, and has 8 points and 6 boards at the half.
  

- Just flipped over to the Notre Dame-Providence game (for some reason, CBS is airing Army-Navy instead of Tennessee-Kentucky) because Butler is up 16 on Davidson. Notre Dame is up 84-70 on Providence ... and as I am writing this, Harangody hit a free throw to reach double digits. Ryan Ayers and K-Mac have combined to go 11-22 from three. That is a good sign for the Irish, as is holding Providence - an excellent shooting team - to 4-16 from deep.

So now the Irish play defense and get balanced scoring? Maybe they are good again.

- Gordon Hayward is a beast. He has scored 10 of Butler's 13 points to start the second half, and now has 20 on the game. This is the first time I have seen Butler play, and they are really impressive. They have good big man on the block in Matt Howard and play a spread offense with four perimeter players that can all knock down a three around him. It helps that Hayward is 6'8" and can defend a four.

Butler also has a really good play-making guard in Shelvin Mack. If this team gets hot, they are going to make some noise in March.

- Halftime of three games with huge bubble implications:

Butler is up 34-29 on Davidson. The Bulldogs look like they have a real shot of getting into the dance even if they don't win the Horizon tourney, but with a couple losses of late, beating Davidson could really help. The Wildcats probably need to win the SoCon to get into the dance, regardless of the outcome of this one.

Miami jumped all over BC at the out set and is now up 44-32 at the break. Miami, even if they win out, may be looking at the NIT this year, but BC is in an interesting spot. They have a couple excellent win (Duke and Carolina) but they have two really bad losses (Harvard and St. Louis). They are currently sitting in sixth (just a half game out of second place) which is probably going to be enough to get a bid, especially considering that two of their last three games are very winnable (Georgia Tech and NC State). If 9-7 in the ACC with wins over Duke and UNC doesn't get you dancing, I don't know what will.

Notre Dame looks like they still might have some fight left in them as they are up 49-37 at the half at Providence. ND is probably going to need to win out (or at least get every game besides UConn) if they want to earn a bid. Providence has a much weaker resume, and while they are 8-6 in the Big East and look like they will get to at least .500 in the league, but I'm not sure if that is going to be enough. They have an RPI in the 60's and 10 losses, but they have beaten Syracuse and Cincinnati twice. I get the feeling they are going to be one of the last teams decided upon.

- Butler's Matt Howard has taken over against Davidson. He has the last 8 points, and 10 overall, as Butler has taken a 17-7 lead. Howard isn't an overwhelming athlete, but he really understands positioning on the block and has a nice little jump hook. The Bulldogs defense is doing as fantastic job against Curry. Shelvin Mack and Ronald Nored are taking turns face guarding Steph. Curry doesn't look like the ankle is bothering him too much, but he doesn't seem to have his legs under him just yet. That will happen when you spend six days on the shelf rehabbing.

Continue reading...

Saturday Roundup

Bracket Busters kicked off last night, and those lucky enough to get ESPN U (damn you comcast) got to see an excellent game out in Reno as Nevada went on an 18-5 run in the final five minutes to overcome a nine point deficit. Luke Babbitt hit a free throw with 1.8 seconds left to put Nevada up four, which ended up being really important because Joey Rodriguez hit a 75 footer at the buzzer. Babbitt and Brandon Fields both went for 15, while Armon Johnson and Malik Cooke had 13 each for the Wolfpack. Eric Maynor had 28 to lead VCU.

The other game was not quite as interesting, as Niagara used an early 14-0 run to open up a 20-6 lead over Illinois State. Tyrone Lewis had 19 and Bilal Benn went for 17 and 11 for the Purple Eagles.

I'm not going to post the entire schedule of games for today, but here is the schedule for Bracket Busters. The games I recommend watching: Butler at Davidson at noon, Northern Iowa at Siena at 3, and Utah State at St. Mary's at 5.

As far as non-Bracket Buster games go, there isn't all that much. Marquette plays Georgetown at 2, Louisville plays Cincinnati at 2, and Oklahoma heads to Texas tonight at 9.

Be sure to come by today, as we will be blogging away the Saturday once again. Continue reading...

College Hoops BlogPoll Roundtable

BIAH is a voting member of the CBS Sport's College Hoops BlogPoll, and as such we have been asked to participate in their College Hoops roundtable. Each week, a different blog will host and ask a number of questions to be answered by each voting member. This week it is A Sea of Blue, so be sure to stop over there and take a look at some of the other blog's answers.

Who really looks like the best team in college basketball this season?

At this point, barring a major collapse, it is pretty much a done deal that UConn, Pitt, Oklahoma, and UNC are going to be the four #1 seeds come March 15th meaning that these are the consensus best four teams in America right now. Assuming that "best" means "most likely to win the national title", I'm going to go with Oklahoma. UConn just isn't the same team without Jerome Dyson. DeJuan Blair is a load on the block, but I just don't see him being able to stay out of foul trouble for six straight games, especially with the tighter whistles that are par for the course come March. UNC doesn't play enough defense on a consistent basis (how did they gave up 91 to Maryland and 80 to NC State?). Oklahoma has the best player in the country in Blake Griffin, has developed their bench to the point where it is almost a strength, and is getting exceptional seasons out of Austin Johnson and Willie Warren. I really think Griffin is good enough to put this team on his shoulders and carry them to a title a la Carmelo circa 2003.

Is Blake Griffin the Player of the Year already, or can somebody catch him?

The only way Griffin doesn't get player of the year is if someone like Jodie Meeks or James Harden goes on a tear, averages 40 a game for the rest of the season, and carries their team to a regular season conference title. Other wise, it is tough to argue against him. He is the best player (by far) on what will likely be the #1 team in the country come Monday. He has put up some absurd numbers this year (23 and 14 on 64% shooting).

What currently ranked team is the biggest disappointment so far this year?

The "currently ranked" part makes this one tricky because Georgetown, Notre Dame, Tennessee, and the like have been ... how do I say this ... a joke this year. I'm going to go with Gonzaga and Syracuse. A lot of people have been saying UCLA or Michigan State, but the Bruins are extremely young and thus growing pains are to be expected, while the Spartans have yet to play at full strength for an extended period of time. Syracuse and Gonzaga have two of the most talented rosters in the country, but just seem to be devoid of consistency. Syracuse seems unable to start a game with any form of intensity while Gonzaga can't seem to figure out a way to play together. I've said this before, but I believe effort and teamwork to be coached, which means that the blame should fall on the shoulders of Mark Few and Jim Boeheim for not finding answers. So what is the answer? Well, honestly, I don't know. If I did, I'd be making Arab Bill Self money.

Predict the next team to beat Oklahoma.

Oklahoma has three games left on their schedule that are losable (is that even a word?): at Texas, Kansas at home, and at Mizzou. Texas has the size too match up with the Sooners, but the last time the two met up, Oklahoma won by 15. I don't see Kansas going into Norman on Big Monday and beating OU either. That leaves at Missouri. My prediction? The Tiger press is too much for Austin Johnson and Willie Warren, and despite 30 and 15 from Griffin, Mizzou knocks off the Sooners by forcing 20-some turnovers. Continue reading...

Friday Lay-up Lines: Bracket Busters kicks off

We get the first two games of the Bracket Busters series as Illinois State (22-5) travels to Niagara (21-7) and VCU (19-8) heads out west to take on Nevada (15-10). Personally, I am a big fan of Bracket Busters. I don't get to see a lot of MWC or MVC or WAC games here on the east coast, and these games give me (and everyone else in the country) a chance to see some of the better mid-majors play against quality competition.

If you are going to be filling out a bracket come March (and if you are reading this, then you probably will be), the I strongly suggest you watch scout some of these teams. There is just the two games tonight, but check back tomorrow for a full schedule of Saturday's Bracket Buster games. Continue reading...

Friday Morning Shootaround: UCLA wins, Xavier gets upset

UCLA avoided losing three in a row and in the process kept their hopes alive for a Pac-10 regular season title as they beat Washington 85-76. The Bruins were leading for basically the entire game after building a 34-27 halftime lead. The biggest issue for Washington was turnovers, as they gave up a lot of easy baskets off of turnovers. Josh Shipp led five players in double figures with 20 points while Justin Dentmon had 22 for the Huskies.

Jon Brockman and Alfred Aboya both went for double-doubles (16 and 14 for Brockman, 13 and 11 for Aboya). But it was Darren Collison's play against Isaiah Thomas that really made a difference. Thomas, the Huskies dynamic freshman and leading scorer, finished with just 12 points on 5-14 shooting, committing 5 turnovers.

Here is the rest of Thursday's games:

• Charlotte 65, Xavier 60: Lamont Mack scored all 12 of his points in the final eight minutes, including a three with under a minute left that extended the Charlotte lead to 62-58. The loss dropped Xavier into second place in the A-10, behind Dayton. The Musketeers have now lost three of four, with all three losses coming on the road. Ian Anderson led Charlotte with 16 points while CJ Anderson had 13 for X.
• Michigan 74, Minnesota 62: The Wolverines got hot at the end of the second half, going on a 28-12 run over the last 10:41 to open up a 15 point halftime lead. It was a huge win for Michigan's tournament hopes as they moved to .500 in league play. Michigan and Minnesota are now tied at 7-7 in the Big Ten for 7th place. The top five teams get a bye in the conference tourney. Zak Novak led the Wolverines with 18 points on six three's.
• Duke 76, St. John's 69: The Dukies got 11 points from freshman Eliot Williams, who was making just his second career start as Coach K tried give his struggling Blue Devil a spark. Duke won by seven, but the majority of the game the Johnnies were trailing by double digits. Gerald Henderson led Duke with 19.
• Cal 78, Oregon 60: Cal pounded the ball inside, getting a career-high 18 points from Harper Kemp and 11 and 14 from Jamal Boykin, as they kept pace with UCLA and are now sitting tied with the Bruins and the Sun Devils at a half game behind Washington in the Pac-10 standings. Jerome Randle, Cal's leading scorer, had 13 of his 17 in the second half as Cal pulled away.
• USC 61, Washington State 51: The Trojans got 17 from Dwight Lewis and 16 from Taj Gibson as they snapped a three game losing streak, keeping their bubble hopes alive.
  
• Wisconsin 68, Indiana 51: The Badgers have now won five in a row and look to be headed to another NCAA Tournament.
• Gonzaga 91, Loyola Marymount 54: The 'Zags clinched the WCC title with the win.
• St. Mary's 65, San Diego 61: Omar Samhan went for 20 and 10 as the Gaels moved to 8-4 in the WCC.
  
• Villanova 82, Rutgers 72: Scottie Reynolds had 21 and the Corey's combined for 31 as 'Nova used a 20-5 run midway through the second half to break open a close game.
• Oregon State 66, Stanford 54: The Beavers for 26 points from Roeland Schaftenaar as they moved to 6-8 in the league.
  
• Western Kentucky 78, Arkansas Little-Rock 69: These two schools are now tied with Troy a 12-3 atop the Sun Belt.
  

Continue reading...

Who is the Best in the West?

ED. NOTE: This column was written prior to the games on Thursday night. Specifically, before Washington-UCLA.

The best in the west. Usually, that distinction goes to the best team in the Pac-10.

It would make sense, right? It is the only one of the big six conferences with teams west of the Plains (and Colorado doesn't count until they actually matter).

But can you really claim that Washington, a team that is 10-3 in the Pac-10 and has a loss to Portland on their resume, is the best team in the west?

There are a number of ways to judge who the best team is - record, RPI, KenPom, rankings - so let's break it down and see if we can't come up with a "Best of the West". For this particular exercise, we are considering the Pac-10, WCC, MWC, and WAC as teams in the west.

- Best Record: Utah State (24-2, 12-1 WAC)

The Aggies have a gaudy record and a solid RPI (34), but for the most part it is against fluff (their SOS is 172). They have only played two games against teams ranked higher than 88th in the RPI (beating Utah and losing to BYU) and have a grand total of six games against the RPI top 100 (including BYU and Utah). In fact, of Utah State's 24 wins, 14 have come against teams ranked outside the RPI top 200. So while the Aggies have proven that they can hang with some of the best in Utah out west, I still have yet to see a reason why I should believe this is more than just the best mediocre team in the country. This is where I would say they have a chance to make a statement against a very good St. Mary's team on Saturday in Bracket Busters, but unless Patty Mills makes a miraculous recovery in the next 48 hours, a victory would just get chalked up as another mediocre win over a mediocre team.

- Best RPI: Utah (19-7, 10-2 MWC)

Yup, Utah has the best RPI of any team out west. They are sitting pretty at 11, while the next closest is Washington at 21. I guess they may deserve it. They are currently atop the Mountain West at 10-2 with a game and a half lead over BYU and SDSU. While you may be thinking to yourself "oh, its just the Mountain West", realize that the MWC might be better than the SEC this year. They have a very realistic chance to get five teams into the dance (there are nine total in the league). Utah? They do have a pretty nice team. Luke Nevill is a legit 7-footer with a legit game (17.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.7 bpg) who combines with Shaun Green to form a formidable front court. In the back court, they have a solid quartet of guards who can all shoot it (except for Carlon Brown - he just dunks). Utah does have a couple good wins - they beat Gonzaga and LSU (by 30) out of conference and SDSU and BYU in conference - but it is their losses that bug me. Not the one against Oklahoma. Not the loss against Cal, or Utah State, or UNLV either. Utah has, however, lost to Big Sky powerhouse Idaho State, who is all of 207th in the RPI. That isn't even their worst loss. The Utes worst loss doesn't get factored into the RPI. Why? Because Southwest Baptist doesn't play in D1. Can you really be considered "Best of the West" when you have lost to D2 team?

Luke Nevill is a large man.
(photo credit: AP/Kenny Crookston)

- Best KenPom Rating: UCLA (19-6, 8-4 Pac-10)

Don't know what the KenPom rating system is? Read this. Essentially, he does some crazy math with efficiency ratings to determine who you would expect to win on a given night. If you're ranked higher than a team you should beat them (did I get that right?). Regardless, he is good at what he does. His top four, in order, at the end of last season: Kansas, Memphis, UCLA, UNC (look familiar). So does that mean UCLA is the best team out west? Personally, I am not that high on UCLA this year. For starters, they are not as good defensively as they have been in the past. The biggest issue for me is the lack of a post presence. I've said this before, but as hard as Alfred Aboya works, it isn't going to make him any bigger. Their four? Nikola Dragovic, who spends most of his court time doing his best Jason Kapono impression. Well, I lied. That isn't my biggest issue with UCLA. My biggest issue is their utter lack of impressive wins. They are 0-3 against the RPI top 25 (losing to ASU twice and Washington once). They have just four top 50 wins - two against USC, one against Arizona before Arizona got good, and one against Cal when Jerome Randle was slowed by a hip injury. And losses to Texas and Michigan are looking much worse than they did originally.

- Best Ranking: Arizona State (20-5, 9-4 Pac-10)

In each of the three major polls (and yes I am including the BlogPoll as a major poll, and it may or may not be because I have a vote), ASU has the highest ranking. In the coaches poll, they are 11th and in the AP and BlogPoll, they are 14th (for some reason, the coaches have a much higher opinion of the Pac-10 than the AP does - ASU is 11th vs. 14th, UCLA is 15th vs. 20th, and Washington is 19th vs. 22nd). While I still have a bit of hesitation anointing the Sun Devils the best team in the west, one thing I am sure of is that James Harden is the best player in the west (Patty Mills would give him a run, if healthy). Harden is really the only offensive threat on a team with a legitimate shot at winning the Pac-10. That, however, is not a good thing because it make the Sun Devils so one dimensional. All you need to do is slow down Harden, and Arizona State is going to struggle (see USC, Jan. 15th). While that is much easier said than done (ask Oregon, Feb. 5th), having one lock-down perimeter defender could be enough to upset the Sun Devils. The good news for ASU? In their last three games (against Oregon State, UCLA, and USC), Harden has averaged just 12.3 ppg. Arizona State has won all three.

James Harden put 36 on Oregon earlier this year.
(photo credit: AP/Chris Pietsch)

- Best ... Other Team?: Gonzaga (19-5, 10-0 WCC)

The 'Zags looked destined to be a Final Four team after they ran through to Old Spice Classic, beating Oklahoma State and Tennessee. Then, they lost four of five, including a game to Portland at home. The 'Zags ended that skid with a convincing road win against Tennessee, their second win against the Vols on the season, which sparked a nine game winning streak, putting the 'Zags back on the map as a legitimate threat. That thought ended with an 18 point beatdown in Spokane at the hands of Memphis. So which team is the real Gonzaga? Who knows. They are one of the most talented teams in the country, there is no doubt about that. But I just am not convinced that they can play well together, especially with Jeremy Pargo at the point. Nothing against him as a player (he can flat out ball and is one of the most fun players in the country to watch), but he isn't the kind of point guard that this team needs.

- Who is missing?: Washington (19-6, 10-3 Pac-10)

Remember earlier, when I said this:

The best in the west. Usually, that distinction goes to the best team in the Pac-10. It would make sense, right? It is the only one of the big six conferences with teams west of the Plains (and Colorado doesn't count until they actually matter). But can you really claim that Washington, a team that is 10-3 in the Pac-10 and has a loss to Portland on their resume, is the best team in the west?

Jon Brockman patrols the paint for Washington.
(photo credit: Oregon Live)

Well, the answer is yes. Yes you can. Washington has already beaten UCLA and Arizona State this year. They are leading the Pac-10. But more importantly, they look like the best team. I really like the make-up of the Huskies roster. They have a dynamic scoring guard (Isaiah Thomas); a shooter/scorer on the perimeter (Justin Dentmon); a steady ball-control point guard (Venoy Overton); a bruiser in the paint (Jon Brockman); athletic wings (Justin Holiday, Quincy Pondexter); and a big, long, active center to play along side Brockman (Matthew Bryan-Amaning). The biggest worry I have is maturity and experience. This is a young team, and the veterans have not had much success in their careers. But Lorenzo Romar has. He reached two Sweet 16's ('05, '06) and won a Pac-10 tournament.

Maybe I am grasping at straws here. Maybe the rest of the west is just not that good this year. But here it is. My pick for "Best of the West". Continue reading...

Thursday Lay-up Lines: Battle atop the Pac-10

The big game of the night takes place out in Pauley Pavilion as UCLA (19-6, 8-4) hosts Washington (19-6, 10-3). The Bruins were in first place in the Pac-10 until last weekend when they got swept at the Arizona schools. Washington was able to move into sole possession of first thanks to their own sweep of the Oregon schools (UCLA now sits in third). The Huskies look, and have looked, like the best team in the Pac-10 this season. They've beaten UCLA and Arizona State (ASU on the road) and their conference losses have come to Arizona and Cal on the road, and a 3OT thriller at home against Cal (a game they would have won if it weren't for this stupidity - no condensed video, so you have to go to the 9:00 mark).

But UCLA is UCLA. They aren't quite as good defensively as they have been in the past, but until someone unseats them from atop the Pac-10, you have to keep them in the mix. U-Dub, here is your chance.

I think Washington goes into Pauley and wins this one. I don't know why, but I really like how the Huskies are playing right now. They have two great scorers in their back court in Isaiah Thomas and Justin Dentmon, a water buffalo on the block in Jon Brockman, and a group of excellent athletes to surround those three (Quincy Pondexter, Justin Holiday, Matthew Bryan-Amaning). While I expect Josh Shipp and Darren Collison to keep Dentmon and Thomas in check, I think that the Huskies are going to be too athletic and too big inside for the Bruins.

Of note, Jrue Holiday, UCLA's stud freshman, and Justin Holiday are brothers.

As I'm writing about this game, I have gotten to thinking about who is the best team on the west coast. Is it the winner of this game? Check back tomorrow for that.

The rest of the games from Thursday (which is a pretty terrible night in terms of hoops - seriously, ESPN's games are Duke-St. John's and Wisconsin-Indiana):

• 7:00 PM: Minnesota (19-6, 7-6) @ Michigan (16-10, 6-7): Probably the second most significant game of the night given the bubble implications. Both teams really could use the win, as successful non-conference seasons have not turned into good Big Ten years. Michigan is probably in more trouble than the Gophers, as a loss drops the Wolverines to two games below .500 in the conference.
  
• 7:00 PM: Xavier (21-4, 9-2) @ Charlotte (9-15, 3-7)
• 7:00 PM: Duke (20-5, 7-4) @ St. John's (12-13, 3-10)
• 8:00 PM: Western Kentucky (17-8, 11-3) @ Arkansas Little-Rock (9-6, 12-2)
• 9:00 PM: Wisconsin (16-9, 7-6) @ Indiana (6-18, 1-11)
• 9:00 PM: Rutgers (10-15, 1-11) @ Villanova (20-5, 8-4)
• 9:00 PM: Loyola Marymount (2-24, 1-9) @ Gonzaga (19-5, 10-0)
• 9:00 PM: Cal (19-6, 8-4) @ Oregon (6-19, 0-13)
• 10:30 PM: Washington State (13-12, 5-8) @ USC (15-9, 6-6)
• 11:00 PM: San Diego (13-13, 5-6) @ St. Mary's (20-5, 7-4)
  

Continue reading...

Thursday Morning Shootaround: The Big Ten Disallows the Shot Clock in Penn State's Win Over Illinois

Penn State landed a huge win over Illinois, who was tied for second in the Big Ten, 38-33. Yes, that was the final score. Illinois took a 29-20 lead with 10 minutes left, but scored just four points the rest of the way as Talor Battle and the Nittany Lions took over, going on an 18-4 "run". Battle was the only player to reach double figures in this one, scoring 11 points. Penn State shot just 28.6% from the floor while the Illini hit 30% of their shots. To be honest, I think a game like this should automatically disqualify either team from the NCAA tournament.

Other bubble teams that helped their cause last night:

• Florida State 80, Miami 67: Toney Douglas got the best of Jack McClinton in a match-up of the ACC's two best scorers. Douglas went for 24, 17 in the second half, and helped hold McClinton to just 13 points as FSU landed an enormous win. The 'Noles are now in a four-way tie for second place in the ACC. While FSU still has some work to do (they are in right now, but have a tough five game stretch ahead of them), Miami may be now be out of the tourney discussion.
  
• Florida 83, Alabama 74: The Gators jumped out to an early lead and Alabama never really made it interesting. Nick Calathes had 22 points, 6 dimes, and 5 steals in the win. Big win for Florida, who is trying to secure an NCAA tournament berth.
• Georgetown 65, South Florida 40: The Hoyas got a big win at USF to help keep their NCAA tournament hopes alive. Chris Wright had another excellent game, finishing with 17 points, and Greg Monroe added a double double with 12 and 10.
  

Most of the bubble teams that played last night lost:

• West Virginia 79, Notre Dame 68: Notre Dame used hot shooting at the outset to build a 10 point lead. But the Mountaineers used tough defense to claw their way back into the game, taking a 42-40 lead at the half. The second half was all WVU as they used an early 10-2 run to open up a two point games. Eventually, they built the lead as high as 17. WVU would have been in pretty good shape even with a loss, but the Irish may now have to win out if they hope to make the NCAA's. Alex Ruoff had 24 to lead WVU, while Luke Harangody went for 26 and 13 to lead all players.
• Citadel 64, Davidson 46: Steph Curry didn't play last night as Bob McKillop looks to be saving him for Saturday's date with Butler.
• Louisville 94, Providence 76: The Friars were up 46-45 at the half, but the Cardinals came out a different team after halftime. They forced turnovers and hit the offensive glass hard, and their size and athleticism were too much for PC to overcome. Terrence Williams bounced back from a sprained wrist to go for 17 points, 8 assists, and 6 boards. Earl Clark added 13, 10 boards, and 7 dimes while Edgar Sosa led the team with 18 points. Louisville is now in a three-way tie in second place in the Big East (1/2 game behind UConn), while the loss means that the Friars are still looking for that signature win on their tournament resume.
• Mississippi 81, Tennessee 65: The Rebels got 21 from Terrico White and 18 and 13 from Murphy Holloway as they were able to slow down Tennessee in the second half. The difference was the Ole Miss defense down the stretch, as they held Tennessee without a point for five minutes while extending their lead. Wayne Chism had 19 and 8 for the Vols, who all of a sudden are in a four-way tie atop the SEC East with Florida, Kentucky, and South Carolina.
• Mississippi State 75, South Carolina 70: Phil Turner hit a big three with about two minutes left in the game to open up a five point lead for MSU. Ravern Johnson had 20 in the win, which left the Gamecocks tied for first in the SEC.
  
• Virginia 75, Virginia Tech 61: Sylvan Landesberg went for 19 points, 9 boards, and 6 assists as UVA won their second straight game. The Cavs used a 17-2 run over the span of both halves to upen up a lead on the shorthanded Hokies (Tech was playing without suspended Jeff Allen). It was the fourth loss in six games for the Hokies, who are now, all of a sudden, on the bubble again.
• Northwestern 72, Ohio State 69: Freshman John Shurna hit a tough three with 3.3 seconds left on the clock as Northwestern improved to 5-8 in Big Ten play. Kevin Coble had 26 and Craig Moore had 23 in the win for the Wildcats. Jon Diebler led Ohio State with 28.
• Wyoming 77, UNLV 68: The MWC is loaded this year with five teams hoping to make a run at the NCAA tourney, which is why losing to one of the bottom teams in the league is not something UNLV wants to be doing. Brandon Ewing went for 29 for Wyoming, who opened up a 13 point lead in the second half and hung on down the stretch as UNLV made a couple runs.
  

The rest of the games from last night:

• Temple 72, Fordham 45: The A-10 may be a three-bid league this year if Temple keeps on winning. They are now 16-9 and 8-3 in the league.
• Wake Forest 87, Georgia Tech 69: James Johnson had 24 and 11 boards as the Demon Deacons look to be getting back on track, winning their second straight.
• Utah 89, Colorado State 79 OT: Luke Nevill blocked a shot at the end of regulation, then scored eight of his 23 points in OT as Utah kept its lead in the MWC. Nevill finished with 23 points, 14 boards and 7 blocks.
• North Carolina 89, NC State 80: Hansbrough scored 27 points and Danny Green added 19 as the Heels opened a lead as big as 19 in the second half. But the issue was their defense, which allwoed the Wolfpack to shoot 64% in the first half.
  
• LSU 72, Arkansas 69: LSU overcame a huge first half deficit and Marcus Thornton added 28 points and 7 steals, including one with the Tigers up 70-69 with under a minute left.
  
• Memphis 90, Southern Miss 47
• Kansas 72, Iowa State 55
• Utah State 78, Cal St. Bakersfield 57
  

Continue reading...

Tyler Hansbrough: Will the Real Psycho T Please Stand Up

His 21.1 ppg is enough to lead the league in scoring.

The 7.6 rpg he averages is top ten.

When discussing his numbers in just conference games, the 20.0 points and 8.0 rebounds he averages both put him in the top five.

Not a bad season to be having, right?

That is unless you are reigning national player of the year Tyler Hansbrough.

In most years, those numbers would be enough to be considered for the ACC player of the year award, and thrown in the discussion for national player of the year. Receiving those accolades becomes even more likely when you consider that the numbers come from the leading scorer and rebounder of the best team in the ACC and possibly the new #1 team in the country (depending on voting this weekend).

The reason I bring this up is that Hansbrough is no where near the conversation for national player of the year. He isn't even (and shouldn't be) brought up when discussing the ACC player of the year.

Why? Because he is not even the player of the year on his own team. That distinction would go the engine behind the high-powered Tar Heel offense - Ty Lawson.

The way I see it, there are nine other guys in the ACC that could and should be considered for the player of the year award: Toney Douglas, Jack McClinton, Tyrese Rice, Malcolm Delaney, Ty Lawson, Gerald Henderson, Kyle Singler, Trevor Booker, and Jeff Teague.

Look at that list for a second. Toney Douglas and Jack McClinton are both averaging over 23 ppg. Jeff Teague had his name thrown around as national player of the year a month ago. So did Ty Lawson, two months ago.

There is a chance that Hansbrough ends up as a second team all-ACC player this season (for the record, I mean that he ends up deserving to be a second team all-ACC player because there is no way that Trevor Booker is voted on to the first team over Hansbrough or fellow media darling Kyle Singler).

Regardless, the point is that Psycho T is more like Mildly Unbalanced T this year. Bad joke aside, what is the reason?

Well, for starters, Hansbrough began the season injured. How seriously? Not important.

What is important is that he missed some time. Hansbrough sat four of the first seven games, and played a limited amount in two of the others. Not being on the court (for games or practices) allowed other guys on the team to step-up and grow an expanded role on the team.

Guys like Lawson, Wayne Ellington, and Danny Green, all of who are having great seasons.

Hansbrough is not a selfish guy. He is not me first. He turned his back on NBA riches not once, not twice, but three times. He came back last season even though his team reached the Final Four and he was national player of the year. Setting Carolina records and winning back-to-back player of the year awards must have been an enticing thought, but I also am pretty sure that the #1 goal (by far) of coming back to school was to win a ring.

Yup, Hansbrough just wanted to win a national title.
(photo credit: Rush the Court)

You want evidence? How about the fact that he defers to his teammates. He has a tendency to fade during games not because he has lost his aggressiveness or his ability. It is because Lawson, Ellington, Green, and fellow bigs Ed Davis and Deon Thompson are all good enough that they can carry the Heels for stretches.

Hansbrough can still put up the numbers. He had 27 and 7 last night in a win over NC State. But the fact that he can step back and allow someone else to take over, especially when it is someone as talented as his teammates are, is what makes this Carolina team a favorite to win the national title. Continue reading...

Little Diddy About Billy and Jeannine...

I bet you thought this story had no more legs. I mean, we've written about it here and here.

Ryan Parker managed to keep this one going, as he wrote a little diddy about Billy and Jeannine.



Continue reading...

2009 McDonald's All-American Teams Released

Here are the rosters for the 2009 McDonald's All-American game, to be played April 1st:

EAST:

1. Kenny Boynton, Jr: SG, 6'2" 187 lb, Pompano Beach FL (Florida)
2. Dominic Cheek: SG, 6'5" 175 lb, Jersey City NJ (Villanova)
3. DeMarcus Cousins: PF, 6'9" 250 lb, LeFlore AL (Undecided)
4. Derrick Favors: C, 6'9" 220 lb, South Atlanta GA (Georgia Tech)
5. Milton Jennings: PF, 6'9" 200 lb, Summerville SC (Clemson)
6. Ryan Kelly: PF, 6'9" 205 lb, Raleigh NC (Duke)
7. Alex Oriakhi: C, 6'9" 245 lb, Lowell MA (UConn)
8. Peyton Siva: PG, 5'11" 180 lb, Seattle WA (Louisville)
9. Lance Stephenson: SG, 6'5" 195 lb, Brooklyn NY (Undecided)
10. Dexter Strickland: PG, 6'3" 175 lb, Elizabeth NJ (North Carolina)
11. Dante Taylor: PF, 6'8" 230 lb, Greenburgh NY (Pittsburgh)
12. Maalik Wayns: PG, 6'1" 190 lb, Philadelphia PA (Villanova)


West:

1. Avery Bradley, Jr: SG, 6'3" 175 lb, Tacoma WA (Texas)
2. Abdul Gaddy, Jr: PG 6'3" 170 lb, Tacoma WA (Washington)
3. Keith Gallon: C, 6'8" 290 lb, Houston TX (Oklahoma)
4. Xavier Henry: SG, 6'6" 210 lb, Oklahoma City OK (Memphis)
5. John Henson: PF, 6'10" 200 lb, Tampa FL (North Carolina)
6. Wally Judge: PF, 6'9" 218 lb, Washington DC (Kansas State)
7. Tommy Mason-Griffin: PG, 5'10" 206 lb, Houston TX (Oklahoma)
8. Mason Plumlee: C, 6'11" 220 lb, Warsaw IN (Duke)
9. Renardo Sidney, Jr: PF, 6'10" 250 lb, Los Angeles CA (Undecided)
10. Michael Snaer: SG, 6'4" 185 lb, Moreno Valley CA (Florida State)
11. David Wear: PF, 6'9" 220 lb, Santa Ana CA (North Carolina)
12. Travis Wear: PF, 6'9" 220 lb, Santa Ana CA (North Carolina)

John Wall, the nation's #1 recruit (who just so happens to be undecided on a school), is ineligible for the game because he is a fifth year senior.

North Carolina is tops with four Mickey D's all-americans signed, while no one else has more than two (Villanova, Duke, Oklahoma).

As a whole, the ACC has nine recruits inked, the Big East has five, the Big XII four, and C-USA, the Pac-10, and SEC one apiece.
Continue reading...

Denis Clemente is a thug ... and I love it

Denis Clemente can score.

There's no question about that.

Most people are going to remember when he went for 44 in an upset of Texas, but Clemente has been a pretty solid 12-18 point guy for the Wildcats.

The reason I bring it up is that Clemente, who went for 26 (his second highest scoring output of the season) against Kansas on Saturday, was not in the line-up for K-State's game against North Carolina Central.

Why?

Clemente had a little issue with the adage "keep thy hands to thy self". First, it was an elbow he planted right in the middle of Brady Morningstar's back (for the record, some people believe that Morningstar punched Clemente, and while it is pretty clear from that video that he did in fact hit Clemente in the stomach, in no way does it look intentional):



Clemente got a tech for that.

While the first elbow is understandable (frustration because you can't get open, your team blew a 16 point lead, and you just got popped, intentionally or unintentionally, in the stomach), this next one is a little unnecessary.



When asked about the incidents, Clemente responded by saying "I don't allow anybody to come in my house. This is my house. You know what I'm saying? I'll punch you back."

True, Clemente probably should not have smacked Tyrell Reed in the head or hit Morningstar with the elbow.

But that was his house. You don't let just anyone into your house. And if they hit you in your house, you hit them back.

UPDATE: Apparently, Clemente accused the KU team of racist remarks, which really pissed off Bill Self. From the KC Star:

That flat out pisses me off. That did not occur. That does bother me a lot that anybody would say something like that.

Continue reading...

UNC's Tyler Zeller to come back tonight

All signs point toward UNC freshman forward Tyler Zeller returning tonight against NC State. If you remember, Zeller broke his wrist against Kentucky just two games into a promising freshman season and was thought to be done for the season:



Most thought that Zeller was going to be redshirted by Roy Williams, but with the loss of Marcus Ginyard and Will Graves, the Heels really needed the depth. The question becomes is it worth it to risk a full season of eligibility down the road for five games, the ACC tournament, and the NCAA tournament.

Normally, I would say no. It is not. But the fact of the matter is that UNC has a chance to win a national title this year.

And Zeller has a chance to be a part of it.

Put me in Zeller's shoes, and I would give up a year of eligibility for a chance to play a role in a national title. Not just be a member of the team, but help the team win on the floor.

For the record, we are also talking about a mobile 7-footer with a nice touch on his jump shot. He may not be around to use up that extra year. Continue reading...

Wednesday Lay-up Lines: The Night of the Bubble Watch

Nine top 25 teams take the court tonight, but the games that matter tonight happen below the realm of the ranked. By my count, there are 13 games tonight that will significantly impact the bubble. And that isn't counting the LSU or Utah State cakewalks games.

What is interesting about tonight's games is that the majority of the important bubble games are going to be happening in the big six conferences. If you believe Joe Lunardi (which you should, the guy is a god at what he does), then you know that only eight conferences are projected to get at-large bids this year - the big six plus the A-10 and MWC. Of course, that could change if a team like Utah State or Davidson loses in their conference tourney, but assuming they don't, this year will be four below the average number of conferences to get multiple bids since the tourney expanded to 64/65 teams.

Enough about the tourney, let's get into tonight's bubble games (all RPI numbers from RealTimeRPI.com):

• 7:00 PM: Miami (15-9, 4-7) @ Florida State (19-6, 6-4): This game is huge for both teams. Florida State has a ridiculous gauntlet after Miami (Va Tech twice, @ BC, @ Duke, Clemson), and dropping a home game to the 10th place team in the ACC would be a huge blow to their resume. Miami, on the other hand, is almost to the point where they cannot afford another loss. Their four games after FSU are very winnable, which means that running the table is not out of the question. With an RPI that is only ok (50, although their SOS is 12), Miami may need to get above .500 in league play to lock up a bid.
• 7:00 PM: Notre Dame (14-10, 5-7) @ West Virginia (17-8, 6-6): The Mountaineers are almost to the point that they can stamp their ticket. They have an RPI of 16 (and a KenPom rating in the top 10), and the 21 point smack down they put on Villanova gave them a signature win. Notre Dame, on the other hand, was pretty much dead in the water before they whooped up on Louisville by 33. After beating South Florida over the weekend, the Irish have worked their way back into contention. With an RPI as low as 75, the Irish will have their work cut out for them, but beating WVU on the road would go a long way towards an at-large bid.
• 7:00 PM: Georgetown (13-10, 4-8) @ South Florida (8-16, 3-9): Georgetown is just about finished. They have good computer numbers (thanks to the toughest schedule in the nation), but unless they can get to .500 in the Big East, Hoya fans can probably resign themselves to the NIT.
• 7:00 PM: Alabama (13-11, 3-7) @ Florida (19-6, 6-4): I hope Gator fans aren't feeling too comfortable just yet. While they have a pretty record, they are just 47 in the RPI (and have a SOS of 98). They have also won just two games on the road, at Auburn and Vanderbilt. Oh yeah, and the Gators still have to play LSU, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi State. Nick Calathes and company need to string together some wins or they may be looking at a second straight NIT, especially considering how down the SEC is.
• 7:00 PM: Penn State (18-8, 7-6) @ Illinois (21-5, 9-4): At this point, the Illini are playing for seeding (and for the Big Ten regular season - they are a game out after MSU's loss). Penn State is just about done. They have an RPI of 72 and still get Illinois again after this and have to head to Ohio State.
• 7:00 PM: Citadel (17-10, 12-4) @ Davidson (22-4, 15-1): Steph Curry is a game-time decision with a bad ankle tonight. Curry or not, Davidson is probably at the point where they must win out and then make it to the finals of the SoCon tourney for a shot at an at-large.
• 7:30 PM: Providence (16-9, 8-5) @ Louisville (19-5, 10-2): As of today, Lunardi has the Friars in (as his last team). That could change over the next five games, however, as PC has to face three top 20 RPI teams as well as Notre Dame, who will need the win just as badly.
  
• 8:00 PM: Virginia Tech (16-8, 6-4) @ Virginia (8-13, 2-8): The Hokies are in for now. But they have a brutal schedule coming up after UVa (FSU twice, @ Clemson, Duke, UNC), which makes this game so important. Unfortunately, they will be playing shorthanded as Jeff Allen's bird call got him suspended for a game.
• 8:00 PM: South Carolina (18-5, 7-3) @ Mississippi State (16-9, 6-4): At this point, MSU is here to play spoiler. They've beaten exactly no one (best win, RPI # 65 Western Kentucky) and only played three teams with RPI's in the top 50 (LSU twice at #40 and Cinci at #48). South Carolina, on the other haand, still has a really good shot at making the dance. They have an RPI of 42 and are tied for first in the more-competitive-than-you-think SEC East (Tennessee, Kentucky, and Florida also inhabit the division). But, as is with every team on the bubble, they need to keep the winning going.
• 9:00 PM: Ohio State (17-6, 7-5) @ Northwestern (13-10, 4-8): The Wildcats are pretty much out of the picture, while OSU should be all but in (Lunardi has them as a five seed). The Buckeyes are being slept on this season. They have just two losses outside the RPI top 16 (at #29 Wisconsin and at #36 Minnesota) and they have beaten Miami, Notre Dame, Butler, Purdue, and Minnesota. And remember, most of this was done without David Lighty in the line-up.
• 10:00 PM: UNLV (19-6, 7-4) @ Wyoming (14-10, 3-7): Believe it or not, there are five MWC teams with a realistic shot of reaching the tourney. Lunardi has UNLV in right now, but with games left against BYU, Utah, and SDSU, the Rebels really need to pick up a win here.
  

The rest of the games on tonight's schedule:

• 7:30 PM: Georgia Tech (10-14, 1-10) @ Wake Forest (19-4, 6-4)
• 8:00 PM: Utah (18-7, 9-2) @ Colorado State (8-17, 3-8)
• 8:00 PM: Tennessee (16-8, 7-3) @ Mississippi (13-11, 4-6)
• 8:00 PM: NC State (14-9, 4-6) @ UNC (23-2, 9-2)
• 8:00 PM: SMU (7-16, 1-9) @ Memphis (22-3, 10-0)
• 8:00 PM: Butler (22-3, 13-2) @ Milwaukee (14-11, 9-6)
• 8:00 PM: Iowa State (13-12, 2-8) @ Kansas (20-5, 9-1)
• 8:05 PM: LSU (21-4, 9-1) @ Arkansas (13-10, 1-9)
• 9:05 PM: Cal St. Bakersfield (6-19, 1-13) @ Utah State (24-2, 12-1)
• 10:00 PM: St. Joe's (14-10, 7-3) @ St. Louis (15-10, 6-5)
  

Continue reading...

Wednesday Morning Shootaround: Purdue Crushes Michigan State to Move a Game Back in the Big Ten

Purdue was a trendy preseason pick to win the Big Ten and reach the Final Four. Why? Because they came out of nowhere to win 25 games and finish second in the Big Ten with a bunch of freshman.

But the Boilermakers have been far from the team many people thought they would be this year. A big reason is injuries. Robbie Hummel (the preseason Big Ten player of the year) has a stress fracture in his back; Chris Kramer (last season's defensive player of the year) has a broken nose and missed some action with a bum ankle; Lewis Jackson missed a game due to a concussion.

Robbie Hummel fought through pain to score 11 against MSU.
(Photo Credit: daylife.com)

The Boilermakers were as close to full strength as they have been in a long time last night, and it showed as they dominated the Michigan State Spartans, especially in the second half, en route to a 72-54 win. It moved Purdue to within a game of the Spartans atop the Big Ten.

As you should come to expect with this Purdue team, they won with defense. MSU is a good (not great without a healthy Raymar Morgan) offensive team, and Purdue completely shut the Spartans down. On the game, MSU shot 33% from the field (2-8 from three), turned the ball over 22 times, and had 8 shots blocked. They were able to hang around in the first half thanks to offensive rebounding (9) and forcing turnovers (10), but Purdue started to click early in the second half, hitting open shots and turning the MSU turnovers into easy baskets.

The Boilermakers put this game away early in the second half. It started with a 7-0 run out of the break, capped by a E'Twaun Moore three, which pushed the lead to 33-23. After opening a 48-32 cushion, the Spartans came back by scoring seven straight. But a 7-2 run by Purdue in response, which was ended by a Keaton Grant three-ball, gave the Boilermakers a commanding 55-41 lead with under 10 minutes left.

JaJuan Johnson, who is slowly turning into a star, had 17 points to lead Purdue while Robbie Hummel added 11. Kalin Lucas had 14, but was just 2-11 from the floor.

Michigan State should still be in line for a #2 seed (and could snag a #1 if things go right). They have five losses this season, and all of them have come when they are at less than 100% (two early on without Goran Suton, the last three coming in recent weeks when MSU has had a very limited Raymar Morgan. The bottom line is that this team is good, is going to be better when they get to full strength and hit their stride, and is coached by Tom Izzo. Keep then (strongly) in mind when you fill in those brackets in a month.

The rest of last night's hoops:

• Clemson 93, Maryland 64: Clemson started the second half with a 39-17 run, in which they hit five three's, to blow open a close game at the half. Trevor Booker finished with 11 points and 14 boards, but he was a much bigger factor than his numbers indicate. Booker, who is one of the more underrated forwards in the country, is turning into quite a play maker for the Tigers. He made two of three fantastic plays to create turnovers last night, he was able to pass out of double teams (can anyone find a video of the no-look pass he threw to Rivers? That was sick), and he is a good enough athlete to makes plays like this:
  
  
  
• Marquette 79, Seton Hall 67: Marquette used a 16-3 run early in the second half to slow down a hot shooting Pirate team, who led by 3 at the half. Marquette can clearly put up points (that is what happens when Dominic James, a career 14 ppg gut, is your fourth leading scorer), but when they are playing defense and forcing turnovers is when they are the most dangerous. Last night, the Eagles forced 23 turnovers, with 16 coming off of steals. James had 7 steals (and 4 blocks?) and Jerel McNeal added 5 steals, but the also combined to go 8-24 from the floor and commit 14 turnovers. Wesley Matthews led all scorers with 24.
• Vanderbilt 77, Kentucky 64: Kentucky needs Patrick Patterson back as soon as possible. Without him, the Wildcats are a pretty terrible team offensively. Jodie Meeks is going to get burnt out soon if Billy Gillispie isn't careful. Meeks cuts so hard and runs off of screens so hard, but UK can still not get him the ball in a position that he can be effective consistently. The fact that he got 26 last night should go to show you how talented this kid actually is (did anyone see the three he hit from 30 feet with three guys guarding him to beat a shot clock buzzer in the first half?). Vandy used a 15-2 run that spanned both halves to open a 39-30 lead, and UK could never get it close after that. The Wildcats are going to be in big trouble if Patterson isn't back soon. Their last five games include Tennessee and LSU at home and Florida and South Carolina on the road. Unfortunately, Jeannine Edwards was "forced" to interview Vandy coach Kevin Stallings at halftime because the Commodores had made a run to tie it up. Too bad. I would have loved to see Round 3.
  
• Vermont 77, UMBC 65: The Catamounts have won 12 of 13 to move to 12-3 in the America East. Imagine if this team still had Joe Trapani, who transferred to BC after his freshman year.
• BYU 73, New Mexico 62: Jonathon Tavernari had 22 and 7 boards while Jackson Emery added a career-high 19 as BYU got revenge for a 19 point drubbing last month in the Pit. BYU is now a game back of Utah atop the MWC, while New Mexico is 2.
  

Continue reading...

Billy Gillispie vs. Jeannine Edwards Round 3

Billy Gillispie and Jeannine Edwards don't get along. At all. Already this season they have had two, how shall I say this ... awkward encounters during sideline interviews at the half. Suffice to say Gillispie does not seem to be a fan of hers. Just watch:

Gillispie vs. Edwards Round 1:



Gillispie vs. Edwards Round 2:



Now I don't really see anything wrong with the questions that Edwards asked. I am not a huge fan of the halftime interview, but in both instances Edwards seemed to be asking informed, relevant questions.

So why is Gillispie reacting like this?

Sports by Brooks may have the answer:

A source recently told me that Gillispie made a past, amorous advance at Edwards which was subsequently denied by the ESPN reporter. I have no more details than that. But again, I have confirmed that Gillispie did make clear to Edwards that he was interested in spending some quality time with her away from the court. And she shut him down.

Take this for what its worth - a website quoting an unnamed source. If this is in fact true, I would question the intelligence of ESPN sending Edwards to cover Kentucky games every Tuesday.

Speaking of which, Kentucky plays Vanderbilt tonight on ESPN at 9. Any guesses as to who is doing sideline for that game?

Yup, Jeannine Edwards. Continue reading...