Pics/Vids: Game 5 - Butler vs. Cleveland State |
Friday, January 13th
Hinkle Fieldhouse, Butler University
Cleveland State 76, Butler 69
Game 4 - Indiana vs. Minnesota
Game 3 - Xavier vs. Duquesne
Game 2 - Kentucky vs. South Carolina
Game 1 - Belmont vs. Lipscomb
Cleveland State lost Norris Cole but they haven't lost a step this year |
You can find the rest of the features from the #BIAHRoadTrip here.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - The Horizon League has been the preeminent mid-major conference over the past two seasons.
With all due respect to the things that the Missouri Valley, the WCC and the CAA have accomplished, they can't count Butler has a member of their league. All the Bulldogs have done is go to back-to-back national title games. No big deal.
What made their second trip to the title game all the more impressive isn't that they made the run as an eight seed; cinderella stories are a dime-a-dozen in the NCAA Tournament, and given the Madness of March in 2011, Brad Stevens didn't even half to pull an upset in the Final Four for the right to take on UConn on the best Monday night of the season.
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11/14 College Hoops Week in Review: And we're off! |
Games of the Week: George Mason 92, Rhode Island 90 OT
It was a wild one in at the Patroit Center on Friday night. With both Jamil Wilson of Rhode Island (38 points) and Ryan Pearson from George Mason (28 points, 12 boards) were in a groove offensively, the two teams saw the lead change hands 22 times -- with 17 ties thrown in for good measure -- in an exciting, back-and-forth game. Mason erased a 10 point first half deficit to tie the game at the half. After opening up a five point lead early in the second half, GMU saw Rhode Island go on a 12-2 run to go ahead by five. The Patriot responded with a 9-1 spurt of their own.
George Mason eventually took an 80-77 lead with 39 seconds left when sophomore Sherrod Wright cleaned up a miss by Vertrail Vaughns. But at the other end, Jonathon Holton -- who was 0-5 from long range at that point in the game -- buried a three to force the extra period. In overtime, GMU scored six of the first seven points, taking an 86-81 lead, but Wilson responded with a 7-1 run of his own. Pearson game GMU the lead back and after trading baskets, he hit a free throw with 11 seconds left to take a 92-90 lead. URI used their hot hand Wilson as a decoy, but Orion Outerbridge missed a would-be buzzer-beating three.
Evansville 80, Butler 77 OT: Butler somehow always seems to be involved in games with weird endings. Everyone will remember the strange finish to Butler's upset of Pitt in last year's NCAA Tournament, but do you remember when Butler beat Xavier when the clock stopped for 1.2 seconds? Believe it or not, Butler may have topped that with the way they lost to Evansville on Saturday evening. After blowing a 12 point second half lead, Butler fouled Colt Ryan with 0.9 seconds left and a one point lead. But Ryan missed the first before making the second shot, tying the game.
On the ensuing inbounds, Butler threw the ball the length of the court to Andrew Smith who made the catch and laid the ball in at the buzzer. The only problem? The refs said the lay-in came after the buzzer, but that he was fouled with 0.2 seconds left on the clock. Smith would proceed to miss both free throws and Evansville won the game in overtime when Chrishawn Hopkins failed to get a shot off to try and tie the game. For a more in-depth look at the controversy involved in the finish, we wrote about it here.
Player of the Week: Nurideen Lindsey, St. John's
St. John's may not have played a murder's row schedule in the first week of the season, but the youthful Johnnies were tested. They dug themselves a big hole against William & Mary and a bigger hole against Lehigh before coming back and winning both of those games. Lindsey played a huge role in both of those comebacks, getting 15 of his 19 points in the second half against W&M and finishing with 15 points against Lehigh. Lindsey's best game of the week came against UMBC. He finished one assist shy of a triple-double with 15 points, 10 boards and nine assists.
For the week, Lindsey finished with averages of 16.3 ppg, 4.7 apg and 4.7 rpg. He also added 3.3 spg while shooting a crisp 50% from the field. Lindsey is a slippery penetrator. He's got a crafty handle and while he doesn't have blazing speed, he's quick and understands how to change speeds. He's a good finisher when he gets into the paint and, at least against some mid-major competition, was able to avoid getting his shot blocked while drawing fouls. He still has plenty of room to improve -- Lindsey turned the ball over 10 times in the three games while shooting 0-7 from three and just 15-27 (55.6%) from the line -- but what makes him so important to the Steve Lavin's team is he is one of the only guys that is capable of getting his own shot.
The All-They-Were-Good-Too Team
- G: Tray Woodall, Pitt: The talk of the Panthers coming into the season was their front line and Ashton Gibbs, but Woodall was the star of the first two games. He averaged 21.0 ppg, 10.0 apg and 6.5 rpg while committing just six turnovers and hitting 9-17 from beyond the arc.
- G: Nate Wolters, South Dakota State: Wolters may have had the single best game of the week, putting up 32 points and 11 assists -- without a turnover -- in a win over Western Michigan.
- F: Dominic Cheek, Villanova: Cheek is an important piece for the Wildcats if he can become a consistent scorer on the wing. We know about his defensive acumen (he had three steals), but his 27 points and 5-8 shooting from beyond the arc was a pleasant surprise for Nova fans.
- F: Ryan Pearson, George Mason: The Patriots big man went for 28 points and 12 boards in an overtime win over Rhode Island on Friday night.
- C: John Henson, North Carolina: In a 2-0 week for the Heels, Henson finished with averages of 16.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg and 5.5 bpg while shooting 66.7% from the floor. He even showed off a turnaround jumper in the win over UNC-Asheville.
- Bench: Nathaniel Lester, Hofstra (33 points in a win over Long Island; Jamil Wilson, Rhode Island (38 points in a loss to George Mason); Trae Golden, Tennessee (29 points, 9 assists in a win over UNC Greensboro); Robbie Hummel, Purdue (21 points in his return to the court); Eric Atkins, Notre Dame (27 points, 6 assists, 6-7 FGs, 12-12 FTs in a win over MVSU); Dorian Finney-Smith, Virginia Tech (10 points, 16 boards, 5 assists, 5 blocks in Tech debut); CJ Wilcox, Washington (20.5 ppg in a 2-0 start); Arnett Moultrie, Mississippi State (16.3 ppg, 12.7 rpg in three games this week); J'Covan Brown, Texas (28 points, 8 assists, 1 turnover in a win over Boston U.); Kendall Marshall, North Carolina (15 assists, 1 turnover against UNC-Asheville); Allen Crabbe, Cal (22.5 ppg in a 2-0 week)
Team of the Week: Cleveland State
The Vikings were a bit of an afterthought heading into this season. That's generally what happens when you are a mid-major program and you lose a player as talented and important to your team as Norris Cole. But Gary Waters' team did a fine job introducing themselves to the country on Sunday afternoon, as they went into Memorial Coliseum and bullied Vanderbilt into a 71-58 victory. D'Aundray Brown led the way for the Vikings, finishing with 18 points and 8 boards, but he got plenty of help, as five of his teammates scored between seven and 11 points.
But the offensive end of the floor isn't what won this game for Cleveland State. It was their defensive pressure. Vanderbilt, a top 10 team known for having a powerful offensive attack, had more possessions end in a turnover (20) than in a made field goal (18). John Jenkins, the Commodores all-american, was hounded the entire game, shooting 5-14 from the floor (2-8 from three). Jeff Taylor had just nine points, shooting 3-8 from the field and turning the ball over six times. All in all, it was an impressive performance from the Vikings, one that will likely get them into the conversation -- along with Butler and Detroit -- for the favorite in the Horizon.
Teams deserving a shoutout:
Akron: Akron made a statement on Wednesday night, as they went into Starkville and handled Mississippi State fairly easily. Quincy Diggs led the way with 19 points, but it was an all-around team effort that got the job done. Much like Cleveland State's win over Vanderbilt, it was work on the defensive end that got the job done.
Cal: The Bears looked quite impressive in their two games this week. After running through UC-Irvine with a dominating first-half performance, Cal used a 21-0 run to close out the first half against George Washington on Sunday night. Jorge Gutierrez and Allen Crabbe have been as good as advertised, but it was the play of Justin Cobbs (16 points, five assists on Sunday) and Brandon Smith (seven points, six assists on Friday) that was promising.
St. John's: The Johnnies went 3-0 this week, and while all three games were against overmatched opponents, there is reason to be excited about this team. They are young and, obviously, will go through some growing pains, but the fact that they were able to come back from halftime deficits twice was promising. God'sgift Achiuwa and Moe Harkless have been promising up front and when the Johnnies press is clicking, they are a dangerous team.
Five Thoughts:
- The SEC stinks again?: Vanderbilt was supposed to be a Final Four contender this year, but they were manhandled by Cleveland State at home on Sunday. Mississippi State was a team that everyone thought could finally turn the corner this year, but with Renardo Sidney still out of shape -- and now injured, apparently -- that looks like wishful thinking. The loss to Akron on Wednesday confirms that. Now to be fair, those are the only two league teams that lost this week and Cleveland State and Akron are both legitimate contenders to make a run at an NCAA Tournament bid this year. But to get an idea of the significance of two of the league's top five teams having a mark in the loss column right now, only three other high-major teams do as well -- Michigan State (who lost to North Carolina), Oregon (who lost to Vanderbilt) and UCLA (who lost to Loyola Marymount).
- Good start for the MVC: Missouri State is in full-on rebuilding mode this year. That's what happens when you lose six of your seven rotation players and overhaul the coaching staff. But that doesn't mean the Bears won't be competitive in the Missouri Valley this year. On the one hand, they bring back Kyle Weems, the reigning MVC player of the year. On the other hand, they opened the season with a 22 point win at Nevada. Making the win even more impressive? Weems had four points on 2-12 shooting. Northern Iowa was impressive as well. Old Dominion is in a bit of a rebuilding year as well, but the Panthers went into Richmond and beat the Monarchs by 17 despite the semi-surprising return of Kent Bazemore. Now if we could only forget about the loss Southern Illinois suffered against (wait for it) Ohio Dominican. Yeah, they're D-II.
- UConn's strength is their back court?: That's at least the way that it looks after UConn's first game against Columbia. Jeremy Lamb lived up to the all-american hype, putting up 30 points on 11-17 shooting, while Shabazz Napier was just as good, finishing with 21 points, eight assists and six boards. The two combined for six steals. Alex Oriakhi and Andre Drummond, on the other hand, combined for just two points and nine rebounds. Drummond attempted a single shot in 12 minutes. As good as Napier and Lamb looked, they played a 36 and 38 minutes, respectively, against Columbia. The Huskies are going to need more balance -- and depth -- this season.
- Duke and Belmont: Duke has some major issues they need to address this season. Austin Rivers is ridiculously talented but will make plenty of freshman mistakes this year. Seth Curry is a knockdown shooter, as if Andre Dawkins, but the best point guard -- and perimeter defender -- on the roster is Tyler Thornton. How does Coach K get him into the lineup? Duke's big men have put up some solid numbers early, but are we ready to assume that the Plumlees are more than just the Plumlees and Ryan Kelly is better than a sixth or seventh man? But more than anything, what you should have taken out of Belmont's one-point loss to Duke at Cameron Indoor is that the Bruins are going to be a team to reckon with in March. In other words, Belmont is legit. Memphis, you have been warned.
- Who is the best team in the Pac-12?: It certainly doesn't look like UCLA at this point. The Bruins looked awful in a loss to Loyola Marymount, as Josh Smith is clearly not in shape and their guards look better suited to playing at Cal. State Northridge. Arizona is dealing with their fair share of issues as well. They struggled against Valparaiso and Duquense before having to come back from a double digit deficit against Ball State. The Wildcats lack an interior presence and are trying to identify their go-to scorer and starting point guard; Josiah Turner lost his starting job after missing a shootaround and didn't play on Sunday against Ball State. Oregon's loss at Vanderbilt looks worse after Vandy lost to Cleveland State, and Washington has struggled against two inferior opponents. That leaves Cal. So are the Bears really the favorite in the Pac-12?
Matchups of the Week (all times eastern):
- 11/14 7:00 pm: UCF @ Florida State
- 11/14 8:00 pm: Oakland @ Alabama
- 11/14 9:00 pm: Detroit @ Notre Dame
- 11/14 10:00 pm: Nevada @ UNLV
- 11/15 12:00 am: Washington State @ Gonzaga
- 11/15 12:00 pm: Belmont @ Memphis
- 11/15 2:00 pm: SDSU @ Baylor
- 11/15 7:00 pm: Champions Classic -- Duke vs. Michigan State and Kansas vs. Kentucky
- 11/15 8:00 pm: Florida @ Ohio State
- 11/15 8:00 pm: Bucknell @ Vanderbilt
- 11/16 9:00 pm: Long Beach State @ Pitt
- 11/17 1:00 pm: Purdue vs. Iona
- 11/17 7:00 pm: Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State
- 11/19 2:00 pm: Louisville @ Butler
- 11/19 6:30 pm: Vanderbilt vs. NC State
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The Cancun Challenge: Ballroom ... ballin'? |
Did anyone get a chance to watch any of the games from the Cancun Challenge?
If the games happened to be televised in your area, did you happen to notice anything weird about the "gym" they were in?
Like, that it wasn't actually a gym?
Take a look at these pictures, courtesy of Kentucky Sports Radio: 
Yea, that's a ballroom.
The Cancun Challenge is being played in a ballroom, complete with chandeliers and tacky wallpaper. As you could imagine, the floor, which was floor in from the Boston Garden, is not in quite the same shape. Just ask Patrick Patterson and John Calipari:"It's a floor, at least," Patrick Patterson said. "There are cracks in the floor, spacing missing, parts in the floor where it dips in and makes a 'V' shape all the way down the floor. We were dribbling the other day and balls were going left and right. John (Wall) lost a couple balls. A couple teammates tripped on the court cause of the cracks. The court is in pretty bad shape, but it's still a basketball court."
This is a major college basketball tournament.
"It doesn't make sense," Patterson said. "We walked in there were chandeliers on the ceiling. Someone said, 'Make sure you don’t shoot the ball so high.' I was like, 'That's so crazy.'"
"[The locker room is] just a small ballroom," he said. "I figured we would have a basketball court and a real lockerroom but this is what the resort does for us."
"There is a little seam," he said. "Balls are gonna fly. . . . There is a gap in front of our bench you could sprain your ankle. There is a gap about three inches,and I said you could lose your foot down there. So, there are some dead spots in the floor.
"It's a ballroom. You're playing in a ballroom. We go from 24,000 to playing in a ballroom. Which is fine. The good news is the other team is playing on in a ballroom on the same floor too."
There isn't any other gym in the vicinity of Cancun that can be used and is, you know, an actual gym? A real basketball court that doesn't have to, you know be imported?
Let's just hope it didn't play a factor in Patrick Patterson's ankle injury.
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Top 10 moments from 2008-2009 - No. 6 |
College basketball season tips off today, and in an effort to get you guys (and ourselves) excited, we will be counting down the Top 10 moments from last season. Check back with us throughout the day as we will be posting on the hour until 7pm, when UNC and FIU kick off the 2009-2010 college basketball season.
6. You also gotta love 75 foot game-winners.
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There Was Only One Upset In The First Round |
You heard me.
One upset. Cleveland State blowing out Wake Forest.
That was it.
Here's why.
For starters, a 10 seed beating a 7 seed is equivalent to a 9 seed beating an 8 seed. Simply put, not an upset. So throw Maryland, Michigan, and USC out the window.
We are down to five.
I don't care where you are seeded. 12, 13, 6, 9, whatever. If you are a major conference team, and you win in the first round, it is not an upset. The only exception is when a team with absolutely no business being in any postseason tournament (a la Georgia circa last year) makes a run through their conference to get to the dance.
Arizona has been to the NCAA tournament 25 years in a row. They beat Washington, Kansas, and Gonzaga this season. They have two, maybe three, guys headed to the NBA. If they hadn't lost five of their last six games (four losses to NCAA tournament teams, one to the hottest team out west in the last month of the season), they would not have been anywhere near a 12 seed. They beat a Utah team that won a two-bid conference and lost to D2 Southwest Baptist early in the season.
Who is better?
Wisconsin is forever the underdog. Ever since Bo Ryan took over is 2002, Wisconsin has been consistently the most underrated team in basketball. The Badgers lost six in a row in the middle of the season which is what left them on the bubble, but this is a Wisconsin team that plays a staunch defense and runs a system offensively that maximizes the abilities of their players. They beat a Florida State team that relies 100% on one guy (Toney Douglas) and that was playing in their first NCAA Tournament since 1998.
So is Wisconsin beating the Noles an upset?
Now, we are down to three.
Dayton won 27 games this year, finishing second in a league that put as many teams in the dance as the SEC. They beat Marquette when Marquette was still good (something that West Virginia cannot claim). They rank 27th in the RPI, just 6 spots behind Mountaineers. They won at Xavier.
Is that really an upset?
Two left.
Western Kentucky over Illinois is the tricky one. WKU won the Sun Belt's regular season and conference titles and beat Louisville during the regular season. They are also coming off of a Sweet 16 season last year. Illinois is a team that missed the dance last season, struggled a bit down the stretch, and was playing without their starting point guard. Can you really call the most predictable upset lower-seeded team winning an upset?
No.
So that leaves us with Cleveland State. The Vikings did have a nice win at Syracuse during the season, but they struggled through a 12-6 campaign in the Horizon League. It didn't matter, as Cedric Jackson, Norris Cole, J'Nathan Bullock, and company rolled past the former #1 team in the country Wake Forest.
There was no question who was the best team on the floor last night, and it wasn't the team that finished second in the ACC.
That is an upset.
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Saturday Morning Shootaround: Did You Stay Up For The Late Games? |
As was true in 2008, Friday's slate of games was much more exciting than Thursday's. Twice, in the first round of games and in the last round of games, we had two nailbiters coming to a finish at the same time, which meant that at every break, commercial, timeout, or free throw, CBS was throwing us back and forth between the two locations.
All in all, I think CBS has done a very good job so far broadcasting the tournament. I haven't been stuck watching many blowouts (the longest they stayed with one was Wake-Cleveland State, for obvious reasons) and I have been able to see the ending of all the exciting games. MMOD has also been great this year - it is very easy to switch between games and the streaming video is damn near flawless. My only word(s) of advice - split screen.
Let's get into yesterday's best:
GAME OF THE DAY: Wisconsin 61, Florida State 59 OT
Once again, the best game of the night was the last game of the night. Wisconsin played a horrid first half, heading into the break down 31-19 after an 11-0 Seminole run to close the half. But the Badgers were not about to roll over. They held Florida State scoreless for almost six minutes to start the second half, going on a 13-0 run to take a 32-31 lead. Toney Douglas, who finished with 26 points but didn't even attempt a shot in the first 11 minutes, would respond. An 11-2 Seminoles run, spurred by 9 points from Douglas, gave FSU a 46-39 lead with 4:38 left, but Wisconsin would score the next seven points, setting up the exciting finish.
Trevon Hughes tied the game at 46 with a three, but at the other end, Douglas drew a foul and hit both shots. Jason Bohannon responded at the other end with a three with two minutes left, giving Wisconsin the 49-48 lead, but Derwin Kitchen got to the rim and scored to give FSU the lead back. That set up one of the strangest plays I have seen in a while. After Marcus Landry missed a three, Kitchen grabbed the board and started racing up court. As he got near midcourt, he jumped and turned to the ref, trying to call a time out. His momentum carried him out of bounds, and the ref ruled that Kitchen was not allowed to call a timeout in the air while going out of bounds. Wisconsin ball. The Badgers would respond, as Bohannon drilled a three from about 26 feet as the shot clock expired, and Wisconsin took a 52-50 lead with under a minute left. Douglas, however, managed to get into the lane and draw a foul, hitting both free throws and forcing overtime.
Trevon Hughes takes the game-winning shot.
(photo credit: Paul Sakuma/AP)
In the OT, Wisconsin would open the scoring with another Bohannon three, but FSU would respond with a 7-1 run, capped by a three from Douglas. The Badgers would cut it to one with 48 seconds left, and after getting a stop, they had the ball, down 59-58 with 14 seconds left. Trevon Hughes got it, isolated on the wing, and drove to the rim, finishing a spin move by banking a shot in off the glass with 2 seconds left, and the foul. He would hit the foul shot, and a Douglas prayer was off the mark.
Bohannon led the Badgers with 16 points, while Hughes added 10. Chris Singleton was the only other Seminole to reach double figures, going for 12 points.
PLAYER OF THE DAY: Ronald Moore, Siena
Moore did not overload the stat sheet Friday night, as he finished with 11 points, 7 boards, 6 assists, and 3 steals. He did not shoot all that well, going just 4-13 from the floor and 2-6 from three. What did he do well? He was 2-2 from three with under 15 seconds on the clock.
Siena advanced to the second round for the second straight year as they knocked off Ohio State 74-72 in 2OT. The biggest reason for the win was not the 20 points from Kenny Hasbrouck, and was not the double-double's posted by Ryan Rossiter and Alex Franklin. It was the big shots that Moore hit. Hasbrouck forced the first OT with a free throw, but Siena found themselves down 65-62 with just 9 seconds left on the clock. But Moore brought the ball up court, and calmly drilled a three in the face of PJ Hill, who was supposed to be fouling, forcing the second OT.
Moore is mobbed by teammates after hitting the go-ahead three.
(photo credit: Skip Peterson/AP)
In the second OT, Moore hit a free throws with 57 seconds left to give the Saints the lead, but Evan Turner scored on a lay-up at the other end to take the lead back for the Buckeyes. On the ensuing Saints possession, Edwin Ubiles drove middle and drew three defenders, kicking the ball out to Moore, who buried another three with 3.9 seconds left on the clock. Turner would miss a 15 foot runner at the buzzer, and the Saints were advancing.
They were good too (there were so many great performances Friday):
TEAM OF THE DAY: Cleveland State
Is it obvious? The Viking pulled off the biggest upset of the first round by torching the Demon Deacons 84-69. Wake Forest was never really in this game, as CSU raced to a 9-0 lead out of the gates and a 29-12 lead midway through the first half. Wake would get as close as 55-49 with 11 minutes to go in the second half, but an 11-2 run triggered by 5 points from Cedric Jackson and 6 points from Norris Cole all but put the game away.
Jackson and Cole were sensational in the game. Cole had 22 points, but Jackson was the one that took over for about a four minutes stretch in the second half, nailing tough jumpers and getting to the rim whenever he pleased. Jackson finished with 19 points, 7 boards, 8 assists, and 3 steals. The two also linked up on the play of the day (keep in mind that this was off of a sideline out of bounds.
Cleveland State advances to face Arizona in the second round.
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3/18 - Some Links, Some News |
I just wanted to pass along these stories. They are the kind of things that make March Madness so special:
- Cleveland State’s Healing Begins With an N.C.A.A. Bid.
- North Dakota State has grown as a team
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Butler Bursts a Bubble and Woody Goes Dancing |
Butler is a lock for the NCAA tournament.
I repeat, a lock.
Which is devastating news for the Florida's and the Creighton's and the St. Mary's and the Arizona's of the world.
Why?
Because Butler was beaten last night by a tough Cleveland State team 57-54 in the Horizon League final. So now, instead of there being 34 available at-large spots, the rest of the bubble will be competing for 33 spots.
Cleveland State came out on fire in the second half of this one, hitting six of their first seven threes. The Viking trailed for the majority of the first half, and found themselves down 39-31 early in the second half. Cedric Jackson, who was named tournament MVP, capped a 19-9 run with a three with exactly 10 minutes left, giving the Vikings a 50-48 lead they would never relinquish.
Cleveland State took a three point lead into the last possession, but Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack both had good looks at the rim to tie it.
Cedric Jackson finish with 19 points, 7 boards, and 8 dimes to lead the Vikings to their first NCAA tournament since 1985, where coincidentally they knocked off Bobby Knight's third-seeded Indiana Hoosiers in the first round.
The Vikings look destined be to seeded a bit higher than 14th this year, but regardless of where they end up, this is going to be a dangerous first round match-up for anyone. Just ask Syracuse, who Cleveland State beat back in November. Kansas State, Washington, and West Virginia would all probably second that motion, as the Vikings gave each of those three teams a dogfight earlier in the year.
This was also the third meeting between Cleveland State and Butler. The first two were decided by two points each - the first when Butler hit a three at the buzzer, the second with Cleveland State missed a three at the buzzer.
Two shots. That is how far away CSU was from sweeping Butler.
The Vikings are led by two seniors, J'Nathan Bullock and Cedric Jackson. Bullock is a bruising forward that can bully his way to the rim on just about anyone. At 6'5", he doesn't post up as much on the block, but is effective squaring you up from about 15-17 feet (think Paul Harris, even down to the long hair). Jackson is the Vikings best playmaker at the point, averaging over 10 points, 5 boards, and 5 assists per. Big East fans may remember the name - he transferred in from St. John's.
As a team, Cleveland State loves to get to the rim. Outside of freshman Jeremy Montgomery, they do not have all that much in terms of shooters. So remember these guys come March, especially if they are playing a team that doesn't defend well on the perimeter.
Great story about North Dakota State. After dominating the D2 ranks, the Bison decided to go D1 a few years back. When you transition from D2 to D1, there is normally a waiting period before you are eligible for the postseason. For the Bison this was five years.
That was a problem for their recruiting class five years ago, which included their two leading scorers Ben Woodside and Brett Winkelman. So the incoming freshman decided to redshirt a season, so they could have one year the play where they were eligible for the dance.
That was this year.
And they won the Summit League.
The Bison are led by Ben Woodside, who averages over 22 ppg and has hit 60 in a 3OT loss to Stephen F Austin. But don't fall into the trap thinking that this is a one man team. Winkelman also averages more than 18 ppg, while Mike Tveidt scored 21 in their league final win over Oakland.
The Bison rely pretty heavily on the three, or more specifically on Woodside getting into the lane, drawing an extra defender, and finding an open shooter. If they get hot, you better watch out.
Remember, as red shirt freshman, this group beat Wisconsin.
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Horizon League Conference Tournament Preview |
Schedule:
Tuesday, March 3 / First Round / at campus sites
Game 1 - #10 Detroit at #3 Cleveland State
Game 2 - #7 UIC at #6 Youngstown State
Game 3 - #9 Valparaiso at #4 Wright State
Game 4 - #8 Loyola at #5 Milwaukee
Friday, March 6 / Second Round / at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Game 5 - Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner
Game 6 - Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner
Saturday, March 7 / Semifinals / at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Game 7 - Game 5 winner at #1 Butler
Game 8 - Game 6 winner vs. #2 Green Bay
Tuesday, March 10 / Championship / at higher remaining seed
Game 9 - Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner
Favorite: Butler is far and away the favorite to win the Horizon League tournament after winning the regular season title by two games. By winning the league, Butler earned the top seed in the tournament and thus a two-round bye, meaning they earn a berth in the semi-finals. If that wasn't enough, the reigning champs will have home court advantage throughout the tournament.
Gordon Hayward, Matt Howard, Ronald Nored, and Shelvin Mack
on the bench in Hinkle Fieldhouse.
(photo credit: Indy Star)
The Bulldogs swept the post-season awards, as Matt Howard (player of the year), Gordon Hayward (newcomer), and Brad Stevens (coach) were all honored. Howard is one of the best big man you haven't seen play. He isn't going to overpower you athletically, but at 6'8", 230 lb, he is a bull on the block that really understands positioning and sealing. He is a tough rebounder that will fundamental you to death. Hayward is a match-up as he is a 6'8" wing that can do it all.
Butler relies on their defense to win them games, which is good because they are a young team (two of their three leading scorers are freshman, the other is a sophomore). While nerves might mess with a jumper, they shouldn't bother a defense.
Contenders: Wisconsin Green-Bay earned the #2 seed, and thus also got a bye into the semi's. The Pheonix finished the season 22-9 and 13-5 in league play, their best finish since '04-'05. They are led by 6'8" shooter Ryan Tillema and already boast one win over Butler this year.
Cleveland State, the #3 seed, knocked off Syracuse this season. They sputtered a bit down the stretch, but they have proven that they can play with the Bulldogs (they lost on a buzzer beater back in December, and got beaten by two in Hinkle Fieldhouse three days ago). J'Nathan Bullock is a tough, senior, combo forward that leads the Vikings in scoring, while Cedric Jackson is one of the best playmakers in the conference.
Sleeper: I like Wright State. Why? Because they are going to defend the hell out of you. The Raiders finished at 12-6 in the league, giving up just 57.0 ppg. They don't win pretty, but how does the saying go ... defense wins championships? Of note - after losing their first six games, Wright State finished up the season winning 18 of 24.
BIAH Pick: Butler
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Tuesday Morning Shootaround |
The game of the night comes from the Carrier Dome where Cleveland State knocked off Syracuse 72-69. It was a back and forth game featuring 16 ties and 15 lead changes, but a J'Nathan Bullock three put the Vikings up 69-64 and set up this ending:
It was a big win for Cleveland State, who was predicted by many to win the Horizon League this year, but had gotten to a sluggish start out of the gate, including a buzzer beating loss to Butler.
The bigger question is for Syracuse. The Orange are undefeated, but in a number of games Syracuse bailed themselves out by making a big comeback - they won games against Richmond (down 7 at the half), Kansas (down 13), UVA (down 13), and Cornell (down 16) when they didn't play their best basketball. Last night they almost did as well, tying the game on Arinze Onuaku's put back with 2.2 seconds left after being down 5 just 24 seconds earlier. This team has had an issue with focus all season, and I'm sure all the distractions surrounding the Eric Devendorf soap opera didn't help the Orange prepare for this game.
Other games of note:
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