#POSTERIZED: Meet me at the rim, Mr. Gibbs

If you know anything about us, it's that we are huge fans of Creighton senior Grant Gibbs. The 6-foot-5 guard is one of the funniest guys in college hoops, one of the best follows on Twitter (@DoubleGfor3), and is one of the best high-post entry passers in the country.

Full disclosure: Grant Gibbs is not a great dunker. In fact, he wouldn't even be on the radar for a Top-50 best dunkers in the country list. Hell, he probably wouldn't even sniff a top-100 list.

That's no knock on Gibbs. He's just not a great dunker. Now if we're talking pure distributors and offensive game-managers, he's right up there. He's averaging 6.6apg to just 0.7tpg. He's going to out-scrap just about anyone in the country, and does a little big of everything.

But again, dunking just isn't his thing. Or so we thought.


This is certainly not one of the best dunks you will see this season, but if Gran Gibbs throws down a dunk, you can be sure that we are going to be all over it.

But was it as good as these:
Victor Oladipo - Indiana vs. Central Connecticut State, 12/8
Travis Releford - Kansas vs. Colorado, 12/8
Archie Goodwin - Kentucky vs. Portland, 12/8
Rodney Williams, Minnesota vs. Florida State, 11/27
Week In Review - Feast Week, 11/18 - 11/25
Tarik Black - Memphis vs. Minnesota, 11/23
Ben McLemore - Kansas vs. Washington State - 11/20
Andre Roberson - Colorado vs. Murray State, 11/18
Doug Anderson - Detroit vs. Drake, 11/17
Archie Goodwin - Kentucky vs. Lafayette, 11/16
John Brown - High Point vs. Appalachian State, 11/13
Stefan Jankovic - Missouri vs. Alcorn State, 11/14
Cole Dickerson - San Francisco vs. Cal State-East Bay, 11/13
Clancy Rugg - Vermont vs. UConn, 11/13
Jamari Traylor - Kansas vs. Michigan State, 11/13
Doug Anderson - Detroit vs. St. John's, 11/13
Kris Brewer - Kent State vs. Temple, 11/13
Rakeem Christmas - Syracuse vs. San Diego State, 11/11
Deandre Daniels - UConn vs. Michigan State, 11/9
Ben McLemore - Kansas vs. Emporia State, 10/31
Keion Bell - Missouri vs. Northwest Missouri, 10/31

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Pics/Vids: Game 9: Missouri State vs. Creighton

Wednesday, January 18th
JQH Arena, Missouri State University
Creighton 66, Missouri State 65

Game 8 - Missouri vs. Texas A&M
Game 7 - Wisconsin vs. Nebraska
Game 6 - Marquette vs. Pittsburgh
Game 5 - Butler vs. Cleveland State
Game 4 - Indiana vs. Minnesota
Game 3 - Xavier vs. Duquesne
Game 2 - Kentucky vs. South Carolina
Game 1 - Belmont vs. Lipscomb

This post is brought to you by the University Plaza Hotel in Springfield, MO.

(A Missouri State player takes in the scene prior to their Wednesday night game against Creighton. The Bears handed the Bluejays their first and only conference loss a month ago in Omaha.)

(Ahh, the indoor blimp, such a lost art. We have only seen two blimps thus far, and both of them have been at mid-major schools.)

(Missouri State players get a good stretch in before the game.)

(Missouri State players go through pregame layup lines.)

(The Bear's student section was rockin' out the entire game. Wait, is that Jeff Borzello on the bottom left? Dude, why didn't you tell us you were going to be in Springfield?!?)

(Even "the green man" made an appearance at the game.)

(The Missouri State mascot visits with the student section.)

(Creighton's Gregory Echenique was rocking some bright pink Nikes for the game.)

(This family got the best seat in the house.)

(Grant Gibbs takes a jump shot during warm-ups. Gibbs had a big game, especially in the second half. He was 4-6 from the field and chipped in with three rebounds and two assists.)

(Jahenns Manigat gets a good stretch in before the game.)

(Oh crap, I've been spotted.)

(The Bears huddle up for the final time before introductions.)

(The scene at the JQH Arena right before tip-off.)

(The Bluejays huddle up for the final time before tip-off.)

(A mixture of crowd shots from throughout the game. The environment at the JQH Arena was terrific. Every Missouri Valley Conference game is important, and the fans provide a high level of intensity.)

(Rutgers-transfer Gregory Echenique sets a pick for Doug McDermott in the first half. Echenique led all scorers with 16 points.)

(Missouri State attempts a first half foul shot.)

(Grant Gibbs watches the play develop after passing the ball to Echenique on the low block.)

(Coach McDermott gets ready for a media-timeout.)

(Missouri State has two mascots. In fact, all the mid-major schools we've visited (Missouri State, Xavier and Belmont) had two mascots. I don't get it.)

(Jamar Gulley had to be helped off the floor after injuring his right ankle. He would eventually return, but was not the same.)

(The Missouri State "danceleaders". I think they were called "The Sugar Bears".)

(As if Echenique didn't already standout enough, his pink shoes certainly helped.)

(Missouri State head coach Paul Lusk directs his team from the sidelines.)

(Anthony Downing battles Gregory Echenique for a rebound. Downing is 5-foot-11 and weights 180-lbs. Echenique stands 6-foot-7 and weights 270-lbs. Just s slight mismatch.)

(After a double-foul was called in the second half, Coach Lusk had some questions for the referee. They went unanswered.)

(Grant Gibbs had some questions for the referee as well.)

(Echenique takes a foul shot. The big man finished a perfect 6-for-6 from the line.)

(Creighton had possession and a one point lead before turning the ball over. The Bears had 21.8 seconds to get a shot. Kyle Weems had a good look but it was off the mark. Doug McDermott grabbed the rebound and was fouled with 6.2 second left. He missed the front-end of a 1-and-1, and the Bears had one more chance to win the game.

(The Missouri State student section was on their feet for a majority of the second half.)

(Guard Anthony Downing waits on the perimeter to receive the ball. He finished with 14 points.)

(Missouri State sets up to defend a Creighton in-bounds play.)

(The entire arena was on their feet for the final few possessions.)

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Creighton isn’t great defensively, but they only need to be “clutch”

This post is brought to you by the University Plaza Hotel in Springfield, MO.

You can find the rest of the features from the #BIAHRoadTrip here

SPRINGFIELD, MO - After Wednesday night's 66-65 win over Missouri State, the No. 18 Creighton Bluejays have taken control of the Missouri Valley race. They are tied with Wichita State at 7-1 in the league with a three game lead on everyone in the conference other than Drake and they have already won on the Shocker's home court, something that is not an easy thing to do.

Ask UNLV.

Creighton has done plenty of damage outside of the league as well. They beat Iowa by 23, knocked off Nebraska by 10 and beat Northwestern. They went into Viejas Arena and knocked off San Diego State despite trailing by 17 in the first half. Again, that's not an easy thing to do.

Ask UNLV.
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Missouri State upsets No. 19 Creighton in the Valley opener

You want an idea of why the Missouri Valley is always going to be one of the most entertaining conferences to follow?

Just take a look at what happened last night.

Missouri State, a team that lost literally everyone from the program outside of Kyle Weems last season -- six of their seven rotational player were seniors, head coach Cuonzo Martin took over at Tennessee -- and had fairly low expectations coming into the year, went into Omaha, NE, and knocked off league favorite Creighton 77-65. Throw in the fact that Drake beat Indiana State, who was expected to finish in the top four of that conference race, by 15 points and the Valley doors have swung wide open.
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The Memphis loss says more than Creighton, Gonzaga or Harvard

There were five teams ranked in last week's Coaches Poll that came from outside the Power Six conferences: Xavier, Creighton, Memphis, Gonzaga and Harvard. Four of those five -- with the exception of Xavier, depending on how you view the aftermath of their brawl with Cincinnati -- lost this past week.

Harvard's loss, which came on Thursday, is explainable and was expected. There aren't going to be many teams going into Storrs and beating UConn this season. And while the Crimson lost by 14 points, they did so valiantly, answering every UConn surge with a couple of big baskets of their own. As you might expect, Harvard fell out of the rankings this week; that's simply what happens when you lose a game, particularly if your program hails from the Ivy League. But that doesn't mean that there has been a shift in the majority opinion of this team: they are tough and disciplined and have enough talent to win a game or two in the tournament, but they will struggle if they get matched up with a team that has more size and athleticism.

The remaining three teams have some explaining to do:


Creighton: I'm not overly concerned about the Bluejay's 80-71 loss at St. Joseph's on Saturday afternoon. To be frank, this team was overrated at 17th in the country. They don't play enough defense, and it came back to bite them against St. Joe's. Up 35-30 at the half, St. Joe's hit 15-26 from the field in the second half as Tay Jones scored 20 of his 29 points to lead the Hawks to a nine point win.

That wasn't the only issue, either. Doug McDermott played great as usual, finishing with 26 points and 10 boards. But take away the 10-16 that McDermott shot, and the rest of Creighton's lineup was 17-45 from the floor. Creighton also got beat up on the glass, giving up 13 offensive rebounds getting just five. St. Joe's has struggled over the last couple of years, but a talented recruiting class that Phil Martelli brought in last season -- Langston Galloway, CJ Aiken, Ronald Roberts, Daryus Quarles -- is starting to pay dividends. This Hawk team is one of the most improved in the Atlantic 10 this season and a tough team to beat at home. Combine that with an off-night for Creighton, and, well, losses like this happen all the time.


Gonzaga: The Zags ran into a buzzsaw known as Draymond Green. Michigan State's versatile power forward had one of the best games of his career on Saturday night, going off for 34 points as the Spartans knocked off Gonzaga 74-67. Green was the only player on Michigan State to finish the game in double-figures. Michigan State is probably better than they are being given credit for -- they've now won eight in a row since losing to Duke -- but they didn't exactly play like it on Saturday.

That should be concerning for Gonzaga. Why? Because they have a versatile power forward of their own that got eaten alive by Green. Elias Harris finished with just six points and five boards on 2-11 shooting from the floor in 32 minutes. Harris is supposed to be the best player on the Gonzaga team, but he couldn't slow down Green enough for the Bulldgos to win at home on a night when everyone else on Michigan State was strugging? Yes, Robert Sacre and David Stockton played well. Yes, Gonzaga did an admirable job keeping Tom Izzo's club from getting to the offensive glass. That's all impressive.

But until Harris can consistently be a strength for Mark Few's team, the Zags are always going to have question marks.


Memphis: The Tigers, without a doubt, have the most to worry about from this group. While Murray State is a far cry from being a bad team, Memphis should never lose to the Racers at home. Not with that team and not on their home court. Its clear that Josh Pastner is in over his head trying to coach these guys.

They've already begun to take away from Joe Jackson's ball-handling responsibilities. One of the most talented point guards in the country, Jackson is now spending just as much time as an off-guard, allowing Chris Crawford to be the one. Wesley Witherspoon has reverted back into his old self. Tarik Black fouls too much. No one on the team knows how to box out and, despite having as much size and athleticism as anyone they are going to play this season, no one on the roster -- save for maybe Will Barton -- has any desire to go and get an offensive rebound.

Frankly, outside of Barton, it doesn't seem like anyone on the Tigers has any desire period. Josh Pastner is a terrific recruiter, but if he cannot get the kids he brings in to play for him, it will cost him his job eventually.
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Technical fouls cost Nebraska a victory

Nebraska had a chance to hand Creighton their first loss of the season.

The in-state rivals battled back and forth for 30 minutes, with Creighton getting up by as many as eight, and Nebraska battling back to lead by three.

But with nine minutes left, Nebraska's Toney McCray was called for a technical foul after Christopher Neimann fouled Creighton's Grant Gibbs. The foul was questionable, but McCray had some choice words for the official, which were not received well.

But Nebraska head coach Doc Sadler followed that up by getting in the referee's face and went as far as to sit on the scorer's table.



At the time of the foul, Nebraska trailed by just two points.

When play resumed, Doug McDermott hit four free throws and Grant Gibbs sank two more, giving Creighton an eight point lead. The Cornhuskers were never able to bounce back from the technical fouls, and ended up losing by ten.

A win against Creighton on the road would have been huge for the Cornhuskers. But some poor decision making cost Nebraska the game and the in-state bragging rights.



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Thursday's Shootaround: UNLV, Creighton highlight a great night in hoops

No. 20 UNLV 94, UC-Santa Barbara 88 2OT: This game had about as wild of a finish as you'll see in a basketball game. After Mike Moser hit his sixth and final three of the game, UNLV took a ten point lead with just two minutes left in the game. But thanks to a series of turnovers and missed free throws from UNLV and a little bit of luck for the Gauchos down the stretch, UCSB was able to force overtime. Down three with just two seconds left on the clock, Orlando Johnson -- who finished with 36 points -- was fouled by UNLV. He made the first and missed the second, but 7'3" Greg Somogyi got the loose ball and scored on the putback (see the 30 second mark).





There was a bit of controversy that the game even got to that point. Joe Nunnally was called for a charge on a dunk that would have given the Gauchos a one point lead with a free throw coming. In the first overtime, UCSB hit back-to-back threes to take a three point lead. After Bellfield tied the game with 40 seconds on the clock with a three of his own, Nunnally was fouled shooting a three with 13 seconds left. At the other end of the floor, however, Chace Stanback hit a fadeaway three-pointer -- that was described by Moser as "a beauty. I almost cried watching that ball go in" -- that sent the game into a second overtime, where UNLV pulled away down the stretch to win it.

Mike Moser was unbelievable. He finished with 34 points (25 of which came after halftime), 10 boards and three assists, carrying the Rebels in the second half. It was Moser's sixth double-double of the season and easily his most impressive scoring output. But the most important part of Moser's game tonight was the six threes he hit. He came into the game shooting just 2-17 from beyond the arc, which was the only weakness in his game.

Also of note: both of the up-three, late-game strategies failed here. UNLV fouled, and UCSB got an offensive rebound. UCSB opted to play straight up, and UNLV hit a tough three.


ACC/Big Ten Challenge Day 2: After going 6-0 on Day 1 and winning the first two games of the night, I missed on three of the last four games. 9-3 ain't bad, though.

No. 5 North Carolina 60, No. 7 Wisconsin 57: See here.

Indiana 86, North Carolina State 75: This was an important win for the Hoosiers. They went on the road and knocked off a good-if-not-great Wolfpack team in front of a national audience, and did so while getting impressive performances out of Jordy Hulls, Cody Zeller and Christian Watford. But if you are a Hoosier fan, don't take this win to mean that Indiana is going to compete for the Big Ten title. They can score, that's for sure. And Indiana has a shot to make the NCAA Tournament. But right now they aren't good enough defensively or physical enough in the paint to be anything more than in the same hodge-podge that Michigan State, Purdue and Illinois currently find themselves in.


Michigan State 65, Florida State 49: Tom Izzo finally got some scoring from their perimeter, as Keith Appling went for 24 points and Brandon Wood added 16, 10 boards and five assists. That's a good sign. For Florida State, there aren't many good signs. This team still cannot score.

Minnesota 58, Virginia Tech 55: Ugly loss for Virginia Tech, who lost to a Minnesota team that was missing Ralph Sampson and Trevor Mbakwe. If the Hokies have any hopes of making the NCAA Tournament, losing games like this aren't going to help. The game was lost when, down one with 8.5 seconds left, Virginia Tech threw an inbounds pass that bounced off of Robert Brown's hands and into the back court for a turnover.

Wake Forest 55, Nebraska 53: The Demon Deacons picked up a road win against Nebraska, and while Nebraska is still Nebraska, a road win for Wake Forest is not easy to come by these days. CJ Harris won it with a wide-open layup that came off some atrocious pick-and-roll defense.

Penn State 62, Boston College 54: Tim Frazier had 22 points and five assists. He was on my FanDuel fantasy team. That's all I got from this mess.


The rest of the top 25:

No. 14 Kansas 77, Florida Atlantic 54: This is the same Kansas team, just on the mainland now. Thomas Robinson had 19 points, 17 boards and four blocks, but shot 4-13 from the floor. Tyshawn Taylor had 18 points and four assists, but Elijah Johnson? He went scoreless and had seven of the Jayhawk's 17 turnovers.

No. 17 Pitt 80, Duquesne 69: Dante Taylor returned to the Panther lineup to score 15 points and 11 boards as Pitt pulled away from Duquesne in the second half.

No. 18 Gonzaga 73, Notre Dame 53: It is going to be a long, long season in South Bend without Tim Abromaitis. The Irish simply don't have anyone that can score. David Stockton had 15 points and three assists off the bench while Elias Harris went for 11 points, 15 boards and four assists.

No. 22 Creighton 85, San Diego State 83: See here.


George Mason 61, Bucknell 57: The Patriots, believe it or not, actually out-executed the Bison down the stretch. Ryan Pearson led the way with 16 points as George Mason picked up a much needed win against Patriot favorite Bucknell.

Denver 67, Utah State 54: Can we call the Pioneers for real yet? I know that the Aggies were without Brady Jardine, but behind 15 points each from Chris Udofia and Rob Lewis, Denver became the first team since Feb. 21st, 2009, to win at the Spectrum in Logan.

Elizabeth City State 69, Norfolk State 57: Yes, that's the same Norfolk State that almost beat Marquette.

St. Joe's 62, Drexel 49: The Hawks knocked off Drexel, dropping the Dragons to 2-3 on the season. More impressive? They did it with Carl Jones and Langston Galloway both having off nights. CJ Aiken, however, went for 13 points and nine blocks.

Brown 65, URI 56: Jim Baron benched his starters trying to light a spark under this team, but nothing. Rhody dropped to 1-6 on the year as they lost to an Ivy also-ran.

Northern Iowa 69, Iowa State 62: Anthony James had 17 points and five boards to lead the Panthers to an impressive win over the Cyclones in Ames. UNI also has a win over Old Dominion on the road.


Other notable games:

- Ohio 70, Marshall 68
- Colorado State 65, Colorado 64
- Oral Roberts 68, Missouri State 63
- South Alabama 55, UAB 47
- Washington State 69, Grambling 37
- Boise State 108, Drake 64
- New Mexico 65, Idaho State 41
- BYU 87, Northern Arizona 52
- USC 56, UC Riverside 35


Top performers:

Keith Appling, Michigan State: Appling had 24 points and seven boards, providing a perimeter punch for the Spartans as they knocked off Florida State.

Orlando Johnson, UC-Santa Barbara: As impressive as Mike Moser's 34 points and 10 boards were, Orlando Johnson may have been better, finishing with 36 points and 10 boards as the Gauchos forced UNLV to double-overtime.

Alfonzo McKinnie, Eastern Illinois: McKinnie had 24 points and 14 boards as EIU knocked off Maine in overtime.

Doug McDermott, Creighton: McDermott played like an all-american, going for 25 points and 12 boards as the Bluejays came from behind twice to knock off San Diego State.

LeBryan Nash, Oklahoma State: The talented freshman had 21 points after playing just 11 minutes the day after Thanksgiving, leading the Cowboys to a win over a talented-but-underperforming Tulsa team.
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Creighton's win is a bigger statement than the box score suggests

This was more than just a resume win for Creighton.

Sure, the NCAA Tournament selection committee is going to look fondly an 85-83 victory on the road against San Diego State, a contender for the Mountain West title. That's certainly not a bad thing.

But for Creighton, this was so much more.

This was a statement win.

And unless you're lucky enough to have a cable operator than actually carries The MTN -- the network for the MWC -- or you're crazy enough to try and watch a late-november game between two schools where the casual fan wouldn't be able to name a single player via a choppy, grainy internet stream, you probably will have no idea what happened.


The Bluejays are a top 25 team right now, but heading into their date with the Aztecs at Viejas Arena, they were an unproven top 25 team. That 5-0 record looked pretty -- as did the impressive offensive numbers they put up -- but their only wins of significance were getting less and less significant which each loss that UAB and Iowa piled up.

Creighton needed to be tested. They needed to prove their merit, that they deserved their lofty ranking. Fair or not, when you are a team in the Missouri Valley that's ranked early in the season, that's the way that life goes. Mid-majors don't get the benefit of the doubt until they prove they deserve.

And the Bluejays certainly proved they deserve it on Wednesday night.

Playing in front of a frenzied crowd of 12,000 people -- complete with one of the "livest student sections ever" -- Creighton dug themselves a 17 point hole, trailing 31-14 with just over 13 minutes into the game. But Ethan Wragge sparked, and Doug McDermott finished off, a 21-8 run to close the half and get the Aztec lead down to just four. Creighton eventually tied the game for the first time at 46 on a three from Jahenns Manigat with 16:51 left, but San Diego State immediately countered with a 10-2 run, pushing the lead right back to eight points and getting their frothing at the mouth once again.

Wragge once again was the sparkplug, hitting a three that sparked a 15-4 run. It was capped off by back-to-back jumpers from Antoine Young, the latter of which was a three that gave Creighton their first lead of the game. The two sides traded baskets until Wragge once again came through with a big shot, hitting a three that put Creighton up for good at 72-69. The excitement was far from over -- after Creighton pushed their lead to six, SDSU hit three straight threes to get within a single point, but Manigat found (guess who?) Wragge for a layup to push the lead to three. It was Manigat diving on a loose ball after a missed free throw with 2.3 seconds left that clinched the two point win.

Frankly, wins don't get much more impressive than that.

The Bluejays were able to come from behind twice -- one time from down 17 -- to win on the road in a hostile environment in the middle of the week after traveling across the country against a team that has proven to be better than just about anyone predicted.

McDermott was, once again, terrific, finishing with 25 points and 12 boards while seemingly never having the ball in his hands. Wragge, a sophomore forward, had 19 points hit too many big shots to count. Young had his best game of the season, finishing with 18 points, four assists and no turnovers.

As a team, Creighton shot 47% from the floor and hit nine threes. The handed out 18 assists -- on 31 FG's -- while turning the ball over just seven times.

As impressive as those numbers are, looking at the box score will never tell you just how important this win was for the Bluejays.


Highlights!:


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2011-2012 Season Preview: Mid-Major All-Americans

Today, we are rolling out our mid-major all-american teams. A couple of disclaimers before we get into the meat of the post -- mid-major does not mean non-BCS conferences. You won't find any Memphis Tigers on this list. There are no Xavier Musketeers or Temple Owls. Likewise with BYU Cougars, Gonzaga Bulldogs or anyone out of the MWC. Butler has gotten the bump in our minds as well. After careful consideration, we did decide to put St. Mary's and Utah State on this list simply due to a lack of visibility for the programs. VCU and George Mason are on here as well.

Quibble with who made the cut if you will, but I'd strongly suggest you enjoy the enlightening we are giving you on the talent that won't be on ESPN every night.

To browse through the rest of our season previews, click here.


MID-MAJOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Doug McDermott, So., Creighton

McDermott is an easy pick for the mid-major player of the year. Coming off of a season where he averaged 14.9 ppg and 7.2 rpg for a Bluejay team that made the finals of the CBI, McDermott has shown up on a number of preseason all-american teams. He made the USA's U19 team and averaged 11.3 ppg and 6.8 rpg on the team's trip to Latvia this summer. With Creighton bringing back the majority of their roster from a season ago, the Bluejays are the favorite to win the Missouri Valley and a borderline top 25 team. As an all-american candidate playing on a team that will be a national name this season, McDermott's name will come up quite a bit this year.

MID-MAJOR FIRST TEAM

G: Casper Ware, Sr., LBSU - Ware is a high-scoring, play-making point guard will be the catalyst for a team that returns quite a bit of talent and will be the hands-down favorite to repeat as Big West champs. Ware is coming off of a year where he averaged 17.2 ppg, 4.4 apg and 1.6 spg.

G: Damian Lillard, Jr., Weber State - Lillard had a disappointing season in 2010-2011, playing just nine games before seeing his season end when he broke his foot. In 2009-2010, Lillard averaged 19.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 3.6 apg. While his numbers may not be as impressive this season, they won't need to be; the Wildcats are the favorite to win the Big Sky.

F: Orlando Johnson, Sr., Santa Barbara - Johnson is a prototype for a mid-major scorer. He's 6'5" with enough strength and athleticism to overwhelm smaller opponents but the jump shot and perimeter ability to blow by bigger defenders. That's why he was able to average 21.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg and shoot 40.5% from the floor for the Gauchos.

F: Michael Glover, Sr., Iona - Glover is a basketball nomad with an intriguing story. Originally a Seton Hall recruit, the man they call Optimus Prime on the streets of the Bronx was never cleared as a freshman in 2007-2008. After attending two different high schools and nearly landing at both St. Francis in Brooklyn and Hofstra, Glover finally wound up with Iona, where he averaged 18.4 ppg and 10.1 rpg in his first season.


C: Arsalan Kazemi, Jr., Rice - Kazemi may be the unlikeliest member of this group simply because he is the first native Iranian to earn a Division I basketball scholarship. He's quite talented, as well. The 6'7" forward averaged 15.2 ppg and 11.0 rpg as a sophomore, despite being the focal point of every defense the Owls faced.

MID-MAJOR SECOND TEAM

G: Reggie Hamilton, Sr., Oakland - After transferring to Oakland from UMKC after a year anda half as a Kangaroo, Hamilton exploded as a junior with the Grizzlies. Playing alongside Keith Benson, Hamilton averaged 17.6 ppg and 5.3 apg. This year, he'll have the show to himself.

G: CJ McCollum, Jr., Lehigh - After leading the Mountainhawks to the NCAA Tournament as the most productive freshman in the country, McCollum was forced to carry an even heavier load last season after Lehigh graduated three starters. He responded by posting averages of 21.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg and 2.5 spg. He's a 6'3" guard.

G: Nate Wolters, Jr., SDSU - Wolters exploded in the second game of his sophomore season, going for 25 points and nine assists as the Jackrabbits knocked off Iowa. He didn't slow down all season, as he ended the year aveaged 19.5 ppg, 6.1 apg (and just 2.2 t/o's) and 4.6 rpg.


F: Kyle Weems, Sr., Missouri State - The reigning MVC Player of the Year almost didn't return to Missouri State. With everyone else in the rotation from last season graduating and his coaching staff heading to Tennessee, Weems, who had graduated, received overtures from a number of high-major programs. But he's back with the Bears and ready to try and defend their MVC title.

C: Andrew Nicholson, Jr., St. Bonaventure - Nicholson is one of the most productive big men in the country at any level. He can score at will in the post, and this season added range out to the three point line. If he improves on his physicality in the paint, Nicholson, who averaged 20.8 ppg and 7.4 rpg as a junior, is a first round pick come June.

MID-MAJOR THIRD TEAM

G: Alex Young, Sr., IUPUI - The third Summit League player on this list, Young is a 6'6" swingman that simply produces. He averaged 19.7 ppg and 6.4 rpg last year, and if he improves his jump shooting and cuts down his turnovers, those numbers will go up this year.

G: Kevin Foster, Jr., Santa Clara - How about this for a stat -- Kevin Foster shot 67 more threes than Jimmer Fredette did last season. And while he didn't hit them at quite the same clip as the Jimmer, he did have some big games, including a 36 point explosion in a win over Gonzaga. With Marc Trasolini out with a torn acl, expect Foster's 20.2 ppg average to go up this year.


G: DeAndre Kane, So., Marshall - Kane is a major reason why Marshall is a trendy pick to give Memphis a run at the top of Conference USA. A 6'5" guard, Kane excels at using his strength to draw fouls and get to the line. He's a good rebounder and creator for his size, but he needs to cut down on turnovers and improve his shooting percentage. He averaged 15.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg and 3.4 apg.

F: Keith Wright, Sr., Harvard - Wright is the reigning Ivy Player of the Year and one of the biggest reasons why the Crimson are expected to make a run to the NCAA Tournament this season. The burly, 6'8" post player is a load to handle defensively and a nightmare to keep off the glass. He averaged 14.8 ppg and 8.3 rpg last season.

C: Greg Mangano, Sr., Yale - Mangano actually has a legitimate chance to make the jump from the Ivy League to the NBA. A skilled, 6'11" center, Mangano has three point range, can score with his back to the basket, rebounds the ball well and is a dangerous shot blocker. He averaged 16.3, 10.0 rpg and 3.0 bpg as a junior.

MID-MAJOR FOURTH TEAM

G: Derek Needham, Jr., Fairfield - Needham has been one of the best players in the MAAC in his first two seasons with the Stags. Playing for a grind-it-out head coach in Ed Cooley, Needham averaged 14.1 ppg and 4.5 apg as a sophomore, which was down from 16.4 ppg and 5.2 apg as a freshman. Those numbers should go in a more free-flowing system under Sydney Johnson.

G: DJ Cooper, Jr., Ohio - Cooper may be the most entertaining player on this list to watch play. The 5'9", left-handed point guard averaged 15.8 ppg and 7.5 apg for the Bobcats last season.


G: Matthew Dellavedova, Jr., St. Mary's - Dellavedova is going to have big shoes to fill with Mickey McConnell graduating. He should be up for the job, however, as he has put up some impressive numbers in his two seasons in Moraga. Dellavedova averaged 13.1 ppg and 5.3 apg as a sophomore despite playing the off-guard spot.

F: Brad Burgess, Sr., VCU - Burgess was the perfect fit for VCU last season, a sharp-shooting, defensive-minded small forward that didn't mind playing a role for the Rams. He did it very, very well, however, averaging 14.3 ppg and 5.1 rpg. More impressive? When Burgess took 14 or more shots in five games last season. In those five games, he averaged 24.6 ppg and hit 17-26 from beyond the arc.

F: Javon McCrea, So., Buffalo - As a freshman, McCrea came off the bench and played only 21.6 mpg, but he put up some very impressive numbers -- 11.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.7 bpg, 1.3 spg, 65.7 FG%. He's an efficiency lover's dream. With more playing time this year, McCrea should have a monster sophomore season.

MID-MAJOR HONORABLE MENTION

Kent Bazemore, Sr., Old Dominion
Julian Boyd, Jr., Long Island
Kyle Casey, Jr., Harvard
Will Cherry, Jr., Montana
Ian Clark, Jr., Belmont
TyShwan Edmondson, Sr., Austin Peay
Chris Gaston, Jr., Fordham
Samme Givens, Sr., Drexel
Justin Greene, Sr., Kent State
Rob Jones, Sr., St. Mary's
Momo Jones, Jr., Iona
Ken Horton, Sr., CCSU
Dario Hunt, Sr., Nevada
Scott Machado, Sr., Iona
Julian Mavunga, Sr., Miami (OH)
Ray McCallum, So., Detroit
Tony Mitchell, Fr., North Texas
Dominique Morrison, Sr., Oral Roberts
Kevin Murphy, Sr., Tennessee Tech
Kyle O'Quinn, Norfolk State
Brockeith Pane, Sr., Utah State
Ryan Pearson, Sr., George Mason
Rakim Sanders, Sr., Fairfield
Tony Taylor, Sr., George Washington
Trey Zeigler, So., Western Michigan
Continue reading...

2011-2012 Top 50 Countdown: Nos. 30-26

Over the coming weeks, we will be counting down our Top 50 teams in the country. Teams 26-50 will be posted in groups of five, while we will count backwards from No. 25 to the No. 1 team in the country. You can find a complete schedule of our 2011-2012 Season Preview coverage here. To browse through the rest of the Top 50, click here.


30. Creighton Bluejays:

Last Season: 23-16, 10-8 (Missouri Valley)

Head Coach: Greg McDermott

Key Losses: Kenny Lawson Jr, Kaleb Korver, Darryl Ashford, Wayne Runnels,

New Additions: Grant Gibbs, Geoffery Groselle, Avery Dingman, Nevin Johnson, Austin Chatman, Mogboluwaga Oginni, Alex Olson

Projected Lineup:

- G: Antoine Young, Sr.
- G: Jahenns Maginat, So.
- F: Grant Gibbs, Jr.
- F: Doug McDermott, So.
- C: Gregory Echinique, Jr.
- Bench: Ethan Wragge, So.; Josh Jones, Jr.; Will Artino, Fr.


Outlook: The Bluejays are, without question, the most talented team in the Missouri Valley. There's an argument to be made that they have the best player in the conference at three positions. Antoine Young is a playmaking point guard that also happens to be a lock down defender; Greg Echinique, a transfer from Rutgers, is a massive presence in the middle; and Doug McDermott is a potential all-american and will likely be the pick for MVC Player of the Year by many, if not all, publications. That core alone makes this team one to keep an eye on, but what makes them scarier is that they are deep. Junior Josh Jones and sophomore Jahenns Manigat both showed flashes of being quality scorers in the MVC as well. Throw in redshirt freshman center Will Artino, Gonzaga transfer Grant Gibbs in the back court and a quartet of incoming freshmen, and McDermott has as deep of a roster as anyone in the conference. He'll be looking to increase Creighton's aggressiveness on both ends of the floor, so don't be surprised to see the Bluejays in and around the top 25 all year.


29. UCLA Bruins:

Last Season: 23-11, 11-5 (Pac-10)

Head Coach: Ben Howland

Key Losses: Tyler Honeycutt, Malcolm Lee

New Additions: David Wear, Travis Wear, Larry Drew II, Norman Powell, De'End Parker, Khalid McCaskill, David Brown, Nick Kazemi

Projected Lineup:

- G: Laz Jones, Sr.
- G: Larry Drew II, Sr.
- G: Tyler Lamb, So.
- F: Reeves Nelson, Jr.
- C: Josh Smith, So.
- Bench: Travis Wear, So.; David Wear, So.; Jerime Anderson, Sr.; De'End Parker, Jr.; Brendan Lane, Jr.; Anthony Stover, So.; Norman Powell, Fr.


Outlook: Ben Howland has an interesting team this season. Their strength is going to be in the front court, where they will be as deep as anyone in the country. Reeves Nelson is an aggressive and athletic four that sets a tone for this club. He's aggressive around the rim and a monster on the glass. If he can add a consistent perimeter jumper, he's got a chance to be a first-team all-league player. And he's not even their best big man. Josh Smith is. But Smith's issue is that he can't stay in shape. He ended the year weighing over 300 lbs and reportedly put on weight this summer, which isn't a good thing. Even with the weight, he's a best on the block. The question is whether or not he'll be able to stay on the court for an extended period of time. Throw in the Wear twins -- sophomore transfers from UNC -- and returners Brendan Lane and Anthony Stover, and minutes in UCLA's front court will be quite valuable and hard to come by. The perimeter is the question mark for this team. There are three point guards on the roster, and none of them blow you away. Laz Jones will most likely be the primary option, but he can be inconsistent at times. Larry Drew and Jerime Anderson were hyped recruits that fizzled in their three years in college. Will Tyler Lamb develop as a sophomore? Can De'End Parker and Norman Powell -- who got a concussion late in September and is reportedly unhappy already -- fill the void left by the departures of Malcolm Lee and Tyler Honeycutt? Finding consistency on the perimeter will be the difference between UCLA being a tournament team and a legitimate threat in the Pac-10.


28. New Mexico Lobos:

Last Season: 22-13, 8-8 (MWC)

Head Coach: Steve Alford

Key Losses: Dairese Gary

New Additions: Demetrius Walker, Dominique Dunning, Hugh Greenwood, Kory Alford

Projected Lineup:

- G: Jamal Fenton, Jr.
- G: Kendall Williams, So.
- F: Philip McDonald, Sr.
- F: AJ Hardeman, Sr.
- C: Drew Gordon, Sr.
- Bench: Cameron Bairstow, So.; Demetrius Walker, So.; Tony Snell, So.; Hugh Greenwood, Fr.; Dominique Dunning, Fr.; Alex Kirk, So.



Outlook: New Mexico has a chance to be very good this season. They return all but one player from last year, although that one player is a big one -- Dairese Gary, their star point guard. That will hurt, but there are pieces in place to help weather the blow. Sophomore Kendall Williams has a chance to be a big time player for Steve Alford's club. He averaged 11.5 ppg and 4.0 apg and won the MWC Freshman of the Year award while playing as the third and fourth option offensively. Gary missed the final two games after hurting his knee, and Williams stepped up and scored 18 points in both games. Throw in junior Jamal Fenton, who had 12 assists and just four turnovers in those two games, and the Lobos should be fine in terms of playmaking. They should also have one of the best big men in the conference in Drew Gordon, a double-double machine that should become a monster playing a full season. New Mexico will also be quite deep this year. Seniors AJ Hardeman (at the four) and Philip McDonald (at the three) should fill out the starting lineup. Cameron Bairstow and Alex Kirk -- if he comes back from back surgery in August -- are talented sophomores in the front court, while classmates Demetrius Walker -- a transfer from Arizona State -- and Tony Snell will provide depth on the perimeter. Don't be surprised in a couple of freshmen see minutes as well. The Lobos will compete for the MWC title and should be in and out of the top 25 all year.


27. Temple Owls:

Last Season: 26-8, 14-2 (A-10)

Head Coach: Fran Dunphy

Key Losses: Lavoy Allen, Craig Williams

New Additions: Will Cummings

Projected Lineup:

- G: Juan Fernandez, Sr.
- G: Scootie Randall, Sr.
- F: Ramone Moore, Sr.
- F: Rahlir Jefferson, Jr.
- C: Michael Eric, Sr.
- Bench: TJ DiLeo, Jr.; Khalif Wyatt, Jr.; Aaron Brown, So.; Will Cummings, Fr.


Outlook: Once again, Fran Dunphy has his Temple team in a position to make a lot of noise in the Atlantic 10. On the perimeter, the 2011-2012 version of the Owls is loaded. Point guard Juan Fernandez, who feels like he has been in college for a decade, returns for his senior season. His numbers dipped a bit as a junior, but don't be surprised when he has a big senior year as this team's leader. Ramone Moore turned into the Owl's go-to scorer as a junior, and should once again fill that role as a senior. Throw in a healthy Scootie Randall, talented junior Khalif Wyatt and a couple of hungry and capable youngsters in sophomore Aaron Brown (who performed well when moved into the starting lineup to replace the injured Randall late in the season) and freshman Will Cummings, and Dunphy will have plenty of options at his disposal. I would go as far as to say Temple has one of the best perimeter rotations in the country. Up front is a bigger issue, as Temple will have to replace Lavoy Allen, who was so important to this team's defensive attack. Michael Eric should be healthy and will be counted on for a big season defending the rim and cleaning the glass. Rahlir Jefferson should also see a bump in production as a junior and will be a factor rebounding the ball. Depth is the biggest issue on the front line. Behind Jefferson and Eric, Dunphy only has two big men in Anthony Lee and Jimmy McDonnell, both redshirt freshmen that still need to add weight and strength. Even with the front court question marks, Temple should give Xavier a run for their money at the conference title.


26. Michigan Wolverines:

Last Season: 21-14, 9-9 (Big Ten)

Head Coach: John Beilein

Key Losses: Darius Morris

New Additions: Carlton Brundidge, Trey Burke, Max Bielfeldt

Projected Lineup:

- G: Zak Novak, Sr.
- G: Stu Douglass, Sr.
- F: Tim Hardaway, So.
- F: Evan Smotrycz, So.
- C: Jordan Morgan, So.
- Bench: Matt Vogrich, Jr.; Jon Horford, So.; Carlton Brundidge, Fr.; Trey Burke, Fr.


Outlook: Had Darius Morris decided to return to school instead of enter the NBA Draft, the Wolverines would have been a borderline top 10 team instead of a borderline top 25 team. Morris was that perfect point guard for the system that John Beilein runs. But the great thing about a John Beilein offense is that the sum is greater than the parts, and while having a playmaking point guard like Morris -- a kid that can pass and score -- makes the offense that much more dangerous, its not essential. Zack Novak and Stu Douglass will be the elder statesmen, the seniors tasked with leading a team made up of mostly freshmen and sophomores. Both are quality players that do a lot of things well, but they are going to have to up their production next season to help make up for the loss of Morris. Junior Matt Vogrich will provide some shooting off the bench, while Carlton Brundidge and Trey Burke -- who may end up taking over the point guard spot -- should have an impact playing a role. The x-factor of this team will be Tim Hardaway Jr, a 6'6" sophomore wing that became a dangerous scorer at the end of his freshman season. He reminds me a bit of Mike Gansey, who played for Beilein at West Virginia. The front court could end up being an issue. Jordan Morgan had a couple big games as a freshman, but he got overwhelmed at times against bigger front lines. Fellow sophomore Evan Smotrycz should see more minutes as a stretch four-man, but he will be counted on for more contributions on the glass. Keep an eye on Jon Horford. He's put on some strength this off-season as he's now listed at 250 lb. And breakout sophomore years run in his blood -- his brother, Al, went from a seldom used freshman to a potential lottery pick as a sophomore.
Continue reading...

Greg McDermott is headed to Creighton

Its not often that you see a head coach go from a power conference team to a mid-major team willing, but that is exactly what Greg McDermott is doing.

The now-former Iowa State head coach is headed to Creighton, filling the void left when Dana Altman decided to take the Oregon job.

He may not have had a choice.

Greg McDermott is head back to the Missouri Valley.
(photo credit: Iowa State Daily)

McDermott was able to land the Iowa State job after turning around the Northern Iowa program. In 2000-01, the year before McDermott got there, the Panthers finished last in the MVC. After sub-.500 seasons in his first two years, UNI won 20 straight games the next three seasons, making the NCAA Tournament each season.

But McDermott failed to equal that level of success in Ames. His first season was the only year he finished better than 10th in the Big XII, and the last three seasons have seen the Cyclones muster just 12 total league wins. With his two best players -- Craig Brackins and Marquis Gilstrap -- going pro and the defections of Lucca Staiger (who left mid-season to go back to Germany), Chris Colvin, Justin Hamilton, and Dominique Buckley, the Cyclones were left with just six scholarship players.

Simply put, things weren't going to get better next season.

And another year like the past four likely would have ended up with McDermott getting fired.

So he made the smart career move.

He left arguably the worst job in the Big XII for arguably the best in the Missouri Valley. Have you ever seen the Qwest Center, the 18,000 seat arena in Omaha where Creighton plays their home games, when its packed and rocking? There are schools in the power conferences that don't have the kind of following that Creighton does.

He also earned himself some job security. A 10 year contract worth $9 million is about as secure as a job can get in this business.

If you ask me, McDermott made a pretty smart move.

At Creighton, he will have a bigger, better fan base and he may even be taking over a better basketball program. I'm sure that I'm not the only one that believes Creighton has a better shot at being an NCAA Tournament staple than Iowa State.

McDermott has built one MVC program. There's no reason to believe he can't resurrect another.

As an interesting side note to all of this, Greg McDermott's son, Doug, has signed a letter of intent to play at Northern Iowa. The elder McDermott said that his son would be joining him in Omaha, but apparently that isn't quite true yet.

For what its worth, Ben Jacobson, the UNI head coach, is best friends with Greg McDermott, which probably means that Doug will be granted his release once the request is put in.
Continue reading...

Selection Sunday is Here! Our Last Minute Tournament Predictions

USC. Temple. Cleveland State. Mississippi State.

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

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

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

LOCKS:

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

BUBBLE:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Who is out:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1's: Louisville (#1 overall), UNC, Pitt, Memphis
2's: UConn, Duke, Michigan State, Kansas
3's: Missouri, Wake Forest, Oklahoma, Syracuse
4's: Washington, Gonzaga, Xavier, Villanova
Continue reading...

Bubble You Pleasure, Bubble Your Fun

The major conference tournaments will be starting over the next three days, and seeing as the bubble is obscenely weak this year, the majority of the bubble determination is going to come in the form of middle-of-the-pack major conference teams playing each other in their conference tournament's early rounds. Be sure to check back here daily for complete analysis of everything bubble over the next week.

Sweating it out (record, RPI, SOS, top 50, top 100, road): Who has already lost?

- St. Mary's (25-6, 45, 160, 2-3, 3-4, 8-3):
Best Wins: Providence, Utah State, San Diego State
Worst Losses: Portland, Santa Clara
See here for St. Mary's analysis.

- Creighton (26-7, 39, 106, 3-2, 9-4, 8-4):
Best Wins: Northern Iowa, Dayton, George Mason
Worst Losses: Drake, Wichita State, Arkansas Little-Rock
What is going to doom the Bluejays is their early season losses to Arkansas Little-Rock and Nebraska. Both were on the road to top 100 RPI teams on shots hit in the last 10 seconds. In back-to-back games. If this profile read 28-5, 11-2 against the top 100 and 10-2 on the road, we would be saying much different things about the Bluejays. They are probably on the outside looking in right now.

- Davidson (25-7, 69, 165, 1-4, 1-4, 10-2):
Best Wins: West Virginia
Worst Losses: Citadel, Charleston (twice)
Davidson is out. I am giving them a courtesy post because I love Steph Curry. See here for more Davidson analysis.

Today's Bubble Games: Nothing too important on the bubble schedule.

- Cincinnati (17-13, 72, 32, 4-9, 7-11, 4-7) vs. DePaul
Best Wins: UNLV (road), UAB, Georgetown (twice), West Virginia
Worst Losses: South Florida, Seton Hall
Cincinnati was all set to put themselves into great position to earn a big. They were 17-11, 8-8 in the league, with just South Florida nd Seton Hall on their schedule. They then proceeded to lose both games, all but taking themselves out of bubble consideration. They probably need to get to the semi's, going through UConn, if they want a serious chance at dancing (you will notice a theme today).

- Georgetown (16-13, 49, 4, 4-9, 7-12, 3-7) vs. St. John's
Best Wins: UConn, Memphis, Syracuse, Villanova
Worst Losses: Seton Hall, St. John's
Georgetown, like Cincinnati, was set to make a serious run at a bid after they knocked off Villanova in Philly. They had four top 20 wins and no losses outside the top 100 (Seton Hall is 100). Until they played St. John's, where they blew a 15 point second half lead before losing in overtime. Again, a trip to the semi's is probably the minimum they need, beating Marquette and Villanova on the way there.

- Notre Dame (16-13, 73, 37, 3-11, 5-12, 3-8) vs. Rutgers
Best Wins: Texas, Louisville, Georgetown
Worst Losses: St. John's
Notre Dame is another team with just one bad loss, but they don't have enough good wins to justify getting into the dance right now. I think both ND and G'Town are good enough to be an NCAA tournament team, but both were just decimated by the rigors of the Big East - G'Town because of their inexperience and lack of depth, and ND because of their lack of size inside. Semi's or bust, baby.

- Butler (25-4, 18, 99, 2-1, 12-2, 12-3) vs. Cleveland State
Best Wins: Xavier, UAB
Worst Losses: Loyola IL, Wisconsin-Milwaukee
The only reason I am putting Butler here is because of what will happen if they lose the Cleveland State (very possible, they swept CSU by a total of four points, one of which was a buzzer-beater in OT). Butler is a lock, and is they lose, someone's bubble will burst. Continue reading...

Saturday's Madness

Seeing as championship week has officially started, we are going to be doing a new daily madness segment. Here, you can find the daily scores and schedules for every conference tournament game that day as Trizzle will once again be taking over BIAH. For a full schedule of the conference tournaments and a listing of the automatic bids, click here.

GAME OF THE DAY: Creighton 63, Wichita State 62

March Madness is officially here people. Creighton built up a 47-25 lead with 15 minutes left in the game, but the Shockers would slowly chip away at the lead. They would get within six at 59-53 with under two minutes left on a three-point play, which set up a wild finish. I'll let gocreighton.com explain it:

WSU drew within six at 59-53 with 1:59 to play on a three-point play by J.T. Durley. Durley had eight baskets in the second half after a scoreless opening period. After a Bluejay turnover, Graham Hatch would miss a three-pointer from the left wing that could have made it a one-score game. Young would then hit both shots of a bonus to give CU an eight-point lead with 1:45 to play.

Durley answered with a three-point play with 1:22 left as WSU closed within 61-56. Another Bluejay turnover in the backcourt returned the ball to WSU. Durley would drive and be fouled. He missed the first foul before sinking the second as WSU trimmed the margin to four. Woodfox would miss the front end of a bonus situation, but Stinnett came up with a steal when he stripped Shocker guard Toure' Murry. Hannah missed a deep three-pointer and Murry a putback, but WSU retained the ball with 22 seconds left. Murry airballed a three-pointer on the inbounds, but Hatch grabbed the rebound and was fouled, sinking both.

Stinnett turned it over just past the midcourt line, and in the scramble for the loose ball Young tripped up Aaron Ellis with 12.2 seconds left. Ellis, an 68.8 percent shooter, missed the front end but WSU called timeout while falling out-of-bounds. The Shockers set up a play for star freshman Murry, and Murry drained what appeared to be his third game-winner of the season, when his trey splashed down with 7.1 seconds left.

CU hurried the ball up court, where Young's off-balance leaner went out-of-bounds with 1.9 seconds left with CU keeping possession. The teams traded timeouts before CU ran a play for its All-America candidate. Woodfox pump faked, took a dribble to his left and then sank the jumper as time expired. After a review, officials confirmed that it beat the buzzer and sent CU on to the semi's.

Here is a video of the shot by Woodfox (it is pretty bad, I'll keep looking for a cleaner one).



PLAYER OF THE DAY: Courtney Pigrim, East Tennessee State

Pigrim went for 30 points, 4 boards, and 3 assists as he led the Buccaneers to the finals of the Atlantic Sun tournament. ETSU beat Belmont, ending the Bruins three-year run in the NCAA tournament. Pigrim also broke the 2,000 point mark for his career.

They were good too: Charles Jenkins, Hofstra - 27 pts, 9 asts, 4 rebs; Alex Renfroe, Belmont - 9 pts, 10 rbs, 10 asts; Lester Hudson, Tennessee-Martin - 34 pts, 10 rebs; Shy Ely, Evansville - 29 pts, 5 rebs.

TEAM OF THE DAY: Morehead State Eagles

Morehead State took a six point lead at the half, and never trailed in the second half as the fourth seeded Eagles upset conference champion Tennessee-Martin and OVC player of the year Lester Hudson. Kenneth Faried led the Eagles with his 22nd double-double of the season, going for 22 points and 17 boards. The Eagles advance to the OVC title game with the win, with UT-Martin and the Lester Hudson show are destined for the NIT.

Kenneth Faried putting home 2 of his 22 points.
(photo credit: msueagles.com)

They were good too: #11 Towson upset #6 Drexel 73-62; #1 Jacksonville advanced to the A-Sun finals on #4 Lipscomb's home floor.


Friday's Results

Atlantic Sun Semis (at Lipscomb's Allen Arena):
- #2 East Tennessee State 88, #3 Belmont 74
- #1 Jacksonville 88, #4 Lipscomb 72

America East First Round (Albany):
- #9 Hartford 65, #8 Maine 56

Colonial Athletic First Round (Richmond):
- #8 Georgia State 54, #9 Delaware 41
- #5 Hofstra 79, #12 UNC Wilmington 66
- #7 James Madison 70, #10 William & Mary 48
- #11 Towson 63, #6 Drexel 52

Horizon Second Round (Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis):
- #4 Wright State 80, #5 UW-Milwaukee 70
- #3 Cleveland State 67, #7 Illinois-Chicago 64

MAAC First Round (Albany):
- #9 Canisius 74, #8 Loyola MD 68
- #10 Marist 43, #7 Iona 40

Missouri Valley Quarters (St. Louis):
- #1 Northern Iowa 63, #8 Indiana State 59
- #4 Bradley 67, #5 Southern Illinois 55
- #2 Creighton 63, #7 Wichita State 62
- #3 Illinois State 78, #6 Evansville 68

Ohio Valley Semis (Nashville):
- #4 Morehead State 63, #1 Tennessee-Martin 55
- #2 Austin Peay 67, #3 Murray State 50

Southern Tournament (Chattanooga):
- #4N Appalachian State 86, #5S Georgia Southern 75
- #3S College of Charleston 69, #6N UNC Greensboro 56
- #5N Elon 62, #4S Western Carolina 55
- #3N Samford 57, #6S Furman 52

West Coast Tournament (Vegas):
- #5 San Diego 62, #8 Loyola Marymount 56
- #6 Pepperdine 93, #7 San Francisco 85


Saturday's Games

CHAMPIONSHIPS

Big South Finals (Radford, VA):
- 4:00 PM: #2 VMI @ #1 Radford

Ohio Valley Finals (Nashville, TN):
- 8:00 PM: #4 Morehead State vs. #2 Austin Peay

America East Second Round (Albany, NY):
- 12:00 PM: #2 Vermont vs. #7 Albany
- 2:30 PM: #3 Boston U vs. #6 UMBC
- 6:00 PM: #1 Binghamton vs. #9 Hartford
- 8:30 PM: #4 New Hampshire vs. #5 Stony Brook

Big Sky Quarters (campus sites):
- 9:00 PM: #6 Montana State @ #3 Montana
- 9:00 PM: #5 Northern Colorado @ #4 Idaho State

Colonial Athletic Second Round (Richmond):
- 12:00 PM: #1 VCU vs. #8 Georgia State
- 2:30 PM: #4 Old Dominion vs. #5 Hofstra
- 6:00 PM: #2 George Mason vs. #7 James Madison
- 8:30 PM: #3 Northeastern vs. #11 Towson

Horizon League Semis (Indianapolis, IN):
- 7:00 PM: #4 Wright State at #1 Butler
- 9:00 PM: #2 UW-Green Bay vs. #3 Cleveland State

Missouri Valley Semis (St. Louis, MO):
- 2:35 PM: #1 Northern Iowa vs. #4 Bradley
- 5:05 PM: #2 Creighton vs. #3 Illinois State

Southern Conference Second Round (Chattanooga, TN):
- 2:00 PM: #1S Davidson vs. #4N Appalachian State
- 4:30 PM: #2N Western Carolina vs. #3S College of Charleston
- 7:00 PM: #1N Chattanooga vs. #5N Elon
- 9:30 PM: #2S The Citadel vs. #3N Samford

Summit League First Round (in Sioux Falls, South Dakota):
- 7:00 PM: #8 Centenary vs. #1 North Dakota State
- 9:30 PM: #7 South Dakota State vs. #2 Oral Roberts

West Coast Second Round (Las Vegas, NV):
- 9:00 PM: #4 Santa Clara vs. #5 San Diego
- 11:30 PM: #3 Portland vs. #6 Pepperdine Continue reading...