College Hoops Week in Review: Tray Woodall and Miami make noise

Player of the Week: Tray Woodall, Pitt

Pitt lost eight straight games this season. They started off Big East play with seven consecutive losses. They lost to Wagner. They lost to DePaul. They lost to Rutgers by 23 points at home. And despite all of that, the Panthers are all of a sudden a team that not only looks destined to be headed to the NCAA Tournament, they look like they actually deserve an at-large bid.

Why? Its simple: Tray Woodall. The talented Panther point guard missed an extended period of time in the middle of the season due to groin and abdominal injuries, but he returned to the lineup on January 21st. Pitt lost that game as Woodall was, quite evidently, working to get his bearings back. But since then, the Panthers have won four straight, including going into West Virginia and taking home the title in this year's Backyard Brawl. Woodall had 24 points and three assists. Then on Saturday, Woodall went for 29 points, six assists and five boards in a nine point win over Villanova.
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Even without Woodall, Pitt can turn this streak around

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

MILWAUKEE - Pitt lost their fifth consecutive game to open Big East play on Saturday, falling to Marquette 62-57 and finding themselves as the only winless team in the league.

At this point, moral victories are meaningless for the Panthers. They need real, honest-to-god wins to start piling up if they don't want to go down as the biggest disappointment of the 2011-2012 college basketball season. We know this. They know this. And Syracuse, who hosts the Panthers Monday night, knows this.

"They played well," Orange head coach Jim Boeheim said after watching Pitt's loss on Saturday. "They had a real good chance to win. They are a good team. I don't care what their record is. They've got a good team. They will come in here Monday night, and they will play well. I know that."
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Breaking Down: Pitt's defensive breakdowns

In the biggest upset of this young season, Long Beach State went into the Peterson Events Center and just beat down the Panthers. The final score was 86-76, but this wasn't like the 49ers hit a couple of free throws late in the game to extend the lead. LBSU went up eight minutes into the game and never relinquished the lead. They took their first double digit lead late in the first half and Pitt was never able to get closer than six the rest of the way.

We wrote an extended piece on the game here, but when you combine Pitt's performance on Wednesday night with their struggles against Rider over the weekend, it got me thinking: what is wrong with the Panthers? Why is Pitt, a team that many people believe has a chance to make the Final Four and will compete for the Big East title, struggling so much early in the season? Are these problems something that is fixable?

In a word: yes.

Pitt's biggest issue right now is defensive discipline. While the Panthers have a reputation for being a great defensive team, that is more the result of their roster makeup -- strong, physical bigs -- and their style of play -- slow-paced and aggressive on the offensive glass -- than anything else. In the Jamie Dixon era, Pitt has been a team that stays at home defensively, playing a helping man-to-man that emphasizes contesting jumpers without gambling on steals or forcing many turnovers. In other words, Pitt's goal on a possession is to take you out of your set, force you into a tough shot and to secure the rebound.

Pitt had two major issues against LBSU. The biggest problem was the Panther's transition defense. Long Beach consistently got run-outs and easy layups, scoring 25 transition. Defensive balance was a problem on a number of occasions. Here, LBSU is in a 1-2-2 zone. Freshman John Johnson shoots a three from the corner at the end of the shot clock. When the ball is in the air, Johnson watches the shot from the corner while the three Pitt bigs crash the offensive glass:


The rebound goes over the head of the Pitt bigs, and Casper Ware scoops up the ball on the run. With four Panthers on the baseline and trailing the play, LBSU has a 3-on-1 break, which ends with Ware finding Ennis for a layup:


Johnson either needs to rotate back out to the top after taking that three from the corner, or JJ Moore, who is on the opposite wing, cannot go to the glass:



Earlier in the first half, we had this debacle. Khem Birch tries to drive through the lane but turns the ball over. LBSU pushes the ball the other way, but Pitt actually gets four players back in transition. The problem is they don't locate the open man. Moore runs at Ware here, while Johnson has already set up at the top of the key to stop the ball:


Ware slings the ball to Michael Caffey on the wing. Gibbs has to run at the open Caffey, who finds Ennis wide open in the corner while three Pitt players stand around in the paint. Ennis had already buried a three in the game:


That's the result of a lack of discipline and communication by Pitt:



On this next play, you'll see an example of the breakdowns Pitt had in their half court defense early in the second half that forced them to go to a 2-3 zone. Gibbs trails Larry Anderson on a double screen, but doesn't follow him tight enough. Anderson curls off of the screen and gets himself open:


Nasir Robinson steps up to help, but he retreats to his man before Gibbs has recovered. Anderson drives towards the rim and both Robinson and Dante Taylor, who has lost track of Ennis, step up to try and take a charge:


Anderson is able to jump-stop and dump the ball down to Ennis for a dunk:



There is no question that Pitt had breakdowns defensively. They gave up 1.32 PPP, something that you rarely see even just an above-average defensive team like the Panthers do, especially playing in the Peterson Events Center. And while this post is looking at Pitt's defense, it very well could have been lauding LBSU's offensive game plan and execution. At some point, you just have to credit the 49ers for making shots and making plays:



That was filthy, but not as filthy as the smirk Ware gave after he made the shot.
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Long Beach State upsets No. 9 Pitt

This post can also be found at Beyond the Arc.

We're only a little over a week into the season, but we've already had one of the most impressive performances we're going to see this season.

Long Beach State went into the Peterson Events Center -- a building where Pitt is 86-1 against non-conference opponents -- and knocked off the Panthers 86-76. Is was more than simply winning, however. The 49ers thoroughly beat the Panthers. After taking the lead eight minutes into the game, LBSU never gave it back up. They opened up an 11 point lead late in the first half, and Pitt was never able to get closer than six the rest of the way.

Every time Pitt made a run, the 49ers had an answer. To be honest, it looked like Pitt was the mid-major on the road, fighting to get back into the game against a superior opponent. Like I said, everything about this performance was impressive.


How impressive? Within five minutes of the game ending, my girlfriend -- whose knowledge of basketball doesn't extend much farther than the late-'90's Utah Jazz -- texted me and asked me why Pitt was so bad.

There are two ways to look at this upset. On the one hand, the way that LBSU played shouldn't have come to a surprise to you. Every media outlet in the country has written about the 49ers this offseason. We had the eighth in our mid-major top 25, which, in hindsight, was too low. Casper Ware, the 49ers' star point guard who went for 28 points and six assists while committing just a single turnover, was a first-team mid-major all-american.

This is an experienced group that has been through the battles. Their rotation is essentially six players deep, and four of them are seniors, three of whom were on an all-Big West team last season. Their long, their athletic, they can score in transition and they can shoot. That is a scary mix at the mid-major level.

What was surprising, however, was just how poorly Pitt played. The two staples of Panther basketball since the Ben Howland days simply disappeared. Pitt looked terrible defensively, as LBSU got whatever shot they wanted. The Panther press looked like it could have been broken by a decent high school team. Pitt wasn't exactly expected to be an elite defensive team -- they don't force enough turnovers to be considered as such -- but I don't think anyone could have predicted this kind of performance.

The other area that the Panthers struggled was on the glass. The past few seasons, it could have been argued that Pitt's best offense was a missed shot. That's how good they have been on the offensive glass. Against LBSU, the Panthers managed just 11 offensive rebounds. No one on their roster grabbed more than six rebounds.

With this loss coming on the heels of Pitt's struggles against Rider -- a team that was drilled by Drexel two days later -- it raises a serious question: just how good are the Panthers? Is this truly an elite team, one that can compete for the Big East title? As of this morning, that answer is no, at least not until they find a way to consistently defend well.

Whenever a mid-major team scores an upset like this early in the season, the questions of whether or not they can get an at-large bid will be asked. This win alone will not get the 49ers into the NCAA Tournament. But if they can manage to replicate this performance against one of their other quality non-conference opponents -- they go to Louisville, Kansas and North Carolina and play Xavier in the first round of the Diamond Head Classic, which also includes Kansas State and Clemson -- while rolling through their league like they did last year (14-2, winning the regular season title by four games), earning an at-large berth is quite feasible.

But after the way they played against Pitt, the question may not end up being whether or not they should get in.

It could very well end up being what kind of seed do they get.
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2011-2012 Top 50 Countdown: No. 10 Pitt Panthers

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.

Last Season: 28-6, 15-3 (1st Big East), lost to Butler in the second round of the NCAA Tournament

Head Coach: Jamie Dixon

Key Losses: Brad Wanamaker, Gary McGhee, Gilbert Brown

Newcomers: Khem Birch, Malcolm Gilbert, Durand Johnson, John Johnson

Projected Lineup:

- G: Travon Woodall, Sr.
- G: Ashton Gibbs, Sr.
- F: Lamar Patterson, So.
- F: Nasir Robinson, Sr.
- C: Dante Taylor, Jr.
- Bench: Talib Zanna, So.; Khem Birch, Fr.; Malcolm Gilbert, Fr.; JJ Moore, So.; Durand Johnson, Fr.; Isaiah Epps, Fr.; John Johnson, Fr.


Outlook: The names change for the Panthers, but the product on the floor is always the same. Pitt is a physical defensive team, they force you to take tough shots, they execute offensively and they pound the offensive glass as well as anyone in the country. They are the definition of a program. Want proof? This year, they lose three starters to graduation, but they bring back every member of their very deep bench. Jamie Dixon recruits players that he knows are willing to wait their turn, that are willing to spend a couple of years developing before becoming starters. That formula is one of the reasons they are always going to compete at the top of the Big East, and on the years that they have a star like Ashton Gibbs, they do things like they did last year and win the Big East.

Gibbs is one of the most unique stars in the country. He is a lights out shooter, whether he's spotting up from beyond the arc or hitting a 15 footer curling off of a screen. He's not unlike most stars in that he can create his own shot, but he does it in a way that very few in the country are able to. Gibbs is sensational at using screens to get open. He's so good that Dixon uses Gibbs as his go-to guy at the end of a clock. But instead of isolating him on the wing and allowing him to try and create a shot by going 1-on-1, Dixon runs Gibbs off of screens and allows him to try and lose his defender to create a shot. There's not a player in the country as good at getting open off of a screen as Gibbs.

Joining Gibbs in the back court will be Travon Woodall. Woodall came off the bench last season, but with Brad Wanamaker graduating, he'll be moving into the starting lineup this year. It will be interesting to see what Woodall can accomplish as the team's primary point guard. He's a much different kind of player than Wanamaker, who was the team's point guard last season. Wanamaker was bigger and a better rebounder than Woodall, but Woodall is much quicker. He should be a problem to keep out of the lane, where his 2.3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio (second in the Big East to Wanamaker last season) should allow him to thrive as a playmaker. Beyond Woodall and Gibbs, however, Pitt is going to have an inexperienced back court. Three freshmen -- Cameron Wright, Isaiah Epps, and John Johnson -- will provide the depth.

It will be interesting to see who ends up replacing Gilbert Brown and starting at the small forward spot for Pitt as there are a number of candidates. The most likely seems to be Lamar Patterson, a versatile, 6'5" sophomore that can play any position, shooting guard to power forward. He's the best defender of the group, although he's not nearly the athlete or the shooter that Brown was. Freshman Durand Johnson, a 6'6" native of Baltimore, is, but he's also a freshman, which makes it seems unlikely that he'll start immediately. JJ Moore, another sophomore small forward, will also see time at that position.


The power forward spot will be a bit of a question mark, at least early in the season. Senior Nasir Robinson underwent minor surgery on his meniscus, the same injury that cost him the first three games of last season. Robinson is a perfect fit for this Pitt system. He's only 6'5", but he's a terrific glue-guy, a blue-collar defender that really understands how to use his body to gain position and always seems to find himself open around the basket. If he does miss any time, expect sophomore Talib Zanna to slide in and start at the four again. He did the same thing last season and had a couple of big games.

At the center spot, junior Dante Taylor -- a top 15 recruit when he came out of high school -- will finally slide into the starting role, taking over for Gary McGhee. Khem Birch is a top 10 freshman this year and should see plenty of time up front, as will Malcolm Gilbert, another freshman that comes in with less hype. When it comes to Pitt's quartet of bigs -- Zanna, Taylor, Birch and Gilbert -- the names don't exactly matter. Taylor may be a bit stronger and Birch may be more athletic and Zanna may have a flat top, but they all serve the same purpose. They are in there to take up space on the defensive end and attack the glass on the offensive end. Despite barely having a player with a post-move, Pitt was top five in offensive efficiency all year in 2010-2011. That's a tribute to how well this group gets on the offensive glass and how well they are able to finish their easy looks around the rim when they get those offensive boards.

The Panther's philosophy is simple. There is nothing flashy about this group. They play a tough, physical and disciplined brand of defense. They don't gamble for steals or force many turnovers, they simply force you to work the shot clock and take a difficult shot, cleaning the defensive glass. Offensively, they execute their sets and attack the glass as hard as any team in the country. It works. Pitt doesn't have egos on their roster. They simply have a group of hard-working kids that buy into the program that Jamie Dixon is selling. The Big East is once again going to be loaded at the top, but the Panthers should battle with UConn, Syracuse and Louisville for the Big East title.
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I think Pitt basketball survives in the ACC

For me -- and for many other college hoops fans -- one of the most interesting and depressing plot lines through this realignment madness has been what the future holds for some of college basketball's elite programs.

What happens to Georgetown and Villanova? Will they continue to be able to play at the high-major level without a football program? What about Kansas and Kansas State? Are they going to find a home? Will Louisville and West Virginia?

The topic that has made headlines of late is how a move to the ACC will affect Pitt basketball. Mike DeCourcy of the Sporting News opined over the weekend that the move could be the death knell for Pitt's program. His reasoning? Jamie Dixon has built his reputation by recruiting kids from Philly and New York that fly under the radar. His selling point is the chance to play in the Big East, a prospect that every kid on the east coast dreams of, which would provide ample opportunities to return home to play in front of their friends and family.


There are no teams from Philly in the ACC. The only New York school is Syracuse, which is actually further from New York City than Maryland is. DeCourcy's argument is that without a strong local recruiting base in Pittsburgh, Dixon's will slowly have the legs cut out from under his program. As DeCourcy is wont to do, he makes some very valid points.

But it wasn't enough to convince former Pitt assistant and current Marshall head coach Tom Herrion.

"I think it will have zero effect," Herrion told Jeff Eisenberg of The Dagger. "Jamie has built that program to continue to sustain success. They've proven over the last 10 years that program can win against teams all over the country. There will be a transition period and an adjustment geographically, but I think it will have zero effect on the program."

"It might even help them in a lot of areas. They may even be able to go into other areas and get kids that they couldn't before."

To be frank, there is an argument to be made for both sides, and only time will tell which is accurate.

But what needs to be mentioned is that Dixon's program hasn't been built on blue-chip recruits. While players like Khem Birch and Steven Adams (who hail from Canada and New Zealand, respectively) are both considered top ten players in their class, they are the exception that proves the rule of Dixon's philosophy. Pitt isn't a place you go if you are a one-and-done kind of player. Its a program that attracts kids that have been overlooked by some of the other big programs, kids that Dixon coaches up to become all-conference players by their junior or senior year.

Pitt is the definition of a "program". Its runs the same way that Bo Ryan's runs his program at Wisconsin or that John Beilein runs a program at every one of his stops. Its more about finding players with the right fit than players with the right rankings on Scout.com. If the kids from Philly and New York that Dixon currently chases down don't want to play in the Big East, there's a pretty good chance that Pitt takes an initial hit from the change in conference affiliation.

But there are under recruited prospects all over the country, not just in those two east coast cities. And, eventually, Dixon will find them.

I have to side with Herrion on this one. Five years ago, this move could have brought about the demise of Pitt Panther basketball.

Right now, there is too much momentum and Dixon is too good of a head coach.
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I'll miss the Big East, but college basketball will live on

Let's face it: the Big East as we know it is done. Its over. No more Big Monday, no more Syracuse-Georgetown home-and-home's, no more five-day runs through the Big East Tournament.

And that sucks.

People that don't live in the Northeast don't truly understand what Big East basketball was to us. We may not have tailgated as hard, we may not have been quite as delusional as fans, we certainly didn't pack 100,000 people into the arenas to see the games, but the passion and the love affair with the sport ran just as deep as SEC football in the south. Big East basketball was Lou Carnesecca and John Thompson, Jr, Jim Calhoun and Jim Boeheim. It was Patrick Ewing and Chris Mullin to Kerry Kittles and Ray Allen to Gerry McNamara and Kemba Walker, and every hero in between.

The Big East was everything that was right about college basketball. But the writing was on the wall -- the Big East simply thrived in the wrong sport.


With so many of the founding members of the Big East playing football below the Big East level -- Villanova, Georgetown, St. John's, Providence -- it was only a matter of time before someone made the move. Many believed that Syracuse and Pitt were eventually going to be headed to the Big Ten. The surprise of this tweet on Friday night from Pete Thamel wasn't that the Big East had two members defecting, its that those members were defecting to the ACC.*

(*Frankly, we shouldn't be surprised. With the lack of football strength in the Big East, it became the ACCDL [ACC Developmental League, thank you very much] over the past six years. The last five teams that the conference has added -- Miami, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Syracuse, and Pitt -- all came from the Big East.)

As disappointing as this move is for Big East hoops fans, college basketball will live on. Hell, it may end up being better. If the rumors are true and UConn does follow Syracuse and Pitt into the ACC, that conference immediately becomes the most powerful in the country. Think about this -- since Michigan State's national title in 2000, eight of the last 11 national champions will be playing in the ACC, and that doesn't including UConn's title in 1999. You don't think it will be fun to see North Carolina and Duke have to do battle with UConn, Syracuse and Pitt every single season? If the powers that be opt to bring in a school like Louisville or West Virginia instead of Rutgers**, the league will be even stronger.

(**I seriously don't understand the love-fest with Rutgers. They stink at football, they have never been good at basketball [although Mike Rice seems to have that trending towards change], and no one in the New York market cares about them.)

I'm not naive. I know that conference alignment in college sports in a fluid thing. These shifts happen, and for some schools and leagues its for the better. For the Villanova's and the Georgetown's and the rest of the Big East (ahem, TCU), its for the worse.

But I'm also sentimental and nostalgic.

I'll miss the Big East Tournament and Big Mondays. I'll always fondly remember the rivalry between Syracuse and Georgetown. I'll never forget moments like DeJuan Blair's body-slam of Hasheem Thabeet in 2009; or Ray Allen's prayer to beat Georgetown in the 1996 Big East Tournament; or the late-game heroics of Gerry McNamara in the 2006 Big East Tournament; or, simply, the sixth-overtime.

Most of all, I'll miss those late-nights in the Garden. Every college basketball fan has to have the Big East Tournament on their bucket list.

Its an unbelievable experience.

And it may come to an end, as we know it, in March.
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Looking Back: Re-ranking the 2003 recruiting classes

Last summer, we ran a series called Looking Back where we went through past recruiting classes to see how the players from those classes developed.

Why?

Well, for starters, it was a fun and interesting thing to do. You're not interested in the fact that Josh McRoberts and Gerald Green were once considered the best high school basketball players in the country? Its also an interesting way to keep fans from getting too excited when a top 25 recruit pledges to their school. Projecting the long-term ability of 17 year old hoopers is an inexact science, and never is that more evident than when you look back at past recruiting rankings.

This summer, we are going to go back through the Team Rankings. In other words, we want to see if the team that the pundits said had the best recruiting class really did have the best recruiting class. The science here will be a bit inexact. For starters, its tough to find consistent rankings. Rivals has them dating back to 2003, Scout to 2005, and ESPN to 2007. Its also tough to determine exactly what players had what effect on a given season. Did UConn's 2007 recruiting class -- which featured Donnell Beverly and, well, Donnell Beverly -- really have much influence on the 2011 national title?

For our purposes, we will be looking at the success that each member of each program's recruiting class had individually in college as well as the success that the team at while those players were member of the program. Like I said, it will be inexact, but inexact science makes for better arguments. Tell us your thoughts in the comment section.

Re-ranking the the 2003 recruiting classes:


1. UConn (Scout: 9, Rivals: 14): Josh Boone, Charlie Villanueva, Marcus Williams, Ryan Thompson

The Huskies were the clear winner of the 2003 recruiting class. Boone, Villanueva, and Williams all played key roles for the 2004 UConn team that won the Big East and NCAA Tournament titles. They became stars on the 2005 team that won a share of the Big East regular season title. Villanueva left school after his sophomore year, becoming the seventh pick in the NBA Draft, while Boone and Williams returned for their junior seasons. UConn again won a share of the Big East regular season title, but lost to George Mason in the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament in one of the biggest upsets in college basketball history. Williams and Boone left school after their junior years and ended up getting picked in the first round of the draft.


2. Gonzaga (Scout: N/R, Rivals: N/R): Adam Morrison, Derek Raivio

We all know about Adam Morrison. The kid that no one wanted managed to contribute to one of the most talented teams that Mark Few has fielded in Spokane as a freshman before becoming the 'Zag's go-to player as a sophomore and the co-national player of the year with JJ Redick as a junior. Morrison would eventually become the third pick in the NBA Draft. Derek Raivio didn't have quite as immediate individual success, but he played a key role on three teams before leading the transition -- and winning the 2007 WCC player of the year award in the process -- from the Adam Morrison era to the Matt Bouldin era. Gonzaga was 40-2 in WCC play in the three years Raivio and Morrison were both in the program, and Raivio was a member of four straight outright champions, winning both the WCC regular season and tournament titles every season. The only year Gonzaga made it out of the first weekend in the NCAA Tournament was in 2006, when they blew a 17 point lead to UCLA.


3. Wake Forest (Scout: 22, Rivals: 16): Chris Paul, Kyle Visser, Jeremy Ingram, Todd Hendley

Chris Paul. Enough said. Paul -- who ranked third behind Shannon Brown and Drew Lavender for point guard -- was as good in college as he has been since he entered the NBA. In his two seasons, Paul led Wake Forest to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments, the Sweet 16 as a freshman, and a second place finish in the ACC regular season as a sophomore. He also managed to win national freshman of the year honors and was a consensus first-team all-american as a sophomore before becoming the fourth pick in the 2005 draft. The only other impact player from this class was Kyle Visser, who played a role for three years before becoming a third-team all-acc selection as a senior after averaging 17.0 ppg and 7.4 rpg.


4. Oklahoma State (Scout: N/R, Rivals: N/R): John Lucas III*, Marcus Dove, David Monds, Tremaine Fuqua

(*The inclusion of John Lucas III deserves an asterisk. He was originally in the class of 2001, but he transferred to Oklahoma State from Baylor after the death of Patrick Dennehy and the resulting scandal.)

In their first season, this group had the best season in recent Cowboy history. They won the Big 12 regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the Final Four before losing to Georgia Tech. John Lucas III became a star on a team that already included Tony Allen and the Graham twins, while Fuqua and Monds were role players. In 2005, Lucas led the Cowboys to another Big 12 Tournament title and OSU's second straight two seed before bowing out in the Sweet 16. Lucas graduated in 2005, and for the next three seasons, Dove (who red-shirted in 2004) and Monds were role players and starters on three straight NIT teams.


5. Pitt (Scout: 21, Rivals: 9): Aaron Gray, Chris Taft, Dante Milligan, Antonio Graves

Jamie Dixon's first recruiting class at Pitt spawned two eventual second-round picks. Chris Taft was the player with the most immediate impact. He was a starter from day one, averaging double-figures as a freshman on a Panther team that won the Big East regular season title and made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Taft left school after his sophomore season, getting scooped up in the second round of the 2005 Draft. Taft's departure opened up space for Gray, who became a double-double machine his last two years, anchoring a Panther squad that finished second in the Big East and made the Sweet 16 in 2007. Gray was picked in the second round in 2007. Graves was a typical Pitt guard -- contributed for four years, a starter his last two.


6. Florida (Scout: 16, Rivals: 12): Chris Richard, Lee Humphrey, Mohamed Abukar

Florida's 2003 is easily the most interesting to discuss and probably the most controversial in these rankings. None of the three players ever really advanced beyond being a role-player. Abukar transferred as a sophomore to SDSU (where he was all-MWC), but Richard and Humphrey stayed where they became members of three straight SEC Tournament title winners, the 2007 SEC regular season champ, and, most importantly, the 2006 and 2007 national champions. Humphrey started and shot a bunch of threes during the two title runs, while Richard played impressively enough in his limited minutes off the bench to spelling Joakim Noah and Al Horford that he became a second round pick.



7. Syracuse (Scout: 6, Rivals: 7): Louie McCroskey, Terrence Roberts, Demetris Nichols, Darryl Watkins

The year before these four arrived on campus, the Orange rode the coattails of freshman Carmelo Anthony to the 2003 NCAA title. But none of these four freshmen were as lucky, as all four were at the back-end of a short Jim Boeheim rotation, one freshmen rarely crack. The 2004 NCAA Tournament was the only year that this group made it past the first round of the NCAA Tournament. As sophomores, all four were still coming off the bench but all four had seen their roles increase. The Orange won the 2005 Big East Tournament, but lost to Vermont in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. As juniors, Demetris Nichols, Terrence Roberts, and Darryl Watkins all became starters, but if it wasn't for the heroics of Gerry McNamara in leading the Orange to a second-straight Big East tournament title, Syracuse (who went 7-9 in the Big East) would have missed the NCAA Tournament. McCroskey transferred to Marist as a senior while Nichols became an 18.9 ppg and an all-Big East first team selection, but the Orange went to the NIT despite finishing 10-6 in Big East play.


8. Maryland (Scout: 3, Rivals: 3): Ekene Ibekwe, DJ Strawberry, Mike Jones, Will Bowers, Hassan Fofana

As freshmen, Ekene Ibekwe, DJ Strawberry, and Mike Jones all played key roles for a Maryland that ran through the ACC Tournament and to the second round of the NCAA Tournament despite finishing just 7-9 in ACC play. The Terps went to back-to-back NIT's the next two seasons before returning to the NCAA Tournament in 2007, where they beat Davidson but lost to Butler in the second round. Ibekwe, Strawberry, and Jones all developed together. As sophomores and juniors, their roles expanded before becoming starters, and in Strawberry's case a star, as seniors.


9. Wisconsin (Scout: N/R, Rivals: N/R): Brian Butch, Kammron Taylor, Zach Morley

The Badgers just barely get the nod over the Spartans. Kammron Taylor was the only typical recruit in this class for Bo Ryan. A seldom-used back-up to Devin Harris as a freshman, Taylor became the No. 2 option for the Badgers behind Alando Tucker as a junior and senior. Morley was a JuCo transfer that played valuable front court minutes in his two seasons, including the 2005 Elite 8 run. Butch was the most interesting recruit. A top ten player coming out of high school, he redshirted a season in 2004, something you don't see very often in hoops. Butch played a role as a redshirt freshman, slowly developing into the third option as a junior and the focal point as a senior, when he led the Badgers to Big Ten regular season and tournament titles.


10. Michigan State (Scout: 5, Rivals: 13): Brandon Cotton, Shannon Brown, Drew Naymick

Brandon Cotton, a McDonald's all-american, last all of three games with the Spartans before transferring to Detroit. Drew Naymick never became more than a limited role-player in his five seasons in East Lansing. Shannon Brown, as you know, ended up going in the first round of the 2006 NBA Draft after becoming a second-team all-Big Ten pick. Brown played a supporting role for the 2005 Michigan State team that made the Final Four.



11. LSU (Scout: 2, Rivals: 4): Brandon Bass, Tack Minor, Darnell Lazare, Regis Koundjia, Robert Neltner

12. Oregon (Scout: N/R, Rivals: N/R): Aaron Brooks, Mitch Platt, Ray Schafer

13. Florida State (Scout: 1, Rivals: 1): Von Wafer, Alexander Johnson, Diego Romero, Antonio Griffin

14. Arkansas (Scout: 10, Rivals: 5): Ronnie Brewer, Olu Famutimi, Anthony Gray, Vincent Hunter, Darian Townes

15. Louisiana Tech (Scout: N/R, Rivals: N/R): Paul Millsap, Donnell Allick, Solomon Brown, Fred Marshall, JueMichael Young


The most disappointing classes:

- Kansas (Scout: 4, Rivals: 8): The Jayhawks brought in a six man recruiting class, but only two of the six players finished their career in a Kansas uniform. David Padgett transferred to Louisville, where he became a fixture for a very good Cardinals team. JR Giddens left Lawrence under some duress, transferring to New Mexico where he eventually became a first round pick of the Celtics. Omar Wilkes transferred to Cal to play with his brother. Nick Bahe finished his career with Creighton. Only Rodrick Stewart and Jeremy Case, neither of whom were stars, graduated a Jayhawk.

- Oklahoma (Scout: 14, Rivals: 2): The only player from Oklahoma's vaunted six-man recruiting class in 2003 that played their entire career in Norman was Longar Longar, and that was after he spent a year at a prep school. Drew Lavender started as a freshman but transferred to Xavier after his sophomore season. Brandon Faust transferred to Southeast Missouri, Lawrence McKenzie transferred back to Minnesota, and Jimmy Tobias went to a JuCo after one season and finished his career with Georgia Southern. Jaison Williams spent two years in a limited-role off the bench after transferring in from a JuCo.

- Mississippi State (Scout: 13, Rivals: 20): The Bulldogs 2003 recruiting class is one example of why I don't want to see the NBA allow players to go straight to the NBA again. Neither Jackie Butler nor Travis Outlaw ever made it to Starkville, which set MSU's class off on the wrong foot. Gary Ervin never really found a home with the Bulldogs, transferring after his sophomore year to Arkansas. Bill Begley finished his career at Nicholls State. There were some successful recruits in this class, however. Dietric Slater became a solid role player as a junior and senior. Iowa State transfer Shane Power averaged double figures in his two seasons in Starkville, although he was technically part of the 2002 class. And then there is Lawrence Roberts, who, like John Lucas III at Oklahoma State, transferred out of Baylor due to the scandal.
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Ashton Gibbs is a perfect example of why testing the waters is a good thing

The trend that has become prevalent this spring has been star underclassmen returning to school.

Harrison Barnes, John Henson, and Tyler Zeller all came back to campus and created a monster in Chapel Hill. Jared Sullinger's return to Columbus and Perry Jones' return to Waco have immediately vaulted next year's outlook Ohio State and Baylor, respectively. With kids like Will Barton, John Jenkins, Renardo Sidney, William Buford, and Thomas Robinson all coming back to campus as well, it has created a talent level in college basketball that we have not seen in quite some time.

Ashton Gibbs is planning on bucking that trend. Pitt's junior guard is deadset on turning pro, telling CBSSports.com's Jeff Borzello that he is 100% staying in the draft.

"When I entered the draft, I entered to get drafted," Gibbs told Borzello.


He reiterated that fact to SNY's Adam Zagoria, texting "I feel I can play at the NBA level. I'm looking forward to the challenge". On Tuesday morning, Dan Wolken of The Daily wrote that Gibbs was telling agents that he was interviewing that he was committed to turning pro. Gibbs did, however, leave himself an out, telling Borzello that he would return if he got bad news from the NBA "as far as not going first or second round".

Unfortunately, it seems likely that Gibbs will get bad news from the NBA. Most mock drafts don't have him being selected with one of the 60 picks despite how weak this year's draft. Draft Express ranks Gibbs as the 27th best junior, right behind Northwestern's John Shurna and Missouri's Laurence Bowers.

Ashton Gibbs is a very, very good basketball player. He'll be an all-american next season should he decide to return to Pitt.

But the problem is that he just does not have the physical tools to warrant a first round pick. He's generously listed at 6'2", but he's not a point guard. He's not all that quick or explosive. He can't create his own shot off the dribble. But he is a lights-out shooter and quite possibly the best player in the country at coming off of screens. In fact, he was so good at creating an open jumper for himself by using off-the-ball screens that Pitt would call his number at the end of a clock.

I do not believe that Gibbs is an NBA player. Most agree with me.

Which is why most people are criticizing Gibbs' statements that he will be remaining in the draft.

Me?

I want Gibbs to stay at Pitt. I want to see him become an all-american and 20 ppg scorer for the Panthers. I want to see him try and lead this team to that elusive Final Four. With Brad Wanamaker, Gilbert Brown, and Gary McGhee all graduating, Gibbs will be an even more vital piece to Jamie Dixon's puzzle.

But my opinion is irrelevant. What I want doesn't matter.

If Gibbs and his family feel that it is in their best interests for Ashton to leave the college ranks, then who am I too judge? Who am I to tell a kid not to pursue his dreams? If he ends up regretting this decision, he's the one that will have to live with it. Not us. We'll slowly but surely start to forget about him if his name is still in the draft on May 9th.

If anything, Gibbs is the poster boy for why the NCAA should extend, not eliminate, the testing-the-waters process. What the NCAA wants to do is move the deadline to declare for the NBA Draft to a week after the national title game and make the decision final. If that was the case this year, Gibbs would already be gone. He wouldn't have the chance to talk to NBA scouts and front office types. He wouldn't have a chance to evaluate his NBA Draft standing and determine whether or not he actually is prepared for the next level.

And he wouldn't have a chance to hear the NBA folks recommend that he return to school, which is precisely what Gibbs is on record as saying would change his mind about the NBA Draft. Even this year, Gibbs will have all of 10 days -- from April 29th-May 8th -- to get feedback on a life-changing decision.

Keeping players like Gibbs informed of their draft standing and in school instead of the D-League or Europe is good for the NCAA.

Its too bad the head coaches in the ACC don't see it that way.
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Butler beats Pitt in one of the wildest finishes in recent memory

Brad Stevens beat Tom Izzo in the Final Four last season. And in doing so, he apparently stole Izzo's tournament powers.

After sneaking by Old Dominion on a last second layup from Matt Howard when a loose ball found its way into his hands, the Bulldogs knocked No. 1 seed Pitt 71-70 thanks to an ill-advised foul on Pitt's Nasir Robinson.

But it wasn't that cut and dry.


After an incredibly entertaining, back-and-forth game for the first 39 minutes and 52.9 seconds, Shawn Vanzant found Andrew Smith for what appeared to be a game-winning layup with 2.2 seconds left on the clock. Down 69-68, Pitt didn't have a timeout left. On the ensuing inbounds, Ashton Gibbs tried to lead Gilbert Brown up the sideline.

But Shelvin Mack, trying to steal the pass, ran into Brown and was (rightfully) called for a foul, putting Brown on the line for two free throws with 1.6 seconds left. Brown hit the first and missed the second and it looked like we were headed for overtime.

But Nasir Robinson, in an effort to get the offensive rebound, was (again, rightfully) called for a foul against Matt Howard. Howard went to the line with 0.8 seconds left, hit the first and missed the second, and the Bulldogs won 71-70. If the end of the game wasn't crazy enough, Brad Wanamaker's 3/4 prayer (which was late) hit the back of the rim.

Obviously, the question coming out of this game will be whether or not those should have been called fouls.

Well, yes. They should have.

Shelvin Mack cut off Brown and bumped him when Brown still had a chance to get off a game winning shot. It was a foul, and it was a foul that, had it not been called, would have cost Brown a decent look at a game winning shot. The whistle had to be blown.

The foul called on Nasir Robinson is a bit more questionable. Yes, he fouled Howard. That much is not debatable. But Howard wasn't going anywhere. He was 90 feet from the basket. There was 1.6 seconds left. He was not making a shot to win. I'm not going to rip an official for calling a foul when there is a foul, but I will say that I would have loved to see an overtime.

The blame has to fall on Robinson's shoulders. Not the ref's.

"I've been playing basketball my whole life and I know I shouldn't have done that. It was a stupid play," Robinson said. "It wasn't the ref's fault. It was my fault."

"I take the blame, man. I take the blame for the loss."

Arguing about whether a call should have been made or not is pointless.

Butler won.

And the team that everyone wrote off at least twice this season, the team that is coming off of a trip to the national title game, is headed to the Sweet 16.
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The Case for No. 1

The top four teams in the country all lost this week. All four of them received votes for No. 1 in last week's polls. The three teams behind them all have an argument to move up. There could very well be seven teams that draw first place votes in this week's poll. Here's how I would rank them, and why they have an argument to be No. 1.


1. Ohio State Buckeyes: Ohio State was the consensus No. 1 team in the country before last Saturday's loss to Jordan Taylor and Wisconsin. It wasn't just because they were the last undefeated team in the country, its because they were, in fact, the best team in the country. Just because they lost at Wisconsin and at Purdue doesn't change that fact. The Badgers and the Boilermakers are a combined 30-0 at home this season. No one wins at Mackey Arena or the Kohl Center, not even the best team in the country.


2. Kansas Jayhawks: There may not be a more talented team in the country that the Jayhawks. They are deep, they are balanced, and they have one of the most efficient star tandems in the country in The Morrii. Like OSU, Kansas has just two losses on the season -- to Texas on the day after the death of Thomas Robinson's mother, and at Kansas State on Monday in a game that the Wildcats just dominated the Jayhawks. The problem? This team keeps showing flashes of maturity issues (technical fouls, intentional elbows) and they have actually only beaten three teams that are NCAA Tournament locks -- Missouri, Arizona, and UCLA.

3. Pitt Panthers: I don't think people give the Panthers enough credit for what they proved without Ashton Gibbs two weeks ago, beating both West Virginia and Villanova on the road. How important is Gibbs? He had 26 of their 59 points in the loss at St. John's. Don't confuse that with a bad loss, either. The Johnnies have now dispensed of five top 15 teams at home, and three of the other four (Notre Dame, UConn, and Duke) were blowouts. Pitt lost on a ridiculous reverse layup by Dwight Hardy.

4. Texas Longhorns: Defensively, the Longhorns are scary. They've completely shut down some very good opponents for ridiculously long stretches this season. The issue I have with Texas is on the offensive end of the floor. Rick Barnes has always had the reputation of being a guy who rolled the ball out and let his kids play. That works when you have Kevin Durant and DJ Augustin. But, like against Nebraska, what happens when Texas runs into an opponent that makes it difficult for them to score?

5. Duke Blue Devils: I know the theory is supposed to be win and you drop, but I'm still not ready to say that Duke is a better team than Texas. Why? Because of the body of work. Duke has, for better or worse, one quality win this season -- unless you consider disappointments like Butler, Michigan State, and Kansas State quality wins -- in UNC. Texas can also claim a victory over UNC, and has many more impressive wins, including one at Kansas. Duke may go farther in the NCAA Tournament, but they cannot be ranked ahead of the 'Horns right now.

6. San Diego State Aztecs: The Aztecs have just one loss on the season which came to BYU at the Marriott Center when The Jimmer went for 43 points. Just like Ohio State losses at Purdue and Wisconsin, no one was beating BYU on that night. The problem is that the Aztecs just don't have enough depth on their resume. They've beaten all the good teams out west -- Gonzaga, St. Mary's, Long Beach State, Wichita State, Cal -- but none of those teams are a lock to go to the NCAA Tournament. That's what makes this Saturday's matchup with BYU so important.

7. BYU Cougars: BYU actually has a fairly solid resume. They beat teams like Arizona, Utah State, St. Mary's, and, of course, SDSU. The issue with BYU? Those pesky road losses to New Mexico and UCLA and the thought that this team is too reliant on Jimmer.
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Friday's Pregame Beat: Previewing your college hoops weekend

UPSET ALERT

Sat. 12:00 pm: No. 4 Pitt @ St. John's: The Big East is a heaping pile of similarity this season. Pitt has a two game lead on Notre Dame who as a two game cushion in second place. After that? There are eight -- yesm eight! -- teams with five or six losses, all fighting to try and earn the three and four seeds in the Big East Tournament.

One of those eight teams is St. John's, who are slowly creeping their way up seed lines in the mock brackets that are coming out. The biggest reason for the Johnnie's ascent to hoops relevancy has been their ability to defend their home court. Georgetown, Notre Dame, Duke, and UConn have all fallen at the Garden. On Saturday, the Panthers try their hand at winning in the basketball Mecca.


Now, Pitt isn't exactly a great matchup for St. John's. The Panthers are a terrific offensive rebounding team, and their ability to clean up their own misses with second chance points is why they are such an efficient offensive team. The Johnnies are tough and they are physical, but they haven't exactly proven to be a great team on the defensive glass. St. John's also doesn't matchup that well of the offensive end of the floor. Pitt is not a elite team defensively in terms of efficiency, but a big reason for that is that they don't gamble for a lot of steals. They don't force turnovers. Instead, they play tough, quarter court defense, force a tough shot, and get the rebound. Offensive execution is key against the Panthers, and St. John's is not exactly Notre Dame.

That said, the reason that I can legitimately see the Johnnies pulling another upset is their press. Steve Lavin has athletes at every position on the floor, and when they are active and aggressive that press can be lethal. Pitt is susceptible to being pressed. Neither Brad Wanamaker or Ashton Gibbs are great ball handlers, and Travon Woodall actually has the highest turnover percentage on the team.

If the press is effective, it negates both of Pitt's advantages -- offensive rebounding and a stalwart half court defense. Playing in front of a home crowd that is sure to be fired up, I fully expect the Johnnies to be flying all over the court.


UPSET SPECIAL

Sat. 1:00 pm: No. 7 Notre Dame @ West Virginia: I am not yet convinced that the Irish are a great road team. And I know that Notre Dame beat Pitt on the road. But Notre Dame happens to matchup incredibly well with the Panthers, and with their 'burn' offense, they continually give the Panthers trouble. West Virginia hasn't been great this season, but when Denis Kilicli and Casey Mitchell are both playing well and guys like Kevin Jones and John Flowers are getting to the offensive glass, this is a good basketball team.

Sat. 1:45 pm: No. 2 Texas @ Nebraska: Nebraska has been a pesky team this season. They slow the game down, they defend, and they get to the defensive glass. The Huskers have knocked off Texas A&M this season and given Kansas and Missouri all they could handle on the road. No one in the country is playing better than Texas right now -- especially on the defensive end of the floor -- but I think that the Huskers matchup fairly well with the Longhorns.

Sat. 4:00 pm: Boston College @ No. 19 North Carolina: Two years ago, BC went into Chapel Hill and handed a North Carolina team we all thought had a chance to go undefeated their first loss of the season. This year the situation is quite different, as the 2011 Tar Heels are a far cry from the 2009 team. But Boston College is rated as the seventh best offensive team in the country, headlined by the ACC's best guard that doesn't play for Duke in Reggie Jackson. They are also the 256th best defense, which means that North Carolina will probably be able to score at will. The Eagles are fighting for their tournament lives, however, and a win like this on the road would do wonders for their profile. Will they play enough defense to win?


Sat. 6:00 pm: Washington @ No. 13 Arizona: Both Washington and Arizona handled their business of Thursday night, meaning that the Huskies, who are two games behind the Wildcats in the Pac-10 standings, will be playing to keep themselves in the Pac-10 regular season race. Washington's struggles on the road are not a secret, but this team also has a lot of the same parts as last year's team, which really came together down the stretch of the season. If they can find that magic again, Washington will be right back in the mix for a Pac-10 title.

Sat. 9:00 pm: No. 17 Texas A&M @ Oklahoma State: I am not a fan of Texas A&M. Don't get me wrong, they are a solid basketball team, but they are not the 17th best team in the country. Oklahoma State is a team fighting for their tournament life, and they have also beaten everyone on their home court that is not a Longhorn.


BEST MATCHUPS

Fri. 9:00 pm: No. 12 UConn @ No. 16 Louisville: As we mentioned in the discussion of the St. John's-Pitt game, the second tier of the Big East is as muddled as a mojito. Both the Cardinals and the Huskies are right in the middle of that mess, and both have a very good shot at earning one of the top four seeds in the Big East tournament. Back in January, Peyton Siva torched UConn down the stretch as the Cardinals beat the Huskies in double overtime on the road. But Kemba Walker also struggled a bit in that game, especially down the stretch, when he became a relative non-factor. Expect another game just as exciting.


Sat. 2:00 pm: Georgia @ Tennessee: Georgia is on the tournament ropes right now. They are 6-5 in the SEC with a number of close losses, including one that came on a Brian Williams buzzer beater in Athens last month. With road trips to Florida and Alabama left, the Bulldogs are legitimately looking at a situation where they could end up at 8-8 in the SEC. Tennessee is in a similar boat. They've been unable to close out close games all season long, and it resulted in some ugly losses during the non-conference season. The Vols have less breathing room than Georgia as result. This may be the most important bubble matchup of the day.

Sat. 5:00 pm: Vermont @ Charleston: In one of the more intriguing games of the BracketBusters weekend, the Catamounts, who have already clinched the America East title, head down to South Carolina to take of the Cougars, who currently have a comfortable two game cushion in the SoCon. Andrew Goudelock and Evan Fjeld are going to get the publicity heading into this one, but keep an eye on statsheet stuffer Brian Voelkel. A poor man's Draymond Green, the 6'6" freshman is averaging 6.6 ppg and a team high 9.9 rpg and 4.8 apg.

Sat. 7:00 pm: UNLV @ Colorado State: Right now, the MWC looks like a league that is only going to get two bids to the NCAA Tournament barring an upset in the conference tourney. But if someone is going to steal an at-large bid, in all likelihood it will be the winner of this game. UNLV has been a bit of a disappointment this season, as they are a team with a number of talented players that have not been able to put the pieces together. Colorado State may actually be exceeding expectations right now. The Rams have an excellent front court duo in Travis Franklin and Andy Ogide, who will be a tough matchup for the Rebels.

Sat. 9:00 pm: No. 24 Utah State @ No. 23 St. Mary's: This is, by far, the most important game of BracketBusters weekend. Its also the only BracketBusters game that may actually have an effect on the NCAA Tournament field. Both the Aggies and the Gaels have impressive records, but neither of them have done it against quality competition. Utah State has only played two teams rated higher than 123rd in the RPI, losing to both Georgetown and BYU, while also losing to Idaho in a game that seriously damaged their at-large hopes. St. Mary's has beaten St. John's and Gonzaga, but their loss to San Diego on Wednesday night made this a must-win. This is an eliminator game -- the loser is going to have to win their conference tournament to get in.


Sat. 9:00 pm: Illinois @ Michigan State: I doubt that anyone would have believed you if you said in the preseason that the loser of this game would be in serious danger of missing the NCAA Tournament. Michigan State has looked better in their last two games, smoking Penn State at home before putting up a good fight in a loss at Ohio State. Illinois, on the other hand, has struggled through Big Ten play. Demetri McCamey looks like he is mailing in this season, and no one else on the team has been able to pick up the slack. Is it too early to call this an eliminator game as well?

Sun. 1:00 pm: No. 3 Ohio State @ No. 11 Purdue: Ohio State embarrassed Purdue in Columbus earlier this season, beating the Boilermakers by 23 points. But as we all know, home court is everything in college hoops, and Mackey Arena is as tough a place to play as you will find in the Big Ten. Purdue already avenged one loss this week, as they took care of business against Wisconsin on Tuesday. If they are to do the same against the Buckeyes, its going to fall on JaJuan Johnson's shoulders. Can he defend Jared Sullinger in the post? Can he take advantage of the mismatch he will have at the other end of the floor?


BEST STORYLINES

Friday

• 7:00 pm: VCU @ Wichita State: Both these teams have probably cost themselves a real shot at an at-large bid, but both the Rams and the Shockers are more than quality basketball teams, they are quality programs.
  

Saturday

• 11:00 am: Hofstra @ Wright State: Charles Jenkins isn't really a storyline, but he may be the best player in the country you've never watched. This game is on ESPN U. Change that.
  
• 12:00 pm: No. 14 Villanova @ DePaul: The Wildcats will once again be without Corey Stokes, who is battling a turf toe injury.
• 12:00 pm: Duquesne @ Dayton: The Flyers are talented enough to be a spoiler for Duquesne, who is second in the Atlantic 10 right now. But the Flyers are talented enough to win the league, and that hasn't worked out.
• 1:00 pm: Florida State @ Wake Forest: The Seminoles will be playing their first game without Chris Singleton. At least they get a chance to ease into it against Wake Forest.
  
• 1:00 pm: Virginia Tech @ Virginia: The Hokies have won 13 of their last 16 games and Malcolm Delaney has started playing like last year's Malcolm Delaney. If the Hokies don't choke (which isn't a guarantee) they should be dancing.
  
• 1:45 pm: No. 21 Missouri @ Iowa State: Iowa State has a star in Diante Garrett and Missouri struggles on the road, but it will take some luck and hot shooting for the Cyclones to pull off this upset.
  
• 2:00 pm: Colorado @ No. 1 Kansas: Kansas is coming off of an embarrassing, 84-68 loss to Kansas State where the red flags -- maturity, leadership -- of this team were exposed. It will be interesting to see how the Jayhawks bounce back.
• 2:00 pm: No. 6 San Diego State @ Air Force: The Falcons have already outperformed expectations coming into the season. A win against SDSU would be an exclamation point.
• 3:00 pm: Iona @ Liberty: Mike Glover vs. Eric Gordon's brother?
• 3:00 pm: Tulsa @ SMU: Who would have thought that in late February, these two teams would be one game out of the lead in Conference USA?
  
• 4:00 pm: No. 18 Vanderbilt @ Auburn: Vandy might be the hottest team in the SEC, and I don't think that the Tigers are going to be able to change that.
• 4:00 pm: Rutgers @ No. 20 Syracuse: The Scarlet Knights are one of the toughest teams in the Big East. Unfortunately, they are lacking in the talent department. I'm not sure they have enough perimeter shooting to pull off this upset.
• 4:00 pm: South Carolina @ No. 22 Kentucky: The Wildcats are as talented as any team in the country, and they play like it when they play at Rupp.

• 4:00 pm: Oklahoma @ Kansas State: The Wildcat's performance against Kansas on Monday was great, but they need to build on it going forward. It will be interesting to see what they can do against the Sooners.
• 4:30 pm: No. 8 BYU @ TCU: TCU is reeling and playing without Ronnie Moss. Can the Horned Frogs contain The Jimmer?
• 4:30 pm: Northwestern State @ McNeese State: First place in the Eastern division of the Southland Conference is on the line in this one.
• 5:00 pm: Missouri State @ Valpo: Missouri State is currently tied for first in the MVC while Valpo is a half game behind Cleveland State in the Horizon. Neither will be getting an at-large bid, but both are capable of winning a game in the tournament.
  
• 6:00 pm: UCF @ UAB: The Blazers are just a game behind Memphis in the C-USA standing, but they are without Cameron Moore the rest of the season. UCF snapped an eight game losing streak by winning two in a row. Can they stay hot?
• 6:30 pm: Bethune-Cookman @ Hampton: First place in the MEAC is on the line.
  
• 7:00 pm: No. 9 Georgetown @ South Florida: Last year, the Bulls went into the Verizon Center and knocked off the Hoyas. This year, there is no Dominique Jones.
• 7:00 pm: George Mason @ Northern Iowa: The Panther haven't been the same team since Lucas O'Rear got injured, but this game is worth the watch (ESPN2) simply because GMU is a legitimate contender to win a game in the tournament.
• 8:00 pm: Texas Tech @ Baylor: The Bears are still trying to work their way into the NCAA Tournament field despite the fact that freshman Perry Jones may have played his way into the first pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
• 9:00 pm: San Francisco @ Gonzaga: Thanks to St. Mary's loss at San Diego, this game has all kinds of importance to the WCC race, as it will be for sole possession of second place in the league.
  
• 9:00 pm: Seton Hall @ Marquette: The Golden Eagles have damn near played their way out of the NCAA Tournament. There is still time to turn it around, however.
• 11:00 pm: Montana @ Long Beach State: Its cliche to say this, but since both of these teams are currently leading their conference, this could be a chance to watch two tournament teams. What else would you be doing this late on a Saturday night?
  

Sunday

• 1:00 pm: Cleveland State @ Old Dominion: Old Dominion probably won't gain that much by beating Cleveland State, but a loss at home to the Horizon leaders would end any chance of getting an at-large bid. As far as the Vikings are concerned, they have Norris Cole, who is worth watching for his play as much as his hi-top fade.
  
• 2:00 pm: St. Joe's @ No. 25 Temple: The A-10 was more fun when this rivalry game actually mattered.
• 3:00 pm: St. Bonaventure @ Richmond: The Spiders have to win the A-10 tournament if they want to be dancing come Selection Sunday.
• 3:30 pm: Clemson @ Miami FL: I don't think that Clemson is going to be able to climb back into the bubble picture after losing to NC State on Thursday night.
  
• 5:30 pm: NC State @ Maryland: The Terps may have also played their way out of the NCAA Tournament picture.
  
• 6:00 pm: Penn State @ No. 10 Wisconsin: Penn State has a chance to play their way onto the bubble in the weak middle of the Big Ten, but doing so at Wisconsin is a tough task.
  

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The Case for No. 1

Thanks to Jordan Taylor's incredible performance on Saturday, leading Wisconsin from 15 down in the second half to knock off Ohio State in Madison, Bob Knight's 1976 Indiana team will remain the last undefeated team in college hoops for another year.

It also means that the debate over who should be the No. 1 team in the country will be a lively one. There should be a consensus to who the top four teams in the country are -- Pitt, Texas, Kansas, and the Buckeyes.

Who is the best? What order should they be ranked? We break it all down for you:


The case for Kansas:

• Rankings: No. 2/No. 2
  
• Kenpom/RPI/SOS: No. 2/No. 1/No. 12
• Record: 24-1, 9-1
  

The Jayhawks hit a rough patch in their season about three weeks ago.

Thomas Robinson's mother passed away on the heels of both of her parents dying in the span of a month, leaving a teammate without a family. It was devastating to hear and read about. I can't imagine what it was like to live through or to see a teammate deal with. Robinson's mom died the night before Texas came to visit, and most of the team spent the night sitting up with the young man.

Not exactly the ideal way to prepare for what is the biggest game of the regular season.

The Jayhawks came out torrid on that Saturday, jumping out to an 18-3 lead and holding onto that lead for much of the first 25-30 minutes. But, eventually, the adrenaline wore off and the effects of a sleepless night took over. Texas made a phenomenal comeback, and Kansas was handed their only loss of the season.

Robinson missed the road trip to Colorado, but since he has rejoined the team, the Jayhawks have been nothing short of a buzzsaw. They've won five straight, all by at least 17 points, while scoring an average of 91.2 ppg. Two of those wins were against Missouri and Kansas State at home. Two were at Nebraska and Texas Tech. One was a 23 point win over an Iowa State team that made 14 three pointers.

No one in the country is playing better basketball than the Jayhawks are right now. And if it weren't for tragic circumstances, this team could very well be undefeated today.


The case for Ohio State:

• Rankings: No. 1/No. 1
  
• Kenpom/RPI/SOS: No. 1/No. 3/No. 31
  
• Record: 24-1, 11-1

Maybe I'm old school, but I find it tough to fault the Buckeyes for losing to a top 15 team at one of the most difficult places in the country to win.

No one beats Wisconsin at the Kohl Center. Well, I take that back. 11 teams have beaten Wisconsin at the Kohl Center in 161 games under head coach Bo Ryan. And no one in the country was beating the Badgers on Saturday. Hell, the Minnesota Timberwolves might have left with a loss the way Jordan Taylor was playing.

My point is that this loss shouldn't effect the way you look at Ohio State. If you thought they were the No. 1 team in the country heading into Saturday -- as all 96 people that voted in either the AP or the Coaches Poll did -- you should still consider them the best team in the country after Saturday.

But that isn't how the rankings work. If you lose, even if the loss is just as "good" as the Kansas loss to Texas at home, you drop. Fair or not.


The case for Pitt:

• Rankings: No. 4/No. 4
  
• Kenpom/RPI/SOS: No. 5/No. 6/No. 17
• Record: 23-2, 11-1

Of the four teams that we look at in this post, Pitt is probably the least likely to earn the top spot in the polls.

They've lost twice, their computers numbers aren't as pretty, and they lack the kind of star power and NBA potential that litters the rosters of Kansas, Texas, and Ohio State.

But that is exactly what Pitt wants you to think of them.

There is not a tough, more physical team in the country than Pitt. They don't win because they have the most talented players. They win because they are the best team, in every sense of the word. Think about this -- the Panthers played without Ashton Gibbs this week, their leading scorer and a candidate for Big East player of the year. It didn't matter. The Panthers still went into West Virginia and into Villanova in prime time games (on Big Monday and on Gameday on Saturday) and came away with wins.

Could Texas win at Kansas and Texas A&M without Jordan Hamilton? Could Kansas win in Austin or at Missouri with Marcus Morris? Ohio State couldn't win at Wisconsin with Jared Sullinger.

The counter-argument is that Pitt at full strength couldn't beat any of those three teams at full strength, and if you believe that, its fine. I'm not sure I'd argue with you.

And neither would Pitt. Its exactly what they want you to think.


The case for Texas:

• Rankings: No. 3/No. 3
  
• Kenpom/RPI/SOS: No. 3/No. 7/No. 18
• Record: 22-3, 10-0
  

Texas has the worst record of these four candidates with three losses. They also have easily the worst loss, a 17 point whooping they took at the hands of USC back in December.

That said, they are the only one of the four that is still undefeated in conference play. They haven't been squeaking by their opponents, either. On Saturday, LaceDarius Dunn led a second half comeback that fell short, as Baylor lost to the Longhorns 69-60. It was the closest conference game Texas has played yet this season. Before that, they had beaten Kansas by 11 at the Phog and knocked off Missouri by 13 in a game in which they shot 12-26 from the free throw line.

Texas isn't just beating people right now.

They are choking the lifeblood out of them. The Longhorns don't just have a great defense, they don't just have the best defense in the country, through ten Big 12 games, they are playing defense at a historic level.

If you look at the entire resume of each of these four teams, the Longhorns clearly have the worst. But since early January there hasn't been a better team than Texas.
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Important week for Pitt will happen without their most important player

The middle of the Big East is a dog fight.

The three teams currently tied for second place in the conference standings -- Notre Dame, Louisville, and Villanova -- own a two game lead over Cincinnati, Marquette, and St. John's, who currently sit tied for ninth. In other words, there are 10 teams within two games of second place in the league.

That's a lot of teams and will make for an exciting finish to the season -- all ten of those teams still have NCAA Tournament aspirations.

While the middle of the Big East is a mess, Pitt has begun to pull away at the top of the league.


The Panthers have opened up a two game lead over the rest of the Big East, and barring something crazy happening, it seemed like the Panthers simply had to slip it into cruise control to win the Big East regular season.

Well, something crazy happened. Namely, Ashton Gibbs strained his mcl. He's out for tonight's rivalry matchup at West Virginia and is very questionable for Saturday's trip to Philly to take on Nova. Pitt hasn't released a statement on his timetable, but the general consensus is that Gibbs could miss 10-14 days.

Which makes the coming week incredibly important for Pitt. And for West Virginia and Villanova.

If Pitt's lead is going to be cut into, now is the chance. Gibbs is the Panther's leading scorer. He's also one of the best three-point shooters in the country. Pitt may be the second most efficient offensive team in the country, but its not because they have a roster full of future NBA all-stars. Quite the opposite, actually. Pitt is so efficient because they are so good at getting to the offensive glass. Extra shots and second chance points only helps efficiency numbers.

Gibbs is a valuable piece for the Panthers because of his ability to score and the fact that he can have an offense run for him. He is one of the few players on the Pitt roster capable of creating his own shot. Gibbs doesn't do it in one-on-one situations, but there may not be a better player in the country at running off of a screen than Gibbs.

Therein lies the issue for Pitt.

Will they be able to go on the road and knock off two good teams and conference rivals when they are missing their best offensive weapon? Pitt is one of the best programs in the country. They are as deep as anyone this season, and may be the one team that is capable of withstanding the loss of a star player. Travon Woodall, who will likely slide into the starting role in the back court alongside Brad Wanamaker, is probably good enough to start at the point for a number of Big East teams, although he's not quite as good offensively as Gibbs. He will also be the only true point guard available for Jamie Dixon. Brad Wanamaker is a playmaker, but he's not a natural point guard. (Ashton Gibbs isn't either, but that is another post for another day.) Also expect JJ Moore and Lamar Patterson to see increased minutes on the perimeter.

If they can win two games this week, we might as well crown the Panthers Big East regular seasons champs on Sunday.

But if the Mountaineers and the Wildcats can both manage to knock off the Panthers, that means that there could feasibly be 11 teams within two games of first place in the Big East.

That, my friends, is the definition of a mess.
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Tuesday's Shootaround: Notre Dame's big win, Hofstra's big comeback

This post can also be found at Beyond the Arc.

No. 14 Notre Dame 56, No. 2 Pitt 51: See here.

One more note on this game -- Carleton Scott, who is one of the more undervalued players in the Big East, was sensational last night. He had 16 points, hit 5-6 from three, and helped battle Pitt's big men in the paint. His return from a hamstring injury has been a major boost for this club.

Kansas State 69, Baylor 61: An offensively atrocious first half that saw a total of 43 points led into a second half plagued by fouls and whistles, but in the end, K-State picked up an enormous win. It wasn't enormous because Baylor is a great team -- far from it, actually -- but no team in the country needed a confidence boosting win as badly as Kansas State. And, frankly, this is the way Kansas State needs to win. They have to win ugly -- forcing turnovers, forcing bad shots, getting defensive rebounds -- because they simply don't have the offensive firepower to do otherwise. Will Spradling looked fantastic last night, leading the team with 17 points.

As far Baylor is concerned, the Bears are in a bad spot right now. They have zero quality wins and have not played like they can beat a quality team. If Baylor has 17 turnovers against K-State's pressure, what is going to happen when they are playing Missouri? The more time goes by, the more evident it is how much Baylor misses Tweety Carter.

The CAA:

• Hofstra 92, James Madison 90 OT: Hofstra remained tied with VCU for first in the league as Charles Jenkins scored 35 points to lead the Pride to a comeback win over the Dukes. Hofstra was down 52-38 at home with 14:47 left, but rallied to force the extra frame on two free throws with 17 seconds left.
  
• VCU 80, Towson 76: VCU struggled a bit on the road against 4-15 Towson, but Joey Rodriguez had 18 of his 28 points in the second half as Ed Nixon hit 3-4 late free throws to seal the win. VCU and Hofstra will square off on Thursday night.
• Old Dominion 58, UNC-Wilmington 43: Frank Hassell had 25 points and 13 boards as the Monarchs rebounded to knock off UNCW.
  
• George Mason 69, Delaware 49: The Patriots stayed a game behind Hofstra and VCU thanks to 20 points from Cam Long.
  

Furman 73, Wofford 68 OT: Amu Saaka had 22 points and Furman used a 7-0 run to open overtime as they knocked off Wofford on the road. Both teams are now tied for second place in the SoCon South at 7-2, a half game behind Charleston.

Morehead State 50, Ball State 48: MSU managed just 15 first half points, but Kenneth Faried sparked a second half comeback as the Eagles picked up a win they desperately needed to help build some momentum. Faried finished with 13 points, 15 boards, three blocks, and two assists.

Mississippi Valley State 89, Texas Southern 76: The Delta Devils got 21 points and nine assists out of Terrence Joyner and scored 60 first half points as they coasted to a win and a first place tie in the SWAC. Both TSU and MVSU are 7-1 in league play. And if you were wondering, Kevin Galloway -- a former member of USC, the College of Southern Idaho, and Kentucky -- had 20 points for MVSU.
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