Big Ten Notebook

Big Ten Notebook

by Chris Burke

Indiana and Illinois have decided to play a game of Who Will Lose First?

As the new year approaches, neither the Hoosiers nor the Fighting Illini have dropped a game, charging out to 8-0 and 7-0 records, respectively. And while most of the wins have come against sub-par opponents, both teams have nailed down solid victories — Indiana over Maryland, Gonzaga, Vanderbilt and in a nonconference game against Purdue while Illinois routed North Carolina and knocked off Arkansas.

The two teams appear to be the early favorites for the Big Ten crown, which means circle Jan. 18 and Feb. 25 on your calendar, because that’s when the teams will face off.

The Hoosiers undefeated string will face a significant test over the next two weeks, with three straight road games at Kentucky, Temple and Ball State. The Wildcats already dropped one game at home to a Big Ten team – Michigan State – on Saturday, so they’ll be anxious to defend their home turf.

Illinois, meanwhile, heads to Missouri and Memphis for back-to-back games over the next two Saturdays. Wins there would no doubt land the Illini among the top 10 in the national polls.

Just when you think it’s safe to play Michigan State again

The Spartans entered their game at Kentucky on Saturday with a disappointing 4-2 record. But as has been the norm under Tom Izzo the last few years, Michigan State found a way to win a big ballgame on the road when it seemed that the Spartans were bound to lose.

Guard Chris Hill paced the way for the Spartans with 16 points, while Paul Davis tossed in 13 and Alan Anderson added 10. But Izzo’s group was uncharacteristically out-rebounded by Kentucky, 31-28.

But, perhaps a little more characteristically, the Spartans got a huge contribution from an unlikely source under the direst of circumstances. After a Keith Bogans’ layup put the Wildcats ahead 67-66 with just over a minute left, Michigan State turned to Tim Bograkos for the game-winner.

Bograkos had been averaging less than two points a game through MSU’s first six contests, but the low-scoring guard nailed a 3-pointer with the shot clock running out to put Michigan State on top, 69-67. The Spartans would not relinquish the lead, winning 71-67.

After the game, Izzo claimed that Bograkos was the “sixth option” on that play, but nevertheless, the sixth option got the job done and Michigan State once again claimed a huge road win.

Getting on the board

The Big Ten no longer features any winless teams after Michigan and Penn State both finally got into the win column last week.

After a miserable 0-6 start, the Wolverines finally showed some pop, spanking Bowling Green 83-57 behind 26 points from freshman Daniel Horton, 23 from LaVell Blanchard and a 20-point showing by Bernard Robinson Jr. Michigan then doubled its pleasure and its win total, overwhelming Charleston Southern, 84-53.

The Nittany Lions became the last team in the conference to grab a victory, rallying past Northeastern 79-67 on Saturday. Penn State shot 52-percent from the floor for the game and posted four players in double figures.

This week

There are a lot of less-than-attractive non-conference games on the Big Ten slate this week, but that will all change on Saturday when Indiana heads to Kentucky and Illinois travels to Missouri.

After those two showcase games, 6-1 Minnesota heads into the brutal environment at Oregon for a Sunday afternoon matchup. Ohio State also takes a trip to a top-10 team, heading to Pittsburgh on Wednesday night.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Tuesday, December 17, 2002

by Adam Shandler

The days of hosting a holiday tournament, thinking you’re going to sweep through its sub-par competition, are slowly fizzling out. It was just a Grizzly night for Stanford.

Struggling Montana, still trying to find its groove after a 2002 Tourney appearance and the loss of some key guys, held off the Cardinal, 70-68, at their own Stanford Invitational Tournament. The upset will most certainly affect Mike Montgomery’s team, which checked in with a 22 ranking last week.

The Griz’s David Bell, one of the few returning players on a 4-6 ballclub, paced all scorers wit 24 points and the decisive 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds left to seal the deal.

Said the 6-1 Bell, “I don’t think Stanford thought I was a 3-point threat at all. I was able to get open all game. They pressured me a lot more in the second half.”

Not to take anything away from Bell and the Grizzlies, but Stanford, which actually had five players in double figures, including four with 11, didn’t exactly help its cause. They shot 17-of-32 from the foul line.

Stanford has been hosting this tournament for four years now, but this will be the first time they will lose it. Ironically, Mike Montgomery coached Montana for eight seasons in the late 70′s, early 80′s.

In the other bracket, Pepperdine outlasted Richmond, 84-77.

Side Dishes

Blue Jays Still Flying: Creighton continued their winning ways with a 68-48 trouncing of Delaware State. This game wasn’t as easy for the Jays as the scoreboard indicates. Creighton, Number 24 in a recent Hoopville Top 25 poll, came out shooting blanks – missing their first 8-of-9 shots – committed 19 turnovers and led by only six at the break. Kyle Korver was held in check in spite of the twenty-point win. He finished with 7.

Just a Good Ol’ Fashion’ Drubbin’: In a relatively light night on the college hoops scene, the theme was evidently “throttle your opponent.” But this is what the early season is all about, showing the world that for every Montana-Stanford, there are a hundred Creighton-Delaware States. In games where parity took a night off, Arkansas State smashed in-state rival Arkansas Pine Bluff, 92-49; Chattanooga leveled Furman, 66-49; Georgetown rocked Norfolk State 84-48; Illinois-Chicago had their way with Samford, 73-45, and Louisiana-Lafayette blasted Alcorn State, 99-66. Joy to the world.

The Close Ones: In games of narrower gaps, Minnesota transfer Shane Schilling played his first game in a Mustangs uniform and led Cal Poly-SLO with 16 points in a 72-70 overtime win over Loyola-Marymount. Elswhere, Austin Peay squeaked by Belmont, 76-75, and in a battle of A&Ms, Florida A&M scooched by Alabama A&M, 91-89.

Tonight’s Menu:

• It’s the Jimmy V. Classic at New Jersey’s Continental Airlines Arena. The Classic, which honors the late N.C. State and Iona coach and more importantly, raises money for cancer research, will actually feature Valvano’s Wolfpack as they face Gonzaga. In the other matchup, it’s Number 5 Oregon versus Cincinnati, which returns center B.J. Grove from a struggle with weight problems.

• After their stunning road victory over Kentucky on Saturday, Michigan State will likely receive a hero’s welcome at the Breslin Center tonight when the Spartans take on Loyola-Chicago. Tom Izzo’s club looks for its fourth straight W.

• Duke offers some goodwill by scheduling winless North Carolina A&T. What happens during the game is a completely different story. Duke will face A&T on the road, so to speak. This contest will be played at the Greensboro Coliseum, where the Devils succeeded over Ohio State on December 3.

• It’s mid-December, which means the unofficial start of holiday tournament fever. In addition to the championship and consolation games of the Stanford Invitational, Louisville kicks off the Billy Minardi Classic. The host Redbirds will take on Eastern Kentucky in one game, Manhattan and Wright State square off in the other.

That’s your Tuesday Dish. Enjoy!

Peach Bowl Classic

Georgia on my Mind – the Peach Bowl Classic

by Phil Kasiecki

On Sunday, the Second Annual Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Classic for Kids was held at Philips Arena in Atlanta. While known more for the football game played on New Year’s Day, the basketball event was a nice doubleheader featuring four teams that we could see in March. With the hometown Falcons playing an early game next door at the Georgia Dome, Philips Arena was mostly empty at tip-off of the first game. By the end of the afternoon, close to 11,000 spectators had gathered to witness a terrific ending.

Georgia (4-3) 95, Gonzaga (5-3) 83

The first game was a battle of Bulldogs as Georgia took on Gonzaga. Georgia ran off 12 straight points to break open a close game and had a solid first half, then had answers to every Gonzaga charge in the second half in a 95-83 win.

In the second half, Gonzaga had more energy in the early going, but they could never sustain it and never got within single digits until the final minutes of the game. They would get as close as 83-76 on consecutive three-pointers by Tony Skinner and a dunk by Richard Fox with under three minutes to play.

Georgia got every loose ball and won the battle on the boards easily, 38-24. Rebounding was thought to be a strength for Gonzaga with their big frontline, but not on this day as Georgia had 17 offensive rebounds that translated into 21 second-chance points. Georgia also shot nearly 53% from the field, as they clicked on all cylinders offensively for much of the game.

Jarvis Hayes played an excellent game for Georgia, leading five players in double figures with a game-high 29 points and 5 assists. Ezra Williams had 21 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, and a real key for the Bulldogs was the lift Richard Wehunt gave them off the bench with 13 points. Ronny Turiaf led Gonzaga with 20 points.

Georgia looked a lot like many predicted in the preseason. Jarvis Hayes shot the ball well and scored on drives, while the inside play of Chris Daniels and Jonas Hayes was unspectacular but effective, even against the bigger front line of Gonzaga. Lost in all of this was Damien Wilkins’ effort, as he made 4 of 5 shots and had 8 assists, while turning it over just twice.

Gonzaga has a good lineup, but their front line did not deliver today as expected, especially on the glass. Turiaf scored 14 of his points at the free throw line, but he had just three rebounds. Richard Fox had 15 points, but matched Turiaf’s three rebounds. Zach Gourde had just two rebounds in 24 minutes, and Cory Violette had just 6 points. Blake Stepp’s struggles did not help, as he battled foul trouble while scoring just four points.

The first half set the stage for the game with Georgia’s run, though Gonzaga struggled mightily. “What we showed in the first half will literally not win another Division I game”, Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said in the post-game press conference. “Ultimately, we exorcised that demon and got it out and played the next 20 minutes much better.”

This game figures to be a microcosm of Gonzaga’s season, in that they will pick it up from here and finish the season just fine. We will see them again in March.

Tennessee (3-1) 70, Georgia Tech (4-2) 69

Jon Higgins hit a three-pointer from half court as time expired to give Tennessee an amazing 70-69 victory over Georgia Tech in the second game.

Georgia Tech led by as many as 13 in this game and led most of the way, but they never put the Volunteers away despite having their chances. Tennessee committed 22 turnovers and allowed the Yellow Jackets to score 13 second-chance points, but they stayed in by shooting 51% from the field. Ron Slay (game-high 28 points on 11-18 shooting, 12 rebounds) and Higgins (16 points on 5-7 shooting including 4 of 6 three-pointers, 6 assists) led the way in that department.

After B.J. Elder (21 points) made the second of two free throws, Slay had to inbound the ball with no timeouts and just 0.5 seconds left. He hit Higgins around half court and he somehow got the shot off just in time. The officials reviewed the play and counted the basket, leaving the Yellow Jackets and many of the hometown fans stunned.

The Yellow Jackets opened the second half by scoring the first 10 points to open up their largest lead, but Tennessee would gradually cut into the lead. The Yellow Jackets did not make a field goal in the final 7:25 after a layup by Isma’il Muhammad (13 points) gave them a 13-point lead once again. Also hurting them was missing 6 of 11 free throws in the final 2:16, and making just 15 of 29 from the charity stripe for the game.

The big key was that the Yellow Jackets never put the Volunteers away, as Muhammad elaborated on after the game. “They took advantage of every opportunity we threw their way”, Muhammad said. Head coach Paul Hewitt had similar sentiments, saying, “Bottom line, we had the chance to put them away, and we didn’t put them away.”

The Volunteers don’t have the talent they have had in recent seasons, but this team will be one to keep an eye on. Slay is leading the SEC in scoring and had a solid game today, while Higgins has always been an excellent shooter. Brandon Crump did not play well today, but he has improved, and if he and Elgrace Wilborn (10 rebounds, 5 blocked shots) can consistently give them rebounding and defense in the post, the Volunteers will be in good shape up front. Freshman point guard C.J. Watson looked erratic at times, but made some key plays as well that included a game-tying three-pointer with 1:54 to play. He will be a good point guard sooner rather than later.

The young Yellow Jackets figure to be among the top teams in a wide-open ACC this season. The Yellow Jackets start three sophomores and two freshmen, all of whom will get better. Elder is a nice scoring wing (21 points in this game, including 5-7 on three-pointers), Jarrett Jack will be a good point guard (6 assists, 2 turnovers in this game), Muhammad gives them a strong wing who can play defense, and many are keeping an eye on McDonald’s All-American Chris Bosh. Bosh did not play his best game against Tennessee as he mainly scored on put-backs (12 points, 9 rebounds), but the potential is there if he gets stronger as he is very active on the offensive glass. This was the first game in which he did not have a double-double in his young career. Sophomore Ed Nelson, last season’s ACC Rookie of the Year, is a solid reserve, while junior Marvin Lewis gives them a good shooter off the bench.

Not all about LeBron

It’s Not All About LeBron

by Jed Tai

Admit it, you watched.

If you’re a fan of basketball, you likely tuned in last Thursday night to ESPN2′s broadcast of the St. Vincent-St. Mary’s versus Oak Hill Academy contest to catch a glimpse of LeBron James, who if you buy all the hype, is the biggest thing to hit basketball since James Naismith poked holes in the bottom of the peach baskets.

While every writer and commentator on the planet is breaking down James’ game down to the most minute detail (and with good reason), what’s lost in the hubbub is the fact that there were a good number of other future basketball players in the game who – unlike James – will actually be playing in college next season. For even if the “Chosen One” had not played, it was still a matchup that would delight the hardcore high school/recruiting aficionado based on the talent on the court.

So, if you missed the game or were completely wrapped up in watching #23 for St. Vincent-St. Mary you didn’t notice anyone else, here’s a look at some of the future Division I talents who were also introduced to the nation for the very first time on Thursday (listed in alphabetical order):

Sian Cotton, St. V-M
College: considering Florida, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, others
Stats: 3 points on 1-for-2 fg, 6 rebounds, 2 assists

Cotton is a better football prospect as a defensive tackle and will likely be playing on the gridiron in the future, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him serve in a Julius Peppers/Teyo Johnson role down the line for whatever college he ends up at. He’s a widebody but he has some skills. Since he wasn’t a featured player on offense for the Irish, he didn’t touch the ball often, but late in the game he hit a 15-foot baseline jumper and showed some nice interior passing throughout the contest. And, of course, he hit the boards hard.

Dion Dacons, Oak Hill
College: considering Appalachian State, Davidson, others
Stats: 11 points on 5-for-10 fg, 5 rebounds

Dacons – the only returning player at Oak Hill from last year’s team – has been noted as an outstanding student, but he’s also not a half-bad basketball player. Despite his lithe frame, he worked his way to some tough baskets in the paint and contributed on the boards. He showed a nice touch on his shot and pretty much took what the defense gave him. Defensively, he matched up on James quite a few times and didn’t embarrass himself. He should be a nice pickup for a low-to-mid level program in college.

Ivan Harris, Oak Hill
College: committed to Ohio State
Stats: 13 points on 6-for-7 fg, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks

Ohio State head coach Jim O’Brien made the trip up from Columbus to watch the gem of his recruiting class, and he had to have come away happy. The 6-7, left-handed Harris played very efficiently, hitting his first six shots, including a three. He showed smoothness to his game and used his long arms to effectively rebound and defend – including a nice help block of LeBron James on one play. You’ll see him on TV again as a high-schooler; most likely at the McDonald’s All-American game in the spring.

Dru Joyce, St. V-M
College: committed to Akron
Stats: 5 points on 2-for-9 fg, 3 assists

Joyce is small to begin with at 5-9, and it really showed on the court. He hung around the perimeter for most of the game and hardly ever penetrated or showed much creativity with the ball, although one alley-oop to James in the first half was pretty. The fact most of his shots were way behind the three-point line (7 of his 9 attempts were threes) makes you wonder if he’ll be able to get off shots at next level. Still, he is an outstanding ball-handler and he was able to harass Williams on defense with his quickness.

Byron Joynes, Oak Hill
College: considering Connecticut, Maryland, others
Stats: 3 points on 1-3 fg, 4 rebounds

Joynes is a huge widebody at 6-9, 300 lbs, and certainly threw his body around in the contest. He worked hard on the boards and one of his hard fouls late in the game threw LeBron James to the deck. He did show a bit of polish to his game converting on a nice post move in the second half and a nice dish to a cutting teammate in the paint later on. It’s pretty clear he does need some work though – especially on his body – but some major programs are interested.

J.R. Reynolds, Oak Hill
College: committed to Virginia
Stats: 10 points on 3-for-9 fg, 2 assists

The 6-2 Reynolds only shot 3-for-9 from the field (2-for-7 from three-point range) but hadn’t misfired that often until Oak Hill really got down in the end and the Warriors were chucking up threes in an effort to catch up. He showed a pretty nice looking stroke, even though he didn’t hit many. He did tend to force the action a bit on some wild drives to the basket, but appears to be a good athlete with a nice body. He should be a contributor at Virginia.

Romeo Travis, St. V-M
College: committed to Akron
Stats: 17 points on 7-for-14 fg, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 assists

If James hadn’t played, the 6-7 Travis would have been the star of the game. While it is apparent the familiarity between him and James played a part in him ringing up big numbers (James often found Travis underneath for open hoops), Travis does get the credit for having the knack of hanging around the hoop to receive those passes. But he not only scored on those but by converting offensive putbacks as well. While he didn’t hit any of his three three-point field goal attempts, you could tell from his lefty shot that he has that kind of range. He was also extremely active defensively with the four rejections and a couple of steals. He is a great pickup for a school like Akron.

Marcus Williams, Oak Hill
College: committed to Connecticut
Stats: 3 points on 1-for-14 fg, 6 rebounds, 7 assists

Williams clearly didn’t have one of his better performances (unlike a game last week where he set a school record with 24 assists) – but he is the latest in a long line of Oak Hill point guard greats (Strickland, McInnis, Avery, Blake, to name a few). Despite the rough shooting night, he did display nice floor leadership, keeping good care of the ball and finding open teammates either underneath or on the perimeter. And while his shot wasn’t falling, he helped out on the glass and on defense. However, the fact he made some poor decisions on the break and kept on shooting does go to show why some feel he’s more of a combo guard than a pure point guard. But, at 6-2, 185 lbs he has nice size and should be an impact player at UConn next season.

By the Way

The broadcast of the St. Vincent-St. Mary versus Oak Hill matchup was billed as the first high school regular season game broadcast by ESPN in 13 years. For whatever reason, the network hasn’t specified which exact game it was that was shown back in 1989. In case you were wondering exactly which contest it was, it was a matchup between St. Anthony’s (NJ) and Flint Hill (VA), two of the top ranked programs that season. Like the St. V-M/Oak Hill matchup, it was star-studded: St. Anthony’s was led by seniors Bobby Hurley (Duke) and Jerry Walker (Seton Hall) and a freshman named Rodrick Rhodes (Kentucky/Southern Cal), while Flint Hill featured George Lynch (North Carolina) and Aaron Bain (Villanova). Now you know.

Hoopville senior writer Phil Kasiecki contributed to this article.

Big West Notebook

Big West Conference Notebook

by Shaan Hassan

Completely disregard my last column. I went out of my way to make it perfectly clear that Utah State was clearly the best team in the league. I went on and on about forward Desmond Penigar and the Aggies’ defense and ball control. I said that the only thing I know in this topsy-turvy conference is that the Aggies are the best team. Apparently, not even that is true.

After going 5-0 to start the season, Utah State’s current two-game losing streak has vaulted Cal State Northridge into a tie at the top. The Matadors’ 92-67 victory over San Jose State, combined with the Aggies’ losses (BYU and a dismal Jackson St. team), have Northridge looking like the best team in the league.

While Utah State took first place with defense and ball control, Northridge is doing it with offense, offense and more offense. The Matadors are averaging over 83 points per game with guard Ian Boylan leading the way (18 ppg). The second leading scorer is forward Curtis Slaughter, who’s averaging just under twelve points per game. The Matadors have nine players averaging over five points and 11 players averaging double-digits in minutes per game.

Northridge started off 1-2 after losses to Portland State and Oregon, but has since won four straight, three of which came in blowout fashion. Against Howard, Dec. 1, the Matadors won 101-80. Six days later, Northridge routed Bethany College by 66 points, 117-51. On Dec. 14, San Jose State fell victim to the offensive onslaught of the Matadors, 92-67.

The Matadors’ defense isn’t too shabby either, holding opponents to 67 points per game and totaling 87 steals (12.4 per game). However, with a fast-paced offense comes sloppy play at times, and Northridge is no exception. The team is averaging 21.1 turnovers per game to just 18 assists.

Even with the turnovers, the team’s margins of victory lately and their shot clock ignorant offense show that the Matadors are clearly the team to beat in the conference…at least for this week.

Spin the Big West Wheel to find out next week’s best team.

Big West? Big Deal!

It’s become clear that no one really fears teams in the Big West Conference. During a span of five days, from Dec. 10 to 14, conference teams went 3-9. Those wins came on Dec. 14: UC Riverside’s 71-58 win over UC Santa Cruz, Northridge’s 92-67 triumph over San Jose State and Pacific’s 75-59 victory over San Francisco.

Long Beach State played three games between Dec. 8 and Dec. 14, losing all three of them by a combined 40 points. Among the losses, UCSB fell victim to Cal, 67-60, while Idaho and Cal State Fullerton both went
0-2.

Final-ly, Time Off

Out of the mix is UC Irvine, which gave its team the week off to prepare for final exams. While some believe the term student-athlete should be turned around to read athlete-student, UCI, at least for the time being, chose to recognize the former.

The Anteaters’ last game came Dec. 7, when they held no mercy against Pomona Pitzer and embarrassed them 91-23 – the largest margin of defeat in UCI history. The last day of finals at UC Irvine was Dec. 13 and the Anteaters will return to action Dec. 19 when they visit Stanford.

Irvine, with a 3-2 record, is ninth in the NCAA in free-throw percentage at 80 percent, 22nd in three-point shooting at 43 percent and 43rd in field-goal shooting at 49 percent. Center Adam Parada is 10th in the NCAA in field goal shooting at 70 percent.

Matador Named Player of the Week

Guard Ian Boylan of Cal State Northridge was honored as the Big West Conference Player of the Week on Dec. 9, as the Matadors went 2-0 for the week. The super sophomore scored 22 points in Northridge’s 64-61 win over previously unbeaten San Diego Wednesday. Boylan shot 7-16 from the field and added six rebounds and four steals.

His week wasn’t quite finished, yet. Saturday, he scored 15 points in his team’s 117-51 victory over Bethany College. During the two games, Boylan averaged nearly 19 points, five rebounds and four steals. He also shot 50 percent from the behind the arc and 44.4 percent from the field.

SWAC Notebook

Southwestern Conference Notebook

by Nik Bannister

‘Tis the season to be… .500 – or below

Last week, the football teams of Alabama A&M and Grambling State met up in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championships. Oddly enough this could this be a preview of what’s to come in March. After all, A&M and the Tigers are atop the SWAC with 3 wins and 3 losses apiece.

Texas Southern isn’t far behind with two wins and two losses. Senior guard Ra’kim Hollis is really carrying the team and who knows how far he will take them in conference play in January. Hollis leads the SWAC with 23 points per game.

The best in SWAC

As mentioned, Grambling State and Alabama A&M are leading the conference. Tigers’ senior forward William McDonald is third in conference rebounding (8.0 rpg.) and freshman guard Brion Rush is third in conference scoring (18.2 ppg.).
Although Alabama A&M has no one in the top three in points, rebounds, and assists goes, they must be doing something right. After all, who’s number one (at least for now)?

Who’s the best one-win team?

Prairie View is fourth in the SWAC with two losses. This is hard to fathom because the Panthers have the least turnovers in the conference. It makes you wonder what they’re doing with the ball when it’s in their possession.

The Jags of Southern U, have three losses in four games (the fewest played in the conference so far). It seems, however, like they’ll be a more competitive squad as the weeks go on. Sophomore forwards Pete Cipriano and Travyean Scott are doing all they can for the Jags. Perhaps in conference play, we can really see what Coach Ben Jobe’s boys are made of.

Jackson State and Mississippi Valley State both have five losses. The Delta Devils down at MVSU have a senior guard by the name of Ashley Robinson who’s in the giving spirit. He is third in the conference in assists (4.2 apg.).

The defending conference champion, Alcorn State, finds itself in unfamiliar territory – next to last. They have six losses and round out the bevy of teams with one win. Sophomore guard Lee Cook is second in the SWAC in scoring (21.8 ppg.), but that won’t be enough to get head coach David Whitney’s squad at .500 before conference play.

Much to do about nothing (or no wins)?

As of now the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions have all the luster of silverware that’s six feet underground. Plagued by so many deficiencies, it’s hard to tell when head coach Van Holt will be able to get them on track. The Golden Lions are tied for second place in the SWAC in assists (13.7 apg.), but also seem to be feeding the other team quite a bit. They lead the SWAC in turnovers (20.8 per game).

Player of the Week

Grambling freshman guard Brion Rush has 18.2 ppg., and three-point percentage of .455.

Mountain West Notebook

Mountain West Notebook

by Bob Thurman

A Quiet, Yet Successful Week

It was fairly quiet this past week in college hoops compared to previous weeks, and the Mountain West was no different. However, it was the most successful week of the season for the conference, as they won twelve of the thirteen games they played. The most impressive win was Wyoming’s victory over previously unbeaten Texas Tech, 67-62. The Cowboys were without star center Uche Nsonwu-Amadi, who is still nursing a sprained knee, but got some good inside play from Alex Dunn and Mory Correa. It was the quality win the Cowboys have been striving for all season and could help turn their season around.

In other action, BYU continues to impress with victories over San Diego (64-49) and intrastate rival Utah State (66 – 56). The Cougars are playing solid team defense, along with balanced scoring from their starting five. Image how good this team will be if they start getting some production from their bench, other than Ricky Bower of course! UNLV, on the other hand, struggled in their contest with Bradley. The Rebels were pushed into overtime and were on the verge of defeat until Dalron Johnson buried a three pointer with less than a second to go to pull out the win, 85-83. Like BYU, UNLV is not getting much production from their bench, which only produced five points in the win against Bradley. This is an area of concern for both teams as they head into conference play.

More Winning Ways

Colorado State is quietly having a solid season and continued their winning ways with a quality win over Washington State, 90-79. The Rams’ frontline tandem of Brian Greene and Matt Nelson combined for 33 points and 15 rebounds to overwhelm the much smaller Cougar frontline, while clamping down on star point guard Marcus Moore, who only went 6 – 23 from the field. Take away their poor performances over the Thanksgiving weekend, and the Rams are 8 – 0. Blame it on the turkey!

Since their tough loss to Arizona, San Diego State seems to have found some confidence and is playing much better. For further proof, look no farther than their win over a tough Hawaii team, 60-49. Both teams struggled in the first half, which ended in a 22-22 tie. In the second half, the Aztecs shot 60 percent and took over down the stretch. Defensively, the Aztecs actually shutout three of the Rainbow’s starters, who combined to miss all ten shots they attempted. It was Hawaii’s first loss of the season.

A Promising Start

There was some good news out of New Mexico this past week. Guard Senque Carey, who suffered a spinal cord injury when he took a charge in a game November 25th against Northwestern State, was able to move his legs on his own will. Later, after receiving shock therapy, the senior guard stepped onto the court and shot a few baskets. It was a promising start to a long, but hopefully successful rehabilitation. Way to go Senque!

This Week’s MWC Heat-Miser Award

Andy Birley, Colorado State
9 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 turnover versus Denver

The Rams huge frontline gets most of the press, but their backcourt has played well too, especially senior Andy Birley. Against Denver, he played maybe his best all-around game by distributing the ball effectively, taking care of it, and scoring when needed.

This Week’s MWC Snow-Miser Award

Omoniyi Makun, Wyoming
2 points, 3 rebounds, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls versus Texas Tech

It was hoped the junior college transfer would be able to lesson the pain of Josh Davis’ departure, but so far he has been a bust. The big Nigerian is struggling against quality opposition, and was not a factor in Wyoming’s big win. Luckily, the Cowboys are finally getting some production from some of their other big guys, but that does not bode well for Makun.

SEC Notebook

SEC Notebook

by Rainer Sabin

For Mississippi State center Mario Austin, the season was almost over before it even began. But that changed last Tuesday when the NCAA declared him eligible to play after its investigators determined that he completed the requisite amount of core class hours at his high school in Alabama. Four days later, Austin made his triumphant return to the hardwood in the Mecca of sports arenas-Madison Square Garden, where he faced off against David West and the No. 10 Xavier Musketeers.

It didn’t seem as if life could get any better for the 6-9 forward, who thought his season was going down the drain just a week ago. Yet, it did. Austin dominated the Musketeers last Saturday, as he scored 28 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and even drained a three-pointer in a 71-61 win for the Bulldogs (6-1).

Meanwhile, Austin’s heralded counterpart, West, was limited to 13 points, despite the fact that the biggest Bulldog on the block did not guard him. West seemed to realize that it was Austin’s day. In an interview with ESPN.com’s Andy Katz, he commented on Austin’s performance. “Wow, 28 points in his first game back,” the Xavier star said. “Can’t get any better than that. He’s a load. He works so hard off the ball, too. Guys who were guarding him kept telling me to get him away from the block, but then he caught the ball two feet from the basket and you can’t do anything about that.”

With Austin back in full effect, it seems as if Mississippi State’s season is just beginning. Beware of the Bulldogs.

Fear the Gators

Last Saturday, the Florida Gators (7-2) did something no other non-conference team has done in 13 years – beat Maryland at home. Behind the shooting of freshman guard Anthony Roberson, who scored 20 points, Florida outlasted the Terrapins 69-64 and ended their streak of 87 consecutive non-conference wins in College Park, which began after a 70-63 loss to Coppin State back in 1989. The Gators will be able to relish the victory for a week before they play in-state rival Miami on Dec. 21.

Spartans Invade Lexington

In a game featuring star players Keith Bogans, Chris Hill, and Aloysius Anagonye, Tim Bograkos emerged as the hero. That’s right. Michigan State’s 6-2 sophomore guard sank a three-pointer on the wing with 49.2 seconds left that pushed the Spartans over the hump in a 71-67 victory over Kentucky in Rupp Arena. Bograkos, who averages 1.7 points per game in the 2002-2003 campaign, made his name known on CBS’ nationally televised broadcast when he quickly responded to a Keith Bogans’ lay-up, which gave the Wildcats a 67-66 lead. With Kentucky focusing on Hill, who scored 16 points, Bograkos was left wide-open on the Spartans’ possession and immediately quieted the crowd with his trifecta. Kentucky falls to 5-2 with the loss and will face another Big Ten opponent, national title runner-up Indiana, Dec. 21.

Alabama has Close Shave

The Alabama Crimson Tide (7-0), which earned the highest ranking ever in the major polls when it moved up to No. 2 last week, almost suffered a loss that would have sent it tumbling back down. But the Tide survived its brush with disaster Saturday, as it outlasted Bowling Green 72-63 in the Coors Classic in Mobile, Ala. Forward Kenny Walker scored 25 points in the victory over the Falcons, which trailed 66-63 with 1:51 left in regulation. The Falcons were 2-3 going into the game and had been blown out by a dismal Michigan team 83-57. But center Kevin Netter scored 26 points and kept Bowling Green in the game. Alabama will try to get back on track against Providence Dec. 21.

One Bulldog Tops the Other

Georgia (4-3) proved who was to dog on Sunday, as it outlasted Gonzaga 95-83 in the Peach Bowl Classic in Atlanta. In a battle of two schools, whose nicknames are the Bulldogs, Coach Jim Harrick’s team continued to make amends for the early season debacles it suffered. All-American candidate Jarvis Hayes scored 29 points, while guard Ezra Williams added 21 points in the victory over a team that hails from the West Coast Conference.

Tigers Chomp on some Cupcakes

LSU (5-1) is about to enter a diabetic coma after taking a bite out of the sweet confections that have appeared on its schedule, which is ranked 306th in the nation in terms of strength of opponents. After a seven-day hiatus due to final exams, the Tigers took out Texas A&M Corpus Christi 95-60. Corpus Christi has allowed opponents to score an average of 92 points and has beaten only one other Division I school. The Tigers, meanwhile, have played only one legitimate opponent – Texas A&M from College Station – and lost 79-77. Their next big test is against No. 1 Arizona next Saturday – a game, which follows a Tuesday match-up against Prairie View A&M.

Around the Rest of the SEC

Tennessee (3-1) secured a 70-69 victory over Georgia Tech, as Jon Higgins nailed a half-court three-pointer at the buzzer. The Volunteers, who had lost several games in the last seconds last season, got revenge against the Yellow Jackets. Higgins scored the last five points of the game for Tennessee, which was playing the second game of the Peach Bowl Classic. South Carolina (4-2) hosts Wofford Monday night after taking an eight-day break for finals . . . Vanderbilt (5-2) played High Point Sunday night in Nashville – six days after losing to Indiana 73-56 . . . Arkansas (2-4) will return to the court Dec. 18 after an eight-day break that began after a 72-60 win over Louisiana Tech. Coach Stan Heath says the extra practice time afforded by the respite will help his team correct the mistakes they made early in the season and allow him to simplify his offense . . . Justin Reed scored 22 points, as Ole Miss (4-1) rolled over another non-conference lightweight – Virginia Commonwealth – 82-68 Saturday. The Rebels have a 15-game winning streak at home . . . Auburn (6-1) beat up on Murray State 72-52 on Saturday, as Marquis Daniels scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

Colonial Notebook

Colonial Notebook

by Beth Iskoe

Business as usual

There were almost no upsets this week, as every game but one went according to plan. The CAA teams feasted on lesser competition or and were completely overmatched by more dominant squads. UNC Wilmington crushed Campbell 68-36 Wednesday night, while Towson destroyed Maryland-Eastern Shore 65-40 Thursday and snuck by Norfolk State 53-50 Saturday. Old Dominion also had its way with Maryland-Eastern Shore, coasting to an easy 82-62 victory Saturday.

On the flip side, Delaware was overwhelmed 77-59 by a very good St. Joseph’s squad Monday night and trailed the entire time during its 70-60 loss to Rider Saturday night. At Madison Square Garden Saturday night, Hofstra was totally out of its league when it suffered an 84-59 whooping at the hands of St. John’s.

Virginia Commonwealth, one of the few teams in the CAA with a winning record heading into last week, was outplayed 82-68 by a better Mississippi squad Saturday night.

The lone upset occurred Sunday afternoon when Drexel lost 81-78 to Quinnipiac. Sophomore guard Phil Goss had a chance to send the game into overtime, but his three-pointer at the buzzer bounced off the rim.

Getting back to respectability

After starting the season slow, most of the CAA squads have slowly but surely clawed their way back to hover around the .500 mark. While no team owns a winning record, half of the teams are 3-3 including Drexel, George Mason, UNC Wilmington, Towson and Virginia Commonwealth. Delaware and James Madison are just a game away from evening their records, as both squads are 2-3. Old Dominion improved to 2-4, both William and Mary (1-4) and Hofstra (1-5) still have only one victory apiece.

Moving on up

UNC Wilmington senior guard Brett Blizzard continued to move up the CAA career charts. He is now fourth in three-pointers made with 279, needing only fifteen to pass American’s Nathan Smith’s 293 and move into third place. Blizzard is currently sixth in three-point attempts with 661 and seventh in steals with 193. He is also one of 36 finalists for the senior CLASS award.

Saturday night, Virginia Commonwealth senior forward Willie Taylor became the 22nd player in Rams history to go over 1,000 points for his career when he scored a team-high 20 points against Mississippi.

Team records

Maryland-Eastern Shore’s 40 point effort was the lowest point total Towson has allowed since it held Loyola College to 40 points during the 1976 season. Also, the Tigers 25 point win was their largest margin of victory since 2000 when they defeated New Hampshire 80-52. The victory over Maryland-Eastern Shore was Towson’s fifth consecutive home opener win.

Fab freshman

Virginia Commonwealth freshman forward Nick George earned his second consecutive CAA Rookie of the Week Award. He averaged fifteen points and twelve rebounds in the Rams’ three victories, including two double-doubles.

Clutch

Towson senior guard Brian Allen was clutch in the last six minutes of the Tigers’ 53-50 victory over Norfolk State. During that span, he scored all eleven of his points and hit the game winning three-point shot with ten seconds remaining.

In trouble

George Mason senior forward Jesse Young has been suspended two games for violating team and university athletic department policies. Young is the Patriots’ leading rebounder (7.0 rpg) and second leading scorer (12.5 ppg). This season, he has one double-double and has scored in double figures three times.

Change of plans

UNC Wilmington sophomore forward Brandon Clifford decided to take a leave of absence from the team and announced he will transfer at the end of the semester. In four appearances this season, Clifford only averaged four minutes. Over his career at UNC Wilmington he has scored 93 points (2.3 ppg) and grabbed 48 rebounds (1.2 rpg).

Who’s hurting?

Hofstra has a pair of players that are battling injuries. Senior forward Danny Walker hurt his ankle and will be out until January. It is likely that he will be red shirted. Senior forward Osei Millar injured his knee and is expected to miss 2-3 weeks.

Upcoming Schedule:

Thursday, December 19th
UNC Greensboro at Delaware – 7:30 pm
Hampton at VCU – 7:30 pm
George Mason at East Carolina – 8:00 pm

Friday, December 20th
James Madison vs. Denver – 1:00 pm (San Juan Shootout)
Dayton at Old Dominion – 7:00 pm
Towson at Morgan State – 7:30 pm (makeup from 12/5)

Saturday, December 21st
Delaware at Siena – 1:00 pm
Hofstra at Stony Brook – 1:00 pm
Drexel at Niagara – 4:00 pm
Texas San Antonio at UNC Wilmington – 7:00 pm
Texas Christian at VCU – 7:30 pm
James Madison vs. TBA (San Juan Shootout)

Sunday, December 22nd
George Washington at Towson – 1:00 pm
Morgan State at William and Mary – 2:00 pm
James Madison vs. TBA (San Juan Shootout)

Pac-10 Notebook

Pac-10 Notebook

by Joaquin Mesa

Congratulations Pac-10, you had a great week beating up on some skilled and talented nobodies. Only two Washington losses spoiled your perfect week. You can thank Lorenzo Romar and Paul Graham for their schools inability to recruit for multiple sports. Teams were given the opportunity this week to run up the score on third tier division one teams. After UCLA pounded Portland, California avenged USC’s loss to UCSB and Oregon State crushed Sacramento State, I found myself excited about…well, nothing. True, I was anticipating a quality game between Stanford and powerhouse St. Mary’s, but I expected St. Mary’s to be a little bit high on their recent successes against Portland State and San Jose State, two opponents that anyone would be proud of beating. I could hardly wait for Synder, Green and Pinkney to stroll into Arizona State with their daunting Nevada teammates. Then, when I thought I couldn’t possibly lust for more, Washington State pleasantly surprised me with a victory over a tough Montana team.

Of course, I am being facetious. I was of course completely astounded when Washington State beat Montana.

Honestly, I spent most of the week waiting for Arizona to play Texas. This game was one of the few Pac-10 games on my early radar. Texas is a young, scruffy team that reminds me of USC last year, with a trio in T.J. Ford (David Bluthenthal), Brandon Mouton (Brandon Granville) and James Thomas (Sam Clancy) that can lead a team that lacks size deep into the tournament. USC gave Arizona fits last year, and Texas almost unseated the Wildcats earlier then they might have hoped. Without Walton, Arizona relied on Gardner’s clutch shooting to keep them atop the nations polls. It was Gardner’s poor shooting that kept Texas at the Wildcats’ heals, but he proved that senior leadership is what makes national champions. Arizona has started a number of different rotations since garnering the number one ranking in the pre-season. Against Texas, they kept freshman Andre Iguodala in the rotation, while benching big man Channing Frye and starting Isaiah Fox in the middle. I suggested before the game that they counter Texas’ speed with size, but obviously, Lute Olsen knows basketball a little bit better than I do. A couple of Jason Gardner free throws rimming out, and I might have been able to say something, but…alas, I fear I will remain in the throw of sports writing. Adams again was a key contributor, as was Salim Stoudamire who loves those three balls. These two young guns are key to Arizona’s success. Already, Hassan is making a name for himself as a high flyer, and a good shooter. His energy off the bench is what makes Arizona a very scary team. Next test . . . Oregon in January.

How does one attempt to beat Oregon?

Oregon got a little practice in second half come-backs against Pepperdine, something they hope they will not have to use against Arizona. It seems that no team in the country can keep up with the Oregon Ducks. The Luke show seems to run everybody off the floor. They can consistently put up one hundred points against quality teams. The only team that can run with the Ducks is Kansas, a team that beat them a year ago in the tournament, and they couldn’t keep up a week ago. The key to playing the Ducks is running down the clock. This is what Pac-10 teams learned last year, and what other coaches should be telling their players. Teams should use every single second of the thirty-five second clock, and control the defensive boards. How does one do this without crashing the boards and leaving players like Ridnour and James Davis and Luke Jackson free for open shots…well, Jackson will be crashing and Ridnour will be driving, so the key is to have anybody who is not guarding Davis to swarm to the boards or to the ball-handler, whoever is closer. Let Ian Crosswhite, Robert Johnson and Andre Joseph beat you from twenty feet away, because if you give them the boards, they will not miss on second chance shots. If anybody else wants to drive, give them a little room and keep a hand in their face. These all seem like basic things, but those most successful against Ernie Kent’s running system are coaches and systems that stress the simple things. Last year, Mike Montgomery of Stanford was successful against Oregon, as was Ben Braun of California and Henry Bibby of USC. All three of these coaches lacked spectacular runners. They made do with strong rebounding or consistent shooting. They played Oregon close by slowing down the tempo. Don’t forget though, that in each of these losses, Oregon still scored seventy-eight points or more with a slowed tempo. Sick, absolutely sick.

Stanford and the emergence of Childress and Barnes

Childress and Julius Barnes have taken over a team that once looked to Casey Jacobsen and Curtis Borchardt for clutch play. They weren’t expected to look to good, and I only ranked them sixth in the conference. Instead, Julius and Curtis are looking like a formidable one-two punch. Josh Childress is the young sophomore that was given a little bit more room to breathe then Cedric Bozeman down at UCLA last season, and he would have impressive games here and there. Now, he is consistently giving Stanford a scorer to replace Jacobsen. If only Lavin had done what Montgomery had done, he might have a quality second year point guard. Instead, he has Bozeman. Julius Barnes is the stable point guard that is picking up his game in order to fill the big gap left by the big man Borchardt. Stanford, notorious for big men, now relies on a little one. Funny how the tables turn. How might they fare in the Pac-10? It might help Stanford keep up with Oregon, but going small usually doesn’t work in this conference. The big men in Arizona, Oregon, UCLA and California can run pretty well as they often are on the lighter side. I hope that Stanford has a mattress to cushion the fall from its early season high.

Nothing else exciting

There really was nothing else outstanding this week. UCLA’s routing of Portland really was nothing to talk about, and all the wins were a little expected . . .just a little. There are good games between Oregon and Cincinnati, Oregon and Minnesota, UCLA and Michigan, UCLA and Kansas, California and Kansas as well as Arizona State and Purdue. But, I can’t wait for January when the Pac-10 trash talking really begins. I’m getting really sick of those message board freaks laughing at USC’s quick demise in the tournament.

Mid-American Notebook

Mid-American Conference Notebook

by Adam Trumble

The week in the Mid-American Conference saw conference
action kick-off, with Miami coming back to defeat
Western Michigan, 44-39, while East Division favored
Ohio fell at Toledo, 78-71. Also, Bowling Green
knocked off East Division opponent Buffalo 76-59 and
in the other MAC game Marshall defeated Northern
Illinois, 75-57.

Miami gets defensive

The Mid-American Conference football championship game
saw more scoring then the Miami/Western Michigan
basketball game Saturday. In the end, Miami held on to
a 44-39 point victory.

Danny Horace scored 13 points and grabbed a game-high
seven rebounds to open conference play.

Western Michigan (4-2, 0-1 MAC) led 17-16 at halftime
and kept a small lead through most of the second half.
The RedHawks (3-3, 1-0) then tied the game at 37-37 on
a layup by Matt Jameson with 3:47 remaining. Senior
guard Robby Collum then fouled Jameson, who made the
second of his two free throws and gave the RedHawks
their first lead in the second half at 38-37 with 2:51
remaining. Miami stayed ahead the rest of the way.
Collum led Western Michigan in scoring with 14 points.

Before the RedHawks knocked off Western Michigan they
defeated Atlantic-10 opponent Dayton, 78-63. Horace
scored a career-high 21 points, including five points
during a 17-0 run when Miami took control of the game
midway through the second half. The Flyers were held
scoreless for a seven minute stretch falling down by
15-point deficit.

East favored Bobcats drop conference opener

For the fifth straight time, the Ohio Bobcats came
away empty from Toledo’s Savage Hall. The Bobcats
dropped a 78-71 decision to the Rockets in an early
Mid-American Conference opener for both teams.

Toledo senior Keith Triplett scored a career-high 31
points. The junior guard shot 10-of-11 from the floor,
including 6-of-7 from three-point range.

Senior guard Nick Moore scored 14 points and Anton
Curry netted 12 while the Rockets (3-3, 1-0 MAC) were
paced on the glass by Milo Kirsh’s eight rebounds.

Ohio senior forward Brandon Hunter had a double-double
with 25 points and 13 rebounds in a losing fashion for
the Bobcats (1-2, 0-1 MAC). Jaivon Harris scored 14
points while Steve Esterkamp chipped in 13 for the
Bobcats.

A 13-8 run gave Toledo a 38-24 advantage at the half.
Ohio outscored the Rockets 47-40 in the second half,
shooting 60 percent from the field.

Falcons soar over Bulls

The Bowling Green State Falcons won the Mid-American
Conference season opener with a 76-59 victory over the
Buffalo Bulls.

The Falcons (2-1, 1-0) capitalized on Buffalo’s 18
first-half turnovers to take control of the game The
Falcons took an early 11-2 before going up by more
than 10-points and never looked back. BGSU built the lead up to as many as 24, before
coasting to the victory.

The Falcons were led by Kevin Netter who scored a
career-high 36 points. The junior center gave the
Bulls postmen fits all night as he was able to
establish position inside scoring or drawing fouls the
whole game. Twelve of Netter’s 36 points came from the
free throw line. John Reimold added 19 points,
including five three-pointers, for the Falcons.

Blackshear keeps scoring for Herd

Guard Ronald Blackshear scored 21 points and Monty
Wright added 18 points to lead Marshall to a 75-57
Mid-American Conference win at Northern Illinois
Saturday.

The Thundering Herd (3-1, 1-0 MAC) opened the game
with an 11-4 lead and managed to stave off several
Husky runs. Northern Illinois (3-4, 0-1 MAC) failed
to keep pace in the second half, however, as Marshall
distanced itself by limiting NIU to only 21 second
half points.

Blackshear finished the game 8 of 18 from the floor
and was only 2 of 5 from three-point range. The junior
added six rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
The Thundering Herd bounced back to beat Northern
Illinois after a difficult road performance in which
they lost 75-56 to Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights built
a 26-point lead in the first half and coasted to an
easy 19-point victory.

Rutgers forced 21 turnovers, while keeping Blackshear contained. Blackshear, who entered
the game averaging 27.5 points per game, finished the
night with a season-low 11 points and managed to hit
only four of 12 shots from the floor.

MAC Player of the Week:

Central Michigan junior center Chris Kaman. For the week, Kaman
averaged 24.0 points, 15.5 boards, 4.0 blocks, and 1.5 steals
per game. He shot .857 (18-for-21) from the floor and
.800 (12-for-13) from the line.

Against Michigan, he had 30 points and 21 rebounds, and was 11-for-13 on field goals and 8-for-9 free-throws, including 6-for-6 to seal the win in the final minute). Against Drake, he calmed down with a “mere” 18 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 7-for-8 from the floor and 4-for-6 from the line.

Mid-Continent Notebook

Mid-Continent Notebook

by Matt Amis

Oral Roberts (6-1)

It was one of those good news/bad news kind of weeks for the Golden Eagles.

After jumping off to its best start in school history, ORU earned a vote in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Top 25 polls. It was the first time since the 1996-97 (a 21-7 NIT-bound campaign) season that the Golden Eagles received votes in either of the major Top 25 polls.

However, everything came crashing back down to earth Saturday, as ORU dropped its first of the year, 71-68, at the hands of Stephen F. Austin.

In Nacogdoches, Texas, the Lumberjacks absorbed an early Golden Eagles outburst to seize control midway through the first half. Drained of momentum, ORU found itself trailing by as many as 12 points early in the second half. However, the Golden Eagles managed to put together a 9-0 run to cut the lead to only one at 43-42 with 13:17 remaining in the contest.

But the ‘Jacks held onto the lead and hit their free throws down the stretch, ruining ORU’s national-recognition party. Tyrone Tiggs once again paced the Golden Eagles three-guard set with 23 points.

Oakland (3-2)

No news is presumably good news for the Golden Grizzlies this week. In the midst of a two week break between contests, Oakland is sitting pretty in second place as the only other Mid-Con team besides ORU over .500. After an 88-69 drubbing of Adrian College, the Golden Grizzlies have until Dec. 19 to prepare for Bowling Green, where head coach Greg Kampe played football and basketball in the 1970′s.

Junior Mike Helms went over the 30-point mark in each of his team’s games last week, extending his streak of consecutive 20-point games to six. Helms made 13-of-21 shots while scoring 31 in a 71-65 loss at Texas A&M, then tallied 34 in an 88-69 win over Adrian. He unofficially ranks third in the nation in scoring at 28.4 per game.

Valparaiso (3-4)

The Crusaders narrowly avoided another disastrous 0-2 week as they took out Samford 87-79 in double-overtime Saturday.

Stalin Ortiz scored on a lay-up to beat the buzzer at the end of the first overtime, helping Valpo eventually defeat the Bulldogs. Leading scorer Raitis Grafs was a big factor as well, scoring a season-high 28 points.

The Crusaders took control of overtime play with clutch free throw shooting as they converted 18 of 22 charity tosses. Seth Colclasure drained all six of his free throws in the final minute.

In the second half, Valpo found itself down by four with 13 minutes to go when senior center Antti Nikkila grabbed dominance of the low post, netting seven of his 12 points. It wasn’t enough to win the game in regulation however, as Samford’s Phillip Ramelli scored 12 of his 20 points in the second half to help the Bulldogs put the game into overtime knotted up at 59.

At the start of overtime, Samford got off to a quick three-point lead with four minutes to play. However, the Crusaders were able to keep the score close enough until Ortiz’s two most important points of the game sent the game into double overtime tied at 67.

In the second overtime, Valpo outscored Samford 8-3 to lead 77-70 with a minute to go. But the three-happy Bulldogs closed the gap to three points with 33 seconds to play, before Valpo was able to pull away once again on its way to its seventh straight overtime victory.

Valpo won the ball control battle, committing just 10 turnovers, and forcing the Bulldogs to turn the ball over 19 times.

Southern Utah (3-4)

The Thunderbirds did little to stand in the way of Northern Arizona’s fourth straight victory Saturday, dropping a 73-56 decision in Cedar City, Utah.

The other Lumberjacks built an 18-point lead early in the second half and led Southern Utah 55-37 after a dunk by Aaron Bond capped a 15-3 run.

However, double technical fouls on Southern Utah’s Al Williams and Northern Arizona’s Adrian Hayes sparked the Thunderbirds to the tune of a 9-0 run.

A 3-pointer by Jordan Mulford brought Southern Utah to within nine with 12 minutes remaining, but a 3-point play by Bond took the wind out of Southern Utah’s sails and the Lumberjacks’ lead remained in double digits for the rest of the game.

Northern Arizona never trailed the Thunderbirds on its way to a 50 percent shooting night from the field, including 10-of-23 from the 3-point-line. Southern Utah, on the other hand, made just 18 of 56 shots.

Indiana Purdue Indianapolis (3-6)

Dec. 18 can’t come any sooner for the Jaguars. Mired in a three-game losing slump and with no contests scheduled this past week, IUPUI will look to get back on track against Cleveland State on Wednesday.

In their last two injury-riddled contests, the Jaguars were outscored by a combined 20-0 at the beginning of each half (13-0 in the 1st, 7-0 in the 2nd) against Middle Tennessee State and San Diego.

The Jaguars will no doubt use their extended break to heal up. Head coach Ron Hunter has used ten different players in the starting line-up this season thanks to a myriad of injuries.

Western Illinois (1-7)

The all-important battle for Bulldog-type mascot supremacy was lost by the Mid-Con Saturday as Drake held off Western Illinois, 72-62.

It was a tale of two halves as Drake shot 57.1 percent in the first half, while Western Illinois hit 54.5 percent in the second half.

However, the road-weary Leathernecks, playing the last game of a seven-game season opening road schedule could only watch helplessly as Drake sealed the victory by making six straight free throws in the waning 38 seconds.

J.D. Summers led Western Illinois with 14 points and transfer Will Lewis, playing in his first game for the Leathernecks, added 13 points.

Chicago State (0-5)

Hoops fans can rest assured. The longest losing streak in the nation is safe and intact.

The Cougars dropped their 23rd straight Saturday (fittingly, collecting 23 turnovers along the way), in a 76-49 thumping by Denver. CSU got off to a putrid start, not hitting a field goal in the first eight minutes of the game, on its way to a 21-4 deficit after 10 minutes. Denver (4-4) led at halftime 32-18.

Sophomore guard Steve Turner led Chicago State with 20 points, but Denver’s Erik Benzel put the Cougars away with 12 of his 17 points coming in the second half.

Derrick Wimmer’s 3-pointer capped a 9-0 run get Chicago State within 38-27 with 16:06 left, but Denver, led by Benzel’s 3-point prowess, outscored the Cougars 25-12 over the last eight minutes.

UMKC (0-6)

Does it get any stranger than this? The nation’s leading scorer Michael Watson (31.4 points per game) scored a game-high 28 points for the Mid-Con’s last place Kangaroos Saturday.

However, the Southeast Missouri State duo of Damarcus Hence (25 points) and Derek Winans (20 points) proved too much as they propelled the Indians to a 66-58 victory. Winans hit a pair of 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions in the last 1:14 of the first half to give SEMO (4-4) a 32-23 lead. However, Watson’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer pulled the Kangaroos to within six at the break.

Carlton Aaron started a back-and-forth second half, when he made a layup on UMKC’s first possession but the Indians responded with an 8-1 run to take their biggest lead of the game at 40-29. UMKC answered right back with a 12-2 run of their own to get within 42-41 with 13:28 to play. Watson hit a 3-pointer and four free throws in the run before Tom Curtis hit a pair from the charity stripe to make it a one-point game.

Unfortunately for Watson and the Kangaroos, they never took the lead as SEMO scored the next seven points and led 49-41 after a jumper from Hence with 9:44 left. UMKC got within 63-58 on an Aaron putback with 26 seconds left, but the Indians iced the game by making 6-of-8 free throws in the final 63 seconds.

Patriot Notebook

Patriot League Notebook

by Matt DaSilva

Early in the season, two big Patriot League stories appear to be emerging in Holy Cross and Boakai Lalugba.

The Crusaders only game this past week came in the form of 72-56 win over Brown, no magnificent feat by any means. And so, at least for the last week, the defending Patriot League champs (now 4-1) have conceded the stage to Bucknell big man Lalugba.

Lalugba was just one rebound short of a sixth straight double-double when he scored fourteen points and pulled down nine boards in the Bison’s 72-45 victory Monday over Fairleigh Dickinson.

Lalugba, the reigning Patriot League player of the week, and his stunning inside play of late has him averaging 20 points and eleven rebounds per game while shooting at a mere 58 percent clip. As a result, a much-maligned Bison squad heads into its break standing at a surprising 4-3 record after a tough non-conference schedule.

Holy Cross (4-1)

Senior forward Tim Szatko scored a game-high 20 points to lead four Crusaders in double figures as Holy Cross stretched its winning streak to four games with a 72-56 win at Brown last Saturday.

Holy Cross’ week of inactivity will get a shakeup at the Hartford Civic Center in Connecticut on Wednesday when the Crusaders face off with Yale in the Phoenix Classic.

Lehigh (5-3)

Their five wins have come against the likes of Dartmouth, Swarthmore, Texas Pan-American, Cornell and Columbia. Enough said.

But while it may be premature to be fitting the Mountain Hawks for the Patriot League crown, it can’t go unnoticed that a 5-3 start is their best since 1994. In fact, for a team that had five wins all of last season, baby steps are more like giant rungs on the ladder climbing out of the conference cellar.

Most recently, Lehigh took out Columbia with a 67-51 home win Monday. The numbers were impressive. The Mountain Hawks shot 63 percent from the field, including 70 percent from beyond the arc. Senior forward and all-Patriot League candidate Matt Logie efficiently netted 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Mike Fischman grabbed a career-high nine rebounds for the second game in a row.

The most telling number is? 1-7, that being Columbia’s record.

Lehigh’s non-conference slate will get a little tougher on December 23rd against the America East’s Stony Brook, but not much. It remains to be seen whether the Mountain Hawks’ fast start is the sign of a benevolent schedule-maker or a sign of a Patriot League race. After all, they did lose to Harvard.

Bucknell (4-3)

Quietly, behind Lalugba’s front stage presence, a freshman guard has tip-toed into his college career as the Bison’s potential X-factor at a Patriot League run this season.

Kevin Bettencourt, who scored a game-high fifteen points, led Bucknell to a 72-45 over Fairleigh Dickinson on Monday. The Bison won their second straight game and improved to 4-3 heading into an eleven day layoff for final exams.

Bucknell cruised from the field at 50 percent, while Bettencourt continued to impress. Now averaging just under eleven points per game (the team’s only player other than Lalugba averaging double figures), Bettencourt and senior co-captain Dan Blankenship have developed into a solid tandem at guard positions.

Yet, the young gun still has a lot of growing up to do. His shot selection is suspect. Through Monday, he had hoisted a team-high 47 three-pointers while hitting just 32 percent of them. Still, he’s playing well beyond his years.

Earlier in the week, Lalugba scored 24 points and tied a career-high with sixteen rebounds in a 57-54 victory over St. Francis. He hit his first eight field goals, but needed just two to reach the heralded 1,000-point mark. As a result, Lalugba stands as just the 14th player in school history to amass 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.

American (3-3)

The Eagles have opened up their new Bender Arena in style, snaking victories in the building’s first two games to even up their season record at 3-3.

A thematic swell for American early in their non-conference schedule has seen multiple players develop as potential game-breakers for a deep and experienced squad.

Ric Patiejunas was the unexpected surprise for the first few games, until he cooled off. On Monday, Patiejunas had cooled off considerably in scoring just four points in limited time due to foul trouble.

Enter Matej Cresnik, a sophomore forward out of Slovenia, who came out of nowhere to score fourteen points and grab six rebounds in American’s 61-58 win over Howard. What’s even more impressive, Cresnik stepped up when it seemed the Eagles were in danger of an upset. The teams were separated by just five points with 6:33 remaining when Cresnik took over, hitting a three-pointer and netting another five points in the next minute and a half to officially distance American from Howard.

Senior guards Glenn Stokes and Steven Miles, the Eagles’ constants, both had off nights shooting with identical three-of-twelve performances. Given that disadvantage and the 23 points out of Howard forward Kyle Williams, American had to resort to their secret Slovenian weapon.

The Eagles, now in their second season in the Patriot League, could pose a very real and formidable threat come conference time with the depth of their arsenal.

Colgate (3-4)

The Raiders had their seven game home-court win streak snapped on Sunday when a stronger than expected Long Island University team handed them a 78-70 loss.

Colgate was up 60-53 with less than twelve minutes left in the game when the Blackbirds shut the floodgates on the defensive end. A near seven minute span in which the Raiders were held scoreless translated into a 70-62 Long Island lead that was not to be relinquished.

Coming off a thrashing of New Hampshire last week, Colgate was caught back on its heels. With Blackbird forwards Antawn Dobie (27 points, six assists) and Derek Bell (ten points, thirteen boards) doing the damage, the Raiders saw their haven in Hamilton, NY shaken by a very unlikely New York opponent.

The efforts of forward Howard Blue (eighteen points, nine rebounds) and guard Tim Sullivan (fifteen points) were negated by nineteen Colgate turnovers in the game.

Army (2-4)

Maybe it was a demoralizing hangover after the esteemed Army-Navy football game over the weekend, where the Black Knights dropped an emotional season finale, 58-12. Navy put up numbers that seemed to indicate a basketball.

But when it came to basketball, Army fared not one bit better. The Black Knights lost to Albany on Monday, 47-43.

And what was the highlight for Army? A career-high ten points from Bill Mohr…or was it Jay Mohr? Regardless, the Black Knights struggled mightily to contain Antione Jackson, who scored seven of the Great Danes’ final eleven points en route to a 20-point performance.

The game at West Point went down to the wire, but it seemed Albany was just not to be denied its first win of the season. Meanwhile, Jim Crews’ crew has a lot of work ahead of them.

Navy (2-5)

Supposedly said to have a strong core of veteran leadership before the season, the Midshipmen already have fallen apart at the seams. Look no further than a 66-61 loss to Division III Johns Hopkins last Wednesday.

And Navy did little to redeem itself by dropping its fifth straight game, this after starting the season 2-0, to Coastal Carolina 63-59 last Saturday.

Torrey Butler scored 21 points and grabbed six rebounds for Coastal Carolina, and some abysmal Midshipmen ball handling spoke volumes of where this season is headed for Navy. Twenty-one turnovers said it all as the Midshipmen’s lone bright spot came in the form of thirteen points and four rebounds from freshman David Hooper.

Look for Hooper to get more time in the upcoming non-conference games, especially since Don Devoe’s maneuvering to put Jason Jeanpierre at the point backfired in a big way. Jeanpierre’s seven turnovers were egregious, as he was part of that same senior core that coughed the ball up nineteen of the 21 times.

Lafayette (0-5)

Even the home comfort of Kirby Arena has done little to help the Leopards’ cause of notching that elusive first win of the season. If it’s not one thing, it’s another.

Against Drexel in its home opener last week, Lafayette never found any kind of offensive rhythm in shooting just over 30 percent from the field and turning the ball over 20 times.

But last Saturday against Princeton, the Leopards couldn’t miss. Forward Mike Farrell, the team’s lead man off the glass this season, took his prowess to the offensive end this time. He led Lafayette with a season-high seventeen points as Lafayette shot a solid 50 percent from the field for the game.

But, alas, Spencer Gloger and Ray Robbins dominated in the frontcourt for 21 and eighteen points, respectively. For Lafayette, the defense was the culpable party in this particular loss. The Tigers shot the lights out at 67 percent for the game, which included a 65 percent mark on three-pointers.

For Christmas, expect Leopards head coach Fran O’Hanlon to ask for some consistency.

Northeast Notebook

Northeast Conference Notebook

by Chris Roddy

Connecticut Educates the NEC

Connecticut’s top-ranked education record is undoubtedly a direct reflection of having a difficult to spell state name. Does that transcend into why University of Connecticut men’s basketball gets straight A’s against the NEC? Anyhow, presumably most guys playing D-I hoops passed their SAT’s (again, the operative word here is most). So, in the spirit of education, let’s have a little academic fun with an SAT analogy.

Question:
Connecticut’s record against New England rivals is to domination as the NEC’s record against UConn is to what?

Answer (please select only one):
(a) Exoneration
(b) Exclamation
(c) Consternation
(d) Humiliation

The ninth-ranked Huskies of UConn have simply schooled NEC opponents. In the course of three weeks Coach Jim Calhoun’s bunch trounced Quinnipiac (91-72), hipped Sacred Heart (116-78) and soundly defeated Wagner (97-85).

Fast Facts on UConn vs. the North East Conference:

• Quinnipiac is winless against UConn in four tries.

• Sacred Heart, still without a win this season, scored consecutive baskets only three times in their meeting with Connecticut.

• Wagner brought back some NEC respect on the strength of Dedrick Dye’s twenty-point game. The senior guard hit four three-pointers in the second half to cut the Seahawks’ deficit to five. But, ultimately, it wouldn’t be enough. Dereck Whittenburg, Wagner’s head coach, said of UConn’s star forward Emeka Okafor, “I don’t think he knows how good he is,” Whittenburg said. “I think he can get 30 [points] and 15 [boards] every night if he wants.”

And, UConn isn’t done with the NEC in 2002-03. Central Connecticut State will have to bring their slingshots into a December 28th inter-state David versus Goliath match. The CCSU Blue Devils probably have the best shot of the NEC teams to dethrone the Huskies. Junior forward Ron Robinson (Bronx, NY) will use his 6-7 build and 2002 NCAA tourney experience to try and shut down Okafor’s inside post game.

Amazing Stat:
The NEC has been a key source of fodder for Connecticut’s amazing winning streak (79) against non-Big East New England teams.

Final thoughts:
Quinnipiac’s coach Joe DeSantis said this of the Bobcats game with the unbeatable Huskies, “It was a good thing for us because we were thrown right into the fire.” If the NEC doesn’t start to learn a bit more from these games and eek out an upset soon, they’ll all be burned like Yule logs.

(The answer to the question above was D – Humiliation. I still hate the SAT’s.)

Last Place = Tremendous Success

Mount St. Mary’s is in dead last place and they couldn’t be happier. Say what? Head coach Jim Phelan’s club is only in last place due to a 0-1 showing in conference play, but have posted a solid 3-3 overall record for the year. This marks the first time The Mount has been .500 through six games since 1996. Also, Mount St. Mary’s victories over Duquesne and New Hampshire last week is the first time they’ve won two in a row since the 1999 season (beating University of Maryland at Baltimore and Sacred Heart).

Phelan is now only six victories behind Clarence Gaines in his quest to be the winningest coach in NCAA history.

Gaines, nicknamed “Big House,” compiled a record of 828-447 as coach of the Winston-Salem State University. He amassed a wealth of records that include:

Eighteen seasons with 20+ wins
Twelve Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships
A career .649 winning percentage
Five-time winner of CIAA Coach of the Year
NCAA Coach of the Year (1967)
A Division II championship (1967) and 31-1 overall record

Continue to check in with Hoopville as we document Coach Phelan’s climb into the history books and profile the coaching greats as he passes them.

Coach Ferry Brings Win(ning) to Long Island U.

Jim Ferry’s Long Island University Blackbirds notched their first win since December 30, 1999. After they defeated Army (72-56) last year, LIU went on to lose eighteen consecutive games. The long skid ended with graduate guard Antawn Dobie’s miraculous 27-point game against Colgate (78-70). Dobie was on crutches a couple of days before the game with a sprained ankle and wasn’t even supposed to play against Colgate. If we had an Ironman award, it’d surely go to Dobie this week.

Wagner’s Players Score (and score and score and score . . .)

Those Wagner boys sure can score. Senior guard Dedrick Dye hit the 1,000-point mark (career: 1,040) in the Seahawks loss to Iona. Dye is the 102nd player in NEC history to accomplish the feat. Meanwhile, senior forward Jermaine Hall is in the NEC top fifteen scorers of all-time (1,707 points). He will eclipse Connecticut State’s Corsley Edwards this week, needing just 24 points to do so. Projections have Hall hitting the 2,000 mark just over halfway through the season and finishing in the NEC’s top-five scorers.

Central Connecticut State Dismisses Player
Head coach Howie Dickenman dismissed CCSU senior guard Damian Battles for violating team rules. Details about what rules were disobeyed have not been released. Battles took home the 2002 NEC Tournament MVP award and totaled eighteen points in two games this season.

Player of the Week

Kareem Washington, University of Maryland at Baltimore
The senior guard had a monster week as UMBC remained in first place. Washington scored 23 points against Mount St. Mary’s, including the first six points of the second half. Later in the game, he hit two straight three-pointers to stave off a late Mount comeback. Washington is UMBC’s leading scorer through three games and is shooting an impressive .545 from the floor.

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Monday, December 16th, 2002

by Andrew Flynn

There really weren’t any major matchups yesterday. All in all, a quiet relaxing Sunday. Oh.

Well there was that Arizona -Texas game that went down to the end. And since they’re ranked No. 1 vs. No. 7, I suppose there’s some interest there. And that it was televised nationally and all, and that there was a report of a hype machine driving down I-10 down towards Tucson. Well, then yes, there was a major matchup yesterday.

In case you weren’t around a media outlet yesterday (or were in Nashville trading your best young slugger away), the top-ranked Arizona Wildcats downed the No. 7 Texas Longhorns 73-70 in a back-and-forth physical contest. As if that weren’t enough to prove Arizona deserves top-billing, they did it without all-conference forward Luke Walton, who will be out for a few weeks with an ankle injury suffered earlier in the week during practice.

The showcase of two of the nation’s top point guards in Texas’ T.J. Ford and Arizona’s Jason Gardner proved to be a disappointment, as both players faltered. Gardner recovered, however, and became the savior for Lute Olson’s squad, as he scored six points in the final two minutes to seal the deal for the Wildcats. Both Gardner and Ford finished with 13 points, but Ford hurt his squad’s chances with 6 turnovers and two devastating offensive fouls late in the game.

Arizona was lead by Salim Stoudamire with 14 points, including two from the stripe with less than 30 seconds remaining. James Thomas led the Longhorns with a 20/12 double-double. There were a dozen ties and eight lead changes in the close match. Arizona should get a boost in the polls – never mind they were already ranked first. This first tough matchup on the eve of the Pac-10 regular season – without Walton – should impress the voters. Previously, the Wildcats had only faced then 21st-ranked Western Kentucky, who has disappeared.

Side Dishes

Buzzer Beater: Even though Championship Week is a few months away, we got a taste of those last-second desperation shots yesterday, when Tennessee’s Jon Higgins sank a half-court prayer shot at the buzzer to defeat Georgia Tech 70-69 in the Peach Bowl Classic in Atlanta. The Yellow Jackets had dominated the game up until the final few minutes, when Tennessee mounted a 15-2 run to tie the game at 64 with two minutes left. This was the teams first meeting since 1968, even though the schools are only 150 miles apart.

Bulldog, Bulldog: In the other matchup in Atlanta, Gonzaga’s momentum to re-join the Top 25 was stopped by a hot shooting Georgia squad, especially Jarvis Hayes, who scored 29 in the 95-83 upset. Georgia was on fire early, leading Gonzaga at the break 50-28, following a 15-4 run with four minutes left before intermission. Five total Georgia boys notched double figures – Hayes’ 29, Ezra Williams (21), Richard Wehunt (13), Chris Daniels (11) and Jonas Hayes with 10. Gonzaga leader Blake Stepp only managed 4 points in limited time. Ronny Turiaf pitched in and led the ‘Zags with 20, while Richard Fox and Tony Skinner had 15 and 14, respectively.

Eeking it Out: Former media darling College of Charleston just barely survived a scare from winless Stetson, winning 66-64. And this was with holding the Hatters to just six points in the final seven minutes. Of course, the Cougars shot a whopping 29%#37; in the second half, missing all of their field goals down the stretch, allowing Stetson a 10-point run. An ugly game to say the least.

Bell2K: Congrats to Boston College’s Troy Bell, who became just the fourth Eagles player with 2,000 career points, joining Dana Barros, Billy Curley and Danya Abrams in the BC2K club. In the actual game, the Eagles downed Stony Brook 79-61.

Tonight’s Menu:

• No. 22 Stanford, in their first game since Thanksgiving break (that loss in the Preseason NIT to the ‘Heels), faces the Grizzlies from Montana in the opening round of the Stanford Invitational Tournament. The second game pits the Pepperdine Waves against the Richmond Spiders.

• No. 24 Creighton faces Delaware State in their bid to stay undefeated. Delaware State is 2-4 on the season, but feature the Matthews brothers, Andre and Aaron, who are big contributors to the Hornets offense.

That’s it for this Monday. Enjoy!

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Sunday, December 15th, 2002

by Phil Kasiecki

Saturday belonged to road teams and teams that traveled far to play at neutral sites, especially in games with top 25 teams. There were 16 games featuring teams in the Hoopville Top 25, with four visiting teams and one neutral site team among them. Each one came out victorious, and this was the case with some other notable matchups as well.

No. 12 Florida put an end to No. 14 Maryland’s streak of 87 consecutive non-conference home wins, as the Gators improved to 7-2 with a 69-64 win over the Terrapins. Freshman point guard Anthony Roberson continues his solid play for the Gators, as he scored a game-high 20 points and hit several clutch shots, while Matt Bonner had a double-double (16 points, 12 rebounds).

No. 21 Michigan State got a big win at Rupp Arena over No. 16 Kentucky, pulling out a 71-67 decision to improve to 5-2 and drop the Wildcats to the same record. Chris Hill played a solid game with 16 points and freshman Paul Davis contributed 13 points off the bench, ruining a 23-point effort by Kentucky’s Keith Bogans.

No. 5 Oregon (6-0) defeated Pepperdine at Malibu Beach, 105-90, as Luke Jackson led five players in double figures with a game-high 27 points. No. 19 Tulsa (5-1) got a double-double from Kevin Johnson (16 points, 12 rebounds) to lead four players in double figures en route to a 62-46 win over Southwest Missouri State.

Side Dishes

Welcome Back: Mario Austin played his first game of the season for No. 25 Mississippi State as they headed to Madison Square Garden to take on No. 10 Xavier in the first of two games. Austin was held out of the first six games during an NCAA investigation, but showed no ill effects as he scored 28 points and grabbed 9 rebounds to lead a 71-61 victory. Austin also held Xavier All-American Dave West to 13 points on just 4-13 shooting.

Success in the Meadowlands: The last time Rick Pitino was a college head coach in a game at Continental Airlines Arena, his Kentucky Wildcats won the national championship. On Saturday, he brought his Louisville Cardinals there to take on Seton Hall, and continuing the trend of road teams winning Saturday, the Cardinals used a 33-4 run to end the first half and start the second half to improve to 3-1 with a 91-70 win. Reece Gaines led six Cardinals in double figures with 23 points and 7 assists.

Conference Opponent, Non-Conference Game: While a few conferences have had games already, there was one matchup Saturday between two conference rivals that is not a conference game. No. 6 Indiana beat visiting Purdue by a score of 66-63, in a game scheduled because the two teams will play each other only once in conference play and wanted to play a second time.

Close Calls: Buried between the many marquee matchups were a few close games that could have gone either way. No. 15 Marquette shot 52.2% from the field to improve to 6-1 with a 63-54 win over Wisconsin (6-2). St. Louis beat Dayton, 63-55, behind Marque Perry’s 21 points. Cincinnati held off pesky LaSalle, 65-62, behind a double-double from Jason Maxiell. Rutgers improved to 5-2 with a 76-70 win over Princeton, shooting 51% from the field.

The First Time Is Always the Hardest: Several teams suffered their first loss on Saturday. Wyoming improved to 6-2 by handing Texas Tech its first loss of the season, 67-62. Southern Illinois fell to 4-1 by dropping a 73-71 decision to in-state rival Illinois-Chicago. Stephen F. Austin held serve at home by knocking off Oral Roberts, 71-68, dropping the Golden Eagles to 6-1.

Tonight’s Menu:

• Atlanta is home to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Classic for Kids today. While the football game is well-known, the doubleheader at Philips Arena will be well worth watching, as Gonzaga takes on Georgia, followed by Georgia Tech taking on Tennessee. Stay tuned for coverage of the games.

• No. 7 Texas heads to Tucson to take on No. 1 Arizona in a game that many thought would be a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup before Notre Dame had their say last Sunday.

• Several in-state rivalry games are on tap, but the most notable one is New Mexico State taking on New Mexico at The Pit.

• Other interesting matchups with teams outside the top 25 include Miami traveling to Charlotte, SMU visiting Wake Forest, and Oklahoma State hosting Fresno State.

That’s it for this Sunday. Enjoy!

Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Saturday, December 14th, 2002

by Brian Strong

When a team is struggling the way that UCLA (1-2) has early in this young season, they’re looking for anything to help turn things around. They may have gotten that thing on Friday in the form of newly reinstated sophomore Andre Patterson. Patterson missed the first three games of the season while taking classes at Santa Monica City College to get himself eligible grades-wise. He will rejoin classes at UCLA again when the next quarter begins on January 6. In the meantime, starting tonight against Portland at Pauley Pavilion (8:00 ET), he will join his Bruin teammates on the court.

Patterson was by no means a world beater last season statistically (2.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg, .500 FG), but his quickness at small forward will be a huge help to UCLA. The Bruins’ run-and-gun style has been stifled by an awkward lineup thus far this season and will be aided solidly by Patterson’s presence.

“Our staff and team are delighted to have Andre back with us,” commented UCLA head coach Steve Lavin. “We have missed [his] presence both offensively and defensively..and his work ethic will immediately help our team.”
UCLA is being given a chance to respond to a poor start. When things have started as badly as they have, a little shakeup, as tiny as this may seem, may be all they need. A teammate that they have been missing, who is happy to be back contributing may help turn things around before they head too far down the wrong road. Even if he doesn’t make them Final Four material, at the very least, we can hope he steers them away from any more home losses to teams like San Diego….please.

Side Dishes

Marcus out several more weeks: Western Kentucky’s star center Chris Marcus hopes to return from his nagging ankle injury sometime in early January. He has yet to play this season and had his second surgery of 2002 on Wednesday. Marcus originally had surgery back in June when screws were put in place to support a broken talus bone. WKU’s Sun Belt Conference season opens on January 4 at Middle Tennessee. The Hilltoppers would love to have their big man back for that.

Tark Backlash: Alleged dirty pool by “the Shark,” former Fresno State coach Jerry Tarkanian, has prompted the Bulldogs to put themselves on two years of probation. A NCAA letter of inquiry was presented, which dealt with violations between the years of 1998 to 2002, involving one freshman and one transfer’s initial eligibility as well as meals violations and practice violations. The NCAA will meet in February and rule on this case at the same time they will deal with the University of Michigan’s issues. Word on the street is that they may lay down even harsher penalites than the ones self-imposed by Fresno.

Today/Tonight’s Menu:

• Keep your “eye” on a powerhouse daytime double dip. CBS features No. 12 Florida at No. 14 Maryland (2:00 ET) followed by No. 21 Michigan State at No. 16 Kentucky (4:00 ET).

• In-state rivals hit the floor as Purdue squares off with No. 6 Indiana (8:00 ET). Can freshman Bracey Wright can continue to live up to the hype? So far he’s been stellar.

• No. 5 Oregon at Pepperdine – The Waves host a Pac 10 team at Firestone Fieldhouse for the first time since 1985. They will once again push Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference but face off against the Lukes (Ridnour and Jackson) tonight.

That’s it for Saturday. Enjoy your couch time.

Dumb and Dumber

Dumb and Dumber

by David Mosse

As if the event itself wasn’t enough of a folly, both Dick Vitale and Bill Walton added new chapters to their legendary broadcasting careers. During Thursday night’s LeBron James infomercial, disguised as a basketball game, the duo combined for one of the most excruciating nights in television history.

It should have been painfully evident to anyone remotely familiar with the pair that this was a marriage made in hell– Vitale, the glorified cheerleader, and Walton, the village idiot, attempting to lend credibility to the national broadcast of a high school basketball game.

Naturally, their commentary centered exclusively on the exploits of James, the boy wonder who has already graced the cover of Sports Illustrated and ESPN Magazine in the past year. Such an approach is difficult to argue since the entire motivation behind the broadcast was to unveil this much-ballyhooed youngster to the nation.

Given the circumstances, one can excuse the entire evening’s preoccupation with James, and even tolerate the outlandish comparisons such as Vitale calling the St. Vincent- St. Mary’s senior a cross between Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan, or Walton equating his competitive drive to that of Tiger Woods. After all, announcers have long fallen in love with the art of hyperbole.

Yet, it was the incessant nature of their analysis that made the broadcast almost unbearable. Not one trip down the floor could be spared without Dickey V launching into some soliloquy about what a special player we were privileged to watch. Even on occasions when James threw the ball away or bricked outside shots, which incidentally he did early and often, the pair saw fit to extol his virtues.

The result at times was downright comical. In the first half, following one of James’ several misses, Walton exalted him on the way he positioned his elbows when launching up a shot. Later, after James executed a simple behind the back pass during a 2 on 1 fast break, Vitale went into delirium screaming, “Are you Kidding Me!” at least three times before posing the question, “what player in the NBA could make that play?”

In the second half, when St. Vincent- St. Mary’s took control of the game en route to a 65-45 victory over Oak Hill Academy, the duo elevated their gushing to another level. At one point Walton actually uttered the phrase “Look at the way he stands!” For his part, Vitale claimed St. Vincent-St. Mary’s should give James the ball every time down the floor. And you wonder how Dickey V ever failed as a coach?

As expected, one of the evening’s recurring themes was the issue of high school players bypassing college for the NBA. For those concerned that James might not be mentally ready for such a drastic leap, Vitale offered his reassurance by explaining that James was fond of his mother and any player who likes his mother is extremely mature.

On this subject, Walton claimed he valued education too much and all the money in the world couldn’t make him forego his college experience. While several of Walton’s comments make you wonder exactly what education he is referring to, at least he adopted some sort of stance, which is more than we can say for his partner. As usual, Vitale waffled back and forth throughout the game, often arguing with himself.

At one point, the rambunctious one claimed college was not for everybody and if a player felt the pressure to take care of his family financially, he should have every right to bypass school. Conversely, Vitale expressed his desire for a rule similar to baseball that prohibits players from turning pro until after their junior season. He also lamented the plight of kids such as Omar Cook and Marcus Taylor who according to Vitale, “listened to the wrong people”, in opting to leave school prematurely.

The Cook reference was interesting since it was Dickey V himself who showered the former St. John’s guard with LeBron James-like praise during his first two games with the Red Storm. At the 2000 Pre-season NIT, Vitale screamed and yelled about the incredible talent Cook possessed and how he was destined for stardom at the next level.

No single person strokes these youngsters’ egos as much as Dick Vitale. By making them believe they are heroes before they’ve seen their first NCAA Tournament, he contributes to the unrealistic notions they have about themselves. Unfortunately, ESPN’s unconscionable decision to televise a high school basketball game afforded Vitale the opportunity to get a head start with James.

As the broadcast drew to a close, Vitale condemned the many characters he feels are out to exploit the young phenom, and encouraged James to surround himself with the right people. He couldn’t be more right.

One can only hope that LeBron James is smart enough to distance himself from the likes of Dick Vitale.

Bar Room Bicker 1

Bar Room Bicker – Big Sky vs. West Coast

by James Burns and Nicholas Lozito

Note: This is the first installation of The Bar Room Bicker, which pits two college basketball enthusiasts against one another. James Burns covers the West Coast Conference while Nicholas Lozito covers the Big Sky Conference. Each week the two pick an array of topics and argue their sides.

Week one: The Big Sky Conference vs. The West Coast Conference

Which is the toughest conference?

James Burns: The West Coast Conference is the tougher of the two conferences by far. You can’t honestly compare the two conferences; it’s not fair … to the Big Sky Conference. Look at the head-to-head match-ups this season. I think the West Coast has lost just one game to the Big Sky and still San Francisco almost won that game. Bottom line, the West Coast has star-talent across the board, NCAA Tournament experience and national exposure. The Big Sky has the NIT and Jermaine Boyette.

Nicholas Lozito: From top to bottom the Big Sky is the better conference. Teams that were expected to finish near the bottom of the conference, such as the Sacrament State Hornets and Northern Arizona Lumberjacks, currently have winning records. The Hornets, picked last, knocked off the team picked No. 3 in the WCC, San Francisco.

Eastern Washington vs. Gonzaga?

JB: Gonzaga wins that game by a landslide. I know, I know, anything can happen. But Gonzaga has way too much for Eastern Washington to handle. Throw defense out of the window because Gonzaga will punish Eastern Washington on the offensive-side of the ball. Double down on Ronny Turiaf and Corey Voilette, who will beat you up inside, and Blake Stepp will murder you from behind the arc. The kid can flat out shoot. Stepp’s got people in the West Coast wondering: Dickau who? And when he does miss (which he doesn’t do too much), Turiaf and Voilette are there to clean up his mess.

NL: Alvin Snow, one of the best defensive guards in the country, keeps Blake Stepp in check all night. Chris Hester will slash through the unathletic Bulldogs defense. Brandon Merritt will hammer 3-point shots all night and Marc Axton is a solid defender in the post along with T.J. Williams. If the Eagles can push the pace, they can run with any team. The are 10 times more athletic than the ‘Zags.

Darrell Tucker vs. Jermaine Boyette?

JB: Boyette’s got game. The kid can hoop, I’ve said it all along. Heck, I dedicated 15-inches of column space to his skills. But when matched up against the West Coast’s Darrell Tucker, there is little Boyette can do to keep up. All Tucker would have to do is back Boyette into the paint and muscle the ball up over the top of him. What’s a scrawny 6-0 guard going to do to stop a 6-9 power forward trucking down on him? Take a charge? If he’s smart he’d get out of the way. And that is why Tucker wins this head-to-head.

NL: Give me a break! Boyette, 6-2 by the way, would run circles around Tucker. On defense, he would pick the big man’s pocket every time. Tucker needs to be on the court with four teammates; Boyette is a chameleon, he can adapt to any situation, including a one-on-one battle with Tucker. That’s what true ballers do – adapt. Tucker can bang in the post; he even has range out to fifteen feet. But Boyette has the one asset that is necessary in any one-on-one battle – driving ability. He would shake right (watch your ankles big man), cross back over to the left and leave the big man in the dust.

Mascots: Waves (Pepperdine) vs. Lumberjacks (Northern Arizona)?

JB: Laugh it up. Sure, Pepperdine’s mascot doesn’t appear to be scary. I’m sure you’re all silently mocking the West Coast mascot, “Oohh, I’m the big, bad Wave. I’m going to crush you.” The heckling gets even worse when you consider Doug Christie was a Wave. But if you’ve seen the 2002 rendition of the Waves logo, you’d know that this Wave is no ordinary Wave – it’s a super Wave. A tsunami, if you will. Piss this Wave off and you’re in trouble, he’ll storm the shore and swallow you alive.

NL: It’s a Lumberjack. They carry a big axe. They wear flannel shirts. They have somebody to look up to – Paul Bunyan, the legend himself. Bunyan is huge. There is no doubt in my mind that the guy could dunk a basketball. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he would take down the whole backboard. A Wave has no impact on a basketball game whatsoever. The only thing it could do is flood a court, and that would simply call off the game. It’s like naming your team the “Snow Storms,” or the “Blackouts.”

James Burns and Nicholas Lozito are a Hoopville Staff writers living in Sacramento.

Sun Belt Notebook

Sun Belt Notebook

by Andria Wenzel

Arkansas-Little Rock Comes Close

For the first time in the entire evening the University of Arkansas-Little Rock could not take advantage of No. 25 Minnesota’s mistakes. In overtime the Gophers missed four straight free throws, but the Trojans (4-3) could not stumble on the scoring opportunity they needed to send the game in to double overtime, and the Gophers (5-1) went on for the 86-84 win. The Trojans, who mounted a 15-3 run in the first half to take a 46-44 halftime lead, looked as though they could possibly upset the Gophers with a seven point lead and less than nine minutes remaining. But Minnesota proved why their in the Top 25 by showing poise in the final minutes of regulation to send the game into overtime. UALR’s biggest problem was that they had no answer for Rick Rickert, who finished his night with 25 points.

Guard Jibrhan Ike finished the night with 20 points for the Trojans, but the real story was Nick Zachery, who seemed to make key shots at every crucial moment of the game. Once again the sophomore with the soft touch was able to hit a number of three-pointers throughout the game. Zachery and Ike were the sparks behind the first half scoring run and Zachery hit the 3-pointer to tie the game at 74, sending it into overtime. No team yet has been able to stifle the sharp-shooting sophomore just yet. Guard Tony Travis finished with 14 for the Trojans and guard Mark Green had 12. The Trojans did pick up a win earlier in the week when they toppled Alcorn State, 68-58. Again Zachery, Ike, and Green delivered solid efforts, scoring 13, 12, and 10 respectively. Danny McCall and Jake Yancey also finished in double figures.

Mr. Smith goes to New Orleans

Make no mistake about it, Johnell Smith may be coming off the bench for the University of New Orleans, but the junior transfer has been making the most of every second he is on the basketball court. He was recently named the Sun Belt’s Player of the Week after leading UNO to a 77-69 win over Southern Louisiana, keeping his Privateers undefeated at 6-0.

Smith’s all-round performance in 25 minutes of action resulted in a career-high 22 points as well as five assists and three steals. But the Lions were able to finally find an answer for forward Hector Romero. The senior may have raised his season total of double-doubles to four, but the Lions were the first team to hold Romero under 20 points this season. He finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Center Nerijus Lisauskas helped out in the frontcourt with 13 points, while guard Kyle Buggs continues to silently but surely put up solid efforts night after night. He finished with 11.

Fontenet passes to Fontenet . . .

Thank goodness someone along the line invented numbers for jerseys, because otherwise there would be no way to tell which Fontenet twin was draining trey after trey in the New Mexico Aggies’ 78-65 win over the University of Texas-El Paso.

Jason and James Fontenet along with Brandon Mason lit up the Miners from behind the arc. New Mexico State (5-1) connected on remarkable 14-of-29 3-point shots and both Fontents as well as Mason were the catalysts.

Jason Fontenet knocked down three treys and finished with 17 points. Off the bench, James Fontenet was able to best his twin with 19 points and made five shots from downtown. But Mason topped them all, with a season-high 22 points and 3-of-5 shooting from behind the arc.

Mean Green Trio

The trio of Chris Davis, Leonard Hopkins, and Jermaine Green was finally broken up when Jerome Rogers scored 16 points in a 65-56 victory over Winthrop to win the 2002 Brothers Heat and Air Shootout. With two wins and one loss, North Texas became a .500 ball club within the last week.

Green did his part against Winthrop with 14 points and 10 rebounds and Hopkins finished with nine. In the first game of the tournament against Weber State, the Mean Green was led by Hopkins, who scored a career-high 24 points in the 76-72 win. Green had 15 as did Davis, who will soon set UNT’s all-time scoring record. Hopkins and Green were both named to the all-tournament team.

North Texas couldn’t continue their previous success and were outmatched by TCU, 87-80. A 15-3 scoring run in the second half proved to be to big a whole for the Mean Green to pull themselves out of and the Frogs (4-2) went onto a 87-70 victory. This time it was Green leading the troops with 22 points, while Davis scored a season-high 19.

Above the Belt

Two Sun Belt teams got to go up against some of the best of what Division I basketball has to offer and both teams could not notch the perennial upsets. South Alabama (3-3) had the best opportunity when they roamed north to visit Rick Pitino, who is in his second year at the helm of the Louisville Cardinals.

Unfortunately it was not the time for the student to upset his teacher just yet. Jaguars coach John Pelphrey once played for Pitino at Kentucky, but the well-traveled Pitino was able to rally his Cardinals back from a 40-38 halftime deficit for the 90-79 win.

Chris Young was the reason why the Jaguars were in the game. He scored 22 points in the first half, nailing six 3-pointers. The Louisville defense came out in the second half with an answer for Young, as they held him scoreless until just seconds were left in the game and the score was already decided. Senior forward Henry Williams finished second on the team with 18 points and senior guard Demetrice Williams had 12.

Middle Tennessee State faired no better when they opened up the Purdue Tournament against the Boilermakers. The Blue Raiders never had a chance, as they were torched 85-56. They rebounded in the second game of the tournament against IUPUI, wining third place with their 64-60 victory. MTSU (2-5) was led by senior forward William Pippen, who has been starring for the Blue Raiders of late. He had 18 points and 10 rebounds while junior guard Tommy Gunn continued to impress with 14 points.

Sliding down the Hill . . .

Western Kentucky continues its slow descent off the radar screen, as they fell 83-72 to Murray State. The Hilltoppers (2-3) were predicted to have a big impact this season, but as of yet they have been unable to get wins in their last two contests.

Despite shooting 57 percent from the floor, the Hilltoppers were buried by Murray State on the boards, 34-26. Junior guard Mike Wells has been leading WKU all season and had 15 points in the loss. But Wells may have found the best complement to his game, as freshman guard Anthony Winchester exploited Murray State for 16 points.

Other Notes

After losing to Binghamton 74-69, Denver (3-3) held Western Illinois under 50 points in a 75-48 win. Junior forward Zelijko Zupic, thrust into the starting lineup just one game prior led the Pioneers with 21 points. Junior center Brett Starkey continues to improve game after game, and had 16 points and 12 rebounds. The backcourt was again controlled by senior B.J Pratt, who has been constantly relied upon to run the offense. He finished 14 points and six rebounds.

Arkansas State never even broke a sweat in their 120-55 win over NAIA Division III Lyon College. The Indians’ Tevoris Thompson set a new school record knocking down nine 3-pointers in the game. He finished the night with 41 points.

Louisiana-Lafayette (1-2) dropped their second straight, losing to Birmingham-Southern College 92-86. Florida International (4-3) also went winless, uncharacteristically dropping two-straight at the Pizza Hut Classic. The Golden Panthers fell 61-48 to Wisconsin-Milwaukee and 64-54 to Samford.