America East Notebook

America East Notebook

by Phil Kasiecki

Great Danes Start to Come Around

As the preseason favorite in America East, Albany figured to set the tone for the conference this season. With a 2-0 record after early wins over Binghamton and Stony Brook, the Great Danes are doing just that, but they didn’t quite do it in non-conference play like one might have expected.

The Great Danes have three non-conference games left, including an appearance in the Bracket Buster in February. They currently sport a 5-6 record after Wednesday night’s win at struggling Brown, a game that wasn’t a sterling effort but could be a sign of things to come. They didn’t come into the game thinking it would be a cakewalk with the Bears, who are 2-8 and continue to struggle mightily on the season.

“You never want to be that team that a team breaks out against, and that was a concern of mine,” head coach Will Brown said after the game.

The Great Danes’ record is reflective in part of the schedule they have played, which includes road games with Florida, San Diego State and UCLA, but also of an adjustment they have had to make: depth. It was just two seasons ago that this injury-riddled team was very thin and had a walk-on in their rotation. Jon Iati, the America East Rookie of the Year that year, led the nation in minutes played at just under 40 per game. But now, depth abounds for Albany, which is the primary reason the coaches picked them to win a conference where few teams have both talent and experience. Past starters like senior Levi Levine and Iati are now reserves, which they haven’t been before.

Depth helped win Wednesday’s game, as three players, including Kirsten Zoellner and Jamar Wilson, picked up their fourth foul in a short time in the second half. The shooting of sophomore forward Brent Wilson (17 points, including 4-7 on three-pointers) and the solid reserve play of Jason Siggers (10 points in a career-high 23 minutes) and Iati (10 points) went a long way to getting it done.

Injuries also played a role. Versatile sophomore Brian Lillis missed some preseason practice time and the first two games after having surgery early in the fall to repair a stress fracture in his right foot. Lillis is expected to be the team’s point guard going forward, which should only make the team better since it will allow Jamar Wilson to play off the ball and focus on scoring, which he does well.

“I think we’re going to start playing better and better and better, whereas I think a lot of teams in the next couple of weeks will start leveling off,” Brown said. “I think in another 2-4 weeks, we’ll really start to blossom as a team.

“Our biggest thing right now is getting back to where we’re all healthy, which we’re close to, and then guys understanding and learning new roles. That’s been the biggest thing for us.”

It wouldn’t hurt if Lucious Jordan could get going as well. After Wednesday’s game, the senior guard is averaging under 7 points per game, less than half of what he averaged last year. He missed the first three weeks of practice and hasn’t really gotten untracked.

Other America East Notes

• Vermont goes into the new year with a 5-5 record after a 72-62 home win over American on Thursday. They won their only conference game thus far, and as the young team gains more confidence and starts gelling better now that they have some games under their belt, this team won’t be an easy out.
• Boston University went 1-1 at the Cable Car Classic in Santa Clara, taking a tough 63-57 loss against Bucknell before an 80-69 win over UC Riverside in the consolation game. Leading scorer Corey Hassan is a scorching 24-46 from long range in the last seven games, where the Terriers have gone 5-2, and Kevin Gardner had a big second half in the win over UC Riverside. The Terriers’ offense appears to be getting better, and that should continue with Tony Gaffney back since he is another potential scorer.
• Kenny Adeleke has seven double-doubles in ten games for Hartford thus far. Freshman Chris Cole has helped improve the guard play, posting a better than 2:1 assist/turnover ratio and allowing guys like Adeleke and Aaron Cook to score. That makes the Hawks a potential contender in the wide-open conference.

Northeastern: Short-handed Huskies

Short-handed Huskies: Northeastern played Friday’s game against Holy Cross without head coach Ron Everhart and star senior Jose Juan Barea. Everhart received two technical fouls in Tuesday’s 72-67 loss at Wright State, and received a one-game suspension per Colonial Athletic Association policy. Barea, who leads the nation in assists, sat out the 59-44 loss with a knee injury. The move was precautionary, and the Huskies expect Barea to play in Monday’s game against George Mason. [12/31/05]

Temple vs. Villanova

Bitter Big Five Rivals Square Off

by John Celestand

If you’re not from Philly, then you can’t understand. Don’t even try. Philadelphia is about Big Five basketball; and when the two biggest teams in the Big Five square off, you can expect nothing less than a back alley brawl.

Villanova and Temple will square off today for the 80th time, on the last day of the year, for Philadelphia bragging rights. The rivalry is unmatched in the city, where both teams are the city’s storied programs. Villanova is neatly tucked away just miles outside of the city on Lancaster Avenue, in an area that locals call “The Main Line.” Temple sits in the heart of North Philly on Broad Street, right in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Philadelphia. Two campuses couldn’t be any more different.

If you are fortunate enough to be a part of the inner workings of the city of Brotherly love, if you are a basketball insider in the city known for it’s fans bluntness and its greasy cheese steaks then you know this: Of all the games that go on in the Big Five, this one will always be the one that will have a little bad blood.

Of all the schools in the Big Five, Villanova is hated the most. The part they played in breaking up the Big Five for a short time in the 1990s did not help. Rollie Massimino’s need for room on the schedule to play more “big time teams” did not sit well with local Philadelphians. It stained Villanova with a spot of arrogance that simply fueled their Big Five opponents.

Since Jay Wright took over at Villanova, the Wildcats have done a good job at luring local Philly talent. This was not the case in past years, as Villanova was accused of overlooking local Philly stars to take a more national approach to their recruiting. That was seen as a slap in the face to a city with such a rich basketball tradition.

On the other hand, Philly ballers may not admit it, but they knew about the stigma. For many years, it was unacceptable, if you were a local Philly star, to travel up Lancaster Avenue to “The Main Line” and play for the Wildcats. Although only ten minutes outside of the city, if you attended Nova you had turned your back on Philly. Philly boys stayed home. The golden pact was you went to Temple, the city school. You didn’t join the prima donnas over in the suburbs. You didn’t sell out and go for the television exposure that the Wildcats got for being part of the Big East. If you were home grown, you stayed home and gave back to the city that raised you. You paid respect.

Anyone who is from Philly and tells you differently, you must question their credibility.

Villanova would like to cement their hold on the #3 ranking in the country. There will always be whispers around the City when Villanova is highly ranked, that they are overrated. Whether they are or are not is insignificant; the chatter will always be there because it’s Philly and that’s just the way it goes in the Big Five.

Temple will look to pull off the upset and show that they can play with the big boys. The North Philly school hates to take a back seat to its city rival and would wish nothing more than to end the year by sticking a pin in Nova’s balloon, deflating them and bringing them back down to earth.

Villanova hopes to remain unscathed. In games like this one, the underdog usually comes in with so much intensity, so much energy, the records mean very little. The reputations mean nothing; it’s a Big Five game. It will decide which players can hold their heads high while walking down South Street.

“We’ve got to survive this,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said. “It’s like playing Connecticut in the Big East. You don’t go in there thinking, ‘I hope we win by 10′. You’ve got to survive. I feel the same way about the Temple game.”

Throw in the Palestra, one of the great historic basketball arenas in the country, and this game becomes more of a must-see. John Chaney and the Owls will use their frustrating trademark match up zone to try and slow Villanova’s high-powered guards. Villanova guard Randy Foye comes in averaging 21.8 points a game while shooting almost 44% from three. Allan Ray, Nova’s other high scoring guard, is averaging 20.5 pts a game. Villanova may have a hard time slowing down Temple All-American candidate Mardy Collins who leads Temple with 14.0 pts a game.

“He’s a big guard, not a small forward,” Wright said. “He’s a tough match up for us.”

How much of a rivalry is this? Temple owns a slight 40-39 edge in the series. The Owls won last year’s game by one point, 53-52 at the Palestra. The schools have split the last ten meetings. John Chaney has an 11-10 record against Villanova.

Today, when the ball goes up, two teams will latch on to each other and fight to uphold their school’s honor throughout Philadelphia. But the question becomes, who will be celebrating and genuinely enjoying the festivities at 12:00 midnight when the big ball drops?

Siena’s Early Turnaround

New and Improved Saints

by Phil Kasiecki

Things are a little different at Siena than they were last year – and that’s for the better, which seemed hard to imagine around September.

The Saints are fresh off a season where they lost a school-record 24 games. They looked to be headed for another rough season with the transfer of second-leading scorer Jack McClinton to Miami and the loss of All-MAAC forward Michael Haddix to a torn Achilles tendon during the summer. That left them with a very small and thin team returning after last season’s struggles, so it isn’t surprising that the Saints were picked last in the MAAC preseason poll.

But thus far, the Saints have bucked pretty much every preseason projection. With Wednesday’s 75-67 win over Youngstown, they close the calendar year with a 5-4 record. They won four games in a row earlier in the season and are 1-1 in early conference games, showing that this team is clearly making strides already.

That’s nothing new for new head coach Fran McCaffery, who engineered a turnaround at UNC-Greensboro before taking over at Siena in April. McCaffery first made UNC-Greensboro a winning team, as they improved to 15-13 in his first year, then he took them to the NCAA Tournament one year later. A year later, they won 20 games for the first time since they joined the Southern Conference, and received an NIT bid. Right now, a similar turnaround could be starting at his new job if the early returns are any indication.

“I think most sophisticated basketball people will see that we’re not deep and we’re not big, but that’s no excuse for not executing and not playing hard,” said McCaffery.

The Saints have certainly done that thus far, playing the game at a fast speed to accommodate their personnel. They are also a scrappy bunch and can out-hustle teams, and this year’s team is clearly playing like one on a mission. Still, the personnel isn’t exactly that of a team one would expect to be where they are – just one senior and a seven-man rotation with mostly small players. What’s different about this year’s team that the results look the way they do?

“It’s a whole different coaching style, a whole different type of team,” said sophomore guard Kojo Mensah, who has benefited from this change as much as any of the Saints. “We’re a smaller team this year, and we’re a much faster team, so we’re able to get up and down.”

Mensah has been the Saints’ leader this season, using his quickness and athleticism to get to the basket seemingly at will. He leads the team in scoring with 18.4 points per game and hands out nearly five assists from the point guard spot. Mensah considered transferring after a freshman season that was cut short by a stress fracture in his left leg, but felt comfortable when he met with McCaffery and decided to stay around. It looks like it’s paid off thus far for both him and the team.

“I told him I was going to give him the ball, and let him create and let him be the player that he can be,” said McCaffery. “You can’t put handcuffs on Kojo Mensah – you’ve got to let him play, he’s going to put up numbers for you and he’s going to fight for you. I trust him with the ball, I trust his decision-making, and he’s one of the best players in our league.”

The team leader has been senior Antoine Jordan, who has played just about every position thus far. He’s second on the team in scoring and leads in rebounding, and as one of the team’s taller players – at all of 6’4″ – they will need the rebounding to continue. More important than his stats has been his leadership for the younger players, who have followed him. One of the younger players of note is freshman guard Kenny Hasbrouck, who had a career-high 23 points against Youngstown. Hasbrouck was McCaffery’s first recruit, and he’s a good one, as he can play some of both guard spots and is a solid offensive player.

McCaffery said that managing the confidence of this team hasn’t been a major challenge, which isn’t always the case with a young team. They have been able to come back from losses, and the four-game winning streak certainly helped along the way and especially the win over cross-town rival Albany, the preseason favorite in a down America East. His players have done what he’s wanted them to, and they are seeing the results thus far.

Those results may continue to come, even though they have little margin for error with their thin lineup and small team, and it’s because of the conference they play in. It’s not that the MAAC is bad, but to say that it’s a guard-dominated conference would be putting it mildly. That suits the Saints well, since they can match up with most teams in the conference and they aren’t likely to be overpowered by a bigger team. They will also get back Al Fisher, an athletic guard who will give them another offensive boost, after he missed the first semester due to academics.

Even if they don’t win many more games this season, the Saints are certainly in a better position than they were a year ago. McCaffery has changed the scene, and the results are not only there on the court, they are showing up in recruiting. In the fall, they signed three players, among them a steal in 6’6″ scoring forward Edwin Ubiles, who was courted by some high-major programs and played AAU ball for the Albany City Rocks. They will also add frontcourt size and depth with 6’6″ forward Alex Franklin and 6’10″ center James Carr.

The first year with a new head coach is often a transition year where expectations are lowered. The Saints are surpassing many of those expectations, and may be back to contender status sooner than first expected.

Holidays At St. Peter’s

Holidays at St. Peter’s

by Ray Floriani

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – There was excitement among St. Peter’s tonight. It wasn’t simply a festive holiday mood on this evening three days before Christmas: a good turnout was on hand to see the annual FDU – St. Peter’s contest. The two always seem to meet right around the holidays. The conferences are different – FDU of the Northeast and St. Peter’s the MAAC. Still, there are bragging rights as the two schools are roughly fifteen miles apart. Hosting FDU meant excitement. What lay ahead added a spice of anticipation.

As noted Christmas was three days away. But for St. Peter’s, another big date or dates followed the 25th. On those evenings, the ‘Jesuit college of New Jersey’ would cross the Hudson River, with full knowledge of no transit strike in New York, and play in the Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden.

The St. Peter’s players and fans look toward the festival with great expectancy. The fans do as well. Especially the ‘more seasoned’ who remember the smoky nights in the Armory, just three blocks East of Yanitelli. In those days, St. Peter’s, under the late Don Kennedy, would regularly frequent MSG. And who among that loyal fan base could forget the ’68 NIT in front of a crowd of 19,500? The first order of Business on this evening though was FDU, and the homestanding Peacocks delighted the Yanitelli Center faithful with an 82-77 victory.

Keydren Clark led the way for St. Peter’s with a game-high 27 points. Even FDU coach Tom Green had to note that his defense didn’t do a poor job on St. Peter’s outstanding scorer. “We knew Kiki (Clark) could get his points,” Green said. “We were just hoping he wouldn’t go for 40 like he did to us last year. (Todd) Sowell was the one who killed us.”

A 6-7 sophomore forward, Sowell scored 25 points and hauled down 18 rebounds, eight on the offensive boards. Sowell’s scoring presence took pressure off Clark. In return Clark gave the ball up (9 assists) if the defense cheated and Sowell was the prime beneficiary.

As tough as things were for FDU, they were right there in crunch time. “I can still see the scoreboard saying 1:11 to go we’re down three,” Green recalled, “and we throw the ball away.”

Chad Timberlake led FDU with 20 points and remarked later, “I’m getting tired of these close ones.” FDU’s last 6 games have been decided by eight or less points, with the Knights slitting the half dozen.

FDU fell to 5-5 while St. Peter’s after an 0-4 start has now won 5 straight and is 5-4.

For St. Peter’s coach Bob Leckie, next week marks a return to Madison Square Garden. “I played and coached in the Garden,” he said. “I played in the ‘old Garden’ (in the 1967 NIT) as well as the new (or current) one.”

To get an idea how exited the St. Peter’s team is over playing on the same floor the New York Knicks call home, Leckie spoke about the game day schedule. “We have the Garden from 11:00 until noon on Tuesday (the day of the festival semis). I asked the team if they would want a short practice and shootaround during that time. The response was an overwhelming yes. They can’t wait until they get on that floor.”

Clark played once at MSG during his career. It was during his high school days at Rice High School. To return the ‘The world’s most famous arena’ in a St. Peter’s uniform has added significance.

“For any New York City player it is a dream to play in the Garden,” Clark said.

The St. Peter’s senior guard is also dealing with the arduous task of handling ticket requests. “I’ll have about 40 family and friends there,” he says with a smile.

St. Peter’s faces UMass in the festival tip off on Tuesday, while Columbia faces St. John’s in the nightcap. The consolation and finals are on Wednesday. Two guaranteed games, non-conference competition and an honor to represent the MAAC. For St. Peter’s, it promises to be both a great experience and opportunity.

Akron: Akron’s Latest Marketing Ruse a Hit

Akron’s Latest Marketing Ruse a Hit: When you’re the Akron Zips and a kangaroo named Zippy is your mascot, you need a creative marketing team to instill respect — nevermind intimidation — in your athletic programs. But Akron has struck a well of success with a new slogan — Fear the Roo — and a new line of products that features a glaring kangaroo and that slogan. Coupled with recent MAC championships by the women’s cross-country, men’s soccer and football teams, the Zips are on a roll. Local stores can’t keep the Fear the Roo paraphernalia on their shelves.

The campaign launch coincided with the holiday season and helped produce $100,000 in merchandise sales in December, more than 14 times the total of $7,000 for the same period a year ago. Of course, no marketing campaign works quite as well as winning conference championships, so the basketball Zips now have some pressure to continue the success and force opponents to fear the ‘roo. [12/30/05]

Texas Tech: Coffman Leaves Red Raiders

Coffman Leaves Red Raiders: Texas Tech junior guard Drew Coffman has decided to quit the team because he said he is not helping the team and does not want to play basketball anymore. He played 11 games this season, averaging 4.3 points and 2.5 assists in 14.8 minutes per game. Coffman’s departure leaves the Red Raiders with even fewer options. Texas Tech has already had a handful of players miss time because of injury, including key contributors like Darryl Dora, Jonathan Plefka and LucQuente White.
[12/30/05]

Clemson: Tiger Starter Done for Season

Tiger Starter Done for Season: Sophomore forward James Mays, Clemson’s leading rebounder, will miss the remainder of the season because he is academically ineligible. He has started all nine games for the Tigers and is a budding star, averaging 9.2 points and 7.6 rebounds for a Tigers team that has mashed many lower conference opponents before dropping its first game of the season at Georgia last night. Without Mays, an already guard-heavy Clemson lineup becomes thinner in the frontcourt. [12/29/05]

Akron: Bubba Bounces out of Akron

Bubba Bounces out of Akron: Akron sophomore guard Bubba Walther has decided to leave the Zips to seek opportunities at another program. Walther was averaging 8.9 points, 2.1 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game this season. For a sophomore on an experienced team, his 18 minutes per game seems reasonable. Walther was a member of the MAC’s all-freshman team last season. [12/29/05]

LSU: Minor’s Major Injury Ends His Season

Minor’s Major Injury Ends His Season: LSU junior point guard Tack Minor will miss the rest of the season while he recovers from a torn MCL in his left knee. Minor injured the knee in the Tigers’ 75-72 loss against Cincinnati in the Las Vegas Holiday Classic last week. An MRI revealed the tear, and he will have surgery this week to repair the ligament. Minor had played only three games this season because he was academically ineligible for the fall semester.

Minor may be able to recoup his eligibility for this season with a medical redshirt. Players who miss most or all of a season because of injury can petition the NCAA to return a year of eligibility. Minor’s loss will hurt the Tigers’ hopes of putting together a deep NCAA Tournament run. Even without MInor, however, the Tigers should be competitive in the SEC and earn a trip to the tournament in March. [12/29/05]

Brown: Ruscoe Hopes to Return Soon

Ruscoe Hopes to Return Soon: Brown senior forward Luke Ruscoe missed his second straight game on Wednesday. The Bears’ second-leading scorer (9.9 ppg) and leading rebounder (6.5 rpg), Ruscoe was a game-time decision with a high ankle sprain and hopes to return in the Bears’ next game, a road date with Army on Saturday. [12/28/05]

New Mexico: New Mexico’s Box Out

New Mexico’s Box Out: New Mexico junior forward Joel Box has opted not to return to the team after the holiday break. A JuCo transfer, Box figured to be a starter at the beginning of the season, but he has only played a few minutes per game. He is averaging 3.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. But Box said he has higher standards for his game and wants to find a better opportunity to meet those goals. He is the second Lobo to quit the team in the past month, joining fellow JuCo transfer Anthony Teague among the pack of former Lobos.
[12/28/05]

New England Roundup

New England Round-up

by Phil Kasiecki

As Christmas has just come, here’s a look at what’s going on with many of the New England schools. Most will get right back on the hardwood within a couple of days of the holiday.

Huskies can’t finish what they start

Northeastern can be awfully good at times – the first 16 minutes or so of Tuesday night’s loss to Providence proved that, as well as their 6-1 start. But the final minutes of the first half and all of the second half of Tuesday’s game showed that the Huskies can also look ordinary.

The Huskies made their first six shots of the game en route to an early 16-8 lead, and later built a 39-28 lead. They moved the ball well and got good shots, and were shooting well as a result. But the Friars came back to tie the game at 17 thanks to some offensive rebounds, then scored 31 unanswered points after the 11-point lead the Huskies built up and it was never a contest after that.

“I feared exactly what happened in the second half,” head coach Ron Everhart said after the game. “I never would have imagined a 31-0 run, but we just couldn’t make a shot and we couldn’t get a rebound.”

Everhart noted the lack of patience by the offense as well as the rebounding difficulties – both constant problems for this team in recent years. The Huskies came into the game as the nation’s fourth-best scoring team and one of the nation’s top shooting teams at 51.6 percent. On Tuesday night, they shot just 25 percent in the second half and just over 34 percent for the game, and were out-rebounded 51-37 – even bigger than their margin coming in (as foes grab more than four boards per game more than they do).

Top two scorers Jose Juan Barea and Bobby Kelly combined for just eight points in the second half after each had 12 in the opening stanza. Barea had seven points in the opening 16-8 run, and though he had 11 assists and two turnovers, he was 6-19 from the field.

During the Friars’ big run, Northeastern missed 15 consecutive shots and didn’t score for over ten minutes. That’s not a stretch that they are likely to repeat, but it is a concern since their impatience is not an isolated case and they won’t always get plenty of chances to run. The Friars shot nearly 62 percent from the field and committed just two turnovers in the second half, thereby denying them an opportunity to run.

The Huskies hit the road to take on Wright State on Dec. 27 before returning home to play Holy Cross three days later.

Terriers reach holidays on a good note

With Wednesday’s 69-56 win at Canisius, Boston University reaches Christmas having won four of five after starting off with four straight losses. In that game, the Terriers took advantage of their size as they had a 36-18 edge in points in the paint, riding that to victory.

The Terriers also get a personnel boost as sophomore forward Tony Gaffney will return from his suspension in their next game. Gaffney has the talent to be a breakout player for the Terriers, who could use a go-to guy since they have several complementary scorers. Freshman Corey Hassan leads the team in scoring at 11.5 points per game, with Kevin Gardner not far behind at 11.0. After that, there is a noticeable drop-off, as Brian Macon is next at 6.8 points per game. Not one of the top three scorers is really a go-to guy; Hassan is a shooter, Gardner never has been a big scorer, and Shaun Wynn is a solid second or third option but not a go-to guy. Gaffney could conceivably develop into that kind of player, but now he will be playing for the first time in a month.

The Terriers head west after Christmas to play in the Cable Car Classic at Santa Clara. They first have a tough matchup with defending Patriot League champion Bucknell on Wednesday night, then play either of Santa Clara or UC Riverside on Thursday night.

Minutemen are ready to start playing

UMass hasn’t had many chances to see how good this year’s team may be. Friday night’s win over Siena at the Mullins Center was just the team’s seventh game thus far, and their second game in about three weeks.

“We’ve been practicing so much,” said senior forward Jeff Viggiano. “When you’re beating up on each other every day, that gets a little old.”

The Minutemen go into Christmas with two consecutive home wins, a 64-45 decision over Boston University on December 12 and Friday night’s 78-69 win over Siena. They took over in the second half against Boston University, while having to hold off a late charge by the Saints in the second half on Friday night.

On Friday, the Minutemen couldn’t shake the Saints until late in the first half, never getting a double-digit lead until they went into the locker room up 44-34. They would later go up by 15 before the Saints started to come back steadily. The Saints got within 71-69 late, before the Minutemen scored the game’s last seven points, starting with a tough off-balance jumper by freshman Chris Lowe.

Rashaun Freeman (23 points, 12 rebounds against Siena) has been the key post presence for the Minutemen, who got a little deeper on Friday night. Pittsburgh transfer Dante Milligan made his debut, scoring seven points and getting eight rebounds in 20 minutes. He gives them ten scholarship players, which is the most they will have this season, and head coach Travis Ford was happy with what he got out of Milligan.

“Dante, tonight, really made things happen,” said Ford. “He was out there, hitting balls away – it seems like he was in the right place at the right time about three times – he was batting balls, getting deflections, just doing a lot of hustle plays. That’s all he needs to concentrate on, because his skill level is probably game-rusty, but if you get in there and just work hard and try to make things happen, that’s all I need from you.”

Lowe continues to come along at the point, a position where the Minutmen entered the season with no clear incumbent. Maurice Maxwell has started there, but hasn’t been the same player this year although he offers a height advantage. If Lowe can continue to come along, that would let Maxwell play on the wing more, where he seems better suited. Lowe had ten points, but none bigger than his jumper with the shot clock running down that started the game-ending 7-0 run.

“That’s when you gain your respect, in tight situations – when you get 20-point victories, you don’t gain a lot of respect,” said Ford of his freshman floor leader. “When you handle the ball and you do the things you had to do in the second half – he never came out, and he was fatigued but he fought through it.”

The Minutemen will now play a few more games, starting with two in as many days at the Panasonic Holiday Festival in New York on Tuesday and Wednesday. They play St. Peter’s on Tuesday, then either St. John’s or Columbia on Wednesday. After the new year comes, they play their next-to-last non-conference game with a trip east to Boston College on January 3.

Young Bulldogs show some promise

This year’s Yale team has a little different look than in some recent years, namely in that it’s a lot younger. Only two seniors dot the roster, and three starters in Thursday’s 76-63 loss to Providence are sophomores with freshman Ross Morin joining them. Part of the reason for the young starters is the recent eye injury to junior Sam Kaplan, as well as the very recent return of senior center Dominick Martin, who was playing in just his third game.

Martin has yet to start a game, but he surely will before long. He’s their most proven post scorer, and he wasted no time doing that in his first game back as he scored 14 points in 18 minutes against Hampton. He had 13 points and seven rebounds against the Friars, but struggled as he went 5-13 from the field. How much of a boost he ultimately gives them is unclear, as they haven’t had him and Kaplan, who was the Ivy League Player of the Week in the opening week of the season, together on the floor yet.

“We’ll see how big an impact he has when Sam gets back,” said head coach James Jones.

The post figures to be less of an issue for the Bulldogs going forward. They committed 18 turnovers against Providence and lead the Ivy League in that category by nearly two over Brown. It offsets their league-leading assist total and then some, and takes away from their league-leading rebound advantage.

“We have to do a better job of taking care of the ball,” said Jones, who added that this is the most important issue for the team to address as the season goes along. “If we take care of the ball, we’re a pretty good basketball team. If we don’t turn it over 20 times a game – if we cut it down to 15 times a game – we’ll be in pretty good shape. We’ll be in a lot of games.”

The young Bulldogs have a sophomore and a freshman at the point guard spot, but that’s not the only position where the turnovers come from. Only two regulars, freshmen Travis Pinick and Chris Andrews, have more assists than turnovers.

At 5-5, the Bulldogs have shown some promise thus far, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they’re at least going for the top half of a down Ivy League when it’s all said and done. Later in the week, they head to Corpus Christi, Texas for the Flint Hills Invitational and matchups with James Madison and either Savannah State or Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

Other New England Notes

• Harvard couldn’t quite set a new record for non-conference wins in the Frank Sullivan era, as they were blown out by Boston College on Thursday. Brian Cusworth’s wrist injury is not thought to be serious, and he should at least be back by Ivy League play. The Crimson will have one more chance at setting the record, as they play at SMU on Wednesday in their final non-conference game.
• Rhode Island rebounded from its loss to Wagner thanks to a career night from Dawan Robinson. In their 87-72 win over Quinnipiac on Thursday, Robinson had 37 points on 14-21 shooting and added five assists and five steals. Robinson didn’t have a very good game against Wagner, just further demonstrating that the Rams need him to play more like he did two years ago if they are going to contend in the Atlantic 10. Will Daniels also continued to come along, posting a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
• Fairfield got a boost with the return of senior DeWitt Maxwell, who missed the first semester after being declared ineligible for a violation of the Student Code of Conduct. In a guard-dominated MAAC, a player like Maxwell who can rebound and play bigger can be a difference-maker. The Stages are being out-rebounded by more than six boards per game, and that’s where Maxwell likely gives them the most help, as he is their leading returning rebounder from last season.

Big Sky Notebook

Big Sky Conference Notebook

by Nick Dettmann

Player of the Week: Andrew Strait, Montana

Eastern Washington Eagles (4-5 overall)

Dec. 16: Washington 91, Eastern Washington 74
Dec. 19: Gonzaga 75, Eastern Washington 65

The Eagles could not have had a tougher week in terms of competition, but they can be very proud with how they played. They lost to last season’s top-ranked team of the NCAA tournament and 11th in the nation by 17, then lost to 8th-ranked Gonzaga. Both games were on the road. Jamaal Williams scored 26 points against the Huskies, while Rodney Stuckey scored 20 points against the Zags.

Up next: Just one game as they host Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on Friday.

Idaho State Bengals (6-2)

Dec. 17: North Dakota State 86, Idaho State 69

The Bengals could not overcome a big deficit this time against NDSU in Fargo. Slim Millien led the way for ISU with 20 points. Two others reached double-figures: Tim Henry (18) and David Schroeder (12).

Up next: The Bengals are off until after the holidays. They will resume action on Dec. 27 when they host Rocky Mountain.

Montana Grizzlies (9-1)

Dec. 10: Montana 78, Drake 72
Dec. 14: Montana 110, Montana-Western 71
Dec. 19: Montana 77, UC-Riverside 67

The Grizzlies continued their torrid pace by extending their winning streak to nine games. Montana has not lost since their 90-69 drubbing at the hands of Boise State in the season-opener. Against Drake, Andrew Strait and Matt Dlouhy each had 17 points and six rebounds. Against Montana-Western, Kevin Criswell scored 21 points and Dlouhy had 20. Dlouhy also grabbed seven boards. Against UC-Riverside, Strait went off by scoring 31 points and Criswell added 14.

Up next: Just one game on tap this week as they stay in California to play UC-Santa Clara on the 22nd.

Montana State Bobcats (3-6)

Dec. 17: Wyoming 80, Montana State 67
Dec. 19: Montana State 70, Portland 68

Against Wyoming, Ja’Ron Jefferson led the Bobcats with 17 points while the Cowboys converted on 25-of-38 free throws. Against Portland, the Bobcats were without Ryan Holmes and Branden Miller. Holmes has left the team and Miller has been declared academically ineligible. Marvin Moss led the way in scoring with 18 points and had six rebounds.

Up next: A home game against Denver on the 22nd is the only thing on tap this week for the Bobcats.

Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (5-5)

Dec. 19: Northern Arizona 63, Northern Colorado 53

After over a week off, the Lumberjacks looked like they never missed a beat after knocking off future conference foe Northern Colorado. Ruben Boykin, Jr., scored 13 points and had 12 rebounds in his seventh collegiate double-double.

Up next: The Lumberjacks are to Tempe, Ariz., to compete in a tournament on the 21st and 22nd.

Portland State Vikings (5-6)

Dec. 16: Portland State 85, Lewis & Clark 59

Against Lewis & Clark, the Vikings’ Scott Morrison and Ryan Sommer each scored 19 points. Jake Schroeder added 14 as well for the Vikings. PSU’s defense held Lewis & Clark scoreless for nine minutes and 45 seconds.

Up next: A home game against Warner Pacific is the only game the Vikings have this week on Dec. 21.

Sacramento State Hornets (7-3)

Dec. 17: Sacramento State 76, Southern Utah 68

With only one game on tap, the Hornets had four players reach double-figures in scoring, two of whom came off the bench. Starters DaShawn Freeman and Jason Harris scored 17 and 12 respectively. Off the bench, Clark Woods and Justin Williams scored 14 and 10 respectively.

Up next: After a Dec. 20 meeting against Cal-Poly, the Hornets will travel to Los Angeles to play UCLA on the 23rd.

Weber State Wildcats (3-6)

Dec. 17: BYU 80, Weber State 54

After starting the year 3-0, the Wildcats have now lost six in a row. Against the Cougars, Coric Riggs led the way for the Wildcats with 19 points. David Patten led the team in rebounds with seven.

Up next: After a Dec. 20 showdown with Southern Utah, the Wildcats will head to Fort Wayne, Ind., to play IPFW on Dec. 22.

Cincinnati: Shoulder Injury May Sideline McGowan

Shoulder Injury May Sideline McGowan: Cincinnati junior forward Cedric McGowan might miss tomorrow night’s game against Miami, Ohio, because of a shoulder injury. McGowan dislocated his left shoulder while fighting for a rebound against LSU Friday. The injury limits McGowan’s mobility right now, and the team will make a game-time decision whether to play or sit McGowan. He averages 8.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game for the Bearcats, who have won six straight and are rising on the national radar.
[12/27/05]

St. John’s: No Showtime in Holiday Fest

No Showtime in Holiday Fest: Daryll “Showtime” Hill will miss the Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden today and tomorrow. The St. John’s junior guard is the Red Storm’s leading scorer and most exciting playmaker. But a nagging knee injury has slowed Hill. He first suffered the injury in November and aggravated it against Duke last week. Hill will miss the opener against Columbia tonight and tomorrow’s game against either Massachusetts or St. Peter’s. He averages 13.7 points per game, one of only two Red Storm players to crack double digits in points.
[12/27/05]

George Washington: Colonials Add Depth Mid-Season

Colonials Add Depth Mid-Season: Already off to a strong start at 8-0, George Washington gained some depth when the Colonials received notice that LSU transfer Regis Koundjia is eligible to play after satisfying academic requirements. Koundjia started 20 games as a freshman at LSU, but he left the school in search of more playing time. He averaged 3.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game that season. He will be a junior this year and provides depth to the Colonials’ frontcourt.
[12/27/05]

Indiana Wins, Gets White Back

Hoosiers Avenge Loss To 49ers, White Returns

by Zach Smart

The Indiana Hoosiers kept seeing flashes of it. It was right there, still fresh in their minds, months and months after Brendan Plavich’s half-court prayer at the buzzer found the bottom of the net and robbed Indiana of the victory.

The Hoosiers buried three-pointer after three-pointer and then the 49ers, 71-54, at Charlotte Monday evening to exact some revenge for last year’s one-point loss. With that, they buried and erased the memories of Plavich’s questionable (the Hoosiers strongly felt that Plavich released the ball after time had expired) buzzer-beater.

The Hoosiers connected on 13-of-23 from behind the arc, with Marshall Strickland and Robert Vaden netting four apiece. Crisp ball movement, especially when making the extra pass for an easy bucket, was also key for the Hoosiers.

Auburn transfer Marco Killingsworth, 20 days after his coming-out party against Duke (when he gave Shelden Williams the business and got the better of the Blue Devil big man), continued his strong play down low. Killingsworth finished with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including a three-pointer during the run.

Despite not playing in nine days, the Hoosiers shot 53 percent from the floor.

The No.18 Hoosiers have been shooting treys as well as anyone in the nation as of late. Throughout history, the program has been known to produce dangerous three-point assassins. There was Steve Alford, Calbert Cheaney, and the man with the lightning-quick release shot, Kyle Hornsby, who played on the 2002 team Hoosier ballclub that advanced to the championship game of the NCAA tournament.

A barrage of three-pointers fueled a 22-2 first half spurt for the Hoosiers.

A posterizing dunk by the 49ers’ Curtis Withers tied the game at 13. Withers soared to the basket and threw it down with authority, firing up the Niners early on.

Charlotte’s intensity level wouldn’t stay high for long. Roderick Wilmont (3-3 on three-pointers, 9 points) connected on a trifecta to give Indiana a 21-18 lead with 7:29 remaining. This lead changed to 30-20 after IU let off a freefall of threes. Long range shots from Vaden, Strickland, and Wilmont all cuffed the bottom of the nylon.

Killingsworth then stepped back to net a three of his own, increasing the Hoosier lead to 13 with 5:07 left to play in the half.

“It’s not like it’s a fluke or anything,” Charlotte’s Mitchell Baldwin said to ESPN after the game. “They got into a flow where they were moving to open spots and hitting threes. We just had to get to their shooters.”

Charlotte had one surge in the second half, concluded by a technical foul on Davis, that trimmed the lead to six. Indiana responded as Ratliff drained a three, and the Hoosiers pulled away from that point on.

D.J. White saw his first action of the season and came off the bench in the first half for the Hoosiers. The 6-foot-10 sophomore had been out with a broken foot that he suffered during the exhibition season.

White, though not yet at full stride, showed signs of what he’s capable of doing. He ran the floor and threw down a nasty two-handed jam to make the score 63-49 and had two blocks at the other end of the floor. Three blocks really, but a questionable call converted one White swat into one of his three personal fouls. He finished with eight points and five boards in 17 minutes.

Providence’s Young Talent

Friars’ Young Talent Starts to Emerge

by Phil Kasiecki

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The young Friars are starting to grow up after their first final exams.

In a season sure to have its growing pains, Providence has a roster full of youth. Fourth-year starter Donnie McGrath is the only scholarship senior, while nine freshmen and sophomores are present. Four of the starters in Thursday night’s 76-63 win over Yale were either freshmen or sophomores, and they have started at least three from those two classes in every game this season.

Coming off a ten-day break for final exams, the Friars scored wins over Northeastern (92-70, sparked by a run of 31 unanswered points) and Yale to improve to 5-4 as the holidays approach. Head coach Tim Welsh didn’t have an easy time in the days leading up to the Northeastern game, and the early minutes justified it as the Huskies were in control until late in the first half, but his team certainly responded when they took over the game.

“I think you see the progress of this basketball team, and sometimes you grow within weeks – I think tonight, we grew within a game,” Welsh said after the win over the Huskies.

The Friars’ young players certainly have talent, and they come from winning programs, the latter of which Welsh especially likes. They all come to play, which means there won’t be concerns about the effort. Their youthful exuberance will probably help them pull off a surprise win or two along the way, although they have made and will surely continue to make their share of mistakes as they gain experience.

Thus far, they have gone with two freshmen point guards, moving McGrath off the ball. Though there have been bumps in the road, things are starting to look promising. Weyinme Efejuku started the first four games at the point, since giving way to diminutive Sharaud Curry. Efejuku gives them size at 6’4″ and is very athletic, getting a few highlight-reel slam dunks during the season. Curry has started to settle in at the point after missing the first preseason game and having a tough night in the season opener against Vermont. Curry’s recent success featured a career-high 25 points on 10-14 shooting against Yale. After having two assists and four turnovers against Vermont, he has 31 assists and 14 turnovers for a nearly 2:1 assist/turnover ratio. He’s very quick and showed right away that he can be disruptive on defense, but his offense is now coming along and he looks like a floor leader.

“I think at the beginning of the year, he was feeling his way,” said Welsh. “Now he’s rounding into a comfort zone where he knows he can do certain things without looking over to the bench.”

Having two point guards and moving McGrath to shooting guard allows the Friars to get the most out of McGrath’s shooting ability. The senior is second on the team in scoring and recently eclipsed 1,000 career points. Additionally, the Friars can better protect leads late in the game by having another ball-handler on the floor. McGrath has also given Curry a helping hand, and it’s clearly aided the freshman’s development.

The progress of the two point guards also helped lead to the departure of Dwight Brewington, who wanted to play the point and apparently saw the writing on the wall. While a talented scorer and defender, Brewington has been suspended before and his loss may well be addition by subtraction.

Sophomore center Randall Hanke has had some big games this season, none bigger thus far than his career night on Tuesday against Northeastern. Hanke went for 34 points on 15-23 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds, as the Friars ran the offense to precision after the early going and found a number of ways to get the ball to him. It’s a good thing they did, as Hanke knows how to convert when he gets the ball: he is shooting over 72 percent from the field after making a similar percentage last season, breaking Otis Thorpe’s record in the process. It’s a part of the game Welsh emphasized early in the season with their offensive plan.

“He’s going to finish plays, so we have to find a way to get it inside to him,” Welsh said of the 6’10″ sophomore.

The Friars are still trying to find an identity at the defensive end, having gone back and forth with schemes. They shut down Northeastern with a zone, but Welsh isn’t fully comfortable with that on a full-time basis just yet. Hanke isn’t a game-changing enforcer inside, although he did block just over two shots per game last year. Junior Herbert Hill leads the team in blocked shots and is a presence off the bench.

It may be tempting at times for Friar fans to wish that Ryan Gomes, who along with former players Sheiku Kabba and John Linehan was present at Thursday night’s game, could suit up and play again. But Welsh likes what he has with his young players, and that’s who they have to make do with.

“They have a high basketball IQ. They just want to win, and they’re wide-eyed with everything I give them, and they’re great with adjustments,” said Welsh.

Post-NIT Season Tip-Off

What’s Happened Since the Start?

by Matthew Moll

Three weeks after the tournament formerly known as the Preseason NIT the four teams that qualified to play at Madison Square Garden are a third of a way through their respective seasons and looking ahead to conference play. Two teams are poised to take over conference top spots while two others are looking to March as must-stops.

Drexel

Drexel’s promising 0-2 Thanksgiving weekend vaulted them into the national spotlight but did not lead to immediate fortune.

The Dragons were picked by many to finish seventh in the Colonial Athletic Association, and while coach Bruiser Flint does not believe in moral victories, Drexel competed throughout the Thanksgiving weekend and had a chance to win both contests.

The Dragons put on display the one-two punch of Bashir Mason and Dominick Mejia. In the 78-68 loss to Duke, the duo shined. Mason ran the team to precision, executing on fast breaks and hitting big shots. Mejia showed range and his ability to get to the basket against the Blue Devils although he was not wearing his own jersey. The North Carolina State transfer finished with 25, 14 of which came in the tightly contested first half.

Another half, and it was another story for the Dragons as they struggled on the perimeter and could not find a way to stop J.J. Redick. The Dragons did manage to lurk until the 7:40 mark, before Duke remained ahead by double digits until time expired. Drexel’s first effort to defeat a number one team in the nation was valiant, but not quite enough.

If the first game was disappointing, the second was a punch directly in the stomach. Again the Philadelphia team played a highly-ranked opponent basket for basket in the first half, leading 28-26 at intermission. The second half was closer, and with less than five minutes remaining Drexel was up 54-50 compliments of a Mason three. At that point, UCLA would make their comeback and Drexel would see their last field goal of the contest.

Two possessions swayed the outcome. With the game tied, Mason was unable to handle the Chaz Crawford inbounds pass, which set the stage for a foul on Drexel with .8 remaining. That led to a UCLA win as Jordan Farmar made the second free throw.

Mejia did not start because he was late for a meeting and ended up being a non-factor. Frank Elegar and Kenell Sanchez picked up the slack, finishing with 13 and 14 points respectively. Mason showed his resiliency hitting tough shots while having an off shooting night, and he emerged as the solidified battle tested leader of the Dragons.

“I’ve always said if he wanted to he could be the Most Valuable Player in our Conference,” Flint said of Mason. “His play actually made us much better than I thought we would be at this time.”

Drexel showed they can play with any team in the nation, but needed to do more to prove it to their coach.

“I’ve been harping on playing a little bit smarter,” said Flint of his team’s overall performance for the weekend. “I think not playing smart is the thing that cost us two games.”

Critics may have looked to pencil the Dragons in a shade better than seventh in the CAA after the long weekend at Madison Square Garden, but Drexel will still need to close out games, which would elude the Dragons over the next couple of weeks.

The day after the Preseason NIT the Dragons fell to cross town rivals Penn 68-60 dropping a third straight. Life would not improve for Drexel in the immediate future, as the Dragons would lose two more non-conference games to extend the losing streak to five.

The first of these non-conference tilts was a ten-point loss to St. Joseph’s, followed by a 62-50 head-scratcher to La Salle. Against St. Joe’s, Mejia disappeared in 17 minutes, and against La Salle he hit only on 4-12 field goals in 34 minutes of play.

Mejia reappeared once conference play started and so did Drexel to the win column. The Dragons started CAA play 2-0 with victories over James Madison and Old Dominion. Mejia scored 21 and 27 respectively in the wins aiding his team to a .500 record.

Mason has seen his point total plunge, but in the two conference wins he is averaging 7.5 assists, including 11 in the 61-42 win over ODU.

Now that conference play is entering serious mode, small schools like Drexel can no longer wait for a learning curve or time to jell, or the next test against a larger school. The next test decides conference seeding, which dictates tournament dreams.

If Flint is able to tame his Dragons and continue to excel through the conference season, the holiday week’s lessons were worth the punch.

UCLA

The Bruins escaped the Black Friday weekend with a split, barely besting the upset minded Dragons for third place.

But the weekend began with the Bruins having to claw back against the athletic and perimeter-proficient Memphis Tigers. In the first few minutes out of the MSG tunnel, the Bruins were still adjusting to the unseasonably mild New York weather and came out cold. The first half did not bode better for the Bruins as it progressed, falling behind by as many as 20 and having no answer for the Memphis front court.

Another half, another chance for the program that John Wooden built, which translated to another opportunity for the sophomore duo of Jordan Farmar and Aaron Afflalo to show how well the pair can play against one of the best teams in the nation.

UCLA was able to use the weapon they could not quell against Memphis to make it a game. Farmar and Afflalo combined for all seven of the Bruins’ three balls. But the effort would be for not as UCLA pulled to within six, but no closer in the 88-80 loss.

Farmar finished the game with 28 (23 in the second half) points and seven assists, while Afflalo finished with 14 points and six rebounds.

Farmar did not have a performance near his career high in the consolation game and Drexel was able to linger until the clock read 0.8 seconds. The L.A. native finished the contest going 1-10 from the field with eight assists and four turnovers.

UCLA was able to overcome an early nine-point deficient and a low scoring night from the team as a whole to sneak past Drexel, but show their resolve in the win. Farmar was fouled with less than a second remaining and the score knotted at 56. Farmar was sent to the line where he airballed one and nailed the next closing out the contest.

“I had to laugh about it,” Farmar said of the all-air shot. “It helped me relax and I knocked it down and we got out with a win.”

The Bruins have not looked back since the Tip-Off. Most notably UCLA posted quality wins over Nevada and the once undefeated Michigan Wolverines. Those who frequent the Pauley Pavilion know injuries have plagued the Bruins early this season, but UCLA continues to prevail and it only appears to be looking up.

Guard Josh Shipp is set to return to Ben Howland’s lineup after recovering from hip surgery and the once deplorable interior defense has come to life.

After the Preseason NIT Howland lamented his team’s ability to defend the frontcourt. “The big guys were a problem for us,” Howland said. “We will have to double more than we would like.”

But the Bruins were able to squelch the inside game of the recently rejuvenated Wolverines, particularly Courtney Sims. Sims was averaging 15 points per game before he was permitted only two field goal attempts and six points.

Overall the Bruins’ season has started off well. They are lead by two (soon to be three) young guards and have a backup who remind some of tournament legend Tyus Edney. The crude reality is that the Bruins are winning games they should win. In the only game where the Bruins were overmatched, the result was a loss. Outing an unchallenged Temple team, an upstart in Nevada, and a the long languishing Wolves may look better on paper than it does in the grand scheme, but all UCLA can do is play those who are on the schedule and so far the Bruins are the second-best team in the Pac-10. They meet Washington on January 14.

Memphis

Highly-touted players have left the Memphis program early for a wide spectrum of reasons (Sean Banks, DaJuan Wagner) or they never arrive (Amare Stoudemire, Kendrick Perkins). While top tier teams have left Conference USA, the recruits keep coming and now the Tigers appear to have a group that, at least for this season, will continue to compete.

The first half in New York the Tigers looked like Sinatra: Smooth. Real smooth. Freshman Shawne Williams, who finished the game with a season slash career-high 26, missed only three attempts from the field and was the team’s sparkplug. Forward Rodney Carney controlled the middle and hit on 2 of 5 from beyond the arch, extending the UCLA defense and pushing the Tigers’ lead to as many as 20.

Although the lead shrunk, Memphis held fast and did not relinquish the lead and advanced to the Preseason NIT finals, where they would give the consensus number-one team in the country a legitimate preview of a Final Four showdown.

Duke and Memphis played the best game of the Thanksgiving weekend, placing two of the best freshman classes in the country on the same court. This would also be a test for Memphis for the first time this season, trying to slow a one-two punch, namely that of Shelden Williams and POY candidate JJ Redick.

The Tigers did not get the same phenomenal offensive performance from Williams or Carney, but others found shots and the two handled difficult defensive assignments (Redick for Carney and Sean Dockery for Williams) to put them in position to have a chance to win at the end.

The first half ended 42-41 in favor of Duke and the second half would be nearly as tight. The NIT Season Tip-off came down to two plays which decided the game with less than 20 seconds left.

Shelden Williams’ put back off a missed lay-up nearly sealed the game, but Lee Melchionni was fouled after a Memphis misfire and he was unable to make either of his two free throws. The second was rebounded by Dockery who was fouled and closed the scoring at 70-67.

“The last two games were effort plays,” said Memphis coach John Calipari. “Their toughness just got to us.”

Memphis played Duke as tough as anyone has all season at that point and since. Redick was held scoreless in the second half and Dockery was quiet for most of the game before his timely shooting reappeared the game became Shelden William’s to win and Memphis’ to lose, Memphis came just short.

Since the loss to Duke, the Tigers have gone unbeaten in five games, winning by an average of 18.6 points.

The freshman conglomerate of Williams, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Antonio Anderson, and Kareem Cooper has combined for 43 points per game and are logging significant minutes through the win streak.

Although Memphis continues to climb in the national rankings, some of this early success can be attributed to big-name losses and small-time wins for the Tigers. The young Tigers sport a starting five of two sophomores and two freshmen. Right now they are winning games handily, but will host their most highly touted opponent since Duke on Jan. 6 when they battle Gonzaga.

Memphis may be the only bid for CUSA this year, but this one bid could be the third team in four years to reach the Final Four from the conference.

Duke

The Dukies of Durham have been ranked number-one since before the season started, and the nation understands why.

The NIT Season Tip-off final four Duke was a formable test for the Blue Devils as the ability to win close games and win without having perfect games from the entire cast were challenged.

In the win over Drexel, Mike Krzyewski’s team received its usual support from senior stalwarts J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams. Redick scored 31 and Williams added 20 and nine boards. Freshmen Greg Paulus, Josh McRoberts, Martynas Pocius each contributed in the win. Paulus had five assists, McRoberts went 5-for-6 from the field with six rebounds, and Pocius added seven points in relief for the Devils.

But the player who Coach K considers the best athlete on the team, DeMarcus Nelson, went down in the first half of the Drexel game with a fractured right ankle.

Duke still came out on top and did not let the loss of Nelson negatively impact the rest of the weekend. The Cameron Crazies took to Madison Square Garden and replicated an East Regional-like atmosphere as the two top-10 nationally ranked teams exchanged blows. At the end of the fight, Shelden Williams took home the hardware and Duke won the tournament for the second time in as many attempts. Williams went for 30 and eight while staying out of foul trouble and capitalizing on what the defense was giving him while they keyed on Redick. Although one of the stars was held in check, another out, and Dockery was cold, the Blue Devils would not be denied. Paulus again came up with huge assists (eight) and Dockery’s frosty shot turned lukewarm at an opportune time to help seal the tourney win.

The last time the Blue Devils won this invitational was in 2000. Later that season, the same team, led by a senior star and a trio of sophomores, went on to win the NCAA Championship. Senior leadership (2005′s Redick and Williams to 2001′s Shane Battier) and young talent (2005′s McRoberts, Nelson, and Paulus to 2001′s Jay Williams, Mike Dunleavy, Jr., and Carlos Boozer), the same coach and considerable early season W’s make for a compelling allusion and a temptation to flirt with fate.

But Coach K would not bite when asked about the similarities.

“No I don’t see any. That team had five or six future NBA players on it,” he reflected. “We had Jason Williams, Mike Dunleavy, Boozer, Chris Duhon. I think I might cry.”

Laughs supplanted the question, but come March if this team continues to produce the comparisons will be pressed.

As it is, the hits keep on coming for the consensus number-one team in the nation. Assembly Hall and a career night from Indiana’s Marco Killingsworth would not deny Duke’s run. A last-second heave by Dockery kept the unbeaten season in tact and gave the Devil’s a 1-0 ACC start. They pasted number-two Texas by 30 and most recently put up their first 100-spot on the season in shellacking Valpo 104-77.

The Blue Devils have a weaker ACC to face this season and have the combo of Redick and Williams setting pace. The only weakness of this team is the reliance on the two seniors, although they proved they can win when one is off, if both are off someone new will have a chance to enter Duke lore. Although he has expanded his scoring to off the dribble, Redick still must use his outside shot to set up the rest of his offense. Memphis showed he is containable, but Memphis also proved you cannot focus exclusively on Redick. For now, Redick is auditioning for Player of the Year and playing the part well.

Needless to say Duke is on a roll, and they are doing it with the veterans and with a bit of a youth movement. For now are the most unbeatable team in the country.