Keith Appling Leads Spartans to 80-75 Victory over Illinois

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, January 31, 2013

Big Ten basketball is not for the feint of heart.

There are five ranked teams and that list doesn't presently include Wisconsin and Illinois, both of which were ranked earlier in the season and are safe bets to be heading to the NCAA tournament in about six weeks, assuming they can grind out tough schedules in conference play.

The Fighting Illini came out smoking at Michigan State Thursday night, but eventually fell to the Spartans, 80-75, in a pivotal match-up for both squads.

Illinois took a ten-point, 37-27, lead into the half, but the Spartans responded with 12 straight points to open the second half, taking the lead and never relinquishing it.

Point guard Keith Appling took over the game when it counted the most, scoring 19 of his game-high 24 points after the break. Quietly emerging as a team leader, Appling dazzled the Illini with crossover dribbles and deft passes, dishing the ball seven times to teammates, twice finding Brandon Dawson (12 points, 9 rebounds) at the rim for thunderous, momentum-building dunks.

The 6'1" junior was 7-for-12 from the field, making two of four from three-point land and eight of 12 at the charity stripe. He also snagged a season high eight boards as the Spartans out-rebounded Illinois, 33-24.

The win was crucial for the 13th-ranked Spartans, following their 75-70 loss at Indiana this past Sunday.

For the Illini, the loss was their fifth in their last six games, lowering their Big Ten mark to a putrid 2-6. In the midst of a challenging stretch, Illinois has already lost consecutive games to Michigan and Michigan State, and have Wisconsin, Indiana and Minnesota straight ahead.

Michigan and Indiana top the conference at 7-1, followed by the 7-2 Spartans.

Blue Devils Win at Wake Forest, 75-70, Behind Mason Plumlee's 32 Points

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Eleven of the nation's top 25 teams were in action Wednesday night, with only two ending up on the wrong side of the scoreboard, those being #10 Oregon, a 76-52 loser at Stanford, and #17 Missouri, which, despite 25 points from Phil Pressey, lost at LSU, 73-70. It was the third loss against four wins in the SEC for the Tigers, jeopardizing not only their ranking, but their chances of making a solid showing in the conference.

#5 Duke improved to 18-2, winning on the road at Wake Forest, 75-70, on the strength of Mason Plumlee's career-high 32 points, falling just one rebound short of his 13th double-double of the season. The 6'10" senior hit 12 of 15 shots from the field, eight of 10 from the foul line with nine boards, two assists, two steals and two blocks in 35 minutes of floor time.

Duke kept pace with Miami, 73-64 winners at Virginia Tech, but continue to trail the ACC leaders by two games. Miami is 7-0. Duke trails in second place, at 5-2, along with Virginia.

NOTABLE: #4 Florida held host South Carolina to 10 first half points in a 75-36 rout, the ninth straight win for the Gators.

Doug McDermott had 29 points as #21 Creighton improved to 19-3 with a 91-77 victory over Missouri State. McDermott is second nationally in scoring, at 23.9 points per game, trailing Virginia Tech's Erick Green (25.5).

Other Top 25 winners were Michigan, Indiana, Kansas State, New Mexico and Cincinnati.

Kyle Wiltjer Has 26 as Kentucky Tops Mississippi, 87-74

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, January 29, 2013

A trio of Top 25 teams took it on the chin Tuesday night in a light college hoops schedule.

At Virginia, #18 NC State fell to the Cavaliers, 58-55, and #15 Wichita State lost at home to Indiana State, 68-55, dropping their third game against 19 wins.

The game of the day was in Mississippi, where the 16th-ranked Rebels sought to keep their SEC record pristine, seeking their seventh straight win when Kentucky came calling.

It was not to be, as the Wildcat defensive effort held Ole Miss to 38% shooting, running off late for the 87-74 victory.

The Wildcats scored 50 second half points, led by 6'10" sophomore forward, Kyle Wiltjer, who threw down a career high 26 points, leading all scorers. Wiltjer made 10 of 19 shots, including five of 12 from beyond the arc, adding seven rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Teammates Nerlens Noel and Archice Goodwin supported with 12 blocked shots and 24 points, respectively.

The result left #4 Florida alone atop the SEC at 6-0, trailed by Mississippi at 6-1 and Kentucky at 5-2. The Wildcats travel to Florida on February 12.

Louisville Ends Three-Game Losing Streak as Dieng Has Double-Double

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, January 28, 2013

Being ranked number one in the polls does have its downside. Just ask the Louiville Cardinals, who achieved the position two weeks ago before promptly losing three straight games.

Serving as a wake-up call for coach Rick Pitino's troops, the Cardinals finally got back to their usua, winning ways with a 64-61 home win over the Pitt Panthers Monday night.

As games for the Cardinals and Panthers have been of late, it was nip-and-tuck all the way, Louisville desperately holding on for the win.

Junior guard, Russ Smith, was the game's leading scorer with 21 points, but forward Gorgui Dieng was strong on both ends of the floor, scoring 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting while snatching 12 rebounds - his fifth double-double of the season. Dieng had a solid all-around game with four assists and five blocked shots.

Despite the consecutive losses to Syracuse, Villanova and Georgetown, the Cardinals still managed to hold onto the #12 spot in the most recent poll. despite being 5-3 in the Big East, two games behind co-leaders, #6 Syracuse and #25 Marquette, both at 6-1.

Miami Routs Florida State; Clemson Improves as Milton Jennings Pumps In 28

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, January 27, 2013

With seven consecutive wins - six straight over conference opponents - the Miami Hurricanes are threatening to run away with the ACC regular season title, their 6-0 record leaving them 1 1/2 ahead of NC State, their closest pursuer.

The last two games were particularly convincing of just how good the 25th-ranked Hurricanes really are. After a 90-63 trouncing of Duke, Miami pummeled in-state rival, Florida State, 71-47, holding the Seminoles to just 31% from the field.

Miami's low ranking is sure to get a significant boost in the new poll out Monday.

Elsewhere in the ACC, Clemson is seeking to become relevant. The Tigers got a huge effort from senior Milton Jennings, the 6'9" forward scoring a career best 28 points while also wiping the glass clean with 14 rebounds as Clemson defeated Virginia Tech, 77-70.

Jennings was 0-for-3 from beyond the arc, but was 6-for-12 overall and canned 16 of 18 from the stripe to lead all scorers.

The win put the Tigers at 3-4 in the conference (11-8 overall) with hopes of putting together a little winning streak as their upcoming schedule shows successive games against Georgia Tech, Boston College and Virginia.

Rotnei Clarke Returns to Lead Butler Past Temple, 83-71

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, January 26, 2013

Now who's number one?

That question will be answered when the new pol is released on Monday, the most likely candidate being 18-1 Michigan, if they survive a trip to Illinois at 6:00 pm ET Sunday. Right behind them would be Kansas, also sporting an 18-1 record after defeating Oklahoma, 67-54, Saturday.

All this shuffling around is because both #1 Duke and #3 Syracuse suffered losses during the week, the latter losing at Villanova in overtime, 75-71, Saturday afternoon.

Other top 25 teams losing on Saturday were #11 Kansas State, a 73-76 loser at Iowa State, and Louisville, losing their third in a row after being proclaimed #1 a week ago, the latest loss at Georgetown, 53-51.

#12 Wisconsin, #15 New Mexico, and #19 VCU also were taken down in conference games.

One team bouncing back is Butler. After defeating Gonzaga in a thriller last Saturday, the Bulldogs were spent in a 53-52 loss at La Salle, but the good news is that they got senior point guard Rotnei Clarke back from a brief injury, and he led all scorers with 24 points in their 83-71 win over Temple on Saturday.

Clarke missed three games, but came back firing at home against the Owls. A bit rusty, Clarke hit just four of 14 shots, including 3-for-10 from three-point range, but he made 13 of 14 from the foul line and distributed the ball efficiently with nine assists and just four turnovers.

Butler remains atop the Atlantic-10 (the conference now has 16 teams) with a 4-1 record, but they are closely followed by a gang of five teams at 4-2.

The Bulldogs next play at St. Louis on Thursday, january 31.

Niagara's Juan'ya Green Tears Up Sienna as Purple Eagles Win 5th Straight

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, January 25, 2013

Unsure whether there are any purple eagles living in the wild, but one thing's for sure, the Sienna Saints surely don't want to see any more emblazoned on the uniforms of Niagara players.

For the second time in eight days, the Purple Eagles tore up the Saints, winning by sharing the ball (18 assists) and forcing 12 turnovers in a 79-68 victory, the fifth straight for the top team in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).

And, if the Saints could choose one player to never see again, it would have to be Juan'ya Green, who fell just short of a triple-double, with 19 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds.

Green wasn't all that accurate from the field, going 6-for-17, but he made up for it on the line, making six of six. His rebounding and assist totals were also career highs (the assist number equaling his output in a win at Canisius last season).

The 12-8 Purple Eagles are 8-1 in conference games, clutching a one-game lead over 7-2 Iona and Loyola (MD). They face those two main rivals in back-to-back home games January 31 and February 2.

Kelly Olynyk, Elias Harris Too Much for BYU as Gonzaga Rebounds

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, January 24, 2013 BYU is an improved team this season, but they'll have to go a ways in order to compete with the top team in the WCC, as Gonzaga proved too powerful on the interior, cruising to an easy, 83-63, home win over the Cougars.

Seven-footer, Kelly Olynyk, was perfect both from the field and the foul line, making nine of nine shots and hitting all eight of his free throws for a game-high 26 points.

Falling just one rebound short of his third double-double of the season, Olynyk wiped the boards with nine rebounds.

Complementing his center's perfect play, Elias Harris did get his third double-double of the season, chipping in with 26 points on 8-for-11 shooting and 9-for-13 from the foul line with 10 boards.

The Bulldogs got off early and were up 40-21 at the half. For the game, they held BYU to just 36% shooting and out-rebounded them 37-29. The Bulldogs shot 57% for the game.

Gonzaga was coming off a last-second, one-point loss at Butler, but showed no negative hangover effect, winning for the 18th time against just two losses.

The Bulldogs lead the West Coast Conference with a 5-0 mark, trailed by St. Mary's (5-1), and 5-2 BYU.

Seniors Kenny Kadji and Durand Scott Lead as Hurricanes Storm #1 Duke, 90-63

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, January 23, 2013 March is shaping up to be a wide open scramble for the crown of college hoops, as fans stormed the court in Coral Gables, Florida, where the Miami Hurricanes tore apart top-ranked Duke, 90-63, the fourth time this season a #1 team has fallen, and the second time that Duke has been the patsy.

The Hurricanes (14-3) broke open a close game early in the first half, going on a 25-1 run that turned a 14-13 deficit into a 38-15 lead and a commanding, 42-19, edge at intermission.

The final margin was the third-worst defeat eve for a #1 team and the first time Miami had ever defeated a top-ranked school. The Hurricanes suddenly find themselves all alone atop the ACC, with a 5-0 record. No other team in the conference has fewer than two losses.

A pair of senior starters accounted for more than half of the Hurricane scoring. Durand Scott poured in a game-high 25 points on 9-for-14 shooting with three 3-pointers while Kenny Kadji dominated the lane, making nine of 11 for a season-high 22 points to go with six boards.

Scott also added six rebounds and had four assists. His point toal was also a season high.

Ranked #25 in the most recent poll, the Hurricanes host Florida State on Sunday, seeking their seventh straight win. If they're successful, voters will have a difficult time keeping Miami out of the top 15.

Elsewhere around the hoops universe, #9 Butler was upended at LaSalle, 54-53, and #12 Minnesota fell to 55-48. 17th-ranked Creighton lost at Drake, 74-69.

Freshman Devin Thomas Conquers Wolfpack with 25 Points, 14 Boards in Wake Forest Win

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Louisville's reign at #1 was a very short one, ended when they lost to Syracuse on Saturday, and, on Tuesday, they followed up with another clunker, shooting just 40% in a 73-65 loss at Villanova.

In another top 25 defeat, #18 NC State found no answers for Wake Forest's freshman forward, Devin Thomas, who scored a game-high and career-high 25 points and hauled in 14 rebounds, nine of them off the offensive glass, in an 86-84 win by the Demon Deacons.

Thomas was red hot from the field, canning 10 of 13 shots from the field, while also finding time in his 37 minutes of playing time to dish four assists, snatch three steals and block four shots.

The win evened Wake's ACC record at 3-3. Thy are 10-8 overall.

Michael Carter-Williams Leads Syracuse past Cincinnati, 57-55

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, January 21, 2013

Michael Carter-Williams scored 16 points as #3 Syracuse barely held on over visiting Cincinnati for a 57-55 victory.

Carter-Williams, the assist leader for the Orange, was 6-for-10 from the floor, including a pair of three-pointers, otherwise dishing to teammates seven times for scores. He also had five rebounds as the Orange put just three players in double figures.

The Orange shot 46%, but that was far better than Cincinnati's 33%. The Bearcats kept it close by controlling the boards, out-rebounding Syracuse, 38-28, and making nine of ten from the foul line.

Winners of their last eight straight, Syracuse improved to 18-1 and maintained their Big East lead with a 6-0 mark. Their closest pursuers in the conference are Louisville and Marquette, both at 4-1.

Hossiers Looking at #1 after Cody Zelller Leads Win at Northwestern

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, January 20, 2013

The #2 Indiana Hoosiers invaded Welsh-Ryan Arena, in Evanstown, Illinois, on Sunday and wasted little time dictating play to the host Northwestern Wildcats, running off to an early lead off hard-nosed defense to forge a 31-17 lead at intermission.

The Hoosiers relied on their All-American candidate, Cody Zeller, to provide scoring and rebounding in their 67-59 win.

Zeller finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season. He was 6-for-11 from the field and made nine of 10 free throws.

Improving to 16-2, the Hoosiers are tied with Michigan and Wisconson for second place in the Big Ten. The trio trails 5-1 Michigan State by 1/2 game.

With #1 Louisville losing on Saturday to Syracuse, the Hoosiers should get the nod for #1 from the pollsters when the new Top 25 results are posted on Monday.

Roosevelt Jones Beats Buzzer as Butler Drops Gonzaga

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, January 19, 2013

There were a slew of Top 25 teams in action this third Saturday in January, with five games featuring ranked opponents playing each other.

#13 Butler survived on a last-second shot by Roosevelt Jones, keeping the Bulldogs undefeated at home, with a 64-63 victory over eighth-ranked Gonzaga.

With five seconds left to play, Gonzaga led 63-62 after a pair of made free throws by Kelly Olynyk. After a missed opportunity by Butler, Gonzaga had the ball out-of-bounds near mid-court, but when Dave Stockton lobbed a pass in the direction of Olynyk, the seven-footer was heading in another direction and the ball came right to the waiting Jones, who peeled downcourt and hit the running jumper in the lane, the ball leaving his hand just before time expired.

It was Butler's 13th straight win, making them 16-2 on the season. Gonzaga dropped to 17-2, and should not be penalized to severely by poll voters on Monday, when new rankings are released.

Jones finished with a team-high 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting, with five rebounds and four assists. Elias Harris and Sam Dower each had 20 points to lead Gonzaga.

Elsewhere, #6 Syracuse outlasted top-ranked Louisville, 70-68; #10 Florida hamered #17 Missouri, 83-52; #21 Oregon won at #24 UCLA, 76-67; and, #18 Michigan State prevailed over the visiting, 11th-ranked, Ohio State Buckeyes, 59-56.

In a key Missouri Valley Conference game, unranked Wichita State upended #12 Creighton, 67-64.

Vermont Leads American East after Solid Effort by Juniors Candon Rusin and Clancy Rugg

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, January 18, 2013

After making the NCAA tournament last season and winning their play-in game over Lamar, 71-59, only to lose to North Carolina in the next round, 77-58, Vermont's returning players want to repeat the experience by capturing the American East conference.

With their victory over Stony Brook, handing the Seawolves their first conference loss, the Catamounts seem to be well on their way towards reaching that goal.

Winning at home, 81-73, Vermont takes a 1/2 game lead over Stony Brook and Albany with a 5-1 record, their only conference loss coming at Boston U., January 8. Since then the Catamounts have reeled off three consecutive victories.

Junior guard, Candon Rusin, poured in a career-high 25 points on 9-for-15 shooting, including a 4-for-9 mark from beyond the arc. He was the game's high scorer.

6'8" forward, Clancy Rugg, also a Junior, set career marks in scoring and rebounding, tying his top points effort with 19 points, along with 15 rebounds for his first double-double of the season. Rugg, who appears to be rounding into midseason form, played 33 minutes and had his most productive outing of the season. The only other time he's been on the floor more than 30 minutes was a week ago, when he scored 19 with 9 boards in Vermont's 68-53 win over Maryland-Baltimore County.

Darius Theus, Treveon Graham, Juvonte Reddic Lead VCU to 10th Straight Win

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, January 17, 2013

Don't look now, but after a 3-3 start to their season, the VCU Rams have reeled off 12 straight wins including their 92-86 win in OT against the visiting St. Joseph's Hawks.

Point guard Darius Theus was distributing the ball to teammates, with 10 assists, and when he wasn't passing off, he scored 22 points on 9-for-17 shooting.

Sophomore Treveon Graham led all scorers with 25 points, hitting 10 of 17 shots, including four of seven from 3-point range. He also chipped in with seven boards, three off the offensive glass.

The most dominant player on the court was Juvonte Reddic. The 6'9" junior forward scored 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting, and ripped down 17 rebounds, a career high.

The Rams are undefeated in Atlantic 10 play, but they have plenty of company. Xavier, Butler and Charlotte are each tied for the lead with VCU, at 3-0. Look for the A-10 to send three, if not four, teams to the NCAA tournament in March. VCU almost certainly will be one of them.

NOTABLE: #5 Michigan may have missed their opportunity to be ranked number one when they lost at Ohio State, 56-53, on Sunday, but they were having no part of losing a second consecutive game, despite being on the road again, at #8 Minnesota. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 21 points to lead the Wolverines to the 83-75 win. Michigan broke the game open early in the second half and led by as many as 19 points.

Marshawn Powell Pumps in 28 as Razorbacks Prevail in 2OT

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, January 16, 2013

It took two overtimes, but Marshawn Powell and the Arkansas Razorbacks managed to finally put away the Auburn Tigers, 88-80.

Powell, a 6'7" forward, scored 22 of his game high 28 points in the second half and extra periods for the Razorbacks' second straight win and a 2-1 record in the SEC, putting them right in the midst of a nine-team scramble for the conference lead.

Going 11-for-20 with a pair of three-pointers, Powell also grabbed 11 boards for his second double-double of the season, adding three steals, two assists and a blocked shot.

3-0 Mississippi currently leads the conference standings, followed by Florida and Texas A&M at 2-0. There are six teams with 2-1 records, including Missouri and Kentucky.

Arkansas plays at Mississippi this Saturday afternoon.

Indiana, Notre Dame Lose, But Creighton Prevails on Doug McDermott's 31-Point Effort

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Three Top 25 teams hit the hardwoods on Tuesday, but only one came away a winner.

#2 Indiana, despite a 20-point, 10-rebound effort by Cody Zeller, found no home court advantage in a 64-59 loss to Wisconsin, the Badgers' 11th straight victory over the Hoosiers.

#20 Notre Dame struggled on the road against St. John's, as the Red Storm treated the Madison Square Garden fans to a 67-63 victory.

Doug McDermott proved too much for Northern Iowa, scoring a game high 31 points, as Creighton prevailed at home, 79-68, winning their 10th straight and boosting their overall record to 17-1.

McDermott, one of the nation's top scorers, was 12-for-22 from the field with just one three-pointer and 6-for-7 from the foul line. The 6'8" native of Ames, Iowa grabbed four boards and dished three assists.

Creighton leads the Missouri Valley Conference with a 6-0 record.

Russ Smith, Chane Behanan Power #1 Louisville Past UConn

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, January 14, 2013

With Duke and Michigan each suffering losses over the weekend, Louisville was raised to the #1 position in the latest Top 25 Poll (AP), and, right away they were offered the opportunity to defend their position as the top team in the land.

Traveling to Connecticut to take on the Huskies, who had just toppled Notre Dame, 65-58, on Saturday, the Cardinals entered enemy territory with expectations as lofty as their ranking.

The Huskies took it to the Cardinals in the first half, shooting 50% from the field to take a 34-28 edge into the break, but the Cardinals came out breathing fire in the second half, quickly erased the lead and went on to dominate with 45 points in the half, cruising late to the 75-58 victory.

Led by a game high 23 points from Russ Smith (10-for-20, 2-for-6 on threes) and 16 points, nine boards and five assists by Chane Behanan, the Cardinals rolled to their 16th win against just one loss (76-71, to Duke), a 4-0 record in the Big East, tying them with #6 Syracuse for the conference lead.

The Cardinals will be put to the test again on Saturday, January 19, when they host the Orange in a 4:00 pm ET showdown, but for now, the #1 ranking rests peacefully in Kentucky, the ancestral home of hoops.

Buckeyes Hand Wolverines First Loss; Iona's Sean Armand Powers Gaels

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, January 13, 2013

The theme of the weekend was completed in Columbus, Ohio, on Sunday, where the Ohio State Buckeyes downed previously-undefeated Michigan, 53-56, holding the Wolverines to just 38% shooting.

That score followed NC State's Saturday win over Duke, leaving the nation with no unbeaten teams and a big question mark over who's really #1. On Monday, new polls will be out and we'll have an answer, at least temporarily.

Far from the top of the heap in the rankings, Iona College improved to 11-6 overall and into a tie with Niagara, at 5-1, for the lead in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), with a 97-87 win over Conesius.

Junior swingman, Sean Armand, tied his career high with 32 points to lead the Gaels to their fifth straight victory.

Armand, who has scored in double figures in 16 of Iona's 17 games, lit it up from downtown, making nine of 15 three-pointers on 11-for-18 shooting overall. He rounded out his his game with five rebounds, three assists, a pair of blocked shots and a steal.

Richard Howell Leads #20 NC State over #1 Duke, 84-76

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, January 12, 2013

And Then there was one.

With Duke's loss to North Carolina State on Saturday, there remains only one team in the country without a loss, the 2nd-ranked Michigan Wolverines, but they must survive a trip to Columbus Ohio on Sunday, where they will play the #15 Ohio State Buckeyes - in order to last through the weekend and into Monday's poll as the presumptive #1 team in the country. Tip time for the Buckeyes and Wolverines is 1:30 pm ET.

Duke's demise came a short bus ride from their home court, at PNC Arena, home to the #20 Wolfpack, sure to rise in the rankings after their 84-76 victory over the previously-unbeaten Blue Devils.

Richard Howell, one of the nation's most accurate shooters, striking the iron at 62.3%, was a beast in the paint, scoring 16 points on 7-for-12 shooting, in addition to hauling down a game high 18 rebounds, six of them on the offensive end.

Besides denying the Blue Devils second opportunities with his board work, Howell also kept Wolfpack possessions alive by battling Mason Plumlee and other Duke rebounders.

Howell, who averages a double-double (12.4 points, 10.6 rebounds), turned in his ninth such performance of the season, helping NC State improve to 14-2, but, more importantly, push the Wolfpack to the top of the ACC standings, at 3-1.

Howell had plenty of help in upending Duke. The team's leading scorer, CJ Leslie, pumped in a game-high 25 points, and NC State's assist leader, Lorenzo Brown, dished 13 times and scored 12 points.

NOTABLE: 19 of the nation's top 25 teams were in action on Saturday, with all of them winning except for the Blue Devils, #8 Minnesota (dumped at #5 Indiana, 88-81), #17 Notre Dame, a 65-58 loser at home to unranked UConn, and 10th-ranked Missouri, finding early trouble in the SEC, falling at Mississippi, 64-49.

#13 Creighton Goes to 16-1 Behind Doug McDermott's 39 Points

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, January 11, 2013

Hitting 15 of 19 shots from the field, Doug McDermott had his way against Missouri State as the Creighton Bluejays improved to 16-1 and 5-0 in the MVC with a 72-54 romp at Missouri State.

McDermott's season-high tally was the second-most he's ever scored in a college game. Last season, he lit up Bradley for 44 points in a 92-83 Creighton victory.

Nearly flawless in his execution, McDermott hit three of four from three-point range and six of seven from the foul line, also collecting 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season.

Averaging 23.6 points per game, McDermott is third in scoring nationally, close behind Virginia Tech's Erick Green (24.6) and C.J. McCollum of Lehigh (23.9).

Vreighton's only loss came in an 83-70 setback by Boise State on November 28. Since then, they've won 10 straight and have a pair of important games upcoming: Tuesday, January 15, against Northern Iowa and Saturday, January 19, at 15-1 Wichita State, currently 4-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Kelly Olynyk Leads Gonzaga over St. Mary's; Arizona Tastes First Defeat in 70-66 Loss at Oregon

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, January 10, 2013

The biggest upset of the night came late into it, as the Oregon Ducks won their 17th straight home game, downing the Arizona Wildcats, 70-66, with balanced scoring, quality distribution and a nagging defense.

The 13-2 Ducks had 10 steals and six blocked shots against the previously unbeaten Wildcats (14-1), forcing 14 turnovers. As a team, Oregon dished 17 assists. The result left just two undefeated teams within the college ranks: #1 Duke and #2 Michigan.

Even later into the night, the #9 Gonzaga Bulldogs continued an impressive run with their seventh straight win, this time holding home court against their cheif rival in the WCC, the St. Mary's Gaels, 83-78.

Seven-footer, Kelly Olynyk, was unstoppable in the post, hitting 11 of 19 shots for a game-high 31 points, fresh on the heels of a 33-point outburst at Santa Clara this past Saturday.

Olynyk was 8-for-11 from the foul line and snatched eight rebounds, three on the offensive end.

The 16-1 Bulldogs now share the West Coast Conference lead at 3-0 with BYU. San Diego is a half game back at 2-0

Cleanthony Early Lights Up Salukis with 39 Points in Wichita State Victory

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, January 9, 2013

A bundle of good teams are playing in the Missouri Valley Conference, a general hotbed of college hoops that is often overlooked, but the pollsters have already determined that two of them - Creighton and Wichita State - are worthy of Top 25 designations, while Evansville and Indiana State are providing depth for the league.

In Wednesday's 81-76 victory at Southern Illinois, the 15-1 Shockers of Wichita State applied a stamp to their #23 ranking, rallying from a 43-34 half time deficit for the win.

After the slow start, the Shockers lit it up in the second half, especially junior forward, Cleanthony Early, who set a career high mark with 39 points on 13-for-19 shooting, making five of eight from three point range and eight of 10 from the foul line.

Scoring the first 10 points of the of the second period, the Shockers quickly erased their host's lead, and battled the rest of the way against the determined Salukis.

Early, who leads the Shockers in scoring at 15.4 points per game, easily outdid his previous high mark of 25, made in a 75-63 win over Iowa earlier in the season. Red-shirted his first two years at Wichita State, Early has arrived in time to give the Shockers a versatile scoring threat.

Wichita State is tied with Creighton at 4-0, atop the MVC standings. The top two teams meet on Saturday, January 19 at Wichita State.

Brandon Young Scores Career High 35 as DePaul Falls to UConn

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, January 8, 2013

The Connecticut Huskies blew away DePaul in the first half, outscoring them, 54-34, en route to an easy, 99-78, victory, the Huskies' 11th against three losses, evening their Big East record at 1-1, after losing to Marquette on New Years' Day, 82-76.

While UConn was victorious, they couldn't stop the Blue Demons' junior guard, Brandon Young, who set a career-high mark with 35 points on 13-for-22 shooting, including three of four from beyond the arc, in addition to making all six of his foul shots.

Young is a big time scorer, averaging 17.3 points per game, but he also contributes elsewhere, with 4.4 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game. Against the Huskies, he outdid his averages, snatching four board and dishing five assists, though his efforts fell short as only he and Cleveland Melvin (18 points) scored in double figures.

The Huskies were paced by 26 from DeAndre Daniels and 22 from Ryan Boatwright.

NOTABLE: #1 Duke keeps rolling along, winning their 15th straight without a loss, pounding Clemson, 68-40, for their second ACC win. The Blue Devils did it with defense, holding the Tigers to just 28% shooting for the game and 10 first half points.

#10 Missouri should love life in the SEC, shifting to the new conference after leaving the Big 12. Hosting Alabama, the Mizzou cruised to an 84-68 win, in the first SEC game this season, giving the Tigers a leg up. The anticipated showdown at #11 Florida is set for January 19.

Sam Rowley's Double-Double Lifts Albany over Binghamton

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, January 7, 2013

Every conference gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament in March, including obscure ones like the American East, where the Albany Great Danes have a chance to get the invite, especially if they ride one of their big dogs, like sophomore forward Sam Rowley, who set career highs for points and rebounds in Albany's 71-59 win at Binghamton.

Hailing from Syndey, Australia, the 6'6" Rowley turned in his first double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds, going 8-for-9 from the field and 5-for-5 from the charity stripe.

The Great Danes are off to a 13-4 start to their season and are 2-1 in conference play.

Kenny Boynton Scores Career High 28 as Gators Chomp on Bulldogs

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, January 6, 2013

Most of the teams across the country have begun conference play. The Ivy League and the SEC are among a few that are still working through non-conference schedules, so it was that the #13 Florida Gators trundled up to Yale and showed off their ball skills in a 79-58 trouncing of the Bulldogs.

The game was largely a mismatch, but Florida senior guard Kenny Boynton enjoyed himself, getting enough good looks to go 9-for-12 from the field, including 8-for-10 from three-point range, for a game-high, career-high, 28 points.

Playing 37 minutes, Boynton also added two assists and a pair of rebounds as the Gators improved to 10-2 in their final tune-up before heading into SEC play beginning January 9, at home against another Bulldog team, this one from Georgia.

Florida and Missouri appear the teams to beat in the conference. Missouri is currently ranked #12, with an 11-2 record.

Kelly Olynyk Has Career High 33 in Gonzaga Win at Santa Clara

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, January 5, 2013

Mark Few, head coach of the Gonzaga Bulldogs since 1999, has built the program into one of national prominence, routinely dominating the West Coast Conference. This season, he may have one of his best teams ever.

Few's record with the Zags is impressive, going 357–91 (.797) overall and an even better 162–22 (.882) in conference play. The 10th-ranked, 15-1 Bulldogs won their second straight conference game, winning at Santa Clara, 81-74, to remain tied with BYU for the early lead at 2-0 thanks to a career high, 33-point, 10-rebound effort from their outstanding junior forward, Kelly Olynyk.

Olynyk had a nearly flawless game, making 12 of 15 shots from the field, including going 1-for-1 from three-point range and canned seven of eight free throws, displaying a deft shooting touch for a big man. Olynyk, a native of Kamloop, British Columbia, stand's seven feet tall and finds few opposing players who can defend him. He's scored in double figures in all but one of Ganzaga's 16 games.

With three straight road wins under their collective belts, the Bulldogs appear ready for their next big test, a January 10 meeting with traditional conference rival, St. Mary's. It will mark Olynyk's first game as a starter against the Gaels, since he sat out last season.

NOTABLE: Life is tough in the big conferences. There were 16 Top 25 teams in action on Saturday, and five of them suffered defeats at the hands of conference foes.

In the Big East, the carnage was widespread, with #15 Georgetown falling to Marquette, 49-48, Rutgers topping #24 Pitt, 67-62, and #15 Cincinnati losing at home to St. John's, 53-52.

In the Big Ten, the #11 Fighting Illini took down #8 Ohio State, 74-55, while #25 Kansas State prevailed at home, 73-67, over #22 Oklahoma State in Big 12 action.

O.D. Anosike Gets 19 Points, 15 Rebounds in Sienna Loss

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, January 4, 2013

Just 16 games dotted the college hoops landscape on Friday night, none of the games featuring any teams even close to the top rankings.

Among the contested hardcourts was in upstate New York, at Siena College, where the Saints were hosting the Iona Gaels in a MAAC game.

Siena, 0-2 in the conference going in, kept the game close, but eventually succumbed to the Gaels, 66-62, despite a monster effort from senior forward, O.D. Ansike, a one-man gang averaging a double-double (13.7 points, 12.9 rebounds).

Anosike kept Siena in the game on both ends, scoring 19 points - equalling his season high - and hauling in 15 boards.

Anosike was 8-for-11 from the field, but he didn't get much support from his teammates, who made just 16 of 47 field goals (34%).

Iona improved to 8-6 overall and are part of a six=team tie for first place in the conference with a 2-1 mark. Siena slumped to 0-3 in the MAAC and 2-12 overall.

Kyle Anderson Provides Lift as Bruins Open PAC-12 Play with a Win over Cal

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, January 3, 2013

Continuing their quest for respectability, the UCLA Bruins took another step forward, defeating the Cal Golden Bears, 79-65, opening their PAC-12 schedule with a solid win, their sixth in a row.

The Bruins were led by freshman Kyle Anderson, who, at 6'9", s listed as a guard but plays more like a forward, operating in the post and on the wings. Anderson recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 19 points and 12 boards, adding a pair of assists, two steals and two blocked shots, and is becoming an integral part of the UCLA scheme. Anderson was 5-for-8 from the field and a perfect 8-for-9 from the foul line, where his improvement has been notable.

In his first seven games, Anderson was 13-for-26 from the stripe (50%), but, in his last seven has hit 30 of 35 freebies, an 86% rate.

Anderson was just a point off his career high, set just two games past, when he displayed his huge potential with 20 points and 17 rebounds in the Bruins' 91-78 win over Fresno State. Averaging close to a double-double, with 9.5 points and 8.7 rebounds, Anderson is one of the keys to UCLA challenging for the conference title, their main opposition being the unbeaten Arizona Wildcats (13-0), who struggled to a 92-83 overtime win against Colorado.

The 11-3 Bruins meet up with the Wildcats in three weeks, on January 24, at Arizona.

NOTABLE: #2 Michigan stormed into Northwestern to open their Big Ten schedule and ripped up the place with a 94-66 victory. Trey Burke led the way with 23 points for the 14-0 Wolverines.

D'Angelo Harrison Scores 36 in St. John's Loss at Villanova; Boeheim Gets Win #903

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Conference play got started in a big way on Wednesday, with eight ranked teams hitting the hardwood.

#1 Duke was still in tune-up mode, playing its final non-conference game, at Davidson, and the Blue Devils came through with a 67-50 victory.

#11 Illinois suffered its second loss of the season (13-2), starting off Big Ten action with a 68-61 loss at Purdue, as the Illini shot just 38% and Purdue's Terone Johnson torched then for a game-high 25 points.

The inevitable occurred in the Carrier Dome at Syracuse, as Jim Boeheim's #7 Orange carried him to win #903, passing Bobby Knight and moving into second place all-time in wins behind Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, with a 78-53 win over Rutgers. The Orange blew open a tight game with a 21-0 run to close out the first half and never looked back.

In game of the night was in Philadelphia, where visiting St. John's batted Villanova to a 83-83 tie in regulation before submitting in the extra period, the Wildcats prevailing by a 98-86 final score.

The Red Storm's sophomore guard, D'Angelo Harrison, pumped in a career-high 36 points on 11-for-21 shooting with six three=pointers. Harrison's heroics fell short, however, as Villanova's Ryan Arcidiacono and JayVaughn Pinkston threw down 32 and 26 points, respectively.

St. John's dropped to 8-5 while the Wildcats improved to a 10-4 mark.

Adonis Filer a Perfect 7-for-7 in Clemson Rout of the Citadel

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Happy New Year!

With New Year's Day focused on college football bowl games, the schedule of hopps actions was sparse, to say the least. You know it's a slow day when Presbyterian can more than double up an opponent, as the 2-11 Blue Hose (yes, that's actually the team name) blew out the Montreat (not a typo) Cavaliers, 77-35.

The Big East got in an early conference game, with Shabazz Napier scoring 29 points in a losing overtime effort at Marquette, 82-76. Both teams are 10-3, but the Golden Eagles get a leg up on the rest of the conference.

But, the player who enjoyed playing against a loose defense the most was Clemson's Adonis Filer, who was a perfect 7-for-7 from the field in the Tigers' 92-51 romp over the Citadel.

Filer, a 6'2" freshman guard who is a regular off the bench, scored a game-high and career-high 21 points, which included four three-pointers. Ironically, the only shot he missed was a free throw, as he made three of four from the line. Filer also chipped in with a rebound, one assist and three steals.

The 8-4 Tigers open their ACC season on January 5th, hosting Florida State, then travel to play the #1 Duke Blue Devils on January 8, certainly a far cry from, say, Montreat.

Michael Carter-Williams Dominates as Syracuse Improves to 12-1

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, December 31, 2012

#7 Syracuse ended 2012 the same way they started the season, by whipping up on a lesser opponent and getting their starters and reserves valuable playing time in advance of the heady Big East season.

The 12-1 Orange raced off to an early lead, taking a 47=26 edge into the half and cruised to a 96-62 victory over Central Connecticut State, led by point guard Michael Carter-Williams, who fell just one rebound short of a triple double, with 18 points, 13 assists and nine boards.

Averaging a double-double (12.2 points, 10.2 assists), the 6'6" guard had his way with the Central Connecticut back court. It was his second game of the season that he missed a triple-double by the narrowest of margins. On November 30, at Arkansas, he scored 17 points, snagged 10 boards, but dished out just nine assists.

Syracuse opens Big East play on January 3rd at Rutgers.

Jeff Elorriaga Hits 10 Treys, Scores 30, as Boise State Romps

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, December 30, 2012

No Top 25 teams were in action on Sunday, but Boise State was, and the Broncos continue to make their case for inclusion in the elite ranks of college hoops.

Boise won their fourth straight, improving to 10-2 on the season, with a monstrous, 105-49, defeat of the visiting Corban Warriors. Obviously, this was a mismatch of mammoth proportions, but Boise State players took advantage of the opportunity to hone their skills prior to conference play in the Mountain West.

One of those players working on specific skills was junior guard, Jeff Elorriaga, who got plenty of open looks from beyond the arc and used the space to practice his long-range bombing.

Making 10 of 16 from three-point range, a school record for made threes, Elorriaga threw down a career high 30 points, scoring all of his points from long range, never even stepping to the foul line and missing his only shot from inside the arc.

Elorriaga, already a specialist from range, improved his three-point percentage to an excellent 45.6 on the season.

Tyler Haws Pumps in 42 as BYU tops Virginia Tech, 96-71

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, December 29, 2012

There's no lack of offensive players in college hoops this season, and on Saturday, two of the best in the business hooked up when Virginia Tech made the trek out West to play BYU.

Hokie guard Erick Green, the leading scorer in the nation (24.4 ppg) was looking to extend his steak of scoring at least 20 points to 13 games, but the Cougars had other ideas, defending the perimeter and denying Green good looks. The result was Green's worst shooting performance of the season, going 4-for-17 and 0-for-5 from three-point range for a season-low 12 points.

Meanwhile, on the offensive end, Tyler Haws was lighting up the Hokies, helping BYU build an insurmountable, 56-31 lead at the break, en route to a decisive, 97-71 victory, their second straight win and 10th in 14 outings.

Haws, a 6'5" sophomore out of Alpine, Utah, was firing at will, nailing 14 of 25 shots, including six of eight from beyond the arc, adding eight of nine from the foul line for a career high 42 points.

Haws leads the Cougars in scoring, averaging 20.9 points per game and has scored in double figures in 13 of 14 games this season.

Phil Pressey Dishes 19 Assists, but Shabazz Muhammad Leads UCLA over Missouri

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, December 28, 2012

When the UCLA Bruins lost at Georgetown, it was understandable. But, after home losses to Cal Poly and San Diego State, there were those declaring the Bruins' season a bust, and college hoops at Pauley Pavilion a dead issue.

However, five straight wins later, like Mark Twain, reports of the Bruins' death may have been greatly exaggerated.

On Friday night, UCLA hosted the #7 Missouri Tigers and their superlative point guard, Phil Pressey, who lit up the arena with 12 assists in the first half en route to a career-high 19 for the game. Despite Pressey's efforts, though, the Tigers couldn't pull away from the Bruins, the scored knotted at 47 at the break.

The second half was more of the same. More crisp passes from Pressey, more spurts from David and Travis Wear, more scoring by both Pressey and the Bruins' standout freshman, Shabazz Muhammad. Trailing by eight with under five minutes to play, UCLA rallied to tie the game at 88-all and send it into overtime.

In the extra period, it was the Bruins who dictated pace and made plays. Muhammad scored a key three-pointer with 1:01 to play which gave UCLA the lead for good, finally prevailing, 97-94, improving their record to a respectable 10-3.

Muhammad led all scorers with 27 points, tying his career high. Pressey led Missouri with his own career high, 19 points.

Brandon Davies Leads BYU to 84-54 Win over Northern Arizona

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, December 27, 2012

The holiday-shortened week was witness to another day of sparse collegiate hoops action, with just 11 games nationally and only one involving a Top 25 team, that being #8 Cincinnati, which entered their last home game of the season undefeated, facing the 12-1 New Mexico Lobos, but ended the night with their first loss of the season, a 55-54 defeat.

That leaves just four teams with unblemished records: Duke, Michigan, and Arizona, ranked 1, 2, and 3 respectively, plus unranked Wyoming, hailing from the Mountain West conference.

In Provo, Utah, the BYU Cougars improved to 9-4, pounding visiting Northern Arizona, 84-54, behind 27 points and 10 rebounds from senior forward, Brandon Davies.

At 6'9", Davies dominated the paint, making good on 13 of his 16 shots. Averaging 20.3 points per game, Davies is the #15 scorer in the nation, and his shooting percentage of 56.5 is the best among the top 25 scorers. He also holds the distinction of averaging the fewest minutes of all the leading 20 scorers in the nation, a mere 28.4 per game.

Playing in the West Coast Conference, Davies will probably see more floor time when the Cougars match up against conference powerhouses, Gonzaga, St. Mary's and Santa Clara. The Cougars open conference play at home against Loyola Marymount on January 3.

Solomon Hill Scores 21 as Arizona Remains Undefeated

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, December 25, 2012

There were no college basketball games played on the US mainland Christmas Day, but eight teams took to the hardwood in Hawaii as the Diamond Head Classic concluded.

#17 San Diego State and #3 Arizona advanced to the finals in a match-up of Top 25 teams, and, for much of the game, it appeared the Wildcats would become the latest unbeaten team to suffer its first loss.

Down by as many as eight points, the Wildcats rallied to a 68-67 victory, preserved by Nick Johnson's swat of an attempted layup by the Aztecs' Chase Tapley as the final seconds ticked away.

Senior forward Soloman Hill led all scorers with a season-high 21 points, making seven of 15 from the field and adding another seven points from the foul line. Hill also grabbed six boards and handed out three assists for the 12-0 Wildcats.

Arizona is one of just five undefeated teams in Division 1. Duke, Michigan, Cincinnati and Wyoming are the others. Soon to be plying their skills against a watered-down PAC-12, the Wildcats are poised to make a serious run to the conference championship and into the NCAA tourney come March.

The Wildcats open conference play with a pair of home games on January 3rd and 5th, facing Utah and Colorado, the two newest members of the expanded conference.

Murphy Holloway Leads Mississippi to 9-2 Record

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, December 23, 2012

Dominated in recent years by Kentucky and Florida, the SEC is a conference with plenty of room for improvement through its ranks in college hoops.

One team that may be capable of breaking out from the pack of mediocrity is Mississippi, as the Rebels are coming off a very productive 2011-12 season (24-11) with a 9-2 start in 2012-13, their latest exploit an 85-78 road victory over the San Francisco Dons.

Topping the scoring and rebounding stats was senior forward Murphy Holloway, who dominated the interior, with his sixth double-double of the season - 23 points and 13 boards. His point total equalled his season high; Holloway has scored in double figures in each of Ole Miss' 11 games.

The Rebels are a competitive bunch, their two losses - to Middle Tennessee and Indiana State - were by three and two points, respectively, and both losses occurred on the road.

Mississippi is unranked, but may be able to make the SEC a more interesting conference as the season progresses.

Perfect No More: Syracuse, Illinois, Lobos Fall; Khalif Wyatt's 33 Leads Temple over Orange

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, December 22, 2012

Upsets were the order of the day on a jam-packed Saturday of college hoops action.

Three previously-unbeaten teams took their first losses of the season as Temple dumped #3 Syracuse, 83-79, South Dakota State took the measure of #16 New Mexico, 70-65, and #12 Missouri took home bragging rights from St. Louis, dropping #10 Illinois, 82-73.

The sudden Saturday turn of fortune leaves just four teams without losses. Top-ranked Duke, #2 Michigan, #11 Cincinnati and unranked Wyoming remain perfect.

In games involving teams from the Sunflower State, both the Jayhawks and Wildcats were successful, as #9 Kansas knocked off #7 Ohio State, 74-66, and unranked Kansas State welcomed visiting #8 Florida with their second loss, 67-61.

Getting the nod for top performance of the day was Temple guard Khalif Wyatt, who tallied a game-high and career-high 33 points in Temple's win at the Carrier Dome over the Orange. The 6'4" senior was 8-for-17 from the field, including two treys, but his perfect skill toeing the line, where he was 15-for-15, provided the difference in denying SU coach Jim Boeheim his 901st career victory.

The Owls were a combined 29-for-36 (81%) from the line, while the Orange struggled, making 19 of 34 (56%).

Wyatt added three rebounds and four assists, helping the Owls reach 9-2, which might just be good enough to get a peek at the top 25 when the new polls are released on Monday.

Jack Cooley Leads 12-1 Notre Dame to Easy, 89-67, Win over Niagara

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, December 21, 2012

When Notre Dame's Jack Cooley finds his groove, the result is usually pretty obvious. Cooley gets a ton of points on easy layups and dunks and hustles down a boatload of rebounds.

Such was the case as an unguardable Cooley took his skills to the paint against Niagara University Friday night, pumping in a game high 24 points to go with 15 boards in an 89-67 Irish win, their tenth straight.

So dominant was Cooley's performance that he only had to be on the court for 25 minutes, going 9-for-12 from the field and 6-for-6 from the foul line. It was Cooley's ninth double-double (which he averages: 15.2, 11.3) in 13 games.

For good measure, the 6'9" forward dished out three assists and blocked a pair of shots as the Irish easily took the measure of the Purple Eagles, taking a 42-34 lead into the break before blowing the game open with 47 second half points.

The 22nd-ranked, 12-1 Fighting Irish haven't ventured off campus yet this season, where they are averaging 76.4 points per game. Their 89 in Friday's contest was the second-highest point total of the season, behind only the 82-65 beating they put on Chicago State back in November.

This is the last game the Irish play before opening their Big East schedule on January 5th, when they host Seton Hall. Their first road game of the season is January 7, when they travel to Cincinnati to play the 11th-ranked, 11-0 Bearcats, currently one of eight undefeated teams in the nation.

Mason Plumlee Boosts #1 Blue Devils to 11-0

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, December 20, 2012

On Monday, the Duke Blue Devils were anointed the top spot in the AP Poll.

On Thursday, they showed why they deserve to be #1, with a routine, 78-54, victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium, running their record to 11-0.

Dominating the affairs on the court was senior forward Mason Plumlee, a polished, physical forward who has the look of a certain All-American and a potential player of the year.

Plumlee turned in his usual strong performance with 21 points and 15 boards against the overmatched Phoenix. He was 9-for-14 from the field. Eight of his rebounds came off the offensive glass.

Averaging a double-double (19.3 points, 11.5 rebounds), Plumlee has scored in double figures every game this season while averaging 32.5 minutes. His 64% shooting percentage is in the top 20 nationally, while his rebounding is fifth best in the countryHe has seven double-doubles this season.

Sean Kilpatrick Scores 25 as Cincinnati Downs Xavier

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, December 19, 2012

11th-ranked Cincinnati improved to 11-0 with a 60-45 win over crosstown rival Xavier, and, while the game was of a particularly ugly variety, it was a dramatic improvement over last season's meeting with involved a nasty display of fisticuffs and brawling, multiple ejections and eventual suspensions and a black eye for college hoops in general and the style of ball played in and around Cincinnati in particular.

That style is typified by hard-nosed defense, close defending and a man's game under and often above the rim. Wednesday night's contest had plenty of that, but nothing even approaching a flagrant foul was witnessed as both teams played with dignity without sacrificing toughness.

When it came to toughness, there was none tougher than freshman point guard, Dee Davis, who limped through most of the second half with severe leg cramps, but was largely ineffective.

For the Bearcats, who led almost the entire game, junior guard Sean Kilpatrick was the answer, scoring a game-high 25 points (nearly half of the Bearcat total) with seven rebounds and four steals over 35 minutes of floor time.

While Kilpatrick shot just 37% (10-for-27), his shooting actually boosted the Bearcat average. Cincinnati shot just 33% as a team, making 21 of 64 shots, including 5-for-24 (21%) from three-point range.

The Bearcats weren't exactly lighting it up, but neither were the Musketeers, who were held to 38% shooting, making just two of 13 three-point attempts. Perhaps the best defense of Xavier came from the stripe fifteen feet from the hoop - the foul line - from where the Musketeers could knock home just three of 14 free throws, in a display of foul shooting that would make the likes of Rick Barry turn away in horror.

Kilpatrick, who leads Cincinnati in scoring at 19.7 points per game, has tallied in double figures in all 11 Bearcat wins, and, while the win was ugly, it was still a win, keeping Cincinnati's record perfect at 11-0.

Luke Martinez, Larry Nance Jr., Lead Wyoming to 11-0 Record

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Don't sleep on these Cowboys.

Wyoming, despite their 11-0 record following a Tuesday night win over Denver, 71-61, remains unranked and unloved by pollsters, but the Cowboys have the players and the experience to make some noise in the Mountain West conference, where they share the lead - at 11-0 - with #16 New Mexico.

Out of the same conference, San Diego State and UNLV are also both ranked, #18 and #21, respectively.

Sophomore forward, Larry Nance Jr., son of former NBA star, Larry Nance, is showing that genetics matters, leading the Cowboys - along with senior guard Luke Martinez - to their prefect record with 21 points against the Pioneers.

Nance was 5-for-8 from the field, but converted all 11 of his free throw attempts. Martinez bombed away from the perimeter, scoring a game-high, career-high, 25 points, hitting nine of 12 shots, including 5-for-8 from beyond the arc.

Martinez converted both of his free throws, improving his percentage at the line to 93.1. Nance is hitting foul shots at an 88.4% rate, a stat that usually comes into play during conference play and into the tournament.

As a team, the Cowboys shot a remarkable 65% for the game, making 22 of 34 shots, including 8 of 12 from three-point range.

If you can't stop them and you cant foul them, that's a winning combination.

Jim Boeheim Gets 900th Win as James Southerland Leads Syracuse

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, December 17, 2012

In his 36 years as head basketball coach at Syracuse, Jim Boeheim has had a fair share of easy wins. Monday's victory in the Carrier Dome, Boeheim's 900th - all with the Orange - won't make that list of easy ones.

The Orange rolled out to an early lead, taking a 40-21 edge into intermission on the strength of James Southerland's 3-point shooting, but nearly let the win slip away, as Detroit outscored the Orange by 15 in the second half, cutting the Syracuse lead to just three with 1/2 second left.

Michael Carter-Williams made one of two free throws to increase the lead to four points and the Orange put Boeheim in the record books as just the third coach in division 1 history to record 900 wins with a 72-68 victory.

Southerland led all scorers with 22 points, making seven of 12 from the field, including 5-for-8 from three-point land. Carter-Williams finished with a double-double - 12 points and 10 assists - helping the #3 Orange to a 10-0 record.

Boeheim joins Mike Krzyzewski (936) and Bobby Knight (902) as the only members of the 900-win club.

Fuquan Edwin, Brandon Mobley, Aaron Cosby Lead Seton Hall to 8-2 Mark

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, December 16, 2012

Illinois dumped Eastern Kentucky, 66-53, making eight the number of unbeaten teams in the college hoops universe. The Fighting Illini prevailed at home, running their record to 12-0. Brandon Paul dropped in 17 points and snatched nine boards.

Elsewhere, Seton Hall continued preparations for Big East play with a 77-66 victory over North Carolina A&T, improving to 8-2 with the win.

Fuquan Edwin led all scorers with 26 points on 8-for-12 shooting, making 5 of 7 from beyond the 3-point line. The 6'6" junior also contributed five boards, four assists and had three steals.

Three Pirates accounted for all but six of Seton Halls points. Along with Edwin, Brandon Mobley pitched in 23 to go with his 13 boards, and Aaron Cosby also set a career mark with 21 points.

Mobley and Cosby are both sophomores.

#1 Indiana Topped by Butler; Trey Burke Leads Michigan to 11-0 Mark

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, December 15, 2012

The pollsters seem to have a pretty good feel for which teams are the best in the nation as there were 17 games involving Top 25 teams and all of them except two won. Determining which team deserves to be numero uno is a topic which appears certain to be argued all the way to the Final Four.

Of those 17 Top 25 games, one involved two ranked teams, as the Florida Gators traveled west to tangle with the Arizona Wildcats, and a tangle is was, not decided until Mark Lyons' running floater with seven seconds left finished a furious final minute in which the #8 Wildcats rallied from a six=point deficit to down the #6 Gators, 65-64.

The only other game that came close to matching the intensity of that contest was earlier in the day, at Indiana, where the unranked - but always tenacious - Butler Bulldogs upset #1 Indiana in overtime, 88-86, when 5'11" walk-on, Andrew Barlow, scored on a spinning jumper in the lane with 2.4 seconds left in the extra frame.

Rotnei Clarke, the transferee from Arkansas, scored 19 points and was sensational at both ends of the floor, as was the Bulldogs' Roosevelt Jones, who had 16 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.

The singular performance of the day belonged to #3 Michigan's blue chip point guard, Trey Burke, who teamed with Tim Hardaway Jr. to score 52 of the wolverines' points in an 81-66 victory at West Virginia.

Hardaway tied his season high with 25 points, burying four of eight from three-point range, but Burke topped all scorers with his own season high 27 points, on 12-for-16 shooting with eight assists, six rebounds and three steals, all without committing a single turnover in 38 minutes of floor time.

With the #1 team going down to a narrow defeat, one of the few inactives on the day, #2 Duke, should move up to take over the top spot in Monday's new poll, though Michigan will surely receive a solid number of #1 votes.

The Blue Devils are on an extended break, last seen December 8, ripping apart Temple, 90-67, and won't hit the hardwoods again until December 19, when they host Cornell at Cameron Indoor Arena.

The losses by Florida and Indiana drops the number of undefeated teams down to nine. Along with Duke and Michigan, the unbeaten squads are #4 Syracuse, #8 Arizona, #10 Illinois, #11 Cincinnati, #17 New Mexico and unranked Wyoming and Eastern Kentucky.

Anthony Drmic, Boise State End LSU's Unbeaten Streak

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, December 14, 2012

It's the middle of December, the college hoops season about one month old, so, between cream-puff blowouts, opening tournaments and early season showcase games, there still should be a good number of undefeated teams dotting the hardcourt landscape.

Let's check.

Going into a sparely-populated Friday night (7 games), there were a total of 13 teams that have not suffered a loss.

Going down the AP Top 25 poll, the top five are all perfect. Indiana (9-0), Duke (9-0), Michigan (10-0), Syracuse (8-0) and Florida (7-0). Further down the rankings are #8 Arizona (9-0), #10 Illinois (11-0) and #11 Cincinnati (9-0). Two teams from the Mountain West conference, #17 New Mexico and unranked Wyoming are both 10-0. Eastern Kentucky tops the Ohio Valley East with a 9-0 record.

LSU and Charlotte were unbeaten as of Friday morning, but as darkness fell, so too their unblemished early season marks, as Charlotte was badly damaged by Miami, 77-46, and LSU's trip to Boise State was not very pleasant, as the Broncos pounded the Tigers, 89-70, getting 34 points from sophomore swingman, Anthony Drmic, a highly-touted recruit who played prep ball at the Australian Institute of Sport.

Drmic was 12-for-18 overall, draining six of 10 from three-point range. The Brocos established themselves early, taking a 43-30 lead into the break and cruised to their seventh victory against two losses. Drmic is averaging 14.3 points per contest.

With LSU and Charlotte going down on Friday, the number of unbeaten teams dropped to 11.

Anthony Bennett Leads Youth Movement as UNLV Goes 8-1

College Hoops Player of the Day for DAY, Month, 2012

In sharp relief to the sexagenarian rockers on stage the other night at the concert for Sandy Relief, there's a real youth movement on the UNLV basketball team, which reached 8-1 Thursday night with a 91-44 rout of the La Verne Leopards.

Led by Anthony Bennett's 27 points and 14 boards (both game highs and career highs) the Runnin' Rebels led 38-21 at the break, but really broke the game wide open with 53 second half points, outscoring La Verne by 30.

20th-ranked UNLV shot 53% from the field while holding their opponents to 31% and out-rebounding the 49-19.

The Rebels sport six freshman on their roster, including Katin Reinhart, a starting guard, and three sophomores, from which guard Bryce Dejean-Jones is also a starter.

UNLV's only defeat this season was an 83-79 loss to Oregon. The Rebels have an interesting match-up with another youthful squad - North Carolina - during the holiday break. The Rebels travel to Chapel Hill to play the Tar Heels on Saturday, December 29.

Keith Clanton Goes for 30 as UCF Improves to 5-2

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Memphis usually rules the roost in Conference-USA, but, if Keith Clanton and the Central Florida Knights have their way, that will not be the case this season.

The 6'9" senior forward scored a career high 30 points and tallied his fifth double-double in seven games, leading the Knights to a 72-62 win over visiting Bethune-Cookman.

Clanton was an incredible 14-for-15 from the field, all shots taken and all but one falling from inside the three-point are. Less effective from the free throw line, Clanton hit two of four freebies, adding five of his 13 rebounds on the offensive end.

Having scored in double figures in each of UCF's games, Clanton has led the Knights to a 5-2 record in non-conference, early season games, averaging a double-double (17.4 points, 10.9 rebounds).

Last season, the Knights knocked off Memphis, 69-68, in January, but were pounded by the Tigers in late February by 29 points and in the conference tourney by 31. Clanton and his floor mates hope to improve upon those performances.

Matthew Dellavedova Racks Up 31 in St. Mary's 130-67 Rout

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Another mid-week, light schedule in college hopps saw just 18 games across the country, but a few notable wins.

Michigan, ranked #3, topped Binghamton easily, 67-39, and #10 Illinois remained unbeaten at 11-0, slipping by Norfolk State, 64-54. Surprising Minnesota improved to 11-1 with a 64-54 win over North Dakota State. The Badgers are ranked 13t in the most recent AP poll.

Late night, St. Mary's - 7-2 and unranked - poured in 68 second half points to overwhelm the Jackson State Tigers (0-6), 120-67.

Australian Matthew Dellavedova, the wonder from Down Under, led all scorers with 31 points, the second straight game in which he's tallied that number. The 6'4" senior was bombing away from the outside, making six of eight from three-point range, going 9-for-12 overall and 7-for-7 from the foul line, adding six rebounds and seven assists for the Gaels.

Dellavedova, in addition to being one of the best point guards in the country, is one of the best free-throw shooters around. He's missed just three times this season and is stroking it at 93.3%, hitting 40 of 43.