Jarnell Stokes Powers Tennessee in Field of 64 With OT Win over Iowa

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Tennessee outscored Iowa 14-1 in overtime, earning them a trip to the next round in the NCAA tournament.

Jarnell Stokes, who powered the Volunteers with 18 points and 13 rebounds, made a three-point play with a layup and made free throw 31 seconds into the extra period that turned out to be more than the Vols needed.

Following a bucket by Jordan McRae, he and Anotnio Barton knocked dow nine of ten free throws to complete the scoring for the 78-65 win. McRae led all scorers with 20 points.

The 11th-seeded Vols advance to play #6 Massachusetts in the Midwest region on Friday.

In the other First Four game Wednesday, Cal Poly defeated Texas Southern, 81-69, and will play #1 seed in the Midwest, Wichita State, Friday night.

16 games are on the slate both Thursday and Friday, the action beginning at 12:15 Thursday when South region #6 Ohio State meets #11 Dayton.

NC State Advances on T.J. Warren's 25 Points

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Day one of the NCAA tournament and already the cream is rising to the top.

T.J. Warren, who led the ACC in scoring this season, popped for 25 points and was nearly unstoppable during the second half, leading North Carolina State to a 74-59 victory over Xavier.

Warren was 10-for-18 from the field and added five rebounds, two assists and three steals as the Wolfpack led nearly all the way and pulled away late. NC State will play the #5 seed from the Midwest region, St. Louis, in the second round on Friday.

In the earlier game at Dayton, Albany topped Mount St. Mary's, 71-64, in a battle of 16 seeds. The Great Danes move on to play #1 Florida in a second round game in the South region, Saturday.

Bracket Basics, Weak, Strong Regions, Play-in Games for the 2014 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship

On Tuesday, 68 teams (yes, what used to be known as "play-in" games are now round 1) will begin the ultimate quest to be named the bast collage hoops team in the land while millions of fans will be checking off winners and losers in the annual bracket madness that is March in America.

The opening game of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship tips off at Tuesday at 6:40 pm, when a pair of #16 seeds, Albany and Mount St. Mary's, meet for the right to be slaughtered in the South bracket by #1 Florida in the second round.

This game is about as consequential - unless you really believe you're going to take a billion bucks off of Warren Buffett - as a tail feather in a chicken coop. Never has a #1 seed fallen to a 16-seed. If you must make a choice between the 16-16 Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers (winners of the Northeastern Conference tournament) and the 18-14 Albany Great Danes - winners of the America East tournament with a Scooby-Do look-alike as their mascot - flip a coin and cross the winner off in the next round.

Both Albany and Mt. St. Mary's finished fourth in their respective conferences.

The second Tuesday night game has a little more intrigue to it, as the teams are set down as 12-seeds, the winner moving on to face St. Louis in the Midwest region. North Carolina State meets up with Xavier at roughly 9:10 pm.

One could confidently give the Wolfpack the edge over the Musketeers in this meeting, but, as any veteran of bracket busting understands, almost nothing is certain come March. NC State was 21-13 with a 9-9 mark in the ACC, and they knocked off Syracuse in the second round of the conference tourney. They also feature ACC player of the year, T.J. Warren, who is a match-up nightmare.

The 21-12 Musketeers ended up tied for third in the watered-down Big East, not exactly a vote of confidence. NC State is a 2 1/2-point favorite.

On Wednesday, another pair of first round games feature Cal Poly vs. Texas Southern in a meeting of 16-seeds, and Tennessee vs. Iowa in the late game.

The winner of the first game goes on to face #1 seed in the Midwest, Wichita State, the only team in the tournament with an undefeated record, at 34-0. The Shockers were the only team to make the grade out of the Missouri Valley conference, but still look like a #1 that will not lose to a #16. Rinse and repeat the structure from Tuesday night and cross out the team on the line below Wichita State.

The Volunteers played well enough in the SEC tournament to make Florida a little nervous, though eventually falling in the semi-final. Iowa was eliminated early in the Big Ten tourney, but somehow gets into the mix because they're from a power conference. Despite a 9-9 mark against Big Ten teams, the Hawkeyes passed the eye test of the tournament selection committee. Either that, or the school needed the extra dough. Tennessee is a 1 1/2=-point favorite. The winner heads on to meet UMass in Raleigh on Sunday.

With three "play-in" teams all advancing into the Midwest conference, the obvious question is whether that makes that bracket stronger or weaker. Since two of the teams will be 11-and-12 seeds, it would suggest that the bracket is stronger, though many will claim that Wichita State is the weakest #1 in some time. The bracket also includes #2 Duke, #3 Michigan and #4 Louisville, only one of which captured their conference championship - Louisville. If there's anything glaring and obviously wrong in this year's brackets, it is Louisville on the four-line. They won the American Athletic conference tournament with ease and, if successful in their first two games, will have Wichita State in a regional semi-final, unless #8 Kentucky or #9 Kansas State rises up and smites the Shockers first.

Toughest among the regions is probably the East, where the 1-6 seeds are Virginia, Villanova, Iowa State, Michigan State, Cincinnati and North Carolina, and it doesn't get much easier after that, with teams like St. Joe's, Harvard and Providence in the mix.

If you're looking for a natural Final Four, try this on for size: Midwest - Louisville, West - Wisconsin, East - Iowa State, South - Florida. Other than Wisconsin, each of those teams won their conference tournament, though in the case of the West region (another in the running for weakest region), the only reliable conference champion was Gonzaga, winners of the WCC, seeded at #8. The Zags may get #1 seed Arizona in their second game, and recall that the Wildcats were knocked off by UCLA in the PAC-12 title game.

In the Final Four, this scenario has Louisville beating Wisconsin and Florida whipping Iowa State, though either of those games could easily go the other way. Picking an ultimate winner between those four teams is a tough task, though most would side with Florida. However, the SEC was not very deep, Louisville comes out of another weak conference, the American Athletic, making the case for the Cyclones or Badgers, each from power conferences.

For the record, CBD will take Iowa State to win it all.

ESPN offers a nice bracket look, adorned by Hooter's Girls, here, plus a link to their tournament challenge, one of the more popular online bracket contests.

Ryan Harrow's 37 Not enough for Georgia State; Ragin' Cajuns, Florida, Virginia, St. Joe's, Michigan State Punch In

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, March 16, 2014

Maybe it's fitting or just a reminder that effort isn't everything this time of year, as Ryan Harrow's 37-point effort was not quite enough in Georgia State's, 82-81, overtime loss to the Ragin Cajun's of Louisiana-Lafayette in the Sun Belt championship game.

In a "win-and-you're-in, doubt-and-you're-out" situation, Harrow went 13-for-22 from the field, missed all three of his attempts from beyond the arc and was 11-for-12 at the foul line.

Despite his star performance, Harrow's misses in clutch time were decisive, as he missed a jumper with 15 seconds left in regulation that allowed the Cajuns to tie the game, and again misfired with five seconds left in OT for the win. It just wasn't in the Cards as Louisiana-Lafayette advanced to the NCAA tournament.

In the ACC, Virginia dusted Duke, 72-63. St. Joe's topped VCU to capture the Atlantic-10 title, 65-61.

Florida outlasted Kentucky, 61-60, to capture the SEC crown, and, Michigan State thumped Michigan, 69-55, in the Big Ten.

Let the madness begin...

Kyle Anderson Leads Bruins to PAC-10 Title over Arizona; Five More Championships Up on Sunday

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, March 15, 2014

Kyle Anderson, UCLA's sensational sophomore, has been putting up big numbers and double-doubles all season, but may have saved his best game for the PAC-12 championship, captured by the Bruins with a 75-71 victory over Arizona.

Anderson dropped in 21 points and swiped 15 rebounds to lead the Bruins, dishing five assists while committing just one turnover. It was his 14th double-double of the season and his first in the conference tournament. The Bruins knocked off Oregon and Stanford before gutting out the win over the #4 Wildcats.

While UCLA receives the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, Arizona will also be going, as they have a 30-4 mark on the season.

Other big-name teams punched their ticket to the big dance on Saturday. Iowa State won the Big 12 championship, coming from behind to defeat Baylor, 74-65; Louisville took the American Athletic title with a 71-61 win over Connecticut.

Providence upset #14 Creighton, 65-58, to capture the Big East championship, and New Mexico knocked off San Diego State, 64-58, in the West Coast conference final, their third consecutive conference championship.

Just five more automatic bids need to be awarded on Sunday before the selection committee finalizes the seedings for the NCAA tournament brackets.

At 1:00 pm EDT, #7 Duke meets #6 Virginia to decide the ACC title, Saint Joseph's plays #23 Virginia Commonwealth in the Atlantic-10, and Louisiana-Lafayette faces Georgia State for the Sun Belt championship.

At 3:00 pm, Kentucky and #1 Florida meet to decide the SEC crown, and, at 3:30 pm, #8 Michigan and #22 Michigan State battle for Big Ten bragging rights.

Russ Smith Drops In 42 for Louisville; Big 12, PAC-12, American and Big East Championships on Tap for Saturday

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, March 14, 2014

Russ Smith isn't the shy or reticent type.

On Friday night, in Louisville's 94-65 victory over Houston in an American conference semi-final, he was completely unreserved, pouring in a career-high 42 points for the fifth-ranked Cardinals.

As often as Smith's exploits have defied description, this single-game extravaganza surely belonged in the range somewhere between Russ-diculous or Russ-tastic, terms reserved only for the Louisville guard.

Hitting 14-for-22 from the field with five of seven falling from beyond the arc, Smith augmented his extraordinary exploit with a 9-for-10 tally from the foul line, adding three assists and a trio of rebounds.

The win sent Louisville to the American tournament final on Saturday to face the Connecticut Huskies, 58-56 winners over Cincinnati in the other semi-final contest.

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Gearing up for a full weekend of championship hoops, Saturday offers some of the best match-ups of the season, with a number of the major conferences - and a slew of minor ones - deciding championships. By Sunday afternoon, all 32 automatic bids will have been spoken for, allowing the NCAA tournament committee to release the seedings precisely at 6:00 pm EDT.

The American, Big 12, PAC-12 and Big East will crown champions on Saturday. The action begins at 1:00 (all times EDT) when top-ranked Florida meets Tennessee in an SEC semi-final and Pitt faces Virginia in an ACC semi. Ohio State meets Michigan in a Big Ten semi-final, and, at 3:00, Duke faces NC State in an ACC semi-final.

After (22) Michigan State squares off against (12) Wisconsin in another Big Ten semi, the first championship games of the day begin at 6:00 pm when #20 New Mexico meets #8 San Diego State for the West Coast conference title, UCLA faces #4 Arizona for the PAC-12 crown, and Connecticut and Louisville begin their quest for the American championship.

At 8:30, Providence meets #14 Creighton to decide the Big East, and at 9:00 pm, Baylor meets up with Iowa State to determine the champion of the Big 12.

Creighton Advances in Big East Tourney with 35 From Doug McDermott

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, March 13, 2014

Doug McDermott was at it again Thursday night, dropping in 35 points to lead the Creighton Bluejays to an 84-62 win over DePaul in the Big East tournament.

McDermott was 14-for-22 with seven three-pointers, five rebounds and three assists. The Bluejays established a sizable lead early in the first half and never looked back in their Big East opener at Madison Square Garden.

Other key games included another contest at MSG, where Seton Hall clung to post-season hope with a 64-63 victory over #3 Villanova, the top seed in the Big East tournament.

Other tournament results:
Big 12: Iowa State 91 Kansas State 85; Kansas 77 Oklahoma St. 70
American: Louisville 92 Rutgers 31; Cincinnati 61 UCF 58

Jeremy Ingram Powers NC Central in MEAC Tourney; 13 of 32 NCAA Auto Bids Awarded

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Conference tournaments are in full swing across the country, but only one squad secured a berth on Wednesday, that honor belonging to American University, taking the Patriot League championship with a 55-36 victory over Boston U.

American's entry to the big dance brings to 13 the number of teams with automatic bids, of the 32 that will eventually be awarded.

Of the 32 games played on Wednesday, only a handful featured teams with hopes of reaching the NCAA promised land. One of those was North Carolina Central, which cruised through their MEAC schedule with a 15-1 mark and slammed Howard, 92-46, in the quarterfinal of the conference tourney.

The Eagles emptied their bench in the blowout, with 11 different players scoring, all led by senior Jeremy Ingram, who poured in 30 points on 9-for-12 shooting, making five of six three pointers and hitting seven of nine from the charity stripe.

The 46-point win was the largest in MEAC tournament history, and sends the Eagles to a semi-final match-up against the winner of Friday's meeting between Norfolk State and Savannah State.

Sam Dower Leads Gonzaga to 13th WCC Title; 12 Teams In Tourney

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Sam Dower scored 20 points, going 10-for-16, and snagged 13 rebounds to lead Gonzaga to the West Coast Conference tourney championship with a 75-64 win over BYU.

The Bulldogs (28-6, 15-3 WCC) won their 13th WCC title since joining the conference in 1979. They will be in the NCAA tournament field for 16th straight season.

Including the Bulldogs, four more teams punched their tickets to the big dance. A total of twelve teams have now received automatic invitations.

North Dakota State upended IPFW, 60-57, capturing the Summit League; Milwaukee took down Wright State, 69-63, to wrap up the Horizon League championship; and, Mount St. Mary's took down Robert Morris, 88-71, in the Northeast Conference title game.

Taylor Braun Leads North Dakota State in Summit Semi; 8 Teams Capture Bids for NCAA Tourney

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, March 10, 2014

The Bison of North Dakota State advanced to the Summit League final with an 83-48 trouncing of the Denver Pioneers Monday night in Sioux Falls.

The Bison led all the way, held Denver to 15 first half points and took a 27-point advantage into the break, powered by Taylor Braun who scored 18 of his game-high 28 points in the first 20 minutes.

Braun was 7-for-9 from the field, four of five on threes and 10-for-12 from the foul line, adding five rebounds and three assists in his 32 minutes of floor time.

The Bison advance to play IPFW - a 64-60 winner over South Dakota State - in the final.

Two more teams punched their tickets to the NCAA tourney on Monday. Manhattan outlasted Iona, 71-68, for the MAAC title; Delaware slipped by William and Mary, 75-74, in the Colonial tourney final; and, Wofford captured the bid from the Southern Conference with a 56-53 victory over West Carolina in the tourney final.

That brings the total of teams qualifying for the NCAA tournament to eight. Harvard, Wichita State, Mercer, Eastern Kentucky and Coastal Carolina had already nabbed bids by Sunday.

NC State Finishes at 9-9 in ACC after T.J. Warren Explodes for 42 Points vs. BC

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, March 9, 2014

North Carolina State will rest its case before the NCAA tournament committee with a 9-9 mark in the ACC after T.J. Warren scored 42 points to lead the Wolfpack to a 78-68 victory over the Boston College Eagles.

While TVs across America would surely be enhanced having the Wolfpack and Warren flashing in the tourney, it may be a stretch to get them there as they finish the regular season tied with Maryland and Florida State, meaning that nine teams would have to go from the ACC if all teams with at least a .500 record are included. A couple of wins in this week's ACC tourney might do the trick to separate out the deserving from the simply pretending.

Warren, a superb athlete who may be deserving of ACC player of the year honors, was 14-for-23 from the floor and 14-for-17 from the stripe to go with 13 boards, three assists, three steals and a blocked shot.

NC State finished with a 19-12 record overall, which shows better than Maryland's 17-14 or Florida State's 18-12 marks, both of which lost to the Wolfpack earlier in the season.

Doug McDermott's Career-High 45 Lifts Creighton over Providence

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, March 8, 2014

Just when it appears that Doug McDermott can do no more to secure college basketball's player of the year honors, he goes beyond the pale with an over-the-top performance such as his 45 points in Saturday's 88-73 victory over Providence.

McDermott hit 17 of 25 shots against the Friars, scoring more than half of his team's points, including 5-for-7 from beyond the arc and six of nine from the foul line. The senior forward continues to lead the nation in scoring, upping his average to 26.5 points per game.

Saturday's tour de force featured seven boards and a pair of assists, and was a season-and-career-high for McDermott, eclipsing the 39 he had against Villanova on February 16 and the 44 he put up against Bradley in the 2011-12 season. His output helped the Bluejays snap a two-game losing streak and solidified a second-place finish in the Big East for Creighton at 14-4. Interestingly, 16-2 Villanova's only conference losses were to Creighton. Both will have first round byes in the upcoming Big East tournament.

McDermott also became just the eighth player in Division I history to reach 3000 points in his career, making his final appearance at the CenturyLink Center an historic one, passing Oscar Robertson and Hersey Hawkins into seventh place on the all-time scoring list.

Sean Kilpatrick, Titus Rubles Propel Cincinnati Past Memphis, 97-84

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, March 6, 2014

Thursday was senior night in Cincinnati, and Sean Kilpatrick made the most of it, pouring in a season-high 34 points to help the Bearcats overpower Memphis, 97-84.

Fellow senior, Titus Rubles, chipped in a career-high 24 points, the two upperclassmen combining for more than half of Cincinnati's points.

Kilpatrick was 11-for-18 from the field and 10-for-11 from the foul line; Rubles went 9-for-13 and converted six of six at the stripe.

The win put the Bearcats in a tie with Louisville atop the American conference with one game remaining.

Russ Smith Leads Louisville over SMU, 84-71, with 26 Points

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, March 5, 2014

#11 Louisville took another step towards at least a share of the American conference title, knocking off #18 SMU, 84-71.

The Cardinals are 14-3 in conference play, with one game left - Saturday, March 8, against Connecticut. Only Cincinnati, at 13-3, with two games remaining - March 6, Memphis; March 8, at Rutgers - has a chance to tie or beat out the Cardinals for the regular season championship.

If anything, Louisville is underrated, even at #11 in the AP Poll, and their deserving superstar, Russ Smith, gets less attention than other big-name players in the college basketball universe.

Smith had another of his routinely awesome outings on Wednesday against the Mustangs, leading all scorers with 26 points while nabbing six rebounds, handing out five assists and making two steals. Going 9-for-15 from the field, Smith was a perfect 6-for-6 from outside the three-point arc, as Louisville knocked down 13 treys.

Smith scored 22 of his points in the second half, at one point making three straight threes in a span of just a minute-and-a-half early in the second half. Despite his hot shooting, the Mustangs managed to stay close, but a later outburst from Smith of seven points in just over a minute increased the Cardinals' lead from seven to 12, and essentially put the game away.

Elsewhere, #3 Arizona managed a 73-69 win at Oregon State, #4 Duke scored just six points in the final five minutes, losing, 82-72, on the road at Wake Forest. #8 Kansas powered past Texas Tech, 82-57; #9 Wisconsin topped Purdue, 76-70; #10 San Diego State rallied past UNLV, 73-64; and #17 St. Louis was beaten by Dayton, 72-67.

#1 Florida Trounces Gamecocks Behind 37 from Michael Frazier

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Having already clinched the SEC regular season title, #1 Florida demolished South Carolina Wednesday night, 72-46, as sophomore Michael Frazier scored more than half the points for the Gators en route to a career-high 37.

Frazier made 11 of 18 three-point attempts and was 12-for-21 overall, adding three rebounds, an assist and four steals. The Gators improved to 17-0 in the SEC and 28-2 overall.

Elsewhere in the Top 25, #7 Syracuse was beaten again, their third loss in their last four, 67-62, by Georgia Tech; #13 Creighton fell, 75-63, at Georgetown; Baylor dropped #16 Iowa State, 74-61.

#25 Kentucky ended a two-game skid with a 55-48 win over Alabama, and #12 Michigan routed Illinois, 84-53, clinching the Big Ten regular season title.

T.J. Warren Pours in 41 as Wolfpack Devours Panthers, 74-67

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, March 2, 2014

The middle of the ACC is still wide open, with as many as four teams vying down the stretch for wins, seeking to qualify for the NCAA tourney.

One such team is NC State, which needed a win over a quality team to make a statement, and the message was delivered as T.J. Warren scored a career-high 41 points to lead his Wolfpack to a 74-67 triumph at the Peterson Events Center in Pittsburgh, a very tough place to win.

Warren was sensational, knocking down 16 of 22 shots from the floor, three of five from three-point range and six of seven at the foul line. The 6'8" sophomore, fourth-leading scorer in the nation, added five rebounds, four steals, three assists and a blocked shot to his game resume.

The Wolfpack (18-12, 8-9) closes out the regular season at home, against Boston College.

Bubblicious Clemson Downs Maryland in OT on Double-Double by K.J. McDaniels

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, March 1, 2014

In a game that should go a long way in determining which ACC teams make it to the NCAA tournament, Clemson took down Maryland, 77-73, in overtime, improving its record to 9-7 in the conference while dropping the Terps to 7-9 and 15-14 overall.

At 18-10, including back-to-back wins over NC State and Georgia Tech in late February, gives the Tigers the upper hand in the race to the post-season.

Leading the way for Clemson was forward K.J. McDaniels, a junior from Birmingham, Alabama, who tallied 26 points and 14 rebounds, his sixth double-double of the season.

If Clemson can win one or both of their final two home games - both at home, against Miami and Pitt - and steal a win or two in the ACC tourney, they may be up for bigger things as March progresses.

Cleanthony Early Leads Wichita State to Perfect Regular Season

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, March 1, 2014

Seldom achieved, perfection in any endeavor is always admirable, and that's what Wichita State completed Saturday with a 68-45 victory over Missouri State, closing out their regular season at 31-0, 18-0 in the Missouri Valley conference.

The unbeaten season was the first since St. Joseph's entered the post-season without a loss in 2004. That season, Xavier stopped St. Joseph's in the opening round of the Atlantic-10 tournament.

The Shockers are looking for much more, first hoping to capture the MVC title with a conference tournament win next week, then on to the NCAA's, where they reached the Final Four a season ago.

Should the Shockers make it all the way to winning the national championship - a tall order - it would be the first time a team went all the way unbeaten since Bobby Knight's Indiana Hoosiers did it in 1976.

In their win over the Bears, Wichita State relied on their heady defense and the usual exploits of senior forward, Cleanthony Early, who was the game's high-scorer with 19 points, going 5-for-7 from the field with two three-pointers and 7-for-9 from the foul line. Early snatched six rebounds and dished out two assists.

The team's leading scorer and rebounder, Early averaged 15.8 points and 5.9 rebounds.

Indiana Upsets Iowa, 93-86, Behind 30 from Will Sheehey

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, February 27, 2014

It was a night for upsets, Thursday in college hoops.

Unranked Indiana (16-12, 6-9) overturned #20 Iowa, 93-86, in Indiana, getting a career-high 30 points from 6'7" senior forward, Will Sheehey.

Sheehey was just 2-for-7 from beyond the arc, but deadly inside it, hitting 11-of-13 two-pointers to go with four rebounds, three assists and a steal. The Hoosiers, eighth in the Big Ten, aided their post-season cause, but probably are too far removed from even bubble status to be considered for the NCAA tourney. Look for them in the conference tourney and probably the NIT.

Elsewhere, Penn State downed #22 Ohio State, 65-63, Houston toppled #21 Memphis, 77-68, Arkansas needed overtime to stop #17 Kentucky, 71-67, and, Dusquesne, 4-10 in the A-10, dealt #10 St. Louis their first conference loss, 71-64.

The only Top 25 team to record a victory was #7 Louisville, easily handling Temple, 88-66, behind 24 points from Russ Smith.

Marcus Paige Leads Tar Heels with 35 in OT Win over Wolfpack

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, February 26, 2014

T.J. Warren led all scorers with 36 points, but Marcus Paige's 35 was enough for North Carolina to escape NC State with an 85-84 overtime win.

Warren's two free throws with two seconds left in regulation tied the game at 71, and he scored nine points in the extra session, but a missed free throw opened the door for the Tar Hells and Paige walked through it, scoring a layup with four seconds to go for the final, one-point edge.

Paige made a pair of three-pointers in OT and had 10 of North Carolina's 14 points in the extra session on his career-high night, going 11-for-21 overall and 7-for-12 from beyond the arc. The sophomore sensation was 6-for-8 at the foul line, with six rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals.

North Carolina improved to 21-7 and 11-4 in the ACC, while the Wolfpack dropped to 7-8 n conference play and 17-11 overall. While the Tar Heels appear to be a lock for the NCAA tourney, NC State still may have some work to do in order to get a ticket to the big dance.

Dorian Finney-Smith Saves #1 Gators at Vandy; Florida Wins 20th Straight

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, February 25, 2014

As so often happens in the world of college hoops, the Florida Gators, just a day after being ranked #1 in the national polls, had to prove it against a determined opponent.

In a close, 57-54, win at Vanderbilt, sophomore Dorian Finney-Smith came off the bench to lead the team with 19 points, hitting a key three-pointer with 33 seconds left to seal the victory. The shot came off a pass from Scottie Wilbiken, who had five assists, and put the Gators up by five.

Vanderbilt scored on a layup with 19 seconds remaining, but the Gator defenders wouldn't allow the Commodores a good shot after Wilbiken missed the front end of a one-and-one.

Smith also had nine rebounds to go with his three treys and overall shooting of 6-for-11. Patrick Young was the only other Gator in double figures, with 12 points. Florida shot just 40% but clinched at least a tie for the SEC title with a 15-0 conference mark.

The win was the 20th consecutive for Florida. At 26-2, their last defeat was on December 2nd, when UConn defeated them at the buzzer, 65-64. The only other Gator loss was at Wisconsin, 59-53, in their second game of the season.

Phil Forte III, Marcus Smart Lead Oklahoma State over TCU

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, February 24, 2014

Phil Forte III matched his season-high with 23 points and Marcus Smart made five straight three pointers down the stretch as Oklahoma State trounced TCU, 78-54.

Smart finished with 17 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and five steals, while Forte went 8-for-14 from the field (5-for-10 on threes) with four assists, three rebounds and a pair of steals.

While the Cowboys were taking care of business, the Kansas Jayhawks wrapped up the Big Ten regular season title with an 83-75 win over Oklahoma.

Oklahoma State, regarded as one of the more dangerous teams in the country, may, in fact, not make it to the field for the NCAA tournament due to their 6-9 conference record, even though they are 18-10 overall. The Cowboys could even their conference record by winning their final three games, but those contests are against Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State. After that, Oklahoma State could improve on their resume in the Big 12 tournament. They have some work to do.

Nik Stauskas Scores 21 of 25 in Second Half to Propel Michigan over Michigan State

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, February 23, 2014

Nik Stauskas scored 21 of his game-high 25 points in the second half, fueling a 16-4 run by #20 Michigan as they went on to defeat #13 Michigan State for the second time this season, 79-70.

Down 36-34 at the half, the Wolverines turned on the jets and overwhelmed the Spartans in the second half, taking over the Big Ten lead in the process with an 11-3 mark. Michigan State fell to 11-4 in conference play, but is still a shoo-in for the NCAA tournament with a 22-6 record.

Stauskas was 9-for-13 from the field and hit three of five from beyond the arc. He added four points from the foul line, plus three rebounds and five assists.

19-7 Michigan took care of the Spartans back on January 25, winning the first-place showdown by an 80-75 margin. Since that win and before Sunday's game, the Wolverines had gone just 2-3, but now have the regular season title lined up, with four games remaining, all against unranked opponents.

T.J. Warren Lights Up Hokies in 71-64 NC State Victory

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, February 22, 2014

While all the lights were on at Cameron Indoor Stadium to see #5 Duke outlast #1 Syracuse, the NC State Wolfpack was doing its best to get off the tournament bubble and make themselves a sure pick out of the ACC.

T.J. Warren lit up Virginia Tech for 31 points as the Wolfpack scored an important win on the road, 71-64.

The leading scorer in the ACC, Warren was 12-for-21 from the field, 2-for-6 on threes and 5-for-8 at the stripe, mixing in six boards and four steals at the 17-10 Wolfpack evened their conference record at 7-7.

Warren is tied with BYU's Tyler Haws for fourth nationally in scoring, hoisting up 23.3 points per game. Creighton's Doug McDermott leads the nation at 25.8 per game.

NC State has just four games left on the regular season schedule, with home games against North Carolina, Miami and Boston College. Their road game is at Pitt, leaving them a legitimate shot at reaching the tournament if they can split these games or upset either the Panthers or Tar Heels.

Michigan State Sets Team Mark with 17 3s; Gary Harris Leads with 25 Points

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, February 20, 2014

Three was the lucky number of the night for the #13 Michigan State Spartans as they cruised past Purdue, 94-79, taking a half-game lead over Michigan in the Big Ten with the win.

The Spartans rained down a school record 17 three-pointers, six of them coming off the hands of Gary Harris, who was 7-for-11 overall and 6-for-9 from beyond the arc, scoring a game-high 25 points, with three rebounds, three assists and three steals.

22-5 Michigan State holds an 11-3 mark in the conference, just ahead of 10-3 Michigan, with just four more games on the regular season slate for the Spartans, including a Sunday showdown at high noon in Ann Arbor with the Wolverines.

Elsewhere, the ACC got a lot more interesting as unranked North Carolina dropped #5 Duke, 74-66. Duke hosts #1 Syracuse on Saturday, at 7:00 pm ET, seeking to avenge their overtime loss at the Carrier Dome earlier in the season. The Orange are coming off their first loss of the season, taken Wednesday at home, when they fell, in OT, to Boston College, 62-59.

Fred VanVleet Powers Wichita State to 28-0 Mark; Syracuse Downed by Boston College

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, February 20, 2014

While #1 Syracuse was being dealt its forst loss of the season by Boston College, 62-59, in overtime, the only other undefeated team, Wichita State, was going about its business in a more orderly fashion, dropping Loyola, 88-74, to get to 28-0 and 15-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference.

The Shockers were led - as they often are - by Fred VanVleet, the 5'11" sophomore from Rockford, Illinois, who had a perfect shooting night, going 6-for-6 from the field and 10-for-10 from the foul line.

VanVleet also led the Shockers in rebounds, with eight and assists, dishing six.

Wichita State is currently ranked #3 nationally. #2 Florida also survived a scare, closing out Auburn late, 71-66.

Julius Randle Posts 14th Double-Double as Kentucky Rolls Mississippi

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, February 18, 2014

The argument over who is the best freshman in the country could very well come down to just two players, Duke's Jabari Parker and Kentucky's Julius Randle - though a couple of guys named Wiggens and Ennis, from Kansas and Syracuse, respectively, might beg to differ.

Tuesday night's games features top-notch performances from the two big frosh, as Parker double-doubled with 16 points and 14 rebounds in Duke's 68-51 victory over Georgia Tech, but Randle's game was just a little better, going for 25 and 13 as the Wildcats ripped Ole Miss, 84-70.

Randle was nearly flawless, making six of seven from the field and knocking down 13 of 14 from the foul line. Four of his 13 boards came on the offensive end, a few of those leading directly to scores.

At 6'9" and 250 pounds, Randle is a double-double machine, having reached that statistical level 14 times this season while helping the Wildcats to a 20-6 record and a 10-3 mark in the SEC.

Jerrelle Benimon Leads Towson over Delaware in Colonial Action

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, February 17, 2014

Talk about monster games, that's just what senior forward, Jerrelle Benimon has when the top two teams in the Colonial Athletic Association met Monday night.

Benimon led the Towson Tigers to a 78-63 win over conference-leading Delaware, which entered the game unbeaten in the CAA.

With his 18th double-double of the season, Benimon was familiar with putting up big numbers as he pumped in 25 points and secured 18 rebounds for Towson. He also led his team with five assists as the Tigers inched closer to the conference leader with the victory.

Benimon was 9-for-16 from the field, made good on his only three-point attempt of the night and hit six of 10 free throws.

Towson improved to 9-3 in conference play, though the Fighting Blue Hens of Delaware still lead, at 11-1. Towson avenged an earlier, 83-76, defeat at Delaware and certainly will be heard from again in the conference tournament, the winner getting the automatic invite to the NCAA tourney.

Doug McDermott Matches Season High as Crieghton Pounds Villanova Again

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, February 16, 2014

Caris LeVert scored a career-high 25 points for Michigan, but Wisconsin's Frank Kaminski had 25 of his own for Wisconsin, along with 11 rebounds, to lead the Badgers to a 75-62 victory at Ann Arbor.

While those efforts were laudable, it was Creighton's brilliant Doug McDermott who had the game of the day, matching his season high with 39 points on 13-for-17 shooting to lead the #18 Bluejays to a 101-80 triumph over visiting #6 Villanova.

McDermott made four of six from three-point range, was 9-for-9 from the foul line, had seven rebounds and an assist. McDermott passed Larry Bird on the all-time college scoring list, taking 13th place. McDermott remains the #2 scorer in the nation, behind Niagara's Antoine Mason.

21-4 Creighton leads the Big East with an 11-2 mark over 10-2 Villanova. The Bluejays handed Villanova another loss earlier in the season, ripping them 96-68 in January.

Perry Ellis Leads Kansas Rout of TCU with 32 Points

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, February 15, 2014

#7 Kansas bounced back from their 85-82 OT loss at Kansas State earlier in the week, continuing to lead the Big 12 with a 10-2 record after smashing up TCU, 95-65, Saturday afternoon.

Sophomore Perry Ellis scored a career-high 32 points on a night of nearly flawless sharp-shooting. 13-for-15 from the field (2-for-2 on threes) and 4-for-4 at the foul line, Ellis led the onslaught which broke wide open in the second half.

Kansas led by seven at the break, but outscored the Horned Frogs, 48-25 in the second half. Due to their overall size advantage, KU also had a huge, 35-18, rebounding edge, Ellis adding his eight to the total, along with five assists and a pair of steals.

Ellis is the second-leading scorer for the Jayhawks, at 14.5 points per game, behind Andrew Wiggins' 16.1.

The Jayhawks lead 10-3 Texas by a game in the conference.

Around the Top 25, #1 Syracuse defied NC State, getting a late steal and a C.J. Fair layup to win their 25th game without a loss, 56-55, at the Carrier Dome. #3 Florida shook off #14 Kentucky, getting a rare win at Rupp Arena, 69-59. The Gators have won 17 straight.

#8 Duke survived a scare at home to defeat a determined Maryland squad, 69-67. #5 San Diego State continues to steamroll through the Mountain West at 11-1 after defeating Air Force, 64-56.

Adreian Payne Has Double-Double in Michigan State Win over Northwestern

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, February 13, 2014

Adreian Payne scored 20 points and snagged 14 rebounds, helping #8 Michigan State overwhelm Northwestern, 85-70.

Payne was 6-for-11, made two of three from beyond the arc and was 6-for-8 from the foul line. His 14 rebounds included four on the offensive end, to go with three assists, a steal and a block.

Michigan State improved to 21-4 overall and 10-2 in the Big Ten, where they share the conference lead with Michigan.

Tyler Ennis Beats Buzzer, Pitt with 35-Footer, Keeps Syracuse Undefeated

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, February 12, 2014

He only scored 13 points, and was just 3-for-7 from the field, but Syracuse point guard, Tyler Ennis, made the biggest shot of the college basketball season, draining a 35-footer at the buzzer to keep the orange undefeated with a 58-56 win at Pittsburgh.

In a game that was expected to be tight (Syracuse was actually a two-point underdog), the Panthers lived up to their reputation as a hard-nosed squad that wouldn't back down in the face of Syracuse's 2-3 zone scheme. Though they shot only 36% from the field, the Panthers led most of the game and found themselves ahead by a point after Talib Zanna made a pair of free throws with 4.2 seconds left.

Ennis took the inbounds pass in Pitt's backcourt, dribbled past a couple of defenders and over the half-court line, and, with about 1.5 seconds left, let fly a perfect arching shot that found the bottom of the net.

Ennis, a freshman who has emerged as one of the steadiest point guards in the country, also has a flair for the dramatic, though one could hardly assume that from his quiet, confident demeanor. His numbers in the final five minutes of games are off the charts and Wednesday's shot heard 'round the college hoops world only serves to solidify his growing reputation.

It also kept #1 Syracuse unbeaten at 24-0 with an 11-0 mark in the ACC. The Orange are the only unbeaten team in the nation besides 26-0 Wichita State. The Shockers are 13-0 in the Missouri Valley conference.

Duke-North Carolina Postponed: The game scheduled for 9:00 pm ET, Wednesday night, between the Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels was cancelled due to the powerful snow storm that swept through the South and Mid-Atlantic. The game has been re-set for February 20, on the North Carolina campus at Chapel Hill.

The distance between campuses is only eight miles, but the roads between Durham and Chapel Hill were largely impassable and dangerous. The re-scheduling sets up a rough stretch for #8 Duke, who will have four games in seven days. They host Maryland on the 15th, play at Georgia Tech on the 18th and host Syracuse on the 22nd.

NC State Tops Wake Forest on T.J. Warren's Career-High 34 Points

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, February 11, 2014

NC State's T.J. Warren took 26 of his team's 59 shots Tuesday night, but he made 15 of them, propelling the Wolfpack to an 82-67 victory over visiting Wake Forest.

When he wasn't knocking down shots for a career-high 34 points, Warren was swiping the glass clean, snaring 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season. His big night included 2-for-3 from three-point range and five offensive boards.

Warren, a 6'8" home-grown sophomore from Durham, NC, leads the Wolfpack in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 23.1 points and 7.4 rebounds. In addition to being the seventh-leading scorer in the country, Warren is the top scorer in the ACC.

The Wolfack improved to 16-8 overall and 6-5 in the conference, though they have no wins against the top ACC teams, already having lost to Duke, North Carolina, Syracuse, Virginia and Wake Forest. Their win over the Demon Deacons was a step in the right direction, but their next game is at #1 Syracuse on Saturday.

NC State reached the NCAA tourney last season, but they were one-and-done, ousted by Temple, 76-72. A winning record in the conference may not be enough to earn a trip to the big dance this season, especially if the Wolfpack can't produce a win over any of the teams above them in the standings.

Top 25 Watch: #5 San Diego State was upset Tuesday night by Wyoming, 68-62; Wichita State trailed by a point at half time, but shook loose from Southern Illinois for their 26th straight win, 76-67, and a perfect, 12-0 mark in the Missouri Valley conference.

Six games involving ranked teams are on the slate for Wednesday, the most attractive in the ACC. At 7:00 pm ET, top-ranked Syracuse invades Pitt, hoping the #25 Panthers won't upset their undefeated season. At 9:00 pm, North Carolina hosts #8 Duke.

Remi Debo, Juwan Staten Lead Mountaineers' 102-77 Rout of #11 Iowa State

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, February 10, 2014

West Virginia's 102-77 win over #11 Iowa State points up the idea that there's no rest in college hoops, especially in the Big 12, this season.

Following Melvin Ejim's record-setting performance on Saturday, Ejim and his fellow Cyclones traveled to Morgantown, West Virginia and laid an enormous egg, shooting just 37%, while the Mountaineers were bombing away at a 54% rate overall, including 13-for-22 from the three-point line. After scoring 48 and setting a Big 12 scoring record, the big man had just six points, though he did manage 12 rebounds.

The Mountaineers were led by Remi Debo, who nailed six threes and scored 20 points, and Juwan Staten, with 19 points, seven boards and nine assists. Staten was 7-for-15 from the field, while Debo was 6-for-8 from three-point land, 7-for-10 overall, with four rebounds in just 21 minutes before fouling out with 1:49 left to play.

Down, 14-13, in the early going, the Mountaineers went on a 17-2 run to take the lead and never look back, extending to a 52-33 lead at the break. Dibo made a pair of threes to open the second half, but was saddled with foul trouble and forced to sit. When he returned in the latter stages, his three-pointer at 2:29 put West Virginia up by 30. The Mountaineers led by as many as 31 points as coach Bobby Huggins shuffled subs in and out during the second half.

The 102 points was the most scored by West Virginia this season and the most allowed by Iowa State. The result left the Mountaineers at 15-10, 7-5 in the Big 12, dropping Iowa State to 18-5, 6-5 in conference play.

NOTABLE: Iowa State wasn't the only Big 12 member upset on a quiet Monday night. #7 Kansas was dropped in overtime by Kansas State, 85-82.

With 27 Points and 10 Rebounds, Xavier Johnson Leads Colorado Rout of Washington, 91-65

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, February 9, 2014

Xavier Johnson, a 6'7" sophomore from Los Angeles, pumped in a career-high 27 points for Colorado, leading the Buffaloes to a 91-65 stampede over Washington, Sunday night in Boulder.

Johnson also collected 10 rebounds, giving him his third double-double of the season and second in his last three games.

While the Buffaloes were shooting at a 55% clip, Johnson did his part, going 10-for-14, including a 3-for-3 effort from beyond the arc, and nailed all six of his free throws.

The win was the third straight for Colorado, following a rough, 1-4 stretch in the competitive PAC-12 conference, where they are in third place, at 7-4. Overall, the Buffs are 18-6, and fell out of the Top 25 rankings recently, after a 14-2 start to their season.

Colorado hopes to keep the good times rolling, when they travel to UCLA on Thursday, February 13, though they are a notoriously bad road team, posting a 1-3 mark away from Boulder in conference games this season.

Melvin Ejim Explodes for 48 Points, 18 Rebounds as #17 Iowa State Downs TCU, 84-69

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, February 8, 2014

There were more than 135 Division I college basketball games on Saturday, but it didn't take long to find the one which contained the best individual player performance.

Melvin Ejim scored more than half of his team's points as the Iowa State Cyclones rocked TCU, 84-69. Ejim, a 6'6" senior from Toronto, poured in a career-high 48 points, setting a Big 12 record for points in a single game, and also notched a career-best in rebounding, with 18.

Going 20-for-24 from the field, 6-for-6 from the foul line, and 2-for-2 from three-point range, Ejim was about as good as one can get in 35 minutes of floor time. His 18 boards included six on the offensive glass, to go with two steals and an assist.

Ejim's big game matched the high-point total for the season. On December 18, Texas Southern's Aaric Murray had 48, matched by Tyler Haws of BYU on January 23.

The Big 12 record was previously held by a pair of Kansas State players. Michael Beasley scored 44 in February 2008, matched by teammate Denis Clemente in January of the following season.

So massive was Ejim's scoring outburst, that it increased his average from 18.3 to 19.8. The number was more than twice his season-high of 22, which he's put up five times this season, including each of the previous two games. Ejim, who has scored in double figures in all 20 games he's played this season, notched his eighth double-double and third in a row.

Ranked 17th nationally, Iowa State improved to 18-4 overall, and 6-4 in the conference.

Elsewhere, on a jam-packed afternoon and evening of college hoops, #4 Wichita State went on the road to top Northern Iowa, 82-73, giving the Shockers their 25th straight win without a loss and a 12-0 mark in the Missouri Valley conference. #7 Cincinnati had their 15-game winning streak rudely snapped at home, falling to SMU, 76-55. The Mustangs shot 54%, while holding the Bearcats to 35%, improving to 19-5 and 8-3 in the American Athletic under head coach Larry Brown.

#17 Iowa upset #10 Michigan, 85-67; Kansas State mauled #15 Texas, 74-57; and, #19 Oklahoma State fell to Texas Tech, 65-61.

#3 Florida, #5 San Diego State, #8 Kansas, #11 Duke, #13 St. Louis and #18 Kentucky were all winners. #24 Memphis knocked off #23 Gonzaga, 60-54.

Doug McDermott Powers Creighton to 78-66 Victory over Seton Hall

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, February 7, 2014

The two top teams in the Big East were in action Friday night, Villanova and Creghton remaining tied for the conference lead at 9-1 with convincing wins on their respective home courts.

Villanova gave coach Jay Wright his 400th career victory with a 70-53 splattering of Seton Hall, while the Creighton Blue Jays and star forward, Doug McDermott, were pasting DePaul, 78-66.

Wright has 278 wins at Villanova; the rest were earned at Hofstra.

McDermott, the leading candidate for player of the year honors, didn't have his best shooting game, going 9-for-21, but he made up for his misfires by nailing 13 of 14 from the charity stripe en route to a game-high 32 points, well above his 25.3 average. 4-for-6 in the early going, McDermott's teammates picked up the pace after Seton Hall tied the game at 13-all, going on a 13-2 spurt punctuated by a McDermott dunk, midway through the first half, taking control of the game which they led nearly all the way.

The Pirates cut the lead to two points on a couple of occasions in the second half and to one point with under eight minutes to play, but each time, Creighton had answers. With 5:30 left, the Bluejays' lead was four, until McDermott scored nine straight points - seven from the foul line - in just under three minutes, to put the game out of reach.

McDermott reached another milestone during the game, canning his 1,000th field goal during the contest. He is the first Division I player to achieve that mark since Calbert Cheaney did it from 1989 through 1993. According to ESPN, McDermott also passed J.J. Redick for 17th on the all-time Division I scoring list.

McDermott, the nation's second-leading scorer behind Niagara's Antoine Mason (26.0), was also the game's high rebounder, with nine, though the Blue Demons held a 41-31 edge on the boards.

Creighton's complete 19-3 record includes losses to San Diego State, George Washington and Providence. They are ranked #12 in the current AP poll. #6 Villanova sports a 21-2 record, with losses to Syracuse and Creighton. The two Big East powerhouses meet again on February 16 in a game that will likely determine the conference champion.

Cincinnati Wins 15th Straight behind Sean Kilpatrick's 26 Points, 12 Boards

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, February 6, 2014

Cincinnati extending their winning streak to 15 straight Thursday night, as Sean Kilpatrick put on a show, leading the Bearcats to a 63-58 victory over visiting Connecticut.

The Bearcats trailed the entire game, until Justin Jackson took a feed inside from Kilpatrick for a 47-46 lead with under eight minutes left in the second half. UConn took a brief one-point lead after that, but Kilpatrick's three-pointer from the wing at 5:19 put Cincinnati up 50-48, and they never trailed or were tied again.

Kilpatrick not only led all scorers with 26 points, but also was the game's most prolific rebounder and assist man, with 12 and six, respectively. The 6'4" senior from Yonkers, NY, was 8-for-15 from the field, hitting five of eight threes and 5-for-7 from the foul line. It was his second double-double of the season. Kilpatrick has scored in double figures in every game but one for the 22-2 Bearcats.

Cincinnati's 11-0 mark in the American conference is good for a 2 1/2 game lead over 8-2 Louisville. Connecticut fell to 5-4 in conference play and 17-5 overall. Cincinnati will be seeking their 16th straight win when they travel to SMU on Saturday, February 8.

Razorbacks Pull Away from Alabama as Freshman Bobby Portis Scores 35

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, February 5, 2014

It's February, so it's not too early to start talking about bubble teams for the NCAA tournament, and there may not be a more puffed up squad around than the 14-8 Arkansas Razorbacks, who will have to improve on their conference record, and certainly started the process with a 65-58 win over Alabama, Wednesday night.

Whether or not the Razorbacks make it to the Big Dance is still an open question, but one thing's for certain: 6'10" freshman, Bobby Portis, can ball. Portis, who's gradually been getting more playing time as the season wears on, put up a career-high 35 points against the Crimson Tide invaders, going 14-for-17 from the field, including the Razorbacks' only three-pointer, and was 6-for-6 from the foul line to boot.

While Portis was tearing up Alabama in the paint, he was not slouching on the defensive end, grabbing nine boards and blocking six shots, all while committing just one foul in 31 minutes.

The Razorbacks trailed by two at the break, as Portis scored the final six points of the first half for Arkansas, and took a two-point lead coming out of the break when Portis scored 11 straight to start the second half.

The lead changed hands a couple of times, but Portis gave Arkansas a four-point advantage with under five minutes left and the Tide never got closer than three after that.

The win snapped a two-game Arkansas losing streak, but the Razorbacks are on the verge, having already beaten Kentucky and falling to both Florida and Georgia in overtime games. Arkansas plays at Vanderbilt on Saturday. The Commodores are 5-4 in the SEC.

Longhorns Win 7th Straight as Jonathan Holmes Wrecks TCU with 20 Points, 16 Rebounds

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, February 4, 2014

A pretty well-loaded conference, the Big 12 has a new contender, as the Texas Longhorns improved to 7-2 with a 59-54 win on the road at TCU.

Having shocked the entire conference with their 81-69 thumping of Kansas on Saturday, Texas has a new hero in the form of 6'8" junior forward, Jonathan Holmes, a homebred from San Antonio.

Holmes followed up a 22-point effort against the Jayhawks with a 20-point, 16-rebound performance at TCU, going 5-for-11 from the floor with a pair of three-pointers in four attempts. The big man was 8-for-12 from the line and six of his boards came off the offensive glass.

After opening conference play with consecutive losses to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, the Longhorns have reeled off seven straight victories, a run that includes four straight over ranked opposition - Iowa State, Kansas State, Baylor and Kansas.

Currently ranked #15 in the AP poll, Texas remains on the road for their rematch with Kansas State, Saturday afternoon. The 7-2 Longhorns are in second place in the conference, trailing 8-1 Kansas by one game.

Top-Ranked Syracuse Tips Notre Dame on Trevor Cooney's Record 3-Point Outburst

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, February 3, 2014

On Saturday, Syracuse topped Duke in overtime, keeping their record perfect at 21-0, and, after Arizona lost to Cal, the Orange were unanimously celebrated as the #1 team in the country.

Monday night, the Orange were back to work, hosting Notre Dame, in a quick turnaround at the Carrier Dome. As expected, the Irish slowed down the game, which didn't help Syracuse, evidently suffering somewhat of a letdown after their emotional win over the Blue Devils - all except for three-point specialist, Trevor Cooney, that is.

After a sluggish start and the Orange down, 8-6, Cooney hit four straight threes in the middle of the first half and scored on a short jumper to give Syracuse a boost and a 20-12 lead with six minutes left in the half. His effort gave the team momentum and confidence to play shut down defense in coach Jim Boeheim's 2-3 zone. When Cooney hit his fifth trey of the half with six seconds left, the Orange jogged off the court with a 32-18 lead.

The Irish didn't fold in the second half, starting off with an 11-5 run to cut into Syracuse's advantage and eventually cutting the lead to four points with 6:01 remaining. Once more, however, Cooney stepped up to save the day, hitting a pair of threes and making a traditional three-point play within a span of 1:31, boosting Syracuse's lead back to 10.

Notre Dame could get no closer than five after that, and the Ornage hit five free throws down the stretch to seal the 61-55 win, improving to 22-0 and 9-0 in the ACC.

Cooney's career-high 33 points tied a Syracuse record for made threes in a game, shared by Gerry McNamara, Andy Rautins and James Southerland. McNamara, now an assistant coach for the Orange, watched from the bench, obviously thrilled at the success of his long-range protege.

The 6'4" sophomore was 11-for-15 overall, making nine of 12 from three-point land. His 11 field goals were more than the rest of his teammates combined, which went 10-for-32. Cooney added a pair of free throws, two assists, two rebounds and four steals and was the only Orange player in double figures.

Syracuse will get some time off to relish their #1 ranking. They host Clemson next, on Sunday, February 9.

Indiana Drops Michigan as Yogi Ferrell Nails Seven 3-Pointers

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, February 2, 2014

Indiana has struggled this season in the Big Ten, but they got a huge victory Sunday afternoon, as point guard Yogi Ferrell found his range and helped deliver a stunning, 63-52, victory over visiting #10 Michigan.

Ferrell, a home-grown favorite in Indianapolis, made seven of eight from three-point range en route to scoring 27 points, carrying the Hoosiers to victory. Ferrell was 8-for-10 overall and made four of six at the foul line. He added a pair of rebounds, two assists and a steal as the Hoosiers out-shot Michigan, 54-40% and out-rebounded them, 31-22.

Ferrell was just one of two Indiana players in double figures. Forward Noah Vonleh had 10 points and 12 rebounds.

The Hoosiers improved to 4-5 in conference play, while the loss dropped Michigan to 8-1, tying them with Michigan State atop the Big Ten.

Indiana may be able to make some headway in the conference. Their next three opponents are Minnesota, Penn State and Purdue.

Syracuse Will Be #1 on Monday as C.J. Fair, Jeromi Grant Lead Orange Over Duke; Arizona Loses

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, February 1, 2014

Syracuse will be #1 when the new polls come out on Monday, not only because they are 21-0 after beating the Duke Blue Devils, 91-89, in overtime, Saturday, but also because the Arizona Wildcats, ranked at the top of college hoops for the past eight weeks, suffered their first loss of the season, falling to Cal, 60-58, making them 21-1.

The Syracuse-Duke meeting was a monumental game, so significant that for a while, late Saturday afternoon, a lot of people forgot there was a Super Bowl the next day.

A record 35,446 fans poured into the Carrier Dome to see the two most successful Division I coaches take their teams into head-to-head combat for the first time with Syracuse now a part of the ACC, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski with his 974 wins visiting Syracuse's Jim Boeheim, and his 940 - now 941.

The play on the court did not disappoint. It easily overshadowed the intense hype leading up to the contest between the #2 Orange and the #17 Blue Devils. In fact, 40 minutes wasn't even enough, as Duke's Rasheed Sulaimon hit a desperation three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime, tied at 78.

In the overtime, with two Duke big men - Jabari Parker and Amile Jefferson - having fouled out, the Orange repeatedly went inside to Jerami Grant, scoring Syracuse's first six points on emphatic dunks. Duke countered with the three-ball, as they had the entire game, as Andre Dawkins made two, sandwiching a layup in between, for an 87-84 Duke lead with 1:23 left.

Syracuse would not be denied, however, as Tyler Ennis and Grant combined for six points at the foul line, Ennis hitting four of four, Grant making a pair to go 10-for-10 from the line on the night. Sulaimon made a pair for Duke before Ennis hit his final two with 5.8 seconds left. C.J. Fair, who led all scorers with a career-high 28 points, missed the first of two free throws but made the second, giving Syracuse the two-point edge. Quinn Cook's shot at the buzzer caromed off the backboard as time expired, and jubilation reigned in upstate New York.

Statistically, the numbers defied logic. Syracuse shot 57% for the game, to Duke's 43%, but, Duke took half of its 72 shots from beyond the three-point line, making 15 of them, raining threes to keep them in the game. The Orange out-Duked Duke, getting to the line with amazing frequency - 32 times - and even more amazingly, making 26 of them - 81%. Duke only made 17 trips to the line, making 12.

Syracuse also out-rebounded the Blue Devils, 38-33, and blocked nine shots, to none for Duke, but still only managed a two-point win, and that, in overtime, no less.

Fair went 12-for-20 from the field and 3-for-6 from the line, adding five rebounds. Grant was 7-for-11, 10-for-10 at the line for a career-high 24 points, with 12 rebounds, his fifth double-double of the season.

Syracuse improved to 8-0 in the ACC, a game better than second place Virginia, at 7-1, their 21-0 mark the best ever start to a season for a Syracuse team. Duke fell to 6-3 in the conference and 17-5 overall.

Harvard Tops Princeton on Wesley Saunders' 24 Points, 9 Rebounds

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, January 31, 2014

The Ivy League doesn't get much of the college hoops love, mostly because the conference seldom sends more than one team to the NCAA tourney, and, while this season appears to be consistent with that theme, the one team - Harvard - may be a dangerous one.

Friday night, the Crimson upped their record to 16-3 and 3-0 in the Ivy with an 82-76 victory over their chief rival, the Princeton Tigers.

Leading all scorers was Princeton's T.J. Bray, but his effort was not enough as Harvard's scintillating swingman, 6'5" junior, Wesley Saunders, scored 24 points, to go with nine boards, seven assists, three steals and a blocked shot.

Saunders, who leads the Crimson in scoring at 15.5 points per game, was 9-for-13 from the field and 6-for-7 from the charity stripe in 38 minutes of action.

Harvard took a 36-35 lead into intermission, but were tied by the Tigers at 42-all on a Bray three-pointer, three minutes into the second half. Over the next two minutes, Harvard went on a decisive 8-0 run, and led the rest of the way, eventually pushing their advantage to as many as 13 points. Another Bray three-pointer got Princeton to within four with under a minute to go, but Harvard made seven of eight at the line - Saunders going 4-for-4 - to ice the game.

Harvard has a one-game lead over Columbia, Brown and Yale, all at 2-1, and hosts Penn Saturday night, seeking a 4-0 mark. The three losses by the Crimson have been to UConn, Colorado and Florida Atlantic, but they have some quality wins, including blowouts of TCU and Boston College.

Tommy Amaker, former Duke player and assistant coach, has been head coach of the Crimson since the 08-09 season and the team has responded with improved performances during his tenure. Last season, Amaker guided Harvard into the NCAA tourney, and produced the school's first-ever win at the big dance, defeating New Mexico, 68-62, before falling to Arizona, 74-51.

Sean Kilpatrick Scores 23 of Game-High 28 in Second Half, As Bearcats Top Louisville, 69-66

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, January 30, 2014

The Cincinnati Bearcats won their 13th straight game and lead the American conference with a perfect, 9-0, mark after going on the road to top #12 Louisville, 69-66, Thursday night.

Cincinnati, ranked #13 in the latest poll, should move up with the win, sparked by aggressive defense and a second half surge by fifth-year senior, Sean Kilpatrick, who was just 2-for-9 in the first half, but scored 23 of his 28 points in the second half to carry the Bearcats to victory.

Kilpatrick was deadly down the stretch, scoring 12 of the final 14 points for Cincinnati, including straight straight free throws, as the the Bearcats held off a determined Louisville squad.

Leading by as many as 17 points in the first half, the Bearcats turned the ball over on four straight possessions early in the second half, allowing Louisville to cut into the lead. The Cardinals actually took the lead at 64-61 on a Russ Smith three with 5:03 remaining to play, but Cincinnati stepped up the defense again, outscoring Louisville, 8-2, down the stretch.

Kilpatrick finished 7-for-18 with three three-pointers and was 11-for-11 from the foul line, adding five rebounds and two assists to his 37 minute effort. The Bearcats were 17-for-18 from the stripe and out-rebounded Louisville, 36-25.

The Bearcats have a 2 1/2 game edge in the conference. Both Louisville and Memphis are 6-2, tied for second place. 20-2 Cincinnati hasn't lost since a 64-47 setback to Xavier on December 14. They host South Florida on Sunday and UConn this coming Thursday.

Andrew Wiggins Scores 29 as Kansas Leads Big 12, Drops Iowa State, 92-81

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Whenever the Big 12 is mentioned, the first word is usually Kansas, because the Jayhawks have dominated the conference for such a long time.

This season is no different, as the sixth-ranked Jayhawks are 7-0 in conference play after riding Andrew Wiggins' career-high 29 points to a 92-81 spanking of #16 Iowa State.

Wiggins, the sensational freshman who may also be mentioned in discussions concerning player of the year, hit 10 of 16 shots, including four of six from beyond the three-point line. He also canned five of six free throws and snatched seven rebounds. Wiggins leads Kansas in scoring, at 16.5 points per game.

Kansas led the entire game, starting with a Wiggins' three-pointer 38 seconds into the contest. The Jayhawks built a lead that grew as large as 16 points in the first half, though the Cyclones fought back to within a point before exiting the first half down 46-43.

All five Kansas starters were in double figures. Junior point guard, Naadir Tharpe, and freshman center, Joel Embiid, each registered double-doubles. Tharpe scored 12 points while dishing 12 assists; Embiid had 14 points and 11 boards.

The streaking Jayhawks haven't lost since opening 2014 with a 61-57 loss to San Diego State, their final non-conference game, on January 5th. Kansas next plays at #25 Texas on Saturday, February 1.

Doug McDermott's Season-High 39 Points Carries Creighton Past St. John's, 63-60

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, January 28, 2014

When one talks about Creighton basketball, one name always comes up: Doug McDermott.

The four-year senior star has led the Bluejays to an 8-1 record and first place in their first year as a member of the Big East, following McDermott's leadership for three years in the Missouri Valley conference.

Getting to that 8-1 mark (18-3 overall) did not take the usual route in Creighton's 63-60 win over St. John's, Tuesday night.

First, it was the lowest score in any of Creighton's wins this season. The Bluejays scored 53 points in a loss to George Washington in December and average 81.3 points per game, 22nd nationally. The Bluejays also turned the ball over 17 times and had only 13 assists (they average 18.1, tops nationally).

Besides shooting under their average (49.3%) and having just one player in double figures, Creighton was able to emerge victorious due to McDermott's season-high 39 points, on 15-for-26 shooting, including five of nine from beyond the arc, with four of five free throws and six rebounds.

McDermott took more than half of Creighton's 47 shots and accounted for roughly 2/3rds of their 23 field goals. Creighton led, 29-25, at the break. McDermott scored 20 of those first half points. Creighton led nearly the entire game and was up by as many as 18 midway through the second half, but, St. John's tied the score at 60-all on a pair of free throws by Rysheed Jordan with 11 seconds left.

After a St. John's time out, the Bluejays got the ball to McDermott, who launched a game-winning three-pointer with just two seconds left on the clock, providing the winning margin.

It was the seventh time this season McDermott has scored 30 or more points. He's been in double figures in all but one of Creghton's games.

Ryan Spangler Boosts Oklahoma over Oklahoma State in 'Bedlam' Rivalry

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, January 27, 2014

Tenacious defense, a patient offense and the interior domination of Ryan Spangler helped the #23 Oklahoma Sooners overwhelm the #8 Oklahoma State Cowboys in the twice-annual renewal of their "bedlam" series, 88-76.

Spangler, the sophomore transfer from Gonzaga, scored 15 points and hauled down 17 rebounds, as the Sooners took over second place in the Big 12, improving to 6-2 in the conference, behind 6-0 Kansas.

Oklahoma held the Cowboys to just 40% shooting, clamping down especially hard on leading scorers Marcus Smart and Markel Brown, holding the duo to 13-for-35 overall and just 3-for-16 from three-point range. If not for Phil Forte III coming off the Cowboy bench to score 20 points - going 6-for-6 on threes - the score would have been even more lopsided.

The Sooners took advantage of a wide disparity in fouls, making 30 of 42 free throws, while the Cowboys were just 15-for-22, but, Oklahoma State held a solid - 42-37 - edge on the boards, shot 46% from the field and were 8-for-17 from beyond the arc (47%). Spangler was 5-for-10 from the floor and 5-for-6 from the line.

Spangler's presence in the middle has caused issues for other Big 12 squads. The Sooners have recently stunned Iowa State and Baylor, and have won four straight against conference foes. Five teams from the Big 12 - Kansas, Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Oklahoma and Texas - are currently ranked in the Top 25.

The return date for the second part of the bedlam, series is February 15 at Oklahoma State.