Frank Kaminsky's 31 Points Powers Wisconsin past Michigan State to Share of Big Ten Crown

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, March 1, 2015

It's no secret that the Wisconsin Badgers are odds-on to win the regular season title in the Big Ten. Sunday's 68-61 win over a struggling Michigan State squad earned the Badgers a share of the title, with remaining games on the road, at Minnesota and Ohio State. A win in either of those, or a loss by Maryland, would secure the championship.

Frank Kominsky's 31 points and eight rebounds helped secure the win over Michigan State. Kaminsky, widely regarded as a bona fide player of the year candidate, added two assists, three steals and three blocked shots, an impressive performance as the Badgers regained their winning ways after last week's 59-53 loss at Maryland, which snapped a ten-game winning streak.

The victory moved #5 Wisconsin to 26-3 overall with a 14-2 mark in conference play. The Spartans fell to 19-10 with a 10-6 mark in the Big Ten, a precarious position for a perennial NCAA tourney participant.

Conference tournaments commence within days, though the Big Ten will be one of the later affairs, beginning mid-next week.

Selection Sunday is just two weeks off, on March 15.

Perry Ellis Leads #8 Jayhawks over Longhorns, Maintains 1st Place in Big 12

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, February 28, 2015

While Buddy Hield's double-double (21 pts., 13 rebs.) was leading Oklahoma to a 67-60 home win over TCU, the Kansas Jaywahks tightened their grip on the top spot in the Big 12 with a 69-64, come-from-behind win over visiting Texas.

Junior Perry Ellis kept the Jayhawks' a game ahead of the Sooners in the standings with a double-double of his own, scoring 28 points with 13 boards. Ellis wasn't especially sharp, but he kept shooting, hitting 9 of 21 shots from the field, and canned 10 of 12 free throws.

Ellis matched his season high in rebounds while setting a new season-high in scoring. He also blocked three shots and dished an assist in 38 minutes of playing time.

Kansas still has its hands full in its quest for the perennial Big 12 title. They face #20 West Virginia at home on March 3, and finish up the regular season at Oklahoma on March 7. The Jayhawks were upset, 62-61, by the Mountaineers back on February 16 and have a win in hand over Oklahoma, defeating the Sooners, 85-78, January 19.

Kansas stands at 12-4 in the conference. Oklahoma has a mark of 11-5. West Virginia, Baylor and Iowa State are tied for third place at 10-6, so the conference title remains largely up for grabs, setting the stage for one of the more contentious Big 12 tournaments in years.

On Justin Sears' 28 and 12, Yale Pummels Princeton, Ties Harvard in Ivy; Showdown Looms

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, February 27, 2015

Justin Sears has been getting it done for the Bulldogs all season long, and on Friday night equalled a career-high with 28 points on 11 of 15 shooting in Yale's 81-60 victory over visiting Princeton.

Playing all but two minutes, Sears hauled in 12 boards, had two assists, two blocked shots and three steals. His 6-for-8 effort from the foul line included the only two misses from the stripe for the Bulldogs, which canned 26 of 28 free throws as a team.

The victory put Yale at 9-2 on the season, tying them with Harvard for the top spot in the Ivy league. The winner of the Ivy gets an automatic invitation to the NCAA tourney, so the March 6 meeting (next Friday night) between the Crimson and the Bulldogs at Harvard will likely determine the Ivy's representative.

Yale will be looking to avenge a 52-50 loss to Harvard, handed to them on their home court back on February 7. Sears had one of his worst games of the season in that contest, scoring just nine points on 2-for-7 shooting.

NOTES: Some big-time games are on the slate for Saturday. Take a look at these treats (all times Eastern):

• Noon: Michigan at (14) Maryland (ESPN)
• 2:00 pm: (15) North Carolina at Miami (CBS)
• 2:00 pm: (10) Northern Iowa at (11) Wichita St. (ESPN)
• 4:00 pm: (18) Arkansas at (1) Kentucky (CBS)
• 4:00 pm: Virginia Tech at (2) Virginia
• 4:00 pm: (20) West Virginia at (19) Baylor

Wofford Wraps Up Southern with 76-72 Win over Mercer; Spencer Collins Splashes in 26

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, February 26, 2015

With their 76-72 victory at Mercer, the Wofford Terriers captured the Southern conference title and secured the top seed in the upcoming conference tournament.

Spencer Collins led the way with a season-high 26 points, topping all scorers with 7-for-11 shooting, including four of six on three-pointers. The 6'4" junior guard from Easley, SC also canned eight of nine from the foul line.

Wofford was 24-for-44 from the field (54.5%) and nailed nine of 18 from three-point range.

The Southern crown is the third for the 24-6 Terriers, who improved to 15-2 in conference play. They close out the regular season on Saturday at Furman, in Greenville, SC.

Xavier Rathan-Mayes Goes for 35, But Seminoles Fall Short; Hopeful Hurricanes

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, February 25, 2015

In a heroic effort, freshman guard, Xavier Rathan-Mayes, scored 30 points in the final 4:38, but the Florida State Seminoles still fell to Miami, 81-77.

Rathan-Mayes scored 26 straight points for the Seminoles without missing a shot, as they rallied furiously against the 'Canes. The freshman was 8-for-10 in the final five minutes, pumping in six threes. He finished with 35 points, tying his career high.

Florida State's loss, their second straight, left them with a record of 15-14 (7-9 in the ACC) and more than likely out of the NCAA tournament. The Seminoles lost to Virginia, 51-41, on Sunday.

For Miami, hopes for an at-large invitation still seem a possibility, with their third win in their last four games. The Hurricanes stand at 18-10, with an 8-7 mark in the conference. Their remaining schedule has them hosting North Carolina on Saturday, then they take to the road for their final two, at Pitt (March 4) and Virginia Tech, March 7. Wins in two of three would - considering a good showing in the ACC tournament - give them a fighting chance at a bid.

Dez Wells Flashes, Melo Trimble Finishes as Maryland Socks Wisconsin; Stamps Tourney Ticket

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, February 24, 2012

The Maryland Terrapins, already a sure bet to make the NCAA Tournament as a high seed with their 22-5 record going into their home game against the Wisconsin Badgers, upped their profile at an opportune time with a signature 59-52 victory at the XFINITY Center in College Park, Maryland.

Dez Wells kept the pressure on the #5 Badgers throughout, scoring a game-high 26 points on 9-for-17 shooting, adding a perfect s7-for-7 from the foul line with seven rebounds and four assists. Freshman sensation, Melo Trimble, scored the Terps' final six points to close out the Badgers, leaders of the Big Ten conference. Trimble finished with 16 points, four boards and a pair of assists.

Maryland took an early 8-7 lead and expanded it to 11 points, the margin by which they led at the half, 31-20.

The win was the fourth straight for the Terrapins, who improved to 11-4 in the conference, good for second place behind the 13-2 Badgers, who lost for the first time in their last 11 games. Ironically, the last time the Badgers faced defeat, it was at Rutgers, who, like the Terrapins, are in their initial season as a member of the Big Ten.

Trimble and Wells were the only Maryland players in double figures. Frank Kaminsky led the Badgers with 18 points.

Maryland shot 48% from the field, compared to Wisconsin's sub-par 38.5%. The Terps also had the edge at the foul line, where they were 9-for-11. Wisconsin was an uncharacteristic 7-for-12 from the stripe.

Shabazz Napier Leads Connecticut to 2nd NCAA Title in Four Years, Drops Kentucky, 60-54

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, April 7, 2014

Shabazz Napier scored a game-high 22 points and was named tournament Most Outstanding Player, leading the Connecticut Huskies to the Men's Basketball Championship with a 60-54 victory over the youthful Kentucky Wildcats.

Kentucky, down as many as 15 points in the first half, closed the gap to within one, but never led in the game.

Napier was 8-for-16 overall, hitting four of six from three-point land and 2-for-2 from the stripe. He added three rebounds and three steals, dominating the Kentucky backcourt of freshmen guards, Aaron and Andrew Harrison who were a combined 6-for-16 and committed seven turnovers.

The real star of the game, however, was the rim, whenever Kentucky was shooting free throws, because that was the decisive statistic of the game. While the Huskies were 10-for-10 at the foul line, the Wildcats were a woeful 13-for-24, a miserable 54%, many of their misses coming in key situations.

Thus, the national championship belongs to Connecticut for the second time in four years. Napier and fellow senior, Niels Giffey, were a part of both championship teams.

The tournament is over and so its this blog, ending seven years of collage hoops coverage. It's on to other pursuits for me. I'll be the guy in the bleachers with a cold beer and the St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap.

-- Fearless Rick

Shabazz Napier Leads Huskies to Final Four; Kentucky Also Advances

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, March 30, 2014

As he's been doing for the better part of the season, Shabazz Napier put the UConn Huskies on his back and mushed his team to another important victory, this one over the Michigan State Spartans for a trip to the Final Four in Dallas with a 60-54 victory.

With a game-high 25 points, Napier scored the key buckets and made big plays in the final minutes to lead his squad to their biggest win of the year and a rematch with the Florida Gators in a national semi-final on Saturday.

Napier was just 6-for-14 from the field, but that included a 4-for-9 mark from three point range and perfection at the foul line where he made all nine of his free throws. The senior point guard also grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists.

Up 51-49 with under two minutes to play, Napier put the Huskies - the 11 seed in the East region - up by four with a short jumper and, after Michigan State's Adreian Payne scored a pair of free throws, Napier was fouled attempting a three-pointer with 30 seconds to go and calmly stepped to the line and sank all three foul shots for a five point UConn lead.

Michigan State missed a three-point attempt and Napier fed Phillip Nolan for a dunk with 15 seconds left which sealed the victory.

The Huskies will face Florida on Saturday, meeting the Gators for the first time since December 2 when they beat the Gators, 65-64. Since then, Florida has run off 30 straight wins and enter the Final Four as the #1 seed from the South region.

The last spot in the Final Four was completed in rousing fashion late Saturday afternoon as Kentucky upset Michigan in the Midwest region final, 75-72. Kentucky, the #8 seed in the region got a clutch performance from Aaron Harrison, who hit four three-pointers in the final eight minutes, the last one coming with just three seconds in the game, breaking a 72-all tie and sending the Wildcats to a Final Four meeting with Wisconsin.

Frank Kaminsky Powers Wisconsin Past Arizona into Final Four; Florida Forward over Dayton

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, March 29, 2014

In the end, basketball is a team sport, but it really helps your chances of winning when you have a seven-footer who can score nearly half of your team's points in big games.

That's the nature of Wisconsin and its star center, Frank Kaminsky, who scored 28 points for the Badgers in their 64-63 OT win over Arizona in the West regional final.

The junior from Lisle, Illinois with the smooth touch outside and deft moves inside, hit 11 of 20 shots from the field, including three of five from three-point range and three of four from the foul line, leading the Badgers into the Final Four. In 37 minutes of playing time, Kaminsky also collected 11 rebounds, seven of them on the offensive boards, key to keeping the ball alive for the Wisconsin offense and getting more than their fair share of second chance points.

Due to the ruggedly defensive nature of the game, Wisconsin shot just 39.3%; Arizona was only marginally better, at 39.8%.

The Badgers head to Dallas to meet up with the winner of Sunday's Kentucky-Michigan Midwest final in one of the two semi-final games.

The Florida Gators, #1 overall seed in the tournament, ground out a 62-52 victory over the Dayton Flyers, the #11 seed out of the South region. They reach the Final Four and look forward to playing the winner of Sunday's East region final between Michigan State and Connecticut.

DeAndre Daniels' 27 Points Leads Connecticut past Iowa State, 81-76; Michigan, Kentucky, Michigan State Advance

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, March 28, 2014

Coming into the tournament, everyone knew that the Connecticut Huskies were a talented group, but they we're very deep, and few thought they'd advance far, but, with an 81-76 victory over Iowa State in the East region semi-final, they're one step away from the Final Four.

The Huskies, having won any number of games and Big East championships at Madison Square Garden, might have felt right at home in the Big Apple, but junior DeAndre Daniels, who hails from Los Angeles and led all scorers with 27 points, it was a special night.

Daniels blew away the Cyclones by hitting 10 of 15 shots from the field, including a pair of three pointers and snatched 10 rebounds to lead the Huskies into the next round.

The Huskies (29-8), the seven seed in the region, meet up with Michigan State (29-8) in the East regional final on Sunday, after the Spartans took out Virginia, 61-59.

Over in the Midwest region, 8th-seeded Kentucky took out defending national champion Louisville, 74-69, the #4 seed, and #2 Michigan scraped by #11 Tennessee, 73-71.

The Wildcats and Wolverines will go at it Sunday, the winner advancing to the Final Four.

Michael Frazier II Leads Florida to 29th Straight Victory, Elite Eight; Dayton, Arizona, Wisconsin Advance

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

Awarded the top seeding in the tournament, the Florda Gators proved their value, disassembling UCLA, 79-68, to advance to the South regional final where they will face the upstart, 11th-seeded Dayton Flyers on Saturday.

Florida established an early lead against the Bruins, led 36-30 at the half and were never headed, cruising to their 29th straight victory, the longest winning streak in the country.

Down 11-8 just six minutes into the game, Florida hit four straight three-pointers - three of them by Michael Frazier II - led 20-16 just 2 1/2 minutes later and held that lead for the remainder of the contest.

Florida's lead would eventually swell to as many as 11 on a few occasions and the Bruins cut it to one point midway through the second half, but the Gators pulled away once again. UCLA could only draw within seven points in the final six minutes as Florida players executed their offense and made free throws down the stretch.

Frazier finished the scoring on a breakaway dunk and was 5-for-8 from beyond the arc, finishing with a game-high 19 points, along with six rebounds and three assists.

On the opposite side of the South bracket, Dayton continued its successful run through the post-season with an 82-72 win over Stanford, the #10 seed in the region.

The West regional final was set for Saturday as #2 Wisconsin hammered Baylor, 69-52, and top seed Arizona handled San Diego State, 70-64.

Friday night's match-ups include Iowa State vs. Connecticut and Virginia vs. Michigan State in the East. The Midwest games are Tennessee vs. Michigan, followed by the blockbuster Louisville vs. Kentucky meeting.

Iowa State Outlasts North Carolina, 85-83, Advances to Sweet 16

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

Even with the loss of a key player - Georges Niang - DeAndre Kane wasn't going to let his teammates and Iowa State fans down.

Kane drove to the bucket and powered in the last two of his game-high 24 points with 1.6 seconds left to play, giving Iowa State an 85-83 victory over North Carolina and a trip to the Sweet 16, where they will meet Connecticut in an East regional semi-final on Friday, March 28.

The Cyclones lost Niang for the remainder of the season in their 93-75 win over NC Central as he suffered a fractured foot, but got big efforts from Naz Long, Monte Morris and Dustin Hogue against the Tar Heels.

Kane's 24 points came off 9-for-18 shooting and a 5-for-7 effort from the foul line. He also had 10 rebounds and seven assists, though his bucket near the end of the game was all that really mattered as the Cyclones overcame an eight-point deficit and outscored the Tar Heels 17-7 down the stretch.

Most of Sunday's slate of eight games went according to plan, with lower-numbered seeds knocking off the higher ones, except in the South region, where #10 Stanford knocked off #2 Kansas, 60-57, and in the Midwest, where #8 Kentucky upset #1 seed and previously unbeaten Wichita State, 78-76.

Tennessee's 83-63 win over Mercer made it a trio for the SEC in the Sweet 16, joining Kentucky and Florida, matching the number in the round by the Big Ten (Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin) and the PAC-12, which has advanced Stanford, UCLA and Arizona.

Baylor and Iowa State are the remaining teams from the Big 12 to advance, and two come out of the American Athletic - Louisville and UConn. Virginia is the only remaining ACC team left in the tournament. The Cavaliers smashed Memphis, 78-60, to advance.

Xavier Thames Nets 30 for San Diego State: Syracuse Out; Wisconsin, Michigan, Michagan St. Lead Big Ten to Sweet 16

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

The Aztecs of San Diego State advanced to the Sweet 16 with a thundering victory over North Dakota State, 63-44.

Xavier Thames led the scoring parade with 30 points on 9-for-19 shooting with four threes.

The Aztecs, #4 seed in the West region will match up with the winner of the Sunday's Gonzaga-Arizona meeting.

Elsewhere, Syracuse, the #3 seed in the South, was upended by #11 Dayton, 55-53; in the Midwest region, #2 Michigan downed #7 Texas, 79-65, making them the third Big Ten team in the Sweet 16, joining Michigan State and Wisconsin.

Jarnell Stokes, Tennessee Make Quick Work of Minutemen, 86-67; Duke, VCU Ousted

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, March 21, 2014

The Massachusetts Minutemen will have plenty of time to think about their brief trip to the NCAA tournament, after Jordan McRae, Jarnell Stokes and the Tennessee Volunteers routed them, 86-67, in their opening game at PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC.

The Vols took a 3-2 lead on McRae's three-pointer 1:23 into the contest and never trailed or were tied again, forging a 19-point lead by the break, 41-22, and maintaining their edge throughout the second half.

McRae scored 21 points for the Vols, who won their second straight game in the tourney after knocking off Iowa, 78-65, in the First Four play-in round.

Stokes was impressive, leading all scorers with 26 points and topping the rebounding charts with a game-high 14, four of them off the offensive glass. Tennessee's inside force was 7-for-11 from the field and 12-for-13 at the foul line, the Minutemen finding no answer to his might but to foul him.

The Vols are the #11 seed in the Midwest region and will face Mercer on Sunday.

One of the other big stories of the day came before Tennessee's win, when Mercer, the #14 seed in the Midwest, upset the #3 seed Duke, 78-71, making the Blue Devils the most recent one-and-done tournament victim.

In the South region, the Mountaineers of Stephen F. Austin - the #12 seed - took down #5 seed, VCU, 77-75 in overtime, when senior leader, Desmond Haymond sent the game into overtime, knocking down a three-point shot with three seconds remaining and getting fouled in the act. Haymond hit the free throw to tie the game and contributed another trey in the overtime.

#1 seeds Arizona, Wichita State and Virginia all advanced, joining the overall #1 seed, Florida.

Adreian Payne's Career-High 41 Points Hoists Spartans over Delaware

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

A spate of upsets marked the traditional opening day of the tournament, but one team which held its ground was Michigan State, likely because the Delaware Blue Hens had no solutions for senior forward Adreian Payne, who scored a career-high 41 points in the Spartans' 93-78 triumph.

The 6'10" swingman was incredibly efficient in tear up the opponent, hitting 10 of 15 from the field, including four of five from three-point range and an impressive 17-for-17 mark at the foul line. Payne added eight boards and only turned the ball over twice, all in just 24 minutes of court time.

Coach Tom Izzo has his team as well-prepared for the tournament as usual, coming off the championship in the Big Ten tournament last week.

Michigan State, the #4 seed in the East region,will face upset winner Harvard in the next round, on Saturday. The 12th-seeded Crimson disposed of #5 seed Cincinnati, 61-57, essentially blowing up millions of brackets in the process.

Among the other upsets encountered on Thursday were Dayton's 60-59 win over Ohio State in the South region, an 11 over a six, and, West region #12 seed North Dakota State outing #5 Oklahoma, 80-75, in overtime.

Basically, three regions were blown up on Thursday, leaving only the Midwest unscathed, though #5 St. Louis had to come from 16 back in the second half to hold off #12 NC State in overtime, 83-80.

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.