Knight, Harrellson Provide Spark for Wildcats in Win over Louisville

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, December 31, 2010

Getting together for their annual contest to determine bragging rights for the state of Kentucky, Louisville coach Rick Pitino and his troops welcomed John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats into KFC Yum! Arena (sorry, that's what they're calling it these days) for a New Year's Eve celebration between the 11th (Kentucky) and 22nd-ranked teams in the nation.

It didn't take long for the Wildcats to feel perfectly at home in Louisville's venue, however, as the Wildcats raced to a 35-24 lead at the half and rode easy layups by Josh Harrellson and expert shooting by Brandon Knight to a 78-63 triumph.

Harrellson, conveniently left open near the basket on far too many occasions, dipped in 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting and snagged 14 rebounds as the Wildcats used their superior size and passing skills to dominate in the paint. The Wildcats outrebounded the Cardinals 36-24, and when Harrellson wasn't collecting easy entry passes, freshman Brandon Knight was making hay from the perimeter. Knight nailed 4-of-6 three-pointers en route to a game-high 25 points. Both Knight and Harrellson recorded career highs in scoring for the 'Cats.

Both Louisville and Kentucky have compiled 11-2 records thus far in the season.

Notable: There's still no love from the pollsters for the Cincinnati Bearcats, who went to 14-0 with a blowout, 70-53, win over Seton Hall. The Bearcats are also 2-0 in the Big East, and while they've beaten only DePaul and Seton Hall, they've been by huge margins. Come on, Man! 14-0 has to count for something.

An unbeaten team that hasn't escaped the purview of the polls is #7 San Diego State, now 15-0 thanks to a 93-50 bombing of Occidental. The Aztecs have never been ranked so high.

After losing their Big East opener to Pitt earlier in the week, #4 Connecticut had to go into overtime to down the upstart Bulls from South Florida, 68-61. Kemba Walker, still leading the nation in scoring at 26.7 points per game, had 24 for the Huskies, now 11-1.

Stanford Ends UConn Gals Streak at 90; Jordan Leads UCF to 13-0

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, December 30, 2010

All good things must come to an end, so the saying goes, and that includes record winning streaks like the NCAA basketball record 90-game variety that the University of Connecticut women took into Stanford's Maple's Pavilion Thursday night.

The last time UConn had tasted defeat was nearly 1000 days before, and it was the Stanford women who beat them, 82-73, in a 2008 semi-final game of the Final Four. This night, led by inspired play from senior guard Jeanette Pohlen's 31 points, nine boards and six assists, the Stanford women led the entire game, finishing with a resounding, 71-59 win on a night that the Huskies' Maya Moore was fronted, covered and never given any room for comfort.

Moore finished with just 14 points on 5-of-15 shooting, the team, being held in check by Stanford's swarming defense, shot just 33% for the game, hitting just 20-of-61 from the field.

On the men's side, #19 UCF captured the final of the UCF Holiday Tournament with a 68-62 victory over Princeton.

Son of Michael Jordan, Marcus Jordan scored 22 of his game-high 26 points in the second half to rally the Knights past the Tigers, who led 37-29 at the break. Jordan, the only UCF player in double figures, hit 7-of-12 shots from the field and converted 11-of-13 free throws.

Jordan, just a sophomore, has scored in double figures in all but two of UCF's 13 wins this season. The Knights have yet to lose a game as they ready for Conference-USA play. They begin on January 5th with a home game against the Thundering Herd of Marshall.

780 Wins for Coach K as Singler and Smith Tally 53 Combined

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, December 29, 2010

After freshman sensation Kyrie Irving went down with a potential season-ending injury a few weeks back, the college basketball community began to re-evaluate the Duke Blue Devils, some even believing that the reigning national champs might come back to earth a little with their star guard on the mend.

It's still a bit early to tell, but the Blue Devils still appear to be the team to beat. In four games since Irving's injury - suffered late in Duke's win over Butler - the Blue Devils have dispatched their overmatched opponents by an average of 43.5 points, including Wednesday's 108-62 pounding of NC-Greensboro.

Proving they still have plenty of firepower, the Blue Devils were led by two seniors, forward Kyle Singler, who poured in a game-high 27 points on 10-of-13 shooting, and Nolan Smith, who threw down a season-high 26 points, hitting 8-of-12 from the field, including 3 of 4 three-pointers, while gathering in 6 rebounds and distributing 9 assists.

Duke moved to 12-0, remaining atop the college hoops rankings, and putting coach Mike Krzyzewski aline in second place with his 780th career win, one more than North Carolina's Dean Smith and closing fast on Bobby Knight's record 802 wins.

Fans and upcoming opponents may get a better feel for just how good the Blue Devils really are when they begin ACC play next week, starting with home games against Miami (FL) on January 2nd and Maryland, January 9th. In between, Duke hosts UAB, a non-conference foe, December 5th.

#5 Orangemen Rise to 14-0 on Kris Joseph's 27 Points

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, December 28, 2010

With five Big East teams in the Top 10 nationally, it looks to be another season dominated by the biggest - and baddest - conference in the college hoops universe.

After #6 Pitt dealt 4th-ranked UConn their first loss of the season Monday night, the #5 Syracuse Orangemen found themselves in a position to keep pace with the Panthers when they hosted the Providence Friars at the Carrier Dome. Thanks to an early burst that netted a 10-point lead at the half and a career-high 27 points from junior forward Kris Joseph, the Orange emerged with an 81-74 victory.

Joseph, who spent much of the past two seasons coming off the bench, has been heavily involved in shaping much of SU's 14-0 record to start the campaign. He's scored in double figures in 10 of those contests, scored 25 last week against Drexel and found his range against Providence, hitting 8-of-13 shots from the field, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. The 6'7" Montreal native also added five rebounds and four assists in Syracuse's first Big East win.

Following the troika of UConn, Syracuse and Pitt at 4, 5 and 6 in the polls are Villanova and Georgetown, at 8 and 9, respectively. The 11-1 Hoyas open their conference schedule at #15 Notre Dame Wednesday night. The Wildcats play Temple Thursday and begin Big East contests hosting Rutgers on January 2nd. At #22, 11-1 Louisville completes the seven Big East representatives in the AP Top 25. 13-0 Cincinnati did not make the rankings.

Cardinals Flying High as Knowles, Kuric Combine for 56 Points

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, December 27, 2010

Big East play got underway Monday night with a premier match-up in Pittsburgh, as the #6 Panthers handed Connecticut its first loss of the season, 78-63, despite 31 points from the nation's scoring leader, Kemba Walker.

Out in Kentucky, the Louisville Cardinals were getting in a final pre-conference tune-up, thrashing Morgan State, 104-74, with Preston Knowles going for a career-high 31 points and junior guard Kyle Kuric scoring 25 on 9-for-13 shooting, hitting 7 of 10 three-point shots.

Knowles canned 9-of-14 shots from the field, including 6 of 9 from three-point range as the Cardinals topped the century mark for the third time this season and upped their record to an impressive 11-1. Louisville scorched the nets on a 59% shooting night, nailing 37 of 63 shots and were even more incredible from beyond the arc, knocking down 17 of 23 treys, a 74% performance.

Notable: Will Buford scored 23 points to lead #2 Ohio State to a 100-40 victory over hopelessly-outgunned Tennessee-Martin, extending the Buckeyes' winning streak to 13 straight. The 13-0 mark is the 4th-best start in Ohio State's 112 years of basketball history. Ohio State opens Big Ten play at Indiana on New Year's Eve.

Harper's 25 Points Lead Richmond over Seton Hall

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, December 26, 2010

There was only one college basketball game played on Sunday, and the Richmond Spiders made sure to get their name on the map, winning, 69-61, at Seton Hall.

Seton Hall had no answers for the inside-outside game of junior Justin Harper. The 6'10" forward dominated from the three-point line, scoring a game-high 25 points, hitting 6-of-8 from beyond the arc and 9-of-17 overall. He also added 8 rebounds to help the Spiders improve to 10-3.

Seton Hall fell to 6-6, with Big East play beginning this week. The Pirates host South Florida on Tuesday, December 28.

Mack Howard Lead Butler to Diamond Head Championship

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, December 25, 2010

Shelvin Mack led all scorers with 20 points, pacing Butler to an 84-68 victory over Washington State in the championship game of the Diamond Head Classic, Saturday night.

Mack hit 8-of-13 shots from the field, including 3-of-6 three-pointers and had six rebounds for the 9-4 Bulldogs. Matt Howard added 14 points and 11 rebounds. It was his 5th double-double of the season.

Rams Take Cancun, Travis Franklin Unstoppable

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, December 24, 2010

As holiday hoops tournaments go, the Cancun Governor's Cup (who is the Governor of Cancun, anyhow?) isn't very popular. watching the final on ESPN, it wasn't hard to notice the almost empty gym where Colorado State bumped off Southern Miss Friday night, 63-58.

Empty seats didn't seem to bother Rams' forward Travis Franklin, who was an unstoppable force in the three games of the tourney, scoring 21 in each of the first two Colorado State wins and then posting a career-high 25 points in the final.

A 6'7" senior forward, Franklin spent a lot of time in the lane and at the foul line during his trip to Mexico, hitting 31 of 40 free throws over the three-game span. In Friday's final, he went 9 for 12 from the line and was 8-for-12 from the field, in addition to pulling down nine boards.

The Rams improved to 8-3 overall, after going 16-16 last season.

Fredette Leads BYU to 12-1; Bearcats: Undefeated and Unranked

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, December 23, 2010

With an 89-68 thumping of UTEP, the 18th-ranked BYU Cougars improved their record to 12-1, as Jimmer Fredette led all scorers with 25 points.

While Fredette, the 5th-highest scorer in the nation (24.2 ppg), was torching the Miners with four of seven bombs from three=point range, he also dished out nine assists and snatched eight rebounds, completing his best all-around performance of the season. The 6'2" senior guard has tallied in double figures every game this season.

Notable: Yancy Gates came off the bench for Cincinnati to score 18 points with six rebounds, three assists and four steals to propel the Bearcats to their 12st straight win without a loss, beating the flashless Red Flash of St. Francis, 94-58.

The Bearcats play in the rugged Big East, so their streak is likely to end once conference play gets underway next week, but 12-0 is still 12-0, yet the Bearcats haven't even had a sniff of the Top 25 this season.

Longhorns Bounce Spartans, 67-55, as Hamilton, Thompson Star

College Hoops Player of the Day for DAY, Month, 2010

The 19th-ranked Texas Longhorns stormed into East Lansing, Michigan and upended the #12 Spartans by a 67-55 score that had Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo shaking his head as he walked off the court.

The Longhorns' win was the first by a non-conference opponent on the Spartans' home floor since 2003, when Duke took their measure. Texas unceremoniously ended a 52-game streak with tenacious defense - holding the Spartans to 29% shooting and forcing 16 turnovers, very uncharacteristic of a team that's practically been a fixture in the final four under Izzo.

Team high-scorer Jordan Hamilton led the onslaught with 21 points, eight boards, three assists and three steals, and freshman Tristan Thompson had his best game of the season, scoring 17 points and wiping the glass for a game-high 15 rebounds. A 6'8" forward, Thompson recorded his third double-double of his budding career as the Longhorns upped their record to 10-2.

Michigan State slumped to 8-4, though all of the losses have come against ranked teams - Connecticut, Duke, Syracuse - and now Texas. It's a concern for the Spartans as they have no more games in which to prepare for Big Ten play, which commences on January 31 when #17 Minnesota comes calling.

Notable: There have been a spate of losses this week by ranked teams. In addition to the Spartans with four losses, there are four other teams with three losses that were raned in the top 25 this past Monday. On Tuesday, #11 Kansas State lost to UNLV, 63-59, which ironically was excused from the rankings last week. The Wildcats are now 9-3 after top scorer Jacob Pullen and senior starter Curtis Kelly were suspended for allegedly receiving some free duds from a local clothing store.

#21 Illinois was dumped by #9 Missouri, 75-64, after the Tigers blew open a close game in the closing minutes. The Fighting Illini are also 9-3. #18 Tennessee is just 7-3 after losing three straight games and #20 Florida is 9-3, all of which raises the question, what do the pollsters have against 11-0 Cincinnati and 10-1 Louisville? Maybe the fact that there are already six Big East teams in the rankings swayed some of the votes to lesser teams.

At the end of the season, watch how many Big East teams get invited to the NCAA tournament. It sill likely be at least eight and maybe as many as 10.

Lady Huskies Win 89th Straight - Longest Steak Ever

College Hoops Player of the Day for DAY, Month, 2010

Women's hoops is rarely mentioned in this space, but credit where credit is due to the women's program at the University of Connecticut, which extended their winning streak to 89 straight games with a 93-62 victory over Florida State.

With that, the Connecticut women's team surpassed the NCAA basketball record set by the UCLA Bruins men back in 1971-74, under the tutelage of coach John Wooden, who passed away earlier this year.

Maya Moore had a career-high 41 points and 10 rebounds in the win. Coach Geno Auriemma has been there all along, guiding the Huskies to 11 Final Four appearances and NCAA championships in 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009 and 2010.

The last time the Huskies lost was April 8, 2008, in an NCAA tournament semi-final. The Huskies are 11-0 this season.

Mike Krzyzewski Ties Dean Smith with 879th Victory

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, December 20, 2010

Normally, this space is the province of high-scorers and big rebounders, but Monday marked a milestone in Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski's incredible career, as the Blue Devils went about their business, pounding little Elon College, 98-72, tying Coach K with North Carolina legend, Dean Smith, for second place all-time in coaching wins, at 879.

Ahead is the all-time high mark of 902 set by Bobby Knight at Indiana and Texas Tech. Interestingly, Duke has 20 more games on their regular-season schedule, so it is possible that Krzyzewski could catch Knight this season, either in the ACC tournament, but more likely in the NCAA tourney, in the 2nd or 3rd round.

It all depends on how many of those 20 remaining games the Blue Devils lose. Being that they're already 11-1, and even without freshman star Kyrie Irving, are considered the favorite to win the NCAA tournament, the chances of Duke winning 34 or 35 games this season is very good. Krzyzewski needs 23 more wins to tie Knight, 24 to become the all-time leader in NCAA history.

Notable: John Shurna scored 26 points to lead Northwestern to their 8th straight win without a loss topping St. Francis (NY), 92-61. With Shurna looking like he'll be one of the top five scorers in the nation and the Wildcats winning by an average margin of 18.4 points, why aren't these guys ranked?

#5 Syracuse dispatched Morgan State, 97-55, to go to 12-0 on the season.

Okoye Scores 24 with 15 Boards, But VMI Loses Badly

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, December 19, 2010

Not much action in college hoops on Sunday. The only ranked team to see action was #24 Notre Dame, which easily dispatched Stony Brook, 88-62.

The performance of the day belonged to Stan Okoye, one of the better swingmen in the country, who unfortunately plays on a very ordinary team at VMI. Okoye scored 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting and ripped down 15 rebounds as the Keydeta dropped their 5th game in their last 7, 98-70, at Marshall.

VMI began the season 5-0, but has fallen on hard times in the month of December. That hasn't slowed down Okoye, who is averaging a double-double (20.1 points, 10.0 rebounds). Putting his game in perspective, only he and Nick Gore (2-for-3, 4 points) shot better than 50% from the field. Besides those two, the Keydets hit just 13-of-55 shots (24%). In addition to scoring more than a third of his team's points, Okoye also had half of their rebounds.