THOUGHT AND CONSIDERATION

Guest post from: Steve Delaney

That time of year is rolling around again. It is the time of year that usually causes me a lot of stress because I hate shopping at the mall. Part of the reason I hate shopping at the mall are the crowds, but also because I never know what I am going to get my family and friends for Christmas. Of course, I could think of a ton of things that I would like for myself ( which sounds totally selfish), but when it comes to buying for some of my family members I am totally at a blank. I know that I would like Direct TV Cyber Monday Deals and upgrade our television package. I think that I may skip the Black Friday shopping and opt for shopping for my friends and family on-line during the Cyber Monday deals. I just hate getting out in all of those crowds and aimlessly wandering, buying things impulsively that I am not sure that my family is going to like. I think that I probably have a 75% gift return rate. Hopefully, with some thought and consideration, I can lower that rate this year!

It's Cyber-Week, So Get Shopping!

It's definitely holiday shopping season, but the majority of people still have to take care of everyday chores and shop for items not necessarily on a Christmas wish list, so it pays to shop around for items like trash bags, tackle boxes and utility box covers, because saving a little on ordinary items might lead to better holiday gifts all around.

The shopping site, Become.com is a favorite destination for hundreds of thousands of goods, with 14 main categories, from Automotive to Electronics, Health & Beauty, Sports and Outdoors, and of course, Toys and Games.

The site is searchable by keyword from the home page or within categories, making finding items like an
acrylic basketball backboard a snap with hundreds of models available, from the basic, under $100 types to deluxe models costing well into the hundreds of dollars for those who take their hoops practices and backyard games seriously.

And, if you're going to be throwing up 3-pointers from just off your deck or driveway or doing other types of exercise, you'll definitely want to hook yourself up with a nice pair of adidas adiprene running shoes which come in a variety of colors and styles, though the Sharp Blue/Electricity/Black color scheme is both eye-catching and a safety feature for night runners.

Priced in a range any serious runner or athlete would find reasonable, the high-tech footwear from Adidas is world-class, even if your game is primarily a local one. They come in all sizes for kids, men and women, and make the perfect athletic holiday gift or a special stocking stuffer for yourself.

Hide the Children! UNLV Upsets #1 North Carolina, 90-80

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, November 26, 2011

Top-ranked North Carolina took their 5-0 record out to the Las Vegas Invitational to meet the unranked UNLV Runnin' Rebels Saturday night.

What they discovered upon their arrival was that being #1 is like having targets on your jerseys. The Rebels aimed and fired a 90-80 win, improving to 7-0 and ensuring that there would be a change atop the national rankings come Monday when the latest poll is released.

After a hotly-contested first half, won by the Tar Heels, 42-38, the Runnin' Rebels took command with a 14-0 spurt to open the second half and held North Carolina at bay, never allowing them closer than five points. In the city known for sins, secrets and slots, North Carolina came up dead to start the second half, missing their first ten shots from the field.

Senior swingman Chase Stanback led all scorers with a career high 28 points. The 6'4" guard/forward added 10 boards for his first double-double of the season.

Stanback was 10-for-19 from the field and splashed in four treys. The Rebels had 13 3-pointers on the night, compared to just four for the Tar Heels. They outplayed North Carolina in almost all aspects of the game, hitting 15 of 18 free throws and had a 48-39 rebounding edge. The Rebels also had 22 assists to North Carolina's 14.

Point guard Oscar Bellfield, another of the seniors, chipped in 16 points, including four 3-pointers, adding nine assists. Sophomore Mike Moser pumped in 16 points and had 18 rebounds.

UNLV went 24-9 in 09-10, and 25-9 in 10-11, losing their opening game of the NCAA tournament both times. This year may be different come March as the Rebels sport four seniors and a sophomore as their starting five.

Marcus Jordan, UCF Stops UConn Win Streak at 16 with 68-63 Victory

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, November 25, 2011

Just as UConn had been rolling along, ranked #4 in the nation with a national championship and a 16-game win streak, along came the UCF Knights and Marcus Jordan, son of basketball's greatest player - Michael - to upend the Huskies and take some of the shine off their smiles.

The Knights dumped Connecticut 68-63 in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis, as Jordan and Keith Clanton each scored 20 points for the 4-1 Knights, taking the lead late in the second half on a pair of Jordan free throws. Mike's kid was 6-for-6 from the line with seven rebounds and seven assists. He was 6-for-16 from the field with a pair of 3-pointers.

The Knights shot just 40%, but only turned the ball over seven times to UConn's 11. The Huskies outrebounded UCF, 37-30, but were dead from beyond the arc, hitting just 2 of 18 3-point attempts.

Jordan, a 6'3" junior swingman, is averaging 17.3 points per game after putting up 15.2 as a sophomore and 8.0 as a freshman. He's scored in double figures in each of the four games he's played this season.

The Knights will face another upset winner on Saturday. Harvard topped Florida State, 46-41, in the other semifinal. The Crimson are undefeated (5-0) and haven't allowed more than 67 points in any of their games, holding three opponents to under 50.

Backcourt Duo Shabazz Napier and Jeremy Lamb Lead Huskies to 16th Straight Win; Upsets Rule Holiday Tourneys

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, November 24, 2011

As reigning national champions, the Connecticut Huskies get their share of perks, like a Thanksgiving trip to the Bahamas to compete in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament at the Atlantis Resort in Nassau.

The Huskies wasted little time establishing their dominance in their opening game vs. NC Asheville, taking a 39-28 leas at the half and cruising to their 16th straight win with a 73-63 victory.

Led by their backcourt tandem of Shabazz Napier and Jeremy Lamb, each of whom has 23 points, the Huskies improved their current season record to 5-0, maintaining their spot at #4 in the AP poll, behind the top three of North Carolina, Kentucky and Ohio State.

Napier had seven assists and three steal to go with his 7-for-14 shooting, with four 3-pointers, He was a perfect 5-for-5 from the foul line.

Lamb pitched in eight of 13 shots from the field with three 3-pointers. He was also flawless at the line, making 4 of 4, to go with six rebounds.

The Huskies will face the University of Central Florida in the semi-finals of the tourney on Friday. UCF dispatched the College of Charleston, 74-63.

NOTABLE: The other half of the draw at the Battle 4 Atlantis saw Harvard blow out Utah, 75-47, in a day full of surprises and upsets.

At the Old Spice Classic in Kissimmee, Florida, Indiana State downed Texas Tech, 60-49, the Dayton Flyers downed Wake Forest, 80-76, and Fairfield dominated Wake Forest, 54-45.

In the only game of the Old Spice Classic that went somewhat according to plan, Minnesota knocked off DePaul, 80-79.

Rounding out the Thanksgiving Day upsets, St. Louis put down Boston College, 62-51 at the 76 Classic at Anahiem, California.

Scott Machado and Michael Glover Each Record Career Highs in 104-99 Double OT Win over St. Joseph's

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Teams from the Metr Atlantic hardly ever get much respect, normally sending just one team to the NCAA tournament, but this season, seniors Scott Machado and Michael Glover are making folks stand up and pay attention.

Machado, a 6'1" guard scored nine of his career high 33 points in the second overtime to lead Iona past Saint Joseph’s 104-99. Glover, a 6'7" forward from the Bronx, also set a career mark with 34 points as the game high scorer, making 15 of 26 shots and pulling down 15 rebounds, nine on the offensive end.

Machado hit on 10 of 18 shots, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range and was 9-for-10 from the foul line. The Queens native also dished 10 assists, the 4th straight game in which he recorded double figures in both scoring and assists.

High-flying Carl Jones led St. Joseph's with 25 points. Jones is tied for fifth nationally in scoring, at 23.8 points per game.

Last season, the 25-12 Gaels missed out on both the NCAA and NIT tournaments, opting to play in the third annual CollegeInsider.com tournament (CIT), despite winning eight games in a row to reach the Metro Atlantic conference finals where they lost to St. Peter's, 62-57, but won three straight before falling in the CIT final to Santa Clara, 76-69.

Memphis Whips Tennessee in Double-OT Maui Classic; Jerome Maymon Scores 32 for Vols with 20 Boards

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, November 22, 2011

The Maui Invitational is always an entertaining, early-season event, attracting some of the best college teams, but this year's field may be one of the best ever, with Tennessee, Duke, Michigan and Memphis among the power teams at the event.

Fans got their money's worth in the second-round, double-overtime, 99-97, victory by Memphis over Tennessee. The two teams hoisted up 144 shots, 30 from 3-point range, and saw Memphis squander a ten point half time lead only to come back and win it at the end of two extra five minute periods.

Will Barton scored 25 points and had 11 rebounds, but he was not the star of the game. That honor belonged to Tennessee's little-known junior forward, Jeronne Maymon, who poured in 32 points and grabbed 20 rebounds. Maymon, who began his college hoops career at Marquette before transferring to the Vols last season, set career high makrs in scoring and rebounding, recording his third straight double-double for the 2-2 Volunteers.

Maymon has a nice touch for a 6'7", 265-pound power forward. He made 16 of 17 free throws and was eight of 15 from the field. Of his 20 boards, nine were on the offensive end.

Tennessee, which lost both of their games on the tropical island, will play host school Chaminade in a consolation game Wednesday afternoon. The Vols dropped their opening game to Duke, 77-67.

NOTABLE: The Louisville Cardinals improved to 4-0 Tuesday night, but coach Rick Pitino isn't doing any victory laps over their latest win, a horribly-played, 54-27 win over the Arkansas State Red Wolves.

While Pitino's kids shot just 37% for the game and turned the ball over 16 times, the Red Wolves were worse by orders of magnitude, hitting just 10 of 41 shots (24%), including just one of 10 three pointers. They also hit just six of 18 free throws and committed 23 turnovers. It was the lowest point total for Arkansas State since the institution of the shot clock in 1986 and Louisville's best defensive game since 1947.

Jared Sullinger Hoists in 27, Grabs 13 Boards as Ohio State Routs North Florida, 85-50

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, November 21, 2011

With the holiday shopping season nearly upon them, the Ohio State Buckeyes went to Jared... Jared Sullinger, that is, the 6'9" sophomore forward who helped power the Buckeyes to a 34-3 record and a trip to the sweet sixteen in the NCAA tournament last season.

This season, Sullinger has the Buckeyes at 4-0, after their blowout, 85-50, win over North Florida, in which Sullinger produced season highs in scoring and rebounding, with 27 and 13. Shooting 9-for-16 from the field and 9 of 10 from the line, Sullinger was deadly in the paint while his teammates were ball-hawking away from it, forcing 23 turnovers by the overmatched Ospreys.

Sullinger's 13 boards included five n the offensive end. It was his second double-double in a row after going for 20 points and 11 rebounds against Jackson State this past Friday.

The Buckeyes have won 26 straight home games and will be put to the test on November 29, when the Duke Blue Devils come to visit. Prior to that, Ohio State hosts VMI and Valparaiso on the 23rd and 25th, respectively.

Northwestern 80 Seton Hall 72; Herb Pope Scores Career High 32; Tourney MVP Drew Crawford Has 27

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, November 20, 2011

Having to play a tough Big East schedule, the Seton Hall Pirates may not be the equal of teams like Syracuse, UConn or Louisville, but they do have a potential player of the year candidate in senior forward Herb Pope.

At 6'8", 236 pounds, Pope can be an unstoppable force at times, as he was against Northwestern Sunday, though the Pirates came up short in an 80-73 loss, their first of the year after winning three straight, in the Charleston Classic tournament final.

Pope came up with 32 points - a career high - on 14-for-17 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers, but, even though he shot 82% from the field, his teammates were only 15-for-42 (37%) and the Pirates went to the foul line only six times (making five), compared to the 17-for-19 tally at the line for the Wildcats.

Seton Hall fell behind early and trailed 40-30 at the break, but Pope led a Seton Hall comeback to take a brief lead with under nine minutes to play.

Northwestern's Drew Crawford and John Shurna brought home the win with clutch shooting in the latter stages of the game. Crawford, a junior swingman, had 27 points, hitting 11 of 15 from the field including 4 of 8 from 3-point range. Senior John Shurna pitched in 19 points for the Wildcats.

Crawford scored 28 against Tulsa in Northwestern's 69-65 win over Tulsa on Friday and was named the Charleston Classic MVP, scoring 72 points with 18 rebounds in Northwestern’s three tournament games. The Wildcats are 4-0 and appear to have a team capable of competing in the Big Ten.

As for the Pirates, they hope to survive the Big East schedule and improve upon last season's 13-18 record.

Jared Cunningham Scores 37 as Oregon State Dumps Texas in OT, 100-95

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, November 19, 2011

There may be a new powerhouse in the PAC-12.

Oregon State improved to 4-0 on the year as they dumped Texas in overtime, 100-95, in the semifinals of the TicketCity Legends Classic, handing the Longhorns their first defeat of the season.

Jared Cunningham poured in a career high 37 points, just three days after the 6'4" junior guard pumped in 35 in the Beavers' win over Hofsta.

The Longhorn defense couldn't cope with Cunningham's moves, sending him to the foul line 23 times. Cunningham made 20 from the stripe, to go with 8-for-18 shooting, including one 3-pointer, nine rebounds and three assists.

Averaging 26 points per game this season, Cunningham moved into a tie for third place among national scoring leaders, right behind the Longhorns' J'Covan Brown, who had 25 on the night and is second, with 29.3. Jamal Wilson of Rhode Island leads the nation at 31 points per game but has only played twice.

The Beavers will face #18 Vanderbilt, 86-79 winners over NC State, for the championship Monday night at the Izod Center. The Commodores got 28 points from John Jenkins (tied for 11th nationally at 23.0 points per game) in their win, setting up a Jenkins-Cunningham shoot-out in the final at the IZOD Center, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

St. Joseph's Carl Jones Lights Up Seton Hall for 38 in 78-70 Loss

College Hoops Player of the Day for DAY, Month, 2011

St. Joseph's lost their first game of the season, 78-70, to Seton Hall, but, losing to a mid-level Big East team isn't exactly an embarrassment, and it's surely not going to stop Carl Jones from putting up big points night in and night out.

Jones, a 5'11" junior guard out of Garfield Heights, Ohio, scored 38 points for the Hawks in Friday's contest, hitting 12 of 17 shots from the field, including 4 of 6 3-pointers. Jones also added a 10-for-11 effort from the free throw line, including his first miss of the season (he's 26-for-27 from the charity stripe).

Easily his career high, Jones' 38 point tally moved him into a tie for 8th in the overall NCAA scoring race at an even 25 points per game. He's also the second highest scorer in the country - behind Albany's Gerardo Suero at 25.7 per game - with three games already in the books.

The 2-1 start is an improvement for St. Joseph's, which had an uncharacteristically second poor season in a row in 2010-11, winning just 11 while dropping 22 games after going 11-20 in 2009-10. They lost their first two games last season, but already have wins against Western Kentucky and Georgia Tech to their credit, a notable improvement.

With Carl Jones bombing away, the Hawks may be a team to watch in the Atlantic-10.

Shurna Scores 37 in Northwestern Win over LSU

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, November 17, 2011

Last season, the Northwestern Wildcats finished their regular season 18-13, were snubbed by the NCAA tournament committee, went to the NIT, won two games and were ousted in the quarter-finals by Washington State, 69-66.

This season, with 6'9" senior forward and leading scorer, John Shurna, back for his final year, they're reaching for more, and their 88-82 win over LSU Thursday night was another step in the right direction.

Shurna scored a career high 37 points against the Tigers, playing all 40 minutes in a game that was tight until the final seconds.

LSU had built an 11-point half time lead and expanded it to 14 in the second half, but Shurna, who scored 21 points in the second half, led a comeback by the Wildcats, capped by Dave Sobelewski's 3-pointer in the final minute, sealing the victory.

Hitting 13 of 14 free throws, Shurna made 10 of 21 shots from the field including four 3-pointers to pace all scorers and put his name in sixth place in the Division 1 scoring leaders. He also had seven rebounds and four assists. Shurna played 31 minutes and scored 15 points in Northwestern's season-opening win over Texas.

The Wildcats won't have much time to celebrate their win. They play 3-0 Tulsa Friday afternoon at 3:30 pm ET.

Casper Ware, Long Beach State Dump 9th-Ranked Pitt, 86-76

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Coming out of the Big West conference to play at Pitt, Long Beach State took the lead early, expanded it to nine points at the half and became the first non-Big East team to beat the Panthers at the Petersen Events Center since Bucknell in 2005, delivering a shocking, 86-76, win over the 9th-ranked Panthers Wednesday night.

Casper Ware, a four-year senior who has improved his scoring each season, pumped in a career-high 28 points on 10-for-18 shooting, including four 3-pointers.

Ware, a 5'10 guard, added six assists and a pair of rebounds, as the 49ers outplayed Pitt in nearly every aspect, shooting 59% compared to Pitt's 47%. Long Beach players dished out 24 assists and outrebounded Pitt, 29-26.

Ware scored 9.1 points per game as a freshman in the 2008-09 season, improved to 11.9 the next year and tallied 17.2 per game last season. He is averaging 24 points this year.

Long Beach State improved to 2-0 and earned the respect of Pitt coach Jamie Dixon and his players, and probably much of the college basketball universe, as well.

Th 49ers went 22-12 last season, losing their conference tournament final to UC Santa Barbara. They were knocked out of the NCAA tourney in the opening round by Washington State, 85-74.

Coach K Gets 903rd Win, Most All-Time; Brown Scores 35 in Longhorn Victory, UCLA Now 0-2

College Hoops Player of the Day for DAY, Month, 2011

The atmosphere was electric at historic Madison Square Garden as Duke topped Michigan State, 74-69, earning win number 903 for coach Mike Krzyzewski to push him past his mentor, Bobby Knight, setting the record for most career wins by a head coach in college basketball history.

Andre Dawkins led all scorers with 26 points, on 8-of-15 shooting, including six 3-pointers. Duke opened a double-digit lead on the Spartans after forging a closely-played 34-33 first half lead and held off a spirited rally by Michigan State as time wound down.

Coach K is in his 32nd year of coaching the Blue Devils. His coaching career began at Indiana as an assistant under Knight in 1974. In 1975 he became head coach at Army, where he had played from 1965-1969. His record as coach at West Point was 73-59, and in 1980 was named head coach at Duke University, where he's compiled a stellar record of 830–225 (.787).

Coach Krzyzewski's lifetime college coaching record is 903–284 (.761). He has won four national championships, all with the Blue Devils.

The Texas Longhorns improved to 2-0 with a 100-90 win over Rhode Island. Leading the scoring parade for Texas was junior guard J'Covan Brown, who poured in 35 points to lead all scorers, hitting 10 of 22 field goals, including five three points. Brown was also 10-for-12 from the free throw line, with six assists and six boards.

Brown is fourth in the country in scoring, with a 31.5 average after scoring 28 points in Texas' season opening, 82-46 victory over Boston University on Sunday.

NOTABLE: After losing their season opener to Loyola Marymount, 69-58, Friday, the UCLA Bruins hit another, even lower point, losing to Middle Tennessee State on Tuesday night, 86-66. The Bruins shot just 37% against the Blue Raiders and hit just four of 20 3-pointers. The 0-2 start marks the first time the Bruins have lost the first two games of the season since 2002. It just could be that UCLA doesn't play defense. The Blue Raiders shot a blazing 71% from the field (35-for-49) and canned 11 of 12 from beyond the arc.

Pangos Hoists 33, Ties 3-Point Record for Gonzaga in Bulldog Victory over Washington State

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, November 14, 2011

Kevin Pangos missed all three shots he took from inside the 3-point arc in Gonzaga's 89-81 win over Washington State. Fortunately for the Bulldogs, he hit nine of 13 from outside the arc, tallying a career-high 33 points tying Dan Dickau's school record for made threes in a game to help the Zags move to 2-0 on the season.

Pangos, a 6'1" freshman guard, lit up the scoreboard for Gonzaga after scoring only 11 points in their season opening, 77-69, win over Eastern Washington on Friday.

In his 37 minutes, Pangos also dished six assists and grabbed a pair of rebounds. He was also 6-for-6 from the line, including two clutch free throws with time winding down. Center Robert Sacre, saddled with foul trouble much of the game, made six straight foul shots as the Bulldogs failed to score a field goal in the final five minutes, but held off a late rally by the Cougars. Sacre played only 23 minutes, but contributed from the charity stripe, making all 13 of his free throws.

The Bulldogs are expected to remain a force in the West Coast conference after being knocked out in the second round of last season's NCAA tournament by Jimmer Fredette and the BYU Cougars.

Brown Sparks Longhorns to Big, 82-46, Win over Boston U.

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, November 13, 2011

Texas bombed Boston University, 82-46, outscoring the Terriers, 51-25 in the second half after taking a 31-21 lead into the break.

J'Covan Brown led all scorers with 28 points off 10-for-19 shooting, including making three of nine 3-pointers. Brown wasn't shy with his shot, nor with passing off to teammates, as he also led all players with eight assists.

Brown's 28 points tied his career best, set back in 2010 in an 80-68 loss to Kansas, the same team that beat the Longhorns in the Big 12 finals last season. Texas was ousted by Arizona in the second round of the NCAA tourney last Spring, 70-69, but there's plenty of optimism in the Lone Star State after opening the regular season with a lopsided win.

Brown, a 6'1" junior guard, is an 87% career free throw shooter. He canned five of six from the line on Sunday.

Arnett Moultrie Scores 28 as Bulldogs Roll; Coach K Ties Bobby Knight with Career Win 902

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, November 12, 2011

Mississippi State's Arnett Moultrie was nearly unstoppable in the paint - and in front of it - hitting 9 of 16 shots from the field and 9 of 10 free throw attempts as the Bulldogs improved to 2-1 with an 80-65 win over the South Alabama Jaguars.

Mississippi opened a 44-29 half time lead and just stayed even with the Jaguars for the double digit win.

Moultrie, a 6'11" junior who sat out all of last season after transferring from UTEP, where he played two seasons, also ripped down 13 boards, seven of them on the offensive end, and also nailed one of two 3-pointers.

NOTABLE: After slipping narrowly by upset-minded Belmont, 77-76, on Friday, the Duke Blue Devils got coach Mike Krzyzewski win number 902 as they trounced Presbyterian, 96-55, tying him with Bobby Knight for the most career wins by a head coach. Coach K can claim the all-time record when the Blue Devils face Michigan State Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Mike Krzyzewski is in his 37th year of coaching. He began his career at Army before taking the head coaching job at Duke in 1980. He has a combined record of 902–283 (.786).

Jeremy Lamb Scores 30 as Defending Champion Huskies Open Season with Win

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, November 11, 2011

As a freshman, Jeremy Lamb played a key role down the stretch as the Connecticut Huskies rolled through the NCAA tourney field to capture the national championship.

Now a sophomore, Lamb, elevated to a starting role by coach Jim Calhoun, is set to lead the Huskies' campaign through the Big East.

In Connecticut's 70-57 win over Columbia Lamb topped all scorers with 30 points on 11-for-17 shooting, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range. The 6'5" sophomore played 38 minutes, torching the overmatched Lions from everywhere on the court. For good measure, he added a couple of assists, four steals, a block and three boards as the Huskies extended their win streak to 12 games, currently the longest in the nation, after steamrolling through the Big East and NCAA tournaments to the national championship.

Shabazz Napier, another sophomore, added 21 points, six rebounds and eight assists.

Barring any major mishaps, the Huskies should run their winning streak to at least 20 games, as they have eight home games ahead before Big East play begins on December 28 when the Huskies visit South Florida.

NOTABLE: One team that has to start a winning streak of their own would be the UCLA Bruins, who opened their season with a 69-58 home loss to Loyola Marymount.

The loss could be traced to poor shooting overall by the Bruins, especially starting guard Lazeric Jones, who was 1-for-11 (9.1%), including 0-for-3 from beyond the arc. UCLA shot 41% from the field (24-59) and were just 2-for-15 from 3-point range. Loyola Marymount took a 34-33 lead into intermission, but broke the game open in the second half, hitting 10-of-15 3-pointers for the game.

Steve Lavin Returns, St. John's Rallies for Win

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, November 9, 2011

The Red Storm of St. John's ran its record to 2-0 with a 78-73 victory over feisty Lehigh in the second round of of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer at Carneseca Arena.

Leading all scorers was God'sgift Achiuwa (yes, that's his real name), a 6'8" junior forward from Nigeria who spent his underclassman years at Erie Community College in upstate New York.

Achiuwa scored on every shot he took, going 6-for-6 from the field and canning all nine of his free throws for 21 points. He also hauled in eight rebounds and contributed a steal, a block and an assist.

St. John's trailed Lehigh for most of the game. Taking a 43-33 lead into half time, the Mountain Hawks held sway until the final few minutes, when St. John's used defensive pressure to gather up a few easy baskets, take the lead and hold on for the win.

The game was significant for St. John's in that it marked the return of head coach Steve Lavin, who had been away from the team for a cancer operation. Lavin's return was expected, though not quite this soon. He was originally scheduled to return to his team on Sunday, when the Red Storm faces Maryland-Baltimore County.

Following Sunday's game, St. John's heads to the familiarity of Madison Square Garden on November 17, when they tackle the Arizona Wildcats in the semifinal round of the K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer.

Regular Season Opens; Dee Bost Leads Miss. St. to 76-66 Victory

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, November 7, 2011

College basketball's regular season officially began Monday, and Dee Bost picked up where he left off last season, leading the Bulldogs to an opening night win over Eastern Kentucky, 76-66, with 23 points, leading all scorers.

Bost hit on 7 of 15 shots from the floor, including 4-for-8 from 3-point range. The senior point guard with dazzling speed and quickness added six rebounds, six assists and a pair of steals, though he exhibited some of the same casualness with the ball that cost Mississippi State some games last season, turning the ball over five times.

The Bulldogs ended last season on a sour note, losing in the quarterfinals of the SEC to Vanderbilt, 87-81, ending their season without an invite to either the NCAA or NIT tournament.

Bost, who missed the front end of last season, returned to the team in January, but could only help the Bulldogs to a 9-8 record, exclusively against SEC opponents. He managed to lead the team in assists per game, averaging 6.2, but also committed an average of 3.5 turnovers per outing.

The game was part of the opening round of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer, which is being played at various venues across the country.

UTEP transfer Arnett Moultrie added 13 points and 10 boards for a double-double in his first game as a Bulldog, sitting out last season according to NCAA rules. Freshman Rodney Hood added 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting including a pair of 3-pointers.