Murray State Upends Memphis, 76-72, as Donte Poole scores 20, Hits 6 of 8 Threes

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, December 11, 2011

The Memphis Tigers are almost certain to fall out of the Top 25 in Monday's polls after losing its third game of the season, dropping their record to 5-3 with a 76-72 loss to unbeaten (10-0) Murray State.

The Racers, the only undefeated team out of the Ohio Valley conference, looks like a lock to capture that conference title and proceed to the NCAA tourney. Their win at Memphis, over a ranked opponent, bolsters their already impressive resume and likely marks the end of Memphis domination of Conference-USA. The Tigers have won the conference tournament five of the last six years.

Murray State was paced by senior guard, Donte Poole's 20 points. The sharpshooter was on target on seven of 11 attempts from the field, including going 6-for-8 from outside the 3-point line. Memphis' Will Barton led all scorers with 27 points in the losing effort.

NOTABLE: Following the despicable display of unsportsmanlike behavior in Sunday's Xavier-Cincinnati game (won by Xavier, 76-53) which ended in a bench-clearing brawl with 9.4 seconds left, the two programs issued suspensions to a total of eight players, four from each squad.

For the Bearcats, the major blow will come in the middle, with center Yancy Gates receiving a six-game suspension along with junior Cheikh Mbodj and freshman Octavius Ellis. Freshman Ge'Lawn Guyn will be suspended for one game.

Xavier issued a one-game suspension to senior guard Tu Holloway and will sit freshman Dez Wells and walk-on Landen Amos for four games. Junior guard Mark Lyons received a two game suspension.

The two conferences which the teams represent - the Atlantic-10 (Xavier) and Big East (Cincinnati) - indicated that they will not issue additional suspensions. The NCAA has not weighed in on the matter, though they could issue additional penalties.

Thomas Robinson, Christian Watford Lead Kansas, Indiana Past #2 Ohio State, #1 Kentucky

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, December 10, 2011

With only the Army-Navy game and some Division 1 playoff games on tap Saturday for college sports fans, attention turned to college hoops as ESPN presented back-to-back "road test" games featuring the two top teams in the AP Poll, #1 Kentucky and #2 Ohio State.

In the first match-up, the Buckeyes were overwhelmed by an aggressive Kansas team which led from the opening tip to the final buzzer and handed Ohio State its first loss of the season, 78-67.

Paced by junior forward, Thomas Robinson's 21 points, the Buckeyes had few answers inside as their star player, Jared Sullinger, sat out the contest with a foot injury.

Robinson's 21 points tied Will Buford's total for Ohio State for game-high honors, though Robinson was much more deadly in the lane and around the hoop, going 7-for-9 from the field and nailing 7 of 8 free throws while ripping down seven rebounds.

In the second game, unranked Indiana remained unbeaten at 9-0, knocking off the #1 Kentucky Wildcats, 73-72, on Christian Watford's buzzer-beating three-pointer that sent players and fans streaming onto the court like the Hoosiers had just captured the national championship.

The game was a statistical oddity, in that Kentucky outshot Indiana, 56%-43%, but the Hoosiers made hay outside the three-point line, hitting nine of 15 attempts, easily outshining the Wildcats' 2-for-9 effort from beyond the arc.

At one point in the second half, the red-hot Hoosiers made seven straight threes to build their lead to 10 points, but Kentucky continued to play hard inside and eventually take a two-point lead with just 5.7 seconds remaining on Doron Lamb's free throw.

Watford, a 6'9" junior with range, led all scorers with 20 points, made 8 of 15 shots from the field, going 4-for-6 from three-point range, including the clutch game winner.

With upsets to the top two teams in the polls, #3 Syracuse, an easy, 85-50, winner over George Washington went to 10-0 and will likely be the nation's #1 team when the new poll comes out on Monday. Indiana will surely be ranked, how high they go and how low Kentucky and Ohio State fall is a matter left to the voters.

No matter what, the Wildcats and Buckeyes each took home failing grades from their early-season road tests.

Hospital Scurbs Making Bold Fashion Statement

What more can be said about Blue Sky Scrubs and their fantastic line of fashionable line of hospital scrub uniforms other than that they are transforming dull, drab, everyday hospital wear into a trendy, stylish fashion segment with work clothes that are not only functional, but attention-getting, comfortable and diverse.

Some of the company's latest offerings include urban cell scrubs in a variety of colors with shirt pockets designed to keep cell phones handy and scrub hats in a wide variety of custom patterns including florals, polka dots, and geometrical designs.

For those less-inclined to go the completely fashion-ista route, the company offers - on it's easily-navigable, eye-catching website, a complete line of scrubs for women which can be accessed by following the link below:

http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Women/Original-Scrubs/

Blue Sky Scrubs has been offering choice in a clothing line that previously had been dominated by the typical and mundane style that has dominated the medical field for decades. The offerings of shirts, pants, lab coats, hats and accessories - for both men and women - are not only transforming the look of hospital and medical workers, but are also adding an element of fun and individuality that is likely to have an overall effect on worker and patient well-being.

The line of clothing is so good-looking that some of the outfits will easily double as lounge wear or comfort clothing around the house.

Boynton Pours in 28, #12 Gators Roll Past Rider, 90-69

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, December 9, 2011

After an early season schedule that saw the Florida Gators play Ohio State, Syracuse and Arizona, coach Billy Donovan and his players got a bit of a break in the schedule, topping Metro Atlantic's Rider Broncs, 90-69, on a neutral court in Jacksonville.

Fewer than 3500 fans were in attendance to see junior guard Kenny Boynton put on an offensive display with a season high 26 points on 9 of 13 shooting, including five 3-pointers on nine attempts.

Despite two losses, the 7-2 Gators are ranked #12 in the country, basically because their defeats came at the hands of two powerhouse programs, Ohio State and Syracuse, currently the #2 and #3 teams in the country, respectively, according to AP voters.

Boynton added five rebounds and three assists, and has scored in double figures in all but one of Florida's games this season.

The Gators look to be one of the top teams in the SEC this season, along with Kentucky, Alabama and Mississippi State. Last season, they lost in the SEC championship to the John Calipari's Wildcats, currently the top team in the polls, and reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament, falling to eventual runner-up Butler, 74-71.

Even though Florida and Rider each shot 49% from the field and 42% from 3-point range, the difference in the game was possessions and three-point shots. Florida only turned to ball over six times, while Rider committed 12 turnovers. The Gators also squeezed off 14 more shots than the Broncs, and hit 14 treys to Riders eight.

The Gators will be off for a week, their next game not until December 17, when they host #25, Texas A&M.

Kevin Jones Drops 30 on K-State in Double OT Win

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, December 8, 2011

Kevin Jones scored 30 points, including a tying 3-pointer in the waning seconds of regulation that sent the game into its first overtime as West Virginia dealt the Kansas State wildcats their first loss of the season, in double OT, 85-80.

The nationally-televised (ESPN) basketball treat was one of the most closely-contested games of the season, with Bob Huggins' Mountaineers facing the Wildcats, coached by Frank Martin, a former assistant under Huggins at both Cincinnati and Kansas State.

Played at a suspect "neutral" court in Wichita, fan support was largely in favor of Kansas State. The two teams batted through 17 ties, nine lead changes and an extra ten minutes of play in the two overtime periods.

Jones, a 6'8" senior forward and the Wildcats' leading scorer at 21.8 points per game, popped a career high with his 30, breaking the mark he set just three weeks ago when he pumped in 29 points in a 97-62 win over Alcorn State. Getting 30 - even in 49 minutes of floor time - against an unbeaten opponent in unfriendly territory, was a defining achievement.

Hitting 12 of 17 shots, including two of three 3-pointers, Jones led all scorers and recorded his fifth double double of the season with 12 rebounds.

Darryl (Truck) Bryant, a senior guard from Brooklyn, knocked down 24 points for the Mountaineers. Rodney McGruder led the Kansas State scoring with 20 points.

The loss dropped Kansas State to 5-1. 5-2 West Virginia previously suffered losses against Kent State and Mississippi State.

Jeffery Taylor Pops in 30 as Vanderbilt Halts Two-Game Skid

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, December 7, 2011

The Commodores of Vanderbilt improved to 6-3 on the year with a tight, 87-83, road win over the Davidson Wildcats.

The victory was keyed by a career high 30 points from senior forward Jeffery Taylor and 22 points from junior guard John Jenkins, who leads the Commodores in scoring at 21.3 points per game.

Taylor hit 12 of 17 shots from the field, including three of four from 3-point range, leading Vanderbilt back from two straight losses - to Xavier and Louisville.

While the Commodores field a competitive team night in and night out, their three losses so far this season stem from a lack of depth. On Wednesday, Taylor and Jenkins accounted for 60% of the scoring. Add in Festus Ezeli's 15 points, playing in his first game of the season, and that's 77% of the scoring from just three players, not exactly what one might call balance.

If Vanderbilt can develop some players who can contribute off the bench, they should do very well in the SEC. Even with the scoring set-up as it is currently configured, Vanderbilt will be a competitive team in the conference, as there are only three or four teams with comparable ability.

Thomas Robinson Leads Jayhawks Past Long Beach with Career High 26 Points

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

It hasn't been the best of starts for 6-2 Kansas, having already suffered a couple of tough losses - to Kentucky and Duke - but the 13th-ranked Jayhawks are surely a prime contender in the Big 12, as usual.

Led by Thomas Robinson's career high 26 points, the Jayhawks took down Long Beach State on Tuesday, 88-80, in advance of another tough outing on December 10, when they host #2 Ohio State, unbeaten through eight games.

Robinson, a 6'9" junior forward from the Washington, DC area, spent most of his first two seasons at Kansas riding the bench, but has emerged as a major force in the paint on both ends of the court. Averaging a double-double this season with 17.4 points and 12.0 rebounds per game, Robinson snatched 11 rebounds to complement his scoring, his seventh double-double of the season.

Last season, Kansas had one of the best seasons in its long and storied basketball history, finishing 35-3, fallling just short of reaching the Final Four when they fell to VCU, 71-61, in the fourth round of the NCAA tournament.

They hope to repeat as Big 12 champions this year, though there is tough opposition in the conference from teams such as Baylor, Texas A&M and Missouri.

Providence Tops Brown as Vincent Council Misses Triple-Double by One Rebound

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, December 5, 2011

There are few constants in the wide-open world of college hoops, but one dogmatic dictum is that Ivy League colleges are generally no match for teams from the Big East (with a tip of the hat to Harvard and their first ever Top 25 ranking, this week).

This condition has been thoroughly tested in the past, but Ivy League coaches and ADs still like to schedule the games just to use as a measuring stick in evaluating their squads, such as Brown did Monday night when they took on cross-town rival, Providence at the Dunkin' Donuts Center, and dunkin' was part of the Friars' agenda as they whipped the Bears handily, 80-49 before a sparse crowd of just over 5,000.

With the result never in question, Providence took an early lead, expanded their advantage to 15 points at the half and cruised to an easy victory as three starters played more than 35 minutes. One of those starters was Providence's assist and scoring leader, junior point guard, Vincent Council, who did some stat-padding by coming within a whisker of his first triple-double in 37 minutes of court time.

Council tossed in a game high 21 points on 9-for-16 shooting with a pari of treys, dished out 11 assists and ripped down nine rebounds as the 7-2 Friars geared up for Big East play which begins - for them - on December 27 at St. John's.

A three-year starter, Council has improved with each season, bettering his scoring average (10.3, 13.7, 19.1) and assist totals (4.5, 5.9, 6.3) every year.

The Friars, one of the few Big East teams with losing records over the past two seasons - 12-19 in 09-10 and 15-17 in 10-11 - are off to a solid start and hoping to play at least .500 ball through the conference schedule. With Council directing the attack, they appear poised for an improved season in basketball's most competitive conference.

Wichita State Sends UNLV to First Loss, 89-70, as Joe Ragland Bags 31

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, December 4, 2011

Just over a week ago, #18 UNLV handed the North Carolina Tar Heels its first loss of the season, employing a combination of tenacious defense and hot shooting to overwhelm the visitors in the finals of the Las Vegas Invitational.

On Sunday, they ran into a team more than matching their intensity when they stepped onto the floor of Charles Koch Arena, in Wichita, Kansas. There, the hometown Shockers took it to them with great interior play the dagger-like 3-point shooting of senior Joe Ragland for an 89-70 stunner.

Ragland, a six-foot guard who redshirted his first two seasons, pumped in a career high 31 points, including 8 of 9 from 3-point range, as the Shockers took charge midway through the first half with a 9-0 run and never looked back.

Wichita State led 47-32 at the half and kept the Runnin' Rebels mired in a double digit deficit, never allowing them closer than 14 points from tying the game.

Ragland's open threes were a complement to sturdy inside play from teammates Carl Hall and Garrett Stutz, who chipped in 17 and 13 points, respectively. Ragland also added five rebounds and three assists as the Shockers handed the Rebels their first loss of the season.

5-2 Wichita State dropped a pair of back-to-back games to Alabama and Temple, but have since regrouped to win three in a row. The Shockers had a solid, 29-8, season last year and look ahead to Missouri Valley conference play which begins December 28 at Bradley.

Noah Hartsock Scores 23 with 12 Boards as BYU Downs Oregon, Goes 6-2

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, December 3, 2011

After their prolific scorer, Jimmer Fredette, graduated, fans of the BYU Cougars wondered just who would pick up the scoring and how well the Cougars would do in 2011-12 season.

After getting to 6-2 with a 79-65 win over Oregon, some of the answers are emerging.

Nobody is going to score at the pace of Fredette, though Noah Hartsock is leading the team with 16.9 points per game, but the team is more front court oriented as seniors Hartsock and Charles Abouo do most of the damage inside and on the boards.

Hartsock had his best game of the season against Oregon, scoring a career high 23 points on 8-for-14 shooting while pulling down 12 rebounds for his first double-double of the season. Improving his scoring average each of his four years as a Cougar, Hartsock, a 6'8" forward, is hitting at 57.8 from the field.

Last season, the Cougars were 32-5, losing in the third round of the NCAA tournament to Florida to finish their season.

Hartsock and the Cougars will get a quality check come December 17 when they host the Baylor Bears. The team opens West Coast conference play on December 29, at St. Mary's.

NOTABLE: The early season showdown between North Carolina and #1 Kentucky did not disappoint. Anthony Davis blocked John Henson's potential game winner with less than four seconds on the clock to seal the Wildcats' 73-72 victory. Freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with his first collegiate double-double, leading all scorers with 17 points and hauling down 11 boards. It was the second loss for the Tar Heels, while Kentucky improved to 8-0.

The Big East won two of the four games on Saturday, with UConn downing Arkansas, 75-62 and Pitt taking down Tennessee, 61-56 to capture the Big East - SEC Challenge, eight games to four. Winners for the SEC on Saturday were LSU, with a 55-50 win over Rutgers, and Mississipi State, which topped West Virginia, 75-62.

Mizzou Win 8th Straight as Marcus Denmon Pours in 31

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, December 2, 2011

The Big 12 regular season is still about a month away, but the Missouri Tigers are already in mid-season form, winning their 8th straight to start the 2011-12 campaign with a 90-56 victory over Northwestern State Friday night.

Setting career highs for both points and 3-pointers was Marcus Denmon, the 6'3" senior guard leading all scorers with 31 points on 11-for-16 shooting, including making 7 of 10 from outside the arc. Denmon also added six rebounds and two assists as the Tigers romped home again with another blowout win.

Missouri has won every game by at least 17 points, their largest margin of victory actually coming in their only road game, a 39-point, 92-53 win at Cal.

Denman, a four-year player, has improved his shooting percentage and scoring each season, now hitting at a 53.3% rate from the floor and scoring 20.3 points per game on a Mizzou squad chock full of scoring threats.

The Tigers were 23-11 for the second straight season, ousted in the opening round of the NCAA tournament last year, losing to Cincinnati, 78-63.

Next up for the Mizzou is a visit to Philadelphia on December 6, to play the struggling, 4-2, Villanova Wildcats.

NOTABLE: After splitting four games Thursday night, the Big East took all four of their Friday games in the Big East-SEC Challenge as Syracuse, Cincinnati, Louisville and Seton Hall each notched wins over their SEC rivals. The series concludes with four more games on Saturday. The only SEC winners thus far have been Kentucky - an 81-59 winner over St. John's - and Mississippi, which held off a furious second half rally to win 70-68 over DePaul.

7-0 Wildcats Rip Red Storm Behind 26 from Terrence Jones and 15-15 from Anthony Davis

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, December 2, 2011

It's still early in the season, but the Kentucky Wildcats, ranked #1 in the country this week after North Carolina's loss to UNLV, look like a good bet to make it to the Final Four come March.

As usual, coach John Calipari has done a great recruiting job and has assembled a team loaded with hungry, talented underclassmen, two of which - sophomore Terrence Jones and freshman Anthony Davis - led the Wildcats to their seventh win without a loss, dropping St. John's, 81-59, on Kentucky's home court at Rupp Arena.

Jones pumped in a game-high 26 points on seven of 12 shooting, adding 11 points from the foul line, on 16 free throw attempts. A 6'9" forward, Jones also snagged nine rebounds, blocked four shots and ripped off four steals.

His performance wasn't enough to overshadow his front court running mate. 6'10" Davis had a double-double with 15 points and 15 boards. He also blocked eight shots and picked off a couple of steals.

The Wildcats were not only impressive on the offensive end, but their stifling interior defense held the Red Storm to just 32% and out-rebounded the Johnnies, 48-43.

Kentucky will have a great opportunity to prove just how good they are on Saturday, when the North Carolina Tar Heels come calling for a nationally-televised game at high noon in Rupp Arena.

Mike Moser Gets Career High 34 as UNLV Goes to 8-0; Orlando Johnson Scores 36 in Defeat

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, November 30, Month, 2011

Fresh off their upset win over then-#1 North Carolina, the UNLV Runnin' Rebels ran smack into a determined foe when they took on UC_Santa Barbara Wednesday night.

The Gauchos came into the game 4-1, having lost their previous game in overtime to San Diego State, 76-75, and took UNLV to double overtime before finally falling, 94-88, as Mike Moser, the NCAA leader in rebounds (13.3 per game), exploded for a career high 34 points, adding 10 boards as the 18th-ranked Rebels improved their record to 8-0.

As versatile a forward as there is in the country, the 6'6" Moser, who sat out last season after transferring from UCLA, hit on 12 of 18 shots from the field, including 6 of 9 3-pointers, but he was not the high scorer for the game, that honor falling to the Gauchos' Orlando Johnson, a 6'5" senior, who had 36 points and also hauled in 10 rebounds. After six games, Johnson is third nationally in scoring, with a 23.8 per game average.

The game was tight throughout, with Santa Barbara taking a 28-27 lead into the half and UNLV's Chace Stanback extended the game into a second overtime with a clutch 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds left in the first extra period.

UNLV, which finished the 2010-11 season with a 24-9 record, was 11-5 in the Mountain West conference, finishing third behind San Diego State and BYU. Their next game is Sunday, December 4, at Wichita State.

Buckeyes Hammer Blue Devils; Sullinger, Craft, Buford, Thomas Shine

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

An individual player having a monster game is always a good thing, but, in the long run, basketball is a team game, and teams which don't have to rely on one or two star players are usually the better for it.

Take Ohio State, for instance, a team which demonstrated a wealth of talent among their starters as they bombed the Duke Blue Devils in the now-annual ritual of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, smashing Duke's perfect season with an 83-65 blowout victory.

The Buckeyes led wire-to-wire, beginning the game with an 11-0 run that set the stage for the monumental win.

Jared Sullinger led all scorers with 21 points, adding eight rebounds. The sophomore forward from Columbus, Ohio was 8-for-14 from the field.

Three of Sullinger's teammates weren't far behind in the scoring category. Senior guard, William Buford, closing in on the all-time Buckeye scoring leaders, pumped in 20 on 8-for-15 shooting, including two of three from beyond the arc. Highly-touted sophomore, Deshaun Thomas was 8-for-12 with a pair of threes, for 18 points, his high point total for the season.

Point guard Aaron Craft may have had the best game of all, scoring a season-high 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range. Craft also dished out eight assists, for his third straight game.

Ohio State, which was moved up to #2 in Monday's rankings, improved to 7-0, dropping #3 Duke to 7-1. The win also gave the Big Ten a 4-2 edge in the challenge series, which continues on Wednesday.

NOTABLE: Winners for the Big Ten, along with the Buckeyes, included Northwestern, a 76-60 winner over Georgia Tech, Purdue, 76-65 over Miami, and Illinois, which topped Maryland, 71-62.

For the ACC, Clemson beat Iowa, 71-55, and Virginia topped Michigan, 70-58.

The Baylor Bears, already ranked #7, got a big boost from sophomore Perry Jones III, who crammed in 27 points in Baylor's 90-54 win over Prairie View A&M. The 6'11" forward hit 10 of 14 shots and grabbed six boards.

Jones was playing his first game of the season due to a six-game suspension for accepting disallowed benefits which included Baylor's final game in the Big 12 tournament last season. Baylor is 6-0.

Syracuse played their first game since assistant coach Larry Fine was fired for alleged sexual misconduct, but the Orange didn't miss a beat, knocking off Eastern Michigan, 84-48, before a packed house at the Carrier Dome, Super sub, James Southerland, scored 19 points in 19 minutes. The crowd gave head coach Jim Boeheim, himself under fire in the scandal, a raucous standing ovation as he made his way onto the floor. Boeheim addressed the issues in the post-game press conference, but said there was nothing he would do or say until the investigation into the matter was concluded. Syracuse officials are staunchly behind Boeheim remaining as head coach of the Orange, a position he's held since 1976.

Gaels Pound Weber St. as Three Players Record Double-Doubles

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, November 28, 2011

There's a storm rising in the West, and it's coming in the form of the St. Mary's Gaels, runners-up in the West Coast conference last year to Gonzaga, but tuning up - at 4-1 - for a run at the title this season.

In Monday's 87-70 runaway win over Weber State, the Gaels proved unstoppable from the field, shooting 56% (27-48) and having three different players post double-doubles.

Point guard Matthew Dellavedova scored a team-high 25 points and also delivered 11 assists, both career highs for the 6'4" junior from Australia.

While Weber State's Damian Lillard poured in a game-high 36 points, he was just one of two players in double figures for the Wildcats, no match for Dellavedova, senior forward Rob Jones - 24 points and 14 rebounds - and another senior, Creighton transfer Kenton Walker II, who popped for 14 points and 11 boards.

The Gaels were 25-9 in 2010-11 and look to make some noise come March. A measuring stick comes December 22nd, when St. Mary's travels to Texas to take on top-10 Baylor. The West Coast regular season opens for the the Gaels on December 31, when they play at Pepperdine.

Missouri Romps to 6-0 Behind Career High 29 Points from Kim English

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, November 27, 2011

The Missouri Tigers improved to 6-0 on the season and should move up - from their position of 21 - in the national rankings Monday afternoon when the latest polls are released after an 88-59 victory over Binghamton.

The Tigers put four players in double figures as they routed the winless Bearcats, including 6'6" forward Kim English, who registered a career high 29 points on 11-for-15 shooting, including 7 of 10 three-pointers.

Though the win over a weak opponent wasn't exactly a major accomplishment, the Tigers have been impressive thus far in the season, posting lopsided wins over Notre Dame (87-58) and California (92-53), as the Tigers took the CBE Classic title last week in Kansas City.

English, a senior, has scored in double figures in each of the Mizzou's first six outings. The Tigers have scored at least 81 points in each of their games this season.

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.