Kris Joseph, Austin Rivers Each Score 29 to Lead Orange, Blue Devils to Rivalry Wins

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, February 8, 2012

For college basketball rivalries, it doesn't get much better than Syracuse and Georgetown. Or, how about Duke and North Carolina?

Well, they were both highlighted on Wednesday night, and the players put on a show that portends well for upcoming conference and NCAA tournaments.

First though, the sweet ironic twist of the night, from the Kansas-Baylor game, in which the announcer (sorry, didn't catch his name) said, early on, [Jeff] "Whithey has been taken completely out of the offense." Those words came just before Whithey embarked on a career night, scoring 25 points on 8 of 10 shooting in a 68-54 Jayhawk win over Baylor. So much for "expert" commentators.

The evening's excitement began with Georgetown at Syracuse, the Carrier Dome filled to capacity as the two titans of the Big East met for the 87th - and possibly the last - time, as SU will be leaving the Big East for the ACC. The hype was equal to the game, however, as the two teams battled through multiple ties and lead changes.

Keeping the Orange in the game was their senior star, Kris Joseph, often overlooked because of themany offensive weapons Syracuse possesses and how well they share the ball. Joseph went off for a career high 29 points and the game-winning three-pointer in overtime as the 2nd-ranked Orange (24-1, 11-1) dropped the Hoyas, 64-61.

Tied at 55 at the end of regulation, the two teams traded points up to a 61-all tie with time ticking down. Joseph, who was 9-for-20 and 6 of 11 from beyond the arc, ripped a three from the left corner to put the Orange ahead with 26 seconds left. On Georgetown's final possession, Skip Jardine sealed it by stripping Jason Clark with 4.9 seconds to go, the ball going off Clark and out of bounds.

The two teams may meet again in the Big east tourney, but for Syracuse and Georgetown fans, the long-standing rivalry couldn't have ended on a more dramatic note. SU coach Jim Boehiem collected his 880th win, giving him sole possession of third place all-time, and having the distinction of setting the mark for most wins by a head coach at one school. Boeheim has been head coach of the Orange since 1976, guiding them to eight regular season Big East championships, five conference tournament titles and a national championship in 2003.

While the Orange and Hoyas were in overtime, the Blue Devils and Tar Heels tipped off in North Carolina, and freshman guard Austin Rivers was lighting it up, pushing Duke to an early advantage.

As the game wore on, the Tar Heels' big men up front - Tyler Zeller, Jon Henson and Harrison Barnes - began to exert control in the lane, and Carolina led at the half, 43-40, extending that edge to 12 points and 10 points with just two minutes to play.

But the Devils were not to be denied. Behind Rivers' career high 29 points, Duke clawed back and had a chance to win or tie after Zeller made just one of two free throws with 13.9 seconds to go.

Rivers let fly from the right wing over Zeller, nailing the trey as time expired to give the Blue Devils a stunning, shocking, once-in-a-lifetime 85-84 victory over the Tar Heels.

Playing 39 minutes, Rivers finished 9 of 16 from the field, including 6 of 10 from 3-point range. He was 5-for-8 from the charity stripe and had five rebounds, two assists and a steal.

The win sent the ACC standings into a three-way tie on top, as Boston College dropped #15 Florida State, 64-60. The Seminoles, Tar Heels and Blue Devils are all 7-2 in the conference, with Virginia and NC State close behind, at 6-3.

Duke improved to 20-4 on the season, the same record the Tar Heels now own.

It was a remarkable night for college hoops, with many more to come in the weeks ahead.

William Buford Lifts Buckeyes with Career High 29 Points

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, February 7, 2012

With their star player, Jared Sullinger, on the bench in the final minutes due to fouls and a late injury, senior William Buford stepped up and saved the game for #3 Ohio State as they held off a pesky Purdue squad, 87-84.

Buford, one of the best scorers ever to don a Buckeye uniform, will probably finish his four-year stint as #3 or #4 on the Ohio State career points list, picked the team up with a career high 29 points, scoring the seven points for the Buckeyes down the stretch, punctuating the win by tipping a loose ball ahead off a mad scramble in Purdue's end and taking the ball home with a thunderous dunk that put the Buckeyes ahead, 83-76, with 42 seconds left. Buford scored 21 in the second half, as the Buckeyes battled the Boilermakers from a 40-40 half time deadlock.

Buford was 10-for-17 from the field with three 3-pointers and was perfect at the line, making all six free throw attempts. He also led Ohio State with seven rebounds.

It was the second straight close call at home for Ohio State, which improved to 21-3 and 9-2 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes defeated Wisconsin, 58-52, this past Saturday. Ohio State leads 7-3 Michigan State by 1 1/2 games in the standings and will host the Spartans this Saturday in a crucial conference test.

NOTABLE: Top-ranked Kentucky extended the nation's longest home winning streak to 49 straight games with a 78-58 win over the Florida Gators. The game was close only for the first ten minutes. Once the Wildcats stretched their lead beyond ten points, they extended it with exceptional defense and a dunk display that kept the Gators at bay.

#17 Creighton lost its second straight game - both on the road - in a 65-57 loss to Evansville. The Bluejays dropped a 65-62 decision at Northern Iowa on Saturday.

Marcus Denman, Ricardo Ratliffe Lead Missouri to 22-2 Record with Win at Oklahoma

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, February 6, 2012

After knocking off Kansas on Saturday, the #4 Missouri Tigers were back at it, this time on the road against the Oklahoma Sooners.

And, just like on Saturday, it was senior Marcus Denman stepping up with another big game.

Denman made four of nine 3-pointers to go along with his 9-for-16 shooting overall for a game high 25 points as the Tigers downed the Sooners, 71-68, capturing the lead in the Big Ten at 9-2. Idle Kansas and Baylor now trail the Tigers by 1/2 game in the conference standings.

Missouri, 22-2, shot 56% for the game, including a 6-for-6 effort from Ricardo Ratliffe, who continues his assault on the all-time season shooting percentage. Ratliffe had 15 points and is currently hitting at a .747 rate, easily the best in the nation and on pace to challenge or break the men's Division I record of .746 set by Oregon State's Steve Johnson in 1980-81.

Up next for the Tigers is #6 Baylor on February 11, in a return match-up after Missouri traveled to Baylor on January 21 and knocked off the Bears, 89-88. Baylor is 21-2.

Reggie Johnson Scores 27 to Lead Miami over #7 Duke

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, February 5, 2012

There's been a theory going around college basketball this season that Duke's bigs - primarily brothers Mason and Miles Plumlee - could be handled and thus, the Blue Devils taken down a few notches in the national picture.

On Sunday, while most fans were munching on chips and pizzas in anticipation of Super Bowl XLVI, the Miami Hurricanes made their case, getting 27 and 15 points from forwards Reggie Johnson and Kenny Kadji, respectively, to take down the #7 Blue Devils in overtime, 78-74.

The victory was the first ever for Miami at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke had also been defeated by Florida State at home earlier this season, another team with a strong inside presence. Johnson, a 6'10" forward, hit on 11 of 17 shots and five of 10 free throws, and wiped the boards for 12 rebounds as well, eight of them on the offensive end, some resulting in put-backs for easy scores.

The Hurricanes built a 16-point lead in the early part of the second half, but the Blue Devils clawed back and sent the game into overtime, where Johnson scored five of his career high 27 and the Blue Devils uncharacteristically missed all six of their free throws.

Duke drops to 6-2 in the conference and 19-4 overall, while the Hurricanes improved to 5-3 in ACC play and are 14-7 on the season. Miami has won four straight - three of them on the road. The other road wins came at Georgia Tech and Boston College.

The Blue Devils have another tough test when they travel this Wednesday, February 8, to play their Tobacco Road arch-rival, North Carolina, which is tied, at 7-1, with Florida State on top of the ACC standings.

#4 Missouri Stuns #8 Kansas Behind Marcus Denman's 29 Points

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, February 4, 2012

The Missouri Tigers don't boast a lot of size on their front line. In fact, the Tigers start four guards, leaving 6'8" forward Ricardo Ratliffe to handle the middle.

But, what Missouri lacks in size, they more than compensate for with a combination of speed, a nagging defense, deft passing, accurate shooting and senior leadership, all of those elements coming together in the 4th-ranked team in the country taking down #8 Kansas in what could have been the end of a 106-year tradition of border wars, 74-71.

After Tyshawn Taylor's dunk with 3:24 left to play made the score 71-63, senior Marcus Denman went to work, scoring the next nine points on a layup, free throw and two straight three-pointers to put the Tigers ahead, 72-71 with 56 seconds to go.

After Taylor missed a pair of free throws and then fouled Matt Pressey, who missed the front end of a 1-and-1, Teylor turned the ball over and then Elijah Johnson fouled Michael Dixon with 10 seconds left. Dixon cooled canned a pair and Kansas could only get off a desperation heave as time expired.

Denmon led all scorers with 29 points on 10 of 16 shooting, including a 6-for-9 effort from beyond the arc. The 6'3" guard made three of four from the foul line and collected nine rebounds in leading Missouri to its 22nd win against just two losses and a three-way tie atop the Big 12, at 8-2, along with Kansas and Baylor, both of which the Tigers have beaten.

Kansas dropped to 18-5, despite 25 points and 13 rebounds from player of the year candidate, Thomas Robinson. Missouri's superb sixth man, Dixon, scored 20 and Kim English added 18 points.

The game was the 266th meeting between the two schools, a rivalry that dates back to the presidency of Teddy Roosevelt, and could be the final time the two take the court in Missouri, as the Tigers have opted to depart the Big 12 for the SEC beginning next season. There will be one more match-up in the storied series when Missouri visits Kansas on February 25 and the two could meet again in the Big 12 tournament.

NOTABLE: #1 Kentucky had an easy time with South Carolina, bombing the Gamecocks, 86-52, as freshman Anthony Davis scored 22 points and blocked eight shots, breaking Shaquille O'Neal's SEC freshman blocks record.

#2 Syracuse welcomed the return of center Fab Melo with a 95-70 win over St. John's at Madison Square Garden. The win moved coach Jim Boeheim past Dean Smith into third place all-time with his 879th victory.

There were three upsets of ranked teams, all in the middle of the polls. #12 Creighton fell to Northern Iowa, 65-62; Wyoming took the measure of #13 UNLV, 68-66; and, giant-killer Notre Dame defeated #15 Marquette, 76-59. All three of the upsets were on the winners' home courts.

Fairfield Downs Niagara on Derek Needham's 32 Points; Top 25 Action on Super Saturday

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, February 3, 2012

Junior guard Derek Needham pumped in a career high 32 points to lead Fairfield to their fourth win in its last five games with a 77-69 win over Niagara.

Needham made 11 of 16 shots, including six threes and hit four of six from the foul line as the Stags turned a 34-31 half time deficit into a win with 46 second half points.

Even though the Stags were out-rebounded and turned the ball over 19 times, they shot 56% for the game (24-43) and hit 12 three-pointers, while the Purple Eagles converted on just 24 of 64 shots, a 37.5% clip.

The Stags, 7-4 in the MAAC conference, are alone in 4th place, behind the trio of Iona, Loyola (MD) and Manhattan, all bunched together atop the league at 10-2.

NOTABLE: After the usual paucity of games on Friday night, fans will be treated to a buffet of Top 25 action on Saturday. The premiere match-up comes out of the Big 12, where #4 Missouri hosts #8 Kansas at 9:00 pm ET on ESPN. The Tigers trail the Jayhawks by one game in the conference and will be looking to tie for the lead.

Prior to that prime time affair, #2 Syracuse gets their center, Fab Melo, back from a three-game academic absense when they travel to St. Johns for a noon tip. At 2:00 pm, #20 wisconsin hosts #3 Ohio State in a key Big Ten contest. The 7-3 Badgers have won six straight and are just 1/2 game behind the 7-2 Buckeyes for the conference lead.

21 of the Top 25 teams will be in action on Saturday, including #1 Kentucky traveling to South Carolina for a 6:00 pm tip with the Gamecocks. Elsewhere in the SEC, #11 Florida hosts Vanderbilt as the Gators try to keep pace with Kentucky. The game will be televised nationally on CBS at 1:00 pm. The Gators are riding a six-game win streak after opening SEC play with a loss to Tennessee and trail Kentucky by 1 1/2 games in the conference.

Isaiah Canaan Leads Murray State to Comeback Win for 22nd in Row

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, February 2, 2012

There's only one undefeated team left within the Division 1 ranks - the Murray State Racers - but, trailing SE Missouri State, 39-33, at the half, even that seemed to be in doubt.

In the second half, however, the Racers turned on the afterburners and outscored the Redhawks, 48-34, to post their 22nd straight win with the 81-73 home win.

Junior guard Isaiah Canaan caught fire, scoring 24 of his 32 points in the second half to lead the comeback. Canaan, the Racers' leading scorer, who is averaging 19.3 points per game, was 8-for-17 with six 3-pointers. He was also accurate from the foul line, making 10 of 12 attempts while adding five rebounds and three assists.

Murray State is ranked #10 in the latest AP poll.

Tyshawn Taylor and Thomas Robinson Lead Kansas over Oklahoma

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, February 1, 2012

The 8th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks (18-4, 8-1) rebounded from their 72-64 loss at Iowa State Saturday with a resounding 84-62 home win over Oklahoma, scoring 50 second half points to pull away from the Sooners after the Jayhawks led 34-31 at the break.

Kansas was once again led by their inside-outside tandem of guard Tyshawn Taylor and Thomas Robinson, who combined for 41 points. Taylor led all scorers with 21 points on 7 of 13 shooting with a pair of three-pointers and a 5-for-6 effort from the foul line. Taylor also dished six assists and had two steals.

Robinson, routinely mentioned prominently in college player of the year conversations, had another monster game with 20 points, 17 rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocked shots. Robinson was 9-for-12 from the field and 2-for-3 from the stripe. It was Robinson's 15th double-double of the season and the 21st time he scored in double figures in 22 games.

The Jayhawks, who had won ten straight before their Iowa State loss, shot 55% (31-56), while holding the Sooners to just 41% from the floor.

Kansas leads the Big 12 with an 8-1 mark, heading into their conference showdown with #4 Missouri this Saturday. The Tigers are tied for second in the conference with Baylor, at 7-2.

Anthony Davis Continues to Amaze as #1 Kentucky Improves to 22-1

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, January 31, 2012

The way Kentucky is playing these days, there's a real possibility that they'll head to the NCAA tournament as not only the top-ranked team in the country, but also the #1 seed in the tournament.

The Wildcats won their 14th straight game, pounding Tennessee, 69-44, behind their budding superstar freshman center, Anthony Davis, who led all scorers with 18 points, adding eight rebounds, three assists and seven blocks to his impressive resume.

Davis, the heart of Kentucky's stifling defense, leads the country in blocked shots and leads his team in both scoring and rebounding. He was 6-for-7 from the field and did the same from the foul line. The Volunteers, which shot just 28% for the game, had no answers for the lanky center, falling to 10-11 and 2-5 in the SEC.

Kentucky leads the conference with an 8-0 record. Their closest pursuer, Florida, is two games back, at 5-2. The Gators have a meeting with the Wildcats at Rupp Arena on Tuesday, February 7. By then, the Wildcats should be 23-1. They play at South Carolina - last in the conference at 1-5 - on Saturday, February 4.

NOTABLE: The Big Ten continues to be the most contentious conference in America. Illinois upset Michigan State on Tuesday, 42-41, dropping the Spartans to third place in the conference at 6-3, while the Illini improved to 5-4 and 16-6 overall. Illinois is unlikely to unseat 7-2 Ohio State or Wisconsin (currently in second place, at 7-3) atop the standings, though they have a reasonable chance of receiving an at-large bid from the NCAA tournament committee.

Kevin Murphy Scores 50 in Tennessee Tech Victory

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, January 30, 2012

Scoring 30 points in a 40-minute college game is normally quite a feat, accomplished merely a handful of times through a season by a select few players amid the college hoops' share-the-ball mentality. 40 in a game is even rarer, but Tennessee Tech's Kevin Murphy set the bar higher on Monday night, scoring 50 points - the most this season for a single player - shattering the school's single-game scoring record while pacing the Golden Eagles over Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, 98-80.

Murphy, a 6'6" senior guard who consistently scores in double figures (20 of 23 games this season) hit 16 of 21 shots from the field, including 6 of 9 from 3-point range and 12-for-14 from the line, broke Tech's previous record of 38 points, held by John Best.

The 14-9 Golden Eagles are having a solid season at 6-4 in the Ohio Valley Conference where everyone is chasing undefeated (21-0) Murray State, which has a two-game lead over 7-2 SE Missouri State, at 9-0.

Averaging 21.3 points per game, Murphy is seventh in the country in scoring.

NOTABLE: #4 Missouri, the only ranked team in action on the night, narrowly escaped with a 67-66 road win at Texas. Michael Dixon led the Tigers with 21 points on 9-for-10 shooting, including the game winning layup with 31 seconds left. The Longhorns had plenty of time to respond, but were confused on offense as Missouri came out of a timeout with a zone defense, denying Texas a solid shot as time wound down.

didn’t go broke second time

Thanks for the guest post by Jo Levy

We bought a house that was built in the early 1930s. It is beautiful and has some really wonderful charm. When we get finished with the house, I know that it is really going to be an absolute show place. The house hasn’t really been updated since the eighties. It still has its original windows ( that don’t open) and wasn’t insulated. After getting our energy bill for the first winter, we decided that the first thing that we needed to do was to make sure that we were going to be able to Shop Electricity Rates Texas . If we are going to live in a house that old and can’t afford the heating bill, then we had to make some changes. When the next winter rolled around we ended up saving a lot more money than the year before, even without insulating the house. Because we switched energy providers the second time around, we managed to not go broke and were able to buy all of our family a little bit better Christmas gifts this year.

Career High 26 for Cody Zeller Leads Indiana to 103-89 Win over Iowa

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, January 29, 2012

Things may be changing in the Big Ten. At least, for one day, the style was unrecognizable in Indiana.

Usually the conference known for rugged defense and scores in the 50s, when the Hoosiers put up 54 points in the first half against Iowa, en route to a 103-89 home win, the usual grind turned into a sprint and freshman center Cody Zeller put on a dunking exhibition, scoring a career high 26 points on 11-for-12 shooting, with four free throws in six attempts, four rebounds, four assists, three steals and a blocked shot.

The Hoosiers led 54-37 at the break, but Iowa shot 79% in the second half to no avail to make the game at least look close. It wasn't. Even though the Hawkeyes shot 63% for the game, Indiana hoisted 13 more shots, many of them off offensive rebounds, of which they had 20. Overall, Indiana dominated the boards, out-rebounding Iowa, 37-22.

Indiana shot 55% for the game, the first conference contest in which they scored more than 100 points since 1995.

The 103 points were the second-most the Hoosiers scored this season. Back in December, they pasted Howard University, 107-50, but it was easily the highest score in a Big Ten game for them this season; their previous high was 88 in a win at Penn State.

The 16th-ranked Hoosiers still have plenty of work to do. The win got their overall record to 17-5, but they are just 5-5 in the Big Ten, good for sixth place in the conference led by Ohio State, at 7-2, with their more Big Ten-like, 64-49, win over Michigan.

Nasir Robinson Nearly Perfect As Pitt Upsets #9 Georgetown, 72-60; Towson Ends Record Losing Streak

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, January 28, 2012

Perfection.

It is the thing many strive for but few seldom achieve.

In Pittsburgh's 72-60 upset win over Georgetown, senior forward Nasir Robinson came within one free throw of what some may consider a "perfect" game of hoops. Robinson led the Panthers with 23 points and 8 rebounds, on 9-for-9 shooting and a 5-for-6 effort from the foul line to help Pitt win their second straight Big East contest after a string of eight straight losses had pretty much demoralized the squad and severely limited their prospects of reaching the NCAA tournament.

After beating Providence, 86-74, on Wednesday, the Panthers were in perfect position to spring the upset, at home against the #9 Hoyas and Robinson and his floor mates pulled it off with a combination of contesting defense, hard rebounding and opportunistic scoring, limiting the Hoyas to 42% shooting, while they shot 52% from the field and made 19 of 22 free throws.

The Panthers also dominated the boards, out-rebounding Georgetown, 35-23. They also had 20 assists, 10 coming from Tray Woodall, who had missed 11 games from early December to mid-January, and whose presence on the perimeter was a major factor contributing to Pittsburgh's losing streak. Lamar Patterson chipped in with 18 points and seven assists.

Pittsburgh improved to 13-9, but they are just 2-7 in the Big East. Georgetown dropped to 6-3 in conference play and are 16-4 overall.

NOTABLE: Pitt was not the only team to stun a Top 25 team on a Saturday full of ranked teams in action. Oklahoma knocked off #22 Kansas State, 63-60, but Iowa State pulled off the Big 12 shocker of the day, using home court and a raucous crowd to drop #5 Kansas, 72-64.

#13 San Diego State also fell victim to road blues, getting thumped at Colorado State, 77-60.

Elsewhere, #1 Kentucky dominated LSU with a 74-50 road win and #3 Syracuse held on for a 63-61 home win over West Virginia, aided by a controversial missed call in the final seconds of play.

#11 Murray State Racers remained the only team in Division 1 without a loss, improving to 21-0 with a 73-58 win over Eastern Illinois.

Finally, at the other end of the college hoops spectrum, Towson ended the longest losing streak in NCAA history at 41 straight with a 66-61 win over Colonial Athletic Conference rival, UNC Wilmington. It was the highest point total this season for the 1-22 Tigers and their first win since a road win over La Salle on Dec. 29, 2010.

Laurent Rivard Scores 18 as Harvard Punishes Yale, 65-35

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, January 27, 2012

Earlier in the season, Harvard was ranked in the Top 25, rising to #22 in the January 2 AP poll when they were 12-1. Just a day later, the Crimson lost at Fordham, 60-54, and the dream was shattered by the pollsters, who voted Harvard off the Top 25 island the next week, where they continue to languish.

Undaunted and still looking like easily the best team out of the Ivy League, the Crimson have put together five straight wins, all by nine points or more, but none more impressive than their 65-35 rout of long-standing rival Yale, Friday night.

The game, played at Yale, before 2,522 fans in New Haven, CT, was about as one-sided an affair as the Crimson have dealt an opponent this season. Leading 30-19 at intermission, the Crimson poured on the defense, converting a total of 22 turnovers by the Bulldogs into a 35-16 second half and the laugher of a win.

Leading the offensive charge for Harvard was 6'5" sophomore guard, Laurent Rivard, who knocked down a game high 18 points on 5-for-8 shooting and a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line.

The rest was all Harvard defense, limiting Yale to just 32% shooting. Greg Mangano was the only player in double figures for Yale, with 17 points.

At 17-2 overall and 3-0 in the conference, the Crimson leads the 2-0 Penn Quakers by 1/2 game in the Ivy League. Their only other loss was at UConn, a 67-53 defeat to the Huskies.

Tyler Zeller Leads Tar Heels Past Wolfpack, 74-55; Indiana Slide Continues

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, January 26, 2012

When Tyler Zeller finds matchups he likes, i.e., shorter guys in the paint, the North Carolina Tar Heels are virtually unstoppable.

That was clearly evident as Zeller led the Tar Heels to their 17th win against just three losses, putting a thorough thumping on nearby rival NC State, 74-55.

While the 7-foot senior was putting up 21 points and 17 rebounds - his eighth double-double of the season and fourth in a row - his teammates were clamping down on the Wolfpack, limiting them to 37% shooting, blocking eight shots (five by Jon Henson), forcing 17 turnovers and outrebounding them by a preposterous 48-26.

Zeller's performance was one of his best of the season, hitting 8 of 11 shots, all five of his free throws, and getting six offensive rebounds.

With the win, the 7th-ranked Tar Heels improved to 4-1 in the conference, 1/2 game behind ACC co-leaders, Duke and Florida State, both with 5-1 records.

NOTABLE: After a stunning December in which the Hoosiers beat two top-ranked teams, Kentucky and Ohio State, Indiana has found the sledding in the Big Ten to be a little rough. They lost their conference opener at Michigan State, 80-65, then beat the Buckeyes, 74-70, and topped Michigan and Penn State, but since have lost four of their last five, including Thursday's 57-50 dinimg at #25 Wisconsin. Indiana's currently ranked 16th nationally, but, with losses mounting, especially against conference foes, their grip on a Top 25 ranking is quickly slipping away.

Le'Bryon Nash's Career High 27 Sends Cowboys to 79-72 Win Over #2 Missouri; Tom Izzo Gets 400th Win with Spartans

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, January 25, 2012

On Monday, the Missouri Tigers learned they were ranked #2 in the nation after topping Baylor on the road, 89-88, and improving to 18-1.

Wednesday night in Stillwater, Oklahoma was another road game, but not a good one for for Missouri as they dropped a 79-72 decision to the motivated Cowboys of Oklahoma State.

Ricardo Ratliffe scored 25 points and had 12 rebounds for Missouri, but it was no match for freshman forward Le'Bryon Nash's career high 27 point outburst.

Nash and his Cowboy teammates survived 16 turnovers by shooting a sizzling 60% (31-52) from the field and nailing 12 of 14 free throws, 10 of those by fellow frosh, Brian Williams, who finished with 22. Nash was 12 of 18 from the floor, including 3-for-4 from 3-point range. He also contributed four rebounds and four assists.

The 10-10 Cowboys were unlikely upsetters, having lost their last three straight, to Baylor, Iowa State and Kansas State. Missouri's loss dropped them into a tie for second place in the Big 12 at 5-2 with Baylor. Everybody in the conference is chasing #5 Kansas, which is 7-0 in the conference and 17-3 overall.

NOTABLE: Mason Plumlee had 23 points and 12 boards as the #8 Duke Blue Devils stomped Maryland, 74-61, in College Park, MD.

IN SEC play, Arnett Moultrie's 28 points and 12 rebounds led #18 Mississippi State to a 76-71 home win over LSU. The Bulldogs are 17-5 on the season.

#12 UNLV needed overtime to slip past Boise State, 77-72, as Mike Moser scored 18 points and dominated the boards, hauling down 21 rebounds. The Runnin' Rebels improved to 19-3 and are second in the Mountain West conference at 3-1, behind 4-0 San Diego State. The Aztecs, ranked 13 nationally, topped the Rebels, 69-67, on January 14.

Michigan State's Tom Izzo recorded his 400th career win as the Spartans' head coach with a 68-52 pasting of Minnesota. Izzo's 10th-ranked Spartans are 17-4 overall and 6-2 in the Big Ten, tied for first place with #4 Ohio State and #20 Michigan.

The national scoring race heated up a bit as the nation's 4th-leading scorer, Doug McDermott led #15 Creighton to a 77-69 win over Drake with a 30-point outburst. McDermott is averaging 23.5 points per game. Albany's Gerardo Suero, 5th, at 21.5 ppg, popped for 25 in Albany's 74-68 win over Binghamton.

The top two scorers in the country, Weber State's Damian Lillard (25.1 ppg) and Grambling State's Quincy Roberts (24.0) were not in action on Wednesday. Grambling State is just 2-15, and Roberts has played in just 10 games this season.

Jeffery Taylor Leads Vanderbilt to 65-47 Road Win at Tennessee

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

Jeffery Taylor scored more than a third of Vanderbilt's points in the Commodores' 65-47 road win over Tennessee.

Taylor, a four year starter, pumped in a game high 23 points, making all three of his 3-pointers while going 8-for-14 from the field and 4-for-4 from the line. The 6'7" forward also collected four steals and had nine rebounds, three on the offensive boards.

Vanderbilt displayed a scrappy, disruptive defense, holding the Volunteers to just 35% shooting while forcing a ridiculous 25 Tennessee turnovers. Vanderbilt raced off to a 40-21 lead at the break and were never challenged in the second half, dropping Tennessee to 1-4 in the conference.

The 15-5 Commodores are unranked, owing to consecutive losses to Xavier and Louisville at the end of November and start of December and a 61-55 loss to Indiana State on December 17, though the squad has since won nine of their last ten and trail the Kentucky Wildcats in the SEC race by one game. Top-ranked Kentucky had a road win of their own Tuesday night, topping Georgia, 57-44, to improve to 20-1 overall and 6-0 in the conference. Vanderbilt is 5-1 in SEC play.

With Vandy and Kentucky apparently headed for a showdown, fans of the cross-border rivalry will have to wait until mid-February to see whether the Commodores have the grit to hang with the powerful Wildcats. Vandy hosts Kentucky on February 11, and then visits the wildcats on February 25.

Syracuse Back on Winning Track as Kris Joseph Scores 17 in 60-53 Win at Cincinnati; Boeheim Passes Rupp with 877th Victory

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, January 23, 2012

Losing isn't always a bad thing. The taste of defeat can inspire players to improve. Just ask the Syracuse Orange, which were ranked number one for six straight weeks in the AP poll and ran off a school record of 20 straight wins to open a season before throwing in a clunker, losing, 67-58, at Notre Dame on Saturday.

Playing for the second straight game without their dynamic center, Fab Melo, the Orange, after a slow start, pulled together and got back on the winning track with a 60-53 win over Cincinnati that was straight out of coach Jim Boeheim's textbook.

The Bearcats sprinted to an early lead, hitting four of their eight 3-pointers before the first media timeout, but by half time, the Orange defense had prevailed, with Syracuse leading 28-25 at the break.

The second half was nip-and-tuck, but Syracuse would not relinquish the lead, as Kris Joseph stepped up with 11 of his game-high 17 points (Cashmere Wright also tallied 17 for the Bearcats).

Joseph couldn't find the range from outside the arc, missing all three of his attempts, but those were his only missed shots, going 8-for-11 from the field and an uncharacteristic 1-for-5 from the foul line. Free throws will be on the Orange to-do list, as they went a combined 5-for-15 from the stripe.

Joseph added eight rebounds and a blocked shot without committing a turnover. The Orange turned the ball over just eight times and stifled the Bearcats with their 2-3 zone.

The win kept Syracuse atop the Big East with a 7-1 record. Georgetown holds second, a game and a half back at 6-2, followed by West Virginia, South Florida and Marquette at 5-2. Cincinnati dropped to 5-3 in the conference and 15-6 overall. 21-1 Syracuse was dropped to third in Monday's latest AP poll, Kentucky regained #1, followed by Missouri at #2.

Coach Jim Boeheim reached another career milestone, passing legendary Adolph Rupp with win 877, fourth all-time among Division 1 coaches.

Cody Zeller Leads Indiana over Penn State with 18 Points

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, January 22, 2012

The three Top 25 teams that did not play on Saturday were given their chance on Sunday, though two of them wish they had performed better.

Number 15 Virginia lost at home to in-state rival Virginia Tech, 47-45, and #22 Illinois was upended by surging Wisconsin, 67-63. The unranked Badgers have won four straight and stand alone, at 5-3, in 4th place in the Big Ten, behind the trio of Michigan State, Ohio State and Michigan, all 5-2.

The one Top 25 winner from Sunday was also from the Big Ten, as #11 Indiana held serve at home, dropping Penn State, 73-54. While Penn State fans were dealing with the death of long-time football coach Joe Paterno, the Hoosiers were making life for the basketball team a little more miserable with a clogging defense that held the Nittany Lions to just 34% shooting.

Besides the stifling defense, Indiana shot 53%, including a 7-for-8 effort by freshman center Cody Zeller, who led all Hoosier scorers with 18 points. Zeller also collected four rebounds, four blocks, and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe.

Tim Frazier led Penn State with 21 points, though he was only one of two players in double figures for the Lions.

Indiana improved to 16-4 overall and 4-4 in the rough and tumble Big Ten. Next up for the Hoosiers is a trip to Wisconsin on Thursday.

Ricardo Ratliffe Lifts Mizzou; Syracuse Falls to Notre Dame Behind Jack Cooley's 17 Points

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, January 21, 2012

There was plenty of college hoops action on Saturday, with 21 of the the Top 25 taking to courts around the country.

One game which involved two of the top five, was won by #5 Missouri, which handed #3 Baylor its second straight loss, 89-88, after opening the season with 17 straight wins.

Ricardo Ratliffe, who leads the nation in shooting percentage at 77%, scored a career high 27 points on 11-for-14 shooting for the Tigers, which improved to 18-1 and 5-1 in the Big 12. Ratliffe also grabbed 8 boards and blocked a pair of shots.

Missouri now holds second place alone in the conference, behind Kansas, a 69-68 winner over the Texas Longhorns.

The Big East was a hotbed of activity, with two of their games going into overtime, but the performance of the day went to the Notre dame Fighting Irish, who took down one of just two remaining unbeaten teams as they topped the Syracuse Orange by a stunning, 67-58 score.

Notre Dame took an quick lead over Syracuse on a 3-point spree in the early moments of the game, and held on bravely, never allowing the Orange closer than XX points. Center Jack Cooley was a cool customer in the lane, scoring a game-high 17 points and ripping down 10 rebounds, helping to end #1 Syracuse's 20-game winning streak.

The Irish win left just one team in Division 1 with an unblemished record, that being the unheralded Murray State Racers, who easily got past SIU Edwardsville, 82-65, improving to 20-0 on the season. The Racers lead the Ohio Valley conference with an 8-0 record and are ranked #12 in the AP Poll.