Duke Upset at Maryland; Michael Lyons Scores 45 for Air Force in Defeat

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, February 16, 2013

Eighteen of the nation's top 25 teams hit the hardwoods on Saturday. All but one game pitted ranked vs. unranked, that being the Big East battle won by #18 Marquette, besting #16 Pittsburgh, 69-59, tying the Golden Eagles for first place in the conference with Syracuse and Georgetown at 9-3.

Notre Dame (21) was one of the few ranked teams to suffer defeat, running into a buzz-saw at Providence, where Vincent Council scored just seven points for the Friars, but dished 11 assists and snatched the same number of rebounds in the 71-54 rout.

Another losing effort was seen at Tennessee, where the Volunteers whalloped #25 Kentucky, 88-58. At 17-8 (8-4, SEC) and without flashy frosh, Nerlens Noel, for the rest of the season, the Wildcats are in deep trouble.

#1 Indiana powered past Purdue, 83-55, but #2 Duke took it on the chin at the Verizon Center as the Maryland Terrapins - despite 26 turnovers - upset them, 83-81. It was the final meeting between the two schools as ACC participants, Maryland moving over to the Big Ten next season. Mason Plumlee was held completely in check by the Terrapins' seven-footer, Alex Len, who scored 19 points and grabbed nine boards while limiting Plumlee to season lows in points (4) and rebounds (3).

The performance of the day, however, came in a losing effort by Air Force, the Falcons coming up just short in an 86-83 defeat by #22 Colorado State. Michael Lyons, a 6'5" senior guard, pumped in a career-high 45 points on 17-for-25 shooting, making seven of 13 from three-point range and five of eight from the foul line. Lyons also chipped in a couple of rebounds and a pair of assists.

Lyons' effort was the most scored by a Mountain West player this season, the most ever by a Falcon in a conference game and just five short of the school record of 50, set by Bob Beckel in 1959.

Colorado State's win left them 1/2 game behind conference-leading New Mexico with an 8-2 record. The Lobos (9-2) kept their edge with a 60-50 win over Boise State.

Kenyatta Smith Leads Harvard to Big Road Win; Big East Scambled

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, February 15, 2013

The Harvard Crimson got a huge effort from sophomore center Kenyatta Smith, winning on the road at Penn, 73-54, to maintain a 1/2 game lead over Princeton in the Ivy league.

Smith put up a career high with 20 points on 8-for-9 shooting, adding 4-for-5 from the foul line. A monster in the paint, Smith also set a career high with nine rebounds and set a school-record with 10 blocked shots. Riding Smith's inside prowess, the Crimson expanded a ten-point half time lead to win by 19.

If Harvard is to continue on to capture the conference crown - and earn a trip to the NCAA tourney in the process - they'll have to compete hard over the next five games. Following Saturday's home game with Princeton, the Crimson embark on a pair of weekend road trips - at Brown and Yale next weekend and at Princeton and Penn the following Friday and Saturday.

Harvard is 14-7 overall with a 6-1 mark in the Ivy. Last season they went 25-6, won the Ivy League and lost to Vanderbilt, 79-70, in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.

NOTABLE: In a rare Friday night Big East tilt, #15 Georgetown improved to 9-3 in the conference with a 62-55 victory at Cincinnati. The win gave them a 1/2 game lead over Syracuse and Marquette, both at 8-3. The Orange play at Seton Hall Saturday night; Marquette hosts Pitt earlier in the day.

The Big East scramble is monumental, with six teams within a game of the lead. In addition to the top three, Louisville, Pitt and Notre Dame have each posted 8-4 conference marks. All six of the leading contenders in the conference are ranked.

Davidson Closing on Division Crown as Jake Cohen Racks 32

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, February 14, 2013

The Davidson Wildcats took another step towards wrapping up the Southern conference South division title with a 75-59 victory at Charleston Thursday night, boosting their record in the conference to a gaudy 13-1, with four games remaining on their regular season schedule.

Led by 6'10" senior, Jake Cohen, the Wildcats have a three-game bulge in the division over the Cougars. Cohen was simply unstoppable as an offensive force from anywhere on the court, but especially in the paint. Scoring a career-high 32 points, Cohen was 13-for-24 from the field, including 3-for-7 from outside the arc. He added three rebounds, an assist, a steal and four blocked shots in 31 minutes of action as the Wildcats won their ninth straight.

Davidson broke open a close contest in the second half, outscoring Charleston 43-29 in the period, hitting 10 of 24 from three-point range (42%).

The Wildcats have a February 27 date with North division leader, Elon, though by that time the outcome should be academic. Davidson can wrap up the division with wins over their next two opponents - Citadel and Furman - who have a combined conference record of 6-21.

NOTABLE: Central Connecticut State's sophomore Kyle Vinales scored a career-high 42 points in the Blue Devils' 101-82 loss at Wagner, making eight of 13 three-pointers. Vinales is fifth in scoring nationally, checking in at 22.1 points per game. At 10-13, the Blue Devils are unlikely to reach any higher than possibly an NIT invitation, so Vinales massive talents won't be on display for the nation to see.

Markel Brown's 7 Treys Lead Oklahoma State Rout of Texas Tech

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, February 13, 2013

With just a few weeks remaining before the end of regular season conference schedules, it's time to start winnowing down the field of possible entrants to the field for the NCAA tournament.

In the Big 12, Baylor - a possible player in March - and Oklahoma State did some narrowing of the field on Wednesday, topping, respectively, West Virginia, 80-60, and Texas Tech, 91-67.

In Lubbock, Texas, Oklahoma State took care of business in the first half, on their way to the massive, 24-point rout of the Red Raiders, getting a game-high 25 points from Markel Brown, who hit seven first half three-pointers as the Cowboys took a 55-34 lead into intermission.

Brown, who had just 25 minutes of playing time, added four assists, a pair of rebounds and a couple of steals. The #17 Cowboys are locked into a three-way tie with Kansas and Kansas State atop the conference standings, each with 8-3 records. The good news for OK-State is that they play both of their chief rivals at home, with Kansas coming to town February 20 and the Wildcats visiting on March 9, the regular season finale. The Cowboys have won six straight.

NOTABLE: There was more than enough Top 25 action on Wednesday to satisfy everyone, with the top two teams, Indiana and Duke, both hitting the hardwoods. #1 Indiana cruised past Nebraska, 76-47, while the Blue Devils came from behind to upend North Carolina, 75-68, at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

#3 Miami won their 12th straight, invading Florida State for a 74-68 victory, maintaining their two-game lead in the ACC over 9-2 Duke with an 11-0 record.

Upsets included #6 Syracuse getting whacked by arch-rival UConn, 66-58, and Charlotte dumping #11 Butler, 71-67, producing quite the scramble in the A-10, as seven teams are within two games of each other, vying for the top spot, currently claimed by VCU and St. Louis, both with 7-2 marks.

Flying stealthily under the radar, Memphis has moved up to #22, winning over UCF, 93-71, their 15th straight victory. The Tigers are a perfect 10-0 in Conference-USA play, two ahead of 8-2 Southern Miss., and are 21-3 overall.

State of the Hoop: Florida, Michigan State Romp; Nick Minnerath Leads Detroit with 34 and 12

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, February 12, 2013

President Obama's State of the Union address wasn't particularly exciting, and neither were Tuesday's pair of top 25 match-ups, though they looked as though they might be prior to the opening tips.

In Gainseville, the 20-3 Florida Gators cemented their lead over the rest of the SEC with a 69-52 breeze past #25 Kentucky, dropping the Wildcats into a second-place tie with Alabama at 8-3 in the conference standings. 7th-ranked Florida, winners of 12 of their last 13, improved to 10-1 in the SEC with the victory, holding the Wildcats to just 42% shooting.

While the president was speaking, Tom Izzo's Spartans were making a statement of their own, dumping #4 Michigan, 75-52. The win moved #8 Michigan State into first place in the Big Ten with a 10-2 record, a half game better than 9-2 Indiana. The Spartans took an early lead, were up 14 at the half, and never looked back.

Following a game at Nebraska this Saturday, the Spartans embark on a rugged four-game stretch against Indiana, on the road for Ohio State and Michigan, and then back home for #20 Wisconsin. How Michigan State survives the upcoming schedule will largely determine the standings in the Big Ten, and will surely prepare the Spartans for the Big Dance in March.

In Detroit, Nick Minnerath was making his presence felt in a 92-62 rout of Cleveland State. Minnerath scored a game-high 34 points on 12-for-22 shooting with a pair of threes, and went 8-for-10 from the charity stripe. He also nabbed 12 boards, six on the offensive end.

Detroit is chasing Valparaiso in the Horizon League, the Titans in second place at 9-4 with Valpo on top with a 10-2 mark. The two meet for the second time this season on Saturday, February 16. In their first meeting, Valparaiso came out of the Titans' home court with an 89-88 victory. The Titans will be looking to return the favor.

Jayhawks End 3-Game Losing Streak as Ben McLemore Pumps in 30 for Win over K-State

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, February 11, 2013

A pair of games Monday matched up ranked teams in conference play.

At the Verizon Center in Washington DC, the #15 Georgetown Hoyas held off #18 Marquette, 63-55, despite shooting just 39% from the field. Marquette was sloppy with the ball, turning it over 19 times, and were also out-rebounded, 32-28, allowing 11 offensive boards by the Hoyas. Otto Porter scored 21 points for the Hoyas to lead all scorers.

Having lost three straight - the last two on the road at TCU and Oklahoma - the Kansas Jayhawks were pleased to be back at Allen Fieldhouse to face #10 Kansas State in an attempt to regain some winning form and hopefully tied the Wildcats for first place in the Big 12.

Freshman Ben McLemore provided ample firepower, making six of 10 from beyond the arc on 9-for-13 shooting overall in an 83-62 blowout.

McLemore was also a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line and collected six rebounds en route to scoring an even 30 points.

Seven-footer, Jeff Whithey had his usual dominant inside game, scoring 17 points with 11 boards and five blocked shots. The Jayhawks fell from $5 in the nation last week to #14 in Monday's poll.

Monday's result produced a tie between the Jayhawks and Wildcats for the Big 12 lead, both teams at 8-3, with Oklahoma 1/2 game back with a 7-3 mark. The Jayhawks play at Oklahoma State, Wednesday, February 20, looing to erase their 85-80 loss to the Cowboys on February 2nd.

Indiana May Retain #1 Ranking off Victor Oladipo's 26 in Win at Ohio State

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, February 10, 2013

After Thursday's last-second loss at Illinois, the Indiana Hoosiers weren't about to let another game go down to the wire, so they took out their frustrations at Ohio State, taking a 41-33 lead into half time en route to an 81-68 laugher.

6'5" Victor Oladipo took the game to the Buckeyes, his 26 points good for a share of the high-scoring honor with Ohio State's DeShaun Thomas. A match-up nightmare, Oladipo - too quick for big men and too big for smaller guards - made eight of 10 from the field, none of 10 from the foul line and helped out on the boards with eight rebounds. He added three assists and two steals in 33 minutes of playing time.

Indiana took the lead early and were never seriously threatened, cruising to their 21st win against three losses, tying Michigan State for the top spot in the Big Ten, at 9-2. Michigan and Wisconsin are a game back at 8-3, the loss sending the Buckeyes down to fifth place, with a 7-4 mark.

When the new poll is released on Monday, the Hoosiers may retain their number one ranking despite their loss earlier in the week, in part because Illinois continued their winning way on Sunday, topping #18 Minnesota, 57-53. Also, #4 Duke barely squeaked by Boston College, winning, 62-61, at BC.

Elsewhere, the Cal Golden Bears got 31 points out of Allen Crabbe and knocked off #7 Arizona, 77-69, and James Southerland returned to the Syracuse lineup after a six-game academic absence to score 13 points as the #9 Orange manhandled St. John's, 77-58.

Alex Oriakhi Scores 22 with 18 Boards as Missouri Prevails over Mississippi

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, February 9, 2013

Even though they're only 6-4 in SEC play, the Missouri Tigers - along with Florida - are among the elite teams in the conference, evidenced in their 98-79 rout of Mississippi Saturday afternoon.

The Tigers have one of the country's best point guards in Phil Pressey, who scored 22 points in the win, tying him with Alex Oriakhi for high scoring honors.

While Pressey generally controls the perimeter and pace, Oriakhi, the 6'9" senior transfer from UConn, has given the Tigers a new look with a ferocious presence inside and on the boards. Oriakhi's 22 points was a career high on 7-for-10 shooting, helped along by his 18 rebounds, 10 of which came on the offensive end.

Missouri's glass cleaning resulted in the game's most lopsided statistic, as they out-rebounded the Rebels, 50-32.

The 21st-ranked Tigers improved to 17-6 overall, avenging an earlier, 64-49, loss at Ole Miss, but they are still only in fifth place in the conference standings, led by #2 Florida, at 9-1, after putting it on Mississippi State, 83-58.

The 19-3 Gators rebounded from Tuesday's 80-69 loss at Arkansas and have won 11 of their last 12. They are likely to remain in the top five - and may even be #1 - come Monday's new poll, as #1 Indiana and #3 Michigan both suffered defeats this week, the Hoosiers losing on a buzzer-beater to Illinois on Thursday, 74-72, and Michigan going down to Wisconsin in overtime Saturday, 65-62.

The #1 ranking may fall, by default, to Duke, which plays at Boston College on Sunday, in a game they are widely expected to win.

#5 Kansas also will be further down in the rankings after losing at Oklahoma, 72-66, their third straight loss. Likely to take the Jawhawks' place is Miami, the Hurricanes winning their 11th straight on Saturday with an 87-61 pounding of North Carolina. The #8 Hurricanes are all alone atop the ACC standings, at 10-0.

Further down the rankings, #23 Pitt overwhelmed #17 Cincinnati in the second half for a 62-52 win; #11 Louisville's Chane Behanan scored 30 points and had 15 rebounds - both game highs - but came up short in five overtimes to #25 Notre Dame, 104-101.

#15 New Mexico lost at UNLV, 64-55, and #16 Creighton continued to slide, losing their second straight in a 75-72 home loss to Illinois State, setting up a three-way tie for first place in the Missouri Valley Conference with Wichita State and Indiana State, each team at 9-4.

Siyani Chambers Keeps Harvard on Top in Ivy with 18 over Cornell

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, February 8, 2013

Siyani Chambers scored a game-high 18 points to go with 11 assists and five boards as the Harvard Crimson prevailed on the road over Cornell's Big Red, 67-65.

A freshman guard averaging 13.5 points per outing, Chambers had a solid shooting night, making eight of 12 from the field, including 2-for-3 from beyond the arc.

Harvard held on for the close victory in the face of a furious Cornell comeback. The Crimson led by 16 at the break, only to see the Big Red whittle away their edge with 43 points in the second half.

The win was the fifth straight - without a loss - in the Ivy league, keeping them a half-game ahead of Princeton at 4-0 after defeating Brown on Friday, 63-46.

Brandon Paul, DJ Richardson Lead Illinois to Upset of #1 Indiana

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, February 7, 2013

Holding onto the #1 ranking in college basketball this season is becoming an exercise in futility, akin to grabbing a live salmon with oiled hands.

The Indiana Hooisers need no explanation or reminder after what happened to them at Assembly Hall in Champagne, as the Fighting Illini came from eight points down with under three minutes to play to defeat the Hoosiers, 74-72, the go-ahead bucket coming on an easy layup by Tyler Griffey off an inbounds pass with 0.9 seconds left.

Griffey, a senior, scored 14 for the Illini, but none were bigger than what was one of the easiest buckets of his career. With the score tied at 72, Illinois inbounded the ball from the sideline, about six feet from the baseline, setting up their players near the perimeter. Griffey slipped by Tyler Zeller and raced to the basket, where the pass from Brandon Paul hit him in stride without no Indiana player within ten feet of him.

Paul scored 21 points, while teammate D.J. Richardson had a game-high 24, eight of them coming on consecutive trips under three minutes when he hit two threes and a deuce to tie the game at 70. The Illini traded a pair of Paul free throws after a Victor Oladipo basket to knot the game at 72, setting up the decisive score.

Richardson was 8-for-15, hitting four of eight from three-point range with three steals. Paul was less accurate, making six of 14 from the floor with three treys, but he added two rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Illinois turned the ball over just nine times, as compared to 14 for the Hoosiers.

Prior to the win, Illinois had lost eight of their last 11 and were just 2-7 in conference play. The Indiana loss produced a three-way tie atop the Big Ten, with Indiana, Michigan and Michigan State each with identical 8-2 records.

A-10 Tightens as Dwayne Evans Leads St. Louis over Fordham

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, February 6, 2013

An interesting night in college hoops was in evidence Wednesday as eleven Top 25 teams took to the hardwood, with four taking losses.

Topping the list was #5 Kansas, a 62-55 loser at TCU. Indiana State tightened the Missouri Valley Conference race with a 76-57 win over #16 Creighton. Kadeem Batts ripped Cincinnati for 25 points and nine rebounds, sending the #17 Bearcats to a 54-50 defeat; while in the Big Ten, #12 Michigan State trounced #18 Minnesota, 61-50.

The most interesting development was in the Atlantic-10 conference, where all eyes are focused on Butler, an easy, 77-58 winner over St. Bonaventure, though the result from St. Louis, where the unranked Billikens swamped Fordham, 90-73, causing a three-way tie for first place with Butler, St. Louis and VCU all at 6-2.

Dwayne Evans, who leads St. Louis in scoring and rebounding, was a nightmare for the Rams, scoring a game-high 24 points to go with his 10 boards. Evans was 10-for-12 from the field, adding four points on six attempts from the foul line. A 6'5" junior, Evans appears to be rounding into late-season form, having scored in double figures the past five games. Wednesday's effort was his first double-double of the season.

Since back-to-back mid-January losses to Temple and Rhode Island, the Billikens have strrung together five straight wins, and can look ahead to Tuesday, February 19 and Friday, February 22, when they will host VCU before traveling to play at Butler. The pair of games will go a long way toward not only determining the overall winner of the A-10 regular season, but how many teams from the often-overlooked conference will be heading to the NCAA tourney in March.

Tim Hardaway Jr. Hits Six 3-Pointers as Michigan Defeats Ohio State in OT

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

Tuesday night's Big Ten showdown between #2 Michigan and #10 Ohio State turned out to be as good as expected, the teams battling to a 72-all tie in regulation, with the home-standing Wolverines eventually coming out on top in a defensive overtime period which produced just six points total for a 76-74 Michigan victory.

While the Buckeyes shot 52% for the game, Michigan was kept in the contest by Tim Hardaway Jr., who scored a game-high 23 points on 7-for-14 shooting, making six of nine from beyond the arc. Hardaway's buckets came at critical points of the game, often putting the Wolverines ahead or answering a Buckeye basket.

Trey Burke, hounded by Ohio State's Aaron Craft throughout, chipped in with 16 points and eight assists, turning the ball over just twice against Craft's relentless defense.

The victory pushed the Wolverines into second place in the Big Ten, behind Indiana, which has an 8-1 conference record. Michigan is 8-2 in the Big Ten, with a stellar, 21-2 record overall, Tuesday's win avenging an earlier, 56-53, loss at Ohio State. Their other loss was on the road to the Hoosiers, coming out on the wrong end of an 81-73 score.

CJ Fair Scores 18 as Syracuse Ends 2-Game Slide

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, February 4, 2013

With two straight Big East road losses - at Villanova and Pitt - the Syracuse Orange were happy to be back within the friendly confines of the Carrier Dome for their Monday night match-up with Notre Dame.

The Orange slipped from #6 to #9 in the latest poll, and a win was needed to get them back on the right track.

C.J. Fair came to the rescue, scoring a game-high 18 points in the 63-47 Syracuse victory.

Fair, a 6'8" junior with fast-developing skills both inside and out, made five of 10 shots from the floor, including a three-pointer, went 7-for-8 from the foul line and corralled 10 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season.

Fair and his teammates clamped down on the Irish defensively, holding them to 35% shooting, forced 13 turnovers, made seven steals and out-rebounded the South Bend invaders, 32-28.

The win put SU a half game ahead of 6-2 Marquette, in first place in the Big East at 7-2. The Orange won't meet the Golden Eagles until Monday, February 25, at Marquette.

Shabazz Napier Hoists Huskies over South Florida, 69-64

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, February 3, 2013

Shabazz Napier scored a game-high 24 points as the Connecticut Huskies overcame a 12-point half time deficit to defeat South Florida, 69-64, handing the Bulls their fourth straight Big East loss.

Napier made five of ten three-pointers on 7-for-15 shooting from the field, adding eight rebounds, four assists and three steals.

The Huskies have won three straight, but are on the road their next two games - at St. John's and Seton Hall - before returning home to host #6 Syracuse on Wednesday, February 13. Connecticut is 5-3 in the conference, trailing 6-2 Syracuse and Marquette for the top spot. In its final season under the current alignment, the Big East is a jumble, with nine teams within two games of first place.

Super Bowl XLVII Special: Latest Odds and Picks

Super Bowl Latest Odds and Picks

Super Bowl XLVII pits the Baltimore Ravens against the San Francisco 49ers. Game time is 6:30 pm ET, and Doc's Sports, one of the oldest, classiest and best handicapping services on the internet has up-to-date odds as time winds toward the first ever showdown between brothers in the Super Bowl. Jim Harbaugh is the coach of the 49ers; older brother John coaches the Ravens.

Just go to http://www.docsports.com/super-bowl-odds.html for the latest odds. Doc's also has plenty of other features on the site, including odds and handicapping advice for all major sports.

If you still aren't sure which side you'll be backing, and need analysis and picks, check out Fearless Rick's Super Bowl pick. Rick's been handicapping the NFL since 1982 and usually has the figure for big games right on the money.

Enjoy the game with the latest odds and best picks.

Indiana Tops #1 Michigan, 81-73, Behind Cody Zeller's 19 Points

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, February 2, 2013

Michigan may have been #1 for a week, but that week ends Sunday, and, along with it, their short stay atop the college hoops rankings.

Finding few ways to counter the front line of the #3 Hoosiers' Cody Zeller, Christian Watford and Victor Oladipo, the Wolverines fell at Indiana's Assembly Hall, 81-73, and with that, another team - most likely either Indiana or #4 Florida - will assume the position of the nation's top team... for a while.

For the first five weeks of the season, the Hoosiers were ranked #1, but a loss in mid-December boosted Duke to the top spot for four weeks, until Louisville got the nod on January 14. Duke took it back on the 21st, relinquishing it to Michigan this past Monday. If there anything for certain, nobody knows which team is the best at this point.

In their win over Michigan, the Hoosiers took back first place in the Big Ten, posting a record of 8-1 in the conference, but they are by no means alone. The Wolverines, along with Michigan State and Ohio State are all just a game back, at 7-2, and Indiana still has two games with the Buckeyes and one each with the two Michigan teams before the regular season ends.

What the Hoosiers have, however, is possibly the best front line in the country, emphatically proven in their win over Michigan. Cody Zeller had one of his finest games, scoring 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting, with 10 rebounds (his 7th double-double of the season) and two blocked shots in 34 minutes. Watford pitched in 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Mr. Do-it-all, Oladipo, had 15 points, two boards, two assists and a pair of steals.

Despite 16 turnovers, the Hoosiers dominated the rest of the game, hitting at a 52% clip with seven three pointers. They also out-rebounded the Wolverines, 38-29. Most telling was the free throw line. Indiana went to the stripe 25 times, making 22 (88%), while Michigan was only 6-for-7.

NOTABLE: #2 Kansas will not be elevated to the #1 spot come Monday, as they suffered their second loss of the season in an 85-80 loss to Oklahoma State. Markel Brown led the Cowboys with 28 points. #14 Miami won their ninth straight, topping #19 NC State, 79-78. Pitt topped #6 Syracuse, 65-55, #10 Oregon lost at Cal, 58-54, #15 Wichita State fell at Iowa State, 57-52, and #22 San Diego State dropped a 70-67 decision at Air Force.

Nick Minnerath's 27 Points Lead Detroit over Youngstown State

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, February 1, 2013

With a very light schedule (9 games) in college hoops Friday, the top two teams from the Horizon League were in action, as first place Valparaiso (7-2) defeated Wisconsin Milwaukee, 71-40, and second place Detroit (7-3) got 27 points from Nick Minnerath en route to an 88-77 victory over Youngstown State.

A 6'9" forward, Minnerath was a shooting machine, making 11 of 25 shots, including 2-for-5 from beyond the arc. He added five boards and a pair of steals, his point total the second highest of the season for the senior.

The Titans' leading scorer, Ray McCallum, tossed in 23 points in the winning effort, keeping Detroit a half-game back of Valpo. In their first meeting with Valparaiso earlier this season, McCallum was held to a season-low six points, but Minnerath picked up the slack, scoring a career high 36 against the Crusaders in an 89-88 defeat.

The Titans travel to Valaraiso for a rematch on Saturday, February 16, a game which will go a long way toward determining the eventual conference champion.

Keith Appling Leads Spartans to 80-75 Victory over Illinois

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, January 31, 2013

Big Ten basketball is not for the feint of heart.

There are five ranked teams and that list doesn't presently include Wisconsin and Illinois, both of which were ranked earlier in the season and are safe bets to be heading to the NCAA tournament in about six weeks, assuming they can grind out tough schedules in conference play.

The Fighting Illini came out smoking at Michigan State Thursday night, but eventually fell to the Spartans, 80-75, in a pivotal match-up for both squads.

Illinois took a ten-point, 37-27, lead into the half, but the Spartans responded with 12 straight points to open the second half, taking the lead and never relinquishing it.

Point guard Keith Appling took over the game when it counted the most, scoring 19 of his game-high 24 points after the break. Quietly emerging as a team leader, Appling dazzled the Illini with crossover dribbles and deft passes, dishing the ball seven times to teammates, twice finding Brandon Dawson (12 points, 9 rebounds) at the rim for thunderous, momentum-building dunks.

The 6'1" junior was 7-for-12 from the field, making two of four from three-point land and eight of 12 at the charity stripe. He also snagged a season high eight boards as the Spartans out-rebounded Illinois, 33-24.

The win was crucial for the 13th-ranked Spartans, following their 75-70 loss at Indiana this past Sunday.

For the Illini, the loss was their fifth in their last six games, lowering their Big Ten mark to a putrid 2-6. In the midst of a challenging stretch, Illinois has already lost consecutive games to Michigan and Michigan State, and have Wisconsin, Indiana and Minnesota straight ahead.

Michigan and Indiana top the conference at 7-1, followed by the 7-2 Spartans.

Blue Devils Win at Wake Forest, 75-70, Behind Mason Plumlee's 32 Points

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Eleven of the nation's top 25 teams were in action Wednesday night, with only two ending up on the wrong side of the scoreboard, those being #10 Oregon, a 76-52 loser at Stanford, and #17 Missouri, which, despite 25 points from Phil Pressey, lost at LSU, 73-70. It was the third loss against four wins in the SEC for the Tigers, jeopardizing not only their ranking, but their chances of making a solid showing in the conference.

#5 Duke improved to 18-2, winning on the road at Wake Forest, 75-70, on the strength of Mason Plumlee's career-high 32 points, falling just one rebound short of his 13th double-double of the season. The 6'10" senior hit 12 of 15 shots from the field, eight of 10 from the foul line with nine boards, two assists, two steals and two blocks in 35 minutes of floor time.

Duke kept pace with Miami, 73-64 winners at Virginia Tech, but continue to trail the ACC leaders by two games. Miami is 7-0. Duke trails in second place, at 5-2, along with Virginia.

NOTABLE: #4 Florida held host South Carolina to 10 first half points in a 75-36 rout, the ninth straight win for the Gators.

Doug McDermott had 29 points as #21 Creighton improved to 19-3 with a 91-77 victory over Missouri State. McDermott is second nationally in scoring, at 23.9 points per game, trailing Virginia Tech's Erick Green (25.5).

Other Top 25 winners were Michigan, Indiana, Kansas State, New Mexico and Cincinnati.

Kyle Wiltjer Has 26 as Kentucky Tops Mississippi, 87-74

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, January 29, 2013

A trio of Top 25 teams took it on the chin Tuesday night in a light college hoops schedule.

At Virginia, #18 NC State fell to the Cavaliers, 58-55, and #15 Wichita State lost at home to Indiana State, 68-55, dropping their third game against 19 wins.

The game of the day was in Mississippi, where the 16th-ranked Rebels sought to keep their SEC record pristine, seeking their seventh straight win when Kentucky came calling.

It was not to be, as the Wildcat defensive effort held Ole Miss to 38% shooting, running off late for the 87-74 victory.

The Wildcats scored 50 second half points, led by 6'10" sophomore forward, Kyle Wiltjer, who threw down a career high 26 points, leading all scorers. Wiltjer made 10 of 19 shots, including five of 12 from beyond the arc, adding seven rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Teammates Nerlens Noel and Archice Goodwin supported with 12 blocked shots and 24 points, respectively.

The result left #4 Florida alone atop the SEC at 6-0, trailed by Mississippi at 6-1 and Kentucky at 5-2. The Wildcats travel to Florida on February 12.