Remi Debo, Juwan Staten Lead Mountaineers' 102-77 Rout of #11 Iowa State

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, February 10, 2014

West Virginia's 102-77 win over #11 Iowa State points up the idea that there's no rest in college hoops, especially in the Big 12, this season.

Following Melvin Ejim's record-setting performance on Saturday, Ejim and his fellow Cyclones traveled to Morgantown, West Virginia and laid an enormous egg, shooting just 37%, while the Mountaineers were bombing away at a 54% rate overall, including 13-for-22 from the three-point line. After scoring 48 and setting a Big 12 scoring record, the big man had just six points, though he did manage 12 rebounds.

The Mountaineers were led by Remi Debo, who nailed six threes and scored 20 points, and Juwan Staten, with 19 points, seven boards and nine assists. Staten was 7-for-15 from the field, while Debo was 6-for-8 from three-point land, 7-for-10 overall, with four rebounds in just 21 minutes before fouling out with 1:49 left to play.

Down, 14-13, in the early going, the Mountaineers went on a 17-2 run to take the lead and never look back, extending to a 52-33 lead at the break. Dibo made a pair of threes to open the second half, but was saddled with foul trouble and forced to sit. When he returned in the latter stages, his three-pointer at 2:29 put West Virginia up by 30. The Mountaineers led by as many as 31 points as coach Bobby Huggins shuffled subs in and out during the second half.

The 102 points was the most scored by West Virginia this season and the most allowed by Iowa State. The result left the Mountaineers at 15-10, 7-5 in the Big 12, dropping Iowa State to 18-5, 6-5 in conference play.

NOTABLE: Iowa State wasn't the only Big 12 member upset on a quiet Monday night. #7 Kansas was dropped in overtime by Kansas State, 85-82.

With 27 Points and 10 Rebounds, Xavier Johnson Leads Colorado Rout of Washington, 91-65

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, February 9, 2014

Xavier Johnson, a 6'7" sophomore from Los Angeles, pumped in a career-high 27 points for Colorado, leading the Buffaloes to a 91-65 stampede over Washington, Sunday night in Boulder.

Johnson also collected 10 rebounds, giving him his third double-double of the season and second in his last three games.

While the Buffaloes were shooting at a 55% clip, Johnson did his part, going 10-for-14, including a 3-for-3 effort from beyond the arc, and nailed all six of his free throws.

The win was the third straight for Colorado, following a rough, 1-4 stretch in the competitive PAC-12 conference, where they are in third place, at 7-4. Overall, the Buffs are 18-6, and fell out of the Top 25 rankings recently, after a 14-2 start to their season.

Colorado hopes to keep the good times rolling, when they travel to UCLA on Thursday, February 13, though they are a notoriously bad road team, posting a 1-3 mark away from Boulder in conference games this season.

Melvin Ejim Explodes for 48 Points, 18 Rebounds as #17 Iowa State Downs TCU, 84-69

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, February 8, 2014

There were more than 135 Division I college basketball games on Saturday, but it didn't take long to find the one which contained the best individual player performance.

Melvin Ejim scored more than half of his team's points as the Iowa State Cyclones rocked TCU, 84-69. Ejim, a 6'6" senior from Toronto, poured in a career-high 48 points, setting a Big 12 record for points in a single game, and also notched a career-best in rebounding, with 18.

Going 20-for-24 from the field, 6-for-6 from the foul line, and 2-for-2 from three-point range, Ejim was about as good as one can get in 35 minutes of floor time. His 18 boards included six on the offensive glass, to go with two steals and an assist.

Ejim's big game matched the high-point total for the season. On December 18, Texas Southern's Aaric Murray had 48, matched by Tyler Haws of BYU on January 23.

The Big 12 record was previously held by a pair of Kansas State players. Michael Beasley scored 44 in February 2008, matched by teammate Denis Clemente in January of the following season.

So massive was Ejim's scoring outburst, that it increased his average from 18.3 to 19.8. The number was more than twice his season-high of 22, which he's put up five times this season, including each of the previous two games. Ejim, who has scored in double figures in all 20 games he's played this season, notched his eighth double-double and third in a row.

Ranked 17th nationally, Iowa State improved to 18-4 overall, and 6-4 in the conference.

Elsewhere, on a jam-packed afternoon and evening of college hoops, #4 Wichita State went on the road to top Northern Iowa, 82-73, giving the Shockers their 25th straight win without a loss and a 12-0 mark in the Missouri Valley conference. #7 Cincinnati had their 15-game winning streak rudely snapped at home, falling to SMU, 76-55. The Mustangs shot 54%, while holding the Bearcats to 35%, improving to 19-5 and 8-3 in the American Athletic under head coach Larry Brown.

#17 Iowa upset #10 Michigan, 85-67; Kansas State mauled #15 Texas, 74-57; and, #19 Oklahoma State fell to Texas Tech, 65-61.

#3 Florida, #5 San Diego State, #8 Kansas, #11 Duke, #13 St. Louis and #18 Kentucky were all winners. #24 Memphis knocked off #23 Gonzaga, 60-54.

Doug McDermott Powers Creighton to 78-66 Victory over Seton Hall

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, February 7, 2014

The two top teams in the Big East were in action Friday night, Villanova and Creghton remaining tied for the conference lead at 9-1 with convincing wins on their respective home courts.

Villanova gave coach Jay Wright his 400th career victory with a 70-53 splattering of Seton Hall, while the Creighton Blue Jays and star forward, Doug McDermott, were pasting DePaul, 78-66.

Wright has 278 wins at Villanova; the rest were earned at Hofstra.

McDermott, the leading candidate for player of the year honors, didn't have his best shooting game, going 9-for-21, but he made up for his misfires by nailing 13 of 14 from the charity stripe en route to a game-high 32 points, well above his 25.3 average. 4-for-6 in the early going, McDermott's teammates picked up the pace after Seton Hall tied the game at 13-all, going on a 13-2 spurt punctuated by a McDermott dunk, midway through the first half, taking control of the game which they led nearly all the way.

The Pirates cut the lead to two points on a couple of occasions in the second half and to one point with under eight minutes to play, but each time, Creighton had answers. With 5:30 left, the Bluejays' lead was four, until McDermott scored nine straight points - seven from the foul line - in just under three minutes, to put the game out of reach.

McDermott reached another milestone during the game, canning his 1,000th field goal during the contest. He is the first Division I player to achieve that mark since Calbert Cheaney did it from 1989 through 1993. According to ESPN, McDermott also passed J.J. Redick for 17th on the all-time Division I scoring list.

McDermott, the nation's second-leading scorer behind Niagara's Antoine Mason (26.0), was also the game's high rebounder, with nine, though the Blue Demons held a 41-31 edge on the boards.

Creighton's complete 19-3 record includes losses to San Diego State, George Washington and Providence. They are ranked #12 in the current AP poll. #6 Villanova sports a 21-2 record, with losses to Syracuse and Creighton. The two Big East powerhouses meet again on February 16 in a game that will likely determine the conference champion.

Cincinnati Wins 15th Straight behind Sean Kilpatrick's 26 Points, 12 Boards

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, February 6, 2014

Cincinnati extending their winning streak to 15 straight Thursday night, as Sean Kilpatrick put on a show, leading the Bearcats to a 63-58 victory over visiting Connecticut.

The Bearcats trailed the entire game, until Justin Jackson took a feed inside from Kilpatrick for a 47-46 lead with under eight minutes left in the second half. UConn took a brief one-point lead after that, but Kilpatrick's three-pointer from the wing at 5:19 put Cincinnati up 50-48, and they never trailed or were tied again.

Kilpatrick not only led all scorers with 26 points, but also was the game's most prolific rebounder and assist man, with 12 and six, respectively. The 6'4" senior from Yonkers, NY, was 8-for-15 from the field, hitting five of eight threes and 5-for-7 from the foul line. It was his second double-double of the season. Kilpatrick has scored in double figures in every game but one for the 22-2 Bearcats.

Cincinnati's 11-0 mark in the American conference is good for a 2 1/2 game lead over 8-2 Louisville. Connecticut fell to 5-4 in conference play and 17-5 overall. Cincinnati will be seeking their 16th straight win when they travel to SMU on Saturday, February 8.

Razorbacks Pull Away from Alabama as Freshman Bobby Portis Scores 35

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, February 5, 2014

It's February, so it's not too early to start talking about bubble teams for the NCAA tournament, and there may not be a more puffed up squad around than the 14-8 Arkansas Razorbacks, who will have to improve on their conference record, and certainly started the process with a 65-58 win over Alabama, Wednesday night.

Whether or not the Razorbacks make it to the Big Dance is still an open question, but one thing's for certain: 6'10" freshman, Bobby Portis, can ball. Portis, who's gradually been getting more playing time as the season wears on, put up a career-high 35 points against the Crimson Tide invaders, going 14-for-17 from the field, including the Razorbacks' only three-pointer, and was 6-for-6 from the foul line to boot.

While Portis was tearing up Alabama in the paint, he was not slouching on the defensive end, grabbing nine boards and blocking six shots, all while committing just one foul in 31 minutes.

The Razorbacks trailed by two at the break, as Portis scored the final six points of the first half for Arkansas, and took a two-point lead coming out of the break when Portis scored 11 straight to start the second half.

The lead changed hands a couple of times, but Portis gave Arkansas a four-point advantage with under five minutes left and the Tide never got closer than three after that.

The win snapped a two-game Arkansas losing streak, but the Razorbacks are on the verge, having already beaten Kentucky and falling to both Florida and Georgia in overtime games. Arkansas plays at Vanderbilt on Saturday. The Commodores are 5-4 in the SEC.

Longhorns Win 7th Straight as Jonathan Holmes Wrecks TCU with 20 Points, 16 Rebounds

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, February 4, 2014

A pretty well-loaded conference, the Big 12 has a new contender, as the Texas Longhorns improved to 7-2 with a 59-54 win on the road at TCU.

Having shocked the entire conference with their 81-69 thumping of Kansas on Saturday, Texas has a new hero in the form of 6'8" junior forward, Jonathan Holmes, a homebred from San Antonio.

Holmes followed up a 22-point effort against the Jayhawks with a 20-point, 16-rebound performance at TCU, going 5-for-11 from the floor with a pair of three-pointers in four attempts. The big man was 8-for-12 from the line and six of his boards came off the offensive glass.

After opening conference play with consecutive losses to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, the Longhorns have reeled off seven straight victories, a run that includes four straight over ranked opposition - Iowa State, Kansas State, Baylor and Kansas.

Currently ranked #15 in the AP poll, Texas remains on the road for their rematch with Kansas State, Saturday afternoon. The 7-2 Longhorns are in second place in the conference, trailing 8-1 Kansas by one game.

Top-Ranked Syracuse Tips Notre Dame on Trevor Cooney's Record 3-Point Outburst

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, February 3, 2014

On Saturday, Syracuse topped Duke in overtime, keeping their record perfect at 21-0, and, after Arizona lost to Cal, the Orange were unanimously celebrated as the #1 team in the country.

Monday night, the Orange were back to work, hosting Notre Dame, in a quick turnaround at the Carrier Dome. As expected, the Irish slowed down the game, which didn't help Syracuse, evidently suffering somewhat of a letdown after their emotional win over the Blue Devils - all except for three-point specialist, Trevor Cooney, that is.

After a sluggish start and the Orange down, 8-6, Cooney hit four straight threes in the middle of the first half and scored on a short jumper to give Syracuse a boost and a 20-12 lead with six minutes left in the half. His effort gave the team momentum and confidence to play shut down defense in coach Jim Boeheim's 2-3 zone. When Cooney hit his fifth trey of the half with six seconds left, the Orange jogged off the court with a 32-18 lead.

The Irish didn't fold in the second half, starting off with an 11-5 run to cut into Syracuse's advantage and eventually cutting the lead to four points with 6:01 remaining. Once more, however, Cooney stepped up to save the day, hitting a pair of threes and making a traditional three-point play within a span of 1:31, boosting Syracuse's lead back to 10.

Notre Dame could get no closer than five after that, and the Ornage hit five free throws down the stretch to seal the 61-55 win, improving to 22-0 and 9-0 in the ACC.

Cooney's career-high 33 points tied a Syracuse record for made threes in a game, shared by Gerry McNamara, Andy Rautins and James Southerland. McNamara, now an assistant coach for the Orange, watched from the bench, obviously thrilled at the success of his long-range protege.

The 6'4" sophomore was 11-for-15 overall, making nine of 12 from three-point land. His 11 field goals were more than the rest of his teammates combined, which went 10-for-32. Cooney added a pair of free throws, two assists, two rebounds and four steals and was the only Orange player in double figures.

Syracuse will get some time off to relish their #1 ranking. They host Clemson next, on Sunday, February 9.

Indiana Drops Michigan as Yogi Ferrell Nails Seven 3-Pointers

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, February 2, 2014

Indiana has struggled this season in the Big Ten, but they got a huge victory Sunday afternoon, as point guard Yogi Ferrell found his range and helped deliver a stunning, 63-52, victory over visiting #10 Michigan.

Ferrell, a home-grown favorite in Indianapolis, made seven of eight from three-point range en route to scoring 27 points, carrying the Hoosiers to victory. Ferrell was 8-for-10 overall and made four of six at the foul line. He added a pair of rebounds, two assists and a steal as the Hoosiers out-shot Michigan, 54-40% and out-rebounded them, 31-22.

Ferrell was just one of two Indiana players in double figures. Forward Noah Vonleh had 10 points and 12 rebounds.

The Hoosiers improved to 4-5 in conference play, while the loss dropped Michigan to 8-1, tying them with Michigan State atop the Big Ten.

Indiana may be able to make some headway in the conference. Their next three opponents are Minnesota, Penn State and Purdue.

Syracuse Will Be #1 on Monday as C.J. Fair, Jeromi Grant Lead Orange Over Duke; Arizona Loses

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, February 1, 2014

Syracuse will be #1 when the new polls come out on Monday, not only because they are 21-0 after beating the Duke Blue Devils, 91-89, in overtime, Saturday, but also because the Arizona Wildcats, ranked at the top of college hoops for the past eight weeks, suffered their first loss of the season, falling to Cal, 60-58, making them 21-1.

The Syracuse-Duke meeting was a monumental game, so significant that for a while, late Saturday afternoon, a lot of people forgot there was a Super Bowl the next day.

A record 35,446 fans poured into the Carrier Dome to see the two most successful Division I coaches take their teams into head-to-head combat for the first time with Syracuse now a part of the ACC, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski with his 974 wins visiting Syracuse's Jim Boeheim, and his 940 - now 941.

The play on the court did not disappoint. It easily overshadowed the intense hype leading up to the contest between the #2 Orange and the #17 Blue Devils. In fact, 40 minutes wasn't even enough, as Duke's Rasheed Sulaimon hit a desperation three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime, tied at 78.

In the overtime, with two Duke big men - Jabari Parker and Amile Jefferson - having fouled out, the Orange repeatedly went inside to Jerami Grant, scoring Syracuse's first six points on emphatic dunks. Duke countered with the three-ball, as they had the entire game, as Andre Dawkins made two, sandwiching a layup in between, for an 87-84 Duke lead with 1:23 left.

Syracuse would not be denied, however, as Tyler Ennis and Grant combined for six points at the foul line, Ennis hitting four of four, Grant making a pair to go 10-for-10 from the line on the night. Sulaimon made a pair for Duke before Ennis hit his final two with 5.8 seconds left. C.J. Fair, who led all scorers with a career-high 28 points, missed the first of two free throws but made the second, giving Syracuse the two-point edge. Quinn Cook's shot at the buzzer caromed off the backboard as time expired, and jubilation reigned in upstate New York.

Statistically, the numbers defied logic. Syracuse shot 57% for the game, to Duke's 43%, but, Duke took half of its 72 shots from beyond the three-point line, making 15 of them, raining threes to keep them in the game. The Orange out-Duked Duke, getting to the line with amazing frequency - 32 times - and even more amazingly, making 26 of them - 81%. Duke only made 17 trips to the line, making 12.

Syracuse also out-rebounded the Blue Devils, 38-33, and blocked nine shots, to none for Duke, but still only managed a two-point win, and that, in overtime, no less.

Fair went 12-for-20 from the field and 3-for-6 from the line, adding five rebounds. Grant was 7-for-11, 10-for-10 at the line for a career-high 24 points, with 12 rebounds, his fifth double-double of the season.

Syracuse improved to 8-0 in the ACC, a game better than second place Virginia, at 7-1, their 21-0 mark the best ever start to a season for a Syracuse team. Duke fell to 6-3 in the conference and 17-5 overall.

Harvard Tops Princeton on Wesley Saunders' 24 Points, 9 Rebounds

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, January 31, 2014

The Ivy League doesn't get much of the college hoops love, mostly because the conference seldom sends more than one team to the NCAA tourney, and, while this season appears to be consistent with that theme, the one team - Harvard - may be a dangerous one.

Friday night, the Crimson upped their record to 16-3 and 3-0 in the Ivy with an 82-76 victory over their chief rival, the Princeton Tigers.

Leading all scorers was Princeton's T.J. Bray, but his effort was not enough as Harvard's scintillating swingman, 6'5" junior, Wesley Saunders, scored 24 points, to go with nine boards, seven assists, three steals and a blocked shot.

Saunders, who leads the Crimson in scoring at 15.5 points per game, was 9-for-13 from the field and 6-for-7 from the charity stripe in 38 minutes of action.

Harvard took a 36-35 lead into intermission, but were tied by the Tigers at 42-all on a Bray three-pointer, three minutes into the second half. Over the next two minutes, Harvard went on a decisive 8-0 run, and led the rest of the way, eventually pushing their advantage to as many as 13 points. Another Bray three-pointer got Princeton to within four with under a minute to go, but Harvard made seven of eight at the line - Saunders going 4-for-4 - to ice the game.

Harvard has a one-game lead over Columbia, Brown and Yale, all at 2-1, and hosts Penn Saturday night, seeking a 4-0 mark. The three losses by the Crimson have been to UConn, Colorado and Florida Atlantic, but they have some quality wins, including blowouts of TCU and Boston College.

Tommy Amaker, former Duke player and assistant coach, has been head coach of the Crimson since the 08-09 season and the team has responded with improved performances during his tenure. Last season, Amaker guided Harvard into the NCAA tourney, and produced the school's first-ever win at the big dance, defeating New Mexico, 68-62, before falling to Arizona, 74-51.

Sean Kilpatrick Scores 23 of Game-High 28 in Second Half, As Bearcats Top Louisville, 69-66

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, January 30, 2014

The Cincinnati Bearcats won their 13th straight game and lead the American conference with a perfect, 9-0, mark after going on the road to top #12 Louisville, 69-66, Thursday night.

Cincinnati, ranked #13 in the latest poll, should move up with the win, sparked by aggressive defense and a second half surge by fifth-year senior, Sean Kilpatrick, who was just 2-for-9 in the first half, but scored 23 of his 28 points in the second half to carry the Bearcats to victory.

Kilpatrick was deadly down the stretch, scoring 12 of the final 14 points for Cincinnati, including straight straight free throws, as the the Bearcats held off a determined Louisville squad.

Leading by as many as 17 points in the first half, the Bearcats turned the ball over on four straight possessions early in the second half, allowing Louisville to cut into the lead. The Cardinals actually took the lead at 64-61 on a Russ Smith three with 5:03 remaining to play, but Cincinnati stepped up the defense again, outscoring Louisville, 8-2, down the stretch.

Kilpatrick finished 7-for-18 with three three-pointers and was 11-for-11 from the foul line, adding five rebounds and two assists to his 37 minute effort. The Bearcats were 17-for-18 from the stripe and out-rebounded Louisville, 36-25.

The Bearcats have a 2 1/2 game edge in the conference. Both Louisville and Memphis are 6-2, tied for second place. 20-2 Cincinnati hasn't lost since a 64-47 setback to Xavier on December 14. They host South Florida on Sunday and UConn this coming Thursday.

Andrew Wiggins Scores 29 as Kansas Leads Big 12, Drops Iowa State, 92-81

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Whenever the Big 12 is mentioned, the first word is usually Kansas, because the Jayhawks have dominated the conference for such a long time.

This season is no different, as the sixth-ranked Jayhawks are 7-0 in conference play after riding Andrew Wiggins' career-high 29 points to a 92-81 spanking of #16 Iowa State.

Wiggins, the sensational freshman who may also be mentioned in discussions concerning player of the year, hit 10 of 16 shots, including four of six from beyond the three-point line. He also canned five of six free throws and snatched seven rebounds. Wiggins leads Kansas in scoring, at 16.5 points per game.

Kansas led the entire game, starting with a Wiggins' three-pointer 38 seconds into the contest. The Jayhawks built a lead that grew as large as 16 points in the first half, though the Cyclones fought back to within a point before exiting the first half down 46-43.

All five Kansas starters were in double figures. Junior point guard, Naadir Tharpe, and freshman center, Joel Embiid, each registered double-doubles. Tharpe scored 12 points while dishing 12 assists; Embiid had 14 points and 11 boards.

The streaking Jayhawks haven't lost since opening 2014 with a 61-57 loss to San Diego State, their final non-conference game, on January 5th. Kansas next plays at #25 Texas on Saturday, February 1.

Doug McDermott's Season-High 39 Points Carries Creighton Past St. John's, 63-60

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, January 28, 2014

When one talks about Creighton basketball, one name always comes up: Doug McDermott.

The four-year senior star has led the Bluejays to an 8-1 record and first place in their first year as a member of the Big East, following McDermott's leadership for three years in the Missouri Valley conference.

Getting to that 8-1 mark (18-3 overall) did not take the usual route in Creighton's 63-60 win over St. John's, Tuesday night.

First, it was the lowest score in any of Creighton's wins this season. The Bluejays scored 53 points in a loss to George Washington in December and average 81.3 points per game, 22nd nationally. The Bluejays also turned the ball over 17 times and had only 13 assists (they average 18.1, tops nationally).

Besides shooting under their average (49.3%) and having just one player in double figures, Creighton was able to emerge victorious due to McDermott's season-high 39 points, on 15-for-26 shooting, including five of nine from beyond the arc, with four of five free throws and six rebounds.

McDermott took more than half of Creighton's 47 shots and accounted for roughly 2/3rds of their 23 field goals. Creighton led, 29-25, at the break. McDermott scored 20 of those first half points. Creighton led nearly the entire game and was up by as many as 18 midway through the second half, but, St. John's tied the score at 60-all on a pair of free throws by Rysheed Jordan with 11 seconds left.

After a St. John's time out, the Bluejays got the ball to McDermott, who launched a game-winning three-pointer with just two seconds left on the clock, providing the winning margin.

It was the seventh time this season McDermott has scored 30 or more points. He's been in double figures in all but one of Creghton's games.

Ryan Spangler Boosts Oklahoma over Oklahoma State in 'Bedlam' Rivalry

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, January 27, 2014

Tenacious defense, a patient offense and the interior domination of Ryan Spangler helped the #23 Oklahoma Sooners overwhelm the #8 Oklahoma State Cowboys in the twice-annual renewal of their "bedlam" series, 88-76.

Spangler, the sophomore transfer from Gonzaga, scored 15 points and hauled down 17 rebounds, as the Sooners took over second place in the Big 12, improving to 6-2 in the conference, behind 6-0 Kansas.

Oklahoma held the Cowboys to just 40% shooting, clamping down especially hard on leading scorers Marcus Smart and Markel Brown, holding the duo to 13-for-35 overall and just 3-for-16 from three-point range. If not for Phil Forte III coming off the Cowboy bench to score 20 points - going 6-for-6 on threes - the score would have been even more lopsided.

The Sooners took advantage of a wide disparity in fouls, making 30 of 42 free throws, while the Cowboys were just 15-for-22, but, Oklahoma State held a solid - 42-37 - edge on the boards, shot 46% from the field and were 8-for-17 from beyond the arc (47%). Spangler was 5-for-10 from the floor and 5-for-6 from the line.

Spangler's presence in the middle has caused issues for other Big 12 squads. The Sooners have recently stunned Iowa State and Baylor, and have won four straight against conference foes. Five teams from the Big 12 - Kansas, Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Oklahoma and Texas - are currently ranked in the Top 25.

The return date for the second part of the bedlam, series is February 15 at Oklahoma State.

Nebraska's Terran Petteway Tears Up Minnesota with Career-High 35 Points

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, January 26, 2014

A few years ago, when Nebraska jumped from the Big 12 to the Big Ten, there was not a lot of thought given to how well they'd fare in basketball. After all, the Cornhuskers are more of a football school and never were very competitive in hoops, even in the Big 12.

Signs that things have begun to change on the court in Nebraska have been evident over the past few weeks. Back on January 9th, the Cornhuskers took the Measure of Michigan, losing, 71-70, to the team that now holds first place in the conference after whipping Michigan State on Saturday.

Last week, Nebraska stunned Ohio State, 68-62, and followed that up - after a 58-54 loss at Penn State - with a win Sunday over Minnesota, as redshirt freshman, Terran Petteway, scored a career-high 35 points in the 82-78 victory.

Petteway, who has been in double figures in all but one game this season, went 10-for-15 from the field, nailing four of six three-pointers and making 11 of 14 from the free throw line. He also collected six rebounds, with three assists, a blocked shot and a steal.

The final score was much closer than most of the game, which Nebraska led by as many as 13 points. Petteway scored the last seven points for the 'Huskers, making all but one of his free throws in the final 1:30.

The victory was just the second of the season in conference play for Nebraska, against five losses, but the recent wins and close calls point up the fact that a trip to Lincoln, where the Cornhuskers are 10-3, is no longer a walk-over.

Treveon Graham Powers VCU to Double OT Win over La Salle

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, January 25, 2014

Loaded with quality teams, the Atlantic-10 conference may not be getting its fair share of respect from the poll voters. Only the Massachusetts Minutemen (16-2, 3-1) and the St. Louis Bilikens (18-2, 5-0) are currently represented, at #13, and #19, respectively.

Missing is VCU (16-4, 4-1), but the Rams made their case Saturday on the road, with a double overtime win at La Salle, as Treveon Graham scored a career-high 34 points in the 97-89 victory.

Graham not only performed at a high level, but without his effort, the Rams would likely not be tied for second place in the conference, along with Richmond and George Washington. Graham scored nine of the last ten points for the Rams in regulation, including the final six, to tie the contest at 73-all, and threw down six of VCU's seven points in the first overtime, again scoring the final six, though he missed a free throw that would have given the Rams the win with six seconds left in the first extra session.

Though Graham did not score in the second overtime, he did have an assist and a rebound, as his teammates finished off the Explorers. Rob Brandenburg buried a pair of three pointers, Juvante Reddick had a pair of buckets and and Briante Weber sealed the win, nailing seven of eight free throws in the final 1:19.

Graham, who played 44 minutes, was 11-for-23 from the field with two three-pointers and was 10-for-16 from the foul line with 12 rebounds and a pair of assists. Reddic complemented with 27 points and 15 boards, his sixth double-double of the season.

A prolific scorer, Graham has tallied in double figures in all but one game this season and leads the Rams at 16.1 points per game.

VCU has won eight of their last nine and three in a row. They next host Fordham, this Wednesday night, January 29.

Juwan Howard Jr. Leads Detroit over Milwaukee in Horizon League Win

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, January 24, 2014

With just six games played in Division-1 Friday, the small sample - all from minor conferences, like the MAAC, Horizon and American East - yielded only a couple of notable performances, though one Juwan Howard Jr., son of Juwan Howard of the original Michigan Fab Five, deserves notice.

Howard, a 6'6" junior, scored 24 points with eight rebounds to lead the Detroit Titans to a 73-54 win at Milwaukee, though the victory was just the second in Horizon League play for the Titans (9-12, 2-4).

Howard was 11-for-23 from the field, with a pair of three pointers.

Pretty much alone in terms of talent on the court for Detroit, Howard is leading the team in scoring at 18.0 points per game. The next-high-scorer for the Titans averages just 11.9 ppg.

NOTABLE: Huge game at 7:00 pm Saturday night when #21 Michigan visits #3 Michigan State, for top honors in the Big Ten. Winners of eight straight, the Wolverines have been on a roll, defeating two ranked teams - Wisconsin and Iowa - in the past week. Michigan is 6-0 in conference play, while the Spartans have run up a 7-0 mark in the Big Ten and have won 11 straight since North Carolina handed them their only loss of the season, on December 4.

The game will be broadcast live nationally on ESPN.

Portland Downs BYU in 3OT on Thomas van der Mars 27 Points, 18 Boards

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, January 23, 2014



Despite 48 points from BYU's Tyler Haws, Thomas van der Mars scored 27 points, grabbed 18 rebounds and led the Portland Pilots to a triple overtime, 114-110, win over the Cougars, Thursday night.

After battling back from an eight-point deficit in the second OT, van der Mars sparked a 7-0 run with a tip-in and two free throws as the Pilots hung on for the win, snapping the BYU's (13-8, 5-3) five-game winning streak.

Haws scored the most of any player in a single game this season, going 17-for-34, with four three pointers and 10 of 13 free throws. Van der Mars was better, however, going 9-for-14 both from the field and the free throw line for a personal single-game career scoring mark. His 18 rebounds matched his total from a 92-76 win over Portland state earlier in the season, also a career-high. Ten of van der Mars' rebounds came off the offensive glass.

A 6'11" junior from the Netherlands, van der Mars recorded his fifth double-double of the season, adding two assists, two steals and a blocked shot in 47 minutes of court time.

The Pilots improved to 12-8 overall and 4-4 in the West Coast Conference.

Nik Stauskas Leads Michigan Past #10 Iowa, 75-67

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Even though the Iowa Hawkeyes were ranked #10 when they entered #21 Michigan's Crisler Center on Wednesday night, they had to be aware that the Wolverines had won seven in a row and were yet to be beaten (5-0) in Big Ten play.

After Nik Stauskas dropped 26 points on them en route to a 75-67 Michigan victory, the Hawkeyes understood why the Big Ten is no place for second-best and winning on the road is a tough task.

Stauskas, the 6'6" sophomore who was part of Michigan's Final Four squad last season, matched a career-high in scoring, hitting eight of 14 shots, including four of nine from three-point range, while adding five rebounds, five assists, a steal and a blocked shot.

The Wolverine starters each played a minimum of 32 minutes in the win, with Stauskas leading the pack with 37 minutes of floor time.

Iowa led early, but traded leads with Michigan, until the Wolverines took control with less than four minutes left in the first half. After taking a 38-34 edge into the break, Iowa trailed the rest of the way, coming to within two points on a couple of occasions early in the second half. Michigan eventually edged away by as many as 11 points, but the Hawkeyes cut it to three with 2:34 remaining. Michigan was unfazed, hitting all six of their free throws in the waning minutes for their eighth straight win and a perfect, 6-0, mark in the conference.

Michigan defeated then-#3 Wisconsin on the 18th, 77-70, and will be tested again when they travel to Michigan State to play the 18-1 Spartans this Saturday. Michigan State leads the Big Ten with a 7-0 mark.