Perfect No More: Syracuse, Illinois, Lobos Fall; Khalif Wyatt's 33 Leads Temple over Orange

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, December 22, 2012

Upsets were the order of the day on a jam-packed Saturday of college hoops action.

Three previously-unbeaten teams took their first losses of the season as Temple dumped #3 Syracuse, 83-79, South Dakota State took the measure of #16 New Mexico, 70-65, and #12 Missouri took home bragging rights from St. Louis, dropping #10 Illinois, 82-73.

The sudden Saturday turn of fortune leaves just four teams without losses. Top-ranked Duke, #2 Michigan, #11 Cincinnati and unranked Wyoming remain perfect.

In games involving teams from the Sunflower State, both the Jayhawks and Wildcats were successful, as #9 Kansas knocked off #7 Ohio State, 74-66, and unranked Kansas State welcomed visiting #8 Florida with their second loss, 67-61.

Getting the nod for top performance of the day was Temple guard Khalif Wyatt, who tallied a game-high and career-high 33 points in Temple's win at the Carrier Dome over the Orange. The 6'4" senior was 8-for-17 from the field, including two treys, but his perfect skill toeing the line, where he was 15-for-15, provided the difference in denying SU coach Jim Boeheim his 901st career victory.

The Owls were a combined 29-for-36 (81%) from the line, while the Orange struggled, making 19 of 34 (56%).

Wyatt added three rebounds and four assists, helping the Owls reach 9-2, which might just be good enough to get a peek at the top 25 when the new polls are released on Monday.

Jack Cooley Leads 12-1 Notre Dame to Easy, 89-67, Win over Niagara

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, December 21, 2012

When Notre Dame's Jack Cooley finds his groove, the result is usually pretty obvious. Cooley gets a ton of points on easy layups and dunks and hustles down a boatload of rebounds.

Such was the case as an unguardable Cooley took his skills to the paint against Niagara University Friday night, pumping in a game high 24 points to go with 15 boards in an 89-67 Irish win, their tenth straight.

So dominant was Cooley's performance that he only had to be on the court for 25 minutes, going 9-for-12 from the field and 6-for-6 from the foul line. It was Cooley's ninth double-double (which he averages: 15.2, 11.3) in 13 games.

For good measure, the 6'9" forward dished out three assists and blocked a pair of shots as the Irish easily took the measure of the Purple Eagles, taking a 42-34 lead into the break before blowing the game open with 47 second half points.

The 22nd-ranked, 12-1 Fighting Irish haven't ventured off campus yet this season, where they are averaging 76.4 points per game. Their 89 in Friday's contest was the second-highest point total of the season, behind only the 82-65 beating they put on Chicago State back in November.

This is the last game the Irish play before opening their Big East schedule on January 5th, when they host Seton Hall. Their first road game of the season is January 7, when they travel to Cincinnati to play the 11th-ranked, 11-0 Bearcats, currently one of eight undefeated teams in the nation.

Mason Plumlee Boosts #1 Blue Devils to 11-0

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, December 20, 2012

On Monday, the Duke Blue Devils were anointed the top spot in the AP Poll.

On Thursday, they showed why they deserve to be #1, with a routine, 78-54, victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium, running their record to 11-0.

Dominating the affairs on the court was senior forward Mason Plumlee, a polished, physical forward who has the look of a certain All-American and a potential player of the year.

Plumlee turned in his usual strong performance with 21 points and 15 boards against the overmatched Phoenix. He was 9-for-14 from the field. Eight of his rebounds came off the offensive glass.

Averaging a double-double (19.3 points, 11.5 rebounds), Plumlee has scored in double figures every game this season while averaging 32.5 minutes. His 64% shooting percentage is in the top 20 nationally, while his rebounding is fifth best in the countryHe has seven double-doubles this season.

Sean Kilpatrick Scores 25 as Cincinnati Downs Xavier

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, December 19, 2012

11th-ranked Cincinnati improved to 11-0 with a 60-45 win over crosstown rival Xavier, and, while the game was of a particularly ugly variety, it was a dramatic improvement over last season's meeting with involved a nasty display of fisticuffs and brawling, multiple ejections and eventual suspensions and a black eye for college hoops in general and the style of ball played in and around Cincinnati in particular.

That style is typified by hard-nosed defense, close defending and a man's game under and often above the rim. Wednesday night's contest had plenty of that, but nothing even approaching a flagrant foul was witnessed as both teams played with dignity without sacrificing toughness.

When it came to toughness, there was none tougher than freshman point guard, Dee Davis, who limped through most of the second half with severe leg cramps, but was largely ineffective.

For the Bearcats, who led almost the entire game, junior guard Sean Kilpatrick was the answer, scoring a game-high 25 points (nearly half of the Bearcat total) with seven rebounds and four steals over 35 minutes of floor time.

While Kilpatrick shot just 37% (10-for-27), his shooting actually boosted the Bearcat average. Cincinnati shot just 33% as a team, making 21 of 64 shots, including 5-for-24 (21%) from three-point range.

The Bearcats weren't exactly lighting it up, but neither were the Musketeers, who were held to 38% shooting, making just two of 13 three-point attempts. Perhaps the best defense of Xavier came from the stripe fifteen feet from the hoop - the foul line - from where the Musketeers could knock home just three of 14 free throws, in a display of foul shooting that would make the likes of Rick Barry turn away in horror.

Kilpatrick, who leads Cincinnati in scoring at 19.7 points per game, has tallied in double figures in all 11 Bearcat wins, and, while the win was ugly, it was still a win, keeping Cincinnati's record perfect at 11-0.

Luke Martinez, Larry Nance Jr., Lead Wyoming to 11-0 Record

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Don't sleep on these Cowboys.

Wyoming, despite their 11-0 record following a Tuesday night win over Denver, 71-61, remains unranked and unloved by pollsters, but the Cowboys have the players and the experience to make some noise in the Mountain West conference, where they share the lead - at 11-0 - with #16 New Mexico.

Out of the same conference, San Diego State and UNLV are also both ranked, #18 and #21, respectively.

Sophomore forward, Larry Nance Jr., son of former NBA star, Larry Nance, is showing that genetics matters, leading the Cowboys - along with senior guard Luke Martinez - to their prefect record with 21 points against the Pioneers.

Nance was 5-for-8 from the field, but converted all 11 of his free throw attempts. Martinez bombed away from the perimeter, scoring a game-high, career-high, 25 points, hitting nine of 12 shots, including 5-for-8 from beyond the arc.

Martinez converted both of his free throws, improving his percentage at the line to 93.1. Nance is hitting foul shots at an 88.4% rate, a stat that usually comes into play during conference play and into the tournament.

As a team, the Cowboys shot a remarkable 65% for the game, making 22 of 34 shots, including 8 of 12 from three-point range.

If you can't stop them and you cant foul them, that's a winning combination.

Jim Boeheim Gets 900th Win as James Southerland Leads Syracuse

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, December 17, 2012

In his 36 years as head basketball coach at Syracuse, Jim Boeheim has had a fair share of easy wins. Monday's victory in the Carrier Dome, Boeheim's 900th - all with the Orange - won't make that list of easy ones.

The Orange rolled out to an early lead, taking a 40-21 edge into intermission on the strength of James Southerland's 3-point shooting, but nearly let the win slip away, as Detroit outscored the Orange by 15 in the second half, cutting the Syracuse lead to just three with 1/2 second left.

Michael Carter-Williams made one of two free throws to increase the lead to four points and the Orange put Boeheim in the record books as just the third coach in division 1 history to record 900 wins with a 72-68 victory.

Southerland led all scorers with 22 points, making seven of 12 from the field, including 5-for-8 from three-point land. Carter-Williams finished with a double-double - 12 points and 10 assists - helping the #3 Orange to a 10-0 record.

Boeheim joins Mike Krzyzewski (936) and Bobby Knight (902) as the only members of the 900-win club.

Fuquan Edwin, Brandon Mobley, Aaron Cosby Lead Seton Hall to 8-2 Mark

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, December 16, 2012

Illinois dumped Eastern Kentucky, 66-53, making eight the number of unbeaten teams in the college hoops universe. The Fighting Illini prevailed at home, running their record to 12-0. Brandon Paul dropped in 17 points and snatched nine boards.

Elsewhere, Seton Hall continued preparations for Big East play with a 77-66 victory over North Carolina A&T, improving to 8-2 with the win.

Fuquan Edwin led all scorers with 26 points on 8-for-12 shooting, making 5 of 7 from beyond the 3-point line. The 6'6" junior also contributed five boards, four assists and had three steals.

Three Pirates accounted for all but six of Seton Halls points. Along with Edwin, Brandon Mobley pitched in 23 to go with his 13 boards, and Aaron Cosby also set a career mark with 21 points.

Mobley and Cosby are both sophomores.

#1 Indiana Topped by Butler; Trey Burke Leads Michigan to 11-0 Mark

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, December 15, 2012

The pollsters seem to have a pretty good feel for which teams are the best in the nation as there were 17 games involving Top 25 teams and all of them except two won. Determining which team deserves to be numero uno is a topic which appears certain to be argued all the way to the Final Four.

Of those 17 Top 25 games, one involved two ranked teams, as the Florida Gators traveled west to tangle with the Arizona Wildcats, and a tangle is was, not decided until Mark Lyons' running floater with seven seconds left finished a furious final minute in which the #8 Wildcats rallied from a six=point deficit to down the #6 Gators, 65-64.

The only other game that came close to matching the intensity of that contest was earlier in the day, at Indiana, where the unranked - but always tenacious - Butler Bulldogs upset #1 Indiana in overtime, 88-86, when 5'11" walk-on, Andrew Barlow, scored on a spinning jumper in the lane with 2.4 seconds left in the extra frame.

Rotnei Clarke, the transferee from Arkansas, scored 19 points and was sensational at both ends of the floor, as was the Bulldogs' Roosevelt Jones, who had 16 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.

The singular performance of the day belonged to #3 Michigan's blue chip point guard, Trey Burke, who teamed with Tim Hardaway Jr. to score 52 of the wolverines' points in an 81-66 victory at West Virginia.

Hardaway tied his season high with 25 points, burying four of eight from three-point range, but Burke topped all scorers with his own season high 27 points, on 12-for-16 shooting with eight assists, six rebounds and three steals, all without committing a single turnover in 38 minutes of floor time.

With the #1 team going down to a narrow defeat, one of the few inactives on the day, #2 Duke, should move up to take over the top spot in Monday's new poll, though Michigan will surely receive a solid number of #1 votes.

The Blue Devils are on an extended break, last seen December 8, ripping apart Temple, 90-67, and won't hit the hardwoods again until December 19, when they host Cornell at Cameron Indoor Arena.

The losses by Florida and Indiana drops the number of undefeated teams down to nine. Along with Duke and Michigan, the unbeaten squads are #4 Syracuse, #8 Arizona, #10 Illinois, #11 Cincinnati, #17 New Mexico and unranked Wyoming and Eastern Kentucky.

Anthony Drmic, Boise State End LSU's Unbeaten Streak

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, December 14, 2012

It's the middle of December, the college hoops season about one month old, so, between cream-puff blowouts, opening tournaments and early season showcase games, there still should be a good number of undefeated teams dotting the hardcourt landscape.

Let's check.

Going into a sparely-populated Friday night (7 games), there were a total of 13 teams that have not suffered a loss.

Going down the AP Top 25 poll, the top five are all perfect. Indiana (9-0), Duke (9-0), Michigan (10-0), Syracuse (8-0) and Florida (7-0). Further down the rankings are #8 Arizona (9-0), #10 Illinois (11-0) and #11 Cincinnati (9-0). Two teams from the Mountain West conference, #17 New Mexico and unranked Wyoming are both 10-0. Eastern Kentucky tops the Ohio Valley East with a 9-0 record.

LSU and Charlotte were unbeaten as of Friday morning, but as darkness fell, so too their unblemished early season marks, as Charlotte was badly damaged by Miami, 77-46, and LSU's trip to Boise State was not very pleasant, as the Broncos pounded the Tigers, 89-70, getting 34 points from sophomore swingman, Anthony Drmic, a highly-touted recruit who played prep ball at the Australian Institute of Sport.

Drmic was 12-for-18 overall, draining six of 10 from three-point range. The Brocos established themselves early, taking a 43-30 lead into the break and cruised to their seventh victory against two losses. Drmic is averaging 14.3 points per contest.

With LSU and Charlotte going down on Friday, the number of unbeaten teams dropped to 11.

Anthony Bennett Leads Youth Movement as UNLV Goes 8-1

College Hoops Player of the Day for DAY, Month, 2012

In sharp relief to the sexagenarian rockers on stage the other night at the concert for Sandy Relief, there's a real youth movement on the UNLV basketball team, which reached 8-1 Thursday night with a 91-44 rout of the La Verne Leopards.

Led by Anthony Bennett's 27 points and 14 boards (both game highs and career highs) the Runnin' Rebels led 38-21 at the break, but really broke the game wide open with 53 second half points, outscoring La Verne by 30.

20th-ranked UNLV shot 53% from the field while holding their opponents to 31% and out-rebounding the 49-19.

The Rebels sport six freshman on their roster, including Katin Reinhart, a starting guard, and three sophomores, from which guard Bryce Dejean-Jones is also a starter.

UNLV's only defeat this season was an 83-79 loss to Oregon. The Rebels have an interesting match-up with another youthful squad - North Carolina - during the holiday break. The Rebels travel to Chapel Hill to play the Tar Heels on Saturday, December 29.

Keith Clanton Goes for 30 as UCF Improves to 5-2

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Memphis usually rules the roost in Conference-USA, but, if Keith Clanton and the Central Florida Knights have their way, that will not be the case this season.

The 6'9" senior forward scored a career high 30 points and tallied his fifth double-double in seven games, leading the Knights to a 72-62 win over visiting Bethune-Cookman.

Clanton was an incredible 14-for-15 from the field, all shots taken and all but one falling from inside the three-point are. Less effective from the free throw line, Clanton hit two of four freebies, adding five of his 13 rebounds on the offensive end.

Having scored in double figures in each of UCF's games, Clanton has led the Knights to a 5-2 record in non-conference, early season games, averaging a double-double (17.4 points, 10.9 rebounds).

Last season, the Knights knocked off Memphis, 69-68, in January, but were pounded by the Tigers in late February by 29 points and in the conference tourney by 31. Clanton and his floor mates hope to improve upon those performances.

Matthew Dellavedova Racks Up 31 in St. Mary's 130-67 Rout

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Another mid-week, light schedule in college hopps saw just 18 games across the country, but a few notable wins.

Michigan, ranked #3, topped Binghamton easily, 67-39, and #10 Illinois remained unbeaten at 11-0, slipping by Norfolk State, 64-54. Surprising Minnesota improved to 11-1 with a 64-54 win over North Dakota State. The Badgers are ranked 13t in the most recent AP poll.

Late night, St. Mary's - 7-2 and unranked - poured in 68 second half points to overwhelm the Jackson State Tigers (0-6), 120-67.

Australian Matthew Dellavedova, the wonder from Down Under, led all scorers with 31 points, the second straight game in which he's tallied that number. The 6'4" senior was bombing away from the outside, making six of eight from three-point range, going 9-for-12 overall and 7-for-7 from the foul line, adding six rebounds and seven assists for the Gaels.

Dellavedova, in addition to being one of the best point guards in the country, is one of the best free-throw shooters around. He's missed just three times this season and is stroking it at 93.3%, hitting 40 of 43.

Otto Porter Helps #15 Hoyas to 8-1 Mark with Career High 22

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, December 10, 2012

#15 Georgetown was the only Top 25 team in action on a very light Monday schedule of just seven games, but the Hoyas did not disappoint, putting 11 players in the scoring column in an 89-53 romp over the Longwood Lancers.

Sophomore sensation, Otto Porter, led the points barrage with a career high 22, adding four rebounds and seven assists to his impressive stat line. Porter went 8-for-11 from the field and made seven of nine free throws n 29 minutes of playing time, the most for any Hoya along with front court mate, junior forward, Nate Lubick.

The Hoyas went 24-9 last season and are off to an 8-1 start with their fifth straight win. Their only setback was an 82-72 loss to Indiana.

Anthony Bennett Scores 25 with 13 Boards to Lead UNLV

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, December 9, 2012

Anthony Bennett, a 6'6" freshman forward, scored 25 points but his teammate, Quintrell Thomas, retrieved an Anthony Marshall air ball, turned and put it back in with 1.2 seconds left to lead the UNLV Runnin' Rebels to a 76-75 win over 6-2 Cal.

The win was #21 UNLV's seventh, against just one loss. Bennett, who led all scorers, nailed nine of 17 shots from the field, was 7-for-11 from the foul line and ripped down 13 rebounds, three on the offensive end. It was the second double-double of the season for the Canadian-born Bennett, who played at Findlay College Prep prior to enrolling at UNLV.

Bennett has scored in double figures every time out for the Rebels and leads the team in scoring and rebounding at 19.5 points and 8.3 boards per game.

The Rebels blew a seven point half time lead, but hung in and were bailed out by Thomas' quick shot at the end of the game for their second straight road win in as many tries. UNLV's only loss was an 83-79 setback to Oregon on November 23. They've since won five in a row.

Brandon Paul Keeps Fighting Illini Perfect with 35 Points Against Gonzaga

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, December 8, 2012

With 21 of the top 25 teams in action on Saturday, choosing a single Player of the Day was no easy feat.

There was Cody Zeller of #1 Indiana, who led the Hoosiers to their ninth win without a loss, defeating hopelessly overmatched Central Connecticut State, 100-69.

Zeller, a top early choice for Player of the Year, had one of his best games of the season, scoring 19 points and hauling down the same number of rebounds.

His effort was gargantuan, but so was Russ Smith's game, as #5 Louisville crushed Missouri Kansas City, 99-47. Smith rolled up 31 points on 12-for-18 shooting, including three treys. He also had seven boards, five assists and five steals. Wow!

However, both of those efforts were against inferior opposition by top-ranked teams. For a look at the game of the day, that honor fell to Brandon Paul, the 6'4" senior leader of the 13th-ranked Fighting Illini, who led his squad to their 10th straight win without a loss, handing #10 Gonzaga their first loss of the season (9-1) with a come-from-behind, 85-74, victory.

Paul, who has scored in double figures every game this season, went off for a season-high 35 points on 10-for-16 shooting (5-for-9 on threes), making 10 of 11 from the foul line while adding four rebounds, three assists, three steals and a pair of blocked shots, turning the ball over just twice.

A starter since joining the Illini as a freshman, Paul seems to savor big games against big opponents. His career high of 43 points came last season against the Ohio State Buckeyes, leading his team to a 79-75 win in one of the biggest Big Ten upsets of the year.

The Illini had a rough season, though, going 6-12 in the conference and losing their opening round game in the conference tourney to Iowa, costing them any chance at further post-season play, but the Illini have turned things around this season and appear poised to challenge Indiana, Michigan and Michigan State for league leadership.

Paul's superior performance on Saturday, on the road against an unbeaten, ranked foe, was perhaps this season's top single-game effort of the 2012-13 season.

VCU Backcourt of Troy Daniels and Treveon Graham Dominate ODU

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, December 7, 2012

An extremely light slate of games graced Friday night, with just 11 contests taking place. After all it is college, and December, so all of those stdents and student athletes were out partying, er... studying for finals, no doubt.

Down at Old Dominion, the Monarchs weren't exactly rulers of their home court, as visiting VCU handed them their seventh straight loss, downing them by an 83-70 final tally.

The Ram back court of senior Troy Daniels and sophomore Treveon Graham teamed for 24 ad 23 points, respectively, with Daniels setting a career high on 8-for-16 shooting, all of his field goals coming from the beyond the three-point line, from where he was 8-for-13.

Graham, who is quickly turning into a big-time scoring threat, having scored in double figures in seven of nine VCU games this season, was 7-for-13 from the field, 8-for-12 from the charity stripe and came up just short of a double-double, with nine boards.

VCU is 6-3, with losses to some solid programs, Duke, Missouri and Wichita State. ODU dropped to 1-8.

Providence Whips Rhode Island on LaDontae Henton's 21 and 17

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, December 6, 2012

The Providence Friars are off to a solid start again, winning their seventh game against two losses (by two points to UMass and three points to Penn State) with a 72-57 whipping of visiting Rhode Island.

Sophomore forward, LaDontae Henton, who has scored in double figures in every game this season, racked up his fourth double-double with 21 points and 17 rebounds for the Friars.

Henton couldn't connect from the outside, missing all three of his attempts from beyond the arc, but was deadly inside, making nine of 13 shots and going 3-for-3 throm the foul line. The 6'6" Henton wiped the boards clean, grabbing four on the offensive end. He also had four steals as the Friars exploded for 45 second half points after taking a 27-26 lead into the break.

Providence outrebounded the Rams, 41-28 and made 24 of 26 free throws. Only four players scored for the Friars, all in double figures, led by Kadeem Batts' game-high 23.

Providence struggled in the Big East last season, finishing with an overall 15-17 record. They went 11-2 in non-conference play, but were just 4-15 within the conference.

Matthew Dellavedova Leads St. Mary's Past Drake, 88-73, with 31 Points

College Hoops Player of the Day for DAY, Month, 2012

When he's on his game, St. Mary's is a winner, and Matthew Dellavedova, the Gaels' senior point guard from Australia, was on it Wednesday night, leading St. Mary's to its sixth win of the season against two losses, ripping Missouri Valley Conference's Drake, 88-73.

Dellavedova led the visiting Gaels to an insurmountable 47-33 lead at the break and continued his superb back court play into the second half, finishing with a game-high 31 points, adding seven assists and five boards. The feisty point guard was 10-for-14 from the field, with four threes on five attempts. He canned seven of eight free throws as the Gaels toed the line 20 times, making 17.

St. Mary's shot 54% for the game, outrebounding the Bulldogs, 38-20. They also distributed the ball well, having 20 assists to just 12 for Drake.

The Gaels, with Dellavedova at the point the last four years, have established a tradition of challenging perennial powerhouse Gonzaga for the top spot in the West Coast conference, and this season seems to be shaping up as more of the same.

Razorbacks Snap 3-Game Skid with 81-78 Win over Oklahoma as Marshawn Powell Pops for 33

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, December 4, 2012

After three straight losses - at Arizona State, at Wisconsin and home to Syracuse - the Arkansas Razorbacks were reeling at 3-3, but at home, hosting the Oklahoma Sooners where junior forward Marshawn Powell took matters into his own hands, lighting up the Sooners with a career-high 33 points in a turbulent, 81-78 victory.

Powell hit on 11 of 17 of his shots, including four of six from three-point range, canning seven of eight from the foul line. As the Sooners cut into Arkansas' 11-point second half lead, eventually taking the advantage at 78-77, the Razorbacks were again in danger of losing, but BJ Young's runner in the lane put Arkansas ahead for good as Oklahoma failed to score on their final possessions.

Young's late basket culminated a 10-point, eight assist night for the sophomore guard, but it was Powell's sharpshooting that carried the Razorbacks most of the night. He also added six rebounds and five assists in an all-round superior effort, scoring just more than a point per minute in his 32 minutes of floor time.

NOTABLE: Just a few days ago - Saturday, to be exact - the Baylor Bears upset the then 8th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats, but on Tuesday night, it was a different bunch of Wildcats - from Northwestern - that turned the tables on the Bears with a 74-70 win on the road.

Baylor's point guard, Pierre Jackson, had his usual double figure game (he's scored in double figures in each of Baylor's eight games this season) with 18 points, but shot just 33%, making 5 of 15 shots as the Northwestern defense scratched and contested every Baylor possession.

While Baylor clicked at just 44%, the Wildcats hit a cool 51% from the field while holding the Bears to just 25% (5-for-20) from the three point line and outrebounding their hosts, 37-24. Northwestern improved to 7-2, dropping the Bears to 5-3.

Jamaal Franklin Has 4th Double-Double as #17 Aztecs Roll to 6-1

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, December 3, 2012

In very light college basketball action Monday (just 14 Division 1 games), Jamaal Franklin stood above the rest, getting 18 points and 15 rebounds in San Diego State's 74-62 victory over Texas Southern.

The 6'5" junior guard continued his extraordinary level of early-season play for the #17 Aztecs with his fourth double-double in seven games, scoring in double figures every game this season.

Franklin led both teams in scoring and rebounding. San Diego State is 6-1.

Ironically, the only team to have beaten the Aztecs this season, Syracuse, was the only other Top 25 team in action Monday. After a slow start, the #4 Orange overwhelmed the Eastern Michigan Eagles, 84-48, as coach Jim Boeheim emptied the bench and got scoring from nine different players.

The Orange are 6-0.

Carl Hall's Double-Double Leads Wichita State to 8-0 Mark

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, December 2, 2012

As the season progresses, keep an eye on the Missouri Valley conference, one of the best, top-to-bottom, small conferences in the country.

Along with perennially-solid squads from Creighton and Southern Illinois, the Wichita State Shockers add to the competitive flavor.

On Sunday, the Shockers improved to 8-0, bringing the Air Force Falcons down to earth in a 72-69 win.

Led by Carl Hall's 21 points and 10 rebounds, the Shockers won their third road game of the season, which includes a 53-51 win at VCU, the team that knocked them out of the NCAA tournament last season with a 62-59 opening round win.

Hall, a 6'8" JUCO transfer, senior forward who's in his second year at Wichita State notched his fourth double-double of the season on 9-for-10 marksmanship from the field. His 21 points was a career high.

The Shockers were one of last season's most successful teams, going 27-6 overall and 17-2 in the Missouri Valley regular season.

Jamaal Franklin's 28 Points Helps San Diego St. Upend UCLA

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, December 1, 2012

Not even a month into the college hoops season, a few trends are developing, not the least of which is the relative parity among conferences - the Big East notwithstanding - the value of having upperclassmen and the over-zealousness of the early polling on big-name programs.

In keeping with those themes, Baylor, a squad sporting plenty of upperclassmen - like senior Pierre Jackson - and experience, took down the over-hyped Kentucky Wildcats - called by some a "one-year program" - 64-55. With two losses this week alone, the 4-3, 8th-ranked Wildcats don't deserve a Top 25 ranking, let alone a top ten one. Of their three losses, two were at home (Duke and Baylor). Message: Stay in school.

Xavier (Atlantic-10) defeated the Big Ten's Purdue, 63-57, off 25 points from Semaj Christon, a freshman guard.

In LA, San Diego State upended UCLA, 78-69, as Junior guard, Jamaal Franklin, lit up the Bruins for 28 points on 9-for-18 shooting from the field and seven of eight free throws. Franklin had three treys, seven boards and three assists, getting support from fellow junior, Xavier Thames, who dropped in 19 points for the 5-1 Aztecs, the nation's 23rd-ranked team.

The Bruins, already unranked, fell to 4-3.

As expected, the Big East came out far ahead at the end of the Big East - SEC Challenge. Going into Sunday with a 6-2 edge in games, Vanderbilt, Cincinnati and Providence notched wins, while Mississippi was the sole winner for the SEC, topping Rutgers, 80-67.

The Big East was hardly "challenged," taking the series nine games to three.

James Southerland Scores 35, Michael Carter-Williams Misses Triple-Double by 1, as Syracuse downs Arkansas

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, November 30, 2012

James Southerland scored a career-high 35 points and SU point guard Michael Carter-Williams nearly had a triple-double as Syracuse defeated Arkansas, 91-82, in Friday's featured game of the Big East - SEC Challenge.

Southerland, the 6'8" senior forward who's averaging 19.2 points per game for the usually-balanced Orange, canning 12 of 17 shots, including an impressive 9-for-13 from three-point land. It was easily Southerland's best game as a collegian, eclipsing his previous high of 22 points, set just about a week ago in a 73-53 Orange win over Princeton.

Carter-Williams added 17 points while hitting the boards for 10 rebounds. The sophomore point guard fell just shy of the triple-double, distributing nine assists, right at his seasonal average of 9.2 per game.

Sixth-ranked Syracuse improved to 5-0 on the season. Unranked Arkansas lost its third straight after starting the season 3-0. The Big East continued to dominate the series, winning all four of Friday's contests. The conferences split four games on Thursday.

The challenge wraps up on Saturday with four more games, highlighted by the match-up of #16 Cincinnati hosting unranked Alabama. Both teams are 6-0. Tip-off is slated for 3:00 pm ET.

Call this one the weirdest game of the season. Georgetown hosted Tennessee as part of the Big East - SEC Challenge, but, as the game wore on, it seemed both teams were challenged... to get the round ball into and through the round rims.

The final score of 37-36, won by Georgetown, tied the Hoyas' lowest point total since 1985. For the Vols, it was their second-lowest scoring output over the same span.

AP writer Joseph White has the full, sad story. Kudos to him or whomever penned the headline, which began with the outstanding descriptor: "Clankfest."

Gonzaga Shoots 64% in 104-57 win; Kyle Dranginis Leads with 30 Points

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, November 29, 2012

Freshman guard Kyle Dranginis, who was averaging less than 15 minutes and 2.67 points per game, exploded for 30 to lead the 7=0 Bulldogs to a 104-57 trouncing of Lewis-Clark State, hitting 12 of 16 shots from the field, including four threes.

The 6'5" Dranginis, who logged more court time than any of his teammates with 34 minutes, wasn't exactly hogging the ball, either, as five of his teammates also scored in double figures. Dranginis distributed seven assists and helped out on the boards, pulling in six rebounds.

Gonzaga, ranked 12th nationally, scored in triple figures for the second time this season. The Bulldogs displayed masterful marksmanship, shooting an incredible 64% (43-for-67)for the game while limiting the visiting Warriors to a mere 37%. They lead the nation in field goal percentage at 54% and are 8th overall in scoring, averaging 85.3 points per game.

Elsewhere, #8 Kentucky was treated rudely by their Notre Dame hosts, as the Fighting Irish posted a 64-50 victory over the Wildcats, one of two wins by the Big East in the opening night of the Big East - SEC Challenge. St. John's got the other Big East win, dumping South Carolina, 89-65. Florida and LSU were winners for the SEC.

The inter-conference showcase continues Friday with four more games, including Tennessee at Georgetown and Arkansas hosting the #6 Syracuse Orange.

Duke Rallies Past Buckeyes on Mason Plumlee's 21 and 17

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, November 28, 2012

After scoring just 23 first half points, the #2 Duke Blue Devils came out and blistered the nets with 50 points to rally past the Ohio State Buckeyes in the final game of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

Freshman Rasheed Sulaimon scored all of his 17 points in the second half and Quinn Cook canned six straight free throws in the final half minute to seal the 73-68 win, keeping Duke undefeated at 7-0 while sending the fourth-ranked Buckeyes to their first loss of the season (4-1). Mason Plumlee delivered another stunning performance as the Buckeyes could not contain the big man inside.

Plumlee hit six of 11 shots and was 9-for-12 from the foul line, tallying a game high 21 points while snatching 17 rebounds, matching his a career high, set just a week ago in an 89-71 victory over Minnesota. The 6'10" senior is averaging a double-double on the year, scoring an average of 19.9 points with 11 rebounds per game.

After Big Ten teams took four of six on Tuesday, the first night of the challenge, the ACC stormed back with four wins of their own on Wednesday, evening the series for the year at six wins for each conference. The stunner of the night was Miami's 67-59 victory over #13 Michigan State. It was the Spartans' second loss of the season. They opened their season with a 66-62 loss to Connecticut, but won five straight after that, including a 67-64 win over Kansas.

Michigan Improves to 6-0 on Trey Burke's Double-Double

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, November 27, 2012

The annual ACC-Big Ten Challenge got underway Tuesday night with six games matching up teams from two of the nation's top conferences. Big Ten teams got off to a solid start, winning four of the games, including Indiana's one-sided, 83-59, win over North Carolina and Minnesota's 77-68 victory at Florida State.

One of the more intriguing set-ups was #18 North Carolina State traveling to Michigan to face the #3 Wolverines. The Wolf Pack came into the game at 4-1, following a devastating, 76-56, home loss to unranked Oklahoma State and a close call in an 82-80 win over NC-Asheville.

Host Michigan sported a 5-0 record at tip time, and, thanks to a big effort by point guard, Trey Burke, remained unbeaten at the buzzer, with a hard-fought, 79-72, victory.

Burke, a sophomore who averaged 14.8 points and 4.6 assists as a freshman, scored 18 points on 5-for-9 shooting, including three treys. He also established a new career high in assists, with 11, for his first career double-double. Burke, handling the ball on most of Michigan's possessions, did not commit a turnover in his 37 minutes of playing time.

Jeff Withey's Triple-Double Leads #10 Jayhawks

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, November 26, 2012

Monday's sparse hardcourt activity saw the #10 Kansas Jayhawks improve to 5-1 with a 70-57 victory over San Jose State, the Spartans' failing effort led by James Kinney's game high 30 points.

While the Jayhawks encountered some difficulty containing the shot-happy Kinney (he took 26 of 65 Spartan shots, making 11), center Jeff Withey enjoyed life in the middle, coming up with a triple-double, scoring 16 points on 7-for-11 shooting, meanwhile ripping down a dozen rebounds and blocking the same number of San Jose State shots.

A seven-footer, Withey is considered to be one of the most solid interior players this season. The triple-double was the first of his four-year career at Kansas. Last season, he came within one block of the rare feat against Long Beach State, and, later, against staunch rival Kansas State.

The Jayhawks only loss was to Michigan State, a 67-64 defeat in which Withey was held to eight points and seven boards.

Elias Harris Leads Gonzaga to 6-0 with 24 Point Effort

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, November 25, 2012

Headed into Sunday's game with Davidson, the Gonzaga Bulldogs, ranked 17th in the last poll, look like the giant-killer they've always been under coach Mark Few.

With their 81-67 win over the Wildcats, the Zags improved to 6-0 and almost certainly will move up a few notches - possibly into the top 10 - when the new poll is released Monday afternoon.

Senior forward Elias Harris, who has averaged 13.6 points and 7.3 rebounds in his four years as a starter for Gonzaga, scored a season-high 24 points to lead all scorers on 9-for-11 shooting. Harris notched his second double-double of the season with 10 rebounds as he controlled the interior on both ends while Kevin Pangos dominated the outside, hitting five of nine three-pointers for his 23 points.

Elsewhere, #6 Syracuse defeated Colgate for the 47th consecutive time, 87-51; #15 Michigan State survived a scare from visiting Louisiana-Lafayette, 63-60; #1 Indiana demolished Ball State, 101-53; and Shabazz Muhammad's double-double was not enough to prevent UCLA from losing its second game of the season, 70-68, to Cal Poly.

The Bruins entered the week ranked #11, but lost to Georgetown on Monday, narrowly defeated Georgia, 60-56, and appear headed to the lower rungs of the Top 25 if not ending up unranked come Monday afternoon.

Doug McDermott Pours in 29 for Creighton to Capture Las Vegas Invitiational

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, November 24, 2012

Nearly unstoppable last season at 22.9 points per game, Creighton's Doug McDermott is off to another sensational start for the Bluejays as he scored 29 points in an 87-73 win over Arizona State to capture the Las Vegas Invitational.

The 6'8" junior forward hit 10 of 19 shots from the field and canned eight of 11 from the charity stripe while hauling down nine boards.

McDermott helped Creighton to a win in the tournament's opening round with a game-high 30 points against Wisconsin on Friday. The Bluejays cruised to an 84-74 win over the Badgers.

McDermott is averaging 21 points and 7.8 rebounds per game this season. 6-0 Creighton is ranked 14th in the AP Poll.

Wrapping up other holiday tournaments, Cincinnati scored 42 first half points en route to a 77-66 win over Oregon to grab the Global Sports Classic title; #5 Duke topped #2 Louisville, 76-71, winning the Battle for Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas.

The Blue Devils placed five players in double figures and made 23 of 27 free throws.

Richard Howell Saves Wolf Pack in 82-80 Win

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, November 24, 2012

Bucketfuls of Top 25 action adorned the holiday hoops weekend. For some, life was a breeze; for others, just hanging on to a ranking was enough.

Down on Tobacco Rosd, in Raleigh, North Carolina, the Wolf Pack had their hands full with unwelcome guests from NC-Asheville, as Jeremy Atkinson led all scorers with 28 points and the Bulldogs led most of the game, until Richard Howell bailed out the 16th-ranked Wolfpack, scoring the go-ahead bucket with 3:06 remaining in an 82-80 NC State victory.

Howell, a 6'8" senior forward, scored 23 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, registering his second double-double of the season. The Wolfpack improved to 4-1, bouncing back from a 76-56 drubbing by Oklahoma State on November 18.

Howell was 8-for-10 from the field and 7-for-11 from the foul line. Five of his 15 boards were offensive.

Elsewhere, in the "romp-over-cupcake" category, #3 Ohio State blasted Missouri-Kansas City, 91-45; #8 Kentucky bombed LIU Brooklyn, 104-75.

In the best holiday tournament action, the Battle for Atlantis got down to two teams for the finals, with #5 Duke topping a determined and sure to be heard from again VCU squad, 67-58.

On the other side of the draw, #2 Louisville erased Missouri, 84-61. Russ Smith popped in 18 points, but junior forward matched a career high with 19 points on six of nine shooting, making five of seven threes in just 21 minutes.

For the Memphis Tigers, the trip to the Bahamas was a veritable disaster. After losing to VCU in the opening round, 78-65, the Tigers were humbled in a consolation game by Minnesota, 84-75. The #19 Tigers went from 2-0 to 2-2 in the span of 24 hours and are unlikely to remained ranked when the new poll is released on Monday.

Also encountering early season issues was #18 UNLV, losing at home to Oregon, 83-79. The Runnin' Rebels are 2-1.

Mason Plumlee Paces Duke in 89-71 win over Minnesota

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, November 22, 2012

In between mounds of mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy, some college squads got in a little hoop action on Thanksgiving, like the Duke Blue Devils, who are spending the holiday weekend in the Bahamas at the Battle for Atlantis tourney in Nassau, where they dispatched Minnesota, 89-71, earning a ticket the to a semi-final game against VCU, 78-65 upset winners over Memphis. The two sqauds will tip off at 7:00 pm ET.

Duke got an enormous effort fromsenior forward, Mason Plumlee, who scored 20 points on 6-for-11 shooting and eight of 10 free throws. Plumlee also matched his career high rebounding total with 17, five on the offensive end, notching his second double-double of the young season. Seth Curry pitched in a game-high 25 points for the Blue Devils.

With Plumlee playing a big part - averaging a double-double, with 21.3 points and 10.8 boards, Duke is off to its usual strong start, at 4-0, ranked #5 in the most recent poll.

In the other half of the tournament draw, #13 Missouri matches up against #2 Louisville. Both the Tigers and Cardinals are 4-0.

There is a veritable feast of college basketball on tap Friday through Sunday, with tournaments nationwide, including the Old Spice Classic in Kissimmee, Florida; the Great Alaska Shootout in Ancorage; the DirecTV Classic in Anaheim, California and the Preseason NIT at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Grinnell's Jack Taylor Sets New NCAA Scoring Mark with 138 Points

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, November 20, 2012

This is a special edition of CBD

The collegiate single-game scoring record stood for 58 years until Jack Taylor bombed away for an incredible 138 points Tuesday night in Grinell College's 179-104 victory over Faith Bible Baptist.

Taylor had a mere 58 points at half time, and finished his shooting spree with 80 in the second frame, 52-for-108, including 27 of 71 from the three-point line.

The previous NCAA record of 113 points, set by Bevo Francis of Rio Grande against Hillsdale, in 1954, was shattered by Taylor's incredible performance.

Grinnell College is located in Grinnell, Iowa. Grinnell is a Division III school.

Cashmere Wright Leads Bearcats to 4-0 Record; Indiana Survives over Hoyas, Tar Heels Dumped by Butler

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, November 20, 2012

As his name implies, Cincinnati's Cashmere Wright is a smooth operator, capable of putting up points from anywhere on the floor, as he did in Wednesday night's 91-72 victory over Campbell, the Bearcats' fourth straight win without a loss.

A 6-foot senior guard out of Savannah, Georgia, Wright tallied a game-high and career-high 28 points for the Bearcats, hitting four of six from three-point range on 8-for-14 shooting overall. Wright also canned eight of 10 free throws, distributed a pair of assists, and made five steals, making up for his four turnovers.

As usual, the Bearcats are pounding lesser opposition in their early season tune-up phase, preparing for headier days ahead when Big East play commences.

Elsewhere, various tournaments were displaying some of the best talent around. In Hawaii, at the annual Maui Invitational, Butler had an incredibly easy time defeating #9 North Carolina, leading the Tar Heels by as many as 27 points as they cruised to an 82-71 win in one of two semi-final games.
A night after topping Marquette by a point to advance, the 3-1 Bulldogs were paced by 17 points apiece from Kellen Dunham and Rotnei Clarke. They held North Carolina to 18 first half points, rolling to a 17-point lead at the break. Butler will face Illinois - an 84-61 winner over Chaminade - in the tournament final Wednesday night. The Bulldogs and Fighting Illini are both unranked.

In Brooklyn, top-ranked Indiana held off a determined Georgetown team, finally dispatching the Hoyas in overtime, 82-72, to capture the Legends Classic title at the Barclays Center.

The Hoosiers are 4-0. Georgetown dropped to 3-1, but should not be disappointed with the result of their trip to the Big Apple. The Hoyas tore up #11 UCLA in the tourney semi-final and fared well against one of the nation's best teams in the championship game. A Top 25 ranking for the youthful Hoyas, who have no seniors on their roster, is a good likelihood in the near future.

Otto Porter Buries UCLA as Georgetown wins in Brooklyn

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, November 19, 2012

UCLA got their star recruit into the mix, as Shabazz Muhammad was reinstated off suspension prior to their trip to the Brooklyn, NY, and a meeting with the Georgetown Hoyas in the Progressive Legends Classic tournament at the Barclays Center.

While Muhammad fit right in, scoring 15 points in 25 minutes, the 11th-ranked Bruins were undone by an underrated, unranked Georgetown squad that improved to 3-0 with a 78-70 victory.

Markel Starks, a junior guard, led all scorers with 23 points, but 6'8" sophomore forward, Otto Porter, put on an impressive, double-double performance with 18 points on 6-for-10 shooting, making both of his attempts from beyond the arc, cashing in four of five free throws and nabbing 11 rebounds.

When Porter wasn't busy scoring or rebounding, he got busy dishing to teammates, totaling five assists, or defending, with five blocked shots and three steals.

The game was Porter's first of full time action of the season, having sat against Liberty this past Wednesday due to concussion symptoms resulting from an injury sustained in the Hoyas' season-opening win over Duquesne on November 11. Porter played only six minutes in that game before sitting out with dizziness.

His 35 minutes on the floor against UCLA proved invaluable, as the Bruins found few openings in the Hoya zone defense, within which Porter excelled. The Bruins were held to 41% shooting and just 5-for-19 on threes (26%). On their offensive end, Georgetown sizzled, shooting a cool 55% for the game with seven of 14 threes.

The Bruins dropped to 3-1.

Georgetown will face #1 Indiana in the tournament championship game, Tuesday night, with tip time slated for 10:00 pm ET.

Sean Kilpatrick's 29 Leads Cincinnati to 3-0 Record

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, November 18, 2012

It was back to routine routs for Top 25 teams playing unranked, lesser opponents on Sunday and finishing up tip-off tourneys for others.

A few of the bigger blowouts included #2 Louisville ripping Miami (OH), 80-39, #8 Syracuse's, 88-57, toppling of Wagner, and #19 Gonzaga taking out South Dakota, 96-58.

Brady Haslip pumped in 29 points to lead the #16 Baylor Bears over St. John's, 97-78.

There were a couple of games that didn't exactly come off as planned. #23 Connecticut was taken to double overtime by tiny Quinnipiac before finally prevailing, 89-83. Shabazz Napier led all scorers with 29 points, but made only eight of 23 shots.

#6 NC State lost at home, badly, being roped and tied by the Oklahoma State Cowboys, 76-56. The Wolfpack were held to 36% shooting and made only half (8-16) of their free throws, dropping to 3-1. The Wolfpack becme the seventh Top 25 team to record a loss in just the first nine days of play, assuring a major shake-up in the national rankings.

Cincinnati's 93-39 palindromic victory over NC A&T may have been the most lopsided rout of the day, in which Sean Kilpatrick buried eight of 12 three-pointers and made 10 of 15 overall to lead all scorers with a career high 29 points.

In just 26 minutes of floor time, Kilpatrick, a 6'4" junior swingman, hauled in seven boards, dished five assists and made two steals.

Cincinnati, ranked 24th, is 3-0, and almost certain to move up in the new poll out Monday.

DeShaun Thomas Leads #4 Buckeyes to 69-58 Win

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, November 17, 2012

DeShaun Thomas score 25 points to lead the Buckeyes to a 69-58 win over Rhode Island in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off tournament in Connecticut.

Thomas had ten rebounds for the fourth-ranked Buckeyes, who play Washington in the tournament final on Sunday afternoon. It was his first double-double of the season. The Buckeyes are 2-0.

The 6'7" junior forward hit 9 of 18 shots from the field, including going 3-for-5 on three-pointers. Thomas played a full 40 minutes and is averaging 22.0 points per game after scoring 19 against Albany in Ohio State's season opening win.

Last season, Thomas averaged 15.9 points and 5.4 rebounds.

Ronald Roberts Jr. Leads St. Joseph's Upset Win over #20 Notre Dame

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, November 16, 2012

With plenty of tip-off tournaments and Thanksgiving tourneys underway, there was plenty of college hoops action on Friday, a weekday that later on in the season will be fairly bland, unless you're a big fan of Ivy League basketball.

Anyhow, for now, we're loving it, and the biggest upset of the night had to be Colorado's 60-58 victory over #16 Baylor. The Bears had a shot at the buzzer that would have sent the game into OT, but missed.

That makes six ranked teams that already have lost a game. The others are Kentucky, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Kansas. Quite a list, considering we're only a week into the season. Surely, there will be more to come.

One of those ranked teams suffering defeat was Notre Dame, beaten by St. Joseph's, out of the traditionally-tough Atlantic 10 conference. The two met up in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, and it was a classic, with the Hawks winning, 79-70, in overtime.

The main contributor to the demise of the Fighting Irish was St. Joseph junior forward, Ronald Roberts Jr., who tallied 21 points on 5-for-12 shooting, making good on 11 of 16 free throws and doing serious board damage with 16 rebounds, nine of which were on the offensive glass. Roberts also had a pair of blocked shots in his second straight double-double for the 2-0 Hawks, the first coming in St. Joseph's, 61-35, rout of a pretty good Yale squad, back on Monday, November 12.

St. Joseph's win may not have been pretty, but their defense, especially on the interior, was effective, limiting the Irish to 39% shooting, though Notre Dame did hit 10 threes on 28 shots. The Hawks had fewer shot attempts than the Irish, but cashed on 47% of their opportunities. They also went to the free throw often, making 19 of 24 attempts (79%).

Another player with a huge game was Roberts' front court running mate, Halil Kanacevic, who went 6-12 for 15 points, adding eight boards, six assists, three steals and three blocked shots.

As Dick Vitale might put it, that's some serious stat sheet stuffing, baby!

Davon Usher Lights Up Northwestern for 35 as MSVU Loses Third Straight

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, November 15, 2012

There were blowouts aplenty among Top 25 teams on Thursday night. #1 Indiana improved to 3-0 with a breezy, 99-45, victory over Sam Houston. Louisville, ranked #2, blew past Samford, 80-54.

After trailing 36-28 at the break, #7 Kansas scored 41 in the second half and ripped Chattanooga, 69-55. #6 Villanova humbled Penn State, 72-65, in the Puerto Rico Tip Of, and #13 UCLA - still awaiting word on the eligibility of Shabazz Muhammad - pounded James Madison, 100-70.

But, hidden within the plethora of scores and stats around the college hoops universe, Davon Usher, a 6'5" junior guard, lit it up for 35 points as his Mississippi Valley Delta Devils dropped their third straight - all on the road - in an 81-68 defeat at Northwestern.

Usher hit 12 of 18 shots from the field, including 7-8 three-pointers, adding a fo4-for-4 effort from the line and seven rebounds. He single-handedly kept the Devils in the hunt, hitting a three-point shot to knot the score at 58-all, but the Wildcats pulled away in the final minutes, outscoring MSVU, 23-10, down the stretch.

The South Baltimore native is averaging 22.3 points per game while seeing over 37 minutes of court time.

Usher, who toiled his first two years of eligibility in junior college, at Polk State College in Lakeland, Florida, figures to make the most of his two years in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC)

The Delta Devils have an imposing early schedule. They've already visited Mississippi and Cincinnati and will continue their non-conference road trip for six more games - including stops at LSU, Virginia, Virgiia Tech and TCU - before opening SWAC play at Arkansas Pine Bluff.

Last season, the Devils followed a similar route, going 1-11 before reeling off 17 straight wins to capture the conference title and went on to win three games in the conference tournament to qualify for the automatic bid to the NCAAs.

That's where the road ended, with a 59-58 loss to Western Kentucky in the opening round. With Usher now adding to the mix, keep an eye out for the Delta Devils as the season progresses. They are among the favorites to win the SWAC for a return visit to the Big Dance in March.

NOTABLE:
Norman Powell, UCLA: 10-14, 27 Pts, 3 Rebs, 5 Assists
Darrun Hilliard, Villanova: 7-10, 22 Pts, 3 Rebs
T.J. Warren, NC State: 9-12, 22 Pts, 8 Rebs
Pierre Jackson, Baylor: 10-15, 31 Pts, 2 Rebs, 7 Assists

Erik Murphy Leads #10 Gators over Badgers with 24 Points

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, November 14, 2012

While the pundits, broadcasters and analysts ooh and aah over John Calipari's success at Kentucky and his youthful 2012-13 squad, there's another SEC team that almost surely will challenge the Wildcats for the conference championship this season: the Florida Gators.

Coached by Billy Donovan - who, by the way, has two national championships on his resume - the Gators have depth, balance and experience, which was on display Wednesday night in a nationally-televised (ESPN), 74-56 rout of a very solid Wisconsin team that was ranked #22 in the latest poll.

The 10th-ranked Gators pt up an early lead and were never challenged by the Badgers, who were held to 36% shooting by the active Florida defenders.

Senior Erik Murphy, who averaged 10.5 points per game last season, matched his career high (notably achieved in a 74-71 loss to Kentucky in last season's SEC tournament) with 24 points on perfect 10-for-10 shooting, including a pair of three-pointers, 2-for-2 from the foul line, with four offensive and four defensive boards.

Murphy led all scorers in his 33 minutes of floor time. The Gators sizzled at 62% shooting and hit 16 of 20 shots from the foul line (80%).

The 2-0 Gators should move up in next week's poll, probably past #3 Kentucky, after the Wildcats dropped a 75-68 decision at home to Duke on Tuesday.

Jordan Adams Cans 16 of 16 Free Throws as UCLA Escapes UC Irvine in OT

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Jordan Adams scored six of his game-high, career-high 26 points in overtime, helping #13 UCLA to a 2-0 record with an 80-79 nail-biter over UC Irvine.

Jordan made all sixteen of his free throws, including four in overtime, having less success from the field, where he was 5-for-12.

A 6'5" freshman out of Oak Hill Academy, Adams promises to be one of the top free throw shooters in the nation. In the Bruins opener, he made five of six and is shooting at 95% from the line.

Last season, UCLA made the NCAA tournament out of a weak PAC-12 field, winning their opening round game over Michigan State, 78-76, but falling to Florida in the next round, 73-65. The Bruins finished the 2011-12 season with a 19-14 record.

NOTABLE:

Sean Kilpatrick, Cincinnati: 9-12, 20 points, 8 rebounds
Tray Woodall, Pittsburgh: 8-13, 23 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists
Keith Clanton, UCF: 9-10, 20 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists

Kansas State 87 Alabama-Huntsville 26 - OK, we all know that this is the time of year that good teams from major conferences have on their schedules games against teams from small conferences that simply can't compete at the same level, but this score is a little embarrassing.

The division II Chargers didn't have any player score more than four points. As a team, they shot 16% from the field, including three three-pointers, but they took 33 shots from outside the arc, a percentage of .091. Kansas State also held a 55-22 edge in rebounding and shot 56% for the game.

Jaime Smith, the co-high scorer for the Chargers, made two of 12 from the field, but was 0-for-9 from long range.

Kadeem Batts, Bryce Cotton Combine for 51 Points as Providence Rolls

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, November 12, 2012

There are so many good teams and good players in the Big East, it's tough to keep track of them all, but keep an eye on Kadeem Batts and Bryce Cotton the inside-outside duo for the Providence Friars who combined for 51 of their team's points in an 81-49 thrashing of Bryant College.

The Friars are 2-0 and will probably be 11-0 or 10-1 or something like that before Big East play gets underway in late December, early January.

Cotton a 6'1" junior guard, scored 24 points on 6-for-13 shooting - including 4 of 7 from 3-point range - made 8 of 11 free throws, ripped down 11 boards and handled six assists, while his inside partner, Batts, was 12-for-15, scoring 27 points with 9 rebounds and 2 assists.

The 6'8" Batts, also a junior, fell just short of a double-double, a feat he accomplished just twice last season in limited playing time. The Friars were just 4-14 in Big East play last season, but they soldier on in the nation's most rigourous conference.

NOTABLE:

Cody Zeller, Indiana: 8-12, 22 points, 9 rebounds
Trey Burke, Michigan: 8-19, 22 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists
Garrick Sherman, Notre Dame: 8-10, 22 points, 9 rebounds
Fuquan Edwin, Seton Hall: 7-19, 23 points, 10 rebounds

Ryan Anderson Sets Career Highs with 29 and 17 in Boston College Victory

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, November 11, 2012

Buried within the ranks of the ACC, Boston College hasn't made much noise inside the conference dominated by the Tobacco Road teams, notably, Duke and North Carolina, but they may have a spark-plug this season in Ryan Anderson, a 6'8" sophomore forward from Lakewood, California, who pumped in 29 points in BC's, 84-70, season-opening win over Florida Atlantic.

Anderson was 9-for-16 from the field and hit 11 of 14 free throws. He also snatched 17 rebounds - eight offensive - both his scoring and rebounding career highs.

The Eagles took care of business in the opening half, posting a 49-33 edge at the break. Three other BC players scored in double figures, each scoring exactly a dozen points. Besides winning the point total, BC also enjoyed a sizable rebounding advantage, pulling down 46 boards to 28 for the Panthers.

Not completely off the radar as a true freshman, Anderson notched double-double efforts seven times last season, even as the Eagles went 9-22. With a little help from teammates, BC may actually be competitive in the rough-and-ready ACC, though nobody is expecting them to challenge for the top spot.

A trip to the NCAA tournament would be a suitable goal, though realists understand that the best the Eagles may do this season is .500 in the conference and an invite to the NIT.

Other Notable Efforts:
Aaron Craft, Ohio State: 20 points, 7 assists, 2 rebounds
Ryan Arcidiacono, Villanova: 25 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds
C.J. Fair, Syracuse: 17 points, 10 rebounds

Isaiah Sykes Powers UCF to Upset Win at South Florida, 74-56

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, October 10, 2012

For the South Florida Bulls, Saturday's meeting with the University of Central Florida was not supposed to go this way.

Bad enough that the Bulls play in the tough Big East and missed a bid for the NCAA tournament with a 19-12 record last season, but getting ripped at home by the Knights was not exactly in the playbook.

Trouble was, the Bulls could not find a player - or even two - to handle match-up nightmare, Isaiah Sykes, a 6'5" junior guard out of Detroit, who lit up the Bulls for 26 points in UCF's 74-56 road win.

Sykes did all of his damage from within the three-point arc, not even attempting a long-range shot, hitting 10 of 16 from the field. When he wasn't scoring, Sykes was hauling down rebounds, getting 11 (five offensive), or dishing to teammates, which he did successfully on eight assists.

Sykes averaged 12.3 points and 6.4 rebounds last season, but has begun the 2012-13 campaign with a bang. He still needs to work on his foul shots, as he made just six on 14 trips to the charity stripe against the Bulls.

UCF raced out to a 40-24 half time lead and coasted to the win, outscoring their hosts by two in the second half. UCF had a huge edge on the boards, 45-26, and held South Florida to 36% shooting.

If their opening game is any kind of indication, the Knights may challenge Memphis (currently ranked 17) for the Conference USA title. UCF handed Memphis a 68-67 defeat in January, but were demolished by the Tigers twice later in the 2011-12 season.

They were 22-10 overall last season, ending their campaign in mid-March with a 81-56 loss to Drexel in the NIT tournament.

Sykes and his teammates have bigger and better ideas about this season.

College Hoops Tips Off; Dee Davis of Xavier Stars in 117-75 Rout

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, November 9, 2012

College hoops tipped off with a flurry of activity Friday night, including blowout mismatches by #1 Indiana (97-54 over Bryant College), #5 Michigan's 100-62 victory over Slippery Rock, and a close call by #3 Kentucky, getting by Maryland, 72-69.

One of the more lopsided and dominant wins was turned in by unranked Xavier, a perennial Atlantic 10 powerhouse, which got 22 points and 15 assists from Sophomore Dee Davis, in their 117-75 romp over Farleigh Dickenson.

Davis, who played sparingly last season as a freshman, is the starting point guard on this year's Musketeer squad and he came through with a standout performance, hitting 8 of 11 shots from the field, including 5-for-7 from three-point range.

Turning the ball over just three times, for an exceptional assist-to-turnover ratio of 5-1, Davis, a six-footer out of Bloomington, Indiana, had a steal and four rebounds.

The game was never very much in doubt after Xavier opened a big, early lead and had the visiting Knights down 68-32 by the half.

The Musketeeers were ousted from the NCAA tournament last year by Baylor, 75-70, ending the season with a respectable record of 23-13.

Scion FR-S Debuts in June

I don't know about anybody else, but during the hoops off-season, there's nothing like tooling around in a sports car and this new Scion FR-S looks sweet. Can't wait to get down to my dealer and take one for a test drive.

I'll take mine in that hot lava color, thank you.

Here's some info and specs, for all you fellow auto enthusiasts.


Brought to you by the all new Scion FR-S

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Kentucky Captures 8th National Championship with 67-59 Win over Kansas

After a grueling college basketball season and the rigors of the NCAA tourney, fans got the match-up they wanted when the Wildcats and Jayhawks met in the New Orleans Superdome to decide the national championship.

For Kentucky, the game broke down to a frenetic first half and a test of stamina and perseverance in the second, holding off a determined Kansas squad to capture its eighth title with a 67-59 victory.

Kentucky led by as many as 18 points in the first half, which ended with a 41-27 Wildcat advantage. The Wildcats were too quick for Kansas and pushed the ball upcourt with relentless ferocity and were also efficient with the basketball, making 16 of 30 field goal attempts (53%). Though they committed five first half turnovers, the Wildcats dished nine assists and out-rebounded Kansas, 22-14 through the first 20 minutes.

The Jayhawks struggled on offense, hitting just 33% of their first half shots (11-33) but picked up the scoring pace after the break, scoring the first three points of the second half to cut briefly into the Kentucky lead.

As had been their forte throughout the tournament, the Jayhawks deployed their defense to claw back into the fray, though this time they would come up short as Kentucky had forged too big a lead and was reluctant to slow the game down and offer any hope to the Kansans.

With 12:30 remaining, Kansas had cut the lead to 10 points, but Doron Lamb made two three-pointers within a 38 second span to give Kentukcy its largest second half lead, at 54-38.

Anthony Davis, who made only one field goal in the game but dominated the interior with a game high 16 rebounds and six blocks, hit a short baseline jumper with 5:10 left to boost Kentucky back to a 59-44 lead that signaled the end was in sight.

Kansas was relentless down the stretch, however, eventually cutting the lead down to five points when Thomas Robinson made a pair of free throws with 1:37 to go, but that was as close as the Jayhawks would get. Kentucky's Marcus Teague made two of three free throws and Lamb sunk a pair from the foul line with 17.5 seconds left to complete the scoring.

Elijah Johnson threw up a three-point attempt as time wound down, the ball suitably ending up in the hands of Davis as the final buzzer sounded.

Kentucky had survived, giving John Calipari the most cherished coaching prize in college basketball, his first national championship after three years of building the Kentucky program into an NBA feeding ground.

The scrambled second half took its toll on the stat sheet. Kentucky made just seven of 26 shots in the last 20 minutes, finishing with a shooting percentage of 41% for the game. Kansas shot just 35.5%, making 22 of 62 field goals attempts. Kentucky turned the ball over just 11 times - to nine for Kansas - and won the battle of the boards, 39-34.

Freshman Anthony Davis will not likely return to Kentucky, taking the route of winning the national title straight to the NBA, as did Carmello Anthony after his championship with Syracuse in 2002.

The Kentucky program may be decimated by the NBA draft, as, along with Davis, fellow freshmen Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marquis Teague could also go pro. Sophomore Terrance Jones will almost certainly opt for an early exit as well, leaving only Lamb, a sophomore, as the only returnee from the starting five.

Leading all scorers with 22 points on 7-for-12 shooting, including three 3-pointers and 5 of 6 from the foul line, Doron Lamb's contribution cannot be understated. While Davis had one of his worst shooting performances (1-for-10) of his brief collegiate career, it was Lamb who picked up the scoring, with 12 in the first half and 10 in the second. He is College Basketball Daily's final player of the day for the 2011-12 season.

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Conference Tournament Scoreboard FINAL

With Kentucky's victory in the final, the SEC proved to be the best conference through the tournament, racking up an impressive 11-3 record. with the Big Ten and Big 12 also putting in impressive performances. With nine losses and just 14 wins, maybe it's time for the selection committee to pare down the number of Big East teams invited next season, though Louisville may argue with that scenario.

The worst record was that of the Mountain West, which sent four teams but won just one game (New Mexico). The PAC-12 sent just two teams - Cal and Colorado - and won only one game, that being Colorado's win over UNLV, while Cal fell in one of the play-in games, to South Florida.

2012-2013 will see a good number of teams shifting of conferences, but clearly, the best basketball is being played East of the Mississippi, primarily in the heartland, mid-atlantic and mid-southern states.

Through games of Monday, April 2

Conference	W	L
Atlantic-10	4	4
ACC	6	5
Big East	14	9
Big Ten	11	5
Big 12	10	7
Conf-USA	0	2
Missouri Valley	1	2
Mountain West	1	4
Ohio Valley	1	1
PAC-12	1	2
SEC	11	3
West Coast	2	3
All others	7	20

Kentucky Captures National Championship, 67-59, over Kansas

Kentucky captured the NCAA Men's basketball national championship with a 67-59 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks, Monday, April 2, 2012, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Complete report, recap and player of the game on Tuesday, April 3, 2012.

NCAA Final Preview: Kansas- Kentucky Final One for the Ages

NCAA National Championship - Kentucky Wildcats vs. Kansas Jayhawks - 9:23 pm EDT

Just in case you've been asleep under a rock the past month, tonight's the night, the BIG ONE, for all the college hoops marble, the national championship final pitting the Kentucky Wildcats against the Kansas Jayhawks.

They are the two winningest programs in collage basketball. Kentucky has 2,089 victories all-time, while Kansas is a close second with 2070.

Without a doubt, this one will be a thriller. It has all the elements of a classic that will be looked back upon when maybe half a dozen of the players on the court tonight will be NBA stars.

Two of the greatest college hoops programs feature two exceptional coaches. Kansas' Bill Self has done nothing but win in his nine years with the Jayhawks, compiling a record of 269 wins and 52 losses, a winning percentage of .839, seven straight Big 12 regular season championships and five Big 12 tournament titles, a national championship in 2008 and his second trip to the Final Four.

John Calipari, coach of the Kentucky Wildcats, has had his sights set on winning a national championship since he set foot on the Kentucky campus in 2009. In three season, Coach Cal has produced a record of 101-14, winning the SEC championship each year and is making his second straight Final Four appearance.

The teams are highly regarded, as Kentucky owns the best overall record this season at 37-2, while Kansas went through the 2011-12 season with a 32-6 tally. Both teams lost in their conference tournaments, Kentucky falling to Vanderbilt in the SEC final, while the Jayhawks were ousted from the Big 12 tourney by Baylor in a semi-final meeting.

Featured in the game will be the two leading player of the year candidates, Kentucky's Anthony Davis and Kansas' Thomas Robinson. Freshman Davis averages 14 points and 10 rebounds and is a shot-blocking specialist, setting the single-season record for blocked shots. Robinson is the complete power forward, averaging 17.9 points and 11.6 boards.

While those two will almost certainly wage a battle royal in the lane, their running mates, UK forward Terrance Jones and Kansas 7-footer Jeff Withey will also play key roles, while the backcourt battle between point guards Tyshawn Taylor and Marcus Teague will be a determinant of which team gets the better scoring opportunities.

The two teams met back in November, with Kentucky taking a 75-65 win at Kansas, though the outcome of that game is nearly meaningless five months later. Both teams have matured and dominated their opponents since, and there is nary a weakness on either squad.

Nationally televised by CBS, the Wildcats are the bettors' choice, having been installed as 6 1/2 point favorites in most popular venues.

Anthony Davis Leads Kentucky over Louisville; Kansas Shoots Down Ohio State; Kansas-Kentucky Final Monday Night

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, March 31, 2012

National Semi-Final: Kentucky 79 Louisville 71 - The highly-anticipated Final Four meeting between Louisville and Kentucky lived up to its billing, but in the end, Kentucky forward Anthony Davis proved virtually unstoppable.

Kentucky led almost the entire game, though the Cardinals mounted a second-half rally that eventually tied the game, but the Wildcats always had an answer, even under pressure situations. Usually, that answer was Davis, who led the Wildcats with 19 points and 14 rebounds, reaching the national championship game for the first time since they won it all in 1998.

Davis had all his stuff working in the win, hitting seven of nine shots from the field and adding four of six from the foul line. On defense, he made the lane a no-driving zone for the Cardinals, blocking five shots, but mostly just imposing his presence in the middle, forcing Louisville into a shooting nightmare of 35% for the game while the Wildcats were hoisting it at a 57% clip.

Despite losing the rebounding battle, 37-32, and Louisville's 16 offensive boards, the Cardinals were forced into tough second-chance shots, many of which realistically had no chance of finding the inside of the rim.

For Louisville head coach Rick Pitino, the irony was bitter, because the last time the Wildcats won the national championship he was their head coach.

John Calipari, who has guided Kentucky to a 37-2 record, has to work his coaching magic for just one more game in order to fulfill his goal of winning a national title. Calipari has coached Kentucky for three seasons, but this team, despite its youth, appears to have all the elements necessary to complete the task and cut down the nets when they face the Kansas Jayhawks Monday night.


National Semi-Final: Kansas 64 Ohio State 62 - Kansas roared back in the second half, erasing a 34-25 Ohio State half time lead, to win their Final Four meeting with the Buckeyes and proceed to the national championship game with Kentucky Monday night.

The Jayhawks couldn't get into a smooth offense in the first half, eventually falling behind by as many as 13 points as Jared Sullinger and Ohio State stormed to what appeared to be an insurmountable lead.

Kansas head coach Bill Self never lost faith in his players' abilities and the Jayhawks used pressure defense in the final 20 minutes to force Ohio State into mistakes and tough shooting chances. Though the game had a helter-skelter quality to it throughout, Kansas kept pressing until finally taking the lead for good with 1.35 left when Travis Relaford calmly tossed in two free throws to give the Jayhawks a 60-59 advantage. A driving layup by Elijah Johnson off a Jeff Withey blocked shot gave Kansas a 62-59 lead with 1:08 to play.

Ohio State eventually cut the lead back to one at 62-61 on a William Buford dunk, but there were only nine ticks left on the clock by then. The Buckeyes fouled Tyshawn Taylor with seven seconds to go, and the senior nailed both freebies to put the Jayhawks back up by three.

With time running down, Kansas chose to foul Aaron Craft, sending him to the line for a 1-and-1. Craft made the front end and purposely missed the second shot and was called for a lane violation as he raced in after his purposeful miss.

With just 2.5 on the clock, Kansas quickly inbounded the ball and the confused Ohio State players failed ot foul, ending the game and sending Kansas back to the championship game for the second time in five years. The Jawhawks won the national championship in 2008, giving Self his first title. The Jayhawks-Wildcats showdown Monday will feature two of the most storied programs in college basketball history.

Kansas will be seeking its fourth tournament championship and sixth overall. Kentucky has won the championship tourney seven times and was also national champion in 1933.

Game time for the final game of the college basketball season is set for an opening tip at 9:23 pm EDT, Monday, April 2nd. The game will be televised nationally by CBS.