St. Mary's 12-2 After Whipping BYU on Jones, Delladevoda Double Doubles

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, December 29, 2011

There are a slew of teams scattered across the landscape of America with solid records that have somehow escaped the notice of poll participants.

One such under-appreciated squad is the St. Mary's Gaels, which opened their West Coast Conference (WCC) campaign with a strong, 98-82, victory over Brigham Young, improving their record to 12-2.

The talented Geals, which missed out on an NCAA invitation last season after losing the conference championship to Gonzaga, were led Thursday night by a pair of double doubles from junior point guard Matthew Delladevoda and senior forward Rob Jones.

Jones led all scorers with 24 points and held sway in the paint with 15 boards for his 9th double-double of the season Jones was just 6-for-14 from the field, but was a perfect 10-for-10 from the foul line. Delladevoda pitched in 18 points while dishing a career high 12 assists. The gritty guard also grabbed six rebounds and had four steals.

The Gaels took a 53-43 lead into the half and held the Cougars at bay for the duration, opening up a lead of 22 points in the second half. St. Mary's shot a combined 55% for the game, including 12 3-pointers.

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Syracuse, Ohio State Retain 1-2 Status in Polls; Fab Melo, Will Buford Star

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Undefeated Syracuse opened their 2011-12 Big East campaign with a trademark, 75-49, victory over Seton Hall in which the Orange deployed coach Jim Boeheim's 2-3 zone defense to force 23 turnovers, 17 steals and 15 blocked shots.

Sophomore center Fab Melo collected 10 of those blocks, a school record, to go with his 12 points on 6-for-9 shooting for his first career double-double. The 7-foot Brazilian also added seven rebounds in the rout of the Pirates, which shot just 32% from the field.

Syracuse, ranked #1 in the AP Poll, improved to 14-0. The win was the 870th for coach Boeheim, leaving him in fifth place all time, six behind Kentucky's Adolph Rupp and nine behind North Carolina's Dean Smith.

#2 Ohio State was also opening conference action, theirs the Big Ten, and the Buckeyes responded with an 87-54 trouncing of Northwestern.

The Buckeyes shot 48% while holding the wildcats to 32% shooting for the game. Ohio State made 10 of 20 3-pointers, including 5-for-7 by senior guard William Buford, who led all scorers with a career high 28 points on 9-for-14 shooting.

Sophomore Jared Sullinger tossed in 17 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as the Buckeyes held the top two scorers in the conference - John Shurna and Drew Crawford - to a combined 24 points on 9-for-30 shooting.

The 6'6" Buford continues to move up the Buckeye's career scoring leaders list, chasing Dennis Hopson's 2,096. Buford is averaging 16.6 points per game and needs 439 to catch Hopson.

The Buckeyes are 13-1 and favored to capture the Big Ten championship. Their win over Northwestern was the 31st straight time the Buckeyes have downed the Wildcats in Columbus, dating back to 1977.

Moe Harkless Goes for 32 and 13 as Red Storm Dumps Providence

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Conference play opened in the Big Ten and the Big East on Tuesday, and the spotlight fell on the St. John's Red Storm, at home in Carneseca Arena to face Providence, which came into the game sporting a gaudy 10-2 record.

But it was St. John's, which improved to 7-5 with a dominating, 91-67, victory led by true freshman Moe Harkless, who was simply unstoppable, hitting 14 of 17 shots from the field for a career high 32 points.

Harkless, a 6'8" forward with considerable upside, also controlled the boards, snatching a game high 13 rebounds, for his 4th double-double of the season, all coming within the last five games.

The Red Storm hasn't fared well against ranked opponents this season, losing to Kentucky, Arizona and Texas A&M, but they got off to a fine start in conference play. Their other losses were to Northeastern and Detroit.

With three straight wins, St. John's looks forward to their next test, when they face the Connecticut Huskies in Storrs, CN, at noon on New Year's Eve.

Rodney McGruder Scores 26 as Kansas State Captures Diamond Head Classic

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, December 25, 2011

There were only four college basketball games played on Christmas, all of them out on the island of Hawaii, in the Diamond Head Classic at Honolulu.

Kansas State took one of those games, 77-60, over Long Beach State, capturing the championship to improve their record to 10-1, completing a successful trip with their third win in four days.

The Wildcats knocked off Southern Illinois in the opening round, 83-58, and reached the final with a 78-70 win over UTEP on the 23rd.

In the championship game, junior guard Rodney McGruger was nearly flawless on the court, making 10 of 11 shots from the field, including two of three 3-pointers, and six of seven from the foul line for a game high and career high 28 points.

McGruder's scoring outburst made him the team's leading scorer. Kansas State hosts Howard on New Year's Eve, then opens 2012 with a conference match-up at Kansas on January 4th.

Pierre Jackson Lifts Baylor Past Kevin Jones and West Virginia, in OT, 83-81

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, December 23, 2011

Reserve guard Pierre Jackson scored the last five points in regulation, including a 3-pointer with 20 seconds left to send the game into overtime and scored the first three points in overtime with another bomb from beyond the arc as the #6 Baylor Bears were pressed into an extra session by West Virginia, finally emerging with the 83-81 OT win, in Las Vegas.

Jackson, a 5'10" Las Vegas native put on a show back in his hometown, scoring a career high 23 points on 9-for-16 shooting (4-for-7 from 3-point range) to go with five rebounds, four assists and three steals, helping to keep the Bears undefeated at 12-0.

For West Virginia, a 9-3 team that didn't receive a single vote in the latest AP Top 25 poll, the narrow loss was bittersweet, at least proving that the Mountaineers could go toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the country.

They wouldn't have done it without the monster performance of Kevin Jones, who was simply unstoppable in the paint, scoring a game high 26 points and ripping down 17 rebounds. Jones was 13-for-21 from the field, including a pair of three pointers. His board work included six offensive rebounds.

Jones, who averages a double-double (20.4, 11.5) had his eighth of the year. Amazingly, neither his point nor rebound total was a season high for the 6'8" senior. He had 18 rebounds in a loss to Kent State on November 15th, then scored 29 two nights later in a 97-62 win over Alcorn State.

Arnett Moultrie Double-doubles with 24 and 14 as Miss. State Wins 11th Straight

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, December 22, 2011

On a night in which three starters - Dee Bost, Rodney Hood and Jalen Steele - were a combined 8-for-31 from the field, Mississippi's State's junior forward, Arnett Moultrie, put his team on his back and delivered one of his finest performances of the season.

Moultrie hit eight of 11 field goals, was 8-for-8 from the foul line for 24 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and dished four assists - each game highs - as the Bulldogs outlasted Northwestern State, 82-67, for their 11th straight win and an overall 12-1 record. Their only loss was to Arkon, 68-58, in their second game of the season.

At 6'11", Moultrie present a difficult match-up for most teams, but Moultrie really had his way against the undersized Demons. Thursday marked the 7th time this season he's recorded a double-double and he's only played in 10 of the Bulldogs' 13 games.

Mississippi State has been on the cusp of breaking out the past two seasons - going 17-14 last season, without Moultrie, and 24-12 in 2009-10 - though they're still awaiting an NCAA tournament bid. With their hot start and Moultrie on his game, the Bulldogs appear poised to challenge Kentucky, Florida and Vanderbilt in the SEC when conference play begins in January.

Next up for the Bulldogs will be their toughest test of the year, as they host unbeaten Baylor on December 28. The Bears are 11-0 and ranked #6 in the AP Poll. The game will be televised on ESPN, starting at 9:00 pm ET.

Vanderbilt Buries Layfayette as John Jenkins Drops in 27

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Vanderbilt junior guard John Jenkins hit seven of nine 3-pointers and was 9-for-12 overall, leading the Commodores to a dominating, 89-58, victory over the Lafayette Leopards.

Jenkins finished with 27 points in 27 minutes, pushing his season-long average to an even 20 points per game, tops on the team. The 6'4" Tennessee native added four assists, a rebound and one steal.

The Commodores have put together an 8-4 record this season, with odd losses to Cleveland State and Indiana State, plus back-to-back overtime defeats at the hands of Xavier and Louisville.

Vandy's next game is also a tough one, at Marquette, on December 29. The Golden Eagles are 10-1 and rank 10th in the latest AP Poll.

Darien Brothers Lights Up ODU with 38 Points for Richmond

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Darien Brothers, a 6'3" Richmond guard averaging less than 10 points per game, scored 12 of his career high 38 points in overtime to lead the Spiders to a 90-82 victory over Old Dominion.

Brothers spent most of the night torching the Monarchs from beyond the 3-point line, where he was 7-for-11. He went 9-for-15 overall and added 14 of 15 free throws.

Richmond, out of the Atlantic-10 conference, is now 7-5, but should be considered one of the contenders in their conference, which they won last season, taking down Dayton in the final of the A-10 tourney, 67-54, and closing out their season with nine straight wins (two in the NCAA tourney) before losing to Kansas, 77-57, in the Sweet 16 round.

The Spiders take their game out to the West coast next, to battle UCLA in what should prove an interesting road test for Richmond and a gut check for the Bruins, on Friday, December 23. The A-10 regular season opener for the Spiders is on January 4, at the Charlotte.

Winter the Perfect Time for Golf

With the holidays upon us, many people will have time off from work, and planning a short trip - especially from the cold Northeast to the warm South - might be part of one's plans to ring out the old year and ring in the new.

With snow on the ground and temperatures the past few months not conducive to optimal outdoors activities like tennis or golf, heading to a lower latitude is probably the best way to avoid winter blahs and, so to speak, get back into the swing of things.

If golf is on the agenda, there are plenty of courses in the Southern states, especially the hot spots of Florida Alabama and Mississippi, so be sure to pack or ship your clubs and stock up on some premium golf balls to make your excursion not only enjoyable, but satisfying from a handicap perspective.

Another idea is to wait for the inevitable sales on golf equipment in January, where clubs, bags, shoes, caps and specialty items like distance golf balls will be on sale.

You can save, snatching up good deals by buying at the right time, then taking your gear down to the lush links of the sunny South.

Kevin Jones Scores 25 with 14 Boards as West Virginia Rolls

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, December 19, 2011

On a day in which two ranked teams met defeat on the courts, coach Bob Huggins and his West Virginia Mountaineers made their case for inclusion in the Top 25.

#13 Kansas was dumped by Davidson, 80-74 and LSU dropped #11 Marquette, 67-59. Meanwhile, West Virginia improved to 8-2 with a 72-53 blowout over Tennessee Tech.

The Mountaineers were buoyed by the all-around performance of Kevin Jones, who scored a game-high 25 points and hauled in 14 rebounds, also tops for the contest.

A 6'8" senior forward, Jones, the Mountaineers' leading scorer and rebounder (20.3, 11.4), had his sixth double-double of the season, going 11-for-20 from the field despite missing both of his 3-point attempts. He's scored in double figures every game this season, and the four times he didn't have double figures in rebounds, Jones pulled down eight and nine, twice each.

The Mountaineers two losses came against Kent on November 15 and Mississippi State on December 3. Since their loss to the Bulldogs, West Virginia has won four straight, including a double overtime win against then-unbeaten Kansas State and a 77-66 win over Miami.

Whether or not West Virginia belonga in the Top 25 will be put to the test in back-to-back games at Baylor on December 23 and in their home opener of their Big East schedule, against Villanova on the 28th.

The Mountaineers received no votes in the latest AP Top 25 poll, released Monday.

Super-sub Michael Dixon Pours in 30 as Missouri Improves to 11-0

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, December 18, 2011

When it comes to winning conference championships and making deep runs in the NCAA tournament, depth is a key ingredient, which includes having a solid sixth man coming off the bench to add a spark to the offense.

Missouri's Michael Dixon, probably the best sixth man in the country, dropped 30 points on William & Mary in 28 minutes as the Tigers improved to 11-0 (8-0 at home) with a 97-56 romp over the visiting Tribe.

The #10 Tigers raced off to a 19-0 lead and never looked back. They've won all of their home games by a minimum of 15 points, but also hammered Notre Dame by 29 and Cal by 39 at neutral locations. Villanova came the closest to beating the Mizzou, losing by 10 at Madison Square Garden in the Jimmy V Classic on December 6.

Dixon was firing at will in his career high effort, hitting 13 of 19 shots, including 3 of 7 from 3-point range. His 30-point output easily eclipsed his prior best scoring effort of 19, which he had against Northwestern State on December 2nd.

The Tigers face Illinois nest, on December 22, and begin conference play on January 3rd, against Oklahoma.

Zeller Goes for 31 in 26 Minutes as Tar Heels Roll to 9-2

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, December 17, 2011

Even though they've dropped two games already, the North Carolina Tar Heels are still a force with which to be reckoned, especially when their twin towers, John Henson and Tyler Zeller, are having their way in the paint.

Henson scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds, but Zeller led all scorers with 31 points, to go with his 10 rebounds, as the Tar Heels dominated Appalachian State, 97-82, improving to 9-2 on the season and 6-0 at home.

The final score doesn't truly indicate just how badly the smaller Mountaineers were outplayed, as no North Carolina starter played more than 29 minutes. Zeller, the 7-foot forward many believe to be one of the top three big men in the country, did his damage in just 26 minutes, making 11 of 15 shots and hitting nine of 10 from the foul line.

Zeller's 31 was just one shy of his career high, which he scored in North Carolina's opening game in last season's NCAA tournament, a 102-87 rout of Long Island. The ten boards gave him his third double-double of the current season.

The 6th-ranked Tar Heels shot 55% for the game, racing out to a 48-32 lead at the break. Coach Roy Williams played mostly subs in the second half, allowing the Mountaineers to stay relatively close, though never threatening North Carolina's lead.

With just four more games before opening ACC play on January 7 against Boston College, North Carolina's toughest opponent in upcoming games will be the Texas Longhorns, on December 21. On Saturday, the unranked, 9-2 Longhorns knocked off Temple, 77-65.

Jorge Gutierrez Stops Nation's Leading Scorer, Pops for 24 as Golden Bears Win 8th Straight at Home

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, December 16, 2011

Cal's Golden Bears improved to 8-0 at home and 9-2 overall, as they held the nation's leading scorer, Weber State's Damian Lillard, to a season-low 14 points, with a 77-57 win.

The reason for Lillard's dull performance was due in large part to the defense of Cal senior guard Jorge Gutierrez, who limited Lillard to 4-for-17 shooting while pumping in a game high 24 points himself.

Gutierrez was on the money from the field, canning 8 of 12 shots, including 3 of 5 3-pointers and making 5 of 6 from the foul line.

The Golden Bears took an early lead and expanded it to 32-18 by the break and cruised home with one of their easier wins of the season. Cal has been pounding opponents at home of late, beating San Jose State, 81-36 and Jackson State 73-46 in their previous two games at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley.

Holdiay Break Perfect Time to Hit the Beach

Since this is a slow time for college hoops - most colleges are in the midst of term finals or have already broken for their holiday break, perhaps some other sporting activities will prove entertaining enough to get yur winterized body off the couch and out the door, preferably to a beach for surfing or to a nice cove or bay for scuba diving or snorkeling.

In either scenario a proper wetsuit would be required wear against the possibly cool conditions of the water, and while squeezing into a skin-tight wrapper isn't for everyone, not all wetsuitsare created equal.

If your outdoor closet isn't already equipped with suitable surf or diving gear, one should expect to spend upwards of $125 for a full suit or anywhere from $65 to $150 for a jacket alone. Of course, savings can be found by buying a combination of a full suit and jacket and adding accessories, like gloves or hooded vests.

Some of the best wetsuits available are those produced by Body Glove, which can be found in most better scuba and surf shops or at the company website. One advantage is that the holidays aren't actually the biggest time of year for surf and beach gear dealers, so deals are out there.

If you're lucky enough to already have your wetsuit ready, then you're all set for some holiday surf.

Missouri at 10-0 after Dominating Kennesaw St., 104-67

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, December 15, 2011

#8 Missouri reached the 10-0 mark with a win over Kennesaw State that looked more like a pick-up scrimmage or a shoot-around as the Tigers shot 60% against their undermanned opponents.

Missouri had five players in double figures in the 104-67 rout, including 18 points from both forward Ricardo Ratliffe and sixth man, guard Michael Dixon, who was seemingly everywhere in his 25 minutes of floor time, hitting five of seven shots, including a pair of treys, 6-for-6 from the foul line, and had two rebounds, four assists, three steals and a blocked shot.

Dixon is one of the most productive bench players in the Big 12, providing a spark for Mizzou whenever he steps on the floor, averaging 10.9 points per game with 2.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.2 steals.

Ratliffe led the Tigers with seven rebounds - three on the offensive end - and also had one of Missouri's 14 steals. The Tigers hit 39 of 65 shots, only six of 18 from 3-point range and were 20-for-25 from the foul line.

The Owls' Delbert Love led all scorers with 27 points, but he was one of just two players in double figures for Kennesaw State.

Missouri is 7-0 at home and will have the opportunity to extend that streak when they host William & Mary on December 17 and #19 Illinois on December 22.

Antwaine Wiggins Scores 24, 8-1 Charleston Drops Tennessee, 71-65

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Charleston forward Antwaine Wiggins couldn't get his free throws to drop, hitting just one of five foul shots in College of Charleston's 71-65 win over Tennessee.

Fortunately, for him and the Cougars, he was lights out from the field, hitting 10 of 12 shots, including three of four from 3-point range for a game-high 24 points.

Normally, Wiggins, a 6'7" senior from Greenville, Tennessee, is OK from the charity stripe at about 60%, but his 1-for-5 effort was a career low on a night in which he tied a career best for the 8-1 Cougars. He also helped out on the boards, with eight rebounds. Wiggins leads the Cougars in scoring this season, averaging 18.1 points per game.

Last season, Charleston just missed an automatic invitation to the NCAA tournament, losing to Wofford in the final of the Southern conference tourney, 77-67. Instead, the Cougars accepted an offer to play in the NIT, where they won two games - over Dayton and Cleveland State - before falling in the quarterfinals to Wichita State, 82-75.

Tennessee dropped to 3-6 on the year. The Vols have suffered under first year head coach Cuonzo Martin, who took over the basketball program after Bruce Pearl was fired in March.

Next up for the Cougars is a home game with plenty of local flavor, as they battle Charleston Southern on December 17 before traveling to play #4 Louisville on the 20th.

Marcus Jordan Matches Career High 28 in UCF Win over NCA&T

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Like his father Michael, UCF junior Marcus Jordan is turning into a prolific scorer. In Tuesday's 77-65 win over North Carolina A&T, Jordan matched his career high with 28 points, helping the Knights improve to 7-2 on the season, in preparation for what appears to be a Central Florida run at the Conference-USA championship as the Knights, along with Tulane, Marshall and Southern Miss seek an end to Memphis dominating the conference.

Jordan got his game going early on, scoring 17 in the first half, including four of his five 3-pointers, as UCF built a 39-26 lead at the break. Jordan has scored in double figures in each of the seven games he's played this season and got some help from his older brother, Jeff, a senior, who came off the bench to score nine points and distribute six assists. Marcus finished 8-for-17 from the field, adding three assists and a pair of steals.

UCF began last season with a 14-0 mark, but then lost eight straight games as they struggled to a 6-10 mark in conference play. The Knights finished the 2010-11 season a respectable 21-12, however, eventually losing in the semi-final of the College Basketball Invitational to Creighton.

E.J. Singler Leads Ducks to 79-70 Win over Portland State; Murray State Racers in Top 25

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, December 12, 2011

With no Top 25 teams in action on Monday, one meaningful game was played in the Pacific Northwest, as the Oregon Ducks improved to 6-2 with a 79-70 home win over Portland State.

Leading all scorers was Oregon's junior forward, E.J. Singler, with 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting. Singler, the younger brother of Duke alum, Kyle Singler, who led the Blue Devils to the national championship last season, also grabbed seven rebounds for the Ducks.

NOTABLE: As expected, the latest AP Top 25 poll, released on Monday, has Syracuse as the #1 team in the country, followed by Ohio State and Kentucky, two teams that suffered their first loss of the season on Sunday.

Polls being what they are, the teams that beat the Buckeyes and Wildcats - Kansas and Indiana - were ranked #12 and #18 respectively.

The real shocker, however, was Murray State's inclusion in the Top 25. The Racers come in at #24 and are 10-0, but play in the relative obscurity of the Ohio Valley conference. Their 76-72 win at Memphis on Sunday had a great deal to do with their inclusion among college basketball's elite teams. Murray State hasn't been ranked since the end of the 1997-98 season, when they showed up at #25.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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