Syracuse 88, North Carolina State 72
Just a few hours after I had tepidly endorsed Ohio State as the best team in America, the top-ranked Orange made me reconsider that position by ripping off a 23-0 run in Raleigh near the end of the first half. The Wolfpack climbed all the way back into it a the start of the second, but Syracuse won going away. Jim Boeheim's club has a half-dozen guys who can create their own shot, plenty of three-point shooting, and their famous 2-3 zone seems to be creating more turnovers than usual. Scratch what I said earlier -- these guys are my pick.
Butler 67, Purdue 65
Andrew Smith's tip-in with one second left capped a big second-half rally for the Bulldogs, who had struggled with a difficult schedule in the early part of the season. The Boilers went ice-cold from the floor and the free throw line in the second half in blowing their second big second-half lead of the season (they lost to Xavier earlier in the year.)
Baylor 86, BYU 83
Perry Jones III shook off a bruised knee to provide the game-icing putback, the final two of his career-high 28 points. The sixth-ranked Bears trailed by double-digits before pulling out this road win.
Florida 84, Texas A&M 64
The Gators scored 18 of the first 20 points and never looked back, leading by 25 at halftime. Even with Khris Middleton back, the Aggies look no better than the fourth-best team in the Big XII.
Gonzaga 71, Arizona 60
The Bulldogs jumped all over the Wildcats in Seattle, then withstood a late charge. Elias Harris led the Zags with 25.
Louisville 95, Memphis 87
I wish I could have seen this one, but I had Gonzaga-Arizona instead (and ended up watching the Indiana-Notre Dame snoozefest). All seven Cardinals who scored hit double figures, led by Russ Smith's 25. Will Barton led Memphis with 28 points and 16 boards. I suspect that the Tigers, who have been up and down in the early-going, won't be too upset with this performance on the road.
UNLV 64, Illinois 48
The Rebels, who upset then-No. 1 North Carolina with a barrage of three-point shooting, took a different path to victory on Saturday in Chicago, holding the Illini to 25.4 percent shooting and forcing 16 turnovers. Sophomore forward Mike Moser posted his seventh double-double of the year -- he's failed to reach double-figures in rebounds just three times in 13 games this season. Illinois, which jumped into the top 25 by virtue of a win over Gonzaga two weeks ago, lost for the first time this year.
Indiana State 61, Vanderbilt 55
The Sycamores pulled off the day's biggest upset, going on the road to win at Vandy. Now at full strength, this is a disappointing loss for the 6-4 Commodores, who I expected to challenge for the SEC crown.
Georgetown 81, American 55
The Eagles stuck with the Hoyas for a half, which seems to happen every time they play Georgetown.
Iona 73, Vermont 72
UVM scored the first 11 points of the game, but Iona came back behind Michael Glover and Momo Jones. Prior to the tip, UVM retired #45 in honor of Trevor Gaines, a former standout who died in the summer of 2010 while playing a pick-up game in Las Vegas.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Ohio State 74, South Carolina 66
[recap] [box score]
By this time, I usually like to have my national champion picked. Some years, I have a strong feeling about one team; others, I'm more or less guessing by picking one of two or three options.
I'm not doing it this year, though, because there are just too many possibilities and not enough meaningful ways to differentiate among them. I think there are close to ten teams with a legitimate chance to win the title.
But if you forced me to pick one right now, I'd pick Ohio State.
By this time, I usually like to have my national champion picked. Some years, I have a strong feeling about one team; others, I'm more or less guessing by picking one of two or three options.
I'm not doing it this year, though, because there are just too many possibilities and not enough meaningful ways to differentiate among them. I think there are close to ten teams with a legitimate chance to win the title.
But if you forced me to pick one right now, I'd pick Ohio State.
On Today: 12/17/2011
Ohio State at South Carolina (ESPN, noon Eastern)
"The Buckeyes rode Jared Sullinger's 30 points and 19 rebounds to a 79-57 rout of South Carolina last season. Senior forward Malik Cooke fuels coach Darrin Horn's Gamecocks."
Butler vs. Purdue (CBS, 2 p.m. Eastern)
"A rebuilding Butler squad needs big numbers from guard Chrishawn Hopkins, while Purdue counts on the scoring of forward Robbie Hummel. These teams last met in 2006."
(This game is being played at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis as part of the Crossroads Classic.)
Temple at Texas (ESPN2, 2:30 p.m. Eastern)
"Owls senior guards Juan Fernandez and Ramone Moore tussle with Texas freshmen Myck Kabongo and Sheldon McClellan. Temple squared the series at 2-2 with a win in the 2001 NCAA tournament."
Arizona vs. Gonzaga (CBS, 4 p.m. Eastern)
"Big men Solomon Hill and Jesse Perry lead the Wildcats against center Robert Sacre and the Zags. These last met in 2008. Arizona leads he series 3-0."
(This one is being played in Seattle. It's also the West Coast game that's part of CBS' regional coverage. Many markets will see Memphis at Louisville.)
Indiana vs. Notre Dame (ESPN2, 4:30 p.m. Eastern)
"Christian Watford and Cody Zeller of the unbeaten Hoosiers collide with forward Jack Cooley of Notre Dame, which bids for its third-straight win in the series after prevailing in 2004 and 2008."
(This game is being played at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis as part of the Crossroads Classic.)
Appalachian State at North Carolina (ESPNU, 6 p.m. Eastern)
"UConn transfer Omar Carter leads ASU against John Henson and the rangy Tar Heels."
Syracuse at North Carolina State (ESPN2, 6:30 p.m. Eastern)
"Seniors Kris Joseph and Scoop Jardine fuel the Orange against sophomores C.J. Leslie and Lorenzo Brown of State. Syracuse joins the Wolfpack in the ACC next season."
Houston vs. Oklahoma (ESPNU, 8 p.m. Eastern)
"Sophomore forwards Alandise Harris and Tyler Neal are players to watch."
(This game is being played at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City as part of the All-College Basketball Classic.)
Alabama vs. Kansas State (ESPNU, 10 p.m. Eastern)
Tide senior JaMychal Green takes on K-State freshman Thomas Gipson at power forward."
(This game is being played in Kansas City.)
New Mexico vs. Oklahoma State (ESPN2, 10:30 p.m. Eastern)
"Drew Gordon and LeBryan Nash are forwards in this Mountain West-Big 12 matchup."
(This game is being played at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City as part of the All-College Basketball Classic.)
"The Buckeyes rode Jared Sullinger's 30 points and 19 rebounds to a 79-57 rout of South Carolina last season. Senior forward Malik Cooke fuels coach Darrin Horn's Gamecocks."
Butler vs. Purdue (CBS, 2 p.m. Eastern)
"A rebuilding Butler squad needs big numbers from guard Chrishawn Hopkins, while Purdue counts on the scoring of forward Robbie Hummel. These teams last met in 2006."
(This game is being played at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis as part of the Crossroads Classic.)
Temple at Texas (ESPN2, 2:30 p.m. Eastern)
"Owls senior guards Juan Fernandez and Ramone Moore tussle with Texas freshmen Myck Kabongo and Sheldon McClellan. Temple squared the series at 2-2 with a win in the 2001 NCAA tournament."
Arizona vs. Gonzaga (CBS, 4 p.m. Eastern)
"Big men Solomon Hill and Jesse Perry lead the Wildcats against center Robert Sacre and the Zags. These last met in 2008. Arizona leads he series 3-0."
(This one is being played in Seattle. It's also the West Coast game that's part of CBS' regional coverage. Many markets will see Memphis at Louisville.)
Indiana vs. Notre Dame (ESPN2, 4:30 p.m. Eastern)
"Christian Watford and Cody Zeller of the unbeaten Hoosiers collide with forward Jack Cooley of Notre Dame, which bids for its third-straight win in the series after prevailing in 2004 and 2008."
(This game is being played at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis as part of the Crossroads Classic.)
Appalachian State at North Carolina (ESPNU, 6 p.m. Eastern)
"UConn transfer Omar Carter leads ASU against John Henson and the rangy Tar Heels."
Syracuse at North Carolina State (ESPN2, 6:30 p.m. Eastern)
"Seniors Kris Joseph and Scoop Jardine fuel the Orange against sophomores C.J. Leslie and Lorenzo Brown of State. Syracuse joins the Wolfpack in the ACC next season."
Houston vs. Oklahoma (ESPNU, 8 p.m. Eastern)
"Sophomore forwards Alandise Harris and Tyler Neal are players to watch."
(This game is being played at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City as part of the All-College Basketball Classic.)
Alabama vs. Kansas State (ESPNU, 10 p.m. Eastern)
Tide senior JaMychal Green takes on K-State freshman Thomas Gipson at power forward."
(This game is being played in Kansas City.)
New Mexico vs. Oklahoma State (ESPN2, 10:30 p.m. Eastern)
"Drew Gordon and LeBryan Nash are forwards in this Mountain West-Big 12 matchup."
(This game is being played at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City as part of the All-College Basketball Classic.)
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Notable Results From Wednesday, December 14
Iona 88, Richmond 79
The Gaels added to a nice little non-conference resume by beating the Spiders in Richmond. Iona is averaging nearly 88 points per game, in large part thanks to Scott Machado, who many think is the best pure point guard in the country. Machado had 15 assists in this one, bringing his average to 10.9 through the first ten games, a remarkable number in the college game.
Cincinnati 78, Wright State 58
The Bearcats took the first step toward putting last weekend's ugliness behind them by going in to Dayton and hammering the Raiders. Cincy showed no ill effects from being down two starters, jumping out 17-2 on Wright State and never putting the outcome in doubt.
Maryland 65, Florida International 61
Isiah Thomas' Panthers gave Maryland all it could handle in the Comcast Center, but went cold down the stretch and came up just short in their upset bid.
College of Charleston 71, Tennessee 65
The Vols coughed up a 13-point lead on the road.
Ohio State 82, South Carolina-Upstate 58
Throwing this one in here because Jared Sullinger came off the bench to register 12 points and 10 boards in 25 minutes. Sullinger ha missed the last two gamse with back spasms.
The Gaels added to a nice little non-conference resume by beating the Spiders in Richmond. Iona is averaging nearly 88 points per game, in large part thanks to Scott Machado, who many think is the best pure point guard in the country. Machado had 15 assists in this one, bringing his average to 10.9 through the first ten games, a remarkable number in the college game.
Cincinnati 78, Wright State 58
The Bearcats took the first step toward putting last weekend's ugliness behind them by going in to Dayton and hammering the Raiders. Cincy showed no ill effects from being down two starters, jumping out 17-2 on Wright State and never putting the outcome in doubt.
Maryland 65, Florida International 61
Isiah Thomas' Panthers gave Maryland all it could handle in the Comcast Center, but went cold down the stretch and came up just short in their upset bid.
College of Charleston 71, Tennessee 65
The Vols coughed up a 13-point lead on the road.
Ohio State 82, South Carolina-Upstate 58
Throwing this one in here because Jared Sullinger came off the bench to register 12 points and 10 boards in 25 minutes. Sullinger ha missed the last two gamse with back spasms.
On Tonight: 12/14/2011
Cincinnati at Wright State (ESPN2, 7 p.m. Eastern)
"The Bearcats clawed WSU 77-69 last season behind Sean Kilpatrick's season-high 26 points."
Florida International at Maryland (ESPN, 7:30 p.m. Eastern)
"Senior guard DeJaun Wright leads Isiah Thomas' Golden Panthers into College Park. Sophomore Terrell Stoglin is the go-to scorer for the host Terrapins."
Tennessee at College of Charleston (ESPN2, 9 p.m. Eastern)
"Marquette transfer Jeronne Maymon is an inside force for the Vols. Senior Antwaine Wiggins heads a balanced attack for the Cougars."
"The Bearcats clawed WSU 77-69 last season behind Sean Kilpatrick's season-high 26 points."
Florida International at Maryland (ESPN, 7:30 p.m. Eastern)
"Senior guard DeJaun Wright leads Isiah Thomas' Golden Panthers into College Park. Sophomore Terrell Stoglin is the go-to scorer for the host Terrapins."
Tennessee at College of Charleston (ESPN2, 9 p.m. Eastern)
"Marquette transfer Jeronne Maymon is an inside force for the Vols. Senior Antwaine Wiggins heads a balanced attack for the Cougars."
Notable Results From Tuesday, December 13
Light day. Light week, actually, with final exams and stuff.
Middle Tennessee State 65, Belmont 62
The Bruins beat the Blue Raiders in double overtime on their home floor on November 20. In the return date, MTSU held Belmont scoreless for the final two minutes, enabling them to win the game despite blowing a 13-point lead in the second half.
Wisconsin 60, Wisconsin-Milwaukee 54
The Badgers had a 17-point lead with 15:17 to go, but got everything they could handle from the Panthers the rest of the way.
South Carolina 66, Presbyterian 58
The Blue Hose led by six at halftime, before the Gamecocks exploded for 47 points in the second half.
Middle Tennessee State 65, Belmont 62
The Bruins beat the Blue Raiders in double overtime on their home floor on November 20. In the return date, MTSU held Belmont scoreless for the final two minutes, enabling them to win the game despite blowing a 13-point lead in the second half.
Wisconsin 60, Wisconsin-Milwaukee 54
The Badgers had a 17-point lead with 15:17 to go, but got everything they could handle from the Panthers the rest of the way.
South Carolina 66, Presbyterian 58
The Blue Hose led by six at halftime, before the Gamecocks exploded for 47 points in the second half.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Metal Monday: Year-End Lists
With the end of the year nearly upon us, the various and sundry metal blogs out there are compiling their annual "best of" lists. I'm not doing one, because I'm not a music critic and don't listen to hundreds upon hundreds of metal albums every year. Maybe next year.
What I am doing, though, is compiling as many of these lists as I can, and posting them there. Everyone seems to be doing at least a top ten, so I'll list the top ten from each and then give you a link to go view the rest.
I haven't heard most of this stuff, so I can't vouch for it. I will be listening to as much of it as I can on Spotify over the next several days, and I'll post on Twitter anything that I think is really good.
Remember, it's not too late to add your favorites to your Christmas list -- or to give the gift of metal to your loved ones this holiday season.
What I am doing, though, is compiling as many of these lists as I can, and posting them there. Everyone seems to be doing at least a top ten, so I'll list the top ten from each and then give you a link to go view the rest.
I haven't heard most of this stuff, so I can't vouch for it. I will be listening to as much of it as I can on Spotify over the next several days, and I'll post on Twitter anything that I think is really good.
Remember, it's not too late to add your favorites to your Christmas list -- or to give the gift of metal to your loved ones this holiday season.
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