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Preview Florida State at Boston College

Dave Johnson — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:55:04 +0000

THE STORY: Tied for first in the ACC, Florida State leads the conference in field goal percentage defense, limiting opponents to 37.4 percent from the floor, and steals, averaging 8.9 per game. The Seminoles rank second in the ACC in blocks, averaging 6.1 per game, and rank among the NCAA leaders in all three categories. FSU has won seven straight games. Boston College ranks last in the conference in several offensive categories and has just one player, Matt Hendricks, averaging double digit points (10.1).

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN3.com

ABOUT FLORIDA STATE (16-6, 7-1 ACC): The Seminoles’ streak has elevated them to No. 17 in the rankings. FSU has the clear edge on paper, besting the Eagles in every major statistical category. All-American candidate Michael Snaer has averaged 15.1 points per game during the current win streak, shooting 51.4 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from the 3-point line. Snaer leads the Seminoles, averaging 13.8 points per game overall.

ABOUT BOSTON COLLEGE (7-16, 2-7 ACC): The Eagles have had a rough go this season, though with nine freshmen on the roster and 12 newcomers to the program overall, that was to be expected. Boston College has dropped six straight games by an average of nearly 13 points. The Eagles have kept it much closer in the last two, falling to N.C. State and Georgia Tech by just five and four, respectively.

TIP-INS

1. The all-time series between Florida State and Boston College is tied at four games apiece, with the Eagles holding a 3-1 edge at home and the Seminoles winners of three in a row.

2. Ryan Anderson (9.4), Dennis Clifford (9.5) and Patrick Heckmann (9.1) all average more than 9.0 points per game, making Boston College the only school other than Kentucky with four players above that mark.

3. FSU is aiming for its fifth ACC road win. The school record of six was set in 1991-92.

Preview Georgetown at Syracuse

Dave Johnson — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:55:01 +0000

THE STORY: The number of games in this classic Big East rivalry is dwindling, but the intensity will be high when No. 2 Syracuse welcomes No. 11 Georgetown. This is their first matchup since the Orange declared they would be leaving for the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2014. More than 30,000 fans are expected to pack the Carrier Dome, where the Orange have won 18 straight since losing to Georgetown 64-56 last season. The Hoyas are riding several streaks of their own, including four consecutive wins over top-20 teams and back-to-back games of allowing 45 points or less. Holding Syracuse to anywhere near that total seems far fetched: the Orange boast the top scoring offense in the Big East (78.1) and are coming off a 95-70 drubbing of St. John’s in which five players reached double figures.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT GEORGETOWN (18-4, 8-3 Big East): The Hoyas solved the Orange 2-3 zone in their last trip to the Dome by penetrating and passing to the top of the key, then dishing for open looks and cuts to the basket. Point guard Chris Wright had nine assists and Georgetown shot 42.1 percent from beyond the arc. This season, though, the Hoyas’ top assist man has been center Henry Sims, who does not possess the floor vision nor quick recognition that Wright did a year ago. Plus, the Hoyas will have to deal with 7-foot center Fab Melo, who played just three minutes in that loss as a freshman.

ABOUT SYRACUSE (23-1, 10-1 Big East): Distribution will be just as vital for Syracuse. But the Orange have a point guard who excels in the open floor and half court. Scoop Jardine dished out 13 assists against three turnovers in two matchups with the Hoyas last season. Georgetown has held its last two opponents under 32 percent shooting by focusing on a pair of key scorers. Against Syracuse, a team that goes 10-deep, the Hoyas will have to defend all five positions.

TIP-INS

1. Georgetown ranks second in defensive rebounding (39.9) in the Big East. Syracuse lost the battle of the boards by a double-digit margin in two of three games before playing a small St. John’s team last weekend.

2. The Orange are hitting just 30 percent on 3-pointers in Big East play; leading scorer Kris Joseph is 9 for his last 40.

3. Georgetown’s young backcourt has lost the turnover battle in three straight games against ranked teams. Syracuse leads the conference in steals and turnover margin.

Recap Alabama 68 Auburn 50

Dave Johnson — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:09:07 +0000

ALABAMA 68, AUBURN 50: JaMychal Green had 19 points and seven rebounds to help Alabama to its third straight win, a road victory over arch-rival Auburn.

The Crimson Tide (16-7, 5-4 SEC) moved into sole possession of fifth place in the SEC and handed Auburn only its second home loss.

Green made 8-of-13 field goals and handed out four assists as the Tide played without second-leading scorer Tony Mitchell, who was suspended indefinitely by coach Anthony Grant.

Alabama also got 15 points and six assists from Trevor Releford and 14 points from Charles Hankerson Jr.

Auburn (13-11, 3-7 SEC) was led by Frankie Sullivan’s 21 points. He was the only player in double figures, as Auburn shot 41.5 percent and made only four 3-pointers.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The game was close for most of the first half and was tied 21-21 with 5:07 left before Alabama used a 14-3 run to take control … Releford finished 9-for-10 at the foul line.

Recap Ohio State 87 Purdue 84

Dave Johnson — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:09:04 +0000

OHIO STATE 87, PURDUE 84: William Buford scored 21 of his game-high 29 points in the second half — including seven during a critical stretch late — as No. 3 Ohio State held off gritty Purdue.

With the win, the Buckeyes (21-3, 9-2 Big Ten) increased their lead over second-place Michigan State to 1½ games. They also extended their home win streak to 39.

After Purdue (15-9, 5-6 Big Ten) tied the game at 73, Buford scored on three straight possessions for the Buckeyes — including a 3-pointer that put them ahead 80-73 with 2:38 left.

Trailing by five with 57 seconds left, the Boilermakers had a chance to cut the lead to one possession but misfired on two straight attempts. The second miss led to a fastbreak opportunity for the Buckeyes, who increased their margin to seven on a Buford dunk with 42 seconds left.

Jared Sullinger had 18 points for Ohio State, which won its sixth straight after a 3-2 conference start. Deshaun Thomas and Aaron Craft each added 13.

D.J. Byrd had a career-high 24 points for Purdue, which has lost four of five after a 4-2 Big Ten start. Kelsey Barlow and Lewis Jackson each added 14.

Byrd, a junior guard, almost single-handedly kept Purdue in the game early. He made all five of his 3-point attempts in the first half as the Boilermakers entered the half tied at 40. Both teams shot better than 60 percent in the first half.

Ohio State finished 52 percent from the field and held a 31-21 advantage on the glass.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Purdue made seven 3-pointers in the first half … Ohio State took a 7-0 lead less than three minutes in, prompting a timeout from Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter … Ohio State trailed in the second half for the first time in its last 21 home games … Sullinger hobbled off the court with 1:07 left after falling on his tailbone … The teams combined for just 10 turnovers.

Preview LSU at Vanderbilt

Dave Johnson — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:55:01 +0000

THE STORY: Vanderbilt was challenging for the top spot in the SEC standings until back-to-back road losses to Arkansas and Florida dropped the Commodores back into a tie for third. It’s the first time Vandy lost consecutive games since center Festus Ezeli returned in December from his knee injury. LSU has been up and down all season, but beat the Razorbacks on Saturday to snap a three-game losing streak. Vandy has won six straight in this series since losing to LSU in the 2006 SEC tournament.

TV: 9 p.m. EST, CSS

ABOUT LSU (13-9, 3-5 SEC): Trent Johnson’s Tigers already have surpassed their win total in each of the past two seasons. LSU won 11 games apiece in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 campaigns. Junior forward/center Justin Hamilton posted his third double-double of the season against Arkansas, and leads LSU in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots.

ABOUT VANDERBILT (16-7, 5-3 SEC): The Commodores feature both the top overall scorer in the league, John Jenkins (19.7 points), and the SEC’s leading scorer in conference play, Jeffery Taylor (18.1). Jenkins has scored in double figures in 56 straight games. Taylor, named SEC Player of the Week on Jan. 30, boasts more total field goals made — 146 — than any other player in the conference.

TIP-INS:
1. Johnson said LSU senior forward Malcolm White and freshman guard John Isaac both would be available against Vanderbilt. White was suspended against Arkansas for a flagrant foul, while White was held out after missing practice time due to academic issues.

2. LSU’s Anthony Hickey leads SEC freshmen in assists (4.0 per game).

3. The Commodores face the challenge of not looking past this game toward Saturday’s home date with Kentucky, which is bringing the ESPN Gameday crew to town.

Preview Seton Hall at Rutgers

Dave Johnson — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:55:05 +0000

THE STORY: Coaches Mike Rice of Rutgers and Kevin Willard of Seton Hall were both ejected from the last game of their struggling teams. Rutgers is 1-4 in its last five and Seton Hall has dropped six straight. Rutgers has an outstanding freshman backcourt in Myles Mack and Eli Carter, but has struggled inside and is 15th in the Big East in assist/turnover ratio. Seton Hall hopes to get leading scorer Herb Pope (bruised ribs, questionable) back inside and for point guard Jordan Theodore to break out of a slump. Rutgers is 3-2 at home and Seton Hall 1-5 on the road in league play.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT SETON HALL (15-8, 4-7 Big East): The Pirates shot a season-low 25.9 percent in the loss to UConn on Saturday without Pope, who was injured in the previous game against Marquette. Pope and Fuquan Edwin, who leads the nation in steals at 3.1 per game, have not shot well of late and Theodore has really struggled. Theodore, a senior, is shooting 26.7 percent during the losing streak and his turnover/assist ratio has decreased. The Pirates’ schedule down the stretch is not as difficult; they just need to find the rhythm they had during their 15-2 start.

ABOUT RUTGERS (12-12, 4-7 Big East): The Scarlet Knights were outrebounded 40-25 in their last game against Louisville, giving up 18 second-chance points. Carter, even though he has not been in double figures two of his last four games, averages 13.8 points to lead the team and Mack (10.5) is next. The Knights need more from forward Gilvydas Biruta, who has scored in double figures just once since Jan. 1. Versatile Dane Miller, who is shooting 50.4 percent from the field and leads the team in rebounding, could provide more offense as well.

TIP INS:
1. Seton Hall leads the series between the New Jersey schools 34-26, but dropped two of three to Rutgers last season.

2. Rutgers is 1-6 in games decided by fewer than six points.

3. Edwin would be the first Big East player to lead the nation in steals if he stays on top.

Preview Notre Dame at West Virginia

Dave Johnson — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:55:02 +0000

THE STORY: Notre Dame, which comes in having won its last four, has slowed the tempo of late and leads the Big East in scoring defense during conference play. West Virginia counters with the conference's leading scorer and rebounder in senior forward Kevin Jones. The Mountaineers have controlled the series recently, winning four of the last five and posting a 72-58 victory on their home floor last Feb. 19. Notre Dame will be looking for its fourth Big East road victory, having won at Louisville, Seton Hall and Connecticut.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPNU, ESPN3.com

ABOUT NOTRE DAME (15-8, 7-3 Big East): Since losing Tim Abromaitis to a season-ending knee injury, the Fighting Irish have found their rhythm by grinding the game to a near standstill — their 61 possessions per game in league play rank 15th among Big East teams. Notre Dame has remained efficient, ranking 12th nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.37) and eighth in fewest turnovers per game (10.5). Conference opponents have struggled to get open looks from outside, hitting just 23.6 percent from 3-point range. Sophomore guards Eric Atkins (13.1 points) and Jerian Grant (12.7 points, 4.9 assists) lead a balanced lineup.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA (16-8, 6-5): Jones has carried the load inside for the Mountaineers, averaging 20.8 points and 11.2 rebounds. He and junior Deniz Kilicli (11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds) pace a frontcourt that has West Virginia ranked second in the Big East in rebounding margin (plus-6.1). Senior Darryl Bryant is sixth in the league with 17.6 points, but he is shooting just 32.6 percent on 175 3-point attempts (most in the Big East) and 37.8 percent overall. Jones has posted 15 double-doubles this season, the third-highest total in Division I.

TIP-INS:
1. Notre Dame leads the series, 25-12, and has an 8-8 record in Morgantown, but the Mountaineers have won their last three home games against the Fighting Irish.

2. West Virginia lost 11 consecutive games to Notre Dame between 1999 and 2005 before turning the tide of the series with a 71-70 home win in 2006.

3. Grant leads the Big East in assist-turnover ratio by a wide margin at 3.1 (113 assists, 37 turnovers).

Recap Kentucky 78 Florida 58

Dave Johnson — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:09:40 +0000

KENTUCKY 78, FLORIDA 58: Doron Lamb scored 18 points and hit 4 of 5 3-point attempts, helping top-ranked Kentucky pull away for a convincing home win over No. 7 Florida.

Lamb hit two shots from long range in the last 50 seconds of the first half to help the Wildcats (24-1, 10-0 SEC) take a 38-26 lead into the locker room. He added another 3-pointer with 11:27 left in the second half, capping a 16-4 run that stretched Kentucky's lead to 54-34.

The Gators (19-5, 7-2) came into the game leading the conference in scoring and 3-point percentage but came up empty against the Wildcats, making just 6 of 27 shots from behind the arc and shooting just under 35 percent (22 of 63) overall.

Two Kentucky freshmen posted double-doubles — Michael Kidd-Gilchrist finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds, while Marquis Teague added 12 points and 10 assists. Anthony Davis, the nation's leading shot-blocker, had four rejections in addition to his 16 points.

Kenny Boynton led Florida with 18 points.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Kentucky extended its NCAA-best home winning streak to 49 games and improved to 66-2 all-time at home when it is ranked No. 1 … Florida's 26 first-half points were a season low … The Wildcats will play at Vanderbilt on Saturday night, while the Gators return home to face Tennessee.

Recap Oklahoma State 69 Iowa State 67

Dave Johnson — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:09:34 +0000

OKLAHOMA STATE 69, IOWA STATE 67: Le’Bryan Nash scored 18 points, including the go-ahead jumper with 4.6 seconds left, to lift host Oklahoma State.

The Cowboys (12-12, 5-6 Big 12) nearly squandered an eight-point lead in the last five minutes, allowing the Cyclones (17-7, 7-4 Big 12) to tie the game on two Royce White free throws with 39 seconds remaining.

But Nash ran a pick and roll with Markel Brown, dribbling to the left elbow and nailing a step-back jumper over Chris Allen to give Oklahoma State the win.

Iowa State had enough time to get off one final shot as Allen drove the length of the court for a left-handed layup, but Nash swatted it into the stands as the buzzer sounded.

Nash’s heroics returned the favor for the Cowboys’ loss at Iowa State earlier this season, when Scott Christopherson banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Cyclones a 71-68 win.

The Cyclones, who dropped two games out of first place in the Big 12, fell for the 17th straight time at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

After a back-and-forth first half that Iowa State ended with a slim 32-31 lead, Oklahoma State fell further behind but went on an 11-1 run. The Cowboys held a 44-39 edge on Marek Soucek’s wing 3-pointer with 14:04 to go.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Oklahoma State went on a 19-4 run in the middle of the first half to take a 20-13 lead … White narrowly missed his second triple-double of the season with 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists … Iowa State hasn’t won in Stillwater since 1988.

Recap Maryland 64 Clemson 62

Dave Johnson — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:09:30 +0000

MARYLAND 64 CLEMSON 62: Terrell Stoglin scored a game-high 27 points and visiting Maryland held on after almost blowing a 14-point lead in the final eight minutes.

Stoglin, who leads the Atlantic Coast Conference and ranks fifth in the nation in scoring, hit two free throws with 10 seconds remaining to give the Terrapins (14-9, 4-5 ACC) a 63-59 lead as they registered their first true road win.

Clemson (11-12, 3-6 ACC), which has lost three straight, trailed 53-39 with 7:58 remaining before staging a comeback behind Andre Young and Milton Jennings.

Young, who led the Tigers with 15 points, had 13 in the second half while Jennings came off the bench to score 11 of his 14 after halftime. Devin Booker added a double-double for the Tigers with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Sean Mosley contributed 16 points for Maryland, which shot 49 percent from the field and a season best 67 percent from three-point range, hitting 8 of 12, led by four from Stoglin.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Mosley became the 50th player in Maryland history to reach the 1,000-point mark when he made a free throw early in the first half … Maryland, which came into the game ranked 336th in the nation in steals averaging just 4.0 per game, had five in the first half and finished with eight.