NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Someday All Conference Tournaments Will Be Played in Las Vegas

Adam Papagiorgio — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:45:00 EST

The Western Athletic Conference could move its tournament to the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas in 2011, joining the West Coast Conference and Mountain West Conference which also host tournaments in Sin City.

Hey Pac-10 and Big West, what are you doing having your conference tournaments in Los Angeles and Anaheim respectively? Maybe you too could move your tournaments to Las Vegas. Maybe they could erect a court on Fremont Street and have them play.

But, for right now, the WAC appears serious.

So serious, in fact, that WAC commissioner Karl Benson watched the WCC tournament final in what could only be described as a fact finding mission, and not just a reason to hang out in Las Vegas. The thinking is that the WAC tournament would follow the WCC tournament the next day. The WAC nearly had an agreement to play its conference tournament in the past, but a couple of school presidents refused to sign off.

Those presidents could be persuaded if Nevada is able to knock off Utah State this week in the conference tournament. Especially if one of those president's was from Utah State.

Benson not only witnessed a future venue for his conference tournament, he also witnessed the last gasp of Utah State's flimsy hopes for an at-large bid evaporate. St. Mary's was blown out by Gonzaga. And the Gaels, you may remember, beat the Aggies -- even without point guard Patrick Mills -- in the BracketBusters. That loss, along with the refusal to schedule quality opponents, put Utah State in a position to win or else. A daunting task consider that the Aggies have lost at Nevada this year.

So if Utah State loses on Nevada's home court, there is going to be a push for a conference tournament on a neutral court. Hence, Las Vegas.

Someday All Conference Tournaments Will Be Played in Las Vegas originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On-Court Obsession: The Final Saturday

Chas Rich — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:35:00 EST

Filed under: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Mid-Majors, MVC, MWC, Pac-10, SEC

Saturday is a busy day for college basketball. On any Saturday during the season, there can be well over 40 games on TV. Unfortunately, many are completely unwatchable. Every Friday, FanHouse puts together a handy guide of the best options for how to spend your Saturday on the couch watching college hoops.

This is a busy one. I mean, really busy. The end of the regular season for many teams. Conference tournaments for the mid-majors are underway. A couple are even playing their finals so they can get some ESPN exposure.

12 PM ET
UConn-Pitt, CBS: Think CBS was happy to make this their final Big East game? Over/under of times they show DeJuan Blair flipping Hasheem Thabeet is set at five.

Michigan-Minnesota, ESPN: The loser is going to have to go deep in the Big Ten Tournament if they don't want to be sweating next Sunday.

Georgia Tech-Boston College, Raycom affiliates and Full Court: If BC loses they are heading to the NIT.

2 PM ET
Kentucky-Florida, CBS: Neither team is looking good for the NCAA Tournament, but all hope is abandoned for the loser.

California-Arizona State, CBS: Cal looking for a sweep in the desert and clinching an NCAA berth. ASU is trying to get better than an eight seed after losing at home to Stanford on Thursday.

Syracuse-Marquette, Big East Network affiliates and Full Court: Marquette trying to show that they can at least beat other NCAA Tournament teams without Dominic James and keep their seed reasonably high.

Missouri-Texas A&M, Big 12 Network affiliates and Full Court: The Aggies have gotten back on the bubble in no small part because so many teams have played their way off. This would be a win that secures their spot.

South Carolina-Georgia, Raycom affiliates and Full Court: South Carolina got humiliated at home by Tennessee on Thursday, so they are still on the bubble. Georgia just beat Kentucky to knock them out. The Gamecocks cannot afford a loss.

Penn State-Iowa, Big Ten Network: A loss for Penn State would effectively negate the last second win over Illinois on Thursday and put PSU back on the bubble.

2:30 PM ET
Missouri Valley Conference Semifinal, Bradley-Northern Iowa, Fox Sports Midwest: The MVC Tournament is one of the most entertaining and competitive.

3:30 PM ET
Oklahoma State-Oklahoma, ABC: Oklahoma State still trying to hold on to a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament. OSU has just about clinched a berth. This would make it a lock.

Maryland-Virginia, ABC: Will Greivis Vasquez flip off the 'Hoos? Will Gary Williams implode? Can Maryland blow another opportunity?

New Mexico-Wyoming, The Mtn.: If you are a fan of a major conference bubble team, then you are cheering for the Cowboys. The Lobos can finish tied for the Mountain West regular season title and be firmly on the bubble.

4 PM ET
Texas-Kansas, CBS: Kansas can win the Big 12 regular season title. Texas needs to improve their seeding.

Big South Final, VMI-Radford, ESPN2: This will be the first conference tournament champion and auto-bid for the NCAA Tournament.

5 PM ET
Missouri Valley Conference Semifinal, Illinois St.-Creighton, Fox Sports Midwest and Comcast SportsNet Chicago: See comments from the 2:30 PM game.

6 PM ET
Atlantic Sun Conference Final, ETSU-Jacksonville, ESPN2: Watch the game and try to figure out just how low the A-Sun champ will be seeded.

7 PM ET
Horizon League Semifinal, Wright State-Butler, ESPNU: Will Butler be upset and squeeze the bubble tighter?

7:30 PM ET
Stanford-Arizona, Fox Sports Arizona: The Wildcats are officially desperate and clinging to the bubble.

8 PM ET
Ohio Valley Conference Final, Morehead State-Austin Peay, ESPN2: The OVC has history. Not much success, but history.

9 PM ET
Louisville-West Virginia, ESPN: Louisville can make their claim for a No. 1 seed with a win and at least tying for the Big East regular season title.

Horizon League Semifinal, Cleveland State-UW-Green Bay, ESPNU.

10 PM ET
UNLV-SDSU, CBS College Sports: More Mountain West excitement and two more teams with bubble claims.

Nevada-Boise State, Full Court: Neither is a bubble team, but they are good bets to challenge Utah State for the WAC Tournament title.

On-Court Obsession: The Final Saturday originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wyoming Key to Mountain West Title

Adam Papagiorgio — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:56:00 EST

Filed under: MWC

The Mountain West might be one of the competitive and even divisions in college basketball, plagued with the same parity that has been evident in most major conferences. So don't fault Utah for losing at BYU and at New Mexico recently. The Utes fell to the Papagiorgio curse more than anything else. (Ask UCLA fans about that.)

The Mountain West is wide open and the most realistic possibility is that three teams,Utah, BYU and New Mexico, could share the conference title. And you know who is the most important team in the Mountain West right now? Wyoming.
Utah blew its two-game cushion by losing at BYU and at New Mexico. Not that there's any harm there. If you are reading this post, you know how hard it is to win at the Marriott Center and at the Pit. But don't fret Utes, a share of the conference title will be yours with a win over the Horned Frogs.

An outright title? That's up to Wyoming.

Wyoming will play host to BYU tonight and New Mexico on Saturday. The Cougars and Lobos had better not believe this game is a chippy. The Cowboys already beat the Rebels and Aztecs at home this season, and are 12-1 at home this season. Utah was the only Mountain West team to win in Laramie this year.

This could be troublesome for BYU and New Mexico. The Cowboys have their conference tournament seed already set. But you know that the team and its fans would love to spoil the season of the Cougars and Lobos. This will be a tough test for BYU and New Mexico which also harbor NCAA tournament hopes. No letdowns will be acceptable.

Wyoming Key to Mountain West Title originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:56:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mountain West Not Handed to Utah

Chas Rich — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: MWC

The Mountain West Conference may be making headlines for going after the BCS system, but on the basketball side they have spent the year in obscurity. Despite Utah being in the top-ten in RPI and the BYU Cougars clocking in at No. 22, neither team has been able to get much national attention.

With Utah leading the MWC comfortably, a win over BYU would have all but clinched the conference for the Utah Utes. It also would have made it more likely that the MWC would be a one-bid conference if Utah won the MWC ended up winning the MWC Tournament. That is not a problem after BYU blew Utah out in the second half.

BYU 63, Utah 50: Recap | Box Score | RPI | Scores

Playing at the Marriott Center in Provo is still one of the toughest home courts in the country, and Utah definitely looked rattled in the second half. The Cougars went on a 14-2 run early in the second half to take the lead that they never gave back.

The loss definitely cost Utah a chance to be ranked, which hardly makes a big difference at this point in the year. They can still win the MWC if they can beat New Mexico at the Pit and close out the season with TCU.

BYU can breathe a little easier knowing that this win essentially clinched their NCAA Tournament ticket. That means a little less pressure to win the MWC Tournament.

Mountain West Not Handed to Utah originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 28 Feb 2009 21:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Billy Packer Would Have Loved the Upcoming NCAA Tournament

Shiloh Carder — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 01:00:00 EST

Filed under: Butler, Davidson, George Mason, Gonzaga, WCC, Xavier, A-10, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Mid-Majors, MVC, MWC, Pac-10, SEC, March Madness, St. Mary's (CA)

One of the biggest gripes against former CBS basketball analyst Billy Packer was that he didn't respect the mid-majors. He famously complained that there were too many mid-majors in the 2006 NCAA Tournament. That was the year that George Mason upset Michigan State, North Carolina and UConn to get to the Final Four.

This will be the first Packer-less tournament in decades as he retired after last year's Final Four. It's a shame for him because he would have loved the makeup of the brackets this time around. Going against the recent trends, it looks as if the major conferences will get most of the at-large bids, leaving the mid-majors out in the cold.

According to ESPN's Joe Lunardi, there aren't too many mid-majors that are locks to get in if they do not win their conference tournament. Siena, Utah State and Davidson have the strongest cases to be at-large teams but there are factions that believe they won't. Utah State has that win over Utah, but nothing else. Davidson has actually lost a couple of SoCon games this year and their biggest win is against West Virginia on a neutral court. Siena just lost to Niagara last night. All will be overwhelming favorites to win their conference tournaments but they could be in trouble if they don't.

Gonzaga will snatch a bid if they don't win the West Coast Conference tournament. Butler does the same if they fail to win the Horizon.

Lunardi is also projecting that 31 of the 34 at-large bids will be going to the so-called "BCS conferences". The ACC leads the way with eight teams, followed by the Big East and Big Ten with seven each. The SEC, which is suffering a perceived down period, is projected to get five teams in the tournament. The other three bids are penciled in for the Atlantic 10's Dayton and two from the Mountain West (Utah, BYU and UNLV should all get in; one should win the conference tournament). The only non-BCS school that is currently seeded as a No. 4 seed or better is Memphis.

Even Lunardi's last four out includes nothing but BCS schools. The "next four out" features two more Mountain West schools and two Big XII schools.

All this leads up to schools from power conferences fighting for those last spots available in the tournament. It will also lead to more name matchups in the first and second round. Right now, Lunardi has first round games of Kentucky-Texas, Florida-California, Oklahoma State-Arizona State, Boston College-Tennessee, Michigan-LSU, Penn State-UCLA and South Carolina-Wisconsin.

Billy Packer Would Have Loved the Upcoming NCAA Tournament originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 28 Feb 2009 01:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Utah May Be Best Team in West

Adam Papagiorgio — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:40:00 EST

Filed under: UNLV, MWC

Utah is clearly the class of the Mountain West right now after avenging an early loss to UNLV. Now the question becomes is Utah the best team in the West right now?

The Pac-10 folks with Washington, Arizona State and UCLA might beg to differ. All three teams are ranked in the Top 25, and Cal holds an early season win over Utah. (And before you even mention Gonzaga, realized that Utah owns a recent win over the Bulldogs.)

So be honest, if you were filling out our tournament bracket today, would you pick any of those three to beat the Utes?

Don't answer too quickly, and take some time to consider just how well the Utes are playing right now in one of the most underrated conferences in college basketball. Though some of the less educated college basketball fans haven't quite caught on to the Mountain West just yet.

Utah 70, UNLV 60: Recap | Box Score | RPI | Scores

The Utes have won eight consecutive games since leaving Las Vegas a few weeks ago. And they aren't beating the mid-card, curtain-jerkers either. Utah has notched wins over all four of its closest rivals, UNLV, BYU, San Diego State and New Mexico.

More importantly, Utah has avoided the pratfalls that have befallen its Pac-10 counterparts. The Mountain West is just as competitive and even as the Pac-10, but Utah has taken care of business. Look at all of the Top 25 teams that have stumbled. Hell, look at the No. 1 teams that can't seem to hold the top spot for more than a week.

Utah has kept winning during that time.

Luke Nevill was really impressive against UNLV, notching a double-double. Nevill disappeared during the second half against the Rebels out in Las Vegas, but he was a constant force on Wednesday night. Nevill gives the Utes a matchup advantage against some of the bigger teams and remember this when you are filling out your tournament brackets.

But before we crown the Utes -- and more likely jinx them -- realize that Utah does have some tough games remaining. Utah will play at Provon on Saturday and follow that up with a game at New Mexico on Tuesday. A split in one of those games should just about give Utah the conference title.

And maybe more importantly, the title of best team in the West.

Utah May Be Best Team in West originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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San Diego State Bubbling After Loss

Adam Papagiorgio — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 01:33:00 EST

Filed under: UNLV, MWC

San Diego State has earned the admiration of ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi, who has continued to include the Aztecs in his Bracketology projections. But at some point, San Diego State needs to return the love.

The Aztecs also need to learn how to finish off a game.

San Diego State blew a 13-point halftime lead, as BYU came roaring back to handily defeat the Aztecs, 69-59. This was the second time San Diego State has blown a halftime lead in its last three losses. At least the Aztecs were blown out from the tip at New Mexico on Saturday. Now San Diego State is suddenly reeling with two consecutive conference losses.

And that tournament bid? Don't be so sure. Now the Aztecs need to worry about tournament seeding in the Mountain West conference tourney.

BYU 69, San Diego State 59: Recap | Box Score | RPI | Scores

Nobody wants to get that UNLV draw playing in the Thomas & Mack Center. Right now, the Aztecs would be the No. 4 seed with the Rebels No. 5. (Maybe that's why BYU was playing so hard in the second half -- it doesn't want any part of the UNLV, winners of six consecutive games against the Cougars in the Thomas & Mack.)

San Diego State really needs to be impressive down the stretch and in the conference tournament seeing that the team is lacking great wins. The Aztecs went 0-3 against Arizona State, Arizona and St. Mary's.

State is going to need some help.

There is a still a good chance that the Mountain West can get in four teams, but what about New Mexico which won a second consecutive game and is tied for second place with BYU? The Lobos split with the Cougars earlier this season. A strong finish and tournament showing puts New Mexico in the hunt.

Utah remains in good shape for the Mountain West title, but plays a huge game against UNLV tonight. This game almost appears like there will be no loser. The Rebels have already defeated the Utes, so a season split isn't damaging. Though, UNLV shouldn't take anything for granted. This is the NCAA mind you. They are as crooked as the line Charles Barkley walks at a sobriety check point.

Utah could be playing for some prime seeding, locked into a No. 6 seed in the most recent Bracketology. A convincing regular-season title and a strong run in the Mountain West tournament could really improve the Utes seed. Besides, the NCAA owes them after that BCS mess.

San Diego State Bubbling After Loss originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 01:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BYU Sweep Validates UNLV

Adam Papagiorgio — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 03:04:00 EST

Filed under: UNLV, MWC

Were it not for UCLA, UNLV would be a dead lock for 2009's most befuddling team award. The Rebels are an engima, a two-faced team more befitting of a Tommy Lee Jones' character instead of a Mountain West leader.

Let's recap UNLV's season. Losses at Colorado State, TCU and Wyoming. But a season sweep of BYU. The Rebels won at the Marriott Center -- arguably one of the toughest places to play in the nation. But couldn't win in Fort Collins against one of the worst teams in the Mountain West.

But when the NCAA selection committee looks at bubble teams, UNLV has a win at Louisville, at BYU and home wins over Utah, BYU and Arizona. The Rebels might have saved their tournament lives Saturday night.

Sometimes the Rebels can be so confusing. They have great senior leadership with guys like Wink Adams, Mareceo Rutledge and Joe Darger. Lon Kruger is a great coach. But the team, somehow, still has lapses. Like when they couldn't hit a free throw as BYU rallied, closing an eight-point deficit with two minutes left, to a one-point game at the end. But give the Rebels credit. They seem to pull out the big ones when they count.

But what is going on with the rest of this conference? What was the objective that I laid out for the four tournament teams from the Mountain West? No bad losses. Beat each other up, just don't loss to the bottom feeders in the league.

Since that time, UNLV has lost at Wyoming, and San Diego State was humiliated at New Mexico, losing 75-49. If you caught any of the St. Mary's-Utah State game, the broadcast team was very complimentary of the Aztecs. Maybe the broadcasters jinxed them.

And this isn't a knock against the Lobos. Playing at The Pit is tough. No doubt. But scoring 49 points is a bit of a problem. Kyle Spain was not felling well, and Billy White got knocked out of the game, but what a rather lifeless performance out of this team.

So what does next week hold for the Mountain West?

UNLV and Utah are in pretty good shape right now. The Utes will play host to the Rebels on Wednesday, which is a bigger game for Utah that needs to avenge the loss at Las Vegas.

BYU plays at San Diego State on Tuesday. The Aztecs need to avenge its earlier season loss at Provo. But then again, the Cougars need some big wins after being swept by the Rebels. Plus that non-conference win over Utah State doesn't look like much anymore.

And then, of course, there is Utah vs. BYU next Saturday. There is still a long way to go. And really, the top four probably need a decent showing in the conference tournament to get in.

BYU Sweep Validates UNLV originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 22 Feb 2009 03:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On-Court Obsession: Busted Busters

Chas Rich — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 13:08:00 EST

Filed under: A-10, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Conference USA, Mid-Majors, MVC, MWC, Pac-10, SEC, Media Watch

Saturday is a busy day for college basketball. On any Saturday during the season, there can be well over 40 games on TV. Unfortunately, many are completely unwatchable. Every Friday, FanHouse puts together a handy guide of the best options for how to spend your Saturday on the couch watching college hoops.

There's no avoiding it: the Bracket Busters format is in a down year. It's not down because the games will be boring, or because no team will provide some foreshadowing of what it might be capable of in the NCAA Tournament.

Bracket Busters is down because there are just not that many teams in the mid-majors that have been that good this season. The number of teams capable of earning at-large bids from mid-major conferences is on the very low side.

That means these games do not mean much one way or the other for the teams. For almost all the teams taking part in this event, it will still come down to winning the conference tournaments to get into the NCAA Tournament.

Still, there's plenty to watch, so let's get to the top choices:

11 AM ET
Northeastern-Wright State, ESPN2: Things start early. Northeastern is one of three teams from the Colonial that seems most likely to be headed to the NCAA Tournament; Wright State, less so, but it was there not too long ago and has a great fan base.

Liberty-Old Dominion, ESPNU: Seth Curry is almost as much fun to watch as his older brother.

12 PM ET
Butler-Davidson, ESPN: The highlight game of Bracket Busters is much less inspiring with both teams coming off of losses. Add in Steph Curry's uncertain status and this may turn out to be a big disappointment from an entertainment perspective. For Davidson, more than Butler, though, this is a must-win game if it wants to make a better case for an at-large bid.

Notre Dame-Providence, Full Court, MASN or SNY: This is essentially a bubble elimination game for both teams. Notre Dame has only one conference road win. If it doesn't get this one, its only other shot would be at UConn. Providence needs every win possible with their schedule.

Boston College-Miami, FoxSports Florida and South, CSN, or NESN: Miami has to win out if it hopes to keep a glimmer of hope to make the NCAA. BC has been streaky all season.

1PM ET
Buffalo-Vermont, ESPN2: Buffalo sits atop the MAC while Vermont rules America East. Neither team, though, is making the NCAA without winning its conference tournament.

Tennessee-Kentucky, CBS: Someone has to win the SEC East division. Right?

Baylor-Oklahoma State, Full Court and Big 12 affiliates: Baylor is off the bubble (in a bad way), but Oklahoma State still has a chance. Baylor could put a wrench in that.

2 PM ET
Marquette-Georgetown, ESPN: This is the only remaining game for Marquette against a Big East team that's in the lower-eight portion of the conference standings. Georgetown has to win at home to keep whatever slim hopes remain based on its strong computer numbers.

Louisville-Cincinnati, Full Court, Fox Sports Ohio and Cincinnati, MASN and MSG: Louisville is playing for seed, while Cincy really needs a win against a Big East team that will finish above .500 in the conference.

3PM ET
Northern Iowa-Siena, ESPN2: Siena is one of the few mid-major teams that has an argument to get an at-large bid. Northern Iowa is tied at the top of the Missouri Valley Conference. This is one of the few games that can actually impact the chances for either team.

San Diego State-New Mexico, Versus: Neither team is going to win the Mountain West Conference, but get to know them as either could end up as the rep after the conference tournament takes place.

4 PM ET
Utah State-St. Mary's, ESPN2: The "what if" game. What if Patty Mills was healthy? What if Utah State had not lost last week to Boise State? This would have been the game of Bracket Busters. It is still a big game that both teams probably feel they absolutely need to make their case for an at-large bid. It just had the potential to be bigger.

Wisconsin-Green Bay-Long Beach State, ESPNU: Green Bay just knocked off Butler and is only one game back in the Horizon League. LBS is tied at the top of the Big West. Neither team is going the NCAA Tournament without winning its conference. Still, this should be a good game.

6 PM ET
Boise State-Portland State, ESPNU: Okay, this is a stretch, so maybe it is time to go have some dinner. Still, Boise beat Utah State last week and is third in the WAC. The same place where Portland State resides in the Big Sky. Plus, the Vikings did beat Gonzaga this year.

7 PM ET
Washington-USC, Fox Sports Prime Ticket, Northwest and Arizona: USC still has a chance to make an at-large claim. The Trojans need more big wins as they are only 1-4 against RPI top-25 teams. Washington is trying to rebound after losing to UCLA on Thursday.

8 PM ET
Florida State-Virginia Tech, Sun Sports, Fox Sports South and CSN alternative: Virginia Tech seems to live on the bubble. It has the opportunities with the four of the top five teams in the conference on the schedule. This is at home, so it is almost a must-win game.

9 PM ET
Oklahoma-Texas, ESPN: ESPN's primetime game is a rivalry game and a must-win for the home team. The lack of a true point guard has made life difficult for the Longhorns -- that and inconsistent effort all-around. Still, you know that Texas would love to be the team to end Oklahoma's perfect run through the Big 12.

9:30 PM ET
George Mason-Creighton, ESPNU: Two teams that have made their reputations by shocking people in the NCAA Tournament, and each is at or near the top of its conferences. Creighton really could use this game to give it a chance for an at-large bid.

11 PM ET
BYU-UNLV, CBS Sports Channel: A late-night treat from the Mountain West to end things. UNLV has disappointed, but it is dangerous. BYU is trying to catch Utah for the top of the conference.

On-Court Obsession: Busted Busters originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 13:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On-Court Obsession: Love the Game

Chas Rich — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:51:00 EST

Filed under: WCC, A-10, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Conference USA, Mid-Majors, MVC, MWC, Pac-10, SEC, Media Watch

Saturday is a busy day for college basketball. On any Saturday during the season, there can be well over 40 games on your TV. Unfortunately, many are completely unwatchable. Every Friday, FanHouse puts together a handy guide of the best choices on how to spend your Saturday on the couch watching college basketball.

This is when you find out how much your significant other cares about you. Just how much time will you get to watch college basketball when Valentine's Day falls on a Saturday?

Those without a partner or even a date, can take solace in the money not spent on gifts and dinner. In addition, you can to spend over 12 hours watching hoops.

12 PM ET
Georgetown-Syracuse, ESPN: Classic Big East rivalry. Neither side likes the other. Both teams really need this game to move to the right side of the bubble.

Northeastern-George Mason, CSN, CSNE: There will be only one from the Colonial Athletic Association. These are two of the three most likely teams to represent the CAA.

1 PM ET
UCLA-Arizona, CBS: Just as UCLA looked like the best in the west, they lose to Arizona State. Arizona has shown more grit and toughness than anyone would have thought, with a win over USC on Thursday they are positioned to make the NCAA Tourney once more and keep their streak of NCAA Tournament appearances going.

1:30 PM ET
Nebraska-Missouri, Big 12 Network Affiliates, Full Court: Missouri lost the first time they played, one of their few blemishes in conference play. Nebraska has won three straight Big 12 games and still believes it can get to the bubble.

2 PM ET
VCU-Old Dominion, CSN, CSNE: VCU is the other likely representative from the CAA. They are tied with Northeastern at the top of the conference standings.

3:30 PM ET
Kansas-Kansas State, ABC, Full Court: Outside of Oklahoma, K-State is the hottest team in the Big 12. They have won six straight including wins over Mizzou and at Texas. Kansas is coming off a last second loss in the Border War really does not want to lose another rivalry game.

4 PM ET
Cincinnati-Pitt, ESPN: Cinci has surged into the bubble discussion with a strong defense and adequate offense. They upset Pitt once last year, and they could catch the Panthers past them to the Big Monday game at UConn.

Florida State-Wake Forest, Raycom Affiliates, Full Court: Florida State plays defense first and can struggle on offense. Wake has stopped playing defense and is only relying on the offense. FSU has won four of their last five games. Wake has dropped three straight. Wonder which approach is working better?

Davidson-Furman, MASN: Don't you need your weekly Steph Curry fix?

5 PM ET
Stanford-California, FoxSports: One of the underrated rivalries. Stanford took the first game at Gampel Pavilion. Cal, though, has the better conference record.

6 PM ET
Texas A&M-Baylor, Fox Sports Southwest, Full Court: Two disappointing teams trying desperately to stay near the bubble.

Ole Miss-LSU, Fox Sports Florida, Fox Sports South, Full Court: LSU has been the biggest positive surprise in the SEC this year. Their weak schedule, though, means they need to keep winning. Ole Miss has suffered injuries, their coach being arrested and the video of the arrest being released. Hopefully the LSU fans can come up with something creative to address Ole Miss Andy Kennedy's situation.

8 PM ET
UC-Riverside-Cal State Northridge, Fox Sports Prime Ticket: It's not all about the East Coast and the big conferences. The Big West is a fun place and Northridge has taken the top spot in the conference.

9 PM ET
Ohio State-Wisconsin, ESPN: The bad news, ESPN has skipped hyping this primetime Saturday night game in favor of Monday's Pitt-UConn game. The good news, the game is actually relevant. Wisconsin has resurrected itself in the last week. Ohio State has very quietly put itself in third place in the Big Ten.

10 PM ET
Portland-St. Mary's, Comcast Sportsnet California: St. Mary's may not be the same team without Patty Mills, but after nearly taking out the Zags on Thursday, they are still a very good team. Portland is up one game on the Gaels in the WCC, so this should be a very good battle.

12 AM ET
Nevada-Hawaii, Comcast Sportsnet California: No great reason to watch this WAC match, other than to lay claim to having watched in excess of 12 straight hours of college basketball.

On-Court Obsession: Love the Game originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Utah Takes Over First Place in the Mountain West

Adam Papagiorgio — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 02:33:00 EST

Filed under: UNLV, MWC

The Mountain West conference is currently a four-bid conference. Heady times for the conference that was robbed by the BCS. But if those teams want to stay in the tournament, there are a couple of rules that need to be followed. Or else the NIT awaits.

The first rule is just basic common sense. There can be no bad loses. None. Brigham Young hammered Colorado State on Wednesday night, while UNLV knocked off Texas Christian on Tuesday night. That is big. BYU doesn't lose at home, but they can pout on the road some times. The Rebels lost at Colorado State this season, so there are no rules too small to follow. Especially since Joe Lundardi has BYU and UNLV projected as two of the last teams in the tournament.

And then there is the second rule. Protect your home-court at all costs.

With San Diego State having held serve at Cox Arena in January, this was a must win for Utah.

The Utes certainly played that way, destroying the Aztecs, 67-55. Utah used a strong second half to overcome a halftime deficit and move into sole possession of first place.

The Utes have won five consecutive games, while the Aztecs had a four-game winning streak snapped.

The key for the Mountain West regular season title will be the home games. San Diego State stole a win at UNLV last week, and can sweep the season series on March 7. The Rebels won at Provo, and can sweep the season series against the Cougars next week in Las Vegas. Utah has lost at Vegas, but plays host to them on at the end of the month and plays at BYU a few days later.

These teams can round-robin each other, and still figure in the tournament mix. But remember that first rule. No bad loses. So in effect, Utah's game against Air Force on Saturday might be more important that those games against UNLV and BYU in the long run. A regular season title is nice, but this is four-bids we're talking about here.

So in short guys, don't mess up.

Utah Takes Over First Place in the Mountain West originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 02:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Economy Won't Effect Tourney Seeding

Will Brinson — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: WCC, A-10, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, MVC, MWC, Pac-10, SEC, WAC, March Madness, Coaches, Fans, Rumors, South

Travel costs for universities are a big deal in this economic climate. Look no further than the bowl "selections" that occurred this year -- there were a substantially larger number of teams hanging close to home, presumably to allow for cheaper travel for both the schools and their fans.

But the NCAA says that will not be a huge deal this year, and supposedly, geographical distance will not affect a team's pairing.

Selection committee chairman Mike Slive said during a conference call Tuesday that while the committee is sensitive to the economic climate, it has a responsibility to the nation to provide balanced brackets for the NCAA's marquee event, which begins in mid-March.

Whether or not this actually happens (I think it will, personally), this is still a tremendously positive statement for college basketball fans. There would be nothing worse than to see March Madness' inherent beauty -- the cross-country scramble to converge on one location -- tainted for the greater good of "economic stability."

Geographical selection isn't necessarily a problem for college football, though. Outside of the BCS bowls, any reduction of costs is substantial enough of a win for a team to validate staying close to home, not to mention an increase in ticket sales. But for college basketball, where the postseason actually matters, any sort of regional favoritism would be highly detrimental to the basic setup of the postseason itself.

Economy Won't Effect Tourney Seeding originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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San Diego St. Could Make Mountain West Four Bid Conference

Adam Papagiorgio — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 01:51:00 EST

Filed under: UNLV, WCC, Mid-Majors, MWC, WAC

One of the more interesting aspects of Joe Lunardi's Bracketology this week was that San Diego State was the second to last team left out of the tournament. Lunardi has UNLV, Utah and BYU (barely) as tournament teams, with San Diego State knocking on the door.

But now the Aztecs look like a legitimate tournament team following their overtime win at Las Vegas Tuesday night. A win that should help increase it's tournament resume.

And dare you believe it? Is the Mountain West really a four-bid conference?

That's a delicate question. Are those four Mountain West teams among the best 65 teams in the country? No question. But when you start getting down to the 34 at-larges and the lower ranked conference champions, there's no guarantee the committee will include them.

If you look at Lunardi's rankings further, Miami was the first team left off the tournament list. No more. The Hurricanes, barring a huge collapse, probably punched their ticket with a home win over No. 6 Wake Forest. Though really, Hurricanes fans, you're storming the court? Don't you have like 50 baseball and football championships?

Lunardi also has St. Mary's as one of the last teams in the tournament. That's not going to happen with Patty Mills out. St. Mary's is also going to lose big at Utah State in the BracketBusters. So they are out. So San Diego State -- who might end up being the best team in the Mountain West -- should slide in.

But not at the expense of the other Mountain West teams. If anything, the NCAA selection committee should give the Mountain West the benefit of the doubt because of the way the conference is treated by the BCS. Now, one doesn't have anything to do with the other. I get that, I really do. But come on, how about a little turnabout is fair play?

UNLV, Utah, BYU and San Diego State should be looking at tournament bids this season. When you figure that the WCC is going to get in only one team, the WAC is going to get in only one team, there is no reason to believe that the Mountain West can't be a four-bid conference.

San Diego St. Could Make Mountain West Four Bid Conference originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 01:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Luke Nevill Rebounds Against BYU

Adam Papagiorgio — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 02:04:00 EST

Filed under: MWC

Utah's star center Luke Nevill wasn't so impressive in his team's loss at UNLV on Saturday. He certainly made up for it against BYU on Tuesday night. Nevill scored 32 points in Utah's 94-88 overtime victory over BYU. The Utes were able to snap the Cougars' two-game winning streak at Salt Lake City.

Nevill was certainly the key.

Nevill and BYU's star Lee Cummard had a scoring competition during the first half. The two were going at it (though not guarding each other), as each ended the first half with 16 points. A scoring battle that was a pleasure to watch.

But whereas Nevill disappeared in the second half against UNLV, he came out strong in the second half to lead Utah in scoring. Cummard scored only seven points in the second half and overtime to finish with 23 points. Nevill was strong in the second half and in overtime scoring 16 points to lead Utah to the win.

Nevill and Utah was effective at getting to the free-throw line. Nevill was 12-of-14 from the line, and Utah was 31-of-40. The Utes held a strong advantage in free-throw attempts, not that it would have mattered to Cougars. BYU was a miserable 13-for-22 as center Chris Miles was 2-of-9 from the line. Miles was being abused by Nevill on one end of the court, and yet could barely draw iron on the other side of the floor. If BYU would have been able to drain just one foul shot down the stretch, they could have come away with the win.

Utah moves back into a first-place tie in the Mountain West, and BYU is now mired as a mid-card team, obviously missing center Trent Plaisted who opted for the NBA but is playing in Italy right now.

Nevill also took a look at the NBA, but chose to remain in school to fulfill his mother's hope for a college degree. And also a chance to lead Utah back to the top of the Mountain West. If he wants to succeed in that later goal, he's going to need more nights like Tuesday, and less like the disappointment at UNLV.

Luke Nevill Rebounds Against BYU originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 02:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse in the Stands: UNLV Wins and a Thumbs Up from Norm Clarke

Adam Papagiorgio — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 02:30:00 EST

Filed under: UNLV, MWC

You never really need a lot of reasons to make plans on a Saturday morning to head to Las Vegas -- a scant four hours away from where I'm at. But when you add in an all-world matchup between UNLV and Utah, let's just say the incentives just get a little bit sweeter.

But really, will anybody take you seriously when you say that you went to Las Vegas to see a college basketball game? Consider most of your friends dubious. Or maybe jealous. Or perhaps, a little of column A and a little of column B.

There, however, wasn't much time to waste. Only some time to get the wife in the car and get on the road, because we had a game to catch. UNLV was coming off a huge win at BYU on Wednesday and Utah was looking to forge its own monumental road win.

Pregame
There wasn't going to be much time for pregame festivities with a 1PM tipoff. But one of the biggest must-stop locations along the way to Las Vegas, is the Iron Hog Saloon in Oro Grande. Unfortunately, the old girl is closed for the time being, while the new owner is applying for a liquor license.

Not that it matters, because this is UNLV and well, they actually treat you like an adult. Now, most of you likely attend basketball games where you can't even purchase a beer, lest you corrupt young minds and such. You don't have that problem at UNLV. Here is one of the actual concession stands at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Not only can you enjoy the rights of other adults since prohibition, you can even purchase a cocktail. The Thomas & Mack also has actual bars that rival that of any big-time arena out there.

I assure you the young ladies in the picture are lovely, but the afternoon sun did kind of wash out the photo a bit. But this a college game, mind you. And all of the fans acted with proper decorum and there were no signs of trouble. Instead, it was just a great atmosphere for college basketball. I mean, it's not like we want to go blotto during a matinee basketball game, but it's nice to enjoy an adult beverage while watching a game. Maybe others should follow suit.

The Game
There are two things that stuck out to me during the Rebels' 75-65 victory. First, Luke Nevill is a good player, but he has a ways to go to ever be considered a good NBA prospect. A lot more was expected out of him considering that UNLV doesn't have much of a post presence, but all he managed was 14 points and seven rebounds. I'm not saying that he can't develop into a nice NBA player, but I was not impressed with him. Disappointed might be a better word. Nevill was dominant in the first half, seemingly blocking every shot before UNLV made an adjustment.

Which leads to Lon Kruger, who is such an advantage compared to the other coaches in the Mountain West. That's no knock on those coaches, but Kruger is far and away the best coach in the Mountain West. He made the adjustments at BYU last week, and he again led UNLV to a rally over Utah.

In fact, it looked like the Utes were going to run away with the game early in the first half. But the Rebels switched to a four-guard offense in the second half and simply smoked the Utes. UNLV was down five with just under 14 minutes left in the second half when he went with the small lineup. In fact, he took out Darris Santee and Brice Massamba, leaving them with 6-foot-7 Joe Darger as "the big man."

Kruger made that adjustment and the Rebels flourished. Utah, however, never countered. The Utes kept trying to force the ball to Nevill and Jim Boylen did his best Phil Jackson impersonation while the Rebels were running away with the game and the crowd was going nuts -- must have been the booze. Utah was shooting pretty good from 3-point range, but they never tried to keep up that way. This was Kruger turning the screws.

Of course, it helps to have guys such as Mo Rutledge, Tre'Von Willis and Wink Adams, too.

Two rallies for UNLV in a week, winning at BYU and taking out Utah. The Rebels (16-4, 4-2) need to keep the momentum going at Air Force this week.

The Aftermath
One of my favorite scenes in college basketball: Exiting the Thomas & Mack Center, overlooking the strip and heading for the taxi line. I'm not sure how many other college hoops fans take taxis to and from games, but this has long tickled me.

One tradition you might want to consider when coming to a UNLV game is a trip to the Double Down Saloon. A classic punk-rock bar. But not intimidating to anybody wearing Rebels gear because there were a number of fans mixed in with the crowd. (The early tip probably helped, too.)

And possibly the highlight of the evening came when taking a trip to Planet Hollywood after the game. Famed Las Vegas columnist Norm Clarke was heading up the escalator while our party was heading down to the taxi line. Needless to say, we all became fan boys like we had just seen the Beatles. Clarke gave a thumbs up and said, "Good luck," which is easy to do when you are heading away from us.

But a UNLV game and a sighting of Norm Clarke? That's a tough weekend to beat.

FanHouse in the Stands: UNLV Wins and a Thumbs Up from Norm Clarke originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 02:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On-Court Obsessions: Celebrate Some Saturday Hoops

Chas Rich — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:02:00 EST

Filed under: A-10, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Mid-Majors, MVC, MWC, Pac-10, SEC

It's another Saturday in January on the couch, but this one's a slow starting day of college hoops -- definitely the kind of day that you spend the early part of dozing on the couch rather than constantly clicking the remote.

As the day continues, though, the number of games you should watch climbs rapidly. This is actually one of the few Saturdays where you can actually take a half-hour and spend dinner with the family -- you know, pretend that they are important -- then get back for a very active evening session. Here's the rundown.

12 PM ET
Maryland-Duke, ESPN: Okay, I don't have high expectations either, but there just aren't a lot of choices to start the day. If the game were in College Park, Md., I might believe in the possibility of an upset. In this case Maryland might make Duke sweat for a while, but will not be able to finish. Only other reason to watch: to see if Greivis Vasquez flips off the Cameron Crazies.

Niagara-Siena, MSG or Full Court: It's MAAC madness. The two best teams in the Metro Atlantic go at it. Get acquainted with a potential Cinderella for the NCAA Tournament.

2 PM ET
American-Holy Cross, ESPNU: Hot Patriot League action. The top teams square off. If you don't watch, John Feinstein will eat another dozen Krispy Kreme's.

3:30 PM ET
Memphis-Tennessee, CBS: Always a spirited contest of in-state rivals. That's the best I can do at the moment. Both teams have struggled more than expected. Tennessee has fallen out of the rankings and Memphis is hovering in the 20s.

4 PM ET
Wisconsin-Illinois, ESPN: Not only has Wisconsin lost three straight, but the last two have been of the overtime flavor. But they have become a bubble team. Illinois has only lost once at home (to Clemson) this season.

George Mason-VCU, ESPN2: Anyone else remember when Eric Maynor was the mid-major guard that everyone wanted to watch? He's a senior now, and averaging over 22 points and six assists per game. Oh, and this is a battle between the top teams in the Colonial.

Utah-UNLV, Vs.: Utah played an ambitious non-con with mixed results. They have gotten off to a decent start in the MWC, but their three wins have come against the bottom of the conference. UNLV, in case you missed it, is fine.

Baylor-Oklahoma, ESPNU: Baylor has one big win this season. Otherwise, they have no other quality wins of note. That means every conference game matters. This is a big one. Oklahoma looked surprisingly uninspired at home against Nebraska.

UCLA-Washington, FoxSports: Despite the unimpressive record in the non-conference portion of the schedule, the Huskies are tied for the best record in the Pac-10 and they have only lost once at home.

7 PM ET
UConn-Notre Dame, ESPN: Notre Dame has the nation's longest home winning streak at 45. They are playing poorly on defense, and just about everyone is assuming the streak ends here.

Radford-Liberty, MASN: The name is Curry. Seth Curry.

8 PM ET
Xavier-Louisiana State, ESPN2: This is a rare double-double for 2009. A team from the Atlantic-10 showing up on national TV in January, and an interesting game involving an SEC team.

Northwestern-Michigan, Big Ten Network: A little more than a week ago, Michigan was a lock for the NCAA Tournament. Three straight losses later, and this is a must-win game. Northwestern has knocked off two straight ranked conference teams.

Texas A&M-Texas, ESPNU: Are you a reliable point guard living in the state of Texas, between the age of 18 and 21? Rick Barnes and Mark Turgeon are interested. Otherwise, the frontcourts and shooting guards are just fine, thank you very much.

San Diego State-BYU, The Mtn.: SDSU is near the top of the MWC and BYU has suddenly become vulnerable in Provo.

10 PM ET
UC-Riverside-Long Beach State, FoxSports Pacific: Go ahead and watch one of LBS coach Dan Monson's auditions for a higher profile job.

On-Court Obsessions: Celebrate Some Saturday Hoops originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UNLV Wins at BYU

Adam Papagiorgio — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 01:26:00 EST

Filed under: UNLV, Mid-Majors, MWC

Brigham Young had one of the longest home winning streaks in the nation to start the 2008-09 season. Now the Cougars have won two games at the Marriott Center in recent weeks. UNLV played an outstanding second half as the Rebels won in Provo for the first time since 2005, scoring a 76-70 win. (Which I believe is the last time any Mountain West team won at BYU.)

Just a week ago, you had to wonder if the Rebels were even going to challenge for the Mountain West title after losing at Colorado State.

Yeah, nobody is going to be talking about that loss anymore.

Not with this performance. If you had any question about UNLV's fortitude, you shouldn't any more.
The game started as a typical Marriott Center game. The Cougars took a 13-point lead in the first half and you have to imagine that most Rebels fans were thinking, "Well, here goes the season." But something amazing happened in the second half.

The Runnin' Rebels played a near perfect second half to win. And that's pretty much what it takes to win in Provo.

What does this do for BYU's psyche? The Cougars have already proven that they can't win at the Thomas & Mack Center during the Mountain West tournament. The only thing they really had going for them was that they are impervious at home, and they would win enough road games to take the conference regular-season town. Dave Rose's team could be in a little bit of trouble.

The Rebels are not, thanks to Wink Adams who scored 22 points. Adams, I would suspect, was probably hurting more than he was letting on in recent weeks. He is either learning to deal with the pain, or he's finally getting healthy. Whatever it was, it certainly worked on Wednesday night.

In some other mid-major games of note:

TCU 79, Wyoming 78 OT: The Horned Frogs are leading the Mountain West with a 4-1 conference record with Utah idle. So let's get this straight. TCU is leading the conference and BYU has lost two home games this year. Makes sense. This has been that kind of year.

San Diego State 81, New Mexico 76: Once again, the home team holds serve.

Cal State Fullerton 91, Cal State Northridge 87: Fullerton coach Bob Burton is the biggest star in the Valley since ... well, you know what they film in the Valley. I'll let you construct your own joke. The Titans absolutely hate playing at home. And if you have been to Titan Gym, you would understand why. But what's surprising is that the Matadome is a bigger dump than Fullerton's high school gym. So who knows. Jacques Streeter led the Titans with 27 points as finally somebody other than Josh Akognon was able to shoulder the scoring load.

UNLV Wins at BYU originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 01:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On-Court Obsessions: Your Stacked Saturday of College Hoops

Chas Rich — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Purdue, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, MVC, MWC, Pac-10, Media Watch

If you have the right combination of sports packages, you could have your pick of some 52 games Saturday. Given how absolutely frosty it is in the East and Midwest at the moment, many should plan now to make the most of it.

As you would expect with that many games, they are not all gold. So handle your remote just right, time the bathroom breaks properly, and you can spend over 12 hours watching some quality hoops. It also helps to plan ahead on which games to watch. Here are the best offerings over the course of the day.

12 PM ET
Notre Dame-Syracuse, ESPN: Two top-15 teams coming off painful road losses. The Irish are winless on the road in the Big East and Syracuse may be down to just two guards.
Northern Iowa-Drake, ESPN2: MVC battle of teams at the top.
Maryland-Florida State, Full Court or regional sports channel: You just never know what kind of Maryland team will show up. FSU plays great defense, but struggles to score enough points.

1:30 PM ET
Georgetown-Duke, CBS: A late intersectional treat between two traditionally hate-able teams.
Oklahoma State-Baylor, Full Court or regional sports channel: The Cowboys have played a soft non-con, but have won the games they should. Baylor has a couple of better wins, but is surprisingly similar in accomplishments. Expect an entertaining and close one.

2 PM ET
Oklahoma-Texas A&M, ESPN: It's a chance to see Blake Griffin go after Chinemelu Elonu.
Washington State-Oregon, FOX Sports: Find out if Ernie Kent gets booed by his own fanbase, and if Jon Brockman can make free throws.
Arkansas-Florida, Full Court or regional sports channel: Can Arkansas win on the road? If Florida wins, do they get an SEC team back in the AP poll?

3 PM ET
Davidson-Georgia Southern, SportsSouth: Steph Curry, Steph Curry, Steph Curry, Steph Curry.

3:30 PM ET
Wake Forest-Clemson, ABC (or Full Court): Both undefeated and in the top 10.
Arizona State-UCLA, CBS: If Arizona State is really going to challenge UCLA's control of the Pac-10, they actually need to show up on the road.

4 PM ET
Illinois-Michigan State, Big Ten Network: Just as Michigan State starts looking like they will run away with the Big Ten, they nearly blow a game to Penn State. Illinois has quietly gone 15-2.
Texas-Texas Tech, Full Court or regional sports channel: Texas has lost two of their last three games -- both on the road. Texas Tech has only lost once at home this year.

6 PM ET
Pitt-Louisville, ESPN: No. 1 team in the country going to Freedom Hall, with the Cards putting everything together at both ends of the court. Both play tough defense, but in very different styles.

8 PM ET
Ohio State-Michigan, Big Ten Network: Ohio State really misses David Lighty and are winless on the road in the Big Ten. Michigan has made a big jump in their second year under John Beilein.
UAB-Memphis, CBS College Sports: If there is one team that might have a chance to stop the Memphis hegemony in Conference USA, it would be UAB and Robert Vaden.
Cleveland State-Wisconsin-Milwaukee, SportsTime Ohio: They play some ball in the Horizon League, beyond just Butler.
Arizona-USC, FOX Sports: Scout the individual talent for the 2009 NBA Draft.

9 PM ET
Miami-UNC, ESPN: The primetime ESPN game with Dick Vitale. Now the good news: Miami is pretty good. The additional bad news? They're not this good.
Marquette-Providence, ESPN2: Marquette has not lost in a month. They also have not played as well on the road. Providence struggled early, but has looked a lot better including putting a big scare into Georgetown.

10 PM ET
Wyoming-UNLV, The Mtn.: UNLV was the preseason favorite in the Mountain West, but have been disappointing. Wyoming was picked near the bottom of the MWC, but have been surprisingly better than expected.

11 PM ET
Pacific-Cal State-Fullerton, ESPN2: You've made it this far, why stop now?

On-Court Obsessions: Your Stacked Saturday of College Hoops originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UNLV Hits New Low, Loses to Colorado State

Adam Papagiorgio — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:32:00 EST

Filed under: UNLV, Mid-Majors, MWC

UNLV was picked to win the Mountain West conference, but those high expectations need to be tempered following a rather embarrassing loss on the road at Colorado State. How bad was this loss for the Rebels? This was Colorado State coach's Tim Miles first conference win. He was hired last year. The Rams had lost 18 consecutive conference games. You figured that they would win eventually, but you just didn't expect it to happen against the conference favorite.

As mentioned in this space the other day, the Mountain West is all about the road wins. You figure San Diego State (who lost at Wyoming on Wednesday ... but 76 percent of AOL users picked the Cowboys to win), BYU, Utah and New Mexico will likely hold serve at home. At least BYU will. But now the Runnin' Rebels have put themselves in a bind by having to be perfect down the stretch, at home and on the road.

Coach Lon Kruger can't be too pleased with this. He emptied his bench early in the game when the Rebels fell behind in the opening minutes. He probably should have left them on the bench. UNLV has proven that they can run with the big boys by beating Louisville, but the glow of that win is all but a memory at this point.

Saturday's home date against Wyoming becomes very important. The Cowboys are no pushover, as the Aztecs can attest to. Expect to see some fire from the Rebels on Saturday night. If UNLV can't pull its (expletive) together and beat the Cowboys at home, it might be a long season.

There is a part of me that's torn, because you would like to see the Mountain West become a stronger conference. Meaning that teams like Colorado State would have to start showing improvement. But come on, UNLV can't be losing on the road to Colorado State. It can't happen.

Utah took care of business by beating Air Force. The Runnin' Utes held the Falcons to only 36 points. Utah might be the best team in the conference. At least right now. Though, that seems to change from week to week. The team that is leading the conference right now, might not be around in March. This Mountain West race surely is going to be interesting.

UNLV Hits New Low, Loses to Colorado State originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Texas Christian Not Ready to Make Leap

Adam Papagiorgio — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 01:46:00 EST

Filed under: Mid-Majors, MWC

Texas Christian has been on an impressive roll lately, including a huge home win over UNLV last weekend. So is it too much to expect a huge win at BYU on Tuesday night to show the world that they are ready to challenge for conference supremacy? Yeah, probably.

Teams just don't win at the Marriott Center. At least not Mountain West foes. Wake Forest was able to get a win at BYU a couple of years ago. Expecting the upstart Horned Frogs to do the same is asking way too much. In fact, a Mountain West team hasn't won at the Marriott Center since the conference was formed 10 years ago.

So it should come as no surprises that the Cougars were able to cruise to a 73-61 win. Lee Cummard scored 22 points to lead the Cougars who are undefeated in conference play and have won three consecutive games since losing to Wake Forest on Jan. 3.

But don't let it get you down, TCU. The Horned Frogs still look like a legitimate contender. Most of the teams in the Mountain West seem content to hold serve on its home court. What it will come down to is the team that will be able to steal some road wins from one of the top three schools -- BYU, UNLV and San Diego State.

Texas Christian might be able to get their some day, but Tuesday night was not its night.

Texas Christian Not Ready to Make Leap originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 01:46:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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