NCAA Basketball FanHouse

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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Homecoming Drag Queen Honored at George Mason Basketball Game

Michael David Smith — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 12:57:00 EST

Filed under: George Mason, Video

George Mason University's basketball team is known mostly for getting to the Final Four in 2006, but now it will be getting some attention for something else. At a George Mason game last weekend, a drag queen was chosen as the school's homecoming queen.

The drag queen was Ryan Allen, a senior at George Mason who performs in drag at nightclubs in the region. He told the Associated Press he entered the homecoming court election as a joke, under the name Reann Ballslee. But enough people went along with his joke that he won:

"I was very touched by how Mason was so supportive through the whole process of allowing a boy in a dress to run for homecoming queen," Allen said in a phone interview. "It says a lot about the campus that not only do we have diversity but we celebrate it."

University spokesman Dan Walsch told the AP the school is "very comfortable" with Allen's selection. Although Allen's title is "Ms. Mason," the contest rules say nothing about the winner having to be female.

"It's just that if you're a man who runs for Ms., you've got to dress the part," Walsch added.

Homecoming Drag Queen Honored at George Mason Basketball Game originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 21 Feb 2009 12:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Teams Announced For 2009 'Bracket Busters'

Shiloh Carder — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:15:00 EST

Filed under: Butler, Creighton, Davidson, George Mason, Nevada, WCC, Wichita State, Mid-Majors, MVC, Fans, Media Watch

Update 2/2/09: The 2009 BracketBusters matchups have been announced.

The Bracket Busters is a series that began in 2003 and was designed to pit mid-majors in inter-conference battles late in the regular season. With ESPN tied in, it brings national TV audiences to places they may normally not go.

It helps these teams immensely by getting them exposure, pumping up their RPI numbers and answers some of those questions about the strength of these mid-major conferences.

102 teams were named to be in this year's event ... which will take place on February 20-21.

The marquee name will be Davidson College, home of Stephen Curry and a Wildcats team that were a shot away from getting to the Final Four.

Other big time mid-majors include Butler, Drake, San Diego, Nevada, St. Mary's, Bucknell and George Mason.

Matchups will be set on February 9th. After the jump are the teams that are participating.Home teams: Ball State, Boston, Bowling Green, Bucknell, Cal Poly, Central Michigan, Creighton, Davidson, Drake, Drexel, Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Michigan, Evansville, Fairfield, Georgia Southern, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana State, James Madison, Kent State, Long Beach State, Loyola-IL, Marist, Murray State, Nevada, New Mexico State, Niagara, Old Dominion, Portland State, Rider, San Diego, San Jose State, Siena, Southeast Missouri, St. Mary's, Tennessee State, Towsom, UC-Davis, UC-Santa Barbara, UIC, UNC-Wilmington, UT-Martin, UW-Milwaukee, Valpo, Vermont, Western Michigan, Wichita State, William & Mary, Winthrop, Wright State and Youngstown State.

Away teams: Akron, Appalachian State, Austin Peay, Boise State, Bradley, Buffalo, Butler, Canisius, Cleveland State, CS-Fullerton, CS-Northridge, Delaware, Detroit, Eastern Illinois, Elon, FDU, Fresno State, George Mason, Hartford, Hofstra, Illinois State, Iona, Jacksonville State, Loyola-MD, Liberty, Louisiana Tech, Gardner-Webb, Manhattan, Miami-OH, Missouri State, Montana State, Morehead State, Morgan State, North Dakota State, Northeastern, Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Ohio, Pacific, South Dakota State, Southern Illinois, St. Peter's, Tennessee Tech, Toledo, UC-Irvine, UC-Riverside, UMBC, Utah State, UW-Green Bay and VCU

Teams Announced For 2009 'Bracket Busters' originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What If Billy Packer Never Became a Broadcaster? One Cartoon Takes a Look

Shiloh Carder — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:28:00 EST

Filed under: Duke, George Mason, UNC, Mid-Majors, March Madness, Fans, Media Watch

I've been trying to find the best way to "honor" Billy Packer by pointing out his most ... uh ... famous moments (ya know, saying there are too many mid-majors in the NCAA Tournament, saying "F** out" on the Charlie Rose Show, and saying the foul that broke Tyler Hansbrough's nose wasn't flagrant).

This cartoon above does it perfectly. It was created by Grey Blackwell, who does all sorts of cartoons for the News & Observer's web site, and hits on all three of those notes with high hilarity.

What If Billy Packer Never Became a Broadcaster? One Cartoon Takes a Look originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Providence Still Lacks a Head Coach

Charles Rich — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:23:00 EST

Filed under: George Mason Basketball, Big East Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches

It's hard to believe that in the 90s, Providence was able to raid Xavier for their head coach (Pete Gille, anyone?). Can't picture that these days. Now, the Friars can't even entice an alum coaching at a mid-major to take their job.

Jim Larranaga (Providence, 1971) opted to remain at George Mason rather than take the job at his alma mater. Admittedly, Larranaga has been at GMU for 12 years and had that Final Four run that keeps him in regular demand in the DC area for lucrative speaking engagements.

Still, this was supposed to be a slam dunk of a hire. Someone who would also reenergize the fans. How demoralizing was being turned down by Larranaga? Providence Athletic Director Rob Driscoll felt the need to issue a press release on the rejection to reassure the fans and alum.

"We offered him a very substantial package but he was too comfortable in his current situation and opted to stay at George Mason. As a result, I will continue to have ongoing discussions with the other finalists in this search. I remain very optimistic that we will find a head coach who will embrace the rich tradition of Friar basketball and move the program forward."

I don't remember the last time a school issued a press release about being rejected.

Providence Still Lacks a Head Coach originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Someone Should Tell Jim Larranaga That Leprechauns Are Immune to Magic

Josh Alper — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:55:00 EST

Filed under: George Mason Basketball, Notre Dame Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, NCAA Basketball Video, East

Here's a reason why coaches shouldn't let cameras into the locker room before games.

When you're going up against the school that pretty much invented the pep-talk cottage industry, you've gotta come up with something better than crumpling up a piece of paper. A little too much comedy and way too much about what happened with a completely different team.

(H/T Hugging Harold Reynolds)

Someone Should Tell Jim Larranaga That Leprechauns Are Immune to Magic originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCAA Previews: Recognize the George Mason Patriots

Josh Alper — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:15:00 EST

Filed under: George Mason Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, March Madness

Conference: Colonial Athletic Association
Record: 23-10 (12-6 CAA)
RPI: 64
How They Got In: Automatic Bid
Seed/Bracket: 12/East

Mascot: Patriots. The school was named for George Mason, a Virginia statesman who wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights in 1776. It detailed specific rights of citizens and Mason, a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, pressed for a similar enumeration of rights in the Constitution. When there wasn't one, he refused to sign and lobbied for their inclusion. That led to the Bill of Rights, therefore Mason's namesake school are the Patriots.

Big Wins: Dayton, Kansas State, Virginia Commonwealth

Notable Loss: The loss to Georgia State in the second CAA game gave notice to the erratic season ahead for GMU.

Player You Should Know: You may remember Will Thomas from such NCAA tournaments as 2006 but he's an even better player now than he was during that Final Four run. He averages a double-double (and had another one in tonight's CAA final), shoots 63% from the floor and is always the best option for a Mason team that is scattershot from three.

Outlook: You shouldn't underestimate the experience that Thomas and Folarin Campbell bring to the table after their Final Four trip in 2006. But don't overestimate it either. Their experience didn't help them battle VCU for the league title nor did it help them handle the lesser lights of the CAA. Don't expect another magical run from the Patriots but, then, you didn't expect it the last time either.

NCAA Previews: Recognize the George Mason Patriots originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who the Bubble Teams Are Backing, Part 2

Charles Rich — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:08:00 EST

Filed under: Memphis Basketball, George Mason Basketball, Conference USA Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, March Madness, Creighton Basketball, MVC Basketball

There seems to be a larger than usual pool of teams across the college basketball landscape from the non-power conferences that could make their own case for an at-large bid. These are some of the conferences that have teams that could pop other teams bubbles if they don't win their conference tournament. Part 1 and Part 3.

Today has the Sun Belt, Atlantic Sun and Patriot League getting their conference tournaments started. Not as much attention will be paid to the Atlantic Sun and the Patriot League, but South Alabama in the Sun Belt will be watched closely.
CAA:
Hope wins: Virginia Commonwealth (43d RPI, 8-2 in last 10, beat Maryland and Houston).
Watch out for: George Mason. 3-1 against the RPI top-50 including beating VCU. They are bracketed opposite VCU and would meet in the CAA Tournament Championship game.

Conference USA:
Hope wins: Memphis (#2 AP Poll, #3 Coaches Poll, 2nd RPI).
Watch out for: UAB. The Blazers are 51st in RPI. They lost 8 games this season, with 5 of them coming in OT or by 5 or less points including a 1 point loss to Memphis. UAB has the talent, with several players who transferred to UAB from power conference schools.

MVC:
Hope wins: Drake (#20 AP Poll, #21 Coaches Poll, 15th RPI) or Illinois St. (36th RPI, 7-3 last 10 games, 4-4 vs. RPI top-50).
Watch out for: Southern Illinois or Creighton. SIU is 48th in RPI and 7-3 in their last 10 games and 12th ranked strength of schedule. Creighton is 50th in RPI and has beaten St. Joe's and DePaul.

Southland:
Hope wins: Stephen F. Austin (57th RPI, 8-2 in the last 10 games, beat Oklahoma and San Diego).
Watch out for: Lamar. First in the Southland Conference, but an RPI of 133.

Who the Bubble Teams Are Backing, Part 2 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CAA And MAC Both Improve Their Shot at Two Bids in Early Bracket Busters

Josh Alper — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:10:00 EST

Filed under: George Mason Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball

There's a school of thought that holds Bracket Buster games in fairly low esteem. They don't do much to hurt or help a team's chances of getting into the tournament and make for better television than anything else. I can't argue with the latter. Today's the best day of college hoops all season, only in part because of Tennessee-Memphis, and I think it's one that could play a role on Selection Sunday.

Just ask George Mason how much winning your Bracket Buster game matters. If they didn't beat Wichita State in 2006, they probably don't make the tournament. If they don't make it, they don't get to the Final Four, obviously. I mention the Patriots because they played one of the marquee games this afternoon, not because they did anything to help their cause. After taking a 13-point lead into the break, GMU got rolled by Ohio and lost 69-57 in Athens. Leon Williams, the Bobcats beast, had his customary double-double but it was 18 in the second half from Bubba Walther and horrid shooting that really cost them.

The news wasn't all bad for the CAA, however.

VCU held Akron to 28% shooting and beat the Zips 57-52 to split the games against the MAC. VCU is now on pace to win the conference regular season and adds another solid win to an already decent at-large resume. If GMU wins the automatic bid, the only way they're getting in at this point, the Rams could sneak in if things break their way.

It's a similar mixed bag for the MAC. Ohio's now got five wins against the RPI top 100 and can potentially add two or three more before the season's out. One of them can come against Akron, which would give them second place in the MAC East and a good argument for a bid if Kent State wins the league tournament.

CAA And MAC Both Improve Their Shot at Two Bids in Early Bracket Busters originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Terrible Weekend on the Mid-Major Bubble

Josh Alper — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 09:50:00 EST

Filed under: George Mason Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, Creighton Basketball, Davidson Basketball, MVC Basketball

Mid-major basketball fans are frothing at the bit for this weekend's Bracket Buster bonanza. A slew of games pitting the best teams from all over the country, highlighted by Drake and Butler hooking up in Indianapolis. That game should be a doozy but a good part of the fun of this weekend is usually seeing which teams might step up and get at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament. I say usually because after this week it's hard to find many teams with chances that look good.

Sure, Drake would get a bid if they suffer an upset in the MVC tourney but there's no way another team from that conference is dancing without an automatic invite. Creighton lost twice this week, including a 87-59 thrashing at Bradley's hands on Saturday. Illinois State, meanwhile, fell at Indiana State. The Redbirds will be a popular choice in the 2008-09 preseason, see sophomore Osiris Eldridge's 34 points in the loss, but they won't factor in this year's postseason. And this year's favorite, Southern Illinois, followed up their win against Drake with their first road win at Wichita State. Too little, too late unless you're looking for the likeliest spoiler in the conference tournament.

It was tough all over the Midwest.

Akron was eliminated from contention with a loss to Northern Illinois early in the week while Ohio's lost three of four, including a 10-point loss to Kent this weekend. The Golden Flashes have secured their bid but if the MAC wants to end their one-team streak someone will need to beat them in the tournament.

Ohio and Akron will be playing George Mason and VCU, respectively, this weekend but those results probably won't matter any more to the CAA teams. VCU's loss to Old Dominion on Saturday isn't an awful one but it is one too many for the Rams to get in the dance through the back door. The Patriots' home loss to UNC-Wilmington isn't any better. GMU has the nonconference resume in order but didn't take care of business in the Colonial and will have to survive what should be a minefield of a conference tournament.

Oral Roberts needed to go unbeaten in the Summit to have any shot at an at-large but lost to IUPUI on Saturday. Davidson's in the same boat, and still unbeaten in the Southern, but if they should stumble before the tournament, it would be hard to make a case for them over a lot of the other teams listed here.

If there is a mid-major worthy of two bids this morning it's probably the Sun Belt. Western Kentucky and South Alabama have dominated league play but their meeting on Thursday will probably decide which of them has a chance at an at-large. If WKU wins, they'll have 12 straight wins and a two-game lead on the Jaguars. If USA wins, it's a sweep of the Hilltoppers and their third top 50 RPI win. So, strangely, if the winner on Thursday loses a rematch in the Sun Belt tournament, it would be the conference's best outcome.

Terrible Weekend on the Mid-Major Bubble originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 18 Feb 2008 09:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Drake Will Visit Butler in Highlight of Bracket Buster Weekend

Josh Alper — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 18:40:00 EST

Filed under: George Mason Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, Butler Basketball, MVC Basketball

When we were took a look at the teams that might benefit the most from their Bracket Buster games this weekend we glossed over Drake and Butler. Unlike most of the other participants, the dueling Bulldogs look like sure bets for a trip to the big dance which makes their matchup, announced today, all the more interesting.

Butler's trip to the Sweet 16 last season made the country familiar with their style but there's probably a fair chunk of people who haven't watched them play with freshman Matt Howard. His inside play balances their always strong three point shooting and, since they rarely turn the ball over, makes them nearly impossible to stop on offense. Stopping Howard will be a key for Drake. They defend the perimeter quite well but aren't loaded with size inside. Offensively, they share a proclivity for the outside shot and the efficient approach with the other Bulldogs.

It isn't every year that two mid-majors appear to be top-four seeds and even rarer that we get to see them square off when they are in full form. While they may be playing the marquee game of the weekend, there will be others worth watching.

Kent State has a decent chance at an at-large bid if they win the MAC East. If they can travel to Saint Mary's and knock off the Gaels, though, they may be okay even if they slip behind Ohio or Akron. It will be a tall order, though. The Golden Flashes don't match up well with the imposing SMC front line and play a bit too loose with the ball to win a grind it out affair.

Those other two MAC East teams drew the pearls of the CAA. VCU will visit Akron and George Mason will head to Athens for a date with Ohio. The latter game will feature a splendid matchup between GMU's Will Thomas and Leon Williams while the former is a contrast in styles. Akron is offensively gifted while the Rams are one of the nation's top defensive sides.

Drake Will Visit Butler in Highlight of Bracket Buster Weekend originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 04 Feb 2008 18:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bracket Buster Matchups Decided Today

Josh Alper — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:24:00 EST

Filed under: George Mason Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, MVC Basketball

Coaches around the country will be waiting with baited breath for today's Bracket Buster matchup announcement. 100 mid-major teams, including the entire MAC, CAA and MVC, will be pitted against each other in games to be played on February 22 and 23. Teams like Drake and Butler will be trying to improve their seed but for most teams this game will be a key part of their resume. Here's a handful of teams whose matchups we'll be paying close attention to today and one team who could suffer from missing the fun:

Saint Mary's - I don't think the Gaels need to do much to solidify their at-large credentials, although another nice win would erase the bad feelings from the San Diego loss. What they can do when they host their Bracket Buster is improve their seed come March and help create a more favorable matchup. And, personally, I expect the Gaels will play one of the 14 nationally televised games and I think those of us on the east coast will benefit from the increased exposure to a good basketball team.

George Mason and Virginia Commonwealth - The two CAA leaders remain joined at the hip. Each has some strong wins and baffling losses, each has an RPI in the 50's and each will play a road Bracket Buster. If they both win, they could both be dancing.

Illinois State - We discussed the uncertainty surrounding a second MVC bid over the weekend and the Redbirds could go a long way to clearing it up with a win on the 22nd or 23rd. They'll be at home and could draw an opponent that makes for a better nonconference win than Cincinnati.

Kent State - The MAC East is a predictably tough race and, while the winner will have a strong case, it's been a long time since they've gotten two teams into the dance. A good road win would make Kent a very tough out on Selection Sunday.

Ohio - See Kent State, except the Bobcats won't get the benefit of a road game. They'll need to win the division to have a strong claim but this could be a help.

Davidson - Stephen Curry takes his club on the road for their game and it's not one to take lightly. If Davidson runs the table in the Southern Conference but loses in the tournament, could they land an at-large? Not based on their previous nonconference losses, no matter how good the opponent, but if they get a good draw and a big win, well, they'd have a shot.

South Alabama - The Jaguars are in a similar position as Davidson. They are the class of the Sun Belt but tournaments are tricky events, see their loss to North Texas this week. Their RPI is 35 and they look strong but not having one more feather in their cap, USA isn't a Bracket Buster, could make for a tense selection day if they don't have the automatic.

Bracket Buster Matchups Decided Today originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virginia Commonwealth Plays Astounding Defense, Holds Onto CAA Lead

Josh Alper — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 08:40:00 EST

Filed under: George Mason Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball

In their loss to George Mason on Tuesday night, Virginia Commonwealth turned in an uncharacteristically weak defensive performance. The Patriots took over in the second half and cruised to a 12-point win that kept the CAA a two-team race. Rams coach Anthony Grant couldn't have been happy with that performance and must have done something about it in practice this week. Yesterday VCU was impenetrable during their 65-42 win against Towson.

Only one Tiger had more than six points and they made fewer shots than the Rams had steals. Towson was 14-of-55 from the floor while VCU stole the ball 17 times, including seven by Joey Rodriguez. Larry Sanders had seven blocks, which makes you wonder if the Tigers might have been better off just taking shot clock violations every time down the floor. The Commonwealth offense never took off, they shot just 36.8%, which is why the specter of Mason's win wasn't completely erased.

The Patriots turned in a defensive effort almost as impressive in their 72-46 win against James Madison and complemented it with an offensive showing that's beyond the Rams. Folarin Campbell had 20 points and John Vaughn scored 19 in a 53% showing from the floor. Their early season struggles look well behind them after a strong week.

GMU's offensive depth is unrivaled within the league, as is VCU's defensive prowess. When the CAA tournament final comes, it will be a shock and disappointment if we don't get a rematch between the league's best offense and its best defense.

Virginia Commonwealth Plays Astounding Defense, Holds Onto CAA Lead originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 03 Feb 2008 08:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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George Mason Builds a Better Bubble

Josh Alper — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 08:25:00 EST

Filed under: George Mason Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball

It's been a season of spurts for the George Mason Patriots. A 6-1 start featured wins over Cleveland State, Kansas State and Dayton but was followed by a 4-4 stretch. Four straight CAA wins came next with the Patriots flashing ample evidence of the athleticism and depth that makes them the most talented team in the conference. That string of strong play looked to end during a desultory loss at UNC-Wilmington over the weekend but it may have been a momentary lapse. The Patriots put on their best show yet last night with a 63-51 win over Virginia Commonwealth.

The Rams entered play as the best defensive team in the CAA but couldn't stop GMU during the second half. Will Thomas and Folarin Campbell combined for 11 points during a 20-4 run that erased a VCU lead and put the Patriots in position to stay unbeaten at home. The Colonial's odd scheduling deprives us of a rematch between the two clubs in the regular season but it wouldn't be a stretch to imagine them meeting in the tournament final.

If Mason loses there, they may still be able to make a case for tournament inclusion. VCU is their fourth victim in the RPI's top 65 and their own ranking of 59 can continue to rise. They'll need to step up their play on the road. Five of the final nine, including their bracket buster, will be away and winning them will give their resume some added punch.

George Mason Builds a Better Bubble originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 30 Jan 2008 08:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dre Smith of George Mason Sets NCAA Record for Three Point Shooting

Josh Alper — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: George Mason Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, Butler Basketball

George Mason started January as a team looking for its identity. Losses to Georgia State and Delaware had them behind the eight-ball in the CAA and the preseason conference favorites were looking like a team with more flaws than assets. Things changed quickly, though. Will Thomas had a career game to stave off an upset in double overtime at Hofstra on Thursday and then Dre Smith shot his way into the record books during yesterday's 96-75 win at James Madison.

Smith made all 10 of his three-point tries to set a NCAA record for most tries without a miss. He finished with 34 points overall, a career-high which was only part of the reason to believe the Patriots are on the right track. They also outrebounded the Dukes by 14 and shot 65% for the game. Delaware lost for the second straight time yesterday, which leaves GMU in a three-way tie behind VCU in the Colonial.

The Rams won 78-68 at Old Dominion yesterday. They don't have the depth of the Patriots but they have two players in Eric Maynor and Jamal Shuler who can go off any night. They each scored 26 points against ODU and each finished with a double-double to boot. Shuler had 11 boards and Maynor dished 10 assists, an overwhelming two-man band.

Elsewhere in mid-major action, Butler rebounded from their loss to Cleveland State with a win in Youngstown. They led by as many as 20 before holding off the Penguins late for a 78-69 victory but all is not perfect with the Bulldogs.

A.J. Graves has been struggling for a month and had another rough outing on Saturday. Matt Howard and Mike Green are good enough to carry the team to the Horizon title but any March noisemaking has to include deadeye shooting from Graves. He hit a couple of threes to hold off YSU but the Bulldogs need 40 minutes of Graves, not spurts.

They'll remain a game back of Cleveland State, which beat Valparaiso 69-63 at home. The Crusaders died by the three, 9-of-24, while the Vikings continued their inside domination of the Horizon. 30 free throws and a seven-rebound edge helped move them to 7-0.

South Alabama won for the 11th straight time, extending their hold on the Sun Belt. Five Jaguars were in double figures to lead the 72-65 win at Arkansas-Little Rock. As the Jags make their way up the national ladder, they will be passing Sam Houston State. After a brief flirtation with relevance, the Bearkats have lost two of their first four Southland games and look nothing like the hard-nosed team that gained fans early. A 93-90 OT loss at Lamar casts some serious doubt about their fitness over the long haul.

Dre Smith of George Mason Sets NCAA Record for Three Point Shooting originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 20 Jan 2008 10:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eastern Round Up: Blue Hen Fever

Josh Alper — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 09:15:00 EST

Filed under: George Mason Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, Davidson Basketball

When preseason prognosticators turned their attention to the Colonial Athletic Association, most of their crystal balls returned a picture of George Mason as the league favorite. Some may have seen Virginia Commonwealth and even Old Dominion may have been the result of a tarot reading or two but you didn't hear much support for the Blue Hens of Delaware. Yet another reason not to trust palm readers. Delaware is 4-0 in the CAA after knocking off George Mason 73-68 in overtime last night.

They did it in impressive fashion as well. Mason led by nine at the half and extended their lead to 47-28 in the early moments of the second half before Delaware turned up the heat. They went to a full-court press which rattled the Patriots into 15 second half turnovers and reopened the door to the game. Folarin Campbell, a senior guard who should be adept against all styles of defense, was the most profligate. He turned it over eight times as the Hens went on a 27-8 run to tie the game.

Marc Egerson led Delaware's offensive attack and finished with 23 points but it was foul shooting that gave them the win. They hit 10-of-12 from the stripe in the extra session, after going 12-for-22 up to that point. Delaware is 4-0 in the CAA for the first time since '98-99 and are the only undefeated team in the conference.

Elsewhere on the mid major hardcourts:

Davidson 59, Elon 57 - Stephen Curry played hero late to keep the Wildcats unbeaten in Southern Conference play. Down 57-54 with 1:38 to play, Curry hit a three to tie the game and then, following a steal, knocked down a jumper to provide the final margin of victory. Elon had several chances to tie or win the game in the final minute but missed all four attempts.

SE Louisiana 61, Sam Houston State 58 - Yipes! After spending the nonconference season raising their profile around the country, the Bearkats promptly turned around and laid an egg in the Southland opener. And at home, to boot. They play the kind of style that would make them a tough first-round opponent in March but they'll need to shoot better than 36% to make it that far.

Eastern Round Up: Blue Hen Fever originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 10 Jan 2008 09:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eastern Round Up: An Old-Fashioned Shootout

Josh Alper — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 10:35:00 EST

Filed under: Umass Basketball, South Carolina Basketball, George Mason Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, Vanderbilt Basketball

Vanderbilt and UMass can both put up points in a hurry and they didn't disappoint in Nashville yesterday. Shan Foster hit eight threes to become Vandy's all-time leader in made longballs and the Commodores improved to 15-0 in a 97-88 home win. While the Minutemen couldn't continue the A-10's upset string they did cast some doubts about the long-term fitness of VU.

Ricky Harris, Chris Lowe and Gary Forbes had their way with the Commodore defense and scored 25, 22 and 22 points, respectively. Their drives to the lane were unimpeded and their threes thrown up without a hand in the face, two things the Commodores desperately need to change if they hope to contend for SEC honors. Give Kevin Stallings credit, though, he realized that the one chance he had, with UMass up nine in the second half, was shifting to a zone that forced them to shoot from deep. Harris was 5-of-10 from three but his mates were 3-of-14 and Vandy ran away behind Foster's dead-eye shooting.

It wasn't like the Minutemen weren't guarding him. He was hitting with hands in his face and still finished with 32 points. The defense was keying on him, to its detriment, as A.J. Ogilvy was open inside all day, drawing fouls and finishing with 25 of his own. UMass hung with a good team but their lack of stopping power is going to cost them in A-10 play.

Elsewhere on the mid major hardcourts:

UNC-Asheville 61, South Carolina 58 - The Gamecocks found out what puts the Big in the Big South. Kenny George, all 7'7" and 360 pounds of him, had 16 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs to the upset victory. What is a player of George's size doing at such a small school? Well, he's a slow developer, hurt a lot and still growing but is improving at rapid rates and, matched with a good backcourt, could knock Winthrop from its perch this season.

Sam Houston State 60, UCF 58 (OT) - If you've been sleeping on the Bearkats, read this or suffer in March. They defend like the Spartans of 300, rebound with a ferocity far bigger than their size and can win when they don't play their best, as evidenced yesterday. The C-USA's Knights kept them off the glass and Shamir McDaniel wasn't at his best but the 'Kats still pulled through. There will be a four or five seed hoping SHSU gets upset in the Southland tournament because their style would be hell to prepare for in three days.

CAA - George Mason hasn't had the best start to conference play, losing Wednesday to Georgia State, but they can grab control of the league this week. Will Thomas had 20 points and 14 rebounds to lead them past De and they play the 3-0 Blue Hens of Delaware this week for a share of first place. Delaware beat Drexel 67-63 yesterday. In other games, Antoine Agudio returned from injury to lead Hofstra's 66-60 win against James Madison and VCU routed UNC-Wilmington thanks to 24 from Eric Maynor.

Niagara 96, Manhattan 86 - The Purple Eagle express rolls on to a sixth straight win behind a balanced and high-octane offensive effort. Charron Fisher had 27, no surprise, but so did Tyrone Lewis and Benson Egemonye added 22 to overwhelm the Jaspers. Next Saturday, Siena will travel to Niagara in a huge MAAC contest.

MAC - Conference play kicked off and it wasn't a good start for Miami. They got beat up by Akron 69-54 and the Zips showed they aren't dwelling on the Dayton loss. Steve McNees hit all six threes he tried and an 18-0 run that spanned the two halves turned this into a laugher. Five Broncos were in double figures as Western Michigan cruised to an 86-69 win against Northern Illinois and Bowling Green beat Ohio, miscast as a contender thanks to wins against St. John's and Maryland, 52-49.

Eastern Round Up: An Old-Fashioned Shootout originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 06 Jan 2008 10:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eastern Round Up: Salukis Need To Turn It Around Fast

Josh Alper — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 08:45:00 EST

Filed under: Umass Basketball, George Mason Basketball, A-10 Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, MVC Basketball

By playing the ninth hardest nonconference schedule in the country, Southern Illinois gave themselves a convenient excuse for starting the season 5-6. The reasoning was that losses to Indiana, Saint Mary's and Butler would steel them for MVC play where they would blow past less seasoned competition. It's not working out that way.

They needed everything they had to outlast Missouri State in the conference opener and then lost 61-51 at Drake last night. The loss dropped the Salukis to 1-4 on the road, they won 10 such games last season, and drops them to 1-1 in the MVC. The loss was a reversion to poor form for SIU. Joshua Bone, who finally started hitting some shot in the last two, was 2-for-10 and they shot 39% as a team. They also missed 7-of-13 free throws while their physical defense sent the Bulldogs to the line 30 times.

Josh Young led the way for 2-0 Drake with 24 points. Young spurred the winning rally in the second half when, up 47-43, he scored five points to open an 11-2 run. They're 11-1 overall with their lone blemish a road loss at Saint Mary's and could be poised for a big conference run.

As for SIU, it's hard to predict a complete turnaround at this point. They'd need to win 14 of their remaining 16 to reach 20 wins, so at-large bids are a fantasy, and they'll need to find some consistent backcourt play to make an honest challenge at the MVC crown.

Elsewhere on the mid major hardcourts:

Georgia State 66, George Mason 64 - Mason led by 13 at the half but wilted in the face of Leonard Mendez. He and the Panthers went on a 15-2 run to open the second half to set up Mendez's buzzer beater. He ran down the clock with 10 seconds to play and then elevated for the winning jumper.

UMass 95, Houston 89 - It was a tale of two halves in Amherst. The Cougars were up 11 at the break but Etienne Fowler scored 17 in the second half as UMass outscored them 58-41. Both teams are now 11-2 and the Minutemen have a tough roadie with Vanderbilt before kicking off A-10 play next week.

Duquesne 96, Bowling Green 78 - The Dukes forced 24 turnovers and turned them into 29 points to continue their hot start. Reggie Jackson had 19 for the victors, who scored 60 in the second half to overwhelm the Falcons.

Indiana State 62, Creighton 54 - Southern Illinois isn't the only disappointment in the MVC. Creighton fell to 0-2 in conference after shooting 37% in last night's loss. The Sycamores are 2-0, however, and got a strong overall game from Gabe Moore. He had 13 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals to fill the box score wiith goodness.

Arkansas-Little Rock 84, New Orleans 75 - The Trojans won a big Sun Belt road game by hitting 12-of-25 from beyond the arc. They are now 2-0, a game up on the Privateers in the Sun Belt West. New Orleans started the game 8-of-9 from the floor but then missed 14-of-15 to lose their edge and the game.

Eastern Round Up: Salukis Need To Turn It Around Fast originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 03 Jan 2008 08:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eastern Round Up: Butler Is Wronged by Wright State

Josh Alper — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 11:45:00 EST

Filed under: George Mason Basketball, Cincinnati Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, Butler Basketball, MVC Basketball

In wins against Ohio State and Detroit, Butler was able to overcome poor games by A.J. Graves and Mike Green. Freshman forward Matt Howard had strong games and Butler prevailed without playing their best. The third time wasn't the charm, however, as Graves played poorly again and the Bulldogs were knocked from the ranks of the unbeaten at Wright State. To be fair, his teammates weren't much better in the 43-42 loss. They shot 32% from the floor as a whole, led by their backcourt's 4-of-23 brickfest. Graves had a chance to win the game at the buzzer but missed a three and Wright State's fans flooded the court in a frenzy after knocking off the nation's 13th ranked team.

Unlike those previous games, though, Howard couldn't pick up the slack. He finished with just five points to complete a defensive effort that should make coach Brad Brownell very proud of his Raiders. Offensively, Wright didn't do much to overwhelm the Bulldogs but they moved the ball, found the open man and made the most of their limited opportunities.

Elsewhere on the mid-major hardcourts:

Charlotte 71, Southern Illinois 56 - Things aren't going the Salukis way right now. They lost their third straight to the 49ers and, again, found their trademark defense exposed by an opponent. Charlotte reeled off a 20-0 first half and led by as many as 23 in the second half to cruise to an easy win. Leemire Goldwire led them with 24 points and the Niners held SIU to 32% shooting to improve to 6-2 on the year.

Illinois State 62, Cincinnati 52 - The news wasn't all bad for MVC fans. Osiris Eldridge had 20 points and the Redbirds led by as many as 19 in the second half before Cinci pulled off a last, futile rally to get within six. Dom Johnson nailed a three, though, and sent Normal into a tizzy with the win over the Big East squad. These aren't your father's Bearcats, though. They've now lost to teams from the Atlantic Sun, MAC, CUSA and MVC.

Kent State 73, George Mason 55 - The Golden Flashes blew open a three point game with a 25-8 run early in the second half and improved to 8-2. Kent turned the ball over just five times in the game and got 17 points from Al Fisher and a double-double from Haminn Quaintance. Folarin Campbell struggled for GMU who have now lost two of their last three.

Sam Houston State 61, Saint Louis 53 - It might not be quite as high-profile as beating Oklahoma in Norman but the Bearkats stayed undefeated by handing Rick Majerus his first home loss at Saint Louis. The Billikens were totally hapless offensively, shooting 29.3% from the floor, while DeLouis Ramirez and Shamir McDaniel combined for 31 points and 13 rebounds for SHSU. SLU was able to cut a 15 point lead to two with a minute to play but McDaniel hit a three and the Bearkats made their free throws to move to 8-0.

Eastern Round Up: Butler Is Wronged by Wright State originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 09 Dec 2007 11:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Eastern Round Up: Xavier Rolls On

Josh Alper — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Xavier Basketball, Iowa State Basketball, George Mason Basketball, A-10 Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, MVC Basketball

I've already voiced my displeasure with the inclusion of teams like Xavier among the mid-major morass. They have the tradition, the size and the talent to hang with any of the big boys but the Atlantic 10 is still a bit of a redheaded stepchild. The only way they can defy their label is by winning games, something they've done seven out of eight times this season after beating Creighton 79-66 last night. The deep Musketeers got a typically well-balanced scoring night, led by 28 from Drew Lavender. The 5-7 sparkplug usually finds one of his five teammates who score in double figures but took matters into his own hands from the opening tip. He scored 17 in the first half, hit four threes and still found the time to dish out 10 assists.

XU remains under the radar but is a team that can't be slept on. C.J. Anderson, Josh Duncan and Derrick Brown can beat you inside while Lavender, Stanley Burrell and B.J. Raymond control the perimeter. Few teams, regardless of conference, can match that kind of balanced scoring. We'll see who among Tennessee, Kansas State, Auburn, Virginia and Arizona State can, but first the Musketeers will face Cincinnati in a battle for city bragging rights next week.

Elsewhere on the hardwood:

Drake 79, Iowa State 44 - The Cyclones have been meat for several mid-majors this season but none of them beat them so badly as the Bulldogs last night. Drake took advantage of ISU carelessness to the tune of 15 steals and Josh Young continued to dominate from three, upping his season average to 49% en route to a game-high 23 points. Despite their 6-1 mark, Drake takes a back seat to other MVC contenders because of their 6-12 conference mark last season.

South Alabama 75, Southern Miss 68 - The Jaguars led from the first minute to the last one to improve to 6-3 on the young season. Leading scorer Demetric Bennett took a backseat to Daon Merritt and Domonic Tilford, who each topped 20 points, in their most impressive victory of the year. Returning coach Ronnie Arrow has a team that can score in bunches and should battle Western Kentucky for the Sun Belt East crown all year.

George Mason 57, Hampton 54 - The Patriots avoided a second straight loss but needed a late flourish from Folarin Campbell to sidestep the gritty Pirates. 20 GMU turnovers made this game too close for comfort and underscored the need for a more consistent effort from the CAA favorites.

The Eastern Round Up: Xavier Rolls On originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 06 Dec 2007 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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