NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Mississippi State Rack and Rollin'

Michelle Smith — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:54:00 EST

Filed under: California, Connecticut, Gonzaga, Maryland, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas, UCLA, Virginia, WCC, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Mid-Majors, MWC, Pac-10, Women's Basketball

Two weeks ago, Pat Summitt surveyed the national scene and said this:

"A lot of people don't have Mississippi State on their radar screen and they should."

Never argue with Pat.

Mississippi State is climbing the rankings -- moving from No. 25 to No. 19 in this week's poll -- and the ladder of national recognition, particularly after Sunday's 84-55 win over No. 20 Maryland.

Granted, Maryland is remodeling after the graduation of Kristi Tolliver and Marisa Coleman and the transfer of Marah Strickland, and Brenda Frese's program will likely struggle with change most of the year, but the Bulldogs took it to the Terrapins on their home floor.

Senior guard Alexis Rack -- one of eight seniors on the roster -- broke out for 43 points, including seven 3-pointers in the victory. It was the fourth-best individual scoring performance in school history.

"Sometimes I was just letting it go," Rack (above, right) said after the game.

Mississippi State is flying high at 4-0, and it has enjoyed its home court advantage. It's time to hit the road now ... which leads up to the sun and sand of the Paradise Jam Tournament next week in the U.S. Virgin Islands. This year's eight-team field will feature five ranked teams.

Mississippi State will be there, playing in the "Reef" division along with Rutgers, USC and No. 13 Texas.

The "Island" division includes No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 20 Oklahoma, No. 23 San Diego State and South Carolina.

San Diego State, who broke into the national rankings for the first time in 14 years, feels like there's a little honor in the invitation to play.

"Three years ago, the only way we get there is to hold a fundraiser and go in the spring," Aztecs coach Beth Burns said.

The holiday's other big tournament is the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas. It is a bit more of a second-tier group with four ranked teams in the field including George Washington, No. 25 Michigan State, South Dakota State, Indiana, Minnesota, TCU, No. 18 Kansas, UNC Charlotte, No. 15 Virginia, Marist, Oklahoma State and No. 9 Xavier.

Don't overlook Tennessee

Summitt was handing off credit to Mississippi State, but her own team was building some impressive momentum after beating Virginia, 77-63. Angie Bjorklund, Shekinna Stricklen and Glory Johnson combined for 56 points.

The Lady Vols were even good enough to get their locker room back at Thompson-Boling Arena. The team had been kicked out of it for lackluster play in February and Summitt had said her team would have to "win something" to earn its way back in.

Apparently, beating a Virginia team that beat the Vols by one point in Knoxville last year was good enough to unlock the door.

Tennessee is young and inexperienced right now. But they look very, very good -- good enough to turn Connecticut and Stanford's intimate party as national championship contenders into a legitimate threesome.

Now for the bad news: Freshman center Faith Dupree will be sidelined for the season with a back injury. She played in two games, including 18 minutes against Texas Tech on Tuesday night in San Antonio. The Lady Vols are down to 11 active players for the season and need to keep Kelley Cain healthy to avoid serious depth issues in the post.

A View From the Top

The Huskies and the Cardinal don't look to be moving off their top two rankings any time soon. Here's a look at how the best of the best are stacking up so far.

Tale of the Tape
Category	No. 1 UConn	No. 2 Stanford
Scoring Avg.	91.7	86.2
Reb. Margin	17.0	23.0
Victory Margin	49.4	20.4
Next Five Games	vs. Hofstra vs. Richmond vs. Vermont vs. Hartford vs. Iona	vs. Utah vs. Gonzaga vs. DePaul vs. Duke vs. Tennessee

The Week Ahead

The most intriguing non-tournament matchups of the coming week:

UCLA at Tennessee: Former Vols assistant Nikki Caldwell comes back to Knoxville with an intriguing team that should finish near the top in the Pac-10.

Gonzaga at Stanford: One of the country's top mid-majors has a major-league test at Maples Pavilion against the Cardinal.

Cal vs. Ohio State in the Buckeye Holiday Tournament: Cal has showed its youth with poor shooting performances and the Bears lost to Baylor by 20 at home on Sunday. The No. 3 Buckeyes will be an even bigger challenge.

Randoms...

For a mid-major, Dayton is having a good early season run playing tough against big-conference teams. Dayton threw an opening salvo with a 77-74 win over Michigan State, lost a two-point game to Louisville and then knocked off Purdue 56-53 in the Boilermakers' own tournament ... The top nine teams in this week's AP poll went 19-0 last week with an average victory margin of 27 points ...There are two conferences in which every team has at least a .500 record thus far: the Big East and the Big Ten.

Mississippi State Rack and Rollin' originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Do Not Expect to See Renardo Sidney Suit Up for Mississippi State

Chas Rich — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Mississippi State, SEC, Media Watch

Sure, Renardo Sidney was academically certified to attend Mississippi State. That's meaningless if the NCAA will not certify his amateur status to play basketball for the single season before he goes pro. At the moment he is not cleared and the NCAA does not even have to make an actual decision as to his eligibility since Sidney and his family will not turn over requested financial records.

The NCAA wants tax and bank records from the Sidney family to help explain how the family could move from Mississippi to Los Angeles and afford to rent multi-million dollar homes to reside. Especially considering that Sonny Vaccaro has stated that he gave the Sidney's $25,000 to make the move and Renardo Sidney's father became a consultant to a sneaker company for no real reason other than because he is Renardo Sidney's father.

The Sidney family's lawyer is screaming that he will fight and take this to court.

[Donald] Jackson's reaction: "The bottom line is, they are not going to get income tax returns or bank statements, and if this ultimately means that this case has to wind up in court, it will just have to wind up in court. Because their position is that they have the right, in effect, they don't have to establish the existence of violation, that the Sidney family has to establish the existence of non-violations, and that is not how every other case in their initial eligibility process originates."

Now if this had been even a year earlier, the NCAA probably would have backed down or never gotten to this point. The NCAA probably would not want to deal with the lawsuit.

The difference is that the NCAA whiffed horribly and publicly in the cases of O.J. Mayo and Derrick Rose. Both players were cleared by the NCAA to play at USC and Memphis respectively. Despite the warning signs, there was no smoking gun and the NCAA chose not look closely. After the players did their single season, much came out to show that they were not eligible. While it reflected worse on the schools for which they played and their lack of investigation, the NCAA also rubber-stamped their certification to play.

Sidney has already had plenty of red flags that have the attention of the NCAA and made it impossible to ignore. The NCAA has to see this through.

The lawsuit, if it actually happens, would start by seeking an injunction to let Sidney play. It would be likely that Mississippi State still would not play Sidney in the games. It would put those games at risk if the court eventually ruled in the NCAA's favor and made Sidney ineligible.

The Bulldogs will be a good team even without Sidney. They should make the NCAA Tournament and contend in the SEC. There is no way they would risk the season being voided by playing Sidney.

Do Not Expect to See Renardo Sidney Suit Up for Mississippi State originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nation's Top Shot-Blocker Becomes a Walk-On

Chas Rich — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:54:00 EST

Filed under: Mississippi State, SEC, Campus

Jarvis Varnado has been the best shot-blocker in college basketball for the past two years. He also really loves his Mississippi State Bulldogs. To the tune of giving up his scholarship and taking out a student loan to pay for his senior year in Starkville. At least he is probably doing that.

The Bulldogs found themselves facing a possibility of having 14 players on scholarship. One over the thirteen player limit, assuming John Riek and Renardo Sidney are fully cleared by the NCAA to play this year. Varnado, came back to Mississippi State after an exploration of the NBA Draft.

Apparently the Varnado family discussed the matter with coach Rick Stansbury around the time of Varnado's draft decision and the commitments from Riek and Sidney. They offered to take out a student loan to pay Varnado's way for the good of the team and essentially make Varnado a walk-on.

Of course, while Riek and Sidney are in Starkville and eligible to take classes, they have not been cleared by the NCAA to play for the Bulldogs. If either is denied, it is certain that Varnado will be back on scholarship.

Still the cost of a year at Mississippi State including the tuition, room and board and books -- what the scholarship covers -- is nearly $14,000. This is not some wealthy family that could afford to make the decision easily. Varnado's father is a high-school basketball coach. Even if Varnado remains a second-round NBA Draft pick in 2010, that is quite the commitment to the team.

Nation's Top Shot-Blocker Becomes a Walk-On originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Renardo Sidney Is the NCAA's Last Chance

Chas Rich — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:25:00 EST

Filed under: Mississippi State, SEC, Campus, Media Watch, Recruiting

If the NCAA was hoping that Renardo Sidney would simplify the investigation by somehow failing to get academically qualified, they are out of luck. Sidney was cleared for meeting minimum academic standards by the NCAA Eligibility Center. That has allowed him to enroll at Mississippi State for classes in the fall semester and begin participating in conditioning and individual workouts.

That does not clear Sidney to practice with the team and play for Mississippi State. The NCAA is still investigating his eligibility as an amateur in light of reports of how his family managed to live in multi-million dollar homes and afforded a move from Mississippi to Los Angeles in the first place. All without any clear idea how they earned the money for it.
The question looms out there: what will the NCAA find? The Sidney family has hired a lawyer familiar with the NCAA investigators. They have vocally professed that Sidney and his family is clean. No one seems to believe it, but proving it may be a different matter. Especially when the family is not rolling over on the matter.

The Sidney case, ultimately, may be one of the last chances the NCAA has to show it is at all relevant with regards to dealing with incoming student-athletes. The NCAA is supposed to be a gate-keeper for incoming student-athletes. To determine if they are meeting the academic and amateur eligibility. If it can not even do that, then they are not doing their job.

Whatever comes of the NCAA's investigations into O.J. Mayo/USC and Derrick Rose/Memphis, the NCAA has to share some of the blame. They cleared the kids to play for the schools. Maybe the schools did not dig too hard. Maybe the kids were (shockingly) less than forthright with the NCAA. Yes, the NCAA has limited resources. The fact is the NCAA cleared the kids to play for a year at the respective schools, despite red flags that varied from subtle (William Wesley and Derrick Rose's brother's AAU team) to white-hot, neon (O.J. Mayo's entourage included Rodney Guillory who had paid two other players in the past).

The NCAA missed on those two matters. Miss with Sidney and they make it clear to programs that the best approach with questionable recruits is not to look too closely.

Renardo Sidney Is the NCAA's Last Chance originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tim Floyd Says Southern Cal Ignored Sidney's Recruiting Red Flags

Chas Rich — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:53:00 EST

Filed under: Mississippi State, USC, Pac-10, SEC, Coaches, Recruiting

Former USC Coach Tim Floyd will not do interviews with the national media or the Los Angeles press, but he likes to talk to his hometown paper in Mississippi quite a bit. It was the Clarion-Ledger that broke the news of his resignation before USC even knew.

With the former Southern Cal verbal now a Mississippi State commit, Renardo Sidney, there's more than a little bit of interest in what he has to say on what happened to Sidney and his USC commitment. Especially with the NCAA still trying to get more information from the Sidney family regarding their finances, before clearing him to play. Floyd offered some thoughts on Sidney and USC.
To summarize, Floyd says Sidney is a good kid and he knows nothing about any problems, that USC broke off the commitment from Sidney in response to a coming LA Times story not from anything they learned about Sidney, and that USC never did any actual investigations into Renardo Sidney despite the fact that crosstown rival UCLA had stopped recruiting him weeks prior to his verbal to USC.

"Our school was reacting to an article that was going to be written in the L.A. Times," Floyd said. "Given the fact that the institution was involved in an institutional control investigation, they viewed it as preventive management. They could not put their finger on anything."

And neither could Floyd, he swears.

"I was probably as close to the situation as anybody in the country," Floyd said, "and if I thought the kid was receiving money from somebody or had asked for money, I would have not been a participant. But that wasn't the case."

Floyd, of course, was accused of giving money on demand to a member of O.J. Mayo's entourage.

The big part of this story is not that Southern Cal panicked in response to a forthcoming story about Sidney's family and the questions surrounding their finances and the closeness of a shoe rep from Reebok to the family, and Sonny Vaccaro paying for their move from Mississippi to Los Angeles. It's that USC according to Floyd, never actually concerned itself to look into these things when they were recruiting him and received a verbal commitment from him.

USC has ongoing investigations into the O.J. Mayo matter on the basketball side and Reggie Bush on the football side. In both cases, the big issue for USC was how much did they know or want to know about the money flowing to the player and his family. Whether the school was purposefully and willfully ignoring any signs of something strange. Creating a situation with the potentially dreaded "lack of institutional control" over athletic programs and the student-athletes.

USC has maintained a defense of cluelessness. That they were just unaware of what was happening, and that if the NCAA and Pac-10 cleared the players it isn't fair to punish USC.

Floyd seems to suggest that USC was willful in not looking into any potential hazards with a recruit so they can maintain deniability if it does become a problem. Floyd, himself, hardly looks particularly good since he continues to show he happily went along with this and was just as eager to know nothing about the potential barriers to getting the talent on the court.

Tim Floyd Says Southern Cal Ignored Sidney's Recruiting Red Flags originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mississippi State May Have the Best Front Court in the SEC ... or Not

Chas Rich — Tue, 12 May 2009 10:35:00 EST

Filed under: Mississippi State, SEC, NBA Prospects, Recruiting

On paper, it looks like the Bulldogs may be loaded up front in 2009. Forward Jarvis Varnado, the nation's leading shot-blocker for the past two seasons, has decided to return for his senior season.

Last week, the program added a commitment from Renardo Sidney, one of the top power forwards in the 2009 recruiting class. Plus, John Riek, a 7-foot-1 center, has signed a letter of intent with Mississippi State instead of Cincinnati. Mississippi State has size and talent up front that compares favorably with Kentucky and anyone in the nation.

That is, if they all make it on to the court.

Sidney is under heavy NCAA scrutiny for his academics and his family's connections with a Reebok shoe representative, something the Bulldogs are acutely aware of, as they have already retained the services of attorney Mike Glazier, who has represented Oklahoma, Louisville, Villanova and others in the past (including Mississippi State's football program) when dealing with NCAA investigations.

Glazier was specifically retained for dealing with Sidney, suggesting that, at the very least, Sidney may not be a lock to make it out to the court for his expected single season at MSU.

As for Riek, he's at the IMG Academy in Florida still recovering from knee surgery that kept him from signing with Cinci after attending prep school in Massachusetts in 2007. He spent last year at the IMG Basketball Academy on scholarship while rehabbing from knee ligament surgery. Oh, and the NCAA has kept tabs on Riek as well, after actually putting his name in the NBA Draft last year.

Ultimately the Bulldogs could have one of the deepest, biggest, and defensively dominating frontcourt in the country in 2009. Or it could just be Jarvis Varnardo trying to do it all. There may be no team harder to predict before the season begins all because of eligibility issues.

Mississippi State May Have the Best Front Court in the SEC ... or Not originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 12 May 2009 10:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Renardo Sidney Switches From USC to Mississippi State

Chas Rich — Mon, 04 May 2009 11:07:00 EST

Filed under: Mississippi State, USC, Pac-10, SEC, Recruiting

Well, maybe not so much switched as compelled to look elsewhere. Renardo Sidney may be one of the top-ten recruits nationally, but he has not been quite as hotly pursued as you would expect for a 6-10 McDonald's All-American power forward. Sidney and his family made an event out of picking USC over UCLA, despite UCLA dropping interest several days prior.

Apparently by mutual agreement, Sidney and USC have opted not to join. Instead Sidney will head to Mississippi State. If Jarvis Varnardo comes back to Mississippi State rather than staying in the draft, the Bulldogs will have one of the most dominant frontcourts in the SEC in 2009.

As for why Sidney made the late switch, both sides are spinning it their own way. USC seems to be suggesting that they are now fearful of his ability to qualify academically. Something that did not bother them earlier when he chose them.

The reality may be that after Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo -- and the ongoing combined investigation -- USC felt it could not take a top player whose father has a "consulting" job with Reebok. Add in one-and-done DeMar DeRozan and his relationship with Percy "Master P" Miller and his family and his No Limits Sorts agent business, and the questions would just keep piling up on USC.

The Sidney clan is going with the stated desire of going back to Mississippi where Renardo grew up until the last few years. They are also hinting that they do not want to be caught in the middle of possible penalties to USC if the NCAA (ever) comes down on the Trojans.

Renardo Sidney Switches From USC to Mississippi State originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 04 May 2009 11:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Boom Goes the Bubble

Ray Holloman — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi State, NC State, Virginia Tech, March Madness, University of Miami, Georgia

March started days ago. The Madness started Wednesday night.

On an evening where bubble teams could've punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament and boosters could've started humming bars of "One Shining Moment," teams turned down invitations like they were to a wedding without an open bar or the People's Choice Awards.

A memo, fellows. This isn't an invitation to a candlelight dinner with Randy Johnson. "Big Dance" doesn't mean you're cutting a rug with Mark Madsen or waltzing cheek-to-cheek with Mike Tyson.

You actually want to go to this thing.

Yet any team with bubble aspirations did its best impersonation of your 401k.

Virginia Tech had the equivalent of a print-at-home ticket to the Big Dance, but had no more luck finding their way into the tournament than coach Seth Greenberg would have recommending a good barber. But at least they lost to North Carolina. What's your excuse, Boston College?

The Eagles, who have already cleared a whole carton of egg of their face by losing to Harvard in a something that doesn't involve fractals, lost to N.C. State, a team that could only generously be described as a bubble team if, in fact the NIT has a bubble.

The formerly storied Kentucky Wildcats lost to a Georgia team that's 11th in what might be a three-bid conference and long ago fired its coach. Then again, that's what playing with the passion of a man waiting on a bus will do to you.

Miami, which made Duke and North Carolina sweat like Gary Williams in back-to-back games in early February, and looked like a possible Sweet 16 team a month ago, ensured its postseason wouldn't get in the way of Spring Break, falling to Georgia Tech.

Minnesota, a borderline-out bubble team beat Wisconsin, a borderline-in bubble team in the Big Ten, officially giving the league more possibly qualifiers than the total of points some of its teams have scored in a half this season.

And then there was the Gators, a team that just two years ago was flirting with Tom Emanski territory as back-to-back national champions.

Florida lost to Mississippi State in a game that wasn't even as close as its 80-71 score indicates. The Bulldogs took a nine-point lead in at the half, led by 16 in the second and never once so much as had the Gators in drafting distance in the final frame. The Bulldogs, we're fairly certain, could tell you where the CBI will be held without looking it up.

And Florida's loss could be magnified for all the teams that counted the Gators among their top-50 RPI wins, like Syracuse and South Carolina. The Gators were 49th in the RPI before falling to the Bulldogs. And that number will certainly gain a few pounds after getting dumped by Mississippi State. In fact, should the Gamecocks lose tonight against Tennessee, they could conceivably enter Selection Sunday with double-digit SEC wins and zero victories over the RPI top 50.

Of course, this is America. There's always a reward for kicking back and laughing at the misery of others (This, we suppose, is why Detroit Lion games make it on television). So who benefits from the bubble burst?

Maryland, who has four wins in four tries over N.C. State, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech, and whose two top wins over North Carolina and Michigan State match up with anyone on the bubble, should get a bump out of all the wreckage, provided the Terps beat ACC doormat Virginia this weekend. Providence might find its way in now with a solid league record and, like Maryland, a recent marquee win, over Pittsburgh. Michigan can play the big-win card too, with victories over Duke and UCLA, but the Wolverines' most notable victory in the past two months, Purdue, perhaps predictably for last night, lost to Northwestern, a team whose good old days involve Evan Eschmeyer.

And Penn State, who has no great wins to speak of, must look a lot more attractive this morning because the Nittany Lions have nothing that's even in the same Congressional district as a bad loss. If last night proved anything, it's that avoiding embarrassment might be the toughest thing to do in college basketball.

That, or get Wojciechowksi spelled correctly in caligraphy.

But each of those teams are written in pencil, and lightly at that.

So who was the real winner? The conference tournaments. These weekend events were usually three and four-day practices for the NCAA Tournament, an exercise in seeding and souvenir programs. Now they'll be stage for nearly every team to play their way onto, or off, the bubble.

And, of course, the college basketball fan. Beacuse the Madness is finally here.

Boom Goes the Bubble originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kentucky Drops Third Straight, Falls on Wrong Side of Bubble

Chas Rich — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 22:44:00 EST

Filed under: Kentucky, Mississippi State, SEC

Kentucky has not handled success very well. Less than a month after Jodie Meeks entered the discussion for Player of the Year and the Wildcats worked their way into the top-25, it's all disappeared in the wake of a three-game losing streak that includes two straight in Rupp Arena. This time it happened when Mississippi State put the hurting on Kentucky, 66-57.

Do not let the mere nine-point differential fool you. It was not that close. Only a 9-2 run in the final minute-and-a-half by Kentucky brought the loss to under double digits. Mississippi State led the entire game. The Bulldogs shut down the Wildcats' ability to score inside with Jarvis Varnardo swatting everything in the paint. Varnardo had 7 blocks and 12 rebounds. That presence in the paint turned Kentucky into a jump-shooting team, which they are not.

Mississippi State killed Kentucky from the perimeter. The Bulldogs had a phenomenal night shooting with 14-for-27 on threes. Even as Kentucky was pushing them further from the arc, Mississippi State just took one step further back and still drained them. It was almost surreal.

The Bulldogs have quietly moved to 5-2 in the SEC, and only a half-game behind LSU in the SEC West. Their poor performance in the non-conference portion of their schedule -- 10-5 with Western Kentucky being the best win -- keeps them completely out of any discussion of even being on the bubble at this time.

The lousy play in the non-conference, but strong showing in the SEC by the Bulldogs is going to be taken as another sign of how down the SEC is this season. Of course, prior to Kentucky, Mississippi State had not beaten anyone in the SEC with a conference record above .500. That may have had more than a little to do with the Bulldogs strong start.

As for Kentucky, with three straight losses and two coming at home they are well outside of at-large NCAA Tournament consideration. They have a neutral site win over West Virginia, which hardly offsets the home loss to VMI in the non-conference schedule. They have that win at Tennessee, but the Vols hardly look like a Tournament lock at this point.

If Kentucky is going to have a chance, they need a third scorer. Right now it is Jodie Meeks, Patrick Patterson and nothing. That has been the common theme in this skid by Kentucky. No other reliable scoring threat.

Kentucky Drops Third Straight, Falls on Wrong Side of Bubble originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 03 Feb 2009 22:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arkansas Forgets the Defense

Chas Rich — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 22:53:00 EST

Filed under: Arkansas, Mississippi State, SEC

The presumption was that Arkansas was a lock to be in the top-25 this week, after upsets of Oklahoma and Texas in the past couple weeks. That took a hit as the Razorbacks got stunned in the second half by Mississippi State in a 70-56 loss. Arkansas only trailed by two at the half, but let the Bulldogs shoot over 50% in the second half. The loss snapped a seventeen game home winning streak dating back to last year.

Most will see that the Razorbacks shot 3-for-22 on threes, and 23-for-64 overall as the main reason for the loss. Not so much. Arkansas was 1-for-11 in the first half on threes, and only trailed by two points. There's no question that Arkansas shot poorly. Their star freshman guard Courtney Fortson went only 2-for-13 and point guard Stefan Walsh was 4-for-16. Two of the top scorers for the Hogs were lousy. In the second half, Arkansas had two stretches of four and five minutes of going without a score.
The problem was that their frustration on offense led to a lot of breakdowns on defense in the second half. The Bulldogs did not have a significantly better field goal percentage in the first half (40% versus 39%), except on the perimeter. In the second half, Arkansas even came out and took a four-point lead with sixteen minutes remaining.

Then Arkansas went cold and Mississippi State started getting more open looks. Mississippi State scored fifteen points on the fast break, as Arkansas just did not get back on defense. Hanging their heads and slow to respond after another miss. It only made it easier for the Bulldogs to score. The Razorbacks became more desperate and less composed on offense.

It is not uncommon for a young team like Arkansas to slack on defense as their frustration on offense mounted. Now the Razorbacks not only have to bounce back from a loss like this, they have to go out on the road for their next two games. Their first road games since late-November.

Arkansas Forgets the Defense originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 22:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who 'Tested the Waters' and Drowned?

Shiloh Carder — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:03:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA Basketball, NBA Prospects, USC Basketball, Kansas State Basketball, Mississippi State Basketball

With all the name going around about who was staying in the NBA Draft and who was going back to school ... there were a few names that may not be as household that are keeping their names in the draft.

Some may have made a mistake. Just as Josh McRoberts, JamesOn Curry, Von Wafer and Alex Acker made mistakes in the past few seasons ... some could be doing the same now.

Guys like UCLA's Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. Mbah a Moute probably won't be drafted (and if he is, it will be very late in the second round). If he had stayed in school, he could have become the rare guy to go to four Final Fours in his career. Despite losing some big-time talent, the Bruins still have a good shot at getting back.

Or there is USC's Davon Jefferson who probably won't be drafted either. Jefferson left school as a freshman and almost immediately signed with an agent. He made this move without even discussing it with the Trojans' coaching staff. When they have "testing the water" discussions in the future, they might want to have him talk to the class.

How about IUPUI's George Hill? Ya know, good ol' George? No? Yeah, he didn't have a household name or, really, no hype around him to warrant heading into the draft. He may not have the skill, either. He probably will be drafted, but not until the second half of the second round.

Mississippi State's Jamont Gordon really never had a second thought about coming back to school. I mean, he may go late in the second round. Not bad for a guy that no one knows what position he'll play.

And then there is Bill Walker. I think Bill has crazy talent, but he may be selling himself short. He comes into the draft with so many questions that don't have much to do with his skills. However, having O.J. Mayo as a good buddy, Michael Beasley as a teammate and a slew of knee injuries will raise some red flags (his middle name may end up being "Needs A ... "). He is really on the fence on being a first rounder but will most likely be picked in the 30s. If he stayed another season, he could really shine and turn himself into a lottery pick.

It's one thing to be Marreese Speights, JaVale McGee or Kosta Koufus and striking while the iron is hot. It's another thing to have people talking about first rounders while your name rolls across the screen as a second round pick. Or not getting drafted at all.

There is nothing to be ashamed of, but the NBA Draft is the most fickle draft of them all. With the first round salary scale, NBA teams try to be very careful with whom they pick. You may get pushed into the second round, but you still have a shot to become a very, very productive NBAer. Just ask Gilbert Arenas or Carlos Boozer.

The difference is that it takes a while.

Who 'Tested the Waters' and Drowned? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hansbrough to Leave School

Shiloh Carder — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:29:00 EST

Filed under: SEC Basketball, Mississippi State Basketball

It seems as if a tough exit in the NCAA Tournament was the last time we will see Hansbrough in his familiar uniform. After the spring semester, the former Mr. Basketball in the state of Missouri will be leaving the University for a different challenge.

Oh, and it is Ben Hansbrough -- Tyler's little brother -- that's doing the moving.

Sophomore Ben Hansbrough will be leaving Mississippi State after the semester and transferring somewhere else. It isn't yet known where he's heading to, though there has been speculation that it could be Purdue or Missouri. Purdue was one of his finalists during recruiting ... while Missouri would allow him to be closer to home.

This is a big deal, as Hansbrough started 28 games this season and averaged 10.5 ppg for the SEC West Champion Bulldogs.

Hansbrough to Leave School originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Memphis Coach John Calipari in Denial on Free Throw Shooting

Michael David Smith — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:33:00 EST

Filed under: Memphis Basketball, March Madness, NCAA Basketball Coaches, Mississippi State Basketball, South

The Memphis Tigers, the No. 1 seed in the South region, struggled to beat 8 seed Mississippi State to advance to the Sweet 16 because they couldn't make their free throws, going a horrendous 15-for-32 from the line.

And coach John Calipari's reaction is, "What, me worry?" Writes Thayer Evans of the New York Times:

"What I'm taking great pride in is we won it with Chris's free throw," Memphis Coach John Calipari said. "So all that stuff about our free-throw shooting now goes out the window, I guess."

Calipari's remark elicited laughter from the news media because Memphis (35-1) finished the game 15 of 32 from the free-throw line (46.9 percent). The Tigers entered the game shooting 59.7 percent from the line.

Mississippi State (23-11) made 14 of 20 free-throw attempts (70 percent). The Bulldogs had a game-high 21 points from Gordon, a junior guard.

"We made more free throws than them," Calipari said. "We beat them at the free-throw line."

The media were right to laugh. Calipari is a great coach whose team is now 35-1 even though it ranks dead last in the nation in free throw shooting. But he's in serious denial if he thinks ranking dead last in free throw shooting can't eventually catch up to his team. March is too late for him to do anything about it, though, which means denial may be the best option Calipari has.

Memphis Coach John Calipari in Denial on Free Throw Shooting originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pet Site Dislikes Birds

Charles Rich — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:42:00 EST

Filed under: Gonzaga Basketball, Kentucky Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, SEC Basketball, March Madness, Kansas State Basketball, Mississippi State Basketball

Possibly one of the dumber tips received. A pet site unveiled their top 5 mascots for the NCAA Tournament. They chose 3 bulldogs and 2 wildcats. Wow. Totally original. And this was selected by the site editors. Choosing the same mascots 5 times.

Actually, that still wasn't enough. They had an honorable mention list of 13 more teams. Two more bulldogs and 3 wildcats made that list. The other 8 teams all had some sort of cat or dog for a mascot.

Aside from the pure repetitiveness of the choices, it's hard not to notice the lack of any birds. Cardinals, ducks, owls, eagles and hawks all excluded. Apparently birds are not that popular.

Pet Site Dislikes Birds originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEC Tournament Interrupted by Tornado

Ryan Ferguson — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 22:09:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama Basketball, SEC Basketball, Mississippi State Basketball

Weather delay? For a basketball game?

Yes. In the midst of the SEC Tournament quarterfinals -- Alabama and Mississippi State are in overtime -- a loud, piercing wind ripped through the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, the lightweight roof structure visibly rippled, and the support scaffolding for the central scoreboard began to sway.

Whistles blew. Players look up.

Debris fell onto the floor. And people began to clear the stands.

We're being told now on Sun Sports in the southeast region that play is expected to resume shortly now that Georgia Dome officials have completed an inspection and deemed the building structurally sound.

This has to be a first, right? An indoor sporting event delayed due to severe weather? Crazy.

SEC Tournament Interrupted by Tornado originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 14 Mar 2008 22:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trying To Understand Mississippi State

Josh Alper — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: SEC Basketball, Mississippi State Basketball

The coaches poll released yesterday had one notable addition to the rolls. The Mississippi State Bulldogs are finally among the Top 25 teams in the country. It's understandable that it took such a long time to get noticed. They barely survived nonconference play and their two best wins, Arkansas and Ole Miss, are mitigated by losses to the same two teams. Still, they've cruised through conference play and will be in the tournament. But that split personality makes it hard to know what team we'll get once they're there.

It goes without saying that teams which score and defend well have a good chance of winning basketball games. The Bulldogs have the 50th best shooting percentage in the country, which is pretty good but looks outstanding when you put it alongside their defense. The Bulldogs are second in defensive field goal percentage and blocks per game and they rank ninth in the country in rebounds per contest. The latter two are thanks to Javier Varnado, the stringbean who averages eight rebounds and five blocks every time out.

That mix is well-suited to making a tournament run. There are serious caveats, though. The Bulldogs are an awful free-throw shooting team and turn the ball over a ridiculous amount, two things which can make an otherwise winnable game turn into a loss. Those have been the culprits in most of their losses and could easily find them on the wrong side of a first-round upset. That's a pretty massive spread and should make the Bulldogs an interesting watch this month.

Trying To Understand Mississippi State originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Florida Firmly on the Bubble After Loss to Mississippi State

Ryan Ferguson — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 17:45:00 EST

Filed under: Florida Basketball, SEC Basketball, Mississippi State Basketball

Now that Florida has lost a crucial home game to Mississippi State, the Gators are sitting at 21-8 overall and 8-6 in the conference. With the regular season dwindling to a close, Florida could easily earn a ticket to the Big Dance by winning their final two SEC games. There's just one problem with that, though: those two teams are Tennessee and Kentucky, and the Gators have to visit the 'Cats in Lexington.

Are the two-time defending national champions really in danger of missing the tournament for the first time in the last decade under Billy Donovan? In a word, yes. The Gators need to pull off an improbable victory against Tennessee in Gainesville, or defeat the Wildcats in Rupp Arena to secure a berth. A first-round knockout in the SEC tournament wouldn't help, either.

The Gators' problem this year has been their inconsistency. When they put together a strong defensive game like they did against Mississippi State, their offensive has fizzled. When they shoot lights out, they tend to forget to play with defensive intensity. Turnovers, so-so post play and youthful mistakes have contributed in all of their key losses.

I think the Gators need to win one of two in their final week of SEC play and win an SEC tourney round to get off the bubble and into the NCAA Tournament. Frankly, it's a tall order.

Florida Firmly on the Bubble After Loss to Mississippi State originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 02 Mar 2008 17:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Free Throws Cost Bulldogs Against Tennessee

Andy Katzer — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 23:29:00 EST

Filed under: Tennessee Basketball, SEC Basketball, Mississippi State Basketball

Mississippi State shot absolutely lights-out against Tennessee from behind the 3-point line, going 10-21 for the game. Even more impressively, though, State was 7-8 on threes in the last six minutes of the game, storming back from a 17-point deficit to scare the daylights out of Bruce Pearl's club. And still more incredibly, MSU had that 48% three-pointer night against a Vol team that had held opponents to just 21% from behind the line in the last six games.

And yet, Mississippi State lost to UT 76-71 in large part because they found a way to take the "free" out of free throws, going just 17-29 from the line (58.6%). Just six of the 12 points State left at the line would have won the game for them, and five would have sent the game to overtime, where they would have had a great chance at winning with their hot shooting in the last few minutes of the game. Maybe they should have backed up on those free throws.

Speaking of hot shooting, Chris Lofton continued his renaissance for Tennessee, leading the team with 20 points on 6-12 shooting -- including 4-9 from three and a perfect 4-4 from the line. Oddly enough, Lofton's improved shooting seems to have little impact on whether or not Tennessee wins, as the team was doing fine when he was stinking the joint up. Still, given the choice, I'm sure the Vols will take a full-strength Lofton heading into the heart of SEC play.

Free Throws Cost Bulldogs Against Tennessee originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 02 Feb 2008 23:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big East and SEC Start Scheduling for 2008

Charles Rich — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 23:34:00 EST

Filed under: Tennessee Basketball, Marquette Basketball, Louisville Basketball, Cincinnati Basketball, Big East Basketball, SEC Basketball, NCAA Basketball Media Watch, Vanderbilt Basketball, Mississippi State Basketball

The Big East, SEC and ESPN have already decided on the 8 teams that will participate in the Big East-SEC Invitational for 2008.

December 16 at the Sommet Center in Nashville
South Florida-Vanderbilt
Marquette-Tennessee

December 18 at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati
Mississippi St.-Cincinnati
Ole Miss-Louisville

Since this "Invitational" is effectively operated and controlled by ESPN, the exciting press actually made the ESPN network crawls as news this evening. This series is a half-hearted effort from both conferences to have their own conference challenge like the ACC-Big 10 and now the Pac-10-Big 12 have. Except, with very limited involvement.

The first year was not exactly a ringing success with half-empty arenas at the semi-neutral sites. This time they might actually sell-out with a good Marquette-Tennessee game and the teams playing in Cincinnati

They blew the chance to make at least one really interesting match-up among the teams -- and guaranteeing coverage. Ole Miss facing Cinci instead of Louisville would have been much more interesting. The Rebels are coached by Andy Kennedy who served as an assistant at Cinci and was the interim coach for the year after Bob Huggins was fired from Cinci. That would have been a meaningful game.

Big East and SEC Start Scheduling for 2008 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 31 Jan 2008 23:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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