NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Someday All Conference Tournaments Will Be Played in Las Vegas

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

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

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

But, for right now, the WAC appears serious.

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

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

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

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

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

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St. Mary's Bursts Utah State's Bubble

Adam Papagiorgio — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 02:04:00 EST

Filed under: Nevada, WCC, Mid-Majors, WAC, St. Mary's (CA)

St. Mary's might have been the biggest winner in Saturday's BracketBuster following a huge 75-64 win over Utah State. The Gaels had been adrift in recent weeks, seemingly rudderless without star Patrick Mills.

But St. Mary's has been solid in recent weeks, fattening up on the weaker teams in the West Coast Conference. Saturday's win over the Aggies was a big exclamation point on the season, letting people know that the Gaels are still in the hunt for an at-large bid.

Not to say that St. Mary's is in right now; the Gaels still have a lot of work to do. But the team is squarely on the bubble right now.

Utah State, not so much. It is on the bubble -- possibly. But after its own and the WAC's dismal showing in general, the Aggies are going to have to win the WAC tournament to reach the NCAA tournament. Again, this is coach Stew Morrill's own doing. As long as he is unwilling to play some of the big boys on the road, he has no reason to complain.

The ESPN announcers kept saying that this was a bigger game for St. Mary's. And the Gaels needed the win, no doubt. But Utah State has always been viewed as a fraud and probably needed the win more, especially with Mills out. Utah State was a disappointment for a conference that just looked ugly in the BracketBusters. When you don't play many good teams, you need to beat them when you get the chance.

How bad was it for the WAC on Saturday?

Nevada is clearly in a rebuilding mode, but will play host to the conference tournament. The Wolf Pack hasn't been the same following the loss of players Nick Fazekas, Ramon Sessions and Marcelus Kemp. But coach Mark Fox still has enough to win the conference tournament.

New Mexico State has never recovered from the loss of Reggie Theus and the NCAA jacking around Herb Pope. The Aggies actually had a solid win over Cal State Fullerton, but this program is on the decline.

Boise State -- last year's conference tournament winner -- beat Utah State this week, but looked average at Portland State.

In fact, the West Coast conference proved that it was the premiere mid-major conference on the West Coast. St. Mary's and San Diego knocked off Utah State and Pacific respectively, arguably the top two teams in thet WAC and Big West. (Sorry, Long Beach State fans.)

Even San Jose State was exposed by UC-Riverside.

In the end, Utah State was proven to just be the best team in a really bad conference. Which is the equivalent of being the smartest contestant on Rock of Love. St. Mary's, on the other hand, is back in the mix.

BTW, you might not have noticed this, but did you see the way the St. Mary's fans reacted after the win? They stayed in their freaking seats and cheered on their team despite beating a ranked opponent. Maryland, on the other hand, has a championship banner hanging in its rafters and its fans rushed the court after winning a conference home game. Embarrassing.

St. Mary's Bursts Utah State's Bubble originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 22 Feb 2009 02:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big West Looking at No. 16 Seed

Adam Papagiorgio — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 11:39:00 EST

Filed under: Nevada, UNLV, Mid-Majors

Cal State Fullerton will play host to Long Beach State on tonight. There was a time in recent memory when this was the preeminent college basketball rivalry in Southern California. Or at least the most blood thirsty among the fans, once even resulting in a brawl among the fans with 27 fans going to jail like it was an Eagles game or something.

There was a time when the Big West actually mattered.

UNLV ruled the college basketball world and produced the greatest team in college basketball history.

The conference had three teams among the field of 64.

The conference actually churned out NBA players on a regular basis.

Now it has come to this -- the Big West is looking at a No. 16 seed. The conference of Jerry Tarkanian is now one of the bottom-feeders in the NCAA.

But the evidence of the Big West's stumble was most evident in ESPN's bracketology this week. The Big West champion is projected to be a No. 16 seed, facing Oklahoma. An easy one-and-done for whomever manages to win the Big West tournament. We all knew that the Big West was a conference out of control, but how did it go this bad?

There was the football exodus when schools such as San Diego State and Fresno State left for greener pastures. That led to the defections of UNLV, New Mexico State and a host of others including Nevada and Boise State to name a few. (And for the record, Tarkanian loved the Big West.)

And those were bad. The most crucial was losing Utah State a few years ago. The league was looking to become a basketball conference, but lacked that one big-name school that could rise the tide for member schools. Funny, Utah State is slated to be a No. 10 seed in the latest projections.

Now, I don't like the way Utah State creates a schedule and will continue to gripe about it, but it is the kind of marquee team that the Big West lacks. Pacific had it's chance a few years ago, but has missed the boat. And unless it can find another Englishman who wants to play at a school near the ocean, that program is never going to be the one. Hindsight showed that letting all of those football schools go was a mistake. Yet, Dennis Farrell and the Big West conference let history repeat itself by allowing Utah State to leave.

Instead, the Aggies were replaced by UC Davis. Who, coincidentially, are the Aggies, too. Only, the sequel is never as good as the original. Now there are a bunch of mid-card mid-majors jockeying for position in the conference. And the last two conference winners -- Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton will play tonight with hopes of eventually winning the conference crown and being the 63rd best team in America.

Big West Looking at No. 16 Seed originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 11:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Portland Close, but Nobody's Touching Gonzaga

Adam Papagiorgio — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:41:00 EST

Filed under: Gonzaga, Nevada, WCC, Mid-Majors

The West Coast Conference had a banner 2008, getting three teams into the NCAA tournament. But any hopes of the WCC being a multiple bid conference this season evaporated as quickly as Portland's halftime lead on Thursday night.

St. Mary's did snap a two-game losing streak by beating San Francisco on Thursday night. But unless Patrick Mills is a fast healer, there is no chance of the Gaels making the NCAA tournament.

Last year's Cinderella, San Diego, lost at Santa Clara on Thursday night in a battle of the conference's most disappointing underachievers. Let this be a lesson to all of you coaches who achieve success in your first year. Take the money and run. Bill Grier probably wishes that he did.

That left Portland holding the conference's lone hope to challenge Gonzaga. And it happened ... for a half.

But in the end, the Bulldogs have too much depth and rolled for the victory. Too much scoring from Matt Boldin and Jeremy Pargo, while Austin Daye looked pretty good on the boards. Gonzaga -- as pointed out during the ESPN broadcast -- needs to get tougher on the boards. There, however, is nobody in the WCC that will challenge them.

Especially now that the conference tournament is moving to Las Vegas. There will be no opportunity for any team to ride its home court for an upset bid. Though, if you want to think of a sleeper team, keep an eye on Santa Clara. That team really should be much better.

Portland's Nik Raivio is a stud, but he's just not enough to push the Pilots over the top. And Luke Sikma is developing into a nice player. But it's just not going to happen.

And here's a look at some of the other mid-major action.

Cal State Fullerton welcome former coach Brad Holland back, as Satan's lap dog is currently an assistant at UC Santa Barbara. The Gauchos went on a huge run in the first half and looked to continue the Titans misery at home. But somehow Cal State found its stride in the second half and ran Santa Barbara off the court to win its fourth consecutive game. The Titans were 8-of-13 from 3-point range in the second half. You know, this was supposed to be a down year for Cal State that lost four starters from its tournament team from last year. But you know, this team could repeat as conference champs. Believe it.

Mainly because Long Beach State lost at home to UC Davis. Is Dan Monson already preparing his resume? The 49ers earned a nice BracketBusters game against Wisconsin-Green Bay -- and this is the way they respond. Long Beach obviously hasn't recovered from Cal State rolling into town last week and beating them in front of a soldout crowd. The 49ers are talented, but inconsistent. At least Raiders, I mean Long Beach fans don't have to worry about its team peaking too soon.

No. 25 Utah State pounded New Mexico State in Logan. I like to make fun of the Aggies' schedule, but nobody is going to beat them up there. It's not happening.

Louisiana Tech went to Reno and beat Nevada. Utah State isn't getting a lot of help from its conference. The bottom feeders (meaning anytime not named Utah State) are beating each other senseless. And it does nothing to raise the profile of the conference. The Aggies are going to find themselves in a very similar situation to Gonzaga here. Honestly though, what happened to Mark Fox's squad? This is a young team, for sure, but it shouldn't be dropping home games at the Law.

Portland Close, but Nobody's Touching Gonzaga originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gonzaga Back to Normal, Dominating WCC

Adam Papagiorgio — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 02:40:00 EST

Filed under: Gonzaga, Nevada, WCC, Mid-Majors, WAC

Gonzaga had a rather troubling December, were it not for Tennessee. The Bulldogs lost to No. 2 Connecticut, Portland State and Utah in a near two-week stretch before beating the Volunteers for the second time this season. But any stumbling during the silly season is in the past as Gonzaga has once again retaken its throne as unmerciful ruler of the West Coast Conference.

The Bulldogs put any doubt to rest with a dominating performance over Santa Clara on Thursday, winning 95-53. The kind of exclamation to let the rest of the conference know that any momentary lapses were just that. And really, I thought Kerry Keating's club could have been a contender this season. Yeah, not so much.

This win won't do much to help Gonzaga's damaged national reputation they suffered at the end of December. But San Diego and St. Mary's no doubt took notice. Matt Bouldin was awesome, and it seems that Gonzaga is at its best when Jeremy Pargo doesn't have to score a lot and is handing out the ball like he did on Thursday night.

Now for a look at some other mid-major action of note.

Saint Mary's 78, Loyola Marymount 53: The first game of the Max Good era got off to a rousing start. The Gaels are going to end up cruising through the WCC schedule until they face Gonzaga.

San Diego 62, Pepperdine 47: Who put this schedule together? Two of the top three WCC powers were playing the bottom feeders in the conference. And as expected, they faced little resistance.

Utah State 65, Fresno State 61: Like their cross-state rivals, BYU, Utah State doesn't lose to conference opponents at home. If the Aggies ever butched up their schedule, they could be a Top 25 team. But right now, they are the best team in the WAC.

Nevada 77, Boise State 63: Huge win for the young Wolf Pack. They really needed this win, and Nevada is a team that will be pretty dangerous come conference tournament time.

Gonzaga Back to Normal, Dominating WCC originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 02:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last Chance of the Year for Mountain West, WAC to Make Some Noise

Adam Papagiorgio — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:38:00 EST

Filed under: Gonzaga, Louisville, Nevada, UNLV, MWC, WAC, North Carolina

Well, it's only the calendar year, mind you. And really, don't you hate running into people on this day who love to say, "See you next year?" And here I am contributing to the problem. But enough about that, UNLV, Utah and Nevada all have an opportunity to make a splash on New Year's Eve with some high-profile games.

The question is, will they be able to take advantage of them? Here's a quick rundown of tonight's games.

UNLV at No. 18 Louisville. The Runnin' Rebels had a brief two-game let down earlier this season, but have established an 11-2 mark, including a big win over Arizona. But tonight's contest could be a tough one, as senior star Wink Adams will be a game-time decision. Adams suffered an abdominal injury recently, but a recent MRI revealed that it was only a strain.

Even if Adams is able to play, UNLV will have a tough test. The Rebels haven't been good on the boards and Louisville is a strong rebounding team. Plus Louisville's defense was able to smother the Rebels in the closing ten minutes of last year's game at the Thomas and Mack Center. Still, that game was closer than some thought. So I expect a similar game this year, where UNLV will hang tough for a while, but ultimately fall. Prediction: Louisville wins. Make your own pick.

Utah at No. 16 Gonzaga. This game suddenly became a huge one for Gonzaga. The Bulldogs looked like a solid Final Four candidate, but recent losses to Connecticut and Portland State has the team reeling, and many questioning the toughness of Gonzaga. That can't be good news for Utah.

The Runnin' Utes had a nice win over Oregon, but followed that up with three consecutive losses to Idaho State, Cal and No. 5 Oklahoma State. Utah also lost a close one to Utah State, and had more trouble then it should have with Big West doormat, UC Irvine. Utah looked good early against Oklahoma and have done well in flashes. But it looks like they are catching Gonzaga at the wrong time. Prediction: Gonzaga in a blowout. Make your own pick.

No. 1 North Carolina at Nevada. First off, congratulations to North Carolina for playing at UC Santa Barbara this season and at Nevada. Some more of the "big boys" should take note of this, because it makes college basketball a whole lot better.

But let's be honest about this one. Unless there is some kind of Reno 911 plot that will keep Tyler Hansbrough detained in a room at Fitzgerald's, then maybe Nevada would have a chance. But unless North Carolina makes like that Carver team that hit the nightlife in Las Vegas prior to a game during the White Shadow, this should be an easy Tar Heels' victory.

But as mentioned before, you can't imagine who exciting this is for Nevada fans and students who will finally get a chance to yell at Hansbrough. (Keep it clean, kids.) This is a once-in-a-lifetime game for them. And again, that's awesome for college basketball. Prediciton: North Carolina wins. Make your own pick. (And who are the six percent picking Nevada? See, this is why games like this are awesome.)

Wow, 0-for-3 for the Mountain West and WAC? That's depressing.

Last Chance of the Year for Mountain West, WAC to Make Some Noise originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Don't Panic ASU Fans

Adam Papagiorgio — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 02:17:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona State, Gonzaga, Nevada, Mid-Majors

No. 15 Arizona State got off to an auspicious start on Tuesday night, going down to the wire with San Diego State before prevailing, 59-52. Some of the Sun Devil faithful will likely be gripping over such a close win. You shouldn't be.

Leave the worrying for those following the train wreck in Tucson.

San Diego State is a quality program and has upset ranked opponents in Cox Arena in the recent past. In fact, this was probably a bigger blow to the Aztecs who figure to be in the mix for a tournament bid this season. Although, this isn't Long Beach State, so there will hardly be any celebrating after this "noble loss" to the Sun Devils.

This win should be encouraging for the ASU program.

I have pretty high hopes for the Devils who came in at No. 14 in our hoops BlogPoll. This is a team that should challenge UCLA for the Pac-10 title. Going down and beating a good team like San Diego State is a good step in the right direction. Hey ASU fan, at least you beat a Mountain West team this team unlike your football squad.

Sorry, low blow.

James Harden (pictured) was battling a virus and the Devils were able to battle through. This is the kind of game that the Devils would have gagged in the past. So don't sweat it.

But there were some other games of note on Tuesday night.

Gonzaga held Idaho to 11 first-half points as it cruised to an easy 80-46 win.This has been said before, but bears repeating, Gonzaga might have the most talented team it has ever had under Mark Few. Expect some more wins like this. The Bulldogs are going to the Final Four this year.

What does AP voter Ron Morris think now after Northridge was blownout at Stanford? Just kidding, Ron is a good guy. A touch misguided, but a good guy. The only Big West team that has a decent out of conference win is Cal State, and even they lost to Texas State. Seriously, anybody in the Big West want to take this thing? There goes that at-large bid they were counting on. (Yes, that's a joke.)

San Diego rebounded from losing at Las Vegas to beat Nevada at home, 65-51. That should make the Runnin' Rebels feel better about their win over the Toreros. Brandon Fields played only two minutes for the Wolf Pack. How long was that suspension?

Don't Panic ASU Fans originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 02:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nevada Suspends Three Players

Adam Papagiorgio — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 01:16:00 EST

Filed under: Nevada, Mid-Majors, WAC, Police Blotter

Those writers and coaches might need a mulligan for picking Nevada as the top team in the WAC. Wolf Pack coach Mark Fox suspended Brandon Fields, London Giles and Ahyaro Phillips after the players were cited for misdemeanor petty larceny.

Fields is the leading returning scorer for the Wolf Pack, so this could be a huge blow to the team. Giles and Phillips are freshmen. Fox is waiting to "gather all of the facts" of the incident to see how long these suspensions last. You would almost guess that Fields will be given more leeway.

Petty larceny means that the alleged stolen items were valued at $250 or below. And the incident is believed to have taken place at the newly opened Scheels at the Legends of Sparks Marina.

If the charges hold up, you really have to question the intelligence of these players. Like, doesn't Nevada have boosters who could buy these young men some shoes so they don't have to steal them? If anything, I place the blame on the Wolf Pack boosters for not doing a better job of handing out the dough. Though, you could blame the sluggish economy for that, too. One of the presidential candidates looking to win the swing vote in Nevada should run on a platform of tax cuts for boosters so schools can avoid incidents such as this. He'd be an easy winner.

Nevada Suspends Three Players originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 19 Oct 2008 01:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UNLV, Nevada Picked to Win Conferences

Adam Papagiorgio — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 02:25:00 EST

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

The state of Nevada rules the college basketball world. Or at least the Mountain West and Western Athletic conferences. UNLV was selected by as the preseason favorite to win the Mountain West. Nevada was tabbed to win the WAC. That should make the inter-state rivalry even more intense this year.

The Runnin' Rebels will have five seniors this season and will finally start seeing the fruits of Lon Kruger's recruiting labors. Guard Wink Adams was selected as the preseason co-player of the year, while Tre'Von Willis was selected as the preseason pick as top newcomer.

BYU's Lee Cummard was the other selection for Mountain West preseason co-player of the year. No word on if his wife started a riot when she learned that Lee was not the sole winner. BYU was picked to finish second in conference.

San Diego State's Lorrenzo Wade, Wyoming's Brandon Ewing and Utah center Luke Nevill round out the preseason first team for the Mountain West.

Nevada isn't a surprise pick in the WAC. Mark Fox has been building a strong program in Reno. Wolfpack guard Armon Johnson is the preseason pick for player of the year. Fellow guard Brandon Fields was selected to the second team.

Nevada, Utah State and New Mexico State were the top three picks in both the media and coach's polls. The media picked Louisiana Tech to finish fourth, while the coach's went with San Jose State. Last year's tournament winner, Boise State was picked to finish fifth by both the coaches and media. Obviously there is not a lot of respect giving that that burgeoning program.

Both the Mountain West and WAC appear to be on the upswing. UNLV has made some good runs in the tournaments in recent years, and should have the most talented team in Kruger's run. Nevada has been on the verge for years, but really needs to make a move in the tournament.

UNLV, Nevada Picked to Win Conferences originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 15 Oct 2008 02:25:00 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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The Sophomores Can't Wait Any Longer to Get to the NBA

Charles Rich — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 06:30:00 EST

Filed under: Nevada Basketball, Texas Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, Big East Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, SEC Basketball, NBA Prospects, Stanford Basketball

You thought that 13 freshmen in the NBA Draft was a lot, compared to 8 last year? Wrong. The big leap came from the number of sophomores who have had their fill of college. Last year, only 5 sophomores turned pro. Not this year. Like the freshmen, the lucky 13 are not going back to their school.

D.J. Augustin, Texas
JaVale McGee, Nevada
Brook Lopez, Stanford
Robin Lopez, Stanford
Russell Westbrook, UCLA
Marreese Speights, Florida
Ryan Anderson, Cal
Darrell Arthur, Kansas
~~Derrick Caracter, Louisville~~
Walter Sharpe, UAB
*Jason Bennett, Tallahassee Community College
*Keith Brumbaugh, Hillsborough Community College
*Kiwan Smith, Redlands Community College

Even if you don't count the 3 players who got through community college, that's still a 100% increase over last year. Most of the players nearly came out after last season.

It seems that in year two of the one-and-done restriction, the freshmen and sophomores are beginning to charge back into the draft. Makes those columns from last year talking about how upperclassmen were making a comeback in the NBA draft look a little dated.

UPDATE: According to the official list by the NBA on the Draft, Caracter, Bennett and Smith all pulled their names before the deadline. That drops the number to 10 sophomores. Still a significant jump, but a little lower.

The Sophomores Can't Wait Any Longer to Get to the NBA originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 06:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who's #98? First College Basketball Invitational Field Announced

Shiloh Carder — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:45:00 EST

Filed under: Nevada Basketball, Washington Basketball, Cincinnati Basketball, Virginia Basktball

The College Basketball Invitational was created because, apparently, there was such an interest in non-NCAA tournament events that the N.I.T. couldn't contain it (obviously, I'm being sarcastic).

So, while the NCAA and NIT fields have been set, the CBI got to look through the rest of the clearance rack and pick off sixteen teams for their own little dance.

Tuesday: Richmond at Virginia, Houston at Nevada, Brown at Ohio, Rider at Old Dominion
Wednesday: Cincinnati at Bradley, Valparaiso at Washington, Miami-OH at Tulsa, Utah at UTEP

The winners of these games will face off next Monday. The semifinals will take place on Wednesday, March 26th. Then there will be a best-of-three championship series taking place the following week. Most of the games will be on Fox College Sports ... a network most people don't get. And even if they did, they're probably not watching this.

Look, I'm all for letting these kids extend their collegiate careers. Really, I am. But this is dumb. Credibility is shot when you invite a 13-18 Cincinnati team.

Who's #98? First College Basketball Invitational Field Announced originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UNLV Nearly Blows its Tournament Chance

Adam Papagiorgio — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 03:05:00 EST

Filed under: Nevada Basketball, UNLV Basketball, MWC Basketball, WAC Basketball

UNLV is living on the bubble and almost saw that opportunity burst on Thursday night. Texas Christian scored 17 three-point baskets, but the Runnin' Rebels were able to hang on for a 89-88 victory at the Thomas & Mack Center. Wink Adams scored on a three-point play in the closing moments to help push UNLV to the win.

The quarterfinals in the Mountain West, WAC and Big West conference tournaments proceeded with little drama, though UNLV provided the day's only scare. The selection committee figures to take a careful look at the New Mexico vs. UNLV game on Friday night to determine tournament viability, but that wouldn't have mattered if the Rebels had managed to choke away its chance on Thursday.

(Edited: That is if New Mexico had held on to defeat Utah. Hey, here's what you get for sticking around to watch Irvine and Pacific, eh?)

You get the feeling that these higher seeds are looking past the quarterfinals, and it's amazing that nobody really got tripped up.

BYU had little trouble getting rid of Colorado State who sprung a huge upset over Wyoming on Wednesday. The Cougars weren't threatened and cruised to a victory. San Diego State lost at Clune Arena on March 8, but was able to defeat Air Force on Thursday night. The Aztecs could create some problems for BYU. The two teams had a heated match on Jan. 23 when BYU prevailed on a questionable call. This semi-final game should be pretty good.

The top four teams in the WAC advanced to the semifinals. Utah State will play Boise State, while Nevada will take on New Mexico State. Utah State will have an eye on the Nevada, New Mexico game as the Wolf Pack has defeated the NMSU Aggies twice this season, including a 10-point win at Las Cruces. But New Mexico State has put it together (for the most part) in recent weeks and this will be a completely different team on Friday night. Utah State doesn't want any part of NMSU who beat them by 30 points earlier this season.

UC Irvine pulled a mild upset over Pacific in the Big West tournament. Though, the Anteaters did everything they could to give that game away. In fact, if the referees had any guts, they would have made a goal-tending call on the final play of regulation. Irvine will play No. 1 seed, UC Santa Barbara who they have defeated twice this year. Is the third time the charm? Fullerton looked disinterested in the second half, or was that only the fans who rolled in late from a halftime drink fest at the Anaheim Hilton? The Titans did what they needed to do to get a rubber match with Cal State Northridge.

Speaking of Northridge, thank you to the CSUN fan who paid our way into the game on Thursday night. Totally appreciate that.

UNLV Nearly Blows its Tournament Chance originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 14 Mar 2008 03:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big West, WAC Have Seven Champs

Adam Papagiorgio — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 03:00:00 EST

Filed under: Nevada Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, March Madness, WAC Basketball

Parity or just plain parody.

The Big West and Western Athletic conferences had seven teams claim a share of its conference championships. Seven teams. Good thing the two conferences hold tournaments to determine the conference's automatic bid, or else there would be some pretty upset bubble teams right now.

Yes, I'm just pulling your leg. The National Invitational Tournament will only recognize the teams earning the No. 1 seeds as the automatic bids for the world's biggest consolation party.

The seeding is a huge deal in the Big West, as the top two finishers earn byes into the semi-finals of the conference tournament. That means that Cal State Fullerton, conference co-co-champion, will have to play one extra game to win the tournament. Titans fans can be disappointed that Long Beach State failed to pull the upset in double overtime against UC Santa Barbara. But Fullerton has only itself to blame for dropping home games to the Gauchos and CS Northridge. Santa Barbara earns the top seed thanks to a 3-1 mark against its co-co champions.

Utah State will be the top seed in the WAC tournament, thanks to its 4-2 mark against its fellow co-co-co-champions, Boise State, Nevada and New Mexico State. The Broncos had the chance to put the WAC away this week, but stumbled at home against the Aggies who won three games in the final six days. Nevada is the second seed in the tournament, followed by tournament host New Mexico State and Boise State. Nobody from the WAC figures to get an at-large bid, so this tournament is going to be tight.

The big question is, do all of the conference co-champions make these conferences look weak or competitive? To my knowledge, I don't know how often three- and four-way ties for conference titles are. But it seems rare, right? The perception, however, depends on the conference. These conferences aren't very well thought of, so any chance to discredit them will be seized.

But to me, this shows just how great the regular season can be. Sure, you can claim that conference tournaments make these races meaningless, but you can't say that. Fullerton won't think it's meaningless when it's playing its third consecutive game on Saturday night. Utah State is probably relieved that they won't have to play New Mexico State until the conference finals ... if they have to see them at all. This was a good season, and hopefully the conference tournaments can live up to the regular season.

Big West, WAC Have Seven Champs originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 10 Mar 2008 03:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who The Bubble Teams Are Backing, Part 3

Charles Rich — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 08:28:00 EST

Filed under: Nevada Basketball, Xavier Basketball, Umass Basketball, A-10 Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, March Madness, Davidson Basketball, WAC 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 2.

As teams like Ohio State and Virgina Tech make a stronger case to be in the NCAA Tournament, attention will focus on teams from the other conferences that might make the Tournament even if they don't win their conference tournament and the automatic bid.
Summit:
Hope wins: Oral Roberts (62nd RPI, 7-3 last 10, beat Oklahoma St.).
Watch out for: IUPUI. Probably hotter than ORU right now. 74th in RPI, beat UMass in their non-con, split with ORU and are 9-1 in their last 10 games. Oral Roberts loss to North Dakota State this past weekend probably makes this a one-bid conference regardless. But with an RPI in the same vicinity as Florida, Maryland, Villanova, Arizona St., St. Joe's and other bubble teams; it's not that comfortable.

Southern:
Hope wins: Davidson (44th RPI, 10-0 last 10, 8th in non-con SOS).
Watch out for: Georgia Southern or Chattanooga. Neither school has a particularly good RPI, and since Davidson was a perfect 20-0 in the SoCon, it's not like either team could claim to have beaten the Wildcats. Still, these are the teams most likely to pull the upset. Chattanooga ranked 1st in non-con SOS. Georgia Southern beat UAB and Cleveland State in their non-con and lost by only 3 to Florida in Gainesville.

WAC:
Hope wins: Nevada (79th RPI, 7-3 last 10 games) or Utah St. (84th RPI, games remaining against Nevada and Boise St. can boost their RPI and resume).
Watch out for: New Mexico St. or Boise St. The WAC is looking increasingly like a one-bid conference this year, but why chance it. Especially with Nevada's consistency in recent years. New Mexico St. could be the most dangerous in the WAC Tournament with their squad finally past all those NCAA academic issues and getting some chemistry and cohesion. Boise St., though, has actually been the best team in the WAC including sweeping Nevada, but they have a poor RPI of 97.

Atlantic-10:
Hope wins: Xavier (#8 AP Poll, #11 Coaches Poll, 6th RPI, 10-0 last 10 games).
Probably acceptable: Dayton (35th RPI, 4th non-con RPI, beat Louisville and Pitt) or UMass (39th RPI, beat Houston and road wins over Syracuse and Boston College). Both have struggled mightily in the conference slate, but if they were in a power conference, they would be safe. Now, likely but not assured.
Watch out for: Rhode Island or St. Joe's. In January, the A-10 looked like it could get 4 or 5 teams in the NCAA Tournament. The Rams and Hawks are 4-6 and 5-5 respectively in the past 10 games to drag their RPIs below 55 and weak bubble teams likely to be on the outside. Still, both teams have have shown they can win against good teams earlier in the season.

Who The Bubble Teams Are Backing, Part 3 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 06 Mar 2008 08:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CSUN Extinguishes Torch, Titans' Streak

Adam Papagiorgio — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 02:03:00 EST

Filed under: Nevada Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, WAC Basketball

Cal State Fullerton's players and fans will probably ponder -- sometime in the near future -- what might have been. And they'll likely have plenty of time because Thursday's night game gave every indication that this Titans' hoop season is going to end like the previous 30 -- no tournament.

Cal State Northridge rolled into Titan Gym with a chip on its shoulder and crushed the Titans in a 82-74 beat down. And the game shouldn't have even been that close. Northridge wanted this game more than the Titans. They got to every loose rebound, had numerous second-chance points and Jonathan Heard was seemingly everywhere nailing all of the key shots. The Matadors also did a good job on sharp-shooting Josh Akognon who finished a miserable 2-of-9 from three-point land. And even when they didn't have a hand in his face, he seemed rattled by CSUN's defense.

The Big West is for Northridge to take. If they continue to play like that, nobody will beat them. The Titans have also proved that they still can't rise to the occasion in big games. You don't want to discredit Northridge because they earned that win. But you can't help but get the feeling that Fullerton choked that game away. And if they don't finish in second and get that valuable bye into the semi-finals in the conference tournament, they have nobody else to blame but themselves.

After the jump, New Mexico State continues its enigmatic season.

One more quick note on the Fullerton game. The student enthusiasm was overwhelming. Most of the fans that show up to Titans games are alumni. If fans could actually win a game, then Fullerton would have pulled through. But my personal theory is that crowds of 2,000 or so -- which many of the Big West teams draw -- seem to inspire the visiting team more than it does to distract. You have to get into at least 4,000 to 5,000 to even make a dent.

Moving on.

Duke, you can relax. New Mexico State is still a ways from pulling it all together. The Aggies are like kindred spirits with the Titans. Very talented teams that just seem to turtle at the wrong possible time. New Mexico State struggled as Nevada isn't about to roll over. Utah State and Boise State also won on Thursday night, meaning the WAC is going to be a jumbled mess.

New Mexico State is still my pick to win the conference tournament and get that No. 15 bid. But it really needed to come out and make a statement in this game. That's a cliche, sure, but the Aggies still have something to prove this season. But I guess that's part of the Madness, right?

CSUN Extinguishes Torch, Titans' Streak originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 29 Feb 2008 02:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nevada's Kemp Calls MVC Dirty

Adam Papagiorgio — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 03:05:00 EST

Filed under: Nevada Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, MVC Basketball, WAC Basketball

Marcelus Kemp was not impressed by Southern Illinois style of play and told the Reno Gazette-Journal (via the Big West message boards). Kemp and the Wolf Pack were ran out of the building early and never gave much of a fight in losing to the Salukis.

"They're real physical, everybody," Kemp said. "They get away with a lot of fouls. That's how this (Missouri Valley) league is. It's how they play. We weren't ready for it. The coaches told us, but we weren't ready for it."

As one poster noted, didn't they send the WAC referees? And Kemp should probably have just taken his whipping like a man and let that be the end of it. This was obviously a frustrating loss, but there is no need to talk about how physical the MVC is. That is the conference is the standard that the WAC should be shooting for.

First Hawaii gets rolled in the Sugar Bowl and now one of the top players in the WAC is complaining that the MVC is too rough. And speaking of the Rainbow Warriors, how did they manage to get rolled at Riverside? The Warriors smoked a pretty good Long Beach State team last year, but now they can't get over on the Inlanders? Pathetic.

The WAC should try to get tougher.

The WAC was one of the huge losers during the BracketBuster, here is a look at some of the biggest winners and losers from the weekend.

WINNERS

Cal State Fullerton received a pretty favorable draw and held off a decent Portland State team. The Titans gave up some size (as they figure to do), but were able to force the game on the Vikings. Fullerton is playing its best basketball heading into a huge matchup with CS Northridge.

Cal State Northridge has to be considered a winner because they did not embarrass themselves. All fans of the Big West will gladly take the Matadors moral victory against Rider. That was about the best anybody could have hoped for.

Long Beach State was able to hold New Mexico State to only 80 points.

LOSERS

St. Marys is in danger of missing the tournament, but they are now going to have a tougher draw that they previously figured. Omar Samhan injured his shoulder, but the story here was the job the Golden Flashes did on Patty Mills. The talented freshman was only 2-of-11 from the field. At home. This should send up a red flag come tournament time.

Boise State got pounded at home by Siena. New Mexico State is going to waltz through the WAC tournament.

Nevada's Kemp Calls MVC Dirty originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 25 Feb 2008 03:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nevada's Four Horsemen Lead The Way

Adam Papagiorgio — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 02:30:00 EST

Filed under: Nevada Basketball, WAC Basketball

The biggest knock against Nevada is the lack of depth. And that was never more evident than Saturday night when only four players scored for the Wolf Pack. Not four players in double figures, four players combining for 85 points in a win at Idaho.

Marcelus Kemp scored 32 points, Brando Fields added 21, JaVale McGee had 20, and Armon Johnson had 12 to complete the scoring. Honestly, this is one of the most bizarre box scores I have ever seen. At least for a major college team. Not even one of the scrubs could throw down a bucket in the closing minutes? Idaho didn't try to foul anybody in the closing minutes? Just strange. The other players for Nevada attempted only five shots in the game.

This also makes me want to hedge my Nevada for the regular-season title prediction. Just strange.

Also in the WAC: Can Hawaii be a contender in the WAC this season? Probably not. They are a very dangerous team, which Utah State found out on Saturday night. But they just don't seem to have enough to seriously contend for the WAC regular season title.

The (don't call them Rainbow) Warriors have notched some impressive home wins over New Mexico State and Utah State this season, but they just haven't been a factor on the road. The Warriors even won on Saturday without big man P.J. Owsley. Still, they just don't have that big gun to make them a consistent player.

Hawaii still has a home date with Boise State and a road game at Las Cruces to close out the season. But they would have to win out the rest of the season to even have a chance for a regular season title. Mainly because they would have to climb over four teams. The Warriors are in the spoiler category for the regular season, but shouldn't be considered a serious threat in the regular season.
Utah State must now be muttering about what could have been, blowing a big second-half lead. The Aggies, have at times, had trouble winning away from Logan, meaning that you have to take advantage of the opportunities when they can get them. They are just too different away from home to be much of a factor down the stretch.

Utah State's loss opened the door for Boise State to sneak into the top spot in the WAC. Though, sneak might be too harsh because the Broncos have been pretty consistent this season. Boise State beat Fresno State to take over first place. Nevada knocked off Idaho to give the WAC five teams with four losses or less.

New Mexico State is now a half-game behind Boise State after not playing on Saturday. They won't play again until they face Long Beach State in the bracket buster on Saturday. NMSU should still be considered the favorite to win the conference tournament. But a huge road game at Reno still looms, meaning that Nevada still gets a slight edge in the regular-season race. The Broncos still have a date in Hawaii and a home game against Utah State. Though, with the way USU plays on the road, that might be to their advantage.

Nevada's Four Horsemen Lead The Way originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 18 Feb 2008 02:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WAC Still Four Horse Race

Adam Papagiorgio — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 01:28:00 EST

Filed under: Nevada Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, WAC Basketball

Don't count out Boise State just yet. The Broncos faced a desperation game on Thursday night, and received big performances from Reggie Larry and Matt Nelson to defeat Nevada, 77-68. Boise State swept the season series from the Wolf Pack after being swept by New Mexico State and losing its first game with Utah State.

Larry told the Reno Gazette Journal that he should be the WAC Player of the Year, and he went out and backed that up. Larry likely vaulted past Nevada's Marcelus Kemp in the race for POY, but Utah State's Jaycee Carroll still has to be the front-runner.

Although, Larry points out in the article that he is more concerned with winning the conference championship instead of the individual award.

This has to be a disappointing loss for Mark Fox and Nevada as it looked like the team to beat heading down the stretch. Marcelus Kemp tried to rally the Wolf Pack, but he just couldn't pull of the miracle by himself. The lack of defense is the thing that surprised me. Boise State shot more than 60 percent from the field.

Boise State now has a pretty good shot at taking the regular-season conference title. Which means something if you are pushing for an NIT bid. The Broncos play host to Fresno State on Saturday and close the season with Utah State at the Taco Bell Arena on March 6.

New Mexico State also kept pace with a win at Louisiana Tech. The Aggies had four guys in double figures -- led by Hatila Passo's 20 -- and seven players with at least eight points. Nobody in the WAC wants to talk about New Mexico State. They might not be able to close the gap for the regular season race, but their depth has to be scary in the tournament.

There was big news in the Big West on Thursday as UC Irvine rocked Pacific, 74-59. Were the Tigers looking ahead to Saturday's game with Fullerton (who drubbed UC Davis)? Probably not. This is Bob Thomason, here. Instead, maybe the Tigers just aren't that good of a team. The Titans are the first team to nine wins, but have one more loss than CS Northridge and are tied with Pacific with three losses. The Titans and Matadors control their own destiny to finish in one of the top two spots in the Big West, which is so huge.

WAC Still Four Horse Race originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 15 Feb 2008 01:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WAC Race Just Got Interesting

Adam Papagiorgio — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:17:00 EST

Filed under: Nevada Basketball, March Madness, WAC Basketball

The Western Athletic Conference sort of floundered in the nonconference season, with a number of the teams -- in particular New Mexico State -- not living up to expectations. But now the race for the WAC will be one of the most fun to watch down the stretch as evidenced by Nevada's big win over Utah State on Monday night. (This was a make up of an earlier game which was postponed because of bad weather.)

Four teams are within a game of each other and the conference figures to get only one bid in because of the early-season struggles. So who has the best chance to win the conference regular-season title as we head down the stretch?

If you are looking for a team with senior leadership, you have to favor Utah State or Nevada. The Aggies are led by WAC POY candidate Jaycee Carroll who has carried the team for most of the season. The Wolf Pack has their own POY candidate in Marcelus Kemp had 35 points against Utah State on Monday night and has been a real one-man show this season. So often you see teams with a dominate guard able to take over games that lead to victory, a point that Utah State and Nevada believes in.

New Mexico State is easily the most talented. And the Aggies also have their own senior leader in Justin Hawkins. The only problem with New Mexico State is that it is tough to put a lot of trust in them. Just when you think they have turned a corner (like a huge win over Utah State), they lose at Hawaii.

The other team clamoring for a spot is Boise State. The Broncos appear to be the fourth team in this race, but they are talented. A big loss in Las Cruces, however, shows that they might not be ready to make that leap as conference leader.

Looking at the schedules down the stretch, New Mexico State is at Nevada and at Fresno State. Utah State has four conference road games, but only the game at Boise State will be tough. Nevada is at Boise State and at Fresno State. So don't look for a schedule to be a factor unless somebody wants to play spoiler.

If I had to make a pick to win the regular season title (and not the tournament title), I would lean towards Nevada. The schedule is about even, with Utah State having to play more games on the road. New Mexico State certainly is the sexy pick because of the talent, but Kemp seems determined to carry the Wolf Pack to the regular season title. All three coaches are good, too, but I favor Mark Fox a little bit more. I'm not sure how I feel about him as a tournament coach, but I do like him in the regular season. For that reason, I will continue to lean towards Nevada.

WAC Race Just Got Interesting originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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