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Too Much Matt Alviti As Evanston Falls To Maine South

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 03:07:00 +0000

Too Much Matt Alviti As Evanston Falls To Maine South

Alviti accounts for six touchdowns and Maine South blows out Evanston 49-8.

By Steven Jung | Email the author | October 2, 2010

After losses in its first two games, it is evident that Maine South (4-2, 2-0) has found its form.

Following a 49-8 thumping at Evanston (3-3, 0-2) Friday night, the Hawks have won their last four games by a combined score of 195-29. Matt Alviti was the star amongst the Maine South stars accounting for six of his team's seven touchdowns, four passing and two rushing. Throughout the game, Maine South looked like they were one play ahead of the Evanston Wildkits.

"We had a great scouting report from our coaches," Maine South head coach David Inserra said. "We were very focused in practice, definitely had our kids' attention. It seemed like we were one step of them each time on defense."

It would be another short evening for the Hawks quarterback and Maine South's first-string players. Alviti was impressive going 18-for-21, 307 yards passing and the aforementioned six touchdowns, all-coming in the first half. At halftime, Maine South led 41-0.

"He has the tools to be very good," Inserra said of Alviti. "He needs to continue to develop and understand the mental part of the game."

Alviti's touchdowns came on passes of 37, 39, 10 and 65 yards and his rushing scores came on 17 and 1 yard. His two favorite wide receiver targets were seniors Scott Derrick (7 rec, 125 yards, 2 TD) and Luke Mottley (4 rec, 104 yards, 2 TD).

The scoring began midway through the first when Alviti connected with Mottley on a 37-yard strike. Alviti then ran in a 17-yard touchdown to make the score 13-0 in favor of Maine South after one quarter.

In the second quarter, Alviti threw three touchdown passes to Derrick and once again threw a touchdown pass to Mottley. At the end of the second quarter, Alviti scored his sixth touchdown on a 1-yard touchdown run.

Along with Alviti's huge game, Maine South's defense was very good. Evanston failed to score an offensive touchdown and the depth of the Hawks was on full display. Second string defensive back Don Allegretti had three interceptions.

"It's been a season of injuries," Inserra said of his team. "But guys keep stepping up."

The Wildkits made their breakthrough on a Colton Warner fumble recovery for a touchdown. If there is something Evanston can take away from this game, they tied the second half 8-8.

Maine South returns home next week in a game against Waukegan (2-3, 1-0) while Evanston travels to New Trier (4-2, 1-1).

Northwestern Holds On And Improves to 4-0 With Win Over Central Michigan

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 03:12:00 +0000

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Northwestern Holds On And Improves to 4-0 With Win Over Central Michigan

The Wildcats nearly blew a 30-13 lead midway through the 4th quarter, but hung on in a thriller.

By Steven Jung | Email the author | September 25, 2010

After a win that put Northwestern at 4-0, you would think Wildcat head coach Pat Fitzgerald would have nothing but good things to say about his club. That was not exactly the case following Northwestern's narrow 30-25 win over the Central Michigan Chippewas (2-2) in Evanston on Friday.

On a day where the Stanley Cup made a visit to Ryan Field, Northwestern did not finish the game like champions. They very nearly blew a 30-13 lead in the fourth. Central Michigan got within one score at the 1:11 mark but failed to recover an onside kick attempt to give Northwestern the victory.

"To win another game the rest of the year, we're going to have to execute a lot better," the head coach said. "We're going to have to play with more focus and discipline. When we do that, I think we'll be a team that's tough to beat."

The Wildcats scored first on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Dan Persa to Jeremy Ebert midway through the first. The Chippewas responded on the following drive when Cody Wilson got credited with a 31-yard touchdown run. Both teams had their PAT's blocked following the first quarter touchdowns.

The teams went into halftime tied 13-13 after the clubs traded touchdowns in the 2^nd quarter. Northwestern scored on a 1-yard run from Jacob Schmidt and Central Michigan replied with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Radcliff to Carl Volny.

Persa, who went 23-of-30, 230 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, threw his first interception of the season midway through the second inside the red zone. He took blame for it afterwards. "It was a bad throw, a bad decision and I don't want to do that again. I shouldn't have thrown it there anyway, as soon as I let it go, I knew it was going to be picked."

The 3^rd quarter was dominated by Northwestern. On four 3^rd quarter drives for Central Michigan, they had two 3-and-outs, one interception and a five play drive. The Wildcats scored 10 points in the third and their final drive in the quarter set up a touchdown early in the 4^th quarter. A field goal from Stefan Demos and Ebert's second touchdown reception, this one a 25-yard catch, gave Northwestern a 23-13 lead after three quarters.

Northwestern scored on the third play of the 4^th quarter when Schmidt took a handoff and raced down the left sideline for a 13-yard touchdown, his second of the game. At this point, Northwestern looked like it was in complete control.

The Chippewas would not go down that easily. Volny recorded his second touchdown, this one on a 2-yard run. The extra point was once again blocked, but with 7:36 remaining, Central Michigan had life down 30-19.

Central Michigan's defense came up big getting a defensive stop on the following Northwestern drive. The Chippewas took advantage of the momentum with an eight play, 64-yard touchdown drive capped off with Radcliff connecting with Kito Poblah for a 25-yard touchdown. Radcliff finished the game 29-of-43, 347 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.

On the onside kick attempt, Brett Hartmann's effort went straight to Northwestern wide receiver Drake Dunsmore and Ryan Field exhaled knowing they escaped barely.

Fitzgerald said after the game the team needs to play better during the conference season. "When we make plays, we execute, we stick together and we play with discipline, we're a pretty good football team," he said. "When we do anything the opposite, any team can beat us. We have to play much cleaner and much better to be a successful team moving forward."

Northwestern opens up Big Ten play next week at Minnesota.

Deerfield Wins The Battle of The Warriors Behind Marc Pagano's Big Day

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 02:40:00 +0000

http://patch.com/A-BG7

Deerfield Wins The Battle of The Warriors Behind Marc Pagano's Big Day

Pagano scored four first half touchdowns and that was more than enough for Deerfield.

By Steven Jung | Email the author | September 25, 2010

So many times in sports, a team is described as a one-man show. That was not exactly the case at Deerfield High School Friday evening in front of a homecoming crowd. However, after one half of the game fans of Maine West (1-4, 0-1) had to be asking themselves one question. What would have happened if we shut down Deerfield's (3-2, 1-0) Marc Pagano?

The 5-foot-7 inch junior wide receiver stole the show in the Central Suburban League North conference opener between the Deerfield and Maine West Warriors. In a game Maine West desperately needed to win, they had no answer for Pagano and the trickery of Deerfield head coach Steve Winiecki. Deerfield dominated the first half, going into halftime leading 35-0. The final score was 35-7.

Pagano touched the ball just four times in the game, all coming in the first half, but he sure made the most of it. The four times he touched the ball, he scored on an 8-yard lateral pass, a 63-yard half-back pass, a 21-yard conventional touchdown pass and a 29-yard half back pass. The passer of each half back pass was senior Scott Ingram.

"We played a great game that gave me easy catches," Pagano said. "[Coach Winiecki] told us to play our kind of ball. We'll execute everything if we play hard every snap."

They certainly did execute. All five first half drives ended up in touchdowns for Deerfield.

A bit of optimism Maine West can take to next week, when they host Glenbrook North, is they won the second half outscoring Deerfield 7-0. A senior wide receiver scored on a 33-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth and Maine West avoided being shut out for the second consecutive game. However, Maine West has now been outscored 84-7 the last two games.

"We worked all week and we just didn't execute," said Maine West coach Chris Hare. They need to begin executing quickly to salvage a struggling campaign.

After the game, Winiecki talked about the goals coming into the game. "We played Deerfield football this week," he said. "We got away from it the past couple of weeks."

Pagano then touched on the team's goals for the remainder of the season. "We want to win the rest of [our] conference [games] and make it to the playoffs and see how it goes from there."

Deerfield next travels to Maine East (1-4, 0-1) in what appears to be a winnable game. The Blue Demons have been outscored 85-0 in their last two losses.

Maine West began a string of 3-of-4 road games with this loss to Deerfield. They play their only home game of that stretch coming up against Glenbrook North (4-1, 1-0).

Maine South Dominates Maine West 49-0

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 02:45:00 +0000

http://patch.com/A-8tm

Maine South Dominates Maine West 49-0

The Warriors could not stop the Hawks offense. Maine South improved to 2-0 while Maine West fell to 1-3.

By Steven Jung | Email the author | September 17, 2010

After a pair of losses to highly ranked teams, the Maine South Hawks have seemingly found their back-to-back state championship form heading into conference season.

Coming off its first win of the year in blowout fashion, the Maine West Warriors were the next prey for the Hawks. Maine South improved to 2-2 on the season after dismantling Maine West (1-3) 49-0 in Des Plaines on Thursday night.

The theme of the night for Maine South was offensive efficiency. Led by sophomore quarterback Matt Alviti, Maine South scored on its first four possessions and seven of its first eight. The Hawks scored four touchdowns in the first half and Alviti accounted for three of them.

Following a 19-yard touchdown run from junior running back Paul Preston, Alviti got on the board when he found senior wide receiver Scott Derrick wide open down the left sideline for a 30-yard strike. Derrick caught two touchdowns.

On the next drive, Alviti tossed a 38-yard touchdown to senior Imran Kahn streaking down the right sideline. For his third and final touchdown, Alviti improvised pump faking the defense and scampered 11 yards for a touchdown making the score 28-0 at halftime.

Alviti only played a half, yet still had nine of 11 completions, 124 yards passing, two touchdown passes, one touchdown run and one interception.

Derrick mentioned after the game the offense needed to get off to a quick start. "In the first quarter, our offense definitely wanted to put some points on the board," he said. "I think our coach [David Inserra] had some good calls from the sideline."

Maine South went on to score three more touchdowns in the second half, with backup quarterback Anthony Davila accounting for two of them. Davila threw a touchdown pass to Derrick and ran in a seven-yard touchdown run.

The scoring was capped on a 36-yard run down the left sideline by junior Joe Schmidt.

Following a pair of losses to open the year, there are many questions whether those will linger for the Hawks. However, Derrick said those losses have already been put aside.

"We put the first two losses sort of out of our heads," he said. "Starting the conference season is going to be huge for us. We want to go undefeated from here on out."

It was clear from the start that Maine West would have a difficult time keeping the game close. The lack of a passing game for the Warriors was very evident, as they did not even attempt a pass until the third quarter.

Warriors senior quarterback Ziggy Krycka led his team with 62 yards rushing on 12 carries.

Maine West starts Central Suburban League North play on Sept. 24 when it travels to Deerfield. That same day, Maine South hosts Niles West in a Central Suburban League South game.

Northwestern Dominates Illinois State To Go 2-0

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 03:20:00 +0000

http://patch.com/A-6Jv

In its home opener, Northwestern defeats Illinois State 37-3 behind a stellar performance from quarterback Dan Persa.

By Steven Jung | Email the author | September 12, 2010

In Northwestern's home opener, Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald told his players one key point prior to their game against Illinois State of the Football Championship Subdivision, "Start fast." The Wildcats did so jumping out to a 14-3 lead after one quarter and put the game away by halftime heading into the locker room up 30-3.

"You want to come out and start fast," the coach said. "I thought we achieved that today." The Wildcats won by a final score of 37-3.

In Northwestern's first game, first year starting quarterback Dan Persa completed 19-of-21 passes against Vanderbilt in a victory. The senior managed to complete 19-of-23 passes for 240 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Through two games, Persa has completed 86 percent of his passes and tossed five touchdowns with no interceptions.

"The receivers made great plays for me all day," said Persa. "We were rolling pretty well on offense."

"He's playing really well right now," said Fitzgerald on his quarterback. "He has such a solid foundation and a grasp of what we're trying to accomplish offensively."

He could have thrown for another touchdown but Sidney Stewart dropped one in the first half. Stewart laughed about it after the game,

"You win some, you lose some," the senior receiver said. "It was such an easy catch that I dropped it."

The defense played well in the victory as well. The Wildcats intercepted three passes, recovered a lateral pass for a fumble recovery and had three sacks.

Senior linebacker Quentin Davie had two interceptions for the Wildcats. "I missed one last week so I kind of took some heat for that," he said. "I was just in the right place and we had great coverage downfield too."

Running back Arby Fields responded well after a tough game at Vanderbilt. The sophomore rushed for -7 yards on 10 carries in the season opener, but went for 98 yards and one touchdown against the Redbirds.

However, Fields said after the game his stats are a non-factor. "As long as we win the game, it doesn't matter what I do personally," he said. "We're going to do whatever it takes to win."

The only negative part of Northwestern's victory was place kicker Stefan Demos. Demos, a preseason all-conference selection, missed a 45-yard field goal and a point after touchdown.

Northwestern will travel to Texas to take on Rice on Sept. 18.

Glenbrook South Dismantles Deerfield For First Win

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 03:24:00 +0000

http://patch.com/A-69c

Glenbrook South Dismantles Deerfield For First Win

The Titans defeat the Warriors 45-0 behind terrific defense, 3 touchdown passes from Matt Jenkins.

By Steven Jung | Email the author | September 11, 2010

After losing the first two games of the season, the Glenbrook South Titans delivered a blowout victory over the Deerfield Warriors 45-0 at GBS' s John Davis Stadium.

The game went the Titans way immediately when Deerfield head coach Steve Winieki decided to go for a fourth down on his side of the field. The Warriors failed to convert and the Titans took advantage and never looked back.

Senior GBS quarterback Matt Jenkins was terrific, tossing two of his three passing touchdowns in the first quarter. One came on a well-thrown pass off play action to senior running back Max Pompilus. The next one was to junior Zach Jones and it was also off play action.

Glenbrook South led 14-0 after one quarter and the start delighted Titan head coach Mike Noll, "We made some big plays," he said. "We got good field position from the defense and took advantage of it. I think we executed OK."

In the second quarter, GBS had a one-yard touchdown run from senior RB John Strickland and a blazing 55-yard score from senior RB Kyle Kwasniewski down the right sideline. The game was academic at halftime as the Titans went into the locker room up 31-0.

However, Jenkins was not finished and neither was Pompilus. The two connected for a second time on a 25-yard strike. Jenkins was pressured and rolled to his right and Pompulis found open, past the Deerfield defense. The running back headed down the right sideline to the end zone, making the score 38-0 in favor of the Titans.

As well as the offense performed, the defense pitched an impressive shutout. Deerfield never got into field goal range. This is the same Glenbrook South football team that allowed more than 700 yards rushing and 84 points in its first two games.

Noll definitely took notice of the defensive improvement. "We saw a lot of improvement," the coach said. "They're really young, so I think you'll see them get better each week."

The defense made a dent in the scoreboard when senior defensive back Kevin Stevens intercepted a Warriors QB Bradley Holway throw and returned it for a 33-yard touchdown. That made the score 45-0 in favor of GBS and that was the final.

Coming up, Glenbrook South faces a decisive five-game stretch, three of them on the road. The Titans next play at Niles North on Sept. 16. After that, GBS has a road game against New Trier, then hosts Waukegan, followed by a road game at Niles West and finally, the Titans will host the back-to-back defending 8A State Champions Maine South to conclude the key stretch.

Evanston Football Wins First Victory

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 00:11:00 +0000

http://patch.com/A-5dz

Evanston Football Wins First Victory

Wide receiver James Brown leads the way through tremendous adversity.

By Steven Jung | Email the author | September 4, 2010

On a brisk night at Lazier Field in Evanston, not even a wind gusting as high as 30 mph could get in the way of lifting a player's spirit and an aerial showdown between the Evanston Wildkits and the Homewood-Flossmoor Vikings.

In the end, the Wildkits prevailed in a wild comeback victory 52-49 thanks to the help of a senior wide receiver, James Brown, who was playing with a very heavy heart. He lost his father to cancer the day before the game.

Big passing plays began in the first quarter for the Vikings when junior quarterback Timothy Williams hooked up with junior wide receiver Willie Ross for an 85-yard touchdown that gave Homewood-Flossmoor a 6-3 lead after the extra point was missed. The Wildkits answered immediately when senior quarterback Byron Dawkins nailed a 42-yard completion to Brown who reached the Vikings 2-yard line. Junior running back Ray Bahr finished off the drive with a touchdown run to give Evanston a 10-6 lead.

Initially in the second quarter, Evanston appeared to be grabbing full control of the game when Dawkins and Brown connected for a 55-yard touchdown, making the score 17-6. The touchdown was especially sweet for Brown made his presence count even more later on in the game.

However, the Vikings answered right away when Williams took a quarterback draw up the middle for a 65-yard touchdown run, shrinking the deficit to 17-14. Following a Homewood-Flossmoor muffed punt, Evanston took advantage with a 3-yard touchdown run by senior running back Rendell Massie. It again appeared that Evanston would run away with the victory, but Williams executed a flawless two-minute drill that concluded with another touchdown pass to Ross. At halftime, Evanston held a 24-21 lead and the momentum, temporarily, switched to the Vikings following their last drive.

In the second half, Vikings senior Malik Norman made his mark in the game. He gave his team its second lead of the game after a sensational 45-yard touchdown run. He broke six tackles and made nearly all 11 Evanston defenders miss him. Norman added a second third-quarter score on a 2-yard touchdown run that gave Homewood-Flossmoor a 36-24 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

On the first play in the final quarter, Massie scored on a 2-yard run that got Evanston back in the game 36-31. On the following kickoff, Norman took over once again. He received the kickoff at his 13-yard line and ran right up the middle, made two Wildkits miss and broke an additional tackle, on his way to an 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Homewood-Flossmoor appeared to get some breathing room, extending its lead 43-31.

Two touchdowns were scored early in the fourth quarter. But there was more to come on the next Evanston drive. Massie took a pitch and ran right. It appeared to be a simple toss play, but Massie leveled his run and threw a jump ball to Brown, who pulled in the ball and scampered into the end zone for a 71-yard touchdown. Evanston was again fighting its way back as it trailed 43-38.

In crunch time, Brown would play the role of hero in what can only be described as something stranger than fiction. At the 2:29 mark, Brown split past a pair of Viking defensive backs and caught a perfectly placed pass from Dawkins and dived into the end zone. It appeared he fumbled, but he recovered the ball for the score. The go-ahead touchdown and extra point gave the Wildkits a 45-43 lead.

The following play iced the game when Homewood-Flossmoor fumbled the kickoff and senior Dillin Randolph run it in for a touchdown. Evanston went on to lead 52-43 thanks in part to four Viking fumbles.

Norman added his fourth touchdown of the game with 1:28 left to give the Vikings a glimmer of hope, but they failed to recover the ensuing onside kick.

The day belonged to Brown. He scored on 55-, 71- and 60-yard touchdown receptions, playing hard despite his recent personal hardship. The Wildkits improved to 1-1 and the Vikings fell to the same record.

The next game is Sept. 10 at the home field against Niles North.

ESPN's Jay Bilas Weighs in on Wildcat Chances

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:17:00 +0000

http://patch.com/A-2DW

ESPN's Jay Bilas Weighs in on Wildcat Chances

Will Northwestern University's basketball team end its March Madness drought?

By Steven Jung | Email the author | August 23, 2010

Evanston Patch turned to ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas for an early preview of Northwestern basketball.

Despite college basketball being more than two months away, many are anticipating the return of the Northwestern team after a respectable 2009 season.

Coming off a school record 20 wins, expectations have never been higher. For the first time ever, the Wildcats might make the NCAA Tournament, a goal that has eluded them in the past; Northwestern is the only school from a power conference never to appear in a March Madness game.

There are legitimate reasons for optimism in Evanston. The Wildcats return 85 percent of their scoring from last year. They will welcome back senior Jeff Ryan, who sat out last year with an injury. Some of the optimism dissipated after Kevin Coble, the leading scorer in 2008-2009, announced he was leaving the basketball program. He had missed the entire season last year due to a foot injury.

Are the expectations realistic? How much will Coble's loss effect the team?

Evanston Patch: What will it be like to watch Northwestern when they have expectations they have never had?

Jay Bilas: I think it will be great theater to watch Northwestern this year. I think Northwestern is a good team.

Evanston Patch: Are they a NCAA Tournament team?

Bilas: With the Pac-10 being down, could that be the difference in them maybe getting a [NCAA] tournament bid? Possibly. A few teams in the Big Ten lost some great players. A difference that might be in their favor is I'm not sure if there will be as many strong mid-major teams as there were last year. Add that with the expanded tournament field and Northwestern certainly has a good opportunity to make the [NCAA] tournament.

Evanston Patch: How impactful is the loss of Kevin Coble?

Bilas: It's tough to say. They won 20 games without him last year, but they'd certainly be better with him. Their young guys should get better and they have some talent. I think they can be fine since they went through it last year, but that isn't to say they're better off without him.

Evanston Patch: What about the players that are there? What's your opinion on their roster?

Bilas: They've got some players, and that's not been the case for a while. You can't always say Northwestern's got some players, but this year they really have some players. Jon Shurna's a heck of a player and he can really shoot it. [Michael] Thompson's very solid at the point. I think [coach] Bill Carmody has done a really nice job there. They've got a good group of players and they're great kids.

Evanston Patch: Why do you think this program has struggled so much throughout their history?

Bilas: It's really stunning that Northwestern has never made the [NCAA] tournament field. While I'm sensitive to how high their academic standards are, that's not the reason. They've not been a good program over the years. They've had good teams here and there, but they've not been committed to winning.

Evanston Patch: How do you think the support will be like from the average college basketball fan to Northwestern.

Bilas: Nobody will be rooting for them to the extent that an objective observer can root. For a team that has never made the [NCAA] tournament, I think anybody with a heart would be rooting for them this year to try to make it. I certainly wish them the best.

Top 65 Team Previews: #60 Cincinnati

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:59:00 +0000

The Hoops Report | Top 65 Team Previews: #60 Cincinnati

Top 65 Team Previews: #60 Cincinnati

By Steven Jung
sjung851@yahoo.com

Monday, July 19, 2010

Cincinnati Bearcats
Last Season: 19-16 (7-11)
Key Losses: Lance Stephenson, Deonta Vaughn, Steve Toyloy
Head Coach: Mick Cronin

Projected Starting Lineup:
PG: Cashmere Wright 6-0 So.
SG: Jaquon Parker 6-2 So.
SF: Rashad Bishop 6-6 Sr.
PF: Yancy Gates 6-9 Jr.
C: Ibrahima Thomas 6-11 Jr.
Key Reserves: Dion Dixon 6-3 Jr. SG, Darnell Wilks 6-7 Sr. PF, Larry Davis 6-3 Sr. SG, Anthony McClain 7-0 C Sr., Sean Kilpatrick 6-4 SG Fr., Kelvin Gaines 6-10 C Fr., Justin Jackson 6-8 PF Fr.

Cincinnati definitely had an interesting offseason centered on guard Lance Stephenson (12.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.5 apg). Stephenson was one of the most documented freshmen last year and was expected to make the Bearcats an NCAA tournament-caliber team. It did not pan out for Cincinnati as it instead made the NIT. Stephenson had a solid year for a rookie, but was somewhat disappointing knowing his reputation. He shot just 22 percent from 3-point territory. Following a sub-par year to his standards, he said, "Hey, you know what? I don't think I'm quite as ready as people think I am." However, on April 7, Stephenson declared for the NBA draft and hired an agent. His decision didn’t turn out quite as well as he wanted to, as the Indiana Pacers selected him in the 2nd round, 40th overall.

It appeared the way it played in the non-conference that Cincinnati would be an NCAA tournament team for the first time since 2005. In the Maui Invitational, the Bearcats picked up wins over No. 24 Vanderbilt and No. 22 Maryland before falling to Gonzaga by two points in the championship game. They were ranked as high as 19 during the non-conference. They were 14-7 (5-4) before the wheels fell off. The Bearcats finished the regular season losing seven of nine and were 16-14 (7-11) at regular season’s end. They would need to win the Big East tournament to get into the NCAA tournament but fell in the quarterfinals to West Virginia thanks to a Da’Sean Butler banked 3-pointer at the buzzer. Cincinnati would qualify for the NIT, but got dominated in the second round by Dayton, 81-66.

Along with the loss of Stephenson, Cincinnati will have to replace another quality backcourt player in Deonta Vaughn (11.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.5 apg). Vaughn’s production fell from his sophomore and junior seasons, but it is always difficult to replace a full backcourt. Also gone from last year’s squad is center Steve Toyloy (3.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg). Toyloy started 16 games for Cincinnati last season. The Bearcats bring in a pair of freshmen in center Kelvin Gaines and power forward Justin Jackson. Sean Kilpatrick is a redshirt freshman.

Cincinnati’s best returning player in junior power forward Yancy Gates (10.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg). Gates had a very good freshman year, but he did not get to the next level many people thought he would last year. With Vaughn and Stephenson not being on the team, the offense should run through Gates more. His production should be very strong. He will need to improve his rebounding as he averaged just 9.3 rebounds per 40 minutes.

At point guard, the Bearcats will start sophomore Cashmere Wright (5.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.0 apg). Wright was a redshirt freshman last year and really struggled. He shot just 36 percent overall and 26 percent from 3-point territory. Sophomore Jaquon Parker (4.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg) might be the best option for the shooting guard position. He had a solid freshman season, making 36 percent of his 3-pointers, which was second on the team. Cincinnati shot just 29 percent from 3-point territory as a team last year, so expect it to start one of its few players that can knock down shots relatively consistently. The lone senior starter in the lineup will be small forward Rashad Bishop (8.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg). Bishop had a very good year, making 50 percent overall. He will need to improve upon his 57 percent free throw shooting from last year. Rounding out the starting lineup will be junior center Ibrahima Thomas (5.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg). Thomas transferred from Oklahoma State. The Bearcats are hoping an extra year playing in the system will aid in his development. He did not have a good year last season, shooting a very poor 38 percent from the field.

Cincinnati does not have overwhelming depth but the Bearcats have solid players off the bench in junior guard Dion Dixon (4.9 ppg, 2.0 rpg) and senior forward Darnell Wilks (3.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg). Without question, Cincinnati will depend on its freshmen to provide extra depth.

Cincinnati’s biggest issue last year was its offense. The Bearcats shot just 43 percent overall, 29 percent from 3-point territory, and 64 percent from the free throw line. Nationally, they ranked 114th overall in offensive efficiency, third worst in the Big East. For the most part, their other numbers were pretty good. They rebounded well, had more assists than turnovers, and were decent defensively. They need to find a way to put the ball in the basket more efficiently. Losing Vaughn and Stephenson might, in fact, help that. Vaughn shot just 38 percent last year and Stephenson’s 44 percent shooting was not overly impressive either. If Cincinnati figures out ways to get Gates touches, their offense will fare much better.

This is an important year for head coach Mick Cronin. This is his fifth season and he is without an NCAA tournament berth during his tenure there. The Bearcats have also failed to be a .500 conference team and their highest conference finish has been 10th under Cronin. Though it is probably not an NCAA tournament or bust year for him, improvement will be needed for Cronin to be safe.

Top 65 Team Previews: #61 George Mason

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:57:00 +0000

The Hoops Report | Top 65 Team Previews: #61 George Mason

Top 65 Team Previews: #61 George Mason

By Steven Jung
sjung851@yahoo.com

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

George Mason Patriots
Last Season: 17-15 (12-6)
Key Losses: Kevin Foster, Louis Birdsong
Head Coach: Jim Larranaga

Projected Starting Lineup:
PG: Andre Cornelius 5-10 Jr.
SG: Cam Long 6-4 Sr.
SF: Luke Hancock 6-5 So.
PF: Ryan Pearson 6-6 Jr.
C: Mike Morrison 6-9 Jr.
Key Reserves: Isaiah Tate 6-4 Sr. SG, Sherrod Wright 6-4 So. SG, Johnny Williams 6-8 So. C, Bryon Allen 6-3 Fr. SG, Jonathan Alredge 6-9 Fr. C

Before Jim Larranaga took over at George Mason prior to the 1997-98 season, the Patriots had seven consecutive losing seasons dating back to the 1991-92 season. Minus his first year, Larranaga has had a winning record every year, including eight postseason tournament berths and four NCAA tournaments, headlined by the unforgettable Final Four run in 2006.

Last year was truly a "what if" year for George Mason. During the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Tournament, George Mason jumped out to a 21-8 lead against 6th-ranked Villanova and held a four-point lead with 53 seconds left. However, late 3-pointers by Maalik Wayns and Isaiah Armwood stunned the Patriots for a 69-68 Villanova victory. They also lost by eight to Georgia Tech and by one to Dayton in the non-conference schedule. In conference play in the Colonial Athletic Association, George Mason started off on fire, winning 10 of its first 11 games. The Patriots fell apart by losing five of seven to finish conference play. These losses included a four-point loss at Georgia State, a three-point loss to William and Mary and a two-point loss to Northeastern.

There is plenty of optimism this year for George Mason. Minus the departures of senior forward Louis Birdsong (2.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg) and sophomore forward Kevin Foster (4.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg), who is transferring to Central Florida Community College, the Patriots return everyone. George Mason brings in two freshmen in shooting guard Bryon Allen and center Jonathan Alredge. Allen comes in with the reputation as a premier scorer. Alredge may compete for a starting spot, but nevertheless should get major minutes because of the lack of depth in the frontcourt.

George Mason’s best returning player is senior guard Cam Long (12.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.1 apg). He led the Patriots in scoring, assists and steals last year. Simply put, when Long played well, the team won. In losses, Long shot just 27 percent. In wins, he made 47 percent of his shots. Last year, he had an inconsistent shooting season, making only 38 percent overall and 32 percent from 3-point territory. As a sophomore, however, Long made 46 percent overall and 40 percent from 3-point range. If Long can shoot with the efficiency he shot with two years ago, expect him to have numbers rivaling the top mid-major players in the country.

Junior Andre Cornelius (9.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg) will be listed as the starting point guard. However, Cornelius is a scoring guard, and a good one at that. He averaged just 1.6 assists last year. Cornelius is a very good shooter, making 43 percent of his 3-pointers last year. Though he is not a great passer, he will have to pass with more efficiency. He had more turnovers than assists in each of his first two years. At small forward, sophomore Luke Hancock (7.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.0 apg) should have the advantage. Hancock is one of the more talented players in the conference. He is solid in many areas. He shot 50 percent overall, was fourth on the team in rebounding and second in assists. Hancock is definitely a candidate to have a breakout season.

Up front, George Mason will start juniors Ryan Pearson (11.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and Mike Morrison (8.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg). Pearson is an inside-outside threat. His outside game is inconsistent at best, as he made just 14-of-49 3-pointers but shot 49 percent on 2-point attempts. He led the Patriots in rebounding last year. Morrison is the conventional big man. He is great around the basket, making 56 percent of his field goal attempts. However, Morrison is a very poor free throw shooter, making just 49 percent last year. That percentage is up from 30 percent from his freshman year, but it is definitely an area of concern for a team that shot just 64 percent from the free throw line as a team.

Off the bench, George Mason has very good depth in the backcourt with Isaiah Tate (4.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg), Sherrod Wright (5.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg), Vertrail Vaughns (1.5 ppg) and Rashad Whack (1.7 ppg). Alongside freshman Jonathan Alredge, George Mason will have Johnny Williams (2.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg) and Paris Bennett up front.

On both sides of the floor, George Mason will have to improve to have at large hopes this year. Last year, the Patriots averaged only 11.8 assists per game and 13.7 turnovers

Top 65 Team Previews: #64 St. John's

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:54:00 +0000

The Hoops Report | Top 65 Team Previews: #64 St. John's

Top 65 Team Previews: #64 St. John's

By Steven Jung
sjung851@yahoo.com

Tuesday, July 06, 2010

St. John's Red Storm
Last Season: 17-16 (6-12)
Key Losses: Anthony Mason Jr., Omari Lawrence
Head Coach: Steve Lavin

Projected Starting Lineup:
PG: Malik Boothe 5-9 Sr.
SG: Paris Horne 6-3 Sr.
SF: D.J. Kennedy 6-6 Sr.
PF: Justin Burrell 6-8 Sr.
C: Sean Evans 6-8 Sr.
Key Reserves: Dwight Hardy 6-2 Sr. SG, Justin Brownlee 6-7 Sr. SF, Malik Stith 5-11 So. PG, Dele Coker 6-10 Sr. C, Quincy Roberts 6-5 Jr. SG, Rob Thomas 6-6 Sr. SF, Dwayne Polee 6-5 Fr. SG

After taking over a program left for dead, Norm Roberts was initially asked to run the St. John's basketball program cleanly with no excess baggage. There is no question Roberts accomplished that goal. The biggest problem for Roberts was the lack of winning and the consistent poor results. In five seasons in Queens, he compiled a record of 64-85 and went 26-58 in conference play. The bottom line is that with those numbers any coach of any school in a power conference would probably get fired. That was Roberts' fate on March 19. His five-year tenure ended with two winning seasons, one NIT tournament bid, zero NCAA tournament bids and his highest finish in Big East play being 11th.

Under Roberts, the Red Storm was known as the team that was always one year away from doing significant things. Last year, they had fairly high expectations with many analysts projecting an NCAA tournament berth. They returned their top nine scorers from the year before, a team that went 15-16. The 2009-10 season started off well as St. John's got off to a 9-1 start including wins over Siena and Temple. The wheels came off very quickly as they lost eight of their next 10 games. The Johnnies performed well in the Big East Tournament defeating Connecticut in the first round before losing 57-55 to Marquette in the second round. St. John's did earn a No. 6 seed in the NIT, but fell in the opening round to Memphis thanks to a Wesley Witherspoon layup as time expired.

In the days following the firing, St. John's interviewed current Georgia Tech head coach Paul Hewitt and former Boston College head coach Al Skinner. But on March 30, the Steve Lavin era officially started in Queens. Previously, he was at UCLA where he reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament in five of his seven seasons. Lavin brings a pedigree and a reputation as a fantastic recruiter. In 1998 and 2001, Lavin signed the top overall recruiting classes in the country. He recruited prominent NBA names like Baron Davis, Trevor Ariza and Matt Barnes. One of the criticisms of Roberts was his lack of recruiting around the New York City and Northeast area. Lavin addressed this need at his first press conference, saying, "I want assistants who are strong in the Northeast with recruiting ties."

St. John's will have to replace two players. Small forward Anthony Mason Jr. (7.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg) graduated after five, often injured, seasons in Queens. He played a full season just once. The Johnnies also lost freshman guard Omari Lawrence (2.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg) due to a transfer to Kansas State. Lavin will bring in one freshman in guard Dwayne Polee, who initially committed to USC but following their troubles with the NCAA decided to go to St. John's. He is described as an athletic guard and a true steal as a late signee for Lavin.

For the third consecutive year, St. John's returns its leading scorer. This year, it returns seven of its eight top scorers. All five of its projected starters are seniors as well. The Red Storm are led by small forward D.J. Kennedy (15.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.1 apg). Kennedy is, by far, the Johnnies' best player. Last year, he led the Red Storm in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals. Kennedy should be a conference player of the year candidate.

Minus Kennedy, St. John's lacks offensive firepower. The Red Storm shot just 42 percent overall and 65 percent from the free throw line last year. At point guard, St. John's is expected to start Malik Boothe (4.9 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.9 apg). Boothe is not much of an offensive threat. He shot just 39 percent last year and scored in double figures just four times. He will certainly need to become more of an offensive threat. At shooting guard, Paris Horne (9.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg) is the favorite to start. Horne is a talented scorer. As a sophomore, he led the team in scoring averaging 14.6 ppg. He is a solid perimeter shooter making 37 percent of his 3-pointers, but shot a dismal 54 percent from the charity stripe. In fact, he has shot below 70 percent in all three seasons from the free throw line.

Up front, Justin Burrell (6.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and Sean Evans (6.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg) will shoulder the load. Each player has been productive in the past. Burrell was a double-digit scorer as a freshman and Evans was as a sophomore. Both will have to be more efficient this season. Neither shot above 46 percent from the floor last year.

St. John's projects to be an extremely deep and veteran heavy team. The Red Storm can play up to 12 quality players with nine of them being seniors. Off the bench, their best option is senior sharp shooter Dwight Hardy (10.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg). Hardy can provide instant offense off the bench as he shot 38 percent from 3-point territory last year. Senior small forward Justin Brownlee (6.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg) will also help to anchor the Red Storm bench.

In many cases, a new coach will be given a grace period to bring in players that fit his style and to get accustomed to a new location. Do not expect that with Lavin. With how many seniors he will have and with an NIT appearance last year, expectations will be for the Red Storm to reach the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2002. Are those expectations too high? Most will say no due to all the seniors and experience returning. However, it does beg the question whether expectations are too high for these players after failing to reach them the last few years. Is this just a .500 team? St. John's is certainly hoping with a league losing many of its top players and a new coach, a quick turnaround will be in order for a historic and once proud college basketball program.

Weekly All-America Watch: Final Results

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:42:00 +0000

The Hoops Report | Weekly All-America Watch: Final Results

Weekly All-America Watch: Final Results

By Steven Jung
sjung851@yahoo.com

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

1st Team All Americans:
G/F: Evan Turner, Jr., Ohio State
The National Player of the Year is the junior out of Chicago. Evan Turner has been the most influential and the most consistently dominant player in the country this year. When Turner went down due to injury, Ohio State went just 4-4. Without Turner, Ohio State would not even be an NCAA tournament team. The Big Ten Player of the Year will not be the only individual award Turner wins.

G: John Wall, Fr., Kentucky
No incoming player has made a bigger impact than John Wall. He led Kentucky to a No. 1 seed. Wall set Kentucky's freshman record for assists in a single season and has been the main difference in the program's turnaround. Wall edged out teammate DeMarcus Cousins for SEC Player of the Year.

G: Greivis Vasquez, Sr., Maryland
After beginning the year with three losses in eight games, Greivis Vasquez led Maryland to a fabulous finish. Vasquez was awarded ACC Player of the Year over Jon Scheyer and he gets the nod over Scheyer for that reason.

F: Da'Sean Butler, Sr., West Virginia
He will go down as one of the most clutch players in West Virginia history. What Da'Sean Butler did in the Big East tournament was nothing short of spectacular. However, he was having a terrific year before that, but was able to cap it off in unbelievable fashion.

C: DeMarcus Cousins, Fr., Kentucky
By far the most dominant post player this year has been DeMarcus Cousins. When Cousins was psychologically into the game, he was virtually unstoppable. He was awarded SEC Freshman of the Year.

2nd Team All Americans:
G: Jon Scheyer, Sr., Duke
G: Scottie Reynolds, Sr., Villanova
F: Wesley Johnson, Jr., Syracuse
F: Damion James, Jr., Texas
C: Greg Monroe, So., Georgetown

3rd Team All Americans:
G: Sherron Collins, Sr., Kansas
G: James Anderson, Jr., Oklahoma State
G: Jimmer Fredette, Jr., BYU
G/F: Darington Hobson, Jr., New Mexico
C: Luke Harangody, Sr., Notre Dame

Honorable Mentions:
G: Tweety Carter, Sr., Baylor
G: LaceDarrius Dunn, Jr., Baylor
G: Jordan Crawford, So., Xavier
G: Jacob Pullen, Jr., Kansas State
G: Jerome Randle, Sr., California
F: Al-Farouq Aminu, So., Wake Forest
F: Quincy Pondexter, Sr., Washington
F: Kyle Singler, Jr., Duke
F: Epke Udoh, Jr., Baylor
C: Cole Aldrich, Jr., Kansas

Freshman 15 (3/3/10-3/9/10)

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:46:00 +0000

The Hoops Report | Freshman 15

Freshman 15

By Steven Jung
sjung851@yahoo.com

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

1. John Wall, 6-4 PG Kentucky (16.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 6.2 apg)
Mar. 3 @ Georgia: 24 pts, 6 ast, 3 stl
Mar. 7 vs. Florida: 11 pts, 2 rbs, 8 ast
Next game: SEC Tournament
John Wall finished the regular season strong, averaging 17.5 points and seven assists in Kentucky's two final regular season games. His 24 points at Georgia tied his highest point output in conference play.

2. DeMarcus Cousins, 6-11 C Kentucky (15.6 ppg, 10.1 rpg)
Mar. 3 @ Georgia: 6 pts, 4 rbs, 6 blk
Mar. 7 vs. Florida: 8 pts, 9 rbs, 2 blk
Next game: SEC Tournament
DeMarcus Cousins failed to put up big numbers in the final two regular season games for Kentucky. He averaged just seven points and 6.5 rebounds. Expect him to put up bigger numbers in the SEC tournament.

3. Hassan Whiteside, 7-0 C Marshall (13.6 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 5.4 bpg)
Mar. 6 @ SMU: 17 pts, 10 rbs, 3 blk
Next game: Conference-USA Tournament
Hassan Whiteside finished the regular season very strong, recording three double-doubles and one triple-double in the final four games. He finished the regular season with 17 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks at SMU.

4. Derrick Williams, 6-8 PF Arizona (15.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg)
Mar. 4 vs. UCLA: 12 pts, 11 rbs
Mar. 6 vs. USC: 18 pts, 11 rbs
Next game: Mar. 11 vs. UCLA
Derrick Williams finished the regular season off strong, recording double-doubles in Arizona's final two regular season games. Williams has had an impactful freshman season, leading the Wildcats in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage. Arizona now enters the Pac-10 tournament.

5. Alec Burks, 6-6 SG Colorado (16.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg)
Mar. 6 vs. Texas Tech: 24 pts, 9 rbs, 3 ast, 2 stl
Next game: Mar. 10 vs. Texas Tech (Big 12 Tournament)
Alec Burks put together a terrific performance in Colorado's regular season finale against Texas Tech. Burks scored 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting to go along with nine rebounds. Colorado will try to play spoiler in the Big 12 tournament.

6. C.J. McCollum, 6-3 SG Lehigh (18.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.4 apg)
Mar. 3 vs. Army: 19 pts, 7 rbs, 2 ast
Mar. 7 vs. American: 22 pts, 5 rbs, 3 ast, 4 stl, 2 blk
Next game: Mar. 12 vs. Lafayette (Patriot League Tournament)
C.J. McCollum had one of the more impressive statistical seasons of any freshman in Patriot League history. McCollum nailed 43 percent of his 3-pointers while shooting 47 percent overall. He had three 30-point games. He was named Patriot League Player of the Year.

7. Xavier Henry, 6-6 SG Kansas (13.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg)
Mar. 3 vs. Kansas State: 19 pts, 5 rbs, 2 stl
Mar. 6 @ Missouri: 7 pts, 4 rbs, 2 blk
Next game: Big 12 Tournament
Xavier Henry continued is terrific play against Kansas State going for 19 points on 6-of-9 shooting. He did not put up big numbers in a win at Missouri, but only took six shots. Kansas will need Henry to play well to win the Big 12 tournament.

8. Chris Gaston, 6-7 PF Fordham (18.0 ppg, 11.4 rpg)
Mar. 3 vs. Xavier: 15 pts, 13 rbs, 2 blk
Mar. 5 @ Duquesne: 21 pts, 18 rbs, 3 ast, 3 blk
Next game: Season Over
Despite going winless in conference, Chris Gaston had a terrific year. He averaged a double-double for the season and ended his season with a bang. In a loss at Duquesne, Gaston had a monster game, going for 21 points and 18 rebounds, a career high.

9. Derrick Favors, 6-10 PF Georgia Tech (11.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.0 bpg)
Mar. 6 vs. Virginia Tech: 18 pts, 9 rbs, 3 ast, 4 blk
Next game: Mar. 11 vs. UNC (ACC Tournament)
Derrick Favors played very well in Georgia Tech's final regular season game. Favors scored 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds. In the last five games, Favors averaged 16.4 points and 9.6 rebounds.

10. Elias Harris, 6-7 SF Gonzaga (14.7 ppg, 7.2 rpg)
Mar. 7 vs. Loyola-Marymount: 16 pts, 3 rbs
Mar. 8 vs. St. Mary's: 8 pts, 6 rbs
Next game: NCAA Tournament
Elias Harris had an up-and-down West Coast Conference tournament. He scored 16 points while making all four shot attempts in a win over Loyola Marymount but scored just eight points on 3-of-13 shooting in a loss to St. Mary's in the final.

11. Lance Stephenson, 6-5 SG Cincinnati (12.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.4 apg)
Mar. 6 @ Georgetown: 23 pts, 7 rbs
Mar. 9 vs. Rutgers: 13 pts, 9 rbs, 5 ast
Next game: Mar. 10 @ Louisville (Big East Tournament)
Lance Stephenson's high level of play has continued onto the Big East tournament. He finished the regular season with a 23-point performance at Georgetown and nearly recorded a double-double against Rutgers in the Big East tournament.

12. Kawhi Leonard, 6-6 SF San Diego State (12.6 ppg, 9.6 rpg)
Mar. 3 vs. Colorado State: 14 pts, 15 rbs
Mar. 6 @ Air Force: 18 pts, 7 rbs, 3 ast, 4 stl, 2 blk
Next game: Mar. 11 vs. Colorado State (Mountain West Conference Tournament)
Kawhi Leonard is playing some of his best basketball right now, which is the perfect time for San Diego State. He grabbed 15 rebounds, a career high, against Colorado State. He put together a terrific all-around performance in the regular season finale at Air Force.

13. Markeith Cummings, 6-7 SF Kennesaw State (17.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.1 apg)
Mar. 3 @ Lipscomb: 13 pts, 5 rbs, 3 ast
Mar. 5 @ East Tennessee State: 23 pts, 2 rbs
Next game: Season Over
Markeith Cummings had a terrific freshman season for Kennesaw State. He led the Owls in scoring and finished second on his team in rebounding. The highlight of Cummings' and Kennesaw State's season came in the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament when top-seeded Lipscomb fell to the Owls.

14. Matthew Dellavedova, 6-4 SG St. Mary's (12.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 4.5 apg)
Mar. 7 vs. Portland: 16 pts, 2 rbs, 3 ast
Mar. 8 @ Gonzaga: 7 pts, 3 rbs, 6 ast
Next game: NCAA Tournament
Matthew Dellavadova finished the year strong, as did the Gaels en route to an automatic NCAA tournament bid. St. Mary's defeated Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference tournament title game.

15. Derek Needham, 5-11 PG Fairfield (16.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 5.2 apg)
Mar. 6 vs. Canisius: 29 pts, 5 rbs, 3 ast
Mar. 7 vs. Niagara: 17 pts, 3 ast
Mar. 8 @ Siena: 16 pts, 2 rbs, 3 ast, 2 stl
Next game: TBD
Derek Needham had a solid MAAC tournament. He averaged 20.7 points in the three games. Fairfield fell just short to an automatic NCAA tournament bid by losing to Siena in the final.

Weekly All-America Watch (3/2/10-3/8/10)

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:37:00 +0000

The Hoops Report | Weekly All-America Watch

Weekly All-America Watch

By Steven Jung
sjung851@yahoo.com

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

BCS ALL-AMERICANS

First Team:
G: John Wall, Fr. Kentucky (16.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 6.2 apg)
G: Evan Turner, Jr. Ohio State (19.5 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 5.8 apg)
F: Wesley Johnson, Jr. Syracuse (15.7 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.4 apg)
F: Damion James, Sr. Texas (17.7 ppg, 10.2 rpg)
C: DeMarcus Cousins, Fr. Kentucky (15.6 ppg, 10.1 rpg)

Second Team:
G: Scottie Reynolds, Sr. Villanova (18.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.4 apg)
G: Jon Scheyer, Sr. Duke (18.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 5.2 apg)
G: James Anderson, Jr. Oklahoma State (22.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.4 apg)
F: Da'Sean Butler, Sr. West Virginia (17.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.3 apg)
C: Luke Harangody, Sr. Notre Dame (23.3 ppg, 9.7 rpg)

Third Team:
G: Sherron Collins, Sr. Kansas (15.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 4.3 apg)
G: Greivis Vasquez, Sr. Maryland (19.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 6.3 apg)
F: Kyle Singler, Jr. Duke (17.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.3 apg)
F: Greg Monroe, So. Georgetown (16.0 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 3.6 apg)
C: Jarvis Varnado, Sr. Mississippi State (13.5 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 4.8 bpg)

Honorable Mention:
G: Kalin Lucas, Sr. Michigan State (14.8 ppg, 3.9 apg)
G: Jacob Pullen, Jr. Kansas State (18.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.6 apg)
F: Al-Farouq Aminu, So. Wake Forest (15.9 ppg, 10.8 rpg)
F: Epke Udoh, Jr. Baylor (13.4 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 2.6 apg, 4.1 bpg)
C: Cole Aldrich, Jr. Kansas (11.3 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 3.5 bpg)

John Wall finished the regular season on a strong note, going for 24 points and six assists in a win at Georgia. He was solid against Florida scoring 11 points while dishing out eight assists. It was pretty fitting that Evan Turner ended his regular season with another double-double. For the 14th time, Turner recorded double-digit points and rebounds, going for 16 points and 12 rebounds in a win over Illinois. Wesley Johnson had a so-so finish to the regular season. The Syracuse superstar averaged 15.5 points and five rebounds in the final two games of the regular season for the Orange. It will be interesting how much Johnson plays in the Big East tournament due to an injured hand that has bothered him for the better part of a month now. With Syracuse having a firm grip on a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, it would seem the Big East tournament would be the perfect time to get Johnson as healthy as possible for a National Championship run. As Texas sputtered to the end of the regular season, Damion James remained as Texas's only consistent player in conference play. James finished off the regular season with a 16-point, eight-rebound performance in a loss at Baylor. DeMarcus Cousins did not finish the year on the flurry he was on for the last couple of months. Cousins only averaged seven points and 6.5 rebounds but only played 21.5 minutes per game in Kentucky's final two games. Without question, the Wildcats will need a fresh Cousins to win a National Championship.

NON-BCS ALL-AMERICANS

First Team:
G: Darington Hobson, Jr. New Mexico (15.8 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 4.6 apg)
G: Jimmer Fredette, Jr. BYU (20.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.7 apg)
G: Matt Bouldin, Sr. Gonzaga (15.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.1 apg)
F: Luke Babbitt, So. Nevada (21.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg)
C: Omar Samhan, Sr. Saint Mary's (21.3 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 2.9 bpg)

Second Team:
G: Elliot Williams, So. Memphis (18.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.8 apg)
G: Aubrey Coleman, Sr. Houston (26.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 2.7 spg)
G: Jordan Crawford, So. Xavier (19.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.0 apg)
F: Gordon Hayward, So. Butler (15.6 ppg, 8.6 rpg)
C: Artsiom Parakhouski, Sr. Radford (21.4 ppg, 13.4 rpg, 2.1 bpg)

Third Team:
G: Ryan Wittman, Sr. Cornell (17.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
G: Jeremy Lin, Sr. Harvard (16.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.4 apg, 2.5 spg)
G: Elijah Millsap, Jr. UAB (16.0 ppg, 9.4 rpg)
F: Marquis Blakely, Sr. Vermont (17.2 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 3.7 apg, 2.5 spg, 2.0 bpg)
F: Hassan Whiteside, Fr. Marshall (13.6 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 5.4 bpg)

Honorable Mention:
G: Kyle Gibson, Sr. Louisiana Tech (19.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.2 apg)
F: Damian Saunders, Jr. Duquesne (14.9 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 2.5 apg, 2.8 spg, 3.1 bpg)
F: Alex Franklin, Sr. Siena (16.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg)
F: Kenneth Faried, Jr. Morehead State (16.6 ppg, 13.0 rpg)
C: Keith Benson, Jr. Oakland (17.3 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 3.3 bpg)

The season Darington Hobson and New Mexico has had has been terrific. Hobson, a 6-foot-7 versatile guard, has recorded 11 double-doubles and 14 double-digit rebounding performances. Though Jimmer Fredette will probably win Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, Hobson's season should not be overlooked. He finished the regular season with three straight double-doubles. Speaking of Fredette, he is actually playing his least productive basketball of the season right now. In the regular season's final three games, he averaged just 10.7 points and made just 9-of-25 shots. Matt Bouldin had a consistent year for Gonzaga. He may have lost the conference Player of the Year crown to Omar Samhan, but Bouldin can lead Gonzaga to a deep run in March. Luke Babbitt finished the regular season very strong, averaging 26 points and eight rebounds in the final two regular season games. He remains in the 50/40/90 club, making 51 percent overall, 43 percent from 3-point territory, and 90 percent from the free throw line. In the only game of the season where Samhan was held to single digits in scoring, St. Mary's ended up defeating Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference tournament title game.

Basketball: SIU vs. Drake (MVC Play-In Round) (3-4-09)

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:14:00 +0000

Men's Basketball: SIU 16-15 vs. Drake 13-18
PBP: Steven Jung
Color: Jon Iaccino

Freshman 15 (2/24/10-3/2/10)

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:47:00 +0000

The Hoops Report | Freshman 15

Freshman 15

By Steven Jung
sjung851@yahoo.com

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

1. John Wall, 6-4 PG Kentucky (17.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 6.4 apg)
Feb. 25 vs. South Carolina: 12 pts, 5 rbs, 4 ast, 2 stl
Feb. 27 @ Tennessee: 19 pts, 5 rbs, 6 ast
Next game: Mar. 3 @ Georgia
John Wall enjoyed a solid week. He nearly single-handily led a complete comeback at Tennessee. The Kentucky star scored 19 points in Kentucky's second loss of the season.

2. DeMarcus Cousins, 6-11 C Kentucky (16.2 ppg, 10.3 rpg)
Feb. 25 vs. South Carolina: 19 pts, 11 rbs, 2 ast
Feb. 27 @ Tennessee: 15 pts, 14 rbs, 2 blk
Next game: Mar. 3 @ Georgia
DeMarcus Cousins had another dominant week. In the last week, Cousins averaged 17 points and 12.5 rebounds per contest. He has also attempted at least eight free throws in the last 10 games.

3. Xavier Henry, 6-6 SG Kansas (13.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
Fen. 27 @ Oklahoma State: 17 pts, 4 rbs
Next game: Mar. 3 vs. Kansas State
Xavier Henry has been on fire in the last six games. Henry is averaging 17.8 points while shooting 53 percent from the field in those six games. If Henry continues to be a consistent scorer, Kansas will be very tough to beat in the NCAA tournament.

4. Hassan Whiteside, 7-0 C Marshall (13.2 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 5.5 bpg)
Feb. 24 @ Rice: 19 pts, 17 rbs, 2 stl, 4 blk
Feb. 27 vs. Central Florida: 14 pts, 11 rbs, 13 blk
Mar. 2 vs. UTEP: 20 pts, 14 rbs, 6 blk
Next game: Mar. 6 @ SMU
What a week for Hassan Whiteside. He was dominant at Rice, scoring 19 points and tying a season high with 17 rebounds. He followed with his third triple-double of the season. Against Central Florida, Whiteside swatted away 13 shots, a career high. He then went for 20 points, 14 rebounds and six rebounds against UTEP.

5. Derrick Williams, 6-8 PF Arizona (15.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg)
Feb. 25 @ California: 17 pts, 6 rbs
Feb. 27 @ Stanford: 24 pts, 6 rbs
Next game: Mar. 4 vs. UCLA
There have been very few more consistent freshmen in the country than Arizona's Derrick Williams. He has been in double figures in all but three games while shooting nearly 60 percent overall.

6. Alec Burks, 6-6 SG Colorado (16.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg)
Feb. 24 @ Missouri: 13 pts, 5 rbs, 2 stl
Feb. 27 vs. Iowa State: 11 pts, 2 rbs, 4 ast
Mar. 2 @ Nebraska: 19 pts, 3 rbs
Next game: Mar. 6 vs. Texas Tech
Another one of those consistent freshmen has been Alec Burks. Burks has been in double figures in all but one game. In that one game, Burks played just two minutes due to an injury. He is coming off a 19-point performance where he went 7-of-9 from the field.

7. Chris Gaston, 6-7 PF Fordham (18.0 ppg, 11.1 rpg)
Feb. 24 @ St. Bonaventure: 18 pts, 13 rbs, 2 blk
Next game: Mar. 3 vs. Xavier
Chris Gaston definitely has to be considered as one of the best players on a bad team. Gaston has accounted for 29 percent of Fordham's points, 30 percent of its rebounds, and 46 percent of its blocked shots.

8. Elias Harris, 6-7 SF Gonzaga (15.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg)
Feb. 25 vs. Santa Clara: 9 pts, 3 rbs, 2 blk
Feb. 26 vs. San Francisco: 17 pts
Mar. 2 vs. CS Bakersfield: 9 pts, 7 rbs, 2 ast
Next game: WCC tournament
Elias Harris's production has fallen a little over the last nine games. He is averaging 11.7 points during that span, significantly lower than the 20.4 points he was averaging the 10 games prior to that. As usual, Gonzaga will be a significant favorite in the WCC tournament.

9. Derrick Favors, 6-10 PF Georgia Tech (11.6 ppg, 8.4 rpg)
Feb. 27 vs. Boston College: 14 pts, 4 rbs, 2 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk
Mar. 2 @ Clemson: 16 pts, 7 rbs, 4 blk
Next game: Mar. 6 vs. Virginia Tech
Derrick Favors has been playing at a very high level the last four games. The Georgia Tech forward is averaging 16 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks during that span. Georgia Tech needs to finish the year strong and perform well in the ACC tournament to feel comfortable on Selection Sunday.

10. Kawhi Leonard, 6-6 SF San Diego State (12.4 ppg, 9.5 rpg)
Feb. 24 @ BYU: 3 pts, 5 rbs
Next game: Mar. 3 vs. Colorado State
Kawhi Leonard's performance at BYU was his least productive in the last 10 games. Leonard has had a terrific season however and the Aztecs will certainly need him at his best to find their way into the NCAA tournament.

11. Tyler Haws, 6-5 SG BYU (11.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg)
Feb. 24 vs. San Diego State: 10 pts, 5 rbs, 4 ast, 2 stl
Feb. 27 vs. New Mexico: 18 pts, 2 ast
Next game: Mar. 3 @ Utah
Tyler Haws continues to be a solid player for BYU. Over the last three games, he is averaging 16.7 points while hitting all 23 free throws in that time. For the season, Haws is making 50 percent overall while hitting an impressive 90 percent from the charity stripe.

12. Marshawn Powell, 6-7 PF Arkansas (15.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg)
Feb. 24 @ LSU: 5 pts, 2 rbs, 2 ast
Feb. 27 vs. Vanderbilt: 27 pts, 9 rbs, 2 ast, 2 blk
Next game: Mar. 3 @ Tennessee
Marshawn Powell had one of his better games of the year against Vanderbilt. He scored 27 points on 12-of-21 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds.

13. Lance Stephenson, 6-5 SG Cincinnati (11.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.4 apg)
Feb. 24 vs. DePaul: 18 pts, 10 rbs, 4 ast
Feb. 27 @ West Virginia: 14 pts, 9 rbs, 3 ast
Mar. 2 vs. Villanova: 12 pts, 7 rbs, 3 ast, 3 stl
Next game: Mar. 6 @ Georgetown
Over the last three games, Lance Stephenson might be playing his best basketball of the season. During that span, Stephenson is averaging 14.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists. Unfortunately for Cincinnati, it looks like it will not be enough as the Bearcats look NIT-bound.

14. Markeith Cummings, 6-7 SF Kennesaw State (17.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.1 apg)
Feb. 25 @ Lipscomb: 22 pts, 7 rbs
Feb. 27 @ Belmont: 19 pts, 8 rbs, 2 stl
Next game: Mar. 3 @ Lipscomb
Markeith Cummings continues to be an offensive machine for Kennesaw State. He has some of the most impressive statistics of any freshman in the country. Despite being just 12-19, the Owls have won five more games than they did last year and Cummings is a big reason for that improvement.

15. Avery Bradley, 6-3 SG Texas (12.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.1 apg)
Feb. 24 vs. Oklahoma State: 11 pts, 3 ast
Feb. 27 @ Texas A&M: 6 pts, 5 rbs, 2 ast
Mar. 1 vs. Oklahoma: 2 pts
Next game: Mar. 6 vs. Baylor
Avery Bradley has struggled immensely of late, much like Texas as a team. He is averaging just seven points in the last four games while only making 32 percent during that stretch. Texas will need Bradley to find his scoring touch if the Longhorns want to regain their form from earlier this year.

Weekly All-America Watch (2/23/10-3/1/10)

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:50:00 +0000

The Hoops Report | Weekly All-America Watch

Weekly All-America Watch

By Steven Jung
sjung851@yahoo.com

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

BCS ALL-AMERICANS

First Team:
G: John Wall, Fr. Kentucky (16.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 6.2 apg)
G: Evan Turner, Jr. Ohio State (19.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 5.9 apg)
F: Wesley Johnson, Jr. Syracuse (15.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 2.4 apg)
F: Damion James, Sr. Texas (17.5 ppg, 10.3 rpg)
C: DeMarcus Cousins, Fr. Kentucky (16.2 ppg, 10.3 rpg)

Second Team:
G: Scottie Reynolds, Sr. Villanova (18.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 3.3 apg)
G: Jon Scheyer, Sr. Duke (18.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 5.3 apg)
G: James Anderson, Jr. Oklahoma State (22.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.5 apg)
F: Kyle Singler, Jr. Duke (17.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.3 apg)
C: Luke Harangody, Sr. Notre Dame (24.1 ppg, 10.0 rpg)

Third Team:
G: Sherron Collins, Sr. Kansas (15.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 4.3 apg)
F: Da'Sean Butler, Sr. West Virginia (16.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.3 apg)
F: Al-Farouq Aminu, So. Wake Forest (16.4 ppg, 11.0 rpg)
F: Greg Monroe, So. Georgetown (15.7 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 3.7 apg)
C: Epke Udoh, Jr. Baylor (13.5 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 2.5 apg, 4.4 bpg)

Honorable Mention:
G: Kalin Lucas, Sr. Michigan State (15.1 ppg, 4.0 apg)
G: Greivis Vasquez, Sr. Maryland (19.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 6.4 apg)
F: Quincy Pondexter, Sr. Washington (19.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg)
F: Patrick Patterson, Jr. Kentucky (14.9 ppg, 7.6 rpg)
C: Jarvis Varnado, Sr. Mississippi State (13.5 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 4.9 bpg)

As the regular season is winding down, the All-America teams are starting to be more concrete. A fixture has been John Wall. Since day one, he has been either the best or the second best player in the country. He will be the favorite to win National Freshman of the Year and SEC Player of the Year. The only question is if he will perform well enough to overtake Evan Turner for National Player of the Year. Speaking of Turner, he continues to dazzle and has Ohio State in position to potentially be a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. He has also put the Buckeyes in terrific position to win the Big Ten. Over the last seven games, Wesley Johnson's numbers have not been overly impressive. He is averaging just 11.4 points and 7.1 rebounds in that span. However, he is the best player on the top ranked team and his body of work has him firmly locked as a First Team All-American. Through all of Texas's struggles, Damion James has been a constant consistent player for the Longhorns. His efficiency has been outstanding this year, shooting over 50 percent from the field and 42 percent from 3-point territory. There are some who feel a player should not be punished, in terms of awards, due to injury. Especially with Evan Turner being the player of the year favorite despite injury, DeMarcus Cousins gets the final spot as a first teamer for this week. The Kentucky freshman has been the most dominant player in conference play of any player in the country. He deserves to be here.

James Anderson is the best 2-guard in the country. He was dominant in a win over Kansas, their first conference loss of the season. The Oklahoma State star scored 27 points and made 4-of-6 3-pointers. Greivis Vasquez had an eye-popping 41-point performance at Virginia Tech. He added seven rebounds and six assists. This is coming off 15 points and 13 assists against Clemson.

NON-BCS ALL-AMERICANS

First Team:
G: Elliot Williams, So. Memphis (18.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.8 apg)
G: Jimmer Fredette, Jr. BYU (21.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.9 apg)
G: Matt Bouldin, Sr. Gonzaga (16.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 4.1 apg)
F: Luke Babbitt, So. Nevada (21.4 ppg, 9.4 rpg)
C: Omar Samhan, Sr. Saint Mary's (21.5 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 2.9 bpg)

Second Team:
G: Darington Hobson, Jr. New Mexico (15.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 4.5 apg)
G: Aubrey Coleman, Sr. Houston (25.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.4 apg, 2.8 spg)
G: Jordan Crawford, So. Xavier (19.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.9 apg)
F: Gordon Hayward, So. Butler (15.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg)
C: Artsiom Parakhouski, Sr. Radford (21.6 ppg, 13.2 rpg, 2.2 bpg)

Third Team:
G: Jeremy Lin, Sr. Harvard (16.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.5 apg, 2.6 spg)
G: Elijah Millsap, Jr. UAB (16.0 ppg, 9.3 rpg)
F: Shamari Spears, Jr. Charlotte (16.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg)
F: Damian Saunders, Jr. Duquesne (14.8 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 2.4 apg, 2.9 spg, 3.3 bpg)
F: Hassan Whiteside, Fr. Marshall (13.2 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 5.5 bpg)

Honorable Mention:
G: Kyle Gibson, Sr. Louisiana Tech (19.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.3 apg)
G: Tre'Von Willis, Jr. UNLV (17.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.5 apg)
F: Alex Franklin, Sr. Siena (15.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg)
F: Kenneth Faried, Jr. Morehead State (16.8 ppg, 13.0 rpg)
C: Keith Benson, Jr. Oakland (17.4 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 3.3 bpg)

Though it has been an up-and-down year for Memphis, Elliot Williams has been as good as it gets. He has scored double figures in all but two games. Jimmer Fredette has been the best mid-major player in the country. For the season, he has shot 47 percent overall and 48 percent from 3-point territory. Matt Bouldin has always been a very good player for Gonzaga. But this year, he has flourished playing point guard. Bouldin has been one of the best point guards this year. There has perhaps been no more consistent big man in the country than Luke Babbitt and that is not an overstatement. Babbitt has scored in double figures in every game and his season low is 14 points. He is in the exclusive 50/40/90 club right now, 51 percent overall, 90 percent from the charity stripe and 41 percent from beyond the arc. Perhaps the favorite to win the West Coast Conference Player of the Year is Omar Samhan. The St. Mary's big man has been dominant this year, being among the nation's leaders in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots.

Freshman 15 (2/11/10-2/17/10)

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:44:00 +0000

The Hoops Report | Freshman 15

Freshman 15

By Steven Jung
sjung851@yahoo.com

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

1. John Wall, 6-4 PG Kentucky (17.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 6.4 apg)
Feb. 13 vs. Tennessee: 24 pts, 4 rbs, 3 ast
Feb. 16 @ Mississippi State: 18 pts, 10 rbs, 8 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk
Next game: Feb. 20 @ Vanderbilt
John Wall may have had his best all-around game in a win at Mississippi State. Wall went for 18 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. He performed well against Tennessee as well, scoring 24 points. The road games will continue to challenge Kentucky as the 'Cats travel to face Vanderbilt next.

2. DeMarcus Cousins, 6-11 C Kentucky (15.9 ppg, 10.2 rpg)
Feb. 13 vs. Tennessee: 5 pts, 12 rbs
Feb. 16 @ Mississippi State: 19 pts, 14 rbs, 3 ast
Next game: Feb. 20 @ Vanderbilt
DeMarcus Cousins had his first poor performance in about two months. Against Tennessee, Cousins was woeful from the charity stripe, only making 1-of-8 free throws. He did grab 12 rebounds, but that game ended seven consecutive games with a double-double. He returned to his dominating ways by going for 19 points and 14 rebounds at Mississippi State.

3. Derrick Williams, 6-8 PF Arizona (15.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg)
Feb. 11 vs. Oregon: 20 pts, 6 rbs, 3 ast, 2 stl
Feb. 13 vs. Oregon State: 13 pts, 3 rbs
Next game: Feb. 21 vs. Arizona State
Derrick Williams had a terrific game against Oregon. Williams scored 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting. He had a sub-par performance in a loss to Oregon State, scoring just 13 points and grabbing just three rebounds.

4. Alec Burks, 6-6 SG Colorado (16.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
Feb. 13 @ Kansas State: 17 pts, 6 rbs, 2 stl
Next game: Feb. 17 vs. Oklahoma
Alec Burks was right on his averages in a loss at Kansas State. Burks has been in double figures in all but one game this year. That one game was the game he only played two minutes due to a knee injury.

5. Xavier Henry, 6-6 SG Kansas (13.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
Feb. 13 vs. Iowa State: 16 pts, 3 rbs
Feb. 15 @ Texas A&M: 12 pts, 6 rbs
Next game: Feb. 20 vs. Colorado
It looks like Xavier Henry has regained some of his terrific form from earlier this season. Henry may have very well hit a freshman wall during his struggles. In the week’s two games, Henry averaged 14 points and 4.5 rebounds. He has scored in double digits in three straight games.

6. Hassan Whiteside, 7-0 C Marshall (13.0 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 5.2 bpg)
Feb. 13 @ UAB: 10 pts, 8 rbs, 2 stl, 4 blk
Next game: Feb. 17 vs. Tulsa
Hassan Whiteside had a solid game at UAB. He was almost on par on all of his seasonal averages. Whiteside faces a test going up against Jerome Jordan next when Marshall takes on Tulsa.

7. Elias Harris, 6-7 SF Gonzaga (15.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg)
Feb. 11 vs. St. Mary's: 19 pts, 4 rbs, 2 stl
Feb. 13 vs. San Diego: 9 pts, 2 ast, 2 stl
Next game: Feb. 18 @ Loyola-Marymount
Elias Harris might be hitting the freshman wall for Gonzaga. He had a very good offensive game against St. Mary’s, scoring 19 points but grabbing just four rebounds. He grabbed zero rebounds against San Diego and scored just nine points. He is averaging 10.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in the last three games, both far less than his season averages.

8. Avery Bradley, 6-3 SG Texas (12.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.2 apg)
Feb. 13 vs. Nebraska: 25 pts, 5 rbs
Next game: Feb. 17 @ Missouri
Avery Bradley was terrific in a convincing win over Nebraska. He scored 25 points on an unbelievable 6-of-7 shooting from 3-point territory. Texas has two straight road games coming up next. The Longhorns have lost three of their last four road games.

9. Derrick Favors, 6-10 PF Georgia Tech (11.0 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.0 bpg)
Feb. 10 @ Miami: 4 pts, 2 rbs, 2 stl
Feb. 16 vs. North Carolina: 13 pts, 9 rbs, 2 ast
Next game: Feb. 20 vs. Maryland
Derrick Favors played very well against North Carolina. Favors scored 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting. He also grabbed nine rebounds. This was coming off a pair of sub-par performances where he averaged just 5.5 points and 4.0 rebounds.

10. Chris Gaston, 6-7 PF Fordham (17.6 ppg, 10.9 rpg)
Feb. 10 @ St. Bonaventure: 10 pts, 14 rbs, 5 blk
Feb. 23 vs. George Washington: 7 pts, 13 rbs, 3 ast
Next game: Feb. 17 @ Richmond
Chris Gaston struggled offensively last week but was monstrous on the glass. He averaged just 8.5 points on 6-of-19 shooting but averaged 13.5 rebounds.

11. Kawhi Leonard, 6-6 SF San Diego State (12.4 ppg, 9.7 rpg)
Feb. 10 vs. Wyoming: 26 pts, 8 rbs, 2 ast, 3 stl
Feb. 13 vs. UNLV: 13 pts, 14 rbs
Feb. 16 @ TCU: 18 pts, 3 rbs
Next game: Feb. 20 vs. Utah
Kawhi Leonard was terrific last week for San Diego State. Leonard averaged 19 points and 8.3 rebounds. He was especially brilliant against Wyoming, scoring 26 points, a career high, on 10-of-14 shooting.

12. Tyler Haws, 6-5 SG BYU (11.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg)
Feb. 13 vs. Air Force: 16 pts, 2 rbs, 2 ast, 4 stl
Next game: Feb. 17 @ Colorado State
Tyler Haws had another efficient game for BYU. Against Air Force, Haws scored 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting. For the season, Haws is shooting 53 percent from the field.

13. Marshawn Powell, 6-7 PF Arkansas (15.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg)
Feb. 10 vs. LSU: 9 pts, 5 rbs, 2 blk
Feb. 13 @ Alabama: 10 pts, 4 rbs, 3 ast
Next game: Feb. 17 vs. South Carolina
Marshawn Powell had a fairly unproductive week for Arkansas. He averaged just 9.5 points and 4.5 rebounds. The four rebounds at Alabama were his lowest rebounding total in over a month.

14. Derek Needham, 5-11 PG Fairfield (16.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 5.5 apg)
Feb. 12 @ Rider: 20 pts, 3 rbs, 3 ast
Feb. 15 @ Manhattan: 12 pts, 5 rbs, 5 ast
Next game: Feb. 20 @ Vermont
Derek Needham was right on track with his season averages last week. He led Fairfield to a pair of victories. The Stags have surpassed their win total from last year and Needham is a big reason for the improvement.

15. Markeith Cummings, 6-7 SF Kennesaw State (17.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.2 apg)
Feb. 12 @ East Tennessee State: 10 pts, 9 rbs
Feb. 15 @ Campbell: 15 pts, 7 rbs, 2 ast
Next game: Feb. 18 vs. Jacksonville
Markeith Cummings had a pair of double digit games this week. He has been one of the most consistent scoring freshmen in the country. He has only had one game where he has not scored in double figures.

Weekly All-America Watch (2/10/10-2/16/10)

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 04:50:00 +0000

The Hoops Report | Weekly All-America Watch

Weekly All-America Watch

By Steven Jung
sjung851@yahoo.com

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

BCS ALL-AMERICANS

First Team:
G: John Wall, Fr. Kentucky (17.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 6.4 apg)
G: Evan Turner, Jr. Ohio State (19.0 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 5.8 apg)
F: Wesley Johnson, Jr. Syracuse (16.0 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 2.3 apg)
F: Damion James, Sr. Texas (17.8 ppg, 10.8 rpg)
C: Luke Harangody, Sr. Notre Dame (24.1 ppg, 10.0 rpg)

Second Team:
G: Scottie Reynolds, Sr. Villanova (18.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.4 apg)
G: Jon Scheyer, Sr. Duke (19.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 5.4 apg)
F: Da'Sean Butler, Sr. West Virginia (17.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.3 apg)
F: Greg Monroe, So. Georgetown (15.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 3.7 apg)
C: DeMarcus Cousins, Fr. Kentucky (15.9 ppg, 10.2 rpg)

Third Team:
G: Sherron Collins, Sr. Kansas (15.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 4.2 apg)
G: James Anderson, Jr. Oklahoma State (22.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.5 apg)
F: Kyle Singler, Jr. Duke (16.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.4 apg)
F: Al-Farouq Aminu, So. Wake Forest (16.5 ppg, 10.9 rpg)
C: Epke Udoh, Jr. Baylor (13.5 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 2.7 apg, 4.2 bpg)

Honorable Mention:
G: Devan Downey, Sr. South Carolina (22.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.4 apg, 2.9 spg)
G: Greivis Vasquez, Sr. Maryland (18.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 6.1 apg)
F: Quincy Pondexter, Sr. Washington (20.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg)
F: Patrick Patterson, Jr. Kentucky (14.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg)
C: Jarvis Varnado, Sr. Mississippi State (13.3 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 5.0 bpg)

John Wall had a big time week in a pair of victories. He scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against Alabama. He followed with a 24-point performance against Tennessee. Evan Turner scored just 10 points at Indiana but he was only needed for 21 minutes in an easy win. He still grabbed seven rebounds and dished out six assists against the Hoosiers. He had a more Evan Turner-like game at Illinois where he nearly recorded a triple-double. Turner went for 16 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in a win over the Illini. After struggling for the previous few weeks, Wesley Johnson put up some better numbers last week. He averaged 13.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in the week's two games for Syracuse. However, Johnson only hit 9-of-32 shots in the two games. Damion James enjoyed a solid game in a win over Missouri. The Texas big man scored 13 points, grabbed nine rebounds and passed for five assists, a season high. It was a bad week for Luke Harangody. Harangody injured his knee in Notre Dame's loss at Seton Hall. As a result, he missed his next game and may miss a few more games. Not only does this injury put Notre Dame's NCAA tournament hopes on thin ice, but also Harangody might be at risk as being overtaken by Kentucky's DeMarcus Cousins as a First Team All-American.

James Anderson was terrific in Oklahoma State's victory over bitter rival Oklahoma. The junior guard scored 31 points, tying a season high on 11-of-17 shooting. Anderson will be the key as Oklahoma State tries to play its way into the NCAA tournament. Greivis Vasquez has had a great career at Maryland. This season, Vasquez has improved his long range shooting by making 40 percent from 3-point territory. He is coming off a 30-point, eight-rebound, five-assist and zero-turnover performance against Virginia.

NON-BCS ALL-AMERICANS

First Team:
G: Elliot Williams, So. Memphis (19.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.9 apg)
G: Jimmer Fredette, Jr. BYU (20.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 5.0 apg)
G: Matt Bouldin, Sr. Gonzaga (16.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.0 apg)
F: Luke Babbitt, So. Nevada (21.6 ppg, 9.5 rpg)
C: Omar Samhan, Sr. Saint Mary's (21.5 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 2.9 bpg)

Second Team:
G: Aubrey Coleman, Sr. Houston (25.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.3 apg, 3.0 spg)
G: Jordan Crawford, So. Xavier (19.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.9 apg)
G: Elijah Millsap, Jr. UAB (16.0 ppg, 9.4 rpg)
F: Gordon Hayward, So. Butler (16.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg)
C: Artsiom Parakhouski, Sr. Radford (21.5 ppg, 13.2 rpg, 2.4 bpg)

Third Team:
G: Jeremy Lin, Sr. Harvard (16.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 4.6 apg, 2.7 spg)
G: Darington Hobson, Jr. New Mexico (15.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 4.5 apg)
F: Shamari Spears, Jr. Charlotte (16.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg)
F: Damian Saunders, Jr. Duquesne (14.9 ppg, 12.4 rpg, 2.5 apg, 2.8 spg, 3.4 bpg)
C: Keith Benson, Jr. Oakland (17.1 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 3.3 bpg)

Honorable Mention:
G: Kyle Gibson, Sr. Louisiana Tech (21.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.3 apg)
G: Tre'Von Willis, Jr. UNLV (17.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.6 apg)
F: Alex Franklin, Sr. Siena (16.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg)
F: Kenneth Faried, Jr. Morehead State (17.2 ppg, 13.4 rpg)
F: Hassan Whiteside, Fr. Marshall (13.0 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 5.2 bpg)

Elliot Williams played really well at Tulsa. The Duke transfer scored 27 points on 6-of-14 shooting and 2-of-3 shooting 3-pointers in an important win for the Tigers. Jimmer Fredette scored just nine points against Air Force but was not needed to score as BYU defeated Air Force by 43 points. Matt Bouldin had a typical Matt Bouldin week. He averaged 17 points, five rebounds and three assists in a pair of wins for Gonzaga. Luke Babbitt has scored at least 20 points in 13 of his last 14 games. He scored 21 points at Idaho and 27 against Boise State. The one game Babbitt did not score 20 during that stretch, he scored 19 points. Omar Samhan has now recorded six consecutive double-doubles. Despite losing a pair of road games, Samhan averaged 19.5 points and 12.5 rebounds.

Gordon Hayward had one of the better weeks of his career. In a pair of wins, the sophomore averaged 20.5 points and 14 rebounds. He also made 13-of-21 shots in the two games.

Freshman 15 (2/3/10-2/9/10)

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:03:00 +0000

The Hoops Report | Freshman 15

Freshman 15

By Steven Jung
sjung851@yahoo.com

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

1. John Wall, 6-4 PG Kentucky (16.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 6.4 apg)
Feb. 6 @ LSU: 6 pts, 4 rbs, 4 ast
Feb. 9 vs. Alabama: 22 pts, 10 rbs, 2 ast, 3 stl
Next game: Feb. 13 vs. Tennessee
Following perhaps his least productive game at LSU, John Wall had a terrific game against Alabama. He scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, a career high. However, the SEC Freshman of the Year award is no longer a foregone conclusion due to teammate DeMarcus Cousins.

2. DeMarcus Cousins, 6-11 C Kentucky (16.4 ppg, 10.1 rpg)
Feb. 6 @ LSU: 19 pts, 13 rbs, 2 ast
Feb. 9 vs. Alabama: 16 pts, 13 rbs, 2 ast
Next game: Feb. 13 vs. Tennessee
Over the last three weeks, there has been no big man in the country who has been more dominant. Cousins had two more double-doubles this past week and now has seven consecutive double-doubles. Over those seven games, he is averaging 19 points and 12.3 rebounds per contest.

3. Derrick Williams, 6-8 PF Arizona (15.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg)
Feb. 4 @ Washington: 3 pts, 2 rbs
Feb. 6 @ Washington State: 16 pts, 7 rbs, 2 stl, 2 blk
Next game: Feb. 11 vs. Oregon
Derrick Williams just played eight minutes due to foul trouble at Washington. As a result, he had his least productive game of the season by scoring just three points and grabbing two rebounds, both of which were season lows. However, Williams regained his form at Washington State, going for 16 points and seven rebounds.

4. Alec Burks, 6-6 SG Colorado (16.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
Feb. 3 vs. Kansas: DNP
Feb. 6 vs. Missouri: 27 pts, 6 rbs
Next game: Feb. 13 @ Kansas State
Due to a knee injury, Alec Burks did not play against Kansas. He came back against Missouri and had his best offensive game of the season. His 27 points were a career high and he added six rebounds.

5. Chris Gaston, 6-7 PF Fordham (18.4 ppg, 10.7 rpg)
Feb. 6 vs. Charlotte: 32 pts, 11 rbs, 6 ast
Next game: Feb. 10 @ St. Bonaventure
Chris Gaston had one of his best performances of the season. He scored 32 points, tying a season high, grabbed six rebounds and dished out six assists, a career high. The 32 points was the highest point total since Gaston scored 32 at St. John's on December 13.

6. Hassan Whiteside, 7-0 C Marshall (13.1 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 5.3 bpg)
Feb. 3 @ Tulsa: 10 pts, 5 blk
Feb. 5 vs. East Carolina: 15 pts, 6 rbs, 4 blk
Feb. 9 vs. Rio Grande: 15 pts, 9 rbs, 2 ast, 5 blk
Next game: Feb. 13 @ UAB
It was an up-and-down week for Hassan Whiteside. At Tulsa, Whiteside had just one rebound but he played up to his season averages against East Carolina and the national power known as Rio Grande. One of the more impressive stats with Whiteside is he has had at least two blocks in all but one game this season.

7. Elias Harris, 6-7 SF Gonzaga (15.6 ppg, 8.3 rpg)
Jan. 4 vs. Portland: 10 pts, 7 rbs, 3 stl
Jan. 6 @ Memphis: 6 pts, 6 rbs, 5 ast
Next game: Feb. 11 vs. St. Mary's
Elias Harris had by far his worst game of the season at Memphis. He had just six points on 2-of-14 shooting. The six points was his third lowest output of the season. Gonzaga faces a big test on Thursday against St. Mary's. That game in all likelihood will decide the WCC regular season champion.

8. Xavier Henry, 6-6 SG Kansas (13.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
Feb. 3 @ Colorado: 3 pts, 4 rbs
Feb. 6 vs. Nebraska: 9 pts, 3 rbs
Feb. 9 @ Texas: 15 pts, 5 rbs, 2 ast
Next game: Feb. 13 vs. Iowa State
Xavier Henry finally put up a solid game for Kansas. After five consecutive single digit scoring games, Henry scored 15 points in a win at Texas. He made 6-of-13 shots and it was his highest scoring performance in over a month.

9. Derrick Favors, 6-10 PF Georgia Tech (11.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.0 bpg)
Feb. 4 @ Duke: 8 pts, 7 rbs
Feb. 6 vs. NC State: 16 pts, 8 rbs, 3 blk
Next game: Feb. 10 @ Miami
Derrick Favors had a great game against NC State. Favors scored 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds. For the season, Favors is shooting 60 percent overall. In fact, his shooting percentage is higher than his free throw percentage, which is 59 percent.

10. Marshawn Powell, 6-7 PF Arkansas (15.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg)
Feb. 3 @ Georgia: 11 pts, 9 rbs, 2 ast
Feb. 6 vs. Auburn: 19 pts, 6 rbs, 3 ast
Next game: Feb. 10 vs. LSU
In a pair of victories for Arkansas last week, Marshawn Powell averaged 15 points and 7.5 rebounds. The Razorbacks have won four straight games and Powell is a significant reason why.

11. Avery Bradley, 6-3 SG Texas (12.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.2 apg)
Feb. 6 @ Oklahoma: 21 pts, 3 rbs, 2 ast, 3 stl
Feb. 8 vs. Kansas: 3 pts, 2 rbs, 3 stl, 2 blk
Next game: Feb. 13 vs. Nebraska
Avery Bradley had an up-and-down week. He played extremely well at Oklahoma, however Texas got blown out. Then in a blowout home loss to top ranked Kansas, Bradley scored just three points, tying a season low, on just 1-of-6 shooting.

12. Lance Stephenson, 6-5 SG Cincinnati (11.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.6 apg)
Feb. 4 @ Notre Dame: 8 pts, 6 rbs
Feb. 7 vs. Syracuse: 10 pts, 8 rbs, 2 ast, 2 stl
Next game: Feb. 13 @ Connecticut
Lance Stephenson never got going last week. He attempted just 11 shots in the two games. It has been seven games since Stephenson has taken at least 10 shots in a game.

13. Kawhi Leonard, 6-6 SF San Diego State (11.8 ppg, 9.6 rpg)
Feb. 2 vs. Air Force: 15 pts, 7 rbs
Feb. 6 @ New Mexico: 11 pts, 12 rbs, 2 ast
Next game: Feb. 10 vs. Wyoming
Kawhi Leonard continued his high level of play last week. He averaged 13 points and 9.5 rebounds in the week's two games for San Diego State. His double-double at New Mexico was his 13th of the season.

14. Reggie Moore, 6-3 PG Washington State (14.1 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 4.3 apg)
Feb. 4 vs. Arizona State: 13 pts
Feb. 6 vs. Arizona: 12 pts, 6 rbs, 3 ast, 2 stl
Next game: Feb. 11 @ Stanford
Reggie Moore enjoyed an efficient scoring week averaging 12.5 points on 8-of-14 shooting. However, he had just four assists in the two games, but committed five turnovers. In fact in the last six games, Moore has 24 turnovers compared to 22 assists.

15. Derek Needham, 5-11 PG Fairfield (16.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 5.6 apg)
Feb. 5 vs. St. Peters: 20 pts, 5 rbs, 2 ast, 4 stl
Feb. 8 @ Siena: 26 pts, 2 rbs, 2 ast
Next game: Feb. 12 @ Rider
Derek Needham had a fantastic offensive week. He averaged 23 points in two games and made 50 percent from the field. Against a solid Siena team, Needham had 26 points on 8-of-14 shooting. He has scored at least 20 points in the last three games.

Weekly All-America Watch (2/2/10-2/8/10)

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

The Hoops Report | Weekly All-America Watch

Weekly All-America Watch

By Steven Jung
sjung851@yahoo.com

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

BCS ALL-AMERICANS

First Team:
G: John Wall, Fr. Kentucky (16.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 6.6 apg)
G: Evan Turner, Jr. Ohio State (19.7 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 5.7 apg, 2.0 spg)
F: Wesley Johnson, Jr. Syracuse (16.3 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 2.3 apg)
F: Damion James, Sr. Texas (17.8 ppg, 11.0 rpg)
C: Luke Harangody, Sr. Notre Dame (24.5 ppg, 10.1 rpg)

Second Team:
G: Scottie Reynolds, Sr. Villanova (18.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.5 apg)
G: Jon Scheyer, Sr. Duke (18.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 5.6 apg)
F: Da'Sean Butler, Sr. West Virginia (17.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.4 apg)
F: Greg Monroe, So. Georgetown (15.5 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 3.2 apg)
C: DeMarcus Cousins, Fr. Kentucky (16.4 ppg, 10.0 rpg)

Third Team:
G: Sherron Collins, Sr. Kansas (15.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 4.3 apg)
G: James Anderson, Jr. Oklahoma State (22.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.4 apg)
F: Kyle Singler, Jr. Duke (16.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.5 apg)
F: Al-Farouq Aminu, So. Wake Forest (16.1 ppg, 11.1 rpg)
C: Epke Udoh, Jr. Baylor (14.1 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 2.8 apg, 4.1 bpg)

Honorable Mention:
G: Devan Downey, Sr. South Carolina (23.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.5 apg, 3.0 spg)
G: Klay Thompson, So. Washington State (21.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.4 apg)
F: Quincy Pondexter, Sr. Washington (20.6 ppg, 8.3 rpg)
F: Patrick Patterson, Jr. Kentucky (15.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg)
C: Jarvis Varnado, Sr. Mississippi State (13.5 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 5.0 bpg)

John Wall was spectacular in a win over Ole Miss, scoring 17 points and dishing out seven assists. He followed with perhaps his least productive performance at LSU, but was not needed to put up big numbers as Kentucky won by 26. Evan Turner may have catapulted himself as the frontrunner for National Player of the Year after a superb week. In wins over Penn State and Iowa, Turner played all 80 minutes and averaged 29.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 4.0 steals. Wesley Johnson was a non-factor in a win at Cincinnati. Johnson scored just five points, a season low. Once again, as Texas continues to struggle, Damion James remains to be a force. In losses at Oklahoma and against Kansas, James averaged 18 points and 9.5 rebounds. Against Kansas, James was perfect from 3-point territory, going 4-for-4. Luke Harangody had a pair of dominant performances in a pair of wins. He scored 37 points, a season high, and grabbed 14 rebounds against Cincinnati. He followed with a 19-point, 15-rebound game against South Florida.

Da'Sean Butler had one of the best shooting performances of any player this year. At St. John's, Butler made all seven 3-pointers en route to 33 points. There has been no big man in the nation better than DeMarcus Cousins over the last month. He has 14 double-doubles thus far. Cousins is averaging 16.4 points and 10.0 rebounds in just 21.3 minutes per game. Those numbers converted to 40 minutes equal 30.8 points and 18.8 rebounds per game.

NON-BCS ALL-AMERICANS

First Team:
G: Elliot Williams, So. Memphis (19.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.8 apg)
G: Jimmer Fredette, Jr. BYU (21.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 4.9 apg)
G: Matt Bouldin, Sr. Gonzaga (16.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 4.1 apg)
F: Luke Babbitt, So. Nevada (21.4 ppg, 9.9 rpg)
C: Omar Samhan, Sr. Saint Mary's (21.7 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 3.0 bpg)

Second Team:
G: Aubrey Coleman, Sr. Houston (25.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 2.3 apg, 3.1 spg)
G: Jordan Crawford, So. Xavier (19.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.8 apg)
G: Elijah Millsap, Jr. UAB (16.1 ppg, 9.3 rpg)
F: Gordon Hayward, So. Butler (16.0 ppg, 7.8 rpg)
C: Artsiom Parakhouski, Sr. Radford (22.0 ppg, 13.3 rpg, 2.4 bpg)

Third Team:
G: Tre'Von Willis, Jr. UNLV (18.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.2 apg)
G: Jeremy Lin, Sr. Harvard (17.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.5 apg, 2.9spg)
G: Darington Hobson, Jr. New Mexico (15.6 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 4.3 apg)
F: Alex Franklin, Sr. Siena (16.4 ppg, 8.0 rpg)
F: Damian Saunders, Jr. Duquesne (15.0 ppg, 12.4 rpg, 2.4 apg, 2.7 spg, 3.3 bpg)

Honorable Mention:
G: Kyle Gibson, Sr. Louisiana Tech (21.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.2 apg)
F: Elias Harris, Fr. Gonzaga (15.6 ppg, 8.3 rpg)
F: Hassan Whiteside, Fr. Marshall (13.0 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 5.3 bpg)
F: Kenneth Faried, Jr. Morehead State (17.2 ppg, 13.7 rpg, 2.0 bpg)
C: Keith Benson, Jr. Oakland (17.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 3.2 bpg)

Elliot Williams played very well against UAB, scoring 25 points, grabbing five rebounds, and dishing out seven assists. He struggled against Gonzaga, scoring just 11 points. Jimmer Fredette continues to be a scoring machine for BYU. This past week, he averaged 23 points while hitting 6-of-13 3-pointers. Matt Bouldin had a terrific week. He averaged 19.5 points and 4.0 rebounds against Portland and at Memphis. He also made 7-of-13 3-pointers. Luke Babbitt had another typical performance for him. In a loss at Utah State, he scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds. It was his 12th consecutive 20-point game. Omar Samhan had a sensational week for the Gaels. In wins over Santa Clara and San Francisco, he averaged 23 points, 11 rebounds and an impressive 7.5 blocks in the two games.

In a marquee game against BYU, Tre'Von Willis was dominant for UNLV. The junior guard scored 33 points, a season high, on 11-of-20 shooting. He also dished out eight assists. Darington Hobson had one of his best performances of the season at San Diego State. He scored 29 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and dished out six turnovers. Also, in 43 minutes, Hobson did not commit a single turnover.

Freshman 15 (1/27/10-2/2/10)

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 06:38:00 +0000

The Hoops Report | Freshman 15

Freshman 15

By Steven Jung
sjung851@yahoo.com

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

1. John Wall, 6-4 PG Kentucky (16.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 6.8 apg, 2.0 spg)
Jan. 30 vs. Vanderbilt: 13 pts, 2 rbs, 9 ast
Feb. 2 vs. Mississippi: 17 pts, 2 rbs, 7 ast
Next game: Feb. 6 @ LSU
John Wall enjoyed a steady week in two victories for Kentucky. He averaged 15 points and eight assists in the week's two games. Turnovers continue to be an issue for Wall as he committed seven against Vanderbilt.

2. DeMarcus Cousins, 6-11 C Kentucky (16.3 ppg, 9.8 rpg)
Jan. 30 vs. Vanderbilt: 21 pts, 10 rbs, 2 stl
Feb. 2 vs. Mississippi: 18 pts, 13 rbs, 4 blk
Next game: Feb. 6 @ LSU
DeMarcus Cousins continued his dominance over SEC opponents. He notched two double-doubles to increase his season total to 13 and he has double-doubles in five straight games.

3. Elias Harris, 6-7 SF Gonzaga (16.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg)
Jan. 28 @ Santa Clara: 16 pts, 14 rbs, 2 ast
Jan. 30 @ USF: 21 pts, 8 rbs, 2 ast
Next game: Jan. 4 vs. Portland
It was another week of impressive numbers for Gonzaga's Elias Harris. At Santa Clara, Harris recorded his fifth double-double of the season by going for 16 points and 14 rebounds. He followed that by leading the Bulldogs with 21 points in an upset loss at San Francisco.

4. Derrick Williams, 6-8 PF Arizona (15.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg)
Jan. 28 vs. Stanford: 23 pts, 8 rbs
Jan. 31 vs. California: 15 pts, 11 rbs, 2 ast
Next game: Feb. 4 @ Washington
After a pair of solid games, Derrick Williams is one of the fastest rising freshmen in the nation. In a win over Stanford, he scored 23 points, a high mark in conference play, and eight rebounds. He earned his second double-double by going for 15 points and 11 rebounds in a win over California.

5. Hassan Whiteside, 7-0 C Marshall (13.0 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 5.4 bpg)
Jan. 27 vs. Memphis: 22 pts, 8 rbs, 7 blk
Jan. 30 @ Houston: 10 pts, 8 rbs, 4 blk
Next game: Feb. 3 @ Tulsa
Hassan Whiteside fared very well against Memphis. He was a dominant force, scoring 22 points, grabbing eight rebounds and swatting seven shots. He had an off game at Houston by scoring just 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting.

6. Xavier Henry, 6-6 SG Kansas (13.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.0 apg)
Jan. 30 @ Kansas State: 6 pts, 4 rbs
Next game: Feb. 3 @ Colorado
For the third straight game, Xavier Henry scored in single digits. In a tough win at Kansas State, Henry was a non-factor in playing just 16 minutes and scoring just six points. In the last three games, Henry is averaging just 6.3 points, compared to averaging 14.9 points in Kansas's first 18 games.

7. Chris Gaston, 6-7 PF Fordham (17.8 ppg, 10.6 rpg)
Jan. 27 vs. La Salle: 21 pts, 15 rbs, 2 blk
Jan. 31 @ Xavier: 23 pts, 9 rbs, 2 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk
Next game: Feb. 6 vs. Charlotte
Chris Gaston was solid as usual for Fordham. Despite Fordham losing 13 straight games, Gaston has been the constant. He averaged 22 points and 12 rebounds last week for the Rams.

8. Derrick Favors, 6-10 PF Georgia Tech (11.5 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 2.0 bpg)
Jan. 28 vs. Wake Forest: 11 pts, 9 rbs, 5 blk
Jan. 30 vs. Kentucky State: 8 pts, 1 rbs, 4 ast, 2 blk
Next game: Feb. 4 @ Duke
Derrick Favors played well in a win over Wake Forest. He scored 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting while also grabbing nine rebounds and blocking five shots. He was not needed much against Kentucky State and played just 16 minutes.

9. Alec Burks, 6-6 SG Colorado (16.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg)
Jan. 27 vs. Nebraska: 21 pts, 3 rbs, 4 ast
Jan. 30 @ Iowa State: INJ
Next game: Feb. 3 vs. Kansas
Alec Burks was terrific win a win over Nebraska. Burks scored 21 points on 5-of-10 shooting. However, at Iowa State, he injured his knee two minutes into the game. If he is hurt for any extended period of time, it will be a massive loss for the Buffaloes.

10. Lance Stephenson, 6-5 SG Cincinnati (12.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.7 apg)
Jan. 30 vs. Providence: 12 pts, 9 rbs, 2 ast
Next game: Feb. 4 @ Notre Dame
Lance Stephenson played very well in a win over Providence. The highly touted freshman scored 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds, a high in Big East play.

11. Avery Bradley, 6-3 SG Texas (12.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.3 apg)
Jan. 27 vs. Texas Tech: 14 pts, 3 rbs,
Jan. 30 vs. Baylor: 9 pts, 4 rbs, 2 stl, 2 blk
Feb. 2 @ Oklahoma State: 10 pts, 3 rbs
Next game: Feb. 6 @ Oklahoma
Avery Bradley had a decent week. His best performance came against Texas Tech where he scored 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field and 3-of-6 from 3-point territory.

12. Aaric Murray, 6-11 C La Salle (12.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.6 bpg)
Jan. 27 @ Fordham: 24 pts, 7 rbs, 4 blk
Jan. 30 @ Temple: 11 pts, 4 rbs, 2 stl
Next game: Feb. 2 vs. Rhode Island
Aaric Murray has been terrific in the last seven games. Murray is averaging 17.7 points on 52 percent shooting, 7.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks.

13. Kawhi Leonard, 6-6 SF San Diego State (11.7 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 2.0 apg)
Jan. 30 @ Colorado State: 14 pts, 12 rbs, 3 ast
Next game: Feb. 2 vs. Air Force
Kawhi Leonard has recorded double-doubles in three consecutive games. His double-double at Colorado State gives him 10 for the season. Over the last three games, he has averaged 15.3 points and 11.3 rebounds.

14. Markeith Cummings, 6-7 SF Kennesaw State (18.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.6 apg)
Jan. 27 @ Mercer: 25 pts, 4 rbs, 3 ast, 3 stl
Jan. 20 vs. Florida Gulf Coast: 16 pts, 9 rbs, 2 ast
Feb. 1 vs. Stetson: 18 pts, 5 rbs, 3 ast, 2 blk
Next game: Feb. 4 vs. Mercer
Markeith Cummings keeps putting up very impressive numbers. He averaged 19.7 points on 59 percent shooting over the last week. He is the leading freshman scorer in the country at 18 points per game.

15. Marshawn Powell, 6-7 PF Arkansas (15.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg)
Jan. 28 vs. Mississippi State: 9 pts, 9 rbs, 2 ast, 2 blk
Jan. 31 @ Mississippi: 19 pts, 6 rbs, 3 ast, 3 blk
Next game: Feb. 3 @ Georgia
Marshawn Powell had a productive week in a pair of wins for Arkansas. He nearly put up a double-double against Mississippi State, falling one point and rebound short. He was terrific at Mississippi, scoring 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting.

Basketball: SIU vs. Missouri State (2-3-10)

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 04:56:00 +0000

Men's Basketball: SIU 12-9 vs. Missouri State 15-7
1st Half:
PBP: Steven Jung
Color: Lou Uhler

2nd Half:
PBP: Lou Uhler
Color: Steven Jung

Weekly All-America Watch (1/26/10-2/1/10)

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 06:40:00 +0000

The Hoops Report | Weekly All-America Watch

Weekly All-America Watch

By Steven Jung
sjung851@yahoo.com

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

BCS ALL-AMERICANS

First Team:
G: John Wall, Fr. Kentucky (16.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 6.8 apg, 2.0 spg)
G: Evan Turner, Jr. Ohio State (18.4 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 5.7 apg)
F: Wesley Johnson, Jr. Syracuse (17.1 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 2.4 apg)
F: Damion James, Sr. Texas (18.2 ppg, 11.3 rpg)
C: Luke Harangody, Sr. Notre Dame (24.2 ppg, 9.7 rpg)

Second Team:
G: Scottie Reynolds, Sr. Villanova (18.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.3 apg)
G: Jon Scheyer, Sr. Duke (18.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 5.6 apg)
F: Da'Sean Butler, Sr. West Virginia (16.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.5 apg)
F: Al-Farouq Aminu, So. Wake Forest (16.8 ppg, 11.3 rpg)
F: Greg Monroe, So. Georgetown (15.1 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 3.2 apg)

Third Team:
G: Sherron Collins, Sr. Kansas (15.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 4.1 apg)
G: James Anderson, Jr. Oklahoma State (22.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.4 apg)
F: Kyle Singler, Jr. Duke (16.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 2.6 apg)
C: Epke Udoh, Jr. Baylor (13.7 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 2.7 apg, 4.2 bpg)
C: Jarvis Varnado, Sr. Mississippi State (13.5 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 5.0 bpg)

Honorable Mention:
G: Devan Downey, Sr. South Carolina (22.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.6 apg, 3.0 spg)
G: Klay Thompson, So. Washington State (21.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.4 apg)
F: Quincy Pondexter, Sr. Washington (20.3 ppg, 8.1 rpg)
F: Patrick Patterson, Jr. Kentucky (15.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg)
C: Cole Aldrich, Jr. Kansas (11.6 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 3.6 bpg)

John Wall enjoyed a productive week. Even in Kentucky's first loss, Wall scored 19 points and made several important plays to keep the game within reach for the Wildcats. He had a decent game against Vanderbilt, going for 13 points and nine assists, but turned the ball over seven times. Evan Turner truly had a terrific pair of games last week. In a win at Iowa, Tuner went for 16 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. He followed that with a brilliant 19 points, three rebounds, eight assists and four steals in a win over Minnesota. In a close call at DePaul, Syracuse was led by a great all-around performance from Wesley Johnson. In perhaps his best overall game in conference play, Johnson scored 16 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and dished out seven assists. Despite Texas playing its poorest basketball of the season, Damion James continues to be a constant. In a win over Texas Tech, James set the Big 12 record for career double-doubles with 48, going for 28 points and 13 rebounds. He notched his 49th double-double the following game against Baylor with 20 points and 19 rebounds, a career high. Luke Harangody had an up-and-down week for the Fighting Irish. He played very well in a loss at Villanova, scoring 21 points and grabbing nine rebounds. However, he played very poorly in an upset loss at Rutgers, scoring just 19 points on 8-of-26 shooting.

From the other All-America teams, Greg Monroe of Georgetown had a terrific game against Duke, scoring 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Oklahoma State's James Anderson averaged 29.5 points and seven rebounds against Missouri and Texas. He will definitely get Big 12 Player of the Year consideration with Damion James and Jacob Pullen. Everyone knows the kinds of numbers Devan Downey has put up so he definitely deserves to be in the talk as one of the 20 best players in the country. He has scored at least 30 points in four of his last five games. Quincy Pondexter notched a pair of double-doubles last week, averaging 28 points and 11.5 rebounds.

NON-BCS ALL-AMERICANS

First Team:
G: Elliot Williams, So. Memphis (19.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.5 apg)
G: Jimmer Fredette, Jr. BYU (21.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 5.0 apg)
G: Elijah Millsap, Jr. UAB (16.2 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 2.0 apg)
F: Luke Babbitt, So. Nevada (21.4 ppg, 9.9 rpg)
C: Omar Samhan, Sr. Saint Mary's (21.5 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 2.5 bpg)

Second Team:
G: Matt Bouldin, Sr. Gonzaga (16.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.3 apg)
G: Jordan Crawford, So. Xavier (19.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.8 apg)
G: Aubrey Coleman, Sr. Houston (26.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 3.2 spg)
F: Gordon Hayward, So. Butler (16.1 ppg, 7.8 rpg)
C: Artsiom Parakhouski, Sr. Radford (22.1 ppg, 12.8 rpg, 2.2 bpg)

Third Team:
G: Jeremy Lin, Sr. Harvard (17.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.4 apg, 2.7 spg)
G: Darington Hobson, Jr. New Mexico (15.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 4.2 apg)
F: Alex Franklin, Sr. Siena (16.1 ppg, 8.0 rpg)
F: Damian Saunders, Jr. Duquesne (14.7 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 2.3 apg, 2.7 spg, 3.4 bpg)
F: Hassan Whiteside, Fr. Marshall (13.0 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 5.4 bpg)

Honorable Mention:
G: Kyle Gibson, Sr. Louisiana Tech (21.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.2 apg)
G: Ryan Brooks, Sr. Temple (15.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.7 apg)
F: Elias Harris, Fr. Gonzaga (16.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg)
F: Kenneth Faried, Jr. Morehead State (17.0 ppg, 13.7 rpg, 2.0 bpg)
C: Keith Benson, Jr. Oakland (17.1 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 3.1 bpg)

Elliot Williams had a pair of solid games for Memphis. He scored 24 points at Marshall and 19 in an upset loss at SMU. Jimmer Fredette was terrific in a win over Utah. He scored 36 points on 11-of-23 shooting. At the end of the season, Fredette will definitely get All-America consideration. Elijah Millsap has been inconsistent the last three games. He has had two single-digit outputs but had a double-double against Tulsa, going for 19 points and 12 rebounds. Luke Babbitt of Nevada has been remarkably consistent for the last month. In the last 11 games he has scored at least 19 points, and has scored at least 20 points in 10 of those games. Omar Samhan had a signature performance in a win over Pepperdine. Despite Pepperdine not being very good this season, anytime someone puts up 23 points, 19 rebounds and three blocks in a conference game, it is worth noting.

Matt Bouldin recorded his first double-double of the season, going for 15 points and 12 rebounds in an upset loss at San Francisco. The nation's leading scorer, Aubrey Coleman, had a terrific game against Marshall. He scored 37 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, both season highs. Damian Saunders had an eye-popping line against Saint Joseph's. He scored 15 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out four assists and blocked seven shots for Duquesne.

Steven Jung on ESPNU Campus Connection (1/31/10)

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Jung) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 05:31:00 +0000

Steven Jung (PBP) and Louis Uhler (Color) get some air time on ESPNU in part of ESPN's Campus Connection Week. All rights go to ESPNU and WIDB.net.