Cnotes Top 25 College Basketball Previews For Saturday 02/18/16 !

[CNOTES]

Saturday’s six-pack


Six of the best minor league prospects for the Toronto Blue Jays:


1) Vladimir Guerrero Jr, 3B— He turns 18 next month. Damn good bloodlines.


3) Lourdes Gurriel, OF/3B— His brother played for the Astros last year.


9) Bo Bichette, 2B/SS— His father Dante was a pretty good big leaguer.


11) Justin Maese, P— Was 9-6, 2.36 in his first two minor league seasons.


12) Max Pentecost, C/1B— Has had two elbow operations since signing for $2.9M.


25) Cavan Biggio, 2B— Not as a good a prospect as his Hall of Famer dad.


**************************


Saturday’s List of 13: Random stuff on a winter day…….


13) Tom House was in the major leagues for 8 years, with the Braves, Red Sox, Mariners; he was 29-23, 3.79 in 289 games (21 starts, 33 saves). He was best known for catching Hank Aaron’s 715th home run in the Atlanta bullpen in 1974. Now he is best known for something else.


House is a throwing guru, as in, the mechanics of throwing a ball, whether it be a baseball or a football. He was the Rangers’ pitching coach in Texas in the 1980’s; Nolan Ryan mentioned him in his Hall of Fame acceptance speech. Nowadays, House does work with some NFL QB’s.


Drew Brees, Carson Palmer, Tom Brady have all worked with House; now Jared Goff is working with him too, on ways to strengthen the shoulder and improve throwing mechanics. He’s had an interesting career; he was also USC’s pithing coach for a few years and is a PhD. Smart guy.


12) Turns out Mark Gottfried gets $2.28M to leave NC State with four years left on his contract, so while I think he got a raw deal, he’ll be back on TV next year with a healthy bank account, so good for him. Gottfried was very good on TV before he got the Wolfpack job.


11) Michigan coach John Beilein is the only one of 351 Division I basketball coaches who has never been an assistant coach, at any level.


Beilien’s son Patrick is following the same path; he is the coach at D-II LeMoyne in Syracuse at age 33, where his father was once the coach, from 1983-1992.


10) Went to an America East game the other night; Md-Baltimore County at Albany. Coach of UMBC is Ryan Odom, son of former Wake Forest/South Carolina coach Dave Odom.


Ryan Odom has the Retrievers at 16-11, after they were 7-25 LY. He coached at Lenior-Rhyne (D-II) last year, improving them from eight wins to 20+, so he is on a fast track to a bigger league fairly soon. Two years ago, Odom was the interim coach of Charlotte in C-USA after the head coach there became ill.


9) It was 66 in Chicago Friday, the 4th-warmest Jan-Feb Chicago day in recorded history. Out in Los Angeles, they were getting 3-4 inches of rain. Odd weather. As long as i don’t have to brush snow off my satellite dish again this winter, I’ll be happy.


8) This is the last year of Joe Girardi’s career as manager in the Bronx. If you root for that team, aren’t you concerned? Girardi seems like a good manager; most of the problems they’ve had the last few years seem to be front office’s problems, as in, the roster got real old.


Fact is, they’ve won only one world title since 2000 and spent a freakin’ fortune.


7) Jerry DiPoto became the Mariners’ GM in September, 2015; only 8 of the players who were on the 40-man roster then are still there.


6) Former NBA star Cedric Ceballos now does some Mountain West games on CBS Sports Network; he isn’t bad and has a tremendous, deep voice.


5) 34-year old Vince Young may be aiming for a football comeback; rumors have him headed to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL. Young last played for the Eagles, in 2011.


4) Friday was Michael Jordan’s 54th birthday, Jim Brown’s 81st. Pretty strong day to have a birthday.


3) Portland State is 12-12 this season, 5-8 in big Sky games, 1-6 in their last seven. A closer look shows that four of their last five losses came in OT, including a triple OT loss at Eastern Washington. Vikings have an experienced team, so you’d think they’d win some of those close games.


Elsewhere in the Big Sky, Montana State is 6-2 in its last eight games- they’ve won their last four home games- their last three home wins have all come in overtime.


2) Quote of the Day, part 2: “This is not even a conspiracy theory. The Earth is flat.” Kyrie Irving of the Cavaliers— maybe he learned that in his six months at Duke. Seriously, Irving thinks the world is flat.


1— RIP William James Myers, 79, better known as George the Animal Steele, a pro wrestler who entertained fans by eating the turnbuckle with his green tongue sticking out. Trust me on this, he was fun to watch, in a creepy kind of way. RIP, sir.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Fighting Irish (20-7) at Wolfpack (14-13)
Date: February 18, 2017 12:00 PM EDT

RALEIGH, N.C. -- On the road for a second time this week and again feeling good about the direction of its season, No. 25 Notre Dame faces a team that's down.


Really down.


Heading into the home stretch of Atlantic Coast Conference play, Notre Dame (20-7, 9-5) has won three in a row and has designs on a conference tournament double bye, given to teams that finish in the top four.


North Carolina State (14-13, 3-11) has lost six straight by an average of 19.1 points and seven of its last eight. And it's rarely been close.


Since beating Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in late January for the first time since 1995, North Carolina State has lost four games by at least 24 points. That includes last week's 30-point loss at Wake Forest, which allowed the Demon Deacons to complete a season sweep for the first time since 2005.


And when NC State dropped a 24-point game to Tobacco Road rival North Carolina on Wednesday, athletic director Debbie Yow had officially seen enough.


By Thursday afternoon, the rumors swirling about coach Mark Gottfried's future were put to rest. Gottfried is out at season's end after six years in Raleigh, but he will stay on to coach the remaining games on the schedule.


Picked in preseason to finish sixth in the ACC, the Wolfpack are in 14th and have shown zero signs of being a team that some touted in the fall as Top 25.


That falls on Gottfried.


"Everything that happens is my responsibility," he said earlier in the week. "That's part of the turf as a head coach."


Fighting Irish coach Mike Brey expects a totally different atmosphere Saturday in PNC Arena, and a better effort from the Wolfpack.


"Throw out the record of North Carolina State given the dynamics of the program right now," Brey said. "They're going to play great. We are going to have to play fabulous to win a road game."


And certainly start stronger than the Irish did earlier in the week against Boston College. Notre Dame allowed a season-high 49 points in the first half before getting it figured it out in the second. The Eagles were limited to 27 points while the Irish and their new five-out offense erupted for 45.


"We're ready to get off to a good start," Brey said. "But if we don't get off to a good start, I'll take a good second half. I'll always take that."


One of the league's most efficient offenses will do it against one of the worst defensive outfits.


The Wolfpack rank 12th in the ACC in field-goal percentage defense (44.8), 13th in steals and 15th in 3-point field goal percentage defense (35.9) and scoring defense (80.5). They've also allowed at least 84 points in each of its last six games.


"We've struggled at times this year, most of the time, to guard people off the dribble," Gottfried said. "Keeping somebody in front of us is an issue. It's really been an issue all year long."


A win Saturday gives the Irish at least 10 league wins for a third-consecutive ACC season. One more road test awaits before a seven-day break from game action.


"We've got to come in focused and play this game like any other ACC game," said sophomore guard Rex Pflueger.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Golden Hurricane (12-13) at Bearcats (23-3)
Date: February 18, 2017 12:00 PM EDT

CINCINNATI -- University of Cincinnati basketball coach Mick Cronin won't allow people to make 300 career wins about him. But, considering the condition of the program when he took over in 2006, perhaps more people should.


With a win on Saturday against Tulsa, No. 18 Cincinnati (23-2, 12-1 AAC) will give Cronin his 300th career win and 231st since taking over a program in shambles following the unceremonious ouster of Bob Huggins and abrupt departure of Huggins' successors.


Cronin has guided the Bearcats to six straight NCAA Tournament appearances after beginning his career at Cincinnati with two losing seasons.


Still, don't expect Cronin to pat himself on the back. He chooses instead to credit the players and assistant coaches who helped him along the way.


"I don't really think about stuff like that," Cronin said of reaching 300. "I'm interested in our 24th win. We're having a great season. I want to make it all about them."


Following seven years as an assistant at Cincinnati and Louisville, Cronin went 69-24 in three seasons as head coach at Murray State, including a NCAA Tournament appearance in 2005.


Cronin is sitting on 299 career wins with his Bearcats set to face Tulsa (12-13, 6-7 AAC), which has lost five straight. The Golden Hurricane took the Bearcats to the brink in a 57-55 loss on Feb. 1.


Tulsa led by 11 points with six minutes left, but Cincinnati roared back in the closing minutes. Troy Caupain's 10-foot jumper with four seconds remaining was the game-winner.


"Their quickness to the rim hurt us," said Cronin of the first meeting. "We gave up too many easy layups. It was a learning experience. We've got to do a much better defensively against."


Tulsa's losing streak is its longest since 2004. In this stretch, the Golden Hurricane is shooting just 35.5 percent from the field and 32.7 from 3-point range while averaging just 53.8 points.


The Hurricane have received a boost lately from true freshman Martins Igbanu, who was inserted into the starting lineup six games ago after starting just four games previously. In his last six starts, Igbanu has averaged 8.3 points and 4.2 rebounds.


Cincinnati also has received solid contributions from a freshman.


Guard Jarron Cumberland is averaging 7.5 points off the bench, but he's stepped up in some of the biggest games of the year, including 15 points in a win over crosstown rival Xavier. He's shooting 39 percent from 3-point range and continues to improve at both ends of the floor.


Bearcats junior forward Kyle Washington was named to the AAC weekly honor roll after averaging 12.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks. On Wednesday at South Florida, Washington had 13 points and nine rebounds to help Cincinnati rebound from a loss at SMU.


Cincinnati leads the all-time series versus Tulsa 24-11, including a 14-2 mark at home. The Bearcats have won 23 straight games at Fifth Third Arena.


Whether he likes it or not, a win on Saturday will be a coronation of Cronin's head coaching career. With plenty left for his team to accomplish come March, Cronin will do his best to keep things in perspective.


"It makes it easier to coach at this level if you stay grounded to the reality," Cronin said. "Most of these kids are going to play professionally, not in the NBA, but other places. Life is still more important than basketball."

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Wildcats (25-2) at Pirates (16-9)
Date: February 18, 2017 12:30 PM EDT

NEWARK, N.J. -- Villanova is inching its way to becoming the first team in Big East history to win four straight regular-season titles.


With a win over Seton Hall (16-9, 6-7 Big East) on Saturday at the Prudential Center, the No. 2 Wildcats (25-2, 12-2 Big East) can distance themselves over No. 25 Butler (9-5), which is second. Each team has four regular-season games left, including a head-to-head contest Feb. 22.


Seton Hall is the only Big East team that defeated Villanova in each of the first three seasons since the conference was reconfigured in 2013-14. The Pirates knocked off Villanova in the finals of the conference tournament last season to get an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, but dropped a 76-46 decision -- their worst loss of the season -- at the Pavilion in January.


The defending national champion Wildcats clawed their way through the Big East. Coach Jay Wright's team defeated conference opponents by an average of 11 points while holding them to a league-low 64.3 points.


Villanova leads the Big East in free throw percentage (80.5), field goal percentage defense (41.3) and 3-point field goal defense percentage (30.5).


Josh Hart, a National Player of the Year candidate and the Big East Preseason Player of the Year, leads the conference in scoring at 18.7 points.


"Everyone thinks if you're a player of the year candidate, you've got to go out there and score 20 or 25," Hart told Philly.com. "I'm sorry to break it to some people, it's not the award for who scores the most. It's about going out there and being a Villanova basketball player, getting everyone involved."


The Pirates bid for a spot in the NCAA Tournament was kept alive with an 87-81 victory over No. 20 Creighton on Wednesday. Junior guard Khadeen Carrington erupted for a career-high 41 points, including all of Seton Hall's 10 points in the final 41 seconds.


It was the most points scored in a Big East conference game this season and tied for eighth-most on Seton Hall's all-time scoring list.


"These are the games I live for," Carrington said. "We're on the bubble and we need these wins."


The Wildcats will be at a disadvantage if big man Darryl Reynolds is unable to go or not at full strength because of the rib injury that has kept him out of the past two games. Reynolds is Villanova's best interior defender and best suited to slow down Seton Hall's Angel Delgado, who leads the nation in rebounding (13.2) and is second in double-doubles with 20.


Villanova utilized a six-man rotation in Reynolds' absence with four players averaging at least 30 minutes. Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard uses seven player, four of who average in double digit scoring.


Desi Rodriguez (16.5 points), Carrington (16.2) and Delgado (15.6) rank in the top nine in scoring in Big East play.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Jayhawks (23-3) at Bears (22-4)
Date: February 18, 2017 1:00 PM EDT

WACO, Texas -- Once again, Kansas heads down the stretch in Big 12 play with the chance to win the conference title in its own hands.


Despite having two Big 12 foes in the top 10 in the nation -- current No. 4 Baylor and No. 9 West Virginia -- for much of this season, the third-ranked Jayhawks have weathered a deep conference to sit atop it.


Kansas (23-3, 11-2 Big 12) can all but clinch its 13th straight conference championship by winning at Baylor on Saturday. The Jayhawks enter the game (CBS, 1 p.m. ET) with a two-game lead over second-place Baylor.


If Kansas beats the Bears, the Jayhawks will have a three-game lead in the standings with four games left in the regular season.


Baylor (22-4, 9-4) can make things interesting by winning on its home court, but the Bears will still need some help to grab at least a share of the conference championship.


Of course, just about every team in the Big 12 has proven capable this season of defeating anyone else. Oklahoma, currently in 10th place, won at West Virginia, and Texas Tech, tied for eighth, has wins over the Mountaineers and Baylor.


So the Bears believe they still have a shot at a Big 12 title.


"Obviously, the Big 12 is deep, so you never know what's going to happen," Baylor guard Jake Lindsey said. "There's a lot of good teams. Obviously this is a big game as far as we need to come out and perform well if we want to accomplish our goal. But you never know."


Baylor will be attempting to rebound from a loss at Texas Tech on Monday. The Red Raiders held Bears forward and leading scorer Johnathan Motley to 11 points.


When Motley has been effective this season, Baylor has been very difficult to beat. But Kansas figured out a way to clamp down on Motley for a half when the Jayhawks grabbed a 73-68 victory over the Bears on Feb. 1 in Lawrence, Kan.


Motley scored 14 points in the first half the first time around against Kansas, but the Jayhawks held him to two in the final 20 minutes. Baylor led that game 34-28 at the break.


"They played volleyball in the first half against us on the offensive boards," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "We've got to do a better job of blocking out and hitting somebody because if it's a standing jump contest, they're going to win. We've got to do a better job of rebounding the ball. We've also got to eliminate Motley's good touches, which we didn't do at all in the first half."


Baylor will get guard Al Freeman back from a three-game suspension for violation of team policy. Freeman started 22 games this season before being suspended following Baylor's loss to Kansas State. He is averaging 9.5 points.


However, Baylor coach Scott Drew said guard King McClure will continue to start in Freeman's place.


"We all mistakes, but it's more important how we respond," Drew said. "I think Al's responded in a very good way. It's a situation where he'll be able to help the team moving forward. We're excited about that."


Kansas has some momentum coming into the top-five showdown at Baylor after the Jayhawks erased a seven-point deficit in the final minute and beat West Virginia 84-80 in overtime, 84-80.


Senior guard Frank Mason III led Kansas with 24 points and five assists against the Mountaineers. He and freshman guard Josh Jackson, averaging 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists, are both national player of the year candidates.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Hokies (18-7) at Cardinals (21-5)
Date: February 18, 2017 1:00 PM EDT

LOUISVILLE -- Louisville coach Rick Pitino knows each game the rest of the season will be a battle. On Saturday, the Cardinals hosts a Virginia Tech team trying to secure its entry into the NCAA Tournament.


"This is a tough team," Pitino said of the Hokies (18-7, 7-6 ACC). "They have had some great games. They beat Virginia, Duke and they were down late in the Pittsburgh game and came back and won it. They are playing good basketball right now."


The eighth-ranked Cardinals (21-5, 9-4) just beat a pair of teams in Miami and Syracuse who were playing their way into an at-large NCAA Tournament bid, and the rest of Louisville's schedule appears loaded with more tourney contenders starting with the Hokies.


Virginia Tech appears to be on the right side of the NCAA Selection Bubble. There's no doubt in Pitino's mind.


"This is an NCAA Tournament team," Pitino said. "They are going to get a bid. They are around 35, 36 in the RPI and they have played a very tough schedule. They are in, but they are playing for seeding."


A bid this season would be Viginia Tech's first since 2007. Hokies coach Buzz Williams has changed everything at Virginia Tech. The Hokies were last in the ACC in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15. They were 11-22 in Williams' first season on campus in 2014-15 and have gone 38-22 since then.


"I think there is a change," junior guard Justin Bibbs told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. "The culture is changing. We're winning more games and people enjoy watching it. I think there's a change and I'm happy to be a part of it."


Louisville and Virginia Tech are old rivals, having been in the same league back in the old Metro Conference days. The Cardinals and Hokies have played 38 times, with Louisville winning the last 11 straight. They didn't play each other from 1995-2015.


"I think we sent them to the line 38 times last year," Pitino said of last season's 91-83 win in Blacksburg, Va. "That's the thing that concerns you the most. They look to draw fouls on every play. ... Everybody has to be ready to contribute in this game."


Louisville has been statistically one of the best defensive teams in the country this season, but Pitino has criticized the Cardinals' one-on-one defense. Virginia Tech leads the ACC in effective field goal percentage at 55.4 percent.


"You have got to play good help defense," Pitino said. "What concerns me most about this team is that we are not good against straight-line drives. ... In this game we have to be very careful with defense because we are down numbers."


Louisville won't have reserve small forward VJ King vs. Virginia Tech. He had a thigh bruise in practice this week. Pitino said reserve guard Tony Hicks, who has been out for four weeks with a broken hand, will miss two more weeks after an X-ray this week.


"Tony was X-rayed today and we got some bad news. We thought he would be back Monday, but he will be out another two weeks," Pitino said. "We are disappointed in that news and VJ King won't play with a thigh bruise. We are out four scholarships again."


Louisville has been playing this season without two scholarship players after taking self-imposed penalties as punishment for NCAA violations. The Cardinals played with just seven scholarship players earlier this month at Virginia, a 71-55 loss. Louisville played six games earlier this season without starting point guard Quentin Snider, who was out with a strained hip flexor.


"I think we are confident because of what we have gone through," Pitino said.


Neither team is at full strength. Virginia Tech forward Chris Clarke is out for the season with a torn ACL in his left knee. He was injured in the second half vs. Virginia.


"Well, they become a little better outside shooting, but they certainly lose rebounding in certain areas," Pitino said. "They are better in some areas and not as good in some others."


Clarke, a 6-foot-6 sophomore wing, had started 19 games for the Hokies and was the leading rebounder, averaging 6.7 boards. He was also averaging 11.4 points.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Demon Deacons (15-11) at Blue Devils (21-5)
Date: February 18, 2017 1:00 PM EDT

DURHAM, N.C. -- Several weeks ago, Duke relied heavily on guard Luke Kennard for a large dose of offense.


The production has become more spread out for the No. 12 Blue Devils, but that doesn't mean Kennard won't be front and center for Saturday afternoon's game against visiting Wake Forest at Cameron Indoor Stadium.


That's because when the teams met earlier this season, Kennard hit the winning 3-point basket in Duke's 85-83 comeback victory at Wake Forest. He produced 34 points that day.


"He's accustomed to having the ball in his hands in pressure situations," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said of Kennard, a sophomore who leads the team in scoring with 19.8 points per game.


The Blue Devils have come to count on Kennard.


"That's the biggest thing, he's consistent," Duke forward Amile Jefferson said. "He's confident in his shot, he's confident in his playmaking ability, and when guys were down he stepped up."


That first outcome against Wake Forest began Duke's six-game winning streak that it carries into the rematch.


The success has moved Duke, which was the preseason favorite in the Atlantic Coast Conference and nationally, back into the hunt for the league title. The Blue Devils (21-5, 9-4 ACC) are within a game of first place with five regular-season games to play.


While Kennard has been dependable, if not spectacular, this season, he has received considerable help recently, most notably from Grayson Allen and Jayson Tatum. Tatum's big outing (28 points) on Wednesday night at Virginia lifted the Blue Devils to a 65-55 triumph.


Krzyzewski, who has been back on the bench for four games since missing most of January following back surgery, said he likes how Tatum has emerged.


"I think it starts from his defensive rebounding," Krzyzewski said. "He was playing the game at a better pace with a better intensity instead of more of a finesse."


Wake Forest (15-11, 6-8) has had sporadic results, putting the Demon Deacons in desperate need of a quality victory to bolster their postseason credentials.


They're coming off Tuesday night's 95-83 loss at Clemson after winning three of their previous four games. Eighteen turnovers were among Wake Forest's problems in the latest setback.


"(That's) far too many," Demon Deacons coach Danny Manning said. "We didn't handle the ball. Some of the turnovers were when the ball hits us in the hands and we don't secure possession."


In Wake Forest's last 10 games, the Demon Deacons have surrendered at least 80 points seven times.


"That's way too high," Manning said, noting that the team hasn't stayed in front of the ball well enough at the defensive end.


Duke's two lowest-scoring games have come in its last two outings, winning 64-62 against Clemson last Saturday.


Wake Forest forward John Collins has a streak of nine consecutive games of 20 or more points, the longest stretch for an ACC player in three years.


Duke, which leads the ACC with an average of nine 3-point baskets per game, has used nine different starting lineups this season. But in the current streak, the team has had the same first unit five times, with the exception coming against Pittsburgh when freshman guard Frank Jackson took hobbled guard Matt Jones' spot.


For Duke, Saturday's game will be the lone home outing across a four-game stretch.


Duke has won its last five matchups with Wake Forest, which has lost in its last 17 visits to Cameron Indoor Stadium.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Red Raiders (17-9) at Mountainers (20-6)
Date: February 18, 2017 2:00 PM EDT

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- No. 9 West Virginia had five days to process a late-game meltdown at Kansas. Texas Tech is five days removed from a euphoric upset of No. 4 Baylor.


How the teams handled the space between could determine who wins Saturday's matchup in Morgantown.


The Mountaineers (20-6, 8-5 Big 12) let a victory evaporate in crushing fashion at Lawrence by squandering a 14-point lead in the final 2:45 on Monday. Asked how he could convince his team to forget about such a collapse, West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said, "I'm not sure I could if I tried."


He hopes a two-day break from practice, and the chance to get revenge against Texas Tech (17-9, 5-8), will spark West Virginia into the right mindset.


"I wanted them to take two days off and try to retool themselves for the stretch run," Huggins said.


On Jan. 3 in Lubbock, the Red Raiders overtook West Virginia 77-76, winning on Anthony Livingston's 3-pointer with six seconds left in overtime. That remained Texas Tech's biggest victory until the Red Raiders knocked off Baylor 84-78 on Monday.


"We happened to come out on the fortunate end against Baylor, but we've been playing good basketball for the past three weeks now," Texas Tech coach Chris Beard said. "We need to continue to try to play the game on our terms."


In terms of making the NCAA Tournament, the Red Raiders still require more profile-building wins. ESPN's Joe Lunardi on Thursday listed them among his top eight teams out of the field.


Guard Keenan Evans (15.2 points, 46.7 percent from 3-point range) remains Texas Tech's top scorer, though sixth man Niem Stevenson averaged 21.5 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the recent two-game stretch against Kansas and Baylor. Forwards Zach Smith (13.2 points, 7.6 rebounds) and Livingston (10.7 points) each were clutch during the earlier upset of West Virginia.


"They're on a heck of a roll," Huggins said.


Yet the Red Raiders are 0-6 in Big 12 road games, and Beard doesn't see much relevance from the faceoff six weeks ago.


"To answer your question, no I don't like our matchup," he said. "We'll have to play a near-perfect game to win in Morgantown."


If the Red Raiders want to stay competitive, they will have to protect the ball. The Mountaineers lead the nation with an average of 21.88 turnovers forced per game, and their turnover margin of plus-9.5 per game is also tops in the country.


West Virginia point guard Jevon Carter is seventh in Division I with an average of 2.88 steals per game.


Texas Tech tends to be good with its ball-handling, as its average of 10.8 turnovers per game is tied for 18th in the nation.


West Virginia is paced by forward Esa Ahmad (11.9 points), Carter (11.8 points, 4.2 assists) and forward Nathan Adrian (10.8 points, 6.4 rebounds).


Mountaineers guard Daxter Miles (9.2 points), once a reliable component of the offense, has only 10 points over his past three games.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Gators (21-5) at Bulldogs (14-11)
Date: February 18, 2017 2:00 PM EDT

John Egbunu was in the midst of his top performance of the campaign when misfortune occurred.


Now No. 15 Florida has to figure out how to overcome the loss of his presence and keep its season on track.


Egbunu will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL in his left knee and the Gators begin their attempts to deal with his loss when they visit Mississippi State on Saturday in SEC play at Starkville, Miss.


Egbunu, a 6-foot-11 junior center, scored 10 points in just eight minutes when he was injured during Tuesday's 114-95 victory over Auburn and the prognosis is that it will take from 10-to-12 months for him to recover. He averaged 7.8 points, a team-best 6.6 rebounds and provided stellar rim protection on the defensive end.


"We're all disappointed for John," Gators coach Mike White said. "He's been playing really well of late, so it's a tough blow to him and our team. He's a great young man, and unfortunately injuries are a part of basketball. He'll be back even stronger."


Sophomore center Kevarrius Hayes will move into the starting lineup as Florida (21-5, 11-2 SEC) attempts to win its eighth consecutive game. Hayes averages 6.2 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting a stellar 63.6 percent from the field.


"We've got to move on," White said. "There's going to be a game Saturday and nobody is going to feel sorry for us. Mississippi State certainly isn't. We've got to get ready to go again.


"Kevarrius has got to be really sound for us. He's got to be really vocal for us."


The contest against the Bulldogs (14-11, 5-8) could be a tricky one for Florida, which hosts South Carolina (10-3 SEC) and Kentucky (11-2) in its following two games.


Mississippi State has dropped three straight games and five of its last six to drop into a tie for 10th place. The Bulldogs lost 79-72 to Georgia on Tuesday but feel they are better than their record indicates.


"We know we can play with those teams," sophomore guard Xavian Stapleton told The Dispatch. "Being right there kind of hurts, but it motivates us seeing that we can play with those teams. It motivates us to work harder and get some wins."


Mississippi State coach Ben Howland is bullish that a late-season run could be on the verge of occurring.


"I think we're real close," Howland said. "... We've got to have a little more experience and understanding."


Sophomore guard Quinndary Weatherspoon leads the Bulldogs with a 16.7 scoring average and has topped 20 points eight times.


Freshman guards Lamar Peters (12.0) and Mario Kegler (10.5) also average in double digits. Senior point guard I.J. Ready (8.4 points, 4.5 assists) returned from a four-game average due to a calf injury and scored four points in 22 minutes against Georgia.


Mississippi State has allowed an average of 84.7 points during its three-game skid and will aim to slow down a Florida squad fresh off scoring its most points in an SEC game in program history.


Senior guard Canyon Barry tallied a season-best 30 points in the victory over Auburn to take over the team scoring leadership at 13.4 points per game. Sophomore guard KeVaughn Allen averages 13.2 and junior forward Devin Robinson contributes 11.5.


Senior point guard Kasey Hill (9.7 points, team-best 5.1 assists) is coming off a superb game. He recorded a season-high 12 assists to become the third player in program history to top 500 career assists -- he has 502 -- and also had 11 points.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Buffaloes (16-11) at Ducks (23-4)
Date: February 18, 2017 3:00 PM EDT

EUGENE, Ore. -- Chris Boucher and Dylan Ennis will look to finish off a perfect record at Matthew Knight Arena.


The two Oregon seniors who arrived last year as transfers have helped the Ducks win all 34 games at home during the past two seasons heading into the home finale Saturday against Colorado.


"It would be a good story for me to say in the two years I played here, we never lost at home," said Boucher, a junior college transfer who is averaging 11.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.


The seventh-ranked Ducks are 16-0 at home this season to stretch the nation's longest active home winning streak to 41 games.


"Hopefully get a win and we go undefeated," said Ennis, who transferred last season from Villanova.


Oregon (23-4, 12-2 Pac-12) sits second in the conference, one game back of Arizona. The Ducks get a chance to avenge one of their losses when they host the Buffaloes, who beat Oregon 74-65 three weeks ago in Boulder, Colo.


"That game has been on our mind a lot," Oregon junior forward Jordan Bell said. "We did not play our best basketball. They were tougher than us and outhustled us. We don't want to end our season with a loss in our last home game."


Colorado made four 3-pointers in the first four minutes against Oregon and led almost wire-to-wire.


"We've got to start early, we can't give them open 3-pointers like last game," Oregon guard Payton Pritchard said. "They hit them, and it got their energy out of the roof, so you can't give any team open 3-pointers."


Oregon has won four of five games since that loss, including a 79-61 victory over Utah on Thursday. The Ducks shot 53.4 percent from the field. Dillon Brooks scored a team-high 20 points on 9-for-13 shooting.


Brooks leads five Ducks in double figures with an average of 15.1 points per game, while guard Tyler Dorsey has scored at least 16 in four straight games to raise his average to 13.2 points. Bell is averaging 11.1 points while leading the Ducks with 8.1 rebounds per game, and Ennis is scoring 10.8 points per game.


Oregon's last home loss was 80-62 against Arizona on Jan. 8, 2015.


"Everyone likes playing at home because obviously it helps with the crowd," Pritchard said. "We look forward to the last game here and hope we get the win."


Colorado (16-11, 6-8) lost its first seven conference games but has won six of its past seven to move into seventh place. Senior guard Derrick White had 20 points, four assists, three steals and two blocked shots on Thursday in the Buffaloes' 60-52 win at Oregon State.


"Derrick White made some big-time plays," Colorado coach Tad Boyle said. "Players make plays."


White leads the Buffaloes with averages of 17.1 points and 4.2 assists per game, while Xavier Johnson is contributing 14.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. George King averages 11.4 points and 7.1 rebounds, while Wesley Gordon gets a team-high 7.2 rebounds to go with 7.0 points.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Tigers (10-18) at Bulldogs (27-0)
Date: February 18, 2017 4:00 PM EDT

With how dominant top-ranked Gonzaga has been in West Coast Conference play, trailing by five points late in the first half is as close to an upset as a team can get.


That was the case Thursday night for San Francisco, which was down by only two points with less than three minutes left in the first half. Gonzaga, playing in front of the home crowd in Spokane, Wash., woke up with an 8-2 run before halftime.


The Bulldogs (27-0, 15-0 WCC) increased the nation's longest winning streak to 27 games by routing the Dons 96-61.


"We're not going to beat every single team by 20 points in the first half," said center Przemek Karnowski, who had 23 points and seven rebounds for Gonzaga. "We've got to play our defense like we're supposed to."


Pacific (10-18, 4-11) is the next opponent that will attempt to at least keep the game close against the Bulldogs on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET in Spokane. Only three regular-season games remain for Gonzaga as it tries to keep its perfect season alive.


The Tigers are coming off a 76-65 win at Portland on Thursday behind Anthony Townes' 18 points and career-high 16 rebounds.


Townes is the first Pacific player with at least 15 boards since 2011, when Sam Willard pulled down 18 against Cal State Bakersfield.


"The contributions from everyone were big," said Tigers head coach Damon Stoudamire. "Everyone who stepped foot on the floor contributed to the game and I think that was the biggest thing for us."


Pacific lost to Gonzaga 81-61 in Stockton, Calif., on New Year's Eve behind Karnowski's 19 points, five rebounds and seven assists.


Jacob Lampkin had what was then a career-high 18 points for Pacific, which has not defeated a Top 25 team since the 2005 NCAA Tournament.


"It got away from us," Stoudamire said. "Give them credit, they answered the bell. What they did was they wore us down. They knocked down shots, made some big shots and they've got a good team."


Gonzaga is led by Nigel Williams-Goss, who averages 16.2 points after scoring 30 on 10-of-14 shooting from the field against San Francisco. He also averages 4.7 assists and 5.8 rebounds.


The Bulldogs have three other players scoring in double figures: Karnowski (12.8 points per game), Zach Collins (10.5) and Jordan Mathews (10.1).


Ray Bowles and T.J. Wallace are the lone Pacific players who average double-figure scoring. Bowles averages 12.8 points and Wallace is at 12.5.


The Tigers shoot only 40 percent from the field, which ranks No. 329 in the nation. They face a tall order against a Gonzaga team that ranks No. 1, allowing teams to shoot only 37.2 percent.


Noting that San Francisco made only five of its first 20 shots in the second half Thursday, Gonzaga coach Mark Few said, "We guarded the ball better. We guarded the rim. We quit giving up threes."


Freshman reserve forward Killian Tillie suffered a broken bone in his right hand in the game. The injury does not require surgery and a timetable for his return is uncertain.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Spartans (16-10) at Boilermakers (21-5)
Date: February 18, 2017 4:00 PM EDT

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- For young, improving Michigan State, it's about earning an NCAA tournament bid.


For No. 16 Purdue, it's about earning at least a share of what would be a Big Ten Conference-record 23rd regular-season championship.


To say the least, there's lots at stake on Saturday afternoon in sold-out Mackey Arena when the Spartans (16-10, 8-5) and Boilermakers (21-5, 10-3) play for the second time this season, a rematch of a game Purdue won 84-73 on Jan. 20 in East Lansing, Mich.


Michigan State, which got 33 points from freshman Miles Bridges in the January loss to Purdue but only nine points and one rebound from freshman Nick Ward, comes to West Lafayette having won two in a row and four of five.


Purdue, which is in a three-way tie with Maryland and Wisconsin for the Big Ten lead, has won four in a row and seven of eight since a Jan. 17 loss at Iowa.


Boilermaker power forward Caleb Swanigan, who is averaging 18.7 points and 13 rebounds, had 25 points, 17 rebounds and three assists in the first meeting this season with Michigan State.


He expects the Spartans to be eager for revenge on Saturday.


"They are a team with a lot of freshmen, and they have more experience now," Swanigan said Thursday. "It's hard to beat a team twice. It's going to be really competitive. We know what they do, and they know what we do, so it's going to be about who competes the hardest. Being able to defend down the stretch and secure rebounds down the stretch will be the biggest things."


With games also remaining with Maryland and Wisconsin, Michigan State, according to Swanigan, has an excellent opportunity to enhance its NCAA tournament resume, especially if it focuses on defense.


"Defense is what we have done through all the games, because you can't always make shots," Swanigan said. "Bridges is a good player. You have to get on him early and not let him get his head up."


Purdue fifth-year graduate transfer backup point guard Spike Albrecht played in the 2013 Final Four while attending Michigan. He says the key for the Boilermakers is to stay in the moment, starting with Michigan State.


"We are focusing on the present and taking it a game at a time," Albrecht said. "There's a lot of basketball left to be played and likely a lot of close games. There absolutely is a correlation between finishing the season strong and taking that into the postseason.


"The teams that have the most success in the postseason are the teams playing their best basketball at the end of the season."


Purdue coach Matt Painter, whose Boilermakers lost to Michigan State in the 2016 Big Ten tournament championship game in Indianapolis, is impressed with how the Spartans are playing in February.


"They have made strides since we played them in January," Painter said. "They were coming off two road losses when we played them. When you go back and watch tape, it's always interesting to see what you did well, what you struggled at and how we could have been better.


"Miles Bridges is really good. We obviously have to do a better job on him. Sometimes, good players are going to score. You just want to make it hard on him."


And, according to Painter, Purdue has to be tougher this time.


"There's no doubt that toughness is a big part of it," Painter said. "Teams are more familiar with you the second time around. You have to have a good mental approach and also be physical without fouling.


"People also don't realize it is when you play (teams). Obviously, Michigan State is playing well now. That is a concern, and their 3-point shooting is a concern. If you have good toughness -- especially against a team like Michigan State -- it doesn't guarantee anything, but it definitely gives you a chance."


For Spartan coach Tom Izzo, better play from Ward will go a long way in determining the outcome at Purdue.


"Nick Ward has to be better this time," Izzo said. "He can't get (only) one rebound. I think Nick is a much better player this time than he was the first time we played Purdue."


Izzo said he doesn't need to tell his team what could be at stake with a victory against the Boilermakers.


"They know what they have to accomplish," Izzo said.


Purdue leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 67-53, although Painter is only 8-13 against the Spartans.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Mustangs (23-4) at Cougars (19-7)
Date: February 18, 2017 6:00 PM EDT

No. 19 Southern Methodist has joined Cincinnati at the top of the American Athletic Conference thanks to its stingy defense. Houston is making a late-season run at an at-large NCAA Tournament berth thanks to an explosive offense.


When SMU and Houston meet in a late-afternoon tip Saturday at Hofheinz Pavilion in Houston, the Cougars will have a golden opportunity to register the signature win their light resume desperately needs. But can playing at home be worth 21 points?


The Mustangs (23-4, 13-1) thumped Houston 85-64 in the team's first matchup on Jan. 21 in Dallas. Since then, the Cougars (18-7, 9-4) have won five in a row, although none of those wins are likely to resonate with the selection committee.


This game, as well as a March 2 visit to Cincinnati, are Houston's best remaining regular season chances to make an impression. For that to happen, it will likely need big games from its top two scorers -- guards Rob Gray and Damyean Dotson.


Gray leads the AAC in scoring at 20.5 points per game, while Dotson is fourth in the conference at 17.2 points-per-game. The duo basically carried the Cougars to a 73-64 win on Feb. 11 at Tulsa, as Gray drilled six 3-pointers and scored a game-high 28 points, while Dotson added three 3s and 24 points.


Dotson has been especially hot lately, pouring in 32 points on Feb. 8 in a rout of Tulane. Coach Kelvin Sampson said after a Feb. 1 win over Central Florida in which Dotson went for 31 that if the season started then, Dotson may be their leading scorer.


"We're running a lot more stuff for him," Sampson said. "Dotson doesn't take a back seat to anybody."


Houston will need Dotson and Gray in the driver's seat against an SMU squad that has explosive scorers, but relies more on balance and shutdown defense. The Mustangs have won eight in a row since a Jan. 12 loss at Cincinnati, putting an exclamation mark on their return to the Top 25 by grinding out a 60-51 win over the Bearcats Sunday in Dallas.


SMU might have been a bit drained from that effort Wednesday night when it hosted Tulane, which belied its 4-21 record by taking a 15-point halftime lead. But the Mustangs went to the whip, outscored the Green Wave 53-33 in the second half and walked off the Moody Coliseum floor with an 80-75 decision.


It was the first time in 20 games that SMU had allowed more than 66 points.


"No way do I want to take away from what Tulane did," said SMU coach Tim Jankovich. "Human nature took over. And we obviously were not in a perfect magic level of competition in the first half. We just had to win the second half on grit, and once again we did."


All five starters were in double figures for the Mustangs, led by 19 points from Jarrey Foster. SMU played just six players for the second straight game -- its six remaining scholarship players -- as it has had to overcome multiple injuries.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Wildcats (21-5) at Bulldogs (15-11)
Date: February 18, 2017 6:00 PM EDT

No. 13 Kentucky will be looking to hold on to a share of first place when the Wildcats face Georgia on Saturday in Athens, Ga.


"It's going to be a hard game," Wildcats coach John Calipari said. "It's been sold out for three months, four months. I saw the tape of them and Mississippi. It wasn't a packed stadium. Well, it's gonna be for this game. It doesn't matter how they've played; we know who they are and how they like to play. I imagine whatever that is, they'll be at their best."


This will be the second meeting between the two schools with Kentucky (21-5, 11-2 SEC) earning a 90-81 overtime victory over Georgia (15-11, 6-7) on Jan. 31 in Lexington, Ky.


Freshman guard Malik Monk's jumper with eight seconds left forced overtime and then the Wildcats outscored Georgia 14-5 in the extra period. Monk had eight of the Wildcats' 14 on the strength of two 3-point baskets.


Monk paced Kentucky that day with 37 points, his second highest total of the season, by hitting 7-of-11 3-pointers. Sophomore guard Isaiah Briscoe was next with a double-double of 23 points and 11 rebounds. Forward Bam Adebayo added 12 points while fellow freshman De'Aaron Fox, who leads the SEC in assists, missed the game with the flu.


Georgia got 18 points and 13 rebounds from sophomore forward Derek Ogbeide, 23 points from senior guard J.J. Frazier and 22 from junior forward Yante Maten.


"You gotta keep a special eye on Maten," Calipari said. "Any time we just left and trapped -- and it happened against Tennessee and I saw it against Mississippi -- he's passing to the other big kid for dunks. So you've gotta be aware. You just can't leave people and go trap him because he's throwing it and the guy's dunking it. It's 100 percent that."


Kentucky is riding a three-game win streak heading into Saturday's game. After being drubbed by 20 points at Florida on Feb. 4, the Wildcats have now beaten LSU 92-85, Alabama 67-58 and Tennessee 83-58. The key Saturday will be continued improvement on defensive intensity and ball movement on offense.


"You play the same way," Calipari said. "You're pushing it, you're driving and you're moving. But it's not just ball movement because if you're moving the ball and people aren't moving, then you're going to play against a zone whether they're man or zone. So the ball's got to move. If it's zone, it's more shallow cuts than fully through cuts.


"We've got some stuff we're working on to just continue to get them to have that mindset, but if we don't teach it, we don't talk about it, we don't emphasize it they are not going to do it. They're 19 years old."


Georgia, for its part, has its own two-game win streak, 76-75 at Tennessee last Saturday and 79-72 over Mississippi State on Tuesday.


"The Tennessee game, their guard went nuts," Calipari said. "And Maten, he is what he is: 20 points a game. The other kid, Frazier, 20 points a game. The other guys are fighting like heck. Their big kids are rebounding. Their wings are rebounding slashers."


Kentucky is paced by Monk, whose 21.7 points per game average is tops in the SEC. Next comes Fox at 15.6, Briscoe, 13.8; and Adebayo at 12.7 points and a team-best 7.1 rebounds.


As a team, Kentucky scored 89.1 points per game, best in the league and third-best in the nation. The Wildcats give up 73.1 points.


Georgia is led by Maten, who averages 19.4 points per game, third best in the SEC. Next comes Frazier at 16.6 and junior guard Juwan Parker at 9.6. Ogbeide is the Bulldogs' top rebounder at 7.3.


As a team, Georgia averages 72.4 points while giving up 69.5. On the down side, Georgia has an equal number of turnovers as assists, 362.


"It took us three weeks to get where we were, it's gonna take us time to get out of that," Calipari said. "And it's as much of mindsets and habits and all those kind of things. Competitiveness. Like, the second unit just went right after the first unit yesterday and won, and won two or three different times and the white had to run. That's what you want. You want them to compete in practice because that's what they're gonna have to do in a game."

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Wildcats (24-3) at Huskies (9-17)
Date: February 18, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

No. 5 Arizona might have to try to stop the potential top pick in the 2017 NBA Draft without its top perimeter defender.


The Wildcats beat Washington State 78-59 on Thursday night without guard Kadeem Allen, who sustained a dislocated finger in practice this week, with the injury also requiring several stitches. Coach Sean Miller has called him perhaps the best defender he's had in eight seasons at Arizona.


"Kadeem could play on Saturday," Miller said after beating the Cougars, adding that it was very much a wait-and-see situation.


Arizona (24-3, 13-1 Pac-12) plays at struggling Washington (9-17, 2-12), although the Huskies did get back star freshman point guard Markelle Fultz on Thursday night after he missed two games because of a knee injury. Fultz scored 19 points in an 83-81 loss to Arizona State as his half-court heave at the buzzer went off the front of the rim.


Allen was part of a solid defensive effort when the teams met in Tucson. Fultz, the Pac-12's leading scorer at 23.0 points per game, was 8 of 23 from the field against Arizona on Jan. 29, finishing with 16 points, nine rebounds and three assists. The Wildcats won 77-66.


Fultz played 30 minutes Thursday night, somewhat limited because of the knee. He averages 35.6 minutes per game.


"A huge lift," Washington coach Lorenzo Romar said of having him back. "Just his presence. He scored; he's a little rusty from not playing, not practicing, but he made plays for us, like he's done all year."


Arizona replaced Allen in the lineup with point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright, a junior who scored a career-high 20 points against Washington State. But, at 5-foot-11, he's not the tough, physical defender that Allen has become.


There are additional roster questions for each team in the frontcourt.


Washington shot-blocking big man Malik Dime has missed 11 games because of a finger injury/suspension. He was suspended indefinitely after he slapped two Colorado students in an away game on Feb. 9.


Asked Thursday night if Dime will play against Arizona, Romar said, "We'll determine it Saturday."


In addition to being without Allen on Thursday, Arizona played the final 24 minutes without starting center Dusan Ristic, who suffered a sprained left ankle. Miller said "it doesn't look like a bad sprain" but couldn't say what Ristic's availability would be for the Washington game.


"The good news is we didn't play him at all in the second half," Miller said. "If we would have, I think it would have really hurt him."


More good news for Arizona is that freshman forward Lauri Markkanen returned to form Thursday night, recording 19 points and 11 rebounds after four consecutive games with single-digit points. He is averaging a team-high 15.3 points per game and shooting 46.5 percent (59 of 127) on 3-point attempts.


He was much more intent on working around the basket against Washington State, hitting 6 of 9 shots from 2-point range.


"We've been on him to impose his size around the basket," Miller said.


Arizona, which enters Saturday with a one-game lead on Oregon for the Pac-12 lead, has five players averaging double-digit points -- including guard Allonzo Trier (13.0) and wing Rawle Alkins (11.6).


Washington enters the game on an eight-game losing streak. The Wildcats have won seven consecutive games against the Huskies.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Cavaliers (18-7) at Tar Heels (22-5)
Date: February 18, 2017 8:15 PM EDT

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina's schedule is loaded with challenging assignments across the final weeks of the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season.


So if the No. 10 Tar Heels maintain first place in the league, they'll have earned it.


Next up, there's a much-anticipated matchup with No. 14 Virginia on Saturday night at the Smith Center.


North Carolina coach Roy Williams said he's aware of an attempt to create appealing late-season matchups and the Tar Heels just happen to be part of that mix on the ACC schedule. They lead the conference by one game with five to play.


North Carolina (22-5, 10-3 ACC), coming off a 97-73 road domination of rival North Carolina State earlier this week, has two games remaining with Virginia along home games with Louisville and Duke and a trip to Pittsburgh.


"It's by far the most difficult (stretch) in the league," Williams said.


Virginia and North Carolina are a contrast in styles, with Virginia comfortable in a defensive tussle and the Tar Heels preferring a frantic pace.


North Carolina is sixth nationally in scoring at 87.7 points per game, while Virginia is the top-rated defensive team in the country, allowing 55.5 points per outing.


"If I had my choice, I'd try to get Tony to play the way I want to play," Williams said of Virginia coach Tony Bennett.


Virginia is amid a difficult seven-day stretch that began with Sunday night's double-overtime loss at rival Virginia Tech. Then came Wednesday night's 65-55 setback at home to Duke and now the rematch of last March's ACC tournament championship game against the Tar Heels.


In that title matchup, North Carolina guard Joel Berry produced a sterling outing that led to tournament Most Valuable Player honors. He was strong again earlier this week at North Carolina State, but Berry said he's striving for consistency.


"I want to pick up my play on both sides of the ball so I can put this team where we want to be," Berry said.


Meanwhile, the Cavaliers try to avoid their first three-game losing streak since 2011.


"It's a fine line and we are in so many close games," Bennett said. "This ball club has some limitations in certain areas and we are fighting like crazy. We are doing some good things and we have some strengths, but we are going to be in a lot of close games."


Virginia continues to be a strong defensive team, but the inability to come up with a few stops in clutch situations has been troublesome at times.


"We are working hard to become a better defensive team and we have to get better for 40 minutes," Bennett said. "It's not for a lack of trying."


This is the first of two meetings between the teams in a 10-day period.


For both games and probably for the rest of the season, North Carolina will be without sophomore guard Kenny Williams, who's regarded as the team's top perimeter defender. A starter for most of the season, he suffered a knee injury in Tuesday's practice and will require surgery next week that's expected to sideline him for at least a month.


This development figures to lead to more playing time for guards Theo Pinson and Nate Britt, something that transpired Wednesday night at N.C. State.


Virginia has won the last three regular-season games against the Tar Heels, who have defeated the Cavaliers in each of the past two ACC tournaments.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Gamecocks (20-6) at Commodores (13-13)
Date: February 18, 2017 8:30 PM EDT

South Carolina and Vanderbilt both posted damaging losses within the last week, but each still enters Saturday night's game at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tenn., with a lot on the line.


The Gamecocks' Southeastern Conference title hopes took a hit after Wednesday's 83-76 home loss to Arkansas. No. 21 South Carolina (20-6, 10-3 SEC) is in great shape for its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2004, but it dropped a game behind Kentucky and Florida with five to play.


Vanderbilt (13-13, 6-7) entered last weekend hoping to keep its faint NCAA Tournament chances alive, thanks to a few nice wins against the country's sixth-toughest RPI schedule. But a 72-52 loss at then-last place Missouri last Saturday likely put that out of reach.


The Commodores responded on Thursday night with a come-from-behind home win over Texas A&M. South Carolina now must do the same, but coach Frank Martin knows he needs better effort than he saw in practice two days before the Arkansas game.


"Our kids have laid it on the line to help us be a good team, but it was so bad and lackluster and lacking in competitiveness and enthusiasm (on Monday) that I just left," Martin said.


Until recently, Martin had every reason to be thrilled with his team's defense. The Gamecocks are No. 2 nationally in Ken Pomeroy's Adjusted Defensive Efficiency but have given up 90, 77 and 83 points the last three games -- two of which were losses.


"We're not guarding. We're not pressuring the ball, we're not in line, we're not denying. We're not doing what we've been doing throughout the season," senior guard Sindarius Thornwell said.


Thornwell clarified that the guards have let the team down, but it's hard to fault his season. A leading SEC Player of the Year candidate, the senior averages 21.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.2 steals.


P.J. Dozier and Duane Notice, the team's other two starting guards, have also been particularly good on the defensive end. The trio is primarily why the Gamecocks rank No. 2 in 3-point defense (28.2 percent).


The Gamecocks, 1.5-point favorites, have their hands full with Vanderbilt. Five Commodores in the regular rotation shoot at least 35 percent from 3-point range, including 7-foot-1 center Luke Kornet.


On the other hand, defense has been an issue for Vandy, which ranks just 104th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. But the Commodores won Thursday thanks to Kornet, who had a defensive presence against an excellent A&M front line that went beyond his five blocks.


To that, Vanderbilt coach Bryce Drew was pleased with the team's defensive effort when it counted most on Thursday.


"The guys really dug in in the last three minutes. We got the defensive stops that we needed to win the game," Drew said.


Both teams present challenges for the other. South Carolina center Chris Silva, who has fouled out eight times, has a four-inch height disadvantage against Kornet.


Meanwhile, athletic guards like Thornwell and Dozier have particularly given Vanderbilt fits. As a result, the Commodores have primarily played a zone the last two months.


Vanderbilt is one game out of sixth place and hoping to avoid having to play on the first day of the SEC Tournament in March.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Trojans (21-5) at Bruins (23-3)
Date: February 18, 2017 10:00 PM EDT

UCLA will have an opportunity to avenge an earlier loss when the sixth-ranked Bruins host rival USC in a Pac-12 Conference game on Saturday night at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.


UCLA (23-3, 10-3 Pac-12) has won four in a row since suffering back-to-back losses to Arizona and USC. The Bruins are two games behind No. 5 Arizona and one game behind No. 7 Oregon in the conference standings.


USC (21-5, 8-5) is fifth in the Pac-12. The Trojans had won five in a row and six of seven before losing to Oregon last weekend.


UCLA is coming off a big week, edging Oregon 82-79 and beating Oregon State 78-60. Oregon beat the Bruins 89-87 after Dillon Brooks buried a 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds remaining Dec. 28 in Eugene, Ore., but this time the Bruins rallied from a 19-point deficit to defeat the Ducks.


"To get a win this way, I'm just so proud of my team," UCLA coach Steve Alford said. "We've talked about trust all year and we just continue to trust our guys."


UCLA looked like it might be vulnerable to a big letdown two days later against a lesser Oregon State squad. The Bruins were clinging to a 32-27 lead at the break before pulling away to win by 18.


"We made some adjustments at halftime, especially going with the press to start the half," Alford said. "We are not a pressing team, but we thought that it would generate a little higher tempo than what they wanted to play at, and I thought it got our guys going."


Freshman point guard Lonzo Ball was named Pac-12 Player of the Week for the second time this season. Ball averaged 18.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and five assists in the two wins.


"I just take what the game gives me," Ball said. "(At) the beginning of the season, people were playing me for the drive, so the passing lanes were open. Now, they're playing the passing lanes a little bit more and it's opened up the lane for me."


USC is trying to rebound from last weekend's 81-70 loss to Oregon. The Trojans led 50-46 with 12 minutes remaining, but the Ducks mounted a 22-8 run to take control. The Trojans shot just 37.3 percent and committed 16 turnovers.


"That was a tough game," USC coach Andy Enfield said. "We played hard, but not well enough to win. Our guards were off tonight in their decision making and shooting. To beat a top-five team in the country, you have to play better."


USC beat UCLA 84-76 last month at the Galen Center. Guard Shaqquan Aaron came off the bench to score 23 points for the Trojans, who shot just 40.3 percent from the field but made 14 of 34 from 3-point range.


The Bruins shot 48.4 percent in that contest, but they made just 6 of 20 from beyond the arc and committed 17 turnovers. Guard Isaac Hamilton had a team-high 20 points.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Gaels (23-3) at Cougars (19-9)
Date: February 18, 2017 10:00 PM EDT

PROVO, Utah -- One major task remains for St. Mary's.


The No. 22 Gaels need to do everything in their power to build a rock-solid case for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid bid ahead of Selection Sunday. That means piling up good wins and avoiding bad losses.


It also means earning a road victory over BYU on Saturday for the first time in four seasons.


St. Mary's (23-3, 13-2 WCC) last defeated the Cougars in Provo during the 2012-13 season when Matthew Dellavedova's half-court buzzer beater handed the Gaels a 70-69 victory. The win formed part of a four-game winning streak in the series at the time for St. Mary's. Ironically, that win fell in the same season that the Gaels made their most recent NCAA Tournament appearance.


BYU has lost only twice on its home court this season. The Cougars' only setback at the Marriott Center in WCC play came at the hands of Gonzaga.


"It's one of those atmospheres that's tough and I just told our guys that," Gaels coach Randy Bennett said. "It'll be a great challenge for us, I'm excited to go there and play against those guys and see what we can do."


Things are trending in positive direction for St. Mary's to break the drought. The Gaels bounced back from a loss to No. 1 Gonzaga last Saturday by thrashing Loyola Marymount 81-48 on Thursday night.


St. Mary's smothered the Lions with its usual brand of stifling defense. Loyola Marymount shot just 38 percent from the floor -- including 26.7 percent from the perimeter. The Gaels held a 37-19 advantage on the glass and scored 16 points off 13 Loyola Marymount turnovers to fuel their 11th straight win over the Lions.


Such domination is nothing new for this team. St. Mary's ranks second nationally in scoring defense (56.3 ppg) behind Virginia. The Gaels also rank fourth nationally in rebound margin (10.0).


Bennett felt even more encouraged from what he saw his team do on offense against Loyola Marymount. The Gaels shot 59.6 percent from the field and had 19 assists on 28 total baskets. It helped St. Mary's lead by as many as 38 points after halftime.


"It's just what the doctor ordered," Bennett said. "We need an ability to separate from teams. We've been able to do it by locking them out defensively but tonight we did it offensively too."


BYU (19-9, 10-5) enters the game with a bit of offensive momentum of its own after beating San Diego 82-70 on Thursday. The Cougars shot 47.1 percent from 3-point range -- led by a 5-of-7 effort from guard Nick Emery -- to surge ahead of the Torreros early and stay in front throughout the second half.


At one point in the first half, BYU made 13 consecutive baskets without a miss. It helped put the Cougars ahead 39-22 and gave them enough of a cushion to weather a late San Diego rally just before halftime.


"We're a young team but it's a process," said Emery, who finished with a team-high 26 points. "We're learning how to get those good shots. That streak was awesome and got us going to a nice lead."


BYU fell to St. Mary's 81-68 on Jan. 5. The Gaels held the Cougars to 44 percent shooting and outrebounded BYU 37-27. St. Mary's got 26 points on 11-of-13 shooting and nine rebounds from Jock Landale.


Eric Mika paced the Cougars with 28 points on 12-of-17 shooting and 10 rebounds in the loss.


Both centers will provide the key matchup to watch again on Saturday. Londale is averaging 17.0 points and 9.5 rebounds for the Gaels and Mika is tallying 20.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game for the Cougars.


St. Mary's shot 55 percent from the field last time around against BYU and had 21 assists on 31 baskets. The Cougars are hoping to have better answers for the Gaels' offense in the rematch.


"Defensively we've improved," BYU coach Dave Rose said. "We'll see if we're better at handling their ball screens. Hopefully our guys are more aware of the challenge and more familiar with what they do as a team."


BYU leads the all-time series 12-9 although St. Mary's has won three of the last five games between the two teams.

 

[CNOTES]

Gonzaga, NW provide new story lines
February 17, 2017

Unbeaten Gonzaga is giving college basketball fans something to talk about besides the usual story lines.


And while we're at it, let's not forget Northwestern positioning itself to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time.


Both are a welcome respite from Coach K's back, Kentucky's latest group of stellar freshmen and UConn romping toward another women's championship.


In a sport where the same schools dominate year after year, a little variety is very, very welcome.


''We had this belief in the preseason,'' said Nigel Williams-Goss, one of three transfers from power-conference schools who stars for Gonzaga. ''If we took the defensive end seriously, we knew the sky was the limit for us.''


While the Zags are hardly some Johnny-come-lately - after all, this is their 10th straight 25-win season and they were also ranked No. 1 in 2013 for the final three weeks of the regular season - history is not on their side.


Teams like Gonzaga just don't win national titles.


In 19 NCAA Tournament appearances, the Zags have gotten as far as the regional final only twice. They've never reached the Final Four.


Over the last half-century, a mere 12 schools have hoarded 40 men's national championships.


Chances are, one of them will be cutting down the nets again this season.


Eight members of college basketball royalty - defending national champion Villanova, Kansas, UCLA, Louisville, North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky and Florida - are ranked in the top 15 of The Associated Press poll.


But there's Gonzaga, ahead of them all at the moment.


The Zags improved to 27-0 with a 96-61 rout of San Francisco on Thursday night. A perfect regular season seems a formality, since they've already beaten the final three opponents on the schedule - conference foes Pacific, San Francisco and BYU - by an average of 22 points.


If Gonzaga can complete this run, it would be in some pretty elite company. Only 13 teams have gotten to 30-0, the most recent being Kentucky two seasons ago. Of those, six went on to capture the national title and five more reached the Final Four.


Then again, the Zags figure to draw plenty of comparisons to Wichita State, another school from a less-prominent conference that won its first 35 game in 2013-14. Alas, the Shockers drew a terrible matchup in the Round of 32, facing a Kentucky team that had underperformed much of the year but got on quite a roll in the tournament.


Big Blue held off Wichita State 78-76 and went on to reach the national championship game before losing to UConn.


Gonzaga faced some tough competition back in November and December, beating two teams - Arizona and Florida - that are currently in the Top 25, as well as major-conference opponents Iowa State, Washington and Tennessee.


Since then, the Zags haven't been challenged at all in the West Coast Conference, which was sort of the way it was for Wichita State three years ago in the Missouri Valley. The Shockers went 18-0 in league play, winning by an average of 15.6 points a game, and got only one real scare, holding off Missouri State in overtime.


Gonzaga has been every more dominating in its conference, winning 15 games by an average of 26.7 points. Not one of its WCC games has been decided by single digits, which is certainly impressive to watch but may not be preparing the Zags for the rigors they'll face in the NCAAs.


That's an issue for another day.


Let's enjoy this ride as long as we can, along with a little magic that's happening in Chicago's northern suburbs.


Northwestern, which has never reached the NCAA Tournament, took a gigantic step toward locking up its spot last weekend with a stunning 66-59 victory at then-No. 7 Wisconsin.


Even though the Wildcats fell at home on Wednesday, losing 74-64 to No. 23 Maryland, they're still just one victory away from a 20-win season and, barring a complete collapse, seem likely to finally get their first invitation to the Big Dance.


That said, Northwestern still has a bit of that deer-in-headlights look - not surprising given their largely forgettable history. Coming off one of their biggest wins, the Wildcats fell behind by 20 against Maryland and never really made a game of it.


''You can't be sluggish from the last win,'' Vic Law said. ''You can't be thinking about `Oh, we beat Wisconsin' because when you come in and play a team like this that's just as good as Wisconsin, they can put you in a hole like they put us in.''


As with Gonzaga, it will be interesting to see how Northwestern fares in the tournament.


If nothing else, we'll have something new to talk about.