Team of the Week: Maryland Terrapins
Maryland may as well have been playing a tournament game on Saturday when they hosted No. 2 Duke. After putting together a non-conference schedule that featured Kentucky and … well … nothing else, the Terps had dug themselves a massive hole heading into ACC play. With a home win over NC State the only relevant victory on their NCAA tournament resume, Duke was the last chance for the Terps to pick up a marquee victory.
And they got it.
Now, this doesn’t ensure Maryland’s ticket to the dance. They still need to win at least five of their last six regular season games. They have to beat both North Carolina and Virginia. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done, but beating Duke gives them a chance to do that. Had they lost, Maryland could have conceivably won 11 ACC games and missed out on the NCAA tournament.
Teams deserving a shout out:
Georgetown: Believe it or not, the team that could barely crack 40 points back in December and that lost by 28 points at home to Pitt in early January is now tied for the lead in the Big East after beating Marquette at home and winning at Cincinnati. The Hoyas get two games against Syracuse in their final six games. The Big East title is within their reach.
Weber State: The Wildcats had a big week. Not only did they go 3-0 in the Big Sky and move to within a game of first place, they did so by beating previously-undefeated Montana 87-63 on Thursday night. The Grizzlies had owned WSU of late, and while it may not be enough to get them the league’s regular season title, having the confidence that they can actually beat Montana if important.
Colorado State: The Rams made their way one step closer to winning the Mountain West as they knocked off San Diego State on Wednesday night, following that up by surviving a 45 point performance by Michael Lyons in a win at Air Force. CSU has their biggest week of the season coming up, as they visit UNLV and host New Mexico.
Memphis: The Tigers do the same thing every season — they struggle through the non-conference portion of their schedule and then become a completely different team in Conference USA play. This week, the Tigers blew out Central Florida at home and then went into Huntington, WV, and knocked off Marshall by a dozen.
Iowa: The Hawkeyes won at Penn State and beat Minnesota at home, extending their winning streak to three games and putting themselves into a position where they can make a run at an at-large bid. The problem? The Hawkeyes only have two potential good wins left on their schedule. They’ll like need to win four of their last five games — including No. 1 Indiana at home — if they truly want to go dancing.
They were good, too: Cal, Gonzaga, Illinois, Providence
You can find Rob on twitter @RobDauster.
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Providence’s Ed Cooley joins staff for USA Basketball Men’s Under-19 World Championship team
May 19, 2013, 10:09 AM EDT
AP
Yesterday, news broke that Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski was in discussions to return as the USA Olympic men’s basketball coach through the Rio 2016 Olympics. On a smaller scale, earlier last week the Providence Journal reported that Providence head coach Ed Cooley will join Marquette head coach Buzz Williams and Tim Ryan, head coach from the College of Central…
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VIDEO: Shaka Smart throws a strike, gets his own bobblehead
May 18, 2013, 9:00 PM EDT
photo courtesy of the Richmond Flying Squirrels
Friday evening, VCU head coach Shaka Smart did one of those things coaches do in the offseason. He took to the field in a minor league game to throw out a first pitch. It was an auspicious day for the Rams’ head man, as he was being honored with his very own bobblehead doll last…
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AP
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Report: Baylor coach told Griner not to talk about her sexuality
May 18, 2013, 5:20 PM EDT
Getty Images
Former Baylor player and current WNBA top draft pick Britney Griner made it quite clear recently that she has no problem talking about her sexuality. She spoke with Sports Illustrated shortly after her college career ended, and was candid about something that is, frankly, not really anybody’s business. We now know why she never mentioned…
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AP
The Atlantic Sun tournament was played in front of a near-capacity crowd at Mercer’s Hawkins Arena last March. Hawkins was chosen as the tourney site ahead of time, and the whole event played out there. The reported crowd of 4,394 was packed with Mercer fans who simply had to roll out of bed and find…
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Since he led Team USA to a gold medal in the 2012 Olympics in London, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski has maintained that it would, in fact, be his last run at the head of the USA Basketball program. That may be changing, however. According to a report from Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated, Coach…
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Adreian Payne, Lacey Holsworth attended Dick Vitale’s gala on Friday
May 18, 2013, 2:32 PM EDT
Adreian Payne was a special guest at Dick Vitale’s celebrity gala on Friday night, but he wasn’t the star of the show. Lacey Holsworth was. If you haven’t heard the story by now, watch the video above. In short, Payne has befriended a seven-year girl, Lacey, who has been battling cancer for much of her…
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Georgetown forward Brandon Bolden transfers to Kansas State
May 18, 2013, 1:15 PM EDT
After appearing in only four regular season games and registering five minutes of playing time with no statistics, Georgetown forward Brandon Bolden has opted to transfer to Kansas State, the Wildcats announced on Friday. The 6-10, 210-pound Bolden will sit out the upcoming 2013-14 season due to NCAA transfer rules, but will have three years of…
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Report: Lipscomb hires a former Belmont player as head coach
May 18, 2013, 12:12 PM EDT
Lipscomb has finally replaced long time head coach Scott Sanderson, as they hired Stetson head coach Casey Alexander, according to a report. Alexander led the Hatters to a 15-16 record last season, as they finished 11-7 in the Atlantic Sun. Both records were the best for the program since the 2008-2009 season. But here’s where…
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FIBA
Oregon State picked up a late 2013 commitment when 6-2 combo guard Malcolm Duvivier opted to sign his letter of intent on Friday after previously being a member of the 2014 class. Duvivier — a native of Toronto — was previously regarded as Rivals’ No. 116 player in the 2014 national rankings before filling an…
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Report: Tennessee center Makanjuola transfers to UNC-Wilmington
May 18, 2013, 10:02 AM EDT
AP
Tennessee sophomore center Yemi Makanjuola has opted to transfer to UNC-Wilmington, per a Tweet from Brian Mull of StarNews. Makanjuola — a 6-9, 250-pound native of Nigeria — will have two years of eligibility remaining after NCAA transfer rules force him to sit out next season. Makanjuola will be eligible in the 2014-15 season and saw action…
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Washington guard C.J. Wilcox undergoes surgery on left foot
May 17, 2013, 9:02 PM EDT
AP
One month after making the decision to return to Washington for his senior season, second team All-Pac-12 selection C.J. Wilcox underwent surgery on his left foot to stabilize a stress fracture that according to the Associated Press lingered for much of the 2012-13 season. The purpose of the surgery was to stabilize the fifth metatarsal…
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AP
Last May 6-7 forward Sheldon Jeter chose to attend Vanderbilt, picking the Commodores over Penn State and Wisconsin and South Carolina with Pittsburgh showing some interest late but never offering the Beaver Falls, Pa. native. Jeter played 17.5 minutes per game as a freshman, averaging 5.5 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. And after one…
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AP
In the immediate aftermath of Steve Alford’s decision to leave New Mexico to take over as head coach at UCLA, many wondered how much would he have to pay UNM in order to get out of his contract. While Alford and his representation argued that the coach, who led the Lobos to four Mountain West…
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Reuters
A good week on the recruiting front for the Xavier coaching staff got even better Friday afternoon. 6-4 guard Remy Abell, who spent his first two seasons at Indiana, announced his decision to transfer to Xavier as reported by multiple outlets. Abell won’t be eligible to play this season per NCAA transfer rules, but he will…
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Marshall bolsters backcourt depth with addition of Jaylen Brantley
May 17, 2013, 5:23 PM EDT
ny2lasports.com
With three guards, most notably leading scorer DeAndre Kane, deciding to transfer Marshall head coach Tom Herrion was in need of some extra depth for his backcourt in 2013-14. Thanks to a commitment from 2013 combo guard Jaylen Brantley, the Thundering Herd won’t go into next season shorthanded in that area. Brantley, who played at…
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Report: Sandi Marcius transferring to DePaul for final season
May 17, 2013, 4:36 PM EDT
AP
Last month it was reported that Purdue forward Sandi Marcius was running into a major complication in regards to his decision to graduate and then transfer to another school where he would be able to play as a graduate student. That major complication was Purdue’s refusal to pay for the summer school courses Marcius needs…
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Report: Nebraska to open Pinnacle Arena against Florida Gulf Coast
May 17, 2013, 3:21 PM EDT
Getty Images
Florida Gulf Coast was one of the best stories of the 2013 NCAA tournament, becoming the first 15-seed to reach the Sweet 16 and earning the moniker “Dunk City” (thanks to Troy Machir) with their attractive style of play and penchant for above the rim finishes. And next season the Eagles, under new head coach…
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AP
After two quiet seasons at the University of Texas, sophomore Jaylen Bond made the decision to transfer. Bond, a 6-7 forward from Philadelphia, averaged just 3.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in just under 14 minutes per game during his Longhorn career. Friday, Bond announced his decision to transfer to Temple via Twitter and it’s safe…
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WCC, commissioner Jamie Zaninovich agree to three-year extension
May 17, 2013, 1:43 PM EDT
Getty Images
In his six seasons as commissioner of the West Coast Conference, Jamie Zaninovich has helped the conference improve its brand in a variety of ways. Whether it’s been the addition of BYU (Pacific joins this summer) or the idea to move the conference basketball tournaments to Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, it’s safe to say…
