Top Posts
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- UCLA is in the news, but for all the wrong reasons. In case you haven’t read it, here is George Dohrmann’s expose on the recent culture of UCLA basketball. Leadership starts at the top, and this “scandal” is a huge indictment of the lack of leadership in the UCLA athletic department. A culture change…
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Photo of the Day: Tyler Zeller turns in quite a Senior Night
Mar 1, 2012, 2:45 AM EDT
Tyler Zeller may wish every night were Senior Night. North Carolina’s center dropped 30 points (20 on free throws) during an 88-64 win against Maryland Wednesday night, making a strong case to be named ACC player of the year. “I thought Carolina was great, especially Zeller,” Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said. “We couldn’t guard him.…
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Colorado St. snags key win, but road woes complicate bubble status
Mar 1, 2012, 1:43 AM EDT
I may be in the minority here, but even after Colorado State erased a 16 point second half deficit to beat No. 17 UNLV 66-59 in Moby Arena on Wednesday night, I have trouble saying they are a lock for the NCAA Tournament. Yes, the Rams now can claim wins over San Diego State and…
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Cincinnati boosts its bubble standing in an impressive win over Marquette
Mar 1, 2012, 12:43 AM EDT
Cincinnati got a career-high 28 points from JaQuon Parker, forced 17 turnovers — gathering 13 steals and swatting nine shots — and shredded what had been a stifling Marquette press over the last two months as they ran past the eighth-ranked Golden Eagles 72-61 on senior night at Fifth Third Arena. It was an impressive…
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End of Northwestern’s loss to Ohio St. a lot like John Shurna’s career
Mar 1, 2012, 12:11 AM EDT
The final 3.1 seconds of John Shurna’s career at Welsh-Ryan Arena was a freakishly perfect representation of his four years spent at Northwestern. A program that has never been to the NCAA Tournament, the Wildcats have been knocking on the door – a fringe bubble team – for two, maybe even three if you’re generous,…
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Temple’s close to clinching A-10 title outright, leaving on top
Feb 29, 2012, 10:31 PM EDT
Temple’s overdue to win the Atlantic 10 outright – it hasn’t done that since 2000 – and it may finally do that before it bolts to the Big East. The No. 23 Owls blew a 10-point lead at the end of regulation before Khalif Wyatt’s game-winning layup in the final seconds of regulation sealed a…
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If you were reluctant to include South Florida in your field of 68 heading into tonight, an omission now just makes you look silly. Winners of five of their last six – with the only “L” on the road to Syracuse – the Bulls confidence level continues to rise after an impressive 58-52 victory over…
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Shabazz Muhammad is the most sought-after recruit in the country, but any college team currently pursuing has been warned by the NCAA: some of his financial dealings may have rendered him ineligible. The 6-6 wing has a lengthy list of schools he’s considering, which includes Kentucky, UCLA, Duke, Kansas and UNLV, his hometown school. He’d…
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All it took was five sentences from Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to create a stir regarding his future and Kentucky’s reputation as a place that churns out NBA players under coach John Calipari. “I’m graduating here. I’m not going nowhere. I’m staying at Kentucky,” Kidd-Gilchrist said Saturday. “I’m dead serious. I don’t know why y’all laughing.” Since…
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The West Coast Conference, in its history, has sent three teams to the NCAA Tournament just once. There is a chance that that record could end up being tied this season. Gonzaga and St. Mary’s are locks for the dance, or so says your courageous bracketeers. BYU, on the other hand, probably still has some…
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Saturday’s game at Storrs, Conn., feature two teams who might be the season’s most disappointing teams: UConn and Pitt. The defending champs began the season as a Top 5 team, but are 17-12 overall and fighting for a spot in the NCAA tournament. The Panthers, a preseason Top 15 team, have fared even worse. They’re…
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Bruins’ top recruit ‘still UCLA-bound in June,’ father says
Feb 29, 2012, 3:44 PM EDT
Some were waiting for the fallout from Sports Illustrated’s piece on the seemingly tumultuous state of Ben Howland’s UCLA program. But, for now, the ripple effect is well-contained. Kyle Anderson, the 6-8 guard/forward from St. Anthony (NJ) who signed to play for the Bruins, is firm in his decision to remain with UCLA, according to…
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UCLA shifted into damage control Wednesday afternoon. Will it help? The school issued a statement responding to a Sports Illustrated story that paints coach Ben Howland as the leader of a program in disarray, tolerant of players misbehaving and ignoring excessive alcohol and drug use. UCLA officials are assessing the situation. “It is disheartening for…
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For programs that have been cut off the lists of the handful of remaining elite prospects, recruiting in late February is an exercise in finding undervalued sleepers, projecting potential into developing players, and facing facts in adding players that best project to fill a role. Maryland and Pittsburgh each took verbal commitments last week from…
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Game of the Night: Iowa State @ No. 7 Missouri, 8 p.m. (ESPN3, Big 12 Network) With their win at Kansas State over the weekend, Iowa State ensured that there would be no collapse in Ames this season. What the Cyclones are playing for now, however, is seeding in the NCAA Tournament. With the middle…
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What the Patriot League lacked this season in overall talent it made up for in drama down the stretch. Bucknell headed into the final few weeks of the season with a three game lead in the conference standings over both Lehigh and American. But Player of the Year CJ McCollum of Lehigh drilled a last-second…
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Bo Ryan on win over Minnesota: ‘This is Big Ten basketball’
Feb 29, 2012, 1:09 PM EDT
I believe there is an old proverb: If it shoots like Big Ten basketball and plays defense like Big Ten basketball, it must be Big Ten basketball. Bo Ryan echoed that sentiment after his team’s 52-45 victory over Minnesota on Tuesday night. After a dismal first half shooting performance (19%), the No. 15 Badgers used…
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I’m not sure if you guys heard about this or not, but the Ohio Valley was pretty thoroughly dominated by one team this season. The Murray State Racers? That ring a bell? Anyone? After running through the OVC slate with just a single loss for the second time in three years, Steve Prohm’s club is…
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Recruiting rundown: Kansas hosts blockbuster recruiting weekend
Feb 29, 2012, 12:02 PM EDT
The largest and most talent-filled college basketball recruiting weekends typically occur during weekends on campuses while big football games are played, or during Midnight Madness events at the beginning of the season. With that in mind, Kansas’ loaded crew of recruits that took in its thrilling victory over Missouri was exceptional for an in-season weekend…
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Over the next 13 days, the brackets will start to take shape. Teams with no at-large aspirations will make one final push at the post-season. Teams on the bubble will look to assert themselves as worthy members of “The Big Dance”, and contenders will start priming their engines for a national Championship run. While “March…
