College Basketball Fan

Ernie Munoz

Finals week kicked off last week with Louisville and Tennessee picking up big wins on Saturday as the Cardinals beat UNLV while the Vols handled Pittsburgh. And what did both teams do in their next act? They lost games many expected them to win to Drexel and Oakland respectively. A key trait of teams who tend to reach high levels come March is the ability to maintain focus and take care of business regardless of the opponent, and that's why the matinee between Jacksonville (6-3) and Florida (8-2) is a game to keep an eye on. Billy Donovan's Gators are coming off of an impressive defensive performance against Kansas State, limiting the Wildcats to 22.2% shooting from the field (and 0-10 from three) in the second half of the 57-44 victory. Their play defensively helped make up for eighteen turnovers, and Kenny Boynton led three Gators in double figures with 15.

Florida goes into Monday's game with the nation's best strength of schedule and sits second in the RPI, but while those numbers may take a hit in playing Cliff Warren's Dolphins this could be a tough contest if they don't show up ready to go. Senior forward Ayron Hardy leads JU in scoring (12.6 ppg), rebounding (7.0 rpg) and assists (3.7 apg), but this is a balanced club that offensively has six other players who average at least seven points per game and four others who grab at least four rebounds. This is a balanced outfit that will win games this season due to the sum of the parts as opposed to one exemplary player. But the Dolphins are up against history as they've beaten Florida just once since 1980 (68-64 win in 1994) and the average margin of defeat is fifteen points.

Another issue for Jacksonville, who has dropped their last two games to Winthrop and Saint Louis, is their lack of size when compared to Florida. Forwards Delwan Graham and Shamile Jeffers are the tallest players in the Jacksonville rotation and they're both 6'7". Compared to the size and strength of players such as Vernon Macklin, Alex Tyus and Patric Young the Dolphins will be at a disadvantage on paper. But numbers don't account for the intangibles, meaning that they've got a chance provided they keep Florida off of the offensive boards (offensive rebound percentage of 39.5%). Add in the tough matchup of versatile wing Chandler Parsons and to say the least the Dolphins will have their work cut out for them. But with the tip being an afternoon game during the week, and with the students on holiday break, Jacksonville could put a scare into the Gators if Billy Donovan's team isn't focused on the task at hand. And as Louisville and Tennessee showed last week, doing such could result in an unexpected outcome.

Four other ranked teams are in action on Monday, including an inexperienced Memphis squad that's struggled with seemingly inferior competition this season (Arkansas State and Austin Peay have both taken the Tigers to overtime). Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is only 4-6 on the young season but they've played the 11th-toughest schedule in the nation thus far, including road games at Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Kansas, and the Islanders are coming off of a win over Houston. If any of the ranked teams in action could be susceptible to a pre-Christmas letdown it could be the Tigers, who are dealing with the loss of Wesley Witherspoon while also trying to figure out the roles of their talented youngsters. Winthrop's trip to Dayton could prove profitable for the Big South team given the Flyers' struggles at times, and Brian Gregory's team has proven to play only as well as PG Juwan Staten does running the show. And the Aeropostale Holiday Festival tips off in New York, with Northwestern and St. John's looking to move into Tuesday's title game with wins over St. Francis (NY) and Davidson respectively.

Top 25
7:00 PM Elon at (1) Duke (FS South)
7:00 PM Coppin State at (4) Connecticut (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Morgan State at (5) Syracuse (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Texas A&M-CC at (19) Memphis
1:00 PM Jacksonville at (24) Florida (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
5:00 PM Valparaiso vs. Eastern Michigan*
7:00 PM American University at Mount St. Mary's
7:00 PM Bucknell at Cornell
7:00 PM Norfolk State at Virginia
7:00 PM Thomas More at Coastal Carolina
7:00 PM Illinois State at North Carolina-Wilmington
7:00 PM Belmont at Alabama State
7:00 PM South Dakota State at Central Michigan
7:00 PM Winthrop at Dayton (FS Cincinnati)
7:00 PM Towson at Hampton
7:00 PM Northwestern vs. St. Francis (NY)* (MSG)
7:30 PM Vermont at Fairfield
7:30 PM Rochester Coll at Oakland
8:00 PM Eastern Washington at South Dakota
8:00 PM Xavier LA at Southern University
8:00 PM North Dakota at Green Bay
8:05 PM Jackson State at Bradley
8:05 PM Western Illinois at Creighton
8:05 PM Savannah State at Arkansas State
9:00 PM Northern Colorado at Colorado State
9:00 PM Samford at Texas-San Antonio
9:00 PM Centenary at Wyoming
9:00 PM Mayville State at Utah Valley
9:30 PM Davidson at St. John's (MSG)
10:30 PM Portland State at Nevada
10:30 PM Stephen F. Austin at UTEP

Source: http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/college-hoops-monday-your-commentary-168895

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Ernie Munoz

Study the history of Puerto Rico's most successful college basketball players, and it's not difficult to see how Louisville might benefit if Rick Pitino indeed becomes the next coach of the Puerto Rican national team.

Ex-Seton Hall coach P.J. Carlesimo first spotted future all-Big East big man Ramon Ramos at age 14 while coaching for the summer in a Puerto Rican league. A member of Ralph Miller's staff at Oregon State discovered future Pac-10 player of the year Jose Ortiz in a similar way. And Temple coach John Chaney landed future NBA power forward Ramon Rivas via a friend who coached in Puerto Rico.

Stories like those illustrate how Pitino could easily create a new recruiting pipeline if he takes the Puerto Rican national team job. He'll have unique access to Puerto Rican coaches and prospects and more visibility on the island than virtually any other college head coach.

"It's a definite edge when the youngsters feel he has some roots in Puerto Rico," Rivas said Tuesday. "There are some guys out there that don't come to the United States for high school and he'll have an opportunity to make a connection with them. It will be a great opportunity for him to reach out to those kids. It will be very easy for him to go over in the summer time and spot some of the local talent capable of playing major college basketball."

Reports out of Puerto Rico surfaced Monday that Pitino is close to finalizing an agreement to become the country's next basketball coach. A Louisville spokesman denied that Pitino has accepted the job, telling reporters that the coach "hasn't taken it" and "has not indicated his level of interest or a timetable."

Rivas believes taking a chance on Pitino would be more than just a splashy hire for Puerto Rico, which appeared to be on the rise in international basketball before crashing out of this summer's World Championships in the group stages. Pitino's college and NBA pedigree give him credibility and the fact that he has no prior affiliation with Puerto Rico allows him to bring a fresh perspective.

"We were very excited this year thinking that the national team would have probably its best talent ever, so it was pretty sad to see that they didn't go as far as they should have," Rivas said. "I'm really looking forward to Pitino coaching the national team and seeing how far he can take this team."

It's reasonable for Louisville fans to be concerned that Pitino may not be on the AAU summer circuit during the all-important July evaluation period, but Rivas believes the positives outweigh the drawbacks for the Cardinals.

"We have great talent in Puerto Rico," Rivas said. "I wouldn't be surprised if Louisville benefits from him being there."

Source: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/If-Pitino-coaches-Puerto-Rico-Louisville-recrui?urn=ncaab-295951

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Ernie Munoz

Small consolation for Memphis after a humbling 86-69 home loss to surging Georgetown on Thursday night: At least the Tigers produced by far the game's most memorable highlight.

With Memphis trailing Georgetown 64-53 four minutes into the second half, 6-foot-5 D.J. Stephens took a feed from point guard Joe Jackson on the baseline and found himself with a clear path to the rim. Stephens launched himself at the rim and threw down a one-handed slam over Georgetown's Hollis Thompson, who sacrificed his dignity rushing over in an attempt to block the shot a few seconds too late.

Crowd-pleasing plays like that one were rare for Memphis, which dropped to 0-2 against ranked teams this season after an 81-68 loss to Kansas earlier this month. Memphis trailed by only four at halftime, but Georgetown shot 63 percent in the second half, helping the Hoyas stretch their lead to as many as 21 late in the game.

It's no surprise that Georgetown emerged with a victory on Thursday night because the Hoyas have played better than the Tigers all season. Whereas Memphis has lost to the quality opponents it has faced, Georgetown is 11-1 with victories over Old Dominion, NC State, Missouri and Utah State.

Previous Dunk of the Year nominees:

Illinois forward Brandon Paul

Central Florida guard Marcus Jordan

Syracuse forward C.J. Fair

Old Dominion guard Kent Bazemore

High Point guard Shay Shine

Source: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/Dunk-of-the-Year-nominee-Memphis-forward-D-J-S?urn=ncaab-300042

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Ernie Munoz

Source: http://blog.mlive.com/highschoolbasketball/2010/12/this_weeks_best-bet_games_in_m_1.html

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Ernie Munoz

Source: http://www.nj.com/rutgersbasketball/index.ssf/2010/12/your_comments_rutgers.html

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Ernie Munoz

Who's left without a scratch? We've got the list and some details about the teams, who they play next, and why they will/won't lose in the immediate future. Funny to see how easily teams get lopped off this list, by the way. We're at 14; 10 days ago, we were at 28.

This'll be whittled down even further next week, as anticipation and attention grows for those unblemished.

OK, let's do this thing, you know? Off we go. Enjoy.

Unbeatens remaining: 14.

Cleveland State (12-0). Norris Cole (right) and the Vikings have a good formula going; it's called, "Get Cole the ball." The Vikings senior guard is factoring into 33 percent of the team's possessions - good for 14th best in the country. Who knows how long Gary Waters' team can continue this unexpected run, though. The 12-0 mark is misleading, to an extent, because two of the wins have come against non-Division I competition, plus, there hasn't been a game yet against a school ranked in the top 100. That changes in just a few days. Next two games: Saturday at West Virginia; Dec. 22 vs. South Florida.

Duke (10-0) Kyrie Irving's toe injury has made the Blue Devils even more interesting than before. Without him, no one believes this team has any chance of going undefeated. With him, I still don't think there's a prayer. Nevertheless, the enigmatic point guard is on the shelf for an undetermined amount of time. Fortunately for Duke, the cushiony portion of the schedule is now, as the team has its largest break between games all season, then gets patsies to play before the ACC slate starts. Next two games: Dec. 20 vs. Elon; Dec. 29 vs. UNC-Greensboro.

Syracuse (10-0) We've got a Syracuse team that lacks one of its signatures: a deep-shot threat. Nobody on this team has the range or consistency of Andy Rautins, Gerry McNamara, etc. But can Rick Jackson's incredible play offset that? Likely not, but it goes a long way. And Scoop Jardine can still come into his own. The Orange's next real test likely won't come until after New Year's decorations are still being tossed away: Jan. 1 vs. the Fighting Irish. Next two games: Saturday vs. Iona; Dec. 20 vs. Morgan State.

Brigham Young (10-0). Cougars are still in the clear, and Jackson Emery and his hipster hairstyle are likely saying a thank you to the hoops gods every night because of it. This team's backed up its talked - Utah State, Saint Mary's, Arizona all lay in its wake. Next two games: Saturday vs. UCLA; Dec. 21 at Weber State.

San Diego State (10-0) A fun, fun team that's appropriately getting more and more love, more and more press by the week. The Aztecs are now a top-10 team in the polls, and many are rightfully calling them the best team in the West. (Yes, better than BYU.) SDSU has the 10th-most-effective offense in the country, which is only helped by the fact this group shoots the ball effectively well and doesn't turn itself over. The upcoming schedule isn't tough now (SDSU's had a healthy dose of decent teams, though), so this group has a real chance to creep into the top five in the next three weeks. Next two games: Tonight vs. Cal Poly; Saturday vs. UC Santa Barbara.

Kansas (9-0) Bill Self wants you to know his team is awful. Thanks, Bill. Now, look! Here comes Josh Selby! Getting ready for your hideous, no-good, despicable Kansas Jayhawks! Destined to not be threatened with a loss until mid-January! Next two games: Saturday vs. Southern Cal; Dec. 22 at California.

Central Florida (8-0). In the inaugural post, I wrote, "Forgive us for being presumptuous again, but we're not seeing how the Knights knock off the Gators in Gainesville." Uh, whoops. How shortsighted of me. And now UCF is being discussed as a possible C-USA winner. Laughing? OK, now go check the stats. Team's a top-40 KenPom.com squad, and it rates third in eFG% defense (a stat you need to take seriously) and 11th in eFG% offense. This group is a lot of fun to watch, plus there's a Jordan kid involved. Stay undefeated as long as possible, Knights. Please. Next two games: Wednesday vs. Louisiana-Lafayette; Saturday at Miami (FL).

Cincinnati (8-0). Sneaky team. Yances Gates (right) and the Bearcats haven't played anyone except Dayton, really, and the Flyers are proving to be one of the biggest letdowns of 2010-11. Mick Cronin's team will need to avoid being the South Florida of a year ago. Bulls started 10-2 and then nosedived once Big East play began. Unclear how truly talented this group is right now. If it wants to make a statement soon, beat OU by double digits. Next two games: Tonight vs. Georgia Southern; Saturday vs. Oklahoma.

Connecticut (8-0) Is it all Kemba Walker? No. But most of it is. Alex Oriakhi has looked fine, but he's got to demand the ball more. Not thinking newbie Shabazz Napier (what a name) can sustain a full season and turn into a reliable Robin to Walker's Bruce Wayne. But UConn getting to this point without a loss is incredible enough. And Walker is as must-watch as it gets right now in college basketball. Next two games: Dec. 20 vs. Coppin State; Dec. 22 vs. Harvard.

Ohio State (8-0). Jared Sullinger is nearly as must-see-TV worthy as Walker, to be completely truthful. (And why wouldn't I be?) Sully dropped 40 - becoming the second Big Ten freshman to do so in league history - on the poor fools playing for IUPUI last Thursday. Sort of amazing this team could be a lot better than it was last year with Evan Turner. To be fair, this was expected by quite a few, too. Matchup to look forward to: two days before Christmas, it'll be big man on big man, future pro vs. future pro, as Oakland's Keith Benson bodies up on Sullinger. Next two games: Wednesday vs. Florida Gulf Coast; Saturday vs. South Carolina.

Louisville (8-0). Rick Pitino truly is one of the best combinations of X-and-O and recruiter in the country. You're seeing that proven here in the final days of fall. The Cardinals easily taking down Vegas Saturday was an incredibly promising sign for this team's long-term viability this season. They're too inconsistent at guard to stay unbeaten for much longer, but I'm as surprised by this start as any other team listed above or below. Next two games: Tuesday vs. Drexel; Saturday vs. Gardner Webb.

Tennessee (7-0). To borrow a phrase, Bruce Pearl is an absolute magician. This team has the best free throw rate in the country. A Tennessee team ... ! Scotty Hopson is playing like the NBA talent he is, and the Volunteers haven't looked weak once this season. How do you beat Tennessee? Hope the foul shots don't fall, wait for Melvin Goins to hurt the team with turnovers, and slow the Vols down as best you can. Next two games: Tuesday vs. Oakland; Friday at Charlotte.

Baylor (6-0) Haven't seen too much of the Bears because the team took a week off for exams. That Gonzaga game Saturday should be plenty interesting. Zags are down this year, need a win bad, and we may not see them play more aggressively all year than in that game; it's that dire, I think. As for the Bears, life is just fine with LaceDarius Dunn in the fold and freshman sensation Perry Jones living up to his billing. Team will be a force in the Big 12. Next two games: Wednesday vs. Bethune-Cookman; Saturday vs. Gonzaga.

Northwestern (5-0). Wildcats have milked this, as they've only gotten in five games. What's that about! It's a long road to the first NCAA tournament for Northwestern, but getting off to an undefeated start is going to be paramount in a tough, tough Big Ten. Basically, most out-of-conference wins are currency that's worth about one-fourth of what a W in the Big Ten will be, on average. Next two games: Tonight vs. Long Island; Thursday vs. American.

Photos: AP.

Matt Norlander is the editor of College Hoops Journal. You can email him at editor@collegehoopsjournal.com and follow him on Twitter.

Source: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/Tracking-the-Undefeateds-Vol-II?urn=ncaab-295418

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Ernie Munoz