2007 NCAA Basketball General News Thread

#1

This is a little late getting going, but it's nice to be caught up on teams and to know what's going on before March Madness happens. So I'll go ahead and start this out with the latest rankings

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#2

Oklahoma State Beats Pitt in 2OT

Mario Boggan kept expecting to get tired. He never did.

Oklahoma State's star forward scored a career-high 30 points and had a crucial putback in the final minute to help lift the Cowboys (No. 14 ESPN/USA Today, No. 15 AP) to a 95-89 double-overtime victory over seventh-ranked Pittsburgh on Thursday night.

"I thought I was going to be dead to the world but as it kept going I just kept wanting to play. I just got more energy and my adrenaline was just rushing more," Boggan said.

Boggan had enough left in his tank to get to the line for the go-ahead free throws with 1:42 left and then to grab Byron Eaton's miss and put it back with his right hand for a three-point lead.

Mike Cook hit two free throws with 25.3 seconds left to pull Pitt (10-2) within a point, but the Panthers were forced to foul with the shot clock off. Levance Fields was called for a flagrant foul for grabbing Eaton's neck with 21.6 seconds left.

Eaton hit both his free throws and JamesOn Curry added two more for a five-point lead, and the Cowboys exchanged high-fives before huddling with 16.7 seconds remaining. Ronald Ramon's jumper in the lane was off-target, and Fields discarded his headband as Curry stepped to the foul line to hit two more shots.

Curry finished with 21 points for Oklahoma State (12-1), which also got 12 apiece from Terrel Harris and Kenny Cooper and 10 from Eaton. Dove had 12 rebounds.

Aaron Gray, the Big East preseason player of the year, had 24 points and 10 rebounds to lead five Pitt players who scored in double figures. Antonio Graves added 17, Cook and Fields each had 15 and reserve Sam Young scored 10.

Oklahoma State had a 47-35 edge on the boards, and none was bigger than the one by Boggan. The Cowboys can only hope they won't be without their top scorer and rebounder. Boggan said he expected to have X-rays on his hand but did not think there was a break. He said the injury seemed to be in the area near his thumb.

"It got caught three times in jerseys and got pulled back," Boggan said. "I don't even know what happened but ... it hurt real bad. I think I hyperextended it like three times. Hopefully it'll be better."

After a second half in which neither team led by more than four points, the Panthers needed four points in a single possession just to force overtime. Down 75-71, Cook hit the first of two free throws before the second shot caromed away to Gray. Fields then connected on a 3-pointer from the right wing to tie it with 25.1 seconds left.

Oklahoma State then had a chance to win it, but Graves blocked Curry's spinning jumper in the lane and Boggan's tip-in fell off the rim as the buzzer sounded to end regulation.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=263550197

#3

New Mexico Beats No.8 Wichita State

Things weren't going right for Wichita State before Friday night's game against New Mexico and it was as bad as it's been all season after it.

Tony Danridge scored 17 points and New Mexico handed No. 8 Wichita State its first loss of the season, 71-68 on Friday night in the third round of the Las Vegas Classic.

Before the game, Wichita State coach Mark Turgeon was informed junior forward P.J. Couisnard, the team's second-leading scorer (12.0 ppg), was sick with a stomach virus. He went to the arena with team but couldn't play, ending his streak of 31 consecutive starts.

"We kept looking around for P.J.," Turegon said. "I should have kept him back at the hotel. I couldn't believe it. It didn't feel right."

The loss leaves four undefeated teams in Division I: No. 1 UCLA (10-0), No. 14 Connecticut (10-0), No. 21 Oregon (10-0) and Clemson (11-0).

J.R. Giddens, who did not play the final 15:39 after injuring his left foot, added 14 points for the Lobos (9-2), while Jamal Smith added 13 points and five assists.

Kyle Wilson had 23 points and nine rebounds for the Shockers (9-1), whose last loss was to George Mason in the NCAA tournament's round of 16 last March.

Sean Ogirri added 18 points for Wichita State, which was at the school's highest ranking since the Shockers were No. 2 on Dec. 29, 1981.

After trailing 40-27, Wichita State went on a 17-5 run, which included two 3-pointers by Ogirri, to get within 45-44 with 11:00 left. New Mexico then went on an 8-2 run. The Shockers cut the New Mexico lead to three points on three occasions down the stretch but got no closer.

The Shockers finished 27-of-60 from the field (45 percent), while the Lobos were 24-of-55 (44 percent). New Mexico was 14-of-18 from the free throw line while Wichita State was 4-of-9.

The Lobos held a 33-19 halftime lead after Wichita State shot just 29 percent from the field (8-of-28), including going 1-of-10 from 3-point range. New Mexico, which did not go to the free throw line in the first half, went 7-of-17 from 3-point range in the opening 20 minutes.

"They totally dominated us," Turgeon said. "They got some confidence and we couldn't get over the hump in the second half. They were making three-point plays. It's (New Mexico's) night."

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=263560167

#4

Gators Shut Down Buckeyes In Intense Game

When Florida coach Billy Donovan finally pulled his starters with the No. 4 Gators leading No. 3 Ohio State by 29 points with 75 seconds to go Saturday, four Florida students dressed in three-piece suits lofted a pair of hand-made trophies in the front row.

One was a replica of the trophy Florida claimed last April by winning the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. The other was a replica of the crystal football trophy the Gators hope to win when they play No. 1 Ohio State in the BCS Championship Game on Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz.

The Gators (11-2) used a remarkable 31-7 run in the second half to crush Ohio State 86-60 in front of a sold-out crowd of 12,621, the largest to ever watch a basketball game in Stephen O'Connell Center. Florida led by 13 points in the first half and 29 in the second. After the Buckeyes tied the score at 40 with about 17 minutes to go, the Gators scored on nine of their next 10 possessions to go ahead by 25 points.

The game was considered a precursor to the schools' upcoming meeting on the football field, which obviously will have much more on the line. Not even a rare top-five matchup in basketball in late December could overshadow the football game.

For the first time in 13 games this season, Florida's basketball team played like the squad that won six games in a row during the NCAA Tournament last season to claim the school's first basketball national championship. The Gators shot 60.3 percent, including a whopping 74.1 percent in the second half. They made 9 of 18 3-point attempts and had a 42-25 advantage in rebounds.

But Noah, who scored seven points with nine rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots, said the Gators were effective against Oden because they weren't afraid of him.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/s ... id=2707459

#5

Bob Knight Ties Dean Smith for Wins

Bob Knight always will be known for his temper and guile, for throwing a chair and winning national championships. Now he's got the ultimate vindication for doing things his way: Nobody has ever won more Division I men's basketball games.

Love or loathe him and his tactics, Knight tied Dean Smith's mark of 879 victories Saturday when Texas Tech beat Bucknell 72-60.

"I'm pleased that we're both right where we are," Knight said.

Knight has long insisted the record is a reflection on others, not himself. He stuck to that stance to the end: There was no announcement in the arena and four of his five assistants, including son and successor-to-be Pat, walked by him as if nothing had happened. The fifth assistant merely patted Knight lightly on the back as he went past.

"I'd like to have hit 62 home runs. Then I think I would've accomplished something," Knight said. "I hope those kids that played [for me] at Army back in '65, I hope some of them watched the game today and can look at themselves or their grandchildren and can say, 'I was there when that son of a bitch started.'"

Knight's first chance to own the top spot all by his sweater-wearing self comes Thursday night at home against UNLV. Two more home games follow, giving him a good chance of hitting 880 in front of the community that's embraced him since he arrived in 2001.

In his 41st year of coaching, Knight has a record of 879-353 with three national titles. The first was in 1976 with an Indiana team that went 32-0; no men's team has been perfect since.

Smith went 879-254 over 36 years, all at North Carolina. Knight and Smith are the only men to have won national championships as players and coaches. They share the record for coaching in the most NCAA Tournaments (27).

Tennessee women's coach Pat Summitt is the overall leader in major-college victories with 924 going into Saturday.

Knight and Smith spoke a few days ago and reminisced about when Smith passed Adolph Rupp for the top spot in 1997. Although they are friends, their vastly different styles were once summed up by Michael Jordan, who played for Smith at North Carolina and for Knight on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team.

"He said that both Dean and I have always tried to reach the same end, and that we have different ways of doing it. Coach Smith is the master of the four-corner offense and Coach Knight is master of the four-letter word. That's a verbatim quote from Jordan," Knight said.

Already a Hall of Famer, the 66-year-old Knight now has a share of the record some believe drove him back to coaching after being fired by Indiana after 29 years, three national titles and one too many run-ins with players, bosses and fans.

Knight became the youngest-ever coach at a major college when Army hired him at 24. During his six years at West Point, Mike Krzyzewski was one of his assistants and Bill Parcells became a good friend.

Earlier this week, Parcells joked that Knight would have gotten the record already if not for an ill-fated zone trap against Seton Hall at Army.

"I have a learned a lot about how I teach watching him," Parcells said. "But all that is only incidental to how I feel about him personally. ... The Bob Knight that I know is a lot different than the public perception and I am happy that I have a friend like that."

Knight went to Indiana in 1971 and quickly made his mark. Over 29 seasons, his teams won 662 games, including NCAA championships in 1976, '81 and '87.

Yet during his time with the Hoosiers, Knight's coaching smarts often were overshadowed by his inability to control himself.

He punched a cop while coaching a U.S. team at the Pan Am Games in Puerto Rico, hurled a chair across the court to protest an official's call and berated countless players, reporters, staffers and game organizers. There also were accusations of physical attacks on players, such as kicking a chair Pat was sitting in while playing for the Hoosiers.

Knight's boorish behavior was offset by a sterling reputation for following NCAA rules and graduating players. He also made large donations to the university's library, all of which led to equally passionate foes and supporters.

His time at Tech has been filled with more of the same on both sides of Knight's ledger.

An argument at a grocery store salad bar with Tech's chancellor and an argument with a building operator in Houston have been offset by 20-win seasons his first four years, something the program had never done more than twice in a row.

The Red Raiders crashed to 15-17 last year for only the second losing record of his career and first since Army.

"Winning does miraculous things," Knight said. "It's an elixir beyond belief."

Source: http://sports-att.espn.go.com/ncb/recap ... =263572641

#6

West Virginia Hands UConn First Loss of Season

West Virginia found Connecticut's weak spot -- the road.

The Mountaineers made a shocking statement in the teams' Big East opener Saturday by opening a double-digit lead early and cruising to an 81-71 victory over the previously unbeaten Huskies (No. 9 ESPN/USA Today; No. 12 AP).

It was Connecticut's first game outside the state this season.

"To jump into an environment like this, it was tough," said Huskies guard Doug Wiggins.

Connecticut (11-1) ran into a West Virginia team that hadn't lost at home, either, despite a revamped roster.

The Mountaineers (11-1) were supposed to be in a rebuilding mode after graduating their top four scorers and returning just six players from last season's team that reached the third round of the NCAA tournament. Yet a young team that uses an unorthodox 1-3-1 zone defense leads the nation in the fewest points allowed at 49 per game.

"The 1-3-1 looked like a Rubik's cube to us," Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun said. "We were impatient. We couldn't make any 3-pointers. And when we got the ball in the paint, we didn't finish plays."

Connecticut was the Mountaineers' first ranked opponent this season and didn't play like one.

West Virginia beat Connecticut for the first time since Feb. 11, 1998, a span of seven games. The Mountaineers improved to 21-0 in December under coach John Beilein, who beat the Huskies for the first time in five tries.

"I wasn't sure how we'd respond to that type of talent in our own building," Beilein said. "The thing I was worried about the most was how we would hold our poise."

The Mountaineers held it fine.

Connecticut led only in the game's early minutes, trailed at halftime for the first time all season, shot poorly from everywhere and was held 12 points under its season scoring average.

West Virginia, one of the nation's top outside shooting teams with 11 3-pointers per game, didn't need its outside arsenal this time. Despite making only six 3s, the Mountaineers carried a double-digit lead over the game's final 13 minutes.

West Virginia went five minutes between field goals early in the second half yet made 14 of 15 free throws in one stretch to put the game out of reach.

Calhoun was hit with a technical foul with 11 minutes left and Darris Nichols made two free throws to put West Virginia ahead 60-45.

Frank Young, who led West Virginia with 22 points, made a 3-pointer with 9:23 left to put the Mountaineers ahead 67-50.

"To start out 1-0 with a young team is good for our confidence and to keep the team positive going into league play," Young said.

The Huskies allowed only 41 points in a win over Coppin State on Wednesday night, but West Virginia nearly eclipsed that in the first half.

An array of 3-pointers, fast-break opportunities and uncontested layups put the Mountaineers ahead 21-9 eight minutes into the game, the first time Connecticut had trailed by double digits this season. If not for Wiggins' 10 points, the 38-31 halftime margin could have been much wider.

Connecticut shot 39 percent (26-of-66) from the field for the game and was just 13-of-27 from the free throw line.

Wiggins, a reserve, led Connecticut with 20 points, while Marcus Johnson added 16 and Jerome Dyson 12.

Da'Sean Butler added a career-high 16 points for West Virginia, while Nichols had 14 and Joe Alexander 12.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=263640277

#7

Oregon Starts Season 13-0 - Best Start in over 65 years

Bryce Taylor had 22 points and nine rebounds, and the Ducks remained unbeaten with a 76-73 victory over Oregon State in the teams' Pac-10 opener.

Maarty Leunen added 14 points and seven rebounds for the Ducks (13-0), who are off to their best start in 69 years and remain one of just three undefeated teams in the nation along with No. 1 UCLA and No. 25 Clemson.

Aaron Brooks scored 13 points and Chamberlain Oguchi added 12 for Oregon, which won in Corvallis for the first time in four seasons and ended a string of six straight wins by the home team in the Civil War series. None of Oregon's current players had ever won at Gill Coliseum.

"I felt like we were in position to win the game and we finally needed to get it done," said Brooks, a senior who made good in his last chance to win at Corvallis. "Normally we're down in this type of situation at Oregon State. We just needed to hold the lead and get good shots and stop their runs because we knew they would have one at the end."

Sasa Cuic, who was saddled with four fouls less than a minute into the second half, and Marcel Jones each had 16 points for the Beavers (8-6), while Josh Tarver scored 15, Wesley Washington 11 and Kyle Jeffers 10.

Oregon, which won its last five games by at least 20 points, 73-68 when Jones stole the ball from Tajuan Porter of the Ducks and went in for the dunk that made it a three-point game with 31 seconds left.

Adam Zahn made two free throws to put Oregon up 75-70 with 23 seconds to play.

Oregon State dropped to 0-3 at home this season against ranked teams. Oregon State hasn't beaten the Ducks when they were ranked in nine chances since 1975.

This might have been the toughest of those losses for the Beavers, who shot 52 percent compared to the Ducks' 46 percent, held a 32-30 edge in rebounds, and were even in turnovers with both teams committing 16.

"We had our chances," Oregon State coach Jay John said. "The guys played extremely hard and defensively, I thought we played well the entire game."

Oregon erased an 11-point deficit with a 22-4 run over the final 7:18 of the first half to take a 41-34 lead. Leunen had eight points in the run, including two 3-pointers.

The Beavers, meanwhile, turned the ball over six times and went just 1-for-5 from the field during the span.

It was a stark contrast from earlier in the game, when Oregon State scored on 13 of 15 possessions to turn a 7-4 deficit into a 30-19 lead by the 7:30 mark.

Most of those points came inside as the Beavers, who started three players 6-foot-8 or taller, had an obvious advantage against a small Oregon lineup.

After the game, Kent said Malik Hairston, the Ducks' leading scorer last season, is still a "big maybe" for next weekend's series against Southern California and UCLA. The junior guard has missed the last three games with a heel injury. He missed the first five games of the season with a groin injury

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=263640204

#8

Oregon Hands #1 UCLA Its First Loss

In 1974, Ernie Kent played for an Oregon team that upset No. 1 UCLA.

Thirty-three years later, Kent sobbed when his Ducks again knocked off the top-ranked Bruins.

"This is a together basketball team," the Oregon coach said after the Ducks (No. 17 ESPN/USA Today, No. 16 AP) handed UCLA its first loss of the season, 68-66 on Saturday. "Their spirit is unbelievable."

Aaron Brooks scored 25 points, including the game-winning jumper with 13 seconds left for Oregon (14-1, 2-1 Pac-10). That was the Ducks' only field goal over the final 7 minutes.

"It just shows that we can play with anybody, regardless of who we played at the beginning of the year," Brooks said. "People talked about our schedule, but we got to put the system in, and the system's working, and it will work against anybody if we play hard."

Darren Collison hit a 3-pointer to bring the Bruins (14-1, 3-1) into a 66-66 tie. Brooks, who had 31 points on Thursday night in the 84-82 loss to Southern California, the Ducks' first this season, hit the baseline jumper to give Oregon the lead.

UCLA worked the ball around over the final seconds and instead of going toward the basket for a chance at tying it, Josh Shipp's 3-point attempt at the buzzer was short, setting off a celebration at McArthur Court.

UCLA coach Ben Howland said he was concerned because Collison, the point guard, had four fouls, and top-scorer Arron Afflalo had three, meaning the Bruins could have had issues if the game went to overtime.

"The last play of the game was really my fault. I wanted to go for the win," Howland said. "I thought we would be able to penetrate and kick out for a 3, and it wasn't there. We were really tentative and did not get a good shot at the end of the game."

Maarty Leunen was on Shipp for the final play.

"I actually turned my back on him because I thought Collison was going to shoot it, and it went back out to Shipp and I just had to play good defense," Leunen said. "I knew the clock was running down and he had to put something up pretty quick."

The Bruins had not opened 15-0 since 1972-73, when they went 30-0 and won the national championship.

Shipp and Afflalo both finished with 14 points for the Bruins, who trailed 40-30 at halftime, while Collison had 11.

The last time the Bruins lost was to Florida in the national championship game.

"I never thought I'd feel like this again in my entire career here," Afflalo said. "I truly thought this team couldn't be beat. The way we played and the type of heart we play with, and the type of leadership we have on this team -- I wouldn't say we're invincible, [but] I didn't think we could be beat.

"This is probably my worst loss ever."

Leunen had 18 points and seven rebounds for the Ducks, who were off to their best start since 1937-38, when Oregon won its first 14.

The last time the Bruins visited McArthur Court as the nation's top-ranked team was Feb. 16, 1974. The Ducks stunned UCLA 56-51 in that game, earning the cover of Sports Illustrated. That upset also followed an Oregon loss to the Trojans.

Kent, then a shooting guard, played about 10 seconds in that game.

Among those in the sellout crowd of 9,087 Saturday were Nike founder Phil Knight, an Oregon alum, and former Ducks quarterback Joey Harrington, now with the Miami Dolphins.

"It was just a moment for me to embrace that building again. It's such a great building with lots of history and tradition and so much passion," Kent said. "I've been there as a player and I've been there as a coach, but this is the first time this group has experienced that."

The Bruins, who had won four straight against the Ducks, were coming off a 71-56 victory over Oregon State on Thursday.

As UCLA struggled with its outside shooting -- the Bruins were 1-for-9 from 3-point range in the first half -- Bryce Taylor had a dunk and a 10-foot jumper to give the Ducks the 40-30 halftime lead. Oregon shot 70 percent from the field (14-for-20) in the first half, while the Bruins shot 36.4 percent (12-for-33).

For the game, the Bruins were 8-for-23 from 3-point range and shot 41.8 percent (23-for-55) overall. Oregon made five of 15 3-point attempts and shot 47.8 percent (22-for-46).

Afflalo missed all five of his shots in the first half, but his 3-pointer made it 40-36 early in the second half.

Oregon took a 53-44 lead midway through the second half on a layup by Brooks.

The Bruins closed within 64-61 on Afflalo's 3-pointer with 2:49 left. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute missed a key shot for the Bruins with 1:28 left, and the game was halted momentarily when someone in the building pulled a fire alarm.

The Ducks were without forward Malik Hairston, who was averaging 13.4 points and 6.2 rebounds, because of a heel injury. Hairston dressed but did not play.

It was the first time a top-ranked team had visited Eugene since Arizona beat Oregon 70-54 on Jan. 16, 1988.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=270062483

#9

North Carolina Claims Top Spot in Polls

Eleven straight wins is usually a good sign for the Tar Heels. This week, it's good enough to put North Carolina (14-1) atop the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll.

And it may mean better things down the road -- five of the last six Tar Heel teams to reel off at least 11 straight wins at some point during the season have later advanced to the Final Four.

North Carolina is the new top team thanks to UCLA's 68-66 loss at Oregon on Saturday. The Bruins (14-1) dropped to No. 3 after their first loss of the season. Florida (14-2) moved into the No. 2 spot. Wisconsin (15-1) stayed put at No. 4, and Ohio State (13-2) moved up to No. 5.

Kansas (13-2) jumped three spots to No. 6 following a 70-54 win at South Carolina on Sunday. Pittsburgh (14-2) also climbed three spots, checking in at No. 7. Arizona (12-2) fell one spot to No. 8 after losing at Washington State on Saturday.

Texas A&M (13-2) and Oklahoma State (15-1) rounded out the top 10.

Duke (13-2) dropped six spots to No. 11 after Virginia Tech upset the Blue Devils in Durham on Saturday. Butler (14-1) moved up to No. 12, and Alabama (13-2) fell from No. 8 to No. 13 after an 88-61 loss at Arkansas on Saturday.

Still-unbeaten Clemson (16-0) jumped four places to No. 14, and Air Force (15-1) and Nevada (13-1) tied for No. 15.

Oregon (14-1) remained at No. 17 despite the win over UCLA, followed by No. 18 LSU (11-3), No. 19 Memphis (11-3), and No. 20 Tennessee (13-2).

Three teams made their way into the rankings this week -- No. 21 West Virginia (13-1), No. 23 Washington State (14-2), and No. 25 Maryland (14-2). Connecticut (12-2) plummeted to No. 22 after a 66-49 loss at LSU on Saturday, and Washington dropped to No. 24.

Marquette (13-4), Notre Dame (13-2), and Michigan State (13-4) all dropped out of the top 25.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2724258

[hr]

PS: Man...I can't believe Oregon didn't move up at all after that win over UCLA! That's a bunch of shit....

#10

Maryland Hands Clemson First Loss of Season

Ekene Ibekwe scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Maryland on Saturday in an 92-87 upset of No. 17 Clemson, the last unbeaten Division I team.

D.J. Strawberry added 14 points, James Gist had 12 points and Mike Jones and Greivis Vasquez each had 10 points for the Terrapins (15-3, 1-2). Maryland bounced back from poor shooting in a loss to Miami on Wednesday by shooting 65 percent in the first half.

James Mays led the Tigers (17-1, 3-1) with 22 points, K.C. Rivers had 18 points and Vernon Hamilton finished with 15 points.

Clemson had limited opponents to an average of 61 points a game this season. North Carolina State scored 76 points in a loss Tuesday night. The last time they started 17-0 was the 1986 season.

In the first half, Maryland and Clemson took turns with the lead with the Terrapins going up 27-17 with 8:33 remaining. But Clemson responded with an 11-0 run and Rivers' 3-pointer with 6:42 left gave Clemson the lead again.

After another Rivers' basket gave Clemson a 30-29 lead, Maryland stormed back with an 8-0 run to go up 37-30. After that, the Terrapins stretched the lead to 46-37 and Rivers and Booker each scored once to make it 48-42 at halftime.

Clemson never got closer than five in the second half with Maryland leading by as much as 11 with 2:53 remaining.

Source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basket ... recap.html