Yardbarker: College Basketball

Hayward's clutch free throws seal win for No. 11 Butler

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:43:00 -0500

Shelvin Mack scored 17 points and Gordon Hayward added 15, including a game-sealing free throw with 3.6 seconds left, to give No. 11 Butler a 64-60 win at Evansville on Saturday night.

UK 92, Rider 63 -- Post-Mortem

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:43:27 -0500

More photos » by James Crisp - AP Kentucky freshman point guard John Wall scores two of his 21 points over Rider's Justin Robinson. Browse more photos » Kentucky came to play this afternoon in the Wildcats' 92-63 victory over the Rider Broncs, that much is not up for debate. Impressive not only on the offensive end, the 'Cats brought their hard hats to the defensive end of the c...

3-Pointers: Ohio State's Turner is getting the point

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:22:52 -0500

Sporting News' Mike DeCourcy analyzes what Saturday's buzz means to college basketball. Point-less The condemnations of Ohio State's Evan Turner as a point guard began trickling in after his first rough game at the position — a game in which he scored 23 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and passed for four assists, by the way. Goodness. If that's the curve these folks are using to grade Turner, I'm glad none of them taught me at Point Park College. Faced with excell...

Game Notes: NC State @ Auburn

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:20:36 -0500

NC State at Auburn Date 11/22/2009 8:15:00 PMLive StatsCheck At Gametime.TV None Team Stats

2009 Scouting Report / 2009 Game Plan
2009 Stats
2010 Roster
2010 Schedule

Auburn Offense '08-'09

Four Factors Percent Nat'l Rank eFG% 50.4 110 Turnover Rate 18.5 61 Off Reb Rate 31.7 217 FTA/FGA 37.6 147

Auburn's surprisingly successful '09 campaign (24-12, 10-6), coming as it did on the heels of a terrible '08 season (14-16, 4-12), made for one of the bigger turnarounds in college basketball. But they lost three key contributors to graduation during the off-season--most notably forward Korvotney Barber--and the early returns suggest they may be heading back to the drawing board in '09-'10.

The Tigers head to Daytona with a narrow win over Niagara and an 11-point loss to a bad Missouri State team (which they beat by 15 last year). So far, the offense has been a complete disaster: they're shooting below 42%, turning the ball over nearly 27% of the time, and rebounding less than 30% of their missed shots. Like Akron, Auburn likes to shoot lots of threes despite the fact that they don't make very many of them. They've hit more than half of their twos this season, but 41.4% of their attempts have come from outside, and they've hit less than 20% of those. Their 3FG% is certain to work its way back up eventually, but considering that they shot just 33.5% from three last year, I'm not sure the ceiling is particularly high. Might be a good idea for the Tigers to attack the rim a little more often.

Making matters worse offensively, the Tigers will be without juco transfer Kenny Gabriel, a "swingman with range," indefinitely. Their most prolific and effective three-point shooter, Tay Waller, is nursing a sore quad--his status for the weekend is in doubt. Backup PG Tony Neysmith has been limited by a bum ankle.

Starters:

DeWayne Reed (6-1, 175) -- So the team's leading scorer is back, but that's good and bad. He's taken 32 shots through two games this season. Problem is, the dude can't shoot. From anywhere. He hit 61.8% of his FTs, 44.6% of his twos, and 32.7% of his (numerous) threes last season. Those were not aberrations. He did a good job distributing from the point while keeping the turnovers down, and his quick hands spearheaded a vastly improved defense, but that 46.8 eFG is evidence that he bit off more than he could chew at the offensive end. I'm not sure Auburn has a choice in the matter, though.

Frankie Sullivan (6-1, 185) -- A three-point specialist; good steal percentage last year.

Earnest Ross (6-5, 215) -- A freshman who by the looks of it fits right into the team's three-firing vibe. Unfortunately he's off to a 37.5% start from the field and has hit just one of his six 3FGAs.

Lucas Hargrove (6-6, 205) -- He was a secondary option last season, but an effective and versatile one. Turnovers were a problem, but he rebounded well at the defensive end for a guy his size, and he shot the ball well both inside and out.

Brendon Knox (6-10, 220) -- Hit 66% of his twos in very limited playing time last season. He's an extremely light-usage guy, probably because he's a foul-prone turnover machine. That's too bad, because this team could really use a reliable low-post scorer.

Bench:

Three guys have been getting double digit minutes off the bench: Kenny Gabriel (out), Andre Malone (6-5, 202), and Johnnie Lett (6-8, 210). Malone is a freshman. Lett profiles similarly to Knox--less effective from the field but a better rebounder. Bench production looks like a serious problem for the Tigers.

Auburn Defense '08-'09

Four Factors Percent Nat'l Rank eFG% 48.0 119 Turnover Rate 23.0 42 Off Reb Rate 30.8 92 FTA/FGA 37.0 192

Auburn's '09 rebound was made possible by its defense. As John Gasaway notes in College Basketball Prospectus, "In fact no major-conference team over the past three seasons has improved its D in league play as much as Auburn did last year." They allowed 1.14 points per possession in SEC play two years ago and somehow managed to cut that down to 0.98 last year. That's insane.

Auburn D 2008 2009 Opp 2FG% 55.4 46.5 Opp 3FG% 37.5 33.5

The really odd thing is that they were undersized both years: 241st nationally in effective height in '08, 258th in '09. Jeff Lebo did more with fewer inches in 2009 than anybody in America (call him, ladies). Could be that it was a fluke.

Regardless, Auburn's D is going to make for an interesting battle of wills. They want to keep opponents out of the paint and they've done a fine job clogging the lane and making foes look to the perimeter for scoring. In each of the last two years, over 40% of their opponents' field goal attempts came from beyond the arc. Zone defense alert.

Can we get it inside the way we want to, or will we end up settling for a lot of jumpers? If we get frustrated and start heaving, this game could be a hideous low-scoring affair.

This article was originally published at http://www.BackingThePack.com. If you are interested in sharing your website's content with SCACCHoops.com, Contact Us.

NC StateNameGPMinsPtsAstsRbdsStlsBlksTOsFG%3P%FT%Off Eff Tracy Smith 2 29.0 17.0 1.0 11.0 1.0 0.0 2.5 58.8 0.0 70.0 88.9 Dennis Horner 2 33.0 15.5 0.0 4.0 0.5 1.5 3.5 64.7 75.0 100.0 81.5 Javier Gonzalez 2 27.0 9.5 5.5 6.0 1.5 0.0 4.0 41.7 40.0 70.0 112.0 Julius Mays 2 24.5 9.0 2.0 0.5 1.0 0.0 2.0 44.4 0.0 90.9 122.5 Scott Wood 2 29.5 8.0 2.0 3.5 0.0 0.5 3.0 50.0 33.3 50.0 86.6 CJ Williams 2 29.0 4.0 1.0 5.0 1.0 0.5 1.5 40.0 0.0 0.0 73.4 Josh Davis 2 9.5 2.0 2.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 66.7 0.0 0.0 161.0 Jordan Vandenberg 2 11.0 2.5 0.5 2.5 1.0 2.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 83.3 142.8 Enrico Kufuor 2 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 DeShawn Painter 2 6.0 0.0 0.0 1.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Kaycee Obi-Gwacham 1 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Spencer Greenway00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0 Kendall Smith00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0 Johnny Thomas00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0 Richard Howell00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0

The Evolution of Quincy Pondexter (Through 4 Games)

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:00:00 -0500

The Huskies looked solid last night. Although, former-Husky Adrian Oliver torched them for a good 30 points. Quincy Pondexter had some interesting things to say about Oliver leaving the Husky program. Check out his quote here.

Speaking of Pondexter, he has impressed me throughout these first four games. He has picked up right where he left off after his stellar play in the NCAA tournament in March. I don't know how he's reached this level of play, but there is no doubt that he is a different player from last season.

These last four games he's put up point totals of 12, 25, 29, and 30. Last night to go along with his 30 points, he had 15 rebounds as well. Looking at the stat line, I could have mistaken him for Jon Brockman circa 2009. I did not know Pondexter had the capability to grab 15 rebounds, but he has been able to do it. It looks like this team will be another classic dominating rebounding team, even with the loss of Brockman.

Obviously, the season is still young, and it is still too early to reach some conclusions about Pondexter and his play, but I do not foresee this guy declining. If there has been one way to characterize his play in his past three years at UW, it would easily be his inconsistency. Ever since he arrived a four star recruit, UW fans have patiently waited for a breakout season. Pondexter did have glimpses of above average scoring ability, but this season he has reached a new level.

Perhaps the most interesting development to come out of Pondexter's newfound scoring prowess has nothing to do with him. If Pondexter is putting up 20 point nights, what exactly happens to the production of Isaiah Thomas? Isaiah will still score at least 15 points and is just another threat for teams to zero in on. I do not think opposing teams or even Coach Romar know who this team's first option is. This makes the Huskies an extremely dangerous team that will be scoring points in the bunches.

I am looking forward to the Huskies' game on December 12th against Georgetown. We will see how Pondexter will be able to handle a well-capable defender, and by that time we'll have more games to judge this Husky offense on.

Rakim Sanders Injured | Out 2-4 weeks

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:48:32 -0500

In yesterday's loss to Saint Joseph's Boston College star Rakim Sanders injured his ankle and was forced to sit out the remainder of the game. According to a tweet from Andy Katz he is expected to be out for a few weeks.

"Bad news from BC staff: Rakim Sanders ankle injury could keep him out for weeks. He was done early in to loss to St. Joe's in VI."

The good news is that BC has only one conference game, against lowly Miami, in the next coming weeks. Unfortunately the Eagles could use Sanders for key non conference match-ups with Providence and Michigan.

UPDATE

Sanders is out 2-4 weeks per Andy Katz

This article was originally published at http://bcallaccess.com/. If you are interested in sharing your website's content with SCACCHoops.com, Contact Us.

Johnson knew he needed to step up, and did

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:33:19 -0500

NEW YORK—Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim says he's known Wesley Johnson was a special talent from the first time he saw him play. Wesley Johnson introduced himself to the Syracuse faithful with 25 points against UNC. But it was not until Johnson, a 6-7 transfer from Iowa State, lit up Madison Square Garden the last two nights that the rest of the country got acquainted with his singular talent as well. Johnson scored 25 points Friday night to lead Syracuse to a stunningly lopsided 87-...

Orange Win 2k Sports Classic

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:58:00 -0500

Wow. I would be lying if I told you I thought the Orange would be 4-0 at this point of this season. I would have been pleased with 3-1. The team lost its top three scorers from last season, including Jonny Flynn who basically controlled every aspect of the offense last year. Syracuse easily beat Robert Morris and Albany. I had hope and optimism from those two games because the Orange not only beat those teams, but they beat them easily, something that Syracuse really has not done for the past...

Syracuse hammers No. 6 UNC to win Coaches vs. Cancer

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:36:00 -0500

Brandon Triche and Arinze Onuaku combined for 13 points in Syracuse's 22-1 run to open the second half and the Orange went on to a 87-71 victory over No. 6 North Carolina on Friday night in the championship game of the 2K Sports Classic.

Syracuse hammers No. 6 UNC to win Coaches vs. Cancer Classic

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:36:00 -0500

Clemson Tigers Defeat UNCG 89-67

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:54:05 -0500

The OP Stat of the Game: Milton Jennings. 14 points, 16 min

While it isn't as exciting as the UNC loss to Syracuse, 87-71, over on ESPN2, the win is the 2nd away win of the season. The Big East is looking strong thus far, the ACC, not so much, as two ranked ACC teams have lost.

Per the Tigers have shown resilience and versatility this year. Yes, Booker is still getting the job done with his 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 steals. But, in each of the previous games the role players have stepped up.

Tonight was no different. This time, Milton Jennings stepped up with 14 points and David Potter followed his career performance with an 11 point game.

But what about Andre Young? When is he going to start? He is out-playing, hustling, and just plain playing better than Stitt. Maybe bring Young into the starting lineup will get Stitt back in the game. He is better than he is playing, but is looking like he didn't work as hard as needed this summer. Young, Smith, Potter, Booker, and the Freshman on the other hand, looked like they did work.

Our team identity is still developing, as we were not entirely into the game early. That lack of total dedication throughout will lead to early holes we will have to deal with.

Tonight is game three in the tune-up phase, Winthrop is up next. And while they are not as strong without Gregg Marshall, they are still a primarily Basketball-oriented school. They will, hopefully, serve as the intermediate before we open up an against major, BCS opponent in Texas A&M.

Some kinks, especially defensively, will have to be worked out if we plan on playing late into March. This is probably not a concern yet, as it is early, but just something to keep an eye on.

OP addressed the lack of defensive commitment during the game, and hopefully the players will continue to respond.

Its almost tailgate time!

Go Tigers!

This article was originally published at http://the-op.blogspot.com/. If you are interested in sharing your website's content with SCACCHoops.com, Contact Us.

Final from Puerto Rico: Boston University 71, IU 67

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:35:26 -0500

John Holland scored 21 points as Boston University knocked off Indiana 71-67 in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Tip-Off Classic in Puerto Rico. Maurice Creek paced the Hoosiers (2-2) with 17 points, all in the first half. More coverage to come.

Boston College's Rakim Sanders Injures Ankle

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:20:32 -0500

Andy Katz reported the following on twitter a few mintues ago:

@ESPNAndyKatz: Bad news from BC staff: Rakim Sanders ankle injury could keep him out for weeks. Done early in to loss to St. Joe's in VI.

Sanders had already been suspended for Boston College's first two games for violation of team rules. Look for Tyler Roche to continue to get big minutes if Sanders misses any action.

As a reminder, follow SCACC Hoops on Twitter at @scacchoops or on Facebook for more frequent updates on injuries, in-game notes, and other ACC or NCAA news.

Turner nets double-double

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:20:00 -0500

Evan Turner had 26 points and 14 rebounds, his fourth double-double in as many games, and No. 15 Ohio State beat No. 13 California 76-70 on Friday night in the third-place game of the 2K Sports Classic.

Patriots fall to Georgia Tech in Day 2 of Puerto Rico Tip-Off

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:17:00 -0500

The team almost seemed over-matched today against the Yellow Jackets, who were sporting a huge size advantage over the Patriots. The final was 70-62 but it wasn't nearly as close as that score would suggest. Mason didn't come out flat and led 17-8 early but then allowed Georgia Tech to go on a huge 15-0 run to close out the first half with a 27-19 lead. The Yellow Jackets were blocking the Patriots shots down low left and right which led to our guys backing away from the inside shots....

Preview: Houston Baptist

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:44:02 -0500

Yes, there's an OSU preview coming. The Essentials WHAT #15/16 Michigan v. Houston Baptist WHERE Crisler Arena WHEN 7:00 EST November 20th, 2009 THE LINE No line, junkie TELEVISION BigTenNetwork.com Michigan Michigan will probably come out with the same lineup they played last game: Darius Morris at the point, Laval Lucas-Perry at guard, Manny Harris and Zack Novak at forward, and DeShawn Sims in the middle. Stu Douglass will replace LLP at...

Game Notes: Georgia Tech @ George Mason

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:04:21 -0500

Georgia Tech at George Mason Date 11/20/2009 1:00:00 PMLive StatsCheck At Gametime.TV ESPNU Team Stats

More photos » by Ricardo Arduengo - AP

Iman is the man. (AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo)

Browse more photos »

George Mason is our round 2 opponent. Let's do this....

George Mason dropped their opening game like Tech but GM had a little bit more depressing of a finish than Tech. George Mason appears to be sifting through their depth chart and played 10 different guys for 10 minutes or more yesterday. They're led by sophomore forward Ryan Pearson who played 37 minutes for the Patriots. The Pats only shot 3 for 13 from behind the 3 point line against 'Nova so that should play into Tech's apparent weakness of defending the long ball.

I think this tournament is definitely gonna help Hewitt find out who his leaders are and who his ballers are. We'll probably end up playing 2-3 NCAA tournament teams in a short span of time and we'll really get a good hold of who we've got on the bench before ACC play in January.

Concerning the game, here's some more preview material about GMU: Preview for Nova Game, Blogger Q/A exchange between Nova-GMU bloggers, & ESPN coverage of GMU recruiting successes.

This article was originally published at http://www.FromTheRumbleSeat.com. If you are interested in sharing your website's content with SCACCHoops.com, Contact Us.

Georgia TechNameGPMinsPtsAstsRbdsStlsBlksTOsFG%3P%FT%Off Eff Iman Shumpert 2 26.5 13.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 0.0 4.5 50.0 20.0 75.0 72.0 Gani Lawal 2 25.0 12.5 0.0 10.0 0.0 1.0 4.0 52.6 0.0 83.3 58.3 Derrick Favors 2 25.5 10.0 1.0 7.0 1.0 0.0 2.0 53.3 0.0 66.7 83.9 Brian Oliver 2 12.0 9.0 1.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 54.5 66.7 0.0 146.0 Zach Peacock 2 20.5 8.0 0.5 6.0 1.5 0.0 3.5 72.7 0.0 0.0 51.7 Mfon Udofia 2 22.5 7.0 2.5 2.5 1.0 0.0 2.5 36.4 0.0 54.5 90.0 Maurice Miller 2 17.0 6.0 2.5 3.0 2.0 0.0 1.5 36.4 0.0 50.0 99.1 Lance Storrs 2 8.5 4.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 0.0 1.5 37.5 50.0 0.0 56.6 DAndre Bell 2 20.5 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.5 0.0 2.0 50.0 0.0 0.0 88.7 Glen Rice Jr 2 7.5 3.5 0.5 3.5 1.0 0.0 0.5 37.5 33.3 0.0 68.9 Nick Foreman 2 5.0 2.0 0.5 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 50.0 0.0 0.0 128.5 Brad Sheehan 2 9.0 1.0 0.0 4.0 0.5 0.5 0.0 100.0 0.0 0.0 199.9 Sam Shew 1 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Kammeon Holsey00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0 Daniel Miller00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0 Ty Anderson00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0 Derek Craig00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0

Late Rally Falls Short in 77-73 Loss to Tar Heels

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:24:22 -0500

This one was on its way to being a laugher after a Deon Thompson lay up gave North Carolina a bulging 55-36 lead over Ohio State with 10:26 to play but the Buckeyes outscored UNC 37-22 down the stretch before falling 4 points shy in the Garden. Five points from David Lighty in the final minute [...]

Jardine-Triche duo helping Syracuse forget about Flynn

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:25:34 -0500

NEW YORK – They didn't show the flash or other-wordly quickness off the dribble of Jonny Flynn, but Syracuse point guards Scoop Jardine and and Brandon Triche were plenty good enough Thursday night in the Orange's 95-73 victory over California in the semifinals of the 2K Sports Classic. On the same Madison Square Garden court where Flynn put an incredible iron-man performance last season, playing 67 of 70 minutes and leading the Orange to a six-overtime victory over UConn in a...

North Carolina Defeats Valiant Penn State, 80-69.

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:11:29 -0500

Oh, forget it. I don't even have the heart to write the fake "Tarheels Beat Nittany Lions" post. This game was a disaster, practically from the opening tip. UNC-Wilmington (1-2) -- a team that went 7-25 and had a RPI ranking of 273 one year ago -- never lost the lead after breaking a 7-7 tie early in the first half, although Penn State (2-1) whittled the deficit to two points with three minutes remaining. Chris Babb, Andrew Jones, and Tim Frazier combin...

Dino Gregory's December return

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:41:16 -0500

How much does Gary Williams value Dino Gregory? Well, enough that the Maryland coach was ready to anoint the power forward as a starter when I spoke with Williams before the season began. Gregory gives the Terps an energetic big body on defense and on the boards. He also brings something that Jordan Williams and James Padgett lack -- experience in ACC games and in postseason play. I think many fans began to appreciate Gregory only when there was the possibility of his missing a numbe...

Nova Forgets How To Shoot, Espaces George Mason

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:39:04 -0500

Unless you don't have a job, and have ESPNU, you probably didn't watch the Nova game today. Dannie and I "watched" on separate GameCasts at work, and saw a very strange game unfold. It ended with Villanova winning 69-68, but here's how they got there.... Corey Fisher goes 1-14 from the field. And scores 17 points. This is both horrible and good at the same time. Scottie Reynolds commits 10 turnovers, 4 less than the entire Mason squad. The game winning 3-pt shot was hit ...

Hey, check out the big win on Dayton

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:19:38 -0500

Dayton got their first real test of the season today. Guess what? They passed. You probably didn't see the game. I know I didn't. For whatever reason, our friends at ESPN decided to go with Colin Cowherd on ESPNU, and none of the Full Court packages were carrying the game, either. Which means that No. 18 Dayton played No. 21 Georgia Tech in Puerto Rico, and nary a person saw it. Is this like the rule people make about cheating on their significant others when they're on vacation?...

Georgia Tech: Dayton Flyers Guest Blogger

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:28:39 -0500

by Skip Peterson - AP

Dayton's most storied tradition: The High Kick of Doom. (AP Photo/Skip Peterson)

View full size photo »

Tom over at the Blackburn Review answered some questions as a guest blogger for this week's match-up of two preseason ranked teams in Georgia Tech and the Dayton Flyers. Here are our responses to his questions. We advise all of you to head over there and get involved in the discussion as well as to start one over here. Here are the responses:

1. Georgia Tech lost two seniors accounting for about a third of Georgia Tech's total points last year. Did Dayton lose any key cogs due to graduation, academic attrition, or the NBA? Who is taking their place?
The NBA? You jest. The last time Dayton sent a player to the NBA Nina Hartley and Peter North were running the porn game. The Flyers lost one senior to graduation last year, but return 10 or their top 11 players from last year’s squad—including 4 of 5 starters. UD brought in two freshmen, neither of which figure to play significant roles in Thursday’s game. Obviously, the fact that UD returns almost the same team from last season’s 27 win team has led to high expectations for the upcoming season.

2. Feeding off the previous question, which Flyers should Georgia Tech fans keep an eye out for in the opening round of the tourney in Puerto Rico?
The lion share of the press goes to Kountry Chris Wright. Wright, a local product, was named to both the Wooden and Naismith preseason lists and named first team All-Atlantic 10 this season. Senior guard Marcus Johnson was the team’s second leading scorer last year and its’ best defender. Sophomore Chris Johnson is a budding star, an athletic swingman who has an improved outside game and an unbelievable rebounder for his size (18pts/15reb against Creighton). I would imagine that Marcus Johnson gets permanently matched up with Shumpert, and Wright will battle with Lawal at some point in the game.

3. Obviously Tech plays in the ACC but one team sticks in the craw of all Tech fans. Tech fans HATE the University [sic] of Georgia. Beating them in basketball is very important for Tech fans and only secondary to the Thanksgiving football game. Beating them in any sport, in general, gives Tech fans a warm and fuzzy feeling. What team is the big game on the schedule that Flyer fans circle?
Xavier is easily the biggest game of the year for UD. Just as Georgia Tech gets overshadowed by Georgia, Xavier receives the type of exposure Dayton covets. Xavier’s recent postseason success (two Elite Eights and a Sweet 16 over the past six years) has only added more fuel to the fire, as Dayton fans must cope with the fact that their main rival is raising the ceiling for all mid-major programs.

That being said, I would have to say that this year’s Puerto Rico Tipoff is something Dayton fans have been focused on since the field was announced. Obviously facing Tech in the opening game will be a challenge, and the prospect of facing Villanova in the second round means this week has the possibility of firmly establishing UD as a top 25 team this season.

4. Winfield lived in the Dayton area during the Oliver Purnell years. What is his legacy now that he is years removed from the program? Positive or negative?
Definitely positive from what I can tell. He came in and brought a program that was mired in a sea of failure back to a respectable level. The criticisms most UD fans have of Purnell was that he was so open about looking for that next job. It was clear that OP was looking for greener pastures and that it was only a matter of time before he was walking out the door. The other critique that was pervasive during Purnell’s tenure was his lack of success recruiting locally. Brian Gregory is reversing that trend, evidenced by his signing of Wright and reeling in Juwan Staten (a top 50 recruit) for the 2010 class. I will say that some fans do take some pleasure in OP’s continued failure to win an NCAA tournament game.

5. Concerning your mascot, if one state were to be allocated 100% of the Wright Brothers fame, which state should it be? North Carolina or Ohio?
It’s got to be Ohio. That’s the home of the Wright Brothers, and where the plans and research were initiated. The planes themselves were constructed and tested in Dayton. Granted, the initial flights did take place in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, but the real grunt work took place in Dayton.

Follow my logic here: the majority of cocaine is grown and cultivated via coca leaves in Columbia. An overwhelming amount of that processed cocaine is then filtered into the United States to be enjoyed by all. Now, would you say that cocaine is more of a Columbian commodity, where it is grown, tended to and eventually packaged for sale? Or would you say coke is an American good, simply because that is where it is used? If you associate Columbia with cocaine, then you must link the Buckeye State to the Wright Brothers.

Thanks to the Blackburn Review for answering our questions. Let us know your comments and thoughts for the Dayton Flyers matchup.

This article was originally published at http://www.FromTheRumbleSeat.com. If you are interested in sharing your website's content with SCACCHoops.com, Contact Us.

No. 2 Michigan St. survives scare from Gonzaga

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:37:47 -0500

Durrell Summers hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:02 left, made two at the line with 5.7 seconds to go and finished with 21 points to help No. 2 Michigan State rally for a 75-71 win over Gonzaga on Tuesday night.

Scottie Reynolds Gets Sports Illustrated Cover Treatment

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:17:30 -0500

Villanova's star guard Scottie Reynolds just assured he'll twist his ankle in the next week or so. I'd guess this is a regional cover, but it's clear that Villanova is one of the top programs in college hoops these days.Incidentally, ESPN is airing 24 straight hours of college basketball right now. Temple is off a torid start against Georgetown putting in a whopping 13 points in the first half. Color me in Phillies red, but I haven't caught the NCAA Hoops buzz yet this se...

Watch Miami coach Charlie Coles destroy a reporter

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:51:24 -0500

The last time we had a coach-reporter pantsing this bad, Jim Calhoun was involved. After Miami's last-second loss to Kentucky and John Wall last night, a game the RedHawks might well have deserved to win, a reporter decided to ask Miami coach Charlie Coles how the game got away from him. Coles, being a grizzled old man with a low tolerance for guff (I assume this is the case and have yet to see any evidence to the contrary), does not take too kindly to that question. Hilarity ensued: If I...

Seth Davis: Ohio State's Evan Turner adds new position to supersized game

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:08:10 -0500

Evan Turner has added a whole new dimension -- and position -- to the Buckeyes this season, writes SI.com's Seth Davis.

Isiah nearly goes ‘Charles Barkley’ on fan

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:59:30 -0500

Back in the New York area, Isiah Thomas got a hostile welcome that was more than a little out of line with his new job as coach of Florida International.