Ohio State Buckeye Basketball - College Hoops Top 25

0 - Jared Sullinger 1 - Deshaun Thomas 2 - Jordan Sibert
4 - Aaron Craft 10 - Eddie Days 15 - J.D. Weatherspoon
23 - David Lighty 24 - Nikola Kecman 32 - Lenzelle Smith Jr.
33 - Jon Diebler 44 - William Buford 52 - Dallas Lauderdale
54 - Evan Ravenel




COLUMBUS — The start of the 2010-11 college basketball season is still more than three weeks away, but there was a buzz around Value City Arena Thursday as the Buckeyes gathered on the eve of practice.
Despite losing the National Player of the Year Evan Turner from last year’s Sweet 16 squad, there were will be plenty of familiar faces Friday when Ohio State takes the practice court.
It will be the seventh season in Columbus for Head Coach Thad Matta, and all but two of them have been spent with David Lighty by his side. The fifth-year senior is back for his final go-around in scarlet gray, but it has not been a pain-free career for the Cleveland native.
For the second year in a row, Lighty begins the season coming off a broken bone in his left foot.
“It’s coming a lot pretty well so far, I just have to get my explosion back and my bounce back,” Lighty said Thursday during Ohio State’s annual basketball Media Day.
“I’m pretty much doing everything, so it’s just a matter of time until I’m back to where I was before.”
Lighty originally broke the fifth metatarsal in his left foot during the nonconference portion of his junior season. He had a pin inserted into the foot in Dec. 2008 and missed the rest of the season. He was awarded a medical redshirt after playing in only seven games that year, which is the reason he is still suiting up for Matta and the Buckeyes this fall.
The 6-foot-5 wingman out of Villa Angela-St. Joseph never imagined he’d have deal with the injury all over again, but even that hasn’t been enough to shake his optimism.
“Since I went through it already, I already knew the process pretty much,” said Lighty, who re-fractured the fifth metatarsal back in May.
“It was the exact same thing, but you’re anxious to get out there and play. You see everybody playing and you want to get out there but you just can’t.”
Except now he can.
The Buckeyes are back on the court Friday for the first time since their 76-73 loss to Tennessee in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, and Lighty will be out there along with fellow returning starters Jon Diebler, William Buford and Dallas Lauderdale.
“(There is) no pain or anything,” said Lighty, who averaged 12.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists last season.
“Maybe soreness when I first got back playing, but that’s typical.”
A high-energy player with a non-stop motor, Lighty averaged over 36 minutes per game last season for the Big Ten champions. Though the injury might be healed, Lighty knows he has a ways to go before he is ready to log those kinds of minutes again.
“Just time, getting back on the court,” he said.
“Stamina has been my weakness so far, I’m getting tired kind of quick, but the more you play basketball, the more you get used to it.”
Like Turner and Diebler, Lighty was among the leaders in the Big Ten in minutes played last season, but that likely will not be the case in 2010-11. Despite losing their best player, Matta said he expects this Ohio State team could go 8-10 deep.
That would be a drastic change for the Buckeyes from the last few seasons, where they have been limited to six or seven guys in the rotation. A big part of that is the addition of six new freshman, including McDonald’s All-Americans Jared Sullinger and DeShaun Thomas.
“The class we have coming in with the freshman, that’s a big focus of everything that makes us a better team,” Lighty said.
“Everyone we have coming back as well. We lost one player, but 80 percent of the starters are coming back.”
Matta said Thursday they still don’t know who will replace Turner at the point this season, but they know who it won’t be. That leaves freshman Aaron Craft along with Buford, Diebler and Lighty as potential candidates.
Lighty has slimmed down to 215 this off-season after weighing 225 pounds last season,. He said he already feels quicker and lighter on his feet.
“I’ve noticed a little difference so far,” Lighty said.
“When I get back to game speed I'll probably notice a bigger difference. I’ll be jumping higher and moving quicker than I was last year.”
With this being his final year at Ohio State, another break would likely mean the end of Lighty’s playing career. He isn’t thinking about that, however, and said he actually feels stronger after his recovery this time around.
“I think I was stronger coming back since they pushed it back a little longer since it was my second time,” he said.
The Buckeyes will certainly be stronger with Lighty out there, especially on defense, where they must replace the length and grit Turner brought each and every night.








College Hoops Pre-Season Top 25
1. Duke: No reason to move the Blue Devils. Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith had tremendous summers working out with the USA Basketball select team. The buzz around newcomer Kyrie Irving is just as high. The karma is all good in Durham with Mike Krzyzewski winning a gold medal at the FIBA World Championship in Turkey and the Blue Devils getting a commitment from one of the best players in the 2011 class in Austin Rivers.

2. Michigan State: The Spartans did dump Chris Allen, an indication that the differences between Allen and Tom Izzo were too wide to overcome. But Izzo is feeling quite good about the continued recovery of Kalin Lucas from an Achilles injury. Lucas will be treated carefully in practice over the next month as the Spartans see how much he can push himself. But Izzo is confident Delvon Roe is as healthy as he's been at MSU and fully expects Durrell Summers to be a star and Draymond Green to be a vocal leader.

3. Pittsburgh: The Panthers don't have the star power of the aforementioned top three. But this Panthers team is like an old-school Big East team that has experienced players who have been together and found roles. The summer trip to Ireland provided more positive bonding time for Jamie Dixon's crew as it takes on the role of Big East favorite. There were no flaws this summer, making it more palatable to move the Panthers up a few spots.

4. Kansas State: The Wildcats continue to have a positive vibe from their near brush with a Final Four berth. Kansas State returns Jacob Pullen and an expectation that returnees like Curtis Kelly and Jamar Samuels will continue to blossom. Clearly the rest of the Big 12 believes in the Wildcats, as well, since they were picked to win the league for the first time.

5. Ohio State: The Buckeyes have one of the top freshmen in the country in big man Jared Sullinger. Sure, they lost Evan Turner, but the rest of the wings return and the buzz on the Buckeyes remains that this team was more than Turner a year ago. If players like William Buford, David Lighty and Jon Diebler can handle the responsibility, the Bucks should be a national contender.
6. Kansas: Moving the Jayhawks up to No. 7 is clearly predicated on Josh Selby being eligible for the majority of the season. KU is waiting for Selby to get his academic clearance from the Eligibility Center. He can practice while this is pending, but Kansas needs him out on the court during the real stuff. There is still plenty of talent in Lawrence -- led by Marcus Morris, who coach Bill Self is convinced will be a star -- but Selby is the key for the Jayhawks to be top-10 good.

7. Villanova: The Wildcats didn't rely on Scottie Reynolds in his last few games as much and they survived. Reynolds' eligibility expired and Corey Fisher is the next one to pick up the mantel. Jay Wright had another solid offseason, coaching the USA Basketball select team. There is an expectation now that Wright's teams won't dip. Like Pitt, Villanova is considered a regular near the top of the league on a yearly basis.

8. Gonzaga: The Zags had quite a summer with Elias Harris, Kelly Olynyk and Robert Sacre all playing for their respective national teams. Gonzaga put together arguably the toughest nonconference schedule in the country, too. If Demetri Goodson and Steven Gray can elevate their game as lead guards after the departure of Matt Bouldin, the Zags will be deserving of a top-10 ranking.

9. Florida: The Gators return all five starters from last season's No. 10 seed in the NCAA tournament. But the addition of Patric Young is surely going to bolster this squad. Young won gold for the USA junior national team this summer and proved to be an invaluable member of that squad. His tenacity, hustle plays and overall team focus means he could be a difference-maker for Florida this season.

10. Syracuse: The Orange move up six spots from the May poll in large part because coach Jim Boeheim is almost never wrong about evaluating and projecting his team's talent. Most of the time he hits on the major contributors and Boeheim said Kris Joseph is ready to be a star. He also expects big man Fab Melo to have a monster season, notably on the defensive end where he can block shots and grab rebounds. While it's hard to see yet where and how much C.J. Fair and Dion Waiters will play, they have already impressed, meaning the freshman class will make this team even deeper.

11. Kentucky: If Enes Kanter's eligibility was a certainty, the Wildcats would move up into the top 10. His amateurism eligibility decision is still to be determined. But what can be stated is Kentucky showed on a trip to Canada that the returning players are up for the challenge of a new role. Darius Miller and DeAndre Liggins should flourish as John Calipari plays more of his dribble-drive-motion offense. Newcomers like point guard Brandon Knight, Doron Lamb, Terrence Jones and Stacey Poole are all ready to make major contributions.

12. Missouri: The Tigers move up a notch, even without newcomer Tony Mitchell, whose eligibility is in question and in a best-case scenario wouldn't be available until the Big 12 schedule starts. But Mike Anderson can't play the role of being underappreciated anymore. Missouri returns Kim English, a healthy Justin Safford, Marcus Denmon and adds a recruiting class that needs to get more love. Anderson is pushing the significance of point guard Phil Pressey and power forward Ricardo Ratliffe. If both are as impactful as projected, Mizzou may be a league title contender.

13. Illinois: My colleague Doug Gottlieb tabbed the Illini to win the Big Ten. I'm not going that far with Purdue, Michigan State and Ohio State to contend with. But Illinois has no excuse if this is not an NCAA season at the very least. Bruce Weber can't say enough about how much incoming freshman Jereme Richmond will mean to this team. Add him to an already talented roster that includes Mike Davis, Mike Tisdale, D.J. Richardson and returning lead guard Demetri McCamey and the Illini have their best chance since 2005 to challenge for a conference title.

14. North Carolina: Losing the Wear twins and senior Will Graves, the team's top 3-point threat, meant the Tar Heels had to drop a few slots. The talent is in place up front with the return of John Henson and Tyler Zeller and the addition of the top freshman in the country in Harrison Barnes. But the guard play is still a work in progress and an unknown with erratic Larry Drew II and the still-inexperienced Dexter Strickland and Leslie McDonald being joined by newcomers Reggie Bullock and Kendall Marshall.

15. Memphis: The Tigers did get Will Barton eligible after there were questions earlier in the summer once he missed the team's trip to the Bahamas. But all is good now. The Tigers certainly have the talent to be projected higher, but remember they didn't make the NCAAs last season and are leaning heavily on newcomers like Barton, Joe Jackson and Tarik Black. If the Tigers are to be worthy of the top 10, then returnees like Wesley Witherspoon and Will Coleman will have to continue their improvement.

16. Baylor: This is by far the biggest drop in my poll from May to October. The Bears were probably too high in that original poll. Losing Ekpe Udoh and Tweety Carter was significant and maybe I was putting too much emphasis on newcomer Perry Jones. But the reason for this drop is LaceDarius Dunn. He is currently suspended from game competition, but was just reinstated to the team to practice and attend class after allegations that he broke his girlfriend's jaw. But the uncertainty of Dunn's availability casts major doubt on whether the Bears can be a serious contender in the Big 12.

17. Washington: Like Jay Wright, there was positive karma with Lorenzo Romar sharing the coaching duties in Las Vegas for the USA Basketball select team. And the guard play is extremely solid with the return of Isaiah Thomas, Venoy Overton and Abdul Gaddy, wings Justin Holiday and newcomers led by Terrence Ross. Losing Quincy Pondexter shouldn't be underplayed, though. We'll know early enough about the Huskies when they go to the Maui Invitational with a possible semifinal matchup against Kentucky.

18. Butler: Shelvin Mack had a sensational summer and the buzz continues to build that he's one of the top guards in the country. Mack played on the USA select team and the more confident he becomes, the better chance Butler has of being back in the mix for a deep March run again. Sure, losing Gordon Hayward early to the NBA is hard to take for this group, but if Ronald Nored is healthy enough to be as much of a scorer as he was a defender and Matt Howard adds even more productivity and stays out of foul trouble, the Bulldogs won't disappoint.

19. Georgetown: The Hoyas return one of the best backcourts in the Big East with Austin Freeman, Chris Wright and Jason Clark. If Julian Vaughn, Hollis Thompson and newcomers Nate Lubick and Moses Abraham can help offset the loss of Greg Monroe, Georgetown will be in the chase in the Big East. The Hoyas put themselves in position early with another tough slate of nonconference games (going to Old Dominion, Temple and Memphis, to Kansas City to play Missouri, and adding a home game against always-tough Utah State) to gauge where this team will be in January.

20. Tennessee: I probably had the Vols slightly too high in May and the NCAA investigation swirling around the program doesn't help, let alone the self-imposed sanctions against the entire coaching staff that have left a cloud over the season. It shouldn't affect the on-court performance of the players, but it will certainly be a distraction for the coaches as they have to deal with questions throughout the fall. Tennessee still has one of the top newcomers in guard Tobias Harris, and if Scotty Hopson can make shots in bunches, the Vols should still finish in the top three in the loaded SEC East.

21. San Diego State: The Aztecs have quietly gone through the summer with their roster intact, led by one of the more underrated forwards in the country in Kawhi Leonard. Malcolm Thomas is another stud for coach Steve Fisher. If the point guard situation gets settled, the Aztecs should be a top-25 squad. San Diego State challenged itself with five straight games away from home to open the season, including going to Gonzaga before heading off to three games in Oxford, Ohio, as part of the CBE Classic. If the Aztecs survive that stretch, they'll be in a solid position to enter the MWC season as the favorite, fending off BYU, New Mexico and UNLV.

22. Minnesota: The Gophers got two players back that would have certainly helped in March. Lead guard Al Nolen, who became academically ineligible in February last season, is good to go, as is forward Trevor Mbakwe, who sat out last season pending an assault case. Mbakwe is back in the good graces at the school, which stood by him during the case. The Gophers went to Canada in August and returned an even more determined lot. Don't sleep on this squad, especially in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic. Nolen, Mbakwe, Devoe Joseph, Blake Hoffarber, Ralph Sampson III and Rodney Williams are all capable of leading the Gophers to a tournament win and into the top 25.

23. Purdue: On Friday, I ranked Purdue No. 2 and wrote that "the Boilermakers haven't had a single hiccup during the offseason." Less than 24 hours later, Robbie Hummel retore his right ACL during the team's first full practice. The loss can't be overstated. The Boilers still have a pair of All-Big Ten players in JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore and are still very much an NCAA tournament team, but it's hard to foresee this being a Final Four contender without Hummel.

24. Temple: The Owls got pushed down a peg by my newfound belief in Minnesota. Temple is still my pick to win the A-10 with the return of Lavoy Allen and guard Juan Fernandez. The Owls once again have a monster schedule that should tell us plenty by January, with an opener against Seton Hall, quality games in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, playing Maryland in D.C., hosting Georgetown and going to Villanova. The Owls go to Duke, too, but that's not until late February. Oh, and of course, this team has one of the top coaches in the game in Fran Dunphy.

25. Georgia: I was bullish on the Bulldogs in May and I haven't dropped off in October with the return of Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie, two of the top talents in the SEC. Georgia also adds Tennessee State transfer Gerald Robinson, who should open up some scoring on the perimeter. UGA will certainly be pushed in an SEC East that could produce up to five NCAA tourney teams, but the Bulldogs have some summer buzz and momentum heading into that Old Spice Classic tournament in Orlando, especially with an opener against Notre Dame.


Who got pushed out of the poll?
Virginia Tech: The Hokies were No. 22 in my May poll, but they lost one of their key rotation players in J.T. Thompson to a knee injury. Of course, the return of Malcolm Delaney means they will be in the hunt for a top-two finish in the ACC and an NCAA berth. But the Hokies weren't an NCAA team last season and losing a key player pushed them down a few spots for now.


A dozen more to watch (in alphabetical order): BYU, Florida State, New Mexico, Texas, UNLV, Utah State, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Wichita State, Wisconsin, Xavier



No. 10 Ohio State vs Purdue
COLUMBUS, OH
Oct. 23, 12:00 PM ET
Big Ten Network
Ohio State tries to rebound after a short stay at No. 1 when the Buckeyes host Purdue. Ohio State has not suffered back-to-back losses in six seasons. Terrelle Pryor will also be looking for a little revenge after last season's two interception, two fumble game in West Lafayette. Purdue has lost 10 consecutive road games to ranked opponents.

Top 20 College Basketball Players at the Euro Championships

Ranking the top 20 NCAA players at this summer's Euro Championships
Luke Winn si.com

We'll find out in November if a post-U20 boom is in store for Natyazhko. All we can say with certainty, in July, is that he tops SI's ranking of the 20 collegians we found playing on U20 rosters (all stats through Tuesday):

1) Kyryl Natyazhko, Ukraine (4-5, eighth place, Division A)
6-11, Soph. C, Arizona
U20 Stats: 32.0 mpg, 17.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg (3.6 orpg)

2) Jake Cohen, Israel (3-2, Division B)
6-10, Fr. F, Davidson
U20 Stats: 30.8 mpg, 20.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg (82.9 percent FT shooting, 6-of-15 three-point shooting)

3) Ovie Soko, Great Britain (4-1, Division B)
6-8, Soph. PF, UAB
U20 Stats: 29.0 mpg, 19.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.4 spg
Soko, who played high school ball in Virginia but was born in London, was a bit player for the Blazers as freshman, averaging 1.5 points in 10.1 minutes. He's using his size to dominate the interior in Austria, scoring 29 points (to go along with seven boards) against Poland on Tuesday. He also ranks fourth in Division B in steals.

4) William Neighbour, Great Britain (4-1, Division B)
6-10 Soph. F, Daytona State JC
U20 Stats: 17.0 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.4 bpg
Neighbour could be a nice frontcourt role player for a Division I team in 2011-12. He was rumored to be headed to Arkansas-Little Rock in 2008, but surfaced instead at Daytona State, where he averaged 15.3 points per game as a freshman.

5) Olek (Aleksander) Czyz, Poland (5-1, Division B)
6-6 Soph. F, Nevada (formerly at Duke)
U20 Stats: 24.2 mpg, 13.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 72.1 percent shooting
Czyz, who left Duke early in the '09-10 season and will be eligible for the second semester at Nevada in '10-11, has been highly efficient for the Poles, shooting nearly 75 percent from the field. He should be a strong frontcourt presence in the WAC once he's eligible.

6) T.J. DiLeo, Germany (3-6, 14th place, Division A)
6-2, Soph. SG, Temple
U20 Stats: 27.3 mpg, 10.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg
DiLeo, the son of 76ers senior VP Tony DiLeo, was mostly stuck on Temple's bench as a freshman last season. He had several promising performances in Croatia, though, dropping 20 points on both the Czech Republic and Netherlands, and finishing as the Germans' second-leading scorer.

7) Andrew Lawrence, Great Britain (4-1, Division B)
6-1 Soph., PG, College of Charleston
U20 Stats: 30.2 mpg, 13.2 ppg, 2.2 apg, 2.4 spg
Lawrence could be Charleston's future starting point guard. He's playing quite well for the 4-1 Brits in Austria, with a 2.2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in five games.

8) Zisis Sarikopoulos, Greece (8-1, second place, Division A)
7-0, Soph. C, Ohio State
U20 Stats: 19.6 mpg, 7.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg
Sarikopoulos played significant minutes in a run to second place in Croatia, but cracking the Buckeyes' frontcourt rotation -- which will include Dallas Lauderdale, Jared Sullinger and DeShaun Thomas in 2010-11 -- will be tougher than cracking the Greeks'.





9) Alex Marcotullio, Great Britain (4-1, Division B)
6-3, Soph. SG, Northwestern
U20 Stats: 22.8 mpg, 10.0 ppg, 2.0 spg
Marcotullio had the green light to shoot threes as a freshman at Northwestern, and he made them at a 36.9 percent (41-of-111) clip. He's emerged as the Brits' primary gunner, and has made 38.5 percent of his international treys thus far.

10) Chris Czerapowicz, Sweden (3-2, Division B)
6-7, Fr. F, Davidson
U20 Stats: 26.8 mpg, 13.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg
There's no way McKillop will give Czerapowicz, who was discovered on a tip from ex-Wildcats playing in Sweden, the kind of shooting freedom he's been allowed in the U20s: In his past two games, he's gone 2-of-12 and 4-of-12 from beyond the arc. But the Wildcats do have hopes that Czerapowicz will develop into an excellent wing player in the Southern Conference.

11) Aksel Bolin, Norway (3-3, Division B)
6-7 Fr., SG, Northern Illinois
U20 Stats: 26.4 mpg, 9.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 0.6 bpg
Huskies coach Ricardo Patton called Bolin "a big kid with good perimeter skills." The Norwegian 19-year-old quietly signed with NIU this June, and has one double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds vs. Slovakia) so far in the U20s.

12) Nimrod Tishman, Israel (3-2, Division B)
6-5 PG, formerly at Florida
U20 Stats: 32.2 mpg, 9.4 ppg, 2.6 apg, 2.8 topg
Tishman's trial year in D-I didn't go well; he couldn't break into the Gators' rotation behind Ervin Walker and Kenny Boynton, and so the former Israeli junior star opted to return to his homeland and turn pro. He's piloted his national team to a 3-2 record thus far -- but has a disappointing, sub-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

13) Vladyslav Kondratyev, Ukraine (4-5, eighth place, Division A)
6-8 Soph. F, Bryant
U20 Stats: 19.7 mpg, 3.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 0.9 spg
Kondratyev was one of the few bright spots for a Bryant club that went 1-29 last season and was arguably one of the worst two teams in Division I. He was named to the NEC All-Rookie team after averaging 8.9 points and 3.1 rebounds, and followed it up with a decent summer in Croatia, serving as a solid role player for the Ukrainians.

14) Akeem Vargas, Germany (3-6, 14th place, Division A)
6-4, Soph. PG, Iowa Lakes Community College
U20 Stats: 22.6 mpg, 4.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.9 apg
Vargas is an oversized point guard who could end up on a D-I team in 2011-12. He scored 16 points on eventual third-place team Spain in Germany's opener, but was quiet for the rest of the U20 tournament.

15) Ruslan Pateev, Russia (5-4, fifth place, Division A)
7-0 Soph. C, Arizona State
U20 Stats: 7.3 mpg, 3.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg
Pateev's U20 experience was remarkably similar to his freshman year with the Sun Devils, for whom he averaged 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in 8.3 minutes per game. His minutes should increase as a sophomore now that fellow import Eric Boateng has graduated.

16) Carl Engstrom, Sweden (3-2, Division B)
7-0, Fr. C, Alabama
U20 Stats: 16.4 mpg, 2.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 0.0 blocks
Alabama announced on July 1 that it was adding Engstrom to its 2010 recruiting class, and he appears to be a classic project center. He was a former national team handball player in Sweden and has only been playing hoops for two years, so his limited production in Austria was understandable.

17) Deniz (Mükremin) Kilicli, Turkey (2-7, 13th place, Division A)
6-10, Soph. PF, West Virginia
U20 Stats: 6.8 mpg, 1.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg
Mountaineers coach Bob Huggins is eyeing Kilicli as a starter at center next season, and WVU fans are hoping the big Turk will have a sophomore breakout ... but his stats from Croatia were underwhelming. He was with the Turkish team under curious circumstances -- he initially said he'd be visiting home for 2 1/2 weeks, but was then pulled into national-team duty until the end of July. Kilicli didn't get off the bench in four of the team's final five games, and probably would've been better off training in Morgantown.

18) Alistair Mackay, Great Britain (4-1, B Division)
6-10 Fr., C, Davidson
U20 Stats: 10.8 mpg, 2.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 0.4 bpg
Mackay is a Scottish project who'll need time to get acclimated to D-I hoops, but could be an asset for the Wildcats in a few years. It's not easy for mid-majors, even those of Davidson's ilk, to recruit size stateside.

19) Raheem May-Thompson, Great Britain (4-1, Division B)
6-6, Soph. F, Quinnipiac
U20 Stats: 5.0 mpg, 1.3 ppg, 0.7 rpg.
Thompson, whose father, Leo, is a former member of the British national team, was a bit player for Bobcats this past season ... and a bit player for the Brits in Austria. Soko and Neighbour earned the bulk of the minutes at forward for England.

20) Carmel Bouchman, Israel (3-2, B Division)
6-8, Fr. F, Temple (but may be returning to Israel)
U20 Stats: 1.5 mpg, 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
Bouchman only appeared in nine games for the Owls, averaging 1.3 minutes, but didn't have much of a role on the Israeli team, either: In the four games he appeared in, he had three trillions.

SIGN UP FOR THE 2010 TOURNEY BRACKET CHALLENGE

EVERYONE SIGN UP FOR THE 2nd ANNUAL SPORTSTALK4US TOURNEY PICK EM

Go to www.yahoo.com and sign in. Click on fantasy sports, then tourney pick em 2010. Sign up and look for the group Just BS it is in the public, not private. Depending on how many sign up will decide what the reward is...............


click here and click join group, public, Just BS

College Basketball's Player of the Year: Evan Turner or John Wall

Andy Staples from si has a great article on the p.o.y. debate in college basketball between Wall and Turner. I have to go with Turner, not just because I love the Bucks, but there is no other player in college basketball that does more for his team and means more to his team than Evan Turner. John Wall is an excellent player, but he has another frosh playing along side him that is just as good. He has better talent all around him except for his crooked coach. Kentucky would still be a tournament team without Wall.(that is not taking anything away from him) Ohio State would not be a tournament team without Evan Turner. What do you guys think?




Ohio State's Turner deserves POY honors for well-rounded dominance
www.si.com Andy Staples
How good is Evan Turner? Lately, he's been causing me to tune into games I should really have no interest in watching, like last week's Ohio State-Penn State contest. The Nittany Lions were 2-12 in the Big Ten at the time. The Buckeyes pretty much controlled the entire second half. Yet I couldn't stop watching. I wanted to see what Turner would do next.
At one point early on, he throws an inbounds pass in under his own basket, immediately takes the ball back and flies down the baseline for a slam. During one early-second-half span, he feeds teammate David Lighty for a dunk, then runs back down court and blocks Penn State star Taylor Battle. Moments later, off a missed Penn State shot, Turner races down court and leaves two defenders in the dust for a layup.
And then there are the jump shots -- all sorts of jump shots. On one, he takes a pass on the wing, makes a crazy spin move to ditch Battle and puts up a floater. Penn State eventually cuts a 17-point deficit down to four with 3:30 left, but you know what's coming next. Two straight possessions, two straight Turner pull-up jumpers. Ballgame.
Final tally: 25 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, three steals, two blocks.
Though he makes even the most mundane game exciting, Ohio State's do-everything junior won't win Player of the Year honors on highlights alone. John Wall can go toe-to-toe in that department. Turner deserves it because he's the most complete player in the country, the most valuable to his team and the most productive all-around guard the sport has seen in years.
You have to go back to 2004 to find the last time a point guard, St. Joe's star Jameer Nelson, won the Naismith Trophy. Lately the hardware's been dominated by power forwards like Tyler Hansbrough and Blake Griffin. Those guys were ballers, no question, but their games were more workmanlike. Lots of bullying inside the lane to grab rebounds and get fouls.
It's been a treat this year to watch Turner and Wall do their thing in the open floor, and they're both electrifying players. The difference is, Turner does more things in more areas over the course of 40 minutes.
He averages 19.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.8 steals. Consider: He's a 6-foot-7 point guard who leads his conference in rebounding. Not only that, he's No. 1 in scoring and No. 2 in assists, making him the only Big Ten player in the past 26 years to rank in the top three in all three major categories.
Just for kicks, he's also second in steals, fifth in field-goal percentage (. 538) and eighth in blocked shots (0.9 per game).
And did I mention he's one of just two players in the country (the other, Marshall's Hassan Whiteside) to post two triple-doubles?
Clearly, the guy's got more than enough credentials to qualify for Most Outstanding Player. We also have certifiable proof why he's the sport's Most Valuable Player.
Ohio State, 24-7, currently sits in first place in the Big Ten. Take away Turner, however, and the Buckeyes are an NIT team. We know this because early in the season, Turner suffered, quite literally, a backbreaking injury.
Ohio State was 7-1 when Turner crashed to the floor following a dunk against Eastern Michigan on Dec. 5, fracturing the second and third lumbar vertebra in his spine. He missed six games, during which the Buckeyes went 3-3, including losses at Wisconsin and Michigan in their first two league games. Since his return, Ohio State has gone 14-3 and is seen as a potential Final Four team.
Turner has some fine complementary players around him in William Buford, Jon Diebler, David Lighty and Dallas Lauderdale, but they pale in comparison to Wall's supporting cast at Kentucky, which includes two fellow projected lottery picks (DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson). Without Wall, the Wildcats wouldn't be a front-runner for the national championship -- but they'd probably be in the discussion with that kind of talent.
Wall is akin to what freshman star Derrick Rose was to Memphis' 2008 national runner-up squad: the cherry on top of what was already a very tasty sundae. Even without Rose, the Tigers had reached the Elite Eight a year earlier with largely the same cast of players.
Turner plays more the part that his fellow Chicago native, Dwyane Wade, did at Marquette in 2003 -- a guy so talented he could almost singlehandedly lead an otherwise pedestrian team to the Final Four.
With that in mind, the player of the year race between Wall and Turner figures to be no easier a decision than an NBA general manager would have right now if he had a choice to sign Rose or Wade. You can't go wrong either way.
But the question here isn't, who's more talented? It's, who's been more outstanding during the 2009-10 season? Turner has scored more, rebounded more, shot better and notched as many steals while tallying slightly fewer assists. No other player in the country does so many different things so well.






Uncanny ability to destroy defenses makes Wall America's top player
www.si.com Andy Staples
I took my time working my way to the court in the back corner of the Riverview Park Activities Center in North Augusta, S.C., in July 2008. I'd spent the first few hours of my first Peach Jam tournament watching some surefire future stars. I'd seen DeMarcus Cousins. I'd seen Xavier Henry. I'd even seen Seantrel Henderson, who would become a top recruit in football.
Still, every coach I spoke to asked the same question. Have you seen John Wall yet?
So I finally made my way to that back-corner court, and there he was. At first glance, without a ball in his hand, the Raleigh, N.C., native didn't look so special. Sure, he was a 6-foot-4 point guard, but unlike Cousins and Henry, he didn't already look like a full-grown man. Then Wall brought the ball up the court.
He dribbled to the top of the key and paused. (Sound familiar, Kentucky fans?) He locked eyes with his defender, who stared back with the same look the wildebeest usually gives the lion. Wall spotted an opening, and he attacked. In what seemed like one fluid motion, Wall was at the rim. I don't remember if he dunked, if he dropped in a layup or if he passed to an open teammate for an easy bucket. It didn't matter. He'd already destroyed the opposing defense. The basket itself was an afterthought.
Surrounding the court were coaches from every conference in America. Even the most stoic among them couldn't suppress a smile or a head shake when they saw Wall move from top of the key to tin faster than the lightning strikes from the summer storm outside.
I wondered how Wall's game would translate at a higher level. He certainly appeared to play at a different speed than his elite classmates, but would a good college team be able to contain him? We know now that good college teams cannot contain him. We know now that he still appears to play at a different speed than everyone else on the court.
That's why the 2010 NBA Draft Lottery may as well be called the John Wall Sweepstakes. It's also why Wall is the nation's most outstanding college player this season.
We'll ignore the fact that most NBA general managers would saw off a limb for the right to select Wall. We'll also ignore the dance craze sweeping the nation. The college basketball Player of the Year should win the award for what he did this season, not because of his professional potential or because of his ability to incite a coast-to-coast fad. Based on numbers alone, the choice probably would have to be Ohio State's Evan Turner. But before you hand Turner -- a worthy candidate, to be certain -- the Player of the Year Award, ask yourself one question.
This is the same question I posed to myself before I cast my ballot for the Heisman Trophy, and it works for any Most Outstanding Player award in a team sport. If you were starting a college team from scratch and the only information you had to work from was what you've seen this season, who would you pick first?
I'd pick Wall, and it wouldn't be close.
Wall is an excellent passer, a pretty good rebounder and a decent defender, but his ability to make a defense collapse into itself like a dying star makes him the best player in the country.
Sometimes, an athlete can be so much better than everyone else at one particular facet of the game that he tilts the odds in favor of himself or his team. The object of tennis is to hit the ball past an opponent, so a player with an unreturnable serve would be favored to win every match, even if his ground strokes were only above average. A golfer so proficient with his putter that he never, ever three-putts would keep himself in every tournament in spite of his average driving distance.
The object of basketball is to put the ball through the basket, and Wall, because of his preternatural ability to slice into the lane and make a defense implode, is better than anyone else in the country at making it easy for his team to put the ball in the basket. Sure, he can improve the other facets of his game, but even if he never does, he is so superior at this one critical skill that night-in and night-out, he is the nation's most dangerous offensive player.
He's also the most valuable. While Turner's value to his team is undeniable, Wall probably doesn't get enough credit for Kentucky's metamorphosis. Obviously coach John Calipari and Cousins and junior forward Patrick Patterson have played large roles, but the primary reason Kentucky has turned from an NIT team to a likely No. 1 seed in the space of 11 months is Wall. Without Wall, the Wildcats would be a good team. They almost certainly would make the NCAA tournament, but they wouldn't be special. With Wall, Kentucky is great, even without a legitimate long-range threat.
Remember, North Carolina doesn't win the national title last year without point guard Ty Lawson, whose speed decimated defenses and opened up the offense for Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington and everyone else. Wall is a taller version of Lawson -- on rocket fuel.
Wall leads the Wildcats in scoring, with 17.0 points a game. He leads the SEC in assists, with 6.17 a game. Want a better stat line? In the final two minutes of Kentucky's first 29 games, Wall scored 62 points in 66 minutes while shooting 60 percent with only four turnovers. The numbers don't tell the whole story, though. Remember, Turner's numbers are better than Wall's. Of course, take away Cousins and Patterson and fellow freshman Eric Bledsoe, and Wall would score more points and grab more rebounds than he has. Turner posts huge numbers because he must. Wall's supporting cast is far more talented, so he doesn't have to win games single-handedly most of the time.
But guess who has the ball when Kentucky needs to score? When the Wildcats escaped Mississippi State with an overtime win last month, Wall finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Five points came in overtime. Wall did this by slicing up the Bulldogs' defense to the point that they had no other option but to foul him.
No other player in the nation can make a defense implode the way Wall can. Just as he did in AAU, he dribbles around the perimeter, hunting for a weak spot. As soon as he identifies it, he zips past the guards and into the lane. By now, at least three defenders are actively engaged in stopping Wall, which means at least two Kentucky players are wide open. Much of the time, Wall hits one of those open teammates for an easy basket. Other times, Wall just makes everyone in the opposing jersey look foolish.
Against Tennessee last Saturday, Wall darted toward the lane. Volunteers forward Kenny Hall had a sound idea. Wall was moving so fast. Certainly, he couldn't stop or change direction. So Hall broke down at the elbow and waited for Wall to plow him over for an obvious charge. Wall planted one foot and spun around Hall and into the paint. Once there, he rose. Then he flipped the ball over Vols forward Wayne Chism and into the basket.
Wall had moved up a level since that day on the back-corner court, but nothing had changed. He is still the best player on the floor and the best player in the country.

College Hoops Early Player of the Year Candidates

College Hoops Early Player of the Year Candidates



Scottie Reynolds
Senior, Villanova
Reynolds may be the most lethal crunch-time player in the nation. The cold-blooded senior guard has improved every season at Villanova and headlines a stellar backcourt, averaging a team-high 18.7 points per contest. Thanks in large part to Reynolds, the 18-1 Wildcats are unquestionably a national title contender.


Wesley Johnson
Junior, Syracuse
Jim Boeheim hasn't taken many transfers during his time at Syracuse, but it's no wonder that he warmly welcomed Johnson, who played his first two years at Iowa State. As one of the most versatile and unselfish players in America, Johnson leads 20-1 Syracuse in points (17.1) and rebounds (9.0) and ranks second in steals (2.4) and blocks (1.9). Johnson's a key component in the Orange's 2-3 zone, which has been as effective as ever this season.


Damion James
Senior, Texas
James flirted with entering the NBA draft after last season, but returned when he was not graded out as a high enough pick, and Texas couldn't be happier. The hyper-athletic, 6-foot-7 senior is the key cog for the 17-2 Longhorns, leading the team in points (17.6) and rebounds (10.8).



John Wall
Freshman, Kentucky
As the most recognizable player on the nation's No. 1 team (and presumed No. 1 pick in this year's NBA draft), Wall may be the current leader in the race for player of the year. John Calipari's latest point guard prodigy leads the Wildcats in points (17.0), assists (6.9) and steals (2.1) per game. The electrifying athlete has also shown a knack for staging late-game heroics.


Jon Scheyer
Senior, Duke
Scheyer has flourished in his first full season running the point for the Blue Devils. The senior, who leads Duke in scoring (18.6) and assists (5.7) per game, has a fabulous grasp for the game. He ranks fourth in the country with a spectacular 3.72 assist-to-turnover ratio and shoots 89.5 percent from the free-throw line. What Scheyer lacks in pure athleticism, he makes up for with stellar decision-making.

Sherron Collins
Senior, Kansas
Collins is the unquestioned leader of the loaded Jayhawks, who could return to the No. 1 spot after Kentucky's loss to South Carolina on Tuesday night. The senior leads Kansas in scoring (15.5) and assists (4.2) and has the ability to completely take over a game down the stretch.

Luke Harangody
Senior, Notre Dame
The two-time All-American and 2008 Big East Player of the Year leads the conference in scoring (24.7) and ranks fourth in rebounding (9.9). The 15-5 Fighting Irish look to ride their senior stud to a third NCAA tournament appearance in four seasons.




Ohio State's Evan Turner should lead all Player of the Year debates
by: Glockner www.si.com

Ohio State coach Thad Matta has coached a national Player of the Year before, so when he quickly compares current Buckeyes star Evan Turner to former Xavier standout David West, it's instructive.
In Turner, he sees the same kind of intelligent approach to the game and a refined sense of the moment that allows him to deliver whatever his team needs at the most crucial junctures.
Then Matta tosses this on top.
"I think [Evan] is probably one of the most ultracompetitive kids I have ever coached," Matta said. "Winning is very, very important to him. He's just the type of the guy in practice that he needs a score, he needs time on a clock. There's got to be a prize at the end, and I think that's what great players all seem to have."
That competitive drive helps explain what you're seeing now, the completion of Turner's evolution from freshman-year complement (capping that season by combining for 37 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists in the NIT Final Four) to sophomore leading man to genuine national Player of the Year candidate. Not to mention Turner basically switched positions before this season. When Matta suggested some summer drills to prime the forward for extended work at point guard, his star dove in eagerly.
"He's one of those guys who's very critical of his game and is not afraid to admit he has faults," Matta said. "A lot of kids don't want to admit that, 'Hey, I'm not good at this.' And they sure as heck don't want to work on it. Evan is a kid who knows the game, he knows what he needs to get better at, and he's going to put in the work."
All that work on his supposed flaws? It has Turner positioned to end up in some very rarefied air.
First, let's examine this season. Despite a fractured back that cost him close to seven games, Turner should be the leading candidate for the Naismith Award (along with the bevy of other Player of the Year awards). With due respect to the other top candidates, a comparison of performance right now isn't all that close:


Player % Poss. Off. Rating eFG% Assist Rate OR%/DR%
Evan Turner 33.8 110.8 59.2 37.6 10.1/26.3
John Wall 27.3 114.1 53.2 36.2 2.3/9.2
Damion James 26.2 113.2 53.8 4.6 11.4/26.3
Wesley Johnson 21.8 117.7 61.6 10.7 8.7/19.0

Notes: %Poss is the percentage of time a team's possession ends in a player's hands. Offensive rating measures a player's individual offensive efficiency. Effective FG% accounts for the extra value of three-pointers. Assist rate is the percentage of teammate baskets created while on the court. Offensive and defensive rebound rates track the percentage of team's total rebounds grabbed by a player while he's on the court. All figures taken from KenPom.com for games through Jan. 24.
Turner is almost as efficient offensively as John Wall and Damion James, the two other high-usage players on the list, despite handling the ball a lot more. His effective field goal percentage also is significantly better than either of them, even though he's made only six three-pointers all season (Wall has made 16; James has 20). Meanwhile, Turner's assist rate is better than the best point guard in the land, and he's almost the glass-cleaning equal of James, an elite rebounder, and much better than Wesley Johnson.
Simply put, he's essentially a combination of the best traits of each of his competitors: Johnson's shooting, Wall's dishing and James' board work.
For high-usage players (greater than 28 percent of a team's possessions) in major conferences, Turner is second in possessions used and has the nation's best assist rate while still ranking eighth in offensive efficiency. And that doesn't even account for his overall defensive impact or the seemingly seamless way he stuffs his stat lines.
"I don't go in saying I have to get 10 assists today or something. I just play basketball," Turner said. "If I see an open man, I pass the ball. If I see an open shot, I take the shot. I always try to rebound, play defense, and when it's time to take the game over, that's what I do."
That's what he's usually been able to do, even against more rugged competition. The Buckeyes are 5-3 against RPI Top 100 teams with Turner -- and 0-3 without him.
Bottom line: If he keeps this up, POY should be his, and the better debate might be where Turner's season would place in the modern history of college basketball.
Right now, Turner is averaging 18.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. However, if you exclude the seven-minute outing against Eastern Michigan (when he was injured) and his 20-minute return against Indiana, those averages jump to 20.7, 11.0 and 5.8. If Turner can maintain those standards (technically, he'd need about a 0.5 ppg bump in scoring), he will complete one of the most statistically improbable seasons in modern basketball history.
How rare is a 20/10/5 year in college hoops? According to Ohio State's sports information department, which consulted with Stats Inc., no Division I player has completed one since at least 1996. Stats Inc.'s best guess as to the last player to do it is Larry Bird at Indiana State in 1978-79, and that wasn't even in a major conference. Searching independently, the last player who did it in a top-tier league may have been Bill Walton at UCLA in 1972-73.
Think about what that means. Grant Hill (17.4/6.9/5.2) never got there. Neither did Dwayne Wade (21.5/6.3/4.4). Tim Duncan came moderately close (20.8/14.7/3.2), but still didn't do it. Even less-remembered one-man wrecking crews like N.C. State's Tom Gugliotta (22.5/9.8/3.1) couldn't get there.
The best proxies? The two most freakishly multitalented stars of the modern era: Magic Johnson (17.0/7.9/7.4 and 17.1/7.3/8.4 in his two seasons) and Jason Kidd (16.7/6.9/9.1 his sophomore season). Both had outrageously impactful seasons, but each still missed on two of these three specific metrics.
More recently, there have been only 19 20/10 guys in Division I in the last five seasons combined, and none averaged more than 2.7 assists per game. Yes, it takes a perfect confluence of events -- a multidimensional star playing with a solid supporting cast that lacks a true second go-to guy -- but the sheer rarity of the feat hints at both Turner's uniqueness and his quality.
If Kentucky ends the season at No. 1, Wall rightly will get a long look for Player of the Year. He's lived up to all expectations and team success, especially for a point guard, should be strongly considered. That said, if Turner does make it to 20/10/5 and Ohio State continues to thrive, the POY debate should be settled. If you deliver arguably the most dynamic season of the last 30 years, you have to be considered the best player in the land.

Ohio State Buckeye Wednesday

Bucks Maul Cats Behind Turner’s Near Triple-Double
www.theozone.net
COLUMBUS – Ohio State made its first seven shots Tuesday while Northwestern made only four in the entire first half as the Buckeyes (14-5, 4-3 Big Ten) made quick work of the visiting Wildcats (13-5, 2-4) in a 76-56 blowout out at Value City Arena.
Coming off a huge win over Purdue Saturday, the Wildcats looked like a team that may have celebrated a little too hard as they had more turnovers in the first half (6) than made baskets. They shot just 18 percent for the half as the Buckeyes got out to a 40-17 halftime lead.
“We had a lousy practice yesterday and I think it showed up today,” Northwestern Head Coach Bill Carmody said after watching his team fall behind 17-3 in the first seven minutes of the game.
“That’s not to take away from how well Ohio State played. Right from the get-go they jumped on us and we were never in the game.”
The Wildcats came out much hungrier in the second half, as they matched Ohio State point for point in the early going. They even outscored them 39-36 over final 20 minutes, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a 23-point halftime deficit or a near triple-double from Evan Turner.
“I thought Evan did a good job of getting inside (their defense) and that kind of shrunk it,” OSU Head Coach Thad Matta said of his star.
Coming off his fourth Big Ten Player of the Week award this season, Turner put on another show for the 13,324 fans attendance. Playing in his fifth game since returning from a lower back injury that cost him a month of the season, Turner fell just two assists shy of his third triple-double of the season.
After the game he said he still felt like he was only about 90 percent back to what he was before the injury.
“I still need a little bit more conditioning, and my feel for the game (isn’t back to where it was), but I felt I anticipated things a little better,” he said.
The 6-foot-7 junior out of Chicago led the Buckeyes with 20 points and 13 rebounds before leaving the game with over two minutes to play, just two assists shy of a triple-dip.
“I thought he got a little tired there down the stretch, but he’s getting back,” said Matta, who pulled Turner with 2:31 to play and a 73-51 lead.
The 13 rebounds came just three nights after Turner managed only one rebound against Wisconsin in a foul-plagued 60-51 win on the very same floor.
“For one I played in the game (tonight),” said Turner, who was noticeably upset after being called for two early fouls against the Badgers.
“I lost my rhythm sitting out 16 minutes but William Buford did a great job rebounding for us that game. I tried to focus on my defense and going to the boards. I wasn’t happy with the way I played defense and rebounded last game.
The Buckeyes outrebounded Northwestern 21-11 in the first half and 35-27 for the game, but it was the way they shared the basketball early on that seemed to impress Carmody the most.
“I thought they passed the ball around really well and got terrific shots,” he said after watching the Buckeyes shoot 56 percent in the first half and 52 percent for the game.
Ohio State had 19 assists on 27 made baskets, including a season-high five assists from junior Jon Diebler, who also added 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting against the Wildcats’ 1-3-1 zone defense.
“We told Jon going into this game that every time we play Northwestern he gets good looks. So we told him to be ready it was good to see him hit some shots,” Matta said.
Buford added eight points, almost all on tomahawk dunks, and David Lighty had seven, but it was center Dallas Lauderdale who stepped up to score a career-high 14 points in the paint to go with six rebounds against a Northwestern team that was playing without 6-8 forward Kevin Coble. The senior has been out the entire season with a foot injury, and without him the Wildcats shot 38 percent from the floor and 39 percent from behind the arc against Ohio State’s high-pressure defense.
The Buckeyes hope to continue that defensive intensity Saturday when they travel to Morgantown for a non-conference battle with No. 11 West Virginia (2 p.m. ET, CBS).

Game Notes:

*The Buckeyes are 12-0 in Value City Arena this season.

*Ohio State outscored Northwestern 14-2 in the paint in the first half.

*At 6:10 left in the first half, Ohio State was 12-of-17 (71 percent) from the floor and held Northwestern to 2-of-15 (13 percent), leading 28-10.

*Evan Turner garnered his seventh double-double of the season against the Wildcats and 18th of his career. It is Turner’s first double-double since he scored 25 points with 13 rebounds against Florida State Dec. 2, 2009.

*Turner’s eight assists makes him the second Buckeye in school history to record 1,000 pts. 500 rebounds and 300 assists - Jimmy Jackson is the only other Buckeye hold the honor. Turner has 1,127 points, 524 rebounds and 301 assists.

*Dallas Lauderdale scored a career-high 14 points to go along with six rebounds. Lauderdale has scored in double figures seven times this season.

*Lauderdale connected on 6-of-6 field-goal attempts. For the season, he is shooting 52-of-68 from the field (76.5 percent), tops in the Big Ten. He is 36-of-41 (87.8 percent) at Value City Arena.

*Jon Diebler has made at least one 3-pointer in his past 29 games, dating to last season. The last time Diebler went scoreless from behind the arc was Feb. 14, 2009, in an 0-of-3 effort against Wisconsin.




Turner, No. 21 Buckeyes make easy work of Northwestern
www.cbssports.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Evan Turner says he's about 90 percent back to where he was before breaking two bones in his back in early December.
After Turner had 20 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists in No. 21 Ohio State's 76-56 win over his team on Tuesday night, Northwestern coach Bill Carmody was asked if he thought Turner still was that far from being on top of his game.
"Next question," Carmody cracked. Then he added, "Yeah. He's doing OK."
Turner also keyed a fast start with five points in a 7-0 run as the Buckeyes (14-5, 4-3 Big Ten) broke out quick and cruised to their third win in a row.
"I think he's the best player in the country," said teammate Jon Diebler, who added 17 points. "The guy does everything."
As a 6-foot-7 point guard, Turner had the length that enabled the Buckeyes to throw the ball over Northwestern's trapping 1-3-1 halfcourt zone. As a result, the Buckeyes shot 56 percent from the field in opening up a 40-17 halftime lead that allowed them to breeze to the finish.
"In practice we attacked that 1-3-1 pretty well," Turner said. "We figured if we attacked instead of retreated or waited for them to attack us, we would be fine. As long as we were in attack mode, I knew we'd be fine."
Dallas Lauderdale had a career-high 14 points for Ohio State, which has won the last 30 times it has hosted the Wildcats, dating to 1977. The Buckeyes were coming off impressive wins over No. 6 Purdue and No. 13 Wisconsin last week.
"Coach has been stressing toughness, composure and attacking - not reacting," Lauderdale said. "We knew they were going to play different defenses and switch man-to-man and 1-3-1. We just wanted to attack whatever we did. The way we started is the way we knew we could start and the way we wanted to start."
John Shurna had 22 points and Drew Crawford 11 for Northwestern (13-5, 2-4), which played its third straight game against a ranked opponent. The Wildcats beat No. 6 Purdue 72-64 on Saturday, the highest-ranked team they had beaten in 31 years.
At one point in the second half, the Wildcats hit 8 of 10 shots from the field but cut only three points off what was a 23-point deficit at the break.
"They're playing as well as anyone," Carmody said of the Buckeyes, who are finding their groove after Turner missed 4½ weeks with the injury that caused him to miss six games. He's been back for the past five.
The Wildcats hit 9 of 23 3-pointers -- they're in the top 10 in the nation in shots made and attempted behind the arc -- but never had an answer inside against the more aggressive Buckeyes.
The Buckeyes broke out to a quick lead on a Turner jumper and a 3 sandwiched around Diebler's fast-break layup.
"Tonight was a good night," Turner said. "We're definitely getting our transition back, which is important. We really thrive in transition basketball. And we're all getting each other involved in the game and we're all playing well together."
Carmody said the Wildcats had a bad day Monday in practice and that seemed to carry over into the game.
"From the get-go they jumped on us and we weren't even in the game," Carmody said. "They passed the ball really well and they seemed to be hitting on all cylinders."
While Northwestern had difficulty getting space to shoot at the offensive end, the Buckeyes were at their best. They hit their first seven shots from the field while taking a 17-3 lead. After the Wildcats got as close as 10 points, the Buckeyes ran off 14 of the next 18 to go up 31-11.
Ohio State, now 12-0 at home this season, also got three highlight-reel tomahawk dunks from William Buford in the opening half.
The Wildcats, who had outrebounded Purdue 42-23, didn't get a rebound in the opening 9:15. Ohio ended up with a 35-27 upper-hand on the boards.
Turner became only the second Ohio State player (joining Jimmy Jackson) to have 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 300 assists.
"Having him back in the lineup just makes us that much of a better team," Diebler said. "We're getting our timing down both offensively and defensively."
Coach Thad Matta was asked where he thought Turner's game was.
"About 50 percent," he said with a laugh.

Big Ten
Team Conf. W-L Tot. W-L
Michigan St. 5-0 15-3
Wisconsin 4-2 14-4
Illinois 4-2 12-7
Michigan 3-2 10-7
Ohio St. 4-3 14-5
Purdue 3-3 15-3
Minnesota 3-3 12-6
Indiana 2-3 8-9
Northwestern 2-4 13-5
Iowa 1-4 7-11
Penn St. 0-5 8-9

College Hoops Rankings and Top Recruits

NCAA College Basketball Rankings Jan. 18, 2010
www.cbssports.com
Rk School Pvs W-L W-L Last Week This Week
1 Kentucky 1 18-0 3-0 W 89-77, at Florida
W 72-67, at Auburn
Jan. 23, Arkansas

DeMarcus Cousins recorded his ninth double-double in UK's win at Auburn.
2 Texas 2 17-0 3-0 W 90-83, at Iowa State
W 72-67, Texas A&M
Jan. 18, at Kansas State
Jan. 23, at Connecticut

The Longhorns are 17-0 for the first time since 1932-33.
3 Kansas 3 16-1 2-0 W 84-72, at Nebraska
W 89-63, Texas Tech
Jan. 20, Baylor
Jan. 23, at Iowa State

The Jayhawks have won 52 consecutive home games.
4 Villanova 5 16-1 5-0 W 92-84, at Louisville
W 82-77, Georgetown
Jan. 20, at Rutgers
Jan. 23, at St. John's

Scottie Reynolds is averaging 31.5 points per game in his past two outings.
5 Duke 6 15-2 3-1 W 79-59, Boston College
W 90-70, Wake Forest
Jan. 20, at North Carolina State
Jan. 23, at Clemson

The Blue Devils closed on a 35-15 run and beat Wake Forest by 20 late Sunday.
6 Syracuse 7 17-1 4-1 W 81-65, at Rutgers
W 72-71, at West Virginia
Jan. 18, at Notre Dame
Jan. 23, Marquette

Wesley Johnson is averaging 16.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.
7 Michigan State 9 15-3 5-0 W 60-53, Minnesota
W 73-63, Illinois
Jan. 20, Iowa
Jan. 23, at Minnesota

Looks like the Spartans are headed toward another Big Ten title.
8 Pittsburgh 12 15-2 5-0 W 67-57, at Connecticut
W 82-77, Louisville
Jan. 20, Georgetown
Jan. 24, at Seton Hall

The Panthers have three strong road wins (at Syracuse, at Cincinnati, at Connecticut).
9 Purdue 4 14-3 2-3 L 70-66, Ohio State
L 72-64, at Northwestern
Jan. 19, at Illinois
Jan. 23, Michigan

The Boilermakers have dropped three in a row, but their body of work is still that of a top 10 team.
10 Tennessee 11 14-2 2-0 W 81-55, Auburn
W 71-69, Mississippi
Jan. 19, at Alabama
Jan. 23, at Georgia

The Vols will have Cameron Tatum and Melvin Goins available for Tuesday's game against Alabama.
11 West Virginia 8 13-3 4-2 W 69-50, at South Florida
L 72-71, Syracuse
Jan. 20, Marshall
Jan. 23, Ohio State

Devin Ebanks only had eight points and six rebounds in the loss to Syracuse.
12 Kansas State 17 15-2 2-1 W 88-65, Texas A&M
W 87-81, at Colorado
Jan. 18, Texas
Jan. 23, Oklahoma State

Can the Wildcats hand the Longhorns their first loss of the season on Monday night?
13 Georgetown 13 13-3 4-2 W 85-73, Seton Hall
L 82-77, at Villanova
Jan. 20, at Pittsburgh
Jan. 23, Rutgers

Greg Monroe had 29 and 16 in Sunday's loss at Villanova.
14 Gonzaga 14 14-3 3-0 W 89-82, at St. Mary's
W 68-50, at San Diego
Jan. 21, Pepperdine
Jan. 23, Loyola-Marymount

The Zags seem poised to cruise to another WCC title.
15 Clemson 21 15-3 3-1 W 83-64, North Carolina
W 73-70, at North Carolina State
Jan. 19, at Georgia Tech
Jan. 23, Duke

The Tigers have won nine of 10 since losing to the Illini early last month.
16 Mississippi 16 13-4 1-2 W 80-76, at Georgia
L 71-69, at Tennessee
Jan. 20, South Carolina
Jan. 23, at LSU

Three of the Rebels' four losses are to teams ranked in the top 11 here.
17 Ohio State NR 13-5 3-3 W 70-66, at Purdue
W 60-51, Wisconsin
Jan. 19, Northwestern
Jan. 23, at West Virginia

The return of Evan Turner returns Ohio State to the Top 25 (and one).
18 Wisconsin 15 14-4 4-2 W 60-50, at Northwestern
L 60-51, at Ohio State
Jan. 20, Michigan
Jan. 24, Penn State

The Badgers are 1-1 since losing Jon Leuer to an injury.
19 Temple 22 15-3 3-0 W 60-45, at Pennsylvania
W 76-64, Massachusetts
Jan. 20, Xavier
Jan. 23, at Fordham

The Owls' only loss since Nov. 28 is a loss to Kansas on Jan. 2.
20 Brigham Young 23 18-1 3-0 W 67-49, at Air Force
W 91-47, Colorado State
Jan. 20, Wyoming
Jan. 23, at San Diego State

The Cougars have no great wins but a number of good ones (Arizona State, Nebraska, Arizona, UNLV, UTEP).
21 New Mexico 26 16-3 2-2 W 74-57, Utah
W 70-68, at Wyoming
Jan. 20, at Air Force
Jan. 23, Colorado State

Darington Hobson has reached double-figures in points in eight consecutive games.
22 Texas A&M 20 12-5 1-2 L 88-65, at Kansas State
L 72-67, at Texas
Jan. 19, Oklahoma
Jan. 23, Colorado

The Aggies led the Longhorns by 11 in the second half but couldn't close in Austin.
23 Georgia Tech NR 13-4 2-2 L 82-75, at Virginia
W 73-71, at North Carolina
Jan. 19, Clemson
Jan. 24, at Florida State

What a strange past four games for Georgia Tech: Lose to Georgia, beat Duke, lose to Virginia, beat North Carolina.
24 North Carolina 10 12-6 1-2 L 83-64, at Clemson
L 73-71, Georgia Tech
Jan. 20, Wake Forest
Yes, the Tar Heels remain ranked. They still have wins over Michigan State and Ohio State, you know?

25 Butler NR 14-4 7-0 W 64-55, Cleveland State
W 91-61, Youngstown State
Jan. 21, at Loyola-Chicago
Jan. 23, at Illinois-Chicago



This Years Top Recruits really worth the Price of Admission
www.espn.com

This weekend's Hoophall Classic is one of the most star-studded events of the high school season. In the past, the event has featured future NBA standouts such as Kevin Durant and Brandon Jennings. Here's a look at 10 players to watch at this year's event:



Sullinger

Jared Sullinger, PF (6-8, 260)
Columbus, Ohio/Northland, committed to Ohio State
Rank (position rank): 2 (1)
Arguably Ohio State's most touted recruit since Greg Oden, Sullinger is the best low-post scorer and rebounder in the Class of 2010. One of his most underrated and valuable contributions to his team is his ability to pass out of double-teams on the blocks. Sullinger, the prototypical college 4-man, has shown improvement with his face-up game.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Irving

Kyrie Irving, PG (6-1,172)
West Orange, N.J./St. Patrick, committed to Duke
Rank (position rank): 6 (2)
One of the few elite point guards in the class, Irving has a well-rounded game offensively. He understands how to run a team and is an outstanding passer. He scores big when his team needs it and has a high basketball IQ.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Harris

Tobias Harris, PF (6-8, 210)
Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills West, committed to Tennessee
Rank (position rank): 7 (3)
Harris is an extremely versatile offensive forward. At present, he's a power forward with great ability to score off the dribble-drive or with the jumper. He's excellent in the high-low game and goes inside when needed. He has a chance to become a small forward with his versatility and athletic ability.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Smith

Josh Smith, C (6-10, 270)
Kent, Wash./Kentwood, committed to UCLA
Rank (position rank): 1 (10)
One of the few true centers in the class, Smith is big and very powerful around the hoop. He blocks shots, pulls down rebounds and finishes inside. He needs to work on his free-throw shooting. He has good hands and runs the floor very well for a player his size.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Bullock

Reggie Bullock, SG (6-6, 190)
Kinston, N.C., committed to North Carolina
Rank (position rank): 13 (2)
At 6-6, Bullock has a big, strong NBA-type body. He's an excellent jump shooter who rebounds well on both ends of the floor. He rebounds the ball well, is defending better and is working on becoming a complete 2-guard.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Roscoe Smith, SF (6-8, 190)
Baltimore/Oak Hill Academy, committed to UConn
Rank (position rank): 16 (4)
Smith, a recent UConn commit, is the best long-range shooter in this class. In fact, he is an excellent jump shooter from anywhere on the floor; with time and space, he can knock down any big shot. He's not just a stand-still shooter, however; his athleticism allows him to get to the hoop on a frequent basis.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Marshall

Kendall Marshall, PG (6-4, 180)
Dumfries, Va./Bishop O'Connell, committed to North Carolina
Rank (position rank): 19 (4)
Marshall is the best passer in all of high school basketball. He advances the ball in transition with the throw-ahead pass exceptionally well. He delivers the ball to his teammates on time and on target and in a scoring position. He can score off the drive when needed from 15 feet and in and will knock down the open 3 on occasion.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Joseph

Cory Joseph, PG (6-3, 180)
Toronto/Findlay Prep, uncommitted
Rank (position rank): 30 (6)
Joseph is a high-level scoring point guard. It's easy for him to score from the jumper or the drive. He loves transition. He's doing a tremendous job running the show and being a creator this year for one of America's elite programs.

College Basketball Weekly Roundup and Undefeated Teams

College Basketball's weekly round-up according to espn.com and Seth Davis tell us when the undefeated teams will lose.
UGH! Did I mention that Tiger's wife is going to divorce the superstar ASAP?????




Places To Be This Week

Southaven, Miss., Wednesday: UTEP, my personal sleeper, travels to the suburbs of Memphis to play Ole Miss in an attempt to get some national recognition. This should be one of the better games of the week between two teams that have had little national profile so far but could make some noise in March.


Arlington, Texas, Saturday: Texas probably can't command the massive crowd that Michigan State could against North Carolina at Ford Field in Detroit last December. But we'll see if the Longhorn faithful come out in droves to see Carolina. This matchup could be repeated in Indianapolis or in the Elite Eight.


Lawrence, Kan., Saturday: Michigan has swung and missed in each of its high-profile games this season. No one expects the Wolverines to win this game, but a strong showing at KU would do wonders for a strong push in the Big Ten. This, by the way, is ESPN's Green Game, an attempt to prove that a broadcast can be done and a game put on with environment-first thinking.


New York City, Saturday: Gonzaga plays Duke for the second-time ever at Madison Square Garden. This will be yet another chance for some of the Zags' new stars like Elias Harris and Robert Sacre to be on a big stage. Zags guard Matt Bouldin is already having an All-American season. Gonzaga lost to Wake Forest and probably could use another signature win post-Maui. But Duke is always the home team in the New York/New Jersey area.


Sunrise, Fla., Saturday: Richmond has fallen to in-state schools William & Mary and VCU yet took out Missouri and Mississippi State in South Padre Island, Texas, and gets a shot at banged-up South Carolina on Wednesday. The Spiders have the potential to pick up another SEC win when they face Florida. The Gators are back to some extent and the Spiders could use another résumé win before they hit the A-10.


Seattle, Saturday: Washington doesn't have a win yet that it can shout about. There only a handful of opportunities left. Portland is one of them. The Pilots need this just as much after a successful 76 Classic week was subdued by losses to Portland State and Idaho.


Los Angeles, Saturday: There might be nothing of note here, but it will still be interesting to see if a Pac-10 team can beat an NCAA tournament team from a power-six conference. USC hosts Tennessee in one of the league's last opportunities.


Atlanta, Sunday: The ACC continues its early openings with Florida State at Georgia Tech (BC has already defeated Miami, and the FSU-Tech game is followed by NC State at Wake). Both teams need their bigs to be dominant throughout the season. Seeing how Solomon Alabi and Chris Singleton of Florida State match up against Georgia Tech's Derrick Favors and Gani Lawal should be a good watch.

Team Of The Week: Kansas State

Last week: Beat Xavier, 71-56; won at UNLV (Orleans Arena), 95-80.
The top-ranked team in the country is in the state of Kansas, but one of the best-kept secrets is there as well: Kansas State.
The Wildcats' only loss this season was by 12 to a likely NCAA tournament-bound Ole Miss team in the semifinals of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic in late November.
Since then, the Wildcats have ripped off six wins in a row, including an eight-point win over A-10 favorite Dayton, a 17-point win over Washington State (one of the better teams in a weak Pac-10), a 15-point win over A-10 contender Xavier and a 15-point win over 17th-ranked UNLV in Las Vegas. The game wasn't at the Thomas & Mack, but let's not fool ourselves into thinking this was anything but a true road game for the Wildcats. UNLV had just knocked off Louisville and won at Arizona in overtime. These are are solid wins for a K-State team looking for national recognition.

Well, here it is.

Kansas State is not just about Denis Clemente and his ability to get major numbers. Jacob Pullen is actually leading this team in scoring with 19 a game and made seven 3-pointers and scored 28 points in the win over the Runnin' Rebels. KSU coach Frank Martin has a team that's a good watch and will put up points, averaging more than 80 a game. The Wildcats play another true road game this week at Alabama on Saturday. Just ask Purdue if that's an easy task.
The search for the third-best team in the Big 12 is on, with the likely candidates being Kansas State or Texas A&M, unless Texas Tech can show staying power once league play begins. Oklahoma and Baylor can't be ruled out and neither should Missouri. But so far, the Wildcats and Aggies may have proven to be the most viable. The Wildcats' wins last week are putting them in position to be the ones to watch.

Player Of The Week: Greg Monroe

Greg Monroe was a lock for the lottery last season. But he knew he wasn't ready to be a contributor in the NBA. He will be now whenever he decides to leave.
His passing has never been a question, but Monroe needed to be more demonstrative. He was this week in what was the biggest week for Georgetown in the nonconference portion of the schedule.
Monroe had career-highs in points (24), shots (20) and rebounds (15) in a neutral-site win over Butler at Madison Square Garden in New York. He followed that up with a 15-point, seven-rebound, 14-shot outing in a win over Quincy Pondexter and No. 16 Washington at the Wooden Classic in Anaheim. Monroe had four steals in the two games and three blocked shots.
The offense runs through him, whether it's at the top of the key or rotating through him when he's moving. He has asserted himself quite nicely to the point where John Thompson III can rely on getting a star performance on a nightly basis. He got two of them this past week.

The Rest Of The Rotation

Jamel Jackson, Jr., G, Seton Hall: Jackson was averaging just 7 points a game and had just one point in 12 minutes in the previous outing against UMass. But something special occurred Saturday against VMI. He put together an unbelievable outing, scoring 40 points off the bench, making 12 3s and connecting on 14 of 17 shots. Wow. Who saw that happening?


Xavier Henry, Fr., F, Kansas: Henry gets dwarfed nationally by John Wall, but he's hardly an unknown -- and he's not playing like it either. Henry scored 31 in a win over La Salle in Kansas City, making an efficient 10-of-15 shots and 4-of-5 on 3s. Henry was always billed as a talented player to complement preseason all-Americans Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich, but who had him scoring this much (18.0 ppg) and leading the consensus top-ranked Jayhawks?


John Wall, Fr., G, Kentucky: Wall continues to be the bookend player. He starts strong, finishes strong and the Wildcats win. Wall hit the decisive bucket to beat Connecticut in New York City in Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night in the SEC/Big East Invitational. He finished with 25 points, making 10 of 16 shots and swiping six steals. His scoring numbers weren't as high (11) in a win at Indiana, but he had eight assists and just one turnover.


Jeremy Lin, Sr., G, Harvard: Lin had a super week after the previous Sunday saw him score 30 in a six-point loss at Connecticut. Lin scored 25 and was nearly untouchable for the Crimson in their second upset win at Boston College in as many seasons. Lin made 7 of 10 shots, 10 of 12 free throws and dished out four assists (with just two turnovers). He's easily one of the nation's best-kept secrets. Perhaps no more.

Get To Know ...

• Kawhi Leonard, Fr., F, San Diego State: San Diego State has been on a tear of late, winning five straight games, and a lot of that has to do with Leonard. He scored 23 points and grabbed 18 boards in a win over Cal State Fullerton and then notched a solid 13 points and 12 boards in a win over Arizona.

• Noruwa Agho, Soph., G, Columbia: He might be one of the best shooters in the country that no one is talking about. Agho is shooting 64.4 percent on 3s, with 29 made already this season. He scored 30 in a win at Wagner and then 23 in a win at Bryant, making 6 of 9 3s in the two games.


• John Roberson, Jr., G, Texas Tech: The Red Raiders had a huge win at TCU to go to 9-0 under Pat Knight, and a lot of the credit has to go to Roberson. He scored 25 points last week in the win over Washington and then followed it up with 21 points and 10 assists and just four turnovers (and two steals) in the win over the Horned Frogs.


• Kwadzo Ahelegbe, Jr., G, Northern Iowa: The Panthers have been cruising, save for a bad loss to DePaul in the Virgin Islands. Ahelegbe scored 32 on BC in St. Thomas and then cooled for two games and then rose back up to score 20 in a 17-point win over Iowa and a solid 14 in a win over Siena.


• Tony Crocker, Sr., G, Oklahoma: So much of the preseason hype at OU was about Willie Warren and deservedly so. But Crocker has been more consistent. He had one game earlier this month when he went for 16 points and 16 boards in a win over Arkansas. Last week, Crocker scored 33 points (29 in the first half) and grabbed 13 boards in a win over Centenary and then followed that up with another double-double (12 points and 10 boards) in a road win at Utah.


• Roman Martinez, Sr., F, New Mexico: The Lobos are easily one of the surprise teams this season at 10-0 with wins over Cal, a road win at San Diego and a neutral-court win over Texas A&M in Houston. Martinez, averaging 17 points a game, has been one of the primary reasons. He was stellar in scoring 26 points and making 8 of 9 3s (the only shots he attempted) in the win at USD and then scored 22 points with seven boards in the win over the Aggies. He made 4 of 7 3s in that game. The tough slate for the Lobos continues with a game against Creighton (yes, even with the Bluejays' struggles they're not easy), a trip to Oral Roberts (already beat Mizzou at home) and home games against Texas Tech and Dayton before opening the MWC at surging San Diego State.

• Juan Fernandez, So., G, Temple: Fernandez made seven 3s and scored a career-high 33 points to put himself into Big Five lore with a stellar performance in leading the Owls to a 75-65 win over third-ranked Villanova. If only the Owls had come back and beaten Georgetown (lost by one in D.C.), they would have two of the best wins against the Big East this season.

• Rhode Island: The Rams are now 8-1 after upsetting Boston College on Sunday night at Conte Forum. URI's only loss is at VCU by two, which is nothing to be ashamed of at this point in the season. Rhode Island beat rival Providence, and even though the Friars will finish near the bottom of the Big East, the Rams can claim to be the best in the state. URI has a tough slate ahead with a home game against surging Fairfield out of the MAAC, at Drexel's bandbox, and then against Oklahoma State at the Mohegan Sun on Jan. 2. The Rams start the A-10 by hosting Temple. Don't sleep on this squad, which loves to push the basketball and can create turnovers and turn them into points.

• The Atlantic 10: The league knocked off two Big East teams Sunday (Temple over Villanova and XU over Cincy) and an ACC school (URI over BC). If you're looking for a beneficiary from the Pac-10's woes, then head east. The A-10 could ultimately have plenty to choose from among Dayton, Temple, Rhode Island, Xavier, Charlotte and Richmond if there is some clear separation come March between this lot and the rest.

• Rivalry games: They are different. They just are. Cincinnati has more of a shot to make the NCAAs and win games than Xavier, but still lost in double overtime Sunday night at the Cintas Center. UTEP has more of a chance to win Conference USA than struggling New Mexico State does in the WAC, yet the Miners lost at home to the Aggies on Sunday night.

Places To Be This Week

Southaven, Miss., Wednesday: UTEP, my personal sleeper, travels to the suburbs of Memphis to play Ole Miss in an attempt to get some national recognition. This should be one of the better games of the week between two teams that have had little national profile so far but could make some noise in March.


Arlington, Texas, Saturday: Texas probably can't command the massive crowd that Michigan State could against North Carolina at Ford Field in Detroit last December. But we'll see if the Longhorn faithful come out in droves to see Carolina. This matchup could be repeated in Indianapolis or in the Elite Eight.


Lawrence, Kan., Saturday: Michigan has swung and missed in each of its high-profile games this season. No one expects the Wolverines to win this game, but a strong showing at KU would do wonders for a strong push in the Big Ten. This, by the way, is ESPN's Green Game, an attempt to prove that a broadcast can be done and a game put on with environment-first thinking.


New York City, Saturday: Gonzaga plays Duke for the second-time ever at Madison Square Garden. This will be yet another chance for some of the Zags' new stars like Elias Harris and Robert Sacre to be on a big stage. Zags guard Matt Bouldin is already having an All-American season. Gonzaga lost to Wake Forest and probably could use another signature win post-Maui. But Duke is always the home team in the New York/New Jersey area.


Sunrise, Fla., Saturday: Richmond has fallen to in-state schools William & Mary and VCU yet took out Missouri and Mississippi State in South Padre Island, Texas, and gets a shot at banged-up South Carolina on Wednesday. The Spiders have the potential to pick up another SEC win when they face Florida. The Gators are back to some extent and the Spiders could use another résumé win before they hit the A-10.


Seattle, Saturday: Washington doesn't have a win yet that it can shout about. There only a handful of opportunities left. Portland is one of them. The Pilots need this just as much after a successful 76 Classic week was subdued by losses to Portland State and Idaho.


Los Angeles, Saturday: There might be nothing of note here, but it will still be interesting to see if a Pac-10 team can beat an NCAA tournament team from a power-six conference. USC hosts Tennessee in one of the league's last opportunities.


Atlanta, Sunday: The ACC continues its early openings with Florida State at Georgia Tech (BC has already defeated Miami, and the FSU-Tech game is followed by NC State at Wake). Both teams need their bigs to be dominant throughout the season. Seeing how Solomon Alabi and Chris Singleton of Florida State match up against Georgia Tech's Derrick Favors and Gani Lawal should be a good watch.




Si's Seth Davis Tells Us When the Undefeated Teams will Lose!Seton Hall
Record: 8-0

Best win: 89-79 at Cornell

Streak will end on: Dec. 19 vs. Temple

Skinny: While I wouldn't discount a true road win against a very good Cornell team, clearly the Pirates have not established their bona fides like most of the others on this list. If this game against Temple was coming two or three days after the Owls' upset of Villanova, I would probably pick the Hall to win. But Temple has had plenty of time to come down from its emotional high, and the Owls have played a far more rigorous schedule (Georgetown, Siena, Virginia Tech, St. John's, Villanova) than Seton Hall to this point. Seton Hall will benefit from gaining the eligibility of guard Keon Lawrence (suspension) and forward Jeff Robinson (second-semester transfer), but I doubt those guys will have much of an impact in just their first game.

Missouri State
Record: 9-0

Best win: 83-75 vs. Tulsa

Streak will end on: Dec. 19 at Saint Louis

Skinny: The Bears have done well to stay unblemished thus far, but keep in mind they also got off to a good start last year before losing 17 of their final 21 and finishing in 10th place in the Missouri Valley Conference. The rubber will once again hit the road -- literally -- when the Bears embark on the final three games of their current four-game road swing. Rick Majerus' Billikens aren't exactly a Final Four team, but their 6-3 record does include a win at home against Southern Illinois, which most Valley watchers would say is better than Missouri State.

Texas
Record: 8-0

Best win: 78-62 vs. Pittsburgh in Kansas City

Streak will end on: Dec. 22 vs. Michigan State

Skinny: The Longhorns have looked very impressive in the early going, but considering their best win is against a Pitt team that probably won't make the NCAA tournament, the jury is out on just how good they are. You also have to wonder how well that schedule has prepared them for their upcoming games. If they get by North Carolina on Saturday at Dallas Cowboys Stadium, they will have to rejigger their emotions for a Spartans team that has, by contrast, played a brutal early schedule. Michigan State has also won the last three meetings between these teams. Maybe the Spartans just have the Longhorns' number.

Texas Tech
Record: 9-0

Best win: 99-92 (OT) vs. Washington

Streak will end on: Dec. 29 at New Mexico

Skinny: Raise your hands if you circled this game in the preseason as a potential battle of the unbeatens. The Red Raiders are one of the pleasant surprises in the early going, but aside from their win at home over the Huskies, their victories have come almost exclusively against weak teams at home. (They did not play in any early-season tournaments, and their only road wins have come at Stephen F. Austin and TCU.) If the Raiders can get by Wichita State on the road and Stanford at home, they will have their comeuppance in The Pit, which is always one of the toughest places to win.

New Mexico
Record: 10-0

Best wins: 86-78 vs. California; 84-81 vs. Texas A&M in Houston

Streak will end on: Jan. 1 vs. Dayton

Skinny: The Lobos are not pretenders. Steve Alford has a couple of real gems in his two versatile, lefty forwards Roman Martinez and Darington Hobson. While I would normally be hesitant to pick against this team in the Pit, in this case they will be facing a Dayton team that can match their talent but far exceeds them in experience and toughness. This game also comes right before the start of the conference season, which for New Mexico begins with a road date at San Diego State followed by home games against UNLV and Utah. And if New Mexico really is still undefeated going into this game, you can be sure the Flyers will be plenty amped up to hand them their first loss.

West Virginia
Record: 7-0

Best win: 73-66 vs. Texas A&M in Anaheim

Streak will end on: Jan. 1 at Purdue

Skinny: To beat the Mountaineers, you have to be able to match their muscle at all five positions. Purdue can do that, but the Boilermakers can also score more proficiently than West Virginia, especially at home. I know the Mountaineers would like to stay undefeated, but they've already played some important games, and since it's not a Big East contest, I don't see a real high incentive for them in this one.

Kansas
Record: 9-0

Best win: 57-55 vs. Memphis in St. Louis

Streak will end on: Jan. 10 at Tennessee

Skinny: It's hard to envision the top-ranked Jayhawks losing in Allen Fieldhouse, so that leaves four possible road opponents: Temple (Jan. 2), Tennessee (Jan. 10), Iowa State (Jan. 23) and Kansas State (Jan. 30). Temple will provide a major test (as Jay Wright can attest), but I went with Tennessee because that will only be KU's third true road game of the season. I like this Vols team; they're one of the few squads in the country who come close to matching up with Kansas in both talent and experience.

Purdue
Record: 9-0

Best wins: 73-72 vs. Tennessee in the Virgin Islands; 69-58 vs. Wake Forest

Streak will end on: Jan. 9 at Wisconsin

Skinny: This was an easy call. Madison is the place where perfect records go to die. The Badgers will be laying in wait to snap the Boilermakers' win streak, and they'll be more than happy to slow down the game and slug it out in the half court. Remember, Purdue is still playing without speedy point guard Lewis Jackson, who has not played this season (and may be done for the year) because of a foot injury.

Georgetown
Record: 8-0

Best wins: 72-65 vs. Butler in Madison Square Garden; 74-66 vs. Washington 74-66 in Anaheim

Streak will end on: Jan. 14 vs. Seton Hall

Skinny: It might surprise you to see me going with a home game against a middle-of-the-pack Big East team. I did so because a) Seton Hall is better than people realize and b) this game comes right after the Hoyas' home date with UConn and before their road game at Villanova. There's only so much energy a team can muster, and while Georgetown is Sweet 16 good (which is why I think they'll squeak by UConn), this team is not operating on a huge margin for error.

Syracuse
Record: 10-0

Best wins: 87-71 vs. North Carolina at Madison Square Garden; 85-73 vs. Florida in Tampa

Streak will end on: Jan. 16 at West Virginia

Skinny: I was tempted to go with the Jan. 6 date with Memphis in the Carrier Dome, but assuming the Orange survive that one, I envision them falling in Morgantown. That will be the second of a three-game road swing for Syracuse that includes games at Rutgers and Notre Dame. That means the Orange will be ripe for the picking.

Kentucky
Record: 10-0

Best wins: 68-66 vs. North Carolina; 64-61 vs. UConn in Madison Square Garden

Streak will end on: Jan. 26 at South Carolina

Skinny: According to coach John Calipari, the Cats are actually 5-5, so maybe I shouldn't have included them on this list. That aside, I think this team has the ability to rise to the occasion against good teams, even on the road, which is why I didn't select their Jan. 12 date in Gainesville. Kentucky is more likely to lose because it overlooked a lesser opponent that is good enough to beat them. By the time the Cats get to Columbia, the folks there will have had this game circled for months. For Kentucky, it will be just another game.

This weekends schedule
Friday
10 p.m.: Pacific at Saint Mary's
10 p.m.: Utah State at Long Beach State

Saturday
Noon: Michigan at Kansas (ESPN)
2 p.m.: North Carolina vs. Texas (ESPN)
2 p.m.: Xavier at Butler (ESPN2)
4 p.m.: Gonzaga vs. Duke (CBS)
4:30 p.m.: Tennessee at USC (FSN)
6:30 p.m.: Richmond vs. Florida (Sun Sports)
7 p.m.: Temple at Seton Hall
8 p.m.: Texas Tech at Wichita State
10 p.m.: Portland at Washington (FSN NW)

Sunday
5:30 p.m.: Florida State at Georgia Tech (FSN)