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College Basketball Capsules - Men: Loss to Missouri leaving Texas looking desperate
AUSTIN (AP) — Game by game, the Texas' Longhorns season is getting more and more desperate. Aching for a big win to turn their sinking season around, the Longhorns lost another close game, 67-66 to No. 4 Missouri on Monday night.
And once again, Texas rallied only to give away a late lead and missed the potential winner at the buzzer. The Longhorns (13-9, 3-6 Big 12) have lost five of their last six and are 0-7 this season in games decided by six points or fewer.
"Every guy in that locker room wants to win," freshman guard Myck Kabongo said.
Kabongo had the ball with a chance to win it for the Longhorns. After Michael Dixon's layup with 31 seconds left gave Missouri (20-2, 7-2) the lead, Texas worked the ball around the perimeter trying to find Brown, their leading scorer who scored 34 against the Tigers on Jan. 14.
But Missouri's zone defense wouldn't give Brown the shot and the ball fell to Kabongo to make a play. Kabongo short-armed his baseline jumper from about 10 feet and the rebound fell to Missouri's Marcus Denmon with 1 second left to seal the victory.
After the game, Texas coach Rick Barnes said officials didn't call a foul on the Tigers' Matt Pressey who had slapped Kabongo's left, non-shooting arm on the final shot.
"He did get fouled," Barnes said.
Dixon's winning shot came after he nearly cost his team the game.
Texas had rallied from 13 down early in the second half to pull to 65-62. Dribbling the ball at midcourt, Dixon was whistled for a flagrant foul when he swung an elbow and hit Julien Lewis in the face. Lewis made both free throws to cut the lead to one and Brown's leaning bank shot put Texas up 66-65.
Dixon then did what Missouri had done all game: He drove at the basket and his high, banking layup over Jaylen Bond dropped in to put Missouri on top.
Brown scored 20 points, Lewis had 12 and Kabongo finished with 10 for the Longhorns. Texas outrebounded Missouri 38-26, but a ragged offense didn't have an assist on offense in the first half and the Longhorns were just 2 of 12 on 3-pointers.
Missouri seemed to have the game in control when it opened the second half with a flurry. Dixon was the catalyst, making three straight baskets over Brown and Kim English made a 3-pointer to push the Tigers' lead to 36-29.
"I basically gave up half his points," a dejected Brown said. "It starts with me. I have to go out there and be a better defender than I was today."
Brown, who has struggled badly shooting at home, started finding his touch and kept Mizzou from pulling away. Brown and Phil Pressey matched each other's 3s and Brown added a driving layup and a free throw cut the Tigers' lead to 46-43 with just under 11 minutes to play.
The Longhorns trailed 50-48 with a chance tie or take the lead when Pressey picked the ball from Kabongo, who had opted not to shoot an open 3-pointer and then was whistled for a flagrant foul. Pressey made both free throws.
Missouri had another chance to slam the door on Texas but couldn't. Ricardo Ratliff made a tough layup, then finished a three-point play after a steal by English. A 3-pointer by English with 4:43 to play put the Tigers ahead 63-53 before Texas rallied again behind Brown and Kabongo.
"It shows we have fight," Kabongo said. "For some reason, they aren't turning into wins right now. One thing I know about this team and this group of guys is they are not going to back down."
UT-Arlington getting off basketball stage
ARLINGTON (AP) — Texas-Arlington has played basketball on center stage for more than 46 years. An actual stage.
Bleachers for about 600 fans behind the benches give Texas Hall the feel of a small gym. But on the other side of the court, where the front row is several feet below the court, are about 2,700 theater seats — half on the floor and the rest in a balcony.
"Practice was always interesting, having to get the balls off the court and stuff like that," Lady Mavericks sophomore Rosalyn Thorpe said. "Tried not to fall off the stage. It was something to adjust to."
But there were also plenty of times when the men's and women's basketball teams were kicked off the stage by plays that had nothing to do with pick-and-rolls or zone defenses. Maybe it was the annual December production of The Nutcracker, a concert, a lecture or dance competitions.
Not anymore. The Mavericks are exiting stage left and dropping the curtain on their days at Texas Hall, which has been one of the most unique settings in college basketball since opening in 1965.
They are leaving the drama behind and moving to the other side of campus into the 7,000-seat College Park Center. The new $78 million facility — with spacious locker rooms for each team, a state-of-the-art video room with plush leather seats and two practice courts — opens Wednesday night with a men's and women's doubleheader against UTSA.
Jim Baker, UT Arlington's new athletic director whose first official day on the job is Wednesday, said the new arena was absolutely a selling point for him to accept his new position. He oversaw $430 million in facilities upgrades while part of the University of Texas athletic administration for more than 20 years.
"I didn't know if I wanted to take this job or not, but once I walked through here and got done, I said, 'If they offer, I'm taking it,'" Baker said.
Women's basketball coach Samantha Morrow, sitting next to Baker when he made that comment, added: "That's what we want our recruits to feel, just like that."
Texas Hall was dubbed by Sports Illustrated in 1997 as the best place to watch college basketball. But there was never that same appeal to top recruits in trying to get them to play there.
Former men's coach Bob LeGrand used to have the door locked at Texas Hall as an excuse not to take recruits inside the building when they visited campus, which is halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth and now has more than 33,000 students.
Current coach Scott Cross, who took the team to its only NCAA tournament in 2008, has been on the Arlington campus since 1995. He was a three-year letterman playing for the Mavericks before being an assistant coach for eight seasons and then becoming their head coach.
After more than 16 seasons of home games at Texas Hall, Cross' last game there was a victory over Stephen F. Austin on Jan. 21.
"I wasn't too sentimental," Cross said. "There's been some great memories there, but you can't really be upset about burying Texas Hall when you're walking over here and see this facility. ... Our guys, you walk in here and you should feel like you need to be a top 50 program in the country."
The Mavericks (15-5, 7-0 Southland Conference) won their last four games at Texas Hall, part of their current school-record winning streak of 11 in a row. They will play their last four home games this season at College Park Center, where they also get to practice, go to study hall, lift weights and hang out in their own dressing room — all under one roof..
With Texas Hall, the teams were forced to practice in four or five different places each season. They'd watch film where they could find space, sometimes projected on a wall with players sitting on a floor. There was no real base for teammates to be together when they weren't at a game or practice.
"We'd have nowhere to go for camaraderie and the team concept," Morrow said. "(Texas Hall) has been a detriment to recruiting kids. Girls are all about pretty and frilly and all that. So when you bring them into this facility, that's why we were able to get a couple of the kids that are going to come in next year was because of this."
The multipurpose auditorium opened in October 1965 with a performance by trumpeter Louis Armstrong, nearly two months before the first basketball game there. Texas Hall has also hosted entertainers such as Neil Diamond, Kiss, Pat Boone and Jerry Seinfeld, and events like the Miss Texas Pageant.
Now that Texas Hall is out of the sports business but still hosting other events, school officials hope to renovate and restore it as a top-class performing arts center.
For the Mavericks, the move into College Park Center is a precursor to switching next season from the Southland Conference to the WAC. Cross said those transitions make them a "legit basketball program."
"I don't know if we could have gotten into the WAC with Texas Hall. This just showed that we're committed to basketball and that we're ready to step it up," Baker said. "We'll have the nicest arena in the WAC. ... For a 7,000-seat arena, I don't think there's going to be one that's going to be able to touch it in the country."
Just like there was no basketball court like the one on the stage at Texas Hall.
-- Steven Hawkins
Alabama State beats Texas Southern in OT
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Ivory White scored 21 points and Phillip Crawford added 17 as Alabama State rallied to beat Texas Southern in overtime on Monday night, snapping a three-game losing streak.
Texas Southern entered halftime leading 32-18 and pushed that lead to 48-30 behind five straight points from Fred Sturdivant. However, Alabama State (8-13, 5-4 Southwest Athletic Conference) used a 22-6 run over the final 9 minutes to cut the deficit to 54-52. White's layup with 3 seconds left sent the game into overtime.
Crawford had 11 during the run and White had eight as the Hornets outscored Texas Southern 36-22 in the second half.
Alabama State controlled overtime, making the first three baskets and sinking four free throws in the final 20 seconds to seal the victory.
Texas Southern (7-14, 6-3) took seven 3-pointers in overtime, connecting on just one. Sturdivant led the Tigers with 16 points and seven rebounds.
Alabama A&M defeats Prairie View A&M
NORMAL, Ala. (AP) — Jeremy Ingram scored 16 points and Demarquelle Tabb turned in a double-double, leading Alabama A&M to a 64-54 win over Prairie View A&M on Monday night.
Tabb scored 12 points and grabbed 13 boards for the Bulldogs (5-13, 3-6 Southwestern Athletic Conference), who have now won two of three games — a feat they accomplished only one other time this season. Jeremy Crutcher also chipped in with 11 points and Jerome Hunter pulled down 10 rebounds.
The Bulldogs fought back from a 13-point halftime deficit, outscoring the Panthers 39-16 in the second half to seal it. Alabama A&M outrebounded the Panthers 47-34 and won despite turning the ball over 18 times.
Jourdan Demuynck and Louis Monks scored 14 points apiece to lead the Panthers (9-13, 5-4), who came in trying to win three straight games for the first time this season.
Big 12
Race tightens up as teams pass midway mark
Kansas coach Bill Self is sticking by the prediction he made back in October, before the season began and long before the Big 12 race started heating up. Four losses will still mean a chance to win the league. Three may be good enough to do it outright.
The eighth-ranked Jayhawks had a two-game lead heading into last weekend, but a loss at Iowa State on Saturday bunched up the standings.
Fourth-ranked Missouri and No. 6 Baylor were a game back heading into Monday night's slate of games, as the Big 12 reaches the midway mark of a newly expanded 18-game conference schedule.
"I think it's a coin toss, I really do," said Self, whose Jayhawks have won seven straight conference championships. "You can make a case that we're in good shape, but we still have to go to hard places — some real hard places."
In Self's estimation, Missouri may be the front-runner heading into the Tigers' game Monday night against Texas. They've had arguably the toughest road so far.
"To me, even though teams with four losses, whether that be Kansas State or Iowa State or whatever, they can still win the league," Self said during the coaches' Monday teleconference. "I think 14-4 would be a really good record and 15-3 would be one that wins it outright."
The math is certainly skewed in the revamped Big 12.
In the past, the dozen teams that comprised the league played each team from its own division twice, and alternated home and road games on a yearly basis with teams from the other division.
The result was 16 games with a bye week thrown in the mix somewhere.
That extra time off has been eliminated, and two more games against rugged conference foes put in its place. Now, teams play home and road games with every other opponent, resulting in the 18-game meat-grinder that should serve to separate pretenders from contenders soon enough.
"There is no easy game," said Baylor coach Scott Drew, whose team lost at Kansas but awaits a return trip from the Jayhawks next week. "Really, it's a matter of who can succeed and thrive on the road and defend the home court. That's where the league will be decided."
Everybody in the league has at least three conference wins except Texas Tech, which remains winless through eight games. That gives a pretty good indication of the Big 12's depth.
Kansas (17-4, 7-1) remains in first place heading into a home game Wednesday against Oklahoma and a road game Saturday night at Missouri, the first of two matchups between bitter rivals down the stretch that could have as big an impact as anything on the eventual champion.
"I haven't put a lot of thought into this weekend and Kansas," Missouri coach Frank Haith said, "but I do know when I got the job, they made sure to tell me how important a game it is, and how passionate people are about that game."
While it appears that the Jayhawks, Tigers and Bears have separated themselves from the rest of the Big 12 — at least according to the national polls, which have all three in the top 10 — that isn't necessarily the case.
Iowa State is still in the thick of the race, and is coming off a confidence-building 72-64 win over the Jayhawks on Saturday. The Cyclones (15-6, 5-3) have already played Kansas twice and Missouri once, and could climb into position to challenge for its first Big 12 title since 2001 before a three-game finishing kick against Kansas State, Missouri and Baylor.
The Wildcats (15-5, 4-4) wasted an opportunity to keep pace with the league leaders when they failed to defend their home court against Oklahoma last Saturday.
Things don't get any easier for them with a trip to Iowa State looming Wednesday night.
Such is life in the Big 12, though.
The league is currently second in RPI, and its three teams in the top 10 are the most of any conference. It also has the nation's best winning percentage against nationally ranked opponents, and the second-best winning percentage overall.
''In sports, period, you have to get ready for the next game, win or lose," said Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford, whose team stunned Missouri last week and will be trying to play spoiler again down the stretch. "You can never get too high in this league. You can never get too low."
-- Dave Skretta
Iowa State F White turning heads
AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State star Royce White was at the free throw line with just 1:47 left in the game against mighty Kansas with a chance to give the Cyclones a five-point lead.
Nerve-racking? Sure. And especially for White, who has had an anxiety disorder since childhood and awoke from a nightmare just the morning of Saturday's game in which he couldn't make a free throw. White dashed off to Iowa State's gym to hoist some shots in the hope that his dream wouldn't become a reality.
It didn't. White capped a brilliant 18-point, nine-rebound game by sinking those crucial two free throws. The Cyclones (15-6, 5-3 Big 12) went on to beat then-No. 5 Kansas 72-64, and White overcame yet another private episode of anxiety on a very public stage.
"To an extent it's almost a good thing. It's almost a gift in the sense because I went to the gym and I really focused on the free throws and I got in the game and I was really focused on that," White said of his anxiety. "Sometimes it's a curse too because my fatigue level is always real high because of it. I never get to sleep."
White continues to battle his problem with the help of doctors and medication, but simply being able to play basketball again after two lost seasons has been a blessing for the personable sophomore who is making Big 12 coaches nervous on a nightly basis.
White's long journey to Iowa State has been well documented. A top national recruit from Minneapolis, White struggled through legal issues and a rift with coach Tubby Smith and left Minnesota without playing a game. He had to sit out all of last season as a transfer student.
White was named this season's Big 12's preseason Newcomer of the Year anyway, and he has established himself as one of the toughest matchups in the Big 12 and across the nation.
The 6-foot-8, 270-pound White leads the Cyclones with 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, and is probably the strongest player the Cyclones have ever had. He shattered Iowa State's weightlifting marks over the summer, bench-pressing 185 pounds 28 times with a personal best of 365 pounds.
White's hands stretch nearly a foot from thumb to pinkie, and he can palm the ball as though it's a grapefruit. Those massive mitts come in handy when he decides to attack the rim. White, in fact, often gets the Cyclones into their offensive sets in transition, then settles into the paint for an easy bucket.
"He's been terrific," Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg. "It's a nice luxury to have a guy like that at 6-foot-8 that can make plays and get your team into an offense."
Kansas State coach Frank Martin said White reminds him of former Big 12 matchup nightmares like Kevin Durant, Michael Beasley and Blake Griffin. Missouri coach Frank Haith has compared White's ability to handle the ball as a big man to Magic Johnson, and Hoiberg has said that White's passing skills for his size remind him of former Minnesota Timberwolves teammate Kevin Garnett.
White is on pace to become the first player to lead the Cyclones in points, rebounds and assists since Hoiberg did it in 1994.
"He's a pro. I wish I could give you some scientific explanation for it," said Martin, whose Wildcats (15-5, 4-4) play at Iowa State on Tuesday. "You're talking about a guy who's a high-level athlete that has a high skill level and also has a tremendous understanding of how to play."
The free throw line has been a problem for White. He's shooting just 51.4 percent — two points worse than his percentage from the floor — and just 41.7 percent in conference games. There have been air balls.
"It's extremely tough. Royce doesn't sleep very much," Hoiberg said. "When he gets to the free throw line and he has a tough start, it weighs on his mind. He's an intelligent kid and he thinks a lot out there, and I'm sure a lot of it has to do with his anxiety."
White's hardly the only reason the Cyclones are relevant in the Big 12 for the first time in years. Fellow transfers Chris Allen and Chris Babb have solidified Iowa State's backcourt alongside senior sharpshooter Scott Christopherson, and sophomore Melvin Ejim has emerged from a prolonged slump to give the Cyclones a boost on the wing.
But White has become the focal point for Iowa State as it makes a push for its first NCAA tournament berth since 2005. The pressure on White will only intensify as March draws closer, and even White isn't sure how he'll handle all of it.
So far, White hasn't let his anxiety disorder prevent him from realizing his immense potential.
"It's getting better and better with each game, and I think the stage of the last game really played on my mind as far as my anxiety goes," he said. "But my team supports me and the coaching staff supports me, and that positive reinforcement is helping me get through it."
-- Luke Meredith
Oklahoma, Oklahoma St. players awarded weekly honors
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma guard Steven Pledger has been named Big 12 basketball Player of the Week and Oklahoma State guard Le'Bryan Nash is the conference's Rookie of the Week. The conference announced the awards in a news release Monday.
Pledger was chosen after averaging 23.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in two games last week. He scored 17 points with six rebounds in a loss to No. 6 Baylor then had 30 points and five rebounds in a 63-60 OU win at No. 22 Kansas State.
Nash scored a season-high 27 points in OSU's 79-72 upset of No. 2 Missouri then added 13 points and seven rebounds in a loss at Texas A&M.
Polls
Kentucky still easy No. 1 in AP poll
Kentucky starts it second straight week — and fourth this season — as the No. 1 team in The Associated Press' college basketball poll.
The Wildcats were again a runaway choice, receiving 63 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel on Monday.
Syracuse, which got the other No. 1 votes, and Ohio State both moved up one place to second and third. Missouri, which had been No. 2, dropped to fourth after its loss to Oklahoma State.
North Carolina, Baylor, Duke, Kansas, Michigan State and undefeated Murray State round out the top 10. The Racers, the lone remaining unbeaten team in Division I, cracked the top 10 for the first time in school history.
AP Top 25
The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Jan. 29, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking:
| Record | Pts | Prv | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Kentucky (63) | 21-1 | 1,623 | 1 |
| 2. Syracuse (2) | 22-1 | 1,550 | 3 |
| 3. Ohio St. | 19-3 | 1,498 | 4 |
| 4. Missouri | 19-2 | 1,363 | 2 |
| 5. North Carolina | 18-3 | 1,331 | 7 |
| 6. Baylor | 19-2 | 1,310 | 6 |
| 7. Duke | 18-3 | 1,250 | 8 |
| 8. Kansas | 17-4 | 1,178 | 5 |
| 9. Michigan St. | 17-4 | 1,098 | 10 |
| 10. Murray St. | 21-0 | 979 | 11 |
| 11. UNLV | 20-3 | 936 | 12 |
| 12. Florida | 17-4 | 861 | 14 |
| 13. Creighton | 20-2 | 803 | 15 |
| 14. Georgetown | 16-4 | 762 | 9 |
| 15. Marquette | 18-4 | 682 | 17 |
| 16. Virginia | 17-3 | 578 | 19 |
| 17. San Diego St. | 18-3 | 566 | 13 |
| 18. Saint Mary's (Cal) | 21-2 | 472 | 21 |
| 19. Wisconsin | 17-5 | 415 | 25 |
| 20. Indiana | 17-5 | 395 | 16 |
| 21. Florida St. | 14-6 | 375 | 23 |
| 22. Mississippi St. | 17-5 | 329 | 18 |
| 23. Michigan | 16-6 | 305 | 20 |
| 24. Gonzaga | 17-3 | 141 | — |
| 25. Vanderbilt | 16-5 | 102 | — |
Others receiving votes: Harvard 69, Louisville 65, Kansas St. 40, West Virginia 12, Wichita St. 9, Nevada 6, Notre Dame 6, Southern Miss. 5, Iowa St. 3, Long Beach St. 3, Iona 2, UConn 2, Illinois 1.
USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Poll
The top 25 teams in the USA Today-ESPN men's college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Jan. 29, points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking:
| Record | Pts | Pvs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Kentucky (31) | 21-1 | 775 | 1 |
| 2. Syracuse | 22-1 | 730 | 4 |
| 3. Ohio State | 19-3 | 726 | 3 |
| 4. Missouri | 19-2 | 635 | 2 |
| 5. Duke | 18-3 | 631 | 6 |
| 6. Baylor | 19-2 | 622 | 7 |
| 6. North Carolina | 18-3 | 622 | 8 |
| 8. Kansas | 17-4 | 548 | 5 |
| 9. Murray State | 21-0 | 511 | 9 |
| 10. Michigan State | 17-4 | 456 | 11 |
| 11. Florida | 17-4 | 445 | 13 |
| 12. Creighton | 20-2 | 426 | 14 |
| 13. UNLV | 20-3 | 399 | 15 |
| 14. Georgetown | 16-4 | 355 | 10 |
| 15. Marquette | 18-4 | 323 | 18 |
| 16. Saint Mary's | 21-2 | 284 | 20 |
| 17. San Diego State | 18-3 | 264 | 12 |
| 18. Virginia | 17-3 | 253 | 21 |
| 19. Mississippi State | 17-5 | 193 | 16 |
| 20. Indiana | 17-5 | 142 | 17 |
| 20. Wisconsin | 17-5 | 142 | 25 |
| 22. Michigan | 16-6 | 120 | 22 |
| 23. Harvard | 18-2 | 116 | 23 |
| 24. Florida State | 14-6 | 85 | — |
| 25. Louisville | 17-5 | 68 | 25 |
Others receiving votes: Gonzaga 65, Vanderbilt 36, UConn 21, Nevada 18, Kansas State 15, Iowa State 9, Middle Tennessee 9, Wichita State 7, New Mexico 6, West Virginia 6, Southern Miss. 4, Long Beach State 3, California 2, Temple 2, Notre Dame 1.
Top 25
No. 3 Buckeyes prep for decisive month
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Not long after No. 3 Ohio State hung a 64-49 shiner on No. 20 Michigan on Sunday, coach Thad Matta was asked how pleased he was to reach the midpoint of the Big Ten season with at least a share of the lead.
"It beats second, I do know that," he said.
Trouble is, the Buckeyes (19-3, 7-2) know that most of their work is ahead of them.
All of their remaining nine games will be played against teams which have received points in the Associated Press Top 25 this season. Five of the nine opponents are ranked this week, starting with the Saturday showdown at No. 19 Wisconsin. The Buckeyes will later host the Badgers, and also play No. 9 Michigan State both home and away. In addition, they have a return engagement at No. 23 Michigan on Feb. 18.
Matta is well aware that sitting atop the conference in late January — the Buckeyes actually have a half-game lead on Michigan State (17-4, 6-2) which can pull even with a win at Illinois on Tuesday night — means almost nothing.
"As I told the guys yesterday, we have to get healed up the best we can," Matta said on Monday. "From there, it's on."
Ohio State has played a solid schedule, including wins in November over No. 7 Florida (81-74) and No. 3 Duke (85-63), and December road losses at No. 13 Kansas (78-67) and at No. 13 Indiana (74-71). In January, the Buckeyes had a relatively light schedule of seven games, with a 80-63 rout of Indiana its lone Top-25 opponent.
But now comes a string of the biggest tests of the season. Even the unranked teams — Purdue, Minnesota, Illinois and Northwestern — are dangerous. Each has pulled off its share of big wins so far. All will be gunning to upend Ohio State and improve their own postseason chances.
The Buckeyes enter this stretch on a roll. They've won four in a row and six of seven. They are playing well at both ends of the court, ranking second in the Big Ten in both scoring (77.3 ppg) and in points allowed (55.6 ppg).
Michigan coach John Beilein tossed a zone defense at Buckeyes on Sunday, hoping to give them a look that might change the tempo of a game slowly slipping away. It worked, for a while at least, until Ohio State used a second-half run to put the game away.
"You let this team get comfortable ... they've got too many bullets in that gun," Beilein said of the Buckeyes.
Lenzelle Smith Jr., who led Ohio State with 17 points and a career-best 12 rebounds in the win over the Wolverines, credited the defense for the improved play the past couple of weeks.
"Whenever we come out and we're connected on defense, we pretty much get the job done," he said.
It may not just be a coincidence that star forward Jared Sullinger has recommitted himself after admitting to a lackadaisical attitude during the Buckeyes' last loss, a 79-74 setback at Illinois on Jan. 10. He said he needed to be more of a leader and had to play hard on each possession instead of resting at times.
He has taken a more active role in huddles, in practice and in games since, expressing himself more and occasionally directing traffic and attitudes on the court.
Asked on Sunday if he put any stock into the Buckeyes' rise in the Big Ten standings, he offered a firm no.
"Game on Saturday against Wisconsin," he said tersely. "That's the biggest focus right now."
Yes, there is some satisfaction that they've righted the ship after a 3-2 start in conference play. But the Buckeyes are aware this is no time to be handing out pats on the back.
"It's such a long season," Matta said. "There's some things we've got to continue to get better at. But turning the halfway point at 7-2 is, well, I like it."
-- Rusty Miller
Inexperienced ninth-ranked Spartans hit the road
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan State coach Tom Izzo usually has the luxury of leaning on some upperclassmen to carry his team. Not this year.
Izzo, who plays only one senior and one junior, said he is relying on freshmen as much as he has since the 2001-02 season, when Chris Hill and Alan Anderson were seeing a lot of minutes after Jason Richardson and Zach Randolph left for the NBA.
The hard-driving coach has been pleased with the progress of freshmen Branden Dawson and Brandan Kearney, but needs both of them to contribute consistently to keep the ninth-ranked Spartans in the hunt for their third Big Ten title in four seasons.
"We're in a position now where we're one of five or six teams that have a legitimate shot," Izzo said.
If Michigan State (17-4, 6-2 Big Ten) wins at Illinois (15-6, 4-4) on Tuesday night, the Spartans will move into a first place tie atop the conference with No. 3 Ohio State at the midway mark of the regular season.
Dawson will be in the starting lineup against the Illini and Kearney likely will play some important minutes as a backup point guard because fellow freshman Travis Trice has been slowed by a groin injury. He didn't play in last week's win over Minnesota.
"Trice is still a question mark," Izzo said Monday. "He hasn't really practiced in five or six days."
Dawson is making the difficult transition from being a McDonald's All-American forward in high school to a role-playing guard in college.
Lately, he has been doing it well. Dawson is averaging a team-high 15 points over the past two games — nearly double his season average in scoring — and was named the Big Ten's freshman of the week.
"He's such a phenomenal athlete," Izzo said. "He has a good understanding, but he just loses focus, which a lot of freshmen do."
Kearney, meanwhile, seems to be handling the game with relative ease. He wasn't expected to play much this season, but the 6-foot-5 guard has played with poise while pressed into duty at point guard.
"Kearney has been a big surprise," Izzo said.
The Spartans also have two redshirt freshmen, Russell Byrd on the perimeter and Alex Guana, in their 11-man rotation. Michigan State, though, is led by a senior.
Draymond Green, the first Spartan to average double figures in points and rebounds since Mike Peplowski did it in 1993, has evolved into one of the best leaders Izzo has had at the school. Green was named the co-Big Ten player of the week after he had 22 points, 14 rebounds and six assists against Minnesota. Izzo is thankful he has Green because this is a precarious part of the schedule for first-year players.
"Sometimes freshmen hit the wall, sometimes they flourish," Izzo said. "I worry about all of our guys in that respect."
-- Larry Lage
Creighton, Long Beach State set for BracketBuster
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — No. 13 Creighton will host Long Beach State in the BracketBuster on Feb. 18. The Bluejays and 49ers will tip off at 9 p.m. CST. It will be the fifth meeting between the schools and first since 1973.
The BracketBuster is showcase for mid-majors, with many of the games televised on ESPN channels. Creighton (20-2) has won 10 straight games and is in first place in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 10-1 record.
Long Beach State (16-6) has won its last nine games and leads the Big West Conference with a 9-0 mark. As part of the BracketBusters contract, Creighton will play at Long Beach State in 2013-14.
News & Notes
Winless on road, Tennessee travels to No. 1 UK
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Coach Cuonzo Martin says his Tennessee Volunteers are better now than when they nearly upset Kentucky in Knoxville. He also knows there's no reason for people to believe it just yet.
"Are we a better team? Yes, we're a better team, but I think you have to go on the road in a hostile environment and prove it," Martin said Monday.
Tennessee (10-11, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) hasn't proven it yet, and it will be a tough thing to do this week. The Vols travel to Lexington to face the top-ranked Wildcats (20-1, 7-0), who have the nation's longest home winning streak at 47, including a 46-0 mark under coach John Calipari at Rupp Arena.
Tennessee hasn't won a true road game, and its most recent road trip resulted in a 65-47 loss at Vanderbilt. The Vols nearly pulled out wins at Mississippi State and Georgia but couldn't close out either game.
Calipari thinks Tennessee has improved since Kentucky's 65-62 win in Knoxville on Jan. 14.
"They're a good team," he said. "The only team that really got them was Vandy. Every other game they could have won I'm glad (our rematch) is at home, I can tell you."
Wildcats sophomore forward Terrence Jones doesn't take his team's dominance at home for granted.
"Every game in the SEC for us is we get the best of every team," he said. "We really have to respect each team in the SEC."
The Vols have become one of the better defensive teams in the SEC, thanks especially to how they've played at home. They rank third in the SEC in conference play in points allowed per game (59), second in field goal defense (38.1 percent) and second in rebounds per game (38.1).
But on the road, Tennessee has struggled to hit its shots and take care of the ball. The Vols rank 10th in conference play in scoring (58.5 points per game) and last in turnovers (17.2 per game).
Kentucky could feast off those marks. The Wildcats are second in the nation in defensive field goal percentage at 36.4 percent and in blocked shots with 204, including 101 by 6-foot-10 freshman Anthony Davis.
The Vols' only win away from Knoxville came in the Maui Invitational? against host Chaminade in what was technically a neutral site game, and they haven't won in Lexington since a 75-67 victory on Feb. 7, 2006.
"I think it's more mental than anything," Martin said. "I think our preparation is there. It's just a matter of carrying out assignments, being ready to play, having fun and embracing the atmosphere more than anything. I just think it's more mental right now, the mental toughness part of it."
Kentucky has six players averaging 9.9 points or more. Davis is averaging a double-double with 13.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, while the Wildcats' sixth man, senior guard Darius Miller is hitting 63 percent of his shots over the last four games.
"Darius Miller is playing really aggressive offensively," Calipari said. "He's getting in the middle, he's making that little floater, he's making shots, he's getting strong to the rim, he's dunking balls when he can. He, offensively, is playing like he did at the end of last year."
If facing a Kentucky team loaded with talent isn't enough, the 23,000-seat Rupp Arena has proven to be the most difficult place in the SEC to get a win in the past few seasons. The Wildcats also will be breaking out special uniforms as part of Nike's "platinum" line for this game only.
Martin said his players need to learn how to enjoy that kind of atmosphere.
"Just go, play, have some fun and compete," he said. "The great ones love that environment."
-- Beth Rucker
Arkansas hopes home comfort continues vs. Vandy
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Mardracus Wade let out a "there it is" as soon as the basketball left his right hand. A split-second later, the ball swished through the basket inside Bud Walton Arena during the Razorbacks' practice on Monday afternoon — once again showing the kind of comfort level Wade and the rest of his teammates have had at home this season.
Arkansas (15-6, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) has yet to lose in Fayetteville this season, including wins over a pair of ranked teams — then-No. 15 Mississippi State and No. 20 Michigan.
The 15-0 mark is the best for the school since it had the same mark for the entire 1997-98 season, during which first-year coach Mike Anderson was an assistant for the Razorbacks under former coach Nolan Richardson. The only other Arkansas squad to finish a season undefeated in the arena was the 1993-94 national championship team.
This season's home success has come from a most unlikely group, one that began the season with only 10 scholarship players -- four of them freshmen. Even now, down to eight scholarship players following injuries to leading scorer Marshawn Powell and senior Marvell Waithe, the Razorbacks have found a way each and every time out at home under Anderson.
And that's still with the four freshmen heavily in the mix — with freshman BJ Young coming off the bench to lead the team in scoring (14.4 points per game) following Powell's injury.
"We wake up every day knowing that this is where we come in and this is where we do what we do best," Wade said. "Coach 'A' always talks to us and tells us, 'You may go on the road, you may go this place or that place, but the most important thing is protecting your home.' ... Playing here is like bread and butter."
Arkansas will put the perfect record on the line once again against a ranked opponent on Tuesday night when it hosts No. 25 Vanderbilt (16-5, 5-1). The Commodores have won 10 of 11, with their only loss during that stretch an overtime defeat to Mississippi State.
Vanderbilt is second in the SEC in 3-point shooting (40.3 percent) and is 4-1 on the road this season, including a win at then No. 13 Marquette on Dec. 29.
"We've been good on the road," Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings said. "That needs to be something we're consistent with and sustains itself throughout the year."
It could be a difficult task against the Razorbacks, who lead the SEC by forcing an average of 17.7 turnovers per game.
"It's a very difficult place to play," Stallings said. "I think with the style that they play and Mike coaches, they get extra energy — especially a young team is going to get extra energy from the crowd. That tends to amp up your defense and they're so good at turning people over and convert host turnover into points."
Anderson has talked all season about taking pride in Arkansas' pressing, frenetic defense, the same style he used at Missouri. That defense was particularly on display while building early double-digit leads in the wins over Mississippi State and Michigan.
While the defense-first formula has worked at home this season, the Razorbacks have yet to bring that magic with them on the road. They are 0-6 away from Bud Walton Arena, including a "home" loss to Houston in North Little Rock.
That includes a winless road mark in the SEC, one that continued with a 72-66 loss at Alabama on Saturday. Arkansas was close until the final few minutes against the Crimson Tide, but Alabama shot 50 percent to overcome 18 points from the Razorbacks' Rickey Scott.
As the road losses continue to pile up for Arkansas, so does the pressure to remain perfect at home and somehow snap a three-year stretch of missing the NCAA tournament. While Anderson wants to find a way to eventually win on the road, he's more focused on peaking as the season winds down.
"Now we get another opportunity to play against a very good basketball team here in Bud Walton Arena, and we want to hold serve at home," Anderson said. "We want to take care of the home court, but to me it's another opportunity to get better."
-- Kurt Voigt
Former Canisius basketball coach Curran dies at 89
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Joseph Curran, who coached the Canisius men's basketball team to three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances in the 1950s, has died. He was 89.
Canisius announced Curran died Saturday in Mystic, Conn. No cause of death was provided.
Curran was 76-66 coaching the Golden Griffins from 1953-59, and is the program's only coach to win a tournament game. The victory in 1956 was memorable as Canisius upset No. 2 North Carolina State 79-78 in four overtimes.
Former St. John's coach and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Lou Carnesecca described Curran on Monday as "an outstanding coach" who had "unbelievable fundamentals." Carnesecca credited Curran, along with former Niagara coach Taps Gallagher, for establishing college basketball in western New York.
A visitation will be held Tuesday at Gaffney-Dolan Funeral Home in Westerly, R.I.
Vandy's Taylor named SEC player of week
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Vanderbilt senior forward Jeffery Taylor has been named the Southeastern Conference player of the week after helping the Commodores win two straight games.
The 6-foot-7 Taylor from Norrkoping, Sweden, picked up the honor Monday. He scored 23 points with nine rebounds in a win against Tennessee, and he added 17 points with six rebounds in a win over Middle Tennessee. He ranks third in the SEC in scoring in all games and is the league's top 3-point shooter in SEC games only averaging 68.2 percent from beyond the arc.
The SEC named Bradley Beale of Florida as the freshman of the week. The guard from St. Louis, Mo., scored nine points with three assists in a win at Mississippi and had a team-best 19 points beating Mississippi State.
Film about Ark. men's basketball debuts next month
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas men's basketball fans will get to view the premiere of an ESPNU film on former head coach Nolan Richardson and the Arkansas basketball program.
"40 Minutes of Hell" will debut Feb. 11 after the Razorbacks' game against South Carolina at Bud Walton Arena. The 48-minute film will feature Richardson, former President Bill Clinton, ESPN's Dick Vitale, former players and others.
The movie is a part of the Southeastern Conference Storied series, which includes films on Georgia's Herschel Walker and one on the inaugural SEC Championship football game between Florida and Alabama.
"40 Minutes of Hell" will be broadcast Feb. 11 on ESPNU.
Iona hoops coach Cluess signs extension
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (AP) — Iona basketball coach Tim Cluess has signed a multiyear extension that will keep him under contract until 2017. The deal, announced on Monday, started on New Year's Day and runs through June 30, 2017.
Cluess, who in April 2010 became Iona's 10th men's basketball head coach, went 25-12 in his first season with the Gaels. Iona is 17-5 this season with a 9-2 mark in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Cluess reached 40 wins at Iona in 56 games, making him the third fastest to reach that mark with the Gaels.
Murray State to take on Saint Mary's in BracketBuster
Undefeated Murray State will get a big test in a few weeks, when the 10th-ranked Racers take on No. 18 Saint Mary's in one of several BracketBuster matchups. Murray State, the only remaining undefeated Division I team at 21-0, will host the Gaels (21-2) on Feb. 18.
The BracketBuster is a showcase for mid-majors, with the games televised on ESPN. This year's pairings include 13 games with teams from 14 conferences.
Other matchups include No. 13 Creighton (20-2) hosting Long Beach State (16-6), Wichita State (18-4) at Davidson (15-5), Nevada (18-3) at Iona (17-5) and Akron (14-7) at Oral Roberts (20-4) — all on Feb. 18.
Oral Roberts to play Akron in Bracketbuster game
TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Oral Roberts will face Akron for the 2012 Sears BracketBusters game next month. Officials said Monday the Feb. 18 game between the Golden Eagles (20-4) and the Zips (14-7) will be nationally televised on either ESPN or ESPN2.
The teams have played four times in the history of the two programs, including last season when Oral Roberts lost 84-80. Akron has taken all four previous meetings. The Zips are led by Zeke Marshall, who has an average of three blocks per game, which ranks him 12th in the nation. Akron opened the season with a 68-58 victory on the road at Mississippi State.
Oral Roberts has now won 13-straight games and is atop the Summit League standings.
Iona hosts Nevada Feb. 18 ESPN Bracketbuster
RENO, Nev. (AP) — Nevada will travel to New York next month to play the Iona Gaels in an ESPN Bracketbuster matchup to be televised nationally.
The 18-3 Wolf Pack have won 15 games in a row, the second longest winning streak in the nation behind undefeated Murray State. They will play at 17-5 Iona of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in New Rochelle, N.Y., on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 1 p.m. PST The network announced Monday the game is scheduled to be carried on either ESPN or ESPN2. Nevada is leading the Western Athletic Conference with a 7-0 record. The Gaels are 9-2 in the MAAC.
Basketball players from Western, Carroll honored
WHITEFISH, Mont. (AP) — Athletes from Montana Western and Carroll College have been named Frontier Conference basketball players of the week. Forward Kyle Erickson received the men's honor for his role in Western's 78-67 win over Carroll and a 74-66 victory against Rocky Mountain College. He averaged 13.5 points, seven rebounds, 7.5 assists, 4.5 blocks and 2.5 steals. In the win over Carroll, Erickson was one rebound away from a triple double. He scored 11 points, had 10 assists and grabbed nine rebounds.
Carroll guard Bailey Snelling was named the women's player of the week for her performance against Montana Western and Montana Tech. She averaged 20 points, three rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals to help Carroll defeat Western 72-67 and down Tech 47-41.
Billings West standout commits to Montana State hoops
BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — Billings West standout Danny Robison has made a verbal commitment to play basketball at Montana State, starting with the 2012-13 season. Robison, a 6-foot-8 forward, is averaging 18.8 points for the top-ranked Golden Bears. He can sign with the Bobcats in April.
Robison's father, Doug, is his high school basketball coach. His older sister, Shadra, played basketball at Montana from 2006-10 while his brother, Shane, is graduating from MSU in May after playing for the Bobcat football team for four years.
