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College Basketball Capsules - Men: Oklahoma claws out 64-55 win over Texas Tech
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — For two teams struggling to find their footing in the Big 12, any victory is precious. A strong finish by Romero Osby earned Oklahoma its second win in a row and kept Texas Tech reeling.
Steven Pledger scored 17 points and Osby came up with 11 of his 15 points in the final 4 minutes to lift the Sooners to a 64-55 win over the Red Raiders on Tuesday night.
"To win and learn is good, and in this league, wins are tough to come by," Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said. "We've got to be thrilled by any we get."
The two teams who were picked to finish in a tie for last in the conference and had combined to lose 24 of their last 29 games against Big 12 competition ended up playing a ragged game in which 46 fouls were called and neither team made even 40 percent of its shots.
Texas Tech (7-10, 0-5) trailed throughout the second half but pulled within 48-47 when Jordan Tolbert put back his own miss with 4:18 to play. Robert Lewandowski had a chance underneath to give the Red Raiders the lead but missed, and the Sooners (12-5, 2-3) pulled away after that.
Osby scored underneath after a timeout, and he added a two-handed slam and seven free throws down the stretch to close it out.
"Not necessarily a pretty win, but a good win. I thought guys really worked hard on both teams all night long," Kruger said. "Defensively, both teams had the other out of rhythm. Neither shot it particularly well, but both worked really hard."
Javarez Willis scored 16 points and Jaye Crockett had 14 points and 10 rebounds for Texas Tech, which got just 23 points on 6 for 28 shooting from its starters. Overall, Tech converted only 15 of 46 shots, or 33 percent.
After making 50 percent of their shots during nonconference play to rank ninth in the nation, the Red Raiders haven't reached 40 percent in any of their five Big 12 games.
Tolbert missed his first eight shots, most of them close to the basket, and the Red Raiders were 8 for 34 from inside the arc while making half of their 14 3-point attempts.
"We did a better job today of throwing it in there, but finishing around the basket is atrocious," coach Billy Gillispie said. "We continue to try to not use the backboard, we continue to try to not finish strong. It's just killing us, and it killed us tonight.
"We had so many opportunities one foot away from the basket."
The Sooners had the opposite problem, missing 10 of their 11 3-point attempts.
They ended up shooting 39 percent overall and made up for their shooting troubles by capitalizing on 21 Tech turnovers.
Andrew Fitzgerald added 13 points to finish in double figures for the 12th straight game, and Cameron Clark scored 10 for Oklahoma.
"I like the energy, I like the enthusiasm. We just have to keep growing," Kruger said. "We've got to keep getting better. The guys know that. Any time you can win a ballgame, it reinforces a lot of good stuff."
After falling behind with a sloppy finish to the first half, the Red Raiders quickly earned their way into the bonus in the second half and chipped away at Oklahoma's lead. Ty Nurse hit a 3-pointer to start a run of seven straight Tech points, and Tolbert's two free throws cut the deficit down to 34-32 with 14:04 to play.
Tolbert missed a shot at the tie before Osby split two defenders for a two-handed slam for Oklahoma. Tolbert then missed the front end of a one-and-one on consecutive possessions to give the Sooners a little breathing room.
Crockett led the Red Raiders back again, converting a three-point play and then banking in a jumper before Tolbert's first made basket got Tech back within one.
Sam Grooms followed Osby's basket with a jumper from the right side, and Pledger got fouled in transition after a steal. With the shot clock running down, Carl Blair drove the lane and dropped the ball off to Osby for a two-handed jam that made it 56-48 with 1:30 to play.
Texas Tech never got closer than five after that.
"I feel like we were starting to get a little momentum there. We kind of got the crowd energized and it kind of got us seeing the ball go through the basket, because we had a little stretch there where we didn't make a couple baskets," Osby said.
"Carl made a great move and got it to me, and I did my best to finish it."
The Red Raiders fell behind to stay with a sloppy stretch at the end of the first half when they turned the ball over on eight of their final 12 possessions — including Lewandowski traveling three times.
Osby tipped in Pledger's miss to get the Sooners going on a 13-4 run to close the first half with a 29-22 lead. Tech finished the first half with 15 turnovers while making only seven of 19 shots.
"This has nothing to do with intelligence: I'm talking about we can't count to 10 very good," Gillispie said.
"The greatest players, they can count and account for every single player on the court, so they're able to pass the ball on time on target. ... We have a hard time. The ball sticks in our hands."
Two UNT freshman guards academically ineligible
DENTON (AP) — North Texas freshmen guards Chris Jones and Jordan Williams have been ruled academically ineligible and will miss the rest of the season. Mean Green coach Johnny Jones announced the ineligibility of the two players Tuesday.
Jones is the only player who has started every game for the Mean Green (11-8), who have won four of their past five games. The 6-foot-2 guard was tied for the team lead, averaging 14.1 points per game.
The 6-6 Williams started 13 games and was third in scoring with 10.9 points a game.
Jones says it's disappointing for the entire team. The coach says the immediate attention is getting Jones and Williams back on track toward earning their degrees.
A&M point guard Branch transfers to St. John's
NEW YORK (AP) — Point guard Jamal Branch has transferred to St. John's from Texas A&M.
Red Storm coach Steve Lavin said Tuesday that Branch, who played at Grace Preparatory Academy in Arlington has enrolled at St. John's and that after sitting one season per NCAA transfer rules will have 3 1/2 seasons of eligibility.
Branch played in 11 games for the Aggies this season, averaging 4.2 points, 2.5 assists and 2.2 rebounds in 18.6 minutes.
He had seven points, five rebounds and two assists in Texas A&M's 58-57 victory over St. John's in the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer at Madison Square Garden in November.
Big 12
No. 25 Kansas State regroups after early Big 12 losses
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — The most encouraging statistic for Frank Martin this week had nothing to do with field goal percentage, assist-to-turnover ratios or rebounding margin.
It had to do with the number of guys he had running stairs.
The famously volatile Kansas State coach didn't interrupt practice the past two days even once to banish some miscreant to the stairs running from the court to the upper corridor at Bramlage Coliseum, the stark white steps that serve as punishment for lack of focus and intensity. Half the team was on them last week.
The 25th-ranked Wildcats have lost three of four to start Big 12 play heading into Wednesday night's game against Texas. Another defeat and Kansas State (12-4, 1-3) will be out of the race for the league title before it's truly begun, if Martin's bunch isn't already.
"Sometimes there's no answer," Martin said in a back corner of the arena after practice Tuesday night. "Sometimes as a parent you raise your child, and you say, 'Why the heck did that happen?' But that's life. Nothing comes easy."
Even after losing Jacob Pullen, one of the best all-around players in school history, Kansas State showed early in the season that it could challenge for conference superiority.
It won a tough road game against Virginia Tech, knocked off Alabama on a neutral court and went to double-overtime in a loss to West Virginia. It finished up the non-conference slate with a win over Long Beach State, an expected NCAA tournament darling, and a tournament title in Hawaii.
But things have unraveled since Big 12 play started.
Kansas State was pounded by its in-state rival, a humbling 67-49 defeat at Kansas' Allen Fieldhouse. The Wildcats rebounded to hand Missouri its first defeat of the season, but then came a loss to Baylor in which they blew a big second-half lead, and then last Saturday's meltdown in Norman.
The Wildcats looked sluggish, disinterested and discombobulated against Oklahoma, rarely so much as challenging for the lead in an 82-73 loss.
"Frank has been stressing our field goal percentage defense, how it's the worst in the Big 12," said Rodney McGruder, who leads the Wildcats in scoring at 14.6 points per game. "That's something we have to address. It's just about defensive pressure."
The Sooners proved to be a pretty good example. They shot 54.9 percent while piling up the most points in a game against a team from one of the major conferences.
While it's easy to blame struggles on the offensive end on things like mechanics, or the sets that an offense is running, it's not so easy to diagnose problems on defense. More often than not, it comes down to hustle — to focus and intensity, the buzzwords that define the Kansas State program.
"We've really turned it around," sophomore guard Will Spradling said. "People just weren't bringing out any intensity. We were having four or five guys running the stairs, and that only left us with 12 guys to practice. We didn't have the competitiveness that we normally have."
Spradling believes the Wildcats have it figured out in time for Texas.
Good thing, too, because the Longhorns (12-5, 2-2) are starting to show that they'll have something to say about the eventual conference champion before the season is finished.
After early losses to Oregon State and North Carolina State, Rick Barnes' team has started to find its stride. It beat Oklahoma State and Texas A&M before playing Missouri tight into the second half over the weekend, behind the exemplary play of junior guard J'Covan Brown.
Brown leads the Big 12 in scoring at better than 19 points per game.
Kansas State understands that its season is already hanging in the balance. The chance to still compete for a Big 12 title is fading, though still a possibility. And its chances of landing another NCAA tournament bid could take a dangerous hit with another loss to an unranked team.
There's pressure, Martin said, but also opportunity. The game Wednesday night is another chance to prove that the Wildcats have indeed regrouped.
"We've dealt with adversity," Martin said. "Now we have to come out and see what happens."
-- Dave Skretta
Top 25
Capsules: Davis sends Kentucky past Arkansas
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Freshman Anthony Davis scored a career-high 27 points and blocked seven shots to set a season school record in No. 2 Kentucky's 86-63 victory over Arkansas on Tuesday night.
The Wildcats (18-1, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) won their 10th straight overall and extended the nation's longest home winning streak to 46, including 45 straight at Rupp Arena.
The Wildcats jumped on the Razorbacks (13-5, 2-2) by taking a 10-2 lead and extending it to as many as 20 before halftime.
Davis, who had 14 rebounds, blocked his 84th shot with just under 5 minutes left in the first half when he turned away freshman B.J. Young's layup to set the record previously held by Melvin Turpin and matched by Andre Riddick.
Doron Lamb scored 14 points, Terrence Jones 13, Darius Miller 11 and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 10 for Kentucky.
Mardracus Wade had 12 points for Arkansas, which hasn't won in four road games this season.
NO. 20 MICHIGAN 60, NO. 9 MICHIGAN ST. 59
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Stu Douglass made a layup with 36.5 seconds remaining for the lead and Michigan held on through a wild final sequence.
On Michigan State's last possession, Keith Appling drove to the basket but had his shot blocked by Jordan Morgan. Brandon Wood of the Spartans came up with the ball, and Draymond Green was able to get another shot off from near the free throw line, but it missed.
Freshman Trey Burke scored 20 points for Michigan. He rebounded a miss by Appling in the final minute and turned it into a transition chance, eventually passing to Douglass for the winning layup.
Michigan (15-4, 5-2 Big Ten) has won three straight over Michigan State (15-4, 4-2).
Derrick Nix led Michigan State with 13 points.
NO. 10 GEORGETOWN 83, DePAUL 75
ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) — Jason Clark scored a career-high 31 points and Georgetown dominated the rebounding. The Hoyas (15-3, 5-2 Big East) outrebounded DePaul 47-25 and consistently worked inside for second shots. Henry Sims added 16 points and Otto Porter had 15 rebounds for Georgetown.
Clark made 11 of 14 shots from the field, including 5 of 7 from behind the 3-point line.
Cleveland Melvin scored 19 points and Moses Morgan had 17, including five 3-pointers, for the Blue Demons (10-8, 1-5), who lost their fourth straight.
Morgan made two 3-pointers and Melvin had a jumper in an 8-0 run that made it a two-point game with 14 minutes to go. Clark had a driving reverse layup, Hollis Thompson scored on a follow and Clark made a 3-pointer in a 12-2 run for a 60-48 lead.
The Hoyas have won 11 straight against DePaul and lead the series 20-6
No. 12 Murray State keeps rolling without Aska
MURRAY, Ky. (AP) — Murray State may have already survived the biggest threat to an undefeated run to the NCAA tournament: losing its leading rebounder to a broken hand.
So with 6-foot-7 senior forward Ivan Aska out since breaking his right hand in a win Dec. 30 against Eastern Illinois, the Racers have improvised without missing a step.
"I'm not the team," Aska said after the injury. "I have other teammates."
That he does. They are the reason the Racers (18-0, 6-0 Ohio Valley Conference) remain one of only two undefeated Division I men's basketball teams along with No. 1 Syracuse heading into their game Wednesday at Morehead State.
The 12th-ranked Racers have managed without the forward who had played 113 games for Murray State before his injury. Coach Steve Prohm installed a four-guard set and implored his shooters to battle for rebounds.
"Ivan's presence out there on both ends of the floor, being able to rebound the basketball, being able to score around the basket, we miss that," Prohm said. "But everyone that follows our team knew we were going to miss that to some degree."
Aska continues doing what he can to encourage his teammates while he heals.
"A lot of guys that get hurt get down on themselves and they just break down, they won't cheer, they really wouldn't be anything to the team because they aren't on the floor," Racers guard Donte Poole said. "Of course he didn't like it, but in practice he'll be talking. In the games he'll be talking. In the timeouts he'll be talking. In the course of the game he'll be yelling.
"It's just good knowing that even though he's not in the game, it's good he's still that leader and he's still being there vocal for us."
And Aska's kept social media updated, too, despite a bulky splint with two of his fingers wrapped up. Aska tweeted during a game that he'd lost his voice while on the bench without Prohm's knowledge.
"He's a senior over there trying to will his team on ... This is fun right now and we want to keep going," Prohm said after learning about the tweet. "When you win, sometimes you handle things a little different than when you lose."
So far, the Racers keeping doing just that, four more times without Aska. The 6-foot-3 Poole and fellow 6-foot-1 guard Jewuan Long have combined to average 7.8 rebounds in the games Aska has missed.
He was averaging 12.6 points and six rebounds per game before being sidelined.
"It's different, but the way our offense is, it's not predicated on just stay in the post or just stay outside the paint," said Poole, who matched a career high with eight rebounds in an 82-74 victory over Tennessee Tech on Saturday. "When I moved down to the four, sometimes I go out to the 3-point line or sometimes I'll pick and pop. So I'm doing things on the floor. It's actually pretty comfortable. It's just the fact about being more conscious about certain things — making sure I rebound more or making sure I box out or kick the ball out.
"It's not too much of an adjustment, but I think having a four-guard lineup actually helps us out."
There's still no timetable for Aska's return, though he has another doctor's visit on Monday and is expected back soon. Murray State isn't dominating the glass since Aska's injury with more pressure on its three main post players — Ed Daniel, Latreze Mushatt and Brandon Garrett — to stay out of foul trouble.
The Racers have been outrebounded three times in four games, but have managed a higher shooting percentage in every game but one using additional shooters on the floor.
"It can be challenging at times just knowing that we've all got to go rebound," point guard Isaiah Canaan said.
Canaan is averaging 21.3 points per game in Aska's absence and Murray State's scoring average is up as the Racers continue to try to push the tempo.
"We're so much quicker when we get out in transition," Poole said. "We always like to run and when we get out in transition and push the ball, we have a few secondary threats with four guards. That makes it easier to get out."
While the Racers keep winning, Poole feels for his former roommate now he can no longer rough around with like they did before the injury in wrestling matches that knocked over furniture and left them both exhausted.
"Sometimes I'll try to grab him and choke him, but he always uses that hand as an excuse," Poole said. "It's his little emergency 911 call out of it."
Poole said when Aska comes back, it'll be a big boost for the Racers. But, they've already proven they're more than just one player deep.
"Our coaches do a great job of trying to keep our focus and to continue to get us to remember what we did to get to this point and how hard it is to try to get to this point," Canaan said. "Because we know that it can be taken away from us in the blink of an eye."
-- Colin Fly
Moultrie's big numbers lead No. 18 Mississippi St.
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — When Arnett Moultrie and his Mississippi State teammates watch basketball highlights, the conversation often evolves into a discussion about the lack of respect the 18th-ranked Bulldogs feel they get on the national level.
"That's something we always laugh about as a team," Moultrie said. "That's why we go out and try to prove everybody wrong."
Moultrie and Mississippi State (15-3, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) are indeed proving detractors wrong. In fact, the Bulldogs have been playing so well that the 'lack of respect' tag doesn't seem to apply anymore.
Mississippi State, one of just three nationally ranked teams in the SEC, plays two crucial road games this week — one against instate rival Ole Miss, the other at Vanderbilt. The confident Bulldogs are unconcerned, keeping their eyes on an outside shot at the SEC title.
A big reason is Moultrie, who has become the team's surprising leader.
The UTEP transfer was expected to be a quality addition after sitting out last season because of transfer rules, but few predicted the 6-foot-11 junior would be among the SEC's best players considering he averaged 9.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore with the Miners.
As a Bulldog, he's putting up 16.5 points and grabbing a league-leading 10.9 rebounds per game.
Moultrie said there's been no magic potion, just hours on the basketball floor spent honing his game while he waited for the opportunity to play with Mississippi State.
"It's just understanding the game more," Moultrie said. "I've grown up and matured as a player. I had to spend more time in the gym if I wanted to become the player that I wanted to be."
Now there's little hiding that Moultrie is becoming one of the most difficult matchups in the league.
"He goes hard every play," Ole Miss forward Murphy Holloway said. "He goes to the boards. Look at his stat line; he averages a double-double. Most of his points, he's getting put-backs. On film, it's the same pace the whole game. Full speed, not taking plays off."
It's not just SEC opponents who are taking notice.
On Tuesday, Moultrie was named one of 25 finalists for the John Wooden Award — which is given to the nation's top college basketball player — despite not being on the 50-player watch list at the beginning of the season.
Moultrie has put up his big numbers despite being arguably the third or fourth option on offense. Senior point guard Dee Bost, junior forward Renardo Sidney and even freshman Rodney Hood have more conventional offensive moves, but Moultrie stays productive because of his knack for offensive rebounding and alley-oops.
Listed at 249 pounds, Moultrie isn't overly strong, but he holds his own against bigger opponents because of superior positioning and jumping ability. He also has a surprising shooting touch, making 58 percent of his shots from the field and 83.3 percent from the free-throw line.
But it's the rebounding that always stands out. He has nine double-doubles this season, including a 25-point, 13-rebound performance last week against Alabama.
"Rebounding is always something I've been good at," Moultrie said. "Playing with a motor is something I can control."
As Moultrie continues to post big numbers, opposing teams have tried different tactics to stop him. But because Moultrie usually scores his points without needing a set play, that's been difficult.
"I'm sure people will continue to be more conscious of him," Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury said. "He does something that's not easy to do. It's hard to double team an offensive rebounder. ... But he's going to draw attention. Those nights he does draw that attention, other people have to pick up the slack."
-- David Brandt
Weber: Paul needs to match intensity of OSU win
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Illinois coach Bruce Weber hopes Brandon Paul can reproduce a little of his 43-point night against Ohio State in the rest of the 22nd-ranked Illini's games.
In his three seasons at Illinois (15-3, 4-1 Big Ten) Paul has driven fans a little crazy with the combination of his potential and his sometimes bad decision-making and turnovers.
Paul not only scored well over half of Illinois' output in the 79-74 win last week. He also had eight rebounds and four blocks and was 13-15 from the free-throw line after a sluggish start.
Weber said Tuesday that Paul needs to start games with the urgency he showed late against the Buckeyes. Weber also said injured point guard Sam Maniscalco should return and play up to 15 minutes versus Penn State on Thursday.
UNC's Williams apologizes to five left behind at FSU
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina coach Roy Williams says he has apologized to the five players left on the court when the rest of the team headed to the locker room early in the final seconds of a loss at Florida State.
On his radio show Monday night, Williams said he didn't realize the reserves — including three walk-ons — stayed behind with 14.2 seconds left in Saturday's 33-point loss until watching the game film. Williams says it was "a mistake" and a "miscommunication."
Team spokesman Steve Kirschner says Williams intended to pull the entire team with FSU coach Leonard Hamilton's blessing and end the game early before fans stormed the court. Instead, assistant coach C.B. McGrath, strength coach Jonas Sahratian and a few managers stayed behind with the reserves.
Louisville F Buckles out for year with knee injury
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Louisville forward Rakeem Buckles tore a ligament in his left knee during the Cardinals' loss at Marquette and will miss the rest of the season as well as all of 2012-13 with the injury.
Coach Rick Pitino says in a statement Tuesday that "all of us are just crushed" at Buckles' latest setback after he spent nearly nine months working to return from the right knee injury he sustained in February 2011. Buckles appeared in 11 games, averaging four points and 3.8 rebounds.
The 18th-ranked Cardinals (14-5, 2-4 Big East) have lost five of seven games and have lost seven players for at least one game because of health or eligibility issues. Earlier this year, guard Mike Marra also tore a ligament in his left knee.
News & Notes
Xavier getting back to pre-brawl form
CINCINNATI (AP) — Duquesne coach Ron Everhart felt like he was watching months-old video as Xavier shredded his team in every imaginable way. What's this about the Musketeers still being off their game?
"I thought they looked a whole lot like they were earlier in the year," Everhart said, after Xavier's 78-50 win last week.
The Musketeers (12-5, 3-1 Atlantic 10) have won three in a row heading into their game on Wednesday night against Saint Joseph's (12-6, 2-2), an indication they've finally gotten over the brawl that got unwanted national attention and changed everything.
"They feel like that microscope has been pushed aside," coach Chris Mack said. "Guys are just playing."
They're playing a lot more like they did during the first eight games, all of which they won. They had moved up to No. 8 in the national poll and played their best game of the season on Dec. 10, a 76-53 win over rival Cincinnati that became overheated.
With 9.4 seconds left, players exchanged shoves and punches. Instead of celebrating the highlight of their season, the Musketeers were on the defensive. Guards Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons bragged about Xavier's toughness afterward, drawing national criticism.
Eight players were suspended — four from each team. Xavier lost its top three scorers in Holloway, Lyons and Dez Wells, suspended for one, two and four games, respectively.
The chemistry and confidence left, too.
Xavier lost five of the next six games with a lineup in flux as players returned from suspensions. Reserves had to play major minutes and switch roles from game to game. Plus, the Musketeers had to be careful not to say or do anything that would invite more criticism.
A season that started with so much promise became a mess. Even when the roster was back to full strength, that chemistry was still missing.
"As a coach, you're always worried," Mack said. "When we were 8-0, I was worried. I'm paranoid. That's the life of a basketball coach. But did I think we wouldn't be able to have the ability to bounce back? No, I thought we'd have the ability to bounce back. If any program or if any guys in the program have ever seen being able to survive adversity, it's us."
Their biggest drop-off came on defense. During that 8-0 start which included victories over Georgia, Vanderbilt, Purdue, Butler and Cincinnati, the Musketeers allowed an average of only 61.1 points per game. Only one team scored more than 63 points — Vanderbilt, in Xavier's 82-70 overtime win.
During the next six games, the Musketeers were often out of place and gave up 74.1 points per game. They've gotten that part back in order, allowing only 57.7 points during the three-game winning streak. Duquesne managed only 16 points in the first half of its loss.
"Their depth is scary," Everhart said. "The kids who had to fill in (during the suspensions), you can tell they've gotten a lot better. And now with the guys that haven't played during that stretch coming back into the mix ...
"You know, that's tough to do from a chemistry standpoint. Sometimes it's tougher to get a guy back in the lineup that's been out. You have to take your hat off to Chris. He's done a great job integrating the guys that were out with the guys that had been playing."
Xavier's guard-driven offense has better balance lately, too. Holloway scored at least 21 points in five of the first 10 games. During the winning streak, he has been passing the ball more often to open teammates. Holloway has 18 assists and only 23 points in the last three games.
"I want him to be able to get in the lane and do what the game tells him," Mack said. "I don't want him to settle for deep 3s, which he had a tendency to do early in the season.
"You're going to have to get in the lane. Then, good point guards separate themselves on the decisions they make, either get a good shot or pass. In the last few games, he's found guys and made great passes and shots within the context of the offense."
There's still work left before they're all the way back. The Musketeers haven't fully recovered their instinct to put teams away, tending to ease up once the game is in hand.
"I think the Cincinnati game was a very complete game," forward Andre Walker said. "That got lost in everything that happened, and nobody really remembers it. That's the one thing that stuck out to me more than the brawl, that we finished the game and played a complete game.
"We've still got a little ways to go defensively. We're getting there."
They've come to terms with the national attention from Dec. 10.
''I feel like the microscope is going to be on us for the rest of the season, and we've just got to keep that in the back of our minds, like it's not there," Lyons said. "We've got a little target on our backs right now and it's not a bad thing or a good thing. We just know that everything's going to be on us, all eyes are on us."
-- Joe Kay
Washington's Wilcox doubtful vs. Bay Area schools
SEATTLE (AP) — Washington guard C.J. Wilcox, the Huskies' second-leading scorer, is highly doubtful for this week's games against California and Stanford with first-place in the Pac-12 Conference on the line.
Wilcox said Tuesday that a stress fracture in his left femur, near his hip, is so painful he was essentially playing on one leg in last week's win over rival Seattle, during which Wilcox scored a career-high 25 points.
Wilcox says the discomfort first started in his hip around Christmas, but that it didn't become a sharp, intense pain until after the win over Seattle. An MRI last week revealed the stress fracture. There is no treatment for the injury other than rest and the Huskies are hopeful that Wilcox might be cleared to play next week at the Arizona schools.
-- Tim Booth
Jackson State's leading scorer Bush out for season
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Jackson State senior Jenirro Bush will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon in his right foot during Monday's win against Texas Southern. The 6-foot-7 Bush is the Tigers' leading scorer this season, averaging 15.5 points per game. The Southwestern Athletic Conference preseason player of the year was also second on the team with 4.7 rebounds per game.
Bush scored a team-high 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds in Monday's 54-51 victory over Texas Southern before the injury with 9:49 remaining. Coach Tevester Anderson says Bush is "not only a tremendous talent on the court, he is an even better young man who has a very bright future ahead of him."
Athletes from Great Falls, Westminster honored
WHITEFISH, Mont. (AP) — Athletes from the University of Great Falls and Westminster College are the Frontier Conference basketball players of the week.
Great Falls guard Kezia Ford won the women's award. The senior from Augusta averaged 18.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, three assists and two steals as the Lady Argos beat Montana Western 87-81 and fell to Montana Tech 76-67. Ford had 27 points in the win over Western.
The men's award went to Westminster junior forward Jake Orchard of Salt Lake City. Orchard averaged 22.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.5 steals as the Griffins beat Carroll College 75-54 and lost to Rocky Mountain 84-76.
Arkansas Tech, S.W. Oklahoma players get GAC honors
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (AP) — The Great American Conference has named Arkansas Tech's Johnie Davis and Southwestern Oklahoma's Darcie Dick the men's and women's basketball players of the week. Conference officials said Tuesday Davis and Dick are credited with leading their respective teams to a pair of conference wins over the past week.
Davis averaged more than 30 points in conference road victories over Southwestern Oklahoma (78-72) and East Central (85-71). He scored 35 points in the win over Southwestern Oklahoma. Dick led her team to victories over Arkansas Tech and Harding. As a result, the Bulldogs are tied for second place in the league standings. She scored 42 points, and had 12 rebounds, five assists and seven steals in two games.
