Saturday Hoopla

[billiam2005]

Took a few days off after a 1-3 night on Wednesday. Just been horrible lately.

Today...

St. Louis -1
Seton Hall +6
Boston College -2
Marquette -6.5


May add a few more later....
Best of luck today.

 

[billiam2005]

Gonna add....

Akron -4.5
Butler -4
Iowa State +5

 

[billiam2005]

Saint Louis (14-12) at East Carolina (12-14)

DATE & TIME: Saturday, March 8th, 11:00 a.m. (et).


FACTS & STATS: Site: Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum (8,000) -- Greenville,
North Carolina. Television: None. Home Record: Saint Louis 11-4, E. Carolina
8-5. Away Record: Saint Louis 2-8, E. Carolina 3-9. Neutral Record: Saint
Louis 1-0, E. Carolina 1-0. Conference Record: Saint Louis 8-7, E. Carolina
3-12. Series Record: Saint Louis leads, 4-1.

GAME NOTES: In an effort to avoid finishing in a tie for the worst record in
Conference USA, the East Carolina Pirates welcome the Saint Louis Billikens
to Greenville for a rare morning tilt. Saint Louis is not exactly the ideal
opponent for a team that needs a win, however, as the surging Billikens have
won six consecutive games. They managed victories in only two of their first
seven league tilts, but the recent string of outstanding play makes them a
threat in the upcoming Conference USA Tournament. Saint Louis was last in
action on Wednesday, as it put forth a tremendous defensive effort in a 50-39
decision over Charlotte. As for East Carolina, it opened the season with seven
consecutive victories over non-league opponents. Unfortunately for the
Pirates, the season has fallen apart since. They are currently carrying the
weight of a five-game losing skid that includes an 82-76 letdown at No. 11
Louisville last Saturday. Saint Louis owns a 4-1 lead in the all-time series
between these two teams, including a 56-42 victory over East Carolina earlier
this season.

Saint Louis shot only 35.6 percent from the floor on Wednesday and suffered a
42-32 rebounding disadvantage, including a 15-6 deficit on the offensive
glass. Fortunately, the Billikens were able to overcome those negatives by
allowing Charlotte to make good on only 28.3 percent of its total field goal
attempts. They also forced the 49ers into 16 turnovers, another major factor
that contributed to the victory. Marque Perry played all 40 minutes for Saint
Louis and finished with a team-high 17 points despite 6-of-15 shooting from
the floor. Izik Ohanon was the only other SLU player to finish in double
figures, as he tallied 10 points off the bench. Perry has clearly been the
team's top performer this season, as he is averaging 17.6 ppg despite constant
attention from opposing defenders. The fact that the Billikens have a winning
league record is remarkable, especially considering that none of Perry's
teammates are scoring more than 8.4 rpg.

East Carolina put forth a tremendous effort at Louisville last weekend and
actually outplayed the Cardinals in many aspects of the game. For example, the
Pirates shot 49 percent from the floor on the night, including 50 percent from
three-point range, and they allowed the host team to make good on only 42.9
percent of its total field goal attempts. The most obvious reason that East
Carolina was unable to emerge victorious is that it turned the ball over 23
times. Derrick Wiley was impressive in defeat, as he poured in 29 points on
10-of-19 shooting from the floor to go along with 11 rebounds. Gabriel Mikulas
and Travis Holcomb-Faye tallied 12 points apiece, and Moussa Badiane finished
with 11 points off the bench for the Pirates. Overall this season, Wiley leads
the squad with 13.8 ppg. Mikulas adds 11.5 ppg to the lineup, and Holcomb-Faye
contributes 10.5 ppg.

The Billikens are playing with a tremendous amount of confidence right now, as
they appeared to be headed for disaster before turning things around. Another
win today is likely, as East Carolina has fallen off the map since its
outstanding start.

 

[billiam2005]

Seton Hall (16-10) at Providence (14-12)

DATE & TIME: Saturday, March 8th, 12:00 p.m. (et).


FACTS & STATS: Site: Dunkin' Donuts Center (12,993) -- Providence, Rhode
Island. Television: Local. Home Record: Seton Hall 13-3, Providence 11-4. Away
Record: Seton Hall 3-6, Providence 3-8. Neutral Record: Seton Hall 0-1,
Providence 0-0. Conference Record: Seton Hall 10-5, Providence 7-8. Series
Record: Providence leads, 40-36.

GAME NOTES: Coming off arguably their biggest win of the year, the Providence
Friars try to close out the 2002-03 regular season with a head of steam as
they play host to the Pirates of Seton Hall at the Dunkin' Dounts Center
today. Providence upended host Connecticut on Wednesday night, 76-70,
shattering any illusion the Huskies had at landing a top seed in next week's
Big East Tournament. The Friars, who have actually won four of their last five
games to pull within one game of the .500 mark in league play and own a solid
11-4 record at home this season, are currently in fourth place in the Big
East's East Division, while Seton Hall sits in third place in the West
Division. The Pirates recently had their impressive nine-game winning streak
snapped at seventh-ranked Pittsburgh on Wednesday, 86-54 -- their worst defeat
since a 94-62 loss at Syracuse on February 14, 1985. The loss was just the
team's fifth against 10 victories in Big East play, while dropping the Hall to
3-6 in true road games. Providence owns a slim 40-36 lead in the all-time
series with SHU, although the Pirates have won seven of the last 10 meetings
between the two, including an 87-80 triumph in at the Meadowlands on January
3, 2001 in the the most recent encounter.

The Pirates couldn't do anything right in Wednesday's 32-point loss at
Pittsburgh, as they got beat to the puch at both ends of court all night long.
The Panthers torched the twines for a 60.7 percent shooting effort from the
field while dropping 7-of-10 from beyond the arc. A total of five UP players
score in double figures, while Seton Hall had just two players reach the
benchmark, with both tallying just 11 points. Those efforts belonged to the
backcourt duo of John Allen and Andre Barrett, as the Pirates hit a subpar
38.9 percent from the floor, 23.8 percent from three-point range and 58.3
percent from the foul line. SHU also struggled when it came to holding on to
the basketball, committing 21 turnovers, which was considerably higher than
the 14.8 tpg the team is typically guilty of. Speaking of season averages,
Barrett is both the team's top scorer (17.2 ppg) and playmaker (5.1 apg),
while Allen adds 13.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Kelly Whitney rounds
out the unit's double-digit point producers with 10.5 ppg to go along with a
team-high 6.3 rpg, while Marcus Toney-El grabs 5.9 rpg to help the Pirates
average 36.4 rpg. Seton Hall owns just a +1.8 scoring margin and is knocking
down only 42.9 percent of its total shots and 31.9 percent from downtown --
figures that certainly won't allow for a whole lot of success once the
postseason rolls around.

Ryan Gomes finished with team highs in scoring, assists and steals, as the
Friars claimed a 76-70 win at Connecticut on Wednesday. Gomes tallied 26
points, dished out five helpers and came up with three steals, as Providence
shot a lackluster 42.4 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from long
range. Tuukka Kotti added 13 points, Sheiku Kabba chipped in 10 and Marcus
Douthit blocked a career-high nine shots, as it was PC's defensive effort that
proved to be the difference in the game, as UConn was held to just 38.8
percent on its total field goal attempts and a mere 25.0 percent on its three-
point tried. Add to the that 17 turnovers and only nine for the Friars and
it's not difficult to see why the Huskies fell in their home finale. Gomes, a
52.4 percent shooter on the year, is one of the more productive players in the
Big East, netting 18.7 points (10th in the conference) whle grabbing 9.4
caroms per contest (fourth). Kabba is the only other Friar averaging double
digits with 10.1 ppg, while Donnie McGrath directs the offense with his team-
high 4.7 apg. As a team, Providence is generating 72.8 ppg while hitting the
mark on 43 3 percent of its overall shots, including a 34.1 percent effort
from long range. By contrast, the team's foes are putting up 69.4 ppg on
typical shooting efforts of just 42.4 percent from the field and 32.0 percent
from beyond the arc.

As well as Seton Hall was playing prior to the debacle in the Steel City on
Wednesday night, regrouping to close out the regular season with a win on the
road against a Providence squad brimming with confidence at the moment will be
a difficult task indeed.

 

[billiam2005]

Cincinnati (17-9) at (8) Marquette (22-4)

DATE & TIME: Saturday, March 8th, 1:30 p.m. (et).

FACTS & STATS: Site: Bradley Center (19,150) -- Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Television: ABC. Home Record: Cincinnati 13-3, Marquette 14-1. Away Record:
Cincinnati 3-6, Marquette 7-3. Neutral Record: Cincinnati 1-0, Marquette 1-0.
Conference Record: Cincinnati 9-6, Marquette 13-2. Series Record: Cincinnati
leads, 21-14.

GAME NOTES: Hoping to secure a first-round bye in the upcoming Conference USA
Tournament, the Cincinnati Bearcats will have to pull the upset of eighth-
ranked Marquette when the two clash at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee today.
The Bearcats have won three of their last four games, including an 87-70
triumph at home over UAB on Wednesday, to pull to 9-6 in C-USA action, which
has them in third place in the league's American Division. Despite a solid
season turned in by UC so far, the squad has faltered on the road, going just
3-6. As for Marquette, which has already clinched the American Division title
and a first-round bye in the C-USA Tournament, it has won its last four games
since suffering just its fourth defeat of the season at home to Louisville
back on February 15th. The Golden Eagles' most recent opponent was also the
Blazers of UAB, whom they defeated 98-87 at home last Saturday. MU is a near-
perfect 14-1 at the Bradley Center this season. Cincinnati owns a 21-14 lead
in the all-time series between these two teams, although the Golden Eagles
claimed an 82-76 win in the Queen City back on February 1st of this year in
the first meeting.

Leonard Stokes celebrated his final home game with 23 points and a career-high
12 rebounds as the Bearcats hammered visiting UAB on Wednesday night, 87-70.
Stokes, who averages a team-leading 16.3 ppg this season, drained half of his
14 field goal attempts in the game and was a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-
throw line, helping the Bearcats shoot a scorching 87.9 percent from the
stripe. Armein Kirkland scored 18 points in just 17 minutes of action off the
bench, while Jason Maxiell tallied 11 points and seven boards and Tony Bobbitt
chipped in 10 points in the winning effort. Overall, UC hit just 42.4 percent
of its total shots, but forced 18 UAB turnovers, won the rebounding battle,
39-32, and outscored the Blazers at the foul line, 29-12. In addition to the
production received from Stokes this season, coach Bob Huggins' squad get
consistently solid contributions from guys like Maxiell and Field Williams,
both of whom turn in 12.0 ppg. Maxiell is the unit's top rebounder with 6.6
rpg, while point guard Taron Barker hands out 5.2 apg. Overall, the Bearcats
are netting an average of 67.8 ppg on a poor 40.3 percent shooting effort from
the floor, but where the team really earns its merit is at the defensive end
where foes are permitted just 61.1 ppg on a typical shooting effort of only
39.9 percent overall.

Cincinnati has Stokes to handle much of its scoring load, but his efforts pale
in comparison to that of Marquette's Dwyane Wade, who leads C-USA in scoring
with an average of 21.7 ppg. Wade is clearly the top offensive weapon for a
team that lights up the scoreboard for a healthy 78.8 ppg to rank second in
the league, so he obviously isn't along in putting forth a consistent effort
at the offensive end. Robert Jackson has performed admirably at both ends of
the court actually, scoring 15.7 ppg while grabbing a team-high 7.3 rpg.
Jackson's frontcourt mate, Scott Merritt, is also having a solid season as he
averages 9.7 points and 6.8 caroms per contest, but it's Wade's partner in the
MU backcourt that helps keep the team running like a well-oiled machines, as
Travis Diener pitches in with 11.2 ppg while delivering 5.8 apg. The Golden
Eagles clinched their first regular season conference title in nine years with
last weekend's 98-87 win over UAB, as Wade scored 26 points and dished out
seven assists and Jackson had 22 points and 10 rebounds. Diener added 14
points and 10 helpers, while Merritt and Steve Novak also finished in double
figures in scoring with 13 and 11 points, respectively. Marquette, which
committed an extremely high 21 turnovers on the night, outscored the Blazers
from the foul line, 33-15, and grabbed 34 rebounds to UAB's 22.

Despite the Bearcats needing this game to earn a first-round bye in the C-USA
Tournament, Marquette just doesn't lose all that often on its home floor. Wade
and Diener should enjoy their typical level of success in the Golden Eagle
backcourt, and while Stokes is likely to get his, expect the Bearcats to lose
the war up front as well.

 

[billiam2005]

Connecticut (18-8) at Boston College (17-9)

DATE & TIME: Saturday, March 8th, 2:00 p.m. (et).


FACTS & STATS: Site: Silvio O. Conte Forum (8,606) -- Chestnut Hill,
Massachusetts. Television: ESPN. Home Record: Connecticut 14-2, Boston College
9-4. Away Record: Connecticut 4-6, Boston College 8-4. Neutral Record:
Connecticut 0-0, Boston College 0-1. Conference Record: Connecticut 9-6,
Boston College 10-5. Series Record: Connecticut leads, 52-34.

GAME NOTES: Ousted from the national rankings a couple of weeks ago, the
Huskies of Connecticut try to get back on the right track this afternoon as
they hit the floor at the Conte Forum in a battle against the Boston College
Eagles in Big East Conference action. On Wednesday night the Huskies, 9-6 in
the East Division, were dropped by the Providence Friars by a final of 76-70,
the team's second straight defeat. Meanwhile, the Eagles are one of the
hottest teams in the league right now, posting their sixth consecutive win on
Tuesday night with a 92-84 victory over the Villanova Wildcats at home. The
win was the ninth in the last 10 outings for the squad overall and moved them
into sole possession of first place in the East Division at 10-5. A victory
today would give them first place in the East, as the brackets clear up for
the conference tournament next week. Boston College won the first game played
between these two teams last month with a 95-71 decision on the road. However,
UConn still leads the overall series by a sizeable margin at 53-34.

Emeka Okafor posted team-highs with 24 points and 15 rebounds, not to mention
three blocked shots, but the Huskies still fell short against the Providence
Friars three nights ago in a six-point decision at Gampel Pavilion. Ben Gordon
tallied 21 points as the only other player to score in double figures for
UConn, but he was also guilty of seven of the team's 17 turnovers. The squad
did manage to win the battle of the boards, 49-34, but that was a small
consolation when shooting just 38.8 percent from the field. Gordon is leading
the team in scoring with 20.2 ppg, thanks mostly to his 41 percent shooting
from behind the three-point line. Okafor is posting a double-double with 15.7
points and 10.9 rebounds per contest and is also the nation's leader with 4.7
blocks per contest at this point. While he has been hitting his field goal
attempts at a 57.4 percent clip, he has made just 58.8 percent of his free-
throws, which might be trouble for the team in crucial situations.

Troy Bell tallied a season-high with 38 points, on the strength of 11-of-22
shooting from the field and 12-of-13 at the charity stripe, as Boston College
slipped past Villanova on Tuesday night by eight points in Chestnut Hill.
Craig Smith added a double-double with 21 points and a team-high 11 rebounds,
while Andrew Bryant and Ryan Sidney contributed 16 and 10 points,
respectively, in the conference win. The Eagles managed to overcome 18
turnovers by winning the battle of the boards rather convincingly, 45-28.
Bell, the nation's fourth-leading scorer, is carrying Boston College once
again this season with his 26.3 ppg and is shooting 41.7 percent from beyond
the arc and 85.8 percent at the free-throw line. Craig Smith is adding 19.7
points and a team-best 7.9 rebounds per outing, while Ryan Sidney checks in
with 13.6 ppg and is the top playmaker on the squad with almost five dishes
per game. The team is one of the highest scoring in the Big East, posting 81.8
ppg thanks to 48.4 percent shooting from the floor, but not their 68.6 percent
accuracy at the free-throw line.

Connecticut needs to get it together and fast if it hopes to regain some of
the momentum it had when it was a top-five team earlier in the season. While
losing to Pittsburgh last week was to be expected, the Huskies falling to the
Friars more recently has to give rise to concern. Expect them to fight hard in
this one, but not have the defensive presence necessary to stop Bell and
Smith.

 

[billiam2005]

Akron (14-12) at Buffalo (4-22)


DATE & TIME: Saturday, March 8th, 3:00 p.m. (et).


FACTS & STATS: Site: Alumni Arena (8,500) -- Buffalo, New York.
Television: None. Home Record: Akron 10-4, Buffalo 4-8. Away Record: Akron
4-8, Buffalo 0-14. Neutral Record: Akron 0-0, Buffalo 0-0. Conference
Record: Akron 9-8, Buffalo 1-16. Series Record: Akron leads, 16-10.

GAME NOTES: The Akron Zips invade Alumni Arena in Buffalo, New York for
today's Mid-American Conference matchup with the lowly Buffalo Bulls. This
game represents the regular season finale for both teams, and each will
participate in the MAC Tournament which begins on Monday. Akron's current
four-game winning streak is the longest active string of success in the
conference. The Zips improved to 9-8 in the league with Wednesday's 79-71
decision over Marshall, and they are the third place team in the MAC's East
Division. Of their nine conference wins, four have come by fewer three points
or fewer. As for Buffalo, it is the only MAC team that has not recorded at
least six conference wins, a sign of both the league's parity and the Bulls'
futility. They have dropped six consecutive decisions since picking up their
only MAC victory over Eastern Michigan four weeks ago. Akron cruised to an
89-71 victory over Buffalo back in January to extend its lead to 16-10 in the
all-time series between the two teams.

Akron put forth a tremendous effort at the offensive end in the second half of
Wednesday's win over Marshall. Over the final 20 minutes, the Zips hit 16-
of-21 free throws and connected on a sizzling 60.9 percent of their field goal
attempts as well. For the game, they finished with an impressive total of 20
assists and owned a 21-9 edge in points from the stripe. John Hollingsworth
and Darryl Peterson scored 22 points apiece for the Zips, and Andy Hipsher
pitched in 13 points. Derrick Tarver finished with 11 points in the victory,
but he shot only 5-of-14 from the floor. Tarver is shooting 47 percent from
the field this season and averaging a team-high 20.3 ppg. Hollingsworth is
netting 18.2 ppg, and he has dished out 108 assists against just 64 turnovers.
Peterson is a consistent performer as well as he is scoring 13.8 ppg.

Buffalo has been a weak team all year, but the squad has been particularly bad
since Turner Battle, its leading scorer, went down with a season-ending injury
last month. In Battle's absence, no active Bull is netting more than 7.8 ppg.
The team is allowing its opponents to score 72.1 ppg on 47.6 percent shooting
from the field, and the defense has been particularly poor in MAC tilts. On
Wednesday, Buffalo dropped an 87-66 decision to Western Michigan. In that
game, the Bulls enabled the Broncos to connect on 50 percent of their field
goal attempts. They were also outscored 21-12 from the foul line. Leading the
way for Buffalo in defeat was Jason Bird with 16 points, and he was followed
by Mark Bortz with 12 points and seven boards. Rounding out the double-digit
scorers for the team was Calvin Cage, who took 10 shots off the bench and
finished with 10 points.

There is no reason to expect a Buffalo win today, as the team simply does not
score enough points to even remain competitive most nights. Expect Akron to
jump on top early and never look back as the Zips turn their attention to
winning the MAC Tournament.

 

[billiam2005]

Detroit (18-11) vs. Butler (24-4)


DATE & TIME: Saturday, March 8th, 6:00 p.m. (et).


FACTS & STATS: Site: U.S. Cellular Center (12,700) -- Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Television: Local. Home Record: Detroit 10-3, Butler 12-0. Away Record:
Detroit 6-7, Butler 9-4. Neutral Record: Detroit 2-1, Butler 3-0. Conference
Record: Detroit 9-7, Butler 14-2. Series Record: Butler leads, 29-24.

GAME NOTES: The Butler Bulldogs enter Horizon League Tournament action as the
number one seed for the fourth season in a row, as they get set to take on the
fifth-seeded Detroit Titans in semifinal-round action from the U.S. Cellular
Center in Milwaukee. Detroit advanced to tonight's tilt by pulling out a
convincing 98-84 victory over the fourth-seeded Loyola-Chicago Ramblers on
Thursday. The Titans have now won five straight games and seven of their last
nine overall, making them easily one of the hottest teams in the Horizon
League. They also increased their neutral-site record this season to 2-1 and
had their fifth consecutive game in a row of scoring 72 points or more. The
Bulldogs received a bye for the first two rounds of the tournament, as they
were able to finish with an impressive 14-2 record in the Horizon League this
year. Butler also became the first team in the history of the conference to
win the regular season championship four consecutive years. It has also posted
20 regular season wins in the last seven years and has recorded 24 wins in
each of the last three seasons. It doesn't matter to the Bulldogs where they
play their games, as they have gone 12-0 at home, 9-4 on the road, and a
perfect 3-0 in neutral-site affairs. Butler finished the regular season by
winning its last six contests, including a 76-74 nail-bitter against UW-
Milwaukee last Saturday. The Bulldogs swept the Titans this season, as they
have now won seven of the last nine meetings in the series. With the regular
season series sweep, Butler was able to increase its lead in the all-time
series to 29-24. The winner of today's contest will move onto the championship
game to face the winner of the other semifinal matchup between second-seeded
UW-Milwaukee and third-seeded Illinois-Chicago.

Willie Green had a dominating performance to lead the Titans in their first
round victory against Loyola-Chicago, pouring in a game-high 36 points on 16-
of-18 shooting from the foul line. Green was also able to record a double-
double in the win, as he ripped down a game-high 14 boards as well. Elijah
Warren had an impressive showing as well, adding 22 points on a perfect 4-of-4
shooting effort from behind the arc. Terrell Riggs was the third Titan in
double figures, knocking in 21 points on 9-of-10 shooting from the field.
Detroit was able to shoot a blistering 59.3 percent from the floor and 50
percent from three-point range, while also connecting on 28-of-33 free-throw
attempts. The Titans played well on defense, holding Loyola-Chicago to just 42
percent shooting on its field goal attempts. Green showed why he is being
considered for Horizon League Player of the Year honors, and he was the
second-leading scorer in the league prior to the game with an average of 22.2
ppg on 48.8 percent shooting from the floor. Riggs had been scoring an average
of 12.6 ppg and grabbing a team-high 5.9 rpg, while Warren was contributing
11.1 ppg.

Brandon Miller leads four Bulldogs averaging double figures in the scoring
column this season with 12.6 ppg on 44.2 percent shooting from long range.
Joel Cornette has been an impressive scorer and rebounder for Butler, turning
in 11.1 ppg and team-high 6.2 rpg. Duane Lightfoot Jr. is scoring 11.0 ppg on
a blistering 67.9 percent shooting from the field, while Darnell Archey is
contributing 10.5 ppg on 41.6 percent shooting from three-point territory.
While the Bulldogs' offensive attack is averaging a solid 69.2 ppg on 48.1
percent shooting from the floor, it's their defensive play which makes them
such a tough opponent. Butler is holding its opposition to only 60.0 ppg on
just 33.8 percent shooting from long range. Archey finished with a team-high
15 points, while Cornette knocked in 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds in
the Bulldog's recent win against UW-Milwaukee. Lightfoot scored 12 points
coming off the bench, while Mike Monserez and Miller chipped in 10 points
apiece in the narrow victory.

Although Butler swept the season series against the Titans, it won by just
three points in the most recent meeting. However, the Bulldogs were defeated
last season early in the tournament and the painful memories of that day will
not let them have a letdown tonight. Detroit will keep the game close, but the
Bulldog defense will allow them to pull out a victory and advance to the
championship game for the fifth time in the last seven years.

 

[billiam2005]

Iowa State (15-11) at Kansas State (12-16)


DATE & TIME: Saturday, March 8th, 8:00 p.m. (et).


FACTS & STATS: Site: Bramlage Coliseum (13,500) -- Manhattan, Kansas.
Television: Local. Home Record: ISU 13-4, KSU 10-5. Away Record: ISU 2-7, KSU
1-9. Neutral Record: ISU 0-0, KSU 1-2. Conference Record: ISU 5-10, KSU 3-12.
Series Record: Kansas State leads, 121-72.

GAME NOTES: The Iowa State Cyclones are one of the hottest teams in the Big 12
right now and they will try to keep their winning ways going as they battle
the Wildcats of Kansas State from Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan tonight. The
Cyclones have won three of their last four games, including a huge 71-55 upset
victory over Missouri on Wednesday. Although Iowa State has gone just 5-10 in
the Big 12 and just 2-7 on the road, it has posted an impressive record of
13-4 when playing at home this season. While the Cyclones have been playing
well of late, the Wildcats have not and have dropped six straight contests,
including a 74-60 loss to fourth-ranked Texas on Tuesday. Kansas State is now
tied with Nebraska for last place in the Big 12 at 3-12, but it has been able
to post a solid record of 10-5 from home this year. The Wildcats have won 121
of the 193 all-time meetings between these two schools on the hardwood, but
the Cyclones were able to pick up a victory against K-State earlier this
season with a 64-61 victory in Ames.

Jake Sullivan is leading the Cyclones' scoring attack this year with 17.8 ppg
on 43.1 percent shooting from the field and 88.8 percent shooting from the
charity stripe. Jackson Vroman has been one of the more dominating players on
the boards in the Big 12 this season, averaging a team-high 9.5 rpg while also
scoring 11.8 ppg on 54.6 percent shooting from the floor. Tim Barnes is
contributing 10.9 ppg and a team-best 5.1 ppg for Iowa State, while Adam
Haluska is knocking in 9.8 ppg on 36.4 percent shooting from behind the arc.
Barnes finished with 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field, to lead the
Cyclones in their surprise victory over Missouri. Jared Homan added 15 points
and seven boards, while Vroman chipped in a double-double performance, scoring
14 points and ripping down a game-high 15 rebounds. Vroman also dished out a
team-high seven assists, while Haluska and Sullivan added nine points apiece.

Matt Siebrandt had 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field to pace the
Wildcats in their recent loss to national power Texas. Pervis Pasco added 11
points, while Frank Richards turned in 10 points in the losing effort. Jarrett
Hart came up one point shy of a double-double performance, finishing with nine
points and a team-high 10 boards. Kansas State was able to shoot 46.6 percent
from the floor, but made just 23.1 percent of its three-point attempts and
converted just 3-of-9 shots from the charity stripe. Gilson DeJesus had just
eight points on 2-of-7 shooting from the field, but is still leading the team
with 11.1 ppg on 45.8 percent shooting from three-point land. DeJesus has also
been one of the team's better rebounders this year, averaging a solid 5.5 rpg.
Siebrandt is contributing 11.0 ppg on 56.1 percent shooting from the field,
while Pasco is turning in 10.5 ppg and a team-best 7.5 rpg.

Kansas State is not a potent team at either end of the floor this season, but
it has played well at home and will give the Cyclones a game tonight. Iowa
State should be able to pull out a hard-fought victory, as it dominates the
boards and gets several open looks from the perimeter.

 

[billiam2005]

Adding just one more....

Idaho -2.5