TODAY'S GAMES PREVIEWS

[Lumi]

Oregon (16-15) vs. California (21-9)

Oregon (16-15) vs. California (21-9)

Oregon (16-15) vs. California (21-9)



DATE & TIME: Thursday, March 11th, 5:40 p.m. (et)

FACTS & STATS: Site: Staples Center (18,997) -- Los Angeles, California. Television: FoxSportsNet. Home Record: Oregon 11-8, California 15-1. Away Record: Oregon 4-7, California 6-6. Neutral Record: Oregon 1-0, California 0-2. Conference Record: Oregon 7-11, California 13-5. Series Record: California leads, 75-55.

GAME NOTES: After claiming the Pac-10 regular season title the top-seeded California Golden Bears will try to collect the league's Tournament title, but first Cal will have to battle the eighth-seeded Oregon Ducks in the quarterfinal round this evening.

The Ducks opened this year's tournament with a first-round battle against Washington State, and Oregon defeated the Cougars, 82-80, in overtime. It was the fourth win in the last five games for Oregon, which has won this event twice, with the most recent title coming in 2007.

The Golden Bears claimed the regular-season title with an impressive 13-5 league record. California, which has never won this tournament, closed out its regular season with seven wins in its last eight games.

Cal pounded Oregon by double figures twice this season, and now owns a convincing, 75-55 edge in the all-time series against the Ducks.

Oregon led by as many as 12 points midway through the second stanza on Wednesday night against Washington State. The Cougars fought back and even took the lead late in the matchup, but a layup by E.J. Singler tied the game at 72 apiece and sent the game into overtime. In the extra session, the Ducks rode the hot hand of Tajuan Porter, who scored eight of his 32 points in the overtime, helping Oregon grab a thrilling overtime victory. Singler finished with 11 points, while Teondre Williams also tallied 11 points, to go along with six rebounds. Porter has been the best option offensively for Oregon, as the guard came into the meeting against Washington averaging 11.9 ppg.

The Golden Bears have been a juggernaut at the offensive end of the floor this season, and they rumble into this tournament averaging an impressive 77.4 ppg. Four different players are posting double figures for Cal, which as a whole is shooting 47.4 percent from the floor, and 37.0 percent from behind the arc. Jerome Randle has been the best player on the court, as the guard is leading the team with 18.7 ppg and 136 assists, while shooting an impressive 40.4 percent from behind the arc. Patrick Christopher is contributing 16.0 ppg and 5.5 rpg, while Theo Robertson is netting 13.8 ppg. Jamal Boykin has been solid in the paint for the Golden Bears, as the big man is netting 11.7 ppg, to go along with a team-best 6.7 rpg.

The Golden Bears disposed of Oregon twice this season, and did it with relative ease. Expect more of the same this evening, as the Golden Bears should roll right into the next round.

Predicted Outcome: California 78, Oregon 63

 

[Lumi]

North Carolina (16-15) vs. Georgia Tech (19-11)

North Carolina (16-15) vs. Georgia Tech (19-11)

North Carolina (16-15) vs. Georgia Tech (19-11)



DATE & TIME: Thursday, March 11th, 7:00 p.m. (et)

FACTS & STATS: Site: Greensboro Coliseum (23,500) -- Greensboro, North Carolina. Television: ESPN2. Home Record: UNC 13-5, Georgia Tech 14-2. Away Record: UNC 2-8, Georgia Tech 3-8. Neutral Record: UNC 1-2, Georgia Tech 2-1. Conference Record: UNC 5-11, Georgia Tech 7-9. Series Record: North Carolina leads, 60-22.

GAME NOTES: The defending national champion North Carolina Tar Heels certainly have their work cut out for them, as they open up ACC Tournament play this evening, with a first-round matchup against Georgia Tech at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Roy William's Tar Heels have fallen apart this season. A mass exodus in terms of talent from last season in addition to key injuries this year, have left UNC with very little chance of even making the NCAA Tournament this season. The Tar Heels would have to win the ACC Title this weekend to get an opportunity to defend their national title, but at 16-15 overall and a meager 5-11 ACC ledger, the team will be playing as a disappointing 10th-seed. The Tar Heels have had a great deal of success in this event, tied with Duke for the most tournament titles (17) and tournament wins (84).

Paul Hewitt has a great deal of talent in Atlanta, albeit young. The Yellow Jackets showed flashes of brilliance and were ranked in the top-25 for a good portion of time in the second half of the season. However, inconsistency that comes with youth reared its ugly head for Tech, which finished 19-11 overall, but just 7-9 in conference play to pick up the seventh-seed. Georgia Tech has 21 tournament victories all-time and three tournament titles, with the last coming in 1993.

Georgia Tech swept the regular-season series with UNC, but still trails all- time, 60-22. The winner of this game will move into the quarterfinals on Friday against second-seed Maryland.

The defending national champions fell off the face of the ACC world this season and although the Tar Heels have won 17 tournament titles, it would take a miracle to earn number 18 this season. The loss of talented forward Ed Davis (13.4 ppg, 9.6 rpg) to a broken wrist has certainly put even more of a burden on the rest of the roster. The Tar Heels, who had a pair of three-game losing streaks in-conference and another four-game slide, failed to land a single player on any of the all-conference squads for the first time in ACC history. Deon Thompson (13.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg) will be asked to lead the way through the tournament waters this year. He will need plenty of help from players like Will Graves (9.5 ppg), Tyler Zeller (9.0 ppg), Larry Drew II (8.6 ppg, 183 assists) and Marcus Ginyard (8.1 ppg).

The Yellow Jackets are extremely young, but when the team is on, it can play with anyone in the conference. Tech needs just one more victory to reach the 20-win plateau, but at two-games under .500 in conference play, there isn't a whole lot of confidence surrounding this team at this time. A tough offensive squad, Tech ranks fourth in the league in scoring (74.7 ppg) and third in field-goal percentage (.461). The strength of the Yellow Jackets resides in the frontcourt in the form of All-ACC Third Teamer Gani Lawal (13.6 ppg, 8.8 rpg) and All-ACC Freshman Team member Derrick Favors (11.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg). Sophomore point guard Iman Shumpert (10.0 ppg, 96 assists) is a solid court general. It has been a while since the Yellow Jackets have won this event, but the team did make a final appearance in 2005.

The Yellow Jackets won both regular-season meetings with North Carolina and nothing is likely to change this evening. Georgia Tech simply has more talent than North Carolina, something that the Yellow Jackets can't say very often.

Predicted Outcome: Georgia Tech 74, North Carolina 68

 

[Lumi]

Oklahoma State (22-9) vs. (9) Kansas State (24-6)

Oklahoma State (22-9) vs. (9) Kansas State (24-6)

Oklahoma State (22-9) vs. (9) Kansas State (24-6)



Thursday, March 11th, 7:00 p.m. (et)


FACTS & STATS: Site: Sprint Center (18,555) -- Kansas City, Missouri. Television: Big 12 Network. Home Record: Oklahoma St. 15-1, Kansas St. 14-3. Away Record: Oklahoma St. 3-7, Kansas St. 7-2. Neutral Record: Oklahoma St. 4-1, Kansas St. 3-1. Conference Record: Oklahoma St. 9-7, Kansas St. 11-5. Series Record: Kansas State leads, 69-46.

GAME NOTES: Quarterfinal action of the Big 12 Conference Tournament pits the ninth-ranked and second-seeded Kansas State Wildcats against the seventh- seeded Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Awaiting the winner of this tilt is a semifinal clash with either sixth-seeded Texas or third-seeded Baylor.

Oklahoma State has captured the Big 12 Tournament title twice, and it has been five years since its last championship. The Cowboys finished 21-9 overall during the regular season, including 9-7 versus league opponents, and they closed out the schedule with a 74-55 romp over Nebraska. They carried that momentum into yesterday's first round matchup with Oklahoma, as the result was an 81-67 victory.

Kansas State has never won the Big 12 Tournament and is 7-13 all-time in the event. This year's group of Wildcats is a serious threat to capture the crown, however, as the club enters the tournament with a 24-6 overall record, including 11-5 in league action. On a down note, the final two regular-season contests resulted in defeat, including a 17-point loss to in-state rival Kansas and an overtime setback to a mediocre Iowa State squad at home.

The Cowboys beat K-State in Manhattan in a 73-69 final during the regular season, but the Wildcats still own a 69-46 advantage in the all-time series.

Keiton Page poured in 24 points to lead Oklahoma State to the 14-point victory over Oklahoma last night. Obi Muonelo tallied 15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Cowboys, while James Anderson, the Big 12 Player of the Year, was limited to 11 points. Matt Pilgrim added 10 points for OSU, which rolled to a 45-23 lead at intermission behind 19 first-half points from Page. Despite a shaky defensive effort in the second half that permitted the Sooners to shoot 60 percent from the floor, the Cowboys cruised to victory. The Pokes shot 53.6 percent from the floor in the game and earned a 31-26 rebounding advantage. Anderson is averaging 22.5 ppg for Oklahoma State, which is generating 74.6 ppg while yielding 67.6 ppg.

The strength of the Kansas State team is its All-Big 12 Conference backcourt duo of Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente. Pullen is scoring 18.9 ppg this season, and he has dished out 109 assists to go along with a club-best 49 steals. Clemente checks in with 16.0 ppg despite his shaky 39.1 percent shooting from the floor, and he has handed out 118 assists. Jamar Samuels and Curtis Kelly are both contributing 11.4 ppg, and Kelly is ripping down 6.3 rpg to complement his 56 blocked shots. The standout frontcourt performer is shooting 58.9 percent from the field, impressive by any standards. The Wildcats are generating 79.9 ppg on 45.3 percent field goal efficiency, and they are limiting opponents to 69.3 ppg on 41.8 percent shooting. A positive rebounding differential of 5.2 rpg has helped the team to its outstanding win total.

Kansas State head coach Frank Martin just signed a contract extension, and his team figures to be a contender in the Big 12 for years to come. A quarterfinal win today is likely despite the disappointing finish to the regular season.

Predicted Outcome: Kansas State 83, Oklahoma State 76

 

[sonic2538]

thanks

thanks

Great write ups, thanks for the input and information, BOL

 

[Lumi]

Ohio University (18-14) vs. Kent State (23-8)

Ohio University (18-14) vs. Kent State (23-8)

Ohio University (18-14) vs. Kent State (23-8)



DATE & TIME: Thursday, March 11th, 7:00 p.m. (et)

FACTS & STATS: Site: Quicken Loans Arena (20,562) -- Cleveland, Ohio. Television: FSN-Ohio. Home Record: Ohio 13-4, Kent State 13-2. Away Record: Ohio 5-9, Kent State 9-5. Neutral Record: Ohio 0-1, Kent State 1-1. Conference Record: Ohio 7-9, Kent State 13-3. Series Record: Ohio leads, 86-42.

GAME NOTES: The top-seeded Kent State Golden Flashes will take the floor this evening in a quarterfinal matchup against the ninth-seeded Ohio Bobcats in the Mid-American Conference Tournament at the Quicken Loans Arena.

The Bobcats opened tournament play with an 85-77 victory over Ball State. It was the second straight win for Ohio, and the fourth win in the team's last five matchups. Ohio has won this tournament four times in its history, the last time coming in 2005.

The Flashes needed a 75-61 victory over Akron in their season-finale to earn the top spot, but even though it came down to the last game, Kent State still proved to be the best team in the conference all year long. Kent State, which has won two of the last four MAC Tournament title games, comes into this event with a five-game winning streak and has come out on top in 13 of its last 14 matchups.

The Bobcats have dominated the all-time series against Kent State, posting an 86-42 advantage over the Golden Flashes. However, Kent State won both meetings this season, including a 74-67 decision back in February.

Ohio needed overtime in the first-round matchup against Ball State, but the Bobcats still managed to walk away with a solid win over the Cardinals. Ohio shot 46.3 percent from the floor and also connected on 27-of-34 attempts from the foul line. Armon Bassett led the way in the win with 25 points, while DeVaughn Washington and Tommy Freeman tallied 15 points apiece. D.J. Cooper was also solid in the win, netting 12 points, to go along with nine rebounds and eight assists. Bassett has been the best player on the floor for Ohio, as the guard is netting 15.5 ppg, to go along with 96 assists. As for Cooper, he has been outstanding, and has done a little of everything, posting 13.5 ppg, to go along with 5.6 rpg and 193 assists.

The Golden Flashes have relied heavily on their play defensively, as the team is limiting the opposition to just 64.0 ppg. Teams are shooting 42.4 percent against KSU, but the Flashes have held the opposition to just 31.8 percent shooting from behind the arc. At the other end of the floor, the Flashes are producing 70.5 ppg. Justin Greene is pacing the squad with 13.9 ppg, and is also leading the team with 6.8 rpg. Running the show on the floor has been Chris Singletary, who is leading the team with 112 assists, and is also netting 11.7 ppg. Rodriquez Sherman and Tyree Evans have also helped this season, and come into this matchup posting 10.7 and 10.2 ppg, respectively.

The Flashes have been the most complete team in the conference this season, and should have no trouble getting past Ohio for a third time this year.

Predicted Outcome: Kent State 71, Ohio University 66

 

[Lumi]

Notre Dame (22-10) vs. (16) Pittsburgh (24-7)

Notre Dame (22-10) vs. (16) Pittsburgh (24-7)

Notre Dame (22-10) vs. (16) Pittsburgh (24-7)



Thursday, March 11th, 7:00 p.m. (et)


FACTS & STATS: Madison Square Garden (19,763) -- New York, New York. Television: ESPN. Home Record: ND 17-3, Pitt 17-1. Away Record: ND 3-6, Pitt 6-4. Neutral Record: ND 2-1, Pitt 1-2. Conference Record: ND 10-8, Pitt 13-5. Series Record: Series is tied, 27-27.

GAME NOTES: After a surprising regular-season showing, the 16th-ranked and second-seeded Pittsburgh Panthers now begin their run in the Big East Tournament tonight against the seventh-seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden. The victor of this contest moves on to the semifinals versus Cincinnati or West Virginia on Friday.

Picked to finish ninth in the Big East preseason poll, Pitt defied all odds and overcame a lack of experience for a second place showing at 13-5. The Panthers, who lost a majority of their production from a season ago, also won 24 regular-season games and moved into the Top 25 for the second part of the campaign. Winners of three straight and eight of their last nine games, the Panthers are now ready for another successful run in the postseason. Since 2000-01, Pitt has won a conference-high 19 games in the Big East Tournament, marching its way to seven of the last nine titles games. The team took home two titles during the stretch, with the most recent coming in 2008.

As for the Irish, they continued their late charge last night with a 68-56 besting of 10th-seeded Seton Hall in second-round play. It was the fifth straight victory for ND, which may have just locked up a spot in the NCAA Tournament with last night's performance.

ND's current winning streak start with a 68-53 upset of Pittsburgh on February 24th and that victory tied the all-time series at 27-27 between the programs.

Luke Harangody looked like himself last night, recording a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds to lift ND past Seton Hall. Harangody, who missed five of the last six games of the regular season with a bruised right knee, made 9- of-15 field goals for the game. ND continued its defensive improvement, holding Seton Hall to 56 points and a dismal 34.5 percent shooting performance from the floor. The Irish have now held five straight opponents to 64 points or fewer and that is remarkable accomplishment for a team that allowed over 71.0 ppg in conference play this season. The newly found stingy defense, mixed with a healthy Harangody, who averages 23.2 ppg and 9.7 rpg, makes ND a real threat for the title. Of course the Irish have other players to rely on, as Tim Abromaitis and Ben Hansbrough averaged 17.2 and 12.0 ppg, respectively, during the regular season.

Pitt's success this season is due in large part to the emergence of Ashton Gibbs, who earned the Big East's Most Improved Player Award. After averaging just 4.3 ppg as a freshman last season, Gibbs paced the Panthers with an average of 16.2 ppg this campaign. A second-team All-Big East selection, Gibbs is extremely accurate at the foul line (.890 percent) and he also shoots 40.4 percent from three-point range. Brad Wanamaker, a jack of all trades, adds 12.0 ppg and 5.7 rpg, to go along with a team-high 4.7 apg for the Panthers. Jermaine Dixon and Gilbert Brown tack on 10.7 ppg apiece for Pitt, which has done a nice job holding foes to 61.7 ppg and 39.8 percent shooting from the field.

The Irish are playing with a great deal of confidence and look for them to continue their solid defense en route to a victory tonight.

Predicted Outcome: Notre Dame 66, Pittsburgh 61

 

[Lumi]

Auburn (15-16) vs. Florida (20-11)

Auburn (15-16) vs. Florida (20-11)

Auburn (15-16) vs. Florida (20-11)




DATE & TIME: Thursday, March 11th, 7:30 p.m. (et)

FACTS & STATS: Site: Bridgestone Arena (19,395) -- Nashville, Tennessee. Television: SEC Network. Home Record: Auburn 12-5, Florida 13-4. Away Record: Auburn 2-9, Florida 5-5. Neutral Record: Auburn 1-2, Florida 2-2. Conference Record: Auburn 6-10, Florida 9-7. Series Record: Auburn leads, 87-69.

GAME NOTES: The first round of the 2010 SEC Tournament pits the Florida Gators against the Auburn Tigers.

Up next for the winner of this game is a quarterfinal matchup with Mississippi State, the top seed from the West Division, on Friday.

Auburn, the West's fifth seed, has struggled in the SEC Tournament over the years, posting a 27-46 record, and the program's lone championship came back in 1985. The Tigers fell to 15-16 overall with a 12-point loss to Alabama in the regular-season finale, and they are just 3-11 away from their home arena this season.

The Gators are seeded fourth out of the East Division and they own a 20-11 overall record. A 20-win season previously assured teams from major conferences of a berth in the NCAA Tournament, but squads are playing more games than ever, so Florida needs to play well in this event to punch its "dance" ticket. The Gators own a 32-41 all-time record in this event, but they captured three straight titles from 2005-2007, so the majority of their success has been recent.

Florida beat Auburn by eight points in the only meeting between the teams during the recently completed regular season. Still, the Tigers own an 87-69 advantage in the all-time series.

Auburn is the worst defensive team in the SEC, allowing 74.0 ppg on 45.5 percent shooting by opponents. Offensively, the squad is netting 75.9 ppg. The Tigers possess the sixth and seventh ranked scorers in the conference in DeWayne Reed (16.1 ppg) and Tay Waller (15.9 ppg). Reed has dished out 134 assists to go along with 43 steals, but his 39.4 percent shooting from the field could certainly stand some improvement. Waller is a 42 percent shooter from three-point range. Lucas Hargrove checks in with 12.9 ppg, and he is pulling down 6.9 rpg. Rounding out a foursome of double-digit scorers is Frankie Sullivan with 12.2 ppg. Waller led the squad with 22 points in the regular-season finale against Alabama, and the Tigers shot just 35.5 percent from the floor in that tilt.

The fact that Florida is able to field a starting lineup with five double- digit scorers is impressive. Kenny Boynton leads the way with 13.5 ppg, but his 36.8 percent shooting from the floor can certainly stand some improvement. Erving Walker checks in with 12.6 ppg, and he has dished out 155 assists to go along with 45 steals. Chandler Parsons is netting 11.9 ppg, and Alex Tyus provides 11.8 ppg and 6.9 rpg. Finally, Vernon Macklin brings 10.6 ppg to the floor for the Gators, who are averaging 71.5 ppg while allowing 65.0 ppg. The Gators are last in the league in blocks shots but tops in assist/turnover ratio. They closed out the regular season with a disappointing 74-66 loss to Kentucky.

A narrow edge goes to Florida in this game in what figures to be a high- scoring affair. This may be the most entertaining contest of the SEC Tournament's first round.

Predicted Outcome: Florida 89, Auburn 80

 

[Lumi]

Tulsa (22-10) vs. Marshall (23-8)

Tulsa (22-10) vs. Marshall (23-8)

Tulsa (22-10) vs. Marshall (23-8)



DATE & TIME: Thursday, March 11th, 7:30 p.m. (et)

FACTS & STATS: Site: BOK Center (19,199) -- Tulsa, Oklahoma. Television: CBSCSN. Home Record: Tulsa 16-2, Marshall 14-3. Away Record: Tulsa 5-6, Marshall 8-4. Neutral Record: Tulsa 1-2, Marshall 1-1. Conference Record: Tulsa 10-6, Marshall 11-5. Series Record: Tulsa leads, 6-3.

GAME NOTES: The fourth-seeded Marshall Thundering Herd mix it up with the fifth-seeded Tulsa Golden Hurricane in the quarterfinals of the Conference USA Tournament tonight at BOK Center. The winner of this game will face Texas-El Paso or UCF in the semifinals on Friday.

At 23-8, Marshall notched its highest win total since the 1987-88 campaign, as the team closed the regular season with wins in eight of nine contests. The Herd's 11-5 finish in C-USA also landed the program its first bye in this event. Marshall however, has won just one time in four prior showings in this tourney.

Tulsa meanwhile, is playing in its own backyard and used that advantage to topple 12th-seeded Rice, 73-62, in first-round action last night. It was the third win in four games for the Hurricane, which has made it to the finals of this event two straight years.

The Hurricane lead the head-to-head series with Marshall, 6-3, after the two teams split a pair of meetings during the regular season.

After a sluggish first half, Tulsa exerted its will over the final 20 minutes, shooting 52.2 percent from the floor and 18-of-23 at the foul line to rally past Rice last night. The Hurricane, which trailed 41-26 at the break before taking over, capitalized on 16 Rice turnovers with 23 points for the game. Justin Hurtt led the way with 17 points after averaging 13.9 ppg during the regular season. Jerome Jordan added 16 points and eight rebounds, meanwhile, Ben Uzoh finished with 15 points and seven assists. A seven-foot center, Jordan turned in 15.1 ppg and team-best 8.7 rpg during the regular campaign, while Uzoh ran the perimeter with team-highs of 15.4 pg and 4.5 apg to his credit.

The Herd are one of the most explosive teams in C-USA, averaging a healthy 80.4 ppg behind 48.0 percent shooting from the field. The team relies heavily on the frontcourt duo of Tyler Wilkerson and Hassan Whiteside, who were both second-team all-league selections. Wilkerson tops the club in the scoring category at 13.9 ppg and he also brings in 7.2 rpg. As for Whiteside, he is a seven-footer that nearly averages a double-double with 13.6 ppg and a team- high 9.2 rpg. The C-USA Freshman and Defensive Player of the Year, Whiteside also leads the nation in blocked shots, averaging 5.4 per game. Damier Pitts runs the show at the perimeter and he comes in with 10.1 ppg and a team-high 4.6 apg.

These are two teams capable of winning this entire event, so expect a battle tonight. Take the Hurricane, as they have the support of the fans and that should play a factor.

Predicted Outcome: Tulsa 70, Marshall 67

 

[Lumi]

Penn State (11-19) vs. Minnesota (18-12)

Penn State (11-19) vs. Minnesota (18-12)

Penn State (11-19) vs. Minnesota (18-12)



DATE & TIME: Thursday, March 11th, 7:30 p.m. (et)

FACTS & STATS: Site: Conseco Fieldhouse (18,345) -- Indianapolis, Indiana. Television: Big Ten Network. Home Record: Penn St. 7-9, Minnesota 14-3. Away Record: Penn St. 3-8, Minnesota 3-7. Neutral Record: Penn St. 1-2, Minnesota 1-2. Conference Record: Penn St. 3-15, Minnesota 9-9. Series Record: Minnesota leads, 26-8.

GAME NOTES: The final game in the opening round of the 2010 Big Ten Conference Tournament pits the 11th-seeded Penn State Nittany Lions against the sixth- seeded Minnesota Golden Gophers. Neither team has ever won this event, and they come in with a combined 13-22 tourney mark all-time.

The winner of this clash will tangle with No. 3 seed Michigan State in the quarterfinals on Friday night.

Penn State (11-19, 3-15) put up fights against two of the teams that shared the 2009-10 Big Ten regular-season title in its last two games, losing by a combined six points to Michigan State and Purdue. Prior to that, they had won three of four so the Nittany Lions are clearly playing better as they look to extend their season a bit longer. PSU, which is hoping to become the first 11 seed to win a game in this tournament since 1999, went 4-10 in games played outside of Happy Valley this season.

As for Minnesota (18-12, 9-9), it enters the postseason having alternated wins and losses over its last four games. Like their counterpart tonight, the Golden Gophers have had their difficulties away from home this year, going 4-9, which includes a 1-2 showing in neutral-site affairs.

The Gophers took care of the Lions twice during the regular season, winning 75-70 at home on December 29th, and 66-64 in State College on February 6th. As a result, Minnesota's lead in the all-time series stands at 26-8. PSU has won just one of the last 10 meetings between the two teams.

Despite its sub par record, Penn State boasts one of the top performers in the Big Ten as Talor Battle (18.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 4.2 apg) leads the team in all three major statistical categories and ranks second in the conference in scoring. The team as a whole is producing just 65.3 ppg to rank ninth in the Big Ten, and its 64.3 ppg yield has it ranked seventh. Battle, who has led or shared the team lead in scoring 22 times this season, has basically had to do it by himself as there isn't another double-digit scorer on the roster, although David Jackson (9.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg) and Chris Babb (9.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg) are close to joining him. Although its record doesn't lend itself to many positives, PSU owns a +3.3 rebounding margin and the team is actually shooting better than the opposition on the season (43.7 percent to 43.1 percent).

Minnesota is the best three-point shooting team in the Big Ten (.401), and as a result ranks second in the league in scoring (73.4 ppg). The Golden Gophers are first in blocked shots (5.7 bpg) and assists (17.2 apg), and second in field goal percentage defense (.400). Lawrence Westbrook (12.9 ppg), Blake Hoffarber (10.7 ppg) and Damian Johnson (10.3 ppg) are all averaging double figures in scoring for the Gophers, who also own favorable margins in both rebounding (+1.9) and turnovers (+0.9). Minnesota whipped Iowa in the regular- season finale last weekend, as Westbrook scored a game-high 20 points on a near-perfect 7-of-10 shooting effort, and Joseph Devoe added 17 points. The Gophers drained 12-of-19 three-point tries and shot 58.5 percent from the floor overall.

Penn State is basically a one-trick pony (Battle), while Minnesota prefers to utilize a more balanced attack which features an array of scoring options (Westbrook, Haffarber, Johnson, Devoe). Expect to see the Lions hang for a while, but to fall in the end to a group of Gophers hoping to make a run at their first-ever Big Ten Tournament title.

Predicted Outcome: Minnesota 71, Penn State 65

 

[Lumi]

T-C-U (13-18) vs. (14) B-Y-U (28-4)

T-C-U (13-18) vs. (14) B-Y-U (28-4)

T-C-U (13-18) vs. (14) B-Y-U (28-4)



Thursday, March 11th, 9:00 p.m. (et)

FACTS & STATS: Site: Thomas & Mack Center (18,500) -- Las Vegas, Nevada. Television: The Mtn. Home Record: TCU 9-8, BYU 15-1. Away Record: TCU 3-10, BYU 10-3. Neutral Record: TCU 1-0, BYU 3-0. Conference Record: TCU 5-11, BYU 13-3. Series Record: BYU leads, 15-3.

GAME NOTES: A rematch of the regular-season finale has 14th-ranked and second- seeded BYU taking on the seventh-seeded TCU Horned Frogs in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Mountain West Conference Tournament tonight at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

BYU, which has just one tournament title to show for its efforts over the first 10 years of the league's existence, has a record of 12-9 in the event overall. The Cougars have had one of their most successful seasons ever, sporting 28 wins in 32 opportunities and putting up 13 league wins in 16 chances. The Achilles' heel for the program this season came in the form of New Mexico to which the Cougars lost twice.

As for the Horned Frogs, a squad that has won just once in five tries in this tournament since joining the league, they dropped two straight and four of their last five games to close out the regular season and finished at just 5-11 in league play. Four of the team's league victories came against Wyoming and Air Force, the two weakest programs in the league.

The Cougars have dominated this series over the years with 15 wins in 18 opportunities. BYU won at home this season with a 76-56 final the first week of February, and then crushed the Frogs in the regular-season finale in Fort Worth with a resounding 107-77 victory.

The winner of this meeting will be back in action on Friday, taking on the survivor of the Utah/UNLV contest in the semifinals.

Ronnie Moss is the glue to the Horned Frogs this season, not only leading the group in scoring with his 14.6 ppg, but also responsible for 185 assists over the course of 31 outings which placed him among the nation's elite in that category. Add to that the fact that Moss shot 37.3 percent from three-point range and was the most productive perimeter shooters for the group and it is easy to see how he earned all-conference honors this season. Zvonko Buljan (12,4 ppg) was solid on the glass for the program with his 8.6 rpg, which is all the more reason why he should remain in the paint and not out on the perimeter where he shot only 26.9 percent. Edvinas Ruzgas (10.7 ppg) is really the one who should be setting himself on the outside where he made good on 41.8 percent of his tries for a team that attempted nearly 700 three-point shots during the regular season.

As if it were going to be a surprise, Jimmer Fredette earned All-MWC First- Team honors after he posted 20.6 ppg this season and delivered on a whopping 141 assists in his 30 appearances for the Cougars. A tough defensive matchup for many opponents, Fredette was comfortable both slashing to the rim and drawing contact, resulting in his 171-of-194 (.881) shooting at the free-throw line, as well as setting up on the perimeter and knocking down 47.2 percent of his three-point tries. Jackson Emery (12.6 ppg) plays a similar style to Fredette with his 4.4 rpg, 87 assists and 74-of-176 out on the perimeter. Relegated to coming off the bench for the majority of the season, Jonathan Tavernari made it work for him as he finished with 10.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg and also 40 percent shooting behind the three-point line himself as he earned the MWC's Sixth Man award. Put it all together and you have a BYU group that was one of the best in the nation with a scoring margin of almost 19 ppg.

Without putting too much thought into it, the Cougars are simply too well- rounded at this stage to slip and have a lackluster outing. With so many weapons to choose from it's just a matter of how big of a win BYU will post tonight.

Predicted Outcome: BYU 91, TCU 66