By Ken Davis

March is upon us. The clock is ticking toward Selection Sunday, and Championship Week — with all those tournament trophies up for grabs — is about to commence.

Along with the madness comes awards. Fredette Frenzy has apparently resulted in the fact that Jimmer Fredette will be the National Player of the Year. That race has been such a hot topic in recent weeks, there really hasn’t been much discussion surrounding the top performance by a coach.

Honestly, there are several outstanding jobs being done this season. It’s going to be hard to pick just one Coach of the Year (in the Big East, let alone nationally). Here are eight names, in no particular order, worth considering. Out of respect, we’ve added a few honorable mentions.

Mike Brey, Notre Dame: Luke Harangody and Tory Jackson are gone, yet the Fighting Irish are 12-4 in the toughest conference in the country, one game behind Pittsburgh for first place, and the only non-conference loss was to Kentucky. Brey has an experienced team with a great understanding of Notre Dame’s system. After so many seasons on the bubble, it’s great to see Brey enjoying this level of success.

Dave Rose, BYU: The Cougars are in the discussion for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Sure, Jimmer Fredette is a major reason. But BYU plays team basketball, focusing on great defense and a balanced offense (after Jimmer). If you can’t root for Dave Rose, a man who has battled pancreatic cancer and gone on with his career, there’s something wrong with you.

Steve Lavin, St. John’s: The Big East Tournament and New York City go hand-in-hand. Once upon a time a man named Lou Carnesecca owned Madison Square Garden. Now Lavin, in his rookie season, and his Red Storm have revitalized college hoops in the Big Apple. You get the feeling they aren’t done. The coaches in the Big East might vote him conference Coach of the Year just to put pressure on him next season — when he doesn’t have 10 seniors on the roster.

Matt Painter, Purdue: The season was supposed to be over before it began. Robbie Hummel’s injury meant no Final Four aspirations for the Boilermakers. Maybe that needs to be reconsidered. It turns out JaJuan Johnson, E’Twaun Moore and Lewis Jackson are pretty darned good. Purdue is playing at a high level right now, and Painter is pushing all the right buttons.

Sean Miller, Arizona: The Wildcats are coming off an extremely bad weekend, with losses to USC and UCLA on the road. But Arizona is 12-4 in the Pac-10 and tied for first with UCLA. Miller, who worked a few miracles at Xavier, has the reconstruction project ahead of schedule, and the Wildcats are headed back to the NCAA Tournament. The guy really can rally coach.

Rick Barnes, Texas: Hopefully those Longhorn fans who wanted to give up on Barnes after last season’s disappointment have snapped back to their senses. Chemistry is a tough thing to predict. Last year, Texas lost it. This year, there has been good karma from the start. It doesn’t hurt to have Jordan Hamilton on your roster either.

Anthony Grant, Alabama: The Crimson Tide got off to a horrible start, with three losses in November. But Alabama has gone 17-6, including an 11-3 record in the SEC. Grant’s team finishes the regular season at Florida and home against Georgia. Those are two big games that will determine how this season is remembered. But the future looks bright at Alabama.

Bill Self, Kansas: There’s not a lot of chatter about the job Self has done, but there should be. First, he had to replace Cole Aldrich, Xavier Henry and Sherron Collins. The Morris twins are terrific players but not natural leaders, so Self has had to check their emotions (not an easy task). Josh Selby joined the team in midstream. Mario Little and Tyshawn Taylor broke rules, and Self didn’t hesitate to suspend them. Factor in injuries and the tragic circumstances surrounding Thomas Robinson, and a lot of credit for a 27-2 record must go to the head coach.

Honorable mention: Rick Pitino, Louisville; Thad Matta, Ohio State; Kevin Stallings, Vanderbilt; Jim Calhoun, Connecticut; Billy Donovan, Florida; and Jim Larranaga, George Mason.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Purdue’s JuJuan Johnson made an enormous statement Sunday with 20 points, a career-high 17 rebounds, and seven blocks in a 67-47 victory over Michigan State. The statement was personal because Johnson should be a first-team All-America selection. The statement was about Purdue. “We’re really playing at a high level right now,” Johnson said. You can say that again. And the statement extended to the suffering Spartans, who lost twice to Purdue twice this season. “JaJuan Johnson is playing as well as anybody in the country,” said Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. Earlier in the week, Johnson had 20 points and nine rebounds in a victory over Indiana.

FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
One of the signs of freshman maturity is answering the bell. Jeremy Lamb did that for Connecticut last week. Kemba Walker needs Lamb and other freshmen teammates to score and lighten the burden. Lamb was 4-for-11 in a loss to Marquette but bounced back with a 7-for-10 performance on the road against Cincinnati. Lamb had 17 points, five rebounds and two assists in a 67-59 victory at Cincy. For the week, Lamb had 25 points and 17 rebounds. The Huskies need that contribution.

GAMES OF THE WEEK

Monday, Feb. 28

Villanova at Notre Dame
The Irish just keep taking care of business — and suddenly first place in the Big East is within reach. A road win would be huge for Villanova.

Kansas State at Texas
Frank Martin’s team has come back to life after the Wildcats were almost declared postseason dead. But there’s a good chance Texas is mad about what happened in Colorado. It may not be a good time to visit Austin.

Tuesday, March 1

Alabama at Florida
Bama leads the SEC West. Florida leads the SEC East. Let’s get ready to rumble!

Vanderbilt at Kentucky
Vanderbilt can clinch the No. 2 seed in the SEC East with a win in Lexington.

Boston College at Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech will be trying to follow up on that big win over Duke. BC is .500 in league play and very much on the NCAA bubble.

Wednesday, March 2

North Carolina at Florida State
The Tar Heels have a big week ahead playing Florida State and Duke. Could Roy’s boys be ready to make a big move?

Cincinnati at Marquette
Two 9-7 teams from the Big East, just trying to convince everyone they belong in the NCAA tournament.

Texas A&M at Kansas
Senior Night is always special at Allen Fieldhouse. This time the roses go to Brady Morningstar and Tyrel Reed, a couple of Kansas boys living the Jayhawk dream.

Thursday, March 3

St. John’s at Seton Hall
Steve Lavin’s team is on a remarkable six-game winning streak, and Dwight Hardy is New York’s newest star. St. John’s takes its act across the river to Jersey.

Saturday, March 5

Notre Dame at Connecticut
Ben Hansbrough and Kemba Walker on the floor together. That’s worth the price of admission right there.

Florida at Vanderbilt
The Gators took the first meeting in overtime. Now the Commodores can return the favor.

Kansas at Missouri
The Jayhawks rolled Mizzou 103-86 in Allen Fieldhouse on Feb. 7. Can the Tigers put a stop to that in Columbia?

Villanova at Pittsburgh
Pitt won the first meeting, 57-54, when Brad Wanamaker stepped up with Ashton Gibbs sidelined. The Panthers are trying to hold on to first in the Big East.

Duke at North Carolina
Can the Tar Heels put two solid halves together against Duke? Maybe, since this one is in the Dean Dome.

Sunday, March 6

Kentucky at Tennessee
Will Kentucky’s road woes continue? Can Tennessee find consistency? Why is Bruce Pearl still coaching the Vols?

Wisconsin at Ohio State
They’ve already treated us once this season. Let’s see what happens with a venue change.

THEY SAID IT

“A lot of teams, down six to Duke, would have just folded up and let Duke put the game away, but we didn’t. We buckled up and got stops.” — Malcolm Delaney after Virginia Tech’s huge win over Duke Saturday night

“We’ve been working all season to make sure we get to this position. And it’s been a struggle. We definitely had times where we didn’t think we could do it. But now we’re in this position and we just have to seize the moment.” — North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes, on tying Duke for first place in the ACC.

“I didn’t yell and scream [at halftime]. I probably should have. I didn’t know what to expect coming out at halftime. But our guys, they delivered.” – Colorado coach Tad Boyle after the Buffaloes overcame a 22-point deficit to beat Texas 91-89.

“We need to move on, but we need to learn from getting punched in the mouth and not responding well. The physical nature of that team, I would’ve really enjoyed it if I wasn’t coaching against it.” — Michigan State coach Tom Izzo after the Spartans were dominated at home by Purdue.

“I’m not trying to look for something good, but we responded. It’s not like we packed it in. It’s not like we took a ‘woe is me’ attitude. We fought. We scrapped. We got back in it. Are we in a position we thought we would be five days ago? No. ... But that group in there — I’ve got confidence that we’re going to figure it out.” — Georgetown coach John Thompson III, after the Hoyas lost to Syracuse in their first game without injured guard Chris Wright.

“When we’re at the Kohl Center, we don’t plan on losing. Ever.” —Wisconsin forward Jon Leuer after the Badgers completed their third unbeaten home season in 19 years under coach Bo Ryan.

“I missed a shot and he said, ‘Chris Paul wouldn’t miss that shot.’ That’s all right. I came down and made the next one. It was fun.” — UConn’s Kemba Walker, on making three straight baskets after the taunts of a Cincinnati fan Sunday as the Huskies won.

NOTES

Cheerleading 101
A Louisville cheerleader gave us a premature taste of March Madness Sunday when he couldn’t contain his excitement and almost became bigger than the game story. The cheerleader, Jordan Alcazar, jumped onto the court, grabbed the basketball and flipped it in the air toward the roof after Kyle Kuric slammed a dunk that appeared to be the final touch on an overtime victory over Pittsburgh. Officials called a delay of game technical foul, and :0.5 was left on the game clock with Louisville leading 62-57. After Ashton Gibbs hit both free throws. Pitt couldn’t manage a successful desperation shot, and Louisville won. But think of the possibilities. “All good things have to come to an end, and the male cheerleader [at Louisville] comes to an end,” Louisville coach Rick Pitino said with a smile during the postgame press conference. "Hopefully he’ll learn the rules." The Louisville-Courier Journal reports that Pitino called Alcazar later and told him he “has a great story to tell his kids someday.”

Class of 2011
The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Monday announced the induction class of 2011. Two of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s greatest players — Virginia’s Ralph Sampson and North Carolina’s James Worthy — are the headliners. Joining Sampson and Worthy for enshrinement will be coaches Bob Knight and Eddie Sutton, players Cazzie Russell and Chris Mullin and contributors Joe Vancisin and Eddie Einhorn. Induction ceremonies are scheduled for Nov. 20 in Kansas City, Mo.

Quick exit
Coach moves have started already. Rod Barnes is out at Georgia State, and he will not participate in the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament. Barnes was 44-79 overall in four seasons.

UCLA looking strong
UCLA may emerge as the best team in the Pac-10. When Arizona lost on the road to UCLA and USC last weekend, it created a tie for first with the Bruins. And after Washington worked so hard to get back in the race, the Huskies lost to rival Washington State. UCLA has lost only twice since Jan. 9 — on the road at Arizona and Cal and both in overtime.
Ironically, Tyler Trapani, the great-grandson of legendary coach John Wooden, scored the final basket in a 71-49 win over Arizona Saturday. Trapani is a walk-on who rarely gets off the UCLA bench. Pauley Pavilion is schedule for renovation so Trapani's basket was historic. "It was kind of meant to be," said teammate Tyler Honeycutt.

Special senior night
Siena senior Ryan Rossiter closed out his home career in historic fashion. Along with a career-high 34 points, he had 11 rebounds in an 81-73 victory over Marist. Rossiter, who ranks second in the nation in rebounding (13.4 per game) behind Kenneth Faried, broke the school record for rebounds in a season that was established by Billy Harrell in 1950. Harrell had 387 boards. Rossiter now is at 388.

Ken Davis is the author of Basketball Vault books covering the history of the University of Kansas and the University of Connecticut. Both are available through the publisher
(http://www.whitmanvaultbooks.com/) and autographed copies are available at Ken’s web page (http://kendavis55.wordpress.com/).

1. If the season ended today, who are your five first-team All-Americans?

Mitch: I’ll go with a frontline of Jared Sullinger from Ohio State and Derrick Williams from Arizona and a three-guard look with Jimmer Fredette from BYU, Nolan Smith from Duke and Kemba Walker from Connecticut. The toughest omission is probably Purdue big man JaJuan Johnson.

Nathan: In my opinion, there are four obvious first-teamers — BYU senior Jimmer Fredette, Ohio State freshman Jared Sullinger, Duke senior Nolan Smith and UConn junior Kemba Walker. After that, it’s a tough call. I’ll go with Purdue’s JaJuan Johnson, who is averaging 20.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots per game. Johnson has carried the Boilermakers, who are 22–5 (11–3 Big Ten) despite losing Robbie Hummel to a preseason knee injury. Johnson’s production, leadership and heart are first-team All-America quality.

Braden: There are two ways to build an All-America team: Pick the best five players in college hoops, regardless of position, or pick one player at each of the five positions on the court. I went with the latter. Duke‘s Nolan Smith is my point guard. BYU‘s Jimmer Fredette is my shooting guard. Texas’ Jordan Hamilton will play the inside-outside wing. Wisconsin’s Jon Leuer will stretch the defense at the 4-spot. And Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger will bang down low at center. Honorable Mention: Jordan Taylor, Kemba Walker, Kyle Singler, Derrick Williams and Jordan Williams.

2. Which team most needs a big win over the next week?

Mitch: Boston College, with an RPI of 45 and an overall record of 16–10, is playing for its NCAA Tournament life. The Eagles let what would have been a Tournament-clinching road win slip away when Reggie Jackson missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds of a 48–46 loss at North Carolina on Saturday. This week, BC hosts Miami on Wednesday then travels to Virginia on Saturday. Winning both games is essential.

Nathan: Tennessee (16–11, 6–6 SEC) may already be a lost cause, having lost four of its last five games (Alabama, at Kentucky, at Florida and Georgia). But if Bruce Pearl’s Vols have any shot at making the NCAA Tournament as an at-large berth, they need to pull off an upset at Vanderbilt (Feb. 22) and/or against Kentucky (March 6), while also holding serve against Mississippi State (Feb. 26) and at South Carolina (March 3). UT has a decent resume with wins over Villanova, Pitt, Vanderbilt and Memphis, but the bubble will certainly burst if the Vols can’t win three of their last four and put together a respectable showing in the SEC Tourney.

Braden: Michigan State is starting to show signs of life after two home wins over Penn State and Illinois (and a solid road showing against the Buckeyes). But the Spartans are still on life support and are backed into a corner. Purdue, on the other hand, is riding about as high as possible after home wins over Wisconsin and Ohio State. I think MSU can win at home this week over the Boilers and continue its push back into the bracket discussion.

3. Which team has improved the most since the beginning of the season?

Mitch: Anthony Grant’s Alabama Crimson Tide. The same team that went 0–3 in the Paradise Jam with losses to Seton Hall, Iowa and St. Peter’s is 10–2 in the SEC. And yes, I am aware that Alabama plays in the very weak SEC West, but you don’t win 10 of 12 games (with three of those wins vs. the SEC East) in any league unless you are playing very good basketball. JaMychal Green has been remarkably consistent since his return from an early season suspension, point guard Trevor Releford has done a very good job running the team, and underrated forward Tony Mitchell has been a beast in league play, averaging 17.8 point and 6.5 rebounds.

Nathan: North Carolina hit rock bottom with a 78–58 blowout loss at Georgia Tech on Jan. 16 in Atlanta. Since then, however, coach Roy Williams’ team has an 8–1 record — with the lone loss coming on the road at Duke (79–73) in a competitive rivalry game. During this most recent nine-game stretch, Harrison Barnes has averaged 16.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, while showing the killer instinct (game-winning 3-pointer with 6.6 seconds left at Miami) and takeover ability (26 points at BC, 25 points vs. NC State) that made him the first freshman ever preseason first-team All-American. UNC may not be a national title contender, but the Tar Heels are light years ahead of the team they were struggling in the opener against Lipscomb and passively limping to a 4–3 start this year.

Braden: I will go with the Florida Gators simply because a lot of people believed they were overrated early in the season — especially after losses to UCF, Jacksonville and Ohio State. Since the overtime stunner to the Dolphins (yup, that is right), the Gators are 13–2, with road wins at Tennessee, Xavier, Georgia, South Carolina and LSU and home victories over Vandy, Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky. The key has been guard play; when Kenny Boynton scores in double-figures in SEC play, Florida is 9-0. When he doesn’t, the Gator are 1–2.

4. Which team from a one-bid league is most likely to win at least one game in the NCAA Tournament?

Mitch: I jumped on the Belmont bandwagon early this season and I see no reason to jump off. The Bruins, currently 17–1 in the A-Sun, have four losses this season — three to SEC schools (Tennessee twice and Vanderbilt) by single digits and one to cross-town rival Lipscomb. Rick Byrd’s team has a ton of depth and can light it up from 3-point range.

Nathan: I’ll stay on the College of Charleston bandwagon. The pride of the Southern Conference has all of the pieces in place. Coach Bobby Cremins has plenty of NCAA Tournament experience (11 trips, five Sweet 16s and 1990 Final Four), senior guard Andrew Goudelock (23.4 ppg, 4.6 apg, 3.9 rpg) has proven to be a big-game player against big-time competition this year (31 points in a 91–78 win at Tennessee, 28 points at North Carolina, 27 points and 10 boards at Maryland), and the team has a dangerous inside-out combo — with four players averaging over five rebounds per game (led by 6’8”, 230-pound senior Jeremy Simmons’ 6.2) and three players shooting over 35 percent from downtown (led by Goudelock’s 96 made at a 41.7 percent clip). The Cougars (21–7, 13–2 Southern) are a team that Big Six schools should fear being paired with on Selection Sunday.

Braden: I am not allowed to go with Old Dominion because the Colonial might even get three bids, but ODU leads the nation in rebounding margin and is third in scoring defense. Those stats, along with assist-to-turnover ratio, are important numbers for me when picking my bracket. My next favorite factors are 3-point shooting (the great equalizer) and veteran backcourts. That means Murray State, with its excellent guard duo, has a real chance to make some noise in the tourney — again — as the only OVC team to make the field.

5. What game are you most looking forward to this weekend?

Mitch: Well, the BYU-San Diego State is obviously a huge game, with both teams still in play for a No. 1 seed. But I will go with Purdue’s visit to Michigan State. Purdue enjoyed a magical week, beating Wisconsin and Ohio State at home. Now, the Boilers head out of town to play rival Indiana on Wednesday before Saturday’s trip to East Lansing. Michigan State appears to be getting its act together and solidifying its spot in the NCAA Tournament — thanks in large part to a rejuvenated (and healthier) Kalin Lucas — but Tom Izzo’s club could still use a few more quality wins.

Nathan: Saturday’s triple-header on CBS — Syracuse at Georgetown (CBS, 12 p.m. ET), BYU at San Diego State (CBS, 2 p.m. ET) and Florida at Kentucky (CBS, 4 p.m. ET) — is as good as any pre-NCAA Tournament lineup this season. For my money, Jimmer Fredette’s Cougars and Kawhi Leonard’s Aztecs provide the best matchup. BYU took Round One, 71–58, in Salt Lake City; but Leonard had the flu that night. Round Two of the best in the Mountain West should be a good one.

Braden: Florida at Kentucky. The Wildcats, as I said in last week’s Burning Questions, needed to right the ship, and home tests against Mississippi State and South Carolina were just the recipe. Florida beat the Cats in Gainesville in a game that went down to the final seconds. This one should be another thriller.
 

By Ken Davis

So much happened in the world of college basketball this past week, the thought of highlighting just one story didn’t seem to make sense. Instead, we are going to look back — and a little ahead — by naming a few winners and losers from recent days.

WINNERS

Colonial Athletic Association – It is tempting to view ESPN’s BracketBusters series as a TV gimmick, but this February scheduling tool has become a valuable way to separate the men from the boys. The CAA came away walking like a man with George Mason, VCU and Old Dominion scoring significant victories. Remember when the question was, “Who is this year’s George Mason?” And the answer was, “Butler.” Well, this year’s George Mason should be … George Mason. Last week the Patriots (23-5, 14-2) went on the road to settle conference business with a 71-51 victory over VCU, then hit the road again for a BracketBusters win over Northern Iowa, 77-71. Let’s not compare Jim Larranaga’s team to his historic 2006 squad. Just accept the fact that the Patriots are for real again. VCU (21-8, 12-4) bounced back from consecutive loss to Old Dominion and George Mason to defeat Wichita State 68-67 — again on the road. And Old Dominion (22-6, 12-4) has won eight of its last nine, including a 74-63 win over Cleveland State in the BracketBusters. Don’t forget Hofstra (18-10, 12-4) is in the CAA too. Charles Jenkins of the Pride is one of the best players in the nation, but an 82-56 loss to Wright State hurt Hofstra. I’d love to see three CAA teams in the NCAA Tournament, but it’s more realistic to predict two will be dancing.

Derrick Williams – It isn’t often that you walk away from a game talking about a last-second, game-saving blocked shot. Arizona’s Williams gave us that moment Saturday against Washington as the Wildcats tightened their grip on first place in the Pac-10. The 6-8 sophomore forward did much more than that last week. If he wasn’t in the National Player of the Year discussion before, he should be now. Williams averaged 26 points, 9.5 rebounds and two assists as the Wildcats swept Washington State and Washington. Williams shot 57.7 percent from the field and hit 20-of-21 from the free throw line. We could go on and on, but Williams is simply a competitive beast. And that block was an emphatic way to end a game. It also may have been goaltending — but it wasn’t called. “I believe if we were at Washington, they would have called it goaltending,” Williams said. “Good thing we were home.” You’ve got to love his honesty too.

New York City – Did you hear the noise in Madison Square Garden Saturday? Did you see the smile on Lou Carnesecca’s face? St. John’s defeated No. 4 Pitt 60-59 and Steve Lavin’s team now has defeated five top-25 teams at the Garden since Jan. 3. The Garden is sold out for next month’s Big East Tournament. That’s nothing new. But there might be a retro buzz in the Big Apple. If you were there back in the days of Chris Mullin and Walter Berry, you understand what that can be like. A competitive St. John’s team makes New York a really fun place in March.

Kansas State and Nebraska – If you want to stay on the bubble and impress the NCAA Tournament selection committee, you’ve got to make headlines. K-State did that on Monday by beating rival Kansas, just hours after the Jayhawks had risen to No. 1 in the polls. Who would replace Kansas at No. 1? People were ready to vote for Texas until the Longhorns lost at Nebraska Saturday. That was a huge statement by Doc Sadler’s Cornhuskers. The Big 12 race just got real interesting again.

LOSERS

Missouri Valley – This conference is full of rising stars in the coaching profession — and some good teams. There just aren’t as many NCAA Tournament-worthy teams as in past seasons. And BracketBusters weekend wasn’t kind to the MVC. Missouri State lost to Valparaiso; Wichita State lost to VCU; Northern Iowa lost to George Mason; and Indiana State lost to Morehead State. Could it be that the Missouri Valley is a one-bid conference in 2011? Wow.

Boston College – I really wanted the Eagles to convince me they belong in the NCAA field. So, I tuned in Saturday to watch Boston College play North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Eagles didn’t score until almost eight minutes into the game. They missed 13 of their first 14 shots. They established season lows for shooting percentage (26.9) and points (46). BC made a remarkable comeback (I had stopped watching by then), but lost 48-46, dropped to 16-10 overall and 6-6 in the ACC. The Eagles have lost five of seven. Don’t forget the losses to Yale and Harvard earlier in the season. BC has home games against Miami and Wake Forest, road games against Virginia and Virginia Tech remaining. It might be a good idea to win out.

Top seeds – Ohio State recorded two road losses in eight days. Kansas lost at Kansas State after rising to No. 1 in the polls. Pittsburgh lost at St. John’s. Texas lost at Nebraska. Moral of the story: Don’t go on the road to play. Second moral of the story: Don’t count your No. 1 seeds until Selection Sunday. And that’s still 20 days away.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Kansas State’s NCAA Tournament pulse was getting weak until Jacob Pullen arrived as a one-man medical rescue unit. No one ever doubted Pullen’s scoring ability. It was leadership ability that was under scrutiny. But the senior guard came up big last week, scoring 38 points in a huge win against rival Kansas and 27 points in a victory over Oklahoma. Against Kansas, Pullen was 9-of-17 from the field (including 5-of-6 on threes) and 15-of-19 from the line. The Oklahoma performance was almost as efficient (8-of-18 field, 8-of-8 line, 3-of-6 threes). If the Wildcats make the NCAA Tournament, this will be viewed as the turning point of the season.

FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK

Kentucky freshman Terrence Jones had two double-doubles for the Wildcats last week. Against Mississippi State it was 17 points and 10 rebounds. Against South Carolina it was 19 points and 12 rebounds. Seventeen of those 22 rebounds were on the defensive end. Jones was 13-of-24 from the field and 9-of-12 from the line. Jones has his season averages up to 17.9 points and 9.1 rebounds as Kentucky prepares to play at Arkansas Wednesday.

GAMES OF THE WEEK

Monday, Feb. 21

Syracuse at Villanova
Monday night comes quick for these Big East programs. Both were forced to overtime Saturday before winning: Villanova over DePaul and Syracuse over Rutgers. Back on Jan. 22, Villanova couldn’t miss from the outside and defeated the Orange 83-72 in Syracuse.

Oklahoma State at Kansas
After moving up to No. 1 in the polls and then getting embarrassed by in-state rival Kansas State, the Jayhawks settled down and crushed Colorado. The Cowboys have lost three in a row.

Tuesday, Feb. 22

Tennessee at Vanderbilt
Tennessee probably should have a spot in the NCAA Tournament but a win over Vanderbilt would tighten up the SEC East standings.

Louisville at Rutgers
Rick Pitino’s Louisville team is healthy again and dangerously hot in the Big East. Coach Mike Rice has Rutgers putting a scare into the entire conference.

Wednesday, Feb. 23

Temple at Duke
Doesn’t it feel as if Duke plays 40 non-conference games a year? This one is really late in the season, sort of a BracketBusters game for big boys.

Kansas State at Nebraska
Evidently the Cornhuskers are determined to just totally mess up the Big 12 before heading off to the Big Ten or the new Big Twelve or whatever you want to call it.

Thursday, Feb. 24

Georgia at Florida
The first time these two met, they couldn’t settle things in regulation. In fact, it took double overtime for Florida to emerge with a 104-91 victory. Erving Walker and Chandler Parsons decided things for the Gators.

West Virginia at Pittsburgh
The Panthers had some uncharacteristic breakdowns in execution on the way to a 60-59 loss to St. John’s. Coach Jamie Dixon should have those corrected in time for Round 2 of the Backyard Brawl.

Gonzaga at Saint Mary’s
The Gaels want to replace Gonzaga as West Coast champs. This is their chance. Saint Mary’s won at Gonzaga on Jan. 27 but has gone 4-3 since. Gonzaga has climbed back into the race with four straight games.

Arizona at USC
Sean Miller has led Arizona to a 23-4 record overall and the Wildcats are on top of the Pac-10 at 12-2. Now it is time to take care of business on the trip to Los Angeles.

Friday, Feb. 25

Siena at Fairfield
Stag Nation is imagining big things for Fairfield. Derek Needham and Ryan Olander have directed the Stags to a 22-5 record and first place in the MAAC.

Saturday, Feb. 26

Missouri at Kansas State
The Tigers finally got their first Big 12 road victory at Iowa State. This game in Manhattan is big as both teams jockey for their seed position in the conference tournament.

St. John’s at Villanova
Tied in the Big East standings. St. John’s and Villanova, both 9-5. Didn’t see that coming now, did you?

Seton Hall at Notre Dame
The Pirates can make life difficult for opponents any night in the Big East. But that’s a tough assignment at Notre Dame.

Duke at Virginia Tech
Take away the two losses to Virginia and Tech would be looking good in the ACC. Beating Duke would make a huge statement.

Syracuse at Georgetown
It may be impossible to predict this game. These two teams have multiple personalities.

BYU at San Diego State
Part II of the great Mountain West showdown.

Florida at Kentucky
Rupp Arena will be pumped up for Billy Donovan and the Gators.

Sunday, Feb. 27

Connecticut at Cincinnati
Cincinnati could really use a victory over the Huskies. It’s all about the NCAA resume at this point of the season, and the Bearcats are still building. Of course, so are the Huskies.

Pittsburgh at Louisville
Louisville’s matchup zone is hard to penetrate. Pitt is the best rebounding team in the nation. Which team can find the offensive efficiency to prevail?

Purdue at Michigan State
Can Michigan State make one of its patented late season runs? Or is it too late for that?

THEY SAID IT

“I just tried to get every rebound that I can.” – Temple’s Lavoy Allen, who grabbed 12 rebounds and became the schools career leader in rebounding during a 66-52 victory over Saint Joseph’s. Allen has 1,045 rebounds and passed John Baum (1,042), now the school’s radio analyst.

“We’re not playing team defense. We need five guys connected. Once we get that back, we’re going to be all right.” – Ohio State Jared Sullinger, after the Buckeyes lost at Purdue 76-63.

“It seems like we’ve got somebody who takes turns screwing up. It’s one guy this possession, another guy next possession, another guy next possession and the next thing you know, we’ve got three or four possessions where defensively we messed up or offensively we didn’t execute. I think that’s a big part of it.” – Penn State coach Ed DeChellis, after a 76-66 loss to Wisconsin.

“For the rest of my career I don’t anticipate ever going back to a tie or dress shoes every again. We’re 6-1 with sneakers that started to bring attention to a great cause. But it struck me in terms of comfort with the shoes and without the tie I’m doing a better job of teaching. Everything’s been at a higher level without a tie on.” – St. John’s coach Steve Lavin after a 60-59 upset of Pittsburgh. Lavin hasn’t gone back to a tie or dress shoes Coaches vs. Cancer weekend.

“We have to try to keep Jimmer under 43.” – San Diego point guard D.J. Gay, looking ahead to this week’s rematch with BYU and Jimmer Fredette.

“Not a lot to say. We won. That’s the bottom line.” – North Carolina coach Roy Williams after the Tar Heels held on to defeat Boston College 48-46.

NOTES

Miller Time
I don’t understand how anyone can write about National Coach of the Year candidates without including Arizona’s Sean Miller. The Pac-10 might be way down as a conference, but the Wildcats are 23-4 overall, 12-2 in the conference, and way ahead of schedule in rebuilding their program. Miller is doing a terrific job. Derrick Williams and Lamont Jones are going create headaches for opponents in the NCAA tournament.

Foul Victory
Syracuse needed overtime to defeat Rutgers 84-80 Saturday. How did the Orange do it? You might say Syracuse won it at the line (and when did you last say that?). Syracuse made 34-of-47 free throws (72.3 percent). Syracuse entered the game ranked 280th in free throw shooting at 64.9 percent. Rutgers was called for 30 fouls, while Syracuse was whistled for 18. Rutgers made 9-of-14 from the line. It’s pretty hard to win when you are outscored 34-9 at the line. The Scarlet Knights almost pulled it off.

More of Moore
E’Twaun Moore’s twisting, bending, scooping acrobatic fastbreak layup against Ohio State Sunday might have been the most amazing basket in all of college basketball this season. Moore is such an entertaining player, and now he is only the fourth player in Big Ten history with 2,000 points, 500 rebounds and 350 assists in his career. The others are Penn State’s Talor Battle, Wisconsin’s Michael Finley and Michigan State’s Steve Smith. That’s darn good company.

Diebler for 3
Put Ohio State’s Jon Diebler in the Big Ten record book. Diebler passed Penn State’s Pete Lisicky (1994-1998) as the conference leader in three-pointers made Sunday. Lisicky had 331. Diebler hit No. 332 on a shot from the right corner about one minute into the second half.

Board Work
Morehead State plays Murray State on ESPNU Thursday night. Do yourself a favor and catch at least a little of the game, enough to see Morehead State’s Kenneth Faried grab a rebound. On Saturday, Faried broke Tim Duncan’s modern-era (since 1973) NCAA Division I career rebounding record. He grabbed 12 rebounds against Indiana State and now has 1,576. Duncan had 1,570 in his career. The rest of the top five since freshmen became eligible for varsity ball: Derrick Coleman, Syracuse (1,537), Malik Rose, Drexel (1,514), and Ralph Sampson, Virginia (1,511). That’s better than good company. Next year at this time Faried should be making money in the NBA.

Ken Davis is the author of Basketball Vault books covering the history of the University of Kansas and the University of Connecticut. Both are available through the publisher
(http://www.whitmanvaultbooks.com/) and autographed copies are available at Ken’s web page (http://kendavis55.wordpress.com/).