AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli

By Paul Casey Gotham

Thumbnail tales: Jimmy V Week

Another week and another made for television basketball event. Eventually, the luster will wear off these extravaganzas. Until then, the best thing to do is ENJOY. And keep in mind the spirit of Jimmy Valvano: “Don’t give up.  Don’t ever give up.”

Memphis vs. Kansas – Legitimacy is there for the taking. Both teams are undefeated. Both teams have claimed spots in early-season rankings. Both teams might be a little hollow.

Kansas ranks number one nationally in field goal percentage (56.9), assists (21.1) and scoring margin (30.4). The three go together like Larry, Moe, and Curley, or something like that. The Jayhawks built those numbers against Longwood (113-75), North Texas (93-60) and Texas A&M Corpus Christi (82-41).   Arizona (87-79-the ‘Cats only loss) and UCLA (77-76 – the Bruins fell to 3-4 with a loss to Montana) slowed Kansas a little.

Memphis has wins over Miami (72-68 on November 12th), LSU (70-61) and most recently Western Kentucky (77-61). Memphis’s field goal percentage defense (36.9) is 19th in the nation, but they turn over the ball 16 times a  game (263rd in the land). At the same time, the Tigers get 11 steals per contest (9th).

How will Memphis fare? Josh Pastner starts three freshmen (Joe Jackson, Will Barton, and Chris Crawford).  The lights of Madison Square Garden tend to burn a little brighter than most. Sometimes the result is a spirited performance. Other times, youngsters experience dehydration.

Get ready for a track meet. Kansas can’t get enough possessions, and Memphis hasn’t valued possession of the ball yet this year.

Michigan State vs. Syracuse – Have the Orange been using some of their nine lives? Syracuse has had narrow escapes vs. William and Mary (63-60), Michigan (53-50), Georgia Tech (80-76), and North Carolina State (65-59). Are those wake-up calls? Or a harbinger of things to come?

The last time out for the Spartans, freshman, Kyrie Irving made senior, Kalin Lucas look like there was more green to him than his jersey. Is Lucas still recovering from his achilles tendon injury? How will this bode for Scoop Jardine? Can Jardine take advantage of Lucas?

SU leads the all-time series 9-7 with the Orange taking the last meeting of the two at the Dome in 2004 – 96-83.  Right now, the Spartans play for more possessions. MSU averages 78.6 per game while surrendering 66.5 SU scores 69.9 while allowing 58.9. The Orange, though,  need to score in transition to beat Michigan State. Don’t be surprised to see a different SU team tonight.

Big East/SEC Invitational

The BE and SEC offer an abbreviated showcase: four games over two nights.

Wednesday at Freedom Hall in Louisville

Notre Dame vs. Kentucky – the veteran Irish put their undefeated record on the line against the young Wildcats. Kentucky is coming off a loss at North Carolina. Notre Dame hasn’t played since November 30th – a victory over Indiana State (81-72).  Notre Dame has been getting some mileage out of the 2-3 zone. Kentucky hits 41 percent from long range. Three ‘Cats (Darius Miller, Doron Lamb, and Brandon Knight) have hit 14 or more from behind the arc. Might be time for a little HANDS UP HARRY!  Plenty of top ten teams squaring off with ranked squads this week. Could be plenty of movement. And Irish win, and ….nah!

Arkansas vs. Seton Hall – The Razorbacks are 5-1 with a victory over Oklahoma, but everyone is beating Oklahoma. Seton Hall is 3-3 with a win Alabama. Kevin Willard is in his first season coaching the Pirates. John Pelphrey is in his third at Arkansas.

Saturday @ The CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh

Tennessee vs. Pittsburgh - A pair of undefeated titans will lock horns. Bruce Pearl will be on the sidelines. So will Jamie Dixon. Ashton Gibbs has hit 46 percent (30-65) of his long-range attempts. The Vols have been stngy from behind the arc.

Rutgers vs. Auburn – Rutgers is 4-2. Auburn is 3-4. Rochester’s Dane Miller averages eight points and four rebounds for the Scarlet Knights.

Rebounds & Putbacks

Rush the Court offers their own break down of tonight’s games here. RTC’s “Morning Five” is always worth the read. BYU’s Jimmer Fredette will get a chance to play in his home town of Glens Falls, New York. But it was not without some jumping through hoops as Andy Katz tells everyone. By the way, Fredette and the Cougars play at the University of Buffalo on December 30th. ALL ABOARD! Ballin’ Is A Habit has a pretty good read on The Strange Recruitment of Adjehi Baru.

It’s not like the Purdue Boilermakers can afford to lose any more foot soldiers. Matt Painter and crew lost Robbie Hummel during the pre-season. Now, John Hart is out for a month.

JayVaughn Pinkston will have to wait another the season to impress. The much bally-hooed freshman has been suspended for the season by Villanova.

Got any college basketball splinters? Post them here.

Photo by Dennis Nett/The Post-Standard

By Paul Gotham

Setting: 900 Irving Avenue, in Syracuse New York, is the place as Josh Pastner brings his Memphis Tigers (10-3) to Upstate New York for a non-conference tilt with Jim Boeheim’s No.7 Syracuse Orange (13-1, 1-1).

Plot: It is Conference USA versus the Big East in a game that pits two teams who have combined for 11 NCAA Tournament appearances since 2003. Memphis advanced to the final in 2008 (since vacated) and the Elite Eight in ’06 and ’07. Last season the Tigers were eliminated in the Sweet Sixteen. Syracuse won the title in ’03 and earned Sweet Sixteen berths in ’04 and ’09.

Sub-plot: The game brings together arguably the two best transfers in the country. Memphis’s Elliot Williams played at Duke last season. Two years ago, Wes Johnson made the move from Iowa State to Syracuse. Coincidentally, Duke plays Iowa State immediately following this game.

Flashback: Jonny Flynn led the Orange with 24 points and six assists as Syracuse went into the FedEx Forum and took a 72-65 road win from the Tigers last December. Syracuse leads the series 2-1. Wednesday’s game marks the first time the two have met at the Carrier Dome.

Foreshadowing: The Tigers have sent 29 to the NBA including current players Rodney Carney, Joey Dorsey, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Tyreke Evans, and Derrick Rose. Thirty-four Orange have earned spots in the league. Carmelo Anthony, Jonny Flynn, Donte Green, Jason Hart, Etan Thomas and Hakim Warrick currently hold spots on NBA rosters.

Mood: With their Big East schedule ready to get into full swing, the Orange could easily overlook this game. Classes are not in session, and it is the middle of the week. On the other hand, the Orange will seek to right their ship after their first lost on Saturday to Pittsburgh, 82-72.  If Syracuse wants to prove themselves as an elite team, this is an important game to win.

A victory for Memphis could go a long way in securing an at-large bid, if needed, in the NCAA Tournament. Memphis’s three losses have been by a combined 10 points. The Tigers lost to No. 1 Kansas, 57-55. UMass toppled the Tigers at the buzzer, 73-72. The Tigers fell to No. 14 Tennessee, 66-59.

Conflict: Syracuse is second in the nation with 12.6 steals per game. Memphis ranks ninth in the category with 10.6 steals per game.  The similarities continue from there. The Orange outscore opponents by an average margin of 22 points. The Tigers hold a 20.1 advantage in this category. Syracuse hits .393 of their attempts from behind the arc. Memphis finishes .358 from long range. Syracuse limits their opponents to .298 success on three balls. Memphis opponents hit just .292 behind the arc.

Meanwhile, Syracuse averages 21.1 assists per game to 14.5 for Memphis. At the same time, Syracuse turns over the ball 15.9 times to 12.2 for Memphis.  Syracuse has a rebound margin of +3.2. Memphis holds a margin of 1.0.

All these could be null and void depending upon how Memphis responds to the Syracuse zone.

Williams leads four Tigers in double figures with 19.7.  The sophomore adds four rebounds and assists per game. What makes Williams difficult to defend is that he has 23 trifectas out of 66 attempts. At the same, the 6’5″ guard can go off the dribble and get to the rim (think of Dwyane Wade driving the lane). Can Williams penetrate the Syracuse zone? He will need to be patient and wait to catch the ball in reversal.

Wesley Witherspoon scores 10 point per game off the bench. The 6’9″ forward will need to be alert and find seams in the zone as Williams looks to drive.

Doneal Mack and Roburt Sallie combine for 21 points in Pastner’s four-guard lineup. Mack leads the Tigers with 28 three-pointers.  The senior hit four from long-range in a losing effort to Tennessee.

Will Coleman grabs six boards off the bench to lead the way for Memphis.

Johnson leads four Orange in double figures with 17 points per game. The junior adds 8.8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Johnson plays his best when the Orange need him. He scored 17 points in a win over Cal, 25 in a victory over UNC, and 17 against Florida. Johnson had 13 points and 12 rebounds as the Orange erased a six-point second-half deficit against Seton Hall.

Arinze Onuaku adds 10 points and 3.7 boards per game.

Brandon Triche scores 10 a game with 2.9 assists. The freshman guard had just one turnover in 26 minutes of play against Pittsburgh.

Kris Joseph adds ten points and 5.6 rebounds off the bench.

Senior, Andy Rautins leads the Orange with 32 three pointers. He also leads the team with 2.4 steals per game.

Rautins along with Scoop Jardine top the Orange with an assist to turnover ratio of 2.2/1.

Rick Jackson scores 9.9 per game with 7.3 rebounds.

Resolution: Coleman and Witherspoon match up well with Onuaku and Jackson. For the first time this year, the Syracuse front court will not have a size advantage over their opponents. The question for Josh Pastner will be whether he goes with his four-guard lineup or decides to match up inside with the Orange.

The Tigers are catching the Orange at the wrong time. Saturday’s loss served as the wake up call this Syracuse team needed. Memphis has the ability to make this a game in the second half. Syracuse’s rebounding advantage will prove the difference in the end.

Got any comments on the game? Please post them here.

1st Team All-Casey

PG Sherron Collins – Kansas

SG Jeremy Hazell – Seton Hall

SF Wes Johnson – Syracuse

PF Damion James – Texas

C Greg Monroe – Georgetown

2nd Team All-Casey

PG – Jon Scheyer – Duke

SG – Elliot Williams -Memphis

SF – Robbie Hummel – Purdue

PF – Al-Farouq Aminu – Wake Forest

C – Cole Aldrich – Kansas