Pickin' Splinters » Lavoy Allen

A-10 Bounce

Casey — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:05:54 +0000

A weekly round-up of Atlantic 10 men’s basketball.

This house is freakin’ sweet: NCAA First Four to return to Dayton in 2012 &2013

INDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee has announced that the Road to the Final Four will begin once again at the University of Dayton Arena this year.

In fact, it will begin in Dayton for at least the next two years as the NCAA announced that the tournament’s “First Four” event will be held in at the Arena March 13-14, 2012 and March 20-21, 2013.

The University of Dayton served as the host for the inaugural First Four March 15-16. The games drew more than 10,000 fans each night to UD Arena, and a national viewing audience of over five million people. VCU emerged from the 2011 First Four to reach the 2011 Final Four.

“This is fantastic news, and a genuine representation of how important the support of the region is to the Basketball Committee,” UD Vice President and Director of Athletics Tim Wabler said. “As excited as we were last year when we were awarded the very first First Four, I am more excited by the fact that we have it in 2012 and 2013.

“This gives us a real opportunity to cement the First Four in Dayton for years to come. The Division I Baseball Championship is going on right now, and it’s our goal to make Dayton as synonymous with the First Four as Omaha is with the College World Series. I’m confident the collaborative effort and hard work by our First Four Local Organizing Committee, our hotel partners, and our staff will be first-rate, but the feedback from the teams about how welcoming the city was and the electric atmosphere in the Arena made it clear that our fans and the support of the community will be as critical in keeping the First Four in Dayton as it was in bringing it back.”

Not too big. Not too small. The UD Arena is …well let Peter Griffin explain:

UD nets first 2012 commitment

Columbus Northland High School, which finished runner-up in the boys Division I state basketball tournament last season, won all three of its games in the University of Dayton team camp last weekend, and coach Sean Taylor said senior-to-be Jalen Robinson was a big reason behind that dominant run.

Asked what got into his 6-foot-9 forward, Taylor said: “He looked like he wanted a scholarship offer. That’s what it was. He was really aggressive and showed his skills.”

UD’s Wright not giving up on NBA goal

Chris Wright had a difficult time after not being picked during the NBA draft on Thursday, but he didn’t need long to shake his disappointment.

The University of Dayton star said he actually had a dream about the draft as he slept that night. And while that version didn’t turn out any better — he was overlooked again — he woke up with a renewed attitude.

“It was cool,” he said. “It was God basically telling me it’s real, but don’t give up. You still have a chance.

Basketball ties run deep for GW’s Chandler

This past season Erica Chandler wore the Buff and Blue of the GW women’s basketball team, but during the past few weeks she donned different colors while cheering her brother on to an NBA Championship.

Erica, the 6-foot-4 center for the Colonials, is the younger sister of Tyson Chandler, the 7-foot-1 center for the blue and silver-clad Dallas Mavericks, who defeated the Miami Heat in six games in the NBA Finals.

“I feel great that my brother was able to accomplish his goal of winning the world championship this year. He is so excited and so are we,” Chandler said of her family’s excitement.

Larry Harris joins URI staff

KINGSTON, R.I. — Head coach Jim Baron announced that Larry Harris has joined the Rhode Island men’s basketball coaching staff. In his 27th year as a Division I assistant coach, Harris arrives in Kingston after having spent the last 15 years as an assistant coach on the NC State staff, serving under two different head coaches – Herb Sendek and Sidney Lowe.

“Larry Harris is a very well-respected basketball coach. He has been at some prominent schools – Washington State, Oregon State and N.C. State most recently – working with some excellent coaches,” said Baron. “I have known him for a while – he was a great player and is an even better person. He will do an excellent job for us at Rhode Island.”

Prior to his tenure at NC State, Harris served as an assistant coach at Washington State during the 1995-96 campaign, helping the Cougars to a 17-12 record. Prior to his stop at WSU, he spent three years on the staff at Oregon State.

Harris happy to be newest member of Rams’ staff

KINGSTON, RHODE ISLAND – Earlier this afternoon, the University of Rhode Island issued a press release that former NC State assistant Larry Harris is the newest member of Jim Baron’s coaching staff at Rhody, joining Pat Clarke and Preston Murphy. Chris DiSano of College Chalktalk and Cox Sports caught up with Harris to get his thoughts about the new gig at URI:

CD: What made the University of Rhode Island a good fit for you?

Harris: Jim Baron. He and I have known eachother for 30 years. He’s a hard worker day-in and day-out and that’s the type of guy I want to be around and environment I want to be a part of.

CD: What will you bring that can complement this staff?

Harris: Experience. I’ve been around this game for 27 years and that’s why Jim brought me up here. I’m confident that I have a great understanding of how to deal with kids and help them maximize potential, and I’m anxious to help Jim and the staff in any way I can.

UR’s Justin Harper picked no. 32 in NBA draft; Orlando trades for Richmond native

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Richmond senior forward Justin Harper was selected as the 32nd pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic traded for the 6-foot-10, 225-pound Richmond native later Thursday evening.

Orlando only had one of the 60 picks in the 2011 NBA Draft and that selection was not coming until 53, but the Magic clearly made Harper there man by offering Cleveland two future picks for his rights.

“You don’t do a trade unless the guy you like (is there),” President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Otis Smith said. “There were two guys we liked and the guy (Harper) happened to be the top of the two, so it’s a good value pick.”

Orlando finished 52-30 in 2010-11, making the playoffs, where the Magic lost to Atlanta 4-2.

“Justin is one of those guys that is a combo can play 3, can play 4, can shoot ball really well,” Smith said. “He has good feet, good hands, he’s a good rebounder. I think he’ll fit in with our guys real well.”

Lavoy Allen selected in 2nd round by Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA – Temple University senior forward Lavoy Allen was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 50th pick (2nd round) of the 2011 NBA Draft Thursday evening. Allen is the 32nd Temple player selected in the NBA Draft and the first since Mardy Collins was taken with the 29th pick (first round) of the 2006 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks.

“I am excited to be selected and it is even more special that it is by the 76ers, where my family and friends are able to support me,” said Allen. “I can’t wait to get started with my professional career.”

“I am very happy for him,” said Temple head coach Fran Dunphy. “He accomplished so much as a college basketball player. It is a great reward to be drafted and to go to the Sixers is icing on the cake.”

Who will be the next Owl to make an NBA roster?

Now that Lavoy Allen is a 76er, who’ll be the next Temple player with a shot to make an NBA roster?

Juan Fernandez was the first person that came to my mind. However, something keeps telling me it will be Ramone Moore.

You can’t discount Moore’s drive, desire and his improvement as an Owl.

Months ago, the 6-foot-4 shooting guard considered entering his name in last week’s NBA draft. The plan was to work out for teams then withdraw his name before the deadline. He, however, opted against the draft all together.

Instead, the rising fifth-year senior began preparing for the 2012 NBA draft in April.

He recently returned from a rigorous training session in Las Vegas. Moore, Villanova point guard Maalik Wayns and Miami guard Durand Scott were the only participants that are returning to college next season.

Scottie Randall has knee surgery

Temple swingman Scootie Randall had knee surgery Tuesday for a meniscus tear in his left knee.

It is unknown when the 6-foot-6 senior-to-be suffered the injury.

Randall tweeted after the surgery, “feeling better. And everything went well.”

A Temple source said the Owls don’t have a timetable for when the Communications Tech product will be ready to work out. However, another source with knowledge who said the surgery was arthroscopic, believes Randall will be able to resume off-season conditioning in three to four weeks.

Former Towson hoops star, Isaiah Philmore transfers to Xavier

CINCINNATI — Xavier University head basketball coach Chris Mack announced today that former Towson standout Isaiah Philmore has transferred to Xavier. Philmore, a 6-7 and 230-pound forward, will practice with the Musketeers this season and have two seasons of remaining eligibility beginning with the 2012-13 campaign.

Philmore led Towson in scoring and ranked sixth in the CAA at 15.3 ppg. as a sophomore this past season. He also grabbed 7.0 rpg., which ranked second on the team. Philmore came on strong down the stretch last season, averaging 22.2 points and 8.5 rebounds over the last six regular season games.

David West to test free agency

NEW ORLEANS – Hornets leading scorer David West has decided to test free agency.

West, a two-time All-Star who was drafted by New Orleans in 2003 out of Xavier, started 70 games last season, averaging 18.9 points to go with 7.6 rebounds before tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament during a game on March 24.

Coming soon

Stay tuned for the first annual Pickin’ Splinters rundown of the A10′s incoming class. Fans can get an in-depth look at the new student-athletes to play next season in the Atlantic 10.

Dayton-Temple: Tale Of The Tape

Casey — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:56:39 +0000

By Paul Gotham

Setting: 1776 N. Broad Street is the location for an Atlantic 10 showdown between Brian Gregory’s Dayton Flyers (18-8/ 7-5) and Fran Dunphy’s No. 18 Temple Owls (22-5/ 10-2).

Plot: Urgency is the theme for Dayton. At one time, the season held promise for the Flyers. Now, they find themselves in seventh place in the A 10 standings. Temple seeks to keep pace with Richmond for the regular season conference title. The Owls have won the past two A 10 crowns.

Sub-plot: Dayton’s eight losses have been by a combined total of 27 points. This includes losing their last two on the road by a total of five points. Dayton has not yet suffered a double-digit loss this season. The Flyers are 1-2 against ranked opponents.

Temple has won three in a row and five of their last six. The Owls have held all but two of their opponents under their season scoring average. Sixteen of those opponents have scored 10 or more fewer points than usual. Temple posts a similar record against ranked opponents of a win and two setbacks.

The A 10 has 18 victories over BCS schools. Nine different teams have posted non-conference triumphs over the BCS conferences. Temple leads the way with four victories. Richmond, Rhode Island, and Xavier each have three.

Flashback: Dionte Christmas and Ryan Brooks tallied 20 a piece, but the Owls came up short at UD Arena last season. Chris Wright matched Christmas and Brooks with 20. London Warren grabbed nine boards and dished out eight assists as the Flyers took 70-65 decision.

Temple leads the all-time series 14-11, but the Flyers have taken the last three in the series.

Temple has made 27 appearances in the NCAA tournament including Elite Eight spots in ‘01, ‘99, ‘93, ‘91, and ‘88. Dayton has earned 14 invites to The Dance, including a spot in the 1967 title game where they fell to John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins 79-64. Dayton beat West Virginia in last year’s opening round, 68-60.

Foreshadowing: Thirty-three former Owls have played in the Association. Mardy Collins is the lone Temple alum in the league. Sixteen from the Marianist college have gone on to enjoy careers in the NBA including Jim Paxson Jr. and Johnny Davis.

Conflict: Call it psychedelia, tonight’s game will be played in the 60s. Dayton averages a touch above 70, but, as pointed out above, Temple trims their opponents’ totals. The Owls enter the action at 66 a contest.

Surprisingly, the Flyers fell victim to foul troubles in their two-point loss at Duquesne. Ten Flyers play at least ten minutes. Usually, they can avoid foul problems. Nonetheless, Chris Wright spent significant time on the bench with four fouls, and London Warren fouled out at 1:19 mark with Dayton in the lead.

How will this affect the usually aggressive Flyers?

How will the Owl defense respond? Temple was exposed earlier this year against Kansas. The Owls got out and defended beyond the arc while fronting the post. Kansas exploited an advantage in athleticism for a big win. Temple matches up with Dayton athletically, but will the Flyers take a page from the Kansas playbook?

The Flyers frequently run a double high screen on the ball. Opponents struggle to defend this. If Temple tries to apply pressure on the ball 25 feet from the basket, the Flyers could capitalize on an open area in the lane.

Chris Johnson is the key to Dayton’s success. The sophomore guard hits nearly 37 percent from behind the three-point arc. He is unafraid to shoot. He can create his own shot off the dribble. Dayton will need Johnson to open up the middle.

From there Wright has to takeover. The pre-season Wooden candidate scores 14 and half points and grabs seven rebounds in 28 minutes of playing time. Wright scored Dayton’s first 11 points against Duquesne. he is capable of dominating, but he has not shown that he can do it for long stretches.

Marcus Johnson chips in eight points and three rebounds. Rob Lowery share point guard duties with Warren. The senior scores almost seven a game and hands out nearly four assists.

Paul Williams is valuable off the bench. The sophomore has hit 23 threes this season.

Ryan Brooks leads three Owls in double figures with nearly 15 a game. The senior guard hands out almost two assists to every turnover.

Off the bench, Juan Fernandez hits 43.7 percent of his trifecta attempts. Fernandez hit seven of nine when Temple beat Villanova earlier this year.

Lavoy Allen averages a double-double (11.4ppg and 10.3 rpg).

Ramone Moore, Michael Eric, and Luiz Guzman round out the starting five combining for 18 points and 12 rebounds.

Resolution: The time is now for Dayton. They need to put their losses behind and notch a win over a ranked opponent. Temple will not go down easy. Wright and Johnson will combine for over 30 points as the Flyers win a low-scoring affair.

Got any comments on the game? Post them here.

Xavier-Temple: Tale Of The Tape

Casey — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:16:19 +0000

By Paul Gotham

Setting: It’s a battle for first place in the Atlantic 10 at 1776 N. Broad Street as Chris Mack’s Xavier Musketeers (12-5/4-0) take on Fran Dunphy’s No. 16 Temple Owls (15-3/3-0).

Plot: Both Temple and Xavier bring four-game winning streaks into the tilt.

Sub-plot: This is the Musketeers lone road game for the remainder of the month. Xavier is coming off an emotional win over Dayton on Saturday. Temple plays their next two games on the road: Saturday at Fordham and next Wednesday at Charlotte.

Xavier is 1-1 against ranked opponents this year. The Muskies lost a heart-breaker to then No. 21, Butler, 69-68. Xavier knocked off then No.19 Cincinnati, 83-79 in double overtime.

Xavier has won the last three regular season A10 titles. Temple won the last two A10 tournaments.

The Atlantic 10 is ranked fourth by the RPI.

Flashback: Dionte Christmas scored 20 and Lavoy Allen grabbed 10 boards as the Owls beat the Muskies, 55-53 in the semi-finals of last year’s A10 tournament.

Temple leads the series 11-9 with a 78-59 victory the last time the two met at the Liacouras Center.

Temple has made 27 appearances in the NCAA tournament including Elite Eight spots in ’01, ’99, ’93, ’91, and ’88. Xavier has reached the tournament 20 times with Elite Eight showings in ’08 and ’04.

Foreshadowing: Sixteen Musketeers have played in the NBA including current stars Derrick Brown, James Posey , and David West. Thirty-three former Owls have played in the Association. Mardy Collins is the lone Temple alum in the league.

Conflict: Xavier is 11-1 when scoring 70 or more points this season with their only loss coming in double overtime to Wake Forest. The Muskies make 45.1 percent of their shots from the field.

Temple opponents only hit 37.5 percent of their field goals while scoring 56 points per game.

Temple grabs fewer rebounds per game (38.2) than Xavier (39.2), but the Owls hold an advantage in rebound margin 3.7 to 1.8.

Xavier turns over the ball 12.9 times per game; Temple loses the rock 10.7 times. Xavier gets 6.4 steals per game while Temple swipes 4.7.

Ryan Brooks earned A10 Player-of-the-Week honors averaging 20 points and five rebounds as the Owls went 3-0 last week. The senior guard hit 10 three pointers for the week.

Juan Fernandez hits threes at a rate of 44.7 percent and leads the Owls with 42 total trifectas.

Temple will need these two to open up the floor for success inside.

Lavoy Allen leads the Cherry and White with 10.3 rebounds including 69 offensive boards.

Luis Guzman averages almost three assist per game.

Ramone Moore and Craig Williams combine for 10 points and five rebounds.

Xavier has held opponents to 29.6 from the three point arc. Terrell Holloway, Mark Lyons, Dante Jackson, and Jordan Crawford frustrate opposing perimeter shooters.

Jackson has established himself as the most versatile player on the Xavier squad. At 6’5″, the junior can defend players on the perimeter, but he has also drawn the assignment of bigger players such as Wake Forest’s 6’9″ Al-Farouq Aminu. Jackson hit five threes en route to a game-high 19 as the Muskies knocked off Dayton Saturday. He also grabs three boards per game.

Crawford leads three X-Men in double figures with 19 points. Crawford dished out four assists in Saturday’s win. The transfer has struggled at times trying to do too much. He averages 2.6 assists per game. This number needs to increase for Xavier to be successful over the long haul.

Holloway is a lunch pail type of player who scores 11 a game and has an assist to turnover ratio of 2.5:1. Holloway hits 90.7 percent from the free throw line. The sophomore performs his best in the tightest of games. Saturday, he hit 13 of 14. Against Cincinnati, Holloway was a perfect 11 of 11 line from the charity stripe.

Jason Love contributes 10 point and nine rebounds. The senior center has developed a jump hook that is nearly indefensible.

Kenny Frease rounds out Xavier’s starting five. The seven-footer averages just under six points and a tad below five rebounds per game.

Resolution: Dunphy deploys eight of his Owls for 13 or more minutes per game. Mack uses eight guys for 16 or minutes. Temple likes to front the post. Look for Xavier to try some lob entries into Frease. Jamel McLean will provide valuable minutes off the XU bench. The junior forward will be counted on to control the boards.

Brad Redford provides a spark off the bench for Xavier. Redford hits 47.9 percent from behind the three-point arc. The sophomore has learned how to get open in transition and finish from long range. Holloway and Jackson will need to continue to find the three-point threat.

It’s been a while since Xavier has won in Philly, but that changes Wednesday night. The Muskies with their balanced attack will win a one-possession game.

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

Kansas-Temple: Tale Of The Tape

Casey — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 21:35:48 +0000

By Paul Gotham

Setting: 1776 N. Broad Street is the site for a Top 20 tangle as Bill Self’s No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks (12-0) visit the Liacouras Center in downtown Philadelphia for a tilt with Fran Dunphy’s No. 18 Temple Owls (11-2).

Plot: Temple finished an undefeated month of December with a victory over Northern Illinois, 70-60. Kansas throttled Belmont, 81-51 to close out 2009. Temple opens A10 play on Wednesday. Kansas does not start conference play until January 13th.

Sub-plots: Temple leads its Atlantic 10 rivals as the conference has ascended to a number four ranking in the RPI. Kansas and No. 2 Texas lead a Big 12 conference ranked number two.

Flashback: Dionte Christmas scored 18 of his game-high 21, but the Jayhawks won last December, 71-59. Kansas holds a 6-3 advantage all-time against Temple. In 1995, the Owls trimmed then No. 1 Kansas in overtime, 74-66.

The two schools rank in the top ten of total victories for Division One schools. Kansas sits at third with 1,982 wins. Temple is is sixth with 1,722. Kentucky leads the way with 2,002 triumphs. North Carolina follows with 1,997.

Foreshadowing: 52 former Jayhawks have played in the NBA. Currently, nine Jayhawks roam the NBA hard courts: Darrell Arthur, Mario Chalmers, Nick Collison, Drew Gooden, Kirk Hinrich, Darnell Jackson, Paul Pierce, Brandon Rush, and Julian Wright.

33 former Owls have played in the NBA. Mardy Collins is the lone Temple alum in the league.

Conflict: Temple averages 64 points per game while Kansas fills it up to the tune of 87 per game. The Owls hold opponents to 54; Self’s Jayhawks limit adversaries to 58.

Who will dictate the tempo of this game?

Kansas wants to run the floor. Temple wants to run half court.

Temple’s Juan Fernandez is capable of carrying the Owls. The sophomore guard has scored 20 or more in three of Temple’s last four games. Fernandez knocked down 11 trifectas as Temple downed then No. 3, Villanova, 75-65. The 6′4″ Argentine leads the Owls hitting 32 of 69 (.464) from long range.

When will the Owls decide to air it out? Conventional wisdom suggests the home team should get out of the gate quickly. Fran Dunphy knows these Jayhawks have too much firepower for an early game deluge.

Freshman Xavier Henry with 16 points per game, leads four Jayhawks in double figures. Sherron Collins follows with 13 points and 51 total assists. Marcus Morris and Cole Aldrich chip in 11 a piece.

Kansas is 13th in the nation with a rebounding margin of 8.3. Alrich leads the way with 10. Morris and Henry combine for nine.

The Jayhawks are number three in the land with a field goal percentage defense of .346 including .278 from behind the arc.

Ryan Brooks leads the Cherry and White with 15.8 per game. Lavoy Allen averages a double-double with 10.6 rebounds and points per game.

Fernandez and Luiz Guzman combine for six and a half assists per game.

The Owls have turned the ball over just 137 times thus far while opponents have fumbled the ball 159 times. For the Owls to be successful, this trend will need to continue.

Allen gives up two inches and twenty pounds to Aldrich. Temple will be hard pressed to find an advantage on the boards today. Instead, the Owls will need to value possession of the ball. Poor shots will result in lay ups at the other end. Fernandez and Guzman will need to control the flow.

Resolution: Kansas is too athletic to knock out in the first half. The Jayhwaks are undefeated, but they have not played a team that is as disciplined on the offensive end and tenacious on the defensive end as are the Owls. When the Temple band strikes up ‘Living On A Prayer,’ the Cherry and White will still have the Jayhawks in the sites. Fernandez will struggle early from the field, but he will find his mark and lead the Owls to the upset.

Got any comments about the game? Post them here.

CBB Splinters | December 16, 2009

Casey — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 23:46:05 +0000

Holloway

By Paul Gotham

Sunday sweep for the A-10

Rumors of the Atlantic 10′s demise appear greatly exaggerated, at least for now. After a sluggish November characterized more as opportunities lost rather than seizing chances, the A-10 seems to have landed on its feet. In a pair of intra-city rivalries, Xavier downed Cincinnati, 83-79 in a double overtime classic, and Temple took down Villanova, 75-65.

Sophomore, Terrell Holloway led the Musketeers to their third consecutive victory in the Crosstown Shootout. The 6’0″ (that is generous) point guard did everything possible to seal the victory. Holloway finished with 26 points, four assists, a steal, a rebound, and a defensive assignment not found in the box score. The point guard from Hempstead, New York went a perfect 11 for 11 from the line including six in the first overtime period. Holloway also assisted on the eventual game-winner when he drove the lane and dished to teammate, Jason Love, for the lay up.

All those numbers might take a back seat to Holloway’s late defensive stand. During a time out in the second OT, Holloway informed Xavier head coach, Chris Mack he could stop Lance Stephenson. The Bearcat freshman had 22 points BEFORE Holloway manned up. After that, Stephenson got nothing…and had no choice whether he liked it or not. Holloway, giving up five inches, drew a pivotal charge late in the game.

Key numbers in the game: Xavier went 28-36 from the line. Cincy finished 10-22. Ouch! Both teams grabbed 43 rebounds. This is an important stat for the Musketeers who have been out-rebounded of late. Kansas State held a 39-30 edge on the boards in a victory of XU. Likewise, Baylor got the best of the boards 40-29 in a 69-64 victory over XU. Xavier’s rebounding woes can be traced to Jamel McLean whose father recently passed away. McLean is Xavier resident ball-getter. He is active on the glass and tough to box out. Here’s hoping McLean and the Muskies can continue moving forward.

Jason Love grabbed 19 rebounds against Cincy. The senior is averaging 9.9ppg and 11rpg.

The game was the 77th meeting between the schools divided by 3.3 miles. Cincinnati holds a 47-30 advantage.

ESPN’s Pat Forde enjoyed the spice of the Crosstown Shootout.

Xavier’s wasn’t the only victory by an A-10 team over a Big East squad. Juan Fernandez dropped 33 points, Ryan Brooks added 20, and Lavoy Allen led the Owls on the boards as Temple took a Big 5 match-up from #3 Villanova.

Down six at half, the Owls opened the second stanza on a 11-0 run. Fernandez led Temple with seven 3s for the game. The Owls shot 11-22 from long range. Lavoy Allen pulled down 17 rebounds, and Temple bested their Philly ruval on the glass, 32-24. Allen pulled down three offensive rebounds.

Earlier this year, the Owls lost to Georgetown by one. Temple is currently 8-2. Temple plays Seton Hall later this week and has a date with the Kansas Jayhawks on January 2nd.

The loss was Villanova’s first of the season and first in Big 5 play since February of 2008. Scottie Reynolds led three Wildcats in double figures with 23. Antonio Pena scored 16, and Corey Fisher added 14.

What is the best non-conference rivalry in the country?

These wins come on the heels of a pair of other big victories for the A10. Charlotte tripped up Louisville, 87-65. Rhode Island trimmed Boston College, 80-69.

Capel making adjustments

Oklahoma coach, Jeff Capel, knew he would have to adjust. After losing 22ppg, 14 rpg, and 2apg when Player-of-the-Year, Blake Griffin, moved on to the NBA, Capel prepared for changes. Oklahoma dropped to 2-3 when they lost to Houston, 100-93. Since then, Capel shifted to a four-guard lineup. Capel has surrounded freshman center, Tiny Gallon, with Tommy Mason-Griffin, Tony Crocker, Cade Davis, and Willie Warren. The result is a four-game winning streak with triumphs over Arkansas, Arizona, Centenary, and Utah.

All the rage

Not sure the last time a freshman received as much attention as Kentucky’s John Wall. The 6’4″ freshman is averaging 18ppg, 7.1apg, and 4.1rpg. Everyone from Dickie Vitale and Jason Williams have heaped praises in Wall’s direction calling him the greatest freshman ever.

Okay, so it is as if in Wall they took Magic Johnson’s touch, put it in Adrian Dantley’s frame, and gave it Calvin Murphy’s speed. Wow! Did I just date myself? Right now, there are a half dozen hipsters googling Calvin Murphy. Save your energy. Trust me. As far as basketball court speed goes, no one is faster than the former Niagara Purple Eagle.

Murphy

Here’s the thing with Wall. Yeah, the Wildcats have beaten Stanford, Carolina, UConn, and Indiana. Those aren’t exactly Little Debbie cupcake all-stars. But it is a matter of time before the Wildcats meet their own personal speed bump. Saturday, the Hoosiers used a 2-3 zone in the first half to keep the Wildcats in check. It was 42-41 at half. In the second stanza, the Wildcats converted two turnovers into a 19-2 faster than Kelvin Sampson can punch out a 150 character text message. The Hoosiers were forced to go man and Kentucky went on to a 90-73 victory.

Once a team takes care of the ball and can play a soft man, Kentucky will meet their match. That sounds like Florida on January 12th.

Is the medicine getting to Roy?

With his UNC Tar Heels en route to a 103-64 trouncing over big, bad Presbyterian, head coach Roy Williams had a rare moment of losing his cool. Ol’ Roy is recovering from shoulder surgery and it is well-known that the head coach suffers from occasional dizzy spell. Is it possible Roy is experiencing some side effects from the meds? Speaking of side effects to medicine – does it bother anyone else when seeing a TV ad for a medicine when the precautions and list of side effects outnumber the benefits?

Who says the Ivy League doesn’t care about wins?

Glen Miller found hot seats can exist in the Ivy League. After Pennsylvania started 0-7, Miller found himself on the outside looking in. The Quakers made the move to dismiss the third-year coach. Assistant coach and former Quaker great, Jerome Allen, takes over on an interim basis. Allen is the last Ivy Leaguer drafted into the NBA.

Staying in the Ivy League – Harvard recently topped Boston College 74-67. The Crimson also dropped a close one to UConn, 79-73. Harvard plays Georgetown on December 23rd.

Syracuse jumps to #5

Spurned by the pre-season voters, Jim Boeheim’s Syracuse Orange have run off 10 in a row to open the season. The Orange show how the total can be greater than the sum of the parts. With glue-like players, Andy Rautins and Wes Johnson the Orange are exceeding expectations. Many thought the Orange would stall with the exits of Jonny Flynn, Paul Harris, and Eric Devendorf. Instead, the Orange run the floor and play selfless basketball. Coming soon to a high school team near you – zone defense.

Got any college basketball splinters? Share them here.