CINCINNATI -The No. 11 Xavier Musketeers battled back from a 19-point deficit to defeat the Purdue Boilermakers 66-63 in front of a sold out crowd at Cintas Center Saturday afternoon. Senior Tu Holloway was clutch down the stretch, draining three treys in the waning minutes of the half to lead all scorers with 21 points.

Holloway, who only had four points at half time, scored 17 in the second frame off of 4-of-7 shooting and going 3-of-4 from downtown. Holloway continued to be reliable from the charity stripe, going a nearly perfect 8-of-9 for the game.

Three other Musketeers were in double figures as well, with Mark Lyons scoring 14 and Kenny Frease and Andre Walker each contributing 10 points. Lyons and Travis Taylor led the Musketeers on the glass with six rebounds each.

The Musketeers would finish the game shooting 53.7 percent from the floor to the Boilermakers’ 41.1 percent. XU out-rebounded Purdue 38-29 and scored 28 points in the paint to Purdue’s 26. Xavier took better care of the ball in the second half only having four turnovers for 22 total team turnovers.

The second half began much like the first frame, with Purdue pushing its lead to as many as 19 with under 11 minutes left to play. Xavier held Purdue without a field goal for the last 6:26 of the game, going on a 23-6 run to finish the game.

XU’s come back started at the 7:48 mark off of a layup from Walker. After the media timeout Justin Martin converted on a trey to bring the Purdue lead to 11 with under seven minutes. A shot from downtown by Lyons would cut the Boilermakers’ lead to 10. Xavier would take the 61-60 lead off of a Holloway trey at the 1:05 mark. A Robbie Hummel free throw would tie things back up but Holloway came down the floor and drained another three-pointer to put the score at 64-61 with 39 seconds. The Musketeers would not look back as free throws by Holloway sealed the victory.

The Boilermakers started off the first half going on a 14-2 run and holding the Musketeers without a field goal for over six minutes. Purdue would hit its largest lead of the half, 16, at the 8:56 mark off of a jumper from Lewis Jackson. Xavier would chip away at the lead the rest of the half cutting it as close to nine off of a layup from Holloway.

The Musketeers went on a 7-2 run to end the first half off of a trey from Redford, a layup from Frease and a coast-to-coast layup from Holloway. Purdue’s Robbie Hummel had a tip-in as time expired to bring the score to 33-22 as both squads headed into the locker rooms for intermission.

Xavier had 18 turnovers in the first half, and Purdue capitalized by scoring 14 points. Both teams were almost identical from the floor in the first frame with the Boilermakers shooting 44.4 percent and the Musketeers converting 43.8 percent of the time.

With the win Xavier remains a perfect 6-0 on the season, while the Boilermakers fall to 7-2.

The men’s team is back in action on Wednesday, Dec. 7 as it travels to Butler to take on the Bulldogs at 9 p.m. at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Stay tuned to GoXavier.com for more information on Xavier basketball.

By Paul Gotham

Setting: Reliant Stadium will be a buzz Friday night as Matt Painter’s No. 4 seed Purdue Boilermakers (29-5) clash with Mike Krzyzewski and his No.1 seed Duke Blue Devils (31-5).

Plot: Big Ten and the Atlantic Coast Conference collide with a trip to the South Regional Final on the line.

Sub-plot: Purdue has redefined themselves since the injury to Robbie Hummel.

Flashback: Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer scored 20 a piece as the Blue Devil downed the Boilermakers 76-60 as part of last year’s ACC/ Big Ten Challenge. Purdue holds a 4-2 edge in the all-time series. Grant Hill led Duke to a 69-60 triumph over Purdue in the 1994 Southeast Regional final.

This is Duke’s 34th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and 25th trip to the Sweet 16.  Purdue has been a Dance participant 24 times. Eight times the Boilermakers have advanced to the Sweet 16.

Foreshadowing: Fifty-one former Blue Devils have made their way to the NBA. Fourteen of those alums currently dot NBA rosters: Shane Battier, Carlos Boozer, Elton Brand, Luol Deng, Chris Duhon, Mike Dunleavy, Gerald Henderson, Grant Hill, Dahntay Jones, Corey Maggette, Josh McRoberts, Shavlik Randolph, J.J. Redick, and Shelden Williams.

Thirty Boilermakers have earned paychecks in the Association. Former Boilermakers, Brian Cardinal, Carl Landry, and Brad Miller lace them up currently.

Conflict: In the regional quarter-finals Purdue held Texas A&M to 55 points after 40 minutes of play. The Boilermakers won the contest in overtime. Painter’s squad will need to equal that defensive effort against Duke, but it won’t be easy.

Duke averages over 77 points a game. The Blue Devil front court holds a +6 rebounding margin, including 14 and a half offensive rebounds a game. The emergence of Brian Zoubek and freshman Mason Plumlee gives Duke a well-rounded attack. Zoubek grabbed 13 rebounds to go with 14 points in Duke’s victory over California.

Make no mistake though, Purdue must slow down Duke’s big three: Jon Scheyer, Nolan Smith, and Kyle Singler. The trio combine for 53 points and 13 rebounds per game.

Scheyer scores 18 a game to go with an assist to turnover ratio of 2.9:1. If Duke holds a late lead, Scheyer is deadly from the line – 174-198 (87.9).

Singler has scored double figures in Duke’s last 21 games.

Smith averages 17. The junior guard mixes a long-range game (50-130 from behind the arc) with a quick first step that allows him to get into the paint.

Lance Thomas scores slightly below five a game and grabs 4.8 rebounds.

E’Twaun Moore scores 16 a game and JaJuan Johnson adds 15.  But offensive numbers won’t be the focus when the ball goes up. Keaton Grant, Chris Kramer, and Lewis Jackson will be counted on to slow the Blue Devil attack.

Purdue’s rebounding margin is a negative one. The Boilermakers can not afford to give Duke an advantage on the glass. Purdue’s opponents have hit 35 percent behind the arc. Duke finishes at a clip of 37.9 percent.

The Boilermakers have plenty of ground to cover. They will need to guard behind the arc and keep Duke off the boards.

Resolution: Purdue will not go down without a fight, but the Blue Devils have too much firepower. With Zoubek and Plumlee contributing in the paint, Duke will be too much to handle for Purdue.

Got any comments on the game? Post them here.

By Paul Gotham

It is kind of hard to imagine that a region with three Big East teams (Villanova, Louisville, and Notre Dame) and two teams from the Big 12 (Baylor and Texas A&M) could have the makings for a Cinderella run. Especially, when one looks at the fact that Baylor and A&M have the chance to play third and fourth round games in Houston.  Still, Cinderella might exist in the South.

Consider this. The South region has a two seed that has lost six of its last ten. A three seed that hasn’t won a tournament game since 1950. The four seed scored 11 points in a half last weekend.

If ever there was a region set up for a lower seed to make a run, this is it. The question is which team.

On the other hand, this region might play out well for a run by the one seed – Duke.

Maybe, the first question should be what is a Cinderella? Some might say North Carolina State in 1983. The Wolfpack was a six seed. They beat Phi Slamma Jamma, but NC State is not exactly a small school.

Villanova in 1985 was a great story. They were an eight seed who beat Patrick Ewing and the Georgetown. Villanova is not a big school, but there is a rich basketball history there.

Recently, George Mason captured the hearts of many with their magical run to the Final Four in 2006.

Two years ago, tiny Davidson advanced to the Elite Eight. They fell one Stephen Curry trifecta short of beating eventual champ Kansas.

What exactly defines a Cinderella, and can it be found in the South Region?

Before searching for that team, it might be a better idea to discuss why the opportunity is there.

Suddenly, Villanova can’t get out of its own way. The Wildcats are playing like they are doing a penance. They give their opponents plenty of charity. Those personal fouls are contributing to their sliding fortunes.

Baylor as a three seed is a little confusing. If there are four regions, and a team gets a three seed, would that not suggest the team should be ranked somewhere around say 12th in the country. Not that the polls are the be all and end all or anything. It’s just that Baylor has never been any higher than 17 this year. And rightly so. The Bears have made five all-time appearances in The Dance. They lost to Purdue in the first round of the 2008 tournament.

The loss of Robbie Hummel was devastating to Purdue’s chances. That goes without saying. At one time, the Boilermakers looked like a Final Four team. Thing is, they still have enough talent – E’Twaun Moore, JaJuan Johnson, and Chris Kramer – to carry them. Is 20 points in a half too much to ask for? What’s worse? Minnesota, the team that held them to 11 in a half, looked absolutely feeble the next day.

Now, here’s the other side of it. Siena is 2-2 in the last two NCAA Tournaments. The Saints led the Louisville Cardinals with less than ten minutes remaining in last year’s second round match up. Siena returns four starters from that team. Ronald Moore leads the nation in assists per game. Alex Franklin averages 16 points and eight rebounds. The Saints have four guys averaging double figures. They seamlessly switch defenses and create lay ups. The Saints are not bothered by playing on the road. They do not depend upon the three, but Clarence Jackson has hit 71 from behind the arc this year.

Purdue is in trouble.

The Boilermakers are not the only high seed in trouble.

Villanova is staring at a second round game with Richmond. The Spiders play a frustrating match up zone defense. They limit opponents to 62 points. Their field goal percentage and three-point percentage defense ranks in the nation’s top 20. Worse yet for Villanova? Richmond has great guards – Kevin Anderson was the A10 player-of-the-year and David Gonzalvez is true grit. They will stifle Villanova on the perimeter.

Then there is Notre Dame. Maybe, Purdue should study Irish game film. Since ND’s leading scorer and former Big East Player of the Year, Luke Harangody, has been injured, the Irish have played their best hoops. Now, Mike Brey and crew needs to figure out how to make the best use Harangody since he has returned.

By the way, Richmond and St. Mary’s play Thursday at 3pm. Make sure you tune in to see two contrasting styles. The Gaels score almost 80 a game. They have four players who have taken more than 100 three-point attempts – Mickey McConnell (67/ 130), Matthew Dellavedova (70/ 169), Ben Allen (43/ 110), and Clint Steindl (48/ 128). St. Mary’s has just five losses this year – by two to Vanderbilt, 11 to USC, by seven and 19 to Gonzaga, and by five to Portland. Which Gaels’ team will show up? The one that bombed Gonzaga? Or the one that was bombed by Gonzaga?

Match ups to die for: Notre Dame and anyone is intriguing. Notre Dame and Richmond? Wow! The Irish have learned to play with patience of late. Richmond forces teams to play uncomfortably patient basketball. Tory Jackson versus Kevin Anderson? That is a battle of two cagey point guards. They both pick their spots. They both know how to get the ball in the hands of the players who can where they can score.

Duke and Louisville could meet in the second round. Coach K and Rick Pitino – the last time they met, their teams staged arguably the greatest game in NCAA Tournament history. Maybe, Pitino can get Mashburn out of retirement.

Players to watch: Mason Plumlee (Duke) – everyone knows about Scheyer, Singler, and Smith. The younger Plumlee’s confidence is growing every game.

Justin Harper (Richmond) – he is a 6’10″ junior who is active on the glass, and he can slash. Think of it. He is 6’10″ and he can slash. The prospects are scary.

Isaiah Armwood (Villanova) – the freshman has shown flashes all year. The Wildcats might not be around long, so catch him while you can.

Tory Jackson (Notre Dame) – a little sad to see his career come to an end. Jackson has plenty of unrealized potential still.

Ryan Rossiter (Siena) – for the old timers out there – think Jack Sikma. It’s not pretty, but he gets the job done. Rossiter has great footwork, and he is a savvy player.

What to look for: If Villanova is the weakest two seed in the tournament, then Richmond is the strongest seven seed. Richmond, Siena, Notre Dame, and Duke in the Sweet 16 – there is very real possibility.  From there it is anyone’s guess.

By Paul Gotham

In less than 48 hours, we will be fully immersed in conference tournaments. As the regular season of college basketball ends, here is a smattering of questions to consider.

1. Does Jim Boeheim have any voodoo is in his bag of tricks? Louisville is 11-4 against Syracuse, including a Cardinal win less than a month ago. Rick Pitino seems to have a hex on his old boss’s team.

2. Can UNC make it worthwhile for ESPN? UNC at Duke is the game of the week. Did anyone see the Heels being 16-14 overall and 5-10 in the league? On paper, tonight’s game looks like a mismatch. But this rivalry is never about what is on the paper.

3. Can Purdue take a page from ND? The Boilermakers lost Robbie Hummel. It appears the Fighting Irish have lost Luke Harangody for the foreseeable future. ND is catching some momentum. Can Purdue do the same?

4. Truth AND Consequences? Villanova is 4-4 in the last eight. West Virginia is 4-3 over their last seven, including a home loss to…Villanova. Will the real Wildcats and Mountaineers stand up?

5. Why is Texas in the top 25? Seven and seven since the middle of January? Somewhere, there is a Mountain West team crying foul.

6. When will Rick Barnes learn his lesson? Barnes did a great job bringing in Kevin Durant and D.J. Augustin. How is the time spent on those recruits looking right about now?

7. Does Gary Williams know the tonic? The Terps topped Duke earlier this week. They get Virginia today. Is Maryland suffering from a hangover?

8. U.C.L.A. at Arizona State…in case anyone forgot or overlooked it or cared. It would serve me right if a Pac 10 team made a run in the tournament.

9. 3s or rebounding? Mike Brey’s team has put the fight back in Fighting Irish. ND has taken three in a row in the Big East. How are they doing it? Is it the three ball? Is it their rebounding?

10. Will Richmond avoid the pothole? The Spiders rebounded from an overtime loss to Xavier by trimming Dayton. Richmond plays at Charlotte today. The 49ers will be hungry for the upset.

By Paul Gotham

Here come the Irish

What was once thought to be an aberration is looking more and more like reality.

The Notre Dame Fightin’ Irish knocked out a pair of Big East contenders: Pittsburgh 68-53 and Georgetown 78-64. A quick look at the box scores shows that the Irish are doing more with less. Notre Dame shot 22 of 44 from the field, including 10 of 18 behind the three point arc to win at Pittsburgh. Against Georgetown, the Irish hit 28 of 49. In comparison ND shot 28 of 68 in a one-point loss at Rutgers earlier this year.

Notre Dame is taking fewer shots but increasing the scoring margin. The formula is not real complicated. The Irish are developing a rhythm on offense. Players moving off the ball create passing and driving lanes. The result is five players prepared when a shot goes up.

Not only is the Irish scoring margin increasing, so, too, is their rebound margin. There is no coincidence that Notre Dame out-rebounded both the Hoyas and Panthers. By the way, Rutgers out-rebounded the Irish 43-30. Teammates will give approval to a shot when they have faith in the shot selection. That means guys are more willing and able to crash the boards.

Meanwhile, former Big East Player-of-the-Year, Luke Harangody is on the bench with an injury. Reports have it that the power forward might be down longer than originally expected. His teammates have picked up the slack in his absence. Here’s hoping Harangody has learned to trust his teammates. Too often over the last year and a half, Harangody has made poor decisions on the court. He is taking shots that suggest a lack of confidence in his teammates. The recent winning streak should change that.

Of Notre Dame’s 10 losses this season, six have come by a combined total of 11 points. Under Mike Brey, the Irish have made five appearances in the NCAA Tournament, with a record of 5-5.

Life after Hummel

One week ago, Purdue’s Boilermakers looked prime to for a number one seed. Seven days later, the Boilermakers are circling the wagons.

With Robbie Hummel on the pine for the rest of the year with an ACL injury, Matt Painter and his Boilermakers will need to redefine themselves…quickly.

Hummel averaged just under 16 points and nearly eight rebounds for the Big Ten team. Hummel led the Boilermakers with 43 three-pointers. He hit 36 percent from long range.

Purdue is still a Sweet Sixteen team. They play stiff defense. In their last ten games, only two teams have scored 60 or more against them. Problem is that without Hummel they only scored 44 against Michigan State.

Mack gives power to the people

Rockin' the Cintas Center

Xavier’s administration might need to reconsider the school calendar. Scheduling Spring Break during the final weeks of basketball season is questionable. With much off the student body away on vacation, head coach, Chris Mack, took matters into his hands. CBS’s Gary Parrish reported that Mack used the Musketeer message board to encourage enthusiasm at Sunday’s A10 first-place showdown with Richmond. Mack went so far as to impose a curfew on fans, so that the Musky faithful would bring plenty of energy to the Cintas center. Mack’s efforts paid off. Xavier won in double overtime, and Parrish called it the game of the weekend.

Temple wins the Big 5

With their 65-53 victory over LaSalle, the Temple Owls pitched a shutout in this season’s Philadelphia Big 5 city series.

Temple opened the series with a 75-65 triumph over Villanova. The Owls continued with victories over St. Joe’s (73-46 and 75-67) and Penn (60-45).

The Big 5 series began play in 1955 and has continued every year since. Until only recently, all the Big 5 games were played at the Palestra.

Player to watch-Willie Veasley, Butler

March is the time for heroes, and Willie Veasley has all the makings. The senior forward has one more go around and what better way to finish than taking the Bulldogs to the Final Four. Over the weekend, Butler played at Horizon League rival, Valparaiso. On the Butler bench with an injury was leading scorer, Gordon Hayward. No problem. Veasley picked up the slack with a 20-point, six-rebound performance. Veasley averages ten a game with nearly five rebounds and one steal.

Hazell reminds me of…

…Ray Allen. Seton Hall’s Jeremy Hazell might not garner many post-season awards. He probably won’t make any All-American teams. Hazell’s team might not get an invite to the Dance. But Hazell will eventually hear his name called in the NBA draft. If there is one player Hazell reminds me of, it is Ray Allen. Hazell moves without the ball as well as anyone in the country. When he gets the rock, he can square up and pull the trigger just like Allen. Another year in college could allow Hazell to improve his ability to go off the dribble.

1st Team All Casey

PG Jon Scheyer – Duke

SG Jordan Crawford – Xavier

SF Evan Turner – Ohio State

PF Damion James – Texas

C Greg Monroe – Georgetown

2nd Team All Casey

PG – Scottie Reynolds – Villanova

SG  Andy Rautins – Syracuse

SF  Wes Johnson – Syracuse

PF  Patrick Patterson – Kentucky

C Cole Aldrich – Kansas

All-freshmen

John Wall – Kentucky

Xavier Henry – Kansas

DeMarcus Cousins – Kentucky

Dane Miller – Rutgers

Mason Plumlee – Duke

Got any college hoops splinters? Share them here.

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

By Paul Gotham

Taking the mid out of mid-major

A quick glance at recent victories by ‘mid’-majors over the ‘majors.’

Xavier 89 LSU 65

Kenny Frease made good on a first career start with 12 points and seven rebounds. Terrell Holloway led the way with 20. Jamel McLean picked up the double-double off the bench with 10 points and 10 boards. The Musketeers out-rebounded the Tigers 51-29.

XU improves to 8-4. Next up for the Muskies: Wake Forest on Sunday.

No. 17 New Mexico 90   No. 24 Texas Tech  75

Steve Alford’s Lobos showed they have earned their ranking. Darington Hobson, with 23 points, led five Lobos in double figures. The junior guard notched a double-double with 12 rebounds. Roman Martinez also contributed a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. The Lobos are one of two 13-1 teams in the Mountain West.

Brigham Young 99 Arizona 69

BYU, the other 13-1 team from the MWC, proved themselves to be ungrateful guests. Jimmer Fredette led the way with 49 points (POTW Alert).  Jackson Emery contributed 13 and Tyler Haws 12.

Arizona committed 19 turnovers.

Staying undefeated…barely

Numbers four, five, and six put their undefeated records on the line Tuesday, and Purdue, Syracuse, and West Virginia survived.

Purdue overcame a one-point halftime deficit on the road to defeat Iowa, 67-56. E’Twaun Moore led the way with 21 and Robbie Hummel had 16. Iowa turned over the ball 16 times.

Wes Johnson and Chris Joseph helped the Orange turn a six-point deficit with 6:11 remaining into a seven-point victory. Johnson finished with 20 points and 19 boards.  13 of his points and 12 of his boards came in the second half. Johnson and Joseph scored all 15 points as SU went from trailing 57-51 to leading 66-57.

Seton Hall’s Jeremy Hazell followed a 41-point performance against West Virginia with 38 versus the Orange.

West Virginia coach, Bob Huggins, might need heart therapy soon.  Three days after surviving in overtime to beat Seton Hall, the Mountaineers used a buzzer-beater to down Marquette, 63-62. Da’Sean Butler’s twenty-footer with two ticks remaining on the clock helped the Mountaineers erase a five-point deficit with :57 remaining.

West Virginia and Purdue do battle on New Year’s Day.

Kansas (11-0), Texas (11-0), and Kentucky (13-0) are the only other undefeated teams in division one.

Millsap

Keep UAB on the radar

With wins over Cincinnati and No. 16 Butler, the UAB Blazers have quietly achieved a record of 11-1. Mike Davis – yes, the former Indiana coach – has the Blazers ready for a run to the tournament. UAB plays Virginia tonight and Arkansas on January second. Elijah Millsap leads the Blazers with 15.4 points and 9.8 rebounds. Aaron Johnson has 54 assists for UAB. Howard Crawford and Jamarr Sanders combine for 25 a game.

O’Neill getting the job done

The carnage left from the fallout after Tim Floyd’s resignation at USC led many to believe USC would fall into the bowels of the Pac 10 for a while. Instead Kevin O’Neill has the Trojans thinking NCAA Tournament.  With wins over a pair of ranked teams, USC stands at 8-4. Christmas night, the Trojans downed No. 20 UNLV, 67-56. Less than a week earlier, USC tripped No. 8 Tennessee, 77-55.

Got any college basketball splinters? Share them here.

Leading up to the 2009 NIT Season Tip Off on November 16th, Pickin’ Splinters will be counting down the top 25 of the college hardwood nation.

’08 – ’09 Results: 27 – 10 (11 – 7 Big Ten) Lost to UConn in the third round of the NCAA Tournament, 72 – 60.

Coach: Matt Painter 108 -55 (5 seasons)

Key Returners:

JaJuan Johnson – 13.4ppg, 5.6rpg

Robbie Hummel – 12.5ppg, 7.0rpg

Lewis Jackson – 5.9ppg, 2.5rpg

Chris Kramer – 5.2ppg, 2.9rpg

E’Twuan Moore – 13.8ppg, 4.6rpg

Notable Non-Conference Tilts: 12/1 vs. Wake Forest, 12/12 vs. Alabama, 1/1 vs. West Virginia

Stat of Identity: Purdue held opponents to 59.8 ppg last season – Washington St. led the country at 55.4.

By Paul Gotham

Any chance that Matt Painter still walks in the shadow of a legend has been removed. After taking over from long-time coach, Gene Keady, Painter looked overwhelmed early.  The Boilermakers limped through Painter’s inaugural ride winning just nine games. Since then Purdue has made three consecutive trips to NCAA Tournament including last year’s Sweet Sixteen appearance. Over the last two seasons, the Painter-led Boilermakers have won more contests than any Purdue team. The only thing separating the Boilermakers from a trip to last year’s Final Four might have been a healthy back for Robbie Hummel.

Hummel returned. His back is healthy. The entire starting five from a year ago are ready for an historic run for the Boilermakers.

In a Big Ten Conference where points are hard to come by the Boilermakers let it fly. Purdue took 704 attempts from behind the three-point last year – 100 more than their opponents. Painter has confidence in Hummel(59-155), Grant Keaton(61-175), and E’Twaun Moore(56-166) all hit more than 50 trifectas. That number will only increase with experience.

Moore dished 111 assists in 08 – 09 campaign. Second on the team to Lewis Jackson with 118.

Purdue will continue to open up the floor. The ride through the Big Ten will be no less rocky than in years past. But these Boilermakers are ready for the tussle.

The College Football Belt