SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — The defamation lawsuit filed by two former ball boys against Syracuse University and head basketball coach Jim Boeheim will be heard in Syracuse, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Bobby Davis and Michael Lang filed their suit in New York City, claiming Boeheim slandered them by saying they were out for money after their allegations of abuse by former assistant coach Bernie Fine surfaced in November. They fought a motion by the school and Boeheim to hear the case in Syracuse, where they don’t believe they’ll get a fair hearing because of Boeheim’s high standing in the community.

But Supreme Court Justice Brian DeJoseph said the two men did not provide sufficient proof that Syracuse jurors would be biased. He said while there may be local residents unqualified to serve on a jury for this case, there are about 350,000 people in the county to choose from.

“The plaintiffs’ arguments are well-crafted and are certainly worthy of review from this court, but they still equate to nothing more than mere beliefs, suspicions and a feeling of possible bias,” DeJoseph, a graduate of Syracuse University and its law school, wrote in his ruling. “This is insufficient to retain venue in New York County.”

Davis and his stepbrother Lang claim Fine repeatedly forcibly touched them in the 1980s. Fine, who denies wrongdoing and hasn’t been charged, has since been fired. The lawsuit claims Boeheim “knew or should have known” about the alleged conduct of his assistant.

The pair’s high-profile lawyer, Gloria Allred, said the judge clearly had considered the arguments that were made.

“We respect his decision and we will move forward with our case,” Allred said in an email.

Boeheim vehemently supported his longtime assistant when the accusations broke and called Davis a liar and opportunist looking to cash in on the publicity surrounding the Penn State sex abuse scandal. Boeheim later apologized amid criticism from victims’ rights advocates. He said he based his initial comments on a 2005 university investigation that failed to corroborate Davis’ claims.

Fine has denied wrongdoing and hasn’t been charged.

The claims by the 40-year-old Davis and 45-year-old Lang happened too long ago be investigated. But the U.S. Attorney’s office is investigating the claims of a third man, 23-year-old Zachary Tomaselli of Lewiston, Maine.

The ruling comes less than two weeks after a different judge in Manhattan dealt a setback to Davis and Lang by ruling that claims about Fine’s wife had no bearing in the lawsuit. Lawyers for Davis and Lang had claimed that Laurie Fine’s alleged affairs pointed to an atmosphere of “dysfunctional” sexual relationships surrounding the Fines and that Boeheim knew or should have known about.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Article source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/basketball/ncaa/02/22/Boeheim.suit.ap/index.html?xid=si_topstories

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Vanderbilt officials say the Atlantic Coast Conference has filed a formal complaint for one of its members with the Southeastern Conference involving the Commodores’ football team.

Vice chancellor David Williams said in a statement Wednesday that the SEC informed Vanderbilt of the complaint.

“We are complying with SEC and Vanderbilt procedures and are conducting an investigation on the matter,” Williams said.

The SEC declined comment and the ACC did not respond to a request for a response.

Several media outlets, including the Baltimore Sun and Washington Post, reported earlier Wednesday that Maryland coach Randy Edsall gave unconditional releases to three players, including quarterback Danny O’Brien, after originally trying to block any transfer to a handful of schools including Vanderbilt. The Commodores hired James Franklin as head coach in December 2010 away from Maryland where he had been head coach in waiting to Ralph Friedgen.

Franklin led Vandy to a 6-7 record his first season.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Article source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/ncaa/02/22/acc-sec-complaint.ap/index.html?xid=si_topstories

STORRS, Conn. (AP) — UConn basketball coach Jim Calhoun will undergo surgery next week to address a lower back condition and he will miss the Huskies’ next two games.

The university said Wednesday the status of the Hall of Fame coach, who has been on a medical leave of absence since Feb. 3, will then be evaluated on “a day-to-day basis.”

Calhoun is expected to be hospitalized for one or two nights and then continue his recovery at home following Monday’s procedure. The surgery is intended to alleviate spinal stenosis, a painful narrowing of the spine, normally associated with aging and sometimes with arthritis.

Calhoun will not coach against Syracuse on Saturday or at Providence on Tuesday.

“I’m glad we have finally determined the best course of treatment to deal with the problem,” Calhoun said. “I’m looking forward to having the procedure done, hopefully recovering as quickly as possible, and putting it all in the past.”

Calhoun, who turns 70 in May, began experiencing lower back pain last summer and has missed six games due to the medical leave. He also missed three games this season because of an NCAA suspension for recruiting violations.

The Huskies (17-10, 7-8 Big East) play host to Pittsburgh in their final regular-season game on March 3. The Big East tournament begins March 6 at Madison Square Garden.

Associate head coach George Blaney will remain in charge of the team in Calhoun’s absence.

Calhoun has had a history of health problems. He is a three-time cancer survivor, overcoming prostate cancer in 2003 and skin cancer twice, most recently in 2008.

The Huskies are 3-3 since Calhoun’s took the leave.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Article source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/basketball/ncaa/02/22/Jim.Calhoun.surgery.ap/index.html?xid=si_topstories

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Temple and the Big East are talking about the Owls rejoining the conference as soon as next season.

MAC Commissioner Jon A. Steinbrecher said in a statement Wednesday that his league is “aware that Temple has been in discussions with the Big East regarding membership.”

A person familiar with the talks says the school and the Big East are trying to negotiate a deal that could have Temple in the league for all sports by next season. The person spoke Wednesday to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the talks are still ongoing.

Temple played in the Big East in football only from 1991-2004, but was forced out of the league. It played as a football independent and eventually landed in the Mid-American Conference in 2007. The Owls’ other sports programs, including men’s and women’s basketball, are in the Atlantic 10.

The Big East has a vacancy next season now that West Virginia is being allowed to leave immediately for the Big 12. The school and the conference settled competing lawsuits last week. The Big East will receive $20 million dollars from West Virginia in return for setting aside its 27-month notification period.

The New York Times reported on the talks between Temple and the Big East earlier Wednesday.

Temple athletic director Bill Bradshaw had no comment on the matter.

The MAC has had 13 football schools since adding Temple in 2007. Last year, the MAC added Massachusetts as a football-only member, beginning in the 2012 season. At the same time, the MAC put in place new exit provisions which state that any football-only member wishing to leave the conference would need to provide notice two football seasons (24 months) before departure and pay a fee of $2.5 million.

“Our position on this matter is that we have a contract in place with specifics that will govern and determine how this matter is handled,” Steinbrecher said.

The Big East has added seven schools since December, but most of them are planning to join in 2013. Navy is committed to become a football-only member of the Big East in 2015. The Big East was hoping to get one of its future members to join a year early to replace West Virginia. Boise State was the most likely candidate to move up its arrival.

Adding Temple for 2012 would not only allow Big East members to fill West Virginia’s spot on their football schedules, it would give the conference another perennially strong basketball program to help make up for the eventual losses of Pittsburgh and Syracuse to the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Pitt and Syracuse have said they won’t fight the Big East for an early exit, though Commissioner John Marinatto said after the West Virginia case was settled that the Big East would be open to discussing the Panthers and Orange leaving after the 2012-13 season.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Article source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/ncaa/02/22/temple-big-east.ap/index.html?xid=si_topstories

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson will miss the All-Star game because of tendinitis in his left knee.

The team says an MRI confirmed the initial diagnosis. Johnson will sit out the Hawks’ next two games: at New York on Wednesday night and a Thursday night contest at home against Orlando. He’ll also skip the All-Star Game in Orlando and all related activities this weekend, giving his knee additional time to rest.

NBA Commissioner David Stern will select Johnson’s All-Star replacement and Atlanta’s Josh Smith is one of several candidates.

Johnson leads the Hawks in scoring at 17.6 points a game and was named to the All-Star team for the sixth year in a row.

After the break, he’ll be re-evaluated before Atlanta’s next game against Golden State on Feb. 29.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Article source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/basketball/nba/02/22/joe.johnson.ap/index.html?xid=si_topstories

Ernie Els built an early lead and never let go in a 5-and-4 victory over the top-ranked player in the world.

A year after Donald never trailed in any of the six matches he won to capture the title, he never led against Els. He joins Tiger Woods in 2002 and Steve Stricker in 2010 as the only top seeds to fail to get out of the opening round.

Woods barely made it through at Dove Mountain.

He trailed Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano by one hole until winning the 15th and 16th, then holed an 8-foot par putt on the 18th hole to avoid going into extra holes.

Article source: http://www.golf.com/ap-news/tiger-woods-survives-opening-round-upset-filled-match-play?xid=si_topstories

With the good-ol’-boys persona of stock car racing, there would seem to be a sheet-metal ceiling hanging over NASCAR when it comes to female drivers. Granted, there were a handful of women competing in the sport as far back as NASCAR’s inaugural season of 1949. But for the most part, female drivers have been more of a novelty act than a main attraction over the years, with women named Goldie and FiFi managing one or two starts on the circuit before fading from view.

That’s what makes Danica Patrick’s start in Sunday’s Daytona 500 so significant. For the first time since Janet Guthrie was breaking gender barriers in the late 1970s, a female driver is coming to Daytona with a legitimate chance to run well and, with a few good breaks, perhaps even win the most prestigious event in all of stock car racing.

At most tracks, it would be ludicrous to suggest that a NASCAR newcomer could come in and win right away. But the style of racing at Daytona, where drivers are dependent on forming drafting partnerships with other drivers, dilutes the need for a vast amount of experience. If 20-year-old Trevor Bayne could win last year’s Daytona 500 in his first Daytona start, then why can’t Patrick — with more than a decade of competitive racing behind her — do the same?

Skeptics will point out that most of Patrick’s racing résumé has been written on the open-wheel IndyCar circuit, which is a distant cousin to the type of racing found in NASCAR. Several drivers who have accomplished far more than she has in open-wheel racing still were unable to make a successful transition to stock cars (Hello, Dario Franchitti). Many of the questions surrounding Patrick’s ability to succeed in NASCAR have less to do with her gender and more to do with whether she can adjust to the change in racing style.

Still, there is no doubt that Patrick’s gender is the driving force behind all the attention she has received in the weeks leading up to Sunday’s race. She is not the first woman to step into this boys club, but she undoubtedly is the most famous. And that is perhaps the primary reason that this year’s Daytona 500 is taking the sport to a different level.

The closest comparison is Guthrie’s foray into NASCAR and IndyCar racing 35 years ago, which was certainly huge news at the time. She finished 12th in the 1977 Daytona 500 and ninth the following year in the Indianapolis 500, and her success briefly rekindled interest in female racers. Only one woman started a NASCAR Cup-level event in the 20 seasons from 1956 through 1975. Three women, including Guthrie, made Cup starts in the 1977 season alone.

But Guthrie’s time in the racing spotlight was short-lived. She was out of the sport by the early 1980s, competing in a total of only 33 NASCAR races and 11 IndyCar events. While she was undoubtedly a pioneer for female racers, her accomplishments did not translate into any long-term success for other women in the sport.

Things changed dramatically in 2005 when Patrick finished fourth in the Indy 500 as a series rookie, breaking Guthrie’s mark for the best finish in the race by a woman. The record-setting run landed Patrick on the cover of Sports Illustrated under the headline, “The Start Of Something Big.”

In the years since then she has had some quality moments on the racetrack, highlighted by her only IndyCar victory in 2008 in Japan. She also had a third place showing in the 2009 Indy 500 and finished fourth last year in the Nationwide Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the best finish ever by a woman in one of NASCAR’s three national series. But for the most part, Patrick’s overall racing career has been only slightly above average. Combine her stats with the fact she isn’t the first woman to ever compete in the Daytona 500, and some might wonder why it is such a big deal.

Other than perhaps Dale Earnhardt Jr., nobody in NASCAR is a bigger celebrity than Patrick. Not five-time champion Jimmie Johnson, not Jeff Gordon, not reigning champion Tony Stewart. She has used her attractiveness — Patrick recently said she prefers the term “pretty” to “sexy” — to promote herself through numerous magazine photo shoots and, most notoriously, the racy GoDaddy commercials that have become a regular part of televised sports coverage.

Do not underestimate the impact the GoDaddy ads have had on Patrick’s popularity. She initially became well-known because of her racing ability, but she became a celebrity because of her looks and her willingness to use those looks to her advantage. Since 2007, Patrick has appeared in 10 GoDaddy commercials during the Super Bowl. People who know nothing about auto racing now know about Patrick. She has become a marketing maven, and that makes her appearance in the Daytona 500 more eventful than if Sarah Fisher or another female driver were in the lineup.

“I think she is great for our sport,” Johnson said earlier this month. “We need people tuned in and watching, and certainly new fans are important to all of us. She brings in a lot of new fans and she has a big following. She’s been able to get our sport onto a different platform, with mainstream media and things that she is involved with outside of racing. I’m excited for it. I think it is going to be great.”

Article source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/racing/news/20120221/danica-patrick-daytona-500/?xid=si_topstories

SI.com’s Magic Eight Ball finally came back from its manufacturer this week, with a sticker declaring it repaired and a note of apology from the RD team. Despite their best efforts — they use some blend of Tiresian Method, divinatory tarot and a predictive algorithm — their product failed to see Kemba and the kids coming in February. It’s been calibrated and is back in working order.

What the Magic Eight Ball does is identify a pool of eight teams that’s guaranteed to contain the national champion. Not the entire Elite Eight or the Final Four — only the champ. That sounds easy, but there’s a catch: It can’t pick all the obvious options, or simply regurgitate Nos. 1-8 from the polls. A few longer shots need to be included, and the omissions are as significant as who makes the cut. This is what the Eight Ball sees, on April 2 in New Orleans:

THE MAGIC EIGHT (in alphabetical order)

KENTUCKY. How expectations evolve for John Calipari’s Wildcats: The 2010 team was a No. 1 seed overflowing with first-rounders, but as the most extreme experiment of the one-and-done era, it was regarded with some skepticism entering the NCAA tournament. (And rightfully so.) The 2011 team had less talent and its trip to the Final Four — as a No. 4 seed — was viewed as a nice surprise. The 2012 team is loaded, and anything less than a national championship for Lob U will be a letdown. The Wildcats are this list’s lone no-brainer: they’re No. 1 in the polls, Kenpom, LRMC, Sagarin and BPI — leading pretty much everything other than the RPI, which is worthless. A normal team that’s this young would have slipped up at least two-three times by now, but the lone blemish on Kentucky’s record is a Christian Watford buzzer-beater in Bloomington. The Wildcats are 27-1, have the country’s most dominant interior defense, and are still getting better.

MICHIGAN STATE. The current Spartans are more efficient than the versions Tom Izzo got to the Final Four in 2005, 2009 and 2010. They’re the most dominant rebounding team in the country, grabbing 57.3 percent of available boards on the offensive and defensive glass. They have a senior leader in point forward Draymond Green who does not seem inclined to let them bow out of the NCAA tournament early. The stats, coach and intangibles all meet the championship standard.

MICHIGAN. The Wolverines are 21-7 and outside the top 10 of the polls, despite having a few big wins on their resume. Remember which team, on the same week last season, was 20-7 and just outside the top 10, despite having a few big wins on its resume? The answer is UConn. (The Eight Ball does have better reasons for picking Michigan, namely that the Wolverines have been playing solid, turnover-creating, low-fouling defense in Big Ten games, and that a late-season surge from Tim Hardaway Jr. could take their offense from good to elite.)

NEW MEXICO. The long shot Lobos haven’t had much exposure — their 20-point win over UNLV on Saturday was their first major network game of the season — but they’re the best team in the Mountain West by a good margin. League Player of the Year front-runner Drew Gordon is as good as any power forward not named Thomas Robinson or Jared Sullinger, and Gordon is surrounded by the most efficient jump-shooting team in America. If the Lobos stay hot into March, they’re capable of chasing a title — and making the casual fan aware of their existence.

NORTH CAROLINA. The Tar Heels are the kind of team that’s ripe to be left off a list like this. They’ve underwhelmed since being voted No. 1 in the AP preseason poll, lost a key rotation member to injury (Dexter Strickland), been saddled with a 33-point loss at Florida State and given up a late home lead against archrival Duke. So why is Carolina here? The preseason poll tends to have as much predictive value as the final regular-season one does; Roy Williams still has seven top-20 draft picks in his starting lineup and one more coming off the bench; and slow starter Harrison Barnes appears to be rounding into All-America form. The Heels have been softer and more inconsistent than the Eight Ball expected, but it can’t write them off entirely.

OHIO STATE. The markets are down on the Buckeyes, who’ve dropped to a season-low No. 8 in the AP poll and are unlikely to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. But it’s worthwhile to keep in mind that they still have the country’s most efficient defense — one that forces turnovers at a high rate, limits opponents to one shot and keeps fouling to a minimum. Jared Sullinger’s offense is just as good as it was during his freshman year, and he’s become a better all-around defender due to his weight loss. If William Buford heats up again, as should happen, Ohio State will be the scariest No. 2 seed since UCLA’s loaded 2006 squad.

SYRACUSE. The Orange have yet to lose with their full lineup in place, and they have a spectacular (and somehow underappreciated) offense that’s not predicated on making threes. They would not be in the title discussion, though, if center Fab Melo hadn’t emerged as a shot-blocking, charge-taking defensive force, or if fellow sophomore Dion Waiters hadn’t established himself as the country’s best sixth man by playing phenomenal D at the top of the 2-3. The Eight Ball isn’t overly concerned with the lack-of-go-to-guy issue; the ‘Cuse has shown great crunchtime composure despite it, as well as the ability to adapt to any defensive game plan and still thrive.

WICHITA STATE. The Shockers aren’t just good for the Missouri Valley Conference this year; they’re the best mid-major of the entire efficiency era (2003-onward) and figure to be a dangerous No. 4 or 5 seed. They have strong momentum, as their only loss this calendar year is in triple overtime at Drake, and they should be the NCAA tournament’s most senior-laden team* — one that’s building off the experience of winning last season’s NIT, too. If Wichita makes it to New Orleans, it shouldn’t be considered a Cinderella run.

(*Only Nebraska and Lamar have more experience in Kenpom’s index, and they’re unlikely to make the dance.)

OMISSIONS WARRANTING EXPLANATIONS

MISSOURI. At No. 3 in the AP poll, the Tigers are the highest-ranked team the Eight Ball didn’t pick. The reason? Teams with their profile — killer, guard-dominated offense, defense outside the top 50 efficiency — haven’t typically come close to winning titles. See Notre Dame last season, Cal in 2010, Arizona State in 2009, or for an even better match, Chris Paul’s last team at Wake Forest, in 2005. Mizzou has been a joy to watch this year, but tournament history isn’t on its side.

KANSAS. The Jayhawks are the most efficient team in the “omission” section, which means they’re being left off for intangible reasons. The Eight Ball fears the Upset Curse is still lingering in Lawrence, potentially spelling second-weekend doom for a team with the nation’s best player (Thomas Robinson) and a championship-caliber defense.

DUKE. The No. 5-ranked Blue Devils have a similar profile to Missouri, except their offense is in the hands of a mercurial freshman rather than a crew of veterans. They could get hot from long range and make the Final Four — much crazier things have happened — but their perimeter D is going to get gashed at some point.

BAYLOR. Did you watch the Bears against Missouri and Kansas?

YOUR YET-TO-BE-MENTIONED TEAM. Your feelings are hurt. SI is biased and the concept of this column is stupid, anyway. You’re going to post this on your message board.

BUTLER. It’s hard to say “never” with a Brad Stevens team, until you see this one shoot from the perimeter. Even the best game plans can’t overcome 27.5 percent from long range. (Or can they? Stevens has beaten the odds, and almost the Eight Ball, a few times already.)

Article source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/luke_winn/02/21/Magic.Eight/index.html?xid=si_topstories

Article source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/don_banks/02/22/2012.nfl.mock.draft.2/index.html?xid=si_topstories

. – Men’s soccer coach Ian McIntyre released the 2012 spring schedule on Tuesday, Feb. 21. Throughout the month of April, SU will have five matches and take part in one tournament.
 
SU opens the spring season on April 1 at Big Ten-runner up Penn State. A week later, the team travels west to face the Rochester Rhinos of the USL Professional Division.
 
Syracuse plays three matches the following weekend. The Orange will first host NCAA Tournament qualifier Monmouth on Saturday, April 14. On Sunday, the team goes to nearby Le Moyne College to take on the Dolphins and Herkimer County Community College.

The Orange will wrap up play on Saturday, April 21 at the Black Watch Premier Nike Friendlies and College Cup in Albany, N.Y.

Article source: http://www.suathletics.com/news/2012/2/21/MSOC_0221121801.aspx

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Syracuse sophomore Alyssa Murray set a single-game school record with eight goals to lead the No. 12/12 Orange to a 23-12 victory against No. 13/8 Boston College on Tuesday, Feb. 21 in the Carrier Dome. Syracuse wins its season opener for the fifth consecutive year, while the Eagles go to 1-1.

“They came together and played a great game at both ends of the field,” said Syracuse head coach Gary Gait. ”Our special teams were exceptional today.”

The Orange featured a balanced scoring attack as 10 different players recorded at least one point. Murray led the way with 10 points, which tie her for fourth on SU’s single-game record list.

“I knew she had it in her,” Gait sad. “She is an incredible shooter. Setting the school record today in goals is unbelievable. I think that’s a credit to the entire offense when she can be the recipient of so many feeds and taking those easy one-on-ones with those doubles.”

Syracuse never trailed in the game as it took an early lead on junior Michelle Tumolo’s unassisted goal 1:32 into the game. Tumolo finished with six points (3g, 3a) and moved into ninth place on SU’s career scoring chart (142 pts.). The teams traded goals before Murray put Syracuse up for good with her second goal on a free position shot at the 24:50 mark. That goal sparked a 4-0 scoring run that gave SU a 6-2 advantage. Three consecutive goals by freshman Gabby Jaquith, Murray and Tumolo extended Syracuse’s lead to 9-4, but Boston College netted two of the final three goals of the half to cut the lead to 10-7 at halftime.

Covie Stanwick recorded her third goal of the game to start the second half to bring the Eagles within three at 10-7, but that was close as Boston College would get. Freshman Devon Collins started the Orange on a 4-0 scoring run that put the game out of reach. With the Orange leading 19-12, Murray scored her eighth goal of the game at the 4:50 mark. Syracuse added three more tallies for the 23-12 final.

Several freshmen made successful debuts in the win. Kailah Kempney recorded five goals and an assist, while Collins had a hat trick to go along with one assist. Jaquith finished with two goals and one assist.

The Orange’s goalkeepers combined for 15 saves. Sophomore Alyssa Costantino recorded six saves in the first half, while freshman Kelsey Richardson made nine saves in the second half in her collegiate debut. Boston College’s Catherine Conway had two saves, and Emily Mata had seven.

Syracuse held a decisive 27-10 advantage in the draw controls. Kempney led the way with 10, which tie for the second-highest single-game total in school history. Both teams recorded 38 shots, while Boston College had 19 ground balls to 10 for SU.

The Orange goes on the road for the first time this season when it travels to Charlottesville, Va. to take on No. 10/6 Virginia on Sunday, Feb. 26 at noon.

Game Notes: Sophomore Katie Webster dished out a career-high three assists against Boston College and finished with four points … Junior Bridget Daley tied her career high with two points, while junior Linley Block recorded her first career point with an assist … The Orange’s 23 goals were the most it has scored in a game since recording 24 in a victory against Colgate on April 16, 2008.

Article source: http://www.suathletics.com/news/2012/2/21/WLAX_0221125713.aspx

Behind a career-night by sophomore Rachel Coffey, the Syracuse women’s basketball team (17-11, 6-8 BIG EAST) defeated No. 21/20 DePaul (20-8, 8-6 BIG EAST), 81-65 on Wednesday, Feb. 21. Coffey set four career-highs against the Blue Demons.
 
The victory against DePaul marked the Orange’s first win against a team ranked in both major polls since 2010. SU defeated No. 6/6 Ohio State on Dec. 11, 2010.

“I thought we just played aggressive and made open shots,” said head coach Quentin Hillsman. “We knew they would make the shots.”
 
Coffey finished with a career-best 22 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. Her six three-point field goals were a career-high, as well. Junior Carmen Tyson-Thomas recorded her seventh double-double of the year with 22 points and a career-best 15 rebounds. Third-year tandem Kayla Alexander and Elashier Hall each scored in double figures, tallying 17 and 15 points, respectively.
 
Junior Anna Martin led DePaul with 18 points on the night. Jasmine Penny and Katherine Harry recorded 16 and 11 points, respectively.
 
The host Blue Demons jumped out to an early 13-8 advantage to begin game. SU climbed back behind two three-point field goals by Coffey, to give the Orange its first lead of the night with 11:11 remaining.
 
DePaul fought back, reclaiming the lead, 32-30 before the last media timeout of the first period. The Orange weathered the storm and went into halftime leading 37-36 after a Tyson-Thomas field goal.
 
Coming out of the break, the teams exchanged baskets and the host Blue Demons emerged with a 43-41 lead with 17:26 remaining. SU went on to score 23 consecutive points over a 7:57 span to take a 64-43 advantage. During that period, Alexander tallied seven points. Coffey and Tyson-Thomas added six points each.
 
With 3:02 left in regulation, DePaul trimmed the visitors’ lead to 13, but that would be the closest it would get.
 
The team returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 25 when they host No. 15/14 Georgetown on Senior Day. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. at the Carrier Dome.

Article source: http://www.suathletics.com/news/2012/2/21/WBB_0221120022.aspx

The San Jose Mercury News reports that Tom Martinez, a longtime quarterbacks coach at the College of San Mateo in California who mentored Tom Brady, has died. It was his 66th birthday.

Martinez announced in June that he had just weeks to live due to complications from diabetes. Today he suffered a heart attack during kidney dialysis; he had been waiting for a transplant.

Martinez was one of the most successful athletic coaches in California community college history. He coached football, women’s basketball and softball at the College of San Mateo.

Article source: http://tracking.si.com/2012/02/22/tom-martinez-mentor-to-tom-brady-dies-on-66th-birthday/?xid=si_topstories

Ryan Braun edged out Matt Kemp for National League MVP honors last fall, shortly before a positive drug test result leaked on Dec. 10 and smeared the reputation of the Milwaukee Brewers’ slugging star. The BBWAA has already said that Braun will retain his award — but now Kemp is saying he doesn’t want it anyway.

“I feel like that would be by default,” the Los Angeles Dodgers’ star told ESPN. “I wish I would’ve won it just by them voting me and me being the MVP. That would be special. But hopefully, I will have the same type of year or even better and win it straight up this year, with us making the playoffs.”

Kemp hit .324 with 39 home runs and 126 RBIs last season, but Braun squeaked by him 388-332 in postseason voting. Braun won the award for hitting .332 with 33 home runs and 111 RBIs for the Brewers.

The Milwaukee outfielder must now serve a 50-game suspension for his positive test.

“It’s an unfortunate situation,” Kemp said. “I still don’t know what is going to happen. I know Braun. We have always been cool, and we have been friends. He is one of my favorite players in the big leagues. I hope it’s not true, but I don’t think it’s for me or any of [the media] to decide. Only he knows for sure, and I don’t know what the outcome is going to be.”

Article source: http://tracking.si.com/2012/02/22/matt-kemp-not-interested-in-taking-ryan-brauns-mvp-amid-ped-scandal/?xid=si_topstories

Dwyane Wade had 30 points and 10 assists, Mario Chalmers and Chris Bosh each scored 20 points and the NBA-leading Heat stretched
their winning streak to seven games with a 120-108 win over the
Sacramento Kings
on Tuesday night.

“It was a good game for me, just trying to be aggressive and was able to get my teammates some shots,” said Wade, who shot
11 for 16 and has tied his career-best with 11 straight games of shooting 50 percent or better, matching a run from his rookie
season. “And I was also able to continue do what I’ve been doing the last couple games, just taking high-percentage shots
and making them.”

LeBron James scored 18 points, Norris Cole had 12 and Udonis Haslem added 10 for Miami (26-7), which has won each of its games
during this streak by at least 12 points.

Next up for Miami: The
New York Knicks
and Jeremy Lin come to town Thursday.

“It’s going to be fun,” James said. “It’s going to be electrifying. … It could be one of the most-watched games that we’ve
had in a long time.”

Isaiah Thomas scored 20 of his 24 points in the third quarter for Sacramento, which dropped its sixth straight. Marcus Thornton
scored 23, Tyreke Evans finished with 21 points and 10 assists, and Jason Thompson had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Kings.

The Kings were without guard John Salmons, a late scratch with a sore right hip.

“You needed to play a perfect game to win this game against this team and we were pretty close to the perfect game,” Kings
coach Keith Smart said. “We had moments, but when you give up 25 points off turnovers, you’re not going to beat many teams.”

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he didn’t expect Sacramento to come out and play like a team with one of the NBA’s worst records,
and he was right. Thompson had 10 points and six rebounds in the opening quarter and Evans’ buzzer-beating 3-pointer from
near midcourt gave Sacramento a 32-26 lead after 12 minutes.

Maybe the biggest surprise of the first half was that it took Miami – a team that had led by 20 points at some time in each
of its six previous outings, but never enjoyed better than an 18-point margin Tuesday – nearly a full hour after tipoff to
get the highlight reels cranking.

“I don’t think we came out flat,” said Chalmers, who matched a career-best with six 3-pointers. “I just think they knew how
to get out early on us.”

Late in the second quarter, James blocked a drive by Thomas, the Heat controlled the rebound, and took off running. James
got the ball to Wade, who leaped, stayed airborne long enough to draw contact from Cousins and then made an acrobatic layup
while falling to the floor. The three-point play put Miami ahead 49-47 and the Heat kept the lead – such as it was – the rest
of the half.

Another spectacular James-to-Wade connection helped.

Wade forced Donte Greene into a miss, and Francisco Garcia grabbed the rebound and tried to lay the ball in, all in the same
motion. James blocked Garcia’s shot – the Kings wanted goaltending – and moments later threw a 70-foot chest pass to Wade
for an alley-oop layup at the other end, part of a late mini-flurry that sent Miami into halftime leading 57-53.

“They played very well and they have some weapons, some young weapons on that team that you saw,” Spoelstra said.

The Heat kept the lead for the entirety of the third quarter, despite Thomas’ best efforts.

Thomas’ 20 points came in a 10-minute span of that quarter, a 5-for-6 effort from 3-point range and 5-for-5 from the foul
line, the last three there coming when he was fouled by Cole while trying about a 25-footer in the final seconds of the third
and getting Sacramento to 93-88.

“I’ve always been a scorer my whole life,” Thomas said. “I score in bunches but we didn’t get the win. That’s the most important
thing.”

Early in the fourth, the Heat seemed to decide enough was enough.

A 15-5 run, mostly from the Heat reserves, provided the long awaited breathing room. Cole had four points and an assist in
the early stages, and after Mike Miller missed a 3-pointer, Haslem capped the flurry with a one-handed putback dunk that sent
Wade running about 15 feet onto the court at the other end in celebration.

“We know teams are going to play better than they usually play against us and that’s OK,” James said. “If it takes four quarters,
which we’re capable of playing, we just continue to weather the storm and continue to do what we need to do.”

NOTES: Haslem (now with 4,549) passed Rony Seikaly (4,544) for second place on Miami’s all-time rebounding list. At his current
pace, Haslem would have a chance to catch Alonzo Mourning (4,807) by the end of the season. … Thomas’ third-quarter barrage
was the biggest one-quarter scoring effort by a Kings player since Kevin Martin scored 24 in the fourth against New Orleans
on Feb. 23, 2009. … A number of fans chanted throughout the night that they wanted to see Jimmer Fredette in the game. Fredette
did not play. … Boxer Floyd Mayweather was in attendance, seated near the Kings’ bench.

Article source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/gameflash/2012/02/21/30124_recap.html?xid=si_topstories

Jamal Crawford scored 20 points, shooting 5 for 7 on 3-pointers, and had eight assists for the Blazers, who led by as many
as 48 points and sat all of their starters for most of the fourth quarter. Gerald Wallace and Nicolas Batum each had 19 points.

Kawhi Leonard had 24 points and 10 rebounds to lead San Antonio, which snapped an 11-game winning streak overall and an eight-game
streak on the road.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said before the game that he was resting Parker and Duncan because the Spurs were playing three
games in four nights. Parker is averaging 19.5 points per game, while Duncan’s averaging 19.9 points and 8.6 rebounds.

“They’ve been going and going and going and if you don’t do it now I think you’re asking for trouble,” Popovich said.

Parker had started in all of the Spurs’ first 32 games this season.

San Antonio was also without guard Manu Ginobili for the second straight game because of a strained left oblique. Ginobili
is expected to miss two weeks.

The Spurs were playing their annual rodeo road trip which keeps them away from home for an extended period while the San Antonio
Stock Show and Rodeo takes over the ATT Center. The team was coming off a 106-102 victory at Utah on Monday night. They travel
to Denver on Thursday for their final game before the All-Star break.

In addition to Leonard, the Spurs also started rookie guard Corey Joseph, who had five points. Danny Green finished with 16
points.

Blazers coach Nate McMillan tinkered with his starting lineup, starting Crawford at the point rather than Raymond Felton.
Crawford started a game for the Blazers earlier this season but is normally a reserve. He won the NBA’s Sixth Man award for
the 2009-10 season while with Atlanta.

Felton has struggled this season, and had just nine points in Portland’s 103-92 loss to the
Los Angeles Lakers
on Monday night. He finished with 16 points against the Spurs.

Coming off the bench, Felton hit two straight 3-pointers that put the Blazers up 35-20. He added another one to put Portland
up 41-23 at the end of the first quarter. It was the most points the Blazers scored in a quarter all season.

Aldridge hit a layup that made it 53-32, and Jamal Crawford sank a 3-pointer that sent Portland to the break with a 66-43
lead.

Batum’s 3-pointer made it 88-55 and it was never a contest. Luke Babbitt made a 3-pointer that gave the Blazers a 120-75 lead
with 7:11 left, but many fans had departed long before then.

Wesley Matthews, who finished with 11 points, left the game early in the fourth quarter with a mild left ankle sprain.

NOTES: Aldridge has a cameo in this week’s episode of “Portlandia,” the IFC channel’s comedy about life in the Rose City.
Aldridge appears with director Penny Marshall. … Portland gets an extended rest over the All-Star break and doesn’t play
again until Feb. 29, when the team visits Denver.

Article source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/gameflash/2012/02/21/30398_recap.html?xid=si_topstories

But the 6-foot-8 senior guard does bring the Wildcats some experience and toughness, and he scored all of his 12 points in
the final eight minutes to help No. 1 Kentucky climb out of a halftime hole to beat Mississippi State 73-64 on Tuesday night.

“I just tried to focus in,” Miller said of the Wildcats’ methodical second-half comeback. “I knew we were all going to have
to make plays.”

Miller’s dominant stretch was punctuated by a 3-pointer with 1:27 remaining that gave the Wildcats an insurmountable 71-64
lead. The close game was a rare test for Kentucky (27-1, 13-0 Southeastern Conference), which has plowed through the conference
schedule with relative ease.

As usual, Miller got plenty help from the Wildcats’ phenomenal freshmen. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 18 points and Anthony
Davis added 13 points and 11 rebounds.

The Wildcats (27-1, 13-0 Southeastern Conference) trailed 41-28 at halftime – which was their biggest deficit of the season
– but slowly climbed back to take their first lead at 63-62 with 4:11 remaining on a layup by Kidd-Gilchrist. They never trailed
again, winning their 19th straight game.

Kidd-Gilchrist scored 12 of his 18 points in the second half and also added 10 rebounds for the double-double. Kentucky finished
the game on a 20-4 run.

Dee Bost led Mississippi State (19-9, 6-7) with 21 points while Arnett Moultrie added 13 points and 11 rebounds for his SEC-leading
16th double-double of the season. It was a bitter loss for the Bulldogs, who have lost four straight games.

“There wasn’t an ounce an energy they brought back to the locker room,” Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury said. “They
left it all out on the floor.”

It was a tense game throughout with three technical fouls, including two for the Wildcats.

That wasn’t a surprise considering the recent competitive history. The programs have split the past six games in the series,
and three went to overtime.

Mississippi State came into the game on a surprising three-game losing streak – falling to Georgia, Auburn and LSU – that
has put its standing for an NCAA tournament at-large bid on shaky ground. And the Bulldogs played like a desperate team.

In front of a rowdy Humphrey Coliseum crowd, Mississippi State couldn’t have asked for a much better start. Renardo Sidney
nailed a 3-pointer and Bost found Moultrie for an alley-oop to take a quick 5-0 lead. The Bulldogs stretched that advantage
to 25-13 on Bost’s 3-pointer that danced around the rim before falling through the hoop.

While Mississippi State was cruising, Kentucky was uncharacteristically rattled.

The Wildcats couldn’t get the ball inside to their talented big men, instead settling for contested shots on the perimeter.
Marquis Teague was called for a technical which Mississippi State turned into a five-point swing, with Bost making both free
throws and then a 3-pointer for a 34-21 lead.

Jalen Steele put the exclamation point on a dominant first half, knocking down a 3-pointer with 39 seconds remaining to give
the Bulldogs their 13-point halftime lead.

“We should have been down 20,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said. “They played outstanding and we played OK.”

The only bad news for Mississippi State was the loss of Rodney Hood, who sustained what Stansbury called a “sprained knee”
late in the first half and didn’t return. The Bulldogs already had a thin playing rotation and used just six players in the
second half.

It appeared to be a factor as Kentucky slowly wore Mississippi State down.

The Wildcats went on an 11-2 run to start the second half as the game turned feisty, with Kentucky’s Davis and Mississippi
State’s Moultrie both receiving technical fouls. The Wildcats pulled within 55-53 with 7:17 left on a layup by Terrance Jones,
but Mississippi State responded with a dunk from Moultrie and a 3-pointer from Bost to push the lead back to 60-53.

That’s when Kentucky started its game-winning rally, finally taking the lead on a hustle play by Kidd-Gilchrist, who grabbed
his own missed shot and converted the layup for a 63-62 lead

The Bulldogs never could respond. Bost scored 16 of his points in the first half, but struggled on offense once the Wildcats
put the 6-foot-7 Kidd-Gilchrist on him.

“He was long and bothered me,” Bost said. “But we got it to who we needed to get it to. We just didn’t hit the shots.”

Miller’s late 3-pointer in front of the Kentucky bench pushed the Wildcats over the top.

“Darius Miller is the fiber that holds that team together,” Stansbury said. “He’s the key to them.”

—

Follow David Brandt on Twitter: (at)davidbrandtAP

© 2011 STATS LLC

Article source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/ncaa/men/gameflash/2012/02/21/75542_recap.html?xid=si_topstories

Rodney McGruder scored 24 points as Kansas State upset No. 3 Missouri 78-68 Tuesday night, the Wildcats’ second win this season
over the Tigers and their first at Mizzou Arena since 2007. It’s also the second straight win over a Big 12 bruiser and national
power, following a one-point weekend win over No. 13 Baylor in Waco, Texas.

“A week ago, I was trying to find a building that’s more than six stories height-wise so I could jump,” Martin joked after
the game, though he wasn’t smiling. “And these guys, they gave me energy to come in and coach them in practice because they
were so positive even though we had just lost two tough games at Texas and (against) Kansas. They’ve been awesome and I couldn’t
be happier that they’ve been rewarded these last two games.”

Kansas State (19-8, 8-7 Big 12) led 40-30 at halftime and by 16 points with 12:32 left in the second half after a twisting
McGruder layup before a late run by Missouri (25-3, 12-3) got the Tigers within 63-60 with six minutes remaining.

Missouri trailed by four after two free throws by Michael Dixon with 2:21 left, but Jordan Henriquez answered with an alley-oop
dunk following a Tiger timeout. The Wildcats extended the lead on two free throws by Henriquez.

Thomas Gipson added 13 points for Kansas State, which connected on 53.8 percent of its field goals.

The Wildcats were even better in the second half, converting 14 of 24 for 58.3 percent.

Dixon scored 21 and Marcus Denmon added 19 for Missouri. The Tigers made just 38.3 percent of their field goal attempts after
entering the game hitting more than 50 percent, tops in the Big 12 and third-best nationally. Missouri was 8-of-26 from 3-point
range, while Kansas State made six treys but took 17 fewer attempts than their opponents.

The K-State loss was Missouri’s first home defeat of the season and just the fourth career loss at Mizzou Arena for the Tigers’
five-man senior class. It also kept Missouri from standing alone with the best start in school history. Missouri started 25-2
in 1990 and 1994.

“We had a lot of confidence,” McGruder said. “And we felt like, `Why not come in here and get a victory?”‘

Kansas State had already throttled Missouri 75-59 in Manhattan in early January, one of the few blemishes on an otherwise
charmed season for Missouri and first-year coach Frank Haith. And while Tuesday night’s game remained in doubt until late,
the Wildcats and Martin again relied on physical defense and a deeper roster to prevail.

Missouri led by six points early in the first half but soon struggled to both make shots and defend Kansas State. The 10-point
halftime deficit was their second-largest of the season. Their biggest? Falling behind 44-25 in the first meeting in Manhattan.
Missouri made 10 of 29 shots in the first half on Tuesday.

In one uncharacteristically out-of-sync sequence, Henriquez swatted Phil Pressey’s driving layup attempt out of bounds. Ricardo
Ratliffe then missed an open 10-foot jumper off the in-bounds play, and after a K-State miss, Denmon bobbled the ball out
of bounds on a fast-break. Minutes later, the ball again glanced off his hands on a similar pass by Pressey for another Tiger
turnover. In between, English missed two consecutive free throws.

English was also hit with a technical foul late in the first half for slamming the ball to the court in frustration, which
sent him to the bench with his third personal foul. He would later foul out and was held to nine points. He averages 14.2
points, second on the team in scoring.

“We didn’t punch back early,” English said of the Tiger’s first-half struggles. “When you do that and play good teams, it’s
an uphill battle all the way.”

“We didn’t defend the way we usually defend, the way we need to defend,” he added. “That will be fixed. That won’t happen
again.”

Jamar Samuels added nine points and 11 rebounds for Kansas State. With his four blocks, all in the first half, Henriquez set
a school record for career rejections with 125.

Ratliffe scored nine points and grabbed 14 rebounds for Missouri but made just 3 of 7 field goals after entering the game
making 72.6 percent of his shots, which leads the nation.

The Tigers travel to No. 4 Kansas on Saturday in what could be the final regular season match-up in the historic rivalry.
With the K-State loss, Missouri trails the Jayhawks by a half-game in the conference. A win over Kansas, which plays at Texas
AM on Wednesday, could elevate Missouri back in contention for the Big 12 regular season title and a potential No. 1 seed
in the NCAA tournament.

—

Follow Alan Scher Zagier at http://twitter.com/azagier

© 2011 STATS LLC

Article source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/ncaa/men/gameflash/2012/02/21/75547_recap.html?xid=si_topstories

Note: Bubble Watch updated as of Tuesday Feb. 21 games.

Every year, one of the most interesting sidebars in the final few days before Selection Sunday is the hunt for the “mystery team,” the under-the-radar squad the committee is eyeing for one of the last, precious at-large spots. Last year, it was USC, a pick that confounded many bracket watchers (although SI.com’s bracket had the Trojans in) because of their number of bad losses and poor RPI.

Essentially, the committee made a statement that the Trojans’ quality wins were more impressive than their losses hurt. In related news, Dayton remains in this week’s bracket.

Yes, Dayton, the .500-in-the-A-10, perpetually frustrating, inconsistent Flyers who just lost for the 27th straight season at Xavier. Why? Because they have a bunch of quality wins.

In a bubble world where teams like Arizona (third in a weak Pac-12, one top-50 win), Colorado State (.500 in the Mountain West, one top-50 win) and Texas (3-9 against top 100, under .500 in the Big 12) are in consideration, are you going to turn your nose up at a team that’s beaten Temple, Saint Louis, Alabama, Xavier, Mississippi and Minnesota? When eight of the 10 members of the committee that took USC last year are back for this season? … Yeah, didn’t think so.

That’s the magic of this final stretch run. Teams can come out of nowhere to grab bids. They may go on a late run that improves their profile or, in the case of Dayton, they’ve racked up some decent wins and not enough teams pass them. It doesn’t matter how you get there. It just matters that you’re one of the best 37 on March 11.

A quick reminder on the standard rules of engagement:

1) Auto bids go to the best RPI of the conference leaders (based on fewest league losses).

2) Records listed are Division I only, per NCAA tournament selection guidelines. All RPI and SOS data are from Monday’s collegerpi.com RPI report. GW = good wins. BL = bad losses. (N) = neutral-site game.

Send your feedback to @andyglockner on Twitter or bubblewatch@gmail.com. Fact-based comments stand the best chance of a response.

ACC

Locks: Duke, North Carolina, Florida State

There’s still a three-way atop the league, but there will be some shuffling this week with Duke at Florida State and some other tough matchups for the trio. Virginia is in decent shape to get in, too. Could it end there?

SHOULD BE IN

Virginia (21-6, 8-5; RPI: 42, SOS: 104)

The Cavaliers held off Virginia Tech in Blacksburg for a big stabilizing step toward the NCAAs. If they can get either the North Carolina or Florida State games at home, they should be in strong shape.
GW: Michigan, at LSU?
BL: Virginia Tech?, TCU(N)?, at Clemson

IN THE MIX

Miami (16-10, 7-6; RPI: 46, SOS: 29)

The Hurricanes ate a damaging loss Tuesday night, falling at Maryland. This is their first loss that can be considered questionable, but they don’t have a ton in the plus side of the ledger, either. Now they really need to grab these next three, including home to Florida State and then a possible quasi-elimination bout at NC State.
GW: at Duke
BL: at Maryland?

North Carolina State (18-10, 7-6; RPI: 58, SOS: 40)

The Wolfpack had three straight shots at a profile-defining victory and couldn’t get any of them. Now even if they can win their last three and finish 10-6 with a sweep Miami, they’ll need to do some solid work in the ACC tournament to feel like they have legitimate at-large hopes.
GW: at Miami?
BL: Georgia Tech

Big 12

Locks: Kansas, Missouri, Baylor

It’s showtime at the top of the league when Missouri heads to Lawrence to take on Kansas, likely with the league lead and the inside track to the No. 1 seed in the Saint Louis regional on the table. Classic “If you want to be the champ, you have to beat the champ” spot for the Tigers, although a loss here certainly wouldn’t dampen enthusiasm for a deep March run. Baylor’s more than safe as far as inclusions, but the Bears’ slide continues with a frustrating home loss to Kansas State.

SHOULD BE IN

None.

IN THE MIX

Kansas State (19-8, 8-7; RPI: 50, SOS: 61)

The Wildcats just wrapped up the best back-to-back road wins in the nation this season, backing up the victory at Baylor by completing a sweep of Missouri with a win in Columbia. Things look really good now, and will look even better if they can handle Iowa State this weekend in Manhattan.

GW: Sweep of Missouri, Alabama (N), Long Beach State (N), at Baylor
BL: Swept by Oklahoma?

Iowa State (19-8, 9-5; RPI: 41, SOS: 55)

The Cyclones won their only game of the week (vs. Oklahoma) and head into the homestretch well-positioned. They should handle Texas Tech at home to get to 10 wins, and then have road cracks at Kansas State and Missouri and a home date with Baylor to add to the resume. The date in Manhattan is a huge separation chance, as it would be a sweep of the Wildcats and a huge gap in the league standings.
GW: Kansas, Kansas State?
BL: at Drake?, at Oklahoma State?

Texas (17-10, 7-7; RPI: 51, SOS: 26)

The Longhorns may lament getting Keiton Page’d at Oklahoma State. Things are now looking much more like 9-9, and as good as the Temple win is looking now, it’s not clear that will be enough without beating much of anyone at the top of the league.
GW: Temple, Iowa State?
BL: Oregon State (N)

Big East

Locks: Syracuse, Georgetown, Marquette, Louisville, Notre Dame

Time to start being reasonable. Neither Louisville (solid profile) nor Notre Dame (with 11 Big East wins and counting) is missing the NCAAs now. That makes five in for sure. How much deeper can the league go?

SHOULD BE IN

None.

IN THE MIX

Connecticut (17-10, 7-8; RPI: 27, SOS: 1)

Don’t mistake the difference between being a good team (which UConn isn’t at the moment), playing well down the stretch (which UConn clearly isn’t) and a good at-large profile (which UConn currently still has, in comparison with other options). Shabazz Napier’s 35-footer that beat Villanova could ultimately be what keeps the Huskies on the right side of the cutline. Of course, they can go beat Syracuse at home on Saturday …
GW: Florida State (N), at Notre Dame, Seton Hall?, West Virginia?, Harvard?BL: at Rutgers, at Tennessee

West Virginia (17-10, 7-7; RPI: 41, SOS: 7)

The Mountaineers won at Pitt in their only game of the week, which won’t help the profile much, but levels them at .500 heading into a pivotal week for their at-large hopes. Wednesday at Notre Dame isn’t a bargain at all and neither is Marquette at home on Friday. With a season finale at surging South Florida, the ‘Eers need to be careful here. A 9-9 league record “probably” will keep them safe, but this overall profile is weaker than many perceive. WVU only has one top-150 road win.
GW: Georgetown, Kansas State (N), Miami?, Cincinnati?, Oral Roberts?
BL: Kent State?, at St. John’s, Pitt?

Seton Hall (19-9, 8-8; RPI: 34, SOS: 29)

The Pirates picked up an enormous home win with a romp of Georgetown, getting back to .500 in the league and adding another high-quality win to the profile. Now with Rutgers at home and at DePaul remaining, 10-8 looks very attainable. That should be enough to get the Pirates into the NCAAs.

GW: Georgetown, UConn?, West Virginia?, Saint Joseph’s??

BL: None, really

Cincinnati (19-8, 9-5; RPI: 82, SOS: 124)

The Bearcats’ 320th ranked nonconference SOS stands out like an Alabama 2011-sized sore thumb, so the best plan for UC is to keep winning league games. Handling Providence and bubble battler Seton Hall at home this week was needed work. Now it’s all in front of the Bearcats, with a home date against Louisville and then a surprisingly important game in Tampa against South Florida before Marquette comes in next week. As they stand, the Bearcats would be, by a decent margin, the worst RPI team ever taken as an at-large.
GW: at Georgetown, at UConn, Notre Dame, Oklahoma?, Pitt?
BL: St. John’s, Presbyterian, at Rutgers

South Florida (16-10, 10-4; RPI: 50, SOS: 40)

The Bulls, as of Tuesday, are a top-50 win. Commence celebrating, Southern Miss and VCU! Can South Florida pull a Craig Biggio and aggregate its way to the NCAAs? The Bulls will have every chance to solidify their standing down the stretch: at Syracuse, Cincinnati, at Louisville, West Virginia. And no, I have no idea what a 12-6 USF team would look like in the at-large picture entering championship week.
GW: Seton Hall??
BL: Old Dominion (N)?, Penn State (N), at Auburn

Big Ten

Locks: Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan

Add the Wolverines to the lock list after they handled Ohio State at home. Road woes aside, there’s too much quality in this resume to have any chance of missing. The greater intrigue is at the bottom of this league’s at-large pool, where a group of nine may end up winnowed down to … five??

SHOULD BE IN

Indiana (20-7, 8-7; RPI: 19, SOS: 25)

The Hoosiers are going to make the NCAAs, but let’s let them get one more league win to make it a certainty. First up, the long-awaited nonconference clash with North Carolina Central! Then the weekend has a trip to Minnesota before home games against Michigan State and Purdue next week.
GW: Kentucky, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame (N), at N.C. State?, at Purdue?
BL: at Nebraska

Wisconsin (20-7, 9-5; RPI: 23, SOS: 20)

The Badgers also are pretty much good to go, although this week provides interesting tests at feisty Iowa and then at Ohio State. Home dates in the final week against Minnesota and Illinois should help add a win or (probably) two to the ledger.
GW: UNLV, BYU (N), at Illinois, Indiana
BL: Iowa

IN THE MIX

Purdue (17-10, 7-7; RPI: 52, SOS: 23)

The Boilermakers are in the best position of this batch, having gone 5-0 against Northwestern (sweep), Illinois (sweep) and Minnesota (road win). That said, add in the sweep of Iowa and they haven’t beaten a single team in league play that looks headed to the NCAAs. It’s the consummate “average team” profile. Beating Nebraska and Penn State at home will get them at least to .500, but what would that really mean if they also lose at Michigan and Indiana?
GW: Temple (N), Iona?, sweep of Northwestern?, Miami?
BL: Butler (N), at Penn State

Northwestern (16-11, 6-9; RPI: 43, SOS: 9)

The Wildcats had a win in their grasp, but couldn’t close out Michigan and lost in overtime for a very damaging home defeat. Now if they can’t beat Ohio State at home next week, they’ll finish under .500 in the league, which makes them a dicey bubble proposition. They’re no certainty to win at Penn State and Iowa, either. The streak may continue thanks to the latest in a series of tough Ls this season..
GW: Michigan State, at Seton Hall (N)?, at Illinois?
BL: Illinois?, swept by Purdue

Illinois (15-12, 5-10; RPI: 69, SOS: 28)

The Illini got pasted at Ohio State and now need to win at least four in a row to have any legitimate at-large claim. A complete collapse in league play.
GW: Ohio State, Michigan State, Gonzaga, at Northwestern?
BL: at Penn State, Northwestern?

Minnesota (17-10, 5-9; RPI: 72, SOS: 57)

Time’s running out on the Gophers after a home loss to Ohio State and then a defeat at Northwestern. The good news, if there is some, is that the next three games (home to Michigan State and Indiana and at Wisconsin) provide a platform to make a late surge. More likely, it will end legit at-large hopes.
GW: at Indiana
BL: Iowa

Pac-12

Locks: None

Cal and Washington have established some room between them and the rest of the Pac. That’s good news for them. The whole discussion could become fascinating, though, if Washington goes on to win the league (softer schedule down the stretch), as Cal’s profile is better than the Huskies. A non-Cal/Washington auto bid winner will set the discussion aflame.

SHOULD BE IN

None.

IN THE MIX

California (22-6, 12-3; RPI: 29, SOS: 79)

After edging Oregon in a crucial game, the Golden Bears finished off a home weekend sweep by topping Oregon State and stay tied for first. Cal’s finish is tougher than Washington’s, though, as the Bears still have to travel to Colorado and Stanford. Finishing second behind Washington would open all sorts of Pandora’s boxes in at-large discussion. The best move: win out.
GW: None, but a handful of OK ones
BL: at Washington State, at Oregon State, Arizona??

Washington (19-8, 12-3; RPI: 54; SOS: 69)

After taking down the Arizona schools, the Huskies also finish with three on the road, but at Wazzu, USC and UCLA is relatively easier than Cal’s run, so there’s a solid chance for at least a share of the league title. What will that mean if they end the season with just three top-100 wins and some worrisome blips on the resume, if an at-large is needed? Only the selection committee knows. The Huskies are also 60th in Sagarin and 65th in Pomeroy, so the RPI isn’t an isolated rankings weakness.
GW: Sweep of Arizona?
BL: Home to South Dakota State by 19

Colorado (16-8, 10-4; RPI: 76; SOS: 111)

Home to Stanford and Cal are obviously must-wins this week for any hope. Nonleague accomplishments are minimal and the Buffaloes don’t have a top-150 win away from home.
GW: None, really
BL: at UCLA?

Oregon (19-8, 10-5; RPI: 55, SOS: 72)

Similarly, the Ducks needed to win at Cal and couldn’t. They can still get to 13-5 if they handle at Oregon State and then a visit from Colorado, but with only three top-100 wins in that scenario, seems very thin.
GW: at Arizona?, Washington by 25?
BL: Oregon State

Arizona (19-9, 10-5; RPI: 67, SOS: 88)

The Wildcats needed to win at Washington and couldn’t do it. Road wins at Cal and New Mexico State are better than what most others in this conference can offer, but a third-place finish (at best) in a league that fits all the criteria for two bids (max) is likely not going to be enough to convince.
GW: at Cal, at New Mexico State?
BL: at UCLA?

Article source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/andy_glockner/02/21/Bubble.Watch/index.html?xid=si_topstories

The game will be televised on the BIG EAST Network, Time Warner Cable Sports, SNY and ESPN3. Tickets for Wednesday’s game are available online, by phone (1-888-DOMETIX) or in person at the Carrier Dome Box Office. Fans can also follow the action on the Syracuse IMG Radio Network and its flagship TK99 (99.5 FM). The audio stream of the broadcast will be available on Orange All Access on SUathletics.com. Subscriptions to Orange All Access are available at daily, monthly and yearly rates.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ORANGE
Sophomore C.J. Fair scored a career-high 21 points to lead Syracuse to a 74-64 victory at Rutgers on Sunday, Feb. 19.

The first half featured back-and-forth action, which included seven ties and eight lead changes. The Orange ended the half on a 10-4 scoring run and Dion Waiters’ free throws with two seconds left gave SU its largest lead of the half as it led 40-34 at intermission.

Syracuse held the lead for the entire second half, despite the Scarlet Knights getting within two points on five different occasions. With SU leading 66-62, Scoop Jardine hit a three-pointer from the top of the key to extend the Orange’s lead to 69-62 with 1:12 remaining. Syracuse went 5-for-8 from the free throw line in the final 30 seconds to seal the 10-point victory.

Fair was 6-for-8 from the floor and 8-for-8 from the free throw line. He also led the team with eight rebounds. Kris Joseph finished with 14 points, while Fab Melo added 10 points.

SCOUTING THE BULLS
USF arrives in Syracuse with a 17-10 overall record, including a 10-4 mark in BIG EAST play. The Bulls are riding a four-game winning streak, and have won eight out of their last 10 contests.

Augustus Gilchrist leads the offensive charge for USF, averaging 10.5 points and 4.8 rebounds a game. The Bulls’ leading rebounder is Toarlyn Fitzpatrick (6.5), while the team is second in the BIG EAST in defensive rebounding. Ron Anderson Jr. averages 7.9 points per game, and is second in the conference in field goal percentage (58.0).

Stan Heath is in his fifth year at the helm at USF, posting a 68-87 record while in Tampa, Fla. He led the Bulls to an NIT berth in 2010. Heath previously held positions at Kent State, where he led the Golden Flashes to a 30-6 record and an Elite Eight appearance in 2002, and Arkansas. The Detroit native was a three-year letterwinner at Eastern Michigan.

SERIES HISTORY
Syracuse owns an 8-1 advantage in the series versus USF, with a perfect 5-0 mark at the Carrier Dome. The Orange last faced the Bulls in Tampa, Fla., during the 2011 season. Kris Joseph and Dion Waiters paced SU with double-digit scoring tallies.

The two squads first met in 1987, when Syracuse triumphed, 111-65. The lone USF victory in the series was by an 89-78 margin at the Sun Dome in 2008.

UP NEXT…
The Orange plays its final road game of the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Connecticut at 9 p.m.

Article source: http://www.suathletics.com/news/2012/2/21/MBB_0221123030.aspx