Saturday's Big Games and a Recap of Last Night 12/22/12

South Florida played a thrilling triple overtime game against Bowling Green, allowing for an extensive look at sophomore guard Anthony Collins. Victor Rudd also had a huge game for the Bulls, coming up clutch in multiple occasions.

There is no way Anthony Collins is 6 feet and he doesn't have great length. What he does have is a great understanding of how to use his size. He gets really low when dribbling the ball, shrinking to about 4 feet. Last night, he was able to get inside of the zone and keep defenders behind him using his body. He doesnt look to get all the way to the hoop, just enough to create a good look for a teammate or for his own teardrop. Collins' preference is to find a teammate though, as he's a classic pass first point guard who knows how to lead a team and defend. He looks to push the ball when the opportunity is there but knows when to slow down and set the offense. He's a small point guard coaches love and trust, one of those scrappy southern point guards in the mold of Squeaky Johnson and Walker Russell Jr. Both players have been able to get some run in the NBA even though they aren't necessarily NBA quality because coaches trust them and enjoy having them during practices.

Jarnell Stokes had an average game against Western Carolina, scoring 12 points. He was out-muscled in the paint by Tawaski King, but eventually got him in foul trouble. Tennessee's offense has been terrible and Stokes hasn't been able to be much of an inside-out threat. He's had 1 multiple assist game in his last 9 contests.

Alex Len did what he was supposed to do against an undersized Stony Brook team. Maryland was able to dump in into the post to him, and without a double team, he went to work. They made it a point to feature him at the beginning of both halves although they got away from him in the final ten minutes of the game. Dez Wells was impressive yet again. He's a big talent.

Baylor vs BYU

- Brandon Davies was tough inside, but struggled getting his shot off against an NBA sized frontcourt. Too often he tried to fadeaway from them instead of going into their body. Davies has a solid post game with counter moves, and shows good patience in using them.

- Isaiah Austin got called for the biggest phantom call of the year, costing him his 6th block in the game. I think there is a misconception that Austin is soft - he doesn't shy away from contact, he just can't withstand it. He is willing to mix it up on the glass and on defense. The problem is that his shoulders don't appear to welcome much weight in the future.

- I really like Cory Jefferson's motor. I was surprised he wasn't asked to cover Davies the majority of the game. Jefferson is a beast on the boards and moves really well. Not only is he capable of moving well - he does. He runs full speed from point A to point B at all times. Whether it is to set a screen, grab a rebound, rotation on defense - Jefferson is always in a hurry to get there.

- Tyler Haws is very fun to watch. He has a great BBIQ and does a great job of getting open. He reminds me of a wing version of Matt Bouldin, but is certainly a one of a kind player.


Temple vs Syracuse 12pm ESPN2

Syracuse has been playing nothing but cupcakes this month so this Temple team could provide a test. They have some big guards - their smallest rotational guard is 6'2'' - that can actually have a somewhat fair shot against Michael Carter-Williams. MCW has been playing against teams where he is longer than the oppositions center so that is refreshing. Along with Alex Len, Carter-Williams has the most to prove when conference play starts. Everyone has already jumped on his and Len's bandwagon already, but both have played only 1 or 2 legitimate games. If they sustain their level of performance through conference play, I may be ready to give them more credit.

Murray State at Dayton 12pm CBSSN

This is a big game for Dayton as they are coming off of a heartbreaking loss against Illinois State. It should be a good one against Isaiah Canaan and company. Canaan has been very good again this season and Im still very much intrigued by how his scoring will translate in the NBA. I don't expect him to ever start at point guard, but he could have a nice career scoring as a poor man's Jason Terry. As for Ed Daniel, he is the closest thing you will get to Kenneth Faried in this draft. He impressed in the summer playing with big time college players and has parlayed that into a excellent senior season so far.

American at Georgetown 12pm ESPN3

McNeese State at North Carolina 12pm ESPNU

USC at Georgia 1:30pm

Interesting to note: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has tallied at least 9 rebounds in each of his last 3 games. Its good to see him playing hard through this nightmare of a season. I've never doubted Caldwell-Pope's energy. but the old adage "work smart, not hard" could apply to the sophomore shooting guard. He makes a lot of freshman mistakes. Another note - their second leading scorer averages 7.2 point per game. Ew. USC isn't much better and is led by Eric Wise's 10.6 ppg. Dewayne Dedmon is the Trojan to watch though. USC does a terrible job getting him touches on offense, but his defense and rebounding has been solid. He's 7 feet tall so he's in the running to get drafted in the second round this year.

Texas at Michigan State 2pm ESPN2

Texas beat up on North Carolina inside this week, now they are back to trying not to get beaten up themselves. Michigan State is far from UNC inside with Nix, Payne, and Dawson controlling the glass. Keith Appling needs to get back on track in this game. He has failed to score in double digits his last 3 games vs Division 1 opponents.

LSU at Marquette 2pm ESPNU

Florida State vs Charlotte 2pm CBSSN

Arizona State at Texas Tech 2pm

South Dakota State at New Mexico 2:30pm

Nate Wolters was hurt the last time they played a ranked team and this his last chance to pull off a big upset in his regular season career. The Jackrabbits start conference play after this one. Wolters has still been nursing his injury, but has gotten plenty of rest on SDSU's bus trip across the country to Albuquerque. Kendall Williams is a good point guard in his own right so this should be a good matchup.

Austin Peay at Illinois State 3pm

St. Mary's at Northern Iowa 3pm

St. Bonaventure at North Carolina St 3pm ESPN3

Wright State at Cincinnati 4pm

Kansas at Ohio State 4pm CBS

The biggest game of the day surprisingly has Ohio State favored by 5.5 points in Vegas. The Buckeyes have homecourt, but Kansas is the better team. Kevin Young and Travis Releford both are smart defenders who are up for the task of slowing down Deshaun Thomas. Nobody will stop Thomas, but they can make him have to hit tough shots. The key matchup in this one is at point guard play. Elijah Johnson has been getting by strictly as a guy bringing the ball up the court - not someone creating offense. Kansas is going to need him to be more of a point guard today and facing Aaron Craft, it won't be easy. If Ohio State manages to win this game - it will be because Craft got the better of Johnson.

Marshall at Kentucky 4pm

Missouri vs Illinois 6pm ESPN2

If Missouri wins this game, their advantage inside will be the reason. Laurence Bowers has been great this season, showing a much more mature offensive game then in previous seasons. He has worked his way into the draft conversation as a second round pick. Oriakhi, Pressey, and Paul are others to watch.

San Diego State vs San Francisco 6pm ESPNU

Bucknell at Princeton 7pm

Davidson at Drexel 8pm

Florida vs Kansas State 8pm ESPN2

Western Kentucky vs Louisville 8:30pm ESPNU

Canisius at UNLV 10pm

Arizona vs East Tennessee State 10:30pm ESPNU

Fresno State at UCLA 11pm Pac-12N

Miami (FL) at Hawaii 12:30am ESPNU

Recap from Last Night and Tonight's Games to Watch 12/21/12

Last night was a disappointing night for 57 NBA scouts who flocked to Denton, Texas to see CJ McCollom and Tony Mitchell to battle. McCollom did not play as he is recovering from a mild ankle injury and Tony Mitchell didn't start for "disciplinary reasons". There is no better way to piss off scouts than to be forced to start the game on the bench for doing something stupid. Especially a game as big as this. Mitchell scored 22 points and grabbed boards but this season has done anything but solidify himself as a lottery pick. He looks like a potential draft day free faller.

Arkansas found them in a tight game against Robert Morris, which they pulled out 79-74. BJ Young was able to score off the bounce when the Razorbacks needed him. Young also turned it over multiple times on lazy passes inside and showed little urgency in getting back on defense to make up for his mistakes. His shot continues to struggles as well, especially at the line where his slingshot form isn't doing him any favors. For a guy who plans to make a living as a slasher, a sub 70% FT shooting is a problem. Below are highlights:

I also went back and looked at the Cincinnati-Xavier game. Semaj Christon is a definite first round talent and has lots of room to grow. Right now he relies on his explosive, long strides off the dribble to get into the lane and score. He has a nice floater game and is able to rise above the defense and get it off. He has elite physical attributes for a point guard and does a nice job staying under control in the lane. His decision making and point guard skills need work, but show potential. Christon definitely needs to work on his shot - both off the dribble and spotting up. Its the main thing holding him back from being dominant in college.

The star of the night was Mason Plumlee, who was the only Duke player who didn't appear tired on the second night of a back to back. He had 21 points and 15 rebounds - the majority of which came in the first half when the game still in question.


Game of the Night: BYU at Baylor 9pm ESPN2

Coming off the the news that Jabari Parker will not be spending his next year in Provo, the BYU basketball team must move on to face Baylor. Depending on what Baylor team they get, they could potentially get the win. Tyler Haws has been one of the biggest pleasant surprises in the nation and it will be interesting to see how he fares against Baylor's athletic perimeter. Senior Brandon Davies is having a great year himself and has the task of playing well against Cory Jefferson and Isaiah Austin. Meanwhile Isaiah Austin has only made 1 free throw in his last 5 games, but is coming off two straight 10+ rebound games. Austin has to consistently show he will play tough inside this year, even with his strength limitations, if he wants to be projected as anything more than a stretch big man.

Other games to keep an eye on:

Florida Atlantic at Indiana 7pm ESPN2 - Victor Oladipo is clearly their best upperclassmen prospect on the team, but who is second? Cases can be made for Jordan Hulls, Christian Watford, and Will Sheehey. Watford would have been the easy answer just a year ago, but his efficiency has FG% has fallen for the third straight year. He hasn't gotten much better over his time in Bloomington and looks like a skinny PF. He got bullied inside against Butler. My pick of the three? Will Sheehey.

Bowling Green at South Florida 7pm - Anthony Collins is the name to watch here. The sophomore point guard looked great two weeks ago against Marcus Smart, but has only played one time since so Im eager to check him out again. He's a true point guard who can be a pest defensively. Is he just off to a hot start or is he legit? Big East play will certainly answer that question.

Longwood at Virginia Commonwealth 7:30pm - VCU is always exciting to watch and while they don't have any surefire NBA prospects, Treveon Graham has made great strides in his sophomore year. He is a power wing who can drive to the basket and hit the outside shot. He has gone from a reserve to top scorer on a team that likely is top 25 in the country. It feels weird question a VCU player's defense, but the biggest concern with him may be whether he can defend wings in the NBA. He's a combo forward at this point. Also keep an eye on Michael Kessens, the leading freshman rebounder in the nation at 10.3 boards per contest.

USC Upstate at Tennessee State 8pm - This Tennessee State team continues to play awful basketball, getting demolished by Middle Tennessee State last game. Covington's lack of perimeter skills have been exposed playing next to incapable guards. Maybe a game against USC Upstate is competition they can actually hang with.

Northern Arizona at Colorado 8:30pm - After getting major praise from media pundits before the Kansas game, Spencer Dinwiddie now has scored 5 points and tallied 2 assists in his last 2 games. Hes shooting 1-8 from the floor and has 7 turnovers. He suffered an injury in the game against Kansas (but came back) and it could have affected him against Fresno, but its an ugly line either way. Andre Roberson still is by far the best prospect on this team and has started to play better as of late. He has hit 4 of his last 5 threes and has grabbed at least 11 boards in each of his last 6 games.

Buffalo vs Washington State 10:30pm - Always need to have a late game and this one pits two very different power forwards against each other. Watch the matchup between Brock Motum and Javon McCrea inside. Motum has 5 straight games where he's scored at least 23 points. He's not as pure of a shooter as other stretch forwards like Eric Murphy, but has more variety in his scoring arsenal.

Also I'll try to get highlight videos from Alex Len's and Jarnell Stokes' games tonight.