13 Nov11 - Yesterday's News

Volume XVIII, No. 2 - 13 Nov11 - [] Top 25 Ballot

Yesterday's News

Not much you can glean trying to read the tea leaves of exhibition games. You can check off which teams were able to post 100 points (Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, UCLA; Elon, Morehead State, Toledo) as some vague measure of firepower and roster depth. You can take note of which teams failed to fully rout an exhibition opponent (UNLV lost @70-71 to {Dixie State}; Oklahoma State, UNLV; Georgia, Kennesaw State, Toledo, Vermont, Weber State, Western Kentucky) as a lack thereof or just generally not having their act together for the start of the season. But really, those games are meaningless overall.

Only a couple of non-showcase matchups the first weekend. Baylor handled Colorado, @72-60, in the feature match of the BUCKETS AND BOOTS SHOWCASE triple-header in Dallas. Two of last year's Sweet 16 darlings lost right away. Florida Gulf Coast was dumped, 55-@79, at Nebraska (as fShavon Shields had 28p6r). La Salle went down in 2OT at home to Manhattan, @90-99(2OT) (despite 28p from gTyrone Garland).

    
BYU took care of state rival Weber State, @81-72, (as xTyler Haws had 28p13r; despite 23p5r from bDavion Berry). The inaugural HBCU TIP-OFF in Atlanta (7 Division-I/II Historically Black Colleges/Universities [plus Green Bay, for some reason] in a weekend tournament) was restructured on short notice. So Norfolk State and Texas Southern scheduled a head-to-head game as a last-minute substitute. Host SWAC-title champ TexasSo beat guest MEAC-title champ NorfkSt, @95-83 (behind tAaric Murray's 33p8r and xJose Rodriguez' 25p11r; despite 32p6r from bMalcolm Hawkins).

    
UCLA won Steve Alford's debut, but it was a struggle, @72-67, over an ordinary Drexel team.

    
The superfrosh were solid enough, but nobody looked "too good for the college game" right out of the box. Kentucky's fJulius Randle averaged 23p15r in two games.

    
Youngstown State clinched an Unwelcome Guest win at the KSU INVITATIONAL (over Eastern Kentucky, Florida International and host Kennesaw State).

The CHAMPIONS CLASSIC double-header (Tuesday in Chicago) features 6 of the Top 10-rated freshmen (and, elsewhere, it's 4 of the Top 5-ranked teams -- not here, though).

    
The best field among the preseason tournaments is MAUI (Syracuse, Gonzaga, Baylor, California, Minnesota, Arkansas, Dayton). The ANAHEIM CLASSIC has been folded into the WOODEN LEGACY (Creighton, Marquette, Arizona State). Mostly, the big teams are staying away from each other otherwise, but there are some intriguing possible matchups: HALL OF FAME (Louisville-North Carolina), PUERTO RICO (Michigan-VCU), OS/ORLANDO (Oklahoma State-Memphis [?twice?]), GOTHAM (Ohio State-Notre Dame), CHARLESTON (New Mexico-UAB), JIMMY V (Florida-Memphis), DIAMOND HEAD (Boise State-Iowa State), CROSSROADS (Notre Dame-Indiana[IN]), 2KS (Connecticut-Indiana),
CBE (Wichita State-BYU).

Here's a comprehensive list:

• KSU INVITATIONAL RndRob(4) Nov8-14 on-campus, @ Kennesaw GA: (Florida International, UG:Youngstown State, Eastern Kentucky, @Kennesaw State)
  
• ALL-MILITARY CLASSIC Semis Nov8-9 @ Lexington KY: (Air Force, Army, The Citadel, @VMI)
  
• CONNECTICUT SIX CLASSIC TrplHdr Nov9 @ Bridgeport CT: (Yale over C. Connecticut State, Quinnipiac over Hartford, Fairfield over Sacred Heart)
  
• GS-D SHOOTOUT RndRob(4) Nov8-20 on-campus: (Cincinnati, N.C. State)
  
• GS-A CHALLENGE RndRob(4) Nov8-21 on-campus: (Florida)
  
• GS-B MAIN EVENT RndRob(4) Nov8-22 on-campus: (Colorado)
  
• GS-C INVITATIONAL RndRob(4) Nov8-22 on-campus: (Illinois, Bradley)
  
• (new)SEC/BIG 12 CHALLENGE Nov11-Dec21 on-campus: @Kentucky-@Baylor[@ Arlington TX /COWBOYS/], @Oklahoma State-South Carolina, @Florida-Kansas, @Iowa State-Auburn, @Kansas State-Mississippi, @Missouri-West Virginia, @Texas A&M-Oklahoma(@ Houston TX), @Alabama-Texas Tech, @Mississippi State-TCU, @Texas-Vanderbilt) (Arkansas, Georgia, LSU and Tennessee do not play.]
  
• CHAMPIONS CLASSIC DblHdr Nov12 @ Chicago IL /UNITED/: (@Michigan State-@Kentucky, @Duke-@Kansas)
  
• (new)KEIGHTLY CLASSIC RndRob(4) Nov14-27 on-campus: (Kentucky)
  
• (new)ROUNDBALL CLASSIC RndRob(4) Nov16-26 on-campus: (Marshall, Western Kentucky)
  
• NIT SEASON TIP-OFF 16s Nov 18-19 @ regionals, Semis Nov 27,29 @ New York NY /MSG/, Cons RndRob(2) @ TBA: (@Duke, Norfolk State; @Arizona; @Alabama, Georgia State; @Rutgers, Elon)
  
• (new)CURE UCD CHALLENGE RndRob(4) Nov20-Dec1 on-campus: (Tulane)
  
• 2KS CLASSIC 3x4; Semis Nov21-22 @ New York NY /MSG/: (Connecticut-Boston College, Indiana-Washington; Boston University, Long Island, @UC-Irvine; @Detroit, Toledo)
  
• GS-E SHOWCASE RndRob(3) @ Salt Lake City UT: (@Utah)
  
• PUERTO RICO TIP-OFF Qtrs Nov 21-24 @ Bayamon PR: (Michigan-Long Beach State, VCU-Florida State, Kansas State-Charlotte, Georgetown-Northeastern)
  
• CHARLESTON CLASSIC Qtrs Nov 21-24 @ Charleston SC: (New Mexico-UAB, Nebraska-Massachusetts, @Clemson-Temple, Georgia-Davidson)
  
• CVC CLASSIC 3x4; Semis Nov22-23 @ Brooklyn NY /BARCLAYS/: (Michigan State-Virginia Tech, Oklahoma-Seton Hall)
  
• HALL OF FAME TIP-OFF 2x4; Semis Nov23-24 @ Uncasville CT /MOHEGAN/: (Louisville-Fairfield, North Carolina-Richmond)
  
• CBE CLASSIC Semis @ Kansas City MO: (@Wichita State-DePaul, BYU-Texas)
  
• LEGENDS CLASSIC 2x4; Semis Nov25-26 @ Brooklyn NY /BARCLAYS/: (Texas Tech-Pittsburgh, Houston-Stanford; Texas Southern)
  
• MAUI INVITATIONAL Qtrs Nov21-24 @ Lahaina HI /{Chaminade}/: (Syracuse-Minnesota, California-Arkansas, Gonzaga-Dayton, Baylor-@{Chaminade})
  
• PARADISE JAM Qtrs Nov22-25 @ St. Thomas VI: (La Salle-Morgan State, Vanderbilt-Providence, Maryland-Marist, Loyola Marymount-Northern Iowa)
  
• (new)GULF COAST SHOWCASE Qtrs Nov25-27 @ Estero FL: (San Diego, Southern Illinois, Louisiana Tech)
  
• CANCUN CHALLENGE 2x4; Semis Nov26-27 @ Playa del Carmen MEXICO: (St. Louis-Wisconsin, West Virginia-Old Dominion)
  
• LAS VEGAS-THANKSGIVING INVITATIONAL 2x4; Semis Nov28-29 @ Las Vegas NV /ORLEANS/: (UCLA-@Nevada, Northwestern-Missouri; Morehead State)
  
• GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT Qtrs Nov27-30 @ {Alaska-Anchorage}: (Harvard, Green Bay)
  
• BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS Qtrs Nov28-30 @ Paradise Island BAHAMAS: (Kansas-Wake Forest, USC-Villanova, Iowa-Xavier, Tennessee-UTEP)
  
• OS/ORLANDO CLASSIC Qtrs Nov28-Dec1 @ Kissimmee FL: (Oklahoma State-Purdue, Washington State-Butler, Memphis-Siena, LSU-St. Joseph's)
  
• WOODEN LEGACY[ANAHEIM] Qtrs Nov28-Dec1 @ Fullerton CA;Anaheim CA: (Creighton-Arizona State, San Diego State-College of Charleston, Marquette-@Cal State-Fullerton, Miami[Florida]-George Washington)
  
• BROOKLYN-THANKSGIVING CLASSIC 2x4; Semis Nov29-30 @ Brooklyn NY /BARCLAYS/: (Penn State-@St. John's, Mississippi-Georgia Tech)
  
• (new)CORPUS CHRISTI CHALLENGE 2x4; Semis Nov29-30 @ Corpus Christi TX: (Virginia-SMU, Texas A&M-Missouri State)
  
• BIG 10/ACC CHALLENGE Dec3-4 on-campus: (@Michigan State-North Carolina, @Ohio State-Maryland, @Duke-Michigan, @Syracuse-Indiana, @Iowa-Notre Dame, @Virginia-Wisconsin, @Minnesota-Florida State, @Pittsburgh-Penn State(PA), @Georgia Tech-Illinois, @Purdue-Boston College, @Miami[Florida]-Nebraska, @N.C. State-Northwestern) [Clemson, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest do not play.]
  
• BIG FOUR CLASSIC DblHdr Dec7 15 @ Drake: (@Iowa State-@Northern Iowa[IA BIG 4], @Drake-@Iowa[IA BIG 4])
  
• GOTHAM CLASSIC RndRob(4) Dec7-16 on-campus, @ New York NY /MSG/: (Ohio State, Notre Dame, ND State)
  
• BB&T CLASSIC DblHdr Dec8 @ Washington DC /VERIZON/: (Oklahoma-@George Mason, @Maryland-@George Washington[MD/DC])
  
• ALL-COLLEGE CLASSIC 1Off Dec14 @ Oklahoma City OK: (@Oklahoma State-Louisiana Tech)
  
• CROSSROADS CLASSIC DblHdr Dec 14 @ Indianapolis IN: (@Notre Dame-@Indiana[IN], @Purdue-@Butler[IN])
  
• JIMMY V CLASSIC DblHdr Dec17 @ New York NY /MSG/: (Florida-Memphis, Cincinnati-Pittsburgh)
  
• GF/BTI CLASSIC RndRob(3) Dec19-21 @ Utah State: (@Utah State)
  
• LAS VEGAS-CHRISTMAS CLASSIC 2x4; Semis Dec22-23 @ Las Vegas NV /ORLEANS/: (@UNLV-Santa Clara, Mississippi State-South Florida; Florida Gulf Coast)
  
• BROOKLYN-HOLIDAY INVITATIONAL TrplHdr Dec21 @ Brooklyn NY /BARCLAYS/: (Michigan-Stanford, @Long Island-Temple, @Manhattan-Buffalo[NY])
  
• LAS VEGAS-SHOWCASE DblHdr Dec21 @ Las Vegas NV /MGM/: (Oklahoma State-Colorado, New Mexico-Marquette)
  
• (new)LAS VEGAS-HOLIDAY CLASSIC RndRob(2) Dec21-22 @ Las Vegas, NV /S POINT/: (Portland, Pacific, Bradley, Princeton)
  
• ORANGE BOWL CLASSIC 1Off Dec22 @ Ft. Lauderdale FL: (@Florida-Fresno State, @Florida State-Massachusetts)
  
• DIAMOND HEAD CLASSIC Qtrs Dec 22-25 @ Hawaii): (Boise State-@Hawaii, South Carolina-St. Mary's, Iowa State-George Mason, Oregon State-Akron)
  
• BROOKLYN-WINTER FESTIVAL TrplHdr Dec28 @ Brooklyn NY /BARCLAYS/: (VCU-Boston College, Kansas State-Tulane, @St. John's-@Columbia[NewYorkNY])
  
• CABLE CAR CLASSIC Semis Dec 29-30 @ Santa Clara: (@Santa Clara-N.D. State)
  
• DP CLASSIC Semis Dec29-30 @ Chattanooga: (Middle Tennessee-Maine, @Chattanooga-{Grand Canyon})
  

ESPN's COLLEGE HOOPS TIP-OFF MARATHON begins MONDAY OVERNIGHT (7PM Monday, actually) and runs ALL-DAY TUESDAY featuring Baylor, Duke, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, Virginia and VCU.
     Lots to choose from.

-- Ron

Key games this week:

Monday (VETERAN'S DAY):

@Gonzaga-ColoradoSt, @Connecticut-Yale(CT)(@HartfordCT), @Stanford-BYU,

RAINBOW CLASSIC RndRob3/3 @ HonoluluHI /Hawaii/

-([5Aet]:@Hawaii-NewMexicoSt, TennesseeSt-WeMichigan),

Monday-Tuesday:

(TIP-OFF MARATHON)

• (7Pet): @ Temple v Kent St
  
• (9Pet): @ Gonzaga v Colorado St
  
• (11Pet): @ Stanford v BYU
  
• (1Aet): @ Wichita St v We Kentucky
  
• (3Aet): @ St Mary's v Akron
  
• (5Aet): @ Hawaii v New Mexico St (RAINBOW CLASSIC RndRob3/3 @ Honolulu, HI /Hawaii/)
  
• (7Aet): @ FL Gulf Coast v Hartford
  
• (9Aet): @ La Salle v Quinnipiac
  
• (11Aet): @ Massachusetts v LSU
  
• (1Pet): @ Virginia Tech v W Virginia
  
• (3Pet): @ Baylor v S Carolina
  
• (5Pet): @ Cincinnati v NC State (GS-D SHOOTOUT RndRob2/4)
  
• (7Pet): @ Virginia v VCU (VA)
  
• (7.30Pet): @Michigan St v @Kentucky (CHAMPIONS CLASSIC @ Chicago, IL /UNITED/)
  
• (9Pet): Florida @ Wisconsin
  
• (10Pet): @Duke v @Kansas (CHAMPIONS CLASSIC @ Chicago, IL /UNITED/)
  

Monday-Thursday:

KSU INVITATIONAL RndRob(4) @ KennesawGA /KennesawSt/, on-campus

-(FLInternational, YoungstownSt, EaKentucky, @KennesawSt,
{WarrenWilson}),

Monday-Thu 21 Nov:

GS-A CHALLENGE RndRob(4) on-campus

-(Florida, MidTennessee, ARLittleRock, NFlorida, Southern),

Monday-Fri 22 Nov:

GS-B MAIN EVENT RndRob(4) on-campus

-(Colorado, Wyoming, ArkansasSt, TNMartin, JacksonSt),

Monday-Sat 23 Nov:

CVC CLASSIC 3x4 WarmUp(2) on-campus, 2nd/Cons @ PortlandOR;KentOH, 3rd/Semis @ BrooklynNY /BARCLAYS/

-(A: MichiganSt, VirginiaTech;

  B: Oklahoma, SetonHall;

  A Cons: @Portland, NTexas, Columbia, Idaho;

  B Cons: WeCarolina, Niagara, @KentSt, SCUpstate),

Monday-Sun 24 Nov:

HALL OF FAME TIP-OFF 2x4 RndRob(3) on-campus, @ UncasvilleCT /MOHEGAN/

-(A: Louisville, @Fairfield, Hofstra, @Hartford;

  B: NCarolina, Richmond, Belmont, HolyCross),

Tuesday (11/12/13)!!!:

@UtahSt-SoUtah(UT), @Towson-MorganSt(BaltimoreMD),

CHAMPIONS CLASSIC DblHdr @ ChicagoIL /UNITED/

-([7.30Pet]: @MichiganSt-@Kentucky;

  [10Pet]: @Duke-@Kansas),

Tuesday-Wed 20 Nov:

GS-D SHOOTOUT RndRob(4) on-campus

-(Cincinnati, NCState, AppalachianSt, Campbell, NCCentral),

Tuesday-Fri 22 Nov:

2KS CLASSIC 3x4 WarmUp(2) on-campus, 2nd/Cons @ IrvineCA;DetroitMI, 3rd/Semis @ NewYorkNY /MSG/

-(A: Connecticut, BostonCol;

  B: Indiana, Washington;

  A Cons: BostonU, LongIsland, @UCIrvine, EaWashington;

  B Cons: StonyBrook, @Detroit, FLAtlantic, Toledo),

GS-C INVITATIONAL RndRob(4) on-campus

-(Illinois, Bradley, ChicagoSt, JacksonvilleSt, AlabamaSt),

Wednesday:

@Providence-Brown(ProvidenceRI),

ELGIN BAYLOR CLASSIC
-(@Seattle-CalStFullerton),

Thursday-Tue 26 Nov:

CBE CLASSIC WarmUp(2) on-campus, 3rd/Semis @ KansasCityMO

-(A: WichitaSt, DePaul;

  B: BYU, Texas);

  WarmUp: SoMiss, SAlabama, William&Mary, WrightSt, TennesseeSt, MtStMarys, StephenFAustin, {ColoradoMesa}),

Thursday-Wed 27 Nov:

(new)KEIGHTLY CLASSIC RndRob(4) on-campus

-(Kentucky, TXArlington, ClevelandSt, RobertMorris, EaMichigan),

Thursday-Sat 21 Dec:

(new)SEC/BIG 12 CHALLENGE on-campus

[Arkansas, Georgia, LSU and Tennessee do not play.]

Thursday: @Alabama-TexasTech;

Mon 2 Dec: @IowaSt-Auburn, @Texas-Vanderbilt;

Thu 5 Dec: @KansasSt-Mississippi, @Missouri-WVirginia, @MississippiSt-TCU;

Fri 6 Dec: @Baylor-@Kentucky(@ArlingtonTX/COWBOYS/), @OklahomaSt-SCarolina;

Tue 10 Dec: @Florida-Kansas;

Sat 21 Dec: @TexasA&M-Oklahoma(LONE_STAR_SHOWCASE_@HoustonTX)

Friday-Tuesday week, Mon-Wed 25-27 Nov:

MAUI INVITATIONAL WarmUp(1) on-campus, 2nd/Cons Semis @ ConwaySC, 2nd/Qtrs @ LahainaHI /{Chaminade}/

-(Syracuse-Minnesota, California-Arkansas, Gonzaga-Dayton, Baylor-@{Chaminade};

  Cons: Louisiana-Oakland, StFrancisNY-@CoCarolina),

Saturday:

OhioSt-@Marquette, Virginia-@Davidson(@CharlotteNC), @GreenBay-Wisconsin(WI),

Saturday-Tue 26 Nov:

(new)ROUNDBALL SHOWCASE RndRob(4) on-campus

-(Marshall, WeKentucky, Samford, ETennesseeSt, UNCWilmington,
{Campbellsville}),

Sunday:

Michigan-@IowaSt, @Clemson-SCarolina(SC),

THE BACKYARD BRAWL

-(@WVirginia-Pittsburgh),

Monday week-Fri 29 Nov:

NIT SEASON TIP-OFF 1st/16s @ TucsonAZ;PiscatawayNJ;DurhamNC;TuscaloosaAL, Semis @ NewYorkNY /MSG/

-(@Arizona-Fairfield, RhodeIsland-{MetroSt};

  @Rutgers-Canisius, Elon-Drexel;

  @Duke-@UNCAsheville, @ECarolina-NorfolkSt;

  @Alabama-{Stillman}, GeorgiaSt-McNeeseSt),

Monday week-Sun 1 Dec:

LEGENDS CLASSIC 2x4 RndRob(2) on-campus, 3rd/Semis @ BrooklynNY /BARCLAYS/

-(A: TexasTech, Pittsburgh, Lehigh, TexasSo;

  B: Houston, Stanford, SDState, Howard).

---

Top 25 - 13 Nov11 - [] Column

1. Louisville (1-0)
   
2. Michigan State (1-0)
   
3. Michigan
   
4. Oklahoma State (1-0)
   
5. New Mexico (1-0)
   
6. Ohio State (1-0)
   
7. Duke (1-0)
   
8. Kentucky (1-0)
   
9. Kansas (1-0)
   
10. Syracuse (1-0)
    
11. Arizona (1-0)
    
12. North Carolina (1-0)
    
13. Florida (1-0)
    
14. Gonzaga (1-0)
    
15. Memphis
    
16. Creighton (1-0)
    
17. Harvard (1-0)
    
18. St. Louis (1-0)
    
19. Boise State (1-0)
    
20. Notre Dame (2-0)
    
21. Baylor (1-0)
    
22. Virginia (1-0)
    
23. Connecticut (1-0)
    
24. Indiana (1-0)
    
25. VCU (1-0)
    

Honorable Mention:

Nebraska (1-0), Manhattan (1-0), BYU (1-0), Texas Southern.