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Tourney Central 3/9/2011 (Day 9)
March 9, 2011 9:30 am ET by Kyle Whelliston

Bullet Points

    Three more champions on Tuesday, and we salute them. Two are familiar NCAA names. Oakland repeated as Badlands champions, and 2010 national runners-up Butler shook off a regular season of ups and downs by reclaiming the top spot in the Horizon League. But Championship Fortnight had its first eternal highlight reel moment. Solomon Bozeman of Arkansas-Little Rock hit a game-winning three-pointer to lead the Trojans back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1990.
    Two incredible double-overtime upsets in early rounds, both in 7/10 games. As the Atlantic 12 became eight, La Salle overcame Saint Bonaventure 75-73 on the Bonnies' home floor in 50 minutes. At the MEAC tourney in Winston-Salem, No. 10 Maryland-Eastern Shore dropped No. 7 Florida A&M 87-85. Those weren't the only seed surprises in those leagues. Despite a fan bus cancellation due to lack of interest, No. 12 Saint Joseph's took out No. 5 George Washington in overtime.Two title games tonight. The Big Sky's top two seeds play: Montana and Northern Colorado. In the Northeast, No. 3 Robert Morris at No. 1 Long Island. On the second Wednesday of Championship Fortnight, we bring in the next wave of leagues. Conference USA gets going in El Paso with a first round. The WAC opens with two first round games in Las Vegas. The SWAC is underway in Garland, Texas with a pair of quarterfinals, and the Southland kicks off with a QF quad. The MEAC continues with three quarters.Seventeen seasons die today.

Brackets

Atlantic 12



[10] La Salle 75, at [7] Saint Bonaventure 73 (2OT)
Star of the Game: Jerrell Williams 19 Pts (8-14 FG, 2-4 FT), 7 Reb, 2 Stl
Weingarten's Double-Overtime Three Lifts La Salle Past St. Bonaventure, 75-73, In A-10 First Round - It will be a game remembered in La Salle men's basketball lore for a long time. Facing the end of their season at three different junctures, the Explorers received the biggest of shots from two seniors to advance to the Atlantic 10 Quarterfinals with a 75-73 double-overtime victory at St. Bonaventure on Tuesday night. Senior Ruben Guillandeaux tied the game at the end of regulation and overtime and classmate Steve Weingarten gave La Salle the lead with a three-pointer with 32 seconds left in double-overtime. LU moves on to Atlantic City to face city-rival and second-seeded #24/25 Temple on Friday at 6:30 PM. The game will be broadcast regionally on The Comcast Network. ... via La Salle

[12] Saint Joseph's 71, at [5] George Washington 59 (OT)
Star of the Game: C.J. Aiken 11 Pts (2-3 FG, 6-6 FT), 2 Stl
Men's Basketball Knocks Off George Washington, 71-59, in Overtime; Advances to Atlantic 10 Quarterfinals - The Saint Joseph's men's basketball team scored the first 12 points of overtime on Tuesday night as the 12th-seeded Hawks upset fifth-seeded George Washington, 71-59, in an overtime thriller at the Smith Center in the first round of the 2011 Atlantic 10 Championship. Freshman Langston Galloway led the way with 15 points, including 6-of-6 from the free throw line in the extra frame. Saint Joseph's (10-21) only attempted two field goals in overtime, but shot 18-of-20 from the charity stripe to salt away the win. C.J. Aiken was also 6-for-6 from the line in overtime on his way to 11 points to go with his five blocks. Also in double-figures for SJU were Carl Jones (12), Idris Hilliard, and Ronald Roberts (10 each). ... via George Washington

at [6] Rhode Island 70, [11] Saint Louis 61
Star of the Game: Delroy James 17 Pts (5-11 FG, 6-7 FT), 9 Reb, 3 Stl
Runnin' Rams Hold Off Saint Louis, 70-61 - Senior Delroy James was one of four URI players who scored in double figures which propelled the Rhode Island men's basketball team (19-12) to a 70-61 victory over Saint Louis (12-19) Tuesday night at the Ryan Center. Sophomore Akeem Richmond, sophomore Nikola Malesevic and senior Marquis Jones also chipped in with 15, 11 and 10 points, respectively. James also posted team-bests of nine rebounds, five blocks, four assists and three steals. With the win, Rhody will advance to the Quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Championship where it will faceoff against Richmond on Friday at 9 p.m. Earlier this season, URI defeated the Spiders 78-74 on the road. ... via Rhode Island

[9] Dayton 78, at [8] Massachusetts 50
Star of the Game: Juwan Staten 10 Pts (5-8 FG), 7 Ast, 2 Stl
Dayton Cruises Past UMass 78-50 In A-10 First Round - Juwan Staten had 10 points, seven assists and two steals to help the ninth-seeded Dayton Flyers picked up a 78-50 victory over the No. 8 seed Massachusetts Minutemen in the in the first round of the 2011 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Championship. Luke Fabrizius came off the bench to lead the scoring with 13 points. Chris Wright tallied 10 points and seven rebounds as Dayton snapped a three-game losing streak. Wright also extended his blocked shot consecutive games streak to 21. The Flyers will face the No. 1 seed Xavier Musketeers in the A-10 Quarterfinals on Friday, March 11. Tip-off is at noon ET. The game will be televised locally on WHIO. ... via Dayton

Big Sky



at [2] Montana 57, [3] Weber State 40
Star of the Game: Brian Qvale 16 Pts (5-11 FG, 6-10 FT), 17 Reb, 3 Stl
Griz top Weber 57-40, advance to title game - It's a wonder Altitude Sports didn't cancel the Montana Grizzlies at halftime. Brian Qvale had 16 points and 17 rebounds against WSU.
AP photo Then again, the producers at the regional sports network probably didn't know about the Grizzlies' history with Weber State in the Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament. The Griz rallied from an 11-point, second-half deficit to down Weber State 57-40 Tuesday night at Butler-Hancock Pavilion and move into the championship game for the second straight season. It was in the championship game last season that the Griz overcame a 20-point, halftime deficit to beat the Wildcats, earning their eighth invitation to the NCAA tournament. ... via Montana

at [1] Northern Colorado 73, [4] Northern Arizona 70
Star of the Game: Devon Beitzel 25 Pts (6-16 FG, 9-10 FT), 9 Reb, 2 Stl
One more win, and the Bears are in! - One game. Two halves. 40 minutes. That's all that stands now between Northern Colorado men's basketball and its first trip to the Big Dance. March Madness is that close. The NCAA Tournament is just one victory away. Devon Beitzel showed his 2011 Big Sky MVP form with 25 points Tuesday, and Chris Kaba backed him with 14 as Northern Colorado erased a seven-point second-half deficit en route to a 73-70 Big Sky Championship semifinal victory inside a packed and rocking Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion. ... via Northern Colorado

Horizon League



[2] Butler 59,at [1] Milwaukee 44
Star of the Game: Matt Howard 18 Pts (7-9 FG, 2-2 FT), 2 Stl
Decisive Run Sends Bulldogs To NCAA Tournament - Butler University broke open a close game with a late 16-1 run in claiming a 59-44 victory over the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship Final Tuesday night at the U.S. Cellular Arena. The Panthers (19-13) overcame a slow start and used a scoring run of their own to get back in it, only to see the Bulldogs (23-9) take control down the stretch and advance to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth year in a row. ... via Milwaukee

MEAC



[10] Maryland-Eastern Shore 87, [7] Florida A&M 85 (2OT)
Star of the Game: Kevin White 22 Pts (6-11 FG, 10-12 FT), 7 Ast
Umes Outlasts FAMU, 87-85, In Double Ot To Open Meac Tourney - It took double overtime, but the University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball team prevailed, 87-85, over Florida A&M University Tuesday evening in the opening round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. ... via Maryland-Eastern Shore

[9] South Carolina State 64, [8] Delaware State 59
Star of the Game: Rio Pitt 9 Pts (3-5 FG, 3-4 FT), 8 Reb
SC State Downs Delaware State 64-59 in MEAC Tourney Action - South Carolina State senior Darnell Porter scored 15 points, including a crucial 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down with 3:10 remaining to lead the ninth-seeded Bulldogs to a 64-59 win over eighth-seeded Delaware State in opening round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament at the Lawrence Joel Coliseum Tuesday. ... via South Carolina State

Mid-American



at [6] Akron 67, [11] Eastern Michigan 53
Star of the Game: Steve McNees 10 Pts (3-5 FG, 2-2 FT)
Balanced Zips Top EMU 67-53, Advance in MAC Tourney - Nikola Cvetinovic scored a team-high 13 points to lead the No. 6-seeded University of Akron men's basketball team to a 67-53 win over No. 11-seeded Eastern Michigan at Rhodes Arena on Tuesday in the first round of the FirstEnergy Mid-American Conference Tournament. Akron advances to play No. 3-seeded Miami (Ohio) in the tournament's quarterfinal round at Quicken Loans Arena on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. ET in a game scheduled to be televised by SportsTime Ohio. Cvetinovic led four Zips (20-12), along with Brett McKnight's 11 and Darryl Roberts and Steve McNees' 10 points each. Roberts shot a perfect 5-for-5 from the field in the contest. Alex Abreu dished out five assists and Zeke Marshall hauled in nine rebounds. Brandon Bowdry led EMU (9-22) with 14 points. ... via Akron

at [7] Bowling Green 74, [10] Northern Illinois 54
Star of the Game: A'uston Calhoun 25 Pts (12-18 FG, 1-1 FT), 9 Reb, 2 Stl
Falcons Punch Ticket To Cleveland WIth 74-54 Win Over NIU - Bowling Green shot 52 percent from the field and outscored Northern Illinois 40-22 in the second half to defeat the Huskies 74-54 Tuesday night in the opening round of the MAC Tournament. The Falcons will return to the MAC Tournament quarterfinals after a one-year hiatus for a game Thursday at noon against Western Michigan at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. ... via Bowling Green

at [8] Buffalo 64, [9] Central Michigan 50
Star of the Game: Dave Barnett 11 Pts (5-7 FG), 7 Reb
Bulls Beat Central Michigan to Advance to Cleveland - The University at Buffalo men's basketball team defeated Central Michigan, 64-50, in the first round of the FirstEnergy Mid-American Conference Tournament at Alumni Arena on Tuesday night. The Bulls advance to Cleveland where they will face top-seed Kent State on Thursday night at 7:00 pm. Zach Filzen led all scorers with 21 points, including five three-pointers. His first trey of the game gave the Bulls the lead for good at 5-3. He hit back-to-back three-pointers to increase the UB advantage to 15-4. Central Michigan hung around for much of the first half and trailed 30-26 at the break. The Chippewas whittled the lead down to 36-34 with 16:11 left. Byron Mulkey drained a three-pointer to extend the UB advantage to 44-36. ... via Buffalo

at [5] Ohio 74, [12] Toledo 57
Star of the Game: Ivo Baltic 24 Pts (9-11 FG, 6-9 FT), 8 Reb, 3 Stl
Bobcats Advance to Cleveland, Top Toledo 74-57 - Ivo Baltic scored 24 points and DeVaughn Washington added 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead Ohio over Toledo 74-57 on Tuesday night in the opening round of the Mid-American Conference tournament. Ohio scored the first 14 points, led by as many as 25 in the first half, and although Toledo cut the deficit to single digits in the second half, the Bobcats managed a relatively easy first-round victory. Washington made one of two free throws in the second half to reach 1,000 points for his career. He is the 33rd player in Ohio history to reach the milestone and third Bobcat this season, joining Tommy Freeman and D.J. Cooper. Freeman scored 12 of his 16 points in the first half as Ohio advances to the quarterfinals to face No. 4 seed Ball State (18-12) in Quicken Loans Arena on Thursday night. The Bobcats have now won five consecutive first-round games in the MAC Tournament and improved to 4-1 all-time vs. Toledo in the postseason. ... via Ohio

Badlands



[1] Oakland 90, [2] Oral Roberts 76
Star of the Game: Keith Benson 28 Pts (10-17 FG, 8-12 FT), 14 Reb
Oakland Wins Second Straight Summit League Crown, 90-76 - Keith Benson scored 28 points and Reggie Hamilton had 26 points to lead Oakland past Oral Roberts 90-76 on Tuesday night to repeat as the Summit League champion and clinch a berth in the NCAA tournament. The No. 1 seed Golden Grizzlies (25-9) put the game out of reach by outscoring Oral Roberts 24-5 in a stretch to lead 84-64 with 4:26 left. Hamilton had 12 points and Benson eight in the outburst. Dominique Morrison led No. 2 seed Oral Roberts (19-15) with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Benson, the Summit League's player of the year, added 14 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots. ... via Oakland

Sun Belt



[W5] Arkansas-Little Rock 64, [W4] North Texas 63
Star of the Game: Solomon Bozeman 20 Pts (6-12 FG, 7-8 FT)
Bozeman's Three Pointer With 1.5 Seconds Left Punches UALR's Dance Ticket - Senior Solomon Bozeman hit a three pointer with 1.5 seconds remaining to lift the Trojans to a 64-63 win over North Texas (22-11) in the Sun Belt Conference Championship game, and give UALR (19-16) the program's first NCAA Tournament berth since 1990. Bozeman's three pointer helped UALR overcome a seven-point deficit with just 1:42 left in the game, helping the Trojans claim the school's first-ever Sun Belt Tournament title. ... via Arkansas-Little Rock

On Tap Tonight

Big Sky

Tools: Standings • Statistics • Tempo-Free Aerial • 18-Year Tourney History


[2] Montana at [1] Northern Colorado - 9:00 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
UMT - 21-9 (12-4) RPI: 108 State: 99 SOS: 232 Last 10: 6-4 Form: WLWLW PF/PA: 67.2/59.9
NOCO - 20-10 (13-3) RPI: 112 State: 97 SOS: 225 Last 10: 9-1 Form: WWWWW PF/PA: 72.4/65.9
NCAA Selection Sheets: Montana • Northern Colorado
Recent meetings: 02/12/2011 NOCO 42 @UMT 55 01/06/2011 UMT 45 @NOCO 63
Players to watch:
UMT - #41 Brian Qvale Sr. C (15.1 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 0.7 apg)
NOCO - #32 Devon Beitzel Sr. G (21.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.8 apg)

Conference USA



Tools: Standings • Statistics • Tempo-Free Aerial • 16-Year Tourney History


[9] Central Florida vs. [8] East Carolina - 1:00 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
UCF - 19-10 (6-10) RPI: 62 State: 83 SOS: 49 Last 10: 5-5 Form: LWWWL PF/PA: 69.4/62.6
ECU - 16-14 (8-8) RPI: 117 State: 122 SOS: 59 Last 10: 5-5 Form: LWWWL PF/PA: 68.2/67.0
NCAA Selection Sheets: Central Florida • East Carolina
Recent meetings: 02/05/2011 UCF 61 @ECU 68 01/19/2011 ECU 74 @UCF 62
Players to watch:
UCF - #33 Keith Clanton So. F (13.9 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.7 apg)
ECU - #24 Jontae Sherrod Sr. G (15.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.9 apg)

UCF Begins C-USA Championship Wednesday - The UCF men's basketball team will open play at the 2011 Buick Conference USA Championship Wednesday when the Knights meet East Carolina at the Don Haskins Center. UCF is the No. 9 seed at the tournament, and will face the No. 8 Pirates at 1 p.m. Eastern in the opening round. ... via Central Florida


[12] Tulane vs. [5] Southern Mississippi - 3:30 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
TUL - 13-16 (3-13) RPI: 237 State: 209 SOS: 178 Last 10: 1-9 Form: LLLWL PF/PA: 69.3/65.9
USM - 21-9 (9-7) RPI: 53 State: 54 SOS: 83 Last 10: 6-4 Form: WWLLL PF/PA: 74.8/66.0
NCAA Selection Sheets: Tulane • Southern Mississippi
Recent meetings: 01/29/2011 TUL 54 @USM 67 03/10/2010 TUL 47 USM 57
Players to watch:
TUL - #22 Kendall Timmons So. G-F (17.0 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 3.2 apg)
USM - #4 Gary Flowers Sr. F (19.0 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.1 apg)

Green Wave Opens C-USA Tourney Wednesday - Looking to become the first No. 12 seed to win a first-round game since 2002, the Tulane begins the 2011 Buick Conference USA Men's Basketball Championships against No. 5 seed Southern Miss on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. CST in the Don Haskins Center on the campus of UTEP. ... via Tulane


[11] Houston vs. [6] Marshall - 7:30 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
HOU - 12-17 (4-12) RPI: 238 State: 210 SOS: 162 Last 10: 1-9 Form: LLLLL PF/PA: 68.1/68.8
MRSH - 21-10 (9-7) RPI: 50 State: 61 SOS: 66 Last 10: 7-3 Form: WWWLW PF/PA: 73.3/66.5
NCAA Selection Sheets: Houston • Marshall
Recent meetings: 02/01/2011 MRSH 63 @HOU 62 01/30/2010 MRSH 66 @HOU 81
Players to watch:
HOU - #3 Maurice McNeil Sr. F (13.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 0.5 apg)
MRSH - #3 Damier Pitts Jr. G (15.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 4.4 apg)

Men's Basketball Set For C-USA Championships - The Thundering Herd men's basketball team is set for the 2011 Conference USA Tournament, which will pit Marshall against 11th seeded Houston in El Paso, Texas at 7:30 p.m. ET Wednesday night at the Don Haskins Center. The Herd is the No. 6 seed and will face off against Houston, who enters the tournament as the No. 11 seed. The winner of Wednesday's game will go on to face host institution UTEP on Thursday. In its first five years in the league, MU has recorded one win in six tries with the victory coming over UAB in 2007. Prior to that, Marshall was 5-8 in Mid-American Conference Tournament games from 1997-2004 and 21-15 in Southern Conference Tournament contests from 1977 through 1996. ... via Marshall


[10] Rice vs. [7] Southern Methodist - 10:00 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
RICE - 13-17 (5-11) RPI: 188 State: 211 SOS: 96 Last 10: 3-7 Form: WLLLW PF/PA: 67.3/67.0
SMU - 17-13 (8-8) RPI: 201 State: 172 SOS: 188 Last 10: 5-5 Form: LWLLL PF/PA: 65.5/61.6
NCAA Selection Sheets: Rice • Southern Methodist
Recent meetings: 02/23/2011 RICE 66 @SMU 76 01/29/2011 SMU 75 @RICE 68
Players to watch:
RICE - #14 Arsalan Kazemi So. F (15.0 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 1.3 apg)
SMU - #42 Papa Dia Sr. F (18.5 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 2.0 apg)

Owls Begin Play at C-USA Championship Wednesday - By the time the dust settles outside of UTEP's Don Haskins Center on Wednesday, the action will just be heating up within the 12,000-seat arena as the 2011 Buick Conference USA Basketball Championship tips off. Rice University is the No. 10 seed. The first day of the tournament will conclude with the Owls' game against No. 7 seed SMU. The first-round matchup will tip off no earlier than 9 p.m. Central Time. ... via Rice

MEAC

Tools: Standings • Statistics • Tempo-Free Aerial • 18-Year Tourney History


[11] Howard vs. [6] Norfolk State - 3:00 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
HOW - 6-23 (4-12) RPI: 331 State: 335 SOS: 277 Last 10: 4-6 Form: LWLLL PF/PA: 58.6/70.0
NORF - 10-19 (8-8) RPI: 284 State: 289 SOS: 293 Last 10: 4-6 Form: LLWLW PF/PA: 70.8/75.8
NCAA Selection Sheets: Howard • Norfolk State
Recent meetings: 02/14/2011 HOW 68 @NORF 76 01/17/2011 NORF 63 @HOW 53
Players to watch:
HOW - #13 Mike Phillips So. F (13.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.0 apg)
NORF - #10 Kyle O'Quinn So. F (16.3 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 1.1 apg)

Spartan Men Open MEAC Tournament Play Wednesday against Howard - WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.-The Spartan men's basketball team (10-19) enters the 2011 MEAC Tournament as the No. 6 seed and opens play on Wednesday, March 9 against No. 11 seed Howard (6-23) in the tournament's first round. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. ... via Norfolk State


[9] South Carolina State vs. [1] Bethune-Cookman - 7:00 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
SCST - 10-21 (5-11) RPI: 338 State: 307 SOS: 326 Last 10: 4-6 Form: WLWLW PF/PA: 66.7/71.3
BETH - 20-11 (13-3) RPI: 195 State: 179 SOS: 319 Last 10: 8-2 Form: WWWWW PF/PA: 66.9/66.1
NCAA Selection Sheets: South Carolina State • Bethune-Cookman
Recent meetings: 02/26/2011 SCST 72 @BETH 76 01/29/2011 BETH 61 @SCST 60
Players to watch:
SCST - #4 Darnell Porter Sr. G (12.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.3 apg)
BETH - #3 Clifford J. Reed Jr. G (19.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 4.6 apg)


[10] Maryland-Eastern Shore vs. [2] Hampton - 9:30 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
UMES - 9-21 (5-11) RPI: 327 State: 317 SOS: 311 Last 10: 5-5 Form: LLWWW PF/PA: 68.0/77.7
HAMP - 21-8 (11-5) RPI: 167 State: 161 SOS: 335 Last 10: 6-4 Form: LLLWW PF/PA: 66.5/62.6
NCAA Selection Sheets: Maryland-Eastern Shore • Hampton
Recent meetings: 01/31/2011 UMES 66 @HAMP 78 02/01/2010 HAMP 79 @UMES 65
Players to watch:
UMES - #24 Hillary Haley Jr. G (16.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 0.7 apg)
HAMP - #20 Charles Funches Sr. F (11.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.3 apg)

Northeast



Tools: Standings • Statistics • Tempo-Free Aerial • 18-Year Tourney History


[3] Robert Morris at [1] Long Island - 7:00 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
RMU - 18-13 (12-6) RPI: 101 State: 139 SOS: 146 Last 10: 9-1 Form: WWWWW PF/PA: 66.8/64.8
LIUB - 26-5 (15-2) RPI: 81 State: 111 SOS: 269 Last 10: 10-0 Form: WWWWW PF/PA: 82.5/73.6
NCAA Selection Sheets: Robert Morris • Long Island
Recent meetings: 01/20/2011 LIUB 83 @RMU 67 12/02/2010 RMU 70 @LIUB 69
Players to watch:
RMU - #4 Karon Abraham So. G (13.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.2 apg)
LIUB - #42 Julian Boyd So. F (13.1 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 1.4 apg)

Men's Basketball Hosts Robert Morris in NEC Championship with NCAA Bid at Stake - The top-seeded Long Island University men's basketball team will put its nation-leading 12-game win streak on the line against third-seeded Robert Morris for the Northeast Conference championship on Wednesday, March 9. The game will tip at 7:03 p.m. and televised nationally on ESPN2. The Blackbirds, who are 26-5 on the year, will be in search of their first title since 1997 after posting a 69-67 win over Central Connecticut State in the semifinals. Robert Morris (18-13) is the two-time defending NEC champion and downed Quinnipiac, 64-62. The two teams split a pair of meetings in the regular season, with the road team winning each time, and in postseason play the series is tied 3-3 all-time. ... via Long Island

Southland



Tools: Standings • Statistics • Tempo-Free Aerial • 18-Year Tourney History


[7] Texas-San Antonio vs. [2] Northwestern State - 1:00 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
UTSA - 16-13 (9-7) RPI: 227 State: 192 SOS: 316 Last 10: 6-4 Form: LWLWW PF/PA: 69.6/68.6
NWSU - 18-13 (10-6) RPI: 230 State: 186 SOS: 338 Last 10: 6-4 Form: LWWLW PF/PA: 76.3/76.9
NCAA Selection Sheets: Texas-San Antonio • Northwestern State
Recent meetings: 01/19/2011 UTSA 63 @NWSU 58 02/24/2010 NWSU 74 @UTSA 88
Players to watch:
UTSA - #21 Devin Gibson Sr. G (16.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 5.5 apg)
NWSU - #42 William Mosley Jr. C (7.8 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.2 apg)

SLC tourney has NSU teams tipping at noon - Coach Mike McConathy's Demons (18-13 overall, 10-6 in the Southland) finished in a three-way tie for second in the league with Sam Houston and Texas State, and received the No. 2 seed based on a complex series of tiebreakers. UTSA (16-13, 9-7) went 2-0 last week and won three of its last four to earn its spot and a No. 7 seed in the men's bracket. The Roadrunners were led by Southland player of the week Melvin Johnson III, who averaged 20.5 points and shot 54.5 percent from the floor, including 6-of-10 from beyond the arc, and was a perfect 11-for-11 at the free throw line as UTSA won 70-58 over Central Arkansas and 68-63 at Texas-Arlington. ... via Northwestern State


[6] Stephen F. Austin vs. [3] Sam Houston State - 3:30 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
SFA - 18-10 (9-7) RPI: 220 State: 125 SOS: 330 Last 10: 6-4 Form: WWWLL PF/PA: 67.2/56.5
SAMH - 17-12 (10-6) RPI: 179 State: 131 SOS: 212 Last 10: 8-2 Form: WLWWW PF/PA: 69.9/66.4
NCAA Selection Sheets: Stephen F. Austin • Sam Houston State
Recent meetings: 03/02/2011 SAMH 55 @SFA 40 01/26/2011 SFA 63 @SAMH 49
Players to watch:
SFA - #23 Jordan Glynn Sr. F (11.6 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.3 apg)
SAMH - #14 Gilberto Clavell Sr. F (19.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 0.8 apg)

Lumberjacks To Meet Sam Houston In First Round - The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks will go into this week's State Farm Southland Conference Basketball Tournament as the No. 6 seed. SFA will play No. 3 Sam Houston State in the first round on Wednesday. The contest is set for a 2:30 p.m. start. ... via Stephen F. Austin


[8] Nicholls State vs. [1] McNeese State - 7:00 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
NICH - 14-13 (8-8) RPI: 229 State: 195 SOS: 258 Last 10: 5-5 Form: WWLWL PF/PA: 66.0/61.8
MCN - 19-10 (11-5) RPI: 163 State: 147 SOS: 294 Last 10: 7-3 Form: WWWLW PF/PA: 74.4/71.0
NCAA Selection Sheets: Nicholls State • McNeese State
Recent meetings: 02/26/2011 NICH 51 @MCN 71 01/26/2011 MCN 66 @NICH 65
Players to watch:
NICH - #31 Anatoly Bose Sr. G-F (22.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.2 apg)
MCN - #3 Patrick Richard Jr. F (16.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.6 apg)

Colonels Look to Upset Top-Seeded Cowboys in Opening Round of Conference Tournament - KATY, Texas-The Nicholls State University men's basketball team (14-13, 8-8 Southland Conference) will go in search of an opening round upset when the eighth-seeded Colonels take on regular season champion and No. 1 seed McNeese State (19-10, 11-5 Southland Conference) with a 6 p.m. tipoff against the Cowboys in the first round of the 2011 State Farm Southland Conference Tournament at the Leonard E. Merrell Center in Katy, Texas. ... via Nicholls State


[5] Southeastern Louisiana vs. [4] Texas State - 9:30 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
SELU - 15-13 (9-7) RPI: 208 State: 182 SOS: 298 Last 10: 6-4 Form: LLWWW PF/PA: 70.1/69.0
TXST - 15-15 (10-6) RPI: 228 State: 198 SOS: 274 Last 10: 7-3 Form: LWWLL PF/PA: 78.4/78.4
NCAA Selection Sheets: Southeastern Louisiana • Texas State
Recent meetings: 02/23/2011 SELU 69 @TXST 82 03/10/2010 TXST 78 SELU 79
Players to watch:
SELU - #21 David Ndoumba Sr. F-C (10.9 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 0.7 apg)
TXST - #22 Tony Bishop Sr. F (12.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 0.9 apg)

Southeastern Set To Face Fourth-Seeded Texas State In State Farm Southland Conference Tournament - Southeastern Louisiana University opens play in the 2011 State Farm Southland Conference Basketball Tournament on Wednesday when it battles fourth-seeded Texas State at the Leonard E. Merrell Center. The winner between fifth-seeded Southeastern (15-13) and Texas State (15-15) will face either top-seeded McNeese State or No. 8-seeded Nicholls State in a semifinal contest on Thursday at 8:33 p.m. ... via Southeastern Louisiana

SWAC



Tools: Standings • Statistics • Tempo-Free Aerial • 18-Year Tourney History


[7] Prairie View at [2] Jackson State - 1:30 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
PVAM - 10-21 (7-11) RPI: 333 State: 294 SOS: 337 Last 10: 4-6 Form: WLLWW PF/PA: 63.6/70.7
JSU - 16-14 (12-6) RPI: 246 State: 201 SOS: 333 Last 10: 5-5 Form: LWLLW PF/PA: 65.7/63.0
NCAA Selection Sheets: Prairie View • Jackson State
Recent meetings: 02/14/2011 PVAM 53 @JSU 54 01/17/2011 JSU 70 @PVAM 63
Players to watch:
PVAM - #34 Brandon Webb Sr. F (9.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 0.6 apg)
JSU - #32 Grant Maxey Sr. F (12.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.2 apg)

No. 2 Jackson State to take on No. 7 PVAM in SWAC Tournament Quarterfinals - The Jackson State men's basketball team earned the No. 2 seed Saturday evening after beating Alabama A&M 72-64. The Tigers look to win their second Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament title under head coach Tevester Anderson and the university's sixth conference tournament championship. JSU was picked to win the SWAC crown in the preseason polls. Under Anderson the Tigers have made it to the SWAC Tournament Championship game three of the last four seasons. ... via Jackson State


[8] Arkansas-Pine Bluff at [1] Texas Southern - 9:00 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
UAPB - 7-23 (7-11) RPI: 324 State: 312 SOS: 322 Last 10: 3-7 Form: LLLWL PF/PA: 60.2/72.4
TXSO - 18-11 (16-2) RPI: 174 State: 175 SOS: 331 Last 10: 9-1 Form: WWLWW PF/PA: 64.3/65.0
NCAA Selection Sheets: Arkansas-Pine Bluff • Texas Southern
Recent meetings: 02/19/2011 UAPB 68 @TXSO 71 01/22/2011 TXSO 50 @UAPB 43
Players to watch:
UAPB - #23 Savalance Townsend Jr. G (12.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.9 apg)
TXSO - #24 Travele Jones Sr. F (16.0 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.9 apg)

M-BASK: Three Tigers named to All-SWAC teams - The bracket is set for the 2011 Farmers Insurance SWAC Men's Basketball Tournament. Play begins Wednesday, March 9 at 12:30 p.m. at the Special Events Center in Garland, Texas. Arkansas-Pine Bluff will look to repeat as tournament champions as they get set to face the 2011 regular season champion Texas Southern Tigers. The winner of the contest will play the winner of the Alabama State/Alabama A&M game on Friday, March 11th at 8:00 pm. ... via Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Western Athletic



Tools: Standings • Statistics • Tempo-Free Aerial • 18-Year Tourney History


[8] San Jose State vs. [5] Hawaii - 3:00 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
SJSU - 15-14 (5-11) RPI: 184 State: 203 SOS: 181 Last 10: 6-4 Form: WWWLL PF/PA: 72.9/73.1
HAW - 18-11 (8-8) RPI: 152 State: 187 SOS: 183 Last 10: 7-3 Form: WWWWL PF/PA: 68.7/66.7
NCAA Selection Sheets: San Jose State • Hawaii
Recent meetings: 03/03/2011 HAW 77 @SJSU 71 01/22/2011 SJSU 61 @HAW 67
Players to watch:
SJSU - #2 Adrian Oliver Sr. G (24.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.6 apg)
HAW - #4 Bill Amis Sr. F (14.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 0.8 apg)

Spartans Start WAC Tourney With Hawai'i - San Jose State record: 15-14, 5-11 WAC. The Spartans completed their first regular-season winning record in 10 years losing at Boise State, 66-51, on March 6. San Jose State is the eighth seed in the 2011 Western Athletic Conference Tournament. Hawai'i record: 18-11, 8-8 WAC. The Rainbow Warriors' five-game winning streak ended at Fresno State in an 85-70 loss on March 5. Hawaii is seeded fifth in the WAC Tournament. ... via San Jose State


[7] Fresno State vs. [6] Nevada - 5:30 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
FRES - 14-16 (6-10) RPI: 196 State: 212 SOS: 153 Last 10: 6-4 Form: WWLLW PF/PA: 67.2/66.6
NEV - 12-18 (8-8) RPI: 190 State: 224 SOS: 97 Last 10: 5-5 Form: WLLWL PF/PA: 69.8/71.1
NCAA Selection Sheets: Fresno State • Nevada
Recent meetings: 01/27/2011 FRES 76 @NEV 79 01/03/2011 NEV 74 @FRES 80
Players to watch:
FRES - #4 Greg Smith So. C (11.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.8 apg)
NEV - #44 Dario Hunt Jr. F (13.0 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 0.6 apg)

Pack Opens WAC Tournament Play Wednesday Versus Fresno State - Nevada (12-18, 8-8 WAC) opens play in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament versus Fresno State (14-16, 6-10 WAC) on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. The Wolf Pack and Bulldogs split the two games this season with each winning at home. Nevada earned the sixth seed based upon its 8-8 conference mark while FS is seventh. ... via Nevada