SB Nation - Manny Harris

College Hoops Go-Round: December 19

Chris Dobbertean — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 12:25:52 -0000

I managed to escape DC before the snow started and am writing this before I drive to Sunrise to check out the Orange Bowl Classic.

Friday night was a busy night for mid-majors, but it's a pity none of these games were on TV.

Defending OVC champ Morehead State won a thriller at home over A-Sun champ ETSU, 60-58.

It wasn't a great night for the Big West, as the league went 1-4 on the night.

The win came courtesy of Long Beach State, who beat former conference-mate Utah State, 75-62.

Otherwise, Montana State knocked off UC Santa Barbara, Drexel won at Cal State Northridge, St. Mary's beat Pacific in Moraga, and UC Irvine fell at home to San Jose State.

It's the Saturday before Christmas, which means it's going to be a busy day and night of action. However, the quality of games is higher in the afternoon than evening. All times are p.m. Eastern.

Michigan at No. 1 Kansas (ESPN, 12): This is being billed as the Green Game for some reason. (I somehow have yet to hear Kermit the Frog's spiel, which is honestly a true miracle, considering how often I've seen it on muted TVs.) Regardless, Michigan has been struggling since Thanksgiving day, and Lawrence may not be a place where Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims will be able to get back on track.
UCLA at Notre Dame (CBS, 2): Remember when this game meant something? Now both teams can't beat Big West and West Coast Conference teams.
No. 10 North Carolina at No. 2 Texas (ESPN, 2): This seems about right for the first college basketball game in the monstrosity that is Jerry World.
Xavier at No. 21 Butler (ESPN2, 2): Maybe they can drag Thad Matta over to referee. The Musketeers will try to knock off their second ranked foe of the week, while the Bulldogs look to not drop one they need to win.
Stanford at Northwestern (Big Ten, 2): Usually, the Cardinal would have the upper hand in this battle of the academic schools, but the Wildcats look to be a real tourney threat. I wonder how many threes NU will attempt today.
No. 15 Gonzaga vs. No. 7 Duke in New York (CBS, 4): This one is weather permitting at the moment. If it goes off, this one has plenty of star power. Don't expect Matt Bouldin to let Jon Scheyer to score 36 in this one.
Western Kentucky at Louisville (ESPN2, 4): The Hilltoppers knocked off a better Cardinal team last year, but that game was in Nashville, not Freedom Hall.
Ball State vs. No. 4 Purdue in Indianapolis (Big Ten, 4): The Wooden Tradition was reduced to one game this year, and it should be an easy Boilermaker win.
Austin Peay at No. 3 Kentucky (SEC on CSS/Full Court, 4): Another chance to see the John Wall show, this time against an OVC contender.
No. 9 Tennessee at USC (FSN, 4:30): This one would have been far more fun last season.
Memphis at Massachusetts (ESPN2, 6): Bobby Knight would have a name for this one.
Illinois State at Utah (the mtn.,6): The Redbirds fell on their faces at the Convo earlier in the week. They're going to find the Huntsman Center a completely different challenge.
Drake at Iowa (Big Ten, 6:30): The Hawkeyes look for an in-state win in their last attempt.
San Diego State at Arizona State (FS Arizona/FCS Pacific, 6:30): The Aztecs can sweep the Pac 10 Arizona schools with a victory.
Illinois vs. Georgia in Duluth, GA (ESPNU, 7): This is a return from a semi-neutral site game last season. The Illini won that one by 34.
Old Dominion at No. 11 Georgetown (Big East/Full Court, 7): The last time the Hoyas faced the Monarchs at home when they were ranked, ODU beat them by 13 (2007).
Creighton at No. 19 New Mexico (the mtn., 9): The Lobos hope to keep a good thing going against a Blue Jay team that's been a bit disappointing so far.
Portland at No. 24 Washington (FS Northwest/FCS Atlantic, 10): Remember the Pilots? A win over the Huskies would give them a shot to put themselves back on the map.

In other televised action today

IPFW at No. 12 Michigan State (Big Ten, 12)
Northern Colorado at Oklahoma (Full Court, 1)
Lipscomb at No. 25 Cincinnati (FS Ohio/SNY/Full Court, 2)
No. 6 West Virginia at Cleveland State (Big East/Full Court, 2)
Northern Iowa at North Dakota (FCS Central, 2)
South Carolina at Wofford (SportSouth/FCS Atlantic/Full Court, 7)
North Carolina Central at Indiana (Big Ten, 8:30)
Gardner-Webb at Penn State (ESPNU, 9)

There are a lot of games today that will only be televised regionally

Fordham at No. 8 Villanova
Mississippi State at Houston
The aforementioned Orange Bowl Classic: Miami vs. Florida Atlantic, No. 13 Florida vs. Richmond
St. Bonaventure at No. 5 Syracuse
Washington State vs. Portland State in Kennewick, WA
No. 16 Texas Tech at Wichita State
UAB at South Alabama
No. 17 Kansas State vs. Alabama in Mobile
Oakland at Oregon

For more on these, visit Matt Sarz' College Sports on TV site.

Kansas Hosts Michigan Saturday in an Early Tip

Denverjhawk — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:00:20 -0000

Kansas v Michigan

No. 1 Kansas (9-0) took a week off for exams but heads back to the hardwood hosting Big Ten Conference foe Michigan (5-4) Saturday at 11 a.m. Michigan as a team looked to be a potentially strong test for the Jayhawks before the year began. However, after losing four of their last six, the youthful Michigan squad doesn't appear to have a single victory against a qualify opponent through 9 games of the season. Oh, where have the days of the fab five gone.

	PPG	FG%	FT%	3P%	RPG	ORPG	DRPG	APG	TPG	SPG	BPG	FPG
MICH	71.1	42.2	70.5	29.7	33.6	11.1	22.4	15.3	10.0	8.2	2.9	14.1
KU	90.3	51.2	67.1	44.2	43.7	14.6	29.1	19.7	11.9	9.6	7.4	18.1
MICH Opponents	63.9	44.0	65.1	30.3	37.1	12.0	25.1	14.3	15.6	5.2	3.3	18.1
KU Opponents	57.7	34.3	65.9	28.7	33.7	13.7	20.0	11.1	16.7	5.8	3.2	20.0

Rank and Records	MICH	KU
RPI	#243	#21
Strength of Schedule	#255	#181
Overall	5-4	9-0
Conference	0-0	0-0
Home	4-1	6-0
Away	0-1	1-0
Top 25	0-0	0-0
RPI Top 50	0-1	0-0

About Kansas

Kansas posted a 90-65 win against La Salle in the M&I Bank Kansas City Shootout on Dec. 12 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. Freshman Xavier Henry had a career-high 31 points in the game and was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Rookie of the Week for the second-straight week for his efforts.

Kansas averages 90.3 points per game, is giving up 57.7 points and ranks in the top five nationally with a +32.7 scoring margin. KU is shooting 51.2 percent from the field, while its opponents are shooting 34.3 percent. Only one KU opponent, Radford, has shot above 40 percent against the Jayhawks this season.

Xavier Henry leads the team with an 18 point scoring average. He is making 53.3 percent of his shots from three-point range and leads KU with 24 threes and 16 steals.

Senior guard Sherron Collins scores 13.3 points per game and he has made 19 three pointers. Collins leads the team with 40 assists, which are five ahead of sophomore guard Tyshawn Taylor (7.3 ppg). Taylor has 14 steals, two ahead of Collins (12).

Junior center Cole Aldrich leads the team in rebounds with 9.6 per game. He also leads KU and the Big 12 in blocked shots with 3.6 per outing. Sophomore forward Marcus Morris is a starter who is scoring 9.8 points and pulling down 5.3 rebounds per game.

Sophomore forward Markieff Morris is coming off the bench to score 8.9 points per game. Markieff, who recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds against La Salle on Dec. 12, is second on the team with his 6.2 rebound average and leads KU with a 69.8 percent field goal shooting.

Junior guard Tyrel Reed scores 4.8 points per outing and he has 10 three-pointers this season. Freshman guard Elijah Johnson (4.3 ppg) has started the last two games.

About Michigan

Located in Ann Arbor, Mich., and coached by John Beilein, Michigan has won two of its last three games and is 5-4 on the season following its 75-64 win against Detroit on Dec. 13 in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines average 71.1 points and give up 63.9 per game for a +7.2 scoring margin. U-M averages 8.2 steals per game and forces 15.6 turnovers per contest.

Michigan is one of the youngest teams in America with 12 players redshirt sophomores or younger. Junior guard Manny Harris leads the team with 22.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Harris also has a team-high 18 steals and 45 assists. He is tied for the team lead with 13 three pointers along with sophomore guard Laval Lucas-Perry, who is scoring 7.4 points per game.

Senior forward DeShawn Sims is second on the team in scoring at 15.6 points per contest and he is just behind Harris in rebounds with a 7.4 average. Sophomore guard Zack Novak and freshman guard Darius Morris round out the starters. Novak scores 6.3 points per game, while Morris averages 4.8 ppg.

Senior forward Zack Gibson (6.0 ppg) and sophomore guard Stu Douglass (4.7 ppg) each average more than 24
minutes per game for the Wolverines.

Meet the Opposing Coach

Michigan coach Jim Beilein is 36-40 in his third season at Michigan and 587-358 in his 32nd season overall. Beilein's 587 career victories place him in the top 20 in victories among active Division I head coaches. He has compiled 27 winning seasons and put together 15 campaigns of 20-wins or more. Beilein is the only active coach in the collegiate ranks to record a 20-win season at four different levels -- junior college, NAIA, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division I. During the 2008-09 season, Beilein's second in Ann Arbor, Michigan posted a 21-14 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 11 seasons, falling in the second round. Michigan's 21 victories during the 2008-09 campaign tied a school record for the largest single-season turnaround in program history.

John Beilein
Team	Years	Record
Michigan	2007-2010	36-39 (48.0%)
West Virginia	2002-2007	104-60 (63.4%)
Richmond	1997-2002	100-53 (65.4%)
Canisius	1992-1997	89-62 (58.9%)
Le Moyne	1983-1992	163-94 (63.4%)
Nazareth	1982-1983	20-6 (76.9%)

The Series

Michigan has won all five meetings with Kansas in men's basketball. This is a rarity for Kansas - the third winningest program in NCAA Division I. Of teams with multiple games played against Kansas, Bradley (2-0) and UTEP (3-0) are the only teams that have undefeated records versus KU, damn Bradley. The Kansas-Michigan series dates back to 1949 and runs through 1992. Two of the matchups have been on neutral floors with a 49-47 Michigan win in 1949 in Kansas City and the last meeting, an 86-74 Michigan victory on Dec. 30, 1992, at the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu. This will be the second meeting between the schools in Allen Fieldhouse as Michigan defeated Kansas 64-52 during the 1980-81 season.

KU-La Salle Leftovers

Kansas freshman guard Xavier Henry scored 31 points to set a career high. The last Jayhawk to score 30-plus points was Sherron Collins, who scored 32 against North Dakota State last season in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
X. Henry also set career highs in field goals (10), free throws made (seven) and free throws attempted (nine). His totals were also the most by a Jayhawk this season.
Markieff Morris recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Morris' 12 boards were his best output since his Jayhawk debut. Markieff Morris' four blocked shots were also a career high.
Junior center Cole Aldrich scored a season-high 19 points. He also set a season high in field goals (eight) and had five blocked shots to match a season high. Aldrich's five blocked shots gave him 160 for his career and moved him into sixth place all-time at KU, behind Danny Manning (200).
Kansas held La Salle to 36.1 percent shooting from the field, marking the 83rd-straight opponent the Jayhawks have held under 50 percent. KU has also held eight of its nine opponents this season under 40 percent.

What to Look For Against Michigan

Sherron Collins is 27 points from cracking the KU Top 20 career scoring list. Collins is 21st with 1,450 career points. Collins' former teammate Brandon Rush (2006-08) is at No. 20 with 1,477 points.
Collins is six assists from cracking the KU Top 10 all-time list. Collins is No. 11 with 431 career assists, while former KU great and current Texas A&M head coach Mark Turgeon is No. 10 with 437 assists from 1984-87.
Cole Aldrich is four rebounds from moving into 25th on the Kansas career rebound list. Aldrich has 592 all-time boards. David Magley (1979-82) is 25th at 596 and Kelly Knight (1980-84) is 24th at 601.
Through only nine games, Xavier Henry already ranks tied for 11th on the KU freshman list for three point field goals made with 24. Kirk Hinrich (2000) is 10th with 25, while Jacque Vaughn (1994) is ninth with 28.
Redshirt junior guard Brady Morningstar and redshirt freshman center Jeff Withey are both eligible to play against Michigan. Morningstar was suspended for the first semester for breaking team rules. He started 34 of 35 games last season and averaged 30.3 minutes per game with a 6.5 scoring average. Withey, who returned to practice full-time Dec. 7 from a knee injury, transferred to Kansas from Arizona in December 2008 and becomes academically eligible.

Team Notables

Kansas remains one of 11 undefeated teams in NCAA Division I (Dec. 13). Others include Georgetown, Kentucky, Missouri State, New Mexico, Purdue, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Texas, Texas Tech and West Virginia.
Seven of Kansas' nine victories this season have been by 25 or more points with six of those by 30 points or more.
Entering the week, Kansas led the nation in scoring margin at +32.7. The Jayhawks also ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring offense (third at 90.3), field goal percentage (seventh at 51.2), field goal percentage defense (second at 34.3), three-point field goal percentage (fifth at 44.2), assists (fourth at 19.7), assist-to-turnover ratio (fourth at 1.65) and blocked shots (seventh at 7.4).
Kansas forces 16.7 turnovers per game and averages 21.3 points off turnovers per game.

		GP	GS	MPG	PPG	FG%	FT%	3P%	RPG	ORPG	DRPG	APG	TPG	SPG	BPG	FPG
#3	M. Harris	9	9	35.778	22.222	46.8	76.0	28.9	8.444	3.222	5.222	5.0	2.333	2.0	0.111	1.111
#34	D. Sims	9	9	30.667	15.556	47.0	75.0	37.5	7.444	3.0	4.444	1.0	1.0	1.222	0.889	1.889
#0	Z. Novak	8	8	31.0	6.25	40.0	55.6	28.1	4.375	0.875	3.5	1.5	0.5	1.5	0.5	2.25
#31	L. Lucas-Perry	9	9	24.667	7.444	38.9	57.1	36.1	2.111	0.667	1.444	1.667	1.556	0.889	0.111	2.444
#4	D. Morris	9	9	24.222	4.778	42.1	75.0	20.0	1.889	0.222	1.667	2.222	2.222	0.444	0.111	1.778
#1	S. Douglass	9	0	24.0	4.667	26.4	71.4	23.1	1.444	0.222	1.222	2.556	0.778	1.0	0.0	0.889
#32	Z. Gibson	9	1	12.333	6.0	56.8	62.5	22.2	2.667	1.444	1.222	0.222	0.444	0.444	0.889	1.667
#12	A. Wright	9	0	9.111	1.889	26.1	75.0	16.7	1.444	0.667	0.778	0.889	0.333	0.222	0.111	0.889
		GP	GS	MPG	PPG	FG%	FT%	3P%	RPG	ORPG	DRPG	APG	TPG	SPG	BPG	FPG
#4	S. Collins	9	9	29.667	13.333	43.8	77.3	43.2	2.0	0.222	1.778	4.444	1.556	1.333	0.0	1.333
#1	X. Henry	9	9	27.0	18.0	55.6	82.4	53.3	4.111	0.889	3.222	1.778	2.0	1.778	0.778	2.0
#45	C. Aldrich	9	9	25.889	12.0	56.3	70.0	0.0	9.556	3.333	6.222	1.222	1.444	0.667	3.556	2.111
	T. Taylor	9	7	23.556	7.333	40.0	68.4	31.2	2.778	0.667	2.111	3.889	2.0	1.556	0.222	1.778
#22	M. Morris	9	7	22.444	9.778	55.4	67.6	33.3	5.333	2.444	2.889	1.444	1.333	1.111	0.444	2.556
#21	M. Morris	9	2	16.778	8.889	69.8	66.7	66.7	6.222	2.111	4.111	1.222	0.889	0.778	1.0	1.889
#14	T. Reed	9	0	16.111	4.778	41.7	75.0	35.7	1.444	0.111	1.333	1.556	0.333	0.889	0.111	1.0
#15	E. Johnson	9	2	12.222	4.333	51.7	55.6	36.4	2.111	0.889	1.222	2.667	1.111	0.667	0.0	1.889

Stemming the Tide

BoilerTMill — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:02:30 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

Can you find the SEC logo in this picture? This is how serious Alabama is taking this game. SBNation has no basketball photos for them. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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I am wondering who I pissed off in the blogging community this week. Twice I reached out to the resident Alabama blog here at SBNation to do some sort of a preview, but I was met with stone silence each time. It looks like we'll be headed into this game with my normal statistical analysis and that alone. That's okay. Maybe it is because we have no hope of keeping up with SEC speed since we're a slow Big Ten team.

Truthfully, I kind of view this as our first major test of the season. We break out the black uniforms for the first time. We beat a legitimate top 10 SEC team in Tennessee, but that was in a neutral venue. To maintain our high ranking and quest for a #1 seed we must have a win on the road in a hostile venue that is not in the Big Ten. A loss tomorrow night opens us up to all kinds of criticism. Suddenly the Big Ten won't be able to play on the road. Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Minnesota each lost non-conference road games as ranked teams. We cannot fall into that trap.

2009-10 Record: 6-2

2008-09 Record: 18-14 (Lost to Tennessee in SEC Tournament)

Blog Representation: Roll Bama Roll (Hasn't updated Basketball in a year)

Series with Purdue: Purdue leads 3-2

Last Purdue win: 83-73 on 3/19/94 at Lexington, KY (NCAA tournament Second Round)

Last Alabama win: 85-77 2OT on 3/23/01 at Purdue (NIT quarterfinals)

Last Game in Tuscaloosa: Alabama 97, Purdue 80 on 11/26/76

Common Opponents: Michigan W 68-66, Tennessee (January 19th)

I remember our last game against the Crimson Tide very well. Injuries to Rodney Smith and John Allison had decimated us in Big Ten play, forcing us to the NIT. Both had returned for wins over Illinois State and Auburn before a home quarterfinal against the Crimson Tide. Alabama survived a pair of overtimes and a Blackout of Mackey Arena that I attended in black shoes, socks, pants, and shirt. It was the last good postseason run by a Gene Keady coached team at Purdue. At least it meant I got three more home games as a student that year.

This year's Alabama team is different from that 2000-01 squad. Coach Anthony Grant has taken over and stresses full-court pressure from his defense. In a way, this will be a bit like our trip to Missouri two years ago. That experience, especially for our juniors and seniors that made that trip, will be invaluable. He is in his first season at Alabama, but in three years at Virginia Commonwealth he took the Rams to two NCAA Tournaments and had a first-round upset of Duke. He was also an assistant on Florida's 2006 National Championship team.

His defensive philosophy is to cause full court pressure and generate offense from defense. Alabama averages almost 8 team steals per game. They are scoring about 73 points per game. That tells me that they aren't lighting up the scoreboard, but they aren't afraid to score either. Their schedule thus far has yielded some interesting results. They have a couple of quality wins over Michigan (when the Wolverines were ranked #15) and Baylor in the Old Spice Classic. The two losses came against Florida State in the same Old Spice Classic and in the season opener against Cornell. Those losses aren't as bad as you think. Cornell and Florida State were both NCAA Tournament teams a year ago and are favored to be again this year. It might be wise for us to take an Andy Bernard look-alike with us just to be safe.

Alabama is led in scoring by 6'5" senior guard Mikhail Torrance (15.1ppg) and 6'9" sophomore forward JaMychal Green (14.4ppg). Both players should be interesting matchups for us. Torrance will remind us of the bigger guards that Tennessee had. Green is almost strictly a post player who could be a tough matchup if JaJuan Johnson gets in foul trouble. Torrance is also a playmaker, leading the Crimson Tide with 45 assists in eight games. That is better than five per game, so he does look to get his teammates involved. Green leads the team in rebounds with 6.9 per game. Perhaps a more apt comparison for the two is that they are like DeShawn Sims and Manny Harris at Michigan. When the two teams played Sims and Harris outscored Torrance and Green 42-31, but the Tide won the war.

6'6" freshman forward Tony Mitchell (10.3ppg, 4.5rpg) is a nice complimentary player for the duo. He is a reliable third option that had 23 against Jackson State earlier in the year. Bigger name opponents have kept in check though. 5'9" guard Anthony Brock (8ppg) is a dangerous 3-point shooter, hitting 12 of 26 attempts in just six games played. Senario Hillman (7.8ppg, 2.6apg), Charvez Davis (7.4ppg), Justin Knox (5.2ppg, 4.4rpg), and Chris Hines round out Alabama's main rotation. Ben Eblen has also played in all eight games, but averages less than 10 minutes.

Alabama does not have an overwhelming amount of size, relying on quickness from its guards. Knox is a 6'9" junior from Tuscaloosa, while Hines is 6'8". This relative lack of size translates to just 35 team rebounds per game. JJ should have some room to operate in the middle, but that can change quickly if he gets into foul trouble like he did against Tennessee. The Crimson Tide averages a modest 12 turnovers per contest.

Brock and Davis are the main three points hooting threats. Each player hits better than 41% from long range. Davis is more a specialist from long range with 41 attempts and 17 makes. Torrance is also an excellent free throw shooter (36 of 39). If Alabama has a late lead they will look to get the ball in his hands, but he will already have it a lot anyway. Knox and Torrance are the only players over 80% as free throw shooters, and they barely get the team average over 69%.

This is a very balanced basketball team. Other than Torrence they don't rely on any one player to do everything. Torrance also spreads himself nicely between scoring and distributing the basketball. They have the early look of being an NCAA bubble team come March. As a result, they are going to want this game pretty badly for their resume.

It is a good test for us as well. The Big Ten is shaping up that every game not involving Indiana, Penn State or Iowa will be a battle. Even the Nittany Lions and Hoosiers have had their moments this year. Alabama is probably at least as a good as a Michigan, Illinois, or Minnesota in the middle of the Big Ten. Therefore, winning this game will be a good sign for those opponents. Since this is our first road test it will be interesting to see how our freshmen respond in a hostile environment. We are a long way from the days of our epic road losing streak though.

Keys to the Game for Purdue:

Handle Alabama's helter-skelter press
Don't let the crowd get involved
Keep JJ out of foul trouble
Keep shooting well from the perimeter
Limit second chance opportunities

PREDICTION: Purdue 74, Alabama 68

Utah Gets a Big Win, Defeats Michigan 68-52

Michael Rueckert — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:31:41 -0000

More photos » by Steve Griffin - AP

9 days ago: Utah guard Jace Tavita (2) passes around Michigan guard Darius Morris (4) during first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Salt Lake City, Wednesday Dec 9, 2009. (AP Photo/The Salt Lake Tribune, Steve Griffin)

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Final - 12.9.2009	1	2	Total
Michigan Wolverines	27	25	52
Utah Utes	35	33	68

Complete Coverage >

The Utah Runnin' Utes got a big win tonight against the Michigan Wolverines, beating them by 16. This team has been up and down all season, but came to play tonight. Boylen's team came out fired up and controlled the entire game. This was the first game of a crucial home stand, which should give them good momentum going into the Oklahoma game. With the win the Utes will improve to (5-4) on the season, while the Wolverines drop to (4-4).

True freshman Marshall Henderson played the best game of his short career scoring 22 points off the bench in just 28 minutes. He started the game about as well as he could have, having 16 points by halftime. He hit 4 big three pointers, and played with a lot of emotion.

Carlon Brown struggled early, but took over in the final period. Michigan made a run at the Utes cutting their lead to 4, but Carlon Brown scored 7 points in the final four minutes helping put the game out of reach. He scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half. He added 8 rebounds to a good game that should help him get back to the level he should be playing at.

As expected, Manny Harris was phenomenal for Michigan. He single handily brought Michigan back into the game late in the second half, but it wasn't enough. He scored 25 points on 8-16 shooting with most of his shots closely contested.

Jim Boylen said in his press conference that they are focusing on giving up less layups and free throws. The interior defense was very good in this game, with Utah holding Michigan to just 34% from the field. Michigan only scored 16 points in the paint. David Foster had another great night defensively blocking 5 shots. The Utes did lose the free throw battle giving Michigan 20 free throw attempts compared to their 9. Michigan shot those free throws very poorly however, making just 11 of 20.

Although Michigan is now just .500 on the season, this is a big win for Utah. Michigan had high expectations coming into this season and should compete in the Big 10. Utah is showing that they have what it takes to make a run for the MWC title, they are already making big strides since their early losses.

Coming up next is another big home game against Oklahoma on Saturday at 2:00 PM. A win Saturday can greatly boost Utah's RPI score, and give them a bit of momentum going into conference play in January.

Utah vs Michigan Preview

Michael Rueckert — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:14:07 -0000

More photos » by Keith Johnson - AP

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Next Game

Michigan Wolverines
@ Utah Utes

Wednesday, Dec 9, 2009, 6:00 PM PST
Jon M. Huntsman Center

TV: CBS College Sports

Complete Coverage >

Jim Boylen's aggressive style of scheduling is rewarding the Runnin' Utes with a big home game against the Michigan Wolverines tomorrow night at the Huntsman Center. This will be the first game of what is probably the biggest home stand in Utah Basketball history with Oklahoma making a trip to Salt Lake as well on Saturday.

Utah is coming off a big win over Idaho State as they improved to (4-4). After losing two in a row, this was more of a statement win, trying to prove that they are done with losing to mediocre teams. They are hoping to take whatever momentum that they have into this crucial week of big home games.

Michigan started the season ranked and got as high as No. 15 before losing three in a row. They have since rebounded with a win over Arkansas Pine-Bluff and are currently sitting at (4-3) on the season. They are still a good team, but haven't played well against good competition. This will be the Wolverine's first true road game of the season.

Michigan is led by sensational junior guard Manny Harris. He is averaging 21.1 points , 8.7 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game so far this season. Harris is a versatile player for Michigan who already has one triple double on the year, and was one rebound shy of a second one against Creighton.

Since returning from injury, JC transfer Jay Watkins has been a big factor for the Utes. In just three games played as a Ute he is averaging 11.1 points per game. He is coming off a 15 point performance in just 19 minutes against Idaho State. He had the game winning assist to Shawn Glover against Illinois.

Utah's star player, Carlon Brown, has struggled after a decent start on the year. Over the first four games of the season Brown was averaging 16.5 points per game. Since then he is averaging just 9 points per game. He is this teams biggest play maker and needs to get his game going to help the Utes keep any hope of making the NCAA tournament.

Michigan lacks great size, which is an advantage for the Utes. The Utes have skilled big men with David Foster, Kim Tillie and Jason Washburn. Michigan's two centers are only averaging 3 minutes per game, while the Utes give their bigs about 20 minutes per game. Look for Boylen to attack a smaller Michigan team in the paint.

Utah has played decent in big games thus far. They beat rival Utah State and had a come from behind victory over Illinois. They did however lose by 22 to Oklahoma State. Home court advantage could play a big part for the Utes, since this is Michigan's first true road game of the year. This could be one of the bigger crowds that the Runnin' Utes have had over the past few years.

Michigan vs Boston College Live Thread

SCM — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:44:09 -0000

Who: Michigan (3-2) vs Boston College (4-2) in the Big Ten/ACC "challenge"

When: 7:30 pm tip

Where: Ann Arbor, covered by ESPN2

Awesome-all-inclusive-preview: Head over to UMHoops for their fantastic preview

<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&task=viewaltcast&altcast_code=27565edc56" mce_href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&task=viewaltcast&altcast_code=27565edc56" >Michigan vs Boston College Live Thread</a>

Photo by Phelan Ebenhack (gamertag anyone?) via cmsimg.detnews.com

The TDG Big Ten Basketball Preview

GopherNation — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:45:15 -0000

I have intentionally held off with a Big Ten basketball preview, waiting until we could see a few games and get a feeling for how teams are adjusting to the key gains and losses from a year ago. Gopher Nation has plenty to look forward to this season. As we all know everything is returning with some key additions added. An NCAA tournament bid and likely a win or two is expected. But what about the road before the NCAA Tournament. The long and difficult Big Ten season comes first and this team has a chance to really be a factor in the B10 title race. Let's take a brief look at each team in my expected order of finish.

1 - Purdue (NCAA) - Were it not for Purdue having injury issues a year ago they could very likely be defending a Big Ten title this year. Robbie Hummel was last year's preseason B10 POY and he should not be fully healthy to lead the rest of a very talented roster. The bulk of the talent lies in the junior class for the Boilermakers and this team is athletic and deep. Injuries and other uncontrollables aside, what may be the difference between a Big Ten title and a top 2 finish could come down to coaching. Matt Painter is an excellent coach but who knows if he'll be capable of steering his team accurately to win a Big Ten regular season title. Guys like Tom Izzo, Bo Ryan, Bruce Weber and Tubby Smith have the resume of winning multiple titles. I think after this year Matt Painter adds a Big Ten regular season title to his resume.

Likely Starting lineup
PG - E'Twaun Moore
SG - Chris Kramer
SF - Keaton Grant
PF - Robbie Hummel
C - JJ Dawson

2 - Michigan State (NCAA) - I know that Michigan State is the consensus title team and for very good reason. Tom Izzo is a great coach, his team is coming off a national runner-up season and he returns the vast majority of his roster. But my gut tells me they have a great season but one that ends the regular season looking up one spot in the B10 standings. It is really hard not to like Michigan State. They too are deep, very athletic, play great defense and as I mentioned they are very well coached. But I think the one key loss will be the loss that makes the difference. Goran Suton meant a lot to the Spartans a year ago and while this team still has very talented players like Kalin Lucas, Chris Allen and Durrell Summers (with guys like Raymar Morgan and Delvin Roe off the bench); Suton will be missed. Freshman Garrick Sherman may be very good but he's not the same thing. From year to year team's take on different personalities and even the loss of just one player can change the dynamic of a team. Michigan State will be great, they'll be extremely dangerous in the NCAA Tournament but I think they fall a game or two short of Purdue this year.

Likely Starting lineup
PG - Kalin Lucas
G - Chris Allen
G - Durrel Summers
PF - Draymond Green
C - Garrick Sherman

3 - Ohio State (NCAA) - In this early season the Buckeyes have looked fairly strong. And leading their early season charge is the outstanding play of Evan Turner, who looks like the early favorite for Big Ten POY (very early, I know). Turner has notched a double-double in all four games averaging 21.7 ppg and 14.7 rpg. OSU has a lot of very nice pieces outside of Turner, which isn't surprising considering the recent string of very highly ranked recruiting classes in the Thad Matta era. OSU has some offensive weapons but they are lacking in a couple key areas. First of all they are not an overly deep team. Jon Diebler is a lights out shooter and Turner might be the best player in the conference but they can only carry them so far. Matta has been going with an eight man rotation so far this year with heavy minutes for the starting five. Secondly this team is not overly strong in the paint. Their perimeter is as good as anybody's in the conference but Kyle Madsen and Dallas Lauderdale will not strike fear into the hearts of the conference's coaches.

Likely Starting lineup
PG - William Buford
SG - Jon Diebler
SF - Evan Turner
PF - David Lighty
C - Kyle Madsen

4 - Minnesota (NCAA) - There was a time when my maroon goggles would have had me rank the Gophers one spot higher. The potential (probable?) losses of Royce White and Trevor Mbakwe greatly lessened my optimism. But then the impressive play of Rodney Williams to start the year has me thinking big things again, just not as grand as before. As we all know the Gophers are deep and defend very well. I think the improvement of the sophomores and the athleticism that Williams brings to the table makes this team dangerous. Over the course of a long season I don't think we have what it takes to finish in the top 2 but this team is good enough to beat anybody on their schedule.

Likely Starting lineup
PG - Al Nolen
SG - Lawrence Westbrook
SF - Rodney Williams
PF - Damian Johnson
C - Ralph Sampson III

5 - Illinois (NCAA) - this might be the team I know the least about but I do know enough to know that this team is well balanced and has the roster make-up that is well suited for Bruce Weber. Demitri McCarney, Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale are known quantities around the Big Ten. These guys averaged a combined 33 points, 14.7 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game last year. They compliment each other well and this year they add a couple dynamic freshmen to the backcourt in DJ Richardson and Brandon Paul. In the early goings these kids have 11.3 and 16.7 respectively, although they have yet to play any team of substance. Overall this will be a very good team that will only get better as the season goes along.

Likely Starting lineup
G - Brandon Paul
G - DJ Richardson
G - Demitri McCamey
PF - Mike Davis
C - Mike Tisdale

6 - Michigan (NCAA) - Manny Harris is such a great player who can win a game on his own and probably has the best pro potential in the conference. A lot of people would put the Wolverines as high as third on their prediction list based mostly on the talent of Harris and DeShawn Sims. But I'm not 100% sold on the rest of the team. John Beilein is a great coach and in year three he should really have his guys and his system working well. But once again I'm not sold on the rest of the roster and in this year's Big Ten a guy like Manny Harris will win you a few but on the nights when teams slow him down Michigan will be rather vulnerable. Decent depth, great scoring and not great interior size. A sixth place finish may seem very low but the difference between the 4th through 7th place teams could really only be a couple games.

Likely Starting lineup
PG - Darius Morris
G - Manny Harris
G - Laval Lucas-Perry
F - Zack Novak
F - DeShawn Sims

7 - Wisconsin (NCAA) - Rule #1 in Big Ten basketball, never underestimate Bo Ryan and the Badgers. This isn't a great Badger team but there is some talent here with Trevon Hughes, Jason Bohannon and even Jon Leuer is having a pretty good season thus far. It may be easy for Gopher fans to overlook Wisconsin since we did sweep them last year (that was fun to write), but this team is capable of not only beating the Gophers but finishing at least a few spots higher than this. Maybe this is wishful thinking or maybe I'm not sold that the talent is there, not even for Bo Ryan.

Likely Starting lineup
PG - Trevon Hughes
SG - Jason Bohannon
SF - Tim Jarmusz
PF - Jon Leuer
C - Keaton Nankivil

8 - Penn State (NIT) - The Talor Battle show will be a lot of fun to watch in Happy Valley. Penn State is perfectly demonstrates why I wanted to wait a couple weeks before I started my B10 preview. I once would have put PSU a spot or two higher, but after losses to UNC-Wilmington, Tulane and a 2-pnt win over Davidson (Steph Curry is no longer there folks) I am thinking that 7th might be too high. This team will go as far as Taylor Battle will lead them but the development of freshman Tim Frazier at PG and how well their interior rebounds is what could be the difference between another NIT run and the NCAA Tournament. Their Big Dance resume is already in bad shape, they'll will have to finish a lot higher in the conference standings to avoid the NIT again.

Likely Starting lineup
PG - Tim Frazier
SG - Talor Battle
SF - David Jackson
PF - Jeff Brooks
C - Andrew Jones

9 - Indiana (NIT) - Great recruiting class and I am a huge Tom Crean fan, but this year will be tough for a young Hoosier squad to make much noise in the Big Ten. The conference is the deepest and most talented that it has been in a very long time. Other years a hot, young team like Indiana could make a run into the top 5, but not this year. This will be the sheik team next year and this year you'll likely seen them stun a few top 4 teams along the way. But learning to play at the Big Ten level is not an easy adjustment no matter how talented you are. I wouldn't be completely shocked to see them finish higher, but not likely this year.

Likely Starting lineup
PG - Verdell Jones III
G - Jeremiah Rivers
G - Maurice Creek
PF - Tom Pritchard
C - Christian Watford

10 - Northwestern - This may have been the year for the Wildcats to make the tournament, but the loss of Kevin Coble effectively ended that dream. This is a surprisingly talented NU roster and with the way they defend and execute their precision offense they should never be taken lightly. But with Coble out for the season they'll rely on Michael Thompson and John Shurna. There are a couple intriguing freshmen to go along with Thompson and Shurna

Likely Starting lineup
PG - Michael Thompson
SG - Jeremy Nash
SF - Drew Crawford
PF - John Shurna
C - Luka Mirkovic

11 - Iowa - The outlook for the Hawkeye season is so bleak that they cannot help but surpass expectations this year. Scoring has been the problem this year for Iowa. There will be games when they are hot from behind the arc and maybe they'll get a few conference wins. But for the most part you can expect a lot of losses for Iowa (that too was fun to type).

Likely Starting lineup
PG - Cully Payne
SG - Anthony Tucker
SF - Matt Gatens
PF - Jarryd Cole
C - Brennan Cougill

I know that people hate preseason polls and predictions but at the conference level this is a lot of fun. Everyone has much hope and optimism for the season, except Iowa fans. There are eight teams capable of making a run to the NCAA Tournament (although Penn State is already on life support). The Big Ten should be a blast to watch this year.

Since I'm taking a wild stab at the standings here is my best guess at some post season individual awards.

All Big Ten First Team

PG - Kalin Lucas
SG - Manny Harris
SF - Evan Turner
PF - Robbie Hummel
F - DeShawn Sims

All Big Ten Second Team

G - Taylor Battle
G - Demetri McCamey
F - Jon Diebler
F - Damian johnson
C - JJ Dawson

Big Ten All Freshman Team

G - Brandon Paul - Ill
G - D.J. Richardson - Ill
F - Rodney Williams - Minn
F - Christian Watford - Ind
F - Garrick Sherman - MSU

Linking Laconically can't help being a contrarian

KJ@theonlycolors — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:34:46 -0000

[Warning: I'm apparently unable to write anything remotely positive about football links any more. Skip down for (relatively) happier basketball links.]

Burnt Like a Couch on Grand River: The Michigan State Secondary - The Rivalry, Esq.
Brilliant commenter: "A perfect storm of defensive incompetence of an ongoing nature and offensive brilliance of a highly-surprising nature."
Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio to ask Big Ten about dubious calls | freep.com | Detroit Free Press
I don't understand the focus on the TD play, rather than the overturned fumble on the previous play, which was the clearly egregious officiating decision.
Mark Dantonio clamps down on information, access at MSU | detnews.com | The Detroit News
Isn't this something you do for Michigan week, not for Western Michigan week?
Bill Cubit: To challenge Michigan State, Broncos first must 'fix ourselves' | Western Michigan Broncos - - MLive.com
Apparently, Western is the MAC version of us.
There's hope at U-M, MSU: Basketball season starts soon! | detnews.com | The Detroit News
Wait a minute. Since when does U-M get to be in this headline?
MSU's Raymar Morgan might miss season opener | freep.com | Detroit Free Press
Also, Roe will not play in the second exhibition game. Optimistic (read: irrational) spin: Better to get injury issues out of the way early.
The Hunt: No. 38, Gonzaga - The Dagger - NCAAB - Yahoo! Sports
These guys come to town in less than two weeks.
Discounts on Entertainment, Shows, Events, Tours, Attractions & More | Travelzoo
Get your discounted tickets to see the Spartans in Atlantic City at the end of the month.
Good start for Purdue | jconline.com | Journal and Courier
Boilermakers force 32 TOs but get out-rebounded in first exhibition game. (HT: Hammer and Rails)
IU unveils new look as 'a Big Ten team' " Evansville Courier & Press
Good. Maybe they won't screw up all our scatterplots this year. (HT: Gasaway)
Basketball Prospectus | Articles | Use This All-American Team Instead
Mr. Gasaway's All-American picks: Cole Aldrich and four non-AP All-Americans.

Bonus nonlaconical basketball prediction related to that last link: One of Mr. Gasaway's All-American picks is Evan Turner. Implicit in that selection is that Turner will outperform Kalin Lucas, who is both the defending and preseason Big Ten Player of the Year, this season. Given that (1) I just recently took some issue with Gasawayian comments regarding Lucas and (2) I was picking Kalin Lucas to be Big Ten Player of the Year way before it was cool to pick Kalin Lucas to be Big Ten Player of the Year, it may come as some surprise that I agree with the Turner pick.

Last season, Lucas and Turner basically finished in a dead heat for the conference player-of-the-year honor. Lucas likely got the edge with most voters due to MSU's team success. This year, I see several reasons that Turner may move a notch higher than Lucas on the prodcutivity scale:

David Lighty will be back to ease Turner's defensive responsbilities.
Turner's been practicing at point guard over the offseason, which may help cut down on his turnovers (and boost his assists).
Turner shot 44.0% on 3-pointers last season but only took 25 shots from beyond the arc. If he can maintain a percentage near/above 40% and take a few more 3-pointers, that would boost his scoring numbers significantly.

Lucas, meanwhile, could see a reduction in his scoring numbers:

With Travis Walton gone, he'll need to expend more energy on the defensive end of the court.
Walton's departure also means there will be more scoring options on the floor with Lucas, as Chris Allen, Durrell Summers, and Korie Lucious (and hopefully Delvon Roe and Raymar Morgan) see increased playing time. That should result in less need for Lucas to manufacture scoring opportunities late in the shot clock. (Upside could be more assists, particularly in conference play.)

Plus it's no fun if you just go along with the official party line, right? On that note, I'd make one change to the official preseason All-Big Ten team. Lucas, Turner, Manny Harris, and Robbie Hummel are locks. But I'd go with JaJuan Johnson over Talor Battle (still all juniors!).

Battle certainly had some spectacular moments last season--the most spectacular occurring in East Lansing--but his conference shooting numbers were pretty mediocre (.444/.300/.688) and he may have an even harder time getting off good shots this year following the graduations of Jamelle Cornley and Stanley Pringle.

Johnson, meanwhile, was pretty clearly the most effective big man in the league last season, averaging 13.4 points (on 53.8% FG shooting), 5.6 points, and 2.1 rebounds per game in conference play. With a healthy Robbie Hummel around to prevent defenses from collapsing on Johnson, he could be even more productive this season.

Battle gets a slot on my second team, with Demetri McCamey, Raymar Morgan, Kevin Coble, and DeShawn Sims.

More previewy stuff tomorrow.

Your obligatory Big 10 conference primer

SFBE.NF — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:19:53 -0000

Is this the year when the Big 10, a conference that is poked fun at for being a boring, the tops in the land? It could certainly happen with two Final Four contenders, and about a half dozen more looking for inclusion into the field of 65. Michigan State will dominate the headlines, but Purdue may be the most intriguing team. Remember that recruiting class of 2007? Well now they're juniors and probably realize it's about time they live up to some of the hype. No pressure here kids.

Ohio State has the league's biggest playmaker in Evan Turner, who uses this year to audition for next year's NBA Draft. As in the previous three seasons, Thad Matta doesn't have a highly touted freshman center to build around. This team is going to run and look to outscore its opponents, but I guess that's the sport's operative goal right?

People are also talking about Northwestern. Is it worth the chatter? That remains to be seen but you have to at least respect Kevin Coble & Company. The Wildcats will rely on the deep ball to stay in games.

Tourney teams (in order of conference finish)

Michigan State
Purdue
Ohio State
Michigan
Illinois
Minnesota

All Conference Team

Kalin Lucas, Michigan State
Raymar Morgan, Michigan State
Evan Turner, Ohio State
Robbie Hummel, Purdue
Manny Harris, Michigan

Most overrated - Northwestern (if that's possible)

Most underrated - Purdue's Junior class finally putting "getting it," Evan Turner's scoring ability

Notable non-conference match-ups:

11/19 - Ohio State vs. North Carolina
12/1 - Michigan State @ North Carolina
12/19 - Michigan @ Kansas
12/22 - Texas @ Michigan State
1/1 - West Virginia @ Purdue

Five story lines to keep tabs on:

Michigan. A surprise team last season, the Sims-Harris duo could be one of the best inside outside threats.
Talor Battle. He literally may carry the Nittany Lions on his back. The diminutive guard has a flair for the dramatics.
Northwestern. How mind-boggling is it to say that the Wildcats are being overhyped on whether or not they can just make the NCAA Tournament?
Wisconsin. Bo Ryan is pretty good at doing something with nothing. This year might be the ultimate test.
Raymar Morgan. Battling mononucleosis last season, he underperformed. If he plays to his potential then the Spartans are going to be scary.

In the case of Lucas v. Harris

KJ@theonlycolors — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:37:49 -0000

So the other day our favorite Wolverine blogger interviewed our favorite college basketball analyst. All in all, it was a great read, with the sort of incisive wonkery we've all come to expect/love from Mr. Gasaway. ("The problem isn’t tempo, the problem is 11 teams playing the same tempo.")

But I was puzzled a bit by this:

In fact, I want to pipe up on behalf of one of your players. I read the interview you did with KJ of The Only Colors and I have to take issue with your statement that Michigan State’s Kalin Lucas "is easily the best point guard in the conference." Really? What about a certain Manny Harris? Oh, I know last year there were always other Wolverines on the floor alongside Harris who proudly wore the "point guard" label (Kelvin Grady, C.J. Lee, Stu Douglass, etc.). I for one don’t buy it. Harris had by far the highest assist rate on the team and, more importantly, he ran this offense in the literal Beilein-ian sense. Plus Lucas is hapless inside the arc, making an anemic 40 percent of his twos last year. I’ll grant you that Lucas made Sherron Collins look really bad at a propitious moment (less than a minute left in a tie game) in the Sweet 16 and is clearly superior to Harris when it comes to nailing threes. I’m just sayin’. Not open and shut from my chair.

Before we delve into the paragraph above, let's take a look at the statistical evidence. Lucas-v.-Harris statistical comparison, based on 2009 regular season Big Ten games, after the jump (data HT: statsheet):

	K Lucas	M Harris
Points/G	16.5	15.3
Off Rating	110.2	97.3
Poss%	27.1	32.0
2pt FG%	42.4	43.4
3pt FG%	38.9	30.1
Eff FG%	46.1	44.0
FT%	84.8	84.7
FT Rate	42.8	44.7
PPWS	1.07	1.04
Reb/G	2.4	6.7
Off Reb%	3.4	5.4
Def Reb%	5.5	22.4
Assist/G	3.7	3.7
Assist%	25.5	28.9
TO/G	2.7	3.5
TO%	18.9	21.6
Assistt/TO	1.3	1.1
Steall/G	0.8	1.3
Steall%	1.5	2.5

First off, let me quickly concede, and applaud, Mr. Gasaway's first point: Manny Harris is effectively Michigan's point guard. He averaged the same number of assists per game as Lucas did in conference play. For the season, his assist rate was 11 percentage points higher than any other Wolverine player.

Harris is a great player who can do just about everything his coach could (and does) ask of him. He's asked to bear an enormous share of the team's offensive workload (as evidenced by 32.0% usage rate) and he rebounds like a power forward (on the defensive end, at least) to boot.

But comparing the two players' ball-handling and scoring metrics, the scales tip in Lucas' favor:

Their assist numbers were comparable, with Harris' assist percentage a little higher presumably due to MSU's slightly higher team scoring production.
Harris turned the ball over more than Lucas did, even accounting for the higher frequency with which he initiated offensive plays.
Lucas lagged behind Harris by just one percentage points from 2-point range, while beating him by nearly 9 points from beyond the arc.
Lucas nearly matched Harris' ability to get to the free throw line--despite giving up 5 inches to Harris--and was just as proficient in turning those trips to the line into points.

Mr. Gasaway's knock on Lucas is his 2-point shooting percentage. Really, though, both Lucas and Harris have 2-point shooting percentages below an ideal elite-scorer level. But they both make up for it by getting to the free throw line with regularity, resulting in their respective respectable (considering how much they both shoot) points-per-weighted-shot figures of 1.07 and 1.04.

Now, you can argue that by adopting the conference-only, even-playing-field approach to the statistical comparison, I'm ignoring Lucas' shooting struggles during the nonconference season. And, indeed, Lucas shot just 34.5% from 2-point range during the nonconference season, dragging his full-season 2-point percentage just south of 40% (39.6%, to be exact). Given that Lucas shot 44.5% from 2-point range as a freshman, though, I think you can chalk that up to a short-term slump.

(On the other side of the ledger, Harris shot 46.6% from 2-point range for the full season--but a perusal of his game log indicates that number is padded by some big scoring games against early nonconference opponents of the distinctly patsyish variety.)

And it should be noted that, while Lucas was struggling to hit mid-range jumpers during the nonconference season, he was also sporting a gaudy 6.5-1.0 assist-turnover ratio. This leads to my own wonkish conclusion: Kalin Lucas is a mutating point guard. Here are Lucas' major per-game point guard indicators for this last season, categorized by type of opponent:

	Pts/G	Ast/G	TO/G	Games	15+ Pts	5+ Asts
NonB10 Opponents (All)	16.3	3.5	2.7	18	7	13
NonB10 Opponets (BCS only)	13.0	5.5	2.1	10	3	7
B10 Opponents	12.9	5.9	1.7	20	13	3

Against non-Big Ten foes, Lucas fits the mold of the traditional pass-first point guard. He distributes the ball to his teammates, minimizes turnovers, and scores at a relatively modest rate. And it isn't just a case of padding the ball-handling stats against weaker opposition; the numbers don't change much if you restrict the sample to nonconference opponents from BCS conferences.

Against Big Ten adversaries, meanwhile, Lucas morphs into a shoot-first point guard. The assist number drops substantially, with an uptick in turnovers, and the scoring average shows an offsetting increase.

Lucas was twice as likely to post 5 or more assists as he was to score 15 or more points against nonleague opponents. Against Big Ten teams, that ratio dramatically reversed itself to 4-1 in favor of scoring 15+ points.

I've previously hypothesized on this phenomenon, as it applied to the transition from the pre-conference nonconference schedule to conference play:

My intuitive explanation for this is that transition scoring opportunities dried up in conference play. Generally, the MSU offense looks something like this on any given possession:

Lucas pushes the ball in transition. If the opportunity to score is there, he either drives to the basket or passes to an open teammate.

If the opportunity isn't there in transition, Lucas pulls the ball out and MSU runs its offense--generally looking for scoring options other than Lucas.

If the half-court offense hasn't created a good shot with 10 seconds left on the shot clock, Lucas gets the ball up top and tries to create a shot going toward the basket.

That's obviously an oversimplification, but I think it helps explain why Lucas' assists fell and his 2-point attempts increased in conference play.

It just now occurs to me, though, that the contrast is just as striking when you include the 6 nonconference games that followed the conference season--i.e., the Men's Division 1 NCAA Basketball Tournament, in which Lucas averaged 14.3 points, 5.7 assists, and 3.0 turnovers per game. That lends credence to the idea that the all-11-Big-Ten-teams-playing-slowly phenomenon may, in fact, be the significant variable in determining what kind of production MSU gets out of its star point guard. It wasn't just a case of Lucas' game evolving over the course of the season.

Let me state my theory on Lucas in broader (and less emotionally-detached) terms : Kalin Lucas does what his team needs him to do to win games. Against faster-paced opponents, he runs the fast break with superb efficiency. Against more plodding opponents, he finds ways to score in the half-court offense. Comparisons to other Big Ten stars aside, you can't ask for much more than that.