Monday, March 19, 2012

News On The Horizon 3/19/2012


Jazz surge past Golden State in overtime--Deseret News

Gordon Hayward contributed a dozen points and a half-dozen rebounds, and Devin Harris had 12 points and five assists as Utah moved its season record back to .500 (22-22) with the win.

Jazz-Warriors: Report card--Deseret News

Forwards: Paul Millsap played one of his worst offensive games of the season in regulation, but shot 3-4 in overtime as the Jazz dominated the extra five minutes. His 12 rebounds helped Utah destroy Golden State in the battle of the boards, 65-40. Josh Howard gave 24 minutes that were largely ineffective as Warrior forwards David Lee and Dorell Wright proved difficult to slow, scoring a combined 31 points on 13-25 shooting. Gordon Hayward largely picked up Howard's slack by stuffing the box score: 12 points, six rebounds and four assists. GRADE: C+

Jazz-Lakers: Report card--Deseret News

Bench: The Jazz bench out-scored the Laker reserves 36-30 behind 17 points apiece from Utah's two rookies, Kanter and Alec Burks. Burks has now scored in double figures in three of his past four games. Gordon Hayward and Jeremy Evans were hardly factors. Matt Barnes was the only Los Angeles reserve who gave Utah problems, scoring 12 points, grabbing eight rebounds and dishing six assists. GRADE: B+

Utah Jazz down Lakers 103-99 in youth-powered win--Salt Lake Tribune

Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, Gordon Hayward, Burks — four lottery picks from the 2010 and 2011 drafts. Four of the best young players in the NBA. Four crucial pieces in one of the Jazz’s best wins of the season — a victory Utah captured without starters Al Jefferson and Raja Bell, and with key reserve Earl Watson stuck on the bench.

Kanter added a season-high 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting for the Jazz (23-22), grabbing six rebounds and at times embarrassing Los Angeles’ weak interior defense. Favors traded his second consecutive start for 12 points and a team-high 10 boards, including five offensive rebounds. And even though Hayward was held scoreless, he ran the court at critical times and never played out of character.

Kurt Kragthorpe: Jazz should keep winning, even if it hurts--Salt Lake Tribune

The Jazz have their future in place. Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter and Alec Burks have done more in the past two games than I ever imagined they were capable of at this stage, and Gordon Hayward already was emerging.

The absences of Al Jefferson and Raja Bell made more playing time available to the four 21-and-under players (until Friday, when Hayward turns 22) over the weekend, and they responded. Favors’ 23-point, 17-rebound game against Golden State preceded 17-point efforts by Kanter and Burks against the Lakers, including Burks’ 13-point fourth quarter.

NBA: Utah Jazz’s young kids are more than all right--Salt Lake Tribune
Wizards vs. Grizzlies: John Wall scores 25, but Rudy Gay carries Memphis to 97-92 win--Washington Post

Shelvin Mack missed a wide open layup, but got the rebound and found Maurice Evans in the corner for a three-pointer. John Wall jumped and had his pass deflected, recovered it, then found Roger Mason Jr. in the corner for a three-pointer that put the Wizards ahead by two points.

College Basketball Invitational: Butler at Penn--The Indy Star
Progress at line has been vital--The Indy Star
On this day 2 years ago - Mar 18, 2010--Butler Blue Fever
Updated: Butler (21-14) vs. Pennsylvania (20-12)--Butler Blue Fever
Men’s basketball: Bulldogs move on in College Basketball Invitational--Butler Collegian

Women’s basketball: Team falls in first round of league tournament--Butler Collegian

Detroit Falls to Second-seeded Kansas 65-50 in Second Round--Titans Update
On this day 11 years ago - Mar 18, 2001--Titans Update
Men's Basketball Celebrates A Championship Season--detroittitans.com

Registration Still Available For Thursday's Women's Basketball Banquet--detroittitans.com

We Have Kayla Alexander and Megan Lukan Headlining the NC-Double-Eh Tournament Schedule--Raptors HQ
Women's NCAA Tournament Kingston Regional 2nd Round Breakdowns--College Sports Madness

No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 7 Green Bay (9:45 p.m. Monday at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa)

This is the true definition of a neutral-court game, although the geography may slightly favor Green Bay. Kentucky (26-6), winners of the Southeastern Conference regular-season title, dropped its SEC semifinal showdown against LSU (72-61) and endured a tough contest before beating McNeese State 68-62 in the first round. McNeese State held A’dia Mathies, the SEC Player of the Year, to just six points, and no one else really stepped into the scoring role. The leading scorer, Keyla Snowden, only came up with 11 points in the victory. While Kentucky shot 25-for-63 (39.7 percent) from the field, it was only 2-for-17 (11.8 percent) from 3-point range. Kentucky lost to Notre Dame, Middle Tennessee State, LSU (twice), Tennessee and Alabama this season, but the seventh loss could come on Monday. Green Bay (31-1) won the Horizon League title and saw its lone loss come against Detroit on February 9. The Phoenix knocked out host Iowa State 71-57 in the first round as Sarah Eichler had 16 points and five assists. The Horizon League really isn’t a strong conference, but UWGB has beaten Georgetown, Marquette and Wisconsin this year. If the Phoenix can hold down Mathies, fire up the 3-point shooting (11-for-29 against Iowa State) and jump out front in a hurry, another upset is possible. Kentucky looked weak in the first round, so look for Green Bay to have a better than 50-50 shot of shocking the Wildcats.

Women's basketball: UK coach talks up UWGB--Green Bay Press Gazette
Women's basketball: Ritchie's biggest fans? Her sisters--Green Bay Press Gazette
Green Bay in the Big Dance: Scouting Kentucky--GreenBayPhoenix.com

Michigan State 65, Saint Louis 61: Spartans advance to Sweet 16--The Detroit Free Press

Keith Appling scored 19 points and Brandon Wood and Derrrick Nix each added 10 for MSU, which advanced to its 10th Sweet 16 under coach Tom Izzo. Green also had two steals.
...
Trailing by as many as 11 points in the second half, Mitchell's three-pointer cut the lead to 45-39 with about 10 minutes. Wood pushed the lead to eight with a nice reverse layup on the baseline, but another Mitchell triple trimmed the lead to five. It was followed by an Appling jump shot with 7:20 to make it 49-42.
...
The game started a bit slowly with both offenses struggling to find footing. After jumping out to a 5-0 lead, MSU committed several turnovers and fell behind, 15-11, with about 9 minutes to go in the half. But Green three-pointer and a pick-and-roll play from Green to Adriean Payne or big dunk, followed by a steal and a Wood layup put MSU up, 18-15.

The Spartans led, 26-21, at halftime. Wood had eight points at the break. MSU held Saint Louis to just 5-for-21 (24%) shooting but the Billikens were able to stay in the game by shooting 9-for-13 from the free-throw line while MSU was only 0-for-1.

Michigan State marches on, prodded by Draymond Green--The Detroit News

"We run every play through him, so he could take it every time and try to score, but he doesn't do that," said guard Brandon Wood, who scored 10. "He tries to make the smart decision for himself or me or anybody else. We trust him with the ball in his hands."

Michigan State advances to play Louisville after ugly victory over Saint Louis--The Detroit News

Not only can the victory help in the long run, it was the latest example of the team's chemistry.

"We could have fell over and collapsed, but we stayed together and kept pushing," said Brandon Wood, who scored 10 points. "It was just staying together.

"We had each other's back and when it came to crunch time, we hit the free throws and won the game."

Michigan State off to the races with Louisville--The Detroit News

"We're looking forward to whoever," senior Brandon Wood said after Michigan State defeated Saint Louis on Sunday to reach the Sweet 16. "We're just ready for the next game. We'll get back to Lansing, relax a little bit and then get back to preparing."

Q&A: Louisville will be Michigan State's toughest test yet--The Detroit News

Q. Can the Spartans win their next two and get to New Orleans?

A. Yes, but their toughest test will come next with Louisville. Louisville puts a lot of pressure on the ball and this is where Keith Appling comes in. He has to handle that pressure with the help of Brandon Wood and (Travis) Trice.


Greg Kirby to Retire from Coaching after Six Seasons on Valpo Staff--valpoathletics.com

Women Fall to Seattle in WBI Quarterfinals--wsuraiders.com

Butler Takes on Penn in CBI Quarterfinals--Horizon League Network

Green Bay to Face Completely New Challenge in Second Round Game Against Kentucky

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