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College basketball's star freshmen know exactly what's being said about them and just how much praise is being heaped upon them – as much as they try to ignore it.
Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford thinks this might be the most talented freshman class ever. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo says it's at least the best in a long time. Others are running out of superlatives to describe the athletes in this class; some have resorted to simply calling them monsters.
Two of them – Kansas' Andrew Wiggins and Duke's Jabari Parker – each have been hailed as "the best basketball player since LeBron James," and both were on the cover of Sports Illustrated before they suited up for a college game. The most astounding part? Kentucky's Julius Randle might be better than both and beat them out as the top pick in the 2014 NBA draft. That's the kind of class this is – a potentially historic group of teenagers over whom NBA executives are salivating. The draft is more than six months away, yet prognosticators already are debating who should go No. 1 and how many freshmen will be lottery picks.
"Six or seven freshmen are going to be taken in the first eight or nine picks," ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla said.
This unprecedented level of hype – background noise that will only get louderas the season wears on – served as the backdrop for these freshmen's college debuts over the weekend.
Randle scored 23 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in the opener, then added a second double-double (22 and 14) in Game 2. Parker dropped 22 (8-for-8 from the field) and added six boards. Wiggins went for 16, plus three rebounds and three steals. Other elite rookies dazzled, too.
"I was a little nervous at first," Arizona forward Aaron Gordon said after his first game, in which he scored 13 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked four shots. "I finally told myself that basketball is basketball no matter what level or where you play at. It's always the same game."
There are just slightly higher stakes now.
***
There have been other memorable freshman classes during the past four decades. The 1979-80 class, which included Ralph Sampson, Isiah Thomas, Dominique Wilkins and James Worthy, was noteworthy for players' accomplishments in college and the NBA. The same goes for the 1981-82 class with Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing and Chris Mullin.
It became challenging to judge the overall quality of classes from 1995, when Kevin Garnett ushered in the preps-to-pros era, through 2005, the last year before the NBA age restriction, which requires players to be at least 19 years old and one year out of high school to enter the draft.
Many of the elite high school stars of that era – most notably Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwight Howard — skipped college altogether. And in 2004 and 2005, a combined 20 high school players – ready or not – entered and remained in the NBA draft, diminishing the strength of those respective freshmen classes.
The 1995-96 freshmen class, featuring recognizable names such as Paul Pierce, Vince Carter and Chauncey Billups, is regarded as one of the best of the modern era, even without Garnett. The class of 2007-08 was noteworthy because Kansas State's Michael Beasley dominated the Big 12, Kevin Love led UCLA to another Final Four berth and Derrick Rose nearly stewarded Memphis to a national championship.
And during the 2006-07 season, Greg Oden helped lead Ohio State to the national championship game, and Kevin Durant became the first freshman to win the Naismith College Player of the Year Award.
Durant entered college with considerable hype, but Texas coach Rick Barnes said Durant's will to work, which evolved through the course his lone college season helped distinguish him as one of the best offensive players in recent history.
***
This year's class has the talent to compete with those historic classes. And Tuesday, eight of the top 10 in ESPN's class of 2013 recruiting rankings will play in the most anticipated night of college basketball's regular season. No. 1 Kentucky tips off against No. 2 Michigan State at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by No. 6 Kansas vs. No. 4 Duke.
The freshman-heavy rosters have only fed the frenzy.
Kansas coach Bill Self doesn't know if it's possible to protect Wiggins from the hyperbole or incessant media attention. And he thinks dealing with all of it will only benefit Wiggins long term – as long as he doesn't get caught up reading it now.
"Andrew will learn to roll with it," Self said. "That goes with the territory. All the great ones have to deal with that."
Self said the comparisons to LeBron James are "very unfair. He's not LeBron. And he's not Durant. And he's not Wilt. He's Andrew. And Andrew will impact our game and our college program in a huge, huge, huge way without question. But to compare him to people who his game doesn't resemble at all, I don't think that's fair at all."
Self isn't the only one who has shuddered at the LeBron comparisons. Some of college basketball's returning players have been irked by all the attention the freshmen have gotten.
Reflecting on the unprecedented hype surrounding now Big 12 foe Wiggins, Oklahoma State star Marcus Smart, the only unanimous first-team Associated Press All-American, told USA TODAY Sports: "They are saying he is the best college player there is, and he has not even played a game yet."
"These guys haven't played one second, and they get a lot of hoopla and everything," Georgetown senior Markel Starks said. "If they're hyped up to be what they are, then great. Sometimes these guys really are that good. But at the same time, it is kind of a slap in the face for guys who've been in college basketball for two, three, four years. You hear about these freshmen who are supposed to be 'the next great thing.' It's every year. A freshman that comes in is supposed to be better than the (last) freshman that came in. It's just like that year in and year out."
Creighton's Doug
Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford thinks this might be the most talented freshman class ever. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo says it's at least the best in a long time. Others are running out of superlatives to describe the athletes in this class; some have resorted to simply calling them monsters.
Two of them – Kansas' Andrew Wiggins and Duke's Jabari Parker – each have been hailed as "the best basketball player since LeBron James," and both were on the cover of Sports Illustrated before they suited up for a college game. The most astounding part? Kentucky's Julius Randle might be better than both and beat them out as the top pick in the 2014 NBA draft. That's the kind of class this is – a potentially historic group of teenagers over whom NBA executives are salivating. The draft is more than six months away, yet prognosticators already are debating who should go No. 1 and how many freshmen will be lottery picks.
"Six or seven freshmen are going to be taken in the first eight or nine picks," ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla said.
This unprecedented level of hype – background noise that will only get louderas the season wears on – served as the backdrop for these freshmen's college debuts over the weekend.
Randle scored 23 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in the opener, then added a second double-double (22 and 14) in Game 2. Parker dropped 22 (8-for-8 from the field) and added six boards. Wiggins went for 16, plus three rebounds and three steals. Other elite rookies dazzled, too.
"I was a little nervous at first," Arizona forward Aaron Gordon said after his first game, in which he scored 13 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked four shots. "I finally told myself that basketball is basketball no matter what level or where you play at. It's always the same game."
There are just slightly higher stakes now.
***
There have been other memorable freshman classes during the past four decades. The 1979-80 class, which included Ralph Sampson, Isiah Thomas, Dominique Wilkins and James Worthy, was noteworthy for players' accomplishments in college and the NBA. The same goes for the 1981-82 class with Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing and Chris Mullin.
It became challenging to judge the overall quality of classes from 1995, when Kevin Garnett ushered in the preps-to-pros era, through 2005, the last year before the NBA age restriction, which requires players to be at least 19 years old and one year out of high school to enter the draft.
Many of the elite high school stars of that era – most notably Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwight Howard — skipped college altogether. And in 2004 and 2005, a combined 20 high school players – ready or not – entered and remained in the NBA draft, diminishing the strength of those respective freshmen classes.
The 1995-96 freshmen class, featuring recognizable names such as Paul Pierce, Vince Carter and Chauncey Billups, is regarded as one of the best of the modern era, even without Garnett. The class of 2007-08 was noteworthy because Kansas State's Michael Beasley dominated the Big 12, Kevin Love led UCLA to another Final Four berth and Derrick Rose nearly stewarded Memphis to a national championship.
And during the 2006-07 season, Greg Oden helped lead Ohio State to the national championship game, and Kevin Durant became the first freshman to win the Naismith College Player of the Year Award.
Durant entered college with considerable hype, but Texas coach Rick Barnes said Durant's will to work, which evolved through the course his lone college season helped distinguish him as one of the best offensive players in recent history.
***
This year's class has the talent to compete with those historic classes. And Tuesday, eight of the top 10 in ESPN's class of 2013 recruiting rankings will play in the most anticipated night of college basketball's regular season. No. 1 Kentucky tips off against No. 2 Michigan State at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by No. 6 Kansas vs. No. 4 Duke.
The freshman-heavy rosters have only fed the frenzy.
Kansas coach Bill Self doesn't know if it's possible to protect Wiggins from the hyperbole or incessant media attention. And he thinks dealing with all of it will only benefit Wiggins long term – as long as he doesn't get caught up reading it now.
"Andrew will learn to roll with it," Self said. "That goes with the territory. All the great ones have to deal with that."
Self said the comparisons to LeBron James are "very unfair. He's not LeBron. And he's not Durant. And he's not Wilt. He's Andrew. And Andrew will impact our game and our college program in a huge, huge, huge way without question. But to compare him to people who his game doesn't resemble at all, I don't think that's fair at all."
Self isn't the only one who has shuddered at the LeBron comparisons. Some of college basketball's returning players have been irked by all the attention the freshmen have gotten.
Reflecting on the unprecedented hype surrounding now Big 12 foe Wiggins, Oklahoma State star Marcus Smart, the only unanimous first-team Associated Press All-American, told USA TODAY Sports: "They are saying he is the best college player there is, and he has not even played a game yet."
"These guys haven't played one second, and they get a lot of hoopla and everything," Georgetown senior Markel Starks said. "If they're hyped up to be what they are, then great. Sometimes these guys really are that good. But at the same time, it is kind of a slap in the face for guys who've been in college basketball for two, three, four years. You hear about these freshmen who are supposed to be 'the next great thing.' It's every year. A freshman that comes in is supposed to be better than the (last) freshman that came in. It's just like that year in and year out."
Creighton's Doug
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The funny thing is, Jabari Parker-Andrew Wiggins wasn't supposed to be a head-to-head matchup Tuesday in the second game of the Champions Classic.
It wasn't until No. 6 Kansas seemingly ran out of defensive options – Parker had scored 19 points by halftime – that the Jayhawks had to resort to putting their star freshman on No. 4 Duke's. The matchup didn't happen often, but in those moments, it felt like a college basketball fan's dream. Or, at least it was Wiggins'.
"I kind of wish we would have played Andrew on Jabari the whole time – he wanted to do that," Kansas coach Bill Self said later. "But I was nervous about fouls. … He is competitive. That dude wanted (Parker). 'I want to guard Jabari. Let me guard Jabari.' I said, 'That's not how we practice.'
"Midway through the second half, at the 13-minute mark, I didn't put him on Jabari. He just went to guard him. I think he got a piece of his shot that possession. I said, 'Well, he's probably right.' I should have been listening to him the whole time."
In bars, across coffee tables and on television for the next seven months, people will debate who is the best freshman in college basketball. For awhile, the Chicago-bred Parker had held the title of best in this class. Then, Wiggins reclassified and knocked him off his perch.
Neither player tried to turn Tuesday's game – a 94-83 Jayhawks win – into a Parker-Wiggins showdown, at least not vocally ahead of time. But of course it would be, even with Kansas sophomore Perry Ellis grabbing much of the attention in-game by adding 24 points. With the game seesawing back and forth, Parker and Wiggins both picked up their fourth fouls, but they didn't let that slow them.
With Kansas clinging to a two-point lead with little over a minute left in the game, Wiggins drained a step-back jumper. Ellis stole the ball, and Wiggins added an emphatic dunk to pad the Jayhawks lead.
If that wasn't enough, he drew Parker's fifth foul on the play.
"He's good," Parker said. "He's a good player. But most importantly, Kansas beat us." Wiggins finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds; Parker had 27 and nine.
"I need to get a little more experience and be hungry to learn," Parker said. "I've got a long ways to go."
Four different Duke players scored in double-digits, as did four Kansas players. The game's final scoring margin was the largest difference of the game.
Andrew Wiggins seals Kansas victory over Jabari Parker, Duke
It wasn't until No. 6 Kansas seemingly ran out of defensive options – Parker had scored 19 points by halftime – that the Jayhawks had to resort to putting their star freshman on No. 4 Duke's. The matchup didn't happen often, but in those moments, it felt like a college basketball fan's dream. Or, at least it was Wiggins'.
"I kind of wish we would have played Andrew on Jabari the whole time – he wanted to do that," Kansas coach Bill Self said later. "But I was nervous about fouls. … He is competitive. That dude wanted (Parker). 'I want to guard Jabari. Let me guard Jabari.' I said, 'That's not how we practice.'
"Midway through the second half, at the 13-minute mark, I didn't put him on Jabari. He just went to guard him. I think he got a piece of his shot that possession. I said, 'Well, he's probably right.' I should have been listening to him the whole time."
In bars, across coffee tables and on television for the next seven months, people will debate who is the best freshman in college basketball. For awhile, the Chicago-bred Parker had held the title of best in this class. Then, Wiggins reclassified and knocked him off his perch.
Neither player tried to turn Tuesday's game – a 94-83 Jayhawks win – into a Parker-Wiggins showdown, at least not vocally ahead of time. But of course it would be, even with Kansas sophomore Perry Ellis grabbing much of the attention in-game by adding 24 points. With the game seesawing back and forth, Parker and Wiggins both picked up their fourth fouls, but they didn't let that slow them.
With Kansas clinging to a two-point lead with little over a minute left in the game, Wiggins drained a step-back jumper. Ellis stole the ball, and Wiggins added an emphatic dunk to pad the Jayhawks lead.
If that wasn't enough, he drew Parker's fifth foul on the play.
"He's good," Parker said. "He's a good player. But most importantly, Kansas beat us." Wiggins finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds; Parker had 27 and nine.
"I need to get a little more experience and be hungry to learn," Parker said. "I've got a long ways to go."
Four different Duke players scored in double-digits, as did four Kansas players. The game's final scoring margin was the largest difference of the game.
Andrew Wiggins seals Kansas victory over Jabari Parker, Duke
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Once a week, USA TODAY Sports asks its network of college basketball experts to analyze the biggest topics around the country. This week, the panel debates whether Kentucky's highly-touted freshman class, which boasts six McDonald's All-Americans, is better than the Michigan Fab Five.
Randy McClure, Rushthecourt-net: Before Tuesday night's Champions Classic game, I would have said absolutely not. After Tuesday night's Champions Classic game, I still say absolutely not. When people talk about the Fab Five nowadays, they usually forget that a team full of freshman starters, much less one that competes for national championships, was not the norm like it is today. Elite future All-Stars like Shaq, LJ, Zo and Laettner stayed in school for three and even four years, making their teams much more experienced and deeper than they are now. As a matter of course, the best teams developed chemistry over a matter of years rather than months. The Fab Five's success in an environment where they were not only greener and younger than everyone else, but competitive and arguably better than most of them, was unprecedented. On the other hand, the best teams of today are filled with freshmen, taking advantage of the fact that most of their older peers are already playing in the NBA. And while Kentucky's freshmen are elite in their own peer group, only Julius Randle would be in the conversation with Chris Webber, Juwan Howard and Jalen Rose as the best of the best.
Nicole Auerbach, USA TODAY Sports: I think it's tough to compare players 20 years apart because the game is different, so I'm going to dodge the actual question here. But I will say I was blown away by Julius Randle Tuesday night in Chicago. Michigan State won the game and looked like a really strong, veteran team. But I left the game more excited about Kentucky's upside. James Young was great in the game's first half. The freshmen seemed to grow up a great deal from the first half to the second; Randle scored nearly all of his points in the second half. I know the Harrison twins need to improve, and things like turnovers/free throws will have to get taken care of, too, but there is so much raw talent on this Kentucky team. It's impossible to believe these guys won't get better as the season wears on and won't be a national championship contender. As Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said after the game, Kentucky will get better, and Randle doesn't need to. He's so pro-ready already. OK, enough rambling. Suffice it to say, I really don't care about comparing them to the Fab Five; I just want to watch these UK freshmen every night this season. They're fun.
David Alridge, Duke Report: In terms of volume, the Kentucky class is better. Kentucky's freshman class includes six of the Top 15 recruits in the country from last season and they brought in the number one prospect at four of the five positions on the floor. The "Fab Five" at Michigan was incredible, but for John Calipari to bring in six players of this caliber is unbelievable.
In terms of quality, the edge goes to Michigan. This class led the Wolverines to back-to-back appearances in the national championship game during a time when college basketball was still being played at an incredibly high level by teams that relied on the experience of upperclassmen. At no point this season will Kentucky face a team as good as the Duke team Michigan played in the 1992 national championship game. For the "Fab Five" to have the success they did against the competition they faced speaks volumes to how good that group was.
Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY Sports: No. But it depends on how we're defining better. Technically, John Calipari's freshman class in 2012 could be better than the Michigan Fab Five because those Wildcats won a title and Chris Webber and Co. were one timeout short of one. Yet we have to understand fully why we're still talking about the Fab Five in 2013. Sure, they were a group of freshmen that did something unprecedented by playing and advancing to the title game. But the adjective here is transcendent. Michigan's Fab Five changed the game from a cultural standpoint with the baggy shorts, black shoes and black socks. If Kentucky's team wins a national championship this year, they're still falling short in that department. But if we're talking about a pick-up game, then it's a different perspective...but for now, my answer is the same. The biggest ingredient that's always left out of the formula is chemistry and that's something Kentucky doesn't have yet. They didn't play cohesively for the entire game against Michigan State and they failed to do the little things that help their inexperience seem irrelevent. The trash talk and the demeanor that old school Wolverines squad had led to great camraderie. Perhaps a loss that sparked tears in UK's locker room will help them come together. If that happens, there' still a long way to go. We'll see.
College Basketball Caucus: Are UK freshmen better than Fab Five?
Randy McClure, Rushthecourt-net: Before Tuesday night's Champions Classic game, I would have said absolutely not. After Tuesday night's Champions Classic game, I still say absolutely not. When people talk about the Fab Five nowadays, they usually forget that a team full of freshman starters, much less one that competes for national championships, was not the norm like it is today. Elite future All-Stars like Shaq, LJ, Zo and Laettner stayed in school for three and even four years, making their teams much more experienced and deeper than they are now. As a matter of course, the best teams developed chemistry over a matter of years rather than months. The Fab Five's success in an environment where they were not only greener and younger than everyone else, but competitive and arguably better than most of them, was unprecedented. On the other hand, the best teams of today are filled with freshmen, taking advantage of the fact that most of their older peers are already playing in the NBA. And while Kentucky's freshmen are elite in their own peer group, only Julius Randle would be in the conversation with Chris Webber, Juwan Howard and Jalen Rose as the best of the best.
Nicole Auerbach, USA TODAY Sports: I think it's tough to compare players 20 years apart because the game is different, so I'm going to dodge the actual question here. But I will say I was blown away by Julius Randle Tuesday night in Chicago. Michigan State won the game and looked like a really strong, veteran team. But I left the game more excited about Kentucky's upside. James Young was great in the game's first half. The freshmen seemed to grow up a great deal from the first half to the second; Randle scored nearly all of his points in the second half. I know the Harrison twins need to improve, and things like turnovers/free throws will have to get taken care of, too, but there is so much raw talent on this Kentucky team. It's impossible to believe these guys won't get better as the season wears on and won't be a national championship contender. As Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said after the game, Kentucky will get better, and Randle doesn't need to. He's so pro-ready already. OK, enough rambling. Suffice it to say, I really don't care about comparing them to the Fab Five; I just want to watch these UK freshmen every night this season. They're fun.
David Alridge, Duke Report: In terms of volume, the Kentucky class is better. Kentucky's freshman class includes six of the Top 15 recruits in the country from last season and they brought in the number one prospect at four of the five positions on the floor. The "Fab Five" at Michigan was incredible, but for John Calipari to bring in six players of this caliber is unbelievable.
In terms of quality, the edge goes to Michigan. This class led the Wolverines to back-to-back appearances in the national championship game during a time when college basketball was still being played at an incredibly high level by teams that relied on the experience of upperclassmen. At no point this season will Kentucky face a team as good as the Duke team Michigan played in the 1992 national championship game. For the "Fab Five" to have the success they did against the competition they faced speaks volumes to how good that group was.
Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY Sports: No. But it depends on how we're defining better. Technically, John Calipari's freshman class in 2012 could be better than the Michigan Fab Five because those Wildcats won a title and Chris Webber and Co. were one timeout short of one. Yet we have to understand fully why we're still talking about the Fab Five in 2013. Sure, they were a group of freshmen that did something unprecedented by playing and advancing to the title game. But the adjective here is transcendent. Michigan's Fab Five changed the game from a cultural standpoint with the baggy shorts, black shoes and black socks. If Kentucky's team wins a national championship this year, they're still falling short in that department. But if we're talking about a pick-up game, then it's a different perspective...but for now, my answer is the same. The biggest ingredient that's always left out of the formula is chemistry and that's something Kentucky doesn't have yet. They didn't play cohesively for the entire game against Michigan State and they failed to do the little things that help their inexperience seem irrelevent. The trash talk and the demeanor that old school Wolverines squad had led to great camraderie. Perhaps a loss that sparked tears in UK's locker room will help them come together. If that happens, there' still a long way to go. We'll see.
College Basketball Caucus: Are UK freshmen better than Fab Five?
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Kansas beat Duke in a basketball game on Tuesday night. On Friday, Duke beat Kansas in an even more important battle.
If you want to start framing the 2014-15 national championship race, begin the conversation with the Blue Devils, who scored a recruiting coup by securing commitments from Scout-com's top-ranked prospect, center Jahlil Okafor, and the nation's fourth-best high school senior, point guard Tyus Jones. Both players simultaneously revealed Duke hats during two nationally televised news conferences. Okafor, a 6-foot-11 player at Chicago's Whitney Young High, and 6-1 Jones of Minnesota's Apple Valley High, have long planned to play together in college. Their commitments represent the best package deal in college basketball at least since Greg Oden and Mike Conley pledged to play for Ohio State in June 2005.
"The train keeps rolling at Duke," said Jerry Meyer, the director of basketball scouting for 247Sports-com.
Among the most impressive aspects of Mike Krzyzewski's reign as the sport's pre-eminent coach is his deft ability to recruit at the highest level in four different decades and during markedly different eras. The ever-changing recruiting landscape has undergone several dramatic changes since Krzyzewski signed his breakthrough class, which included Johnny Dawkins, Jay Bilas, Mark Alarie and David Henderson.
Throughout the 1980s and early '90s, Krzyzewski continued to recruit prospects who would become household names and lead Duke to seven Final Four appearances between 1986 and 1994. When the path to the NBA changed for some elite prospects in 1995, when Kevin Garnett ushered in the preps-to-pros era, Duke still had tremendous success on the recruiting front, signing prospects such as Shane Battier, Elton Brand and Jay Williams.
And since the NBA's age restriction was imposed for the 2006 draft, college basketball's one-and-done era began. Though John Calipari, both at Memphis and Kentucky, has established himself as the best modern-day recruiter, Duke has continued to land elite prospects, most notably Kyrie Irving, current freshman Jabari Parker and now Jones and Okafor.
"A modern-day John Wooden," Louisville coach Rick Pitino told USA TODAY Sports last season.
And Jones and Okafor will be cornerstones for a potential march toward another national championship. In an age when freshmen can have a dramatic impact on the game immediately (see Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle, Parker), the Jones and Okafor tandem should be no different.
Okafor is a rare high school big man who is most accustomed to playing with his back to the basket. He has good hands, consistently finishes put-backs and exhibits total control over his space down low. Meyer said Okafor is a player no one enjoys defending because he embraces the physicality of the game and can "bully his defender" to displace him.
Jonathan Givony, the owner of DraftExpress-com, watched Okafor in person this summer against current college big men during the tryouts for the U-19 USA Basketball team and then during the World Championships in Prague. Givony said Okafor shot 77% from the field in Prague, facing mostly players two years older. Givony said Okafor's measurements were 6-11 (in shoes), 277 pounds and with a 7-foot-6 wing span.
"That is an NBA center right there," Givony said. "I think he is a monster. It's so hard to find a legitimate center who enjoys playing with his back to the basket and who has legitimate back-to-the-basket game — such a dominant rebounder and interior scorer."
Meyer said the three other high school players in the past decade who possessed a similar post-scoring game were DeMarcus Cousins, Kevin Love and Al Jefferson. Evan Daniels, the national recruiting analyst for Scout-com, said if Okafor were in the same high school class as Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle and Jabari Parker, he would have ranked Okafor behind those three phenoms but ahead of everyone else.
"He would not be far behind," said Daniels, who compared Okafor to a taller, better version of Jared Sullinger.
And Jones is the ideal point guard to team with Okafor. A consummate floor general, Jones has long impressed college coaches with his feel for the game, his leadership and his poise. He can play at different speeds while exhibiting strong court vision. Meyer said Jones' basketball I.Q. is as good as any player he has scouted in the past decade.
In terms of style of play — not necessarily future NBA accomplishments — Meyer said Jones reminds him of a cross between Steve Nash and Tony Parker. And specifically how Jones handles the ball and maneuvers into the lane, Parker is an apt comparison.
One question has been three-point shooting, but Givony said Jones shot 41% from three-point range in 23 Nike EYBL games this summer, while also making 87 percent of this free-throw attempts.
Adam Rowe, the publisher of BlueDevilLair-com, said Krzyzewski targeted Jones early in his high school career and "made a promise to the lead guard that he would not recruit another player in his class at the same position. That loyalty paid off."
In fact, Duke invested so much time and effort into recruiting Okafor and Jones, Meyer said that if Duke did not land them, it would have been devastating.
"They hitched their wagon to those two," Daniels said. "It's hard to say that they needed them. But they did. If they missed on those guys, it would have been a huge deal."
Instead, in his fourth decade as Duke's head coach, the recruiting train rolls on for Krzyzewski.
Jahlil Okafor another big score for Duke, Krzyzewski
If you want to start framing the 2014-15 national championship race, begin the conversation with the Blue Devils, who scored a recruiting coup by securing commitments from Scout-com's top-ranked prospect, center Jahlil Okafor, and the nation's fourth-best high school senior, point guard Tyus Jones. Both players simultaneously revealed Duke hats during two nationally televised news conferences. Okafor, a 6-foot-11 player at Chicago's Whitney Young High, and 6-1 Jones of Minnesota's Apple Valley High, have long planned to play together in college. Their commitments represent the best package deal in college basketball at least since Greg Oden and Mike Conley pledged to play for Ohio State in June 2005.
"The train keeps rolling at Duke," said Jerry Meyer, the director of basketball scouting for 247Sports-com.
Among the most impressive aspects of Mike Krzyzewski's reign as the sport's pre-eminent coach is his deft ability to recruit at the highest level in four different decades and during markedly different eras. The ever-changing recruiting landscape has undergone several dramatic changes since Krzyzewski signed his breakthrough class, which included Johnny Dawkins, Jay Bilas, Mark Alarie and David Henderson.
Throughout the 1980s and early '90s, Krzyzewski continued to recruit prospects who would become household names and lead Duke to seven Final Four appearances between 1986 and 1994. When the path to the NBA changed for some elite prospects in 1995, when Kevin Garnett ushered in the preps-to-pros era, Duke still had tremendous success on the recruiting front, signing prospects such as Shane Battier, Elton Brand and Jay Williams.
And since the NBA's age restriction was imposed for the 2006 draft, college basketball's one-and-done era began. Though John Calipari, both at Memphis and Kentucky, has established himself as the best modern-day recruiter, Duke has continued to land elite prospects, most notably Kyrie Irving, current freshman Jabari Parker and now Jones and Okafor.
"A modern-day John Wooden," Louisville coach Rick Pitino told USA TODAY Sports last season.
And Jones and Okafor will be cornerstones for a potential march toward another national championship. In an age when freshmen can have a dramatic impact on the game immediately (see Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle, Parker), the Jones and Okafor tandem should be no different.
Okafor is a rare high school big man who is most accustomed to playing with his back to the basket. He has good hands, consistently finishes put-backs and exhibits total control over his space down low. Meyer said Okafor is a player no one enjoys defending because he embraces the physicality of the game and can "bully his defender" to displace him.
Jonathan Givony, the owner of DraftExpress-com, watched Okafor in person this summer against current college big men during the tryouts for the U-19 USA Basketball team and then during the World Championships in Prague. Givony said Okafor shot 77% from the field in Prague, facing mostly players two years older. Givony said Okafor's measurements were 6-11 (in shoes), 277 pounds and with a 7-foot-6 wing span.
"That is an NBA center right there," Givony said. "I think he is a monster. It's so hard to find a legitimate center who enjoys playing with his back to the basket and who has legitimate back-to-the-basket game — such a dominant rebounder and interior scorer."
Meyer said the three other high school players in the past decade who possessed a similar post-scoring game were DeMarcus Cousins, Kevin Love and Al Jefferson. Evan Daniels, the national recruiting analyst for Scout-com, said if Okafor were in the same high school class as Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle and Jabari Parker, he would have ranked Okafor behind those three phenoms but ahead of everyone else.
"He would not be far behind," said Daniels, who compared Okafor to a taller, better version of Jared Sullinger.
And Jones is the ideal point guard to team with Okafor. A consummate floor general, Jones has long impressed college coaches with his feel for the game, his leadership and his poise. He can play at different speeds while exhibiting strong court vision. Meyer said Jones' basketball I.Q. is as good as any player he has scouted in the past decade.
In terms of style of play — not necessarily future NBA accomplishments — Meyer said Jones reminds him of a cross between Steve Nash and Tony Parker. And specifically how Jones handles the ball and maneuvers into the lane, Parker is an apt comparison.
One question has been three-point shooting, but Givony said Jones shot 41% from three-point range in 23 Nike EYBL games this summer, while also making 87 percent of this free-throw attempts.
Adam Rowe, the publisher of BlueDevilLair-com, said Krzyzewski targeted Jones early in his high school career and "made a promise to the lead guard that he would not recruit another player in his class at the same position. That loyalty paid off."
In fact, Duke invested so much time and effort into recruiting Okafor and Jones, Meyer said that if Duke did not land them, it would have been devastating.
"They hitched their wagon to those two," Daniels said. "It's hard to say that they needed them. But they did. If they missed on those guys, it would have been a huge deal."
Instead, in his fourth decade as Duke's head coach, the recruiting train rolls on for Krzyzewski.
Jahlil Okafor another big score for Duke, Krzyzewski
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Jack Taylor of Grinnell College—yes, that Jack Taylor—is at it again, scoring 109 points in a 173-123 win over Crossroads. Taylor, who averages 90 points points per game through two contests, managed to shoot 50 percent from the field while taking 70 shots.
When the final bell sounded, Taylor had finished 35-of-70 shooting, on 24-of-48 from the 3-point line and 15-of-17 from the free-throw line.
This only counts as the third-most points scored in a Division III game, behind who else but... Jack Taylor. Taylor set the single-game record for points scored with 138 last season.
Neither of those two performances were a flash in the pain, as Taylor scored 71 in Grinnel's season opener.
"I don't know if 138 is possible again but I think it shows people that I can score with the basketball — that it wasn't just a one-time fluke last year," Taylor told USA Today Friday.
That night he was 23-of-52 from the field and his 14 3-pointers.
Just because it's fun to watch see prolific Taylor can be on a good night, here's video of his 138-point game.
Jack attack: Grinnell sharpshooter posts 109-point effort - NCAA Basketball - Sporting News
When the final bell sounded, Taylor had finished 35-of-70 shooting, on 24-of-48 from the 3-point line and 15-of-17 from the free-throw line.
This only counts as the third-most points scored in a Division III game, behind who else but... Jack Taylor. Taylor set the single-game record for points scored with 138 last season.
Neither of those two performances were a flash in the pain, as Taylor scored 71 in Grinnel's season opener.
"I don't know if 138 is possible again but I think it shows people that I can score with the basketball — that it wasn't just a one-time fluke last year," Taylor told USA Today Friday.
That night he was 23-of-52 from the field and his 14 3-pointers.
Just because it's fun to watch see prolific Taylor can be on a good night, here's video of his 138-point game.
Jack attack: Grinnell sharpshooter posts 109-point effort - NCAA Basketball - Sporting News
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Michigan State coach Tom Izzo wasn't sure his Spartans deserved to be No.1 after a lackluster win against Columbia on Friday night. But No.1 they are, nonetheless, in the new USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
It's the first time since Jan. 2, 2001, that the Spartans have been No. 1 in the coaches poll.
The Spartans picked up 22 of 32 first-place votes to take over the top spot, replacing Kentucky whom they defeated earlier in the week. Defending NCAA champion Louisville moved up to the No.2 position, claiming eight firsts. Kansas grabbed the remaining two No.1 nods and leapfrogged into third in the poll after its win vs. then-No.4 Duke. Arizona climbed a spot to No.4, with Kentucky staying in the top five and the Blue Devils slipping to sixth.
Three teams made gains of four positions in the top 25 this week, headed by Virginia Commonwealth cracking the top 10 after a thrilling win at Virginia. Wisconsin moved up to No.15 and Baylor climbed to 21st. North Carolina took the week's biggest tumble, falling eight places to No.19 after losing at home to Belmont. Virginia, which had been tied for the No.25 position, fell out of the rankings along with Notre Dame and Marquette. It wasn't a total loss for the new-look Big East, however, as Creighton moved in at No .23. No. 25 Iowa is the week's other newcomer.
Michigan State rises to No. 1 for first time since 2001
It's the first time since Jan. 2, 2001, that the Spartans have been No. 1 in the coaches poll.
The Spartans picked up 22 of 32 first-place votes to take over the top spot, replacing Kentucky whom they defeated earlier in the week. Defending NCAA champion Louisville moved up to the No.2 position, claiming eight firsts. Kansas grabbed the remaining two No.1 nods and leapfrogged into third in the poll after its win vs. then-No.4 Duke. Arizona climbed a spot to No.4, with Kentucky staying in the top five and the Blue Devils slipping to sixth.
Three teams made gains of four positions in the top 25 this week, headed by Virginia Commonwealth cracking the top 10 after a thrilling win at Virginia. Wisconsin moved up to No.15 and Baylor climbed to 21st. North Carolina took the week's biggest tumble, falling eight places to No.19 after losing at home to Belmont. Virginia, which had been tied for the No.25 position, fell out of the rankings along with Notre Dame and Marquette. It wasn't a total loss for the new-look Big East, however, as Creighton moved in at No .23. No. 25 Iowa is the week's other newcomer.
Michigan State rises to No. 1 for first time since 2001
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Best bet: Today's hoops headliner is a good one as No. 11 Memphis visits No. 9 Oklahoma State in the Old Spice Classic (8 p.m. ET/ESPN). The winner figures to reap future RPI dividends, particularly the Tigers if they can pull off the victory on the road. Joe Jackson will lead a veteran Memphis backcourt that will look to counter the Cowboys' floor leader extraordinaire, Marcus Smart.
Number of the day
64: Allen Fieldhouse is daunting enough for Kansas' conference opponents. For non-league visitors, getting out with a win has been downright impossible. The Jayhawks, elevated to No. 3 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, have won 64 non-conference games in a row at home. They'll try to make it 65 today against Iona.
Words of the day: "I'm learning things that they really need a lot of work on, and I'm learning some things that they've done pretty well that we have to continue to do well." — Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan, on his players, after the Badgers gutted out a 69-66 victory at Wisconsin-Green Bay to improve to 3-0. Ryan will look to learn a bit more about his players today when the No. 15 Badgers return home to play North Dakota.
Days until Selection Sunday: 117
The tip-off: Tuesday in college basketball
Number of the day
64: Allen Fieldhouse is daunting enough for Kansas' conference opponents. For non-league visitors, getting out with a win has been downright impossible. The Jayhawks, elevated to No. 3 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, have won 64 non-conference games in a row at home. They'll try to make it 65 today against Iona.
Words of the day: "I'm learning things that they really need a lot of work on, and I'm learning some things that they've done pretty well that we have to continue to do well." — Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan, on his players, after the Badgers gutted out a 69-66 victory at Wisconsin-Green Bay to improve to 3-0. Ryan will look to learn a bit more about his players today when the No. 15 Badgers return home to play North Dakota.
Days until Selection Sunday: 117
The tip-off: Tuesday in college basketball
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Brigham Young has seen this script play out far too many times over the past 27 years.
The Cougars once again led a ranked opponent for a good portion of the game but once again failed to finish strong. By losing 90-88 to Iowa State on Wednesday night, BYU still hasn't defeated a non-conference ranked opponent at home since 1986.
Poor shooting and poor offensive execution late, and mismatches on the defensive end led to this loss. After taking a 70-62 lead, the Cougars (4-1) made only 5 of 17 shots over the game's final 11 minutes.
"Our guys battled hard; they fought to the end," BYU coach Dave Rose said. "The resistance that Iowa State gave us was pretty strong. They were really tough around the rim." The Cougars also played the final 3:28 without freshman center Eric Mika, who left with an eye injury after being jammed in the face by Iowa State's DeAndre Kane. Mika had scored 17 points and pulled down nine boards up to that time.
BYU held a 27-19 rebound advantage in the first half but was outrebounded by 12 in the second half.
Melvin Ejim and DeAndre Kane each scored 21 points, leading the Cyclones (4-0) to the come-from-behind win.
Kane was ejected for the flagrant 2 foul on Mika. He had a 11 rebounds for the Cyclones. Georges Niang added 19 points, eight assists and five rebounds for Iowa State.
Iowa State took the lead for good with six minutes remaining on a 3-pointer by Matt Thomas, who finished with 12 points. The Cyclones stayed in front with three clutch baskets down the stretch by Niang.
"We really tried to get the ball to Georges and isolate him and let him go make plays," said Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg. "I thought we did a good job of getting him the ball where he needed it, and our spacing was good so he had the room he needed to make plays. That's what you want out of your go-to guy down the stretch."
The Cougars, who led for more than 26 straight minutes, got 20 points from Tyler Haws and 19 points and seven assists from Matt Carlino. Freshman Eric Mika scored 17 points and pulled down nine boards.
The Cougars had a chance to take the lead in the final seconds but Daniel Edozie blocked a foul-line jumper by Haws with 4 seconds remaining and then hit 1 of 2 free throws on the other end.
Edozie came over to help when Haws twisted in the paint, figuring BYU's leading scorer was gearing up to attempt a fade away jumper.
An off-balance jumper by BYU's Kyle Collinsworth that would have tied the game at the buzzer bounced long off the rim.
"We had quite a few chances there at the end to make a few plays and win the game, but it just seemed like they were a little bit better in their execution late in the game," Rose said.
After fighting back from a 12-point first-half deficit to take a five-point lead, the Cyclones let BYU back in the game when Kane, with 3:28 remaining, jammed his fingers into Mika's face before the freshman center could go up for a shot in the paint. The officials assessed a flagrant foul that resulted in Kane's ejection.
Following the game the officials issued a statement saying they deemed Kane's foul to be "severe or extreme" while the ball was still live.
With Mika out, Haws hit two free throws and then made two more after being fouled on the ensuing inbounds play to cut the lead to 82-81.
But back-to-back jumpers by Niang pushed Iowa State back in front by five. Niang hit another baseline jumper with 1:23 remaining after Haws had made two more free throws.
"I don't think the game got away from us," Haws said. "We knew we had a chance to win the game and we had our chances down the stretch. We just didn't make the plays we needed to."
Haws made only 6 of 19 shots.
"What you have to do is make him take tough shots, even though he's going to make tough shots. I thought we did as good as job as we possibly could against him," Hoiberg said.
The Cougars, who haven't defeated a non-conference ranked team at home since 1986, used a 21-8 run midway through the first half to take a 36-24 lead. The run was led by three straight baskets by Carlino and two long feeds from the junior point guard that resulted in a fast-break layup by Anson Winder and an alley-oop dunk by Mika.
Iowa State, with two late 3 pointers by Ejim, cut BYU's margin to 47-42 at the break.
The Cyclones got within a basket five times early in the second half only to be answered by BYU each time. Iowa State finally broke through for good on Thomas' 3 from the right wing.
"With BYU we knew this was going to be a game of runs. They can really heat up in a hurry and they are as fast of a team as any in the nation, and they lived up to that tonight," Hoiberg said. "They scored in bunches. But I thought the two keys were us getting back in transition and finally finding a way to battle them on the boards. Once we could get it off the board we were able to get out and run."
Iowa State shot 58 percent in the second half and 51 percent for the game. The Cylones also outrebounded the taller Cougars by 12 boards in the second half and finished with a 46-44 rebound advantage.
"If we could have rebounded a little bit better we could have controlled the pace and tempo more in the second half," Haws said.
The Cougars stayed in front most of the game by scoring 20 points off of 13 Iowa State turnovers. BYU took 84 shots to 70 for the Cyclones.
Iowa State mounts rally to defeat BYU
The Cougars once again led a ranked opponent for a good portion of the game but once again failed to finish strong. By losing 90-88 to Iowa State on Wednesday night, BYU still hasn't defeated a non-conference ranked opponent at home since 1986.
Poor shooting and poor offensive execution late, and mismatches on the defensive end led to this loss. After taking a 70-62 lead, the Cougars (4-1) made only 5 of 17 shots over the game's final 11 minutes.
"Our guys battled hard; they fought to the end," BYU coach Dave Rose said. "The resistance that Iowa State gave us was pretty strong. They were really tough around the rim." The Cougars also played the final 3:28 without freshman center Eric Mika, who left with an eye injury after being jammed in the face by Iowa State's DeAndre Kane. Mika had scored 17 points and pulled down nine boards up to that time.
BYU held a 27-19 rebound advantage in the first half but was outrebounded by 12 in the second half.
Melvin Ejim and DeAndre Kane each scored 21 points, leading the Cyclones (4-0) to the come-from-behind win.
Kane was ejected for the flagrant 2 foul on Mika. He had a 11 rebounds for the Cyclones. Georges Niang added 19 points, eight assists and five rebounds for Iowa State.
Iowa State took the lead for good with six minutes remaining on a 3-pointer by Matt Thomas, who finished with 12 points. The Cyclones stayed in front with three clutch baskets down the stretch by Niang.
"We really tried to get the ball to Georges and isolate him and let him go make plays," said Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg. "I thought we did a good job of getting him the ball where he needed it, and our spacing was good so he had the room he needed to make plays. That's what you want out of your go-to guy down the stretch."
The Cougars, who led for more than 26 straight minutes, got 20 points from Tyler Haws and 19 points and seven assists from Matt Carlino. Freshman Eric Mika scored 17 points and pulled down nine boards.
The Cougars had a chance to take the lead in the final seconds but Daniel Edozie blocked a foul-line jumper by Haws with 4 seconds remaining and then hit 1 of 2 free throws on the other end.
Edozie came over to help when Haws twisted in the paint, figuring BYU's leading scorer was gearing up to attempt a fade away jumper.
An off-balance jumper by BYU's Kyle Collinsworth that would have tied the game at the buzzer bounced long off the rim.
"We had quite a few chances there at the end to make a few plays and win the game, but it just seemed like they were a little bit better in their execution late in the game," Rose said.
After fighting back from a 12-point first-half deficit to take a five-point lead, the Cyclones let BYU back in the game when Kane, with 3:28 remaining, jammed his fingers into Mika's face before the freshman center could go up for a shot in the paint. The officials assessed a flagrant foul that resulted in Kane's ejection.
Following the game the officials issued a statement saying they deemed Kane's foul to be "severe or extreme" while the ball was still live.
With Mika out, Haws hit two free throws and then made two more after being fouled on the ensuing inbounds play to cut the lead to 82-81.
But back-to-back jumpers by Niang pushed Iowa State back in front by five. Niang hit another baseline jumper with 1:23 remaining after Haws had made two more free throws.
"I don't think the game got away from us," Haws said. "We knew we had a chance to win the game and we had our chances down the stretch. We just didn't make the plays we needed to."
Haws made only 6 of 19 shots.
"What you have to do is make him take tough shots, even though he's going to make tough shots. I thought we did as good as job as we possibly could against him," Hoiberg said.
The Cougars, who haven't defeated a non-conference ranked team at home since 1986, used a 21-8 run midway through the first half to take a 36-24 lead. The run was led by three straight baskets by Carlino and two long feeds from the junior point guard that resulted in a fast-break layup by Anson Winder and an alley-oop dunk by Mika.
Iowa State, with two late 3 pointers by Ejim, cut BYU's margin to 47-42 at the break.
The Cyclones got within a basket five times early in the second half only to be answered by BYU each time. Iowa State finally broke through for good on Thomas' 3 from the right wing.
"With BYU we knew this was going to be a game of runs. They can really heat up in a hurry and they are as fast of a team as any in the nation, and they lived up to that tonight," Hoiberg said. "They scored in bunches. But I thought the two keys were us getting back in transition and finally finding a way to battle them on the boards. Once we could get it off the board we were able to get out and run."
Iowa State shot 58 percent in the second half and 51 percent for the game. The Cylones also outrebounded the taller Cougars by 12 boards in the second half and finished with a 46-44 rebound advantage.
"If we could have rebounded a little bit better we could have controlled the pace and tempo more in the second half," Haws said.
The Cougars stayed in front most of the game by scoring 20 points off of 13 Iowa State turnovers. BYU took 84 shots to 70 for the Cyclones.
Iowa State mounts rally to defeat BYU
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Boston College certainly gave UConn quite the scare after hanging around all evening. The Eagles pulled within one point with less than a minute to play before UConn's Shabazz Napier hit one of two free throws to extend the lead to two. BC called a timeout with 14.4 seconds left and set up a play for Olivier Hanlan, its do-everything guard. Hanlan drove to the basket and missed an open layup. Still, the Eagles didn't die, even after UConn's Ryan Boatright hit a pair of free throws to extend the Huskies' lead to four. Hanlan promptly drained a three with three seconds left to pull back within one. Napier hit a free throw, and then 6-foot guard Ryan Boatright blocked BC's shot at the buzzer. UConn fans, exhale.
STAR WATCH: The last time I saw Olivier Hanlan play in person, he scored 41 points and set a few records at the ACC tournament. Though it took him awhile to get going, Hanlan did finish the day with 19 points, including nine in the game's final four minutes. Eagles forward Ryan Anderson added 22. For the Huskies, Napier was, per usual, a star with 20 points, but he didn't lead the team in scoring. That honor would go to junior forward DeAndre Daniels, who scored 23 (15 in the first half).
WHAT THIS MEANS IN A NUTSHELL: Honestly, not too much. A win's a win – even if it's close – but it's still November. Still, it's great for UConn to get this kind of production out of Daniels, who just scored 24 points against Boston University a game ago, too. But otherwise, we already knew that Napier was good. We knew he and Ryan Boatright make up one of the nation's best and most experienced backcourt. The Huskies seem to have a bad habit of letting teams they should beat comfortably stick around. (See: Maryland.) So, that needs to change if UConn truly wants to be a Final Four contender, which I believe it can be. There's too much talent on this roster for them not to be.
AND-1: Boston College was picked to finish in the middle of the pack in the ACC this season. The Eagles are now 1-4.
4-point play: Instant analysis on UConn-Boston College
STAR WATCH: The last time I saw Olivier Hanlan play in person, he scored 41 points and set a few records at the ACC tournament. Though it took him awhile to get going, Hanlan did finish the day with 19 points, including nine in the game's final four minutes. Eagles forward Ryan Anderson added 22. For the Huskies, Napier was, per usual, a star with 20 points, but he didn't lead the team in scoring. That honor would go to junior forward DeAndre Daniels, who scored 23 (15 in the first half).
WHAT THIS MEANS IN A NUTSHELL: Honestly, not too much. A win's a win – even if it's close – but it's still November. Still, it's great for UConn to get this kind of production out of Daniels, who just scored 24 points against Boston University a game ago, too. But otherwise, we already knew that Napier was good. We knew he and Ryan Boatright make up one of the nation's best and most experienced backcourt. The Huskies seem to have a bad habit of letting teams they should beat comfortably stick around. (See: Maryland.) So, that needs to change if UConn truly wants to be a Final Four contender, which I believe it can be. There's too much talent on this roster for them not to be.
AND-1: Boston College was picked to finish in the middle of the pack in the ACC this season. The Eagles are now 1-4.
4-point play: Instant analysis on UConn-Boston College
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Elgin Cook scored 18 points to lead No. 17 Oregon to a 100-82 victory over San Francisco on Sunday.
Jason Calliste had 16 points for the Ducks (4-0), who had six players score in double figures. Mike Moser added 13 points and seven rebounds.
Kruize Pinkins led the Dons (3-3) with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
The Dons closed to 61-55 on a free throw by Tim Derksen with 10:54 left, but Oregon hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to push the lead back to 12.
The Ducks led by as many as 19 in the second half and shot 32 for 60 from the field.
Jordan Adams scored 22 points and Norman Powell and Zach LaVine had 19 apiece to lead No. 24 UCLA to a 106-55 victory over Chattanooga on Sunday night.
Kyle Anderson added 15 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the undefeated Bruins (5-0) in a regional game of the Las Vegas Invitational. UCLA plays its next two games in Las Vegas over Thanksgiving weekend.
UCLA opened the second half on a 20-2 run to stretch its lead to 41 points. Powell made four of his five dunks during the run, including a baseline drive and an alley-oop from Adams on consecutive possessions.
Martynas Bareika scored 17 points in a reserve role and Z. Mason had 15 points for the Mocs (2-4). Chattanooga entered the game averaging 49 percent from the field but shot a season-low 35 percent.
Alex Kirk had 16 points and 14 rebounds, and No. 20 New Mexico bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 79-58 victory over Davidson to take third place at the Charleston Classic on Sunday.
The Lobos (4-1) had hoped to be playing in the eight-team tournament's title game, but fell to Massachusetts 81-65 on Friday. The 7-foot Kirk took full advantage of Davidson's size disadvantage and largely had his way inside for his fifth double-double in as many games this season. It was the junior's 15th career game with double figures in points and rebounds.
Cameron Bairstow had 18 points to lead the Lobos.
Davidson tried to negate New Mexico's edge in height with some long-distance shooting, attempting 20 3-pointers in the opening half. But the strategy came up short as the Wildcats fell to 1-5 for the second time in five years.
Roundup: Oregon scores 100, New Mexico bounces back
Jason Calliste had 16 points for the Ducks (4-0), who had six players score in double figures. Mike Moser added 13 points and seven rebounds.
Kruize Pinkins led the Dons (3-3) with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
The Dons closed to 61-55 on a free throw by Tim Derksen with 10:54 left, but Oregon hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to push the lead back to 12.
The Ducks led by as many as 19 in the second half and shot 32 for 60 from the field.
Jordan Adams scored 22 points and Norman Powell and Zach LaVine had 19 apiece to lead No. 24 UCLA to a 106-55 victory over Chattanooga on Sunday night.
Kyle Anderson added 15 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the undefeated Bruins (5-0) in a regional game of the Las Vegas Invitational. UCLA plays its next two games in Las Vegas over Thanksgiving weekend.
UCLA opened the second half on a 20-2 run to stretch its lead to 41 points. Powell made four of his five dunks during the run, including a baseline drive and an alley-oop from Adams on consecutive possessions.
Martynas Bareika scored 17 points in a reserve role and Z. Mason had 15 points for the Mocs (2-4). Chattanooga entered the game averaging 49 percent from the field but shot a season-low 35 percent.
Alex Kirk had 16 points and 14 rebounds, and No. 20 New Mexico bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 79-58 victory over Davidson to take third place at the Charleston Classic on Sunday.
The Lobos (4-1) had hoped to be playing in the eight-team tournament's title game, but fell to Massachusetts 81-65 on Friday. The 7-foot Kirk took full advantage of Davidson's size disadvantage and largely had his way inside for his fifth double-double in as many games this season. It was the junior's 15th career game with double figures in points and rebounds.
Cameron Bairstow had 18 points to lead the Lobos.
Davidson tried to negate New Mexico's edge in height with some long-distance shooting, attempting 20 3-pointers in the opening half. But the strategy came up short as the Wildcats fell to 1-5 for the second time in five years.
Roundup: Oregon scores 100, New Mexico bounces back
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Florida coach Billy Donovan said Sunday that senior guard Scottie Wilbekin, suspended from the team for offseason team rules violations, will rejoin the squad for Monday's game at Jacksonville University.
"He's done everything, and I'm really proud of him,'' Donovan said. "He's really stayed on course since last spring. He was obviously injected back into our team full time as far as practice (in preseason). But with all that he has done up to this point and time he will be able to play (at Jacksonville).''
Donovan left Wilbekin on the scout team through the first five games. Freshman Kasey Hill took over Wilbekin's starting spot until suffering a high ankle sprain against Southern last week. Hill is expected to be out about a month and left the No. 14 Gators without a true point guard.
Wilbekin, a senior, averaged 9.1 points last season, and his 174 assists were the fifth-best total in school history. He was second-team All-Southeastern Conference and made the SEC all-defensive team as a junior.
Florida center Patric Young said opponents were about to see "a different animal'' when it comes to defending opponents' point guards.
"He knows what we're doing, he's a senior, a bright kid,'' Donovan said. "I think he's anxious and excited to be back playing.''
The Gators (4-1) meet Jacksonville (2-3) before hosting Florida State on Friday and traveling to No. 18 Connecticut on Dec. 2. The Gators return home Dec. 10 to meet No. 3 Kansas so the adjustment will have to be quick for Wilbekin.
Donovan said he was uncertain how much Wilbekin would play against Jacksonville.
"I'm not going to hold him back at all,'' he said. "I would envision him playing a lot of minutes. ... I'll probably make that decision (on game day). But I'm not going to limit him at all as far as his minutes and availability.''
Donovan said Wilbekin has "grown up in a lot of ways.'' He was suspended at the start of last year's season, as well, but Donovan said it "did not register with him at all at the level I wanted it to.''
Guard Mike Frazier called Wilbekin "one of the best, if not the best'' defensive guard in the country.
One player who is still not in good graces, however, is center-forward Damontre Harris, who has been suspended for almost a month.
"He's still not on the team right now,'' Donovan said. "He has not practiced with the team since Nov. 1, he has not been around since Nov. 1, he has not taken care of all his responsibilities. ... So I really have no time table. I'm not eliminating him or taking his scholarship away from his right now but he has got to make a commitment of what he wants to do as it relates to our team, and right now things that he has been asked to do he has not done.''
Added Donovan: "It's not hard things, I think going to school, being on time, if you have an appointment show up, be able to answer your phone, take responsibility, do what you are supposed to do.''
Florida guard Scottie Wilbekin to rejoin team Monday
"He's done everything, and I'm really proud of him,'' Donovan said. "He's really stayed on course since last spring. He was obviously injected back into our team full time as far as practice (in preseason). But with all that he has done up to this point and time he will be able to play (at Jacksonville).''
Donovan left Wilbekin on the scout team through the first five games. Freshman Kasey Hill took over Wilbekin's starting spot until suffering a high ankle sprain against Southern last week. Hill is expected to be out about a month and left the No. 14 Gators without a true point guard.
Wilbekin, a senior, averaged 9.1 points last season, and his 174 assists were the fifth-best total in school history. He was second-team All-Southeastern Conference and made the SEC all-defensive team as a junior.
Florida center Patric Young said opponents were about to see "a different animal'' when it comes to defending opponents' point guards.
"He knows what we're doing, he's a senior, a bright kid,'' Donovan said. "I think he's anxious and excited to be back playing.''
The Gators (4-1) meet Jacksonville (2-3) before hosting Florida State on Friday and traveling to No. 18 Connecticut on Dec. 2. The Gators return home Dec. 10 to meet No. 3 Kansas so the adjustment will have to be quick for Wilbekin.
Donovan said he was uncertain how much Wilbekin would play against Jacksonville.
"I'm not going to hold him back at all,'' he said. "I would envision him playing a lot of minutes. ... I'll probably make that decision (on game day). But I'm not going to limit him at all as far as his minutes and availability.''
Donovan said Wilbekin has "grown up in a lot of ways.'' He was suspended at the start of last year's season, as well, but Donovan said it "did not register with him at all at the level I wanted it to.''
Guard Mike Frazier called Wilbekin "one of the best, if not the best'' defensive guard in the country.
One player who is still not in good graces, however, is center-forward Damontre Harris, who has been suspended for almost a month.
"He's still not on the team right now,'' Donovan said. "He has not practiced with the team since Nov. 1, he has not been around since Nov. 1, he has not taken care of all his responsibilities. ... So I really have no time table. I'm not eliminating him or taking his scholarship away from his right now but he has got to make a commitment of what he wants to do as it relates to our team, and right now things that he has been asked to do he has not done.''
Added Donovan: "It's not hard things, I think going to school, being on time, if you have an appointment show up, be able to answer your phone, take responsibility, do what you are supposed to do.''
Florida guard Scottie Wilbekin to rejoin team Monday
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Cory Jefferson had a go-ahead putback with 16 seconds left and No. 17 Baylor rallied to beat Dayton 67-66 on Tuesday night in the semifinals of the Maui Invitational.
The Bears will play No. 7 Syracuse for the tournament championship Wednesday night.
After trailing nearly the entire game, Baylor (6-0) whittled away a 10-point deficit over the final 7 minutes. The Bears were down by one when Kenny Cherry missed a jumper off the front of the rim, but Jefferson was all alone for the rebound and his layup gave Baylor a 67-66 lead.
Vee Sanford missed a contested shot in close for Dayton with 2 seconds left, Devin Oliver's tip-in attempt bounced off the rim and Baylor grabbed the rebound as the final buzzer sounded and Gary Franklin dived onto the floor in celebration.
Royce O'Neale and Cherry had 13 points each for the Bears
Sam Dower Jr. and Gerard Coleman scored 19 points each as No. 10 Gonzaga cruised to an easy 113-81 win over Division II Chaminade on Tuesday in the Maui Invitational.
Przemek Karnowski had a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Kevin Pangos and Kyle Dranginis had 18 points each. Gary Bell Jr. had 16.
The Bulldogs (5-1) took control of the game midway through the first half with an 11-point run that included two layups by Coleman and another by Karnowski.
Coleman scored six more points during a 13-point run in the second half that gave Gonzaga a 31-point lead at 83-52 with less than 11 minutes left.
Lee Bailey led Chaminade (2-2) with 29 points. Tyree Harrison scored 10 points.
Gonzaga will play Arkansas on Wednesday.
DeAndre Daniels had 21 points and eight rebounds to help keep No. 14 Connecticut remained undefeated with a 76-66 win over Loyola, Md., on Tuesday night.
Ryan Boatright added 13 points and eight boards for the Huskies (7-0) and Lasan Kromah, a transfer from George Washington, chipped in with a season-high 12 points.
Dylon Cormier had 23 points for Loyola (4-1). The senior guard had been averaging just under 30 points per game.
A 3-pointer by Cormier early in the second half cut what had been a 15-point UConn lead to 38-35.
Kromah gave The Huskies some breathing room, hitting a 3-pointer, then stealing the ball and going in for a layup that put the Huskies up 61-50. A 3-pointer by Daniels closed the 10-2 run and gave UConn a 14-point lead.
The Greyhounds cut the lead to nine late, but couldn't get closer.
Jeremy Hollowell scored a career-high 18 points and freshman Noah Vonleh added 13 points and 12 rebounds Tuesday, leading No. 25 Indiana past Evansville 77-46.
The Hoosiers (6-1) rebounded from their first loss this season with a defensive effort that completely locked down one of the nation's best shooting teams.
D.J. Balentine, the nation's No. 4 scorer, finished with a season-low 14 points after scoring at least 29 in each of his first five games as the Purple Aces (5-1) failed to go 6-0 for the first time since Jerry Sloan's senior season of 1964-65. Duane Gibson added 10 for Evansville.
It was never close.
The Hoosiers scored the first 12 points, extended the lead to as much as 20 in the first half and never let the Purple Aces get within single digits in the second half.
Evansville dropped to 0-9 all-time in the series.
NCAAB roundup: Baylor avoids upset, advances to Maui finals | Detroit Free Press | freep-com
The Bears will play No. 7 Syracuse for the tournament championship Wednesday night.
After trailing nearly the entire game, Baylor (6-0) whittled away a 10-point deficit over the final 7 minutes. The Bears were down by one when Kenny Cherry missed a jumper off the front of the rim, but Jefferson was all alone for the rebound and his layup gave Baylor a 67-66 lead.
Vee Sanford missed a contested shot in close for Dayton with 2 seconds left, Devin Oliver's tip-in attempt bounced off the rim and Baylor grabbed the rebound as the final buzzer sounded and Gary Franklin dived onto the floor in celebration.
Royce O'Neale and Cherry had 13 points each for the Bears
Sam Dower Jr. and Gerard Coleman scored 19 points each as No. 10 Gonzaga cruised to an easy 113-81 win over Division II Chaminade on Tuesday in the Maui Invitational.
Przemek Karnowski had a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Kevin Pangos and Kyle Dranginis had 18 points each. Gary Bell Jr. had 16.
The Bulldogs (5-1) took control of the game midway through the first half with an 11-point run that included two layups by Coleman and another by Karnowski.
Coleman scored six more points during a 13-point run in the second half that gave Gonzaga a 31-point lead at 83-52 with less than 11 minutes left.
Lee Bailey led Chaminade (2-2) with 29 points. Tyree Harrison scored 10 points.
Gonzaga will play Arkansas on Wednesday.
DeAndre Daniels had 21 points and eight rebounds to help keep No. 14 Connecticut remained undefeated with a 76-66 win over Loyola, Md., on Tuesday night.
Ryan Boatright added 13 points and eight boards for the Huskies (7-0) and Lasan Kromah, a transfer from George Washington, chipped in with a season-high 12 points.
Dylon Cormier had 23 points for Loyola (4-1). The senior guard had been averaging just under 30 points per game.
A 3-pointer by Cormier early in the second half cut what had been a 15-point UConn lead to 38-35.
Kromah gave The Huskies some breathing room, hitting a 3-pointer, then stealing the ball and going in for a layup that put the Huskies up 61-50. A 3-pointer by Daniels closed the 10-2 run and gave UConn a 14-point lead.
The Greyhounds cut the lead to nine late, but couldn't get closer.
Jeremy Hollowell scored a career-high 18 points and freshman Noah Vonleh added 13 points and 12 rebounds Tuesday, leading No. 25 Indiana past Evansville 77-46.
The Hoosiers (6-1) rebounded from their first loss this season with a defensive effort that completely locked down one of the nation's best shooting teams.
D.J. Balentine, the nation's No. 4 scorer, finished with a season-low 14 points after scoring at least 29 in each of his first five games as the Purple Aces (5-1) failed to go 6-0 for the first time since Jerry Sloan's senior season of 1964-65. Duane Gibson added 10 for Evansville.
It was never close.
The Hoosiers scored the first 12 points, extended the lead to as much as 20 in the first half and never let the Purple Aces get within single digits in the second half.
Evansville dropped to 0-9 all-time in the series.
NCAAB roundup: Baylor avoids upset, advances to Maui finals | Detroit Free Press | freep-com
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HOW THE BEARS WON: While you were sleeping the last two nights, Dayton played some sensational basketball. Monday night, the Flyers picked up a big win over No. 10 Gonzaga in Maui. Tuesday night, Dayton looked poised to add another Top-25 win to its résumé, leading Baylor for nearly all of the game. With less than two minutes to go, Baylor forward Royce O'Neale drained a three to get Baylor within one point. Dayton's Devin Olver matched that with a three of his own, followed by Baylor guard Gary Franklin's own three to keep it a one-point game. Cory Jefferson, Baylor's senior big man, made a layup with 16.4 seconds left to put the Bears up for good, 67-66. Dayton had a couple of looks on its final possession, but couldn't get the shot or tip-in to fall.
Baylor led for a total of two minutes and eight seconds throughout the entire game. This was an absolute heartbreaker for the Flyers, who outplayed the Bears the entire night.
STAR WATCH: Baylor center Isaiah Austin was about as invisible as a 7-foot-1 basketball player could be in the game's first half. He started the second half on the bench after a scoreless first half, and he scored 10 points as Baylor mounted its big comeback. With five minutes left in the game, Austin slammed down a dunk to pull within four points and energize the Bears. Austin was one of five Baylor players (including O'Neale off the bench) who scored in double-digits.
The Flyers were led, unsurprisingly, by their two leading scorers: Senior forward Devin Oliver and Ohio State transfer Jordan Sibert. The duo combined for 34 points Tuesday night, and together they went 8-for-10 from beyond the arc.
WHAT THIS MEANS IN A NUTSHELL: Perhaps we were all too quick to anoint VCU as the favorite to win the Atlantic 10. UMass has been one of the best surprises of this young season, and after this week's performance, Dayton belongs in that category, too -- despite Tuesday's heartbreaking loss. Sibert will be a star for the Flyers this season. (In fact, he already is, having hit a buzzer-beater to win Dayton's season-opener.) The Flyers look like they've got a great perimeter offense, but they struggled defensively once Baylor started pushing them around in the paint and on the glass. Early-season losses give teams a chance to locate areas of improvement; once Dayton's shock from this loss passes, the Flyers will figure out how to improve those. But either way, Dayton looks like a real A-10 contender and a team that we'll see on the bubble (or safely in the NCAA tourney field) come March.
TWEET THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES: The A-10 race looks like it could go pretty differently from what we expected entering the year.
4-point play: Instant analysis on Baylor-Dayton
Baylor led for a total of two minutes and eight seconds throughout the entire game. This was an absolute heartbreaker for the Flyers, who outplayed the Bears the entire night.
STAR WATCH: Baylor center Isaiah Austin was about as invisible as a 7-foot-1 basketball player could be in the game's first half. He started the second half on the bench after a scoreless first half, and he scored 10 points as Baylor mounted its big comeback. With five minutes left in the game, Austin slammed down a dunk to pull within four points and energize the Bears. Austin was one of five Baylor players (including O'Neale off the bench) who scored in double-digits.
The Flyers were led, unsurprisingly, by their two leading scorers: Senior forward Devin Oliver and Ohio State transfer Jordan Sibert. The duo combined for 34 points Tuesday night, and together they went 8-for-10 from beyond the arc.
WHAT THIS MEANS IN A NUTSHELL: Perhaps we were all too quick to anoint VCU as the favorite to win the Atlantic 10. UMass has been one of the best surprises of this young season, and after this week's performance, Dayton belongs in that category, too -- despite Tuesday's heartbreaking loss. Sibert will be a star for the Flyers this season. (In fact, he already is, having hit a buzzer-beater to win Dayton's season-opener.) The Flyers look like they've got a great perimeter offense, but they struggled defensively once Baylor started pushing them around in the paint and on the glass. Early-season losses give teams a chance to locate areas of improvement; once Dayton's shock from this loss passes, the Flyers will figure out how to improve those. But either way, Dayton looks like a real A-10 contender and a team that we'll see on the bubble (or safely in the NCAA tourney field) come March.
TWEET THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES: The A-10 race looks like it could go pretty differently from what we expected entering the year.
4-point play: Instant analysis on Baylor-Dayton
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Purdue gave No. 5 Oklahoma State a scare after a poor first half. But that was all.
Bryson Scott scored 18 points as the Boilermakers rallied from a big deficit before losing 97-87 to the Cowboys Thursday in the opening round of the Old Spice Classic. "I thought who we are as a team was shown in both halves," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "You saw an immature team in the first half not really handle coaching. Our guys, I think their ego clashed with reality in the first half. Anytime you face someone who's got a lot of attention, who's ranked high, you want to go right at them and you want to beat them by yourself, and you can't beat Oklahoma State by yourself. You've got to beat them a team."
Marcus Smart scored 30 points and Markel Brown added 25 points for the Cowboys (6-0), who came in averaging 100.2 points and had defeated their first five opponents by an average of 37.8.
Smart tied Michael Beasley (Kansas State), Devan Downey (South Carolina) and Jared Jordan (Marist) for the highest scoring game in classic history.
Oklahoma State led 52-29 at halftime after going to the foul line 25 times.
Smart spent considerable time on the bench in the second half with four fouls when the game tightened up.
"Purdue was coming," Smart said. "They were making a run."
Purdue (5-1) also got 12 points from Errick Peck. Ronnie Johnson, who was averaging 13.8 points, battled foul trouble and had 10 points.
"We slowed things down and we ran Purdue's offense in the second half," Scott said. "First half, guys like me, I was forcing a lot of shots. Doing a lot selfish things. Second half, we came out and played as a team and we were able to chop the lead down."
The Boilermakers stormed back late and pulled within 84-80 on a 3-pointer by Kendall Stephens with 3 minutes left. Brown and Smart made layups to give Oklahoma State a little breathing room.
"We just didn't play smart," Painter said. "You've got to play hard and you've got to play smart. I was happy for our guys to comeback and compete better in the second half, but how pleased can you be as a coach when you give up 97 points?
Johnson didn't get his first points until making a basket a minute into the second half.
The Cowboys went ahead 67-46 with 14 minutes left on a pair of dunks by Brian Williams. This is the first time Oklahoma State has scored 90 or more points in six consecutive games.
Smart, who scored 24 before halftime, received a technical after reacting to a foul call against him midway through the second half.
Johnson and Brown were both given technicals during a brief scrum later in the half. Purdue's Jay Simpson was called for a flagnant foul and ejected late in the first half.
Marcus Smart scores 30, No. 8 Oklahoma State beats Purdue
Bryson Scott scored 18 points as the Boilermakers rallied from a big deficit before losing 97-87 to the Cowboys Thursday in the opening round of the Old Spice Classic. "I thought who we are as a team was shown in both halves," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "You saw an immature team in the first half not really handle coaching. Our guys, I think their ego clashed with reality in the first half. Anytime you face someone who's got a lot of attention, who's ranked high, you want to go right at them and you want to beat them by yourself, and you can't beat Oklahoma State by yourself. You've got to beat them a team."
Marcus Smart scored 30 points and Markel Brown added 25 points for the Cowboys (6-0), who came in averaging 100.2 points and had defeated their first five opponents by an average of 37.8.
Smart tied Michael Beasley (Kansas State), Devan Downey (South Carolina) and Jared Jordan (Marist) for the highest scoring game in classic history.
Oklahoma State led 52-29 at halftime after going to the foul line 25 times.
Smart spent considerable time on the bench in the second half with four fouls when the game tightened up.
"Purdue was coming," Smart said. "They were making a run."
Purdue (5-1) also got 12 points from Errick Peck. Ronnie Johnson, who was averaging 13.8 points, battled foul trouble and had 10 points.
"We slowed things down and we ran Purdue's offense in the second half," Scott said. "First half, guys like me, I was forcing a lot of shots. Doing a lot selfish things. Second half, we came out and played as a team and we were able to chop the lead down."
The Boilermakers stormed back late and pulled within 84-80 on a 3-pointer by Kendall Stephens with 3 minutes left. Brown and Smart made layups to give Oklahoma State a little breathing room.
"We just didn't play smart," Painter said. "You've got to play hard and you've got to play smart. I was happy for our guys to comeback and compete better in the second half, but how pleased can you be as a coach when you give up 97 points?
Johnson didn't get his first points until making a basket a minute into the second half.
The Cowboys went ahead 67-46 with 14 minutes left on a pair of dunks by Brian Williams. This is the first time Oklahoma State has scored 90 or more points in six consecutive games.
Smart, who scored 24 before halftime, received a technical after reacting to a foul call against him midway through the second half.
Johnson and Brown were both given technicals during a brief scrum later in the half. Purdue's Jay Simpson was called for a flagnant foul and ejected late in the first half.
Marcus Smart scores 30, No. 8 Oklahoma State beats Purdue
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HOW THE WILDCATS WON: After a back-and-forth first half — eight lead changes and 11 ties — the second half featured more of the same until No. 3 Arizona began to pull away late. It wasn't always pretty, and in fact, Arizona didn't make a field goal until almost seven minutes into the second half and had a stretch of five consecutive turnovers, but, boy, once the Wildcats got going offensively, they were dominant. Arizona won 72-66.
Arizona went on a 20-5 run midway through the second half to take a commanding nine-point lead, an advantage it wouldn't relinquish. The Wildcats were scoring in so many different ways — inside and out — they forced No. 6 Duke to play a zone for a few possessions late in the game. That may not be the equivalent of saying, "We can't figure out how to guard you," but it's got to be close.
Duke's 66 points were its lowest scoring output of the season.
STAR WATCH: Start with the two players that have been dominating the headlines: Jabari Parker and Aaron Gordon. Parker was his usual sensational self when playing in the post, but he struggled with his jumper. He shot just 7-for-21 from the field and 0-for-5 from beyond the arc. His streak of scoring at least 20 points in every game to start his collegiate career ended; he scored 19.
Now, Gordon. Before reading too much into his stat line, which may seem less than flashy — 10 points, seven boards —- consider his season averages entering Friday's game: 12.5 points and 9.7 rebounds. This is what Gordon does for this Wildcat team; he calls himself "a glue guy with talent."
The timing of Gordon's production was huge. He scored eight points in the second half, including a big three and an emphatic dunk that put Arizona up by eight with less than five minutes to play. He defended well, too, pestering Parker for much of the night. Gordon won't put up the numbers that the so-called Big Three (Parker, Andrew Wiggins and Julius Randle) all season, but he's talented and fits in very well on this versatile Arizona team.
WHAT THIS MEANS IN A NUTSHELL: When you're looking at national championship contenders, you aren't going to see a ton of flaws. (And, for the record, both Duke and Arizona are title contenders.) But what's alarming if you're a Duke fan is this team's interior defense – and its defense in general. It's been an issue all season, and it's something that has to improve if Coach K's team wants to beat the nation's best. Krzyzewski said after Friday's game that he did believe his team's defense improved during this New York trip, and it has. But any team with size and length is going to pose trouble for the Blue Devils if they can't figure out how to defend it. It's hard to simulate length and quickness in practice when you don't have that on your roster, though. As for Arizona, the Wildcats may be the most balanced team in the nation, offensively. That's what Gordon said after the game. With so many pieces -- an experienced backcourt, a plethora of big men – the Wildcats are going to pose a lot of problems for a lot of teams.
4-point play: Instant analysis on Arizona-Duke
Arizona went on a 20-5 run midway through the second half to take a commanding nine-point lead, an advantage it wouldn't relinquish. The Wildcats were scoring in so many different ways — inside and out — they forced No. 6 Duke to play a zone for a few possessions late in the game. That may not be the equivalent of saying, "We can't figure out how to guard you," but it's got to be close.
Duke's 66 points were its lowest scoring output of the season.
STAR WATCH: Start with the two players that have been dominating the headlines: Jabari Parker and Aaron Gordon. Parker was his usual sensational self when playing in the post, but he struggled with his jumper. He shot just 7-for-21 from the field and 0-for-5 from beyond the arc. His streak of scoring at least 20 points in every game to start his collegiate career ended; he scored 19.
Now, Gordon. Before reading too much into his stat line, which may seem less than flashy — 10 points, seven boards —- consider his season averages entering Friday's game: 12.5 points and 9.7 rebounds. This is what Gordon does for this Wildcat team; he calls himself "a glue guy with talent."
The timing of Gordon's production was huge. He scored eight points in the second half, including a big three and an emphatic dunk that put Arizona up by eight with less than five minutes to play. He defended well, too, pestering Parker for much of the night. Gordon won't put up the numbers that the so-called Big Three (Parker, Andrew Wiggins and Julius Randle) all season, but he's talented and fits in very well on this versatile Arizona team.
WHAT THIS MEANS IN A NUTSHELL: When you're looking at national championship contenders, you aren't going to see a ton of flaws. (And, for the record, both Duke and Arizona are title contenders.) But what's alarming if you're a Duke fan is this team's interior defense – and its defense in general. It's been an issue all season, and it's something that has to improve if Coach K's team wants to beat the nation's best. Krzyzewski said after Friday's game that he did believe his team's defense improved during this New York trip, and it has. But any team with size and length is going to pose trouble for the Blue Devils if they can't figure out how to defend it. It's hard to simulate length and quickness in practice when you don't have that on your roster, though. As for Arizona, the Wildcats may be the most balanced team in the nation, offensively. That's what Gordon said after the game. With so many pieces -- an experienced backcourt, a plethora of big men – the Wildcats are going to pose a lot of problems for a lot of teams.
4-point play: Instant analysis on Arizona-Duke
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Setting up the Monday in college basketball:
Best bet: A light slate today features one matchup of ranked teams. No. 14 Connecticut is one of two remaining undefeated squads representing the American Athletic Conference, though three of the Huskies' victories have been by two points or fewer. They figure to be in for another nail-biter when No. 13 Florida (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2) visits. The Gators are accustomed to close affairs, having survived an upset bid by Sunshine State rival Florida State by a point Friday, their most recent outing. UConn has a luxury many teams don't: a senior leader at point guard in Shabazz Napier. Florida is happy to have Scottie Wilbekin back in action; he has handed out a total of 15 assists in his two appearances since being reinstated from suspension.
Number of the day: 17: While Auburn's football team experienced a magical finish Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, the Tigers' basketball counterparts will be going against Hilton Magic today when they visit No. 22 Iowa State (7 p.m. ET, ESPNU) as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge. The Cyclones have won 36 of their last 39 contests at Hilton Coliseum, including 17 in a row against non-conference opponents.
Words of the day: "We've got a lot of heart. We've got good depth. Our young guys are growing up. Still only November, though. We've got a long way to go." — Villanova coach Jay Wright, after his Wildcats won the Battle 4 Atlantis championship over the weekend. Their run included upsets of No. 2 Kansas and No. 23 Iowa, which could mean Wright's squad will have a number before its name when the new coaches poll comes out today.
Days until Selection Sunday: 104
Best bet: A light slate today features one matchup of ranked teams. No. 14 Connecticut is one of two remaining undefeated squads representing the American Athletic Conference, though three of the Huskies' victories have been by two points or fewer. They figure to be in for another nail-biter when No. 13 Florida (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2) visits. The Gators are accustomed to close affairs, having survived an upset bid by Sunshine State rival Florida State by a point Friday, their most recent outing. UConn has a luxury many teams don't: a senior leader at point guard in Shabazz Napier. Florida is happy to have Scottie Wilbekin back in action; he has handed out a total of 15 assists in his two appearances since being reinstated from suspension.
Number of the day: 17: While Auburn's football team experienced a magical finish Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, the Tigers' basketball counterparts will be going against Hilton Magic today when they visit No. 22 Iowa State (7 p.m. ET, ESPNU) as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge. The Cyclones have won 36 of their last 39 contests at Hilton Coliseum, including 17 in a row against non-conference opponents.
Words of the day: "We've got a lot of heart. We've got good depth. Our young guys are growing up. Still only November, though. We've got a long way to go." — Villanova coach Jay Wright, after his Wildcats won the Battle 4 Atlantis championship over the weekend. Their run included upsets of No. 2 Kansas and No. 23 Iowa, which could mean Wright's squad will have a number before its name when the new coaches poll comes out today.
Days until Selection Sunday: 104
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Indiana guard Yogi Ferrell has talked about using last season's loss to Syracuse in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament — and his own poor performance in the game — as motivation in the offseason.
Ferrell, now a sophomore, is Indiana's leading scorer at 18 points per game. But in that tournament loss, one in which the Orange's zone defense shut down the Hoosiers, Ferrell finished with no points and four turnovers.
"Yogi's a completely different player than he was last year," IU forward Will Sheehey said. "He'll be a lot more poised."
The Hoosiers will need poise, and more, to challenge No. 5-ranked Syracuse on Tuesday at the Carrier Dome.
Last season, Ferrell was neutralized by the length of Syracuse's backcourt, and by the team's vaunted zone defense. Whether or not it had anything to do with his previous game against Syracuse, Ferrell did not say Monday. (He wasn't made available to the media.)
"I don't think there's any question that in the summer, he was motivated," IU coach Tom Crean said of Ferrell. "I think he's a much different player. I think he's a much better player. ... I don't think there's any question that experience of going through that a year ago helped his summer and has helped his year thus far." This 23rd-ranked Indiana team counters Syracuse with strengths it didn't have last season. The Hoosiers can be more aggressive, offensively and defensively, because of their added length and athleticism. Freshman Noah Vonleh provides a strong post presence and averages a double-double, likely making him a crucial piece of Indiana's game plan.
Wasted possessions against the Orange (7-0) would cripple Indiana, according to Crean, who said preparation for Tuesday's Big Ten/ACC Challenge matchup has emphasized good shot selection. He repeated several times Monday that IU's 15.9-turnovers-per-game average so far this season must be trimmed against Syracuse.
In last season's 61-50 loss to the Orange, Indiana had 19 turnovers and the Hoosiers shot a dismal 33 percent from the floor.
"The turnovers and the mental errors were some of the most painful things the last time we played them," Crean said. "Our turnovers have got to get cut down."
One of the country's best 3-point shooting teams a year ago, IU shot just 3-of-15 from behind the arc against Syracuse. It was the end of a promising season for the Hoosiers, who were the preseason No. 1 team.
Syracuse lost three of its five starters from last season and is heavily reliant on its frontcourt now, with forward C.J. Fair (18 points per game, 5.9 rebounds per game) leading the team in scoring. Substitute Jerami Grant (14.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg) is proving to be a superb sixth man.
"They do a great job of getting the ball into the paint, getting to the foul line," Crean said. "They've got very good players at every position.
"We've just got to play smart. We've got to go and we've got to take care of the ball, because they capitalize so well on turnovers. That's the biggest area offensively for us."
Indiana hopes to be ready for Syracuse test in Sweet 16 rematch
Ferrell, now a sophomore, is Indiana's leading scorer at 18 points per game. But in that tournament loss, one in which the Orange's zone defense shut down the Hoosiers, Ferrell finished with no points and four turnovers.
"Yogi's a completely different player than he was last year," IU forward Will Sheehey said. "He'll be a lot more poised."
The Hoosiers will need poise, and more, to challenge No. 5-ranked Syracuse on Tuesday at the Carrier Dome.
Last season, Ferrell was neutralized by the length of Syracuse's backcourt, and by the team's vaunted zone defense. Whether or not it had anything to do with his previous game against Syracuse, Ferrell did not say Monday. (He wasn't made available to the media.)
"I don't think there's any question that in the summer, he was motivated," IU coach Tom Crean said of Ferrell. "I think he's a much different player. I think he's a much better player. ... I don't think there's any question that experience of going through that a year ago helped his summer and has helped his year thus far." This 23rd-ranked Indiana team counters Syracuse with strengths it didn't have last season. The Hoosiers can be more aggressive, offensively and defensively, because of their added length and athleticism. Freshman Noah Vonleh provides a strong post presence and averages a double-double, likely making him a crucial piece of Indiana's game plan.
Wasted possessions against the Orange (7-0) would cripple Indiana, according to Crean, who said preparation for Tuesday's Big Ten/ACC Challenge matchup has emphasized good shot selection. He repeated several times Monday that IU's 15.9-turnovers-per-game average so far this season must be trimmed against Syracuse.
In last season's 61-50 loss to the Orange, Indiana had 19 turnovers and the Hoosiers shot a dismal 33 percent from the floor.
"The turnovers and the mental errors were some of the most painful things the last time we played them," Crean said. "Our turnovers have got to get cut down."
One of the country's best 3-point shooting teams a year ago, IU shot just 3-of-15 from behind the arc against Syracuse. It was the end of a promising season for the Hoosiers, who were the preseason No. 1 team.
Syracuse lost three of its five starters from last season and is heavily reliant on its frontcourt now, with forward C.J. Fair (18 points per game, 5.9 rebounds per game) leading the team in scoring. Substitute Jerami Grant (14.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg) is proving to be a superb sixth man.
"They do a great job of getting the ball into the paint, getting to the foul line," Crean said. "They've got very good players at every position.
"We've just got to play smart. We've got to go and we've got to take care of the ball, because they capitalize so well on turnovers. That's the biggest area offensively for us."
Indiana hopes to be ready for Syracuse test in Sweet 16 rematch
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For 34 minutes, Missouri shut down West Virginia's prolific 3-point offense.
Then Missouri lost its focus, according to guard Jordan Clarkson.
The Tigers won 80-71, but only after surviving a late 17-5 run by the Mountaineers. The scare gives Missouri (8-0) something to work on as its welcomes 18th-ranked UCLA to Mizzou Arena on Saturday.
"I think we allowed them to get into the paint," coach Frank Haith said. "We gave up some broken plays where we weren't back setting our defense. They had some plays where we bobbled some loose rebounds, and they stuck it in." The Tigers also opted to try to score after grabbing offensive rebounds, rather than working the ball to the perimeter to burn time.
West Virginia (6-3) settled for making 42 percent of its shots after entering the game averaging 85.1 points and shooting nearly 50 percent. The team only made eight of 29 shots in the first half.
"We didn't score seemingly for about an hour and a half," West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. "So I would say we probably shot ourselves in the foot. Or blew our heads off."
Clarkson scored 25 points and guard Jabari Brown added 18 for the Tigers, who shot 53 percent.
Missouri extended its national-best home-court winning streak to 23 games and has won 78 consecutive games at Mizzou Arena against non-conference competition.
"It's tradition," Clarkson said. "We want to keep that going. Just keep protecting the home court. We can't let anybody come in here and do whatever they want to do."
Juwan Staten scored 16 points, while Gary Browne and Terry Henderson added 14 for West Virginia, which fell to 0-3 against power conference teams.
Missouri scored the first nine points and led throughout as West Virginia never established a rhythm until the end of the night. The Mountaineers also averaged 10 3-pointers per game before Thursday, but only converted one of their first 14 attempts until Browne's make with 7:51 remaining. They finished four for 19.
Earnest Ross added 16 points for the Tigers, who have won their first eight games for the first time since the 2006-07 season. Clarkson, Brown and Ross have combined for nearly two-thirds of the Tigers' scoring this season.
Missouri also out-rebounded West Virginia 40-32 after the Mountaineers grabbed 62 boards against Loyola Maryland, their most since 64 in a contest against Radford in 1992. West Virginia had been averaging four more boards per game than its opponents.
"I think this team is really taking our focus on being a better defensive team to heart," Haith said. "We've just got to stay with it."
The Mountaineers used a 9-2 run to pull within 27-20 with 4:36 remaining in the first half, but Missouri countered with an identical run to take a 36-22 halftime lead. After Devin Williams opened the second half with a layup, Missouri then scored the next five points.
West Virginia again narrowed the lead late in the second half, as Staten capped the team's 17-5 run with a layup with 1:45 left to narrow the Mountaineers' deficit to 73-64. After two free throws by the Tigers' Wes Clark, Rémi Dibo drained a 3-pointer from the corner with 1:10 left to make the score 75-67.
But the Mountaineers couldn't get any closer.
Staten (16) and Eron Harris (8) combined for 24 points after only scoring four total in the first half. The duo previously averaged nearly 37 for West Virginia, which has also lost to Virginia Tech and Wisconsin. Coaches picked the team to finish seventh in the 10-team Big 12 prior to the season as the team lost its final seven games last year and finished 13-19.
"I need to realize I have teammates that are very capable, and I need to put my full trust in my teammates," said Harris, who ranks second in the Big 12 with 20.3 points per game. "Not that I don't trust them, but when I'm not getting shots, maybe it's not my day to get shots."
Missouri's new chancellor, R. Bowen Loftin, attended the game and was introduced to fans in the first half. He then went into the stands to shake hands and pose for pictures with students. Currently the president of Texas A&M, Loftin will begin his new job as Missouri's leader on Feb. 1.
Missouri tops West Virginia in Big 12/SEC Challenge
Then Missouri lost its focus, according to guard Jordan Clarkson.
The Tigers won 80-71, but only after surviving a late 17-5 run by the Mountaineers. The scare gives Missouri (8-0) something to work on as its welcomes 18th-ranked UCLA to Mizzou Arena on Saturday.
"I think we allowed them to get into the paint," coach Frank Haith said. "We gave up some broken plays where we weren't back setting our defense. They had some plays where we bobbled some loose rebounds, and they stuck it in." The Tigers also opted to try to score after grabbing offensive rebounds, rather than working the ball to the perimeter to burn time.
West Virginia (6-3) settled for making 42 percent of its shots after entering the game averaging 85.1 points and shooting nearly 50 percent. The team only made eight of 29 shots in the first half.
"We didn't score seemingly for about an hour and a half," West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. "So I would say we probably shot ourselves in the foot. Or blew our heads off."
Clarkson scored 25 points and guard Jabari Brown added 18 for the Tigers, who shot 53 percent.
Missouri extended its national-best home-court winning streak to 23 games and has won 78 consecutive games at Mizzou Arena against non-conference competition.
"It's tradition," Clarkson said. "We want to keep that going. Just keep protecting the home court. We can't let anybody come in here and do whatever they want to do."
Juwan Staten scored 16 points, while Gary Browne and Terry Henderson added 14 for West Virginia, which fell to 0-3 against power conference teams.
Missouri scored the first nine points and led throughout as West Virginia never established a rhythm until the end of the night. The Mountaineers also averaged 10 3-pointers per game before Thursday, but only converted one of their first 14 attempts until Browne's make with 7:51 remaining. They finished four for 19.
Earnest Ross added 16 points for the Tigers, who have won their first eight games for the first time since the 2006-07 season. Clarkson, Brown and Ross have combined for nearly two-thirds of the Tigers' scoring this season.
Missouri also out-rebounded West Virginia 40-32 after the Mountaineers grabbed 62 boards against Loyola Maryland, their most since 64 in a contest against Radford in 1992. West Virginia had been averaging four more boards per game than its opponents.
"I think this team is really taking our focus on being a better defensive team to heart," Haith said. "We've just got to stay with it."
The Mountaineers used a 9-2 run to pull within 27-20 with 4:36 remaining in the first half, but Missouri countered with an identical run to take a 36-22 halftime lead. After Devin Williams opened the second half with a layup, Missouri then scored the next five points.
West Virginia again narrowed the lead late in the second half, as Staten capped the team's 17-5 run with a layup with 1:45 left to narrow the Mountaineers' deficit to 73-64. After two free throws by the Tigers' Wes Clark, Rémi Dibo drained a 3-pointer from the corner with 1:10 left to make the score 75-67.
But the Mountaineers couldn't get any closer.
Staten (16) and Eron Harris (8) combined for 24 points after only scoring four total in the first half. The duo previously averaged nearly 37 for West Virginia, which has also lost to Virginia Tech and Wisconsin. Coaches picked the team to finish seventh in the 10-team Big 12 prior to the season as the team lost its final seven games last year and finished 13-19.
"I need to realize I have teammates that are very capable, and I need to put my full trust in my teammates," said Harris, who ranks second in the Big 12 with 20.3 points per game. "Not that I don't trust them, but when I'm not getting shots, maybe it's not my day to get shots."
Missouri's new chancellor, R. Bowen Loftin, attended the game and was introduced to fans in the first half. He then went into the stands to shake hands and pose for pictures with students. Currently the president of Texas A&M, Loftin will begin his new job as Missouri's leader on Feb. 1.
Missouri tops West Virginia in Big 12/SEC Challenge
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The Mercer women's basketball team out-scored Samford 14-3 over the final five-plus minutes of the game to pull out a 56-52 comeback win on Saturday afternoon at the Pete Hanna Center.
Mercer (5-4) shot 44 percent from the field in the second half to secure the win and improve its record to 4-1 against Southern Conference schools this season.
Junior Briana Williams paced the Bears offensively with a season-high 19 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field. Senior Sharnea Boykin had a great all-around game for Mercer scoring eight points, grabbing a career-high 11 rebounds and handing out a game-high seven assists in the win.
"Today was just one of those games where we found a way to make some defensive stops at the end and found ways to score despite our offensive struggles all day long," said head coach Susie Gardner.
Both teams struggled offensively at the outset, as a jumper by Briana Williams made the score 3-2 Samford with 16:32 left in the first half.
Briana Williams continued to carry the Bears early on as a straightaway three-pointer gave Mercer its first lead of the game, at 13-11, with 11:38 to go in the first half.
Senior Kendra Grant got into the act with a three-pointer of her own to keep Mercer in front of Samford, 17-15 with 8:03 remaining in the first half.
The Bulldogs had the run of play towards the end of the first stanza, however, using a 16-3 run to take a 31-25 lead going into halftime.
The offense flowed more freely for both teams to start the second half as a short corner three-pointer by junior Precious Bridges pulled Mercer within one of Samford, 37-36, with 14:25 to go in the second half.
Despite a fast break lay-in by Bridges, Mercer still found itself trailing Samford 46-41 with 7:42 remaining in the second half.
The Bears kept fighting, however, and thanks to four-straight points by Boykin cut Samford's lead down to just one, at 49-48, with 2:29 to go in the game.
After another defensive stop, Mercer completed its comeback with a pair of clutch buckets by Briana Williams and Bridges on back-to-back possession to secure the win.
Bridges joined Briana Williams in double figures by scoring all 14 of her points in the second half.
"Samford did a great job of getting good looks through its offense, but we make some tweaks at halftime and threw some different defensive looks at them as the game went along," said Gardner. "Our players really dug deep those last three minutes and in a game that could have gone either way, our team stepped up and found a way to win."
Mercer is now on a 10-day break for final exams and won't return to the hardwood until it takes on Jacksonville State on December 17. Game time is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
Mercer women rally late for road win at Samford
Mercer (5-4) shot 44 percent from the field in the second half to secure the win and improve its record to 4-1 against Southern Conference schools this season.
Junior Briana Williams paced the Bears offensively with a season-high 19 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field. Senior Sharnea Boykin had a great all-around game for Mercer scoring eight points, grabbing a career-high 11 rebounds and handing out a game-high seven assists in the win.
"Today was just one of those games where we found a way to make some defensive stops at the end and found ways to score despite our offensive struggles all day long," said head coach Susie Gardner.
Both teams struggled offensively at the outset, as a jumper by Briana Williams made the score 3-2 Samford with 16:32 left in the first half.
Briana Williams continued to carry the Bears early on as a straightaway three-pointer gave Mercer its first lead of the game, at 13-11, with 11:38 to go in the first half.
Senior Kendra Grant got into the act with a three-pointer of her own to keep Mercer in front of Samford, 17-15 with 8:03 remaining in the first half.
The Bulldogs had the run of play towards the end of the first stanza, however, using a 16-3 run to take a 31-25 lead going into halftime.
The offense flowed more freely for both teams to start the second half as a short corner three-pointer by junior Precious Bridges pulled Mercer within one of Samford, 37-36, with 14:25 to go in the second half.
Despite a fast break lay-in by Bridges, Mercer still found itself trailing Samford 46-41 with 7:42 remaining in the second half.
The Bears kept fighting, however, and thanks to four-straight points by Boykin cut Samford's lead down to just one, at 49-48, with 2:29 to go in the game.
After another defensive stop, Mercer completed its comeback with a pair of clutch buckets by Briana Williams and Bridges on back-to-back possession to secure the win.
Bridges joined Briana Williams in double figures by scoring all 14 of her points in the second half.
"Samford did a great job of getting good looks through its offense, but we make some tweaks at halftime and threw some different defensive looks at them as the game went along," said Gardner. "Our players really dug deep those last three minutes and in a game that could have gone either way, our team stepped up and found a way to win."
Mercer is now on a 10-day break for final exams and won't return to the hardwood until it takes on Jacksonville State on December 17. Game time is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
Mercer women rally late for road win at Samford
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After a 109-103 victory over Detroit on Monday, the Blazers were concerned by a late push by the Pistons that brought them within three points after Portland had built a 13-point, second-half lead.
''We can't relax and let a team get back like that,'' Nicolas Batum said.
Robin Lopez warned about being complacent: ''That's something we need to fend off. We need to be mentally tougher, mentally stronger. ''
But Damian Lillard, who rebounded from a rough shooting night in the Blazers' previous game to score 25 points, said this season Portland is better equipped to fight off late opponent runs. ''Last year some games we'd have an answer and get a big win and other times we'd let the game get away from us,'' Lillard said. ''Now we've got a different level of confidence in those situations and we expect to win those games.''
Brandon Jennings had 28 points and four rebounds for Detroit. Acquired by the Pistons in an offseason sign-and-trade with Milwaukee, Jennings came into the game the game needing one rebound for 1,000 in his career, and one point for 5,000.
Jennings' alley-oop layup from Rodney Stuckey pulled the Pistons within 107-103 with 1:28 left. After he stole the ball from Lillard and was fouled by Batum, Jennings drove to the basket but missed a layup and fouled Lillard on the rebound. Lillard made free throws for the final margin and Stuckey missed a 3-pointer on the other end.
''It's very difficult. We knew coming in they were a team that takes a lot of 3s,'' Jennings said. ''They were on fire tonight.''
The Blazers made 11 3-pointers, including five from Lillard. It was Portland's sixth straight victory at home over the Pistons. The Trail Blazers were coming off a pair of victories over the Sacramento Kings in a home-and-away back-to-back. Lillard, last season's NBA Rookie of the Year, was 1 of 15 from the floor with four points in the Blazers' 96-85 victory on Saturday night.
''When players like that have a bad game you know they rarely have two consecutive bad games,'' Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks said. ''He's a confident player and shooter and tonight he showed that.''
Portland was one of just five teams in the NBA with two players averaging more than 20 points. LaMarcus Aldridge was averaging 23.3 points and Lillard was averaging 20.5 heading into the game.
Aldridge finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds against Detroit. His 15-footer that put the Blazers out in front 20-11 in the first quarter.
Portland held onto the lead through the second, going up 38-30 on Dorell Wright's layup. Detroit came back with a 13-4 run capped by Stuckey's 3-pointer to pull ahead 43-42. Greg Monroe's jumper knotted the score at 51 but Lillard answered with a 3-pointer and the Blazers went on to lead 58-55 at the half.
Aldridge made an acrobatic layup and Joel Freeland added a basket to give the Blazers a 77-70 lead late in the third quarter. Andre Drummond's alley-oop dunk narrowed it to 83-80 for the Pistons to open the fourth quarter.
Lopez's slam off Batum's no-look pass with 4:29 left gave the Blazers their biggest lead of the game at 104-92. Lopez, acquired by the Blazers in a three-team trade this summer from New Orleans, finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Afterward, Aldridge joked: ''His mom is here. She's staying the rest of the season.''
Charlie Villanueva made his season debut for the Pistons after returning from a shoulder injury and had two points. Drummond had 16 points and 16 rebounds.
Detroit was coming off a 119-110 loss to Oklahoma City on Friday night. Jennings had his first double-double with the Pistons with 22 points and 11 assists against the Thunder.
Notes: Cheeks was coach of the Blazers for three-plus seasons from 2001-05. ... Rasheed Wallace, who played for the Blazers from 1996-2004, is an assistant on Cheeks' staff. ... The Blazers and the Pistons split their series last season, with each team winning at home. ... The Blazers have made at least eight 3-pointers in all of their games this season, the team's longest streak ever. ... Aldridge's 11th rebound tonight was the 4,000th of his career.
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