Saturday 1/2/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Spartans (13-1) at Golden Gophers (6-7)

Date: January 02, 2016 3:00 PM EDT

Denzel Valentine may be strengthening his case as college basketball's best player without even taking the floor.

Reeling from the star guard's knee injury and its first loss of the season, top-ranked Michigan State tries to regain its earlier form in Saturday's visit to struggling Minnesota.

With the versatile Valentine excelling in all facets, the Spartans (13-1, 0-1 Big Ten) were arguably the nation's most complete team in winning their first 12 games by an average margin of 22.8 points. That dominance hasn't existed, however, in the two games the invaluable senior has missed after undergoing arthroscopic surgery Dec. 21.

After being pushed to the limit by underdog Oakland in a 99-93 overtime win a day after Valentine's procedure, Michigan State put forth a sluggish effort in an 83-70 loss at Iowa in Tuesday's Big Ten opener.

Coaching one night following the death of his 90-year-old father, Carl, Tom Izzo watched his team trail throughout and allow the Hawkeyes to shoot 48.2 percent, the highest mark by a Spartans opponent this season.

'My dad was kind of a two-job, blue-collar immigrant that worked his posterior off most of his life, and that's what I asked of my team," Izzo said. "`Don't honor him with a win. Honor him by how we play.' That's been the most disappointing of all the things that've happened in the last two days.'

Valentine, Michigan State's leader in scoring, rebounding and assists, will miss at least one more game. The Spartans haven't lost much offensively with Eron Harris totaling 48 points starting in his place, but they have experienced a defensive drop-off. Michigan State limited opponents to 56.9 points per game and 35.3 percent shooting with Valentine in the lineup.

"Offense isn't gonna always be there, but we gotta rebound always, we gotta be hustling, we gotta do a better job picking each other up," Harris said.

The Spartans should fare better in a matchup with Minnesota (6-7, 0-1), the Big Ten's worst shooting team at 41.2 percent. The Gophers have been held under 39 percent five times during a 1-5 stretch that includes home losses to South Dakota, South Dakota State and Milwaukee.

Minnesota was inefficient again in Wednesday's 78-63 defeat at Ohio State, hitting 36.2 percent.

The Gophers showed more resolve in a 96-90 overtime win at Michigan State on Feb. 26. They overcame Valentine's 27 points to snap a 15-game skid in East Lansing, with Carlos Morris scoring 20 and hitting a game-tying 3 with 2.2 seconds left in regulation.

Morris, averaging 18.7 points over his last three, and Joey King (13.2 points per game) are the top perimeter threats on a team whose success has been predicated on its ability to knock down outside shots. Minnesota is 5-1 when making seven or more 3-pointers and 1-6 when under that total.

Reaching that number will be a challenge, as Michigan State ranks 10th nationally in 3-point percentage defense (27.5).

Keeping Jordan Murphy on the floor could also be a key for Minnesota. Foul trouble limited the freshman to 22 minutes Wednesday, and he finished with 11 points and five rebounds. He had five double-doubles in the previous six games, averaging 14.7 points and 12.2 boards but fouling out twice.

'He can't get in foul trouble," coach Richard Pitino said. "He's got to learn from it.'

The Spartans are making their first trip to Williams Arena since a 76-63 loss to a ninth-ranked Gophers team Dec. 31, 2012. Michigan State had won five straight in Minneapolis prior to that outcome and is 19-4 in the last 23 meetings overall.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Storm (7-7) at Friars (13-1)

Date: January 02, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

Providence's three stars have hit their stride just in time for Big East play, which certainly doesn't bode well for a young St. John's team that is struggling on the defensive end.

Seeking their first 2-0 conference start in seven years, the 12th-ranked Friars will try to lock up their best record after 15 games in a half century Saturday against the visiting Red Storm.

Kris Dunn proved he's recovered from an illness that sidelined him in the last two home games and high-scoring Ben Bentil seems to be over an ankle injury that limited him recently.

Dunn turned it on in the final 20 minutes after dealing with early foul trouble to key Providence's rally from an 11-point deficit in an 81-73 win at No. 9 Butler in Thursday's Big East opener. The junior guard finished with 20 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.

'As long as we've got Kris Dunn here, we're going to make sure he earns his scholarship because he's not going to be here much longer,' coach Ed Cooley joked about his preseason All-American.

Coming off a career-high 32-point performance in a 90-66 win at Massachusetts on Dec. 21, Bentil chipped in with 19 on Thursday. The sophomore forward is averaging 21.1 points on 52.4 percent shooting over his last 10 games and has totaled 29 rebounds in his past three.

Rodney Bullock had a career-high 25 points while hitting 6 of 9 from 3-point range and pulling down 10 rebounds at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The sophomore forward has averaged 15.8 points, 8.7 boards and 2 blocks while recording three double-doubles over his past six games.

'We just, collectively, all got it together,' Dunn said of the team's comeback surge.

The Friars rank eighth among all Big East teams with a 33.5 3-point percentage, but they've hit 22 of 49 (44.9 percent) from long range while averaging 85.5 points in back-to-back road victories.

Providence, 7-0 at home, seeks its first 2-0 start in Big East play since winning its first three in 2008-09 and first 14-1 start overall since winning 15 of its first 16 in 1965-66.

The Red Storm have dropped four in a row, including home losses to Incarnate Word and NJIT. They've allowed an average of 79.3 points and a 45.5 percent 3-point shooting in their last three games.

Freshman Malik Ellison will try to build on his best performance, a 17-point, nine-rebound effort off the bench in an 80-70 home loss to Creighton in Thursday's league opener.

Classmate Federico Mussini, however, looks to regroup after a managing a season low-tying five on 1-of-8 shooting against the Bluejays. He's averaging a team-high 13.4 points.

"Getting consistent performance from different guys has been up and down. That is related to (the team's) inexperience," first-year coach Chris Mullin said. "All these experiences will be beneficial in the long term, but at the moment it's not enjoyable."

Providence dropped the first two in last season's series with St. John's (7-7) before pulling out a 74-57 win in the Big East tournament quarterfinals. Dunn averaged 19.0 points, 7.3 assists, 5.0 rebounds and made 53.7 percent from the field in the three matchups.

The Friars have won 12 straight at home versus unranked opponents since an 83-70 loss to St. John's last January. The Red Storm have lost 18 of their past 19 against Top 25 teams.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bears (10-2) at Jayhawks (11-1)

Date: January 02, 2016 4:00 PM EDT

(AP) - Rarely can Kansas play the Rodney Dangerfield card.

After all, this is the program founded by the game's inventor, and that has Dr. James Naismith's name on its floor.

It's the one that counts Phog Allen, Larry Brown and Roy Williams among its former coaches, and has five national title banners in the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse.

No respect? No chance.

Except perhaps in this respect: On Saturday, the second-ranked Jayhawks host No. 23 Baylor as they begin pursuit of a 12th straight conference championship, a feat matched only by the UCLA teams of the 1960s and '70s.

"I don't think there's any doubt that people take the streak for granted," coach Bill Self said. "I think our fans do. I think nationally, it has not got the respect in a lot of ways it deserves. But I also understand that what gets most of the attention now is what you do in the postseason, as opposed to the regular season. I understand that."

Still, the remarkable string of Big 12 titles means something at Kansas (11-1).

Step outside the home locker room, turn right and head toward the Phog's floor. There is a graphic pasted on the wall that shows each of the 11 rings won by previous teams.

"What these players have done over time, and with so many different combinations and all those things in what is arguably as good a league as there is in the country, it's pretty remarkable," Self said. "I'm real proud of it."

It is difficult to put "the Streak" into proper perspective.

When it began in 2005 with a shared title in Self's second season on the sideline, current Kansas freshman Carlton Bragg was 9 years old. The team was led by a senior guard, Aaron Miles, who these days looks resplendent in a button-down suit as part of the Jayhawks' staff.

"Faces have changed but expectations and results haven't," Self said. "That's one thing that I probably take the most pride in is that the kids, regardless of who you lost, it's kind of the next man up, and that mantra - they've delivered. I take great pride in the consistency."

Especially at a program that is constantly losing players early to the NBA, including one-and-done stars such as Andrew Wiggins that leave massive voids to be filled each spring.

Three times, the Jayhawks have kept their streak going with five new starters.

"Nobody wants to be the team that doesn't win the 12th year in a row," junior guard Frank Mason III said with conviction. "That's something we take a lot of pride in."

During the streak, the Jayhawks are 31-6 against Oklahoma and Iowa State, the teams thought to be the biggest threats to ending more than a decade of dominance this year. They've never lost to Baylor in 12 games at Allen Fieldhouse, where they are 87-5 against league foes the past 11 seasons.

"The reality is, year-in and year-out, we have had as good of players as anybody. And so when you have as good of players as anybody, you should win games," Self said. "Certainly this year, though, you can make a case that the teams in our league are every bit as talented."

Baylor (10-2) certainly fits the bill, as one of the five Big 12 teams in the Top 25. Its only losses came at then-No. 25 Oregon and at No. 20 Texas A&M and it knocked off then-No. 16 Vanderbilt.

"Your nonconference schedule, you want to put yourself in position to achieve all your goals. And I think we've done that," Bears coach Scott Drew said after Tuesday's 72-59 win over Texas Southern. "We don't have any bad losses. We have a good win (Vanderbilt). So tournament resume-wise, we'll have a good RPI from it. Now you're on to the toughest conference in the country."

Baylor is strong on the glass, outrebounding opponents by an average of 11.3 boards, and possesses a potent offense averaging 81.8 points.

Kansas, however, is no slouch offensively, scoring 87.2 points per game to rank fifth in the country. The Jayhawks' 45.0 percent shooting from 3-point range is second in the nation with Wayne Selden Jr. connecting on 52.5 percent of his 59 attempts.

Selden's 14.8 scoring average ranks just behind Perry Ellis' 15.1 for the team lead.

Selden had 20 points as the Jayhawks defeated Baylor by 10 in the semifinals of the 2015 Big 12 tournament. Kansas won all three meetings last season and is 24-4 in the all-time series.

Taurean Prince, Baylor's leading scorer at 15.5 points per game, had just two points on 1-of-11 shooting in last year's tournament matchup and is coming off is worst performance of this season, going 2 of 12 for six points Tuesday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Golden Hurricane (8-5) at Bearcats (10-4)

Date: January 02, 2016 4:00 PM EDT

Mick Cronin doesn't sound like a guy who had a very happy holiday season, but he left no doubt as to what his players can provide as a New Year's resolution.

Defense and toughness were the two words Cronin harped on after 22nd-ranked Cincinnati's latest loss, and the Bearcats will try to stop a two-game skid and start correcting their faults Saturday against Tulsa.

There wasn't much to pick apart in Cincinnati's first three defeats - two of which were by two points - considering they all came against teams currently among the nation's top 11.

But Tuesday's 77-70 loss to previously .500 Temple was enough to set Cronin off. The Owls became the first team to shoot 50 percent against the Bearcats (10-4, 0-1 AAC) since February, and the defensive disparity in Cincinnati's wins (35.2 percent, 57.0 points per game) versus its losses (45.4, 75.3) had him particularly fired up.

"Our problem is we're just not a good defensive team right now. We lack a lot of toughness," Cronin said. "We don't do anything that's hard. It's hard to win games against good solid teams when we have too many players on our team thinking everything is OK because we're ranked."

That was only the beginning for Cronin, who said the loss was "my fault" but wasn't done sending a message to his team.

"We've lacked talent when we were rebuilding the program. We've lacked height. We've never lacked toughness," he said. "Right now, they're a disgrace to every guy that's been in there bleeding to build that program. That's played out-manned, under-manned in a battle royale. Right now, they owe those guys an apology for the way they defend and the way they play."

Cronin apologized to Cincinnati's fans after the program's third home loss prior to January for the first time in eight years. He promised to rectify things, and it'll be interesting to see if he tries to do so with Shaq Thomas and Octavius Ellis as starters.

Those two came off the bench for the first time due to a series of poor practices, replaced by Jacob Evans III and Coreontae DeBerry. Evans and Berry had nine points in a combined 37 minutes while Thomas and Ellis totaled 20 in 54 off the bench.

'We just don't understand that being Cincinnati and being blessed to be in the Top 25 that we've got to be ready to play every game,' said Troy Caupain, who led the Bearcats with a season-high 19 points. 'That's something we've been lacking, energy for all 40 minutes. It's held us back.'

Cincinnati likely won't have to worry about being ranked even if it beats Tulsa (8-5, 0-1), which has won both of its true road games and split four at neutral sites.

Like the Bearcats, though, the Golden Hurricane have lost three times at home after letting No. 17 SMU shoot 56.4 percent in Tuesday's 81-69 defeat. Still, coach Frank Haith was taking the long view after Tulsa's conference opener.

"It's a long, long, long season. ... We have another opportunity again this weekend against Cincinnati," Haith said. "We have 17 more of these to go. We just have to get better and keep grinding. There is no time to panic. Nobody across the country can feel that."

One thing Haith doesn't want to talk about anymore is his team's free-throw issues. Tulsa is shooting 66.9 percent from the line after going 11 of 22 against SMU, and Haith has vowed silence on the matter.

The Golden Hurricane went 4 of 13 from the stripe March 4 as Farad Cobb had 22 points in the Bearcats' 56-47 win.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Razorbacks (6-6) at Aggies (10-2)

Date: January 02, 2016 4:30 PM EDT

There was no letdown for Texas A&M after an impressive victory in its previous game, and the Aggies are surging into SEC play as a result.

Twentieth-ranked Texas A&M goes for its fourth straight win when it hosts Arkansas on Saturday.

Freshman center Tyler Davis matched his season high of 18 points, three other Aggies scored in double figures and two more had nine in an 82-63 victory over Cal Poly on Tuesday. Texas A&M (10-2) shot 49.2 percent and went 11 of 33 from 3-point range while limiting the Mustangs to 38.6 percent and 8-of-24 shooting from beyond the arc.

No hangover was apparent after an 80-61 home rout of then-No. 16 Baylor on Dec. 19 that was the squad's second win in as many games against ranked opponents this season. Texas A&M improved to 8-0 at home.

"I'm excited," Davis said. "Our team is really good. I think we can come out as the top team in the conference at the end of it. We just have to go with (coach Billy Kennedy's) game plan and keep playing hard, live with the results at the end of the day."

Eight Aggies average between 5.8 and 15.3 points.

Davis is shooting 79.4 percent from the field but doesn't have enough attempts to qualify in that race yet. After his 8-of-9 performance Tuesday established season highs in both made baskets and attempts, it sounds like he'll be getting more opportunities.

"He's impressive," Kennedy said. "Eighteen points, eight rebounds in 24 minutes. I thought we got him the ball but we can get him the ball more."

Texas A&M, allowing 64.3 points per game and 39.1 percent shooting, led by as many as 22 against Cal Poly.

The Aggies also owned a 43-34 edge in rebounding, including 16 offensive boards. They've averaged 15.3 offensive rebounds since Nov. 27, which is among the best marks in the nation in that span.

Texas A&M also forced 13 Mustangs miscues that led to a 21-5 advantage in points off turnovers, as well as a 10-0 lead in fast-break points. The Aggies committed a season-low seven giveaways.

"Somebody said we played three games in 22 days (coming into Tuesday)," Kennedy said. "It's hard to really get in the rhythm of playing games and now getting into conference play, I hope we can build a good rhythm and get more consistent in our play."

That's something with which Arkansas (6-6) has struggled. The Razorbacks were in position for a win over Dayton on Wednesday, but couldn't close it out as the Flyers went on a game-ending 10-2 run in an 85-81 overtime victory.

Moses Kingsley led Arkansas with 26 points and the Razorbacks got big production from their reserves, with Anton Beard scoring 11 of his 15 in the second half and Dusty Hannahs adding nine of his 13 after the break. Arkansas' bench outscored Dayton's 32-24.

The Razorbacks, though, lost for the second time in three games - both defeats coming in OT. They've dropped all four contests away from home - two true road games and two neutral-site contests.

"The record is what it is. I'm not awful proud of it, but I am proud of our guys and where they're trending; the direction they're going," coach Mike Anderson said. "We were really tested against a very good Dayton team, and as we begin in the (conference) season ... we're opening up at Texas A&M, a team that's a top-15 team, could be top 10.

"I was watching the game they played against Baylor and they just dominated, so we've got our work cut out for us."

Kingsley has averaged 22.0 points in his last three contests.

Texas A&M has taken two of the last three meetings, winning 81-75 at Fayetteville in the most recent Feb. 24. Danuel House, leading the Aggies with 15.3 points per game, scored a game-high 28 and went 5 of 9 from 3-point range.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Devils (11-2) at Eagles (7-6)

Date: January 02, 2016 4:30 PM EDT

Boston College coach Jim Christian is a little apprehensive about his team's chances to keep up with Duke in its ACC opener.

His concern appears to be well-founded.

Coming off back-to-back 100-point games, the 15th-ranked Blue Devils begin their conference slate when they visit the offensively challenged Eagles on Saturday.

Duke (11-2) looked like it would have a hard time overcoming a foot injury to Amile Jefferson as it fell to Utah 77-75 in overtime Dec. 19, but it regrouped over the holiday break and cruised to a couple of easy wins.

After shooting 51.3 percent and hitting 12 3-pointers in Monday's 105-66 victory over Elon, the Blue Devils made half their shots and knocked down 11 3s in Wednesday's 103-81 win over Long Beach State.

Leading scorer Grayson Allen had a career-high 33 points and went 15 of 17 from the foul line Wednesday while Matt Jones scored 21 and Derryck Thornton 18. The Blue Devils hit 28 of 32 foul shots and their 20.3 made free throws per game is among the highest marks in the country.

'We have good scorers, and if we're ready and play off one another, we have the ability to put points up,' coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "The big thing is when you're attacking and you get fouled, then you score when the clock is off."

With six players averaging in double figures, Duke - which last reached triple digits in three consecutive games in December 1999 - is among the nation's leaders with 88.9 points per game.

Boston College (7-6) has reached 88 points once this season and is averaging 67.5 - one of the worst marks among the 86 major-conference teams.

'You cannot win in a league that we play in without scoring,' Christian said.

The Eagles aren't projected to do much winning in the conference this year. A better fate is expected for the Blue Devils.

"We're proud of those things and we're 11-2. And now we're 0-0," Krzyzewski said. "It's not like football. You have to earn it now and be really good in your conference and earn the right to play in a tournament where only one team wins. There has to be a toughness that's developed and we have to continue to get there."

BC needs to get someone other than Eli Carter involved in the offense.

Carter had a season-high 28 points in Wednesday's 72-67 overtime victory over New Hampshire. The graduate transfer from Florida averages a team-high 17.2 points while freshman Jerome Robinson (12.2) is the only other player in double figures.

'I would like to get more production from everybody else,' Christian said. 'I thought Eli made every play. They deferred to him on every play. That's not how we've been playing.'

The Eagles are riding a four-game winning streak but expect things to get tougher with league play starting.

BC has lost four straight conference openers and dropped nine in a row to Top 25 opponents since knocking off then-No. 1 Syracuse on Feb. 19, 2014 - its only victory over a ranked team in it last 21 tries.

The Eagles have also lost nine straight to the Blue Devils. Duke won 85-62 on Jan. 3 in last season's lone matchup and has outscored the Eagles by an average of 21.7 points in the past three meetings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Fighting Irish (9-3) at Cavaliers (11-1)

Date: January 02, 2016 5:00 PM EDT

Virginia put a few notches in its belt through nonconference play and now turns its attention to adding another in a recent line of success in the ACC.

The fifth-ranked Cavaliers begin their defense of back-to-back regular-season conference titles Saturday night when Notre Dame visits Charlottesville.

Virginia (11-1) has won eight straight in this nine-game series that dates back to 1980, the final three victories helping the Cavaliers finish atop the ACC standings the past two seasons. They won each title with a 16-2 record and will try to become the first team since Duke (1997-2000) to win three straight outright ACC regular-season championships.

Virginia feels it is primed for a three-peat after a nonconference slate that included a Charleston Classic championship and consecutive wins over ranked West Virginia and Villanova teams last month.

"We've been saying from the jump that it was going to help us," point guard London Perrantes told the team's official website. "We've had some tough games compared to the last two years that I've been here, and we want to play in those games."

The lone blemish was a 73-68 loss at George Washington on Nov. 16, Virginia's first defeat to an unranked nonconference opponent since December 2013.

"We needed that loss at GW," forward Isaiah Wilkins said. "I feel like it made us realize that we needed to work on a lot of things."

Virginia rebounded with 10 straight wins, including Wednesday's 71-58 victory over Oakland - the Cavaliers' 32nd win in their last 33 home games. Anthony Gill scored 17 points and is averaging 19.0 in the last four games on 66.7 percent shooting. Seven-footer Mike Tobey, who began the season starting at center, added 16 points off the bench after totaling six over the previous four games in limited minutes.

After opening the season shooting 26.3 percent from 3-point range in a win and a loss, the Cavaliers have since shot 45.5 percent - third-best in the nation in that span. Perrantes has hit 21 of 37 this season, and leading scorer Malcolm Brogdon is 8 for 16 in the last three games while going 1 for 18 inside the arc.

Notre Dame (9-3) has allowed opponents to shoot 38.7 percent from 3-point range - worst among ACC teams - but held Liberty to 4 of 20 in Tuesday's 73-56 win. That game was a preview of sorts for the conference opener as the Flames are coached by Virginia's associate head coach from last season, Ritchie McKay.

'It was kind of nice to be able to talk about some Virginia-type stuff and see some of it,' Irish coach Mike Brey said.

The difference is that Virginia features one of the best defenses in the nation, allowing 59.1 points per game, while Liberty falls somewhere in the middle at 68.1. The Cavaliers led the country last season in points allowed (51.5 per game) while leading the ACC in opponents' field-goal percentage (36.7).

Virginia is currently among the national leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.73, turnover margin at 4.8 and effective field-goal percentage at 55.6. Liberty doesn't rank any higher than 90th in the country in any of those categories.

Still, Notre Dame won for the fifth time in six games, and Steve Vasturia found his shooting touch. The junior sharpshooter combined for 11 points in the previous two games while missing all eight of his 3-point attempts. He made 2 of 4 from deep and 5 of 7 overall en route to 17 points against Liberty.

"I'm a firm believer in the law of averages with a guy like that," Brey said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hawkeyes (10-3) at Boilermakers (13-1)

Date: January 02, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

Iowa opened Big Ten play against the nation's top-ranked team and came away with an emphatic win.

The Hawkeyes, however, may actually face a more difficult challenge in their second conference game Saturday night, as they visit No. 14 Purdue and the Boilermakers' heralded front line.

The Hawkeyes (10-3, 1-0) had little trouble against Michigan State on Tuesday, leading by as many as 19 in cruising to an 83-70 victory. Senior Mike Gesell had a career-high 25 points and Peter Jok added 19 for Iowa, which knocked off a No. 1 team for the first time since beating Connecticut in 1999.

"This is a stepping stone," Gesell told Iowa's official website. "It's a way to start the Big Ten off right. Our ultimate goal isn't just to beat Michigan State, it's to win a Big Ten championship."

A conference title is also on the minds of the Boilermakers (13-1, 1-0), and at the moment, they're in better shape than the Spartans.

Iowa caught a bit of a break in going up against a Michigan State team missing do-everything star Denzel Valentine. It will have no such advantage against Purdue, which presents matchup problems with 7-footers A.J. Hammons and Isaac Haas.

Hammons has totaled 45 points and nine blocked shots in a pair of wins for the Boilermakers following a 74-68 loss to then-No. 17 Butler on Dec. 19.

'I don't know if he understands it's pressure,' coach Matt Painter said of Hammons after he matched a season high with 24 points in Tuesday's 61-55 victory at Wisconsin. 'The game has slowed down for him a little bit.'

With Hammons and Haas patrolling the interior, Purdue is among the national leaders in defensive field-goal percentage at 34.3 and scoring defense at 58.4 points per game.

"We used to be aggressive, we used to hawk the basketball," Painter said. "Now we play more position defense because we're bigger and we try not to foul. We try to keep people in front of us more. It's really helped us in morphing into a team that has so many big people."

With all that height, it's not surprising that the Boilermakers are among the top teams in the country in rebounding differential at plus-12.0. Six-foot-9 freshman sensation Caleb Swanigan averages a team-best 9.2 boards, while Hammons is at 8.1.

Rebounding is an area in which the Hawkeyes have struggled, as they're grabbing only 1.5 more boards per game than opponents.

Iowa's biggest strength is 3-point shooting, with leading scorer Jarrod Uthoff (17.6 ppg) hitting 45.8 percent of his 3s. The Hawkeyes are shooting 40.0 percent from beyond the arc and made 6 of 13 against Michigan State.

"I would like to think this is a great confidence builder, but we get another top ranked team Saturday," coach Fran McCaffery said. "Hopefully we learned lessons of how to compete, execute, and not take a possession off and we can carry that over for Purdue."

The Hawkeyes lost 67-63 at Purdue on Jan. 24 in last season's only matchup and have dropped seven straight at Mackey Arena. Gesell had 18 points in the latest meeting while Boilermakers senior Rapheal Davis had a career-high 24 points.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Tigers (9-3) at Gamecocks (12-0)

Date: January 02, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

South Carolina coach Frank Martin acknowledges that his program's recent lackluster seasons have made it difficult to get high-profile teams to come to his arena.

The 24th-ranked Gamecocks will have one visiting Saturday night when they attempt to finish nonconference play unbeaten against Memphis, which might not have its leading scorer.

South Carolina has won 20-plus games just once since 2005-06 and Martin said that kind of record doesn't entice teams to schedule matchups.

"Our program hasn't been good enough to expect good teams to want to come here and play. For the elite level teams to want to Columbia to play a game here, it's got to be good for them," he said. "We're trying to build our program to make it attractive to people to want to play us."

Martin said South Carolina (12-0) is getting a chance to play Memphis (9-3) in part because of a relationship with Tigers coach Josh Pastner that dates back to their AAU coaching days.

"I'm trying to think back to when Memphis wasn't relevant in the nation. I don't know what year that was. Maybe (John Calipari's) first couple seasons rebuilding the program. Ever since then, they've been a fixture," Martin said. "I know playing (Memphis) is going to make us a better team so it makes a lot of sense."

South Carolina will try to remain one of the nation's three unbeaten teams while adding to its best start since going 17-0 in 1933-34.

The Gamecocks could use a better start than they had in a 78-56 win against Division II Francis Marion on Wednesday. They led just 12-9 after nine minutes but found a groove, allowing Martin to play 15 players.

Chris Silva had a season-high 13 points in his 19 minutes off the bench.

The Gamecocks will take a big step up in class before starting SEC play Tuesday at Auburn. Memphis made 14 consecutive postseason visits until finishing 18-14 in 2014-15 and having a string of four NCAA Tournament appearances snapped.

The Tigers have lost to Mississippi and Texas-Arlington and also missed a great chance to build their resume by falling to unbeaten Oklahoma. They could face the third remaining unbeaten if SMU is still perfect Jan. 30.

Memphis topped Ohio State 81-76 in overtime Nov. 27 in Miami, its only other game away from home. The Tigers opened American Athletic Conference play with a 77-65 win over Tulane on Tuesday.

Senior swingman Trahson Burrell led the way with a season-high 21 points and a career-best 13 rebounds, helping make up for leading scorer Dedric Lawson's absence. The freshman, averaging 15.5 points, has an abdominal injury.

"I'm hoping he's back for Saturday," Pastner said.

South Carolina has lost eight in a row to its former Metro Conference rival dating back to February 1989.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rebels (10-2) at Wildcats (10-3)

Date: January 02, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Kentucky is fresh off a win over its biggest rival, but it's Mississippi entering SEC play on a seven-game winning streak.

The competition the Rebels faced might not have prepared them for Saturday night's game at Rupp Arena against the No. 10 Wildcats, who are seeking their 22nd straight conference victory - a run that began with last season's SEC opener against Ole Miss.

Kentucky (10-2) is coming off a 75-73 home win over then-No. 16 Louisville last Saturday behind a career high-matching 21 points and eight assists from Tyler Ulis.

The guard had his best shooting effort of the season, going 7 of 12 and 4 of 7 from 3-point range after hitting 26.7 percent of his shots over the previous four games. He drained a key 3 in the final five minutes after Louisville got within two.

"He's not afraid to miss," coach John Calipari said. "I've said to all these guys, the guys that make game winners or make big plays that are like just the knife in the back, they're not afraid to miss that shot. ... And that's Tyler."

The performance paced an 11-for-23 team mark from long range, and the Wildcats have had their top two 3-point shooting games consecutively, combining with a 9-for-19 mark in a 74-67 loss to Ohio State on Dec. 19 to make 47.6 percent.

The win over the Cardinals came with top scorer Jamal Murray having an off night (3 of 14) and Isaiah Briscoe sidelined by an ankle injury. Dominique Hawkins made the most of a career-high 26 minutes with a career-best 13 points.

"For me to have the game I did today, it was a blessing. I didn't realize I had that many points," Hawkins said. "I was just really confident. Every shot that went up, I felt it was going in."

Briscoe has returned to practice and is expected to face the Rebels.

The Wildcats have won 28 straight home games by an average of 21.5 points and was 21-0 in the SEC last season, including the conference tournament. Mississippi (10-2) went 11-8 in the league after opening with an 89-86 overtime loss at then-No. 1 Kentucky on Jan. 6. The Wildcats have won six straight in the series with nine consecutive home wins over the Rebels since a loss at Rupp in 1997-98.

Those streaks figure to grow if Ole Miss isn't better than its last time out â?? an 83-80 home overtime win over 5-7 Troy â?? though it gave the Rebels their first seven-game winning streak since a nine-game run from Dec. 23, 2012-Jan. 26, 2013.

"At the end of the day, they don't say how. They just say how many," coach Andy Kennedy said. "We're just happy to get our seventh win in a row heading into the SEC schedule."

Stefan Moody had 23 points, but that's about average for the senior guard (23.8). The SEC's leading scorer has averaged 26.2 points in the last five games, but he's shooting 34.2 percent in his previous two.

Tomasz Gielo matched Moody with a career-high 23 points, and the forward is averaging 14.0 in his last four games after managing 6.8 in his first eight.

The Rebels made up for allowing Troy to shoot 47.7 percent by forcing 19 turnovers. In the last six games, their opponents have averaged 16.5 turnovers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cyclones (11-1) at Sooners (11-0)

Date: January 02, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Buddy Hield is one of the nation's leading scorers for an Oklahoma team that is among the most accurate from 3-point range.

Coincidently, Iowa State's biggest flaw is defending opponents behind the arc.

The 11th-ranked Cyclones know they must contain Hield and the rest of his hot-shooting teammates if they plan to deal the third-ranked Sooners their first defeat Saturday night.

Hield is averaging 24.9 points and has scored at least 30 in three of his last five after finishing with a career-high 34 in an 83-71 victory over Harvard that gave Oklahoma (11-0) the Diamond Head Classic championship on Christmas Day.

The senior finished 11 of 14 from the field and hit 3 of 5 from 3-point range, and Jordan Woodard made 4 of 7 from deep while scoring a career-high 28. The Sooners trailed at halftime for the first time all season before opening the second half on a 7-0 run.

"I thought the key was our opening seven, eight minutes of the second half," coach Lon Kruger said. "I thought defensively we created some good opportunities to transition from and then Harvard fought back after that - which is no surprise."

The biggest surprise was that Oklahoma shot only 37.5 percent from behind the arc, its second-worst performance of the season. The Sooners lead the nation by a wide margin with a 46.2 percentage from 3-point range.

Hield is shooting a team-high 52.9 percent, followed by Woodard (52.2), Ryan Spangler (47.8) and Isaiah Cousins (45.7). Oklahoma's hot shooting is part of the reason it is heading into conference play unbeaten for the first time since 1989-90.

Iowa State (11-1) plans to compete for a Big 12 title as well, and it can earn an early edge on the Sooners if it can shut down their shooting barrage. The Cyclones have gotten by so far despite ranking last among the 10 conference teams in 3-point defense at 35.7 percent.

Four teams have made at least 10 3s against them, including Coppin State going 17 of 30 in the Cyclones' 104-84 win Wednesday. Abdel Nader scored 21 points and Deonte Burton added 17.

'It felt like they were just turning around and throwing them up in there. But I mean, obviously that's something we're going to work on,' said Georges Niang, who had 15 points. 'Let's bring in the new year. We're ready to go. No question. If you want to be the best you've got to beat the best, so why not start off at Oklahoma.'

Coach Steve Prohm knows it won't be easy if they allow the Sooners to get going early. Oklahoma is shooting 50 percent from the field and 47.5 from 3-point range in six home games.

"If we give up 17 out of 30 up there, we're not going to win that game unless we go about 18 for 30," Prohm said. "But, it'll be a point of emphasis of where we've got to be locked in."

Iowa State ranks among the national leaders in field-goal percentage at 50.9 and hit 55.9 percent against Coppin State. The Sooners, though, are second in the country in field-goal percentage defense at 35.6 percent, and only two teams have shot better than 40 percent against them.

Oklahoma shot 31.5 percent from 3 while dropping two of three meetings with Iowa State last season. Hield shot 37 percent in those matchups.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bulls (3-11) at Mustangs (12-0)

Date: January 02, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

SMU will have one of its biggest tests in its pursuit of an American Athletic Conference championship next week but will first try to avoid a slip-up against the league's worst team.

The 17th-ranked Mustangs shouldn't have much trouble staying unbeaten after a visit from South Florida on Saturday night.

Because of NCAA sanctions, SMU can only win one title - the AAC's regular-season crown - and got that chase off to a strong start with an 81-69 victory at Tulsa on Tuesday.

Freshman Shake Milton had a career-high 24 points and went 7 of 8 from 3-point range in his hometown. Nic Moore scored 23 points as the Mustangs (12-0, 1-0) extended their best start in school history.

"When I was (serving a nine-game suspension), all I heard were guys talking about how unselfish we are and how well we pass the ball, particularly our bigs," coach Larry Brown said. "Since I've been back, nothing has really changed. It's a value that our program is trying to be about. We don't care who gets the shot or the credit."

SMU, one of three remaining unbeaten teams, will face No. 22 Cincinnati on Thursday but will first try to get past South Florida (3-11, 0-1).

The Bulls, currently the only AAC team with a losing overall record, were competitive in a 73-67 loss to visiting Houston in their conference opener Wednesday. Chris Perry had a season-high 19 points and 10 rebounds while leading scorer Jahmal McMurray tallied 18 points.

"It's a team that is continuing to get better," coach Orlando Antigua said. "We've still got room to grow. We just have to keep moving that way."

McMurray, a freshman guard, is South Florida's only player averaging in double figures (13.4 points per game). The Bulls are putting up a conference-worst 64.2 points per contest while shooting 41.2 percent.

The Mustangs, meanwhile, are averaging a league-best 83.8 on 52.7 percent shooting - 44.9 from 3-point range - and are second with 62.8 points allowed per game. If those numbers remain steady, SMU could cruise to its third consecutive win over South Florida.

It swept last season's meetings against a team that finished 9-23 overall and last in the conference at 3-15. The Mustangs blew out the Bulls 83-49 at home Dec. 31, 2014, and won 63-52 at South Florida on Jan. 28 with Markus Kennedy scoring a career-best 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting.

The Bulls have lost 18 in a row to Top 25 opponents since a 58-51 victory at No. 19 Louisville on Feb. 29, 2012. They lost 84-63 to formerly top-ranked Kentucky on Nov. 27 in Miami.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Terrapins (12-1) at Wildcats (13-1)

Date: January 02, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Northwestern's NCAA Tournament drought has been well documented, and it's only finished higher than seventh in the Big Ten once in the past 45 years.

That hasn't stopped the Wildcats from thinking big this season, even without Alex Olah.

Seeking their first 2-0 conference start since 2006, the Wildcats will get an opportunity to see how far they've come at home Saturday night when they try to deny fourth-ranked Maryland a seventh consecutive victory.

Surprising Northwestern won its 10th in a row Wednesday, 81-72 at Nebraska in its Big Ten opener. It's the longest winning streak since a school-record 12-game run in 1930-31.

The Wildcats are off to their best start since that national title season, though they've never qualified in the NCAA Tournament era. A fifth-place showing in 2003-04 accounted for the only time since 1969-70 that they finished higher than seventh in the Big Ten.

Northwestern (13-1) has high hopes in coach Chris Collins' third season, but suffered a big blow when Olah went down with a stress reaction in his foot. The 7-foot senior is out indefinitely after averaging 18.7 points and 7.7 rebounds over his previous three games.

With the center sidelined, Collins opted to remove the redshirt on freshman Dererk Pardon. The 6-8 center made a huge impact in his second start, finishing with 28 points on 11-of-14 shooting to go along with 12 rebounds against the Cornhuskers.

'We thought we got a gem with him," Collins said. "He was an under-the-radar recruit that we felt had a chance to be really good, and his work ethic and his ability to be ready when called upon like he was when Alex went down was amazing.'

Tre Demps contributed 17 points Wednesday, though Bryant McIntosh hopes to bounce back after finishing with 11 on 4-of-14 shooting. The sophomore guard was coming off a career-high 33 in a 74-59 home win over Loyola (Maryland) on Sunday.

In the only meeting last season, McIntosh had 21 points on 10-of-14 shooting but the Wildcats couldn't hold on to a 14-point lead in a 68-67 road loss Jan. 25.

Northwestern ranks third among Big Ten teams by limiting opponents to 37.8 percent shooting, but it will have to figure out a way to contain Diamond Stone.

Stone set a freshman school-record with 39 points Wednesday, making program-record 19 free throws on 25 attempts with 12 rebounds as the Terrapins rallied for a 70-64 home win over Penn State.

"He's big and he can finish," said forward Robert Carter, who finished with 11 points and nine rebounds. "He has great hands and can finish."

Stone might need some help after the rest of the Terrapins shot 21.4 percent in the opener. Melo Trimble, who missed 12 of his 15 attempts, hopes to regroup as Maryland (12-1) looks to stay perfect since its 89-81 loss at then-No. 9 North Carolina on Dec. 1.

The Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year has averaged 10 points on 33.3 percent shooting in his last three games after scoring 15.8 while shooting 53.4 percent in his prior 10. He had 27 points to key the rally in last year's matchup in College Park.

The Terrapins, who finished second in their Big Ten debut last season, have won both meetings since the 1958-59 season. The Wildcats have dropped eight in a row versus ranked opponents following an 80-69 loss to the Tar Heels on Nov. 23.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wildcats (11-2) at Bluejays (10-4)

Date: January 02, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

It's just one game, but Villanova's presumed decline in the Big East appears to be well off-base.

After dismantling one of their expected chief competitors in their league opener, the defending conference champion Wildcats face one of the Big East's potential sleepers in Saturday night's visit to Creighton.

A unanimous choice to earn a third straight Big East regular-season title, the No. 16 Wildcats entered league play behind cohorts Xavier, Butler and Providence in the national rankings after a relatively unimpressive non-conference performance. They quickly changed opinions with Thursday's 95-64 rout of sixth-ranked and previously unbeaten Xavier, serving notice that they're still the conference's team to beat.

Villanova (11-2, 1-0 Big East) overwhelmed the Musketeers, shooting a season-high 63.2 percent and scoring 26 points off 19 turnovers in its third straight win following a Dec. 19 defeat at No. 5 Virginia.

Among the nation's top outside shooting teams during last season's 33-3 campaign, the Wildcats have regained their touch after struggling from the perimeter early on. They've reached double figures in 3-pointers in four of the last five games and made 13 of 25 against Xavier.

"We've been saying all along that we're a good 3-point shooting team," coach Jay Wright said. "We have just taken some bad shots but we took good ones (Thursday)."

Reigning Big East co-Player of the Year Ryan Arcidiacono matched a career high with seven 3s on 14 attempts while amassing 27 points and eight assists.

Creighton (10-4, 1-0) has displayed some marksmanship as well in exceeding preseason expectations. Picked ninth in the 10-team league, the Bluejays rank among the Division I leaders in scoring (86.9 points per game) and shooting (50.3 percent).

They've been particularly accurate at home, eclipsing 50 percent in all eight games at CenturyLink Center, where they're 7-1 and averaging 93.8 points.

"Creighton is really good, and that's as tough a place to play in the country," Wright said. "We've got a lot of them in the Big East, but that's very tough."

The Bluejays, 4-14 in the Big East and 14-19 overall last season, have built their turnaround on senior center Geoffrey Groselle's improvement and the additions of transfers Maurice Watson Jr. (Boston University) and Cole Huff (Nevada) and freshman Khryi Thomas.

After playing sparingly his first three years, Groselle (12.9 ppg) leads the nation in field goal percentage (75.0) and has been nearly flawless of late. The 7-footer is 25 of 27 over a three-game stretch and finished 9 of 10 for 22 points in Thursday's 80-70 league win at St. John's.

"I'm just playing my game and shooting shots I know I can make," he said. "My teammates are doing a great job of getting me those shots that they know I can make. Hopefully we can keep this streak going."

Creighton has lost nine straight against Top 25 opponents, with seven coming in conference play. Its only two wins over Big East ranked teams came against Villanova during its league debut in 2013-14.

The Wildcats won both meetings last season but had to work hard for a 76-72 decision in Omaha on March 3. Arcidiacono had 23 points and completed a three-point play with 49 seconds left for a 69-67 lead.

Creighton has won three straight since an 87-74 loss at No. 3 Oklahoma on Dec. 19. The Sooners handed Villanova a 78-55 defeat in Hawaii on Dec. 7.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'College Hoops'

Michigan State (13-1, 8-5 ATS) has discouvered just how tough things can be without do-everything star Denzel Valentine. Spartans were not overly impressive in beating Oakland 99-93 earlier without Valentine then opened Big Ten play getting upended 83-70 by Iowa.

Spartans in an ugly mood after their first blemish along with looking at pay-back having been handed a 96-90 loss in East Lansing last year by Minnesota expect Izzo's troops to come out and make a statement. MSU has owned this series winning sixteen of the past twenty meetings cashing 14 tickets (14-6 ATS). Despite the recent road loss MSU remains a profitable 11-5 ATS in their last 16 road games, 12-3-1 ATS last 16 conference games on enemy hardwood. Additionaly, Spartans are a money-making 8-1 ATS following a regular season loss, 5-2 ATS laying 10 or more points.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

College football notebook: TCU QB Boykin arrested, suspended
By The Sports Xchange

TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin was arrested and accused of assaulting a patrol officer following a fight at Pat O'Brien's in San Antonio early Thursday morning.
He was charged with public intoxication, resisting arrest and assaulting a public official, which a third-degree felony.
TCU suspended Boykin following the arrest.
It's a major challenge for the Horned Frogs to lose the senior starting quarterback days before No. 11 TCU plays No. 15 Oregon in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday.

--Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa plans to enter the NFL draft, Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer said.
Bosa, the No. 1 defensive player in the 2016 NFL Draft based on NFLDraftScout.com rankings, said earlier this week he would discuss his plans after the Fiesta Bowl game against Notre Dame.
NFLDraftScout.com senior analyst Rob Rang has touted Bosa as the top defensive player in the draft all season.

--California junior quarterback Jared Goff will forego his final season of college eligibility and enter the NFL Draft, he announced .
Goff's decision, which was expected, comes two days after he threw six touchdown passes in a 55-36 bowl-game victory over Air Force.
Goff is rated the No. 4 overall NFL prospect by NFLDraftScout.com, which projects him to be taken with the fifth overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers in its 2016 mock draft.

--Memphis junior quarterback Paxton Lynch is expected to enter the 2016 NFL Draft.
Lynch is projected as a potential top-10 pick by NFLDraftScout.com and joins a class of quarterbacks that includes California Jared Goff. Lynch is No. 20 on senior analyst Rob Rang's Big Board.
--Oklahoma defensive tackle Charles Walker is unavailable for the Orange Bowl on Thursday because of a concussion.
Walker was diagnosed with the head injury after Monday's practice in Miami.
The Sooners will miss Walker, who had six sacks and 10 tackles for loss this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Last-minute college football bowl bets books don't want you to make
By STEVE MERRIL

With college football bowl season on the way, Steve Merril looks at which matchups you should wait out until the last minute before kickoff to bet, if you want to get the best of the oddsmakers’ lines. Check out Steve’s best bowl games to bet right now.

Taxslayer Bowl: Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Georgia Bulldogs (-6.5)


Georgia opened as a 7-point favorite over Penn State and some early money came in on the underdog, pushing the line down to 6.5 at most sportsbooks. But I expect more Georgia money to come in closer to kick off, especially since the SEC is considered the superior conference to the Big Ten. That will influence the public into betting this game.

Bettors are going to remember Georgia winning its last four games of the regular season while Penn State lost its last three games. Penn State has more stability as Georgia lost head coach Mark Richt to Miami. Getting +7 on Penn State should show, so hold out for a good line on the Nittany Lions.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Need-to-know betting notes for college football bowl teams
By JOE FORTENBAUGH

Betting college football bowl games this month but don’t have time to cap during the hectic holiday season? Joe Fortenbaugh plays “Santa’s Little Helper” when it comes to betting bowls, giving you 80 must-know notes for all 80 bowl teams:

Taxslayer Bowl: Saturday, January 2

Penn State Nittany Lions: Head coach James Franklin’s first bowl appearance with the Lions resulted in a 31-30 victory over Boston College last December. But more importantly, be advised that the point spread for the Taxslayer Bowl has shifted off the key number of Georgia -7 to Georgia -6.5 despite the fact that 52 percent of the bets already placed have been in support of the Bulldogs.

Georgia Bulldogs: Big question mark here as former head coach Mark Richt is now in Miami not to mention the fact that several of his assistants have also bolted the Georgia program for other positions around the country. Georgia could very well lay an egg in this matchup, so proceed with extreme caution.

Autozone Liberty Bowl: Saturday, January 2

Kansas State Wildcats: The Wildcats are just 1-6 ATS over their last seven bowl games while head coach Bill Snyder is a career 7-9 SU and 5-11 ATS in postseason play. However, give Kansas State credit for turning a midseason six-game losing stretch into a three-game winning to close out the year and get bowl eligible.

Arkansas Razorbacks: It all came together and started clicking for Bret Bielema and the Razorbacks on October 24 when Arkansas beat Auburn 54-46 in quadruple overtime to ignite a six-game stretch in which the program recorded five victories. Arkansas is now 6-2 ATS over its last eight games overall and 6-1 ATS over its last seven games against Big 12 opposition.

Valero Alamo Bowl: Saturday, January 2

Oregon Ducks: After a disappointing 3-3 start to commence the 2015 campaign, many around the country turned their back on Mark Helfrich and the Ducks. That wound up being a big mistake as Oregon rattled off six straight wins by an average of 10 points per game to close out the year. Take note that the Ducks are 5-1 ATS over their last six games overall and 5-2 ATS over their last seven bowl games.

TCU Horned Frogs: The Horned Frogs are just 1-7 ATS over their last eight neutral-site games and 1-5 ATS over their last six bowl games.

Motel 6 Cactus Bowl: Saturday, January 2

West Virginia Mountaineers: The Mountaineers are just 1-5 ATS over their last six bowl games, but be advised that this point spread has shifted from ASU -1 to West Virginia -1 despite the fact that 60 percent of the spread bets placed at the time of publication sided with the Sun Devils.

Arizona State Sun Devils: The Sun Devils are just 1-6 ATS over their last seven bowl games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nittany Lions (7-5) at Bulldogs (9-3)

Date: January 02, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

Rather than releasing a depth chart of its players heading into the TaxSlayer Bowl, Georgia might want to come up with a similar outline to explain the current constitution of its coaching staff.

With Mark Richt and both coordinators gone and the program's next coach focused on a bigger stage, the Bulldogs themselves might be unclear who's in charge heading into their date with Penn State in Jacksonville on Saturday.

Richt was fired after Georgia's 9-3 season, his 15th at the helm in Athens that included 145 wins, seven top-10 finishes in the final AP Poll and two SEC championships. But neither of those came in the last decade, and the Bulldogs' hierarchy determined it had enough of being good but not quite good enough to win a national title.

Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt are gone also, with Pruitt accepting that same gig at Alabama after learning he wouldn't be retained by the Bulldogs' new coach. That would be Kirby Smart, who is sticking around in Tuscaloosa to run the Crimson Tide's defense in the College Football Playoff before taking over in Athens. Linebackers coach Mike Ekeler is also out.

"It's been a whirlwind and a roller coaster," quarterback Greyson Lambert said. "Up and down and a lot of different types of ways. As a player you play the games and everything else just kind of happens around you and you don't really have any control over it. Our focus is on playing the games. I can't really speak to the other stuff that's happened."

So who's left to lead Georgia at EverBank Field?

The interim coach title falls to Bryan McClendon, who will step up from his job leading the receiving corps. McClendon spent four years playing that position under Richt from 2002-05, leading the Bulldogs with six touchdowns as a senior. It's unclear if he'll stay on Smart's staff or head elsewhere - possibly to reunite with Richt at Miami.

"It's kind of all about the kids. It's been about the kids," McClendon said. "That stuff will take care of itself a little later on, but right now everything is just geared toward this bowl game, getting the team ready for the bowl game so we can go out there and have a good showing."

After being known for stability for so long, Penn State can relate to having some uncertainty on the sidelines around this time of year. Tom Bradley served as the interim coach for the 2012 bowl game after Joe Paterno was fired, and Bill O'Brien and James Franklin were early January hires within the past four years.

Ineligible to go bowling under O'Brien, Penn State beat Boston College 31-30 in the Pinstripe Bowl in Franklin's first season but failed to take a real step forward while going 7-5 in 2015. Only San Diego State finished with a winning record among the teams the Nittany Lions beat, and they were outscored 171-73 in their losses.

Much of the struggles fell on an offense that finished 101st in scoring (23.7 points per game) and 106th overall (344.0 yards per game) despite being led by the talented Christian Hackenberg. The junior threw five interceptions - 10 fewer than he did last season - but his completion percentage dipped to 53.3 and he's been sacked 14 more times (82) the past two seasons than any other FBS quarterback.

All those issues led to the dismissal of offensive coordinator John Donovan, who was replaced by Fordham coach Joe Moorhead. Quarterbacks coach Ricky Rahne will run the offense against the Bulldogs in what could be Hackenberg's final game for the Nittany Lions. He's waiting to hear back from the NFL Draft Advisory Board to decide whether he'll return for his senior season or move on.

'I think it's obviously going to be a tool in that decision when that time comes. But again, right now I think it's really just going down and making sure we execute against Georgia,' Hackenberg said.

That isn't going to be easy. The Bulldogs allowed the fewest passing yards per game (146.1) in the nation and the fewest by any major conference team since 2011.

That could open the door for plenty of Saquon Barkley, Penn State's freshman running back who averaged 6.1 yards per carry. He'll face a Georgia defense that won't have third-leading tackler Tim Kimbrough, who was suspended for an undisclosed reason.

"I think Saquon is just scratching the surface to be honest with you. He's still figuring things out. He's still growing," Franklin said. "Once he arrived (on campus), his demeanor and his approach and his attitude was he was going to do everything in his power to play as a freshman, and not just play but have an impact."

The Nittany Lions are 11th against the pass (174.5 ypg) and will be chasing down a quarterback who might also be making his final collegiate start for a very different reason. Lambert was benched for the Bulldogs' rivalry game with Florida in Jacksonville due to poor play and never really found a rhythm as a junior despite only throwing two interceptions.

Five-star recruit Jacob Eason is expected to push the Virginia transfer next season.

Penn State was tied for second in the nation with 44 sacks, 15 1/2 of which came from Lombardi Award winner Carl Nassib. The former walk-on will play against Georgia after missing nearly all of the Nittany Lions' losses to Michigan and Michigan State with an undisclosed injury.

"I just want to put the Penn State jersey on one last time," said the senior, who will be running into a Bulldogs team that allowed 2 1/2 sacks less than he produced. "I just want to get out there and hit someone really, really badly."

This is the second meeting between Penn State and Georgia, and the hype won't be quite as high for this one. The first ended with the Nittany Lions earning their first national championship by beating the top-ranked Bulldogs 27-23 in the 1983 Sugar Bowl.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wildcats (6-6) at Razorbacks (7-5)

Date: January 02, 2016 3:20 PM EDT

In the opening month of the season, Arkansas looked less like a program that was heading to a bowl game and more like one that might have to search for a new coach.

The Razorbacks will seek to finish their turnaround by securing their most wins in four seasons when Bret Bielema faces one of his former mentors, Kansas State's Bill Snyder, in the Liberty Bowl on Saturday.

With Arkansas having lost three of its first four games, it looked like Bielema's seat was getting good and toasty with his team still having to face a rugged SEC schedule. The Razorbacks instead finished 5-3 in the conference and won five of six overall to end the regular season.

That closing stretch included road upsets of ranked squads Mississippi and LSU in the first two weekends in November. They needed All-American tight end Hunter Henry's miraculous lateral, deemed by some as the "Hog Mary," to set up the first of those victories, 53-52 in overtime over the then-No. 19 Rebels.

Arkansas (7-5) now has a chance to keep its momentum going in Bielema's tenure and reach eight wins for the first time since going 11-2 in 2011 under Bobby Petrino, a season that ended with a victory against Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl.

The Razorbacks are again facing a Snyder-led team but this time with Bielema, his defensive coordinator from 2002-03. Arkansas receivers coach Michael Smith is also a former Wildcats assistant and was a star receiver for the program.

Bielema said he reached out to his former coach earlier this season when his team was struggling.

"I'm always leaning on him for stuff like that," he said. "I took some notes away and it worked. ... One thing coach Snyder will do is give you a good answer."

The bowl chances for Snyder's team were also looking bleak following an 0-6 start to Big 12 play, but Kansas State advanced to a sixth consecutive postseason appearance by winning its final three contests.

The Wildcats (6-6) used Morgan Burns' 97-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter to edge West Virginia 24-23 in their regular-season finale Dec. 5. Kody Cook, normally a receiver, threw a 77-yard touchdown pass and ran for another while filling in for injured quarterback Joe Hubener.

It's unclear if Cook or Hubener will start in the Liberty Bowl.

Kansas State started its win streak by rallying from a 21-point deficit for a 38-35 win against Iowa State on Nov. 21 with Jack Cantele converting a 42-yard field goal with three seconds left.

The Wildcats haven't had a losing season since 2008, the year before Snyder began his second stint with the team. To avoid that, they'll need to earn just their second win in eight bowl games since the 2003 season, all but one under their longtime coach.

Kansas State fell 40-35 to UCLA in last season's Alamo Bowl.

"Since I have been here we have only won one bowl game (a 31-14 victory over Michigan in the 2013 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl)," offensive lineman Cody Whitehair said. "As a senior, going out with a winning record and a big bowl victory would mean a lot to me."

The Wildcats are appearing in their first Liberty Bowl while Arkansas is making a record fifth trip.

The Razorbacks edged East Carolina 20-17 in overtime in their latest visit to Memphis on Jan. 2, 2010, after losing their previous three Liberty Bowls. That victory is among the program's three in their last four postseason games, and Arkansas routed Texas 31-7 in the Texas Bowl last season.

"Coach Snyder is relentless in his attitude toward bowl games. He knows it's another opportunity for a win," Bielema said. "I've been there. I've seen what those guys go through so we'll get their best shot."

A trio of single-season touchdown records are within reach for Arkansas' main skill players. Brandon Allen, who owns the school's career mark with 63 passing TDs, needs three more to match Ryan Mallett's 32 from 2010. Alex Collins, the third running back in SEC history to top 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons, needs two TDs to tie Bill Burnett's 19 from 1969, and receiver Drew Morgan is two scoring catches away from equaling Jarius Wright's 12 in 2011.

Kansas State has a 3-2 edge in the all-time series but hasn't beaten the Razorbacks since 1926.