The sweet styling of the McKnight Brothers was on display Saturday night in the MAC Tournament Final.  The toughest ticket in town was for the duet’s vibrant harmony, competently contributing to a 65-53 Akron win.  Less famous than singer Brian’s McKnight family, these brothers (junior Chris, and sophomore Brett) have [...]

Good Wins: 11/25 vs. Kansas (semi-away), 12/20 @Memphis, 2/4 vs. West Virginia, 3/7 @ Marquette, 3/12 vs. UConn (neutral), 3/13 vs. West Virginia (neutral)
Bad Losses: None.

Strengths: 
1. Variety. The spice of life encapsulates Syracuse’s offense, the Big East’s best.  How many different ways can they score on you?  Let me count the ways.  [...]

Buffalo 64, Ball State 52
Pete Newell would have been proud.  In a league habitually dominated by backcourts, big men thrived Friday night.  Buffalo Bull junior forward Max Boudreau poured in a lucky 21, raising his career high by 50%.  Even a free fall landing him square on his back could not [...]

De-fense. Clap! Clap!  De-fense. Clap! Clap!
Defense wins championships.  It’s a highly regarded maxim that covers all sports.  If defense is so vital and clearly intrinsic to success, then why are defensive values rarely addressed in the written word?
In Minnesota, Tubby Smith brought a renewed focus on defense.  “We take [...]

Ball State 64, Central Michigan 61 
An eventful overtime went to the birds.  Finally.  The Ball State Cardinals (14-16) pulled out a MAC slugfest on the strength of six Laron Frazier overtime points.  ”We have three seniors who all stepped up and made the shots to get to the next step,” said [...]

Good Wins: 11/30 Central Florida (Neutral), 12/30 @ East Tennessee State
Bad Losses: 11/23 FAMU (N), 11/29 Grambling (N), 1/5 vs. Tennessee State, 1/17 @ Eastern Illinois, 2/5 @ Jax St.
Strengths: 
1. Center of attention.  Kenneth Faried will be the new Glen “Big Baby” Davis.  Such effervescence and zest for life.   [...]

The Atlantic Sun Tournament opened play in the first week of March, declaring their champion second to the Big South.  Of course the Ivy League has no post-season tournament and therefore decides their automatic bid first.
Stepping into Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena, a resplendent concert hall, it becomes immediately apparent the title sponsor [...]

Good Wins: @Ohio State, Providence, Villanova, Notre Dame
Bad Losses: None.
Strengths: 
1. Team Defense.  In a league stacked with scorers, the Mountaineers provide opponents a rocky terrain to hike.  A person is more likely to win the shell game (33% chance) than they are to make a 3-point shot attempt against West Virginia (29%).  The personnel are [...]

Good Wins: @ UNLV, UAB, Georgetown, Notre Dame, @Georgetown, West Virginia
Bad Losses: None, but swept by Providence.
Strengths:
1. Pace.  Anytime a team is able to forcibly alter your offensive flow, the level of comfort crumbles.  Its tough to even initiate the offense effectively when avoiding traps and rushing past the halfcourt stripe supersedes.  [...]

 
Good Wins: 11/29 vs. Marquette (Neutral), 2/11 vs. Xavier, 2/28 vs. Temple.
Bad Losses: 1/10 vs. UMass (Neutral), 2/8 @ Charlotte, 2/21 @ St. Louis
 
Strengths: 
1. Defense. With forty minutes within which to operate opponents cannot muster 60 ppg against UD.  Quick hands at each position help the Flyers compensate for being out [...]