Wisconsin holds off Marquette in an in-state square off - NCAA HOOPS

(MILWAUKEE) Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said the win over in-state rival Marquette reminded him of playground basketball.

There must have been plenty of misses and defense when Ryan played while growing up in suburban Philadelphia.

Josh Gasser scored 12 points on four 3-pointers, while 7-footer Frank Kaminsky added 15 points and 10 rebounds in the No. 2 Badgers' 49-38 victory.

Wisconsin (8-1) shot 32 percent while contending with a 2-3 zone defense by the undersized Golden Eagles, who don't have a starter taller than 6-foot-7.

''Playground days. You want to stay on the playground. You've got to figure out a way to beat the other team,'' Ryan said. Marquette ''had a plan, they worked their plan; we worked enough shots to get it done.

''I love playing in those kinds of games,'' Ryan said.

Wisconsin bounced back from an 80-70 loss at home earlier in the week to No. 4 Duke. This victory reminded the Badgers that they had some things to work out against the zone - especially when shots weren't falling from the outside.

Wisconsin was 8 of 30 (26 percent) from 3-point range on the afternoon, including 4 of 16 in the second half.

Smart move by Marquette given the decided size disadvantage.

''They packed that zone in pretty tight, tried to keep the ball out of Frank's hands,'' Gasser said. ''We were fortunate to take a lot of outside jumpers, and they weren't going for the majority of the game, but we happened to make enough to win.''

Two foul shots by Sandy Cohen III with 8:57 left cut the lead to 35-33 to get upset-minded fans cheering at the Bradley Center after Marquette (4-4) chipped away at a 10-point halftime deficit.

The steady Gasser hit his 3-pointer on the next trip down the floor, and the Badgers fended off Marquette for their second straight victory in the in-state rivalry.

Marquette went 0 of 6 from the field with two turnovers in the next 6-plus minutes after Cohen's foul shots before Matt Carlino hit a 3. He followed with two foul shots to draw within 44-38 with 2:05 left.

But it was too much to overcome against the bigger Badgers.

Wisconsin had a 25-15 lead at the half. According to the Badgers, it was the fewest by either team in a half in the series since at least 1997.

''I thought we were able to do a pretty good job defensively. Our offense let us down,'' Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski said. ''Poor decisions that led to some really tough shots when we should have kicked or made one more pass, or turnovers.''

MATTY ICE

Carlino finished with 18 points for Marquette, which hung around despite shooting 28 percent. The senior transfer from BYU is averaging 13.8 points

''We have one established college scorer in Matt Carlino,'' Wojciechowski said. ''The rest of the guys are trying to find their offensive identity.''

BOARDED UP

The Golden Eagles were outrebounded 41-28, including 14-5 on the offensive end. Yet Wisconsin looked out of sorts at times with the ball in the second half, forced to settle for outside shots. The Badgers had built a steady advantage with 6-foot-8 Nigel Hayes working effectively in the high post in the first half.

Hayes finished with five points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

ON DEKKER

Sam Dekker had just two points but added five offensive rebounds and three assists. He started after missing two days of practice with a lingering left ankle injury.

''He played some D, he got on the glass, he was active ... Sam gave us some good minutes,'' Ryan said.

TIP-INS

Wisconsin: The reception for the Badgers was more hostile than in their last visit to Milwaukee, where the team won its first two games in last season's NCAA tournament run to the Final Four.

Marquette: The 6-7 Taylor had six points and five rebounds, while 6-6 Juan Anderson finished with 10 boards. They played solidly despite the size disadvantage against Wisconsin.

UP NEXT

Wisconsin: At Milwaukee on Wednesday.

Marquette: Hosts Arizona State on Dec. 16.

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Spartans All-American, Gary Harris entering the NBA Draft

Gary Harris is going pro, thanks in part to coach Tom Izzo's recommendation.

The Michigan State shooting guard is entering the NBA draft, choosing to skip his last two years of college.

''It's time to follow my dream,'' Harris said in a statement released by the school.

Izzo told reporters after the season that he would advise Harris to make the jump to the league if his research led him to believe the native of Fishers, Ind., would be among the top guards drafted in June.

''Not only do I fully support and celebrate Gary's decision, but after my information gathering process, I recommend it,'' Izzo said in a statement. ''I expect Gary to be a high pick in the draft, but more importantly, I know that he is well prepared for a long career.''

Michigan State’s Gary Harris (14)
shoots a jump shot during
the third-round game of the
NCAA men's tournament. (AP)

Harris averaged a team-high 16.7 points last season, helping his team win 29 games, including the Big Ten tournament championship. He shot 43 percent overall and made 81 of 230 3-point shots. Harris was an Associated Press All-America honorable mention, All-Big Ten and all-conference defensive player.

The 6-foot-4 Harris, who was voted team MVP by his teammates and the media, was among 15 finalists for the Wooden Award last season.

''My two seasons at +Michigan State have been an amazing experience,'' Harris said. ''I have a lifetime of memories, including some incredible games in some incredible places, NCAA Tournaments, and cutting down the nets after a Big Ten tournament championship.''

He scored 1,025 points in two seasons, becoming the third player in program history to reach the 1,000-point mark as a sophomore. The other two were Magic Johnson and Mike Robinson.

Last year, Harris became the first player in Michigan State history to be named Big Ten freshman of the year and to be voted MVP by his teammates. After debating whether to be a one-and-done player, he chose to become a sophomore.

''Just like last season, I had to make a tough decision,'' Harris said. ''There hasn't been a single day where I regretted my decision to return for my sophomore season. It was the right decision for me and I'm better prepared for a successful NBA career because of it. On top of that, I have another season of memories from being around this year's team.''

Michigan State has not announced if Branden Dawson will return as a senior or join Harris in the draft. (At this time, Dawon has been reported to return per +SPORTS CR3W)

Dawson averaged a career-high 11.2 points last season. The 6-foot-6 forward flashed some of his potential, scoring a career-high 26 points in an NCAA tournament win over Harvard and scoring 24 points in his next game, helping the fourth-seeded Spartans beat top-seeded Virginia in the round of 16. After scoring in double digits for six straight games, Dawson scored just five points in the season-ending loss to the seventh-seeded Huskies.

No Shock! Wichita State Shockers Finish off Season Unblemished, Await Seeding for NCAA Tournament

ST. LOUIS — The locker room was silent, players sat motionless. This was 39 minutes before No. 2 Wichita State tipped off against Indiana State on Sunday – an unblemished record on the line – and 14 players sat before their head coach, Gregg Marshall.

Standing in front of a dry erase board, he delivered a blunt message in 43 seconds.

BOX SCORE: No. 2 Shockers 83, Sycamores 69

"Just so we know where we are," he said. "Where are we? Where do we stand? What's at stake?"

He held out a iPad and scrolled down.

"This," he continued, "is from the Sycamores, Indiana State alumni association.

"Scroll to the bottom. They have planned tonight a pep rally to welcome the 2014 Arch Madness tournament champions home. Hulman Center. Doors open at 8 o'clock, OK. Tonight. To welcome the Valley tournament champions home, all right.

"So that is what you're dealing with.

"They want a piece of us. They want a piece of us. Let's give 'em the whoooole thing. Let's give them the whole enchilada."

BRACKETOLOGY: Daily projections of the NCAA field

The Shockers charged onto the court and beat Indiana State 83-69 in the Missouri Valley Conference title game before a Scottrade Center crowd awash in yellow and black.

Wichita State (34-0) will become the first team to enter the NCAA tournament undefeated since a star-studded UNLV team accomplished the feat in 1991. The 1975-76 Indiana team was the last undefeated national champion, which means an undefeated champion has never been crowned since the tournament expanded to 64 teams (now 68) in 1985.

"This team is going to be remembered 50 years from now," Missouri Valley Conference commissioner Doug Elgin told USA TODAY Sports. "The real tantalizing question now? Can they run the table – 40-0?" 

Wichita State (34-0, 18-0): Won the Missouri Valley Conference championship. Scott Kane, USA TODAY Sports

PROFILE: Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall

Throughout the weekend as +Wichita State chased its first MVC tournament championship since 1987, Marshall focused on winning this particular event – incrementally proceeding game by game, even half by half – rather than cementing a 34-0 record.

"The pressure was a lot more in the regular season," sophomore guard Ron Baker says. "This is a new season for us."

Added guard Fred VanVleet: "People don't realize how hard it is to do what we did, no matter what league you play in."

The Shockers are expected to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament and play their first two games here in St. Louis as they begin their pursuit of back-to-back Final Four appearances. In a season chock-full of intriguing story lines, the Shockers stand as the most compelling. Led by a candid, shoot-from-the-hip coach, they are a bunch of overlooked, under-recruited players who proudly wear a chip on their shoulder. And they recoil at the suggestion that WSU is a "mid-major" program.

In fact, when a reporter asked Marshall in a news conference about being a mid-major, the coach bristled and said, "That 'MM' term that you used has been buried. I'm sure you saw that, but they had the funeral and everything, last rites. It's over."

There's no shortage of motivation: Their MVC tourney championship T-shirts included an unfortunate misprint. On the backs, Indiana State was listed as the champion.

Whether Wichita State would be better poised for a deep NCAA tournament run if it had suffered a loss has made for a strong debate. In 2004, Saint Joseph's suffered its first loss of the season in the Atlantic-10 tournament, earned a No. 1 seed and still reached the Elite Eight.

"It's too late in the year to lose," Wichita State assistant Steve Forbes said. "Maybe in January. When you get in February, March, time to keep winning. All a loss does is create a little self doubt. 'Oh, you can get them back (in gear) right after a loss'. Well, we have them right."

WOODEN AWARD: Ranking the 15 finalists

Aside from overcoming a 19-point deficit with 11:48 to play at Missouri State on Jan. 11, Wichita State has largely avoided much turbulence. Marshall says he's not sure he has called more than two timeouts all season long.

"I think timeouts are a sign of weakness," he said.

And the Shockers' first two games here were devoid of adversity, much to the delight of the thousands of Shocker Nation fans who overtook the city.

At 11:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, a large ballroom at the team's hotel, The Westin St. Louis, was packed with hundreds of Shockers fans, all in yellow and black. The crowd overflowed into the surrounding hallways for the team's pep rally. Fans, some riding high on the shoulders of their spouses, passionately sang along to the team's popular song. Some wore T-shirts adorned with the lyrics.

"You don't want to go to war/With the Shockers!"

"Don't start no stuff/Won't be no stuff!"

The university president John Bardo told the crowd that applications for admission for next fall are been up 89%. By the time Marshall finally addressed the fans, they were bursting with energy and anticipation.

"We've been playing one-and-done basketball for about a year," Marshall told them.

Ninety-minutes later Marshall walked in front of his players, all sitting in folding chairs in the locker room. In his final speech before the semifinal against Missouri State, he pointed to three circles drawn on the dry erase board and tapped the board. Only one circle had an 'X' in it.

"This is where we are in the tournament," he said. "It's three or nothing for us … We're one-third of the way there. It's three or bust. We're trying to put an 'X' right here today."

He talked about the importance of rebounding before pivoting back to the big picture. Players sat with rapt attention. No one moved.

"This will be our 33rd game in a row, but we don't talk about that anymore. We didn't talk about 32. The reason I talk about 33, okay, not only was it Larry Bird's number, not only is it the last Valley team, the most games they won before they lost in the championship game of the +NCAA Men's Basketball March Madness back in the day, Larry Bird, but it's 33% toward a championship.

"When we win, it's 66.6 repeating. Sixty-seven percent – that's what we're after. Another step. Another step. Respect your opponent. Come out with unbelievable energy. We'll be fine."

The team came together and started clapping and hollering. Then they steamrolled Missouri State. By halftime, Wichita State was in total control of the game, but Marshall wasn't satisfied.

"This is the score, zero-zero," Marshall said. "Pay attention to that. It's very important …

"Bigs need to sprint more. You guys are (expletive) playing three or four minutes and coming out. Sprint! Sprint! Sprint! Sprint to screen! Sprint on your roll! Sprint to pop! Okay, more! Run the court on offense! Beat them down the floor!

"Fives cannot change angles, so if you sprint and sprint back they are going to be lost."

The outcome was never in doubt. After the 67-42 rout, Marshall walked into the locker room and delivered a two-minute speech.

"Okay, we've got a great steak dinner tonight," he says.

He looked up at a television screen.

"Go Tennessee," he said in reference to the Volunteers, a team Wichita State beat earlier this season, who were pounding Missouri.

Fred Vanvleet drives in +Missouri Valley Conference Championship Game against +Indiana State University
(Photo: Scott Kane, USA TODAY Sports)

"A couple things, man. You guys were so focused. God! They ended up getting 42, but we all know how that went down. The first group was really good. Really, really, really, relaly good. Less than a point a minute."

He looked at the three circles on the board and grabbed a marker.

"Can we do this? Finish this one."

Marshall finished off the 'X' in the second circle. Only one circle remained, one obstacle – Sunday's MVC title game.

"You're 67% toward your goal," he said. "Anyone want to sing for this one?"

"Wait!" players holler.

"We didn't sing for the last one, so we've got to wait!"

SUNDAY BRUNCH: Season's 10 best individual performances

Later that night the team sat at round tables inside a private room in Mike Shannon's Steaks and Seafood restaurant downtown. Marshall was relaxed, sitting beside his wife, Lynn, and surrounded by close friends.

Lynn, who can be more outspoken than her husband, suggested a line or two that Marshall can fire back at critics of the program. Marshall roars. He repeats it three times. He loves it. He might use it one day.

His daughter Maggie later meandered over to the table and recounted how Bob Knight visited Wichita State's practice and told her that she had the wisest observations of anyone in the gym.

Marshall and a reporter turned to watch some of the Duke-North Carolina game on a large screen. They agreed it was an important so-called bounce-back game for the Blue Devils, who had previously lost to Wake Forest.

Marshall said he doesn't know anything about bounce-back games this season. Everyone laughs. He's right.

The Shockers have not lost since the 72-68 setback on April 6, 2013 to eventual national champion Louisville in the national semifinals.

Before Sunday's game, Marshall told his team that Indiana State and his team had different things at stake. He mentioned a potential 34-0 record. He mentioned 1991 UNLV.

There will be no Indiana State celebration tonight at the Hulman Center. The unbeaten Shockers are now back in the NCAA tournament, playing angry and chasing history.

"I think critics to me, at this point, are just laughable," said Marshall's 17-year-old son, Kellen. "I think it's laughable to try to critique a team that is making history with every game."

Toward the end of Marshall's news conference Sunday, a reporter asked if he had a message for any skeptics. Marshall said no.

Moments later, Marshall had a response, one that he had talked about over dinner Saturday.

"I might have an answer," he said. "I'm going to go with Chadrack Lufile's tweet about two weeks ago. 'Wolves do not fret over the opinions of sheep.' "

H/T to +USA TODAY Sports 

Florida moves to No. 1 in AP Poll

By The Associated Press

AP - Sports

Florida is the new No. 1 in the AP college basketball poll, the Gators' first time on top of the rankings since they repeated as national champions in 2007.

Florida coach Bill Donovan reacts against Mississippi 
during an NCAA college basketball game in Oxford

The Gators (25-2) moved up one place Monday, replacing Syracuse (25-2), which lost twice last week and dropped to fourth.

Wichita State (29-0) and Arizona (25-2) both moved up one place to second and third.

Florida, the fifth school to hold the No. 1 spot this season, received 47 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel. Wichita State was No. 1 on 14 ballots and Arizona got the other four first-place votes.

Kansas jumped three places to fifth and was followed by Duke, Louisville, Villanova, Creighton and Saint Louis.

Syracuse, which was No. 1 the past three weeks, lost to Boston College and Duke last week, the Orange's first losses of the season.

North Carolina, SMU and New Mexico all returned to the Top 25 this week replacing Connecticut, UCLA and Gonzaga

View the Polls

North Carolina Rallies to Beat No. 5 Duke 74-66

North Carolina head coach Roy Williams protests a call with an official during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against the Pittsburgh in Chapel Hill, N.C., Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014. North Carolina won 75-71.
(AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. Marcus Paige scored all 13 of his points in the second half, including two big baskets in the final 2 1/2 minutes, to help North Carolina beat No. 5 Duke 74-66 on Thursday night in the rivalry’s weather-delayed game. North Carolina played its best defense of the year and has continued to stick to it during their 8 game win streak. That and points in the paint. The usual Carolina strength. Attacking the basket.

The Tar Heels forced the 2nd best 3 point shooting team in college, a usual Duke strength aka Euro ball, to a 4-20 shooting night. Down the tail end of the game. Carolina was behind and tied it up with a few minutes remaining. Then Marcus Paige was the man of the hour and came through with a few huge buckets. 2 mid-range jumpers and a very savvy layup in between two contesting Duke defenders.

Senior Leslie McDonald added a season-high 21 points for the Tar Heels (19-7, 9-4 Atlantic Coast Conference), who rallied from 11 down in the second half to snap a two-game home losing streak to the Blue Devils (21-6, 10-4).

It was North Carolina’s eighth straight win and by far its most impressive during the run that has helped the Tar Heels dig out from an 0-3 ACC start.

When it was over, UNC students and fans stormed to midcourt to celebrate a win that was came eight days later than they had hoped due to a winter storm that forced the game’s postponement last week.

rewritten or redistributed.