NCAA Basketball Bubble Watch
By Broadside Sports Editor Brian Chan and Staff Writer Ryan Dempsey
Virginia Tech Hokies
The Virginia Tech Hokies are the only team to knock off the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in Winston Salem this season. Even though they were able to defeat the top team in the nation at the time, the Hokies are currently in a position where they have to fight for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Several of their close losses could determine whether or not they receive the at-large bid. In a game against the Clemson Tigers, the Hokies relinquished their 61-46 lead in the second half as the Tigers rallied to win 86-82 in Blacksburg. Virginia Tech is known for their highly competitive program. Five of their eight losses have been by no more than four points. Senior guard/forward A.D. Vassallo is one of the leaders on the team, averaging 18.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Malcolm Delaney is averaging 18.3 PPG, fifth-best in the ACC. Delaney scored a career-high 37 points against the Tigers with six 3-pointers. With Vassallo and Delaney in the backcourt, the Hokies have an additional solid inside presence in sophomore forward Jeff Allen. Allen is averaging 14.5 PPG and 8.8 RPG, and has six double-doubles this season. One of his best performances came against the Longwood Lancers, where he recorded 19 points, 21 rebounds and three blocks. The Hokies will be in the spotlight as they look to avenge their blowout loss to the Duke Blue Devils earlier this year.
Kentucky Wildcats
Junior guard Jodie Meeks never scored more than 21 points in a game during his first two seasons. This season, Meeks exceeded the 30-point mark seven times. Meeks’ 25.4 PPG average ranks fourth among Division I players. After losing their first two games to start off this season, the Kentucky Wildcats (19-8, 8-4) responded by winning 16 of their next 18 games. Meeks broke the school record with 54 points against the Tennessee Volunteers in a battle between the Southeastern Conference juggernauts. He also made 10 3-pointers in their 90-72 win over the Volunteers. Sophomore forward Patrick Patterson is making a name of himself in the SEC. Patterson is averaging 17.9 PPG, 9 RPG, and also has two blocks per game. He has 10 double-doubles and is shooting 64.7 percent from the field. In the Wildcats’ 102-58 win over the Tennessee State Tigers, Patterson scored 33 points on 15-of-17 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds. Despite not being ranked in the Top 25, the Wildcats’ formidable two may be one of the nation’s top duos. Last season, Kentucky earned the at-large bid as the 11th-seed in the NCAA Tournament, but fell to the Marquette Golden Eagles in the first round 74-66 despite a 35-point performance from then-senior Joe Crawford.
UAB Blazers
The Alabama-Birmingham Blazers (19-8, 9-3) are making a late run as they are riding a six-game winning streak. The Blazers led off the 2009 season with four wins before falling to the nationally-ranked Oklahoma Sooners. The Blazers played a relatively difficult schedule despite losing to several non-conference opponents. Among them, they lost 83-77 to the Boston College Eagles and 72-68 to the Butler Bulldogs, in which the Blazers gave up their halftime lead. Since Mike Davis took over as head coach in 2007, the Blazers have been dominant at home with a 24-1 record. They have yet to lose at home this season. The Blazers are led by their three seniors. Guard/forward Robert Vaden, who transferred from Indiana, leads the team with 18.2 PPG and 16 blocks. Vaden played for Davis at Indiana from 2005-2006. Sharpshooting guard Paul Delaney III has 16.7 PPG and 4.4 RPG. Forward Lawrence Kinnard is a major provider for the team with 15.1 PPG and 9.2 RPG. The Blazers will host the Memphis Tigers on Thursday as they look to rebound from last season’s 79-78 loss to their Conference USA rival. Winning nine of their last 10 may make them a strong candidate as the high-powered UAB offense hopes to extend their season in March.
Miami Hurricanes
This past weekend, the Miami Hurricanes continued to fight for an at-large bid to the Big Dance this March. Miami successfully took down Boston College on Saturday 69-58. During the game, Miami tied its season high hitting 11 3-pointers shooting 55 percent from beyond the arc. Although the Hurricanes have a 5-8 conference record, their overall record is a decent 16-10. Six of their 10 losses have been within five points, one of which ended in a close overtime game. Miami has had quality wins this season against the Kentucky, Wake Forest, and twice against Boston College. In addition, Miami nearly defeated powerhouse teams Duke and North Carolina. The Hurricanes will have to win out the remainder of the season and win at least one round in the ACC tournament. Otherwise, they will settle for an NIT bid. Miami currently leads the nation in rebounding with an average of 46 per game and averages just less than 75 points per game. The Hurricanes have played the 20th hardest schedule in the league, and with three games left in the season could make a big impact on the selection committee’s mind. Miami is led by senior guard Jack McClinton who averages 20 points per game, the 28th best currently in Division I basketball. Miami will play Florida State on Tuesday, followed by North Carolina State and will end their season at home against Georgia Tech.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish punished Providence last Saturday to show the world that they should be a contender in the NCAA tournament winning 103-84. The Irish started the season 12-3 before dropping seven straight. They have won three of their last four, including the 90-57 win over Louisville. With the 10th hardest schedule in Division I, Notre Dame has taken out Indiana, Texas, South Dakota, and Georgetown: all contenders for a bid to the Big Dance. Major losses for the Irish this season include games against UNC, Ohio State, Louisville, Syracuse, Connecticut, Marquette, Pittsburgh, UCLA and West Virginia. With four games left in the regular season, the Irish still have tough games against Connecticut and Villanova. If Notre Dame can pull off these two wins, they will definitely get an at-large berth to the NCAA tournament. Notable stats for the Irish include being the top team in turnover percentage, averaging just over 78 points per game, and fifth in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage, shooting 40.1 percent from long distance. What seems most amazing about Notre Dame is not the stats, but the balance of scoring from the starters. Four of their starters are averaging more than 10 points a game. Junior forward Luke Harangody is sixth in the nation in points per game averaging 24.4, and senior guard Ryan Ayers scored 28 points and was 7-of-11 from beyond the arc in their win against Providence. If the Irish can get hot on offense for the remainder of the season, they could be a Cinderella story waiting to happen.
Maryland Terrapins
On Saturday, the Terrapins took on UNC at home and won in overtime 88-85. Maryland currently holds a 6-6 conference record and 17-9 overall, which puts them in the middle of the ACC standings. With junior guard Greivis Vasquez leading the team, Maryland is a constant threat on both sides of the ball. In their win against the Tar Heels, Vasquez recorded a triple-double. Maryland has an impressive resume in the win column including wins against Michigan, Michigan State, Vermont, Miami (FL) and UNC. With the 37th toughest strength of schedule, Maryland looks to finish their season playing Duke, NC State, Wake Forest and Virginia. Maryland will have to beat Duke and Wake Forest and advance deep into the ACC tournament to get an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.