The Morning Dish – Wednesday, January 12th
Wake Forest Cooks the Terrapins: Wake Forest embarrassed Maryland – suddenly not all that difficult a task – 81-66 as the Demon Deacons remained focused despite an impending match up with ACC-heavyweight North Carolina Saturday. The Demon Deacons once again relied on junior guard Justin Gray to put away the game early. Gray finished with 31 points, including 16 points in a short span during the first half. He had a similar run against Clemson a few days ago. Maryland was led by junior forward Nik Caner-Medley, who scored 21 points. Coach Gary Williams benched junior guard John Gilchrist to start the game because Gilchrist missed an academic assignment. Williams opted not to use Gilchrist for much of the game, and there’s no word yet about whether that was a decision based on his performance on the court or in the classroom. The Terrapins desperately need to find a way to win after back-to-back blowouts at the hands of North Carolina and Wake Forest. Last night’s game in Winston-Salem, N.C., is the only meeting this regular season between Maryland and Wake Forest.
Sutton Movin’ On Up: Oklahoma State provided coach Eddie Sutton with his 767th win last night against Missouri, 78-68, tying him with Henry Iba, Sutton’s mentor, for seventh on the all-time coaching victories list. The win was not easy, however, as the Tigers continually fought back, coming within a point several times in the second half. But senior forward Joey Graham consistently provided the answer to the Tigers’ runs en route to a season-high 27-point performance. Oklahoma State’s defense frustrated the Tigers, holding them to less than 39 percent shooting from the field. To close out the game, the Cowboys hit 26-of-29 free throws, proving the fact that the free ones can frequently dictate the outcome of a game.
Cardinals Take Flight: Louisville bounced back from an inexplicable loss at Houston by slamming Southern Miss 107-62, the worst loss ever for the Golden Eagles at home. The 45-point margin exceeded a 41-point beat down at the hands of Louisiana Tech. The Cardinals shot better than 56 percent in the game and hit an amazing 31-of-33 free throws. Every team in the nation should be required to watch the Cardinals to realize the power of the free throw. Junior sharpshooter Francisco Garcia led five players in double figures for Louisville with 25 points. Junior guard Rashaad Carruth led Southern Miss with a career-high 25 points, but that did not make up for the team shooting less than 36 percent from the field and committing 23 turnovers.
Mountaineers Approach Free-fall: After a surprising start, West Virginia has hit a wall of mediocrity. The Mountaineers lost last night to Marshall 59-55 at home, providing the Thundering Herd with only its third win of the season. The loss is the second in three games. The other loss was a 38-point smackdown at Villanova. Senior guard Ronny Dawn gave Marshall a 51-48 lead with a long three pointer, then delivered an encore with 38 seconds remaining, giving the Thundering Herd a 55-52 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish. West Virginia was stone cold from three-point land, hitting only 3-of-19 attempts. The Mountaineers shot less than 40 percent from the field. With strong wins against George Washington at home and North Carolina State and LSU on the road, West Virginia has a great chance to earn an NCAA bid, but the Mountaineers can ill-afford many more losses like last night’s surprise.
Alabama Makes a Statement: Alabama is quickly becoming one of the favorites to win the SEC, and a win at Arkansas last night became another exhibit in the Crimson Tide’s increasingly strong case. The Tide won 64-61 by playing efficient offense and holding the Razorbacks down when it counted. The Crimson Tide shot better than 54 percent from the field and was led by senior guard Earnest Shelton, who scored 18 points. Arkansas committed only seven turnovers, but the Razorbacks could not find a way to overcome a slim deficit during the final minutes of the second half. Sophomore guard Ronnie Brewer led Arkansas with 15 points in the loss.
Other Noteworthy Games: Senior forward Mike Wilkinson registered a double-double with 29 points and 10 rebounds to lead Wisconsin to a 72-66 at home against a suddenly tough Ohio State team. Both teams need a strong showing in Big Ten play to even receive consideration for an NCAA Tournament bid. Georgetown wiped the glass against Rutgers, grabbing 18 more rebounds than the Scarlet Knights, en route to a 62-55 win. Freshman forward Jeff Green led the Hoyas with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Also in Big East play, a Curtis Sumpter-less Villanova squad beat Providence in Rhode Island 83-78 in overtime. Junior guard Allan Ray scored 27 points to give the Wildcats the advantage over the Friars among Big East bubble teams. And finally, St. Mary’s, Calif., survived a 19-point second half to beat Air Force 59-58. A West Coast Conference contender, St. Mary’s now claims wins against California, UNLV, Gonzaga and Air Force.
Ram Down: Colorado State sophomore point guard Dwight Boatner needs some time off to resolve personal issues, coach Dale Layer said. Boatner has become a significant contributor for the Rams, starting the past 10 games at the point and averaging 8.1 points per game.
Philly Doc Approves Aztec for Play: A Drexel University specialist determined San Diego State senior forward Chris Walton can play through a muscle strain without risking a more serious injury. Walton flew to Philadelphia to visit Dr. William Meyers, who agreed with the diagnosis of a strained muscle in Walton’s groin area. In the Aztecs’ last game, Walton hit the game-winning basket at BYU in a 59-57 win. Junior guard John Sharper apparently enjoyed the victory a bit too much with an unspecified injury caused during a post-game celebration. School officials said Sharper will not miss any playing time, however.
Randolph Close to Return: Duke junior forward Shavlik Randolph may return to the Blue Devils’ lineup Jan. 19 at Miami after missing nearly a month of action because of mononucleosis. The illness that causes extreme fatigue has kept Randolph off the court and shortened Duke’s depth in the frontcourt. The Blue Devils have continued to find a way to win with a short bench, but coach Mike Krzyzewski and company will be more than happy to get Randolph back before an ACC team exposes their lack of depth.
Tennessee Takes the Shirt Off Players’ Backs: Tennessee coach Buzz Peterson is tired of losing, and he is trying a new motivational technique to bring the Volunteers out of their funk: No player can wear official Tennessee practice gear. The point of the new policy, Peterson said, is to teach the players what it means to wear Tennessee apparel. A 25-point loss at home against Vanderbilt is not what Peterson has in mind. Equally important, if the Volunteers don’t start playing better, Peterson may not be around next season to guide this team, regardless of what they are wearing.
Court Sets Parker’s Valentine’s Day Plans: Florida staff assistant Major Parker plead not guilty to five felonies, and a Florida magistrate ordered Parker’s trial to begin Feb. 14. Parker faces four charges of distributing cocaine and one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute. If found guilty, Parker could face as much as 40 years in prison.
Langford’s Home Burglarized: A criminal broke into the house of Kansas star Keith Langford’s mother, stealing a litany of valuables, including Langford’s NCAA Tournament Final Four rings and Big XII championship rings. Langford said he was especially upset by the loss of the rings, which required months of hard work on the court against some of the best competition in the nation. Langford’s mother was out of town to watch Kansas play at Kentucky at the time of the burglary, and her fiancé and son were away at dinner. Given the quantity of loot stolen, the criminal needed plenty of time to carry away all of the items.
BYU Rebounding Guru Dies: One of BYU’s best rebounders in history, John Benson, 69, died Saturday because of complications from heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Benson played for the Cougars in the mid-1950s and set the school’s single-game record for rebounds against Washington in 1956 with 26. The record stood for 13 years. Despite standing only 6’4, few opponents could keep Benson off the glass. A high school star, Benson attracted the attention of Sports Illustrated and was featured in newsreels played in Madison Square Garden.
Tonight’s Menu:
• Two of the ACC’s best clash in Chapel Hill when Georgia Tech plays North Carolina.
• The top teams look to remain undefeated as Kansas stops by Iowa State and Illinois hosts Penn State.
• SEC action heats up as Kentucky hosts Vanderbilt while Mississippi State looks for consecutive road win No. 17 at Tennessee.
