Thursday News and Notes

Thursday, January 17, 2007

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Arizona-USC

Press Notes

The USC men’s basketball team (13-5, 3-2) will take on No. 11 Arizona (13-3, 4-2) on Jan. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Galen Center. USC is 8-3 in its last 11 games, but has lost its last two home games by a total of four points. USC split with Arizona last season, with each team winning its home game, and has won six of the last 10 home games with Arizona. Arizona enters the week hitting 51.2 percent of their shots, sixth best in the country. The Trojans lost at home to ASU last season, but won the game at ASU. USC has won nine of its last 12 games played against the Sun Devils. USC has held 16 of 18 opponents to 40.4 percent or less from the floor and 14 of 18 under 40 percent shooting. USC has held eight teams (SMC, MVSU, LMU, Kansas, GW, B-CC, LU and WSU) to their season-low shooting percentage to that date. USC is holding the opposition to a .352 percentage for the season, tied with Connecticut for the second lowest field goal defense. Tonight’s game will be USC’s fifth in the last seven against a ranked opponent and sixth overall. USC is 3-2 vs. ranked opponents this season. Arizona will be the fourth ranked opponent USC is facing this season that is coming off a loss in its previous game.

Fresno-Nevada

Press Notes

Fresno State ends its three-game road swing when it faces No. 13/15 Nevada. Fresno State enters the game with a 13-4 overall record and a 2-2 WAC mark. Nevada comes in ranked No. 13/15 in the nation and is 16-1 on the year. The Wolf Pack also sit atop the WAC Standings with a 4-0 record. Fresno State isn’t the only team in the WAC struggling on the road. As a conference, the road team is 4-14, with Nevada and New Mexico State winning two road games each. Fresno State is 0-2 this season, with road losses at Hawaii and at San Jose State. Nevada swept the San Jose State and Hawaii road trip, while New Mexico State beat Idaho and Boise State on the road last week. Nevada comes into Thursday’s game with a 16-1 overall record and a No. 13 national ranking by ESPN/USA Today and a No. 15 ranking by the Associated Press. The Wolf Pack are 4-0 in WAC play and they are riding a 14-game WAC winning streak.

Wake Forest-Duke

Press Notes

Wake Forest, coming off a pair of disappointing home losses last week, look for better fortunes on the road. The Demon Deacons, 9-7 overall and 1-3 in the ACC, lost at home to NC State Saturday, 88-74. Wake Forest out-rebounded the Wolfpack, forced 19 turnovers and shot 53.8 percent in the loss. Duke, 14-3 and 1-2, broke into the ACC win column Sunday with a 86-63 victory at Miami. The Blue Devils shot an amazing 68.3 percent, including 81.0 percent in the first half. Duke, however, has beaten Wake Forest at Cameron Indoor in each of the previous nine seasons. The last time the Deacons won in Durham came in Tim Duncan’s senior year of 1997.During the nine-game losing streak at Cameron Indoor, Wake’s smallest margin of defeat was 10 points (102-92 in 2005).

Morehead-Samford

Press Notes

The Samford University basketball team will begin a critical two-game Ohio Valley Conference homestand Thursday. Samford (9-8, 6-2 OVC) heads into Thursday’s contest looking to rebound from a pair of tough road losses last week. After opening conference play with a perfect 6-0 record, Samford dropped its two most recent OVC games at Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech. The Bulldogs have played five of their seven conference games on the road this season and are 3-2 when playing away from home. Samford currently owns an unblemished 5-0 record at Seibert Hall and is outscoring the opposition by 11.2 points per game at home.  Samford is ranked among the top-10 teams in the nation in two statistical categories. The Bulldogs are currently No. 4 in fewest turnovers per game (10.7) and No. 8 in fewest personal fouls per game (14.6). Morehead State (10-6, 6-2 OVC) enters Thursday’s conference matchup as one of the most surprising success stories in the conference this year. Following a dismal 4-23 campaign last season, first-year head coach Donnie Tyndall has already won 10 games and has turned the Eagles into one of the upper-echelon teams in the OVC. Morehead State is currently tied with Samford for second place in the conference and is leading the OVC in scoring margin (+4.5).  The Eagles have won eight of their previous 11 games and are 2-1 against conference opponents on the road.

Drake-Indiana State

Des Moines Register

Indiana State, one of the Valley’s surprise teams at 4-2 in league play and 11-5 overall, has played four games since its victory against the Bulldogs. Marico Stinson was 14-of-17 from the floor against Drake. He has gone 12-of-40 combined in the four games since, scoring 41 points and making 8-of-25 3-pointers. Drake is 10-8, 1-6.

Boise St-Utah State

Idaho Statesmen

The Dee Glen Smith Spectrum in Logan, Utah, one of the toughest — but most fun — places to play in the country. Boise State should know. The Broncos are 0-12 all time at Utah State. Coach Stew Morrill, in his ninth season with the Aggies, has a120-11 home record. The Aggies are riding a 10-game home winning streak. The 10,270-seat arena usually has about 4,000 students per game. That’s more fans than many WAC schools, including BSU, average per game.