College Basketball: Owls moving up on No. 1 Duke
The first poll of college basketball's regular season looks a lot like the preseason Top 25. Defending national champion Duke was a runaway No. 1 on Monday, receiving 58 first-place votes, three more than it had in the Associated Press' preseason rankings. Villanova remained at No. 6, and Temple moved up a spot to No. 21.
The first poll of college basketball's regular season looks a lot like the preseason Top 25.
Defending national champion Duke was a runaway No. 1 on Monday, receiving 58 first-place votes, three more than it had in the Associated Press' preseason rankings. Villanova remained at No. 6, and Temple moved up a spot to No. 21.
The same teams were in the poll, with eight schools switching places. But there should be plenty of movement next week. At least three games between ranked teams are scheduled this week.
Michigan State, which received the other seven first-place votes, remained second followed by Kansas State, Ohio State, and Pittsburgh.There are three double-ranked games Tuesday: Ohio State at Florida, Virginia Tech at Kansas State, and San Diego State at Gonzaga.
Owl American. Temple forward Lavoy Allen has been named a preseason first-team all-American by the Basketball Times. The Pennsbury High graduate averaged 11.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per game as a junior in 2009-10. Villanova's Corey Fisher was the only other Big Five player named to the list.
Explorers keep reloading. Six-foot, 11-inch center Stephen Zack from Lewisberry, Pa., and 6-8 forward Jerrell Wright of Dobbins Tech have joined La Salle's 2011 recruiting class. Wright averaged 21.7 points per game as a junior. Zack had 13.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, and over 2 blocks per game last season.
Kansas 79, Valparaiso 44 - Twin brothers Marcus and Markieff Morris each had double-doubles and the No. 7 Jayhawks romped to 2-0 past 1-1 Valparaiso for their 61st consecutive home victory.
Georgetown 69, Tulane 53 - Austin Freeman led all scorers with 23 points for the Hoyas as 20th-ranked Georgetown (2-0) defeated the 1-1 Green Wave in Washington.
Women
Both Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma and Baylor's Kim Mulkey head into Tuesday's showdown between the nation's top two women's teams insisting that a loss wouldn't be a big deal.
No. 2 Baylor has a chance to snap the top-ranked Huskies' 79-game winning streak on Tuesday in Storrs, Conn., avenge last season's loss in the national semifinals, and end the Huskies' 45-week run as the nation's top team.
Auriemma has five freshmen, and says because of that, his team won't be running much of the offense that carried the Huskies to a 70-50 win in last season's Final Four.
They also no longer have Tina Charles, last season's national player of the year, to match up with Baylor's star, 6-8 Brittney Griner.
Auriemma said he won't risk getting all-American Maya Moore in foul trouble by having her guard Griner. Instead, he's expected to rely on a team concept that includes 6-3 sophomore Heather Buck and 6-5 freshman center Stefanie Dolson.
Auriemma joked that could result in Griner having a day better than Timberwolves center Kevin Love, who recently scored 30 points and grabbed 30 rebounds in a game.
"I don't know that we should put too much stock in the winner of that game - other than we get to keep our streak alive and go into eternity as the greatest basketball team of all time," he deadpanned. "Other than that, there's not a whole lot at stake."
Tennessee 103, Chattanooga 43 - Meighan Simmons led four players in double-digit scoring with 26 points as the No. 4 Lady Vols (2-0) hit a school-record 15 3-pointers in a 103-43 romp over the Lady Mocs in Knoxville, Tenn. Chattanooga (0-2) didn't score until 14:22 in the first quarter.
Elsewhere: Katie Rutan scored all 22 of her points in the first half, and No. 5 Xavier (2-0) finally took advantage of its height advantage in the second, holding off 1-1 Michigan, 85-76, in Ann Arbor. . . . Jasmine Thomas scored 14 points to help No. 6 Duke (2-0) beat 1-1 Southern California, 75-50, and give coach Joanne P. McCallie her 400th career victory in Durham, N.C. . . . Notre Dame (2-0, ranked No. 12) clobbered 0-2 Morehead State, 91-28, in South Bend, Ind. The Irish had a 40-7 halftime lead. . . . Alexa Deluzio scored a career-high 23 points and No. 16 Florida State (2-0) rallied from nine points down for a 67-61 win at 1-1 Auburn. . . . In East Lansing, Mich., Kalisha Keane scored 23 points, leading No. 25 Michigan State (2-0) to a 74-62 victory over 0-2 Dayton. . . . No. 19 Iowa State (2-0) gave coach Bill Fennelly his 500th victory, a 64-46 win over 1-1 Drake in Ames, Iowa.
