In College basketball February is moving month... while teams learn what they've got in December and show who they are in January-- this is the month in which teams move from the bubble into the tournament or vice versa while the elite fine-tune their seeding possibilities...and mid-majors battle for conference positioning (especially in the one-bid leagues)...
Most schools making moves towards the tournament are doing so thanks not only to stellar performances from their stars but by quality minutes from unsung heroes...
While #6 Georgetown is unquestionably senior center Roy Hibbert's team, the Hoyas topped Seton Hall Saturday 73-61 behind 16 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists off the bench from Patrick Ewing Jr--the senior forward has been providing enormous energy off the pine and is a swiss army knife on defense; at 6-foot-8 he's able to cover perimeter and post players alike.
Maryland's topped 80 points in four straight games after reaching that mark just once over the first 18 games of the season--and still under the radar is the steadily improving play of sophomore Landon Milbourne (averaging 12 points and shooting over 50% from the field in the Terps 5-1 run)...the more heat he can draw away from Greivis Vasquez and James Gist, the better the odds of the Terps continuing their midseason roll.
Virginia Tech is clearly the ACC's surprise team at 5-3, despite being picked to finish in the bottom half of the league after the graduation losses of Zabian Dowdell and Jamon Gordon... thanks to the instant impact of freshman Jeff Allen and his 13 points a game (including six double-doubles)--how long can this team scrap their way through a mine-laden league schedule?
While George Mason's guided by Will Thomas inside and Folarin Campbell on the perimeter, John Vaughan has emerged as a productive third option (he's scored in double figures every game since the BB&T Classic) who rebounds very well for a 6-foot-3 guard (very handy for a team that can play four outside with Thomas in the pivot).
American moved within a game of Patriot League leading Lafayette thanks to Saturday's 11 point win over the Leopards...and although the buzz at Bender Arena has been focused on the backcourt of Garrison Carr and Derrick Mercer, forward Brian Gilmore has been a major asset off the bench lately (averaging 13 points the last four games with a 10-4 assist to turnover ratio).
One last loop-- the Best Press setup... Georgetown's Verizon Center houses NBA and NHL franchises so naturally their facilities are first-rate...what I like is how the press work-room is right next to the interview room--at George Mason it's across a hallway while at George Washington one heads downstairs from the court. At Maryland one gets an excellent workout... walking down two hallways before taking a ramp/staircase through a door before a third hallway- I'm sure we've lost more than a few members of the press making the trek over the years.
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