Some props to McNeal

[downtown85]

http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=1146&CID=897377

Rivals.com Power Rankings: PG | SG | SF | PF | C | Freshman | Head Coach

When Jerel McNeal can't miss, Marquette can't lose.

McNeal shot 16-of-24 overall and 11-of-15 from 3-point range last week to help Marquette beat Big East rivals Villanova and Cincinnati. The blistering performance helped McNeal regain his status as the No. 1 shooting guard in the Rivals.com College Basketball Power Rankings, which measure the nation's best players and coaches at each position.

 

Jerel McNeal proved again last week he can carry Marquette.
"They shot the lights out," Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said Sunday after McNeal went a perfect 7-for-7 from 3-point range in the Golden Eagles' 84-50 victory. "I don't know if anyone in the country was going to beat them."

Cincinnati hadn't allowed any team to shoot better than 50 percent all season until McNeal helped Marquette shoot 27-of-50 (54 percent) against the Bearcats. His big game allowed Marquette to win its first two Big East games of the season for the first time since the Golden Eagles joined the conference in 2005.

"[The basket] was looking real big early on there," McNeal said. "I made a couple in a row, and after that, it felt like all of them were going in."

McNeal also shot 7-of-14 overall and 4-for-8 from 3-point range Thursday in a 79-72 triumph over Villanova, which was ranked 15th in the nation at the time.

Those two solid efforts allowed McNeal to move ahead of Kentucky's Jodie Meeks, who also had a good week with a 28-point outburst in a 74-71 loss to Louisville.

The only other change atop the power rankings came at head coach.

North Carolina's stunning 85-78 home loss to Boston College on Sunday allowed Duke's Mike Krzyzewski to replace the Tar Heels' Roy Williams as the No. 1 coach. Duke improved its record to 12-1 by knocking off Loyola (Md.) and Virginia Tech.

North Carolina point guard Ty Lawson, Arizona State small forward James Harden, Oklahoma power forward Blake Griffin and North Carolina center Tyler Hansbrough stayed atop their respective positions. Georgetown forward Greg Monroe remained the No. 1 freshman.

The power rankings of a player and coach can fluctuate each week during the season depending on how they fared the previous week, but the power rankings measure overall career performances as well as their most recent results.

This marks the last of three consecutive weeks in which the power rankings run on Wednesday. The rankings each week will take into account a player's performance through that Monday. The power rankings will return to their usual Tuesday home next week.

[Skatastrophy]

Notably in the Rivals.com power rankings:

PG - James is ranked 20th
SG - McNeal is 1st
SF - Matthews is 8th
PF - Hayward is 10th

[tower912]

I am really surprised to see Lazar rated as a PF.   By the way, what is Burke rated?     Great for Jerel.   He has truly earned it.

[lurch91]

I am really surprised to see Lazar rated as a PF.   By the way, what is Burke rated?     Great for Jerel.   He has truly earned it.

They only rank the Top 25 at each position, and Burke isn't one of the Top 25 C's.

[willie warrior]

What is Burke rated? They probably do not provide ratings that far down the pole.

[tower912]

I forgot the sarcasm font on the Burke q.   Mea Culpa.

[dsfire]

Hayward's #10 PF comes behind four other Big East players.  Crazy, crazy league.

[downtown85]

Don't you think James is better than #20 PG?  I think he is playing much better this year than the previous two years as he is playing within himself and within the role of a true PG. Also, he has stepped up his defense a notch.  The only complaint in his game this year that I have is his free throws. 

Hopefully the NBA scouts are paying more attention than the journalists.

[MUWeb7]

Don't you think James is better than #20 PG?  I think he is playing much better this year than the previous two years as he is playing within himself and within the role of a true PG. Also, he has stepped up his defense a notch.  The only complaint in his game this year that I have is his free throws. 

Hopefully the NBA scouts are paying more attention than the journalists.

I'd agree. Not many names on that list that I'd take over James.

Oh...and nice to see Lazar over Chism on the PF list.

[DJO's Pump Fake]

Bo Ryan as the 23rd best Head Coach.

Where is Buzz???????

[muhoosier260]

i can understand ranking the players, but how do they rank coaches?

[Skatastrophy]

Don't you think James is better than #20 PG?  I think he is playing much better this year than the previous two years as he is playing within himself and within the role of a true PG. Also, he has stepped up his defense a notch.  The only complaint in his game this year that I have is his free throws. 

Hopefully the NBA scouts are paying more attention than the journalists.

It would be really nice if James could average over 50% from the free-throw line.  You have to admit that his shooting woes have plagues him of late.  I'm not saying that he needs to go out and start averaging 15ppg, but when you get to the line you have to knock down your shots.

[dwaderoy2004]

If his FT% was at 75%, not only would that be a respectable number, but he would be averaging about one point more per game.

[TVDirector]

http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=897377

[rugbydrummer]

I forgot the sarcasm font on the Burke q.   Mea Culpa.

Sheesh, tower, get it together!! 

For the record, I can't quantify Burke's ranking unless we use something like ∞ 

::kidding::  maybe more like 2⁷?