Top-ranked Boston University defeated Harvard, 3-1, in the opening game of the Beanpot college hockey tournament today at TD Garden.

Boston University took a 3-0 lead in the second period. Wade Megan scored two goals, and Matt Nieto opened the scoring for BU (17-8-1). Alex Killorn scored for Harvard (7-8-9)

Boston College beat Northeastern in the second game of the semifinals doubleheader, 7-1, earning a chance to take on BU in the championship game.

The consolation and championship games will be next Monday at TD Garden.

By Mark Blaudschun, Globe Staff

A flare-up of a back problem that first started bothering him last August has sidelined University of Connecticut men’s basketball coach Jim Calhoun, perhaps for the remainder of the regular season.

"I first had back spasms last summer," said Calhoun told the Globe by from his Connecticut home today. "They diagnosed it as scoliosis and we discussed the options and we treated it, but in the last few weeks it has come back."

Associate head coach George Blaney will move into the role as head coach during Calhoun’s absence.

Calhoun, who has been in bed the past few days while taking medication to ease the pain, said that the only realistic option remaining is to have a surgical procedure to correct the problem.

"The doctors are waiting for things to quiet down and we will probably have the surgery in the next few weeks."

Officially, the malady is called spinal stenosis, which is located in the lower back area.

"Last summer, Jim had some significant back pain and has seen two excellent back specialists," said Dr. Peter Schulman of the UConn Health Center and Calhoun’s primary health care physician. "The initial approach recommended to him was stretching, physical therapy and exercise, and that was successful for several months. It turns out that there is some degenerative problem in the lumbar vertebrae and it’s impinging on the nerves. It has led to significant back pain and some symptoms in his lower extremities.

"Jim has been able to manage it with the physical therapy and stretching, but over the last several days, things have become worse and he is not able to deal with this on a day to day basis, so other options need to be considered. Right now, he is physically unable to coach."

Calhoun, who has missed stretches of time during previous seasons as he has dealt with high blood pressure and recovered from three bouts with cancer, was low-key about what he was dealing with, especially the pain.

While not making any specific statements about a time frame for his return, he did concede that any surgical procedure will pretty much wipe out the remainder of this season.

Beyond that, questions also must be raised about his future.

Calhoun, who will turn 70 in May and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005, has 867 career wins - sixth on the career list.

He won his third national championship at UConn last spring and spent the summer deciding whether he would return.

But it has been anything but a smooth ride for Calhoun, who was suspended for the first three games of the Big East schedule for NCAA violations. The Huskies also lost three scholarships this season because of the program’s poor academic record.

Although the Huskies were a pre-season Top-10 pick, the year has been filled with obstacles and set backs, which now includes a four-game losing streak.

Also included in this season’s profile was controversy surrounding freshman guard Ryan Boatright, who has been suspended twice - once for his mother accepting improper benefits and another time for being accused again of accepting benefits.

Going into Saturday’s game against Seton Hall, UConn’s record has dipped to 4-5 in the Big East and 14-7 overall.

"This stinks," said Calhoun.|

By Matt Pepin, Globe Staff

Kegs of beer and large box trucks to transport party supplies have been banned at Yale University sports events and functions, a school vice president told students in an email yesterday.

The move is in response to the death of a Salem woman at the Harvard-Yale football game in November. Nancy Barry, 30, was killed and two other women were injured when they were struck by a U-Haul truck carrying beer kegs into a tailgate party area. New Haven police are still investigating the cause of the accident.

Large trucks had been used for years by students to bring party supplies to the areas surrounding the Yale Bowl. Now, only trucks used by pre-approved vendors will be allowed.

Yale also said student tailgating would end at the time of the game's kickoff, and all students will be required to leave the tailgate areas at that time. A special "vehicle free" tailgate area will also be created for students.

Below is the text of an email sent to students by Yale vice president and secretary Linda Lorimer.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To: Yale Students, Deans and Directors, Yale College Dean’s Office Staff, Student Affairs Staff, Masters and Deans of the Residential Colleges, Athletics Colleagues

From: Linda Lorimer

Subject: Changes to Tailgating Rules

Immediately following the tragic accident at the Yale Bowl last November, President Levin constituted an ad hoc committee to review Yale’s existing tailgate rules and to focus particularly on the presence of beer kegs and oversized vehicles in tailgating areas. Associate Vice President for Administration Janet Lindner led this committee, which also included Director of Athletics Tom Beckett and Yale College Dean Mary Miller.

After reviewing Yale’s tailgating policies and the policies of other universities, and conducting site visits to other university stadiums, the committee made the following recommendations, which the President and the other Officers have accepted:

1. Kegs will not be permitted at University athletic events or functions. This policy is consistent with practices at many other universities, including Princeton and Harvard.
2. Oversized vehicles, such as box trucks or large commercial vehicles, will not be allowed in University lots at athletic events, unless driven by a pre-approved authorized vendor.
3. Student tailgating will end at kickoff, and all students and guests will be required to leave the student tailgating area; we hope they will enter the stadium to watch the game or otherwise they will need to leave the Bowl area.
4. A new “vehicle free” area for student tailgating will be created. Students who must bring a car will be able to park in another area at the Bowl.

These regulations will go into effect immediately.

As the next step of the review, President Levin has asked Janet Lindner to continue working with Tom Beckett and Mary Miller, as well as experts in sports stadium safety, to review Yale’s tailgating logistics, including parking, traffic control, crowd control, tailgating locations, police, security, shuttles and signage. As part of this assessment, the committee will seek counsel from the residential college Masters and Deans; students, including graduate and professional school students; the AYA leadership and the Football Y leaders; Athletics colleagues; Yale’s General Counsel; and the Yale, New Haven, and West Haven Police Departments. Together, I am certain we can continue the tradition of tailgating at Yale in a way that is safe and enjoyable for all.

Looking ahead to a big weekend of football and college basketball. Obviously, Sunday is reserved for the NFL but Saturday there’s plenty of hoops to see including several big conference encounters. Here’s what I’m looking at (in chronological order)

Maryland vs. Temple: Owls should win this but I think it could be interesting.
Wake Forest at BC: Another chance to win a home game and I think they will.
Rutgers at Georgetown: Rutgers seems to be capable of upsets; Hoyas have to protect home court.
Alabama at Kentucky: The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars seem unbeatable at home and that probably won’t change unless Bama goes crazy.
Purdue at Michigan State: Michigan State can’t afford to slip up at home against a tough opponent.
Xavier at Dayton: One of the best rivalries in the A10 but Dayton doesn’t win many. Proving once again they’re the best basketball fans in America, Dayton making big plans for the NCAA Tournament’s First Four, 10,000 seats already sold.
Michigan at Arkansas: Strange interconference meeting; Hogs have been really tough at home.
Missouri at Baylor: Must-see TV for me. I expect it to go down to the final shot but also be highly entertaining.
Fordham at St. Bonaventure: For A10 geeks, this is a measuring stick game for both of these teams. Is one on the way up (Fordham) and another on the way down (Bonnies)?
Central Florida at Alabama Birmingham: Jordanaires need to prove their worth on the road after beating Memphis. This won’t be easy.
Indiana State at Creighton: A chance to see two players I really like, Jake Odum of Indiana State and Doug McDermott of Creighton.
Cincinnati at West Virginia: The overachieving Bearcats won at UConn. Can they do it in Morgantown?
Florida State at Duke: Karate defense will be played in this one. I think the Seminoles can win it.
UCLA at Oregon: The Lack 12 is looking for a leader, could be one of these two.
Northeastern at Drexel: Bill Coen has done a remarkable job squeezing wins out of this NU team. This would be a really good one.
UMass at Richmond: Minutemen have to prove themselves on the road and they can win this one.
Iowa State at Texas Tech: I expect the Cyclones to win easily but I’ll tune in to check out my favorite player, Royce White.
Kent State at Akron: A key MAC game plus there’s rivalry involved.
Syracuse at Notre Dame: The Orange shouldn’t lose but ND is really tough at home.
Marshall at Southern Mississippi: This is an important CUSA matchup. Marshall has to recover from its rivalry loss to West Virginia.
Stanford at Washington: Just like UCLA-Oregon, this could go a long way in determining who will emerge in the Lack 12.
Colorado State at Wyoming: ColoState has won eight in a row; Wyoming is 11-1 at home.
Marquette at Providence: The Friars have been good at home; this would be a nice upset.
Mississippi State at Vanderbilt: Vandy looks like it’s rolling, it can affirm that with a big home win.
LIU at Wagner: Biggest game of the season in the NEC.
Old Dominion at VCU: Great CAA rivalry game. VCU was lucky to beat lowly William & Mary Thursday night.
Louisville at Pitt: Which team has declined more? I guess we’ll find out.
New Mexico at UNLV: Biggest game of the season in the Mountain West.
Long Beach State at Cal Santa Barbara: Biggest game of the season in the Big West

My viewing habits: I watched the battle of the Big South, Coastal Carolina at UNC Asheville. This was a rematch of last season’s Big South Tournament final, which Asheville won. Asheville won again, 88-81, and barring an upset in the conference tournament, should find itself in the NCAA Tournament. Once there, it can be a threat.

The Bulldogs are a senior-dominated team with two nifty guards in Matt Dickey and J.P. Pimm and an undersized forward (6-3) in Chris Stephenson, who had a tremendous game last night. The sixth man is Keith Hornsby, son of musician and sometimes Celtics national anthem performer, Bruce Hornsby. They are well-coached by veteran Eddie Biedenbach. The one problem: They have no height, so they could get crushed on the boards and inside if they get the wrong matchup in March. If they get the right matchup, their shooting (49 percent) and smarts will make them dangerous.

Scanning the scorelist:
Kentucky 86, Arkansas 63: Bingo Long and the Traveling All-Stars were home and manhandled the Hogs behind Anthony Davis’s 27 points and seven blocked shots. He’s already broken the school record for blocks in a season with 84. Keep in mind, blocks are a pretty recent stat. Many great Kentucky teams didn’t have their blocks recorded. Kentucky has won 46 straight home games.
Michigan 60, Michigan State 59: A key win for the Wolverines and that’s two losses in a row for Sparty.
Colorado State 66, Boise State 55: Eight straight for the Rams.
Hartford 74, UMBC 57: Two in a row for the Hawks, that’s progress.
Radford 85, High Point 66: Another downtrodden group wins; this breaks a 15-game losing streak.

The word should come down in a few days and Boston College officials are not overly optimistic.
How could they be?
In a move which BC officials do not quiet understand, the NCAA rejected BC's appeal for a sixth year of eligibility for wide receiver Ifeanyi Momah.
"The ruling came down last week and we appealed it,'' said BC coach Frank Spaziani. "So we're just waiting.''
Spaziani's confusion is based on how the decision is made, as much as why it is made.
In Momah's case, it seems pretty clear cut. The 6-foot-6 inch 229 pound wide receiver played one game last season in which he caught 8 passes from BC quarterback Chase Retig for a 157 yards, but also injured his knee and was done for the season.
Since Momah had used his redshirt season in 2009 because of an injury, BC asked for a sixth season, unusual, but waivers are routinely granted in cases of injury, most notably with Houston' QB Case Keenum.
Spaziani's argument was not only for BC, but as much for Momah. "If any kid deserves a chance to get to the next level, it is him,'' said Spaziani. "I don't care if he gets another year and plays some place else. He deserves a chance to play out his career as far as he can take it.''
Adding Momah to BC's roster next season will not turn the Eagles into national championship contenders. Momah already has his undergraduate degree and has had a career plagued by injury. He has shown flashes of what he can do as a wide receiver after dabbling on the defensive line.
Spaziani's argument is that if the NCAA is talking about what's best for the student athlete as the NCAA always uses in its decisions, he doesn't understand why the waiver wasn't granted.
NCAA has been generous in the past, with Keenum, and most recently with Purdue and former Miami QB Robert Marve, who was granted a sixth year of eligibility last week. Marve was the third Boilermaker in the last four years to be granted an additional season of eligibility by the NCAA..
Why Momah was rejected makes no sense.

Five rising:

Boston College: What a great week for Steve Donahue and the Eaglets, two tough, close wins at home against Clemson and Virginia Tech. It wasn’t that long ago when I wondered if they could even win one league game.

Oregon: The Ducks have quietly improved and could do something in the Lack 10 after sweeping the Arizona schools for only the second time in 33 years. The Ducks are 13-5 overall and 4-2 in the Lack 10.

Saint Mary’s: The Gaels, led by All-Sully point guard Matthew Dellavedova (Aussie, Aussie, Aussie), are 17-2 and have won seven in a row including a complete dismantling of Gonzaga 83-61.

San Diego State: The Aztecs weren’t supposed to be good this season but after upsetting Vegas 69-67 they are 15-2 with eight straight wins.

Wagner: The Seahawks are back here after beating Central Connecticut. They’ve won seven in a row for the first time since 1979-80 and their 14-3 start is the team’s best since the school joined Division 1 in 1976-77.

Five falling:

Iowa State: I’m still intrigued by the Cyclones but they had a tough week. There was a chance to make a mark but they lost at home to Missouri at home and at Kansas (despite 18 points and 17 rebounds from our new favorite player Royce White).

Kansas State: Frank Martin has a permanent scowl on his face, his Purple Popguns lost at home to Baylor (and had a chance to win), then went to Oklahoma and lost. They’re off to a 1-3 start in the Big 12.

North Carolina: The Tar Heels played nine straight home games (all victories) then got clobbered at Florida State 90-57 Saturday. They’re only 1-2 on the road.

Pitt: A disastrous season continues with sixth straight losses including the unimaginable 62-39 loss at home to Rutgers.

Radford: The Highlanders were an NCAA Tournament three seasons ago, now they’re on a 15-game losing streak and are 3-16.

This week’s George Mason (best mid-major): Murray State, 18 in a row and counting for the Racers.

This week’s Final Four: Kentucky, Syracuse, Ohio State, Missouri. Suddenly, I’m not sure how good North Carolina is away from Chapel Hill.

This week’s national champion: Syracuse

By Craig Larson, Globe Staff

Mitch Kates senses a difference during warmups this season.

"The clapping is really up [from the other team's huddle], we know that we are going to get everyone's best shot," said Kates, the poised junior floor leader for the undefeated MIT men's basketball team, ranked third in this week's Division 3 poll.

On Saturday afternoon, host Babson dug in defensively against the Engineers in their NEWMAC matchup at Staake Gymnasium, closing to within six, 61-55, on a pair of free throws from Matt Palazini (team-high 17 points) with 4:11 remaining.

However, Kates knifed in for a steal on the Beavers' next possession and finished it off with a soaring layup at the other end of the court for an 8-point spread.

The Engineers then converted nine of 12 free throws in the final three minutes to salt away a 72-63 victory, their 16th straight to start the season, breaking a 50-year-old program mark for consecutive wins set by the 1961-62 squad.

The 6-foot-3 Kates, who prepped at Phillips Exeter, was magnificent in 39 minutes and 31 seconds on the floor, delivering a game-high 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.

His step- back trey with 8 seconds left in the first half handed the Engineers five-point cushion, 37-32, at the break. He provided the two points for MIT in the first 5 minutes of the second half -- draining a pair of free throws -- before senior guard Jamie Karriker (3 of 3) drained a triple from the left wing. Later, he posted up for two and buried a fadeaway jumper from the foul line on back-to-back possessions to keep the Engineers in gear.

"He's the engine that makes us go," said MIT coach Larry Anderson. "He wants to get everyone involved. But he also knows, 'this is my team. I need to step up and do something. He tailor's his game to fit the players around him."

Rugged junior forward Will Tashman supplied 16 points and seven rebounds, while 6-9 junior Noel Hollingsworth (16 points) was a perfect 10 for 10. Forward Billy Bender added 11.

"Tip your hat to them, they do a great job of featuring their scorers," said Babson coach Steve Brennan, who squad dropped to 8-8 after a 7-0 start.

"Even though Hollingsworth had a bad shooting night (3 of 13), he was still 10 for 10 on free throws, and that is a big deal. I thought we made him work hard.

"But the key was Kates. If he had a mismatch, he got to the rim. He had a big 3. And at the critical juncture, at 61-55, we throw the ball in for what we think is a layup, and we bobble it, Kates gets it, goes to the other end. and we're down 8. He's very opportunistic.

MIT has nearly a week to prepare for a visit from WPI on Saturday afternoon.

"Any time you play a NEWMAC game, it's going to be a brawl," said Anderson.
"[Games like today] are good for us, because it gives us things that we can go back and work on. ... and you get better. [Babson] exposed some things today.

"We want to remain humble, and hungry."

Follow Craig Larson on Twitter @GlobeLars.

About last night:

BC 59, Clemson 57: I didn’t think the young Eagles had it in them. Clemson has to question itself. It’s strange to beat a good Florida State team by 20 then lose to BC. Fans are split on BC, some see it as hopeless. The optimistic see the possibilities of these young players getting better and the future wining.
Duke 61, Virginia 58: I downplayed Virginia’s record recently and then they play a gusty, tough game against Duke at Cameron Indoor. The Cavs had plenty of chances late to take this game and came up short. Nice effort but they’re not good enough. I think this score reflects on Duke’s shortcomings. Something’s missing for Coach K’s group.
Minnesota 77, Indiana 74: The Hoosiers can’t afford to lose at home to an inferior opponent. Never got any traction in this one.
Wisconsin 67, Purdue 62: The Badgers finally woke up and rode three-point shooting (9 of 20) to pull off the upset. Purdue had won 26 straight at home.
Saint Mary’s 83, Gonzaga 62: What a beating! All-Sully guard Matthew Dellavedova was a tour de force with 26 points and six assists.
Manhattan 75, Iona 72: The Gaels are really talented but they are capable of clunkers like this home loss to a middling MAAC team after blowing a 17-point lead.
Murray State 66, Jacksonville State 55: The Racers win their 17th straight playing without a key player, Ivan Aska, their leading rebounder. He has a broken hand.
Drexel 60, George Mason 53: First CAA loss for the Cinderellas.
New Mexico State 80, Utah State 60: Another example of the down year the Aggies are having.
UC Riverside 79, Cal Santa Barbara 70 in OT: This is a big upset in the Big West.
UNC Greensboro 73, College of Charleston 66: Bad home lose for C of C; Greensboro had lost 11 in a row before this.

By Craig Larson, Globe Staff

Yale has turned to Tony Reno, the special teams coordinator/defensive backs coach at archrival Harvard the last three seasons, as its 34th head football coach.

He replaces three-year coach Tom Williams, who was forced to resign in December following an investigation by the university into his claim that he had been a candidate for a Rhodes Scholarship while he was a student-athlete at Stanford. He also had stated on his resume that he had been a member of the San Francisco 49ers practice squad. He was not.

A three-year starting safety at Worcester State College, Reno served six seasons (2003-2008) on Jack Siedlecki's staff at Yale, including five as the defensive backs coach. He was assistant head coach in 2007 and 2008, when the Bulldogs featured one of the top passing defenses in the Football Championship Subdivision. He was also a member of the staff in 2006, when Yale won its last Ivy League title.

Harvard has defeated Yale in 10 of their last 11 meetings, including a 45-7 romp in New Haven last November to complete its perfect 7-0 run through the Ivy. In that game, Reno's special teams unit blocked a field goal and also successfully converted a fake field goal into a 5-yard scoring run by kicker David Mothander.

Reno was introduced on Thursday afternoon.

Scanning the scorelist:

Rutgers 62, Pitt 39: I almost feel I have to type that score twice to make sure you know I have it correct. Maybe this is rock bottom for Pitt, which shot 12 of 57. Rutgers is tough at home but this game was in Pittsburgh. Remember when we were shocked when they lost to Long Beach State at home. Obviously, there are some big problems on this team. Rutgers coach Mike Rice insists his team play with emotion like he exhibits and the Knights are doing it for him.
Syracuse 79, Villanova 66: Syracuse actually wins a road game. For disappointing Villanova perhaps the Feb. 5 date at Pitt will determine which team is more disappointing.
UMass 85, Charlotte 75: Undefeated at home is great but how the Minutemen do on the road will determine the ultimate success of this season.
BU 77, Maine 68: A nice victory on the road. I’m repeating myself but the Am East schedule should help BU get things going.
Northeastern 64, Hofstra 62: Bill Coen squeezes wins out of this team.
Georgia Tech 82, NC State 71: Shocking that the Jackets could win this one in Raleigh. State fans were not happy.
Albany 86, New Hampshire 63: Surprising that UNH couldn’t at least be competitive.
Temple 72, Saint Louis 67: Owls were really tough-minded to pull out this road win. A10 is better than people thought this season but well-balanced, no team is going to dominate.
Xavier 78, Duquesne 50: I might have to take that last sentence back if X really gets into winning form again.
Saint Joseph’s 80, Fordham 62: OK, Fordham beat Harvard; Harvard beat St. Joe’s. Weird, I guess but the one thing the winning teams had in common: Home-court advantage.
Lehigh 71, American 60: The Engineers affirm they’re the team to beat in the Patriot League.
Longwood 79, Brown 77: Awful loss at home.
Memphis 60, Southern Mississippi 58: Sorry I missed it, Memphis in charge in the CUSA with this win. This ended the Fightin’ Favres 11-game winning streak.
Mississippi 71, Arkansas 63: This result proves the Hogs are a work in progress.
Michigan 66, Northwestern 64 in OT: Northwestern is a fatal flaw school; they always lose games like this.
Missouri 76, Iowa State 69: Mizzou showed it's resilient by shaking off the big road loss at Kansas State to win in Ames. It would have been a big win for Iowa State but there’s no shame in losing to Missouri (which had six players in double figures). Royce White report: 16 points, six rebounds and six assists, six turnovers, 2 of 8 on free throws.
Ohio 60, Buffalo 52: Good to see the Bobcats back on track.
William & Mary 66, Towson 49: Bill and Mere get their fourth win of the year; Towson has now lost 36 straight.

My viewing habits: A new player I’m fascinated by is Baylor’s substitute guard Pierre Jackson, who was the national junior college player of the year last season. Previously I was thinking bad thoughts. He likes to possess the ball a lot and I thought that could get in the way of Baylor’s great team play and hinder what should be a multi-faceted offense. Then came the Kansas State game last night. K State’s physical man-to-man was bothering Baylor and the Wildcats established a working margin early. Then Jackson came in the game. He certainly is in the discussion about the quickest players in college basketball and he soon was able to get himself shots and threw some pinpoint passes for backdoor layups against the overplaying Wildcats. The Bears were soon back in it and eventually gutted out a tough road win, 75-73. Jackson ended up with 10 points and 11 assists. Very impressive. I still think Perry Jones, Baylor’s star, didn’t get enough touches and as I said, Jackson likes to have the ball. He is exciting, no more so than when he stripped Kansas State’s Will Spradlling at halfcourt and then dunked at the other end. Remember, he’s listed at 5-10 and he might be smaller. BC fans will lament that Brady Heslip had another solid game for the Bears with 13 points. He fits right in. For Kansas State, it was a tremendous effort, especially from guard Rodney McCruder, who had 30. I don’t think there’s a defender in the country that can stop him when he gets in the lane; he just jumps over people and scores.

-- Caught the last 10 minutes of Ohio State and Illinois and witnessed an incredible performance by the Illinois’ Brandon Paul, who scored 43 points and willed his team to victory in the 79-74 upset. His night was capped by an incredible 3-pointer with 43 seconds left that gave Illinois a 4-point lead. There were four second left on the shot clock when Illinois coach Bruce Weber called timeout. The best they could do was a 3-pointer from Paul as he was falling into the team’s bench. It rattled in. It was that kind of night.

The Mo Val: Perhaps the most-balanced league in the country. Scores from last night: Creighton 63, Northern Iowa 60; Indiana State 80, Evansville 78; Wichita State 65, Illinois State 62.

Surprising scores, amazing margins:
Harvard 70, Monmouth 61: The Crimson have not been sharp on the road, they need to beat a team like Monmouth by a larger margin.
Providence 90, Louisville 59: Life away from the Pitino Palace can be rugged. Rick Pitino is angry at his guards and it shows.
Seton Hall 94, DePaul 73: The Savvy and Mentally Tough crush. Jordan Theodore (26, points, 11 assists) is playing like a borderline All-American. It didn’t make the highlights on ESPN.com but he had one extraordinary shot, penetrating to the right of the basket, flipping the ball over his head and banking it in.
Florida State 63, Virginia Tech 59: Outstanding win on the road for the Seminoles, who flexed their defensive muscles, holding the Hokies to 30 percent shooting and blocking 15 shots.
Notre Dame 60, South Florida 49: The Irish are tough at home (29 straight); I thought the Bulls would do better than this after winning at Villanova.

Five rising:
Arkansas: I wondered why Mike Anderson would leave Missouri with the great team he had returning to take the Arkansas job. Maybe he knows what he’s doing. After upsetting Mississippi State Saturday night, Anderson’s Razorbacks are 12-3 with a seven-game winning streak.
Dayton: The best basketball fans in the America have to be pleasantly surprised at the Flyers' 12-4 record plus they opened Atlantic 10 play with two upsets, beating Saint Louis and Temple. Temple was at home and coming a victory over Duke.
Iowa State: Our new favorite player Royce White had 10 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists as the Cyclones won their seventh straight by winning at Texas A&M for the first time in 11 years. It was the first time in seven years they’ve beaten Texas A&M anywhere.
Nevada: The Wolfpack have won nine in a row and 11 of 12 and really established themselves as the favorite in the WAC by winning at Utah State, some hing few teams do.
Seton Hall: What a job Kevin Willard has done transforming the Pirates from wild and whacky to savy and tough-minded as evidenced by their big win over UConn in Newark and a decisive road over Providence.

Five falling:
UConn: The Huskies had two nightmare trips to Jersey, losing to Seton Hall and Rutgers. Even the return of Jim Calhoun from suspension couldn’t help the Huskies in Piscataway.
Jacksonville: Artis Gilmore must be in agony; the Dolphins are 2-13 and have lost 11 in a row.
Navy: The Middies have really fallen on hard times at 3-12 plus they’ve lost eight in a row and 12 of their last 13.
Ohio: I thought the Bobcats might be special but had a bad week, losing at home to Robert Morris and then on the road to Bowling Green.
Towson: The Tigers have hit rock bottom, they’re 0-16 on the year and have lost an NCAA record 34 straight. In their last two games, they’ve scored 27 and 34 points.
Western Kentucky: The once-proud Hilltoppers are 5-11 and lost at home to Troy Saturday. Earlier last week, they lost on the final play when Louisiana Lafayette had six players on the court (tough to defend for anyone). Then they fired the coach Ken McDonald.

This week’s George Mason (best mid-major): Murray State, the Racers are 16-0, which ties the best start in school history tying the 1935-36 team.

This week’s Final Four: North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio State, Syracuse. Made a switch here. I’m really impressed with Syracuse’s talent and depth. The Orange replace Missouri, which played poorly at Kansas State. Still really like the Tigers.

This week’s national champion: North Carolina

By Craig Larson, Globe Staff

On Tuesday night, Matt LeVangie was on the Stonehill bench, working alongside men's basketball coach Dave McLaughlin at Merkert Gymnasium for the Skyhawks' Northeast-10 matchup against visiting New Haven.

On Saturday afternoon, LeVangie will direct the Wheelock College men's squad against host Newbury at Hellenic College in his first game as head coach.

"It's been a little bit of whirlwind the last 72 hours, but it is something I am really excited about," said LeVangie, a 10-year college assistant, the last three at Stonehill, who accepted the Wheelock position Thursday morning and held his first practice later that evening at the team's home court, at Pine Manor.

He replaces the only coach in the program's five-year history, John Preziosa, who stepped down last month for personal reasons after a 2-5 start. Athletic director Diana Cutaia guided the Wildcats (3-7) the last three games before the semester break.

"I wanted to be a head coach, but a head coach at a place I believed in," said LeVangie, a Scituate native who played for his father, John, at Westwood High, before a four-year collegiate career playing the point at Mary Washington University in Fredericksburg, Va.

"After meeting the people over here, it was a job I really wanted, it was the right opportunity."

He loves the campus setting, situated along the Riverway in Boston, believing it will be an easy sell for recruits that want to play D3 ball in the New England Collegiate Conference.

And he came away more convinced after his first practice session. "I was blown away with [the players'] ability to listen, and compete," he said. "Just great character. This school is on the rise."

LeVangie, a special education teacher in the Framingham school system, started his coaching career as an assistant at Suffolk in 2002 before returning to his alma mater, Mary Washington, as associate head coach for two seasons, followed by another two in the same capacity at Lasell for three years before joining McLaughlin's staff at Division 2 Stonehill.

"His effectiveness in terms of on the floor coaching, scouting, and recruiting will be a loss for our program," said McLaughlin. "He has the skill set to hold his new players accountable both on and off the floor, yet be someone who will allow and help them to grow as young men during their respective college careers."

LeVangie's brother, Jack, the PA announcer at nearby Emmanuel (as well as an assistant at Westwood High), saw the potential at Wheelock. "He pushed me, he said the team was very good," said LeVangie.

"I've wanted to coach since I could walk, when my father was the head coach at BC High."
John LeVangie is currently having a very successful run as the girls' coach at Cohasset High.

Now his son has a well deserved shot with his own program. "It's a unique situation, taking over at midseason, but this is the perfect fit," he said.

By Mark Blaudschun, Globe Staff

Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly will forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft.

Projections have Kuechly as a first round draft pick, some as high as sixth overall.

Kuechly's honor list this season far surpassed the accomplishments of the Eagles, which staggered to a 4-8 record, Boston College's worst season since 1998. In addition to being a consensus All American for the second consecutive season, Kuechly again led the country in total tackles (191), solo tackles (102) and set a BC career record of 532 tackles over a three-year span. Kuechly also won several individual awards including the Butkus (best linebacker) as well as being named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He also was awarded the Lott IMPACT Trophy and the Bronko Nagurski Award, honoring the nation's top defensive player.

Through it all, Kuechly maintained a low key, "this is nice, but the team is important'' attitude. When he was done with his exams at BC for the semester he went home to Ohio to spend the holidays with his family to make his decision about the future -- at BC and beyond.

Kuechly is currently a semester ahead of schedule in his academic progress which means he could earn his degree at Boston College next December. In the past year such high profile top draft picks as Stanford QB Andrew Luck (last winter) and USC QB Matt Barkley have returned for their senior season in college.

He had until mid January to make his final decision and announcement. BC coach Frank Spaziani has maintained that having Kuechly return would have elevated the Eagles recruiting class considerably, especially at linebacker which is already stockpiled with productive players and potential stars such as Kevin Pierre-Louis, Steele DeVitto and Sean Duggan.

Kuechly has said that he still enjoyed going to school and being a student. But he also professed his love of the game of football. He came to BC three years ago as an undersized position player who was passed by some schools for being too small to be a linebacker and too slow to be a defensive back -- both of which he played at St. Xavier in Cincinnati. His metamorphosis to a two-time All American and high profile draft pick has been remarkable.

In the first of a series of changes on his coaching staff, Boston College football coach Frank Spaziani has hired Jim Bollman, the former offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at Ohio State, as the Eagles new offensive line coach. according to sources at BC.
The official announcement is expected later this afternoon.
The Eagles current offensive line coach Sean Devine will coach the Eagles tight ends next season. Dave Brock, who moved up from coaching the tight ends to the role of interim offensive coordinator last season as a replacement for Kevin Rogers remains in limbo
More changes in the staff are expected in the next several days.

Difficult choices: Another weekend where I have to choose between college basketball and the NFL. I think a lot of channel surfing is in order. Social obligations may get in the way too so TIVO will have to help. Here’s what I’m looking forward to:

Xavier at Fordham (noon): Who knew that this would be an interesting game? X has to snap out its funk soon, don’t they? If they lose this one, I’d be worried about them losing the entire season.
Georgetown at West Virginia (noon): After the big comeback win at home vs. Marquette, the Hoyas now must travel to Morgantown. What a challenge.
Missouri at Kansas State (1:30 p.m.): A tough road game for the Tigers but what’s make this interesting is Mizzou is coming off a near perfect performance against Oklahoma and Kansas State is coming off a disastrous loss at Kansas. How will each react?
Mississippi at LSU (1:30 p.m.): I think LSU is eventually going to be good. Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy tossed two guys off his team this week. LSU should win this one.
BC at North Carolina (2:30 p.m.): I almost feel sorry for how bad this could be for Steve Donahue.
Ohio State at Iowa (3 p.m.): Iowa’s making some strides; it will be interesting to see if they can continue to do so against a top-notch opponent.
Florida State at Clemson (4 p.m.): The Seminoles showed some offense earlier this week. Can they repeat it on the road?
Marquette at Syracuse (4 p.m.): The must-see game of the day for me. Marquette will give Syracuse a legitimate challenge.
Dayton at Temple (4 p.m.): Dayton beat Saint Louis. If the Flyers can beat Temple, maybe they can be an A10 contender.
Iowa State at Texas A&M (4 p.m.): Have to check out my new favorite player, Royce White of Iowa State
San Francisco at BYU (6 p.m.): Have to check out my old favorite player, Matt Carlino of BYU.
Seton Hall at Providence (6 p.m.): Hopefully, the success of beating UConn won’t affect the Hall.
Ohio at Bowling Green (6 p.m.): This will be my first look at a team I think could be an NCAA upsetter: Ohio.
Georgia State at George Mason (7 p.m.): GaState’s 10-game winning streak is at stake.
Santa Clara at Gonzaga (8 p.m.): This might give us an indication if Gonzaga is going to steamroll the WCC.
UConn at Rutgers (8 p.m.): Should be a wild scene at the RAC. Jim Calhoun returns.
Murray State at Austin Peay (8 p.m.): Just a peek to see if the undefeated streak continues.
Stanford at Oregon State (10 p.m.): The Beavers need this one to prove the Lack 12 worth.

By Mark Blaudschun, Globe Staff

Frank Spaziani had the scene played out in his head. Halftime of a BC basketball game and the Boston College football coach would come out to midcourt at Conte Forum and make an announcement.

"I'd like to congratulate Luke Kuechly and...."welcome him back''' to Boston College.
"That,'' said Spaziani, "would be a home run.''

The other option for Kuechly--BC's 6-foot-3 inch 237 pound two-time consensus All American linebacker--wasn't quite as cheery for BC and Spaziani--a decision to pass his senior season at The Heights and declare himself eligible for the National Football League draft this spring.

After a whirlwind span of collecting awards and trip home to Ohio over the holidays Kuechly still has not made up his mind as he has discussed his options with his family and friends

But with projections of Kuechly ranging anywhere from as high as sixth in the draft, the lure of the guaranteed money and potentially life time financial security, were too tempting.
Kuechly looked at all the options, sometimes deciding he wants to come back to BC and others deciding that the money and the opportunity to play in the NFL was too great to put off any longer.

Kuechly's honor list this season far surpassed the accomplishments of BC, which staggered to a 4-8 record, the Eagles' worst season since 1998. In addition to being a consensus All American for the second consecutive season, Kuechly again led the country in total tackles (191), solo tackles (102) and set a BC career record of 532 tackles over a three, rather than four year span Kuechly also won several individual awards including the Butkus (best linebacker) as well as g the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. and the Lott IMPACT Trophy and the Bronko Nagurski Award, honoring the nation's top defensive player.

Through it all, Kuechly maintained a low key, "this is nice'' but the team is important'' attitude. When he was done with his exams at BC for the semester he went home to Ohio to spend the holidays with his family to make his decision about the future--at BC and beyond.

Spaziani said that he expected Kuechly to examine the issue in his normal fashion of looking at the situation from every angle.

"I would love to have him come back,'' said Spaziani, "so he can win all of these awards again.''

Kuechly's main issue was to determine if the projections which had him going between 10 and 15 in next spring's National Football League draft--which would mean a guaranteed signing bonus of several million dollars--were accurate and whether the risk reward of waiting another year was worth it.

Kuechly is currently a semester ahead of schedule in his academic progress which means he could earn his degree at BC next December. In the past year such high profile top draft picks as Stanford QB Andrew Luck (last winter) and USC QB Matt Barkley have returned for their senior season in college.

Kuechly had until mid January to make his final decision and announcement. Spaziani has maintained that having Kuechly return would elevate the BC recruiting class considerably, especially at linebacker which is already stockpiled with productive players with potential such as Kevin Pierre-Louis, Steele DeVitto and Sean Duggan.

If Kuechly did return, he would have no doubt taken on injury insurance for his senior season to protect himself and his future.

"I'm still thinking about it,'' Kuechly said in an text message when asked.

Kuechly has maintained that he still enjoyed going to school and being a student. But he also professed his love of the game of football. A move to leave early woud accelerate that process, meaning leaving school and preparing for the NFL combine in February and other NFL tryouts prior to the NFL draft.

For Kuechly, who came to BC three years ago as undersized position player who was passed by some schools for being too small to be a linebacker and too slow to be a defensive back--both of which he played at St Xavier in Cincinnati--the metamorphosis to a two-time All American and high profile draft pick has been remarkable.

My viewing habits: Went from Temple-Duke to the end of Georgia State-Virginia Commonwealth to Texas-Iowa State.
-- Temple just whipped Duke with intensity and clutch baskets. You don’t see that too often. ‘‘We were slow and they played a lot harder than we did,’’ Austin Rivers said, sounding as honest as his dad. One thing that has changed about Temple is the Owls have more of a following then they did in the old days. Lots of fans at Wells Fargo Center in Philly.
-- Georgia State has now won 11 in a row and the Panthers won this on VCU’s court, getting a comfortable lead and then hanging on. Two missed free throws gave VCU a chance to send it into overtime but the Rams couldn’t convert. If he gets Georgia State to the NCAA tournament, Ron Hunter should be national coach of the year. He won’t be, of course. His team was picked near the bottom of the CAA. One thing to consider is that Rod Barnes left him some good parts before he was fired.
-- I’m intrigued by Iowa State, the Oakland Raiders of college basketball with all their transfers. I was seeing Royce White for the first time and he’s a fascinating player. He’s listed at 6-8, 270 and he’s a specimen not chunky. He’s probably shorter than his listed height. Right now he's sporting a red Mohawk. A decent ball-handler, he’s strong around the basket, overpowering defenders. He’s an outstanding passer. Doesn’t look like he can shoot a lick from the outside. He has a real unique set of skills. White was a big recruit for Tubby Smith at Minnesota but never played there because of series legal problems involving his behavior. He ended up with Iowa State along with a batch of other transfers, Chris Allen (Michigan State), Chris Babb (Penn State), Anthony Booker (Southern Illinois), and Scott Christopherson (Marquette), Plus Korie Lucious is sitting out this season after also transferring from Michigan State. They’re talented, are 11-3, and have a chance to mesh into a good team by the end of the year.

Surprising scores, amazing margins:
Drexel 60, Towson 27: It’s not bad enough that Towson didn’t reach 30, scoring the fewest points in CAA history, but this loss is the 34th in a row, tying the NCAA record.
Georgetown 73, Marquette 70: Down by 17 early, the gritty Hoyas fought back to win this.
LaSalle 80, Xavier 70: This one was in Philly but the shocking descent of X (five losses in the last six games) since the brawl with Cincinnati continues. All the suspensions have ended.
Cincinnati 71, Notre Dame 55: The brawl has had the complete opposite effect on the Bearcats who’ve won seven straight.
UNC Wilmington 70, Northeastern 62: The Huskies let a winnable home game slip away.
West Virginia 85, Rutgers 64: West Virginia managed to outcore the football team. This was a disappointing effort for Rutgers, which had beaten Florida at home last week.
Florida State 85, Auburn 56: Didn’t think the Seminoles could score this many points. When they do well offensively, they’re tough to beat.
Memphis 69, Tennessee 51: This used to be a must-see rivalry game. Cuonzo Martin has a lot of work to do.
Dayton 79, Saint Louis 72: A nice, unexpected victory for the best college basketball fans in America.
Illinois 57, Northwestern 56: If the Mildcats are going to finally make it to the NCAAs, they’ve got to start winning home games like this.
Iowa 64, Minnesota 62: I’ve been fooled before but maybe Fran McCaffrey is making progress in Iowa City. They’ve won two straight road games for the first time in five seasons.
Kansas 67, Kansas State 49: The Purple Popguns always come up short in this rivalry.
Illinois State 68, Missouri State 60: The Missouri Valley is incredibly well balanced. MoState won at Creighton but loses here.
Wichita State 67, Evansville 66: Case in point.
Murray State 76, Eastern Kentucky 67: That’s 15 in a row, if you’re counting.
Southern Mississippi 78, East Carolina 76: The Fightin’ Favres have won 10 in a row after pulling this one out on the road.
Central Florida 60, Tulane 53: The Jordanaires hold serve at home against a good CUSA opponent.
William & Mary 68, James Madison 61: A disastrous week for JamMad, BillandMere are 3-12.

Here’s an Associated Press story explaining why two clocks have different time remaining in the Michigan State-Wisconsin game Tuesday night:
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A split-second discrepancy between two game clocks that caused confusion at the end of Michigan State-Wisconsin basketball game Tuesday night was caused by a routine technological issue that happens in venues across the country, Wisconsin officials said Wednesday.
Wisconsin’s Ryan Evans appeared to hit a desperation 3-pointer to send the game into double overtime, but the shot was disallowed on a replay review when officials ruled he released it after time expired. No. 10 Michigan State beat No. 18 Wisconsin 63-60 in overtime.
The clock on top of the backboard had run out, but there appeared to be a fraction of a second left on another clock located on a nearby LED-style electronic display.
‘‘By rule we have to go by the clock that is on the backboard,’’ said referee Pat Driscoll, in comments distributed to the media after the game. ‘‘I don’t know why there would be different (times) — it could be satellite, electronic, whatever — but by rule we have to go by the clock that is attached to the backboard. In our review on the monitor, the clock clearly showed zeros while the ball remained in the Wisconsin player’s hands.’’
In a statement released Wednesday, Wisconsin officials said the backboard clock was working properly and is considered official. The backboard clock is linked directly to the scorer’s table.
Citing information from Daktronics, the company that supplies LED displays and other equipment used at the Kohl Center and other venues, officials said it is normal to have a delay of 0.1 to 0.2 seconds when clock data is relayed from the scorer’s table to equipment that generates the images on electronic scoreboards.
Officials said the delay ‘‘is the standard in the industry and regularly occurs at venues around the country.’’

About last night:

Michigan State 63, Wisconsin 60 in OT: I think I know the rules but this was a new one to me. Which clock is the official clock? As it turns out, the one attached to the backboard.

Wisconsin’s Ryan Evans heaved up a desperation 3-pointer that banked in as the buzzer sounded. It would have sent the game to a second overtime. The officials had to watch a replay to determine if he had gotten it off in time and ESPN had outstanding camera angles.

But here was the problem. The scoreboard above the stands behind the basket had two-tenths of a second on it when the ball left Evans’ hand. The scoreboard attached to the backboard was at zero and the red light around the backboard was lit before it left his hand. Therefore, no basket. Michigan State wins.

The referee issued a statement after the game explaining that the rule is the clock on the backboard is the one they use in determining the end of the game. As of last night, no one was sure why there was a discrepancy. Here’s some good coverage from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Here's the ESPN highlights.

Seton Hall 75, UConn 63: It’s really official: the Hall is no longer wild and wacky, it’s just plan good at 13-2 after dismantling UConn in beautiful downtown Newark. This is the first time the Hall has beaten UConn since March 3, 2001 (11 games).

Fordham 60, Harvard 54: The downtrodden Rams are improved but this is a bad loss for Harvard. The Crimson will still win the Ivy League easily but this loss will cost them seeding position on Selection Sunday.

Missouri 87, Oklahoma 49: What a beating! The Tigers can look amazing at times. Coach Frank Haith was amazing himself: ‘‘I don’t know that we can play any better. ‘We played about as flawless a game as you can play.’’ Sounds like Belichick.

Ohio State 71, Nebraska 40: I guess Huskers fans can ask themselves, would we have taken a worse beating at Kansas if we were still in the Big 12? The Huskers were missing three key players because of injuries.

Alabama 73, Georgia Tech 48: No light at the end of the tunnel for Tech. Fans will just have to endure.

Kentucky 72, Arkansas Little Rock 51: What challenges are left for Bingo Long and the Traveling All-Stars? Maybe just games at Vandy Feb. 11 and at Florida March 4.

Oral Roberts 89, Oakland 80: A big road win. It still comes down to four days in March but Oral looks like it’s heading back to the NCAA tournament. Oakland had won 31 straight conference games at home.

Toledo 107, Indiana Northwest 43: For what purpose?

Western Michigan 72, Milwaukee 61: The Panthers, maybe still hurting from losing at Butler, fail to show up.