4-Point Play

Throughout the season many teams have proved they have what it takes to compete in non-conference play and have the ability to play for March no matter the outcome in their conference. Everyone knows what is going on with the top two teams in the major conferences but what do the teams just below them and mid-majors have to offer that could shake up even Joe Lunardi's bracketology? Following will be the first of a weekly series of inside looks, the 4-Point Play, at some of the under the radar March Madness contenders.

George Washington Colonials
An almost afterthought coming into the year, GW has made plenty of noise already with wins over Creighton, Maryland, Georgia and VCU. The A-10 is packed this year with talent and the Colonials are primed to make a big run after an impressive start to the year going 12-2 in non-conference play. The front runners in conference play are starting to emerge with GW among the top three to take the title and the Colonials might just have the easiest road to get there. George Washington's top performance came in a statement win over then #20 Creighton in the Wooden Legacy consolation game when they held the prolific Bluejays to 53 points. Their worst loss came when the Colonials visited Kansas State and got thrashed by the Wildcats in a 17 point loss. However, another marquee game against preseason favorite VCU on Tuesday gave GW the win they needed to push them forward through the remaining 13 games.
With a balanced attack that can put up 80+ when necessary and a devastating defense that has let up 70 points only seven times, the Colonials are poised to be a dark horse come March. The one problem that will really test GW is the Colonials' lack of a true three point threat with only three significant time players averaging over a .350% from beyond the arc.
Player Spotlight: Kethan Savage, 6'-3" 200 lb guard, is a sophomore who plays like an upperclassman. He is a smart and efficient shooter with a .516 FG% on the year. Savage is tied for the lead in steals per game (1.9) and steals overall (32) for the Colonials. He's also second in points (13.2) and assists (2.6) per game.
Toughest game left: a home visit from #16 UMass on February 15 and a visit to #24 SLU on February 22
Predicted finish: 25-5 and third in the A-10

Xavier Musketeers
The Musketeers are new to the Big East but haven't lost much of a step from their A-10 play. With wins against St. Johns, Butler, Marquette, and Georgetown the Muskies showed they can play in a big-time conference after coming over from the mid-major Atlantic 10. However their biggest win came out of conference when they played the annual Crosstown Classic (Shootout) against rival Cincinnati when they thrashed the Bearcats in a 17 point win. Their four losses have occurred away from home at Cintas but if they want to be able to compete as a March Madness team they need to get used to playing away from the home floor. Of note, the Muskies have only played two away games compared to four neutral sites and 12 home games. Xavier will finish the season with eight road games and five home games.
Xavier has been held under 70 points only five times this year but have scored at least 80 in six games. Although the team doesn't average many points, mainly due to a horrid performance against Tennessee, they were held to 49 points, the fire is there to score upwards of 80 points per game. The defense is where the Musketeers will be able to match up in March where they only let up an average of 66 points per game. Only Creighton and USC have put up over 80 points on Xavier.
Player Spotlight: Matt Stainbrook, the Muskies' 6'-10" center, is the team leader in blocks (1.5) and rebounds (8.6) per game. He's also in the team's top three for points (11.3), steals (0.9) and FG% (.555%) per game.
Toughest game left: at #6 Villanova on February 3
Projected finish: 25-6 and third in the Big East

Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks
The Southland Conference leaders are doing what they can to make it to March in a competitive, albeit top-heavy, conference. The Lumberjacks finished second behind Northwestern State last year but with the demons having a down year right now, they are 5-10, the Lumberjacks real competition will come from the likes of old conference foe Sam Houston State, Summit League transfer Oral Roberts, and the new D-1 addition of Incarnate Word. Stephen Austin has pushed through their non-conference openers with just two losses to Texas and East Tennessee State to lead themselves to a 15-2 start to their season.
The Lumberjacks average 75 ppg but have an offense that has potential to put up 85-90 on a consistent basis. To help boost that average SFA has one of the most prolific assisting crews in the country with five players averaging at least 1.8 assists per game and a team average of 15.4 apg.
Player Spotlight: Jacob Parker is the team's leader in points (15.2), rebounds (6.9) and steals (1.4) per game. He is their go-to 3-point shooter coming in with an almost .500 average outside the arc and a .542 average overall.
Toughest game left: at Sam Houston State on February 15
Projected finish: 28-3 and first place in the Southland

Colorado Buffaloes
The Buffaloes are quietly making their way in the PAC 12. With the PAC 12's toughest schedule thus far, it's quite surprising what Colorado has been able to do over the course of the season. The December 7 meeting against then #6 Kansas was their biggest win as of yet when Askia Booker sunk a buzzer beater to down the Jayhawks. Another top 10 win came January 5 when the Buffaloes outshot then #10 Oregon in a 100-91 win. However, they are still hindered by two big losses against Baylor to open the season and then Oklahoma State over a month later. Both of these games were played at a neutral site while both opponents were ranked. Colorado did just suffer a devastating loss at Washington earlier this week where they didn't manage to reach 60 points for the first time this season. At 14-3, the Buffaloes are third in the PAC-12 with a huge game against UCLA tonight.
Although not one of the preliminary offenses or defenses in the country, the Buffaloes crash the board with the best in the land averaging almost 40 rebound per game which allows them to stay in almost any game.
Player Spotlight: Spencer Dinwiddie, 6'-6" 200 lb guard, is the team's most complete player with an amazing balance of inside and outside shooting ability, quick hands and a keen eye. He leads the Buffaloes with 14.7 points per game behind a .466 FG% and a .413 3PT%. He's also the team leader with 64 assists and 26 steals on the year.
Toughest game left: January 25 at #1 Arizona and February 13 at #25 UCLA
Projected finish: 25-6 and second place in the PAC 12



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