The early season tip-off tournaments provide a great way to display the nation's top teams and allow for some marquee matchups along the way while fans and viewers watch during their holiday festivities. This season really captivated my eye with all of the big name tournaments like the Old Spice Classic, the 76 Classic and the Maui Invitational. This year, we can take a ton from all of these, and although no teams really involved in the national title picture, a slew of teams involved who will shake things up in the major conferences come February and March. Some thoughts:
- Everyone believed Mark Few had an empty cupboard with the defections of Jeremy Pargo and Josh Heytvelt at Gonzaga. The Kennel though held on to Matt Bouldin who is finally coming around and the Zags are big inside with the maturation of sophomore Robert Sacre and freshman Elias Harris. While young, Gonzaga got three good wins on the islands; they beat Big 12 Colorado in a thriller where they struggled and then looked like a different team. They beat Wisconsin by 13 and then Cincinnati in the title game in a smashmouth, Big Ten type game. Sacre grew up in front of the Lahaina Civic Center, pouring in 14 of the Zags 61 points in the overtime victory. Gonzaga has a really good starting five and if they continue to mature will be a force in the top 25 all year. Really interesting game tonight against Washington State in Spokane...Wazzu captured the Great Alaska Shootout.
- Another WCC team that made a splash over the holiday was the Portland Pilots. Portland was expected to be in the mix of the WCC race, but not expected to contend this early in such a quality tournament liek the 76 classic that featured four ranked teams. Portalnd reached the title game with an absolute thrashing of UCLA in the first round, 74-47 then beat a really good Minnesota team 61-56. They showed they can win in the halfcourt as well as with the press and the backcourt of T.J. Campbell and Nik Raivio is a real force averaging a combined 33 per game. Portland got dropped by West Virginia in the title game; by 18 nonetheless, but that game does not set the tone for what Portland accomplished. Now ranked in the top 25, Portland showed they have arrived and will be formidable competition in a tough WCC this year.
- A disappointing team down in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando this past weekend was Michigan. The Wolverines entered the weekend with a number 15 ranking and the only one with such an achievement in the field. THey quickly watched the ranking vanish as they lost to both Alabama and Marquette after narrowly beating Creighton on a Thanksgiving Day game they really should have lost if not for Manny Harris. Michigan has a legitimate Big Ten POY candidate in Harris, but are lacking after interior force DeShawn Sims. Alabama's press really got to the Wolverines to keep them in it and Marquette's speed made Michigan look like a team unable to cope with speed and athleticism from that of the Big Ten.
Preseason tournaments provide the greatest way for fans to become familiar with the teams who will matter every season and players who can take over games. This season the teams that made a jump were Portland, Gonzaga, Cincinnati, Florida State and Florida who beat Michigan State the day after Thanksgiving. Teams who seemed tripped off of Triptophan were Michigan State, UCLA, Michigan and Maryland. The great thing about these tournaments is that its so early it allows teams to garner improvement while also providing excitement for the teams who made a stir.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Season Sneak Preview: Major Conferences Part I
Midnight to March will be evaluating conferences from the top all the way to the bottom as we get fans ready for the tip off to the regular season on Nov. 9th. We begin our season sneak preview with a look at the major conferences, first the ACC, Big East and Big Ten.
ACC
The ACC last season was a dominant conference last season, sending seven teams to the NCAA Tournament. Once they competed on a national stage, hwoever, the ACC sent only two teams to the second weekend, proving they just beat up themselves during the conference season. North Carolina was your 2009 national champions and they will reload once again but will miss that senior leadership of Tyler Hansbrough and Ty Lawson which guided them to their title. Instead they will be led by sophomore Ed Davis who has some tremendous growing to do and shoes to fill after coming off the bench a year ago. Davis and Deon Thompson will look to lead the Heels back to the top. Averaging seven and six last year as the UNC sixth man, Davis will look to fulfill his potential and be a top ACC performer…Duke returns the dynamic duo of Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer and they look to have the most versatile team in the conference. For the first time this decade, Coach K will run his offense predominantly through two big men, and Jon Scheyer will be running the point, a far cry from the major scoring role he took on the past two seasons…Georgia Tech looks to make the biggest improvement in the conference; the Yellow Jackets return impressive big man Ganai Lawal. The 6-9, 230 forward averaged 15 and 10 last season and flirted with the NBA Draft before deciding to return to play another year under Paul Hewitt. A great decision because Tech went ahead and surrounded Lawal with some real ballers. Freshman Derrick Favors is the top ACC incoming freshman and will play alongside Lawal in Tech’s frontline. Tech will be able to match Carolina inside as well as Duke as the ACC begins to take shape of a physical, size-oriented league this season.. Maryland also added some bulk inside to go with the trend of recruiting bigs for ACC squads this season, but that really isn’t the main concern. We know Greivis Vasquez will play hard and be a renaissance man of the hardwood, coming close to triple-doubles in every game, but the Terps need to find another scorer, somewhere. Whether its inside or outside Maryland will not be the top tier ACC squad if they can’t find that; the most likely candidate is sophomore guard Sean Mosley. Mosley needs to step in the role left by Eric Hayes and increase his production and with that the success in College Park. The rest of the ACC all faces rebuilding challenges; Miami must replace scorer Jack McClinton…Boston College must replace Tyrese Rice…Florida State must replace Toney Douglas...Wake Forest must replace Jeff Teague. A team that could sneak around the chicken coop is Virginia Tech. With Malcolm Delaney and Jeff Allen returning the Hokies are big and talented inside and should be able to score at ease. The problem will be the Hokies perimeter defense and willingness to go on the road and win big games, something they were unable to do last season.
Fearless Predictions
1. UNC
2. Duke
3. Georgia Tech
4. Maryland
5. Wake Forest
6. Virginia Tech
7. Florida State
8. Miami (FL)
9. Clemson
10. Boston College
11. NC State
12. Virginia
Big East
Last year the Big East sent eight teams to the Big Dance and THREE number one seeds. Connecticut, Louisville and Pittsburgh all snagged top seeds and Villanova won 30 games, reaching the Final Four. The Big East loses a whole heck of a lot this season however and does not have the stranglehold on the top conference in America this year by a landslide. Gone are the top players from those three number one seeds and they were good (Hasheem Thabeet, DeJuan Blair, Sam Young, Terrence Williams, LeVance Fields, Earl Clark, etc) and here come the guys you heard of last season. Scottie Reynolds and Villanova are the preseason Big East favorites, but they are favored because the Wildcats are so much more than just Reynolds now. Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes are a force in the backcourt along Reynolds and bring fans back to the days just a few years ago when Villanova was lethal with Mike Nardi, Randy Foye and Allan Ray. That team reached the elite 8 and this Villanova team has already gotten to a Final Four. They lose Dante Cunningham but a cream of the crop recruiting class leads everyone to believe the Wildcats should return to the Final Four if the freshmen mature…West Virginia and Georgetown are both teams that will exponentially improve this season. Georgetown big man Greg Monroe stole the scene early in the season last year before the Hoyas went on a treacherous losing skid, but the 6-11 frosh averaged 13 and 7 in a subservient scoring role to swingman DaJuan Summers. Summers abdicated to the NBA which leaves Monroe with all the control; a preseason all-American, expectations are high again for JT3 in the nation’s capital and G’Town will be back. Huggy Bear returns with Devin Ebanks and Da’Sean Butler; two guys that can flat out play with anyone in the country. I believed that the preseason ranking for the Mountaineers was a little low, but two suspensions, one of point guard Joe Mazzulla and one of post force Darryl Bryant leave the jury out in Morgantown…Syracuse must replace Paul Harris, Jonny Flynn and Eric Devendorf. But Syracuse reloa….d….s….oh no. A collective groan was released from the Carrier Dome last Tuesday night when cross-town division II school LeMoyne trucked in and beat Syracuse. Although just an exhibition, it revealed some holes in the Orange squad…they can’t shoot, they can’t score, they don’t really have much size and they don’t know how to defend yet. That spells trouble for the upstate New Yorkies; at least Jim Boeheim knows how to schedule cupcakes, they leave the state of New York one time until a January 16th showdown at West Virginia, that’s 16 games for those of you counting at home…Yes, Connecticut will still be great; Stanley Robinson will become eligible once again in December and Kemba Walker began to show flashes of brilliance late in the season for the Huskies, so there is no reason to fret in Storrs. The only trouble could be replacing point guard AJ Price, but Jerome Dyson returns from his injury that crippled Conn last season…Pittsburgh and Marquette both lost a lot to graduation and NBA defections, but they will reload as will Louisville…A surprising team could be Cincinnati. The Bearcats are headed in the right direction and Deonta Vaughn is an all-Big East kind of performer who has averaged over 15 points in all three of his seasons while doubling as a point guard. Yancy Gates, a 6-9 homegrown talent from Cincy, should be able to compliment Vaughn better this season and make Cincinnati take great strides and bounce back into the bracket. A team destined for disappointment once again may have to be Notre Dame…The Fighting Irish return all-american Luke Harangody, but Mike Brey still does not have this team defend and that is why they will remain in the mediocrity of the Big East. Every Big East team can score, but not every team can defend. That is exactly why you saw the pressing abilities of Villanova and Louisville and the physicality of UCONN and Pittsburgh be so successful last season.
FEARLESS PREDICTIONS
1. Villanova
2. Georgetown
3. West Virginia
4. Connecticut
5. Cincinnati
6. Pitt
7. Louisville
8. Syracuse
9. Notre Dame
10. Seton Hall
11. Marquette
12. Providence
13. Rutgers
14. Depaul
15. St. John’s
16. South Florida
Big Ten
Remember that time the Big Ten may have a legitimate gripe to get seven teams into the NCAA Tournament in back to back years? Me neither, because it has not happened in my lifetime. The Big Ten may be as strong as it has ever been this season, returning nearly everyone back for preseason number two Michigan State, preseason number seven Purdue, preseason number 15 Michigan and 16 Ohio State. The Big Ten sent seven teams last season, and all with the exception of Wisconsin should return this season. Michigan State should be a top seed and Final Four threat to go to Indianapolis this season with Kalin Lucas and Raymar Morgan returning. To find faults in the Spartans is like trying to decipher Morse Code, difficult and painstaking…Matt Painter’s Purdue team was a slight letdown in March, barely winning their first two games and not even showing up against Connecticut in the Sweet 16. JaJuan Johnson looks for a big season inside to play with Robbie Hummel. Hummel was an all-Big Ten performer last season, but was injured in February, missed three games, returned, but not with the same tenacity and swagger he gave the Boilers two seasons ago or early in the ’08-’09 campaign. Ohio State returns its entire core with the exception of BJ Mullens who defected to the NBA., and that should keep Columbus happy as the Bucks are clearly third best in the league. Evan Turner is a great talent and could win POY in the Big Ten, and Ohio State has four guards who can all run, score and defend, which is something not many Big Ten teams have, even Michigan State. However, they got inexperience and size issues inside, which will cripple their running abilities if they can’t defend or rebound on the defensive side…Michigan is going to be really good. Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims are great, and a lethal dynamic duo that can play with anyone in the country. The Wolverines will defend and will shoot, a lot. They are ready to take the next step into the national spotlight where they have not been in ten years. The only issue is in the backcourt and running the offense. Freshman Darius Morris will probably be playing the point, and that is a worry for Ann Arbor. But John Beiliein knows what he is doing, and if Morris is ready, he will get the nod...Wisconsin is the worrisome team in the Big Ten; Trevon Hughes is back which means Wisconsin will still be a tough out because he will be a first or second team all conference player. But missing Marcus Landry and Joe Krabbenhoft inside is huge for Bo Ryan’s team this season; they lack a post presence and will have a severe drop-off after a second round appearance last season...Penn State probably should have made the NCAA Tournament last season; instead, they won the NIT, to claim number 66 in the field. The Nittany Lions will have to replace a lot this season however, losing their top three scorers; 6-10 forward Andrew Jones will shoulder the brunt of the shoes to fill as he steps into a starting role to keep Happy Valley improving. The improved team of the season this year will be Northwestern…The Wildcats have Kevin Coble who is as versatile a player that Northwestern as ever had. Coble averaged 16, 5 and 3 assists from the forward spot last season and can defend in the Wildcats zone…The Big Ten will either sink or swim this season; a possibility of six or seven bids can happen. But if the wrong things happen in the non-con, and teams don’t mature as expected, it could dwindle to three.
FEARLESS PREDICTIONS
1. Michigan State
2. Purdue
3. Michigan
4. Ohio State
5. Minnesota
6. Northwestern
7. Penn State
8. Indiana
9. Wisconsin
10. Illinois
11. Iowa
Next…Big 12, Pac10, SEC
ACC
The ACC last season was a dominant conference last season, sending seven teams to the NCAA Tournament. Once they competed on a national stage, hwoever, the ACC sent only two teams to the second weekend, proving they just beat up themselves during the conference season. North Carolina was your 2009 national champions and they will reload once again but will miss that senior leadership of Tyler Hansbrough and Ty Lawson which guided them to their title. Instead they will be led by sophomore Ed Davis who has some tremendous growing to do and shoes to fill after coming off the bench a year ago. Davis and Deon Thompson will look to lead the Heels back to the top. Averaging seven and six last year as the UNC sixth man, Davis will look to fulfill his potential and be a top ACC performer…Duke returns the dynamic duo of Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer and they look to have the most versatile team in the conference. For the first time this decade, Coach K will run his offense predominantly through two big men, and Jon Scheyer will be running the point, a far cry from the major scoring role he took on the past two seasons…Georgia Tech looks to make the biggest improvement in the conference; the Yellow Jackets return impressive big man Ganai Lawal. The 6-9, 230 forward averaged 15 and 10 last season and flirted with the NBA Draft before deciding to return to play another year under Paul Hewitt. A great decision because Tech went ahead and surrounded Lawal with some real ballers. Freshman Derrick Favors is the top ACC incoming freshman and will play alongside Lawal in Tech’s frontline. Tech will be able to match Carolina inside as well as Duke as the ACC begins to take shape of a physical, size-oriented league this season.. Maryland also added some bulk inside to go with the trend of recruiting bigs for ACC squads this season, but that really isn’t the main concern. We know Greivis Vasquez will play hard and be a renaissance man of the hardwood, coming close to triple-doubles in every game, but the Terps need to find another scorer, somewhere. Whether its inside or outside Maryland will not be the top tier ACC squad if they can’t find that; the most likely candidate is sophomore guard Sean Mosley. Mosley needs to step in the role left by Eric Hayes and increase his production and with that the success in College Park. The rest of the ACC all faces rebuilding challenges; Miami must replace scorer Jack McClinton…Boston College must replace Tyrese Rice…Florida State must replace Toney Douglas...Wake Forest must replace Jeff Teague. A team that could sneak around the chicken coop is Virginia Tech. With Malcolm Delaney and Jeff Allen returning the Hokies are big and talented inside and should be able to score at ease. The problem will be the Hokies perimeter defense and willingness to go on the road and win big games, something they were unable to do last season.
Fearless Predictions
1. UNC
2. Duke
3. Georgia Tech
4. Maryland
5. Wake Forest
6. Virginia Tech
7. Florida State
8. Miami (FL)
9. Clemson
10. Boston College
11. NC State
12. Virginia
Big East
Last year the Big East sent eight teams to the Big Dance and THREE number one seeds. Connecticut, Louisville and Pittsburgh all snagged top seeds and Villanova won 30 games, reaching the Final Four. The Big East loses a whole heck of a lot this season however and does not have the stranglehold on the top conference in America this year by a landslide. Gone are the top players from those three number one seeds and they were good (Hasheem Thabeet, DeJuan Blair, Sam Young, Terrence Williams, LeVance Fields, Earl Clark, etc) and here come the guys you heard of last season. Scottie Reynolds and Villanova are the preseason Big East favorites, but they are favored because the Wildcats are so much more than just Reynolds now. Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes are a force in the backcourt along Reynolds and bring fans back to the days just a few years ago when Villanova was lethal with Mike Nardi, Randy Foye and Allan Ray. That team reached the elite 8 and this Villanova team has already gotten to a Final Four. They lose Dante Cunningham but a cream of the crop recruiting class leads everyone to believe the Wildcats should return to the Final Four if the freshmen mature…West Virginia and Georgetown are both teams that will exponentially improve this season. Georgetown big man Greg Monroe stole the scene early in the season last year before the Hoyas went on a treacherous losing skid, but the 6-11 frosh averaged 13 and 7 in a subservient scoring role to swingman DaJuan Summers. Summers abdicated to the NBA which leaves Monroe with all the control; a preseason all-American, expectations are high again for JT3 in the nation’s capital and G’Town will be back. Huggy Bear returns with Devin Ebanks and Da’Sean Butler; two guys that can flat out play with anyone in the country. I believed that the preseason ranking for the Mountaineers was a little low, but two suspensions, one of point guard Joe Mazzulla and one of post force Darryl Bryant leave the jury out in Morgantown…Syracuse must replace Paul Harris, Jonny Flynn and Eric Devendorf. But Syracuse reloa….d….s….oh no. A collective groan was released from the Carrier Dome last Tuesday night when cross-town division II school LeMoyne trucked in and beat Syracuse. Although just an exhibition, it revealed some holes in the Orange squad…they can’t shoot, they can’t score, they don’t really have much size and they don’t know how to defend yet. That spells trouble for the upstate New Yorkies; at least Jim Boeheim knows how to schedule cupcakes, they leave the state of New York one time until a January 16th showdown at West Virginia, that’s 16 games for those of you counting at home…Yes, Connecticut will still be great; Stanley Robinson will become eligible once again in December and Kemba Walker began to show flashes of brilliance late in the season for the Huskies, so there is no reason to fret in Storrs. The only trouble could be replacing point guard AJ Price, but Jerome Dyson returns from his injury that crippled Conn last season…Pittsburgh and Marquette both lost a lot to graduation and NBA defections, but they will reload as will Louisville…A surprising team could be Cincinnati. The Bearcats are headed in the right direction and Deonta Vaughn is an all-Big East kind of performer who has averaged over 15 points in all three of his seasons while doubling as a point guard. Yancy Gates, a 6-9 homegrown talent from Cincy, should be able to compliment Vaughn better this season and make Cincinnati take great strides and bounce back into the bracket. A team destined for disappointment once again may have to be Notre Dame…The Fighting Irish return all-american Luke Harangody, but Mike Brey still does not have this team defend and that is why they will remain in the mediocrity of the Big East. Every Big East team can score, but not every team can defend. That is exactly why you saw the pressing abilities of Villanova and Louisville and the physicality of UCONN and Pittsburgh be so successful last season.
FEARLESS PREDICTIONS
1. Villanova
2. Georgetown
3. West Virginia
4. Connecticut
5. Cincinnati
6. Pitt
7. Louisville
8. Syracuse
9. Notre Dame
10. Seton Hall
11. Marquette
12. Providence
13. Rutgers
14. Depaul
15. St. John’s
16. South Florida
Big Ten
Remember that time the Big Ten may have a legitimate gripe to get seven teams into the NCAA Tournament in back to back years? Me neither, because it has not happened in my lifetime. The Big Ten may be as strong as it has ever been this season, returning nearly everyone back for preseason number two Michigan State, preseason number seven Purdue, preseason number 15 Michigan and 16 Ohio State. The Big Ten sent seven teams last season, and all with the exception of Wisconsin should return this season. Michigan State should be a top seed and Final Four threat to go to Indianapolis this season with Kalin Lucas and Raymar Morgan returning. To find faults in the Spartans is like trying to decipher Morse Code, difficult and painstaking…Matt Painter’s Purdue team was a slight letdown in March, barely winning their first two games and not even showing up against Connecticut in the Sweet 16. JaJuan Johnson looks for a big season inside to play with Robbie Hummel. Hummel was an all-Big Ten performer last season, but was injured in February, missed three games, returned, but not with the same tenacity and swagger he gave the Boilers two seasons ago or early in the ’08-’09 campaign. Ohio State returns its entire core with the exception of BJ Mullens who defected to the NBA., and that should keep Columbus happy as the Bucks are clearly third best in the league. Evan Turner is a great talent and could win POY in the Big Ten, and Ohio State has four guards who can all run, score and defend, which is something not many Big Ten teams have, even Michigan State. However, they got inexperience and size issues inside, which will cripple their running abilities if they can’t defend or rebound on the defensive side…Michigan is going to be really good. Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims are great, and a lethal dynamic duo that can play with anyone in the country. The Wolverines will defend and will shoot, a lot. They are ready to take the next step into the national spotlight where they have not been in ten years. The only issue is in the backcourt and running the offense. Freshman Darius Morris will probably be playing the point, and that is a worry for Ann Arbor. But John Beiliein knows what he is doing, and if Morris is ready, he will get the nod...Wisconsin is the worrisome team in the Big Ten; Trevon Hughes is back which means Wisconsin will still be a tough out because he will be a first or second team all conference player. But missing Marcus Landry and Joe Krabbenhoft inside is huge for Bo Ryan’s team this season; they lack a post presence and will have a severe drop-off after a second round appearance last season...Penn State probably should have made the NCAA Tournament last season; instead, they won the NIT, to claim number 66 in the field. The Nittany Lions will have to replace a lot this season however, losing their top three scorers; 6-10 forward Andrew Jones will shoulder the brunt of the shoes to fill as he steps into a starting role to keep Happy Valley improving. The improved team of the season this year will be Northwestern…The Wildcats have Kevin Coble who is as versatile a player that Northwestern as ever had. Coble averaged 16, 5 and 3 assists from the forward spot last season and can defend in the Wildcats zone…The Big Ten will either sink or swim this season; a possibility of six or seven bids can happen. But if the wrong things happen in the non-con, and teams don’t mature as expected, it could dwindle to three.
FEARLESS PREDICTIONS
1. Michigan State
2. Purdue
3. Michigan
4. Ohio State
5. Minnesota
6. Northwestern
7. Penn State
8. Indiana
9. Wisconsin
10. Illinois
11. Iowa
Next…Big 12, Pac10, SEC
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Welcome to the Show
An exciting day for college basketball takes shape. Everything that is wrong but yet fun about NCAA hoops comes true today with the release of the Preseason top 25 poll by USA Today and ESPN. The season is now just ten days away, so plenty of time for previewing and analyzing teams of promise, potential and disappointment. At Midnight to March we are back for another action-packed season that looks quite formidable on paper, but we have a few secrets for the college basketball faithful that says its cut and dry what everyone should believe. Here is a look at the first poll...followed by some reaction.
1 Kansas
2 Michigan State
3 Texas
4 North Carolina
5 Kentucky
6 Villanova
7 Purdue
8 Duke
9 West Va
10 Butler
11 Tennessee
12 Cal
13 Washington
14 Connecticut
15 Michigan
16 Oklahoma
17 Ohio State
18 Minnesota
19 Mississippi State
20 Georgia Tech
21 Georgetown
22 Dayton
23 Louisville
24 Clemson
25 Syracuse
Pontifications
- So we'll start with the idea of preseason polls. The new sentiment out has become preseason polls ruin college athletics. While I mostly agree with this statement, they provide a basis for what to look for and what to expect for the season. For the average fan, they would have no idea if Dayton was figured to be atop the Atlantic 10 or if they were expected to be the ninth best team in Ohio. Preseason polls let us know this; they also give us a tremendous amount of stability. For example, last season's preseason number one was North Carolina and while not being at the top for all the season, in the end, the pollsters were correct. Kansas in 2008 was number 6 in the preseason...Florida number one in 2007. Florida's first title was an exception in 2006, the Gators were ranked 17. These polls give fans something to get excited about, and something for other fans to worry about but also keeping those expectations they have built in their psychological delusion of fanhood. So I'm okay with these polls, just, don't put too much stock in them, much of it will change.
- We will start at the top with number one Kansas. KU should be atop any preseason poll this season with the best team returning and much of the same swagger as the 07-08 team possessed. Last year it was Sherron Collins and Cole Alrich's team and they were moments from getting to the Elite 8 before getting beat by Tom Izzo's Michigan State (national title rematch??). The Jayhawks return everyone from that core team, and look to be a year stronger. Kansas possesses the unenviable position as odds-on favorite, but they do have some weaknesses. Kansas can score, they averaged 77 per game in their uptempo offense last season and lethal combination of Collins and Aldrich. Their problem comes in the willingness to defend. The Jayhawks periodically lull into moments where they don't even bother to defend teams that want to run. They get beat once and the help isn't there. Evidenced on the road with games such as at Texas Tech, at Arizona early last season and the early flop to Baylor in the Big 12 tournament. Signs of immaturity which this KU team probably will not have issues with. For Bill Self's sake, he's got a juggernaut of a squad that could cut the nets down in March.
- So...a team beats the preseason number one twice last season, including once in the NCAAs and they return everyone too. How are they not number one??? Great question and I do not have an answer. Kalin Lucas returns for Michigan State and he keeps Raymar Morgan and Durrell Summers with him. The defection of Goran Suton will hinder Sparty inside for the beginning of the season, but the way these guys looked in March, if they continue that, they are better than the Jayhawks. Impressive performances over Louisville in the Elite 8 and Connecticut in the Final Four give evidence that Tom Izzo's team will still defend and now has explosiveness for the guys from East Lansing. Lucas will add his name alongside Mateen Cleaves, Magic Johnson and Eric Snow. This MSU team will have issues inside, and games against Texas, North Carolina and Florida early could illustrate that.
Quick Hitters
- Kentucky at number five (higher than they should be) after everyone said they would be number one. No team will snag a top ranking with five freshmen on the top of the list to contribute.
- Thankfully Butler gets a high preseason ranking. Horizon POY Matt Howard may be a top five big man in the country, and the Bulldogs definitely deserve this high, if not higher. The Bulldogs will get a shot at some big timers as well, playing in the 76 Classic where they open with Minnesota. Could be a big time season for Hinkle.
- Michigan gets a lofty ranking early...John Beilein wiggled this team into the second round and will be very sneaky this year in a promising Big Ten. Great scheduling as well...the only early season test will be the Wolverines going to Lawrence to face KU.
- Rick Stansbury's Mississippi State club is poised for a big time year in a down SEC (yet again). 6-9 Jarvis Varnado averaged 13 and 9 last season and the show will be his this season, so watch out. The Bulldogs combine very imposing size with an easy schedule early (they don't leave home until Dec. 12 at UCLA) to garner some attention. Your top SEC team folks! (you heard me Knoxville and Lexington).
- 5 Big Ten teams in the top 25 (Purdue, Michigan, Ohio State, Minnesota and MSU) leads me to believe this season will be stressing physical basketball which does not lead to exciting games. The Big Ten is terrible to watch for a fan looking for entertainment and I really don't think the Big Ten will have much success nationally. None of these teams except Michigan State can stay on the floor athletically with Big 12 and ACC teams.
- Can Siena get some love??? Back to back NCAA appearances just doesn't go as far as it used to. The top mid-major power this season outside of Butler, the Saints hung with Louisville in the second round in Dayton and got a great win over Ohio State in Dayton as well. Edwin Ubiles is a star and Siena should get back to the 'Dance. Some early season winnable tests against "power" conference teams will certainly look good come March.
- With a little more than a week away, I can't wait to tip it off.
1 Kansas
2 Michigan State
3 Texas
4 North Carolina
5 Kentucky
6 Villanova
7 Purdue
8 Duke
9 West Va
10 Butler
11 Tennessee
12 Cal
13 Washington
14 Connecticut
15 Michigan
16 Oklahoma
17 Ohio State
18 Minnesota
19 Mississippi State
20 Georgia Tech
21 Georgetown
22 Dayton
23 Louisville
24 Clemson
25 Syracuse
Pontifications
- So we'll start with the idea of preseason polls. The new sentiment out has become preseason polls ruin college athletics. While I mostly agree with this statement, they provide a basis for what to look for and what to expect for the season. For the average fan, they would have no idea if Dayton was figured to be atop the Atlantic 10 or if they were expected to be the ninth best team in Ohio. Preseason polls let us know this; they also give us a tremendous amount of stability. For example, last season's preseason number one was North Carolina and while not being at the top for all the season, in the end, the pollsters were correct. Kansas in 2008 was number 6 in the preseason...Florida number one in 2007. Florida's first title was an exception in 2006, the Gators were ranked 17. These polls give fans something to get excited about, and something for other fans to worry about but also keeping those expectations they have built in their psychological delusion of fanhood. So I'm okay with these polls, just, don't put too much stock in them, much of it will change.
- We will start at the top with number one Kansas. KU should be atop any preseason poll this season with the best team returning and much of the same swagger as the 07-08 team possessed. Last year it was Sherron Collins and Cole Alrich's team and they were moments from getting to the Elite 8 before getting beat by Tom Izzo's Michigan State (national title rematch??). The Jayhawks return everyone from that core team, and look to be a year stronger. Kansas possesses the unenviable position as odds-on favorite, but they do have some weaknesses. Kansas can score, they averaged 77 per game in their uptempo offense last season and lethal combination of Collins and Aldrich. Their problem comes in the willingness to defend. The Jayhawks periodically lull into moments where they don't even bother to defend teams that want to run. They get beat once and the help isn't there. Evidenced on the road with games such as at Texas Tech, at Arizona early last season and the early flop to Baylor in the Big 12 tournament. Signs of immaturity which this KU team probably will not have issues with. For Bill Self's sake, he's got a juggernaut of a squad that could cut the nets down in March.
- So...a team beats the preseason number one twice last season, including once in the NCAAs and they return everyone too. How are they not number one??? Great question and I do not have an answer. Kalin Lucas returns for Michigan State and he keeps Raymar Morgan and Durrell Summers with him. The defection of Goran Suton will hinder Sparty inside for the beginning of the season, but the way these guys looked in March, if they continue that, they are better than the Jayhawks. Impressive performances over Louisville in the Elite 8 and Connecticut in the Final Four give evidence that Tom Izzo's team will still defend and now has explosiveness for the guys from East Lansing. Lucas will add his name alongside Mateen Cleaves, Magic Johnson and Eric Snow. This MSU team will have issues inside, and games against Texas, North Carolina and Florida early could illustrate that.
Quick Hitters
- Kentucky at number five (higher than they should be) after everyone said they would be number one. No team will snag a top ranking with five freshmen on the top of the list to contribute.
- Thankfully Butler gets a high preseason ranking. Horizon POY Matt Howard may be a top five big man in the country, and the Bulldogs definitely deserve this high, if not higher. The Bulldogs will get a shot at some big timers as well, playing in the 76 Classic where they open with Minnesota. Could be a big time season for Hinkle.
- Michigan gets a lofty ranking early...John Beilein wiggled this team into the second round and will be very sneaky this year in a promising Big Ten. Great scheduling as well...the only early season test will be the Wolverines going to Lawrence to face KU.
- Rick Stansbury's Mississippi State club is poised for a big time year in a down SEC (yet again). 6-9 Jarvis Varnado averaged 13 and 9 last season and the show will be his this season, so watch out. The Bulldogs combine very imposing size with an easy schedule early (they don't leave home until Dec. 12 at UCLA) to garner some attention. Your top SEC team folks! (you heard me Knoxville and Lexington).
- 5 Big Ten teams in the top 25 (Purdue, Michigan, Ohio State, Minnesota and MSU) leads me to believe this season will be stressing physical basketball which does not lead to exciting games. The Big Ten is terrible to watch for a fan looking for entertainment and I really don't think the Big Ten will have much success nationally. None of these teams except Michigan State can stay on the floor athletically with Big 12 and ACC teams.
- Can Siena get some love??? Back to back NCAA appearances just doesn't go as far as it used to. The top mid-major power this season outside of Butler, the Saints hung with Louisville in the second round in Dayton and got a great win over Ohio State in Dayton as well. Edwin Ubiles is a star and Siena should get back to the 'Dance. Some early season winnable tests against "power" conference teams will certainly look good come March.
- With a little more than a week away, I can't wait to tip it off.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Dance Floor: March 15th
It's Selection Sunday. That's all you really need to know. 65 teams will be placed into a bracket where prognostication and prediction will be analyzed heavily over the next four days in preparation for a final four as well as a Cinderella. I have made my final projection, even down to the last minute with Mississippi State stealing Saint Mary's bid and squandering the field a little more than it already was. Here's the last projection:
East (Boston) West (Phoenix) Midwest (Indy) South (Memp)
1 North Carolina Connecticut Louisville Pittsburgh
2 Michigan State Memphis Oklahoma Duke
3 Missouri Kansas Wake Forest Syracuse
4 Villanova Gonzaga Xavier Washington
5 Purdue Utah Tennessee LSU
6 Marquette Illinois W Va UCLA
7 Clemson Florida State Arizona State Texas
8 BYU Butler Ohio State Cal
9 Utah State BC Siena Dayton
10 Oklahoma State Texas A&M Wisconsin Minnesota
11 Arizona USC Michigan Temple
12 Maryland Miss State VCU Cleveland State
13 W Kentucky Akron ND State N iowa
14 Binghamton E Tennessee St Cornell American
15 Robert Morris CS Northridge Portland State Steph F Austin
16 Radford Morgan State BamaSt/Chatt Morehead State
HIGH SEED HOSTS:
Greensboro --> Duke, UNC
Philadelphia --> Villanova, Pittsburgh
Minneapolis --> Michigan State, Xavier
Boise --> Oklahoma, Wake
Miami --> Memphis, Syracuse
Portland --> Gonzaga, Washington
Kansas City --> Kansas, Missouri
Dayton --> Louisville, Connecticut
East (Boston) West (Phoenix) Midwest (Indy) South (Memp)
1 North Carolina Connecticut Louisville Pittsburgh
2 Michigan State Memphis Oklahoma Duke
3 Missouri Kansas Wake Forest Syracuse
4 Villanova Gonzaga Xavier Washington
5 Purdue Utah Tennessee LSU
6 Marquette Illinois W Va UCLA
7 Clemson Florida State Arizona State Texas
8 BYU Butler Ohio State Cal
9 Utah State BC Siena Dayton
10 Oklahoma State Texas A&M Wisconsin Minnesota
11 Arizona USC Michigan Temple
12 Maryland Miss State VCU Cleveland State
13 W Kentucky Akron ND State N iowa
14 Binghamton E Tennessee St Cornell American
15 Robert Morris CS Northridge Portland State Steph F Austin
16 Radford Morgan State BamaSt/Chatt Morehead State
HIGH SEED HOSTS:
Greensboro --> Duke, UNC
Philadelphia --> Villanova, Pittsburgh
Minneapolis --> Michigan State, Xavier
Boise --> Oklahoma, Wake
Miami --> Memphis, Syracuse
Portland --> Gonzaga, Washington
Kansas City --> Kansas, Missouri
Dayton --> Louisville, Connecticut
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Dance Floor: March 6th
Well, predicted Big South champion Liberty got the axe by VMI in the anticipated game of the Big South tournament. VMI waxed the Flames by 20 on Radford's home floor. Now the Keydets will move on to face Radford on Saturday for the first spot in the NCAAs. 2008 MVC champion Drake also out in the opening round of Arch Madness; Indiana State picked up their first win taking down Drake 63-55. Now Indiana State has the tall task of battling Northern Iowa to really kick things off. Six tournaments either started on Thursday or get things tipped on Friday, and here are some previews.
ATLANTIC SUN
Semis: Friday
Finals: Saturday (ESPN2 6 p.m.)
Team to Watch: East Tennessee State
- The A-Sun has the single weirdest tournament bracket ever created. Only seven teams are featured in the conference tournament, a national low, but the one seed also gets a bye to the semifinals, the only granted bye in the tournament. The first round features the two ans seven seeds playing, the three and six and then the four and five. It's Greek to me. Who really knows. The principle of the matter is East Tennessee State got basically a warm-up game in on Wednesday night when they faced Stetson and cruised to a 14-point win. Kevin Tiggs can hoop and he proved it against Stetson, going for 37 points in the victory. With the tournament being played in Nashville, the Bucs have some home court advantage as they try and snag their first berth since they lost to Wake Forest and Josh Howard back in 2003. They got the most wins in the A-Sun and probably the most overall talent. They lost six conference games by a combined 37 points, evidence they brought it every night.
Cinderella: Belmont
- The Bruins would have been a Cinderella. Nearly beating Duke last year in the first round, they have essential experience and have do-it-all Alex Renfroe back for another season. Renfroe led the Bruins in every major statistical category and went for 38 in the season finale to regular season champion Jacksonville this evening.
Matchup to Watch: Semifinal Friday night (E Tennessee State vs. Belmont)
- As mentioned above, two guys that can really get it done offensively are featured in this one tomorrow night. Tiggs can take it from distance or post up smaller guards, he averages 21 a game. Renfroe can get it done himself or get others involved, he does everything to help Belmont be in position to win, but he can certainly take over a game if he has to.
Predicted Winner: Jacksonville
- Although the semifinal will be the game to watch and Belmont and E Tennessee have shown the capability to beat Jacksonville, I don't think they have the depth and athleticism to do it on the biggest stage. Jacksonville was the best team in the league all conference long, as they ran off ten in a row after a conference opening loss at East Tennessee. Jacksonville clips East Tennessee in a nail-biting final which should represent the A-Sun very well.
CAA
First Round: Friday
Quarters: Saturday
Semis: Sunday
Finals: Monday March 9 (7 p.m. ESPN)
A wide open tournament where any team from one to seven has a legitimate shot to think they can win this thing. A good year for the Colonial, but by no means great. No out of conference depth to speak of and a parity filled quality mid-major league just does not go as far as it used to. Having said that, there are alot of quality teams in this league that can run and gun with the best of them, and certainly some players that can make waves on a national scene. Whoever wins the CAA has the possibility to win a game or two in the Big one.
Team to Watch: Northeastern
- The Huskies led the regular season much of the way before dropping five of their last seven to fall all the way to the number three spot and tied for fourth. Matt Janning is a first-team all conference performer and has the ability to fill it up at anytime. The Huskies went down to Richmond and punched league champion VCU in the mouth, marking its high point of the league reign. They must once again find the swagger that led them to the huge victory and hope that a return to Richmond will signify that turnaround. They get a little bit of a break probably facing Drexel and then a George Mason team they match up extremely well with in the semifinal. Look for Northeastern to be there come title time.
Cinderella: Old Dominion
- Is Old Dominion at the number four spot a Cinderella? Probably not. And three weeks ago this team looked poised for a first round CAA exit. They traveled to Hofstra on Feb. 21 and got beat by nine, dropping them to sixth place and ways out of the discussion for a possible title. Then league rival VCU came to town and ODU got the win they needed. THey have not looked back, winning their last five including two close road wins. The Monarchs have the best post player in the league in Gerald Lee, and if you do not rebound against the Monarchs they wil ldestroy you inside with second chances.
Matchup: Mason/Northeastern (potential semi)
- Game 1, Mason leads by four with under two remaining when point guard John Vaughn suffers a concussion which would keep him out for two weeks, and transform Mason's season...Northeastern gets the win by one.
- Game 2, Northeastern travels to Mason where the Patriots were laying in the nest waiting for revenge. It was at the peak of Northeastern's five of seven game losing skid.
This will be the game of the tournament if it goes down because both teams are similar. Physical styles with guards that can fill it up. Mason has Vaughn, sniper Dre Smith and slasher Cam Long, all of which have gone for 25+ this season. Northeastern has Janning and slasher Chaisson Allen who is extremely long for his position. Inside it will be a brutal war. Mason's Darryl Monroe versus Northeastern's Manny Adako. Just sounds like a heavyweight battle. Northeastern finds a way to win with their brute strength.
Predicted Winner: VCU
- An extremely tepid selection here, the Rams are finally starting to play the basketball that CAA enthusiasts expected them to play with from the beginning. VCU went to JMU last Wednesday and picked up a win they would not have gotten in January and then dismantled Georgia State for Eric Maynor's senior day. The bracket lines up very interestingly for VCU however; they could face Delaware in the quarters who beat them at home in January, then Old Dominion, a rival who beat them just three weeks ago in Norfolk and then a rematch with Northeastern or George Mason. Northeastern beat them at home, and when VCU beat Mason, the Patriots were without point guard John Vaughn. With all that aside, Eric Maynor is a top five guard in the country and should be in the Dance.
Southern
First Round: Friday
Quarters: Saturday
Semis: Sunday
Finals: Monday (ESPN, 7 p.m.)
It starts and ends with Davidson. The Wildcats have quickly become the posterchild for mid-majors and the flagship program of the Southern Conference. Win and everything is well, all publicity positive and the hype will be everywhere. Lose and the SoCon's worst nightmare comes true...a probable 15-16 seed.
Team to Watch: Davidson
- If Stephen Curry were a team, he would be the team to watch. Instead its the Wildcats; two conference losses, both at home to the Citadel and Charleston came when Curry was not at his best. The nation's leading scorer, Curry averages 28.4 for Davidson but also leads them in assists. He does everything for them and will control this tournament. IF some defense can do something to stop him, it will go a long way into figuring out the Davidson plan..."Give it to Stephen, and hope everything is okay."
Cinderella: Charleston
- Again, how can a second place team in the division behind Davidson be considered a Cinderella? And the answer is simple, anyone who even plays Davidson close is a Cinderella because the hype is all over them. Charleston already beat the Wildcats once, went 23-7 with a 15-5 conference record. They have wins against South Carolina and TCU on the resume so they can roll with the bigger boys. They have won seven of their last eight and five in a row to end the season. Only problem, they may draw Davidson in the semifinals.
Matchup to Watch: Citadel vs. Davidson (potential final)
- Charleston/Davidson will probably be more interesting of a game, but the Citadel has a shot to be a real shocker here if they can catch Davidson or whoever off guard in the title game. The Bulldogs are relevant again in the SoCon, a shocker to the whole public; they won 11 straight league games in February and completed their first 20-win season in quite some time. They have won 11 of 12 with their only loss coming last Wednesday at Wofford, a team they were swept by in league play. They got Davidson at the perfect time, Curry was out with an ankle injury. But the Bulldogs got a little swagger to their name and if they can get there provide an interesting final.
Predicted Winner: Davidson
- It may be more interesting this season, but there is no way the result will be any different. I will be shocked if Davidson finds a way to blow this, Curry knows when to take a game over, especially in March. Expect the Wildcats to be dancing for the third straight season.
ATLANTIC SUN
Semis: Friday
Finals: Saturday (ESPN2 6 p.m.)
Team to Watch: East Tennessee State
- The A-Sun has the single weirdest tournament bracket ever created. Only seven teams are featured in the conference tournament, a national low, but the one seed also gets a bye to the semifinals, the only granted bye in the tournament. The first round features the two ans seven seeds playing, the three and six and then the four and five. It's Greek to me. Who really knows. The principle of the matter is East Tennessee State got basically a warm-up game in on Wednesday night when they faced Stetson and cruised to a 14-point win. Kevin Tiggs can hoop and he proved it against Stetson, going for 37 points in the victory. With the tournament being played in Nashville, the Bucs have some home court advantage as they try and snag their first berth since they lost to Wake Forest and Josh Howard back in 2003. They got the most wins in the A-Sun and probably the most overall talent. They lost six conference games by a combined 37 points, evidence they brought it every night.
Cinderella: Belmont
- The Bruins would have been a Cinderella. Nearly beating Duke last year in the first round, they have essential experience and have do-it-all Alex Renfroe back for another season. Renfroe led the Bruins in every major statistical category and went for 38 in the season finale to regular season champion Jacksonville this evening.
Matchup to Watch: Semifinal Friday night (E Tennessee State vs. Belmont)
- As mentioned above, two guys that can really get it done offensively are featured in this one tomorrow night. Tiggs can take it from distance or post up smaller guards, he averages 21 a game. Renfroe can get it done himself or get others involved, he does everything to help Belmont be in position to win, but he can certainly take over a game if he has to.
Predicted Winner: Jacksonville
- Although the semifinal will be the game to watch and Belmont and E Tennessee have shown the capability to beat Jacksonville, I don't think they have the depth and athleticism to do it on the biggest stage. Jacksonville was the best team in the league all conference long, as they ran off ten in a row after a conference opening loss at East Tennessee. Jacksonville clips East Tennessee in a nail-biting final which should represent the A-Sun very well.
CAA
First Round: Friday
Quarters: Saturday
Semis: Sunday
Finals: Monday March 9 (7 p.m. ESPN)
A wide open tournament where any team from one to seven has a legitimate shot to think they can win this thing. A good year for the Colonial, but by no means great. No out of conference depth to speak of and a parity filled quality mid-major league just does not go as far as it used to. Having said that, there are alot of quality teams in this league that can run and gun with the best of them, and certainly some players that can make waves on a national scene. Whoever wins the CAA has the possibility to win a game or two in the Big one.
Team to Watch: Northeastern
- The Huskies led the regular season much of the way before dropping five of their last seven to fall all the way to the number three spot and tied for fourth. Matt Janning is a first-team all conference performer and has the ability to fill it up at anytime. The Huskies went down to Richmond and punched league champion VCU in the mouth, marking its high point of the league reign. They must once again find the swagger that led them to the huge victory and hope that a return to Richmond will signify that turnaround. They get a little bit of a break probably facing Drexel and then a George Mason team they match up extremely well with in the semifinal. Look for Northeastern to be there come title time.
Cinderella: Old Dominion
- Is Old Dominion at the number four spot a Cinderella? Probably not. And three weeks ago this team looked poised for a first round CAA exit. They traveled to Hofstra on Feb. 21 and got beat by nine, dropping them to sixth place and ways out of the discussion for a possible title. Then league rival VCU came to town and ODU got the win they needed. THey have not looked back, winning their last five including two close road wins. The Monarchs have the best post player in the league in Gerald Lee, and if you do not rebound against the Monarchs they wil ldestroy you inside with second chances.
Matchup: Mason/Northeastern (potential semi)
- Game 1, Mason leads by four with under two remaining when point guard John Vaughn suffers a concussion which would keep him out for two weeks, and transform Mason's season...Northeastern gets the win by one.
- Game 2, Northeastern travels to Mason where the Patriots were laying in the nest waiting for revenge. It was at the peak of Northeastern's five of seven game losing skid.
This will be the game of the tournament if it goes down because both teams are similar. Physical styles with guards that can fill it up. Mason has Vaughn, sniper Dre Smith and slasher Cam Long, all of which have gone for 25+ this season. Northeastern has Janning and slasher Chaisson Allen who is extremely long for his position. Inside it will be a brutal war. Mason's Darryl Monroe versus Northeastern's Manny Adako. Just sounds like a heavyweight battle. Northeastern finds a way to win with their brute strength.
Predicted Winner: VCU
- An extremely tepid selection here, the Rams are finally starting to play the basketball that CAA enthusiasts expected them to play with from the beginning. VCU went to JMU last Wednesday and picked up a win they would not have gotten in January and then dismantled Georgia State for Eric Maynor's senior day. The bracket lines up very interestingly for VCU however; they could face Delaware in the quarters who beat them at home in January, then Old Dominion, a rival who beat them just three weeks ago in Norfolk and then a rematch with Northeastern or George Mason. Northeastern beat them at home, and when VCU beat Mason, the Patriots were without point guard John Vaughn. With all that aside, Eric Maynor is a top five guard in the country and should be in the Dance.
Southern
First Round: Friday
Quarters: Saturday
Semis: Sunday
Finals: Monday (ESPN, 7 p.m.)
It starts and ends with Davidson. The Wildcats have quickly become the posterchild for mid-majors and the flagship program of the Southern Conference. Win and everything is well, all publicity positive and the hype will be everywhere. Lose and the SoCon's worst nightmare comes true...a probable 15-16 seed.
Team to Watch: Davidson
- If Stephen Curry were a team, he would be the team to watch. Instead its the Wildcats; two conference losses, both at home to the Citadel and Charleston came when Curry was not at his best. The nation's leading scorer, Curry averages 28.4 for Davidson but also leads them in assists. He does everything for them and will control this tournament. IF some defense can do something to stop him, it will go a long way into figuring out the Davidson plan..."Give it to Stephen, and hope everything is okay."
Cinderella: Charleston
- Again, how can a second place team in the division behind Davidson be considered a Cinderella? And the answer is simple, anyone who even plays Davidson close is a Cinderella because the hype is all over them. Charleston already beat the Wildcats once, went 23-7 with a 15-5 conference record. They have wins against South Carolina and TCU on the resume so they can roll with the bigger boys. They have won seven of their last eight and five in a row to end the season. Only problem, they may draw Davidson in the semifinals.
Matchup to Watch: Citadel vs. Davidson (potential final)
- Charleston/Davidson will probably be more interesting of a game, but the Citadel has a shot to be a real shocker here if they can catch Davidson or whoever off guard in the title game. The Bulldogs are relevant again in the SoCon, a shocker to the whole public; they won 11 straight league games in February and completed their first 20-win season in quite some time. They have won 11 of 12 with their only loss coming last Wednesday at Wofford, a team they were swept by in league play. They got Davidson at the perfect time, Curry was out with an ankle injury. But the Bulldogs got a little swagger to their name and if they can get there provide an interesting final.
Predicted Winner: Davidson
- It may be more interesting this season, but there is no way the result will be any different. I will be shocked if Davidson finds a way to blow this, Curry knows when to take a game over, especially in March. Expect the Wildcats to be dancing for the third straight season.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Dance Floor: March 2nd
The Dance Floor will be the daily recap and preview of conference tournaments and later on the NCAA Tournament. The Dance Floor is empty right now, much like a middle school dance, waiting for someone to get the nerve to break the ice. Tipping off on Tuesday night are the Horizon League, the Ohio Valley Conference and the Big South. We will take a look at each conference tournament, giving predcitions, insight and keys to the right team finding the right dancing shoes.
Big South
Quarters: Tuesday March 3 (campus sites)
Semis: Thursday March 5 (regular season champ Radford)
Finals: Saturday March 7 (ESPN2, 4 p.m., higher seed)
- The Big South is one of my favorite conference tournaments because it is played like a high school district tournament. For the most part, all games are at higher seeds, and there are no byes, no protection for the top teams which is a great and terrible thing. Great because anything can happen, the true epitomy of March Madness. Terrible because of that same reason; the Big South really does not want seventh place Coastal Carolina winning the tournament. It has been an intriguing league all season with Radford running things from wire to wire, but VMI making some noise out of conference, beating both BCS schools Virginia and Kentucky on the road. Radford won the league by two games in the regular season (15-3, 18-11) and winning 14 of their last 16. Liberty beat Radford at Radford on the last day of the regular season. Radford was hideous in the non-con, going only 3-8 with no wins over top 200 RPI teams.
Team to Watch: Liberty
- The Flames have probably the best coach in the league in former New Mexico head man Ritchie McKay and they have the best player in the league in freshman Seth Curry. Yes, brother of Stephen; maybe he has some March magic in his back pocket. Liberty won at Virginia in November, beat George Mason at home and gave Clemson all they could handle in Littlejohn in December losing 80-75. They have won five of seven and have the potential to be the thorn in the side of Radford.
Game to Watch: Liberty/VMI potential semi
- Each team won during the regular season on the road, VMI by 37 a Liberty, and Liberty by 11 at VMI. The third meeting would be very entertaining because when Liberty opens it up they normally can score right with VMI. The question will be can VMI lock up on defense as they did in the last meeting.
Cinderella: Winthrop
- Never, ever discount history. Winthrop won this league tournament for four consecutive seasons and although they are nowhere near as talented or experienced as those seasons, here is an interesting fact. Winthrop played two non conference home games all season. Two. They played six road games, five of which against BCS talent-worthy schools (Davison, Akron, South Carolina, N.C. State, Old DOminion and Florida). Those games get you prepared and better, and that is why if there is any team to make some noise in the tourney, it will be Winthrop. They have also won their last five to close out the regular season. They will open with a winnable game at UNC-Asheville and then a possible date at Radford.
Predicted winner: Liberty
- Radford has alot of trouble quelling guard play and both VMI and Liberty feature quality guards. The Radford home court has proved beatable, they dropped home league games to Gardner-Webb, Liberty and VMI. VMI is not committed enough to play defense for 40 minutes, something Ritchie McKay will make his squad do, especially in a win or go home situation. I'll take Liberty with the tourney win here, just because of coaching and they have one guy that is able to take them to the promised land in Curry. Although just a freshman, big bro Stephen did the same in 2007.
Horizon League
First Round: Tuesday March 3 (campus sites)
Quarters: Friday March 6 (@ Butler)
Semis: Saturday March 7 (ESPNU 7 & 9, @ Butler)
Finals: Tuesday March 10 (ESPN, 9 p.m.)
- The Horizon features the exact opposite of the Big South. They protect the top two seeds in the bracket by providing them with a double-bye into the semifinals; making second place an extreme advantage. This year's tournament is at Butler, really the only place it should ever be as the Bulldogs are the top seed yet again, defying the logic they would relinquish the throne in '08-'09. Wisc. Green Bay nipped both Cleveland State and Wright State for the second spot, allowing Green Bay to only need one win for a spot in the title, where all the others will need three wins to get there. Butler was clearly the best team in the league and freshman swingman Gordon Hayward has filled the void left by Butler seniors from last season. Butler's RPI is out of this world for a mid-major as they feature quality wins against Northwestern, @ Xavier, UAB, @ Davidson and Bradley all on their resume.
Team to Watch: Cleveland State
- I am not giving up on the Vikings just yet. They went out this season and scheduled some big time teams in order to position themselves for a possible at large selection. That quickly went out the window when the only win they got was at Syracuse. Although still a major victory, the Vikings have not taken the big step up they were expected to with everyone returning. This is exactly the reason they have to be on the radar. J'Nathan Bullock was preseason player of the year and has still played well, averaging 15 and seven. They were in both games with Butler, dropping both by two points, including a contest on the last day of the regular season in which they led deep into the second half. If the Vikings can get to the title game it will be their fourth game in a week, a difficult task. But if so, it will provide the most entertaining final.
Matchup to Watch: Cleveland State/Wis. Green Bay (potential semi)
- It will be on Butler's home court, just minutes after Butler's semifinal game. This will be the most intriguing matchup of the tournament because they split their reular season meetings, each winning handedly at home. Green Bay won three out of the last four games to earn the bye into the semis over Cleveland and Wright State, who beat the Phoenix on the last day of the year. Green Bay has been the surprise of the season, as Cleveland, Butler and Wright were figured to be head and shoulders above the rest. Green Bay got down big early to Cleveland in their last meeting and could not stop guard Cedric Jackson who was two assists away from a triple double.
Potential Cinderella: Illinois-Chicago
- UIC has not exactly lit the world on fire during the Horizon season, but the Flames (7-11, 15-14) were in almost every game against the upper eschalant teams in the conference. The Flames have won five of their last six including four in a row to end the season and really struggled in the end of January during a four game road swing. They lost to Butler by seven at home and Green bay by 11 and seven. They beat Wright State at home and also caputred a BracketBuster win against Southern Illinois. They open up home versus Youngstown State, where they dropped both during the season. They would then face Wright State with a possible matchup with Butler down the road.
Predicted Champion: Cleveland State
- Giving the Vikings a chance to reconcile what they missed out on during the season. They have already dropped two to Butler and need to beat Wis. Green Bay to even get to a possible matchup. I think playing more games will keep Cleveland State on guard and should not face a real test until the semifinals on Saturday. As a result, they will be ready to take on Butler again at Hinkle, where they near;y pulled off the upset on Feb. 28. This time the Vikings get it done, and head to the dance, stealing a bid from a BCS school somewhere.
OHIO VALLEY
First Round: Tuesday March 3 (campus sites)
Semis: Friday March 6 (Nashville, ESPNU 7 & 9)
Finals: Saturday March 7 (ESPN2, 8 p.m.)
- One of the best players in the country lies in the OVC, Tenn-Martin guard Lester Hudson. Hudson is in the top ten in the country in scoring at 27.4 and he also averages 7.4 boards per game for the Skyhawks. He is a solid NBA prospect and you will know this guy's name this time next year. Whether that is for the NCAA tournament or the NBA Draft is the real question. Tenn. Martin was the best team in the league all year long, even though they took it on the chin in the non-con because they went out and played people. They have won 13 of 15 and only got beat on the road in conference. Right behind the Skyhawks, Murray State and Austin Peay finished tied for second place, both teams beating Martin at home.
Team to Watch: Murray State
- The Racers dominated the league in the '90s and have had nothing to speak of all decade. This season Murray regained respectability and are playing their best ball right now. They have won seven out of eight, the only loss coming in the BracketBuster to La. Tech. Murray is interesting; they have a balanced attack with seven guys averaging over 20 minutes per game and five guys averaging over eight points per game. The exact opposite of Tenn. Martin; Murray does not have the firepower but has a consistent outlook that could give some teams without alot of depth some trouble.
Matchup to Watch: Final
- Obviously the biggest game of the tournament, but it will certainly be the best matchup. Tenn. Martin versus whoever will raise interest and get a national audience to see Hudson, something NBA scouts need to see. Hudson faltered on the big stage, caving in during road games at Tennessee and USC. The key will be how Martin handles a deep Murray team or a rock hard Austin Peay team that went to the NCAAs last season.
Potential Cinderella: Tennessee State (12-17)
- Yes the Tigers got killed by Murray State and Tenn Martin at home in back-to-back games. Yes they dropped eight of nine in January. But they are playing real good basketball having won six straight, three of which on the road. The Tigers had a seven game road trip in December where they played Alabama, Kentucky and Georgia Tech. Sure they got killed, but they gained comfort on the road. Nothing they will see will shock them, and I think they may be ready to take a big step here. They avoid juggernaut Tenn Martin in the upper half of the bracket and get Austin Peay in the first round.
Predicted Champ: Tennessee-Martin
- Lester Hudson will not let this team lose. Period.
Big South
Quarters: Tuesday March 3 (campus sites)
Semis: Thursday March 5 (regular season champ Radford)
Finals: Saturday March 7 (ESPN2, 4 p.m., higher seed)
- The Big South is one of my favorite conference tournaments because it is played like a high school district tournament. For the most part, all games are at higher seeds, and there are no byes, no protection for the top teams which is a great and terrible thing. Great because anything can happen, the true epitomy of March Madness. Terrible because of that same reason; the Big South really does not want seventh place Coastal Carolina winning the tournament. It has been an intriguing league all season with Radford running things from wire to wire, but VMI making some noise out of conference, beating both BCS schools Virginia and Kentucky on the road. Radford won the league by two games in the regular season (15-3, 18-11) and winning 14 of their last 16. Liberty beat Radford at Radford on the last day of the regular season. Radford was hideous in the non-con, going only 3-8 with no wins over top 200 RPI teams.
Team to Watch: Liberty
- The Flames have probably the best coach in the league in former New Mexico head man Ritchie McKay and they have the best player in the league in freshman Seth Curry. Yes, brother of Stephen; maybe he has some March magic in his back pocket. Liberty won at Virginia in November, beat George Mason at home and gave Clemson all they could handle in Littlejohn in December losing 80-75. They have won five of seven and have the potential to be the thorn in the side of Radford.
Game to Watch: Liberty/VMI potential semi
- Each team won during the regular season on the road, VMI by 37 a Liberty, and Liberty by 11 at VMI. The third meeting would be very entertaining because when Liberty opens it up they normally can score right with VMI. The question will be can VMI lock up on defense as they did in the last meeting.
Cinderella: Winthrop
- Never, ever discount history. Winthrop won this league tournament for four consecutive seasons and although they are nowhere near as talented or experienced as those seasons, here is an interesting fact. Winthrop played two non conference home games all season. Two. They played six road games, five of which against BCS talent-worthy schools (Davison, Akron, South Carolina, N.C. State, Old DOminion and Florida). Those games get you prepared and better, and that is why if there is any team to make some noise in the tourney, it will be Winthrop. They have also won their last five to close out the regular season. They will open with a winnable game at UNC-Asheville and then a possible date at Radford.
Predicted winner: Liberty
- Radford has alot of trouble quelling guard play and both VMI and Liberty feature quality guards. The Radford home court has proved beatable, they dropped home league games to Gardner-Webb, Liberty and VMI. VMI is not committed enough to play defense for 40 minutes, something Ritchie McKay will make his squad do, especially in a win or go home situation. I'll take Liberty with the tourney win here, just because of coaching and they have one guy that is able to take them to the promised land in Curry. Although just a freshman, big bro Stephen did the same in 2007.
Horizon League
First Round: Tuesday March 3 (campus sites)
Quarters: Friday March 6 (@ Butler)
Semis: Saturday March 7 (ESPNU 7 & 9, @ Butler)
Finals: Tuesday March 10 (ESPN, 9 p.m.)
- The Horizon features the exact opposite of the Big South. They protect the top two seeds in the bracket by providing them with a double-bye into the semifinals; making second place an extreme advantage. This year's tournament is at Butler, really the only place it should ever be as the Bulldogs are the top seed yet again, defying the logic they would relinquish the throne in '08-'09. Wisc. Green Bay nipped both Cleveland State and Wright State for the second spot, allowing Green Bay to only need one win for a spot in the title, where all the others will need three wins to get there. Butler was clearly the best team in the league and freshman swingman Gordon Hayward has filled the void left by Butler seniors from last season. Butler's RPI is out of this world for a mid-major as they feature quality wins against Northwestern, @ Xavier, UAB, @ Davidson and Bradley all on their resume.
Team to Watch: Cleveland State
- I am not giving up on the Vikings just yet. They went out this season and scheduled some big time teams in order to position themselves for a possible at large selection. That quickly went out the window when the only win they got was at Syracuse. Although still a major victory, the Vikings have not taken the big step up they were expected to with everyone returning. This is exactly the reason they have to be on the radar. J'Nathan Bullock was preseason player of the year and has still played well, averaging 15 and seven. They were in both games with Butler, dropping both by two points, including a contest on the last day of the regular season in which they led deep into the second half. If the Vikings can get to the title game it will be their fourth game in a week, a difficult task. But if so, it will provide the most entertaining final.
Matchup to Watch: Cleveland State/Wis. Green Bay (potential semi)
- It will be on Butler's home court, just minutes after Butler's semifinal game. This will be the most intriguing matchup of the tournament because they split their reular season meetings, each winning handedly at home. Green Bay won three out of the last four games to earn the bye into the semis over Cleveland and Wright State, who beat the Phoenix on the last day of the year. Green Bay has been the surprise of the season, as Cleveland, Butler and Wright were figured to be head and shoulders above the rest. Green Bay got down big early to Cleveland in their last meeting and could not stop guard Cedric Jackson who was two assists away from a triple double.
Potential Cinderella: Illinois-Chicago
- UIC has not exactly lit the world on fire during the Horizon season, but the Flames (7-11, 15-14) were in almost every game against the upper eschalant teams in the conference. The Flames have won five of their last six including four in a row to end the season and really struggled in the end of January during a four game road swing. They lost to Butler by seven at home and Green bay by 11 and seven. They beat Wright State at home and also caputred a BracketBuster win against Southern Illinois. They open up home versus Youngstown State, where they dropped both during the season. They would then face Wright State with a possible matchup with Butler down the road.
Predicted Champion: Cleveland State
- Giving the Vikings a chance to reconcile what they missed out on during the season. They have already dropped two to Butler and need to beat Wis. Green Bay to even get to a possible matchup. I think playing more games will keep Cleveland State on guard and should not face a real test until the semifinals on Saturday. As a result, they will be ready to take on Butler again at Hinkle, where they near;y pulled off the upset on Feb. 28. This time the Vikings get it done, and head to the dance, stealing a bid from a BCS school somewhere.
OHIO VALLEY
First Round: Tuesday March 3 (campus sites)
Semis: Friday March 6 (Nashville, ESPNU 7 & 9)
Finals: Saturday March 7 (ESPN2, 8 p.m.)
- One of the best players in the country lies in the OVC, Tenn-Martin guard Lester Hudson. Hudson is in the top ten in the country in scoring at 27.4 and he also averages 7.4 boards per game for the Skyhawks. He is a solid NBA prospect and you will know this guy's name this time next year. Whether that is for the NCAA tournament or the NBA Draft is the real question. Tenn. Martin was the best team in the league all year long, even though they took it on the chin in the non-con because they went out and played people. They have won 13 of 15 and only got beat on the road in conference. Right behind the Skyhawks, Murray State and Austin Peay finished tied for second place, both teams beating Martin at home.
Team to Watch: Murray State
- The Racers dominated the league in the '90s and have had nothing to speak of all decade. This season Murray regained respectability and are playing their best ball right now. They have won seven out of eight, the only loss coming in the BracketBuster to La. Tech. Murray is interesting; they have a balanced attack with seven guys averaging over 20 minutes per game and five guys averaging over eight points per game. The exact opposite of Tenn. Martin; Murray does not have the firepower but has a consistent outlook that could give some teams without alot of depth some trouble.
Matchup to Watch: Final
- Obviously the biggest game of the tournament, but it will certainly be the best matchup. Tenn. Martin versus whoever will raise interest and get a national audience to see Hudson, something NBA scouts need to see. Hudson faltered on the big stage, caving in during road games at Tennessee and USC. The key will be how Martin handles a deep Murray team or a rock hard Austin Peay team that went to the NCAAs last season.
Potential Cinderella: Tennessee State (12-17)
- Yes the Tigers got killed by Murray State and Tenn Martin at home in back-to-back games. Yes they dropped eight of nine in January. But they are playing real good basketball having won six straight, three of which on the road. The Tigers had a seven game road trip in December where they played Alabama, Kentucky and Georgia Tech. Sure they got killed, but they gained comfort on the road. Nothing they will see will shock them, and I think they may be ready to take a big step here. They avoid juggernaut Tenn Martin in the upper half of the bracket and get Austin Peay in the first round.
Predicted Champ: Tennessee-Martin
- Lester Hudson will not let this team lose. Period.
The Daily Gus: March 2nd
Welcome to Bracketville. We all reside in this state of mind for a month out of the calendar, a month which all of America is transfixed on sheets of integrity of their own bracket predictions. Predictions which many times will falter on the first day of the NCAA Tournament. Conference tournaments get underway this week with the mid-majors tipping off in the tourneys that actually mean something; not the collective four day money-grubbing fan fests. So this week belongs to the little guys, carving out their spot on the corner of the dance floor. We will have previews of each conference tournament on the day they tip.
First, this weekend featured teams clinching regular season titles and some bubble teams making some big performances as well as some teams maybe coming out of the woodwork to be legit national contenders.
Teams of the weekend
- Kansas. The Jayhawks throttled Missouri in a big time revenge game on national television to snag their 13th win in 14 games. The Jayhawks are peaking at the right time, and completed a great week where they got the big win in Norman against a top five Oklahoma team (sans Blake Griffin) and then a game they needed after blowing a second half lead against Mizzou two weeks ago. Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich are playing like two players who have won a national title before and KU captures a regular season Big 12 title this week. Again.
- Georgetown. Could absolutely positively could not afford another loss, and needed a big time win. They accomplished both on Saturday afternoon by traveling to Philadelphia and beating Villanova. The Hoyas are now 16-12 and have the toughest schedule in all of America. They have road wins at 'Nova and UCONN and really have no poor losses on the entire schedule. The problem is the quantity of those losses, 12 of them. If they end the season in the Big East semis with 13 losses, GTown is making the dance.
- Virginia Tech. The Hokies went into Saturday knowing they could control their own destiny. Three games in seven days against ranked teams, two of which at home against UNC and Duke. By no means an easy task, but at the same time, they hold a spot which alot of bubble teams wish they could have. Tech has alot of losses on their resume and not alot of meat to speak for other than a diminishing road win at Wake Forest when they were number one. Who knows, that maybe enough, but not enough to feel confident especially after dropping the first one to Duke. Tech has got to get one of these last two and a win or two in the ACC tourney.
- BYU. They had the nation's longest win streak destroyed earlier this year when Wake went in to the Marriott Center and punched the Cougars in the mouth. BYU has been up and down all season in a real tough Mountain West. Not exactly a bubble team, the Cougars have figured prominently in most mock brackets all year, but they picked up the biggest win of the year against rival Utah Saturday. Utah has exceeded all expectations, leading the Mountain West wire to wire and BYU beating them cements their spot in the field. The Mountain West is by far the most underrated league in the country. They should get four teams in the field (UNLV, Utah, BYU, SDSU) and could possibly squeeze in New Mexico with a late surge by the Lobos.
- Florida. Why do you do this to college basketball fans? The Gators were playing for seeding as far as most advanced basketball minds were concerned, and then last week happened. Just win one game. Florida visits LSU and gets beat in the last few minutes, then hosts Tennessee on Sunday. Florida could have knocked Tennessee out of NCAA talks, but instead put themselves in a dicey situation. Bruce Pearl's Vols went into "The Swamp" and came out with a sticky 79-75 win. Florida now faces two games they better win; a contest in Starkville against Mississippi State on Wednesday night and then a home showdown against two bubblers, Kentucky on Sunday. If not, the SEC Tournament becomes vital for Florida, a team in the top 20 just two weeks ago.
First, this weekend featured teams clinching regular season titles and some bubble teams making some big performances as well as some teams maybe coming out of the woodwork to be legit national contenders.
Teams of the weekend
- Kansas. The Jayhawks throttled Missouri in a big time revenge game on national television to snag their 13th win in 14 games. The Jayhawks are peaking at the right time, and completed a great week where they got the big win in Norman against a top five Oklahoma team (sans Blake Griffin) and then a game they needed after blowing a second half lead against Mizzou two weeks ago. Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich are playing like two players who have won a national title before and KU captures a regular season Big 12 title this week. Again.
- Georgetown. Could absolutely positively could not afford another loss, and needed a big time win. They accomplished both on Saturday afternoon by traveling to Philadelphia and beating Villanova. The Hoyas are now 16-12 and have the toughest schedule in all of America. They have road wins at 'Nova and UCONN and really have no poor losses on the entire schedule. The problem is the quantity of those losses, 12 of them. If they end the season in the Big East semis with 13 losses, GTown is making the dance.
- Virginia Tech. The Hokies went into Saturday knowing they could control their own destiny. Three games in seven days against ranked teams, two of which at home against UNC and Duke. By no means an easy task, but at the same time, they hold a spot which alot of bubble teams wish they could have. Tech has alot of losses on their resume and not alot of meat to speak for other than a diminishing road win at Wake Forest when they were number one. Who knows, that maybe enough, but not enough to feel confident especially after dropping the first one to Duke. Tech has got to get one of these last two and a win or two in the ACC tourney.
- BYU. They had the nation's longest win streak destroyed earlier this year when Wake went in to the Marriott Center and punched the Cougars in the mouth. BYU has been up and down all season in a real tough Mountain West. Not exactly a bubble team, the Cougars have figured prominently in most mock brackets all year, but they picked up the biggest win of the year against rival Utah Saturday. Utah has exceeded all expectations, leading the Mountain West wire to wire and BYU beating them cements their spot in the field. The Mountain West is by far the most underrated league in the country. They should get four teams in the field (UNLV, Utah, BYU, SDSU) and could possibly squeeze in New Mexico with a late surge by the Lobos.
- Florida. Why do you do this to college basketball fans? The Gators were playing for seeding as far as most advanced basketball minds were concerned, and then last week happened. Just win one game. Florida visits LSU and gets beat in the last few minutes, then hosts Tennessee on Sunday. Florida could have knocked Tennessee out of NCAA talks, but instead put themselves in a dicey situation. Bruce Pearl's Vols went into "The Swamp" and came out with a sticky 79-75 win. Florida now faces two games they better win; a contest in Starkville against Mississippi State on Wednesday night and then a home showdown against two bubblers, Kentucky on Sunday. If not, the SEC Tournament becomes vital for Florida, a team in the top 20 just two weeks ago.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Column: Bracketbusters: Just one big bust?
There is a series of teams playing made-for-tv blockbuster matchups this weekend expected to boost possible NCAA at-large resumes for mid major programs, presented of course by ESPN. ESPN has created BracketBuster Weekend, a chance for smaller schools to possibly get some national recognition with a rare television game and a chance to play a non conference opponent with a similar RPI in hopes of impressing the committee for later March. In 2006, the fourth year of the BracketBusters George Mason used a huge win at Wichita State to squeeze into the field of 65 and spring board their way to a Final Four appearance, without question the best instance of the BracketBusters. In 2008, Siena who had no chance for an at-large berth got to travel to Boise State for an untelevised, unexciting, half-filled game. Boise got to return to Siena this season in the legal BracketBuster return game. The whole idea of this grandiose weekend to celebrate successful mid-majors is fantastic in theory, and I love seeing mismatched games of teams I normally wouldn't see play. But I do not need to see VCU travel across the nation to play at Nevada on a Friday night, two nights after snatching first place in the CAA. Wisconsin Green Bay has no chance of gathering an at-large bid, being in second place in the Horizon league behind Butler. Yet UWGB gets the privilige of taking a trip to Long Beach State on a Saturday and then coming back into their league schedule this Tuesday night. Not a single team with the exception of maybe Butler will get an at-large from this slew of BracketBuster teams. Yet, nearly all of them have taken a weekend out of their season to play a meaningless money-grubbing game that will not get any ratings and just waste the time of both teams. Now the BracketBuster committee is not all bad; in the non-television games they pit teams against each other geographically to make it much easier on the teams that don't have a future. But really, what are the players from Cal Poly thinking? They get to host the South Dakota State Jackrabbits on Saturday afternoon. I'm sure the students will be a rowdy bunch for that one, both teams with middling records in the lower part of their leagues.
BracketBusters can help some mid-major teams in some seasons, but overall it is really just a made for tv waste of time that does not contribute anything to college basketball. One game will get decent ratings on Saturday, Davidson hosting Butler, and neither team will be in next week's top 25. Yet almost a hundred other mid major programs will travel all throughout the nation playing games that in a month nobody will remember because nobody cares. All thanks to ESPN.
BracketBusters can help some mid-major teams in some seasons, but overall it is really just a made for tv waste of time that does not contribute anything to college basketball. One game will get decent ratings on Saturday, Davidson hosting Butler, and neither team will be in next week's top 25. Yet almost a hundred other mid major programs will travel all throughout the nation playing games that in a month nobody will remember because nobody cares. All thanks to ESPN.
The Daily Gus: February 20th
UCLA was happy to get home on Thursday night after their Arizona swing last weekend went terribly wrong. The Bruins dropped back to back games to Arizona State and Arizona, tumbling in the polls from six to 20. They returned to Pauley Pavilion welcoming a tough Washington team who had won three in a row going into the showdown with UCLA. UCLA placed five guys in double figures and won the game in a way they are not accustomed to, scoring 85 points, 51 in the second half. Josh Shipp had 20 and Darren Collison had 17 for UCLA who avenged their loss to UW on Jan. 24. UCLA is not nearly as bad as they played on their Arizona swing, but I think them being ranked in the top ten is slightly overrating the Bruins. They struggled on big stages in the non conference and have really showed no signs of brilliance on the road in the Pac-10. The UCLA issue will be finding guys to score to take pressure off Collison in the clutch. Collison may very well be the best point guard in the land, but he cannot make the Bruins better by scoring 25 and trying to get 10 assists, it just won't work. Shipp and Aboya both better start to bring their games every night, and if they do, UCLA is still the best team in the Pac-10. If not, they can get crushed just as they did in Tucson last Saturday.
Shoot-Around- Gonzaga got very lucky that Patty Mills from St. Mary's got injured...the Zags clinched their ninth consecutive WCC regular season title, a feat that is truly remarkable. The longest active streak in the NCAA, Mark Few has continually done an outstanding job, overcoming different programs every year that seem to be on the cusp of getting the Zags at the right time. Steven Gray had a career-high 23 points and Gonzaga continues its balance within the conference. The task will be if that holds up in March...Gonzaga beat Loyola Marymount last night to clinch; Loyola is now (gasp!) 2-25! Loyola has been a 20-plus point underdog at Gonzaga for the last six seasons!!!
- Xavier goes on the road to 9-15 Charlotte, where the 49ers had not had a home win over a ranked team in over four seasons to Cincinnati. Bobby Lutz's Charlotte team has had a miserable time since joining the A-10, and Lutz has been on the hotseat as of late. Charlotte gets a huge win to beautify their schedule a bit and increase fan interest, beating the Muskies 65-60. Xavier is still ranked in the top 20, and is currently at 21-5. The issue is Xavier is by no means the same team that was down in Puerto Rico in November, an interesting turn to see where their seed will be.
Shoot-Around- Gonzaga got very lucky that Patty Mills from St. Mary's got injured...the Zags clinched their ninth consecutive WCC regular season title, a feat that is truly remarkable. The longest active streak in the NCAA, Mark Few has continually done an outstanding job, overcoming different programs every year that seem to be on the cusp of getting the Zags at the right time. Steven Gray had a career-high 23 points and Gonzaga continues its balance within the conference. The task will be if that holds up in March...Gonzaga beat Loyola Marymount last night to clinch; Loyola is now (gasp!) 2-25! Loyola has been a 20-plus point underdog at Gonzaga for the last six seasons!!!
- Xavier goes on the road to 9-15 Charlotte, where the 49ers had not had a home win over a ranked team in over four seasons to Cincinnati. Bobby Lutz's Charlotte team has had a miserable time since joining the A-10, and Lutz has been on the hotseat as of late. Charlotte gets a huge win to beautify their schedule a bit and increase fan interest, beating the Muskies 65-60. Xavier is still ranked in the top 20, and is currently at 21-5. The issue is Xavier is by no means the same team that was down in Puerto Rico in November, an interesting turn to see where their seed will be.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
The Daily Gus: February 17th
Another fantastic top-ten matchup occurred on Big Monday last night, putting up #1 UCONN at home against #4 Pittsburgh. Going into the game, I figured UCONN would be a manageable favorites at home, but would run away with the game. The Huskies are more athletic at every spot than Pittsburgh, or at least everyone thought so. That was before DeJuan Blair stepped up for Pitt after Sam Young got in foul trouble. Blair might have put in the performance of the season so far at its biggest stage, he went for 22 and 23. The most amazing thing about the Pitt sophomore forward was that he surrendered six inches to Hashim Thabeet of Uconn, and literally took it to him. He looked him in the eye and took Thabeet and the rest of the Huskies' manhood. Now take a gander at Pittsburgh, who I considered just a normal run of the mill Pitt team who would falter early in the NCAAs. But now, they have a scorer in Sam Young for the first time in years, they have a point guard who just needs to distribute in Levance Fields. Reflect back at past Pitt squads who were in the top ten. They had an interior forces all the time, but on the perimeter their distributor was also their scorer, Carl Krauser and Brandin Knight and Ronald Ramon to name a few. I am not a fan of the brutal Big Ten style that Pitt normally plays, but do not stereotype this Panther team. After watching Monday, I am a believer, I think they will win the Big East and end up being a top seed in the NCAAs. As for UCONN I think losing Jerome Dyson will be a bigger deal than most believe. Now UCONN has no real perimeter threat who they have had in their national title runs in the past. They got Adrien and Thabeet inside, yes, probably the best interior in the country. But match that with a team with some depth and size in the frontcourt and that may be negated. Not to mention, a 2-3 zone literally shuts down Connecticut now without a knock down shooter. The positive thing Conn can take from this showdown was Thabeet only played 20 some minutes, he was in foul trouble all game and could not perform at his best with a tweaked shoulder. But, I think things got flipped in the Big East Monday night. And maybe the national title picture.
Shoot-Around
- VMI is not going to win the Big South. Yes they still lead the league and have pretty much gone wire to wire, but they went down to Presbyterian last night and struggled from the field, shooting 19% in the first half, notching 15 first half points. The biggest problem with VMI is their style, if they are not shooting well or scoring they ain't gonna win. There is no "D" in VMI and it has proven evident in their losses. They managed to scratch and claw their way back to a six-point game before going cold again. VMI could get homecourt throughout the tournament which would be vital to the campaign, but at some point they are going to have to rely on a defensive stop to win a crucial game and they will not get it. Liberty and Radford will.
- For the first time in years there is trouble in Austin, Texas. The Longhorns dropped their fourth in sixth contests to state rival Texas A&M, who had lost three in a row in their own right. Texas got down by as many as 19, and the loss of D.J. Augustin is really prevalent, A.J. Abrams cannot do it by himself and Connor Atchley is far from the remedy. Texas now lies sixth in the Big 12 at 6-5 and could be in serious danger of falling on the bubbling bubble. Three of their last five are against teams above them, including a finale at Kansas.
- Action pretty light on Monday night.
Shoot-Around
- VMI is not going to win the Big South. Yes they still lead the league and have pretty much gone wire to wire, but they went down to Presbyterian last night and struggled from the field, shooting 19% in the first half, notching 15 first half points. The biggest problem with VMI is their style, if they are not shooting well or scoring they ain't gonna win. There is no "D" in VMI and it has proven evident in their losses. They managed to scratch and claw their way back to a six-point game before going cold again. VMI could get homecourt throughout the tournament which would be vital to the campaign, but at some point they are going to have to rely on a defensive stop to win a crucial game and they will not get it. Liberty and Radford will.
- For the first time in years there is trouble in Austin, Texas. The Longhorns dropped their fourth in sixth contests to state rival Texas A&M, who had lost three in a row in their own right. Texas got down by as many as 19, and the loss of D.J. Augustin is really prevalent, A.J. Abrams cannot do it by himself and Connor Atchley is far from the remedy. Texas now lies sixth in the Big 12 at 6-5 and could be in serious danger of falling on the bubbling bubble. Three of their last five are against teams above them, including a finale at Kansas.
- Action pretty light on Monday night.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The Daily Gus: February 10th
Kansas led rival Missouri by 14 at halftime and by 11 with under seven minutes to play before allowing Missouri to creep back into the game and eventually win it 62-60. KU had 27 turnovers, but managed to lead the entire way due in large part to their tremendous advantage on the glass. Tyshawn Taylor was KU's leading scorer with just 11 points, but the Jayhawk defense was the reason they were in the game. Kansas held Mizzou to 36% shooting, a season low and a dismal 24% in the first half. Although KU surrendered the ball 27 times unnecessarily, this is a young team that went out on the road to an upstart rival squad and faired very solid. Kansas may be slightly overrated to have a #16 ranking, but as of last night I feel they deserve in the top 20. Winning at Missouri is a tall task, but for 35 minutes KU had this game in its arms. It was Missouri's 16th consecutive home win (21-4), a mark head coach Mike Anderson has got to take pride in and feel comfortable welcoming Big 12 teams to Columbia. The two teams were a combined 4 of 29 from three point range; it was 40 minutes of defensive strife which has become the Big 12 mainstay. Looking forward, Missouri might be able to play a role in the Big 12 championship race. Although Oklahoma controls its own destiny as the only unbeaten team in the league, the Sooners must travel to Columbia and Missouri's schedule is favorable the rest of the way, having only a tough road test in Lawrence which will certainly be a revenge game. This win could very well boost Missouri into some consideration for a top 25 mainstay the rest of the season. A far cry from the dismantling they took from Illinois back in December.
Shoot-Around
- Fresno State has been tremendously disappointing in the WAC this season, compiling a 1-7 league record going into Monday night's home game against Boise. Boise came in at 6-3 and was trying to put some distance between themselves and third place Nevada, but faltered on the road, giving up a 16-point halftime lead to Fresno. Boise clawed their way back, cutting it to four with 30 seconds remaining, but could not stop Paul George all night. George had 29 and 10 for Fresno on 9 of 11 shooting in 37 minutes. Boise allowed Fresno to shoot over 50%, the main reason why Boise is now caught in a WAC mish-mash with Nevada and New Mexico State. They are all eons behind Utah State; bubble teams everywhere will pray for Utah State to win the WAC tournament.
- Radford is having its first significant season since the late 1990s within the Big South this season, being the team to beat alongside VMI. Monday they entertained Coastal Carolina where they almost squandered the game to the eighth place Chanticleers. In a game that featured 34 turnovers (17 each) between the two teams, it went to overtime where Radford captured a 71-67 win, their 11th in 12 games. It was only the second single-digit win for Radford all season long, proving their Big South dominance. Radford now sets out on a three game road trip concluding with a contest in Lexington against 20-4 VMI, a trip they must go 3-0 on to maintain hope for a Big South regular season crown.
- A team not getting nearly enough national love is MAAC leader Siena. Siena won again last night, beating Loyola (MD) 73-60 at home, making them 12-0 at home this year. It moved the Saints to 12-1 in the league and 19-6 overall, their only league loss coming last Saturday at Rider by a last second basket. Siena's losses include Kansas, Pittsburgh, Tennessee and Oklahoma State, all of which credible losses for a mid-major team to have. They are a balanced attack with three players averaging in double figures and the main core returning from last season's second round NCAA team. If Siena gets beat in the MAAC tournament, they will be an interesting case with a tremendously high RPI. They will be favored in every game the rest of the way, their toughest game at Niagra on Feb. 27. An RPI of mid 30s, a 25-7 record with a fantastic SOS when Selection Sunday comes a-hollerin? Watch out.
Shoot-Around
- Fresno State has been tremendously disappointing in the WAC this season, compiling a 1-7 league record going into Monday night's home game against Boise. Boise came in at 6-3 and was trying to put some distance between themselves and third place Nevada, but faltered on the road, giving up a 16-point halftime lead to Fresno. Boise clawed their way back, cutting it to four with 30 seconds remaining, but could not stop Paul George all night. George had 29 and 10 for Fresno on 9 of 11 shooting in 37 minutes. Boise allowed Fresno to shoot over 50%, the main reason why Boise is now caught in a WAC mish-mash with Nevada and New Mexico State. They are all eons behind Utah State; bubble teams everywhere will pray for Utah State to win the WAC tournament.
- Radford is having its first significant season since the late 1990s within the Big South this season, being the team to beat alongside VMI. Monday they entertained Coastal Carolina where they almost squandered the game to the eighth place Chanticleers. In a game that featured 34 turnovers (17 each) between the two teams, it went to overtime where Radford captured a 71-67 win, their 11th in 12 games. It was only the second single-digit win for Radford all season long, proving their Big South dominance. Radford now sets out on a three game road trip concluding with a contest in Lexington against 20-4 VMI, a trip they must go 3-0 on to maintain hope for a Big South regular season crown.
- A team not getting nearly enough national love is MAAC leader Siena. Siena won again last night, beating Loyola (MD) 73-60 at home, making them 12-0 at home this year. It moved the Saints to 12-1 in the league and 19-6 overall, their only league loss coming last Saturday at Rider by a last second basket. Siena's losses include Kansas, Pittsburgh, Tennessee and Oklahoma State, all of which credible losses for a mid-major team to have. They are a balanced attack with three players averaging in double figures and the main core returning from last season's second round NCAA team. If Siena gets beat in the MAAC tournament, they will be an interesting case with a tremendously high RPI. They will be favored in every game the rest of the way, their toughest game at Niagra on Feb. 27. An RPI of mid 30s, a 25-7 record with a fantastic SOS when Selection Sunday comes a-hollerin? Watch out.
Friday, February 6, 2009
The Daily Gus: February 5th
The top two teams in the ACC, Duke and Wake Forest, both traveled to difficult venues for a regular run of the mill Wednesday night showdown. The old quote goes "You can't take a night off in the ACC, you must lace them up every night," blah blah. Although it may be true. Duke and Wake got absolutely punished. Duke goes to Clemson and shoots poorly? 3 of 13 from three and drops their first one to the Tigers in 22 games 74-47. A 27 POINT LOSS?! A tough road game for Duke, but Clemson just is not the same team at Littlejohn. They used two separate runs to extend their lead and were helped out by Trevor Booker's 8 of 10 shooting for 21 points. Now, who knows if Clemson is any different this year than any other season when they jump out to a gaudy number of wins without playing anyone. One thing is for certain, don't play 'em at Littlejohn. Wake Forest on the other hand is so confusing. They look great at home to Duke and UNC; they look great on the road to Clemson. But then they play at Georgia Tech and then Wednesday night at Miami and get sent home crying both times. Jack McClinton hit six threes for Miami and the 'Canes punished them 79-52. A 27 POINT LOSS?! Yes, both Duke and Wake go on the road, play no defense and shoot poorly. The recipe for getting lambasted in conference games. Maybe the ACC is the toughest conference in America; I still am not fully convinced, but when your two best teams go out and get crushed like the other night that speaks volumes for the depth of the league.
Shoot-Around
- Win of the night which may go completely unnoticed? Bobby Maze had two points in the second half; a midrange jumper with 5.4 seconds left to give Tennessee a two-point lead. That was it. Tennessee's 74-72 victory in Fayetteville against Arkansas. Tennessee has now won two in a row against similar teams, Florida and Arkansas. Although the Razorbacks dropped to 1-6 in the SEC, the fashion which the Vols got this win could really springboard them back into some prevalence. Wayne Chism had 22 and 9 and UT placed four guys in double figures. The issue at hand is whether or not Tennessee will be able to find enough scoring from players other than Chism and Tyler Smith. The athleticism will always be there for the Vols and apparently they don't mind playing on the road now. 3-0 on the road in SEC play and they are just a half-game behind Florida in the East (with a current advantage in tiebreaker).
- Luke Harangody goes for 28 and 14 for his 11th straight double-double as the Irish went on the road to play a fellow 4-5 Big East team. No doubt they finally got it under control? Bzzz. Cincinnati beats Notre Dame to drop them to 4-6 in the league and left Mike Brey really scratching his head. Deonta Vaughn had a season high 34 and Larry Davis had a career-high 21 to give the Irish their sixth straight loss. Notre Dame ain't playing any defense, they have given up 90 points three times during the streak. If Dame doesn't figure things out quick, there is no possible way they can even think about an at-large berth. They are not going to be able to convinve the committee that a 12-loss overall, 10-loss Big East team deserves a place. There is no substitute for winning games.
- Everybody got in on the action in Lansing Wednesday night. Michigan State had lost two straight home games, a shocking development which Tom Izzo certainly had to be questioning the ability and desire fo his squad. All that uncertainty was quelled when they jumped out to a 42-16 lead over a really good Minnesota team and held them to 17.2 percent shooting in the first half. The Spartans shot over 50% for the game and held Minnesota to 28.8, as the Gophers high scorer had 11 points. Durell Summers had 21 for Michigan State on 8 of 10 shooting and they also outrebounded Minny 38-21. An all around impressive performance for Michigan State as they remain atop the Big Ten.
- So much for Anthony Grant to Georgia. VCU got thwarted at UNC-Wilminton Wednesday night 81-72 by a team that is 11th in the Colonial and has shown no signs of life all season. Eric Maynor went 0 for 11 from distance and the Rams allowed UNCW, who starts five guards, to remain even with them, 32-32, on the glass. This VCU team is mental and has underachieved all season long. Unfortunate that Eric Maynor may go out prematurely...Speaking of head-scratching CAA games, Northeastern goes to William and Mary for their third Virginia road trip in two weeks and suffers a tough loss, 68-63 to W&M. William and Mary slowed down the game to an absolute crawl and held Matt Janning to ten points for the game.
Shoot-Around
- Win of the night which may go completely unnoticed? Bobby Maze had two points in the second half; a midrange jumper with 5.4 seconds left to give Tennessee a two-point lead. That was it. Tennessee's 74-72 victory in Fayetteville against Arkansas. Tennessee has now won two in a row against similar teams, Florida and Arkansas. Although the Razorbacks dropped to 1-6 in the SEC, the fashion which the Vols got this win could really springboard them back into some prevalence. Wayne Chism had 22 and 9 and UT placed four guys in double figures. The issue at hand is whether or not Tennessee will be able to find enough scoring from players other than Chism and Tyler Smith. The athleticism will always be there for the Vols and apparently they don't mind playing on the road now. 3-0 on the road in SEC play and they are just a half-game behind Florida in the East (with a current advantage in tiebreaker).
- Luke Harangody goes for 28 and 14 for his 11th straight double-double as the Irish went on the road to play a fellow 4-5 Big East team. No doubt they finally got it under control? Bzzz. Cincinnati beats Notre Dame to drop them to 4-6 in the league and left Mike Brey really scratching his head. Deonta Vaughn had a season high 34 and Larry Davis had a career-high 21 to give the Irish their sixth straight loss. Notre Dame ain't playing any defense, they have given up 90 points three times during the streak. If Dame doesn't figure things out quick, there is no possible way they can even think about an at-large berth. They are not going to be able to convinve the committee that a 12-loss overall, 10-loss Big East team deserves a place. There is no substitute for winning games.
- Everybody got in on the action in Lansing Wednesday night. Michigan State had lost two straight home games, a shocking development which Tom Izzo certainly had to be questioning the ability and desire fo his squad. All that uncertainty was quelled when they jumped out to a 42-16 lead over a really good Minnesota team and held them to 17.2 percent shooting in the first half. The Spartans shot over 50% for the game and held Minnesota to 28.8, as the Gophers high scorer had 11 points. Durell Summers had 21 for Michigan State on 8 of 10 shooting and they also outrebounded Minny 38-21. An all around impressive performance for Michigan State as they remain atop the Big Ten.
- So much for Anthony Grant to Georgia. VCU got thwarted at UNC-Wilminton Wednesday night 81-72 by a team that is 11th in the Colonial and has shown no signs of life all season. Eric Maynor went 0 for 11 from distance and the Rams allowed UNCW, who starts five guards, to remain even with them, 32-32, on the glass. This VCU team is mental and has underachieved all season long. Unfortunate that Eric Maynor may go out prematurely...Speaking of head-scratching CAA games, Northeastern goes to William and Mary for their third Virginia road trip in two weeks and suffers a tough loss, 68-63 to W&M. William and Mary slowed down the game to an absolute crawl and held Matt Janning to ten points for the game.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
The Daily Gus: February 4th
Florida welcomes South Carolina into "The Swamp" for a spot in first place in the SEC East on Tuesday night after getting walloped at Tennessee over the weekend. South Carolina came out on a mission and kept the Gators in a game; Devan Downey scored 33 for the Gamecocks. South Carolina had beaten Florida at home on January 21st on a quick lay-up by Downey as time expired to shock the Gators. Since then, South Carolina had been on a roll, tallying up a total 16-4 record going into the showdown. Florida got to the free throw line 40 times compared to South Carolina's 22 and forced 17 turnovers as Florida recaptured the top spot in the SEC East 97-93 although they tried their best to give it back down the stretch. Walter Hodge missed a series of free throws and Downey nailed three last minute treys to pull within two before the well ran dry for South Carolina. Still, reason for optimism for the Gamecocks; for a team with alot of uncertainty they are playing up to potential and should certainly be considered among the top four SEC squads come March.
Shoot-Around
- 12th ranked Purdue went on the road to Columbus to face an Ohio State team desperate for a signature win at home where they could stay atop the Big Ten. The Buckeyes were 5-4 coming in and had shown real signs of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; not knowing what kind of team will show up ever since a win at Notre Dame which does not look as appealing anymore. Ohio State got their win (even though Purdue was without leading scorer Robbie Hummel) 80-72 in overtime. Ohio State was the first team to shoot over 45 percent against the Boilermakers all season, and Purdue could not snag a crucial road win which would have tied them with Michigan State. Although Hummel is cleared to play with a hairline fracture in his back, having him perform is crucial to the Purdue success.
- UNLV hosted San Diego State for a spot in second place in the Mountain West and trailed the entire game before tying it at 56 with under two minutes left. The Rebels forced overtime, but San Diego State guard Kyle Spain had eight of his 17 in overtime and hit a crucial three with a minute left to put SDSU up four. MTM fave Wink Adams had a shot to win it at the buzzer, but to no avail and San Diego St got a huge road MWC win.
Shoot-Around
- 12th ranked Purdue went on the road to Columbus to face an Ohio State team desperate for a signature win at home where they could stay atop the Big Ten. The Buckeyes were 5-4 coming in and had shown real signs of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; not knowing what kind of team will show up ever since a win at Notre Dame which does not look as appealing anymore. Ohio State got their win (even though Purdue was without leading scorer Robbie Hummel) 80-72 in overtime. Ohio State was the first team to shoot over 45 percent against the Boilermakers all season, and Purdue could not snag a crucial road win which would have tied them with Michigan State. Although Hummel is cleared to play with a hairline fracture in his back, having him perform is crucial to the Purdue success.
- UNLV hosted San Diego State for a spot in second place in the Mountain West and trailed the entire game before tying it at 56 with under two minutes left. The Rebels forced overtime, but San Diego State guard Kyle Spain had eight of his 17 in overtime and hit a crucial three with a minute left to put SDSU up four. MTM fave Wink Adams had a shot to win it at the buzzer, but to no avail and San Diego St got a huge road MWC win.
Friday, January 30, 2009
The Daily Gus: January 30th
The Saint Mary's Gaels had won 15 straight games before going to face the perennial WCC powerhouse Gonzaga in Spokane. Gonzaga has had a roller coaster season with two wins over Tennessee and Maryland and looking like a true national title contender but also dropping games to Portland State and resembling a WCC cellar dweller. Last night for the first half the Zags showed no signs of resurgence, giving up a 39-33 lead in the first half. But in the second half, Jeremy Pargo and Austin Daye ratcheted up the intensity after St. Mary's superstar Patty Mills went out with an ankle injury. Mills had 18 points in the first half and the Zags had no answer for him, proving that when healthy maybe St. mary's is the best team out west. Matt Bouldin led Zaga with 17 points, but it was a true team effort in the second half especially. Gonzaga had four players in double figures and took care of the ball, only surrendering seven turnovers while shooting 46%. Diamon Simpson had 17 points for the Gaels in all 40 minutes; he was a perfect 7-7 from the field. Gonzaga now has the lead in the West Coast by a game but still has to travel to St. Mary's where a healthy Patty Mills could spell trouble. Gonzaga has lost down there in consecutive seasons.
Shoot-Around
- Clemson overcame a 15-point second half deficit in Blacksburg to come back and beat Virginia Tech. A huge road win for the Tigers which they desperately needed after getting crushed in Chapel Hill last week. K.C. Rivers went off for 29 and seven triples leading an 18-0 run in the last ten minutes to win the game. Virginia Tech's Malcolm Delaney had a career high 37 points, but it was not enough in the losing effort. The Hokies really need more balanced scoring. If its not Delaney its Vassallo but rarely do both step up on the same night. The more balanced they can become they more dangerous Tech can be in the ACC.
- The hype started to develop for Washington and was quickly extinguished when they got beat 106-97 at Arizona. Arizona needed a win over a top Pac-10 team, and this was certainly it to get back on track. Washington now is in real trouble as they shuffle over to Tempe to face an Arizona State team that just got beat at home to Washington State. I maintain Arizona State is the best team in the Pac 10 but there is no excuse for shooting 37% from the field against arguably the worst team in the conference. Look for Zona State to rebound against Washington.
- How would you like to play a four overtime hundred point thriller? Utah Valley State guard Ryan Toolson obviously doesn't mind. Utah Valley State traveled to Chicago State for what was expected to be a regular run of the mill independent game and it turned into an epic. Toolson had 63 points on 20 of 21 from the free throw line as Utah Valley won 123-121. David Holston from Chicago State had 41 but it pailed in comparison to Toolson's performance. Toolson played all 60 minutes and hit seven threes and grabbed 12 rebounds. Gives Jodie Meeks a run for performance of the season thus far.
Shoot-Around
- Clemson overcame a 15-point second half deficit in Blacksburg to come back and beat Virginia Tech. A huge road win for the Tigers which they desperately needed after getting crushed in Chapel Hill last week. K.C. Rivers went off for 29 and seven triples leading an 18-0 run in the last ten minutes to win the game. Virginia Tech's Malcolm Delaney had a career high 37 points, but it was not enough in the losing effort. The Hokies really need more balanced scoring. If its not Delaney its Vassallo but rarely do both step up on the same night. The more balanced they can become they more dangerous Tech can be in the ACC.
- The hype started to develop for Washington and was quickly extinguished when they got beat 106-97 at Arizona. Arizona needed a win over a top Pac-10 team, and this was certainly it to get back on track. Washington now is in real trouble as they shuffle over to Tempe to face an Arizona State team that just got beat at home to Washington State. I maintain Arizona State is the best team in the Pac 10 but there is no excuse for shooting 37% from the field against arguably the worst team in the conference. Look for Zona State to rebound against Washington.
- How would you like to play a four overtime hundred point thriller? Utah Valley State guard Ryan Toolson obviously doesn't mind. Utah Valley State traveled to Chicago State for what was expected to be a regular run of the mill independent game and it turned into an epic. Toolson had 63 points on 20 of 21 from the free throw line as Utah Valley won 123-121. David Holston from Chicago State had 41 but it pailed in comparison to Toolson's performance. Toolson played all 60 minutes and hit seven threes and grabbed 12 rebounds. Gives Jodie Meeks a run for performance of the season thus far.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
The Daily Gus: January 29th
Would anybody in this great college basketball landscape like to be ranked number one? Duke is the fourth number one team this season (UNC, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest) and they are the fourth one to lose thier stranglehold in the polls. Last night Duke went TO Winston-Salem to play Wake and had the same result as Carolina. The Blue Devils could not handle the explosive size of the Demon Deacons and suffered a road loss to the team that may truly be the best in the country right now. Take away the little blip Wake has at home against Tech and they have been unstoppable. You had to figure they could not keep up the intensity of knocking off (at) BYU, UNC, (at) Clemson and (at) BC all consecutively. I'll forgive them for losing to a Tech team that is vastly improved since the non con if they can now continue their showcase of shear athleticism and talent. When you take a gander at the stat sheet for this game, nothing jumps out as to why Wake prevailed. In fact, they allowed Kyle Singler to go for 22 and 12 and Gerald Henderson to go for 20 and 8. On top of that, Jeff teague had only 11 points on a 4-14 night. They won the game with team defense; forcing 15 Duke turnovers and holding them to 4 of 22 from behind the arc. Duke shot poorly, a far cry from the show they put on Saturday against Maryland at Cameron Indoor.
Shoot-Around
- Note to the Big East: When you go on the road, don't even expect to win. Georgetown dropped its fourth straight at Cincinnati Big East contest to give them their SEVENTH loss of the year and fifth in the conference. Syracuse goes on the road, doesn't even bother to play defense, gives up 100 points and loses to Providence. It's okay though Jonny Flynn got his, he had 30plus. Last college basketball game ever played at the Philadelphia Spectrum. Villanova snags a huge win over Pittsburgh 67-57 to get themselves back into the Big East mix. The Spec closes after a long run of college basketball greatness. The site of Christian Laettner's shot against Kentucky in the Elite Eight, multiple Atlantic 10 tournaments and NCAA regionals. The Spec will certainly be missed.
- Around the CAA: Big win for Old Dominion to rebound from a couple bad losses to VCU and Northeastern. Winning at JMU has been tough this season, but now the Dukes have lost two straight at the Convo Center. Speaking of winning at JMU, Hofstra did it Saturday and then went down to UNC-Wilmington and got a win there. The Pride are getting better and better and don't be surprised if they are a-lurking and waiting for the second place VCU Rams to come into the nest in Staten Island Saturday.
- Florida is starting to gain more and more confidence as the season progresses. Although not truly tested, the Baby Gators won at Vanderbilt on Sunday by 30 and then go on the road and spank Georgia all night by 26. Now, Georgia is no juggernaut team by any stretch, but Nick Calathes went for a triple double, 20 points, 13 boards, 10 assists in 33 minutes on 7-11 shooting. Efficiency. Vanderbilt has tanked their season away. With AJ Ogilvy injured and sick and whatever the Commodores have lost four in a row and five of six. Ogilvy scored just three points on 0-3 shooting in 21 minutes. Problems in Nashville.
- Kansas rallies from a 13 point deficit and overcomes 21 TURNOVERS(!) to win at Nebraska. The Jayhwaks have yet to face any stern Big 12 challenges but all the while are 5-0 and trucking along nicely now capturing road wins at Iowa State, at Colorado and now at Nebraska. The Jayhawks have won eight of nine and could be 12-0 in the league heading into an undefeated showdown against Oklahoma on Big Monday at the end of February.
Shoot-Around
- Note to the Big East: When you go on the road, don't even expect to win. Georgetown dropped its fourth straight at Cincinnati Big East contest to give them their SEVENTH loss of the year and fifth in the conference. Syracuse goes on the road, doesn't even bother to play defense, gives up 100 points and loses to Providence. It's okay though Jonny Flynn got his, he had 30plus. Last college basketball game ever played at the Philadelphia Spectrum. Villanova snags a huge win over Pittsburgh 67-57 to get themselves back into the Big East mix. The Spec closes after a long run of college basketball greatness. The site of Christian Laettner's shot against Kentucky in the Elite Eight, multiple Atlantic 10 tournaments and NCAA regionals. The Spec will certainly be missed.
- Around the CAA: Big win for Old Dominion to rebound from a couple bad losses to VCU and Northeastern. Winning at JMU has been tough this season, but now the Dukes have lost two straight at the Convo Center. Speaking of winning at JMU, Hofstra did it Saturday and then went down to UNC-Wilmington and got a win there. The Pride are getting better and better and don't be surprised if they are a-lurking and waiting for the second place VCU Rams to come into the nest in Staten Island Saturday.
- Florida is starting to gain more and more confidence as the season progresses. Although not truly tested, the Baby Gators won at Vanderbilt on Sunday by 30 and then go on the road and spank Georgia all night by 26. Now, Georgia is no juggernaut team by any stretch, but Nick Calathes went for a triple double, 20 points, 13 boards, 10 assists in 33 minutes on 7-11 shooting. Efficiency. Vanderbilt has tanked their season away. With AJ Ogilvy injured and sick and whatever the Commodores have lost four in a row and five of six. Ogilvy scored just three points on 0-3 shooting in 21 minutes. Problems in Nashville.
- Kansas rallies from a 13 point deficit and overcomes 21 TURNOVERS(!) to win at Nebraska. The Jayhwaks have yet to face any stern Big 12 challenges but all the while are 5-0 and trucking along nicely now capturing road wins at Iowa State, at Colorado and now at Nebraska. The Jayhawks have won eight of nine and could be 12-0 in the league heading into an undefeated showdown against Oklahoma on Big Monday at the end of February.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
The Return of MTM
Sometimes the lights are shining on me and other times I can barely see. -The Grateful Dead
Nearly a month and a half has gone by since the last posting at MTM. This has not been an accident. Over the course of these days, I have taken a back seat to college basketball, unable to identify with the fervor and passion I once took to every night and every game that I took the privilege to view. Maybe due to my involvement with college athletics, I have become desensitized to the sport which captivated my young soul and transformed me into a martyr for college basketball. When I now look out onto the court I do not share the same joy and excitement for every game as I did when I was just a boy sitting in the stands. An interesting thing happened as I sat courtside for the VCU vs. George Mason game on Saturday January 24th though. My love for the game began to spark back; I heard a roaring crowd, watched two fantastic teams battle out for first place in a mid-major league all the while not even thinking about national exposure or anything else in life. The world stopped for two hours. When you are able to lose yourself in something as trivial as college basketball, we all become kids again. It proves an escape to all that we know may be wrong and gives us hope for all that we wish to be right. With the season continuing, I have found what college hoops means to me, and hopefully you, again.
Nearly a month and a half has gone by since the last posting at MTM. This has not been an accident. Over the course of these days, I have taken a back seat to college basketball, unable to identify with the fervor and passion I once took to every night and every game that I took the privilege to view. Maybe due to my involvement with college athletics, I have become desensitized to the sport which captivated my young soul and transformed me into a martyr for college basketball. When I now look out onto the court I do not share the same joy and excitement for every game as I did when I was just a boy sitting in the stands. An interesting thing happened as I sat courtside for the VCU vs. George Mason game on Saturday January 24th though. My love for the game began to spark back; I heard a roaring crowd, watched two fantastic teams battle out for first place in a mid-major league all the while not even thinking about national exposure or anything else in life. The world stopped for two hours. When you are able to lose yourself in something as trivial as college basketball, we all become kids again. It proves an escape to all that we know may be wrong and gives us hope for all that we wish to be right. With the season continuing, I have found what college hoops means to me, and hopefully you, again.
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