The College Basketball Post

[tmay407]

Tuesday, January 6[table][tr][th=""]Game[/th] [th=""]Network[/th] [th=""]Coverage Notes[/th] [th=""]PPV?[/th] [th=""]Time[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Ohio St. at Michigan St.[/td] [td]

[/td] [td] [/td] [td] [/td] [td]7pm[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Connecticut at W. Virginia[/td] [td]

[/td] [td] [/td] [td] [/td] [td]7pm[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Georgia at Georgia Tech[/td] [td]

[/td] [td]

[/td] [td]

[/td] [td]7pm[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Longwood at Florida[/td] [td]

[/td] [td] [/td] [td]

[/td] [td]7pm[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Miami (OH) at Dayton[/td] [td]

[/td] [td] [/td] [td] [/td] [td]7pm[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Villanova at Seton Hall[/td] [td]

[/td] [td]

[/td] [td]

[/td] [td]8pm[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Siena at Kansas[/td] [td]Jayhawk TV[/td] [td]Affiliates[/td] [td]

[/td] [td]8pm[/td] [/tr][tr][td]N. Iowa at Creighton[/td] [td]

[/td] [td] [/td] [td] [/td] [td]8pm[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Illinois St. at Bradley[/td] [td]Comcast-Peoria[/td] [td] [/td] [td] [/td] [td]8pm[/td] [/tr][tr][td]TCU at Texas Tech[/td] [td]Texas Tech TV[/td] [td] [/td] [td]

[/td] [td]8pm[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Texas at Arkansas[/td] [td]

[/td] [td] [/td] [td] [/td] [td]9pm[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Purdue at Penn St.[/td] [td]

[/td] [td] [/td] [td] [/td] [td]9pm[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Alabama at Clemson[/td] [td]

[/td] [td]

[/td] [td]

[/td] [td]9pm[/td] [/tr][tr][td]LSU at Utah[/td] [td]

[/td] [td] [/td] [td] [/td] [td]9pm[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Coppin St. at Missouri[/td] [td]Mizzou Sports[/td] [td]

Affiliates[/td] [td]

[/td] [td]9pm[/td] [/tr][/table]
Not feeling the Arkansas upset tonight...give me Texas by a few points. I might have to think about Ohio State upsetting Michigan State on the road, though...

 

[haiti5]

even tho my lil dude pat aint there no more i still effs with arkansas..im callin the upset now

 

[allen3xis]

When my weekly Player of the Year Race story is posted later this afternoon, they'll be a clear distinction in my eyes from the top five players and theremainder of the field.

While Oklahoma's Blake Griffin has the inside track as of today, there are five guys who have a legitimate shot at the award.

Just compare these two players' numbers (and I'll let you know who is who below).

Player 1 - 24.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, 1.8 apg, 1.4 spg, 0.9 bpg, 52% FG, 79% FT

Player 2 - 22.1 ppg, 14 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.6 spg, 1.5 bpg, 66% FG, 63% FT

Not a whole lot of difference, right? Player 1 is Notre Dame's Luke Harangody, who put on a show last night in the Irish victory against Georgetown; andPlayer 2 is Griffin.

North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough is still playing a little catch-up after missing time with injuries.

Hansbrough - 22.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 0.6 apg, 1.2 spg, 0.4 bpg, 54% FG, 86% FT

All I'm saying through all this is that the Player of the Year Race is fairly wide-open when you throw all three of these relentless big men into the mixwith guards Stephen Curry and James Harden.

You want to know the best part of all five of these guys? They are all terrific kids as well.

OK, have to get moving so I can grab lunch today with Pat Riley, um, I mean Matt Larson - one of the best sports information guys in the business.

STUD OF NIGHT: Luke Harangody - The Notre Dame big man doesn't get enough notoriety for the Player of the Year race. He put up 31 pointsand 11 rebounds despite being in foul trouble nearly the entire game in the 73-67 win against Georgetown.

DUD OF NIGHT: Western Kentucky - It's probably unfair to criticize Ken McDonald's club because they have clearly overachieved thisseason with wins against Louisville and Georgia and a 3-0 start in league play. However, the Hilltoppers - who have done it with defense thus far - allowedMississippi State to shoot 66 percent from the field and 64 percent from long distance in the Rebels 95-67 rout.

STAT OF THE NIGHT: Bill Coen's Northeastern Huskies are 3-0 in the Colonial for the first time since joining the leagueafter crushing Hofstra at home, 73-50. Northeastern and George Mason are the lone unbeaten teams remaining in league play.

WHAT YOU MISSED (UNDER-THE-RADAR PERFORMANCE): Presbyterian's Pierre Miller hit a trifecta with 28 seconds left and was 7-of-10 from longdistance to lead the Blue Hose (I love that nickname) to a 67-66 win against Liberty and standout freshman Seth Curry.

ON TAP TODAY: There are three big-time games. UConn goes to West Virginia, Michigan State hosts Ohio State(in a game I will be at) and Texas travels to play an Arkansas team that took care of Oklahoma in Fayetteville last week.

RANDOM NOTES: Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel missed the Sooners win against Maryland Eastern Shore due to a stomach virus. He watched the game,which was coached by assistant Mark Cline, from his hospital room. … New Hampshire knocked off Santa Clara the other night, 58-54, and found a way to slow downBroncos big man John Bryant. He finished with seven points and eight rebounds, the first time all season he didn't manage to get into double-figures. …Former Ohio State guard will transfer to South Florida. … According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Seton Hall commit DeAndre Kane has opened it back up and isconsidering Marquette, Seton Hall and Pittsburgh.


...

tell me how Hansbrough is even in the discussion? If we're talking right now.

James Harden is just gona get completely overlooked when the time comes. There isn't a more complete player in the country.

 

[jamesonnt]

UConn's zone offense is definitely bad. I think WVU wins tonight at home ..
They're in that funk when no one wants to try to do something different because you know one mistake gets you on the bench. That's what sucks when youhave depth because Calhoun will just throw another body in instead of letting the squad play and keep it movin'

WVU
Mich St
Arkansas
Kansas

.. all home teams win.

 

[allen3xis]

I'm not fully buyin into Arkansas yet..Texas is just better for tonight IMO.


The college football season winds up this week, but if you're already overdosed on football, there are some good basketball games. Here's a look atthis week's best, along with some others that have some intrigue. The games are listed in chronological order.
We'll have our "Weekend 5 to Watch" feature on Friday afternoon.
[table][tr][td]

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[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Associated Press[/td] [/tr][tr][td]

[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Connecticut will need more than it got from Hasheem Thabeet last season against West Virginia.[/td] [/tr][/table]This week's five to watch
Connecticut at West Virginia, Tuesday, 7 p.m., ESPNU: This is the first of three consecutive Big East road games for UConn(12-1, 1-1 Big East) - but this is by far the toughest of the three. Guard JeromeDyson leads the Huskies in scoring, but he has been flat-out bad in their two conference games. WVU (11-2, 1-0) has won its past four by an average of 31.3points, including victories at Ohio State and Seton Hall. The Mountaineers are playing physical defense and getting needed offense from Alex Ruoff. True freshman Devin Ebanks is WVU's leading rebounder. Watch UConn center Hasheem Thabeet, who had just eight points and eight rebounds in two games against WVUlast season.

Texas atArkansas,Tuesday, 9 p.m., ESPN2: This game became a lot more interesting after the Razorbacks beat up on Oklahoma last week. Junior forward Michael Washington and freshman guard Courtney Fortson have been a dynamic duo for Arkansas (11-1), which wants a fast tempoand is crushing opponents on the boards. Texas' two losses have come by a total of five points. As expected, A.J. Abrams is playing well for Texas (11-2), but the Longhorns aren't getting muchoffensive production from any other backcourt player.

Davidson at Duke, Wednesday, 7 p.m., ESPN: This is the final "Big Six" conference foe this season for the Wildcats (10-2),who have beaten West Virginia and NC State and lost to Oklahoma and Purdue. Duke (12-1) beat Davidson by six points last season. Everybody knows aboutDavidson's Stephen Curry, but if the Wildcats are to pull the upset, Curryneeds some help - particularly from big man Andrew Lovedale and 3-pointspecialist Bryant Barr. Duke is playing solid defense, and sophomore forwardKyle Singler leads the team in scoring, rebounds, assists and steals. Bothteams want a fast pace.

Gonzaga at Tennessee, Wednesday, 9 p.m., ESPN2: Gonzaga (8-4) was thought to be a Final Four sleeper before the season, but theZags are a long way from that type of team right now. They've lost three in a row and four of their past five; included are head-scratching losses toPortland State and Utah. The Vols (9-3) lost by nine to Gonzaga in November in Orlando, Fla., but hope home-court advantage will mean something. The Vols alsohope their defensive pressure hampers Gonzaga guard Jeremy Pargo, who is theZags' best ball-handler.

Minnesota at Iowa, Thursday, 7 p.m., ESPN2: This is big for the Hawkeyes (11-4, 1-1 Big Ten), who need to hold serve in conferenceplay at home if they want to make it to the NCAA tournament. The Hawkeyes shoot 3-pointers well but need to keep the game in the 60s. This is just the secondtrue road game of the season for the Golden Gophers (13-1, 1-1), who also will be quite comfortable with a game in the 60s. Minnesota spreads the scoringresponsibilities around, and point guard Al Nolen is playing well.

Others to keep an eye on

Alabamaat Clemson ,Tuesday, 9 p.m., Fox Sports South/Sun Sports/NESN/ESPN GamePlan: Alabama is 10-3 and owns an 11-point victory over one ACC team (Georgia Tech), butClemson (14-0) looks to be quite a bit better than anyone the Tide has played.

OhioState at Michigan State , Tuesday, 7 p.m., ESPN2: Ohio State (10-2, 1-1 Big Ten) is looking at the very real possibilityof opening 1-2 in conference play after falling at Minnesota over the weekend. Including this one against Michigan State (11-2, 2-0), three of theBuckeyes' next four league games are on the road.

Purdue atPenn State , Tuesday, 9p.m., Big Ten Network: Penn State (12-3, 1-1 Big Ten) acquitted itself well in a narrow loss to Wisconsin over the weekend. But for the Nittany Lionsto be taken seriously as a potential contender in the Big Ten, they need to beat teams such as Purdue (11-3, 0-1) at home.

LSU atUtah , Tuesday, 9 p.m.,The mtn.: Utah (9-5) beat one SEC team, Ole Miss, on a neutral court earlier this season and now gets a visit from another. LSU (12-1) has been betterthan expected, but one reason for the gaudy record might be a weak schedule.

California atWashington State , Thursday, 10 p.m.: Cal (13-2, 2-0 Pac-10) beat up on the Arizona teams over the weekend asconference play opened. This will be the first game in a stretch in which Cal plays three in a row and five of seven on the road. Washington State (8-5, 0-1)has struggled to score against the "better" teams on its schedule.

Stanford at Washington , Thursday, 10:30 p.m., Fox Sports Net Northwest/Comcast SportsNet Bay Area: Both teams have been betterthan expected thus far. Starting with this one, Washington (10-3, 1-0 Pac-10) plays four of its next six at home. Stanford (11-1, 1-1) looked horrible againstArizona State but solid in a win over Arizona.

Rider at Siena, Friday, 7 p.m., ESPNU: These might be the two best teams in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, and this is their firstmeeting of the season. Siena (10-4, 4-0 MAAC), which made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament last season, has played a far tougher schedule thanRider (8-5, 3-0).

Wisconsin-Green Bay at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Friday, 9 p.m., ESPNU: Butler looks to be the class of the Horizon League, but Wisconsin-GreenBay (10-4, 3-0 Horizon) and Wisconsin-Milwaukee (8-5, 4-0) likely will vie for second place - and the Horizon could get two teams into the NCAA tourney thisseason.

 

[jamesonnt]

Zaga really needs that win ..

 

[worldbeefreeg]

UConn wins big tonight. Kemba brakes out.

 

[tmay407]

[h4]Pat Knightuses small boy to teach team valuable lesson[/h4]
By Eamonn Brennan

If that headline sounds like something out of a Dickens story, well, it isn't. It's more the story of a goofy coachusing a gimmick on his players -- and probably embarrassing them in the process -- in order to teach them a lesson about missed layups. But it is funny, andmaybe a little poignant, all the same.

See, Texas Tech coach Pat Knight needed to get his point across. Stop missing layups, you idiots. Ah, but how to do so? Layup drills? Sprints?Taking a small child into the huddle during the middle of a game? Would you be surprised if I told you it was the last one? Yes, in the middle of a gameagainst Stephen F. Austin, Knight reacted to his players' missedlayups by grabbing a 12-year-old out of the stands and asking him if he could hit layups. And so our story begins:

After Texas Tech botched as many as 15 layups, Knight scoured the stands near the bench and invited a youngster to join a team huddle. Knight asked the boy whether he could make layups. The boy said he could. "I was just tired of having 18- or 21-year-olds miss layups that a 12-year-old could hit, so I brought a 12-year-old in to let them know that he could hit layups," Knight said. "He's 12, and he can hit layups, so why can't you when you're 18 to 21?"


Naturally, Tech went on to win the game, surely the product of an ingenious coaching strategy by this modern-day Lombardi the fact thatTexas Tech, missed layups or not, should never lose to Stephen F. Austin. Fortunately for Knight, this isn't the most egregious display of recruitingactivity this year -- Billy Donovan was seen holding a jersey to a woman's pregnant stomach at halftime of Florida's win over N.C. State Saturday."Can you see yourself in this jersey, unnamed child? I can't, because I don't know what you will look like. But if you get your mother'sstare-down, I'm sure we have a spot for you at point guard. Call me!"

 

[messiahchild]

Andy Katz: here to chat until the bottom of the hour.

---

JMiles-WI: Andy, Illinois appears to be getting shafted in the latest coaches poll. I understand polls are not necessarily to be believed, but do you think this may reflect a bit of bias against the team, the coach, and/or the Big Ten conference?

Andy Katz: I've given up trying to figure out the polls. Illinois certainly deserves to be ranked after what the Illini have done.

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Karl (Carbondale,IL): Who do you think has been the most disapointing team so far this season?

Andy Katz: Do you want me to answer Southern Illinois since you're in Carbondale? It's hard to say who wins this honor so far. There have been plenty of underachieveing teams but there is still plenty of time to recover within the major conferences.

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Joe, Berkeley: Does Cal look like a tourney team to you?

Andy Katz: Yes. But we'll know a lot more about the Bears after this three-game road swing to the Washington schools and Stanford. The Bears are shooting 50 percent on 3s. Mike Montgomery is doing a phenomenal job with this group.

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Colin (Boston): Marquette has 2 quality big east victories where do you see them finishing in the Big East?

Andy Katz: Still too early to tell. The road will be the deciding factor for all these teams. But Marquette has as much if not more experience on the perimeter than any other team in the league so that bodes well for the Eagles.

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Bryan (Lexington, SC): Andy, How good do you think Clemson is?

Andy Katz: Very good. The Miami win was a clinic in the second half. I think Clemson could easily challenge for the top three in the ACC and get a decent seed in the NCAAs.

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Mike (Pittsburgh): If Pitt wins the Big East regular season title. Should they exit early in the Big East tourny to regroup and rest, since the winnner of the Big East is usually worn down enough.

Andy Katz: No. They should try to win that too and ensure a No. 1 seed. I don't buy that these guys get worn down. The final is on Saturday. They wouldn't play until Thursday or Friday at the earliest the following week.

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Greg (Boston): Watching the BC game, they look a lot more athletic then i thought they were, do you think going into the ACC schedule they can pull out a tourney birth?

Andy Katz: Yes. But the Eagles have to protect the home court. BC is talented enough to beat every team left on its schedule and that includes Duke at home on Feb. 15. But the Eagles also have a thin margin for error behind Josh Southern in the post so they can't afford to drop home games like to Miami and even Wake if they want to finish in the top five in the ACC. Every game will be a grind.

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Jim (Parkersburg, WV): Andy, With WVUs young guys really starting to get into the flow, will this start opening up Ruoff and Butler? If it does they could be deadly come tournament time.

Andy Katz: Yes. This WVA team is really growing on me. They've got Huggs' moxie. Ruoff is having a phenomenal Big East so far.

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SprungOnSports (Long Island): How do you like Florida's SEC chances with Nick Calathes getting better and better?

Andy Katz: The East is shaping up to be deep with South Carolina playing better with the win over Baylor. It won't be an easy task. I expect the SEC East champ to have at least three losses.

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BARRY GREER, S.C.: DO YOU THINK LOUISVILLE IS OVERRATED?

Andy Katz: I would rather say I think Louisville hasn't reached its potential yet.

Andy Katz: Jim from Parkersburg, WVA. I answered your question. You're flooding the system.

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Eldon (Eielson Air Force Base North Pole, Alaska): Andy, I need your help...the Tar Heels loose to an unranked team at home (not even in the top 41 teams as of last week). However, when the Polls were released Monday, they were ranked No#3 in both Polls??? Yes, they have beaten all opponents by 15+ points per game...but who have they really played? They beat Michigan State and Notre Dame and all the rest were cannon fodder When is the love fest ever going to end with the media and voters over the Tar Heels. They always have one of the Top recruiting classes and talent in the country, so when they loose to an unranked team, why don't they get treated and dropped in the polls like all other teams?? I am truly amazed by the so called sports reporters and experts who recieve votes that watch follow sports as close as some fans?? Honestly sports talk shows are showing less expertise and a lot of chatter boxes as so called experts. Why is this so?? Why do we have to deal with Tar Heel Mania every year?? V/R Eldon

Andy Katz: Well, I can't answer for every poll voter. But polls are usually based on recent performance and projection. Carolina is still the most talented team in the country. I fully expect the Tar Heels to still be in Detroit. By the way, stay warm up there. Thanks for your service.

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Austin (Gravette, Arkansas): Andy, I was incredulous to find the Razorbacks still unranked after the win over Oklahoma and North Texas to give them a 11-1 record. You, however, ranked them 16 in the latest power rankings. What are you seeing that others aren't?

Andy Katz: That this team is playing really well. I tend to vote in these polls based on performance, with a projection tossed in there. It's hard to argue against Arkansas' results so far.

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Chris (Chicago): Andy, I saw you at Ford Field for UNC/MSU earlier this season and at the time, my Spartans did not look so good. But with Suton back, Izzo's crew has won 7 in a row and might be the hottest team in country. Should the rest of the Big Ten be worried?

Andy Katz: Yes. Very worried. MSU is the team to beat now in the Big Ten.

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Brad (Gadsden.Alabama): Andy, What did you think of Alabama's big win againest Georgia Tech can they get another big win @ Clemson tonight?

Andy Katz: I would be surprsied. But Alabama does have the talent to beat Clemson home or road. Alabama is playing better and a lot of that has to do with Ronald Steele. If he plays up to his potential then the Tide have a real shot to win a slew of games in the SEC.

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Brian (Sacramento, CA): USC seems to be all over the place (beating Oregon on the road by 21, losing to Oreg St. 2 days later). What do you think is wrong with the Trojans and can they get it together in time for UCLA on Sunday? (ps - is ESPN broadcasting that game? thx)

Andy Katz: Yes they can get it together by Sunday (and no the game is on FSN). The Trojans still just need to find their consistent streak. USC's defense wasn't as strong as it was Friday. If the Trojans lock down they should be fine.

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Greg, NYC: I heard you recently said/wrote Al Skinner is one of the most underrated coaches in the country. Have you ever seen a practice? Have you seen their pressbreaker? Have you seen their recruiting pipeline for next year? (0 early signees) Have you seen the cupcake schedule? If he's extended beyond 2012, it'll be another disaster for DeFilippo who isn't exactly batting 1.000 right now.

Andy Katz: I couldn't disagree with you more. Yes I've been to multiple practices. Recruiting pipeline? UCLA would have loved to have had California kids Craig Smith and Jared Dudley. Gonzaga would have loved to have had Reggie Jackson (he played on the same AAU team as Matt Bouldin). Pitt just told me they wanted Josh Southern. The Eagles lose one senior, Tyrese Rice, so it's not like there are a slew of openings on the roster right now. You couldn't be more wrong in your assessment of Skinner and the BC program. Check the facts, save last season, the Eagles have been one of the most consistent ACC teams not named Carolina or Duke since joining the conference. And even last season, the Eagles knocked off Maryland in the ACC tournament to essentially crush the Terps NCAA hopes.

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ray gordon reid ATLANTA GA 30332 : QUESTION TO ANDY KATZ 11.25 MORNING ANDREW .K HOW MANY FROM COFERENCE USA IN NCAA COME MARCH

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Steiny (NYC): Do you think Oregon State is playing very good basketball right now?

Andy Katz: Well, all I know is Oregon State is 1-1 in the Pac-10, Oregon and Arizona are 0-2 and Washington State is 0-1. That's quite an accomplishment for the Beavers. The turnaround from the UCLA game to the USC game was remarkable. I watched them both and the Oregon State players get what Craig Robinson wants to do. They played with poise and never quit.

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Justin (Ohio): Andy, I have to admit I'm a little surprised David Lighty's absence has been this noticeable.

Andy Katz: You're right. His absence is clearly having a major impact on the Buckeyes.

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John (Dallas): Andy, if UCLA wins the Pac-10 and beats ND in Feb will that be enough for them to get the 1 seed out west again? And what are your thoughts on the Bruins growth so far?

Andy Katz: Hard to say. I'm still convinced at least one Big East team (Pitt) gets a No. 1 seed, Carolina, maybe Duke and then possible Texas or OU if either has a gaudy Big 12 record. I think this is the year the West's best team is no higher than a No. 2.

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Colin (Philadelphia): Andy, I was able to see Niagara play for the first time last night, and I really think this team in flying under the radar due to the hype of Siena. They have two Big East transfers, Rob Garrison (UCONN) and Bilal Benn (Villanova) who can flat out play. What do you see happening come March in a very underrated mid-major conference of the MAAC.

Andy Katz: I think you're right. A few of the MAAC coaches told me that Niagara is the sleeper team to win the league.

---

SprungOnSports (Long Island): Not many people have been talking about Texas A&M. How good are they, and can they get a tourney spot out of the Big 12?

Andy Katz: We'll know more next week when A&M hosts Baylor and OU.

---

Jason: Lehi, UT: What a great game Sat. between BYU and Wake. Great game, great teams and a great atmosphere. What are your overall impressions of the MWC this year? BYU and UNLV are both very solid.

Andy Katz: It should be a great race between those two teams with Utah, San Diego State and New Mexico all causing fits for teams. Wyoming is no slouch and neither it turns out is Colorado State. I won't be surprised to see two, maybe three teams, make the field from the MWC.

Andy Katz: Thanks for the questions. We'll chat again next week.

 

[i nasmatic i]

Davidson vs GTown tourney game is on ESPN Classic right now.

 

[jmause3]

I hope we put Henderson on Curry tomorrow night, we all know he struggles with athletic defenders. But we must also jump on them early and not even letDavidson get a glimmer of hope.

 

[scuse7]

Uconn wins big.

Too big for WVA.

 

[lnmymind]

Originally Posted by jmause3

I hope we put Henderson on Curry tomorrow night, we all know he struggles with athletic defenders. But we must also jump on them early and not even let Davidson get a glimmer of hope.

/\ he doesn't seem to be phased by any one on one defender...athletic or not. He seems to have a problem when he sees a number of athleticguys switching on him and following him around the court. In an ISO situation on the wing...I'd bet money on Steph giving anyone on Duke buckets. Now ifhe's seems a combination of long athletic guys...then he's able to be slowed down.

 

[jamesonnt]

SprungOnSports (Long Island):

hmm .. a serious college bball fan on LI? I need to find out who this is. No, it's not me.

Long Island!

 

[tmay407]

Originally Posted by JamesOnNT

SprungOnSports (Long Island):

hmm .. a serious college bball fan on LI? I need to find out who this is. No, it's not me.

Long Island!

Asking about my team too

I wonder if he has any connections...it's not very often that someone outside of Texas (or the surroundingstates) cares/thinks about A&M.

My upset of the night: Alabama over Clemson (I wanna say Ohio State over Michigan State, but I dunno...)

 

[ricardo malta]

Originally Posted by Gameover2

Originally Posted by NittanyBaller21

If a team can slow down the heels and keep the game under 80 points, it becomes quite easy to beat the heels. (See Clemson last year)

True. UNC is definitely beatable if you deny them their transition game. On a side note, they still swept Clemson last year.

No no no. UNC didn't sweep Clemson. Clemson GAVE UNC 3 games last year. You wanna talk about matchup problems, you gotta mention Clemson and BC for UNC.

 

[allen3xis]

Can't see anyone winning big in Morgantown.

I realize ND's winning streak, and the Dome's features... but that place may be the toughest in all of the Big East to go to.

 

[allen3xis]

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Edgar Sosa jumped on the table under the baseline, yelling and screaming, "This is our house."
It was almost old real estate for the Louisville guard.

Just four days after being told by Cardinals coach Rick Pitino that it would be best for him to leave theprogram, Sosa's trademark smile finally reappeared following a last-second 3-pointer that gave the Cardinals a 74-71 victory against rivalKentucky.

"If that shot was for anyone in the world, it was for him," teammate Terrence Williams said.

Sosa came in with all the hype of a typical New York City point guard and lived up to expectations as a freshman, starting all but two games and going for31 points in the Cardinals' second-round NCAA tournament game against Texas A&M.

"I was Mr. Big Shot on campus," Sosa said. "Everyone knew who I was."

Then Sosa got a major-league reality check when he struggled through most of last season. His numbers dipped and so did his confidence.

Sosa played scared for much of last season and the early part of his junior campaign this year. The swagger he had back in the Rice High days wasnon-existent.

"I was afraid to mess up," he said. "I was second-guessing myself all the time."

"I haven't had my swagger in a year and a half," Sosa added. "It's amazing how different I play with confidence and withoutit."

Sosa estimates there were 25 or so sit-downs with Pitino.

There were another handful already this season, but none prepared him for what he heard on New Year's Day.

"I told him, 'If I were you, I'd transfer out," Pitino said. "I'll help you find a fewschools that don't play any defense.'"

"He said it with no emotion," Sosa said. "He told me that there was nothing more I can do. That thefans were down on me, the coaches were down on me and I was down on myself."

Then Pitino added to the humiliation when he told the entire team about theirconversation.

"I was very embarrassed," Sosa admitted. "Guys were coming back to me and couldn't believe he said that to me."

Sosa's pride, however, wouldn't allow him to go elsewhere. He talked to his older brother, Eric, who not only told him to stick it out, but thathe'd have to change.

"I wasn't sure if he was doing it to motivate me or if he meant it," Sosa said. "Whatever the case, it got to me."

"This is where I want to be," Sosa added. "If there's something Coach P doesn't like about me and my game, I've got to changeit."

Defense was the top priority.

After deciding to stay at Louisville, Sosa found himself paired with the starters in practice and it led to a starting assignment in the game ofthe year to date.

Against the despised Kentucky Wildcats.

"I wasn't sure if he was serious or playing around," Sosa said.

Pitino has become a psychiatrist in the last couple of years after having to deal with enigmatic, over-hyped big man Derrick Caracter. His attempts attrying to straighten Caracter came up short, but Sosa responded.
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[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Rick Pitino told Louisville point guard Edgar Sosa earlier in the week that he should consider leaving the program, but the junior's 3-pointer to beat Kentucky Sunday could change that sentiment. (Garry Jones / Associated Press)[/td] [/tr][/table]
He scored 18 points, was 8-for-9 from the foul line and knocked down the trifecta after the Wildcats had come back and somehow tied the game at 71-71 with22.9 seconds left. More importantly, he remained on the floor for the final shot and logged 26 minutes due to his improved play on the defensive end.

"Definitely the biggest shot of my life," Sosa said after the locker room had been cleared following the win. "It still hasn't hit meyet."

Sosa may have saved the Cardinals' season.

Let's face it. If Louisville had squandered a seven-point lead with 40 seconds left, I'm not sure that mentally they could have rebounded.

Sosa didn't just make the most pivotal shot of his life, but also the most important one of the season. He did it in a game Louisville had to have, notonly because it came against rival Kentucky, but because of yet another slow start which included losses to Western Kentucky, Minnesota and UNLV.

"I'm not sure where I'd be right now," Sosa said. "Maybe I'd be working somewhere because I didn't really want to go anywhereelse. This is where I want to be."

And now Pitino is able to write his latest chapter on Motivation 101.

 

[shannonscrooks]

Pitino is a piece of garbage, plain and simple. I wish nothing but the worst for that +#+@ sucker.

 

[blazinjkid]

Lots of good games tonight. Fortson vs. Abrams

Cake, I said the same damn thing. Regardless of the system, Monroe is head and shoulders their best player. He's gotta touch the ball more and make theopposing defense collapse, because I have yet to see any team shut him down.

Anybody interested in picking out 5 or so games a week and seeing who has the best record from here on out? Obviously Allen would shoulder this responsibility

 

[haiti5]

why would pitinio tell a player that..

smh..those motivating techniques are redicolous

 

[seymore cake]

Originally Posted by blazinjkid

Lots of good games tonight. Fortson vs. Abrams

Cake, I said the same damn thing. Regardless of the system, Monroe is head and shoulders their best player. He's gotta touch the ball more and make the opposing defense collapse, because I have yet to see any team shut him down.

Anybody interested in picking out 5 or so games a week and seeing who has the best record from here on out? Obviously Allen would shoulder this responsibility

Yea he's a player simple and plain would've looked great in duke blue

I'm with that whole picking games situation... shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii we can go from here to the end of the tourney if y'all bout that

 

[Ruck13]

Cuse vs. Kansas 03' Title game on Espn Classic if anyone cares...

 

[proshares]

I gotta take a sec to give everyone in this thread some appreciation because I didn't follow college basketball that much before this year (outside of St.John's) but reading the knowledge in this thread has me into it

so thanks.

 

[gottagitdemjs]

Originally Posted by Killa Kyleon

Cuse vs. Kansas 03' Title game on Espn Classic if anyone cares...

Damn you Jerry Macnamara.
and
Damn our putrid free throw shooting.