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The College Basketball Post
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by allen3xis,
- Start date
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really well-balanced team.. remind me of a wisconsin squad actually.Originally Posted by JPZx
#17 Minnesota beats Wisconsin on the road
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Bryan Davis reminds me of Mars Attacks
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Originally Posted by Seymore CAKE
G... I'd during the 1st half as he was killing. Pretty much figured he'd cool off in the 2nd half and he'd get 40... but 54 (isn't that Pat's #???) Got Damnit!!!
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Originally Posted by allen3xis
Bryan Davis reminds me of Mars Attacks
Some Baylor fan posted that same comment (minus the picture) on one of the A&M boards before the game the other day. It's so true, too. He was in oneof my classes last semester...his personality is almost as goofy as he looks...
And BJ Holmes looks exactly like Shelden Williams:
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UCLA getting better
i think we found our 4 (drags). edit: frosh arelooking better and once Bobo gets in shape, he's gonna beast
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zona is hot #@%$@*@ TRASH
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UNC did win big but Landesberg was MIA. Was expecting a good outing from him too.
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Originally Posted by DaComeUP
First BE win tonight. Held Rosario below his average, and got big games from Deonta Vaughn and Mike Williams. Looks like we built upon the UCONN game and hopefully we can run off a string of wins here with Depaul, Providence, and St.John's on the road before hosting G'Town in two weeks. With a young team like this it'll be hard to win three straight on the road though.
I know I'm late but that was a great win. I we can just get those next three games then we'd be really rolling with G'Town coming in.
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Soooooo... Hansbush had shot 15 free throws with 17 left in the 2nd half... I started watching the wire after that stat, couldn't stomach that piss anymore
They don't even touch this sissy
They don't even touch this sissy
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Soooooo... Hansbush had shot 15 free throws with 17 left in the 2nd half... I started watching the wire after that stat, couldn't stomach that piss anymore
They don't even touch this sissy half the time
They don't even touch this sissy half the time
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Yeah IDK what happened there .. dude was absent the entire game.
Danny Green really is underrated, man. Dude does everything on the court.
Tomorrow =
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[h2]Lance Wants to Bring St. John's Back
Posted on Jan 15, 2009 11:52 pm[/h2]
NEW YORK -- Fresh offscoring 38 points in Lincoln's victory over Transit Tech Thursday night, Lance Stephenson arrived a little late for the UConn-St.John's game at Madison Square Garden.
But the 6-foot-5 senior guard liked what he saw.
"This was a good game," Stephenson said in a Garden hallway after the No. 4 Huskies downed the Johnnies, 67-55, behind 21points from former Rice High School star Kemba Walker.
"They played against Connecticut. It was real tough. I think if I come here I could change that around. We would win that game."
Stephenson, the No. 1 senior in the nation according to the Hoop Scoop, did not commit during the fall signing period and will wait until the spring toannounce his college choice.
"I'm just looking at it right now," Stephenson said of his college options. "I see a lot of games on TV. I've been watching UCLA,Kansas, St. John's and Memphis."
Asked if he was considering No. 1 Pitt, Stephenson said, "No, no, no." Pitt associate head coach Tom Herrion attended a recentLincoln game.
As Stephenson stood outside the St. John's locker room and was greeted by various people, he sure sounded like he was thinking seriously about playingfor the Red Storm.
"I think if I come here I could bring New York back, that would be a good look for me and St. John's," Stephenson said. "I love playingin the Garden, the bright lights, the fire comes out of me so I'm ready for all challenges."
Still, he's keeping his options open.
"It's wherever is best for my family," Stephenson said. "We're just going to work it out after the season and see what we can do.After the season ends, I'm going to decide."
Stephenson could well be a one-and-done before heading to the NBA.
"Right now I'm focused on my team and college," Stephenson said. "And after that, hopefully the NBA."
Stephenson's first goal, however, is to lead the Railsplitters to their fourth straight PSAL championship at the Garden this March.
"That's very important," he said. "I would break history if I do that."
Posted on Jan 15, 2009 11:52 pm[/h2]
NEW YORK -- Fresh offscoring 38 points in Lincoln's victory over Transit Tech Thursday night, Lance Stephenson arrived a little late for the UConn-St.John's game at Madison Square Garden.But the 6-foot-5 senior guard liked what he saw.
"This was a good game," Stephenson said in a Garden hallway after the No. 4 Huskies downed the Johnnies, 67-55, behind 21points from former Rice High School star Kemba Walker.
"They played against Connecticut. It was real tough. I think if I come here I could change that around. We would win that game."
Stephenson, the No. 1 senior in the nation according to the Hoop Scoop, did not commit during the fall signing period and will wait until the spring toannounce his college choice.
"I'm just looking at it right now," Stephenson said of his college options. "I see a lot of games on TV. I've been watching UCLA,Kansas, St. John's and Memphis."
Asked if he was considering No. 1 Pitt, Stephenson said, "No, no, no." Pitt associate head coach Tom Herrion attended a recentLincoln game.
As Stephenson stood outside the St. John's locker room and was greeted by various people, he sure sounded like he was thinking seriously about playingfor the Red Storm.
"I think if I come here I could bring New York back, that would be a good look for me and St. John's," Stephenson said. "I love playingin the Garden, the bright lights, the fire comes out of me so I'm ready for all challenges."
Still, he's keeping his options open.
"It's wherever is best for my family," Stephenson said. "We're just going to work it out after the season and see what we can do.After the season ends, I'm going to decide."
Stephenson could well be a one-and-done before heading to the NBA.
"Right now I'm focused on my team and college," Stephenson said. "And after that, hopefully the NBA."
Stephenson's first goal, however, is to lead the Railsplitters to their fourth straight PSAL championship at the Garden this March.
"That's very important," he said. "I would break history if I do that."
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Halfway to Selection Sunday
Thursday, January 15, 2009 | Print Entry
Posted by Joe Lunardi
The countdowns are officially underway ...
• Five days until the presidential inauguration.
• Four weeks until pitchers and catchers report.
• Three days until the Eagles win a berth in the Super Bowl.
• And exactly two months until Selection Sunday.
That's right, we've just reached the symbolic halfway point of the college basketball season. It's been two months since the mid-November tip off and only two months remain until the next NCAA tournament field is revealed.
So here's what inquiring minds want to know ...
OK, I'm trying to wrap my head around Xavier being a No. 4 seed in the latest Bracketology and Butler a No. 7 seed. I know that head-to-head really doesn't mean too much when selecting the field; the committee looks at the entire season, not one game, so just saying Butler beat Xavier at Xavier isn't the best argument. I don't even disagree with Xavier being a No. 4, it's Butler being a No. 7 I have the problem with.
Let's take the name Butler off the following stats for a minute (data as of Jan. 12)
Record: 13-1
RPI: No. 5
SOS: No. 39
Road/Neutral Record: 6-1
Conference RPI: No. 11
Record vs. 1-25: 1-0 (Win @Xavier)
Record vs. 26-50: 2-1 (Wins: H-Evansville, H-UAB; Loss @Ohio St.)
Record vs. 51-100: 4-0 (Wins: H-Northwestern, @Drake, @Cleveland St., @Bradley)
Record vs. 101-343: 6-0
If this team was from one of the big six conferences (say Baylor, who you have as a No. 6 seed with far less impressive wins/numbers), is there any way this team does not get a top four seed? As far as conference strength goes, the Horizon (No. 11) really isn't that different than the Atlantic 10 (No. 9).
I always thought that Bracketology was supposed to be a snapshot of how the tournament would be right now, not a forward projection. But a forward projection, and projecting Butler's numbers to go down, is the only way you can put them at No. 7.
Mike Dayton, Ohio
We differ, Mike, perhaps because of an overemphasis on your part on these early-season RPI numbers. There are outliers in any ranking system, and they are especially pronounced with no more than half a season (and very few conference games) played in most cases.
Can we agree that Butler is not the fifth-best team in the country? You seem more than reasonable, so I'm going to assume it's not a question between us that the RPI is overrating the Bulldogs at this point.
Can we also agree that Butler's only win to date over a near-certain NCAA team was the extremely impressive performance at Xavier? Even giving you UAB and Bradley as wins over potential bubble teams, I don't think Butler's nonconference résumé stacks up to Xavier.
The Musketeers have beaten teams from the Big 12 (Missouri), Conference USA (Memphis), ACC (Virginia and Virginia Tech), SEC (Auburn) and Big East (Cincinnati). And only the Auburn game was at home. Baylor's non-league profile isn't at Xavier's level, but it still includes victories over Arizona State and Providence on a neutral court and another win at Washington State.
As noted in this space last week, I also pay close attention -- especially for seeding -- to ASM (Adjusted Scoring Margin) data. ASM is more indicative of a team's overall quality, at least until conference standings help us sort out such things.
For the three teams in question -- Xavier (+15.63 ppg), Baylor (+16.74 ppg) and Butler (+9.75 ppg) -- it's pretty clear which two have been more dominant. Another respected rating system, Ken Pomeroy, has Xavier at No. 23, Baylor at No. 28 and Butler at No. 34.
I've learned the hard way that the selection committee looks at a whole lot more than RPI numbers. It's a lesson that bears repeating.
Mr. Lunardi,
First, I always look through your weekly updated bracket projection. My question is: Do you, like the NCAA committee members, look at your bracket at the end and say, wow, look at these first-round matchups?
In this week's newest version you have:
• Minnesota vs. Kentucky (Tubby Smith versus his former team)
• West Virginia vs. Michigan (John Beilein versus his former team)
• Illinois vs. Illinois State
• Davidson vs. St. Mary's (Stephen Curry vs. Patty Mills)
• California vs. San Diego State
• Marquette vs. Bradley (two of the top Midwestern private schools without football)
I believe, like the committee, you don't manipulate the bracket for matchups like these examples. But, say you were right, I just [have to] think CBS would pay you as a committee consultant if they could get matchups like that every year.
Thank you for your time, Matthew Stevens
First of all, Matthew, I doubt the good folks at ESPN would be real happy with yours truly also collecting a check from CBS. Having said that, you're dead on in noting some of the incredible first-round pairings that found their way into this week's bracket. And you're also one of the few who seems to recognize that such pairings, when they do occur, really are coincidental.
I am 100 percent certain the committee does not manipulate the bracket for television purposes. It's too hard to follow all the bracketing principles and procedures as is -- and it's going to be harder still if and when the Big East gets more bids than there are subregionals -- for the committee to play matchmaker.
The reality is that, when you have an event with 65 games, great story lines take care of themselves. So, thankfully, the NCAA tourney is rarely lacking when it comes to producing compelling television. And you didn't even list my favorite matchup in the current bracket.
How about North Carolina versus supercharged VMI? First team to 125 wins!
Joe,
As a native Philadelphian who now resides here in Durham, N.C., I have to laugh when all of you in the national media start ranking teams and matching them in brackets when never seeing most of them play.
Every year my buddy and I go to Maui for what is still the best preseason tournament in college basketball. We tried to catch up with you during this last tournament, but unfortunately we didn't.
Now please tell me that you have seen, in person, a better team than North Carolina? The reason I ask is that it is amazing to me that anyone in the national media that has watched Duke in person can ever have them in the top five. Even Duke fans here in Durham are surprised.
I have been lucky enough to watch both Duke (six times) and UNC (seven times) in person and, from a pretty knowledgeable college basketball fan, there is no comparison. Yet, Duke is No. 2 in the country, a No. 1 seed in your early-season bracket, and UNC is not?
I guess my point here is see the teams if you can and don't go by just the name alone. Make some of these teams earn the accolades you give them.
By the way, you heard it here first: Duke goes out in the second round or maybe slips into the third. You don't win championships playing a seven-man rotation and that's all Coach K does. Watch the box scores this year. I think you'll be surprised.
Otherwise, keep up the great work. We really enjoy seeing who you pick from week to week.
S.D. King Durham, NC
Now we're having fun, S.D., so let's also have at it. In no particular order, here are my responses:
• When watching North Carolina in Maui, I thought they were the best college team I'd seen since the Laettner-Hurley-Hill teams at Duke in the early 1990s. These Heels were (and might actually be) that good.
• Arguably the best thing about our sport is that what you or I or any other "expert" thinks doesn't matter. Teams aren't selected or seeded for the NCAA tournament based on opinions as much as outcomes. This is a meritocracy, not the BCS.
• If Carolina regains its Maui form (and I'm guessing the Heels will), UNC will be a No. 1 seed and quite likely the No. 1 overall seed in March. If they stumble around in disinterested fashion, as was the case against Boston College, or fail to get key (any?) stops as we saw against Wake Forest and in last year's Final Four, well, maybe this isn't the latest "best team ever" after all.
• It's fairly common in sports for teams to underachieve relative to their potential (or at least what we might think their potential to be). North Carolina's two losses have put a dent in some of the expectations for this team and, more importantly, have reopened the national championship picture.
• Bottom line: No. 1 seeds are not predetermined, but earned. I didn't drop the Tar Heels off the top line of the bracket; they did it to themselves.
P.S. I seem to remember watching a very, very good North Carolina team in the 1998 Final Four in San Antonio. Basically a team that played six guys. Just saying...
Thursday, January 15, 2009 | Print Entry
Posted by Joe Lunardi
The countdowns are officially underway ...
• Five days until the presidential inauguration.
• Four weeks until pitchers and catchers report.
• Three days until the Eagles win a berth in the Super Bowl.
• And exactly two months until Selection Sunday.
That's right, we've just reached the symbolic halfway point of the college basketball season. It's been two months since the mid-November tip off and only two months remain until the next NCAA tournament field is revealed.
So here's what inquiring minds want to know ...
OK, I'm trying to wrap my head around Xavier being a No. 4 seed in the latest Bracketology and Butler a No. 7 seed. I know that head-to-head really doesn't mean too much when selecting the field; the committee looks at the entire season, not one game, so just saying Butler beat Xavier at Xavier isn't the best argument. I don't even disagree with Xavier being a No. 4, it's Butler being a No. 7 I have the problem with.
Let's take the name Butler off the following stats for a minute (data as of Jan. 12)
Record: 13-1
RPI: No. 5
SOS: No. 39
Road/Neutral Record: 6-1
Conference RPI: No. 11
Record vs. 1-25: 1-0 (Win @Xavier)
Record vs. 26-50: 2-1 (Wins: H-Evansville, H-UAB; Loss @Ohio St.)
Record vs. 51-100: 4-0 (Wins: H-Northwestern, @Drake, @Cleveland St., @Bradley)
Record vs. 101-343: 6-0
If this team was from one of the big six conferences (say Baylor, who you have as a No. 6 seed with far less impressive wins/numbers), is there any way this team does not get a top four seed? As far as conference strength goes, the Horizon (No. 11) really isn't that different than the Atlantic 10 (No. 9).
I always thought that Bracketology was supposed to be a snapshot of how the tournament would be right now, not a forward projection. But a forward projection, and projecting Butler's numbers to go down, is the only way you can put them at No. 7.
Mike Dayton, Ohio
We differ, Mike, perhaps because of an overemphasis on your part on these early-season RPI numbers. There are outliers in any ranking system, and they are especially pronounced with no more than half a season (and very few conference games) played in most cases.
Can we agree that Butler is not the fifth-best team in the country? You seem more than reasonable, so I'm going to assume it's not a question between us that the RPI is overrating the Bulldogs at this point.
Can we also agree that Butler's only win to date over a near-certain NCAA team was the extremely impressive performance at Xavier? Even giving you UAB and Bradley as wins over potential bubble teams, I don't think Butler's nonconference résumé stacks up to Xavier.
The Musketeers have beaten teams from the Big 12 (Missouri), Conference USA (Memphis), ACC (Virginia and Virginia Tech), SEC (Auburn) and Big East (Cincinnati). And only the Auburn game was at home. Baylor's non-league profile isn't at Xavier's level, but it still includes victories over Arizona State and Providence on a neutral court and another win at Washington State.
As noted in this space last week, I also pay close attention -- especially for seeding -- to ASM (Adjusted Scoring Margin) data. ASM is more indicative of a team's overall quality, at least until conference standings help us sort out such things.
For the three teams in question -- Xavier (+15.63 ppg), Baylor (+16.74 ppg) and Butler (+9.75 ppg) -- it's pretty clear which two have been more dominant. Another respected rating system, Ken Pomeroy, has Xavier at No. 23, Baylor at No. 28 and Butler at No. 34.
I've learned the hard way that the selection committee looks at a whole lot more than RPI numbers. It's a lesson that bears repeating.
Mr. Lunardi,
First, I always look through your weekly updated bracket projection. My question is: Do you, like the NCAA committee members, look at your bracket at the end and say, wow, look at these first-round matchups?
In this week's newest version you have:
• Minnesota vs. Kentucky (Tubby Smith versus his former team)
• West Virginia vs. Michigan (John Beilein versus his former team)
• Illinois vs. Illinois State
• Davidson vs. St. Mary's (Stephen Curry vs. Patty Mills)
• California vs. San Diego State
• Marquette vs. Bradley (two of the top Midwestern private schools without football)
I believe, like the committee, you don't manipulate the bracket for matchups like these examples. But, say you were right, I just [have to] think CBS would pay you as a committee consultant if they could get matchups like that every year.
Thank you for your time, Matthew Stevens
First of all, Matthew, I doubt the good folks at ESPN would be real happy with yours truly also collecting a check from CBS. Having said that, you're dead on in noting some of the incredible first-round pairings that found their way into this week's bracket. And you're also one of the few who seems to recognize that such pairings, when they do occur, really are coincidental.
I am 100 percent certain the committee does not manipulate the bracket for television purposes. It's too hard to follow all the bracketing principles and procedures as is -- and it's going to be harder still if and when the Big East gets more bids than there are subregionals -- for the committee to play matchmaker.
The reality is that, when you have an event with 65 games, great story lines take care of themselves. So, thankfully, the NCAA tourney is rarely lacking when it comes to producing compelling television. And you didn't even list my favorite matchup in the current bracket.
How about North Carolina versus supercharged VMI? First team to 125 wins!
Joe,
As a native Philadelphian who now resides here in Durham, N.C., I have to laugh when all of you in the national media start ranking teams and matching them in brackets when never seeing most of them play.
Every year my buddy and I go to Maui for what is still the best preseason tournament in college basketball. We tried to catch up with you during this last tournament, but unfortunately we didn't.
Now please tell me that you have seen, in person, a better team than North Carolina? The reason I ask is that it is amazing to me that anyone in the national media that has watched Duke in person can ever have them in the top five. Even Duke fans here in Durham are surprised.
I have been lucky enough to watch both Duke (six times) and UNC (seven times) in person and, from a pretty knowledgeable college basketball fan, there is no comparison. Yet, Duke is No. 2 in the country, a No. 1 seed in your early-season bracket, and UNC is not?
I guess my point here is see the teams if you can and don't go by just the name alone. Make some of these teams earn the accolades you give them.
By the way, you heard it here first: Duke goes out in the second round or maybe slips into the third. You don't win championships playing a seven-man rotation and that's all Coach K does. Watch the box scores this year. I think you'll be surprised.
Otherwise, keep up the great work. We really enjoy seeing who you pick from week to week.
S.D. King Durham, NC
Now we're having fun, S.D., so let's also have at it. In no particular order, here are my responses:
• When watching North Carolina in Maui, I thought they were the best college team I'd seen since the Laettner-Hurley-Hill teams at Duke in the early 1990s. These Heels were (and might actually be) that good.
• Arguably the best thing about our sport is that what you or I or any other "expert" thinks doesn't matter. Teams aren't selected or seeded for the NCAA tournament based on opinions as much as outcomes. This is a meritocracy, not the BCS.
• If Carolina regains its Maui form (and I'm guessing the Heels will), UNC will be a No. 1 seed and quite likely the No. 1 overall seed in March. If they stumble around in disinterested fashion, as was the case against Boston College, or fail to get key (any?) stops as we saw against Wake Forest and in last year's Final Four, well, maybe this isn't the latest "best team ever" after all.
• It's fairly common in sports for teams to underachieve relative to their potential (or at least what we might think their potential to be). North Carolina's two losses have put a dent in some of the expectations for this team and, more importantly, have reopened the national championship picture.
• Bottom line: No. 1 seeds are not predetermined, but earned. I didn't drop the Tar Heels off the top line of the bracket; they did it to themselves.
P.S. I seem to remember watching a very, very good North Carolina team in the 1998 Final Four in San Antonio. Basically a team that played six guys. Just saying...
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Thanks
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The UNC game made me want to vomit. I've never seen a game in person officiated like that. But we also played terribly, meaning we weren't going to winanyways. It just eats at me that Hansborough gets EVERY call. I also find it funny how he backs away from any contact near the rim when he is on defense. Idon't know why he bothers, he doesn't get called for anything that isn't a blatant foul.
Landesberg scored the first basket and didn't score again
. Hedidn't get any of the calls he normally does when he drives to the hoop, which really deterred him from doing what he does best. He passed out of a lot ofplays where he would normally drive.
We suck. No surprise.
Landesberg scored the first basket and didn't score again
We suck. No surprise.
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It's ironic that they use the USA picture and the article is about him bringing St. Johns back.Originally Posted by allen3xis
[h2]Lance Wants to Bring St. John's Back
Posted on Jan 15, 2009 11:52 pm[/h2]
But the 6-foot-5 senior guard liked what he saw.
"This was a good game," Stephenson said in a Garden hallway after the No. 4 Huskies downed the Johnnies, 67-55, behind 21 points from former Rice High School star Kemba Walker.
"They played against Connecticut. It was real tough. I think if I come here I could change that around. We would win that game."
Stephenson, the No. 1 senior in the nation according to the Hoop Scoop, did not commit during the fall signing period and will wait until the spring to announce his college choice.
"I'm just looking at it right now," Stephenson said of his college options. "I see a lot of games on TV. I've been watching UCLA, Kansas, St. John's and Memphis."
Asked if he was considering No. 1 Pitt, Stephenson said, "No, no, no." Pitt associate head coach Tom Herrion attended a recent Lincoln game.
As Stephenson stood outside the St. John's locker room and was greeted by various people, he sure sounded like he was thinking seriously about playing for the Red Storm.
"I think if I come here I could bring New York back, that would be a good look for me and St. John's," Stephenson said. "I love playing in the Garden, the bright lights, the fire comes out of me so I'm ready for all challenges."
Still, he's keeping his options open.
"It's wherever is best for my family," Stephenson said. "We're just going to work it out after the season and see what we can do. After the season ends, I'm going to decide."
Stephenson could well be a one-and-done before heading to the NBA.
"Right now I'm focused on my team and college," Stephenson said. "And after that, hopefully the NBA."
Stephenson's first goal, however, is to lead the Railsplitters to their fourth straight PSAL championship at the Garden this March.
"That's very important," he said. "I would break history if I do that."
Did ol boy even take his SATs yet?
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UNC finally won a conference game!
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[font=Arial, Helvetica]The NCAA voted Thursday to classify seventh-graders as "prospects" that can be recruited.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]In a related note, college coaches plan to start recruiting fifth-graders, ASAP.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica][/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Let's do the Friday Look Ahead ...[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Game worth flying to see in person: The problem with making WakeForest-Clemson the "game worth flying to see in person" is that Clemson isn't the easiest place to reach by plane. Infact, it's best to just fly to Atlanta and drive to Clemson, which is why I'm taking that route for Saturday's showdown between the undefeated andsecond-ranked Demon Deacons and undefeated and 10th-ranked Tigers. Thus, let's make this the "game worth flying (and driving) to see in person,"and it really is worth all that, because it should be great considering it'll be a game that either secures additional first-place votes for Wake Forest orlegitimizes Clemson to all its doubters.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Game worth driving to see in person: I imagine John Thompson III woke up at some point this week,thought about his schedule and internally debated whether or not he's crazy. First, the Georgetown coach did the Old Spice Classic. Thenhe played Memphis. Then he began one of the toughest league schedules in history. And now he has to play Saturday's non-conference game atDuke, which is about as fun as US Airways flight1549.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Game worth watching on TV: Despite all the early season troubles at Louisville, theCards are now 12-3 heading into their showdown with top-ranked Pittsburgh, and that's actually better than this time last season when theywere 12-4 with losses to BYU, Dayton, Purdue and Cincinnati. Because I seem to remember that turning out OK, I think it's fair to assume this will turn outOK, too. But we'll know a lot more Saturday night, and almost regardless of what happens it seems the Cards are worthy of returning to the Top 25 (andone).[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica][/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Some non-BCS love: The MVC Shuffle has taken off, now up to nearly 22,000 views on YouTube. And if you're curioushow this stuff happens, well, I've got the information, courtesy of Bobby Parker, Bradley's fine SID.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Turns out, the Bradley Braves (booster) Club annually hosts a preseason gala, i.e., a formal dinner that draws around600 people. Longtime radio play-by-play man Dave Snell, a former TV anchor, produces a couple of videos each year to be played during the program. One is astandard highlight video and the other is usually a fun piece. This year, the fun piece is obviously the MVC Shuffle, and because it was so well-received coachJim Les decided to make DVD copies and sell them with all proceeds to benefit the Danny Dahlquist Memorial Scholarship Fund. Dahlquist, you might remember, wasthe Bradley soccer player who died in a house fire in August 2007.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]So if you dig the video and are interested in helping a good cause, buy the disk from the school and MVC Shuffleuntil you can't MVC Shuffle any longer. Beyond that, Bradley is playing Southern Illinois on Sunday. The Braves enter with a 5-1 leaguerecord, which has allowed them to shuffle their way to the top of the MVC standings.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]An obvious prediction: Seton Hall (9-7 overall, 0-4 in the Big East),DePaul (8-9 overall, 0-4 in the Big East) and Rutgers (9-9 overall, 0-5 in the Big East) are trapped at the bottom of the BigEast standings, all winless in the league and buried in hopeless situations. And so the obvious prediction this week is that none of the teams will notch theirfirst league victory this weekend because A) Seton Hall is at No. 4 Connecticut, B) DePaul is playing Cincinnati, whichisn't great but clearly better than DePaul, and C) Rutgers is enjoying a weekend off before it moves to 0-6 in the Big East next week after losing toLouisville.[/font]
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[font=Arial, Helvetica]A crazy prediction (but it might happen anyway): Is it wise to take a school that has never made theNCAA tournament against a man who made 10 consecutive NCAA tournaments at Kentucky before moving to Minnesota, where he has his 18th-rankedGophers off to a 16-1 start? Honestly, it probably isn't; sounds crazy as hell. But I'm doing it anyway. Why? Because I'm crazy, that's why. Sogive me Northwestern over Minnesota .... straaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaight up! And if I hit this one Sunday it'll prove I'm smartenough to enroll at Northwestern, which wasn't actually the case when I was looking at colleges way back when.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Player trying to keep rolling: Dennis Felton lost in-state star Derrick Favors to in-state rivalGeorgia Tech on Wednesday, and as if that wasn't bad enough, now the Georgia coach has to deal with Kentucky star JodieMeeks, who will be on the court for the first time since dropping 54 on Tennessee. Even worse, Meeks is from Norcross, Ga., and there's nothing quite likea coach on the hot seat missing on a big-time recruit in the same week that an in-state product posts a 54-point game for a league rival. In other words, theseare not good times for Felton, the loser of four consecutive games.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Player trying to get rolling: James Harden was held to a career-low four points Thursday night atSouthern California, and his reward is a Saturday matchup with a Ben Howland-coached team. Congrats, James! And good luck getting back on track, because if youdon't your 16th-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils have no chance of winning at ninth-ranked UCLA on Saturday, not unlessDerek Glasser turns into Jodie Meeks, and I'm not counting on that.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Three things you should know before you go[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]1. I know it gets redundant, but another example of how tough the Big East is this season comescourtesy of Saturday's Notre Dame-Syracuse game at the Carrier Dome. Consider: Both teams are ranked in the top 12 ...and coming off losses.[/font]
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[font=Arial, Helvetica]2. Texas A&M might not have played a bunch of powers in November and December,but the Aggies are making up for it now. They're coming off a win over No. 21 Baylor heading into Saturday's game with No. 6 Oklahoma.After that, they're at reigning national champion Kansas, then at No. 11 Texas.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]3. I'm not sure why the AP poll and Coaches poll aren't ranking Illinois,because I've been doing it for weeks, and it seems smart given that Bruce Weber's team is now 15-2 with wins over No. 19 Purdue, No. 25 Michigan,Vanderbilt and Missouri; the Illini's lone losses are to No. 9 Clemson and at No. 25 Michigan. So that's a pretty impressive body of work, andit'll become way more impressive Saturday if Illinois can win at No. 7 Michigan State (although I'll be ranking the Illini again comeSunday night, win or lose.)[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Final thought: I'm not from the Bay Area, so I won't pretend to perfectly grasp whatit's like for Mike Montgomery to be returning to Stanford as the California coach. But as an outsider, I can tell you, itseems wild that there would be anything but respect for the man who took the Cardinal program to incredible heights and left only to pursue life in theNBA.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Remember, Montgomery didn't leave Stanford for California. He left Stanford for the NBA, got fired and then tookthe best job available last offseason. Hard to blame the guy for doing that. So if Stanford fans insist on being angry, I'd suggest they limit their angerto the idea that California seems destined to pass Stanford in terms of Pac-10 relevance. But I wouldn't be too upset with Montgomery as a person becausethe only reason Stanford was ever relevant in the first place was because Montgomery took the school to 12 NCAA tournaments in 18 seasons before leaving forGolden State in May 2004, which is a remarkable statistic when you consider that before Montgomery the school had not made the NCAA tournament since1942.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]In a related note, college coaches plan to start recruiting fifth-graders, ASAP.[/font]
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[font=Arial, Helvetica]Let's do the Friday Look Ahead ...[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Game worth flying to see in person: The problem with making WakeForest-Clemson the "game worth flying to see in person" is that Clemson isn't the easiest place to reach by plane. Infact, it's best to just fly to Atlanta and drive to Clemson, which is why I'm taking that route for Saturday's showdown between the undefeated andsecond-ranked Demon Deacons and undefeated and 10th-ranked Tigers. Thus, let's make this the "game worth flying (and driving) to see in person,"and it really is worth all that, because it should be great considering it'll be a game that either secures additional first-place votes for Wake Forest orlegitimizes Clemson to all its doubters.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Game worth driving to see in person: I imagine John Thompson III woke up at some point this week,thought about his schedule and internally debated whether or not he's crazy. First, the Georgetown coach did the Old Spice Classic. Thenhe played Memphis. Then he began one of the toughest league schedules in history. And now he has to play Saturday's non-conference game atDuke, which is about as fun as US Airways flight1549.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Game worth watching on TV: Despite all the early season troubles at Louisville, theCards are now 12-3 heading into their showdown with top-ranked Pittsburgh, and that's actually better than this time last season when theywere 12-4 with losses to BYU, Dayton, Purdue and Cincinnati. Because I seem to remember that turning out OK, I think it's fair to assume this will turn outOK, too. But we'll know a lot more Saturday night, and almost regardless of what happens it seems the Cards are worthy of returning to the Top 25 (andone).[/font]
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[font=Arial, Helvetica]Some non-BCS love: The MVC Shuffle has taken off, now up to nearly 22,000 views on YouTube. And if you're curioushow this stuff happens, well, I've got the information, courtesy of Bobby Parker, Bradley's fine SID.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Turns out, the Bradley Braves (booster) Club annually hosts a preseason gala, i.e., a formal dinner that draws around600 people. Longtime radio play-by-play man Dave Snell, a former TV anchor, produces a couple of videos each year to be played during the program. One is astandard highlight video and the other is usually a fun piece. This year, the fun piece is obviously the MVC Shuffle, and because it was so well-received coachJim Les decided to make DVD copies and sell them with all proceeds to benefit the Danny Dahlquist Memorial Scholarship Fund. Dahlquist, you might remember, wasthe Bradley soccer player who died in a house fire in August 2007.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]So if you dig the video and are interested in helping a good cause, buy the disk from the school and MVC Shuffleuntil you can't MVC Shuffle any longer. Beyond that, Bradley is playing Southern Illinois on Sunday. The Braves enter with a 5-1 leaguerecord, which has allowed them to shuffle their way to the top of the MVC standings.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]An obvious prediction: Seton Hall (9-7 overall, 0-4 in the Big East),DePaul (8-9 overall, 0-4 in the Big East) and Rutgers (9-9 overall, 0-5 in the Big East) are trapped at the bottom of the BigEast standings, all winless in the league and buried in hopeless situations. And so the obvious prediction this week is that none of the teams will notch theirfirst league victory this weekend because A) Seton Hall is at No. 4 Connecticut, B) DePaul is playing Cincinnati, whichisn't great but clearly better than DePaul, and C) Rutgers is enjoying a weekend off before it moves to 0-6 in the Big East next week after losing toLouisville.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica][/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]A crazy prediction (but it might happen anyway): Is it wise to take a school that has never made theNCAA tournament against a man who made 10 consecutive NCAA tournaments at Kentucky before moving to Minnesota, where he has his 18th-rankedGophers off to a 16-1 start? Honestly, it probably isn't; sounds crazy as hell. But I'm doing it anyway. Why? Because I'm crazy, that's why. Sogive me Northwestern over Minnesota .... straaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaight up! And if I hit this one Sunday it'll prove I'm smartenough to enroll at Northwestern, which wasn't actually the case when I was looking at colleges way back when.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Player trying to keep rolling: Dennis Felton lost in-state star Derrick Favors to in-state rivalGeorgia Tech on Wednesday, and as if that wasn't bad enough, now the Georgia coach has to deal with Kentucky star JodieMeeks, who will be on the court for the first time since dropping 54 on Tennessee. Even worse, Meeks is from Norcross, Ga., and there's nothing quite likea coach on the hot seat missing on a big-time recruit in the same week that an in-state product posts a 54-point game for a league rival. In other words, theseare not good times for Felton, the loser of four consecutive games.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Player trying to get rolling: James Harden was held to a career-low four points Thursday night atSouthern California, and his reward is a Saturday matchup with a Ben Howland-coached team. Congrats, James! And good luck getting back on track, because if youdon't your 16th-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils have no chance of winning at ninth-ranked UCLA on Saturday, not unlessDerek Glasser turns into Jodie Meeks, and I'm not counting on that.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Three things you should know before you go[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]1. I know it gets redundant, but another example of how tough the Big East is this season comescourtesy of Saturday's Notre Dame-Syracuse game at the Carrier Dome. Consider: Both teams are ranked in the top 12 ...and coming off losses.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica][/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]2. Texas A&M might not have played a bunch of powers in November and December,but the Aggies are making up for it now. They're coming off a win over No. 21 Baylor heading into Saturday's game with No. 6 Oklahoma.After that, they're at reigning national champion Kansas, then at No. 11 Texas.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]3. I'm not sure why the AP poll and Coaches poll aren't ranking Illinois,because I've been doing it for weeks, and it seems smart given that Bruce Weber's team is now 15-2 with wins over No. 19 Purdue, No. 25 Michigan,Vanderbilt and Missouri; the Illini's lone losses are to No. 9 Clemson and at No. 25 Michigan. So that's a pretty impressive body of work, andit'll become way more impressive Saturday if Illinois can win at No. 7 Michigan State (although I'll be ranking the Illini again comeSunday night, win or lose.)[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Final thought: I'm not from the Bay Area, so I won't pretend to perfectly grasp whatit's like for Mike Montgomery to be returning to Stanford as the California coach. But as an outsider, I can tell you, itseems wild that there would be anything but respect for the man who took the Cardinal program to incredible heights and left only to pursue life in theNBA.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Remember, Montgomery didn't leave Stanford for California. He left Stanford for the NBA, got fired and then tookthe best job available last offseason. Hard to blame the guy for doing that. So if Stanford fans insist on being angry, I'd suggest they limit their angerto the idea that California seems destined to pass Stanford in terms of Pac-10 relevance. But I wouldn't be too upset with Montgomery as a person becausethe only reason Stanford was ever relevant in the first place was because Montgomery took the school to 12 NCAA tournaments in 18 seasons before leaving forGolden State in May 2004, which is a remarkable statistic when you consider that before Montgomery the school had not made the NCAA tournament since1942.[/font]
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How 'bout the Golden Gophers? They remind me of that magical Final Four team led by Bobby Jackson. I wonder...
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Damn we locked Harden up.
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Stepehnson still ain't take 'em I think. Dude's a dummy but I honestly think it's the Johnnies or overseas for him.
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Don't worry, you might get Renardo Sidney.Originally Posted by DaJoka004
The UNC game made me want to vomit. I've never seen a game in person officiated like that. But we also played terribly, meaning we weren't going to win anyways. It just eats at me that Hansborough gets EVERY call. I also find it funny how he backs away from any contact near the rim when he is on defense. I don't know why he bothers, he doesn't get called for anything that isn't a blatant foul.
Landesberg scored the first basket and didn't score again. He didn't get any of the calls he normally does when he drives to the hoop, which really deterred him from doing what he does best. He passed out of a lot of plays where he would normally drive.
We suck. No surprise.
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Watch out for my dude Mike Davis at Illinois...making noise this year
