The College Basketball Post

[scuse7]

Yea we better know not to sleep on them. There not bad at all and we are a 1 point underdog

 

[blazinjkid]

I'm gonna have to give the slight edge to Wake at home. Henderson is the reason Duke has looked so good recently, and Wake definitely has the athleticismto match (

if this turns into a Henderson vs. Johnson dunk contest). Outside of Teague, I think Duke can match up pretty evenly. If Duke shoots well, theycan obviously beat anybody...I think Wake is just too aggressive in the end. Duke relies on their D heavily and they always seem to have trouble with highscoring teams like Wake.

All I know is I'm definitely skipping my 5:30 class to watch that $*#$

 

[jamesonnt]

wake ftw at home.

 

[allen3xis]

Wake does match up well...Johnson/Singler should be great.

McFarland > Zoubek

I think both teams struggle offensively because of how good both defenses are.

..
G'Town/Cincy still appears to be on

 

[dacomeup]

I'm hearing that the roads are horrible in Cincinnati, but I wouldn't expect them to cancel it unless it gets progressively worse. Expect like 5,000fans though

.

Miami has been the biggest disappointment to me.

Give me Wake, Pitt, and Providence.

 

[superofficial]

Taking Wake as well.

 

[rellnye]

Cuse only has 6 for tonight. Onuaku might not play and Rautins is out. Ongeneat who played 1 minute in the last 3 games will be starting.

I have Wake over Duke tonight.

Miami is the most disappointing team so far this year.

 

[jville819]

Toney Douglas about to +%%% on Ty tonight. I still think the Heels will win but if Leonard pressures and Toney guards Ty the whole game he is gonna have sometrouble

 

[N41D]

Can't go against Wake at home tonight...

Just think they're a tough matchup for Duke... They're so damn big...

 

[scuse7]

I love Wakes big men.

Mookie Jones out for the year. We got the injury bug all of a sudden.

You guys really expected that much from Miami? I never thought they were as good as people made them out.

 

[seymore cake]

As often it seems as tho I'm pissin into the wind when we play these type of games...


Duke by 6 as K, Singler, and G get it done again.

 

[Retroballer]

A Duke loss, is always a good loss.
Wake by 7

 

[allen3xis]

Frank Haith and Anthony Grant are supposed to be 2 top candidates for Bama.


• Notre Dame is in trouble -- as in making the NCAA tournament. Yes, it sounds blasphemous to say, but it's true. The Irish are 12-7, 3-5 in the BigEast. Look at some of the games remaining for the Irish: at Pitt, at UCLA, Louisville at home (suddenly with two straight home losses the Irish are no longerinvincible at home), at West Virginia, at Providence, at Connecticut. The Irish better start winning these games. If the Irish were to lose at least four ofthose and finish 9-9, they will be an interesting test case for the committee. The Big East tournament could be crucial for the Irish.

• Meanwhile, Marquette is the real deal. I firmly believed it after the Golden Eagles beat Providence. Beating Notre Dame is yet another example. The easything was to say that Marquette has the toughest end-of-season schedule of any Big East team. And it does. But now if the Golden Eagles continue to play theway they are, why can't they handle it? The end of season run consists of at Georgetown, Connecticut, at Louisville, at Pitt and Syracuse. Going 3-2 inthis stretch is hardly out of the question. That seemed like a reach a few weeks ago.

• Blake Griffin is ridiculous … as in ridiculously good. All he did in the Bedlamgame Monday night was put up another double-double, his 17th of the season. He threw up 26 points, 17 boards and three assists in Oklahoma's 89-81 win overOklahoma State. Start clearing space for the player of the year honors.

 

[allen3xis]

SI

For the purposes of these power rankings and other mid-major reports that appear in this blog, the mid-major teams are schools from OUTSIDE the followingconferences: ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10, SEC, MWC, WAC, A-10, CUSA.

1. Butler (18-1): So much for a possible SIjinx. The Bulldogs swept the second- and third-place teams in the Horizon last week, holding UW-Milwaukee to 13 field goals in a 78-48 rout on Saturday.

2. Gonzaga (14-4): Thursday's game takes on greater importance for Gonzaga thanks to their scheduling situation, detailed here by SI's Andy Glockner. If St. Mary's sweeps theregular season, the Bulldogs will have six losses entering the WCC tournament, which is a tad higher than Mark Few might feel comfortablewith.

3. St. Mary's (18-1): Patrick Mills averaged 21.5 points and four assists in his two matchups with Gonzaga as a freshman last year. TheGaels won at home in overtime and lost at Gonzaga later in the season.

4. Davidson (16-3): BracketBusters matchup I'm pulling for -- Liberty at Davidson, with the Brothers Curry(Steph and Seth) squaring off (and possibly guarding each other). Peyton and Eli could beguest referees.

5. Siena (15-5): The Saints remained one of 17 teams with undefeated conference records when Edwin Ubiles hit a shot with 4.2seconds left to lift Siena to a 69-68 win over Iona. Siena is 10-0 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

6. VCU (15-5): Point guard Eric Maynor continues to amaze, taking over in the final minutes of VCU's huge win over George Masonon Saturday. Maynor finished with 28 points and six assists and hit a momentum-changing three after Mason cut a big lead to one with four minutes remaining.

7. Northern Iowa (14-6): The best team in the Missouri Valley almost always has an automatic bid to this list, and the Panthers are that team rightnow with an 8-1 league mark. Ben Jacobson's team has won eight straight and will get a shot to avenge its only MVC loss Wednesday againstIllinois State.

8. VMI (16-3): Congrats to the Holmes brothers for setting the all-time NCAA scoringmark for twins. VMI has a shot at its first postseason tournament since 1977 and has won 12 of 13.

9. East Tennessee State (15-5): Veterans Kevin Tiggs and Courtney Pigram have the Bucs in prime position to endBelmont's stranglehold on the Atlantic Sun's NCAA bid.

10. North Dakota State (14-5) -- The Bison are the biggest thing to hit Fargo since the movie bearing its name. Playing in Frost Arena, agroup of fifth-year seniors are hoping to secure an NCAA bid in the team's first year of NCAA tournament eligibility after a four-year transition periodfrom Division II. Come to think of it, that sounds like a movie.

 

[outkast9984]

Man should be a good game between wake and duke... too bad i have to work... luckily there is satellite radio at work so i can listen to that....

 

[dacomeup]

Long read, but good work.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/seth_davis/01/27/jigsaw.man/index.html

Arizona State

Biggest deficiency: I've been clamoring all year for the Sun Devils to find another perimeter scorer to complement the incomparable James Harden, but it's in the paint where this team really needs help. ASU ranks seventh in the Pac-10 in rebound margin (+3.7) and ninth in blocks (2.1 per game). A little more frontline muscle alongside Jeff Pendergraph would make Herb Sendek's zone defense even more effective, and it would enable ASU to hit the offensive glass on those rare occasions when Harden misses a shot.

Missing piece: Trevor Booker, 6-7 junior center, Clemson

Did someone call for an enforcer? Booker is that and much more. He's crafty and agile, and he possesses a surprising shooting touch. Even though he's a bit undersized as a center, Booker leads the ACC in both blocks (2.72 per game) and field-goal percentage (.55 and is third in rebounds with 8.7 per game. Plus, he's a lefty like Harden, so they should be truly simpatico on the court.

Georgetown

Biggest deficiency: The Hoyas were terrible from behind the three-point line against Seton Hall, making just 3-of-22 attempts, but their bigger problem this season has been rebounding. Of course, this being a sort-of Princeton offense, you can't just stick any big man in there. You have to have someone who is smart, efficient and highly skilled. He doesn't have to float around on the perimeter because Georgetown already has Greg Monroe doing that, but if the new piece can catch and finish around the basket, he will make Monroe's exquisite passing ability even more lethal. And if the new guy can help on the offensive glass, that will help the Hoyas overcome bad shooting nights.

Missing piece: Geoff McDermott, 6-8 senior forward, Providence

McDermott has never been a huge scorer (his highest season average was last year at 10.3 ppg), but his versatility has kept him at the top of opponents' scouting reports. He would help the Hoyas in the two areas they need most: rebounding (McDermott is averaging 8.9 boards per game) and passing (3.2 assists, very impressive for a power forward). Best of all, as a senior McDermott would add some much-needed maturity to a team still suffering from inexperience. The Jigsaw Man values maturity.

Kentucky

Biggest deficiency: When Derrick Jasper unexpectedly transferred to UNLV in the offseason, that left a gaping hole at point guard. Ideally, that hole would have been filled over by 6-6 freshman DeAndre Liggins, but he has not shown the ability to handle the job full time and is shooting a woeful 18.2 percent from three-point range. This is an ongoing problem as Kentucky is now ranked 335th in the nation in turnovers per game (18.4). It's nice Jodie Meeks has emerged as a scoring machine, but UK needs a better setup man to take care of the ball and pack a powerful scoring punch of his own.

Missing piece: Eric Maynor, 6-2 senior guard, VCU

Maynor has toiled in obscurity for way too long. The Jigsaw Man would like to see him excel in the Big Blue klieg lights. Maynor has everything the Cats need. He's a dynamic scorer (22.4 ppg, 40.2 percent three-point shooting) and playmaker (6.2 assists per game) who plays tight on-ball defense (1.8 steals per game). He even sinks 80.6 percent of his free throws. How will a guy like that co-exist with Meeks, who also is a high-volume shooter? The Jigsaw Man doesn't know. But he does know that's a problem Billy Gillispie would love to have.

Louisville

Biggest deficiency: You have to give Rick Pitino credit for his ability to turn this team around without anything resembling a point guard on his roster. Of course, it helps to have a stellar pair of passing forwards in Earl Clark and Terrence Williams, but there will come a time when Louisville will need a play to be made from the most important position on the floor. Right now, the Cards don't have anyone who can do that.

Missing piece: Talor Battle, 5-11 sophomore point guard, Penn State

In some ways, Battle is the player Pitino thought he was getting in Edgar Sosa. Battle is small, he's lightning quick, he's got a deadly jumper (18.5 ppg on 40.4 percent from three-point range). Best of all, he's a first-rate playmaker and ball hawk. Battle leads the Big Ten in scoring, he's second in assists (5.4), third in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.53-to-1) and seventh in steals (1.38 per game). He will have to be more of a pass-first point guard if he's going to fit in on this team, but after languishing for a year-and-a-half in Happy Valley, the Jigsaw Man is sure he'd be willing to make that sacrifice.

Marquette

Biggest deficiency: The Golden Eagles are a favorite of the Jigsaw Man, because these past three years they've been a talented team with an obvious hole in the middle. You won't find a better threesome of guards anywhere in Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews, and Lazar Hayward is having a great year as a perimeter-oriented power forward.

Missing piece: Diamon Simpson, 6-7 senior forward, Saint Mary's

If the Gaels make a run in the NCAA tournament, maybe Simpson will stop being thought of as that guy who plays with Patrick Mills. Simpson is a hoss in his own right. He's already the school's all-time leading shotblocker (1.95 per game this season), and even though he's a little undersized he's ranked eighth nationally in rebounds at 10.9 per game. Simpson is not all that adept at creating his own shot, but as his respectable 12.8 points per game suggests, he gets plenty of points off the offensive glass and knows how to finish if he is properly set up.

Memphis

Biggest deficiency: John Calipari isn't playing Tyreke Evans at point guard because he wants to, he's playing Evans there because he has to. It would have been nice if either Willie Kemp or Antonio Anderson could have established themselves as a full-time floor leader, but that hasn't happened. If Memphis had an experienced point guard, it would enable Evans to play on the wing where he belongs. But the dribble-drive motion offense won't work with just an ordinary point guard. It needs a PG who's quick and decisive, not to mention a strong defender.

Missing piece: Chester Frazier, 6-2 senior point guard, Illinois

Demetri McCamey and Mike Davis get a lot of the credit for Illinois' resurgence this season, but the Jigsaw Man thinks it all starts with Frazier. He is only scoring 5.6 points per game this season, but as his shooting percentages indicate (47.5 percent from the field, 39.5 percent from three), he could score more if he needed to. Instead, Frazier has established himself as the best setup man in the Big Ten; he leads the league in assists (5.50 per game) and is sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.29-to-1). He's also averaging 1.35 steals per game. It's not hard to imagine Frazier creating a fast break at one end of the floor and then setting up Evans and Anderson for slam-dunk finishes at the other.

North Carolina

Biggest deficiency: We knew coming into the season defense would again be a question for this team. Well, even though the Tar Heels' defensive numbers are pretty good, they are still missing their best defender, senior forward Marcus Ginyard, who may not play at all this season because of the broken foot he suffered in October. Obviously, this team has plenty of scorers. They are one really good glue guy away from being near-invincible.

Missing piece: Rene Rougeau, 6-6 senior forward, UNLV

Rougeau is a more wiry, lively version of Ginyard. He is a shut-down defender on the perimeter, but he is especially adept at help defense and is a demon on the boards. Rougeau is ranked second in the Mountain West Conference in blocks (2.0 per game), third in steals (1.5) and fourth in rebounds (7.3). Imagine how many more runouts Ty Lawson would get with Rougeau initiating the break.

Pittsburgh

Biggest deficiency: We know the Panthers are one of the toughest defensive teams in the country. They're ranked third nationally in rebound margin (+9.9) and they lead the Big East in field-goal percentage defense (38.0 percent). Even though Pitt excels at a grind-it-out style, it's impressive the Panthers are still managing to score more than 77 points per game. The problem is, they have to work too hard to earn those points, partly because they're only making 6.4 threes per game. What this team needs is a sniper to come off the bench, nail a few long-range jumpers and give the defense a little more breathing room.

Missing piece: Jimmy Baron, 6-3 senior guard, Rhode Island

Ask Mike Krzyzewski whether Baron can hit long-range jumpers. (The Jigsaw Man did. Coach K said, "Yes, he can.") The kid only made 8-for-10 from behind the arc and almost shot the Rams to a victory in Cameron Indoor Stadium in November. Baron is both a high-volume and high-percentage shooter. He's ranked 13th nationally in three-point percentage at 45.1 percent. He's not a great defender, but he does have good size and experience. Plus, he's a coach's son (his dad is the head coach at Rhode Island), so he knows how to be a good teammate.

Purdue

Biggest deficiency: In many ways, 6-10 sophomore forward JaJuan Johnson has given this team as much as Matt Painter could have reasonably been expected. His stats have improved across the board over his freshman season, and he was at his best during the Boilermakers' two biggest wins this season over Wisconsin and Minnesota. Yet, Purdue is still as thin as Johnson's calves up front, which is why the Boilermakers have just two more rebounds than their opponents. Imagine if they had a real glass-eater in the middle to finalize the defense and get them a few extra possessions.

Missing piece: Jon Brockman, 6-7 senior forward, Washington

Brockman may be pound for pound the best rebounder in America. He does well enough to keep up with the Huskies' running game, but the Jigsaw Man thinks the rugged, methodical pace of Big Ten basketball would suit him better. Besides ranking 10th in the nation in rebounds (10.7 per game) Brockman is scoring 15.3 points per game on 52.2 percent shooting. Best of all, his flat top haircut would be a perfect fit in the Hoosier state. The Jigsaw Man likes good

Texas

Biggest deficiency: We knew the Longhorns would have a tough time replacing point guard D.J. Augustin. Their lack of a dependable presence at that position has put increasing pressure on A.J. Abrams to create his own offense. That, plus the excessive minutes Abrams has had to play, is taking a toll. That Texas is 14-4 and ranked 11th is a testament to its overall team defense as well as the continued improvement of Damion James (though he's still a little inconsistent). This team doesn't need another scorer. It needs a speedy, strong lead guard who will run the show and keep his miscues to a minimum.

Missing piece: Tory Jackson, 5-11 junior point guard, Notre Dame.

Jackson is obviously used to playing with a couple of guys who like to shoot in Kyle McAlarney and Luke Harangody, so he'll have no problem fitting in at Texas. His numbers show just how good his all-around game is: 11.2 points, 5.8 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 1.4 steals per game and a 2.04-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Best of all, he is a strong, speedy, aggressive defender who would make the perfect spearhead in Rick Barnes' half-court defense.

UCLA

Biggest deficiency: It used to be that by some crazy coincidence, every team that played UCLA the last few years would have a horrible shooting night. Of course, the real reason was the fact that UCLA played better defense than anyone else, but now those days feel like ancient history. The Bruins are allowing teams to shoot 43.7 percent this season, and even worse, they're letting opponents beat them from the foul line. Washington took 43 free throws (making 36) in beating the Bruins on Saturday, while UCLA only attempted 15. In the wake of Russell Westbrook's decision to turn pro, this team needs someone who can stop dribble penetration and bring some overall toughness to the perimeter.

Missing piece: Cedric Jackson, 6-3 senior guard, Cleveland State

Jackson was a household name for about 48 hours after he sank a three-quarter-court shot to beat Syracuse back in December. But the Jigsaw Man knows this kid is no one-shot wonder. He terrorizes dribblers for a living. Jackson is ranked fourth in the nation in steals at 3.0 per game, and he leads the Horizon League in assists. It may seem awkward to pair Jackson with another point guard, Darren Collison, but while that might make the half-court offense a little jagged, it would give the Bruins the best pair of perimeter defenders in the nation.

Villanova

Biggest deficiency: It seems like the Wildcats haven't had a quality post scorer in a long, long time. They do an admirable job compensating for that with toughness (they actually have a +5.3 rebound margin), but since this is not a great three-point shooting team, they suffer in the long run from having to make too many tough shots from deep. Yes, senior forward Dante Cunningham has been a pleasant surprise, but wouldn't it be a nice luxury if Scottie Reynolds had a bona fide big man he could throw the ball to who could then draw double teams from opposing defenses?

Missing piece: Ahmad Nivins, 6-9 senior forward, Saint Joseph's

Jay Wright wouldn't even have to pay the guy's moving costs! Hey, the Jigsaw Man understands there's a recession going on. So Nivins can just hop a cab across town and plant himself in Nova's starting lineup. Nivins has long been one of the most underexposed players in the game. He has really improved his offensive skills and is enjoying the best season of his career, averaging 20.4 points (on 67.7 percent shooting), 11.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.

 

[jamesonnt]

hour and twenty mins ......

 

[seymore cake]

Mmmmmmhmmmm.

 

[executive76]

 

[kis open doors]

Duke about to take this L tonite

 

[dacomeup]

Jalen Kendrick article.

Kendrick Likes Wildcats and Others Premium Story

By Brian Eldridge
KSR Recruiting Analyst
Posted Jan 28, 2009


With several scholarship openings, the 2010 class promises to be a big one for Billy Gillispie's Wildcats. One prospect who has an offer from Kentucky is West Lake High (Ga.) guard/forward Jelan Kendrick. KSR spoke with Kendrick's AAU coach, Daren Darby.

After a good showing on the AAU scene this summer, Jelan Kendrick began to receive scholarship offers from all over that college basketball world. "He's hearing from every major college coach," said Darby.

"There are Pac-10 teams calling. You've got Cincinnati, Georgia, Kentucky, Florida, Georgetown, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Marquette, UMass, they are all recruiting him. Memphis has been calling. Tennessee was there before, but they got several guys in the 2010 class," said Darby.

It's easy to see why schools have so much interest in Kendrick. With his 6-foot-6 180-frame, he posseses great ball-handling abilities and a keen ability to make the right play at the right time. "He's intellegent and versatile. He's a 6-foot-6 kid that can do things that a 6-foot guard would do. His skill set and vision are big strengths, as well as his knowledge of the game," said Darby.

"He needs to work on his explosiveness and his athleticism. A lot of people liken him to Jalen Rose; a big smooth guard," said Darby. "There will be a lot of high expecations on him at the next level. If he comes in focused and gets his body right, he could be an impact freshman," continued Darby.

Kendrick's AAU performances were excellent and his game carried over to the high school season. "We made a choice to play the team we had up one level. We had 16 and under kids playing the 17 and under teams. It helped him to elevae his game by playing guys who are older and stronger," said Darby. "They took their lumps early. Jelan was able to put up 20 point games against those guys," said Darby.

His high school efforts have been just as stellar. "He's had a couple of 40 point games. He's had some 30s. In a normal game he might have 27 points, eight assists and 11 rebounds. He's filling the stat line. He's team leader in all those categories," said Darby.

So where does Kentucky fit in in the recruitment process?

"He likes Kentucky's tradition. Also there's a kid on the team that's from Georgia, Jodie Meeks," said Darby. "Jodie has caught his attention. That's a good reference. We plan on talking to him more in-depth and doing our homework," said Darby. "We want to get up for an unofficial soon and meet the staff. (Meeks') improvement has helped them," said Darby.

Jelan Darby is a four-star prospect according to Scout.com.

 

[allen3xis]

Not sure what to make of his recruitment right now.

Really have no idea.

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

Toney Douglas is gonna LOCK Ty up tonight.

.

How you gon' wear White shoes and white socks w/ a all black jersey.

As for the Duke/WF game...I got the team from North Carolina winning by 10.

 

[アミーゴ]

duke by 3...lets gooooooo

at nwestern yeye

 

[dacomeup]

Originally Posted by allen3xis

Not sure what to make of his recruitment right now.

Really have no idea.

It really is hard to even make a guess on where this kid ends up. I feel like in the end his AAU program will be making the decision for him.