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Percy is in!
Charged, too!
The College Basketball Post
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by allen3xis,
- Start date
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romo got in and the student section started to chant "BOW WOW IS BETTER"
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^
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I would have to buy Uconn right now as the most solid. Aside from the G'Town game. They can handle close games and have everything to win.
Plus I like Calhoun over anybody if i had to win 1 game.
Wake was kind of surprising. They couldn't get any kind of rally going.
Plus I like Calhoun over anybody if i had to win 1 game.
Wake was kind of surprising. They couldn't get any kind of rally going.
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No Comment
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nvmOriginally Posted by Nowitness41Dirk
Originally Posted by gottagitdemjs
Keith Langford's brother. I bet K-Freeze is gonna clown on him bigtime.Originally Posted by tmukg21
who saw the number one play on sports center? some TCU guard got straight embarrassedI didn't see it... Did someone smash on Kevin?
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Glad to see McClinton light up another team besides UNC
, dude stay****ting every kinda jumper there is
against them. Pull up 3's, step back/jump back 3's, off of picks, floaters, dude is becoming
one of my favorite players.
@ Duke, that joint got ugly. U know its a wrap when Ogliysby(sp) istrying to dunk on ya
against them. Pull up 3's, step back/jump back 3's, off of picks, floaters, dude is becoming
one of my favorite players.
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• Former Sacramento Kings and New Mexico State coach Reggie Theus is primed to return to the college scene for the right opportunity. Theus hasn'ttalked to Arizona -- yet -- but he is on the Wildcats' list, according to a few sources. Theus would potentially be an interesting hire for Arizona. He hasa star personality and knows the summer scene/AAU circuit in Southern California and Las Vegas extremely well. He's connected and would immediately giveArizona a name replacement for Lute Olson/Russ Pennell. Theus could also be in play for Georgia if the Bulldogs are looking for star power. But Theus is muchmore plugged in out West. Theus isn't ruling out a return to the NBA, either. So far, he has been watching tons of games and trying to line up the rightsituation to pursue. http://sports.espn.go.com/stations/player?id=3884326','Popup','width=780,height=565,scrollbars=no,noresize');return false;">Listen to my interview
with Theuson Wednesday's podcast for more information. If there are reservations about the NBA versus college, it is that NBA jobs aren't likely to be with teamsthat are ready to win. The turnaround for a college job, Arizona or Georgia, may be only a year or two away.
• Suddenly, San Diego State is now the new favorite in the Mountain West. With the Aztecs' overtime win over UNLV Tuesday night, SDSU moved to 6-2 inthe MWC.
• South Carolina's Devan Downey was sensational with the long bombs in theloss to Florida Tuesday night. But that was a must-win for UF, considering the Gators had already lost to South Carolina and Tennessee.
• What about Jerel McNeal for Big East Player of the Year? I said it in thepreseason on our ESPNU "Inside the Polls" show and was wondering if I made too much of a reach then. McNeal scored 26 for the Golden Eagles onTuesday to help Marquette remain undefeated at 9-0 in the league.
• Northern Iowa clearly has the good vibe in the Missouri Valley after a last-possession win over Bradley Tuesday on a 3-pointer by freshman Johnny Moran. The Panthers are now 11-1 in conference play.
• Purdue's staff was pleased that the Boilermakers took Ohio State to overtime Tuesday without Robbie Hummel. Hummel has a stress fracture in his back and hasn't practiced in threeweeks. He will be game-to-game, day-to-day for the rest of the season. Purdue plays Illinois on Sunday, and Hummel will be a game-time decision. Hummel missedthe loss at Penn State on Jan. 6, too. His game is a physical one, so he's got to be rested before he throws his body around yet again. So far, Hummel isgoing to try to rest in between games with surgery not an option. Apparently, this is very tough on Hummel since he desperately wants to be on the court. TheBoilermakers got a much-needed lift from JaJuan Johnson, who scored 30 points in theloss to the Buckeyes (making 10 of 11 free throws). The game Sunday at Illinois is the end of a four-of-five-game stretch on the road. Purdue is 3-1 in thosefour games. It ends the season with five of eight games at home, with one of the road games at struggling Iowa.
• What is more surprising? Michigan State losing at home to Penn State and Northwestern this season or Kentucky losing two straight SEC games at RuppArena?
• UConn's staff is trying to make sure Hasheem Thabeet isn't passive inthe first half of games. Thabeet doesn't want to get two fouls early and sit. The UConn coaches have noticed that he is much more aggressive in the secondhalf. If he can put together an aggressive beginning to match his ending, then the Huskies feel they've got a somewhat unstoppable force in the paint whocan mess with plenty of shots. The staff is also thrilled with the energy KembaWalker is delivering off the bench. Walker is pushing enough to get a few fast-break baskets when he enters the game.
• The impact of losing Marcus Ginyard (foot injury) will be hard to measure forNorth Carolina because the Tar Heels had him for only three games. So, it's a bit difficult to say what kind of effect Ginyard's absence has on theteam since he hasn't been a major player. But at least one ACC coach says that Ginyard was the most selfless player on the team, willing to sacrificepoints and production for whatever UNC needed. He is viewed as the Tar Heels' top defender, and a defensive stopper might be what they're lacking (ifyou want to pick on something). If Ginyard does get a medical redshirt and comes back for a fifth season, he would certainly be a quality bridge to a youngerteam with the departure of Tyler Hansbrough. Suspending Will Graves for the rest of the season (he's still allowed to practice despite theviolation of team rules) will also remove a tough forward from the bench. Graves wasn't a star, but he seemed to know his role. The Tar Heels still haveeight quality players who can win the title, and that may be all they need to win six games in March. But this was a team that went even deeper when Tyler Zeller was contributing early in the season. Carolina has come back to the pack asone of the elite group of teams. That's not a far drop, but it's a slight dip nonetheless.
• UTEP's Stefon Jackson became Conference USA's all-time leading scorerlast Saturday against Southern Miss, breaking the 2,017 scoring record set by South Florida's Altron Jackson (when the Bulls were in the league). Jacksonnow has 2,035 points. He scored 29 points in the win over the Golden Eagles. Jackson has had 13 games of 20 or more points this season, including 44 in a lossat Santa Clara. The 6-foot-5 senior guard has a legit shot to be the C-USA Player of the Year.
Meanwhile, UTEP coach Tony Barbee said former Louisville center Derrick Caracter hasn't been a problem in practice so far. He said the knock onCaracter's character was that he was lazy. "He's a good kid; he's not a criminal. He's just been a bit lazy,'' Barbee said. Barbeerecruited Caracter out of high school when Barbee was an assistant to Memphis' John Calipari. Caracter has been practicing with the Miners and will beeligible (assuming he is academically eligible) on Dec. 12, 2009 of next season. He would have three semesters of eligibility remaining. Barbee said a big manlike Caracter is a great get for a program like the Miners (but that's assuming he ends up playing for UTEP).
• Suddenly, San Diego State is now the new favorite in the Mountain West. With the Aztecs' overtime win over UNLV Tuesday night, SDSU moved to 6-2 inthe MWC.
• South Carolina's Devan Downey was sensational with the long bombs in theloss to Florida Tuesday night. But that was a must-win for UF, considering the Gators had already lost to South Carolina and Tennessee.
• What about Jerel McNeal for Big East Player of the Year? I said it in thepreseason on our ESPNU "Inside the Polls" show and was wondering if I made too much of a reach then. McNeal scored 26 for the Golden Eagles onTuesday to help Marquette remain undefeated at 9-0 in the league.
• Northern Iowa clearly has the good vibe in the Missouri Valley after a last-possession win over Bradley Tuesday on a 3-pointer by freshman Johnny Moran. The Panthers are now 11-1 in conference play.
• Purdue's staff was pleased that the Boilermakers took Ohio State to overtime Tuesday without Robbie Hummel. Hummel has a stress fracture in his back and hasn't practiced in threeweeks. He will be game-to-game, day-to-day for the rest of the season. Purdue plays Illinois on Sunday, and Hummel will be a game-time decision. Hummel missedthe loss at Penn State on Jan. 6, too. His game is a physical one, so he's got to be rested before he throws his body around yet again. So far, Hummel isgoing to try to rest in between games with surgery not an option. Apparently, this is very tough on Hummel since he desperately wants to be on the court. TheBoilermakers got a much-needed lift from JaJuan Johnson, who scored 30 points in theloss to the Buckeyes (making 10 of 11 free throws). The game Sunday at Illinois is the end of a four-of-five-game stretch on the road. Purdue is 3-1 in thosefour games. It ends the season with five of eight games at home, with one of the road games at struggling Iowa.
• What is more surprising? Michigan State losing at home to Penn State and Northwestern this season or Kentucky losing two straight SEC games at RuppArena?
• UConn's staff is trying to make sure Hasheem Thabeet isn't passive inthe first half of games. Thabeet doesn't want to get two fouls early and sit. The UConn coaches have noticed that he is much more aggressive in the secondhalf. If he can put together an aggressive beginning to match his ending, then the Huskies feel they've got a somewhat unstoppable force in the paint whocan mess with plenty of shots. The staff is also thrilled with the energy KembaWalker is delivering off the bench. Walker is pushing enough to get a few fast-break baskets when he enters the game.
• The impact of losing Marcus Ginyard (foot injury) will be hard to measure forNorth Carolina because the Tar Heels had him for only three games. So, it's a bit difficult to say what kind of effect Ginyard's absence has on theteam since he hasn't been a major player. But at least one ACC coach says that Ginyard was the most selfless player on the team, willing to sacrificepoints and production for whatever UNC needed. He is viewed as the Tar Heels' top defender, and a defensive stopper might be what they're lacking (ifyou want to pick on something). If Ginyard does get a medical redshirt and comes back for a fifth season, he would certainly be a quality bridge to a youngerteam with the departure of Tyler Hansbrough. Suspending Will Graves for the rest of the season (he's still allowed to practice despite theviolation of team rules) will also remove a tough forward from the bench. Graves wasn't a star, but he seemed to know his role. The Tar Heels still haveeight quality players who can win the title, and that may be all they need to win six games in March. But this was a team that went even deeper when Tyler Zeller was contributing early in the season. Carolina has come back to the pack asone of the elite group of teams. That's not a far drop, but it's a slight dip nonetheless.
• UTEP's Stefon Jackson became Conference USA's all-time leading scorerlast Saturday against Southern Miss, breaking the 2,017 scoring record set by South Florida's Altron Jackson (when the Bulls were in the league). Jacksonnow has 2,035 points. He scored 29 points in the win over the Golden Eagles. Jackson has had 13 games of 20 or more points this season, including 44 in a lossat Santa Clara. The 6-foot-5 senior guard has a legit shot to be the C-USA Player of the Year.
Meanwhile, UTEP coach Tony Barbee said former Louisville center Derrick Caracter hasn't been a problem in practice so far. He said the knock onCaracter's character was that he was lazy. "He's a good kid; he's not a criminal. He's just been a bit lazy,'' Barbee said. Barbeerecruited Caracter out of high school when Barbee was an assistant to Memphis' John Calipari. Caracter has been practicing with the Miners and will beeligible (assuming he is academically eligible) on Dec. 12, 2009 of next season. He would have three semesters of eligibility remaining. Barbee said a big manlike Caracter is a great get for a program like the Miners (but that's assuming he ends up playing for UTEP).
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YO! I knew I forgot to do something...
DF!!!
DF!!!
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I just knew Ant's was the 1st post I was going to see this am... A little tardy today aren't we ???
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- May 12, 2002
That dunk by dude on Utah was ridiculous
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Reggie Theus was at the UCLA VS SC game yesterday hopefully he doesnt go to zona he would turn them around QUICK
dacomeup
Supporter
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- Jan 20, 2006
Meanwhile, UTEP coach Tony Barbee said former Louisville center Derrick Caracter hasn't been a problem in practice so far. He said the knock on Caracter's character was that he was lazy. "He's a good kid; he's not a criminal. He's just been a bit lazy,'' Barbee said. Barbee recruited Caracter out of high school when Barbee was an assistant to Memphis' John Calipari. Caracter has been practicing with the Miners and will be eligible (assuming he is academically eligible) on Dec. 12, 2009 of next season. He would have three semesters of eligibility remaining. Barbee said a big man like Caracter is a great get for a program like the Miners (but that's assuming he ends up playing for UTEP).
Hopefully this dude can do something productive with his life. I remember last year someone on hear telling stories of this dude pissing in Gatoradebottles because he was too lazy to walk to the bathroom. Straight up nasty.
Theus at Zona would be.
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I hope Caracter makes it in UTEP. I really thought he was going to come back to the Ville next year and dominate.
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You know he's gonna be a prime candidate for any high-major job that comes open...
Good college coaches that dip their toe in the NBA waters and flop hard = Made Men when they venture back to college...
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dacomeup
Supporter
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What we've learned in the first half
Story Highlights
The national-title race that once seemed so boring is heating up
The one thing that most teams would give anything for? A point guard
The scariest incident so far this year has become a YouTube sensation
Once thought to be the clear title favorite, Tyler Hansbrough and UNC now face an uphill battle.
AP
College Hoops Midseason Report
Read More
WINN: What we've learned so far
DAVIS: Top 10 storylines to watch
SI.com's Midseason All America team
REACT: Who are your All Americans?
ADVERTISEMENT
Now that we're halfway through the conference season, here's a look at the top 10 lessons we've learned so far:
1. A national-title picture so boringly in focus in October -- with North Carolina as a unanimous preseason No. 1, and everyone else just fighting to be therunner-up in Detroit -- has become delightfully blurry. Frontrunner status has been a curse for the Tar Heels: Wooden Award winner Tyler Hansbrough wassidelined with a stress fracture in November; freshman 7-footer Tyler Zeller scored 18 points in his first game and then in his second, suffered aseason-ending broken left wrist; senior defensive stopper Marcus Ginyard, a starter last season, has opted to take a medical redshirt; and sophomore forwardWilliam Graves, who was playing double-digit minutes as a backup, has been suspended for remainder of the season. If Carolina wins the national title, itshould be considered a feat of perseverance rather than a coronation. With the Heels' size and depth depleted to the point that they're merely one of apack of title contenders (they're still Vegas' favorite, but mine is UConn, and Pitt, Louisville, Wake Forest and Duke are all reasonable candidates aswell), the NCAA tournament field will be wide open.
2. It's agonizing to see so many teams have everything but a point guard. Texas doesn't have a suitable replacement for lottery pick D.J. Augustin, anddespite being loaded at the 2-3-4-5 spots, doesn't look like a real NCAA tournament noisemaker. Louisville would love to swap in a true playmaker forcurrent starter Edgar Sosa, but doesn't have a good option -- a problem that may doom the Cards' title bid. Memphis would probably prefer not to haveto play super-frosh Tyreke Evans at the point so he could be freed up on the wing, but he's their best available ball-handing option. Xavier is dominant inthe frontcourt but relies on an unsteady true freshman, Terrell Holloway, as its floor general. As for what happens when coaches recruit a point guard surplus,take a look at Duke, which became a legit title contender by promoting last season's backup, sophomore Nolan Smith, in the starting lineup over senior GregPaulus. UConn uses three point guards (A.J. Price, Craig Austrie and Kemba Walker), sometimes all at once, and is nearly impervious to defensive pressure. Justask Louisville.
3. The most drastic reaction to the new three-point line has been seen at Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons take just 19.7 percent of their field-goal attemptsfrom beyond the arc, which ranks them 342nd out of 344 D-I teams. They're getting by just fine using this approach, with a 17-3 record and a No. 7 ranking.But it's a marked change from last season, when 33.0 percent of their attempts were threes -- and they were 17-13 and unranked. All of their marginalperimeter shooters (basically, everyone not named Jeff Teague) have limited their launching and focused on scoring more in the paint.
The tracker on kenpom.com says three-point volume nationally has fallen just 1.4 percent, from 34.4 to 33.0. At Wake, it's dropped 13.3 percent. That'sa sea change in offensive philosophy.
4. Although we've seen court-stormings at Wake Forest and Clemson, the season's scariest and most memorable one to date consisted of a single fan -- aplayer's sibling, actually -- in the middle of a game. The circumstances surrounding Jonathan Xavier's interruption of Providence's Jan. 17 loss toMarquette to contest a no-call of a elbow to the face of his brother, Jeff -- cameras were on Jonathan from the moment he got out of his lower-level seat; hispath onto the floor went right through the Friars' bench; he was wearing a poofy fur-collared jacket; security let him walk untouched right up to a ref;and above all, it wasn't worth arguing about because it was inadvertent contact -- have made it a YouTube classic. Not just among sportswriters, either. Irecently walked into a major D-I team's academic center with an interview subject, and found three of his fellow players gathered around a computer, institches over the clip. They were most amused with something I hadn't even noticed: Jonathan Xavier had a towel wrapped around his hand, and in theiropinion, he was trying to mimic holding a semi-concealed weapon. Not cool, Jon. Not cool at all.
5. The two most sorely missed players from last season aren't on NBA rosters. Their names? Brian Butch and Michael Flowers. No team has undergone a moredisastrous identity change than Wisconsin, which boasted the nation's No. 2 most-efficient defense in '07-08 and went to the Sweet 16 as a three-seed.The current Badgers have lost six straight in the Big Ten and likely aren't going to make the NCAAs -- because their defense has slipped all the way to107th in the efficiency rankings. Flowers was their perimeter stopper; with him gone, their three-point percentage allowed has jumped from 31.3 to 35.1. Butchwas their 6-foot-11 polar bear; with him gone, they lack any real size on the interior and their two-point percentage allowed has jumped from 41.7 to 48.3.
6. Stephen Curry is doing just fine as a point guard. In the year after Jason Richards' graduation from Davidson, I feared Curry would come down with atleast a mild case of Justin Gray syndrome (Gray, you may recall, was the Wake shooting guard who did not fare so well after being converted to the pointfollowing Chris Paul's departure). But Curry is not only leading the nation in scoring this season: He's also dishing out 6.5 assists per game andputting on the best show in college hoops. There is something to be said for the fact that I've been to Purdue-Oklahoma, UNC-Wake Forest andUConn-Louisville this season -- all huge games between top 10 teams -- and I was more hyped to cover West Virginia-Davidson than I was for any of those. StephCurry was the reason for that. And he didn't disappoint.
7. The SEC is much worse than anyone expected it to be in the preseason. Part of the blame goes on underperforming powers (I'm looking at you, Tennesseeand Kentucky). Some of it can be chalked up to bad luck or a cyclical downturn: Alabama fell apart when Richard Hendrix turned pro too early and Ronald Steelewas hurt; Mississippi State crumbled when Jamont Gordon made a poor draft decision and Ben Hansbrough transferred to Notre Dame; Ole Miss' breakthroughseason was derailed by early injuries to Chris Warren and Eniel Polynice. Instead of a highlight reel, the league's most-watched video is of theRebels' coach saying to his arresting officer (after being accused of assault on Dec. 18 in Cincinnati): "I'm playing Louisville and Rick Pitinotomorrow. I was the UC head coach. I am going to be on national television. If I'm not standing there at 9 p.m. tomorrow, this is an internationalaltercation."
While the league may earn the same number of NCAA tournament bids as the Pac-10, the current frontrunner, LSU, could be no higher than a five-seed due it itsglaring lack of a quality out-of-conference victory. I pored over old tourney brackets and had to go all the way back to 1989 to find a season in which the SECwas in such bad shape: That year, it received five bids, all seeded in the 6-10 range, and all five teams lost in the first round. You'd think at leasteither the Wildcats, Vols, Gators, Tigers or Gamecocks is capable of making a surprise run to the second weekend, but their early matchups won't be easy.
8. The state of this year's freshman class versus last year's can be summed up by visiting two Web pages. Load Rivals.com's Top 150 for the classof 2007 and look at the guy in the first photo. He scored 32 points and grabbed 24 rebounds in his first college game, probably should have won the WoodenAward, was the No. 2 pick in the 2008 NBA draft and currently plays major minutes for the Miami Heat. Now load Rivals.com's Top 150 for the class of 2008and look at the guy in the first photo. He scored seven points and grabbed three rebounds in his first game and currently comes off the bench for a middlingBig Ten team.
9. The most valuable commodity in college hoops is length. The best way to counteract the burly power forwards -- the Hansbroughs, Harangodys and Griffins ofthe world -- who tend to dominate D-I is not to match them blow-for-blow, but rather drive them nuts trying to shoot around a long-armed giant. Unfortunately,very few of those giants exist, and their college stays tend to be brief. Which is why UConn, the nation's seventh-most efficient defensive team, is solucky to have a third-year, 7-foot-3 center in Hasheem Thabeet, who absolutely destroys opponents' best-laid offensive plans. Jim Calhoun calls this effectthe "Hasheem Presence." For an example, watch tape of how Harangody operates down low versus, say, Marquette (he has a field day right next to thehoop), and then watch how he operates versus the Huskies (he turns into a jump-shooting small forward). The difference is stunning.
10. Bob Knight's quest to get back into coaching -- possibly at Georgia -- couldn't have been helped by the tantrum his son threw during TexasTech's loss to Nebraska on Jan. 31. Pat Knight's absurd behavior, for which he drew a double-technical and was ejected, then sprinted back onto thecourt to serve up yet another verbal assault, served as a reminder of what having a Knight at the helm does for you in present-day D-I hoops: It makes you farmore likely to appear on SportsCenter for an uncomfortable incident than for contending for a conference title.
Bob Knight, at his age, would surely be less of a threat to pull a spin-move and run away from his ejection escorts to resume arguing with refs, but Bob wouldalso bring less energy to recruiting, too, and you can't hack it in the SEC, or any other major conference without spending an ungodly amount of timerecruiting. Coveted gigs are going to come open this offseason -- Alabama and Georgia already are, Arizona, and perhaps Oregon, Maryland and Gonzaga are on theway -- and the athletic director who hires Knight will be the one whose job is immediately in jeopardy.
Story Highlights
The national-title race that once seemed so boring is heating up
The one thing that most teams would give anything for? A point guard
The scariest incident so far this year has become a YouTube sensation
Once thought to be the clear title favorite, Tyler Hansbrough and UNC now face an uphill battle.
AP
College Hoops Midseason Report
Read More
WINN: What we've learned so far
DAVIS: Top 10 storylines to watch
SI.com's Midseason All America team
REACT: Who are your All Americans?
ADVERTISEMENT
Now that we're halfway through the conference season, here's a look at the top 10 lessons we've learned so far:
1. A national-title picture so boringly in focus in October -- with North Carolina as a unanimous preseason No. 1, and everyone else just fighting to be therunner-up in Detroit -- has become delightfully blurry. Frontrunner status has been a curse for the Tar Heels: Wooden Award winner Tyler Hansbrough wassidelined with a stress fracture in November; freshman 7-footer Tyler Zeller scored 18 points in his first game and then in his second, suffered aseason-ending broken left wrist; senior defensive stopper Marcus Ginyard, a starter last season, has opted to take a medical redshirt; and sophomore forwardWilliam Graves, who was playing double-digit minutes as a backup, has been suspended for remainder of the season. If Carolina wins the national title, itshould be considered a feat of perseverance rather than a coronation. With the Heels' size and depth depleted to the point that they're merely one of apack of title contenders (they're still Vegas' favorite, but mine is UConn, and Pitt, Louisville, Wake Forest and Duke are all reasonable candidates aswell), the NCAA tournament field will be wide open.
2. It's agonizing to see so many teams have everything but a point guard. Texas doesn't have a suitable replacement for lottery pick D.J. Augustin, anddespite being loaded at the 2-3-4-5 spots, doesn't look like a real NCAA tournament noisemaker. Louisville would love to swap in a true playmaker forcurrent starter Edgar Sosa, but doesn't have a good option -- a problem that may doom the Cards' title bid. Memphis would probably prefer not to haveto play super-frosh Tyreke Evans at the point so he could be freed up on the wing, but he's their best available ball-handing option. Xavier is dominant inthe frontcourt but relies on an unsteady true freshman, Terrell Holloway, as its floor general. As for what happens when coaches recruit a point guard surplus,take a look at Duke, which became a legit title contender by promoting last season's backup, sophomore Nolan Smith, in the starting lineup over senior GregPaulus. UConn uses three point guards (A.J. Price, Craig Austrie and Kemba Walker), sometimes all at once, and is nearly impervious to defensive pressure. Justask Louisville.
3. The most drastic reaction to the new three-point line has been seen at Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons take just 19.7 percent of their field-goal attemptsfrom beyond the arc, which ranks them 342nd out of 344 D-I teams. They're getting by just fine using this approach, with a 17-3 record and a No. 7 ranking.But it's a marked change from last season, when 33.0 percent of their attempts were threes -- and they were 17-13 and unranked. All of their marginalperimeter shooters (basically, everyone not named Jeff Teague) have limited their launching and focused on scoring more in the paint.
The tracker on kenpom.com says three-point volume nationally has fallen just 1.4 percent, from 34.4 to 33.0. At Wake, it's dropped 13.3 percent. That'sa sea change in offensive philosophy.
4. Although we've seen court-stormings at Wake Forest and Clemson, the season's scariest and most memorable one to date consisted of a single fan -- aplayer's sibling, actually -- in the middle of a game. The circumstances surrounding Jonathan Xavier's interruption of Providence's Jan. 17 loss toMarquette to contest a no-call of a elbow to the face of his brother, Jeff -- cameras were on Jonathan from the moment he got out of his lower-level seat; hispath onto the floor went right through the Friars' bench; he was wearing a poofy fur-collared jacket; security let him walk untouched right up to a ref;and above all, it wasn't worth arguing about because it was inadvertent contact -- have made it a YouTube classic. Not just among sportswriters, either. Irecently walked into a major D-I team's academic center with an interview subject, and found three of his fellow players gathered around a computer, institches over the clip. They were most amused with something I hadn't even noticed: Jonathan Xavier had a towel wrapped around his hand, and in theiropinion, he was trying to mimic holding a semi-concealed weapon. Not cool, Jon. Not cool at all.
5. The two most sorely missed players from last season aren't on NBA rosters. Their names? Brian Butch and Michael Flowers. No team has undergone a moredisastrous identity change than Wisconsin, which boasted the nation's No. 2 most-efficient defense in '07-08 and went to the Sweet 16 as a three-seed.The current Badgers have lost six straight in the Big Ten and likely aren't going to make the NCAAs -- because their defense has slipped all the way to107th in the efficiency rankings. Flowers was their perimeter stopper; with him gone, their three-point percentage allowed has jumped from 31.3 to 35.1. Butchwas their 6-foot-11 polar bear; with him gone, they lack any real size on the interior and their two-point percentage allowed has jumped from 41.7 to 48.3.
6. Stephen Curry is doing just fine as a point guard. In the year after Jason Richards' graduation from Davidson, I feared Curry would come down with atleast a mild case of Justin Gray syndrome (Gray, you may recall, was the Wake shooting guard who did not fare so well after being converted to the pointfollowing Chris Paul's departure). But Curry is not only leading the nation in scoring this season: He's also dishing out 6.5 assists per game andputting on the best show in college hoops. There is something to be said for the fact that I've been to Purdue-Oklahoma, UNC-Wake Forest andUConn-Louisville this season -- all huge games between top 10 teams -- and I was more hyped to cover West Virginia-Davidson than I was for any of those. StephCurry was the reason for that. And he didn't disappoint.
7. The SEC is much worse than anyone expected it to be in the preseason. Part of the blame goes on underperforming powers (I'm looking at you, Tennesseeand Kentucky). Some of it can be chalked up to bad luck or a cyclical downturn: Alabama fell apart when Richard Hendrix turned pro too early and Ronald Steelewas hurt; Mississippi State crumbled when Jamont Gordon made a poor draft decision and Ben Hansbrough transferred to Notre Dame; Ole Miss' breakthroughseason was derailed by early injuries to Chris Warren and Eniel Polynice. Instead of a highlight reel, the league's most-watched video is of theRebels' coach saying to his arresting officer (after being accused of assault on Dec. 18 in Cincinnati): "I'm playing Louisville and Rick Pitinotomorrow. I was the UC head coach. I am going to be on national television. If I'm not standing there at 9 p.m. tomorrow, this is an internationalaltercation."
While the league may earn the same number of NCAA tournament bids as the Pac-10, the current frontrunner, LSU, could be no higher than a five-seed due it itsglaring lack of a quality out-of-conference victory. I pored over old tourney brackets and had to go all the way back to 1989 to find a season in which the SECwas in such bad shape: That year, it received five bids, all seeded in the 6-10 range, and all five teams lost in the first round. You'd think at leasteither the Wildcats, Vols, Gators, Tigers or Gamecocks is capable of making a surprise run to the second weekend, but their early matchups won't be easy.
8. The state of this year's freshman class versus last year's can be summed up by visiting two Web pages. Load Rivals.com's Top 150 for the classof 2007 and look at the guy in the first photo. He scored 32 points and grabbed 24 rebounds in his first college game, probably should have won the WoodenAward, was the No. 2 pick in the 2008 NBA draft and currently plays major minutes for the Miami Heat. Now load Rivals.com's Top 150 for the class of 2008and look at the guy in the first photo. He scored seven points and grabbed three rebounds in his first game and currently comes off the bench for a middlingBig Ten team.
9. The most valuable commodity in college hoops is length. The best way to counteract the burly power forwards -- the Hansbroughs, Harangodys and Griffins ofthe world -- who tend to dominate D-I is not to match them blow-for-blow, but rather drive them nuts trying to shoot around a long-armed giant. Unfortunately,very few of those giants exist, and their college stays tend to be brief. Which is why UConn, the nation's seventh-most efficient defensive team, is solucky to have a third-year, 7-foot-3 center in Hasheem Thabeet, who absolutely destroys opponents' best-laid offensive plans. Jim Calhoun calls this effectthe "Hasheem Presence." For an example, watch tape of how Harangody operates down low versus, say, Marquette (he has a field day right next to thehoop), and then watch how he operates versus the Huskies (he turns into a jump-shooting small forward). The difference is stunning.
10. Bob Knight's quest to get back into coaching -- possibly at Georgia -- couldn't have been helped by the tantrum his son threw during TexasTech's loss to Nebraska on Jan. 31. Pat Knight's absurd behavior, for which he drew a double-technical and was ejected, then sprinted back onto thecourt to serve up yet another verbal assault, served as a reminder of what having a Knight at the helm does for you in present-day D-I hoops: It makes you farmore likely to appear on SportsCenter for an uncomfortable incident than for contending for a conference title.
Bob Knight, at his age, would surely be less of a threat to pull a spin-move and run away from his ejection escorts to resume arguing with refs, but Bob wouldalso bring less energy to recruiting, too, and you can't hack it in the SEC, or any other major conference without spending an ungodly amount of timerecruiting. Coveted gigs are going to come open this offseason -- Alabama and Georgia already are, Arizona, and perhaps Oregon, Maryland and Gonzaga are on theway -- and the athletic director who hires Knight will be the one whose job is immediately in jeopardy.
Same here. This dude McClinton shoots pull up threes from LONG range and drains them.Originally Posted by gabers
Glad to see McClinton light up another team besides UNC, dude stays hitting every kinda jumper there is
against them. Pull up 3's, step back/jump back 3's, off of picks, floaters, dude is becoming
one of my favorite players.
McClinton and Tyrese Rice are both slept on, and they both got game.
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They really about to have us on ESPN tonight? Wow
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- 14,132
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I thought you were a UNC fan.
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Yeah, but I go to Charlotte and cover games for them (unfortunately).
dacomeup
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SI.com's Midseason All-America Team
Oklahoma's Blake Griffin has recorded a double-double in all but four of the Sooners' games this season.
AP
College Hoops Midseason Report
Read More
WINN: What we've learned so far
DAVIS: Top 10 storylines to watch
SI.com's Midseason All America team
REACT: Who are your All Americans?
ADVERTISEMENT
Seth Davis and Luke Winn serve up their picks for SI.com's Midseason All-America teams
FIRST TEAM
G: Stephen Curry, Jr., Davidson: 28.9 ppg, 6.5 apg, 4.1 rpg
Even one memorable shutout (the Patsos Defense on Nov. 25) didn't derail Curry's bid to lead the nation in scoring.
G: Jeff Teague, Soph., Wake Forest: 20.7 ppg, 3.7 apg, 54.4% threes
The breakout player of the year has helped turn Wake into an ACC title contender one season ahead of schedule.
G/F: James Harden, Soph., Arizona State: 21.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.1 apg
The 6-foot-5 lefty stuffs the stat sheet with impressive efficiency (52.5 percent shooting) despite facing constant double-teams on the perimeter.
F: Blake Griffin, Soph., Oklahoma: 22.1 ppg, 14.1 rpg, 62.6% FGs
The overwhelming Wooden-and-Naismith favorite is close to a double-double lock, having reached the mark in 19 of the Sooners' 23 games.
F: Tyler Hansbrough, Sr., North Carolina: 22.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 84.6% FTs
Psycho T's numbers are slightly down from last season, but he beats out Notre Dame's Luke Harangody, a statistical monster, because the Heelshaven't lost six games in a row.
SECOND TEAM
G: Jerel McNeal, Sr., Marquette: 20.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.8 apg
After building a rep as a lockdown defender in his first three seasons, McNeal has also become an offensive force as the senior star of the Big East'ssurprise frontrunner.
G: Eric Maynor, Sr., VCU: 23.2 ppg, 5.9 apg, 3.8 rpg
He's still best known for the shot that sunk Duke in the 2007 NCAA tournament, but Maynor has since blossomed into one of the country's best all-aroundpoint guards.
F: Jodie Meeks, Jr., Kentucky: 25.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 44.0% threes
His tour de force at Tennessee on Jan. 13 -- 54 points scored in regulation, a new UK record -- will likely go down as the season's best single-gameperformance.
F: Luke Harangody, Jr., Notre Dame: 25.1 ppg, 13.2 rpg, 82.3% FTs
He's expanded his offensive arsenal since winning Big East Player of the Year as a sophomore, and has continued to shine during the Irish's slide outof the NCAA tournament picture.
F: DeJuan Blair, Soph., Pittsburgh: 14.9 ppg, 12.7 rpg, 59.5% FGs
Pitt's beastly big man creates his own offense -- and devastates opposing frontcourts -- by grabbing 6.1 offensive rebounds per game.
THIRD TEAM
G: Ty Lawson, Jr., North Carolina: 15.5 ppg, 6.5 apg, 3.6-to-1 assist-turnover ratio
He's been a brilliant creator and dead-eye shooter, hitting 50.0 percent of his treys during ACC play, including a buzzer-beater at Florida State on Jan.28 that put the Heels in position to take over the ACC lead.
G: Nick Calathes, Soph., Florida: 18.1 ppg, 6.4 apg, 5.3 rpg
Mini-Donovan has lifted the Gators back into the top 25, scoring 20 points in five of their past six ACC games, including a triple-double (20 points, 13rebounds, 10 assists) against Georgia on Jan. 28.
G/F: Gerald Henderson, Jr., Duke: 15.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 45.6% threes
Teammate Kyle Singler may be equally deserving for this spot, but Henderson's January breakout turned Duke into a truly elite team and national titlecontender.
F: Terrence Williams, Sr., Louisville: 13.4 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 4.5 apg
T-Will has rescued the Cards, who lack a true floor general, with his point-forward skills, powering them to an 8-0 start in the Big East before Monday'sloss to UConn.
C: Hasheem Thabeet, Jr., UConn: 13.0 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 4.0 bpg
The Tanzanian import is the biggest game-changer in the country (literally, at 7-3), and his interior presence is the main reason the Huskies have thenation's seventh-most efficient defense.
Oklahoma's Blake Griffin has recorded a double-double in all but four of the Sooners' games this season.
AP
College Hoops Midseason Report
Read More
WINN: What we've learned so far
DAVIS: Top 10 storylines to watch
SI.com's Midseason All America team
REACT: Who are your All Americans?
ADVERTISEMENT
Seth Davis and Luke Winn serve up their picks for SI.com's Midseason All-America teams
FIRST TEAM
G: Stephen Curry, Jr., Davidson: 28.9 ppg, 6.5 apg, 4.1 rpg
Even one memorable shutout (the Patsos Defense on Nov. 25) didn't derail Curry's bid to lead the nation in scoring.
G: Jeff Teague, Soph., Wake Forest: 20.7 ppg, 3.7 apg, 54.4% threes
The breakout player of the year has helped turn Wake into an ACC title contender one season ahead of schedule.
G/F: James Harden, Soph., Arizona State: 21.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.1 apg
The 6-foot-5 lefty stuffs the stat sheet with impressive efficiency (52.5 percent shooting) despite facing constant double-teams on the perimeter.
F: Blake Griffin, Soph., Oklahoma: 22.1 ppg, 14.1 rpg, 62.6% FGs
The overwhelming Wooden-and-Naismith favorite is close to a double-double lock, having reached the mark in 19 of the Sooners' 23 games.
F: Tyler Hansbrough, Sr., North Carolina: 22.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 84.6% FTs
Psycho T's numbers are slightly down from last season, but he beats out Notre Dame's Luke Harangody, a statistical monster, because the Heelshaven't lost six games in a row.
SECOND TEAM
G: Jerel McNeal, Sr., Marquette: 20.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.8 apg
After building a rep as a lockdown defender in his first three seasons, McNeal has also become an offensive force as the senior star of the Big East'ssurprise frontrunner.
G: Eric Maynor, Sr., VCU: 23.2 ppg, 5.9 apg, 3.8 rpg
He's still best known for the shot that sunk Duke in the 2007 NCAA tournament, but Maynor has since blossomed into one of the country's best all-aroundpoint guards.
F: Jodie Meeks, Jr., Kentucky: 25.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 44.0% threes
His tour de force at Tennessee on Jan. 13 -- 54 points scored in regulation, a new UK record -- will likely go down as the season's best single-gameperformance.
F: Luke Harangody, Jr., Notre Dame: 25.1 ppg, 13.2 rpg, 82.3% FTs
He's expanded his offensive arsenal since winning Big East Player of the Year as a sophomore, and has continued to shine during the Irish's slide outof the NCAA tournament picture.
F: DeJuan Blair, Soph., Pittsburgh: 14.9 ppg, 12.7 rpg, 59.5% FGs
Pitt's beastly big man creates his own offense -- and devastates opposing frontcourts -- by grabbing 6.1 offensive rebounds per game.
THIRD TEAM
G: Ty Lawson, Jr., North Carolina: 15.5 ppg, 6.5 apg, 3.6-to-1 assist-turnover ratio
He's been a brilliant creator and dead-eye shooter, hitting 50.0 percent of his treys during ACC play, including a buzzer-beater at Florida State on Jan.28 that put the Heels in position to take over the ACC lead.
G: Nick Calathes, Soph., Florida: 18.1 ppg, 6.4 apg, 5.3 rpg
Mini-Donovan has lifted the Gators back into the top 25, scoring 20 points in five of their past six ACC games, including a triple-double (20 points, 13rebounds, 10 assists) against Georgia on Jan. 28.
G/F: Gerald Henderson, Jr., Duke: 15.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 45.6% threes
Teammate Kyle Singler may be equally deserving for this spot, but Henderson's January breakout turned Duke into a truly elite team and national titlecontender.
F: Terrence Williams, Sr., Louisville: 13.4 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 4.5 apg
T-Will has rescued the Cards, who lack a true floor general, with his point-forward skills, powering them to an 8-0 start in the Big East before Monday'sloss to UConn.
C: Hasheem Thabeet, Jr., UConn: 13.0 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 4.0 bpg
The Tanzanian import is the biggest game-changer in the country (literally, at 7-3), and his interior presence is the main reason the Huskies have thenation's seventh-most efficient defense.
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URI - Kaheem Seawright LONG ISLAND!Originally Posted by blazinjkid
Not like anybody cares, but I'm courtside @ the Charlotte/URI game. That dude Baron made about 45 straight 3's in the warm-ups. We're bout to get murdered...
