The College Basketball Post

[allen3xis]

I don't see how they handle Hansbrough

I just see it as

Memphis, Kansas, UCLA, UNC being a cut above

 

[craftsy21]

Something I'm just now realizing about this Drake/Creighton game - it features two of Kyle Korver's younger brothers playing against each other.. hisnext youngest brother is one of Drake's best players, the next youngest after him is a Jay, but doesn't seem to play very much yet as he's only afrosh or sophomore... and he has yet another little brother coming who's 6'5" and drawing interest from d-1 schools as well.. that'simpressive having 4 brothers all play d-1 basketball, especially when one is in the NBA. I'll bet they all just shoot the lights out of the building too,if they practiced anything like Kyle did growing up.


what's even weirder is that both Drake and Creighton were trying to recruit the third Korver kid, having both known the Korver parents already fromrecruiting their two other sons... how awkward would that be for the family and such.. i don't know, i think that's funny

The official visits the family made to both schools were a bit unusual.

"It was like hanging out with people that you know very well," Kevin Korver said. "Coach Altman told us, 'You already know everything about me, good and bad. What else can I say?' Coach Davis said much the same thing.

"The thing that blew my mind is how each school stressed the academic and education and graduation sides of it. This was more than just being about basketball, and I think that raised Kaleb's awareness of everything."

Coor and Kevin Korver said Kaleb has handled the pressures that go along with having two talented and respected basketball-playing brothers.

"This isn't something that's come about in the last couple of weeks or months," Coor said. "He's had to deal with it almost all his life. He's had to live with the hecklers on the road. I'm not into making positive or negative comparisons, but he's had to live with that, too."

His father is proud of the way that both the younger boys have adjusted to what could be a difficult situation.

"Our two youngest sons have had to deal with enormous pressures," Kevin Korver said. "Kaleb told me, 'I could go to Creighton and follow a past legend, or I could go to Drake and play with a living legend.' He knew either way that he would be following a big shadow."

 

[craftsy21]

Drake game is getting really good.. drake just took their first lead in the 2nd half, it's now a 1 point game with 6 minutes left.. they'd goto 8-0 inthe MVC with a win.. unreal start for drake this year.

Anyways - here's the weekly banter with lots of good info and analysis...

Back and Forth
Mainstream Edition

by John Gasaway and Ken Pomeroy
Printer-
friendly


John: Yo, hoops nation! John and Ken here, feeling forlorn and unnecessary because we think Memphis and Kansas are the probably the two best teams in the country and now (gulp) the polls agree with us. Holy mainstream, Ken! What's next? Should we start using rebound margin? Talk about big players "stepping up"?

Ken: I know. Even Drake has finally gotten some recognition in the polls. All it took was a 7-0 start in the Missouri Valley and a 16-1 start overall. If Keno Davis starts garnering Coach of the Year support, we might get put out of business.

John: Actually we may yet to be able to add some value to the conversation. Take the ACC. It looks like this year it might be that most confusing of creatures: a really fast conference that plays good defense. Last year, the slow-poke Big Ten notwithstanding, there was a remarkable consensus on speed among the BCS conferences: the ACC, Big 12 and SEC were all right around 68 possessions per 40 minutes in league play. It's early, sure, but so far this year the ACC has bumped up the tempo considerably, averaging 72 trips per 40 in-conference. And, as you pointed out in your mailbag piece yesterday, they really play some D in the ACC this season. I'll pay our readers the compliment of assuming they already know Duke is an excellent defensive team. But look at a team like Virginia Tech: nothing on offense, sure, but they've been tough on D in-conference at 75 possessions per 40.

Ken: Yeah, the ACC is defense-heavy, which you'd think would mean plenty of close games in conference play. That hasn't been the case. In fact, to me that was the story of the weekend. It seems that everywhere you looked, there were blowouts where there shouldn't have been. Kansas State over Texas A&M, UConn over Marquette, Virginia over BC, and Georgia over Arkansas, to name a few. While the top of the college hoops world is getting sorted out, the middle of all the power conferences are in chaos.

John: K-State is the one that's really rocked my cognitive world the past couple weeks. They came out of the gate with Michael Beasley being Durantian and everyone else shooting bricks. Easily summarized--I liked it. Now, all of the sudden, they're all shooting like they're the Phoenix Suns. Bill Walker in particular is making threes and I can't believe I just said that. If there were ever a year to watch Kansas State play at Colorado, this is it. Tune in tomorrow night.

Ken: I don't know how to read the game the Wildcats had against A&M, since the Aggies have now laid consecutive eggs against K-State and an uninspiring Texas Tech team. I do know that Frank Martin is earning my respect. Through brilliant substituting--and the fact that there were ample stoppages due to Texas A&M's hack addiction--Beasley played ten more possessions on offense than on defense. This was crucial in a game where he spent the first 25-30 minutes of a then-close game in foul trouble.

Elsewhere, the most shocking 10 minutes all weekend was the end of the Louisville/Seton Hall game, in which a 10-point Cardinal lead turned into a 10-point Seton Hall win. I was ready to tout the Cards as a legitimate threat to win the Big East, but now I revert to questioning whether a team that launches threes as often as they do can win a power conference.

John: The Big East team that proves to me they can beat non-Rutgers and non-USF opponents on the road will show me they're the favorite. That is why Cincinnati is emblematic of the entire league. They started the conference season winning by a point at Louisville--strange, shocking and huge. Look past that, though, and you'll find that in every other conference game the Bearcats have won by single digits at home and lost by double-digits on the road. Still, I have to tip my cap to Deonta Vaughn, who missed a ton of shots last year but has been lighting it up this year.

Ken: The upper tier of the Big East is inhabited by Cincinnati and DePaul at the moment, who are each within a game of Georgetown for the conference lead. I'm predicting that neither will last. Cincinnati has been a fun story. They kept Pitt off the glass on Saturday which is no small task. DeJuan Blair finished with three boards! The Panthers, on the other hand, are an enigma. They could either be really close to the team that beat Duke, or a team headed for doom. The game at St. John's on Wednesday suddenly has a must-win feel for them. If they lose, they're 3-3 in conference, and then you legitimately have to wonder if the injuries are catching up to them.

John: Speaking of doom, Oregon State coach Jay John was shown the door on Sunday night. This was a decision that had been building for quite some time, of course, but when the trigger was finally pulled the timing felt odd. The Beavers were actually competitive on the road at Washington on Saturday. Be that as it may, here's hoping for an Arizona State-style year-to-year 180 starting next year in Corvallis. It'll help if they have next year's James Harden coming in.

Ken: It'll be interesting to see who ends up with that job, even if not many people will want it. Then again the whippersnappers out there don't remember that Ralph Miller had that team in the top five nationally in the early '80s. As for 2008, it will not be enjoyable to play that team the rest of the season. A loss to them is a serious resume killer and a win means nothing.

I see now where C.J. Giles has been dismissed from the team. I'll never understand why he didn't work out there. John wasn't going to be back next year anyway, but Giles' lack of production is what cost John his job in the middle of this season. While we're on the left coast, what about USC? Suddenly, O.J. Mayo is restrained and they look like a dangerous team. A sweep of the Oregon schools on the road this weekend is not a crazy notion. The 72 points in 64 possessions against UCLA was as good an offensive performance you'll see by any team this season. I really like where Tim Floyd's team is going.

John: A sweep could happen. The Ducks are shooting as many threes as ever but making only 33 percent in-conference.

While we're on the subject of shooting a lot of threes, I direct your attention to Starkville, Mississippi, where Rick Stansbury's Bulldogs are also shooting and missing a high number of treys. They're 4-0 in the SEC anyway, thanks in part to one Jarvis Varnado, who's already recorded 10 blocks in a game twice in conference play. Little wonder MSU opponents aren't scoring. Still, Ole Miss should give their in-state rivals a good test this Saturday.

Ken: Yes, MSU is quietly rising from the ashes of a disappointing November and December. They're also giving UConn a run at the block percentage title, currently leading the nation by sending back more than one in five opponents' two-point attempts. You have to take note when a team holds consecutive conference opponents under 30 percent eFG as the Bulldogs did to LSU and Georgia. If they can get any production from beyond the arc, they'll have a great shot at the SEC West title, which will mean more than it did last season.

John: Well, in the West, certainly Arkansas continues to baffle, losing at home to South Carolina. And don't get me started about the collapse of LSU, which was playing in a national semifinal game just 21 months ago. The game this Saturday in Starkville will feature the two best teams in the West right now.

Ken: LSU could probably use Tasmin Mitchell right about now, but even if they had him they still wouldn't be thinking about the postseason.

John: While we're in the West, I think it's time we let the sun set there. And so we say goodbye to our bid for mainstream acceptance in a Back and Forth. Maybe when next we talk Memphis will have lost at Houston and Kansas will have lost at Kansas State. Then we'll show 'em!

Ken: Hey, everyone's got to lose sometime.

John: Except the Patriots. Maybe. Auf wiedersehen.

Ken: Goodbye everybody!

John Gasaway is an author of Basketball Prospectus. You can contact John by clicking here or click here to see John's other articles.
Ken Pomeroy is an author of Basketball Prospectus. You can contact Ken by clicking here or click here to see Ken's other articles.

 

[ricardo malta]

and somehow people are still kinda questioning them
I'm their biggest fan and critic and I'm still questioning them. We come across a team with a good frontline and its a different ballgame. Not to mention if our "bigs" get in foul trouble then you might as well chalk up the L because we have no depth in our frontcourt. I mean, webeat Clemson which has a good frontline but we played them at home and Clemson tried to run with us which threw them off their game. I see us catching an L atUNC, Maryland, GA Tech and Clemson at the very least (didn't check the schedule to see if we in fact do play at Tech and Clemson).

I don't consider Wisconsin or Marquette elite, I'll wait to see what they do against UNC
Well seeing as UNC is a top 3 team (forget the rankings) it's kinda unfair to use them as a gauge in regards to how good Duke is. BeatingMarquette, Wisconsin, Clemson, and FSU tells me this is a good team. Maybe not a great team but definitely a 2nd tier/possible elite 8 squad, right in thesame group as Georgetown.

 

[allen3xis]

I agree.

They are definitely top 10, I just dont see them as a national title contender

 

[craftsy21]

oooooovvvveeeerrrrrtiiiimmmmeeeeee in ooooooooommmmmaaahhhhhaaa

 

[N41D]

Originally Posted by Craftsy21

Man - watching OSU lose to Texas tonight really makes me worry about whether this group of guys will ever get it together down there.

Think of everyone this team could have right now... 5 five-star guys and about 5 4-star recruits... including a mr. Gerald Green.

okay so he was never gonna still be there even if he had gone for a year.. But seriously, even now, they still have 3 5-star recruits and a plethora of other very solid talent. You can see that's not just misreads in talent either, when they're playing well, they are tough as hell. I just can't figure out what's going wrong down there - i have to blame coaching i guess, there's too much down there to not be getting more out of. Eaton and Anderson alone should be good enough to get them dancing this year, and it's just not going to happen.. not even close. They're just so damn inconsistent... ugh, frustrating.

Next year's the year.. if Anderson doesn't try his hand in the pro's, (by the way, he's a great player if you guys haven't seen him yet...) they'll have almost the same lineup next year with a little more experience.

Anybody seeing anything out of them as to why they're so inconsistent?

It's coaching. I've seen that team more than a handful of times this year, and Sean Sutton is absolutely terrible. Allen asked the same thinglast night in the UT/OSU thread, but it's mind-boggling how clueless he looks at times considering he worked under one of the best coaches ever for so manyyears...

 

[frankie calentino]

How many Korvers are there?

 

[scuse7]

Originally Posted by Frankie CALentino

How many Korvers are there?

Just coming in to ask the same thing.


DO they all start with a K?

 

[allen3xis]

Drake's season so far

Patrick Patterson needs to stay a few, he can be a great college big

Cake,
you went to school up @ Niagara right? Charron Fisher is gettin his again takin 22 shots a game

 

[craftsy21]

Originally Posted by Frankie CALentino

How many Korvers are there?

4.

 

[scuse7]

Good game between Tenn and Kentucky.

I am surprised at how well there playing. I still think the Vols will come through but none the less. It is a stellar performance by Kentucky.

What was up with yall earlier in the year? Getting wooped on by Garderner-Webb?

This proves you have what it takes to win.

 

[jrellcuse10]

I want to see students rush the court. Come on UK. Hopefully we get to do that again this year.

 

[craftsy21]

For having a close game with the 5th ranked team in the nation, this crowd is dead.. i know UK fans are disappointed, but this place is a joke of an atmosphereright now.

 

[allen3xis]

I want to see students rush the court. Come on UK. Hopefully we get to do that again this year.

just my opinion but Kentucky and Syracuse should never rush the court, no matter what

 

[craftsy21]

Originally Posted by allen3xis

I want to see students rush the court. Come on UK. Hopefully we get to do that again this year.

cuse can rush whenever they want

but storied programs like UK should never... i'd bet they will though, sports fans today have no appreciation for that sort of thing.. most of them arejust drunk girls anyways.

 

[jrellcuse10]

Originally Posted by allen3xis

I want to see students rush the court. Come on UK. Hopefully we get to do that again this year.

Jay Bilas after defeating G'Town "Act like you've been there before."

 

[allen3xis]

That's a big win for BG


Pearl looks like such a sleezy guy

 

[craftsy21]

As good as Tenn. may be this year, they're still relying on the three ball like a low-major squad would.. 5-22... live by it, die by it... why they willalways struggle come tourney time under Pearl.

 

[jrellcuse10]

Originally Posted by Craftsy21

Originally Posted by allen3xis

I want to see students rush the court. Come on UK. Hopefully we get to do that again this year.

cuse can rush whenever they want

but storied programs like UK should never... i'd bet they will though, sports fans today have no appreciation for that sort of thing.. most of them are just drunk girls anyways.


What's that supposed to mean?

And the drunk girls comment is true. Honestly I find it annoying when I have some drunk chick keep getting up to get a beer while I'm watching a game.Syracuse is one of three programs in the nation to sell beer on campus

 

[scuse7]

Originally Posted by jrellcuse10

Originally Posted by allen3xis

I want to see students rush the court. Come on UK. Hopefully we get to do that again this year.

Jay Bilas after defeating G'Town "Act like you've been there before."


Yea i mean last year

.

But this year we are not to good and we aren't a storied program. So yeah i would rush.


And someone should slap Chris Lofton. All he does when i watch him is shoot contested three pointers and brick. It is just stupid. He has other guys. Itwasn't like no time was left. He was going to gun it up with 15 seconds left.

 

[allen3xis]

we aren't a storied program.
Yeah you are, and that's from a Gtown fan

...maybe notUNC, UCLA, Kentucky, but you guys are up there

 

[scuse7]

Originally Posted by jrellcuse10

Originally Posted by Craftsy21

Originally Posted by allen3xis

I want to see students rush the court. Come on UK. Hopefully we get to do that again this year.

cuse can rush whenever they want

but storied programs like UK should never... i'd bet they will though, sports fans today have no appreciation for that sort of thing.. most of them are just drunk girls anyways.

What's that supposed to mean?

And the drunk girls comment is true. Honestly I find it annoying when I have some drunk chick keep getting up to get a beer while I'm watching a game. Syracuse is one of three programs in the nation to sell beer on campus

Yeah becuase our school is so money hungry. They are one of the few schools to sell it. Personally i don't like it becuase it just is a pain inthe+@%!. Long lines and annoying people everywhere. Not so much where i sit, but during football it is the worst.

EDIT- Yea i guess you could say storied. We are a solid consistent program. I wish we had more titles. But yea i guess we are a pretty good school.

 

[craftsy21]

Originally Posted by jrellcuse10

Originally Posted by Craftsy21

Originally Posted by allen3xis

I want to see students rush the court. Come on UK. Hopefully we get to do that again this year.

cuse can rush whenever they want

but storied programs like UK should never... i'd bet they will though, sports fans today have no appreciation for that sort of thing.. most of them are just drunk girls anyways.

What's that supposed to mean?

And the drunk girls comment is true. Honestly I find it annoying when I have some drunk chick keep getting up to get a beer while I'm watching a game. Syracuse is one of three programs in the nation to sell beer on campus

just messin with you cuse fans.. there's too many of you guysin this thread, i've gotta keep you on your toes.

 

[kidoopz]

Big win for Kentuck.. Losing record but beating two ranked teams in conference keeps their heads above water.. Am I the only one that believes Chris Lofton hasno game..