Here's to hoping that all of you college hoopheads out there were able to get a good night's sleep on Sunday, because Monday night brings with it the now-annual College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon.
What that means is that for a full 24 hours -- actually, its closer to 30 if you're like me and willing to start the "marathon" with Monday's 7:00 pm tips -- starting when the calendar changes from Monday until Tuesday, there will be a college basketball game on TV. For me, this is the precipice of heaven. I'll be up all night watching, pounding Monster's (Red Bull is just too weak these days) and, in all likelihood, putting down an extra large pizza by myself.
Sounds glorious, doesn't it?
For the majority of the sane world, however, I realize that life does not revolve around college basketball and the chance to stay up all night, drinking caffeine and eating pizza (all of a sudden, this sounds like a sixth grade slumber party). So I decided to break down the marathon for you. Hopefully, this helps you select which games to watch, which games to ignore and when to fire up the TiVO:
Only miss these games to see the birth of your FIRST child:
1. 8:00 pm: Florida @ Ohio State: You remember what happened last year, right? The Gators hung with Ohio State for the first 25 minutes or so before Jared Sullinger took over and carried the Buckeyes to a resounding, 93-75 win. And that happened when the Gators had a big front line. This season, all of the weight of battling in the paint will fall on the shoulders of Patric Young. Part of what makes that matchup in the post so intriguing is that Young and Sullinger are both potential lottery picks, but they are nearly polar opposites in terms of ability. Sullinger is a big, physical, fairly-unathletic kid with a variety of post moves and an innate understanding of positioning and how to use his hindquarters. Young, on the other hand, still has a way to go in terms of learning how to play the game and developing his post arsenal, but he's a freak athlete.
The matchup in the back court carries some intrigue as well. Florida's potent back court has been well-publicized. Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton, Bradley Beal and Mike Rosario are as talented as any perimeter attack in the country. But the Buckeyes have a couple of all-league caliber guards on their roster as well. Aaron Craft will lock down whoever Thad Matta decides to put him on while William Buford will be a difficult matchup for any of the Billy Donovan's defenders. The x-factor may be Lenzelle Smith. The sophomore looked like a promising defensive player in Ohio State's first game of the year vs. Wright State. Now is a chance to prove it.
2. 7:00 pm: Duke vs. Michigan State (Madison Square Garden): First and foremost, the interest in this game has less to do in the action on the court than what the result of a Duke win means off the court. You couldn't have written the story any better. Coach K is in line to win his 903rd game at the Garden on national television in an event called the Champion's Classic. What is the significance of the number 903? Its one more than the number of wins current record-holder Bobby Knight had in his career. There is no doubt that Duke fans will be scrounging for these ticket stubs should the Blue Devils pull out the win.
There is no guarantee that Duke wins this game, however. The Blue Devils resemble North Carolina to me in a few ways. They have a point guard that can't defend his own shadow and tall, athletic posts that can be pushed around by more physical defenders. In the Carrier Classic last Friday, the Spartans abused Carolina on the offensive glass. They forced their fair share of turnovers as well. If Michigan State hadn't shot an abysmal 30.6% from the floor, they would have had a chance to win that game. If Draymond Green, Derrick Nix and Branden Dawson were able to push around John Henson and Tyler Zeller, what happens when they go up against the Plumlees.
3. 12:00 pm: Belmont @ Memphis: This is the most intriguing game of the entire marathon for me. This is the Tiger's first real game of the season, and while we are all expecting Josh Pastner's terrific sophomore class to show a marked improvement, there is no guarantee that will happen. Belmont is not an easy team to play in the first game of the season. Just ask Duke, who needed a late three from Andre Dawkins to finally take control against the Bruins.
Belmont is deep, they are experienced and they love to press and are excellent at forcing turnovers. The Memphis back court of Joe Jackson, Charles Carmouche and Antonio Barton is not going to have an easy task trying to protect the ball. The other thing Belmont does well is shoot the ball. They have a tendency to live and die by the three, but they get hot as a team; when a couple go down, the Bruins are capable of catching fire and hitting five or six in a row. But what makes Belmont an ideal upset candidate is that they have a couple big bodies inside in Mick Hedgepeth and Scott Saunders. Folks in Memphis have been raving about Tarik Black, the Tiger's sophomore center, and having two capable post players to throw at him is important.
You can miss these for a hot date, but they have to be at least a nine and NOT already your significant other:
4. 9:30 pm: Kentucky vs. Kansas (Madison Square Garden): I have to be honest -- I don't think Kansas is going to be able to hang with the Wildcats. I love Thomas Robinson as much as anyone in the country this side of Jeff Goodman and I think that Bill Self is a terrific coach, but the Jayhawks are not deep and they are not overly experienced, meaning that most of their players are taking on (much) more expanded roles this year. I'm not convinced that Elijah Johnson and Tyshawn Taylor are the answer at the point, either. As for Kentucky, the Wildcats are once again incorporating a loaded recruiting class, but this year they add that crop of youngsters to a couple of talented sophomores in Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb. I have a bad feeling this game could end up looking something like the Carrier Classic.
5. 2:00 am: Northern Iowa @ St. Mary's: Northern Iowa was supposed to be going through a bit of a rebuilding season this year, as they deal with replacing Lucas O'Rear and Kwadzo Ahelegbe. I, personally, had them in the bottom half of the Missouri Valley. (Well, sixth, but six out of ten in the bottom half.) That's why I was the first to get in line congratulating the Panthers for their 17 points road win against an Old Dominion team that had Kent Bazemore in the lineup. This will be a real test for UNI, however. St. Mary's may have lost Mickey McConnell, but they brought back Matthew Dellavedova to anchor a back court with a couple of talented sophomores. The Gaels also return their entire front line, meaning that Jake Koch is going to have his hands full. This would be a big win for both teams and both leagues. The MVC has had a good early showing (Missouri State won at Nevada) while Loyola Marymount's win over UCLA was negated by their loss to Middle Tennessee State and San Francisco's loss to North Dakota State.
6. 12:00 am: Washington State @ Gonzaga: Elias Harris looks like he is all-but back to his freshman year form, as he soared for a couple of big throwdowns in the Zags opening day win against Eastern Washington. Harris finished with 16 points and eight boards, but he wasn't even the best big man on the team, as Robert Sacre went for 22 points and 10 boards. But Gonzaga's back court struggled on both ends of the floor, allowing EWU to shoot 13-29 from three. The Cougars have a couple of talented guards in Reggie Moore and Faisal Aden. Will the Bulldogs be able to stop them?
You can play bridge with your Grandmother, just make sure you have the game on in the back ground:
7. 2:00 pm: San Diego State @ Baylor: San Diego State will be playing their fourth game in five days on Tuesday (by the end of the week, it will be six games in nine days), with their tip in Waco coming barely 40 hours after the final whistle of the Aztec's 89-74 win over UC-Davis. SDSU is 3-0 heading into the game, getting some terrific play out of their back court of Chase Tapley, Jamaal Franklin and Xavier Thames. The issue, however, is that Baylor's front line is loaded even with Perry Jones sitting out, while SDSU relies on a guy that struggled to get minutes on LSU last season. Its too bad this game couldn't have been played with last year's SDSU team.
8. 4:00 pm: Rhode Island @ Texas: For the first time in what feels like forever, the Longhorns are going to be rebuilding this season. They have a couple of pieces in their back court -- Myck Kabongo has been compared to Chris Paul too many times to court, while J'Covan Brown had 28 points and eight assists in his first game -- but Rhody is no pushover. They got 38 points from Jamil Wilson as they took George Mason to overtime at the Patriot Center on Friday. Can they give Texas a similar run?
9. 10:00 am: Kent State @ West Virginia: Kent State might as well be the same team as Oral Roberts. Both are veteran-laden teams with a history of success in the program and a potential conference Player of the Year at the forward spot. Oral Roberts lost to WVU 78-71 on Friday night, and the Golden Eagles shot themselves in the foot down the stretch, making a couple of mental mistakes and missing two wide-open threes. Justin Greene is the guy to keep an eye on for Kent State. But if that's not enough, you should watch to get a glimpse of Deniz Kilicli, who is doing his best to try and look like the Mountaineer mascot.
10. 10:00 pm: Austin Peay @ California: The Governors have a star in Tyshawn Edmundson, a St. John's transfer that can put up points in a hurry. That said, Cal has been one of the most impressive teams in the country early in the season (and the only impressive team in the Pac-12). It will be worth it to watch Jorge Gutierrez try and slow down Edmundson.
11. 6:00 am: Drexel @ Rider: I know this game looks boring on paper, but there is some intrigue here. Drexel is a favorite to win the CAA this season. Bruiser Flint's team is, essentially, a mid-major model of Pitt. They preach defensive discipline and attack the glass with reckless abandon. This Rider team just lost to Pitt by a score of 86-78 on Sunday, and the game was much closer than the final. It took an Ashton Gibbs three with a minute left to finally open up a six point cushion. What else are you going to watch, anyway? Good Morning America?
You know what? Go ahead. Get some sleep. I won't even be mad:
12. 8:00 am: Morehead State @ College of Charleston: It will be fun to see two mid-major superstars go head-to-head in Kenneth Faried and Andrew Goudelock. Wait, what? They graduated? Oh. Well, then.
13. South Alabama @ Hawaii: If you stay up through this game, you've reached true junkie status by allowing your addiction to affect your work. There is no way you'll be able to function normally the rest of the week. I can tell you this, though: Troy will be up for this game. He loves the Rainbows.
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Monday, November 14, 2011
Previewing the Madness: A Watcher's Guide to the College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon |
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Tip-Off Marathon: The Recap |
So I made it! All 25 or 26 or whatever hours the Tip-Off Marathon, from the tip in Memphis (well, technically, we started with Monday's 7:00 pm games) to the final whistle out in LA.
And since I'm sure no one is going to go through and reread all of our thoughts from the live-blog -- we went for 30 hours, that is a lot of typing -- I figured the best way to wrap up the marathon and offer my commentary on everything that happened yesterday was to put together a recap post.
So without further ado...
Yeah, so about those Buckeyes: Ohio State looked absolutely terrific yesterday. Florida is not the greatest defensive team (more on this in a second), but the Buckeyes absolutely shredded their defense, getting whatever shot they wanted offensively. Jared Sullinger proved that he is, in fact, a monster, finishing with 26 points and 10 boards. But we expected that, just like we expected the wing trio of Jon Diebler, William Buford, and David Lighty to do what they did -- knock down open shots, slash to the rim when a lane opens up, and to more or less provide leadership and experience for this team. Combined, the three had 56 points and 15 assists (to just 2 turnovers) while hitting 8-15 from deep.
Maybe the most important thing to take out of yesterday's game? Aaron Craft is ready to play at this level. Ohio State's freshman point guard played 29 minutes off the bench (it looks like Matta's best lineup is Sullinger, Craft, and the three wings), finishing with 7 points, 5 assists, and 3 turnovers. Jumping to conclusions after one game is generally a mistake, but the Buckeyes look like they are, at worst, the third best team in the country. What's almost certain at this point is that they belong in the national championship discussion.
Same ole Gators: Florida doesn't have a true point guard. That's their biggest issue. The Gators controlled the first half when they were getting the ball to their big men on the block. Unlike years past, it appears Florida actually has some legitimate scoring options inside. But the second half turned into the Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton show, the ball stopped going inside, and the Buckeyes pulled away. Florida quit after Ohio State made their run. They didn't have anyone to slow things down, take control of the offense, and say "we aren't out of it yet, let's run a play for Vernon Macklin."
The point has been made already, I know, but this is the same Gators team as last season. They may be better individually, but this team has the same flaws. Can it be solved? Yes, is Scottie Wilbekin is ready to become a full-time point guard.
San Diego State is for real: Gonzaga doesn't lose at home. I take that back, they do. Since 2004, they have lost all of five times at The Kennel. Including last night. So keep that in mind when you think about the Aztec's victory. SDSU was exactly what he expected them to be. Tough defensively, aggressive going to the offensive glass, and loaded with talented scorers on their front line. Billy White was tremendous, finishing with 30 points and 9 boards, while Kawhi Leonard poured in 18 points, including two huge free throws at the end, and 12 boards. As many have predicted throughout the preseason, SDSU looks like they could very well be the best team on the West Coast.
Gonzaga fans shouldn't panic: Sure, it would have been nice to win this game, but keep in mind that you lost to a team that is severely underrated right now (seriously, how are they not ranked?) that got a career game from one of their players while your best player, Elias Harris, was slowed with a shoulder injury. Gonzaga will be fine. Steven Gray, who had 35 points last night and is playing like an all-american, seems like he understands he needs to be a slasher this season. Robert Sacre finished with a double-double. The rest of the roster is young, but showed some heart last night, especially Kelly Olynyk. When Harris gets to 100%, the Zags are still a top 15-20 team.
Kansas State and Virginia Tech disappoints: This was easily the most disappointing game of the day. The refs called the game super-tight, Jacob Pullen barely played, Virginia Tech never got into a rhythm, and Kansas State ran away in the second half. Kansas State looked pretty impressive. They were winning at the half despite not having Pullen or Curtis Kelly, who is still suspended. In the second half, their defense picked up, they started getting to the offensive glass, and the buried some timley threes to break the game open. But K-State has a ways to go. Their back court also missed a huge number of jumpers and the front court needs a healthy dose of toughness around the rim.
Tech played pretty badly. They got into foul trouble on the road, they were cold early, and they showed some terrible decision making. Malcolm Delaney had 22 points, but also 8 turnovers and 6-18 shooting. Dorenzo Hudson couldn't get anything going offensively. No one could, really. Virginia Tech is not the bad.
Louisville runs; Butler struggles: The Cardinals really looked terrific at times last night against Butler. As we should be used to by now with Ric Pitino's team, the Cardinals have a ton of athletes, a bunch of kids that can shoot, and a number of big bodies inside. If you aren't ready to handle the press that they bring, you will get run out of the gym. Like Butler did. And to think, they smacked Butler last night and Jared Swopshire wasn't even in the lineup.
As far as Butler goes, I think they will be ok. I think, more than anything, they walked into a buzzsaw last night. With everything that happened to Louisville during the offseason combined with a primetime game on ESPN for the opening of their new arena turned this into a massacre waiting to happen. Louisville is better than we all thought, and Butler probably isn't a top 20 team right now, but neither extreme is what either team is going to be. Remember, people dropped the Bulldogs early last season as well.
UCLA and VCU are headed to MSG: UCLA handled Pacific pretty easily -- even without the injured Malcolm Lee -- and will be headed to the Garden next week to play in the finals of the preseason NIT. VCU smacked Wake Forest by 21 on the road to earn the right to head to New York. Tennessee plays Missouri State and Villanova gets BU for the right to advance.
Miami will be better, Memphis showed promise: Early in the season, the talk coming from the Hurricanes was that they believed they were a top five team in the ACC. Yesteday did nothing to change that potential. Miami has two terrific guards in Durand Scott and Malcolm Grant, a blossoming star in center Reggie Johnson, and some size and athletes to surround those three. Decision making, shot selection, and leader ship will determine how far this team goes.
Memphis is an interesting team this season. Last night, Joe Jackson was really their only big name that played well. Will Barton saw limited minutes due to a bum ankle and Will Coleman and Angel Garcia both struggled while Jackson was on his way to 17 points and 4 assists. That said, the rest of the Memphis freshmen were quite impressive, making big plays (Chris Crawford's late three to give the Tigers the lead, Antonio Barton's hot start on both ends of the floor, Tarik Black's work inside) to help win this game.
Michigan State's tale of two halves: The Spartans played great for the first 20 minutes, jumping out to a 42-25 lead on the back of Durrell Summers. But the second half, Sparty started turning the ball over and missing free throws, which allowed the Gamecocks to climb back in it. They never really were in danger of losing the game, but it was not the way Tom Izzo would have like to close out the game. Summers, like I said, was fantastic, finishing with 22 points that he scored in a variety of ways, Draymond Green added 18 points and 12 boards, and Delvon Roe, whose knee looked very active, finished with 15 points.
Baylor's point guard concerns: The Bears have an enormous back line on their 2-3 zone when Perry Jones, Quincy Acy, and Anthony Jones are in the game. Those three also combine for one of the best offensive rebounding trios in the country. Throw in the versatility of both Jones' and LaceDarius Dunn's perimeter shooting when he returns, and Baylor has the makings for a good team. But one question I have about the Bears is at the point -- they had 22 turnovers against La Salle yesterday. AJ Walton had seven in 32 minutes and Stargell had three in 16 minutes.
Syracuse's slow starts: The Orange are 3-0 this season, and its difficult to complain about 3-0. But the Cuse have a long way to go before they are competing for the top of the Big East. Fab Melo, the star freshman center, and 8 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 13 fouls on the season. Kris Joseph is averaging just 9.0 ppg. The Orange don't exactly seem to have any shooter of the wings, either. Perhaps the most frustrating for Boeheim? His team's slow starts. Syracuse has won all three games by double figures, but all three looked like potential upsets at halftime.
The Best of the Marathon
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Tuesday, November 16, 2010
2010 College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon Live-Blog |
Yes, it is that time folks.
Well, let me take that back. The Tip-Off Marathon doesn't officially start until midnight tonight when Miami heads to Memphis to take on the Tigers. But starting at 7:00 pm, there will be hoops for 30 straight hours. The brains behind BIAH figured that, since there will be a solid five hours of good basketball on before the Tip-Off marathon officially begins (including games involving UCLA, Nevada, and Pacific, who will be playing the last game in the actual marathon), we should go ahead and live-blog that too.
Why not, right?
I mean, we're already destroying our sleep cycle for the week and ingesting an incredibly unhealthy amount of Red Bull, chips, and this delicious dip that my girlfriend found at Trader Joe's made out of wing sauce and blue cheese (she got +10 points for that discovery).
But our cholesterol be damned, we are determined to provide the best coverage of this college hoops marathon. So read this preview, then hit the jump and join us for what is sure to be a wild night. There may be some basketball involved as well.
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Monday, November 15, 2010
Previewing the College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon |
This post can also be found at Beyond the Arc.
As we have done the last two years, BIAH will be live-blogging the entire Tip-Off Marathon, which starts at midnight tonight. Twenty games in total, over the course of 25 hours. Its what every college basketball fan dreams about. (Click here to follow along with our live-blog.)
Here is the full schedule:
Midnight: Miami at Memphis, ESPN
2:00 am: St. John's at Saint Mary's, ESPN
4:00 am: Central Michigan at Hawaii, ESPN
6:00 am: Stony Brook at Monmouth, ESPN
8:00 am: Robert Morris at Kent State, ESPN
10:00 am: Northeastern at Southern Illinois, ESPN
Noon: Oral Roberts at Tulsa, ESPN
2:00 pm: La Salle at Baylor, ESPN
4:00 pm: Virginia Tech at Kansas State, ESPN
5:30 pm: Marist at Villanova, ESPNU
6:00 pm: Ohio State at Florida, ESPN
6:00 pm: Baylor at Connecticut, ESPN2
7:00 pm: Detroit at Syracuse, ESPN3.com
7:30 pm: Miami (Ohio) at Duke, ESPNU
7:30 pm: St. Joseph's @ Penn State, ESPN3.com
8:00 pm: Butler at Louisville, ESPN
8:00 pm: North Dakota @ Wisconsin, ESPN3.com
9:30 pm: Belmont at Tennessee, ESPNU
10:00 pm: South Carolina at Michigan State, ESPN
11:00 pm: San Diego State vs. Gonzaga (in Spokane, WA), ESPN2
11:30 pm: Nevada or Pacific at UCLA, ESPNU (Ed. Note: Nevada and Pacific play today at 5:30 pm PST while UCLA will play Cal State Northridge. The winners will advance and play each other.)
After the jump, we will rank and preview each of the twenty games.
1. 6:00 pm: Ohio State at Florida: A rematch of the 2007 NCAA title game, the Buckeyes will once again have a uber-talented freshman manning the paint in 6'8" Jared Sullinger, who had 19 points and 14 boards in the Buckeye's opener. There is plenty of other talent on the OSU roster, however. Another freshman -- DeShaun Thomas -- had 24 points in the opener, while David Lighty, William Buford, and Jon Diebler all return on the perimeter. Perhaps the most important piece for this team will end up being Aaron Craft, a freshman point guard that went for 8 points, 9 assists, and 0 turnovers in his debut.
With Enes Kanter done for the season, the Gators look to be the favorite to win the SEC East. They have a super back court with Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker, and with guys like Chandler Parsons and Alex Tyus up front, Billy Donovan had plenty of length and athleticism. The biggest issue for the Gators is how they will go about slowing down Sullinger, who is much stronger than Gator's front court. Freshman Patric Young was brought in for situations like this, but he looked like a freshman in the first game.
BIAH Prediction: Ohio State 70, Florida 67
2. 11:00 pm: San Diego State vs. Gonzaga (in Spokane, WA): Believe it or not, this could very well be a matchup of the two best teams on the west coast. This game will also provide us with the best individual matchup as Elias Harris and Kawhi Leonard (hopefully) spend the evening going at each other. Harris is the more polished of the two right now, as he has the ability to attack from the perimeter. Leonard is probably more aggressive and more athletic at this point in their careers and does most of his damage in transition and on the offensive glass.
SDSU is known for their front court, but this season the Zags has a big and talented front line. What this game could come down to is who gets the most out of their back court. Steven Gray is playing some of the best basketball of his career right now, averaging 21.0 ppg, 8.5 apg, and 7.5 rpg, but between DJ Gay had 20 in the opener for the Aztecs while James Rohan knocked down three huge threes in the second half.
BIAH Prediction: Gonzaga 81, SDSU 72
3. 4:00 pm: Virginia Tech at Kansas State: If Kawhi Leonard and Elias Harris isn't the best individual matchup of the marathon, Malcolm Delaney and Jacob Pullen is. Not only are these two arguably the two best lead guards in the country, they may very well be the two best scorers in the country.
Kansas State's advantage is obviously on the interior as Tech is missing JT Thompson and Allan Chaney, but that advantage looks to be mitigated. Curtis Kelly will sit out for the second game in a row, and his replacements (Freddy Asprilla and Wally Judge) finished with 2 points, 5 boards, 6 turnovers, and 7 fouls.
BIAH Prediction: Kansas State 69, Virginia Tech 59
4. 2:00 am: St. John's at Saint Mary's: Steve Lavin is returning to the West Coast, where he has been absolutely cleaning up on the recruiting trail. The Johnnies, under their new head coach, look to make their first tournament trip in a long, long time. St. Mary's kicks off their post-Samhan era by hosting a team from the Big East. There are enough storylines here to overshadow the fact that this is an early season non-conference game with a ton of significance. Both of these teams will be in or around the bubble come March. Will this result play a part in who gets in and who doesn't?
And yes, I just referenced the bubble. Before Thanksgiving.
BIAH Prediction: St. Mary's 76, St. John's 75 OT
5. 8:00 pm: Butler at Louisville: Butler gets their first real test of the season as the head to Louisville to christen the brand new KFC Yum! Center. I find it very difficult to believe that the Bulldogs will be nearly as good as they were last season. I love Shelvin Mack and Ronald Nored, but without a future pro like Hayward, I think Butler simply regresses to "very good mid-major" as opposed to "national power." Having said that, if Howard can play big inside, the Bulldogs are more than capable of knocking off a Cardinals team that is depleted due to ineligible freshmen and injuries.
BIAH Prediction: Butler 59, Louisville 50
6. Midnight: Miami FL at Memphis: Memphis may not have Jelan Kendrick, but this is still going to be a very good basketball team. Just how good remains to be seen. This is a deep team with a lot of weapons offensively -- Joe Jackson, Will Barton, Wesley Witherspoon, Angel Garcia. They should be, at worst, a top 25 team and win C-USA. But Miami isn't terrible. They have some pieces with Reggie Johnson inside and Durand Scott, Malcolm Grant, and DeQuan Jones on the perimeter. At the very least, we should get a number of highlight reel dunks.
BIAH Prediction: Memphis 78, Miami FL 64
7. 10:00 pm: South Carolina at Michigan State: The Gamecocks lost a ton of talent in the offseason, led by the graduation of Devan Downey. Michigan State has essentially the same group of guys that have made back to back Final Fours. I'm intrigued, however, to see how far along Kalin Lucas is in his recovery, as well as the improvements made by Durrell Summers in the offseason.
BIAH Prediction: Michigan State 80, South Carolina 62
8. 7:00 pm: Detroit at Syracuse: If there is going to be an upset of a major conference team by a mid-major, this looks like the most likely candidate. Detroit has some buzz during the offseason. They returned much of a roster -- including Eli Holman, who went for 15 points and 13 boards against New Mexico in the opener -- that went 9-9 in the Horizon last season and added one of the best point guards in the country in Ray McCallum, Jr. (Sr. is the head coach). Syracuse is talented, but they have not looked great in their two wins this season. They've struggled from the perimeter, Fab Melo has looked raw inside, and Kris Joseph hasn't exactly turned into the star everyone expected him to be. So do I think the Orange will get upset?
BIAH Prediction: Syracuse 84, Detroit 61
9. 11:30 pm: Nevada or Pacific at UCLA: I'm hoping this ends up being UCLA and Nevada, as the Wolfpack are a sleeper team in the WAC. While Armon Johnson and Luke Babbitt both left for the NBA, Nevada went out and reloaded with transfers and talented freshmen. Watch out for Deonte Burton, a high-scoring, high-flying point guard from LA. UCLA, on the other hand, looks like they just might be back to being UCLA. The key may actually be JuCo transfer Lazeric Jones at the point, who has seemingly taken over for Jerime Anderson.
To be fair, if Pacific does win against Nevada, they have a chance to be a mid-major darling as they have already beaten UTEP.
(I'll update this prediction once I find out who the Bruins are playing.)
10. 8:00 am: Robert Morris at Kent State: Robert Morris may have lost their head coach, but they bring back Karon Abraham, who was the team's leading scorer a year ago. Kent State, who, like Bobby Mo, won 23 games last season, has gotten off to a bit of a slow start, losing to Cleveland State, but this is still a group that should compete in the MAC. The Golden Flashes are led by forward Justin Greene. This may not be the highest level of basketball, but these are two good teams with NCAA Tournament potential.
BIAH Prediction: Kent State 68, Robert Morris 61
11. Noon: Oral Roberts at Tulsa: This game lost some of its luster when Tulsa lost over the weekend to Appalachian State. That said, these are still two of the best basketball programs outside of the Big Six, and both are coming off of 20 win seasons.
BIAH Prediction: Tulsa 74, Oral Roberts 70
12. 2:00 pm: La Salle at Baylor: Baylor will play their second game without LaceDarius Dunn, who is suspended for three games after hitting his girlfriend over the summer. It will be interesting to see if AJ Walton played tomorrow; Walton was expected to start for Baylor before being suspended for the first game. The Explorers aren't terrible this season, either. They bring back some size -- Aaric Murray inside -- and some versatility on the perimeter.
BIAH Prediction: Baylor 77, La Salle 64
13. 9:30 pm: Belmont at Tennessee: After Detroit-Syracuse, I think the second most-likely upset of a major conference team is Tennessee. Belmont is a good program. They return a lot of experience from a group that won 19 games and finished in a four-way tie atop the Atlantic Sun. Tennessee is relatively inexperienced, they are dealing with a ton of off-the-court issues, and they have not looked anywhere near dominant this season.
BIAH Prediction: Tennessee 74, Belmont 67
14. 8:00 pm: North Dakota @ Wisconsin: Wisconsin isn't a team generally known for scoring a lot of points. They put 99 up against Prarie View A&M. North Dakota won eight games last season.
BIAH Prediction: Wisconsin 85, North Dakota 51
15. 7:30 pm: Miami (Ohio) at Duke: Yes, Miami OH can play a little. And I fully expect them to make a run at the Devils early in the game. But this Duke team is, simply put, just too damn good this year.
BIAH Prediction: Duke 89, Miami OH 61
16. 5:30 pm: Marist at Villanova: Marist won one game last season. One. Villanova has a chance to win the Big East. This could get ugly quickly.
BIAH Prediction: Villanova 84, Marist 46
17. 10:00 am: Northeastern at Southern Illinois: SIU has fallen on hard times as Chris Lowery has gotten away from his grind-it-out defensive style. Northeastern lost so much from their team last season that it is difficult to see them competing this quickly in the CAA. Also, keep in mind neither of these teams score all that much.
BIAH Prediction: Northeastern 51, Southern Illinois 44
18. 7:30 pm: St. Joseph's at Penn State: The bottom of the A-10 versus the bottom of the Big Ten. Yay. If there is any reason to watch this game, it is Talor Battle, who is one of the best point guards in the country. But even then, its not worth missing Ohio State-Florida or Louisville-Butler.
BIAH Prediction: Penn State 79, St. Joseph's 58
19. 4:00 am: Central Michigan at Hawaii: Yuck. Central Michigan and Hawaii are both rebuilding programs, and this game is being played at 4:00 am EST. If your goal is to make it for all 24 hours, and you think you'll need a nap to pull it off, schedule it for this game.
BIAH Prediction: Hawaii 63, Central Michigan 58
20. 6:00 am: Stony Brook at Monmouth: Monmouth was picked 10th in the NEC preseason poll, and while Stony Brook is a pretty good team, they aren't good enough to draw your attention to a game that tips when everyone should be sleeping. 6:00 am basketball is not conducive to having your legs. If you are awake, however, its worth it to watch this game if nothing else than to see the dedicated fans that make it to the gym at 6:00 am on a Tuesday.
BIAH Prediction: Stony Brook 74, Monmouth 59
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Tuesday, August 17, 2010
The Schedule for ESPN's 24 Hour Tip-Off Marathon Released: Top 10 Reasons to Watch |
For the third year in a row, ESPN will be hosting a 24 hour College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon on their family of networks.
And while I (obviously) watched the past 48 hours worth of marathony-goodness, my one qualm with the event was that, with the exception of basketball junkies like myself -- those that can handle a 24 hour binge even if prime time matchups like Gonzaga and Michigan State are cut with 6am tips between St. Peter's and Monmouth -- there really wasn't all that much on the schedule that would appeal to the masses.
That changes this year, as we get three matchups between top 25 teams, and, depending on what preseason poll you are looking at, a good majority of the top ten teams, and more than half of the top 25, will be lacing 'em up on Tuesday, November 16th.
It is easy to criticize ESPN for the way that they cover sports these days. But in this instance, they seem to be well on their way to getting it right. Sure, I would love if this was the actual opening day for college basketball -- it always bugs me how games just kind of start happening -- but until that time comes, I think we can all agree that this is a dandy consolation prize.
Hit the jump for the Red Bull Top Ten Reasons to Watch.*
*(Not actually sponsored by Red Bull ... or anyone for that matter. I should be though.)
(click to enlarge)- Jacob Pullen vs. Malcolm Delaney: Kansas State will likely be a top five team once the final preseason rankings start to trickle out. Even with Dominique Sutton and Denis Clemente gone, the Wildcats will have a very good shot at winning the 2011 Big XII title because they return a big, athletic front line, bring in a talented group of five newcomers, and -- mostly -- because they return Jacob Pullen, who should be the favorite to win conference player of the year. Virginia Tech, on the other hand, will be a top 25 team after bringing back everyone from a 25 win team a year ago. The biggest reason for their predicted success is Malcolm Delaney, a favorite for ACC player of the year. Pullen and Delaney are both senior leaders for their teams, and happen to be two of the best guards in the country, both averaging around 20 ppg last season. This should be a fun game to watch, with the battle between Pullen and Delaney taking center stage.
- The Clash of the West Coast Titans: With all do respect to Washington, this battle between schools from mid-major conferences may very well be a matchup between the two best teams out west. Everyone knows about Gonzaga, and with forward Elias Harris and two-guard Steven Gray both back, the 'Zags will remain a factor nationally. Much fewer people know about SDSU, but the Aztecs have a loaded front line, headlined by Kawhi Leonard, and essentially return their entire roster. Steve Fisher's club may very well be the favorite to win the MWC. My advice: if you care at all about doing well in your NCAA Tournament pool, stay up for the 11 pm EST tip. You'll want to know about these two clubs, and the matchup between Leonard and Harris may very well be the second best individual battle of the day.
- YUM!: For those that may not know, Louisville will be moving out of legendary Freedom Hall and into a new arena next season. That arena's name? The KFC Yum! Center. Yes, the exclamation point is included in the actual name of the arena. The first game ever to be played in the Yum! Center is when defending national runner-up Butler comes to visit.
- 2007 Title Rematch: Yes, Florida beat Ohio State for the 2007 national title, when Joakim Noah, Al Horford, and company knocked off Greg Oden's recruiting class. Not a single players from that game will be participating in this one, but that doesn't mean this contest isn't filled with intrigue. Florida was a tournament team a year ago, returns almost everyone of importance, and brings in their missing piece in freshman Patric Young. Ohio State, on the other hand, lost Evan Turner, but replaces him with one of the three best recruiting classes in the country, which includes the uber-talented Jared Sullinger. It wouldn't shock me if both clubs ended up in the preseason top ten.
- Brittany Griner: She's 6'8", dunks a basketball with ease, and has already punched one girl in the face. Guaranteed, anything you miss will be on youtube within the hour.
- Steve Lavin heads west: Steve Lavin became a national name when he took over the UCLA program after Jim Harrick was fired. He was run out of Westwood in 2003, spending the next seven years in front of the camera as an analyst with ESPN. This summer, Lavin took the head coaching position at St. John's. With the connections he has out west, trips to the left coast, like the one the Johnnies are taking to play St. Mary's, could help gain Lavin visibility with recruits out west. Making the drive up the coast to Moraga is a much easier trip for Californian parents than hopping a red-eye to make it to Storrs, CT, for a noon tip on a Saturday.
- Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry, and a title defense: Duke is the reigning national champion. While this won't actually be their initial title defense, and their opponent is none other than the mighty Miami of Ohio, this is still going to be most of the country's first chance to get a glimpse at the Devils. How good is Kyrie Irving? Can Seth Curry play at this level? Watch and learn.
- More talented freshman: Duke isn't the only team with talented newcomers. We've already mentioned the kids headed to Ohio State and Florida. But what about Joe Jackson, Jelan Kendrick, and the other four freshmen that are primed to return Memphis to C-USA glory? Or Tobias Harris at Tennessee? Or Perry Jones at Baylor? Or even Trey Zeigler, a freshman headed to Central Michigan to play for his dad instead of one of the bigger programs that recruited him? These kids are the stars -- both in college and the pros -- of the future.
- First impressions are the most important: There arequite a few very good basketball teams taking part in this event. A few of them are legitimate national title contenders. There are even more than have a real shot at being an Elite 8 or Final Four team. There are teams that will contend for conference titles and players that will be in the running for individual accolades like all-american and conference player of the year. There's never been a better time than now to get your first look at them.
- COLLEGE BASKETBALL IS BACK!!!: Enough said.
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Tuesday, November 17, 2009
College Hoops Tip-off Marathon Live-Blog |
From the opening tip in Pauley Pavilion at midnight to the final whistle in St. Louis, we here at BIAH will be following along with the entire 24 hour College Hoops Tip-off marathon. We are stocked to the brim with coffee and snacks, so feel free to drop by and follow along. Just remember, the refresh button is your friend, and don't be afraid to leave a comment.
For a comprehensive preview and schedule of the event, go here.
Hit the jump for the live-blog.
Scoreboard
11:00 PM - At the half Kansas leads 26-20. Rece Davis opened up the halftime show with a quote from Semi-Pro. Awesome. That's the capper I was waiting for. I am signing off for tonight. Thanks to everybody who stopped by and check back later for complete reviews and updates from all 1440 minutes of action from today.
10:53 PM - Kansas leads 24-18 with a minute left at the half. I completely forgot how massive Pierre Henderson-Niles was. He has slimmed down and he still looks like Brock Lesnar.
10:47 PM - Sorry for the delay, this 24-hour marathon is taking it's toll on me. Since the majority of us fans are either exhausted from watching all this basketball or are locked in on showcase game, I'm going to slow my pace down. Plus I have to prep for an early morning round of golf.
10:28 PM - Kansas is up 11-7. The Jayhawks look more crisp than Memphis, but I would give the athleticism to Memphis. Never mind, Cole Aldrich just threw one down. its not 13-9
10:26 PM - Time for Memphis vs. Kansas, and we got Dickey V. I got to say, ESPN has used just about everybody on the mic today.
10:23 PM - Michigan State comes from behind to win by three. Another fantastic game between these two schools. Gonzaga's backcourt played very well, but the late explosion by Summers and Morgan propelled the #2 team in the country to the win.
10:19 PM - Steve Lavin is impressed with Izzo's timeout usage. They are nearly perfect on plays after timeouts. Didn't I say the same thing a few minutes ago?
10:17 PM - Stephen Grey just took two questionable 3-pointers with just seconds remaining. MSU now goes to the foul line up three with 14 seconds left.
10:14 PM - Kaelin Lucas drives to the hoop in dazzling fashion. Adds a bit of english off the backboard. MSU leads by three with 30 seconds left.
10:11 PM - Raymar Morgan fouls out on a questionable call. He leaves having scored 16 points. He will sit the final 70 seconds.
10:09 PM - Summers and Morgan are at it again. Back-to-back transition buckets has given MSU their biggest lead of the game - 4. Interesting point: 'Zaga has 1 timeout left, MSU has 3.
10:06 PM - Summers just sank another 3-pointer off a dead-ball situation. He is running the show for Sparty in the second half.
10:01 PM - Memphis vs. Kansas is up next. On ESPN2 it's UConn vs. Texas in women's hoops. No thank you. While there is a timeout, I need to make a statement about how fantastic Stephen Grey's afro/beard combo is. It's fantastic, that's my statement. He's also running the point very well. Matt Bouldin and him play very well together.
9:58 PM: Raymar Morgan and Durrell Summers are carrying the Spartans down the stretch. They still trail by two with four minutes remaining.
9:54 PM - If Gonzaga wins this game, is it considered an upset?
9:50 PM - With seven minutes left, 'Zaga is up by one. Delvon Roe just fouled out for the Spartans. That could be huge because Sacre has been playing excellent down low.
9:41 PM - Steve Lavin just said that Matt Bouldin "has a buttery touch". I totally agree. It's smooth as cream.
9:37 PM - I have been really impressed by the play of Robert Sacre and Steven Grey for Gonzaga. The knock on Gonzaga this year was that they are young, but these guys have played better than expected against a Top 5 team in the country.
9:32 PM - Gonzaga and MSU are continuing to trade baskets.
9:29 PM - Back on ESPN, Michigan State has officially made this a ball game. Raymar Morgan, hobbled ankle and all, stroked two 3-pointers and the crowd went wild. Kaelin Lucas has joined the party. He threw a perfect shot fake the hit a step-back 3-pointer.
9:22 PM - Louisville is blowing out Arkansas by 27. They played sloppy, but they made up for it with their solid perimiter shooting. With five minutes left, this one looks more than over. Rotnei Clarke had only 13, just 38 points less than his last outing.
9:16 PM - The second half just tipped off in East Lansing with Gonzaga up eight. This game is looking like it might end up being another dandy. Matt Bouldin has been playing very good at the point for Gonzaga. He has really shown off his passing skills tonight.
9:09 PM - UConn is going to survive their battle with Hofstra 76-67. I would have watched it, but the hotel I am at has patchy internet service. In other unrelated news: Andy Katz looks like he literally hasn't slept in 48 hours.
9:04 PM - Reginald Delk has 23 pts off the bench for the cardinals. That's what I called serious bench scoring.
9:00 PM - This is turning into a streaky game. Louisville turned around and has gone on 9-0 run and is up 58-45.
8:56 PM - Arkansas just started the second half on a 14-0. Peyton Silva and Edgar Sosa looked absolutely lost on defense for nearly three minutes.
8:50 PM - Michigan State is climbing back into this one. It's now 29-26 Gonzaga. MSU is missing too many easy buckets.
8:46 PM - *New Rule update* I'm pretty sure this is the first time this new rule has been used since it was implemented this season. Since Morgan was fouled and got hurt and had to leave the floor, Mark Few got to choose which MSU player on the floor got to choose who would shoot.
8:43 PM - Raymar Morgan just collided with Stephen Gray. Morgan was down in agony. Izzo came over and helped him up as the student section chanted 'RAY-MAR MORGAN". It was a pretty cool scene.
8:40 PM - Tom Izzo called a well-needed timeout. Michigan State is starting to score some points. But they can't make any stops on defense and they have already turned the ball over 12 times.
8:37 PM - Hofstra is up on UConn 51-45 with ten minutes left. Very very interesting.
8:34 PM - Gonzaga is all over Michigan State. They are grabbing all the rebounds, and their back court is controlling the pace of the game. Matt Bouldin is dropping dimes left and right. This Gonzaga team looks very very good right now. They lead 23-10.
8:30 PM - It's halftime in St. Louis and Louisville leads by 17. Reginald Delk has 13 pts off the bench. Apparently he had to act as Rotnei Clarke on the scout team in practice. No wonder he's been on fire. The Cardinals were 9-20 from behind the arc.
8:25 PM - Louisville is starting to heat up. They are on an 11-2 run. They've hit 3-pointers on three straight possessions.
8:21 PM - Louisville is up 37-28 but has already committed ten fouls. Samardo Samuels is 2-6 from the field, but he has been cleaning up on the glass. Offensive rebounding has been key thus far.
8:15 PM - The Bresslin Center at MSU is packed. Much more full than any other arena today. Matt Bouldin throws a marvelous pass down low and 'Zaga scores. They are up 5-2 early. Here's a great stat: Gonzaga is 0-5 when playing in Big Ten venues.
8:09 PM - Michigan State and Gonzaga tip off next on ESPN. I hope it's similar to their matchup in the Maui Invitational a couple years ago. Sidenote: A handful of MSU students are dressed up as "green man" from Always Sunny In Philadelphia. That's awesome.
8:03 PM - The Maryland vs. Fairfield game is tipping off. Rob Dauster is doing a CoverItLive for RTC. Check it Out
8:00 PM - Rotnei Clarke is a baller. Is he the next Ben Woodside? Duke ends up reaching triple digits with a 101-59 final over Charlotte.
7:55 PM - Arkansas is up 18-16. The razorbacks are playing hard despite the thin roster. Louisville's guards have committed four fouls in six minutes.
7:47 PM - Just checked ESPN360, and Tennessee is beating UNC-Ashville 53-8 in the first half. Yeah, that's right 53-8. Wowsers.
7:40 PM - Duke is up 85-50 with seven minutes to go. It's official, all four teams in the late afternoon games scored more points that Georgetown and Temple.
7:30 PM - I'm a excited to see Payton Siva and Rotnei Clarke play. I'll bet everything in my wallet Clarke doesn't drop 51 again.
7:24 PM - Pitt finishes off Binghamton 71-46. Binghamton did play a competitive second half but not nearly enough to make up for a 20-point halftime deficit.
7:15 PM - Binghamton's Kyrie Sutton is putting on a show despite being blown out.
7:13 PM - I love it that John Saunders is from Canada. He just mentioned that there are 65 Canadian players on current NCAA rosters. Sidenote: If you are bored of watching hoops and you have ESPN 360, they are airing the beach soccer World Cup. Awesome.
7:10 PM - Duke is up 30, and Pitt has a 23 point lead. This would be a ideal time to grab some food. Since I'm on the road, room service is on the menu.
7:07 PM - Binghamton is playing better on offense in the second half, but their defense remains porous.
7:03 PM - Since the current games are in blow out mode, this would be a great time to mention that The Godafather of B.I.A.H., Rob Dauster, is covering the Maryland vs. Fairfield game for RTC. You can check out the live-blog here.
6:58 PM - John Saunders just did his best "Send it in Jerome!" impression. Speaking of which, ESPN has been doing a ton of in-game promos about the new ESPN college basketball encyclopedia. The promos are really corny, but I think I want to get the book.
6:50 PM - It's actually pretty interesting to hear the announcers talk about all the chaos at Binghampton.
6:45 PM - I switched over to ESPN2 just in time. Pitt's Brad Wannamaker had a nifty dribble drive for a one-handed lay up, then stole the ball and threw down and big jam. Next Pitt possession Wannamaker sinks a smooth three-pointer.
6:38 PM - This isn't even funny anymore. Scheyer is on fire, Nolan Smith has 16 points, and Singler is doing everything. Charlotte is getting played right off the court.
6:30 PM - Scheyer just sank another three. He has been lighting it up so far. Charlotte is not executing on transitions or on offense. Duke leads 35-15 with ten minutes less. They could outscore G'Town and Temple in the first half.
6:25 PM - Over on ESPN2 Pittsburgh is clowning Binghamton 37-17. Methinks I should stick to the Duke game.
6:21 PM - Charlotte is doing a good job at getting to the rim. That seems like the only way they are scoring. It's 22-11 Duke with 13 minutes left. At this point in the Temple vs. G'Town game, we had a 4-2 ball game.
6:16 PM - Duke leads 17-6. The announcers just mentioned that 5,300 of Liberty's 7,000 students showed up to the 10 AM game against Clemson. I wonder how empty the morning classes were.
6:11 PM - Jimmy Dykes just made a great point. John Scheyer isn't a 1 or a 2, he's a ballplayer, and ballplayers know how to get the little things done. I'm a big fan of Jimmy Dykes.
6:09 PM - Duke is up 8-2 over the 49ers. Miles Plumlee throws down an emphatic slam.
6:06 PM - Now that this game is over, it's time for Charlotte @ Duke. I need to take a breather. I got a little scared there.
6:01 PM - Temple drives coast-to-coast and Monroe steps up and forces a jump ball with a second left. Lucky for the hoyas, they had possession. G'Town gets the ball back. Its all over. The hoyas win 46-45. that was close, too close for me.
5:58 PM - Monroe drives to the lane and scores. Temple gets the ball, down 1 with six seconds left.
5:57 PM - Monroe gets a mismatch down low but Chris Wright doesn't see it, he hoists up a three but missed. Temple grabs the rebound and is fouled. But Temple misses another foul shot. G'Town has the ball back with 17 seconds.
5:54 PM - Both teams have 30 rebounds, but Temple has 11 on the offensive glass, and G'Town only has five.
5:47 PM - G'Town just committed their 15th turnover of the game. Temple has just eight. The hoya's defense looks like chickens with their heads cut off. Temple is moving the ball quicker than the slides can get there.
5:43 PM - Hollis Thompson with a nice dish to Monroe down low. He gets the and-1. The crowd is fired up. but as I say that, Chris Wright commits a turnover, Temple grabs an offensive rebound and makes a three point play. Temple regains the lead, 44-42.
5:38 PM - Ryan Brooks hits the second three-pointer of the game for Temple. But Monroe answers at the other end. The hoyas switch back to man-to-man and force a bad shot from Temple. Jason Clark nails a three at the other end. It's tied at 39 with five minutes left.
5:35 PM - Temple scores on another back door pass. I thought that was G'Town's go-to move. With seven minutes left, Temple is leading 36-33.
5:31 PM - Temple still can't make an outside shot, but they are grabbing most of the rebounds on missed shots. G'Town has switched into a zone to control the switching of screens.
5:27 PM - Did I already mention that Georgetown is getting murdered on defense? Temple is on a 19-4 run. Is there an upset abrewing? As a hoya fan, I hope to god there isn't.
5:24 PM - Temple has realized that the shots aren't falling from outside. They have driven to the basket the last four possessions and have scored on all of them. The hoyas are having allot of trouble switching on screens. Temple continues to roll. After a Henry Sims goaltending charge, Temple takes their first lead of the game, 32-21.
5:18 PM - It's a good thing Temple can't make a single jump shot, or G'Town would be in a lot of trouble. Julian Vaughn has gotten more touches in this game than he did all of last year. He is scoreless today. Temple is on a 8-0 run and it's now 27-23 in favor of the hoyas.
5:14 PM - The hoyas might not be scoring allot but they are filling up the stat sheets. Monroe has 3 pts, 7 boards, and 3 assists. Jason Clark has 5 pts, 5 boards and 3 steals.
5:09 PM - Georgetown is starting to pick up the pace a bit. It's still pretty sloppy, but they are starting to flex their muscle. Chris Wright drills a three-pointer, its now 27-15.
5:05 PM - Mike Patrick and Len Elmore can't stop laughing when discussing the poor shooting in the first half.
5:01 PM - Monroe was 1-6 from the field in the first half. Lavoy Allen was 1-4 and Ryan Brooks was 0-6. Apparently, back in the day there was a guy who played for Temple named Bill Mlkvy. His nickname was "the Owl without a vowel". That's probably the coolest nickname I've ever heard.
4:51 PM - It's halftime at the Verizon Center and its 19-13 Georgetown. Hubert Davis can't figure out why the Hoyas aren't playing better, he thinks they have the potential to be the best in the Big East. I will be back shortly so I can resume watching the world's worst shooting clinic. Don't forget that Rob Dauster will be doing a Maryland vs. Fairfield live blog. I will have a link up as soon as it starts.
4:49 PM - Temple has a seriously tough non-conference schedule. After this game, they have Siena. They also play Villanova and Kansas before A-10 league play starts.
4:44 PM - Fernandez drills a three right out of the time out, but G'Town pushes the ball down the floor and Jason Clark answers with a three. 19-13 G'Town.
4:37 PM - With just under five minutes left, it's a 16-8 hoya lead. Monroe is starting to assert himself down low more. Temple is trying to work the ball around, but the G'Town defense is giving them fits.
4:31 PM - Temple is working the ball around quickly. They are using alot of backdoor cuts. Lavoy Allen gets a nice one and throws it down. 12-7 lead for the hoyas.
4:28 PM - Julian Vaughn just hoisted up a three-pointer. I can feel my brain melting as we speak.
4:23 PM - Each team has four turnovers. After a string of terrible shots, Austin Freeman takes the ball to the hoop and scores. 6-2 hoyas at the first TV timeout.
4:21 pm - Temple grabbed four offensive rebounds in a row, but couldn't make a single basket. They are now 1-11 from the field. G'Town isn't doing much better. Seven minutes in and there are only six points on the board.
4:15 PM - Both teams have combined for 10 shots in five minutes. But only three shots have gone in. Nonetheless, both teams are looking to score often.
4:12 PM - G'Town has missed two 3's in a row, but both teams are fouling like crazy. 2-0 with 16 minutes left.
4:09 PM - Monroe makes the first bucket of the game right off the bat. But the hoyas pick up two fouls in less than 90 seconds
4:07 PM - Obviously Greg Monroe has been the focal point of the discussion thus far. Temple is starting three guards. The Verizon Center seems to be empty, but the student section looks packed.
4:03 PM - Time for Georgetown vs. Temple. Since The B.I.A.H Mastermind will be live-blogging at the Maryland vs. Fairfield game, yours truly (The Trizzle) will be taking over of the live-blogging of Marathon Madness.
3:52 PM - Tulsa is up 17 with 1:30 left in the game. This one is over.
3:40 PM - The new defensive style that UALR is utilizing has done a good job slowing down Jordan, who has just one basket in the second half.
3:35 PM - Uh-oh, this thing may end up being a game. Solomon Bozeman just knocked down back-to-back threes as UALR is on a 7-0 run and cut this lead to 42-33.
3:25 PM - Tulsa has kept this lead right around 10 or 12 for the last five minutes. They aren't scoring well, but UALR is not getting anything in the way of a good shot.
3:20 PM - While Tulsa has been unimpressive on the offensive end outside of Jerome Jordan, defensively they have been fantastic, holding UALR to 29% from the field.
3:17 PM - UALR is defending Jordan differently this half. They are sending a defender at him on the catch or on the dribble, but they are doubling hard, forcing him to get rid of the ball.
3:12 PM - There is Uzoh with a nice move, followed by a pretty pass for a dunk. Tulsa has scored the first three baskets of the second half to open an 11 point lead.
2:48 PM - Ben Uzoh, Justin Hurtt, and Bryson Pope have not been effective tonight. In fact, outside of Jordan, Tulsa is 4-18 from the field with just 10 points.
2:45 PM - One thing that people haven't really noted yet when regarding this event is that there hasn't been a lot of great basketball played. The best game - UK vs. Mia - wasn't even part of the 24 hour event. The only upset - UCLA losing to Cal St Fullerton - was unbearable to watch. Who else played well? St. Mary's in a blowout? Clemson in a blowout?
2:40 PM - Jordan is playing well, but remember that Wayne Burton, who starts inside for UALR, has two fouls.
2:31 PM - I didn't realize how good Tulsa is defensively. They play a tough man to man and seem to get their hands on everything.
2:29 PM - Another great move by Jordan in the post. He is unstoppable right now. What's the most impressive thing to me is his patience. He really has an understanding of how to attack a defender and a double team. Jordan now has 13 points, and is 7-7 from the free throw line.
2:21 PM- Jordan has 7 points and 3 boards in 8 minutes as Tulsa has a 10-9 lead early.
2:12 PM - Pretty move by Jerome Jordan. One thing that he has really improved is not just his back to the basket moves, but his understanding of when to use which move; his feel for the game. As Fraschilla just pointed out, Jordan waited to see if he was going to be doubled hard, then spun away from it and picked up an and-one dunk.
2:08 PM - Alright, we got Ron Franklin and Fran Fraschilla. Underrated announcing duo.
1:59 PM - It looks like Siena is going to be pulling this one out. 55-48 with 40 seconds left.
1:52 PM - And guess who came up with that block? Rossiter. At the other end, up 51-45 with three minutes left, Ubiles throws a great pump fake, takes one dribble, pulls up from eight feet in front of a defender trying to take a charge ... and short arms the shot, barely drawing iron. When you short arm a shot like that, it means you don't have a lot of confidence in the shot; you are trying to float it in, similar to when a pitcher is "aiming" as opposed to "throwing". Get in the gym and work on that shot Edwin, you'll need it in the pros.
1:51 PM - I like Rossiter's game. He runs the floor, he plays defense, he works hard on the glass, and he has a soft touch inside. He has 11 and 11 today.
1:49 PM - As I write that, Moore find Ubiles, who else, for a three from the corner.
1:48 PM - It feels like Siena has been in total control of this game for the last 20 minutes of game time, but Northeastern is right there, down 45-40 with five minutes left.
1:41 PM - Ubiles line right now - 20 points, 7 boards, 3 assists, 3 steals. And he has really done a job on Janning, who hasn't had a good look at the rim in a while.
1:38 PM - This game has really lost the rhythm and flow it had earlier in the half. Silly turnovers, bad fouls. It seems like that has been a theme today. It is because these kids are thrown off playing a game on a Tuesday at this time?
1:30 PM - Rossiter knocks down an 18 footer, putting Siena up nine. Northeastern cannot figure out how to get anything going against this Saints defense. They have allowed just 3 points this half, and 9 points total in the last 16 minutes of game time.
1:22 PM - Another NE turnover and run out for Jackson results in a lay-up and a 34-29 Siena lead. The Saints have outscored the Huskies 28-9 since the eight minute mark when NE was up 20-6.
1:20 PM - Great hustle all-around by Siena. Ubiles gets back, forces Janning to throw a pump fake on a lay-up which gives Jackson time to get back and block the shot. Ubiles leads the break, finds a cutting Rossiter for an and-one.
1:17 PM - Nice extra pass and a nice finish by Franklin gives Siena their first lead 28-27. And as I wrote that, they forced another turnover, and Moore found a cutting Rossiter who was fouled and hit 1-2.
1:13 PM - Ubiles is by far the bet player on the floor right now. He's playing great defense on Janning and has 16 of Siena's 26 points.
12:52 PM - After battling back to cut the lead to 22-20, tough way to end the half. Loose ball on an offensive rebound ends up in Ojougbah's hands for a lay-up. Then Janning comes up with another loose ball and goes the length of the floor to hit a 15 foot floater at the buzzer. Huskies take a 26-20 lead into halftime.
12:50 PM - That's why Ubiles is on NBA draft radar - he rips Janning, leads a 2-on-1 break, drops it off for a lay-up while avoiding a charge.
12:46 PM - Siena's zone defense has been very good and the major reason that Siena has gone on a 12-0 run. It is now 20-18 after that Ubiles bucket. Ubiles has 13.
12:40 PM - Big shot for Clarence Jackson. He's the x-factor for this Siena team, as he has the ability to put up a lot of points in a hurry. Capped a 9-0 run, making it 20-15 NEU.
12:36 PM - Pretty move by Ubiles, who is the only Saints player to score in the last 12 minutes. He has eight, and as poorly as the Saints have played, they are down just 10. Siena looks like they have more energy in the last two minutes.
12:31 PM - Rossiter draws a charge on Chaisson Allen. Siena has played well defensively, they just can't throw the ball in the ocean right now.
12:30 PM - Northeastern has taken an 18-6 lead over the Saints, as Siena is really struggling to get good shots offensively. There is plenty of talent on Siena. Someone needs to step up and make a play.
12:27 PM - Janning bangs another three. He has eight already.
12:23 PM - Of course, next time down he misses another lay-up and throws up an air ball. Siena does not look like Siena right now. Fran McCaffery usually has his guys really prepared to play.
12:21 PM - Nice little pull-up there for Ubiles, as he hit the defender with a righty in-n-out and pulled up form 12 feet.
12:19 PM - Siena looks like they stayed up late watching the tip-off marathon. 11-2 start for the Huskies as Janning has 5 early. The Saints have already missed a couple lay-ups and now have a shot clock violation.
12:13 PM - We have tipped in the Northeastern-Siena game. 7-2 at the first TV timeout.
11:32 AM - Carter McMasters really needs to do something about that hair. I just don't believe he actually knows what he looks like.
11:21 AM - 14 minutes left, you're up by 29 points, and you're diving on the floor? Tanner Smith is my kind of player. I guarantee that earned him points with Purnell.
11:16 AM - If Trevor Booker is gonna hit perimeter jumpers, the ACC should be terrified.
11:14 AM - Excellent point by Adrian Branch - as Clemson extends this lead, it will be a great chance for Clemson's freshman to get experience playing on the road.
10:55 AM - Halftime, and Clemson is in control on the road. 42-19.
10:51 AM - Trevor Booker grabs some vicious rebounds. Did anyone else see that?
10:49 AM - Really pretty drive from Demontez Stitt, going right and finishing under a Liberty defender with his left.
10:45 AM - Devin Booker grabbed a nice offensive board, looked like he was about to go back up for a dunk, but then he dribbled the ball and tried to go up and had the ball stolen. That's why the first thing they teach you as a big guy is to keep the ball high.
10:42 AM - Brian Narcisse with a pretty nice one-handed dunk. Clemson is up 36-15. Their pressure is too much for Liberty. Too many turnovers.
10:39 AM - Trevor Booker is attracting two or three defenders before he even touches the ball. If Potter and Young can keep shooting like this (six three's combined in 14 minutes), the Tigers are going to compete with the ACC' s best.
10:34 AM - Andre Young with a three to extend the lead to 27-10.
10:33 AM - Liberty needs to slow down. There is no chance that they can run and play at the same pace as Clemson. Long possessions and good shots is what will get them back into this game.
10:32 AM - Whaddaya know? Eric Gordon's brother Evan is a freshman for Liberty.
10:24 AM - Trevor Booker's brother Devin is seeing his first action. He's supposed to be better than Trevor. Potter bangs another triple. If he can shoot consistently, that is so important for the Tigers as it will help create space inside for Booker.
10:23 AM - Explain this one to me: "Everyone on the floor can create their own shot, either off of the dribble or off of the pass." What?
10:21 AM - Maybe he is. Potter just hit his third straight three. 17-1.
10:20 AM - David Potter bangs a three and Clemson takes a 14-1 lead. Who is this color guy? Already, he has said "You gotta love a train" and "he is a poor man's Allan Houston".
10:18 AM - It is 6-1 as we switch over to Clemson. I got a feeling that we will see at least one big dunk from Trevor Booker.
10:13 AM - Drexel misses a three and gets the offensive rebound, but Givens landed out of bounds. Bilal Benn gets the ball and will shoot two to seal it.
10:11 AM - Niagara turns it over! Drexel ball with a chance to tie. In my opinion, it is still too early for Niagara to foul as they have 20 seconds left. If there were 8 seconds on the clock, it would be a different story.
10:10 AM - Another Drexel three ball, and its a three point game 72-69 with 24 seconds left. Niagara ball.
10:02 AM - curse me for talking too soon. Niagara misses a front-end, and Drexel bangs a three. 68-64 with 1:17 left.
9:59 AM - Danger time for Drexel. They need to get some stops now. As I write that, they bail out Nelson with a foul and give up an offensive rebound on a free throw. 68-61 with 1:30 left. Cue Lil' Flip.
9:55 AM - I'd love to see Bilal Benn and Obi Muonelo play 1-on-1.
9:55 AM - Nice no look pass by Garrison for an easy lay-up, but he wastes the next possession by throwing it away giving the Dragons a lay-up. Drexel is still hanging around, down just eight points.
9:51 AM - Beautiful offense right there by Drexel. Neisler was sealing in the post with his defender high side, so the ball was swung to Spencer at the top of the key who threw a perfect lob pass to Neisler for a lay-up. When basketball is played the right way, it is a pleasure to watch.
9:49 AM - Austin Cooley swishes a three at the end of the shot clock to make the lead 10 with under six left. The dagger?
9:42 AM - Bilal Benn has another double-double after grabbing that offensive board and hitting a leaner.
9:41 AM - Drexel caught a break on an out of bounds call, but Niagara responds with a three to extend the lead to 58-51. If Drexel was finishing in the paint, it would be a much different story.
9:37 AM - I'll never understand why people would rather make a difficult pass than take a wide open lay-up. Anthony Nelson throwing the ball away was a four point swing. 55-49 Niagara with nine minutes left.
9:31 AM - Maybe I spoke too soon as Shannon Givens banged a three and Rob Garrison threw a ball away. Drexel ball, down five when we get back from TV timeout.
9:30 AM - Story of the game - Spencer misses a lay-up to cut it to 49-45, which sparks a Niagara break and bucket.
9:29 AM - Pretty drop step by Spencer, who then takes a charge at the other end, and all of a sudden Drexel has the ball down eight.
9:27 AM - Drexel is trying to establish Spencer in the post. He's getting position, but isn't scoring (missed a couple bunnies, had a travel).
9:22 AM - I don't know if its because it is early in the season, because this is on ESPN, or because its so early in the morning, but Drexel has looked out of sync offensively over the last about 15 minutes of game time. With the big guys back on the floor this half, they have looked a bit better, but they are still struggling to get good shots.
8:57 AM - Niagara ended the half on a 14-4 run, taking a 42-30 lead into the half. The way it ended was typical for this half of basketball - Drexel player has a nice drive into the lane, but gets his shot blocked. Starts a 3-on-1 break, and while the Drexel defender is able to make a play and force a missed lay-up, Niagara is there to clean up the miss at the buzzer.
8:52 AM - I really like this Niagara squad. With a smaller group out there, they can really spread the floor create mismatches every on the court. Since Drexel's bigs are currently in foul trouble, it takes away the mis match at the other end.
8:40 AM - Niagara is up 34-26 at the under four timeout. Robb Garrison has 12 right now to lead the Purple Eagles.
8:36 AM - Niagara's defense brought them right back into the game, as they are in the midst of a 17-3 run. The best news for Niagara? Drexel's big front line is in foul trouble.
8:25 AM - Sorry guys, almost done with the shootaround. Exciting game in Niagara, as the Purple Eagles just reeled off nine straight
8:06 AM - Tyrone Lewis is in street clothes. LaPhonso Ellis is doing the color for this game. So far he has said "He can do. It. All." about four times.
7:39 AM - I'm getting pretty sick of seeing ads for ESPN's damn encyclopedia.
7:35 AM - SPC has taken a 45-25 lead. Looking forward to seeing Niagara play. Hopefully, Tyrone Lewis will be healthy and in the line-up.
7:18 AM - St. Peter's has looked quite stagnant over the first five minutes of the half. Their defense is still playing well, has the Hawks are now down 37-23 with 13 minutes left in the game.
6:35 AM - St. Peter's defense is giving Monmouth fits. With five minutes to go in the half, SPC is up 22-12. That said, the most impressive player on the court is Monmouth's Travis Taylor. He's 3-4 from the floor for 7 points. The rest of the Hawks? 1-13 for 5 points.
6:26 AM - Beautiful two-man game for SPC between Hall and Jenkins before Jenkins buried a three. Next possession, Leon hits a three as SPC opens up an 18-9 lead.
6:12 AM - The St. Peter's gym is pretty crowded and loud, as the students were allowed to stay there all night. At the under 16 timeout, it is tied 6-6. Both teams are playing with quite a bit of energy, to the point of being a bit erratic. Regardless of the time, playing on ESPN is what every athlete dreams of. Seeing as this is a rivalry game, it only makes sense that these two teams would come out with some nervous energy.
6:05 AM - NC pulls out the win.
6:02 AM - A missed jumper by Lay, but Leroy Lutu grabbed the rebound and layed the ball in. 76-74 with 20 seconds left.
6:01 AM - Oh man, Lay is on FIRE. He just drilled another 25 footer, with a Bears defender all over him, to cut the lead to 75-72. Will Figures to the line, and he hits 1-2. 30 seconds left.
5:57 AM - Hawaii made a steal, but Dwain Williams airballed a three. After NC makes 1-2 free throws, another Jeremy Lay three, this one from about 25 feet, Hawaii has cut the lead to just four points with a minute left on the clock. This was a 17 point game with five minutes left on the clock.
5:54 AM - Don't go anywhere yet. Hawaii cut the lead to six on a four-point play by Jeremy Lay with 1:28 left on the clock.
5:40 AM - Northern Colorado may have just blown this thing open. Bonner scored five straight points, and the Bears have taken a 64-52 lead.
5:35 AM - For those early risers, you should be in for a treat, as Hawaii and Northern Colorado looks to be a barn-burner. Colorado's defense is really frustrating the Warriors on the perimeter, especially Dwain Williams, who has just 2 second half points thus far.
5:20 AM - As I'm sure that anyone still awake right now is going to be watching the games, we are going to start slowing down how much we update our live-blog for the next hour or so in order to get some of our morning posts done.
5:15 AM - The second half is underway, and Hawaii has begun to pound the ball inside as Flemings and Balocka are just too big. 40-40 with 15 left.
4:49 AM - With under a minute left in the half, this game is starting to get a little bit sloppy. A pretty pass by Jeremy Lay and a nice finish by Balocka cuts the lead to 32-30.
4:38 AM - Here's the video of the Gerard Anderson dunk against UCLA.
4:37 AM - Jeremy Lay just knocked down his second straight deep three and the Rainbows have the lead.
4:33 AM - The fans out in Hawaii just woke up with that play. Dwain Williams led a 4 on 2 break, finding Flemings streaking down the wing for an alley-oop. The game is tied up at 22 and Williams has 14 points and 2 assists.
4:28 AM - Dwain Williams is on fire, as he has 12 points early for the Rainbows. He also just picked up a tech for getting in the face of a Northern Colorado player after finishing an and-one lay-up off of a out of bounds play. Roderick Flemings has yet to show up for Hawaii.
4:14 AM - Northern Colorado has taken a 9-6 lead early as Yahosh Bonner has seven early points.
4:06 AM - We've tipped in Hawaii, and boy does Northern Colorado get after it on the defensive end. Dwain Williams opens up the scoring with a tough jumper at the end of the shot clock.
3:58 AM - Its over. SMC wins by 22. Mickey McConnell finished with 24 points and 7 assists while Omar Samhan added 17 points, 16 boards, and 5 blocks.
3:42 AM - Pounding the ball inside, SDSU was able to keep this lead right about 12 point for about four minutes, but after a Ben Allen three stretched the lead back to 18 with five minutes left, it looks like this one is over.
3:33 AM - Thomas with yet another pretty post move, this time faking a spin and coming back to his right hand for an eight foot jump hook. The basket cut the SMC lead to 59-47.
3:26 AM - A couple of offensive fouls by SDSU and a three from Mickey McConnell has pushed this thing back to 18.
3:20 AM - The Aztecs got it down to 13 points with 12 minutes left.
3:16 AM - SDSU scored 21 in the first half, and has scored 14 in the first five minutes of the second half. If they can start getting some stops, the Aztecs are going to climb back into this thing. DJ Gay has gotten hot, as his eight straight points has the lead down to 52-35.
3:11 AM - Ben Allen had nine assists in one game? His last two passes to Samhan in the hi-lo were, well, bad.
3:09 AM - Malcolm Thomas has a really nice game on the block. Back-to-back pretty moves. Too bad the Aztecs can't stop the Gaels.
3:00 AM - For those of you without ESPN U, here's one of the dunks you missed, courtesy of BIAH favorite Stanley Robinson:
2:50 AM - SDSU finishes the half 6-28 from the floor. They are down 42-21. The Aztecs have their work cut out for them.
2:46 AM - Omar Samhan doesn't get enough credit for how good he is. He has a soft touch around the rim, he takes up a ton of space, and he is more mobile than he looks. He has 8 points, 12 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in the first half.
2:37 AM - Another three from McConnell. SDSU cannot get anything going tonight. I'm a little disappointed, as I was really hoping to get a chance to see Dellavedova play.
2:31 AM - So we finally get out to Moraga, CA, and SMC is up 29-9. They have knocked down six three's already, with Mickey McConnell knocking down 4-4.
2:28 AM - Lee can't buy a call tonight. A lot of contact on the shot he missed. Streeter hits 1-2, but Roll misses a step-back three. CSF is going to win this.
2:27 AM - Fitting. CSF had a great opportunity to close this one out, but missed two free throws and turned it over on a five second call. UCLA ball, down two with 28 seconds.
2:24 AM - Two free throws by CSF give them a 67-63 lead before Lee misses another three. Gerard Anderson draws a foul and heads to the line up four with 54 seconds left. This may be the end. Too bad St. Mary's is already up 24-5.
2:21 AM - Dragovic finally knocks down a three ball, cutting the lead to 65-63. Big shot for the big fella. Is it just me, or is UCLA's offense incredibly stagnant right now?
2:20 AM - Wow. Streeter with a tough step-back three to give the Titans a 65-60 lead with two minutes left.
2:14 AM - Lee missed a 25 footer at the buzzer. 2OT.
2:09 AM - After Dragovic misses a jumper, CSF is called for a double dribble. Can we end this game already? Tied 60-60 with 27 seconds left. Please, no double overtime.
2:09 AM - Roll has been everywhere tonight. He just grabbed a tough defensive board with a minute left.
2:07 AM - So Roll just tied the game with a three ball. What do I know?
2:07 AM - Lee was just called for a foul on a tough fallaway from Streeter at the end of the shot clock. He hit him on the elbow. Such a dumb foul, don't bail him out there. 60-57 with two minutes left.
2:06 AM - UCLA has taken four shots in OT, all four are threes.
2:04 AM - UCLA hasn't been hitting threes at all tonight, why are they still gunning? Get to the rim!!
2:00 AM - Fitting this game is going to OT. After Streeter hit 1-2, Anderson got a good look on a floater from about eight feet, but it was in and out.
1:56 AM - Tipped out by Dragovic, CSF ball, sideline outof bounds, 13 seconds. They give it to Streeter, who draws a foul on Lee with 9.5 seconds left. Tough call for the Bruins, as they said that Streeter was shooting. He was splitting a defender, and Roll got him across the arms as he was picking up his dribble. Close, but I think that was son the floor.
1:55 AM - Doris Burke said give this to Anderson, who has missed lay-up after lay-up. Aaron Thompson has 20 points and is 8-10 from the floor. Give him an iso and let him create.
1:54 AM - Another great finish brewing here. Roll headed to the line up 57-56 with 30 seconds left, but he misses the front end.
1:46 AM - Huge three by Malcolm Lee. That dunk could have really been a momentum turner. But Lee's three gave the Bruins the lead back, 53-52. And on the next possession, he found Gordon open under the rim.
1:46 AM - Wow, hello Gerard Anderson. Big time poster dunk on Dragovic.
1:43 AM - Michael Roll bangs another big three, this one ties it at 50. Drew Gordon is a beast on the glass.
1:39 AM - After finally taking the lead, UCLA gets two bad possessions - one is a reckless drive by Anderson ending in a missed lay-up, and the next was a failed lob where Drew Gordon tried to finish the dunk with one hand. CSF scored back to back buckets at the other end to take a 50-47 lead with six and a half left.
1:38 AM - Jerime Anderson is playing terribly.
1:34 AM - That was UCLA's best possession of the night. Ends with Roll burying the Bruin's first three of the night after some beautiful ball movement. In the last two or three minutes, UCLA has really picked up the intensity.
1:28 AM - This Reeves Nelson kid might be the only guy playing well for UCLA. He now has 11 points, and his dunk on a 2-on-1 break that cut the lead to 43-42 with just over 10 minutes left.
1:26 AM - This is just some ugly basketball being played. UCLA is 0-11 from three, turning the ball over, and not playing their typical brand of intelligent basketball. CSF should have put this game away, but they just cannot finish anything in the paint. They have missed lay-ups on the last three possessions.
1:23 AM - If CSF was finishing at the rim, this game would be a blowout.
1:21 AM - I take it back, Lee's cramping up.
1:16 AM - The Titans have opened up a 10 point lead, 41-31. One thing that has become obvious in the 25 short minutes of basketball is that Drew Gordon has not developed a post game. He's thrown up three or four ugly looking jump hooks.
1:13 AM - Lee worked out so much during the off-season (reportedly, he pulled triple sessions with one at 7 am and one at 11 pm) that he gave himself tendinitis in both knees. Howland even forced Lee to take some time off. He was grabbing both his knees, which leads me to specualte that he probably had a flare up.
1:10 AM - More injuries for UCLA. After back-to-back buckets by CSF, Malcolm Lee went limping off the court holding his left knee.
12:51 AM - CSF is up 33-27 at the half. The Titans can win this thing if they can continue to harass UCLA defensively. Rest assured, Howland will make an adjustment to help the Bruins handle that 2-3 zone the Titans played the last five or so minutes.
12:49 AM - The Titans are really playing well right now, as they are getting to the rim and playing an effective 2-3 zone, which sparked their 16-6 run to end the half. It makes it easy when UCLA throws away in-bounds passes. They threw away two in-bounds passes, one after a CSF basket and one under their own basket, which both resulted in lay-ups for the Titans.
12:44 AM - Rece Davis talking about John Wall's game-winning jumper: "And John takes Kentucky over the wall." Ugh, you're better than that Rece.
12:41 AM - I've never seen UCLA's defense this porous. Credit CSF, who keep attacking the rim. If Gerard Anderson was a better finisher, the Titans could be up double digits right now with how poor the Bruins offense has been. UCLA better improve on the defensive end, because teams like Washington and Cal will destroy them.
12:36 AM - Roll is so good at using screens. Watching him move without the ball is a thing of beauty.
12:31 AM - UCLA is going hard to the offensive glass. They have 8 offensive boards and 7 second chance points. Lee, who now has 8 points and 4 boards after that lay-up, is playing scrappy basketball under the rim.
12:30 AM - The Bruin's defense has picked up, but they are still making poor decision offensively. Three straight possessions by the Bruins resulted in a turnover or a bad shot.
12:28 AM - Perfect example right there. Jerime Anderson ran a UCLA cut (point guard throws the ball to the wing, cuts down the lane on the same side) and was wide open. But Keefe saw him a split second late, Anderson turned his back, and it ended up being a turnover.
12:21 AM - Michael Roll is playing well right now. A couple of jumpers, a drive and finish, and a drive and dish. As one of the only upper classmen on the roster, he needs to be a leader.
12:20 AM - UCLA does not look good offensively right now. They are not in sync, and are not getting good looks (hence the 3-14 from the field). A lot of that can be attributed to the injuries they have had - these guys have not had a lot of time on the court together.
12:18 AM - Gerard Anderson is getting to the rim at will, but he cannot finish.
12:12 AM - Nice little pull-up from Lee to get the Bruins on the board. UCLA is lucky that CSF is missing shots from in close. UCLA is not doing a great job cutting off the dribble drive.
12:08 AM - HIS NAME IS DREW GORDON. DREW GOODEN IS IN THE NBA. GAAWWDD.
12:07 AM - Not exactly ecstatic that Doris Burke is doing the color for this game.
12:03 AM - Here we go!!! Of note: Jacques Streeter's first name is not pronounced how its spelled. Not Jacgues as in Jacques Costeau, it is Ja-Key, like Ja-Rule. Hmm...
11:48 PM - Arizona State responds with a 16-0 run, taking a 15 point lead with just over two minutes left. Trent Lockett is a promising looking freshman for the Sun Devils. He has 7 points and 3 boards thus far, including a powerful tip dunk in traffic.
11:37 PM - Texas State is hanging with the Sun Devils, as they are killing ASU on the offensive glass. TSU is up 24-23 with six minutes to go in the half.
11:25 PM - Derek Glasser has turnovers on the last three possessions, allowing the Bobcats to get back in this thing. 19-17 ASU with 11 minutes left in the half. At midnight, we are going to be heading over to the UCLA-Cal St Fullerton game.
11:13 PM - A quick little spurt for Arizona State puts them ahead 14-10 early in the first half. The Sun Devils have been hot early, hitting their first three threes.
11:00 PM - UConn holds on for the 77-63 win. As we head out to Tempe for Texas State-Arizona State, guess who we have as an announcer - Miles Simon. Thought he was coaching...
10:39 PM - UConn is 7-16 from three. If they can shoot like that, they can be good. Gavin Edwards and Stanley Robinson are a combined 14-14 from the floor.
10:31 PM - Sticks with a huge tip-dunk to put UConn up 17. They opened up a lead this big against William & Mary on Friday, but let the Tribe back in it. Let's see if the Huskies show that killer instinct.
10:30 PM - The Huskies are now up 15. They are playing with much more energy, especially on the defensive end. As they get more stops, they are able to beat Colgate down the floor and avoid going against a set zone.
10:28 PM - UConn's opened up a 51-38 lead. But Colgate keeps knocking down jumpers. These kids can really shoot the ball, and don't at all look intimidated.
10:26 PM - Whoever this announcer is just said that Stanley Robinson "has good floor vision." Apparently, the only UConn basketball he has watched is box scores.
10:20 PM - Gavin Edwards showed up tonight. He has eight points, is hitting the glass hard, and has a couple blocks.
10:16 PM - UConn has gone on a quick 6-2 run to open up the second half. The Huskies look much more active offensively against the zone. While they are still swinging the ball, they have been getting it to the short corner, which is the soft spot against a 2-3. Walker has also been aggressive, getting two buckets by attacking gaps in the zone.
9:57 PM - Yup, John Wall's jumper is already on youtube.
9:54 PM - The Huskies take a 33-32 lead into the half. This UConn group is going to half to learn how to score in the half court. They are standing around too much offensively, just swinging the ball around the perimeter. Defensively, they aren't playing terribly. They are forcing turnovers in the press and blocking shots around the rim. If it wasn't for some hot shooting by Colgate, UConn may have a double digit lead.
9:49 PM - Colgate is on fire right now, having hit 4-7 from deep. A Coombs-McDaniel just hit his third three of the game to cut the deficit to 32-31. UConn's press has been very impressive when they get the chance to get into it. The issue is that Colgate's been playing some great defense, which keeps the ball out of the basket and thus UConn out of their 2-2-1.
9:38 PM - The Huskies look terrible offensively right now. They have no rhythm, no one is stepping up and making plays as they pass the ball around the perimeter. Colgate is on a 20-7 run, as they have opened up a 26-22 lead with five minutes left in the half.
9:30 PM - Play the Huskies in a zone, and they have no idea what to do offensively.
9:30 PM - I bet Jim Calhoun is going to be very happy about UConn's seven early turnovers.
9:23 PM - ESPN has lost the feed for the UConn-Colgate game.
9:15 PM - John Wall finished with 19 points and 5 assists, but he had 5 turnovers as well. He was not dominant, and in fact looked shaky at times. But he made two huge plays down the stretch, stepping up when Kentucky needed him. Chalk this one up to nerves, and expect Wall only to improve as he gets more comfortable. Patrick Patterson had 17 and 10 for UK, and Cousins had 10 and 10 (6 offensive). Cousins was a completely different player in the second half, as most of his misses (he was 5-15) came before the break.
9:14 PM - Of note, Cinci has come back and taken a 57-51 lead with five minutes left.
9:12 PM - What an ending. After Miami knocked down a 26 footer to tie the game at 70, John Wall went the length of the court with six seconds left, knocking down a step-back 15 footer for the win.
9:10 PM - UConn has tipped while John Wall shoots two. Misses second, three to tie.
9:08 PM - Nice defensive stand by UK, forcing a tough drive and bad shot. Cousins grabbed the board, found Wall. 20 seconds left, UK ball up two. The Wildcats are 13-21 from the line. All they need to do is hit free throws for the win.
9:07 PM - Another bad, bad play by UK. Cousins comes up with a loose ball, and he tries to dribble up court and traveled. John Wall was standing right next to him. If Kentucky loses this game, they can only blame themselves.
9:02 PM - John Wall with his best play of the game. Got an opportunity to penetrate against a close-out, beat his man middle going left, spun back to his right drawing a defender, and threw a slick pass to Cousins for an and-one lay-up. Cousins missed the free throw, however.
9:01 PM - After Ballard hit 1-2 free throws, Patterson cleans up a Cousins miss with a big tip-dunk in traffic. Another 1-2 from the line ties it with 1:30 left. UK ball.
9:00 PM - Kentucky is just not making good decisions. Patrick Patterson just tried to go coast-to-coast after a steal, drove into four players and picked up a charge. Combine that with Wall's foul on the three point play? 65-65 with two minutes left.
8:55 PM - Winbush again!!!! He has eight threes.
8:54 PM - Two big plays in a row by Miami's Antonio Ballard - tied the game with a three pointer off the dribble, and just gave the Redhawks the lead with an and-one. Miller answers with his second straight jumper 63-62 with three minutes left.
8:48 PM - Cousins gave UK the lead with a tip-in, and just when a Darius Miller three worked the crowd into a frenzy, John Wall fouls a three-point shooter who hit the shot. Four point play makes it 57-56 and completely eliminates that momentum that UK had built.
8:45 PM - As John Wall went in for that dunk (which tied the game), I was typing that another key to Miami's success was limiting the Wildcat's transition game.
8:43 PM - Almost as much as their hot shooting, the key to this game for Miami has been their ability to limit penetration by Kentucky's guards. Bledsoe and Wall have not had an easy go of it putting the ball on the floor. They are getting to the offensive glass and have gotten some opportunities in the post, but the lack of penetration has really stagnated the UK offense.
8:39 PM - Daniel Orton is back on the UK bench, with six stitches.
8:36 PM - Hello, DeMarcus Cousins. He has taken the game over the last two minutes. When he decides to play, Cousins looks like he can be one of the best big men in the SEC.
8:34 PM - Kentucky shows flashes on the talent they have. Last basket was on a beautiful pass out of a double team by Cousins for a Patterson dunk.
8:30 PM - The UK coaching staff was really ripping into DeMarcus Cousins on the bench. When he gets in the game, his first possession he grabs on offensive board and puts back a baby hook, then on the other end he forces a turnover with a hard hedge on a ball screen. Motivational coaching anyone?
8:28 PM - Cinci is down 38-30 at the half. Stephenson has 5 points on 2-8 shooting, but is reportedly in the locker room with an injury.
8:24 PM - Daniel Orton caught a wicked elbow from a Miami big man, opening a cut over his right eye. Check that, not an elbow, they knocked heads before that, but the Miami big man was swinging his elbow violently.
8:20 PM - Duke has taken control, going up 20 midway through the second half. But Miami came out strong in the second half, using a quick 6-0 spurt to open up a seven point lead. Wall has 12 points and 2 assists, but UK is not taking advantage of their size inside.
8:04 PM - I don't care who you play, when you are a point guard, and you play 57 of 60 minutes in your team's first three halves of the season with no turnovers, you can play. Hello, Jon Scheyer.
7:57 PM - Well, the designated shooter role for UK has been filled. How long until Dodson is starting over Darius Miller? The second half of tonight's game?
7:55 PM - Pretty floater by Wall on the break, and its now 36-33, and UK's run has reached 15-0. Answered by yet another Winbush three. He's 6-6 from deep.
7:54 PM - Darnell Dodson knocked down his second three. If he can be a consistent three point threat, that brings a whole new dimension to this team.
7:52 PM - Kentucky is really starting to assert their dominance. Miami hasn't gotten a good look in about four minutes of game-time, and UK is on a 12-0 run, with most of that coming in the paint. When Kentucky wants to be, they are a very tough team to score on.
7:49 PM - Miami cannot settle for threes. They are not going to shoot this well all game. With Kentucky over playing their jumpshots, they need to put the ball on the deck and penetrate.
7:46 PM - A couple of these Miami players are native Kentuckians. That has to be quite an experience playing at Rupp as the enemy.
7:37 PM - Will Kentucky ever get out on shooters? Miami's Winbush is 4-4 from three, and Patrick Patterson just backed off of him on the three point line? Miami is 8-10 from deep, up 33-18 with 8 minutes left.
7:36 PM - Miami is on fire right now. They have hit four straight threes, and are in the midst of a 13-0 run. It is 30-16 Redhawks. Wall has seven points, but he is still forcing the issue too much.
7:32 PM - Coastal Carolina went up 6-0 early against Duke. Since then, Duke has outscored them 26-6. The Devils have played some zone, and it looks pretty good. They are long and can contest shots and makes swinging the ball difficult. I know it is just Coastal Carolina, but Duke thus far is rebounding very well.
7:28 PM - Kentucky is down 17-16 at the under 12 timeout. The Wildcats are creating turnovers defensively, and if it wasn't for a couple of tough threes from Miami the Cats would be in control. This issue with this team is that they do not look comfortable offensively. Wall is forcing the issue, over dribbling on more than one occasion. Let the game come to you, John! You have the talent, you aren't going to prove your the best point guard in the country in one game.
7:27 PM - And Wall's back in. That breeze you just felt was Big Blue Nation breathing a sigh of relief.
7:26 PM - He's up, and looks fine. Cal took him out of the game, though.
7:25 PM - John Wall just took a nasty spill on a break. On a 2-on-1, Bledsoe through a lob to him, there was contact in the air, and he landed hard, hitting his head on something under the basket.
7:21 PM - Goofier hairstyle - Kyle Singler's Dennis-the-Menace haircut or Brian Zoubek's Billys Mays beard?
7:16 PM - Andre Dawkins has knocked down a couple jumpers in a row for the Devils, and over at Rupp DeMarcus Cousins picked up his second foul less than four minutes in. That's the second straight game he has started the game in foul trouble.
7:13 PM - That is why the combination of John Wall and Eric Bledsoe is dangerous. John Wall beat his man, kicked to Eric Bledsoe who was open. Bledsoe threw a pump fake, his man went flying by, and he got into the lane. He kicked back Wall at the top of the key for a wide-open three. Buckets.
7:05 PM - This is awesome. I have Kentucky cued up on ESPN 360 while watching Duke on ESPN U. It will be interesting to see how Duke handles this triangle and two that Coastal Carolina is throwing at them.
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