There were five teams ranked in last week's Coaches Poll that came from outside the Power Six conferences: Xavier, Creighton, Memphis, Gonzaga and Harvard. Four of those five -- with the exception of Xavier, depending on how you view the aftermath of their brawl with Cincinnati -- lost this past week.
Harvard's loss, which came on Thursday, is explainable and was expected. There aren't going to be many teams going into Storrs and beating UConn this season. And while the Crimson lost by 14 points, they did so valiantly, answering every UConn surge with a couple of big baskets of their own. As you might expect, Harvard fell out of the rankings this week; that's simply what happens when you lose a game, particularly if your program hails from the Ivy League. But that doesn't mean that there has been a shift in the majority opinion of this team: they are tough and disciplined and have enough talent to win a game or two in the tournament, but they will struggle if they get matched up with a team that has more size and athleticism.
The remaining three teams have some explaining to do:
Creighton: I'm not overly concerned about the Bluejay's 80-71 loss at St. Joseph's on Saturday afternoon. To be frank, this team was overrated at 17th in the country. They don't play enough defense, and it came back to bite them against St. Joe's. Up 35-30 at the half, St. Joe's hit 15-26 from the field in the second half as Tay Jones scored 20 of his 29 points to lead the Hawks to a nine point win.
That wasn't the only issue, either. Doug McDermott played great as usual, finishing with 26 points and 10 boards. But take away the 10-16 that McDermott shot, and the rest of Creighton's lineup was 17-45 from the floor. Creighton also got beat up on the glass, giving up 13 offensive rebounds getting just five. St. Joe's has struggled over the last couple of years, but a talented recruiting class that Phil Martelli brought in last season -- Langston Galloway, CJ Aiken, Ronald Roberts, Daryus Quarles -- is starting to pay dividends. This Hawk team is one of the most improved in the Atlantic 10 this season and a tough team to beat at home. Combine that with an off-night for Creighton, and, well, losses like this happen all the time.
Gonzaga: The Zags ran into a buzzsaw known as Draymond Green. Michigan State's versatile power forward had one of the best games of his career on Saturday night, going off for 34 points as the Spartans knocked off Gonzaga 74-67. Green was the only player on Michigan State to finish the game in double-figures. Michigan State is probably better than they are being given credit for -- they've now won eight in a row since losing to Duke -- but they didn't exactly play like it on Saturday.
That should be concerning for Gonzaga. Why? Because they have a versatile power forward of their own that got eaten alive by Green. Elias Harris finished with just six points and five boards on 2-11 shooting from the floor in 32 minutes. Harris is supposed to be the best player on the Gonzaga team, but he couldn't slow down Green enough for the Bulldgos to win at home on a night when everyone else on Michigan State was strugging? Yes, Robert Sacre and David Stockton played well. Yes, Gonzaga did an admirable job keeping Tom Izzo's club from getting to the offensive glass. That's all impressive.
But until Harris can consistently be a strength for Mark Few's team, the Zags are always going to have question marks. 
Memphis: The Tigers, without a doubt, have the most to worry about from this group. While Murray State is a far cry from being a bad team, Memphis should never lose to the Racers at home. Not with that team and not on their home court. Its clear that Josh Pastner is in over his head trying to coach these guys.
They've already begun to take away from Joe Jackson's ball-handling responsibilities. One of the most talented point guards in the country, Jackson is now spending just as much time as an off-guard, allowing Chris Crawford to be the one. Wesley Witherspoon has reverted back into his old self. Tarik Black fouls too much. No one on the team knows how to box out and, despite having as much size and athleticism as anyone they are going to play this season, no one on the roster -- save for maybe Will Barton -- has any desire to go and get an offensive rebound.
Frankly, outside of Barton, it doesn't seem like anyone on the Tigers has any desire period. Josh Pastner is a terrific recruiter, but if he cannot get the kids he brings in to play for him, it will cost him his job eventually.
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Monday, December 12, 2011
The Memphis loss says more than Creighton, Gonzaga or Harvard |
Friday, December 9, 2011
Harvard's still good, but they needed to play nearly perfect to beat UConn |
Harvard is a good team.
Nothing that they did in their 67-53 loss to UConn on Thursday night will dissuade me of that.
They hung with one of the most talented teams in the country for 40 minutes. They banged around in the paint and they knocked down a couple of threes and they had a counter every time UConn landed an "overhand right from Riddick". The Crimson did anything but embarrass themselves against the Huskies. This is a team good enough to play in the NCAA Tournament and put together a win or two.
But what this loss tells us is that Harvard has a ceiling.
Simply put, when the Crimson play an opponent that has this much of a size and athleticism advantage, they are going to have problems. Keith Wright was rendered largely ineffective for the majority of the game, finishing with just nine points and five boards on 3-10 shooting. He's not a leaper and he's not a footwork tactician; Wright is the kind of big man that barrels his way through a post defender, using his girth to create just enough space to get his shot off. Against length like Andre Drummond and Alex Oriakhi, that strength is nullified.
The other issue that Harvard has is on the perimeter. UConn's length bothered Harvard's shooters after the first couple of minutes. The Crimson looked like they weren't prepared for shots that they normally get off with plenty of time and space to be challenged. Because Harvard didn't necessarily run bad offense. They only turned the ball over 10 times against UConn's smothering defense, and except for a couple minutes early in the second half, Harvard generally moved the ball well and got good looks from the floor. They just missed them.
The question that you have to ask yourself is whether or not you think those misses were the result of UConn's length or if this team just had an off-night.
If this was just an off-night, then who knows, maybe this group can make a Stephen Curry-esque run in the tournament. But if it was the length of UConn that bothered Harvard's shooters, then their tournaments chances are going to be resting on the matchups that they draw.
What We Learned
Harvard:
- I loved the resiliency of this team. There were three or four times during the game where UConn looked like they were on the verge of turning this thing into a laugher, and Harvard never let that happen. They got a couple of big stops and they hit a couple of big shots on a night when they weren't hitting much of anything. I think that says as much about this group as anything.
- Harvard is a scrappy defensive team. They really buy into what Tommy Amaker wants them to do. The biggest reason they were down just 30-28 at the break is that they nullified the UConn pick-and-roll by having the guards jump high-side and forcing Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright to dribble baseline and into the help. They also got more loose balls than the Huskies did and managed to hold the nation's second-best offensive rebounding team to just nine offensive rebounds.
- Of Harvard's 10 turnovers, eight came on UConn steals, meaning that some of those miscues can simply be explained as UConn's defense making a great play.
- Brandyn Curry would be a solid point guard in any league in the country. I firmly believe that.
UConn:
- This is one of the softest UConn teams I can remember. They weren't diving on the floor for loose balls and they were getting pushed around going to the offensive glass. The guy that sets the tone for this team in that area is Alex Oriakhi, and he's in the midst of a mid-college crisis. The Huskies will be a different team when he becomes their junkyard dog again.
- The fact that Drummond and Oriakhi finished with 10 rebounds between the two of them is astonishing ... and a major problem.
- UConn's best team is when they have Ryan Boatright and Shabazz Napier sharing the back court and put Jeremy Lamb at the three. That gives them three serious weapons on their perimeter. At this point, they may even be better off using Tyler Olander or Roscoe Smith -- or even Deandre Daniels -- at the four instead of Drummond and Oriakhi being paired up. If UConn isn't going to be overpowering anyone, they might as well use the lineup that can get out and run or spread the floor.
- All that hubbub about where Deandre Daniels was going to go to college, and he's playing as many minutes as Niels Giffey right now.
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Monday, November 28, 2011
11/28 College Hoops Week in Review: Mike Moser and Harvard stand out |
Player of the Week: Mike Moser, UNLV
Less than three weeks into the season, its already quite apparent who the most influential transfer in the country is. After seven games, Moser is leading the Rebels in scoring, rebounding, blocks and steals. He ranks third in assists. In three games last week -- wins against Cal Poly, USC and No. 1 North Carolina that pushed the Rebels to 7-0 on the season -- Moser averaged 13.3 ppg, 13.0 rpg and 2.7 apg while adding three blocks and four steals. In the win over UNC, he had 16 points and 18 rebounds and helped keep Tyler Zeller and John Henson in check. That should give you a glimpse into Moser's value for this team.
But its more than that. Moser's value is in his versatility at the four spot. What UNLV wants to do is spread the floor and create lanes for penetration from the perimeter. Moser's ability to rebound and defend at the four spot while providing a perimeter threat offensively makes the Rebels a more dangerous and complete team. Moser is probably not the most talented player on this team, but his skill set makes him the most valuable. Now imagine what will happen when he finds a consistent stroke from the perimeter; he's done this much damage while shooting just 2-17 from beyond the arc.
The All-They-Were-Good-Too Team
- G: Evan Roquemore, Santa Clara: Everyone knows about Kevin Foster, but he's not the only talented back court player for the Broncs. Santa Clara went 2-1 in the 76 Classic -- including wins over New Mexico and Villanova -- while averaging 22.7 ppg, 8.0 apg and 3.7 rpg while shooting 12-21 from three and 24-25 from the foul line.
- G: Kevin Dillard, Dayton: Dillard, a transfer from Southern Illinois, led the Flyers to the Old Spice Classic title with wins over Wake Forest, Fairfield and Minnesota. In the three games, he averaged 15.3 ppg, 5.0 apg, 3.7 spg and 2.3 apg while shooting 51.6% from the floor and 4-9 from three.
- F: Eric Griffin, Campbell: Griffin led the Camels to a 2-1 week, including a 16 point win over Iowa, while averaging 23.0 ppg, 12.0 rpg and 3.7 bpg. He shot 75% (24-32) from the floor, 4-5 from three and also added six steals. Griffin went for 23 points, 13 boards and six steals in the win over Iowa, and then had 29 points and 14 boards in a loss to Creighton. Oh, and he did this.
- F: Thomas Robinson, Kansas: The Jayhawks lost the title game of the Maui Invitational to Duke, but Robinson made a statement on the island. He had three straight double-doubles and averaged 17.0 ppg and 12.3 rpg in the three games.
- C: Henry Sims, Georgetown: Sims only averaged 13.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.3 apg and 1.7 bpg in a 2-1 week for the Hoyas. But it was the 24 points, eight boards and five assists that Sims notched in an overtime win over Memphis in the fifth-place game.
- Bench: Griffin Callahan, South Dakota State (18.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 18 3's, 3-1 week); Isaiah Canaan, Murray State (25.3 ppg, 3.3 apg, 5.7 rpg, Great Alaska Shootout champ); Jason Clark, Georgetown (23.0 ppg, 12-20 3's); Reggie Hamilton, Oakland (34 points, five assists, five steals vs. Utah Valley State); Orlando Johnson, UC-Santa Barbara (26.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 4.0 apg); Maurice Jones, USC (28 points, 7-7 3's vs. South Carolina); Velton Jones, Robert Morris (38 points, 10-15 shooting vs. James Madison); Jeronne Maymon, Tennessee (23.0 ppg, 16.0 rpg, including 32 points, 20 boards vs. Memphis); Anthony Miles, Lamar (24.5 ppg, 6.0 apg, 4.5 rpg); Jim Mower, Lafayette (28.0 ppg, including 37 points, 10-13 threes vs. FDU); Jake Odum, Indiana State (10 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists vs. Fairfield); Joel Smith, Northeastern (29 points, 10 boards in win vs. St. John's); Kyle Vinales, Central Conn. (27.0 ppg, 3.5 apg, 20-36 FG, 6-12 3's)
Team of the Week: Harvard Crimson
The Crimson moved to 6-0 on the season as they rolled through the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas. Harvard didn't get a matchup with UConn, who lost in the semifinals to Central Florida, but they did land a couple of big wins. Harvard destroyed Utah, who may actually be the worst major conference team in the country, and followed that up with an impressive win over a big, physical Florida State team. Throw in their title game victory over UCF, and the Crimson legitimized the preseason speculation that they were one of, if not the best mid-major team in the country.
There is so much to like about this Harvard team. They have a front line that went punch for punch with one of the biggest and most physical front lines in the country in Florida State, keeping the Seminoles off of the offensive glass despite holding them to 36.2% shooting. They have a solid point guard in Brandyn Curry and a slew of jump shooters on their perimeter. They have youthful experience, meaning that their young roster has been together for a couple of seasons. Perhaps most importantly, the Crimson have depth on their roster. They are bringing top 100 recruits off the bench. This team is for real. 
Teams that also deserved to be Team of the Week:
Missouri Tigers: I just wrote a 700 word post on Missouri, so I'm not going to go to in depth here about the Tigers, but their start to the season has been nothing short of incredible. What's most impressive is the way that Frank Haith has been able to embrace the principles that Mike Anderson instilled in this group during his tenure. The Tigers play terrific pressure defense on the perimeter and have excelled in transition.
San Diego State: I'll admit it -- I doubted this team. And it looks like that was a mistake. The Aztecs moved to 7-1 after a 2-0 week in which Steve Fisher's club won two games on the road. On Wednesday, they went into the McKale Center and hung on to beat Arizona after opening up the game with a 21-4 run. Then on Saturday, the Aztecs knocked off UC-Santa Barbara in overtime. SDSU has a loaded perimeter attack, but if they can get more performances like the 13 points and nine boards that center Garrett Green had against UCSB, this team gets that much better.
St. Louis Billikens: This group was named BIAH Team of the Week last week after going 3-0 and beating Washington at home. They continued that terrific play this week as they rolled through the 76 Classic, knocked off BC, Villanova and Oklahoma in the span of four nights. What makes this group so intriguing is the way that they play defense and how well they shoot the three ball. That is going to keep them in a lot of games this season. With Temple's Michael Eric banged up, is St. Louis now the second best team in the Atlantic 10?
UNLV Runnin' Rebels: UNLV looked very, very impressive in their win over North Carolina on Saturday night. But the game also brought some concerns to the surface. For example, UNLV caught a break down the stretch in that the Tar Heels were unable to get a defensive rebound or force a turnover, because they made some really sloppy decisions down the stretch. There were three or four possessions in the final three minutes where UNLV shot a three with 25 or 30 seconds left on the shot clock. North Carolina will usually make their opponents pay for rushing shots like that.
Teams deserving a shout out:
DePaul: The Blue Demons are now 4-1 on the season after a 2-1 week down in Orlando for the Old Spice Classic. DePaul knocked off Texas Tech and Arizona State, and while neither of those teams are going to be competing for conference titles, they are wins none-the-less. Those haven't been easy to come by for DePaul the past couple of seasons. Their one point loss to Minnesota might have been their most impressive performance of the week.
Duke: The Blue Devils improved to 7-0 on the season by rolling through Tennessee, Michigan and Kansas to take home the Maui Invitational title. The two best signs of the week for Duke -- Austin Rivers is starting to show signs of understanding how to be a basketball player, and Mason Plumlee's back-to-the-basket game is getting better and better.
Georgetown: Its tough to not be impressed by the performance that the Hoyas had in Maui last week. After nearly knocking off Kansas, Henry Sims and Jason Clark took over as Georgetown knocked off Memphis in overtime in the fifth-place game. With how much the Big East has struggled this year, the Hoyas look like they may be able to finish in the top six.
Indiana: The Hoosiers went 2-0 last week, but it was their 75-59 win over Butler that turned the most heads. The Bulldogs are down this season, but the Hoosiers have been down for the entirety of Tom Crean's tenure. With this win, they, once again, look like the best team in the state. While Cody Zeller has been impressive, its been the play of Will Sheehey that has really sparked IU.
Marshall: The Thundering Herd improved to 5-0 on the season by winning a pair of road games last week. They knocked off UNC-Wilmington by five, and followed that up by going into Cincinnati and beating the Bearcats in overtime.
Michigan: The Wolverines have been one of the bigger surprises of the young season, and much of the credit has to go to Trey Burke. The freshman point guard has valiantly replaced Darius Morris, and while he's not going to put up the same numbers, his leadership and playmaking has been there. As Burke continues to learn the game, he's only going to get better.
Santa Clara: Santa Clara finished in third place at the 76 Classic, but they had a couple of very impressive performances. The Broncs not only knocked off New Mexico in the opening round, they beat Villanova in the third-place game, coming from down seven points in the final minute to win. Kevin Foster is the name that everyone knows of this team, but Evan Roquemore has played like a potential all-WCC player early in the season.
St. Joseph's: The Hawks are going to be a force to be reckoned with in the A-10 this season. After losing a double overtime battle to Iona earlier in the week, St. Joe's went into Happy Valley and scored the first 22 points of the game as they knocked off Penn State. This is a young group with a lot of promise.
Stanford: Its hard not to be impressed with the way that Stanford played in New York over the holidays. They soundly smacked Oklahoma State before giving Syracuse all they could handle in a six-point loss at the Garden, what effectively amounts to a home-game for the Orange. Josh Owens, Aaron Bright and Chasson Randle provide a sold 1-2-3 punch for Johnny Dawkins, but if Dwight Powell ever grows into his potential, this could be a dangerous team late in the year.
Tennessee: They lost both of their meaningful games in Maui, but the Vols deserve some credit. They are a much different team than last season. They play hard, they play smart and they appear to be well-coached. If Jeronne Maymon and Trae Golden can avoid letting their egos get too big for the team, this is a group that will make some noise in the SEC.
Five Thoughts:
- What's going on in the Pac-12?: There have been two impressive teams in the Pac-12 this season: Oregon State and Stanford. What's crazier is that neither of them actually won the preseason tournament that they played in. Its gotten to the point in the Pac-12 where we are impressed when teams are able to beat mediocre competition and simply compete with some of the top teams in the country. That's not a good sign.
I'm not ready to say that either the Beavers or the Cardinals are the favorite in this league just yet. The beatdown that Cal received at the hands of Missouri seems like more of a bad matchup where Cal happened to play poorly and Missouri happened to be on fire. If those two played 10 more times, Cal would win four of them. The same can be said for Washington's performance at St. Louis; the Huskies aren't as bad as they appeared playing a game that was a 9:00 am tip pacific time. Arizona will get better as the season progresses, young teams always do. At the very least, the league will be fun to follow.
The bottom of the Pac-12 is where it gets ugly. Arizona State lost to DePaul. Washington State lost to UC-Riverside. Utah was blown out by Harvard, UNC-Asheville and UMass. USC lost to Cal Poly. That's bad.
- The Big East is down, too: The Pac-12 isn't the only conference dealing with some early-season struggles. The Big East has been anything but impressive this year. UConn lost to Central Florida. Pitt lost to Long Beach State. Villanova went 1-2 in the 76 Classic after needing overtime to beat La Salle. Cincinnati has now lost to Presbyterian and Marshall. West Virginia lost to Kent State. Notre Dame looked terrible at the CBE Classic and lost Tim Abromaitis for the season with a torn acl. St. John's lost to Northeastern. Half of Louisville's roster is injured.
I'd go as far as to say that the only Big East team that has been impressive this season has been Georgetown. Marquette could have been included in that conversation until they struggled to beat Norfolk State.
- North Carolina's loss: There are definite issues with the Tar Heels. They don't defend well enough, they can get beat up in the paint and they struggle when they are forced to play a half court game. Those are major red flags. But remember this: there are not going to be many games that the Tar Heels get such poor performances out of their front line. Tyler Zeller, Harrison Barnes, John Henson and James Michael McAdoo combined to go 12-38 from the floor, 13-24 from the line, score just 37 points and grab only 24 rebounds. Credit UNLV's front line for some of that, but also remember how rare that kind of stat line is going to be.
- What happened to Alex Oriakhi?: UConn's big man played such a vital role in their national title performance last season, anchoring the paint and defending the rim. This year, however, he's struggled to find minutes, and its not because Andre Drummond has been playing great basketball. Against Florida State, Oriakhi played just 10 minutes despite going up against the biggest front line in the country. So what's the issue? Oriakhi's been fouling too much, rebounding too little and done nothing to force Calhoun to keep him on the floor. When he did against Central Florida -- 14 points, 10 boards, 5 blocks -- you saw the results. In those 10 minutes against FSU, he went without a rebound or a shot attempt. Its no wonder he's not playing.
- The Austin Rivers conundrum: Much has been made about the early season performance of Austin Rivers. And, yes, its been less than ideal. But remember, this kid is still a freshmen. He's still learning the game. He's still learning how to be a member of a team as good as Duke is. For his entire high school career, Rivers played a style that was, essentially, "give Austin the ball and let him do what he wants". He's taking fewer bad shots and playing more within the Duke offense.
It also should be noted that you don't want to take away the ability of Rivers to throw up one or two ill-advised shots a game. That aggressiveness is what makes him so dangerous. You can't take away his confidence, but he does need to learn about when the right situation is to attack and when he needs to pull it out and run some offense. He'll get there. Give him time.
Game of the Week: Duke 68, Kansas 61
This really was just a sensational game. Two high-level teams trading haymakers in a raucous environment. There was defense being played, there were battles underneath the rim and there big-time shots being made. The hero? Seldom-used Tyler Thornton, who hit back-to-back threes in the final minute to clinch the win:
Matchups of the Week:
- Mon. 7:00 pm: No. 12 Xavier at No. 22 Vanderbilt
- Mon. 7:00 pm: Long Beach State @ No. 7 Louisville
- Tue. 7:00 pm: No. 15 Michigan @ Virginia
- Tue. 9:30 pm: No. 6 Duke @ No. 3 Ohio State
- Wed. 7:30 pm: No. 20 Florida State @ Michigan State
- Wed. 9:30 pm: No. 11 Wisconsin @ No. 1 North Carolina
- Wed. 10:30 pm: No. 25 Creighton @ San Diego State
- Thu. 9:30 pm: Georgetown @ No. 13 Alabama
- Fri. 7:00 pm: No. 9 Florida @ No. 5 Syracuse
- Fri. 9:00 pm: No. 22 Vanderbilt @ No. 7 Louisville
- Sat. 12:00 pm: No. 1 UNC @ No. 2 Kentucky
- Sat. 3:00 pm: Purdue @ No. 12 Xavier
- Sat. 3:15 pm: No. 19 Gonzaga @ Illinois
- Sun. 5:00 pm: No. 18 Cal @ San Diego State
- Sat. 4:30 pm: No. 17 Marquette @ No. 11 Wisconsin
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Monday, October 3, 2011
2011-2012 Top 50 Countdown: No. 25 Harvard Crimson |
Over the coming weeks, we will be counting down our Top 50 teams in the country. Teams 26-50 will be posted in groups of five, while we will count backwards from No. 25 to the No. 1 team in the country. You can find a complete schedule of our 2011-2012 Season Preview coverage here. To browse through the rest of the Top 50, click here.
Last Season: 23-7, 12-2 (t-1st Ivy), lost to Oklahoma State in the first round of the NIT
Head Coach: Tommy Amaker
Key Losses: None
Newcomers: Kenyatta Smith, Wesley Saunders, Corbin Miller, Jonah Travis, Steve Moundou-Missi, Max Hooper
Projected Lineup:
- G: Brandyn Curry, Jr.
- G: Oliver McNally, Sr.
- F: Christian Webster, Jr.
- F: Kyle Casey, Jr.
- C: Keith Wright, Sr.
- Bench: Laurent Rivard, So.; Kenyatta Smith, Fr.; Wesley Saunders, Fr.; Corbin Miller, Fr.; Steve Moundou-Missi, Fr.
Outlook: Last season was, arguably, the greatest in the history of Harvard's basketball program. But you would be hard-pressed to find a fan of the Crimson that wasn't left with a bad taste in their mouth when the 2010-2011 season came to an end. After clinching a share of the Ivy League's regular season title for the first time in school history, Harvard fans rushed the court. But it was all in vain, as Princeton beat Penn later that day to force a one-game playoff for the Ivy's bid to the NCAA Tournament. Princeton won on a buzzer-beating floater from Douglas Davis.
The good news for Harvard fans? They play in the Ivy, which means that a team without a senior on the roster will bring back everyone of consequence from last season while also adding a talented incoming recruiting class, one that includes players that show up on Top 100 lists.
Last season, Harvard was as balanced as any team in the country, but they weren't terribly deep. Using a rotation that rarely went further than the sixth-man, each of those six players averaged between 9.6 ppg and 14.8 ppg. The Crimson's perimeter attack is going to be loaded this season. It starts with Brandyn Curry, the guy that averaged 9.6 ppg last season. Curry, a junior, is the team's starting point guard and one of the best distributor's in the country, ranking 26th nationally with a 35.2% assist rate while averaging 5.9 apg. He can stand to cut down on his turnovers a bit (2.4 per game). Curry is more than just a distributor, however. He's a tough defender and a guy that made a lot of key plays late in games for the Crimson.
Joining him in the starting line up will, once again, be senior Oliver McNally and junior Christian Webster. Webster is a 6'5" wing and a talented scorer. He's a dangerous enough shooter that you have to play up on him, but he's also capable of using his dribble to get to the rim. McNally is more of a role player, but he's very efficient and understands what his job on this team is. He doesn't take a ton of shots, but he knocks down open threes, he makes clutch free throws and he gets his points within the framework of the offense.
The x-factor for this team may end up being sophomore Laurent Rivard. I'd expect Rivard to once again come off the bench at the start of the season, but he might be the most dangerous returner on the perimeter. Rivard is a big-time scorer, the kind of player that can get hot and complete change the course of a game. He will be an all-Ivy player before he leaves Harvard. Sophomore Matt Brown and freshman Corbin Miller may be able to work their way into the rotation as well. 
While Harvard's back court is talented, experienced and deep, its their front court that will allow them to compete with some of the top programs in the country. Keith Wright, a 6'8" behemoth and the reigning Ivy League Player of the Year, is the anchor of this team. He's the definition of a handful on the block. The 240 lb senior really understands how to get position and uses his strength to hold that position. His low-post game is developed enough that he can score with his back to the basket, but he is also a terrific offensive rebounder.
Joining Wright inside will be junior Kyle Casey. At 6'7", Casey is the kind of athlete that you rarely see at the Ivy level. He had a bit of a frustrating season in 2010-2011 as he played much of last season on a broken foot, but when he is healthy, he provides the perfect high-flying compliment to Wright's land-warrior style of play. Senior Andrew Van Nest and junior Jeff Georgatos played limited minutes off the bench last season to provide those two with some rest, but don't be surprised to see those roles taken over by a couple of freshmen. Wesley Saunders is a bruising, 6'5" combo-forward from California that will be a real matchup problem once he solidifies his jumper. Steve Moundou-Missi is a physical, around the rim power forward. Both kids come in with a rep for playing exceptionally hard, which is what you look for in freshmen that will be playing limited minutes.
Harvard certainly has the talent to make a run at the Ivy League title and, potentially, an at-large bid into the tournament. The latter is a bit of a stretch, as playing in the Ivy League is devastating to a team's computer numbers. If there is a key to the season, it will be consistency. There were a number of games this past season in which Harvard was forced to make a second-half comeback. If they can put together 40 minutes games all season long, Harvard is talented enough to make a lot of noise this season.
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Tuesday, September 27, 2011
UPDATED: Harvard lands another recruit |
(UPDATE: For the second straight day, Harvard landed a commitment from a recruit with plenty of high-major interest. This time lefty point guard Siyani Chambers, a Minnesota native, pledged for the Crimson. He had schools like Washington State, Nebraska, and Georgia Tech pursuing him.)
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They did it again.
The new Ivy League powerhouse once again reached into the national rankings and snagged a player that should be headed to a high-major program.
This time, Harvard landed a commitment from Mike Hall, a 6'10" Georgia native that cracked Rivals Top 150 list for 2012. Hall was on campus for a visit during one of the Crimson's most important weekends in recent memory. They had a number of talented recruits from the Class of 2012 as well as a handful of Top 50 players in the Class of 2013.
"Just the experience I had this weekend [pushed me over the edge]," said Hall, who noted that he had arrived in Cambridge without expecting to make a decision in the near future. "I really enjoyed my experience up there. It just felt like the right fit for me."
"Also, [it was] the fact that I had a really good relationship with Coach Amaker," added Hall, who joins Evan Cummins in Harvard's 2012 recruiting class. “He showed me some film of his style of play. It’s great, and it really seems like a great fit for me."
Earlier this summer, we wrote extensively about Harvard's recruiting and how they managed to get themselves mixed in with some of the best players in the country. Frankly, its quite simple. They are exhaustive in determining the kids that they believe they have a chance to land -- high-academic players that truly care about their education. And once they get their sights on a player, they are relentlessly thorough in recruiting him.
Looks like the tactics worked again.
Continue reading...
Thursday, August 11, 2011
The Rise of the Crimson: How Harvard went from eight wins to recruiting top 100 players |
Until recently, Harvard's basketball program was, frankly, non-existent.
The Crimson are the only Ivy program to have never won a conference title in men's basketball. Of the 34 teams that Harvard lists on their website, the men's basketball program is the only one that has never won the Ivy League. As Tommy Amaker told the New York Times back in March, "I'm not sure you can walk anywhere on this campus and find something that hasn't been done before."
Except, of course, winning a conference title in men's basketball.
You want more examples of their historic ineptitude in hoops?
Prior to the 2009-10 season, the program had never won 20 games. They had managed double figure wins in Ivy League play just twice -- in 1970-71, when they went 11-3 and finished second in league play, and in 1996-97, when they finished 10-4 and tied for second. Their only NCAA Tournament appearance came way back in 1946, a full decade before Ivy League came into existence.
That should put the job that Tommy Amaker has done building the program into perspective. In 2007-08, his first year with the program, the Crimson finished 8-22 overall and 3-11 in conference play. Two years later, the Crimson had their first 20 win season, finishing third in the Ivy League standings and sending Jeremy Lin to the NBA, the first Harvard player to play in the league since Ed Smith in 1954.
Last season, the Crimson finished tied with Princeton for first place in conference play and came within a Douglas Davis leaner of making the NCAA Tournament. And with everyone from that team -- including a healthy Kyle Casey -- being joined by a recruiting class that ranks up with Gonzaga, Memphis and Xavier as the best among the non-BCS schools, its little wonder why the Crimson are the favorite to win their first Ivy League title this year.
There isn't a program in the country whose stock is rising as quickly as Harvard's.
In 2007-08, Harvard won eight games. Fast forward three seasons, and the Crimson are struggling to convince high-major programs to schedule them for a non-conference game.
Part of the program's rapid growth is luck. Lin was a diamond in the rough, a kid that didn't receive a single scholarship offer coming out of high school that happened to be a member of the Crimson when Amaker took over. The Ivy League isn't exactly a breeding ground for the NBA. Lin provided an invaluable foundation for Amaker to build his program around and a key marketing tool when he developed his star into a guy that can play in the NBA.
But Lin graduated in 2010, and not only did the Crimson get better the following season, that improvement will continue come November.
The credit for the continued improvement falls squarely on the shoulders of the coaching staff. The key for an up-and-coming program is to be able to market a successful season on the recruiting trail; to convince kids that not only is the winning not a fluke, but that the program will continue to grow; to bring in kids that should be playing at a higher level by selling them on that future success.
The talent in Harvard's 2011 recruiting class is impressive.
Among the six members of the class is Wesley Saunders. A 6'5" combo-forward from Los Angeles, Saunders not only held offers from USC, Colorado, and San Diego State, he was ranked 88th in the Rivals top 150. Kenyatta Smith, a 6'8" center out of Brea, CA, held offers from Northwestern and Vanderbilt and received heavy interest from UCLA, Stanford, and Cal during his recruitment. Smith was a top 20 center nationally according to both ESPN and Scout. Steve Moundou-Missi is a physical-if-undersized power forward from Florida that found his way onto Jeff Borzello's final top 150.
How is Harvard able to bring in this kind of talent?
"It boils down to Harvard targeting the right kids," said Borzello, who is a CBSSports.com recruiting analyst. "High academics and interested in actually getting an education. And [the coaching staff] sticks with them. They're not afraid of missing on a kid and they don't bail once a bigger school comes in the mix."
According to the US News & World Report's 2011 rankings, Harvard is the best school in the country, edging out fellow Ivy Leaguers Yale, Princeton and Columbia. As you might expect, that makes Harvard one of the most difficult schools -- and the most difficult university -- in the country to get accepted into.
Given the lack of reverence that the stereotypical blue-chip hoops recruit gives to hitting the books, you would think the stringent academic requirements would be a hindrance on Harvard's recruiting.
Actually, its quite the opposite.
"We're very comfortable with who we are," Harvard assistant coach Yanni Hufnagel told me by phone on Tuesday night. "We know that we're an Ivy. We know that we might not have the biggest arena or the best locker room. But what we think we have here is the best brand in the world and an incredible environment for the right kid."
"[The kids we recruit] come from great families who understand that Harvard's not a four year decision, it's a 40 year decision."
As Hufnagel explains it, the high academic requirement actually works in their favor. Whereas some of the bigger programs can literally recruit any kid in the country that is capable of signing his name on a letter of intent, Harvard has to narrow down their search. The pool of kids they can choose from is limited. And while that requires the coaching staff to do their due diligence identifying potential recruits, it also allows them to focus their energy on the kids that they know they can get into school.
"We've been very aggressive in trying to figure out who we want to recruit," Hufnagel said. "We want to get the best players in the country who are academically motivated and who are looking to take a little bit of a different path to greatness."
Hufnagel also stressed the value of building a strong relationship not only with the kid he is recruiting, but with the people in his life on a day-to-day basis.
"That's important," he said. "Without a strong relationship, we've got very little chance to have the kind of success we’re having and hope to have in the future."
Between the program's recent successes, their targeted recruiting efforts, the Harvard brand, and a head coach with a recognizable name, a perfect storm of recruiting is brewing.
And some of the nation's top talent has taken notice.
Zena Edosomwan is blossoming into one of the best big men on the West Coast. A product of Harvard-Westlake (CA) HS, Edosomwan is a Class of 2012 consensus top 100 recruit, topping out at 67th and 69th according to CBSSports.com and Scout.com, respectively. He's gotten interest from just about every school in the Pac-12, including UCLA, as well as programs like Texas, Maryland, Missouri and Vanderbilt.
But Harvard is up there on his list, battling with some of the biggest of the big boys.
"It's the No. 1 school in the world academically," Edosomwan said. "You can't beat a Harvard education. And also getting to know Coach Yanni, Coach Amaker and the rest of the coaching staff, I have a really good relationship with them."
Its clear in talking to Edosomwan, who was born in Houston to Nigerian parents, that academics matter to him. An extremely well-spoken young man, Edosomwan understands that basketball won't always be there. There are worse safety nets than a Harvard degree.
But he's also a very talented basketball player. The fact that Harvard is a winning program with a very good shot of playing in the NCAA Tournament and recent NBA pedigree is why the Crimson are a legitimate contender for his services.
"I really like Jeremy Lin's story," he said. "I remember watching him in college and thinking 'man, that guy's good.'"
"For him to have success [in the NBA], that's great to see. It shows the program their building, that players have continued success. I'm excited about that."
Edosomwan isn't the only high-profile recruit in the Class of 2012 that Harvard is chasing. Big man Mike Hall and point guard Siyani Chambers are among the high-major rising seniors Harvard is involved with.
The real litmus test for where this program is headed will come in the Class of 2013. Harvard is heavily involved with a number of top 50 recruits. Stephen Domingo, Brannen Greene, Austin Colbert, and Davon Reed -- all, at worst, borderline top 50 players -- are interested enough in the Crimson that they will be joining Edosomwan in an on-campus visit on September 22nd.
Harvard's rapid ascent amongst the ranks of the Ivy League has, as you might expect, begun to ruffle some feathers.
Its not necessarily due to their on-court success. The issue that has arisen is that Harvard's on-court success can be directly attributed to their recruiting success, which is flourishing as the result of lowered admission standards.
Or so believes Harvard's Ivy League opponents.
"They definitely lowered their standards, although the Ivy League has set standards using the academic index," an Ivy League source told me. "Its not like Harvard is admitting kids below what the league set. Its not like they're cheating. They're using what is a published rule. The difference is that it used to be that Yale, Harvard, and Princeton were the three hardest schools to get into. ... [They] bring a kid to admissions who is acceptable at other schools, but they're not getting in [there]."
"It used to be that Harvard wasn't getting those kids either. I think that, probably when Tommy showed up, they said 'listen, you can get in any kid that you want that's within the academic index rule of the league.' I think that's how they lure them to campus, and I think that’s at least partially the reason why they've been able to get better players and better talent and have a little bit of a turnaround."
The Ivy League is unique. For starters, none of the schools in the conference offer scholarships for academics or athletics. While they do provide need-based scholarships and financial aid, its another hoop that players heading to Ivy League schools need to jump through that isn't required at other programs around the country.
Then there is the academic index. The academic index, which can be determined using the calculator here, is a scale that factors in a recruit's standardized test scores, GPA and class rank and turns it into a single value. In order to be eligible to be accepted into an Ivy League school, a recruit needs to reach a league-mandated minimum value on his academic index.
And all that is before you factor in the teacher recommendations, the on-campus interviews, and the applications that non-basketball playing college students have to deal with around the country as they apply to schools.
"Every school in the Ivy League has the same minimum admission standards which no school, including Harvard, can go below," Hufnagel said. "What we've done is presented cases to admissions that are unique and compelling. Our admissions department values a kid's personal qualities more than anything else."
The issue other Ivy League teams have isn't that Harvard is breaking the rules. Its that they are no longer requiring more than the minimum, that they are allowing in recruits that barely reach the necessary academic index number.
"The answer is no," Hufnagel said emphatically when I asked him if Harvard had lowered their admission requirements for basketball players. "The admissions process for us is probably the most difficult piece of the puzzle."
Its easy to write off either side. On the one hand, fellow Ivy League members are jealous of Harvard's recruiting success and their pending Ivy League dominance. On the other hand, you have a Harvard staff member defending his program. Both parties have reason to try and spin the news in their favor.
But consider this -- I'm told one fairly recent Harvard target, who was a borderline top 100 recruit, tried to commit to the Crimson. After being asked to try and get a higher test score, the recruit opted to head elsewhere, ending up at a program in a high-major conference.
"Our admissions would never admit a kid that they don't feel confident in to have an incredible amount of success in the classroom and as a part of the community at Harvard," Hufnagel said. "Our guys have done an incredible job at backing that up. We are very proud of the job our team has done in the classroom."
As any college basketball fan can tell you, mid-major programs are as powerful as they have ever been.
Gonzaga and Xavier have established themselves as the elite, the high-major operating outside a BCS conference. Butler is well on their way to doing the same, having made back-to-back title games. George Mason and VCU both reached the Final Four in the last five years. The Steph Curry-led Davidson team came a 25 foot airball away from making the Final Four.
Perhaps the most relevant recent postseason run for Harvard is Cornell's 2010 Sweet 16 run. The Big Red play in the Ivy League as well.
That's the direction the Crimson see their program heading.
"There's no rule that Harvard can't go to a Final Four," Hufnagel said. "In fact, that's our goal and vision. ... Now we're presenting that dream, that vision, to our future recruits. I think it's a lot harder to see that when you're 8-22. But when you're 23-7, it's a lot easier to see where this thing can go."
The difference between playing in a league like the Ivy and a power conference is shrinking. Slowly, yes. But it is. With the arrival of the internet, the reach of ESPN, and a 24 hour newscycle that features constant updates from writers, bloggers and tweeters from every corner of the college basketball landscape, small conference studs are no longer a secret.
Jeremy Lin proved that its possible to make the NBA from the Ivy League. Greg Mangano of Yale, who is currently playing for Team USA at the World University Games, may do the same next year. Cornell and company have proven its possible to have great success on college basketball's biggest stage despite coming out of the small conferences.
Its a part of the reason Harvard is able to chase some of the best players in the country.
"In a way now, for us, its almost like the higher level the player, the greater the attraction," Hufnagel said. "Now, the way it is with the high school kids that have such a buzz about them, a profile with rankings, they're on people's radar before they even play a college game."
At Harvard, not only will you be able to compete with the best teams in the country and set yourself up for a potential professional career, but you'll leave school with a degree from the best university in the country.
"People might think I'm crazy for saying it," Hufnagel said, "but if you can do it at Harvard, why would you want to do it anywhere else?"
Continue reading...
Friday, June 10, 2011
Harvard's Kyle Casey played last season on a broken foot |
Harvard has a chance to be scary-good next season.
This isn't a secret, mind you. Everyone that follows college hoops should be well aware of the fact that the Crimson, who were able to keep Tommy Amaker from succumbing to the overtures of Miami earlier this spring, bring back everyone -- literally everyone -- from a team that finished tied for first in the Ivy League, coming within a buzzer-beating jumper from Douglas Davis of the NCAA Tournament.
Harvard played their way into the at-large conversation last season, something that is unheard of for a team from the Ivy League, which is why is should concern you that the Crimson were able to do that despite having the guy that was supposed to be their best player coming into the season battling a broken foot all year long. Jeff Goodman explains: Casey broke his right foot in a workout last October -- just about a week before the official start of practice.
Imagine trying to play on a foot that you broke twice in the span of five months? Imagine playing on that foot if the surgery you went under to repair didn't prevent you from re-breaking the bone? That's tough.
Six weeks on the mend -- and when he came back, he struggled, both emotionally and physically.
Nine games into his return, he looked like a shell of himself in Harvard's win at Boston College, finishing with just five points in 25 minutes. However, he had his moments, such as a 17-point, 13-rebound effort against Columbia at home on Jan. 28.
Then it happened again against Cornell in late January.
In an identical manner, as he began to explode off his foot, Casey felt it.
"I didn't say anything right away," Casey admitted. "I finished the game and got X-rays a few days later. They said I broke it again."
Exact same break, exact same bone.
Casey had another surgery on the foot immediately after the season ended and has recently been cleared to get back out on the court. With Harvard's leading scorer Keith Wright, a burly, 6'8" post presence, joining Casey -- an athletic, 6'7" forward -- along the in the front court, the Crimson have a couple of forwards that should be able to matchup with just about any front court in the country. Throw in the talented perimeter quartet of Oliver McNally, Christan Webster, Brandyn Curry, and Laurent Rivard, and the Crimson are a safe bet as the favorite to win the Ivy this year.
Harvard will get a crack at UConn in the Bahamas over Thanksgiving at the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament.
That will be a much better game than you expect when the defending champs take on a team from the Ivy League.
Continue reading...
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Tommy Amaker to stay at Harvard |
Tommy Amaker made the decision this afternoon that he would remain the head coach of the Harvard Crimson instead of taking an offer from Miami to fill the void left by Frank Haith.
"I am appreciative of and flattered by the interest shown in me by other fine universities, but I am proud and honored to represent Harvard," Amaker said in a statement released by Harvard on Tuesday. "I look forward to continuing my efforts to teach, lead and serve at this great institution."
On the surface, this looks like a surprising decision.
Amaker is the coach of an Ivy League program that hasn't made the NCAA Tournament since 1946. A few weeks ago, Sydney Johnson left Princeton, an Ivy powerhouse, to take the head coaching gig at Fairfield that was vacated by Ed Cooley. And Amaker turned down an offer from the ACC?
What may be even more surprising is that Amaker probably made the correct decision. Miami may be in the ACC, but it is not necessarily a great job. The athletic department is currently turning over, as the Canes just hired Shawn Eichorst as their new AD today. There is also the issue of the amount of funding that the basketball team would get. The Hurricanes don't have a large basketball budget when compared to other high-major programs, which essentially means that, unless the basketball program can immediately start filling the stands at their homes games or the University decides to dedicate more money to the team, whoever ends up taking the Miami gig will be running a program against a stacked deck.
And Harvard? Well, they aren't quite as bad as you think.
In four years, Amaker has taken this team from 8-22 to 23-7. He's legitimately been on the NCAA Tournament bubble the past two years, and even sent a player -- Jeremy Lin -- to the NBA this season.
Next year will actually be the best team that Amaker has had at Harvard. The Crimson return their entire roster from a year ago. That includes a front line of Kyle Casey and Keith Wright, both of whom are good enough to compete for a starting spot at most any school in the country. Their back court is quite talented as well, including Oliver McNally, Christian Webster, Brandyn Curry, and Laurent Rivard. All six of those players I mentioned averaged between 9.3 ppg and 14.3 ppg last season.
I'd be willing to bet that Harvard will actually be a better team than Miami next season.
I'd also be willing to bet that Amaker takes that Harvard team to the NCAA tournament.
And if he does, he'd likely be able to make a choice on where his next step would be. Then, if Amaker does decide to leave Harvard, it will likely be a better situation than Miami.
This isn't the first time this year that we've seen a head coach waive off a job at a bigger school. Shaka Smart parlayed his trip to the Final Four into a raise and a contract extension with VCU. Chris Mooney did the same with Richmond after making the Sweet 16. Last year, Brad Stevens re-upped with Butler after making the national title game.
So. Frank Martin?
Continue reading...
Saturday, March 12, 2011
VIDEO: Princeton earns the Ivy's autobid at the buzzer |
You want to know what college basketball is all about?
Harvard and Princeton.
In the third head-to-head matchup, the Tigers and the Crimson headed to Yale's Lee Coliseum to play what amounted to the Ivy League Championship game. The gym was electric, with both schools sending a huge contingent of students. The crowd was split down the middle, with half the gym decked out in Orange and the other half in Crimson.
Harvard's Brandyn Curry scored on a tough layup in the paint with 12 seconds left to give Harvard a 62-61 lead. After Princeton had a shot blocked out of bounds with 2.8 seconds left, head coach Sydney Johnson called a timeout setting up the final possession:
So thanks to Douglas Davis, the Tigers, who were a loss to Penn on March 5th away from being eliminated from contention, are headed to the NCAA Tournament with the 63-62 win.
You want an idea of the kind of atmosphere that was in the gym? Neutral floor court storm:
(h/t some bum at CBS for the photo)
The question that must be asked now is whether or not Harvard can actually sneak into the NCAA Tournament. Its more of a possibility than you may think. The Crimson have beated Boston College and Colorado this season. They went on the road to play teams like Michigan and George Mason during the non-conference portion of their schedule. They have an RPI of 32.
More importantly, however, this is a team that, if they were able to land a 12 seed, can win a game in the NCAA Tournament. They have a front line that can match up with a high-major front line in Keith Wright and Kyle Casey. Their backcourt is a solid combination of shooters, athletes, and play makers.
Based on the rest of the bubble, the chances of Harvard getting in is fairly small.
Count me among the group that wants to see the Crimson get a chance.
Continue reading...
Sunday, March 6, 2011
POSTERIZED: Don't tell Kyle Casey Ivy Leaguers can't dunk |
The Ivy League doesn't provide athletic scholarships.
The Ivy League doesn't have a conference tournament.
The Ivy League doesn't have anybody who can dunk who can guard Kyle Casey.
Casey logged a season-high 24 points in Harvard's win over Princeton on Saturday night, but he could have scored 7 points and nobody would have cared because he threw down this massive dunk.
Not only is Casey a better dunker than you, it's more than likely that he's a lot smarter than you too.
But was it as good as one of these?:
POSTERIZED - Anali Okoloji, Seton Hall
POSTERIZED - Brad Tinsley, Vanderbilt
POSTERIZED - CJ Fair, Syracuse
POSTERIZED - Terrence Jennings, Louisville
POSTERIZED - Deniz Kilicli, West Virginia
POSTERIZED - Dwayne Lathan, Indiana State
POSTERIZED - Kenny Gabriel, Auburn
POSTERIZED - Travis Leslie, Louisville
POSTERIZED - Matt Dickey, UNC-Asheville
POSTERIZED - Jeff Robinson, Xavier
POSTERIZED - Nyika Williams
POSTERIZED - Jawanza Poland, South Florida
POSTERIZED - Brady Jardine, Utah State
POSTERIZED - Tony Mitchell, Alabama
POSTERIZED - John Williams, UNC-Asheville
POSTERIZED - Peyton Siva, Louisville
POSTERIZED - E'Twaun Moore, Purdue
POSTERIZED - DJ Newbill, Southern Mississippi
POSTERIZED - Scotty Hopson, Tennessee
POSTERIZED - Justin Brownlee, St. John's
POSTERIZED - Tyrone Johnson
POSTERIZED - Travis Leslie, Georgia
POSTERIZED - Terrence Ross, Washington
POSTERIZED - Justin Tubbs, East Tennessee State
POSTERIZED - Harrison Barnes, North Carolina
POSTERIZED - Andre Roberson, Colorado
POSTERIZED - Durrell Summers, Michigan State
POSTERIZED - Phillip McDonald, New Mexico
POSTERIZED - Kyle Kuric, Louisville
POSTERIZED - Anthony Nelson, Niagara
POSTERIZED - Cory Joseph, Texas
POSTERIZED - Will Sheehey, Indiana
POSTERIZED - Tom Pritchard, Indiana
POSTERIZED - Shay Shine, High Point
POSTERIZED - John Holland, Boston
POSTERIZED - Keith Gabriel, VMI
POSTERIZED - Travis McKie, Wake Forest
POSTERIZED - Jefferson Mason, Minnesota State (D-II)
POSTERIZED - Tyler Johnson, Fresno State
POSTERIZED - John Williams, UNC-Asheville
POSTERIZED - Derrick Williams, Arizona
POSTERIZED - Hollis Thompson, Georgetown
POSTERIZED - Darnell Wilks, Cincinnati
POSTERIZED - Rodney Williams, Minnesota
POSTERIZED - Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette
POSTERIZED - Darrius Garrett, Richmond
POSTERIZED - Travis Cohn, Jacksonville
POSTERIZED - Ramon Galloway, South Carolina
POSTERIZED - Terrence Jones, Kentucky
POSTERIZED - Justin Tubbs, East Tennessee State
POSTERIZED - John Williams, UNC-Asheville
POSTERIZED - Kevin Smith, Richmond
POSTERIZED - Mitchell Watt, Buffalo
POSTERIZED - Chandler Parsons, Florida
POSTERIZED - Kenny Gabriel, Auburn
POSTERIZED - Paris Horne, St. John's
POSTERIZED - Travis Leslie, Georgia
POSTERIZED - Laurence Bowers, Missouri
POSTERIZED - Drew Gordon, New Mexico
POSTERIZED - Tony Mitchell, Alabama
POSTERIZED - Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt
POSTERIZED - LaMarcus Reed, UT-Arlington
POSTERIZED - Marcus Morris, Kansas
POSTERIZED - Jared Cunningham, Oregon State
POSTERIZED - Langston Morris-Walker
POSTERIZED - Chris Wright and Juwan Staten, Dayton
POSTERIZED - D.J Stephens, Memphis
POSTERIZED - Derrick Williams, Arizona
POSTERIZED - Reeves Nelson, UCLA
POSTERIZED - Kendall Marshall and John Henson, UNC
POSTERIZED - Terrence Jones, Kentucky
POSTERIZED - Rodney Williams, Minnesota
POSTERIZED - Joe Jackson, Memphis
POSTERIZED - Shay Shine, High Point
POSTERIZED - Harrison Barnes, North Carolina
POSTERIZED - Kent Bazemore, Old Dominion
POSTERIZED - CJ Fair, Syracuse
POSTERIZED - LeBryan Nash
POSTERIZED - Rodney Williams, Minnesota
POSTERIZED - Travis Leslie, Georgia
POSTERIZED - Terrence Jones, Kentucky
POSTERIZED - Marcus Jordan, Central Florida
POSTERIZED - Lorenzo Brown, NC State
POSTERIZED - Tai Wesley, Utah State
POSTERIZED - Trent Lockett, Arizona State, and Derrick Williams, Arizona
POSTERIZED - Brandon Paul, Illinois
POSTERIZED - Jordan Hamilton, Texas
Continue reading...
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Harvard earns a share of the Ivy title, puts the pressure on Princeton |
Harvard won a share of their first ever Ivy League crown tonight, beating Princeton 79-67 on the strength of 24 points from a yet-to-be-fully-healthy Kyle Casey and 10 points and 10 assists from Brandyn Curry.
I say that they won a share of the title because there is still a chance that the Crimson can win the outright title. Princeton is a game behind Harvard in the win column as they travel to the Palestra to take on Penn on Tuesday.
It sets up an interesting scenario.
The Ivy League is the only conference in the country that doesn't have a tournament. Their at-large winner is determined by the regular season champion. If Princeton beats Penn, the Tigers and the Crimson will be tied for the Ivy League title, setting up a situation where the two would be forced to play a third rematch, essentially what amounts to an Ivy League title game.
I know what you are thinking.
Its the Ivy League. Why should I card about who gets in as the appetizer for a No. 1 or No. 2 seed?
Because both Princeton and Harvard have the horses to spring an upset in the NCAA Tournament.
The Crimson have a front line that can compete with the high-majors in Casey and Keith Wright. Their back court, led by Curry, Oliver McNally, and Christian Webster, is better than you think. Remember how Tommy Amaker made some headlines with recruiting violations a few years back? Well, it paid off.
Princeton has four players averaging between 12.1 ppg and 14.0 ppg, but they too have a nice blend of size and perimeter players. On Saturday, it was the 25 points that Dan Mavraides scored that kept the Tigers close.
But most importantly, you should care because these are two rivals and two quality basketball teams playing for the right to get into the NCAA Tournament.
If you can't get excited about that, feel free to mail in your fan card. I'll pay for the postage.
Continue reading...
Monday, November 16, 2009
11/16 - College Hoops Week in Review |
What we learned this week: There really isn't all that much to take from the games during the first week of the season. Team's are still trying to figure out their identity, players are trying to learn their new roles and how to play alongside their new teammates, and coaches are trying to figure out their rotation.
All told, the first week usually consists of major conference teams smacking around some low-majors, with the occasional upset and intriguing match-up sprinkled in.
We did learn a couple things, however. UNC, UConn, and Cal may not be as good as advertised. UNC and UConn are still trying to find an identity for their team (and some outside shooting), while Cal is dealing with the burden of playing with expectations. Syracuse, Ohio State, and Kansas State, on the other hand, look like they will be better than expected. Evan Turner of Ohio State is the real deal and a legit player of the year candidate. The Syracuse Orange proved that they are going to be a terror to deal with on the offensive end, while Kansas State showed that their front line is going to be long and athletic this season.
As the preseason tournaments really start to kick off this week, we will begin to learn much more about the best teams in the country.
GAME OF THE WEEK: Harvard 87, William & Mary 85 3OT
With just 14 seconds left in the third overtime, Harvard missed a pair of free throws that would have given them a three point lead. Instead, the Tribe's Sean McCurdy went the length of the floor and finished a lay-up to give William & Mary an 85-84 lead with four seconds left. Harvard's Jeremy Lin responded by, well, the video here explains it all.
Jeremy Lin reacts after hitting a game winner against William & Mary.
(photo credit: harvard.edu)
William & Mary was down by as much as 13 in the second half, but an off-balance three by Danny Sumner sent the game into the first overtime. Both the first and the second overtimes were tied in the last minutes after a player was fouled shooting a three and hit all three free throws. Lin, who hit the game winner, finished with 19 points, 9 assists, and 5 boards to lead the Crimson
Also good this week:
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Evan Turner, Ohio State
This was a tougher choice than I expected midway through the week, but Turner's two games this week were too much to pass up. Turner, a 6'7" point forward, notched just the second triple double in Ohio State history as he posted 14 points, 17 boards, and 10 assists in a 100-60 win over Alcorn State (remember those guys). Against James Madison on Thursday, Turner was equally impressive, posting 24 points, 17 boards, and 4 assists in another blowout win for the Buckeyes. All told, Turner finished the week with ridiculous averages of 19.0 ppg, 17.0 rpg, 7.0 apg, and 2.0 spg while committing just four turnovers and shooting 55% from the floor.
Evan Turner looked like the best player in the country this week.
(photo credit: examiner)
I've beaten the point to death by now, but what makes Turner so valuable this season is that he can grab a defensive rebound and lead the break without needing an outlet pass. Turner has also shown an excellent ability to make long lead passes, finding streaking teammates for easy buckets. Turner is far and away the early season MVP in college hoops.
Also good this week:
TEAM OF THE WEEK: Rider Broncs, Cornell Big Red
Both Rider and Cornell went down south this week to play a road game against an SEC team, and both came back a winner. Rider played an efficient, fundamental basketball game, especially in the second half. The Broncs were 10-16 from three during the game, and did not commit a turnover in the second half. It may have been their defense that won the game, however. The scored 18 points off of 10 MSU turnovers, and held the Bulldogs to just 10 second half field goals. Mike Ringold and Novar Gadson both went for 21 in the win, while Ryan Thompson and Justin Robinson added 16 and 15, respectively. The Broncs will face Lehigh at home before traveling to UVA and Kentucky before Thanksgiving.
Cornell used a 9-0 run to start the second half to open up a 35-20 lead over the Crimson Tide. Bama used their pressure to get the lead down to 53-52, but a Louis Dale three pushed it back to four, and the Tide never got that close again. Ryan Wittman had 23 to lead Cornell, while Dale finished with 13 points, 4 boards, and 5 assists.
Also good this week:
MATCH-UPS OF THE WEEK:
Continue reading...
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
So Technically Speaking, Harvard Would Beat UNC Now, Right? |
So explain how this works to me. Boston College goes into Chapel Hill for their ACC opener and thoroughly outplays North Carolina, the #1 team in the country that was supposed to go undefeated, en route to an upset that vaults them from unranked to #17 in the land.
Three days later, BC takes the court at home against Harvard, a school from the Ivy League ... and loses? Wait, wait, wait, hold on a second. BC lost to Harvard? After beating UNC? Damnn...
You know how people always talk about how one win can turn around a struggling program? Just that little bit of the national media's spotlight that comes with a big time upset can get recruits to take notice of your school and say "if I go here, then I will be on ESPN and Sportscenter".
Well, I hate to be the one to say this, but BC right now? They are a struggling program. And UNC? That was their win.
BC was really good in the early 2000's, when they had the Troy Bell's and the Craig Smith's, even the Jared Dudley's. So while they have struggled in recent years, there is still some name recognition when you hear Boston College.
Now pretend you are a recruit, and a good one at that. You know that BC was good when you were, like, 11. But recently they haven't been. You also know that their coach is a good coach and you could see yourself playing for him. Then you see BC beat North Carolina. That gets you thinking - maybe this team is back on their way up to prominence? They have a good core group of guys coming back next year that I would fit in well with. And they are losing Tyrese Rice, which means that I will have the opportunity to shoot and score a lot more (everyone wants their point). Maybe if I go there, I'll be one of the guys that will always be remembered with the resurgence of the BC program.
Sounds pretty enticing right?
Now imagine that you have almost made up your mind to go to school there, but then you hear that they lost to Harvard. An Ivy League school. At home. The game after UNC. Now you start thinking maybe this is really just a terrible program that happened to play great on the same night UNC played terribly. Losing to Ivies isn't going to get you interviewed on First Take.
A little less appealing, no?
The bottom line is that this loss to Harvard is, all-in-all, not that big of a deal for this year. One loss isn't going to make or break whether or not you reach the NCAA tournament, no matter how bad the loss is. It could mean that they lose a tie-breaker with another bubble team, but if BC is really worth their salt, they will get enough wins during ACC play that it shouldn't effect them.
The long term damage could be a little worse. Let's say that BC makes the tournament, but loses as a 12 seed in the first round (not exactly a banner year for an ACC program). Now let's say that the loss to Harvard sticks in the mind of some recruits, scaring off a couple of them, meaning BC doesn't land the guy you had planned on using to replace Rice's production.
Without Rice or the recruit to replace him, BC struggles mightily next year, making it even tougher for Al Skinner to recruit. Two or three years like this and BOOM, Skinner gets Jagodzinski'd.
Doomsday scenario? Yes.
Has something like this happened before? Absolutely.
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