Jeff Goodman, the King of Scoop, snagged a nice bit of scoopage on Monday morning involving Mark Lyons, Xavier's second-leading scorer.
Lyons is a native of Schenectady, NY, a small, blue-collar city near Albany. Lyons was back home for the Christmas holiday, meaning that he was just like everyone else trying to travel on Sunday or Monday -- stuck. Thanks to a snow storm that did this.
While most of us enjoy being snowed in -- no work, no school, nothing but hot cocoa and sweats all day -- Lyons had a game to play in Cincinnati. Ironically, the game was against Albany. So what did Lyons do?
He rode with Albany, taking a 12 hour, overnight trip that put him into Cincinnati early yesterday morning.
"When Coach Mack called me and first told me about it, I said, 'I can't do that,'" Lyons told Goodman. "But it was the only way to get back."
Tu Holloway, a native of Hempstead, NY, which is on Long Island, was also supposed to travel with Albany, but he was unable to catch a train due to the weather.
"I've got him in a headlock right now," Albany head coach Will Brown joked early on in the ride. "One bottle of water and no food for the 12-hour trip. We're letting him watch the movie with our team, though, and I also gave him our scout on Xavier to study."
"It was obviously really, really nice of Will Brown to do this," Xavier head coach Chris Mack told Goodman.
"Hopefully, he doesn't get beat up on the way here."
Continue reading...
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Albany and Xavier have the holiday spirit |
Tuesday's Shootaround: Pitt knocks off UConn |
This post can also be found over at Beyond the Arc.
No. 6 Pitt 78, No. 4 UConn 63: See here.
Penn State 69, Indiana 60: In the Big East opener for both teams, the Nittany Lions got 23 points from Jeff Brooks and 19 from Talor Battle as they went into Assembly Hall and knocked off the Hoosiers. This is not a good sign for an Indiana program that is trying to rebuild. Just six days ago, the Nittany Lions lost by 10 at home to Maine.
No. 20 Louisville 104, Morgan State 74: The Cardinals got 31 points from Preston Knowles and 25 out of Kyle Kuric, but that wasn't the most impressive thing about last night. Louisville shot a ridiculous 17-23 from three. This coming just days after the Cards went 16-30 from deep against Western Kentucky. All of this happened to coincide with Mike Marra, who leads Louisville in three point attempts but is shooting 27%, getting injured.
No. 10 Missouri 97, Northern Illinois 61: Holy blowout. Mizzou was up 57-17 at the break, and the Tiger's held Xavier Silas, the NCAA's second leading scorer coming in, to just eight points on 2-12 shooting.
Other Notable Scores:
- No. 2 Ohio State 100, UT-Martin 40
- LSU 62, Southern 41
- Clemson 76, Delaware State 41
Continue reading...
Tuesday Morning Dump |
- If you have a vote in the AP ballots, use it wisely, or Gary Parrish is going to come looking for you
- Parrish also tells us something we all should know but probably forget sometimes: Pittsburgh is really good at home
- Matt Jones, formerly of KSR and currently of CBS fame, notes that the SEC is brutal to watch. Seriously, look at the list of the teams who have W's against SEC teams.
- Pete Thamel of the New York Times had a great piece on Ohio State big-man Jared Sullinger. The freshman phenom is tearing up the college scene, and his competitive upbringing may have something to do with that. Anyone else notice Thad Matta's "fat little brother" quote?
- Mark Adams gets you all caught-up on the mid-major scene. Adams also explains how A-Sun preseason player of the year Adnan Hodzic, a native of Sarajevo, has taken a unique path to stardom
- In case you were too busy over the holiday weekend and didn't get a chance to sit down and watch the Diamondhead Classic, Doug Gottlieb wraps up all the action from Hawaii (Insider)
- This is about as good as it gets when it comes to recapping the Big East.
- Andy Glockner provides a SEC West-heavy edition of Bubble Watch. He also updates his brackets
- Eamonn Brennan and Andy Katz make their observations from the week that was. Brennan also provides his thoughts on this week's AP poll. Katz also tells us what to expect out of the Big East
- The snow storm on the East Coast has altered a lot of people's game plans. Football games got canceled, basketball games got postponed, and thousnads of planes never left the ground. Xavier's Mark Lyons who hails from Albany, was unable to get a flight back to Cincinnati because of the weather. Luckily, the Albany Danes will be traveling to Xavier tonight, so the junior was able to hitch a ride with the enemy. This may be the coolest thing I've read about all season.
- Xavier isn't the only team with serious travel concerns
- Richmond's Kevin Anderson was named Atlantic-10 pre-season player of the year. But as conference play starts up, is he still the favorite?
- Pittsburgh was able to dictate the pace-of-play against UConn last night, and Ashton Gibbs was able to use on-and-off-ball screens effectively to get easy buckets
- Word on the street is that the Florida/Fairfield game is canceled due to crappy weather. I hope you all were waiting to purchase "day-of" tickets.
- Name me a program that has had a more-bizarre 24-month stretch than Seton Hall? It's tough. Trust me I tried. Matt Norlander gives us a run-through of the recent timeline
- Bruce Pearl and his staff are limited in off-campus recruiting, but that won't hinder them from hitting the social-media trails hard
- If you are a fan of stats and the Big Ten, you may like this link
- Kent Sterling has something to say to Kentucky fans, and they may not like it
- Mike DeCourcy makes nice work of his 3-Pointers column. Make sure you read the bit on Cleveland State
- NBAdraft.net provides a great breakdown of this week's marquee match-ups
- Hawaii's Jeremiah Ostrowski has had a busy week. He caught two passes in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl and logged some reserve minutes in the basketball team's win over Mississippi State
- So it looks like Syracuse's Mookie Jones won't transfer
- This seems like an interesting concept: All-conference teams for non-conference play
- By no means is the Pac-10 a elite conference this year, but like Jeff Eisenberg tells it, it is much better than last year
- A recap of UCLA's non-conference portion of the schedule
- The Washington Huskies look to have a productive and promising run through the Pac-10. In order to do so, they will need their key players to be healthy. Luckily, Venoy overton and Justin Holiday are able to pracitce again
- Indiana did not to start out Big Ten play with a loss, especially not to Penn State. unfortunately, that happened. The Nittany Lions defeated the Hoosiers 69-60 on Monday night. What's next for the Indiana Hoosiers. ("waiting for the recruits to arrive" is not an acceptable answer)
- Oh this should be fun: a Q&A between bloggers from two Big East also-rans
- Freshman guard Reggie Smith will be leaving the Marquette basketball program. It is still uncertain if he will transfer or not
- The Iona Gaels landed a commitment from JuCo forward DaJuan Williams
- A good preview of the Big-East opener between St. John's and West Virginia
- Jason King breaks down the Atlantic Coast Conference. He notes that Boston College may be the hottest team in the conference. BC has won nine out of their last ten since an ugly November loss to Yale. More on the new-found shooting touch on the Eagles
- Would you rather have Markeiff or Marcus Morris?
Continue reading...
Monday, December 27, 2010
Conference Play Primer: The Big East |
Favorite: Georgetown Hoyas
Coming into the season, Pitt and Villanova were the two teams everyone expected to be competing for the Big East title. While that hasn't exactly changed in the last two months, in this blogger's humble opinion the best team in the Big East is Georgetown. The Hoyas are an experienced team led by the best back court in the country in Austin Freeman, Chris Wright, and Jason Clark. Their front court has been better than expected, especially junior Henry Sims, who has developed into a homeless man's Greg Monroe. (The old Henry Sims was a homeless man's version of the new Henry Sims, so that last sentence should be taken as a complement.) They defend, they run a disciplined offense, and John Thompson III has allowed this team to take advantage of their guards and play at a faster pace this season. No team in the country has a better resume than the Hoyas do right now, as this team has emerged as a Final Four favorite seemingly out of nowhere. You aren't supposed to get better when you lose a lottery pick to early entry.
Player of the Year: Kemba Walker, UConn
This is obvious, isn't it? Walker has posted ridiculous numbers (26.5 ppg, 4.0 apg, 4.8 rpg, 2.1 spg, 42.1% 3PT) and carried an extremely young UConn team to a Maui Invitational title and a No. 4 ranking nationally. This team was picked 10th in the league to start the season and is now legitimately being discussed as a conference contender, and it is almost all a result of Walker's play.
All-Conference Team:
Biggest Surprise: Cincinnati Bearcats
UConn is the biggest surprise of the season, but we've already talked about the Huskies here. And with Cincinnati on the brink of being one of just eight teams nationally to head into the new year undefeated, they deserve mention here. To be fair, Cincinnati hasn't exactly beaten anyone this season. Their 68-34 win over Dayton is nice, but it came at a time when the Flyers were playing some horrendous basketball. They also beat Oklahoma in Oklahoma, but the Sooners are no where near the same team as they were when Blake Griffin was in uniform. The Bearcats have been bolstered by better-than-expected play on their perimeter, led by Dion Dixon, Sean Kilpatrick, and Cashmere Wright. I'm reserving judgement on this team until after they are truly tested -- which will come early in Big East play -- but this start by Cinci deserves some praise. Also deserving mention here are the Louisville Cardinals and Providence Friars.
Biggest Disappointment: Villanova's back court
Corey Fisher was supposed to be the heir apparent to Scottie Fisher as Villanova's leading man. Maalik Wayns was supposed to be the next Kyle Lowry. Combined, they are shooting just 38% from the floor and 22% from three. They are still compiling some impressive assist numbers, but the stats don't tell the whole story. Villanova has struggled this season with a lack of leadership. They have struggled to beat teams they should be blowing out, and they lost to Tennessee in Madison Square Garden in a game where both players disappeared down the stretch. That said, Nova has just the one loss this season, and Fisher did appear as if he turned a corner against Monmouth in Nova's last game. I like the roster make up of this Villanova team, always have, but until there is consistently great play coming out of Wayns and Fisher, the Wildcat's don't look like a team that can challenge for a Big East regular season title.
Teams to keep an eye on:
Teams to forget about:
Continue reading...
Monday's Pregame Beat: UConn and Pitt kick off Big East play with a bang |
8:30 pm: No. 4 UConn @ No. 6 Pitt: Big East play officially kicks off this evening as UConn heads into the Peterson Athletics Center to take of Pitt.
There are many reasons to tune into this game tonight beyond the obvious -- that two of the top six teams in the country will be taking the court. The early favorite for national player of the year takes on arguably the best defensive team in the country. The winner, in all likelihood, will be dubbed the early favorite in the Big East. Jamie Dixon's slicked-back hairdo and calm demeanor going up against the always-angry scowl of Jim Calhoun.
Ever since Dixon has taken the reins of the Panther program, any matchup between these two clubs has been must-see TV. If that is not reason enough, than you aren't a college basketball fan.
For me, the best thing about this game tonight is that we have finally reached the part of the season that truly matters. Yes, I know, non-conference play can determine whether you get a one or a two seed, an eight or a nine seed, or get into the NCAA Tournament or the NIT.
But conference play is when the rivalry games happen. Its when the fans come out. Its when BIAH's favorite combo of Jay Bilas and Bill Raftery call games. Its when people are forced to start paying attention to our sport, because a game of this magnitude will matter come March.
UConn may be overrated right now. I think even the most die-hard Husky fan in the world (Not quite me, but I'm pretty close) can admit that. But with the improved play of Shabazz Napier, Jeremy Lamb, and Roscoe Smith, there is reason to believe this team can compete for a Big East title. Let's say, for arguments sake, that both teams end up at 14-4 this season in the Big East. These two teams don't play again this season. This game would be the tiebreaker.
So, yeah, this game carries a lot of weight.
You might think that the key to this game is Pitt's ability to slow down Kemba Walker. That is important, but the difference is going to be made on the glass. Pitt's the best offensive rebounding team in the country, and 12th best in the country on the defensive glass. UConn ranks third in offensive rebounding, but they are 177th in the country on the defensive glass despite playing a schedule that isn't exactly loaded with powerful front courts. If the Husky front court can hang with Pitt's big boys inside, UConn has a shot at this.
If not, it could get ugly.
Other Notable Games:
Continue reading...
The Emery Board: Week 7 |
College basketball has not seen a team go undefeated since Bobby Knight's Indiana Hoosiers went 32-0 in 1975-1976. The closest we have seen since then was a Jameer Nelson-led St. Joseph's team that went 27-0 in the 2003-2004 season before losing to Xavier in the Atlantic-10 tournament. Every season a team flirts with the notion of an undefeated season, but every season that notion slowly fades as January turns to February and February turns to March. BYU's senior guard Jackson Emery, has made the bold prediction that his team, a Cougar squad that finished with a 27-4 record last season, will in fact go undefeated this season.
We have decided that, in honor of Emery's swagger, we will keep a watch on the BYU Cougar's schedule, see if they can walk-the-walk. We will also keep tabs on any other undefeated teams who try to make a run at the perfect season.
Week 7:
BYU may not be competing for an undefeated year anymore, but they still have a full season of basketball to play.
The Cougars moved to 12-1 on the season with a couple of solid wins this week. They opened it up with a 72-66 win over Weber State on Tuesday. The close score is unimpressive, especially considering that the Wildcats are without their star guard Damian Lillard, who broke a bone in his foot.
BYU was up by double figures for much of the game, led by 28 points from Jimmer Fredette. But Weber State's aggressive defense eventually wore down the Cougars. They shot just 37.3% from the floor and 26.9% from three, numbers that drop to 32.6% and 15.4%, respectively, once Fredette's numbers are factored out. The Wildcats made a comeback, but never got within one possession.
On Thursday, it seemed as if BYU was going to get a tougher test, but the UTEP Miners learned the hard way the dangers of ... The Emery Board. Jackson had 23 points and hit six threes, despite the fact that he has been coming off the bench as he deals with a shin injury, as BYU cruised to an 89-68 win despite falling behind 9-0 early on.
Next Game: 12/30 @ Buffalo
Next Potential Loss: 1/5 @ UNLV
BYU might have ruined my plans for an epic "Ankiel Watch" level of prediction, but there are still nine teams left that have a shot at the undefeated season. So we might as well use this space to document their chances.
Other Undefeated Teams
No. 1 Duke: 11-0
Next Game: 12/29 @ UNC-Greensboro
Next Potential Loss: 1/2 vs. Miami
Duke won't go undefeated this year. Sorry it just won't happen. That was a sexy statement to make following the Michigan State game, but without Kyrie Irving, you can forget about 32-0. But I give Duke the best chance to be the last team in the country to get a tally in the loss column. The ACC isn't great, but teams come ready to play every night when they have Duke sitting in the visiting locker room. Circle the Dukie's first conference road game (1/12 @ Florida State) as a possible end-date for that unblemished record. If they can get past that game, it could be February before Duke loses a game. This week, they head to winless UNC-Greensboro before hosting Miami.
No. 2 Ohio State: 12-0
Next Game: 12/27 vs. UT-Martin
Next Potential Loss: 1/9 vs. Minnesota
The Buckeyes very well be the best team in America. Jared Sullinger isn't only playing like the best freshman in the country, he's playing like the best big man in the country and a potential national player of the year candidate. Their perimeter players are all capable of going off for 25 points on a given night. They have a solid freshman point guard and a big shot blocker in the paint. The thing that is so impressive about this Ohio State team is that everyone understands their role on the team and completely buys into it. It might be until February, when the Buckeyes take trips to Wisconsin and Purdue in the span of a week, before they actually lose a game.
No. 3 Kansas: 9-0
Next Game: 12/29 vs. UT-Arlington
Next Potential Loss: 1/22 vs. Texas
Kansas looks better and better as the season goes on, and with the Big XII looking weaker, especially at the top (Baylor and Kansas State have both struggled, and they were picked to be top three in the league), the Jayhawks's chances of running the table get better. Will it happen? Well, not likely, but with only one game each against Baylor, Texas, and Texas A&M, Kansas has the schedule to make it a possibility.
No. 4 Connecticut: 10-0
Next Game: 12/27 at Pittsburgh
Next Potential Loss: 12/27 at Pittsburgh
Well, we find out who the Huskies are tonight. They head to the Peterson Events Center to take on the Panthers, who many believe to be the best team in the Big East despite what rankings and records may say. To get an idea how overrated UConn appears to be, Pitt started the day as 7.5 point favorites in Vegas. I'm going to hold off comment on the Huskies until after tonight's game.
No. 5 Syracuse: 10-0
Next Game: 12/28 vs. Providence
Next Potential Loss: 12/28 vs. Providence
Like UConn, Syracuse is kicking off Big East play this week. It starts with the Friars, and continues with a New Year's Day matchup with Notre Dame. I'm not sure this team has the chops -- or the perimeter shooting -- to make it past Pitt and Villanova later in the month, but with Kris Joseph starting to round into form and Fab Melo looking healthier, the Orange defense and interior play may be good enough that perimeter shooting is rendered mute.
No. 7 San Diego State: 14-0
Next Game: 12/31 vs. Occidental
Next Potential Loss: 1/12 vs. UNLV
I love this San Diego State team, but if I'm being totally honest, I'm shocked they are still undefeated at this point in the season. Its not because I don't think they are good enough -- this is the best team on the West Coast without question -- its because they continually play down to their opponents. A six point win over Cal Poly. A six point win against San Francisco. A two point win over IUPUI. Granted, there were extenuating circumstances -- the flu has swept through the team, while the latter two games were played in a rodeo arena under less than ideal circumstances. Regardless, SDSU needs to start playing up to their potential, or eventually they are going to slip up.
Central Florida: 11-0
Next Game: 12/29 vs. Furman
Next Potential Loss: 1/15 @ Southern Miss
UCF just keeps getting better and better. This week, it was a five point win at UMass, which doesn't appear all that impressive on the surface. But consider this -- they played the first 25 minutes without Marcus Jordan, who had two bad ankles, but who convinced the coaching staff to allow him to play the last 15 minutes of the game. Impressive stuff. UCF will battle with Memphis and Southern Miss for the C-USA title this season.
Cincinnati: 8-0
Next Game: 12/28 vs. DePaul
Next Potential Loss: 1/6 vs. Xavier
Still waiting for Cincinnati to come up with an impressive win. The 68-34 shellacking of Dayton needs to be taken in context -- the Flyers were in the midst of a terrible string of basketball -- and my team in college might have beaten this year's Oklahoma team. That said, there is much to like about this team. Dion Dixon, Cashmere Wright, and Sean Kilpatrick are all playing above expectations, while Yancy Gates anchors a big, athletic front line. I'm still going to withhold judgement on this team until they actually play someone, but consider me in the process of being swayed.
Drop-Outs
Northwestern: 5-0
First Loss: 85-69 @ St. John's
Northwestern ran into a buzz saw in Madison Square Garden last week. The Johnnies shot 80% in the second half and ran away with the win. The loss was very costly for Northwestern's tournament hopes, as the Wildcats are now hanging their non-conference schedule on a win over Georgia Tech in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. To make matters worse, they start of the Big Ten season at Purdue, at home for Michigan State, and at Illinois. We could find out really soon whether or not this Northwestern team is for real.
The Bottom of the Barrel:
It would be rude of us to include the "have's" and but not the "have-not's". After all, planetary balance is very essential. For every team that hasn't lost a game, there has to be a team still fighting for their first win.
Alcorn State: 0-9
Next Game: 12/28 at Ole Miss (9-3)
First Potential Win: 1/4 vs. Prairie View A&M (2-10)
Arkansas-Pine Bluff: 0-11
Next Game: 12/29 at Akron (7-5)
First Potential Win: 12/29 at Akron (7-5)
Centenary: 0-13
Next Game: 12/28 vs. Oakland (7-8)
First Potential Win: 1/15 vs. Southern Utah (3-8)
Colgate: 0-10
Next Game: 12/29 at Stony Brook (4-6)
First Potential Win: 1/2 at Longwood (4-11)
Maryland-Baltimore County: 0-12
Next Game: 12/30 vs. Niagara (3-9)
First Potential Win: 12/30 vs. Niagara (3-9)
UNC Greensboro: 0-11
Next Game: 12/29 vs. Duke (11-0)
First Potential Win: 1/10 vs. Elon (5-7)
Continue reading...
12/27 - College Hoops Week in Review: I hope you all enjoyed your holidays |
Game of the Week: Missouri 75, Illinois 64
Missouri is the most exciting team in the country to watch this season. Not just because they play a hectic, up and down style -- its called the "Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball" for a reason -- but because every game they play seems to come down to the wire. This is already this third time this season that we have used a game that the Tiger's have played in as Game of the Week.
Wednesday night's matchup was no different. Illinois jumped out to a 10 point lead early in the first half, but a 17-2 run by Mizzou that spanned the two halves gave the tigers a 35-29 lead early in the second half. Illinois answered with a 12-2 run of their own, and it was on. Both teams made big shot after big shot. It was like a boxing match between two fighters with glass jaws but not all that much skill. Illinois and Mizzou were both landing haymaker after haymaker, waiting for the other team to drop.
Eventually, Missouri took a 62-58 lead when Brandon Paul missed two free throws with 48 seconds left. Michael Dixon tracked the ball down, but it was stolen from him in the back court by Mike Davis, setting up an exciting sequence (jump to the 1:30 mark, and don't mind the music in the back ground):
The intentional foul called on Tisdale may have cost Illinois the game, but it was the correct call. Two handed shoves in the back of a player moving at full speed are dangerous, and they are the precise reason that the intentional foul was added to the rulebook.
That sequence is the perfect example of Missouri basketball. A potentially momentum changing three is made off of a turnover, cutting Mizzou's lead to one with 44 seconds left. Most teams hold the ball for one shot in that situation. Missouri threw an inbounds pass to Marcus Denmon, who was already heading up the floor. He took one dribble and passed ahead to Laurence Bowers, who was wide open on a wing. Layup, foul, six point possession, game over.
It deserves to be noted: UAB 68, VCU 65
In a battle of anagrams, VCU took a 19 point with just 13 minutes left in the game. UAB was able to whittle that down to nine at one point, but eventually UAB took a 65-53 lead with just 5:08 left in the game. That's when Jamarr Sanders took over. He hit a three to cut the lead to nine, but neither team scored until Sanders scored four points -- one of two free throws and then a three -- when he picked up a steal on back-to-back possessions, cutting the lead to 65-60 with 1:30 left. After Aaron Johnson picked up a steal, he hit one of two free throws. UAB grabbed the rebound off of the miss and the ball ended up in Sanders' hands. He buried another three, and the lead was now just 65-64 with 1:15 left. VCU had possession, but they turned the ball over again, and with just 10 seconds left in the game, Sanders drove, drew a foul, and hit both free throws to take the lead 66-65. Two more Johnson free throws sealed the win.
All told, Sanders had 12 of his 29 points in the final five minutes. UAB had not been closer than nine points since the 14:50 mark of the first half. That's not quite Jay Williams-vs.-Maryland territory, but Sanders' performance was quite impressive nonetheless.
Player of the Week: Klay Thompson, Washington State
I know that Washington State was beaten pretty handily by Butler in the final of the Diamond Head Classic, but that does nothing to diminish the week that Thompson had. In the three games in Hawaii, he averaged 26.3 ppg, including 31 in the loss to Butler that kept things close. He was 25-46 from the floor and 13-25 from three. It was, without a doubt, an impressive performance, and Thompson's play this week is a huge reason why Wazzu's name is being tossed around as a potential top 25 team and a sleeper in the Pac-10.
What makes this performance by Thompson so impressive is not that he shot the ball well. We've known that Thompson was a good shooter. That is no secret. But, like we said after the win over Gonzaga, Thompson has become an all-around player. He's jumping passing lanes. He's creating for his teammates. Most importantly, however, he's been able to put the ball on the floor and attack the rim while handling physical, one-on-one defense much better than last year. Thompson started out the 2009-2010 season on fire, but once Pac-10 play came around his numbers dropped considerably. He likely will not find defense as physical as Butler's in the Pac-10 this season. He had 31 against Butler and kept the Cougars in the game despite subpar performances from Reggie Moore, DeAngelo Casto, and Faisal Aden.
The All-they-were-good-too team:
Team of the Week: Butler Bulldogs
Butler may have given life to their chances of earning an at-large bid this season with a win in the Diamond Head Classic out in Hawaii. With wins over Florida State and Washington State, as well as Utah, Butler landed themselves two quality victories against teams that will likely be in the tournament come March. Without much in the way of a resume booster from here on out, the Bulldogs are going to want to win the Horizon Tournament to be safe, but the resume is not what was important coming out of this week.
What's important is that Butler looked like the Butler we expected to see all season long. Matt Howard has really grown as a player in his four season with the Bulldogs. He's now knocking down threes, he's putting the ball on the floor and hitting mid-range shots and fadeaways. He's still a terrific rebounder. He averaged 18.7 ppg and 8.7 rpg this week, upping his averages to 18.1 ppg and 8.2 rpg on the season. Shelvin Mack broke out of his slump this week, scoring 17 points on FSU and 20 on WSU. Andrew Smith looks like he is going to be a force on the block in the Horizon this year. Chase Stigall and Zack Hahn are both knocking down jumpers now. Ronald Nored and Shawn Vanzant are just as pesky and athletic as they were last season. I'm not usually a big believer in the eye test, but this team passed with flying colors this week.
A disappointing week: I don't have an explanation for it.
The only reason I can think of is that teams that aren't as good as they think they are were distracted by the end of the finals and the start of the holiday season.
Regardless, it seemed like every time I looked at the college basketball scoreboard this week, another team had a disappointing performance.
We'll start with the obvious -- Renardo Sidney, Elgin Bailey, and Mississippi State. What else is there to say? These two embarrassed their team and their program and managed to get themselves sent home early from a Christmas trip to Hawaii for fighting in the stands. The Bulldogs are a mess this season.
Then there was Jacob Pullen and Curtis Kelly, who managed to get themselves suspended for accepting discounts on clothing from a department store. The act itself isn't all that terrible -- the fact that these two are NCAA athletes is the only reason anyone is frowning upon them taking advantage of a hook-up -- but it is just another example of the lack of leadership within the Kansas State program. The Wildcats lost to UNLV on Tuesday due to a lack of talent. It wasn't, however, a lack of effort, as Kansas State, for the first time all season, looked like the Kansas State I expected -- scrappy defense, aggressive to the offensive glass, win with floor burns. Now can they do the same with Pullen in the lineup?
Tennessee may have had their season saved with a jumper from Scotty Hopson against Belmont. Tennessee had lost to USC by one point earlier in the week, their third straight loss, before the Bruins came back to take a late lead on the Vols. Hopson hit a runner with 5.7 seconds left, however, and gave the Vols a win. Right now, the Vol's problem is execution in close games. Their last three games have been decided by one point. Two of them are losses, and both of those games Tennessee had a shot to win the game late. The Vols have three games -- against Tennessee-Martin, the College of Charleston, and Memphis -- to get this thing figured out before Bruce Pearl's eight game suspension kicks in.
How about Virginia Tech's season? They have struggled all year long to find the rhythm many of us expected them to have, and over the holiday break news leaked that Dorenzo Hudson will miss the rest of the season with an injury to his foot. Seton Hall is in the exact same boat, as Jeremy Hazell -- who may be out for the season with a wrist injury -- was shot in an attempted robbery over the holiday break.
All told, 18 teams from the BCS conferences lost to team from outside the BCS conferences. Eight of those upsets occurred on Wednesday night. Don't forget, this was a week when there were essentially no games played on Saturday and Sunday. Usually, there are upwards of 175 games played on the weekend. And those struggles? They don't even count games like UCLA beating UC Irvine by one, or Arizona State losing to North Carolina A&T by 11 in the second half, or Minnesota struggling to knock off South Dakota State.
Matchups of the Week:
Continue reading...
Monday Morning Dump |
- I wrote about this over at Beyond the Arc, but Seton Hall's season took another turn for the worse when Jeremy Hazell was shot in a botched robbery attempt back in Harlem.
- I'm loving the Q-and-A's that Jason King is doing this season. Here is Brandon Knight.
- Jeff Goodman wrote a nice piece on Tom Herzog, the former Michigan State center currently playing for Central Florida.
- Georgia Tech's game with Fordham was canceled due to the storm that came rolling through this weekend. It looks like the only place this winter storm didn't hit was DC. We got a dusting.
- Mike Rice will be redshirting Kadeem Jack. This makes sense. Rutgers isn't going to be winning many Big East games this season, and Jack has a chance to be really good. No sense is wasting a year of eligibility on half of a season.
- Jonathon Givony of Draft Express, who moonlights for Sports Illustrated, had a solid write up of the top six NBA Draft prospects that have emerged early on this season.
- I'm not sure who exactly broke the story, but here is Goodman on Ricardo Ledo's surprising commitment to Providence. If the name sounds familiar, it should. Ledo is a top ten recruit in the class of 2012. He's also the player of Puerto Rican descent that many speculated was the reason Rick Pitino was taking the head coaching job of the Puerto Rican team.
- As you would expect, Mississippi State lost their first game without Renardo Sidney and Elgin Bailey.
- The Enes Kanter ruling will come at some point in 2011. Who didn't see that one coming?
- Rick Majerus missed a game. With an illness. Maybe its because he's not a big Gay guy.
- If this is true, someone introduce to Ashley Judd. ASAP.
If you haven't seen it yet, this free throw attempt from a Idaho State player did not agree with Sir Isaac Newton's laws.
Well, Austin Rivers got yunked on.
And this? This is the best video you will see all day. (H/T Beyond the Arc)
Continue reading...
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Mid-Season Additions Update |
Renardo Sidney missed 42 straight college basketball games.
Because of the illegal benefits that Sidney and his family had received while he was a prep, the NCAA ruled that, among other things, Sidney had to sit out for the first year and a half of his collegiate career.
When Sidney finally got eligible, it only took one game -- an 88-57 blowout loss to Virginia Tech in the Bahamas in which an out of shape Sidney had 12 points and 3 boards -- before Sidney got himself suspended again. After an altercation with a walk-on at a Bulldogs practice in Hawaii before the Diamond Head Classic started, Sidney was suspended for Mississippi State's opener against Washington State.
Sidney returned for a loser's bracket game against San Diego, and he played well. He went for 19 points on 7-12 shooting and six boards in just 20 minutes of play. MSU won 69-52. But after that game is when things got crazy. According to Doug Gottlieb, who was doing play by play for ESPN at the Diamond Head Classic, Renardo Sidney wanted to get by junior captain Elgin Bailey to get to the concession stand. Bailey was sitting with his legs on the back of the seat in front of him. Bailey wouldn't move, words were exchanged, and this happened:
Both Sidney and Bailey have been suspended indefinitely and were immediately sent home (on separate flights, I might add) by head coach Rick Stansbury.
The question that has to be asked now is what to do with Sidney. As Jeff Goodman correctly explains here, Sidney is not completely to blame for his actions. Yes, he was the one that threw the punches and that exploded in practice. He was responsible for his actions. But would he be behaving the same way if his enablers -- his AAU coaches, his Reebok reps, even his parents -- hadn't made him believe he was allowed to act this way because he is a "star".
Sidney is a supremely talented young man. He's 6'10", 275 lb with quick feet and a perimeter game. He's got everything that you look for in an NBA big man.
But at this point, Stansbury may be better off playing this season without Sidney. This is the third time this season that Sidney has been suspended -- one more than the number of games he has actually played in.
Stansbury gave this kid a chance when there weren't many other schools willing to take the risk. He got up every morning and did P90x workouts with him to try and help him get into shape. And he repays the coach how? By getting into fights in practice and then trading haymakers in the stands where ESPN cameras can catch the action?
I don't care if Sidney didn't start the fight. He finished it.
Even without Sidney in the lineup, Mississippi State will likely be the best team in the SEC West. At some point, Stansbury needs to ask himself if a chemistry-killer with all-american talent is worth risking an entire season on.
Renardo Sidney was far from the only impact mid-season addition. We wrote about a group of kids that could have an affect on the college hoops landscape a few weeks ago. Let's check in on how they are doing.
Josh Selby, Kansas: 19.5 ppg, 2.5 apg
Selby has been terrific in his two games with the Jayhawks, scoring 21 and hitting the game winner against USC in his first game and following that with 18 points, including 13 in the first half when he hit his first five shots of the game, in a win at Cal. The question with Selby is what role he will eventually play down the road. Right now, he's been more of a spot up jump shooter than anything. That's not really his game. He's more of a slasher. What does look clear at this point, however, is that Selby has played his way into the starting lineup.
Drew Gordon, New Mexico: 9.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 21.0 mpg
Three games into his Lobo career, and Gordon hasn't exactly had the impact that many expected. He's coming off the bench as Steve Alford tries to slowly integrate him into a team that has already had their rotation set. Gordon reached double figures in his first two games, including a 10 points, 7 rebound performance in a win over Colorado. But he shot 3-10 and fouled out in 23 minutes as Northern Iowa knocked New Mexico. He'll get better has he used to playing in Steve Alford's system.
Jio Fontan, USC: 16.3 ppg, 3.3 apg, 2.3 apg
Fontan has been terrific in three games for USC. You can see the stats he's put up, but its more than simply numbers. USC is playing their best basketball of the season. They were a couple of clutch Josh Selby jumpers away from beating the Jayhawks in Phog Allen Fieldhouse, and three days later went into Thompson-Boling Arena and beat Tennessee. As good as Josh Selby has been, Fontan may go down as the most valuable mid-season addition this season.
Jon Kreft, Florida State: 2.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 8.0 mpg
Its been a long road for Kreft, a 24 year old, 7-foot junior center, but after stints in both prison and at Chipola Junior College, the former five-star recruit has finally made it to the D-I ranks. His impact, however, has been a bit muted early on. Florida State has a deep and talented front court, and its not a surprise that it is taking a mid-season JuCo transfer a while to really make an impact. But in watching Kreft, its clear that his skills are still there. Florida State is 4-1 in Kreft's five games, including a third place finish in the Diamond Head Classic. With starting center Xavier Gibson out with a sprained knee and a broken hand (suffered in the same, scary fall) don't be surprised if Kreft starts to play a bigger role.
Jeronne Maymon, Tennessee: 4.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 11.3 mpg
Maymon finally got a passing grade in his bowling class and was cleared for Tennessee's game at Charlotte. Unfortunately, his addition coincided with the Volunteer's collapse. Tennessee has lost one point decisions to both Charlotte and USC before barely squeezing out a win against Belmont. Maymon has been rebounding well in his limited minutes, but the versatile forward is still finding his role in the offense.
Roberto Nelson, Oregon State: 8.5 ppg, 15.5 mpg
Nelson has been inconsistent in his first four games with the Beavers. He scored three points in a win over Texas Southern and four points in a loss to George Washington, but he also had 13 in a loss at Montana and 14 in a win over Illinois-Chicago. Right now, Craig Robinson is trying to work Nelson into the rotation, but with how much the Beavers have been struggling this season, maybe its time to start allowing Nelson to play a bigger role.
Gregory Echenique, Creighton: 11.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.3 bpg
Echenique has proven to be a competent addition to the Bluejays. Playing just 19.7 mpg, Echenique is averaging 11.3 ppg and has given Creighton a shot blocking presence. Combined with Antoine Young and Doug McDermott on the perimeter, along with Kenny Lawson inside, Creighton has a team that might be able to compete with Northern Iowa and Wichita State for the MVC title. Now, the question becomes whether or not Gregg McDermott can find a way to use Lawson and Echenique at the same time.
Olex Czyz, Nevada: 7.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg
Czyz, a Duke transfer, has played three games with the Wolfpack since joining the team. He's started, but unfortunately he hasn't been the savior. Nevada is 1-2 since Czyz became eligible, with a win over Portland State and losses to Arizona State and Washington by 30. Even with Czyz, Nevada appears to be a long way from competitive in the WAC.
Mike Holmes, Coastal Carolina: 13.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg
The South Carolina transfer has been just as good as expected. Holmes is averaging 13.7 ppg and 9.0 rpg in three games, including wins over both LSU and East Carolina. The Chanticleers are once again the best team in the Big South, and with Holmes on the roster, they can boast a high-major caliber post player on their roster.
Alex Legion and Dominique Ferguson, Florida International: 11.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg, 10.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg
Legion, whose collegiate career has taken him to both Kentucky and Illinois, has scored 11 points in each of his first two games with FIU, while Ferguson, a top 50 recruit that was unable to get academically eligible until the second semester, had 10 in his debut against Florida A&M. The addition of these two, along with Erick Ferguson and Marvin Wright, makes FIU yet another dangerous team in the Sun Belt.
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Saturday, December 25, 2010
POSTERIZED: DJ Stephens wishes you a Merry Dunkmas |
Memphis' DJ Stephens decided to give Hollis Thompson his Christmas present early.
That was too easy.
I don't think Thompson put that on his Christmas list. Greg Monroe said it best:
Ddaaaaammmnnnnnn Hollis!Was this as good as the rest of the dunks for 2010-2011?
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
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Friday, December 24, 2010
B.I.A.H. Quotables |
Everybody's favorite weekly B.I.A.H column is back for round-number-two.
Throughout the week, we are going to post some notable quotes or excerpts that show up in our google reader. Stupid people say stupid things 24 hours a day, and being somehow associated with the college hoops landscape does not preclude that fact. That said, we will not limit our quotables to the simple and idiotic, as the insightful and intelligent will also be highlighted.
Feel free to pass along any quotables you stumble across to contactbiah@gmail.com or hit us up on twitter.
Dave Telep, the Scout.com recruiting wizard got a chance to watch Duke-commit Austin Rivers drop 42 points in a high school game on Monday night. His ensuing tweets were rather entertaining: @DaveTelep: This sums up my feelings on the current state of the hour long 3-pt contest courtesy Michael Telep http://yfrog.com/gz2m9mj
Much has been made of Geno Aurriemma's comments following his team's 88th consecutive victory over Ohio State on Sunday. Mark Potash, a writer for the Chicago Sun-Times, had some pretty harsh words for Geno and his team:
@DaveTelep: If the Boston Celtics have a bring-your-son-to-work day, one of their current guards will be out of a job.
@DaveTelep: Whoever won that marathon 3pt contest should kindly hand over that trophy to Austin Rivers. He went DEEP 4x in first half. Doc's kid has 25
@DaveTelep: Austin Rivers, 42 pts. Place about to empty out. He's good enough to commit secondary violations 4. I'd toss him a cut of the gate.Here’s a news flash for Auriemma: You’re not chasing UCLA’s record of 88 consecutive victories under John Wooden. You didn’t tie it and you’re not going to break it. That’s a men’s basketball record. You coach a women’s team. A women’s team can’t break a men’s record any more than a men’s team can break a women’s record.
The Memphis Tigers have lost only one game this season, but numerous members of the press (including myself) do not believe the Tigers are that good. On Monday Memphis had to hang on in order to defeat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 68-63. Memphis has a young team, and it seems like they may be too confident. Charles Carmouche had this to say following the win:
...There’s the dead giveaway of a bad argument — the gross exaggeration that we aren’t just disinterested in women’s basketball, but we think the women playing it should be "in the kitchen." Interesting that he didn’t say "barefoot and pregnant."
...Women’s basketball gets what it deserves. Probably more than it deserves if you include a professional league that is attached to the NBA like an oxygen machine."We had a good week of practice, and I thought we were going to come out and get like a 40-point win. But that didn’t happen.”
His teammate Joe Jackson shares similiar sentiments: "We’ve been going through this for the last couple of games. I knew we were going to win. That’s how the game goes sometimes. It’s up and down. We’re young too. You have to take that into consideration.”
Antonio Barton also believes the team has much to improve on: “It seems like every time we take one step forward and two steps back. It’s turnovers and forced shots. We let our mistakes on offense affect our defensive play because we hold our heads down once we turn the ball over instead of letting that play go and getting back on defense.”
Coach Mike Krzyzewski won his 879th game on Monday night to tie Dean Smith as second in all-time wins. Senior guard Nolan Smith believes Coach K still has a lot in the tank: "Coach looks like he's just starting. He's fresh. He's eager for more wins. He's in his prime right now. I feel like he had many more years to go and he loves winning. If you love winning as much as Coach K does, you're never going to quit."
UConn moved to 9-0 with a home win against Coppin State, 76-64. The Huskies outrebounded the Eagles 58-29, but had to fight off a late comeback to secure victory. I don't think it's possible for Jim Calhoun to NOT give a colorful response during his press conferences: "We missed every kind of conceivable shot in the paint that I've ever seen. I like the effort on the glass, without question. I don't like the fact that we're not finishing plays in there."
What do we make of Kansas State? Did we give them too much hype? They've had some unimpressive wins and some dissapointing losses. They've had disciplinary problems and now a NCAA violation. So what do we make of KSU? I think ESPN blogger Eamonn Brennan says it best: The Wildcats haven’t been a train wreck, but they haven’t exactly been the bullet train, either.
It's very possible that the Missouri Tigers have been involved in the two best games of the young season. Their "Bragging Rights" battle with Illinois was some top-notch entertainment. "Scoop-in-Training" Jeff Borzello let us know where his priorities are at via tweet: @JeffBorzello Missouri games might have to join Gossip Girl on my DVR "Season Pass" list.
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Friday Morning Dump: Christmas Eve Edition |
On the eve of Baby Jebus Day, B.I.A.H wants to wish you all a merry holiday season.
- We all thought Renardo Sidney;s suspension was him "going off the deep end" well were were wrong, damn wrong. This video is about as "must-see" as you can imagine
- Andy Glockner does his best when his words are distributed in list-form. He lists the ten biggest hoops stories of 2010.
- Jay Bilas has some words for the NCAA regarding Tom Izzo's one-game suspension
- Dickie V lets us know what teams got early christmas presents. ((SANTA IS A DIAPER DANDY, A REAL PRIME TIME PLAYER, SIPPIN ON THE EGG NOG BABY.)
- Andy Katz on just what exactly Frank Martin is expecting out of his suspended leaders Jacob Pullen and Curtis Kelly. The answer shouldn't be to difficult.
- Jeff Goodman provides a fantastic-read on former-Michigan State star Tom Herzog
- Jason King profiles the star status of Central Florida's (and his Airness' son) Marcus Jordan. King also evaluates the Big-12 conference
- Recruiting mastermind Dave Delep evaluates the prospects he saw compete at the City of Palms Tournament
- New Mexico coach Steve Alford still hasn't missed a shot in the "Shots from the heart" contest
- Western Kentucky coach Ken McDonald apologized to loyal fans who travelled to see their team get smacked in the face by Vanderbilt. He even cut them a check for the travel expenses.
- If you asked Santa to bring you Enes Kanter's eligibillity for Christmas, the fat man just won't be able to deliver it
- San Jose State's Adrian Oliver dropped 42-points against Puget Sound. Forget buying Christmas presants, Oliver can just donate a bucket to everybody in his family (Kinda like those buy-a-star boondoggles)
- It would be farfetched to imagine Kemba Walker can continue to produce all season at the rate he is now. That's why UConn will need contributors to announce their pressence. Tyler Olander did so against Harvard
- How the hell did I miss this? DominiCAL Republic? gold. Calipari cologne? solid gold.
- Jacksonville coach Cliff Warren didn't even know that his team was supposed to play Florida at 1:00 PM. But I guess it's all for the better, since his team won.
- Five thoughts about Seton Hall's loss on Wednesday to Dayton
- A solid list of the best duos in Kentucky Wildcat history
- Nobody is attending UMass basketball games, and officials are sturggling to figure out why (Maybe it's because UMass just isn't that good)
- I wish I could make my foul shots do this (then again, I just wish i could make my foul shots)
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Thursday, December 23, 2010
The B.I.A.H Not-Top-10 Rankings |
Every week, writers, publications, media outlets and bloggers issue their Top-25 rankings for the week. A majority of the time, everybody has the virtually same opinion of all the teams.
If you want to find this week's top-25 rankings, you've come to the wrong place. Here you will find our rankings for the 10 worst team performances in the NCAA. This list isn't just home to the winless mid-major bottom-feeders. No, here you will find the biggest underachievers, slumpers and teams in a funk, the worst weekly performers, and the teams that just plain suck. Now there will be teams on this list that are better than teams not on this list. But come on people, we are trying to be creative, just work with us.
Last Week's Not-Top-10 Rankings
Once again it's Wake Forest who sits atop the mountain the pile of horse manure. There have been a lot of things in college hoops for us to shake our heads at recently, but none as head-scratchingly bad as Wake Forest. Continue reading for the the third edition of B.I.A.H's Not-Top-10 Rankings.
1a.Wake Forest (1)
Record: 6-6
Evidence: Trust me, they suck
I'll try to keep it short because I don't want to waste my precious time discussing terrible basketball, and after all Wake Forest is terrible. Last week the Demon Deacons were one possession away from losing to UNC-Greensboro, a team that still hasn't won a single game. Then they go and lose to Presbyterian. Five years ago Presbyterian was competing at the D-III level. Seriously, it is inexcusable for a high-major team to lose to the Blue Hose. Congratulations Wake Forest, you are hands-down the most pathetic team in D-I college hoops. Where ever Randolph Childress is right now, he's crying. A lot.
1b. Auburn (3)
Record: 4-7
Evidence: 5 losses to mid-majors
Picking the suckier team between Auburn and Wake Forest is like trying to chose between Milli or Vanilli, because they both suck. Auburn lost back-to-back games to Rutgers and South Florida, followed up by the kiss of death, a loss to Presbyterian. At this point I think Auburn and Wake Forest need to only play each other this season so other teams don't have to come in contact with such pathetic basketball.
3. Renardo Sidney (NR)
Career Stats: 1gp, 25min, 12pt, 3rbds
Evidence: Seriously?
I don't even know what to say about Renardo Sidney at this point. He was suspended for for the entirety of last season including nine games this season for accepting impermissible benefits and later lying to NCAA investigators about the benefits. We were all anxiously awaiting to see what this big man could do, and this was his oppurtunity to give the NCAA the proverbial "F-You". But one game into his collegiate career, he throws a temper-tantrum at practice and get's suspended...Again. He's fat, he's out of shape, he's a program liabillity and he's a headcase. He's a perfect fit for the NBA.
4. Tennessee (NR)
Record: 7-3
Evidence: 3 straight losses
You all know why Tennessee makes the Not-Top-10 this week, and surprisingly enough, it has nothing to do with barbecue's at the Pearl residence. The Vols have lost three in a row, all against lesser competition. Listen, there is no shame in losing three in a row, it happens. But Tennessee had just finished their toughest stretch of non-conference play, and it is evident by the results that the Vols decided to put it in low-gear and coast until conference play starts. That's a big mistake, especially for a team that has overachieved as much as they had. But Bruce Pearl is a great motivator, and I imagine they will turn it around. Hopefully soon.
5. Kansas State/Curtis Kelly/Jacob Pullen (NR)
Record: 9-3
Evidence: Underachievement, lack of leadership, 5-finger discounts
K-State reserved their tickets for the hype-train express months ago, but never seemed to make it to the platform. They looked unipressive against Va. Tech, got slaughtered by Duke, and have back-to-back losses to suspect top-25 teams (Florida and UNLV). There has been a handful of issues affecting the wildcats thus far. Jacob Pullen isn't doing what we expected him to do. Nobobody is stepping up and answering the call. Wally Judge took a personal leave of absence, Curtis Kelly was benched earlier in the season due to lack of dedication, and Pullen handled himself poorly on the twitter machine. That's alot of distractions for one team, especially one with such high expectations. Oh, and I haven't even mentioned the most-recent incident: Pullen and Kelly recieving some free swag from a local shopping mall. That's like a basic no-no for college athletes. As much as you want free clothing, YOU CAN'T TAKE IT. These two guys are seniors. How many compliance meetings do you think they went to where this type of thing was discussed? Frank Martin's blood-pressure must be through the roof right now.
6. Michigan State (NR)
Record: 8-4
Evidence: Lack of quality wins, desire and essentially everything we expected from them
Is this the same team we all predicted to be the second-best team in the country? Listen, I'm not writing them off yet, because that would be foolish considering Izzo's late-season track record. But still, MSU hasn't had an impressive win thus far (maybe the 5-point win over Washington in Maui), and their losses have all been ugly. It's true they have only lost to ranked opponents, but they have not looked competative in any of them. Their most recent game against Texas is evidence enough. Plus when you add in the recruiting violation that Tom Izzo committed, as minor as it may have been, things aren't looking to good for the Spartans as they head into Big Ten play.
7. Oregon State (NR)
Record: 4-6
Evidence: 3 sets of back-to-back losses , overall suck-itude in general
Some people may argue this is too low for the Beavers. They have no wins that are close to being "good" and all their losses are terrible. Their last back-to-back loss-set was to Montana and George Washington. Listen, you can be a high-major bottom-feeder, and get away with it. But you can't lose to teams like George Washington or Montana (or Utah Valley, or Texas Southern, or Seattle). Oregon State should join Auburn and Wake Forest, and just play each other all season. Good teams shouldn't have to subject themselves to such bad competition.
8. Florida (NR)
Record: 9-3
Evidence: No leadership, frustrated coach, ugly loss to Jacksonville
On numerous occasions this year, Billy Donovan has noted that his team fails to exhibit leadership and desire to be the best. He called out his team to raise the level of their play atleast twice. And for a moment or two, it looked like they may have responded. After losing to Central Florida, they won three in a row, including a big win over Kansas State. But a 11-point loss to Jacksonville AT HOME derailed any thoughts that Donovan's team had changed. Just 7 days ago, we were all thinking that the SEC East could be it's own super-conference. But a Tennesee implosion and a lackluster week for Florida may have changed our opinions.
9. Marist (NR)
Record: 2-10
Evidence: 18-point loss to Holy Cross
Holy Cross had not won a single game all season yet the Red Foxes allowed them to come in to their own arena and pimp-smack them by 18 points. Marist is 2-3 at home but their three losses have all be by more than 15-points. To make matters worse, they also have a loss to Wake Forest, and we all know how much Wake Forest sucks.
10. Virginia (NR)
Record: 8-4
Evidence: False Identifacation
There were literally no expectations for the Cavaliers this season before they went on the road and defeated a smoking-hot Minnesota team and a ranked Virginia Tech team. They won four in a row before they faced Norfolk State, a 1-8 MEAC team. Virginia won, but it was ugly. They trailed most of the game and escaped with a one-point victory on their home court. They followed that up with a unacceptable 59-53 home loss to Seattle. What a way to start the holiday season - barely beating a MEAC school and losing to a D-I independent, both at home. Yuck.
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Washington State's performance against Mississippi State needs to be taken in context |
Washington State is legit.
I feel comfortable saying that after the second half whooping they put on Mississippi State yesterday afternoon.
Wazzu went into the break down 40-39 and, with both Klay Thompson and Faisal Aden getting hot, went on a 36-9 run to open the second half.
There are not many one-two scoring punches in the country as potent as Thompson and Aden. Thompson came into this season with the reputation of being a shooter, but he's slowly developing into more of a scorer. What I mean is that he's much better attacking the rim off the dribble, reading screens, and using his ball fake to get into the lane. He's also defending, rebounding, and passing as well as he ever has.
When you throw Aden, a sharp-shooting JuCo transfer that averages 16.9 ppg off the bench, and Reggie Moore out there as well, Wazzu may just have the best perimeter attack on the West Coast. DeAngelo Casto and Marcus Capers anchor what is an underrated front line.
So like I said, this team is legit.
But I also believed this team was going to compete with Washington for the Pac-10 title prior to yesterday.
Because I do not think that Mississippi State is any good.
Look, a large part of their problem right now has to be due to exhaustion. They played five games in five days starting Dec. 11th. Four days after that stretch was finished, they went to the Bahamas to get clobbered by Virginia Tech. Now, they are in Hawaii getting clobbered by Washington State. And to top it off, the guy that this hectic schedule was put together for -- Renardo Sidney, who is finally eligible to play -- showed how thankful he was by getting himself suspended just one game for arguing and fighting with teammates.
Sidney's already proven that, until he gets himself into shape, he is not the answer that Rick Stansbury is looking far.
Dee Bost will provide reinforcements when he becomes eligible to play before the SEC season starts.
But right now, Bost's addition will be like using a band-aid on a sliced artery.
Continue reading...
Quite a few upsets last night |
Wednesday was not a good day for the high-majors.
Conversely, it was a great day the mid-majors, who won eight games over their higher-spending brethren.
- Furman 91, South Carolina 75
- Seattle 59, Virginia 53
- Cleveland State 69, South Florida 62
- Dayton 69, Seton Hall 65
- Siena 62, Georgia Tech 57
- Northern Iowa 67, Indiana 61
- North Texas 75, LSU 55
- New Mexico 89, Colorado 76
But some of these results truly leave you scratching your head.
Take Siena's win over Georgia Tech. The Saints are not the Saints that we grew to love the past few seasons. Alex Franklin, Edwin Ubiles, and Ronald Moore have all graduated. To make matters worse, Clarence Jackson missed this game and Ryan Rossiter was sick enough that he required two IV's prior to tip-off. During the game, a blow to the face sent him to the locker room in the first half and kept him on the bench at the start of the second half. Rossiter scored 12 of his 19 points late in this one, and Siena knocked off the Yellow Jackets. How much longer does Paul Hewitt have at Tech?
What about Virginia's loss to Seattle? Mike Scott was back in the lineup for this one, meaning that the Cavs team that beat both Minnesota and Virginia Tech on the road was back close to full strength and they still lost to Seattle. At home.
Perhaps the biggest head scratcher is South Carolina's 16 point loss to Furman. The Gamecocks looked like they could be a sleeper in the SEC after a nice start to the season, but after their demolition at the hands of Ohio State on Saturday and tonight's loss to Furman, it certainly doesn't look like that will end up being the case. Bruce Ellington had 31 points, but USC had too many costly turnovers and poor shots to try and mount a comeback. Furman led by eight at the half, and the Gamecocks never got closer than three.
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