- Your must-read of the day comes from Pete Thamel from the New York Times. He busts the doors open on a slew of violations committed by Coastal Carolina head coach Cliff Ellis. The Chanticleers have had three players suspended this season, plus another two go down with injury. But the controversy deals with one of the three players Ellis removed from the program last year in order to make room for new transfers. Trust me people, this is a must-read. But The Dagger provides a more-concise-read if you are in a rush
- We should all be familiar with the actions of John O'Connor, the head coach at Holy Name University. But he won't be facing any criminal charges for his actions. O'Connor made a public apology for his actions, but Matt Kravchuk, the player, did not accept it. UPDATE: apparently O'Connor has announced his resignation from the University.
- Dick Vitale released his 2011 All-Solid-Gold Teams (which I have to imagine is Vitalic for "All-American")
- Adam Zagoria provides a great-read on the debate going on between Big East coaches as to who should be named conference player of the year
- What if I told you the best scorer in the nation played on a team that might not even make the N.I.T? Jeff Goodfman provides insight on Providence's Marshon Brooks, the man who dropped 52-points on Notre Dame. Brooks is one of the leading candidates for Big East Player of the Year
- Mike DeCourcy thinks Bruce Pearl may need to get a multi-year ban from tournament competition
- Mike Miller wonders if Nolan Smith or Jared Sullinger can catch up to JimmerJam2011 in the PoY race
- Jeff Borzello briefs us on two scoring-machines you probably haven't heard of. San Jose State's Adrian Oliver and Northern Illinois' Xavier Silas are two under-appreciated scorers who can make a basketball pretty-much whenever they want to
- Jason King talks about K-State's resurgence in his column "All About the Big-12"
- Adam Zagoria details the plethora of young, talented recruits available from the Washington, D.C. metro-area
- TCU is being sued for failing to acknowledge the criminal records and academic failings of several athletes, including one basketball player
- Ryan Greene provides a list of winners and losers from Wednesday night's action
- The New York Times breaks down the Big East bubble
- A solid round-up of quotables regarding the NCAA notice of violations given to the University of Tennessee
- Purdue's Robbie Hummel has gained a heightenned level of mental toughness from having to watch his team from the bench
- Georgetown's Chris Wright broke his left hand in the Hoyas home-loss to Cincinnati on Wednesday night. He has already had surgery to repair the injury and could be back in time for the NCAA Tournament (It could be argued that B.I.A.H was first on the scene to detail the actual injury)
- Oklahoma State has suspended guard Ray Guy indefinitely for "failing to follow team policy"
- Pittsburgh power forward (And Grace Jones look-a-like) Talib Zanna will miss 3-6 weeks with a broken right thumb
- For now, Kansas guard Tyshawn Tyalor will remain suspended, an indication that the Jayhawks just can't avoid setbacks
- Early in the week it was reported that Texas big-man Alexis Wangmene was being suspended for violating team rules. Head Coach Rick Barnes stated yesterday that Wangmene will be suspended for two games
- Arizona State's Chanse Creekmur did something in his first collegiate start that only 17 other Pac-10 players have done all season
- According to his dad, Jared Sullinger won't leave tOSU until he wins a National Championship
- Ken Pomeroy discusses the possibility of Arizona power forward Derrick WIlliams breaking the record for 3-point accuracy
- A good-read from the Xavier Examiner on the Muskateer's Mark Lyons. Tu Holloway is the team;'s star, but "Cheekz" Lyons shouldn't be overlooked
- An interesting-read about the journey Hofstra's Brad Kelleher has taken through the NCAA Clearinghouse
- Florida has really turned it on here in the latter part of the season. Billy Donovan ripped into his team earlier in the season for playing with a lack of foucs, but with the way they are playing now, i doubt he still harbors those thoughts
- It's late-February, so we all know where Virginia Tech is: Squarely on the bubble. Speaking of the Hokies, despite being on the bubble, you just cannot count out Malcolm Delaney, he is just too dangerous to count-out.
- The only thing keeping Boston College's tournament hopes alive is their strength of schedule
- Could the problem with Kentucky be the coaching? The Wildcats have won just one game this season that has taken place outside the state of Kentucky
- Conference-USA has reprimanded UTEP coach Tim Floyd for his epic tirade during Wednesday night's game against East Carolina
- Penn State head coach is 6-1 against Northwestern. Chicago College Basketball tries to figure out why he owns the Wildcats
- Well will you look at that, Centenary finally got a win. The Gentlemen beat Western Illinois for their first win in 33-games
- The top of the Horizon League is more cluttered than a family dinner at the Baldwin house, and somehow, some way, Butler is invovled
- An entertaining-and-enlightening-read on why Washington State has struggled this year
- Georgetown's refusal to sell tickets to Syracuse fans is finally starting to get some publicity
- Maryland received a commitment from German forward Martin Breunig. Speaking of Maryland, Scott Van Pelt, a former Maryland-grad, ripped the Terps student section for their poor-showing on Wednesday against Florida State
- Draft Express breaks down a list of trending prospects
- A recent media audit stated that Lexington, Kentucky is the most popular college basketball town in the country
- VUHoops.com wonders if Jay Wright may need to overhaul his coaching staff
- Long-time Mississippi State radio broadcaster Jack Cristil is retiring after 58 years of service
- Lost Letterman chronicles the fantastic skyline uniforms that St. John's used to don
- Another post on Oregon-inspired court-designs (To be honest, all these kinda-really-suck except for Kentucky, FIU and BYU. But I expect better from Page 2 in general)
Continue reading...
Friday, February 25, 2011
Friday Morning Dump |
Thursday, February 24, 2011
POSTERIZED: The Masked Dunker's sidekick returns |
You all should be familiar with both The Masked Dunker and the Masked Dunker's "buzzer-beating" sidekick by now.
Up until tonight, we were unaware that Matt Dickey, the UNC-Asheville guard who joined forces with forward John Williams to form the first superhero duo in college basketball, could do more than just hit buzzer-beaters.
Well now on, he's no longer "The Masked Dunker's buzzer-beating sidekick"
He's "The Masked Dunker's buzzer-beating-and-sometimes-dunking sidekick" now.
Is this dunk actually worthy of being a true POSTERIZED dunk? No not at all.
But Dickey is six-foot-one, white, and is still using his allotted 15-minutes-of-fame.
So I'll allow it.
Plus, every hero needs a sidekick, and it looks like college hoop's first superhero final found one.
(H/T Reefguysurf)
But was it as good as one of these?:
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...
Poise, execution, confidence, and missing an open Harrellson cost Kentucky |
Kentucky is as talented as any team in the country this season, but they are currently tied for fourth in the SEC East at 7-6.
Its no secret why, either. For as much skill as the Wildcats have on their roster, they simply cannot win games on the road. On the season, they are 2-7 in road games. One win came at Portland back November as they were preparing for the Maui Invitational. The other win came at Louisville in a game that featured more than a fair share of Big Blue Nation in the crowd.
These aren't blowout losses, either.
Of their seven road losses, five have come by one possession. None were by more than seven points. In total, Kentucky has lost those seven games by just 20 points.
So what happened?
I went back to the tape to see and, quite obviously, the issue is simply poor late game execution.
At this point, you cannot help but wonder if these struggles have gotten to the Wildcats. At some point, executing down the stretch becomes a mental thing; Kentucky looks nervous, antsy, and plays without confidence. The are waiting to see how they can blow the game instead of trying to make a play to win it.
That's the best way I can describe it, because the Wildcats had six chances to win it against Arkansas.
In regulation, on Kentucky's final possession, Brandon Knight missed two wide open three-pointers in the span of six seconds. After the second one missed, Kentucky had a chance to tip the rebound in, but that missed too.
In the overtime period, Kentucky took the lead on a Terrence Jones jumper, and after getting a stop at the other end of the floor, the Wildcats worked the shot clock. But with just 20 seconds left, Knight tried to make a lazy pass that was deflected, and Marcus Britt scored at the other end to give the Razorbacks the lead. On the ensuing possession, Knight missed a runner off the glass. He got his own rebound, but missed a turnaround jumper. The ball went out off of Arkansas, so Kentucky called a timeout to set up an inbounds play.
And the play worked.
Both Jones and Knight ran off of a Harrellson screen on the block. 
Everyone followed the two stars, leaving Kentucky's big fella wide open at the rim. But Liggins passed the ball to Knight for a tough fadeaway three instead of being patient enough to find Harrellson. Knight's three bounced off of the rim, and Arkansas won.
The issue isn't talent with Kentucky.
At this point, the Wildcat's road struggles can be pinned on three things -- poise, execution, and, most importantly, confidence in late game situations.
Continue reading...
Thursday's Pregame Beat: Could five regular season conference titles be decided> |
11:00 pm: Gonzaga @ St. Mary's: The importance of this game cannot be underrated, so much so that I named this one of the ten most important games left this season. St. Mary's is up a game on the Zags and, after losing to San Diego last week, now has to win tonight to clinch the WCC regular season title. There could also be an at-large bid at stake here. Both teams are currently sitting right on the middle of the bubble. Do I need to mention that this is one of the better non-BCS conference rivalries in the country?
9:00 pm: Morehead State @ Murray State: The Racers and the Eagles were the OVC favorites in the preseason, and while neither of these two teams were anywhere near as dominant as expected in league play, here we are with just two games left in OVC play, and this game will be played for sole possession of first place.
7:00 pm: Milwaukee @ Cleveland State: I also named this one of the ten most important games left in the regular season, and believe me when I say there is A LOT at stake tonight. I'll spare you another break down. If you are interested, click here to see the complete analysis.
9:00 pm: Cal Poly @ Long Beach State: With a win tonight, LBSU will clinch the Big West regular season title.
UPDATE 7:00 pm: Florida Atlantic @ Troy: FAU holds a two game lead over three teams tied for second place in the Sun Belt with just two games left to play. A win tonight clinches the regular season crown.
7:00 pm: Marquette @ No. 15 UConn: We've been waiting all season for Marquette to make their trademark, end-of-the-season run that gets them onto the right side of the bubble. There is still time for them to do so, but tonight is the most important game of the regular season for the Golden Eagles. Win, and they can get a bid by going 2-1 down the stretch. Lose, and a 3-0 finish may still put them on the wrong side of the bubble. Of note -- Jim Calhoun will not be coaching tonight due to the death of his sister-in-law.
9:00 pm: West Virginia @ No. 6 Pitt: The Mountaineers probably aren't in danger of missing out on the NCAA Tournament if they cannot pick up a win at the Peterson Events Center, but they can dramatically influence their seeding if they happen to pull the upset. This rivalry is as good as any, but if West Virginia doesn't box out, they'll come up short once again.
7:00 pm: Georgia @ No. 13 Florida: Georgia's win at Tennessee on Saturday helped their tournament standing significantly -- as did Tennessee's subsequent win at Vanderbilt -- but the Bulldogs are still far from a lock for a bid. Win at the O-Dome against a Florida team with a banged-up Chandler Parsons will probably push them to the right side of the bubble.
Other Notable Games
Continue reading...
Bettin' is a Habit - 2/24 |
We here at B.I.A.H don't fancy ourselves gamblers, but we do know a lot of people with crippling addictions to gambling. So why not help enable them, right? Semi-regularly, we will provide you a couple of picks and one lead-pipe-lock that you can take to the bank. But if you take our advice and don't win any money, you aren't allowed to come bash our knee-caps in.
OK, so I was 2-3 yesterday. But I feel like Thursday is going to be much better.
UW-Milwaukee (16-12, 11-5) at Cleveland State (23-6, 12-4)
This game may end up determining the Horizon league tournament seeds. The way things have played out thus far, the seeds will be determined by second and third tie-breakers. These two teams last played in mid-December, with CSU winning by 23. But UW-Milwaukee is a much different team now, having won seven of their last eight. I think Cleveland State should win this game, but I would not be surprised if it came down to the last shot.
Pick: UW-Milwaukee +8.5
Georgia (18-8, 7-5) at Florida (21-5, 10-2)
The gators having been played great as of late, winning five in-a-row and eight of their last ten. With Chandler Parsons possibly back in the lineup tonight, I think Florida can really cement themselves as the best team in the SEC by beating an enigmatic Georgia squad. The last time these teams played, they went into double-OT before the Gators pulled away with the victory. But I still really like Florida to get it done at home in this one.
Pick: Florida -6
Old Dominion (22-6, 12-4) at James Madison (20-9, 9-7)
The one thing James Madison hasn't been able to do this year is beat the top-tier CAA schools. They have only one loss to a team lower than them in the standings, but just don't have the talent to compete with George Mason, VCU and ODU. Even on the road, I like ODU to pick up the win.
Pick: Old Dominion -2.5
Continue reading...
Hoops Housekeeping: Chris Wright broke his hand |
Chris Wright: Georgetown's star point guard broke his hand early in the second half last night against Cincinnati. He tried to return to play with it, but after catching one pass, he doubled over in pain and had to be taken out of the game. You could see tears in his eyes on the bench.
“He’s tough, he’s a tough kid,” Georgetown coach John Thompson III said. “He could play with one hand if he had to. One trip up and down the court, you could see, he was in excruciating pain. For him to ask if he could come out, you could tell he was in excruciating pain, because he’s as tough as they come.”
There is no official word on his status yet, and I'd urge Hoya fans not to panic just yet. Christian Watford came back from a broken hand in just two weeks. That said, a Jeff Goodman source has some bad news: "He's most likely done for the season. Six weeks."
UPDATE: Per Adam Zagoria, it looks like Wright will miss two and a half weeks, possibly returning by the start of the NCAA Tournament.
Carleton Scott: The Notre Dame forward that has already missed four games this season due to a hamstring injury sat out the final minutes of the Irish's win over Providence after turning his ankle.
"Twisted ankle," Irish coach Mike Brey said after the game. "I think he came down on somebody's foot. We'll check it out, see how he is for Saturday. He was pretty sore, though."
Jalen Steele: The Mississippi State guard got injured midway through the second half of the Bulldog's loss to LSU last night, and while the official word on the injury is a sprained knee, Brad Locke wrote that "it looks to be both an ACL and an MCL."
"It's not good, whatever it was," Stansbury said.
Antonio Barton: Its official that dehydration was the cause for Antonio Barton's collapse -- physical, not metaphorical -- on Saturday against Houston. He was released from the hospital yesterday afternoon.
"They did all types of tests. They were very thorough just to make sure there were no issues. Everything came back negative in terms of the tests; everything was clean," Pastner said. "They released him with no restrictions."
Read the whole story. That's pretty scary.
Chandler Parsons: Parsons, who starts at small forward for Florida, looks like he will be back in the lineup for the Gators tonight. (Apologies for the premium link, but they are the only ones with the story as of this writing.) It does not appear as if Parsons will start, with Billy Donovan opting to use freshman Casey Prather in that role instead.
Alexis Wangmene: Well, at least we know why he was suspended. The Longhorn's back up big man got a DUI at 4:30 am on Sunday morning/Saturday night after a loss to Nebraska. The Austin American-Statesman has a mugshot.
Carl Richard: The Indiana State forward looks like he will ms Saturday's game against Illinois State with what is being called a "soft tissue" injury to his knee.
Jacob Holmen: A key reverse in the North Texas front court, Holmen broke his hand and will be out indefinitely.
Continue reading...
Cincy just about punches their ticket; surge is in large part due to Gates' benching |
Cincinnati can no longer be put on the bubble.
Thanks to a 58-46 win at Georgetown on Wednesday night, the Bearcats are, as of now, an NCAA Tournament team. Book it.
They are 22-6 on the season. Their top-40 RPI heading into the night is certainly going to climb with a win on the road against a team in the top 15. The Bearcats don't have a bad loss to speak of. Of course, a big reason for that is their non-conference "gauntlet" closely resembled the league schedule of a team from the MAC, which is why their SOS is currently sitting in the triple digits.
That said, how many teams can claim four wins as good as Xavier, St. John's, Louisville, and Georgetown? How many teams can say they own wins on the home floor of two teams in the top 25 of the RPI? When we broke it down based on Monday's RPI standings, Pitt was the only team in the country that had two RPI top 25 road wins. In all, only 23 teams had one RPI top 25 road win.
Like it or not, that is an NCAA Tournament team.
With one caveat: for now.
The Bearcats have as tough of a finish to the season as anyone in the country. They host UConn, they have to travel to bubble-hungry Marquette, and then they get a rematch with the Hoyas at home.
Cincy very easily could lose their last three games. But if Yancy Gates continues to play the way he has the past three games, they very well could win all three. In all likelihood, just one is needed to ensure a bid.
Gates has been the key for the Bearcats all season long. That is risky, however, as Gates has never been a player known for his consistency in effort. In fact, Cronin left Gates at home during a crucial road trip to Pitt due to a lack of effort. When he came back, Gates got just 29 minutes over the next two games.
Something finally clicked against Louisville, however. Gates only finished with eight points and six boards on 2-8 shooting, but he played 30 active, aggressive, and physical minutes. The past two games, road wins against Providence and Georgetown, Gates have averaged 19.0 ppg and 9.5 rpg.
I think he got the point.
And Cronin's calculated risk may have saved Cincy's season.
The bigger question now becomes the likelihood of the Big East getting double figure teams into the tournament. As of right now, it seems a virtual certainty.
With the number of bubble dwellers losing key games down the stretch, the Big East's bubble teams continue to win. St. John's is in the running for a top four seed thanks to seven wins in their last eight games. West Virginia just knocked off second place Notre Dame on Saturday. UConn? Syracuse? Villanova? Georgetown? None of them are in any danger of missing the dance.
As of this morning, the Big East will be sending a record 10 teams to the NCAA Tournament. That will become 11 teams if Marquette can win at UConn on Thursday night.
Can you imagine?
One-sixth of the NCAA Tournament will be from the Big East. Some conference don't even have 11 members.
I know one thing -- the Big East Tournament will be wild this year.
Continue reading...
Thursday Morning Dump |
- John O'Connor, the head coach of the Holy Family basketball team that was caught on video knocking over one of his players before cursing him out, tells his side of the story to Philly.com.
- The big news story of the day was Tennessee getting a notice from the NCAA of their violations. Here is what the notice said (from the UT website). But Matt Norlander says that Bruce Pearl's fate has yet to be decided. Rocky Top Talk reacts to the NCAA's ruling
- You've got bubble questions, and Andy Glockner has got your bubble answers
- Mike Miller provides some insight on Duke's chances to win it all without Kyrie Irving and wonders "what if?"
- Jeff Goodman details the terrific job done at Fairfield by head coach Ed Cooley
- Seth Davis opens up the mailbag and answers some questions about the SDSU/BYU collision course, mid-major teams we should be weary of come tournament time, and the ammount of time it will take Oliver Purnell to resurrect DePaul
- Dana O'Neil interviewed SDSU coach Steve Fisher and explains why everybody, including the coach, is excited about the Aztecs. Speaking of Fisher, he addressed the school's student section and tells them "Stay Classy, San Diego"
- Dan Wolken drops the hammer on the NCAA following the notice of violations against UConn
- Everybody knows that Indiana is in a rebuilding process. Tom Crean has a loaded recruiting class coming in, and the Hoosiers have gotten some decent wins this season. Ken Davis details IU's slow-but-steady rise back to the top
- Jason Lisk addresses the PRI, Ken Pomeroy and Jay Bilas. In other words, this is a must-read
- Chris Dobbertean provides an excellent breakdown on the Mid-Major Conference races
- Jeff Eisenberg compiled a solid bunch of quotes from media-people regarding UConn's punishment (We did too, but B.I.A.H likes to spread the love)
- A great-read on Caltech's epic road losing streak. Dean Oliver was a fortmer Caltech player and assistant coach, he weighed in on what it meant for his alms mater to win it's first road game in 26 years. Meet the future-software-engineer who led the team to victory
Jeff Borzello briefs us on the Spartans need for Durrell Summers to regain his spring-form
- Eric Angevine wants to thank Jacob Pullen for disposing of any thoughts we may have to think-up of Nebraska getting an at-large bid
- The updated Player of the Year
standings from Ann Arbor
- Ken Pomeroy updates us on the KPOY Award standings
- John Gasaway drops some knowledge on understanding what you have and how to work with it
- Pat Forde debates the who the four #1-seeds should be. Dana O'Neil does the same
- UConn's Jim Calhoun will be absent for the Huskies' game on Thursday against Marquette due to a death in the family. Calhoun's sister-in-law, Eileen Fucile past away on Monday after a 12-year battle with cancer. The head coach missed seven games last season due to illness and will be suspended for three Big East games next season as a result of the NCAA's ruling of his program's violations
- USC head coach Kevin O'Neil says Arizona's Derrick Williams "is the most-protected dude since Michael Jordan". Story from the Los Angeles Times
- USC coach Kevin O'Neil is going to try a lineup-switch. The Los Angeles Times reports he will test out five-foot-seven freshman Fonte Smith at the starting point guard spot and will have Maurice Smith come off the bench
- Cal coach Mike Montgomery has been reprimanded by the Pac-10 for the post-game comments he made about the referees
- Starting next season, the UCLA Bruins are going to become a pack of nomads while Pauley Pavilion undergoes a face lift
- I missed this story from last week, but it's a great one. The Morris twins (known as "The Morri") are gaining a not-so-nice reputation for their on-the-court demeanor
- Seton Hall has introduced Patrick Lyons as their new Athletic
Director. After spending seven years as the AD at Iona, "the complete package" will now take his talents to the Big East
- We are all aware of St. John's impressive record at MSG this season. With the fanbase back on their side, is Madison Square Garden turning into the Johnnie's Jungle?
- Providence's Marshon Brooks dropped 52-large last night against Notre Dame in what may be the best performance in Big East history
- Georgetown head coach John Thompson III is carving out his legacy as a phenomenal coach and not just "the son of a former head coach" (We linked to the Casual Hoya article a couple days ago, but it's seriously worth another read)
- A good-read on the free-throw stroke of Ole Miss' Chris Warren. The senior is shooting roughly 95% from the charity stripe and is on his way to breaking shattering the SEC record for free-throw percentage
- it's never fun to sit on the bench, but as a freshman sometimes it's part of the process. Florida frehsman Casey Prather had trouble early on, but is starting to adjust to life at the D-I level
- It has taken Maryland four months to finally find an alternative option to Jordan Williams. But is it too late? Liz Clarke from the Washington Post has more
- Kansas State and Clemson will headline next season's Diamond Head Classic. The holiday tournament is being hosted by Hawaii and will also include Xavier, Southern Illinois, UTEP, Auburn and Long Beach State
- Temple may have loss to Duke last night, but there are always teaching points you can get, and use, from suffering defeat
- As week get closer to championship week, most conferences should sort themselves out. One conference that has a lot of sorting-out to do is Conference-USA
- Take a look at the state of the Missouri Valley Conference
- Here's a tentative-look at the American East Conference Tournament
- Rush the Court checks in on the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Atlantic-10, the Horizon League, the Northeastern Conference, the Southern Conference, and the Western Athletic Conference
- An interesting snippet from former-coach Nolan Richardson regarding current-Arkansas coach John Pelphrey
- Boiled Sports delves into the current state of affairs of the Indiana/Purdue rivalry
- The Bearcat Blog wants to know more about the Big East, so they go right to the source. A solid Q&A session with East Coast brainiac (but West-Coast-located) Raphielle Johnson
- Speaking of Cincinnati, the Bearcats got the signature-win they woere looking for last night in Washington, D.C. against Georgetown
- Memphis' Antonio Barton collapsed in a huddle during the Tigers game on Tuesday night due to dehydration. Josh Pastner says he is doing much better and will be healthy soon
- Liberty landed a verbal commitment from class of 2012 point guard Justin Beiber Larry Taylor
- The NBA Draft Blog makes the case for Notre Dame's Ben Hansbrough
- An investigation has been launched into the case of the Holy Name basketball coach who attacked a player during a practice last week. (Go here for our take on it)
- James Naismith's original rules of basketball will be on display in Kansas City during March Madness
- The numbers you need to know from Tuesday night's action
- The top-ten contenders to be a part of Big East expansion
- Somebody wants more sportsmanship from student sections? You must be crazy (but the comments are kinda-hilarious, H/T Rush The Court)
On Tuesday night, the Vanderbilt Commodore mascot punched a student in the face, giving him bloody nose
Syracuse's James Southerland breaks out the "Chicken Noodle Soup" dance
The best broken-backboard fail you will ever see
Continue reading...
VIDEO: Tim Floyd ejected, escorted off the court by the police in a loss at East Carolina |
In one of the uglier moments we have seen this season, UTEP head coach Tim Floyd and assistant coach Phil Johnson, a former head man at San Jose State, were both tossed from last night's game against East Carolina early in the second half.
Floyd went after the refs and had to be escorted out by a police officer.
Of course we have video. Why would you even ask?:
According to Floyd, he snapped when he was called for a technical for being outside the coaching box.
"My behavior this year has been pretty darned good," Floyd said. "I hadn't had a technical all year long. ... I scurried back to the bench (after getting a warning for being outside the coach's box) and the next thing I knew, I had a technical and I didn't know why I got it. I'd still like to know.
"I guess I reacted to that first technical, not really understanding why it was given. I probably earned the second one."
Whatever the reason, Floyd's behavior was unacceptable. I wouldn't be surprised if he faced a suspension as a result.
East Carolina ended up winning the game 83-76. It was a critical loss for the Miners, who have now lost two straight to fall a game behind the leaders in the Conference USA regular season race.
Continue reading...
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Should we started referring to him as just "The Marshon" now? |
Tim Abromaitis broke out of a scoring slump, scoring 15 points in the first eight minutes of the game and finishing with 28. Its just the second time since January 4th he's scored more than 13.
Ben Hansbrough continued his push for Big East player of the year, hitting for a career-high 32 points.
Notre Dame bounced back from yet another road beating by going into the Dunkin Donuts Center and holding off a scrappy Providence team 94-93.
All of those are legitimate and relevant storylines coming out of Wednesday's game between the Friars and the Irish. Yet, no one is going to be talking about that tomorrow.
Why?
Because Marshon Brooks went off for a Big East record 52 points, breaking the 20 year old record held by another Friar, Eric Murdock. He had a Big East record with 20 made field goals as well (on just 28 attempts), breaking a record set by Steve Rich of Miami. Brooks now has the highest single-game scoring total in the country this season -- besting Jimmer's 47 points at Utah -- and saw his average get bumped by a full point, from 24.4 ppg to 25.4 ppg.
"I was feeling it. It was going to be tough to stop me," Brooks said after the game.
"That was staggering, and I'm glad we escaped," Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey said.
Perhaps most impressive was that Brooks scored 15 points in the final three minutes to nearly lead Providence to an improbable comeback. The Friars were down by as much as 16 points, but Brooks got the lead down to just two points on three different occasions. He hit a three with 1.8 seconds left to give us the final margin and break the 50 point barrier.
Now, before I'm done with this post, let's have some fun with it. Brooks' 52 points was more than 12 different teams scored tonight. That includes Alabama's 51-49 win over Auburn and Morgan State's 42-39 (seriously) win over Delaware State. But it doesn't include Wisconsin, because Josh Gasser hit a buzzer-beating three to beat Michigan (and Marshon) 53-52.
If you throw in the 60 combined points from Hansbrough and Abromaitis, the game's three stars managed to put up 112 total points, more than were scored in five different games. Two others finished at 113 total points.
Not a lot of defense played at The Dunk tonight.
Continue reading...
Tennessee's hand will be forced by the NCAA |
As you most certainly know by now, Tennessee received -- and released -- their Notice of Allegations from the NCAA regarding the infractions committed by the football and basketball teams. You can read it in its entirety here.
As you also should know by know, the only new information to come out of the NoA was that Bruce Pearl and Tony Jones made an illegal visit to a recruit just days after Pearl's tearful press conference where he admitted that he had made mistakes on the recruiting trail.
That's right.
On September 14th, just four days after Pearl sat in front of national television cameras and cried, telling the world how he was remorseful over the mistakes he made, Pearl went to Oak Hill Academy and "bumped" Jordan Adams, a 2012 recruit. Essentially, the "bump rule" allows a coach to greet a recruit at his high school should the two happen to cross paths, but anything more is considered a contact violation. Pearl talked with Adams for 2-3 minutes. This "bump" occurred during the two-week period between Pearl's press conference and the beginning of the school-sanctioned ban on off-campus recruiting.
Ballsy, ain't he?
For those expecting this document to bring with it any kind of news regarding Pearl's standing with the university, well, you got your hopes up for nothing. The school has until May to respond to the NoA, and a hearing has been scheduled for June 10th and 11th of this year. And if Tennessee has told us anything, its that they are going to ride with Pearl until forced to do otherwise.
If they weren't, Pearl probably would have been let go a long time ago.
The Tennessee coach not only committed violations, he lied about them when confronted by the NCAA. He then tried to convince a recruit's father -- Jon Craft, the father of Ohio State point guard and then-Tennessee commit Aaron -- to lie to the NCAA to cover for him.
That's brazen. And just cause for termination.
So if Tennessee was going to do away with their popular head coach, he would be gone already.
But they don't. This is an athletic department that clearly values victories over ethics.
Pearl has brought Tennessee basketball to unprecedented heights. He wins basketball games. He's bringing all-americans to Knoxville. He's making Elite 8's. His teams fill Thompson-Boling Arena. And, most importantly, he has the undying support of the Tennessee faithful. The scene last night at Vanderbilt was telling. With news that the NoA was due to arrive, Pearl walked out of an opponent's arena waving and blowing kisses to throngs of Tennessee fans after an important, come from behind win.
The Vols may just be put into a situation where they are forced to make a change.
You see, the NCAA hit Pearl with an "unethical conduct" charge. As Dana O'Neil dug up this afternoon, cases in which an unethical conduct charge is brought almost always result in a show-cause penalty, which is more or less means getting blacklisted by the NCAA.
What will be interesting to see is whether the NCAA accepts the punishments given out by Tennessee and the SEC as enough. Pearl's already lost $1.5 million and sat out eight games of this SEC season.
Will that be enough to satiate a Committee on Infractions that just slammed a UConn Director of Basketball Operations with a two-year show cause penalty to lying?
Methinks it won't.
Continue reading...
Wednesday's Pregame Beat: Busy night on the bubble |
Wednesday is always a heavy hoops night, and today is no exception. The difference is that tonight could play a major role in how the bubble shakes out two weeks from now.
9:00 pm: Kansas State @ Nebraska: Quite possibly the most important game of the night. The Wildcats appear to have found their groove, at least momentarily. They followed up a shelacking of Kansas with a 15 point win over Oklahoma. Jacob Pullen is finally playing like an all-american, tallying 65 points in those two wins. Nebraska, however, is a tough team at home, having just knocked off Texas, and has found themselves thrust into the bubble picture. The Cornhuskers matchup well with the Wildcats. With only four games left in league play and both teams sitting at 6-6 in the Big 12, this could end up being a game you see mentioned quite a bit during championship week bubble breakdowns.
9:00 pm: Florida State @ Maryland: Another critical bubble matchup. Florida State won by 18 at Wake Forest in their first game without Chris Singleton, but the 84 points they scored were quite misleading in regards to how well they played. Maryland is a much better team than the Demon Deacons, and much better defensively. Maryland has some work to do is they want to earn an at-large bid and cannot afford a home loss. But this is the kind of win that the Seminoles need to prove to the committee that they are still a tournament-worthy team with their star on the sidelines.
8:00 pm: Colorado State @ No. 7 BYU: Colorado State is right on the edge of the bubble's cut line as of today, but come Selection Sunday, that is the worst place to be sitting. All it takes is a couple of middle-of-the-pack teams from the lower conferences getting hot for a week to ruin any hope of making the tournament. That's why this game -- and a season ending trip to SDSU -- is so important for the Rams. Knock off one of those two on the road, and CSU has the inside track to the MWC's third bid, albeit from an unexpected source.
9:00 pm: Cincinnati @ No. 11 Georgetown: The Bearcats picked up an important win against Louisville at home last week, but they still need to prove that they can notch a win against quality competition on the road. The Bearcats are currently sitting at 8-6 in Big East play, but with a difficult final four games and a weak non-conference schedule, they may need to get over .500 in conference play if they want to dance.
6:30 pm: No. 12 Wisconsin @ Michigan: The Wolverines are one of the few teams that have actually played their way into contention this year. After starting league play out 1-6, Michigan has won six of their last eight games to put themselves in a good position down the stretch. Wins against Clemson and Harvard aren't going to cut it when cuts are finally made. Tonight is a great opportunity for John Beilein's team. They get a top 15 team that has struggled on the road. Can they capitalize?
9:00 pm: Baylor @ No. 21 Missouri: The Bears are in serious danger of missing the NCAA Tournament after losing to a Texas Tech team that was missing Mike Singletary at home. The good news for Baylor? They will have plenty of opportunities to change their standing, as three of their final four games come against top 25 teams. This is a tough matchup, however. Missouri has won four of their last five games, is a much better teams at home, and Baylor struggles on the road.
9:00 pm: UNLV @ New Mexico: UNLV has a terrific RPI, but the rest of their resume doesn't have the kind of substance that you want to see out of an at-large team. The Pit is historically a difficult place to get a win, but this Lobo team is not as good as many of us expected it to be this season. The Rebels cannot afford to falter.
7:00 pm: Miami FL @ Boston College: If the NCAA Tournament started today, it would probably be a coinflip as to whether or not the Eagles got in. As we mentioned early, that is a bad spot to be in heading into championship week. Losing to Miami would push BC to the wrong side of the bubble.
7:00 pm: UTEP @ East Carolina: After losing to UCF on Monday, there is no way that the Miners can feel comfortable about their NCAA standing. That said, UTEP still has a shot to earn an at-large bid, but they probably need to win out in the regular season and even win a game or two in the C-USA tournament to have a shot.
7:00 pm: VCU @ Drexel: Outside of Utah State, there might not have been a team in the country that had a more beneficial BracketBusters weekend. Combine their win with the CAA's dominance, and the Rams could very well get themselves an at-large bid with a couple of wins down the stretch.
8:00 pm: Arkansas @ Alabama: This game is simple -- lose, and Alabama is going to be in a very bad spot on Selection Sunday.
Non-Bubble Action
7:00 pm: No. 24 Temple @ No. 1 Duke The Blue Devils are currently No. 1 in the country, but it is debatable whether or not they would even garner a No. 1 seed if the tournament started today. Why? They simply don't have enough marquee wins. Duke can change that tonight against Temple, an at-large lock and the second best team in the Atlantic 10.
8:00 pm: No. 22 Kentucky @ Arkansas: Eventually, Kentucky is going to have to win a game on the road to legitimize their standing and a potential top four seed. This team has the talent, but they are lacking the leadership. That said, Darius Miller and Deandre Liggins have been playing much better of late.
Other Notable Games
Continue reading...
Bettin' is a Habit - 2/23 |
We here at B.I.A.H don't fancy ourselves gamblers, but we do know a lot of people with crippling addictions to gambling. So why not help enable them, right? Semi-regularly, we will provide you a couple of picks and one lead-pipe-lock that you can take to the bank. But if you take our advice and don't win any money, you aren't allowed to come bash our knee-caps in.
After my horrendous 0-5 weekend, I had to take a hiatus from predicting the losers winners. But enough is enough, and it's time for a change.
Wisconsin (20-6, 10-4) at Michigan (17-11, 7-8)
After losing their first four conference games, Michigan has gone 5-2 and now finds themselves comfortably on the bubble. A win against Wisconsin would do wonders for their tournament hopes, but I just don't see it happening. But luckily for Michigan, all four of Wisconsin's conference losses have come on the road. Therefore I'm taking the over, because Wisconsin is averaging 72-ppg in their last five while 62-ppg. I'm pretty sure 72 plus 62 is higher than 121.
Pick: Over 121
DePaul (7-19, 1-13) at St. John's (17-9, 9-5)
St. John's finds themselves back in the top-25 for the first time since 2000 after beating Pittsburgh in epic fashion over the weekend. DePaul is starting to get better, and they have played in a number of close games against the top teams in the Big East. This game will be played at Carnasecca Arena and not Madison Square Garden, so I have to figure that DePaul might actually have a chance. I think The Johnnies win, but it's closer than people think.
Pick: DePaul +13.5
Towson (4-213, 0-16) at Delaware (12-15, 7-9)
The last time these two teams played, Delaware won by only three. But that game was played back in early January at Towson, when the Tigers still had a view of their last win. Since then, Towson hasn't even sniffed a win, but Delaware hasn't exactly won a bunch of games either. Regardless, I think Delaware beats Towson by a little bit more than a handful.
Pick: Delaware -7.5
Colorado (16-7, 5-7) at Texas Tech (12-15, 4-8)
Colorado's tournament hopes are all but busted, and a loss here would render them N.I.T-bound. But the Buffs haven't won on the road since early January, when they beat a tail-spinning K-State team. Texas Tech is coming off of their biggest win of the year, beating Baylor on the road by nine. While a win here wouldn't save Pat Knight's job security in Lubbock, it would certainly help cool his seat. I think the Red Raiders pick up the home win.
Pick: Texas Tech +1
Kansas State (18-9, 6-6) at Nebraska (18-8, 6-6)
This is a must-win for both teams. Nebraksa is coming off of their biggest win of the season, defeating Texas on Saturday to keep their tournament hops somewhat alive. A win against an improving K-State team would help out the 'Huskers a lot. But I really like the way the Wildcats have been playing recently. Jacob Pullen is playing like the All-American we predicted him to be, and well, desperation can motivate people, and the 'Cats are a desperate team. I think K-State provides Nebraska with a brutal dose of reality, and picks up a much-needed road win.
Pick: Kansas State +1.5
So there you have it, my five picks of the night. I can understand if you don't trust me because my track record isn't perfect, but I got a feelin' about these picks.
Continue reading...
Thursday's Shootaround: Just another Wild Wednesday night |
Cincinnati 58, No. 11 Georgetown 46: Cincy just about locked up an NCAA Tournament bid, while Georgetown got some terrible news with Chris Wright's broken hand.
No. 12 Wisconsin 53, Michigan 52: Have you seen the buzzer-beater Josh Gasser hit yet?
No. 9 Notre Dame 94, Providence 93: Marshon Brooks set a Big East record by going for 52 points in the losing effort. How did "The Marshon's" performance stack up to what some teams did across the country?
Kansas State 61, Nebraska 57: Jacob Pullen continues to roll as K-State picked up another key victory.
East Carolina 83, UTEP 76: Have you seen the video of Tim Floyd getting thrown out of the game and escorted off the court by a cop yet? UTEP got knocked out of bubble contention with their second straight loss, dropping them a game off of the C-USA lead.
Arkansas 77, No. 22 Kentucky 76 OT: Once again, Kentucky blew a number of chances down the stretch to win a road game in conference play. This time, it falls on the shoulders of Brandon Knight. The Wildcat's star point guard missed two wide open threes at the end of regulation, turned the ball over which led to the go-ahead bucket by the Razorbacks, and then missed two shots in the final ten seconds of overtime. More on this loss later today.
UNLV 77, New Mexico 74 OT: UNLV just about punched their NCAA ticket, and barring a collapse down the stretch the MWC should be sending three teams to the NCAA Tournament. More importantly, however, the Rebels did it thanks to big games from two players that had been struggling. Tre'Von Willis had 25 points and six assists while Quintrel Thomas went for 19 points and 13 boards, at times dominating the paint on the offensive end of the floor. Making those numbers all the more impressive, Thomas did that against Drew Gordon, who has been the most productive big man in the conference the past month.
No. 7 BYU 84, Colorado State 76: Colorado State lost a tough one to the Cougars in the Marriott Center. Brandon Davies had 14 points and 15 boards while Jimmer Fredette went for 34, the first time in six games he broke 30. He shot under 40% for the third straight game and for the fourth time in the last six. Is Fredette getting worn down? For the Rams, their season and NCAA Tournament hopes will come down to a March 5th trip to San Diego State.
No. 1 Duke 78, No. 24 Temple 61: Playing without to starters, the Owls simply did not have the horses to hang with the Blue Devils on Wednesday night. Kyle Singler busted out of a prolonged slump with 28 points, making up for the rare off-night from Nolan Smith, but Duke's issue inside were once again exposed. Mason Plumlee did have 13 boards, but he allowed Lavoy Allen, who is having a down year, to finish with 17 points and 13 boards, six offensive.
No. 21 Missouri 77, Baylor 59: This result wasn't necessarily unexpected -- Baylor stinks on the road, Missouri is very good at home -- but the lack of competitiveness shown by the Bears is quite disconcerting. LaceDarius Dunn didn't score in a first half that saw Baylor get down by as much as 16 points. They made a bit of a run to open the second half, but never got closer than eight points. Ricardo Ratliffe and Laurence Bowers torched Baylor inside, combining for 31 points, 22 boards (eight offensive), six steals, and four blocks.
Maryland 78, Florida State 62: The Seminoles hadn't allowed an opponent to shoot over 50% for 90 straight games. Its now happened twice in the last four games, as the Seminoles are clearly not the same defensive team without Chris Singleton on the floor. The Terps put five players in double figures, led by 17 from freshman Terrell Stoglin, as they kept their slim tournament hopes alive. Florida State may be in trouble. With just three games left, they have to prove that they are still a tournament team without Singleton. They certainly didn't look like it tonight.
Alabama 51, Auburn 49: The Crimson Tide very nearly threw away their NCAA Tournament chances by digging a big hole against the Tigers. Luckily for 'Bama, Auburn looks like they have their football players play basketball as well. Alabama shot just 11-42 from the field, but drew 29 fouls on the Tigers and made 27-40 free throws. Combine that with tough defense down the stretch, and they were able to stay close enough that a JaMychal Green tip-in with 0.3 seconds left could tie the game.
Miami FL 73, Boston College 64: The Eagles tournament hopes may have just gone out the window with this loss. The nine points doesn't do the beatdown -- which came in Boston -- justice, as the Hurricanes were up 38-17 at the half.
Drexel 64, VCU 60: The Rams suffer a brutal loss for their tournament resume, dropping to fourth in the CAA. With the number of fellow bubblers losing, VCU still has a chance if they can knock off George Mason in the semis of the league tournament (should the standings hold).
Wofford 97, Chattanooga 58: Everyone was concerned about Chattanooga hosting the SoCon Tournament and whether that would keep Wofford or Charleston out of the dance. This game was played at Chattanooga.
LSU 84, Mississippi State 82: LSU scored more than 62 points for the first time in SEC play and broke 70 for the first time since December. You can't blame Renardo Sidney, however. He had 24 points and nine boards. And just two of the Bulldog's 18 turnovers.
Western Michigan 68, Toledo 56: Western Michigan was up 45-7 late in the first half. They were outscored 49-23 the rest of the way.
Other Notable Scores
Continue reading...
Hoops Housekeeping: Antonio Barton collapsed? |
Antonio Barton: The Memphis freshman guard had a scary moment in last night's win over Houston. He collapsed during a huddle and, according the Jason Smith of the Memphis Commercial-Appeal, "just kind of fell out in huddle". Apparently, Barton was fairly severely dehydrated. It appears that he will be just fine, but he was taken to the hospital after the game for precautionary measures. He played 31 minutes.
Alexis Wangmene: The Longhorn's junior forward did not suit up for the win over Iowa State last night. About 30 minutes prior to the game, Rick Barnes released this statement: "Alexis Wangmene has been suspended indefinitely due to a violation of team rules. He will not play in tonight's game against Iowa State."
No word yet on how long Wangmene will be sidelined. He's an important piece for Texas, as he is the first big guy off the bench behind Tristan Thompson and Gary Johnson. Wangmene was only averaging 2.4 ppg and 2.4 rpg, but now the only front court player on Barnes' bench is Matt Hill.
Pat Swilling: There have been all kinds of issue with the St. Joe's team this season. The latest? Swilling, a freshman guard from New Orleans, is no longer enrolled at the university. According to this blog post, he is back in his native New Orleans and is looking to transfer to either Central Florida or Louisiana Tech. Junior center Todd O'Brien has missed the last two games for disciplinary reasons.
Continue reading...
Wednesday's Shootaround: Big road wins for Tennessee and Michigan State |
Tennessee 60, No. 18 Vanderbilt 51: See here.
Michigan State 63, Minnesota 58: See here.
UNC-Asheville 61, Coastal Carolina 58: UNC-Asheville handed CCU a huge loss with one of the craziest buzzer-beaters you will see this season.
No. 3 Ohio State 89, Illinois 70: Plenty of mention has been made in regards to the performance that David Lighty had last night for Ohio State. What should also be noted about this game is that Illinois has now dropped to 7-8 in the Big Ten and 17-11 overall, and they still have to go play at Purdue. If you couldn't tell, the Illini are in big trouble.
Virginia Tech 76, Wake Forest 62: Its tough to say that beating Wake Forest is a big win for anyone this season, but this was a win that the Hokies had to get after getting swept by Virginia. Malcolm Delaney, playing with a stomach virus, had 17 points and eight boards, sparking Tech's first half rally, but perhaps the surprise performer was Jarell Eddie. Fresh off of a one game suspension, Eddie had 17 points and nine boards. Virginia Tech has Duke at home on Saturday night. That's just about a must win game for Seth Greenberg's team.
No. 16 Louisville 55, Rutgers 37: On a night where there was a lot of ugly basketball played, this game takes the cake. The Scarlet Knights made just 13 field goals and did not break 20 points in either half as Louisville, buoyed by the play of healthy Gorgui Dieng and Rakeem Buckles, jumped out to a 17-2 lead and never looked back. Preston Knowles had 14 points and eight boards, while Kyle Kuric added 11 points.
Xavier 100, La Salle 62: Tu Holloway came one rebound away from his third triple double on the season (and second in two games) as Xavier jumped out to a 36-6 lead in the first 10 minutes. Xavier, year in and year out, grows throughout the season as much as any team in the country. This is a winning program and they are proving it again this season. That said, La Salle's effort tonight was a disgrace.
No. 5 Texas 76, Iowa State 53: The Longhorn's Alexis Wangmene was suspended prior to the game by head coach Rick Barnes, but that didn't play a factor as Texas rolled past Iowa State. Jordan Hamilton snapped out of his shooting slump to finish with 20 points while Tristan Thompson added 17 points, 14 boards, and three blocks.
Memphis 69, Houston 58: The Tigers keep themselves in the bubble conversation with a closer-than-you-think win over the Cougars. As was noted on twitter last night by a number of people, the body language of this Memphis team is quite worrisome. The CBS College Sports cameras caught kids sulking on the bench despite the win.
Continue reading...
The ten most important remaining games |
We've now hit the season's home stretch, the time of year where seemingly every game and every result can impact an entire season's worth of work.
Just for fun, you should count how many times a day you hear or read either of these two statements: so-and-so team "locks up a bid with the win" or "needs this win to keep their bubble hopes alive." I'd advise against making it a drinking game, unless, you know, being wasted at work is your thing.
Since we know you all have way too much going on to do the leg work yourselves, we've gone through and put together the ten most influential and important games over the final two weeks of the regular season. Set your DVR's accordingly.
One thing to note: You'll notice there isn't a single game from the Big East on the list. Why? Because there are so many teams still in contention that it is impossible to define one game as more important than the other. In fact, for the teams sitting in 2nd-10th in the league standings, every game is the most important game of their season. One loss can very well cost you a top four seed and the double-bye in the Big East Tournament.
Continue reading...
Reactions to the Jim Calhoun ruling from around the web |
Jim Calhoun and the UConn finally received their punishment from the NCAA stemming from this Yahoo! Sports report back in March of 2009. Calhoun was suspended for three Big East games next season, while the UConn program has been placed on probation and been given a handful of recruiting restrictions. You can read our reaction to the punishment here. This is what the rest of the internet thinks.
If you find a link that we are missing, hit us up on twitter at @ballinisahabit or @biahthetrizzle.
Pat Forde, ESPN.com: "It’s not enough to hire a coach because he wins. An athletic director must make a great production in an introductory press conference about the integrity and character and superior moral fiber of the man in charge of drawing up a pick-and-roll. Combine that puffery with the salary and celebrity attached to many program leaders, and the Cult of the Head Coach gains clout. Their importance morphs into something almost presidential. And if you’ve ever seen a presidential security detail, you know that every effort is made to protect the boss. Even if it means sacrificing an underling in the face of danger. The protocol in college sports is comparable. Or at least it has been. Slowly, it’s changing. The penalties assessed to Bruce Pearl and Jim Calhoun are incremental proof that the Cult of the Head Coach isn’t the ivory tower it used to be."
Gary Parrish, CBSSports.com: "A postseason ban? That hurts. A television ban? That stings. But all Calhoun really got for cheating was a three-game suspension -- plus the contract extension he signed last May."
Jay Bilas: "What is an "Atmosphere Of Compliance?" Re-use the rule book like towels at a hotel? Is it possible to violate rules AND promote an AOC?"
Jeff Jacobs, Hartford Courant: "Calhoun has treated this entire sordid affair like it was another basketball game. In the face a Yahoo! report that nailed UConn, he has fought it, one fact at a time, fought it down to the last second. And you know what? The game ended. He lost. And now he’s considering overtime? Beyond a few game tickets and phone calls, the man has refused to take any blame. Athletic director Jeff Hathaway, already up to his knees with his own set of problems, fell on the sword for Calhoun. And now Hathaway’s detractors are killing him because he said in the NCAA report that trying to land Miles was the “most intense” he has ever seen Calhoun about the recruitment of a player. Calhoun, meanwhile, pulled the Sgt. Schultz. He didn’t know anything."
Dana O'Neil, ESPN.com: "On the surface it may not seem like much. Calhoun will only miss 1/6 of the 18-game marathon that is the Big East slate. He has missed games before, more than three in fact with various healthy concerns. That was, if not of his choosing, at least of his own making. But this is a benching, a benching of a man whose reputation means a great deal to him. Plenty of coaches have been smacked with NCAA violations and kept on keeping on, simply smearing Teflon on their hand-tailored suits. Calhoun isn’t any coach. He is on the Mount Rushmore of hoops, a man whose face is synonymous with his program. Only four currently active coaches already are members of the Naismith Hall of Fame: Jim Boeheim, Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams and Calhoun. That is the rarefied air in which Calhoun travels. And now he is the only one of the four to be held personally accountable for an NCAA infraction."
Mike DeCourcy, Sporting News: "Whatever Calhoun’s punishment might have been — short of being forced to dine nightly at Taco Bell with Pete Rose and Tom DeLay — members of the media would have carped about leniency. But Calhoun will remember this day the rest of his life, as surely as he’ll remember the nights he claimed the NCAA championship trophy."
David Steele, Fanhouse: "You'd like to think that no matter how prominent and prestigious a program and coach, violations of this kind -- exactly the type the NCAA claims it guards against the most vigilantly -- would receive appropriately harsh punishment. Apparently nobody in the Indianapolis offices shares your thoughts. Around there, Calhoun is a made man, and his program is untouchable. Or so it would seem, and the NCAA should be really bothered that, to so many, that's how it seems."
Jeff Eisenberg, The Dagger: "Since it's so difficult for the short-staffed NCAA to prove that a program is associating with agents or enticing recruits with extra benefits, the only recourse it has is to send a harsh message whenever they do catch a coach breaking the rules. That's why it's disappointing that the NCAA failed to hand out a stiff enough penalty to UConn on Tuesday to serve as an effective deterrent."
Dave Telep, ESPN.com: "Unlike Bruce Pearl and the Tennessee Volunteers, the Huskies were not hit with sanctions that would prevent them from leaving campus to recruit. Instead, the sanctions levied on the Jim Calhoun and the Huskies deal with scholarships, official visits and phone calls. Overall, the sanctions can be overcome with an efficient plan and diligent attention to detail mixed in with good judgment and crisp evaluations. "
Gregg Doyel, CBSSports.com: "Don't be fooled. Think of those penalties as a handful of nickels and dimes. I could throw coins at you for 30 seconds and it wouldn't add up to anything significant. That's what the NCAA did with UConn. It threw a bunch of nickels and dimes at the Huskies. Total cost? Nothing significant. Unless my math is wrong, but I doubt it. I was always pretty damn good with numbers."
Ken Davis, NBCSports.com: "Asked by Seth Davis to address the disparity in penalties, committee chairman Dennis Thomas said, “I guess that’s your perception in terms of disparity in the penalties. Obviously, the head coach is responsible for what goes on in his program. When you have an individual who has a show-cause for a certain reason, obviously that is a serious violation in terms of being forthcoming with the enforcement staff and institution. We do not feel there is a disparity based on the information presented.” When I asked Mr. Thomas how the committee arrived at a three-game suspension for Jim Calhoun, he answered, “I can’t go into how you decide about five games, 10 games, three games or whatever. But the committee felt after reviewing the information that the three-game conference suspension was appropriate.” When I asked about options available, Mr. Thomas said, “As I indicated earlier, the committee has at its disposal an array of penalties. I call it a quiver. And we decided upon the penalties we imposed.” So who knows? Maybe they shoot an arrow from the quiver and there are targets with numbers on them. Calhoun’s arrow fell on a 3."
Andrew Porter, The UConn Blog: "The penalties themselves may not appear to carry too much weight, and you will certainly hear a lot of screaming from opposing fans about UConn being "slapped on the wrist," but they are incredibly embarrassing for the program and especially for Calhoun, who, with the university's backing, denied the charges against him."
Continue reading...
Posts
