Over the course of this week, we will spend a few minutes catching you up on how some of the best conferences in the country currently look. With conference play starting up, its time to get into the basketball spirit.
You can find the rest of the Conference Catch-ups here.
Favorite: North Carolina
Is it just me, or does it feel like no one is talking about North Carolina as a title contender anymore? That may be a bit of an overstatement, but since UNC lost to UNLV and Kentucky in the span of a week, it feels like they have become the forgotten juggernaut. Do they have flaws? Of course. Kendall Marshall can't guard a door frame. Harrison Barnes has a tendency to become nothing but a jump shooter. Neither John Henson nor Tyler Zeller have the kind of physical strength inside to bang with a guy like Jared Sullinger. But that almost feels nitpicky when you are talking about a team that has the amount of talent on their roster that the Tar Heels do.
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Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Conference Catch-ups: The ACC |
Wednesday Morning Dump |
T-Minus 24-hours until the #BIAHroadtrip begins. We urge you to follow along or meet up with us if we are in your hood. We also urge you to chip in for gas money and make a donation. Think of this as you one-time subscription fee for B.I.A.H.
- The two big upsets of the night were dished out by NYC-metro teams. Seton Hall throttled UConn and Fordham upset Harvard. The Crimson's loss could hurt them in the long run. UConn's loss probably won't
- What's this? Andy Glockner's Bubble Watch is back? +100
- Jeff Goodman throws out a whole bunch of various team/player/coach reports in his "Good-n-Plenty" column (I was always more of a Mike-n-Ike guy)
- Gene Bartrow, the made who succeeded John Wooden at UCLA, passed away yesterday at the age of 82
- Luke Winn makes some New Year's revisions to his preseason predictions
- Wisconsin/Michigan State is one of the best rivalries in the nation, and last night's edition ended in controversial fashion
- What can Khem Birch's decision to transfer tell us about Twitter?
- According to the KenPom statistics, Murray State has a 30.9% chance of finishing the season undefeated
- Does the ACC need to start conference play a week earlier?
- There are eight truths to watching Louisville basketball
- Listen, I love me some Jimmy Buffet, but I agree, this is kinda cheesy
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Wednesday's Shootaround: Kentucky survives, Missouri rolls, and 10 triples in a game? |
Seton Hall 75, No. 8 UConn 63: See here
No. 11 Michigan State 63, No. 19 Wisconsin 60: See here
No. 2 Kentucky 73, Arkansas-Little Rock 51: Why is this score notable in any way? Because UALR, who is 5-11 and was missing their best player for this game, was up 30-27 at the half. Kentucky eventually woke up and put the Trojans away, but the fact that Kentucky slept for a half of basketball is noteworthy. Yes, this is a textbook letdown game -- rivalry games against Louisville on New Year's Eve, SEC play kicking off on Saturday -- but what happens if this kind of "let down" game happens against, say, LSU?
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Michigan State wins on one of the craziest finishes you'll ever see |
Well, it seems like we already have a winner for this season's craziest finish.
After trailing by as much as seven in the final minute of overtime, Wisconsin hit a pair of threes sandwiching two Michigan State free throws to cut the Spartan lead to 63-60. Draymond Green was fouled, but the senior pissed both free throws, giving Wisconsin a chance to tie the game. And, initially, it looked like they did:
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Seton Hall cannot rest on their win over UConn |
Andre Drummond didn't know who Herb Pope was prior to No. 8 UConn's trip to Seton Hall, but the name he most likely learned during the Pirate's 75-63 win on Tuesday was that of Jordan Theodore.
The Pirate point guard was sensational as Seton Hall won their first game against UConn in 3,958 days, finishing with 19 points, 11 assists, three steals and a number of big buckets in the second half to prevent the Huskies from building any kind of momentum.
The statement "big buckets" in the second half is kind of ironic, I know, as the Pirates flat out drilled UConn on this night. Think about this: UConn was hot early, hitting three threes in the first four minutes of the game as they jumped out to a 11-2 lead. Over the next 16 minutes? Seton Hall outscored the Huskies 31-11, which included a 16-3 run to close the first half. UConn was able to trim a 35-22 halftime deficit to 10, but they never made things interesting after the break.
The one, very basic, question that we are now forced to ask: is this Seton Hall team is 'for real'?
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POSTERIZED: Tony Mitchell is "Mr. DVR" |
Alabama's Tony Mitchell is the most prolific dunker in college hoops. No questions asked. Take it to the bank.
His hands frequent the rim so often that you need to set your DVR to record every Crimson Tide game on TV.
Alabama played Georgia Tech on Tuesday night, and "Mr. DVR" was once again on display. So much so, that he even did a bit of work on the defensive end.
This is just getting out of hand.
People, listen up:
IF YOU ARE GUARDING TONY MITCHELL, DO NOT LET HIM OUT OF YOUR SIGHT. DO NOT LET HIM BEHIND YOU, and for god-sake DO NOT FORGET WHERE HE IS ON THE FLOOR.
He will make you pay, and on more than one occasion.
But was it as good as these?
Trevis Simpson, UNC-Greensboro vs. Miami, 1/2
Orion Outerbridge, Rhode Island vs. Boston College, 1/2
Sam Thompson, Ohio State vs. Indiana, 12/31
DeShon Minnis, Texas Tech vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 12/30
Keith Gabriel, VMI vs. Old Dominion, 12/22
Eric Etherly, Loyola (Md.) vs. Kentucky, 12/22
Chris Evans, Kent State vs. Texas-Arlington, 12/21
P.J. Hairston, North Carolina vs. Texas, 12/21
Robbie Hummel, Purdue vs. IPFW, 12/20
Robert Brown, Virginia Tech vs. North Florida, 12/19
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Kansas State, 12/17
Torye Pelham, Southern Mississippi vs. Ole Miss, 12/17
Quincy Diggs, Akron vs. Florida A&M, 12/17
Anthony Davis, Kentucky vs. Chattanooga, 12/17
Langston Galloway/C.J. Aiken/Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph's vs. Villanova, 12/17
Terrence Ross, Washington vs. UC-Santa Barbara, 12/16
Jared Cunningham, Oregon State vs. Howard, 12/15
Raheem Appleby, Louisiana Tech vs. McNeese State, 12/14
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Detroit, 12/12
Vander Blue, Marquette vs. UW-Green Bay, 12/11
Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph's vs. Creighton, 12/10
Dion Waiters, Syracuse vs. George Washington, 12/10 (DotY Candidate)
Victor Oladipo, Indiana vs. Kentucky, 12/10
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia vs. Georgia Tech, 12/10
Vander Blue, Marquette vs. Washington, 12/6
Terrence Ross, Washington vs. Marquette, 12/6
Deville Smith, Mississippi State vs. West Virginia, 12/3
Terrence Jones, Kentucky vs. North Carolina, 12/3
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Georgetown, 12/1
Anthony Marshall, UNLV vs. UNC, 11/26
Michael Kidd-Glichrist, Kentucky vs. Portland, 11/26/11 (DotY Candidate)
Markel Brown, Oklahoma State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/25
Rodney Williams, Minnesota vs. DePaul, 11/24
Thomas Robinson, Kansas vs. Duke, 11/23
Stan Okoye, VMI vs. Ohio State, 11/23
Kyisean Reed, Utah State vs. Southern Utah, 11/19
Ra'Shad James, Iona vs. Western Michigan, 11/18
Alandise Harris, Houston vs. Arkansas, 11/18
Sam Thompson, Ohio State vs. Jackson State, 11/18
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Wichita State, 11/18
Eric Griffin, Campbell vs. North Carolina A&T, 11/18 (DotY Candidate)
Olek Czyz, Nevada vs. Pacific, 11/17
Chris Watson, Pikeville vs. Mountain State, 11/16
Ray Willis, North Carolina Central vs. Wagner, 11/16
Mike James, Lamar vs. Ohio, 11/15 (DotY Candidate)
Quincy Acy, Baylor vs. San Diego State, 11/15
Deniz Kilicli, West Virginia vs. Kent State, 11/15
Chris Evans, Kent State vs. West Virginia, 11/15
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Oakland, 11/14
Isaiah Brown, East Tennessee State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/12
Michael Lyons, Air Force vs. Army, 11/11
Dezmine Wells, Xavier vs. Morgan State, 11/11
Jeremy Lamb, UConn vs. Columbia, 11/11 (DotY Candidate)
Andre Drummond, UConn vs. CW Post, 11/4
Moe Harkless, St. John's vs. CW Post, 10/26
Continue reading...
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Tuesday's Pregame Beat: MSU-Wisky highlights the night |
Game of the night: 7:00 pm: No. 11 Michigan State @ No. 19 Wisconsin
The Big Ten is loaded this season. They have five teams currently sitting in the top 20 and another four teams that are good enough to have a shot at making a run to the NCAA Tournament. What that means is that on just about a nightly basis, we are going to be getting games like this from Middle America, which is about as far as you can get from being a bad thing.
There is plenty of intrigue in this matchup even if there may not be plenty of offense involved; Wisconsin is by far the best defensive team in the country according to Kenpom, while Michigan State is checking in at eighth. Wisconsin is also the slowest team in the country. Part of the reason their defense is so effective is that they are able to take all of the flow out of the game, grinding the pace down to a halt and keeping their opponents from finding a rhythm. There is almost no way to avoid it, which means that half court execution will be of the utmost importance for the Spartans.
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POSTERIZED: Trevis Simpson breaks the rim |
UNC-Greensboro played Miami in one of the more entertaining games of Monday night.
To say that UNCG sophomore Trevis Simpson had a "career night" would be a gross understatement. He was 12-20 including 7-11 from behind the arc and finished with a career-high 36 points.
Oh yeah, he also put on a one-man dunk show which caused bolts to fall out of the basket stanchion.
The film sessions is not going to be pretty for Miami. Sure they won the game, but they got flat-out embarrassed by a guy who plays for a 2-13 team.
But was it as good as these?
Orion Outerbridge, Rhode Island vs. Boston College, 1/2
Sam Thompson, Ohio State vs. Indiana, 12/31
DeShon Minnis, Texas Tech vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 12/30
Keith Gabriel, VMI vs. Old Dominion, 12/22
Eric Etherly, Loyola (Md.) vs. Kentucky, 12/22
Chris Evans, Kent State vs. Texas-Arlington, 12/21
P.J. Hairston, North Carolina vs. Texas, 12/21
Robbie Hummel, Purdue vs. IPFW, 12/20
Robert Brown, Virginia Tech vs. North Florida, 12/19
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Kansas State, 12/17
Torye Pelham, Southern Mississippi vs. Ole Miss, 12/17
Quincy Diggs, Akron vs. Florida A&M, 12/17
Anthony Davis, Kentucky vs. Chattanooga, 12/17
Langston Galloway/C.J. Aiken/Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph's vs. Villanova, 12/17
Terrence Ross, Washington vs. UC-Santa Barbara, 12/16
Jared Cunningham, Oregon State vs. Howard, 12/15
Raheem Appleby, Louisiana Tech vs. McNeese State, 12/14
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Detroit, 12/12
Vander Blue, Marquette vs. UW-Green Bay, 12/11
Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph's vs. Creighton, 12/10
Dion Waiters, Syracuse vs. George Washington, 12/10 (DotY Candidate)
Victor Oladipo, Indiana vs. Kentucky, 12/10
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia vs. Georgia Tech, 12/10
Vander Blue, Marquette vs. Washington, 12/6
Terrence Ross, Washington vs. Marquette, 12/6
Deville Smith, Mississippi State vs. West Virginia, 12/3
Terrence Jones, Kentucky vs. North Carolina, 12/3
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Georgetown, 12/1
Anthony Marshall, UNLV vs. UNC, 11/26
Michael Kidd-Glichrist, Kentucky vs. Portland, 11/26/11 (DotY Candidate)
Markel Brown, Oklahoma State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/25
Rodney Williams, Minnesota vs. DePaul, 11/24
Thomas Robinson, Kansas vs. Duke, 11/23
Stan Okoye, VMI vs. Ohio State, 11/23
Kyisean Reed, Utah State vs. Southern Utah, 11/19
Ra'Shad James, Iona vs. Western Michigan, 11/18
Alandise Harris, Houston vs. Arkansas, 11/18
Sam Thompson, Ohio State vs. Jackson State, 11/18
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Wichita State, 11/18
Eric Griffin, Campbell vs. North Carolina A&T, 11/18 (DotY Candidate)
Olek Czyz, Nevada vs. Pacific, 11/17
Chris Watson, Pikeville vs. Mountain State, 11/16
Ray Willis, North Carolina Central vs. Wagner, 11/16
Mike James, Lamar vs. Ohio, 11/15 (DotY Candidate)
Quincy Acy, Baylor vs. San Diego State, 11/15
Deniz Kilicli, West Virginia vs. Kent State, 11/15
Chris Evans, Kent State vs. West Virginia, 11/15
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Oakland, 11/14
Isaiah Brown, East Tennessee State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/12
Michael Lyons, Air Force vs. Army, 11/11
Dezmine Wells, Xavier vs. Morgan State, 11/11
Jeremy Lamb, UConn vs. Columbia, 11/11 (DotY Candidate)
Andre Drummond, UConn vs. CW Post, 11/4
Moe Harkless, St. John's vs. CW Post, 10/26
Continue reading...
Justin Coleman suspended ... for texting on the bench? |
The funniest player-coach interaction I've ever seen at a sporting even involved a cell phone.
It was at a college soccer game back in 2006. I can't remember what school was playing (they wore green, I know that), but we were in our usual spot, directly behind the opposing bench, getting our heckle on. We didn't have a football team, so soccer games were our big sporting event.
Anyway, midway through the second half, a cell phone starts ringing in one of the player's bags. Its playing "Wanksta" by 50 Cent, which was hilarious enough in itself considering that song was almost half a decade old by then. The coach hears the ringing as well and walks over to the bag, opens it up and pulls out one of those old Nextels that had the rainbow colored lights start flashing when the phone rang. He proceeds to walk about ten feet down from the bench and drops the phone, which is still ringing, into a garbage can.
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Tuesday's Shootaround: Baylor wins, UVA survives, Bobby Mo and their 31 turnovers |
No. 5 Baylor 61, Texas A&M 52: Given the way that the Aggies started this game -- by digging themselves a 28-11 hole late in the first half -- the way the game ended up wasn't terrible. A nine point loss of the road to a top five team in the country is hardly a loss to be embarrassed by.
The issues that A&M has have nothing to do with the effort they give or the defense they play or the size they have on the interior. The Aggies are going to be nothing more than mediocre until they find a way to be able to consistently score points. Against Baylor, A&M shot a whopping 28.6% from the floor. They were 7-25 from three. They had all of nine assists to go along with their 13 turnovers. Khris Middleton, who is supposed to be Billy Kennedy's best offensive weapon, was 4-17 from the floor.
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Tuesday Morning Dump |
- We recorded a podcast yesterday with Matt Norlander of CBS Eye on College Basketball. We provided in-depth details about our upcoming road-trip. Help us out by donating some money for gas
- Seth Davis drops his always-entertaining annual stock report
- Your must-read-of-the-day comes from New York Times writer Joe Nocera. He issues a five point plan that will fix the landscape of revenue-generating sports
- Bad news for Travis Ford and Oklahoma State. 6-foot-5 wing Jean-Paul Olukemi will miss the rest of the season due to an ACL injury that he suffered in the Cowboy's loss to Virginia Tech
- A quick-read from Mike Miller about the growing confidence of mid-major programs
- Are the Big-12 players and coaches ready for conference play? Curtis Kitchen lets us know
- Eamonn Brennan's Poll Thoughts. Garry Parrish's Poll Attacks
- The month of December in photos. Really really really cool photos
- Murray State senior forward Ivan Aska broke a bone in his hand against Eastern Illinois on Friday night and is doubtful for the Racers' next game
- Mike DeCourcy previews the Conference-USA regular season and wonders if this is the year for Southern Mississippi
- Jeff Eisenberg suggests that the Missouri Valley Conference won't get as many NCAA tournament bids as you may expect
- Ray Mernagh explains why Pittsburgh could really use the services of Khem Birch right about now. Unfortunately for the Panthers, Birch decided to transfer out after just four months of school. Birch is now looking at a long list of potential landing-spots, including New Mexico State.
- Brian Mull provides a great breakdown of CAA team performances in non-conference play
- John Calipari has a couple of New years resolutions for his young wildcat team
- Northern Illinois finally got their victory of the year. They beat some team called Roosevelt. I'm pretty sure that's not a D-I team, but we'll let it slide for now
- A solid Q&A session with Hofstra head coach Mo Cassara
- I always love a good Club Trillion watch
- Is Olivia Wilde going to become the "Ashley Judd" of Kansas
Elijah Johnson is too strong
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College Hoops Week in Review: Drew Gordon and Vanderbilt over anything Kentucky |
Player of the Week: Drew Gordon, New Mexico
The Lobos have made a push back into relevancy after struggling through the early part of the season. After starting out the year 2-2, New Mexico has now won 10 in a row, including victories against St. Louis, Oklahoma State and Missouri State. This past week, Steve Alford's club went 2-0, but it was the play of big man Drew Gordon that stood out.
On Wednesday, the UCLA transfer helped the Lobos get revenge against New Mexico State. UNM lost to the Aggies back in November at home, but those memories were quickly erased in an 89-69 win in Las Cruces that probably wasn't even as close as the final score would indicate. Gordon has arguably his most impressive performance of the season, going for 23 points and 19 boards against NMSU's Wendell McKines. On Saturday, New Mexico had an even more noteworthy win, knocking off Atlantic 10 contender St. Louis 64-60. Gordon was terrific in that game as well, finishing with 18 points and nine boards.
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Monday, January 2, 2012
POSTERIZED: Orion Outerbridge is out of this world |
Unless you are a die-hard Rhody or BC fan, there was absolutely no reason why you should have watched the Rhode Island/Boston College games. Rhode Island is 3-12 and is the worst team in the Atlantic-10. Boston College is 5-9 and is the worst team in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Rhode Island won in double-OT, but that's not the point.
The point is, Orion Outerbridge (3x B.I.A.H All-Name First Teamer) threw down one of the most ferocious two-handed #POSTERIZED dunks I have ever seen.
Seriously, that was awesome.
I'm not sure there isn't anything about this guy that's not awesome.
But was it as good as these?
Sam Thompson, Ohio State vs. Indiana, 12/31
DeShon Minnis, Texas Tech vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 12/30
Keith Gabriel, VMI vs. Old Dominion, 12/22
Eric Etherly, Loyola (Md.) vs. Kentucky, 12/22
Chris Evans, Kent State vs. Texas-Arlington, 12/21
P.J. Hairston, North Carolina vs. Texas, 12/21
Robbie Hummel, Purdue vs. IPFW, 12/20
Robert Brown, Virginia Tech vs. North Florida, 12/19
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Kansas State, 12/17
Torye Pelham, Southern Mississippi vs. Ole Miss, 12/17
Quincy Diggs, Akron vs. Florida A&M, 12/17
Anthony Davis, Kentucky vs. Chattanooga, 12/17
Langston Galloway/C.J. Aiken/Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph's vs. Villanova, 12/17
Terrence Ross, Washington vs. UC-Santa Barbara, 12/16
Jared Cunningham, Oregon State vs. Howard, 12/15
Raheem Appleby, Louisiana Tech vs. McNeese State, 12/14
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Detroit, 12/12
Vander Blue, Marquette vs. UW-Green Bay, 12/11
Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph's vs. Creighton, 12/10
Dion Waiters, Syracuse vs. George Washington, 12/10 (DotY Candidate)
Victor Oladipo, Indiana vs. Kentucky, 12/10
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia vs. Georgia Tech, 12/10
Vander Blue, Marquette vs. Washington, 12/6
Terrence Ross, Washington vs. Marquette, 12/6
Deville Smith, Mississippi State vs. West Virginia, 12/3
Terrence Jones, Kentucky vs. North Carolina, 12/3
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Georgetown, 12/1
Anthony Marshall, UNLV vs. UNC, 11/26
Michael Kidd-Glichrist, Kentucky vs. Portland, 11/26/11 (DotY Candidate)
Markel Brown, Oklahoma State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/25
Rodney Williams, Minnesota vs. DePaul, 11/24
Thomas Robinson, Kansas vs. Duke, 11/23
Stan Okoye, VMI vs. Ohio State, 11/23
Kyisean Reed, Utah State vs. Southern Utah, 11/19
Ra'Shad James, Iona vs. Western Michigan, 11/18
Alandise Harris, Houston vs. Arkansas, 11/18
Sam Thompson, Ohio State vs. Jackson State, 11/18
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Wichita State, 11/18
Eric Griffin, Campbell vs. North Carolina A&T, 11/18 (DotY Candidate)
Olek Czyz, Nevada vs. Pacific, 11/17
Chris Watson, Pikeville vs. Mountain State, 11/16
Ray Willis, North Carolina Central vs. Wagner, 11/16
Mike James, Lamar vs. Ohio, 11/15 (DotY Candidate)
Quincy Acy, Baylor vs. San Diego State, 11/15
Deniz Kilicli, West Virginia vs. Kent State, 11/15
Chris Evans, Kent State vs. West Virginia, 11/15
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Oakland, 11/14
Isaiah Brown, East Tennessee State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/12
Michael Lyons, Air Force vs. Army, 11/11
Dezmine Wells, Xavier vs. Morgan State, 11/11
Jeremy Lamb, UConn vs. Columbia, 11/11 (DotY Candidate)
Andre Drummond, UConn vs. CW Post, 11/4
Moe Harkless, St. John's vs. CW Post, 10/26
Continue reading...
POSTERIZED: It's never too late for Easy-E |
File this one under the "God Bless YouTube" category.
So what if it's been two weeks since Kentucky played Loyola (Md).
A #POSTERIZED dunk always deserves recognition, even if it's way late.
This installment once again features Kentucky's sensational shot-blocking freshman Anthony Davis. Unfortunately, Davis was on the wrong end of an Eric Etherly poster-dunk.
When you block as many shots as Davis does, this will happen every once in a while. But let's give Etherly some credit here.
That was one helluva dunk.
But was it as good as these?
Sam Thompson, Ohio State vs. Indiana, 12/31
DeShon Minnis, Texas Tech vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 12/30
Keith Gabriel, VMI vs. Old Dominion, 12/22
Chris Evans, Kent State vs. Texas-Arlington, 12/21
P.J. Hairston, North Carolina vs. Texas, 12/21
Robbie Hummel, Purdue vs. IPFW, 12/20
Robert Brown, Virginia Tech vs. North Florida, 12/19
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Kansas State, 12/17
Torye Pelham, Southern Mississippi vs. Ole Miss, 12/17
Quincy Diggs, Akron vs. Florida A&M, 12/17
Anthony Davis, Kentucky vs. Chattanooga, 12/17
Langston Galloway/C.J. Aiken/Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph's vs. Villanova, 12/17
Terrence Ross, Washington vs. UC-Santa Barbara, 12/16
Jared Cunningham, Oregon State vs. Howard, 12/15
Raheem Appleby, Louisiana Tech vs. McNeese State, 12/14
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Detroit, 12/12
Vander Blue, Marquette vs. UW-Green Bay, 12/11
Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph's vs. Creighton, 12/10
Dion Waiters, Syracuse vs. George Washington, 12/10 (DotY Candidate)
Victor Oladipo, Indiana vs. Kentucky, 12/10
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia vs. Georgia Tech, 12/10
Vander Blue, Marquette vs. Washington, 12/6
Terrence Ross, Washington vs. Marquette, 12/6
Deville Smith, Mississippi State vs. West Virginia, 12/3
Terrence Jones, Kentucky vs. North Carolina, 12/3
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Georgetown, 12/1
Anthony Marshall, UNLV vs. UNC, 11/26
Michael Kidd-Glichrist, Kentucky vs. Portland, 11/26/11 (DotY Candidate)
Markel Brown, Oklahoma State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/25
Rodney Williams, Minnesota vs. DePaul, 11/24
Thomas Robinson, Kansas vs. Duke, 11/23
Stan Okoye, VMI vs. Ohio State, 11/23
Kyisean Reed, Utah State vs. Southern Utah, 11/19
Ra'Shad James, Iona vs. Western Michigan, 11/18
Alandise Harris, Houston vs. Arkansas, 11/18
Sam Thompson, Ohio State vs. Jackson State, 11/18
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Wichita State, 11/18
Eric Griffin, Campbell vs. North Carolina A&T, 11/18 (DotY Candidate)
Olek Czyz, Nevada vs. Pacific, 11/17
Chris Watson, Pikeville vs. Mountain State, 11/16
Ray Willis, North Carolina Central vs. Wagner, 11/16
Mike James, Lamar vs. Ohio, 11/15 (DotY Candidate)
Quincy Acy, Baylor vs. San Diego State, 11/15
Deniz Kilicli, West Virginia vs. Kent State, 11/15
Chris Evans, Kent State vs. West Virginia, 11/15
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Oakland, 11/14
Isaiah Brown, East Tennessee State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/12
Michael Lyons, Air Force vs. Army, 11/11
Dezmine Wells, Xavier vs. Morgan State, 11/11
Jeremy Lamb, UConn vs. Columbia, 11/11 (DotY Candidate)
Andre Drummond, UConn vs. CW Post, 11/4
Moe Harkless, St. John's vs. CW Post, 10/26
Continue reading...
#BIAHroadtrip: Introduction Primer |
I still can't believe this is happening. I still struggle to comprehend what we are about to embark on. I think we may be bitting off more than we can chew.
But I guess those are normal thoughts to have days before leaving on a 20-day, 6,000 mile road trip across America in the dead of winter.
Two months ago, I was confident, I was prepared. I was 100% positive that I knew what I was doing. But now, just three days before the trip, I can't help but feel like I have no idea what I've gotten ourselves in to.
I've driven from central Pennsylvania to Boston before. I've done Myrtle Beach to Naples, Florida. I have traversed the New Jersey Turnpike no less than 60 times. But those previous trips pale in comparison to what we are about to do.
But that's half the fun of it, the great unknown. Even if we fail miserably, there will be a great story to tell. This is more than just driving to different basketball games. This is an adventure, and we plan on documenting the whole thing.
Rules of the Road:
- Support the cause! If you can't join us for a drink or a burger, help us out a bit. This trip is being funded completely out of pocket. So help us out by Donating to the #BIAHRoadtrip. Any contributions would be much appreciated. There is a "DONATE" button on the side of the homepage, and you can also follow this link and donate directly.
- Communication is key: Hit us up on twitter ( @Ballinisahabit and @BIAHtroymachir) with suggestions and advice. Follow us using FourSquare. Check out our Tumblr page. Use and follow the #BIAHroadtrip and #BIAHtraveltip hashtags on Twitter. We will be documenting every part of our trip.
- We want to meet you! Invite us to a tailgate, meet us at a local watering hole before or after the game. Introduce us to the student section. Our main goal is to meet all the great fans that make this sport great. We want the ultimate fan experience.
- Local flare: There will be no fast food or "light" beer on this trip. We want local food - BBQ in Nashville, bratwursts in Wisconsin, craft beers in Kansas City. But again, we will need your help.
Game Plan:
Our trip begins on Thursday, January 5th. We will depart Washington D.C. and drive some 660 miles to Nashville, Tennessee. We will take in as much of Nashville as we can, then rest before our first game of the trip on Friday.
- Friday 1/6 - Belmont vs. Lipscomb - Nashville, TN
After the "Battle of the Boulevard" game, we will rest in Nashville before driving roughly 215 miles to Lexington, KY for Kentucky's SEC home-opener against South Carolina at 4:00PM. We want to be part of Big Blue Nation for the day, so tell us where to go and what to do.
- Saturday 1/7 - Kentucky vs. South Carolina - Lexington, KY
We will spend the weekend in Lexington. We will try and meet up with the good people over at Kentucky Sports Radio, and will take a tour of Northern Kentucky University, who will become a D-I member of the Atlantic Sun Conference next season.
On Monday afternoon we will drive an hour north to Cincinnati as we get ready to start our hectic 6-games-in-6-days stretch. That night we plan on seeking out a Bearcat-heavy sports bar in order to watch the Big Monday game featuring Cincinnati and Georgetown. On Wednesday, We will see if Xavier can finally regroup from their post-brawl collapse and I make an effort to relive the final scene from "Airborne", a downhill in-line skating race on Devil's Backbone.
- Wednesday 1/11 - Xavier vs. Duquesne - Cincinnati, OH
On Thursday morning, we will drive 140 miles east from Cincinnati to Bloomington, IN to watch the Indiana Hoosiers take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers. No college hoops "Bucket list" is complete without a trip to Assembly Hall, and with the Hoosiers ranked in the top-10, the environment should be electric.
- Thursday 1/12 - Indiana vs. Minnesota - Bloomington, IN
After a night in Bloomington, we drive 50 miles north to Indianapolis. After airing our grievances at the NCAA Headquarters, we will take in a Friday night Horizon League showdown between Butler and Cleveland State. Assembly Hall on Thursday, Hinkle Fieldhouse on Friday? That's not too shabby at all.
- Friday 1/13 - Butler vs. Cleveland State - Indianapolis, IN
But here's where things start to get interesting. Directly after the Butler game, we will hit the road and drive 270 miles northwest to Milwaukee, WI for a noon tip-off between Marquette and Pittsburgh. That gives us roughly 14 hours in between games. There will be very little sleep, if any at all.
- Saturday 1/14 - Marquette vs. Pittsburgh - Milwaukee, WI
Following the Big East showdown, we will post up at a sports bar in Milwaukee and watch one of the other 142 games on tap for that day. We will set up "base-camp" in Oconomowoc for the night, before traveling 60 miles west to Madison on Sunday Morning.
- Sunday 1/15 - Wisconsin vs. Nebraska - Madison, WI
After the 5:00PM game is finished, we will embark on one of the toughest drives of the trip: a 430 mile late-night trek from Madison to Columbia, MO in order to take in the 5:30PM game between Missouri and Texas A&M. When we arrive in Columbia, we will sleep. I don't know where and I don't know for how long. But we will sleep. We we wake up, we head to Mizzou Arena for a special MLK-day afternoon battle between future-SEC opponents Missouri and Texas A&M.
- Monday 1/16 - Missouri vs. Texas A and M - Columbia, MO
Our hectic stretch is now over. We will recharge our batteries on Tuesday and meet up with Kim English to settle the score between himself and Rob Dauster. Rob thinks he knows more NBA Alma Maters than Kim. Kim says Rob is wrong. We will finally get our answer.
After a full day of rest, we hit the road for 170 miles until we reach Springfield, MO for a huge Missouri Valley Conference match-up between Missouri State and Creighton. The Bears already scored a victory over the Blue Jays last week, and Creighton will look to return the favor.
- Wednesday 1/18 - Missouri State vs. Creighton - Springfield, MO
Another day off awaits us. Thursday will be spent resting and recapping. There will be lots to do, and very little time to do it in.
On Friday we will drive 80 miles southwest to Joplin, MO which was devastated by tornadoes back in May 2011. We will do what we can to help Habitat for Humanity rebuild the homes and building that were destroyed. When we are finished, we will continue southwest towards Tulsa, OK. We will rest for the night, then attempt to cover two games in one day.
We will drive 70 miles west to Stillwater, OK to see visit Gallagher-Iba Arena, as Oklahoma State welcomes Kansas State at 1:05PM CST. Directly after the game is finished, we will drive back to Tulsa to watch Oakland face Oral Roberts in a pivotal Summit League clash.
- Saturday 1/21 - Oklahoma State vs. Kansas State - Stillwater, OK
- Saturday 1/21 - Oral Roberts vs. Oakland - Tulsa, OK (DOUBLE-HEADER)
If we make it through the double-header unscathed, we will be rewarded with another day of rest before heading to Lawrence, KS for a Big Monday match-up between Texas A&M and Kansas.
- Monday 1/23 - Kansas vs. Texas A and M - Lawrence, KS
Now comes the final leg of our trip. We have two full days to get from Lawrence, KS to Logan UT, a drive that is well over 1,000 miles long. We will make a rest stop in Denver, CO on Tuesday night, before finishing the trip on Wednesday if our car is still in tact.
- Thursday 1/26 - Utah State vs. Hawaii - Logan, UT
This trip was built around visiting Utah State. There is not a student section in the country as passionate and as creative as the group at USU.
On Friday we will begin our trip back to Washington, D.C. It's a haul of over 2,000 miles and will likely be the most difficult drive of the trip. But if/when we return, we will have accomplished something we set out to do a long time ago. We will have done something that very few people can attest to doing. All the money we spend and all the sleep we don't get will be totally worth it.
B.I.A.H Scavenger Hunt:
Consider this our check-list of things we want to accomplish on this trip. If you have any good ideas that we haven't thought of, send us an email at ContactBIAH@Gmail.com
- Witness 30 point scorer
- Witness a triple-double
- Hearing student band that doesn't play anything that can be found on top 40 radio
- Witness three legitimate #POSTERIZEDS
- A giant head of someone not associated with college basketball
- Picture with a live mascot
- Picture with a real, live mullet.
- Picture with a student section Benedict Arnold
- Picture with the World's Largest "_____"
- Picture with an All-Name Team member
- Picture on the court of every arena.
- Picture in front of every "now entering this state" sign
- Participate in at least one "I Believe That We Will Win" chant
- See a fan make a half court shot
- Document the media room meals
- Document the best tailgate setups
- Eat something that makes us "that's the best goddamn '______' I've ever had"
- Sample a non-local concession stand food
- Take a picture with a lost fan
- Meet a family member of a player
- See at least 48 different state license plates
So there you have it. This is the skeleton for our entire trip. We encourage you to contact us as much as possible. We encourage to make a donation and support the cause. Most of all, we encourage you to follow along as we travel across the country following the pulse of college basketball.
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Monday's Pregame Beat: Big 12 play kicks off |
Game of the night: Texas A&M @ No. 5 Baylor
Texas A&M is a conundrum this season. While Khris Middleton is back and healthy, the Aggies are currently playing without Kourtney Roberson (ankle), Jamal Branch (transfer) and with Billy Kennedy still battling Parkinson's. The Aggies certainly haven't been bad this season, but they also haven't looked like a team that will be able to compete with Baylor, Missouri and Kansas at the top of the Big 12.
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Conference Catch-ups: The Big 12 |
Over the course of this week, we will spend a few minutes catching you up on how some of the best conferences in the country currently look. With conference play starting up, its time to get into the basketball spirit.
You can find the rest of the Conference Catch-ups here.
Favorite: Baylor
I just finished recording a podcast over at CBS, and one of the things that we discussed was Baylor and why they aren't getting the same kind of hype as, say, Indiana or Ohio State or UConn. The most obvious reason is that they haven't exactly beaten a murderer's row; BYU, West Virginia and St. Mary's are, by far, the Bear's three best wins. Teams build hype by winning games that you cannot help but watch, and as of now, Baylor doesn't have a single win of that ilk. But there is more to it: Baylor has serious question marks about three important pieces on their team. Is Scott Drew a good enough coach? His reputation is that of a recruiter, not a play-by-play tactician. Can Pierre Jackson run the point for this team? He's made some clutch plays over the past couple of games, but he also has a tendency to go into NBA 2K mode when he's not good enough for that. Is Perry Jones III ever going to find the "Eff You!" mentality that the best-of-the-best have? Assertiveness and aggressiveness are the only things that are keeping PJIII from being a serious contender for National Player of the Year.
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Monday Morning Dump |
Happy 2012. The #BIAHRoadTrip is just three days away. We will provide more details on the entire trip in the coming days. Today's dump is rather light because a) planning and preparing for a 20-day road trip takes up a lot of time and b) I still haven't recovered from New Years
- A great-read from Donna Ditota of the Post-Standard about Syracuse's number-one fan, 8-year old Nick Trivelpiece
- I agree with John Clay. There is no question as to who has been Kentucky's pre-Christmas MVP
- You don't even have to be a fan of UCLA to appreciate the work that Bruins Nation is doing. Their consistent effort to expose the incompetency of the athletic department has been nothing short of masterful. Seriously, I have no connection to UCLA whatsoever, and yet I find myself reading their takedowns and call-to-arms on a daily basis.
- Bowling Green's Torian Oglesby set a new NCAA record for consecutive made field goals (26)
- Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated provides a "2011 Best Of" list for the sports media world (Must-read stuff)
- Jarnelle Stokes is still a week or so away from being cleared to participated for Tennessee
- A preview of Chattanooga's January schedule (#OmarWattadFTW #LetsGetWattaded)
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Sunday, January 1, 2012
POSTERIZED: Indiana did not gameplan for Sam Thompson |
Freshman Sam Thompson only averages 10mpg for Ohio State, but it's becoming very clear that he knows how to execute the Buckeye's out-of-bounds play.
During tOSUs drubbing of Jackson State back in November, Thompson finished a nice out-of-bound alley-oop that got him his first #POSTERIZED feature.
Against Indiana on Saturday, Thompson did the exact same thing.
And it was glorious.
Future-tOSU opponents would be foolish not to gameplan for this, and it's kinda simple: Don't lose sight of Sam Thompson on an out-of-bounds play.
But was it as good as these?
DeShon Minnis, Texas Tech vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 12/30
Keith Gabriel, VMI vs. Old Dominion, 12/22
Chris Evans, Kent State vs. Texas-Arlington, 12/21
P.J. Hairston, North Carolina vs. Texas, 12/21
Robbie Hummel, Purdue vs. IPFW, 12/20
Robert Brown, Virginia Tech vs. North Florida, 12/19
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Kansas State, 12/17
Torye Pelham, Southern Mississippi vs. Ole Miss, 12/17
Quincy Diggs, Akron vs. Florida A&M, 12/17
Anthony Davis, Kentucky vs. Chattanooga, 12/17
Langston Galloway/C.J. Aiken/Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph's vs. Villanova, 12/17
Terrence Ross, Washington vs. UC-Santa Barbara, 12/16
Jared Cunningham, Oregon State vs. Howard, 12/15
Raheem Appleby, Louisiana Tech vs. McNeese State, 12/14
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Detroit, 12/12
Vander Blue, Marquette vs. UW-Green Bay, 12/11
Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph's vs. Creighton, 12/10
Dion Waiters, Syracuse vs. George Washington, 12/10 (DotY Candidate)
Victor Oladipo, Indiana vs. Kentucky, 12/10
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia vs. Georgia Tech, 12/10
Vander Blue, Marquette vs. Washington, 12/6
Terrence Ross, Washington vs. Marquette, 12/6
Deville Smith, Mississippi State vs. West Virginia, 12/3
Terrence Jones, Kentucky vs. North Carolina, 12/3
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Georgetown, 12/1
Anthony Marshall, UNLV vs. UNC, 11/26
Michael Kidd-Glichrist, Kentucky vs. Portland, 11/26/11 (DotY Candidate)
Markel Brown, Oklahoma State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/25
Rodney Williams, Minnesota vs. DePaul, 11/24
Thomas Robinson, Kansas vs. Duke, 11/23
Stan Okoye, VMI vs. Ohio State, 11/23
Kyisean Reed, Utah State vs. Southern Utah, 11/19
Ra'Shad James, Iona vs. Western Michigan, 11/18
Alandise Harris, Houston vs. Arkansas, 11/18
Sam Thompson, Ohio State vs. Jackson State, 11/18
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Wichita State, 11/18
Eric Griffin, Campbell vs. North Carolina A&T, 11/18 (DotY Candidate)
Olek Czyz, Nevada vs. Pacific, 11/17
Chris Watson, Pikeville vs. Mountain State, 11/16
Ray Willis, North Carolina Central vs. Wagner, 11/16
Mike James, Lamar vs. Ohio, 11/15 (DotY Candidate)
Quincy Acy, Baylor vs. San Diego State, 11/15
Deniz Kilicli, West Virginia vs. Kent State, 11/15
Chris Evans, Kent State vs. West Virginia, 11/15
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Oakland, 11/14
Isaiah Brown, East Tennessee State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/12
Michael Lyons, Air Force vs. Army, 11/11
Dezmine Wells, Xavier vs. Morgan State, 11/11
Jeremy Lamb, UConn vs. Columbia, 11/11 (DotY Candidate)
Andre Drummond, UConn vs. CW Post, 11/4
Moe Harkless, St. John's vs. CW Post, 10/26
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POSTERIZED: Elgin Bailey gets KO'd......again |
You all remember Elgin Bailey, right?
It was right around this time last season when the then-Mississippi State senior forward got punched repeatedly in the face by teammate Renardo Sidney during the Diamondhead Classic in Hawaii.
Bailey was kicked off the team and left the university shortly thereafter. Unbeknownst to practically everyone not-named Jeff Goodman, Bailey wound up at Southeastern Louisiana University.
Well, Southeastern Louisiana played Texas Tech on Friday night, and once again, Bailey was on the receiving-end of a vicious KO.
A vicious dunk-KO that is, courtesy of the noticeably-smaller DeShon Minnis.
Deshon "Biggie" Minnis is a 6-foot-3, 200lb freshman guard. Elgin Bailey is a 6-foot-8, 265lb senior forward. Yet it was the freshman that sent the fifth-year senior into the third row of the student section.
But you really have to feel for the camera-man. Dude took 265-plus pounds at full speed. That can't feel good.
But was it as good as these?
Keith Gabriel, VMI vs. Old Dominion, 12/22
Chris Evans, Kent State vs. Texas-Arlington, 12/21
P.J. Hairston, North Carolina vs. Texas, 12/21
Robbie Hummel, Purdue vs. IPFW, 12/20
Robert Brown, Virginia Tech vs. North Florida, 12/19
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Kansas State, 12/17
Torye Pelham, Southern Mississippi vs. Ole Miss, 12/17
Quincy Diggs, Akron vs. Florida A&M, 12/17
Anthony Davis, Kentucky vs. Chattanooga, 12/17
Langston Galloway/C.J. Aiken/Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph's vs. Villanova, 12/17
Terrence Ross, Washington vs. UC-Santa Barbara, 12/16
Jared Cunningham, Oregon State vs. Howard, 12/15
Raheem Appleby, Louisiana Tech vs. McNeese State, 12/14
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Detroit, 12/12
Vander Blue, Marquette vs. UW-Green Bay, 12/11
Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph's vs. Creighton, 12/10
Dion Waiters, Syracuse vs. George Washington, 12/10 (DotY Candidate)
Victor Oladipo, Indiana vs. Kentucky, 12/10
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia vs. Georgia Tech, 12/10
Vander Blue, Marquette vs. Washington, 12/6
Terrence Ross, Washington vs. Marquette, 12/6
Deville Smith, Mississippi State vs. West Virginia, 12/3
Terrence Jones, Kentucky vs. North Carolina, 12/3
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Georgetown, 12/1
Anthony Marshall, UNLV vs. UNC, 11/26
Michael Kidd-Glichrist, Kentucky vs. Portland, 11/26/11 (DotY Candidate)
Markel Brown, Oklahoma State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/25
Rodney Williams, Minnesota vs. DePaul, 11/24
Thomas Robinson, Kansas vs. Duke, 11/23
Stan Okoye, VMI vs. Ohio State, 11/23
Kyisean Reed, Utah State vs. Southern Utah, 11/19
Ra'Shad James, Iona vs. Western Michigan, 11/18
Alandise Harris, Houston vs. Arkansas, 11/18
Sam Thompson, Ohio State vs. Jackson State, 11/18
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Wichita State, 11/18
Eric Griffin, Campbell vs. North Carolina A&T, 11/18 (DotY Candidate)
Olek Czyz, Nevada vs. Pacific, 11/17
Chris Watson, Pikeville vs. Mountain State, 11/16
Ray Willis, North Carolina Central vs. Wagner, 11/16
Mike James, Lamar vs. Ohio, 11/15 (DotY Candidate)
Quincy Acy, Baylor vs. San Diego State, 11/15
Deniz Kilicli, West Virginia vs. Kent State, 11/15
Chris Evans, Kent State vs. West Virginia, 11/15
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Oakland, 11/14
Isaiah Brown, East Tennessee State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/12
Michael Lyons, Air Force vs. Army, 11/11
Dezmine Wells, Xavier vs. Morgan State, 11/11
Jeremy Lamb, UConn vs. Columbia, 11/11 (DotY Candidate)
Andre Drummond, UConn vs. CW Post, 11/4
Moe Harkless, St. John's vs. CW Post, 10/26
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