And you thought Thomas Robinson's charge was the only episode of home-cooking on Saturday night.
Out in Boulder, Colorado was getting a friendly whistle of their own. With just a few seconds left on the clock, Oregon's Olu Ashaolu finished a layup off of a dish from Jonathon Loyd to tie the game at 71 with just a couple of seconds left on the clock. But he missed the free throw, allowing Colorado's Nate Tomlinson go dribble the length of the floor. He missed a shot at the other end, but the referees called EJ Singler for a foul with just 0.1 seconds left (start at the 1:00 mark):
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Showing posts with label Oregon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oregon. Show all posts
Sunday, February 5, 2012
VIDEO: Did Oregon get homered? |
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Changes coming to Matt Court |
Oregon's court didn't exactly draw rave reviews when it debuted back in January.
The brightness of the court is blinding on an HD TV. The glare from the ribbon board is not only visible, it changes colors. And the trees? Yeah.
But the biggest complaint had to do with the half court line -- you can't see it. The players, the refs, the fans in the arena and watching on TV. And it cost Creighton fans the CBI title (jump to the 1:10 mark):
Creighton's leading scorer Antoine Young committed a back court violation with 17.2 seconds left in a tie game. On the ensuing possession, Oregon's EJ Singler hit a shot with two seconds left to give Oregon the title. Needless to say, Creighton fans were not happy.
Well, according to Ron Bellamy of the Register-Guard, change is in the wind ... err, on the court:
The surface of Matt Knight Arena has been refinished, with a single three-point line, to reflect the fact that the women have moved back to the men's distance of 20 feet, 9 inches. And, lo and behold, there is now a mid-court line that can actually be seen, sort of. It's two shades of brown, to match the floor design, and stops at either end of the "O" in the middle of the floor, but it's actually one that's visible without standing directly on top of it. It should satisfy the critics of last season's near-invisible line that actually led to a key Creighton turnover in Oregon's win in the CBI.Who would have thought that being able to see half court was important in basketball?
(h/t the latest Atlien to return home)
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Monday, July 25, 2011
Tony Woods should get a second chance, Oregon is in a position to give it |
Disgraced Wake Forest center Tony Woods has finally decided where he will continue his collegiate career, opting to transfer to Oregon where he will be eligible immediately with two years of eligibility remaining.
Its a risky move for Oregon coach Dana Altman.
Woods is a super talent, a former five-star recruit who, at 6'11" and 250 lb, should help fill the void left by Joevan Coetran's graduation. But Woods is also three years removed from that five-star ranking. And in those three years, he amassed career high averages of just 4.6 ppg and 3.2 rpg while at Wake Forest.
But he didn't play basketball last year. He left the school after being found guilty of just one charge in a domestic violence incident -- in front of his one year old kid -- that left his girlfriend with a fractured spine.
Its a worthwhile risk for Altman, however.
For starters, read this profile of Woods by Yahoo!'s Jason King. In it, both Courtney Barbour (Woods' girlfriend) and her mother defend him, as does his former coach Dino Gaudio. They say that what was reported in the media was exaggerated, that it was much worse than what truly occurred. If the victim and her mother are both willing to go on record defending Woods, saying that the incident was a momentary lapse of judgement that was blown out of proportion, maybe it actually was.
I'm a firm believer in second chances. Everyone makes mistakes. In no way am I condoning what happened between Woods and his girlfriend -- even his girlfriend's story is true -- but I also don't believe that a 20 year old should be judged based off of one emotional incident, particularly when it involves his mother, his girlfriend, and his child.
And while it may be a risk giving this kid another chance, its a risk that Altman is in a position to take.
The other schools that Woods was involved with were the likes of Louisville and Kentucky and Texas. Those are programs that are already established. The damage of bringing in a kid with Woods' reputation and the risk of having him involved in another incident outweighs the chance that a former five-star recruit can shed the label of career back-up.
Those three programs can, more or less, get the recruits that they target. And those recruits are probably going to be better than Woods.
Oregon, however, is not in a position to get any recruit that they want.
But they are in a position where adding a big body can make a significant difference on their season. The Ducks have a very good class of newcomers coming into the program, headlined by freshman Jabari Parker and senior-transfer Olu Ashaolu. They also have some talent returning -- headlined by EJ Singler, Johnathon Loyd, and Garrett Sim -- from a team that significantly outperformed expectations last season.
Woods fills a hole in the middle.
And if he can regain the form that made him a top 25 recruit, he'll be a superstar in the Pac-12.
And if not, it was a risk that Oregon is in a position to be able to take.
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Friday, January 14, 2011
The B.I.A.H Not-Top-10 Rankings |
Every week, writers, publications, media outlets and bloggers issue their Top-25 rankings for the week. A majority of the time, everybody has virtually same opinion of all the teams.
If you want to find this week's top-25 rankings, you've come to the wrong place. Here you will find our rankings for the 10 worst team performances in the NCAA. This list isn't just home to the winless mid-major bottom-feeders. No, here you will find the biggest underachievers, slumpers and teams in a funk, the worst weekly performers, and the teams that just plain suck. Now there will be teams on this list that are better than teams not on this list. But come on people, we are trying to be creative, just work with us.
The B.I.A.H Not-Top-10 Rankings
1. Georgetown Hoyas
Record: 12-5 (1-4)
They've lost four out of five, and the one win was an underwhelming 11-point win at home against DePaul. The Hoyas aren't rebounding, aren't playing aggressive defense, and aren't making good decisions. They are forcing turnovers, missing foul shots, not executing on offense and seem to lack desire and leadership. They still have 13 more Big East games left, so they have time to correct the problems, or they could continue to implode. 
Our very-own Rob Dauster made an excellent point about the leadership on this team. When the current seniors were freshman, they won the Big East before getting bounced in the second round of the NCAA tournament. During their sophomore seasons, they started 10-1 before staging an epic implosion which included Chris Wright punching Jessie Sapp in the face in a locker room confrontation after a loss at Duke. Last season, their junior year, they rallied to make the Big East tournament finals before losing to the Ohio Bearcats in the first round. How are the seniors supposed to lead if they have never been exposed to leadership before?
2. Memphis Tigers
Record: 12-4 (1-1)
Losers of three out of their last six, the Tigers seem to be falling apart at the seams. They suffered their first "bad loss" to SMU on Wednesday, but they haven't had a "good win" since early December. Young Josh Pastner has his hands full trying to coach up a young team and keep his kids in line. He has already dismissed Jelan Kendrick, had Angel Garcia leave to pursue a pro career, and just recently suspended Welsey Witherspoon indefinitely.
3. Kansas State Wildcats
Record: 12-5 (0-2)
The preseason favorites to win the Big-12 are currently 0-2 in conference play. Has Frank Martin lost his team? It certainly looks that way. 
Jacob Pullen, the lovable scamp who took the country by storm last season with his inspired play and manly beard, has turned into a stubborn zealot. He's committed NCAA violations, called out fake K-State fans, and even said that if they make the N.I.T., he won't be playing. He may be having the most disappointing season of anybody in the country.
4. St. Louis
Record: 5-11 (0-3)
You really hate to see a team like St. Louis struggle this much, especially given the circumstances. Their head coach is out for three games with a leg infection due to a cut he sustained during a sideline collision last week. On top of that, the Billikens are on a six-game losing streak and haven't seen a W since before Christmas. From a statistics standpoint, they are just as bad. they rank 337th in rebounding and 317th in total points, plus their leading scorer averages less than 10-ppg.
5. The SEC West
I can't figure out the SEC at all. The East is anybodies to win, and nobody should be allowed to win the West. Think about it, Alabama and LSU are both tied for the lead in the West with 2-0 records. The same Alabama team that has lost to Providence, Seton Hall, Iowa and St. Peter's. LSU might even be worse. They have losses to Nicholls State, Coastal Carolina, Rice, Virginia, Memphis, and a 20-point blunder against North Texas. Yet somehow both these teams are 2-0. Arkansas and Mississippi State sit at 1-1, and we all are aware of MSU's problems. Ole Miss is 0-2, along with Auburn, arguably one of the worst BCS-conference teams in the country. It really is the Wild wild SEC West.
6. Indiana
Record: 9-8 (0-4)
They started off on a six-game winning streak. Then came a 3-2 stretch of play. But that was followed up by a current seven-game losing streak, including losses to a underwhelming Northern Iowa squad and Penn State. Indiana's last win against a remotely-credible opponent was way back in November, and that was against 8-8 Evansville. There's no doubt that Tom Crean can recruit, but he's certainly having some trouble coaching up his guys. Oh yeah, plus there was this little doozy:
7. Oregon
Record: 8-9 (1-4)
I am writing off their win against USC last night because it was the first game in their new arena, so the atmosphere was in their favor. but I mean, did you look at their new arena? It's ugly. It's hideous. it's down-right awful. It's so bad that even Oregon's uniforms for the National Championship were easier on the eyes than the new Matt Court. 
The six-point win over USC was their first victory in seven games, and their first win since before Christmas. Oregon is bad, and so are their new digs. I mean, do you see a midcourt line? Neither do I.
8. Providence
Record: 11-7 (0-5)
There was so much promise for this Friars team heading into Big East play. They were 11-2, determined who their key players and role players were, and even looked not-that-bad in their two suspect losses. They even played well in their first conference game against Syracuse (a 81-74 road loss). But since then, they've lost four more, including a 13-nlowout at the hands of Rutgers and a 30-point drubbing by West Virginia. The Friars know how to score the basketball, but their defense is down-right awful. They are giving up an average of roughly 71-ppg.
9. Seton Hall
Record: 8-9 (2-3)
They've lost five of their last seven, and despite getting Jeremy Hazell back and beating DePaul by 11, Seton Hall is not the team some predicted to earn an at-large bid to the Big Dance. Get this, against Syracuse the Pirates shot 11% from behind the arc. Jordan Theodore and Fuquan Edwin combined for 1-15 from long distance. That's an ugly stat.
10. Centenary
Record: 0-17 (0-5)
Poor Centenary. With Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Alcorn State and UNC-Greensboro all tallying their first W's of the season this week, the Gentlemen remain the only winless team in D-I hoops. The team is transitioning back to D-III so any scholarship players they had probably transferred. It is entirely possible that Centenary doesn't win a single game this season, becoming the first team to do so since New Jersey Tech did it in 2008.
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Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Oregon basketball loses another player |
Oregon's offseason just got worse, which is saying something considering their summer was about as bad as it gets.
First, Ernie Kent was fired after struggling through another disappointing season. After seeing what seemed like every single coach in the country turn down the position -- despite having gobs of money thrown at them -- Dana Altman decided to finally take the job 41 days later. The uncertainty resulted in the transfer of Drew Wiley, Josh Crittle, and Matt Humphrey, and they nearly lost Malcolm Armstead as well. Throw in some injuries, and Altman was forced to cancel a team trip to Europe.
That wasn't the end of the defections. Michael Dunigan left and headed to Israel, which happened to correspond to Oregon acknowledging that they are investigating the eligibility of several former players, including Dunigan.
And now?
Senior LeKendric Longmire, who may be best known for being on the receiving end of this aerial assault by Russell Westbrook, looks like he will be ineligible this season due to academics. Oregon is now down to just eight players.
The ironic part in all of this?
In 2007, Altman accepted the Arkansas job, reneging 24 hours later after finding out how much of a mess the program was.
I wonder how many times that thought has crossed his mind over the last five months.
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Wednesday, September 15, 2010
What has more drama: the NCAA or Jerry Springer? |
I'm sick of it.
College basketball has become a cesspool, the offseason as full of over the top drama as an episode of Jerry Springer. This summer has been no different, as there as seemingly been a constant stream of negative news regarding out beloved sport.
And I'm not even talking about tournament expansion or conference realignment.
We've had starters -- and stars -- for teams in and around the top 25 getting arrested. We've had two different stories break regarding one student's high school transcript, while an incoming recruit has been denied eligibility due to questionable grades. We've had high school stars hold multiple press conferences to announce where they will be attending college. We've had two different incoming recruits, one foreign and one domestic, be accussed of receiving in excess of six figures before they reached 18 years old. Another star recruit has not yet been cleared as the NCAA investigates his association with Carmelo Anthony's agent, while a number of high schoolers were forced to jump through hoops to adhere to the entirely unfair LOI rules. We've seen not one, but two nationally ranked programs self-impose sanctions as a result of illegal phone calls. One of those programs could be in even more trouble as their photogenic head coach continues to dig himself a deeper hole.
There's more.
Is Michael Dunigan the latest in a string of embarrassments for the NCAA?
(photo credit: Seattle Times)
Late last night, The Register-Guard broke the news that Michael Dunigan, a former McDonald's all-american center from Chicago that played two inconsistent seasons at Oregon, may have left the school for Israel because he was ineligible.According to sources, the investigation by UO officials came about because of allegations that Dunigan’s eligibility had been compromised by extra benefits provided to him, in violation of NCAA rules. Multiple sources with contacts in the UO basketball program were uncertain about the nature of the alleged benefits or who provided them.
He may not have been alone.
However, all agreed that Oregon was asking questions about the allegations before Dunigan took the unexpected route of signing with the Hapoel Migdal team in Jerusalem.
The University of Oregon would only say that they are investigating the eligibility of "former players" the past two seasons. Nine different people fall under that umbrella.
This only adds to what has been a brutal offseason for Duck fans. They let go off Ernie Kent, and proceeded to go on a long, embarrassing journey through coaches before finally convincing Creighton's Dana Altman to head to Eugene. Four players transferred, and Malcolm Armstead was nearly the fifth, before Dunigan made his decision to leave. Assistant coach Kenny Payne who recruited Dunigan to Oregon, left the Ducks for Kentucky. With players facing injury and academic issues, not to mention to newly aroused eligibility questions, Altman had to cancel a team trip to Italy.
Back to my point, I'm sick of hearing about all of this. I'm sick of writing about how x, y, and z will effect Coach A's job or player B's eligibility. I'm sick of talking about how this NCAA violation is usually punished, and how that punishment could effect an institution.
There's a saying -- if you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin' -- and no where is that statement more true than in our world of amateur basketball in the country. Its a cutthroat business that, at best, is mildly policed by the idiotic NCAA, and, at worst, a free for all where the country's best youg players are getting cars and houses and six figure paydays.
And maybe all this scandal being reported is a good thing. As bad as our sport looks right now, getting exposed as a liar and a cheater by the media is a surefire way for a coach to get punished by the NCAA. Maybe sending a few coaches and agents and runners to get hanged in the court of public opinion is the best way to change the system. Given the crackdown that new NCAA president Mark Emmert has said he wants in college sports, maybe the recent string of NCAA violators -- in both football and basketball -- is a sign that things are changing.
Maybe all of this is a good thing.
But maybe I'm just naive.
Continue reading...
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Malcolm Armstead is the latest transfer from Oregon |
You should be able to forgive Oregon fans if they don't recognize anyone on the Ducks next season.
Gone is Ernie Kent, replaced by former Creighton head coach Dana Altman. Gone is leading scorer TaJuan Porter, who graduated. Also gone are Drew Wiley, Josh Crittle, Matt Humphrey and Jamil Wilson, all of whom left the Ducks program for a variety of reasons.
And now?
Reports are coming out that Malcolm Armstead has asked for, and received, his release. Armstead averaged just over 10 ppg last year as the second leading scorer for Oregon. With five players transferring out of the program, Altman is going to have his work cut out for him in his first Pac-10 season. He is down to just nine scholarship players, and with Porter and Armstead both leaving, the Ducks are left with a very limited back court.
It is going to be a long first year in Seattle Eugene. (Yikes!)
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Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Wednesday Where Are They Now?: Luke Jackson, Oregon |
Ever wonder what happened to those college stars that couldn't catch on in the NBA? The guys that put up the great numbers or the guys that left early, and were never heard from again? Every Wednesday, we at BIAH will take a look at a former college star that never made it in the NBA, and we will update you on where he is playing or what he is doing. We're guessing the results will surprise you. To request a player, hit us up on twitter @ballinisahabit or via email at contactbiah@gmail.com.
Luke Jackson, Oregon
Luke Jackson was a two-sport star at Oregon's Creswell High, playing basketball and baseball. But after winning the Oregon Class AAA player of the year twice (in 1998 and in 2000), leading his team to the 2000 state title, and becoming the fourth all-time leading scorer in the state (2,095 points), Jackson correctly made the decision to pursue basketball.
Jackson would head to Oregon, where the Ducks would struggle mightily his freshman season. Jackson would eventually work his way into the starting lineup, showing flashes of how good he could be. He averaged 7.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, and 2.0 apg, including a 14 point, 11 rebound, and 10 assist triple-double against Washington, but the Ducks finished the year just 14-14, winning only five games in Pac-10 play.
But that 2000-2001 Oregon team showed some potential, and they lived up to that potential in 2002. While Jackson was blossoming into one of the best all around players in the country -- as a sophomore, he averaged 16.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.3 apg, and shot 40% from deep -- senior Fred Jones was turning himself into a lottery pick while fellow sophomore Luke Ridnour was slowly making a case as one of the best point guards in the country. Oregon would go on to win the Pac-10 regular season title and make a run to the Elite 8.
Jones would become a lottery pick after the season, but with Ridnour and Jackson still sharing a backcourt, the Ducks were still a dangerous team. After an up and down regular season, Oregon finally clicked during the postseason, winning the Pac-10 tournament and earning an eight seed. They were knocked out in the first round by Utah, but Jackson's 16.0 ppg, 6.9 rpg, and 3.6 apg were enough to get him recognized with a second straight all-Pac 10 selection. He was the only player in the league in the top ten in points, rebounds, and assists.
Ridnour, who won the 2003 Pac-10 player of the year award, left early for the draft and ended up in the lottery, which meant that Jackson would finally become the focal point for Oregon, and he didn't disappoint on an individual level. Jackson averaged 21.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 4.5 apg, and shot 44% from long range to earn all-america first team honors. He recorded the second triple-double of his career against Florida A&M, making him just the third player (Jason Kidd and Loren Woods) in Pac-10 history to do so. A stat sheet stuffer, Jackson finished ranked in the top ten in nine different statistical categories in Oregon history, and became just the second player in Pac-10 history to amass 1,900 points, 700 rebounds, and 400 assists.
Gaudy numbers, no doubt. Gaudy enough to get the 6'7" lefty picked tenth by Cleveland in the 2004 draft. He lasted for two seasons with the Cavs, but was never really able to break into the rotation, playing in just 46 games combined. After the 2006 season ended, Jackson was traded with a bunch of cash to Boston in exchange for Dwayne Jones, essentially signifying his status as a draft bust, at least in the eyes of the Cleveland front office.
For what its worth, the "bust" label isn't completely fair, as Jackson has dealt with injuries, especially with his troublesome back which has required two surgeries.
Jackson would bounce around the NBA and the NBDL over the next three seasons. In 78 games over the course of three years playing with the Idaho Stampede of the D-League, Jackson averaged 15.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, and 4.0 apg while knocking down an impressive 43.6% of his triples.
It was enough to land Jackson a few cups of coffee in the league. He played three games with the Clippers in '06-'07 before joining Toronto later in the season. He performed well enough with the Raptors to earn a second ten-day contract and then a contract for the rest of the season. He was waived during the off-season by Toronto, but he caught of with Miami in December of the 2007-2008 season. He lasted 14 games and two months with the Heat before he headed back to Idaho and the D-League.
Heading into the 2008 season, Jackson had turned 27, and most teams realized that he had probably reached his full potential. After spending a year in the D-League without getting a shot in the NBA, Jackson decided to head abroad, playing for Carife Ferrara in Italy's top club league. He averaged 15.1 ppg and 5.3 rpg in his one season, good enough to earn himself a spot on this year's Atlanta Hawks summer league team out in Vegas.
Jackson didn't put up gaudy numbers in that summer league, but he did draw some praise for his smarts and his ability to keep the floor spread.
Arguably the biggest news regarding Jackson is that not only is he now married, but he is expecting a son in September. As of now, Jackson is still unsigned for the upcoming season, but based on this interview, it seems unlikely that he will be heading overseas with a newborn.
Continue reading...
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Oregon has finally ended their coaching search |
The longest running joke in college basketball may finally be over.
Almost two months after news first broke that Oregon was going to fire Ernie Kent, the Ducks have finally found a willing replacement.
According to Jeff Goodman, Oregon reached a deal with Creighton head coach Dana Altman (assuming he doesn't pull another Arkansas). Altman has been with the Bluejays for 16 seasons and led them to seven NCAA Tournaments between 1999 and 2007. Prior to this year's 18-16 campaign, he had a string of 11 consecutive seasons of 20 plus wins.
Dana Altman is headed to Oregon.
(photo credit: BlueXU)
This is a solid hire for the Ducks. Its not the big name that they had been searching for, but Oregon isn't a good enough job to pull a big name coach away from a good job. And by all accounts, Altman is one of the better coaches around. You aren't going to find many basketball minds that understand the "x's and o's" better than Altman.
But coaching isn't what Altman is going to need to worry about.
At a school like Creighton, you can win games and league titles with coaching. At a power conference school like Oregon, success lies in recruiting.
Altman's success in Eugene is going to be determined by how well he can recruit.
At Creighton, Altman was able to land kids from Chicago and Detroit that flew under the national radar. And at Creighton, that is all you need. The Missouri Valley isn't exactly known for putting out NBA caliber players.
But in the Pac-10, a league that had 21 players taken in the 2008 and 2009 NBA Drafts, Altman is going to need to start landing some blue-chippers. He can start by making a last ditch effort to bring in Portland natives Terrence Ross and Terrence Jones. It may be too little too late -- Ross alluded to the fact that he would be committing to Washington on an upcoming visit on his facebook page, and Jones heads to Kansas today (Sunday) for a visit at Kansas.
Oregon has already had three players announce their intention to transfer out due to the coaching change, but the news isn't all bad for Altman as Dwayne Polee, an athletic 6'7" small forward that was considering St. John's and Georgia (among others), has decided to hold off on a commitment until after he makes a visit to Oregon.
Oregon's coaching search took 37 days. They embarrassed themselves with the pursuit of coaches that had no interest in Phil Knight's Nike cash.
But the Ducks ended up with a pretty good hire in Dana Altman.
Continue reading...
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Mike Anderson rejects Oregon's advances |
First, St. John's ended their coaching search when they pulled Steve Lavin out of the ESPN studios and put him back on the sideline. Then DePaul, the doormat of major college basketball, snagged Oliver Purnell from Clemson.
Hell, even UNC-Wilmington, who had been without a coach for two months, was able to hire former Tennessee head coach Buzz Peterson.
And through it all, Oregon -- and Phil Knight's gobs of cash -- is still without a coach nearly six weeks after news first broke that Ernie Kent was going to be let go.
Mike Anderson will not be leaving Missouri.(photo credit: Missouri.edu)
The latest rejection came from Missouri's Mike Anderson. He met with Pat Kilkenny -- the former Oregon AD who is heading up the search for a new coach -- at Nolan Richardson's charity golf event in El Paso, TX, on Thursday.
But on Saturday night, Anderson reassured the Tiger faithful he would not be leaving Columbia.
"It's certainly flattering any time another university notices what your program is accomplishing," Anderson said in a statement Saturday night. "And when I was approached by Oregon, I decided to listen, but it was simply with my family in mind. All that quick conversation did was reaffirm that Missouri is home to us."
Reports had Oregon offering as much as $3 million a year to Anderson, who just finished the first year of a seven-year contract with $1.55 million a season. It was the second time in two seasons that the former UAB coach and longtime Richardson assistant at Arkansas spurned the advances of a program offering more money. He turned down $2 million from Georgia before resigning with the Tigers after his Elite 8 trip in 2009.
That means that Anderson joins the long list of big-names that have rejected Oregon. Mark Few, Billy Donovan, Tubby Smith, Tom Izzo, Brad Stevens, and Jamie Dixon have all said thanks but no thanks to the Ducks.
It begs the question: what is wrong with the Oregon job?
Short answer: not much.
There's the Nike money that will be lining your bank account. The Ducks move into a new arena next season. There is a talented class of rising-juniors. Oregon does play in a Pac-10 that doesn't look to be all that promising next season.
But the problem is that Oregon doesn't realize that they aren't quite UCLA.
Think about it like this: Oregon is the guy in your fantasy league that overvalues every single player on his roster. He's the guy that offers you LaDainian Tomlinson for Adrian Peterson, that thinks that just because Kevin Garnett is Kevin Garnett, he's worth Kevin Durant straight up.
The Ducks need realize they aren't going to make a splash hire. They aren't going to land an established coach like Izzo or Smith that is good standing and they aren't in a position to pry a hotshot young guy like Stevens away from a good job.
The ironic part?
It doesn't matter whether or not the Ducks come to that realization, because they have already exhausted all of their options when it comes to big names. They can't make a splash hire because there are no names left on the market big enough to create more than a ripple.
Expect the next guy they go after to be Randy Bennett from St. Mary's.
And if that falls through?
Maybe Ernie Kent?
That would certainly make a splash.
Continue reading...
Friday, January 8, 2010
NCAA speaks out on refs that called the T on Wazzu |
Last week, we talked a little bit about the Washington State-Oregon game in Pullman. If you remember, the refs had called a technical on the Cougars bench with 0.3 seconds left on the clock because the Wazzu bench spilled to far onto the court after DeAngelo Casto scored what would have been the game-winner. TaJuan Porter hit two free throws to tie the game and force a second overtime that Oregon eventually took control of.
On Tuesday, the Pac-10 backed their official's decision.
The NCAA?
Not so much.
Check out this excerpt from the Seattle Times interview with Ed Bilik, secretary editor of the rules committee:Ed Bilik, secretary-editor of the rules committee, told The Times from his office in Georgia that "interference" by fans or players off the bench must impact play directly to warrant a technical.
In other words, what Bilik is saying is that there better be a damn good reason for a ref to call a technical foul with 0.3 seconds left in a game when said technical will effect the outcome of the game.
Referring to the end-of-overtime chaos that turned an apparent WSU victory into an Oregon win, Bilik said, "The ball was never even taken out of bounds. So how could it interfere with continuous play? Basically, there was no interference in terms of the ball being put into play."
Bilik's comments came in the wake of an "end of the game reminder" he issued this week to NCAA officials and published on the NCAA Web site as a result of the WSU-Oregon controversy.
The first part of that advisory says, "When a delay by a jubilant follower(s) or bench personnel before player activity has been terminated does not prevent the ball from being put in play promptly or does not interfere with continuous play, the delay shall be ignored, order shall be restored and play shall be resumed."
The words "ignored," "restored" and "resumed" were underscored.
Could this open up the door for a Wazzu appeal?
The issue seems to be whether or not this was a judgement call. Are the refs allowed to determine themselves whether or not a technical is deserved in this situation? Or is there a rule in the rulebook that must be broken (i.e. coming on the court while the ball is in play)?
Personally, I doubt the last 0.3 seconds will be replayed, but if it does, it almost assuredly changes the result.
Judging by how jumbled the Pac-10 is, this decision may have a larger than intended effect on the league standings.
Continue reading...
Monday, January 4, 2010
Sidenote about Oregon |
When reading about Washington, and as a result Oregon because they just beat the Huskies, for my last post, I came across this sentence (or something very similar) quite often: "Washington lost at home to an Oregon team with four losses already - to Portland, Montana, St. Mary's, and Missouri by 37."
Anyone that quotes this has looked no further than the scores.
If you do happen to dig just a tad deeper, you'd realize that TaJuan Porter, the Ducks leading scorer, has missed four games (over a six game stretch), including one of their losses and all but six minutes of another one. You'd also realize that Michael Dunigan, the Ducks best interior player (who has scored 20 in three straight games since being healthy and averaged 21.0 ppg and 13.0 rpg in the sweep of the Washington schools), was out for two of those losses and has finally hit his stride. They've also had to deal with the loss of Joevan Catron, a starting forward, four games into the season with pain in his back.
Yes, Oregon has lost a number of games early in the season, but this is a different Oregon team.
They are healthy.
And while I'm not saying that they necessarily are a tournament team, I am saying they aren't necessarily the team that lost four games early in the season.
Continue reading...
1/4 - College Hoops Week in Review: And then there were four... |
What we learned this week: There are just four unbeaten teams left in the country. Purdue, Kentucky, Texas, and Kansas have separated themselves as the hands-down favorites to earn the four #1 seeds come March after this week's games, but of the four, who is the best team in the country (all RPI numbers via):
Northwestern's bid for an NCAA Tournament berth could be in big trouble. The Wildcats have no wins over teams that look destined for the NCAA Tournament (three best are Notre Dame, NC State, and Iowa State) and have started the Big Ten 0-2 after losing to Illinois and Michigan State this week. It doesn't get any easier, either. Their next eight games - @ Michigan, Wisconsin, Purdue, @ Ohio State, Illinois, @ Minnesota, @ Michigan State, Michigan. After Purdue and Michigan State, the Big Ten is wide open, but Northwestern could easily find themselves in too big of a hole to climb out.
After Texas beat both Michigan State and UNC in the span of four days, there was a lot of talk that the Longhorns - and not the Jayhawks - were the best team in the country. Anyone that saw Kansas absolutely dismantle a good Temple team in Philly may disagree with that sentiment. The thing that impressed me the most about Kansas on Saturday was how good they looked defensively (Kenpom rates them as the third best defensive team in the country). They pressure the ball well, and have one of the best erasers in the country cleaning up any mess. You should already know how good they are on the offensive end; neither of their two all-americans lead the team in scoring.
Texas may very well be the deepest team in the country, as Rick Barnes in comfortable using a 12 man rotation. The combination of Damion James and Dexter Pittman, when he can play extended minutes, is devastating inside, and doesn't get any easier when the Longhorns go to the bench (Gary Johnson, Alexis Wangmene, Clint Chapman). The issue for the Longhorns is their perimeter scoring. They rely heavily on their trio of freshman (J'Covan Brown, Avery Bradley, and Jordan Hamilton) who have all proven to be inconsistent scoring the ball. The key offensively for this team is Dogus Balbay, who is averaging 4.8 apg and just 1.6 t/o's. He is really the only guy capable of creating shots for others, and is also the best of a very good group of perimeter defenders. With the Longhorns struggling to beat Texas A&M-CC on Saturday, it is tough to put this team ahead of the Jayhawks.
By now you know about the Wildcats. John Wall is the most talented player in the country, and has proven he is willing, and more than capable, and making the important play for the Wildcats. Patrick Patterson is a stud, capable of scoring on the block and fast becoming the key to UK's ability to beat a zone with his ability to pass and shoot from the high post. DeMarcus Cousins is the most productive big man in the country, as he was the nation's leader in points and rebounds per 40 minutes heading into Saturday's tilt with Louisville. The Wildcats have far and away the highest ceiling of any team in the country. The question is whether or not they are mature enough to reach that ceiling. One thing that did impress in the Louisville game was Kentucky's effort on the defensive end. Louisville started the game just 1-19 from the field, and never got comfortable offensively. Kentucky has the athletes and the size to be great on this end of the floor when they want to be.
The Boilermakers are arguably the most fundamental defensive team in the country. Rarely out of position, they put great pressure on the ball, understand help side and positional defense, and contest seemingly every perimeter jumper. They have also gotten exceptional play out of their big three of Robbie Hummel, JaJuan Johnson, and E'Twaun Moore. While they have yet to quell concerns over their ability to handle big, strong presences in the post (they have by far the smallest front line of any of the four undefeateds), they did prove their mettle on the defensive glass. West Virginia hangs their hat on their ability to get to the offensive glass, and Purdue allowed the stronger, more athletic Mountaineers to get just seven offensive boards. I also still have concerns about Purdue's ability to handle pressure from smaller, quicker teams (like Alabama, who built a 16 point lead on Purdue), but Kelsey Barlow has been solid filling in for the injured Lewis Jackson.
Illinois, a top 25 team in the preseason, is now 9-5 with losses to Georgia and Utah (with all five losses coming on a neutral court). The Illini's biggest problem right now is inside. Neither Mike Davis or Mike Tisdale is all that physical, especially on the offensive end where both seem to be more comfortable taking 15 footers. Dominique Keller, who had 22 huge points off the bench, is stronger and may be the answer, but he is only 6'7" and gets most of his points off of hustle plays and (surprise!) jump shots. The Illini have a talented back court, but DJ Richardson and Brandon Paul are both freshman and Demetri McCamey is not a true point guard. There is talent on this roster, but Bruce Pearl has yet to figure out how to get the most out of it.
Marquette is the best 9-5 team in the country. All five of their losses are to power conference team by a combined 17 points, with three of the losses by one possession and four of them coming to teams that have been and around the top 25 all season. The Golden Eagles started Big East play in heart-breaking fashion, losing to West Virginia on a Da'Sean Butler buzzer-beater and to Villanova on a late and-one jumper from Scottie Reynolds. Many expected Marquette to be down this season after losing their backcourt to graduation, but Marquette is once again utilizing the mismatches created by playing small ball. Lazar Hayward and Jimmy Butler can both defend in the paint, but have the skills to play on the perimeter, creating mismatches against opposing big men when Marquette spreads the floor. Their biggest issue right now is depth. A couple of players have gone down with season ending injuries, and with Jeronne Maymon leaving school, Buzz Williams is left with essentially a six-man rotation.
The Big XII has a number of excellent teams this season, but the group no one is talking about is Baylor. After winning at Arkansas and South Carolina (to go along with a win over Xavier and a win at Arizona State), the Bears are now 11-1. Tweety Carter, who is playing great ball this season (16.6 ppg, 6.3 apg, 45% from three), and LaceDarius Dunn form one of the most underrated back courts in the country, and Ekpe Udoh (13.8 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 2.8 apg, 4.1 bpg) anchors a frontline that is as long and athletic as any in the country.
GAMES OF THE WEEK: Gonzaga 85, Illinois 83 OT; Wake Forest 96, Xavier 92 2OT
Its rare to find games this sloppy that are this exciting. Gonzaga used a hot shooting start to jump out to a early 21 point lead on the Illini. But the Zags started turning the ball over, and Illinois capitalized, turning 21 Bulldog turnovers into 33 points as they came back and eventually took an eight point lead during the second half. The Zags weren't ready to quit, they pulled back ahead, taking the lead in the final minutes on the strength of Matt Bouldin's playmaking and a couple nice post moves from Elias Harris.
Illinois's Dominique Keller, who hadn't played more than 20 minutes on the season and made six threes all year out of the power forward spot, drilled two clutch jumpers, including a game-tying three in the final seconds, as the Illini forced overtime.
In the OT (OT can be seen here), Gonzaga's defense took over. The Illini didn't score in the final 3:07, and after Bouldin tied the game with a three at the 1:44 mark, Harris scored on a short jump hook with 12 seconds left for the win. Illinois would miss a tough three at the buzzer, sealing the game.
Sunday night in Winston-Salem was even crazier. In a game honoring Skip Prosser between the two teams he coached, Xavier and Wake Forest played an instant classic. Xavier rallied from an eight point deficit midway through the second half to take a 76-72 lead. Wake would score six straight points before Terrell Holloway scored with 58 seconds left to tie the game at 78. Neither team scored in the final minute, forcing an OT.
X pulled ahead in the first overtime for the first time as Jamal Mclean scored three straight points, but Ish Smith, who finished with 28 points and 9 assists tied the game with a three pointer. Chas McFarland saved the game with a great block as time expired. In the second overtime, Wake took control on a jumper from Smith, who followed that by finding CJ Harris for a lay-up. Jordan Crawford had 30 to lead Xavier, while Al-Farouq Aminu had 26 points and 18 boards for Wake.
They were good too:
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Ashton Gibbs, Pitt
I had all but written Pitt off. They lost to Indiana, struggled to beat teams like New Hampshire and Duquesne, and looked as inept offensively as any Pitt team I have seen (which is saying a lot considering Pitt has hardly been an offensive powerhouse). But after going 2-0 this past week to start the Big East season, which included an 82-72 win over then-undefeated Syracuse, Pitt all of a sudden looks like a team that can make some noise in the Big East.
Ashton Gibbs carried Pitt to a 2-0 start in the Big East.
(photo credit: ESPN)
No one was an influential in the Panther's two wins as Ashton Gibbs. Gibbs averaged 23.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, and 3.0 apg for the week, but, more importantly, he had just two turnovers in 73 minutes and shot 9-13 from deep. Pitt got a boost with Jermaine Dixon getting healthy and Gilbert Brown getting eligible, but if they are going to be a factor in a very balanced, very deep Big East, Gibbs ability to score and consistently hit jumpers from the perimeter is going to be vital.
They were good too:
TEAM OF THE WEEK: Oregon Ducks
It is tough to give the Ducks the nod as they stole a game from Wazzu, but the results are the results, and Oregon came out of the first weekend of Pac-10 play with a 2-0 record, which includes a win at Washington, the best team in the conference.
When healthy, Michael Dunigan is as good as any big man in the Pac-10.
(photo credit: OregonLive)
Oregon did not have a pretty start to the season. They came into conference play with an 8-4 record, and three of those losses were to mid-major programs. But keep in mind that the Ducks were dealing with injuries to some of their best players early in the season. Michael Dunigan, who received a lot of hype in the preseason but struggled early and missed two games, had a double-double against both Wazzu and UW, and has scored 20 in his last three games. TaJuan Porter has missed four games, but went for 31 in the win in Pullman and as formed a dynamic, if a bit small, back court with Michael Armstead. The Ducks have a long way to go before they are confused with a tourney contender, but with the struggles in the Pac-10, this team may be able to sneak their way to the top.
MATCH-UPS OF THE WEEK
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