1) When a guy is right, he's right. And Kris, well, he's been right. Everything he said about Thursday night's games were dead on. There's a good chance everything he said about Friday's games will be right, too. I don't know about you all, but I'm not sure how I feel about a world where Kris is this right all the time. Someone hold me.
2) It all came together for me watching tonight's NBA games: I really want Dallas to miss the playoffs. First, because Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, and JR Smith (JR Smith can do this) should be in the playoffs. For maximum entertainment, and to see if AI has another run in him (which for Martin might make up for Georgetown's early tourney exit.) Second, because Baron Davis (and his beard), Stephen Jackson (and his crazy chest tattoo), and Monte Ellis (and his Monte Ellis-ness) should be in the playoffs. For ultra-maximum entertainment, and to have the Golden State crowd back in our lives. Third, because Josh Howard doesn't need to be in the playoffs. Because he doesn't do anything for me; he's good, but uninspiringly so. Fourth, because Mark Cuban has been on my nerves (the blogger ban was fucktarded) and I'd like to see him suffer a little. For these four reasons, take your time coming back, Dirk.
3) All of this good basketball happening on the West Coast is not helping my insomnia. At all. I'm staying up late on Tuesday and Wednesday nights to make sure I catch Lakers-Warriors and Wizards-Sonics games. And just wait until the playoffs start. I may never sleep again.
4) The Disciples of Clyde NBA Podcast now is on Facebook! If any of you lovely readers are also on Facebook, come check out our page and become a fan. And, you know, feel free to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. It is free, and you'll make this Jewish guy in Chicago real happy if you did.
5) Yesterday was erstwhile Sherman Avenue Block Party writer Josh's birthday. If anyone has seen him lately, tell him happy birthday from all of us here at the Block Party. Also tell him that he is old. And possibly gay. But definitely old.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Sweet 16, Midwest & South
#12 Villanova vs. #1 Kansas- Well I am a Kansas guy all the way, I have been to Phog Allen Fieldhouse and I have played them in a home matchup and they may have the scariest uniforms in the world. You see Kansas and you automatically think you can’t win. I got news for Scottie Reynolds; he is going to have Mario Chalmers in his jockstrap, and the Russell Robinson, and then Sherron Collins. I just think they Jayhawks have too much inside and outside for a team like Villanova, who lets be honest, are just lucky to be here. Kansas is the most complete and consistent team on offense and defense. Plus I have had a man crush on Brandon Rush for even longer than my man crush on Stephen Curry. If you get a chance just watch Rush, everything is smooth and easy, he is never in a hurry.
#10 Davidson vs. #3 Wisconsin- Everyone’s darling versus one of the least like teams in the country. People never like Wisconsin because they play an “ugly” bran of basketball. Well what I know about Wisconsin is the play hard, all the time and they guard your ass on every possession. Offensively they are better than you think. This year they are more balanced than last year when their offense revolved around Alando Tucker. The big guy Brian Butch leads them in scoring, while Guards Trevon Hughes and Michael Flowers also hit double figures along with Forward Marcus Landry. Their balance extends to the bench where Bohannon and Krabbenhoft have both hit double figures 12 times this year. We all know what Davidson does, gets the ball to Stephen Curry and gets the hell out of the way. Well that is not true, Jason Richards the nations leader in assists also scores 13 a game. The rest of the team plays their roles and scores usually off plays to the basket, fast breaks and offensive rebounds. Davidson is also solid defensively so this game should be low scoring, but I think the Badgers have enough go to guys on offense and a solid combo of Flowers and Hughes guarding Curry that they will squeak out a win.
#5 Michigan State vs. #1 Memphis- Michigan State has to play close to perfect, especially on the offensive end. No team left in the tournament can be as anemic on offense as the Spartans, especially when Drew Neitzel is not scoring. The Spartans will counteract their lack of offense by throwing a bunch of big bodies and lots of physical play at Memphis. Memphis will definitely look to speed the game up and use their guards and wings to shoot and bring the ball to the tin. When I look at the matchups I just don’t see anyone on Michigan State who can keep Chris Douglas-Roberts and Derrick Rose out of the lane. When they can penetrate and score off of the bounce everything else opens up for the Tiger offense. Here Memphis is just too talented for a hard nosed but thin talent Spartan squad.
#3 Stanford vs. #2 Texas- On paper this is the most intriguing matchup especially because of their diametrically opposed styles of offense. Everyone knows what Stanford has in the Lopez boys, and they try and pound it in to them all the time. Brook Lopez is a big time player as evident by his game winning shot in their second round overtime win over Marquette. Texas is guard oriented with DJ Augustin and AJ Abrams accounting for over 35 points a game. But the difference here is Texas will play small and quick and force Stanford to matchup with them. The Cardinal don’t play too much zone defense but trying to man Texas may be hard. The Lopez twins may have to guard Connor Atchley and Damion James who average more than one three pointer made per game. That will force the Lpoez’s to the perimeter and open up driving lanes for the guards. If Stanford tries to go zone the Longhorns will shoot them out of it in a hurry. In all I think Texas has too much versatility on offense and will win the game.
#10 Davidson vs. #3 Wisconsin- Everyone’s darling versus one of the least like teams in the country. People never like Wisconsin because they play an “ugly” bran of basketball. Well what I know about Wisconsin is the play hard, all the time and they guard your ass on every possession. Offensively they are better than you think. This year they are more balanced than last year when their offense revolved around Alando Tucker. The big guy Brian Butch leads them in scoring, while Guards Trevon Hughes and Michael Flowers also hit double figures along with Forward Marcus Landry. Their balance extends to the bench where Bohannon and Krabbenhoft have both hit double figures 12 times this year. We all know what Davidson does, gets the ball to Stephen Curry and gets the hell out of the way. Well that is not true, Jason Richards the nations leader in assists also scores 13 a game. The rest of the team plays their roles and scores usually off plays to the basket, fast breaks and offensive rebounds. Davidson is also solid defensively so this game should be low scoring, but I think the Badgers have enough go to guys on offense and a solid combo of Flowers and Hughes guarding Curry that they will squeak out a win.
#5 Michigan State vs. #1 Memphis- Michigan State has to play close to perfect, especially on the offensive end. No team left in the tournament can be as anemic on offense as the Spartans, especially when Drew Neitzel is not scoring. The Spartans will counteract their lack of offense by throwing a bunch of big bodies and lots of physical play at Memphis. Memphis will definitely look to speed the game up and use their guards and wings to shoot and bring the ball to the tin. When I look at the matchups I just don’t see anyone on Michigan State who can keep Chris Douglas-Roberts and Derrick Rose out of the lane. When they can penetrate and score off of the bounce everything else opens up for the Tiger offense. Here Memphis is just too talented for a hard nosed but thin talent Spartan squad.
#3 Stanford vs. #2 Texas- On paper this is the most intriguing matchup especially because of their diametrically opposed styles of offense. Everyone knows what Stanford has in the Lopez boys, and they try and pound it in to them all the time. Brook Lopez is a big time player as evident by his game winning shot in their second round overtime win over Marquette. Texas is guard oriented with DJ Augustin and AJ Abrams accounting for over 35 points a game. But the difference here is Texas will play small and quick and force Stanford to matchup with them. The Cardinal don’t play too much zone defense but trying to man Texas may be hard. The Lopez twins may have to guard Connor Atchley and Damion James who average more than one three pointer made per game. That will force the Lpoez’s to the perimeter and open up driving lanes for the guards. If Stanford tries to go zone the Longhorns will shoot them out of it in a hurry. In all I think Texas has too much versatility on offense and will win the game.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Sweet 16, East & West
#7 West Virginia vs. #3 Xavier- Coach Huggins Mountaineers have played as well as any team in the tournament so far including a big upset of Duke. Xavier on the other hand has gotten off to slow starts and both of their games have still been in serious doubt with ten minutes remaining. However, in both instances Xavier’s depth of talent proved too much for Georgia and Purdue. The Musketeers have 5 guys who average in double figures but down the stretch the ball is going to be in 5th year Senior Drew Lavenders hands and going to Josh Duncan in the low block. The biggest matchup will probably be 6’6 225 lb. CJ Anderson guarding the versatile Joe Alexander. If Anderson can use his strength he can limit Alexander thus slowing down the Mountaineer attack. This game has all the makings of a classic, but again I have Xavier going all the way to San Antonio so I will take the Musketeers here too.
#12 Western Kentucky vs. #1 UCLA- Folks, be in you seats for this one, and don’t blink. Both of these teams averaged over 75 ppg during the season and they love to speed the ball up court and get easy baskets in transition. For UCLA they have the human outlet pass in Kevin Love. He gets the ball out of the net and up to half court better than anyone in the country. As for the Hilltoppers they use the speed of guard Tyrone Brazelton to get the ball down the floor. The key in this game will be as it has for all UCLA games in February and March can they get scoring from Josh Shipp and Russell Westbrook. Also Westbrook will have a tough assignment slowing down Courtney Lee. I just think the Bruins have too much talent to lose, but they cannot get off to a slow start because Western Kentucky will be relentless on offense. Is till think the Bruins will win here, but maybe a little too close for comfort.
#4 Washington State vs. #1 North Carolina- Clearly the biggest obstacle for Washington State will be the partisen crowd in Charlotte. Wazzou has to come clear across the country and basically play a road game. I can tell you this though, the veteran Cougar squad is not nervous. They have a balanced offensive attack with 4 guys (Derrick Low, Kyle Weaver, Taylor Rochestie, & Aron Baynes) in double figures. Their starters consist of 3 seniors and 2 juniors, and the one thing they will do on every possession in guard. North Carolina’s best offensive weapon will be what it always is, the transition game. They do not want to get locked in a battle of half court offense with the Cougars because they are not as good defensively. Also there is the Psycho T factor; can any slow him down from doing whatever he wants? I haven’t seen it yet, so I doubt the Cougars can either. The higher the score the more likely North Carolina will win and I will take the Tar Heels going away in the end.
#3 Louisville vs. #2 Tennessee- Wow this is a game that may be impossible to truly pick. First of all the matchup of what both coach’s might wear could be the most intriguing of the night. The fact is this; Tennessee has basically struggled to win 3 of their last 4 games, all of them being decided in the final two minutes. They have also struggled with point guard play recently, so much so that they didn’t even start a Point Guard against Butler. The Cardinals put great defensive pressure on their opponents with a zone press and a 2-3 zone that plays more like a man defense. Also, with 3-4 days to prepare I have a hard time betting against a Rick Pitino team. I think the Cardinals can turn Tennessee over and cause them to play sloppy offensively and that will take Tennessee out of their rhythm, the difference is Louisville will be able to close the deal unlike American and Butler.
Monday, March 24, 2008
A Little Break
Now that we can take a breath after the fun first weekend of the tourney, here's something kinda fun to kill the time between now and Thursday. Because if I'm all about anything, then I'm all about fun.
Go to this site: http://wigflip.com/automotivator/
You can make your own "motivational" poster. I've made two:
Go to this site: http://wigflip.com/automotivator/
You can make your own "motivational" poster. I've made two:
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Eat it Martin
I was going to do a full recap of the weekend, but as of right now this tournament has only one story, and that story is Stephen Curry. I already explained last week that I had a huge man crush on Curry, but now it is a full blown obsession. I may drive up to Davidson and propose, soon.
After his spectacular performance in his First round game against Gonzaga I warned Martin to beware. Unfortunately for Martin the one thing he is blinded by is Hoya Paranoia. Martin will admit that the Giants are fallible and even the Mets at time have faults, but when the Hoyas are going well he literally thinks they are indestructible. I warned him on this website and I also sent him a text message asking him if they were ready for the Curry show?
His response was something along these lines; “whatever, if you want to bet against Town than good luck with all that.” Well thanks for the luck Martin, it worked.
Now to say I was supremely confident throughout the game would be a total lie. The Hoyas played a great first half and really made Curry work for everything he got. However, credit has to go to Coach Bob McKillop who never wavered and kept going to Curry in the second half.
Again with his team down and facing elimination he stared the pressure directly in the face and overcame it with his shot making ability. As the clocked ticked under ten minutes to go in the game and his team trailing 43-50 Curry drained a three to bring them within four. Over the next 9 ½ minutes Curry himself would outscore the Hoyas 21-20 and lead them to victory.
At the 4:52 mark Georgetown’s Chris Wright made a free throw to put Georgetown ahead by 1, it would be their last lead of the season. On the ensuing Davidson possession Curry made a backdoor cut to the basket and laid the ball in, drew a foul, and completed the three point play. The next tome down court Curry head faked and drove Jeremiah Rivers and DaJuan Summers this time making a circus layup. And then just in case you forgot he pulled up behind a ball screen at the top of the key draining a three pointer capping a Stephen Curry 8-2 run. Davidson lead 65-60, Georgetown called a timeout and game was basically over at 2:41 on the clock. Curry would go on to make 5 of 6 free throws sealing the game in the last thirty seconds.
By the numbers, in the second half where Curry shines, he was 6-13 from the field including making 4 of 10 threes and nailing 9 of 10 free throws for 25 second half points. He also added two defensive rebounds and 2 assists and played 36 minutes without turning the ball over
Also I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but here goes. I have successfully picked 12 of the sweet 16 teams in my bracket. Also I gave you 5 teams that would pull off at least one upset and had a chance to make the sweet 16, those teams where; Butler, Kansas State, Kentucky, Western Kentucky and Davidson. I also gave you 5 teams that I wouldn’t pick to do anything in this tournament, and those were: Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Duke, Connecticut and Southern Cal. Not bad huh? Sometimes I do know what I am talking about, right Martin?
After his spectacular performance in his First round game against Gonzaga I warned Martin to beware. Unfortunately for Martin the one thing he is blinded by is Hoya Paranoia. Martin will admit that the Giants are fallible and even the Mets at time have faults, but when the Hoyas are going well he literally thinks they are indestructible. I warned him on this website and I also sent him a text message asking him if they were ready for the Curry show?
His response was something along these lines; “whatever, if you want to bet against Town than good luck with all that.” Well thanks for the luck Martin, it worked.
Now to say I was supremely confident throughout the game would be a total lie. The Hoyas played a great first half and really made Curry work for everything he got. However, credit has to go to Coach Bob McKillop who never wavered and kept going to Curry in the second half.
Again with his team down and facing elimination he stared the pressure directly in the face and overcame it with his shot making ability. As the clocked ticked under ten minutes to go in the game and his team trailing 43-50 Curry drained a three to bring them within four. Over the next 9 ½ minutes Curry himself would outscore the Hoyas 21-20 and lead them to victory.
At the 4:52 mark Georgetown’s Chris Wright made a free throw to put Georgetown ahead by 1, it would be their last lead of the season. On the ensuing Davidson possession Curry made a backdoor cut to the basket and laid the ball in, drew a foul, and completed the three point play. The next tome down court Curry head faked and drove Jeremiah Rivers and DaJuan Summers this time making a circus layup. And then just in case you forgot he pulled up behind a ball screen at the top of the key draining a three pointer capping a Stephen Curry 8-2 run. Davidson lead 65-60, Georgetown called a timeout and game was basically over at 2:41 on the clock. Curry would go on to make 5 of 6 free throws sealing the game in the last thirty seconds.
By the numbers, in the second half where Curry shines, he was 6-13 from the field including making 4 of 10 threes and nailing 9 of 10 free throws for 25 second half points. He also added two defensive rebounds and 2 assists and played 36 minutes without turning the ball over
Also I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but here goes. I have successfully picked 12 of the sweet 16 teams in my bracket. Also I gave you 5 teams that would pull off at least one upset and had a chance to make the sweet 16, those teams where; Butler, Kansas State, Kentucky, Western Kentucky and Davidson. I also gave you 5 teams that I wouldn’t pick to do anything in this tournament, and those were: Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Duke, Connecticut and Southern Cal. Not bad huh? Sometimes I do know what I am talking about, right Martin?
Quick Picks
Here are the picks for today. We will breakdown round 2 tomorrow
Siena
Texas
Butler
Western Kentucky
Davidson
Memphis
Louisville
North Carolina
Siena
Texas
Butler
Western Kentucky
Davidson
Memphis
Louisville
North Carolina
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Day 2 Review and Day 3 Picks
Player of the Day- Stephen Curry, Davidson. Well as I am writing this there are still eight games left to be played, but I don’t give a shit. Stephen Curry put on a show for the ages today in Raleigh NC. He poured in 40 points, 30 of which came in the decisive second half in an upset win over former mid major darling Gonzaga. He opened the game with a jumper and went into half with a pedestrian 10 points, his team trailing by five. Whatever he drank at halftime, I want some. He opened the 2nd half with back to back three’s, but at the 16:15 mark his team trailed by nine, 42-51. Well he should have sold tickets at that dead ball, because over the next 6 ½ minutes he put on a clinic. He scored 15 of Davidson next 20 points including three from downtown, the last of which knotted the score at 62, the first time it had been tied since it was 15-15. He wasn’t done there either, with a little over a minute remaining and the scored tied he stepped up and drilled his eight and final (8-10 3pt) three of the game, giving the Wildcats a 77-74 lead for good. When it was all said and done with he had torches the Zags for 30 second half points (Gonzaga had 35 as a team) and memories that will live in tournament lore forever.
Coach of the Day- Fran McCaffery, Siena. His team has one of the toughest first round assignments in Vanderbilt. The reason I say that is because no team in the country executes on offense with any more precision than the Commodores. Couple that execution with the SEC player of the year, Shan Foster and you have one tough match-up. Well McCaffery’s team was ready for the challenge. The first thing they did was attacked Vandy with their offense and getting out to a lead. By doing so the forced Vandy into some tough three point shots thus lowering their percentage. Vandy wants to beat you from three, but on their terms, when they are comfortable and coming off of their set plays. Siena was able to hold foster to 13 points on 14 shots and 1-5 from downtown. Overall Vandy’s shot 47% from the field and 40% from 3-pt range on the season and Siena held them 41% and 20% respectively.
Most Impressive Team- Butler Bulldogs. Usually the 7/10 game gives us something to watch, well Butler had other ideas in its game with South Alabama. The Bulldogs shot the ball from everywhere on the court with precision, 50% FG, 53% 3-Pt., 92% FT. They also dished out 18 assists on 27 FG’s and only had 10 turnovers. Butler showed their depth and their skill in this route of South Alabama and gave a warning shot across Tennessee’s bow. The Vol’s better be ready tomorrow fo this Bulldog squad, because they are playing really good basketball
Day 3 Picks
No. 7 West Virginia at No. 2 Duke- I have the upset here. I think it will be close but I will take Joe Alexander and West Virginia.
No. 11 Kansas State at No. 3 Wisconsin- This has the making of being oine heck of a ball game. Watching the Badger defense trying to contain Beasley and Walker will be fun. I think if the Badger big men can get off they will win this game, I will take Wisconsin in a close one.
No. 6 Purdue at No. 3 Xavier- Well again I have Xavier in the Final Four so I have to take them in this game. I liked the moxey they showed in coming back against Georgia.
No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 4 Washington State- Lots of white guys in this game, if you don’t like white guys then don’t watch this one. I think it will be a knock em down drag em basketball game, but I like Wazzou here because of their experience.
No. 6 Marquette at No. 3 Stanford- Well screw my bracket, I had Cornell and Kentucky here. I liked what Stanford showed in the first game so I can see them moving on.
No. 8 UNLV at No. 1 Kansas- Again I have Kansas winning it all, so I will have to take them here, but never sleep on Lon Kruger I think his team will play well but they don’t have the talent to stay with the Jayhawks
No. 5 Michigan State at No. 4 Pittsburgh- Much like the ND/Wazzou game this one has the chance to be a classic. Both teams play in your face hardcore defense and play hard on every possession. I like Pittsburgh because
No. 9 Texas A&M at No. 1 UCLA- I think Texas A&M is very mediocre, and UCLA feasts on teams like that. UCLA in a blowout.
Coach of the Day- Fran McCaffery, Siena. His team has one of the toughest first round assignments in Vanderbilt. The reason I say that is because no team in the country executes on offense with any more precision than the Commodores. Couple that execution with the SEC player of the year, Shan Foster and you have one tough match-up. Well McCaffery’s team was ready for the challenge. The first thing they did was attacked Vandy with their offense and getting out to a lead. By doing so the forced Vandy into some tough three point shots thus lowering their percentage. Vandy wants to beat you from three, but on their terms, when they are comfortable and coming off of their set plays. Siena was able to hold foster to 13 points on 14 shots and 1-5 from downtown. Overall Vandy’s shot 47% from the field and 40% from 3-pt range on the season and Siena held them 41% and 20% respectively.
Most Impressive Team- Butler Bulldogs. Usually the 7/10 game gives us something to watch, well Butler had other ideas in its game with South Alabama. The Bulldogs shot the ball from everywhere on the court with precision, 50% FG, 53% 3-Pt., 92% FT. They also dished out 18 assists on 27 FG’s and only had 10 turnovers. Butler showed their depth and their skill in this route of South Alabama and gave a warning shot across Tennessee’s bow. The Vol’s better be ready tomorrow fo this Bulldog squad, because they are playing really good basketball
Day 3 Picks
No. 7 West Virginia at No. 2 Duke- I have the upset here. I think it will be close but I will take Joe Alexander and West Virginia.
No. 11 Kansas State at No. 3 Wisconsin- This has the making of being oine heck of a ball game. Watching the Badger defense trying to contain Beasley and Walker will be fun. I think if the Badger big men can get off they will win this game, I will take Wisconsin in a close one.
No. 6 Purdue at No. 3 Xavier- Well again I have Xavier in the Final Four so I have to take them in this game. I liked the moxey they showed in coming back against Georgia.
No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 4 Washington State- Lots of white guys in this game, if you don’t like white guys then don’t watch this one. I think it will be a knock em down drag em basketball game, but I like Wazzou here because of their experience.
No. 6 Marquette at No. 3 Stanford- Well screw my bracket, I had Cornell and Kentucky here. I liked what Stanford showed in the first game so I can see them moving on.
No. 8 UNLV at No. 1 Kansas- Again I have Kansas winning it all, so I will have to take them here, but never sleep on Lon Kruger I think his team will play well but they don’t have the talent to stay with the Jayhawks
No. 5 Michigan State at No. 4 Pittsburgh- Much like the ND/Wazzou game this one has the chance to be a classic. Both teams play in your face hardcore defense and play hard on every possession. I like Pittsburgh because
No. 9 Texas A&M at No. 1 UCLA- I think Texas A&M is very mediocre, and UCLA feasts on teams like that. UCLA in a blowout.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Day 1 Review & Day 2 Picks
Well Day 1 is over and I must agree with Dan’s assessment below, there really wasn’t much to it. I watched every single game (the great advantage to having the job that I do) and most of them were boring. Some people think the day was bad because there were no upsets, but there were only three games that were even remotely interesting; Duke vs. Belmont, Marquette vs. Kentucky, and for the first 35 minutes Southern Cal vs. Kansas State. Here is to hoping Day 2 is better, and without further babbling here are the Day 1 award winners:
Player of the Day- Joe Crawford, Kentucky and Bill Walker, Kansas State. Didn’t I tell you to watch the backcourt of Kentucky? Well Joe Crawford in his final collegiate game put on an absolute show, hitting 5 three’s and making 13 FG, tying his career high of 35 points (by the way he set that mark on March 5 on Senior night in the Colonial Center against the Gamecocks). He kept knocking down shots in the second half to keep Kentucky within closing distance of Marquette, but never could get them over the top. As for Walker, he was the spark for Kansas State in the first half. He scored 17 of his 22 before the half, starting the game off with a three pointer, igniting Kansas State to a ten point halftime lead while star Freshmen Michael Beasely struggled with foul trouble. Walker deferred to Beasley in the second half but most of the damage had already been done by Walker; then with Southern Cal closing fast, after 2 Taj Gibson free throws had cut the lead to 6, Walker drilled a three with a little over 4 minutes remaining, pushing the lead back out to 9 and the Trojans would never get that close again.
Coach of the Day- Rick Byrd, Belmont. Coach Byrd had his team prepared, and most important, not scared or in awe of the name on the front of the jersey. Belmont did not give in to Duke’s pressure defense, committing fewer TO’s than the Blue Devils. And defensively they guarded Duke’s dribble drives well and held them to under 30% from behind the arc. All those factors are what gave Belmont a chance to win the game, and coach Byrd gets credit for having his team prepared, in the end it came down to Duke having better players.
Most Impressive Team- Notre Dame & Pittsburgh. Now maybe everyone overrates George Mason a little because of what happened 2 years ago, but they are still a quality team. Unfortunately someone forgot to tell Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish came out and put their foots right on the throat of Mason and never let up. Notre Dame imposed their will and ran GMU right out of the Pepsi Center in Denver. Pittsburgh, who’s bandwagon I have finally jumped off at the wrong time, came out against an Oral Roberts team who is making their 3rd straight tournament appearance (meaning they have some experience) and made quick work of them. Trailing early, 13-10 with twelve minutes remaining, the Panthers ripped off a 37-11 runt o finish the half, and basically the game.
Day 2 Picks
No. 15 American University at No. 2 Tennessee- I am going to go ahead and say Tennessee in a 35+ point route.
No. 10 Davidson at No. 7 Gonzaga- I am on the Davidson Wildcats bandwagon baby, I have a man crush on Stephen Curry
No. 10 Saint Mary's at No. 7 Miami (FL)- I can’t lie, I know almost nothing about St. Mary’s except they have a good Australian kid on their team. I have seen Miami play, which is why I will take St. Mary’s.
No. 12 Western Kentucky at No. 5 Drake- I love Courtney Lee and the Hilltoppers Mascot, plus Drake relys on the 3 ball and they will be playing for the first time in a Dome stadium which are difficult to shoot in, Western Kentucky in the upset
No. 10 South Alabama at No. 7 Butler- South Alabama probably got the most favorable seed in the tournament, but not a favorable draw. Butler is a legit top 15 team and they have veteran guards, which I always drool over come tournament time, so I will take Butler.
No. 15 UMBC at No. 2 Georgetown- While UMBC is the original college choice of Teaneck great Juvens Delinois, I am going to have to take the Georgetown in this one, although Martin must be seriously conflicted with Juvens’ school and his beloved Hoyas matching up.
No. 15 Austin Peay at No. 2 Texas- If Austin Peay doesn’t watch out Texas could score upwards of 120 points.
No. 13 San Diego at No. 4 Connecticut- the Torreros of San Diego are coming in on a hot streak but I don’t think they have the size to compete, I will go with UConn in a close one.
No. 16 Mount St. Mary's at No. 1 North Carolina- Psycho T will outrebound the Mount by himself, and he may eat one of their players too.
No. 13 Siena at No. 4 Vanderbilt- I want to say there is a chance for an upset here but when I really look at it I just don’t think Siena can compete with Vanderbilts size and athleticism, so I will go with Vandy.
No. 9 Oregon at No. 8 Mississippi State- Maybe I am an SEC homer but I am taking Mississippi State in a big way here.
No. 9 Arkansas at No. 8 Indiana- If Indiana comes out early and makes shots Arkansas will give up, they have no character. I take Indiana to win comfortably.
No. 14 Boise State at No. 3 Louisville- I think this could be the upset of the day. Boise State has veterans and they play hard and tenacious defense. Everyone is singing the praises of Louisville and many people have them as a sleeper Final Four team, I think the Broncos will have people squirming in their seats all night over this score, but in the end Louisville will prevail.
No. 11 Saint Joseph's at No. 6 Oklahoma- I guess I have to pick an upset and this game seems to be as good as any. Oklahoma has terrible guards who have lead them right out of games this year, if the bad Austin Johnson comes to play then St. Joes will win. UPSET SPECIAL- St. Josephs Hawks.
No. 12 Villanova at No. 5 Clemson- People are loving this game as an upset, because Villanova has been around in recent years and Clemson hasn’t made the tournament since 1998. However, Clemson is the best team in the country at dictating style of play and tempo. They will get the undermanned Nova team to run up and down the court and play a game of havoc, and Clemson is better than you are at that type of game. I think Clemson will impose their will and win this game going away.
No. 16 Texas-Arlington at No. 1 Memphis- thanks for showing up, UT-Arlington.
Player of the Day- Joe Crawford, Kentucky and Bill Walker, Kansas State. Didn’t I tell you to watch the backcourt of Kentucky? Well Joe Crawford in his final collegiate game put on an absolute show, hitting 5 three’s and making 13 FG, tying his career high of 35 points (by the way he set that mark on March 5 on Senior night in the Colonial Center against the Gamecocks). He kept knocking down shots in the second half to keep Kentucky within closing distance of Marquette, but never could get them over the top. As for Walker, he was the spark for Kansas State in the first half. He scored 17 of his 22 before the half, starting the game off with a three pointer, igniting Kansas State to a ten point halftime lead while star Freshmen Michael Beasely struggled with foul trouble. Walker deferred to Beasley in the second half but most of the damage had already been done by Walker; then with Southern Cal closing fast, after 2 Taj Gibson free throws had cut the lead to 6, Walker drilled a three with a little over 4 minutes remaining, pushing the lead back out to 9 and the Trojans would never get that close again.
Coach of the Day- Rick Byrd, Belmont. Coach Byrd had his team prepared, and most important, not scared or in awe of the name on the front of the jersey. Belmont did not give in to Duke’s pressure defense, committing fewer TO’s than the Blue Devils. And defensively they guarded Duke’s dribble drives well and held them to under 30% from behind the arc. All those factors are what gave Belmont a chance to win the game, and coach Byrd gets credit for having his team prepared, in the end it came down to Duke having better players.
Most Impressive Team- Notre Dame & Pittsburgh. Now maybe everyone overrates George Mason a little because of what happened 2 years ago, but they are still a quality team. Unfortunately someone forgot to tell Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish came out and put their foots right on the throat of Mason and never let up. Notre Dame imposed their will and ran GMU right out of the Pepsi Center in Denver. Pittsburgh, who’s bandwagon I have finally jumped off at the wrong time, came out against an Oral Roberts team who is making their 3rd straight tournament appearance (meaning they have some experience) and made quick work of them. Trailing early, 13-10 with twelve minutes remaining, the Panthers ripped off a 37-11 runt o finish the half, and basically the game.
Day 2 Picks
No. 15 American University at No. 2 Tennessee- I am going to go ahead and say Tennessee in a 35+ point route.
No. 10 Davidson at No. 7 Gonzaga- I am on the Davidson Wildcats bandwagon baby, I have a man crush on Stephen Curry
No. 10 Saint Mary's at No. 7 Miami (FL)- I can’t lie, I know almost nothing about St. Mary’s except they have a good Australian kid on their team. I have seen Miami play, which is why I will take St. Mary’s.
No. 12 Western Kentucky at No. 5 Drake- I love Courtney Lee and the Hilltoppers Mascot, plus Drake relys on the 3 ball and they will be playing for the first time in a Dome stadium which are difficult to shoot in, Western Kentucky in the upset
No. 10 South Alabama at No. 7 Butler- South Alabama probably got the most favorable seed in the tournament, but not a favorable draw. Butler is a legit top 15 team and they have veteran guards, which I always drool over come tournament time, so I will take Butler.
No. 15 UMBC at No. 2 Georgetown- While UMBC is the original college choice of Teaneck great Juvens Delinois, I am going to have to take the Georgetown in this one, although Martin must be seriously conflicted with Juvens’ school and his beloved Hoyas matching up.
No. 15 Austin Peay at No. 2 Texas- If Austin Peay doesn’t watch out Texas could score upwards of 120 points.
No. 13 San Diego at No. 4 Connecticut- the Torreros of San Diego are coming in on a hot streak but I don’t think they have the size to compete, I will go with UConn in a close one.
No. 16 Mount St. Mary's at No. 1 North Carolina- Psycho T will outrebound the Mount by himself, and he may eat one of their players too.
No. 13 Siena at No. 4 Vanderbilt- I want to say there is a chance for an upset here but when I really look at it I just don’t think Siena can compete with Vanderbilts size and athleticism, so I will go with Vandy.
No. 9 Oregon at No. 8 Mississippi State- Maybe I am an SEC homer but I am taking Mississippi State in a big way here.
No. 9 Arkansas at No. 8 Indiana- If Indiana comes out early and makes shots Arkansas will give up, they have no character. I take Indiana to win comfortably.
No. 14 Boise State at No. 3 Louisville- I think this could be the upset of the day. Boise State has veterans and they play hard and tenacious defense. Everyone is singing the praises of Louisville and many people have them as a sleeper Final Four team, I think the Broncos will have people squirming in their seats all night over this score, but in the end Louisville will prevail.
No. 11 Saint Joseph's at No. 6 Oklahoma- I guess I have to pick an upset and this game seems to be as good as any. Oklahoma has terrible guards who have lead them right out of games this year, if the bad Austin Johnson comes to play then St. Joes will win. UPSET SPECIAL- St. Josephs Hawks.
No. 12 Villanova at No. 5 Clemson- People are loving this game as an upset, because Villanova has been around in recent years and Clemson hasn’t made the tournament since 1998. However, Clemson is the best team in the country at dictating style of play and tempo. They will get the undermanned Nova team to run up and down the court and play a game of havoc, and Clemson is better than you are at that type of game. I think Clemson will impose their will and win this game going away.
No. 16 Texas-Arlington at No. 1 Memphis- thanks for showing up, UT-Arlington.
Filowitz's Friday Five
1) Call Kris out and look at all the posts he did this week. You should read them all, if you haven't already. What have we learned from all this? Kris does know his college ball, and he does respond to taunts.
2) If you didn't get a chance to see Black Magic on ESPN this past Sunday and Monday, you should definitely find a way to do so. Extremely well done documentary on basketball players and coaches that came through historically black colleges, starting from around the 1940s. I am not too proud to admit that I had not heard of many of the people featured, like John McLendon, Earl Lloyd, and Ben Jobe. This is enriching, as a good documentary should be. Great stories that needed to be told, especially in light of all the racial issues brought up during this election season (I hope you all saw or read Obama's speech from Tuesday.) Black Magic is worth it just for the great old footage alone, including video of Earl Monroe, who was called "Black Jesus" for a reason. There are some clips HERE, so check those out.
3) I assume we all were disappointed that Belmont couldn't pull off their upset of Duke. And that was about the only particularly good thing I saw on day one of the tourney. The rest of the games could barely hold my interest. San Antonio-Boston and Utah-Lakers were far more entertaining.
4) Speaking of the NCAA, I've mentioned that I haven't watched much college ball this year. One thing I noticed is that the college game is much, much slower. The longer shot clock makes possessions seem to take forever. And in the close games, coaches seem to take way more timeouts than they do in the pros. Maybe I was watching the wrong teams this time or something, but this is what struck me the most today.
5) So it's supposed to snow in Chicago. This late in March. 5 to 8 inches I hear. This proves once and for all that Jesus does not want the people of this city to be happy. Happy Easter!
2) If you didn't get a chance to see Black Magic on ESPN this past Sunday and Monday, you should definitely find a way to do so. Extremely well done documentary on basketball players and coaches that came through historically black colleges, starting from around the 1940s. I am not too proud to admit that I had not heard of many of the people featured, like John McLendon, Earl Lloyd, and Ben Jobe. This is enriching, as a good documentary should be. Great stories that needed to be told, especially in light of all the racial issues brought up during this election season (I hope you all saw or read Obama's speech from Tuesday.) Black Magic is worth it just for the great old footage alone, including video of Earl Monroe, who was called "Black Jesus" for a reason. There are some clips HERE, so check those out.
3) I assume we all were disappointed that Belmont couldn't pull off their upset of Duke. And that was about the only particularly good thing I saw on day one of the tourney. The rest of the games could barely hold my interest. San Antonio-Boston and Utah-Lakers were far more entertaining.
4) Speaking of the NCAA, I've mentioned that I haven't watched much college ball this year. One thing I noticed is that the college game is much, much slower. The longer shot clock makes possessions seem to take forever. And in the close games, coaches seem to take way more timeouts than they do in the pros. Maybe I was watching the wrong teams this time or something, but this is what struck me the most today.
5) So it's supposed to snow in Chicago. This late in March. 5 to 8 inches I hear. This proves once and for all that Jesus does not want the people of this city to be happy. Happy Easter!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Day One Picks
I am willing to put myself out there everyday this tournament for the joy and ridicule of my loyal readers. Thankfully most of you will have picked your brackets already and won’t heed any of the advice you read on here.
No. 14 Georgia at No. 3 Xavier- Well since I have them in the Final Four lets go with Xavier. Georgia FUCKING stinks!!!
No. 16 Portland State at No. 1 Kansas- Ummm….Kansas, by a lot.
No. 12 Temple at No. 5 Michigan State- Everyone likes the upset here, the only thing upset will be Fran Dunphy’s stomach when Michigan State stomps them.
No. 11 Kentucky at No. 6 Marquette- I like Kentucky in a big upset, I think Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley will be huge.
No. 11 Baylor at No. 6 Purdue- I hate Baylor and Scott Drew’s little cheating ass, and I love Matt Painter and everything the Boilermakers stand for, so let’s go with Purdue.
No. 9 Kent State at No. 8 UNLV- The more I look at it, the more I really think I would take Lon Kruger to coach my team any day, UNLV.
No. 13 Oral Roberts at No. 4 Pittsburgh- Something wants me to go with the upset here, but Pittsburgh is playing well so they are the pick.
No. 14 Cornell at No. 3 Stanford- I hate the Cardinal and the faggot Lopez twins. Cornell shots the three-ball exceptionally well and they have their own 7-footer, UPSET SPECIAL…..CORNELL BIG RED
No. 11 Kansas State at No. 6 USC- Perhaps the game with the most talent out there; 6 potential NBA players in OJ Mayo, Taj Gibson, Davon Jefferson, Daniel Hackett, Bill Walker and Michael Beasely. I will take Beasely and Walker and the Kansas State Wildcats to pull off the upset
No. 15 Belmont at No. 2 Duke- Belmont is cool, but Duke will win going away.
No. 13 Winthrop at No. 4 Washington State- Winthrop pulled off a shocker last year but they are not nearly the same team now, and Wazzou brings back their entire squad from last years Tournament run, Wazzou in a route.
Texas A&M at No. 8 Brigham Young- I have no idea who to pick in this game, especially since the winner is going to get slaughtered by UCLA. I will say BYU because they are Mormon.
No. 14 Cal State Fullerton at No. 3 Wisconsin- Everyone hates on the Badgers but not me, I will go with Wisconsin.
No. 10 Arizona at No. 7 West Virginia- The Battle of the Bad Coach’s, both Kevin O’Neil and Bob Huggins couldn’t coach their way out of a paper bag. I think Arizona has way more talent, but I will still say West Virginia; that is how bad I think O’Neill is at his job.
No. 12 George Mason at No. 5 Notre Dame- As I state the other day I can’t pick two white assholes who look like they went to Bosco, upset special a with George Mason.
No. 16 Mississippi Valley State at No. 1 UCLA- I will let the readers decide this barn burner.
No. 14 Georgia at No. 3 Xavier- Well since I have them in the Final Four lets go with Xavier. Georgia FUCKING stinks!!!
No. 16 Portland State at No. 1 Kansas- Ummm….Kansas, by a lot.
No. 12 Temple at No. 5 Michigan State- Everyone likes the upset here, the only thing upset will be Fran Dunphy’s stomach when Michigan State stomps them.
No. 11 Kentucky at No. 6 Marquette- I like Kentucky in a big upset, I think Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley will be huge.
No. 11 Baylor at No. 6 Purdue- I hate Baylor and Scott Drew’s little cheating ass, and I love Matt Painter and everything the Boilermakers stand for, so let’s go with Purdue.
No. 9 Kent State at No. 8 UNLV- The more I look at it, the more I really think I would take Lon Kruger to coach my team any day, UNLV.
No. 13 Oral Roberts at No. 4 Pittsburgh- Something wants me to go with the upset here, but Pittsburgh is playing well so they are the pick.
No. 14 Cornell at No. 3 Stanford- I hate the Cardinal and the faggot Lopez twins. Cornell shots the three-ball exceptionally well and they have their own 7-footer, UPSET SPECIAL…..CORNELL BIG RED
No. 11 Kansas State at No. 6 USC- Perhaps the game with the most talent out there; 6 potential NBA players in OJ Mayo, Taj Gibson, Davon Jefferson, Daniel Hackett, Bill Walker and Michael Beasely. I will take Beasely and Walker and the Kansas State Wildcats to pull off the upset
No. 15 Belmont at No. 2 Duke- Belmont is cool, but Duke will win going away.
No. 13 Winthrop at No. 4 Washington State- Winthrop pulled off a shocker last year but they are not nearly the same team now, and Wazzou brings back their entire squad from last years Tournament run, Wazzou in a route.
Texas A&M at No. 8 Brigham Young- I have no idea who to pick in this game, especially since the winner is going to get slaughtered by UCLA. I will say BYU because they are Mormon.
No. 14 Cal State Fullerton at No. 3 Wisconsin- Everyone hates on the Badgers but not me, I will go with Wisconsin.
No. 10 Arizona at No. 7 West Virginia- The Battle of the Bad Coach’s, both Kevin O’Neil and Bob Huggins couldn’t coach their way out of a paper bag. I think Arizona has way more talent, but I will still say West Virginia; that is how bad I think O’Neill is at his job.
No. 12 George Mason at No. 5 Notre Dame- As I state the other day I can’t pick two white assholes who look like they went to Bosco, upset special a with George Mason.
No. 16 Mississippi Valley State at No. 1 UCLA- I will let the readers decide this barn burner.
Final Four Predictions
Okay, here are the Final Four picks and I will give you who they beat in the Elite Eight. Also check back just before the ball tips today I will predict every game.
EAST REGION
North Carolina over Louisville
MIDWEST REGION
Kansas over Wisconsin
SOUTH REGION
Memphis over Texas
WEST REGION
Xavier over Connecticut
SEMI FINALS
Kansas over North Carolina
Memphis over Xavier
AND
Rock Chalk JAYHAWK BABY................I will take Kansas to win it all
EAST REGION
North Carolina over Louisville
MIDWEST REGION
Kansas over Wisconsin
SOUTH REGION
Memphis over Texas
WEST REGION
Xavier over Connecticut
SEMI FINALS
Kansas over North Carolina
Memphis over Xavier
AND
Rock Chalk JAYHAWK BABY................I will take Kansas to win it all
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
NCAA Preview: The Players
The Superstars
Brandon Rush, Kansas- This guy makes the game look so easy it almost looks like he doesn’t play hard. The fact is the guy has the total package; he is an above average defender, he can rebound well on the defensive end, he strokes the 3 at a 43% clip, he can put the ball on the deck and finish at the rim or unleash his deadly array of mid range jumpers. It is time for him to take over and become a force in this, his last, tournament.
Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina- What more needs to be said about this guy? Okay maybe he doesn’t translate well to the next level, but who gives a shit. I thought he was overrated coming out of high school because he didn’t have a high skill set, but I underestimated his intangibles. He plays harder than you and he has improved his offensive skill level to where now you have to guard against his jump shot. In the post he is virtually unstoppable because of his desire to get the ball to the rim. Defensively he can guard anyone on the floor and he can control the game on the boards, I expect him to will his team to at least one come from behind win.
DJ Augustin, Texas- He is a prototypical Rick Barnes Point Guard; undersized is stature only, not in heart or desire. Somehow he averages 19.8 points a game but doesn’t seem to be a shoot first PG. He runs the Texas offense to perfection and always knows when it is time to assert himself offensively. He can live in the paint and has a fall away baseline runner that is money.
Chris Lofton, Tennessee- Everyone knows about his legendary shooting range, but throughout his career his all around game has improved. He started slow this year, but most likely because he had more talent around him. He began to assert himself in SEC play leading his team in scoring at 16 points a game. Lofton’s prowess from downtown can ignite his team on spectacular runs where they can rip off 10-20 points faster than anyone in the country. He is also known for having ice water in his veins, which I experienced up close just last Friday when he buried the game winning 3 with 11 seconds to go against my Gamecocks.
Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis- Everyone talks about the Frosh Derrick Rose (and with good reason) but CDR is the leading scorer at over 17 a game and hits 45% of his 3 point attempts. He has also shown the ability to step up in some of the bigger games, scoring 33 at UConn and 24 against Georgetown, also in their two hardest conference road games he poured in 30 at Houston and 32 at UAB. If Douglas-Roberts is having a big game his team is usually rolling big time, I look for him to have a big time coming out hey I am going to the NBA party this year.
The Glue Guys (this award to be renamed the Pendergraft after he graduates this year)
David Padgett, Louisville- No, I don’t know how long he has been in college, but I know it exceeds the limit set forth by the NCAA. The fact is when he is in the lineup they always have a chance, he epitomizes the phrase “does whatever it takes to win.” He scores 11 a game and leads the team but more impressive as his 65% FG which tells me he doesn’t take bad shots. He can handle the basketball and is an excellent passer from the high and low post areas. When a basket is needed for Louisville they run the offense through the big fella.
Cliff Hammonds, Clemson- He is second on his team in scoring, leads them in assists, pulls down 4 boards a game at 6’2 and shoots 47% from the field at the guard spot. He can guard any guard or wing player on the floor. In Clemson’s two biggest non conference wins this year, Purdue and Miss Stat, Hammonds averaged 12.5 pts. 6 boards, 5 assists and only turned the ball over 1 time. At Chapel Hill in a game Clemson should have wont his year he poured n 31 points including 5 three’s and grabbed 7 boards. This Senior leader sparks the high octane Clemson attack.
Drew Lavender, Xavier- He began his career under Kelvin Sampson at Oklahoma where he ran into some issues with the coach about his overall desire for the game. He transferred back closer to home (a Columbus native) and his game has picked up. Under Sean Miller he has become more of a complete player, playing better defense and improving his shot, knocking down 40% of his three’s. In a big win over his old coach’s now Hoosier squad he had a steady 13 pts 6 assist performance to lead his team to victory. Against Creighton, another tournament team, he scored 28 and dished out 10 dimes and in his return to Big 12 territory he poured in 21 points in a 26 point rout of the Kansas State Wildcats. He is the little engine that runs the show for Xavier and this is his last chance to prove himself, again.
Ronald Ramon, Pittsburgh- this guy, like Hammonds is the ultimate glue guard. A 4 year Senior who has been through it all. Earlier this year in a big game against Duke he went 38 minutes without making a shot, and then just before the buzzer calmly knocked down the game winner. Ramon is a tough city kid raised in the Bronx, and I think you need one or two city kids on your team to win. Ramon plays over 30 minutes a game but only average’s 8 points, which tells you he is doing a lot of other things well. Over 4 games in the Big East Tournament he averaged 14 points and 5 rebounds a game, both way over his season averages, in leading the Panthers to the Big East title.
The guys you may not have hear of and need to see
Blake Griffin, Oklahoma- An Oklahoma city native and High Scholl All-American, Griffin is one of the least talked about Freshman in the country. A brusing 6’10 243 lbs. power forward Griffin lead his team in scoring (15 PPG) rebounds (9.4) FG % (.559) and was third in steals and assists. He had 10 double doubles this year, including a 29 point 15 rebound performance in late February in a must win game against Baylor. He also had a one man showdown with superstar Freshman Michael Beasley, wherein a 2 point loss to the Wildcats Beasley went for 32 and 11 while Griffin basically matched him with 27 and 14.
Jamont Gordon, Miss State- Everyone knows who Chris Lofton is, and Shan Foster deservedly won SEC Player of the Year but overall the most talented and perhaps hardest player to stop in the league is Jamont Gordon. He leads his team at over 17 points a game and dishes out 5 assists from the PG spot while also grabbing 6 rebounds a game. At 6’4 230 lbs. he is built like a linebacker at virtually unstoppable when he gets in the paint. Gordon has a great change of pace dribble which gets him in the lane where he has a deadly array of pull-up moves and if you aren’t careful he can explode all the way to the hoop and dunk the ball. His game is definitely more suited to the 1 on1 aspect of the NBA game but he is joy to watch play because of his size, strength and explosiveness on the collegiate level.
Aaron Bruce, Baylor- If you are a basketball junkie and enjoy watching the game “the way it is supposed to be played,” then you need to watch Aaron Bruce. He has struggled through some injuries this season but he is the coach on the floor. When Baylor is playing well it is because Bruce is playing his all court game; he knows where every player is supposed to be on offense and defensively he is always talking to his teammates and pointing out where they need to be. He comes from the new school of Australian basketball players who are quickly proving to be some of the smartest and savviest in the game.
Austin Daye, Gonzaga- The Frosh up in Spokane is also not talked about very much, but at 6’10 190 lbs forward has a silky smooth stroke. He makes almost 905 of his free throws, 44% of his three’s and scores almost 11 points a game in only 18 minutes. He plays the game in a very easy manner and is never in a hurry. He plays well off of his PG Jeremy Pargo and post man Josh Hytvelt and can always be seen deep in the corner knocking down key jumpers. Day is someone who can really explode on the scene over the next few weeks.
Brandon Rush, Kansas- This guy makes the game look so easy it almost looks like he doesn’t play hard. The fact is the guy has the total package; he is an above average defender, he can rebound well on the defensive end, he strokes the 3 at a 43% clip, he can put the ball on the deck and finish at the rim or unleash his deadly array of mid range jumpers. It is time for him to take over and become a force in this, his last, tournament.
Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina- What more needs to be said about this guy? Okay maybe he doesn’t translate well to the next level, but who gives a shit. I thought he was overrated coming out of high school because he didn’t have a high skill set, but I underestimated his intangibles. He plays harder than you and he has improved his offensive skill level to where now you have to guard against his jump shot. In the post he is virtually unstoppable because of his desire to get the ball to the rim. Defensively he can guard anyone on the floor and he can control the game on the boards, I expect him to will his team to at least one come from behind win.
DJ Augustin, Texas- He is a prototypical Rick Barnes Point Guard; undersized is stature only, not in heart or desire. Somehow he averages 19.8 points a game but doesn’t seem to be a shoot first PG. He runs the Texas offense to perfection and always knows when it is time to assert himself offensively. He can live in the paint and has a fall away baseline runner that is money.
Chris Lofton, Tennessee- Everyone knows about his legendary shooting range, but throughout his career his all around game has improved. He started slow this year, but most likely because he had more talent around him. He began to assert himself in SEC play leading his team in scoring at 16 points a game. Lofton’s prowess from downtown can ignite his team on spectacular runs where they can rip off 10-20 points faster than anyone in the country. He is also known for having ice water in his veins, which I experienced up close just last Friday when he buried the game winning 3 with 11 seconds to go against my Gamecocks.
Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis- Everyone talks about the Frosh Derrick Rose (and with good reason) but CDR is the leading scorer at over 17 a game and hits 45% of his 3 point attempts. He has also shown the ability to step up in some of the bigger games, scoring 33 at UConn and 24 against Georgetown, also in their two hardest conference road games he poured in 30 at Houston and 32 at UAB. If Douglas-Roberts is having a big game his team is usually rolling big time, I look for him to have a big time coming out hey I am going to the NBA party this year.
The Glue Guys (this award to be renamed the Pendergraft after he graduates this year)
David Padgett, Louisville- No, I don’t know how long he has been in college, but I know it exceeds the limit set forth by the NCAA. The fact is when he is in the lineup they always have a chance, he epitomizes the phrase “does whatever it takes to win.” He scores 11 a game and leads the team but more impressive as his 65% FG which tells me he doesn’t take bad shots. He can handle the basketball and is an excellent passer from the high and low post areas. When a basket is needed for Louisville they run the offense through the big fella.
Cliff Hammonds, Clemson- He is second on his team in scoring, leads them in assists, pulls down 4 boards a game at 6’2 and shoots 47% from the field at the guard spot. He can guard any guard or wing player on the floor. In Clemson’s two biggest non conference wins this year, Purdue and Miss Stat, Hammonds averaged 12.5 pts. 6 boards, 5 assists and only turned the ball over 1 time. At Chapel Hill in a game Clemson should have wont his year he poured n 31 points including 5 three’s and grabbed 7 boards. This Senior leader sparks the high octane Clemson attack.
Drew Lavender, Xavier- He began his career under Kelvin Sampson at Oklahoma where he ran into some issues with the coach about his overall desire for the game. He transferred back closer to home (a Columbus native) and his game has picked up. Under Sean Miller he has become more of a complete player, playing better defense and improving his shot, knocking down 40% of his three’s. In a big win over his old coach’s now Hoosier squad he had a steady 13 pts 6 assist performance to lead his team to victory. Against Creighton, another tournament team, he scored 28 and dished out 10 dimes and in his return to Big 12 territory he poured in 21 points in a 26 point rout of the Kansas State Wildcats. He is the little engine that runs the show for Xavier and this is his last chance to prove himself, again.
Ronald Ramon, Pittsburgh- this guy, like Hammonds is the ultimate glue guard. A 4 year Senior who has been through it all. Earlier this year in a big game against Duke he went 38 minutes without making a shot, and then just before the buzzer calmly knocked down the game winner. Ramon is a tough city kid raised in the Bronx, and I think you need one or two city kids on your team to win. Ramon plays over 30 minutes a game but only average’s 8 points, which tells you he is doing a lot of other things well. Over 4 games in the Big East Tournament he averaged 14 points and 5 rebounds a game, both way over his season averages, in leading the Panthers to the Big East title.
The guys you may not have hear of and need to see
Blake Griffin, Oklahoma- An Oklahoma city native and High Scholl All-American, Griffin is one of the least talked about Freshman in the country. A brusing 6’10 243 lbs. power forward Griffin lead his team in scoring (15 PPG) rebounds (9.4) FG % (.559) and was third in steals and assists. He had 10 double doubles this year, including a 29 point 15 rebound performance in late February in a must win game against Baylor. He also had a one man showdown with superstar Freshman Michael Beasley, wherein a 2 point loss to the Wildcats Beasley went for 32 and 11 while Griffin basically matched him with 27 and 14.
Jamont Gordon, Miss State- Everyone knows who Chris Lofton is, and Shan Foster deservedly won SEC Player of the Year but overall the most talented and perhaps hardest player to stop in the league is Jamont Gordon. He leads his team at over 17 points a game and dishes out 5 assists from the PG spot while also grabbing 6 rebounds a game. At 6’4 230 lbs. he is built like a linebacker at virtually unstoppable when he gets in the paint. Gordon has a great change of pace dribble which gets him in the lane where he has a deadly array of pull-up moves and if you aren’t careful he can explode all the way to the hoop and dunk the ball. His game is definitely more suited to the 1 on1 aspect of the NBA game but he is joy to watch play because of his size, strength and explosiveness on the collegiate level.
Aaron Bruce, Baylor- If you are a basketball junkie and enjoy watching the game “the way it is supposed to be played,” then you need to watch Aaron Bruce. He has struggled through some injuries this season but he is the coach on the floor. When Baylor is playing well it is because Bruce is playing his all court game; he knows where every player is supposed to be on offense and defensively he is always talking to his teammates and pointing out where they need to be. He comes from the new school of Australian basketball players who are quickly proving to be some of the smartest and savviest in the game.
Austin Daye, Gonzaga- The Frosh up in Spokane is also not talked about very much, but at 6’10 190 lbs forward has a silky smooth stroke. He makes almost 905 of his free throws, 44% of his three’s and scores almost 11 points a game in only 18 minutes. He plays the game in a very easy manner and is never in a hurry. He plays well off of his PG Jeremy Pargo and post man Josh Hytvelt and can always be seen deep in the corner knocking down key jumpers. Day is someone who can really explode on the scene over the next few weeks.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
NCAA Preview: The Teams
First I will discuss teams I like to pull off an upset here or there and maybe even sneak into the Sweet 16.
Butler- Yes they are a 7 seed and people know who they are, but they have a good draw getting Tennessee in Round 2. Tennessee isn’t playing that well and Butler beat them last season. Now you say what does that have to do with anything, well you can’t appreciate Tennessee’s speed, press, shooting range and myriad of set plays unless you play them. Butler has the experience, albeit last season and their guards are experienced which is what you need to beat the Vols.
Kansas State- They have a first time head coach and don’t really have experience, but to me that’s what makes them dangerous. The match-up with Southern Cal in Round 1 is perhaps the most intriguing game of the entire tournament. I like Kansas State because they are battled tested and at the end of the day they have two lottery picks on their team in Michael Beasley and Bill Walker.
Kentucky- I guess it would be hard to call them a sleeper, but the fact remains they only won 18 games total this season and they are an 11 seed. They have what all teams need in tournament play, great guards in Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford. They have a bunch of role players filling out their roster but Billy Clyde has shown an ability to get the maximum from guys like Ramon Harris and Perry Stevenson. When the game is on the line there isn’t a bigger clutch shooter in the country than Bradley and Crawford can explode for 20-25 points in a single half with his versatility on offense.
Western Kentucky- First off they have a great draw getting a Drake team which has maybe less big game experience than they do. Darrin Horn is one of the rising stars in coaching and has lead the Hilltoppers to four straight 20 win seasons. They also have a star in Guard Courtney Lee who for his 4 year career is averaging over 17 points a game and shooting 40% from behind the arc. Lee has the ability to carry his team to a few victories.
Davidson- They play the team that used to be everyone’s darling, Gonzaga, but now the Zags are treated like every other power team, as an opportunity to take down Goliath. Davidson is for real, Bob McKillop has spent 17 years building one of the most solid programs in the country. They have played one of the best schedules in the land with opponents like; Duke, North Carolina, NC State, UCLA and UNC-Charlotte and over the last two season this incarnation of the team has gone 37-1 in conference. Stephen Curry (son of NBAer Del Curry) is the heart and soul (and sharpshooter averaging 25 ppg) of this team, and he is only a Sophomore. Jason Richards has been among the nations leader in assists the last two seasons and they have 7 more players who average double figure minutes. Even if they don’t get by Gonzaga, do yourself a favor and tune their game it, it will be a joy to watch (Martin, don’t sleep on their ability to beat the Hoyas either).
Now for some higher seeded teams I don’t like.
Pittsburgh- Realistically I have no reason to be down on them, they have all the tools to be successful, but in the past they have screwed me in my bracket so fuck them.
Duke- Coach K is great and he is getting some talent back on this team but he still doesn’t have that killer like he has had in the past. The rely way too heavily on the three ball and they have no go to guy, because believe me it isn’t Jon Scheyer. Give me another year and I think I may be in love with Kyle Singler, but just not yet.
Notre Dame- Maybe it is because I just despise the school, but for all my Teaneck brethren out there don’t Kyle McElharny and Luke Harongody seem like two schmucks who went to Don Bosco? And lord knows white lame hoopster from Bosco can’t be picked to do anything.
Southern Cal- With all the talent on this team they should be much better than they are. Seriously, they have 4 legit NBA players on their squad (Mayo, Jefferson, Gibson and Hackett) and they are a fucking 6 seed. To me Floyd seems like a coach who tinkers too much and almost ruins his team’s chances to wins some games
Connecticut- I just think they are a year away, especially if Thabeet & Adrien stay. Nest year they have a chance to be the pre-season #1 team and rip through the Big East but not this year.
Butler- Yes they are a 7 seed and people know who they are, but they have a good draw getting Tennessee in Round 2. Tennessee isn’t playing that well and Butler beat them last season. Now you say what does that have to do with anything, well you can’t appreciate Tennessee’s speed, press, shooting range and myriad of set plays unless you play them. Butler has the experience, albeit last season and their guards are experienced which is what you need to beat the Vols.
Kansas State- They have a first time head coach and don’t really have experience, but to me that’s what makes them dangerous. The match-up with Southern Cal in Round 1 is perhaps the most intriguing game of the entire tournament. I like Kansas State because they are battled tested and at the end of the day they have two lottery picks on their team in Michael Beasley and Bill Walker.
Kentucky- I guess it would be hard to call them a sleeper, but the fact remains they only won 18 games total this season and they are an 11 seed. They have what all teams need in tournament play, great guards in Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford. They have a bunch of role players filling out their roster but Billy Clyde has shown an ability to get the maximum from guys like Ramon Harris and Perry Stevenson. When the game is on the line there isn’t a bigger clutch shooter in the country than Bradley and Crawford can explode for 20-25 points in a single half with his versatility on offense.
Western Kentucky- First off they have a great draw getting a Drake team which has maybe less big game experience than they do. Darrin Horn is one of the rising stars in coaching and has lead the Hilltoppers to four straight 20 win seasons. They also have a star in Guard Courtney Lee who for his 4 year career is averaging over 17 points a game and shooting 40% from behind the arc. Lee has the ability to carry his team to a few victories.
Davidson- They play the team that used to be everyone’s darling, Gonzaga, but now the Zags are treated like every other power team, as an opportunity to take down Goliath. Davidson is for real, Bob McKillop has spent 17 years building one of the most solid programs in the country. They have played one of the best schedules in the land with opponents like; Duke, North Carolina, NC State, UCLA and UNC-Charlotte and over the last two season this incarnation of the team has gone 37-1 in conference. Stephen Curry (son of NBAer Del Curry) is the heart and soul (and sharpshooter averaging 25 ppg) of this team, and he is only a Sophomore. Jason Richards has been among the nations leader in assists the last two seasons and they have 7 more players who average double figure minutes. Even if they don’t get by Gonzaga, do yourself a favor and tune their game it, it will be a joy to watch (Martin, don’t sleep on their ability to beat the Hoyas either).
Now for some higher seeded teams I don’t like.
Pittsburgh- Realistically I have no reason to be down on them, they have all the tools to be successful, but in the past they have screwed me in my bracket so fuck them.
Duke- Coach K is great and he is getting some talent back on this team but he still doesn’t have that killer like he has had in the past. The rely way too heavily on the three ball and they have no go to guy, because believe me it isn’t Jon Scheyer. Give me another year and I think I may be in love with Kyle Singler, but just not yet.
Notre Dame- Maybe it is because I just despise the school, but for all my Teaneck brethren out there don’t Kyle McElharny and Luke Harongody seem like two schmucks who went to Don Bosco? And lord knows white lame hoopster from Bosco can’t be picked to do anything.
Southern Cal- With all the talent on this team they should be much better than they are. Seriously, they have 4 legit NBA players on their squad (Mayo, Jefferson, Gibson and Hackett) and they are a fucking 6 seed. To me Floyd seems like a coach who tinkers too much and almost ruins his team’s chances to wins some games
Connecticut- I just think they are a year away, especially if Thabeet & Adrien stay. Nest year they have a chance to be the pre-season #1 team and rip through the Big East but not this year.
Monday, March 17, 2008
The Big East - A tourney preview of sorts
"Booming like thunder. Striking like lightning. Welcome to my slaughterhouse, I know it frighting."
Mid-90s Masta Aca lyrics provides an ample description to the college basketball conference that I grew up on, that I still follow to this day and with the Bad Boys from the Big East getting half of the 16-team conference into the Big Dance, I will provide my two cents on those teams and others I might have gandered during the year (while you were watching the NBA or SEC basketball)
Midwest: No. 2 Georgetown vs. No. 15 UMBC, Friday at 2:55 in Raleigh, NC
I'm a little upset that the Hoyas didn't get a chance to play in Washington D.C., but what's done is done and was likely due to the loss in the Big East tournament championship game.
GTown lost because they got beat on the boards by a gritty Pittsburgh team that was ranked to start the year and beat Duke on that same Madison Square Garden floor.
Strengths: Roy Hibbert is easily the best big man in the country for all he can do with and without the ball. He's a great passer and is pretty much money deep in the paint. Jessie Sapp, Jonathan Wallace, Austin Freeman and Chris Wright are all great guards, but Jeremiah Rivers is the best defender you never heard of. Yes, his father is Doc and yes, he's one of the reasons the Hoyas have the best defense in the nation.
Weakness: They run a variation of the Princeton offense, I'm sure you've heard. But what that really means is a lot of their shots are off screens or cuts to the basket, unless they dump it to Hibbert in the post. What that really means is they don't draw contact or fouls and that shouldn't matter since they're a horrible team from the line. Also, if you've got aggressive size guys (See Memphis' Jerry Dorsey), you can beat them on the boards.
Outlook: This is highly biased, but I find it hard to not see them reaching the Elite Eight at least...That's if Wisconsin doesn't bore them to death.
East: No. 3 Louisville vs. No. 14 Boise State, Friday at 9:40 p.m.
The Cardinals are America's favorite team...for me to poop on!
No really, they're a nice outfit with Rick Pitino and the boys in red, making people remember Never Nervous Pervis and when Kentucky truly was a two-team state that people outside Kentucky cared about.
Strengths: There is no one in the college ranked truly suited to guard David Padgett. He's 6-11 with post moves and an outside touch, plus he moves well without the ball. The best hope is to get him into foul trouble because if he's on the floor with Edgar Sosa and Jerry Smith, the Cards are tough to beat.
Weakness: Like most Pitino teams, they can fall in love with the three-point shot. They do play excellent defense to make up for that, but how do you explain their quarterfinal exit from the Big East tourney? Oh, they ran into a grittier team that outhustled them to loose balls and rebounds.
Outlook: The dream of a Tennessee-Louisville Sweet 16 matchup looks great, but watch out for Oklahoma on Sunday afternoon...
South: No. 4 Pittsburgh vs. No. 13 Oral Roberts, Thursday at 3 p.m.
They are hotter than LeBron and Giselle on the cover of Vogue. They are gritty (How many times can I use that word?), they are tested, they are angry and they are your dark horse if you have any sense...
Strengths: As I've already stated on this post, Pitt is gritty. They will outrebound you with size (Tyrell Biggs), strength (Sam Young) or just plain wanting it more than you (Levance Fields). They're playing with a chip on their shoulder for a season that had so much promise, was hurt when Mike Cook was lost for the year, then rebounded this past week with four wins in four days.
Weakness: Keep them off the boards and send them to the line early, but not late. If you can get Ronald Ramon off the floor, that will help too, but right now they're playing with very few problems in my eyes
Outlook: This is by far the toughest region, so anything is possible. But this is the type of team needed to stop Memphis...
West: No. 4 UConn vs. No. 13 San Diego, Friday at 3 p.m.
This is a young Husky team that should be thrilled with this seed, since I could easily have seen them drop a little further down, but...
Strengths: As said before, they are young and ready to go 40 minutes strong. Hasheem Thabeet is a 7-3 frame in the post that throws shots away, starting the fast break.
Weakness: They are YOUNG. This team can beat itself real easy, especially since Thabeet isn't a scoring machine inside.
Outlook: They could easily challenge UCLA in the Sweet 16, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were done after the first weekend. Bowing out early in the Big East tourney leaves a foul taste in my mouth...
East: No. 5 Notre Dame vs. No. 12 George Mason, Thursday at 9:50 p.m.
This is the one Big East school I didn't see, but it's the same Notre Dame team as always...
Strengths: It's just one and his name is Luke Harangody, the 6-8 Player of the Year in the conference. He's a load inside, like a poor man's e a poor man's Tyler Hansbrough.
Weakness: The difference is, if Hansbrough gets in foul trouble, UNC has weapons to go to. If Harangody can't go, the Irish become a bunch of jump shooters that looked a lot better when they were open from kick outs from the post.
Outlook: I've never liked ND and I don't see them getting out of the first weekend.
South: No. 6 Marquette vs. No. 11 Kentucky, Thursday at 2:30 p.m.
Strenghts: I love their backcourt of Dominic James and Jerel McNeal.
Weakness: There's not much else to like after that.
Outlook: Another tough draw, with the Wildcats slumping into the Dance like the Eagles and the Big Trees awaiting the winner. Tough to see them past the weekend, but I wouldn't be shocked since guard play makes the difference in the Dance.
West: No. 7 West Virginia vs. No. 10 Arizona, Thursday at 9:40 p.m.
Strengths: Joe Alexander is a name you will learn should the Mountaineers move on. He's a 6-8 shooter that can create his own shot and Bob Huggins is a great coach who's been here before.
Weakness: It's been a long time since Huggins won anything, yet alone coached a team on a deep tourney run (1996 with Cincy was his last Elite Eight appearance).
Outlook: In a game of teams that weren't even supposed to be here today, it's possible that Alexander stays hot (loss to Georgetown notwithstanding) and WV makes a run. Then again, it could be a reality check, like there's no way Dante pulls Rosario and they go out early...
Midwest: No. 5 Clemson vs. No. 12 Villanova, Friday at 9:50 p.m.
One of, if not the last team into the dance, the Wildcats can make some noise.
Strengths: Scottie Reynolds can run my team any day of the week and twice on Sunday (which they might need him too). It's real simple - if he gets hot, watch out.
Weakness: Nova has a lot of bad losses because while Jay Wright can coach and recruit, he's got a young team with no seniors. So bad news for other teams next year, but it could mean bad news for Nova this year.
Outlook: If it wasn't a 5-12 game, I wouldn't pick it but as a former Gamecocks employee, I get to pick against Clemson, pick a Big East school and fill the 5-12 quote. Call it a mortal lock, so long as my life isn't on the line...
A couple of notes:
- Don't trust a Big 12 school. While they routinely send teams to the Final Four, the last school to cut down the final nets was Kansas IN 1988 with Danny Manning. That was before it was even 12 teams and the Big West has won a tourney title since.
- The Best Matchup is by far on Thursday at 7:10 and I hope it's a national feed. No. 6 USC vs. No. 11 Kansas State means O.J. Mayo vs. Michael Beasley in a pre-NBA meeting. Catch them now before they change uniforms next year.
- The Big 10 is down, so don't look shocked if Temple beats Michigan State or Arkansas stops Indiana (although I would be shocked on that last one).
- The Pac 10 is up, so don't sleep on Oregon (I'm not just saying that Josh) or Washington State (although I wouldn't be shocked on that last one if they lost to Winthrop)
- And last but not least, there were no snubs this year. Arizona State can complain about Arizona, but neither team was truly worthy and Virginia Tech really isn't that great. Every year, teams can complain and I could argue that margarine is better than butter, but it does nobody no good. The field is set, you're not in it and it's time to move on.
Go win the NIT if you feel so snubbed, so disrespected and the like. Meanwhile, the 34 best at-large teams and 31 conference champions will decide who's the best of them all.
----------------
Now playing: Santana Feat. Rob Thomas - Smooth
via FoxyTunes
Mid-90s Masta Aca lyrics provides an ample description to the college basketball conference that I grew up on, that I still follow to this day and with the Bad Boys from the Big East getting half of the 16-team conference into the Big Dance, I will provide my two cents on those teams and others I might have gandered during the year (while you were watching the NBA or SEC basketball)
Midwest: No. 2 Georgetown vs. No. 15 UMBC, Friday at 2:55 in Raleigh, NC
I'm a little upset that the Hoyas didn't get a chance to play in Washington D.C., but what's done is done and was likely due to the loss in the Big East tournament championship game.
GTown lost because they got beat on the boards by a gritty Pittsburgh team that was ranked to start the year and beat Duke on that same Madison Square Garden floor.
Strengths: Roy Hibbert is easily the best big man in the country for all he can do with and without the ball. He's a great passer and is pretty much money deep in the paint. Jessie Sapp, Jonathan Wallace, Austin Freeman and Chris Wright are all great guards, but Jeremiah Rivers is the best defender you never heard of. Yes, his father is Doc and yes, he's one of the reasons the Hoyas have the best defense in the nation.
Weakness: They run a variation of the Princeton offense, I'm sure you've heard. But what that really means is a lot of their shots are off screens or cuts to the basket, unless they dump it to Hibbert in the post. What that really means is they don't draw contact or fouls and that shouldn't matter since they're a horrible team from the line. Also, if you've got aggressive size guys (See Memphis' Jerry Dorsey), you can beat them on the boards.
Outlook: This is highly biased, but I find it hard to not see them reaching the Elite Eight at least...That's if Wisconsin doesn't bore them to death.
East: No. 3 Louisville vs. No. 14 Boise State, Friday at 9:40 p.m.
The Cardinals are America's favorite team...for me to poop on!
No really, they're a nice outfit with Rick Pitino and the boys in red, making people remember Never Nervous Pervis and when Kentucky truly was a two-team state that people outside Kentucky cared about.
Strengths: There is no one in the college ranked truly suited to guard David Padgett. He's 6-11 with post moves and an outside touch, plus he moves well without the ball. The best hope is to get him into foul trouble because if he's on the floor with Edgar Sosa and Jerry Smith, the Cards are tough to beat.
Weakness: Like most Pitino teams, they can fall in love with the three-point shot. They do play excellent defense to make up for that, but how do you explain their quarterfinal exit from the Big East tourney? Oh, they ran into a grittier team that outhustled them to loose balls and rebounds.
Outlook: The dream of a Tennessee-Louisville Sweet 16 matchup looks great, but watch out for Oklahoma on Sunday afternoon...
South: No. 4 Pittsburgh vs. No. 13 Oral Roberts, Thursday at 3 p.m.
They are hotter than LeBron and Giselle on the cover of Vogue. They are gritty (How many times can I use that word?), they are tested, they are angry and they are your dark horse if you have any sense...
Strengths: As I've already stated on this post, Pitt is gritty. They will outrebound you with size (Tyrell Biggs), strength (Sam Young) or just plain wanting it more than you (Levance Fields). They're playing with a chip on their shoulder for a season that had so much promise, was hurt when Mike Cook was lost for the year, then rebounded this past week with four wins in four days.
Weakness: Keep them off the boards and send them to the line early, but not late. If you can get Ronald Ramon off the floor, that will help too, but right now they're playing with very few problems in my eyes
Outlook: This is by far the toughest region, so anything is possible. But this is the type of team needed to stop Memphis...
West: No. 4 UConn vs. No. 13 San Diego, Friday at 3 p.m.
This is a young Husky team that should be thrilled with this seed, since I could easily have seen them drop a little further down, but...
Strengths: As said before, they are young and ready to go 40 minutes strong. Hasheem Thabeet is a 7-3 frame in the post that throws shots away, starting the fast break.
Weakness: They are YOUNG. This team can beat itself real easy, especially since Thabeet isn't a scoring machine inside.
Outlook: They could easily challenge UCLA in the Sweet 16, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were done after the first weekend. Bowing out early in the Big East tourney leaves a foul taste in my mouth...
East: No. 5 Notre Dame vs. No. 12 George Mason, Thursday at 9:50 p.m.
This is the one Big East school I didn't see, but it's the same Notre Dame team as always...
Strengths: It's just one and his name is Luke Harangody, the 6-8 Player of the Year in the conference. He's a load inside, like a poor man's e a poor man's Tyler Hansbrough.
Weakness: The difference is, if Hansbrough gets in foul trouble, UNC has weapons to go to. If Harangody can't go, the Irish become a bunch of jump shooters that looked a lot better when they were open from kick outs from the post.
Outlook: I've never liked ND and I don't see them getting out of the first weekend.
South: No. 6 Marquette vs. No. 11 Kentucky, Thursday at 2:30 p.m.
Strenghts: I love their backcourt of Dominic James and Jerel McNeal.
Weakness: There's not much else to like after that.
Outlook: Another tough draw, with the Wildcats slumping into the Dance like the Eagles and the Big Trees awaiting the winner. Tough to see them past the weekend, but I wouldn't be shocked since guard play makes the difference in the Dance.
West: No. 7 West Virginia vs. No. 10 Arizona, Thursday at 9:40 p.m.
Strengths: Joe Alexander is a name you will learn should the Mountaineers move on. He's a 6-8 shooter that can create his own shot and Bob Huggins is a great coach who's been here before.
Weakness: It's been a long time since Huggins won anything, yet alone coached a team on a deep tourney run (1996 with Cincy was his last Elite Eight appearance).
Outlook: In a game of teams that weren't even supposed to be here today, it's possible that Alexander stays hot (loss to Georgetown notwithstanding) and WV makes a run. Then again, it could be a reality check, like there's no way Dante pulls Rosario and they go out early...
Midwest: No. 5 Clemson vs. No. 12 Villanova, Friday at 9:50 p.m.
One of, if not the last team into the dance, the Wildcats can make some noise.
Strengths: Scottie Reynolds can run my team any day of the week and twice on Sunday (which they might need him too). It's real simple - if he gets hot, watch out.
Weakness: Nova has a lot of bad losses because while Jay Wright can coach and recruit, he's got a young team with no seniors. So bad news for other teams next year, but it could mean bad news for Nova this year.
Outlook: If it wasn't a 5-12 game, I wouldn't pick it but as a former Gamecocks employee, I get to pick against Clemson, pick a Big East school and fill the 5-12 quote. Call it a mortal lock, so long as my life isn't on the line...
A couple of notes:
- Don't trust a Big 12 school. While they routinely send teams to the Final Four, the last school to cut down the final nets was Kansas IN 1988 with Danny Manning. That was before it was even 12 teams and the Big West has won a tourney title since.
- The Best Matchup is by far on Thursday at 7:10 and I hope it's a national feed. No. 6 USC vs. No. 11 Kansas State means O.J. Mayo vs. Michael Beasley in a pre-NBA meeting. Catch them now before they change uniforms next year.
- The Big 10 is down, so don't look shocked if Temple beats Michigan State or Arkansas stops Indiana (although I would be shocked on that last one).
- The Pac 10 is up, so don't sleep on Oregon (I'm not just saying that Josh) or Washington State (although I wouldn't be shocked on that last one if they lost to Winthrop)
- And last but not least, there were no snubs this year. Arizona State can complain about Arizona, but neither team was truly worthy and Virginia Tech really isn't that great. Every year, teams can complain and I could argue that margarine is better than butter, but it does nobody no good. The field is set, you're not in it and it's time to move on.
Go win the NIT if you feel so snubbed, so disrespected and the like. Meanwhile, the 34 best at-large teams and 31 conference champions will decide who's the best of them all.
----------------
Now playing: Santana Feat. Rob Thomas - Smooth
via FoxyTunes
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Excuses are like Assholes
Yes I know Dan is calling me out now, so of course I have to respond. I could come up with a bevy of excuses to explain my absence on here, like:
--Over the past 5 weeks I have averaged 78 hours of work per my official time card (I often under submit hours in order to avoid filling out other paperwork explaining why I worked so much)
--The last week I was in the ATL, and since I am technologically challenged I don’t own one of the fancy traveling computers.
--The other night I was trying to enjoy some college basketball when a tornado about ripped the damn roof off the building I was in.
--I don’t currently have a working computer at my household
But since I am a professional I will not make any of those excuses. What I will do is start analyzing this tournament for you. I will first give you the “biggest snubs” and the “biggest lucky ass bastards who for some reason got in the tournament” here today.
SNUBS
Virginia Tech- The facts are these: the ACC rated as the number one conference and the Hokies finished 4th in the league earning a first round bye in the tournament. Why have regular seasons in the conference if they really don’t mean that much?
Arizona State- They wouldn’t have too much to gripe about if Arizona didn’t get in, but the Wildcats did. Now I know you can point to their weak SOS and Arizona’s high SOS but all I know is when the two teams faced off the Sun Devils won them both, I guess that doesn’t matter
VCU- This is a personal pick because I am friends with the staff, but they won their regular season league (CAA) by three games going away. They also performed well on the road, going 12-0 between the road and neutral sites.
LUCKY BITCHES
Villanova- I have absolutely no idea what they did to deserve this invitation. They have a difficult first round match up and could get run right out of this tournament before they know the game has even started.
Baylor- They have no right being in this field. Heck most experts didn’t even have them in the “Last Four Out” crowd that is how lucky they are.
Georgia- Yes I know the “earned” the berth, however they are so fucking terrible it is an embarrassment to all the SEC teams. We should have to forfeit all of our bids because we let Georgia win the conference tournament.
As for what is coming this week, Tuesday we will have teams I like and dislike, Wednesday we will have my fearless and sure to go wrong predictions, Thursday players to look out for and Friday we will have the day one wrap up. Stay tuned and fuck off Dan.
--Over the past 5 weeks I have averaged 78 hours of work per my official time card (I often under submit hours in order to avoid filling out other paperwork explaining why I worked so much)
--The last week I was in the ATL, and since I am technologically challenged I don’t own one of the fancy traveling computers.
--The other night I was trying to enjoy some college basketball when a tornado about ripped the damn roof off the building I was in.
--I don’t currently have a working computer at my household
But since I am a professional I will not make any of those excuses. What I will do is start analyzing this tournament for you. I will first give you the “biggest snubs” and the “biggest lucky ass bastards who for some reason got in the tournament” here today.
SNUBS
Virginia Tech- The facts are these: the ACC rated as the number one conference and the Hokies finished 4th in the league earning a first round bye in the tournament. Why have regular seasons in the conference if they really don’t mean that much?
Arizona State- They wouldn’t have too much to gripe about if Arizona didn’t get in, but the Wildcats did. Now I know you can point to their weak SOS and Arizona’s high SOS but all I know is when the two teams faced off the Sun Devils won them both, I guess that doesn’t matter
VCU- This is a personal pick because I am friends with the staff, but they won their regular season league (CAA) by three games going away. They also performed well on the road, going 12-0 between the road and neutral sites.
LUCKY BITCHES
Villanova- I have absolutely no idea what they did to deserve this invitation. They have a difficult first round match up and could get run right out of this tournament before they know the game has even started.
Baylor- They have no right being in this field. Heck most experts didn’t even have them in the “Last Four Out” crowd that is how lucky they are.
Georgia- Yes I know the “earned” the berth, however they are so fucking terrible it is an embarrassment to all the SEC teams. We should have to forfeit all of our bids because we let Georgia win the conference tournament.
As for what is coming this week, Tuesday we will have teams I like and dislike, Wednesday we will have my fearless and sure to go wrong predictions, Thursday players to look out for and Friday we will have the day one wrap up. Stay tuned and fuck off Dan.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Where Isiah Happens
I saw this in Simmons' links column, and had to include it here, since this sums up everything about the Isiah Era, which can't be done soon enough.
Enjoy, or shed a single melancholy tear.
Enjoy, or shed a single melancholy tear.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Filowitz's Friday Five
1) Wanna hear something crazy? The Houston Rockets have won 20 games in a row. Twenty! The other teams in NBA history that have won 20 had Wilt and Kareem on them. The Rockets have just McGrady, who is very good, but is no Wilt or Kareem. Yao is no Wilt or Kareem, either. This is a wonderfully baffling phenomenon. And it’ll probably be 21 after they beat the eminently beatable Charlotte Bobcats tonight. Then it’ll end sometime over the next four games since they play the Lakers, Celtics, at the Hornets, and at the Warirors. 
2) Wanna hear something crazy? Look at the standings in the Southwest Division in the NBA. Four out of the five teams are well over .600. Any one of those four teams is a legit contender to win the Finals (and who would have said that about the Rockets before this streak?) And if not for the putridity of the Memphis Grizzlies, or maybe even in spite of it, you can make the argument that this is one of the strongest divisions in any sport ever.
3) Wanna hear something crazy? Britney Spears is on the cover of the Atlantic Monthly. What’s next? Arthur Schlesinger on the cover of Star? A story in US Weekly about Reinhold Niebuhr?
4) Wanna hear something crazy? Here at this blog, we have a writer, a guy who calls himself the Innovator, that works in college basketball, that knows college basketball better than anyone we know, and conference tournaments are going on, and the big tourney is coming up. And yet, have we heard from this Innovator here? Has he not a few minutes in his busy schedule to impart some college basketball wisdom upon us? Is he too busy innovating? That’s right, I’m calling you out, Kris. This is supposed to be your time of the year to shine. Start shining!
5) Wanna hear something crazy? Isiah Thomas is still employed.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Filowitz's Friday Five
The "so late it might as well be Saturday" edition!
1) I don’t wish to alarm you, but the Houston Rockets have won 17 games in a row. Five in a row since Yao Ming was injured. Everyone who wrote the obituary for the Rockets after Yao was hurt seemed to have done so prematurely. That said, it is also true that they haven’t beat the toughest competition (last night was the Mavs without Dirk, who was suspended) and that this isn’t the playoffs. What it shows, if nothing else, is that making sweeping proclamations in immediate reaction to a news item is always a bad idea.
2) I don’t wish to alarm you, but the San Antonio Spurs have won 11 games in a row. And have the best record in the West. And once again have to be considered the favorite to win the whole thing. The question you have to ask as we near the playoffs is this: who will guard Tim Duncan? On Phoenix – Shaq and Amare can’t guard Duncan. On Utah – Carlos Boozer and Memo Okur can’t guard Tim Duncan. On the Lakers – who guards Tim Duncan? Pau Gasol? Ronny Turiaf? DJ Mbenga? That won’t be good for LA. And I’m going on record here (and on the Disciples of Clyde NBA Podcast this week) saying that Andrew Bynum won’t play again this season. Dude dislocated his knee cap. That’s going to take some time to heal up to running-and-jumping-all-the-time shape. Without him, they have no one to guard Tim Duncan.
3) I don’t wish to alarm you, but we change the clocks for Daylight Saving this weekend. I keep forgetting that Congress changed the law to make this happen earlier than usual. It used to be that the changing of the clocks was the prelude to the coming of spring. It’s still not supposed to be above 40 in Chicago for a while, so there is no hope of spring any time soon. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go drown myself in a deep dish pizza.
4) I don’t wish to alarm you, but the NCAA Tournament fast approaches. That means people like me will start actually paying attention to college basketball for the first time all year. Then I can pretend to sound knowledgeable about second-rate teams from the SEC while I hand in a bracket for a pool at work. “Oh, yeah, I think Vanderbilt can definitely make a run to the Sweet Sixteen. That Shan Foster is a beast!” (Note: I just went to Yahoo! Sports and looked up Vanderbilt’s top scorer. I wouldn’t know Shan Foster if he came to my house and wrote “Commodores” in permanent marker on my forehead after I’d passed out on my couch drunk again.)
5) I don’t wish to alarm you, but Kobe is not better than LeBron, and LeBron is not better than Kobe. After doing exhaustive and rigorous statistical analysis and going to the local university library stacks for some all night reading on modern psychology and comparative literature, I have come to the comprehensive conclusion that they are exactly and demonstrably equal in every way imaginable. So there.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Here Come The Warm Jets: Free Agency
The Jets have been amongst the busiest teams since the 2008 free agency period began. Let's do a recap:
Trade 3rd and 5th round picks to Carolina for Kris Jenkins
This addresses a huge need for the team: no true NT, which is critical to the success of the 3-4 defense. Jenkins is large, and at times in his career has been amongst the best DTs in the league. And my fellow blog author agrees that he is tastefully named.
Here Come The Warm Jets Feels: Fortified
Trade Jonathan Vilma to Saints for 4th round pick and conditional 2009 picks
Sad to see Vilma, a hard working and talented LB who was a big part of the two recent good seasons (2004 and 2006), have to go. But he wasn't right for the 3-4, and he was pretty badly injured, so he had to go. Getting something in return is great. Glad he went to a team the Jets rarely play, so it will be easy to unabashedly root for him to thrive in the rest of his career.
Here Come The Warm Jets Feels: Tearlessly Melancholy
Sign Alan Faneca from Steelers to 5-year contract
This addresses the largest need on the team: fixing the offensive line. Mangini and Tannenbaum screwed up tremendously last year with the Pete Kendall situation. This is the very expensive correction to that problem. This should instantly help the line, and should even make D'Brickashaw Ferguson play better, with a significant upgrade in talent next to him. That, in turn, can improve the running game, which, in turn, should improve the passing game, and therefore the entire offense.
A note on the large contracts: the salary cap recently went up by quite a bit. Therefore, many teams had a lot of extra money to spend on free agents. That means the market for these top free agents is one with low supply and high demand, and different contract numbers to throw around than a few years ago. So, sure, Faneca became the highest paid offensive lineman. But he would have been one no matter where he signed - this isn't a case of the Jets vastly overpaying (like, say, Otis Smith paying Rashard Lewis about $20 million more than any other NBA team would have.) The Jets paid what they had to pay to get the best talent available given the market conditions.
Here Come The Warm Jets Feels: Uncomfortably Titillated
Sign Calvin Pace from Cardinals to 6-year contract
I, like most NFL fans, had not heard of Calvin Pace prior to the free agency period. Here's the deal: he played in the 3-4 for the first time last year, and had a huge year, with 98 tackles and 6.5 sacks. He's young, and can play LB or DE. Every team that played the 3-4 wanted him, including Bill Parcells. If Parcells likes a guy on defense, I tend to like the guy, too. So I'll give the team the benefit of the doubt. Still, this is a huge contract for a guy who only had one good year on a team that was not remotely good.
Here Come The Warm Jets Feels: Anticipatory
Sign Damien Woody from Lions to 5-year contract
They brought him in to replace Anthony Clement (who was cut today) at RT. All he has to do is not suck more than a vacuum in a vortex, and he is a significant upgrade at RT. This, too, makes the line much more solid. Ferguson, Faneca, Mangold, Moore, and Woody. This line, I think, will make Thomas Jones look even better. And, hey, Woody has two rings from his time in NE, so, there's that. Don't sports-types always say that counts for something? I don't, but, hey, why be negative now?
Here Come The Warm Jets Feels: Difficulty Resisting Making A Hard-On Joke Using The Word "Woody"
Those are the main moves so far. Word is that there will be a few more small signings coming soon (the best rumor being getting Brendan Ayanbadejo from the Bear - he's a fantastic special teams guy).
All this plus the high picks in the first and second rounds make me feel much better about the team going into the year. And if McFadden slips to the Jets at #6.......
That said, there is still the matter of the QB position, which is not, how you say, strong right now. But let's deal with that later.
For now, let's put it this way: the Jets lost 7 games last year by 7 points or less. In many of those, it was either the inability to stop the run or the inability to have long drives in the fourth quarter, or both, that lost them these close games. Do all these additions help them in their weakest areas? I say yes. So that should lead to significantly more wins than last year (remember, a 100% improvement, which is significant, only gets them to 8-8.)
It's a fine line in the modern NFL between 6-10 and 10-6. Moves like these make me more hopeful that the Jets can be on the right side of that line in 2008.
And, really, all I ask for out of my football team at this time of the year is to not leave me feeling hopeless. Today I do not feel hopeless. Just don't show me any highlights of Clemens or Pennington throwing the ball until, say, August.
Trade 3rd and 5th round picks to Carolina for Kris Jenkins
This addresses a huge need for the team: no true NT, which is critical to the success of the 3-4 defense. Jenkins is large, and at times in his career has been amongst the best DTs in the league. And my fellow blog author agrees that he is tastefully named.
Here Come The Warm Jets Feels: Fortified
Trade Jonathan Vilma to Saints for 4th round pick and conditional 2009 picks
Sad to see Vilma, a hard working and talented LB who was a big part of the two recent good seasons (2004 and 2006), have to go. But he wasn't right for the 3-4, and he was pretty badly injured, so he had to go. Getting something in return is great. Glad he went to a team the Jets rarely play, so it will be easy to unabashedly root for him to thrive in the rest of his career.
Here Come The Warm Jets Feels: Tearlessly Melancholy
Sign Alan Faneca from Steelers to 5-year contract
This addresses the largest need on the team: fixing the offensive line. Mangini and Tannenbaum screwed up tremendously last year with the Pete Kendall situation. This is the very expensive correction to that problem. This should instantly help the line, and should even make D'Brickashaw Ferguson play better, with a significant upgrade in talent next to him. That, in turn, can improve the running game, which, in turn, should improve the passing game, and therefore the entire offense.
A note on the large contracts: the salary cap recently went up by quite a bit. Therefore, many teams had a lot of extra money to spend on free agents. That means the market for these top free agents is one with low supply and high demand, and different contract numbers to throw around than a few years ago. So, sure, Faneca became the highest paid offensive lineman. But he would have been one no matter where he signed - this isn't a case of the Jets vastly overpaying (like, say, Otis Smith paying Rashard Lewis about $20 million more than any other NBA team would have.) The Jets paid what they had to pay to get the best talent available given the market conditions.
Here Come The Warm Jets Feels: Uncomfortably Titillated
Sign Calvin Pace from Cardinals to 6-year contract
I, like most NFL fans, had not heard of Calvin Pace prior to the free agency period. Here's the deal: he played in the 3-4 for the first time last year, and had a huge year, with 98 tackles and 6.5 sacks. He's young, and can play LB or DE. Every team that played the 3-4 wanted him, including Bill Parcells. If Parcells likes a guy on defense, I tend to like the guy, too. So I'll give the team the benefit of the doubt. Still, this is a huge contract for a guy who only had one good year on a team that was not remotely good.
Here Come The Warm Jets Feels: Anticipatory
Sign Damien Woody from Lions to 5-year contract
They brought him in to replace Anthony Clement (who was cut today) at RT. All he has to do is not suck more than a vacuum in a vortex, and he is a significant upgrade at RT. This, too, makes the line much more solid. Ferguson, Faneca, Mangold, Moore, and Woody. This line, I think, will make Thomas Jones look even better. And, hey, Woody has two rings from his time in NE, so, there's that. Don't sports-types always say that counts for something? I don't, but, hey, why be negative now?
Here Come The Warm Jets Feels: Difficulty Resisting Making A Hard-On Joke Using The Word "Woody"
Those are the main moves so far. Word is that there will be a few more small signings coming soon (the best rumor being getting Brendan Ayanbadejo from the Bear - he's a fantastic special teams guy).
All this plus the high picks in the first and second rounds make me feel much better about the team going into the year. And if McFadden slips to the Jets at #6.......
That said, there is still the matter of the QB position, which is not, how you say, strong right now. But let's deal with that later.
For now, let's put it this way: the Jets lost 7 games last year by 7 points or less. In many of those, it was either the inability to stop the run or the inability to have long drives in the fourth quarter, or both, that lost them these close games. Do all these additions help them in their weakest areas? I say yes. So that should lead to significantly more wins than last year (remember, a 100% improvement, which is significant, only gets them to 8-8.)
It's a fine line in the modern NFL between 6-10 and 10-6. Moves like these make me more hopeful that the Jets can be on the right side of that line in 2008.
And, really, all I ask for out of my football team at this time of the year is to not leave me feeling hopeless. Today I do not feel hopeless. Just don't show me any highlights of Clemens or Pennington throwing the ball until, say, August.
Monday, March 3, 2008
The Great Debate
Okay since I don't really have a lot of time to dive deep into random sports subjects I will leave it up to the readers and even some of the other writers here to engage in the "Great Debate."
It comes down to this, for all the marbles, Kobe or LeBron. Both are marvelous and performing at a level that has rarely been seen before in this game, night in night out maybe at a level hire than that of Jordan at his peak. Imagine of somehow they managed to both get to the NBA Finals, the universe might explode.
Yesterday on ESPN's the Sports Reporters they debated it, and now here on TSABP we are going to engage in that same debate. Remember lets refrain from name calling of each other, this is a debate where there will be no winner because clearly there is no definate answer to who's better.
So have at folks...........
It comes down to this, for all the marbles, Kobe or LeBron. Both are marvelous and performing at a level that has rarely been seen before in this game, night in night out maybe at a level hire than that of Jordan at his peak. Imagine of somehow they managed to both get to the NBA Finals, the universe might explode.
Yesterday on ESPN's the Sports Reporters they debated it, and now here on TSABP we are going to engage in that same debate. Remember lets refrain from name calling of each other, this is a debate where there will be no winner because clearly there is no definate answer to who's better.
So have at folks...........
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