My Final Four picks will finally be up later this week, but here's a bit of news to tide you over:
After months of intense debate, the Baseball Boogie beats out the Black Sox Scandal and Gene Keady's combover as the most embarrassing moment in American sports history. The Baseball Boogie wins extra points for demonstrating the dangers of mixing the 1980's and cocaine.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
"More Than A Game" or "LeBron: The Pre-Knicks Years"
Where was I again? Oh, that's right. Basketball. As my #1 fan Cobie Whitten (who, oddly enough, also happens to be the woman who gave birth to me) noted, it's been a while since the last post. Where have I been? Let's just say I ran into a spot of trouble in an unsuccessful bid to cancel my mail. But now I am free, just in time for the new season and the blog posts, they will be a-flowing.
It's a proven fact that my basketball analysis is more insightful than the fat kid from "Two And A Half Men" is obnoxious. No doubt all two of you (hi mom!!!) are foaming at the mouth for predictions and pontifications about the upcoming season, and rest assured, they will come. But today I'm going to mix things up with a movie review. In addition to reigning supreme as the roundball Nostradamus, I also "work" for a "production company" in the entertainment industry. As such, I had the privilege of attending a preview screening of MORE THAN A GAME, a documentary that follows the St. Vincent-St. Mary's high school basketball team. Said team starred a crab-dribbling gent named LeBron at small forward.
Given the facts that MORE THAN A GAME is: A) A documentary and B) A documentary about basketball, a HOOP DREAMS comparison is unavoidable. Really, the two films exist on different planes. HOOP DREAMS is arguably a perfect documentary. It tells an intimate story that exposes a social condition, the roots of which go much deeper than basketball. Most impressively, HOOP DREAMS delivers its message in an authentic and sincere manner, pronouncing the subject and diminishing the filmmakers in a way I haven't seen before or since. Oh, and in response to my 4 year old cousin Julian: Yes I do love HOOP DREAMS so much, and yes I would marry it if it were legal to do so in the state of California.
MORE THAN A GAME (thankfully) doesn't aspire to social commentary. Instead, it focuses on a great team's quest for immortality. The goal--a national title--is as tangible and uplifting as a paint-by-numbers Hollywood drama. Basically, it's The Mighty Ducks II in docu form, and I mean that in the most loving way possible. Despite what you see in the trailer, the ad campaign, and the title of this blog post, MORE THAN A GAME is not the LeBron story. It is very much the St. Vincent-St. Mary's story, a buddy picture about four (and later five) friends who stuck together together in an era where high school hoops has become as mercenary as the NBA. As the film progresses the LeBron mystique becomes ubiquitous, but it's always filtered through the lens of the team: How the fame, the media, the pressure affect the boys and their friendship. For example, when LeBron is declared ineligible for receiving a Wes Unseld jersey--possibly because it was an illegal gift, possibly because of LeBron's poor taste in NBA legends--the biggest threat isn't to LeBron's draft status or his professional reputation. Instead, the focus stays on the team. How can they win the next game, let alone the national title, without their star?
The story plays like a well-structured movie. Seriously, you'd think Coach Joyce read the team Robert McKee before games. The cast includes the Fab 4: LeBron James, Dru Joyce III (aka Little Dru), Sian Cotton and Willie McGee. Four friends from Akron who played for Dru Joyce Jr.'s AAU team all make a pact to stay together through high school. When Little Dru can't make the cut on the local high school powerhouse, all four choose to go to lesser-known St. Vincent-St. Mary--a whitebread Catholic school no doubt filled with kids like Stuart Minkus. From there the movie hits all the right plot points and act breaks: The rise out of obscurity, the hubris-induced loss in the state finals of their junior year, to the redemptive third act where the Fab 5 win the national title in their last game together. There's character drama--between Little Dru and his father, between the team and the media, between the four boys and Romeo Travis, an introverted Forward who joins the team in high school as the Fab 4 become the Fab 5. The final game even features a halftime speech so heartfelt it would make Emilio Estevez shed a tear. Big kudos to the filmmakers for making a believable underdog story out of a team that was the unquestionable favorite in almost every game they played.
What hurts the movie most is the haphazard way it was developed. In a Q&A after the screening, the director explained how MORE THAN A GAME started out as a student film, then morphed into a feature-length documentary that didn't fully come together until years after the the Fab 5 graduated. The film does a great job of providing archival footage, home movies and game tape, but there's a noticeable lack of actual footage shot by the film crew. All the interviews are retrospectives (most filmed within the last year), which help add perspective to the story but definitely sap some of it's emotionality. The filmmakers joined the party late, and it makes the story feel like a nostalgic memory, lacking in urgency and tension.
The editing more than makes up for the conceptual gaffes. The movie clocks in well under 2 hours but still manages to juggle all six characters and neatly tie up the threads. The soundtrack was good, much better than a doc like this should be able to afford; I'd wager my WaMu stock that LeBron and his Executive Producer credit had something to do with that. Lots of effects, lots of highlight clips--it felt like a combination of an AND 1 mix tape and a Sportscenter highlight reel, which perfectly matches the uptempo pace of the film. Check out the trailer to see what I mean.
Of the two other people who were with me, one hates LeBron and the other only watches basketball because she thinks D-Wade is hot. We all loved the movie. So did the rest of the crowd...although the Ohioans (?) in the room didn't seem to appreciate my asking the director if he knew when LeBron planned on making a formal commitment to the Knicks. I guess I won't be welcome in Cleveland any time soon. Too bad.
MORE THAN A GAME. Go see it. I offer the iron-clad 100%-money-back guarantee that it will be better than this.
It's a proven fact that my basketball analysis is more insightful than the fat kid from "Two And A Half Men" is obnoxious. No doubt all two of you (hi mom!!!) are foaming at the mouth for predictions and pontifications about the upcoming season, and rest assured, they will come. But today I'm going to mix things up with a movie review. In addition to reigning supreme as the roundball Nostradamus, I also "work" for a "production company" in the entertainment industry. As such, I had the privilege of attending a preview screening of MORE THAN A GAME, a documentary that follows the St. Vincent-St. Mary's high school basketball team. Said team starred a crab-dribbling gent named LeBron at small forward.
Given the facts that MORE THAN A GAME is: A) A documentary and B) A documentary about basketball, a HOOP DREAMS comparison is unavoidable. Really, the two films exist on different planes. HOOP DREAMS is arguably a perfect documentary. It tells an intimate story that exposes a social condition, the roots of which go much deeper than basketball. Most impressively, HOOP DREAMS delivers its message in an authentic and sincere manner, pronouncing the subject and diminishing the filmmakers in a way I haven't seen before or since. Oh, and in response to my 4 year old cousin Julian: Yes I do love HOOP DREAMS so much, and yes I would marry it if it were legal to do so in the state of California.
MORE THAN A GAME (thankfully) doesn't aspire to social commentary. Instead, it focuses on a great team's quest for immortality. The goal--a national title--is as tangible and uplifting as a paint-by-numbers Hollywood drama. Basically, it's The Mighty Ducks II in docu form, and I mean that in the most loving way possible. Despite what you see in the trailer, the ad campaign, and the title of this blog post, MORE THAN A GAME is not the LeBron story. It is very much the St. Vincent-St. Mary's story, a buddy picture about four (and later five) friends who stuck together together in an era where high school hoops has become as mercenary as the NBA. As the film progresses the LeBron mystique becomes ubiquitous, but it's always filtered through the lens of the team: How the fame, the media, the pressure affect the boys and their friendship. For example, when LeBron is declared ineligible for receiving a Wes Unseld jersey--possibly because it was an illegal gift, possibly because of LeBron's poor taste in NBA legends--the biggest threat isn't to LeBron's draft status or his professional reputation. Instead, the focus stays on the team. How can they win the next game, let alone the national title, without their star?
The story plays like a well-structured movie. Seriously, you'd think Coach Joyce read the team Robert McKee before games. The cast includes the Fab 4: LeBron James, Dru Joyce III (aka Little Dru), Sian Cotton and Willie McGee. Four friends from Akron who played for Dru Joyce Jr.'s AAU team all make a pact to stay together through high school. When Little Dru can't make the cut on the local high school powerhouse, all four choose to go to lesser-known St. Vincent-St. Mary--a whitebread Catholic school no doubt filled with kids like Stuart Minkus. From there the movie hits all the right plot points and act breaks: The rise out of obscurity, the hubris-induced loss in the state finals of their junior year, to the redemptive third act where the Fab 5 win the national title in their last game together. There's character drama--between Little Dru and his father, between the team and the media, between the four boys and Romeo Travis, an introverted Forward who joins the team in high school as the Fab 4 become the Fab 5. The final game even features a halftime speech so heartfelt it would make Emilio Estevez shed a tear. Big kudos to the filmmakers for making a believable underdog story out of a team that was the unquestionable favorite in almost every game they played.
What hurts the movie most is the haphazard way it was developed. In a Q&A after the screening, the director explained how MORE THAN A GAME started out as a student film, then morphed into a feature-length documentary that didn't fully come together until years after the the Fab 5 graduated. The film does a great job of providing archival footage, home movies and game tape, but there's a noticeable lack of actual footage shot by the film crew. All the interviews are retrospectives (most filmed within the last year), which help add perspective to the story but definitely sap some of it's emotionality. The filmmakers joined the party late, and it makes the story feel like a nostalgic memory, lacking in urgency and tension.
The editing more than makes up for the conceptual gaffes. The movie clocks in well under 2 hours but still manages to juggle all six characters and neatly tie up the threads. The soundtrack was good, much better than a doc like this should be able to afford; I'd wager my WaMu stock that LeBron and his Executive Producer credit had something to do with that. Lots of effects, lots of highlight clips--it felt like a combination of an AND 1 mix tape and a Sportscenter highlight reel, which perfectly matches the uptempo pace of the film. Check out the trailer to see what I mean.
Of the two other people who were with me, one hates LeBron and the other only watches basketball because she thinks D-Wade is hot. We all loved the movie. So did the rest of the crowd...although the Ohioans (?) in the room didn't seem to appreciate my asking the director if he knew when LeBron planned on making a formal commitment to the Knicks. I guess I won't be welcome in Cleveland any time soon. Too bad.
MORE THAN A GAME. Go see it. I offer the iron-clad 100%-money-back guarantee that it will be better than this.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Tyler to Public Education: Kiss My Tuchus
As all (20.453+(382/2))^0-1 of you who read this blog probably know, high school kind-of phenom Jeremy Tyler is foregoing his senior year to go to Europe and play professionally. Why is he doing this? Possibly he wants to make oodles of money. Possibly he got tired of waiting for Mr. Kotter to come back. No one knows. Alright, plenty of people know, but that robs my opening paragraph of all its intrigue, so I'm keeping that last sentence as-is.
Tyler probably thinks he's going to be swimming in money, much like Scrooge McDuck in the opening theme of DUCK TALES. He's probably right, since European ballers get almost as much scouting attention as "student" athletes. At the end of the day, if Tyler performs then he'll get drafted and if not, he won't--same as if he went to college. Might as well earn a few clams in the process. And he certainly won't suffer for lack of attention.
Yes, the Euro game is much much better than D-1 ball. Yes, Tyler is probably getting in over his head, a la Brandon Jennings. Yes, you deserve twenty lashings for thinking BETTER OFF TED is funny. But we beat the pinkos, goddammit, and in this country--oh wait--well, in one of those quasi-socialist countries across the pond, a man (and/or woman!) deserves just compensation for doing his job, irregardless of his age or his choice of facial hair.
But let's be honest: This isn't about high school, this is about the one-year rule preventing high school grads from going straight to the NBA. If Tyler didn't have to wait a year after HS from jumping, I'd bet pesos to dollars (that's right, the dollar sucks) that Tyler stays out his last year and lands a lottery pick in the draft. But since NCAA bylaw 32.89.000010 states that only Gary Williams circa 1988 can profit from NCAA ball, Tyler made a decision that not only could hurt himself in the long run, but also hurts the game. More so, the whole shenanagan exposes the term "student athlete" as the biggest oxymoron since "The Good German".
Tyler probably thinks he's going to be swimming in money, much like Scrooge McDuck in the opening theme of DUCK TALES. He's probably right, since European ballers get almost as much scouting attention as "student" athletes. At the end of the day, if Tyler performs then he'll get drafted and if not, he won't--same as if he went to college. Might as well earn a few clams in the process. And he certainly won't suffer for lack of attention.
Yes, the Euro game is much much better than D-1 ball. Yes, Tyler is probably getting in over his head, a la Brandon Jennings. Yes, you deserve twenty lashings for thinking BETTER OFF TED is funny. But we beat the pinkos, goddammit, and in this country--oh wait--well, in one of those quasi-socialist countries across the pond, a man (and/or woman!) deserves just compensation for doing his job, irregardless of his age or his choice of facial hair.
But let's be honest: This isn't about high school, this is about the one-year rule preventing high school grads from going straight to the NBA. If Tyler didn't have to wait a year after HS from jumping, I'd bet pesos to dollars (that's right, the dollar sucks) that Tyler stays out his last year and lands a lottery pick in the draft. But since NCAA bylaw 32.89.000010 states that only Gary Williams circa 1988 can profit from NCAA ball, Tyler made a decision that not only could hurt himself in the long run, but also hurts the game. More so, the whole shenanagan exposes the term "student athlete" as the biggest oxymoron since "The Good German".
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
The Rich Get Richer
It's official: Former Memphis recruit Xavier Henry is signing with Kansas. Henry is the #3 recruit in the country, originally part of Calipari's amazing '09 hall. With Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich coming back, Kansas was already the favorite before Henry's signing. Now they're a unanimous #1.
Zeked
...and introducing your 2010 NCAA champions: THE FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY GOLLLLDDDENNN PANNN-THERS!!!
Okay, not quite. But whens the last time ESPN had half a dozen articles with the words "Florida" and "International" together in the same sentence?
As I've been preaching on street corners for six years now, Isaiah Thomas is an emissary of Satan and, most likely, a sign of the end times. He bankrupted an entire basketball league, then ruined my favorite NBA team for a decade. Zeke + the gnats in the 2007 MLB playoffs make me think that God really does hate New York sports teams.
That said, this is a good hire. The one thing Isaiah excelled in at NY was evaluating college players. In the rare year where he didn't trade our draft picks away, we picked up stellar talents like David Lee, Trevor Ariza and Wilson Chandler. If Isaiah proves as adept at finding HS diamonds in the rough, FIU could be back in the tournament for the first time since 1995.
Beyond that, what's the worst that could happen? Okay, besides Zeke sexually abusing cheerleaders and/or getting the team addicted to sleeping pills. This is a school located in an area relatively bereft of basketball talent; and FIU must compete against Florida, Miami and half the SEC for the few players who do come out of the region.
For all his failings off the court, Zeke's name still carries a lot of weight with kids. With him at the helm they should be able to recruit bigger and recruit smarter. That said, don't expect any Cinderella runs from the Golden(?) Panthers. A one-and-done NCAA tournament appearance would be considered a huge victory for a team with only one NCAA tourny bid in its history (as a 16-seed, no less). Zeke will coach the team until he loses interest or finds an NBA team stupid enough to give him another shot at management (hello, Clippers?).
And the very best part of the hire?
Ladies and gentlemen of Madison Square Garden: Isaiah Thomas has left the building.
Okay, not quite. But whens the last time ESPN had half a dozen articles with the words "Florida" and "International" together in the same sentence?
As I've been preaching on street corners for six years now, Isaiah Thomas is an emissary of Satan and, most likely, a sign of the end times. He bankrupted an entire basketball league, then ruined my favorite NBA team for a decade. Zeke + the gnats in the 2007 MLB playoffs make me think that God really does hate New York sports teams.
That said, this is a good hire. The one thing Isaiah excelled in at NY was evaluating college players. In the rare year where he didn't trade our draft picks away, we picked up stellar talents like David Lee, Trevor Ariza and Wilson Chandler. If Isaiah proves as adept at finding HS diamonds in the rough, FIU could be back in the tournament for the first time since 1995.
Beyond that, what's the worst that could happen? Okay, besides Zeke sexually abusing cheerleaders and/or getting the team addicted to sleeping pills. This is a school located in an area relatively bereft of basketball talent; and FIU must compete against Florida, Miami and half the SEC for the few players who do come out of the region.
For all his failings off the court, Zeke's name still carries a lot of weight with kids. With him at the helm they should be able to recruit bigger and recruit smarter. That said, don't expect any Cinderella runs from the Golden(?) Panthers. A one-and-done NCAA tournament appearance would be considered a huge victory for a team with only one NCAA tourny bid in its history (as a 16-seed, no less). Zeke will coach the team until he loses interest or finds an NBA team stupid enough to give him another shot at management (hello, Clippers?).
And the very best part of the hire?
Ladies and gentlemen of Madison Square Garden: Isaiah Thomas has left the building.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Forde don't need no bailout
Great article by Pat Forde ranking the weirdest rebound jobs in college basketball.
"So just how strange is Isaiah to FIU?"
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat
&id=4070102&sportCat=ncb
Tomorrow: My take on Isaiah. It might surprise you.
"So just how strange is Isaiah to FIU?"
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat
&id=4070102&sportCat=ncb
Tomorrow: My take on Isaiah. It might surprise you.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
She's dead, Jim
Jonny Flynn will leave Syracuse early and enter the draft. Cuse & coach Jim Boeheim just took a big hit, from Top 5 team to Final Four dark horse.
Meanwhile, Kansas stars Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich are pulling a Rodney Dangerfield and going back to school. That there's your pre-season #1, folks.
Meanwhile, Kansas stars Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich are pulling a Rodney Dangerfield and going back to school. That there's your pre-season #1, folks.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Up the Down Coaching Ladder
So (former) Arizona interim coach Russ Pennell landed a head coaching job D-II Grand Canyon State. Given his comments, a D-II job wasn't exactly the "thank you" he expected after cleaning up Lute "Do I Have Dementia?" Olson's mess and taking Arizona to the Sweet 16. Pennell said that he couldn't go back to being an assistant after taking the reins of a top shelf program...and then Lord Acton and Winston Churchill had a good laugh. Russ, I hope you took photos, because the Louisville blowout is the last you'll see of high major head coaching job for a loooooonng time.
On the surface, it seems counterintuitive that an unknown coach taking a 12-seed to the Sweet 16 should take such a nosedive down the coaching ladder. Not sp in this case.
MYTH: Arizona was in the Sweet 16 and is therefore one of the top 16 teams in the country.
FACT: Arizona pulled off one minor upset and played the most favorable schedule of any Sweet 16 team.
Arizona beating Utah is an upset on paper but three out of four 12-seeds beat 5-seeds, making 5-seeds a rarer breed this year. Utah was a team that had peaked in January and limped to the finish line (just like my nearest and dearest 5-seed Illinois). Arizona was also the most talented 12-seed, with three NBA players on their roster. More importantly, Zona was lucky enough to draw the lowest remaining seed in its second round game in 13-seed Cleveland State. To reiterate for effect, once Arizona upset Utah, they become the FAVORITE in their second round game. And of course in the Sweet 16, Louisville did something to the Wildcats so nasty that it's illegal in 47 states.
But let's take a step back and remember that Arizona really had no business playing in the tournament. The committee must have been drinking from Lute Olson's water bottle, because only a clinically insane group of people would have put Arizona ahead of St. Mary's, Providence and San Diego State. Despite the coaching turmoil, the Wildcats boast three NBA players on their team in Chase Budinger, Nic Wise and Jordan Hill (all potential first-rounders at that). This is a team that, like most Arizona teams in the last 4 years, lacked any kind of chemistry. And when there's buttloads of talent and little success to show for it, whom do you blame? Yep. Sorry Rusty.
Russ doesn't really deserve much credit but to be fair, he shouldn't shoulder the blame either. From what I've read about the team, the Wildcats were essentially coached by committee with Pennell as the figurehead. You can't be surprised at the bad coaching because the guys at the helm never expected to be put in that situation until two weeks before the start of the season.
All that said, I'm a bit surprised that some desperate low-major D-I program didn't offer him the head job just to make a splash (Yes, that IS a hint at an upcoming Isaiah Thomas/Florida International post). But strange as it seems, the jump down to Grand Canyon State is actually a jump up. I don't mean to knock Russ, I'm just saying that his Sweet 16 run looks more impressive than it is. Really, I have no idea how good or bad a coach Russ Pennell is. I haven't seen him recruit, I haven't seen him work a full season and I have no idea how big a role he really played at Arizona this past year.
Ultimately, the burden falls on Lutey Tooty, who left the program in such disarray, exiting with such a lack of dignity and class that it's amazing they still let him in the building.* And as bitchy as Russ was on the way out the door, he did let slip one nugget of truth: Arizona's been lost for the last three years and Wildcats fans are going to feel the pain for another three, no matter if the coach is Pennell, Sean Miller or Buddha himself. At least Zona fans can be confident that no matter how miserably they tank next year, there will still be a 12-seed waiting or them.
*Some months back, Pat Forde wrote an excellent article about how Lute's departure screwed up the program. Available at http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=3660973&sportCat=ncb
On the surface, it seems counterintuitive that an unknown coach taking a 12-seed to the Sweet 16 should take such a nosedive down the coaching ladder. Not sp in this case.
MYTH: Arizona was in the Sweet 16 and is therefore one of the top 16 teams in the country.
FACT: Arizona pulled off one minor upset and played the most favorable schedule of any Sweet 16 team.
Arizona beating Utah is an upset on paper but three out of four 12-seeds beat 5-seeds, making 5-seeds a rarer breed this year. Utah was a team that had peaked in January and limped to the finish line (just like my nearest and dearest 5-seed Illinois). Arizona was also the most talented 12-seed, with three NBA players on their roster. More importantly, Zona was lucky enough to draw the lowest remaining seed in its second round game in 13-seed Cleveland State. To reiterate for effect, once Arizona upset Utah, they become the FAVORITE in their second round game. And of course in the Sweet 16, Louisville did something to the Wildcats so nasty that it's illegal in 47 states.
But let's take a step back and remember that Arizona really had no business playing in the tournament. The committee must have been drinking from Lute Olson's water bottle, because only a clinically insane group of people would have put Arizona ahead of St. Mary's, Providence and San Diego State. Despite the coaching turmoil, the Wildcats boast three NBA players on their team in Chase Budinger, Nic Wise and Jordan Hill (all potential first-rounders at that). This is a team that, like most Arizona teams in the last 4 years, lacked any kind of chemistry. And when there's buttloads of talent and little success to show for it, whom do you blame? Yep. Sorry Rusty.
Russ doesn't really deserve much credit but to be fair, he shouldn't shoulder the blame either. From what I've read about the team, the Wildcats were essentially coached by committee with Pennell as the figurehead. You can't be surprised at the bad coaching because the guys at the helm never expected to be put in that situation until two weeks before the start of the season.
All that said, I'm a bit surprised that some desperate low-major D-I program didn't offer him the head job just to make a splash (Yes, that IS a hint at an upcoming Isaiah Thomas/Florida International post). But strange as it seems, the jump down to Grand Canyon State is actually a jump up. I don't mean to knock Russ, I'm just saying that his Sweet 16 run looks more impressive than it is. Really, I have no idea how good or bad a coach Russ Pennell is. I haven't seen him recruit, I haven't seen him work a full season and I have no idea how big a role he really played at Arizona this past year.
Ultimately, the burden falls on Lutey Tooty, who left the program in such disarray, exiting with such a lack of dignity and class that it's amazing they still let him in the building.* And as bitchy as Russ was on the way out the door, he did let slip one nugget of truth: Arizona's been lost for the last three years and Wildcats fans are going to feel the pain for another three, no matter if the coach is Pennell, Sean Miller or Buddha himself. At least Zona fans can be confident that no matter how miserably they tank next year, there will still be a 12-seed waiting or them.
*Some months back, Pat Forde wrote an excellent article about how Lute's departure screwed up the program. Available at http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=3660973&sportCat=ncb
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Early NBA draft entries
The deadline for declaring has passed. Unless specifically noted, all players will hire agents and forfeit college eligibility. Players who have not hired an agent have until June 15 to pull their names from the draft and return to college.
DOMINIQUE ARCHIE (G, Jr) - South Carolina - Has not hired an agent
DERRICK BROWN (F, Jr) - Xavier - Has not hired an agent
DEJUAN BLAIR (PF, So) - Pittsburgh
CHASE BUDINGER (G/F, Jr) - Arizona
NICK CALATHES (G, So) - Florida - Has not hired an agent
EARL CLARK (F, Jr) - Louisville
DWAYNE COLLINS (PF, Jr) - Miami - Has not hired an agent
BRANDON COSTNER (PF, Jr) - NC State - Has not hired an agent
STEPHEN CURRY (G, Jr) - Davidson
BRYAN DAVIS (PF, Jr) - Texas A&M - Has not hired an agent
AUSTIN DAYE (F, So) - Gonzaga - Has not hired an agent
DEMAR DEROZAN (G/F, Fr) - USC
ERIC DEVENDORF (G, Jr) - Syracuse - Has not hired an agent
DEVAN DOWNEY (G, Jr) - South Carolina - Has not hired an agent
OSIRIS ELDRIDGE (SG, Jr) - Illinois State - Has not hired an agent
WAYNE ELLINGTON (SG, Jr) - North Carolina
CHINEMELU ELONU (F/C, Jr) - Texas A&M - Has not hired an agent
TYREKE EVANS (G, Fr) - Memphis - Has not hired an agent
RODERICK FLEMINGS (SG, Jr) - Hawaii - Has not hired an agent
JONNY FLYNN (PG, So) - Syracuse
TAJ GIBSON (F, Jr) - USC
BLAKE GRIFFIN (PF, So) - Oklahoma
DANIEL HACKETT (PG, Jr) - USC
LUKE HARANGODY (F/C, Jr) - Notre Dame - Has not hired an agent
JAMES HARDEN (SG, So) - Arizona State
PAUL HARRIS (G/F, Jr) - Syracuse - Has not hired an agent
GERALD HENDERSON (SG, Jr) - Duke
JORDAN HILL (PF, Jr) - Arizona
JRUE HOLLIDAY (G, Fr) - UCLA - Has not hired an agent
DAMION JAMES (F, Jr) - Texas - Has not hired an agent
JAMES JOHNSON (F, So) - Wake Forest
MAC KOSHWAL (C, So) - DePaul - Has not hired an agent
GANI LAWAL (F, So) - Georgia Tech
TY LAWSON (PG, Jr) - North Carolina
ATER MAJOK (C, Fr) - Connecticut - Has not hired an agent
JODIE MEEKS (SG, Jr) - Kentucky - Has not hired an agent
PATTY MILLS (PG, So) - St. Mary's - Has not hired an agent
TASMIN MITCHELL (F, Jr) - LSU - Has not hired an agent
BJ MULLENS (C, Fr) - Ohio State
SCOTTIE REYNOLDS (G, Jr) - Villanova - Has not hired an agent
DONALD SLOAN (G, Jr) - Texas A&M - Has not hired an agent
TYLER SMITH (G/F, Jr) - Tennessee - Has not hired an agent
DAJUAN SUMMERS (F, Jr) - Georgetown
SHAWN TAGGART (F, Jr) - Memphis - Has not hired an agent
JEFF TEAGUE (G, So) - Wake Forest - Has not hired an agent
JONATHAN TAVERNARI (SF, Jr) - BYU - Has not hired an agent
HASHEEM THABEET (C, Jr) - Connecticut
DAR TUCKER (G/F, So) - DePaul
JARVIS VARNADO (PF, Jr) - Mississippi State - Has not hired an agent
GREIVIS VASQUEZ (PG, Jr) - Maryland - Has not hired an agent
MICHAEL WASHINGTON (PF) - Arkansas - Has not hired an agent
JEREMY WISE (PF, Jr) - Southern Miss - Has not hired an agent
NIC WISE (G, Jr) - Arizona - Has not hired an agent
DOMINIQUE ARCHIE (G, Jr) - South Carolina - Has not hired an agent
DERRICK BROWN (F, Jr) - Xavier - Has not hired an agent
DEJUAN BLAIR (PF, So) - Pittsburgh
CHASE BUDINGER (G/F, Jr) - Arizona
NICK CALATHES (G, So) - Florida - Has not hired an agent
EARL CLARK (F, Jr) - Louisville
DWAYNE COLLINS (PF, Jr) - Miami - Has not hired an agent
BRANDON COSTNER (PF, Jr) - NC State - Has not hired an agent
STEPHEN CURRY (G, Jr) - Davidson
BRYAN DAVIS (PF, Jr) - Texas A&M - Has not hired an agent
AUSTIN DAYE (F, So) - Gonzaga - Has not hired an agent
DEMAR DEROZAN (G/F, Fr) - USC
ERIC DEVENDORF (G, Jr) - Syracuse - Has not hired an agent
DEVAN DOWNEY (G, Jr) - South Carolina - Has not hired an agent
OSIRIS ELDRIDGE (SG, Jr) - Illinois State - Has not hired an agent
WAYNE ELLINGTON (SG, Jr) - North Carolina
CHINEMELU ELONU (F/C, Jr) - Texas A&M - Has not hired an agent
TYREKE EVANS (G, Fr) - Memphis - Has not hired an agent
RODERICK FLEMINGS (SG, Jr) - Hawaii - Has not hired an agent
JONNY FLYNN (PG, So) - Syracuse
TAJ GIBSON (F, Jr) - USC
BLAKE GRIFFIN (PF, So) - Oklahoma
DANIEL HACKETT (PG, Jr) - USC
LUKE HARANGODY (F/C, Jr) - Notre Dame - Has not hired an agent
JAMES HARDEN (SG, So) - Arizona State
PAUL HARRIS (G/F, Jr) - Syracuse - Has not hired an agent
GERALD HENDERSON (SG, Jr) - Duke
JORDAN HILL (PF, Jr) - Arizona
JRUE HOLLIDAY (G, Fr) - UCLA - Has not hired an agent
DAMION JAMES (F, Jr) - Texas - Has not hired an agent
JAMES JOHNSON (F, So) - Wake Forest
MAC KOSHWAL (C, So) - DePaul - Has not hired an agent
GANI LAWAL (F, So) - Georgia Tech
TY LAWSON (PG, Jr) - North Carolina
ATER MAJOK (C, Fr) - Connecticut - Has not hired an agent
JODIE MEEKS (SG, Jr) - Kentucky - Has not hired an agent
PATTY MILLS (PG, So) - St. Mary's - Has not hired an agent
TASMIN MITCHELL (F, Jr) - LSU - Has not hired an agent
BJ MULLENS (C, Fr) - Ohio State
SCOTTIE REYNOLDS (G, Jr) - Villanova - Has not hired an agent
DONALD SLOAN (G, Jr) - Texas A&M - Has not hired an agent
TYLER SMITH (G/F, Jr) - Tennessee - Has not hired an agent
DAJUAN SUMMERS (F, Jr) - Georgetown
SHAWN TAGGART (F, Jr) - Memphis - Has not hired an agent
JEFF TEAGUE (G, So) - Wake Forest - Has not hired an agent
JONATHAN TAVERNARI (SF, Jr) - BYU - Has not hired an agent
HASHEEM THABEET (C, Jr) - Connecticut
DAR TUCKER (G/F, So) - DePaul
JARVIS VARNADO (PF, Jr) - Mississippi State - Has not hired an agent
GREIVIS VASQUEZ (PG, Jr) - Maryland - Has not hired an agent
MICHAEL WASHINGTON (PF) - Arkansas - Has not hired an agent
JEREMY WISE (PF, Jr) - Southern Miss - Has not hired an agent
NIC WISE (G, Jr) - Arizona - Has not hired an agent
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
...and last but not least
Congrats to the UConn Lady Huskies on a perfect 39-0 season. It's their 6th championship in 15 years, and their 3rd undefeated season--an amazing feat that no men's team not named UCLA has come close to matching.
UConn's 6 team championship puts them in 2nd place behind Tennessee (8). There have been 28 Women's NCAA tournaments, and Tennessee and UConn have combined to win half of them. Total domination.
Geno Auriemma, you've got a strange name and you're kind of creepy, but I salute you.
UConn's 6 team championship puts them in 2nd place behind Tennessee (8). There have been 28 Women's NCAA tournaments, and Tennessee and UConn have combined to win half of them. Total domination.
Geno Auriemma, you've got a strange name and you're kind of creepy, but I salute you.
A happy ending? An ending.
Congrats to the Tarheels on their second championship in 5 years. Their fifth team championship ties them with Indiana for third on the all-time list, behind UCLA (11) and Kentucky (7). Roy Williams now has as many championships with the Heels as Dean Smith does. Scary.
I thought it would be a closer game, but UNC did the exact same thing to MSU that they did in December: Run. And run fast. MSU just couldn't keep up, and couldn't stop the 3 ball.
Anyone who didn't pick UNC to win it all is an idiot. Anyone who picked UNC to lose before the Final Four is completely brain dead. And for those who picked Gonzaga to upset UNC in the Sweet 16? You might as well adopt the surname "Bush" and run for president.
The rest of the field was wide open, but there hasn't been a more obvious championship pick since Kentucky in 1996. The only other one that comes close is UConn in 2004. UNC had too much talent, too much athleticism and too many stars. They take the old "best defense is a good offense" cliche in the most literal sense: They're so fast offensively that it wears teams out, so that the opponent doesn't have the energy to keep up on offense.
I'll give you my 2010 pick once we know who's going pro, but right now Kansas and Syracuse are both looking very good. Here's my only prediction for right now: Arizona's NCAA-long streak of 25 straight NCAA tournaments will end next year. Ah, who am I kidding, they'll go 6-25 and the committee will still give them a 12-seed for trying hard.
And thus the best 2 1/2 weeks of the year comes to a close. Shed a tear and pour one out. It's been a great season and a fun tournament.
I thought it would be a closer game, but UNC did the exact same thing to MSU that they did in December: Run. And run fast. MSU just couldn't keep up, and couldn't stop the 3 ball.
Anyone who didn't pick UNC to win it all is an idiot. Anyone who picked UNC to lose before the Final Four is completely brain dead. And for those who picked Gonzaga to upset UNC in the Sweet 16? You might as well adopt the surname "Bush" and run for president.
The rest of the field was wide open, but there hasn't been a more obvious championship pick since Kentucky in 1996. The only other one that comes close is UConn in 2004. UNC had too much talent, too much athleticism and too many stars. They take the old "best defense is a good offense" cliche in the most literal sense: They're so fast offensively that it wears teams out, so that the opponent doesn't have the energy to keep up on offense.
I'll give you my 2010 pick once we know who's going pro, but right now Kansas and Syracuse are both looking very good. Here's my only prediction for right now: Arizona's NCAA-long streak of 25 straight NCAA tournaments will end next year. Ah, who am I kidding, they'll go 6-25 and the committee will still give them a 12-seed for trying hard.
And thus the best 2 1/2 weeks of the year comes to a close. Shed a tear and pour one out. It's been a great season and a fun tournament.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Championship Game facts
As I wait in the Phoenix airport, here are some facts about tonight's game that you might not see anywhere else:
- This is the 12th championship game between teams that have previously won a title. Of the previous 11 games, the more recent winner has prevailed 7 times. UNC falls into this category--they last won the title in 2005, while MSU last won in 2000. The previous matchups:
1949: Kentucky over Oklahoma State
1953: Indiana over Kansas
1962: Cincinnati over Ohio State
1968: UCLA over UNC
1975: UCLA over Kentucky
1981: Indiana over UNC
1992: Duke over Michigan
1993: UNC over Michigan
1995: UCLA over Arkansas
2001: Duke over Arizona
2007: Florida over Ohio State
- Michigan State is 2-0 all-time in the title game. They appeared as a 2-seed in 1979 and a 1-seed in 2000.
- UNC is 4-4 all-time in the title game. They are undefeated as a 1-seed in the championship game. They appeared as a 2-seed in 1981 (loss to Indiana), a 1-seed in 1982, 1993 and 2005. Their previous four appearances came before seeding began in 1979.
- Tom Izzo appears in his 3rd championship game, all with MSU. Roy Williams appears in his 4th championship game. He lost twice with Kansas in 1991 and 2003 and won with UNC in 2005.
- 1-seeds are 5-2 against 2-seeds in the championship game. This is the first such matchup since 1-seed Duke beat 2-seed Arizona in 2001. The only 2-seeds to beat 1-seeds are Louisville over Duke in 1986 and of course, Michigan State over Indiana State in 1979.
- If Michigan State wins, they will be only the second team to beat three 1-seeds in a tournament. The other was 4-seed Arizona in 1997. They defeate 1-seeds Kansas (Sweet 16), Minnesota (Final Four) and Kentucky (Champ game) on route to their first and only title.
- In the 30 tournaments since seeding began in 1979:
1-seeds have won 16 times (most recent: Kansas, 2008)
2-seed have won 6 times (most recent: UConn, 2004)
3-seeds have won 4 times (most recent: Florida, 2006)
4-seeds have won 1 time (Arizona, 1997)
6-seeds have won 2 times (most recent: Kansas, 1988)
8-seeds have won 1 time (Villanova, 1985)
5-seeds have played in the championship game twice. No other seeds (7, 9-16) have ever appeared in the championship game.
- 1-seeds are 16-12 in the title game. 2-seeds are 6-8.
- This will be the 12th meeting between UNC and MSU. UNC leads the all-time series 8-3, including a thirty-point blowout in Detroit earlier this year. Four of those meetings were tournament games:
1957 (Final Four)
1998 (Sweet 16)
2005 (Final Four)
2007 (Second Round)
UNC won all four. As with tonight's game, UNC was the higher seed in every matchup (except 1957, when teams were not seeded).
- Roy Williams smells
- This is the 12th championship game between teams that have previously won a title. Of the previous 11 games, the more recent winner has prevailed 7 times. UNC falls into this category--they last won the title in 2005, while MSU last won in 2000. The previous matchups:
1949: Kentucky over Oklahoma State
1953: Indiana over Kansas
1962: Cincinnati over Ohio State
1968: UCLA over UNC
1975: UCLA over Kentucky
1981: Indiana over UNC
1992: Duke over Michigan
1993: UNC over Michigan
1995: UCLA over Arkansas
2001: Duke over Arizona
2007: Florida over Ohio State
- Michigan State is 2-0 all-time in the title game. They appeared as a 2-seed in 1979 and a 1-seed in 2000.
- UNC is 4-4 all-time in the title game. They are undefeated as a 1-seed in the championship game. They appeared as a 2-seed in 1981 (loss to Indiana), a 1-seed in 1982, 1993 and 2005. Their previous four appearances came before seeding began in 1979.
- Tom Izzo appears in his 3rd championship game, all with MSU. Roy Williams appears in his 4th championship game. He lost twice with Kansas in 1991 and 2003 and won with UNC in 2005.
- 1-seeds are 5-2 against 2-seeds in the championship game. This is the first such matchup since 1-seed Duke beat 2-seed Arizona in 2001. The only 2-seeds to beat 1-seeds are Louisville over Duke in 1986 and of course, Michigan State over Indiana State in 1979.
- If Michigan State wins, they will be only the second team to beat three 1-seeds in a tournament. The other was 4-seed Arizona in 1997. They defeate 1-seeds Kansas (Sweet 16), Minnesota (Final Four) and Kentucky (Champ game) on route to their first and only title.
- In the 30 tournaments since seeding began in 1979:
1-seeds have won 16 times (most recent: Kansas, 2008)
2-seed have won 6 times (most recent: UConn, 2004)
3-seeds have won 4 times (most recent: Florida, 2006)
4-seeds have won 1 time (Arizona, 1997)
6-seeds have won 2 times (most recent: Kansas, 1988)
8-seeds have won 1 time (Villanova, 1985)
5-seeds have played in the championship game twice. No other seeds (7, 9-16) have ever appeared in the championship game.
- 1-seeds are 16-12 in the title game. 2-seeds are 6-8.
- This will be the 12th meeting between UNC and MSU. UNC leads the all-time series 8-3, including a thirty-point blowout in Detroit earlier this year. Four of those meetings were tournament games:
1957 (Final Four)
1998 (Sweet 16)
2005 (Final Four)
2007 (Second Round)
UNC won all four. As with tonight's game, UNC was the higher seed in every matchup (except 1957, when teams were not seeded).
- Roy Williams smells
Stupid goat
A lot's been made of the contrasting styles of UNC and MSU. The former likes to run and shoot, the latter plays a steady half-court set. Blah blah blah, you know this. But there's a difference between the MSU that lost to UNC by 35 in December and the MSU that will play for the title tomorrow: These Spartans can adapt to UNC's style and play comfortably at a frenetic pace. The rotting corpses of Kansas and Louisville are proof of this.
This promises a close(r) game, but UNC might be the best team since the '96 Kentucky Wildcats. These Heels are built like an Eastern European car: Loud, gas-guzzling and deadly from every direction. People debate what's more valuable: Star power or depth. UNC has both and that's why they've obliterated everyone in the tourny since LSU. Michigan State matches up best at the 4, and I also think Lucas will be relatively successful at containing Lawson ("relatively" means keeping him from a PTS-AST double-double). We'll have a good game for 35 minutes, and a watchable game for 37.
UNC will draw fouls and Stupid T will be the game's highest scorer.
Royboy will refrain from cursing on broadcast television as he hoists his second trophy.
For 12 months the words "National Champions" will appear next to an obtuse mascot of an angry goat with sticky hooves.
UNC 85, MSU 75
This promises a close(r) game, but UNC might be the best team since the '96 Kentucky Wildcats. These Heels are built like an Eastern European car: Loud, gas-guzzling and deadly from every direction. People debate what's more valuable: Star power or depth. UNC has both and that's why they've obliterated everyone in the tourny since LSU. Michigan State matches up best at the 4, and I also think Lucas will be relatively successful at containing Lawson ("relatively" means keeping him from a PTS-AST double-double). We'll have a good game for 35 minutes, and a watchable game for 37.
UNC will draw fouls and Stupid T will be the game's highest scorer.
Royboy will refrain from cursing on broadcast television as he hoists his second trophy.
For 12 months the words "National Champions" will appear next to an obtuse mascot of an angry goat with sticky hooves.
UNC 85, MSU 75
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Intro
Four posts deep and I never introduced myself, so here goes:
My name's Dan. I graduated college in May '08 and now I work as a writer in the entertainment industry. As the masthead says, I'm 5'9", white, Jewish and I love sports--watching, playing, punditing.
I've been a college basketball fan since 1995, when UVa made the Elite 8 and UCLA beat Arkansas to win the title. As for my personal loyalties, I live and die by the University of Illinois Fighting Illini and the University of Virginia Cavaliers. I cried tears of joy when the Illini beat Arizona to make the Final Four in 2005, and I cried tears of sorrow a week later when we lost to North Carolina in the title game. Why these two seemingly random teams? I defer to Don Corleon's comments about the importance of family--these are the schools of my parents and the schools I grew up rooting for.
There will be a lot of basketball talk but this blog will cover all aspects of college athletics--player, games, coaches, administrators and theory. There may even be an occasional pro sports post. I promise nothing. I will occasionally refer to articles from ESPN, SI, whatever, but the stuff you read here will be significantly different in content, tone and style from what you get on the sports sites.
Topics of future posts:
- The System: Why I win my tournament pools and you don't
- Recap of the 2009 tournament and season
- Why the selection committee is getting smarter by the year
- Jayne Appel: The sexiest athlete alive
- The Colin Powell All-Stars: 1st place players on last place teams
- Grading the 1st year coaches and the new hires
Feel free to comment with suggestions. And remember, I love each and every one of you, except those that don't agree with everything I say.
My name's Dan. I graduated college in May '08 and now I work as a writer in the entertainment industry. As the masthead says, I'm 5'9", white, Jewish and I love sports--watching, playing, punditing.
I've been a college basketball fan since 1995, when UVa made the Elite 8 and UCLA beat Arkansas to win the title. As for my personal loyalties, I live and die by the University of Illinois Fighting Illini and the University of Virginia Cavaliers. I cried tears of joy when the Illini beat Arizona to make the Final Four in 2005, and I cried tears of sorrow a week later when we lost to North Carolina in the title game. Why these two seemingly random teams? I defer to Don Corleon's comments about the importance of family--these are the schools of my parents and the schools I grew up rooting for.
There will be a lot of basketball talk but this blog will cover all aspects of college athletics--player, games, coaches, administrators and theory. There may even be an occasional pro sports post. I promise nothing. I will occasionally refer to articles from ESPN, SI, whatever, but the stuff you read here will be significantly different in content, tone and style from what you get on the sports sites.
Topics of future posts:
- The System: Why I win my tournament pools and you don't
- Recap of the 2009 tournament and season
- Why the selection committee is getting smarter by the year
- Jayne Appel: The sexiest athlete alive
- The Colin Powell All-Stars: 1st place players on last place teams
- Grading the 1st year coaches and the new hires
Feel free to comment with suggestions. And remember, I love each and every one of you, except those that don't agree with everything I say.
98.6 and a recap
Warning! Ego indulgence ahead...okay, you've been warned. I'm in the 98.6th percentile on ESPN, after a TERRIBLE first round (19/32 games picked...I was worst in both my pools). In a later post, I'll explain my system for picking tourny games that's helped me to three 1st place finishes and five top 3 finishes in seven years. Yay me. Plus I really needed the money this year.
Nothing much to say about the semi-finals games that wasn't covered in the preview posts. I lowballed the MSU score and overshot the UNC score. Oh well. My separate ACC and Big 10 biases game into play more than they should have. I really thought the MSU/UConn game would be more of a defensive battle.
Where my predictions went wrong:
- MSU won by a comfortable margin. Why? Three reasons: 1) Bench points for MSU, specifically reserve guard Durrell Summers. 10 pts, 6 boards, a dime and a steal. 2) Guard play. 18 assists for MSU, 8 for UConn. I guess the Price was wrong...bitch! (wow, I will probably go back and edit that out tomorrow). 3) Detroit. I knew the home court thing would help, but I had no idea the crowd would energize MSU like it did. I've never said anything good about Detroit before and I probably never will again but...way to go, guys.
- Nova stuck around a bit longer than I expected, but overall this was UNC domination. Looking at the play-by-play, Nova cut the lead to 5 midway through the second half, but that was quickly reversed. Like I predicted, not much of a game here. Jay Wright is a good coach and a great recruiter. He will be back.
As for Monday? I'm sticking with my pick. UNC by 10. That said, MSU is energized and inspired. They're never out of it. I really wish I didn't have to miss this one...like I said, I haven't missed a Final Four in 12 years. The last one I missed? Four-seeded Arizona toppled heavily-favored Kentucky in overtime. This feels ominous...
Nothing much to say about the semi-finals games that wasn't covered in the preview posts. I lowballed the MSU score and overshot the UNC score. Oh well. My separate ACC and Big 10 biases game into play more than they should have. I really thought the MSU/UConn game would be more of a defensive battle.
Where my predictions went wrong:
- MSU won by a comfortable margin. Why? Three reasons: 1) Bench points for MSU, specifically reserve guard Durrell Summers. 10 pts, 6 boards, a dime and a steal. 2) Guard play. 18 assists for MSU, 8 for UConn. I guess the Price was wrong...bitch! (wow, I will probably go back and edit that out tomorrow). 3) Detroit. I knew the home court thing would help, but I had no idea the crowd would energize MSU like it did. I've never said anything good about Detroit before and I probably never will again but...way to go, guys.
- Nova stuck around a bit longer than I expected, but overall this was UNC domination. Looking at the play-by-play, Nova cut the lead to 5 midway through the second half, but that was quickly reversed. Like I predicted, not much of a game here. Jay Wright is a good coach and a great recruiter. He will be back.
As for Monday? I'm sticking with my pick. UNC by 10. That said, MSU is energized and inspired. They're never out of it. I really wish I didn't have to miss this one...like I said, I haven't missed a Final Four in 12 years. The last one I missed? Four-seeded Arizona toppled heavily-favored Kentucky in overtime. This feels ominous...
Halftime Update
Just arrived at my hotel in time for the start of the second half. I'm out the door in five minutes, but a quick update:
MSU 38, UConn 36
MSU has 9 offensive boards, which is why they're winning. Offensively, UConn is doing a better-than-expected job of containing Goran Suton, but he's pulling down boards which is what's important.
Just off the numbers, I give Lucas the edge over Price--but the numbers are a terrible way of judging point guard play, so I'll defer to those of you actually watching the game.
No one in significant foul trouble, although watch for Jeff Adrian to try and draw fouls from Morgan and Suton. If MSU blows it, this will be their downfall.
Second half just started. Listening to the crowd, this is a home game for MSU--as expected.
I still feel good about picking MSU by three, although the score is probably going to be higher than my estimate. Enjoy this one, kids. The late game should be over by the 10 minute mark.
MSU 38, UConn 36
MSU has 9 offensive boards, which is why they're winning. Offensively, UConn is doing a better-than-expected job of containing Goran Suton, but he's pulling down boards which is what's important.
Just off the numbers, I give Lucas the edge over Price--but the numbers are a terrible way of judging point guard play, so I'll defer to those of you actually watching the game.
No one in significant foul trouble, although watch for Jeff Adrian to try and draw fouls from Morgan and Suton. If MSU blows it, this will be their downfall.
Second half just started. Listening to the crowd, this is a home game for MSU--as expected.
I still feel good about picking MSU by three, although the score is probably going to be higher than my estimate. Enjoy this one, kids. The late game should be over by the 10 minute mark.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Final Four - Special Auto Industry Bailout Edition
A loss of feeling in my fingers. An empty numbness in my heart. I must be in shock. For the first time in 12 years, I will not get to watch any of the Final Four. Ugh. It's late and I need to wake up at 7:30am to go for a Jeep ride thru a canyon, so I'll get to the point: Predictions.
1) UNC over Villanova, 95-77
As big deal as we'd all like to make of this, I can't see much of a game here. Pundits can make all they want of Nova's final four run, but at the end of the day they beat the worst 1 seed and the second-worst 2 seed in the tourny. UNC is on another plane of existence. It still baffles me why they weren't the unanimous choice to win it all when the tourny started. In order to win this, Villanova needs to play as perfect a game as their '85 brothers did to beat Ewing's Georgetown Hoyas (they shot 80% in the 2nd half and still only won by 2). I will be shocked if this game is decided by less than 10 points. I don't see any area where Villanova has an edge.
2) MSU over UConn, 70-67
This game is really fascinating. I see two options: A UConn blowout or a razor-thin MSU victory. I'm going with the latter for these reasons:
1) Thabeet. He's an unbelievable defensive presence who can shut down any opponent's inside game, but he's going to have a tough time scoring on MSU. Also, MSU's big men can also hit from the outside. They only go inside on smart looks and have no trouble hitting those mid-range jumpers.
2) Guard play. MSU matches the Dyson-less Huskies step for step.
3) Rebounding margin. Thabeet should neutralize this advantage to an extent, but MSU has four guys who pull down ridiculous boards. EVen with a 7'3" monster under the rim, I still expect MSU to have more second-chance points.
4) Home court advantage. Not as big a deal as everyone is making, but it's still significant. Izzo used this Final Four to recruit a number of players currently on the roster. Also, this is a city in pain, and MSU knows it. Remember how the Yankes played in the Stadium after 9/11? I expect a similar level of emotion from these kids.
5) Tom Izzo. Best coach in the game today, hand's down. What's that you say? No, you're wrong. It's Izzo.
6) Big Games: UConn's path here was significantly easier than MSU's.
7) My gut. I picked MSU to make the championship game before the Big 10 conference tournament, and I'm sticking by that pick.
That said, UConn has much more star power than MSU. If MSU doesn't get boards and can't slow down AJ Price, this could be a Spartan massacre. I have faith in the Spartans...that is, until they run into Roy's Boys on Monday.
1) UNC over Villanova, 95-77
As big deal as we'd all like to make of this, I can't see much of a game here. Pundits can make all they want of Nova's final four run, but at the end of the day they beat the worst 1 seed and the second-worst 2 seed in the tourny. UNC is on another plane of existence. It still baffles me why they weren't the unanimous choice to win it all when the tourny started. In order to win this, Villanova needs to play as perfect a game as their '85 brothers did to beat Ewing's Georgetown Hoyas (they shot 80% in the 2nd half and still only won by 2). I will be shocked if this game is decided by less than 10 points. I don't see any area where Villanova has an edge.
2) MSU over UConn, 70-67
This game is really fascinating. I see two options: A UConn blowout or a razor-thin MSU victory. I'm going with the latter for these reasons:
1) Thabeet. He's an unbelievable defensive presence who can shut down any opponent's inside game, but he's going to have a tough time scoring on MSU. Also, MSU's big men can also hit from the outside. They only go inside on smart looks and have no trouble hitting those mid-range jumpers.
2) Guard play. MSU matches the Dyson-less Huskies step for step.
3) Rebounding margin. Thabeet should neutralize this advantage to an extent, but MSU has four guys who pull down ridiculous boards. EVen with a 7'3" monster under the rim, I still expect MSU to have more second-chance points.
4) Home court advantage. Not as big a deal as everyone is making, but it's still significant. Izzo used this Final Four to recruit a number of players currently on the roster. Also, this is a city in pain, and MSU knows it. Remember how the Yankes played in the Stadium after 9/11? I expect a similar level of emotion from these kids.
5) Tom Izzo. Best coach in the game today, hand's down. What's that you say? No, you're wrong. It's Izzo.
6) Big Games: UConn's path here was significantly easier than MSU's.
7) My gut. I picked MSU to make the championship game before the Big 10 conference tournament, and I'm sticking by that pick.
That said, UConn has much more star power than MSU. If MSU doesn't get boards and can't slow down AJ Price, this could be a Spartan massacre. I have faith in the Spartans...that is, until they run into Roy's Boys on Monday.
Coach Cal is blue
Let's get something straight: John Calipari is not the best coach in the country (it's Tom Izzo currently, Dean Smith all-time). Cal's not the best recruiter in the country and he may not be the best recruiter at his own school (read: William Wesley).
Don't get me wrong, Coach Cal is an amazing hire--maybe the best coach available--but I have to agree with Pat Forde (http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4034947) that this is a ballsy move. It's a move that reeks of desperation from a school that finds itself in the awkward and unfamiliar position of a dozen years without tasting the Final Four. For the record, Kentucky's longest stretch without a FF appearance was 9 years, from 1984-1993 (Carter, thanks for the correction)--a time period punctuated by one of the most egregious and cartoonish violations in NCAA history. Again, let me reiterate that this is a good hire and will probably get Kentucky out of its funk. But AD Mitch Barnhart didn't even let the door hit Gillispie's ass on the way out before he was at the podium introducing Cal. Let's remember, one of the problems with Gillispie is that they rushed into a hire without spending any time conducting a true search to find the RIGHT guy for the job.
Another good point Forde brings up is Big Blue's scandal-ridden history. And William Wesley is a ticking time bomb waiting to blow up whatever program is standing closest. But beyond that, let's examine Coach Cal's tenure at Memphis. The program didn't really start winning until the all the good schools abandoned the C-USA and left Memphis behind like the drunk guy passed out on the bar (when they woke up, the hotties were gone and the only ones left were UTEP, Houston, SMU and East Carolina). In the last four years, Memphis collected two 1-seeds and two 2-seeds. The result: 1 Final Four, 2 Elite eights, and 1 sweet 16. In a vacuum, those are four very good years. When you take seeding into account, Memphis actually underperformed. I guarantee that if he pulls 4 straight top seeds at Kentucky and DOESN'T bring home at least one trophy, people will be calling for his head. And don't think that he'll be pulling better players because Kentucky is Kentucky--Memphis continually brought in Top 10 recruiting classes throughout Cal's tenure, from Dajuan Wagner to DeMarcus Cousins.
Most importantly, Kentucky needs to be patient. They fired Gillispie after two seasons (after Tubby left him with nothing) that included one NCAA appearance. Before we laud Cal too much, let's look at his first 5 years in Memphis:
2000-2001: NIT
2001-2002: NIT champions ("yay!" said the 5 people that watched)
2002-2003: NCAA 7-seed, first round exit
2003-2004: NCAA 7-seed, 2nd round exit
2004-2005: NIT
And this was in the C-USA! With players like Dajuan Wagner and Darius Washington!
My prediction: Coach Cal will take Kentucky to a Final Four--in time. My question: Is UK willing to wait 8 years for him to do it? Are they willing to wait 5 years? Three? Beware the rage of a desperate school...and an AD that's in over his head.
Don't get me wrong, Coach Cal is an amazing hire--maybe the best coach available--but I have to agree with Pat Forde (http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4034947) that this is a ballsy move. It's a move that reeks of desperation from a school that finds itself in the awkward and unfamiliar position of a dozen years without tasting the Final Four. For the record, Kentucky's longest stretch without a FF appearance was 9 years, from 1984-1993 (Carter, thanks for the correction)--a time period punctuated by one of the most egregious and cartoonish violations in NCAA history. Again, let me reiterate that this is a good hire and will probably get Kentucky out of its funk. But AD Mitch Barnhart didn't even let the door hit Gillispie's ass on the way out before he was at the podium introducing Cal. Let's remember, one of the problems with Gillispie is that they rushed into a hire without spending any time conducting a true search to find the RIGHT guy for the job.
Another good point Forde brings up is Big Blue's scandal-ridden history. And William Wesley is a ticking time bomb waiting to blow up whatever program is standing closest. But beyond that, let's examine Coach Cal's tenure at Memphis. The program didn't really start winning until the all the good schools abandoned the C-USA and left Memphis behind like the drunk guy passed out on the bar (when they woke up, the hotties were gone and the only ones left were UTEP, Houston, SMU and East Carolina). In the last four years, Memphis collected two 1-seeds and two 2-seeds. The result: 1 Final Four, 2 Elite eights, and 1 sweet 16. In a vacuum, those are four very good years. When you take seeding into account, Memphis actually underperformed. I guarantee that if he pulls 4 straight top seeds at Kentucky and DOESN'T bring home at least one trophy, people will be calling for his head. And don't think that he'll be pulling better players because Kentucky is Kentucky--Memphis continually brought in Top 10 recruiting classes throughout Cal's tenure, from Dajuan Wagner to DeMarcus Cousins.
Most importantly, Kentucky needs to be patient. They fired Gillispie after two seasons (after Tubby left him with nothing) that included one NCAA appearance. Before we laud Cal too much, let's look at his first 5 years in Memphis:
2000-2001: NIT
2001-2002: NIT champions ("yay!" said the 5 people that watched)
2002-2003: NCAA 7-seed, first round exit
2003-2004: NCAA 7-seed, 2nd round exit
2004-2005: NIT
And this was in the C-USA! With players like Dajuan Wagner and Darius Washington!
My prediction: Coach Cal will take Kentucky to a Final Four--in time. My question: Is UK willing to wait 8 years for him to do it? Are they willing to wait 5 years? Three? Beware the rage of a desperate school...and an AD that's in over his head.
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