Thursday, April 26, 2012
Reaction to Virginia Tech Letting Go of Greenberg
Leave it to Virginia Tech to find a way to screw up a move that I actually support.
The other day, Virginia Tech fired their coach of the past nine season, Seth Greenberg. This came as a surprise to many, particularly after Tech's AD had been giving a strong vote of confidence towards Greenberg as recently as early March.
Personally, I was in favor of Tech letting Greenberg go, simply on lack of results. In the past five seasons, Tech has made it to four NITs and zero NCAA Tournament appearances. For a team in a major conference, particularly when that conference has had a few down years over the past five seasons, that can't be considered a successful tenure.
But only Virginia Tech could make what I think was the right move and still find a way to muck it up.
First off, the last person to hear about Seth Greenberg's firing was Seth Greenberg. Apparently the AD had decided to fire his coach about a week and a half before he told Greenberg. Why wait the week and a half? And if you were going to do it, at least give the guy a head's up so he knows what to say when the media starts asking questions.
The other problem I have with how the firing went down is when it happened. Tech waited until April 23rd to fire Greenberg, as opposed to say March 23rd, or heck, even early April.
The effects of the lateness of the firing are twofold.
On the one hand, you have how it affects Greenberg. Say what you will about the guy, but he was the coach of the Hokies for nine seasons and because an integral part of the Blacksburg society. He has a daughter who goes to Tech and is a cheerleader, and another daughter who is in the school system in Blacksburg.
It would only have been right to let him go early enough so that he could start looking at the other major coaching vacancies out there, say Illinois, SMU, or Kansas State. Instead, Greenberg is really on the outside looking in for next season, and it will be tough for him to score a job unless there is another late firing out there.
As for Tech, by waiting this long, they have hurt their own search for a new coach. Many of their assistants who wanted head coaching jobs have gone to other universities, and many of the high profile coaches out there, like Bruce Weber or even Barry Hinson, have already gotten jobs.
Tech's next move is going to either be trying to pry away a mid major coach such as Shaka Smart or Brad Stevens, which is unlikely for a whole host of reasons, or try to bring in an assistant from somewhere looking to make the jump to head coach.
Regardless, this has become a tough situation for all parties involved and could have been avoided by using a little common sense and a lot better timing.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Why the Early Speculations?
One of the common things you will see during college basketball's postseason is all of the analysts who are already speculating who will be the top teams next season
In the past two weeks alone, ESPN has featured two editions of Andy Katz's Top 25, Eammon Brennan's snubs from this pretend Top 25, Dick Vitale's Top 40, and even a full Bracketology, featuring 68 teams, from Joe Lunardi.
Am I the only one who thinks that this is all insane?
Honestly, it's near impossible to pick who will be the 10 best teams in a given NFL football season in March, much less trying to pick the top 25 teams out of 340+ possibilities. Half the fun of college basketball is having no idea who will be good and who will not.
Particularly in college, where things are in such flux. Last year, George Mason was a consensus Top 25 pick in all of these "way to early" polls. The offseason saw transfers and coaching changes, and what do you know, George Mason was barely getting votes, much less in the Top 25.
I get it, these guys need to write about something, but please, can we stop pretending like their word actually means something?
In 2010, UConn was not even in the official Preseason Top 25. You may remember that they ended up winning the Big East and NCAA Tournament that year.
This season, Pittsburgh was slated #11 in the Preseason Top 25. They made the CBI Tournament
Those are just a couple of a million examples that I could have picked from, and it goes to show that nobody knows what's going to happen next season. To me, it is just silly to speculate on things that you cannot and have no possibility of knowing.
But hey, I end up reading all of them anyway, so I guess they're at least getting views out of em.
Larry Brown to Coach SMU
Last week, Larry Brown agreed to be the head coach of the SMU Mustangs for this next season. I found this deal to be surprising for a few reasons.
For one, I'm just shocked that Brown is still coaching. The man is 71 years old, and his last job was in 2008, which led many people to believe that Brown would stay retired, or at least be waiting for a prime time coaching job.
That brings me to my next point. Larry Brown is back in the NCAA. I never thought in a million years, outside of say Kentucky, that Larry Brown would coach college ball again.
Brown says that his style has always been a college style and that he is comfortable coaching in the NCAA, but I just find it amazing that he would accept a deal that wasn't from an NBA team.
His last coaching gig in college was with Kansas in 1988. Although Brown had great success with Kansas, winning a national championship, he also left amid a major recruiting scandal that led to the defending champion Jayhawks being banned from the 1989 NCAA Tournament.
Clearly, time heals all wounds, as these recruiting scandals have not even been mentioned by any major news outlets, particularly ESPN, in regards to his latest hiring.
The last part of this that interests me is how far SMU has climbed in the college basketball worly without even having major success.
The Mustangs have not even made the NCAA Tournament since 1993, and haven't won an NCAA Tournament game since 1988, when Brown last coached in the NCAA.
Last season alone, the Mustangs went 13-19, including going 4-12 in Conference USA play, including a downright embarrassing 47-28 loss to UAB.
Despite all of this lack of success, in one season, SMU has joined the Big East, one of the top conferences in NCAA basketball, and landed a Hall of Fame caliber coach. It truly is staggering to me how quickly this program is turning around.
Just goes to show what this drive for football can do. We'll see if all of this change involves in a turnaround for the SMU basketball program, or just lead to further debacle and embarrassment.
Monday, April 16, 2012
The First Domino in the CAA Falls
The offseason of the college basketball season is usually marked by three big things: the coaching carousel, the NBA Draft, and lately, conference realignment.
The CAA, who has produced two Final Four teams since 2006, George Mason and VCU, has been recognized as one of the top mid major conferences in the country. Yet even this illustrious distinction has not been enough to spare the conference from rumors and actual realignment issues.
It all started with rumors of Mason and VCU jumping ship to the A-10. It has been well established that, especially after the departure of Temple to the Big East, that the A-10 has been considering inviting various mid majors to join them. The three teams who have been mentioned the most for this expansion have been Butler, George Mason, and VCU.
The rumors particularly picked up about a month ago, when word came out from CBS that both Mason and VCU were in talks with A-10 officials about a possible move. Those rumors have been denied by both the A-10, CAA, Mason, and VCU.
Yet, the general theory is, where there is smoke, there is fire, so this issue will not be resolved fully until the summer is over most likely.
Meanwhile, a move has been made by another team in the CAA. Earlier in the week, it was made official that Georgia State, the CAA's youngest member, would be joining the Sun Belt Conference as of July 1st, 2013.
What I find particularly intriguing about this move is that rumors of this move were being refuted as soon as a week before it was made official, furthering the thought that what the conferences say has to be taken with a grain of salt.
So now, the CAA is looking at an 11 team conference in 2013. The question now becomes, will the CAA bring in one team to fill a slot, go the route of the A-10 and try to bring in multiple teams, or will Georgia State's departure spark more teams leaving the conference.
Honestly, I think that it all depends on what move Mason and VCU make. If these two teams leave for the A-10, then the conference is in deep trouble, having lost three teams, including their two most publicly known. If the two teams stay, then the CAA still looks like a big step up for a strong mid major team in an average league, and the conference will go on as strong as ever.
Unfortunately for the CAA, it looks like nothing will be known until after July 1st. Neither VCU nor Mason seems to be willing to make a move before the fiscal year ends and they get a huge check for the last five years of NCAA Tournament performances, featuring Final Four money.
This is going to be an interesting situation going forward, as it's rare to see the fate of a conference decided by one move. We'll just have to wait and see what happens in this battle for mid major superiority.
The CAA, who has produced two Final Four teams since 2006, George Mason and VCU, has been recognized as one of the top mid major conferences in the country. Yet even this illustrious distinction has not been enough to spare the conference from rumors and actual realignment issues.
It all started with rumors of Mason and VCU jumping ship to the A-10. It has been well established that, especially after the departure of Temple to the Big East, that the A-10 has been considering inviting various mid majors to join them. The three teams who have been mentioned the most for this expansion have been Butler, George Mason, and VCU.
The rumors particularly picked up about a month ago, when word came out from CBS that both Mason and VCU were in talks with A-10 officials about a possible move. Those rumors have been denied by both the A-10, CAA, Mason, and VCU.
Yet, the general theory is, where there is smoke, there is fire, so this issue will not be resolved fully until the summer is over most likely.
Meanwhile, a move has been made by another team in the CAA. Earlier in the week, it was made official that Georgia State, the CAA's youngest member, would be joining the Sun Belt Conference as of July 1st, 2013.
What I find particularly intriguing about this move is that rumors of this move were being refuted as soon as a week before it was made official, furthering the thought that what the conferences say has to be taken with a grain of salt.
So now, the CAA is looking at an 11 team conference in 2013. The question now becomes, will the CAA bring in one team to fill a slot, go the route of the A-10 and try to bring in multiple teams, or will Georgia State's departure spark more teams leaving the conference.
Honestly, I think that it all depends on what move Mason and VCU make. If these two teams leave for the A-10, then the conference is in deep trouble, having lost three teams, including their two most publicly known. If the two teams stay, then the CAA still looks like a big step up for a strong mid major team in an average league, and the conference will go on as strong as ever.
Unfortunately for the CAA, it looks like nothing will be known until after July 1st. Neither VCU nor Mason seems to be willing to make a move before the fiscal year ends and they get a huge check for the last five years of NCAA Tournament performances, featuring Final Four money.
This is going to be an interesting situation going forward, as it's rare to see the fate of a conference decided by one move. We'll just have to wait and see what happens in this battle for mid major superiority.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Noel to Kentucky
Today, Nerlen Noel, who has been rated #1 by ESPN in terms of high school recruits, has committed to the University of Kentucky, joining the reigning national champions. The signing also has given Kentucky the #1 recruiting class in the nation, again, as ranked by ESPN.
The signing is huge for the Wildcats. The champs are most likely losing their biggest weapons from this past season, Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, to the NBA, and this commit is a major get to ensure that the program remains a national championship contender.
For me though, U can't help but feel skeptical. Honestly, I'm always skeptical whenever it comes to John Calipari and his penchant for landing major recruits.
To be fair, I don't think that my skepticism is unwarranted. Yes, the guy has won everywhere that he has been, but look at the trail of destruction that he has left in his wake. He took UMass to the Sweet Sixteen before leaving the program. The year after he left, it was revealed that there were some illegal recruiting going on, and penalties were handed down to the program, as well as the vacation of their Sweet Sixteen.
Then, Calipari moved on to Memphis, where he took that team to the National Championship game, losing in an absolute classic to Kansas. Once again, Calipari moved on to bigger and better things, and soon after he left, word that the star player of that Memphis team, Derrick Rose, was illegally recruited, and again, penalties were handed down and wins were vacated.
So here is John Calipari at Kentucky, and it has gotten to the point where it is almost a foregone conclusion that he will recruit the best players in the country every year. First is was John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins. Then it was Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Now it is Nerlen Noel.
The fear that I have is that the story of Kentucky will be the same as UMass and Memphis. Everything is going well until Calipari feels the feds bearing down on him, which will lead him to made the jump into the NBA and leave Kentucky to take the fall. Wins and now championships will be vacated, and off goes Calipari with almost no repercussions.
Now, I may be completely wrong on this and maybe Calipari is just a masterful recruiter the likes of which the NCAA has rarely, if ever, seen before. But then again, maybe I'm not. I guess only time will tell.
The signing is huge for the Wildcats. The champs are most likely losing their biggest weapons from this past season, Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, to the NBA, and this commit is a major get to ensure that the program remains a national championship contender.
For me though, U can't help but feel skeptical. Honestly, I'm always skeptical whenever it comes to John Calipari and his penchant for landing major recruits.
To be fair, I don't think that my skepticism is unwarranted. Yes, the guy has won everywhere that he has been, but look at the trail of destruction that he has left in his wake. He took UMass to the Sweet Sixteen before leaving the program. The year after he left, it was revealed that there were some illegal recruiting going on, and penalties were handed down to the program, as well as the vacation of their Sweet Sixteen.
Then, Calipari moved on to Memphis, where he took that team to the National Championship game, losing in an absolute classic to Kansas. Once again, Calipari moved on to bigger and better things, and soon after he left, word that the star player of that Memphis team, Derrick Rose, was illegally recruited, and again, penalties were handed down and wins were vacated.
So here is John Calipari at Kentucky, and it has gotten to the point where it is almost a foregone conclusion that he will recruit the best players in the country every year. First is was John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins. Then it was Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Now it is Nerlen Noel.
The fear that I have is that the story of Kentucky will be the same as UMass and Memphis. Everything is going well until Calipari feels the feds bearing down on him, which will lead him to made the jump into the NBA and leave Kentucky to take the fall. Wins and now championships will be vacated, and off goes Calipari with almost no repercussions.
Now, I may be completely wrong on this and maybe Calipari is just a masterful recruiter the likes of which the NCAA has rarely, if ever, seen before. But then again, maybe I'm not. I guess only time will tell.
Monday, April 9, 2012
UConn is in Trouble
The other day, UConn's appeal of their issues with the APR, Academic Progress Rate, and will officially not be allowed to participate in the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
This decision is huge for a number of reasons. The first obvious reason is that UConn, who won the National Championship last season and always is a national championship contender, will not be in the tournament. I can't remember the last time a team of this stature was banned from the postseason, particularly for academic reasons.
Then the question of what happens to the program starts to come into questions. Will they be able to recruit? In this age of "one and dones," no big time high school player who only intends on spending one year in the NCAA will waste that year with UConn. Even further than that, who does want to go to the Huskies right now? Who is to say that these issues will be resolved?
With guys who are on the team already, particularly those with only one year of eligibility left, do they want to spend that year at UConn where they can't win a national title? You have to imagine that there will be numerous transfers and decommittals over the next few weeks.
Then there's Jim Calhoun. The legendary coach missed a lot of this past season with medical issues, and his team struggled without him. The Huskies lost 9 of 12 at one point this season, and there were rumblings that the defending national champs may not even make the tournament.
The Huskies only started to get hot once Calhoun came back, leading to a nice run in the Big East tournament before falling in their first tournament game to Iowa State.
Clearly Calhoun is a major part of this program, but with the coach's health declining and his age getting up there, will he even return for next season? It appears that he will, as he has mentioning his goal of winning the Big East regular title.
Just because Calhoun returns next year though means nothing. Jim Calhoun may retire after next season, again, citing health concerns. The legendary Jim Calhoun may have already coached in his last NCAA Tournament game thanks to this ruling.
In the end, it will be fascinating to see how this one year postseason ban will affect the UConn program. Personally, I think they'll be ok, just because I can't see UConn falling off the face of the Earth, but you never know. One year of recruiting hell and the loss of a coach can do programs in, so it will be a situation to watch over these next few years.
This decision is huge for a number of reasons. The first obvious reason is that UConn, who won the National Championship last season and always is a national championship contender, will not be in the tournament. I can't remember the last time a team of this stature was banned from the postseason, particularly for academic reasons.
Then the question of what happens to the program starts to come into questions. Will they be able to recruit? In this age of "one and dones," no big time high school player who only intends on spending one year in the NCAA will waste that year with UConn. Even further than that, who does want to go to the Huskies right now? Who is to say that these issues will be resolved?
With guys who are on the team already, particularly those with only one year of eligibility left, do they want to spend that year at UConn where they can't win a national title? You have to imagine that there will be numerous transfers and decommittals over the next few weeks.
Then there's Jim Calhoun. The legendary coach missed a lot of this past season with medical issues, and his team struggled without him. The Huskies lost 9 of 12 at one point this season, and there were rumblings that the defending national champs may not even make the tournament.
The Huskies only started to get hot once Calhoun came back, leading to a nice run in the Big East tournament before falling in their first tournament game to Iowa State.
Clearly Calhoun is a major part of this program, but with the coach's health declining and his age getting up there, will he even return for next season? It appears that he will, as he has mentioning his goal of winning the Big East regular title.
Just because Calhoun returns next year though means nothing. Jim Calhoun may retire after next season, again, citing health concerns. The legendary Jim Calhoun may have already coached in his last NCAA Tournament game thanks to this ruling.
In the end, it will be fascinating to see how this one year postseason ban will affect the UConn program. Personally, I think they'll be ok, just because I can't see UConn falling off the face of the Earth, but you never know. One year of recruiting hell and the loss of a coach can do programs in, so it will be a situation to watch over these next few years.
Thoughts on the Championship Game
So a week later, I have had some time to diagnose and think about the Kentucky-Kansas final and have a few thoughts on it.
Real time, I was disappointed with the final. For much of the game, it was really a lopsided affair. Kentucky just dominated the game, going up by double digits early and really just cruising to a national championship.
Kansas made it mildly interesting down the stretch, cutting the lead to five, but it was far too late and Kentucky turned on the offense one last time to officially bury the Jayhawks and win the title.
When I think of a championship game, I think of a great battle between the two best teams in the country. I think of a nailbiting finish, with a memorable last minute that fans can recall fondly and watch on the highlight reel for years to come. And honestly, it just didn't feel like we got that this year.
Now, looking back on it though, I've come to appreciate the game, not for score or the game itself, but for Kentucky. This team ran through the tournament unlike any team we have seen in years. They dominated every opponent they saw, no matter how weak or elite they were. There were no cheap wins or close escapes. This was sheer and utter domination, with freshmen no less.
The question now gets raised: Was this the best team ever? The question certainly has a right to be asked. Kentucky only lost twice all season: once on the road at the buzzer at Indiana and once in the SEC Championship game to a desperate Vanderbilt team, in a game where the Wildcats, honestly, seemed disinterested.
Of course now it is hard to answer that question. It just happened and we need to see how this team can hold up in the test of time. Five or 10 years from now though, I think you can revisit this team and truly see how great they were.
So in the end, the championship game was lackluster, although it was miles better than last year's disaster. However, the game will be memorable for one reason: it featured what may have been the greatest college basketball team of all time. Only time will tell.
Real time, I was disappointed with the final. For much of the game, it was really a lopsided affair. Kentucky just dominated the game, going up by double digits early and really just cruising to a national championship.
Kansas made it mildly interesting down the stretch, cutting the lead to five, but it was far too late and Kentucky turned on the offense one last time to officially bury the Jayhawks and win the title.
When I think of a championship game, I think of a great battle between the two best teams in the country. I think of a nailbiting finish, with a memorable last minute that fans can recall fondly and watch on the highlight reel for years to come. And honestly, it just didn't feel like we got that this year.
Now, looking back on it though, I've come to appreciate the game, not for score or the game itself, but for Kentucky. This team ran through the tournament unlike any team we have seen in years. They dominated every opponent they saw, no matter how weak or elite they were. There were no cheap wins or close escapes. This was sheer and utter domination, with freshmen no less.
The question now gets raised: Was this the best team ever? The question certainly has a right to be asked. Kentucky only lost twice all season: once on the road at the buzzer at Indiana and once in the SEC Championship game to a desperate Vanderbilt team, in a game where the Wildcats, honestly, seemed disinterested.
Of course now it is hard to answer that question. It just happened and we need to see how this team can hold up in the test of time. Five or 10 years from now though, I think you can revisit this team and truly see how great they were.
So in the end, the championship game was lackluster, although it was miles better than last year's disaster. However, the game will be memorable for one reason: it featured what may have been the greatest college basketball team of all time. Only time will tell.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Looking at the Championship Game
It all comes down to this. The season has gone since November, has had its ups and downs, fights, scandals, triumphs, underdogs, and in the end, it all comes down to a single game.
Tonight, Kentucky and Kansas, two of college basketball's bluebloods, tip off to decide who will be the 2011-12 National Champion.
Just as a sow of how good my bracket has been this season, I couldn't even pick the championship game right when given only four teams to choose from, but I digress.
I, like everyone else in the college world, am very excited to see how this game is going to turn out. Personally, I just think that Kentucky is too strong and too good to not come away with this win.
The big question mar for Kentucky entering the tournament was their youth. With such emphasis on freshmen, fans and analysts alike wondered how these young guys would respond to the pressure of the biggest stage in college basketball. Considering that the Wildcats are not only sitting in the championship game, but have buried every team in their path along the way, I think it's safe to say that the bright lights don't bother these young guys.
Really, I see it as a catch-22 for the Jayhawks. Due to the youth of Kentucky and the experience Kansas has had in these close games, particularly of late, I feel that the closer the game, the better chance Kansas has of walking away with the victory.
The question becomes though, how in the hell do you keep a game close against the Wildcats?
In the blink of an eye, Kentucky stretches a two point lead to a 10 point lead. They're fantastic frontrunners, and once they get a head of steam, they're nearly impossible to beat.
Kansas is going to have to try and get big guys like Anthony Davis is foul trouble early. They need to take advantage of any lulls in Kentucky's game and not let any opportunities pass them. In short, Kansas needs a perfect game.
If Kansas gets a lead late in the second half, they may get the W. But if I'm being honest, I just don't see Calipari coming up short to Kansas in the national title again.
But hey, I've been wrong before, and after all, that's why they play the game.
Tonight, Kentucky and Kansas, two of college basketball's bluebloods, tip off to decide who will be the 2011-12 National Champion.
Just as a sow of how good my bracket has been this season, I couldn't even pick the championship game right when given only four teams to choose from, but I digress.
I, like everyone else in the college world, am very excited to see how this game is going to turn out. Personally, I just think that Kentucky is too strong and too good to not come away with this win.
The big question mar for Kentucky entering the tournament was their youth. With such emphasis on freshmen, fans and analysts alike wondered how these young guys would respond to the pressure of the biggest stage in college basketball. Considering that the Wildcats are not only sitting in the championship game, but have buried every team in their path along the way, I think it's safe to say that the bright lights don't bother these young guys.
Really, I see it as a catch-22 for the Jayhawks. Due to the youth of Kentucky and the experience Kansas has had in these close games, particularly of late, I feel that the closer the game, the better chance Kansas has of walking away with the victory.
The question becomes though, how in the hell do you keep a game close against the Wildcats?
In the blink of an eye, Kentucky stretches a two point lead to a 10 point lead. They're fantastic frontrunners, and once they get a head of steam, they're nearly impossible to beat.
Kansas is going to have to try and get big guys like Anthony Davis is foul trouble early. They need to take advantage of any lulls in Kentucky's game and not let any opportunities pass them. In short, Kansas needs a perfect game.
If Kansas gets a lead late in the second half, they may get the W. But if I'm being honest, I just don't see Calipari coming up short to Kansas in the national title again.
But hey, I've been wrong before, and after all, that's why they play the game.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Previewing the Final Four
The final stretch of the college basketball season is upon us, so let's take a look at the Final Four matchups.
First, we have Louisville vs Kentucky.
The Cardinals have been riding a wave of momentum recently, springboarding their Big East Tournament victory all the way to New Orleans. Louisville probably has the least amount of known names in this tournament, but that does not mean that they're going to be pushovers. As they showed against Florida, Rick Pitino is going to make sure that his guys play until the final buzzer sounds, an against Louisville, no lead is safe.
Kentucky, on the other hand, is downright scary. They have blown through their opponents in this tournament so far, and have proven hands down why they are the number one seed in the tournament. Teams can hang with the Wildcats for only so long, and then almost instantaneously Kentucky lowers the boom and its all over. Where Lousiville doesn't feature household names, Kentucky has a team of professionals, led by super freshmen Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.
The second matchup of the night is Ohio State vs Kansas. The Buckeyes are coming out of, what I feel, was the strongest conference in the country this season, the Big 10. This has played to their advantage in the tournament, as it has made Ohio State tough to play and very physical throughout, and after a scare against Gonzaga, the Buckeyes have looked extremely strong since. Jared Sullinger paces them in the middle, and the scoring emergence of Aaron Craft has given Ohio State the firepower that they need to win this thing.
Finally, Kansas finds themselves in New Orleans despite doubters picking them to lose every step of the way. Bill Self has done a masterful job with his team through this point, especially when star Tyshawn Taylor has only had one big game, though it was their last one. Kansas is probably the most battle tested of the four teams, playing in close games against Purdue, NC State, and North Carolina. Kansas has proven that they can play, and beat, anyone.
Both of these games are rematches from the regular season. In the first games, Kentucky and Kansas won respectively. This time around, I think Kentucky wins again. They're just too strong and I feel Louisville's run has come to an end.
In the other game, I see Ohio State coming out. The Buckeyes were without Jared Sullinger in their first contest with Kansas, and if they can avoid foul trouble, I think they win.
That leaves Kentucky versus Ohio State in the finals, and I think that the Wildcats and John Calipari, as much as I dislike him, are just too good this season, and will get past Ohio State for the championship.
First, we have Louisville vs Kentucky.
The Cardinals have been riding a wave of momentum recently, springboarding their Big East Tournament victory all the way to New Orleans. Louisville probably has the least amount of known names in this tournament, but that does not mean that they're going to be pushovers. As they showed against Florida, Rick Pitino is going to make sure that his guys play until the final buzzer sounds, an against Louisville, no lead is safe.
Kentucky, on the other hand, is downright scary. They have blown through their opponents in this tournament so far, and have proven hands down why they are the number one seed in the tournament. Teams can hang with the Wildcats for only so long, and then almost instantaneously Kentucky lowers the boom and its all over. Where Lousiville doesn't feature household names, Kentucky has a team of professionals, led by super freshmen Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.
The second matchup of the night is Ohio State vs Kansas. The Buckeyes are coming out of, what I feel, was the strongest conference in the country this season, the Big 10. This has played to their advantage in the tournament, as it has made Ohio State tough to play and very physical throughout, and after a scare against Gonzaga, the Buckeyes have looked extremely strong since. Jared Sullinger paces them in the middle, and the scoring emergence of Aaron Craft has given Ohio State the firepower that they need to win this thing.
Finally, Kansas finds themselves in New Orleans despite doubters picking them to lose every step of the way. Bill Self has done a masterful job with his team through this point, especially when star Tyshawn Taylor has only had one big game, though it was their last one. Kansas is probably the most battle tested of the four teams, playing in close games against Purdue, NC State, and North Carolina. Kansas has proven that they can play, and beat, anyone.
Both of these games are rematches from the regular season. In the first games, Kentucky and Kansas won respectively. This time around, I think Kentucky wins again. They're just too strong and I feel Louisville's run has come to an end.
In the other game, I see Ohio State coming out. The Buckeyes were without Jared Sullinger in their first contest with Kansas, and if they can avoid foul trouble, I think they win.
That leaves Kentucky versus Ohio State in the finals, and I think that the Wildcats and John Calipari, as much as I dislike him, are just too good this season, and will get past Ohio State for the championship.
Monday, March 26, 2012
A Couple of Tournament Trends
With now two weekends in the books, I think we can officially label some aspects of NCAA Tournament as trends and not just odd instances.
The first trend that I continue to see is horrific end game management by a multitude of teams. Wisconsin is the first team that comes to mind that is guilty of this. Their game against Syracuse in the Sweet 16 came down to the last possession, and it really came down to an utter lack of execution that led to the Badgers literally running out of time.
More than just a lack of execution though, there have just been some mind boggling plays drawn up by coaches. Wichita State is guilty of this in their game against VCU. The Shockers took a timeout with 10 seconds left down by two. There was then a second timeout called as the first one was ending, giving Wichita about two and a half minutes to draw up a play to win or tie. So what play gets run out? A three point attempt from the center, the lowest percentage shooter. Needless to say, Wichita lost.
NC State was also a victim of their own play design, thinking that a cross court pass would be a spectacular idea down by three to Kansas. The ball was intercepted and the Wolfpack never got a shot off, losing by three to the Jayhawks in the Sweet 16.
Execution has plagued teams in other ways as well. I can't remember seeing such long scoring droughts consistently happen to teams. Obviously basketball is a game of runs and it will eventually become hard to score, but this has been crazy.
Just look at VCU. The Rams scored a whole four points in the last 12:19 of their game with Indiana. They lost by two.
Florida went nearly six minutes without a field goal, leading to a major collapse on the part of the Gators and costing them a bid to the Final Four.
North Carolina cost themselves a chance at the Final Four as well thanks to going scoreless for 5:43, allowing Kansas to spread a one point lead all the way to double digits. I could keep going but you get the idea.
The last thing that I've noticed, and possibly what has annoyed me the most has been officiating. Obviously there's complaints about officiating every year, but something about this tournament has bugged me more than usual.
I think it has to do with the affect on the games. UNC-Asheville had a legitimate gripe against Syracuse, where the officials almost blatantly gave away Bulldog possessions down the stretch, ruining what was a great game to that point and possibly history that we may never see again.
The most ridiculous officiating error was in Louisville - Michigan State, where a Cardinals player went to the line and missed his free throw. After the missed shot, the officials then checked the monitor, realized it was the wrong man shooting, didn't count the first shot, and allowed a different man to step up and hit both his shots. How can this happen in an NCAA Tournament game?
There's also the issue of rules that I have only just found out about that I don't agree with. Both NC-Asheville and Notre Dame were victims of an obscure free throw rule that states that a man behind the free throw shooter cannot move until the ball hits the rim, as opposed to when the ball leaves the hands of the shooter as is the case with everyone else.
What this has resulted in is two huge offensive rebounds that were taken away by a rule that prevents something it doesn't need to prevent. A man moving behind the shooter doesn't affect the play in any way, and yet the rule has cost fans two exciting endings.
The other rule that I'm over is that an elbow to the head, whether inadvertent or not, is an automatic technical. Indiana was a victim of this rule when a Hoosier accidentally grazed a VCU player with his elbow, and yet a Xavier player took a blatant, albeit again accidental, elbow late in the game, and it was glossed over for being accidental.
So which is it? Can you judge intent or not? This is another rule that needs to be looked at because it is affecting the outcome of games.
So those are a few things that I've noticed, as well as a gripe or two, about the tournament so far. Let's all just hope for an exciting Final Four that is about the basketball, not the controversy.
The first trend that I continue to see is horrific end game management by a multitude of teams. Wisconsin is the first team that comes to mind that is guilty of this. Their game against Syracuse in the Sweet 16 came down to the last possession, and it really came down to an utter lack of execution that led to the Badgers literally running out of time.
More than just a lack of execution though, there have just been some mind boggling plays drawn up by coaches. Wichita State is guilty of this in their game against VCU. The Shockers took a timeout with 10 seconds left down by two. There was then a second timeout called as the first one was ending, giving Wichita about two and a half minutes to draw up a play to win or tie. So what play gets run out? A three point attempt from the center, the lowest percentage shooter. Needless to say, Wichita lost.
NC State was also a victim of their own play design, thinking that a cross court pass would be a spectacular idea down by three to Kansas. The ball was intercepted and the Wolfpack never got a shot off, losing by three to the Jayhawks in the Sweet 16.
Execution has plagued teams in other ways as well. I can't remember seeing such long scoring droughts consistently happen to teams. Obviously basketball is a game of runs and it will eventually become hard to score, but this has been crazy.
Just look at VCU. The Rams scored a whole four points in the last 12:19 of their game with Indiana. They lost by two.
Florida went nearly six minutes without a field goal, leading to a major collapse on the part of the Gators and costing them a bid to the Final Four.
North Carolina cost themselves a chance at the Final Four as well thanks to going scoreless for 5:43, allowing Kansas to spread a one point lead all the way to double digits. I could keep going but you get the idea.
The last thing that I've noticed, and possibly what has annoyed me the most has been officiating. Obviously there's complaints about officiating every year, but something about this tournament has bugged me more than usual.
I think it has to do with the affect on the games. UNC-Asheville had a legitimate gripe against Syracuse, where the officials almost blatantly gave away Bulldog possessions down the stretch, ruining what was a great game to that point and possibly history that we may never see again.
The most ridiculous officiating error was in Louisville - Michigan State, where a Cardinals player went to the line and missed his free throw. After the missed shot, the officials then checked the monitor, realized it was the wrong man shooting, didn't count the first shot, and allowed a different man to step up and hit both his shots. How can this happen in an NCAA Tournament game?
There's also the issue of rules that I have only just found out about that I don't agree with. Both NC-Asheville and Notre Dame were victims of an obscure free throw rule that states that a man behind the free throw shooter cannot move until the ball hits the rim, as opposed to when the ball leaves the hands of the shooter as is the case with everyone else.
What this has resulted in is two huge offensive rebounds that were taken away by a rule that prevents something it doesn't need to prevent. A man moving behind the shooter doesn't affect the play in any way, and yet the rule has cost fans two exciting endings.
The other rule that I'm over is that an elbow to the head, whether inadvertent or not, is an automatic technical. Indiana was a victim of this rule when a Hoosier accidentally grazed a VCU player with his elbow, and yet a Xavier player took a blatant, albeit again accidental, elbow late in the game, and it was glossed over for being accidental.
So which is it? Can you judge intent or not? This is another rule that needs to be looked at because it is affecting the outcome of games.
So those are a few things that I've noticed, as well as a gripe or two, about the tournament so far. Let's all just hope for an exciting Final Four that is about the basketball, not the controversy.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
March Madness...Sort Of
Once again, March Madness is in full swing around us. We've had close finishes, controversial calls, and brackets being busted. But in the end, I can't help but feel like this year's tournament has lacked some of the Cinderellas and dramas in years past.
Now, don't get me wrong. What Lehigh and Norfolk State accomplished was incredible and monumental. It had been 11 years since a 15 seed had upset a 2, and we had two such upsets in a matter of hours. And for me, that's what the tournament is all about. It's about the little guy taking on the big boys and slaying the giants. America loves an underdog, and personally watching a mid major go deep is one of the most enjoyable things I can see any given year in the tournament (except for when that mid major is a rival of your school, then it's slightly less enjoyable).
But despite the Freaky Friday of sorts that we experienced, at the end of the day, out Sweet 16 had 14 teams from the power conferences in it. Of the 2 mid majors, one of them is Xavier, and with this being their third consecutive Sweet 16 berth, it's hard for me to consider them a "little guy" anymore. The only true mid major left right now is Ohio, who now gets the dubious distinction of taking on North Carolina in the next round.
I think that part of he problem has just been that the big teams are better this year. Teams like Kentucky and Ohio State and Michigan State have been so much more talented and stronger than these mid major teams, that it has been nearly impossible for David to succeed over Goliath this season.
But I think one of the bigger issues has been with the talented mid majors left out in favor of average big time teams. Take Drexel for instance. The team was 27-6. They won their conference regular season. They went to the finals of their conference tournament. They won 19 games in a row before dropping the conference championship by 3 points. And yet this team was left out in favor of California, a middle of the road Pac-12 team in a middle of the road Pac-12 who was utterly embarrassed in the First Four this year.
Drexel was left out in favor of Connecticut, who sure, plays in the Big East, but lost 9 of their last 13 regular season games, including dropping games to Rutgers and Providence. That team deserves to get in more than Drexel? Oh, and Drexel's one "bad loss" on the season? That would be to Norfolk State. Yeah, those guys who straight out beat Missouri, the number 3 team in the country. What a terrible loss.
I guess that's where my issue of the "madness" is this season. It's not even so much that it's becoming all blue bloods in the later rounds, but that I feel not every mid major got a fair shake. Drexel could have gone far in the tournament, but we will never know, because they were left out in favor of average teams from bigger conferences. And its a shame, because like I said, America loves an underdog, and there is no more compelling television that David taking on Goliath on the biggest stage of em all.
Now, don't get me wrong. What Lehigh and Norfolk State accomplished was incredible and monumental. It had been 11 years since a 15 seed had upset a 2, and we had two such upsets in a matter of hours. And for me, that's what the tournament is all about. It's about the little guy taking on the big boys and slaying the giants. America loves an underdog, and personally watching a mid major go deep is one of the most enjoyable things I can see any given year in the tournament (except for when that mid major is a rival of your school, then it's slightly less enjoyable).
But despite the Freaky Friday of sorts that we experienced, at the end of the day, out Sweet 16 had 14 teams from the power conferences in it. Of the 2 mid majors, one of them is Xavier, and with this being their third consecutive Sweet 16 berth, it's hard for me to consider them a "little guy" anymore. The only true mid major left right now is Ohio, who now gets the dubious distinction of taking on North Carolina in the next round.
I think that part of he problem has just been that the big teams are better this year. Teams like Kentucky and Ohio State and Michigan State have been so much more talented and stronger than these mid major teams, that it has been nearly impossible for David to succeed over Goliath this season.
But I think one of the bigger issues has been with the talented mid majors left out in favor of average big time teams. Take Drexel for instance. The team was 27-6. They won their conference regular season. They went to the finals of their conference tournament. They won 19 games in a row before dropping the conference championship by 3 points. And yet this team was left out in favor of California, a middle of the road Pac-12 team in a middle of the road Pac-12 who was utterly embarrassed in the First Four this year.
Drexel was left out in favor of Connecticut, who sure, plays in the Big East, but lost 9 of their last 13 regular season games, including dropping games to Rutgers and Providence. That team deserves to get in more than Drexel? Oh, and Drexel's one "bad loss" on the season? That would be to Norfolk State. Yeah, those guys who straight out beat Missouri, the number 3 team in the country. What a terrible loss.
I guess that's where my issue of the "madness" is this season. It's not even so much that it's becoming all blue bloods in the later rounds, but that I feel not every mid major got a fair shake. Drexel could have gone far in the tournament, but we will never know, because they were left out in favor of average teams from bigger conferences. And its a shame, because like I said, America loves an underdog, and there is no more compelling television that David taking on Goliath on the biggest stage of em all.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Heartbreak
One of the things that we see every March is pure and simple heartbreak. Sure, there are plenty of moments of victory, but when there's only 1 team who can end their season on a win (I'm not counting the NIT and CBI and tourneys like that), the vast majority of seasons are going to end in heartbreak.
Just look at yesterday in the college basketball world. You had Quinnipiac going up against the top seeded Long Island Blackbirds in their conference tournaments. It was win or go home for both teams. A win put them in the conference tournament and kept the dream on going to the NCAA Tournament alive. A loss and the season was over.
Quinnipiac came as close as you could get. They were winning the game until a layup put LIU up with 3 minutes to go, and fell just short, 78-75. Their season ended after losing to the best team in their conference by only six points.
There was Albany. Albany was in a very similar situation, taking on the top seeded Stony Brook Seawolves. The hard fought gamecame down to the very final seconds, when Joyner of Stony Brook tipped in the game winner at the buzzer. The Great Danes watched their season end in a blink of an eye, so close to scoring the upset.
Then there's George Mason, and this one hit a bit closer to home, because I was at this game and felt the heartbreak first hand, The Patriots went up against VCU, a team who they had never beaten in the "neutral" site of the Richmond Coliseum and a team who had knocked them out of the tournament for three consecutive years.
After six minutes, it was 21-0 VCU. After ten, it was 32-4. Only a quarter of the way through the game, the Patriots and their fans were utterly beaten, embarrassed, and depressed.
Then there was the comeback. Mason fought and clawed and with 4 minutes remaining, had cut the lead to six. All of a sudden, dreams of grandeur became possible. Mason was about to shock the world again.
But alas, it was not meant to be. It felt as if the Patriots had lost that game twice, and let me tell you firsthand, it hurt.
But that's part of college basketball. That's part of March Madness. If not for the heartbreak, the triumphs would never feel as sweet.
Just look at yesterday in the college basketball world. You had Quinnipiac going up against the top seeded Long Island Blackbirds in their conference tournaments. It was win or go home for both teams. A win put them in the conference tournament and kept the dream on going to the NCAA Tournament alive. A loss and the season was over.
Quinnipiac came as close as you could get. They were winning the game until a layup put LIU up with 3 minutes to go, and fell just short, 78-75. Their season ended after losing to the best team in their conference by only six points.
There was Albany. Albany was in a very similar situation, taking on the top seeded Stony Brook Seawolves. The hard fought gamecame down to the very final seconds, when Joyner of Stony Brook tipped in the game winner at the buzzer. The Great Danes watched their season end in a blink of an eye, so close to scoring the upset.
Then there's George Mason, and this one hit a bit closer to home, because I was at this game and felt the heartbreak first hand, The Patriots went up against VCU, a team who they had never beaten in the "neutral" site of the Richmond Coliseum and a team who had knocked them out of the tournament for three consecutive years.
After six minutes, it was 21-0 VCU. After ten, it was 32-4. Only a quarter of the way through the game, the Patriots and their fans were utterly beaten, embarrassed, and depressed.
Then there was the comeback. Mason fought and clawed and with 4 minutes remaining, had cut the lead to six. All of a sudden, dreams of grandeur became possible. Mason was about to shock the world again.
But alas, it was not meant to be. It felt as if the Patriots had lost that game twice, and let me tell you firsthand, it hurt.
But that's part of college basketball. That's part of March Madness. If not for the heartbreak, the triumphs would never feel as sweet.
Mid Major Conference Tournaments
One of my favorite parts of college basketball is the mid major conference tournaments. Not that the big conference tournaments aren't good or don't have better basketball, but there' just something about mid major tournaments that appeals to me more.
Part of it is that I go to a mid major school and support a mid major team. When you root for a team like George Mason, you begin to resent the big boys a bit, and how easily they can get into the Big Dance and how they can really just take it for granted. There's this commonality between al mid major teams, and I can understand and respect everything that those fans are going through, which makes me appreciate those games more.
Then there's just that underdog story. The beauty of the mid major conference is that even the favorite is really an underdog. They have centers who are too small, and point guards who can't shoot, yet they still have a shot to do the impossible and not only get into the NCAA tournament, but win in the tournament too.
I think the part that I love the most about mid major tournaments as opposed to big conference tournaments are that hint of desperation that you can actually feel from watching the games.
When I turn on the Big East tournament, or the ACC tournament, I know for a fact that nearly every semifinals team, and in some cases quarterfinals team, are going to the NCAA tournament. There are bigger, more important basketball games to be played. Winning the ACC tournament is nice, but generally not a necessity to move on.
For just about everyone else though, these tournaments are life or death. Teams from the SWAC. Teams from the OVC. Teams from the NEC. They spend their entire seasons working for these tournaments, and they cannot afford to lose.
Championship games in these mid major tournaments are as stressful an event as you will ever witness, and that's why I love them. The fans live and die on every possession. You can feel the euphoric joy of victory and the downright agony of coming so close, yet coming up short.
So if you are looking for something to watch over the next couple weeks, check the ESPN family of networks for a mid major championship game. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.
Part of it is that I go to a mid major school and support a mid major team. When you root for a team like George Mason, you begin to resent the big boys a bit, and how easily they can get into the Big Dance and how they can really just take it for granted. There's this commonality between al mid major teams, and I can understand and respect everything that those fans are going through, which makes me appreciate those games more.
Then there's just that underdog story. The beauty of the mid major conference is that even the favorite is really an underdog. They have centers who are too small, and point guards who can't shoot, yet they still have a shot to do the impossible and not only get into the NCAA tournament, but win in the tournament too.
I think the part that I love the most about mid major tournaments as opposed to big conference tournaments are that hint of desperation that you can actually feel from watching the games.
When I turn on the Big East tournament, or the ACC tournament, I know for a fact that nearly every semifinals team, and in some cases quarterfinals team, are going to the NCAA tournament. There are bigger, more important basketball games to be played. Winning the ACC tournament is nice, but generally not a necessity to move on.
For just about everyone else though, these tournaments are life or death. Teams from the SWAC. Teams from the OVC. Teams from the NEC. They spend their entire seasons working for these tournaments, and they cannot afford to lose.
Championship games in these mid major tournaments are as stressful an event as you will ever witness, and that's why I love them. The fans live and die on every possession. You can feel the euphoric joy of victory and the downright agony of coming so close, yet coming up short.
So if you are looking for something to watch over the next couple weeks, check the ESPN family of networks for a mid major championship game. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Pat Knight's Rant - Too Much?
Seeing as everyone in the sports world seems to have seen this, I figure I should probably weigh in on it.
The other day, Pat Knight tore into his team, specifically his seniors, after his Lamar team fell to Stephen F. Austin. Knight seemed to take a page out of his father's playbook by calling out the team's work ethic, their off the court issues, and even declaring that the will not win another game this season at the rate that they're going.
Now, I've wavered on whether or not I liked or disliked this rant, and I think I know why. I liked the honesty and the idea of calling out the players in order to fire them up for the end of the season, but I don't think I like how it happened or how it was delivered.
For one, the whole tirade starts by Knight kicking a player out of his press conference by saying that he was next because the player "didn't have a clue of what it takes to win." For me, this just set a bad tone. It's one thing for a coach to come in guns blazing on a press conference, but it's quite another to call out and insult a player, to his face, in front of the media.
Knight went on to talk about how his seniors don't know how to win and that their work ethic and demeanor on the court was terrible. This part I didn't have as much of a problem with, as I think it was a tactic to try and light a fire under the team for the final stretch. We've seen coaches at every level do this before, albeit rarely, but with Pat Knight, as well as the entire Knight family, it almost isn't even shocking to hear stuff like this. It's in the Knight DNA to not pull any punches.
The part when I took issue was where he was talking about off the court issues, and specifically mentioning drug issues. Through this point, there had been no reports or mentions of drug issues surrounding Lamar, and Knight's comment just opened up Pandora's box. Are people on the team taking drugs? Are they selling drugs? Which drugs? How many players?
While the calling out of the team was one thing, I think that the drug comment as well as his other mentions of issues off the court went a bit overboard, and actually created a different distraction that may follow this team the rest of the year.
By the way, Lamar pummeled Same Houston State in their next game, 72-49.
The other day, Pat Knight tore into his team, specifically his seniors, after his Lamar team fell to Stephen F. Austin. Knight seemed to take a page out of his father's playbook by calling out the team's work ethic, their off the court issues, and even declaring that the will not win another game this season at the rate that they're going.
Now, I've wavered on whether or not I liked or disliked this rant, and I think I know why. I liked the honesty and the idea of calling out the players in order to fire them up for the end of the season, but I don't think I like how it happened or how it was delivered.
For one, the whole tirade starts by Knight kicking a player out of his press conference by saying that he was next because the player "didn't have a clue of what it takes to win." For me, this just set a bad tone. It's one thing for a coach to come in guns blazing on a press conference, but it's quite another to call out and insult a player, to his face, in front of the media.
Knight went on to talk about how his seniors don't know how to win and that their work ethic and demeanor on the court was terrible. This part I didn't have as much of a problem with, as I think it was a tactic to try and light a fire under the team for the final stretch. We've seen coaches at every level do this before, albeit rarely, but with Pat Knight, as well as the entire Knight family, it almost isn't even shocking to hear stuff like this. It's in the Knight DNA to not pull any punches.
The part when I took issue was where he was talking about off the court issues, and specifically mentioning drug issues. Through this point, there had been no reports or mentions of drug issues surrounding Lamar, and Knight's comment just opened up Pandora's box. Are people on the team taking drugs? Are they selling drugs? Which drugs? How many players?
While the calling out of the team was one thing, I think that the drug comment as well as his other mentions of issues off the court went a bit overboard, and actually created a different distraction that may follow this team the rest of the year.
By the way, Lamar pummeled Same Houston State in their next game, 72-49.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
College Basketball Always Surprises
Just when you think you have it all figured out, college basketball likes to throw you a curveball, and I think that's why I love it so much.Tuesday was a great example of the college basketball world just not making a lick of sense.
Enter the 0-26 Binghamton Bearcats. The Bearcats are widely accepted as the worst team in Division I college basketball, evidenced by their awful record, and the fact that they struggle to even be competitive in most games, losing 19 times by at least double digits this season, including being drilled 92-51 in a game earlier this year. Just to add to their misery, the Bearcats are dead last in points per game, and towards the bottom of the country in every other statistical category.
Then there's the Vermont Catamounts. Vermont was working on a respectable 19-10 season, and were atop the America East conference at 12-2 after smashing formerly first place Stony Brook 68-49 to take hold of first for themselves. Earlier in the season, Vermont played Binghamton, and promptly disposed of the Bearcats 73-53.
On Tuesday night, Vermont visited Binghamton for their second meeting of the season. In the battle between the first place team and the last place team, normal conventions would tell us that the first place team would cruise to a victory. And in the game, a team led nearly wire to wire on their way to a 57-53 victory.
But it wasn't the Catamounts.
Somehow, someway, Binghamton, the worst team in college basketball, the team in last place, and the team that many said would not get a win all season, beat the best team in their conference. And it wasn't a fluke, it wasn't luck, it wasn't pity. They outright beat Vermont.
It's games and stories like this why we continue to watch college basketball, because at the end of the day, it doesn't matter who has been better all season. All that matters is who is better that night. Binghamton's coach Mark Macon said after the game that it didn't matter if the Bearcats were playing the New York Knicks Tuesday night, they were going to win that game. After a season of embarrassment and frustration, the Binghamton players had had enough, and took it out on Vermont.
Is Binghamton going to the tournament this year? No. Will they win another game this season? Probably not. But for one night, they grabbed the spotlight and were shown in all of their glory on Sportscenter, and that's why I love college basketball. On any given night, any team can be the star, and on this night, it was little old 1-26 Binghamton.
Enter the 0-26 Binghamton Bearcats. The Bearcats are widely accepted as the worst team in Division I college basketball, evidenced by their awful record, and the fact that they struggle to even be competitive in most games, losing 19 times by at least double digits this season, including being drilled 92-51 in a game earlier this year. Just to add to their misery, the Bearcats are dead last in points per game, and towards the bottom of the country in every other statistical category.
Then there's the Vermont Catamounts. Vermont was working on a respectable 19-10 season, and were atop the America East conference at 12-2 after smashing formerly first place Stony Brook 68-49 to take hold of first for themselves. Earlier in the season, Vermont played Binghamton, and promptly disposed of the Bearcats 73-53.
On Tuesday night, Vermont visited Binghamton for their second meeting of the season. In the battle between the first place team and the last place team, normal conventions would tell us that the first place team would cruise to a victory. And in the game, a team led nearly wire to wire on their way to a 57-53 victory.
But it wasn't the Catamounts.
Somehow, someway, Binghamton, the worst team in college basketball, the team in last place, and the team that many said would not get a win all season, beat the best team in their conference. And it wasn't a fluke, it wasn't luck, it wasn't pity. They outright beat Vermont.
It's games and stories like this why we continue to watch college basketball, because at the end of the day, it doesn't matter who has been better all season. All that matters is who is better that night. Binghamton's coach Mark Macon said after the game that it didn't matter if the Bearcats were playing the New York Knicks Tuesday night, they were going to win that game. After a season of embarrassment and frustration, the Binghamton players had had enough, and took it out on Vermont.
Is Binghamton going to the tournament this year? No. Will they win another game this season? Probably not. But for one night, they grabbed the spotlight and were shown in all of their glory on Sportscenter, and that's why I love college basketball. On any given night, any team can be the star, and on this night, it was little old 1-26 Binghamton.
Monday, February 20, 2012
My Thoughts on Bracketbusters
This past weekend, we saw ESPN give their annual dedication to the mid-majors in the form of ESPN Bracketbusters. All weekend there were matchups between some of the country's top mid-major teams, as decided upon by ESPN, broadcasted on their various networks. Bracketbusters has its fair share of pundits and critics, and I personally am a fan of the concept.
For one, I'm a huge mid major fan. Say what you will, but there's something about that underdog story that I love, and for mid majors, every game feels like do or die, and this is especially true in the Bracketbuster weekend, where many teams get their last big shot to impress the committee with a key out of conference win.
The games are also a nice break from conference play, and gives the committee a shot to see how much the teams have changed since conference play began. Look at the CAA for instance. Early in the season, their out of conference play was terrible, but since December, they have got healthy and become comfortable, and are really different teams, as Drexel, VCU, George Mason, and ODU proved on Friday and Saturday.
The games also give some much needed widespread attention to mid majors. Teams like Buffalo and Weber State, who have quietly put together very nice seasons, have been buried by the attention given to BCS schools. This is their chance to take center stage and show the country why they should keep these teams in mind come March.
Now, the system isn't perfect. Unfortunately, with the designation of "Home" and "Away" teams every year, matchups can get quirky and a bit lopsided for who they can help. This year, for instance, a lot of "Home" teams had high RPIs, yet they couldn't match up with one another, due to them both being home teams. With ESPN deciding who gets TV time and who doesn't as well, some teams who really need the exposure to try and get an at-large bid don't get it.
But overall, I'm a fan of the concept and what it has done. Bracketbusters has propelled teams like George Mason, Butler, VCU, Northern Iowa, and Witchita State to deep runs in the tournament in March, and at the end of the day, that's enough reason for me to consider it a success.
For one, I'm a huge mid major fan. Say what you will, but there's something about that underdog story that I love, and for mid majors, every game feels like do or die, and this is especially true in the Bracketbuster weekend, where many teams get their last big shot to impress the committee with a key out of conference win.
The games are also a nice break from conference play, and gives the committee a shot to see how much the teams have changed since conference play began. Look at the CAA for instance. Early in the season, their out of conference play was terrible, but since December, they have got healthy and become comfortable, and are really different teams, as Drexel, VCU, George Mason, and ODU proved on Friday and Saturday.
The games also give some much needed widespread attention to mid majors. Teams like Buffalo and Weber State, who have quietly put together very nice seasons, have been buried by the attention given to BCS schools. This is their chance to take center stage and show the country why they should keep these teams in mind come March.
Now, the system isn't perfect. Unfortunately, with the designation of "Home" and "Away" teams every year, matchups can get quirky and a bit lopsided for who they can help. This year, for instance, a lot of "Home" teams had high RPIs, yet they couldn't match up with one another, due to them both being home teams. With ESPN deciding who gets TV time and who doesn't as well, some teams who really need the exposure to try and get an at-large bid don't get it.
But overall, I'm a fan of the concept and what it has done. Bracketbusters has propelled teams like George Mason, Butler, VCU, Northern Iowa, and Witchita State to deep runs in the tournament in March, and at the end of the day, that's enough reason for me to consider it a success.
Analyzing Draymond Green
With Michigan State's high profile and very strong schedule, they happen to be on ESPN and its networks a lot, so this season, I've seen more Michigan State games than I ever thought I would so far. Just about every time I watch the Spartans, I come away thinking the same thing: senior forward Draymond Green is really good.
The physical things about him are easy to like. He's a big brute inside, has a nice jump shot, exceptional passing, and has decent range, as he can hit the three pointer when necessary. This season alone, he's averaging a double double and is clearly Michigan State's best player.
But what I think I like most about him is his high basketball IQ and his leadership on the floor. The guy seems to know defenses better than they know themselves, and every moment that he is on the floor, he's barking directions to younger players, getting them in position, picking them up when they need it, and basically being a coach when he plays. Green is one of those players that's absolutely invaluable to a team, as he's not only a physically gifted player, but a mentally savvy one as well.
I was reading the other day that Green is projected as a late second round pick by many draft experts, and some don't even see him getting drafted. I just refuse to believe that there is no team out there that can't benefit from a smart player like Green. The guy hasn't had injury problems aside from a scare every now and again, has improved his skill set every season, plays in the Big 10 against future NBA stars every game, has played for Tom Izzo, one of the best coaching minds out there, and is one of the smartest basketball players in the country. If this guy isn't a first round pick, who is?
I think this next month will be big for Green for his future. This is the time where college basketball begins to head to the forefront of sports, and if he can have a big month, particularly on the big stage of the NCAA Tournament, I think we'll certainly be seeing Draymond Green wearing an NBA jersey soon enough.
The physical things about him are easy to like. He's a big brute inside, has a nice jump shot, exceptional passing, and has decent range, as he can hit the three pointer when necessary. This season alone, he's averaging a double double and is clearly Michigan State's best player.
But what I think I like most about him is his high basketball IQ and his leadership on the floor. The guy seems to know defenses better than they know themselves, and every moment that he is on the floor, he's barking directions to younger players, getting them in position, picking them up when they need it, and basically being a coach when he plays. Green is one of those players that's absolutely invaluable to a team, as he's not only a physically gifted player, but a mentally savvy one as well.
I was reading the other day that Green is projected as a late second round pick by many draft experts, and some don't even see him getting drafted. I just refuse to believe that there is no team out there that can't benefit from a smart player like Green. The guy hasn't had injury problems aside from a scare every now and again, has improved his skill set every season, plays in the Big 10 against future NBA stars every game, has played for Tom Izzo, one of the best coaching minds out there, and is one of the smartest basketball players in the country. If this guy isn't a first round pick, who is?
I think this next month will be big for Green for his future. This is the time where college basketball begins to head to the forefront of sports, and if he can have a big month, particularly on the big stage of the NCAA Tournament, I think we'll certainly be seeing Draymond Green wearing an NBA jersey soon enough.
Monday, February 13, 2012
My Take on JMU-Towson
Because I'm a college basketball junkie, I tend to find myself watching odd mid-major games jus to pass time or just because they strangely interest me. Well, this Saturday I sat and watched one of those games that not a ton of people care about, and that game was James Madison at Towson. Here's a couple of my thoughts and musings from watching the game:
Towson's still not very good. The Tigers made headlines a few weeks back for finally winning a game, defeating UNCW and snapping a historic losing streak dating back to December 29th, 2010. Sadly, this hasn't made the Tigers any better as a team overall. There were points watching this game where I had no faith that Towson would score, although I'll give them this much: they at least look like a Division I team these days.
JMU is not much better. James Madison has struggled this season, and you could see why during this game. Their offense is based heavily around the three point line, but they only have a few true three point shooters, which seems counterproductive. Their rebounding is also atrocious, and they just gave Towson far too many opportunities for easy baskets.
This became of battle of who wanted it least. The ending of this game was incredible, in that JMU continued to give Towson chances to win it, and Towson continued to refuse to take them. After JMU hit a couple of free throws to stretch their lead to three, they fouled Towson intentionally with five seconds to play. Towson hit their first free throw, and purposely missed the second. JMU got their hands on the rebound...and knocked it out of bounds with three seconds left, giving the Tigers one last shot. Naturally, Towson airballed their final attempt at a win.
Give the Towson faithful credit. It actually looked like the Tigers had a decent sized crowd, and they were quite loud as the game's final moments started. It's nice to see that Towson still has some strong support, even if they are 1-24.
Towson's still not very good. The Tigers made headlines a few weeks back for finally winning a game, defeating UNCW and snapping a historic losing streak dating back to December 29th, 2010. Sadly, this hasn't made the Tigers any better as a team overall. There were points watching this game where I had no faith that Towson would score, although I'll give them this much: they at least look like a Division I team these days.
JMU is not much better. James Madison has struggled this season, and you could see why during this game. Their offense is based heavily around the three point line, but they only have a few true three point shooters, which seems counterproductive. Their rebounding is also atrocious, and they just gave Towson far too many opportunities for easy baskets.
This became of battle of who wanted it least. The ending of this game was incredible, in that JMU continued to give Towson chances to win it, and Towson continued to refuse to take them. After JMU hit a couple of free throws to stretch their lead to three, they fouled Towson intentionally with five seconds to play. Towson hit their first free throw, and purposely missed the second. JMU got their hands on the rebound...and knocked it out of bounds with three seconds left, giving the Tigers one last shot. Naturally, Towson airballed their final attempt at a win.
Give the Towson faithful credit. It actually looked like the Tigers had a decent sized crowd, and they were quite loud as the game's final moments started. It's nice to see that Towson still has some strong support, even if they are 1-24.
The Curious Case of Murray State
This past week, the last of the unbeatens in college basketball finally fell, when Murray State lost at home to Tennessee State, 72-68.
This has started to create a very interesting debate among college basketball people. What do we now make of Murray State?
The Racers had made their way up to #7 in the country, purely because of the undefeated record. Despite this, many people were skeptical of Murray State, mainly because of the quality of opponents that they had beaten on the way to their outstanding record.
The Racers currently have an RPI of 54, which is not too shabby, until you look at their strength of schedule. Murray State's SOS is a whopping 262, giving them easily the lowest of the top 10 teams from last week. To add in to their issues, Murray State plays in the Ohio Valley, a conference that has an average RPI of 158 outside of Murray State.
So now here's the two big questions: Where does Murray State fall in the next poll, and will they make the tournament? Honestly I would not be shocked to see the Racers fall to as low as #20 in the most recent coach's poll, and as for the tournament, I'm not sure if this is a definite dilemma yet.
Murray State is still the heavy favorite in the Ohio Valley tournament, and if they win that, they get an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, and from there its just a matter of seeding. What will interest me more is if they lose that tournament. The Ohio Valley has never got multiple teams into the tournament, so Murray State would go from shoo in to bubble team in a heartbeat.
Luckily, the Racers still have a major chance to impress this Saturday against St. Mary's in the Bracketbuster game. If Murray State wins that, I think they punch their ticket to March Madness. If they don't, it may be a very stressful month for the Racers.
This has started to create a very interesting debate among college basketball people. What do we now make of Murray State?
The Racers had made their way up to #7 in the country, purely because of the undefeated record. Despite this, many people were skeptical of Murray State, mainly because of the quality of opponents that they had beaten on the way to their outstanding record.
The Racers currently have an RPI of 54, which is not too shabby, until you look at their strength of schedule. Murray State's SOS is a whopping 262, giving them easily the lowest of the top 10 teams from last week. To add in to their issues, Murray State plays in the Ohio Valley, a conference that has an average RPI of 158 outside of Murray State.
So now here's the two big questions: Where does Murray State fall in the next poll, and will they make the tournament? Honestly I would not be shocked to see the Racers fall to as low as #20 in the most recent coach's poll, and as for the tournament, I'm not sure if this is a definite dilemma yet.
Murray State is still the heavy favorite in the Ohio Valley tournament, and if they win that, they get an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, and from there its just a matter of seeding. What will interest me more is if they lose that tournament. The Ohio Valley has never got multiple teams into the tournament, so Murray State would go from shoo in to bubble team in a heartbeat.
Luckily, the Racers still have a major chance to impress this Saturday against St. Mary's in the Bracketbuster game. If Murray State wins that, I think they punch their ticket to March Madness. If they don't, it may be a very stressful month for the Racers.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
My Take on Miami's Upset
Being an avid New York Giants fan, I was far too nervous to watch the 150th hour of Super Bowl previews, so instead I decided to flip to ESPNU and watch some college basketball just to get my mind off things. There I found the Miami Hurricanes, who I find it hard to root for since the took our coach Jim Larranaga, and the Duke Blue Devils.
A couple of things I noticed about the game:
Reggie Johnson is an absolute beast. The Miami center is just a huge body, and it seemed like no matter how many people Duke threw on him, he found a way to power through for an easy layup. The guy dominated for 27 points, and honestly, I was baffled that Miami didn't just keep feeding him the ball as the game went into crunch time.
When Duke is cold from three, they're extremely beatable, no matter where they play. The Blue Devils were an ugly 9-31 from beyond the arc. For a team who lives and dies off the jump shooter, they sure died last night, and there were times in the game where it actually felt like they just could not score.
Shane Larkin is going to be a star. The freshman at Miami is quick, has good hands, and a nice three point stroke. It'll be fun to watch him develop over the years.
Now on to overtime, there were two odd things that went on.
Duke went 0-6 from the free throw line in the extra session. This is baffling, as Duke is historically an incredible free throw shooting team, and for them to go 0-6 when they need it most is truly staggering. It really is proof that free throws win, and in some cases lose, many games.
Somehow Coach K didn't get his timeout granted on his home floor. With the final play breaking down and the team down by 3, Austin Rivers ended up deep in the corner, double covered, with 4 seconds left, needing a 3. Coach K was screaming for a timeout, but it wasn't granted. I honestly can't believe this slight on Duke's home court, but when you sleepwalk through the first 30 minutes of a game, you probably deserved to lose anyway.
A couple of things I noticed about the game:
Reggie Johnson is an absolute beast. The Miami center is just a huge body, and it seemed like no matter how many people Duke threw on him, he found a way to power through for an easy layup. The guy dominated for 27 points, and honestly, I was baffled that Miami didn't just keep feeding him the ball as the game went into crunch time.
When Duke is cold from three, they're extremely beatable, no matter where they play. The Blue Devils were an ugly 9-31 from beyond the arc. For a team who lives and dies off the jump shooter, they sure died last night, and there were times in the game where it actually felt like they just could not score.
Shane Larkin is going to be a star. The freshman at Miami is quick, has good hands, and a nice three point stroke. It'll be fun to watch him develop over the years.
Now on to overtime, there were two odd things that went on.
Duke went 0-6 from the free throw line in the extra session. This is baffling, as Duke is historically an incredible free throw shooting team, and for them to go 0-6 when they need it most is truly staggering. It really is proof that free throws win, and in some cases lose, many games.
Somehow Coach K didn't get his timeout granted on his home floor. With the final play breaking down and the team down by 3, Austin Rivers ended up deep in the corner, double covered, with 4 seconds left, needing a 3. Coach K was screaming for a timeout, but it wasn't granted. I honestly can't believe this slight on Duke's home court, but when you sleepwalk through the first 30 minutes of a game, you probably deserved to lose anyway.
A Quick Look at the Bracketbuster Matchups
This past week, ESPN's televised Bracketbuster matchups were announced, so let's get right into them and a quick look at what I think of them.
Northern Iowa at VCU: Some people are saying VCU got a raw deal on this one, but I disagree. Considering UNI's upset over Creighton on Saturday, I think that this will be a hotly contested game, and although I struggle to see either of these teams getting an at large bid, the winner of this game may have one last gasp.
Valparaiso at Loyola Marymount: This is going to be a very interesting game. Valpo has played a good amount of top teams, but is yet to win any of them. Loyola has been stuck in a conference with heavyweights Gonzaga and St. Mary's, and has struggled against them. Both teams need this one to have a shot at an at large bid come Selection Sunday, and I think that desperation will make for a good game.
Drexel at Cleveland State: Drexel can make a case that they're one of the hottest teams in basketball, now riding an 11 game winning streak. Cleveland State has been dominating the Horizon league. Drexel still doesn't have a signature out of conference win, and I think they have the most to gain of the three CAA teams in the event by beating a strong Cleveland State on the road.
Wichita State at Davidson: This is a matchup of very hot teams, as Wichita State has lost twice since November 20th: once to a ranked Creighton team and once in a triple overtime war with Drake. Davidson, meanwhile, has also won 10 of 11. Davidson has scored a win at Kansas this season, so a win here could make a strong case for an at large come March.
Buffalo at South Dakota State: This is going to be a solid matchup between two strong teams who don't really have an eye popping win between the both of them. Expect these teams to come out firing on a rare ESPN appearance.
Akron at Oral Roberts: Akron has played a great schedule, but they just can't seem to beat anyone of merit, including going 0-4 against other televised Bracketbuster teams. Oral Roberts has a win against the, at the time, #9 Xavier Musketeers, and has dominated the Summit League. This game will be close, but it's hard for me to see Oral Roberts losing.
Drake at New Mexico State: I'll be honest, I'm baffled as to how Drake is televised. They've lost 4 of 5 and are sitting in 6th place in the Missouri Valley Conference. New Mexico State has performed much better, but like many other teams here, has no signature win. For my money, this may be the blowout of the weekend.
Nevada at Iona: I'm particularly excited about this matchup. Nevada was riding a 16 game win streak before finally dropping one on Saturday, but make no mistake, they're still a dangerous team. Iona is a sexy pick to make some serious noise in the big tournament in March, so this game may be a matchup of Cinderellas, and I'm always a fan of that.
Old Dominion at Missouri State: As a George Mason person, I'm a bit offended that ODU got televised over GMU, but that nonwithstanding, this should be a good game. Both teams are very physical and I expect this one to be a hard fought, close game between two teams who are trying to hold onto that last gasp of at large consideration.
Saint Mary's at Murray State: Here's your marquee matchup. Two ranked teams in primetime. Murray State may be undefeated, but their doubters point to their easy schedule as one of the reasons why their record is unblemished. I feel they need this game to prove they're for real, so we will learn a lot about Murray State after this one.
UNC Asheville at Ohio: UNC Asheville may have the most exciting offense in basketball and it will be on full display at Ohio. I just can't see the Bobcats finding a way to stop the 4th highest scoring offense in the nation, even if it is on the road.
Texas-Arlington at Weber State: This matchup is going to feature two potential NBA stars in Lamarcus Reed III and Damian Lillard, so regardless of the outcome, it will be fun to see these two guys duke it out.
Long Beach State at Creighton: Probably the second most intriguing matchup of the weekend, I think both of these teams will be playing March regardless of the outcome of this game, so it will be fun to see a nice tune up game for these guys.
Northern Iowa at VCU: Some people are saying VCU got a raw deal on this one, but I disagree. Considering UNI's upset over Creighton on Saturday, I think that this will be a hotly contested game, and although I struggle to see either of these teams getting an at large bid, the winner of this game may have one last gasp.
Valparaiso at Loyola Marymount: This is going to be a very interesting game. Valpo has played a good amount of top teams, but is yet to win any of them. Loyola has been stuck in a conference with heavyweights Gonzaga and St. Mary's, and has struggled against them. Both teams need this one to have a shot at an at large bid come Selection Sunday, and I think that desperation will make for a good game.
Drexel at Cleveland State: Drexel can make a case that they're one of the hottest teams in basketball, now riding an 11 game winning streak. Cleveland State has been dominating the Horizon league. Drexel still doesn't have a signature out of conference win, and I think they have the most to gain of the three CAA teams in the event by beating a strong Cleveland State on the road.
Wichita State at Davidson: This is a matchup of very hot teams, as Wichita State has lost twice since November 20th: once to a ranked Creighton team and once in a triple overtime war with Drake. Davidson, meanwhile, has also won 10 of 11. Davidson has scored a win at Kansas this season, so a win here could make a strong case for an at large come March.
Buffalo at South Dakota State: This is going to be a solid matchup between two strong teams who don't really have an eye popping win between the both of them. Expect these teams to come out firing on a rare ESPN appearance.
Akron at Oral Roberts: Akron has played a great schedule, but they just can't seem to beat anyone of merit, including going 0-4 against other televised Bracketbuster teams. Oral Roberts has a win against the, at the time, #9 Xavier Musketeers, and has dominated the Summit League. This game will be close, but it's hard for me to see Oral Roberts losing.
Drake at New Mexico State: I'll be honest, I'm baffled as to how Drake is televised. They've lost 4 of 5 and are sitting in 6th place in the Missouri Valley Conference. New Mexico State has performed much better, but like many other teams here, has no signature win. For my money, this may be the blowout of the weekend.
Nevada at Iona: I'm particularly excited about this matchup. Nevada was riding a 16 game win streak before finally dropping one on Saturday, but make no mistake, they're still a dangerous team. Iona is a sexy pick to make some serious noise in the big tournament in March, so this game may be a matchup of Cinderellas, and I'm always a fan of that.
Old Dominion at Missouri State: As a George Mason person, I'm a bit offended that ODU got televised over GMU, but that nonwithstanding, this should be a good game. Both teams are very physical and I expect this one to be a hard fought, close game between two teams who are trying to hold onto that last gasp of at large consideration.
Saint Mary's at Murray State: Here's your marquee matchup. Two ranked teams in primetime. Murray State may be undefeated, but their doubters point to their easy schedule as one of the reasons why their record is unblemished. I feel they need this game to prove they're for real, so we will learn a lot about Murray State after this one.
UNC Asheville at Ohio: UNC Asheville may have the most exciting offense in basketball and it will be on full display at Ohio. I just can't see the Bobcats finding a way to stop the 4th highest scoring offense in the nation, even if it is on the road.
Texas-Arlington at Weber State: This matchup is going to feature two potential NBA stars in Lamarcus Reed III and Damian Lillard, so regardless of the outcome, it will be fun to see these two guys duke it out.
Long Beach State at Creighton: Probably the second most intriguing matchup of the weekend, I think both of these teams will be playing March regardless of the outcome of this game, so it will be fun to see a nice tune up game for these guys.
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