November 2009 - Posts
Now that’s more like it.
Most ranked matchups this season have either been sloppy or one-sided. The Paradise Jame championship was neither.
Purdue’s 73-72 win against Tennessee was nearly everything one could hope for in a Top 10 showdown – in November, or any month.
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I don’t subscribe to the Journal of Sports Sciences, but it sounds like the latest issue contains a must-read article.
In a study of 365 games, including 93 played on neutral courts, a group of professors found that yes, refs are biased for the home team and “make-up” calls do exist. They also make more calls against teams in the lead – which can grow in the game is on national TV. Essentially, they’re trying to keep the game close.
The next time that obnoxious fan behind complains about the officiating, he might have a point.
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OK, so everyone (me included) who didn’t include Syracuse on their preseason Top 25s turned out to be dumb. Only the coaches’ poll listed the Orange, and they were No. 25 in that.
But after crushing Cal (then ranked 13th) and North Carolina (No. 6) last week, Syracuse vaulted to No. 10 in the AP poll, one of the biggest jumps in the poll’s history. Only two teams went from unranked to higher – and both ‘em logged more impressive wins, hard as that is to believe.
Should they be higher, lower? Does it matter?
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It wasn’t pretty or efficient, but Villanova emerged from a solid tournament field unbeaten. The ‘Cats may even be a little bit better because of it.
A 79-67 win against Ole Miss on Sunday was just the capper of a tourney that revolved around defense and perseverance.
Remember the stifling defense Villanaova used to smack Duke in the NCAA tournament last March? It hasn’t gone anywhere.
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Perhaps every team should lose to a D-II school before the season starts. It sure didn’t hurt Syracuse.
The Orange (4-0) wrapped up an impressive start to the season by dismantling Cal and North Carolina in Coaches vs. Cancer. “That’s about as good as it gets,” said coach Jim Boeheim, “and it was against North Carolina and it was here.”
Still, it is still November. Nothing at this point of the season should be taken as Gospel. With that in mind, here are five things to watch this week.
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Sign of the times: The South Florida will probe the “issues” raised by an AOL Fanhouse report of numerous violations at the school. Ignoring Internet stories like this used to be easy. No longer.
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Kentucky’s defense – or lack of – is killing John Calipari.
Three days after watching Miami of Ohio’s Nick Winbush hit 8 of 10 from beyond the arc and escaping thanks to John Wall’s late heroics, it was more of the same for the Wildcats against Sam Houston State on Thursday. Corey Allmond made 11 of 16 from deep and finished with 37, a Rupp Arena record. Kentucky still eked out a 102-92 victory, but it didn’t sit well with Calipari.
“If we don’t do better defensively folks, we are in trouble,” he said afterward. “Do you think we can score 100 against everybody? Because we’re going to have to. They are going to score 100 against us.”
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It’s panic time at Cal. One of the big three could be out a while.
Last year, the Bears relied on Jerome Randle, Patrick Christopher and Theo Robertson for 60 percent of their scoring. After two games this season, they’ve accounted for 62 percent. They’re always the floor (all three played at least 82 percent of Cal’s minutes last season) and are their three best shooters.
Suffice to say, Cal needs all three to play, and play well to have a chance at winning the Pac-10 or making a deep run in the NCAA tournament. With an ailing Robertson, that's not happening.
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If you didn’t catch up on sleep Wednesday after 24 hours of hoops, you blew it. More days and nights of basketball await, starting Thursday and extending Nov. 29 with the 76 Classic finals.
That’s 11 days of 20 college basketball tournaments. It’s not round-the-clock action, but it’s close. And that doesn’t even include the non-tournament games. (A complete schedule can be found here.)
So what to watch? Glad you asked.
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Foot injuries prompt worry among college basketball coaches. Sometimes little things that appear innocuous turn out to be season-ending. North Carolina’s Marcus Ginyard experienced this last season when a stress fracture delayed his season, then ended it.
OK, so it didn’t derail the Heels’ title run, but not everyone has their depth.
Case in point: Purdue, and the recent surgery to point guard Lewis Jackson.
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On a night when college hoops’ top two teams escaped upsets, what’d we learn?
That Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins are the key to Kansas’ season? Or that Kalin Lucas is Michigan State’s go-to guy? We knew all that going in.
Try this: Don’t forget recent history because Gonzaga and Memphis are actually good. Again.
The old cliché still applies, I guess. The more things change – both teams lost four starters from last season – the more they stay the same.
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Kentucky isn’t the only uber-athletic SEC team this season. Tennessee showed as much Tuesday.
The Vols’ 124-49 win against UNC Asheville was them at their best: pressing defense, balanced scoring and hitting from beyond the arc. Kinda like Bruce Pearl’s team played in 2007-08.
Can’t say it’s a huge surprise, though. Tennessee was capable of doing this last season.
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If there’s a spot on those ubiquitous Coors Light commercials for college basketball coaches, Charlie Coles just earned himself a spot.
Miami of Ohio’s coach was answering questions after his team’s 72-70 loss to No. 4 Kentucky Tuesday night – in which his RedHawks player marvelously – when someone asked him how the game got away from Miami.
Context: The RedHawks led UK by 18 at one point, but that was in the first half. They played the Wildcats – flush with one of the best recruiting classes of all time – even throughout until John Wall hit the game-winner.
Coles’ reaction? Classic mix of indignation, restraint and humor, worthy of Lefty Driesell. See for yourself after the jump.
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Those watching the end of the 24-hour hoops marathon Tuesday night should see some classics. Gonzaga vs. Michigan State. Arkansas vs. Louisville. Memphis vs. Kansas.
The final two are part of the Naismith Hall of Fame Classic and features four of the game’s most successful programs.
Not that those four exhibited Hall of Fame behavior during the offseason. Rob Dauster at Ballin’ Is a Habit thinks the tourney name is worthy of a little irony. Perhaps the Role Models Classic? I mean, do you remember what kind of offseason those four had?
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It’s a good thing Lance Stephenson moved on from his “Born Ready” nickname. It didn’t apply in his debut.
Cincinnati’s 6-5 guard is billed as one of the nation’s impact freshmen (fell for it), but there are no words for opening with a 7-point, 4-rebound performance against Prairie View A&M. The Bearcats won the game (barely), otherwise you’d be reading about UCLA and Cincy stumbling on Monday.
As for Stephenson – 2-10 from the field, 0-3 beyond the arc and 1 turnover in 22 minutes – there’s an explanation.
Kid was nervous.
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ESPN’s 24-hour college hoops marathon opened with an upset, but I’m not sure how many people stuck around. Poor shooting will do that.
UCLA clanked its way to a 68-65 double overtime loss to Cal State Fullerton, the first time the Bruins lost an opener in Ben Howland’s tenure. They hoisted 84 shots, hit just 31 percent of those and were a brutal 5 of 28 from beyond the arc.
If East Coast hoopheads were looking for reasons to stay up late, this wasn't it.
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John Wall’s Kentucky debut wasn’t perfect. It just had a storybook ending.
And that’s what Big Blue Nation wants, especially when March rolls around. For now, they can relish a win that probably wouldn’t have happened the last few years and think about what Wall can do the rest of the season.
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Let’s play a little game.
Raise your hand if Evan Turner and Manny Harris were on your preseason All-America team (both turned in triple-doubles last week). Just a few?
Now, what about Da’Sean Butler (26 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) and Greivis Vasquez (13 assists topped all players last weekend)? Hardly any?
OK then, what about Chris Wright? Did anyone foresee the 6-8 Dayton junior opening with such an efficient, impressive performance like he did against Creighton?
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West Virginia’s primed for what could be its biggest season since Jerry West took the Mountaineers to the 1959 NCAA title game. If Devin Ebanks is around, that is.
Ebanks, a 6-9 sophomore, is the team’s best defensive player and top rebounder, but was held out of the team’s opener against Loyola (Md.) because coach Bob Huggins said the forward had some “personal issues to work through.” He declined further comment.
West Virginia doesn’t play again until it plays the Citadel on Nov. 24, which gives Ebanks plenty of time to work through those issues. Until his situation is resolved, here are five more stories to watch this week.
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When Jodie Meeks torched Tennessee for 54 points last season, I figured I’d never see a more efficient performance.
Less than a year later, Arkansas’ Rotnei Clarke blew that to shreds. Note to self: Avoid such statements in the future.
Clarke, a 6-foot sophomore, drilled 13 three-pointers – and SEC record – and finished with 50 points in the Hogs’ 130-68 win against Alcorn State on Friday. It was one of those games where even Clarke came away slightly amazed by his night.
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Roy Williams likes to say his name doesn’t belong in the same sentence as Dean Smith. When North Carolina won its fifth NCAA tournament last spring – its second under Williams, matching Smith’s total – he continually deflected attention from himself to his school and his players.
“Roy Williams is not that good,” he said last April. “But Ole Roy has got some big-time players and that’s what it takes.”
Well, chalk up another big-time player. Another title may follow.
Harrison Barnes – perhaps the nation’s No. 1 recruit – committed to North Carolina on Friday. "He's the most complete offensive player in the country,” says Paul Biancardi, Scouts Inc.'s national recruiting director.
That gives the Tar Heels two of the Top 10 prospects and three of the top 32 in the class of 2010, according to Rivals.com.
It’s generally acknowledged that places like UNC don’t rebuild after winning a championship, they reload. But this is getting ridiculous.
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Ever wonder how trickle-down economics works? Don’t bother. Pay attention to trickle-down coaching effects instead.
When guys like John Calipari leaves Memphis for Kentucky, it affects more than just Calipari and his staff. It covers assistant coaches at both schools, the school that hires Calipari’s replacement, and so and so on.
Given all the offseason head coaching changes, you can imagine just how much trickle-down occurs. And sometimes, there doesn’t even need to be a head coaching change.
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In case you didn’t know, or simply refused to live in reality, Butler’s one of the big boys in college hoops.
The Bulldogs have won 85 games the last three seasons, better than Duke, UConn or Michigan State. They’ve won the preseason NIT tournament, been to the Sweet 16 and figure to be entrenched in the Top 10 all season.
I mean, they’re the only non-BCS school previewed by the folks at BP! C’mon! What else do you need? What about … strength training? How does Butler stack up to those BCS powerhouses?
The Bulldogs are working on it.
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Kyrie Irving’s slated to be Duke’s next great guard. The 6-1, 165-pound point guard, is one of the top recruits for the class of 2010 thanks to his ball-handling, savvy passing and leadership.
More impressive? He brings actual thespian skills to Durham.
Irving acted in his school’s rendition of “High School Musical,” which is a natural for him. It’s all about basketball players and how they deal with off-court pressures. ... C’mon, don’t act like you haven’t seen it.
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A catchy moniker goes a long way.
It’s hard for college basketball fans to think of Duke without also picturing the Cameron Crazies, their loud and usually creative student section. It’s gotten to the point where the Crazies get more attention than some college hoops teams, given that ESPN did a feature on one of ‘em last year.
Well, Indiana wants a piece of that action.
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College hoops’ early signing period began today, but there few surprises. As far as I saw, only one player changed their mind at the last second and backed out of a verbal commitment.
So what did happen? Plenty.
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If you haven’t already, take a moment to send good thoughts Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s way. The greatest player college basketball’s ever seen announced yesterday that he has cancer.
Kareem’s prognosis for his rare form of leukemia is good. Doctors told the 62-year-old legend that he has “a very good chance to live your life out and not have to make any drastic changes to your lifestyle.”
And that’s good news. To echo this post from Bruins Nation, get better big fella.
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Good news for the Arinze Onuakus of the world. Making free throws just got a little easier.
Kind of.
After hundreds of thousands or computer simulations, two engineers at N.C. State figured out the best way shoot those pesky FTs. It sounds like it’ll take more than simply practicing more, and brushing up on some geometry. With practice, they think even the worst shooters could get above 60 percent.
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Perhaps no team captured our attention the last 25 years like the 1990 Runnin’ Rebs. Maybe the Fab Five or a handful of others come close.
But for sheer larger-than-life value, I go with Tark’s team.
Maybe that’s why I got a little tingle reading this story about the Rebels’ reunion.
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Villanova’s dynamite recruiting class is one reason why the Wildcats are a Final Four favorite and favored to win the Big East. Adding two elite guards and a power forward like Mouphtaou Yarou should be enough to offset the losses of guys like Dante Cunningham and Shane Clark to make another NCAA tournament run.
But ‘Nova may have just hit a speed bump. Turns out Yarou may not be eligible to play.
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The list of men’s Division One coaches who’ve reached 800 career victories is a short one.
But the list of coaches who’ve done it faster than Jim Boeheim is even shorter.
Syracuse’s coach reached his “great milestone” Monday with a 75-48 win against Albany. It was the 1,088th game of his career. In 33 seasons, he’s won at least 20 games 31 times.
Few coaches are more consistent winners.
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If one game is any indication, North Carolina’s the team you don’t want to play. And if you have to, do it early.
At least, that's what I'd take away from their opener against Florida International.
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The Big 12 thinks it’s the top conference this season.
With teams like Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma, it’s an easy argument to make. The league has two of the nation’s true title contenders, while the Sooners lead a solid second group that includes Kansas State, Texas A&M, Missouri and Oklahoma State.
But the true mark of a tough conference is at the bottom. And that’s where the Big 12 could step up this season.
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Who’s excited for college basketball’s tip-off? Show of hands!
You’ve got Ohio State vs. Alcorn State, along with North Carolina vs. Florida International at 4 p.m. ET, then Albany at Syracuse (9 p.m. ET) and Murray State at Cal (11 p.m. ET). All four games feature ranked teams, which must mean there’s some buzz about the season, right?
(crickets)
Oh well. I’m excited. As are the other hoopheads. But the average fan – people who’ll fill out a bracket and not much else – probably didn’t even know the season began today.
So how does that problem get solved?
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Memphis is doing its best to make a clean break from John Calipari.
It might sound odd, given that Calipari’s nine years at the school resulted in its most glorious seasons. The Tigers racked up wins like no other school in NCAA history, dominated Conference USA and came this close to an NCAA title in 2008.
But between the offseason double whammy of Calipari’s departure for Kentucky and the NCAA vacating 38 wins and that runner-up finish because of an eligibility mess, a clean break seems smart. And this is as clean as it gets.
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What if I told you the college basketball season could be shorter but still have the same amount of games? Is that something you’d be interested in?
Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski certainly are. With any luck, people will listen. And by people, I mean the NCAA.
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It’s almost here.
Once four games tip off at 7 p.m. ET Monday –North Carolina vs. FIU and Syracuse vs. Albany – the 2009-10 college basketball will officially be under way. We’ve provided previews, All-American teams, players to watch and everything else needed to be ready for the season.
But here are seven more storylines you may have missed.
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There are dedicated college basketball players, and then there’s Kim English.
Missouri’s sophomore guard is taking the “practice makes perfect” cliché to another level by spending all of his free time at the gym. In fact, he rarely makes it home to bed.
It's a habit that the rest of the team is starting to adapt, which may not bode well for opponents.
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Blogging must come easily to Ohio State basketball players.
Last year, Club Trillion, a blog started by three Ohio State bench players – Mark Titus, Kyle Madsen and Danny Peters – became a minor Web sensation thanks to Titus’ funny bits riffing on life on the Buckeye bench.
So what’s life like as an Ohio State starter? Maybe Evan Turner can fill us in.
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The nation’s No. 1 recruit could make Friday the 13th awfully lucky for one school.
Harrison Barnes, a 6-6 swingman from Ames, Iowa, is trying to settle on announcement date where he’ll announce where he’ll play hoops next season. Six schools are in the mix: North Carolina, Duke, Kansas, UCLA, Oklahoma and Iowa State.
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Losing to an NAIA school does have one benefit for Isiah Thomas’s Florida International squad.
Monday can hardly be any worse.
That’s Thomas’ actual coaching debut – Wednesday was an exhibition – and it comes against defending champion North Carolina, replete with McDonald’s All-American and future NBA players. Yes, the Heels lost most of their players and are fine-tuning a new offense. But it’s still UNC. Get ready for a blowout.
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Just last spring Cameron Dollar was touted as one of the country’s top assistants.
So what’s he doing as the head coach of Seattle University? The Redhawks aren’t eligible for the NCAA tournament until 2013 and don’t belong to any conference. They’re still making the transition back to D-I status. Sounds like a thankless, under-the-radar job.
After all, it’s been a long time since Elgin Baylor tore it up at Seattle U. The guy averaged 30 and 20 in two seasons and took Seattle U to the 1958 NCAA tournament title game.
Dollar doesn’t see it that way. He spent the last seven years at Washington recruiting the area’s massive talent base.
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File this one under unlikely, but interesting enough to talk about.
ESPN says it’d be open in bidding for the rights to March Madness if the NCAA opts out of its 11-year, $6 billion contract with CBS this July.
So that’s out there. But it seems unlikely for this reason: Money.
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This is the last of the lists.
Our rundown of the various college basketball preseason topics (top conferences, high fliers, new coaches, etc.) covered all the necessary reading for your needs entering 2009-10. Well, now it does.
And I suppose highlighting the best defenders last should come as no surprise. These guys never get any respect.
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Any day now, Mississippi State could get some really good news. At least, that’s what Renardo Sidney’s lawyer thinks.
The 6-10 forward is one of the nation’s top freshmen, but he’s been in NCAA eligibility limbo because of amateurism issues rising from his family’s two-year stay in the Los Angeles area. Basically, rumors flew that they couldn’t afford that house they were living in, so someone else was paying. The family says it’s hogwash.
After a long investigation into the matter, Sidney’s lawyer says the NCAA will come to the same conclusion and clear Sidney to play.
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The last time North Carolina won an NCAA title and lost most of its players, it needed Tyler Hansbrough to do the yeoman’s work to ensure it remained among the NCAA’s elite.
This time, the Heels are trying something different.
Tar Heel Fan has extensive details from an observer who watched them practice at length a few weeks ago – length being the key word. Unlike the 2005-06 season, UNC is loaded with tall, athletic players. Shooting could be an issue, but rebounding and defense won’t be mostly because of fleet forwards like Ed Davis, Deon Thompson, Tyler Zeller and freshman John Henson.
And Roy Williams is going to put those forwards to use in a revamped offense. The days of dumping the ball into Hansbrough are over. These guys are going to run -- a new offense.
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Anyone who thought Syracuse wouldn’t miss a beat after losing Jonny Flynn, Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris from last season’s 28-10 squad (I’m staring at you, coaches’ poll), was served a nice, cold glass of reality Tuesday.
Le Moyne College 82, Syracuse 79.
It was only an exhibition game, but still. Le Moyne is a D-II school of about 2,800 kids in Syracuse. That’s gonna be a brutal one to for the local TV, paper and radio.
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Whoa. Minnesota déjà vu.
A day after announcing that forward Trevor Mbwake won’t play until his court issues are resolved, Gophers coach Tubby Smith revealed that star freshman Royce White is suspended indefinitely. He faces misdemeanor charges of theft and fifth-degree assault after being accused of shoplifting at the Mall of America.
That leaves Minnesota without its top two newcomers, a pair of skilled, athletic 6-8 forwards who could eventually start for a Top 25 team.
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Some videos need no explanation. Well, very little explanation.
Tim Floyd resigned as USC’s men’s basketball coach last June. Since then, he’s mostly been off the radar, perhaps occasionally speaking to teams when friends asked him.
He’s also breaking up fights at a casino. Yes, breaking up fights at a casino.
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The “what if?” game can torment a fan base, no matter how much their team’s won.
Perhaps that’s the a reason why Hoosier fans should steer clear of the new book “When the Games Was Ours,” by Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.
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It’s amazing how a dunk can change a game.
After all, it’s just two points. Dunks usually aren’t game-winning shots and sometimes require only minimum effort to perform. But sometimes dunks do more than that.
Not all dunks are created equal. Dunks can swing a game’s momentum with one thunderous jam by instantly deflate a defender. Some dunks humiliate, some dunks inspire and the best ones affect the outcomes of game.
And here are five guys who can do just that.
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In case you missed it, Minnesota basketball is relevant again.
Entering his third season, Tubby Smith’s molded his team into something Kentucky fans would recognize – a strong defensive unit that relies on winning low-scoring games because it doesn’t shoot well. Still, the Gophers return all five starters from an NCAA tournament team, which was enough to land in the preseason polls.
In short, the Gophers should be good this season. But they could be a March darkhorse if a few player issues are resolved.
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Al McGuire’s famous phrase – “The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores” – has been part of the college basketball lexicon for so long that it’s essentially accepted without much thought.
Now it requires even less thought ‘cause it’s a fact, courtesy of temnpo-free stats.
And for that, we have the Big Ten Geeks to thank.
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It’s been 25 years since Villanova staged one of the greatest upsets in sports history.
Now, they’re coming off a 30-8 season, a Final Four, have a dynamic freshman class and are picked to win the Big East by the coaches and media.
If they win an NCAA title this season, it’ll be far from an upset.
But it's not going to be a smooth ride, either.
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The hardest working man in college hoops is back.
OK, there are plenty of people out there logging long hours. Andy Katz, Jeff Goodman and Gary Parrish churn out enough copy to rival Proust. Beat guys like Gary Bedore and Jerry Tipton do the same on a local level.
The Bally Club members know who I’m talking about. Sunday marked the return of Kyle Whelliston and the Mid-Majority.
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Sounds like John Beilein is college basketball’s version of Roger Ebert. Michigan’s coach is always watching tape
When he started coaching in 1976, Beilein poured over game tapes, which morphed from Super 8 to Beta and VHS as he advanced through the coaching ranks. By the time he reached West Virginia, his laptop was his own personal movie theater.
Now, there’s not a day that goes by when he’s not showing a Wolverine something on the computer.
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