Tonight... eh-sucks again. Though I have to say I'm intrigued by Rio Grande vs. Marshall. That sounds like a dynamite Western flick. Fortunately, we can talk about the weekend games, so sit down and dig in, hombre.
Don't Miss
#20 Louisville "at" Purdue - 3:30pm, CBS (John R. Wooden Tradition, Indianapolis, Saturday)
Purdue has slapped around some also-rans and lost at Clemson and Mizzou. The Cardinals, on the other hand, set up a nice pile of home games and still managed to lose two (to BYU and Dayton). Most of the pitfalls that we warned against in our preseason look at Pitino's squad are happening - Padgett is hurt again, and the ironically-named Derrick Caracter is showing very little. The Boilermakers spread the points around quite a bit, with a couple of freshmen topping the stat sheet with 11 ppg apiece.
Watch if you Like Movies About Gladiators
Texas Tech at New Mexico - 4pm, Versus (Saturday)
I know I shouldn't highlight this game. It's a 6-3 Tech team vs. an 8-2 group of Lobos. But it's Bobby Knight... in The PIT! If a Centenary Gentleman can get under the General's skin, imagine what he might do with half the population of Albuquerque breathing down his neck. Senior G J.R. Giddens was ridden out of Lawrence on a rail after inciting a knife fight, but he's thrived at UNM, despite a recent drop in his numbers.
Tivo it and Fast Forward to the Good Parts at 3 A.M.
Ohio at #3 Kansas (From Kansas City) - 5pm, ESPN2 (Saturday)
I'm a Jayhawk fan, but I love to see them tested. Our own Marco has described Ohio's Leon Williams as "a beast" in the paint (averaging 16/10). And with the Bobcats having just knocked off Maryland, it's clear that something's gotten into them. No opponent has scored 60 on them since December 2nd. My brain says Kansas' depth wins this, but that's probably what some Maryland fan wrote a few days ago, too.
Also On:
Saturday
Oklahoma State at #9 Pitt - Noon, ESPN
UAB at Kentucky (at Louisville) - 2pm, ESPN2
Arkansas at Oklahoma - 3pm, ESPN2
Xavier at Arizona State - 4pm, FSN
#2 Memphis at Middle Tennessee State (at Nashville) - 7pm, ESPN2
Temple at Drexel - Noon, ESPNU
IPFW at #10 Michigan State - 5:30pm, ESPNU
Southern Illinois at Saint Louis - 7:30pm, ESPNU
#11 Tennessee at Western Kentucky (at Nashville) - 9:30pm, ESPNU
Sunday
#1 North Carolina at Rutgers - 8pm, ESPN
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Hoop Weekend: 12/14-16/2007
STF Conference Reports: Atlantic 10
Hey guys, this is Brett, I’ll be your A10 guy for the year here on STF. Welcome to the best conference report in the world! Ok, maybe not the best, but definitely the fifth best according to the latest RPI ranking. I will be posting every couple of weeks with much take on the conference at hand. Since, it has been a season to remember so far for the A-10, I gather that I will have much to talk about this season. Without further a due, the envelop please…
Team of the Week
Rhode Island Rams
It comes as no surprise to people who actually follow this conference who the best team has been so far and for this past week….The Rhode Island Rams? Really? The Rams are off to a phenomenal 10-1 start, their best start since the 1991-92 season. Capping off wins against nearly ranked Syracuse and Providence has allowed them to not only gain local recognition but national recognition as well. URI received 41 votes in the AP Top 25 poll, while also receiving 23 votes in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 poll. With a fantastic offensive attack, you better watch out when facing the Rams. They might just make you cry in time for the holiday season.
Player of the Week
I guess it’s pretty fitting to go with a guy from the most successful school in the conference so far. It was very close deciding between URI’s Will Daniels and Jimmy Baron but I have to go with Baron. In the two impressive wins last week, he scored 17 and 21 points respectively, while shooting a combined 9-of-18 from downtown. He is now averaging 15.5 PPG while shooting a lights out 45% from downtown. This kid is real feisty, well if he’s not, his dad (the coach of the team) will most likely spank him.
Team with the Worst Week
Saint Joseph's
One might think after a slight scare against Penn State, (yes they still have a basketball team) the St. Joseph’s Hawks would have gotten their act together. Well, they didn’t. The Hawks lost consecutive games against Creighton and Holy Cross this past week. They are now 4-4 on the season. Wasn’t this the team that Storming the Floor picked as the 29th team to watch before the season? Hopefully, they can start salvaging their season with upcoming games against Fairfield and Sienna. If not, Phil Martelli might be ripping out what’s left of his remaining gray hairs.
Games to Watch
Temple @ Drexel 12/15 at 12 p.m. on ESPNU
Hofstra @ Charlotte 12/15/07
Xavier @ Arizona State 12/15
Friday, December 14, 2007
STF Conference Report: The ACC 12/14/07
Auto-Bid Watch: The Surprises
I look at the D1 standings every day. And every day, I see teams with good records that I know nothing about. I'm talking about small schools that are often far away from where I live, so there's no way I can actually watch them and tell you if they're any good. What I can do, and will do, is look at the stats and try to spot something encouraging that might indicate continued success for these teams. Just so's we know who we're talking about come Championship Week.
In no particular order, here are some teams who have caught my eye this month:
Boise State Broncos, 7-3 (WAC) - These guys look scrappy. They lost at Montana State by two, dropped one at home to Loyola Marymount (also by just two points), and battled the top-ten-ranked Washington State Cougars in their first loss of the season, going down by twelve. Three starters average double figures, led by Ricky Bobby, I mean Reggie Larry, a senior Forward who has put up four double-doubles this season, including 16/10 vs. WSU.
Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans, 7-1 (Sun Belt) - Their one loss came to Texas-Arlington, who are also on this list. The Trojans of the Ozarks have taken out some schools from bigger conferences, including Loyola Marymount on the road, and Louisiana Tech and Tulsa at home. They don't have any big scorers, but seem to be defensive-minded. Opponents are averaging a homely 50.5 points per game.
Valparaiso Crusaders, 9-1 (Horizon) - Valpo just jumped from the Mid-Con/Summit to the Horizon this season, a move I felt was good for Valpo and good for the league. But I had no idea they'd be this hot right off the bat. They're already 2-0 in conference, with wins on the road at tough Wright State and at Detroit. Circle December 30 on your calendar as the Crusaders travel to Chapel Hill for a big game with the #1 Tar Heels. 6'9" junior Urule Igbavboa is doing a lot of the dirty work, with 12 ppg and 7 rpg.
Houston Cougars, 9-1 (Conference USA) - Lots of wins, none very impressive. The one loss was to a VCU team that has had trouble finding its way this season, in Puerto Rico. Rob McKiver's 20ppg scoring is a neat trick, and forward Dion Dowdell is putting up a nice 14/8 average as well. Tabled for further consideration.
Texas-Arlington/Sam Houston State, both 8-0 (Southland) - True enigmas, both in the Western division of the Southland. UTA has beat Wichita State on the road, and SHS pulled off a similar feat at St. Louis. Sadly, one will probably trip up before they meet on January 30th, but we can hope for an undefeated battle when the time comes. Mavericks vs. Bearkats - tell me you wouldn't pay to see that?
Cal-Santa Barbara Gauchos, 9-1 (Big West) - Lost at Stanford in early November and haven't looked back since. In a familiar theme, they will be facing North Carolina on December 22nd, so we'll find out more about them then, like what kind of BBQ they prefer. No surprise - they're thin up front. Big guard Alex Harris is their best scorer, but he turns the ball over way too much (seven vs. San Francisco?!?).
Georgia Southern Eagles, 7-1 (SoCon) - Lost at Florida State in their first game, and haven't dropped one since. That includes in-conference wins vs. Furman and Appalachian State. They're facing the defending National Champs in Gainesville this Saturday. Senior F Louis Graham is capable of doubling up on points and boards, but he only runs 6'8" and 220 lbs. Fellow fourth-year Dwayne Foreman is a distributor with some scoring capability.
Holy Cross Crusaders, 7-1 (Patriot) - Have beat Hofstra, Ohio, and St. Joe's and look to cruise into the Patriot from here on out. Only remaining challenge is a flopping Maryland squad. 6'9" forward Alex Vander Baan takes a fair number of three-point shots and makes 50% of them.
Drake Bulldogs, 8-1 (Missouri Valley) - A loss at St. Mary's doesn't look bad at all on this surging Valley upstart. They've also won at Wisconsin-Milwaukee and downed the Big 12's Iowa State at home by a bitch-slapping 35-point margin. They test themselves again, at big-brother Iowa, tonight at 8pm. They have another alliterative Korver brother - in this case Klayton - but the scoring comes from perimeter-threat guards Josh Young and Leonard Houston. Junior Forward Jonathan Cox is a good defensive rebounder, which always helps.
There you go - don't be surprised to hear from these teams come March. Also don't be surprised if some of them blow apart in-conference. Forget about it, Jake. It's college basketball.
STF Conference Report - Big Ten
Well, another week has passed here in this 2007-08 season, and so far the Big Ten is living up to its expectations - which remain just as low as they started. As you'll notice under the "Games to Watch" header, there's not much going on in the world of Big Ten basketball. Consider this the calm before the storm - the storm being the conference schedule, in which these teams will batter and bruise one another until somebody finally staggers to their feet and is proclaimed the champion. Until then, just keep watching with an open frame of mind...
Team of the Week - Michigan State
It wasn't easy, but the Spartans survived their matchup against a tough BYU squad last weekend and held on to their top-25 ranking. MSU got off to a rough start this season, but with Drew Neitzel leading the way and Raymar Morgan quickly becoming a star in the Big Ten, the Spartans should be in for a fairly smooth ride during the conference schedule.
Player of the Week - Geary Claxton, Penn State
This might be the only time this season I can give a positive award to Penn State, so I figured I would take advantage of Claxton's terrific performance against Princeton on Wednesday night. The Nittany Lions' swingman dropped 21 points and 10 rebounds, along with five assists and two steals, in a 61-38 romp of the Tigers. Congrats, Penn State - enjoy the victories while they last.
Team with the Worst Week - Ohio State
It was a win on paper for the Buckeyes in Columbus on Monday night, but definitely not for this team's confidence. The Buckeyes tip-toed their way past Coppin State 47-39 behind Evan Turner and Jamar Butler's TEAM-LEADING 13 points each. Kosta Koufos figured he'd help out a bit and added eight points, while David Lighty felt generous and dropped four of his own. Oh how the Buckeyes have fallen.
Games to Watch - 12/15 Louisville @ Purdue
12/15 Central Michigan @ Michigan (I'm thinking upset)
Sadly, that's about it for this weekend folks...
Breakfast of Champions 12/14: Still Unbeaten
Game of the Night
Miami (FL) 64 Mississippi State 58
For those who were waiting to see the Hurricanes win a tough road game before they considered them legit, here you go. The Canes used a 13-2 run over the final five minutes, holding the Bulldogs without a field goal, to win at Starksville. Jack McClinton, owner of the sweetest shot in college basketball, scored 29 points on five treys for the Canes. With the win, it looks like a good bet that Miami will now be undefeated heading into ACC play.
Other Scores
Ole Miss 76 Winthrop 71
Just like the Canes, the Rebels remain unbeaten and silenced a few doubters in the process. Ole Miss trailed for much of the game, but used a 20-8 to take control of the game in second half. Dwayne Curtis scored 22 for the Rebels, and super freshmen Chris Warren added 10.
Rutgers 65 NJIT 55
The Scarlet Knights win the game and take the cannolis
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Hoop Night 12/13/2007
At this point, I'm starting to understand how 17th-century sailors felt when they entered the doldrums. Not counting the brutal heat or the death from thirst parts. Yesterday we had a puff of wind that moved the sails for a while, but today we must sit and wonder when we'll move again.
Don't Miss
Winthrop at Ole Miss - 8pm, ESPN Full Court
Winthrop is 5-3, but still a dangerous team. Ole Miss is still undefeated at 7-0. The Eagles have lost two previous "statement games" at Baylor and at West Virginia, but beat Georgia Tech at home. Which team shows up tonight? Only a handful of ESPN Full Court subscribers, and the residents of Oxford, will know.
Watch if you Live in Another Part of Mississippi
Miami (FL) at Mississippi State - 8pm, ESPN Full Court
Some pretty good basketball going on in the deep south tonight. Too bad we can't see any of it. The Bulldogs, who got some love from us in the early going, have a chance to fend off the southernmost of the Miamis after losing to the Ohio version 67-60 during Feast Week. We like both teams here at STF, so we'll just root for a good game.
Watch Season 1 of the Sopranos and Check the Box Score in the Morning
Rutgers at N.J.I.T. - 7pm, Fleisher Center
The Scarlet Knights are having a relatively good start to the season, sitting at 6-3 with all three losses coming on the road. Both the home winning streak and the road losing streak are likely to end this week, as Rutgers faces winless NJIT on the road tonight, then hosts lossless #1 North Carolina on Sunday. Tonight, it's the battle of New Jersey. I don't know if there are bragging rights or not.
Side note: the NJIT mascot looks like an angry red-headed lady in a Harry Potter scarf. What's up with that?
STF Conference Reports: The Pac-10 12/13/07
Wow do I hate finals. This is for two reasons, one of which should be obvious, I hate tests. Not a big fan of letting it all ride on one visit to a given classroom. And having just gotten home from bombing my Math final I really could go for some College Hoops, but of course not.
Which brings us to reason #2: there's not a lot going on in Hoops land because these guys have finals as well. All in all, I'd say it's pretty clear we need to lead a revolt against the architects of these tests (otherwise known as our professors/teachers) and the world will be a far better place in the end. Anyhow enough test bashing (as if there could be enough). Let's move on to this week's report, shall we?
Team Of The Week - Arizona. I could go with UCLA here, but I was impressed with Arizona's comeback win at the United Center on Saturday. They looked like a Big Ten team for the majority of the first half. Boring, sparsely athletic, you know the kind. And to top it off Budinger and Bayless were unheard of throughout the first half. Budinger never really showed up until overtime, but once again Bayless took over, despite a knee injury. It was the second time in two weeks that Arizona came back from an early double-digit deficit to win a game. It's great that they're resilient, but eventually the team on the other side isn't going to collapse while Bayless leads his team back.
Player Of The Week - Jordan Hill (Arizona). Hill is generally a complementary player to Bayless, Budinger and McClellan, but not last Saturday. Hill single-handedly kept the 'Cats in the game as the rest of the squad took the first half off. He finished with 23 points and 14 rebounds on 8/12 shooting and 7/9 from the charity stripe. Something you love to see from a big man. If Hill can produce like this consistently and the other guys show up, Arizona could become a contender for the Pac-10 title.
Team With The Worst Week - California. They were the only team to lose a game this week. The loss came at the hands of Kansas State in Manhattan. Which makes it hard to feel like Cal is ready to join the upper echelon of the Pac-10 - a place their talent suggests they belong. But, as I'm sure you remember, a few weeks ago Oregon went into Manhattan and came out with a win (albeit in OT). Oregon, despite their 16th ranking, is in my mind the cutoff for the Pac-10's elite. While the game was tied at half, K-State played about as bad as they have all season and still managed a 7-point win. This is a game Cal should have won. They shot 50% from the field, but thanks to 21 they left Manhattan with a loss and showed us all they're not ready for prime time just yet. They can't handle tough defense. Something they'll be seeing a lot of as we head into conference season.
Games To Watch -
12/15 (17) Xavier @ Arizona State
12/15 (16) Oregon @ Nebraska
12/19 (21) Arizona @ UNLV
12/19 Santa Clara @ Stanford
Not a whole lot to speak of this week either, but I'd imagine Stanford-Santa Clara will be a good one. And Arizona's in for another tough test heading to Vegas. Xavier should wax ASU, but I threw it up there because it's a chance for ASU to prove they're not the worst team out West anymore. As for Oregon-Nebraska? The Huskers are undefeated at home, but haven't played anyone. We'll see if that home cookin' can help them spring an upset of the Ducks.
Greivis Vasquez: Wizard With The Razor
Ivory, The Big Time Prospect
This was sent to us from my buddy Shawn at Drexel - it's Anthony Ivory's scouting report from Scouts.com. And it may come as surprise to you, but Big Ant was a three-star recruit in his heyday....
Huge presence inside. Did some damage against Terrence Roberts at the 2002 Weber Fall Invitational. Get him the rock on the blocks and he’s efficient. Will always need to shed some pounds, but he gets things done. Injured to begin his junior season. High-major prospect is more skilled and a better basketball player than “Big Jelly” coming out of high school.
So wait...who is this Big Jelly they speak of?? Is there another Ivory-like player roaming the college basketball landscape that we don't know about? The investigation has already begun...
STF Conference Reports: The CAA
To say it has been an "uneven" nonconference season for the CAA is like saying you love rainy days. There are high points to both (VCU over Maryland, George Mason over Kansas State) but in the end there are significant downsides (VMI over JMU, Winston Salem State over Georgia State, East Carolina over Mason). But what are you going to do?
Egg nog.
TEAM OF THE WEEK
VCU: The "honor" goes to the Rams if only because they were the only team in the conference to (1) win all the games they played; AND (2) look consistently good in doing so. Eric Maynor (see below) is cranking up the engine, and the VCU freshmen seem to be settling into their roles. The result was two fairly easy victories, 71-57 over William & Mary in their conference opener and 65-45 over Richmond. UNCW gets the silver medal. The Seahawks played well but lost at Missouri State and then overwhelmed Coastal Carolina 80-66. ODU is listed as "others receiving votes" for its expected annihilation of UMES.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Eric Maynor, VCU - You know, I keep talking about Junior Hairston at Towson. The College of Cremins transfer pulled down 21 rebounds...again. Only David Robinson has two same-season 20+ rebound games in the history of the CAA. I'm also a big fan of UNCWs freshman point guard Chad Tomko, who finished the 1-1 week with 11 assists and two turnovers. Then there's Antoine Agudio of Hofstra, who is leading the country in scoring. But Maynor has to get the nod here. Maynor was outstnading against William & Mary, with 15 points, nine assists, and one turnover. And then against Richmond Maynor scored 25 points, including a personal 14-1 run to stake VCU to a big lead.
TEAM WITH THE WORST WEEK
If you judge based on practice and take a player's perspective, George Mason is the choice. A bad loss to East Carolina, a lackluster victory over Hampton, and getting drilled by Kent State (when you play very little defense) has a way of angering a coach. I've seen some drills at practices that are brutal. I'm sure Jim Larranaga had the Patriots doing the difficult version of those drills. However Georgia State had the worst week in terms of game performance. The Panthers played inspired in a close loss to Georgia Tech, and followed that step forward with a lackluster effort in a loss to 1-5 Winston Salem State. You read that right...Winston Salem State.
GAMES TO WATCH
12/15: Drexel vs. Temple (A Big Five..er...Big Six Matchup)
12/15: Charlotte at Hofstra (Though there are no "must-win" games until March, this qualifies as a "boy-wouldn't-it-be-nice-to-win" game.)
12/16: Virginia Tech at Old Dominion (The only team Blaine Taylor missed scheduling this year was the 1972 UCLA Bruins.)
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Breakfast of Champions 12/13: Finals Week Upsets
Game of the Night
Ohio 61 Maryland 55
Having watched the Bobcats play live, as well as seeing the Terps play BC last week, I should have seen this coming from a mile awhile (Also should have called Bodog). This wasn't really as surprising as it looks at first glance. The Bobcats can score with the best of them, and have a hugely underrated pro prospect in Leon Williams. One of the quickest men in the post that I've seen in a long, long time. Williams had 15 points and 15 boards, while Jerome Tillamn scored 20 and the Bobcats held off the Terps 61-55 form the Comcast Center. Ohio led throughout, but Maryland would make it a game late, cutting a 17 deficit down to 58-55 with :50 seconds left. This is already the Terps fourth loss of the early season, as they continue to look for someone to be the leader of this team.
Xavier 64 Cincinnati 59
Man, this one ugly game to watch. Neither team shot over 40% from the field and both teams missed close to four thousa]lay-ups.Give the oft-criticized Bearcats some in this one. They used a tough zone defense to stymie Xavier, keeping this mis-match close throughout. Still wasn't enough, as four Musketeers would score in double figures for the ugly win over their crosstown rivals.
Vanderbilt 91 DePaul 85 OT
For awhile, it looked as if the "Curse of the Hype Backlash" was going to strike for the second consecutive night. First, Patty Mills was shut down by SIU, and then it looked as if DePaul was cruising to an upset of Vandy, just as we got done patting AJ Ogilvy's back. The Blue Demons lead this one 58-40 in the second half, but the Commodores rallied and won this won in overtime. Both Shan Foster and Ogivly struggled offensively in the first half, but turned it on late for the comeback win.
Mid-Major Game of the Evening
Stony Brook 77 Hofstra 74
We'll call this "STF Revenge Game". Just as CCSU was able to pull off a minor upset after we made fun of them, Stony Brook pulls off a huge upset of CAA front-runner Hofstra after we ripped them for playing in possibly the worst game of the season against NJIT. Shows what the hell we know.
Other Scores
UMass 83 Boston College 80
New Orleans 67 Colorado 65
Wisconsin 61 Wisconsin- Milwaukee 39
Pacific 71 Santa Clara 65
The Links
Miami could be going without two starters in their big game against Mississippi State tonight (Eye on the U)
In case you haven't noticed, it's going to be a long season for the Highlanders of N.J.I.T. OMDQ found some interesting facts to ease the pain (One More Dying Quail)
BP revisits their preseason picks. God, I don't even want to look at mine (Basketball Prospectus)
In case you were wondering, it's also finals time for college basketball fans. Test your hoop knowledge with Bally (Mid-Majority)
5 trips that every college basketball fan must take (Mike DeCourcy - Sporting News)
The Indiana insiders at Cobra Brigade are reporting that Kelvin Sampson is about to be fired. (The Cobra Brigade)
Hoop Night: 12/12/2007
Now this is more like it! Apparently not everyone has to study all week.
Don't Miss
Cincinnati at #17 Xavier - 7pm, ESPN2
If you have to go anywhere in the Cincinnati area tonight, may I suggest you reschedule? Crosstown traffic will be a bear (mixed with a cat) tonight, as the slumping Cincy team buses themselves over into Musketeer territory. This is one of those intense rivalry games that makes college basketball so great - seriously, don't miss it.
Watch if you'd really like to Check Out the Vanderbilt Commodores
#21 Vanderbilt at DePaul - 8pm, ESPN Classic
I wrote about Vandy yesterday, and got beat to it by ESPN.com again (they have a slight edge in resources), but this team deserves the hype. Look for some sweet inside/outside game from Andrew Ogilvy and Shan Foster for the Commodores, and some outside/outside action from DePaul - they're hitting 40% from behind the arc. Blue Demon center Mac Koshwal was just 2 of 7 inside vs. Kansas last weekend, so this will be another stiff test.
Tivo it and Watch Good Will Hunting
UMass at Boston College - 9pm, ESPNU
Another Beantown Brawl to delight the senses. ESPN's Joe Lunardi puts the Minutemen in the at-large conversation after their win at Syracuse, as they have helped raise the overall level of play in the Atlantic 10 this season. BC also has some good early-season wins: vs. Rhode Island at home, and at Michigan and Maryland. The Eagles lean heavily on playmaking guard Tyrese Rice (20.9ppg and 6.3apg), but UMass has a nice all-around threat in 6'7" Gary Forbes.
Also On:
Princeton at Penn State - 7pm, ESPNU
We were patient through the first couple of days of finals week, and we have been rewarded. Do like I do - write your final papers with one eye on the TV screen. "Bartleby the Scrivener represents an enduring archetype in American literature: the slow-footed center with soft hands and a suspect jumpshot". Damn, here comes another C-minus.
STF Conference Reports: MAC
Hi, I'm GMoney, you may remember me from such blogs as The Money Shot and Mid America Nattering. I'm a die-hard college basketball fan from Columbus, OH that absolutely hates Thad Matta, his Buckeyes, and the mediocrity known as The Big Ten. Thus, my attention is on the “other” conference in Ohio…The Mid-American Conference. I am a Miami University alumnus and have been following the MAC for over a decade now.
Over the next few months, I will be checking in periodically to give you the dirt on the once great, yet still proud, mid-major conference. The MAC has, unfortunately, turned into a one bid league over the past 5 years and given way to the CAA, Valley, etc. as the strongest mid-major conference. But things are going to change this year. There are a handful of teams that could win twenty games with Miami, Toledo, Kent St., Akron, and Ohio U all bringing back very solid teams. And you’ve got to respect a conference in which 8 of the 12 head coaches are African-American. But enough of my overview, I could drop facts on you for weeks anyway, let’s get to the good stuff.
For my first post, I'm going to steal the format of Brandon’s Big West rundown by giving you the Team of the First Month, Player of the First Month and Team With the Worst First Month plus Games To Watch over the next two weeks.
Team of the First Month: Kent State
The Golden Flashes were picked to win the MAC East by the media and they have lived up to the billing by going 7-2 in the first month. No surprise there as the schedule has been a bit soft. But with wins over St. Louis, UNC Greensboro, and George Mason, Kent looks to be for real yet again. There is no shame in losing to Xavier (whose one loss came to my alma mater!). The Flashes are led by MAC East preseason first teamer, Forward Mike Scott, who leads the deep team in scoring with a little less than 14 points/game. It’s the little things that Scott does though. He’s after every loose ball, he hits clutch shots, and he plays great defense.
Honorable Mention: Miami University - With wins over Xavier and Mississippi State, the Redhawks have the best resume thus far. They have lost 3 games (Southern Cal, Louisville, and Dayton) by a combined 8 points. Now THAT is how you schedule as a mid-major!
Player of the First Month: Michael Bramos (Miami University)
This has been the Junior Forward’s coming out party. He has been hands down the best player of the first month of the season in the MAC. Now, I will admit, I am a little biased, but the kid has been fantastic. Bramos is averaging 20.4 ppg and 4.9 rpg. His FT% is an astounding 84% while knocking down 43% from beyond the arch. His signature game came in the heartbreaking loss to Dayton in which he himself outscored the Flyers 25-18 in the first half. Keep an eye on this kid, he’s approaching “Wally Szczerbiak” status in Oxford.
Honorable Mention: Ohio U “Hoss” Center, Leon Williams.
Team With the Worst First Month: Toledo
The Rockets won the regular season championship last season yet did not get a sniff as an at-large team. Seeing that, coach Stan Joplin scheduled his toughest slate yet. Currently, the Rockets are #1 in the nation in Strength of Schedule (Vandy, Rhode Island, Dayton, ODU, and Pitt). But the 2-7 record looks horrific. This team is too talented to be 2-7. Joplin has to get this turned around quickly or his young team could lose a lot of confidence.
Games To Watch:
With finals this week there isn't a ton of action on tap for the MAC. Here’s a list of some big games with potential for some big upsets coming up over the next few weeks. With Miami being the only team with above average wins, the conference needs to step up badly if they want two teams in the Dance come March.
12/12 - Ohio @ Maryland
12/15 - Ohio @ Kansas
12/18 - Southern Illinois @ Western Michigan
12/20 - Miami University @ Illinois
12/22 - Miami University @ Kansas
1/2 - Akron @ Dayton
1/2 - Kent State @ North Carolina
Remember My Name: Bad Things Happen to Good Players
Each week we look at top performers in college basketball from the conferences and teams that get little national media coverage. Today we visit the CAA, the Ohio Valley, and the Big South.
First, our new scoring king:
Antoine Agudio, 6'3" Senior guard, Hofstra: I won't lie, Agudio's scoring (over 27 per) is coming at the expense of his overall game. In his first three years with the Pride, AA's scoring averages were more like those of an earthling - last year he topped out at 19.9 ppg, but balanced his numbers with more assists and fewer turnovers. With his team floundering at 1-4, and most of his talented mates gone, the senior might be pressing a bit. Hidden statistic: Agudio's free throw percentage has gone up from 69% last year to 81% this year, so some of those extra points are coming from the line, which is nice in this charitable time of the year.
DeAndre Bray, 5'6" Junior guard, Jacksonville State: Davidson's Jason Richards is the king of the assist category, but Bray runs a very respectable second with 8 per game. The difference is that Richards is 6'2" and passes to Stephen Curry, whereas Bray can be carried to the games in a suitcase and passes to... really any teammate who comes into his field of vision. The Gamecocks have ten players averaging over 6ppg, and the top two scorers are averaging a modest 10 per. Jax State is 2-7, and seems to find every way possible to lose (41-34 at Samford, then 90-81 two days later at Tennessee-Martin), but you can't blame that on DeAndre. He's doing his job - passing to his teammates - it just seems the recipients of his largesse don't exactly know what to do with the gifts they've been given.
Kenny George, 7'6" Junior center, UNC-Asheville: According to some media reports, the Chicago native may be even taller than his listed height. I'm thinking of lobbying to have his name changed to Kenny Gheorghe, but I don't think the guardians of Gheorghe-ness will go for it. Kenny G leads the NCAA in blocks, with 6.5 per game, but don't dare think that's all he's good for. The big man also nets 12.3 ppg for the Bulldogs and is hitting from the floor and the line at a nearly identical 75% clip, and he adds 8 boards per contest. Asheville is currently 6-2, but KG has not played in the last two games. I can't find out why - apparently the UNCA webpage hasn't been updated since the team schedule was announced on August 28th. If I had to guess, I'd assume a recurrence of injuries that have dogged the overworked knee joints of the big man.
So there you have it - probably the shortest player in Division 1, followed by the tallest. If anyone knows what's up with my man Kenny, please enlighten me in the comment field.
STF Conference Reports: Big XII 12/12/2007
I may have waited too long to write this one. I wrote the first B12 report on the final day of November, and felt it would be redundant to do another one on Dec 5th. So now a lot of stuff has happened, making my choices of awardees harder. But that's why they pay me the big bucks.
The Big 12/Pac 10 Hardwood Series was the big story of the week, and it was pretty much a wash. Oklahoma lost to USC and Kansas won at the Galen Center. Kansas State lost a nail-biter to Oregon in OT. Nebraska, Oklahoma State, and Iowa State Surprised. Colorado didn't. Texas Tech didn't play in the series at all. Isn't that just so Bob Knight?
At Kansas, former starter Sasha Kaun came off the bench to score 15 points in as many minutes. So wait, does that mean he proved he should start, or that he's better in a limited role? I can never figure that out. The Red Raiders lost to the freaking Centenary Gentlemen, and still didn't get my vote for worst team of the week. But it was close. So let's do this.
Team of the Week
Gotta go with Texas again. Knocking off UCLA in their own building is about as big-time as it gets. DJ Augustin is a reliable scorer and he gets the ball to his teammates, with 7 apg. The Longhorns are definitely a more balanced team this year, with all five starters averaging double figures. The worst thing I can say about them is that there's a severe drop-off after that. But a short bench is working for them right now, so what do I know?
Player of the Week
I'm going for the changeup here. I'm picking Nebraska's Aleks Maric. I admire his consistency. He's playing on a middle-of-the-pack Big 12 team, but he's hanging tough. Here's what he's done since the last B12 report: 14/8 vs Arizona State, 17/13 at W. Kentucky, and 19/8 in a win over Rutgers. The Sydney, Australia, native charged up his already excellent rebounding totals in the only game the Huskers lost this week. That's what I call senior leadership. If he can get his team on the same page, they could surprise.
Worst Week
Oklahoma. The Centenary loss by Tech gave them a run for their money, but at least that was on the road. The Sooners let Stephen F. Austin beat them in the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman. Back in my day, Billy Tubbs' forehead would have split open, bathing the court in a deadly and sulpherous demon light before such an event could occur. OU let a guy named Gerald Fonzie score 10 points. The guy had just put up a goose-egg at home vs. the Southern Jaguars.
Fonzie!!! Yikes.
Games to Watch
Oklahoma State at #9 Pitt - noon Saturday, ESPN
#17 Oregon at Nebraska - 2pm Saturday, regional TV
Arkansas at Oklahoma - 3pm Saturday, ESPN2
Ohio at #3 Kansas - 5pm Saturday, ESPN2
Lots of chances for underdogs to prove their merit and make a statement this week. We'll look at how it pans out next Wednesday.
Breakfast of Champions 12/12: Salukis Silence Gaels
Game of the Night
Southern Illinois 71 Saint Mary's 56
Looks like the attempt to get Patty Mills' name into the mainstream reached Carbondale, as the Salukis sure seemed prepared for the stud freshmen. SIU shut down Mills, holding him to just 11 points, hitting just three field goals, as well as the rest of high-powered Gaels offense for a 71-56 win. Bryan Mullins had 24 for SIU, who snapped a three game skid by finally making some freakin shots. The Salukis shot 42% against the Gaels, after shooting close to 33% in the three losses.
Other Scores
Bradley 72 Wright State 65 OT
Two of the most underrated mid-majors played a good one in Dayton. BU's Andrew Warren stepped up big, scoring 23 points as Wright State was able to shut down BU's big gun Daniel Ruffin for much of the night. The Bradley win eases a bit of the pain form last week's missed opportunity against Michigan State. WSU misses golden opportunity to capitalize off Butler upset
Central Connecticut State 58 UMBC 54
Pure karma for Extra P making fun of the center of Connecticut.
The Links
Interesting take on why Duke is so hated (The Blue Zone)
On Clemson's less than challenging early schedule (Vegas Watch)
UNC tailback Greg Little is walking on to the hoops team (ACC Now)
More love for Vandy's big Aussie (Chris Low, ESPN)
Huggins is finally at home in West Virginia (Dan Wetzel, Yahoo!)
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Hoop Dreams: 12/11/2007
Hoop Night is your daily look at nationally-televised NCAA hoops action. Since everyone is either studying for finals or delivering pizza to people who are studying for finals, we'll just look at the games that are being played and daydream about which ones would look good on TV.
Miss (Because It's Not on TV)
#24 Saint Mary's at Southern Illinois - 8:05pm, SIU Arena
This would have been a great television game. Last year's mid-major power vs. this year's mid-major power. West Coast vs. No Coast. But alas, it is not to be. If you live in Carbondale, I highly recommend dropping by. Or listening on the radio. People used to do that, you know.
Watch if you have Teleport Capability
Bradley at Wright State - 7pm, Ervin J. Nutter Center
I'd seriously love to be in the Nutter tonight. Bradley and Wright State are always the forgotten siblings in their respective conferences (behind SIU and Butler, respectively), but they can ball like nobody's business. Wright handed Butler their first loss of the season this year just like they did last year, and Bradley was within a hair of beating Michigan State last week. Great game.
Tivo Shrek the Halls and Read the Box Score in the Morning
UMBC at Central Connecticut - 7pm, William H. Detrick Gymnasium
We have kind of an irrational love for the Retrievers here at STF. They're 7-2, losing at Lafayette and at Wichita State, and generally doing everything one could ask an America East also-ran to do. We generally have no desire to go anywhere near the central area of the state of Connecticut, however.
I thought the first week of the season was rough. But this is much worse.
Big East Conference Report - 12.11.07
'Ello, round-ball heads. Time for another look at the wacky, zany, and generally extremely predictable Big East through December 11th (Rider Strong's birthday, if you haven't checked out Wikipedia yet today).
Team of the Week
I went with Pittsburgh here last week, and the inclination is to go with Pittsburgh again after that thrilling, video-tape-review win over a middling Washington Huskies squad. However, with the exception of awkwardly bedding fat girls in the 23 to 25 range, I don't do anything twice in the span of a week. As such, we've got to give the nod to Villanova, 18th ranked at 7-1. They just blew up Temple, 101-93, in one of those epic Philly collisons that you have to live in the city, or do copious amounts of blow, to truly understand. Scottie Reynolds is cracking jokes and establishing a good rapport with his band leader; in sum, it's his show, and if Jay Wright(er) is striking, he doesn't care. I should be forced to watch an entire season of "Veronica's Closet" with my eyes taped open for that last series of jokes.
Marquette also gets a nod here, for ending Wisco's impressive home winning streak. I used to be a big Badgers guy because my ex-girlfriend's dad is from Appleton (where Brian Butch trolled in high school), and went to Madison back in the day. I'm tired of protecting those that hurt me, though. While I like Bo Ryan and his ability to do the Soulja Boy for a middle-aged white man is distinctly impressive, I'm more down with Dominic James, Tom "I look like I could be in Dilbert" Crean, and the Marquette clan. They will make some noise in the Big East this year despite a better backcourt than front court.
Player of the Week
Remember the last time the 'Cuse had a frosh from Baltimore doing dastardly things with the rawhide? In case you don't, he's currently in the NBA, playing on the most dysfunctional-cum-possibly-talented-at-least-if-we're-just-looking-at-the-starting-five squad in the league. As a side note I know you're anxious to hear, when Georgetown (my alma mater) beat 'Cuse in 'Melo's frosh year, we stormed the court, and my friend Nick and I brushed right past 'Melo. I contemplated giving him a little "People's Elbow" action, but the problem with logic like that is, then movies like "Stop Snitching" come out and you realize the paper-thin line between your arse in a casket and storming the MCI Center floor.
Regardless, 'Cuse has a new fan of "The Wire," Ray Lewis, and Aubrey Huff's radio show antics - Donte Green. He's a SIX FOOT NINE, TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE POUND (did you hear the Gus come out in me right there? I can't control it. It's like how it must be for The Incredible Hulk) specimen, and he's climbed his way up to the No. 2 scorer in the Big East for the always-dangerous Orange. This past week, he hung 20 and 10 boards on a good UVA team.
Team with the Worst Week
I just moved back to New York, my city of origin (although you wouldn't know it from the way I act, which I pride on being more Idaho). The best part about this is that I can hit up obscure East Village watering holes for Georgetown game watches, and gawk at all the I-Bankers and assorted d-bags who I used to go to school with - and who now make a lot more money than me, and are attached to far more attractive women. Jesus. That was a real eye-opener. The point is, I was once terribly excited for this Georgetown vs. Louisville game on February 9th, figuring it would be a fierce Big East battle. That was before Louisville lost Padgett, then dropped games to BYU (an emerging squad, yes, but not a team that should necessarily be beating Louisville) and then Dayton.
Whenever a team loses to Dayton, I think of that movie "Radio Flyer." That was arguably the 8th worst film ever made, behind all the "Problem Child" movies and anything showcasing Shelley Long. Louisville should get swallowed by Georgetown, because who can/will guard Hibbert? You have to have faith in any team guided by Pitino, and I'm sure the Cardinals will make the Dance, but this is hardly the beginning they expected.
To Watch
'Tis a slow week, as the boss men of this site have already noted. Here's some halfway decent stuff:
Saturday, 12/15 - Pittsburgh vs. Oklahoma State.
Sunday, 12/16 - UConn vs. Quinnipiac. I smell upset.
Generally Irrelevant Family Guy Quote of the Week
Quagmire (with a trashy girl on his arm): Hang around little guy, I'll be back later (he winks).
Stewie: Oh very well. I suppose I'll go and pump the chemical toilet. (Eyes the trashy girl.) Apparently, you're about to do the same.
This is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, how fans of WVU must feel. First, their team utterly - well - 'pumps the chemical toilet' - in The Backyard Brawl, football-style. Their gift? Running into Bob Stoops and company in a generally meaningless bowl game that will be further soiled by Kenny Albert on commentary. Now, the basketball team is 7-1, with their only loss to a good Tennessee squad, and they aren't even getting any love from the national pollsters yet. Meanwhile, the schedule only gets tougher, and we're sure Huggs is thisclose to discovering "the shine" in Morgantown, if ya catch our drift. No love for WVU anywhere. It's all about pumping the chemical toilet.
Player We Wish Would Come Back to the Big East
Terry Dehere. Here's a list of the three sweetest things in modern history: Celebrity Movie Archive.Com, the films of Judd Apatow, and Terry Dehere's 18-foot jumper. This kid was poetry in motion, before it was fashionable to refer to athletes and reference iambic pentameter. If only the 1989 title game had gone differently - we wouldn't view Steve Fisher as competent, we'd be more pissed at Latrell for what he did to PJ, and Eddie Griffin's legacy would be even more tainted as a player that set back a former national championship program. What this means for Ty Shine, Louis Orr, and the entire populace of "The Oranges" in New Jersey, we have no idea. We never said we were smart; we just claimed to appreciate beauty. And Terry Dehere, mid-air, ball cocked and ready to release and rotate and splash, now that was even more beautiful than Facebook friending Erin Drewes (a.k.a. "The Tebow Girl").
STF Top 25+ 10: Week 4
Each week, we'll give you the STF Top 25 (submitted weekly to the College Basketball Blogpoll) as well as another Top 10 from around the world of college basketball.
(Poll is submitted on Tuesday).
STF Top 25
1. North Carolina (1)
2. Texas (2)
3. Memphis (3)
4. Kansas (4)
5. Duke (5)
6. Washington State (7)
7. Georgetown (9)
8. UCLA (6)
9. Marquette (14)
10. Clemson (10)
11. Texas A&M (15)
12. Michigan State (17)
13. Butler (8)
14. Oregon (16)
15. Indiana (18)
16. Miami (FL) (12)
17. Pitt (21)
18. Tennessee (19)
19. Xavier (20)
20. Vanderbilt (NR)
21. Saint Mary's (23)
22. Rhode Island (NR)
23. Villanova (22)
24. Gonzaga (11)
25. Dayton (NR)
Close: Louisville, Ole Miss, Arizona, Charlotte, Arkansas
The +10
Top Ten Freshmen Performers From the Early Season
1. Michael Beasley (Kansas State) - 25 ppg, 14 rpg
2. Eric Gordon (Indiana) - 23.4 ppg
3. Kevin Love (UCLA) - 16.7 ppg, 10.1 rpg
4. AJ Ogilvy (Vanderbilt) - 19.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg
5. OJ Mayo (USC) - 20.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg
6. Patty Mills (Saint Mary's) - 16.1 ppg, 4.4 apg
7. Donte Green (Syracuse) - 18.2 ppg, 8.6 rpg
8. Derrick Rose (Memphis) - 15.9 ppg, 4.3 apg
9. JJ Hickson (NC State) - 18.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg
10. Kyle Singler (Duke) - 13.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg
Close:
Chris Warren (Ole Miss) - 15.3 ppg, 6.0 apg
Jonny Flynn (Syracuse) - 14.6 ppg, 62. apg
Chris Wright (Dayton) - 13.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg
Kosta Koufos (Ohio State) - 15.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg
Davon Jefferson (USC) - 14.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg
Checking Out the Vanderbilt Commodores
They've got a Machine Gun or two, scoring is Easy, and their defense is a Brick House. That's right, it's the Commodores.
Back in October, I tagged Vanderbilt as the #2 team in the SEC behind Tennessee. Even I will concede that it sounded like a reach, what with Kentucky and Florida in the conference, and Derrick Byars moving on to the NBA. But looking back, I feel dumber about putting the Vols on top than I do putting Vandy #2. They currently sit on a sterling 9-0 record, having beat decent teams such as Bradley, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, and Valpo.
My prediction of success for the Commodores was predicated in large part on the fact that they had suffered less turmoil than the rest of the SEC elite, and that they had experience returning. Kevin Stallings (a dead ringer for the Providence Friar) is still helming the ship with a steady hand, and senior wing players Shan Foster (20.4 ppg, 54% from three) and Alex Gordon (10 ppg, 3.7 apg) are carrying out the game plan to perfection.
The surprise element has been 6'10", 250-lb. Australian Andrew Ogilvy. A graduate of the elite Australian Institute of Sport, Ogilvy was expected to be good in his freshman campaign, but I don't think anyone saw this coming. The big man is averaging 19.6 ppg and snatching nearly 7 boards per contest. In addition, he's good for a block or two per game on the defensive end, along with countless altered shots. He hasn't fouled out once this season. He's been so good that Vandy has been able to survive without two other big men, senior Davis Nwankwo (heart condition) and freshman Festus Ezeli (redshirt).
Vanderbilt has made back-to-back trips to the Sweet 16, and yet many still sleep on their potential year after year. The program has often suffered under the weight of the school's rigorous academic requirements, but many forget that Stallings comes from the Roy Williams coaching tree, and Williams has always found a way to recruit brains and talent, a skill that Stallings has obviously mastered as well.
The Commodores are in Chicago to play DePaul on Wednesday (ESPN Classic, 8:30pm), they they stay home until a road date at Kentucky exactly one month later. They could very well still be undefeated going into that game, which will be nationally televised by CBS.
Chart a course for adventure, Commodore faithful. We'll see you in the Sweet 16. Again.
Welcome To The Worst Week On The College Basketball Calender
Welcome to college basketball's dead week.
The shortage of college basketball games comes from the dreaded "Finals Week" at most colleges around the country. I think it's funny how many people forget these players are still "student athletes" and need to take exams to pass (that is, unless your taking a class taught by Jim Harrick or Clem Haskins) . Because of exams, nearly every college basketball team will be taking some sort of extended break during the week, producing the single worst week of the college basketball season.
This dead week was kicked off last evening by probably the single worst day on the college basketball calender. Of the eight games tipped off last evening....
- Three games included Non-Division I schools, including Newport News Apprentice and Nova Southeastern.
- The "highlight" of the evening was a 47-39 Ohio State victory over Coppin State. That sounds like it may have been even worse than the Saints-Falcons game.
- One game featured now 2-7 Stony Brook topping 0-12 New Jersey Tech
- Zero games were on national television (Big Ten Network doesn't count).
So yeah, it's going to be a long week. The rest of the week won't be nearly as bad as Monday, saved by Saint Mary's at SIU (Tuesday), UMass at BC (Wed) and Miami (FL) at Miss State (Thurs), but still a rough week for hoops.
It's probably for the best, even for serious college basketball fans. If you are in college, stop reading this and get back to studying/taking Adderall. You need to pass these finals if you want to spend next semester getting wasted and rooting for your team in March. If you are out of college and have a family....sounds like a Christmas shopping week to me! Whatever the case, we'll still be here at STF, even if it means a full post on Florida Gulf Coast vs Army by Friday.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Noop NOT: 11/10/2007
NHL: Boston at Buffalo - Versus, 7pm
Arizona Fans Must Love the Yoko Ono of College Basketball
Nothing new from the Lute Olson divorce proceedings, but a nice little Photoshop action from Extra P, as Yoko Ono firmly has Lute Olson in her sight. Frightening, I know. Christine Toretti (whom Olson will be divorcing) is officially going to be known as the Yoko Ono of college basketball. Zona fans may/will never forgive the east coast oil tycoon for tearing the most legendary west coast hoops coach outside of John Wooden away from the program that he created. Imagine if the Cats lost that game to Illinois the weekend? Stay tuned for a very interesting season in the desert?
PS: Anyone know any good Arizona basketball blogs? Been searching for some fans reactions with no luck. If you know of one, send it to stormingthefloor@gmail.com
Monday Madness: All Hail The A10
Welcome to STF's Monday Madness, all that you need to know about the week that was in college basketball.
Super Awesome Team of the Week
A 10 Trio: Rhode Island, Dayton, Charlotte
While the early part of this season has focused on the floundering of certain conferences (Big Ten), here is one conference that has stepped up to the plate with some highly impressive non-conferences wins. Already ranked 5th in conference RPI, the Atlantic 10’s credibility will only rise as three of the conference’s supposed middle class had themselves an outstanding week. Rhode Island, Dayton and Charlotte were all expected to finish somewhere in the middle of the bloated A10, behind Xavier and Saint Joseph’s. But if this past week is any indication, there might be a crowd at the top of the A10 this year.
Lets start with the Rhode Island Rams, who were picked to finish in the upper-third of the A10 after returning super shooting guards Will Daniels and Jimmy Baron from last year’s surprising squad that finished second in the A10. While the Rams came into the season with expectations, no one really expected this kind of start. The Rams became the first team to 10 wins this season after wins against Big East powers Providence and Syracuse, the latter coming at the Carrier Dome. The Rams play a quick, uptempo style and score in bunches (81 ppg). With the RPI already at 19, a top3 finish in the A10 could give the Rams an at-large bid come March.
Dayton is coming off an impressive upset at Freedom Hall over a then Top 10 Louisville squad. Before that win caught the national media’s eyes, the Flyers also beat possible tournament teams in Miami (OH), Holy Cross, and High Point. The Flyers are all about do-everything guard Brian Roberts, who is averaging 20 ppg in the early part of the season and had his way with the Louisville defense on Saturday.
Finally, the Charlotte 49ers, possibly the most underrated team in America. Honestly, we were even overlooking the 49ers, until reader Matt pointed out what kind of season the 49ers were having. In just this past week, the 49ers have toppled the mid-major darlings known as Southern Illinois and Davidson. Those wins help make early season losses to Georgia Tech and Monmouth look like an aberration.
Close: Washington State (Statement Victory at Gonzaga), Michigan State (gut check wins at Bradley and BYU), Boston College (open ACC play with win at Maryland).
Bad, Bad Week
Davidson
Whelliston talked about this on ESPN last week, but it’s looks like the Wildcats may have outscheduled themselves from an at-large bid. The losses to Duke and UNC are on thing, but losing to Charlotte and blowing at 18 point lead to UCLA may have been the final nail in the at-large coffin. I have no doubt that Davidson has the talent to be player in the NCAA Tournament, but it’s looking more likely that they will have make it by winning the SoCon.
Close: Saint Joseph’s (The opposite of the rest of the A10, lost to Holy Cross and Creighton), NCState (Lost to a suddenly frisky East Carolina team, what idiot would have ranked them #12 in preseason? This gu) Cincinnati (may officially be the worst team in college basketball), Wake Forest (tough losses to Georgia, Vandy), Oklahoma (at-large killing loss to SFA)
Upset of the Week
Stephan F Austin 66 Oklahoma 62
Outside of the A10, the surprise mid-major conference of the early season might be the Southland. Sam Houston State is 8-0 with an RPI of 3 and BBState ranking of 3, Texas-Arlington is 7-0 with an RPI of 15 and Stephan F Austin is 7-1 with the win at Oklahoma. They also all have some pretty sweet nicknames, as SHS is the BearKats, TA is known as the Mavericks and SFA goes by the Lumberjacks.
Close: Illinois State 62 Cincinnati 52, Drake 79 Iowa State 44, Morgan State 93 LaSalle 87, East Carolina 75 NC State 69
Coach Who May Be Burned at The Stake By His Fanbase
Billy Gillespie, Kentucky
So, we hear that contract is still unsigned……The Wildcats have looked uncompetitive against both North Carolina and Indiana and Turncoat Gillespie (as he’s known in Texas) may be realizing he’s got more work ahead of him in Lexington than he imagine. Throw in the whole Alex Legion chaos, and Gillespie may want to purchase a few tons of Tylenol for the season.
Close: Bruce Weber , Illinois (Team just absolutely gave away the Zona game), Mick Cronin, Cincinnati (Bearcats are horrendously bad this season)
Player I'd Like To Party With
Each week, I’ll pick a player that I think it would be fun to party with. As part of
David Arseneault, Grinnell College
Every guy is looking for a great wingman to go to parties with. So wouldn’t you love to go to a party with David Arseneault of Division III Grinnell college, who set the NCAA record with 34 assists in one game? The man is clearly not afraid to give it up and seems to have extraordinary ability to set up his friends. That sounds like the perfect wingman if there ever was one.
The Jonny Flynn Campus Legend of the Week
Malcolm Grant, Villanova
I left Chickie and Pete’s when Nova was trailing LSU by 15 with close to seven minutes left to play from the Wachovia Center. I was so convinced by the time remaining and by Nova’s terrible play to that point that game was over that I didn’t even check the final score before I went to sleep. Safe to say, I was shocked to see that Nova had won the game by 1 point. Villanova freshmen Malcolm Grant is the reason for the extraordinary comeback by the Wildcats. One of about 15 freshmen from NYC on the Wildcats roster, he scored 13 points over the final three minutes, including the game-winning four-point-play with :13 seconds left to give the Wildcats their first and only lead of the game.
Student Section of the Week
Temple
They get the award for their sign at the Villanova-Temple game on Sunday. By far the best sign that I’ve seen of the early season (and I will forever hate my camera phone for the horrible picture that I got of it).
Across the entire student section, the sign read…..
Tim Donaghy: Villanova Class of 1989
Well done.
Freshmen of the Week
Andrew Ogilvy, Vanderbilt
Another freshmen lost in the shuffle of this year’s outstanding class. Ogilvy, a 6-10 Aussie center, has quietly put together an outstanding season for the surprising Commodores, averaging 19.4 ppg and 6.4 rpg. This week, he put up 23 in a win over Wake Forest, and 26 and 10 in a blowout over crosstown rival Lipscomb.
Any ideas or stories for Monday Madness? Send them to stormingthefloor@gmail.com
STF Conference Reports: The Big West
Hi. I'm Brandon, The Sports Logo Pundit. I'm a die-hard college basketball fan from the Los Angeles area that can't really afford or cares to go to UCLA or USC games, except when they play my Washington Huskies.
But LA isn't just USC and UCLA no matter what the locals think. The Big West is scattered throughout the 'burbs and outlying areas and despite being a punching bag for larger conferences, it can still be a really interesting league to follow especially come conference time when the league goes crazy and stops making sense. I've seen it the past two seasons. Teams win a bunch in a row, then drop three straight, then come back and make a run in the tournament. Trying to make sense of it, especially from afar, is tough. Hopefully, I can help.
For my first post, I'm going to do things differently by giving you the Team of the First Month, Player of the First Month and Team With the Worst First Month plus Games To Watch over the next two weeks.
Team of the First Month: Cal State Northridge
UC Santa Barbara was picked to win the Big West by the media and they have lived up to the billing by going 9-1 in the first month. No surprise there. Cal State Northridge didn't get a lot of preseason love but the Matadors have taken care of business against lesser opponents. Led by senior forward Calvin Chitwood (13.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg) and senior guard Jonathan Heard (12.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg) and complemented by junior three point specialist Deon Tresvant (11.4 ppg) and junior rebounding force Tremaine Townesend (10.8 ppg, 9.5 rpg), Northridge has only been beaten by Duquesne and Gonzaga. Both were thumpings and their biggest win so far was against Cleveland State, so it's hard to get too excited. But it's better than expected and better than any other non-Gaucho Big West squads.
Player of the First Month: Josh Akognon (Cal State Fullterton)
Again, I'm skipping UCSB's Alex Harris because we expected him to do what he is doing and he'll probably be the Player of the Week quite a few times later this season. But Fullerton junior Josh Akognon, a transfer who led Washington State in scoring during the 2005-2006 season before Wazzu was good, has been the true revelation of the early season. He leads the Titans with 21.7 ppg including 19 points against Arizona in a loss and is second only to Harris in scoring in the Big West. Combine Akognon's emergence with Frank Robinson and the Titans might have the best backcourt duo in the conference.
Team With the Worst First Month: UC Irvine
The Anteaters have probably played the most ambitious early season schedule including games against Nevada, Mississippi State and Utah. Ok, so those three games they probably should've lost, but losing by an average of 12 points isn't what they were hoping for. And losses to Chattanooga and San Diego in a tournament ten minutes from campus are a little hard to take. Their only wins have come against Loyola Marymount (a team that made Long Beach State look good), Utah State and Division II Alaska-Fairbanks. And it just gets tougher with Sam Houston State, Texas A&M and South Carolina coming up. On the plus side, this schedule should have them toughened up for conference play. Oh, and don't forget those "Eaters" jerseys, those are pretty sweet.
Games To Watch:
With finals coming up there isn't a ton of action on tap for the Big West. December 22nd is a big day though. Will anybody beat a team from a top-tier conference this season? The Big West needs an early Christmas present bad.
12/22 - UCSB @ North Carolina
12/22 - Northridge @ Washington
12/22 - Wright State @ Fullerton
12/22 - Cal Poly @ USC
12/22 - UC Irvine @ Texas A&M
12/22 - Pacific @ Fresno State
STF Conference Reports: The SEC
What's happening folks? This is Chris Richardson, your weekly SEC corespondent with my first-ever SEC update. A little about your guide: I recently moved to KC from Lexington, KY and I am a huge UK fan (and we suck right now). I'm the lead editor for IntentionalFoul.com and I write a weekly post for Epic Carnival.
Living in Lexington gave me extensive insight into the SEC but now I live in Big 12 country... oh well, that's what SECSports.com is for. Anyway, let's take a look at what's going on in the SEC:
Team of the Week - Vanderbilt - While the SEC didn't necessarily play the cream of the crop this week, Vandy's 83-80 win against Wake Forest last Wednesday was easily the biggest. Led by Shan Foster's 26, the Commodores looked pretty impressive. Vandy finished the week by dispatching Lipscomb by the score of 90-67, giving them a 9-0 and record and a Top 25 ranking that will probably increase when the new polls come out.
Player of the Week - Shan Foster, Vanderbilt. - In two games, Foster scored 47 points, while shooting 9-16 from behind the arc. However, Foster might want to think about improving those assist numbers; his total assist count this past week was one.
Team with the Worst Week - Kentucky - Convincing losses to UNC and Indiana coupled with the Alex Legion debacle is making Billy Gillispie's first year in the Bluegrass a trying one. While the Wildcats' schedule does get easier, there seems to be a great deal of negativity surrounding the team. If they struggle with the upcoming schedule (UAB, Houston, Tennessee Tech, San Diego, Florida International) expect the complaints to get louder and louder.
Games to Watch:
12/13 Miami (FL) at Mississippi State
12/15 Arkansas at Oklahoma
12/15 Tennessee vs. Western Kentucky
Well folks, this ends my first ever SEC Update post. I hope you enjoyed it. Stay tuned to everybody's favorite football conference that could. There are some good games coming up... just not so much this week. Fear not, the SEC schedule starts soon.
