Hoopweekend, your supersized version of Hoopnight. With no football on for the first since August, you really have no excuse to miss hoops this weekend.
Game of the Weekend
Gonzaga at Memphis Saturday 12:00pm ESPN
I would have felt really good about my strange hunch that the Zags will keep this close if it wasn't for the Tigers so-so performance against Tulsa. For a change, the Zags are flying under-the-radar thanks to some early season losses. But with a healthy Josh Heytvelt, don't be surprised to see the Zags back in the rankings soon. And don't forget about the Zags win over the Tigers in Spokane last season. I'm just saying....
Watch if You Want See The Egg Bowl In Hoops Form
Ole Miss at Mississippi State Saturday 5pm ESPN Full Court
One of those games that will go a long way come Selection Sunday. The Bulldogs are the hottest team in the SEC at 4-0, making up for a lack lackluster start. Watching Jarvis Varnado swat one into the 14th row is worth the price of admission alone. The Rebels were the hottest team in the SEC, but a bad loss to Auburn last weekend has them on their heels.
Watch and Tell Me If You Can Make Sense of The Big East
Georgetown at West Virginia Saturday 7:00PM ESPN
Seriously, no clue whatsoever about the Big East this season. Just like everyone else, WVU has looked like worldbeaters one minute, and then beat Marshall by two the next. Let's see if the Mountaineers gaudy efficiency rating can finally translate into some big wins.
Also on
Saturday
Notre Dame at Villanova Noon ESPN-FC
UConn at Indiana Noon 1:00 CBS
Oklahoma at Baylor 4:00 ESPN-FC
Saint Joseph's at Temple 6:00 ESPNU
Creighton at SIU 9:00 ESPN2
Sunday
Clemson at Miami (FL) 1:00 ESPN-FC
Michigan at Michigan State 1:00 ABC
Duke at Maryland 6:30 FSN
Friday, January 25, 2008
Hoopweekend 1/25
STF Conference Reports: The ACC 1/25/08
Much like a over-anxious freshman point guard pulling the trigger on a horrible, contested 3 with plenty of time left on the shot clock, I am jacking up this conference report before taking full survey of the games. I will be out of internet (and liver) availability this weekend while having fun with friends in Chicago, so I send off this report before all the games are through for this week. However, the ACC just keeps on getting tougher and the games just keep getting better. Here's the latest recap.
Team of the Week: Maryland
No ifs, ans or buts (well, maybe a few buts... BIG ONES!), the Terps got it done this week by knocking off the top ranked Tarheels in the Dean Dome. Their 7th defeat of a top ranked team under Gary Williams comes as a bit of a catch 22, since it does vault their heavily hated Duke Blue Devils to first place in the conference. But, that is a mere drizzle on their parade as the thus-far-underachieving Terps racked up a big time win that can lead them to a successful surge as the conference season rolls on. And although they are the darkest of dark horses to reach the tournament (at worst, they are a big time spoiler to a lot of borderline teams), you can't even put anything past the hardest sweating coach in the business, Gary Williams.
Worst of the Week: Miami
I hate to put them here, but they were the only team with two losses on the week. One to a hapless NC State team (yes, I know you don't have a dependable point guard, Wolfpack Nation) and the other to a fire breathing Carolina team still smarting from that previous defeat. Expect Miami to get a lot better and to win quite a few of these close game. Jack McClinton is a gamer. We believe in the overall depth of the conference, no matter what others might say.
Player of the Week: Matt Freakin' Causey
Never thought I would hear those words come out of my mouth. But alas, the kid dropped 30 on Virginia Tech last week and led the Jackets in scoring again as they snuck past NC State the other night. For a kid without much rep, especially compared to the footsteps he was walking into (Price, Anderson, Marbury, Jack, Crittendon), Causey has taken the smaller expectations levied on him and totally blown them out of the water. It's nice to see a redshirt senior take his time, develop his game and really blow up after putting in so much effort on the practice squad. He is just one of those guys you cheer for... well, not if he drops 30 on you.
Games To Check Out:
#3 Duke @ Maryland 1/27 (I smell death threats!)
Clemson @ Miami 1/27 (should be physical, physical)
FSU @ VT 1/29 (somebody's gotta win it!)
NC State @ #3 Duke 1/31 (the two most opposite teams in the league - should be interesting)
BC @ #4 UNC (Tyrese Rice loves the spotlight)
Tournament Friday: Some Early Superlatives
Ah yes, the NCAA Tournament is officially within striking distance. While we are finally under 50 days until Selection, we’re still just a little bit too far way to start serious debating the bubble credentials of certain teams. Basically, if Selection Sunday is Christmas Eve, we are. But it’s never too early to start making some predictions that come back to bite us in March. So with fewer than 50 days to go, some STF Tourney Superlatives predictions….
Mostly Likely to Be this Year This Year’s Florida - Oregon Team
Both ‘06 Florida and ‘07 Oregon got off to unexpected hot starts (17-0 each), then cooled in the middle of conference play, only to heat up again in tournament time.
Candidates: Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Arizona State
STF Predictions: Ole Miss - Like the Rebels more than Vandy because Andy Kennedy might the most underrated coach in America.
Most Likely to be This Year’s Mid Major Cinderella
I think you know the drill on this one, every year we get at least one mid-major surprise in the Sweet 16 and in the rare occasion, the Final Four
Candidates: South Alabama, Saint Mary’s, Butler, Drake
STF Prediction: Saint Mary’s - This team is really, really, really good behind Patty Mills and Diamon Simpson (pictured). May lose this crown because they could wind up a #5 seed.
Most Likely to be this Year’s “It” Team
Usually not a top line team, this is the one team that everyone has making a deep run based on the premise that not every top seed is going to make it to the Final Four
Candidates: Xavier, Indiana, Michigan State, Texas, whoever the hell ends up winning the Big East
STF Prediction: Indiana - Have all the elements needed. Star player (Gordon, veteran leader (White), great role players and legendary program. We’re even falling for this one
Most Likely To Destroy Your Bracket
Without even looking at the seeds, this team has the possibility to destroy your bracket because of their wildly inconsistent play. Whether you pick them to win or lose.
Candidates: Arizona, Pittsburgh, UConn, USC, Louisville, everyone in the Big East actually.
STF Prediction: Arizona - Easy choice here, have the talent to beat anyone (as shown last night against WSU), but always one mood swing away from a first-round exit.
Most Likely to be this year’s BCS Slide-In Team
Every year, a 5th or 6h place team from a BCS conference seems to slide into the tourney, and even dedicated hoop fans are caught saying “Wow, didn’t even know they were any good”.
Candidates: Minnesota, Nebraska, Florida State, Providence.
STF Prediction: Minnesota - Just a hunch, but I’m thinking the Gophers will be picking up plenty of wins from the Big Ten bottom-feeders
Most Likely To Be This Year’s Upset Pick
Team that everyone and their brother is going to betting against, most likely meaning that the upset will never take place.
Candidates: Stanford, Georgetown, Texas A&M
STF pick: Stanford - I personally like this Cardinal team, but people will not forget last year’s bomb vs Louisville.
Auto-Bid Watch: 1/25/2008
From January to March, Auto-Bid watch will keep an eye on which teams are heading into conference tourney-time with a good shot at locking up the auto-bid. Using conference RPI ratings, we focus on the middle of the pack, trying to sort contenders from pretenders.
1. ACC
2. Pac 10
3. Big East
4. Big 12
5. SEC
6. Big 10
7. Atlantic 10
8. Missouri Valley
9. Mountain West
10. Horizon
11. Conference-USA: Memphis up top, at 5-0, but UCF (4-0) and Houston (3-0) are hanging tough. The latter two teams meet in Florida on Feb. 2nd. Memphis will be hosting Gonzaga OOC on Saturday, followed by a trip to Houston.
12. West Coast Conference: Gonzaga 4-0 and Saint Mary's 3-0. The two WCC powerhouses don't meet until Feb. 4, and the Zags will visit Memphis in the meantime.
13. Mid-American: Kent State and Akron are keeping pace in the East, at 4-1 apiece, though the first head-to-head was won by the Flashes. The next one in that rivalry takes place in early March. In the meantime, the Flashes take on Western Michigan on Sunday, a school that leads the West division, also at 4-1.
14. Colonial: VCU is the clear class of the Association, sitting at 7-1 with some good wins. Behind them is a knot of 6-2 teams that might beat each other into submission and leave the Rams on top of the mountain.
15. Sun Belt: Coach Ronnie Arrow is back after building a program in Corpus Christi, and he's rolling. South Alabama is clearly the best team in the Sun Belt, at 8-0. The only scary thing left on their schedule is a Feb. 21 date at 7-1 Western Kentucky.
16. Southern: Appalachian State and Chattanooga share the North (of the Southern?) at 7-2, but Davidson has dominated all comers, garnering a pretty 10-0 record in the South (of the Southern).
17. Metro Atlantic: Logjammin'. Rider, Marist, and Siena each have winning overall records and a 7-2 league mark. The presence of fringe NBA prospect Jason Thompson (19ppg, 11rpg, 3bpg) might give Rider the edge. The Broncs will get to test that theory on January 30th, when they travel to Marist.
18. Western Athletic: Utah State is still in command with a 5-0 mark.
19. Big West: Observers have freaked out about Northridge's loss to craptastic Indie Chicago State, which had no effect on the Matadors' perfect 5-0 mark in the Big West. However, a look in the rearview mirror shows Pacific gaining fast at 5-1. The Tigers lost the road half of this series, and look to get revenge and move to the top of the standings in the return date February 7th.
20. Patriot: The Lafayette Leopards are kings here, at 4-0. Right behind them are American and Bucknell at 3-1 apiece.
21. Southland - Lamar 3-1, with four others at 3-2.
22. Ivy - Cornell and Yale 1-0 with very few league games in the books.
23. Summit - Oral Roberts at 8-0 is too good for this conference.
24. Big Sky - Northern Arizona and Weber State tied at 5-1.
25. Northeast - Wagner and Quinnipiac at 6-1.
26. Big South - UNC-Asheville and Big Kenny go 4-0, with Winthrop one back.
27. America East - Binghamton matches UMBC's 5-2, and has beat them once.
28. Mid Eastern - Hampton 4-0, Morgan State and Norfolk State 4-1 each.
29. Atlantic Sun - Jacksonville builds a lead at 5-0.
30. Ohio Valley - Let's Go Peay! Govs at 9-1 after last night.
31. Independents - No bid, but as long as they out-RPI the SWAC, they stay.
32. Southwestern - Kickingstallionsims and company take 'Bama State to 4-1.
STF Conference Reports: The Big 12 1/24/2008
What a week, topped by the epic five OT battle between Baylor and Texas A&M earlier this week. As much as we complain around here about the tangled standings in the Big East and CAA, watching a league that is clearly dominated by one or two teams can have drawbacks of its own. Fortunately, this week, we got to see a great game in which Baylor proved they belonged, and next week we'll get to see what should be an epic battle between Kansas and Kansas State.
Team of the Week: Baylor. We believed in them all the way, but if you told us they'd win a 5OT slugfest in College Station, we might have raised an eyebrow. Every time I checked the score of this game (online - way to go, TV folks), I saw more and more Baylor players on the bench with fouls, and figured there was no way the remainder could possibly win. Talk about grit. These guys could build an indoor beach volleyball court.
Close - After a rough non-conference season, the K-State Wildcats are coming on strong, and sit in easy striking distance at 3-0 in league play.
Player of the Week: Baylor's Curtis Jerrels. As noted before, the guy played 53 minutes at A&M and only committed two fouls. Oh, and he also shot 20-24 and led all scorers with 36 points. Then there were the eight assists and two steals. We're very disappointed by the 2-8 shooting from three land, though. OH, HA HA, THAT IS RICH. He's awesome.
Close - Colorado's Reggie Roby is finally heating up, and of course Michael Beasley makes awesomeness look easy.
Team with the Worst Week: Nebraska. The Cornhuskers are flat-out wasting Aleks Maric's senior season. The talented Aussie is working his butt off, but the team cannot back him up. Losses to Kansas and Baylor are acceptable, but to a rebuilding Colorado squad? It's just not done. Nobody seems to take over the second scorer's spot on a consistent basis. If I didn't hate them for their former football prowess, I would probably feel really bad for them.
Games to Watch:
Honestly, the B12 schedule for Saturday is divided almost perfectly to feature top teams playing bottom teams - it is like a preview of the conference tourney out there. The better teams even have the home advantage in all but one case:
Texas A&M at Oklahoma State - 2pm Saturday, ESPN. Can the Aggies salvage this season? Here's where the rubber meets the road.
Oklahoma State at Oklahoma - 9pm Monday, ESPN. This game is always wild, with in-state bragging rights on the line.
Kansas at Kansas State - Wednesday, 8pm. I find it absolutely monkey-scratching absurd that this game is not nationally televised. Any fool could see from outer space that this would be one of the key games of the Big 12 season. Where's the love?
Breakfast of Champions: 1/25
Arizona 76 Washington State 64
Just goes to show you how good the Wildcats can be when Jerryd Bayless is in the lineup
Big man: Jerryd Bayless, 22 points
Xavier 69 Dayton 43
When the X-men play that tough of D and shoot that well, they are a Top 10 team.
Big man: Stanley Burell, 13 points
Duke 81 Virginia Tech 64
Blue Devils escape from Blacksburg for the first time in years.
Big man: Kyle Singler, 16 points
UCLA 80 Oregon 74
Kevin Love reminds Ducks fans of what they are missing
Big man: Kevin Love, 26 points
Washington 81 Arizona State 72
A reminder as to how difficult the Pac-10 truly is.
Big man: Jon Brockman, 21 points
Sam Houston State 58 Stephen F. Austin 56
SHS wins the battle of mid-major names after famous Texans.
Big man: Shamir McDaniel, game winning three
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Hoop Night 1/24/2008
Don’t Miss
It’s a battle for mid-majority supremacy, Atlantic 10 supremacy , Ohio supremacy and the right to be the official 2008 “sleeper” Final Four pick. So yeah, it’s a pretty big game tonight. Interested to see how the Musketeers respond to back-to-back poor showings against Temple and GW as well as how Dayton plays without Chris Wright and big man Charles Little. This one should be fun.
Watch If Like Contrasting Styles and Not Sleeping
UCLA at
Curious to see how the Bruins respond to the USC L as well as how bad the
Duke at Virginia Tech ESPN
Also On….
Seton Hall atSTF Conference Reports: Pac-10 1/24
Team Of The Week - USC. I think we all expected a decent game if OJ Mayo could play under control and Taj Gibson could stay out of foul trouble. But I'm not sure any of us thought the Trojans would be able to knock off the Bruins at Pauley Pavilion. Let alone have Davon Jefferson leading the charge. It was the USC team we all expected when the season kicked off. Mayo still took bad shots, but not as many and USC's defense held UCLA to 33 percent shooting. All the while shooting 61 percent from the field themselves against one of the nations top defenses. The win legitimizes USC, but can they build from it and lock up an NCAA tournament bid? Or will they fall back into their old patterns and have this one game as the singular highlight of their season?
Player Of The Week - Davon Jefferson. While Ryan Anderson had the best statistical week averaging 30+ points and almost double digit rebounds his team lost both outings. In Jefferson's only game he was the difference for USC at Pauley. Jefferson poured in 25 points and ripped down 9 rebounds in the win. His 25 included 11 down the stretch as USC outscored UCLA 21-6. It's clear that if USC has any big plans this season they're going to need Jefferson playing well on both ends of the floor to get it done. We now know he's capable, but can he develop into a consistent force? If not, it's hard to imagine his team moving deep into the dance and that's if they can even make it.
Team With The Worst Week - Oregon State. I hate to pile on the Beavers as they took home this prize last week as well, but when your coach is fired, you go winless again and arguably your best player (Kansas Transfer) CJ Giles is dismissed from the team it's tough not to call it the worst week. Giles was plagued by foul trouble fouling out repeatedly since he began his season in mid-December. New coach Kevin Mouton immediately dismissed Giles after taking over the team. Despite his talent, this may actually turn out to be the best thing for the squad. The losses last week were to both Washington teams on the road. After the loss to Washington, the 2nd worst team in the conference, the Beavers may only get one more shot to avoid a defeated conference season when they host the Huskies in mid-February. As for the upcoming? It's not getting any better as they welcome the Los Angeles twosome to town this week.
Game To Watch
1/24 (6) Washington State @ Arizona - Best shot at a signature win the 'Cats may have.
1/24 (8) UCLA @ Oregon - Oregon slipping toward the bottom of the conference. A win here would be a big help.
1/26 (6) Washington State @ (24) Arizona State - Sun Devils looking to bounce back from their beating at Stanford.
1/26 USC @ Oregon - This is arguably must win for both squads. Even more for the Ducks.
1/26 (20) Stanford @ Cal - Cal needs this game if they have any hopes of an NCAAA tournament berth without a conference tournament win.
STF Conference Report - Big Ten
Baylor Bears, America's Team
If you have been with STF since the beginning (all 14 of you), then you know that we have been singing the praises of the Baylor Bears since their November victory in the Paradise Jam Tournament. But the secret of Baylor Bears got out to the casual fan last night with Bear’s 116-110 (5OT) triumph over Texas A&M.
As we have been saying from the beginning: How can you possibly not root for this Baylor squad?These Bears are quickly going to become America’s Team in college for the 2008 season. With last night’s epic victory and the most mid-major-level likeability factors that I've ever seen from a BCS conference team, look for the Bears to ascend America’s team for the 2008 hoops season.
Need more reasons to cheer for the Bears? Not only has Baylor not made the NCAA Tournament since 1988, but I’m pretty positive that Baylor is only BCS school to go the last decade without a tournament appearance or a bowl berth. Take that, Syracuse fans. And think about the remarkable job that Scott Drew has done in resurrecting the program following the Dave Bliss era? How many coaches are have been told to resurrection a dormant program and recover from a murder scandal?
Oh, and the Bears can flat-out play. The Bears are the most balanced scoring team in the Big 12 outside of Kansas and Curtis Jerrells is an All-Big 12 player. So enjoy your moment in the sun Baylor University, I think you have had this coming your way for a long, long time.
Checking Out the Austin Peay Governors
(Warning: cheap writer's trick ahead)
Dictionary.com has six definitions of the word "governor". The first is the most obvious, and also the one that fits the Austin Peay mascot.
1. the executive head of a state in the U.S.
This makes sense, as the Clarksville, TN school is named in honor the man who served as the Volunteer State's CEO between the years of 1923-1927 (fun fact: he signed the law that brought us the Scopes Monkey Trial). But when considering the university's basketball team, I find something of note in the following definition as well.
5. Machinery. a device for maintaining uniform speed regardless of changes of load, as by regulating the supply of fuel or working fluid.
Governor fans are definitely concerned with regulating the supply of working fluid. Readers of this site may already know of my juvenile love for the "Let's Go Peay!" chant. Maintaining uniform speed regardless of changes in load might describe the basketball team's relentless march through the Ohio Valley Conference, as well. They've gone 8-1, their only loss coming at Murray State. The Racers sit two games back and are the nearest competition for the Peay at this time.
APSU's early losses are mostly forgivable, as they played the buy-game shuffle: at Vanderbilt, at Utah State, at Memphis. As far as at Evansville goes, they might have a little 'splainin' to do on that one. Overall, however, the Govs played a tough schedule, and the experience gained seems to be paying off in league play.
Clarksville is home to a remarkably balanced offensive attack. Four players average double-figure scoring, led by townie legend Drake Reed (pictured) and his nearly sixteen points per. Several other options play significant minutes off the bench. Coach Dave Loos is a fixture at APSU - he's been there for nearly two decades and has been named OVC Coach of the Year four times (and counting? Someone ought to name a building after that guy).
The Governors play a couple of televised games coming up - at Jacksonville State tonight on ESPNU, and at Southeast Missouri State (SEMO) on the 29th. If they keep pouring on the wins, only one thing can stop them from taking their rightful place in the NCAA dance: the OVC tournament. The Governors had 20 wins coming into last season's OVC championship game, but went cold at the wrong time, letting the auto-bid slip away to the Eastern Kentucky Colonels. Will the Govs hold serve this year and get an early-March shot at a money program? I don't know, but I'll be watching to find out, starting tonight.
Breakfast of Champions 1/24
Baylor 116 Texas A&M 110 (5 0Ts)
Simply wow. If you are not on the Baylor bandwagon by now, hop on board. More coming later
Big man: Curtis Jerrells 36 points and anyone who could walk after this one.
North Carolina 98 Miami 82
Heels get back on track in South Beach
Big man:Tyler Hansbrough 35 points
Saint Joseph's 81 UMass 77
SJU hangs on despite allowing 61 seconds half points
Big man: Ricky Harris 30 points
Rutgers 80 Villanova 68
Sometimes, even we can look smart
Big man: Anthony Farmer 23 points
UConn 84 Cincinnati 83
Give the rising Huskies some credit, they are the only Big East team not to lose to Cincy
Big man: Hashemm Thabeet, 22 points
Kent State 75 Akron 69
Flashes win battle of top teams in the MAC
Big man : Chris Singletary, Kent State
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
STF Big East Report 1.23.08
I designed a regular posting date of Tuesday for the Big East Report so that I could instantly react to the events of “Big Monday,” the 7pm game of which almost always features a Big East battle. Then, as an off-shoot of my inability to maintain any normalcy or continuity in my depraved existence, I keep posting on Wednesdays and Thursdays and all this crap. Additionally, I just found a site where you can design your own pie charts, and that’s easily the best way to throw co-workers under the bus without them knowing, so that’s been a huge distraction. Anyway, without further ado, The Big East:
Team With the Best Week: West Virginia
The fastest way to heal the Coach Rod scars? Huggy Bear starting to win, and creating a dangerous enough team to make some upset-minded noise in March. Check this: the Mountaineers have won three in a row to rise to second in the conference behind GU, in the process knocking off an underrated South Florida team. They still have the win over Marquette, which seems kinda less important now, but still. Georgetown awaits on Saturday (I’ll be watching from a bar in Scottsdale, AZ), and they still have two tangos with Pittsburgh, but if they grab a 5 or 6 seed in the Dance, they might have the cajones (and the coaching) to stun a weak 3 in the Round of 32.
Player of the Week: Deonta Vaughn, G, Cincinnati
In my first edition of this report, I utterly threw Cincy in front of the train. Turns out they’re not so bad (they currently sit at third in conference). I have no respect or faith that they can do anything in March, either at MSG or the Dance, but I’m impressed by this Vaughn kid, a sophomore who dropped 14 with 4 dimes in their three-point win over Pittsburgh this week. According to his Cincy Bearcats profile, he has five brothers and three sisters - sounds like a bad Dennis Quaid movie - and majors in criminal justice, which I would have majored in if I had any ability to wrap my head around statistics. The team site also notes he’s “very good off the pick and roll,” which seems a bit editorial to me, but eh.
Team with the Worst Week: Marquette
Bad week for Wisconsin overall. The Eagles have dropped their last two - let’s not even talk about the current fate of DWade and the Miami Heat - by a combined 36 points to Louisville, a team that should be good but isn’t really (even with Padgett) and Connecticut, a team that won’t be good until the middle of next season. These guys were once ranked No. 11, and I was telling site editor/overlord Marco that they might be a “sleeper” to win the Big East. Now I just feel stupid, like the guy in my film class who, when prompted for a list of genres, shouted out “Erotica!”
Games to Watch:
Saturday - Connecticut vs. Indiana. Although Eric Gordon won’t be in school long, this could be a preview of an awesome 2009 Sweet Sixteen game.
Saturday - Georgetown vs. West Virginia. I’m shaking over this one, but that might be the alcohol poisoning.
Sunday - Cincy vs. Seton Hall. I don’t know why SHU intrigues me (they’re 2-3 in conference), but they do, and so does Cincy, so at least I’ll be intrigued on Sunday. That might be the soft-core porn, though.
Generally Irrelevant Family Guy Quote of the Week
Brian: You’re drunk.
Stewie: You’re sexy.
Big Monday this week is Louisville vs. UConn. The above seems like the potential pre-game exchange between Calhoun and Pitino, no?
The Befuddling Big East
What I found most shocking about Georgetown's comeback win against Syracuse wasn't that the Hoyas were able to beat the Orange by only making one field goal in overtime, but that Gtown was the first Big East team in weeks not to blow a chance to take command of the league. Yes, it's been a mighty turbulent year in the Big East already and we haven't even gotten through January yet. Just look at some of the teams that blew golden opportunities for wins in just the last week….
- Marquette, with a chance at a Top 5 ranking and top billing Big East following the Gtown loss to Pitt, got slaughtered at Louisville and UConn.
- Louisville appeared to have righted the ship with the blowout win over Marquette. But instead, the newly healthy Cardinals let a second half lead slip away at Seton Hall.
- Pitt was proclaimed "back" by every pundit following the impressive beatdown of Georgetown. Of course, the Panthers went out and lost Cincinnati, which everyone in the big East appears to be doing these days
- Even Syracuse had a golden opportunity to get back into the Big East race, but the Orange, leading with five minutes remaining, let games to Villanova and Georgetown slip away.
Similar puzzling results by Notre Dame (blowout at Gtown, Villanova (lost at Cincy) and West Virginia (losses to ND and Louisville) leave absolutely no clue (outside of Georgetown) as to who will be contending for the Big East crown at the end of the season. Basically everyone outside of South Florida, St. John' and Rutgers are still in play for the Big East crown. Hell, Cincinnati and DePaul, with losses to Belmont and North Carolina A&T; in hand, are technically third and fourth in the conference as we speak. 16-team parity at it's finest!
Remember My Name: Manny Harris
The Michigan Wolverines suck this year. It's a fact. They're making a transition from Tommy Amaker's style to John Beilein's style, and that can't be easy. But there is definitely a bright light on the horizon, and it may just keep a few hairs from falling out of coach's comb-over.
If you watched last night's Michigan at Wisconsin tilt, you know who I'm talking about. Wolverine Guard Manny Harris is the real deal, Holyfield. On an evening in which blocked shots provided most of the entertainment, Harris made one of the few athletic plays that made me sit up and take notice. On a missed shot, he grabbed the offensive rebound away from the basket and took off like a hare, dribbling around two defenders and taking the ball to the rack fast enough to draw a blocking penalty. He scored a career-high 26 points before fouling out, and helped put a real scare into the #11 Badgers.
What Manny isn't - yet - is consistent or efficient. His shooting percentage hovers just under 40% overall, with only 27% from three-point range. However, he does a lot of other little things, which become more important as his minutes per game average rises. He's good for several rebounds per contest, three dishes, and a couple of steals. His nice all-around game should figure to be huge in the future of Wolverine hoops.
While most of the Michigan players are young, with four other freshmen and three sophomores, this is not a "Fab Five" situation. Sophomore Forward DeShawn Sims is the only other Wolverine averaging double-figure points as the team has struggled to a 5-14 (1-6) record. Still, taking a ranked Wisconsin team to the wire in their own building ranks high in the "moral victory" category, which every team hopes they can turn into "wins" in the next basketball season. With Manny Harris in the fold, they've made a decent start.
Movin' On Up - STF Scrabbles for Purchase at Deadspin
It's been a crazy week, folks. It seems like just two weeks ago that we interviewed the first-ever Deadspin College Basketball Closer - Jonah Keri.
Recently, JK had to discontinue his role with everyone's favorite smartass sports site (oddly enough, just days after he attended the Newark Pants Party... hmmm...). Imagine our surprise when Will Leitch took time out from Book Release Day to ask us to fill in for the nonce.
Here's our first effort - wish us luck!
It's Got to Be the Shoes, Money!
STF Conference Reports: SEC 1/23
We are two weeks into conference play and what have we learned? Tennessee, Florida, Mississippi State and Ole Miss appear to be head-and-shoulders above the conference... at least this week, anyway. We've also learned there are a lot of average teams playing the SEC because after the top four, you see a number of conference records looking like this:
2-2, 1-2, 0-4.
While the 2-2 teams are not out of it yet (Yes, this includes you, Vanderbilt. Hot starts don't mean a damn thing if you can't sustain them.), they need to start stringing together some quality wins before we get much further along on the schedule. Remember folks, March is only a few weeks away.
As for Kentucky, well, tonight will tell us a lot more about them (editor's note: they beat #5 Tennessee between the time Chris sent this and when we got it posted). After two grueling road losses last week, they host Bruce Pearl and his talented Volunteers on ESPN (9pm EST) tonight. If UK spits the bit again, it's time to start planning for next season.
Now admittedly, 1-3 starts in conference play can be salvaged, but the team in question would need confidence and talent. UK is kinda short on both areas. Anyway, I'm digressing. On with the update:
Team of the Week - Mississippi State Bulldogs
Riding the red-hot play of Jamont Gordon and Jarvis Varnado's sterling shot-blocking skills (are you taking notes, Perry Stevenson?), the Bulldogs find themselves atop the SEC West at 4-0. Rick Stansbury finds his team also riding an 8-game winning streak, making them the hottest team in the SEC not named Tennessee (11-game winning streak). This week, the Bulldogs host Andy Kennedy's surprising Ole Miss Rebels for one of the marquee match-ups in the SEC West.
Worst Team of the Week - Kentucky and LSU
After getting conference play off to a good start with a double-overtime win against Vanderbilt, Kentucky lost their next two to Mississippi State and Florida, both of which were road games. While the Cats never quit in either loss, they could never get over the hump. Word is sophomore Jodie Meeks is close to 100%, but will he be enough to right the Wildcat ship?
In Baton Rogue, Louisiana State looks like the opposite of their championship football counterparts, delivering one of the worst starts in John Brady's tenure at 7-11 (0-4 in the SEC). With convincing losses to Auburn and Vandy last week, the Tigers are bringing up the rear in the SEC.
Player of the Week - Jamont Gordon
I'm going to agree with the folks from the SEC on this, although, Jarvis Varnado deserves a look as well... especially for his triple-double against UK last Tuesday (10 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks). Last week, Gordon averaged 24.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists in victories over Alabama and Kentucky. Gordon was also acknowledged as the SEC Player of the Week and with numbers like that, it's pretty easy to see why.
Games to Watch:
1/22 - Tennessee at Kentucky [ESPN] 9:00pm
1/23 - Florida at South Carolina
1/26 - South Carolina at Kentucky
1/26 - Auburn at Alabama
1/26 - Ole Miss at Mississippi State
1/26 - Georgia at Tennessee
1/26 - Arkansas at LSU
1/27 - Vanderbilt at Florida
Breakfast of Champions 1/23
Kentucky 72 Tennessee 66
Kentucky saves their season/Bill Gillespie's job with a huge upset of Tennessee
Apparently, no one in the Top 10 feels like winning anymore.
Big man: Patrick Patterson/UK/20 points
Drake 68 Creighton 60 (OT)
Drake proves that they are Top 25 worthy with an overtime comeback victory at Creighton.
16th straight win also proves that they have the better of the Korvers.
Big man: Klayton Korver/Drake/14 points
Wisconsin 64 Michigan 61
Wisconsin surprisingly gets a scare from Michigan
Give them credit, at least they didn't lose like everyone else in the Top 25
Big Man: Marcus Landry/Wisc./14 points, game winner
Clemson 80 Wake Forest 75 (OT)
Tigers hang on to much needed overtime victory against a quickly improving Wake Forest squad.
Big Man: K.C. Rivers/Clemson/19 points
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Hoop Night: 1/22/2008
Hoop Night is your daily preview of televised NCAA hoops action. When I ask for a two orders of dumplings, why do they come in one container? Is it that obvious that both orders are for me?
Don't Miss
#5 Tennessee at Kentucky - 9pm, ESPN
Tennessee is really hitting their stride now, With four starters averaging double figures, and players like Chism (6rpg) settling into their roles without much fuss. Their bench is long, and they should relish this rare opportunity to stomp a mudhole in arch-nemesis Kentucky.
Watch if you Feel You Need to act more Butch
Michigan at #11 Wisconsin - 7pm, ESPN
Look out, kids, the Badgers are rolling. Forward Marcus Landry has found his way into the third scorer's spot, which was a clear deficiency early in the season. Joe Krabbenhoft is also bringing his averages up across the board, and now sits at 8ppg and 6.3rpg.
Tivo it and Ask Yourself Why So Many Michigan Schools are on ESPN Tonight
Central Michigan at Western Michigan - 7pm, ESPNU
Sometimes, don't you just wish some wealthy alumnus would come along and give these directional schools so much money they'd have to name the whole joint after him? I'm hoping Western Michigan Guard David Kool (13.6ppg) is that man. Because Kool University has a nice ring to it.
STF Top 25 +10: Week 11
STF Top 25 +10 Week 11
Top 25
2. Kansas
3. Tennessee
4. Duke
5. Indiana
6. North Carolina
7. Washington State
8. UCLA
9. Michigan State
10. Wisconsin
11. Georgetown
12 Texas
13. Dayton
14. Pittsburgh
15. Drake
16. Stanford
17. Vanderbilt
18. Butler
19. Ole Miss
20. Saint Mary's
21. Marquette
22. Xavier
23. Texas A&M
24. Villanova
25. Baylor
Close: UMass, Kansas State, Arizona State, USC
The + 10
Top 10 Great Discrepancies Between the Rankings and Kenpom
1. West Virginia - Kenpom: #6 AP: NR
2. Villanova - Kenpom:#68 AP: #18
3. Vanderbilt - Kenpom: #61 AP: #12
10. Stanford - Kenpom: #13 AP:#20
STF Conference Reports: Hanging 'Round the Association
Well, it had to happen. Your Delaware Blue Hens became everyone's ink-drier-outer and lost twice this week in key roadies at VCU and at Northeastern. What's more, South Carolina's Dave Odom announced he will retire at season's end. That kicked off the official interrogation period of VCUs Anthony Grant.
This week's hero is George Mason's Dre Smith, who canned a record-setting 10 triples against James Madison. This, of course, means Smith will make three of his next 15 three-point attempts. Don't fight it; it's the way of the world.
TEAM OF THE WEEK
William & Mary: That's right, I said it. Two more victories for Tony Shaver's bunch brings them to 5-2 and right in the thick of things. That's five in a row for the politically incorrect but really intelligent bunch, the first time that's happened since Clinton was in office. The Tribe waltzed, relatively speaking, past Towson Saturday. It was the first time in four games the Tribe didn't overcome a double-digit second half deficit. (editor's note: if they're good enough for the Cub Scouts, they're good enough for us.)
MAALOX WEEK
James Madison. The Dukes fell, badly, to Old Dominion (79-52) and George Mason (96-75) last week and have lost four of their last five.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Will Thomas, Mason's really big man, was 19-23 from the field this week and got nothing but two victories. He's good with that.
UNCW finally played a bit of defense, holding Ga State to 21% shooting in the second half in a comeback victory. That's two in a row for the Seahawks.
When Delaware’s Marc Egerson hit a three in the waning seconds against VCU, it broke a combined zero-for-28 stretch of VCU opponents’ three point field goals.
CALGON, TAKE ME AWAY
Georgia State. The Panthers have dropped five straight games by a total of just 20 points after losing to Drexel (58-51) and UNCW (68-61) last week. Georgia State’s last 14 contests have been decided by an average of 5.1 ppg, with only one game ending with more than an eight-point margin.
GAMES OF THE WEEK
Old Dominion at George Mason (WED): This is a battle of the last two at large bid teams from the CAA, which really means nothing. The wheels are loose in Norfolk and the Monarchs could use a huge road win. Mason needs to keep pace with VCU to set up...well...read on.
William & Mary at Drexel (WED): I know, I know, you're kidding, right? Wrong. A road win against a tough team will further boost the Tribe's confidence. And at this point, 6-2 is far better than 5-3.
Old Dominion at William & Mary (SAT): Yeah, I know again. But think about this one; possibly a 6-2 team hosting a 5-3 team. I'm just saying...
Longwood at Hofstra (MON): Just kidding.
VCU at George Mason (TUE): If I have to preview this game and its importance, you need to stop reading.
Just Like The Sasquatch, Video of Kenny George in Action Is Rare
I'm been searching for a video to visually describe the uniqueness of Kenny George's basketball game since the UNC contest. Well kids, we finally got this one from Deadspin yesterday. We also love how Big Kenny only played six seconds against high-tempo VMI, but still managed to hit the game winner. And at 3-0 in league play, the possibility of Kenny and UNC-Ashville making the Dance almost makes my head explode with awesomeness.
STF Conference Reports - The MAC 1/22/2008
GMoney from The Money Shot here again to break down some mid-major conference hoops action for you all. Its mid-January in the Mid-American Conference and conference play is starting to heat up. It looks if it’s “same old, same old” as the East side of the conference is once again far superior to its Western counterparts. In fact, one might say that the best 4 teams in the conference are all in the East. The East has been beating up on one another over the past two weeks and now looks to feast on the less than stellar West for the rest of the month. My recap of the conference thus far is going to look like I don’t pay attention to the West…but in all honesty, it sucks.
Team of the Past Few Weeks: Akron Zips
Ugh, I truly hate this team. They want respect nationally yet fail to even try to schedule an opponent from a big conference. Seriously, they are an NJIT home win away from having the worst schedule ever. But, they have started off 4-0 in the conference and 14-3 overall and that warrants some mention. They have been fortunate enough to get Miami and Ohio U. at home so the real meat of their schedule begins in the back half when they have to take their show of Guard Nick Dials and Center Jeremiah Wood on the road. Wednesday’s game at home vs. 14-4 Kent State should be automatic viewing for any hoops junkie as these two schools, separated by only a few miles, hate each other.
Worst Team of the Past Few Weeks: My Miami RedHawks
To be fair, this team could not afford any injuries to stud Forwards Tim Pollitz and Mike Bramos. Bramos has been troubled with an ankle injury over the past month and the offense (as well as the normally staunch defense) has struggled. With Sunday’s win over Buffalo, Miami ended it’s first 5 game losing streak in over 15 years and now sit at 1-3 conference and 7-9 overall. Much, much more was expected from the RedHawks after beating Xavier, Mississippi State, and South Alabama early on, but now that the weak Western foes are on the docket, maybe my alma mater can reel off a big winning streak.
Player(s) of the Past Few Weeks: Ohio Center Leon Williams and Kent State Center Haminn Quaintance (pictured)
Williams has been a force in Athens the past four years and continues to dominate the MAC. He is averaging near a double-double with 16.8 points and 9.9 boards per game. “Q” Quaintance is easily the most improved player in the conference. The Flashes center is also a double-double machine and is leading the conference with more than 2 blocks per game. Both these guys are flat out dominating the paint this season. And with the aforementioned Pollitz from Miami and Wood from Akron, as well as Western Michigan’s Joe Reitz, a post presence in this conference is a necessity.
What to Watch For:
1/22: Western Michigan @ Central Michigan - because someone has to win the West
1/23: Kent State @ Akron - not sure if it’s on TV, but if it is, WATCH IT
1/27: Kent State @ Western Michigan
Checking Out the Cleveland State Vikings
You want to know how much I love college basketball? I even love being wrong about college basketball. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the vast potential for misjudging the field is a big part of what makes the sport so fun for me - I like surprises.
I have been touting the Horizon as this year's multi-bid mid all season, but I've been doing so under the banners of the usual suspects: Butler, Wright State, Valpo. But what ho? It appeareth that yet another midwestern program of little repute is nudging those worthies aside in conference play, having taken down all three in a row. Cleveland State now sits at 7-0 in the Horizzy, with a respectable overall mark of 14-5.
The rampaging Vikes do not appear to be a star-driven team: top scorers Cedric Jackson and J'Nathan Bullock average only 29 minutes and 14 points apiece. Oddly, for an unheralded mid-major, Cleveland State seems to have depth. Bullock has been a rock for the Vikings all three seasons he's played, but the rest of the team has been bolstered by transfers: Jackson from St. John's, Chris Moore from UCSB, and George Tandy from Eastern Illinois. They hang their hat on perimeter defense, holding opponents to .26 from behind the arc over the past nine games.
The closest the Vikings come to our TV screens is a Feb. 20th matchup with Wisconsin-Milwaukee, which can be seen on ESPN Full Court. Until then, we'll just have to watch their win totals rise and wonder what the heck they look like.
Breakfast of Champions 1/22
Game of the Night
Georgetown 64 Syracuse 62 (OT)
Cmon Johnny Flynn! You're supposed to the Tebow like legend at Cuse! You're the one who was gonna make me look smart by hitting that quarter-court three to beat the Hoyas at the buzzer! But no, fantastic game aside (24 points), Flynn missed one in overtime and regulation that could have won it for the Cuse, as the Hoyas absolutely stole one this one at home . In the tight/befuddling Big East this season, the Hoyas get a leg up on everyone for not stumbling on themselves with a chance to head to the top of the standings. As for the Cuse, this is just latest of a series of heartbreaks that seems to have stretched two seasons now. It was almost like the Hoyas put a shield around the bucket after Green's fade-away bank shot (which I thought sealed) as the Orange would score only two more point the rest of the game.
(For an excellent recap of the game, check out Jameson's Cuseadelphia blog).
Also Intriguing
Texas 63 Oklahoma State 61
DJ Augustin continues to state his case for All-American spot, pouring in 26 as the Horns held off the Cowboys for the two point. Nothing on last year's classic, but still a quality road for the Longhorns.
Mid-Major Spotlight
Gonazaga 72 San Francisco 64
At this rate, maybe we'll be seeing Eddie Sutton's 800th loss before the 800th win. Sure would make Whelliston happy.
The Links
Finally realizing that they had the worst basketball team in the BCS, Oregon State decided to shitcan coach John Jay (College Hoops Journal)
We love Bucknell coach Pat Flannery (I've got ties there) but we are in now way surprised that he was suspended a game for yelling at the refs ( ESPN )
Bally's arch nemesis? (Mid-Majority)
How about some love for the seniors? (Seth Davis, SI)
Picking apart Grant Wahl's Magic 8 (Rush the Court)
Monday, January 21, 2008
Hoop Night 1/21/2008
Hoop Night is your daily preview of televised NCAA action. Saturday I realized my own version of hell - watching an intense Kansas/Missouri game with my enthusiastic, but clueless, mom and mother-in-law.
Don't Miss
Syracuse at #9 Georgetown - 7pm, ESPN
In STF terms, this is the battle of Ted and Jameson. Taking a slightly more worldy view, it's an Orange team that is struggling to stay relevant in the Big East after a rash of injuries, and a bunch of Hoyas hoping to stay on top for the rest of the season. Will Senior leadership win out over explosive youth? Watch and find out.
Watch if you Remember the Triple-OT Cowboy Win
#12 Texas at Oklahoma State - 9pm, ESPN
Last year this game was epic - two eye-bleedingly orange fan bases screaming their guts out and, finally collapsing in either agony or triumph as the third OT finally played out. Odd fact: OSU only played eight players in the 105-103 victory. This year? Probably not quite as good without Durant and James On Curry, but still interesting.
Tivo It and Watch Eddie Sutton's Wrinkles Grow Deeper
San Francisco at Gonzaga - Midnight, ESPN
This is one of those situations where I'm kind of torn. I'm actively rooting against the uber-crooked Sutton's drive to 800. But he's still coaching a team full of student-athletes who deserve better. Considering that they weren't winning anything before the mercenary Sutton came along, I guess I feel OK rooting for their futility to continue. Go Zags.
Also On
Howard at South Carolina State - 7pm, ESPNU
Alcorn State at Arkansas-Pine Bluff - 9pm, ESPNU
Pepperdine at Santa Clara - 11pm, ESPNU
Vance Walberg out at Pepperdine
Our WCC correspondent Brandon wrote this examination of the short tenure of Pepperdine head coach Vance Walberg for his blog The Sports Logo Pundit. We looked at Walberg's innovations in the infancy of this site, and are surprised that his tenure was so short. Here's Brandon's take, from his viewpoint in the seats at Firestone Fieldhouse.
by El Branderino
The Vance Walberg experiment has ended at Pepperdine. Walberg, the coach that jumped from high school to city college to Division I basketball, resigned today citing personal and family reasons for leaving.
It was a short, ugly tenure for Walberg, his 14-35 record speaks for itself and his final game as head coach was one of the worst Division I games I have ever watched. Gonzaga, who in fairness is hitting their stride and with Josh Heytvelt finally healthy might be good enough to beat anyone in the country, made Walberg’s Waves look downright silly in front of Pepperdine’s largest crowd of the season and the largest student crowd that I have seen in the threes years I’ve been going to their games.
It’s disappointing to see the experiment end this way. Walberg’s attack-attack-skip-attack-attack style of play - a style that emphasizes quick drives to the basket followed by a pass to outside shooters if the layup isn’t there - was supposed to, at the very least, make the Waves an interesting team to watch. As the originator of this style that has been partially implemented by many teams on all levels across the country including John Calipari at Memphis, Walberg was called on by Pepperdine to bring his style whole-heartedly to the Waves and take a team that had become dull and predictable under Paul Westphal and turn it into something exciting and completely crazy.
Unfortunately, the cupboard was left so bare by Westphal except for returning freshman Michael Gerrity and raw talent Kingsley Costain, Walberg never had the horses to make it work. Gerrity, a talented, gritty point guard, quickly transferred to Charlotte before the 2006-2007 season leaving just Costain to shoulder the load of a demanding style of play. He played admirably in a forgettable 8-23 season, but when he was mysteriously kicked out of school just before this season started, Pepperdine was left with a young, largely anonymous group of players that currently aren’t deep enough to make the system work. And except for occasional games against lower level teams like Division III Hope International earlier this month, we never got to see AASAA in all its glory.
Assistant coach Eric Bridgeland takes over for Walberg on an interim basis. If Pepperdine wants to continue working with and developing the AASAA style of play, Bridgeland is a good choice to take over for Walberg permanently. As a coach at Division III Puget Sound, his teams played a similar (if not the same) up-tempo style and were wildly successful. As Pepperdine’s recruiting coordinator, he has worked for two seasons to put together a team that eventually, with more experience and even more athletes on board, could make the system work. Their top three scorers are talented, athletic freshman. Crawford High School (San Diego) teammates Tyrone Shelley and Malcolm Thomas lead the way with 15.6 and 13.6 points per game respectively while Australian forward Daniel Johnson is chipping in 9.7 ppg.
I am of the opinion that this is the direction Pepperdine should take the program. It is unfair to these freshman and the recruits coming in next year that they recruited specifically to play this style to suddenly bring in someone that will totally change what they are doing. It’s a better option than completely throwing away the last two seasons and starting over, as tempting as that seems. It can’t get much worse than 14-35, but if they dump AASAA after just two seasons, I fear that it will get worse.
But I fully expect Pepperdine to go after a replacement with a bigger name than Bridgeland to make some, please excuse me, waves. They took a lot of heat for making such a bold decision to go after a gimmicky city college coach with no Divison I experience in Walberg and I have to think that they are wrongly excited to show the Pepperdine community that they are taking the losing very seriously and want to correct a mistake in judgement, whether it really is the right move or not.
This is Malibu after all, image is everything. Firestone Fieldhouse is not immune.
Thanks, Brandon. If you hear more about why Walberg was on such a short leash, we're all ears.
STF Fan Rant: WCC + Big Monday = Buttface
Today's fan rant comes from La Rev of the excellent Gonzaga blog La Revolucion.
This rant and I go way back. We're like old buddies, that is if one of the old buddies spent every waking moment calling the other one a stupid buttface.
What could I possibly be complaining about, especially knowing where we were in 1999 and where we are now, with a bunch of games broadcast throughout the country? For starters, the start time is completely ridiculous, and frankly, kind of insulting. Roughly 8o% of all Americans live in either the Eastern or Central time zones. That means 80% of you, even if you wanted to watch Pepperdine play basketball, would have to stay up till 11 or 12 just waiting for the game to start. Who's going to do that? Better still, who's going to stay up for the next two hours to wait to see how the thing finishes?
The WCC can tell themselves all they want that ESPN wants to give them publicity or whatever. Having watched the GU-Pepperdine laugher (and it was a laugher, trust me on this), I can say anyone who still thinks that is fooling themselves. The ESPN production team even took the opportunity to endlessly show screen-wide graphics advertise their upcoming schedule of games, including when one offense was bringing the ball up the court or when one team or another was shooting free throws.
Sure, ESPN gives constant Carolina-Duke reminders in all their broadcast, but at no point in this Louisville-Marquette game I'm watching have they ever blocked out the whole screen with said reminders during play. ESPN doesn't care about you, WCC. Oh, they like having you around. You're good for free advertising, and they'll give up the chance to air a back-to-back Sports Center for you, but that's about it.
Monday Madness: Everyone Goes Down
Super Awesome Team of the Week
Tennessee Volunteers
After flying under the-radar for much of the season thanks to a slow start in the preseason slate, the Vols are finally playing the way that everyone expected them to. The home blowout win over Vanderbilt, where the Commodores where completely thrown out of their offensive game, just proved that the Vols are easily the class of the SEC. In the hard fought home win over Ohio State, the Vols rallied from a second half deficient, something a few teams ranked ahead of them (UNC, UCLA) couldn’t do. Even with Chris Lofton still scoring below last season’s average, the balanced scoring attack of the Smith’s (JaJuan, Tyler and Ramar ) and super transfer J.P Prince may actually make the Vols a more dangerous than last season.
Close: USC (statement win vs. UCLA), Duke (quietly in the Top 5), Indiana (Didn't get upset), Miss State (4-0 SEC), Cincinnati (The Official 2008 Spoiler beat Pitt), UMass (resume building wins vs Dayton, Charlotte), Stanford (key sweep of Zona schools), UConn (first marquee win over Marquette), Temple (surprising first place of A10).
Bad, Bad Week
Texas A&M Aggies
Trust me, there were plenty of candidates for this, but we’ll go with the Aggies, who got absolutely crushed in road games to Texas Tech and Kansas State. The Aggies have been hanging around the top 10 much of the season after winning the Preseason NIT back in November, but really haven’t done much since then. With the losses this week, the Aggies have now lost all three tough road contests this season.
Close: Marquette (smoked in losses to Louisville and UConn) Miami (FL) (May be this year’s Clemson after losing twice on the road), North Carolina (And the questioning begins…) Holy Cross (now 0-3 in Patriot), Florida State (two tough ACC losses).
Upset of the Week
Maryland 82 North Carolina 80
Mid-Major Spotlight
Cleveland State Vikings
Baylor Bears
With about 50 days to Selection Sunday, time to start focusing on some bubble teams. One team to pick up a huge bubble win over the weekend was Baylor, who defeated Nebraska 72-70 in a likely battle for the Big 12’s final bid. It’s hard not to root this Bears squad, seeing how much this program had to overcome form the Bliss era and how Baylor seems to suck at just about every sport. At 15-2 and an RPI of 32, it’s going to take a pretty severe collapse to keep the Bears from dancing.
Rick Majerus, Saint Louis
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Ready For March Yet?
Rodrick Stewart - The Jayhawks' Forgotten Man
USC Fans probably remember Rodrick Stewart. He and his twin brother Lodrick were prized recruits out of Seattle when they signed with Henry Bibby as a package deal. Stewart picked up his fair share of minutes at guard during his inaugural season in L.A., but didn't make much of them - he averaged just 4pts, 2 asts, and less than a steal per game in just over 20 minutes of play per contest. In addition, he struggled academically as a Trojan, and was set to miss part of his sophomore season anyway when he decided to transfer to Kansas.
After sitting out his transfer year, and presumably getting his academic house in order, Stewart took the floor at Phog Allen Fieldhouse with expectations of a big season. He failed to make a dent in a lineup that already featured current Jayhawk stalwarts Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers, and Russell Robinson, and when Sherron Collins came along a year later, Rodrick was practically glued to the bench. It would take a catastrophe for him to see the floor, and his statistical averages tended to begin with a decimal point.
This season, however, Rodrick finally got the chance he had sought. Brandon Rush began the season on the bench as he rehabbed a knee injury, which opened up a perfect spot for the 6'4" Stewart off the bench. He carved roughly 15 minutes per game out of the injured all-star's minutes, and helped the Jayhawks stay strong in the early going.
When lightning-quick Sherron Collins suffered a microfracture of his foot, Stewart really began to reap floor time. His season high was 29 minutes vs. his old school, USC, in which he managed only four points, seven rebounds, and was harrassed into five turnovers. His best overall performance as a key sub was a 13 point, 6 rebound outing against another Pac-10 team, Arizona. Even in that game, Rush played more minutes off the bench than Stewart did as a starter. Stewart started against DePaul, scoring only four points, and Rush was back in his accustomed spot by the following game - a neutral-court blowout of Ohio.
With Collins also back, and the Big 12 season in full swing, Stewart has again become the invisible man. Kansas fans can thank him for keeping the ship steady during the non-conference run - he didn't make mistakes, and contributed directly to the big win over Budinger and Bayless - and Stewart can never claim that he didn't get a chance to prove himself. In the end, it takes more than four points per game to start at Kansas.
Perhaps Stewart could have made more of a name for himself if he had transferred to a mid-major somewhere, but he took his chances with one of the top programs in the country. And on March 3rd, when he plays his last home game at Allen Field House, Rodrick will hear the cheers of the Jayhawk faithful, and get the traditional senior day start, and hopefully he'll feel he did the right thing.
