Its getting to be that time of year again. Punxatawny Phil is going to try and pimp his shadow. Actors start sucking up for Oscars. And, Duke and UNC start pulling away from the rest of the ACC en route to the first of 2 death-matches every year. Its not that the rest of the ACC is bad -- in fact, Maryland, Wake Forest, Clemson and Miami have all had their spurts-- but as it usually is (last year being a glaring exception) the two teams in blue distance themselves like Lance Armstrong in the mountain stages. So, here's what's happening on Tobacco Road:
Team of the Week: Duke
Having not trailed all year at the half, Duke first back from their first 2 haltime defecits this past week in thwarting upset bids by the very capable Terps and the very red? Wolfpack. For a team that lacked any resolve last year, this team has become the living incarnation of it. Greg Paulus might be the most clutch shooter in the conference. Demarcus Nelson and Gerald Henderson are wreaking havoc on offense and defense and Kyle Singler has become the Phillip Seymour Hoffman of the league, capable of quirky, nuianced supporting performances but also scene stealing, dynamic lead roles when the lights are on him. Could be a "Beowulf"-esque battle in Chapel Hill this coming Thursday.
Worst of the Week: Boston College
A week ago, they were talked about as the clear cut #3 team in the conference and a step above the cluster**** of teams right below. So, what happens? They lose in OT, at home, to Virginia Tech. Then, they go in to the Dean Dome and get steamrolled (courtesy of a 21-0 run between the end of the first half and start of the second) by the Heels. They are plagued by foul trouble, offensive inconsistency and an inability to handle full court pressure. Yep, they sound just like everyone else they recently joined in that steaming pile right below Duke and Carolina.
Player of the Week: Jeff Teague, WF
Hardly referenced as one of the better freshmen in the league coming into the season, Jeff Teague has proved an invaluable part of the Wake resurgence. Starting for the injured L.D. Williams on Monday, Teague goes for a career-high 27 as the Deacs eek out a 2 point win against The U. An excellent long range bomber and second in the ACC in steals, Teague proves case-in-point that you don't have to wear McDonald's on your jersey before you head to school to be a potent force and major contributor to your team. Between him and (my current pick for ACC ROY) James Johnson, coupled with the recruiting juggernaut coming in next year, Lil' Dino's gonna have to coach his butt off to find space for all these great, inspiring youngsters.
To Watch This Week:
DUKE @ CAROLINA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (One game to rule them all... until the first week of March).
Friday, February 1, 2008
STF Conference Report: The ACC 2/1/2008
Auto-Bid Watch: 2/1/2008
We'll skip over the top 10 of the conference RPI and look at which teams are positioning themselves for favorable conference tourney seeds, and, hopefully, the auto-bid.
1. ACC2. Pac 10
3. Big East
4. Big 12
5. SEC
6. Big Ten
7. Atlantic 10
8. MVC
9. Mountain West
10. Horizon League
11. C-USA - Memphis. No auto-bid required after stomping Houston into a pulp on Wednesday, so it's up to the also-rans to somehow make it count in March.
12. WCC - Gonzaga's late-season ramblings are handing them losses, but none in conference. The Zags are 5-0, with St. Mary's and San Diego lurking at 4-1. Bulldogs and Gaels meet on Big Monday, but San Diego has a couple of weeks against lesser competition ahead.
13. MAC - Right now, this conference belongs to Kent State in the East (6-1), and Western Michigan in the West (5-2). Three other Ohio-based schools are lined up behind Kent State with 5-2 records, however, so every week is a big week.
14. CAA - George Mason moved to 7-3 by notching a thrilling home win over VCU (8-2). They have company, however. UNC-Wilmington and a surprising William & Mary squad are hanging right with them.
15. Sun Belt - North Texas handed South Alabama their first setback of the conference season last night. That moves the Team USA Jaguars into a 9-1 tie with Western Kentucky and their NBA-ready star Courtney Lee (21ppg). The two don't face off directly until Feb. 21
16. SoCon - As steady as they come. Davidson is flying high at 12-0, with 9-2 Chattanooga and 8-3 Appalachian State as their nearest rivals. The Wildcats and Mocs have a night game tomorrow that could render the remainder of the regular season moot.
17. WAC - Roughly half of the league is still hanging around in this one. Utah State has a slim edge at 5-1, with Boise, Nevada, NMSU, and Hawaii all within striking distance.
18. Metro Atlantic - Another case of a talented player slipping through the cracks to land at a mid-major. Which is good for us fans. Jason Thompson is averaging a double-double for Rider (9-2), who sit atop the MAAC with a slim 1/2 game lead over Siena.
19. Patriot - The Lafayette Leopards are 5-1, which gives them a paper-thin one-game lead on Lehigh and Bucknell. Both teams will have a shot at the league leader back-to-back in late February.
20. Big West - Cal State-Northridge still holds court here, perfect at 7-0. The Matadors have already notched one win vs. 5-2 Pacific, and will meet 6-2 Fullerton late on Saturday.
21. Southland - Constipated. Lamar is 4-1, SELA, Sam Houston, and SFA are 4-2.
22. Summit - Oral Roberts still 9-0.
23. Ivy - Cornell is 2-0. Penn and Princeton have yet to play a league game.
24. Big Sky - Weber State 6-2, with Portland State on the rise at 5-2.
25. NEC - Wagner Power Painters 8-1, Sacred Heart still beating at 9-2.
26. Big South - UNC-Asheville 6-0. Winthrop dangerously near at 5-1.
27. America East - Troika of UMBC, Vermont, and Binghamton share 6-2 records.
28. Mid Eastern - Todd Bozeman has Morgan State at 6-1, with Hampton and Norfolk 1/2 game back.
29. Atlantic Sun - Jacksonville is 7-1, with Belmont on their lee quarter at 6-2.
30. Ohio Valley - Austin Peay (10-3) took down Murray State (9-4) to stay strong.
31. Indies - No bids. Kyle wrote a nice piece about Texas Pan-American's Paul Stoll, however, so you should check that out.
32. SWAC - Alabama State 6-1. Arkansas-Pine Bluff wants a piece of that play-in game action at 5-2.
Cameron Crazies Go Al Gore on Everyone's Ass
Confused about seeing the Cameron Crazies in green last night vs. NC State? Well, the "green out" by the Cameron Crazies was done to symbolize Duke University's commitment to the environment. The slogan for the evening as "Bleed Blue, Live Green".
All well and good to support Mother Nature, but I'm guessing that they never got the memo down in Durham that "caring for the environment" is totally 2007. That fad peaked with Live Earth and An Inconvenient Truth. Inform me when the Crazies are wearing all red to support the search for Manbearpig, then I'll be interested.
STF Conference Reports: The NEC 2/1/2008
by Raff
All the preseason prognostications had Sacred Heart as the team to beat in the Northeast Conference. The Pioneers promptly started the season 0-6 and everyone had to be wondering if last year's near miss at a tourney bid was a fluke. But then things started to go SHU's way, and jump shots started to fall, and the Pioneers won 5 of 7 with their only losses coming at Boston College and Providence during the stretch.
So most folks thought that as the conference slate got going the Pioneers would be just fine. Afterall, they were 2-0 in league play, courtesy of a pair on December conference wins. However, an 0-2 road trip to start the month, losing to Wagner and St. Francis (NY) once again tempered expectations.
Since then, Sacred Heart has been nothing short of spectacular. The Pioneers have won five in a row including a pair of one-point nailbiting wins in Fairfield last week. SHU beat Long Island 77-76 on Thursday before clipping Quinnipiac 75-74 on Saturday ending the Bobcats four game win streak. Drew Shubik led the Pioneers with 20 against QU, while Brice Brooks had 24 in the win over LIU. Brooks leads the attack with 12 points a game, as SHU has 7 players who average 6.6 points per night or more. Brooks has been in double figures 12 of 15 games since the 0-6 start.
Team of the Week: We could easily say SHU here, but we just wrote 3 graphs on them. So let's go with St. Francis (PA), who had lost 9 in a row before winning a pair of games last week. The Red Flash downed name counterpart St. Francis (NY) in three overtimes to get the week started, before nipping Central Connecticut 73-72 on the weekend. Devin Sweetney was named NEC player of the week for his efforts averaging 19.5 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists in the two wins. He scored 21 and grabbed 11 rebounds in 49 minutes during the OT thriller. The pair of wins jumps PA back into the NEC tournament picture, as only the top eight teams in the 11-team league participate. The Flash is now in 7th place.
Bare Week: Central Connecticut. The defending league champion had a chance to re-enter the league title chase if they could come away with a solid Western PA road swing. But they dropped a pair of games. First they lost by 11 at Robert Morris and then they dropped the heartbreaker to St. Francis (PA). The losses dropped Central to 5-5 in the league, all the way to sixth place in this conference.
Player of the Week: We gave Demario Anderson the nod last week, and we have to go back to the Bobcats senior again this week. Quinnipiac only played one game last week, the key encounter with Sacred Heart, and it was a loss for the Bobcats. But Anderson had 30 and 11. Those type of numbers keep the crown with Anderson this week.
Games to Watch:
Thursday 1/31 - Wagner @ Long Island - League leaders try to avenge its only loss
Saturday 2/2 - Robert Morris @ Mt. St. Mary's - Always some good action when these teams get together
Thursday 2/7 - Wagner @ Mt. St. Mary's - Mounties just missed in road comeback attempt on Staten Island, now the Seahawks come to the Knott
Breakfast of Champions: 2/1
Wisconsin 62 Indiana 49
Loss at Madison in understandable, but we're officially worried about Gordon's wrist.
Big man: Hughes 16 points
Cal 69 Washington State 64
Shocker from Wazzou.... second upset in less than a week is more a sign of a strong Pac-1o than an overrated WSU
Big man: Ryan Anderson 27 points
Arizona 80 USC 69
Loving the Zona - Sweet 16 pick if Budinger plays like this
Big man: Budinger, 29 points
Duke 92 NC State 72
For second straight game, the Blue Devils start slow (down 9 at half) only to explode in the second half.
Big man: Paulus 22 points
UCLA 84 Arizona State 51
Yikes, having second thoughts on ASU's credentials after the latest thud
Big man: Shipp, 21 points
North Carolina 91 Boston College 69
I think Boston fans can get over this one
Big man: Hansbrough 18 points
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Hoop Night 1/31
Don’t Miss
Huge Big Ten ramifications are on the line in
Watch If You Just Can’t Get Enough
For those of you hoping that
Tivo and Watch the Season Premire of Lost
NC State at Duke ESPN2
Somehow, the Blue Devils have been flying under the radar behind the likes of
Also On:
STF Conference Reports: Pac-10 1/31
Team Of The Week - Arizona. What a difference a Bayless makes. Since the 'Cats fantastic freshman returned to the lineup the 'Cats are 4-1. With wins at Houston and California to go along with this past week's pair of wins at home against the two Washington schools. Beating the Huskies is no surprise, but knocking off the Cougars by double-digits? Along with Bayless, Chase Budinger has finally become the consistent offensive weapon he was expected to be. Averaging 20+ points over the last week. The final piece is Jordan Hill, who's the 'Cats version of Ben Wallace with his truckload of blocked shots and rebounds. Against Wazzu Hill racked up 6 blocks and 10 boards forcing the Cougars away from the basket all night. Right now Arizona's a tournament lock with their success against the country's toughest schedule ((14-6) 4-3).
Player Of The Week - Kevin Love. As great of a week as Bayless, Budinger, and even Mayo had it was all about the Love this week. In his return to his home state Kevin Love was dominant as his team completed the 2-game sweep of Oregon. He yanked down 18 and 21 rebounds in the two games. He added 26 and 16 points as well. It was truly dominant week for Kevin Love and it makes it hard to blame those Oregon fans for booing. He alone would turn the Ducks into a contender. I still don't think he's one of the country's top three freshman, but he's certainly in the conversation. (For the record: Eric Gordon, Micheal Beasley, and Jerryd Bayless).
Team With The Worst Week - Arizona State. Their's just not excuse for losing to one of the conference worst three teams -- at home -- by double-digits. None at all. They almost salvaged the week when the Cougars came calling, but fell again, this time by just one point. ASU remains among the Pac-10 leaders, but I'm still not buying them as one of the best three teams out West. They've still got a long way to go for that and it starts with Jeff Pendergraph. When he plays well they're at the top of their game, when he's turning the ball over 6 times and being consistently dominated inside. Harden isn't enough, if this team is getting out of the first weekend come tournament time it'll be because of Pendergraph.
Game To Watch -
1/31 - Arizona @ USC, this one will certainly be fun to watch. Best Matchup: Bayless V. Mayo
1/31 - Arizona State @ (5) UCLA, Does ASU reall belong atop the conference? Best Matchup: Harden V. Shipp
2/2 - (14) Stanford @ (9) Washington State, Is Wazzu slipping? This'll answer that. Best Matchup: Baynes V. Lopez
2/2 - Arizona @ UCLA, This should tell us just how good Arizona is. Best Matchup: Bayless V. Collison
2/2 Arizona State @ USC, Looks good on the resume, either way. Best Matchup: Jefferson V. Pendergraph
STF Conference Report - Big Ten
STF Conference Reports: The Big 12 1/31/2008
The conference season began in earnest this week, with the renewal of the Bedlam Series, and a huge Sunflower State matchup between Kansas and Kansas State. A&M lost a couple, then bounced back at home, taking out a ranked Texas team. A pecking order is shaking out, and it's a bit heavy on Kansas and Texas schools. Here's the rundown, Smokey.
Team of the Week. As if there's any doubt: Kansas State by a mile. Breaking that home loss streak must have been a huge relief for Wildcat fans, and probably, in most minds, justified the short-term leasing of Bob Huggins. And this really is a team award, as three freshmen scored 20+ to put the purple on top of the league. Those early losses mean nothing now.
Player of the Week. Michael Beasley. Is it too soon for this guy to go on to the NBA? Can we bend the rules just a bit? No? Damn.
College basketball's #1 Freshman put in 29/13 at CU, 33/15 vs. Iowa State, and then 25/6 against a Kansas team that had to resort to doubling and tripling him. As Marco pointed out in the BOC, Beasley adjusted his game, hitting all four of his three-pointers, and made sure his teammates stayed involved. Given the all-around game, I have to say he's more impressive than Durant was in his one year at Texas. Defenders must be seeing this sneer in their nightmares.
Worst Team. Good ole Mizzou. Just when you think they've escaped the stain of the Quin Snyder years, one little brawl at a Columbia, MO nightclub (those must rock) brings the whole program down for the rest of the season. Stefhon Hannah is out with a broken jaw, and a host of teammates are benched indefinitely for participating in the fight. Looks like some lucky walk-ons are going to get a chance to be real DI players.
Games to Watch
Kansas at Colorado - February 2, 3pm, ABC. So let me get this straight. We don't get to see the KU/KState thriller, but we get to watch the Jayhawks take it out on a cellar-dweller? Nice.
Baylor at Texas - February 2, 1:45. The Bears hope to ensconce themselves in the top half of the league by continuing the Longhorns' in-state misery.
Oklahoma at Texas A&M - Feb 2, 4pm. Interesting second-tier matchup. Blake Griffin is back at OU, and the Aggies just got a big win over Texas.
Breakfast of Champions: 1/31
Kansas State 84 Kansas 75
Michael Beasley (who knew had the long range game?) and Bill Walker combine for 47 points, as K-State knock off previously unbeaten Kansas at home for the first time in this guy's lifetime (24 years). This will, no doubt, be the most deserved floor storming of any fanbase all season. So it may not be a victory in Africa, but I think Wildcat fans will take it.
Big man: Michael Beasley, 25 points
Memphis 89 Houston 77
Cougars made it a game early by pressing, but as usual, CDR's took over.
Big man: Chris Douglas Roberts, 30 points
Texas A&M 80 Texas 63
Much needed win by the Aggies, probably confirms that texas really isn't Top 10 material
Big man: Josh Carter, 19 points
Drake 75 Creighton 65
That would be the final nail in the MVC coffin for the Bulldogs
Big man: Josh Young, 24 points
Ole Miss 74 Vanderbilt 58
Vandy takes the lead in "Biggest Clemson-like Collapse of 2008"
Big man: Chris Warren, Ole Miss, 20 points 1o boards
Arkansas 78 Miss State 58
Welcome back to tournament discussion, Razorbacks!
Big man: Sonny Weems, 22 points
Cincinnati 62 West Virginia 39
Cincy season will not be compete until they give every team in the Big East a bad loss
Big man: Vaughn, 18 points
Georgetown 74 St. John's 42
To think, the SJU fan rant was written before this disaster. Red Storm fans have it bad
Big man: Vernon Maklin (?) 19 points
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Memphis- Houston Live-Blog 2nd Half
- And we are back....for the record, I have zero faith in Houston keeping this close. They blew their chance in the first 10 minutes. Memphis is too .
- CDR has the quietest 14 points I can remember. Seriously, how could anyone with such a cool name/cool shot be this underrated? Freakin' Kenny George has more pub than him
- Good lord, Memphis is just so overwhelimng. Just keeping pushing and pushing with so amny players. 8-0 Tiger run to start the half 54-35
- Honestly, if you Houston is the second best team in CUSA, what in god's name does a tema like Rice do when they play Memphis?
- CDR! Another bucket gives him 20 for the game. I'm torn between CDR and Gordon for my man-crush of the year
16:00 Memphis 56 Houston 42
- Good lord, we picked a good day to run a St. John's rant. They trailed 41-15 in he first half to Gtown
- Houston's Rocky Pane is doing his best to keep this close. Nice player, only Cougars can drive to the bucket tonight
- Teams have traded baskets in the last four minutes, which is exactly what Houston can't do
- Brandan Wright All-Stars? We have new name for DH, the Joey Dorsey All-Stars. Houston should just employ the hack-a-Dorsey after two more missed two more FTs.
- CDR is down with 3 fouls....down 14. Houston needs to make a run now or I'm watching KU-KSU on Gametracker
12:00 Memphis 66 Houston 54
- How about that! I trash this game we are back to 10. If Houston stays away from the TOs and starts hitting some treys, who knows
- Bucket by UH's Williams, down to 8....crowd is finally back into it.
- But CDR has the answer, hitting the jumper to get it back to 10. He's on the shortlist of guys I want to shoot the game winner
- Down to 8,but again (!) .....CDR answers the call.
- Still at 10, but the crowd is back into it and at least it's a game
7:00 Memphis 72 Houston 62
- Possible the play of the game....Dowell drives to the bucket, is hit so hard he's knocked to the floor but no foul is called, leads to fastbreak dunk for CDR. Back to 12. Game.Set.Match
- Doresy gets the attention, but Dozier might the most talented man under the bucker for the Tigers...two straight baskets for him.
- The teams trade buckets until the end...nice win in a hostile enviroment for the Tiger. And if you haven't really watched CDR play in person, do so immediatly He does everything. Thank you everyone who joined this randomly late live-blog. If my classes continue to get cancelled, well do it again before March. Now, time to hear about the Kansas loss....
Final: Memphis 89 Houston 77
Memphis-Houston Live-Blog First Half
Surprise, surprise. No Kansas-K-State. Sorry bout that, apparently the Slingbox I have is not "Registered For That Purchase" Super lame. Amazing, the other undefeated team in the country is also playing a difficult road game and most of America cna't miss. I'm already out of class, so why not live-blog this bad boy instead?
Memphis-Houston 1st Half
- Good lord is the crowd is going nuts as. Makes sense, they have been waiting 25 years for a game like this. Dowdell just threw down a monster dunk and the Cougs have an early 4-0 lead and has even caused Calipari to call an early time out at the 18:40 mark! The Cougars might be bale to get by on momentum for awhile in this one.
- Another turnover for Memphis...they look extremely flusters, which makes sense since have havn't really played a true tough roadie all year
- Houston is pressing Memphis and really forcing the Tiger into some bad shots early on.....but they better a 75 man bench if they want to keep this up all night.
- And our first Joey Dorsey foul shot....amazingly 1-2 from the 36% shooter.
- Big three form Dowdell to give the Cougars 9-4 lead......looks like he's brought his A game tonight
16:00 Houston 9 Memphis 4
- Of all the Memphis players looking flustered, Rose is leading the way
- I'm pretty positive that none of the Houston faithful has yet to sit down in the arena.
- "Fluff"hits a trey from the top of the arc to make it 15-9.......Fluff gets all STF team honorable mention.
- Questionable charge call on Memphis's Willie Kemp.....looking like the Cougs are also getting all the calls early in this one...followed by a weak and-1 by UH's McHiver. Mojo not in the Tigers favor early on....
12:00 Houston 17 Memphis 11
- Mna it's always an adventure when Memphis goes to the line....three straight misses, and only one by Dorsey....remember that come tourney time
- Well, that was fast...Houston goes cold from the field and Tigers hit three treys in what felt like thirty seconds...Memphis one top for the first time 22-18
-Just saw that Cincy is up 20 on WVU at Morgantown.....goaltending hangover?
- More threes from Memphis....13-0.....Tigers finally hitting their stride....Houston is taking some horrible shots....Houston can't let this one get way from them
8:00 Memphis 28 Houston 22
- In case you were wondering, Tom Penders is rocking a wonderfully awesome red blazer
- Finally, Rocky Pane for three for Houston....and Douglas-Roberts responds with a three....Tigers back up 9.
- I think the extremely weird shot by Douglas-Roberts makes me enjoy his game even more....it's like a pitcher with a strange wind-up
- Another bucket by Kemp, this is one is getting dangerously close to slipping away from Houston in the first half.
- K-State 28 Kansas 26.....now i'm pissed that I can't watch this game.
- Quick four by Houston, but another dagger three by Anderson and Memphis
4:00 Memphis 41 Houston 31
- Houston is going to zone, finally realizing that it's probably not a good idea to outrun Memphis for 40 minutes
- Stats of the half? Houston is 3-15 from behind the arc. with seven TOs. CDR bucket makes it 15. Houston looks deflated, and I'm wishing I had KU-KSU.
- Dowell dunks one one to finish out the half, giving them maybe a half of breathe heading into the locker room
Half: Memphis 46 Houston 35
Hoop Night 1/30
**Update Live-Blogging Kansas at Kansas State tonight (8pm). I know this update is coming a whole two hours before the game, but better late than never for a great match-up you can't get on TV.
Hoopnight 1/30
Don’t Miss
Kansas at Kansas State 8pm ESPN-FC
This one is going to be a dandy….too bad 80% of people won’t see it because it’s on ESPN Full Court. Manhattan is going to be rocking and we'll know alot about the rising Wildcats and unbeaten-but-untested Jayhawks. Beasley is going to need to score 35+ to make up for KU's huge depth advantage.
Watch If You’re Into That Whole “Perfection” Thing
Memphis at Houston CSTV 8:00 pm
Another unbeaten gets a tough road challenge and the masses won't be seeing it is This is the biggest game in decades at Houston, so expect Tigers should be up for this one. Cougars actually have enough speed to hang with Memphis for awhile, but you aren't going to beat the Tigers by out-gunning them.
Tivo It and Head To a Bar Showing KU-KSU
Texas at Texas A&M 9PM ESPN
The reason that you won’t be seeing the battle of Kansas. Not a bad game in it’s own right, just not as interesting as Kansas-Kansas State with Acie Law and Kevin Durant. Aggies badly needs this one to boost their tournament resume.
Also On
West Virginia at Cincinnati ESPN2 7:00pm
Virginia at Maryland ESPN 7:00pm
Mississippi State at Arkansas 8:05 ESPN-FC
Illinois at Michigan State BTN 9:00pm
STF Road Trip: St. Peter's Peacocks
By Ray Floriani
JERSEY CITY, NJ - Friday night in Jersey City is a big basketball evening. As much as half a dozen high schools have games going on. But on this last Friday evening in January the focus is on St.Peter’s hosting Niagara in a MAAC matchup. The homestanding Peacocks used to call the Jersey City Armory, about two blocks east, home. They actually hosted Rutgers there earlier in the year and won. Since 1975, Yanitelli Center on campus has been the home for the ‘Jesuit College of New Jersey’.
For years St.Peter’s has made a living finding the diamond in the rough, under-recruited and late bloomer. The walls of Yanitelli showcase NIT, NCAA and MAAC success for the men’s and women’s teams. John Dunne, in his second year, is working hard in that finding those good, hard nosed players St.Peter’s has attracted for decades.
Tonight, though the Peacocks have their hands full. Charron Fisher, the third leading scorer in the nation, drops in 29 while running mate Tyrone Lewis adds 25, including several threes late the first half that break it open. Still, the 79-59 score is not indicative of the intensity victorious Niagara faced. “It was a war, very physical,” said Niagara mentor Joe Mihalich. “He (Dunne) has them playing hard every night out.”
STF Conference Reports: Atlantic 10
(By Brett K)
Welcome to the conference that’s full of surprises! Whether it’s Phil Martelli’s distinct yawn or the fact that Dayton has a 2-3 conference record, there is always a twist in this up-for-grabs conference.
TEAM OF THE WEEK - Saint Joseph’s
As much as this absolutely pains me to say this, it’s got to be St. Joes. After completely “schooling” one of the best academic programs in the nation (Penn) by 40, the Hawks won a huge game at home against UMass, one of the favorites to win the conference. Then, who could ever forget the emotional, controversial, dramatic win against Temple this past Sunday. Was it goaltending or was it not goaltending? That is the question… that doesn’t really matter at this point because the Hawks are now 4-1 and in second place in the conference.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK - Pat Calathes, SJU
No one hit a bigger shot or had a bigger week than Pat Calathes of St. Joes. Pat proved that he’s not the only Calathes worthy of some recognition. After averaging 20 points and 9 rebounds this week, the A-10 named Calathes the co-Conference Player of the Week, splitting the honor with Temple’s Dionte Christmas. If Calathes continues to knock down huge shots, St. Joes. might become the front runner to win the conference. It might also give Phil Martelli a chance to not look so bored.
TEAM WITH THE WORST WEEK - UMass
To prove they were an elite team in the A-10 conference, the UMass Minutemen needed to win at least one of their big games this week…They didn’t. UMass lost at St. Joe's. and were completely outplayed at home against Xavier. They now post a 2-3 conference record which is tied for 8th in the A-10. The Minutemen better become the 40-Minutemen this week as they go on the road to take on Duquesne and St. Louis. St. Bonaventure might have some serious company at the bottom of the pool if UMass can’t get their act together.
GAMES TO WATCH
1/30 UMass @ Duquesne 7 p.m.
1/30 St. Louis @ Dayton 7 p.m.
STF Fan Rant: Trouble At St John's
by Dave K. from Johnny Jungle
St. John's had a great deal of buzz coming into the season, with a highly touted recruiting class of seven players entering the program, which desperately needed a shot in the arm. Entering year four of the Norm Roberts era, many saw this as a real measuring stick of where the program has come under his tutelage.
Let me start off by saying that watching St. John's basketball is an expensive habit, because our ticket prices are very high. $15 for students and $35-85 for non-students in addition to the poor play. You can't help yourself but to have at least two $8 beers at the Garden to ease the pain. No wonder why we only fill the Garden to 25-30% capacity.
Fans question if we truly run an offense, and I'm here to tell them that we do. For example one of our most commonly ran plays is our PG will dribble at the top of the key and wait till the shot clock hits around 20, we'll run some type of keep away game passing it around the perimeter until it gets back into the hands of the PG where he steps out a little past NBA range and hoists up a 3 pointer as time expires on the shot clock. Our coach said to expect a much more uptempo team this season and its quite evident by this play that happens at least twice a game.
If for some reason we are doing well and have a lead its common to see 4 sometimes even 5 players go to the scorers table waiting for the next dead ball. After these subs occur we usually let the other team run off at least 12-15 points before we score our next basket to find ourselves down double digits. If we so happen to call a timeout our plays coming out of them are largely unsuccessful usually resulting in a turnover and fast break dunk the other way.
There are some bright spots on our team like Larry Wright who is lights out from 3 point range and you would think he would be the cure to our offensive woes except he doesn't play! Coach has buried him on the bench giving him 10-15mpg if lucky. Usually the only time you hear applause at a St. John's game this season is when Larry stands up from the bench to check in the place goes crazy despite the fact we're usually losing. What is not to like about the kid though? He has a 38'' vertical and has a silky smooth J from anywhere on the court.
Anthony Mason Jr. missed the first 6 games due to a sprained ankle but looks back to form with back to back 29 point games and is trying to keep his NBA hopes alive despite playing on such a poor team. Justin Burrell our best freshman is going to be a serious impact player in the Big East but is struggling this season because we fail to give him the ball enough partly due to double teams he is drawing. We have no other post presence besides Burrell and its quite obvious that opposing teams pay no attention to our centers and primarily focus on Burrell.
The future looks bright in New York though because we have no where to go but up. There is a good amount of young talent that continues to develop, and remember UConn failed to make the Big East Tournament last year and they might give Georgetown a run for their money to win it all this year.
The question that remains for all St. John's fans is if Norm Roberts is the man for the job or not? He runs a clean program and is a good honest man but he is terrible x's and o's guy. The team saw their worst fall semester in the past decade in the standings but the team saw the best GPA in school history. What's more important to the St. John's administration? I know the fans have ranted every game with their opinion in the form of Boooooo's. Another season goes by and we're still left saying, "Maybe next year"
Brandan Wright All-Stars: Big Ten
In last year's college basketball season, Greg Oden and Kevin Durant stole the spotlight as spectacular freshmen, en route to becoming the top two picks in the draft. Neither of them however, could hit finesse shots in the paint like Brandan Wright could. He may be riding the pine for Golden State now, but from 15 feet in, Wright's shot was unstoppable in his only year at North Carolina.
However, unlike his compatriot Tyler Hansbrough, he rarely drew fouls to get to the free throw line. Some believed that he wasn't bulky enough. Others believed he hadn't developed a mean streak. But by know, we must all know the real reason: Brandan Wright shot free throws worse than Garth Marenghi made sci-fi television.
(Warning: this clip is long, but worth it.)
Storming the Floor: Come for the college basketball, stay for the obscure British TV references.
So this is dedicated to the players who the composers of clang, the players who make student sections across the country believe they can make players miss a free throw. These...are the Brandan Wright All-Stars of the Big Ten.
Center/Forwards: The Entire Iowa Frontcourt. The three forwards on the Hawkeyes roster roster (Kurt Looby, Jarryd Cole, and Cyrus Tate) combine for the highest field goal percentage of any frontcourt in the Big Ten; however, none are better than 52.5% from the stripe. Who knows, a free throw shooting coach could be just what Todd Lickliter needs for Iowa to contend in the Big Ten and make the tourney. Or least get someone other than his starting guards to score 7 points per game.
Guard: Jeff Ryan, Northwestern. Is it physically possible for a guard to be both your team's best field goal shooter and its worst free throw shooter? Ryan manages to accomplish that; despite shooting 58.2% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc, his percentage from the stripe is only 34.6.
Guard: Mike Walker, Penn State. Field goal shooting at around 40% is understandable for a guard. A free throw percentage to match is not.
Dishonorable mention: Spencer Tollackson (Minnesota), Eric Wallace and Dallas Lauderdale (Ohio State), Sterling Williams (Northwestern), David Merritt (Michigan).
Breakfast of Champions: 1/30
George Mason 63 VCU 51
Patriots win this virtual must-win for at-large purposes.
Big man: GMU's Thomas, 21 points
Tennessee 93 Alabama 86
Vols should inquire about Rik Smith's eligibly at this point
Big man: Lofton, 23 points
Wake Forest 70 Miami 68
Canes once again fail to close out an ACC road game. Maybe they are in the need of the college basketball closer.......
Big man: WF's Teague, 27 points
SE Missouri State 121 Austin Peay 116 (3OT)
Baylor sits back and laughs at the measly three overtimes
Ohio State 68 Penn State 56
Feel bad for PSU's Geary Claxton (torn ACL), the man deserved a better finish to his undervalued career
Big man: Butler, 20 points
Marquette 62 South Florida 54
Bulls actually made this one a game for over a half
Big man: Hayward, 23 points
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
STF Top 25 + 10: Week 12
Every week, we submit our ballot to the college basketball blogpoll and give you an additional Top 10 from the world of college basketball.
STF Top 25
1. Memphis
2. Kansas
3. Duke
4. North Carolina
5. Georgetown
6. Tennessee
7. UCLA
8. Michigan State
9. Washington State
10. Indiana
11. Texas
12. Stanford
13. Wisconsin
14. Drake
15. Butler
16. Xavier
17. Marquette
18. UConn
19. Pitt
20. Vanderbilt
21. Mississippi State
22. Arizona
23. Kansas State
24. USC
25. Florida
Close: Ole Miss, Baylor, Rhode Island, Oklahoma, Saint Mary’s
The +10
Top 10 Teams You’ll Want To Avoid in March
1. Arizona
2. Gonzaga
3. West Virginia
4. Kansas State
5. Saint Mary’s
6. South Alabama
7. Mississippi State
8. Florida
9. USC
10. Baylor
STF Conference Reports: SEC 1/29
What up, peeps? It was a busy week for the SEC and although it's still a little early, the cream is starting to rise. Florida looks like they aren't going to miss a beat even though every starter from their repeat champion teams are gone. Tennessee has also announced they are going to be a major player in the SEC (even with the UK loss) and if Florida falters, the Vols will be waiting to snatch the East.
In the West, the Magnolia State is represented nicely as Ole Miss and Mississippi State have been playing well (Chris' note: Mississippi State is 9-1 in their last ten games); although a 20-point Bulldog victory against the Rebels this past Sunday dims Ole Miss' bulb some.
Other teams that have started playing well include Arkansas and UK, both at 3-2. It's shaping up for another competitive SEC Conference battle, something I'm sure everyone here will appreciate. On with the update:
Team(s) of the Week - Florida, Kentucky
Both the Gators and the Cats went 2-0 last week and both teams answered some questions about themselves. Florida proved their youth will not deter them from trying to grab the SEC crown again. Victories over South Carolina and Vanderbilt (who Florida DESTROYED) proves Billy Donovan isn't just the sum of his previous two-season perfect storm. Currently, Florida leads the East at 5-1.
As for Kentucky, is this the time for UK fans to start believing again? With two victories over Tennessee and South Carolina (both at Rupp Arena), the Cats are trying to prove they are not the same team that gave up some of the most embarrassing losses the program has ever experienced. Can UK keep this run going or will they "come back to earth?" Now that Billy Gillispie looks like he's solidifying his rotation, the Cats seem to be playing with more confidence. We'll see if it continues.
Worst Team of the Week - South Carolina
After losses to UK and Florida (at South Carolina), Dave Odom's final year of coaching is proving to be a challenging one as SEC Conference play takes over their schedule and according the Gamecock fan I overheard Saturday (in a Kansas City sports bar, no less), his retirement is not coming quickly enough. Can South Carolina rally for a strong finish and send Coach Odom out with some level of achievement?
Player of the Week - Ramel Bradley
Again, I'm going to agree with the SEC here and award this little designation to Billy Gillispie's lead guard, "Smoove." Against USC, Bradley had 26 points and 10 big rebounds while going 5-5 from the 3-point line. Against UT, "Brooklyn" had 16 points and 6 rebounds. Also, during this 2-game stretch, Ramel was 15-16 from the free-throw line. He leads the SEC in FT percentage at 86.9%. In case you are wondering, Ramel is an aspiring music artist as well.
Games to Watch:
1/29 - Tennessee at Alabama [ESPN] 9:00
1/30 - Mississippi State at Arkansas
2/2 - Kentucky at Georgia [CBS] 1:00
2/2 - LSU at Alabama
2/2 - Florida at Arkansas
2/2 - South Carolina at Ole Miss
2/2 - Auburn at Vanderbilt
2/2 - Tennessee at Mississippi State
Florida State Resides in Bubble Purgatory
Joe Lunardi has got himself a busy job this time of year. As we found out when we interviewed him last season, the man is working from 6am to midnight everyday from January to March. It’s not easy keeping track of a bracket that is changing nearly hour to hour. But for him, I bet it’s nice to know that every season, one team will remain completely firm in it’s position. Even before January rolls around, Lunardi can safely pencil in Florida State is “On the Bubble” or within the “Last Four Out” category and not think twice about it.
If it seems as if the Seminoles are on the bubble every season, it’s because they have been basically every season for the past five years. Take a look…..
2006-07 22 - 13 ACC 7 - 9 RPI 41
2005-06 20 - 10 ACC 9 - 8 RPI 63
2003-04 19 - 14 ACC 6 - 10 RPI 53
And all those season’s riding bubble have produced exactly zero tournament bids since since 1998. This season? 13-8 with an RPI of 71……and firmly in Lunardi’s last four out. Results will most likely not vary.
They say consistency is the mark of a good program. I'm guessing that the Noles recent "consistency" has fans I’m ripping their hair out.
(Update: Lost to VT last night, which makes perfect sense)
Checking Out the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
Fair disclosure: I grew up in Lawrence, Kansas, attended the University of Kansas, and have supported the Jayhawks since my childhood. As such, I have spit many an ear-curdling epithet at the televised images of Eddie, Sean, and Scott Sutton during my lifetime. That's what a worthy opponent will do to a guy.
As a more mature fan, I try to put aside my visceral reactions from time to time and accurately judge the people I'm watching. So this is my unbiased opinion on Oral Roberts head man Scott Sutton: the guy is one hell of a coach. Or, since he works for a televangelist, maybe he's a towering spire of heaven of a coach. The younger of the two Sutton boys followed Bill Self from Oklahoma State to ORU over a decade ago, and stayed on when Self moved on to bigger and better things. He has turned the Golden Eagles into the top program in the Summit League, and is running the table at 9-0 this season.
The Golden Eagles have made good use of their coach's connections, too. Sutton finagled a visit to his old mentor's home base last year and left with a signature win over the Jayhawks that rocked the basketball world. This season, he prevailed upon his brother at OSU, landing a neutral-court game in Oklahoma City that again ended with his troops pulling the upset. With this kind of resume, I'm not sure how much longer we'll be seeing Scott Sutton at Summit League meetings. A tournament victory could put him on the up-escalator.
The Golden Eagles are a guard-driven team, with upperclassmen Robert Jarvis and Adam Liberty handling the rock and leading the scoring. Jarvis is a welcome newcomer in Tulsa, and is dominating his first season in the big leagues after transferring from Seminole State College. The native of Humble, Texas is averaging seventeen points per game and providing a steady presence. Another transfer - Caribbean-born Shawn King - provides size up front: he contributes scoring, rebounding, and blocked shots.
The Summit, as a league, kind of stinks, and that's holding ORU back. If the Golden Eagles run the table but stumble in the conference tourney, do they have the profile to get an at-large bid? It depends on many other factors, but in that scenario, at least they'll make the selection committee sweat a bit, rather than dismiss them out of hand.
ORU isn't scheduled to be on television throughout the rest of the regular season, but I'm holding out hope that ESPNU will pick up a game or two along the way. If not, we can hope that they'll be on the televised Bracket Busters slate, which won't be announced until early February. Either way, if the Eagles make the dance, this could be their year to pull the major upset.
Breakfast of Champions: 1/29
UConn 69 Louisville 67
The Huskies remain hot without Dyson. The emergence of Thabeet as a real basketball player is the difference in this team.
Big man: AJ Price 20 points
San Diego 63 Saint Mary's 55Gaels learning how Gonzaga has felt for the past 10 seasons.
Big man:Brandon Johnson, 25 points
Oklahoma 64 Oklahoma State 61
Sooners hang on for what would have been a disastrous home loss.
Big man: Taylor Griffin, 20 points
Links
Really bad break for Mizzou, as leading scorer Hannah suffered a broken jaw in a brawl outside a nightclub (SI.com)
K-State guarentees a win over Kansas? Don't these always backfire? (ESPN)
Can the Gators really get back to the Final Four? (College Hoops Journal)
Jerry Palm's got 10, yes 10, Big East teams in the tournament (CSTV)
Monday, January 28, 2008
Hoop Night 1/28
Don't Miss
Louisville at UConn ESPN 7pm
In true 2008 Big East fashion, the Huskies became one of the hottest teams in America when they suspended leading scorer Jerome Dyson. Without Dyson, the Huskies traveled to Bloomington, shut down Gordon and shocked the Hoosiers. They are the hot team coming off the major upset, which they'll most likely lose at home to Louisville tonight, the previous hot team in the Big East.
Watch If You Are Feeling A Little Bedlam Tonight
Oklahoma State at Oklahoma ESPN 9pm
We featured him in Monday Madness, now take the time to sit down and watch Blake Griffin, the highly underrated frosh for the Sooners. The Pokes are down this season, but you can always expect a highly competitive game in this series.
Tivo It and Kick Some Stallions
Alabama State at Southern ESPNU 9pm
You've heard much about Chief at this point, now see if he has any game....
Also On....
Cal Poly at Pacific ESPN2 11pm
Remember My Name: VMI's Reggie Williams
Well, this one was only a matter of time. As friend of the site Kyle Whelliston has made clear, 100-50-30 isn't just the latest mortgage-lending product, it's also the wide-open style of play favored by Virginia Military Institute. Take 100 shots, 50 of them three pointers, and force 30 turnovers. Talented Keydet Reggie Williams has saddled up that formula and ridden (roden? rided?) it to the top of the NCAA scoring list - again.
Averaging 27.3 ppg and 9.6 rpg, Williams is a flashy presence in the most unlikely place. VMI is almost certainly one of the most conservative environments in college basketball, and the average Keydet is more likely to blend into the ranks than make a show of himself. But the Institute is also in the business of building leaders who can take command when the situation requires a strong hand, and perhaps that is Williams' destiny on the hardwood.
His value was best illustrated by his absence, as VMI fell to perennial league strongmen Winthrop by an uncharacteristic score of 85-41. Williams was on the bench for that one, nursing a leg injury, but you can bet he will do his utmost to come back as soon as possible - this is his final chance to make the dance. The Keydets haven't made it to the NCAAs since 1977, though they came within a whisker of upsetting Winthrop in the Big South final last season.
Williams' injury doesn't seem serious, [roanoke.com] but he will still face a long, hard road to the tournament when he returns. The Keydets are already down one to Winthrop, High Point is rising behind the leadership of Arizona Reid, and UNC-Asheville wins close games with the unstoppable high lob to Big Kenny.
Honestly, Williams' chances to get to the NCAAs are slim. He had to know that when he chose to attend a military academy in western Virginia anyway. For everyone's sake, let's hope that the Keydets make enough of a showing in the Big South tourney to make the final (televised) day of the conference tournament again, and that Williams is healthy, and slinging the rock. I'm lucky - I live in central VA, so I can drop by for an up-close view any time. Nyah.
Monday Madness 1/28/2008 - What Goaltending?
Welcome to Monday Madness, your guide to the week that was in college basketball. Expect to see it every Monday around noon.
Super Awesome Team of the Week
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Jamont Gordon’s no-look behind-the-neck dish against Ole Miss sealed it for me: The Bulldogs have become one of this season’s fun teams you can’t help but root for. Throw in nine straight wins, a 5-0 start in the SEC and Varnado’s daily swat parties and you have an easy bandwagon team. And the -falling of Vandy and Ole Miss, the Bulldogs may actually be the second best team in the SEC.
Close: UConn (amazing victory at Indiana without Dyson), Xavier (right back on top of the A10 with wins over Dayton and UMass), Arizona (sweep of Washington schools), Duke (avoid the bad loss at Maryland), Rutgers (shocking upsets of Nova and Pitt), Georgetown (two character building wins over Syracuse and WVU) Kentucky (huge win over Tennessee), Purdue (resume building win vs. Wisconsin),
Bad, Bad Week
Villanova Wildcats
Despite spending much of the season in or near the Top 25, the Wildcats could fin themselves in real trouble come March. The loss to Rutgers is just the latest in a growing number of bad losses (DePaul, Cincy and the double-digit loss to the Irish was a home game you need to win in conference. The talent is clearly there, but the defense (106th in efficiency) will need to improve in a hurry if the Wildcats want to make the dance this season.
Close: Dayton (Two bad Ls just shows you how injuries can ravage a great season), Pittsburgh ( bad loss to Rutgers just shows you how injuries can ravage a great season), UMass (tough A10 losses to Saint Joe’s and Xavier), Cleveland State (0-2 week in Wisconsin, so much for that), Arizona State (swept at home to Washington schools).
Upset of the Week
Rutgers 80 Villanova 68, Rutgers 77 Pitt 64
Raise your hand if you saw the previously 0-6 in conference Scarlet Knights blowing out nationally ranked Villanova and then beating Pitt at the Pec (where they are now 91-9). Major props to perennially struggling Rutgers hoops program. As the football team has proven, there is no reason why Rutgers hoops can’t be competitive with the amount of resources in the NY/NJ area.
Close: Richmond 80 Dayton 63, Kentucky 72 Tennessee 66
Game of the Week
Georgetown 58 West Virginia 57
I’ve been tough on the Hoyas all season, but those were character-building escapes against Syracuse and West Virginia. Everyone is going to focus on the possible goal-tend at the end of the game (no ref is going to call that unless you stick your hand in the basket) but give the Hoyas credit for stealing this game when looked all but over with under five to play. Bonus points for seeing Bob Huggins chase the officials down the tunnel.
Close: St. Joe’s 68 Temple 67 (similar non-goaltending call), Georgetown 64 Syracuse 62.
Mid-Major Spotlight
UNC-Asheville
Lost in all the Kenny George madness is the fact that the Bulldogs are a pretty damn good team. They lead the Big South with a perfect 5-0 record and have four different players scoring in double figures (including Big K). If they can get past Winthrop and High Point, the dream of seeing Big Kenny in the Tournament will be a reality.
Player I Would Like To Party With
Each week, I’ll pick a player that I think it would be fun to party with. As part of the gimmick, I’ll also ask them to be friends on Facebook. And maybe someday, I will actually get to party with them.
Dax Crum, Southern Utah
Amazing story about Dax Crum, who needed to overcome unimaginable odds to play Division one basketball with only one hand. Yes, one hand. He’s 700 times better than anyone reading this and he has one hand. If that man doesn’t deserve your respect, no one does.
Student Section of the Week
Purdue
You often forget about Purdue because of the in-state rival Hoosiers steal all the attention, but the Boilermaker student section knew were with their cheering/heckling ability, aiding in the upset of Wisconsin. I was impressed with the noise throughout the contest, as well as the well deserved floor stormin’.
Freshman Spotlight
Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
I feel like I could run this segment for seven more months and still not get to all of the outstanding freshmen from this season. Griffin has to be in the running for most overlooked freshmen. and proved his value in a Sooner upset of America’s Team (Jack Cobra said we can’t use the name anymore). Not even expected to play because of a sprained MCL, Griffin came off the bench to score 17, leading the Sooners to the upset and putting them right back into tourney discussion
