I didn't get to watch as many games this weekend as I would've liked, but I did catch up on the important matchups on Tuesday, as well as the Coaches v. Cancer games and the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. Here's some impressions on the teams I saw this week (not in any particular order):
Miami: When I saw this team against Memphis, I thought they were raw, unpolished, and somewhat limited offensively, but were definitely athletic and could be a solid team in the ACC. Then they lost to Rutgers. Anyway... Durand Scott is a talented offensive player, able to create his own shot and get to the line. Outside of him, there isn't a lot to offer offensively. Malcolm Grant has struggled shooting this year. Reggie Johnson has had a few solid games inside but nothing special. Otherwise, guys are either inconsistent or non-existent on offense. They held Memphis to 33% shooting, but that was probably more Memphis' inconsistencies on offense more than anything. The ACC is wide open this year, but Miami still may not finish in the top half of the conference.
Memphis: The Tigers brought in a highly touted freshman class this year, and so far the results have been good, if unspectacular. Josh Pastner has carried over elements of the dribble drive offense installed by Calipari a few years ago, and he gives his players a lot of freedom offensively. That's probably not the best thing for a team with so many young players playing key roles, but they've functioned fairly well offensively. They put up a lot of low percentage threes against Miami, but the ball movement was good and they got enough good looks to win. Wesley Witherspoon and Joe Jackson have been the most consistent offensive threats so far. Antonio Barton looked good on the break against Miami. Defensively, Memphis is active on the perimeter and forced Miami and LSU into low shooting percentages. This is a team that could mature into a top 10 team by the end of the year.
Kansas State: Last year's Elite 8 team relied on Pullen and Clemente, an athletic, physical frontline, and great defense to win games. They have all of that again, except Clemente is gone. That leaves Pullen at the point. I'm not sure that's the best decision in the world, as Pullen is more of a scorer than anything, but he creates offense for everyone else enough that it might work out. In the game against VT, Pullen was in foul trouble, so K-State had to go inside for much of their offense. Jamar Samuels had some nice moves inside and was able to get to the line consistently. The rest of the frontcourt is big and physical but they lack touch around the rim. K-State has struggled from the foul line as well. I think at some point this year, Pullen will be taken off the ball and Spradling will start at the point.
Virginia Tech: Expectations are high in Blacksburg this year, as VT returns their top 11 scorers from last year. Of course, this is a core that hasn't made the tournament the past 3 years, so sometimes returning all those players doesn't necessarily add up to significantly more success. The Hokies had a tremendous opportunity to make some national noise when they visited K-State on Tuesday, and they hung with the Wildcats for much of the game but were simply worn down by foul trouble in the frontcourt and physical play by K-State. Malcolm Delaney is their best player. He's not overly quick, but he is shifty and can get into the lane. He can also hit the outside shot. However, he's not a great ballhandler and not really a PG. VT's offense mainly consisted of him working to get into the lane and create offense for others. Dorenzo Hudson hit some outside shots, but otherwise VT needs to get scoring from somewhere else. They will win plenty of ACC games with just their defense and Delaney and Hudson scoring, but to get to the next level, their offense needs to get more dynamic.
Ohio State: Probably the best team I've seen so far this year. The big question for the Buckeyes this year was who would replace Turner's production. Ohio State hasn't seemed to have lost a step offensively. Sullinger adds a new dimension to the team. He's tall, big, and polished in the post. He opens up the perimeter for the rest of the team. That's a dangerous sign for opponents, because there's a lot of firepower on this Buckeyes squad. They have four guys that can all put up 25-30 points on any given night. They can score in both the halfcourt and in transition; that kind of versatility is rare in college basketball. They aren't particularly aggressive defensively, but they can be good when they want to be and they usually just run opponents off the floor anyway. They have two big weaknesses: lack of depth and lack of size. This is a team that is deserving of their top 5 ranking.
Florida: This is going to be an intriguing team. They return all 5 starters from last year's tournament team. Individually, these guys are pretty good. Vernon Macklin was a beast inside against Ohio State. Alex Tyus has been talked about in NBA camps. Chandler Parsons is a 4 with the skill set of a guard. Irving Walker and Kenny Boynton are streaky but can score in bunches at times. But for whatever reason, this team has had problems putting it all together over the past few years. They hung with and were probably better than Ohio State for the first half and parts of the 2nd, but couldn't put together an entire 40 minutes and fell apart once Ohio State started to apply some defensive pressure. They are still one of the two best teams in the SEC, but are they top 10 material? That still remains to be seen.
Butler: Well, losing Hayward made a big difference. They have no one offensively outside of Shelden Mack and Matt Howard. And when I mean no one, I mean not even a guy who can work off of that. They struggled to handle the UL pressure and did not shoot well from the field. Howard was battling foul trouble all night, which didn't help. They looked significantly better against Ball State, though. They are probably the favorites to win the Horizon League again this year, but this is not the Butler team we saw last year.
Louisville: One of the surprising teams of the week. They're long and athletic but very raw. They create a lot of their points off turnovers, and frustrated Butler into rushed, poor shots and turnovers all night long on Tuesday. They currently have 5 guys averaging double figures in points, so there's not one dominant scorer on the team. This could create problems when they face teams that can handle their pressure. Can they score consistently enough in the halfcourt to win that type of a game?
Illinois: The Illini were highly praised heading into the season, identified by many as a darkhorse in the Big Ten. The early verdict? Eh... probably not in the top tier of the conference, at least, not now. Sophs D. J. Richardson and Brandon Paul have improved offensively. The Mikes (Davis and Tisdale) form a good frontcourt, if not terribly physical. They're not a particularly aggressive defensive team, but they're not bad.
Texas: Raw, young team that likes to push the tempo, like against Illinois. Hamilton appeared to take the lead offensively, although he disappeared in the 2nd half against Pitt. Tristan Thompson is a handful in the paint. Cory Joseph was solid defensively but really a non-factor offensively. They can get secondary scoring from guys like Gary Johnson and J'Covan Brown. Outside of Balbay, this team is nothing special defensively. They're probably not as good as K-State, Baylor, or KU, but could be right around Missouri's level. They won't have the stars they did last year, so they are more likely to stick together and not fall apart like last year. At least, I don't think so.
Pittsburgh: This is a team full of under-recruited players with a chip on their shoulder, so don't expect a lot of their games to be pretty. Gibbs had a good tournament; Wanamaker was so-so. They got good contributions from the starting frontline and good minutes off the bench from Travon Woodall. This is a team that will slow the tempo, play physical defense, and attempt to score just enough points to win. Sounds a lot like K-State, except they don't have anyone as dynamic as Pullen on the outside (but similar type frontline).
Maryland: Didn't see a lot of them this weekend, but it can be difficult to get a read on a team that lost to the #4 team in the land (Pitt) and to a team that shot 52% from three (Illinois). All 5 starters played 26 or more minutes in both CvC games, so there's not a lot of depth here. Jordan Williams was strong offensively. They got good offensive contributions from a variety of guys but at the end, just couldn't get enough stops to win games. They got heavily outrebounded against Pitt but held their own against a smaller frontline in Illinois.
Minnesota: Not overly talented offensively, but they have enough weapons to get the job done. Al Nolen runs the point well and can get to the bucket and the line. The strength is inside, where Ralph Sampson III, Colton Iverson, and Trevor Mbakwe (who emerged this weekend) can control the paint. Granted, they played two undersized teams in UNC and WVU, but they still played well. On the downside, they don't really have a 3 pt threat other than Hoffarber, and WVU's 1-3-1 zone gave them fits in the 2nd half. This is probably a tournament team, but they'll be in a loaded division so they may not have as good a record as they actually are.
West Virginia: Think last year's team, except even rougher around the edges. Casey Mitchell is the most improved player I've seen so far. Who knew this guy would take over the offensive reins from DeSean Butler as definably as he has? Excellent shooter, created his own shot at times. Unfortunately, nobody else has emerged as a scoring threat. Kevin Jones doesn't look as comfortable without Butler and Ebanks drawing attention away from him. They held their own inside but are still undersized, as Iverson and Mbakwe for Minnesota showed. Otherwise, this is an experienced, versatile, if somewhat under talented team. Oh, and they still can't shoot free throws.
Vanderbilt: The Commodores played teams with two distinct styles this weekend. The first game was against a physical WVU team, and they struggled from the field. Against a quicker, more aggressive, but thinner frontline in UNC, Vandy succeeded. Jeffery Taylor and Festus Ezeli were much more effective inside and the team shot better overall, especially from 3 in the first half when they had the inside-outside game going very well. This team probably isn't as good as UF or UK but will be in that 2nd tier level in the SEC and should compete for a tournament spot.
North Carolina: Easily the disappointment of the week. North Carolina looks like a team that doesn't really have a style. They're not fast enough to run the break exceedingly well, but they have major problems executing in the halfcourt. Harrison Barnes, and Zeller, to a lesser extent, are the only ones that can really create their own shot on the offensive end. Everyone else looks lost for the most part. They didn't shoot well either against Minn or Vandy and they had a ton of turnovers against Vandy. The frontline lacks depth, and neither Drew nor Marshall look particularly comfortable at the point. What's more, I thought Barnes would step up and be an offensive leader, but he appears way too passive at this stage in his career to put a team on his back. Not a lot of good signs from UNC this week. The upside? Nobody else (other than Duke) in the ACC has looked particularly impressive, so conference wins will be up for grabs.
And now for Monday's games... Feast Week starts with quarterfinal action from the Maui Invitational and semifinals of the CBE Classic. We'll begin with a top 25 matchup from Kansas City:
Game of the Night
Kansas St. v. Gonzaga (Kansas St., CBE Classic semis)
I talked about K-State earlier in this blog post. I'm not really sure what to think of this Wildcats team right now. They're 3-0, with a good win over VT, but they did struggle against Presbyterian and are playing against a Bulldogs team that is probably the best offense they have faced to date this year. Gonzaga has had their own issues, falling at home to San Diego St. (although admittedly, SDSU will be one of the best teams in a good MWC this year). Neither team has really played to expectations so far this year. The key for the Zags will be for someone other than Gray to step up on offense. K-State wore down VT with size and physical defense, and the same will happen to Gonzaga unless Sacre or Elias Harris play a bigger role offensively. On the other end, Gonzaga will likely play a 2-3 zone, and that seemed to handle K-State's bigs pretty well when VT used it. Will that be enough to keep K-State out of the paint?
Other games:
CBE Classic Semis: Duke v. Marquette - The #1 team in the land cannot look past this game. Marquette doesn't have the talent they had a couple of years ago, but they'll be well coached and can pull off an upset if the Blue Devils aren't ready for it.
Maui Invitational Quarters: Wichita St. v. UConn could be a very entertaining game. Otherwise, unless one of the underdogs plays well, we could have three relatively uneventful other quarterfinal matchups.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Daily Preview: November 18th, 2010
I DVR'ed a lot of Tuesday's games since I didn't get a chance to see much of them. I'll blog about Tuesday's games in much more detail when I watch them this weekend. It's always tough to tell in these early games just how good these teams are, since we don't have much of a barometer to measure them by. It will likely take a month or so (or longer) to really get a feel for many of these teams, and like I mentioned on Sunday night, there's a big difference between the way college basketball teams play in November and the way they play in March. This is especially true in today's college basketball when there is so much turnover in programs and so many new pieces entering each year. With that said, here's Thursday's top games, and it consists of one tournament: The 2K Sports Coaches v. Cancer semifinals.
Game of the Night:
Illinois v. Texas (Coaches v. Cancer semis)
The Illini have been a trendy underdog to pick in the Big Ten this year. Almost all the key pieces return, including Big 10 POY candidate Demetri McCamey, Mike Davis, Mike Tisdale, and a couple of talented sophs in D. J. Richardson and Brandon Paul. Add in another good recruiting class and there's reason to get excited for basketball again in Champaign. Texas, meanwhile, seems to be one of those programs that recruits well but can't seem to get the chemistry or continuity to breed any sort of long-term success. Three NBA draft picks (Avery Bradley, Damion James, Dexter Pittman) left the program after last year, leaving the team in the hands of a group of talented, yet inexperienced freshman and sophomores and a bunch of role players. From the bit of Texas that I saw, they are definitely talented but still very raw on the offensive end. It will be interesting to see how the Longhorns perform against a team that matches up better with them athletically.
Other games:
Pitt v. Maryland (CvC semis): Both teams had early season scares. Pitt will be the favorite in this game, but do they have anyone to match up Jordan Williams in the post?
Puerto Rico Tip-Off 1st Round: Hofstra v. UNC, Davidson v. West Virginia, Nebraska v. Vanderbilt, W. Kentucky v. Minnesota
There should be some good semifinal matchups, but the first rounders appear to have 4 heavy favorites. Doesn't mean there can't be some good games, though.
Game of the Night:
Illinois v. Texas (Coaches v. Cancer semis)
The Illini have been a trendy underdog to pick in the Big Ten this year. Almost all the key pieces return, including Big 10 POY candidate Demetri McCamey, Mike Davis, Mike Tisdale, and a couple of talented sophs in D. J. Richardson and Brandon Paul. Add in another good recruiting class and there's reason to get excited for basketball again in Champaign. Texas, meanwhile, seems to be one of those programs that recruits well but can't seem to get the chemistry or continuity to breed any sort of long-term success. Three NBA draft picks (Avery Bradley, Damion James, Dexter Pittman) left the program after last year, leaving the team in the hands of a group of talented, yet inexperienced freshman and sophomores and a bunch of role players. From the bit of Texas that I saw, they are definitely talented but still very raw on the offensive end. It will be interesting to see how the Longhorns perform against a team that matches up better with them athletically.
Other games:
Pitt v. Maryland (CvC semis): Both teams had early season scares. Pitt will be the favorite in this game, but do they have anyone to match up Jordan Williams in the post?
Puerto Rico Tip-Off 1st Round: Hofstra v. UNC, Davidson v. West Virginia, Nebraska v. Vanderbilt, W. Kentucky v. Minnesota
There should be some good semifinal matchups, but the first rounders appear to have 4 heavy favorites. Doesn't mean there can't be some good games, though.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Daily Preview: November 16th, 2010
The first daily preview of the college basketball season features ESPN's 24 hour marathon of college basketball, starting at midnight on Tuesday and continuing until midnight on Wednesday. Obviously, not every game can be a premier matchup, but the majority of the games feature major college programs and a few match up a couple of ranked teams. In addition, the NIT Preseason Tip-Off begins tonight, with the first two rounds taking place from Monday through Wednesday night and the finals on Wednesday and Friday night of next week.
Similar to last year, I'll list a Game of the Night and then a couple of other games I'm looking forward to.
Tuesday, Nov. 16th, 2010
Game of the Night: Virginia Tech Hokies @ Kansas St. Wildcats
There is a top 10 matchup on the slate for Friday, But I personally think this is the more intriguing matchup. Surprised to see VT playing a ranked team out of conference? Same here. Seth Greenberg's Hokies finally figured out it might be a good idea to schedule some challenging OOC games since 8-8 in the ACC with a cupcake non-conference isn't good enough to go dancing. Thing is, the Hokies should be good enough to make it this year regardless of schedule. They return their top 11 scorers, including ACC POY contender Malcolm Delaney. If Tech can find a consistent third scorer to supplement Delaney and Dorenzo Hudson, this Hokies team is very capable of knocking off a highly ranked Kansas St. team.
The Wildcats certainly lived up to expectations last year, reaching the Elite Eight and falling to eventual runners up Butler. Despite losing Denis Clemente and Dominique Sutton, the Wildcats should be better than last year, as they return Jacob Pullen, Curtis Kelly, Jamar Samuels, and a host of sophomores and freshman who should make great strides this year. Kansas St. should be tough defensively again and have enough offensive weapons to make a long run into the tournament. The big question... how will Pullen fare running the point? Will others be able to provide consistent scoring? If they can get consistent scoring from sources and not rely on Pullen to create the entire offense, this could be a NC contender.
Other Games:
Ohio St. Buckeyes @ Florida Gators
Two preseason top 10 teams that both return large portions of last year's squads. Florida returns all five starters, and Ohio State returns all but Evan Turner and brings in an excellent recruiting class to supplement. Both teams have questions, though. Florida relies too much on the three, especially from star guards Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker. Can they find Alex Tyus consistent looks inside? Ohio State struggled without Turner in the lineup last year. Will someone step up and take over as the go-to guy offensively? There's reason to believe true frosh Jared Sullinger could be that man.
San Diego St @ Gonzaga: This is the best Zags team in recent memory, but the Aztecs return four double-digit scorers from last year's NCAA Tournament team. Definitely a trap game for the Zags.
Butler @ Louisville: Good road test for the Bulldogs. The Cardinals have a lot of holes but will pressure and attack defensively.
South Carolina @ Michigan St.: Not the most difficult of matchups for the Spartans, but should be fun to watch anyway.
Similar to last year, I'll list a Game of the Night and then a couple of other games I'm looking forward to.
Tuesday, Nov. 16th, 2010
Game of the Night: Virginia Tech Hokies @ Kansas St. Wildcats
There is a top 10 matchup on the slate for Friday, But I personally think this is the more intriguing matchup. Surprised to see VT playing a ranked team out of conference? Same here. Seth Greenberg's Hokies finally figured out it might be a good idea to schedule some challenging OOC games since 8-8 in the ACC with a cupcake non-conference isn't good enough to go dancing. Thing is, the Hokies should be good enough to make it this year regardless of schedule. They return their top 11 scorers, including ACC POY contender Malcolm Delaney. If Tech can find a consistent third scorer to supplement Delaney and Dorenzo Hudson, this Hokies team is very capable of knocking off a highly ranked Kansas St. team.
The Wildcats certainly lived up to expectations last year, reaching the Elite Eight and falling to eventual runners up Butler. Despite losing Denis Clemente and Dominique Sutton, the Wildcats should be better than last year, as they return Jacob Pullen, Curtis Kelly, Jamar Samuels, and a host of sophomores and freshman who should make great strides this year. Kansas St. should be tough defensively again and have enough offensive weapons to make a long run into the tournament. The big question... how will Pullen fare running the point? Will others be able to provide consistent scoring? If they can get consistent scoring from sources and not rely on Pullen to create the entire offense, this could be a NC contender.
Other Games:
Ohio St. Buckeyes @ Florida Gators
Two preseason top 10 teams that both return large portions of last year's squads. Florida returns all five starters, and Ohio State returns all but Evan Turner and brings in an excellent recruiting class to supplement. Both teams have questions, though. Florida relies too much on the three, especially from star guards Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker. Can they find Alex Tyus consistent looks inside? Ohio State struggled without Turner in the lineup last year. Will someone step up and take over as the go-to guy offensively? There's reason to believe true frosh Jared Sullinger could be that man.
San Diego St @ Gonzaga: This is the best Zags team in recent memory, but the Aztecs return four double-digit scorers from last year's NCAA Tournament team. Definitely a trap game for the Zags.
Butler @ Louisville: Good road test for the Bulldogs. The Cardinals have a lot of holes but will pressure and attack defensively.
South Carolina @ Michigan St.: Not the most difficult of matchups for the Spartans, but should be fun to watch anyway.
2010-11 College Basketball: No Expectations
In preparation for this college basketball season, I planned it all out. I was going to do full fledged conference previews, with analysis for each team. I was going to include sections on preseason games to watch for, rank the conferences, teams, create a pre-season bubble watch and bracket. I was going all out this year.
Then life happened. I am not prepared for this season.
But in realizing this, I think this is a better mindset to enter the season with than I have in previous years. We tend to over-analyze everything in sports nowadays. Every win and loss is magnified to the point where we lose perspective. We immediately assume one win or loss means the difference between a championship and last place. We forget that teams change over the course of the season. Some teams mature and grow; others fall apart. Some teams are figured out and begin to stumble as a result; others catch fire at opportune times and ride it through the tournament. The way a team looks in mid-November is usually different from the way a team looks in March.
That last sentence was never more true than last year. Duke and Butler certainly were not the two best teams in the country last fall. But they both ended up in the championship game because they came together at just the right time (and had a few breaks go their way). That's how most seasons end up. Rarely is there a year where a great team or teams run wire-to-wire and win it all, especially now with the abundance of quality basketball programs and TV coverage. The talent is much more spread out and as a result, there is significantly more parity. That makes it difficult to predict who will be the best team in November, much less come March.
As a result, I will not be making preseason predictions this year. No conference rankings. No brackets. No Final Four or National Champion predictions. I'm going to go into this season with an open mind. I'm going to watch as many games as I can, starting with this week and the college basketball marathon coming up on Tuesday. I'll hype up games, post impressions, discuss teams I like and teams I don't like, do everything I used to. Only this time, there will be no expectations.
Then life happened. I am not prepared for this season.
But in realizing this, I think this is a better mindset to enter the season with than I have in previous years. We tend to over-analyze everything in sports nowadays. Every win and loss is magnified to the point where we lose perspective. We immediately assume one win or loss means the difference between a championship and last place. We forget that teams change over the course of the season. Some teams mature and grow; others fall apart. Some teams are figured out and begin to stumble as a result; others catch fire at opportune times and ride it through the tournament. The way a team looks in mid-November is usually different from the way a team looks in March.
That last sentence was never more true than last year. Duke and Butler certainly were not the two best teams in the country last fall. But they both ended up in the championship game because they came together at just the right time (and had a few breaks go their way). That's how most seasons end up. Rarely is there a year where a great team or teams run wire-to-wire and win it all, especially now with the abundance of quality basketball programs and TV coverage. The talent is much more spread out and as a result, there is significantly more parity. That makes it difficult to predict who will be the best team in November, much less come March.
As a result, I will not be making preseason predictions this year. No conference rankings. No brackets. No Final Four or National Champion predictions. I'm going to go into this season with an open mind. I'm going to watch as many games as I can, starting with this week and the college basketball marathon coming up on Tuesday. I'll hype up games, post impressions, discuss teams I like and teams I don't like, do everything I used to. Only this time, there will be no expectations.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Regional Final picks: East Region
After all the craziness these past two rounds have brought us, there is one thing I can say for certain:
This is Kentucky's tournament to lose.
Coming from a guy who has been somewhat down on UK all year, I'm telling you. Kentucky is the best, most talented team left in this tournament, and with Onuaku out, it really isn't all that close. They have four guys on their team that can all go off for 25+ points in a game. Nobody else has more than three (and that team is Duke, who only really has three scorers). They have more size and are quicker than anyone else left. They're deep, talented, and they have a coach on the sideline who knows how to win (or at least get guys who can win to play together).
What does any of this mean? Absolutely nothing.
This tournament has been one of the craziest in recent memory. What was easily the worst group of 2, 3, and 4 seeds in this past decade has been ravaged, leaving multiple cinderellas and several double digit seeds left standing. If there's a year where being the favorite doesn't count for anything, it's 2009-2010. With that said, here are my picks for the East region.
Game 1 (7:27 PM, CBS): 2 WVU vs. 11 Washington
UW has had an interesting road to this position. Easily one of the biggest underachievers during the regular season, the Huskies have come back in the spring with a vengeance, running through the Pac-10 tournament and taking out two higher seeds in the tournament. This Husky backcourt is very dangerous, and Qunicy Pondexter has been outstanding all year long.
That being said...
Washington was matched up against two small teams who were primarily perimeter oriented. UW took advantage of superior speed and ran both teams into the ground. It won't be so easy with West Virginia, who poses a different threat. West Virginia isn't as quick as Washington, either, but they will possess size advantages in a number of areas, particularly the wings, where guys like Devin Ebanks and Kevin Jones, excellent rebounders during the season, will have height advantages. Washington will have to play a slower, more physical style of basketball and grind out a victory. West Virginia isn't a sexy basketball team, but they've won 29 games for a reason. If Washington can speed up the game, turn West Virginia over, and make it a shootout, they can get the upper hand. UW is not a team that's used to or has really been successful against this type of style, though. WVU wins it.
PICK: WVU 72, Washington 65
Game 2 (9:57 PM, CBS): 1 Kentucky vs. 12 Cornell
If there's one game where I have a serious rooting preference other than the Purdue game, it's this one. I'm just gonna get it out there: I despise Kentucky. I hate that slimeball of a coach John Calipari. I think DeMarcus Cousins is a thug and a lazy bum. I don't particularly care for their fans or the fact that they haven't paid their dues over time to get to where they are. I don't trust that this team hasn't already broken some NCAA sanctions. But they're darn good. And this causes problems.
I had UK going out in the Sweet 16. I really thought Wisconsin would give them a run for their money with their slow, physical play. But Wisconsin didn't make it through. Instead, it's an Ivy League school who had never won a game in the tournament before this season and is the first team since Penn in 1978 and 1979 to make the Sweet 16. And this team... they're darn good too. For those of you who care, Cornell averaged 1.65 points per possession against Wisconsin. That's really good. As in, really really really good. Against a pretty darn good defense in Wisconsin, no less. Wisconsin shot 49% from the field and lost by 18. Cornell dropped 87 on a team that usually gives up 60. This is no cinderella. This Big Red team is legit.
So that's why I'm doing this. Maybe it's because I really don't want to see UK win it all this year. Maybe it's because I didn't pick Cornell for two straight rounds and I'm trying to make up these past mistakes. Or maybe it's because Cornell has the size and the offense to keep up with Kentucky (not speed-wise, but in general). Maybe... just maybe... magic will happen once again.
And my bracket's screwed anyway, so what the heck.
PICK: Cornell 75, Kentucky 73
This is Kentucky's tournament to lose.
Coming from a guy who has been somewhat down on UK all year, I'm telling you. Kentucky is the best, most talented team left in this tournament, and with Onuaku out, it really isn't all that close. They have four guys on their team that can all go off for 25+ points in a game. Nobody else has more than three (and that team is Duke, who only really has three scorers). They have more size and are quicker than anyone else left. They're deep, talented, and they have a coach on the sideline who knows how to win (or at least get guys who can win to play together).
What does any of this mean? Absolutely nothing.
This tournament has been one of the craziest in recent memory. What was easily the worst group of 2, 3, and 4 seeds in this past decade has been ravaged, leaving multiple cinderellas and several double digit seeds left standing. If there's a year where being the favorite doesn't count for anything, it's 2009-2010. With that said, here are my picks for the East region.
Game 1 (7:27 PM, CBS): 2 WVU vs. 11 Washington
UW has had an interesting road to this position. Easily one of the biggest underachievers during the regular season, the Huskies have come back in the spring with a vengeance, running through the Pac-10 tournament and taking out two higher seeds in the tournament. This Husky backcourt is very dangerous, and Qunicy Pondexter has been outstanding all year long.
That being said...
Washington was matched up against two small teams who were primarily perimeter oriented. UW took advantage of superior speed and ran both teams into the ground. It won't be so easy with West Virginia, who poses a different threat. West Virginia isn't as quick as Washington, either, but they will possess size advantages in a number of areas, particularly the wings, where guys like Devin Ebanks and Kevin Jones, excellent rebounders during the season, will have height advantages. Washington will have to play a slower, more physical style of basketball and grind out a victory. West Virginia isn't a sexy basketball team, but they've won 29 games for a reason. If Washington can speed up the game, turn West Virginia over, and make it a shootout, they can get the upper hand. UW is not a team that's used to or has really been successful against this type of style, though. WVU wins it.
PICK: WVU 72, Washington 65
Game 2 (9:57 PM, CBS): 1 Kentucky vs. 12 Cornell
If there's one game where I have a serious rooting preference other than the Purdue game, it's this one. I'm just gonna get it out there: I despise Kentucky. I hate that slimeball of a coach John Calipari. I think DeMarcus Cousins is a thug and a lazy bum. I don't particularly care for their fans or the fact that they haven't paid their dues over time to get to where they are. I don't trust that this team hasn't already broken some NCAA sanctions. But they're darn good. And this causes problems.
I had UK going out in the Sweet 16. I really thought Wisconsin would give them a run for their money with their slow, physical play. But Wisconsin didn't make it through. Instead, it's an Ivy League school who had never won a game in the tournament before this season and is the first team since Penn in 1978 and 1979 to make the Sweet 16. And this team... they're darn good too. For those of you who care, Cornell averaged 1.65 points per possession against Wisconsin. That's really good. As in, really really really good. Against a pretty darn good defense in Wisconsin, no less. Wisconsin shot 49% from the field and lost by 18. Cornell dropped 87 on a team that usually gives up 60. This is no cinderella. This Big Red team is legit.
So that's why I'm doing this. Maybe it's because I really don't want to see UK win it all this year. Maybe it's because I didn't pick Cornell for two straight rounds and I'm trying to make up these past mistakes. Or maybe it's because Cornell has the size and the offense to keep up with Kentucky (not speed-wise, but in general). Maybe... just maybe... magic will happen once again.
And my bracket's screwed anyway, so what the heck.
PICK: Cornell 75, Kentucky 73
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Second Round Recap
Best Game: Gotta go with the Michigan State/Maryland finish. The game itself was led by Michigan State most of the way, even while losing both Chris Allen and Kalin Lucas to injuries. Durrell Summers was on fire, scoring 26 points on 6 of 8 shooting from three. Maryland began to chip away at the 5 point Michigan State lead with 8 minutes left, eventually taking the lead with 40 seconds left. A Draymond Green jumper made it 82-81 with 22 seconds to play. Greivis Vazquez did what he does best, driving to his right and hitting a teardrop layup with 6 seconds remaining. Green brought the ball up the court and threw it to Korie Lucious, almost hitting Delvon Roe in the head in the process. Lucious put up a three as time expired and connected, sending Sparty Nation into a frenzy. Easily the best finish of the tournament thus far.
Best Upset: Cornell looked awfully impressive in a win over Wisconsin, but I can't go against the Panthers of Northern Iowa taking out the overall #1 seed Kansas. It was one of those games where you just kept waiting for Kansas to snap out of it and take over, but it never happened. UNI led handedly most of the way until the late minutes when the KU pressure forced several UNI turnovers. Kansas worked the defecit to 1 with 40 seconds left and looked poised to take the game, until a quick UNI break of the press left Ali Farokhmanesh with the ball at the 3 point line. Despite there being around 25 seconds left on the shot clock and 35 on the game clock, Ali put up the three anyway... and hit it! After some free throws to seal the deal, the Panthers had shocked the college basketball world. Kansas, usually a strong outside shooting team, only made 6 threes in 23 attempts. Sherron Collins ended up 4 for 15 from the field and 0 of 6 from three. Farokhmanesh led UNI with 16 points on 4 of 10 from three. UNI takes on Michigan State in the Midwest Regional Semis.
Best Performance: Several guys share this award. In the first 2nd round game of the tournament, Omar Samhan manhandled the small Villanova frontcourt with 32 points and 7 rebounds, leading St. Mary's into the Sweet 16. Many thought it would be Jimmer Time in Oklahoma City for a 2nd straight game, but it was Jacob Time instead, as in Jacob Pullen. Pullen had 7 threes and was 11 for 11 at the line for 34 total points, as Kansas State won handedly over BYU 84-72. And Wesley Johnson scored from all over the floor and showcased his athleticism, scoring 31 and grabbing 14 boards as Syracuse steamrolled Gonzaga.
Upset that didn't happen: In a battle of mid-majors, Murray State was unable to keep Cinderella alive (at least for them), coming up two points short against Butler 54-52. The game was close the entire way, and a Gordon Hayward deflection prevented the Racers from getting a game tying or game winning shot off before time expired. The Bulldogs had good balance, with four guys in double figures doing most of the scoring work. Butler takes on Syracuse in the Sweet 16.
Game that got lost in the mix: Last year, Pitt took out Xavier in the Sweet 16. This year, Xavier returned the favor in the 2nd round, beating the Panthers 71-68. Jordan Crawford had 27 points to lead the Musketeers, who reached the Sweet 16 for the third straight time. Xavier, along with Michigan State, are the only two teams to reach this level for each of the past three seasons.
Picks: Coming this week!
Best Upset: Cornell looked awfully impressive in a win over Wisconsin, but I can't go against the Panthers of Northern Iowa taking out the overall #1 seed Kansas. It was one of those games where you just kept waiting for Kansas to snap out of it and take over, but it never happened. UNI led handedly most of the way until the late minutes when the KU pressure forced several UNI turnovers. Kansas worked the defecit to 1 with 40 seconds left and looked poised to take the game, until a quick UNI break of the press left Ali Farokhmanesh with the ball at the 3 point line. Despite there being around 25 seconds left on the shot clock and 35 on the game clock, Ali put up the three anyway... and hit it! After some free throws to seal the deal, the Panthers had shocked the college basketball world. Kansas, usually a strong outside shooting team, only made 6 threes in 23 attempts. Sherron Collins ended up 4 for 15 from the field and 0 of 6 from three. Farokhmanesh led UNI with 16 points on 4 of 10 from three. UNI takes on Michigan State in the Midwest Regional Semis.
Best Performance: Several guys share this award. In the first 2nd round game of the tournament, Omar Samhan manhandled the small Villanova frontcourt with 32 points and 7 rebounds, leading St. Mary's into the Sweet 16. Many thought it would be Jimmer Time in Oklahoma City for a 2nd straight game, but it was Jacob Time instead, as in Jacob Pullen. Pullen had 7 threes and was 11 for 11 at the line for 34 total points, as Kansas State won handedly over BYU 84-72. And Wesley Johnson scored from all over the floor and showcased his athleticism, scoring 31 and grabbing 14 boards as Syracuse steamrolled Gonzaga.
Upset that didn't happen: In a battle of mid-majors, Murray State was unable to keep Cinderella alive (at least for them), coming up two points short against Butler 54-52. The game was close the entire way, and a Gordon Hayward deflection prevented the Racers from getting a game tying or game winning shot off before time expired. The Bulldogs had good balance, with four guys in double figures doing most of the scoring work. Butler takes on Syracuse in the Sweet 16.
Game that got lost in the mix: Last year, Pitt took out Xavier in the Sweet 16. This year, Xavier returned the favor in the 2nd round, beating the Panthers 71-68. Jordan Crawford had 27 points to lead the Musketeers, who reached the Sweet 16 for the third straight time. Xavier, along with Michigan State, are the only two teams to reach this level for each of the past three seasons.
Picks: Coming this week!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Friday, March 19th: Night Game Recaps
Best Game: In a slate of blowouts, two games stood out. Georgia Tech came back from a halftime defecit and shot 24 of 25 from the line to beat out Oklahoma State 64-59. James Anderson struggled mightily, going 3-11 from the floor and turning the ball over in the Cowboys' last possession. Meanwhile, Michigan State appeared to have their game comfortably in hand at halftime, but New Mexico State quickly erased the defecit, and the two teams traded buckets until the final possession. A key lane violation turned a two point defecit into three for New Mexico State, and two 3 point attempts fell short as time expired and the Spartans survived.
Best Performance: Jordan Williams was a monster on the glass for Maryland, claiming 17 rebounds and 21 points as the Terps took out a pesky Houston team, 89-77. Clinging to a two point lead at halftime, Maryland took over offensively early in the 2nd half and cruised to a relatively easy victory. Maryland had a 47-27 edge on the glass, aided by Williams' performance.
Upset that didn't happen: New Mexico State's loss was the closest thing to an upset in the nightcap of games. The other four games with 1 through 5 seeds all were double digit victories for the top seeds.
Game that got lost in the mix: Gonzaga handled a good Florida State team pretty easily, jumping out to a 35-19 lead at halftime. The Seminoles chipped away at the lead and brought it to within 5 with two and a half minutes left, but Gonzaga made 8 of their last ten free throws to seal the deal. The Zags made the most of their possessions, hitting as many shots from the field as Florida State but in 17 fewer attempts.
Early Sunday Picks:
Syracuse over Gonzaga (The Zags will not score as easily from the field as they did today... and Cuse will not struggle from the field as much as FSU did)
Ohio State over Georgia Tech (Beware though... the Yellow Jackets have the talent and the size to pull off the upset here)
Maryland over Michigan State (State will find offensive rebounds will not come as easily as they usually do with Williams patrolling the glass)
WVU over Missouri (Another possible upset... watch to see how a guard-deficient Mountaineer team handles the Mizzou press)
Wisconsin over Cornell (Sticking to my guns despite their respective performances today)
Pitt over Xavier
Purdue over Texas A&M (Glad my Boilers responded well today. Sunday will be a much more difficult task, however)
Duke over Cal (I should pick at least one upset today, but I'm not sure I really like any of the matchups. If I had to choose one, I'd say Mizzou over WVU, but even that is a stretch)
Best Performance: Jordan Williams was a monster on the glass for Maryland, claiming 17 rebounds and 21 points as the Terps took out a pesky Houston team, 89-77. Clinging to a two point lead at halftime, Maryland took over offensively early in the 2nd half and cruised to a relatively easy victory. Maryland had a 47-27 edge on the glass, aided by Williams' performance.
Upset that didn't happen: New Mexico State's loss was the closest thing to an upset in the nightcap of games. The other four games with 1 through 5 seeds all were double digit victories for the top seeds.
Game that got lost in the mix: Gonzaga handled a good Florida State team pretty easily, jumping out to a 35-19 lead at halftime. The Seminoles chipped away at the lead and brought it to within 5 with two and a half minutes left, but Gonzaga made 8 of their last ten free throws to seal the deal. The Zags made the most of their possessions, hitting as many shots from the field as Florida State but in 17 fewer attempts.
Early Sunday Picks:
Syracuse over Gonzaga (The Zags will not score as easily from the field as they did today... and Cuse will not struggle from the field as much as FSU did)
Ohio State over Georgia Tech (Beware though... the Yellow Jackets have the talent and the size to pull off the upset here)
Maryland over Michigan State (State will find offensive rebounds will not come as easily as they usually do with Williams patrolling the glass)
WVU over Missouri (Another possible upset... watch to see how a guard-deficient Mountaineer team handles the Mizzou press)
Wisconsin over Cornell (Sticking to my guns despite their respective performances today)
Pitt over Xavier
Purdue over Texas A&M (Glad my Boilers responded well today. Sunday will be a much more difficult task, however)
Duke over Cal (I should pick at least one upset today, but I'm not sure I really like any of the matchups. If I had to choose one, I'd say Mizzou over WVU, but even that is a stretch)
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