By: Kufere Laing
Yesterday lacked the excitement that we have all come to love and expect from the tourney (with the exception of Pitt-Xavier), nevertheless there was great basketball played. Here are a few of my thoughts:
UConn-Purdue: UConn is my favorite to win the tourney right now. They have great length and athleticism, AJ Price controls the game from the point, Kemba Walker is extremely underrated coming off the bench and not only changes the pace of the game (which allows UConn to use their great athleticism to get out and run), but also uses his speed and quickness to harass the other teams main ball handler and on the rare occasion in which Walker is beat off the dribble Thabeet is waiting to erase the mistake. Lastly, UConn's style of play allows for them to have an off shooting game and still win due to the fact that they are not overly reliant on the three point shot. Purdue gave UConn a little trouble though, but had problems matching up with the more athletic and taller Huskies. Nevertheless, Purdue is a team to watch out for next year, Robbie Hummel will be back along with his buddy E'Tuwan Moore and could be an Elite 8, borderline Final Four team next year.
Pitt-Xavier: Pitt looks very beatable (that loud roar you just heard was about 50 Central Catholic students along with Hannibal Hopson leaving their home with burning stakes attempting to kill me, little do they know I'm in Florida). Pitt seems to be playing not to lose, which never works out. Pitt was very fortunate to beat Xavier, in the first half they didn't defend well, they did not shoot well, and with the exception of Sam Young and Levance Fields Pitt had the deer in the headlights look for most of the game (see: Dixon, Jermaine). In the end, Pitt made enough plays to win, but if they continue to play how they have over the last four games (the WVU loss included) Nova will easily beat Pitt.
On the other hand, Xavier's athleticism really surprised me. They aren't as good as last year's team and struggled at times this year (finished the year 5-5 and Duke embarassed them early in the season), but Sean Miller is a great coach and had a very good gameplan. Xavier was one or two plays away from denying Pitt their first Elite Eight in the Jamie Dixon era.
Missouri-Memphis: Mizzou really shocked me. I felt they were a bit overrated at the start of the tourney, but they have forced me to admit I was wrong. They are an extremely athletic team, shoot very well and their press reminds me of Central Catholic's JV press (in a good way, ask Shaler how good the JV Vikings press). Mizzou always jumps to the ball and they play with a great deal of confidence. They are a good enough shooting team and lit up a really good defensive team in Memphis. Somehow Mizzou made Memphis uncomfortable while playing at a pace that Memphis usually thrives at. Mizzou-UConn should be a really entertaining game.
Nova-Duke: I believe a certain blogger mentioned Nova being a very dangerous team in the tourney this year (the same blogger also said WVU would be in the Elite 8, but hey you win some, you lose some). This was not a good match-up for Duke at all. Duke is not athletic enough for their style of play. With the exception of Gerald Henderson (who really struggled against Nova), Duke does not have anyone who can really get to the hoop. Scheyer is really crafty, but not explosive and the same goes for Kyle Singler. Nova spread Duke out and was able to get to the hoop at will and also played great help defense to prevent Gerald Henderson from beating his man one on one. If Pitt continues to struggle, Nova will moonwalk into the Final Four.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
NCAA Tourney: Day 4
By Eric Y
Ugh, it sure was a depressing basketball day for me: first Wisconsin blows it in the second half, and now my bracket has died after appearing to be filled with life this morning. But nevertheless, there were a bunch of good games today to finish the second round of the NCAA tournament. Here's some things I noticed:
- Wisconsin shoulda, coulda, woulda won that game, but, alas, they couldn't put it away in the second half. After their great second half comeback against Florida State on Friday, I considered the game to be locked up after the Badgers went on a mini-run to open up the second half. Until about 15 minutes left in the half, Wisconsin was picking apart Xavier. Trevon Hughes was slashing to the basket with ease and Marcus Landry was putting away shots in the paint. And then... well, honestly, I don't know what happened. The Badgers just fell apart. It was sad to see Joe Krabbenhoft, a hustling senior who would rather pass than score (and actually did a little too much), set great picks, and grabbed every board, at the verge of tears, hitting himself in the head after fouling out late in the second half. I don't think the Musketeers will be able to hang with Pitt in the Sweet 16, but I do think Wisconsin could have. Oh well. There's always next year. We may lose Krabbenhoft and Landry, but we get Hughes and sharpshooter Jason Bohannon as seniors, Jon Leuer and Keaton Nankivil as juniors, and promising guard Jordan Taylor with another year of experience.
- I was optimistic this morning when I heard injured guard Dominic James was returning for Marquette. I was pumped to see pre-James-injury Marquette, a good, fun team to watch, who i thought would make a run to the Final Four before James went down. It sure was disappointing to see them lose. Jerel McNeal and Wes Matthews gave it their all in their final game, and produced with a combined 54 points. Two seniors who probably could have left and been drafted by NBA teams after their senior years, they just couldn't pull off the victory. Had James never gone down and Marquette had momentum instead of being on a losing streak leading into the tournament, who knows what the Golden Eagles would have done. James, McNeal, and Matthews had great careers, and I liked that they all stayed four years, hoping for a championship, instead of leaving Milwaukee for a big payday in the NBA. See you guys in the big leagues next year.
- I wish I could change my Final Four after watching these first two rounds. Kansas looks unstoppable. Cole Aldrich had a triple-double today (10 points, 20 rebounds, 10 blocks, one of the strangest triple-doubles I've seen at any level). A triple-double? In college? That's ridiculous! The big guy is the real deal. Few players can shoot in the paint without the ball getting swatted by Aldrich. Sherron Collins picked apart Dayton today, and Tyshawn Taylor is a good compliment to him. The Jayhawks didn't have much offense besides Aldrich and Collins, who scored 38 of the teams 60 points, but played suffocating defense, holding the Flyers to 43 points on 22 percent shooting. It will be a great game against Michigan State in the Sweet 16.
- Midnight struck awfully early for Cinderella this year. Cleveland State was put away handily by Arizona today. Although the 2009 tournament is still fun to watch, it doesn't compare to 2008. There's no Davidson, no region where every higher seed was upset, and only a few upsets, with only one seed lower than 5 (Arizona) advancing to the Sweet 16. The Vikings didn't face teams like Arizona in the Horizon League. They had no way of stopping studs like Nic Wise and Chase Budinger. Whether it was the Vikes or the Cats, Louisville will win next round regardless.
- Pitt gave me a scare, but, by putting away Oklahoma State, I was assured they are just fine. Oklahoma State is, without a doubt, a good team, and Pitt had some trouble handling them coming out of the gate. Even though Levance Fields and DeJuan Blair didn't have great games, Sam Young was able to take over with 32 points. Pitt should beat Xavier next round.
Thats about all I have to say. My bracket is still about 89% correct, but its dying a slow death. You better start looking out now for those 2009-10 Wisconsin Badgers. This was just an off year.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
NCAA Tourney: Day 3
Today might not have been as exciting as Friday was, but it sure was filled with a bunch of good games. With 8 of the 16 games in the second round done, there are more things I have noticed:
- All doubts I had about Villanova after their near scare against American have been vanquished. They handily put away UCLA, a very good, experienced team, by 20 points. They were able to get production from a handful of players, with 6 players scoring in double figures. 'Nova has excellent guard play, and are solid down in the paint (Dante Cunningham led the team in points with 18 while grabbing 10 boards). And, perhaps most importantly, they are well coached. Jay Wright is a very good, smart coach and has experienced the tournament many times.
- Purdue looks better every day. They beat a good Washington team today, and, right now, seem like they can beat a lot of very good teams. Today's win might even be considered an off day for the Boilermakers as of late. They turned the ball over 11 times and shot 39 percent from the field. Their defense was solid, however, and, after jumping out to a big lead, they were able to stay ahead of the Huskies and preserve their lead.
- Ty Lawson is a stud. With him, UNC is twice as good as they are without him, and without him, they're a really good team. After watching them beat LSU today, I'm second-guessing picking Louisville to beat them in the final. The Heels are good in every part of the game and have contributor at every position. Even if Hansbrough has an off day, you can count on guys like Lawson, Wayne Ellington, and/or Danny Green to step in and take over. Ty's toe? Not to be worried about. Even if he wasn't 100 percent today, his 80 or 90 percent is better than a lot of guys' 110 percent.
- I hate to say it, but it's really hard to pick against Duke right now. Growing up 5 minutes from the University of Maryland, where hating the Blue Devils is hereditary, it kinda hurts to admit how good the Dukies actually are. They're a tad undersized, but their amazing guard play makes up for that completely. Jon Scheyer, distorted faces and all, has been hot lately, and Gerald Henderson and Kyle Singler are consistently good. They were able to contain A.J. Abrams for the most part. Abrams, by the way, has the best shooting stroke in the nation. Its so sweet and natural, and its so easy to watch. Oh and also the ball goes in a lot when he shoots it. Now back to Duke: Its gonna be an epic game next week against Villanova, and it'll be interesting to see how the Blue Devil guards match up with 'Nova's. Both run offenses centered largely around great guard play. And, hey, if Scottie Reynolds starts picking them apart, they can always have Henderson throw an elbow .
- I'm still not convinced by Oklahoma. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Blake Griffin is incredible, I know. But, without him, Oklahoma is just a mediocre team, solid at best. They snuck past Michigan today, who is a good, but not great, team. If you're as good as Oklahoma is cracked up to be, you should be able to put away teams like the Wolverines with ease. As long as Blake Griffin is healthy and playing though, the Sooners will be just fine. I don't like their chances against Syracuse (if they get past Arizona State) next round, however. The Orange has been playing great basketball as of late, and I don't think Oklahoma could keep up with them.
- Dear espn.com, please, please, please get rid of the iPod ad at the top of the homepage. Seriously, every time I want to check basketball scores, the ad starts shaking around and moving the icons, so instead of seeing basketball, I hear about how the new iPod touch is "the funnest iPod ever."
Thats about all I've got to say. My bracket is still 89 percent right! Woohoo. I'm looking forward to Cleveland State-Arizona, Marquette-Missouri, and, of course, my Wisconsin Badgers beating Xavier (I hope) tomorrow.
P.S.: This is why its called March Madness.
NCAA Tourney: Day 2
By Eric Y
That was one amazing basketball day. The field is cut down to 32, the first round is over, and it sure went out with a bang. Here are some things I noted during the games today:
- I'm currently filled with energy just because of the Wisconsin-Florida State game. Wisconsin played incredibly good defense, a trademark of coach Bo Ryan's tenure. They don't have one big star like they have in the past (Alando Tucker, Devin Harris), but have a bunch of guys who can contribute and excel in all parts of the game. The Badgers have a serious shot to make it to the Sweet 16. Xavier is a tad overrated, and if Wisconsin plays good defense, they can beat them.
- One of my upset specials didn't go so well. I thought Temple had a good shot to knock off Arizona State today. The Owls hung with the Sun Devils for most of the game, and Dionte Christmas had another stellar game (29 points), but just couldn't pull off the upset.
- My other upset, however, worked out quite nicely. I picked Cleveland State to beat Wake Forest, and they did just that. Wake looked vulnerable throughout the later part of the season, yet Sports Illustrated still picked them to go to the Final Four. Shows them! The Vikes jumped out to a big lead early and never looked back. An undersized Cleveland State squad (their tallest player is just 6'9") was overpowered on the boards by the Demon Deacons, but turned over the ball just 6 times and forced Wake to turn the ball over 18 times. Cleveland State's momentum might be enough to carry them past Arizona next round into the Sweet 16. Also, the Horizon League is now turning into a mid-major powerhouse. Butler has established itself as a contender over the past few years; as previously mentioned, Cleveland State is threatening; Milwaukee made it to the second round 3 years ago and the Sweet 16 the year before that; and Green Bay made it to the NIT after finishing in second place. I could see the Horizon getting 3 bids in the near future.
- Marquette just isn't the same team without Dominic James. They squeaked past Utah State in the first round, but have to play better to beat a good Missouri team next round. With James done for the season with a broken foot, Jerel McNeal and Wes Matthews have to shoulder the load for the Golden Eagles, but they were a bit off today. Combined, they went 6-26 from the field for 25 points. Lazar Hayward had a big game for them with 26 points, but McNeal or Matthews has to step up for Marquette to get to the Sweet 16.
- I am shamelessly jumping on the Ben Woodside bandwagon. The North Dakota State senior guard scored 37 points in a losing effort against Kansas and averages 29 a game. He's sneaky and can find ways to score, shooting jumpers or slashing through Jayhawk defenders to the basket with ease. He reminds me a lot of Steve Nash, and I would really like to see him get a shot in the NBA.
- Sherron Collins-Cole Aldrich is establishing itself as one of the best small man-big man combos in the NCAA. Collins is a fiery competitor, an excellent shooter and a great distributer. He was playing a one-on-one game with Woodside for most of the game today. Aldrich is a beast, averaging a double-double. He grabs a ton of boards and is a force in the paint. These two should easily dismantle Dayton in the next round, and by next year, Aldrich-Collins will be arguably the best combo in the nation.
- You're killin' me Ohio State. That was a great game, and I don't know how Siena was able to pull off that win. All 5 of their starters scored in double figures, and Ronald Moore was clutch, scoring 7 of his 11 points in the two overtimes, including a three-ball with just 3 seconds left to force double overtime. Evan Turner had a spectacular game (25 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists), but he couldn't do it all for the Buckeyes. Expect Ohio State to be a force next year though, led by Turner, center B.J. Mullens, and hustle player P.J. Hill.
Well, that's about all I have to say. I'm looking forward to Purdue-Washington, UCLA-'Nova, and, of course, my hometown Maryland Terrapins vs. Memphis. Should be a great basketball day. Oh, and my bracket is currently 91% correct. Awwww yeah.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
NCAA Tourney: Day 1
By Eric Y
Ahhhh, its the most wonderful time of the year: NCAA Basketball Tournament time! The first day of the tournament is, in my opinion, the best sports day of the year. Sure, Super Bowl Sunday has its perks, but on that first thursday of the tourney, almost everyone does nothing but watch basketball and obsess over their brackets. My whole day was, like many others, spent watching basketball. Here's a few things I noted on day one:
- UConn should be worried about the future of the team. Coach Jim Calhoun fell ill, and missed his second game of the season. Although the Huskies still blew 16 seed Chattanooga out of the stadium, losing a great coach like Calhoun would be a huge hit to the program.
- Maryland could have a chance to upset Memphis when they play in the second round. The Tigers did not look great today, and 15 seed Cal-State Northridge, not exactly a basketball powerhouse, hung with them most of the game. If they play the same way next week, Greivis Vasquez (one of the most underrated players in the nation) and the Terps might have a chance to knock them off.
- Villanova game me quite a scare tonight. If my hometown American Eagles had somehow won that game, I would have been excited as anyone, but all of my brackets have 'Nova in the Final Four. Losing in the round of 64 would not be acceptable. It was kind of disappointing to see American fall apart late. I was hoping for another D.C.-area Cinderella team. Watching George Mason make their miracle run to the Final Four was probably the most fun I've ever had watching basketball.
- Clemson is soooooooo overrated. They do the same thing every year: win a ton of games to open the season, fall apart in the second half of the season, then lose early on in the tournament. Yet I still picked them to win today. D'oh. Michigan is better than i gave them credit for though. Manny Harris is a stud, and coach John Beilein has done a great job turning the Wolverines into a solid team.
- I could definitely see Purdue make a run to the Final Four. They are good on both sides of the ball, and are really surging at the right time. Super Sophs Robbie Hummel and E'Twaun Moore can do it all, and are the best combo in the Big Ten.
- Jaan Montgomery of Binghamton should be a lineman. I would not want to be picked by this 6'11", 290 pound center. Also, I like that after about 4 minutes had elapsed in their game against Binghamton, Duke was in the bonus. It takes skill for all 5 of your starters to get at least one foul after just a couple minutes of play.
- ESPN: NO ONE CARES ABOUT PRESIDENT OBAMA'S BRACKET!!!!!!!!! Honestly, I do not want to watch Obama take 10 minutes to fill out a very bland bracket on Sportscenter instead of NIT or even Morehead State-Alabama State highlights. Coach K was exactly right when he said the Prez should be doing more important things than filling out brackets.
Well I'm tired and going to bed, but I'm tempted to stay up and pray that Illinois mounts a comeback against Western Kentucky. Come on Illini, i have you in the Sweet Sixteen, don't fail me now. Oh, and by the way, my final four is 'Nova, UNC, Louisville, and Memphis, with the Cardinals knocking off the Heels in the final.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tourney Preview
By Kufere Laing
I'm going to go region by region picking a sleeper team, player to watch, put certain teams on upset alert (because they really are going to listen to me and wise up) and in the pick a champion.
First up: Midwest Region
Sleeper Team- Watch out for those pesky West Virginia Mountaineers. They are great defensively, can play both up tempo and in a walk it up mode, an experienced coach, and have played great competition all year in the Big East. Also, they match up well with the rest of the region. Their height and athletecism should give Dayton some problems in the first round and although Kansas won the national championship last year, Kansas has been known to underachieve in the tourney (1st round loss to Bucknell in 04, followed by a 1st round loss to Bradley in 05, and being the 1st #1 seed to lose in 06) and lack the big game experience (excluding Sherron Collins) that last year's team had.
Player to Watch- While there are a lot of great players in the region (Jeff Teague, Da' Sean Butler, Terrance Williams, and Sherron Collins) none are as important to their team as Boston College's Tyrese Rice. He is the focus of the BC offense and almost every play is run through him, if USC's defense is able to contain him, BC has little hope of moving on to the 2nd round.
Upset Alert- Michigan State. Not only are they playing the Team of Destiny in the 1st round (your Robert Morris Colonials ladies and gentlemen), but a second round match up with USC could be very dangerous. Despite a mediocore conference record and inconsistent play, USC has won 5 in a row, are a great defensive team, and Michigan State lacks an impressive win this season coupled with their poor showing in the NIT Warm Up Tourney, I mean Big 10 tournament I'm not sold on this MSU team. Also USC has the secret weapon of the tournament in Percy Miller.
Region Favorite--Got to go with the #1 seeded Louisville Cardinals. They're the overall #1 for a reason and their defensive ability, combined with their gritty guards and senior leadership, Louisville will be a tough out.
West Region
Sleeper Team-(Does Memphis count? Very well then.) Maryland is the pick. They've been up and down this season (beating Michigan St. by 18, losing to Morgan St, losing to Duke by 41, beating UNC), but Gary Williams has his team playing hard (Central Catholic JV coach Joe Cattania recruited the entire Maryland roster for Coach Williams) and UMD has had a jolt of confidence since knocking off UNC and saving their tourney hopes. Also, they have a match-up nightmare in Greivis Vasquez who has shown the ability to take over games.
Player to Watch- None other than the aforementioned Greivis Vasquez! Vasquez does it all for Maryland, he passes, rebounds, scores, and when he isn't doing one of those three things he engages in friendly conversations with the opposing teams fans. Vasquez is a threat for a triple double in almost every game and similarly to Tyrese Rice of BC, UMD's tourney hopes ride on his shoulders.
Upset Alert- Washington is going to face a hot Mississippi St. team in the first round and then will probably play a tough Purdue team that will be a tough out in the tourney. Washington is a relatively young team with only three seniors and have not made the tourney the past two seasons, meaning their roster lacks big game experience.
Favorite- UConn...UConn has been the most consistent team this season with all of their losses coming to ranked teams. They are great defensively, their guard play is as good as it gets even without Jerome Dyson, and they have great depth.
East Region
Sleeper Team- Villanova/Florida St. It's a tie in the East for similar reasons, one of these two teams are beating Pitt. Yes it's bold and I'm a huge Pitt basketball fan, but someone had to say it. Nova has the guard play to succeed in March and due to their quickness are almost impossible to score on. Florida St. is a young team led by senior guard Toney Douglas and gave Pittsburgh problems earlier this season by holding them to 33% shooting from the field and also made DeJuan Blair due to foul trouble.
Player to Watch- How bout DeJuan Blair? With him, Pitt is a top four team in the country, without him they're average. In all of Pitt's losses this season, Blair has been saddled with foul trouble and has been a nonfactor. If Blair stays out of foul trouble, Pitt reaches the national championship (I don't see this happening five games in a row which is why I think Nova knocks them off in the Elite 8) if he doesn't it, Pitt's season ends.
Upset Alert- How bout those Pittsburgh Panthers? Pitt has never gotten past the Sweet 16 (but the good part about never is it has an expiration date) and could possibly have a rematch with a dangerous Florida St team in that very round. If the Panthers knock off Florida St to reach the Elite 8, Villanova should be there waiting. In the first match up between Nova and Pitt, Nova forced Blair to the bench due to foul trouble and used their quickness to disrupt the Pitt offense.
Favorite- Villanova...I love Nova's guards along with their defensive tenacity and Jay Wright's coaching ability. Their main concern has to be a lack of height though and running into a tall team like UNC in the Final Four could end their season.
South Region
Sleeper Team- Syracuse...Johnny Flynn and Eric Devendorf form one of the top back courts in the country and the Orange have Ben Stevenson wannabe Andy Rautins coming off the bench who can shoot the lights out. Syracuse has good height, versatility, and really showed their toughness in the Big East tournament. Their lack of a go to post scorer could hurt them later in the tournament though.
Player to Watch- Ty Lawson has to be the guy. Without him UNC looked very beatable in the ACC tournament. With him, they might be the best team in the country. He controls the game from the point with his decision making and speed and most importantly he knows when to take the game over and when to look for his teammates.
Side note--How great would a Johnny Flynn-Ty Lawson match up be witha trip to the Final Four on the line?
Upset Alert- Gonzaga has been a tough team to figure out all season. At times they've looked as if they could get to the Elite 8, possibly the Final 4 and at other times they look like a team that might not make it out of the Sweet 16. With that said, a match up with Western Kentucky (if they knock off Illinois from the Little 10) in the second round could be very dangerous for the Zags.
Favorite- UNC, but barely. If Lawson's toe injury is bad enough to keep him out of more than two games, then Syracuse looks like they might make a run to the Final 4
Tourney Winner--UConn wins it all, beating UNC in the Final as Hasheem Thabeet is named Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
I'm going to go region by region picking a sleeper team, player to watch, put certain teams on upset alert (because they really are going to listen to me and wise up) and in the pick a champion.
First up: Midwest Region
Sleeper Team- Watch out for those pesky West Virginia Mountaineers. They are great defensively, can play both up tempo and in a walk it up mode, an experienced coach, and have played great competition all year in the Big East. Also, they match up well with the rest of the region. Their height and athletecism should give Dayton some problems in the first round and although Kansas won the national championship last year, Kansas has been known to underachieve in the tourney (1st round loss to Bucknell in 04, followed by a 1st round loss to Bradley in 05, and being the 1st #1 seed to lose in 06) and lack the big game experience (excluding Sherron Collins) that last year's team had.
Player to Watch- While there are a lot of great players in the region (Jeff Teague, Da' Sean Butler, Terrance Williams, and Sherron Collins) none are as important to their team as Boston College's Tyrese Rice. He is the focus of the BC offense and almost every play is run through him, if USC's defense is able to contain him, BC has little hope of moving on to the 2nd round.
Upset Alert- Michigan State. Not only are they playing the Team of Destiny in the 1st round (your Robert Morris Colonials ladies and gentlemen), but a second round match up with USC could be very dangerous. Despite a mediocore conference record and inconsistent play, USC has won 5 in a row, are a great defensive team, and Michigan State lacks an impressive win this season coupled with their poor showing in the NIT Warm Up Tourney, I mean Big 10 tournament I'm not sold on this MSU team. Also USC has the secret weapon of the tournament in Percy Miller.
Region Favorite--Got to go with the #1 seeded Louisville Cardinals. They're the overall #1 for a reason and their defensive ability, combined with their gritty guards and senior leadership, Louisville will be a tough out.
West Region
Sleeper Team-(Does Memphis count? Very well then.) Maryland is the pick. They've been up and down this season (beating Michigan St. by 18, losing to Morgan St, losing to Duke by 41, beating UNC), but Gary Williams has his team playing hard (Central Catholic JV coach Joe Cattania recruited the entire Maryland roster for Coach Williams) and UMD has had a jolt of confidence since knocking off UNC and saving their tourney hopes. Also, they have a match-up nightmare in Greivis Vasquez who has shown the ability to take over games.
Player to Watch- None other than the aforementioned Greivis Vasquez! Vasquez does it all for Maryland, he passes, rebounds, scores, and when he isn't doing one of those three things he engages in friendly conversations with the opposing teams fans. Vasquez is a threat for a triple double in almost every game and similarly to Tyrese Rice of BC, UMD's tourney hopes ride on his shoulders.
Upset Alert- Washington is going to face a hot Mississippi St. team in the first round and then will probably play a tough Purdue team that will be a tough out in the tourney. Washington is a relatively young team with only three seniors and have not made the tourney the past two seasons, meaning their roster lacks big game experience.
Favorite- UConn...UConn has been the most consistent team this season with all of their losses coming to ranked teams. They are great defensively, their guard play is as good as it gets even without Jerome Dyson, and they have great depth.
East Region
Sleeper Team- Villanova/Florida St. It's a tie in the East for similar reasons, one of these two teams are beating Pitt. Yes it's bold and I'm a huge Pitt basketball fan, but someone had to say it. Nova has the guard play to succeed in March and due to their quickness are almost impossible to score on. Florida St. is a young team led by senior guard Toney Douglas and gave Pittsburgh problems earlier this season by holding them to 33% shooting from the field and also made DeJuan Blair due to foul trouble.
Player to Watch- How bout DeJuan Blair? With him, Pitt is a top four team in the country, without him they're average. In all of Pitt's losses this season, Blair has been saddled with foul trouble and has been a nonfactor. If Blair stays out of foul trouble, Pitt reaches the national championship (I don't see this happening five games in a row which is why I think Nova knocks them off in the Elite 8) if he doesn't it, Pitt's season ends.
Upset Alert- How bout those Pittsburgh Panthers? Pitt has never gotten past the Sweet 16 (but the good part about never is it has an expiration date) and could possibly have a rematch with a dangerous Florida St team in that very round. If the Panthers knock off Florida St to reach the Elite 8, Villanova should be there waiting. In the first match up between Nova and Pitt, Nova forced Blair to the bench due to foul trouble and used their quickness to disrupt the Pitt offense.
Favorite- Villanova...I love Nova's guards along with their defensive tenacity and Jay Wright's coaching ability. Their main concern has to be a lack of height though and running into a tall team like UNC in the Final Four could end their season.
South Region
Sleeper Team- Syracuse...Johnny Flynn and Eric Devendorf form one of the top back courts in the country and the Orange have Ben Stevenson wannabe Andy Rautins coming off the bench who can shoot the lights out. Syracuse has good height, versatility, and really showed their toughness in the Big East tournament. Their lack of a go to post scorer could hurt them later in the tournament though.
Player to Watch- Ty Lawson has to be the guy. Without him UNC looked very beatable in the ACC tournament. With him, they might be the best team in the country. He controls the game from the point with his decision making and speed and most importantly he knows when to take the game over and when to look for his teammates.
Side note--How great would a Johnny Flynn-Ty Lawson match up be witha trip to the Final Four on the line?
Upset Alert- Gonzaga has been a tough team to figure out all season. At times they've looked as if they could get to the Elite 8, possibly the Final 4 and at other times they look like a team that might not make it out of the Sweet 16. With that said, a match up with Western Kentucky (if they knock off Illinois from the Little 10) in the second round could be very dangerous for the Zags.
Favorite- UNC, but barely. If Lawson's toe injury is bad enough to keep him out of more than two games, then Syracuse looks like they might make a run to the Final 4
Tourney Winner--UConn wins it all, beating UNC in the Final as Hasheem Thabeet is named Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Beasts of the East
By: Kufere Laing
After watching Big East basketball all season coupled with last night's insane showdown between UConn and Syracuse, I got to wondering, is the Big East too tough? Think about it, Georgetown and Notre Dame were both ranked in the top 10 at point during the season, and now won't make it to the NCAA tourney. There's talk (and my talk I mean Joe Lunardi's bracketology that comes out once a week starting in what seems to be October) that three of the four number 1 seeds for the Dance could come out of the Big East (Louisville, Pitt, and UConn) along with four other teams getting bids. Meaning 7 of 16 Big East teams could end up in the tourney. This year every Big East team beat at least one AP top 25 team, except for Rutgers and those fiesty DePaul Blue Demons and as a conference, the Big East beat a top 25 team a total for 46 times. Right now, 4 teams are ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll with Syracuse and Marquette at numbers 20 and 21, respectively, giving the Big East six top 25 teams, more than any other conference. While all this is great for the viewers, did it end up hurting the Big East come tourney time?
The Big 10 has only 2 ranked teams right now and has been a mediorce conference all year. The best team in the Big 10 Michigan State probably wouldn't be in the top 5 in the Big East (everyone in East Lansing take a chill pill, your Spartans haven't beaten anyone all year UNC and Maryland smoked you guys, enjoy the two games the Spartans will play in the NCAA tourney) and Penn State, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio State, and Michigan would all be midlevel, Providencesque teams in the Big East. Neverthelss, my people have all of these teams in the NCAA tourney, while teams like Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Providence, and Georgetown (all of whom would be upper level Big 10 teams) are being left out. It is in this way that the Big East may be too tough. Georgetown started the Big East season off with a bang, knocking off UConn on the road, but then hit a rough spell, lost their confidence and in the process 11 of 15 games. Still, they showed their potential with a tough road win at Villanova only to lose to St. John's and clinch their NIT berth. The same can be said for Notre Dame who beat the Big East champs, Louisville by 33 points! Had an epic game at the Maui Invitational against Texas (a tourney bound team) and also showed their worth against UNC. Lastly, Providence and Cincinnati have been average in the best conference in the country, while the Big 10 schools have been average in an average conference, but are going to get the tourney bids due to the above average conference records.
After watching Big East basketball all season coupled with last night's insane showdown between UConn and Syracuse, I got to wondering, is the Big East too tough? Think about it, Georgetown and Notre Dame were both ranked in the top 10 at point during the season, and now won't make it to the NCAA tourney. There's talk (and my talk I mean Joe Lunardi's bracketology that comes out once a week starting in what seems to be October) that three of the four number 1 seeds for the Dance could come out of the Big East (Louisville, Pitt, and UConn) along with four other teams getting bids. Meaning 7 of 16 Big East teams could end up in the tourney. This year every Big East team beat at least one AP top 25 team, except for Rutgers and those fiesty DePaul Blue Demons and as a conference, the Big East beat a top 25 team a total for 46 times. Right now, 4 teams are ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll with Syracuse and Marquette at numbers 20 and 21, respectively, giving the Big East six top 25 teams, more than any other conference. While all this is great for the viewers, did it end up hurting the Big East come tourney time?
The Big 10 has only 2 ranked teams right now and has been a mediorce conference all year. The best team in the Big 10 Michigan State probably wouldn't be in the top 5 in the Big East (everyone in East Lansing take a chill pill, your Spartans haven't beaten anyone all year UNC and Maryland smoked you guys, enjoy the two games the Spartans will play in the NCAA tourney) and Penn State, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio State, and Michigan would all be midlevel, Providencesque teams in the Big East. Neverthelss, my people have all of these teams in the NCAA tourney, while teams like Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Providence, and Georgetown (all of whom would be upper level Big 10 teams) are being left out. It is in this way that the Big East may be too tough. Georgetown started the Big East season off with a bang, knocking off UConn on the road, but then hit a rough spell, lost their confidence and in the process 11 of 15 games. Still, they showed their potential with a tough road win at Villanova only to lose to St. John's and clinch their NIT berth. The same can be said for Notre Dame who beat the Big East champs, Louisville by 33 points! Had an epic game at the Maui Invitational against Texas (a tourney bound team) and also showed their worth against UNC. Lastly, Providence and Cincinnati have been average in the best conference in the country, while the Big 10 schools have been average in an average conference, but are going to get the tourney bids due to the above average conference records.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
A Trip Down Memory Lane
By: Kufere Laing
Ok, this is more of a traditional type of blog post, only because I want to get some things in that refer back to my other posts.
1) The Cause- If 48 points on 15 of 21 shooting with 12 assists 5 threes and the game winner and then following that up with 32 points and 7 assists against the defending champs doesn't say MVP then stop reading this blog (kidding, 100% kidding, in fact if that doesn't say MVP to you then comment, allow me to destroy you in the debate, then refer all of your friends to this blog). Also, I was reading something on espn.com by a sports writer who I refuse to name. Basically, he took all of my flavor, he called the Cleveland Cavaliers the LeBron's, which means I now have to start calling them the Witnesses (thats actually a good name, they only watch what LeBron does and according to a good source of mine "we are all witnesses") and he is now a supporter of The Cause. Next time he writes an article I'd prefer that he either: 1) puts me in his next mailbag, 2) gives a link to Garbage Time, 3) just copies and pastes my article, or 4) shout me out.
2)The Team of Destiny- For a second it looked like we had a legit team of destiny in the DePaul Blue Demons. After starting the Big East off 0-18, they got to the conference tourney with hopes of making it to the Dance, "we're going to shock the world and come out number 1" said junior Guard Will Walker (ok I made that up). Still, they got my hopes up by knocking off Cincy in the first round (and killing their NCAA tourney hopes) and then got my hopes up by having the audacity to have a lead in the 2nd half against Providence. So now I'm predicting the Robert Morris Colonials will knock off Pitt in the 1st round of the NCAA tourney (yes, I've seen the bracket) and go to the Final Four George Mason style. Don't let us down Robert Morris!
With that, you are now updated. Coming Sunday or early next week--NCAA tourney preview!! Also, send questions to garbagetime3@gmail.com if we get enough there will be a mail bag where all questions are answered. Ask about anything! Lastly, refer a friend to Garbage Time, ask a question, or put Garbage Time in your facebook status and you get to become an officer in the facebook group!!!
Ok, this is more of a traditional type of blog post, only because I want to get some things in that refer back to my other posts.
1) The Cause- If 48 points on 15 of 21 shooting with 12 assists 5 threes and the game winner and then following that up with 32 points and 7 assists against the defending champs doesn't say MVP then stop reading this blog (kidding, 100% kidding, in fact if that doesn't say MVP to you then comment, allow me to destroy you in the debate, then refer all of your friends to this blog). Also, I was reading something on espn.com by a sports writer who I refuse to name. Basically, he took all of my flavor, he called the Cleveland Cavaliers the LeBron's, which means I now have to start calling them the Witnesses (thats actually a good name, they only watch what LeBron does and according to a good source of mine "we are all witnesses") and he is now a supporter of The Cause. Next time he writes an article I'd prefer that he either: 1) puts me in his next mailbag, 2) gives a link to Garbage Time, 3) just copies and pastes my article, or 4) shout me out.
2)The Team of Destiny- For a second it looked like we had a legit team of destiny in the DePaul Blue Demons. After starting the Big East off 0-18, they got to the conference tourney with hopes of making it to the Dance, "we're going to shock the world and come out number 1" said junior Guard Will Walker (ok I made that up). Still, they got my hopes up by knocking off Cincy in the first round (and killing their NCAA tourney hopes) and then got my hopes up by having the audacity to have a lead in the 2nd half against Providence. So now I'm predicting the Robert Morris Colonials will knock off Pitt in the 1st round of the NCAA tourney (yes, I've seen the bracket) and go to the Final Four George Mason style. Don't let us down Robert Morris!
With that, you are now updated. Coming Sunday or early next week--NCAA tourney preview!! Also, send questions to garbagetime3@gmail.com if we get enough there will be a mail bag where all questions are answered. Ask about anything! Lastly, refer a friend to Garbage Time, ask a question, or put Garbage Time in your facebook status and you get to become an officer in the facebook group!!!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
NewsFLASH: Time to Take Up The Cause
By: Kufere Laing
Out of curiosity, how on earth is Dwyane Wade not the front runner to be the NBA MVP (I'm going to call the Wade 4 MVP campaign The Cause in this and future articles) this season? He leads the league in scoring, doesn't have a teammate averaging over 14 points per game, averages 7 assists a game, and plays for a team that won a total of 15 games the previous season. This year, the Heat are 1/2 a game out of the 4th spot in the East (the 4 seed would allow them to have home court advantage in the 1st round of the playoffs) with the only key addition to the roster being Jermaine O'neal, who is only averaging 13 points per game. The biggest detractors of The Cause say Wade's team doesn't have enough wins to warrant a MVP this season. How ridiculous is this? If Wade is replaced with any other 2-guard in the NBA right now (with the exception of 24) the Heat are in Lottery Land again.
Some say the MVP should go to the best player on the best team, which makes even less sense. If your the best player on the best team, you obviously have capable teammates which make you dispensable. Look at the Celtics, arguably the best team in the East right now, they lost their best player Kevin Garnett and haven't missed a beat. If the Lakers were to lose 24 for a couple of weeks, there is little doubt that they would remain as the top seed in the Western Conference thanks to their incredible depth. Now, if the Heat lose Wade for two weeks, there's no way they go .500, in fact, I doubt they would win any games in the time span.
Over the last five games, Wade has kicked his game into overdrive by averaging 37 points 10 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, and has played around 40 minutes a night. Since the All-Star break, Wade is averaging 35 points per game and more importantly, the Heat a team with limited talent and even less height (the most underrated aspect of playing in the NBA) are somehow winning games. Making this string of games even more impressive is the fact that the Heat can not win if Wade has an off night because who would step up? In fact, the Heat are 4-10 in games when Wade has shot under 40% from the field. The Lakers? Well they're 13-3 when 24 shoots under 40% and the LeBron's are 2-7. However, the LeBron's 2-7 record is a little misleading due to the fact that that four of those 7 losses are to Orlando, LA, and Boston; three of the best teams in the league.
Without Wade, St. Bede's JV CYO team looks like they could beat the Heat (assuming Andrew Sherman gets his usual 40-10) with Wade, Miami looks like they could become...THE TEAM OF DESTINY! With that, I think its time to take up The Cause.
Out of curiosity, how on earth is Dwyane Wade not the front runner to be the NBA MVP (I'm going to call the Wade 4 MVP campaign The Cause in this and future articles) this season? He leads the league in scoring, doesn't have a teammate averaging over 14 points per game, averages 7 assists a game, and plays for a team that won a total of 15 games the previous season. This year, the Heat are 1/2 a game out of the 4th spot in the East (the 4 seed would allow them to have home court advantage in the 1st round of the playoffs) with the only key addition to the roster being Jermaine O'neal, who is only averaging 13 points per game. The biggest detractors of The Cause say Wade's team doesn't have enough wins to warrant a MVP this season. How ridiculous is this? If Wade is replaced with any other 2-guard in the NBA right now (with the exception of 24) the Heat are in Lottery Land again.
Some say the MVP should go to the best player on the best team, which makes even less sense. If your the best player on the best team, you obviously have capable teammates which make you dispensable. Look at the Celtics, arguably the best team in the East right now, they lost their best player Kevin Garnett and haven't missed a beat. If the Lakers were to lose 24 for a couple of weeks, there is little doubt that they would remain as the top seed in the Western Conference thanks to their incredible depth. Now, if the Heat lose Wade for two weeks, there's no way they go .500, in fact, I doubt they would win any games in the time span.
Over the last five games, Wade has kicked his game into overdrive by averaging 37 points 10 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, and has played around 40 minutes a night. Since the All-Star break, Wade is averaging 35 points per game and more importantly, the Heat a team with limited talent and even less height (the most underrated aspect of playing in the NBA) are somehow winning games. Making this string of games even more impressive is the fact that the Heat can not win if Wade has an off night because who would step up? In fact, the Heat are 4-10 in games when Wade has shot under 40% from the field. The Lakers? Well they're 13-3 when 24 shoots under 40% and the LeBron's are 2-7. However, the LeBron's 2-7 record is a little misleading due to the fact that that four of those 7 losses are to Orlando, LA, and Boston; three of the best teams in the league.
Without Wade, St. Bede's JV CYO team looks like they could beat the Heat (assuming Andrew Sherman gets his usual 40-10) with Wade, Miami looks like they could become...THE TEAM OF DESTINY! With that, I think its time to take up The Cause.
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