College Basketball

[Rhom]

Whew

[RedEyedGhost]

I thought Kansas did a helluva job maintaining composure against A&M. In the closing minutes it really looked like aTm was rushing shots and really didn't have confidence that they could win the ballgame. Kansas stepped up and got the job done.

This might be the toughest Jayhawk team I've ever seen. They really step up in those tight games, and we don't have to have a consistent scorer because everybody can step up.

I just wish we would start stepping on some throats early in the game. Hopefully we can all out destroy CU and OU so that our starters can get some much needed bench time at the end of those games.

I've got to thank the Big 12 and ESPN for this scheduling - three straight Saturday/Monday games. That one day off in between games, three weeks in a row... should help us get ready for the tournament. Although our week three isn't exactly final four caliber teams (CU and OU).

Speaking of Cousins... did you guys see what some Mississippi State fans have done? :stunned:

Wait, do you mean this isn't a regular thing for UK players? Are the opposing fans in the SEC that indifferent to you guys? Louisville doesn't do this?

This is blowing my mind. KU players go through this every season from KSU and MU (and other fan bases when they're feeling frisky), every season.

Whew

Got a little rowdy there at the end didn't it?

Stansbury must be the worst coach in the nation. They should have been driving to the hoop every time up the court. Instead they repeatedly jack up 30' shots, and UK finishes the game with 9-10 straight fouls against MSU because they're going strong and MSU's shooting jump shots.

Varnado totally took himself out of the game with stupid foul after stupid foul. Dude really needed to calm the eff down.

[Rhom]

Dammit... if UofL keeps winning games, they're gonna make the tournament!

:tantrum:

[Rhom]

From the "At Least He's Being Consistent" file...

Jim Boeheim thinks UNC should be a tourney team.

:stunned:

Okay... so a team crusing to a 14-12 record and a ninth place finish in the ACC should be in the NCAA tournament?!!? I don't care how much they expand the tourney, I don't want to see this. I'd rather see a guarantee that the regular season winner and tournament winner of the smaller mid-majors will both get in if they make this expansion.

[RedEyedGhost]

Could Boeheim have a more idiotic argument?

"I think there's going to be too many teams that look exactly alike. I think the last eight teams that get in are going to look just like the last eight teams that get out. To me, that means you need to have an expansion."

And if we add those eight teams, won't they on average look like the next eight teams out? The last eight teams in are always going to look like the last eight teams out, until we get a tournament of 347 teams.

If you haven't used your 28+ regular season games to distinguish your team, then you should not have a guaranteed spot - just like Syracuse in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008.

If McDermott had been able to keep Wesley Johnson in Ames, then Syracuse would probably have been on the bubble again this year.

[S John]

ETA: I love the new avatar SJohn. It adds a real element of danger! :lol:

:lol: Thanks! I giggle every time I see it.

On the tournament expansion. I gotta say, I'm solidly against it, 64 teams is enough.

The way I look at it... is it not still true that a #16 seed has never knocked off a #1 seed? If that is true, then there is already a pretty wide gap that exists between the top teams in the tourney and most of the lower seeds. And, iirc, a 15 knocking off a 2 is pretty damn rare as well. Why add dead weight to the tournament?

I also think that the more teams you add, the more you take away from the importance of regular season games. Making the NCAA's should be a reward for a well played season, not a foregone conclusion.

[Rhom]

Just an FYI... The nation's longest winning streak is on the line when the Murray State Racers take the floor at 11 EST on ESPNU!

[Eponine]

I've been reluctant to post in this thread because I didn't want to jinx the run they've been on, but Virginia Tech came up with a big win against Wake tonight. I saw the UNC game in person, and I've watched them throughout the season. I think people are underestimating this team because of the non-conference strength of schedule. Of course that is just fine by me!

I was at the game, and it was pretty stressful. Normally, the #2 team in the ACC by this time would be a ranked team and a shoo-in for the NCAA tournament, but we've just barely cracked the bottom of the list and are still considered on the bubble. (We were 8/12 in the preseason rankings, so a weak OOC schedule should have been balanced by strong conference games- arguably no one knew that the top of the conference would collapse the way it did, hello UNC). I think that we deserve the ranking that we have (23), but the Duke game on Sunday should be very telling in how prepared we are against an actual good team. No one ever talks about how Va Tech floats in the ball and makes their wins look effortless - our comeback against Wake was more like a cat scratching its way our a sack it's being drowned in- but it's not absolutely impossible that we can slow the game and outfight a better team.

[S John]

lol

I was at the game, and it was pretty stressful. Normally, the #2 team in the ACC by this time would be a ranked team and a shoo-in for the NCAA tournament, but we've just barely cracked the bottom of the list and are still considered on the bubble. (We were 8/12 in the preseason rankings, so a weak OOC schedule should have been balanced by strong conference games- arguably no one knew that the top of the conference would collapse the way it did, hello UNC). I think that we deserve the ranking that we have (23), but the Duke game on Sunday should be very telling in how prepared we are against an actual good team. No one ever talks about how Va Tech floats in the ball and makes their wins look effortless - our comeback against Wake was more like a cat scratching its way our a sack it's being drowned in- but it's not absolutely impossible that we can slow the game and outfight a better team.

Yea I was looking at VT the other day and your record is really great, but there's hardly anyone of note on the entire schedule. Hard to believe in the ACC. North Carolina is abysmal, which is just craziness. I think VT is probably going to make the tournament anyway, but a win at Duke would likely seal the deal.

[RedEyedGhost]

Finally we got a good beatdown going. The best part about it was that nobody played more than 29 minutes, and both Xavier and Tyshawn had great games.

Hopefully we can roll OU tomorrow night with similar short games for our starters. Willie Warren has had mono, but is expected to play (we'll see how effective he can be).

With Kent coming up last (again) in an abysmal PAC 10 it looks like he sees the writing on the wall:

"At the end of the day, when you look back on it, we will have left this program in great shape with a great reputation, with two Elite Eights and two NIT Final Fours," Kent said. "We have guys in the NBA, a solid academic APR. The program is not falling apart. We are just reloading."

lol

That is hilarious!

[Rhom]

The ACC is officially crazy. NCState upsetting Wake Forest was the last straw for me! I have no clue how it will all shake out. And the kicker is, as bad as UNC has been this year... I don't think I'd be surprised to see them go on a run and win the ACC tourney to make the big dance. Duke has moved up to number 5 in the polls again... and with Syracuse having some tough games still to play, they could easily get a #1 Seed. Which would tick me off to no end, because I can see the tourney committee sticking Duke in the South and Purdue in the East and shipping UK off to the West.

I watched some of College Gameday from the campus of the University of Washington on Saturday. Now if that isn't a sign that ESPN might want to consider scheduling the Gameday locations after the season starts; then I don't know what is.

Vanderbilt and Kentucky played a heckuva tough game on Saturday. I kind of knew it would be nasty, but it was downright ugly at times. I'm not sure exactly what DeMarcus Cousins does to get under other players' skin, but to see AJ Ogilvy (complete with frosted highlight tips in his hair) screaming at the back of Cousins' head was near comical. Seriously dude, you're no Crocodile Dundee... Cousins would eat you for luch while sleeping with your mother and texting your girlfriend.

Wall's heroics at the end could have been avoided if the team hadn't been missing all their free throws. Seriously, Calipari must have been having national title game flashbacks there. I don't get it... Wall and Bledsoe were clutch from the line earlier in the year, now they keep throwing up brick after brick.

Ah well, Thursday we get our shot at revenge against South Carolina in Rupp Arena. :box:

[Winterfell]

The ACC is officially crazy. NCState upsetting Wake Forest was the last straw for me! I have no clue how it will all shake out. And the kicker is, as bad as UNC has been this year... I don't think I'd be surprised to see them go on a run and win the ACC tourney to make the big dance. Duke has moved up to number 5 in the polls again... and with Syracuse having some tough games still to play, they could easily get a #1 Seed. Which would tick me off to no end, because I can see the tourney committee sticking Duke in the South and Purdue in the East and shipping UK off to the West.

Well obviously Duke won at Cameron, though that 12 point margin was very deceptive. I was hoping Tech would pull this one out, and with about 8 minutes left, it definitely looked like that could happen. To Duke's credit, they hit big 3's at the end of the game.

Anyway, the thing about the ACC this year is that home court advantage is really huge, so in that context, the State upset of Wake isn't too surprising. It also helps that Wake can't shoot the 3 very well, and they didn't make a single 3 against State. Several league coaches have commented on the home court advantage, basically saying that you have to hold serve at home and pick up a few road victories if possible (this is very similar to the philosophy in World Cup qualifying for many nations--win at home and somehow get a tie or win on the road).

The other big win in the ACC was Maryland's buzzer-beater over Georgia Tech. Now that was a really great finish!

[Rhom]

Well obviously Duke won at Cameron, though that 12 point margin was very deceptive. I was hoping Tech would pull this one out, and with about 8 minutes left, it definitely looked like that could happen. To Duke's credit, they hit big 3's at the end of the game.

Anyway, the thing about the ACC this year is that home court advantage is really huge, so in that context, the State upset of Wake isn't too surprising. It also helps that Wake can't shoot the 3 very well, and they didn't make a single 3 against State. Several league coaches have commented on the home court advantage, basically saying that you have to hold serve at home and pick up a few road victories if possible (this is very similar to the philosophy in World Cup qualifying for many nations--win at home and somehow get a tie or win on the road).

The other big win in the ACC was Maryland's buzzer-beater over Georgia Tech. Now that was a really great finish!

There's some good ball being played in the ACC. Everything you say about homecourt is definitely true. I completely forgot about Maryland's buzzer beater when I was writing my earlier post. The league seems to be more wide open this year than usual, so the tourney should be great television. Duke would obviously be the favorite, but I don't see them as a prohibitive favorite.

Also... I would just like to point out this week's AP Poll.

Others Receiving Votes

UTEP 86, Virginia Tech 76, Maryland 57, Missouri 17, Illinois 14, Xavier 13, Marquette 11, Louisville 9, Mississippi State 5, Oklahoma State 4, Utah State 4, Wake Forest 2, Murray State 2, Cornell 2, Clemson 1.

Lets go Racers!!!!! :thumbsup:

[RedEyedGhost]

Kansas City rappers love them some Jayhawks -

I don't think it's that bad :unsure:

Sherron Collins: stud. And he's also the winningest Jayhawk ever. Congrats!

Another congratulations to the big man, Cole Aldrich, named basketball Academic All-American of the Year!

Xavier and Tyshawn both had great games again tonight. As a whole we handled OU very easily, but lost an semblance of focus (or caring) in the last four minutes so the final score is much closer than the game really was. Xavier appears to had broken through the freshman wall and is back on track. :D

AND we clinched a share of our sixth straight conference title! That is just fucking sweet.

Texas' Balbay is out for the season with a blown ACL, this might actually be addition by subtraction - Gottlieb makes a great point about that here. After losing Varez Ward in the third game of the season, apparently PG isn't the safest position to play at UT.

I'm not sure exactly what DeMarcus Cousins does to get under other players' skin, but to see AJ Ogilvy (complete with frosted highlight tips in his hair) screaming at the back of Cousins' head was near comical.

Common on, Rhom, watch Cousins and not the ball for 5 minutes and it's easy to see why he gets under other players' skin: elbows, hooks, and more elbows. Especially Vandy. :P

Ah well, Thursday we get our shot at revenge against South Carolina in Rupp Arena. :box:

I imagine this will be the 'Cocks after the game - :bawl: :crying: :bawl:

Your boys are going to beat them senseless.

[Rhom]

I can't remember a year in which I see one team as being so much better than the field (KU). And then I think UK is markedly better than whoever is the next best team.

I think the "whoever is the next best team" is complicated by the fact that its probably someone who plays in the Big East, and they all beat each other up relentlessly.

[Maithanet]

I can't remember a year in which I see one team as being so much better than the field (KU). And then I think UK is markedly better than whoever is the next best team.

I agree. I am usually a fan of picking second-tier contenders when bracketing, but this year I think picking against KU/KY will be very questionable. While it's possible one of those two won't win, I can't see it being likely.

What is odd is I think that in a KY/KU matchup, I favor KY. But I think Kentucky is more likely to get knocked out by an inferior team than Kansas is.

[Rhom]

I agree. I am usually a fan of picking second-tier contenders when bracketing, but this year I think picking against KU/KY will be very questionable. While it's possible one of those two won't win, I can't see it being likely.

What is odd is I think that in a KY/KU matchup, I favor KY. But I think Kentucky is more likely to get knocked out by an inferior team than Kansas is.

I agree with that actually. For example, I would favor Kansas in a match-up with Syracuse... but I think Boeheim's zone would likely knock Kentucky out of the tournament. I think Kansas is probably one of the few teams in the country that can run with Kentucky, and would therefore be more likely to play them straight up than anyone else would. In that kind of game, I like Kentucky's chances. Kansas is much more experienced though and I think that plays into their favor when it comes to playing the different looks that teams are likely to show on the way to the Final Four.

[Rhom]

I don't know that I've ever heard anyone argue that experience is a bad thing.

Mind-boggling: If Arizona did not have the weight of a 25-year NCAA tournament streak, this year could actually be a feel-good story for the Wildcat basketball program under first-year coach Sean Miller.

Everybody loves the idea of starting from the ground up. Not as many are captivated by a struggling program trying to dust itself off. Miller has never used the word rebuilding to describe his job this season. Instead, he noted that his work includes “a fresh canvas” for a new creation of Arizona basketball.

“What happened in the past is in the past,” he said.

If only it was that easy.

The past took on the form of senior guard Nic Wise and junior forward Jamelle Horne — a couple of Lute Olson recruits who figured to play more prominent roles than previously in their careers. The past took on the form of sellouts at McKale Center, continuing where Olson left off as the most attended arena in the Pac-10.

Yeah, because every coach dreams of stepping into an empty arena with fans quiet as a tomb, no returning experience, and no tradition. Every coach dreams that he could be 9-17 instead of 13-13. Gimme a break. Miller will do fine at Arizona, but this first year is a failure. There's no other way to put it. When the Pac-10 is this weak, and you have this much returning talent... you should be a cinch for the NCAA tournament.

(Oh... and btw, they won't be signing Doron Lamb or Josh Selby.)

[RedEyedGhost]

Wow, UNC just isn't even trying anymore are they?

They've lost 14 games since winning the national championship. KU has lost 9 :lol:

Rhom, I think you'll like this photo. 15:56 to go in the second half and the Dean Dome is about half empty. I seriously doubt Rupp was ever that bad last season.

So much for going on a run and making the NCAAs:

"I thought we were going to win today and get on a great run and we be in the NCAA Tournament," Williams said. "Now I gotta readjust and see if we can get it done by starting on Wednesday night."

Up next UNC has a game at Wake, Miami at home, and at Duke. They might beat Miami, which puts them in a very interesting position: IF they beat Miami that will put them at 1999 wins, so they could possibly get number 2000 in the ACC tournament, but that's probably not going to happen. So, do they accept a bid in the CBI and possibly rack up number 2000 in that less than prestigious tournament OR do they say thanks, but no thanks, we'll take number 2000 at the start of next year and hopefully turn over a new leaf with it.

Robbie Hummel went down with a knee injury. Hopefully it's not too serious, because he's pivotal to any post season run that Purdue could have possible gone on.

Back to the KU/UK convo from yesterday: Aldrich and Henry want to play UK

When I asked junior Cole Aldrich and freshman Xavier Henry what team they wanted to play in the NCAA tournament, they both quickly said, "Kentucky."

"Everyone keeps saying they are the best team and you hear about them all the time on television. I want to see who is the best," Henry said with a smile.

That theme was also repeated by coach Bill Self, who said he doesn't care about rankings and the claim that his team is being disrespected while Kansas is ranked No. 1.

"Kentucky has been the team that gets all the media attention, and deservedly so because they may be the most talented team in the country. But our guys see that attention and they want to prove themselves against it."

The No. 1 team in the country for nearly the entire season has a chip on its shoulder because it doesn't get enough attention? That may seem bizarre, but it's clear that Kansas does feel the slight. While Self might be correct that Kentucky is the most talented team in the nation, the Jayhawks aren't too shabby.

I'm a little less enthusiastic about playing UK though. :P

UK is very talented, and while we have more experience, saying that UK has none is just wrong. They've played 90% of a regular season, get to gain more in the SEC tournament, and even more in the early rounds of the NCAAs.

IF we meet UK in the tournament it will be one hell of a game, and IF we do play UK I will be fucking ecstatic because the only way we're meeting up is in the championship game, because we will be on opposite sides of the bracket.

[Rhom]

Kentucky gets the press because of several factors.

1) There's a definite "Extreme Home Makeover: Basketball Edition" feel to this team.

2) Calipari actively markets the team.

3) People are convinced Calipari is a crook and can't wait to see UK fail.

4) Wall and Cousins are the new hotness in college basketball. Next year it will be someone else.

I hope you're right about UK and Kansas being seeded across from each other. I have plenty of memories of years where the selection committee didn't seem to pay attention to that sort of thing. (Example: 1996 when UK and UMass met in the Final Four.)

On another note, Basketball Prospectus has a really interesting article titled Duke collapsing, and other rites of spring. They break down some interesting stats including minutes logged by starters and points per possesion allowed/scored.

This is the breakdown of contribution of minutes by starters for some of the major teams:

Pct of Total

Georgetown 82

Ohio St. 80

Duke 75

Temple 74

Gonzaga 73

West Virginia 73

Syracuse 72

Purdue 71

Kentucky 70

New Mexico 70

Kansas 69

Vanderbilt 68

BYU 67

Kansas St. 66

Villanova 64

Michigan St. 60

It looks pretty damning, until you realize that North Carolina last year gave 73 percent of their minutes to their starters.

I enjoyed looking over the list because there's been a lot of debate in the Kentucky fan community lately about the amount of minutes being played by the starters. In particular, the questions surround whether the minutes Wall and Bledsoe have been logging have contributed to the recent spate of missed free throws near the end of games.

I want to say that bench depth is important to a good run in March, but then teams are really just playing two games with a day of rest in between on three straight weekends. Its not quite the grueling 6 game stretch I sometimes like to think that it is.