College Basketball 2010-2011 and Tourney

[Maithanet]

I'm not sure about that either, especially in the women's game. Its one thing for Shaq to have problems with free throws, his body type makes a normal biomechanical motion for free throws to be impractical. The average women's collegiate basketball player is in the 6 foot range, perfect size to have the correct body motion to shoot a free throw. From there, its all muscle memory and repetition.

Griner's body type is closer to Shaq than the average 6 ft women's bballer. She is an absolute force on the court. Shame that this 1v2 matchup happened so early in the season. The tournament is a long way off and it's kind of anticlimactic.

[Rhom]

Griner's body type is closer to Shaq than the average 6 ft women's bballer. She is an absolute force on the court. Shame that this 1v2 matchup happened so early in the season. The tournament is a long way off and it's kind of anticlimactic.

I haven't looked over UConn's schedule, but the nice thing about the women's game is that the top ranked teams don't duck good competition in the regular season. So I would think there will still be several good games as the season progresses.

[Maithanet]

I haven't looked over UConn's schedule, but the nice thing about the women's game is that the top ranked teams don't duck good competition in the regular season.

Yeah well, in UCONN's case, why would they want to? Only about 8 teams in the country could possibly give them a challenge, and that is if they are really bring their A game.

8 might be high.

[Rhom]

Not to dwell on the Kanter issue, but I thought Gregg Doyel had an interesting take on it. Essentially he questions why the NCAA allows athletes to be a professional in one sport and not in another. It is something that I always found odd as well, but I liked this part:

My beef is with the NCAA, which did with Kanter what it does too often -- took a brutish, hard-line stance on an issue that required finesse and logic. The fate of Enes Kanter, and future prospective athletes like him, isn't a black-and-white issue. There's nothing here but gray, starting with the culture of European basketball. If a skilled teenager in Turkey wants to improve, short of leaving his family he has no choice but to play for a professional team. He can turn down the contract that will be offered him -- Kanter could be earning more money than you and me combined, right now, had he wanted to -- but eventually some of that money splashing around will spill onto him. Kanter got damp. Not sopping wet, but damp. That was enough for the NCAA to throw him out like, um, a baby with the bathwater.

This is the crux of the problem. By changing the rule earlier this year concerning the definition of professionalism, the NCAA was opening a door to try and encourage greater international participation in the game. However, by taking a hardline stance on Kanter they have essentially closed that same door. Why bother opening the door in the first place?

Also... in keeping with my subtitle for the thread; any news on the Selby front REG??? Honestly, at this point you'd almost think he was pulling a Reynardo Sidney and lieing to the NCAA! From what I've heard, that's not the case. He deserves an answer on his status.

They're a football school with a basketball chaser; a buddy of mine was in grad school when they were at the tops of hoops and he was saying that even after the wins the talk on campus was still about the football program.

The sad thing is, their arena seats only something like 12K and the only non-conference game they'll sell out will be the OSU game last night.

Yeah well, in UCONN's case, why would they want to? Only about 8 teams in the country could possibly give them a challenge, and that is if they are really bring their A game.

8 might be high.

True, but its not their fault they're just so damn good. Tennessee has unfortunately dropped off. Notre Dame is a shell of their former self. What Auriema has put together in Storrs is truly remarkable (as evidenced by the fact that they will soon break the record held by UCLA for longest win streak.)

That brings up another point of contention for me. Its one that goes back to the argument over winningest college coaches of all time a couple years ago. I still feel that those records should be entirely separate. The men's and women's game is completely different and for people to be saying that UConn will soon have the longest college basketball winning streak is a real problem for me. Ah well, I think I lost the argument over Summit being listed with Rupp, Knight, and Co and I guess I'll lose this one too. :worried:

[Green Apple Fossoway]

I finally managed to watch Iowa State play yesterday. I picked a good night. Christopherson was a perfect 11 for 11 from the floor, Garrett played solid, and the whole team played absolute lights out defense. Every person who played scored at least one point. They were fast paced and very high intensity. I'm starting to get excited about Hoiberg's coaching abilities. The freshmen made some mental mistakes and they had a tendency to lob up threes when there was absolutely no one in the paint to go after a rebound, but things are definitely looking up for us at this point, me thinks.

[RedEyedGhost]

Also... in keeping with my subtitle for the thread; any news on the Selby front REG??? Honestly, at this point you'd almost think he was pulling a Reynardo Sidney and lieing to the NCAA! From what I've heard, that's not the case. He deserves an answer on his status.

Nothing yet. Ridiculous amounts of rumors flying around though - the big one was that we would hear on Tuesday, and then it became mid-week this week, and now the week is almost over. Last week Self switched his canned response of "No comment until we know more" to "We should know soon." So hopefully we get something before the team travel to Vegas for our tournament games Friday and Saturday.

True, but its not their fault they're just so damn good. Tennessee has unfortunately dropped off. Notre Dame is a shell of their former self. What Auriema has put together in Storrs is truly remarkable (as evidenced by the fact that they will soon break the record held by UCLA for longest win streak.)

That brings up another point of contention for me. Its one that goes back to the argument over winningest college coaches of all time a couple years ago. I still feel that those records should be entirely separate. The men's and women's game is completely different and for people to be saying that UConn will soon have the longest college basketball winning streak is a real problem for me. Ah well, I think I lost the argument over Summit being listed with Rupp, Knight, and Co and I guess I'll lose this one too. :worried:

Are men's and women's sprints, or pole vault, or marathon results recorded as the same by the NCAA? Nope, so neither should basketball streaks or all time wins.

[Rhom]

Bruce Pearl has been suspended by the SEC for the first 8 conference games. Well... you don't see that happen very often! The sweaty one is gettin his comeuppance. Couldn't happen to a more deserving fellow. ;)

By my calculations, Pearl's first game back would be February 8 at Rupp Arena. Not exactly welcoming confines. Heh.

[RedEyedGhost]

Bruce Pearl has been suspended by the SEC for the first 8 conference games. Well... you don't see that happen very often! The sweaty one is gettin his comeuppance. Couldn't happen to a more deserving fellow. ;)

By my calculations, Pearl's first game back would be February 8 at Rupp Arena. Not exactly welcoming confines. Heh.

Very nice to see the SEC step up on this. I was just thinking how ridiculous it was that Selby is still waiting while that bastard gets to coach.

[Rhom]

I wasn't going to drink this weekend, but now that I see that Pearl got an 8-game suspension I may have to celebrate.

I know you're not up north anymore Trisk, but Terrence Jones and the Cats are stopping off on their way to Maui to play a game at Portland tonight at 7:30 PST. Thought you might be interested.

[Rhom]

Not sure what the hell was up with Texas at the end of the game. With 10 seconds left to play, a top team should be able to get off a better shot than that.

Now with 9:00 to play in Peurto Rico, the Minnesota Golden Tubbies are giving North Carolina all they can handle. After scoring 19 points in the first half of their previous game, Harrison Barnes has gone over 50 minutes without a field goal. And that, boys and girls.... is why you don't vote a freshman to the pre-season All America team.

I don't know if Minnesota can hang on, but I'd love to see it happen. Go Tubby!

ETA: Its Tubby time!!!

ETA2: Just saw that Selby will sit 9 games and return on December 18. Considering the $5,700 and change they say he received in impermissable benefits, that's consistent with their previous decisions. (9 games for anything over $1,000.) What I haven't seen is what exactly constituted the $5,700? I assume it wasn't cash.

[RedEyedGhost]

Finally.

Selby's out 9 games - his first game will be USC on Dec. 18th, so he will play one semester of college ball.

ETA: just saw Rhom's edit, I don't know what the $6K is for either. I doubt he'll have any trouble securing a loan for that though :lol:

[Darkostar]

You guys, I had the weirdest dream. I dreamt that a Gophers program that was in ruins as recently as 3 years ago triumphed over UNC. On the same night that Darko Milicic matched Kobe Bryant for points in a Timberwolves game, while adding 16 rebounds, 6 blocks and 5 assists.

Bizarre stuff.

[Rhom]

You guys, I had the weirdest dream. I dreamt that a Gophers program that was in ruins as recently as 3 years ago triumphed over UNC. On the same night that Darko Milicic matched Kobe Bryant for points in a Timberwolves game, while adding 16 rebounds, 6 blocks and 5 assists.

Bizarre stuff.

+1 for the Darko Milic reference

:lol:

[Darkostar]

I watched that game (perfectly legally) earlier today, and this image from an article perfectly encapsulates that game. I worry about Sampson getting into foul trouble, but I can't really be upset at this game for any real reason. Huge win for the program

[Bronn Stone]

Are men's and women's sprints, or pole vault, or marathon results recorded as the same by the NCAA? Nope, so neither should basketball streaks or all time wins.

I have no problem whatsoever with separating the concepts 'men's college basketball', 'women's college basketball' and 'college basketball'.

UCLA's streak is the greatest in men's college basketball and will be until someone tops it. But you do a disservice to the game if you don't consider women's basketball 'college basketball'.

[RedEyedGhost]

The two games from Puerto Rico tonight were both excellent. What a treat for this early in the season. I'm definitely looking forward to the CBE semifinal games Monday night.

I'm not sure if I follow your point. Are you saying that the two ought to be utterly separated? If so, I agree. But if you're saying "it's all college basketball's then I must disagree.

:agree:

If they want to separate it into Men's College Basketball and Women's College Basketball or just College Basketball and Women's College Basketball that's fine, and I would prefer the former. But lumping it together under one heading and combining/comparing records is absurd. Quite frankly the only reason ESPN promotes it as such is to try and drum up interest in the "record breaking" games that they will inevitably broadcast, and yet even with all their promotion nobody will watch because it is an utterly non-exciting variation of the sport.

[Bronn Stone]

I guess what I am saying is that 'all college basketball' includes men and women and Div I through Div III or even NAIA. And if the record for 'all college basketball' matters to you great. If it doesn't, then that is fine too. But don't pretend that men's Div. I is 'all college basketball'. Specify what you mean.

I do think it would be a disservice to the women if UConn sets a record longer than UCLA's and people still go on saying that UCLA has the longest winning streak in the history of college basketball.

[Rhom]

Tubby has Minnesota off to a hot start again. Hopefully this year they won't fade like they have the last couple. I think they've got the roster to make a lot of noise in the Big 10. They've got size to hang with Ohio State and Michigan State, and they've got shooters that can keep them in a game with Illinois.

As to the other game from Peurto Rico... I loved this quote on ESPN.com:

Call Vanderbilt's win an upset because of North Carolina's inflated ranking -- just don't tell coach Kevin Stallings.

Inflated. Exactly.

Last year, Kentucky got a top 10 pre-season ranking despite a NIT run the previous year... but there were a few changes in the program, such as a new coach and one of the best recruiting classes of all time. This year, North Carolina lost the Wear twins and added a couple of top recruits. Hardly an extreme makeover.

I don't think they'll lose 17 games again, but I think they have a lot of work to do before they are top 10 material.

Out in Maui, at least Calipari can hit a free throw even if his teams can't. I'm going to have to rush home today to catch Oklahoma and Kentucky at 5:30. Thank God they don't have Blake Griffin anymore! With our lack of size, that would get ugly quick! As it stands, I think we match-up well with them; but I'm certainly not optimistic about our chances out there. Its a very solid field for that tournament. MSU should take the crown, but you never can tell. :dunno:

[Darkostar]

Minny needs Joseph to sort his issues out soon if they want to make a sustained run, but I'm tentatively excited for a Gophers season for the first time this millennium.

[wolverine]

Minny needs Joseph to sort his issues out soon if they want to make a sustained run, but I'm tentatively excited for a Gophers season for the first time this millennium.

I don't know how bad they need they a guy who shoots as much as Joseph does. If he's hot hes great, if not he can really drag the team down. Nolen looked awesome creating foul shots and opportunities for the rest of the team. Really liking how the gophers are looking with some bruisers down low, a speedy penetrator, great outside shooter, and some decent help off the bench.