"WHY DO WE CARE?" Todd Blackledge, who probably requested to never work with him ever again.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
The College Game of the Season (and more)
All eyes were on the mega-match of the night. Tennessee, the No. 2 team in the nation, on the road against instate rival and No.1 team in the nation, Memphis. Everybody was in the building (including Dick Vitale and his ACC lovefest). The two teams did not disappoint as both teams got hot early and Memphis' normally poor three point shooting turned into a strong point as almost every Memphis player made a three and kept the game tight early. The score finally settled down after Memphis took a 29-24 lead and then the Tigers took a 35-34 lead into the locker room.
(Anybody see Erin Andrews get freaked when Bruce Pearl put his arm around during the half time interview. The split second look on her face was priceless).
The second half belonged to the Volunteers and their Memphis-born guard J.P. Prince. He scored all 13 of his points in the second half and really provided a lift for the Volunteers. Tennessee fans would have expected a loss if all they knew was that Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith had a combined 16 points. Not the case when your team has depth, success, and lots of motivation. Wayne Chism's 13 points and Tyler Smith's 16 points and game winning basket help too. Memphis had a chance to run the table in the regular season like St. Joseph's in 2003-2004. This loss could be great for Memphis because it highlighted their problems: 47.1% from the line and even with that hot start from three, only 29.6% for the game. Tennessee is the new number one in the nation and have a a great chance of being the overall number one seed come March.
The rest of the day that was...
Michael Beasley has more records now. He eclipsed Carmelo Anthony's freshman record for double double's with his 23rd and he also set a Big 12 record with 44 points in Kansas State's 92-86 loss to Baylor
Kansas lost 61-60 on the road to Oklahoma State and the Jayhawks did not look like contenders should this late in the season against a team like OKST.
Hopefully some of the college basketball junkies out there caught Drake-Butler because that was a fantastic game. Drake walked into legendary Hinkle Fieldhouse and came away with a 71-64 victory that cements them as the "it" mid-major team of the year.
UCONN's luck with close games ran out after they lost 67-65 at Villanova. The Huskies could not overcome Scottie Reynolds and Corey Stokes combined 8-15 three point shooting. After some luck with close games in the past, the Huskies need to focus if they want to be considered one of the hottest teams going into March.
Very emotional game for the Indiana Hoosiers. They wrote K.S. on their sneakers for departed coach Kelvin Sampson and they snuck away from Northwestern with a 85-82 win.
Arizona is starting to cement its at large birth with a huge road win at Washington State last night. Chase Budinger came alive with 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. Freshman Jerryd Bayless added 20 points for the victory.
(Anybody see Erin Andrews get freaked when Bruce Pearl put his arm around during the half time interview. The split second look on her face was priceless).
The second half belonged to the Volunteers and their Memphis-born guard J.P. Prince. He scored all 13 of his points in the second half and really provided a lift for the Volunteers. Tennessee fans would have expected a loss if all they knew was that Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith had a combined 16 points. Not the case when your team has depth, success, and lots of motivation. Wayne Chism's 13 points and Tyler Smith's 16 points and game winning basket help too. Memphis had a chance to run the table in the regular season like St. Joseph's in 2003-2004. This loss could be great for Memphis because it highlighted their problems: 47.1% from the line and even with that hot start from three, only 29.6% for the game. Tennessee is the new number one in the nation and have a a great chance of being the overall number one seed come March.
The rest of the day that was...
Michael Beasley has more records now. He eclipsed Carmelo Anthony's freshman record for double double's with his 23rd and he also set a Big 12 record with 44 points in Kansas State's 92-86 loss to Baylor
Kansas lost 61-60 on the road to Oklahoma State and the Jayhawks did not look like contenders should this late in the season against a team like OKST.
Hopefully some of the college basketball junkies out there caught Drake-Butler because that was a fantastic game. Drake walked into legendary Hinkle Fieldhouse and came away with a 71-64 victory that cements them as the "it" mid-major team of the year.
UCONN's luck with close games ran out after they lost 67-65 at Villanova. The Huskies could not overcome Scottie Reynolds and Corey Stokes combined 8-15 three point shooting. After some luck with close games in the past, the Huskies need to focus if they want to be considered one of the hottest teams going into March.
Very emotional game for the Indiana Hoosiers. They wrote K.S. on their sneakers for departed coach Kelvin Sampson and they snuck away from Northwestern with a 85-82 win.
Arizona is starting to cement its at large birth with a huge road win at Washington State last night. Chase Budinger came alive with 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. Freshman Jerryd Bayless added 20 points for the victory.
Monday, February 11, 2008
NCAA Tournament Projection: Top Five Seeds
1 Seeds: Memphis, Kansas, Duke, Tennessee
2 Seeds: North Carolina, Georgetown, UCLA, Stanford
3 Seeds: Michigan State, Texas, Xavier, Indiana
4 Seeds: Butler, Wisconsin, Texas A&M, Connecticut
5 Seeds: Drake, Kansas State, Purdue, Notre Dame
EAST REGIONAL (CHARLOTTE):
1. Memphis
2. Stanford
3. Michigan State
4. Texas A&M
5. Notre Dame
WEST REGIONAL (PHOENIX):
1. Duke
2. Georgetown
3. Texas
4. Butler
5. Kansas State
MIDWEST REGIONAL (DETROIT):
1. Tennessee
2. UCLA
3. Xavier
4. Connecticut
5. Purdue
SOUTH REGIONAL (HOUSTON)
1. Kansas
2. North Carolina
3. Indiana
4. Wisconsin
5. Drake
2 Seeds: North Carolina, Georgetown, UCLA, Stanford
3 Seeds: Michigan State, Texas, Xavier, Indiana
4 Seeds: Butler, Wisconsin, Texas A&M, Connecticut
5 Seeds: Drake, Kansas State, Purdue, Notre Dame
EAST REGIONAL (CHARLOTTE):
1. Memphis
2. Stanford
3. Michigan State
4. Texas A&M
5. Notre Dame
WEST REGIONAL (PHOENIX):
1. Duke
2. Georgetown
3. Texas
4. Butler
5. Kansas State
MIDWEST REGIONAL (DETROIT):
1. Tennessee
2. UCLA
3. Xavier
4. Connecticut
5. Purdue
SOUTH REGIONAL (HOUSTON)
1. Kansas
2. North Carolina
3. Indiana
4. Wisconsin
5. Drake
Sunday, February 3, 2008
SUPER BOWL RECAP
PEYTON'S LITTLE BROTHER HAS A NAME, HIS NAME IS ELI MANNING AND HE IS THE MVP OF SUPER BOWL 42...
If the Giants and Patriots played ten times, you would guess that the Pats take 9 out of 10. Tonight was that one chance that the Pats would lose and they did. 18-0 became 18-1 and now the 2007-2008 New England Patriots are the owners of the title as biggest choke in sports history. They were undefeated and beaten by an under-appreciated and less talented Giants squad.
New York wanted it more. They played harder and they played with more passion than any Patriot across from them. They weathered the drives without points, they overcame an early INT by Manning, and they almost were finished after Randy Moss' TD catch late in the fourth. But Manning and the Giants offense persevered. On a critical third down on their last possession, Manning made an improbable escape from the pocket and found little used WR David Tyree for a huge 30+yard gain and a first down deep in Patriots territory. Plaxico Burress' TD catch put Giants fans on cloud nine and made football fans around the world jump for joy (because nobody likes the Patriots except their own fans).
The score was 7-3 for most of the game until Manning hit Tyree early in the quarter to push the Giants up 10-7. Brady and company then stormed down the field for the go ahead touchdown to make it 14-10. Eli Manning has been a rock this postseason and delivered again. He drove down the field and had huge completions, especially the key third down to Tyree. Ellis Hobbs got beaten on a short fade route to Burress with 35 seconds left. It was sweet vindication for the Giants D because they had been carrying the team for most of the game and especially Corey Webster, who was beaten by Randy Moss for his touchdown in a way very similar to what Burress would do to Hobbs just minutes later.
After the Pats got the ball back with little time and little hope, they missed on fourth down and the Giants sealed their 3rd Lombardi Trophy. Before the final snap was downed and time stood at zero, Patriots coach Bill Belichick left the sideline early to shake hands with Tom Coughlin, then he hastily exited the field along with some of the players. It shocked many viewers including myself that Belichick left the field early, only to find out he thought time ran out. He was gone in shame to leave his devastated players to shake hands with the jubilant and teary-eyed Giants. Cameras panned for the Manning-Brady post game chat but when the cameras found the golden boy he was hightailing it out of the stadium and away from any Giants players.
In the end, the team that played the hardest won. It would have been unforgettable for fans to see an undefeated season but what could be considered the best Super Bowl game this decade and maybe one for the ages certainly makes up for it. This was a great season in the NFL and capped by the best football game this year. The Giants became road warriors and earned everything they have. The (evil) duo of Brady and Belichick must now retreat to their Foxboro hideout to plan the destruction of the NFL...next season.
If the Giants and Patriots played ten times, you would guess that the Pats take 9 out of 10. Tonight was that one chance that the Pats would lose and they did. 18-0 became 18-1 and now the 2007-2008 New England Patriots are the owners of the title as biggest choke in sports history. They were undefeated and beaten by an under-appreciated and less talented Giants squad.
New York wanted it more. They played harder and they played with more passion than any Patriot across from them. They weathered the drives without points, they overcame an early INT by Manning, and they almost were finished after Randy Moss' TD catch late in the fourth. But Manning and the Giants offense persevered. On a critical third down on their last possession, Manning made an improbable escape from the pocket and found little used WR David Tyree for a huge 30+yard gain and a first down deep in Patriots territory. Plaxico Burress' TD catch put Giants fans on cloud nine and made football fans around the world jump for joy (because nobody likes the Patriots except their own fans).
The score was 7-3 for most of the game until Manning hit Tyree early in the quarter to push the Giants up 10-7. Brady and company then stormed down the field for the go ahead touchdown to make it 14-10. Eli Manning has been a rock this postseason and delivered again. He drove down the field and had huge completions, especially the key third down to Tyree. Ellis Hobbs got beaten on a short fade route to Burress with 35 seconds left. It was sweet vindication for the Giants D because they had been carrying the team for most of the game and especially Corey Webster, who was beaten by Randy Moss for his touchdown in a way very similar to what Burress would do to Hobbs just minutes later.
After the Pats got the ball back with little time and little hope, they missed on fourth down and the Giants sealed their 3rd Lombardi Trophy. Before the final snap was downed and time stood at zero, Patriots coach Bill Belichick left the sideline early to shake hands with Tom Coughlin, then he hastily exited the field along with some of the players. It shocked many viewers including myself that Belichick left the field early, only to find out he thought time ran out. He was gone in shame to leave his devastated players to shake hands with the jubilant and teary-eyed Giants. Cameras panned for the Manning-Brady post game chat but when the cameras found the golden boy he was hightailing it out of the stadium and away from any Giants players.
In the end, the team that played the hardest won. It would have been unforgettable for fans to see an undefeated season but what could be considered the best Super Bowl game this decade and maybe one for the ages certainly makes up for it. This was a great season in the NFL and capped by the best football game this year. The Giants became road warriors and earned everything they have. The (evil) duo of Brady and Belichick must now retreat to their Foxboro hideout to plan the destruction of the NFL...next season.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Fearless Predictions and Reactions
I believe it is safe to say that perimeter defenders beware because Chris Lofton is back. His 7-13 3PM-3PA is a sign that the slumping senior is back to his deadly accuracy and will be a force down the stretch. This makes Tennessee an even more attractive Final Four pick as well as viable choice to win it all.
The Big East can be won: Notre Dame, Rutgers, and Georgetown's wins today show that in the Big East any team can beat anybody else on any night. Notre Dame dropped 90 in a ten point win at Villanova. Rutgers shocked the wounded Panthers with a huge second half effort as they posted a double digit win. Georgtown took a top ten ranking into a electric West Virginia gym and they needed a huge three in the waning seconds to escape with a close win.
Baylor's exciting run back into the Top 25 came to an abrupt end at the hands of the Oklahoma Sooners. Their 77-71 loss shows that maybe they weren't quite ready for the pressure of being a top team. Their wealth of talent is sure to remember that because this is not the last time we've heard from the Bears, they will be back.
Jim Calhoun relied on an old reliable in the Huskies shocking road victory over Indiana. The defense of UCONN stymied super frosh Eric Gordon into 5-16 shooting. Craig Austrie had been with the Huskies when they were successful several years ago. He had been pushed out of the rotation by younger players but had a chance today. The sudden suspension of sophomore G Jerome Dyson showed Calhoun that he needed Austrie to help lead the young Huskies. He responded with a team high 15 points and helped settle down his team on the road.
The Big East can be won: Notre Dame, Rutgers, and Georgetown's wins today show that in the Big East any team can beat anybody else on any night. Notre Dame dropped 90 in a ten point win at Villanova. Rutgers shocked the wounded Panthers with a huge second half effort as they posted a double digit win. Georgtown took a top ten ranking into a electric West Virginia gym and they needed a huge three in the waning seconds to escape with a close win.
Baylor's exciting run back into the Top 25 came to an abrupt end at the hands of the Oklahoma Sooners. Their 77-71 loss shows that maybe they weren't quite ready for the pressure of being a top team. Their wealth of talent is sure to remember that because this is not the last time we've heard from the Bears, they will be back.
Jim Calhoun relied on an old reliable in the Huskies shocking road victory over Indiana. The defense of UCONN stymied super frosh Eric Gordon into 5-16 shooting. Craig Austrie had been with the Huskies when they were successful several years ago. He had been pushed out of the rotation by younger players but had a chance today. The sudden suspension of sophomore G Jerome Dyson showed Calhoun that he needed Austrie to help lead the young Huskies. He responded with a team high 15 points and helped settle down his team on the road.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Upset Saturday
Two of the top five men's hoops teams lost this past weekend. UCLA and North Carolina both dropped home games to slightly above average opponents. UCLA was done in by Southern Cal while UNC was bested by Maryland...
North Carolina vs Maryland:
Terps coach Gary Williams came in with a game plan in mind: get back on defense and attack the rim. Maryland at times became vulnerable to the UNC break but for most of the game got back and forced the Heels to struggle with their half court offense, a major Achilles heel for this team. UNC scored 80 points in the game which is well below their home average of 98 points/game. Another successful plan was to be physical and frustrate Tyler Hansbrough early. Forward Bambale Osby gave "Psycho T" a couple fore arm shivers that would make Hulk Hogan proud. The referees also let the big men play and this frustrated Hansbrough so much because after he would missed a shot he would go after the man who got the board and try to reach in. The key to the Terps offense was Venezuelan sensation Greivis Vasquez who had 12 points, 11 assists, and more importantly outplayed his hyped counterpart Ty Lawson ( 11 points, four assists).
UCLA vs USC
Coach Tim Floyd went to his bag of tricks and pulled out the triangle and two defense that frustrated Memphis back in December at the Jimmy V Classic. He mixed this with straight man-to-man and also a zone defense to keep UCLA out of rhythm and to also limit the touches to freshman Kevin Love. Love still got his (18 points, 12 rebounds) but other key Bruins suffered like Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (two points, one concussion) as well as their bench production (ten points, six turnovers). On the offensive end for the Trojans, it was the steady ball handling and passing of Daniel Hackett and OJ Mayo. Mayo did not force shots and seemed content to give up the rock to his teammates and that not only took UCLA off guard but it also sprang freshman Davon Jefferson to his best game of the year (25 points, eight rebounds). USC was written off early because of their youth but because of the win at Pauley Pavilion, USC seems to be right back in contention to win the most competitive conference in the nation.
North Carolina vs Maryland:
Terps coach Gary Williams came in with a game plan in mind: get back on defense and attack the rim. Maryland at times became vulnerable to the UNC break but for most of the game got back and forced the Heels to struggle with their half court offense, a major Achilles heel for this team. UNC scored 80 points in the game which is well below their home average of 98 points/game. Another successful plan was to be physical and frustrate Tyler Hansbrough early. Forward Bambale Osby gave "Psycho T" a couple fore arm shivers that would make Hulk Hogan proud. The referees also let the big men play and this frustrated Hansbrough so much because after he would missed a shot he would go after the man who got the board and try to reach in. The key to the Terps offense was Venezuelan sensation Greivis Vasquez who had 12 points, 11 assists, and more importantly outplayed his hyped counterpart Ty Lawson ( 11 points, four assists).
UCLA vs USC
Coach Tim Floyd went to his bag of tricks and pulled out the triangle and two defense that frustrated Memphis back in December at the Jimmy V Classic. He mixed this with straight man-to-man and also a zone defense to keep UCLA out of rhythm and to also limit the touches to freshman Kevin Love. Love still got his (18 points, 12 rebounds) but other key Bruins suffered like Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (two points, one concussion) as well as their bench production (ten points, six turnovers). On the offensive end for the Trojans, it was the steady ball handling and passing of Daniel Hackett and OJ Mayo. Mayo did not force shots and seemed content to give up the rock to his teammates and that not only took UCLA off guard but it also sprang freshman Davon Jefferson to his best game of the year (25 points, eight rebounds). USC was written off early because of their youth but because of the win at Pauley Pavilion, USC seems to be right back in contention to win the most competitive conference in the nation.
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