1. Alabama (4-0)
They have a stout defense. They have a powerful running attack led by Mark Ingram. They have beaten quality teams like Virginia Tech and SEC rival Arkansas. And their new quarterback Greg McElroy has been fantastic; completing 67.7 percent of his passes for seven touchdowns and only one interception.
2. Florida (4-0)
I do not think that Florida is the #1 team, nor do I think that Tim Tebow is the second-coming of Christ. Their performance against Tennessee was very disappointing, and I do not feel that their offense is good enough to put them atop the polls. That being said, they are still really good.
3. Texas (4-0)
The Longhorns struggled a little bit against Texas Tech, but still managed to pull out a ten point victory. They have a high-scoring offense led by quarterback Colt McCoy, who completes 71 percent of his passes. Texas also has the fastest white boy in football in Jordan Shipley.
4. USC (3-1)
Every year the Trojans lose to a really bad team, and everyone sits around wondering how legitimate USC really is for the next couple of weeks. But come January, USC will still have one loss and will be playing in a BCS Bowl Game. Give them a break. They lost to Washington without starting quarterback Matt Barkley, and beat a very good Ohio State team in The Shoe.
5. LSU (4-0)
Their defense was iffy in tough road wins over Washington and Mississippi State, but LSU is still sitting at 4-0. Their goal line stand against Mississippi State was awesome, but we will find out how good LSU really is in the next two weeks. They must travel to Georgia this weekend, and then return home for a showdown with the Gators on October 10.
6. Boise State. (4-0)
The Broncos’ season opening win over Oregon is looking better and better now that the Ducks have finally won a few games. Their offense is explosive, and the hardest part of their schedule is behind them. Another BCS Bowl Game for the Broncos is a very real possibility.
7. Oklahoma (2-1)
They lost to BYU…without Sam Bradford. Some people will try to tell you that Oklahoma was going to lose that game with or without Sam Bradford. Don’t listen to them. Oklahoma was winning 10-7 when Bradford left the game at halftime. Bradford had completed ten of his 14 passing attempts for 94 yards and one touchdown before he was injured. If Bradford had been able to finish the game, Oklahoma would have easily won. But he couldn’t. Oklahoma lost. The Sooners are still legit.
8. Ohio St. (3-1)
They had some trouble with Navy in the season opener, and lost a heartbreaker to USC the following week. But the Buckeyes have responded with two straight shutouts, and are in position to make another run at the Big 10 Title.
9. Virginia Tech (3-1)
The score didn’t show it, but the Hokies were absolutely dominated by a very good Alabama team in the season opener. Nevertheless, the Hokie defense has carried this team to a 3-1 record. If Virginia Tech had anything resembling an offense, they would be a National Championship caliber team. But they don’t. So Virginia Tech will have to settle for another mediocre conference championship.
10. TCU (3-0)
An impressive resume that includes a win against the highly regarded Virginia Cavaliers has launched the Horned Frogs into the top ten. But really, TCU is good. Defensive end Jerry Hughes is a boss, and he anchors a solid defense. Winning in Death Valley was impressive, but the Frogs will also have to win at BYU if they hope to earn a BCS bid.
11. Cincinnati (4-0)
Quarterback Tony Pike has been phenomenal for the Bearcats. He has already thrown for 1,223 yards and 11 touchdowns. Cincinnati has won at Oregon State and knocked off Fresno State at home. The Bearcats are in the Big East, which means that they shouldn’t have too much trouble from here on out.
12. Iowa (4-0)
Is Iowa really good, or was Penn State just incredibly overrated? A little bit of both.
13. Oregon (3-1)
After a frustrating loss to Boise State (didn’t it just make you want to punch Byron Hout right in the face?), the Ducks have rolled off big wins over Purdue, Utah, and California. Their offense is back on track, and the Ducks are very much in contention for a Pac-10 Championship.
14. Miami (2-1)
The Hurricanes ran into the perfect storm at Lane Stadium. The rain. The turnovers. The blocked punt. It was ugly. But Miami is still a very dangerous team with a complete offense. Let’s wait until after the Oklahoma game this weekend to make a decision on whether Da U is back or not.
15. Georgia (3-1)
The Dawgs have rebounded from a season opening loss at Oklahoma State with impressive wins over South Carolina, Arkansas, and Arizona State.
16. Nebraska (3-1)
The Huskers are one play away from being undefeated. Let’s be honest with ourselves, they should have beaten Virginia Tech. Nebraska has blown out the rest of its out of conference opponents and is my pick to win the Big 12 North.
17. Houston (3-0)
A win at Oklahoma State and a narrow home win over Texas Tech has everybody talking about the Cougars as the next BCS Bowl Buster. They have the offense to win games, but they don’t have the defense to earn a better spot in the top 25. I don’t see Houston going undefeated. They will slip up against Mississippi State or Southern Mississippi. Who rushes the field after beating an unranked team anyway?
18. Oklahoma State (3-1)
Zac Robinson and Dez Bryant lead the Cowboys’ prolific offense. They’re a good team. Plus, their coach is a man! But they’re still no Texas or Oklahoma.
19. BYU (3-1)
Five turnovers can really damper your BCS hopes.
20. South Carolina (3-1)
So what if Ole Miss was just a tad overrated. The Cocks’ defense gave Jevan Snead a night to forget. South Carolina has a defense worthy of the SEC, but they are still a long way away from competing for an SEC Title.
21. California (3-1)
Jahvid Best is fast. But he sure struggled against the Ducks. He can’t disappear in big games if California wants to make some noise in the Pac-10 this year.
22. Mississippi (2-1)
Jevan Snead for Heisman? Good thing Spurrier changed his vote.
23. Auburn (4-0)
Their undefeated start has been aided by the comforts of home. But wins over Mississippi State and West Virginia aren’t anything to complain about.
24. Georgia Tech (3-1)
Sometimes the triple option works (317 rushing yards against UNC). Sometimes the triple option doesn’t work (95 rushing yards against Miami). The Jackets are too one dimensional to be a dominant team.
25. Kansas(4-0)
Southern Mississippi put up a fight, but the Jayhawks remain undefeated. Don’t worry, they’ll get some tallies in the loss column in the coming weeks.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Virginia vs. Southern Mississippi: Cavaliers Collapse in Second Half
Jameel Sewell played a nearly flawless first half for the Virginia Cavaliers. Aided by a revamped offense that featured more rushing attempts by the running backs, throwing the ball, and even the quarterback lined up directly behind the center, Sewell was able to lead Virginia to a 27-10 halftime lead.
The first touchdown for the Cavaliers was a masterpiece. Early in the first quarter, Virginia began its second drive on its own 12 yard line. After runs by Dominique Wallace and Rashawn Jackson, Virginia was faced with a third and four. Jared Green, who had all but disappeared from the Virginia playbook, came up big for the Cavaliers as he picked up the first down on a short out route. Jackson charged ahead for a nine yard run on the next play, and it appeared that the Virginia game plan was to run the football right at the Eagles’ front seven. So on second and one, the Eagles bit on a perfectly executed play action. Sewell faked the handoff to Wallace, and then threw a 69 yard bomb to true freshman receiver Tim Smith in stride for the touchdown.
Virginia had finally learned how to run an offense, and it was a beautiful sight.
Two Southern Mississippi fumbles deep in its own territory led to two Virginia field goals, and the Cavaliers stretched the lead to 13-0.
The Eagles would respond early in the second quarter, as they efficiently moved the ball down the field on a 14 play, 85 yard touchdown drive that resulted in a six yard touchdown run from running back Damion Fletcher. Southern Mississippi converted two big third and longs on this drive, and frequently picked on Virginia defensive back Devin Wallace, who was playing for the injured Chris Cook.
Sewell responded with a touchdown drive of his own that was capped with a 29 yard touchdown pass to receiver Kris Burd on a post route. This drive succeeded because the Cavaliers passed the ball on third and short. In previous games, we would have most likely seen a quarterback run to the left (or right if Brandon and Groh really wanted to mix things up), or a running back draw. But Sewell found Jared Green to convert a third and two, and later connected with tight end Joe Torchia for a 15 yard pass on third and four.
Sewell’s lone blemish in the first half came on a throw to Tim Smith on a slant route. The throw hit Smith in the hands, and in a failing effort to corral the ball, Smith popped the ball up into the air. Linebacker Martez Smith came up with the interception for the Eagles on the Virginia nine yard line. The Virginia defense limited the Eagles to a field goal, and the Cavaliers found themselves in control with a 20-10 advantage and 4:33 remaining in the first half.
Virginia ended the first half with a 15 play, 77 yard touchdown drive to give the Cavaliers a 17 point cushion heading into the locker room. The touchdown drive was assisted by two huge Southern Mississippi penalties:
-On third and seven, Sewell’s pass to Torchia fell incomplete. But Virginia was bailed out on a questionable defensive pass interference call, and the Cavaliers were given a first down on their own 45 yard line.
-Later in the drive, Virginia attempted the ever popular quarterback run on third down, but Sewell was tackled short of the first down. The Cavaliers were forced to settle for a 40 yard field goal, but Robert Randolph’s kick fell short of the crossbar. However, Randolph timed it just right, and fell down right after defensive back Michael McGee laid out to block the kick. McGee was flagged for running into the kicker, and Virginia was awarded yet another gift first down. Sewell, and the rest of the Virginia offense, was able to capitalize off of these mistakes as Sewell would eventually run for a four yard touchdown.
Sewell had arguably played the best 30 minutes of football of his collegiate career in the first half. He completed 15 of 22 attempts for 197 yards and two touchdowns. Combine that with 41 rushing yards and one touchdown on nine carries, and you are looking at some solid numbers.
But it was not just the stats that were impressive for Sewell. Sewell looked confident. He stood strong in the pocket and accurately delivered the ball to his receivers. He effectively led the offense down the field on three touchdown scoring drives of 76 yards or more. But that was the first half.
Southern Mississippi would fumble the ball on the opening kickoff of the second half, but this time Virginia would not capitalize off of it. Instead, Jamie Collins scooped the ball up for the Eagles and continued the return all the way to the Virginia 32 yard line.
The Eagles almost wasted their excellent field position, as the Virginia defense held strong for three plays. But Austin Davis converted the fourth and one on a quarterback sneak to move the chains. The Eagles, behind the running of Damion Fletcher, moved the ball down to the two yard line where they were faced with a third and one. The Eagles ran a bootleg, and Austin Davis connected with his wide open tight end in the back of the end zone for six.
Virginia would immediately respond with another long touchdown drive. Javaris Brown came up huge on this drive, as he had catches of 25 and 27 yards, the latter of which brought the ball down to the Southern Mississippi one yard line. Sewell ran the ball in for his second rushing touchdown of the day, and Virginia extended the lead back to 17 with 7:19 to play in the third quarter.
And then the Cavaliers collapsed.
Freddie Parham returned the ensuing kickoff all the way to the end zone, and just like that, Virginia’s lead was down to 34-24.
The Virginia offense returned to its old ways of being completely ineffective. Sewell lacked the pocket presence that he showed in the first half. He was quick to roll out of the pocket, and failed to find the open receivers. The play-calling became more conservative, as Groh attempted to hold onto the lead, rather than try to extend it. The quarterback option read became predictable, and the Virginia rushing attack came to a halt.
While the Virginia running game was completely unproductive in the second half, the Southern Mississippi running backs were having a field day. The Eagles ran for 157 yards against a pathetic Virginia defense in the second half, including a 57 yard touchdown run by Tory Harrison to put the Eagles up 37-34 with 8:01 left in the game (This touchdown run coincidentally happened at about the same time as Tyrod Taylor’s 80 yard completion to Danny Coale. Needless to say, those 30 seconds were painful and laced with profanity.)
Just over four minutes remained in the game, and Virginia had the ball on its own four yard line. This was where Sewell would get to show everyone why he was named the starting quarterback. Because he knew how to win games. He did it in 2007, and he would do it again against Southern Mississippi.
Sewell immediately gave the ‘Hoos some breathing room as he ran the ball on first down out to the 20 yard line. Two plays later, the Cavaliers were looking at a third and eight. Sewell threw the ball to Kris Burd, who hauled in a monster 14 yard catch for the first down.
But then Sewell fumbled the ball on first down, and only managed to recover it after losing four yards. The Eagles blitzed on second down, and Sewell’s pass to running back Mikell Simpson fell incomplete. On third and 14, Sewell unloaded a deep ball to Kris Burd. The throw was terrible, but Southern Mississippi found itself victim of another defensive pass interference penalty. The penalty advanced the ball to Virginia’s 47 yard line, and there was still hope for that elusive first win.
After an incompletion on first down, Sewell found Jared Green for a first down at the Southern Mississippi 41 yard line. But on second and ten, Sewell was sacked for a ten yard loss. After two more incompletions, the game was over. Southern Mississippi took over on downs, and ran the clock out.
Virginia had blown two different 17 point leads and lost its third straight game. Sewell played admirably in the first half, but couldn’t lead his team on that game winning drive that we grew accustomed to seeing in 2007. And Groh, well, he tried. He made some necessary changes on offense, but like we have seen time after time in his tenure, got outcoached in the second half.
Game Ball goes to Kris Burd. He struggled against TCU last week, but was an absolute boss in the defeat at Southern Mississippi. Burd finished with six catches for 79 yards, and caught his first collegiate touchdown pass. He hauled in everything thrown his way, and came up huge for Virginia on many plays.
The first touchdown for the Cavaliers was a masterpiece. Early in the first quarter, Virginia began its second drive on its own 12 yard line. After runs by Dominique Wallace and Rashawn Jackson, Virginia was faced with a third and four. Jared Green, who had all but disappeared from the Virginia playbook, came up big for the Cavaliers as he picked up the first down on a short out route. Jackson charged ahead for a nine yard run on the next play, and it appeared that the Virginia game plan was to run the football right at the Eagles’ front seven. So on second and one, the Eagles bit on a perfectly executed play action. Sewell faked the handoff to Wallace, and then threw a 69 yard bomb to true freshman receiver Tim Smith in stride for the touchdown.
Virginia had finally learned how to run an offense, and it was a beautiful sight.
Two Southern Mississippi fumbles deep in its own territory led to two Virginia field goals, and the Cavaliers stretched the lead to 13-0.
The Eagles would respond early in the second quarter, as they efficiently moved the ball down the field on a 14 play, 85 yard touchdown drive that resulted in a six yard touchdown run from running back Damion Fletcher. Southern Mississippi converted two big third and longs on this drive, and frequently picked on Virginia defensive back Devin Wallace, who was playing for the injured Chris Cook.
Sewell responded with a touchdown drive of his own that was capped with a 29 yard touchdown pass to receiver Kris Burd on a post route. This drive succeeded because the Cavaliers passed the ball on third and short. In previous games, we would have most likely seen a quarterback run to the left (or right if Brandon and Groh really wanted to mix things up), or a running back draw. But Sewell found Jared Green to convert a third and two, and later connected with tight end Joe Torchia for a 15 yard pass on third and four.
Sewell’s lone blemish in the first half came on a throw to Tim Smith on a slant route. The throw hit Smith in the hands, and in a failing effort to corral the ball, Smith popped the ball up into the air. Linebacker Martez Smith came up with the interception for the Eagles on the Virginia nine yard line. The Virginia defense limited the Eagles to a field goal, and the Cavaliers found themselves in control with a 20-10 advantage and 4:33 remaining in the first half.
Virginia ended the first half with a 15 play, 77 yard touchdown drive to give the Cavaliers a 17 point cushion heading into the locker room. The touchdown drive was assisted by two huge Southern Mississippi penalties:
-On third and seven, Sewell’s pass to Torchia fell incomplete. But Virginia was bailed out on a questionable defensive pass interference call, and the Cavaliers were given a first down on their own 45 yard line.
-Later in the drive, Virginia attempted the ever popular quarterback run on third down, but Sewell was tackled short of the first down. The Cavaliers were forced to settle for a 40 yard field goal, but Robert Randolph’s kick fell short of the crossbar. However, Randolph timed it just right, and fell down right after defensive back Michael McGee laid out to block the kick. McGee was flagged for running into the kicker, and Virginia was awarded yet another gift first down. Sewell, and the rest of the Virginia offense, was able to capitalize off of these mistakes as Sewell would eventually run for a four yard touchdown.
Sewell had arguably played the best 30 minutes of football of his collegiate career in the first half. He completed 15 of 22 attempts for 197 yards and two touchdowns. Combine that with 41 rushing yards and one touchdown on nine carries, and you are looking at some solid numbers.
But it was not just the stats that were impressive for Sewell. Sewell looked confident. He stood strong in the pocket and accurately delivered the ball to his receivers. He effectively led the offense down the field on three touchdown scoring drives of 76 yards or more. But that was the first half.
Southern Mississippi would fumble the ball on the opening kickoff of the second half, but this time Virginia would not capitalize off of it. Instead, Jamie Collins scooped the ball up for the Eagles and continued the return all the way to the Virginia 32 yard line.
The Eagles almost wasted their excellent field position, as the Virginia defense held strong for three plays. But Austin Davis converted the fourth and one on a quarterback sneak to move the chains. The Eagles, behind the running of Damion Fletcher, moved the ball down to the two yard line where they were faced with a third and one. The Eagles ran a bootleg, and Austin Davis connected with his wide open tight end in the back of the end zone for six.
Virginia would immediately respond with another long touchdown drive. Javaris Brown came up huge on this drive, as he had catches of 25 and 27 yards, the latter of which brought the ball down to the Southern Mississippi one yard line. Sewell ran the ball in for his second rushing touchdown of the day, and Virginia extended the lead back to 17 with 7:19 to play in the third quarter.
And then the Cavaliers collapsed.
Freddie Parham returned the ensuing kickoff all the way to the end zone, and just like that, Virginia’s lead was down to 34-24.
The Virginia offense returned to its old ways of being completely ineffective. Sewell lacked the pocket presence that he showed in the first half. He was quick to roll out of the pocket, and failed to find the open receivers. The play-calling became more conservative, as Groh attempted to hold onto the lead, rather than try to extend it. The quarterback option read became predictable, and the Virginia rushing attack came to a halt.
While the Virginia running game was completely unproductive in the second half, the Southern Mississippi running backs were having a field day. The Eagles ran for 157 yards against a pathetic Virginia defense in the second half, including a 57 yard touchdown run by Tory Harrison to put the Eagles up 37-34 with 8:01 left in the game (This touchdown run coincidentally happened at about the same time as Tyrod Taylor’s 80 yard completion to Danny Coale. Needless to say, those 30 seconds were painful and laced with profanity.)
Just over four minutes remained in the game, and Virginia had the ball on its own four yard line. This was where Sewell would get to show everyone why he was named the starting quarterback. Because he knew how to win games. He did it in 2007, and he would do it again against Southern Mississippi.
Sewell immediately gave the ‘Hoos some breathing room as he ran the ball on first down out to the 20 yard line. Two plays later, the Cavaliers were looking at a third and eight. Sewell threw the ball to Kris Burd, who hauled in a monster 14 yard catch for the first down.
But then Sewell fumbled the ball on first down, and only managed to recover it after losing four yards. The Eagles blitzed on second down, and Sewell’s pass to running back Mikell Simpson fell incomplete. On third and 14, Sewell unloaded a deep ball to Kris Burd. The throw was terrible, but Southern Mississippi found itself victim of another defensive pass interference penalty. The penalty advanced the ball to Virginia’s 47 yard line, and there was still hope for that elusive first win.
After an incompletion on first down, Sewell found Jared Green for a first down at the Southern Mississippi 41 yard line. But on second and ten, Sewell was sacked for a ten yard loss. After two more incompletions, the game was over. Southern Mississippi took over on downs, and ran the clock out.
Virginia had blown two different 17 point leads and lost its third straight game. Sewell played admirably in the first half, but couldn’t lead his team on that game winning drive that we grew accustomed to seeing in 2007. And Groh, well, he tried. He made some necessary changes on offense, but like we have seen time after time in his tenure, got outcoached in the second half.
Game Ball goes to Kris Burd. He struggled against TCU last week, but was an absolute boss in the defeat at Southern Mississippi. Burd finished with six catches for 79 yards, and caught his first collegiate touchdown pass. He hauled in everything thrown his way, and came up huge for Virginia on many plays.
Friday, September 18, 2009
College Football: September 19
Virginia travels to Southern Mississippi for their first road game of the season. The Hoos are 15.5 point underdogs...don't expect them to cover the spread. Unless of course they scratch the "spread offense" and start actually attacking the defense. But let's be realistic, that probably won't happen.
If Virginia plays anybody but Jameel Sewell at quarterback, then maybe the Hoos have a chance to keep this one close. But Groh stated that he did not even consider using another quarterback against TCU. Isn't it great that our coach has so much confidence in our struggling quarterback?
Jared Green is not listed on the depth chart for Saturday's game, which brings up the question: Where has Green been all season for Virginia? Coming into the 2009 season, Green was expected to be Virginia's top receiver. Against William and Mary, Green caught three balls for 28 yards. Green followed up that performance by not even playing against TCU. I don't know what's going on with Green, but I guess there's no real reason for concern because Virginia doesn't throw the ball too often anyway.
Nebraska travels to Lane Stadium on Saturday to face the always overhyped Hokies. Tech ran all over Marshall last week, but don't expect the same against a much tougher Nebraska defense. Until Tyrod Taylor shows me that he can pass the ball, I will not buy into any of the Hokie hype.
The reality is, Miami is going to win the ACC by a landslide. The 'Canes have a complete offense led by QB Jacory Harris. Harris has been fantastic for the 'Canes in their first two games, and expect that to continue for Miami all the way to the ACC Championship. Miami manhandled Georgia Tech last night to prove that they are back. Miami shut down Tech's triple option offense, and prevented the Jackets from reaching 100 yards on the ground.
What does this mean for Virginia Tech? It means that Tyrod has one week to learn how to pass the ball, or the 'Canes are going to win big at Lane on September 26.
Tennessee travels to Florida this weekend. This game is highly anticipated only because Lane Kiffin has been nothing but a douchebag since accepting the head coaching job at Tennessee. The Gators will win real big.
If Virginia plays anybody but Jameel Sewell at quarterback, then maybe the Hoos have a chance to keep this one close. But Groh stated that he did not even consider using another quarterback against TCU. Isn't it great that our coach has so much confidence in our struggling quarterback?
Jared Green is not listed on the depth chart for Saturday's game, which brings up the question: Where has Green been all season for Virginia? Coming into the 2009 season, Green was expected to be Virginia's top receiver. Against William and Mary, Green caught three balls for 28 yards. Green followed up that performance by not even playing against TCU. I don't know what's going on with Green, but I guess there's no real reason for concern because Virginia doesn't throw the ball too often anyway.
Nebraska travels to Lane Stadium on Saturday to face the always overhyped Hokies. Tech ran all over Marshall last week, but don't expect the same against a much tougher Nebraska defense. Until Tyrod Taylor shows me that he can pass the ball, I will not buy into any of the Hokie hype.
The reality is, Miami is going to win the ACC by a landslide. The 'Canes have a complete offense led by QB Jacory Harris. Harris has been fantastic for the 'Canes in their first two games, and expect that to continue for Miami all the way to the ACC Championship. Miami manhandled Georgia Tech last night to prove that they are back. Miami shut down Tech's triple option offense, and prevented the Jackets from reaching 100 yards on the ground.
What does this mean for Virginia Tech? It means that Tyrod has one week to learn how to pass the ball, or the 'Canes are going to win big at Lane on September 26.
Tennessee travels to Florida this weekend. This game is highly anticipated only because Lane Kiffin has been nothing but a douchebag since accepting the head coaching job at Tennessee. The Gators will win real big.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Surely you jest.
Georgetown lost to St. Johns 64-59.
You were my sleeper pick Georgetown. But your tournament play was just as disappointing as the rest of your season.
FAIL.
On another note, ACC Player of the Year Ty Lawson is questionable for the ACC tourney with a swollen big toe. His condition has serious implications for the Tar Heels in the ACC tourney, but they are looking towards a bigger goal. The Heels need to make sure Lawson is 100% ready to go for the NCAA Tournament (or at least Percy Harvin 90%). If that means that they don't win the ACC tourney, so be it. The committee will understand if the Heels don't win their tourney without Lawson, and will still most likely award UNC with a 1 seed. Freshman Larry Drew II will most likely start in Lawson's place. Drew II is averaging 1.5 pts and 2 assists in 9.7 minutes of play. Senior Bobby Frasor will also see increased minutes in the event of Lawson's absence. Frasor is averaging 2.6 pts and 1.5 assists in 15.9 minutes. The two will have big shoes to fill as Lawson averages 15.9 pts and 6.5 assists while leading one of the most explosive offenses in the country. The ACC tourney starts Thursday at noon, but the Heels have a bye and won't play till Friday against the winner of the VT/Miami game.
Lawson's injury is straight up huge, not only for the Heels, but for the winner of the VT/Miami game. VT and Miami are both very much on the bubble. Miami is 18-11(7-9) while VT is 17-13 (7-9). If the winner of this game then goes on to defeat the Heels, then this winner would have a very legitimate shot at making the NCAA Tournament. Currently, Tech and Miami are hoping and praying that Lawson rides the pine in Atlanta.
Finally, a big congratulations for my man Sylven Landesberg as he took home sole possession of the ACC's Rookie of the Year Award. Sylven received 55 of the 76 votes for the award, while Wake's Al-Farouq Aminu received 20 votes. There was some speculation that the 2 would share the award, but Sylven deservedly gets the award outright. Sylven averaged 16.8 points per game despite being the focus of opposing defenses. He almost always had to create his own shot as the Hoos struggled with their point guard play all year. Well done Sylven!
You were my sleeper pick Georgetown. But your tournament play was just as disappointing as the rest of your season.
FAIL.
On another note, ACC Player of the Year Ty Lawson is questionable for the ACC tourney with a swollen big toe. His condition has serious implications for the Tar Heels in the ACC tourney, but they are looking towards a bigger goal. The Heels need to make sure Lawson is 100% ready to go for the NCAA Tournament (or at least Percy Harvin 90%). If that means that they don't win the ACC tourney, so be it. The committee will understand if the Heels don't win their tourney without Lawson, and will still most likely award UNC with a 1 seed. Freshman Larry Drew II will most likely start in Lawson's place. Drew II is averaging 1.5 pts and 2 assists in 9.7 minutes of play. Senior Bobby Frasor will also see increased minutes in the event of Lawson's absence. Frasor is averaging 2.6 pts and 1.5 assists in 15.9 minutes. The two will have big shoes to fill as Lawson averages 15.9 pts and 6.5 assists while leading one of the most explosive offenses in the country. The ACC tourney starts Thursday at noon, but the Heels have a bye and won't play till Friday against the winner of the VT/Miami game.
Lawson's injury is straight up huge, not only for the Heels, but for the winner of the VT/Miami game. VT and Miami are both very much on the bubble. Miami is 18-11(7-9) while VT is 17-13 (7-9). If the winner of this game then goes on to defeat the Heels, then this winner would have a very legitimate shot at making the NCAA Tournament. Currently, Tech and Miami are hoping and praying that Lawson rides the pine in Atlanta.
Finally, a big congratulations for my man Sylven Landesberg as he took home sole possession of the ACC's Rookie of the Year Award. Sylven received 55 of the 76 votes for the award, while Wake's Al-Farouq Aminu received 20 votes. There was some speculation that the 2 would share the award, but Sylven deservedly gets the award outright. Sylven averaged 16.8 points per game despite being the focus of opposing defenses. He almost always had to create his own shot as the Hoos struggled with their point guard play all year. Well done Sylven!
Conference Tourney Time
The Big East
The Big East Tourney kicked off today at Madison Square Garden. Cincinnati started things off by completing their late season collapse and losing to DePaul 67-57. Let's not forget that DePaul was 0-16 in regular season conference play. The Bearcats had a very good shot at making the NCAA tournament but ultimately lost 6 of their final 7 games. Some of these games were seen as easy wins for Cincy. Instead, they defied the odds and lost at South Florida and at home to Seton Hall. Tragic.
DePaul now advances to face a Providence team that has everything to play for. Providence is the face of NCAA tournament bubble teams. They are 18-12 (10-8) and 6-6 in their last 12 games. The Friars knocked off #1 Pitt during that stretch and also defeated Syracuse. But Providence does have scars on their resume. They lost to Northeastern and Baylor during out of conference play, and have recently been blown out by the likes of UConn, WVU, Louisville, Notre Dame, and Nova (all NCAA tournament caliber teams). So what does Providence have to do to make the field of 65? For starters, they absolutely must beat DePaul (preferably by a large margin). Winning this game will advance them to a quarterfinal match-up with #1 seed Louisville. If the Friars pray (yes, that is supposed to be PRAY) hard enough and beat the Cardinals, then everyone from Joe Lunardi to Digger Phelps will agree that they deserve a spot in the dance. However, I feel that as long as they play Louisville close, they will receive serious consideration from the committee and get one of the last bids. But if they lose by more than 10 in an uninspired effort, look for them in the NIT.
Look for the Hoyas to make some noise in the Big East Tournament. They face a very beatable St. Johns team in the first round, and will most likely advance to play against a struggling Marquette team. Marquette has lost 4 straight since losing Dominic James for the season. Those 4 games were against UConn, Louisville, Pitt, and 'Cuse, but the Golden Eagles have been a completely different team without James. Marquette has made a Duke-like 24-79 three point attempts during their final 3 games, a lowly 30%. Yes, they still have Jerel McNeal, who has been on a roll all season (20.1 ppg), but I don't see the Eagles winning a game in either the Big East or NCAA tournament. Back to the Hoyas. Assuming they win these 2 games, the Hoyas would then face Nova in the quarterfinals. In their only meeting of the season, Georgetown won at Nova by a final count of 56-54. Scottie Reynolds did have a terrible shooting night and only finished with 12 points for the Cats, but the fact of the matter is, Georgetown won at Nova. Look for the Hoyas to make it to the semi-finals against Louisville, but fall just 2 games shy of earning the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
So who wins the Big East Tournament? This is a tough one because the Big East boasts 3 of the best teams in the country with Louisville, Pitt, and UConn. I anticipate Louisville beating Georgetown to advance to the finals against the winner of the Pitt vs. UConn semi-final. Pitt will defeat UConn for the 3rd time this year and then knock off Louisville for the crown. Pitt won't stop there, because they're going to win the whole thing. That's right. You heard it here first. The Pitt Panthers are going to win the NCAA Tournament. Sam Young, Levance Fields, DeJuan Blair, they are unstoppable. Pitt is awesome, as is this time of year.
Go watch some hoops.
The Big East Tourney kicked off today at Madison Square Garden. Cincinnati started things off by completing their late season collapse and losing to DePaul 67-57. Let's not forget that DePaul was 0-16 in regular season conference play. The Bearcats had a very good shot at making the NCAA tournament but ultimately lost 6 of their final 7 games. Some of these games were seen as easy wins for Cincy. Instead, they defied the odds and lost at South Florida and at home to Seton Hall. Tragic.
DePaul now advances to face a Providence team that has everything to play for. Providence is the face of NCAA tournament bubble teams. They are 18-12 (10-8) and 6-6 in their last 12 games. The Friars knocked off #1 Pitt during that stretch and also defeated Syracuse. But Providence does have scars on their resume. They lost to Northeastern and Baylor during out of conference play, and have recently been blown out by the likes of UConn, WVU, Louisville, Notre Dame, and Nova (all NCAA tournament caliber teams). So what does Providence have to do to make the field of 65? For starters, they absolutely must beat DePaul (preferably by a large margin). Winning this game will advance them to a quarterfinal match-up with #1 seed Louisville. If the Friars pray (yes, that is supposed to be PRAY) hard enough and beat the Cardinals, then everyone from Joe Lunardi to Digger Phelps will agree that they deserve a spot in the dance. However, I feel that as long as they play Louisville close, they will receive serious consideration from the committee and get one of the last bids. But if they lose by more than 10 in an uninspired effort, look for them in the NIT.
Look for the Hoyas to make some noise in the Big East Tournament. They face a very beatable St. Johns team in the first round, and will most likely advance to play against a struggling Marquette team. Marquette has lost 4 straight since losing Dominic James for the season. Those 4 games were against UConn, Louisville, Pitt, and 'Cuse, but the Golden Eagles have been a completely different team without James. Marquette has made a Duke-like 24-79 three point attempts during their final 3 games, a lowly 30%. Yes, they still have Jerel McNeal, who has been on a roll all season (20.1 ppg), but I don't see the Eagles winning a game in either the Big East or NCAA tournament. Back to the Hoyas. Assuming they win these 2 games, the Hoyas would then face Nova in the quarterfinals. In their only meeting of the season, Georgetown won at Nova by a final count of 56-54. Scottie Reynolds did have a terrible shooting night and only finished with 12 points for the Cats, but the fact of the matter is, Georgetown won at Nova. Look for the Hoyas to make it to the semi-finals against Louisville, but fall just 2 games shy of earning the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
So who wins the Big East Tournament? This is a tough one because the Big East boasts 3 of the best teams in the country with Louisville, Pitt, and UConn. I anticipate Louisville beating Georgetown to advance to the finals against the winner of the Pitt vs. UConn semi-final. Pitt will defeat UConn for the 3rd time this year and then knock off Louisville for the crown. Pitt won't stop there, because they're going to win the whole thing. That's right. You heard it here first. The Pitt Panthers are going to win the NCAA Tournament. Sam Young, Levance Fields, DeJuan Blair, they are unstoppable. Pitt is awesome, as is this time of year.
Go watch some hoops.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
More Tourney Projections
State of the ACC Bubble Teams
Boston College – 20-10 (8-7)
The Eagles have dropped from ‘most likely’ to ‘on the bubble’ after their 5 point loss at NC State last night. However, as long as they win their regular season finale at home against GT, they should be a lock for a spot in the tournament. If they lose at home to GT, then they truly will be on the bubble and must turn some heads in the ACC tourney.
Verdict – IN
They will ramblin’ wreck GT at home to finish 21-10 (9-7) and secure a spot in the field of 65.
Tech – 17-12 (7-8)
Tech lost a close one to UNC last night and risk once again missing the NCAA tournament by the slimmest of margins. Now they have to conclude the regular season with a must win at Florida State. Sadly for the Hokies, FSU is really good and have only suffered 3 home losses this year. You might be thinking, “well, only 3 home losses isn’t that impressive”. Yea, well they are when they come from the likes of Pitt, Duke, and UNC. Malcolm Delaney has struggled of late and must step up his game if he wants to take the Hokies to bigger and better things than the NIT.
Verdict - OUT
Tech will lose this game and once again fall short of the glory of the NCAA tournament. Jeff Allen will struggle against Florida State’s big men and Uncle Fester will yet again call everyone certifiably insane. After falling to FSU, Tech will have lost 6 of their last 7 games and fall to 17-13 (7-9). Inexcusable numbers for a team with NCAA aspirations. You can’t spell Virginia Tech without the N, the I, and the T.
Maryland – 18-11 (7-8)
Maryland lost to Wake to fall to 18-11 (7-8) and concludes the regular season at helpless Virginia. They should have no problem in beating the Cavaliers as the Hoos have found themselves helpless on the offensive side of the ball.
Verdict – IN
Maryland will improve to 19-11 (8-8) after struggling against the Hoos but still pulling out the W.
Miami – 17-11 (6-9)
Miami choked big time at GT last night. For the Canes, a 10 point loss to the worst team in the ACC this late in the season is the perfect example of a bubble buster. Miami is now most desperate and must play a hot NC State squad.
Verdict – OUT
They may beat the Wolfpack, and they may lose to the Wolfpack. Either way, it doesn’t matter, because you can’t lose to the ACC’s last place team this late in the season and expect to get a bid. Best case scenario is they finish 18-11 (7-9). They fall just short of the field of 65.
I have changed my prediction from 8 ACC teams, to 7 ACC teams. I originally had Tech and Miami in, now I just have Maryland in. Of course, Tech and Miami could make a run in the ACC tournament, but they would have to win 2 games to make the NCAA's. The 2nd win in the ACC tourney is incredibly difficult when you must face a top 4 team who is coming off a bye. They had their chances.
Big East Bubble Teams
Cincy - 18-12 (8-9)
Seriously? Did ya'll seriously lose to South Florida? That'll kill ya.
Verdict - OUT
Losing to bad teams hurts. Ask Miami.
Providence - 18-11 (10-7)
They play at Villanova tonight in a huge game for the Friars. Win this game, and they are in, no questions asked. However, with the Bearcats choking down the stretch, they could still get into the tourney despite a loss tonight.
Verdict - IN
They will lose to Nova and fall to 18-12 (10-8) but still make the NCAA tourney after winning 1 or 2 in the Big East tourney.
Notre Dame - 16-13 (7-10)
They are now even more hopeless than the last time we visited with the Irish. Oh well, there's always football...oh yea, nevermind
Georgetown - 15-13 (6-11)
CBI?
The Big East still gets 8 teams, just swap Providence in for Cincy (who apparently wants to play in the NIT).
Marquette really misses Dominic James after losing to Pitt by 15. Marquette shoots a lot of 3's, just like Duke, and will be shown the exit door in the NCAA's very quickly, just like Duke.
TRAVIS MCKIE
UVA recruit Travis McKie with a sweet put back in the Central Region basketball finals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpBqmZaZZHA
Enjoy.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
ACC Bubble Teams
For Sure In:
UNC - 25-3 (11-3)
Duke - 24-5 (10-4)
Wake - 22-5 (9-5)
FSU - 22-7 (9-5)
Clemson - 22-6 (8-6)
Most Likely:
BC - 20-9 (8-6) - They are 7-5 over their last 12 games with huge wins over Duke and Florida State. They also close out the season with a fairly easy two games against NC St and GT. The only reason I don't have them as for sure in, is that their out of conference play was not impressive and consisted of losses to Saint Louis and Harvard. However, they have been playing very well of late and should finish 22-9 (10-6).
Verdict: IN
If they finish as projected, they should have zero trouble getting in regardless of ACC Tournament play. Tyrese Rice is a baller and should guarantee at least one tourney win, locking them a spot in the dance.
Bubble Teams:
Maryland - 18-10 (7-7) - They are 6-6 in their last 12 games with a big time win over the Tarheels. However they must conclude the regular season with a home game against Wake (tonight at 9) and at Virginia. I'm feeling the Terps losing their final 2 games and falling to 18-12 (7-9). This would mean that they would have to do some serious work in the ACC tourney to make it in the field of 65, I'm talking make it to the finals. They did beat Michigan State during out of conference play, but also lost to Georgetown, Gonzaga, and MORGAN STATE!
Verdict: OUT
This team isn't very good and really only beat UNC because Greivis Vasquez decided to blow up and score 35 points. If he doesn't produce for the Terps, you can check one in the loss column.
VT - 17-11 (7-7) - The Hokies have split their last 12 games, going 6-6 including wins at Wake, at Miami, and at Clemson. Yes, they did get shafted in their game against Duke, but the fact of the matter is, they lost. Their out of conference play was disastrous. They lost to Xavier, Seton Hall, Wisconsin, and Georgia. While Tech is a very good team, they still have a tough road ahead of them consisting of a home game against UNC and their finale at FSU. I think they'll split these games and finish 18-11 (8-8). But don't be surprised it Tech surprises people and wins out the regular season.
Verdict: IN
It pains me to say it, but I think the Hokies make it in this year. They remember last year when they barely didn't make the tourney, and will play their best ball down the stretch. If they split their final 2 regular season games, they will have to win at least one game in the ACC tournament to get in. They are capable of doing just that.
Miami - 17-10 (6-8) - They are 5-7 in their last 12 games, but conclude the regular season against cellar dwellers GT and NC St. Look for the Canes to finish 19-10 (8-8). They beat Kentucky in out of conference play and suffered narrow losses to Ohio State and Connecticut. The Canes have swept BC, beaten Wake, Maryland, and FSU, and lost to Duke in O.T.
Verdict: IN
If they finish as projected, they will have won their final 4 games to conclude their ACC schedule with a .500 record. They will need a win in the ACC Tourney to lock up their spot, but with Jack McClinton, that is something they can manage.
The ACC gets 8 teams in to match the Big East.
Things are getting real interesting now in the ACC as teams are vying for spots in the big dance, and a first round bye in the ACC tournament. Florida State and Clemson are currently sitting at 4th and 5th, and the top 4 teams get a bye. Florida State meets Duke tonight in a huge game at Cameron. Clemson hosts Virginia tonight (no preview - sorry, UVA is gonna lose) in a game that is just as important, but more winnable. FSU will have to be rolling if they want to defeat Duke and hold on to their 4th place spot. Gotta love this time of year.
UNC - 25-3 (11-3)
Duke - 24-5 (10-4)
Wake - 22-5 (9-5)
FSU - 22-7 (9-5)
Clemson - 22-6 (8-6)
Most Likely:
BC - 20-9 (8-6) - They are 7-5 over their last 12 games with huge wins over Duke and Florida State. They also close out the season with a fairly easy two games against NC St and GT. The only reason I don't have them as for sure in, is that their out of conference play was not impressive and consisted of losses to Saint Louis and Harvard. However, they have been playing very well of late and should finish 22-9 (10-6).
Verdict: IN
If they finish as projected, they should have zero trouble getting in regardless of ACC Tournament play. Tyrese Rice is a baller and should guarantee at least one tourney win, locking them a spot in the dance.
Bubble Teams:
Maryland - 18-10 (7-7) - They are 6-6 in their last 12 games with a big time win over the Tarheels. However they must conclude the regular season with a home game against Wake (tonight at 9) and at Virginia. I'm feeling the Terps losing their final 2 games and falling to 18-12 (7-9). This would mean that they would have to do some serious work in the ACC tourney to make it in the field of 65, I'm talking make it to the finals. They did beat Michigan State during out of conference play, but also lost to Georgetown, Gonzaga, and MORGAN STATE!
Verdict: OUT
This team isn't very good and really only beat UNC because Greivis Vasquez decided to blow up and score 35 points. If he doesn't produce for the Terps, you can check one in the loss column.
VT - 17-11 (7-7) - The Hokies have split their last 12 games, going 6-6 including wins at Wake, at Miami, and at Clemson. Yes, they did get shafted in their game against Duke, but the fact of the matter is, they lost. Their out of conference play was disastrous. They lost to Xavier, Seton Hall, Wisconsin, and Georgia. While Tech is a very good team, they still have a tough road ahead of them consisting of a home game against UNC and their finale at FSU. I think they'll split these games and finish 18-11 (8-8). But don't be surprised it Tech surprises people and wins out the regular season.
Verdict: IN
It pains me to say it, but I think the Hokies make it in this year. They remember last year when they barely didn't make the tourney, and will play their best ball down the stretch. If they split their final 2 regular season games, they will have to win at least one game in the ACC tournament to get in. They are capable of doing just that.
Miami - 17-10 (6-8) - They are 5-7 in their last 12 games, but conclude the regular season against cellar dwellers GT and NC St. Look for the Canes to finish 19-10 (8-8). They beat Kentucky in out of conference play and suffered narrow losses to Ohio State and Connecticut. The Canes have swept BC, beaten Wake, Maryland, and FSU, and lost to Duke in O.T.
Verdict: IN
If they finish as projected, they will have won their final 4 games to conclude their ACC schedule with a .500 record. They will need a win in the ACC Tourney to lock up their spot, but with Jack McClinton, that is something they can manage.
The ACC gets 8 teams in to match the Big East.
Things are getting real interesting now in the ACC as teams are vying for spots in the big dance, and a first round bye in the ACC tournament. Florida State and Clemson are currently sitting at 4th and 5th, and the top 4 teams get a bye. Florida State meets Duke tonight in a huge game at Cameron. Clemson hosts Virginia tonight (no preview - sorry, UVA is gonna lose) in a game that is just as important, but more winnable. FSU will have to be rolling if they want to defeat Duke and hold on to their 4th place spot. Gotta love this time of year.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Big East Bubble Teams
Before I start with the bubble teams, some UVA news:
The #2 mens' lacrosse team defeated #1 Syracuse at the Carrier Dome by a score of 13-12. Shamel Bratton led the way for the Hoos with 4 goals and 1 assist. Garrett Billings and Danny Glading each added 3 goals. Faceoffs were the key in this game as UVA controlled 17, while 'Cuse only managed 12. The Hoos were up 13-7 and held off a late game rally by the Orange to win by one goal.
The Hoos dropped another winnable basketball game to Wake Forest, losing 70-60. Pretty much the same story as the Miami game. Respectable defense, terrible offense. Baker played solid defense again, but also turned the ball over 5 times...again. Virginia was never down by double digits until the end when they resorted to fouling. Oh well, can't expect much from a team that simply isn't good. That's all I'm gonna say about that because I'm tired of these performances.
The Big East.
For Sure:
UConn - 27-2 (15-2)
L'Ville - 23-5 (14-2)
Pitt - 26-3 (13-3)
Marquette - 23-6 (12-4)
'Nova - 23-6 (11-5)
Most Likely:
'Cuse - 21-8 (9-7), RPI = .6123 - In their last 12 games, they are 5-7 and have struggled against the Big East powers (0-5 against the top 5 with a game at Marquette still ahead). Their non-conference performance however was very strong with neutral site wins against Florida and Kansas, a win at Memphis, and a home win against Virginia (no small feat)! But all is not good as they did lose to Cleveland State. As long as they win their final home game against Rutgers, the Orange will be in good shape. They will probably lose at Marquette in their final regular season game and finish 23-8 (10-8), which should be good enough to get them in without any wins in the Big East tourney, although one wouldn't hurt.
Verdict: IN
WVU - 20-9 (9-7), RPI = .6154 -In their last 12 games, they are 7-5 including a big win over Nova. They are 1-5 against the top 5 teams in the Big East but conclude the regular season with a home game against Louiville. The Mountaineers weren't too impressive out of conference as their biggest win was a thumping of a very average Ohio State team. They also suffered neutral site losses to Kentucky and Davidson. They will probably conclude the season with a win over DePaul and a loss to Louisville and finish 21-10 (10-8). Like 'Cuse, they should get in regardless of the tourney if they finish as projected.
Verdict: IN
The Bubble Teams:
Providence - 18-11 (10-7), RPI = .5655 - They are 7-5 in their last 12 games with 2 huge wins over Pittsburgh and Syracuse. However they are still 1-4 against the Big East top 5 and must conclude the regular season at 'Nova. However, their out of conference schedule was a joke. They beat no respectable teams and lost to Northeastern and Baylor. The only legit teams they played were Boston College and Saint Mary's, and they lost both games.. They will most likely finish 18-12 (10-8) and will have to do work in the Big East tourney to get in.
Verdict: OUT.
Out of conference play matters, and this team didn't do their part before conference play. I don't see Providence winning more than one game in the Big East tourney, and I think they will need at least 2 to get in.
Cincy - 18-11 (8-8), RPI = .5816 - They are 7-5 in their last 12 games and could very easily finish the season with 2 more wins as they still have to play at South Florida and home against Seton Hall. This would put the Bearcats at 20-11 (10-8). This team played a very good out of conference schedule, however, they didn't fare too well against their opponents. Cincy beat respectable opponents in UAB, UNLV, and Miss St., but lost games against big time opponents in Xavier, Florida St, and Memphis. What will hurt them is that they are 0-5 against the top 5 Big East teams, but they have swept Georgetown and beaten both Notre Dame and W.Va.
Verdict: IN.
If they finish as projected, and win at least 1 game in the Big East tourney, look for the Bearcats to make it into the field of 65.
N.D. - 16-12 (7-9), RPI = .5654 - They are a woeful 4-8 in their last 12 games and still have to play Villanova. The Irish will probably finish 17-13 (8-10). They are 1-5 against the Big East top 5 with a fluke 90-57 win over Louisville. They have only won 2 Big East road games against lowly DePaul and Providence. They played a very good out of conference schedule against the likes of Texas, UNC, Ohio St, and UCLA, but only have a one point win over Texas to show for it.
Verdict: OUT.
If they finish as projected, they will have to win AT LEAST 2 games in the Big East tourney to even be considered. This team disappointed big time this season and will have to settle for the NIT.
G'Town - 15-12 (6-10), RPI = .5943 - The Hoyas started the season very strong with wins over Maryland, Memphis, and even UConn. They were 12-3 (3-2) when they travelled to Cameron on January 17 to face Duke. The Hoyas lost 76-67 and then the shit hit the fan. Their next 11 games resulted in 3 wins and 8 losses. They will probably finish 17-12 (8-10) with wins over St. Johns and DePaul, but that by no means even comes close to guaranteeing them a spot in the dance. Their out of conference play was impressive as they only lost to Duke and Tennessee. They have played a very hard schedule but have not performed as expected.
Verdict: OUT.
Like Notre Dame, Georgetown will have to do serious work in the Big East Tournament if they want to make it into the field of 65. Don't count them out however, as Georgetown is very capable of rolling off some wins.
There you have it. The Big East gets 8 teams into the field of 65. UConn, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Marquette, Villanova, Syracuse, West Virginia, and Cincinnati. If I had to choose a 9th team, I would select Georgetown, because I feel they are good enough to make a run in the Big East tourney and sway the voters to put them in the field.
UP NEXT...ACC Bubble Teams.
The #2 mens' lacrosse team defeated #1 Syracuse at the Carrier Dome by a score of 13-12. Shamel Bratton led the way for the Hoos with 4 goals and 1 assist. Garrett Billings and Danny Glading each added 3 goals. Faceoffs were the key in this game as UVA controlled 17, while 'Cuse only managed 12. The Hoos were up 13-7 and held off a late game rally by the Orange to win by one goal.
The Hoos dropped another winnable basketball game to Wake Forest, losing 70-60. Pretty much the same story as the Miami game. Respectable defense, terrible offense. Baker played solid defense again, but also turned the ball over 5 times...again. Virginia was never down by double digits until the end when they resorted to fouling. Oh well, can't expect much from a team that simply isn't good. That's all I'm gonna say about that because I'm tired of these performances.
The Big East.
For Sure:
UConn - 27-2 (15-2)
L'Ville - 23-5 (14-2)
Pitt - 26-3 (13-3)
Marquette - 23-6 (12-4)
'Nova - 23-6 (11-5)
Most Likely:
'Cuse - 21-8 (9-7), RPI = .6123 - In their last 12 games, they are 5-7 and have struggled against the Big East powers (0-5 against the top 5 with a game at Marquette still ahead). Their non-conference performance however was very strong with neutral site wins against Florida and Kansas, a win at Memphis, and a home win against Virginia (no small feat)! But all is not good as they did lose to Cleveland State. As long as they win their final home game against Rutgers, the Orange will be in good shape. They will probably lose at Marquette in their final regular season game and finish 23-8 (10-8), which should be good enough to get them in without any wins in the Big East tourney, although one wouldn't hurt.
Verdict: IN
WVU - 20-9 (9-7), RPI = .6154 -In their last 12 games, they are 7-5 including a big win over Nova. They are 1-5 against the top 5 teams in the Big East but conclude the regular season with a home game against Louiville. The Mountaineers weren't too impressive out of conference as their biggest win was a thumping of a very average Ohio State team. They also suffered neutral site losses to Kentucky and Davidson. They will probably conclude the season with a win over DePaul and a loss to Louisville and finish 21-10 (10-8). Like 'Cuse, they should get in regardless of the tourney if they finish as projected.
Verdict: IN
The Bubble Teams:
Providence - 18-11 (10-7), RPI = .5655 - They are 7-5 in their last 12 games with 2 huge wins over Pittsburgh and Syracuse. However they are still 1-4 against the Big East top 5 and must conclude the regular season at 'Nova. However, their out of conference schedule was a joke. They beat no respectable teams and lost to Northeastern and Baylor. The only legit teams they played were Boston College and Saint Mary's, and they lost both games.. They will most likely finish 18-12 (10-8) and will have to do work in the Big East tourney to get in.
Verdict: OUT.
Out of conference play matters, and this team didn't do their part before conference play. I don't see Providence winning more than one game in the Big East tourney, and I think they will need at least 2 to get in.
Cincy - 18-11 (8-8), RPI = .5816 - They are 7-5 in their last 12 games and could very easily finish the season with 2 more wins as they still have to play at South Florida and home against Seton Hall. This would put the Bearcats at 20-11 (10-8). This team played a very good out of conference schedule, however, they didn't fare too well against their opponents. Cincy beat respectable opponents in UAB, UNLV, and Miss St., but lost games against big time opponents in Xavier, Florida St, and Memphis. What will hurt them is that they are 0-5 against the top 5 Big East teams, but they have swept Georgetown and beaten both Notre Dame and W.Va.
Verdict: IN.
If they finish as projected, and win at least 1 game in the Big East tourney, look for the Bearcats to make it into the field of 65.
N.D. - 16-12 (7-9), RPI = .5654 - They are a woeful 4-8 in their last 12 games and still have to play Villanova. The Irish will probably finish 17-13 (8-10). They are 1-5 against the Big East top 5 with a fluke 90-57 win over Louisville. They have only won 2 Big East road games against lowly DePaul and Providence. They played a very good out of conference schedule against the likes of Texas, UNC, Ohio St, and UCLA, but only have a one point win over Texas to show for it.
Verdict: OUT.
If they finish as projected, they will have to win AT LEAST 2 games in the Big East tourney to even be considered. This team disappointed big time this season and will have to settle for the NIT.
G'Town - 15-12 (6-10), RPI = .5943 - The Hoyas started the season very strong with wins over Maryland, Memphis, and even UConn. They were 12-3 (3-2) when they travelled to Cameron on January 17 to face Duke. The Hoyas lost 76-67 and then the shit hit the fan. Their next 11 games resulted in 3 wins and 8 losses. They will probably finish 17-12 (8-10) with wins over St. Johns and DePaul, but that by no means even comes close to guaranteeing them a spot in the dance. Their out of conference play was impressive as they only lost to Duke and Tennessee. They have played a very hard schedule but have not performed as expected.
Verdict: OUT.
Like Notre Dame, Georgetown will have to do serious work in the Big East Tournament if they want to make it into the field of 65. Don't count them out however, as Georgetown is very capable of rolling off some wins.
There you have it. The Big East gets 8 teams into the field of 65. UConn, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Marquette, Villanova, Syracuse, West Virginia, and Cincinnati. If I had to choose a 9th team, I would select Georgetown, because I feel they are good enough to make a run in the Big East tourney and sway the voters to put them in the field.
UP NEXT...ACC Bubble Teams.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Dave Leitao and Dan Snyder should join the dumb club.
Hoos Lose to the U
Miami won 62-55 in a defensive struggle. Both offensives struggled to find open looks and seeemed very stagnant the whole game. UVA especially struggled against Miami's zone. Sylven seemed hesitant to drive against the zone and did not play as aggressively on offense as we are used to seeing. And while UVA wanted to feed the post, they struggled to find passing lanes against Miami's zone. This didn't stop the Hoos from throwing the ball in the post anyway, which resulted in many frustrating turnovers.
Frustrating was definetly the word of the game. Our offense sucks, which is very frustrating. Our inbounds plays suck, which is very frustrating. Leitao took out Jeff Jones for way too long in the 2nd half in the midst of one of his best games in his career, which is very frustrating. Our fans sit down, don't yell, and suck, which is very frustrating. And we lost a very winnable home game, which is very frustrating.
Back to Jeff Jones. He played very well on both sides of the ball. Jeff finished with 16 points on 6-12 shooting. However, Leitao decided that Jeff should take a 4 minute breather during a crucial stretch late in the 2nd half. THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY THE WORST THING LEITAO COULD HAVE DONE! Jeff was playing so well. He was taking good shots, he was driving the lane and not just settling for 3's, and he was our main offensive threat during the game. So why Leitao put in Mustapha Farrakhan (a player who has struggled of late to say the least) is beyond me. Leitao claims that he took Jeff out due to defensive lapses or some bullshit like that. The fact of the matter is, Jeff played pretty solid D the entire game, and I'm getting real tired of Leitao keeping the players on such a short leash. Pulling players for one mistake is terrible coaching. This move really makes me wonder if Leitao can be a successful basketball coach. We already know he can't draw up an offense or an inbounds play, and now if he doesn't know who to have on the court, then he should be jobless after this season.
Players of the game are Jeff Jones and Calvin Baker. Jeff played one of his best games of his career and he should be commended, not put on the bench. Calvin Baker played GREAT defense on Jack McClinton for the entire game. He limited McClinton to only 11 points on 3-10 shooting. Unfortunately McClinton got real open with under a minute left to put in a dagger 3. Baker did finish with 11 points on 4-7 shooting, but struggled at the point as he committed 5 turnovers.
Skins Making Moves
Dan Snyder is at it again. Throwing money around at anyone who will take it. The Skins made 2 major free agent acquistions in picking up DT Albert Haynesworth and resigning CB MeAngelo Hall. Both of these players got FAT contracts. Hall was signed to a 6 year, $54 million contract. That's infinitely too much money for a player that has done nothing other than draw attention to himself in his 5 years in the league. Plus, he's a Hokie. Haynesworth was signed to a 7 year, $100 million contract. Albert is good for sure, but $100 million is a lot of money to spend on one player, especially when the Redskins need help on their aging 0-Line. But Haynesworth was definetly a good sign, as he will provide a much needed boost to the Redskins D-Line and hopefully improve their woeful pass rush.
Miami won 62-55 in a defensive struggle. Both offensives struggled to find open looks and seeemed very stagnant the whole game. UVA especially struggled against Miami's zone. Sylven seemed hesitant to drive against the zone and did not play as aggressively on offense as we are used to seeing. And while UVA wanted to feed the post, they struggled to find passing lanes against Miami's zone. This didn't stop the Hoos from throwing the ball in the post anyway, which resulted in many frustrating turnovers.
Frustrating was definetly the word of the game. Our offense sucks, which is very frustrating. Our inbounds plays suck, which is very frustrating. Leitao took out Jeff Jones for way too long in the 2nd half in the midst of one of his best games in his career, which is very frustrating. Our fans sit down, don't yell, and suck, which is very frustrating. And we lost a very winnable home game, which is very frustrating.
Back to Jeff Jones. He played very well on both sides of the ball. Jeff finished with 16 points on 6-12 shooting. However, Leitao decided that Jeff should take a 4 minute breather during a crucial stretch late in the 2nd half. THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY THE WORST THING LEITAO COULD HAVE DONE! Jeff was playing so well. He was taking good shots, he was driving the lane and not just settling for 3's, and he was our main offensive threat during the game. So why Leitao put in Mustapha Farrakhan (a player who has struggled of late to say the least) is beyond me. Leitao claims that he took Jeff out due to defensive lapses or some bullshit like that. The fact of the matter is, Jeff played pretty solid D the entire game, and I'm getting real tired of Leitao keeping the players on such a short leash. Pulling players for one mistake is terrible coaching. This move really makes me wonder if Leitao can be a successful basketball coach. We already know he can't draw up an offense or an inbounds play, and now if he doesn't know who to have on the court, then he should be jobless after this season.
Players of the game are Jeff Jones and Calvin Baker. Jeff played one of his best games of his career and he should be commended, not put on the bench. Calvin Baker played GREAT defense on Jack McClinton for the entire game. He limited McClinton to only 11 points on 3-10 shooting. Unfortunately McClinton got real open with under a minute left to put in a dagger 3. Baker did finish with 11 points on 4-7 shooting, but struggled at the point as he committed 5 turnovers.
Skins Making Moves
Dan Snyder is at it again. Throwing money around at anyone who will take it. The Skins made 2 major free agent acquistions in picking up DT Albert Haynesworth and resigning CB MeAngelo Hall. Both of these players got FAT contracts. Hall was signed to a 6 year, $54 million contract. That's infinitely too much money for a player that has done nothing other than draw attention to himself in his 5 years in the league. Plus, he's a Hokie. Haynesworth was signed to a 7 year, $100 million contract. Albert is good for sure, but $100 million is a lot of money to spend on one player, especially when the Redskins need help on their aging 0-Line. But Haynesworth was definetly a good sign, as he will provide a much needed boost to the Redskins D-Line and hopefully improve their woeful pass rush.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Catching Up
Now that Spring Break is more or less here, and work has stopped kicking my butt, I can resume focusing on sports.
HOOps
First things first, we beat Tech! It was a great team effort by the Hoos. We were real solid defensively and Jeff Jones did a great job shutting down Delaney (11 pts on 3-13 shooting). Offensively we had real smooth ball movement, and with the exception of inbounds plays (which are far and away the worst thing these eyes have ever witnessed), the offense was pretty much as good as we could have hoped for. The quick ball movement resulted in some serious throwdowns by Scott, Tunji, and Assane. The game was exciting. The crowd was in it. And like I predicted, the Hokies were heading for the exits early. The final was 75-61, which if I'm not mistaken, is real close to my prediction, just sayin. Players of the game were Jamil Tucker and TUNJI!. Sylven was a baller yet again with 19 points and 9 boards, but that's expected. Tucker shot very well (4-6, 3-5) and finished with 13 points and 9 boards. Tunji only played 6 minutes, but had 6 huge points (4 of which came on monster dunks) and really got the crowd into it. It was good seeing Tunji playing well again...or for the first time.
The Hoos followed that performance by returning to their old form and coming out FLAT at N.C. State. I wasn't able to watch the game live, but due to the glory of ESPN360, I was able to watch as much as I could. I got through the first 10 minutes of the first half before I had had enough. We couldn't shoot, couldn't play defense, it sucked. The Hoos ended up making a comeback to end the first half, before blowing it in the beginning of the second half. Then we made another comeback late in the second half, but you can only come back from so many double digit deficits. We lost 72-67. Mamadi was a silver lining as he finally played well and finished with 11 points. This is what blows my mind. The starting 5 was Baker, Tat, Jones, Sylven, and Assane. While I don't have a problem with the lineup (it's been the starting 5 that Dave has used during the late season turnaround), I do have a problem with the fact that he uses the same starting 5 to start the 2nd half regardless. Common sense tells me that you play who's hot, not who started the first half. Clearly those 5 had trouble doing anything well together on the court in the first half. They let the Wolfpack put up a big lead and didn't seem to care. After various cominations of other players worked real hard to get the Hoos back in the game, Dave puts those same 5 back on the court to start the 2nd half. To the surprise of noone, State goes on another run and the Hoos are back in the same hole. That really frustrates me, and is one thing that really needs to change. So goes life as UVA fan.
Various Baketball
Refs 101 Wake 91
Once again, Duke received some serious home court calls. Wake really should have won this game though . But they played soooo poorly late in the 1st half. Remember how I said UVA came out flat against N.C. State? Well, just magnify that by 10, and that's how badly Wake was playing towards the end of the 1st half. It was awful. They turned it over, they turned it over, they turned it over, they fouled on the offensive end, they fouled on the defensive end, they couldn't get the ball near the rim, they couldn't prevent Gerald Henderson from hanging on the rim. Give Wake credit for not quitting and giving Duke a run for their money in the 2nd half. Henderson played really well and finished with 35 points. He's the only Duke player that I can stand because he doesn't just set up shop around the perimeter and throw up 3's all day. Man, I hate Duke.
UConn 93 Marquette 82
The Huskies are proving they are still legit without Dyson. Keep in mind, however, that Marquette was playing this game without top guard Dominic James, who broke his foot early in the first half and is sadly done for the season. Huge loss for the the Eagles. A.J. Price was a monster with 36 points. UConn is making a strong bid for a 1 seed come tourney time.
Providence drops #1 Pitt 81-73
Pitt's Big East title hopes took a big shot after losing to Providence. Providence meanwhile is hoping that big win gets them off the bubble. They are sitting at 17-11 (9-7), I'm thinking they get in as they should win at Rutgers, but then fall to Nova, finishing 19-12 (10-8). Blair was in foul trouble all game, but still managed to score 17 points and grab 8 boards in 30 minutes. Fields, who I previously mentioned as one of the top point guards in the country, has done next to nothing since I made that claim. He only scored 7 points on 2-7 shooting and must do a better job shooting the ball if Pitt wants to make a run in the tourney.
The Miami Game
I'm running out of time, but the Hoos play the U tonight in a huge ACC game for the Canes. They're on the bubble and pretty much need to win their final 3 conference games to make it to the dance. Miami is currently 16-10 (5-8). UVA has nothing to play for, except the spoiler role, and maybe a spot in the prestigious CBI. Stop Jack McClinton, win the game. It's that simple. Miami is one dimensional. Unfortunately, McClinton shoots 47% from 3 and is really good.
Prediction: 76-72 Hoos
HOOps
First things first, we beat Tech! It was a great team effort by the Hoos. We were real solid defensively and Jeff Jones did a great job shutting down Delaney (11 pts on 3-13 shooting). Offensively we had real smooth ball movement, and with the exception of inbounds plays (which are far and away the worst thing these eyes have ever witnessed), the offense was pretty much as good as we could have hoped for. The quick ball movement resulted in some serious throwdowns by Scott, Tunji, and Assane. The game was exciting. The crowd was in it. And like I predicted, the Hokies were heading for the exits early. The final was 75-61, which if I'm not mistaken, is real close to my prediction, just sayin. Players of the game were Jamil Tucker and TUNJI!. Sylven was a baller yet again with 19 points and 9 boards, but that's expected. Tucker shot very well (4-6, 3-5) and finished with 13 points and 9 boards. Tunji only played 6 minutes, but had 6 huge points (4 of which came on monster dunks) and really got the crowd into it. It was good seeing Tunji playing well again...or for the first time.
The Hoos followed that performance by returning to their old form and coming out FLAT at N.C. State. I wasn't able to watch the game live, but due to the glory of ESPN360, I was able to watch as much as I could. I got through the first 10 minutes of the first half before I had had enough. We couldn't shoot, couldn't play defense, it sucked. The Hoos ended up making a comeback to end the first half, before blowing it in the beginning of the second half. Then we made another comeback late in the second half, but you can only come back from so many double digit deficits. We lost 72-67. Mamadi was a silver lining as he finally played well and finished with 11 points. This is what blows my mind. The starting 5 was Baker, Tat, Jones, Sylven, and Assane. While I don't have a problem with the lineup (it's been the starting 5 that Dave has used during the late season turnaround), I do have a problem with the fact that he uses the same starting 5 to start the 2nd half regardless. Common sense tells me that you play who's hot, not who started the first half. Clearly those 5 had trouble doing anything well together on the court in the first half. They let the Wolfpack put up a big lead and didn't seem to care. After various cominations of other players worked real hard to get the Hoos back in the game, Dave puts those same 5 back on the court to start the 2nd half. To the surprise of noone, State goes on another run and the Hoos are back in the same hole. That really frustrates me, and is one thing that really needs to change. So goes life as UVA fan.
Various Baketball
Refs 101 Wake 91
Once again, Duke received some serious home court calls. Wake really should have won this game though . But they played soooo poorly late in the 1st half. Remember how I said UVA came out flat against N.C. State? Well, just magnify that by 10, and that's how badly Wake was playing towards the end of the 1st half. It was awful. They turned it over, they turned it over, they turned it over, they fouled on the offensive end, they fouled on the defensive end, they couldn't get the ball near the rim, they couldn't prevent Gerald Henderson from hanging on the rim. Give Wake credit for not quitting and giving Duke a run for their money in the 2nd half. Henderson played really well and finished with 35 points. He's the only Duke player that I can stand because he doesn't just set up shop around the perimeter and throw up 3's all day. Man, I hate Duke.
UConn 93 Marquette 82
The Huskies are proving they are still legit without Dyson. Keep in mind, however, that Marquette was playing this game without top guard Dominic James, who broke his foot early in the first half and is sadly done for the season. Huge loss for the the Eagles. A.J. Price was a monster with 36 points. UConn is making a strong bid for a 1 seed come tourney time.
Providence drops #1 Pitt 81-73
Pitt's Big East title hopes took a big shot after losing to Providence. Providence meanwhile is hoping that big win gets them off the bubble. They are sitting at 17-11 (9-7), I'm thinking they get in as they should win at Rutgers, but then fall to Nova, finishing 19-12 (10-8). Blair was in foul trouble all game, but still managed to score 17 points and grab 8 boards in 30 minutes. Fields, who I previously mentioned as one of the top point guards in the country, has done next to nothing since I made that claim. He only scored 7 points on 2-7 shooting and must do a better job shooting the ball if Pitt wants to make a run in the tourney.
The Miami Game
I'm running out of time, but the Hoos play the U tonight in a huge ACC game for the Canes. They're on the bubble and pretty much need to win their final 3 conference games to make it to the dance. Miami is currently 16-10 (5-8). UVA has nothing to play for, except the spoiler role, and maybe a spot in the prestigious CBI. Stop Jack McClinton, win the game. It's that simple. Miami is one dimensional. Unfortunately, McClinton shoots 47% from 3 and is really good.
Prediction: 76-72 Hoos
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Jeff Allen is a moron and will be benched against the Hoos
Sorry, but I gotta keep this one short, cause school is dumb...
As a result of his lovely gesture to the Maryland fans, Jeff Allen will not play Wednesday night (2/18) against Virginia. Obviously, this is a huge loss for the Hokies, as Allen averages 14.5 points and 8.8 boards in 30.5 minutes of play. However, the Hokies have already proven this year that they can beat the Hoos without significant contributions from Allen. In the game in Blacksburg on January 10, Allen missed all 7 of his shots from the field on his way to scoring just 3 points and grabbing 6 boards. Tech still managed to take care of the Hoos, thanks in large part to 29 points from A.D. Vassallo (the Dr. Pepper thief himself) and 24 points from Malcolm Delaney. Moral of the story for Virginia, stop Vassallo and Delaney.
With Allen out, Mike Scott should be set for another big game. Scott put up 16 points while grabbing 6 boards in the January 10 contest, and is coming off of a huge game against Clemson. The other leading scorers for the Hoos in their previous matchup with Tech were Sylven(20) and Mustapha (17). While 20 points shouldn't be too much trouble for Sylven this time around, it seems like a stretch to expect 17 from Mustapha again. This means that other players will have to step up, just like the Clemson game. Hopefully Sammy, Jeff, and Jamil will be able to carry over their peformances from Sunday afternoon.
Vassallo poses a matchup problem for the Hoos, as he stands at 6'6" and is a very good shooter. If he gets that first shot to fall, watch out. The key here is to mark him real tight, and get him to miss his first couple of shots. Look for Solomon Tat (the defensive specialist) to mark Vassallo and hopefully frustrate him the entire night. Even though Allen is out, don't expect the Hokies to get little production from the post. Both Cheick Diakite and Lewis Witcher are very capable substitutes and have the potential to make and impact for the Hokies.
Prediction:
The Hoos come out rolling and don't stop. Mike and Sylven are both good for 20 points. Don't think Virginia forgot about Jeff Allen's picks from their previous game. The only consolation to having thousands of Hokies at JPJ is watching them all move towards the exits as the game comes to an end.
76-64 HOOS!
As a result of his lovely gesture to the Maryland fans, Jeff Allen will not play Wednesday night (2/18) against Virginia. Obviously, this is a huge loss for the Hokies, as Allen averages 14.5 points and 8.8 boards in 30.5 minutes of play. However, the Hokies have already proven this year that they can beat the Hoos without significant contributions from Allen. In the game in Blacksburg on January 10, Allen missed all 7 of his shots from the field on his way to scoring just 3 points and grabbing 6 boards. Tech still managed to take care of the Hoos, thanks in large part to 29 points from A.D. Vassallo (the Dr. Pepper thief himself) and 24 points from Malcolm Delaney. Moral of the story for Virginia, stop Vassallo and Delaney.
With Allen out, Mike Scott should be set for another big game. Scott put up 16 points while grabbing 6 boards in the January 10 contest, and is coming off of a huge game against Clemson. The other leading scorers for the Hoos in their previous matchup with Tech were Sylven(20) and Mustapha (17). While 20 points shouldn't be too much trouble for Sylven this time around, it seems like a stretch to expect 17 from Mustapha again. This means that other players will have to step up, just like the Clemson game. Hopefully Sammy, Jeff, and Jamil will be able to carry over their peformances from Sunday afternoon.
Vassallo poses a matchup problem for the Hoos, as he stands at 6'6" and is a very good shooter. If he gets that first shot to fall, watch out. The key here is to mark him real tight, and get him to miss his first couple of shots. Look for Solomon Tat (the defensive specialist) to mark Vassallo and hopefully frustrate him the entire night. Even though Allen is out, don't expect the Hokies to get little production from the post. Both Cheick Diakite and Lewis Witcher are very capable substitutes and have the potential to make and impact for the Hokies.
Prediction:
The Hoos come out rolling and don't stop. Mike and Sylven are both good for 20 points. Don't think Virginia forgot about Jeff Allen's picks from their previous game. The only consolation to having thousands of Hokies at JPJ is watching them all move towards the exits as the game comes to an end.
76-64 HOOS!
Monday, February 16, 2009
DeJuan Blair Straight Up Dominates Thabeet in Win Over UConn
DeJuan Blair paid little attention to the 8 inches that he was giving up to Hasheem Thabeet. He simply did not care that Thabeet was a shot blocking threat. Instead, Blair went up strong against Thabeet and made shot after shot, providing the Panthers with the effort they needed to defeat UConn 76-68. But it wasn't just his offense that was impressive. The big man seemed to grab every rebound and refused to give way to Thabeet in the post. Blair lit up the Huskies for 22 points and 23 boards while holding Thabeet to 5 points, 4 boards, and 2 blocks. With the exception of a couple of long jumpers that went for airballs, Blair played a near perfect game as he muscled his way through his best game of the season.
While Blair dominated the post, it was the Panther's Sam Young who led the team in scoring with 25 points (8-13, 4-6), despite foul trouble for the entire game. Young's scoring production was crucial for Pitt as Levance Fields struggled for the first 37 minutes and the Panther's bench was only good for 3 points. Fields was pressured for the entire game by UConn's guards, and Kemba Walker in particular played very well against him. Walker prevented Fields from driving the lane and did not allow Fields an open look until 3 minutes remained in the game. Fields was held to just 5 assists and 4 turnovers, one of his poorer performances, but did finish with 10 points (all of which coming in the final 3 minutes). Despite his stat line, Fields did show great court vision, especially in the opening minutes, as he quickly pushed the ball up court in transition resulting in easy fast break points for the Panthers. His two 3's in the final 3 minutes were clutch bus and ended UConn's chance of a comeback.
UConn put together a solid team effort and looked very good in the 2nd half. They showed that they can be a legit contender even without Jerome Dyson. A.J. Price had 18 pts and 8 assists and Jeff Adrien contributed 13 pts and 9 boards, but UConn's player of the game in my opinion was Kemba Walker. Walker put up 13 pts in 24 minutes and played lock down D on Fields. With under 2 minutes to play, Walker stole the ball from Fields and drove home a layup to cut UConn's deficit to 4. Unfortunately for the Huskies, Walker's effort was not enough to overcome Pitt's frontcourt duo of Blair and Young. However, UConn should be pleased with Walker's play, as they will need him to continue at this level of play if they want to win the Big East regular season title.
I was pretty disappointed with Thabeet's peformance in this game. Yea, DeJuan Blair is a great player, but it looked as if Thabeet was content to let Blair out work him. Thabeet needs to understand that he can't just rely on his length. Blair had no trouble getting position on Thabeet, and Thabeet made no effort to front him. I guess Thabeet thought he would be able to swat away all of Blair's shots. He was wrong, he got embarassed.
Diaco Leaving UVa
So Bob Diaco, UVa's D.C., is now leaving to coach at Cincinnati. Now we don't have a D.C. There's only speculation at this point as to who will be the new D.C., but some say that Ron Prince will be back on staff as Assistant Head Coach, which I'm assuming will allow Groh to oversee the defense entirely. This is real sweet cause I did a lot of work getting stats on Diaco's special teams and defenses. Now he's gone. Overall though, not a big loss, I was never really sold on him. Best of luck in Cincy.
While Blair dominated the post, it was the Panther's Sam Young who led the team in scoring with 25 points (8-13, 4-6), despite foul trouble for the entire game. Young's scoring production was crucial for Pitt as Levance Fields struggled for the first 37 minutes and the Panther's bench was only good for 3 points. Fields was pressured for the entire game by UConn's guards, and Kemba Walker in particular played very well against him. Walker prevented Fields from driving the lane and did not allow Fields an open look until 3 minutes remained in the game. Fields was held to just 5 assists and 4 turnovers, one of his poorer performances, but did finish with 10 points (all of which coming in the final 3 minutes). Despite his stat line, Fields did show great court vision, especially in the opening minutes, as he quickly pushed the ball up court in transition resulting in easy fast break points for the Panthers. His two 3's in the final 3 minutes were clutch bus and ended UConn's chance of a comeback.
UConn put together a solid team effort and looked very good in the 2nd half. They showed that they can be a legit contender even without Jerome Dyson. A.J. Price had 18 pts and 8 assists and Jeff Adrien contributed 13 pts and 9 boards, but UConn's player of the game in my opinion was Kemba Walker. Walker put up 13 pts in 24 minutes and played lock down D on Fields. With under 2 minutes to play, Walker stole the ball from Fields and drove home a layup to cut UConn's deficit to 4. Unfortunately for the Huskies, Walker's effort was not enough to overcome Pitt's frontcourt duo of Blair and Young. However, UConn should be pleased with Walker's play, as they will need him to continue at this level of play if they want to win the Big East regular season title.
I was pretty disappointed with Thabeet's peformance in this game. Yea, DeJuan Blair is a great player, but it looked as if Thabeet was content to let Blair out work him. Thabeet needs to understand that he can't just rely on his length. Blair had no trouble getting position on Thabeet, and Thabeet made no effort to front him. I guess Thabeet thought he would be able to swat away all of Blair's shots. He was wrong, he got embarassed.
Diaco Leaving UVa
So Bob Diaco, UVa's D.C., is now leaving to coach at Cincinnati. Now we don't have a D.C. There's only speculation at this point as to who will be the new D.C., but some say that Ron Prince will be back on staff as Assistant Head Coach, which I'm assuming will allow Groh to oversee the defense entirely. This is real sweet cause I did a lot of work getting stats on Diaco's special teams and defenses. Now he's gone. Overall though, not a big loss, I was never really sold on him. Best of luck in Cincy.
PITT at UCONN, Duke Sucks
In their first game without guard Jerome Dyson, Connecticut (24-1, 12-1) defeated Seton Hall (14-10, 5-7) by a score of 62-54. Had Dyson been healthy, Connecticut would have had zero trouble putting away Seton Hall by double digits. But the reality is Dyson will not be available for the remainder of the season, so the Huskies must take the next man up attitude. Dyson gave UConn 29.3 minutes, 13.2 pts, 4.1 boards, 3.2 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. The junior had been a very consistent player all year, and his absence leaves a void that will be filled by senior Craig Austrie and freshman Kemba Walker (a 5 star recruit).
While Dyson's absence in the Seton Hall game was overshadowed by Hasheem Thabeet's absolute dominance, it clearly affected UConn. UConn averages 76.9 pts/g while Seton Hall typically allows 72.2 pts/g. So why did UConn only score 62 points? Austrie and Walker played a combined 65 minutes, yet only contributed 14 pts on 4-15 shooting to go along with 5 assists. These are the numbers that should be expected of the two if they are merely giving the team points off the bench. However, they are now feature players on this team and must put up better numbers. A.J. Price, who is usually good for 12.1 pts/g, also seemed to be affected by the loss of Dyson as he only scored 6 pts on 2-10 shooting.
Key match-up:
Pitt's DeJuan Blair vs UConn's Thabeet
Blair, who weighs in at 6'7" 265, will be giving up some serious inches against the mostrous Thabeet (7'3" 263). But Blair uses his size well and has a large wingspan of 7'3". If Seton Hall's 6'9" F/C John Garcia was able to put up 22 points on Thabeet, I see no reason why we shouldn't expect Blair to meet his average of 15.4 pts against UConn. If Blair is able to neutralize Thabeet, then UConn doesn't have a chance in this game. The reason being is that the other match-ups are in Pitt's favor.
Other match-ups:
Pitt's Sam Young vs. UConn's Jeff Adrien
At 6'7", Adrien averages a double-double with 14 pts and 10.1 rebounds. Young (6'6") averages 17.9 pts and 5.8 boards. Both players are their respective teams' scoring leaders. Both are exceptional players and senior leaders. However, Adrien needs to increase his scoring output to combat the loss of Dyson. This will be a good match-up, but the two more or less cancel each other out.
Pitt's Backcourt vs UConn's Backcourt
Here is the difference in this game. Levance Fields is perhaps the best true point guard in the country (Ty Lawson is pretty good too). Fields averages 11.1 pts and 7.6 assists per game. He has an amazing 4.15 assist/turnover ratio. In his past 5 games, Fields is averaging 13.2 pts and 11.2 assists. UConn will have their hands full trying to slow him down. Pitt's 2 guard is Jermaine Dixon (9 pts, 1.9 assists, 1.6 steals) who is very capable of big game scoring (19 pts at Louisville, 16 pts against ND). The Panthers then have guards Brad Wanamaker (6 pts, 2.2 assists, 3.2 boards) and Gilbert Brown (5.7 pts, 3.3 boards) coming off the bench for solid minutes.
UConn's guards are solid, but after the loss of Dyson, their depth took a huge hit. A.J. Price averages 12.1 pts, 4.4 assists, and 3.4 boards while hitting 40.7% of his 3's. We can expect Austrie to get the start again in Dyson's place, but he will need to improve upon his 7.9 points. Walker will also need to step up and score more than his 8.7 pts/g. After these three players, UConn really has no other viable option at guard, and staying out of foul trouble is a must. It will also be interesting to see how Austrie does in his first start against a quality opponent, seeing as he struggled against Seton Hall.
Prediction:
Even if Thabeet has a big game, Blair will be productive and the Panthers will win this game on the road. Fields will give the Huskies problems all game long, and perhaps get one of UConn's guards in foul trouble. UConn realizes that their once very promising season is not looking so good anymore.
68-59 Panthers
Duke Loses...Again
Is there anything more satisfying than a Duke loss? #5 Duke lost to BC 80-74 yesterday and have now dropped 4 of their last 6 games. Oh the sweet sight of Duke collapsing down the stretch. I think it has something to do with Kyle Singler's Vitamin D deficiency.
While Dyson's absence in the Seton Hall game was overshadowed by Hasheem Thabeet's absolute dominance, it clearly affected UConn. UConn averages 76.9 pts/g while Seton Hall typically allows 72.2 pts/g. So why did UConn only score 62 points? Austrie and Walker played a combined 65 minutes, yet only contributed 14 pts on 4-15 shooting to go along with 5 assists. These are the numbers that should be expected of the two if they are merely giving the team points off the bench. However, they are now feature players on this team and must put up better numbers. A.J. Price, who is usually good for 12.1 pts/g, also seemed to be affected by the loss of Dyson as he only scored 6 pts on 2-10 shooting.
Key match-up:
Pitt's DeJuan Blair vs UConn's Thabeet
Blair, who weighs in at 6'7" 265, will be giving up some serious inches against the mostrous Thabeet (7'3" 263). But Blair uses his size well and has a large wingspan of 7'3". If Seton Hall's 6'9" F/C John Garcia was able to put up 22 points on Thabeet, I see no reason why we shouldn't expect Blair to meet his average of 15.4 pts against UConn. If Blair is able to neutralize Thabeet, then UConn doesn't have a chance in this game. The reason being is that the other match-ups are in Pitt's favor.
Other match-ups:
Pitt's Sam Young vs. UConn's Jeff Adrien
At 6'7", Adrien averages a double-double with 14 pts and 10.1 rebounds. Young (6'6") averages 17.9 pts and 5.8 boards. Both players are their respective teams' scoring leaders. Both are exceptional players and senior leaders. However, Adrien needs to increase his scoring output to combat the loss of Dyson. This will be a good match-up, but the two more or less cancel each other out.
Pitt's Backcourt vs UConn's Backcourt
Here is the difference in this game. Levance Fields is perhaps the best true point guard in the country (Ty Lawson is pretty good too). Fields averages 11.1 pts and 7.6 assists per game. He has an amazing 4.15 assist/turnover ratio. In his past 5 games, Fields is averaging 13.2 pts and 11.2 assists. UConn will have their hands full trying to slow him down. Pitt's 2 guard is Jermaine Dixon (9 pts, 1.9 assists, 1.6 steals) who is very capable of big game scoring (19 pts at Louisville, 16 pts against ND). The Panthers then have guards Brad Wanamaker (6 pts, 2.2 assists, 3.2 boards) and Gilbert Brown (5.7 pts, 3.3 boards) coming off the bench for solid minutes.
UConn's guards are solid, but after the loss of Dyson, their depth took a huge hit. A.J. Price averages 12.1 pts, 4.4 assists, and 3.4 boards while hitting 40.7% of his 3's. We can expect Austrie to get the start again in Dyson's place, but he will need to improve upon his 7.9 points. Walker will also need to step up and score more than his 8.7 pts/g. After these three players, UConn really has no other viable option at guard, and staying out of foul trouble is a must. It will also be interesting to see how Austrie does in his first start against a quality opponent, seeing as he struggled against Seton Hall.
Prediction:
Even if Thabeet has a big game, Blair will be productive and the Panthers will win this game on the road. Fields will give the Huskies problems all game long, and perhaps get one of UConn's guards in foul trouble. UConn realizes that their once very promising season is not looking so good anymore.
68-59 Panthers
Duke Loses...Again
Is there anything more satisfying than a Duke loss? #5 Duke lost to BC 80-74 yesterday and have now dropped 4 of their last 6 games. Oh the sweet sight of Duke collapsing down the stretch. I think it has something to do with Kyle Singler's Vitamin D deficiency.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
AWW YEA!
What a great win! I forgot how awesome it was to have a big win, or even any kind of win for that matter. 85-81 in OT! This game was epic. The crowd was in it (I was going out of control), we were playing real well, $$ was there, buy one get one free from Cane's...straight up awesome. If Sylven Landesberg does not win ACC Rookie of the Year, Ima be straight pissed. The kid played all 45 minutes of this game, had 23 points (11-21 fg), 4 boards and 3 assists. As a true freshman, he's money. He made every shot this team asked him to make and is just a baller. He also played fairly solid defense on K.C. Rivers (15 pts, 6-12 fg).
Player of the Game:
Mike Scott
Yea, Sylven is an absolute monster and made clutch shot after clutch shot, but Mike Scott stepped up when this team needed him most. And he dominated today. In 40 minutes, the big man had 18 pts (8-12 fg), 10 boards, 3 assists, and 3 steals. He also did work on Trevor Booker, who had a relatively quiet 16 pts (the majority of them coming in the first half). Like I said before, this team needs to look inside to win games. We looked inside, we won.
Runner Up:
Sammy Z
Again Sylven played like a champ, but if the past 8 games have shown us anything, it's that we need more than just Sylven to produce. So Sammy gets the Runner Up for stepping up big time. He played 30 minutes, had 15 pts (on a perfect 6-6 shooting) to go with his 6 assists. Yea I know he had 6 turns, but he was playing against a very tough Clemson press and is only a redshirt freshman. Looking past the 6 turns, he did a great job of breaking the press and pushing the ball up the court, resulting in many fast break points. He also played great D on Terrence Oglesby (who just might take over Greg Paulus's place as biggest bitch in the ACC when all is said and done). Oglesby did have 17 pts, but a few of his 3s just happened to go in against great defense (one of which was a bank, I mean seriously, who banks 3's?). But yea, Sammy finally showed what he's capable of against big time competition and just looked very smooth running the point and the fast break. He did a great job of penetrating and finding the big men wide open for easy dunks/layups.
Stat of the Game:
34-64 from the field...yea that's right 53%!
We finally were able to make some shots. We were also 7-15 (47%) from 3. It's amazing how much your shooting % can improve when you have open layups and don't launch up 3's at the end of the shot clock.
Other notables:
Jamil Tucker - 25 min, 11 pts, 4 boards, 4-7 fg (2-4 from 3). Played great D, something he has not done so well in the past, against Raymond Sykes. He held his position and made Sykes shoot from outside the key (side note-Sykes can not shoot).
Jeff Jones - 26 min, 12 pts, 3-10 fg. He only shot 30% but his and-one on the 3 ball early in the game really got the game rolling and the crowd into it. He's got that shooters mentality that every shot is going to fall, and as he progresses, more and more will.
The Defense - Great job all game long. Held Clemson to 43% shooting (35% from 3). The Hoos were aggresive and constantly pressured the ball. There were a few unfortunate instances where we played defense for 34 seconds before Clemson got off an open 3, but it was good to see us playing good hard defense throughout the entire game. The defense also forced 21 turnovers. Most importantly, the great defense resulted in missed shots and turnovers. This meant that Clemson could not set up the press and we could easily advance the ball into our side of the court.
Shout Out:
Tunji Soroye
15 min, 2 pts, 4 boards. Not a great stat line, but he played great defense and gave us some valuable minutes. He's a presence inside, not a scoring threat, but a presence.
Disappointments:
Calvin Baker - I predicted him to have a big game. He didn't. Baker really struggled against the press and showed that he's not really a viable option at the point. In 34 min, he had 4 pts and 5 turns. His decision making was questionable at best in transition and only connected on 1-6 shots.
Our inbounds plays - I am gonna have a heart attack by the end of the season if this team continues to throw the ball in the corner on inbounds plays. It's soooo stupid. This was a huge contributor to our team's 20 turnovers. This has to change. Set picks on defenders to get Sammy open. Don't just throw it in the corner. Dave's got to draw something new up.
Terrence Oglesby - I don't like him. He cries after everything. He's awful at defense. All he does is throw up 3's. I thoroughly enjoyed heckling him the entire game.
Game Changer:
Clemson came out really strong in the 2nd half. The Tigers rolled off 14 unanswered points. Their shots started falling and we were missing shots and turning the ball over. In the past, this was the point where the Hoos would fold and get run over. But today they fought back. To quote Sammy Z, "They punched us and we just came back swinging."
Player of the Game:
Mike Scott
Yea, Sylven is an absolute monster and made clutch shot after clutch shot, but Mike Scott stepped up when this team needed him most. And he dominated today. In 40 minutes, the big man had 18 pts (8-12 fg), 10 boards, 3 assists, and 3 steals. He also did work on Trevor Booker, who had a relatively quiet 16 pts (the majority of them coming in the first half). Like I said before, this team needs to look inside to win games. We looked inside, we won.
Runner Up:
Sammy Z
Again Sylven played like a champ, but if the past 8 games have shown us anything, it's that we need more than just Sylven to produce. So Sammy gets the Runner Up for stepping up big time. He played 30 minutes, had 15 pts (on a perfect 6-6 shooting) to go with his 6 assists. Yea I know he had 6 turns, but he was playing against a very tough Clemson press and is only a redshirt freshman. Looking past the 6 turns, he did a great job of breaking the press and pushing the ball up the court, resulting in many fast break points. He also played great D on Terrence Oglesby (who just might take over Greg Paulus's place as biggest bitch in the ACC when all is said and done). Oglesby did have 17 pts, but a few of his 3s just happened to go in against great defense (one of which was a bank, I mean seriously, who banks 3's?). But yea, Sammy finally showed what he's capable of against big time competition and just looked very smooth running the point and the fast break. He did a great job of penetrating and finding the big men wide open for easy dunks/layups.
Stat of the Game:
34-64 from the field...yea that's right 53%!
We finally were able to make some shots. We were also 7-15 (47%) from 3. It's amazing how much your shooting % can improve when you have open layups and don't launch up 3's at the end of the shot clock.
Other notables:
Jamil Tucker - 25 min, 11 pts, 4 boards, 4-7 fg (2-4 from 3). Played great D, something he has not done so well in the past, against Raymond Sykes. He held his position and made Sykes shoot from outside the key (side note-Sykes can not shoot).
Jeff Jones - 26 min, 12 pts, 3-10 fg. He only shot 30% but his and-one on the 3 ball early in the game really got the game rolling and the crowd into it. He's got that shooters mentality that every shot is going to fall, and as he progresses, more and more will.
The Defense - Great job all game long. Held Clemson to 43% shooting (35% from 3). The Hoos were aggresive and constantly pressured the ball. There were a few unfortunate instances where we played defense for 34 seconds before Clemson got off an open 3, but it was good to see us playing good hard defense throughout the entire game. The defense also forced 21 turnovers. Most importantly, the great defense resulted in missed shots and turnovers. This meant that Clemson could not set up the press and we could easily advance the ball into our side of the court.
Shout Out:
Tunji Soroye
15 min, 2 pts, 4 boards. Not a great stat line, but he played great defense and gave us some valuable minutes. He's a presence inside, not a scoring threat, but a presence.
Disappointments:
Calvin Baker - I predicted him to have a big game. He didn't. Baker really struggled against the press and showed that he's not really a viable option at the point. In 34 min, he had 4 pts and 5 turns. His decision making was questionable at best in transition and only connected on 1-6 shots.
Our inbounds plays - I am gonna have a heart attack by the end of the season if this team continues to throw the ball in the corner on inbounds plays. It's soooo stupid. This was a huge contributor to our team's 20 turnovers. This has to change. Set picks on defenders to get Sammy open. Don't just throw it in the corner. Dave's got to draw something new up.
Terrence Oglesby - I don't like him. He cries after everything. He's awful at defense. All he does is throw up 3's. I thoroughly enjoyed heckling him the entire game.
Game Changer:
Clemson came out really strong in the 2nd half. The Tigers rolled off 14 unanswered points. Their shots started falling and we were missing shots and turning the ball over. In the past, this was the point where the Hoos would fold and get run over. But today they fought back. To quote Sammy Z, "They punched us and we just came back swinging."
Friday, February 13, 2009
The Clemson Game
The Hoos take on Clemson on Sunday at 1:00 at JPJ. Clemson is tied for 3rd place in the ACC with a 6-3 conference record and a 20-3 overall record to go along with their #11 National Ranking. UVA meanwhile, is in second to last place (11th) in the conference with a 1-8 record and a 7-13 overall record. Virginia is still looking for its first home conference win, and with Sean Singletary in attendance to have his number retired, this would be the most fitting time for it.
Clemson is coming into this game rolling, after winning 4 of its last 5 games. The most notable of these wins is of course a 74-47 stomping of Duke. The Hoos could not be in worse shape entering this game, as it has been an eternity since their last win. They have dropped their last 8 games, and haven't won since January 6 against Brown.
To make things worse, Virginia has shown little improvement since the beginning of the season. Connecting on open jumpers has presented a challenge all season long, and the defense has only recently shown signs of effort. Leitao has yet to find an effective line-up, as he has essentially changed the starting 5 every game. In the most recent game against the Seminoles, Leitao went with Baker, Tat, Jones, Landesberg, and Sene. While this lineup is a major improvement defensively, it is an offensive liablity. Tat (0.8 PPG) is known exclusively for his defense, and Sene (3.1 PPG) is still developing his post moves. This leaves the Hoos with 3 scorers on the court. Landesberg (17.8 PPG) is the only player on the roster to put up points night in and night out. Jones has shown flashes of his high school glory days (at UNC: 7-12 FGM-A), and then the next night miss just about everything (at FSU: 3-11 FGM-A). Baker (7.7 PPG) has improved significantly since the beginning of the season. He has greatly improved his decision making and shot selection, but he is just not an ACC caliber point guard.
The remaining players on the bench are not exactly a viable option either. Mike Scott has recently fallen off the map after a great start to the season. In the last 5 games, Scott has averaged a mere 5.8 pts and 3.8 boards in 24 min/game. Mustapha Farrakhan, known for his shooting, has had 2 good games all season (at GT - 12 pts, at VT - 17 pts). Jamil Tucker, after lighting Maryland up with 21 points, has averaged 5 points in the last 5 games. Sammy Zeglinski, who performed very well in pre-conference play, has managed to score in double figures only once in conference play. And Diane, well, he's struggling. Long story short, regardless of who Leitao puts on the court, this team struggles to put up points.
Let's compare some major team statistics to see how the Cavs and Tigers matchup:
Category - - - - - - - - - - -Virginia - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Clemson
Scoring Offense - - - - - - - - - 72.3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 78.5
Scoring Defense - - - - - - - - - 73.7 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 65.3
FG % - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 41.4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 46.3
FG % Defense - - - - - - - - - - 43.6 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -41.3
3 pt % - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 29.8 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -37.2
3 pt % Defense - - - - - - - - - 34.3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 33.3
FT % - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 74.9 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -67.9
Rebound Margin - - - - - - (+)2.3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (+)1.7
TO Margin - - - - - - - - - - -(-)0.5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -(+)4
The Tigers also have some serious playmakers on their team, which cause some major match up problems for the Hoos. Trevor Booker is almost averaging a double-double/game with 15.1 pts and 9 boards. At 6'7" 240, he will most likely be defended by Mike Scott (if he gets the start) who weighs in at 6'8" 233. While there does not seem to be a size disadvantage in this matchup, Scott tends to get pushed around by the ACC big men and does not use his size well. However, the Hoos recent switch to the zone D might help neutralize Booker's interior presence. If UVA is successful in cutting down on Clemson's points in the paint, they will have their hands full with Terrence Oglesby and K.C. Rivers. Look for K.C. Rivers to have a field day against UVA's zone. He is averaging 14.3 PPG and is shooting 45% from the field and 38% from 3 point land. He also has the ability to take over games as shown against VT (29 pts) and Miami (28 pts). Oglesby will be the x-factor in this game. He's shooting 41% from 3 this year and is averaging 13.4 PPG. If he's able to connect on his shots, then the Hoos don't have a prayer. If he's having an off night (as he did in the loss to FSU with 5 points), then there might be a chance for the home crowd to witness the first ACC home win of the season.
All that being said, Clemson is not a deep team. They almost exclusively rely on 3 players to score their points. If Leitao can somehow manage to get Booker in foul trouble using our many available options of mediocre big men, then this game could get interesting. Unfortunately, I think that Oglesby and Rivers will both have big shooting nights as they will find many open shots against our slowly rotating zone. So how do we win this game? We have to look inside and CAN NOT throw up 20 3's. We will also need quick ball movement and smart decision making to beat the Clemson press. This means not inbounding the ball in the corner. Another thing that might help would be actually running an offense, but that is a story for another day. Also, someone besides Sylven needs to produce. As mentioned before, this tends to be a problem. I'm looking at Baker scoring double figures if guarded by Oglesby. Oglesby is not known for his defense and Baker has his moments. Watch out for Jeff Jones as well, sometimes his shots don't fall, but this guy is very talented and knows how to score. After that, I'm not sure, maybe Jamil will get some more playing time and get back in double figures. Hopefully this will be the night when the shots fall for the Hoos. Maybe our guys will give an inspired effort for the entire 40 minutes and get another tally for the W column. If Notre Dame can end a 7 game losing streak against Louisville, then the Hoos can end an 8 game skid against Clemson.
Optimistic Prediction: 72-67 Hoos
Realistic Prediction: 79-63 Tigers
Clemson is coming into this game rolling, after winning 4 of its last 5 games. The most notable of these wins is of course a 74-47 stomping of Duke. The Hoos could not be in worse shape entering this game, as it has been an eternity since their last win. They have dropped their last 8 games, and haven't won since January 6 against Brown.
To make things worse, Virginia has shown little improvement since the beginning of the season. Connecting on open jumpers has presented a challenge all season long, and the defense has only recently shown signs of effort. Leitao has yet to find an effective line-up, as he has essentially changed the starting 5 every game. In the most recent game against the Seminoles, Leitao went with Baker, Tat, Jones, Landesberg, and Sene. While this lineup is a major improvement defensively, it is an offensive liablity. Tat (0.8 PPG) is known exclusively for his defense, and Sene (3.1 PPG) is still developing his post moves. This leaves the Hoos with 3 scorers on the court. Landesberg (17.8 PPG) is the only player on the roster to put up points night in and night out. Jones has shown flashes of his high school glory days (at UNC: 7-12 FGM-A), and then the next night miss just about everything (at FSU: 3-11 FGM-A). Baker (7.7 PPG) has improved significantly since the beginning of the season. He has greatly improved his decision making and shot selection, but he is just not an ACC caliber point guard.
The remaining players on the bench are not exactly a viable option either. Mike Scott has recently fallen off the map after a great start to the season. In the last 5 games, Scott has averaged a mere 5.8 pts and 3.8 boards in 24 min/game. Mustapha Farrakhan, known for his shooting, has had 2 good games all season (at GT - 12 pts, at VT - 17 pts). Jamil Tucker, after lighting Maryland up with 21 points, has averaged 5 points in the last 5 games. Sammy Zeglinski, who performed very well in pre-conference play, has managed to score in double figures only once in conference play. And Diane, well, he's struggling. Long story short, regardless of who Leitao puts on the court, this team struggles to put up points.
Let's compare some major team statistics to see how the Cavs and Tigers matchup:
Category - - - - - - - - - - -Virginia - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Clemson
Scoring Offense - - - - - - - - - 72.3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 78.5
Scoring Defense - - - - - - - - - 73.7 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 65.3
FG % - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 41.4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 46.3
FG % Defense - - - - - - - - - - 43.6 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -41.3
3 pt % - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 29.8 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -37.2
3 pt % Defense - - - - - - - - - 34.3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 33.3
FT % - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 74.9 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -67.9
Rebound Margin - - - - - - (+)2.3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (+)1.7
TO Margin - - - - - - - - - - -(-)0.5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -(+)4
The Tigers also have some serious playmakers on their team, which cause some major match up problems for the Hoos. Trevor Booker is almost averaging a double-double/game with 15.1 pts and 9 boards. At 6'7" 240, he will most likely be defended by Mike Scott (if he gets the start) who weighs in at 6'8" 233. While there does not seem to be a size disadvantage in this matchup, Scott tends to get pushed around by the ACC big men and does not use his size well. However, the Hoos recent switch to the zone D might help neutralize Booker's interior presence. If UVA is successful in cutting down on Clemson's points in the paint, they will have their hands full with Terrence Oglesby and K.C. Rivers. Look for K.C. Rivers to have a field day against UVA's zone. He is averaging 14.3 PPG and is shooting 45% from the field and 38% from 3 point land. He also has the ability to take over games as shown against VT (29 pts) and Miami (28 pts). Oglesby will be the x-factor in this game. He's shooting 41% from 3 this year and is averaging 13.4 PPG. If he's able to connect on his shots, then the Hoos don't have a prayer. If he's having an off night (as he did in the loss to FSU with 5 points), then there might be a chance for the home crowd to witness the first ACC home win of the season.
All that being said, Clemson is not a deep team. They almost exclusively rely on 3 players to score their points. If Leitao can somehow manage to get Booker in foul trouble using our many available options of mediocre big men, then this game could get interesting. Unfortunately, I think that Oglesby and Rivers will both have big shooting nights as they will find many open shots against our slowly rotating zone. So how do we win this game? We have to look inside and CAN NOT throw up 20 3's. We will also need quick ball movement and smart decision making to beat the Clemson press. This means not inbounding the ball in the corner. Another thing that might help would be actually running an offense, but that is a story for another day. Also, someone besides Sylven needs to produce. As mentioned before, this tends to be a problem. I'm looking at Baker scoring double figures if guarded by Oglesby. Oglesby is not known for his defense and Baker has his moments. Watch out for Jeff Jones as well, sometimes his shots don't fall, but this guy is very talented and knows how to score. After that, I'm not sure, maybe Jamil will get some more playing time and get back in double figures. Hopefully this will be the night when the shots fall for the Hoos. Maybe our guys will give an inspired effort for the entire 40 minutes and get another tally for the W column. If Notre Dame can end a 7 game losing streak against Louisville, then the Hoos can end an 8 game skid against Clemson.
Optimistic Prediction: 72-67 Hoos
Realistic Prediction: 79-63 Tigers
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Tobacco Road Ramblings and Questionable Hires
I decided to make a blog because I have a lot of things to say regarding the world of sports, and I figured this would be an easy way for me to collect my thoughts. I'm gonna be doing a lot of UVA stuff, but will also throw in my thoughts from big games and headlines.
First topic of the day...UNC vs Duke
This was a highly anticipated matchup between 2 of the ACC's top teams. It lived up to the hype all the way until the final few minutes when Duke inevitably collapsed. Why did they "inevitably" collapse? Because this team is just like every other Duke team from the previous few years. No inside game. They love the 3 ball. But as the saying goes, "You live by the 3, you die by the 3." In this game, Duke died by the 3. They shot 8-24 from deep, which is very pedestrian, but in the second half they put up some UVA numbers and went 2-15 from the 3. Clearly those numbers aren't going to cut it. Henderson and Scheyer, two of Duke's top shooters, finished 3-13 from 3. There are always going to be nights when the shots simply won't fall for a team. What makes teams great, is when they are able to find other means of scoring. Duke doesn't have any other means of scoring. Their big man is Brian Zoubek (an uncoordinated 7 footer) who played 9 minutes and scored 2 points. Lance Thomas is their other big man (standing at 6'8") who had 5 points in 20 minutes. If Duke ever wants to make a run in the tourney, they're going to need to find a low post scorer.
That being said, UNC played extremely well last night. They put up 100 on a Duke team that gives up around 60 points a night. Ty Lawson is unbelievable. He's quick, smart, and a great finisher. He absolutely exploded in the 2nd half and gave UNC the run they needed to put Duke away. Ty put up 25 points (without even connecting on a 3) to go with 5 assists. To show how dominant UNC is as a team, Wayne Ellington (the team's top shooter) only connected on 1-6 3's, yet the Heels still eclipsed 100 points. Every single starter for the Heels had double digit points. This team is real good, everyone produces.
Second topic of the day...Bob Pruett retires
For those of you who do not who Pruett is, he was the Defensive Coordinator for the Hoos this past football season and was appointed Associate Head Coach in the off-season. With his move to Associate H.C., Bob Diaco (the former special teams coach) moved up to D.C. I had the understanding that Pruett would still oversee the defense and help out Diaco. But Pruett's retirement leaves 2 major problems.
First Problem: Diaco is unqualified. Our special teams were atrocious under Diaco. Let's take a look at some special team stats under Diaco's leadership courtesy of NCAA.com (the number in the parenthesis is the national rank out of 119)...
2008
Kick Return Avg - 20.7 yds (70)
Punt Return Avg - 6.6 yds (92)
Net Punt Avg - 35.6 yds (52)
Avg Allowed/Kick Return - 21.6 yds (72)
2007
Kick Return Avg - 19.8 yds (89)
Punt Return Avg - 9.0 yds (56)
Net Punt Avg - 34.8 yds (62)
Avg Allowed/Kick Return - 21.2 (60)
2006
Kick Return Avg - 23.9 yds (11)
Punt Return Avg - 8.2 yds (67)
Net Punt Avg - 34.8 yds (60)
Avg Allowed/Kick Return - 22.6 yds (102)
As you can see, most of these stats rank in the bottom half of Division I. Yet this man is now overseeing the defense. Diaco was the D.C. at Central Michigan during the 2005 season. His stats there (once again courtesty of ncaa.com):
2005
Yards Allowed/Game - 394.5 (74)
Points Allowed/Game - 23.6 (46)
Rush Defense - 113.7 (20)
Pass Defense - 280.7 (108)
Obviously the pass defense jumps out as a red flag, but our secondary should be very solid this year with Ras-I (a straight up stud), Chris Cook (coming back after a year off for academics), Chase Minnifield (developing into a very good corner), and the hard hitting Corey Mosley. Not to mention Anthony Poindexter now coaching the secondary. Diaco's stats really are nothing to brag about, but Al Groh has never had a bad defense, and I don't see that ever changing under Groh. Regardless, I am not sold on this promotion, and hope that it turns out better than the Mike Groh promotion.
Second Problem: Pruett had some serious recruiting ties to the Tidewater Region. This region is very deep in talent, and one that Tech has dominated in recent years. This recruiting class showed Pruett's influence as 7 of the 25 recruits were from that area. Hopefully, Groh will be able to continue Pruett's success in the the Tidewater Region. I'm thinking he will with Latrell Scott now on staff. Scott graduated from Hampton and is known for his strong recruiting.
First topic of the day...UNC vs Duke
This was a highly anticipated matchup between 2 of the ACC's top teams. It lived up to the hype all the way until the final few minutes when Duke inevitably collapsed. Why did they "inevitably" collapse? Because this team is just like every other Duke team from the previous few years. No inside game. They love the 3 ball. But as the saying goes, "You live by the 3, you die by the 3." In this game, Duke died by the 3. They shot 8-24 from deep, which is very pedestrian, but in the second half they put up some UVA numbers and went 2-15 from the 3. Clearly those numbers aren't going to cut it. Henderson and Scheyer, two of Duke's top shooters, finished 3-13 from 3. There are always going to be nights when the shots simply won't fall for a team. What makes teams great, is when they are able to find other means of scoring. Duke doesn't have any other means of scoring. Their big man is Brian Zoubek (an uncoordinated 7 footer) who played 9 minutes and scored 2 points. Lance Thomas is their other big man (standing at 6'8") who had 5 points in 20 minutes. If Duke ever wants to make a run in the tourney, they're going to need to find a low post scorer.
That being said, UNC played extremely well last night. They put up 100 on a Duke team that gives up around 60 points a night. Ty Lawson is unbelievable. He's quick, smart, and a great finisher. He absolutely exploded in the 2nd half and gave UNC the run they needed to put Duke away. Ty put up 25 points (without even connecting on a 3) to go with 5 assists. To show how dominant UNC is as a team, Wayne Ellington (the team's top shooter) only connected on 1-6 3's, yet the Heels still eclipsed 100 points. Every single starter for the Heels had double digit points. This team is real good, everyone produces.
Second topic of the day...Bob Pruett retires
For those of you who do not who Pruett is, he was the Defensive Coordinator for the Hoos this past football season and was appointed Associate Head Coach in the off-season. With his move to Associate H.C., Bob Diaco (the former special teams coach) moved up to D.C. I had the understanding that Pruett would still oversee the defense and help out Diaco. But Pruett's retirement leaves 2 major problems.
First Problem: Diaco is unqualified. Our special teams were atrocious under Diaco. Let's take a look at some special team stats under Diaco's leadership courtesy of NCAA.com (the number in the parenthesis is the national rank out of 119)...
2008
Kick Return Avg - 20.7 yds (70)
Punt Return Avg - 6.6 yds (92)
Net Punt Avg - 35.6 yds (52)
Avg Allowed/Kick Return - 21.6 yds (72)
2007
Kick Return Avg - 19.8 yds (89)
Punt Return Avg - 9.0 yds (56)
Net Punt Avg - 34.8 yds (62)
Avg Allowed/Kick Return - 21.2 (60)
2006
Kick Return Avg - 23.9 yds (11)
Punt Return Avg - 8.2 yds (67)
Net Punt Avg - 34.8 yds (60)
Avg Allowed/Kick Return - 22.6 yds (102)
As you can see, most of these stats rank in the bottom half of Division I. Yet this man is now overseeing the defense. Diaco was the D.C. at Central Michigan during the 2005 season. His stats there (once again courtesty of ncaa.com):
2005
Yards Allowed/Game - 394.5 (74)
Points Allowed/Game - 23.6 (46)
Rush Defense - 113.7 (20)
Pass Defense - 280.7 (108)
Obviously the pass defense jumps out as a red flag, but our secondary should be very solid this year with Ras-I (a straight up stud), Chris Cook (coming back after a year off for academics), Chase Minnifield (developing into a very good corner), and the hard hitting Corey Mosley. Not to mention Anthony Poindexter now coaching the secondary. Diaco's stats really are nothing to brag about, but Al Groh has never had a bad defense, and I don't see that ever changing under Groh. Regardless, I am not sold on this promotion, and hope that it turns out better than the Mike Groh promotion.
Second Problem: Pruett had some serious recruiting ties to the Tidewater Region. This region is very deep in talent, and one that Tech has dominated in recent years. This recruiting class showed Pruett's influence as 7 of the 25 recruits were from that area. Hopefully, Groh will be able to continue Pruett's success in the the Tidewater Region. I'm thinking he will with Latrell Scott now on staff. Scott graduated from Hampton and is known for his strong recruiting.
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