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.
Friday, February 27, 2009
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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