A quiet night up here, mostly toggling around between two games (one online, one on TV), with a lot of time spent on American/Villanova, which I'll get to later.
***
It wasn't — as I'm so wont to say — a classic; it wasn't even a game that I'll remember much about come next spring, but the last few minutes of Clemson/Michigan was fun to watch.
Clemson had their chances to win and after the Wolverines only hit one of two from the line late, some 15 or so seconds to tie it up. That's a lot of time to move it up court, set something up and take a shot, even two. But some solid defence by Michigan kept Clemson far along the outside and with the clock running out, the Tigers forced up a long shot that wasn't even close. 63-59 for the Wolverines.
***
I didn't watch any of the Minnesota/Texas game, but I'm not surprised Texas pulled away with that one. The Gophers were buried deep in the big 10 which I thought was a weak conference to begin with.
***
It was one of those games where a small, scrappy team found it's stroke and looked to topple the favourite. American University, a 14 seed, was way out in front of Villanova, a three that one wagers goes deep on most brackets.
Right at the start of the second hald, American had a huge lead on Villanova, but slowly it fell away. Not because Nova did anything special, but because American went cold, hitting just two of 15 from downtown - they only pulled away in the first half by hitting those long shots.
When you live by the three, you die by the three.
Granted, they began to switch to playing inside, but they didn't have the kind of presence to keep up with Villanova at that game. It wasn't long before they pulled away and an upset became a blowout.
***
Gonzaga was kind of the same, minus the three-ball. They just outlasted Akron, which couldn't keep up with them and pulled away with about five minutes left, when they went on a monster 19 to one run . After that, it was barely a contest - final score 64-77, and not even that close.
Showing posts with label ncaa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ncaa. Show all posts
Thursday, March 19, 2009
March Madness Running Blog - Day one
A pretty quiet opening day by most stretches of the imagination. Two 16 vs 1 games that aren't even close, a couple of blowout wins and no major upsets.
A couple early game notes, though:
Memphis is crazy lucky they got away with one today. They rode a great shooting day by Roburt Sallie into a win. He was lights out, hitting 10 of 14 from downtown and finished with 35 points as Memphis survived a scare by Cal State Northridge. It was a close one throughout the second half and Memphis only pulled away when Cal went without a basket for four minutes. It was fun for a while, but ended anticlimactically.
Butler/LSU was a pretty solid game, but not really as close as it looked - it was of those games where teams free throws late. I found it kind of dull, to be honest.
UNC and UConn both had convincing wins where they crushed 16 seed teams, but I can't imagine anybody who didn't expect that. I didn't see any of Texas' victory over BYU, nor any of Purdue's win, so I can't comment on them.
The closest thing to an upset I've seen today was Maryland putting up a win over Cal, but I'm wont to call it an upset. Maryland has put together a solid season against good teams: they beat UNC and put Duke and Wake Forest (they later beat Wake in the conference tournament) to the test while remaining unranked. They play smart defence and don't turn the ball over often. I wouldn't sleep on them.
A couple early game notes, though:
Memphis is crazy lucky they got away with one today. They rode a great shooting day by Roburt Sallie into a win. He was lights out, hitting 10 of 14 from downtown and finished with 35 points as Memphis survived a scare by Cal State Northridge. It was a close one throughout the second half and Memphis only pulled away when Cal went without a basket for four minutes. It was fun for a while, but ended anticlimactically.
Butler/LSU was a pretty solid game, but not really as close as it looked - it was of those games where teams free throws late. I found it kind of dull, to be honest.
UNC and UConn both had convincing wins where they crushed 16 seed teams, but I can't imagine anybody who didn't expect that. I didn't see any of Texas' victory over BYU, nor any of Purdue's win, so I can't comment on them.
The closest thing to an upset I've seen today was Maryland putting up a win over Cal, but I'm wont to call it an upset. Maryland has put together a solid season against good teams: they beat UNC and put Duke and Wake Forest (they later beat Wake in the conference tournament) to the test while remaining unranked. They play smart defence and don't turn the ball over often. I wouldn't sleep on them.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Raiders outlast Longhorns in a Texas shootout
Back and forth, back and forth. It was a see-saw-like finish on Saturday night, when the Texas Tech Red Raiders outlasted the Texas Longhorns in an instant classic.
There was a comeback, a controversial call, fans all over the field and a finish which I believe may already be airing on ESPN Classic.
Early, the matcgh was all Raiders, with them getting on the board every way they could: a safety, a field goal and a major. Their defence held the Longhorns offense to just three yards after the first quarter and held them to only two field goals at the half – but the game quickly turned into a Graham Harrell/Colt McCoy duel, the kind football doesn’t see nearly enough of.
Down 22-6 at the half, Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy led his team to a near improbable comeback, driving down the field with seeming ease: 58 yards in two and a half minutes; 91 yards in 14 seconds; 80 yards in just over four minutes. McCoy was airing the ball with ease, making huge plays and spreading the Raiders defence thin. He would finish the night with two touchdowns and almost 300 yards passing, the majority of them in the second half.
That 91-yard touchdown seemed to send a message: Texas was still in this game, and the Raiders pounded back in response. They moved to the Texas 12, where a touchdown would have sealed the win. But after a 15-yard penalty and three straight incompletions later, they settled for a field goal. 32 – 26, for Tech.
So the Longhorns were still in the game, then. McCoy passed and ran them all the way down to the Texas five-yard line, where Foswhitt Whittaker ran in the go-ahead major: 23-22 Texas, with just 1:29 left. Then Harrell took the Raiders on his back.
Four straight passes led the Raiders to the Texas 28. Game over, right? After all, they needed just a field goal, something they had been hitting all game. Simple, no risk involved. But on Harrell’s next pass, the ball took a funny deflection – one that was almost picked off by Texas. A lucky break for the Raiders.
Harrell followed it with a pass to his right, to Michael Crabtree along the sidelines, who ran it in for a touchdown with only a second to play. Fans come pouring onto the field from all over, crowding the players and forcing the goalposts to get lowered. All the while, the replay booth is checking the catch: did Crabtree step out of bounds?
As it turned out, he didn’t, the extra point was good and the field had to be cleared again. One second left… Well, stranger things have happened. But not tonight: the kickoff was lateralled, then fumbled and Tech came up with it and the win.
Brent Musburger, one who has been prone to hyperbole, called the finish unbelievable. Indeed, it was one of the better – the best, even – finishes so far this season.
Plus, it was both a huge upset and a huge night for the Raiders. Just look at the numbers: 579 total yards, with McCoy throwing 474 of them. Two recievers with over 125 yards reciving. Nearly 37 minutes of possession. 32 first downs. One turnover. One hell of a finish.
And a win over the number one ranked team in the country.
There was a comeback, a controversial call, fans all over the field and a finish which I believe may already be airing on ESPN Classic.
Early, the matcgh was all Raiders, with them getting on the board every way they could: a safety, a field goal and a major. Their defence held the Longhorns offense to just three yards after the first quarter and held them to only two field goals at the half – but the game quickly turned into a Graham Harrell/Colt McCoy duel, the kind football doesn’t see nearly enough of.
Down 22-6 at the half, Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy led his team to a near improbable comeback, driving down the field with seeming ease: 58 yards in two and a half minutes; 91 yards in 14 seconds; 80 yards in just over four minutes. McCoy was airing the ball with ease, making huge plays and spreading the Raiders defence thin. He would finish the night with two touchdowns and almost 300 yards passing, the majority of them in the second half.
That 91-yard touchdown seemed to send a message: Texas was still in this game, and the Raiders pounded back in response. They moved to the Texas 12, where a touchdown would have sealed the win. But after a 15-yard penalty and three straight incompletions later, they settled for a field goal. 32 – 26, for Tech.
So the Longhorns were still in the game, then. McCoy passed and ran them all the way down to the Texas five-yard line, where Foswhitt Whittaker ran in the go-ahead major: 23-22 Texas, with just 1:29 left. Then Harrell took the Raiders on his back.
Four straight passes led the Raiders to the Texas 28. Game over, right? After all, they needed just a field goal, something they had been hitting all game. Simple, no risk involved. But on Harrell’s next pass, the ball took a funny deflection – one that was almost picked off by Texas. A lucky break for the Raiders.
Harrell followed it with a pass to his right, to Michael Crabtree along the sidelines, who ran it in for a touchdown with only a second to play. Fans come pouring onto the field from all over, crowding the players and forcing the goalposts to get lowered. All the while, the replay booth is checking the catch: did Crabtree step out of bounds?
As it turned out, he didn’t, the extra point was good and the field had to be cleared again. One second left… Well, stranger things have happened. But not tonight: the kickoff was lateralled, then fumbled and Tech came up with it and the win.
Brent Musburger, one who has been prone to hyperbole, called the finish unbelievable. Indeed, it was one of the better – the best, even – finishes so far this season.
Plus, it was both a huge upset and a huge night for the Raiders. Just look at the numbers: 579 total yards, with McCoy throwing 474 of them. Two recievers with over 125 yards reciving. Nearly 37 minutes of possession. 32 first downs. One turnover. One hell of a finish.
And a win over the number one ranked team in the country.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
March Madness running blog six - Duke goes cold
In basketball they say that you can’t teach size – that a team needs to have a big man. San Antonio has Tim Duncan, Boston has Kevin Garnett and the Lakers have Pau Gasol. You need a big guy, no matter the level, so you can have an inside game.
Duke, needless to say, doesn’t have an inside game.
They’re a shooting team, and they started off the game shooting exceptionally well. But n the second half, they ran cold and ran themselves to an early exit.
During a long stretch in the second half, Duke kept hoisting up threes and kept missing – at one point, they missed 16 straight shots. Their lack of an inside game kept their offence at standstill – they couldn’t hit a shot and with four players standing outside the arc, they weren’t getting rebounds.
At the end of the game, they only grabbed 19 rebounds, with just five of them offensive.
And their defence buckled under this pressure as West Virginia kept coming at them with great ball movement and a strong inside presence. They were going backdoor on Duke, they were getting open looks and, worst of all, they were killer from the charity stripe, sinking 19 of 22 free throws.
But this was nothing new for the Blue Devils. Against Baylor, they showed the same problems: when they went cold, they couldn’t get anything going. It took Henderson to pick them up and carry to the next round, a feat he wasn’t able to accomplish twice in one weekend.
Scoring 18 and going seven for 10 from the line, Henderson led the team in scoring. But he was out rebounded and was a team-best five for nine from the floor. Of their starters, only two hit three or more baskets.
But credit is due to the West Virginia Mountaineers. Down by five at the half, they rallied and overtook the Blue Devils. Lead them was Jason Alexander, who had a double-double, scoring 22 and grabbing 11 rebounds as they rallied back. Also having a great game was Joe Mazzulla, who scored 13 and grabbed 11 off the bench.
Give them their due – they helped mount a second half comeback and upset the number-two ranked Blue Devils. But this was Duke’s game to lose, which they very much did.
Duke, needless to say, doesn’t have an inside game.
They’re a shooting team, and they started off the game shooting exceptionally well. But n the second half, they ran cold and ran themselves to an early exit.
During a long stretch in the second half, Duke kept hoisting up threes and kept missing – at one point, they missed 16 straight shots. Their lack of an inside game kept their offence at standstill – they couldn’t hit a shot and with four players standing outside the arc, they weren’t getting rebounds.
At the end of the game, they only grabbed 19 rebounds, with just five of them offensive.
And their defence buckled under this pressure as West Virginia kept coming at them with great ball movement and a strong inside presence. They were going backdoor on Duke, they were getting open looks and, worst of all, they were killer from the charity stripe, sinking 19 of 22 free throws.
But this was nothing new for the Blue Devils. Against Baylor, they showed the same problems: when they went cold, they couldn’t get anything going. It took Henderson to pick them up and carry to the next round, a feat he wasn’t able to accomplish twice in one weekend.
Scoring 18 and going seven for 10 from the line, Henderson led the team in scoring. But he was out rebounded and was a team-best five for nine from the floor. Of their starters, only two hit three or more baskets.
But credit is due to the West Virginia Mountaineers. Down by five at the half, they rallied and overtook the Blue Devils. Lead them was Jason Alexander, who had a double-double, scoring 22 and grabbing 11 rebounds as they rallied back. Also having a great game was Joe Mazzulla, who scored 13 and grabbed 11 off the bench.
Give them their due – they helped mount a second half comeback and upset the number-two ranked Blue Devils. But this was Duke’s game to lose, which they very much did.
March Madness running blog five
“A 12 always beats a 5,” said my French Canadian friend told me as I showed her my bracket. She was referring to Villanova, I believe and I’m sure she’s laughing now.
Not me. I had Clemson making the sweet 16.
And maybe they would have too, if they had sank some shots towards the end of the game. All throughout the first half, they put up a big lead before going cold at the end of the half. And as the second half started, they never quite got back on track. After Villanova clawed their way back and took the lead halfway into the second half, the Tigers never really got close again, save for a late rush.
This is thanks, in part, to some great scoring off Villanova’s bench. Both Antonio Pena and Corey Fisher scored in double digits off the bench, getting 17 and 12 respectively. Additionally, they shot well from the charity stripe, hitting 83% of their shots. On the same hand, poor shooting plagued Clemson, who hit only 38 per cent of their shots, missing five late in the game – where a tied game with 1:40 left slowly dwindled to a six-point loss.
Elsewhere on the night, Indiana and Arkansas clashed in a battle of 8 and 9 seeds. The Hoosiers threatened them early on, but Arkansas slowly pulled away, never trailing for three-quarters of the game.
Granted, Indiana didn’t go away quietly. They kept hitting their shots and closed the gap to two points at one point in the second half. But that was as close as they would get, as the Razorbacks shot out the lights, hitting over half their shots and nearly 80 per cent from the line.
Meanwhile, Louisville destroyed Boise State, never once giving up a lead in a game they controlled from start to finish, as did Memphis against Texas-Arlington. Nothing much to report about those games, other then they didn’t get much viewing time on my TV.
All in all, day two of March Madness was a pretty solid day, with two instant classic games and a handful of fun games. Sure, my bracket is a little worse for the wear, but whos isn’t?
Not me. I had Clemson making the sweet 16.
And maybe they would have too, if they had sank some shots towards the end of the game. All throughout the first half, they put up a big lead before going cold at the end of the half. And as the second half started, they never quite got back on track. After Villanova clawed their way back and took the lead halfway into the second half, the Tigers never really got close again, save for a late rush.
This is thanks, in part, to some great scoring off Villanova’s bench. Both Antonio Pena and Corey Fisher scored in double digits off the bench, getting 17 and 12 respectively. Additionally, they shot well from the charity stripe, hitting 83% of their shots. On the same hand, poor shooting plagued Clemson, who hit only 38 per cent of their shots, missing five late in the game – where a tied game with 1:40 left slowly dwindled to a six-point loss.
Elsewhere on the night, Indiana and Arkansas clashed in a battle of 8 and 9 seeds. The Hoosiers threatened them early on, but Arkansas slowly pulled away, never trailing for three-quarters of the game.
Granted, Indiana didn’t go away quietly. They kept hitting their shots and closed the gap to two points at one point in the second half. But that was as close as they would get, as the Razorbacks shot out the lights, hitting over half their shots and nearly 80 per cent from the line.
Meanwhile, Louisville destroyed Boise State, never once giving up a lead in a game they controlled from start to finish, as did Memphis against Texas-Arlington. Nothing much to report about those games, other then they didn’t get much viewing time on my TV.
All in all, day two of March Madness was a pretty solid day, with two instant classic games and a handful of fun games. Sure, my bracket is a little worse for the wear, but whos isn’t?
Friday, March 21, 2008
March Madness running blog four
Went out for dinner, and didn't get back in time to watch a whole lot.
I did see an over-ranked Oregon falter and wilt to Mississippi State, though, which everybody should have seen coming. Why was a 14 loss team in the tournament, let alone seeded 9? Why did Arizona get in? Why didn't VCU, Michigan or Syracuse get in?
Must be because the Pac-10 is so strong. Thanks a lot, Mayo and Love.
I did see an over-ranked Oregon falter and wilt to Mississippi State, though, which everybody should have seen coming. Why was a 14 loss team in the tournament, let alone seeded 9? Why did Arizona get in? Why didn't VCU, Michigan or Syracuse get in?
Must be because the Pac-10 is so strong. Thanks a lot, Mayo and Love.
March Madness running blog three - Buzzer beater in Tampa
What an afternoon in Tampa.
First, there was an instant classic overtime duel between Drake and West Kentucky. And then there was another instant classic between Sad Diego and UConn.
It didn’t look that was early on, though. San Diego looked to pull away in the first and led by as many as 10 in the second half. But UConn battled back, tying the game with about 8 to play. But that was about it. They could close the gap, but never overcome it and had to rally back from a four-point deficit with under a minute left. Holding the ball with the shot clock off at the end of the second, they went for a quick basket, giving the San Deigo Toreros a chance to tie the game (which they did).
And again in overtime they found themselves down and had to rally. And, yet again, they couldn’t seal the deal. Called for a goaltending call and letting the Toreros hit a long two, they found themselves down by four before they hit a shot in overtime.
Enter De’Jon Jackson’s late-game heroics. He hit a late – and long, from just inside the arc - shot with only 1.2 ticks left, giving San Deigo a 70-69 lead. But if not for Brandon Johnson’s heroics – 18 points, four of them from beyond the arc – it might not have been that close.
So, like the game immediately before it, it was a classic right to the final buzzer. Oddly, one major difference between the two games was where each final basket was scored: at opposite ends of the court.
I guess that means fans at both ends get to enjoy clutch shooting.
But for interesting games, that was about it. Butler and Texas A&M each won by 20, while Georgetown won by 19.
For the Hoyas, both Roy Hibbert and Patrick Ewing Jr had good games, scoring 13 and 10 while grabbing seven and six rebounds, respectively. All in all, four Hoyas scored in double digits, while Darryl Proctor and Brian Hodges did the bulk of scoring for Maryland-Baltimore.
Against Austin Peay, the Longhorns of Texas tore it up offensively, scoring 74 and grabbing 44 rebounds and led the entire game. Leading them in scoring, with 26, was AJ Abrams while both Damion James and Dexter Pittman had double-doubles.
Rounding out the second set was Butler’s rout of South Alabama. Despite keeping the score close in the first half, the Bulldogs pulled away late in that half and never looked back. And although Pete Campbell scored 26 and grabbed 5 rebounds, it was Matt Howard’s reverse layup early in the second half that will be remembered, effectively putting an exclamation point on their win.
Like all day, recaps of the other games will be coming along shortly.
First, there was an instant classic overtime duel between Drake and West Kentucky. And then there was another instant classic between Sad Diego and UConn.
It didn’t look that was early on, though. San Diego looked to pull away in the first and led by as many as 10 in the second half. But UConn battled back, tying the game with about 8 to play. But that was about it. They could close the gap, but never overcome it and had to rally back from a four-point deficit with under a minute left. Holding the ball with the shot clock off at the end of the second, they went for a quick basket, giving the San Deigo Toreros a chance to tie the game (which they did).
And again in overtime they found themselves down and had to rally. And, yet again, they couldn’t seal the deal. Called for a goaltending call and letting the Toreros hit a long two, they found themselves down by four before they hit a shot in overtime.
Enter De’Jon Jackson’s late-game heroics. He hit a late – and long, from just inside the arc - shot with only 1.2 ticks left, giving San Deigo a 70-69 lead. But if not for Brandon Johnson’s heroics – 18 points, four of them from beyond the arc – it might not have been that close.
So, like the game immediately before it, it was a classic right to the final buzzer. Oddly, one major difference between the two games was where each final basket was scored: at opposite ends of the court.
I guess that means fans at both ends get to enjoy clutch shooting.
But for interesting games, that was about it. Butler and Texas A&M each won by 20, while Georgetown won by 19.
For the Hoyas, both Roy Hibbert and Patrick Ewing Jr had good games, scoring 13 and 10 while grabbing seven and six rebounds, respectively. All in all, four Hoyas scored in double digits, while Darryl Proctor and Brian Hodges did the bulk of scoring for Maryland-Baltimore.
Against Austin Peay, the Longhorns of Texas tore it up offensively, scoring 74 and grabbing 44 rebounds and led the entire game. Leading them in scoring, with 26, was AJ Abrams while both Damion James and Dexter Pittman had double-doubles.
Rounding out the second set was Butler’s rout of South Alabama. Despite keeping the score close in the first half, the Bulldogs pulled away late in that half and never looked back. And although Pete Campbell scored 26 and grabbed 5 rebounds, it was Matt Howard’s reverse layup early in the second half that will be remembered, effectively putting an exclamation point on their win.
Like all day, recaps of the other games will be coming along shortly.
March Madness running blog two
It takes all kinds to win the NCAAs. There’s teams that win on skill, that win on luck, that win with calls. In a best-of-one, it’s not always the best team that wins.
So sometimes you can win on individual performance. You can ride a shooter’s hot streak all the way to the Sweet 16, if you’re lucky enough.
That’s what Davidson did against Gonzaga – they rode the hot shooting of Stephen Curry, who netted 30 of his 40 points in the second half, including a clutch 3-point trey and a solid performance from the line.
In game where both teams traded blows like prizefighters and neither team managed to take much of a lead, it was Gonzaga that blinked first, missing shots all throughout the second half.
But even a classic shooting performance wasn’t the lightlight of the first round of games on Friday. No, it was a roller coaster of a game between Drake and West Kentucky that gets that honor.
Despite being down by as much as 15 in the second half, Drake didn’t just claw their way to overtime, they forced it by capitalizing on 22 turnovers. Tying the game with 30 seconds left in regulation, they forced a turnover and took the last shot of the half. They too rode a hot shooter in Jonathan Cox, who scored 17 points in the last 10 minutes of regulation.
But that wasn’t enough. WKY won the game on a three-pointer at the buzzer. Sometimes that’s all it comes down to.
Elsewhere, American, the winners of the Patriot League tournament, tested Tennessee, the number two team in the East quarter. The Eagles kept it close all through the first half, and cut Tennesse’s lead to one with about six minutes to play, but the Volunteers pulled away late, as the Eagles kept going to long shots, hoping to tie the game or take the lead, not to chip away at Tennessee. It didn’t pay off.
More to come later on the second set of games.
So sometimes you can win on individual performance. You can ride a shooter’s hot streak all the way to the Sweet 16, if you’re lucky enough.
That’s what Davidson did against Gonzaga – they rode the hot shooting of Stephen Curry, who netted 30 of his 40 points in the second half, including a clutch 3-point trey and a solid performance from the line.
In game where both teams traded blows like prizefighters and neither team managed to take much of a lead, it was Gonzaga that blinked first, missing shots all throughout the second half.
But even a classic shooting performance wasn’t the lightlight of the first round of games on Friday. No, it was a roller coaster of a game between Drake and West Kentucky that gets that honor.
Despite being down by as much as 15 in the second half, Drake didn’t just claw their way to overtime, they forced it by capitalizing on 22 turnovers. Tying the game with 30 seconds left in regulation, they forced a turnover and took the last shot of the half. They too rode a hot shooter in Jonathan Cox, who scored 17 points in the last 10 minutes of regulation.
But that wasn’t enough. WKY won the game on a three-pointer at the buzzer. Sometimes that’s all it comes down to.
Elsewhere, American, the winners of the Patriot League tournament, tested Tennessee, the number two team in the East quarter. The Eagles kept it close all through the first half, and cut Tennesse’s lead to one with about six minutes to play, but the Volunteers pulled away late, as the Eagles kept going to long shots, hoping to tie the game or take the lead, not to chip away at Tennessee. It didn’t pay off.
More to come later on the second set of games.
March Madness running blog one
March Madness, for me, is one of the best times of the year. It’s a time when I can watch basketball for something like 11 straight hours for four days.
Which is what I tried to do yesterday, even if things didn’t work our for me all the way.
Walking around downtown Toronto, you’d never know the tourney was going on. Nobody wears jerseys, the bars have their TVs turned to TSN or Rogers Sportsnet so people can watch Leafs Lunch or whatever.
It wasn’t until I popped into a sports appeal store downtown that I heard anything about it. The man behind the counter had the game going over the PA system and seemed to be absorbed in listening. I asked him who was winning and we ended up talking about the madness.
“I have a thousand dollars on the games today,” he told me before pulling out a list about two feet long. Incomprehensible words and numbers all along it, he had to explain how he was betting on the spread.
“See Pitt here, they only JUST win,” he explained, “so I’ve got Oral Roberts beating the sprad.”
“Good luck,” I laughed as I left the store. The poor guy would need it.
My plan for the weekend was to watch as many games as I could and comment on them. As it would turn out, I only would see a few games on Thursday, so I’m just combining them into Friday’s blog.
USC vs Kansas State
Not quite the game I was hoping it would be, but the game I expected it to be. USC’s OJ Mayo is a good player, but I find he tries to do too much on a team that’s a year or two away from being great. He’s the next Starbury, I fear, if he jumps to the NBA too soon.
But Beasley was great. He was dominating the boards, making solid shots and helped lead Kansas State to a solid first-round win.
Duke vs Belmont
A classic. Duke was having a hard time late in the game, not hitting their shots while Belmont was. It took Gerald Henderson’s late-game heroics – and a good steal on an inbounds pass – for Duke to squeak by the Bruins.
It was a sloppy game for the Blue Devils, who looked more then rattled when the pressure arrived. This is twice now that Duke has fallen apart in crunch time of a close game. The first was against North Carolina when Duke missed their last 10 shots.
Of the late games, nothing too big happened. UCLA crushed Mississippi Valley State in a game that I only saw bits and pieces of. Wisconsin survived a scare by Cal State, a school best known for it’s baseball team, and pulled away only midway into the second half.
Notre Dame looked good against George Mason and Brigham Young surprised m dad, who didn’t even know they had a good basketball team, since it’s primarily a school known for it’s football.
All in all, it was an okay evening of the madness, with one great game and a couple pretty good ones. Despite that, though, blowouts by UCLA, Washington State and Pittsburgh dampened the drama a little.
I’ll have comments on the first games of the afternoon up in a bit.
Which is what I tried to do yesterday, even if things didn’t work our for me all the way.
Walking around downtown Toronto, you’d never know the tourney was going on. Nobody wears jerseys, the bars have their TVs turned to TSN or Rogers Sportsnet so people can watch Leafs Lunch or whatever.
It wasn’t until I popped into a sports appeal store downtown that I heard anything about it. The man behind the counter had the game going over the PA system and seemed to be absorbed in listening. I asked him who was winning and we ended up talking about the madness.
“I have a thousand dollars on the games today,” he told me before pulling out a list about two feet long. Incomprehensible words and numbers all along it, he had to explain how he was betting on the spread.
“See Pitt here, they only JUST win,” he explained, “so I’ve got Oral Roberts beating the sprad.”
“Good luck,” I laughed as I left the store. The poor guy would need it.
My plan for the weekend was to watch as many games as I could and comment on them. As it would turn out, I only would see a few games on Thursday, so I’m just combining them into Friday’s blog.
USC vs Kansas State
Not quite the game I was hoping it would be, but the game I expected it to be. USC’s OJ Mayo is a good player, but I find he tries to do too much on a team that’s a year or two away from being great. He’s the next Starbury, I fear, if he jumps to the NBA too soon.
But Beasley was great. He was dominating the boards, making solid shots and helped lead Kansas State to a solid first-round win.
Duke vs Belmont
A classic. Duke was having a hard time late in the game, not hitting their shots while Belmont was. It took Gerald Henderson’s late-game heroics – and a good steal on an inbounds pass – for Duke to squeak by the Bruins.
It was a sloppy game for the Blue Devils, who looked more then rattled when the pressure arrived. This is twice now that Duke has fallen apart in crunch time of a close game. The first was against North Carolina when Duke missed their last 10 shots.
Of the late games, nothing too big happened. UCLA crushed Mississippi Valley State in a game that I only saw bits and pieces of. Wisconsin survived a scare by Cal State, a school best known for it’s baseball team, and pulled away only midway into the second half.
Notre Dame looked good against George Mason and Brigham Young surprised m dad, who didn’t even know they had a good basketball team, since it’s primarily a school known for it’s football.
All in all, it was an okay evening of the madness, with one great game and a couple pretty good ones. Despite that, though, blowouts by UCLA, Washington State and Pittsburgh dampened the drama a little.
I’ll have comments on the first games of the afternoon up in a bit.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Mark's BCS Bowl Selections
It’ll be announced later today, but this is what the BCS should look like.
By staying idle, and getting a few lucky breaks, Ohio State was able to reclaim the number one ranking in the country. Likewise, LSU was able to launch themselves to the number two spot thanks to a big win and some luck. They should now meet in the BCS title game.
This means that both the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl will get an extra at-large bid. Let’s look at the Rose Bowl first, since Ohio State was ranked number one.
The Rose Bowl is supposed to take the winners of the Pac-10 and the Big 10 divisions. The winner of the Pac-10 was USC, so they get in – and since Ohio can’t, the Rose Bowl gets to choose from an at-large team. For my at-large selections, I went by the AP Top 25, which is what I expect the BCS Rankings to look like.
I suspect they’ll choose Oklahoma, the number 3 ranked team in the country.
The Sugar Bowl is supposed to get the winner of the SEC, but LSU is likely going to the BCS game. Therefore, they get to choose an at-large team – but after the Rose Bowl choose theirs. I think they’ll take the number four team in the country, Georgia. They get to choose another at-large team but go last, since the game is so far from the BCS game. They’ll take Hawaii, who should be left by then.
Let’s go to the Orange Bowl. They get the winner of the ACC and an at-large team. This means that they get Virginia Tech, who won on Saturday, and get the first choice of an at-large, since they’re so close to the BCS. I think they’ll take Missouri.
Finally, the last major bowl game: the Fiesta Bowl. They get the winner of the Big 12 conference and an at-large team. Kansas won the Big 12, so they’re in and I suspect that for an at-large team they’ll choose Florida, the number nine-ranked team in the country.
Just to recap, here are my bowl selections:
Rose Bowl: Oklahoma vs USC
Sugar Bowl: Georgia vs Hawaii
Fiesta Bowl: Kansas vs Florida
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs Missouri
BCS Title Game: Ohio State vs LSU
By staying idle, and getting a few lucky breaks, Ohio State was able to reclaim the number one ranking in the country. Likewise, LSU was able to launch themselves to the number two spot thanks to a big win and some luck. They should now meet in the BCS title game.
This means that both the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl will get an extra at-large bid. Let’s look at the Rose Bowl first, since Ohio State was ranked number one.
The Rose Bowl is supposed to take the winners of the Pac-10 and the Big 10 divisions. The winner of the Pac-10 was USC, so they get in – and since Ohio can’t, the Rose Bowl gets to choose from an at-large team. For my at-large selections, I went by the AP Top 25, which is what I expect the BCS Rankings to look like.
I suspect they’ll choose Oklahoma, the number 3 ranked team in the country.
The Sugar Bowl is supposed to get the winner of the SEC, but LSU is likely going to the BCS game. Therefore, they get to choose an at-large team – but after the Rose Bowl choose theirs. I think they’ll take the number four team in the country, Georgia. They get to choose another at-large team but go last, since the game is so far from the BCS game. They’ll take Hawaii, who should be left by then.
Let’s go to the Orange Bowl. They get the winner of the ACC and an at-large team. This means that they get Virginia Tech, who won on Saturday, and get the first choice of an at-large, since they’re so close to the BCS. I think they’ll take Missouri.
Finally, the last major bowl game: the Fiesta Bowl. They get the winner of the Big 12 conference and an at-large team. Kansas won the Big 12, so they’re in and I suspect that for an at-large team they’ll choose Florida, the number nine-ranked team in the country.
Just to recap, here are my bowl selections:
Rose Bowl: Oklahoma vs USC
Sugar Bowl: Georgia vs Hawaii
Fiesta Bowl: Kansas vs Florida
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs Missouri
BCS Title Game: Ohio State vs LSU
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Pistol - A review
Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich by Mark KriegelMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
There’s a line in Mark Kriegel’s book “Pistol” that does a good job of summarizing Pete Maravich’s life, and the book, quite nicely - “I don’t want to play 10 years in the NBA and die of a heart attack at 40.”
Instead, he died of a heart defect at 40, after playing in the NBA for almost 10 years.
“Pistol” is not so much a biography as it is a study on passion and obsession and how the two can be confused. At it’s core it’s about how much a father, in this case Press Maravich, can drive his son into greatness and tragedy. Into a legend, although one marred by tragedy.
To me, the way Pete Maravich was described reminded me of Pete Rose. Rose took a one-time criticism from his father on not running out a groundball into a career known as Charlie Hustle, much in the same way that Press’ love for basketball led to the devotion that Pete poured into it, devoting his life to the game. However, Rose got off lightly compared to Maravich, who almost all of his life playing the game, almost never getting the respect he deserved, at least not until his career had finished.
“Pistol” covers not just the life of Pete, but also that of Press. The book opens with a young Press, stuck with no future in a Pennsylvania steel town (where the sky was colored a flaming orange by the factories, notes Kriegel) discovers a way out - basketball, a game which he takes to almost immediately. The book was surely not off the mark when it says that Press mistook the game for salvation - it would dominate the rest of his life.
From there the book covers Press’ exploits in the early days of professional basketball and the first few years of what to become his pastime, coaching. By the time that Pete was a small child, Press was coaching his just as much (and perhaps more) then he was with his team, the NC State Wolfpack.
Here, the book goes into great detail, from newspaper clippings to interviews with people who were around, into this period of Pete’s life, when he was almost forced into basketball, practicing for hours a day, right up to during his teenage years. It was here, on the basketball court, that Pete found what he was craving all along - affection, from the fans who loved seeing his flashy moves and passes.
The book does a great job of covering both the highs (His 68 point game against the Knicks, his record setting performances at LSU) and the lows (his knee injury, LSU’s collapse in the 1970 NIT) of his career, as well as the interesting dynamic of Press and Pete’s relationship, and how it changed over the years.
It goes on, later, describing the aftermath of his NBA career - his depression, his spiritual rebirth as a born-again Christian, and eventually, his early death (on a basketball court, fittingly).
Overall, “Pistol” is an interesting book - it paints a picture of Pete as a tragic and often depressed superstar, and does a very good job of it. It’s meticulously researched (there’s even a large list of footnotes and references included) and very well written, although it does compare Pete to another flawed legend, Joe Namath (who, by the way, was the subject of another book written by Mark Kriegel) on a regular basis.
It’s definitely worth a read.
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