Others Receiving Votes UNLV 60, Saint Mary\'s 59, Ohio State 54, Baylor 47, Xavier 27, Syracuse 23, Texas A&M 19, LSU 19, Arizona 18, Virginia Tech 15, Brigham Young 13, West Virginia 10, Washington 8, Siena 8, Kentucky 7, Vanderbilt 7, Oklahoma State 4, Clemson 2, Washington State 1.
Connecticut with a strong #2 ranking to start the year. We would have been #1 if Hansboro didn\'t come back for UNC...not really sure what else he has to prove?
Anyway, UCONN is returning all their starters from last year with the exception of Stanley Robinson (who may or may not be back spring semester).
In addition we have added three new members to the team:
Scottie Haralson Freshman Guard 6-4, 215 Jackson, Miss. Before UConn: Averaged 22.1 points per game during Junior and Senior years at Provine High School in Jackson, Mississippi, leading the team to the state crown both years. Earned First Team All-State honors. Named the 2008 Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Mississippi. Personal Information: Alex Scottie Haralson…born February 17, 1990 in Jackson, MS… Ranked third in his graduating class with a 3.75 grade point average… son of Al and Debra Haralson.
Charles Okwandu Sophomore Center 7-1, 255 Lagos, Nigeria Before UConn: Graduated from King’s High School in Nigeria in 2004. Attended Harcum Junior College in Pennsylvania from 2007-08, playing half a season for the school’s basketball team. Personal Information: Charles C. Okwandu…born October 24, 1986 in Lagos, Nigeria…son of Basil and Angela Okwandu…has 4 brothers: Victor, Godwin, Paul, and Stanley.
Kemba Walker Freshman Guard 6-1, 172 Bronx, N.Y. Before UConn: Was a standout for the Rice High School basketball team in New York, averaging 18.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 3.3 steals per game. A 2008 McDonald’s All-American. Named to 2008 U18 USA Team and FIBA Americas Tournament MVP averaging 13.4 points, 5 assists, and 4.6 rebounds. Personal Information: Kemba Hudley Walker…Born May 8, 1990 in Bronx, NY. Son of Paul and Andrea Walker. Has 3 siblings, Sharifa Nesbitt, Akil Nesbitt, and Keya Edwards.
LET\'S GO HUSKIES!!!!
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: zuke583 on October 30, 2008, 03:40:18 pm
Quote from: NickNels;209382
Connecticut with a strong #2 ranking to start the year. We would have been #1 if Hansboro didn\'t come back for UNC...not really sure what else he has to prove?
he probably wants to win a championship
Quote from: NickNels;209382
LET\'S GO HUSKIES!!!!
and 7 big east teams in the top 25 (4 in the top 10) with two more getting votes
this conference is too good...we beat each other up all year
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on October 30, 2008, 03:41:08 pm
Quote
he probably wants to win a championship
You\'re right...i thought he won a championship as a Freshman. I guess that was the year before
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: wildcoyote on October 30, 2008, 03:49:42 pm
Quote from: NickNels;209382
We would have been #1 if Hansboro didn\'t come back for UNC...not really sure what else he has to prove?
He needs to prove he can play the 3. He\'s going to measure short for the draft. They list him at 6\'9" but he\'s more like 6\'6". He\'s not the freak athlete Michael Beasely is either so it\'s going to be a concern. He could slide as far back in the draft as the 20\'s.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Yoda on October 30, 2008, 04:07:28 pm
Quote from: NickNels;209382
First Men\'s College Basketball Top 25 Poll was released today:
ESPN/USA Today Poll
23. Kansas 0-0 130 QUOTE]
This is complete and utter BULL SHIT! KU won the national championship and they\'re not even ranked in the Top 10? ESPN and USA Today can kiss my hairy white ass.
ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on October 30, 2008, 04:25:24 pm
Quote
This is complete and utter BULL SHIT! KU won the national championship and they\'re not even ranked in the Top 10? ESPN and USA Today can kiss my hairy white ass.
That\'s what happens when you lose 3 starters.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Yoda on October 30, 2008, 04:26:51 pm
I didn\'t go to Kansas, but my brother did and was friends with Vaughn and Ostertag. So, I guess you could say that I\'m a fan, but I do have ties.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: zuke583 on October 30, 2008, 04:45:07 pm
Quote from: wildcoyote;209394
Quote from: NickNels;209382
We would have been #1 if Hansboro didn\'t come back for UNC...not really sure what else he has to prove?
He needs to prove he can play the 3. He\'s going to measure short for the draft. They list him at 6\'9" but he\'s more like 6\'6". He\'s not the freak athlete Michael Beasely is either so it\'s going to be a concern. He could slide as far back in the draft as the 20\'s.
if that\'s the case, then he\'s going to be a great addition to a playoff team...i\'ll take a guy who plays his heart out for winners over a kid with great upside any day
Quote from: NickNels;209400
Quote
This is complete and utter BULL SHIT! KU won the national championship and they\'re not even ranked in the Top 10? ESPN and USA Today can kiss my hairy white ass.
That\'s what happens when you lose 3 starters.
exactly. but the preseason polls need to be taken with a grain of salt...polls are fun to discuss for the fans, but they are pretty much meaningless (except for the last one of the season)
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on November 19, 2008, 11:32:02 am
Highlights so far:
Kentucky is 0-2!?!?!
Davidson almost knocked off Oklahoma behind 44 from Steph Curry. That kid is nasty
UCONN 3-0; Undefeated in Novemember and December in Gampell Pavillion since it opened in 1990...against some fierce competion might i add ;)
US Virgin Islands Tournament this weekend
I was also watching the pre-season special on ESPN. Joe Lunardi (AKA Joey Brackets) thinks there will be 9 Big East teams dancing this year (maybe even 10)
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Drew_Kingsley on November 19, 2008, 11:56:30 am
Andy Katz picked Yale to win the Ivy League. Yale almost knocks off national powerhouse Stanford (losing 75-67) and then gets blown out at "powerhouse compared to Yale" Vermont (89-58).
Whatever, I got my Ivy championship ring from the volleyball team. See you in 10 years, when I\'m at a bar pretending I was quarterback for the 2006 Yale team that won the league.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: tyzack on November 19, 2008, 01:05:45 pm
Nothing is going to make me more mad every morning when sports center will cover North Who Gives A Shit State vs. Peice of Crap College from now until March instead of hockey.
Not that they cover hockey that much anyway.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: zuke583 on November 19, 2008, 01:15:39 pm
Quote from: tyzack;211482
Nothing is going to make me more mad every morning when sports center will cover North Who Gives A Shit State vs. Peice of Crap College from now until March instead of hockey.
Not that they cover hockey that much anyway.
there\'s still a hockey league? is it a live feed from russia or something? i didn\'t think people still cared about that stupid shit sport
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on November 19, 2008, 01:16:47 pm
Quote from: tyzack;211482
Nothing is going to make me more mad every morning when sports center will cover North Who Gives A Shit State vs. Peice of Crap College from now until March instead of hockey.
Not that they cover hockey that much anyway.
Sport of hockey = great to watch and play
Following hockey = who gives a shit. There is a reason there is only 1 hockey analyst on ESPN and he gets about 5 minutes on Sportscenter a week. Call me when the playoffs start because an 82 game schedule is way too much hockey for my tastes.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: tyzack on November 19, 2008, 01:20:33 pm
Quote from: zuke583;211483
Quote from: tyzack;211482
Nothing is going to make me more mad every morning when sports center will cover North Who Gives A Shit State vs. Peice of Crap College from now until March instead of hockey.
Not that they cover hockey that much anyway.
there\'s still a hockey league? is it a live feed from russia or something? i didn\'t think people still cared about that stupid shit sport
Following hockey = who gives a shit. There is a reason there is only 1 hockey analyst on ESPN and he gets about 5 minutes on Sportscenter a week. Call me when the playoffs start because an 82 game schedule is way too much hockey for my tastes.
I feel the same way about college basekball.
Call me in March because watching 63 college games is just about enough for my tastes.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: zuke583 on November 26, 2008, 12:34:56 am
big east is fucking OWNING right now. i know it\'s only november, but all these big out of conference wins are going to pay off in march
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Mark on November 26, 2008, 02:22:56 pm
Cuse!!!
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Yoda on November 26, 2008, 02:40:49 pm
Enjoy your win now, I\'ll enjoy mine in March like I did this past year.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on December 02, 2008, 03:15:17 pm
Others Receiving Votes Kansas 186, Dayton 109, Wisconsin 100, Clemson 72, Ohio State 52, Florida State 28, Brigham Young 23, Michigan 18, LSU 16, Washington State 15, Illinois 12, UAB 8, Texas A&M 6, Butler 6, Missouri 6, Saint Mary\'s 5, USC 2, Navy 1, Nebraska 1. Dropped From Rankings Kansas 22, Wisconsin 25.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: ChrisPitch on December 02, 2008, 03:24:20 pm
Yes. And let\'s not forget about 6-1 St. John\'s, fresh off their nail-biting victory against powerhouse St. Francis (N.Y.). For Red Storm fans, this is as good as it gets. No. Really. This is literally as good as it will get.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Igziabeher on December 02, 2008, 04:04:21 pm
Let\'s Go Friars!
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on December 12, 2008, 04:30:24 pm
Syracure Guard Devendorf to be suspended!
"SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A Syracuse University judicial hearing board has ruled that starting guard Eric Devendorf violated the Student Code of Conduct by allegedly hitting a female student in the face. :slap:
The board recommended that Devendorf, a 6-foot-4 junior, be suspended for the remainder of the academic year. He is expected to appeal the decision.
"Any player can still play while the case is under appeal," Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim told ESPN.com on Wednesday, adding he will allow Devendorf to do just that (Syracuse\'s next game is Saturday against Long Beach State).
The appeals process could take anywhere from 15 to 20 days, Boeheim said.
"He\'s not going to be treated any differently" during that period, the coach said.
Richard Kesnig, a lawyer who represents the female student, said the university faxed him the decision late Wednesday afternoon.
Devendorf is the third-leading scorer for the Orange (No. 16 ESPN/USA Today, No. 13 AP), averaging 14.1 points and 3.1 assists. He missed most of last season with a torn knee ligament.
Boeheim said he wouldn\'t have any further comment on Devendorf\'s case until it is resolved."
"Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim says the suspension given to starting guard Eric Devendorf by a university judicial board is too severe."
Yes Jim...beating up women should only be a minor suspension. :sarcasm:
Ssssssooooooooooooorrrrrriiiiieeee Seeeracuse
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: booztravlr on December 12, 2008, 05:10:49 pm
After all the stuff UConn players have gotten in trouble for over the past few years (laptops, misconduct) you\'re going to give Syracuse shit for an alleged hit of a woman by a player? Give me a fucking break! Where are the bruises? Where are the witnesses? Oh, that\'s right, there aren\'t any. Devendorf got the raw end of the deal and that\'s why he is appealing their decision. Also, when you\'re going to bash someone make sure you include all the information; like the fact she almost ran them over while driving intoxicated then yelled racial slurs at Devendorf and the other basketball players he was with after she slammed her brakes. She didn\'t get in trouble for any of that shit. The only way he should be kicked off the team is if the rumor of him already being on probation is true. Otherwise, Eat a D.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on December 16, 2008, 10:16:22 am
Cleveland State stuns No. 11 Syracuse 72-69
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Cedric Jackson swished a 60-foot shot at the buzzer to give Cleveland State a 72-69 victory over No. 11 Syracuse on Monday night.
Jackson took an inbounds pass with 2.2 seconds remaining and let the desperation shot go just as time expired to send the Orange (9-1) to their first loss.
Cleveland State\'s last appearance in the Carrier Dome was also a memorable one.
The Vikings (7-4) won NCAA tournament games over Indiana and Saint Joseph\'s in the building in 1986 to advance to the round of 16. The 83-79 victory over Indiana was the first by a No. 14 seed over a No. 3 seed in tournament history and was the first time former Hoosiers coach Bob Knight lost a first-round game.
Neither team led by more than six points and there were 16 ties and 15 lead changes. When Norris Cole hit a 3, and D\'Aundray Brown followed with a fastbreak layup off a Syracuse turnover, Cleveland State had a 64-59 lead with 2:31 remaining.
Eric Devendorf responded for the Orange with a 3 from the right corner to make it a two-point game. But the Orange, beaten much of the game on the offensive glass, were victimized again when Jackson missed and Chris Moore grabbed the rebound to set up J\'Nathan Bullock\'s shot off the glass that put the Vikings ahead 66-62 with 71 seconds left.
Jonny Flynn fed Paul Harris for a layup to pull the Orange back within a basket, but Bullock hit a 3 with 26.5 seconds left to boost the lead back to five.
Undaunted, Flynn hit a 3 from the right corner to make it 69-67 with 19 seconds left, and the Orange press forced Bullock to lose the ball out of bounds with 15 seconds to go, giving Syracuse a chance to win or tie it.
Andy Rautins went for the win but missed a 3 from the right corner. Syracuse\'s Arinze Onuaku grabbed the rebound and tied the game with 2.2 seconds to go.
Bullock led Cleveland State with 18 points, all in the second half, while Cole had 16 and Jackson 13, including his only make in five tries from beyond the arc.
Devendorf led Syracuse with 17 points, while Flynn had 16 and Harris and Onuaku added 11 each.
Syracuse, which continued its erratic first-half play, was fortunate to go into the locker room tied 30-30 at halftime. The Orange shot 52.2 percent but took 14 fewer shots in the half as the Vikings dominated the offensive glass 11-1, scoring eight second-chance points to none for Syracuse. But Bullock, a 41 percent shooter, struggled. Averaging 13.5 points, he missed all nine of his shots in the first half.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: zuke583 on December 16, 2008, 12:26:07 pm
Quote from: NickNels;213451
Ssssssooooooooooooorrrrrriiiiieeee Seeeracuse
by the way, zone defense is for pussies
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on December 20, 2008, 11:20:30 am
#2 UCONN vs. #4 GONZAGA TODAY AT 4!!
Huge game for the Huskies. Big non-conference matchup in Gonzaga\'s back yard. This will be a good indicator of how good the Huskies really are at this early point of the season.
In other news...Eric Devendorf ordered to perform 40 Hours of community service before being reinstated! Ouch...Don\'t go too hard on him
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on January 09, 2009, 10:25:45 am
Seeeracuse in the top #10! Pitt #1! UCONN #5 and G\'town right up there too! Big East is off to a very good start.
Anyway...Thursday 1/15 I am heading down to MSG for the UCONN vs. St. John\'s game. Looks like tickets are about $25 at the door.
Anyone intersted let me know...hopefully we can get a nice crew going to NYC to support the Huskies
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Drew_Kingsley on January 09, 2009, 10:29:54 am
Harvard knocks off Boston College in Chestnut Hill. Wow.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: booztravlr on January 09, 2009, 11:06:09 am
Quote from: NickNels;214134
#2 UCONN vs. #4 GONZAGA TODAY AT 4!!
UConn sent them on a slide after that game, losing to Portland St. and Utah. For the most part the rankings are a joke before conference play.
Quote from: Drew_Kingsley;216024
Harvard knocks off Boston College in Chestnut Hill. Wow.
HA, way to get cocky after your defeat of UNC. Pretty sure this was the first time Harvard ever beat BC but I could be wrong.
Heading down to Rutgers tonight with 8 other friends for the Cuse game tomorrow for our annual away game trip. Never been to the RAC before but I heard it\'s a nice arena. Anyone know of some good bars to catch the NFL games beforehand?
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on January 09, 2009, 11:12:58 am
Quote from: booztravlr;216030
Quote from: NickNels;214134
#2 UCONN vs. #4 GONZAGA TODAY AT 4!!
UConn sent them on a slide after that game, losing to Portland St. and Utah. For the most part the rankings are a joke before conference play.
Quote from: Drew_Kingsley;216024
Harvard knocks off Boston College in Chestnut Hill. Wow.
HA, way to get cocky after your defeat of UNC. Pretty sure this was the first time Harvard ever beat BC but I could be wrong.
Heading down to Rutgers tonight with 8 other friends for the Cuse game tomorrow for our annual away game trip. Never been to the RAC before but I heard it\'s a nice arena. Anyone know of some good bars to catch the NFL games beforehand?
Don\'t really know any great bars in the area, but a trip to Rutgers always warrants a trip to the GREASE TRUCKS! FAT DARRELL, FAT BEACH, FAT MOJO, or FAT MOON is the way to go.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: booztravlr on January 12, 2009, 10:37:36 am
Quote from: NickNels;216031
Quote from: booztravlr;216030
Heading down to Rutgers tonight with 8 other friends for the Cuse game tomorrow for our annual away game trip. Never been to the RAC before but I heard it\'s a nice arena. Anyone know of some good bars to catch the NFL games beforehand?
Don\'t really know any great bars in the area, but a trip to Rutgers always warrants a trip to the GREASE TRUCKS! FAT DARRELL, FAT BEACH, FAT MOJO, or FAT MOON is the way to go.
Thanks for the heads up! We stopped there before the game and it hit the spot. I can\'t remember the name of it but the one I got was a philly cheese steak with french fries and I think chicken fingers on it.
Game was awesome. The RAC isn\'t that great of a venue (go figure, since it\'s in NJ) but it filled up nicely with Syracuse fans so it was a lot of fun.
In case anyone missed it, check this out.
The defender was still setting his feet even when Flynn was in the air so a no call is probably the right call but I\'m probably biased. Flynn is 5\'10" by the way.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on January 15, 2009, 11:18:44 am
So...Syracuse got smoked by G\'town. I didn\'t watch a lot of the second half, but they seemed to hold back the Orange at arm\'s distance the entire game.
With the Hoyas looking great against \'Cuse and UCONN (despite a stumble vs. Pitt), they will be a team to watch come tournament time.
I\'m heading down to MSG tonight for the UCONN/St. John\'s game. First (and unfortunately probably only) game of the season. It\'s ridiculous that I can get cheaper tickets to MSG than to the XL center, but such is life.
LET\'S GO HUSKIES!
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on January 26, 2009, 03:09:11 pm
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: mcajam on January 26, 2009, 03:31:25 pm
what a weekend. Uconn played the best game I\'ve seen from them all season, with the possible exception of the Wisc game. Duke looked damn good too, as much as i feel like throwing up for saying that.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on February 03, 2009, 09:31:24 am
WOW! What a dominating performance last night by UCONN down in Louisville. A 17 point spanking against arguably one of the hottest teams in the country.
This past 4 game stretch against Notre Dame, DePaul, Providence, and Louisville might be the best run of games I have EVER seen a huskies team play. Obviously don\'t want to jinx anything, but I would say that this team might be better than the \'99 and \'04 Nat\'l Championship teams.
I think this next stretch of games will be very interesting. Games against Michigan, Syracuse, Marquette, Notre Dame, and Pittsburgh (x2) will show just how good this team is.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: zuke583 on February 03, 2009, 11:50:17 am
our three-guard lineup is unreal. adrien is good for a double double in his sleep and thabeet keeps getting better. it\'s good to know we\'ve got a coach like calhoun at the helm who knows how to coach for a full season and will keep his players motivated and focused.
absolute domination last night.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: booztravlr on February 09, 2009, 03:27:42 pm
Cuse better step it up and start playing well on the road or it\'s going to get embarassing Wed night. Hopefully UConn shoots poorly from the outside so cuse has a chance.
Wed should be a good night for sports. Cuse/UConn @ 7 and UNC/Duke @ 9, plus a World Cup qualifier between USA and Mexico @ 7.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Yoda on February 09, 2009, 03:30:52 pm
I\'ll root for Syracuse, but that\'s just because I want to see UConn lose...
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: SlimPickens on February 09, 2009, 03:44:42 pm
Quote from: booztravlr;219272
Cuse better step it up and start playing well on the road or it\'s going to get embarassing Wed night. Hopefully UConn shoots poorly from the outside so cuse has a chance.
Wed should be a good night for sports. Cuse/UConn @ 7 and UNC/Duke @ 9, plus a World Cup qualifier between USA and Mexico @ 7.
yeah, what\'s the deal with \'Cuse on the road. they got no juice...snicker.
love the stride that UConn is hitting right now.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Drew_Kingsley on February 09, 2009, 03:46:04 pm
Remember when Notre Dame was picked third- with a first place vote- in the Big East Preseason Coaches\' Poll? They are still a team that can make a run in the conference tournament (right now there are nine teams that could win, in my eyes), but they have definitely been a disappointment thus far.
Has anybody seen Marquette play? I have no idea if they are untested, lucky or the real deal... I guess I\'ll be watching the Golden Eagles at No. 13 Villanova tomorrow night.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: ds673488 on February 09, 2009, 04:18:58 pm
i havent read much of this thread, but SU is really pissing me off lately, they better step it up, youre right booze
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: oldnewbie on February 09, 2009, 08:51:06 pm
the golden eagles are tough. great guard play and senior leadership. very athletic. hopefully, thabeet and adrien will beat them up inside when the time comes, but they are for real. i think they will be a tough out in the tournament.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Drew_Kingsley on February 10, 2009, 10:35:11 pm
Wow. If that\'s Marquette\'s typical offense, they can beat anybody.
Of course, if that\'s the Golden Eagles\' typical defense, they can also lose to anybody. Still, an offense like that is terrifying come tournament time. Hot shooting days are what March Madness is all about (see: Bryce Drew, Stephan Curry).
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on February 10, 2009, 10:56:03 pm
Quote from: Drew_Kingsley;219433
Wow. If that\'s Marquette\'s typical offense, they can beat anybody.
Of course, if that\'s the Golden Eagles\' typical defense, they can also lose to anybody. Still, an offense like that is terrifying come tournament time. Hot shooting days are what March Madness is all about (see: Bryce Drew, Stephan Curry).
Pitsnogle! aka bizzarro Walsh
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Drew_Kingsley on February 10, 2009, 11:00:40 pm
T.J. Sorrentine... I\'m sure the \'Cuse fans on the board remember him.
Coincidentally, his brother James (at St. Michael\'s College) broke SCSU\'s back twice last season with big shots.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: zuke583 on February 11, 2009, 09:00:40 am
Quote from: Drew_Kingsley;219433
Wow. If that\'s Marquette\'s typical offense, they can beat anybody.
Of course, if that\'s the Golden Eagles\' typical defense, they can also lose to anybody. Still, an offense like that is terrifying come tournament time. Hot shooting days are what March Madness is all about (see: Bryce Drew, Stephan Curry).
as a uconn fan, i\'m much more afraid of nova than marquette
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Drew_Kingsley on February 11, 2009, 09:51:37 am
Quote from: zuke583;219447
as a uconn fan, i\'m much more afraid of nova than marquette
True. I was just discussing Marquette because I hadn\'t seen them before last night. I have feared Scottie Reynolds since his 40-point game against the Huskies in his freshman season.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on February 12, 2009, 09:36:57 am
Big-time Syracuse beat down in Storrs last night. I was (a little) surprised that UCONN put such a whooping on \'Cuse even with the absence of Jerome Dyson. Just speaks to our tremendous depth.
Tough environment for the Orange to come into. YOu know there isn\'t much hope when Boeheim was saying before the game that they had no chance of coming inside against CT.
Outclassed
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: oldnewbie on February 12, 2009, 09:59:54 am
i went to the villanova game in hartford and the huskies played great that night...but the cats are getting very hot for sure. uconn,pitt,louisville,nova and marquette are for real in the big east imho....the rest are all pretenders.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: booztravlr on February 12, 2009, 10:01:08 am
Quote from: NickNels;219550
Big-time Syracuse beat down in Storrs last night. I was (a little) surprised that UCONN put such a whooping on \'Cuse even with the absence of Jerome Dyson. Just speaks to our tremendous depth.
Tough environment for the Orange to come into. YOu know there isn\'t much hope when Boeheim was saying before the game that they had no chance of coming inside against CT.
Outclassed
Does UConn (specifically Thabeet) never get called for fouls? I counted numerous over the backs and body checks that went uncalled, then Syracuse would get called for a little love tap reach-in foul. I don\'t care how the refs want to call the game as long as it is consistent, which it wasn\'t last night.
Outclassed huh? You must have been watching a different game than me. Or are you referring to Thabeet when he threw a blatent elbow into Devendorfs face during a free throw then acted like nothing happened. Of course, the refs seemed to miss this somehow. This should have resulted in a loss of that FT attempt, a flagrant foul on Thabeet which gets Cuse 1 FT and the ball. Instead Devendorf tried to steal the ball and was called for a touch foul. The \'beatdown\' didn\'t happen until after this play when Devendorf was making a case with one of the refs for the elbow and was told to watch his mouth, which earned him a spot on the bench the rest of the night. What little momentum they had was lost then UConn rounded out their 10-0 or so run.
On top of all that, Cuse shot the ball like shit. So I guess there really isn\'t anyone else to blame but players. Hopefully A-O gets healthy before the Big East tournament so we can have another shot at UConn on a neutral court.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Drew_Kingsley on February 12, 2009, 10:05:13 am
Quote from: booztravlr;219553
Outclassed huh? You must have been watching a different game than me. Or are you referring to Thabeet when he threw a blatent elbow into Devendorfs face
Thabeet should have done the classy thing and hit a woman, instead.
I actually didn\'t see the game, I just think the Syracuse/Devendorf situation represents the worst in college sports.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: SlimPickens on February 12, 2009, 10:07:17 am
This win did little to impress me, in fact it concerns me that they didn\'t dominate the Orange Boys more.
Despite their one time top ten ranking Syracuse has had a miserable record of late, they\'ve completely fallen apart.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: zuke583 on February 12, 2009, 10:16:38 am
uconn simply couldn\'t hold on to the ball last night. plus we lost our best shooter against a zone-oriented team...worst case scenario. and we still beat them by double digits. is uconn really that good or is cuse really that bad? i say both
this uconn team is dominant. unfortunately the road to the title will lead through oklahoma (griffin) and/or unc (psycho-T). while our guards can hang with anybody, thabeet will find himself overmatched by the truly dominant big men unless he steps it up (which he has done in feb - averaging 13/13/6). the pitt games will be an excellent barometer for this team
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: booztravlr on February 12, 2009, 10:19:14 am
Quote from: Drew_Kingsley;219554
Quote from: booztravlr;219553
Outclassed huh? You must have been watching a different game than me. Or are you referring to Thabeet when he threw a blatent elbow into Devendorfs face
Thabeet should have done the classy thing and hit a woman, instead.
I actually didn\'t see the game, I just think the Syracuse/Devendorf situation represents the worst in college sports.
So because Devendorf is a thug on and off the court means Thabeet can elbow him in the face during the game?
What about Calhoun getting in Harris\' and Devendorf\'s face during the game too? Way to keep your cool coach.
Quote from: SlimPickens;219555
This win did little to impress me, in fact it concerns me that they didn\'t dominate the Orange Boys more.
Despite their one time top ten ranking Syracuse has had a miserable record of late, they\'ve completely fallen apart.
They were top 10 based entirely on out of conference wins (Kansas, Memphis and Florida) and an easy schedule for 4-0 in the Big East. They\'re awful on the road in the Big East. Fortunately, they\'ve played the bulk of their road games and only have to travel to St John\'s and Marquette still, mixed in with 4 home games. It doesn\'t help they only play Pittsburgh and UConn (plus Marquette still) once each and all on the road. Onuaku has been hurt the past 5 games, last night being the only one he played in the second half. Ever since Rautins got hurt again 6-7 games ago he\'s lost his outside shot, which is all he\'s good for. They need to get healthy and Boeheim needs to whip them into shape. I didn\'t expect much higher than an 8 seed in the Big East tourny so I\'m not too worried right now. I\'m guessing a 4-2 finish to give them a 10-8 overall in the Big East would at least secure that.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on February 12, 2009, 10:32:15 am
Quote from: booztravlr;219553
Quote from: NickNels;219550
Big-time Syracuse beat down in Storrs last night. I was (a little) surprised that UCONN put such a whooping on \'Cuse even with the absence of Jerome Dyson. Just speaks to our tremendous depth.
Tough environment for the Orange to come into. YOu know there isn\'t much hope when Boeheim was saying before the game that they had no chance of coming inside against CT.
Outclassed
Does UConn (specifically Thabeet) never get called for fouls? I counted numerous over the backs and body checks that went uncalled, then Syracuse would get called for a little love tap reach-in foul. I don\'t care how the refs want to call the game as long as it is consistent, which it wasn\'t last night.
Outclassed huh? You must have been watching a different game than me. Or are you referring to Thabeet when he threw a blatent elbow into Devendorfs face during a free throw then acted like nothing happened. Of course, the refs seemed to miss this somehow. This should have resulted in a loss of that FT attempt, a flagrant foul on Thabeet which gets Cuse 1 FT and the ball. Instead Devendorf tried to steal the ball and was called for a touch foul. The \'beatdown\' didn\'t happen until after this play when Devendorf was making a case with one of the refs for the elbow and was told to watch his mouth, which earned him a spot on the bench the rest of the night. What little momentum they had was lost then UConn rounded out their 10-0 or so run.
On top of all that, Cuse shot the ball like shit. So I guess there really isn\'t anyone else to blame but players. Hopefully A-O gets healthy before the Big East tournament so we can have another shot at UConn on a neutral court.
Hmmm...I was watching the game where we beat you by 14 points without our best shooting guard.
Are you really going to complain about the officiating? That is the epitome of loser talk, but even if a few more calls went your way it wouldn\'t have mattered much. The second half UCONN had complete control of that game. I am all for team pride, but you have to give respect where respect is due.
At this stage of the game \'Cuse cannot compete on UCONN\'s level. A big part of why Syracuse lost might have been because they shot the ball like shit, but if you live an die by the jump shot, that stuff is going to happen. Look at Duke...they have ZERO inside game (Zubek is not that great). When they shoot poorly from the field they are going to lose. Having an inside presence is SO SO SO IMPORTANT. Plus give UCONN some credit. \'Cuse\'s poor shooting was as much a product of the Huskies\' defense than just bad shots.
When Onuaku develops more inside game \'Cuse will be much stronger. It was the same way with Thabeet...it just takes time.
Oh...and maybe Devendorf should play a little defense. It might help.
Quote from: zuke583;219558
this uconn team is dominant. unfortunately the road to the title will lead through oklahoma (griffin) and/or unc (psycho-T). while our guards can hang with anybody, thabeet will find himself overmatched by the truly dominant big men unless he steps it up (which he has done in feb - averaging 13/13/6). the pitt games will be an excellent barometer for this team
I agree. It will be tough for Thabeet against elite big men. He seems to have trouble guarding Centers that can shoot the basketball. When you draw Thabeet out from under the basket his defense does take a serious hit. They have to handle the Hansboros and Griffins of the world the same way they did Harangody. Let him take the long shots, but don\'t let him get the easy points under the basket. Sticks, Adrien, and Edwards are going to have to play a huge role against teams like that.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: booztravlr on February 12, 2009, 10:36:59 am
Quote from: NickNels;219562
When Onuaku develops more inside game \'Cuse will be much stronger. It was the same way with Thabeet...it just takes time.
Oh...and maybe Devendorf should play a little defense. It might help.
As physical as that game was, to only have 9 total fouls called against UConn seems a bit low.
Up until last night, Onuaku was leading the nation with 70% FG. So to see him go 2-9 def had something to do with the defense but most of his misses were just 4-5\' uncontested shots, which rarely happens. Again, he has been hurt and only playing 15-18 minutes/game over the last 5 so I think some of it was due to fatigue in the second half.
Devendorf has always sucked at defense. Rautins too. This is another reason why Boeheim never leaves the zone.
Good to see Ongenaet step it up and lead the team in rebounds, blocks and steals. Too bad he had a ball thrown in his face by Thabeet after he stepped out of bounds (though he prob didn\'t realize it right away). Aren\'t you supposed to aim for their feet?
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on February 12, 2009, 10:44:35 am
Quote from: booztravlr;219566
Quote from: NickNels;219562
When Onuaku develops more inside game \'Cuse will be much stronger. It was the same way with Thabeet...it just takes time.
Oh...and maybe Devendorf should play a little defense. It might help.
Good to see Ongenaet step it up and lead the team in rebounds, blocks and steals. Too bad he had a ball thrown in his face by Thabeet after he stepped out of bounds (though he prob didn\'t realize it right away). Aren\'t you supposed to aim for their feet?
Yeah...I don\'t think he intentionally did that, but Thabeet should have at least appologized or at least did a "my bad" gesture or something. He can be a prick sometimes...what are you going to do? :shrug:
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on February 12, 2009, 06:17:43 pm
***UPDATE****
Jerome Dyson is out INDEFINITELY with a torn lateral miniscus in his right knee.
Doesn\'t look like we are going to see him back on the court this year
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: zuke583 on February 12, 2009, 10:55:54 pm
Quote from: NickNels;219637
***UPDATE****
Jerome Dyson is out INDEFINITELY with a torn lateral miniscus in his right knee.
Doesn\'t look like we are going to see him back on the court this year
well it\'s not like the team hasn\'t played without him before. it\'s going to be tougher, no doubt, but it\'s not as bad as losing thabeet or price. those two will need to step it up for sure. luckily, both players are much more clutch compared to last year. austrie has proven that he can step in and contribute. all we can ask is that he matches what he did last year. i don\'t think adrien can really step it up a notch...we just need him to stay consistent. there are two players who need to step it WAY up though: sticks and k-walk. sticks has shown flashes and he certainly has the tools, but he needs much more consistency. i feel like that\'s his major flaw though. maybe this will hammer it home. k-walk is similar in that he hasn\'t shown the necessary consistency, but i think that\'s mainly because he hasn\'t had the playing time. i look for him to get a real increase in minutes. hell he could be better than dyson....he\'s super talented. the rest of the big east season/tourney will show what he\'s made of. now let\'s just hope we don\'t have to play pitt four times in the next 15 games
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on February 16, 2009, 02:43:17 pm
2/16/09
AP Top 25 1. Connecticut (66) 24-1 1,794 2. Oklahoma (4) 25-1 1,709 3. North Carolina (2) 23-2 1,676 4. Pittsburgh 23-2 1,589 5. Memphis 22-3 1,465 6. Michigan State 20-4 1,443 7. Louisville 19-5 1,280 8. Wake Forest 19-4 1,217 9. Duke 20-5 1,048 10. Marquette 21-4 1,045 11. Missouri 22-4 1,041 12. Villanova 20-5 983 13. Clemson 20-4 939 14. Arizona State 20-5 830 15. Kansas 20-5 651 16. Xavier 21-4 646 17. Gonzaga 19-5 599 18. Illinois 21-5 589 19. Purdue 19-6 582 20. UCLA 19-6 473 21. Butler 22-3 373 22. Washington 19-6 334 23. LSU 21-4 294 24. Syracuse 19-7 207 25. Dayton 23-3 194 Others Receiving Votes Texas 83, Utah State 72, Ohio State 45, Arizona 38, California 34, Utah 34, West Virginia 26, Florida State 18, Davidson 15, South Carolina 10, Minnesota 6, Boston College 5, Kentucky 5, Miami (FL) 2, Wisconsin 2, Tennessee 2, Robert Morris 1, Brigham Young 1. Dropped From Rankings Utah State 21, Ohio State 24, Florida State 25.
So Duke only drops 3 spots in the polls despite 2 losses this week? Wow! These guys must be good.
Pitt @ UCONN (-3.5) tonight. Can\'t wait!
LET\'S GO HUSKIES!
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: booztravlr on February 16, 2009, 03:04:39 pm
That\'s cause everyone loves to blow Duke. They only win when they can shoot the 3 at 40% or better. Everyone will see how bad they really are when they don\'t make it out of the opening weekend come tournament time.
Big game tonight. UConn gives them breathing room and an inside track to the Big East title. A loss puts the top teams into a four way tie.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Drew_Kingsley on February 16, 2009, 03:05:15 pm
Quote from: NickNels;219895
So Duke only drops 3 spots in the polls despite 2 losses this week? Wow! These guys must be good.
Unfortunately, every sport has certain conferences or teams that get preferential treatment from the voters, both deserved and not. In basketball, those conferences are the Big East and ACC.
In this case, No. 6 Duke lost to No. 3 North Carolina, so the voters\' first thoughts are "Carolina is really good", so North Carolina benefits (they actually gained ground on 25-1 Oklahoma, which picked up its 12th and 13th consecutive wins this week), while Duke doesn\'t slip too far down the rankings. But if, for example, No. 11 Missouri loses to No. 2 Oklahoma, the voters\' first thoughts will be "Missouri isn\'t really that good", and Missouri will fall significantly, while Oklahoma won\'t benefit very much.
You\'ll see this principle in action after Connecticut stomps Pittsburgh tonight :drew:
The Big 12 and SEC get this same treatment in football, and (pointing this out just because I\'m a dork) the Pac-10 and SEC get this treatment in volleyball.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Gordo on February 16, 2009, 07:44:54 pm
I think Big10 football is the most explicit example of your point (which I agree with) Drew.
However, I don\'t see Oklahoma as a stone-cold number 2. If they played in the Big East or ACC this year they\'d have 3 losses at the very least. They\'ve won plenty of close games and come tourney time they will faulter. This is, however, coming from an avid UNC fan who sees the TarHeels as the best team in team in the nation. So yes, I\'m biased. In a weaker conference with a weaker schedule Oklahoma has won only 12 of its 25 games by more than 10 points where UNC has won 21 of 23 by more than 10 points. Just sayin.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Drew_Kingsley on February 16, 2009, 09:59:07 pm
Quote from: Drew_Kingsley;219897
You\'ll see this principle in action after Connecticut stomps Pittsburgh tonight :drew:
Well, may as well call myself out on this... I never thought that Connecticut would play that badly. Thabeet played like shit, and his fourth (bullshit) foul creates a real "what if" moment for fans who want to complain. Adrien\'s OK final numbers don\'t reflect the awful game he played. Stanley Robinson looked like he was going to be the spark plug in the opening minute, then vanished for the next 39. Thabeet needs to learn how to sell the DeJuan Blair shoulderblock move... it\'s a legit offensive foul, but it will only draw a whistle if the defender hits the floor. Blair is a monster, though. His numbers (and Thabeet\'s numbers) definitely proved that tonight.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: SlimPickens on February 16, 2009, 10:30:42 pm
Thabeet didn\'t play badly, he got shut down. I think there\'s a difference.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Spacey on February 17, 2009, 06:59:44 am
Last night was a great representation of what the Big East and College Basketball this year is all about. Any team in the Big East is capable of winning versus a league opponent.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: booztravlr on February 17, 2009, 09:11:25 am
Quote from: Spacey;219948
Last night was a great representation of what the Big East and College Basketball this year is all about. Any team in the Big East is capable of winning versus a league opponent.
I wouldn\'t downplay the Pittsburgh win like that. They were once ranked #1 and only have 2 losses on the season. Your statement applies more to South Florida beating Marquette or Georgetown winning at UConn. Those are games that no one expected the underdog to win.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Yoda on February 17, 2009, 09:20:40 am
UConn loss = :beerban:
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on February 17, 2009, 10:01:13 am
Last night\'s game was a definite reality check. I will give Pittsburgh all the credit in the world -- they shut us down. We were largely unable to get the shots agaisnt Pitt that we have been getting the last 7 or 8 games.
Thabeet was absolutely bullied by Blair. He took it right at the big man and pushed him around easily. This is what I was worried about and talked about earlier in this thread. Thabeet struggles against elite centers...but this was actually worse and exposed another weakness in his game. Thabeet usually struggles to come out and defend against centers that can shoot, but Blair took it right at him and was successful. The good news is there are few centers in the league as big and strong as Blair...the bad news is we could potentially see Pitt as much as 3 more times before it\'s all over.
This is a game where we really needed our guard play to step up, both on offense and defense. Price stepped up offensively, but still took a lot of bad shots. I also expected a little more out of Kemba (who didn\'t play terribly), but he really showed that he was still a Freshman out there. We really missed Dyson last night...not only offensively, but he is easily our best perimeter defender.
One big criticism I have of the game is the officiating. After letting both teams really play in the first half, it seemed like a complete 180 in the second half. TOns of fouls called including a lot of ticky-tac stuff (on both sides). The first half had a much better flow and was much more enjoyable to watch.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Spacey on February 17, 2009, 11:31:04 am
Quote from: booztravlr;219966
Quote from: Spacey;219948
Last night was a great representation of what the Big East and College Basketball this year is all about. Any team in the Big East is capable of winning versus a league opponent.
I wouldn\'t downplay the Pittsburgh win like that. They were once ranked #1 and only have 2 losses on the season. Your statement applies more to South Florida beating Marquette or Georgetown winning at UConn. Those are games that no one expected the underdog to win.
I think we have a misunderstanding. I mean exactly what you say.
The Big East is a tough conference and any team regardless of their rank is capable of beating another Big East opponent.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on February 25, 2009, 03:21:42 pm
Pitt loses @ Providence last night!
UCONN has a chance to regain the top spot in the land with a win @ Marquette tonight! No easy task, but with Calhoun looking for career win 800 it will be extra motiviation to get it done.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: zuke583 on February 25, 2009, 03:38:17 pm
Quote from: NickNels;221011
Pitt loses @ Providence last night!
UCONN has a chance to regain the top spot in the land with a win @ Marquette tonight! No easy task, but with Calhoun looking for career win 800 it will be extra motiviation to get it done.
we better win...i heard he makes more than $1.6M/year
seriously, as nice as it would be, i could give a shit about the top spot in the land. i\'d rather they lose now if it helps them gel by the time they get to the big dance. being #1 in february doesn\'t really do it for me...especially having been to the mountain top twice in the last decade
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Drew_Kingsley on February 25, 2009, 03:41:20 pm
Quote from: NickNels;221011
Pitt loses @ Providence last night!
UCONN has a chance to regain the top spot in the land with a win @ Marquette tonight! No easy task, but with Calhoun looking for career win 800 it will be extra motiviation to get it done.
So sour that ESPN was airing Penn State/Ohio State instead of Pitt/Providence... my landlord needs to get better cable.
I wouldn\'t bet on Connecticut tonight, as I don\'t think they have figured out who they are without Jerome Dyson. From what I have seen of Marquette (which, admittedly, is just one game), the Golden Eagles have the offense to beat anybody in Division I and the defense to lose to just about anybody in Division I. I\'m hoping for a 94-92 shootout tonight... and if the Huskies could be the 94, that would be even better.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on February 25, 2009, 03:46:32 pm
Quote from: zuke583;221014
Quote from: NickNels;221011
Pitt loses @ Providence last night!
UCONN has a chance to regain the top spot in the land with a win @ Marquette tonight! No easy task, but with Calhoun looking for career win 800 it will be extra motiviation to get it done.
we better win...i heard he makes more than $1.6M/year
seriously, as nice as it would be, i could give a shit about the top spot in the land. i\'d rather they lose now if it helps them gel by the time they get to the big dance. being #1 in february doesn\'t really do it for me...especially having been to the mountain top twice in the last decade
Why wouldn\'t you want to be #1? Why do you think losing is going to help them to gel? We are significantly more talented than Marquette...who lost to SOuth Florida (ugh)! I\'m looking for a strong performance worthy of being top in the country and the big east...believe it or not a win for Marquette would make them the #1 seed. We don\'t need that.
Each game I look for indicators of improvement, so in this sense I agree with you ZUke. I would be less excited to see a win where we lean completely on Thabeet, Price, and Adrien vs. a game where we see (significant) improvement from Sticks, better defense from Kemba, and some leadership from Austrie!
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: SlimPickens on February 25, 2009, 03:50:28 pm
Quote from: zuke583;221014
Quote from: NickNels;221011
Pitt loses @ Providence last night!
UCONN has a chance to regain the top spot in the land with a win @ Marquette tonight! No easy task, but with Calhoun looking for career win 800 it will be extra motiviation to get it done.
we better win...i heard he makes more than $1.6M/year
seriously, as nice as it would be, i could give a shit about the top spot in the land. i\'d rather they lose now if it helps them gel by the time they get to the big dance. being #1 in february doesn\'t really do it for me...especially having been to the mountain top twice in the last decade
I agree. #1 in the polls means very little to meet right now. However, I don\'t want to see them lose any of their remaining games. These last 3 games should give you a pretty clear picture of how well they will play in the tourney.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: zuke583 on February 25, 2009, 03:57:42 pm
sometimes a loss can help motivate and galvanize a team
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on February 25, 2009, 03:59:55 pm
Quote from: zuke583;221021
sometimes a loss can help motivate and galvanize a team
Good point! This team need more galvanization
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Drew_Kingsley on February 25, 2009, 05:55:52 pm
Quote from: NickNels;221022
Quote from: zuke583;221021
sometimes a loss can help motivate and galvanize a team
Good point! This team need more galvanization
Galvan Edwards?
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: zuke583 on February 25, 2009, 06:50:07 pm
Quote from: Drew_Kingsley;221045
Quote from: NickNels;221022
Quote from: zuke583;221021
sometimes a loss can help motivate and galvanize a team
Good point! This team need more galvanization
Galvan Edwards?
poopheadwards
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: zuke583 on February 26, 2009, 12:16:46 am
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on March 03, 2009, 03:47:56 pm
It\'s officially March! Are you ready for the madness?!?!
NOt much today...UCONN regains top spot in the land after Pitt\'s loss last week.
Really looking forward to Pitt/Marquette tomorrow and the UCONN/Pitt game on Saturday.
(24) Florida State also plays at (7) Duke tonight. I love it when Duke loses at home
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Gordo on March 03, 2009, 05:44:57 pm
Quote from: NickNels;221704
I love it when Duke loses at home
Amen brotha.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: ulee on March 12, 2009, 10:57:29 am
GO HUSKIES!!! tonight they take down Syracuse at msg
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: booztravlr on March 12, 2009, 03:52:46 pm
Quote from: ulee;222705
GO HUSKIES!!! tonight they take down Syracuse at msg
Not gonna happen. Cuse is going to make it 4 straight big east tourny wins against UConn. Be on the lookout for the Belgian Express! He\'s not scurred of Thabeet. He\'s like iron.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on March 12, 2009, 04:26:24 pm
Quote from: booztravlr;222746
Quote from: ulee;222705
GO HUSKIES!!! tonight they take down Syracuse at msg
Not gonna happen. Cuse is going to make it 4 straight big east tourny wins against UConn. Be on the lookout for the Belgian Express! He\'s not scurred of Thabeet. He\'s like iron
I was hoping to see some Booztravlr \'Cuse fluff today. 4 straight big east tourny wins against UCONN? That can\'t be right, can it? Well if the last meeting was any indication, The Orange have a lot to prove tonight...but then again that was a different UCONN team w/ Dyson in the lineup.
I\'m just excited for two rivalry matchups tonight:
UCONN vs. Syracuse and Pitt vs. West Virginia
Let\'s Go Huskies
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Mark on March 12, 2009, 05:22:16 pm
Let\'s Go Orange!!!!
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Spacey on March 12, 2009, 09:52:52 pm
Big win for West Virginia.
UConn should win this game. Love college basketball tourney\'s, nothing else in sports seems this exciting.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: ulee on March 13, 2009, 12:57:56 am
ok this is getting redonk 5 overtimes marathon
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Drew_Kingsley on March 13, 2009, 01:30:16 am
Wow. That was a classic. The only way that game could have been better is if it ended on a buzzer beater.
Nothing but respect for everybody except Devendorf, the new Christian Laettner (mostly in the negative ways). He got away with a blatant cheap shot on Adrien, just one day removed from valiantly jumping into a fight after everybody was restrained. I guess he only hits women when they are looking. So glad his three didn\'t count... mostly because I hate him, but also because it was the right call.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on March 13, 2009, 01:32:15 am
amazing game. In the end we had too many opportunities to close this one out and couldn\'t execute. I have a lot of respect for Syracuse...they hung tough and finally cashed in.
Obviously upset about the outcome, but it was great to see one of the best games i\'ve witnessed ever (any sport).
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Spacey on March 13, 2009, 07:47:58 am
hahaha, 6-OT\'s, wish I watched more of it.
Well done, Orangeman.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: zuke583 on March 13, 2009, 08:03:53 am
Quote from: booztravlr;222746
Be on the lookout for the Belgian Express! He\'s not scurred of Thabeet. He\'s like iron.
belgian huh? i could have sworn he was a frenchman the way he was flopping around last night.
fuck syracuse
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: wildcoyote on March 13, 2009, 09:39:48 am
Free Throw %
Syracuse: .784 UConn: .571
Jim Calhoun teams never shoot free throws well. It boggles my mind that a basketball player that talented can be so lacking in one of the games fundamentals. I would guess these blue chip recruits also got fouled excessively in high school, so one would think they\'d get better.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: booztravlr on March 13, 2009, 11:03:28 am
That\'s a win that will keep on giving for many years to come.
The Devendorf shot was late by less than 0.1 seconds...but it didn\'t matter in the end.
Quote
The Huskies have now suffered four consecutive first-day exits from the Big East tournament, three at the hands of Syracuse. No one on the current roster has ever won a conference tourney game here.
Soy!
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Spacey on March 13, 2009, 11:08:47 am
That\'s a win that will keep on giving for many years to come.
The Devendorf shot was late by less than 0.1 seconds...but it didn\'t matter in the end.
Quote
The Huskies have now suffered four consecutive first-day exits from the Big East tournament, three at the hands of Syracuse. No one on the current roster has ever won a conference tourney game here.
Soy!
^ Interesting fact. Cuse owns Uconn.
hahaha
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: leith on March 13, 2009, 01:51:08 pm
Hoping SDSU does not make the cut. If they don\'t then they will host some NIT which creates more work for the Arena Conversion crew I am on. Kinda dick but fuck those kids they don\'t need the money like we do.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Spacey on March 13, 2009, 01:56:40 pm
Quote from: leith;222948
Hoping SDSU does not make the cut. If they don\'t then they will host some NIT which creates more work for the Arena Conversion crew I am on. Kinda dick but fuck those kids they don\'t need the money like we do.
hahaha. fair enough, brah.
Aztecs are good enough to make it, might be a little problem. Need BYU to bring its A game.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: wiredchicken on March 13, 2009, 02:36:20 pm
go mountaineers
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Mark on March 13, 2009, 04:39:01 pm
Wow, last night was INSANE!
Syracuse picked a good game to get hot on the foul line. That is usually what kills them. My dog could shoot a higher % than Arinze. But I still love him.
It will be something if Cuse has anything left in the tank for tonight. 2 games within 18 hours.
Although watch out for Jonny Flynn. I am convinced he could play for a couple of days straight if he had to. Last year averaged 39 minutes a game!
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on March 20, 2009, 11:13:48 am
Day 2 of the NCAA tournament...
Nice to see a convincing win out of UCONN. 50 pt winning margin against TN-Chat. Obviously not a big deal beating a 16 seed, but after last year\'s pathetic first round performance it\'s nice to see a quick start.
No major upsets yesterday, but I believe that was the case last year too. Friday proved to be a much more "upsetting" day last year...and hopefully we\'ll see some classic buzzer beaters, overtimes, and Cinderellas advancing today.
Big game for Syracuse...shouldn\'t be a problem w/ SF Austin, but \'Cuse has been known to struggle in the early rounds before. I don\'t think it will be the case this year considering they have one of the best point guards in the country.
I\'m excited to leave work a little early today and catch some of the games before heading down to the city.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: booztravlr on March 20, 2009, 11:37:06 am
Quote from: NickNels;223636
Big game for Syracuse...shouldn\'t be a problem w/ SF Austin, but \'Cuse has been known to struggle in the early rounds before. I don\'t think it will be the case this year considering they have one of the best point guards in the country.
Yeah, Syracuse usually comes out slow in the tournament. I\'m not too worried about it happening today though. Lots of people are saying they\'ll be dead from the Big East run. That ended 6 days ago, give me a break. They\'ve only used 7 players for a majority of the playing time this season so they\'re one of the best conditioned teams around.
My final 4: Louisville over West Virginia Memphis over Washington Villanvova over Pittsburgh UNC over Syracuse (hurt to write that one in)
Villanova over Louisville in the finals.
Sounds like the Belgian Express might be out for today. Achilles, hurt back and he\'s sick. KAAAAHN!
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on March 20, 2009, 11:41:13 am
Quote from: booztravlr;223641
Quote from: NickNels;223636
Big game for Syracuse...shouldn\'t be a problem w/ SF Austin, but \'Cuse has been known to struggle in the early rounds before. I don\'t think it will be the case this year considering they have one of the best point guards in the country.
Yeah, Syracuse usually comes out slow in the tournament. I\'m not too worried about it happening today though. Lots of people are saying they\'ll be dead from the Big East run. That ended 6 days ago, give me a break. They\'ve only used 7 players for a majority of the playing time this season so they\'re one of the best conditioned teams around.
My final 4: Louisville over West Virginia Memphis over Washington Villanvova over Pittsburgh UNC over Syracuse (hurt to write that one in)
Villanova over Louisville in the finals.
A lot of Big East love there. Can\'t tell you how many times I\'ve filled out brackets that reflect my love for this conference...unfotunately it usually ends up screwing me in the end.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: zuke583 on March 20, 2009, 12:31:22 pm
i think one of my brackets had 6 big east teams in the great 8
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Mark on March 20, 2009, 03:55:28 pm
Atta boy homey!
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: oldnewbie on March 20, 2009, 05:31:31 pm
Quote from: Mark;222975
Syracuse picked a good game to get hot on the foul line. That is usually what kills them. My dog could shoot a higher % than Arinze. But I still love him.
you taught your dog to shoot free throws? to earn your love?
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Yoda on March 23, 2009, 11:16:21 am
I\'ve got a stupid question... Why are half of the Sweet 16 games being played on Thursday night? Wouldn\'t it be better to have a Friday/Saturday or even a Saturday/Sunday? Doesn\'t make much sense to me. I would think that more people would watch on the weekend. That being said, I\'ve picked 75% of the winners through the first two rounds and that\'s with Wake Forrest fucking up that entire half of the region\'s bracket...
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: wildcoyote on March 23, 2009, 11:25:13 am
Sweet 16 games= Thurs, Fri Elite 8 games= Sat, Sun
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Yoda on March 23, 2009, 11:38:02 am
Thanks for the clarification. Looking on ESPN, it only has the Sweet 16 games scheduled.
Rock Chalk Jayhawk!!!
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: ds673488 on March 23, 2009, 11:59:29 am
cuse is looking good, and siena gave L-ville one hell of a match...siena should have taken it.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on March 23, 2009, 12:12:24 pm
I filled out several different brackets, but the few that I am still alive in I have a decent chance as long as my horses come through.
UCONN, Gonzaga...and Duke (ugh)
OVerall great performances from the Big East schools. Syracuse and UCONN especially have looked dominant so far. It was too bad to see Marquette go out the way they did. 5 seconds left and stepping on the endline while inbounding the ball is a lousy way to lose that game.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Yoda on March 23, 2009, 02:00:16 pm
Basics...
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: ds673488 on March 23, 2009, 02:30:37 pm
i got tickets to the double header in boston thursday night...anyone else going?
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Drew_Kingsley on March 23, 2009, 02:36:44 pm
Quote from: NickNels;223815
It was too bad to see Marquette go out the way they did. 5 seconds left and stepping on the endline while inbounding the ball is a lousy way to lose that game.
Heads-up call, though. I\'d rather see 10 games end on a correct call like that than one game end on a bad call of something small like that.
Much respect to Arizona, by the way. A team that probably didn\'t belong in the tournament at all goes out and advances to a Regional Semifinal. Sure, that doesn\'t stop Saint Mary\'s from thinking they got screwed, but at least the tournament committee regained some credibility.
When the nets are cut down, the story of the tournament will be Sam Young, the most underrated 18.9 ppg scorer in Division I. Young, A.J. Prince and (healthy) Ty Lawson are the three players remaining in the tournament that can win a game by themselves.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: wildcoyote on March 27, 2009, 09:14:19 am
UConn and Mizzou looked real good last night.
Pitt won ugly again, but keeps winning.
Nova- wow! Bye bye Dookies.
good luck with the Zags tonight Nick
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Yoda on March 27, 2009, 09:17:32 am
Yeah - Nova fucked me up my brackets bad last night... Fuck those phili bastards...
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on March 27, 2009, 09:20:37 am
Quote from: wildcoyote;224365
UConn and Mizzou looked real good last night.
Pitt won ugly again, but keeps winning.
Nova- wow! Bye bye Dookies.
good luck with the Zags tonight Nick
It\'s all I got left. I did terrible in that pick \'em pool. I think i\'m down like $65.
Def. need a serious run here.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Drew_Kingsley on March 27, 2009, 10:32:48 am
I\'m currently in second in my pool, but I had Memphis in the title game (losing to Pittsburgh). I know the guy ahead of me had Connecticut going all the way, so I can probably still win if the rest of my bracket pans out and Missouri plays some defense for me tomorrow night.
An all-Big East Final Four would be crazy. Pittsburgh/Villanova will definitely take one spot. Connecticut and Louisville both have a good shot. The big upset would have to be Syracuse over Oklahoma and then (presumably) North Carolina.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: SkyePrizm on March 27, 2009, 11:11:53 am
Quote from: Yoda;224366
Yeah - Nova fucked me up my brackets bad last night... Fuck those phili bastards...
Nova screwed up my brackets too. My fiancee and i have brackets against each other on CBS Sports... However, I\'m still beating him. But its so close. and it pisses me off cause he knows nothing about college basketball. he just randomly guessed.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on April 08, 2009, 11:24:39 am
If Calhoun retires does Geno Auriema take over the men\'s program?
I never thought about it until now, but I guess it makes sense. I personally would be fine with it. He would have to adapt his coaching strategy, but he already does that from year to year with the women\'s team depending on the talent.
My only concern would be iin regards to recruiting. Can he continue to bring in the top tier talent like Calhoun has?
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: wildcoyote on April 08, 2009, 11:49:41 am
Quote from: NickNels;225796
If Calhoun retires does Geno Auriema take over the men\'s program?
I never thought about it until now, but I guess it makes sense. I personally would be fine with it. He would have to adapt his coaching strategy, but he already does that from year to year with the women\'s team depending on the talent.
My only concern would be iin regards to recruiting. Can he continue to bring in the top tier talent like Calhoun has?
What makes you think Auriema would have any interest in coaching the men? He makes almost as much as Calhoun now, w/o half the pressure and stress. He\'s a big fish in a small pond, which is a great gig if you can get it.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: zuke583 on April 08, 2009, 12:07:41 pm
Quote from: NickNels;225796
If Calhoun retires does Geno Auriema take over the men\'s program?
I never thought about it until now, but I guess it makes sense. I personally would be fine with it. He would have to adapt his coaching strategy, but he already does that from year to year with the women\'s team depending on the talent.
My only concern would be iin regards to recruiting. Can he continue to bring in the top tier talent like Calhoun has?
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
terrible idea. that\'s like saying that i\'m good at playing madden \'09 so i could coach in the nfl. totally different worlds. you never though about it before because it\'s an awful idea. really really terrible idea. if this happens i will not watch uconn play until they fire him, which would take about 2 seasons
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Yoda on April 08, 2009, 12:12:16 pm
Quote from: zuke583;225799
Quote from: NickNels;225796
If Calhoun retires does Geno Auriema take over the men\'s program?
I never thought about it until now, but I guess it makes sense. I personally would be fine with it. He would have to adapt his coaching strategy, but he already does that from year to year with the women\'s team depending on the talent.
My only concern would be iin regards to recruiting. Can he continue to bring in the top tier talent like Calhoun has?
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
terrible idea. that\'s like saying that i\'m good at playing madden \'09 so i could coach in the nfl. totally different worlds. you never though about it before because it\'s an awful idea. really really terrible idea. if this happens i will not watch uconn play until they fire him, which would take about 2 seasons
I don\'t see this as a real issue at all. He may be coaching the women\'s team (and unfortunately I\'ve watched a couple games when nothing is on), but they seem to be more rooted in fundamentals than the guys. If he could apply those fundamentals as a base and work in some of the ego-centric all-about-me bullshit style that goes on on the guys side and the nba, that might be a good combo...
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on April 08, 2009, 12:39:37 pm
Quote from: zuke583;225799
terrible idea. that\'s like saying that i\'m good at playing madden \'09 so i could coach in the nfl.
C\'mon dude...it\'s still basketball. The same principles that went into creating 6 championships for him in the women\'s game still largely applies to the men. 1. Recruit the best and most athletic talent. 2. Formulate an effective coaching strategy that utilizes said talent. THe most important part of college basketball (men\'s or women\'s) is assembling the team to put on the court.
The reason the UCONN women\'s team won this year isn\'t because Geno is a coaching genius, it\'s because he has players like Maya Moore and Tina Charles playing for him. It was the same thing with the Taurasi and Lobo teams before that. Tennesee women did the same thing with Candice parker. In the men\'s game its the same thing. That NC team is stacked. If you put Hansboro, Ellington, and Lawson out there I don\'t care who the coach is, you stand a good shot at winning it all. Look at how much Blake Griffin meant to Oklahoma...that team is terrible without him, but they still made it to the Final 4.
It\'s the same thing in the pros. THe celtics and the Yankees are teams that are meant to win with their talent. You think Torre or Rivers are amazing coach\'s? No, their teams are stacked. They are meant to win in the long run. 82 games or 162 games...in the long run they should be able to outlast with their talent. It will be the same thing with Geno and the men\'s program. As long as they continue to recruit well they should continue to win 20+ games every season. Now if you want to argue coaching in a single Championship game scenario, maybe you have a case.
Bottom line it comes down to whether or not you think AUriema could continue to recruit the way Calhoun has.
Quote from: Yoda;225801
I don\'t see this as a real issue at all. He may be coaching the women\'s team (and unfortunately I\'ve watched a couple games when nothing is on), but they seem to be more rooted in fundamentals than the guys. If he could apply those fundamentals as a base and work in some of the ego-centric all-about-me bullshit style that goes on on the guys side and the nba, that might be a good combo...
Yoda, what you\'ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Yoda on April 08, 2009, 12:45:19 pm
Quote from: NickNels;225803
Yoda, what you\'ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
Thank you sir, may I have another... :asskicked
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: zuke583 on April 08, 2009, 01:07:42 pm
Quote from: NickNels;225803
Quote from: zuke583;225799
terrible idea. that\'s like saying that i\'m good at playing madden \'09 so i could coach in the nfl.
C\'mon dude...it\'s still basketball. The same principles that went into creating 6 championships for him in the women\'s game still largely applies to the men. 1. Recruit the best and most athletic talent. 2. Formulate an effective coaching strategy that utilizes said talent. THe most important part of college basketball (men\'s or women\'s) is assembling the team to put on the court.
a) the best recruits in the women\'s game go to uconn or UT...why would they go anywhere else? those are the only two "relevant" women\'s programs (i use the term "relevant" very loosely). plus, there\'s an enourmous rift between the cream of the crop and the rest of the players, which means that uconn and UT are perenially superpowers...there\'s very little parity in the game which means that...
b) coaching is less important in the women\'s game. geno can slide by with his super powered she-men using much less strategy than the men\'s game, where talent alone rarely means success. UNC is talented, but without good coaching, they would not have had as much success as they have.
c) geno\'s not used to utilizing the talent/athleticism he would see in the men\'s game. he\'s used to a slower game that depends more on fundamentals. coaching a men\'s team in the ivy league or DII might be more his style.
Quote from: NickNels;225803
The reason the UCONN women\'s team won this year isn\'t because Geno is a coaching genius, it\'s because he has players like Maya Moore and Tina Charles playing for him. It was the same thing with the Taurasi and Lobo teams before that. Tennesee women did the same thing with Candice parker.
all true...and proves my points for me
Quote from: NickNels;225803
In the men\'s game its the same thing. That NC team is stacked. If you put Hansboro, Ellington, and Lawson out there I don\'t care who the coach is, you stand a good shot at winning it all. Look at how much Blake Griffin meant to Oklahoma...that team is terrible without him, but they still made it to the Final 4.
and look at how much stephan curry helped out davidson. and how much jodie meeks helped out kentucky (who fired their coach because he sucks).
Quote from: NickNels;225803
It\'s the same thing in the pros. THe celtics and the Yankees are teams that are meant to win with their talent. You think Torre or Rivers are amazing coach\'s? No, their teams are stacked. They are meant to win in the long run. 82 games or 162 games...in the long run they should be able to outlast with their talent. It will be the same thing with Geno and the men\'s program. As long as they continue to recruit well they should continue to win 20+ games every season. Now if you want to argue coaching in a single Championship game scenario, maybe you have a case.
a) Torre\'s best teams were not stacked. they featured scott brosious, bernie williams, paul o\'neill, et al. good players, to be sure...but not great. if you remember correctly, since the yankees have been "stacking" their team, they haven\'t done jack shit.
b) in the NBA, talent usually does win out. there are rarely ever any surprises. coaches only have to be good enough to not lose. i have no gripe there. but the NBA is not college basketball. what\'s true for one sport is not true for another even if "it\'s still basketball"
Quote from: NickNels;225803
Bottom line it comes down to whether or not you think AUriema could continue to recruit the way Calhoun has.
clearly, i don\'t. nor do i think he has the talent. plus i heard he\'s an even bigger asshole than calhoun
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: skalnbyc on April 08, 2009, 01:12:39 pm
I really don\'t watch or follow sports too closely but I have to say that Calhoun has an obnoxious meathead voice.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Yoda on April 08, 2009, 01:19:46 pm
Quote from: alexanderzurflu;225808
I really don\'t watch or follow sports too closely but I have to say that Calhoun has an obnoxious meathead voice.
And an annoying Mass. accent...
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: skalnbyc on April 08, 2009, 01:24:51 pm
Quote from: Yoda;225809
Quote from: alexanderzurflu;225808
I really don\'t watch or follow sports too closely but I have to say that Calhoun has an obnoxious meathead voice.
And an annoying Mass. accent...
That is basically what I\'m saying.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on April 08, 2009, 01:45:51 pm
Alright Zuke...i\'m not going to bother bringing down all the quotes, but I\'ll address what you brought up.
It seems that you are on the same page as far as talent is concerned. The most talented teams (men or women) are more likely to win. Yes, Geno has access to "the cream of the crop" at CT...same w/ Tenn. That is the power of the UCONN program which he built himself. I don\'t know how you can fault him there. NOw, if you don\'t think he can compete recruiting-wise with the Pitinos, Williams, Calliperis, and Coach Ks of the world, then fine. I just don\'t see how you can automatically assume that will be the case.
In regards to UNC. Yes, they are a well coached team. Roy Williams is a great coach. My point is that there is no reason with their talent why they wouldn\'t at least win 20+ games and win a few games in the NCAA tournament even without Williams. They have enough talent to "outlast" and get there. It may be the coaching prowess that is needed to beat the top teams like Michigan St. and Villanova, but regardless of the coach they should at least get there each year every year with a talented team. If you don\'t think Geno can coach on that level, then fine, but he has won 6 National Championships, why not?
Quote
c) geno\'s not used to utilizing the talent/athleticism he would see in the men\'s game. he\'s used to a slower game that depends more on fundamentals. coaching a men\'s team in the ivy league or DII might be more his style.
Zuke, I know you have not watched 15 seconds of UCONN women\'s basketball this year. Tina Charles and Maya Moore are athletic phenoms...especially CHarles. They do not play a slow game. He knows how to utilize that talent. THey really look more like a Men\'s program than women\'s program.
Quote
and look at how much stephan curry helped out davidson. and how much jodie meeks helped out kentucky (who fired their coach because he sucks).
That is so weak Zuke...don\'t bring that shit. Stephen Curry is hardly a Blake Griffin and Davidson doesn\'t exactly play in a major conference (Southern Conference). He is a very good shooter...that\'s about it, much closer to a JJ Reddick. Griffin is a man-beast that simply outpowers other "kids" at other programs. Jodi Meeks DOES have the power to take over...and you saw what happened when he does (50+ points). I question his heart though. Clearly his head was not in every game. THere was a lot of games where he was just content to pass off the ball. I think he had a bad relationship with Guillespe. When he wants to play he is good enough to carry the team to a win on his own.
Quote
a) Torre\'s best teams were not stacked. they featured scott brosious, bernie williams, paul o\'neill, et al. good players, to be sure...but not great. if you remember correctly, since the yankees have been "stacking" their team, they haven\'t done jack shit.
Correct...but it has been the stacked teams since 2001 that haven\'t won fewer than 94 games (sans 2008 w/ Girardi). Again, with talent you SHOULD be good enough to at least get there every year. If you want to talk about winning short series or championship games, that might be a question of coaching. The Yankees that won from 1996-2000 (san 1997) were a different beast...an exception to the rule. They had amazing chemistry, kinda like the Pistons team that won the NBA title a few years ago.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: skalnbyc on April 08, 2009, 02:04:54 pm
College basketball is annoying because the top programs are magnets for the best players and almost always do well each year. Same stupid teams are on top each year, what a frickin\' thrill. The coaches at top schools should get credit for refining the raw talent they get, which is often a bunch of otherwise prison-bound idiots who have little interest in education. I\'m so excited to watch a player who is a total piece of shit off the court, what a hero!
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: zuke583 on April 08, 2009, 02:05:05 pm
okay. maybe he could be successful...i hope we never have to find out. i don\'t think his style would translate well at all. great success at one level does not guarantee succes at another. look at the likes of: rick pitino in the nba pete carroll in the nfl mike montgomery in the nba bill callahan in the nfl nick saban in the nfl dennis erickson in the nfl...
the list goes on and on. coaches try to do it every year. there are very few cases of coaches making the leap from a lower level to a higher level (jimmy johnson, larry brown). and don\'t tell me that men\'s basketball isn\'t a higher level than woman\'s. he\'s a good woman\'s coach, i\'ll give him that. comparing women\'s college basketball to men\'s college basketball is like comparing boys high school basketball to men\'s college basketball
any uconn woman player wouldn\'t make the practice squad for the men\'s team. they\'re slower and weaker. they\'re good...for girls. no more. i didn\'t have to watch one second of basketball this season to know that
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: SlimPickens on April 08, 2009, 02:05:50 pm
Zuke, I gotta say, I completely disagree with just about every point you\'ve made in this thread.
Yes, the first choice for all top recruits is UC, Tenn, but there\'s also Rutgers, Cal, and about 10 other schools which compete for those players. Take a look at the last 2 years McDonald all american squads... 50 best players in the country, and they went to 20 different schools.... Not so different then the Men\'s league.
These girls make their decisions the same way as the men do. Best school I can go to AND PLAY.
Lobo has spoken about the coaching mind games Geno played with her... he had her convinced that she was the most over-rated player in the country for her entire championship winning season. Yes, he gets talented players, but a lot of schools do... it\'s his coaching skills that produces championships.
It all comes down to the fundamentals, the players that shine at that level, men\'s or womens, do so because of the fundementals taught, and put in place by the coaches. Maya Moore is setting scoring records because Geno built his offense around her.
I\'m not saying that Geno does it all...but I think that they need him as much as he needs them.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on April 08, 2009, 02:23:16 pm
I agree with Chaggs, it\'s two prong. Knowing the X\'s and O\'s combined with knowing how to handle the talent.
Zuke\'s main problem here is his lack of respect for the women\'s game.
I have no problem keeping things in house and going with Auriema, unless some blatently obvious alternative is available.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: zuke583 on April 08, 2009, 02:29:15 pm
he\'s a good women\'s coach, i\'m not denying that. but by your logic (both of you) a good coach at a boys\' private high school would be a good fit for men\'s college basketball. you just can\'t make that leap. you have to be able to lead young men...it\'s not all x\'s and o\'s.
i would much rather hire dave leitao than the best woman\'s coach of all time (which geno may be)
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on April 08, 2009, 02:40:35 pm
Quote from: zuke583;225823
he\'s a good women\'s coach, i\'m not denying that. but by your logic (both of you) a good coach at a boys\' private high school would be a good fit for men\'s college basketball. you just can\'t make that leap. you have to be able to lead young men...it\'s not all x\'s and o\'s.
i would much rather hire dave leitao than the best woman\'s coach of all time (which geno may be)
Now that is a good point and a logical argument. Before it was just unabashed hatred for women\'s basketball. I guess you won\'t know for sure unless it actually happens. He just seems like someone who would deserve just as much consideration as anyone else for the job. Arguably the best women\'s coach of all time who coincidently works at the same campus.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: SlimPickens on April 08, 2009, 02:42:38 pm
Quote from: zuke583;225823
you have to be able to lead young men...it\'s not all x\'s and o\'s.
You don\'t think that Geno could lead young men? Is that opinion, or based on some deeper knowledge of Geno?
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Mark on April 08, 2009, 04:58:25 pm
Watch out for the Mighty Orange next year!
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: SlimPickens on April 08, 2009, 05:09:11 pm
Quote from: Mark;225841
Watch out for the Mighty Orange next year!
They losing much this year?
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Drew_Kingsley on April 08, 2009, 05:13:46 pm
Quote from: SlimPickens;225842
Quote from: Mark;225841
Watch out for the Mighty Orange next year!
They losing much this year?
Not as far as seniors go, but nothing is certain until after the NBA Draft.
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: zuke583 on April 08, 2009, 06:12:57 pm
Quote from: Drew_Kingsley;225843
Quote from: SlimPickens;225842
Quote from: Mark;225841
Watch out for the Mighty Orange next year!
They losing much this year?
Not as far as seniors go, but nothing is certain until after the NBA Draft.
as a uconn fan, i can\'t wait to see johnny flynn suit up for an nba team
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: NickNels on April 08, 2009, 07:19:36 pm
In other news...
Quote
About that Courtney Paris guarantee ... 10:52 PM Tue, Apr 07, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz Chuck Carlton E-mail News tips
Oklahoma has no intention of collecting on Courtney Paris\' offer to pay back her scholarship, athletic director Joe Castiglione said.
Paris guaranteed a national title or pledged to reimburse the school for her four-year athletic scholarship. The Sooners fell to Louisville on Sunday in the women\'s basketball Final Four.
"It\'s even more meaningful when someone who committed herself for four years to help her teammates become better, making that kind of symbolic gesture," Castiglione told the Associated Press. "But having said that, I don\'t know of anyone who has had any expectation whatsoever that we would accept the monetary aspect of that gesture."
bullshit
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: zuke583 on April 08, 2009, 09:30:45 pm
"2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread"
start another thread, brah
Title: 2008-09 Men\'s College Basketball Thread
Post by: Mark on April 09, 2009, 03:32:29 pm
Quote from: Drew_Kingsley;225843
Quote from: SlimPickens;225842
Quote from: Mark;225841
Watch out for the Mighty Orange next year!
They losing much this year?
Not as far as seniors go, but nothing is certain until after the NBA Draft.
The only senior they are losing is Ongenaet. Flynn, Harris and Devendorf are entering the draft. If these guys return, look out!