Ben Fishman
2/27/13
handrcbb.blogspot.com
Six years ago, a young man named Trevor Mbakwe committed to Tom Crean at the University of Marquette. Since then, Mbakwe has bounced from Wisconsin, to Miami and all the way back up to Minnesota. Six years later, the two still keep a nice relationship. Except of course on nights like last night.
See, by now you know that Tom Crean left Marquette for the Indiana job. Mbakwe had some problems, with his knees and then the law, and bounced around from Marquette to Miami Dade Community College and finally landed at Minnesota under coach Tubby Smith. This year is his 6th year of eligibility, and boy did Minnesota need it. The Gophers needed Mbakwe the man in last night’s 77-73 victory over the top ranked Indiana Hoosiers, a win that solidifies Minnesota as a lock for the NCAA Tournament.
The reason Minnesota picked up the win? Forget Austin and Andre Hollins, forget the rowdy crowd inside the Barn, and forget the high pressured intensity of a team in a must-win situation. No, in order to really understand this win, you need to look at the man, Trevor Mbakwe. He finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds. But the plays that won’t show in the box score are all on defense. Mbakwe shut down preseason Player of the Year Cody Zeller, forcing the big man into an awful night of shooting and forcing Zeller to foul out, for the second time in his career.
Mbakwe is the heart and soul of this Minnesota team, and even when he went to the bench with foul trouble, there he was, screaming and directing his teammates in huddles and on the floor. The big man has certainly waved off his past transgressions and established himself as one of the best interior players in America.
Mbakwe at the moment is considered a late-first round or early-second round pick in this years NBA Draft, and it would be a mistake to not take this kid in the first round. He has hustle, tenacity and a smooth offensive game that was on display for all of his 25 foul plagued minutes.
What did Tubby Smith have to say about his 6th year senior? After posting his league leading, think about that for a second, 7th double-double of the year, Gophers coach Tubby Smith simply said, “Trevor set that tone for us,” referring to his Gophers coming out with a bit of an edge against an Indiana team whose last two road games resulted in huge wins at Ohio State and at Michigan State.
Said Indiana coach Tom Crean, Mbakwe’s former coach at Marquette, “He’s a high-level, high-energy, tough guy who plays the game at a desperate level.”
The win wasn’t as much a coming out party for Minnesota as it was a question for Indiana. The Hoosiers shouldn’t hold their heads low after this one, and they really can’t with a scary Iowa team coming in this Saturday, winners of 3 of their last 4. Iowa pushed Indiana to the wire to start the Big Ten slate for both teams, and now needs a huge win in Assembly Hall Saturday.
Indiana didn’t match Minnesota’s poise and got handed a tough loss on the road, a place where they were so good as of late. But let’s be honest, the Gophers owed ‘em one. Indiana is still in first place in the Big Ten, but the slip up means the Hoosiers now must win out to win the Big Ten regular season title and assure itself of the top seed in Chicago in three weeks.
If the season ended today, the Hoosiers would get Iowa or Purdue in the quarters, then likely Michigan or Ohio State in the semis. Just another sign of how tough the Big Ten really is.
For Minnesota, the Gophers can’t celebrate for too long, they finish with Penn State, Nebraska and Purdue, three games they could very easily sweep. If Minnesota wins out and finishes 10-8 in the conference, they’d be red hot, and a team that you probably wouldn’t want to see Chicago.
Either way, last night’s game showed that the Big Ten has been its own mini version of March Madness. But as Tubby Smith said afterwards, “Hey, we’ve gotta get busy, we’ve got practice tomorrow.”
Expect anything different?
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Observations from Tuesday 2/26
Ben Fishman
2/27/13
handrcbb.blogspot.com
1. Minnesota showed that they can play with anybody in the nation. The Gophers were in a must win situation last night in the Barn, and had to pick up a win to really solidify themselves as a lock in the NCAA Tournament. While watching the loss, I was extremely happy that no other team in America has a guy like Trevor Mbakwe. To describe his play in one word would be easier than trying to defend him, just ask Cody Zeller, the pre-season Player of the Year in the Big Ten. He was simply a man. Leading the way with 21 points and 12 rebounds, Mbakwe also was huge on Cody Zeller all night. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, Indiana can not beat very many teams when Cody Zeller becomes a non factor on offense and defense. Not only did Mbakwe have his way with the potential lottery pick, but he also was imposing on the defensive side of the ball, forcing Zeller into 2-9 shooting for only 9 points, 5 of which came from the free throw line. Indiana must quickly regroup, with a dangerous Iowa team coming into town this Saturday. After that it’s Ohio State then Michigan to end the year, and Indiana can win them all.
2. I told everybody to check out the Memphis-Xavier game last night, to try and get a good read on the Tigers. I think I have one. Memphis decided to give its naysayers all the ammunition they now need to plant Memphis with an 8 or a 9 seed in three weeks on Selection Sunday. Memphis was abysmal last night, going 6-18 from the free throw line. You won’t beat anybody with those kinds of numbers. In reality, Memphis should’ve won, had they just hit their free throws. They played well on the road in the second half to come back from a 13 point deficit, but the Tigers are now facing their worst enemy, themselves. Memphis can win out from here and possibly earn a 7 seed, but this is a team that has now missed two huge opportunities in last night’s loss to Xavier, and a December 15th loss to Louisville.
3. How about Tennessee? The Vols finally are putting it together and it’s only gotten more and more exciting to watch what they can do. After dismantling Kentucky by 30 last week, the Vols picked up their biggest win yet, a 64-58 victory over #8 Florida last night. Tennessee is quietly putting together a solid resume in a not spectacular SEC. UT now finds themselves at 17-10 and 9-6 in the SEC. They go runner-runner road games at Georgia and Arkansas before closing at home against a Missouri team that is 1-6 in SEC road games. Tennessee could jump Ole Miss before the SEC Tournament and earn the 4 seed. If I had to peg a dark horse candidate in that tournament, it’d be the Vols. For Florida, they must regroup once again, the Gators have a one game lead over Alabama now, and finish with the Tide, then Vandy, and then the big March 9th date in Rupp Arena. The SEC is gonna be quite fun to watch down the stretch.
2/27/13
handrcbb.blogspot.com
1. Minnesota showed that they can play with anybody in the nation. The Gophers were in a must win situation last night in the Barn, and had to pick up a win to really solidify themselves as a lock in the NCAA Tournament. While watching the loss, I was extremely happy that no other team in America has a guy like Trevor Mbakwe. To describe his play in one word would be easier than trying to defend him, just ask Cody Zeller, the pre-season Player of the Year in the Big Ten. He was simply a man. Leading the way with 21 points and 12 rebounds, Mbakwe also was huge on Cody Zeller all night. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, Indiana can not beat very many teams when Cody Zeller becomes a non factor on offense and defense. Not only did Mbakwe have his way with the potential lottery pick, but he also was imposing on the defensive side of the ball, forcing Zeller into 2-9 shooting for only 9 points, 5 of which came from the free throw line. Indiana must quickly regroup, with a dangerous Iowa team coming into town this Saturday. After that it’s Ohio State then Michigan to end the year, and Indiana can win them all.
2. I told everybody to check out the Memphis-Xavier game last night, to try and get a good read on the Tigers. I think I have one. Memphis decided to give its naysayers all the ammunition they now need to plant Memphis with an 8 or a 9 seed in three weeks on Selection Sunday. Memphis was abysmal last night, going 6-18 from the free throw line. You won’t beat anybody with those kinds of numbers. In reality, Memphis should’ve won, had they just hit their free throws. They played well on the road in the second half to come back from a 13 point deficit, but the Tigers are now facing their worst enemy, themselves. Memphis can win out from here and possibly earn a 7 seed, but this is a team that has now missed two huge opportunities in last night’s loss to Xavier, and a December 15th loss to Louisville.
3. How about Tennessee? The Vols finally are putting it together and it’s only gotten more and more exciting to watch what they can do. After dismantling Kentucky by 30 last week, the Vols picked up their biggest win yet, a 64-58 victory over #8 Florida last night. Tennessee is quietly putting together a solid resume in a not spectacular SEC. UT now finds themselves at 17-10 and 9-6 in the SEC. They go runner-runner road games at Georgia and Arkansas before closing at home against a Missouri team that is 1-6 in SEC road games. Tennessee could jump Ole Miss before the SEC Tournament and earn the 4 seed. If I had to peg a dark horse candidate in that tournament, it’d be the Vols. For Florida, they must regroup once again, the Gators have a one game lead over Alabama now, and finish with the Tide, then Vandy, and then the big March 9th date in Rupp Arena. The SEC is gonna be quite fun to watch down the stretch.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Three Big Matchups for Tuesday
Ben Fishman
2/26/13
1. Indiana goes to Minnesota in what couldn’t be more of a trap game. When the two teams met in early January, the Gophers were a top 10 team and the battle for the Big Ten had just begun. Minnesota trailed by 23 at the half before making it interesting, eventually losing 88-81. Since then the Gophers have struggled to a 6-8 record in Big Ten play which includes a loss at Northwestern. So how high is the panic meter for Minnesota? Probably around an 8. They’re still a tournament team because of their strong strength of schedule and RPI, but this could be the beginning of the end. If Minnesota lays down to Indiana tonight, then this may be a team destined to part ways with Tubby Smith in April. It’s a big game for Indiana too, as they can move a game closer to clinching the Big Ten, with three games (two at home) to go.
2. If Indiana vs. Minnesota doesn’t do anything for you, then flip on over to ESPN2. The Memphis Tigers will try to silence some doubters at Xavier, never an easy place to play. The Tigers put their 18 game winning streak on the line against a Xavier team desperate for a quality win. If Memphis loses this one, against a Xavier team without guard Dee Davis, then the naysayers will have all the ammo they need to tear down Memphis’s resume. If Memphis wins, then maybe they can win over some believers and get pundits to look past Conference USA. Either way, this another big game for both teams.
3. Finally, let’s go to the SEC. A huge game awaits for the Florida Gators in Knoxville. UT is again putting together a late season push to sneak into the NCAA Tournament, and a win over #8 Florida at home would go a long way towards doing that. Florida needs to remain calm after a loss to Missouri last week, and they did a good job rebounding against Arkansas over the weekend. But the Gators still have a road date at Kentucky on March 9th, and would like to wrap the SEC up by then. They have a two game lead over the Wildcats, and can’t afford a slip up tonight in Big Orange country. My friends, tonight will tell us a lot about each one of these teams. I can’t wait.
2/26/13
1. Indiana goes to Minnesota in what couldn’t be more of a trap game. When the two teams met in early January, the Gophers were a top 10 team and the battle for the Big Ten had just begun. Minnesota trailed by 23 at the half before making it interesting, eventually losing 88-81. Since then the Gophers have struggled to a 6-8 record in Big Ten play which includes a loss at Northwestern. So how high is the panic meter for Minnesota? Probably around an 8. They’re still a tournament team because of their strong strength of schedule and RPI, but this could be the beginning of the end. If Minnesota lays down to Indiana tonight, then this may be a team destined to part ways with Tubby Smith in April. It’s a big game for Indiana too, as they can move a game closer to clinching the Big Ten, with three games (two at home) to go.
2. If Indiana vs. Minnesota doesn’t do anything for you, then flip on over to ESPN2. The Memphis Tigers will try to silence some doubters at Xavier, never an easy place to play. The Tigers put their 18 game winning streak on the line against a Xavier team desperate for a quality win. If Memphis loses this one, against a Xavier team without guard Dee Davis, then the naysayers will have all the ammo they need to tear down Memphis’s resume. If Memphis wins, then maybe they can win over some believers and get pundits to look past Conference USA. Either way, this another big game for both teams.
3. Finally, let’s go to the SEC. A huge game awaits for the Florida Gators in Knoxville. UT is again putting together a late season push to sneak into the NCAA Tournament, and a win over #8 Florida at home would go a long way towards doing that. Florida needs to remain calm after a loss to Missouri last week, and they did a good job rebounding against Arkansas over the weekend. But the Gators still have a road date at Kentucky on March 9th, and would like to wrap the SEC up by then. They have a two game lead over the Wildcats, and can’t afford a slip up tonight in Big Orange country. My friends, tonight will tell us a lot about each one of these teams. I can’t wait.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Recapping a Wild Saturday in Basketball
2/24/13
Ben Fishman
It was another big Saturday in college hoops yesterday. From Kentucky keeping its NCAA Tournament hopes alive, to Georgetown sealing the deal on the Carrier Dome, we’ve got it all.
What about Kentucky? They needed a win and got one. And it was a big one. Missouri came in fresh off an upset of #5 Florida on Tuesday night, but once again showed that it’s a team that can’t be trusted outside of Columbia. The loss drops them to 1-6 on the road in the SEC, and playing in half filled arenas like LSU doesn’t make me that optimistic that they’ll suddenly figure it out in March. Kentucky isn’t dead yet and the win keeps them in, barely, according to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi. But the stretch gets tougher for UK, they still have Florida on their schedule March 9th.
Memphis keeps on winning, and who cares if it’s against inferior competition? Winning 18 in a row is incredibly hard to do, and Memphis makes it look easy. In their game yesterday, an 89-73 drubbing of Southern Miss, the Tigers scored 29 baskets on 25 assists. That’s a truly unselfish team. Memphis gets a chance to showcase itself to the nation on Tuesday night, in an ESPN2 game at Xavier. The Musketeers, are 15-11 and have yet to play Atlantic Ten leader St. Louis, but dropped a close game to VCU last night. It’s a must win for both teams. For Xavier, they need a quality win to bolster a resume that includes an early season win over Butler and Purdue, but also includes a loss to Wofford and Vanderbilt. For Memphis, the Tigers need to keep winning, and dropping a game to Xavier will give all the naysayers in America plenty of ammunition to launch at Memphis come March.
What has happened to Miami? Their luck finally ran out at Wake Forest last night, dropping their first game in ACC play, and it wasn’t even close. The Hurricanes were out hustled and out played by the smaller Demon Deacons, and deserved to lose by more than 15. Give them credit for fighting back, but their last four games are very troubling ahead of a rematch with Duke next Saturday. The loss likely drops Miami from its perch as a #1 seed, and they will have to beat Duke, probably twice, to get it back.
Gonzaga is now going to be the #2 team in America. And good for them. The Zags have done well this season and are getting every teams best shot out West. The 1-2 punch of Kelly Olynyk and Kevin Pangos, is as good as it gets in America. Factor in Elias Harris, and this team is scary good. They’ve got a big one at BYU next week, and if they win that one, they’ll likely win out and earn a #1 seed in the Los Angeles regional.
Speaking of teams out West, St. Mary’s finally put it together in a win over Creighton. Guard Matt Dellavedova is as good as it gets when it comes to directing an offense. The win yesterday likely gives St. Mary’s enough ammunition to sneak in as an at-large team if it doesn’t beat Gonzaga in the West Coast tournament. Meanwhile Creighton is in trouble. They need a big win over Wichita State next Saturday to assure themselves a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
North Carolina picked up a huge win and finally seem to be putting all the pieces together. They’ll be a tough out in March and could be the dark horse candidate to steal the ACC’s crown. The victory over N.C. State was huge in terms of seeding. They’re now in sole possession of 3rd place and would get Duke in the semi finals. UNC still gets the return game with the Blue Devils on March 9th in Chapel Hill, and if they get that one, they could be scary.
Villanova and Georgetown picked up two huge wins yesterday. For ‘Nova, they turned away a good Marquette squad and further boosted their resume. They now have wins over Marquette, Syracuse and Louisville. If they keep this up, and sneak another win out next week over Pitt, then they’re gonna be dancing come Selection Sunday.
And finally we get to the game of the day. Georgetown-Syracuse more than lived up to its billing. Saturday morning I said that for the Hoyas to win, Otto Porter had to be big. He was that and way more as Georgetown went on the road and picked up a huge victory in front of a sell out crowd of 35,012 inside the Carrier Dome. The biggest part of the victory? It now gives John Thompson III’s squad sole possession of first place in the Big East.
It was a wild Saturday and this next week promises to be even better. As the final days of February tail off, we will quickly move into the best month of the year, March. Let the Madness begin, almost.
Ben Fishman
It was another big Saturday in college hoops yesterday. From Kentucky keeping its NCAA Tournament hopes alive, to Georgetown sealing the deal on the Carrier Dome, we’ve got it all.
What about Kentucky? They needed a win and got one. And it was a big one. Missouri came in fresh off an upset of #5 Florida on Tuesday night, but once again showed that it’s a team that can’t be trusted outside of Columbia. The loss drops them to 1-6 on the road in the SEC, and playing in half filled arenas like LSU doesn’t make me that optimistic that they’ll suddenly figure it out in March. Kentucky isn’t dead yet and the win keeps them in, barely, according to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi. But the stretch gets tougher for UK, they still have Florida on their schedule March 9th.
Memphis keeps on winning, and who cares if it’s against inferior competition? Winning 18 in a row is incredibly hard to do, and Memphis makes it look easy. In their game yesterday, an 89-73 drubbing of Southern Miss, the Tigers scored 29 baskets on 25 assists. That’s a truly unselfish team. Memphis gets a chance to showcase itself to the nation on Tuesday night, in an ESPN2 game at Xavier. The Musketeers, are 15-11 and have yet to play Atlantic Ten leader St. Louis, but dropped a close game to VCU last night. It’s a must win for both teams. For Xavier, they need a quality win to bolster a resume that includes an early season win over Butler and Purdue, but also includes a loss to Wofford and Vanderbilt. For Memphis, the Tigers need to keep winning, and dropping a game to Xavier will give all the naysayers in America plenty of ammunition to launch at Memphis come March.
What has happened to Miami? Their luck finally ran out at Wake Forest last night, dropping their first game in ACC play, and it wasn’t even close. The Hurricanes were out hustled and out played by the smaller Demon Deacons, and deserved to lose by more than 15. Give them credit for fighting back, but their last four games are very troubling ahead of a rematch with Duke next Saturday. The loss likely drops Miami from its perch as a #1 seed, and they will have to beat Duke, probably twice, to get it back.
Gonzaga is now going to be the #2 team in America. And good for them. The Zags have done well this season and are getting every teams best shot out West. The 1-2 punch of Kelly Olynyk and Kevin Pangos, is as good as it gets in America. Factor in Elias Harris, and this team is scary good. They’ve got a big one at BYU next week, and if they win that one, they’ll likely win out and earn a #1 seed in the Los Angeles regional.
Speaking of teams out West, St. Mary’s finally put it together in a win over Creighton. Guard Matt Dellavedova is as good as it gets when it comes to directing an offense. The win yesterday likely gives St. Mary’s enough ammunition to sneak in as an at-large team if it doesn’t beat Gonzaga in the West Coast tournament. Meanwhile Creighton is in trouble. They need a big win over Wichita State next Saturday to assure themselves a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
North Carolina picked up a huge win and finally seem to be putting all the pieces together. They’ll be a tough out in March and could be the dark horse candidate to steal the ACC’s crown. The victory over N.C. State was huge in terms of seeding. They’re now in sole possession of 3rd place and would get Duke in the semi finals. UNC still gets the return game with the Blue Devils on March 9th in Chapel Hill, and if they get that one, they could be scary.
Villanova and Georgetown picked up two huge wins yesterday. For ‘Nova, they turned away a good Marquette squad and further boosted their resume. They now have wins over Marquette, Syracuse and Louisville. If they keep this up, and sneak another win out next week over Pitt, then they’re gonna be dancing come Selection Sunday.
And finally we get to the game of the day. Georgetown-Syracuse more than lived up to its billing. Saturday morning I said that for the Hoyas to win, Otto Porter had to be big. He was that and way more as Georgetown went on the road and picked up a huge victory in front of a sell out crowd of 35,012 inside the Carrier Dome. The biggest part of the victory? It now gives John Thompson III’s squad sole possession of first place in the Big East.
It was a wild Saturday and this next week promises to be even better. As the final days of February tail off, we will quickly move into the best month of the year, March. Let the Madness begin, almost.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Saturday Selections 2/23
2/23/13
Ben Fishman
Welcome to the last Saturday in February folks! Next Saturday is go time. Why? It’s March, the best month of the year. With 15 days until the final day of the regular season, let’s take a look around America.
Southern Miss at #19 Memphis FSN 1:00 p.m.
This is a rematch of a game from two weeks ago that put Memphis back in the polls. Since then, the Tigers have kept winning, extending the nation’s longest winning streak to 17. Southern Miss on the other hand, has won three in a row and kept an RPI in the top 40. This is a must win on the road for the Golden Eagles to assure themselves of an at-large bid. Memphis dominated the first game, controlling the pace and will do so again at home.
Memphis 81 Southern Miss 71
#11 Georgetown at #8 Syracuse CBS 4:00 p.m.
Remember when it was Jim Boeheim vs. John Thompson III? Those were the days. Now, as Syracuse prepares to leave for new conference land, and Georgetown plans to join its six best friends, we see the end of a great rivalry. Much like Kansas-Missouri last year, expect this game to be full of emotion and full of everything that makes us love college basketball. Otto Porter is my key for Georgetown today, if he has a big game, and the rest of the Hoyas can shoot around Syracuse’s zone, then it’ll be a fun day in New York. I like the upset.
Georgetown 65 Syracuse 62
Stanford at #23 Oregon PACN 8:00 p.m.
What about the season the Ducks are having? Oregon is putting together quite a campaign for the Pac-12 title, and it needs to win tonight to stay in contention. The Ducks were knocked off by Cal earlier this week, and must regroup. They’re still in a tie for first place with Arizona, but three teams are all within one game. The finish out West might be as good as any other conference in America.
Oregon 75 Stanford 63
Missouri at Kentucky ESPN 9:00 p.m.
John Calipari’s Kentucky squad got a much needed victory earlier this week against a scrappy Vandy club at home. It was a game too close for comfort, and Coach Cal hopes this one isn’t much of the same. Missouri comes in 1-5 on the road in SEC play, but upset Florida at home on Tuesday. Kentucky needs this win to stay alive in the quest for an at-large bid. After this battle, UK gets Mississippi State, road games at Arkansas and Georgia, and then another big game at home against Florida. They need this one tonight, though. Or it may be NIT.
Missouri 69 Kentucky 63
Illinois at #7 Michigan ESPN 1:00 p.m Sunday
Michigan needs a win to stay in contention in the Big Ten race, and can still win the regular season title. The Wolverines get road games against Purdue and Penn State before Indiana on March 10th, but now find themselves 2.5 back of the league leading Hoosiers. Illinois is looking for another big victory to boost its at-large chances, and desperately wants to work up to a top 4 seed in Chicago. Going to Michigan is never easy, and I expect the Wolverines to be clicking ahead a quick two game road trip, in preparation for IU.
Michigan 73 Illinois 67
Michigan State at Ohio State CBS 4:00 p.m. Sunday
Want to see a huge game on Sunday? Look no further. Michigan State, fresh off its defeat Tuesday to Indiana, gets to travel to Ohio State this weekend. OSU gets its third straight CBS Sunday game, and they hope this one goes better than the last two, losses to Indiana and at Wisconsin. Neither team can afford a loss today and these two games will go a long way towards deciding who gets Thursday off in the Big Ten tournament, and who will have to win four games in four days. At the moment Ohio State is 5th in the conference, just half a game back of Michigan. Sparty is still in second place, but a loss Sunday could be bad.
Michigan State 62 Ohio State 59
Ben Fishman
Welcome to the last Saturday in February folks! Next Saturday is go time. Why? It’s March, the best month of the year. With 15 days until the final day of the regular season, let’s take a look around America.
Southern Miss at #19 Memphis FSN 1:00 p.m.
This is a rematch of a game from two weeks ago that put Memphis back in the polls. Since then, the Tigers have kept winning, extending the nation’s longest winning streak to 17. Southern Miss on the other hand, has won three in a row and kept an RPI in the top 40. This is a must win on the road for the Golden Eagles to assure themselves of an at-large bid. Memphis dominated the first game, controlling the pace and will do so again at home.
Memphis 81 Southern Miss 71
#11 Georgetown at #8 Syracuse CBS 4:00 p.m.
Remember when it was Jim Boeheim vs. John Thompson III? Those were the days. Now, as Syracuse prepares to leave for new conference land, and Georgetown plans to join its six best friends, we see the end of a great rivalry. Much like Kansas-Missouri last year, expect this game to be full of emotion and full of everything that makes us love college basketball. Otto Porter is my key for Georgetown today, if he has a big game, and the rest of the Hoyas can shoot around Syracuse’s zone, then it’ll be a fun day in New York. I like the upset.
Georgetown 65 Syracuse 62
Stanford at #23 Oregon PACN 8:00 p.m.
What about the season the Ducks are having? Oregon is putting together quite a campaign for the Pac-12 title, and it needs to win tonight to stay in contention. The Ducks were knocked off by Cal earlier this week, and must regroup. They’re still in a tie for first place with Arizona, but three teams are all within one game. The finish out West might be as good as any other conference in America.
Oregon 75 Stanford 63
Missouri at Kentucky ESPN 9:00 p.m.
John Calipari’s Kentucky squad got a much needed victory earlier this week against a scrappy Vandy club at home. It was a game too close for comfort, and Coach Cal hopes this one isn’t much of the same. Missouri comes in 1-5 on the road in SEC play, but upset Florida at home on Tuesday. Kentucky needs this win to stay alive in the quest for an at-large bid. After this battle, UK gets Mississippi State, road games at Arkansas and Georgia, and then another big game at home against Florida. They need this one tonight, though. Or it may be NIT.
Missouri 69 Kentucky 63
Illinois at #7 Michigan ESPN 1:00 p.m Sunday
Michigan needs a win to stay in contention in the Big Ten race, and can still win the regular season title. The Wolverines get road games against Purdue and Penn State before Indiana on March 10th, but now find themselves 2.5 back of the league leading Hoosiers. Illinois is looking for another big victory to boost its at-large chances, and desperately wants to work up to a top 4 seed in Chicago. Going to Michigan is never easy, and I expect the Wolverines to be clicking ahead a quick two game road trip, in preparation for IU.
Michigan 73 Illinois 67
Michigan State at Ohio State CBS 4:00 p.m. Sunday
Want to see a huge game on Sunday? Look no further. Michigan State, fresh off its defeat Tuesday to Indiana, gets to travel to Ohio State this weekend. OSU gets its third straight CBS Sunday game, and they hope this one goes better than the last two, losses to Indiana and at Wisconsin. Neither team can afford a loss today and these two games will go a long way towards deciding who gets Thursday off in the Big Ten tournament, and who will have to win four games in four days. At the moment Ohio State is 5th in the conference, just half a game back of Michigan. Sparty is still in second place, but a loss Sunday could be bad.
Michigan State 62 Ohio State 59
Friday, February 22, 2013
Contender or Pretender? Miami
2/22/13
Ben Fishman
If you had Miami, yes the one in South Beach, being undefeated in the ACC heading into the last week of February at the beginning of the year, raise your hand. Very few of you, okay. If you had Jim Larranaga as your Coach of the Year, please, raise your hand. None of you, that’s better. The reality is that nobody could have predicted this sort of outburst from Miami’s other team. The Hurricanes enter the last weekend of February at 12-0 in the ACC and 22-3 overall.
So the question now becomes, contender or pretender?
For Miami, it’s a very simple offense but one that is pretty efficient. They love to clear the way for their talented guards Durand Scott and Shane Larkin who are averaging 26 points between them. When they’re locked down, Miami has a beast inside named Reggie Johnson, who is averaging 9.4 points and 8.3 rebounds good for 6th in the conference. Alongside him is Kenny Kadji. To borrow a quote from Moneyball, he’s the Greek God of efficiency, except he’s from Cameroon. Kadji is your do it all guy, someone you can count on throughout the whole game. He averages 12.8 points, shoots 48% from the field and isn’t horrible from beyond the arc, shooting 36%. The three seniors, Larkin is a sophomore, do a great job of carrying Miami. But that’s about where it stops.
Miami is a team that isn’t going to kill you with its athleticism or its depth. Miami probably goes about seven deep, not great for a team competing to win a national championship. The Hurricanes top seven guys, and that’s really it, average between 6.6 and 13.1 points per game. Comparing that to a team like Indiana, the Hoosiers top 6 guys average 71.7 points per game, while the Hurricanes need their entire rotation to get to 70.7. Miami is a team that clearly lacks the star power of an Indiana or a Michigan State.
What Miami does do well is rebound. The Hurricanes are one of the better rebounding squads in America at check in at just over 36 per game, using their size and strength inside to bully other teams around. They also win and not only win, but they find a way to survive and grit out wins. Larranaga’s team has won eight games within ten points and three games within one possession.
Now time for what Miami doesn’t do so well. Where to begin? The Hurricanes are a team that don’t share the ball well. They average a mediocre 11.7 assists per game which is good for 261st in the country. Miami averages less than 70 points which checks them in at 140th in America and five times this year have failed to crack 60 points.
Miami takes good care of the ball, coming in at 20th in the country, but they don’t force many turnovers. The Hurricanes 176th in the nation in steals per game, meaning when they aren’t taking care of the ball, they can’t rely on their defense to get easy points.
Finally, Miami isn’t a team that is going to beat you with the deep ball. The Hurricanes come in shooting just over 35% in three point field goal percentage. A team can drop to a zone and have their way with Miami’s shooters if they wish, which is what a Syracuse would do should they run into the Hurricanes in March.
So back to the original question. The scoring isn’t always there for Miami. In their last two games they’re averaging 49.5 points per game, in two games they probably should have wound up losing. The bench isn’t great, but it isn’t horrible either, it’s just not deep as they only have seven players that contribute. Miami isn’t a team that is going to wow you with their star power either.
For example, if a Michigan comes out, you’re immediately going to be drawn to Tim Burke or Tim Hardaway Jr., just the way you’d be drawn to Mason Plumlee and Seth Curry at Duke. Miami doesn’t have those type of guys on their roster.
Miami though is a team that could very easily be 25-0. They lost to Florida Gulf Coast without Durand Scott. They lost to Indiana State and Arizona without Reggie Johnson. But they had the full collection against Duke, the game that showed the nation that Miami had arrived. In a 27 point thrashing of the Blue Devils, Miami slowed the pace and stepped up the defensive intensity. Don’t forget that Duke didn’t have Ryan Kelly though, a player that Duke desperately needs back. But if that Miami team shows up every night, then Miami will be tough to beat.
The problem is that their are way too many question marks on this Miami team. They don’t defend as well as some of the better teams in the country, and their low assist rate is pretty troubling. Add to that the fact that they only go seven deep is very concerning. They lost each of their games missing one of their top four guys. What’s the end result if that happens in March? Not good.
This is a Miami team that will likely get Duke two more times, once in early March, and again in the ACC Tournament. If they drop those games, as well as any other contest, it’s clear to say that Miami will lose its shot at a #1 seed. For me, they’re a two seed, and for me, they’re a team you won’t be seeing very much of in March.
Miami = Pretender
Ben Fishman
If you had Miami, yes the one in South Beach, being undefeated in the ACC heading into the last week of February at the beginning of the year, raise your hand. Very few of you, okay. If you had Jim Larranaga as your Coach of the Year, please, raise your hand. None of you, that’s better. The reality is that nobody could have predicted this sort of outburst from Miami’s other team. The Hurricanes enter the last weekend of February at 12-0 in the ACC and 22-3 overall.
So the question now becomes, contender or pretender?
For Miami, it’s a very simple offense but one that is pretty efficient. They love to clear the way for their talented guards Durand Scott and Shane Larkin who are averaging 26 points between them. When they’re locked down, Miami has a beast inside named Reggie Johnson, who is averaging 9.4 points and 8.3 rebounds good for 6th in the conference. Alongside him is Kenny Kadji. To borrow a quote from Moneyball, he’s the Greek God of efficiency, except he’s from Cameroon. Kadji is your do it all guy, someone you can count on throughout the whole game. He averages 12.8 points, shoots 48% from the field and isn’t horrible from beyond the arc, shooting 36%. The three seniors, Larkin is a sophomore, do a great job of carrying Miami. But that’s about where it stops.
Miami is a team that isn’t going to kill you with its athleticism or its depth. Miami probably goes about seven deep, not great for a team competing to win a national championship. The Hurricanes top seven guys, and that’s really it, average between 6.6 and 13.1 points per game. Comparing that to a team like Indiana, the Hoosiers top 6 guys average 71.7 points per game, while the Hurricanes need their entire rotation to get to 70.7. Miami is a team that clearly lacks the star power of an Indiana or a Michigan State.
What Miami does do well is rebound. The Hurricanes are one of the better rebounding squads in America at check in at just over 36 per game, using their size and strength inside to bully other teams around. They also win and not only win, but they find a way to survive and grit out wins. Larranaga’s team has won eight games within ten points and three games within one possession.
Now time for what Miami doesn’t do so well. Where to begin? The Hurricanes are a team that don’t share the ball well. They average a mediocre 11.7 assists per game which is good for 261st in the country. Miami averages less than 70 points which checks them in at 140th in America and five times this year have failed to crack 60 points.
Miami takes good care of the ball, coming in at 20th in the country, but they don’t force many turnovers. The Hurricanes 176th in the nation in steals per game, meaning when they aren’t taking care of the ball, they can’t rely on their defense to get easy points.
Finally, Miami isn’t a team that is going to beat you with the deep ball. The Hurricanes come in shooting just over 35% in three point field goal percentage. A team can drop to a zone and have their way with Miami’s shooters if they wish, which is what a Syracuse would do should they run into the Hurricanes in March.
So back to the original question. The scoring isn’t always there for Miami. In their last two games they’re averaging 49.5 points per game, in two games they probably should have wound up losing. The bench isn’t great, but it isn’t horrible either, it’s just not deep as they only have seven players that contribute. Miami isn’t a team that is going to wow you with their star power either.
For example, if a Michigan comes out, you’re immediately going to be drawn to Tim Burke or Tim Hardaway Jr., just the way you’d be drawn to Mason Plumlee and Seth Curry at Duke. Miami doesn’t have those type of guys on their roster.
Miami though is a team that could very easily be 25-0. They lost to Florida Gulf Coast without Durand Scott. They lost to Indiana State and Arizona without Reggie Johnson. But they had the full collection against Duke, the game that showed the nation that Miami had arrived. In a 27 point thrashing of the Blue Devils, Miami slowed the pace and stepped up the defensive intensity. Don’t forget that Duke didn’t have Ryan Kelly though, a player that Duke desperately needs back. But if that Miami team shows up every night, then Miami will be tough to beat.
The problem is that their are way too many question marks on this Miami team. They don’t defend as well as some of the better teams in the country, and their low assist rate is pretty troubling. Add to that the fact that they only go seven deep is very concerning. They lost each of their games missing one of their top four guys. What’s the end result if that happens in March? Not good.
This is a Miami team that will likely get Duke two more times, once in early March, and again in the ACC Tournament. If they drop those games, as well as any other contest, it’s clear to say that Miami will lose its shot at a #1 seed. For me, they’re a two seed, and for me, they’re a team you won’t be seeing very much of in March.
Miami = Pretender
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Hey, NCAA, Fix This, Too
2/21/13
Ben Fishman
During Tuesday night’s clash between two Big Ten titans on ESPN, the game was at a turning point. The top ranked Indiana Hoosiers had relinquished the lead to #3 Michigan State in East Lansing.
As Michigan State took its biggest lead of the night, a four point cushion in front of a frenzied crowd, the officials stopped play. The play in question? Apparently Michigan State forward Derrick Nix was trying to get to know Cody Zeller a little better, and referee Tim Valentine quickly blew the whistle. Whatever side you are on as it pertains to who was at fault between Zeller and Nix, I think they both were, you have to see what the stoppage in time did. Sparty was making its run. The Izzone was rocking and the top ranked Hoosiers chances at a Big Ten regular season title were at stake. Then the officials halted play. Their response? No call.
It was ridiculous really. The officials stopped play here for several minutes just to decide that they couldn’t do anything, when video evidence clearly showed something happened. At the very least somebody should have received a technical or a flagrant foul. But nothing happened, even though earlier in the game the refs awarded a technical foul to Christian Watford for making a routine drive and making contact with his elbow above the shoulders of a Spartan defender. Instead what we got was an obvious stop in momentum.
This is a prime example of what is wrong in college basketball. I agree, there is no place in basketball for these actions, but we are giving officials way too much power during the course of a game. At seemingly any moment, an official can stop play to check any number of things. They can check if a 3 point basket was a 2, they can check on the clock, they can go back in time on video and call fouls they missed in the first place. Why not wait until the next time out?NCAA officials are what’s bad for the sport right now. I’ll go as far as saying that next to injuries, the officials are having the second worst impact on the game.
The NBA officials are just that, officials. When the NBA officials are done with their games, they hop on a plane and head to the next city to ref the next game. When NCAA officials are done, they go home. They go to their day jobs. NCAA officials are part time guys, meaning when their not stopping games in pivotal moments, they’re selling you insurance, or they’re working in an office somewhere. That is ridiculous. Let’s say official A comes into your arena. Official A drove six hours to get here. He’s tired. His family wants him home but he knows that when he’s done officiating this game, he has to get back in his car and drive six hours to open up at his real estate firm. Think his head is in the game?
Now take an NBA official. He’s fresh, he’s ready to ref this game. He saw his family two days ago and gets to see them tomorrow morning when he flies back home. Wouldn’t you rather have this guy? The NCAA needs to fix this. And it’s not just the fact that they’re part time officials.
The NCAA official has too much control over the pace and the course of a basketball game. During Wednesday night’s game between Kansas and Oklahoma State, the words “Official Review,” were as prevalent on the ESPN telecast as the score at the bottom of the screen.
How about earlier this season in a game between Arizona and Colorado. The Buffs had just hit what looked to be a game winning three, knocking off Arizona at home and sending them from the ranks of the unbeaten. The refs, obviously, went to go to the monitor to check the last second shot, probably the only thing they get right. If you haven’t seen the still image of this shot go look it up. It went in, and it was clearly out of Sabatino Chen’s hands before time ran off the clock, but the officials said it was no good. And Colorado lost in overtime. Even when they get it right, the officials by rule had to review the play, they get it wrong.
This isn’t sour grapes by any means. The officials regularly do a good job, but in the recent years we’ve seen several suspensions of officials and several egregious calls by guys who should be working at your local Mercedes Benz store. It’s sad that the NCAA, with its never ending budget can’t hire full time officials. Of course, the NCAA is dealing with the bundling of the Miami case at the moment, so we should cut them some slack while they’re being investigated by themselves.
But the NCAA needs to do something about this. It’s not this bad in football is it? The stoppages are so prevalent in the sport that it’s becoming ridiculous to sit down and just enjoy a game. When they’re not stopping time, they’re blowing their whistle too much. People pay to see the best players play, not sit on the bench.
So this is an open plea to the NCAA. When the summer meetings commence in Indy, if you guys haven’t been dragged through the street by Frank Haith and Jim Larranaga yet, set some time aside to address these problems, because they are getting old, very fast. Hey, how ironic.
Ben Fishman
During Tuesday night’s clash between two Big Ten titans on ESPN, the game was at a turning point. The top ranked Indiana Hoosiers had relinquished the lead to #3 Michigan State in East Lansing.
As Michigan State took its biggest lead of the night, a four point cushion in front of a frenzied crowd, the officials stopped play. The play in question? Apparently Michigan State forward Derrick Nix was trying to get to know Cody Zeller a little better, and referee Tim Valentine quickly blew the whistle. Whatever side you are on as it pertains to who was at fault between Zeller and Nix, I think they both were, you have to see what the stoppage in time did. Sparty was making its run. The Izzone was rocking and the top ranked Hoosiers chances at a Big Ten regular season title were at stake. Then the officials halted play. Their response? No call.
It was ridiculous really. The officials stopped play here for several minutes just to decide that they couldn’t do anything, when video evidence clearly showed something happened. At the very least somebody should have received a technical or a flagrant foul. But nothing happened, even though earlier in the game the refs awarded a technical foul to Christian Watford for making a routine drive and making contact with his elbow above the shoulders of a Spartan defender. Instead what we got was an obvious stop in momentum.
This is a prime example of what is wrong in college basketball. I agree, there is no place in basketball for these actions, but we are giving officials way too much power during the course of a game. At seemingly any moment, an official can stop play to check any number of things. They can check if a 3 point basket was a 2, they can check on the clock, they can go back in time on video and call fouls they missed in the first place. Why not wait until the next time out?NCAA officials are what’s bad for the sport right now. I’ll go as far as saying that next to injuries, the officials are having the second worst impact on the game.
The NBA officials are just that, officials. When the NBA officials are done with their games, they hop on a plane and head to the next city to ref the next game. When NCAA officials are done, they go home. They go to their day jobs. NCAA officials are part time guys, meaning when their not stopping games in pivotal moments, they’re selling you insurance, or they’re working in an office somewhere. That is ridiculous. Let’s say official A comes into your arena. Official A drove six hours to get here. He’s tired. His family wants him home but he knows that when he’s done officiating this game, he has to get back in his car and drive six hours to open up at his real estate firm. Think his head is in the game?
Now take an NBA official. He’s fresh, he’s ready to ref this game. He saw his family two days ago and gets to see them tomorrow morning when he flies back home. Wouldn’t you rather have this guy? The NCAA needs to fix this. And it’s not just the fact that they’re part time officials.
The NCAA official has too much control over the pace and the course of a basketball game. During Wednesday night’s game between Kansas and Oklahoma State, the words “Official Review,” were as prevalent on the ESPN telecast as the score at the bottom of the screen.
How about earlier this season in a game between Arizona and Colorado. The Buffs had just hit what looked to be a game winning three, knocking off Arizona at home and sending them from the ranks of the unbeaten. The refs, obviously, went to go to the monitor to check the last second shot, probably the only thing they get right. If you haven’t seen the still image of this shot go look it up. It went in, and it was clearly out of Sabatino Chen’s hands before time ran off the clock, but the officials said it was no good. And Colorado lost in overtime. Even when they get it right, the officials by rule had to review the play, they get it wrong.
This isn’t sour grapes by any means. The officials regularly do a good job, but in the recent years we’ve seen several suspensions of officials and several egregious calls by guys who should be working at your local Mercedes Benz store. It’s sad that the NCAA, with its never ending budget can’t hire full time officials. Of course, the NCAA is dealing with the bundling of the Miami case at the moment, so we should cut them some slack while they’re being investigated by themselves.
But the NCAA needs to do something about this. It’s not this bad in football is it? The stoppages are so prevalent in the sport that it’s becoming ridiculous to sit down and just enjoy a game. When they’re not stopping time, they’re blowing their whistle too much. People pay to see the best players play, not sit on the bench.
So this is an open plea to the NCAA. When the summer meetings commence in Indy, if you guys haven’t been dragged through the street by Frank Haith and Jim Larranaga yet, set some time aside to address these problems, because they are getting old, very fast. Hey, how ironic.
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