No sooner had the NFL draft ended was I able to check out 317 different evaluations and grades of every team's picks... and I don't know how Cleveland got a B+ while Cincinnati got a B-. What are you thinking, NBC?
Premature Evaluation-- don't even try to grade your team's picks until somebody gets cut or makes the Pro Bowl. It's a long way from August. And a long way from December. GM's say it takes 2 to 3 years to get a complete gage on a draft class... by which times many of those GM's are gone.
First picks first-- one year after Detroit drafted the guy who looked like Sandra Bullock's husband in Hope Floats (Matthew Stafford) first overall, St Louis selects Sam Bradford-- who just happens to be a dead ringer for Sandra's Proposal co-star Ryan Reynolds. This bookends Sandra getting an Oscar for starring as Michael Oher's adoptive mom in the Blind Side. Are there any Keanu Reeves lookalikes playing college football now? Because your odds at getting drafted early have just gone up.
Skins tackle a need-- the drafting of Oklahoma tackle Trent Williams was a long time coming... perhaps about three or four years. The 6 foot 5, 315 pounder should be the cornerstone of coach Mike Shanahan's revamping of the offensive line. Williams should start. Williams should shine.
Jason, we hardly knew ye-- I was surprised the Saturday trade of Jason Campbell didn't happen sooner... and I was surprised it didn't yield a pick any sooner than 2012. Was he a great quarterback? No, but he was never in an ideal situation in Ashburn. Now he leaves an organization apparently finally on the right track for the Ottoman Empire of the AFC West. Ouch. And the Skins only got a fourth rounder in return.
Saturday Selections-- With Donovan McNabb coming to Washington in exchange for a second rounder and the third round selection vacated for the choice of defensive lineman Jerome Jarmon (both good moves, by the way) the next Skins pick came in round four-- and the selection of LSU LB Perry Riley gives the going to the 3-4 defense another body to plug in the inside. The rest of the draft yielded four offensive players: sixth rounder Louisiana Tech TE/FB Dennis Morris may be the Mike Sellers of the future; seventh round selection UCLA WR Terrence Austin doesn't have a lot of size but can turn into this year's Marko Mitchell (August MVP), while seventh rounders New Mexico center Erik Cook and West Virginia tackle Selvish Capers will provide training camp depth and in an ideal situation keep the incumbents on their toes.
Handing out grades: as mentioned, the three year gage can be tricky-- especially when the coach (Joe Gibbs) and personnel man (Vinny Cerrato) are no longer around. How'd the dynamic duo do in 2007?:
1--(pick 6) LaRon Landry was chosen after many thought the Skins would pick an offensive or defensive lineman . Landry's started 47 games and has averaged 83 tackles during his career- although his big play stats of 3 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and 4 interceptions are somewhat lacking.
5--(pick 143) USC LB Dallas Sartz spent just one year in the NFL...notching one tackle over three preseason games.
6--(pick 179) Pitt LB H.B. Blades did stick with the team... averaging 40 tackles a season while becoming a special teams standout and starting six games over three years.
6--(pick 205) UTEP QB Jordan Palmer's tenure in Ashburn was two completions in eight attempts in the preseason finale with Jacksonville. He's played the last two years with Cincinnati.
7--(pick 216) Michigan TE Tyler Ecker played two preseason games with the Skins in his only NFL season.
So-- minus second, third and fourth round picks the Skins still find one starter and one special teamer with three washouts... not a lot of quality or quantity-- and not one offensive lineman taken by a team whose trenches were beginning to dissolve. The bigger issue of that era, though was the spending of draft picks for the likes of TJ Duckett and Brandon Lloyd robbed this team of top-100 prospects that could have provided depth or the opportunity to find a diamond in the rough.
CAPS playing like lowercase-- one week ago the Capitals were flying high after three straight wins (two in Montreal)... now they're fighting for their postseason lives against the eighth seed of the Eastern Conference. This is the fourth game seven in four postseason series for coach Bruce Boudreau-- don't say the Caps aren't giving fans maximum opportunities to see their team play.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Feeling a draft... ALL CAPS! ... baseball's begun...really?
NFL Draft time is here-- and that can only mean not just one or two days of coverage, but three full days of anticipation on ESPN. This remains progress in my mind--I'd rather have three days of action as opposed to last year where there was nothing but massive mock drafts leading up to the actual selection process.
As of Tuesday, the Redskins have just four picks-- their first rounder (4th overall), fourth and fifth rounders, plus a seventh. In theory they'd be collecting picks for players like Jason Campbell (irrevelant with Donovan McNabb in town), Albert Haynesworth (not an ideal fit for the 3-4) and anybody else they can shop around (Portis? Cooley?)... but that hasn't happened yet. I've heard the Campbell to Oakland rumor-- his arm works well with Al Davis' vertical game-- but would Davis/Shanahan deal with the other with all of their bad blood? I don't know if ex-Raider front office man Bruce Allen's on speaking terms with the corpse, either. The hot rumor for Haynesworth has been dealing the DT to Detroit-- where his former coordinator Jim Schwartz (who got the most out of him in Tennessee) would coach him up. There may already be deals in place, and both teams just waiting until draft day to announce.
Still, four picks doesn't seem to leave much room for error-- or even a minor mistake. The problem with the Cerrato regime wasn't that they chose badly... it's that over the long haul the Skins didn't have as many picks-- which meant less quality from quantity, less diamonds in the rough, and less salary-cap back-breakers. Unfortunately the Allen/Shanahan era begins with a sense of deja vu.
This franchise has long neglected its offensive line- since the drafting of double bookends Chris Samuels and Jon Jansen a decade ago. That doesn't mean they'll take Russell Okung or Trent Williams, but with the team replenishing skill positions in free agency and bringing in defensive help last year they'd look to revamp the OL this April.
Keep in mind when the Skins were taking three receivers in 2008, they passed on USC's Sam Baker, Virginia Tech's Duane Brown, Arizona State's Mike Pollak and my favorite-- USC OL sparkplug Chilo Rachal. All were taken in the first and second rounds of that draft and all have started for their respective NFL teams.
There's nothing quite like playoff overtime hockey-- and the Capitals enjoyed famine and feast in games one and two against Montreal. The third period rally Saturday was a postseason saving surge-- and credit coach Bruce Boudreau for pressing the right (Semyon Varlamov) buttons to turn the series around. Hello, Niklas Backstrom! Four goals and two assists over three games takes a little attention away from Alex Ovechkin; if the center stays hot Ovie will have a little more room to work as the postseason proceeds.
Nationals notes-- instead of last year's disastrous April, the Nationals are actually playing above .500 ball to start the season. Granted, thirteen games does not a season make, but they could be the sinkhole that is the Orioles. The steady hand and hot bat of Pudge Rodriguez is paying dividends (.450!) while Josh Willingham is turning in another solid year. The pitching might be suspect-- Jason Marquis guilty to the tune of a 20.52 ERA-- but at least the bullpen is better than 2009's cheap cigar.
O's woes-- ouch. Add an April west coast trip with late-night losses, an early season 12 game streak against Boston and the Yankees... and you have the recipe for an early season managerial change. At least that's the new Oriole Way.
As of Tuesday, the Redskins have just four picks-- their first rounder (4th overall), fourth and fifth rounders, plus a seventh. In theory they'd be collecting picks for players like Jason Campbell (irrevelant with Donovan McNabb in town), Albert Haynesworth (not an ideal fit for the 3-4) and anybody else they can shop around (Portis? Cooley?)... but that hasn't happened yet. I've heard the Campbell to Oakland rumor-- his arm works well with Al Davis' vertical game-- but would Davis/Shanahan deal with the other with all of their bad blood? I don't know if ex-Raider front office man Bruce Allen's on speaking terms with the corpse, either. The hot rumor for Haynesworth has been dealing the DT to Detroit-- where his former coordinator Jim Schwartz (who got the most out of him in Tennessee) would coach him up. There may already be deals in place, and both teams just waiting until draft day to announce.
Still, four picks doesn't seem to leave much room for error-- or even a minor mistake. The problem with the Cerrato regime wasn't that they chose badly... it's that over the long haul the Skins didn't have as many picks-- which meant less quality from quantity, less diamonds in the rough, and less salary-cap back-breakers. Unfortunately the Allen/Shanahan era begins with a sense of deja vu.
This franchise has long neglected its offensive line- since the drafting of double bookends Chris Samuels and Jon Jansen a decade ago. That doesn't mean they'll take Russell Okung or Trent Williams, but with the team replenishing skill positions in free agency and bringing in defensive help last year they'd look to revamp the OL this April.
Keep in mind when the Skins were taking three receivers in 2008, they passed on USC's Sam Baker, Virginia Tech's Duane Brown, Arizona State's Mike Pollak and my favorite-- USC OL sparkplug Chilo Rachal. All were taken in the first and second rounds of that draft and all have started for their respective NFL teams.
There's nothing quite like playoff overtime hockey-- and the Capitals enjoyed famine and feast in games one and two against Montreal. The third period rally Saturday was a postseason saving surge-- and credit coach Bruce Boudreau for pressing the right (Semyon Varlamov) buttons to turn the series around. Hello, Niklas Backstrom! Four goals and two assists over three games takes a little attention away from Alex Ovechkin; if the center stays hot Ovie will have a little more room to work as the postseason proceeds.
Nationals notes-- instead of last year's disastrous April, the Nationals are actually playing above .500 ball to start the season. Granted, thirteen games does not a season make, but they could be the sinkhole that is the Orioles. The steady hand and hot bat of Pudge Rodriguez is paying dividends (.450!) while Josh Willingham is turning in another solid year. The pitching might be suspect-- Jason Marquis guilty to the tune of a 20.52 ERA-- but at least the bullpen is better than 2009's cheap cigar.
O's woes-- ouch. Add an April west coast trip with late-night losses, an early season 12 game streak against Boston and the Yankees... and you have the recipe for an early season managerial change. At least that's the new Oriole Way.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Sports Vortex Part 2-- Electric Boogaloo...
From season openers to tournament finales... from Tiger tracking to Skinsationalism... this week has been one for the sports ages.
Did Chitwood need a re-shoot? Those shots from Butler went in, right? Damn! Cinderella came oh so close to forcing a Hoosiers II-- this time it's Collegial... Gordon Hayward's miss kept the Bulldogs at bay-- and delivered a fourth national title in 20 years to Coach K and the Blue Devils. Hate them you may. Believe in conspiracies delivering an easy bracket to their feet if you must. Dislike their fan base, please. (a Maryland fan compared the Blue Devil and Tar Heel faithful by saying Dukies were obnoxious and in your face about how much better they were while UNCers were more assumed of their superiority-- like it was pre-ordained). But let the record show that Coach K graduates kids, runs a clean program and dominates the landscape.
Conference Call-- I grew up a Big East guy... and root for that league except in extreme situations (and even then I hoped for a mono outbreak at Duke-Georgetown). Just as I praise the Blue Devils, let me laud their league. The ACC has 5 of the last 10 national champions (Big East and SEC each have two while the Big 12 has one) and 8 of the last 20 titleists (SEC-5, Big East-2, Pac Ten-2 with one each for the Big 10 and 12). Despite watering down its product by bringing in football schools with little to offer on the court, the ACC shines again in March-- even though it's beginning to resemble Big Ten football from the 70's... with UNC and Duke in the upper tax bracket.
Shining Moment lacks polish-- Okay, so I sat through the Duke celebration (and Jim Nantz's "Duke is king!" pun-call) only to get a Syracuse-less "One Shining Moment". But the real disappointment was hearing not Luther Vandross but Jennifer Hudson. Hello? OSM is Luther's song... and if you're not going to play his version because he's deceased-- retire the song/his shining moment. Suggestion? "Win! In the End!" from Teenwolf.
Coaching Carousel-- the ACC didn't slow down once the offseason began; Oliver Purnell leaves Clemson for DePaul. While Purnell rebuilt the Tigers, they remained in the waiting room as opposed to breaking into the throne room. February fades and going bellyup in the NCAA's were as common as year by year improvement of the program as a whole. I'm surprised he left for a wasteland that is the Blue Demon program-- DePaul has poor facilities and is in a league it doesn't belong in... perhaps he can get them back into Conference USA (taking Marquette with them). Meanwhile, Dino Gaudio gets the axe at Wake Forest after winnign 61 games over three seasons... the kicker being the Demon Deacons were 1-5 in the ACC and NCAA tournaments. Gaudio took over on an interim basis after the offseason passing of Skip Prosser in 2007... and it will be interesting to see who Wake chooses to guide their program from here...Butler's Brad Stevens? Since Dave Odom righted the Demon Deacons in the early 90's, it's been a good program. Boston College wraps up the trio of moves by hiring Steve Donahue away from Cornell after the Big Red reached the Sweet Sixteen. He should be able to fit in well and recruit the Northeast... as the Eagles continue to operate as the isolated outpost of the ACC-- part of me wishes they still called the Big East home.
Changing of the guard at quarterback-- Donovan McNabb met with the media Tuesday... telling everyone he's excited to be coming to DC and that he looks forward to working with Mike Shanahan and how he feels 22 instead of 33. Still to be determined-- who the Skins pick at #4... what happens to Jason Campbell and if they deal him or he signs elsewhere the draft choices they'll get (with only four picks now, extra selections would be huge)... and if they'll move any other pieces (aka Albert Haynesworth, Chris Cooley, Laron Landry) for picks.
The Nationals began 2010 pretty much the same way they began last year; an 11-1 loss to Philadelphia underscored porous pitching...ineffective offense and a ballpark dominated by visiting fans. At least the sausage machine gun wasn't operating.
Tiger Woods tees off Thursday as the Masters restricted media and patron access gives him some cover in his return to the tour. How will golf's best player respond to being on the shelf since November? How quickly can he shake the rust? And how much will his game be affected by the absence of his old lifestyle? The aging second tier triumvirate of Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh has been on the precipice of a magical fourth major (only 25 have won four while 43 have won three majors) since 2006... one would think the trio would have a handful of major runs remaining in their respective careers.
Did Chitwood need a re-shoot? Those shots from Butler went in, right? Damn! Cinderella came oh so close to forcing a Hoosiers II-- this time it's Collegial... Gordon Hayward's miss kept the Bulldogs at bay-- and delivered a fourth national title in 20 years to Coach K and the Blue Devils. Hate them you may. Believe in conspiracies delivering an easy bracket to their feet if you must. Dislike their fan base, please. (a Maryland fan compared the Blue Devil and Tar Heel faithful by saying Dukies were obnoxious and in your face about how much better they were while UNCers were more assumed of their superiority-- like it was pre-ordained). But let the record show that Coach K graduates kids, runs a clean program and dominates the landscape.
Conference Call-- I grew up a Big East guy... and root for that league except in extreme situations (and even then I hoped for a mono outbreak at Duke-Georgetown). Just as I praise the Blue Devils, let me laud their league. The ACC has 5 of the last 10 national champions (Big East and SEC each have two while the Big 12 has one) and 8 of the last 20 titleists (SEC-5, Big East-2, Pac Ten-2 with one each for the Big 10 and 12). Despite watering down its product by bringing in football schools with little to offer on the court, the ACC shines again in March-- even though it's beginning to resemble Big Ten football from the 70's... with UNC and Duke in the upper tax bracket.
Shining Moment lacks polish-- Okay, so I sat through the Duke celebration (and Jim Nantz's "Duke is king!" pun-call) only to get a Syracuse-less "One Shining Moment". But the real disappointment was hearing not Luther Vandross but Jennifer Hudson. Hello? OSM is Luther's song... and if you're not going to play his version because he's deceased-- retire the song/his shining moment. Suggestion? "Win! In the End!" from Teenwolf.
Coaching Carousel-- the ACC didn't slow down once the offseason began; Oliver Purnell leaves Clemson for DePaul. While Purnell rebuilt the Tigers, they remained in the waiting room as opposed to breaking into the throne room. February fades and going bellyup in the NCAA's were as common as year by year improvement of the program as a whole. I'm surprised he left for a wasteland that is the Blue Demon program-- DePaul has poor facilities and is in a league it doesn't belong in... perhaps he can get them back into Conference USA (taking Marquette with them). Meanwhile, Dino Gaudio gets the axe at Wake Forest after winnign 61 games over three seasons... the kicker being the Demon Deacons were 1-5 in the ACC and NCAA tournaments. Gaudio took over on an interim basis after the offseason passing of Skip Prosser in 2007... and it will be interesting to see who Wake chooses to guide their program from here...Butler's Brad Stevens? Since Dave Odom righted the Demon Deacons in the early 90's, it's been a good program. Boston College wraps up the trio of moves by hiring Steve Donahue away from Cornell after the Big Red reached the Sweet Sixteen. He should be able to fit in well and recruit the Northeast... as the Eagles continue to operate as the isolated outpost of the ACC-- part of me wishes they still called the Big East home.
Changing of the guard at quarterback-- Donovan McNabb met with the media Tuesday... telling everyone he's excited to be coming to DC and that he looks forward to working with Mike Shanahan and how he feels 22 instead of 33. Still to be determined-- who the Skins pick at #4... what happens to Jason Campbell and if they deal him or he signs elsewhere the draft choices they'll get (with only four picks now, extra selections would be huge)... and if they'll move any other pieces (aka Albert Haynesworth, Chris Cooley, Laron Landry) for picks.
The Nationals began 2010 pretty much the same way they began last year; an 11-1 loss to Philadelphia underscored porous pitching...ineffective offense and a ballpark dominated by visiting fans. At least the sausage machine gun wasn't operating.
Tiger Woods tees off Thursday as the Masters restricted media and patron access gives him some cover in his return to the tour. How will golf's best player respond to being on the shelf since November? How quickly can he shake the rust? And how much will his game be affected by the absence of his old lifestyle? The aging second tier triumvirate of Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh has been on the precipice of a magical fourth major (only 25 have won four while 43 have won three majors) since 2006... one would think the trio would have a handful of major runs remaining in their respective careers.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Whirlwind inside the Sports Vortex...
Seriously, could anything else be happening today? One season begins while another ends... a franchise quarterback drives down I-95 and and Tiger makes the world pause.
It takes a pretty big story to bump everything to the back burner-- and the Redskins as they always do find a way to steal the spotlight, thunder and just about every other metaphor available. Donovan McNabb for a a second round pick in this year's draft and a condition 2011 selection gives the world notice that this is not a rebuilding process-- to quote Bruce Allen's Hall of Fame father, the future is now. Speaking of regime perception, if Cerrato/Zorn had pulled this move they probably would have been roasted...right? Does this mean the Skins go project quarterback with teh fourth overall selection or go offensive line? O-Line has been an eyesore the last few seasons-- and a disaster last fall. The help the Skins get with their diminishing draft picks (first, fourth, fifth and seventh rounders) will be rather important; McNabb is at his best when he isn't picking clumps of dirt out of his facemask.
Opening Day Items-- nice touch by President Obama in wearing a Chicago White Sox cap with his Nationals jacket... we'll forgive the cross-teaming this once. I'd rather see that though than former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani telling Massachusetts residents he rooted for the Red Sox because he was an "AL East guy" or Hillary Clinton tossing the Cubs for the Pinstripes upon her move to the Empire State.
Fingers are crossed as the Nationals are trying to appear all grown up after consecutive triple digit defeat seasons. Can the pitching staff provide quality innings from the starters and will the relievers refrain from last year's flammability? Will Josh Willingham and Nyjer Morgan be more than one-year wonders? And who plays right field now that the Elijah Dukes experiment is over? Regardless of what happens, it can't be worse than last year.
One shining moment-- Duke battles Butler for college basketball's national championship... a hoops blue-blood if there ever was against an upstart Cinderella. It's tough to imagine Duke being denied, although the Bulldogs have defended as well as anyone this tournament... forcing turnovers and bad shots in each round. Thing is, Duke has three scorers and four plow horses who can get the Bulldogs in foul trouble early and often. I'm not a fan of the raised court-- after playing with basically the same court setup all year teams play the biggest games of the season on that raft?
Tiger talks-- Masters week began with the bang that is the Tiger Woods press conference... as the public rehabilitation continues while he bares his soul-- or at least what he wants the public to see of what he claims is his soul. Augusta National is the perfect media buffer place for Woods to resume his hall of fame career-- and eventually he'll be back to the old angry, controlling focused champion. Missed that guy.
It takes a pretty big story to bump everything to the back burner-- and the Redskins as they always do find a way to steal the spotlight, thunder and just about every other metaphor available. Donovan McNabb for a a second round pick in this year's draft and a condition 2011 selection gives the world notice that this is not a rebuilding process-- to quote Bruce Allen's Hall of Fame father, the future is now. Speaking of regime perception, if Cerrato/Zorn had pulled this move they probably would have been roasted...right? Does this mean the Skins go project quarterback with teh fourth overall selection or go offensive line? O-Line has been an eyesore the last few seasons-- and a disaster last fall. The help the Skins get with their diminishing draft picks (first, fourth, fifth and seventh rounders) will be rather important; McNabb is at his best when he isn't picking clumps of dirt out of his facemask.
Opening Day Items-- nice touch by President Obama in wearing a Chicago White Sox cap with his Nationals jacket... we'll forgive the cross-teaming this once. I'd rather see that though than former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani telling Massachusetts residents he rooted for the Red Sox because he was an "AL East guy" or Hillary Clinton tossing the Cubs for the Pinstripes upon her move to the Empire State.
Fingers are crossed as the Nationals are trying to appear all grown up after consecutive triple digit defeat seasons. Can the pitching staff provide quality innings from the starters and will the relievers refrain from last year's flammability? Will Josh Willingham and Nyjer Morgan be more than one-year wonders? And who plays right field now that the Elijah Dukes experiment is over? Regardless of what happens, it can't be worse than last year.
One shining moment-- Duke battles Butler for college basketball's national championship... a hoops blue-blood if there ever was against an upstart Cinderella. It's tough to imagine Duke being denied, although the Bulldogs have defended as well as anyone this tournament... forcing turnovers and bad shots in each round. Thing is, Duke has three scorers and four plow horses who can get the Bulldogs in foul trouble early and often. I'm not a fan of the raised court-- after playing with basically the same court setup all year teams play the biggest games of the season on that raft?
Tiger talks-- Masters week began with the bang that is the Tiger Woods press conference... as the public rehabilitation continues while he bares his soul-- or at least what he wants the public to see of what he claims is his soul. Augusta National is the perfect media buffer place for Woods to resume his hall of fame career-- and eventually he'll be back to the old angry, controlling focused champion. Missed that guy.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Hoosiers rest of the story...
Despite the fact that all beltway basketball is in hibernation, we continue to exhaust all things college hoops until "One Shining Moment" is played.
Quite a bit has been made of Butler being in the Final Four-- as the Bulldogs are within shouting distance of Lucas Oil Field Stadium Arena Court. And the fact that they do represent a small conference (quick, name somebody else from the Horizon League) gives the Final Four a little bit of a Hoosiers charm to it.
The real Hoosiers was a tiny town called Milan (as everyone will hear about this week) and Bobby Plump (as everyone will see this week) was the real-life Jimmy Chitwood. Marvin Wood looked nothing like Gene Hackman (Wood was 26 during the title run) and Barbara Hershey was nowhere to be found-- plus Dennis Hopper's doppleganger didn't exist.
What makes the story of Hoosiers even more powerful is what happened to the kids who played for Milan and attended the high school. Plump's backcourt mate Ray Craft (actually the leading scorer in the title game) went on to become Assistant Commissioner in the IHSAA--roughly the equivalent of Ralph Macchio becoming Assistant Commish of the All-Valley thing--and I had the chance to chat with him over a decade ago at the State Finals (then at the RCA Dome) and asked him what the biggest impact of that game was. I was expecting him to talk about the Indians' two-guard offense or the small-school charm, but Craft replied that Milan's championship run resulted in an education for him at Butler (along with Plump he went on to the then College Division school)-- and unlike previous classes, more of his classmates went on to college as well. Milan's miracle led the rest of the student body to believe in miracles of their own-- and instead of staying on the farm or going off to factory jobs, they pushed their dreams on a different court.
That's why I love sports.
Quite a bit has been made of Butler being in the Final Four-- as the Bulldogs are within shouting distance of Lucas Oil Field Stadium Arena Court. And the fact that they do represent a small conference (quick, name somebody else from the Horizon League) gives the Final Four a little bit of a Hoosiers charm to it.
The real Hoosiers was a tiny town called Milan (as everyone will hear about this week) and Bobby Plump (as everyone will see this week) was the real-life Jimmy Chitwood. Marvin Wood looked nothing like Gene Hackman (Wood was 26 during the title run) and Barbara Hershey was nowhere to be found-- plus Dennis Hopper's doppleganger didn't exist.
What makes the story of Hoosiers even more powerful is what happened to the kids who played for Milan and attended the high school. Plump's backcourt mate Ray Craft (actually the leading scorer in the title game) went on to become Assistant Commissioner in the IHSAA--roughly the equivalent of Ralph Macchio becoming Assistant Commish of the All-Valley thing--and I had the chance to chat with him over a decade ago at the State Finals (then at the RCA Dome) and asked him what the biggest impact of that game was. I was expecting him to talk about the Indians' two-guard offense or the small-school charm, but Craft replied that Milan's championship run resulted in an education for him at Butler (along with Plump he went on to the then College Division school)-- and unlike previous classes, more of his classmates went on to college as well. Milan's miracle led the rest of the student body to believe in miracles of their own-- and instead of staying on the farm or going off to factory jobs, they pushed their dreams on a different court.
That's why I love sports.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Final Four Thoughts...
Who's ready for the Final Four? Despite the fact one's Alma Mater is picking up the Orange pieces of their hearts on a Salt Lake City floor, I'm rejuvenated and ready for the conclusion to the best three weeks of the year-- perhaps for the final time.
Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany has gone on record saying tournament expansion is probable... and while I feel that 64 remains the perfect number- understand that there were those who went crazy when the field went from 32 to 40 to 48 to 64 within seven years. Part of what makes this move seem drastic is that it is... you are increasing the tournament field by 50%! Sticker shock scares away many a consumer-- and if the NCAA was smart at all (which they are not) they would incrementally get to 96 by 2020 in little fits and spurts.
I hope that if expansion is inevitable the NCAA doesn't go too far... meaning let's expand to 68 or 72 with the opening round game on the same site as the first/second round games. If that number still finds us wanting more teams in the field... bump it up to 80 in a few years. Rinse and repeat... but slow enough so that the 65 to 96 effect isn't felt as much.
Now to the games-- as four schools that possess a variety of stars, unsung heroes as well as cases for and against their chances for the one shining moment...:
Duke-- the Blue Devils had the easiest road of a #1 seed-- admit it, apologists!-- but coach K's kids made the plays when they had to. And the coach recruited the right mix of shooters and grunt men to make the roster chemistry work. Stars-- the power trio of John Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith combine for roughly two thirds of the Blue Devils scoring. Three options is like the Beatles having three songwriters... and leads to the depth that was Revolver. Unsung heroes-- because Brian Zoubek and the Plumlee pair give the Blue Devils a foundation in the pivot, everybody else is able to work towards their strengths. Case for the Blue Devils: this is what they do. The Blue Devils are in the business of hanging banners, even though this is just the second regional title in nine years. Coach K is the modern John Wooden-- better in my opinion because during the bulk of Wooden's run UCLA had a virtual bye into the Final Four because of strict regionalization and an uneven bracket... almost as uneven as the one that allowed Duke easy access to Indianapolis this year.
West Virginia-- the toughest team in the tourney plays bumper car basketball... and while coach Bob Huggins team won't win any horse contests, defense and rebounding has propelled the Mountaineers into the National Semifinals for the first time since Jerry West. Stars-- Da'Sean Butler was their life-line during the Big East Tournament and although he's shooting just 33 percent in the tournament, he's the man. Unsung hero-- Joe Mazzulla. It takes a big man to replace a truck... and after West Virginia's point guard Darryl "Truck" Bryant broke a bone in his foot, Mazzulla scored 17 points in his first start of the season. Case for the Mountaineers-- defense, rebounding and winning ugly. Two of the last three times Duke has advanced to the Final Four they've been beaten by a Big East team that thugged it up a bit (UConn in 1999 and 2004). Perhaps a national title is all Huggins needs to buy that suit.
Michigan State-- the Spartans are one of two #5 seeds in remaining in the field. How rare is success for a #5? No national titles in the 30+ years of seeding and a smattering of Final Fours. Start with the legendary 5-12 game where upsets have resided for years, followed by usually facing a #4 seed just a little more talented than you. If you get that far, a #1 seed that's had a week to prepare for you is in the way-- and if you pull the upset, there's the natural letdown in the regional finals. Face it, being a #5 is no picnic...and for further information realize the Spartans have won their four tournament games by a combined 13 points. Star-- Durrell Summers is averaging 20 points a game during the tournament, giving MSU star to hitch its wagon on just as Kalin Lucas got banged up. Unsung hero-- Korie Lucious on name value alone gets the nod, but the guard has filled in admirably for the injured Kalin Lucas...up to and including the gamewinning basket against Maryland. Case for the Spartans-- Tom Izzo gets his teams to overperform consistently every March. His run of 6 Final Fours in 12 years isn't the equal of Coach K's 7 of 9 from 1986-94, but Izzo's been able to bring a wide variety of teams built for tournament basketball this far consistently. And Indy's not too far from Lansing, right?
Butler-- okay, Gene Hackman fans... break out the we're winners speech, measure how high the rim is and run the picket fence. Are the Bulldogs a Cinderella team? There's more debate on that than if they can win twice less than ten miles from campus this weekend. They do come from a mid-major league, yet were ranked in the top twenty all season. Compare them not to George Mason, but the UNLV of the 80's (I think they were in the PCAA or WCC at the time-- weak sisters to the WAC). Star-- Gordon Heyward... wasn't that Venus Flytrap's real name?... the 6-9 swingman from Brownsburg, Indiana is a threat anywhere on the floor and has produced bigtime in March. How is he not going to IU? The Kelvin Sampson gift keeps giving. Unsung hero-- Ronald Nored is a more typical Bulldog-- 6 feet tall but with a ton of effort... rebounds very well for his height. Case for Butler-- Don't you just want Jim Nantz to do his "spontaneously planned final call" regarding a Bulldog win? The game is being played in Indianapolis, by the way.
Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany has gone on record saying tournament expansion is probable... and while I feel that 64 remains the perfect number- understand that there were those who went crazy when the field went from 32 to 40 to 48 to 64 within seven years. Part of what makes this move seem drastic is that it is... you are increasing the tournament field by 50%! Sticker shock scares away many a consumer-- and if the NCAA was smart at all (which they are not) they would incrementally get to 96 by 2020 in little fits and spurts.
I hope that if expansion is inevitable the NCAA doesn't go too far... meaning let's expand to 68 or 72 with the opening round game on the same site as the first/second round games. If that number still finds us wanting more teams in the field... bump it up to 80 in a few years. Rinse and repeat... but slow enough so that the 65 to 96 effect isn't felt as much.
Now to the games-- as four schools that possess a variety of stars, unsung heroes as well as cases for and against their chances for the one shining moment...:
Duke-- the Blue Devils had the easiest road of a #1 seed-- admit it, apologists!-- but coach K's kids made the plays when they had to. And the coach recruited the right mix of shooters and grunt men to make the roster chemistry work. Stars-- the power trio of John Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith combine for roughly two thirds of the Blue Devils scoring. Three options is like the Beatles having three songwriters... and leads to the depth that was Revolver. Unsung heroes-- because Brian Zoubek and the Plumlee pair give the Blue Devils a foundation in the pivot, everybody else is able to work towards their strengths. Case for the Blue Devils: this is what they do. The Blue Devils are in the business of hanging banners, even though this is just the second regional title in nine years. Coach K is the modern John Wooden-- better in my opinion because during the bulk of Wooden's run UCLA had a virtual bye into the Final Four because of strict regionalization and an uneven bracket... almost as uneven as the one that allowed Duke easy access to Indianapolis this year.
West Virginia-- the toughest team in the tourney plays bumper car basketball... and while coach Bob Huggins team won't win any horse contests, defense and rebounding has propelled the Mountaineers into the National Semifinals for the first time since Jerry West. Stars-- Da'Sean Butler was their life-line during the Big East Tournament and although he's shooting just 33 percent in the tournament, he's the man. Unsung hero-- Joe Mazzulla. It takes a big man to replace a truck... and after West Virginia's point guard Darryl "Truck" Bryant broke a bone in his foot, Mazzulla scored 17 points in his first start of the season. Case for the Mountaineers-- defense, rebounding and winning ugly. Two of the last three times Duke has advanced to the Final Four they've been beaten by a Big East team that thugged it up a bit (UConn in 1999 and 2004). Perhaps a national title is all Huggins needs to buy that suit.
Michigan State-- the Spartans are one of two #5 seeds in remaining in the field. How rare is success for a #5? No national titles in the 30+ years of seeding and a smattering of Final Fours. Start with the legendary 5-12 game where upsets have resided for years, followed by usually facing a #4 seed just a little more talented than you. If you get that far, a #1 seed that's had a week to prepare for you is in the way-- and if you pull the upset, there's the natural letdown in the regional finals. Face it, being a #5 is no picnic...and for further information realize the Spartans have won their four tournament games by a combined 13 points. Star-- Durrell Summers is averaging 20 points a game during the tournament, giving MSU star to hitch its wagon on just as Kalin Lucas got banged up. Unsung hero-- Korie Lucious on name value alone gets the nod, but the guard has filled in admirably for the injured Kalin Lucas...up to and including the gamewinning basket against Maryland. Case for the Spartans-- Tom Izzo gets his teams to overperform consistently every March. His run of 6 Final Fours in 12 years isn't the equal of Coach K's 7 of 9 from 1986-94, but Izzo's been able to bring a wide variety of teams built for tournament basketball this far consistently. And Indy's not too far from Lansing, right?
Butler-- okay, Gene Hackman fans... break out the we're winners speech, measure how high the rim is and run the picket fence. Are the Bulldogs a Cinderella team? There's more debate on that than if they can win twice less than ten miles from campus this weekend. They do come from a mid-major league, yet were ranked in the top twenty all season. Compare them not to George Mason, but the UNLV of the 80's (I think they were in the PCAA or WCC at the time-- weak sisters to the WAC). Star-- Gordon Heyward... wasn't that Venus Flytrap's real name?... the 6-9 swingman from Brownsburg, Indiana is a threat anywhere on the floor and has produced bigtime in March. How is he not going to IU? The Kelvin Sampson gift keeps giving. Unsung hero-- Ronald Nored is a more typical Bulldog-- 6 feet tall but with a ton of effort... rebounds very well for his height. Case for Butler-- Don't you just want Jim Nantz to do his "spontaneously planned final call" regarding a Bulldog win? The game is being played in Indianapolis, by the way.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- Eight is enough for 24...
With no extended beltway schools in action (thank you Virginia Tech for playing honorably in the NIT), all of my college hoop focus turned towards my alma mater. Unfortunately the Sweet Sixteen left a sour taste-- and a 63-59 loss to Butler.
What happened? Eighteen turnovers. Butler gave SU fits offensively all evening-- and scored 23 points off Orange miscues. Syracuse outshot-- and outrebounded the Bulldogs while denying Butler effectively from three point range... but kept on making mistakes. There were those who claimed the officials were poor-- calling a game that went against the Orange's physical mindset and played towards Butler's style of basketball. Problem was, SU didn't play well enough to win. And although they came close (up 54-50 with the ball and 4 minutes left)... Butler just played better. Some times it just happens that way. March can be one mean mistress sometimes.
The loss ended what became one of the more pleasantly surprising seasons I've seen... one that I'll easily rank in the top four SUrprising seasons since I've started following the Orange. In no particular order--
1--1986-87... fresh off a second round NCAA loss in the Carrier Dome to David Robinson and Navy, the Orangemen lose superstar guard Pearl Washington to the NBA. Rebuilding year? Hardly. Sherman Douglas steps up, Derrick Coleman is as good as advertised, Rony Seikaly looks interested- and the senior tandem of Greg Monroe and Howard Triche provide leadership that guides a young nucleus to the national title game.
2--1991-92... burdened with NCAA investigations plus the departure of Billy Owens and Leron Ellis to the NBA, time to rebuild. I mean-- you're starting Mike Hopkins... not so fast sir--Lawrence Moten comes in and produces from day one-- Dave Johnson finally adjusts to his new name and number (the swingman wore #23 and was called David before switching to #4 and Dave)... and SU is hot early (18-3) before fading...but then bounces back to win the Big East Tournament.
3-- 1995-96... Lawrence Moten and Luke Jackson graduated... while Michael Lloyd was deemed ineligible. Could hometown hero Lazarus Sims run the point? All the way to the National title game.
4-- this winter... three early departures (Jonny Flynn, Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris) would surely cripple what was a team that caught fire in the Big East Tournament. But the scrappy leftovers rallied together and the infusion of Wes Johnson to the lineup turned a pretender into a contender-- one that claimed a #1 ranking and won the Big East regular season title outright for the first time since 1991.
Does this lessen the sting of coming up two steps shy of a Final Four? I'll leave that up to my Orange brethren (and sistren). I just hope they recognize what an incredible ride this was.
Alma Mater Update-- despite the result, a great time had by all at the Sign of the Whale to wrap up our second season of basketball watching (as fate would have it I never witnessed an NCAA win at the Rhino Pumphouse in Georgetown--and I watched games there from 2005 to 2008). The MVP goes to my buddy's girlfriend Meredith who held a bowl of chicken wings for us to eat while standing up. No sauce spillage anywhere (although there was a piece of celery dropped). To further accentuate the fact that the season is over, the McDonald's on M Street stopped selling Shamrock Shakes. Minty goodness and title hopes hibernate again.
Commonwealth Common Sense-- Virginia Tech signed coach Seth Greenberg to an extension- the Baron of Blacksburg well deserving of his reward... as he's made the Hokies relevant in the ACC... a tough out instead of a league laughingstock. While Virginia is under its second rebuilding phase in the last decade-- the Hokies have a firm foundation that will result in NCAA trips in the future.
Clock winding down-- Fox has cancelled 24... although I think Jack Bauer went into Fox execs and told them under no uncertain terms he would not be back for another season. Eight seasons of shooting, shouting, ridiculous plot points and mountain lions...the show changed the landscape of TV in its own way. With eight seasons in the books, I guess we could play it out like an elite eight...:
Season #1 vs Season #8-- Mandy blows up a plane, Nina kills Teri and Palmer shuns Sherry against Freddie Prinze Jr? No contest. Season 1 advances.
Season #2 vs Season #7-- Jack's road to redemption begins by using a hacksaw... although last year was compelling (like the DC switch), CTU's dual doofus middle managers George Mason and Ryan Chappelle put this one over the top.
Season #3 vs Season #6-- clearly the two worst years get bracketed together. Kim's boyfriend has his arm chopped off while Jack's father kills his brother. Even with Ricky Schroeder and CTU 90210, the Bauer family foibles takes the cake.
Season #4 vs Season #5-- toughest matchup... one had the key quote "earlier today Jack and Audrey were planning their life together-- now he's killed her husband and probably will have to torture her brother", while the other has Jack telling some punk "the only reason you're still conscious is I don't feel like carrying you". Knock me out, Kiefer.
Semis-- #5 won an Emmy for the show and Kiefer... plus had him on a slow boat to China at the end. #1 set up everything... including bad life decisions by Kim (lets go to a furniture store at midnight!). #2 takes a hacksaw to #6 in the most unmerciful way.
Finals-- #2 wins over #5 in a close call; Jack literally died in this one and stuck his hand in a corpse to boot; plus Sarah Wynter as Kate Warner trumps Kim Raver as Audrey.
What happened? Eighteen turnovers. Butler gave SU fits offensively all evening-- and scored 23 points off Orange miscues. Syracuse outshot-- and outrebounded the Bulldogs while denying Butler effectively from three point range... but kept on making mistakes. There were those who claimed the officials were poor-- calling a game that went against the Orange's physical mindset and played towards Butler's style of basketball. Problem was, SU didn't play well enough to win. And although they came close (up 54-50 with the ball and 4 minutes left)... Butler just played better. Some times it just happens that way. March can be one mean mistress sometimes.
The loss ended what became one of the more pleasantly surprising seasons I've seen... one that I'll easily rank in the top four SUrprising seasons since I've started following the Orange. In no particular order--
1--1986-87... fresh off a second round NCAA loss in the Carrier Dome to David Robinson and Navy, the Orangemen lose superstar guard Pearl Washington to the NBA. Rebuilding year? Hardly. Sherman Douglas steps up, Derrick Coleman is as good as advertised, Rony Seikaly looks interested- and the senior tandem of Greg Monroe and Howard Triche provide leadership that guides a young nucleus to the national title game.
2--1991-92... burdened with NCAA investigations plus the departure of Billy Owens and Leron Ellis to the NBA, time to rebuild. I mean-- you're starting Mike Hopkins... not so fast sir--Lawrence Moten comes in and produces from day one-- Dave Johnson finally adjusts to his new name and number (the swingman wore #23 and was called David before switching to #4 and Dave)... and SU is hot early (18-3) before fading...but then bounces back to win the Big East Tournament.
3-- 1995-96... Lawrence Moten and Luke Jackson graduated... while Michael Lloyd was deemed ineligible. Could hometown hero Lazarus Sims run the point? All the way to the National title game.
4-- this winter... three early departures (Jonny Flynn, Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris) would surely cripple what was a team that caught fire in the Big East Tournament. But the scrappy leftovers rallied together and the infusion of Wes Johnson to the lineup turned a pretender into a contender-- one that claimed a #1 ranking and won the Big East regular season title outright for the first time since 1991.
Does this lessen the sting of coming up two steps shy of a Final Four? I'll leave that up to my Orange brethren (and sistren). I just hope they recognize what an incredible ride this was.
Alma Mater Update-- despite the result, a great time had by all at the Sign of the Whale to wrap up our second season of basketball watching (as fate would have it I never witnessed an NCAA win at the Rhino Pumphouse in Georgetown--and I watched games there from 2005 to 2008). The MVP goes to my buddy's girlfriend Meredith who held a bowl of chicken wings for us to eat while standing up. No sauce spillage anywhere (although there was a piece of celery dropped). To further accentuate the fact that the season is over, the McDonald's on M Street stopped selling Shamrock Shakes. Minty goodness and title hopes hibernate again.
Commonwealth Common Sense-- Virginia Tech signed coach Seth Greenberg to an extension- the Baron of Blacksburg well deserving of his reward... as he's made the Hokies relevant in the ACC... a tough out instead of a league laughingstock. While Virginia is under its second rebuilding phase in the last decade-- the Hokies have a firm foundation that will result in NCAA trips in the future.
Clock winding down-- Fox has cancelled 24... although I think Jack Bauer went into Fox execs and told them under no uncertain terms he would not be back for another season. Eight seasons of shooting, shouting, ridiculous plot points and mountain lions...the show changed the landscape of TV in its own way. With eight seasons in the books, I guess we could play it out like an elite eight...:
Season #1 vs Season #8-- Mandy blows up a plane, Nina kills Teri and Palmer shuns Sherry against Freddie Prinze Jr? No contest. Season 1 advances.
Season #2 vs Season #7-- Jack's road to redemption begins by using a hacksaw... although last year was compelling (like the DC switch), CTU's dual doofus middle managers George Mason and Ryan Chappelle put this one over the top.
Season #3 vs Season #6-- clearly the two worst years get bracketed together. Kim's boyfriend has his arm chopped off while Jack's father kills his brother. Even with Ricky Schroeder and CTU 90210, the Bauer family foibles takes the cake.
Season #4 vs Season #5-- toughest matchup... one had the key quote "earlier today Jack and Audrey were planning their life together-- now he's killed her husband and probably will have to torture her brother", while the other has Jack telling some punk "the only reason you're still conscious is I don't feel like carrying you". Knock me out, Kiefer.
Semis-- #5 won an Emmy for the show and Kiefer... plus had him on a slow boat to China at the end. #1 set up everything... including bad life decisions by Kim (lets go to a furniture store at midnight!). #2 takes a hacksaw to #6 in the most unmerciful way.
Finals-- #2 wins over #5 in a close call; Jack literally died in this one and stuck his hand in a corpse to boot; plus Sarah Wynter as Kate Warner trumps Kim Raver as Audrey.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Beltway Basketball Bonanza... sweet and sour sixteen...
I've always been amazed at how quickly the world moves on in the NCAA Tournament. From Midnight Madness in October schools have been building towards these weeks in March. They've been living the dream and process while I've been watching, wondering, writing and talking about both. The Hoyas rebounding issues, the Terps RPI, George Mason's leading scorer and American's youth have all been as consuming for me as shaving and showering. Constant. Everyday. The same as yesterday but somehow a little different. But now it's all gone. Over. Wait 'til next year while the world moves on.
Georgetown wonders if sophomore Greg Monroe will return for his junior season; if he does it means everybody comes back--and although some say they're still a defensive dynamo (whither Noah Rivers?) away, one has to like the Hoyas chances as they move towards 2010-2011. While losing as a #3 seed is definitely disappointing, it's much better than bowing out in the first round of the NIT. John Thompson III is still developing as a coach in a big time conference... and he surely will take what he's learned into the offseason.
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse disposed of Vermont and Gonzaga en route to its second straight sweet sixteen (Orange haven't lost a round of 32 game since 2001)... Wes Johnson poured in 31 points and 14 rebounds in perhaps his last Empire State appearance (NBA knocking since February). After disposing of Cinderella Hall of Famer Gonzaga in round two, the Orange face another recent fan favorite in Butler-- whose coach may or may not be the first coach in the Sweet Sixteen to actually be sixteen years old. Can SU do without center Arinze Onuako for a third straight game? And will I be able to secure a spot in the Sign of the Whale's gamewatching area known as "The McLovin Room"? Over/under on wing consumption is 17 1/2.
Maryland saw its season end in the wink of an eye when Korie Lucious drained a gamewinning three at the buzzer in the Terps 85-83 loss to Michigan State... but the fact that the Terps were even in this game was a testament to their tenacity. The Spartans outshot (55% from the field and 56% from 3-point range) while outrebounding the Terrapins 35-21. It will be tough to imagine the Terps minus four-year starter Greivis Vasquez as well as the other two seniors (Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne). Hayes and Vasquez have been fixtures of this program since day one of their careers-- and Milbourne has quietly done whatever was necessary to get playing time and contribute to this team.
Conference call-- The Big Ten boasts the most schools in the sweet sixteen with three... while the Big East has just two (and a 6-6 record after two rounds). While Georgetown's flameout caught most by surprise, the rest of the fallen could be seen in advance-- Villanova hadn't played well in over a month, Notre Dame had its best player on the mend, Pitt flamed out in the BET, Louisville was lucky to be in the field and Marquette's lucky to still be invited to league meetings at this point. And how about the ACC? Just one sweet sixteen school in Duke. If there's been one disturbing trend in the last five years (since expansion), it's been the streamlining of the league's caste system. Blue Devils & Tar Heels-- and then everyone else.
Commonwealth Commotion...Virginia Tech remains in the NIT with a Wednesday quarterfinal against Rhode Island-- while Virginia's leading scorer Sylvan Landesburg is declaring for the NBA Draft. Good luck, buddy.
Georgetown wonders if sophomore Greg Monroe will return for his junior season; if he does it means everybody comes back--and although some say they're still a defensive dynamo (whither Noah Rivers?) away, one has to like the Hoyas chances as they move towards 2010-2011. While losing as a #3 seed is definitely disappointing, it's much better than bowing out in the first round of the NIT. John Thompson III is still developing as a coach in a big time conference... and he surely will take what he's learned into the offseason.
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse disposed of Vermont and Gonzaga en route to its second straight sweet sixteen (Orange haven't lost a round of 32 game since 2001)... Wes Johnson poured in 31 points and 14 rebounds in perhaps his last Empire State appearance (NBA knocking since February). After disposing of Cinderella Hall of Famer Gonzaga in round two, the Orange face another recent fan favorite in Butler-- whose coach may or may not be the first coach in the Sweet Sixteen to actually be sixteen years old. Can SU do without center Arinze Onuako for a third straight game? And will I be able to secure a spot in the Sign of the Whale's gamewatching area known as "The McLovin Room"? Over/under on wing consumption is 17 1/2.
Maryland saw its season end in the wink of an eye when Korie Lucious drained a gamewinning three at the buzzer in the Terps 85-83 loss to Michigan State... but the fact that the Terps were even in this game was a testament to their tenacity. The Spartans outshot (55% from the field and 56% from 3-point range) while outrebounding the Terrapins 35-21. It will be tough to imagine the Terps minus four-year starter Greivis Vasquez as well as the other two seniors (Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne). Hayes and Vasquez have been fixtures of this program since day one of their careers-- and Milbourne has quietly done whatever was necessary to get playing time and contribute to this team.
Conference call-- The Big Ten boasts the most schools in the sweet sixteen with three... while the Big East has just two (and a 6-6 record after two rounds). While Georgetown's flameout caught most by surprise, the rest of the fallen could be seen in advance-- Villanova hadn't played well in over a month, Notre Dame had its best player on the mend, Pitt flamed out in the BET, Louisville was lucky to be in the field and Marquette's lucky to still be invited to league meetings at this point. And how about the ACC? Just one sweet sixteen school in Duke. If there's been one disturbing trend in the last five years (since expansion), it's been the streamlining of the league's caste system. Blue Devils & Tar Heels-- and then everyone else.
Commonwealth Commotion...Virginia Tech remains in the NIT with a Wednesday quarterfinal against Rhode Island-- while Virginia's leading scorer Sylvan Landesburg is declaring for the NBA Draft. Good luck, buddy.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- Big Least...
Whoa... March Madness began like a lion with 7 lower seeded teams winning... while starting and ending with overtime games and an underachieving conference. Which is why we love these two days more than any other on the sports calendar.
Georgetown lost to Ohio 97-83 in the day's biggest upset. The Bobcats shot 57% from the field and three point range... while turning the Hoyas over 19 times. My hoops expert White Shoes says the Hoyas lost the game by not driving and penetrating early and often in the first half--instead settling for jumpshots. While Georgetown could have played better, it wasn't as though the Bobcats were hitting uncontested threes-- OU outplayed them for 40 minutes. Take heart, Hoya fans...you have everybody coming back next year.
Big East blunders... it wasn't just the Hoyas loss that gave league backers queasy stomachs. Notre Dame (and Brenda Walsh date lookalike Luke Harangody) lost a heartbreaker to Old Dominion where the Irish scored 7 points in the final 7:48... while Marquette coughed up an 11 point second half lead to a Washington team that needed to win the Pac-Ten (worst big conference during the regular season) just to make the field. Can't we just kick Marquette and DePaul out of the league and be done with both schools? It would so help out with travel and when Notre Dame joins the Big Ten it'll make so much sense...then we'd only have to lose Seton Hall's phone number until they get the hint before the league gets back to a manageable dozen.
Network nitpick... CBS still sends us away from primary games to show dead spots of other contests... instead of running highlights during dead spots. I want to stay locked into Georgetown for the full forty minutes-- no cutaways! Even with a double digit deficit and under two minutes to play, a quick three or two can change things dramatically-and I was forced to watch the Hoya seconds tick off in the upper left hand corner of a TV screen. Almost makes ESPN's run for the Tournament rights bearable.
Maryland Moment-- Terps tangle with Houston... and the nation's leading scorer in Aubrey Coleman. While much of the focus will be on how they defend Coleman and how Greivis Vasquez responds to his worst outing in months (6-21 against Georgia Tech with 6 turnovers)...the supporting cast (Tertiary Terps) needs to respond with a big effort. This is where Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne shine as alternate options. This is where Jordan Williams introduces himself to the basketball world.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame thoughts... what an underwhelming induction ceremony. Genesis minus Peter Gabriel? I know the band was better, if less hitmaking with you up front-- and I know In Your Eyes crushes Sussudio... but you should have stood with your former mates (and who would have thought less than a decade after being cut by the Redskins, Tony Banks would be a hall of famer). ABBA with only one A and one B? Seventies cheese only works when there's a full-fledged reunion, folks... let that be your Waterloo. The Hollies bereft of the actual members still with the band? Tony Hicks and Bobby Elliott were playing a concert in London and didn't make the trip- gentlemen, how do you not take the day off and join Graham and Allen (plus the bassists whose names we can't recall). Clarke and Elliott were amusing bookends to a highly underrated band. Tony looked like he was 15 and Bobby was bald... a nice juxtaposition... and Clarke's jangling guitar plus Elliott's scattershot drumming gave the Hollies a sound apart from the rest of the second-tier British Invasion groups.
Georgetown lost to Ohio 97-83 in the day's biggest upset. The Bobcats shot 57% from the field and three point range... while turning the Hoyas over 19 times. My hoops expert White Shoes says the Hoyas lost the game by not driving and penetrating early and often in the first half--instead settling for jumpshots. While Georgetown could have played better, it wasn't as though the Bobcats were hitting uncontested threes-- OU outplayed them for 40 minutes. Take heart, Hoya fans...you have everybody coming back next year.
Big East blunders... it wasn't just the Hoyas loss that gave league backers queasy stomachs. Notre Dame (and Brenda Walsh date lookalike Luke Harangody) lost a heartbreaker to Old Dominion where the Irish scored 7 points in the final 7:48... while Marquette coughed up an 11 point second half lead to a Washington team that needed to win the Pac-Ten (worst big conference during the regular season) just to make the field. Can't we just kick Marquette and DePaul out of the league and be done with both schools? It would so help out with travel and when Notre Dame joins the Big Ten it'll make so much sense...then we'd only have to lose Seton Hall's phone number until they get the hint before the league gets back to a manageable dozen.
Network nitpick... CBS still sends us away from primary games to show dead spots of other contests... instead of running highlights during dead spots. I want to stay locked into Georgetown for the full forty minutes-- no cutaways! Even with a double digit deficit and under two minutes to play, a quick three or two can change things dramatically-and I was forced to watch the Hoya seconds tick off in the upper left hand corner of a TV screen. Almost makes ESPN's run for the Tournament rights bearable.
Maryland Moment-- Terps tangle with Houston... and the nation's leading scorer in Aubrey Coleman. While much of the focus will be on how they defend Coleman and how Greivis Vasquez responds to his worst outing in months (6-21 against Georgia Tech with 6 turnovers)...the supporting cast (Tertiary Terps) needs to respond with a big effort. This is where Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne shine as alternate options. This is where Jordan Williams introduces himself to the basketball world.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame thoughts... what an underwhelming induction ceremony. Genesis minus Peter Gabriel? I know the band was better, if less hitmaking with you up front-- and I know In Your Eyes crushes Sussudio... but you should have stood with your former mates (and who would have thought less than a decade after being cut by the Redskins, Tony Banks would be a hall of famer). ABBA with only one A and one B? Seventies cheese only works when there's a full-fledged reunion, folks... let that be your Waterloo. The Hollies bereft of the actual members still with the band? Tony Hicks and Bobby Elliott were playing a concert in London and didn't make the trip- gentlemen, how do you not take the day off and join Graham and Allen (plus the bassists whose names we can't recall). Clarke and Elliott were amusing bookends to a highly underrated band. Tony looked like he was 15 and Bobby was bald... a nice juxtaposition... and Clarke's jangling guitar plus Elliott's scattershot drumming gave the Hollies a sound apart from the rest of the second-tier British Invasion groups.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Bold, Fold and Gold--- Bracket Edition...
I've gone on record saying March is my favorite month... and this is the best week of March. We go from Sunday morning and all of the bubbles and seeding possibilities to Sunday night's announcement... followed by a scramble and then four days of non-stop hoopage. Forty eight games will be played over approximately 100 hours... and what a magnificent journey.
Time now for the Bold (who will outperform their seed and shock the world), Fold (who will underperform and burn a multitude of brackets with them) and Gold (who's Indianapolis-bound).
East--
Bold-- Wisconsin has quietly carved out a top 20 ranking completely under the radar while Big Ten bullies Michigan State, Ohio State and Purdue grabbed the headlines. Still, the Badgers boast three guards who can do damage and Bo Ryan's ballclub might just be the team that can close the deal against always living dangerously Kentucky.
Fold-- West Virginia played very well down the stretch and won a thrilling Big East Tournament; but they can't shoot at all... coach Bob Huggins' teams notoriously underperform in the big dance... and how many times can a squad court disaster while remaining unscathed?
Gold-- Kentucky gives me little to like. The arrogance of old hoops money (all those National Titles, Ashley Judd) plus new hoops money (John Calipari, Ashley Judd) makes one yearn for Duke--almost. Still, they've got the most talent and a guard in John Wall who can take the team on his back and turn the bracket on its head. I hope they lose to Wisconsin, but think they'll head to Indy.
South--
Bold-- Notre Dame is hitting it's stride at the right time- and has been in the tournament mindset for a while having played its way off the bubble. Besides, they boast Luke Harangody, a well-documented doppleganger for the guy who took Brenda Walsh to her senior prom. I believe the character Tony Miller went on to play football for Iowa-- which is where Cindy Mancini's boyfriend Bobby (Can't Buy Me Love) went...
Fold-- Villanova slumped down the stretch (4-6), has little size (Antonio Pena?!?)... and has to pay for stealing a final four spot last March from conference rival Pitt. Payback may come in the form of a Richmond team with size to spare.
Gold-- Duke seems destined for a return to the Final Four; the bracket is set up for the Blue Devils as they've drawn the opening round winner plus a four seed in a Robbie Hummel-less Purdue.
Midwest--
Bold-- Georgia Tech has talent, that is no debate. But getting the Yellowjacket talent pointed in the same direction has been a challenge... they've got just the team that can stay 40 minutes with a more talented Georgetown team.
Fold-- Tennessee when playing well has looked very good (wins over #1's Kansas and Kentucky during the regular season), but when the Volunteers haven't played well things have gotten ugly (74-45 loss in the SEC SF). They meet giant-killer San Diego State in the first round.
Gold-- Ohio State should have gotten the fourth number one seed--behind the nation's best player (Andre Turner) the Buckeyes should gather momentum in nearby Milwaukee over the first weekend. Can they contend with Kansas? O-H-I-O.
West--
Bold-- BYU is led by Jimmer Fredette... who on name value alone should be able to shoot the Cougars into the second weekend.
Fold-- Syracuse enters the tournament having dropped two straight. The Orange also will likely be minus center Arinze Onuaku for the first weekend against 2005 nemesis Vermont and potentially a very dangerous Florida State.
Gold-- Pitt has been an NCAA bridesmaid for the better part of the last decade... falling a few steps shy of the Final Four with stronger teams. This year's guard-heavy bunch takes Jermaine Dixon's lead...Pitt is it.
Time now for the Bold (who will outperform their seed and shock the world), Fold (who will underperform and burn a multitude of brackets with them) and Gold (who's Indianapolis-bound).
East--
Bold-- Wisconsin has quietly carved out a top 20 ranking completely under the radar while Big Ten bullies Michigan State, Ohio State and Purdue grabbed the headlines. Still, the Badgers boast three guards who can do damage and Bo Ryan's ballclub might just be the team that can close the deal against always living dangerously Kentucky.
Fold-- West Virginia played very well down the stretch and won a thrilling Big East Tournament; but they can't shoot at all... coach Bob Huggins' teams notoriously underperform in the big dance... and how many times can a squad court disaster while remaining unscathed?
Gold-- Kentucky gives me little to like. The arrogance of old hoops money (all those National Titles, Ashley Judd) plus new hoops money (John Calipari, Ashley Judd) makes one yearn for Duke--almost. Still, they've got the most talent and a guard in John Wall who can take the team on his back and turn the bracket on its head. I hope they lose to Wisconsin, but think they'll head to Indy.
South--
Bold-- Notre Dame is hitting it's stride at the right time- and has been in the tournament mindset for a while having played its way off the bubble. Besides, they boast Luke Harangody, a well-documented doppleganger for the guy who took Brenda Walsh to her senior prom. I believe the character Tony Miller went on to play football for Iowa-- which is where Cindy Mancini's boyfriend Bobby (Can't Buy Me Love) went...
Fold-- Villanova slumped down the stretch (4-6), has little size (Antonio Pena?!?)... and has to pay for stealing a final four spot last March from conference rival Pitt. Payback may come in the form of a Richmond team with size to spare.
Gold-- Duke seems destined for a return to the Final Four; the bracket is set up for the Blue Devils as they've drawn the opening round winner plus a four seed in a Robbie Hummel-less Purdue.
Midwest--
Bold-- Georgia Tech has talent, that is no debate. But getting the Yellowjacket talent pointed in the same direction has been a challenge... they've got just the team that can stay 40 minutes with a more talented Georgetown team.
Fold-- Tennessee when playing well has looked very good (wins over #1's Kansas and Kentucky during the regular season), but when the Volunteers haven't played well things have gotten ugly (74-45 loss in the SEC SF). They meet giant-killer San Diego State in the first round.
Gold-- Ohio State should have gotten the fourth number one seed--behind the nation's best player (Andre Turner) the Buckeyes should gather momentum in nearby Milwaukee over the first weekend. Can they contend with Kansas? O-H-I-O.
West--
Bold-- BYU is led by Jimmer Fredette... who on name value alone should be able to shoot the Cougars into the second weekend.
Fold-- Syracuse enters the tournament having dropped two straight. The Orange also will likely be minus center Arinze Onuaku for the first weekend against 2005 nemesis Vermont and potentially a very dangerous Florida State.
Gold-- Pitt has been an NCAA bridesmaid for the better part of the last decade... falling a few steps shy of the Final Four with stronger teams. This year's guard-heavy bunch takes Jermaine Dixon's lead...Pitt is it.
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