On the Monday after the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament there's always a haze... what just happened? Are we still in? How badly did the upsets burn my bracket?
Fifteen Fury-- Not one but two #15 seeds stole the tournament's heart Friday night... as Missouri and Duke (two of my "folds") went down. While the Blue Devils had been consistently uneven all winter (losing at home to Miami... winning at UNC), one has to be a little more disappointed in the Tigers' tumble. They won the Big 12 going away--I thought they had a shot at a #1-- but were rated the lowest of the #2's because of a soft schedule. I guess we now know why. Major props to the Patriot League and MEAC-- two one-bid leagues that are often cannon fodder the first days of the tournament-- for pushing Richmond '91 further into the background.
Sunday Night Hoops? What used to be a nice exclamation point to the weekend has been changed with Turner's addition to the menu. Instead of squeezing eight games into seven hours on Sunday-- they space them out. Which means we get three games spaced out until 6 (and if it's a rout-- watch out)... and then a flurry of late games on Sunday like a 9:40 Cincy-Florida State. How can I complain about my bracket when I still have to watch hoops? Can we compromise? Give us six games in seven hours and then two prime timers... 7 and 9:30. Please?
Alma Mater Update-- as an alum of a school that's dropped more than a few of these early games-- the Orange gave me plenty to be concerned about before weaseling by UNC-Asheville. They say in order to capture a National Title you have to win one game you obviously don't deserve-- and I think SU has found their "wow- we so escaped a major bullet here" game. Many point to the referees handing the Orange the game... and while this may have merits I would love to have these people listen to my SU buddy "Arkansas Charlie"-- for he believes there's this cabal created to hose the Orange out of every call. Time to move on. Thankfully it's to the regional in Boston.
Georgetown's year ended one step shy of the Sweet Sixteen... as a ten point first half lead turned into a loss to 11th seeded North Carolina State (who were once 7-3 in the ACC with a 20 point lead at Duke). After being picked to finish in the bottom half of the Big East, there's no shame in finishing 24-9 after losing to a Wolfpack team just hitting its stride-- but a rough way for seniors Jason Clark (3-11 FG and a last-second miss) and Henry Sims (fouling out with 4 points). And before you jump on the "Can JTIII win here longterm?" ... just remember other coaches have had longer runs of upsets (Lute Olson) and underachieving in the Big Dance before enjoying great success.
Maryland Womens' Window-- the Terrapins tangle with Louisville in a made for TV bracket: Jeff Walz used to be a Terp assistant and his Cardinals bounced Kristi Tolliver and Marissa Coleman in the Elite Eight three years ago. Adding to the sluggishness of Saturday's win there may be cause for concern. IF Alicia DeVaughn and Tianna Hawkins can stay out of foul trouble... and IF Maryland can manage its possessions effectively... we'll see a trip to Raleigh and the Sweet Sixteen.
Now to more important matters-- the 2012 Girl Scout Cookie Rankings. I have my usual supplier whose daughters are still okay with me signing the sheet "Bauer" with the address "CTU-Ballston". This year's field has been truncated to eight-- and thus no "first round".
8-- Savannah Smiles-- Or Dave frowns. This new addition is a crescent shaped lemon wedge cookie with lemon chips and dusted in powdered sugar. Goes great with tea. I'm sure my grandmother has 5 boxes. Even with Che Che rooting em on... feels like one of those schools from the Big South that plays well for a half-- and then loses by 20.
7-- Thank U Berry Much-- Or no thank you. Cranberries and white fudge chunks? Not to mention the bad pun and worse spelling. Feels like a mismatched roster of juco transfers who couldn't cut it at in other cookies' programs. You know there's an NCAA violation waiting to happen... and while this odd conglomeration gets you to the dance, it almost guarantees you an early exit.
6-- Dulce De Leche-- This Latin caramel cookie used to have a caramel topping. Sign me up! Sadly, it was removed because of the high amount of trans fat. Sign me off! Sounds like an eligibility issue-- and unlike the Orange, Dulce doesn't have the depth. But it does offer a great zone defense.
5-- Trefoils-- Naismith would be proud. A traditional shortbread cookie made in the shape of the Girl Scout emblem. Break out the peach baskets. Feels like Gene Hackman should be coaching them with Dennis Hopper in the wings. Fundamentally sound cookie but plays the entire game well below the rim. Hey, Loyola of Chicago once won a title in the 60's too.
4-- Do-Si-Dos-- Peanut Butter Paranoia? Crunchy oatmeal cookie with peanut butter filling. Power in the post. I'm looking for Michael Graham to come out and punch the other cookies in the mouth. A decent cookie... but prone to foul trouble (especially with those ACC refs).
3-- Samoas-- tough call for the top three. The motion offense of cookies is vanilla but coated with caramel, sprinkled with toasted coconut and laced with chocolate stripes. So much style and substance and subtext and pretext-- the perfect halfcourt treat. But can it run and keep up with the others? Having put each of these through the "test"-- it's a challenge to knock down 5+ Samoas in a sitting. Not impossible, but still a challenge.
2-- Thin Mints-- we're talking UNLV 1990. Nobody runs like the this thin, mint-flavored chocolate wafer dipped in chocolate coating. Often goes on scoring/wolfing down runs of 10-15 without any effort. But can TM play the halfcourt game? If slowed down to a manageable pace I see problems rebounding the flavor... over-aggressiveness resulting in easy crumbs instead of steals... and the propensity to force a shot when it isn't wise. I dare you to try to eat one and not a second for 15 minutes.
1-- Tagalongs-- it's all about matchups. Crispy vanilla cookie layered with peanut butter and covered with a chocolate coating-- this team can play halfcourt yet run to some degree. One can play inside out (scooping the peanut butter out with your teeth) or just attack the rim. In the fridge or room temperature this option provides more than one shining moment.
Showing posts with label Terps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Terps. Show all posts
Monday, March 19, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- of Brackets and Burials...
Selection Sunday-- there's no other day like it in the world of sports. College basketball's field of 68 is announced with plenty at play: Are you in? What seed? What's the draw? And what's the road to the Final Four? Each question is as critical as the previous one...as matchups take precedence over actual talent in March.
Georgetown-- the Hoyas are figured as a #4 seed by the Washington Post and CBS Sportsline... and a #3 by ESPN. Despite a disappointing finish against Cincinnati in the Big East Quarterfinals... coach John Thompson III's team has displayed a defense that's been downright dominating at times. The question is, where will they be shipped to?
Alma Mater Update-- the bubble (well, not THE BUBBLE, but a bubble nonetheless) burst Friday night in the Big East Semifinals against Cincinnati as the Orange fell behind 28-15 before making a game of it... slipping 71-68. On the road to 31 wins SU has had more than its share of nailbiters-- six of their last eleven games have been decided by three points or less. I'd rather have that now than next weekend. The Orange should get a #1 seed in the East bracket-- with a first round trip to Pittsburgh.
End of season ACCounting-- Maryland saw its stay in Atlanta end with an 85-69 loss to North Carolina. The 17-15 finish about the best one could hope for...given the injuries... Defections and ineligibilities. A five player class is expected to make a major impact next season-- and another year to get used to coach Mark Turgeon's system. Virginia (22-9) awaits the Selection Committee's decision on where they'll be seeded... Various websites have the Cavaliers anywhere from a #9 to an 11. What amazed me this week is how long the Cavaliers have gone without reaching the ACC Semifinals-- they're last trip to Saturday came in 1995. Everybody- even the expansion schools, even Clemson (?)- has reached an ACC semi since. Virginia Tech (16-17) ended the season pretty much the way they began conference play-- losing a tough one to a luckier team. Against conference competition the Hokies finish 4-10 in games decided by five points or less. Nice to see Florida State break Duke and North Carolina's stranglehold on the conference tournament.
George Mason and American wrap up successful seasons by losing in their conference semifinals. The Patriots (24-9) seemingly peaked the night they beat VCU by one at home... as coach Paul Hewitt's team dropped three of their last five games-- including a pair to the Rams. Coach Shaka Smart's team is ticketed back to the big dance--instead of as one of the last four in, VCU goes as CAA champ to a likely 11th or 12th seed. AU (20-11) couldn't contain Patriot league MVP CJ McCollum (27 points and 10 rebounds) in an 85-66 loss at eventual champ Lehigh. Both schools are bubble NIT teams... although either would be a good fit one of the other postseason affairs.
George Washington and Howard wrapped up 10-win seasons looking forward to the future. While the Colonials finished the year on a 2-10 skid, the Bison won 6 of their final 10 games.
The Maryland women's basketball team wrapped up its first ACC Tournament title since 2009 by beating Georgia Tech in 68-65 in the finals. The Terps benefited from a busted bracket-- as top seed Duke and #2 Miami both fell in the quarterfinals. But a window of opportunity is only a window-- you have to jump through. Now coach Brenda Frese's team is a borderline 1/2 seed...can they leapfrog Notre Dame after the Fighting Irish fell in the Big East Tournament?
The Clock Ticks-- An era doesn't end but it's definitely winding down. Syracuse's days in the Big East are numbered... and one wonders where the best league in the 1980's went wrong. For a conference that did things so right for so long--I have a few pivot points...:
1-- Not admitting Penn State. Undercut the league from a football standpoint... as the Nittany Lions would abandon longstanding rivalries with Pitt and Syracuse for... Minnesota? I think they play Michigan State every fall for the "Land Grant Trophy". Bad deal for everybody, as the Big East could have used PSU's stability and reputation (the last year notwithstanding).
2-- Going to the experimental "six foul" rule in 1990. Ruined the rhythm of an already physical league-- switching back to five fouls was awkward at best and disastrous at worst. Final Fours in the 80's: eight. Final Fours in the 90's: two.
3-- Allowing Notre Dame as a "partial member"... aka sharing everything but football-- not only did it give the league the oh so divisible 13 team membership (NOT UNWIELDY AT ALL!), it created a second tier feel: how can you be considered an equal on the big stage when it's obvious you're not in the eyes of one of your own members?
4-- Not convincing Chaney-- Temple would have been a great boost basketball wise... and would have provided the league with a football team in the Philly market (yeah, Villanova-- thanks for participating). But for whatever reason they couldn't get John Chaney and his hoops program in the league... and wound up with another "partial member". We know how that works.
5-- Losing brand identity-- Say what you will about the ACC being Duke and UNC's private little lake... but at least the league recognizes the pecking order and has the Blue Devils wrap up the regular season with the Tar Heels. Syracuse-Georgetown? The two schools met just once this winter... and the two haven't wrapped up the regular season like they did in the 80's for some time.
6-- Losing the East... and the Big-- to maintain its membership after being robbed of arguably its three strongest football programs by the ACC... the Big East had to get creative on what "East" meant. Hello, Louisville and Cincinnati. The league figured, why stop there? Hiya, DePaul and Marquette. Sixteen schools! So easy to keep the rivarlies alive with just three home-and-homes for each school. Now with Pitt and Syracuse departing for the ACC... the red carpet is out for San Diego State and Boise State. So like a Holy Roman Empire that was neither Holy, Roman nor an Empire...the Big East Conference is no longer Big, East or a Conference.
It first upset me when I learned my alma mater would be leaving a league I loved. But when viewing what's left of what was absolutely awesome-- departing is the best decision. Thanks for the memories, BIG EAST. I'll always think of you fondly and cherish the next twelve months.
Georgetown-- the Hoyas are figured as a #4 seed by the Washington Post and CBS Sportsline... and a #3 by ESPN. Despite a disappointing finish against Cincinnati in the Big East Quarterfinals... coach John Thompson III's team has displayed a defense that's been downright dominating at times. The question is, where will they be shipped to?
Alma Mater Update-- the bubble (well, not THE BUBBLE, but a bubble nonetheless) burst Friday night in the Big East Semifinals against Cincinnati as the Orange fell behind 28-15 before making a game of it... slipping 71-68. On the road to 31 wins SU has had more than its share of nailbiters-- six of their last eleven games have been decided by three points or less. I'd rather have that now than next weekend. The Orange should get a #1 seed in the East bracket-- with a first round trip to Pittsburgh.
End of season ACCounting-- Maryland saw its stay in Atlanta end with an 85-69 loss to North Carolina. The 17-15 finish about the best one could hope for...given the injuries... Defections and ineligibilities. A five player class is expected to make a major impact next season-- and another year to get used to coach Mark Turgeon's system. Virginia (22-9) awaits the Selection Committee's decision on where they'll be seeded... Various websites have the Cavaliers anywhere from a #9 to an 11. What amazed me this week is how long the Cavaliers have gone without reaching the ACC Semifinals-- they're last trip to Saturday came in 1995. Everybody- even the expansion schools, even Clemson (?)- has reached an ACC semi since. Virginia Tech (16-17) ended the season pretty much the way they began conference play-- losing a tough one to a luckier team. Against conference competition the Hokies finish 4-10 in games decided by five points or less. Nice to see Florida State break Duke and North Carolina's stranglehold on the conference tournament.
George Mason and American wrap up successful seasons by losing in their conference semifinals. The Patriots (24-9) seemingly peaked the night they beat VCU by one at home... as coach Paul Hewitt's team dropped three of their last five games-- including a pair to the Rams. Coach Shaka Smart's team is ticketed back to the big dance--instead of as one of the last four in, VCU goes as CAA champ to a likely 11th or 12th seed. AU (20-11) couldn't contain Patriot league MVP CJ McCollum (27 points and 10 rebounds) in an 85-66 loss at eventual champ Lehigh. Both schools are bubble NIT teams... although either would be a good fit one of the other postseason affairs.
George Washington and Howard wrapped up 10-win seasons looking forward to the future. While the Colonials finished the year on a 2-10 skid, the Bison won 6 of their final 10 games.
The Maryland women's basketball team wrapped up its first ACC Tournament title since 2009 by beating Georgia Tech in 68-65 in the finals. The Terps benefited from a busted bracket-- as top seed Duke and #2 Miami both fell in the quarterfinals. But a window of opportunity is only a window-- you have to jump through. Now coach Brenda Frese's team is a borderline 1/2 seed...can they leapfrog Notre Dame after the Fighting Irish fell in the Big East Tournament?
The Clock Ticks-- An era doesn't end but it's definitely winding down. Syracuse's days in the Big East are numbered... and one wonders where the best league in the 1980's went wrong. For a conference that did things so right for so long--I have a few pivot points...:
1-- Not admitting Penn State. Undercut the league from a football standpoint... as the Nittany Lions would abandon longstanding rivalries with Pitt and Syracuse for... Minnesota? I think they play Michigan State every fall for the "Land Grant Trophy". Bad deal for everybody, as the Big East could have used PSU's stability and reputation (the last year notwithstanding).
2-- Going to the experimental "six foul" rule in 1990. Ruined the rhythm of an already physical league-- switching back to five fouls was awkward at best and disastrous at worst. Final Fours in the 80's: eight. Final Fours in the 90's: two.
3-- Allowing Notre Dame as a "partial member"... aka sharing everything but football-- not only did it give the league the oh so divisible 13 team membership (NOT UNWIELDY AT ALL!), it created a second tier feel: how can you be considered an equal on the big stage when it's obvious you're not in the eyes of one of your own members?
4-- Not convincing Chaney-- Temple would have been a great boost basketball wise... and would have provided the league with a football team in the Philly market (yeah, Villanova-- thanks for participating). But for whatever reason they couldn't get John Chaney and his hoops program in the league... and wound up with another "partial member". We know how that works.
5-- Losing brand identity-- Say what you will about the ACC being Duke and UNC's private little lake... but at least the league recognizes the pecking order and has the Blue Devils wrap up the regular season with the Tar Heels. Syracuse-Georgetown? The two schools met just once this winter... and the two haven't wrapped up the regular season like they did in the 80's for some time.
6-- Losing the East... and the Big-- to maintain its membership after being robbed of arguably its three strongest football programs by the ACC... the Big East had to get creative on what "East" meant. Hello, Louisville and Cincinnati. The league figured, why stop there? Hiya, DePaul and Marquette. Sixteen schools! So easy to keep the rivarlies alive with just three home-and-homes for each school. Now with Pitt and Syracuse departing for the ACC... the red carpet is out for San Diego State and Boise State. So like a Holy Roman Empire that was neither Holy, Roman nor an Empire...the Big East Conference is no longer Big, East or a Conference.
It first upset me when I learned my alma mater would be leaving a league I loved. But when viewing what's left of what was absolutely awesome-- departing is the best decision. Thanks for the memories, BIG EAST. I'll always think of you fondly and cherish the next twelve months.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- Believing Daydreams...
Cheer up, bubble teams...oh what a conference tournament run can mean. February frenzy gives way to March Madness... and for at least the next week or so everybody (with the exception of the Ivy League and early tournament castoffs) has a shot at getting into the field of 68. Having a shot and actually getting there are two different things- but what's the point, otherwise? Monkees fans-- head to the bottom of the page.
Georgetown (22-6, 12-5) can take over second place in the Big East with a victory over #8 Marquette... a team they beat 73-70 January 4th. In a league where #2 Syracuse, streaking Notre Dame and slumping UConn have monopolized the headlines-- the Hoyas have quietly carved out a campaign with no losing streaks... and a defense that's held four opponents in the 40's during February.
Alma Mater Update-- final day of the regular season means Syracuse-Georgetown, right? Maybe SU-UConn? No- it's a home game against longstanding bitter rival Louisville. Rick Pitino's white suits aside-- this is why it's not a horrible thing the Orange are leaving for the ACC. The Big East that remains is not the fantastic league that was ridiculously awesome in the '80s... especially with San Diego State and Memphis on the horizon (not in the Horizon, though-- that's Butler's league).
Maryland (16-13, 6-9) wraps up its regular season with a Sunday showdown against Virginia. The Terrapins are assured of 8th place in the ACC... and gets either Wake Forest, Virginia Tech or Boston College as a first round matchup. They played well in spurts against North Carolina-- but unfortunately the talent gap showed over the Tar Heels 31-10 second half run.
Cruising the Commonwealth-- the Cardiac Cavaliers and the Heartbreak Hokies continue to provide thrills and chills-- but mostly spills. Virginia's 63-60 come from ahead loss to Florida State was the team's 5th ACC loss by three points or less. But my UVa faithful Kippy and Buffy can't hold a candle to their VT counterparts Ray and Louann -- Virginia Tech's 58-56 loss at Clemson was the Hokies 13th ACC game decided by five points or less.
George Mason (23-8, 14-4) begins CAA Tournament play against 21-10 Georgia State... needing to at least reach the finals to have any at-large hope...and even then it's tough to like their chances on the bubble. This is where the Northeastern loss hurts.
George Washington (10-19, 5-10) clinched a spot in the Atlantic Ten Tournament when Rhode Island beat Fordham. Sadly a second half rally against La Salle came up short... GW missing 8 of 16 free throws in a 60-56 loss on Senior Night. David Pellom's fourth straight double double (16 points, 11 rebounds) was the bright spot... they'll need Pellom to produce if they want to surprise anybody in the A-10.
Maryland Womens' Window-- sophomore Alyssa Thomas becomes the third Terp in five years to capture ACC Player of the Year honors (Crystal Langhorne-2008, Kristy Tolliver-2009). An upset-ridden quarterfinal round saw the Terps emerge as the highest remaining seed (regular season champ Duke lost to NC State while #2 Miami fell to Wake Forest) in Greensboro. A ridiculously large window is now open.
American (20-10, 10-4) shut down Army 57-40 in the Patriot League quarterfinals... and now visits Lehigh in the semis. The Mountain Hawks (still miss the old nickname "Engineers") boast the league's leading scorer in C.J. McCollum. Each team scored 71 points while winning on its home floor. Can AU get a big effort from Charles Hinkle? The senior is on a 12 for 35 shooting slump... and after scoring in single figures just twice in the first 27 games of the season has posted two single digit efforts in the last ten days.
Howard (9-20, 6-10) finishes 10th in the MEAC... and plays North Carolina A&T in the first round of the tournament. The Bison hosted the Aggies January 14th-- losing 70-65 while shooting 29% from three point range.
Davy, we hardly knew ye-- my parents purchased me The Monkees Greatest Hits for my 7th birthday. The summer before, I was glued to Channel 56 in Boston's daily broadcasts of the pre-fab four. And to be honest-- I didn't like Davy Jones at first. Always cute, always smiling, and always getting the girl. And he didn't even play an instrument! Tamborine, maracas-- those were things from my first grade music class. I'm surprised he didn't play the recorder or xylophone as well. Granted, at age 6 I didn't know they didn't play instruments on their first two albums-- but still... maracas?
The Monkees were a TV show about a group that eventually became a group. Four guys from completely different backgrounds: Davy was stage and showtunes... Micky was California pop... Mike (wool hat and all) was Texas country... and Peter was Greenwich Village folk. That they eventually imploded when left to their own devices isn't a surprise: but the fact that they were able to generate two solid albums (Headquarters plus Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd.) and memorable singles is a credit to their often debated talents. The diminutive Monkee will be missed.
An interesting sidestory to the late Mr. Jones-- he had a front row seat to the world he would then wander into: while part of the traveling Oliver! cast (as the Artful Dodger) Jones found himself on the Ed Sullivan Show February 9, 1964. After singing "Consider Yourself" he wound up watching four lads from Liverpool make history. Only to one day be on the TV show inspired by the Beatles. RIP Davy-- wherever you are... you're still probably getting the girl. Damn cheeky smile.
Georgetown (22-6, 12-5) can take over second place in the Big East with a victory over #8 Marquette... a team they beat 73-70 January 4th. In a league where #2 Syracuse, streaking Notre Dame and slumping UConn have monopolized the headlines-- the Hoyas have quietly carved out a campaign with no losing streaks... and a defense that's held four opponents in the 40's during February.
Alma Mater Update-- final day of the regular season means Syracuse-Georgetown, right? Maybe SU-UConn? No- it's a home game against longstanding bitter rival Louisville. Rick Pitino's white suits aside-- this is why it's not a horrible thing the Orange are leaving for the ACC. The Big East that remains is not the fantastic league that was ridiculously awesome in the '80s... especially with San Diego State and Memphis on the horizon (not in the Horizon, though-- that's Butler's league).
Maryland (16-13, 6-9) wraps up its regular season with a Sunday showdown against Virginia. The Terrapins are assured of 8th place in the ACC... and gets either Wake Forest, Virginia Tech or Boston College as a first round matchup. They played well in spurts against North Carolina-- but unfortunately the talent gap showed over the Tar Heels 31-10 second half run.
Cruising the Commonwealth-- the Cardiac Cavaliers and the Heartbreak Hokies continue to provide thrills and chills-- but mostly spills. Virginia's 63-60 come from ahead loss to Florida State was the team's 5th ACC loss by three points or less. But my UVa faithful Kippy and Buffy can't hold a candle to their VT counterparts Ray and Louann -- Virginia Tech's 58-56 loss at Clemson was the Hokies 13th ACC game decided by five points or less.
George Mason (23-8, 14-4) begins CAA Tournament play against 21-10 Georgia State... needing to at least reach the finals to have any at-large hope...and even then it's tough to like their chances on the bubble. This is where the Northeastern loss hurts.
George Washington (10-19, 5-10) clinched a spot in the Atlantic Ten Tournament when Rhode Island beat Fordham. Sadly a second half rally against La Salle came up short... GW missing 8 of 16 free throws in a 60-56 loss on Senior Night. David Pellom's fourth straight double double (16 points, 11 rebounds) was the bright spot... they'll need Pellom to produce if they want to surprise anybody in the A-10.
Maryland Womens' Window-- sophomore Alyssa Thomas becomes the third Terp in five years to capture ACC Player of the Year honors (Crystal Langhorne-2008, Kristy Tolliver-2009). An upset-ridden quarterfinal round saw the Terps emerge as the highest remaining seed (regular season champ Duke lost to NC State while #2 Miami fell to Wake Forest) in Greensboro. A ridiculously large window is now open.
American (20-10, 10-4) shut down Army 57-40 in the Patriot League quarterfinals... and now visits Lehigh in the semis. The Mountain Hawks (still miss the old nickname "Engineers") boast the league's leading scorer in C.J. McCollum. Each team scored 71 points while winning on its home floor. Can AU get a big effort from Charles Hinkle? The senior is on a 12 for 35 shooting slump... and after scoring in single figures just twice in the first 27 games of the season has posted two single digit efforts in the last ten days.
Howard (9-20, 6-10) finishes 10th in the MEAC... and plays North Carolina A&T in the first round of the tournament. The Bison hosted the Aggies January 14th-- losing 70-65 while shooting 29% from three point range.
Davy, we hardly knew ye-- my parents purchased me The Monkees Greatest Hits for my 7th birthday. The summer before, I was glued to Channel 56 in Boston's daily broadcasts of the pre-fab four. And to be honest-- I didn't like Davy Jones at first. Always cute, always smiling, and always getting the girl. And he didn't even play an instrument! Tamborine, maracas-- those were things from my first grade music class. I'm surprised he didn't play the recorder or xylophone as well. Granted, at age 6 I didn't know they didn't play instruments on their first two albums-- but still... maracas?
The Monkees were a TV show about a group that eventually became a group. Four guys from completely different backgrounds: Davy was stage and showtunes... Micky was California pop... Mike (wool hat and all) was Texas country... and Peter was Greenwich Village folk. That they eventually imploded when left to their own devices isn't a surprise: but the fact that they were able to generate two solid albums (Headquarters plus Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd.) and memorable singles is a credit to their often debated talents. The diminutive Monkee will be missed.
An interesting sidestory to the late Mr. Jones-- he had a front row seat to the world he would then wander into: while part of the traveling Oliver! cast (as the Artful Dodger) Jones found himself on the Ed Sullivan Show February 9, 1964. After singing "Consider Yourself" he wound up watching four lads from Liverpool make history. Only to one day be on the TV show inspired by the Beatles. RIP Davy-- wherever you are... you're still probably getting the girl. Damn cheeky smile.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- Shakeup in the Standings...
The final weeks of college basketball's regular season mean a handful of things... but most importantly the arrival of the Shamrock Shake. McDonald's minty green goodness is here for a limited time-- and isn't available at all locations. You pick your sports correctly, and you've got yourself a winning month (or longer). You make the wrong move-- and find yourself shaking your head going home shakeless. Somewhere there's a parallel between a peppermint milkshake and the local college basketball scene, right?
Georgetown was ambushed by an incredible shooting display Tuesday... as Seton Hall senior Jordan Theodore torched the Hoyas for 29 points on 8 of 11 shooting (5-5 from three point range). Cause for concern: while one player can go off every so often, the entire Pirate team hit 61% from the field. The The Hoyas face a difficult final week with games against #20 Notre Dame and #10 Marquette.
Alma Mater Update-- the Orange remain atop the Big East and at 28-1 are off to the best start in school history. While SU owns an eight game winning streak, each game has felt like somewhat of a struggle-- the most recent a 56-48 win over South Florida (before ACC aficionados rail about the sloppy play, lets talk about how more than one of their games has finished in the 40's this winter). So I continue to watch and buy into this team and wonder when or if the other shoe will drop. Sadly it often does... whether it's Rhode Island in 1988... Villanova in the 1991 Big East quarters, or Georgetown in 2000 and 2009... things often end in the most harrowing manner. Regardless, I'm off to enjoy a 44- Wing Salute at Sign of the Whale with the usual cast of characters in place.
Maryland owns the tiebreaker with Clemson for 7th in the ACC after its most impressive win of the season-- a 75-70 come from behind victory over Miami was a nice bounce-back from their 71-44 loss at Virginia. Life without Pe'Shon Howard continues with natural shooting guard Terrell Stoglin and freshman Nick Faust sharing point guard responsibilities... and while nobody will confuse the pair for Steve Blake, they managed things much better against the Hurricanes than against the Cavaliers. Can the Terps get to .500 in the ACC? They need to beat Georgia Tech (2-11 in conference play)... and then defeat either North Carolina (in Chapel Hill-- next) or Virginia (at Comcast...hmm...).
Cruising the Commonwealth-- Virginia has another chance at a statement game... will they be loud or silent against #7 North Carolina? The Cavaliers led the Tarheels in the secnod half before allowing a 22-6 run. Right now UVa has the #4 spot... meaning a first round bye is within their reach. Virginia Tech's 9th after their loss to Virginia... and how heartbreaking has this season been? Eleven of their thirteen ACC games have been decided by less than five points... and the Hokies going 4-7 instead of 7-4 removes any bubble talk.
George Mason-- well, the streak couldn't last forever. The Patriots fell 85-82 at Northeastern thanks to 21 turnovers and a less than stellar night by Ryan Pearson (after consecutive double doubles, the senior was held to 3 of 12 shooting by the Huskies). Saturday's game with VCU determines the Patriots' CAA seed-- win and they're #2... lose and they slip to 3rd. Did they bring Doc Nix down to Richmond?
George Washington tries to end a 1-7 slide when Duquesne drops by the Smith Center... a victory plus losses by Fordham and Rhode Island wrap up a berth in the Atlantic Ten tournament. Once again, GW is led by Tony Taylor and how the senior guard plays dictates how well the Colonials fare. The expanding middle class of the conference means the potential #5 seed could be just about anybody from UMass to Dayton-- as one game separates 3rd from 8th place.
Maryland Womens' Window-- right or wrong, North Carolina and Duke are the signature programs of the ACC. And beating both in the same week the way this team did remains huge. Fans at Comcast Center had a thriller in a 63-61 win over the Blue Devils-- thanks to Alyssa Thomas' game-sealing block as time expired--as the Terps rallied from 12 points down in the first half. Senior night saw a smackdown in the form of an 84-64 rout of the Tarheels... as the Terrapins jumped out to a 32-10 lead behind the play of Anjale Barrett, Lynetta Kizer and Kim Rodgers in their final regular season home game. Now the Terps have a tight turnaround on their hands with a Sunday visit to North Carolina State. A win or a Georgia Tech loss wraps up the #3 seed in the ACC Tournament.
American missed a chance to move into a tie for the Patriot League lead... falling 55-50 at home to Bucknell. Offensive rebounds hurt the Eagles-- as did just three points from Charles Hinkle. AU wraps up the #3 seed with a win over Lafayette in its regular season finale.
Howard has caught a little February fire-- defeating Maryland-Eastern Shore 53-51 Monday... the team's fifth win in seven games after winning four of its first 21. The Bison visit Delaware State Saturday-- a win keeps them in contention for 7th place in the MEAC while a loss could eventually slide them down to 11th.
Georgetown was ambushed by an incredible shooting display Tuesday... as Seton Hall senior Jordan Theodore torched the Hoyas for 29 points on 8 of 11 shooting (5-5 from three point range). Cause for concern: while one player can go off every so often, the entire Pirate team hit 61% from the field. The The Hoyas face a difficult final week with games against #20 Notre Dame and #10 Marquette.
Alma Mater Update-- the Orange remain atop the Big East and at 28-1 are off to the best start in school history. While SU owns an eight game winning streak, each game has felt like somewhat of a struggle-- the most recent a 56-48 win over South Florida (before ACC aficionados rail about the sloppy play, lets talk about how more than one of their games has finished in the 40's this winter). So I continue to watch and buy into this team and wonder when or if the other shoe will drop. Sadly it often does... whether it's Rhode Island in 1988... Villanova in the 1991 Big East quarters, or Georgetown in 2000 and 2009... things often end in the most harrowing manner. Regardless, I'm off to enjoy a 44- Wing Salute at Sign of the Whale with the usual cast of characters in place.
Maryland owns the tiebreaker with Clemson for 7th in the ACC after its most impressive win of the season-- a 75-70 come from behind victory over Miami was a nice bounce-back from their 71-44 loss at Virginia. Life without Pe'Shon Howard continues with natural shooting guard Terrell Stoglin and freshman Nick Faust sharing point guard responsibilities... and while nobody will confuse the pair for Steve Blake, they managed things much better against the Hurricanes than against the Cavaliers. Can the Terps get to .500 in the ACC? They need to beat Georgia Tech (2-11 in conference play)... and then defeat either North Carolina (in Chapel Hill-- next) or Virginia (at Comcast...hmm...).
Cruising the Commonwealth-- Virginia has another chance at a statement game... will they be loud or silent against #7 North Carolina? The Cavaliers led the Tarheels in the secnod half before allowing a 22-6 run. Right now UVa has the #4 spot... meaning a first round bye is within their reach. Virginia Tech's 9th after their loss to Virginia... and how heartbreaking has this season been? Eleven of their thirteen ACC games have been decided by less than five points... and the Hokies going 4-7 instead of 7-4 removes any bubble talk.
George Mason-- well, the streak couldn't last forever. The Patriots fell 85-82 at Northeastern thanks to 21 turnovers and a less than stellar night by Ryan Pearson (after consecutive double doubles, the senior was held to 3 of 12 shooting by the Huskies). Saturday's game with VCU determines the Patriots' CAA seed-- win and they're #2... lose and they slip to 3rd. Did they bring Doc Nix down to Richmond?
George Washington tries to end a 1-7 slide when Duquesne drops by the Smith Center... a victory plus losses by Fordham and Rhode Island wrap up a berth in the Atlantic Ten tournament. Once again, GW is led by Tony Taylor and how the senior guard plays dictates how well the Colonials fare. The expanding middle class of the conference means the potential #5 seed could be just about anybody from UMass to Dayton-- as one game separates 3rd from 8th place.
Maryland Womens' Window-- right or wrong, North Carolina and Duke are the signature programs of the ACC. And beating both in the same week the way this team did remains huge. Fans at Comcast Center had a thriller in a 63-61 win over the Blue Devils-- thanks to Alyssa Thomas' game-sealing block as time expired--as the Terps rallied from 12 points down in the first half. Senior night saw a smackdown in the form of an 84-64 rout of the Tarheels... as the Terrapins jumped out to a 32-10 lead behind the play of Anjale Barrett, Lynetta Kizer and Kim Rodgers in their final regular season home game. Now the Terps have a tight turnaround on their hands with a Sunday visit to North Carolina State. A win or a Georgia Tech loss wraps up the #3 seed in the ACC Tournament.
American missed a chance to move into a tie for the Patriot League lead... falling 55-50 at home to Bucknell. Offensive rebounds hurt the Eagles-- as did just three points from Charles Hinkle. AU wraps up the #3 seed with a win over Lafayette in its regular season finale.
Howard has caught a little February fire-- defeating Maryland-Eastern Shore 53-51 Monday... the team's fifth win in seven games after winning four of its first 21. The Bison visit Delaware State Saturday-- a win keeps them in contention for 7th place in the MEAC while a loss could eventually slide them down to 11th.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- Hearts will never be practical...
Happy Valentine's Day... a celebration of love and hopes and dreams that every so often ends in a less than awesome manner. A day where a line is drawn in the sand between couples and singles. A day where what ifs become never weres. As the Wizard told the Tin Man, "Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable." Over the next few weeks, plenty of hearts (and bubbles) will be broken as the line between finding an NCAA Tournament partner and being single in the NIT (or worse) will be drawn... with a few still hoping for that one big thing.
Georgetown (19-5, 9-4) bounced back from a tough overtime loss at Syracuse by gutting out another matinee victory over a Big East Bruiser. The 71-61 win over St. John's saw a nice buffet effort from Nate Lubick: 7 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks. The Hoyas owned the glass again...and shot 61% in the second half. The team's ability to generate half-court opportunities-- like they did in rallying to tie #2 Syracuse at the end of regulation-- bode well for March. Call their chocolate box more than half-full.
Alma Mater Update-- before I get into the latest pair of cardiac conclusions... let me set the record straight: bad weather and traffic prevented me from going to The Sign of the Whale for the Syracuse-Georgetown game last week. I am not a turncoat nor Benedict Arnold nor Brutus nor Nina from 24. But let me also say that the BLAZING HOT WINGS at the Greene Turtle are beyond napalmish. The key is knocking back two or three to get your mouth accustomed to the fury-- and loading up with bleu cheese dressing. That said, the Orange are fortunate to have held on in overtime against Georgetown and in regulation against Louisville (let the record show that Rick Pitino's white suits are a tonsorial turnover in and of themselves). And like true love, its tough to view this team objectively. Kris Joseph scores 29 against the Hoyas and only 7 against the Cardinals. The defense gives up way too many offensive boards. Halfcourt can be a nightmare. But they can turn you over like nobody else (4th in the nation in steals) and nobody runs the lanes better than this oh-so-deep Orange squad. So this chocolate box is all filled with really cool flavors (coconut, tangerine, cherry, walnut).
Favorite Couples I-- nobody lives in a vacuum. And our perception of life and love is built upon what we've grown up watching. The first couple I openly rooted for was Han Solo and Princess Leia-- their bickering during Star Wars injected spice into a dry script, and their fatalistic get-together in Empire provided one of the best exchanges EVER ("I love you"-"I know). Sadly, there had to be a Return of the Jedi where their relationship was reduced to she mopes, he mopes... and even the rehashing of the money line. Lesson learned? Sometimes it's cool to call it a day after the carbon freezing.
Maryland (14-10, 4-6) isn't in the class of North Carolina or Duke-- although coach Mark Turgeon's team can stay with the Tar Heels and Blue Devils for stretches, they just don't have the talent or depth to go toe to toe for 40 minutes. And that talent and depth goes from half full to half empty with guard Pe'Shon Howard's torn ACL. The Terrapin point guard wasn't a stats dynamo but was essential to the team's ACC success-- he logged 30 minutes or more in all but one of the team's conference games. Howard's loss means more minutes for Nick Faust and Mychal Parker-- and the duo combined for almost half of the Terps' points in the 73-55 loss at Duke. Unfortunately three-point shooting (1-14) and rebounding issues (outboarded 48-33 by the Blue Devils) reared their ugly heads as well. Now with six games remaining the Terps have just two matchups against teams with losing ACC records: Boston College and Georgia Tech are a combined 5-16 in league play. Other than that? Trips to #5 North Carolina and #22 Virginia plus home games against the Cavaliers and surprising Miami. Chocolate Box Status-- loaded with flavors you're not digging, but you'll eat them anyway.
Cruising the Commonwealth-- Yes, Virginia... there is a second half. The Cavaliers led North Carolina by 3-- IN CHAPEL HILL-- before the Tar Heels went on a 22-5 run that spelled the Cavaliers' 64 loss in 70 tries at UNC. Mike Scott scored 18 points... but the rest of the team shot 11 of 38. Revenge may be a dish served early and often over the next few weeks... as UVa plays three teams they've already lost to this winter-- UNC, Florida State and Virginia Tech. Hopefully the Cavs and Hokies will each score more than 47 points in the rematch. Virginia Tech's chocolate box was accidentally dropped in the early ACC season (with 5 losses by 5 points or less)...and then stepped on with double digit losses to Duke and Miami. Three games against ranked opponents in the next two weeks could revive a run to the NIT (at 14-11, it's time to be honest Hokie fans) or bury this bunch. When does spring football start?
Favorite Couples II-- "Dallas" was a family saga filled with conflict between old cattle and new oil as well as good brother Bobby against evil brother JR. One casualty of the show was the marriage of Bobby and Pam... a couple that if you watched the show you enjoyed their affection for one another amidst a landscape of dysfunctional pairings- from JR and Sue Ellen to Mitch and Lucy. The whole original premise of the show was how a Ewing married a Barnes and there was no way they'd last. Even after scheming from seemingly every character over four plus seasons tore them apart... you couldn't help but root for the duo. Mark Graison? Jenna Wade? We recognized the real deal and it was Bobby and Pam. They finally got back together much to our delight. Until Katherine Wentworth ran Bobby over with her car (yes, in my mind Dallas ended that day. NO DREAM SEASON). Lesson learned-- if you're not in a car, get off the damn driveway!
George Mason (21-6, 13-2)-- get ready for two games over two weeks (with maybe a third in the CAA Tournament) with VCU that should be incredible. While the case could be made that they're playing for second place (neither has been able to defeat Drexel this season)... the late season home and home will feature two solid teams in the at-large discussion with outstanding forwards: Ryan Pearson (18ppg, 9rpg, 37% from 3) has placed the Patriots on his back on more than one occasion while Bradford Burgess after a midseason slump (6 of 7 games scoring in single digits) appears to have picked up steam (46 points and 11 of 20 from three point range over the last two games). Get to the Patriot Center early on Valentine's Day- one can only wonder what sort of love songs Doc Nix and the Green Machine will be belting out. Chocolate Box- filled with awesome candies you don't want to share.
George Washington (9-16, 4-7) -- the Colonials ended a five game slide by beating Richmond 69-67... as Dwayne Smith has come alive this month (three straight games in double figures after scoring in double figures three times in GW's first 22 games of the season). That's nice relief for Tony Taylor; being a point guard who's often the #1 option means you get double teamed, hacked and downright mugged with numbing regularity. The Colonials have a one and a half game lead for 12th place in the Atlantic Ten-- and of their five remaining regular season games have just one matchup against a school currently with a losing league record (Charlotte- a team they beat by 8 in Foggy Bottom last month). Chocolate Box???? A different kind of bubble-- you open this one and wind up with celery and carrots-- plus raisins (Nature's Candy?!?).
Maryland Womens' Window-- the Terps are a very good team. They rallied against a tough Georgia Tech squad in Atlanta to complete a season sweep of the Yellowjackets. They blasted a subpar Clemson team on the road (Clemson on the road is never easy; just getting there is a logistical nightmare). But Sunday the Terrapins turned the ball over 21 times against #6 Miami- and missed 10 free throws in a 76-74 loss to the Hurricanes. Maryland remains #8 in the newest polls... and has three tough games ahead with a trip to Virginia plus home tilts against Duke and North Carolina. The margin between very good and great is minor... the margin between great and phenomenally incredible is even smaller. This team is close. Two keys down the stretch will be the play of Laurin Mincy and Anjale Barrett.
Favorite Couples III-- Sam and Diane. Who didn't like "Cheers"? I gravitated towards the show during its first season when Carla convinced a drunk Diane that Sam fathered one of her kids. I was hooked when Diane told Sam she'd never believe anything he said and Sam responded "then I think I'm falling in love with you". I recognized the chemistry the two had-- despite being so wrong for one another they were so right. Sam telling Diane "I think you're neat"-- when prompted why he liked her. Their combustible relationship leading to despair in season three (Sam back on the bottle, Diane in an assylum). More than one almost reconciliation... and their near-marriage followed by Sam saying "Have a Good Life". Lesson Learned-- do not pick up recently dumped English Lit Teaching Assistants in Boston bars. Don't even offer them "employment".
American (16-9, 7-3) saw its midseason momentum take a break with a 59-52 loss at Holy Cross; shooting 32% while being outrebounded by ten dooming the Eagles. While Charles Hinkle is able to score even when not shooting well... Troy Brewer has had troubles being a solid second option lately-- take away the game against Lehigh and the senior is on a 7 for 28 shooting slump in his last four games. AU closes the regular season with games against Navy and Army before battling Patriot League leading Bucknell; the Eagles' regular season finale against Lafayette could be for second place and home court for two rounds in the conference tournament. Chocolate Box-- a mixed bag. Be wary of what you choose-- and no "taking one bite but then placing back in the box!"
Howard (7-19, 4-9) fell at home Monday night to Bethune-Cookman 73-67... before the defeat the Bison took three of their previous four games. Two of their three remaining regular season games are against the MEAC's upper echelon, so another double digit conference loss season appears likely. One wonders about the future-- as senior Greg Andrews is the only player averaging more than 10 points a game on this roster. Hopefully Kevin Nickelberry's second true recruiting class will pay dividends. Chocolate Box--return to sender.
Danny Departs-- breaking up is definitely hard to do. Maryland football loses its face-- as junior Danny O'Brien transfers after a difficult 2011 season. The 2010 ACC Rookie of the Year lost his starting job last fall-- and then broke his upper arm against Notre Dame. When did a future so bright suddenly have an expiration date? I look at the West Virginia game-- he threw a pick-six and a fourth quarter INT in the red zone. For the first time since he came to College Park, Danny could look at a game and say "I LOST THIS ONE". Confidence is a tricky thing for anyone of any age, let alone a college student trying to succeed in a new offensive system (after learning the old one for basically two and a half years). The nightmare 2-10 season saw injury added to insult when he broke his arm. I wish the classy kid well-- and know he'll be successful down the road in whatever he decides to do.
Favorite Couples IV-- "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" features Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet playing doomed couple Joel and Clementine. They break up badly (to paraphrase Bryan Brown from "Cocktail": everything ends badly... otherwise it wouldn't end) and she decides to erase her memories of the affair. He finds out and wants to do the same... but halfway through the process realizes that amidst all the madness and hurt there are actually really good memories he wants to hang onto. He tucks away one. They meet again-- and then learn they each erased the other. Do they start again on a similar road that probably ends the way the previous one did? She tells him she'll get bored of him and feel trapped while he'll find things he doesn't like about here. He replies "Okay". Lesson Learned-- I forget... but it has to be something important.
Georgetown (19-5, 9-4) bounced back from a tough overtime loss at Syracuse by gutting out another matinee victory over a Big East Bruiser. The 71-61 win over St. John's saw a nice buffet effort from Nate Lubick: 7 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks. The Hoyas owned the glass again...and shot 61% in the second half. The team's ability to generate half-court opportunities-- like they did in rallying to tie #2 Syracuse at the end of regulation-- bode well for March. Call their chocolate box more than half-full.
Alma Mater Update-- before I get into the latest pair of cardiac conclusions... let me set the record straight: bad weather and traffic prevented me from going to The Sign of the Whale for the Syracuse-Georgetown game last week. I am not a turncoat nor Benedict Arnold nor Brutus nor Nina from 24. But let me also say that the BLAZING HOT WINGS at the Greene Turtle are beyond napalmish. The key is knocking back two or three to get your mouth accustomed to the fury-- and loading up with bleu cheese dressing. That said, the Orange are fortunate to have held on in overtime against Georgetown and in regulation against Louisville (let the record show that Rick Pitino's white suits are a tonsorial turnover in and of themselves). And like true love, its tough to view this team objectively. Kris Joseph scores 29 against the Hoyas and only 7 against the Cardinals. The defense gives up way too many offensive boards. Halfcourt can be a nightmare. But they can turn you over like nobody else (4th in the nation in steals) and nobody runs the lanes better than this oh-so-deep Orange squad. So this chocolate box is all filled with really cool flavors (coconut, tangerine, cherry, walnut).
Favorite Couples I-- nobody lives in a vacuum. And our perception of life and love is built upon what we've grown up watching. The first couple I openly rooted for was Han Solo and Princess Leia-- their bickering during Star Wars injected spice into a dry script, and their fatalistic get-together in Empire provided one of the best exchanges EVER ("I love you"-"I know). Sadly, there had to be a Return of the Jedi where their relationship was reduced to she mopes, he mopes... and even the rehashing of the money line. Lesson learned? Sometimes it's cool to call it a day after the carbon freezing.
Maryland (14-10, 4-6) isn't in the class of North Carolina or Duke-- although coach Mark Turgeon's team can stay with the Tar Heels and Blue Devils for stretches, they just don't have the talent or depth to go toe to toe for 40 minutes. And that talent and depth goes from half full to half empty with guard Pe'Shon Howard's torn ACL. The Terrapin point guard wasn't a stats dynamo but was essential to the team's ACC success-- he logged 30 minutes or more in all but one of the team's conference games. Howard's loss means more minutes for Nick Faust and Mychal Parker-- and the duo combined for almost half of the Terps' points in the 73-55 loss at Duke. Unfortunately three-point shooting (1-14) and rebounding issues (outboarded 48-33 by the Blue Devils) reared their ugly heads as well. Now with six games remaining the Terps have just two matchups against teams with losing ACC records: Boston College and Georgia Tech are a combined 5-16 in league play. Other than that? Trips to #5 North Carolina and #22 Virginia plus home games against the Cavaliers and surprising Miami. Chocolate Box Status-- loaded with flavors you're not digging, but you'll eat them anyway.
Cruising the Commonwealth-- Yes, Virginia... there is a second half. The Cavaliers led North Carolina by 3-- IN CHAPEL HILL-- before the Tar Heels went on a 22-5 run that spelled the Cavaliers' 64 loss in 70 tries at UNC. Mike Scott scored 18 points... but the rest of the team shot 11 of 38. Revenge may be a dish served early and often over the next few weeks... as UVa plays three teams they've already lost to this winter-- UNC, Florida State and Virginia Tech. Hopefully the Cavs and Hokies will each score more than 47 points in the rematch. Virginia Tech's chocolate box was accidentally dropped in the early ACC season (with 5 losses by 5 points or less)...and then stepped on with double digit losses to Duke and Miami. Three games against ranked opponents in the next two weeks could revive a run to the NIT (at 14-11, it's time to be honest Hokie fans) or bury this bunch. When does spring football start?
Favorite Couples II-- "Dallas" was a family saga filled with conflict between old cattle and new oil as well as good brother Bobby against evil brother JR. One casualty of the show was the marriage of Bobby and Pam... a couple that if you watched the show you enjoyed their affection for one another amidst a landscape of dysfunctional pairings- from JR and Sue Ellen to Mitch and Lucy. The whole original premise of the show was how a Ewing married a Barnes and there was no way they'd last. Even after scheming from seemingly every character over four plus seasons tore them apart... you couldn't help but root for the duo. Mark Graison? Jenna Wade? We recognized the real deal and it was Bobby and Pam. They finally got back together much to our delight. Until Katherine Wentworth ran Bobby over with her car (yes, in my mind Dallas ended that day. NO DREAM SEASON). Lesson learned-- if you're not in a car, get off the damn driveway!
George Mason (21-6, 13-2)-- get ready for two games over two weeks (with maybe a third in the CAA Tournament) with VCU that should be incredible. While the case could be made that they're playing for second place (neither has been able to defeat Drexel this season)... the late season home and home will feature two solid teams in the at-large discussion with outstanding forwards: Ryan Pearson (18ppg, 9rpg, 37% from 3) has placed the Patriots on his back on more than one occasion while Bradford Burgess after a midseason slump (6 of 7 games scoring in single digits) appears to have picked up steam (46 points and 11 of 20 from three point range over the last two games). Get to the Patriot Center early on Valentine's Day- one can only wonder what sort of love songs Doc Nix and the Green Machine will be belting out. Chocolate Box- filled with awesome candies you don't want to share.
George Washington (9-16, 4-7) -- the Colonials ended a five game slide by beating Richmond 69-67... as Dwayne Smith has come alive this month (three straight games in double figures after scoring in double figures three times in GW's first 22 games of the season). That's nice relief for Tony Taylor; being a point guard who's often the #1 option means you get double teamed, hacked and downright mugged with numbing regularity. The Colonials have a one and a half game lead for 12th place in the Atlantic Ten-- and of their five remaining regular season games have just one matchup against a school currently with a losing league record (Charlotte- a team they beat by 8 in Foggy Bottom last month). Chocolate Box???? A different kind of bubble-- you open this one and wind up with celery and carrots-- plus raisins (Nature's Candy?!?).
Maryland Womens' Window-- the Terps are a very good team. They rallied against a tough Georgia Tech squad in Atlanta to complete a season sweep of the Yellowjackets. They blasted a subpar Clemson team on the road (Clemson on the road is never easy; just getting there is a logistical nightmare). But Sunday the Terrapins turned the ball over 21 times against #6 Miami- and missed 10 free throws in a 76-74 loss to the Hurricanes. Maryland remains #8 in the newest polls... and has three tough games ahead with a trip to Virginia plus home tilts against Duke and North Carolina. The margin between very good and great is minor... the margin between great and phenomenally incredible is even smaller. This team is close. Two keys down the stretch will be the play of Laurin Mincy and Anjale Barrett.
Favorite Couples III-- Sam and Diane. Who didn't like "Cheers"? I gravitated towards the show during its first season when Carla convinced a drunk Diane that Sam fathered one of her kids. I was hooked when Diane told Sam she'd never believe anything he said and Sam responded "then I think I'm falling in love with you". I recognized the chemistry the two had-- despite being so wrong for one another they were so right. Sam telling Diane "I think you're neat"-- when prompted why he liked her. Their combustible relationship leading to despair in season three (Sam back on the bottle, Diane in an assylum). More than one almost reconciliation... and their near-marriage followed by Sam saying "Have a Good Life". Lesson Learned-- do not pick up recently dumped English Lit Teaching Assistants in Boston bars. Don't even offer them "employment".
American (16-9, 7-3) saw its midseason momentum take a break with a 59-52 loss at Holy Cross; shooting 32% while being outrebounded by ten dooming the Eagles. While Charles Hinkle is able to score even when not shooting well... Troy Brewer has had troubles being a solid second option lately-- take away the game against Lehigh and the senior is on a 7 for 28 shooting slump in his last four games. AU closes the regular season with games against Navy and Army before battling Patriot League leading Bucknell; the Eagles' regular season finale against Lafayette could be for second place and home court for two rounds in the conference tournament. Chocolate Box-- a mixed bag. Be wary of what you choose-- and no "taking one bite but then placing back in the box!"
Howard (7-19, 4-9) fell at home Monday night to Bethune-Cookman 73-67... before the defeat the Bison took three of their previous four games. Two of their three remaining regular season games are against the MEAC's upper echelon, so another double digit conference loss season appears likely. One wonders about the future-- as senior Greg Andrews is the only player averaging more than 10 points a game on this roster. Hopefully Kevin Nickelberry's second true recruiting class will pay dividends. Chocolate Box--return to sender.
Danny Departs-- breaking up is definitely hard to do. Maryland football loses its face-- as junior Danny O'Brien transfers after a difficult 2011 season. The 2010 ACC Rookie of the Year lost his starting job last fall-- and then broke his upper arm against Notre Dame. When did a future so bright suddenly have an expiration date? I look at the West Virginia game-- he threw a pick-six and a fourth quarter INT in the red zone. For the first time since he came to College Park, Danny could look at a game and say "I LOST THIS ONE". Confidence is a tricky thing for anyone of any age, let alone a college student trying to succeed in a new offensive system (after learning the old one for basically two and a half years). The nightmare 2-10 season saw injury added to insult when he broke his arm. I wish the classy kid well-- and know he'll be successful down the road in whatever he decides to do.
Favorite Couples IV-- "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" features Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet playing doomed couple Joel and Clementine. They break up badly (to paraphrase Bryan Brown from "Cocktail": everything ends badly... otherwise it wouldn't end) and she decides to erase her memories of the affair. He finds out and wants to do the same... but halfway through the process realizes that amidst all the madness and hurt there are actually really good memories he wants to hang onto. He tucks away one. They meet again-- and then learn they each erased the other. Do they start again on a similar road that probably ends the way the previous one did? She tells him she'll get bored of him and feel trapped while he'll find things he doesn't like about here. He replies "Okay". Lesson Learned-- I forget... but it has to be something important.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- Where do we go from here?
College basketball's version of "Show Me Month" wraps up with with a few area schools on track for the tournament... others wondering where exactly their ceiling is... and a few hoping the floor isn't as low as it appears.
Georgetown (16-4, 6-3) continues to sail through the rough seas of Big East play-- slipping on the road at previously-on-the-mat Pitt 72-60. The Hoyas don't necessarily live by the three-- but in all three Big East losses Georgetown has struggled from outside the arc (14% against West Virginia, 31% against Cincinnati and 29% against Pitt). And things don't get any easier for coach John Thompson III's team: consecutive games against UConn, South Florida and Syracuse loom before the schedule lightens up.
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse escapes a nail-biter with West Virginia... a non-goaltending call allowing the Orange to edge West Virginia 63-61. The team tries to find its way minus center Fab Melo... in his three game absence... SU's been outrebounded by double digits twice and barely outrebounded Cincinnati (36-35). And in the Big East there's always that tight turnaround/2 losses in 3 days possibility-- even if you're playing well. And then there's the Bernie Fine elephant in the room.
Maryland (13-7, 3-3) got a necessary win over Virginia Tech at home (73-69)... ending a three game losing streak and improving to 3-3 in the ACC. Terrell Stoglin proves to be the primary producer (21 of 28 points coming after halftime against the Hokies) while Sean Mosley comes up huge when it matters (5 free throws in the last 70 seconds of regulation). How healthy and more importantly how productive will Alex Len get during the upcoming stretch of four games out of six on the road? There are wins to be had against the ACC's underbelly... but you have to win on the road- and the Terps haven't done that yet this winter.
Cruising the Commonwealth-- a tale of two campuses: it's definitely the best of times in Charlottesville as Virginia is off to a 5-2 start in league play...Mike Scott a major force (23 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Clemson) for the Cavaliers. What remains to be seen is how they'll do against a very tough back end of the schedule—from here on UVa plays both North Carolina and Florida State twice. Virginia Tech plays Duke twice and has two more games against teams currently ranked—and the Hokies are 1-5 in league play with four losses coming by four points or less. This smacks of Virginia a few years ago during Sean Singletary’s senior season—when the close losses mounted early against a talented team before everything collapsed.
George Mason (18-5, 10-1) takes a six game winning streak to Delaware February 1st… and an at-large berth is not out of the conversation for the Patriots. Coach Paul Hewitt’s team still has to play VCU twice and Old Dominion once—and faces Lamar in the Bracket Buster.
George Washington (8-13, 3-4) remains offensively challenged (301st in scoring) and unable to win in the Atlantic 10 away from the Smith Center (0-4). And up next for coach Mike Lonergan: three straight games against A-10 contenders Xavier, UMass and Temple. February might get rather cold in Foggy Bottom.
Maryland Womens' Window-- a tough loss at Duke is one thing; slipping to Virginia Tech at home is another thing. Alyssa Thomas' thumb injury turned a tight rotation tighter-- and the question over the second month of conference play is how a bench long on quality but short on quantity (Lynetta Kizer and Brene Moseley provide punch off the pine—but that’s it).
American (14-8, 5-2) is halfway through Patriot League play and has only lost to the two schools ahead of it in the standings (Bucknell and Lehigh). Charles Hinkle has taken the mantle of primary point producer… as he and Troy Brewer are both shooting higher than 40% from three point range. Sadly, my sources in and around the program report the McDonald’s at Bender Arena is being shut down. Where can I get my Shamrock Shakes come March?
Howard (5-17, 2-7) snapped an eight game losing streak by beating South Carolina State 82 to 76… Brandon Ford led a balanced attack with 14 points. Can the Bison put a few W’s together with 4-16 Maryland-Eastern Shore and 5-14 Morgan State on deck?
Georgetown (16-4, 6-3) continues to sail through the rough seas of Big East play-- slipping on the road at previously-on-the-mat Pitt 72-60. The Hoyas don't necessarily live by the three-- but in all three Big East losses Georgetown has struggled from outside the arc (14% against West Virginia, 31% against Cincinnati and 29% against Pitt). And things don't get any easier for coach John Thompson III's team: consecutive games against UConn, South Florida and Syracuse loom before the schedule lightens up.
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse escapes a nail-biter with West Virginia... a non-goaltending call allowing the Orange to edge West Virginia 63-61. The team tries to find its way minus center Fab Melo... in his three game absence... SU's been outrebounded by double digits twice and barely outrebounded Cincinnati (36-35). And in the Big East there's always that tight turnaround/2 losses in 3 days possibility-- even if you're playing well. And then there's the Bernie Fine elephant in the room.
Maryland (13-7, 3-3) got a necessary win over Virginia Tech at home (73-69)... ending a three game losing streak and improving to 3-3 in the ACC. Terrell Stoglin proves to be the primary producer (21 of 28 points coming after halftime against the Hokies) while Sean Mosley comes up huge when it matters (5 free throws in the last 70 seconds of regulation). How healthy and more importantly how productive will Alex Len get during the upcoming stretch of four games out of six on the road? There are wins to be had against the ACC's underbelly... but you have to win on the road- and the Terps haven't done that yet this winter.
Cruising the Commonwealth-- a tale of two campuses: it's definitely the best of times in Charlottesville as Virginia is off to a 5-2 start in league play...Mike Scott a major force (23 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Clemson) for the Cavaliers. What remains to be seen is how they'll do against a very tough back end of the schedule—from here on UVa plays both North Carolina and Florida State twice. Virginia Tech plays Duke twice and has two more games against teams currently ranked—and the Hokies are 1-5 in league play with four losses coming by four points or less. This smacks of Virginia a few years ago during Sean Singletary’s senior season—when the close losses mounted early against a talented team before everything collapsed.
George Mason (18-5, 10-1) takes a six game winning streak to Delaware February 1st… and an at-large berth is not out of the conversation for the Patriots. Coach Paul Hewitt’s team still has to play VCU twice and Old Dominion once—and faces Lamar in the Bracket Buster.
George Washington (8-13, 3-4) remains offensively challenged (301st in scoring) and unable to win in the Atlantic 10 away from the Smith Center (0-4). And up next for coach Mike Lonergan: three straight games against A-10 contenders Xavier, UMass and Temple. February might get rather cold in Foggy Bottom.
Maryland Womens' Window-- a tough loss at Duke is one thing; slipping to Virginia Tech at home is another thing. Alyssa Thomas' thumb injury turned a tight rotation tighter-- and the question over the second month of conference play is how a bench long on quality but short on quantity (Lynetta Kizer and Brene Moseley provide punch off the pine—but that’s it).
American (14-8, 5-2) is halfway through Patriot League play and has only lost to the two schools ahead of it in the standings (Bucknell and Lehigh). Charles Hinkle has taken the mantle of primary point producer… as he and Troy Brewer are both shooting higher than 40% from three point range. Sadly, my sources in and around the program report the McDonald’s at Bender Arena is being shut down. Where can I get my Shamrock Shakes come March?
Howard (5-17, 2-7) snapped an eight game losing streak by beating South Carolina State 82 to 76… Brandon Ford led a balanced attack with 14 points. Can the Bison put a few W’s together with 4-16 Maryland-Eastern Shore and 5-14 Morgan State on deck?
Monday, January 23, 2012
Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- Winter Exposure...
You can run but you can't hide who you are-- or how you can be beaten. Mid January in college hoops means one can't hide behind a cupcake filled non-conference schedule; actual road games on enemy campuses have been played... and coaches who recruit and gameplan against your team 12 months a year are preparing to exploit your weaknesses.
Georgetown has won ugly more than once this January-- a 52-50 slugfest against Rutgers will not be used in shooter's camps-- but 6-2 in the Big East is still 6-2 in the Big East. While Jason Clark outside and Henry Sims inside get most of the attention... players like Otto Porter (15 rebounds against DePaul, winning FT's against Rutgers) do the little things to help the Hoyas contend. After seven days to prepare for massive mystery Pitt (from #1 seed last year to 0-7 in the conference?) Coach John Thompson III's team has a tight turnaround to prepare for UConn.
Alma Mater Update-- it had to happen sooner or later... Syracuse took 21 games to stumble for the first time this season (67-58 at Notre Dame) amongst the backdrop of a player leaving (Mookie Jones) and a player with academic issues (Fab Melo). They won't miss Mookie's 27% shooting over 5 minutes a game... but they will miss Fab's 6 rebounds and 3 blocks a contest. And 7-0 in the Big East can become 7-3 in a hurry: Cincinnati and West Virginia look like tournament teams... and SU hasn't even gone through facing Georgetown, UConn and Louisville over a six day span. Look for Sign of the Whale to be ordering extra bleu cheese next month.
Maryland finds itself in a 5-team rugby scrum separated by a half game in the race for 5th place of the ACC. Turnovers and poor free throw shooting doomed the Terps at Florida State (welcome to the grownups' table, FSU, after beating UNC and Duke on consecutive Saturdays) and at non-league foe Temple. Terrell Stoglin has the misfortune of being the best shooter and scorer in an offense that is at its best when there are multiple options. Alex Len's ACC fade (after notching a double-double against NC State, the Ukrainian has scored 8 points over 4 games on 2-8 shooting) was accelerated with an ankle injury against Temple. The University officially renames the court at Comcast after Gary Williams Wednesday-- against a Duke smarting from a tough loss to Florida State. No sweat.
Cruising the Commonwealth-- Virginia had a chance to make Virginia Tech 0-5 in the ACC and came up short. Shooting 1 for 14 from three-point range does that sometimes. The 47-45 loss to the Hokies means that Virginia may be ranked... but the Cavaliers are more pretender than contender right now. The win also keeps coach Seth Greenburg's team from officially being buried-- although they still have a lot of work to do.
George Mason finds itself atop the CAA after eight games at 7-1... and has a chance to get fat with four straight games against schools with non-winning conference records. And the Patriots are more than merely Ryan Pearson-- although the forward leads the team with 17 points and 8 rebounds a game there are more than a few interchangeable parts capable of doing damage. Sherrod Wright scoring 22 points off the bench against Towson just one example. Although his name doesn't sound like a fancy shirt.
George Washington finds itself 3-2 in the Atlantic Ten-- but 8-11 overall. Their ability to continue the current January storm hinges on a two game roadtrip-- while LaSalle and Fordham are gimmes both schools do have losing records in conference play-- because GW faces tough tests in Xavier, Massachusetts and Temple back to back to back.
Maryland Womens' Moment-- the Terps tumbled at #5 Duke Sunday 80-72... despite a career high 29 points for Alyssa Thomas. Unfortunately the team shot 36% after halftime and was outrebounded by ten. Home games against ACC bottomfeeders Virginia Tech and Boston College are next-- followed by a trip to Georgia Tech (the team they rallied from 20 points down to beat January 6th). The question as the team nears the second half of league play-- how deep are they? While Lynetta Kizer and Brene Moseley provide punch off the bench... Kim Rodgers and Whitney Bays have been used sparingly the last few weeks.
American is one of three schools appearing to separate themselves from the rest of the Patriot League. AU's lone league loss is to Lehigh-- and battles Bucknell Wednesday. Gone is the hammer-sickle duo of Vlad & Lumpkin-- instead Charles Hinkle provides the bulk of the scoring while the team is much better shooting from the perimeter (38% from three point range).
Howard had reason for optimism last March-- there appeared to be a young nucleus returning that would only get better. Optimism? No more. The Bison have already clinched a losing regular season-- dropping seven straight games and 11 of 12 after a 3-5 start (in Howard terms, 3-5 is red-hot). The team's had problems offensively-- they're near the bottom of Division I in more than a few categories: 340th in shooting, 338th in assists and 314th in scoring. The only player who averages in double figures shoots less than 30% from the field. But help is on the way: after Savannah State January 28th, the Bison won't face a team currently with a winning record for the rest of the season. Woe are the Bisons and woe is the MEAC.
Georgetown has won ugly more than once this January-- a 52-50 slugfest against Rutgers will not be used in shooter's camps-- but 6-2 in the Big East is still 6-2 in the Big East. While Jason Clark outside and Henry Sims inside get most of the attention... players like Otto Porter (15 rebounds against DePaul, winning FT's against Rutgers) do the little things to help the Hoyas contend. After seven days to prepare for massive mystery Pitt (from #1 seed last year to 0-7 in the conference?) Coach John Thompson III's team has a tight turnaround to prepare for UConn.
Alma Mater Update-- it had to happen sooner or later... Syracuse took 21 games to stumble for the first time this season (67-58 at Notre Dame) amongst the backdrop of a player leaving (Mookie Jones) and a player with academic issues (Fab Melo). They won't miss Mookie's 27% shooting over 5 minutes a game... but they will miss Fab's 6 rebounds and 3 blocks a contest. And 7-0 in the Big East can become 7-3 in a hurry: Cincinnati and West Virginia look like tournament teams... and SU hasn't even gone through facing Georgetown, UConn and Louisville over a six day span. Look for Sign of the Whale to be ordering extra bleu cheese next month.
Maryland finds itself in a 5-team rugby scrum separated by a half game in the race for 5th place of the ACC. Turnovers and poor free throw shooting doomed the Terps at Florida State (welcome to the grownups' table, FSU, after beating UNC and Duke on consecutive Saturdays) and at non-league foe Temple. Terrell Stoglin has the misfortune of being the best shooter and scorer in an offense that is at its best when there are multiple options. Alex Len's ACC fade (after notching a double-double against NC State, the Ukrainian has scored 8 points over 4 games on 2-8 shooting) was accelerated with an ankle injury against Temple. The University officially renames the court at Comcast after Gary Williams Wednesday-- against a Duke smarting from a tough loss to Florida State. No sweat.
Cruising the Commonwealth-- Virginia had a chance to make Virginia Tech 0-5 in the ACC and came up short. Shooting 1 for 14 from three-point range does that sometimes. The 47-45 loss to the Hokies means that Virginia may be ranked... but the Cavaliers are more pretender than contender right now. The win also keeps coach Seth Greenburg's team from officially being buried-- although they still have a lot of work to do.
George Mason finds itself atop the CAA after eight games at 7-1... and has a chance to get fat with four straight games against schools with non-winning conference records. And the Patriots are more than merely Ryan Pearson-- although the forward leads the team with 17 points and 8 rebounds a game there are more than a few interchangeable parts capable of doing damage. Sherrod Wright scoring 22 points off the bench against Towson just one example. Although his name doesn't sound like a fancy shirt.
George Washington finds itself 3-2 in the Atlantic Ten-- but 8-11 overall. Their ability to continue the current January storm hinges on a two game roadtrip-- while LaSalle and Fordham are gimmes both schools do have losing records in conference play-- because GW faces tough tests in Xavier, Massachusetts and Temple back to back to back.
Maryland Womens' Moment-- the Terps tumbled at #5 Duke Sunday 80-72... despite a career high 29 points for Alyssa Thomas. Unfortunately the team shot 36% after halftime and was outrebounded by ten. Home games against ACC bottomfeeders Virginia Tech and Boston College are next-- followed by a trip to Georgia Tech (the team they rallied from 20 points down to beat January 6th). The question as the team nears the second half of league play-- how deep are they? While Lynetta Kizer and Brene Moseley provide punch off the bench... Kim Rodgers and Whitney Bays have been used sparingly the last few weeks.
American is one of three schools appearing to separate themselves from the rest of the Patriot League. AU's lone league loss is to Lehigh-- and battles Bucknell Wednesday. Gone is the hammer-sickle duo of Vlad & Lumpkin-- instead Charles Hinkle provides the bulk of the scoring while the team is much better shooting from the perimeter (38% from three point range).
Howard had reason for optimism last March-- there appeared to be a young nucleus returning that would only get better. Optimism? No more. The Bison have already clinched a losing regular season-- dropping seven straight games and 11 of 12 after a 3-5 start (in Howard terms, 3-5 is red-hot). The team's had problems offensively-- they're near the bottom of Division I in more than a few categories: 340th in shooting, 338th in assists and 314th in scoring. The only player who averages in double figures shoots less than 30% from the field. But help is on the way: after Savannah State January 28th, the Bison won't face a team currently with a winning record for the rest of the season. Woe are the Bisons and woe is the MEAC.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- let the (conference) games begin!
Wading through the remnants of the 35-game bowl marathon giving 6-6 schools a chance at a trophy... hey, it's the college basketball season! The two month rehearsal for conference play gives the diehards (or fans of schools with not so awesome football teams) a chance to check in from the opening tip... while giving casual or easily distracted fans the opportunity to lazily join the party midway through- with a 10 to 15 game resume.
Georgetown enters today's tilt with West Virginia having won 11 straight... and after being picked by many not to make the top ten of the Big East owns a #9 ranking in the nation. They've won conference games by surprise (at Louisville)... won ugly (Providence) and miraculously (the second half rally against Marquette). While Jason Clark outside and Henry Sims inside remain the axis upon which the offense revolves-- Hollis Thompson has shown the knack for making clutch shots down the stretch. A 3-0 start in an unforgiving league is huge.
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse is #1 and although nobody finishes the season unbeaten anymore the ride's been pleasant. The team has depth I haven't seen in some time. Unfortunately, there's no SU-Georgetown game in DC this winter. Exhibit A on why I'm not bummed the Orange are moving to the ACC: Syracuse-Georgetown is one of the if not the signature Big East rivalry. They play just once... and haven't squared off in a regular season finale for as long as I can remember. Further proof the people currently in charge of the Big East just don't get it.
Maryland enters ACC play having won seven straight-- although the team has been consistently uneven during the streak. The six game stretch at Comcast has allowed a team still finding its way to solidify and Alex Chen and Pe'Shon Howard to get their feet wet before conference play. The ACC campaign tips off with three games against underbelly schools: North Carolina State and Georgia Tech both have new coaches while Wake Forest is coming off a 1-15 last place finish (and they weren't even that good).
Cruising the Commonwealth-- Virginia's ranked 23rd after wins over the likes of Michigan and LSU... and Mike Scott has recovered well from injury (16 points and 9 rebounds a game). A January 12th date with #3 Duke looms. Virginia Tech's bubble residency is already underway as the Hokies are 11-3 with two wins over Oklahoma State but losses to the other big names on their slate. CBS is already setting up camera positions for Selection Sunday.
George Mason is another school that's 3-0 in conference play; the 11-4 overall start involves two losses in overtime and a defeat at Charlottesville to Virginia. Ryan Pearson has grabbed the headlines averaging 19 points and 9 rebounds while Vertrail Vaughns is the sophomore making the leap from peripheral Patriot to primary contributor. Although I still swear "Vertrail Vaughns" was the name of Theo Huxtable's shirt on the Cosby Show. Tonight the Patriots play Georgia State for first place in the CAA.
George Washington began Atlantic Ten play with a 66-56 loss at St. Bonaventure... the Colonials were actually overachieving under first year coach Mike Lonergan until a seven game losing streak blew up their non-conference slate. The offensively challenged (302nd in scoring) bunch has reached 60 points just twice in the last month... and Tony Taylor is the only player averaging in double figures.
Maryland Womens' Moment-- the Terrapins are 15-0 and 2-0 in ACC play after a thrilling 77-74 win over Georgia Tech. The Yellowjackets have long been a team that's caused problems for Maryland-- and with 17 minutes to play the Terps trailed 56-36. But then sophomore Alyssa Thomas scored the game's next nine points... and a 17-1 run was underway. A tight turnaround has the Terps taking on #25 North Carolina Sunday afternoon-- followed by a trip to #12 Miami.
American finished non-conference play with four straight losses-- two of them to Big East teams Georgetown and Villanova. Charles Hinkle's play has been one of the highlights of the season... but a banged up Troy Brewer gives coach Jeff Jones cause for concern.
Howard has played four ranked teams in the early going... and is 4-12 the first weekend of the new year. Coach Kevin Nickelberry hopes Tulsa transfer Glenn Andrews can make a difference as the Bison get into MEAC play.
Georgetown enters today's tilt with West Virginia having won 11 straight... and after being picked by many not to make the top ten of the Big East owns a #9 ranking in the nation. They've won conference games by surprise (at Louisville)... won ugly (Providence) and miraculously (the second half rally against Marquette). While Jason Clark outside and Henry Sims inside remain the axis upon which the offense revolves-- Hollis Thompson has shown the knack for making clutch shots down the stretch. A 3-0 start in an unforgiving league is huge.
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse is #1 and although nobody finishes the season unbeaten anymore the ride's been pleasant. The team has depth I haven't seen in some time. Unfortunately, there's no SU-Georgetown game in DC this winter. Exhibit A on why I'm not bummed the Orange are moving to the ACC: Syracuse-Georgetown is one of the if not the signature Big East rivalry. They play just once... and haven't squared off in a regular season finale for as long as I can remember. Further proof the people currently in charge of the Big East just don't get it.
Maryland enters ACC play having won seven straight-- although the team has been consistently uneven during the streak. The six game stretch at Comcast has allowed a team still finding its way to solidify and Alex Chen and Pe'Shon Howard to get their feet wet before conference play. The ACC campaign tips off with three games against underbelly schools: North Carolina State and Georgia Tech both have new coaches while Wake Forest is coming off a 1-15 last place finish (and they weren't even that good).
Cruising the Commonwealth-- Virginia's ranked 23rd after wins over the likes of Michigan and LSU... and Mike Scott has recovered well from injury (16 points and 9 rebounds a game). A January 12th date with #3 Duke looms. Virginia Tech's bubble residency is already underway as the Hokies are 11-3 with two wins over Oklahoma State but losses to the other big names on their slate. CBS is already setting up camera positions for Selection Sunday.
George Mason is another school that's 3-0 in conference play; the 11-4 overall start involves two losses in overtime and a defeat at Charlottesville to Virginia. Ryan Pearson has grabbed the headlines averaging 19 points and 9 rebounds while Vertrail Vaughns is the sophomore making the leap from peripheral Patriot to primary contributor. Although I still swear "Vertrail Vaughns" was the name of Theo Huxtable's shirt on the Cosby Show. Tonight the Patriots play Georgia State for first place in the CAA.
George Washington began Atlantic Ten play with a 66-56 loss at St. Bonaventure... the Colonials were actually overachieving under first year coach Mike Lonergan until a seven game losing streak blew up their non-conference slate. The offensively challenged (302nd in scoring) bunch has reached 60 points just twice in the last month... and Tony Taylor is the only player averaging in double figures.
Maryland Womens' Moment-- the Terrapins are 15-0 and 2-0 in ACC play after a thrilling 77-74 win over Georgia Tech. The Yellowjackets have long been a team that's caused problems for Maryland-- and with 17 minutes to play the Terps trailed 56-36. But then sophomore Alyssa Thomas scored the game's next nine points... and a 17-1 run was underway. A tight turnaround has the Terps taking on #25 North Carolina Sunday afternoon-- followed by a trip to #12 Miami.
American finished non-conference play with four straight losses-- two of them to Big East teams Georgetown and Villanova. Charles Hinkle's play has been one of the highlights of the season... but a banged up Troy Brewer gives coach Jeff Jones cause for concern.
Howard has played four ranked teams in the early going... and is 4-12 the first weekend of the new year. Coach Kevin Nickelberry hopes Tulsa transfer Glenn Andrews can make a difference as the Bison get into MEAC play.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
This one goes to '11...
Where did the last twelve months go? 2011 is about to get into our rearview mirror. Great! A time for lists! One quick spin through the last 365 days in the most shallow of ways-- by hitting 11 random stops while trying to make sense of the year gone by.
Super! Bowled-- let's face it-- we are an NFL Nation and once again pro football's championship game didn't disappoint. Unless you had purchased tickets to seats that didn't exist and had to stand outside Cowboys Stadium in the freezing cold. Far from the Super Bores of yore-- last year's 31-25 Green Bay victory was the 6th decided by single digits in the last ten years (and only Tampa Bay's trouncing of Oakland in 2003 would qualify as a blowout).
Lucky with Lockouts-- unfortunately the NFL and NBA offseason delivered unnecessary daily drama ("Day 13 of the Lockout...Day 132 of the Lockout..."). Thankfully only Canton's Hall of Fame Game was cancelled-- and a ten year deal is in place for the NFL. And thank goodness the NBA and its players woke up to realize that as a league they are a luxury item and not the need pro football is for the public. See you when the deals expire. On the Wizards front, a rebuilding 66 game season is much less miserable than a rebuilding 82 game season. And at leas the uniforms are cool again.
A March with Thrills, Chills and Spills-- the NCAA Tournament provided grand theater with all #1 and #2 seeds getting bounced before the Final Four... VCU going from the "First Four" to the national semifinals... and the NBA guys on TNT waxing on about how much college basketball they watch and know. Even referring to the round of 64 as the "second round" and pushing Sunday tipoffs to after 8pm can't ruin my favorite three weeks of the year.
College Coaching Carousel-- after years of relative calm in and around the beltway... major ripples locally with Gary Williams retiring, Jim Larranaga moving to Miami and Karl Hobbs getting fired. While the Terps and Colonials look to be reloading, the Patriots are primed for another solid season in the CAA.
Cap-itulation and regime change-- what will we do now that the Bruce Boudreau commercials are no longer gracing the area? After an impressive first round series win over the New York Rangers (the only one in the Eastern Conference that didn't go seven games) the Caps were broomed out of the playoffs by Tampa Bay. Then after a 7-0 start the team hit the wall and Boudreau hit the road. Despite being unable to lead the Capitals into the conference finals, Boudreau elevated the expectations from the mess he inherited Thanksgiving weekend of 2007. One could make the case that if he had flopped as a then-interim coach... George McPhee would have followed him out the door back then. Instead, Dale Hunter tries to provide a midseason transfusion.
Toothless Tiger... and the next big thing?-- Tiger Woods went another year without winning a major tournament. As he approaches his late 30's one wonders what sort of window he has for catching Jack Nicklaus...but for every Tom Watson that stops winning in his early 30's there's a Mark O'Meara who experiences a resurgence in his 40's. While I once thought he had a "true slam" where he won all four majors in one season... the possibility remains for him to pickup four more championships within the next ten years. Meanwhile, fans at Congressional Country Club were treated to Rory McIlroy's run at the US Open... let's wait for the kid win two before we elevate him to the level of even Padraig Harrington or Angel Cabrera.
No Joking-- Tennis saw Novak Djokovic grab dominance by the throat... the Serb won three majors to scale the heights previously claimed by Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. After a somewhat democratic era where dominance meant two majors(1989-2003)... we've seen a triple-play five times in eight years. Between Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and everybody's English hope Andy Murray... majors are compelling after the Andy Roddick flameout.
Terrapin Fall-- nobody saw the 2-10 Maryland football season coming. Fresh off a 9-4 season with the ACC rookie of the year everything went wrong for the Terrapins... with more than a few players transferring. View the first year of coach Randy Edsall as the clearing of a site for the placement of a foundation-- construction sites are rarely pretty during their first year. With the return of Mike Locksley as a primary recruiter, expect an instate talent upgrade.
Baseball's Crazy Finish-- the final month of the regular season saw legendary collapses by Atlanta and Boston... with the Braves and Red Sox trying to outdo each other in tripping right before the finish line. Meanwhile, St. Louis and Tampa Bay did the right things down the stretch and entered the playoffs in spectacular fashion. Some are calling it the best night ever in baseball and that you can't get that anywhere else in sports. Umm... the final Sunday of the NFL's regular season? The final weekend of conference tournament play with bubble teams bouncing every which way?
Skinsationalism-- another strong start (3-1) proving to be merely a mirage. Another quarterback situation implodes. The defense gets better but still not good enough. Suspensions rock the offense. And somewhere in a season that was honestly over before Halloween the Burgundy and Gold mattered because they were so irrelevant.
The Sad End of Happy Valley-- for years State College, PA was more than just about wins and losses... bowls and Heisman candidates. It was about the team before the individual. No names on the back of the jersey. Doing things with class. Graduating players. Never a whiff of an NCAA scandal. Even the "Grilled Stickies"--a breakfast roll that can't possibly be healthy in any way--had an image of innocence. But it's a different world now that the Gerry Sandusky revelations have come out... and continue to come out. You wonder exactly who knew what and when. And why nothing was done-- again and again. The quote I first thought of last fall...: "All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing"-- from all I know Joe Paterno is a good man. And from all I know-- he did nothing. So the victims try to heal. The accused stands charged. And the future of Penn State football arrives in a manner nobody could have envisioned.
Super! Bowled-- let's face it-- we are an NFL Nation and once again pro football's championship game didn't disappoint. Unless you had purchased tickets to seats that didn't exist and had to stand outside Cowboys Stadium in the freezing cold. Far from the Super Bores of yore-- last year's 31-25 Green Bay victory was the 6th decided by single digits in the last ten years (and only Tampa Bay's trouncing of Oakland in 2003 would qualify as a blowout).
Lucky with Lockouts-- unfortunately the NFL and NBA offseason delivered unnecessary daily drama ("Day 13 of the Lockout...Day 132 of the Lockout..."). Thankfully only Canton's Hall of Fame Game was cancelled-- and a ten year deal is in place for the NFL. And thank goodness the NBA and its players woke up to realize that as a league they are a luxury item and not the need pro football is for the public. See you when the deals expire. On the Wizards front, a rebuilding 66 game season is much less miserable than a rebuilding 82 game season. And at leas the uniforms are cool again.
A March with Thrills, Chills and Spills-- the NCAA Tournament provided grand theater with all #1 and #2 seeds getting bounced before the Final Four... VCU going from the "First Four" to the national semifinals... and the NBA guys on TNT waxing on about how much college basketball they watch and know. Even referring to the round of 64 as the "second round" and pushing Sunday tipoffs to after 8pm can't ruin my favorite three weeks of the year.
College Coaching Carousel-- after years of relative calm in and around the beltway... major ripples locally with Gary Williams retiring, Jim Larranaga moving to Miami and Karl Hobbs getting fired. While the Terps and Colonials look to be reloading, the Patriots are primed for another solid season in the CAA.
Cap-itulation and regime change-- what will we do now that the Bruce Boudreau commercials are no longer gracing the area? After an impressive first round series win over the New York Rangers (the only one in the Eastern Conference that didn't go seven games) the Caps were broomed out of the playoffs by Tampa Bay. Then after a 7-0 start the team hit the wall and Boudreau hit the road. Despite being unable to lead the Capitals into the conference finals, Boudreau elevated the expectations from the mess he inherited Thanksgiving weekend of 2007. One could make the case that if he had flopped as a then-interim coach... George McPhee would have followed him out the door back then. Instead, Dale Hunter tries to provide a midseason transfusion.
Toothless Tiger... and the next big thing?-- Tiger Woods went another year without winning a major tournament. As he approaches his late 30's one wonders what sort of window he has for catching Jack Nicklaus...but for every Tom Watson that stops winning in his early 30's there's a Mark O'Meara who experiences a resurgence in his 40's. While I once thought he had a "true slam" where he won all four majors in one season... the possibility remains for him to pickup four more championships within the next ten years. Meanwhile, fans at Congressional Country Club were treated to Rory McIlroy's run at the US Open... let's wait for the kid win two before we elevate him to the level of even Padraig Harrington or Angel Cabrera.
No Joking-- Tennis saw Novak Djokovic grab dominance by the throat... the Serb won three majors to scale the heights previously claimed by Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. After a somewhat democratic era where dominance meant two majors(1989-2003)... we've seen a triple-play five times in eight years. Between Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and everybody's English hope Andy Murray... majors are compelling after the Andy Roddick flameout.
Terrapin Fall-- nobody saw the 2-10 Maryland football season coming. Fresh off a 9-4 season with the ACC rookie of the year everything went wrong for the Terrapins... with more than a few players transferring. View the first year of coach Randy Edsall as the clearing of a site for the placement of a foundation-- construction sites are rarely pretty during their first year. With the return of Mike Locksley as a primary recruiter, expect an instate talent upgrade.
Baseball's Crazy Finish-- the final month of the regular season saw legendary collapses by Atlanta and Boston... with the Braves and Red Sox trying to outdo each other in tripping right before the finish line. Meanwhile, St. Louis and Tampa Bay did the right things down the stretch and entered the playoffs in spectacular fashion. Some are calling it the best night ever in baseball and that you can't get that anywhere else in sports. Umm... the final Sunday of the NFL's regular season? The final weekend of conference tournament play with bubble teams bouncing every which way?
Skinsationalism-- another strong start (3-1) proving to be merely a mirage. Another quarterback situation implodes. The defense gets better but still not good enough. Suspensions rock the offense. And somewhere in a season that was honestly over before Halloween the Burgundy and Gold mattered because they were so irrelevant.
The Sad End of Happy Valley-- for years State College, PA was more than just about wins and losses... bowls and Heisman candidates. It was about the team before the individual. No names on the back of the jersey. Doing things with class. Graduating players. Never a whiff of an NCAA scandal. Even the "Grilled Stickies"--a breakfast roll that can't possibly be healthy in any way--had an image of innocence. But it's a different world now that the Gerry Sandusky revelations have come out... and continue to come out. You wonder exactly who knew what and when. And why nothing was done-- again and again. The quote I first thought of last fall...: "All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing"-- from all I know Joe Paterno is a good man. And from all I know-- he did nothing. So the victims try to heal. The accused stands charged. And the future of Penn State football arrives in a manner nobody could have envisioned.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
College Football Corner-- Destiny and Density...
I've often said that November is Closing Month. Legacies are determined... seasons are salvaged or lost... and champions if not crowned are weeded out to a handful of contenders. In Closing Month some schools find their destiny-- while others find their density (thanks George McFly). No exception this fall with the three area schools... and the post Thanksgiving weekend has leftovers of celebration (pumpkin pie and sweet potato souffle) in Blacksburg, consolation (mashed potatoes and stuffing) in Charlottesville, and desperation (very dry turkey... even drier lima beans and wet mushy canned peas) in College Park. Eat up.
Championship Fever? First Clemson has killed whatever buzz there may have been for the upcoming ACC title tilt by losing to South Carolina. This after getting thrashed by NC State a week before. Nothing like advancing to a title game after two straight defeats. But there's worse: UCLA at 6-6 wins the Pac-12 South by default (USC on probation) and plays Oregon (who at 10-2 isn't even the highest ranked team in the North) for a shot at the Rose Bowl. The Big Ten's first title game has Michigan State and Wisconsin... although I don't know if who won the Leaders Division and who took the Legends Division...although I can imagine the pride of hanging that banner. Conference USA has unbeaten Houston asking itself if they want to be officially snubbed by the BCS or lose their way out of the conversation. And the crowning jewel? The SEC Championship game has #1 LSU not really needing to beat Georgia to advance to the BCS. What do the college koolaid drinkers tell me--every game's important?
Alma Mater Update-- the Paper Tigers continue to crash to earth on a weekly basis. This time SU fell to Cincinnati 30-13... and there are grumblings around coach Doug Marrone's job status. This one year after he guided a rebuilding roster to a bowl berth (albeit the Pinstripe Bowl-- next year I hope for the Seersucker Bowl in Savannah, GA)... the first postseason play for SU since 2004. It took Dick MacPherson five years to get the Orange to the Cherry Bowl. Some patience, please. Meanwhile my worst fears came to light regarding Bernie Fine-- and his wife. Hopefully the University will continue to handle this situation the right way.
Maryland (2-10) closed this season with a mammoth collapse-- one that I'm still attempting to get my head around. 41-14 with 6 minutes to play in the third quarter? Gone? Wha' happened? I thought the collapse to Clemson was where the worm completely turned on this fall (the first sign of a rough season coming against Temple)... but at least the Tigers were nationally ranked. A 56-41 loss to North Carolina State puts a sour exclamation point on the 2011 campaign. Terrapin Triumphs-- for 39 minutes, quite a few positives... 2 defensive touchdowns... 91 yards rushing and a touchdown for Davin Meggett in his final game as a Terp. Terrapin Troubles-- a defense that allowed touchdowns on five straight possessions in the second half...265 of the Wolfpack's 439 yards came in the game's final 23 minutes. An offense that after taking a 27 point lead went three and out twice... followed by a fumble and an interception... another three and out... and then a pick six. Major ouch. Also, the uniform combo looked rather Steeleresque.
Coaching Carousel Firing Up... with a hair-trigger-- Memphis... Illinois... Arizona State... who's next? With Ohio State being filled by Urban Meyer and Penn State currently radioactive... what other jobs will open up? I was caught off-guard by the Tigers... only two seasons despite a 3-21 mark is not nearly long enough to give a coach's new regime a chance. If an AD fires a coach after 1 to 2 years... he/she should follow him out the door.
Championship Fever? First Clemson has killed whatever buzz there may have been for the upcoming ACC title tilt by losing to South Carolina. This after getting thrashed by NC State a week before. Nothing like advancing to a title game after two straight defeats. But there's worse: UCLA at 6-6 wins the Pac-12 South by default (USC on probation) and plays Oregon (who at 10-2 isn't even the highest ranked team in the North) for a shot at the Rose Bowl. The Big Ten's first title game has Michigan State and Wisconsin... although I don't know if who won the Leaders Division and who took the Legends Division...although I can imagine the pride of hanging that banner. Conference USA has unbeaten Houston asking itself if they want to be officially snubbed by the BCS or lose their way out of the conversation. And the crowning jewel? The SEC Championship game has #1 LSU not really needing to beat Georgia to advance to the BCS. What do the college koolaid drinkers tell me--every game's important?
Alma Mater Update-- the Paper Tigers continue to crash to earth on a weekly basis. This time SU fell to Cincinnati 30-13... and there are grumblings around coach Doug Marrone's job status. This one year after he guided a rebuilding roster to a bowl berth (albeit the Pinstripe Bowl-- next year I hope for the Seersucker Bowl in Savannah, GA)... the first postseason play for SU since 2004. It took Dick MacPherson five years to get the Orange to the Cherry Bowl. Some patience, please. Meanwhile my worst fears came to light regarding Bernie Fine-- and his wife. Hopefully the University will continue to handle this situation the right way.
Maryland (2-10) closed this season with a mammoth collapse-- one that I'm still attempting to get my head around. 41-14 with 6 minutes to play in the third quarter? Gone? Wha' happened? I thought the collapse to Clemson was where the worm completely turned on this fall (the first sign of a rough season coming against Temple)... but at least the Tigers were nationally ranked. A 56-41 loss to North Carolina State puts a sour exclamation point on the 2011 campaign. Terrapin Triumphs-- for 39 minutes, quite a few positives... 2 defensive touchdowns... 91 yards rushing and a touchdown for Davin Meggett in his final game as a Terp. Terrapin Troubles-- a defense that allowed touchdowns on five straight possessions in the second half...265 of the Wolfpack's 439 yards came in the game's final 23 minutes. An offense that after taking a 27 point lead went three and out twice... followed by a fumble and an interception... another three and out... and then a pick six. Major ouch. Also, the uniform combo looked rather Steeleresque.
Coaching Carousel Firing Up... with a hair-trigger-- Memphis... Illinois... Arizona State... who's next? With Ohio State being filled by Urban Meyer and Penn State currently radioactive... what other jobs will open up? I was caught off-guard by the Tigers... only two seasons despite a 3-21 mark is not nearly long enough to give a coach's new regime a chance. If an AD fires a coach after 1 to 2 years... he/she should follow him out the door.
#5 Virginia Tech (11-1) entered its annual showdown with #24 Virginia (8-3) with more than commonwealth pride on the line-- and once again the Hokies dominated from the opening kickoff to the final gun. The 38-0 rout sends the Hokies to a rematch with Clemson for the ACC title... and the Cavaliers back to the drawing board. At least Kippy and Buffy went with Port on their final tailgate... a Taylor Fladgate 20 year tawny when paired with Monterrey Jack on Captains Wafers. Hokie Highlights-- David Wilson rushed for 153 yards and two scores... a turnover free 60 minutes... and how about starting strong while finishing with a flourish? VT held somebody scoreless in the first quarter while pulling away with 17 fourth quarter points. Hokie Humblings-- four three and outs kept the Cavaliers around early... and a missed field goal? Where was BEAMER BALL! this fall? Cavalier Congrats-- Kris Burd caught 7 passes for 100 yards... wrapping up a fine career and senior season by reaching the century mark for the fourth time this fall. The defense held the Hokies to 6 of 13 on third down. Cavalier Concerns-- 30 yards rushing and 3 of 11 on third down... four turnovers... and a fourth quarter fold that saw UVa get outgained 99 to 11 in the final fifteen minutes.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Presto's Picks-- Commonwealth Clash plus a State of Disarray...
College football's closing month concludes with the best of times and worst of times in the region. While Virginia Tech finds itself in a familiar place-- one win away from playing for another ACC title... and Virginia tries to wrap up a Cinderella stretch that saw the Cavaliers go from pretenders to contenders... Maryland tries to figure out what went wrong and regroup for 2012. Each school has had moments this fall-- and while coaches will say each game counts equally, some are more equal than others. For VT, the signature moment was an October game against Miami where the Hokies bounced back from a loss to Clemson-- Logan Thomas threw for 310 yards and three touchdowns while running for two more scores... including the gamewinner with under a minute to play. From that point the Hokies were no longer a shaky team that feasted on cupcakes in September but a solid team that was on the road to a top ten ranking. UVa's hallmark moment was a Thursday night game at Miami-- the Cavaliers up to that point were consistently uneven and one whisker away from dropping out of ACC contention. Three big play touchdowns and 60 minutes of sound football later, postseason wasn't just a dream but an eventuality. Maryland's moment of truth was the Temple game-- a 1-1 club that almost beat nationally ranked West Virginia felt they could still have a special season... only to learn an undersized defensive line wasn't going to stop anybody and the high-octane offense was going to misfire early and often with dropped passes... missed assignments and a revolving door at quarterback.
Alma Mater Update-- SU takes on Cincinnati... needing a victory this Saturday or next to wrap up a second straight bowl berth. I'm not confident. For whatever reason, after lurking as a paper tiger (first four wins coming by a combined 20 points) the Orange played their best game of the season against West Virginia October 21st-- and apparently went into hiding immediately thereafter. At least SU hoops won the NIT Tipoff... as Orange Nation waits for the other shoe to drop in the Bernie Fine case.
Maryland (2-9) tries to avoid a second ten-loss season in three years... making the trip to Raleigh to face North Carolina State. Can they contain Mike Glennon? They've allowed 32.3 points a game this fall-- most in the ACC. Can CJ Wilson continue his growth at QB-- despite a wide receiving corps that never established itself this fall? The Wolfpack pace the conference in takeaways and are fourth nationally in turnover margin. Terps tumble, 30-14.
Virginia (8-3) plays Virginia Tech (10-1) for bragging rights, the Commonwealth Cup and the Coastal Division title. The two schools have long been viewed through the prism of establishment and upstart...with UVa owning the traditional moniker and VT the new kid on the block status. Not so in football--especially now with Mike London trying to construct something similar to what Frank Beamer has built. VT has plenty of firepower with Logan Thomas throwing and David Wilson running-- and you'd have to think the Cavaliers will have to contain the Hokies as Michael Rocco probably can't keep pace in a shootout. Still, there's a definite window of opportunity: VT has had problems beginning games all season-- if UVa can jump on them early with a big play or two... Wilson's not as much of a factor. I'm still waiting for the Hokie special teams to steal a game this fall. Is this the week? Hokies allow two touchdowns in the game's first five minutes-- before rallying... taking the lead for good on a blocked kick (BEAMER BALL!)...27-24.
Last week: 3-4. During Closing Month? Put that coffee down!
Overall: 62-29.
Alma Mater Update-- SU takes on Cincinnati... needing a victory this Saturday or next to wrap up a second straight bowl berth. I'm not confident. For whatever reason, after lurking as a paper tiger (first four wins coming by a combined 20 points) the Orange played their best game of the season against West Virginia October 21st-- and apparently went into hiding immediately thereafter. At least SU hoops won the NIT Tipoff... as Orange Nation waits for the other shoe to drop in the Bernie Fine case.
Maryland (2-9) tries to avoid a second ten-loss season in three years... making the trip to Raleigh to face North Carolina State. Can they contain Mike Glennon? They've allowed 32.3 points a game this fall-- most in the ACC. Can CJ Wilson continue his growth at QB-- despite a wide receiving corps that never established itself this fall? The Wolfpack pace the conference in takeaways and are fourth nationally in turnover margin. Terps tumble, 30-14.
Virginia (8-3) plays Virginia Tech (10-1) for bragging rights, the Commonwealth Cup and the Coastal Division title. The two schools have long been viewed through the prism of establishment and upstart...with UVa owning the traditional moniker and VT the new kid on the block status. Not so in football--especially now with Mike London trying to construct something similar to what Frank Beamer has built. VT has plenty of firepower with Logan Thomas throwing and David Wilson running-- and you'd have to think the Cavaliers will have to contain the Hokies as Michael Rocco probably can't keep pace in a shootout. Still, there's a definite window of opportunity: VT has had problems beginning games all season-- if UVa can jump on them early with a big play or two... Wilson's not as much of a factor. I'm still waiting for the Hokie special teams to steal a game this fall. Is this the week? Hokies allow two touchdowns in the game's first five minutes-- before rallying... taking the lead for good on a blocked kick (BEAMER BALL!)...27-24.
Last week: 3-4. During Closing Month? Put that coffee down!
Overall: 62-29.
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