College basketball's moving month means the emergence and building of the NCAA Tournament bubble. Schools can salvage subpar non-conference slates with impressive runs in league play (Alabama) while some teams go from flying high to floundering in February (Cincinnati). Others do just enough to reach the threshold but not enough to get the dream. Every college hoops expert has their "bubble watch" and while a few are rather well done, a few seem to have more schools on the bubble (in reality probably 10-15 at-large schools) than actually play Division I basketball.
Maryland (16-10, 5-6) suffered the second half of a double-whammy when the Terps lost at Virginia Tech. Too many turnovers (15 to the Hokies 8), poor three-point shooting (4-14) and lack of rebounding (Terps were beaten on the boards by BC and Va Tech) putting coach Gary Williams' team in a difficult spot... especially with North Carolina and Florida State on the horizon.
Cruising the Commonwealth-- Steps forward and steps backward for the Dominion Duo. Virginia Tech (17-7, 7-4) completed a necessary sweep of fellow bubble resident Maryland... but can the Hokies put together consecutive ACC road wins (Seth Greenberg's club is 2-2 in the conference away from Blacksburg)? Thankfully Virginia and Wake Forest aren't UNC and Duke, although the Cavaliers won at Cassell Coliseum in December. Virginia (12-13, 3-8) slips in the standings with a 56-41 loss to Duke. I always thought the ACC was like the SAT... and just like one gets 400 points for signing their name-- schools get 50 points for rolling the balls out.
Georgetown (20-6, 9-5) finally saw their surge up the Big East standings end with a 78-70 loss at Connecticut... as talk of a #1 seed in the NCAA's will die down. The second best shooting team in Division I had a rare off night (43% with Austin Freeman and Chris Wright going 11-for-30) and one can expect they'd get back in gear for their final four regular season games: a home and home with bubble team Cincinnati, a breather against South Florida and a home date with archrival Syracuse.
Alma Mater Update-- Okay, everyone-- here's a newsflash: the Orange 2-3 zone has trouble defending the three-point shot. Even in a win over West Virginia SU allowed 11 threes...
and they face Villanova and Georgetown again (two teams that burned Boeheim's bunch from outside the arc). Rutgers is next (a rare 4pm tipoff) and while the Scarlet Knights may be off to another sub-.500 finish in the Big East-- I request that SU pay atteention to Jonathan Mitchell (42.7% from outside the arc). He may have the green light. In other SU news-- the Washington DC alumni group is proud to have former quarterback Marvin Graves guest-bartending at Sign of the Whale on M Street during the Rutgers game. Unfortunately, my non-alumni friends aren't familiar with SU's best quarterback between the Don McPherson and Donovan McNabb... prompting the exchange "you got Marvin Gaye to guest bartend?"--"no, Marvin Gaye's been dead almost thirty years"-- "didn't he die because somebody poured burning grits on his back?"-- "no, that was Al Green... and he's alive". These are my friends.
George Mason (22-5, 14-2) enters bracket buster weekend with a ridiculous amount of momentum. After smacking fellow big dog VCU by 20 points in Richmond thanks in part to devastating defense (GMU held the Rams to 19 first half points... and 37% shooting for the game) the Patriots stand alone atop the CAA with a perceived chasm between coach Jim Larranaga's crew and the field. While Cam Long has provided steady senior play and Luke Hancock has made the leap, Ryan Pearson's play this month has been smothering- a pair of double-doubles, 18 points against VCU and 12 second half points against JMU.
George Washington (13-12, 6-5) may get a preview of their first round A-10 touranment matchup saturday when the 7th place Colonials clash with LaSalle. GW beat the Explorers 72-67 in Foggy Bottom earlier this winter thanks to 28 points from Tony Taylor-- and he could use memories of that game; the senior's made over 50% of his shots just once since.
Maryland Womens' Moment-- Happy Birthday, indeed. The Terps topped #7 Duke 69-47 on the birthdays of coach Brenda Frese's twin sons... but should this be a surprise? In 2008 Maryland beat the Blue Devils in Cameron the very day Markus and Tyler were born. Duke has asked the ACC not to schedule any more February 17th meetings between the two schools. This was a huge victory for a Terps team that had dropped two straight and needs to complete a sweep of Virginia Tech, Boston College and Florida State to have hopes of a first round bye in the ACC Tournament.
American (18-8, 8-3) now needs a clean sweep plus a Bucknell collapse to win the Patriot League. The Eagles received a nice effort from Nick Hendra (18 points and 7 assists) in a 65-59 win over Army to clinch homecourt for the first round of the conference tournament. AU closes with Holy Cross, Navy and Lafayette...schools that are all capable of shocking coach Jeff Jones' team. On a much more important note, late February at Bender Arena means the McDonald's will start offering the Shamrock Shake as an option... although I'm not pleased with the see-through plastic cups used for milkshakes at the Golden Arch. There are certain things I'd like not to have transparancy about.
Howard (5-20, 3-9) has a home MEAC weekend with games against Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman (combined 15-9 in the league)... but Burr Arena has been quite the home for coach Kevin Nickleberrry's bunch lately as the Bison have won three straight league games in the district.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- broken hearts and revised dreams...
Valentine's Day is the most beautiful and the most heartbreaking day of the year. Some couples get engaged while some proposals get rebuffed. People get dumped in the most unceremonious ways. Kids pass cards that say "I CHOO-CHOO-CHOOSE you to be my Valentine" while others are too shy to give the card to that girl they've been into for far too long... and she leaves for her bus... and you have a crappy card you made in art class that makes no sense when you pass it on to your sister. College hoops is a landscape filled with equal parts hope and heartbreak. There are possibilities for greatness and the reality of just not being good enough. Welcome to another heartbreaking Valentine's Week around the beltway.
Maryland (16-9, 5-5) saw their at-large profile take a major hit with Saturday's loss at Boston College. Getting swept by another bubble team is not ideal... and they try to avoid getting swept by permanent bubble resident Virginia Tech Tuesday.
Cruising the Commonwealth-- the Hokies (16-7, 6-4) also have separation games with Boston College and Clemson plus a February 26th date with Duke. A victory over the Blue Devils and a 4-1 mark in the other five ACC games could change the question from will they be seeded to where will they be seeded. Virginia (12-12, 3-7) shot 28% in the first half against Florida State... and we wait for Lacrosse to get into high gear.
Georgetown (20-5, 9-4) is the hottest team in the Big East and was actually mentioned on ESPN.COM's Forde Minutes as a dark horse for a #1 seed. In a guard's game the duo of Chris Wright and Austin Freeman has this team as dangerous as anyone in the nation. And two of their last five remaining regular season games are against ranked teams-- with both UConn (on a 2-3 slide) and Syracuse (2-6) slumping somewhat.
Alma Mater Update-- My mother always told me "defense doesn't end until you get the rebound". Unfortunately teams have been shooting so well from three point range against the Orange the rebound opportunities are few and far between. Even in a victory over West Virginia they gave up 11 threes. Ahem-- I think a weakness in the 2-3 has been spotted. On another note--they took down the Whale Tail Tap Prefab at Sign of the Whale... and SU lost 2 straight. That straight from the department of "too much time spent on a trivial matter".
George Mason (21-5, 11-2) is getting attention as an at-large possibility if they don't win the CAA. Cam Long and company beat a solid James Madison team to set up a major matchup with Virginia Commonwealth-- only the Rams have dropped two of their last four (both by double digits). Can the Patriots prevail in on the road in Richmond? Can they contain VCU leading scorer Jamie Skeen like Old Dominion did last weekend (1-5, 7 pts against the Monarchs).
George Washington (13-12, 6-5) after an impressive win at UMass has a legitimate shot at finishing with a winning A-10 record... as bottom-feeders LaSalle and Charlotte are next and if anything GW takes care of teams below them in the standings.
Maryland Womens Minute-- back to back losses derail the Terps momentum momentarily. Twenty turnovers in the first half against Miami and a lackluster start against Virginia were the culprits-- making Thursday's game with league-leading Duke all the more important.
American (17-8, 7-3) bounced back from a tough loss to Bucknell to beat Colgate-- and with four games remaining on the Patriot League slate it looks as though AU is on a collision course with the #2 seed (they'd need Bucknell to go at least 1-3).
Howard (5-20,3-9) fell to 0-12 on the road with losses at Norfolk State and North Carolina A&T... with one more shot at a road win coming February 26th at Maryland-Eastern Shore (alma mater of Art Shell).
Maryland (16-9, 5-5) saw their at-large profile take a major hit with Saturday's loss at Boston College. Getting swept by another bubble team is not ideal... and they try to avoid getting swept by permanent bubble resident Virginia Tech Tuesday.
Cruising the Commonwealth-- the Hokies (16-7, 6-4) also have separation games with Boston College and Clemson plus a February 26th date with Duke. A victory over the Blue Devils and a 4-1 mark in the other five ACC games could change the question from will they be seeded to where will they be seeded. Virginia (12-12, 3-7) shot 28% in the first half against Florida State... and we wait for Lacrosse to get into high gear.
Georgetown (20-5, 9-4) is the hottest team in the Big East and was actually mentioned on ESPN.COM's Forde Minutes as a dark horse for a #1 seed. In a guard's game the duo of Chris Wright and Austin Freeman has this team as dangerous as anyone in the nation. And two of their last five remaining regular season games are against ranked teams-- with both UConn (on a 2-3 slide) and Syracuse (2-6) slumping somewhat.
Alma Mater Update-- My mother always told me "defense doesn't end until you get the rebound". Unfortunately teams have been shooting so well from three point range against the Orange the rebound opportunities are few and far between. Even in a victory over West Virginia they gave up 11 threes. Ahem-- I think a weakness in the 2-3 has been spotted. On another note--they took down the Whale Tail Tap Prefab at Sign of the Whale... and SU lost 2 straight. That straight from the department of "too much time spent on a trivial matter".
George Mason (21-5, 11-2) is getting attention as an at-large possibility if they don't win the CAA. Cam Long and company beat a solid James Madison team to set up a major matchup with Virginia Commonwealth-- only the Rams have dropped two of their last four (both by double digits). Can the Patriots prevail in on the road in Richmond? Can they contain VCU leading scorer Jamie Skeen like Old Dominion did last weekend (1-5, 7 pts against the Monarchs).
George Washington (13-12, 6-5) after an impressive win at UMass has a legitimate shot at finishing with a winning A-10 record... as bottom-feeders LaSalle and Charlotte are next and if anything GW takes care of teams below them in the standings.
Maryland Womens Minute-- back to back losses derail the Terps momentum momentarily. Twenty turnovers in the first half against Miami and a lackluster start against Virginia were the culprits-- making Thursday's game with league-leading Duke all the more important.
American (17-8, 7-3) bounced back from a tough loss to Bucknell to beat Colgate-- and with four games remaining on the Patriot League slate it looks as though AU is on a collision course with the #2 seed (they'd need Bucknell to go at least 1-3).
Howard (5-20,3-9) fell to 0-12 on the road with losses at Norfolk State and North Carolina A&T... with one more shot at a road win coming February 26th at Maryland-Eastern Shore (alma mater of Art Shell).
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- February Frenzy...
It's not March Madness. Not even April elation. But the frenzied moving month of February means the creation and expansion of the bubble... broken hearts and presidential aspirations. Maryland Womens' coach Brenda Frese titles it "February Frenzy"... although I'm sure I used it in an open for a broadcast three years ago (no legal action pending).
Maryland (15-8, 5-4) bounced back from an 18 point loss to Duke by drilling Wake Forest... now the Terps get a breather against independent Longwood (aka the Washington Generals of Division I) before resuming ACC play. And that means two games against schools the Terps have already lost to (Boston College and Virginia Tech) at home... plus two more on the horizon involving ACC contenders Florida State and North Carolina. Coach Gary Williams' teams have earned a reputation over the years (2008 the exception) as one that plays its way into the Tournament after strong play on the "back-eight" of the ACC schedule. Time for the new generation of Terps to follow suit.
Cruising the Commonwealth-- Virginia Tech (15-7, 5-4) has assumed the usual position as a bubblicious bunch... and with Malcolm Delaney slumping from the field the Hokies need more production from the likes of Jeff Allen. Virginia (12-11, 3-6) faces a gauntlet of contender Florida State, league leader Duke and revenge minded Virginia Tech. Sayonara, season.
Georgetown (18-5, 7-4) escaped a nailbiter with Providence (more than a trend: the third straight one-possession game for the Hoyas)... and find themselves in the Carrier Dome this week for a duel with #12 Syracuse. The Big East's signature rivalry deserves a Big Monday moment-- but I'll settle for wings on Wednesday. Watch Austin Freeman and Chris Wright tonight-- if they're hitting from three point range... Hoya Saxa-- if not, Hoya Suxa.
Alma Mater Update-- back to back wins have ended the slide that was the worst for the Orange since '06. They also dropped four straight in 1992... and won the Big East Tournament that season as well. So there's precedent for the SU fans who think with their orange-tainted hearts (of which I am one). Can Scoop Jardine run the half-court offense effectively against the Hoyas? And shouldn't "Scoop" be the name of a character from a 1930's newspaper film starring Cary Grant?
George Mason (20-5, 12-2) turned a suspect season into a sensational one over the last month... the ten straight victories include a 17-point beatdown of CAA contender Old Dominion and sets up a huge February 15th faceoff with second place Virginia Commonwealth. Cam Long's steady hand is proving the difference-- during the 10-game run he's had just one game with more turnovers than assists.
George Washington (12-11, 5-4) after disposing of bottom-feeder Charlotte returns to the haves... by hosting tied for third in the Atlantic Ten Richmond. Tony Taylor tallied 25 points and 9 assists against the 49ers... what will he do against the Spiders?
Maryland (15-8, 5-4) bounced back from an 18 point loss to Duke by drilling Wake Forest... now the Terps get a breather against independent Longwood (aka the Washington Generals of Division I) before resuming ACC play. And that means two games against schools the Terps have already lost to (Boston College and Virginia Tech) at home... plus two more on the horizon involving ACC contenders Florida State and North Carolina. Coach Gary Williams' teams have earned a reputation over the years (2008 the exception) as one that plays its way into the Tournament after strong play on the "back-eight" of the ACC schedule. Time for the new generation of Terps to follow suit.
Cruising the Commonwealth-- Virginia Tech (15-7, 5-4) has assumed the usual position as a bubblicious bunch... and with Malcolm Delaney slumping from the field the Hokies need more production from the likes of Jeff Allen. Virginia (12-11, 3-6) faces a gauntlet of contender Florida State, league leader Duke and revenge minded Virginia Tech. Sayonara, season.
Georgetown (18-5, 7-4) escaped a nailbiter with Providence (more than a trend: the third straight one-possession game for the Hoyas)... and find themselves in the Carrier Dome this week for a duel with #12 Syracuse. The Big East's signature rivalry deserves a Big Monday moment-- but I'll settle for wings on Wednesday. Watch Austin Freeman and Chris Wright tonight-- if they're hitting from three point range... Hoya Saxa-- if not, Hoya Suxa.
Alma Mater Update-- back to back wins have ended the slide that was the worst for the Orange since '06. They also dropped four straight in 1992... and won the Big East Tournament that season as well. So there's precedent for the SU fans who think with their orange-tainted hearts (of which I am one). Can Scoop Jardine run the half-court offense effectively against the Hoyas? And shouldn't "Scoop" be the name of a character from a 1930's newspaper film starring Cary Grant?
George Mason (20-5, 12-2) turned a suspect season into a sensational one over the last month... the ten straight victories include a 17-point beatdown of CAA contender Old Dominion and sets up a huge February 15th faceoff with second place Virginia Commonwealth. Cam Long's steady hand is proving the difference-- during the 10-game run he's had just one game with more turnovers than assists.
George Washington (12-11, 5-4) after disposing of bottom-feeder Charlotte returns to the haves... by hosting tied for third in the Atlantic Ten Richmond. Tony Taylor tallied 25 points and 9 assists against the 49ers... what will he do against the Spiders?
Maryland Womens' moment-- February Frenzy, indeed. The Terps (20-3, 6-2) have won 6 straight ACC games to slide up the standings into first round bye territory; Sunday's 88-59 beatdown of North Carolina State saw a 15-6 run to close the first half plus a 21 point run to put the game away in the second half. Kim Rodgers' recent play has been huge-- her three-pointer won the game at Georgia Tech and a key three started the rally against the Wolfpack. With her emergence, Lynetta Kizer now has room to operate underneath (ACC Player of the Week). Thursday, another step towards the top involves a trip to the team they're tied for third in the league with-- Miami.
American (16-7, 6-2) battles Bucknell for first place in the Patriot League... and the Eagles fell to the Bison at Bender Arena. The inability to handle Mike Muscala (24 of his 33 points came after halftime) and poor three-point shooting (21%) contributed to AU's defeat. Which perimeter presence will show up-- the bunch that hit 53% against Lafayette or the group that made 5 of 17 against Lehigh?
Howard (8-15, 3-7) avoided the MEAC's cellar by defeating South Carolina State 65-53. Sophomore sensation Mike Phillips tallied 10 of his 26 points during a key 18-6 run for the Bison... giving the HU faithful plenty of confidence in tomorrow as there's a young nucleus emerging at Burr Arena.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Super Sunday-- when girlfriends and mistresses meet..
The big day is finally here... after 5 preseason, 17 regular season and 4 postseason weeks the grand finale is here. Two legacies... a world of uncertainty and plenty of food with questionable nutritional value. Plus a hall call.
First, let the record show I will be at my friend Larry's house for the game. So that means plenty of buffalo wing dip (chicken puree, bleu cheese dressing and wing sauce) and butter bars (60% butter, 30% sugar and 20% shortening... don't tell me its bad math because I have consumed about 50 or so over the years and trust me, it adds up)... while being asked every five minutes if I'm having a good time.
Team of the 60's against the team of the 70's-- in 2011. Two stories franchises facing off for the title... and do I admit I like both? You see... I grew up in New England and have had family in the Patriots employ over the years. So I was somewhat stomach punched when they lost to the New York Jets. Growing up in an era when the Pats were usually home by Christmas I would often look elsewhere in he playoffs... and let's just say I took on a mistress. The Steelers were charming and they always seemed to do things the right way. My AFC mistress wears black and gold. Now in the northeast one was fed a steady diet of how great the NFC East was... and the constant chest thumping turned my sympathetic eye to a badly run smalltown franchise. There- I said it. The Packers are my NFC girlfriend. Do I paint my face for them? No, but I like how both teams are run and like to see them do well. And I won't leave my NFL wife, EVER.
Actual game analysis-- expect plenty of points on the fast track -- I think that with Pittsburgh's OL issues will be a problem. And it just seems like Aaron Rodgers' year. Packers, 30-24.
Labor Pains-- it appears as though management and the union are at an impasse... and a lockout looms wit issues lime health care... 18 game seasons and revenue streams the focus. It's millionaire players battling billionaire ownersand the fans wind up losing out.
Hall Hell-- congratulations to former Redskins LB Chris Hanburger for getting into the HOF. I'm sure he'll give the Canton festivities humility in the face of Deion Sanders...btw will the neon one be enshrined as a Redskin? I just wish they'd put Ray Guy in Canton... Marvin Miller in Cooperstown... and the Moody Blues in Cleveland.
First, let the record show I will be at my friend Larry's house for the game. So that means plenty of buffalo wing dip (chicken puree, bleu cheese dressing and wing sauce) and butter bars (60% butter, 30% sugar and 20% shortening... don't tell me its bad math because I have consumed about 50 or so over the years and trust me, it adds up)... while being asked every five minutes if I'm having a good time.
Team of the 60's against the team of the 70's-- in 2011. Two stories franchises facing off for the title... and do I admit I like both? You see... I grew up in New England and have had family in the Patriots employ over the years. So I was somewhat stomach punched when they lost to the New York Jets. Growing up in an era when the Pats were usually home by Christmas I would often look elsewhere in he playoffs... and let's just say I took on a mistress. The Steelers were charming and they always seemed to do things the right way. My AFC mistress wears black and gold. Now in the northeast one was fed a steady diet of how great the NFC East was... and the constant chest thumping turned my sympathetic eye to a badly run smalltown franchise. There- I said it. The Packers are my NFC girlfriend. Do I paint my face for them? No, but I like how both teams are run and like to see them do well. And I won't leave my NFL wife, EVER.
Actual game analysis-- expect plenty of points on the fast track -- I think that with Pittsburgh's OL issues will be a problem. And it just seems like Aaron Rodgers' year. Packers, 30-24.
Labor Pains-- it appears as though management and the union are at an impasse... and a lockout looms wit issues lime health care... 18 game seasons and revenue streams the focus. It's millionaire players battling billionaire ownersand the fans wind up losing out.
Hall Hell-- congratulations to former Redskins LB Chris Hanburger for getting into the HOF. I'm sure he'll give the Canton festivities humility in the face of Deion Sanders...btw will the neon one be enshrined as a Redskin? I just wish they'd put Ray Guy in Canton... Marvin Miller in Cooperstown... and the Moody Blues in Cleveland.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Beltway Basketball Bonanza--seeing one's shadow...
Who doesn't love Groundhog Day? Bill Murray (with Andie Macdowell and Chris Elliot) helped turn a calendar blip into a big deal-- as the Buddy Hackett-voiced groundhog in the claymation "Jack Frost" failed to inspire (check this one out-- it's a badly done, tired "we've run out of ideas but not clay" production by Rankin Bass). Teams have six weeks to set the record straight on their destiny-- are they in the shadow of greatness... or of missed opportunities?
Maryland (14-8, 4-4) rallied against #5 Duke but couldn't get closer than five points in the second half en route to an 18 point loss. Once again the lack of a three point shooter (2-9 outside the arc) haunted a team that in the absence of a "sit up and listen" victory will have to win at least 6 of 8 remaining league games to be in the NCAA conversation. The good news is they still have tilts against Wake Forest, Miami and NC State (combined 4-18 in the ACC).
Commonwealth Commotion-- Virginia Tech (15-6, 5-3) and Virginia (12-10, 3-5) mark the beginning and end of the ACC's middle class. Thanks to Jeff Allen's 18 points and 11 rebounds against Miami, the Hokies appear five wins shy of being on the bubble as they usually are in March; the Cavaliers even after their 49-47 win over Clemson (let the record show the UVa football team also had three 40 point efforts this season) need a monster run to secure an NIT bid.
Georgetown (17-5, 6-4) enjoyed back to back three point victories over ranked teams for a nice Saturday-Monday sweep. What's impressive about the win over Louisville is that Austin Freeman was held to 13 points and 6 turnovers by the Cardinals yet the Hoyas had Chris Wright (fresh off going scoreless against Nova) pouring in 24 points. It was just the second time during conference play that Wright shot more than 50% of his shots.
Alma Mater Update-- after four straight losses, Syracuse began it's game at UConn by not scoring for the first 5:27. Somehow the Orange rallied (thank you Huskies for shooting 29% in the first half) and held on 66-58. This may not cure all that ills SU, but the team's first big road win of the winter gets things in gear for a monstrous February: twice against Georgetown plus trips to Louisville and Villanova... plus unranked but should be ranked West Virginia at the Dome.
George Mason (18-5, 10-2) has gathered major steam over the last few weeks; during their current 8 game winning streak-- 7 have come by double digits. Luke Hancock continues to make the leap from fringe player to major contributor... averaging six assists over GMU's last three games. CAA co-leader VCU looms as the Patriots play the Rams in Richmond February 15th in the only regular season meeting between the two schools.
George Washington (11-11, 4-4) straddles the Atlantic Ten midpoint...tied for 7th place in the fourteen team league that has the number ten in the title. So far they've handled the teams they should be beating and have lost to the schools that are having better seasons-- kind of like a mid-major Maryland if you will. Tony Taylor's the bright spot offensively-- he's the only Colonial averaging in double figures.
Howard (4-17, 2-7) picked up a pair of wins over the weekend against Maryland-Eastern Shore and Delaware State by a combined seven points. Mike Phillips came up huge for the Bison in both games-- averaging 15 points and 9 rebounds in the sweep. Howard has another home weekend with North Carolina Central and South Carolina State coming to Burr Arena; both are winnable games.
Maryland (14-8, 4-4) rallied against #5 Duke but couldn't get closer than five points in the second half en route to an 18 point loss. Once again the lack of a three point shooter (2-9 outside the arc) haunted a team that in the absence of a "sit up and listen" victory will have to win at least 6 of 8 remaining league games to be in the NCAA conversation. The good news is they still have tilts against Wake Forest, Miami and NC State (combined 4-18 in the ACC).
Commonwealth Commotion-- Virginia Tech (15-6, 5-3) and Virginia (12-10, 3-5) mark the beginning and end of the ACC's middle class. Thanks to Jeff Allen's 18 points and 11 rebounds against Miami, the Hokies appear five wins shy of being on the bubble as they usually are in March; the Cavaliers even after their 49-47 win over Clemson (let the record show the UVa football team also had three 40 point efforts this season) need a monster run to secure an NIT bid.
Georgetown (17-5, 6-4) enjoyed back to back three point victories over ranked teams for a nice Saturday-Monday sweep. What's impressive about the win over Louisville is that Austin Freeman was held to 13 points and 6 turnovers by the Cardinals yet the Hoyas had Chris Wright (fresh off going scoreless against Nova) pouring in 24 points. It was just the second time during conference play that Wright shot more than 50% of his shots.
Alma Mater Update-- after four straight losses, Syracuse began it's game at UConn by not scoring for the first 5:27. Somehow the Orange rallied (thank you Huskies for shooting 29% in the first half) and held on 66-58. This may not cure all that ills SU, but the team's first big road win of the winter gets things in gear for a monstrous February: twice against Georgetown plus trips to Louisville and Villanova... plus unranked but should be ranked West Virginia at the Dome.
George Mason (18-5, 10-2) has gathered major steam over the last few weeks; during their current 8 game winning streak-- 7 have come by double digits. Luke Hancock continues to make the leap from fringe player to major contributor... averaging six assists over GMU's last three games. CAA co-leader VCU looms as the Patriots play the Rams in Richmond February 15th in the only regular season meeting between the two schools.
George Washington (11-11, 4-4) straddles the Atlantic Ten midpoint...tied for 7th place in the fourteen team league that has the number ten in the title. So far they've handled the teams they should be beating and have lost to the schools that are having better seasons-- kind of like a mid-major Maryland if you will. Tony Taylor's the bright spot offensively-- he's the only Colonial averaging in double figures.
Maryland womens' moment-- the Terps (18-3, 4-2) begin February chasing down a top four spot in the ACC (and the first round bye it provides). Currently there are five teams ahead of the Terps in the standings-- and Maryland plays four of them over the next eighteen days. The rubiks cube of a roster has settled into a late-season rotation (for a big part of the winter 10 players averaged from 17 to 24 minutes a game)... and while freshman of the year candidate Alyssa Taylor is taking the headlines-- a lot of credit goes to point guard Anjale Barrett. The junior's not a natural at the point-- but is able to run the offense efficiently.
American (15-7, 5-2) after a hiccup at Navy reasserted itself in a double digit win over Lafayette. The hammer-anvil duo reveals who the bellwether is; Stephen Lumpkins (21 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks against the Leopards) has been held to single digits twice in Patriot League play-- and AU has dropped both of those games. On the horizon: trips to
Lehigh and league-leading Bucknell... the only other Patriot League schools with overall winning records. A sweep would be sweet.Howard (4-17, 2-7) picked up a pair of wins over the weekend against Maryland-Eastern Shore and Delaware State by a combined seven points. Mike Phillips came up huge for the Bison in both games-- averaging 15 points and 9 rebounds in the sweep. Howard has another home weekend with North Carolina Central and South Carolina State coming to Burr Arena; both are winnable games.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- putting together profiles...
I love how in mid-March the committee refers to a team's "body of work"... as though it were Al Pacino's film career or Oasis' mind-numbing journey through the 90's and 00's. The expansion of schedules now means 20 wins won't necessarily cut it: and schools are trying to put together resumes high on quality wins or bad losses.
Maryland (12-7, 2-3) dodged a major bullet when Clemson's last-second shot clanged off... but there is still plenty of work ahead for coach Gary Williams' team. In a down year for the ACC, they've got to rack up the gimmes (no offense towards Wake Forest, Miami and NC State) because they don't have that sit-up-and-notice win. Well, there's one more chance: after winnable road games at Virginia and Georgia Tech, the Terps host #3 Duke February 2nd.
ACC in the Dominion-- Virginia and Virginia Tech are both working their way through middling league seasons... and neither has the "signature win" that propels a school into the big dance. Get ready for deja vu-- with the Cavaliers continuing to build towards next year and the Hokies finishing with an impressive record (I guess 21-8 and 11-5 in the ACC) but in the NIT again.
Georgetown (14-5, 3-4) has a major gauntlet ahead with games against St. John's (Red Storm beat the Hoyas at MSG a few weeks ago), #7 Villanova and 19th ranked Louisville. While the Hoyas have proved they can beat ranked teams this winter, the proverbial canary in a coal mine remains Austin Freeman. In their three conference wins, the senior averages 25 points and has shot 65% from the field. In four conference losses Freeman averages 12.5 points on 40% shooting.
Alma Mater Update-- Not awesome. Three straight losses have the Orange looking around wondering what's going wrong and can they get that feeling back in the face of a Big East gauntlet. How do you allow 90 points to Seton Hall? Defensively Syracuse has had issues defending the perimeter... as Villanova sunk 11 3's and Seton Hall went 10-for-17 from outside the arc against the Orange. That is the devil you dance with when you employ the 2-3 zone. And hopefully SU can get their stuff together as three of their next five games are against ranked teams just a little bit better than Seton Hall. Another concern-- the local gamewatching bar has added "Whale Tails" as decoration on their taps... and SU is 1-3 since I saw this "advancement". Just sayin'...
George Washington (10-9, 3-2) had its early conference season exposed with losses to Richmond and St. Bonaventure; with a trip to Xavier does this mean the Colonials are experiencing a hiccup or a freefall? The 300th in the nation shooting team is looking for answers.
George Mason (15-5, 7-2) is winning road games in the CAA--what's going on here? Cam Long, for short. The senior scored 30 points at James Madison and 20 against Delaware. Before going back up against the likes of Hofstra and Old Dominion (combined 14-4 in the league) the Patriots get bottom-feeders Towson plus William & Mary (2-16 composite conference mark).
Maryland Womens' Moment-- from a thriller to a smackdown. The 16-3 Terrapins took an overtime nail biter at Virginia 77-75 thanks to great late play from Diandra Tschatchwong- who knocked down the first Terp three of the game with 14 seconds left to send the game into OT and hit the gamewinning basket in the extra session. Sunday's showdown with #10 North Carolina saw a shorthanded Tar Heel team (Jessica Beland out with a bad knee) tumble to the Terrapins. Alyssa Thomas is likely the runaway freshman of the year in the ACC... doing guard things while having a forward's build. Wake Forest comes to College Park Friday.
American (14-6, 4-1) won consecutive three point games to solidify its status as Patriot League contender... trailing only Bucknell in the standings. The hammer/anvil combo of Lumpkins and Moldoveanu continues to cover the blemish that is AU's three point shooting (4-of-18 against Holy Cross). While they have three straight games against schools with losing league records, recognize that the second half of the Patriot League season often makes no sense whatsoever.
Howard (2-17, 0-7) has a prime opportunity to end its losing streak when Maryland-Eastern Shore (4-15, 1-5) drops by the district. Now there is hope on the horizon-- as sophomores Mike Phillips, Dadrian Collins and Anton Dickerson are all gaining valuable experience.
Maryland (12-7, 2-3) dodged a major bullet when Clemson's last-second shot clanged off... but there is still plenty of work ahead for coach Gary Williams' team. In a down year for the ACC, they've got to rack up the gimmes (no offense towards Wake Forest, Miami and NC State) because they don't have that sit-up-and-notice win. Well, there's one more chance: after winnable road games at Virginia and Georgia Tech, the Terps host #3 Duke February 2nd.
ACC in the Dominion-- Virginia and Virginia Tech are both working their way through middling league seasons... and neither has the "signature win" that propels a school into the big dance. Get ready for deja vu-- with the Cavaliers continuing to build towards next year and the Hokies finishing with an impressive record (I guess 21-8 and 11-5 in the ACC) but in the NIT again.
Georgetown (14-5, 3-4) has a major gauntlet ahead with games against St. John's (Red Storm beat the Hoyas at MSG a few weeks ago), #7 Villanova and 19th ranked Louisville. While the Hoyas have proved they can beat ranked teams this winter, the proverbial canary in a coal mine remains Austin Freeman. In their three conference wins, the senior averages 25 points and has shot 65% from the field. In four conference losses Freeman averages 12.5 points on 40% shooting.
Alma Mater Update-- Not awesome. Three straight losses have the Orange looking around wondering what's going wrong and can they get that feeling back in the face of a Big East gauntlet. How do you allow 90 points to Seton Hall? Defensively Syracuse has had issues defending the perimeter... as Villanova sunk 11 3's and Seton Hall went 10-for-17 from outside the arc against the Orange. That is the devil you dance with when you employ the 2-3 zone. And hopefully SU can get their stuff together as three of their next five games are against ranked teams just a little bit better than Seton Hall. Another concern-- the local gamewatching bar has added "Whale Tails" as decoration on their taps... and SU is 1-3 since I saw this "advancement". Just sayin'...
George Washington (10-9, 3-2) had its early conference season exposed with losses to Richmond and St. Bonaventure; with a trip to Xavier does this mean the Colonials are experiencing a hiccup or a freefall? The 300th in the nation shooting team is looking for answers.
George Mason (15-5, 7-2) is winning road games in the CAA--what's going on here? Cam Long, for short. The senior scored 30 points at James Madison and 20 against Delaware. Before going back up against the likes of Hofstra and Old Dominion (combined 14-4 in the league) the Patriots get bottom-feeders Towson plus William & Mary (2-16 composite conference mark).
Maryland Womens' Moment-- from a thriller to a smackdown. The 16-3 Terrapins took an overtime nail biter at Virginia 77-75 thanks to great late play from Diandra Tschatchwong- who knocked down the first Terp three of the game with 14 seconds left to send the game into OT and hit the gamewinning basket in the extra session. Sunday's showdown with #10 North Carolina saw a shorthanded Tar Heel team (Jessica Beland out with a bad knee) tumble to the Terrapins. Alyssa Thomas is likely the runaway freshman of the year in the ACC... doing guard things while having a forward's build. Wake Forest comes to College Park Friday.
American (14-6, 4-1) won consecutive three point games to solidify its status as Patriot League contender... trailing only Bucknell in the standings. The hammer/anvil combo of Lumpkins and Moldoveanu continues to cover the blemish that is AU's three point shooting (4-of-18 against Holy Cross). While they have three straight games against schools with losing league records, recognize that the second half of the Patriot League season often makes no sense whatsoever.
Howard (2-17, 0-7) has a prime opportunity to end its losing streak when Maryland-Eastern Shore (4-15, 1-5) drops by the district. Now there is hope on the horizon-- as sophomores Mike Phillips, Dadrian Collins and Anton Dickerson are all gaining valuable experience.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- "show me month"...
Much like college football, college hoops has "show me month", "moving month" and "closing month" (I guess April is "I can't believe we're still playing month" and November is "we're playing again? month" with December being "I've run out of catchy titles month"). And the area schools have shown us quite a bit in the last few weeks-- with just about everyone (sorry again, Howard) dreaming of a magical march in March.
Maryland (11-6, 1-2) had two prime opportunities to upend a top ten team last week-- and lost at #1 Duke as well as #7 Villanova. Three point shooting (2-11 against the Wildcats) and free throw shooting (combined 19-36 against the Blue Devils and Nova) continue to be eyesores as the Terps missed a chance to lock down a "sit up and notice" victory for the committee.
Around the ACC-- Virginia (ten point lead at Duke) and Virginia Tech (sixteen point lead at UNC) are off to middling starts in league play... with a wide-open conference after the Blue Devils (ouch-- did anyone see the Tar Heels get roasted by 20 at Georgia Tech?) there are opportunities to play their way into position-- but not if one coughs up leads like they have.
Georgetown (14-5, 3-4) learned that the state of New Jersey can be a friendly place come Big East season-- back to back wins over Rutgers and Seton Hall has the Hoyas back near .500... a split or heaven forbid would have gotten the NIT drums beating. GU continues to live and die by its perimeter shooting-- which in the rough and tumble Big East can turn every which way.
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse fell for the first time this winter (at #5 Pitt) after answering a 19-0 run with a 17-0 run of their own... and this was minus a banged in the head Kris Joseph. After a Saturday matinee against #7 Villanova-- the Orange have a somewhat softer slate (Seton Hall, South Florida, Marquette). I can't wait to see how TCU fits into the hoops schedule.
George Washington (10-7, 3-0) remains unbeaten in Atlantic Ten play-- but was schooled on the boards by Harvard at the Smith Center Saturday. How legit is their conference mark? GW's victims (LaSalle, Fordham and St. Joes) are a combined 0-10 in league play.
George Mason (12-5, 4-2) ended a two game conference road losing streak with a victory at Northeastern. The Patriots have just two home tilts until February-- but four of their five games are against schools with non-winning CAA records.
Womens hoop moment-- Maryland is 1-2 in the ACC ... and in the mix was a bewildering loss to Boston College. The Terps went 1-for-20 from three point range and 12-for-27 at the free throw line. BC attempted 57 shots; Maryland missed 57 shots (28-85). After that hiccup the club took care of business at Clemson... but the team needs one of its perimeter players to step up and make opponents honest.
Broadcasting bit-- I announced the BC game on Terps TV with legendary Terp Laura Harper-- #15 is currently rehabbing her knee after microfracture surgery and hopes to catch on with a WNBA team this summer. Crystal Langhorne and Emery Wallace dropped by to cheer on their former teammate-- and Harper handled herself well on the mic (although her point guard turned the ball over a few times). And there's no truth to the rumors "Miss Harper" demanded skittles in the green room seperated by color.
American (12-6, 2-1) bounced back from a tough loss against Patriot League leading Bucknell with a nine point win at Colgate. The Hammer/Anvil combo of Vlad/Stephen continues to propel the Eagles towards a home court quarterfinal game.
Howard (2-15, 0-5) has the famed worst to first weekend ahead... a trip to tied for last Florida A&M before facing league-leading Bethune Cookman. The road has not been kind to the Bison: their closest game away from DC's been a 14 point loss.
Maryland (11-6, 1-2) had two prime opportunities to upend a top ten team last week-- and lost at #1 Duke as well as #7 Villanova. Three point shooting (2-11 against the Wildcats) and free throw shooting (combined 19-36 against the Blue Devils and Nova) continue to be eyesores as the Terps missed a chance to lock down a "sit up and notice" victory for the committee.
Around the ACC-- Virginia (ten point lead at Duke) and Virginia Tech (sixteen point lead at UNC) are off to middling starts in league play... with a wide-open conference after the Blue Devils (ouch-- did anyone see the Tar Heels get roasted by 20 at Georgia Tech?) there are opportunities to play their way into position-- but not if one coughs up leads like they have.
Georgetown (14-5, 3-4) learned that the state of New Jersey can be a friendly place come Big East season-- back to back wins over Rutgers and Seton Hall has the Hoyas back near .500... a split or heaven forbid would have gotten the NIT drums beating. GU continues to live and die by its perimeter shooting-- which in the rough and tumble Big East can turn every which way.
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse fell for the first time this winter (at #5 Pitt) after answering a 19-0 run with a 17-0 run of their own... and this was minus a banged in the head Kris Joseph. After a Saturday matinee against #7 Villanova-- the Orange have a somewhat softer slate (Seton Hall, South Florida, Marquette). I can't wait to see how TCU fits into the hoops schedule.
George Washington (10-7, 3-0) remains unbeaten in Atlantic Ten play-- but was schooled on the boards by Harvard at the Smith Center Saturday. How legit is their conference mark? GW's victims (LaSalle, Fordham and St. Joes) are a combined 0-10 in league play.
George Mason (12-5, 4-2) ended a two game conference road losing streak with a victory at Northeastern. The Patriots have just two home tilts until February-- but four of their five games are against schools with non-winning CAA records.
Womens hoop moment-- Maryland is 1-2 in the ACC ... and in the mix was a bewildering loss to Boston College. The Terps went 1-for-20 from three point range and 12-for-27 at the free throw line. BC attempted 57 shots; Maryland missed 57 shots (28-85). After that hiccup the club took care of business at Clemson... but the team needs one of its perimeter players to step up and make opponents honest.
Broadcasting bit-- I announced the BC game on Terps TV with legendary Terp Laura Harper-- #15 is currently rehabbing her knee after microfracture surgery and hopes to catch on with a WNBA team this summer. Crystal Langhorne and Emery Wallace dropped by to cheer on their former teammate-- and Harper handled herself well on the mic (although her point guard turned the ball over a few times). And there's no truth to the rumors "Miss Harper" demanded skittles in the green room seperated by color.
American (12-6, 2-1) bounced back from a tough loss against Patriot League leading Bucknell with a nine point win at Colgate. The Hammer/Anvil combo of Vlad/Stephen continues to propel the Eagles towards a home court quarterfinal game.
Howard (2-15, 0-5) has the famed worst to first weekend ahead... a trip to tied for last Florida A&M before facing league-leading Bethune Cookman. The road has not been kind to the Bison: their closest game away from DC's been a 14 point loss.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- 2011 debut...
Well, it's about time, isn't it? The over extension of the college football and basketball seasons mean one really doesn't get into college hoops until it's halfway complete. And the early returns are promising as most of the beltway schools either are in conference contention or enter January off a strong non-conference run.
Maryland (10-5, 0-2) actually led #1 Duke by six in the second half before falling 71-64 to the Blue Devils. Instead of trying to manage overconfidence the Terps find themselves trying to avoid an 0-3 start in the league with a non-conference trip to Villanova on the horizon. Wake Forest is a bad team in its first year under a new system-- but the Terps free throw shooting (9-18 against Duke) is worse.
Georgetown (12-4,1-3) tries to avoid a January slide down the Big East standings with a visit to #5 Pitt. The Hoyas actually built quite a non-conference resume with victories over Missouri and Memphis in December. Austin Freeman is having one of those signiature senior seasons (18ppg) but this team has had issues early and often shooting from three point range (4-17, 5-17 and 4-22 in three conference losses).
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse is off to a 16-0 (3-0) start and a #4 ranking... despite losing 2009 meal ticket Wes Johnson. The ability the last two seasons by the Orange to reload despite losing talent (Jonny Flynn the year before) keeps this alum in good spirits. The inability to purchase game tickets to the Orange game at Verizon leaves me shrugging and my fellow alums irate. It's as though the GU athletic department is diverting all of its energy into keeping the SU faithful out of the arena come February 26th. Now it is their right to have a home court advantage in their own gym... and I'm sorry if their frontrunning fairweather ticket base can't be trusted to sell out an 18,000 seat arena. And I don't care if I'm stuck in section 426-- just let me see my school. Perhaps if they focused as much energy on three-point shooting...
George Mason (10-5, 2-2)-- if you've followed the Patriots recently, you know where the wins and where losses have come from in CAA play. Once again Jeckyll has charmed the faithful (with Doc Nix and the best band around the beltway) while Hyde has hidden away from Fairfax. Every year coach Jim Larranaga has one player make "the leap" from peripheral player to contributor-- and this winter it appears as though sophomore forward Luke Hancock (12pts, 5reb and 5 ast) fits the bill.
George Washington (9-6, 2-0)-- the hottest team around the beltway? Don't laugh-- the Colonials have won four straight and are 2-0 in the Atlantic Ten. Now before you start making St. Patrick's Day plans-- keep in mind their wins have come against St. Joseph's and LaSalle (12-19 combined and 0-4 in league play). Tony Taylor (14 points and 5 assists a game) leads the way for a team that needs to upgrade offensively (ranked 294th in FG pct) for GW to become a consistent threat in A-10 play.
BCS Wrapup-- I'm just thankful it's over. 35 bowls over three weeks with the championship game being played 37 days after both teams had last played? I wish it weren't as successful as it was. I have more than a few friends who feel a playoff is imminent-- like the one who shrugged off a Bills Super Bowl loss by saying "when we get a major league expansion franchise..."-- and I just have to think we're not close to having a 4-team tournament, let alone an 8 or 16 team field. Congratulations, Auburn. Bring on 2011.
American (11-5, 1-0) quietly put together a nice non-conference run and took its Patriot League opener against Lehigh. The hammer and anvil combination of Vlad Moldeveanu (22ppg) and Stephen Lumpkins (12ppg and 8rpg) look like the conference's dynamic duo
Howard (2-13, 0-3)-- it's been a rough winter for the Bison--all thirteen of their losses coming by double digits. Mike Phillips is well on his way to the Eugene Myatt Award (averaging 13 points and 7 rebounds a game). There are opportunities on the horizon for first year coach Kevin Nickelberry's team to make noise-- they play one team currently with a winning overall record (Bethune Cookman) between now and March 3rd.
Maryland (10-5, 0-2) actually led #1 Duke by six in the second half before falling 71-64 to the Blue Devils. Instead of trying to manage overconfidence the Terps find themselves trying to avoid an 0-3 start in the league with a non-conference trip to Villanova on the horizon. Wake Forest is a bad team in its first year under a new system-- but the Terps free throw shooting (9-18 against Duke) is worse.
Georgetown (12-4,1-3) tries to avoid a January slide down the Big East standings with a visit to #5 Pitt. The Hoyas actually built quite a non-conference resume with victories over Missouri and Memphis in December. Austin Freeman is having one of those signiature senior seasons (18ppg) but this team has had issues early and often shooting from three point range (4-17, 5-17 and 4-22 in three conference losses).
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse is off to a 16-0 (3-0) start and a #4 ranking... despite losing 2009 meal ticket Wes Johnson. The ability the last two seasons by the Orange to reload despite losing talent (Jonny Flynn the year before) keeps this alum in good spirits. The inability to purchase game tickets to the Orange game at Verizon leaves me shrugging and my fellow alums irate. It's as though the GU athletic department is diverting all of its energy into keeping the SU faithful out of the arena come February 26th. Now it is their right to have a home court advantage in their own gym... and I'm sorry if their frontrunning fairweather ticket base can't be trusted to sell out an 18,000 seat arena. And I don't care if I'm stuck in section 426-- just let me see my school. Perhaps if they focused as much energy on three-point shooting...
George Mason (10-5, 2-2)-- if you've followed the Patriots recently, you know where the wins and where losses have come from in CAA play. Once again Jeckyll has charmed the faithful (with Doc Nix and the best band around the beltway) while Hyde has hidden away from Fairfax. Every year coach Jim Larranaga has one player make "the leap" from peripheral player to contributor-- and this winter it appears as though sophomore forward Luke Hancock (12pts, 5reb and 5 ast) fits the bill.
George Washington (9-6, 2-0)-- the hottest team around the beltway? Don't laugh-- the Colonials have won four straight and are 2-0 in the Atlantic Ten. Now before you start making St. Patrick's Day plans-- keep in mind their wins have come against St. Joseph's and LaSalle (12-19 combined and 0-4 in league play). Tony Taylor (14 points and 5 assists a game) leads the way for a team that needs to upgrade offensively (ranked 294th in FG pct) for GW to become a consistent threat in A-10 play.
BCS Wrapup-- I'm just thankful it's over. 35 bowls over three weeks with the championship game being played 37 days after both teams had last played? I wish it weren't as successful as it was. I have more than a few friends who feel a playoff is imminent-- like the one who shrugged off a Bills Super Bowl loss by saying "when we get a major league expansion franchise..."-- and I just have to think we're not close to having a 4-team tournament, let alone an 8 or 16 team field. Congratulations, Auburn. Bring on 2011.
American (11-5, 1-0) quietly put together a nice non-conference run and took its Patriot League opener against Lehigh. The hammer and anvil combination of Vlad Moldeveanu (22ppg) and Stephen Lumpkins (12ppg and 8rpg) look like the conference's dynamic duo
Howard (2-13, 0-3)-- it's been a rough winter for the Bison--all thirteen of their losses coming by double digits. Mike Phillips is well on his way to the Eugene Myatt Award (averaging 13 points and 7 rebounds a game). There are opportunities on the horizon for first year coach Kevin Nickelberry's team to make noise-- they play one team currently with a winning overall record (Bethune Cookman) between now and March 3rd.
Friday, January 7, 2011
College Football Corner-- bowled under...
The beauty of the college football regular season is each week there are tests and everything (in theory) is on the line for division, conference or national standing. Fast-forward to the Bowl season when there's a whole lot of stuff before a title game delayed by a month.
Maryland ripped East Carolina in the Military Bowl 51-20 thanks to a big-play offense and a more than cooperative Pirate defense (ECU ranked 118th in points allowed--118th!). Nice way to send coach Ralph Friedgen out in style (more on the musical coaching chairs later). Terrapin Triumphs-- Da'Rell Scott went out in style with 200 yards rushing and two touchdowns (61 and 91 yards)... and freshman DJ Adams' four touchdowns are a nice omen for the future. Danny O'Brien didn't shine but played a smart game...and the defense held one of the most explosive offenses (top 20 in scoring) in check all day (5 yards per pass attempt and 1.5 yards per rush). Terrapin Troubles-- 11 penalties isn't ideal... but an otherwise solid afternoon at RFK.
Virginia Tech played Stanford tight for 30 minutes before succumbing to the Cardinal 40-12. Once again the ACC's exposed come January...and once again the Hokies are unable to climb into elite land by falling to a top 5 team (1-28 I think is their record under Beamer). Hokie Highlights-- Danny Coale (7 catches for 92 yards) gave Tyrod Taylor a decent target while the Cardinal contained Jarrett Boykin... and the defense holding Stanford to 13 first half points was no small task. Hokie Humblings-- butchered by the big play. Four of Stanford's touchdowns were of 35 yards or longer-- especially the last three that put the game away. The running game was held to a paltry 1.9 yards a carry. No big special teams play as BEAMER BALL! became beamer ball.
A whole bowl of you know what-- Thanks, BCS for ruining January 1st. This used to be the day that I would focus from noon to midnight on a buffet of games... and although only a few (sometimes even just one) had national title implications-- there was immediate momentum from the Citrus to the Cotton to the Fiesta to the Rose to the Sugar to the Orange. You watched the early games because you knew there would be a payoff at the end of the night. Now unless I have a school involved (SU creeping closer to respectability), I could care less who wins which New Years Day game... because not only is the Championship game NINE DAYS LATER, but there are SIX bowls before you get to the BCS title game. And I'm not even going to focus on the ridiculous names... from "Go-Daddy-dot-com" to "Fight Hunger" to "DONNA MARTIN GRADUATE!" (okay, I stretched a bit on the last one there). I grew up loving college football and January 1st's place along Super Bowl Sunday and the Final Four... and I held out against a playoff through much of the 90's-- but now I could easily do without the overbloated bowl system the way it's set up. Bring on the Brackets...
Trading in a Fridge for an Edsall-- what is this, a football program or a West Virginia lawn (sorry, it was either that or say "instead of a Cadillac hire, Maryland brings in an Edsall"). Maryland made its big splash hire by going into the Big East (yes, the league plundered by the ACC still has 8 gridiron members after taking Conference USA's best). Edsall reportedly had said that Maryland was his dream job. I'm sure the same could have been said about his predecessor. Edsall guided the Huskies to the top of a lower tier BCS league and finished 8-5. In fact his last three years saw 8-5 marks in a substandard conference (Rutgers, anyone?). I'm trying to see how this is a major upgrade from the previous administration. The University had the opportunity to make the right decision (keeping an alum and a lifetime devotee in a job he had performed well in and with dignity) or make a big splash. The school chose to do the wrong thing-- and this is the splash? Best of luck to Coach Edsall... he seems like a class act. But how high will the standard be for him? Are we talking ten win seasons and sellouts at Byrd? Because if not, isn't that what we had with Ralph Friedgen?
Maryland ripped East Carolina in the Military Bowl 51-20 thanks to a big-play offense and a more than cooperative Pirate defense (ECU ranked 118th in points allowed--118th!). Nice way to send coach Ralph Friedgen out in style (more on the musical coaching chairs later). Terrapin Triumphs-- Da'Rell Scott went out in style with 200 yards rushing and two touchdowns (61 and 91 yards)... and freshman DJ Adams' four touchdowns are a nice omen for the future. Danny O'Brien didn't shine but played a smart game...and the defense held one of the most explosive offenses (top 20 in scoring) in check all day (5 yards per pass attempt and 1.5 yards per rush). Terrapin Troubles-- 11 penalties isn't ideal... but an otherwise solid afternoon at RFK.
Virginia Tech played Stanford tight for 30 minutes before succumbing to the Cardinal 40-12. Once again the ACC's exposed come January...and once again the Hokies are unable to climb into elite land by falling to a top 5 team (1-28 I think is their record under Beamer). Hokie Highlights-- Danny Coale (7 catches for 92 yards) gave Tyrod Taylor a decent target while the Cardinal contained Jarrett Boykin... and the defense holding Stanford to 13 first half points was no small task. Hokie Humblings-- butchered by the big play. Four of Stanford's touchdowns were of 35 yards or longer-- especially the last three that put the game away. The running game was held to a paltry 1.9 yards a carry. No big special teams play as BEAMER BALL! became beamer ball.
A whole bowl of you know what-- Thanks, BCS for ruining January 1st. This used to be the day that I would focus from noon to midnight on a buffet of games... and although only a few (sometimes even just one) had national title implications-- there was immediate momentum from the Citrus to the Cotton to the Fiesta to the Rose to the Sugar to the Orange. You watched the early games because you knew there would be a payoff at the end of the night. Now unless I have a school involved (SU creeping closer to respectability), I could care less who wins which New Years Day game... because not only is the Championship game NINE DAYS LATER, but there are SIX bowls before you get to the BCS title game. And I'm not even going to focus on the ridiculous names... from "Go-Daddy-dot-com" to "Fight Hunger" to "DONNA MARTIN GRADUATE!" (okay, I stretched a bit on the last one there). I grew up loving college football and January 1st's place along Super Bowl Sunday and the Final Four... and I held out against a playoff through much of the 90's-- but now I could easily do without the overbloated bowl system the way it's set up. Bring on the Brackets...
Trading in a Fridge for an Edsall-- what is this, a football program or a West Virginia lawn (sorry, it was either that or say "instead of a Cadillac hire, Maryland brings in an Edsall"). Maryland made its big splash hire by going into the Big East (yes, the league plundered by the ACC still has 8 gridiron members after taking Conference USA's best). Edsall reportedly had said that Maryland was his dream job. I'm sure the same could have been said about his predecessor. Edsall guided the Huskies to the top of a lower tier BCS league and finished 8-5. In fact his last three years saw 8-5 marks in a substandard conference (Rutgers, anyone?). I'm trying to see how this is a major upgrade from the previous administration. The University had the opportunity to make the right decision (keeping an alum and a lifetime devotee in a job he had performed well in and with dignity) or make a big splash. The school chose to do the wrong thing-- and this is the splash? Best of luck to Coach Edsall... he seems like a class act. But how high will the standard be for him? Are we talking ten win seasons and sellouts at Byrd? Because if not, isn't that what we had with Ralph Friedgen?
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Redskins Rehash-- this is not the end; it is only the beginning...
Well, what did you expect? After fifteen games over sixteen weeks... the Skins lose a tight game in which they score under 20 points. You could have written half of the season with a mad-libs script. At 6-10 the franchise enters a third straight offseason as the NFC East cellar-dweller.
Close Calls-- another three point loss... five of the team's ten defeats in 2010 were by three points or less... but once again before you start printing 2011 NFC East banners, get this-- all six wins were by six points or less... meaning this team was closer to 3-13 than they were 11-5.
And they went winless against the division and conference after their mid-season bye.
Turnoverasaurus Rex-- 336 yards passing and two touchdowns for Mr. Grossman... but two fumbles and an interception remind one why he's not in Chicago anymore. After the game he remarked how there was a lot of talent on this team and they had a shot at the NFC East championship next fall.
Defense getting better!-- the D held five of their last seven opponents to less than 20 points... and avoid the last in the league distinction (thank you Denver for falling to the opportunity). After the game DeAngelo Hall stressed that the unit was still getting adjusted to the 3-4 and was improving each week... unfortunately the top-ten defense under Greg Blache didn't have the personnel to easily transform into Jim Haslett's vision.
Dissecting the Division-- Philadelphia despite a second straight loss sails into the playoffs while the Giants at 10-6 stay home. Dallas thanks to a 5-3 second half that handed the head coaching job to Jason Garrett take third place because of tiebreakers-- and the Skins after leading the division after opening weekend find themselves in a familiar place.
Playoff Road Rage-- three of the four visiting teams in Wildcard Weekend have better records than the home team... including 11-5 defending Super Bowl champ New Orleans at 7-9 (not a typo) Seattle. Even in the one game pitting teams with equal records-- Green Bay at Philadelphia-- the Packers own the tiebreaker having beaten the Eagles in week one. Don't be surprised if during the offseason the league tweaks wildcard weekend with true seeding-- aka better record gets the home game (if they did that this year, they'd just flip-flop home teams in each matchup).
Where do you go from here?-- after one year (and a two-win improvement) under coach Mike Shanahan, one would think the talent building will continue in the offseason with smart free agent decisions and quality/quantity drafting. You know, the exact opposite of the previous regime. Did they handle the Haynesworth/McNabb situations smartly? Not by a longshot. And that's why there has to be confidence in having a two-time Super Bowl winning coach in Ashburn, there has to be a nervous eye on any developments on and off the field.
Close Calls-- another three point loss... five of the team's ten defeats in 2010 were by three points or less... but once again before you start printing 2011 NFC East banners, get this-- all six wins were by six points or less... meaning this team was closer to 3-13 than they were 11-5.
And they went winless against the division and conference after their mid-season bye.
Turnoverasaurus Rex-- 336 yards passing and two touchdowns for Mr. Grossman... but two fumbles and an interception remind one why he's not in Chicago anymore. After the game he remarked how there was a lot of talent on this team and they had a shot at the NFC East championship next fall.
Defense getting better!-- the D held five of their last seven opponents to less than 20 points... and avoid the last in the league distinction (thank you Denver for falling to the opportunity). After the game DeAngelo Hall stressed that the unit was still getting adjusted to the 3-4 and was improving each week... unfortunately the top-ten defense under Greg Blache didn't have the personnel to easily transform into Jim Haslett's vision.
Dissecting the Division-- Philadelphia despite a second straight loss sails into the playoffs while the Giants at 10-6 stay home. Dallas thanks to a 5-3 second half that handed the head coaching job to Jason Garrett take third place because of tiebreakers-- and the Skins after leading the division after opening weekend find themselves in a familiar place.
Playoff Road Rage-- three of the four visiting teams in Wildcard Weekend have better records than the home team... including 11-5 defending Super Bowl champ New Orleans at 7-9 (not a typo) Seattle. Even in the one game pitting teams with equal records-- Green Bay at Philadelphia-- the Packers own the tiebreaker having beaten the Eagles in week one. Don't be surprised if during the offseason the league tweaks wildcard weekend with true seeding-- aka better record gets the home game (if they did that this year, they'd just flip-flop home teams in each matchup).
Where do you go from here?-- after one year (and a two-win improvement) under coach Mike Shanahan, one would think the talent building will continue in the offseason with smart free agent decisions and quality/quantity drafting. You know, the exact opposite of the previous regime. Did they handle the Haynesworth/McNabb situations smartly? Not by a longshot. And that's why there has to be confidence in having a two-time Super Bowl winning coach in Ashburn, there has to be a nervous eye on any developments on and off the field.
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