Tuesday, November 16, 2010

30-ish Hours of College Hoops, Part 1

Too much basketball for things like editing, paragraphs, complete sentences or even coherent thoughts. But as we get to know these teams and players who will inhabit our brains for the next several months, I've certainly got some thoughts on what's going down. So here are at least some of them, on a game-by-game basis.

Hampton @ Wake Forest
--The new ESPNU open for college basketball is horrible. Just some bad local public access looking stuff.
--There are some pieces here for the Deacs, but the lack of a PG will kill this team.
--Walker is a great shotblocker, but his offensive game lags far behind.
--I suppose Clark is the best option at point for Wake, but he isn’t meant to be there. Harris has got to be the go-to scorer for the Deacs, and I think he is better off the ball. He's probably better than Clark at the point (though neither is good), but he is needed more as a scorer than as a distributor.
--Neither team can make a FT to save their lives.
--Wake 63-56, survive a scare from Hampton.
--Pellum probably gunned the Pirates out of the game (6/22 FGA), but Funches was fun to watch.
--McKie is something else, 21pts, 8 rebs.
--No Deac w/ more than 2 assists, 3 w/ more than 2 TOs. 19 total TOs for Wake.

Siena @ Minnesota
--My goodness, what a start to this game, nobody missing. We’re on pace for like a 150-130 game after 4min. After 8min, Siena’s pace has slowed to just 125pts, shooting 77% from field.
--Jackson has 14 in the first 8 min, and the amazing thing is that a lot of those were on Nolen, a first-rate defensive guard.
--Jackson is spectacular.
--Minnesota big run to close the half, 17-7, get back within a point.
--I think this Minnesota could be a team that has many different leading scorers/go-to guys, depending on the night.
--Siena scores 25 in first 8 min, then 24 in the next 26.
--Minnesota is for real: excellent athleticism, excellent rebounders, balanced defense all around, shooters, ballhandlers, and all this w/o Joseph.
--Rossiter at least three travels on the night, Siena with a ton of turnovers.
--This maybe isn’t as talented a Siena team as we’ve seen the past 2-3 years, but there are some serious parts here (Jackson, Rossiter, Brookins, Anosike, Griffin, Wignot) and they should be near the top of the MAAC.
--Brookins comes out of nowhere down the stretch to catch fire, but too much of a drought in the middle of the game.
--Minnesota 76-69 final.
--Jackson 29, Brookins 12 for the Saints, but 24 TOs for the team.
--Minnesota balanced scoring: Hoffarber 16, Sampson 13, Hollins 12, Mbakwe 10 plus 11 rebounds.
--Minn 30 FTs, Siena 15.

Pepperdine @ UCLA
--In the first half I’m having flashback to last year’s CSUF/UCLA abortion. UCLA still struggling against the zone, the point guard situation still isn’t excellent, but they’re a more talented team this year.
--And Jerime Anderson still sucks.
--KeionBell is not meant to play point. He’s not good at it, and it limits his effectiveness in the offense and turns the team into little more than a series of 1-on-1 moves. --Nelson’s block at the start of the 2nd half is beautiful.
--Josh Smith is disturbingly earthbound.
--UCLA big run at end of first/start of second.
--Howland with his run-breaking timeouts back for another season.
--Final UCLA 79-69, score closer than the game, Bruins impressive in 2nd half.
--26-2 run for Bruins wrapped around halftime is the difference, but maybe the biggest story is the ankle injury to Lee early in the game that kept him out of the final 34 minutes and will keep him out of Tuesday’s NIT Quarterfinal matchup with Pacific.
--Bell 24 unimpressive points, just two assists.
--Nelson 20/11, Honeycutt 16, Smith/Jones 13.
--UCLA 21 assists, 13 TO. Pepp 18 TO, 10 assists.


Miami @ Memphis

--I know Kendrick is a very good player, but Pastner definitely had the luxury to let him leave. This team has plenty of talent at the guard spot.
--Unbelievably entertaining albeit sloppy back-and-forth first half.
--Aside from Johnson, Hurricanes don’t have much offensive punch in frontcourt. Kirk and his nice midrange jumper may earn a spot in the starting lineup.
--Dequan Jones has just never added anything beyond his athleticism. My notes on this kid from his freshman year are just filled with exclamation points. Now he just bores me.
--Miami is definitely at its best when it works inside out (or more to the point, just inside). Johnson is incredibly efficient, especially when fresh.
--Memphis is an immature team with some absolutely terrible body language at times: players sagging their shoulders, rolling their eyes, at both ref calls and poor plays by teammates. This does not immediately look like a team with great chemistry.
--Miami guards definitely settled down for a stretch, played under control and they got right back into it, and then in the last minute or two, both Grant and Scott have terribly out of control plays.
--After the first time seeing these incarnations of these teams play, I’m not sure how good either of these teams are. They’ll both get better, but they both certainly need to get better.
--Final score 72-68 Memphis.
--Jackson 17, Carmouche 13, Witherspoon 12, Antonio Barton 10.
--Scott 20, Grant 18, (a combined 10/27 and eight turnovers for those two), Johnson 12 points, 12 rebounds.
--5 assists for Miami on 20 field goals, Memphis 10 assists on 19 field goals.
--Teams a combined 7/41 from beyond the arc.
--Entertaining, but sloppy.

Monday, September 13, 2010

The Debacle that is UCLA Football - and Thoughts on Week 2

Here’s the state of the UCLA program: Pac-10 opener, season home opener, Saturday night of “Monster Weekend,” the team is coming off a tough road loss, and could use some home cooking in their place. But, the opening shot of the Rose Bowl for ESPN’s coverage makes it painfully obvious that they are trying to pick out the areas of the stadium where there are actually people in the stands while trying to crop out the huge swaths of un-fannied seats. Yeah, the Rose Bowl is a big place, but if there is really no chance for a UCLA team to even come close to filling that place on a semi-regular basis, it just looks awful to see a major college football team with a fanbase that is so uninspired, that two-thirds of the stadium is empty on a big Saturday night.

Of course, then you watch the Bruin offense, and the uninspired state of the Bruin fanbase (a pretty passive fanbase even in the best of times) makes a lot more sense. Wow, are they awful. The offensive line has been the question mark for the past couple of years, but really they aren’t half bad. But Kevin Prince is simply terrible, the receivers aren’t any better (especially when the only potential playmakers at the receiver spot – guys like Randall Carroll and Josh Smith – sit behind possession receivers like Taylor Embree and Nelson Rosario – you know, possession receivers that don’t catch the ball all that well – and those potential playmakers too often seem to make plays for the other team – see Carroll’s fumble on a fancy-nancy end-around in the second quarter) and the offensive geniuses behind this whole thing (head coach Rick Neuheisel and offensive coordinator Norm Chow) can’t stay focused on what little success they do have long enough to make it work. The Bruins averaged 4.6 yards per rush against Stanford and their two most effective runners, sophomore Jonathan Franklin and freshman Malcolm Jones were even better than that, 6.6 ypc and 7.4 ypc respectively, and given that one of the big reasons the Bruins made their highly publicized addition of the Pistol formation in the offseason was to aid their running game, you’d think that maybe they’d stick with that a bit, especially when it is working and even more especially when the passing game is so obviously not working. Run first, use the run to set up the infrequent pass, and get a little more creative getting playmakers the ball when you do decide to pass the ball – screens and short passes to Smith and Carroll would be a place to start.

And, really, Bruin fans are at a point right now where for the first time in the Neuheisel era, impatience is starting to shine through; the honeymoon period is certainly over. There is some talent here, but the team lacks discipline and the team clearly has conditioning problems. Their defense was gassed in the first quarter on Saturday night – sure, it was at the end of a 14 play drive, and the UCLA offense did nothing to give the defense a rest at all, but the Bruins front seven defensively was just getting dominated in the trenches. Throw in the inability to smoothly substitute defensively without drawing a penalty, or offensive linemen jumping early in key moments, or repeated terrible decisions by the quarterback. UCLA football at present is characterized by unforced errors on the offensive side and getting overpowered on the defensive side.

So, the bright side? Well, I gotta reach for this, but Franklin and Jones are a pretty excellent duo in the backfield and the offensive line, while still not great, is light years better than where they were two years ago. There is upside at the receiver position, but at some point they have to starting catching balls that hit them on the hands and start making some plays. Defensively, there is plenty of talent, but it seems like these guys didn’t put in the work in the offseason to get stronger. And it is too late for that now. Hopefully some of the youngsters (Keenan Graham, Owamagbe Odighizuwa and Cassius Marsh) will earn increased reps over the course of the season, but the fact is that if the offense can give the defense a rest every now and then, the defense, while not as good as the last couple of years, has the potential to be a decent side.

The bad side? It’s going to get worse before it gets any better. I can’t imagine holding Houston to any less than half-a-hundred, and then Texas gets their crack at breaking this piƱata wide open before they get something of a winnable game with a home game against Washington State. Bruins fans – you may want to check out that Cougar game. The way your team is playing right now, that’s about the only chance at a W on your remaining home slate.

Elsewhere:
Monster Saturday – I didn’t expect Penn State would be able to play with Alabama, so that one didn’t come as any surprise, but Oklahoma owning Florida State caught me off-guard. I expected that to be the game of the big three (Bama/PSU, OSU/Miami, FSU/Okla) that would have been the most competitive, but Oklahoma owned the line of scrimmage and all their playmakers made plays while Christian Ponder and Florida State stayed in bed. The Miami/Ohio State game turned out to be the best of those three, and it even wasn’t much to get excited about. Jacory Harris made too many mistakes (although none of his four INTs were too egregious on their own, although the four-pack taken as a whole stunk) and that Buckeye team is serious.

The best games of the weekend weren’t the big headliners, but the secondary games: Michigan/Notre Dame and Georgia/South Carolina in particular. Denard Robinson vaulted himself to the top of the Heisman list and cooled Rich Rodriguez’s seat a bit, while in Columbia, Steve Spurrier has got himself a ballclub. Freshman running back Marcus Lattimore is the real deal – a big strong back who knows how to finish his runs, always moving forward, the type of back who will rarely lose yards – the receivers are serious playmakers, a strong offensive line, a couple great bookend defensive ends with stellar corners to boot. The question for this team throughout the year will be quarterback Stephen Garcia. If he can continue to make plays, this Gamecock squad has a chance at a date in the SEC championship game and some serious BCS aspirations.

A couple strategic questions that really bugged me this weekend. First, in that Mississippi State/Auburn game on Thursday night, if you’re the Bulldogs and you’re committed to running a two-quarterback system, why wouldn’t you choose which QB you’re going to put in there more strategically? Junior Chris Relf is a big athletic QB who can make plays with his feet but is not terrifically accurate with his passes. Redshirt freshman Tyler Russell is more of a pure pocket passer. The situation: you’re down three, just over two minutes left, you’ve got the ball on your own 20. You’ve gotta go somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 yards to have a chance to send the game to OT, and along the way, you’ve got some situations where you face 3&10 or 3&14 or 4&10. In those particular situations, which QB of the two you are committed to playing gives you a better chance to succeed, the running QB or the pocket passer? Everywhere else on the field, a head coach will substitute players based on the situation, but for some reason Dan Mullen couldn’t find a way to get Russell on the field for those plays? Even if you’re interested in having Relf on the field on such a drive due to his experience, you have to consider his weaknesses and pull the guy on clear passing downs like the ones mentioned above.

Next, West Virginia/Marshall. You know the story, Marshall has the ball 1st and goal, ready to go in and push their improbable lead to 28-6 in the 4th quarter and to effectively seal the game. Marshall has had some success running the ball with sophomore running backs Martin Ward and Andre Booker, but head coach Doc Holliday for some reason puts in freshman Tron Martinez, a kid who hasn’t even played in the first three quarters. Martinez has a little bit of success, gets a couple carries, get a pass catch out of the backfield, picks up a first down. But then, on first and goal, fumbles, West Virginia recovers and instead of 28-6 Marshall, or even 24-6 with a field goal, momentum shifts and the Mountaineers come back to tie and eventually win in overtime. Certainly Martinez can’t fumble there, but at the same time, I just don’t understand why he is in the game there. If you go up 28-6 and the game is effectively over, then you can get some time for youngsters like this, but in that type of intrastate rivalry game, a win that would have been a huge win for the program and the community, you gotta finish the deal.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Basketball Junkie

I'll be moving all of my basketball-related posts to a new site, located here. Still posting about other sports and other stuff here though.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Florida State - a way too early 2010-11 preview

One big question looms over the short-term future of the Seminole basketball program, and at this early date, the answer isn’t yet known: will seven-foot-one center Solomon Alabi be returning to Tallahassee for his senior season, or will he be lured by the promise of NBA millions as a likely first-round draft pick? If Alabi returns, the ‘Noles will have the potential to challenge for an ACC title; if he goes, while still a talented squad, FSU’s hopes diminish greatly.

With Alabi, the Seminoles will return four of their five starters from a team that finished third in the ACC and made life on the offensive end miserable for their opponents. With Alabi manning the middle and long, athletic and versatile forward Chris Singleton alongside, the ‘Noles have the ability to dissuade opponents from exploring the middle of the defense. They’ll need to replace Ryan Reid at the four-spot, but have plenty of contenders to do so, including junior Xavier Gibson, sophomore Terrence Shannon, incoming freshman Okaro White, or one of two JuCo transfers: Bernard James or Jonathan Kreft, a player who originally committed to FSU in 2006 before having his scholarship revoked following some trouble with the law.

In the backcourt, Derwin Kitchen started all of FSU’s games in 09-10, and could do the same next season, but former McDonald’s All-American Michael Snaer came on down the stretch of his freshman season and could move into the starting position at the two-guard. Snaer and Kitchen did get a few starts together in the backcourt, but neither is a true point and ideally for head coach Leonard Hamilton, someone else will step up and take hold of the point guard position. While Deividas Dulkys ran the point some for the ‘Noles last year, it is likely that incoming freshman Ian Miller will have every chance to win the position. Senior Jordan DeMercy will provide depth at the two and the three while junior point Luke Loucks will also get some time in the backcourt.

For the Seminoles to really become a national power, they’ll need to improve their offensive game, and there are a number of things that need to happen on that front: someone will have to take the reins at point, one of the wings (Snaer, Kitchen, DeMercy or Singleton) will have to accept more of the scoring load, and Alabi will need to return and add a go-to post move. Any one of those things will improve the team; all of those things will have the ‘Noles, already a stout defensive team, making big waves in March.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Duke - a way to early 2010-11 preview

Mike Krzyzewski is back on top of the college basketball world, having done it his way, building a program step-by-step with character guys who generally stick around for the majority of their eligibility. So, what to do for an encore? Introducing freshman point guard Kyrie Irving, one of the nation’s top recruits and a guy who could head the NBA after one year. While Irving will be ready to step right in for departed point guard Jon Scheyer, there is still one big unanswered question for the Blue Devils as of April 15: will wing Kyle Singler return for his senior season? If so, expect Duke to be a strong favorite to win the ACC again. But, even if Singler is to head to the next level, this Duke team will still have firepower. Nolan Smith will return for his senior season and start alongside Irving in the backcourt. Seth Curry (Steph’s little brother) joins the team as a sophomore transfer from Liberty (where he led all freshman in the country in scoring two seasons back with 20.2 a game) and could give the Devils either depth in the backcourt or a third-guard, if coach K decides to go that way. Add in Andre Dawkins returning for his second season and incoming freshman point Tyler Thornton and the Devils will not be hurting in the backcourt.


However, regardless of Singler’s decision, the Blue Devils will need some of their talented frontcourt players to take the next step and improve their consistency. Brothers Miles and Mason Plumlee (a junior and a sophomore, respectively) have shown flashes of the type of talent that made them highly sought-after recruits, but need to be able to bring that type of game for more than just a few bursts here and there, and with Greg Zoubek’s Duke career over, they’ll be counted on to provide most of the minutes in the middle. Former McDonald’s All-American Ryan Kelly will also be called on to provide some help up front, but despite his six-foot-ten frame, he is more of a perimeter player and will need to add more strength and toughness to compete in the paint in the ACC. Freshman forward Josh Hairston will likely also need to contribute for the Devils up front, but he is also more of a skilled forward than a grinder.


What put Duke over the top in 2010 was its ability to create points by hitting the offensive glass, and in order for the Devils to replicate that kind of success in March, they’ll need to get some serious improvement from their front court players. But given the talent and upside of those players, that is far from out of the question.

Clemson – a far too early 2010-11 preview

Like other programs around the ACC, the big story in Clemson this offseason is new leadership. Head coach Oliver Purnell bolted for DePaul at the end of the season in a surprise move, leaving Clemson scrambling for a new coach, which they just filled with Brad Brownell, formerly of Wright State and before that UNC Wilmington. The coaching change has left some of the roster in question, with sophomore forward Devin Booker and Noel Johnson reportedly considering their options and incoming freshman wing Marcus Thornton (the 2010 Mr. Basketball from the state of Georgia) reportedly asking the school for a release from his letter of intent. The first order of business for Brownell will be to find out the status of those three players, all very talented pieces on this Tiger team, but perhaps pieces that won’t necessarily fit in well with the style of basketball that Brownell has historically run. Under Purnell, the Tigers were a high-tempo team, pressing defensively and getting out on the break on offense. On the other hand, Brownell’s team have historically controlled tempo, played tight man defense and gotten most of their offense in the half-court. Of course, even as good as the best of the Wright State or UNC Wilmington teams were, they never had a collection of athletes like Booker, Johnson, Thornton and the like, so while it is unlikely that the Tigers will continue to play the type of ball they did under Purnell, they may not turn into Wright State overnight.

Beyond the three question marks mentioned above, the Tigers aren’t exactly hurting for talent. Regardless of what happens to Booker, Johnson and Thornton, senior Demontez Stitt will start at the point and senior Jerai Grant will start up front somewhere. If all goes well, sophomore Milton Jennings will start alongside Grant, and then one of Booker, Johnson and Thornton will complete the Tiger front line while the other two provide depth, with junior Tanner Smith likely manning the two-guard spot. If Brownell can get all three of the question marks to return, the Tigers will have plenty of athletic depth, but even if only one of them remains, this isn’t a Clemson team that is going to immediately sink in the ACC standings. Junior Andre Young will likely back up Stitt, junior Brian Narcisse will provide some depth, and plenty of energy, up front, and sophomore Donte Hill may also get some time in the backcourt. Seven-foot-one junior center Catalin Baciu is in intriguing prospect up front, but he’ll need to add some strength to be a legitimate contributor in the ACC.

Clemson can still be in the conversation for one of the 65 tournament spots this season, but it is going to be interesting to see how Brownell imprints his style on a roster full of players who have gotten used to the Purnell way. Brownell may be an upgrade over Purnell in the long run, but the Tigers could suffer some short-term setbacks if their players chafe at the tightened reins.

**Update 4/15**
As expected, Marcus Thornton has asked for and received a release from his letter of intent and has opened back up his recruitment. It is possible he will follow Oliver Purnell to DePaul, Memphis has jumped into the discussion, and schools like Kentucky, Florida and Georgia Tech are interested as well.

Devin Booker and Noel Johnson have not yet announced their decisions regarding possibly transferring out of the program.

Boston College - a far too early 2010-11 preview

The big story this offseason for the Eagles is the head coaching change: Al Skinner out, former Cornell head coach Steve Donahue in. And, clearly, along with the change in personnel at the top will come a change in style, as Skinner’s defense-first system goes away and Donahue’s Princeton-style offense takes over. The transition will take time as Donahue will be forced to play with mostly the players that Skinner leaves behind, but there is some talent there, with four players who averaged double-figures returning (seniors Joe Trapani, Rakim Sanders and Corey Raji and junior guard Reggie Jackson). Trapani and his three-point ability may fit in nicely with Donahue’s style, and Jackson is a talented offensive player who can play in several different styles, but Donahue will have to get improvement from others on the roster to contend for a NCAA tournament bid (and, for the record, in these posts, I am going to assume that the size of the tournament does not increase this offseason, perhaps a sketchy assumption). Returning point guard Biko Paris will need to improve his ball control, cutting the turnovers and getting the Eagles into some more effective offense, all of which will enable Jackson to play off the ball more at his natural position, the two. Senior big guy Josh Southern is going to have to play up to his talent to give the Eagles a legitimate interior threat. Raji and Sanders may not be natural fits for Donahue’s offense, but they are both athletic wings, with Raji capable of playing bigger than his six-foot-five frame on the interior and Sanders capable of knocking down threes or scoring off of his athleticism. Juniors Evan Ravenel and Dallas Elmore along with senior Courtney Dunn will provide depth along the frontline as will incoming freshmen Kevin Noreen and Papa Samba Ndao. Incoming freshman Brady Heslip could backup Paris at the point.


There is some talent on this Eagle team, but already some around the program are looking towards 2011-12, when Donahue will have six open scholarships with which to begin to mold this team and this program in keeping with his vision.


**Update: 4/15/10**

As can be expected when coaching changes are made, personnel changes. Rakim Sanders has announced his intentions to transfer out of the BC program, a blow to a program in transition. It will be interesting to see if this is an isolated incident or if this is the beginning of Donahue remaking the program in his image, but I suspect Donahue would have rather had Sanders stick around for his senior season, as he is clearly a talented player.

College Basketball 2010-11

As a hoops junkie, it's never too early to start thinking about the next basketball season, and so, a week or so after the 09-10 season ended, I'll start putting up some previews of next year's landscape, and hopefully one a day for the next seven months or so as a way of whiling away the time, starting with the ACC.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Champions League Quarters - 2nd Legs

In both of Manchester United's matches against Bayern Munich in this quarterfinal round, they got out to fast starts, getting a Wayne Rooney goal in the second minute in the first leg, then on Wednesday getting a third-minute goal from Gibson and seventh-minute goal by Nani to give Man U the 3-2 aggregate lead. Still later in the first half, a second Nani goal gave Man U the first three goals in the match and a two goal aggregate lead.

Of the three goals, the first goal by Nani was the most spectacular. It began with a beautiful diagonal pass from just inside midfield by Wayne Rooney (who was playing with an ankle injury suffered in the first leg) to Valencia, who after settling into a one-on-one matchup with his defender, played a beautiful accurate cross into the box to Nani who had freed himself. Nani let the ball pass through his legs then redirected the ball with his back leg for the goal.

The first goal for Manchester came when the Bayern keeper Butt made a poor attempt on a strike by Gibson from just outside the box, then the third goal came on a familiar combination when Nani made a great move to get free following a throw-in and again found Nani on a cross that was promptly slammed in for his second goal.

However, with Man U now having a goal to spare, they let their guard down, and just two minutes later took advantage of some sloppy, lazy defense and snuck a ball past the keeper Van Der Sar on a bit of a broken play, giving Bayern some confidence heading into the half and leaving them just a goal back of tying the aggregate score and allowing them to advance based on away goals.

What's more, Man U's Rooney took a shot to the ankle in the 21st minute and played the rest of the half with a noticeable lack of mobility. Rooney would play through the 55th minute, before getting pulled for a sub.

More bad news came for the United side when midfielder Rafael got redcarded after a tackle about seven minutes into the second half, leaving them down a man with just a goal to spare.

However, that goal advantage disappeared in the 71st minute when Bayern's Franck Ribary lifted a beautiful corner kick into the box that found Robben just waiting for it. He timed the ball perfectly and drilled the ball into the far low corner of the net, tying up the aggregate score, which was all Bayern needed to advance. The final 20 minutes or so Bayern controlled, (not without a few solid runs by Man U), and they advance to face the winner of Bordeaux and Lyon, a game that I hope to watch tomorrow at some point.

Elsewhere in the quarterfinals, Barcelona finished off Arsenal behind an amazing four-goal performance by Messi, regarded as one of the handful of best players in the world. He showed why on Tuesday, proving himself a dangerous weapon, an aggressive player with a quick shot that he can get off without a lot of space. While Arsenal scored first on a goal by Bendtner on a breakaway that was perhaps poorly played by Theo Walcott (nevertheless, a huge spark for Arsenal throughout this round), Messi began his onslaught in the 21st minute when he grabbed a loose ball that occurred after his pass was broken up and slammed it home. In the 37th minute, he scored a similar goal of a loose ball (on a play that was begun by Messi near midfield on a pass to a cutting Avidal), and just before the break he made it a first-half hat-trick with a little chip over a charging keeper that began when he had broken up a Arsenal pass at midfield. Messi even had a chance for a fourth goal in the first half, but actually misplayed a ball on a breakway, hitting a dribble a little fat and allowing the keeper the chance to cover it up. Messi added a fourth goal late in the game on a play that highlighted his persistence, even with the game firmly in hand.

With the win, Barcelona will advance to the semis to face Inter Milan, who traveled to Moscow and finished off CSKA, highlighted by a free kick by Sneijder early in the game that went right under a CSKA wall and past a blinded keeper.

Some other random thoughts: Champions League semifinal without an EPL participant. I'm not entirely sure, but I think this is a fairly rare occurence.

When Rooney left the pitch on Wednesday, the broadcast showed a sign that said: "Wayne Rooney: the white Pele". Now, I clearly haven't watched a ton of Rooney, and while I think he is a tough player and certainly skilled, I think that sign is frankly ridiculous.

Players I found myself drawn to in these three games: Bayern's Ribary continues to be a favorite, Man U's young guns like Valencia and Nani, and I like Van Der Sar as a keeper, and, of course, Messi, who was amazing in the second leg.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

All-Murawa Team, College Basketball 2009-2010 Edition

With the an excellent college basketball season and one of the most exciting Tournaments in history squarely in our rearview mirror now, it’s time to take a look back at the season, hand out some awards and recognize some of the players that made this season a memorable one.

To start with, we’ll dive right in with our best players in the nation. While other organizations hand out their All-American awards based on the strength of a player during the regular season, we’ll take the entire season, including post-season play into account.

All-Murawa Player of the Year

Evan Turner, Jr, Ohio State

Evan Turner takes down Player of the Year despite missing a stretch of games in December following his scary fall after a dunk that fractured his back. However, after being clearly the best player in the nation prior to the injury, Turner was able to return to form ahead of schedule and lead his Buckeyes to a Big Ten championship.

All-Murawa Coach of the Year
Brad Stevens, Butler

Stevens clearly won his award on the basis of his team’s post-season run (and his brilliant job during that run), squeaking past guys like Mike Krzyzewski and Jim Boeheim to earn my award.

All-Murawa Team, First Team
G Da’Sean Butler, Sr, West Virginia
G Jon Scheyer, Sr, Duke
G Evan Turner, Jr, Ohio State
F Wesley Johnson, So, Syracuse
C DeMarcus Cousins, Fr, Kentucky

Second Team
G James Anderson, Jr, Oklahoma State
G Greivis Vasquez, Sr, Maryland
G John Wall, Fr, Kentucky
F Quincy Pondexter, Sr, Washington
F Ekpe Udoh, Jr, Baylor

Third Team
G Jordan Crawford, So, Xavier
G Jacob Pullen, Jr, Kansas State
G Scottie Reynolds, Sr, Villanova
F Gordon Hayward, So, Butler
F Darington Hobson, Jr, New Mexico

For some reason Wall was being mentioned in the same breath as Turner in regards to player of the year consideration. In my estimation, Wall wasn’t even the best player on his team, and was at best the fourth best guard in the nation; I could find no way to put Wall ahead of any of the guards that made my first team.

Scheyer was perhaps the most efficient point guard in the country, running a potent Duke offensive to near-perfection, handing out assists while taking care of the ball and maintaining his ability to knock down threes with the slimmest bit of space, and even adding some slippery moves in the teeth of the defense.

Butler, meanwhile was perhaps the nation’s most clutch player, time and again knocking down game winners despite entire buildings understanding that he would have the ball in his hand. His career ended in heartbreak, as he lay on the floor in Lucas Oil Stadium with a serious knee injury and a looming semifinal loss, but Butler was not only a great player for the Mountaineers, he was a great leader, a great student and a great citizen.

Johnson was on target for this type of honor since his play in the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament in Madison Square Garden in mid-November. His play dropped off slightly down the stretch of the regular season due in part to a wrist injury, but he picked things back up in March to finish a great season in Syracuse.

While it was Wall that got much of the press for Kentucky, it was Cousins who was their most unstoppable force. The best per-40-minute rebounder in the country, an active quick offensive post-player and a solid defensive force, Cousins was clearly the best big man in the country in his one season at this level.

Other people whose post-season play changed their positions on (or even off) of this team:
Reynolds – clearly swooned down the stretch, a tough end to an otherwise stellar career in Philly.
Hayward – went from an honorable mention type guy to one who was seriously considered for a second-team spot.
Pullen – along with teammate Denis Clemente, Pullen was somewhere in this neighborhood all season long, but his play in the tournament definitely solidified his place on this team. If this were Bracketology, Clemente would likely be the first name listed under the “First Four Out” header.

All-Defensive Team, First Team
G Jermaine Dixon, Sr, Pitt
G Venoy Overton, Jr, Washington
F Ekpe Udoh, Jr, Baylor
C Jarvis Varnado, Sr, Mississippi State
C Hassan Whiteside, Fr, Marshall

Second Team
G Ronald Nored, So, Butler
G J.P. Prince, Sr, Tennessee
F Devin Ebanks, So, West Virginia
F Kawhi Leonard, Fr, San Diego State
C Cole Aldrich, Jr, Kansas

The highlight of this team may be the trio of shotblocking big men on the first team, impressive enough to relegate an All-American type center like Aldrich to the second team. If Whiteside were to remain in school for four years (increasingly unlikely, as he may not even see a sophomore season), he would put up Varnado-like numbers in the blocks column.

Dixon, Overton, Nored and Prince proved to be versatile man defenders that could lock up with just about anybody in the country, and Leonard is a rising star who does a ton of things well, but it is his ability to defend inside and out, bigger guys and smaller guys, that earns the freshman his spot on this list.

Ebanks did not play his best basketball on either end of the court in the Mountaineers season-ending loss to Kentucky, but he was a tough presence both in the WVU defense with the ability to take on players from point guards to power forwards, and even man the point when Bob Huggins switched to zone.

All-Freshman Team, First Team
G Eric Bledsoe, Kentucky
G John Wall, Kentucky
F Xavier Henry, Kansas
F Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State
C DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky

Second Team
G Avery Bradley, Texas
G Derek Needhman, Fairfield
F Derrick Williams, Arizona
F Elias Harris, Gonzaga
C Derrick Favors, Georgia Tech

Clearly John Calipari does the recruiting thing very well. Three Wildcats man our first team, with Cousins and Wall also earning spots on our national teams. Bledsoe was excellent as well, despite the natural point guard playing somewhat out of place next to Wall in the backcourt.

Henry and Leonard perhaps represent opposite ends of the forward spectrum, with Henry a smooth offensive wing while Leonard was a tough, grind-it-out rebounder and defender.

Prior to the season, Favors was right there with Wall and Cousins as the best recruits in the nation, and while Favors did average 12 points, eight rebounds and two blocks per game, he never really lived up to expectations in his first (and perhaps only?) year in Atlanta.

All-Glue Team, First Team
G Chris Kramer, Sr, Purdue
G D.J. Gay, Jr, San Diego State
G Joe Mazulla, Jr, West Virginia
F Willie Veasley, Sr, Butler
F Draymond Green, So, Michigan State

Second Team
G Eric Hayes, Sr, Maryland
G Ronald Nored, So, Butler
G Keiton Page, So, Oklahoma State
F Dominique Sutton, Jr Kansas State
F Cam Thoroughman, Jr, West Virginia

This group of guys may not always put up impressive numbers, but they are each indispensible to their team’s success.

Kramer was the tough, strong man defender, capable of grabbing rebounds, running the offense for a possession or two, and even taking over during crunch time like he did against Texas A&M in the tournament.

The diminutive Gay had less than impressive numbers throughout the season for the Aztecs, but anytime a big play was called for, he was there ready to step up.

Mazulla played much of the season one-armed, unable to effectively use his right arm due to a shoulder injury, he even shot free throws left-handed, but still gutted it out on both ends of the floor for his Mounties.

Veasley is just a six-foot-three do-everything guy for the Bulldogs. At various times this season, he guarded guys like Clemson’s power forward Trevor Booker, Kansas State guard Jacob Pullen, even Minnesota’s seven-footer Ralph Sampson III.

And Green, Michigan State’s sixth-man did a bit of everything for Izzo, running some point-forward in the absence of injured point-guard Kalin Lucas, grabbing rebounds, defending in the post, and even becoming their go-to offensive player when the season was on the line.

Onions Squad – Big shots by the bushel, often causing the other team to cry
Da’Sean Butler, Sr, West Virginia
Ali Farokmanesh, Sr, Northern Iowa
Jacob Pullen, Jr, Kansas State
Jordan Crawford, So, Xavier
Austin Freeman, Jr, Georgetown
Chandler Parsons, Jr, Florida
Devan Downey, Sr, South Carolina
Andy Rautins, Sr, Syracuse
Evan Turner, Jr, Ohio State
Quincy Pondexter, Sr , Washington

The only thing that needs to be said about these guys is that if your team is playing against one of them, and you’re up a couple points late, don’t get comfortable. Some guys hit big winners every now and then; these guys make a career out of it.

All-Non-BCS Team, First Team
G Kevin Anderson, Jr Richmond
G Jordan Crawford, So, Xavier
G Jimmer Fredette, Jr, BYU
F Gordon Hayward, So, Butler
F Darington Hobson, Jr, New Mexico

Second Team
G Aubrey Coleman, Sr, Houston
G Randy Culpepper, Jr, UTEP
F Elias Harris, Fr, Gonzaga
F Adam Koch, Sr, Northern Iowa
C Omar Samhan, Sr, St. Mary’s

Third Team
G Shelvin Mack, So Butler
G Jared Quayle, Sr, Utah State
G Randy Wittman, Sr, Cornell
F Edwin Ubiles, Sr, Siena
C Derrick Caracter, Jr, UTEP

Since some of these players’ programs don’t particularly like the “Mid-Major” label, we’ll just call these the non-BCS awards. Why make a special category just for these guys? Well, really, these schools and these players are to me what makes college basketball so special. Sure, guys like John Wall and Evan Turner and Wesley Johnson are fun to watch, but to me, it is even more fun to watch a guy like Adam Koch or Kevin Anderson or Darington Hobson, guys who were passed over for one reason or another by the “big boys”, lead their teams on a charge against the Goliaths of the world. And in a year like this one, when one of their own made it all the way to the last second of the last game with that slingshot still firing at the giants, we definitely need to recognize these types of guys from some of the smaller schools that make college basketball what it is.

Most Improved
G Ashton Gibbs, So, Pitt
G Scoop Jardine, So, Syracuse
F Ekpe Udoh, Jr, Baylor
C Derrick Caracter, Jr, UTEP
C Greg Zoubek, Sr, Duke

Zoubek’s the man here. For three years he was little more than the big pudgy guy that Coach K would bring off the bench to pick up a few fouls when his regulars needed a break for a few minutes. This year, he turned into a major factor for the National Champion, a guy without whom Duke would likely have been left for dead far short of Indianapolis. He turned into a monster rebounder, especially on the offensive end, and excellent passer out of the post (again, especially off of those offensive rebounds) and a solid interior defender. Zoubek’s senior season was a good summary of everything that is good about college basketball.

Jardine bounced back from last year’s redshirt season due to an injury to become one of the Orange’s “seven starters” system as Syracuse took home the regular season Big East title.

Pitt needed some young guys to step up to replace the production of ex-Panthers like LeVance Fields and without missing a beat Gibbs did just that, jumping from averaging just four points in ten minutes a game last season to almost 16 ppg in over 34 minutes.

Udoh took advantage of his year off after transferring from Michigan and took his game to a whole new level in Waco, keeping all of the devastating shotblocking and defensive ability he had displayed previously and adding a seriously skilled and fluid offensive game.

And Caracter reappeared on the basketball landscape after seemingly burning all of his bridges in his first tour of duty under Rick Pitino in Louisville. Caracter brought all of the talent that he had shown since his high schools days to El Paso, and left the attitude behind, giving head coach Tony Barbee plenty of production and minimal headaches.

Senior Class Awards – seniors who did not make any of the above teams, who we nevertheless want to give some props to for great careers, just to be able to write their names again one last time.

Kwadzo Ahelegbe, G, Northern Iowa
Bilal Benn, F, Niagara
Eric Boateng, C, Arizona State
Trevor Booker, F, Clemson
Matt Bouldin, G, Gonzaga
Jamal Boykin, F, California
Ryan Brooks, G, Temple
Tweeny Carter, G, Baylor
Wayne Chism, F, Tennessee
Patrick Christopher, G, California
Sherron Collins, G, Kansas
Bryan Davis, F, Texas A&M
Kelvin Davis, G, San Diego State
Jerome Dyson, G, Connecticut
Landry Fields, F, Stanford
Derek Glasser, G, Arizona State
Luke Harangody, F, Notre Dame
Lazar Hayward, F, Marquette
Trevon Hughes, G, Wisconsin
Matt Janning, F, Northeastern
Anthony Johnson, G, Montana
Jerome Jordan, C, Tulsa
Gerald Lee, F, Old Dominion
Tyrone Lewis, G Niagara
Jason Love, C, Xavier
Roman Martinez, F, New Mexico
Tasmin Mitchell, F, LSU
Jerome Randle, G, California
Theo Robertson, F, California
Stanley Robinson, F, Connecticut
Derrick Roland, G, Texas A&M
Donald Sloan, G, Texas A&M
Ishmael Smith, G, Wake Forest
JT Tiller, G, Missouri
Nic Wise, G, Arizona

The NBA Can Wait Team

Even before seeing Da’Sean Butler lying on the floor at the Final Four with a busted knee, I wouldn’t really begrudge a guy if he chose to leave school early to pursue a job playing basketball elsewhere. That being said, it does make me sad to see some of these guys go, knowing that with the little I watch the NBA, I will likely never see them play again once their gone. And so, I’ve got a team of players who I’d like to see stick around for another year (or two… or three), either because they could really use some more time before they go to the next level, or because I just really want to see them some more.

Solomon Alabi, So, C, Florida State
Alabi could leave now and perhaps even get picked in the lottery. Being 7-foot-1 will do that for you, but he could really use some more time to work on his offensive game, otherwise he’ll go sit on an NBA bench for a few years, never improve and turn into Kelvin Cato or something.
Eric Bledsoe, Fr, G, Kentucky
John Wall is gone, that is a given. But I’d sure like to see Bledsoe play a year at the point before heading to the NBA, and it likely would help his draft stock as well. Consider this one a tie between what is good for the player and what is good for the basketball fan. But, he’s probably gone anyway.
Avery Bradley, Fr, G, Texas
A defender beyond his years, a great athlete, and a guy who will likely be a first round pick if he leaves this year. But come back for a year, entertain us all, and work on your offensive game and perhaps you start working your way up near the lottery.
Devin Ebanks, So, F, West Virginia
Long, super-athletic, stellar defender, offensively skilled. You just need a little more polish offensively before you’re ready to go.
Derrick Favors, Fr, C, Georgia Tech
With all the hype that preceded Favors into the ACC, I just want to see this guy put together one all-conference type season before he heads off into the sunset. Probably a pipe-dream, however, as he is a near-lock to be a high-lottery guy.
Jimmer Fredette, Jr, G, BYU
Okay, Fredette’s on this list for purely selfish reasons. We all got cheated out of watching him in the New Mexico/BYU game for the MWC regular season championship due to illness, and I want to see one fully healthy season out of this guy to see what kind of amazing things he can do.
Elias Harris, Fr, F, Gonzaga
Another purely selfish one here. I want to see what this guy can do once he learns the game a bit. He could be the best thing ever to go through Spokane, and as of today, it looks like Harris will be around for at least another year.
Manny Harris, Jr, G, Michigan
A terribly disappointing season in Ann Arbor, and given that Harris’ draft stock ain’t exactly sky high, it wouldn’t hurt anybody to have him return to school, improve his game and maybe get his Wolverines back into the tournament. But, he and his agent that he is hiring obviously have different ideas.
Darington Hobson, Jr, F, New Mexico
Tough one. His draft stock may be as high as it ever gets, but imagine is this guy developed a consistent outside shot.
Patrick Patterson, Jr, F, Kentucky
Much like Bledsoe, I just want to see what Patterson can do out of the shadow of Wall/Cousins. However, it seems doubtful that we’ll get that chance.
Greg Monroe, So, C, Georgetown
Purely selfish again. Monroe can leave and immediately be a lottery pick, and likely a high-lottery pick. That said, I’d sure love to see him play just a little bit more, and he is so far teasing us with that possibility. If he returns for his junior year, the Hoyas have to be considered a Final Four favorite.
Evan Turner, Jr, G, Ohio State
Turner is as gone as the rotary telephone. Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like to see him lead a Buckeye charge to the Final Four as a senior. But I’m sure that back injury will have something to say about his decision.
Willie Warren, So, G
Things weren’t pretty in Norman this season; things have gotten far uglier since the season ended, with reports of players being paid and with anyone with any talent heading for the hills. But Warren was terrible this season (although he likely would have been a first-round pick if he left after last season). The NBA would like to see that he has some little bit of maturity to go along with his loads of talent, and I would like to see him live up to his expectations at the college level. Go ahead. Stick around.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Barcelona @ Arsenal - Part I

Taking a look at last week's first leg of the UEFA Quarters, when I know the second leg was played today. I'll be running behind throughout this little project, it seems, but I don't mind.

This game was a heavyweight fight between two teams who I take it are somewhat equally respected and both legitimate contenders for the title here. My impression of this game (and I could be completely wrong, who knows) is that Barcelona is the more veteran, more confident team and that Arsenal, while very good and talented have something to prove before they are considered quite at Barcelona's level.

And the opening beared that out as Barcelona dominated the first half, keeping offensive pressure on almost throughout (something like nine shots with six on goal in the first 15 minutes), but despite their control of the pace of the game managed just a 0-0 tie going into the break. Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia had several spectacular saves in the first half, but erred at the very beginning of the second half on a long pass down to Barcelona forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic who lofted it softly over the keeper who was caught in no man's land between defending the goal and attacking the offender.

Arsenal responded a bit with a header on goal a few minutes later, but Barcelona extended their lead when a beautifully played ball found a cutting Ibrahimovic for another goal over the pressing Arsenal defenders.

But, when Arsenal subbed Theo Walcott about midway through the second half, he immediately provided a spark, getting a couple runs at the goalie, the second of which resulted in the first Arsenal goal of the night, in the 69th minute.

With Arsenal continuing to press down one goal in their home leg, they finally got another prime chance when Fabregas was fouled on a scrap for a ball in the box. The penalty was a marginal call, but resulted in a free kick for Fabregas who knocked it home easily to tie up the match. In the meantime, Barcelona defender Puyol was redcarded and Fabregas, sometime between pulling the ball out of the net and getting to the sideline with it, fell down in a heap and spent the rest of the match limping severely, rendering it more or less a ten-on-ten matchup. (Fabregas had received his second yellow card in two games earlier in the match, eliminating him from the second leg of the round regardless of the injury. Barcelona defender Pique had also been double-yellowed out of the next leg).

In the end, both teams were pleased enough to settle on the 2-2 tie, setting up a second leg in which Arsenal will need to pull out a win to advance.

Other notes from a novice:

Thierry Henry - I am familiar with from his play with France in international competition, but I found out tonight that he is the all-time leading goal scorer in Arsenal history, and this was his first game back there. The Arsenal crowd gave him a warm ovation, until he touched the ball, at least.

Fabregas - The opposite of Henry; he started at Barcelona and plays with Arsenal now. He'll get no chance for an ovation from his old team's fans as he will not be eligible to play in the second leg due to his two yellows.

Eboue - I like this guy, good speedy midfielder who can make plays offensively with his speed and disrupt the other team defensively.

Nasri - Perhaps my favorite Arsenal player at first glance, a creative player in space.