The national championship game had the potential to be a classic matchup between the best offensive and defensive teams in the country, and it didn't disappoint. The Louisville Cardinals were able to survive a first half push by Michigan, and an unlikely hero, to win the schools third title and coach Rick Pitino's second in an 82-76 victory. Also, Pitino became the first coach ever to win a national championship at two different schools, his other was with Kentucky in 1996.
The big question heading into the game was how will Michigan handle the relentless pressure from Louisville. Right from the jump Trey Burke was out to show why he was the consensus Player of the Year. Burke shook off any remaining rust from his 1-8 night against Syracuse to hit his first three shots and score Michigan's first seven points, matching his total in the Final Four game. The opening five minutes were fast and furious as both teams were trying to run and when the TV timeout came it was almost as everybody watching needed to catch their breath.
Unfortunately for Burke, he was called for hist second foul early in the first half on a questionable call, one of many for both teams. But luckily for Michigan their freshman backup point guard, Spike Albrecht, who averaged 1.8 points a game went off for a career high 17 points on four 3-pointers. He started his 3 barrage while Burke was still in the game and continued once he had left. At one point all five freshmen were on the court together and brought Michigan fans to memories of the Fab Five, the last time the Wolverines were in the title game. With Burke on the bench, Michigan was able to build a 12 point lead, 35-23, with about three minutes left in the half.
For 17 minutes of the first half Louisville struggled to get anything going on offense as Michigan wasn't turning the ball over and the best scorer in the tournament, Russ Smith, couldn't make a shot. Just like in the Wichita State game, it was Luke Hancock that brought the Cardinals back in the blink of an eye. He matched Albrecht with hitting four straight 3s of his own in a two minute stretch before the half scoring 14 straight for Louisville. The Cardinals finally took the lead with a Montrezl Harrell lob from Peyton Siva. Next, Glenn Robinson III hit two free throws and Michigan had a 38-37 edge after the most entertaining half in the entire tournament. Amazing plays by bench players and huge swings by both teams only left us wanting more.
The second half starts and for Louisville, Russ Smith (who finished with 9 points on 3-16 shooting) is on the bench. This is a guy that had at least 21 in every game of the tournament, but Pitino stayed with the hot hand of Hancock. Burke was back in the lineup though and picked up right where he left off hitting a deep 3 early. But it was Siva and Chane Behanan that started to control the paint and in turn the game.
Michigan had no answer for Siva's penetration and playmaking ability in the second half. The senior guard was getting to the rim at will scoring 14 or his 18 points in the latter half of the game also adding six boards, five assists, and four steals. As for Behanan, he became a man amongst boys in the post scoring 11 of his 15 points and grabbing 11 of his 12 boards (including all seven of his offensive rebounds) in the second half. Gorgui Dieng also decided to show up after a MIA performance in the Final Four game where he missed his only field goal attempt. Dieng was not only a defensive and rebounding presence (three blocks and eight rebounds, five offensive) but a facilitator as well leading the Cardinals with six assists.
Even after all of this, Michigan was still hanging around within striking distance. But a turning point in the game was with just over five minutes to go and Louisville up 67-64. Albrecht misses a layup which turns into a break for Siva and Burke measures him up for one of the biggest blocks/plays of the tournament but is called for a foul. It could have been a huge momentum shift in Michigan's favor but instead it led to Louisville going on a run for their biggest lead of the game, 76-66. If no foul is called there and Michigan goes on to win a title, that play would be just as big as the 3-pointer he hit to tie the game against Kansas.
A lot of talk during the game was about how bad the refs were and for good reason because they missed a lot of calls for both teams. Less than two minutes into the game they missed an obvious goal tend that was called a block by Dieng on Tim Hardaway Jr. Two fouls on Burke were very questionable, including his second that sat him the rest of the first half on a Hancock ball fake and the aforementioned block on Siva. Late in the game Mitch McGary clearly kicked the ball and no whistle blew. Behanan was getting absolutely mugged in the paint while still getting offensive put-backs. And every time Burke or Siva drove the lane they ended up on their back but rarely was a call made. Both teams have serious complaints and it's a shame that in a game of such high importance the refs had as much influence as they did.
In the end the better team won as Michigan just wasn't able to get rebounds or stop penetration in the second half. Burke tried to do everything he could to keep his team in it but wasn't getting enough help as Louisville proved to have too many weapons on offense. The Final Four Most Outstanding Player went to Luke Hancock who put in 22 points with 5-5 from downtown. Hancock became the first non-starter to win the award. It was announced at halftime that Burke won the Naismith Award, sweeping all of the Player of the Year awards. He finished with 24 points, but who knows how this game would have played out if he didn't get into early foul trouble. Tournament standout, Mitch McGary, had a very pedestrian showing after putting up 16 ppg and 11 rpg coming into the title game. He also was suffering from foul trouble and only managed six points and six rebounds. Louisville was looked at as the best team in the country coming into the tournament and showed it, running through opponents early and coming back in the later round. After the horrific injury to Kevin Ware you might have thought this was going to be a team of destiny. The Cardinals and coach Pitino, along with Ware, cut down the nets to cap off an amazing game, tournament and year of college basketball.
Showing posts with label Louisville Cardinals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Louisville Cardinals. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
What To Watch: Michigan Wolverines vs Louisville Cardinals
It all comes down to this. Two teams, one title. For Louisville's Rick Pitino it would be his second, but Michigan's John Beilein is still looking for his first. These teams have had opposing styles all year as Louisville has the #1 defense and Michigan has the #1 offense in Ken Pomeroy's rankings. But both teams have picked it up on the other side of the ball in the tournament. The Cardinals have upped their points per game to 79 while the Wolverines have kept four of their five opponents under 60. To get to the title game both needed their benches to provide huge lifts when the starters were faltering. For Louisville it was Luke Hancock, who seemed to do everything right when Russ Smith and Peyton Siva couldn't find driving lanes. Nik Stauskas had his worst shooting performance of the year but Caris LeVert and Spike Albrecht hit timely 3-pointers to help the Wolverines. Both squads will again need a total team if they want to go home with a championship.
Player To Watch
Louisville - Peyton Siva doesn't put up the best numbers but he is just as important to this team as Russ Smith. Siva is the engine that makes this machine go. Not only does he run the offense but spearheads their pressure defense. Siva will not be able to match Burke in the scoring column but he can definitely make it harder for the POY to get his own buckets. Siva needs to bring the pressure early and often on Burke to get the ball out of his hands. Michigan struggles when Burke is not able to at least set up the offense and Siva will be the catalyst to stop that. Also, Siva went 1-9 against Wichita State with only three assists and if Louisville wants a title they need their point guard to be closer to his 10 points, six assists average.
Michigan - Trey Burke is raking in all the post season awards and will have to be on top of his game to take the one he covets most, the National Championship. Against Syracuse's long 2-3 zone, Burke had his worst game of the year going 1-8 with seven points and four assists. To get a title Michigan can't have another performance like that or the Wolverines will be in trouble. But more than scoring, Burke needs to take care of the ball because turnovers lead to points when going up against Louisville. He's done a great job all year as he's posted the best assist/turnover ratio in the country but he will now be going up against the best defense in the nation. When Michigan faced a similar pressure team in VCU in the round of 32 the Wolverines had 12 turnovers, seven from Burke alone.
Key Matchup
Louisville pressure vs Michigan ball handling. These are the two strengths of each team. Louisville is second in the nation in steals and Michigan first in turnovers per game. The Cardinals defense has forced an average of 15.4 TOs and created 11.2 steals in five games in the tournament. Not only do they take the ball from you but most likely they will score off those turnovers. Michigan on the other hand only averages 9.4 giveaways a game and Burke is as good they get when it comes to protecting the ball. Can Siva and Smith force Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. into bad decisions or will the latter minimize mistakes and keep the game in their control?
Prediction
In a battle of strength vs strength it usually come down to pace of play because most defensive teams like to slow it down (Syracuse) whereas offensive teams like to get it and go. But both teams like to run. So pay attention to which teams "weakness" stands out. Can Louisville score on the much improved Michigan defense or will the Wolverines shut down the Cardinals? Let's not forget in the Big Ten tournament Michigan gave up 51 points in the second half to a Wisconsin team that failed to score more than 46 in its last two losses of the year. In the tournament, Louisville has outscored opponents by an average of nine points in the second half. The Cardinals offense comes and goes with Russ Smith as he's scored over 20 in every game of the tourney but if he doesn't get help from the likes of Siva, Gorgui Dieng and Hancock, this team will have a hard time keeping up with Michigan. The one thing Michigan has that they didn't during the regular season is the amazing play of Mitch McGary. Averaging 16 ppg and 11.6 rpg in the tournament, he has become the inside presence Michigan has been looking for all year to compliment its guard play. Gorgui Dieng will have his hands full down low with the bigger and stronger McGary. Also, I feel like Michigan won't wilt under the pressure the Cardinals bring. Look at how well Wichita State State looked when they didn't turn the ball over. For 33 minutes they had four TOs and 12 point lead, then proceeded to give the ball away seven times in the last seven minutes and lose the game. It's been a long time coming for Michigan. The Fab Five in 1993 was the last time the Wolverines were in the title game. Since then they've had to deal with NCAA sanctions, bad coaches and high profile players not wanting to come to a school with a lot of baggage. One of the youngest teams in the country will do what the Fab Five couldn't and cut down the nets. Michigan will earn it's second National Championship in a hard fought game 68-64.
Player To Watch
Louisville - Peyton Siva doesn't put up the best numbers but he is just as important to this team as Russ Smith. Siva is the engine that makes this machine go. Not only does he run the offense but spearheads their pressure defense. Siva will not be able to match Burke in the scoring column but he can definitely make it harder for the POY to get his own buckets. Siva needs to bring the pressure early and often on Burke to get the ball out of his hands. Michigan struggles when Burke is not able to at least set up the offense and Siva will be the catalyst to stop that. Also, Siva went 1-9 against Wichita State with only three assists and if Louisville wants a title they need their point guard to be closer to his 10 points, six assists average.
Michigan - Trey Burke is raking in all the post season awards and will have to be on top of his game to take the one he covets most, the National Championship. Against Syracuse's long 2-3 zone, Burke had his worst game of the year going 1-8 with seven points and four assists. To get a title Michigan can't have another performance like that or the Wolverines will be in trouble. But more than scoring, Burke needs to take care of the ball because turnovers lead to points when going up against Louisville. He's done a great job all year as he's posted the best assist/turnover ratio in the country but he will now be going up against the best defense in the nation. When Michigan faced a similar pressure team in VCU in the round of 32 the Wolverines had 12 turnovers, seven from Burke alone.
Key Matchup
Louisville pressure vs Michigan ball handling. These are the two strengths of each team. Louisville is second in the nation in steals and Michigan first in turnovers per game. The Cardinals defense has forced an average of 15.4 TOs and created 11.2 steals in five games in the tournament. Not only do they take the ball from you but most likely they will score off those turnovers. Michigan on the other hand only averages 9.4 giveaways a game and Burke is as good they get when it comes to protecting the ball. Can Siva and Smith force Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. into bad decisions or will the latter minimize mistakes and keep the game in their control?
Prediction
In a battle of strength vs strength it usually come down to pace of play because most defensive teams like to slow it down (Syracuse) whereas offensive teams like to get it and go. But both teams like to run. So pay attention to which teams "weakness" stands out. Can Louisville score on the much improved Michigan defense or will the Wolverines shut down the Cardinals? Let's not forget in the Big Ten tournament Michigan gave up 51 points in the second half to a Wisconsin team that failed to score more than 46 in its last two losses of the year. In the tournament, Louisville has outscored opponents by an average of nine points in the second half. The Cardinals offense comes and goes with Russ Smith as he's scored over 20 in every game of the tourney but if he doesn't get help from the likes of Siva, Gorgui Dieng and Hancock, this team will have a hard time keeping up with Michigan. The one thing Michigan has that they didn't during the regular season is the amazing play of Mitch McGary. Averaging 16 ppg and 11.6 rpg in the tournament, he has become the inside presence Michigan has been looking for all year to compliment its guard play. Gorgui Dieng will have his hands full down low with the bigger and stronger McGary. Also, I feel like Michigan won't wilt under the pressure the Cardinals bring. Look at how well Wichita State State looked when they didn't turn the ball over. For 33 minutes they had four TOs and 12 point lead, then proceeded to give the ball away seven times in the last seven minutes and lose the game. It's been a long time coming for Michigan. The Fab Five in 1993 was the last time the Wolverines were in the title game. Since then they've had to deal with NCAA sanctions, bad coaches and high profile players not wanting to come to a school with a lot of baggage. One of the youngest teams in the country will do what the Fab Five couldn't and cut down the nets. Michigan will earn it's second National Championship in a hard fought game 68-64.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Final Four Recap
Michigan survives late Syracuse surge to reach championship game
If you told me Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr, and Nik Stauskas would be a combined 5-29 from the field and Caris LeVert would outscore Burke, I would think Michigan lost by double digits. But that wasn't the case because the Wolverines used defense and offensive rebounding to overcome Syracuse 61-56. In the first half Michigan was down 17-15 before ending the half on a 21-8 run spurred by the bench. In the second, Syracuse slowly fought back and made it close in the waning minutes. Cuse started pressing late and the pressure seemed to be getting to the Wolverines. With less than a minute left the Orange started fouling and Michigan only made 4-8 free throws down the stretch to keep the game undecided. But the controversy came on a questionable call with 19 seconds left and Cuse down two, after Burke split a pair at the line. Brandon Triche drove the lane and Jordan Morgan stepped in for a charge. The block/charge is the hardest call to make in basketball and refs like to swallow their whistles late. But with how much contact there was, something had to be called and the ref went with a charge. After another split at the stripe, this time by Jon Horford, Syracuse was down three but turned the ball over and Morgan finished the game with a breakaway dunk. The two main stories leading up to this game was how will Michigan handle the Orange 2-3 zone and who will win the point guard matchup between Trey Burke and Michael Carter-Williams. Let's talk about the zone first and in the first half Michigan was tearing it apart. Mitch McGary became a play maker from the high post with a career high six assists. Reserves Spike Albrecht and LeVert came in to hit two huge 3s each to provide a much needed lift from the bench. Stauskas was looked at to be a key part to beating the zone after he went 6-6 in the Elite 8 from beyond arc but last night he missed all four of his attempts. When the 3-point shot wasn't on, McGary and Glenn Robinson III where able to keep possessions alive with five offensive rebounds apiece. As for the great PG matchup, neither was impressive. Burke was 1-8 from the field with seven points and four assists, while MCW went 1-6 with two points and two assists. Not only did MCW account for six total points, but he also had five turnovers and fouled out. It was a night he'd much rather forget. The one player that kept Syracuse in the game the whole night was C.J. Fair. He realized he had a height and athletic advantage over anybody that Michigan put on him as he put up 22 and got the Orange back in the game in the second half. Triche played good down the stretch as well, finishing with 11 points and 8 assists. But, again for Michigan it was McGary, who might be having the best tournament of anybody so far. He had his third double-double with 10 and 12 boards. They now head to National Championship game 20 years after the Fab Five last did it for U of M. This was only the second game of the year Burke scored single-digits and if Michigan wants its second national title, they will need more out of the National Player of the Year. On a side note, Michigan called its last timeout with 1:51 to go in a very tight game. I started having flashbacks of 20 years ago and Chris Webber's fatal timeout when they didn't have any. I just pictured in my head Mitch McGary (who wears #4 like Webber) finding himself trapped in a corner and calling one more TO.
Louisville uses their bench to rally past the Shockers
Wichita State was ready to continue shocking the world for about 30 of the 40 minutes in their Final Four game against top seed Louisville. That was until the pressure ramped up and Luke Hancock took over. In the first half Wichita State did exactly what they needed to, handle the Louisville pressure and limit turnovers. While doing so the Shockers were able to hold a 26-25 lead and only had four turnovers. Louisville has owned the second half of games in the tournament but WSU came out ready to play and opened up a 47-35 with about 13 minutes left. The dominate Cardinals now look vulnerable but an unsuspecting player stepped up, Luke Hancock. Just like coming to the aid of Kevin Ware after his injury, Hancock did not shy away from the big moment and carried his team. The junior captain averages seven points a game but scored 14 of his 20 in the second half to bring Louisville back on a 21-8 run to take a 56-55 lead with 6:30 left. It seemed like this was the run we were all waiting for Louisville to make and they were going to close it out easily. But Cleanthony Early didn't stop fighting. Down five with less than two minutes left, Early scored six straight for the Shockers as they were extending the game with fouls. This game had its share of controversy as well when it was Hancock at the line with a two point lead and eight seconds to go. He makes the first but misses the second and Wichita State's Ron Baker grabs the long rebound but Hancock ties him up for the jumpball. The possession arrow favored Louisville and Russ Smith hit a free throw to give us our final score 72-68. Now some think the whistle was blown too early and Baker had actually wrestled the ball away, but my problem is with the alternating possession rule of jumpballs. You are telling me that refs are that bad in throwing the ball straight up in the air that we can't have an actual jumpball after tie-ups? Nonetheless, Louisville gets the win and a chance to play for a championship even with their starters being out played by the bench. The starters were 10-33 from the field for 38 points, the bench was 12-16 for 34 points. Smith scored 21 but on 6-17 shooting and only 5-12 from the line, Peyton Siva was 1-9 for seven points and three assists, while Gorgui Dieng was almost non-existent missing the only shot he took but grabbing six rebounds. Along with Hancock's 20, Montrezl Harrell had eight and Tim Henderson (who only had 16 points all year) hit two back-to-back 3s when Louisville was down 12. For the Shockers, Early finished with 24 and 10 rebounds and Carl Hall added 13 points. Malcolm Armstead was the MOP of the West region but only managed 1-10 shooting with seven assists. Louisville looked shaky for 3/4s of the game but when they needed it, their defense created turnovers and their bench became the scoring threats. They move on to play Michigan, a team that commits the fewest turnovers in the country, which should make for a great matchup.
If you told me Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr, and Nik Stauskas would be a combined 5-29 from the field and Caris LeVert would outscore Burke, I would think Michigan lost by double digits. But that wasn't the case because the Wolverines used defense and offensive rebounding to overcome Syracuse 61-56. In the first half Michigan was down 17-15 before ending the half on a 21-8 run spurred by the bench. In the second, Syracuse slowly fought back and made it close in the waning minutes. Cuse started pressing late and the pressure seemed to be getting to the Wolverines. With less than a minute left the Orange started fouling and Michigan only made 4-8 free throws down the stretch to keep the game undecided. But the controversy came on a questionable call with 19 seconds left and Cuse down two, after Burke split a pair at the line. Brandon Triche drove the lane and Jordan Morgan stepped in for a charge. The block/charge is the hardest call to make in basketball and refs like to swallow their whistles late. But with how much contact there was, something had to be called and the ref went with a charge. After another split at the stripe, this time by Jon Horford, Syracuse was down three but turned the ball over and Morgan finished the game with a breakaway dunk. The two main stories leading up to this game was how will Michigan handle the Orange 2-3 zone and who will win the point guard matchup between Trey Burke and Michael Carter-Williams. Let's talk about the zone first and in the first half Michigan was tearing it apart. Mitch McGary became a play maker from the high post with a career high six assists. Reserves Spike Albrecht and LeVert came in to hit two huge 3s each to provide a much needed lift from the bench. Stauskas was looked at to be a key part to beating the zone after he went 6-6 in the Elite 8 from beyond arc but last night he missed all four of his attempts. When the 3-point shot wasn't on, McGary and Glenn Robinson III where able to keep possessions alive with five offensive rebounds apiece. As for the great PG matchup, neither was impressive. Burke was 1-8 from the field with seven points and four assists, while MCW went 1-6 with two points and two assists. Not only did MCW account for six total points, but he also had five turnovers and fouled out. It was a night he'd much rather forget. The one player that kept Syracuse in the game the whole night was C.J. Fair. He realized he had a height and athletic advantage over anybody that Michigan put on him as he put up 22 and got the Orange back in the game in the second half. Triche played good down the stretch as well, finishing with 11 points and 8 assists. But, again for Michigan it was McGary, who might be having the best tournament of anybody so far. He had his third double-double with 10 and 12 boards. They now head to National Championship game 20 years after the Fab Five last did it for U of M. This was only the second game of the year Burke scored single-digits and if Michigan wants its second national title, they will need more out of the National Player of the Year. On a side note, Michigan called its last timeout with 1:51 to go in a very tight game. I started having flashbacks of 20 years ago and Chris Webber's fatal timeout when they didn't have any. I just pictured in my head Mitch McGary (who wears #4 like Webber) finding himself trapped in a corner and calling one more TO.
Louisville uses their bench to rally past the Shockers
Wichita State was ready to continue shocking the world for about 30 of the 40 minutes in their Final Four game against top seed Louisville. That was until the pressure ramped up and Luke Hancock took over. In the first half Wichita State did exactly what they needed to, handle the Louisville pressure and limit turnovers. While doing so the Shockers were able to hold a 26-25 lead and only had four turnovers. Louisville has owned the second half of games in the tournament but WSU came out ready to play and opened up a 47-35 with about 13 minutes left. The dominate Cardinals now look vulnerable but an unsuspecting player stepped up, Luke Hancock. Just like coming to the aid of Kevin Ware after his injury, Hancock did not shy away from the big moment and carried his team. The junior captain averages seven points a game but scored 14 of his 20 in the second half to bring Louisville back on a 21-8 run to take a 56-55 lead with 6:30 left. It seemed like this was the run we were all waiting for Louisville to make and they were going to close it out easily. But Cleanthony Early didn't stop fighting. Down five with less than two minutes left, Early scored six straight for the Shockers as they were extending the game with fouls. This game had its share of controversy as well when it was Hancock at the line with a two point lead and eight seconds to go. He makes the first but misses the second and Wichita State's Ron Baker grabs the long rebound but Hancock ties him up for the jumpball. The possession arrow favored Louisville and Russ Smith hit a free throw to give us our final score 72-68. Now some think the whistle was blown too early and Baker had actually wrestled the ball away, but my problem is with the alternating possession rule of jumpballs. You are telling me that refs are that bad in throwing the ball straight up in the air that we can't have an actual jumpball after tie-ups? Nonetheless, Louisville gets the win and a chance to play for a championship even with their starters being out played by the bench. The starters were 10-33 from the field for 38 points, the bench was 12-16 for 34 points. Smith scored 21 but on 6-17 shooting and only 5-12 from the line, Peyton Siva was 1-9 for seven points and three assists, while Gorgui Dieng was almost non-existent missing the only shot he took but grabbing six rebounds. Along with Hancock's 20, Montrezl Harrell had eight and Tim Henderson (who only had 16 points all year) hit two back-to-back 3s when Louisville was down 12. For the Shockers, Early finished with 24 and 10 rebounds and Carl Hall added 13 points. Malcolm Armstead was the MOP of the West region but only managed 1-10 shooting with seven assists. Louisville looked shaky for 3/4s of the game but when they needed it, their defense created turnovers and their bench became the scoring threats. They move on to play Michigan, a team that commits the fewest turnovers in the country, which should make for a great matchup.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
What To Watch: Louisville Cardinals vs Wichita State Shockers
The first game in the Final Four is a matchup between a team most picked to win a championship against a team some picked to lose in the first round. Louisville, the #1 overall seed, is here by no surprise as they are the only team left to win their conference tournament and have rode that momentum in the Big Dance. The also have a little extra motivation after the terrible injury suffered by backup point guard Kevin Ware against Duke. The Cardinals will sport "Win It For Kevin" t-shirts during warmups. The Wichita State Shockers on the other hand are this years Cinderella, becoming the 5th team seeded 9th or lower to reach the Final Four. However, none of those previous teams made it to the championship game. If the Shockers hope to do that they will have to slow down a team nobody has been able to in the Cardinals last 14 games.
How They Got Here
Louisville - North Carolina A&T 79-48, Colorado State 82-56, Oregon 77-69, Duke 85-63.
The Cardinals have ran through every opponent they've faced and have lived up to their #1 overall seed. The nine point win over Oregon was the slimmest margin but it was not that close.
Wichita State - Pittsburgh 73-55, Gonzaga 76-70, LaSalle 72-58, Ohio State 70-66.
The Shockers upset the #1 and #2 seeds in their region to reach the Final Four but even won those games in impressive fashion. They led the entire first half against 1-seed Gonzaga before needing to comeback from seven down with less than six minutes to play. Against Ohio State they led for all but 42 seconds when OSU was up 9-7 early.
Player To Watch
Russ Smith is the hottest player in the tournament averaging 26 a game on 54% shooting and scoring in ever way. In transition, jumpers, 3s, and from the line. Smith is a catalyst on defense as well with over two steals a game and a season high eight against UNC A&T in the round of 64. Basically, Smith is the barometer for how Louisville will play as he's their leader on both ends of the court.
Key Matchup
Malcolm Armstead held his own going up against Aaron Craft, the best on-ball defender in the country, only turning the ball over three times. Armstead now gets to face even more pressure from the Louisville press, spear headed by Smith and Peyton Siva, that has forced over 60 turnovers in four games. Being able to get the Shockers into their offense is going to be key to them staying in the game. Cleanthony Early and Carl Hall will only be able to do damage if Armstead can get them the ball. He's made a name for himself in the tournament as a solid PG but if he has trouble getting passed half court it's going to be a long night for the senior.
Prediction
Louisville was already going to be a tough out for any team in the tournament but now are on a mission playing for Kevin Ware. They are playing the best basketball of anybody left and want to bring a championship to their fallen teammate. Wichita State has made a great run but I don't think they can handle what Smith and Siva will bring in terms of pressure and Gorgui Dieng will negate anything Early tries to do inside. The Cardinals defense has been suffocating teams and Wichita State has seen nothing like them. They will treat Cinderella poorly and send her home from the tournament.
Game: Louisville
Bet: Louisville -9.5
How They Got Here
Louisville - North Carolina A&T 79-48, Colorado State 82-56, Oregon 77-69, Duke 85-63.
The Cardinals have ran through every opponent they've faced and have lived up to their #1 overall seed. The nine point win over Oregon was the slimmest margin but it was not that close.
Wichita State - Pittsburgh 73-55, Gonzaga 76-70, LaSalle 72-58, Ohio State 70-66.
The Shockers upset the #1 and #2 seeds in their region to reach the Final Four but even won those games in impressive fashion. They led the entire first half against 1-seed Gonzaga before needing to comeback from seven down with less than six minutes to play. Against Ohio State they led for all but 42 seconds when OSU was up 9-7 early.
Player To Watch
Russ Smith is the hottest player in the tournament averaging 26 a game on 54% shooting and scoring in ever way. In transition, jumpers, 3s, and from the line. Smith is a catalyst on defense as well with over two steals a game and a season high eight against UNC A&T in the round of 64. Basically, Smith is the barometer for how Louisville will play as he's their leader on both ends of the court.
Key Matchup
Malcolm Armstead held his own going up against Aaron Craft, the best on-ball defender in the country, only turning the ball over three times. Armstead now gets to face even more pressure from the Louisville press, spear headed by Smith and Peyton Siva, that has forced over 60 turnovers in four games. Being able to get the Shockers into their offense is going to be key to them staying in the game. Cleanthony Early and Carl Hall will only be able to do damage if Armstead can get them the ball. He's made a name for himself in the tournament as a solid PG but if he has trouble getting passed half court it's going to be a long night for the senior.
Prediction
Louisville was already going to be a tough out for any team in the tournament but now are on a mission playing for Kevin Ware. They are playing the best basketball of anybody left and want to bring a championship to their fallen teammate. Wichita State has made a great run but I don't think they can handle what Smith and Siva will bring in terms of pressure and Gorgui Dieng will negate anything Early tries to do inside. The Cardinals defense has been suffocating teams and Wichita State has seen nothing like them. They will treat Cinderella poorly and send her home from the tournament.
Game: Louisville
Bet: Louisville -9.5
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Elite 8 Day 2 Recap
Louisville recovers after gruesome injury to get past Duke
It was a simple play that turned into a horrific injury for Louisville guard Kevin Ware. With 6:33 left in the first half, Ware jumped to contest a 3-pointer but when he landed his leg buckled and his tibia was fractured. It's a play that happens hundreds of times in each game but I don't think anybody has ever seen anything like that injury in a basketball game. I'm not going to post a link because it's seriously that bad, but If you don't have a weak stomach you can search for it yourself. At that point Louisville was up 21-20 and took a 35-32 lead into halftime. While on the stretcher about to be taken off the court, Ware kept repeating, "just go win the game," and after composing themselves in the locker room Louisville came out strong in the second half. About four minutes in, the score was tied at 42, but the Cardinals went on a 20-4 and never looked back as they cruised to an 85-63 win. Russ Smith continued his hot streak with 24 points and Peyton Siva contributed 16. Gorgui Dieng, who missed the first meeting with Duke, added 14 points, 11 boards and four blocks. The Blue Devils struggled all game from the outside going only 4-16 from 3. Mason Plumlee was the lone bright spot with 17 points and 12 rebounds. A big mention has to go to Louisville reserve Luke Hancock. When Ware went down with his injury, it was right in front of the Louisville bench. Once his teammates saw his leg they either ran away or instantly fell to the floor. But, Hancock came to the side of his fallen teammate to give support while the doctors worked to stabilize Ware's leg. After the initial shock to the team went away, Louisville seemed to be on a mission to win for Ware. They get the surprising Wichita State team in the Final Four, but so far nobody has been able to compete with the Cardinals.
Michigan, Nik Stauskas, shoot Florida out of the gym
After a thrilling comeback against Kansas, everybody was wondering how Michigan would fare in a quick turnaround game with Florida. From the opening tip the Wolverines showed they were ready while the Gators couldn't get anything going. Michigan jumped out to an early 13-0 lead with Mitch McGary scoring eight of those points. Then Nik Stauskas caught fire. The freshman sharp-shooter connected on 6-6 shots and 5-5 3-pointers in the first half. It seemed like every time Florida tried to get back in the game Stauskas would come through. The Gators started to close the gap to end the first half but fouled Stauskas on a 3-point attempt right before the halftime buzzer. Then in the second, Florida cut the lead to 11 with just over 16 minutes to play and again Stauskas buries a triple, he finished with 22. In the end Michigan wrapped up a Final Four birth 79-59, their first since the Fab Five in 1993. The Gators were never able to keep up offensively and learned nothing from watching Kansas dominate the paint as they were satisfied with taking jumpers all day. Florida was a popular pick by many to win the South region, mainly because Ken Pomeroy had them ranked #1 overall after the regular season. But I felt their offensive and defensive numbers were highly inflated (and deflated) due to playing in a very bad SEC. The only other team to make the tournament was Ole Miss, who did win their first game, but if they didn't beat Florida in the SEC Championship game they would have been a bubble team. After his late game heroics on Friday night, Trey Burke cooled off, only hitting 5-16 shots for 15 points. The B1G POY still controlled the game with a season high eight rebounds, seven assists, and only one turnover. Statistically Michigan is the best offensive but worst defensive team remaining. They next matchup with Syracuse and their vaunted 2-3 defense.
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It was a simple play that turned into a horrific injury for Louisville guard Kevin Ware. With 6:33 left in the first half, Ware jumped to contest a 3-pointer but when he landed his leg buckled and his tibia was fractured. It's a play that happens hundreds of times in each game but I don't think anybody has ever seen anything like that injury in a basketball game. I'm not going to post a link because it's seriously that bad, but If you don't have a weak stomach you can search for it yourself. At that point Louisville was up 21-20 and took a 35-32 lead into halftime. While on the stretcher about to be taken off the court, Ware kept repeating, "just go win the game," and after composing themselves in the locker room Louisville came out strong in the second half. About four minutes in, the score was tied at 42, but the Cardinals went on a 20-4 and never looked back as they cruised to an 85-63 win. Russ Smith continued his hot streak with 24 points and Peyton Siva contributed 16. Gorgui Dieng, who missed the first meeting with Duke, added 14 points, 11 boards and four blocks. The Blue Devils struggled all game from the outside going only 4-16 from 3. Mason Plumlee was the lone bright spot with 17 points and 12 rebounds. A big mention has to go to Louisville reserve Luke Hancock. When Ware went down with his injury, it was right in front of the Louisville bench. Once his teammates saw his leg they either ran away or instantly fell to the floor. But, Hancock came to the side of his fallen teammate to give support while the doctors worked to stabilize Ware's leg. After the initial shock to the team went away, Louisville seemed to be on a mission to win for Ware. They get the surprising Wichita State team in the Final Four, but so far nobody has been able to compete with the Cardinals.
Michigan, Nik Stauskas, shoot Florida out of the gym
After a thrilling comeback against Kansas, everybody was wondering how Michigan would fare in a quick turnaround game with Florida. From the opening tip the Wolverines showed they were ready while the Gators couldn't get anything going. Michigan jumped out to an early 13-0 lead with Mitch McGary scoring eight of those points. Then Nik Stauskas caught fire. The freshman sharp-shooter connected on 6-6 shots and 5-5 3-pointers in the first half. It seemed like every time Florida tried to get back in the game Stauskas would come through. The Gators started to close the gap to end the first half but fouled Stauskas on a 3-point attempt right before the halftime buzzer. Then in the second, Florida cut the lead to 11 with just over 16 minutes to play and again Stauskas buries a triple, he finished with 22. In the end Michigan wrapped up a Final Four birth 79-59, their first since the Fab Five in 1993. The Gators were never able to keep up offensively and learned nothing from watching Kansas dominate the paint as they were satisfied with taking jumpers all day. Florida was a popular pick by many to win the South region, mainly because Ken Pomeroy had them ranked #1 overall after the regular season. But I felt their offensive and defensive numbers were highly inflated (and deflated) due to playing in a very bad SEC. The only other team to make the tournament was Ole Miss, who did win their first game, but if they didn't beat Florida in the SEC Championship game they would have been a bubble team. After his late game heroics on Friday night, Trey Burke cooled off, only hitting 5-16 shots for 15 points. The B1G POY still controlled the game with a season high eight rebounds, seven assists, and only one turnover. Statistically Michigan is the best offensive but worst defensive team remaining. They next matchup with Syracuse and their vaunted 2-3 defense.
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Saturday, March 30, 2013
What To Watch For In The Elite 8
Marquette vs Syracuse
Player To Watch - Vander Blue has done whatever this team has needed during their run in the tournament and he will have to continue that against Syracuse. Marquette is not a good 3-point shooting team (30%) but Blue has gone 5-10 in his first three games. That coupled with his penetration ability is what the Golden Eagles are going to need to breakdown the Syracuse 2-3 zone, which caused Indiana fits.
Key Matchup - These two Big East teams only played once in the regular season, a game Marquette won 74-71. This is more of a team thing than individual as it's Marquette's offense against the Syracuse 2-3 zone. In their game against Indiana, the Orange befuddled the Hoosiers because they rarely had to play against a 2-3 but Marquette sees it every year. In their first game Davante Gardner had 26 points and eight boards but everybody else struggled, especially from the 3-point line. There are multiple ways to beat the zone but hitting outside shots helps a lot and if Marquette is cold again from beyond the arc they might not be as fortunate to escape with a win.
Deciding Factor - Rebounding. Can Syracuse rebound out of their zone and can Marquette keep the bigger Orange off the offensive glass. Playing a zone makes it difficult to find a man and box out especially against hustle guys like Gardner and Jamil Wilson. But the Orange have the size to attack the offensive boards as well with Baye Keita, Rakeem Christmas, James Southerland and C.J. Fair. Marquette and Syracuse had 13 and 14 offensive rebounds respectively in their first game and the team that can limit the other has a great chance of winning.
Ohio State vs Wichita State
Player To Watch - Aaron Craft has been playing great offensively and defensively in Ohio State's first three games, including hitting a game winner against Iowa State. All year he's been the x-factor for this team. We know what to expect out of Deshaun Thomas but when Craft plays like he has been this team can beat anybody in the country. He's averaging six assists and just over 11 points in the tournament. He's going up against a senior in Malcolm Armstead that's been playing well himself so it will be interesting to see if Craft's pressure will get to him.
Key Matchup - Deshaun Thomas vs Carl Hall. Thomas led the Big Ten in scoring at almost 20 a game and hasn't slowed down in the tournament. Hall played great against LaSalle, 16 and 8, but containing Thomas is a difficult task. It's tough to say that Hall can neutralize Thomas but if he keeps their matchup somewhat close Wichita State has a better chance of pulling the upset.
Deciding Factor - These teams are basically mirror images of each other if you look at stats across the board. Points, rebounds, assists, steals, and turnovers are all pretty even. To me it's going to come down to if Deshaun Thomas continues to get help on the offensive end. Whether is Craft, LaQuinton Ross, or Lezelle Smith Jr, somebody else has to score. Ross has put up 17 in the each of the last two games but if that stops OSU will struggle. Wichita State is a deeper team so if they have multiple guys contributing, as they have so far, look for them to stay with the Buckeyes until the end.
Michigan vs Florida
Player To Watch - Obviously Trey Burke. But I'm going with Mitch McGary. John Beilein finally decided to start the big freshman and it's paying off. McGary is averaging just under 20 points and a little over 12 rebounds in the tournament. All of a sudden this guy is playing like one of the best big men in the country.
Key Matchup - Trey Burke against the Gators pressure. Burke had 23 points and a huge game-tying 3-pointer from super long range against Kansas but has turned the ball over uncharacteristically in the tournament. During the regular season Burke had the best assist to turnover ratio in the country but has 13 in three games in the tournament, including seven against VCU. The Gators forced 20 turnovers against Florida Gulf Coast and have three guards that bring pressure. Burke will be the likely Player of the Year but if he continues to struggle with turnovers it can put Michigan in a bad spot.
Deciding Factor - Offense vs Defense. The Gators have won by double digits in every victory this year but when they've lost they've had a hard time scoring. Even in their win against FGCU they only shot 38%. Michigan on the other hand has hovered around 50% all tournament but their defense has been shaky all year. If Michigan can limit Florida on offense they will likely win. But Florida is ranked in the top ten in Ken Pomeroy's offense and defense and has the ability to run with the Wolverines. If it's a shooting match, the Gators defense is better and will help them prevail.
Louisville vs Duke
Player To Watch - Gorgui Dieng. In their first matchup he didn't play and Mason Plumlee had 16 and seven rebounds to help Duke get a 76-71 win. With Dieng back in the lineup he's one player that can stop Plumlee on offense and the glass. Dieng is averaging a double-double on the year with 2.5 blocks and is the inside presence Louisville needs to make a title run.
Key Matchup - Russ Smith vs Seth Curry. These are the two hottest shooters in the country as Smith is averaging 27 and Curry with 24. Both of these guys have the ability to go for 30 and very well might. If you like scoring then this is the best matchup for it from here on out.
Deciding Factor - Can Duke stop Louisville? The Cardinals entire offense has been on point as they've shot at least 54% in every game in the tourney so far. If Duke wants to win this game they have to figure out a way to slow them down because so far nobody has been able to. I expect this to be a classic game between these two teams and coaches, Rick Pitino and Mike Krzyzewski.
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Player To Watch - Vander Blue has done whatever this team has needed during their run in the tournament and he will have to continue that against Syracuse. Marquette is not a good 3-point shooting team (30%) but Blue has gone 5-10 in his first three games. That coupled with his penetration ability is what the Golden Eagles are going to need to breakdown the Syracuse 2-3 zone, which caused Indiana fits.
Key Matchup - These two Big East teams only played once in the regular season, a game Marquette won 74-71. This is more of a team thing than individual as it's Marquette's offense against the Syracuse 2-3 zone. In their game against Indiana, the Orange befuddled the Hoosiers because they rarely had to play against a 2-3 but Marquette sees it every year. In their first game Davante Gardner had 26 points and eight boards but everybody else struggled, especially from the 3-point line. There are multiple ways to beat the zone but hitting outside shots helps a lot and if Marquette is cold again from beyond the arc they might not be as fortunate to escape with a win.
Deciding Factor - Rebounding. Can Syracuse rebound out of their zone and can Marquette keep the bigger Orange off the offensive glass. Playing a zone makes it difficult to find a man and box out especially against hustle guys like Gardner and Jamil Wilson. But the Orange have the size to attack the offensive boards as well with Baye Keita, Rakeem Christmas, James Southerland and C.J. Fair. Marquette and Syracuse had 13 and 14 offensive rebounds respectively in their first game and the team that can limit the other has a great chance of winning.
Ohio State vs Wichita State
Player To Watch - Aaron Craft has been playing great offensively and defensively in Ohio State's first three games, including hitting a game winner against Iowa State. All year he's been the x-factor for this team. We know what to expect out of Deshaun Thomas but when Craft plays like he has been this team can beat anybody in the country. He's averaging six assists and just over 11 points in the tournament. He's going up against a senior in Malcolm Armstead that's been playing well himself so it will be interesting to see if Craft's pressure will get to him.
Key Matchup - Deshaun Thomas vs Carl Hall. Thomas led the Big Ten in scoring at almost 20 a game and hasn't slowed down in the tournament. Hall played great against LaSalle, 16 and 8, but containing Thomas is a difficult task. It's tough to say that Hall can neutralize Thomas but if he keeps their matchup somewhat close Wichita State has a better chance of pulling the upset.
Deciding Factor - These teams are basically mirror images of each other if you look at stats across the board. Points, rebounds, assists, steals, and turnovers are all pretty even. To me it's going to come down to if Deshaun Thomas continues to get help on the offensive end. Whether is Craft, LaQuinton Ross, or Lezelle Smith Jr, somebody else has to score. Ross has put up 17 in the each of the last two games but if that stops OSU will struggle. Wichita State is a deeper team so if they have multiple guys contributing, as they have so far, look for them to stay with the Buckeyes until the end.
Michigan vs Florida
Player To Watch - Obviously Trey Burke. But I'm going with Mitch McGary. John Beilein finally decided to start the big freshman and it's paying off. McGary is averaging just under 20 points and a little over 12 rebounds in the tournament. All of a sudden this guy is playing like one of the best big men in the country.
Key Matchup - Trey Burke against the Gators pressure. Burke had 23 points and a huge game-tying 3-pointer from super long range against Kansas but has turned the ball over uncharacteristically in the tournament. During the regular season Burke had the best assist to turnover ratio in the country but has 13 in three games in the tournament, including seven against VCU. The Gators forced 20 turnovers against Florida Gulf Coast and have three guards that bring pressure. Burke will be the likely Player of the Year but if he continues to struggle with turnovers it can put Michigan in a bad spot.
Deciding Factor - Offense vs Defense. The Gators have won by double digits in every victory this year but when they've lost they've had a hard time scoring. Even in their win against FGCU they only shot 38%. Michigan on the other hand has hovered around 50% all tournament but their defense has been shaky all year. If Michigan can limit Florida on offense they will likely win. But Florida is ranked in the top ten in Ken Pomeroy's offense and defense and has the ability to run with the Wolverines. If it's a shooting match, the Gators defense is better and will help them prevail.
Louisville vs Duke
Player To Watch - Gorgui Dieng. In their first matchup he didn't play and Mason Plumlee had 16 and seven rebounds to help Duke get a 76-71 win. With Dieng back in the lineup he's one player that can stop Plumlee on offense and the glass. Dieng is averaging a double-double on the year with 2.5 blocks and is the inside presence Louisville needs to make a title run.
Key Matchup - Russ Smith vs Seth Curry. These are the two hottest shooters in the country as Smith is averaging 27 and Curry with 24. Both of these guys have the ability to go for 30 and very well might. If you like scoring then this is the best matchup for it from here on out.
Deciding Factor - Can Duke stop Louisville? The Cardinals entire offense has been on point as they've shot at least 54% in every game in the tourney so far. If Duke wants to win this game they have to figure out a way to slow them down because so far nobody has been able to. I expect this to be a classic game between these two teams and coaches, Rick Pitino and Mike Krzyzewski.
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Sweet 16 Day 2 Recap
Michigan rallies late to force OT and advance to Elite 8
It looked all but over when Kansas led 68-54 with less than seven minutes left in the game but that's when Michigan turned up its defense and Trey Burke played like the POY he is. In the first half Kansas couldn't miss as they shot 68% but only had a six point lead, 40-34, despite Burke going scoreless. The Jayhawks were scoring at will inside as Jeff Withey, Kevin Young and Perry Ellis appeared to be unstoppable in the paint. In the second half it was more of the same for KU for the first 12 minutes but Burke was finally starting to make a scoring impact. With Kansas up 14 late, Michigan ramped up their defense exposing the lack of point guard for KU forcing bad passes and a crucial 10-second call. The Wolverines kept fighting back but still found themselves down ten with 2:22 and then five with 21 seconds left. After Burke hit a layup, Elijah Johnson was at the free throw line shooting one-and-one. He missed, which left the door open for Burke to solidify his Player of the Year status as he hit a 30-footer to send the game to overtime. Riding that momentum, Michigan came out strong in OT creating an 87-82 lead. Kansas still had a chance to tie only down two with nine seconds left when Johnson looked to have an open lane, but he kicked it out to Naadir Tharpe who missed the game-winning 3-pointer. Somehow Michigan pulled out the win in this game. Burke scored all 23 of his points in the second half and OT but it was Mitch McGary who kept this team in it the entire game. McGary finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds as he and Burke (also 10 assists) became the fourth pair of teammates to have 20 points, 10 assists and 25 points, 10 rebounds in a NCAA tournament game. Another pair was Glen Rice and Rumeal Robinson when Michigan won the title in '89. For Kansas, their best player Ben McLemore finally showed up in the tournament putting in 20 points on 4-8 beyond the arc. Also, Withey was dominate inside with 12 points, eight boards, and five blocks. As for Johnson, he day started and ended badly. Not even two minutes into the game he was called for a flagrant foul after hitting McGary below the belt, then to end regulation he missed a free throw to ice the game, and at the end of OT he passed on what looked like to be an open game-tying layup. Throughout the year Michigan was on the wrong side of games like this (see Wisconsin and Indiana) but last night they showed their resiliency and pulled off the improbable comeback. It doesn't get any easier from here on out either, but Michigan reaches the Elite 8 for the first time since 1994.
Florida ends Florida Gulf Coast Cinderella run
For the first 15 minutes Florida Gulf Coast seemed to be on their way to another upset and continuing their Cinderella run. The Eagles were up 24-14 before the Gators ended the first half on a 16-2 run to take a 30-26 lead at the break. After that Florida never looked back. "Dunk City" was a great story while it lasted but they were severely over matched by the bigger and stronger Gators. The story was offensive rebounding for Florida and turnovers for FGCU. Florida shot only 38% but collected 13 offensive rebounds and forced 20 turnovers which led to 16 points. In the first two games Eagles PG Brett Comer averaged 12 assists and only 2.5 TOs but the Gators guards applied the pressure throughout the game making Comer turn the ball over nine times. Mike Rosario scored 15 for Florida and Casey Prather chipped in 11 off the bench. FGCU's standout guard Sherwood Brown led them with 14 and 6 rebounds. The entire country backed the small Florida school against its big brother but the talent disparity finally reared its ugly head as the Eagles tied a season low 50 points. With the 62-50 win the Gators have still claimed every victory by double-digits. A date with Michigan is scheduled for a trip to the Final Four.
Duke, Coach K outlasts Michigan State, Izzo
The battle between two of the best coaches in college basketball went the way we expected in the first half, a strategic back and forth game. Duke took an eight point lead but MSU quickly cut the deficit to one before the half 32-31. However, early in the second the Blue Devils went on a 9-0 run which Michigan State was never able to overcome as they fell to Duke 71-61. The problem for Sparty was that Seth curry was on fire. He came out in the second connecting on his first three attempts from long range and finished with 29 points on 6-9 from distance. His performance was very reminiscent of his brother Stephen for Davidson in his run to the Elite 8 in 2008. These teams matched up pretty well across the board especially with each team having two bigs, one that likes to bang (Mason Plumlee and Derrick Nix) and one that plays outside (Ryan Kelly and Adreian Payne). They pretty much cancelled each other out (Plumlee and Kelly 23 pts 14 rebs, Nix and Payne 23 pts 19 rebs), but Michigan State had nobody to help Keith Appling on the outside. The Spartans were only 3-12 from deep and their freshman stud Gary Harris missed both his 3-point attempts and was 2-11 from the field. Coach K now owns a 7-1 advantage against Tom Izzo.
Louisville, Russ Smith, easily takes care of Oregon
Louisville jumped out to a 24-8 lead in the first 10 minutes and that's all the Cardinals needed as they cruised to a 77-69 win. Russ Smith continued to be "Russdiculous" as he tied a career high 31 points on 9-16 from the field and 12-14 from the line. He's now averaging 27 in the tourney and I don't think there's another player that has looked better. Gorgui Dieng contributed 10 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks. Louisville has been pressuring teams like crazy in the tournament, taking a NCAA record 20 steals in their first game, but only forced 12 Oregon turnovers. Give a lot of credit to the Ducks as well because they were able to fight back in the second half and cut the deficit to six with 5:13 left but wouldn't get any closer. Arsalan Kazemi posted another double-double with 11 and 12, and E.J. Single had 15 points. Louisville is definitely the team to beat right now and are the only #1 seed to make it to the Elite 8. Their rewarded with facing Duke for a Final Four bid. The last time Rick Pitino and Mike Krzyzewski met in a regional final was in 1992 and Christian Laettner hit his game-winning shot. These two teams met in November with Duke taking it 76-71, but that was without Dieng so Louisville is looking for revenge.
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It looked all but over when Kansas led 68-54 with less than seven minutes left in the game but that's when Michigan turned up its defense and Trey Burke played like the POY he is. In the first half Kansas couldn't miss as they shot 68% but only had a six point lead, 40-34, despite Burke going scoreless. The Jayhawks were scoring at will inside as Jeff Withey, Kevin Young and Perry Ellis appeared to be unstoppable in the paint. In the second half it was more of the same for KU for the first 12 minutes but Burke was finally starting to make a scoring impact. With Kansas up 14 late, Michigan ramped up their defense exposing the lack of point guard for KU forcing bad passes and a crucial 10-second call. The Wolverines kept fighting back but still found themselves down ten with 2:22 and then five with 21 seconds left. After Burke hit a layup, Elijah Johnson was at the free throw line shooting one-and-one. He missed, which left the door open for Burke to solidify his Player of the Year status as he hit a 30-footer to send the game to overtime. Riding that momentum, Michigan came out strong in OT creating an 87-82 lead. Kansas still had a chance to tie only down two with nine seconds left when Johnson looked to have an open lane, but he kicked it out to Naadir Tharpe who missed the game-winning 3-pointer. Somehow Michigan pulled out the win in this game. Burke scored all 23 of his points in the second half and OT but it was Mitch McGary who kept this team in it the entire game. McGary finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds as he and Burke (also 10 assists) became the fourth pair of teammates to have 20 points, 10 assists and 25 points, 10 rebounds in a NCAA tournament game. Another pair was Glen Rice and Rumeal Robinson when Michigan won the title in '89. For Kansas, their best player Ben McLemore finally showed up in the tournament putting in 20 points on 4-8 beyond the arc. Also, Withey was dominate inside with 12 points, eight boards, and five blocks. As for Johnson, he day started and ended badly. Not even two minutes into the game he was called for a flagrant foul after hitting McGary below the belt, then to end regulation he missed a free throw to ice the game, and at the end of OT he passed on what looked like to be an open game-tying layup. Throughout the year Michigan was on the wrong side of games like this (see Wisconsin and Indiana) but last night they showed their resiliency and pulled off the improbable comeback. It doesn't get any easier from here on out either, but Michigan reaches the Elite 8 for the first time since 1994.
Florida ends Florida Gulf Coast Cinderella run
For the first 15 minutes Florida Gulf Coast seemed to be on their way to another upset and continuing their Cinderella run. The Eagles were up 24-14 before the Gators ended the first half on a 16-2 run to take a 30-26 lead at the break. After that Florida never looked back. "Dunk City" was a great story while it lasted but they were severely over matched by the bigger and stronger Gators. The story was offensive rebounding for Florida and turnovers for FGCU. Florida shot only 38% but collected 13 offensive rebounds and forced 20 turnovers which led to 16 points. In the first two games Eagles PG Brett Comer averaged 12 assists and only 2.5 TOs but the Gators guards applied the pressure throughout the game making Comer turn the ball over nine times. Mike Rosario scored 15 for Florida and Casey Prather chipped in 11 off the bench. FGCU's standout guard Sherwood Brown led them with 14 and 6 rebounds. The entire country backed the small Florida school against its big brother but the talent disparity finally reared its ugly head as the Eagles tied a season low 50 points. With the 62-50 win the Gators have still claimed every victory by double-digits. A date with Michigan is scheduled for a trip to the Final Four.
Duke, Coach K outlasts Michigan State, Izzo
The battle between two of the best coaches in college basketball went the way we expected in the first half, a strategic back and forth game. Duke took an eight point lead but MSU quickly cut the deficit to one before the half 32-31. However, early in the second the Blue Devils went on a 9-0 run which Michigan State was never able to overcome as they fell to Duke 71-61. The problem for Sparty was that Seth curry was on fire. He came out in the second connecting on his first three attempts from long range and finished with 29 points on 6-9 from distance. His performance was very reminiscent of his brother Stephen for Davidson in his run to the Elite 8 in 2008. These teams matched up pretty well across the board especially with each team having two bigs, one that likes to bang (Mason Plumlee and Derrick Nix) and one that plays outside (Ryan Kelly and Adreian Payne). They pretty much cancelled each other out (Plumlee and Kelly 23 pts 14 rebs, Nix and Payne 23 pts 19 rebs), but Michigan State had nobody to help Keith Appling on the outside. The Spartans were only 3-12 from deep and their freshman stud Gary Harris missed both his 3-point attempts and was 2-11 from the field. Coach K now owns a 7-1 advantage against Tom Izzo.
Louisville, Russ Smith, easily takes care of Oregon
Louisville jumped out to a 24-8 lead in the first 10 minutes and that's all the Cardinals needed as they cruised to a 77-69 win. Russ Smith continued to be "Russdiculous" as he tied a career high 31 points on 9-16 from the field and 12-14 from the line. He's now averaging 27 in the tourney and I don't think there's another player that has looked better. Gorgui Dieng contributed 10 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks. Louisville has been pressuring teams like crazy in the tournament, taking a NCAA record 20 steals in their first game, but only forced 12 Oregon turnovers. Give a lot of credit to the Ducks as well because they were able to fight back in the second half and cut the deficit to six with 5:13 left but wouldn't get any closer. Arsalan Kazemi posted another double-double with 11 and 12, and E.J. Single had 15 points. Louisville is definitely the team to beat right now and are the only #1 seed to make it to the Elite 8. Their rewarded with facing Duke for a Final Four bid. The last time Rick Pitino and Mike Krzyzewski met in a regional final was in 1992 and Christian Laettner hit his game-winning shot. These two teams met in November with Duke taking it 76-71, but that was without Dieng so Louisville is looking for revenge.
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Friday, March 22, 2013
NCAA Tournament Day 1 Recap
Harvard gets first tournament win in school history
For those of you who didn't stay up until midnight you might have awoken up to your bracket being busted. Harvard, a 14-seed, picked up their first ever NCAA tournament victory over 3-seed New Mexico 68-62. Apparently, they not only have brilliant minds attending their school but ball players as well. The Crimson was able to slow down the pace of the game and hit key 3-pointers, led by Laurent Rivard who went 5-9 from deep with 17 points. New Mexico is known for its offensive struggles and it showed as Mountain West player of the year Kendall Williams went 1-6 from the floor for eight points. The Lobos were discussed as a possible Final Four candidate but that's out the window now that Harvard knocked them out.
Marquette storms back over Davidson
3-seed Marquette looked to be the first casualty in this years tournament at the hands of 14-seed Davidson. The Wildcats were up pretty much the entire game and held a 54-48 lead with 1:10 to play. The Golden Eagles proceeded to hit three 3s to pull within one, 58-57, with 10 seconds left. After the inbound, Davidson tried to play keep away while running the clock and ended up turning the ball over. Marquette's Vander Blue then hits a driving layup with 1 second to spare as the 3-seed is able to survive. Davidson had this game wrapped up if they would have just held onto the ball and got fouled. They are the best free throw shooting in the country at 79.5% but only managed 14-22 for the game including a crucial miss in the last minute. Marquette came up big though making their last three 3s after starting 1-12. And ask St. John's if Blue's shot looked familiar. They now move on to play Butler.
Southern pushes Gonzaga to the brink
Sooner (hopefully) or later we will see a 16-seed pull off the ultimate upset over a 1-seed. Southern University, the champions of the SWAC, was in it all the way down to the wire against top seeded Gonzaga. The Jaguars were only down three at the half and even tied the game at 56 on a Derrick Beltran jumper with 3:47 left. The very next play, the Bulldogs Gary Bell Jr. hit a big 3 to take back the lead. After two Beltran free throws, this time it was Kevin Pangos with an even bigger 3 to push the Zags lead to four with just under two minutes to play. Southern would fail to score the rest of the game and lose 64-58. The 6-point win in the closest in a 1 vs 16 game since 1990 when Michigan State beat Murray State 75-71 in OT. Most people weren't sold on Gonzaga being a top seed and this effort did nothing to silence their critics.
Oregon pulls off the first upset and looked good doing it
Oregon was not given much credit for winning the Pac-12 tournament as they received a 12-seed and faced 5-seed Oklahoma State. The Ducks must have took offense to this because they jumped out to a 37-26 lead at halftime. They balanced scoring as usual, with four guys in double figures led by Damyean Dotson with 17. But it was Arsalan Kazemi who had 11 points and 17 rebounds that stood out for Oregon. They also played great defense holding Marcus Smart and the Cowboys to only 40% from the field. They play Saint Louis on Saturday which will be a tough test but the Ducks seem to have a chip on their shoulder so look for this to be a close one.
Cal gives payback to UNLV
Oregon isn't the only Pac-12 team that can pull off the famous 5-12 upset. The Cal Bears took out UNLV, marking the first time two teams from the same conference won as 12-seeds. This was a rematch from December, a game UNLV won 76-75, and again it came down to the last minute. The Bears were led by Pac-12 POY Allen Crabbe who had 19 points and nine boards but it was reserve big man Robert Thurman who scored eight straight for Cal on four dunks. The Bears will now try to use their "home court advantage" (they are player in San Jose) against Syracuse.
Louisville showed they are ready to make a run
The #1 team overall is Louisville and they did not want to leave any doubt in their game as they cruised to a 79-48 victory over 16-seed North Carolina A&T. The pressure D that made the Cardinals the best defensive team in the country was in full force as they set a NCAA tournament record with 20 team steals. Yes, 20, including eight by Russ Smith who also scored 23 points. Louisville is said to have the hardest bracket, but also has the popular vote to win the title. It's so easy to overlook teams (see Gonzaga) but with handling business they way they did, look for the Cards to be focused no matter who is their opponent.
VCU and Syracuse run opponents out of the gym
The VCU Rams are not sneaking up on anybody like they did back in 2011, but apparently the Akron Zips didn't get the memo. VCU had an impressive showing with an 88-42 win. Now I understand that Akron didn't have their starting point guard Alex Abreu (6 apg) but they were still MAC regular season and tournament champs. Not having a PG is huge against a high pressure team like VCU, but the Rams were on point offensively as well. They shot 54% from the field and 8-16 from downtown, 6-11 from Troy Daniels who scored 23. That is exactly what VCU had going for them when they made their Final Four run in 2011, they pressed the heck out of you and were on fire from 3. Michigan is up next, who has Trey Burke (the best assist/turnover ratio in the country), so it will be interesting to see how he handles the press.
Syracuse was another team that impressed as they crushed Montana 81-34. Cuse was paced by Brandon Triche on offense as he put in 20. But it was Jim Boeheim's patent 2-3 defense that shut down Montana from the outside as they only hit 4-31 (13%) from distance. The Orange held the Grizzlies to 20% shooting overall and nobody on the team had more than five points. Their next game against Cal will basically be a road game but if Syracuse can continue to lock up on D and be efficient on the offensive end this team is dangerous.
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For those of you who didn't stay up until midnight you might have awoken up to your bracket being busted. Harvard, a 14-seed, picked up their first ever NCAA tournament victory over 3-seed New Mexico 68-62. Apparently, they not only have brilliant minds attending their school but ball players as well. The Crimson was able to slow down the pace of the game and hit key 3-pointers, led by Laurent Rivard who went 5-9 from deep with 17 points. New Mexico is known for its offensive struggles and it showed as Mountain West player of the year Kendall Williams went 1-6 from the floor for eight points. The Lobos were discussed as a possible Final Four candidate but that's out the window now that Harvard knocked them out.
Marquette storms back over Davidson
3-seed Marquette looked to be the first casualty in this years tournament at the hands of 14-seed Davidson. The Wildcats were up pretty much the entire game and held a 54-48 lead with 1:10 to play. The Golden Eagles proceeded to hit three 3s to pull within one, 58-57, with 10 seconds left. After the inbound, Davidson tried to play keep away while running the clock and ended up turning the ball over. Marquette's Vander Blue then hits a driving layup with 1 second to spare as the 3-seed is able to survive. Davidson had this game wrapped up if they would have just held onto the ball and got fouled. They are the best free throw shooting in the country at 79.5% but only managed 14-22 for the game including a crucial miss in the last minute. Marquette came up big though making their last three 3s after starting 1-12. And ask St. John's if Blue's shot looked familiar. They now move on to play Butler.
Southern pushes Gonzaga to the brink
Sooner (hopefully) or later we will see a 16-seed pull off the ultimate upset over a 1-seed. Southern University, the champions of the SWAC, was in it all the way down to the wire against top seeded Gonzaga. The Jaguars were only down three at the half and even tied the game at 56 on a Derrick Beltran jumper with 3:47 left. The very next play, the Bulldogs Gary Bell Jr. hit a big 3 to take back the lead. After two Beltran free throws, this time it was Kevin Pangos with an even bigger 3 to push the Zags lead to four with just under two minutes to play. Southern would fail to score the rest of the game and lose 64-58. The 6-point win in the closest in a 1 vs 16 game since 1990 when Michigan State beat Murray State 75-71 in OT. Most people weren't sold on Gonzaga being a top seed and this effort did nothing to silence their critics.
Oregon pulls off the first upset and looked good doing it
Oregon was not given much credit for winning the Pac-12 tournament as they received a 12-seed and faced 5-seed Oklahoma State. The Ducks must have took offense to this because they jumped out to a 37-26 lead at halftime. They balanced scoring as usual, with four guys in double figures led by Damyean Dotson with 17. But it was Arsalan Kazemi who had 11 points and 17 rebounds that stood out for Oregon. They also played great defense holding Marcus Smart and the Cowboys to only 40% from the field. They play Saint Louis on Saturday which will be a tough test but the Ducks seem to have a chip on their shoulder so look for this to be a close one.
Cal gives payback to UNLV
Oregon isn't the only Pac-12 team that can pull off the famous 5-12 upset. The Cal Bears took out UNLV, marking the first time two teams from the same conference won as 12-seeds. This was a rematch from December, a game UNLV won 76-75, and again it came down to the last minute. The Bears were led by Pac-12 POY Allen Crabbe who had 19 points and nine boards but it was reserve big man Robert Thurman who scored eight straight for Cal on four dunks. The Bears will now try to use their "home court advantage" (they are player in San Jose) against Syracuse.
Louisville showed they are ready to make a run
The #1 team overall is Louisville and they did not want to leave any doubt in their game as they cruised to a 79-48 victory over 16-seed North Carolina A&T. The pressure D that made the Cardinals the best defensive team in the country was in full force as they set a NCAA tournament record with 20 team steals. Yes, 20, including eight by Russ Smith who also scored 23 points. Louisville is said to have the hardest bracket, but also has the popular vote to win the title. It's so easy to overlook teams (see Gonzaga) but with handling business they way they did, look for the Cards to be focused no matter who is their opponent.
VCU and Syracuse run opponents out of the gym
The VCU Rams are not sneaking up on anybody like they did back in 2011, but apparently the Akron Zips didn't get the memo. VCU had an impressive showing with an 88-42 win. Now I understand that Akron didn't have their starting point guard Alex Abreu (6 apg) but they were still MAC regular season and tournament champs. Not having a PG is huge against a high pressure team like VCU, but the Rams were on point offensively as well. They shot 54% from the field and 8-16 from downtown, 6-11 from Troy Daniels who scored 23. That is exactly what VCU had going for them when they made their Final Four run in 2011, they pressed the heck out of you and were on fire from 3. Michigan is up next, who has Trey Burke (the best assist/turnover ratio in the country), so it will be interesting to see how he handles the press.
Syracuse was another team that impressed as they crushed Montana 81-34. Cuse was paced by Brandon Triche on offense as he put in 20. But it was Jim Boeheim's patent 2-3 defense that shut down Montana from the outside as they only hit 4-31 (13%) from distance. The Orange held the Grizzlies to 20% shooting overall and nobody on the team had more than five points. Their next game against Cal will basically be a road game but if Syracuse can continue to lock up on D and be efficient on the offensive end this team is dangerous.
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Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Midwest Region Breakdown
The Midwest region of the NCAA tournament is recognized as the toughest in the bracket and for good reason. Despite being the #1 overall seed, Louisville has to contend with Duke, Michigan State, and a sneaky good Saint Louis team. Not only does this region have good teams but great players as well. Creighton's Doug McDermott is second in the nation in scoring with 23 points per game and is up for player of the year. While Oklahoma State has a freshman of the year candidate in Marcus Smart. This side of the bracket will have a lot to watch for.
Top Seeds
1. Louisville
2. Duke
3. Michigan State
4. Saint Louis
Sleepers
I really like Saint Louis. This team plays great defense and Dwayne Evans is a physical presence inside. But they are a 4-seed so a sleeper to watch for has to be the Oregon Ducks. This team was sitting atop the Pac-12 before their point guard Dominic Artis went down in late January and the Ducks lost three of their next four games. Artis is healthy again and Oregon is back in a groove after winning the Pac-12 tournament.
First Round Upset Alerts
5 Oklahoma State vs 12 Oregon - The 12-5 upset that we see every year. Obviously, I like Oregon for reasons I stated above but also I'm not sure how they are ranked this low. With all its players healthy the Ducks have six players that average at least 8.5 points and Arsalan Kazemi cleans up the boards with 9.5 per game. Oklahoma State likes to play uptempo but if the Ducks control the pace they have a good shot at winning multiple games.
7 Creighton vs 10 Cincinnati - Offense vs Defense. I mentioned McDermott being a POY candidate and the Bluejays lead the nation in field goal percentage. As for the Bearcats, they pride themselves on defense. Cincy ranks 8th in country in rebounding and if they can keep the game in the 60's instead of the 70's they have a great chance of advancing.
Possible Match Ups
Louisville vs Saint Louis - If you like good defense this is the game for you as both teams only give up around 58 points per game. Louisville ranks #1 in adjusted defense in Ken Pomeroy's rankings while Saint Louis might be the most physical team in the country. The Billikens were 5-1 against ranked teams and won the Atlantic 10 regular season and tournament championships, a conference that sent five teams to the NCAA tournament.
Louisville vs Duke - A rematch of a game earlier this season that Duke won 76-71. However, this time the Cardinals have Gorgui Dieng who will look to neutralize Mason Plumlee down low. Duke received a boost when they got Ryan Kelly back from a foot injury and he poses match-up problems for other teams bigs.
My Pick
This is a tough bracket to pick because of the threat from so many teams but I'm going with Louisville. The best defense and the hottest team in the nation after plowing through the Big East tournament. I turned their championship game against Syracuse on with just under 16 minutes in the second half with the Orange up 16. Louisville proceeded to close the game on a 49-16, enough said. Coach Rick Pitino better bust out his white suit when the reach the Final Four.
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Top Seeds
1. Louisville
2. Duke
3. Michigan State
4. Saint Louis
Sleepers
I really like Saint Louis. This team plays great defense and Dwayne Evans is a physical presence inside. But they are a 4-seed so a sleeper to watch for has to be the Oregon Ducks. This team was sitting atop the Pac-12 before their point guard Dominic Artis went down in late January and the Ducks lost three of their next four games. Artis is healthy again and Oregon is back in a groove after winning the Pac-12 tournament.
First Round Upset Alerts
5 Oklahoma State vs 12 Oregon - The 12-5 upset that we see every year. Obviously, I like Oregon for reasons I stated above but also I'm not sure how they are ranked this low. With all its players healthy the Ducks have six players that average at least 8.5 points and Arsalan Kazemi cleans up the boards with 9.5 per game. Oklahoma State likes to play uptempo but if the Ducks control the pace they have a good shot at winning multiple games.
7 Creighton vs 10 Cincinnati - Offense vs Defense. I mentioned McDermott being a POY candidate and the Bluejays lead the nation in field goal percentage. As for the Bearcats, they pride themselves on defense. Cincy ranks 8th in country in rebounding and if they can keep the game in the 60's instead of the 70's they have a great chance of advancing.
Possible Match Ups
Louisville vs Saint Louis - If you like good defense this is the game for you as both teams only give up around 58 points per game. Louisville ranks #1 in adjusted defense in Ken Pomeroy's rankings while Saint Louis might be the most physical team in the country. The Billikens were 5-1 against ranked teams and won the Atlantic 10 regular season and tournament championships, a conference that sent five teams to the NCAA tournament.
Louisville vs Duke - A rematch of a game earlier this season that Duke won 76-71. However, this time the Cardinals have Gorgui Dieng who will look to neutralize Mason Plumlee down low. Duke received a boost when they got Ryan Kelly back from a foot injury and he poses match-up problems for other teams bigs.
My Pick
This is a tough bracket to pick because of the threat from so many teams but I'm going with Louisville. The best defense and the hottest team in the nation after plowing through the Big East tournament. I turned their championship game against Syracuse on with just under 16 minutes in the second half with the Orange up 16. Louisville proceeded to close the game on a 49-16, enough said. Coach Rick Pitino better bust out his white suit when the reach the Final Four.
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Tuesday, March 12, 2013
College Basketball Power Rankings: March 12
The regular season is over and we are only a week away from the NCAA tournament. Some teams showed us what they were made of to close out their season (Duke and Indiana) while others seemed to be looking ahead (Kansas and Florida). Duke and Gonzaga are tops with Indiana and Louisville hot on their heels. There's a lot more to be told as the major conference tournaments start this week. Let's get it.
Biggest Drop - Miami FL down 5
New Editions - #10 Ohio State
Old News - Saint Louis
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- Duke (27-4, LW 3) - Duke's rout of North Carolina on the road 69-53 and the return of Ryan Kelly puts the Blue Devils back on top. Kelly not only provides a scoring lift but he makes the rest of the team better just by being on the court. Case in point, Mason Plumlee had his best in the past month game at UNC (23 pts, 13 rebs) because of the spacing of Kelly.
- Gonzaga (30-2, LW 1) - Gonzaga could have been listed as 1B because I still feel they are a legit team, Duke is just a little better. They closed out their undefeated conference season with a 65-51 win over St. Mary's last night. The WCC was no match for them but people just want to see if they are worthy of the #1 seed they will receive.
- Indiana (26-5, LW 2) - Earlier is the week Indiana lost at home to Ohio State 67-58 which opened the door for the Big Ten championship. It all came down to their road game at Michigan and Cody Zeller made a layup with 14 seconds left for their first out right Big Ten title since 1993.
- Louisville (26-5, LW 7) - The Cardinals avenged their 5 OT loss to Notre Dame 73-57 behind Gorgui Dieng's 20 and 11. This team is poised to make a strong run in the Big East and NCAA tournaments after winning 10 of their last 11.
- Georgetown (24-5, LW 4) - Georgetown is another Big East team that's playing really well. The lost to Villanova to begin the week 67-57 but came back with holding Jim Boeheim's team to its lowest points of his career 61-39. The Big East tournament will be one of the best of Championship week.
- Kansas (26-5, LW 5) - Kansas lost to Baylor 81-58, their worst loss in seven years. They could have won't the Big 12 title outright but instead had to share it with their rival Kansas State. The Jayhawks might have been looking ahead to the tournaments because they seemed uninterested.
- Michigan State (24-7, LW 11) - Sparty finished their season with a solid win over Wisconsin 58-43. Keith Appling has gotten back on track scoring 35 points in his last two games. This team is also dangerous come tournament time and this year is no different.
- Michigan (25-6, LW 8) - Ugh. The entire Big Ten was watching, Michigan State and Ohio State fans were even cheering for them, but Michigan choked away their game against Indiana and a four way tie for the Big Ten title. The Wolverines lost a five point lead with 50 seconds left because of missed FREE THROWS by Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. Next up Penn State in the B1G tourney, great.
- Florida (24-6, LW 9) - The Gators had a SEC title all wrapped up before they played Kentucky so losing 61-57 only hurts their seeding for the time being. Florida didn't score in the last seven and a half minutes of the game, we'll see if they were looking ahead or if there's problems in the swamp after losing three of six.
- Ohio State (23-7, LW NR) - OSU ended the year with five straight wins and took out Indiana on the road last week thanks to Aaron Craft's 15 points on 7-10 shooting. The Buckeyes will Craft's play to stay consistent to go with Deshaun Thomas if they want to continue their recent success.
- Miami FL (24-6, LW 6) - The Canes won 14 straight but lost three of five to end the year including shockers to Wake Forest and Georgia Tech. Miami needs a strong showing in the ACC tourney believers back on their side.
- Oklahoma State (23-7, LW 13) - OK-State lost at Iowa State 87-76 earlier but finished the week with a good 76-70 victory over Kansas State. This team surprised the Big 12 finishing third in the conference and are a team to watch for a Big 12 tournament title.
- Marquette (23-7, LW 14) - Buzz Williams' team needed a last second shot by Vander Blue to secure an OT win over St. John's 69-67. More importantly the win secured a share of the Big East regular season title with Louisville and Georgetown, Marquette's first since joining the league.
- Kansas State (25-6, LW 10) - Despite a loss to end their season, the Wildcats still managed to share the Big 12 title with Kansas. This team was only 2-5 against ranked opponents, it will be interesting to see how they fare in the tournaments to come.
- New Mexico (25-4, LW 12) - New Mexico is known for its defense but couldn't get a stop when it mattered against Air Force. The Falcons hit two 3's in the final 16 seconds to pull off the upset 89-88. The Lobos still hold a 3-seed in Joe Lundari's bracketology but need a strong showing in a difficult Mountain West tournament to keep it.
Biggest Drop - Miami FL down 5
New Editions - #10 Ohio State
Old News - Saint Louis
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Monday, March 11, 2013
College Basketball Championship Week Previews
Championship week. The tournaments before THE tournament. This week starts the conference tournaments for all the major conferences in college basketball. The mid-majors started last week with Florida Gulf Coast (24-10), Liberty (15-20), Creighton (27-7), and Belmont (26-6) already punching their tickets for the big dance. This is what starts the madness in March (although this whole season has been madness). This is the last chance for bubble teams to get quality wins over ranked teams and Cinderellas have a chance to get hot and take a spot from a team on the bubble.
All favorites determined by Las Vegas odds
ACC
Bracket
When: March 14-17
Favorite: The ACC is not what it's been in years past with only two teams ranked in the top 25, but those two (Duke and Miami) are ranked in the top 10. The return of Ryan Kelly for Duke definitely makes them the team to watch for. It seems his foot is fully healed as he went off for 36 points with 7 three's in a huge home win over Miami in his first game back. Mason Plumlee has been consistent all year averaging a double-double with 17 and 10.2. Throw in Seth Curry's 17 ppg and you have guys at three positions that would make a great Gus Macker squad.
Contenders: Miami is the first team ever in the ACC to beat Duke and North Carolina by 25 or more in the same year. The Canes have struggled to close the season losing three of their last five but are still very dangerous. Speaking of UNC, they finished strong winning six of seven but lost 69-53 to Duke their last game. Reggie Bullock had double-doubles in three of the last five games.
Pick: Duke has dominated this tournament since 1999 winning 10 of the 14 titles and will add another trophy to their mantle. Miami is on a big down slide and UNC can't match-up with Duke's talent, as they just showed us. The Blue Devils have too many players that can hurt you as five average double figures.
BIG 12
Bracket
When: March 13-16
Favorite: Other than a nasty three game losing streak, Kansas was near the top of the rankings all year led by Ben McLemore (16.5 ppg) and Jeff Withey (13.8 ppg and 8.6 rpg). They were the victim of the upset of the year when TCU beat them 62-55 but got back on track and won seven of their last eight to end the season.
Contenders: Kansas State had four losses in conference play and two were to Kansas. K-State won't shoot you out of the gym (44% FG on the season) but they play tough tenacious defense. Rodney McGruder is a games changer that can take over at any time. Oklahoma State is the other team to keep an eye on. They are led by Markel Brown (15.6 ppg) and the possible freshman of the year in Marcus Smart (14.9 ppg). The Cowboys have one win over Kansas on the road and lost in double overtime at home to the Jayhawks. They were one of the surprise teams in the country.
Pick: Kansas is another team that has had a hold on the regular season and tournament titles in the Big 12 in the past. But, Oklahoma State has the size and athleticism to compete with them. They have proven to be a tough match-up for KU in both games and Jayhawks are a team that has been shaky all year. OK-State will take the tournament title.
BIG EAST
Bracket
When: March 12-16
Favorite: The Big East is very top heavy with five teams ranked in the top 25 but the Louisville Cardinals have one of the best defenses in the country (#1 in KenPom's adjusted defense) and good offense led but Russ Smith's 18.4 ppg. Gorgui Dieng is solid in the middle averaging a double-double and Peyton Siva is one of the best point guards in the league at managing a game. If not for a 5 OT loss at Notre Dame they could be on an 11 game win streak.
Contenders: Georgetown finished the season winning 12 of 13 with wins over ranked teams Louisville, Syracuse (twice), Marquette, and Notre Dame. In that time Otto Porter Jr. made his case for POY with 16.6 ppg and 7.4 rpg. Syracuse started the season 18-1 but lost four of its last five. But don't let that fool you, this team is still dangerous. C.J. Fair, Brandon Triche, and James Southerland all average over 14 ppg and Michael Carter-Williams is a do-it-all point guard. Pittsburgh is a sleeper team to also watch out for as KenPom has them ranked 7th overall.
Pick: Louisville and Georgetown are like mirror images of each other. Both have been playing really well but the Cardinals have more help to offer Russ Smith than Georgetown has for Otto Porter Jr.
BIG TEN
Bracket
When: March 14-17
Favorite: No conference has beat itself up and has been more unpredictable than the Big Ten. However, Indiana is the one team that has been the most consistent. Cody Zeller started as the POY favorite but now it's his teammate, Victor Oladipo, that is in the hunt for the honor. Zeller still averages 16.5 ppg and 8 rpg while Oladipo is putting up 13.7 ppg, 6 rpg, 2.3 steals and shooting an amazing 63% from the field. Let's not forget about the two seniors, Jordan Hulls and Christian Watford, who are ranked in the top 10 in 3-point percentage.
Contenders: Where do I start? There are so many teams that fit in this category. Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin and even Minnesota can all make a run. Michigan is viewed as next in line behind Indiana even with being the fifth seed and blowing their game against Indiana. Trey Burke, who is the leader in the POY race is averaging 19.1 ppg, 6.9 apg, and leads the nation in assist to turnover ratio at 3.65. Michigan State had a tough three game losing streak late but this is when Izzo's teams get hot. They have a solid starting five with size and speed to match-up with anybody and a defense that keeps them in every game. Deshaun Thomas leads the Big Ten in scoring at almost 20 a game and if Ohio State can get a consistent second scorer from either Aaron Craft or Lenzelle Smith Jr. this team goes from a top 15 team to a top 5 team nationally.
Pick: Indiana is still the team to beat in the Big Ten especially after their big win at Michigan. They have the best starting five in the Big Ten with the preseason POY in Cody Zeller and possibly the end of the season POY in Victor Oladipo (also the best all around player in the country). I won't be surprised if any of the teams mentioned above come out with the title but I will roll with the favorite right now. Also, if Indiana or Michigan come out on top it will be their first Big Ten tournament title.
PAC-12
Bracket
When: March 13-16
Favorite: The Pac-12 is probably the hardest conference to determine a favorite and even though Arizona didn't win a regular season title they are looked at as the top team. They started the year 14-0 with wins over Florida and Miami but had some struggles in conference play. Xavier transfer Mark Lyons leads the team in scoring at 15.1 ppg.
Contenders: Oregon gave Arizona it's first loss of the year and have recently got their point guard, Dominic Artis, back from injury. They don't have anybody that averages more than 11.2 (E.J. Singler) and balanced on offense. UCLA is led by freshmen Shabazz Muhammad, Jordan Adams, and Kyle Anderson. They also have three North Carolina transfers in Larry Drew II, Travis Wear, and David Wear. This team is very talented but lack consistency. Don't sleep on California or Colorado.
Pick: A year ago the Pac-12 only had one team reach the NCAA tournament, Colorado, who received the automatic bid for their conference tournament title. This year I'm going with UCLA. They have the players and scoring ability to beat anybody in the conference. It comes down to whether their young players can stay focused against experienced teams like Oregon and Arizona.
SEC
Bracket
When: March 13-17
Favorite: Without question the favorite in the SEC are the Florida Gators. This had been a down year for the SEC as the Gators are the only ranked team in the conference. This team is first in KenPom's rankings and is one of the most balanced in the country. They have the ability to beat you on the perimeter with Kenny Boynton and Mike Rosario (12.6 ppg each) or pound you inside with Patric Young and Erik Murphy.
Contenders: The defending National Champion Kentucky Wildcats are on the bubble but got much needed win over Florida in their final game. The loss of Nerlens Noel for the rest of the year on Feb. 12 really set this team back. Fellow freshman Archie Goodwin has stepped up his play in Noel's absence. The Missouri Tigers are the other team to keep your eye on. They like to push the ball as much as possible and have six players averaging double figures. Phil Pressey is a great passer averaging 7.1 assists but is turnover prone (3.7 per game) and a terrible shooter (38%).
Pick: I have to go with Florida. They dominated the conference all year, winning by almost 20 points a game in league play. They have great inside-outside combinations and I have a hard time seeing this team lose at a neutral site.
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All favorites determined by Las Vegas odds
ACC
Bracket
When: March 14-17
Favorite: The ACC is not what it's been in years past with only two teams ranked in the top 25, but those two (Duke and Miami) are ranked in the top 10. The return of Ryan Kelly for Duke definitely makes them the team to watch for. It seems his foot is fully healed as he went off for 36 points with 7 three's in a huge home win over Miami in his first game back. Mason Plumlee has been consistent all year averaging a double-double with 17 and 10.2. Throw in Seth Curry's 17 ppg and you have guys at three positions that would make a great Gus Macker squad.
Contenders: Miami is the first team ever in the ACC to beat Duke and North Carolina by 25 or more in the same year. The Canes have struggled to close the season losing three of their last five but are still very dangerous. Speaking of UNC, they finished strong winning six of seven but lost 69-53 to Duke their last game. Reggie Bullock had double-doubles in three of the last five games.
Pick: Duke has dominated this tournament since 1999 winning 10 of the 14 titles and will add another trophy to their mantle. Miami is on a big down slide and UNC can't match-up with Duke's talent, as they just showed us. The Blue Devils have too many players that can hurt you as five average double figures.
BIG 12
Bracket
When: March 13-16
Favorite: Other than a nasty three game losing streak, Kansas was near the top of the rankings all year led by Ben McLemore (16.5 ppg) and Jeff Withey (13.8 ppg and 8.6 rpg). They were the victim of the upset of the year when TCU beat them 62-55 but got back on track and won seven of their last eight to end the season.
Contenders: Kansas State had four losses in conference play and two were to Kansas. K-State won't shoot you out of the gym (44% FG on the season) but they play tough tenacious defense. Rodney McGruder is a games changer that can take over at any time. Oklahoma State is the other team to keep an eye on. They are led by Markel Brown (15.6 ppg) and the possible freshman of the year in Marcus Smart (14.9 ppg). The Cowboys have one win over Kansas on the road and lost in double overtime at home to the Jayhawks. They were one of the surprise teams in the country.
Pick: Kansas is another team that has had a hold on the regular season and tournament titles in the Big 12 in the past. But, Oklahoma State has the size and athleticism to compete with them. They have proven to be a tough match-up for KU in both games and Jayhawks are a team that has been shaky all year. OK-State will take the tournament title.
BIG EAST
Bracket
When: March 12-16
Favorite: The Big East is very top heavy with five teams ranked in the top 25 but the Louisville Cardinals have one of the best defenses in the country (#1 in KenPom's adjusted defense) and good offense led but Russ Smith's 18.4 ppg. Gorgui Dieng is solid in the middle averaging a double-double and Peyton Siva is one of the best point guards in the league at managing a game. If not for a 5 OT loss at Notre Dame they could be on an 11 game win streak.
Contenders: Georgetown finished the season winning 12 of 13 with wins over ranked teams Louisville, Syracuse (twice), Marquette, and Notre Dame. In that time Otto Porter Jr. made his case for POY with 16.6 ppg and 7.4 rpg. Syracuse started the season 18-1 but lost four of its last five. But don't let that fool you, this team is still dangerous. C.J. Fair, Brandon Triche, and James Southerland all average over 14 ppg and Michael Carter-Williams is a do-it-all point guard. Pittsburgh is a sleeper team to also watch out for as KenPom has them ranked 7th overall.
Pick: Louisville and Georgetown are like mirror images of each other. Both have been playing really well but the Cardinals have more help to offer Russ Smith than Georgetown has for Otto Porter Jr.
BIG TEN
Bracket
When: March 14-17
Favorite: No conference has beat itself up and has been more unpredictable than the Big Ten. However, Indiana is the one team that has been the most consistent. Cody Zeller started as the POY favorite but now it's his teammate, Victor Oladipo, that is in the hunt for the honor. Zeller still averages 16.5 ppg and 8 rpg while Oladipo is putting up 13.7 ppg, 6 rpg, 2.3 steals and shooting an amazing 63% from the field. Let's not forget about the two seniors, Jordan Hulls and Christian Watford, who are ranked in the top 10 in 3-point percentage.
Contenders: Where do I start? There are so many teams that fit in this category. Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin and even Minnesota can all make a run. Michigan is viewed as next in line behind Indiana even with being the fifth seed and blowing their game against Indiana. Trey Burke, who is the leader in the POY race is averaging 19.1 ppg, 6.9 apg, and leads the nation in assist to turnover ratio at 3.65. Michigan State had a tough three game losing streak late but this is when Izzo's teams get hot. They have a solid starting five with size and speed to match-up with anybody and a defense that keeps them in every game. Deshaun Thomas leads the Big Ten in scoring at almost 20 a game and if Ohio State can get a consistent second scorer from either Aaron Craft or Lenzelle Smith Jr. this team goes from a top 15 team to a top 5 team nationally.
Pick: Indiana is still the team to beat in the Big Ten especially after their big win at Michigan. They have the best starting five in the Big Ten with the preseason POY in Cody Zeller and possibly the end of the season POY in Victor Oladipo (also the best all around player in the country). I won't be surprised if any of the teams mentioned above come out with the title but I will roll with the favorite right now. Also, if Indiana or Michigan come out on top it will be their first Big Ten tournament title.
PAC-12
Bracket
When: March 13-16
Favorite: The Pac-12 is probably the hardest conference to determine a favorite and even though Arizona didn't win a regular season title they are looked at as the top team. They started the year 14-0 with wins over Florida and Miami but had some struggles in conference play. Xavier transfer Mark Lyons leads the team in scoring at 15.1 ppg.
Contenders: Oregon gave Arizona it's first loss of the year and have recently got their point guard, Dominic Artis, back from injury. They don't have anybody that averages more than 11.2 (E.J. Singler) and balanced on offense. UCLA is led by freshmen Shabazz Muhammad, Jordan Adams, and Kyle Anderson. They also have three North Carolina transfers in Larry Drew II, Travis Wear, and David Wear. This team is very talented but lack consistency. Don't sleep on California or Colorado.
Pick: A year ago the Pac-12 only had one team reach the NCAA tournament, Colorado, who received the automatic bid for their conference tournament title. This year I'm going with UCLA. They have the players and scoring ability to beat anybody in the conference. It comes down to whether their young players can stay focused against experienced teams like Oregon and Arizona.
SEC
Bracket
When: March 13-17
Favorite: Without question the favorite in the SEC are the Florida Gators. This had been a down year for the SEC as the Gators are the only ranked team in the conference. This team is first in KenPom's rankings and is one of the most balanced in the country. They have the ability to beat you on the perimeter with Kenny Boynton and Mike Rosario (12.6 ppg each) or pound you inside with Patric Young and Erik Murphy.
Contenders: The defending National Champion Kentucky Wildcats are on the bubble but got much needed win over Florida in their final game. The loss of Nerlens Noel for the rest of the year on Feb. 12 really set this team back. Fellow freshman Archie Goodwin has stepped up his play in Noel's absence. The Missouri Tigers are the other team to keep your eye on. They like to push the ball as much as possible and have six players averaging double figures. Phil Pressey is a great passer averaging 7.1 assists but is turnover prone (3.7 per game) and a terrible shooter (38%).
Pick: I have to go with Florida. They dominated the conference all year, winning by almost 20 points a game in league play. They have great inside-outside combinations and I have a hard time seeing this team lose at a neutral site.
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Tuesday, March 5, 2013
College Basketball Power Rankings: March 5
Ahh, March is finally upon us and we are only one week from the conference tournaments and two weeks away from the big dance. I would say let the upsets begin but that's been happening all year. Last week we saw one of the biggest upsets of the year when Michigan squandered a 15-point second half lead at Penn State. Indiana, Duke, Florida, and Miami also lost as 5 of my top 6 teams tasted defeat. The lone team to come out unscathed was Gonzaga, but will they top our list? Let's find out.
Biggest Drop - Michigan down 5
New Editions - #14 Marquette, #15 Saint Louis
Old News - Syracuse, Arizona
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- Gonzaga (29-2, LW 2) - Since the 2008 Memphis team that made it to the NCAA championship game, no mid-major has been ranked #1 until now. Gonzaga is a legit team this year. Last week they finished their conference schedule undefeated at 16-0, the first time ever in the WCC. If not for a sloppy out of bounds play to end the Butler game this team would only have one loss. Like that Memphis team and Saint Joe's in 2004, the Zags have their doubters but it's hard to deny any team that will have 30 wins before the big dance starts.
- Indiana (25-4, LW 1) - The Hoosiers lost to Minnesota 77-73 behind Trevor Mbakwe's 21 and 12. Oddly enough Indiana's four losses have all been to unranked teams but they are 6-0 against ranked teams. They will look to improve to 8-0 this week hosting Ohio State and traveling to Michigan.
- Duke (25-4, LW 4) - Apparently Ryan Kelly is more important to Duke that anyone knew. After missing 13 games due to a foot injury, Kelly returned against Miami and scored a career high 36 points on 10-14 shooting, including 7-9 from deep. With Kelly's return to the lineup, this Duke team is back into discussion of the top team in the country along with Indiana and Gonzaga. They head to Chapel Hill this week where anything can happen.
- Georgetown (23-4, LW 7) - Georgetown survived a double OT scare at Connecticut 79-78. Otto Porter Jr. continued to shine with 22 points and the game winning lay-up. Syracuse comes in Saturday and it marks the last time these rivals will meet in the Big East conference.
- Kansas (25-4, LW 8) - For the second time this year the Jayhawks needed late game heroics to get past Iowa State in overtime, this time by Elijah Johnson. He finished with 39 points and had eight in the last 32 seconds to force OT. A game at Baylor is all that stands in their way of getting at least a share to the Big 12 title for the fifth straight year.
- Miami FL (23-5, LW 6) - The U might have lost to Duke but were in it down til the end. They've lost two of their last three games but close the regular season with home games against Georgia Tech and Clemson.
- Louisville (24-5, LW 10) - Louisville has now won six straight following their five OT game at Notre Dame, including a 58-53 road win at Syracuse last week despite Peyton Siva going scoreless. To close their season they will host ND, we'll see if this game provides the same fireworks.
- Michigan (24-5, LW 3) - Michigan started the week with its worst loss of the season at Penn State 84-78, but finished with its best win of the year over Michigan State 58-57. Thanks in large part to Trey Burke who had finished with 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 steals. His rip of Keith Appling lead to the game winning dunk. They finish the season at Purdue, a game they can't overlook, they host Indiana.
- Florida (23-5, LW 5) - The Gators had a bad loss to Tennessee 64-58, but rebounded against Alabama to clinch at least a share of the SEC title. Florida's match-up at Kentucky to end the season will likely determine the champion.
- Kansas State (24-5, LW 13) - A sloppy turnover by Baylor lead to Rodney McGruder hitting a buzzer beating three for a 64-61 win. That win kept them in a tie with Kansas in the conference and K-State is looking for its first ever regular season title. A game at OK-State will be the last hurdle.
- Michigan State (22-7, LW 9) - MSU has now dropped three straight, all to ranked opponents. They played one of their worst games at Michigan shooting only 35% and committing 18 turnovers. Wisconsin comes into EL Thursday, which won't be easy.
- New Mexico (25-4, LW 14) - With their 70-60 win over San Diego St and 53-42 over Wyoming, the Lobos have clinched the outright regular season championship in a tough Mountain West Conference. They close their season with road games at Nevada and Air Force.
- Oklahoma State (22-6, LW 15) - The Cowboys have two difficult games this week at Iowa State and home against K-State. They are still in the hunt for a share of the Big 12 title and Markel Brown had a nasty dunk against Texas.
- Marquette (21-7, LW NR) - Marquette had two huge home wins last week, 74-71 over Syracuse and 72-64 over Notre Dame. The Golden Flashes still have a shot at Big East title as they are the surprise team in the conference.
- Saint Louis (23-5, LW NR) - The Billikens are one of the hottest teams right now with 11 straight wins (two over Butler and one over VCU) and are first place in a good Atlantic 10 Conference. They do it with defense holding teams to only 57.9 ppg. They end with two tough games, at Xavier and against LaSalle.
Biggest Drop - Michigan down 5
New Editions - #14 Marquette, #15 Saint Louis
Old News - Syracuse, Arizona
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Tuesday, January 22, 2013
College Basketball Power Rankings: January 22
We had another wild week in college basketball and we can expect it from here on out. Louisville was able to reach the top spot but fell to Syracuse 70-68 and Indiana was shocked at home by Wisconsin 64-59. We also saw Gonzaga miss out on getting a huge road win at Butler as they turned the ball over in the final seconds and Butler squeaked by 64-63. Here's what we have after a crazy week of college hoops.
Biggest Drop - Creighton down 5
New Editions - #11 Kansas State, #12 Michigan State, #14 Oregon
Old News - Creighton, North Carolina State, San Diego State
- Michigan (17-1, LW 4) - Call me a homer if you want but getting a road win at #10 Minnesota and doing it convincingly is nothing easy. The Wolverines largest lead was 19 as Tim Haradaway Jr. scored 21 on 7-8 shooting with 4 three's. If not for a sluggish start against OSU this team would still be undefeated. Now they get a week off to prepare for Purdue.
- Syracuse (18-1, LW 5) - A week after suspending their second leading scoring the Orange went into #1 Louisville and pulled off the 70-68 upset behind Brandon Triche's 23 points. Then last night staved off a home upset of their own coming back against Cincinnati to win 57-55. Their stellar PG Michael Carter-Williams came up huge late and finished with 16 points, 5 boards and 7 assists.
- Kansas (16-1, LW 2) - Kansas came back late on Texas for a 64-49 road win to push their streak to 15 games. But to extend that streak they will have to beat rival #11 Kansas State on the road. The combination of Ben McLemore and Jeff Withey are proving to be one of the best inside-outside duos in the country.
- Duke (16-1, LW 3) - After its first loss, Duke rebounded nicely against lowly Georgia Tech 73-57. But still the loss of Ryan Kelly hurts this team badly and now they have a trip to Miami, the lone undefeated team in the conference.
- Louisville (16-2, LW 1) - The Cardinals couldn't hold on to the #1 spot for more than a week but that loss was a tight one to a very good Syracuse team. The loss doesn't hurt their stock too much but let's see how they handle 2 road games this week at Villanova and Georgetown.
- Florida (14-2, LW 9) - Florida has been slowing climbing the charts even though they haven't been beating quality opponents, at least not until last Saturday when they crushed Missouri 83-52. It was over before it started as the Gators jumped out to an 11-0 lead and were able to turn Missouri PG, Phil Pressey, over 10 times.
- Indiana (16-2, LW 6) - The shocker of the week was Indiana's home loss to Wisconsin 64-49. The Badgers are in a down year but have won 11 straight against the Hoosiers.
- Arizona (16-1, LW 7) - After their loss to Oregon, the Wildcats have gotten back on track winning 2 straight road games. They now host UCLA, a team that has been playing better as the season goes on.
- Butler (16-2, LW 15) - Even without leading scorer Rotnei Clarke, Butler managed to pull out a huge home win over Gonzaga as Roosevelt Jones hit a buzzer-beater for the 64-63 victory. Their schedule is favorable until a March 2nd meeting at VCU.
- Gonzaga (17-2, LW 8) - The Zags narrowly escaped Butler with a win but fell short. Still, you can't take much away from them for the loss. They now have to prepare for a solid BYU team coming to their place.
- Kansas State (15-2, LW NR) - The Wildcats have been under the radar but hold a win over Florida and their only losses coming to Michigan and Gonzaga. They have a big game against Kansas this week and don't be surprised if there's an upset in the Octagon of Doom.
- Michigan State (16-3, LW NR) - Sparty had a nice home win over Ohio State 59-56 holding them off late. This is the time MSU usually starts hitting their stride and we'll see what they are made of this week as they travel to Wisconsin and #7 Indiana.
- Minnesota (15-3, LW 10) - After starting conference play off great, Minnesota has lost two straight albeit to #7 Indiana and #1 Michigan. Two roads games on the docket for the Gophers this week against Northwestern and Wisconsin.
- Oregon (16-2, LW NR) - The Ducks have already taken out Pac-12 favorites Arizona and UCLA and have one of the most balanced offense in the country. Oregon scores 76 a game while having 6 players that average between 8 and 12 points
- Ohio State (13-4, LW 12) - The Buckeyes couldn't complete the comeback at Michigan State despite 28 points and 7 rebounds from Deshaun Thomas. For this team to win big games consistently they need to find another scoring option to help Thomas.
Biggest Drop - Creighton down 5
New Editions - #11 Kansas State, #12 Michigan State, #14 Oregon
Old News - Creighton, North Carolina State, San Diego State
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
College Basketball Power Rankings: January 16
We entered last week with three undefeated teams and we enter this week with zero after Arizona, Duke and Michigan all lost. This created a mix up at the top of our rankings and also showed that every team in vulnerable on the road in conference games. Just as I was about to put this out last night Indiana was a in a tight game with Wisconsin. I figured I'd wait until it was over and sure enough, the Badgers pulled off the upset on the road 64-49.
Biggest Drop - Illinois down 10
- Louisville (15-1, LW 3) - The Cardinals take over at #1 after Duke and Michigan go down but they are a viable National Champion contender. They have one of the best defenses in the country and showed it in the second half of their win over UConn last night. Next up, #6 Syracuse on Saturday.
- Kansas (14-1, LW 5) - For the second week in a row a top 5 team needed to make a late comeback to avoid an upset and force overtime. Last week it was Arizona, this week KU needed a desperation bank 3-pointer at the end of regulation by their stud Ben McLemore to overcome Iowa State 97-89. McLemore finished with 33 points and 6-6 from deep.
- Duke (15-1, LW 1) - After getting news that Ryan Kelly will be out indefinitely, Duke proceeded to lose its first game to NC State 84-76. The loss of Kelly is huge and it will be interesting to see how the Blue Devils will handle his absence.
- Michigan (16-1, LW 2) - Michigan looked inexperienced and terrified in the first half of their road loss to Ohio State. They were making bad turnovers and couldn't hit a shot. A positive was they were able to make it a game however in the second half tying the score at 46. Other than that it was a game they'd like to forget and now have to prepare for a game at #10 Minnesota.
- Syracuse (16-1, LW 7) - The Orange suspended its second leading scorer James Southerland indefinitely and has to face now face #1 Louisville this weekend. Syracuse is pretty balanced but this is a loss they will have to adjust to if they want to keep their final four hopes alive.
- Indiana (15-2, LW 4) - Last night the Hoosiers hosted Wisconsin, a team they haven't beat in their last 10 efforts. That streak is now 11 as IU found it difficult to score. They still lead the nation at 85 points per game but could only amass 59 on 37% shooting.
- Arizona (15-1, LW 6) - After winning several games they could have lost, Arizona finally fell at Oregon 70-66. The Wildcats have beaten quality opponents and win close games which are good qualities to have come tournament time.
- Gonzaga (16-1, LW 9) - The Zags took out their rival St Mary's 83-78 at home their last time out. Next up a road game at Portland before heading to Butler for their toughest test of the season.
- Florida (12-2, LW 10) - Since the Gators' loss to Kansas State they have played extremely well winning 4 games by an average of 23 points. This week brings a road game at Texas A&M (who just beat Kentucky) and a home game against Missouri, two quality opponents.
- Minnesota (15-2, LW 8) - Minnesota couldn't get anything going in the first half at Indiana and just ran out of time to complete their comeback. We are going to see the Big Ten teams beat up on each other all year and it doesn't get any easier for them as #5 Michigan comes in to town Thursday.
- Creighton (16-1, LW 13) - Last week against Missouri State, Doug McDermott outscored the Bears in the second half 28-25 by himself. He finished with 39 points going 15-19 from the floor and 10 boards. They should get challenged this Saturday at Wichita State.
- Ohio State (13-3, LW 15) - The Buckeyes got their first win against a ranked opponent as they beat bitter rival Michigan. They looked great in the first half but looked sluggish in the second as they let UM back in the game. I'm still not completely sold on OSU and a tough road game at Michigan State is up next.
- North Carolina State (14-2, LW NR) - A lot was expected of this team to start the year as they were preseason #6. After a couple early losses the Wolfpack are hitting their stride after getting an 84-76 win over Duke. Their next game is at Maryland which should provide another test.
- Butler (14-2, LW NR) - The Bulldogs beat Dayton their last time out but it came at a price as leading scorer point guard Rotnei Clarke left the game with a next injury. They have two home games against Richmond and #8 Gonzaga this week and I'll be surprised if they escape without a loss if Clarke is out.
- San Diego State (14-2, LW NR) - After needing overtime to beat Colorado State, this week will be even tougher for the Aztecs. They host Mountain West contender UNLV on Wednesday then travel to Wyoming (who just lost their first game of the season) on Saturday.
Biggest Drop - Illinois down 10
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
College Basketball Power Rankings: January 8
With conference play opening up last week we had a top 15 matchup between Ohio State and Illinois where we saw the Fighting Illini win easily 74-55 and a controversial ending in the Colorado-Arizona game with a game winning three pointer by Colorado was taken away. From here on out, this is where things get juicy. Here we go.
Biggest Drop - Ohio State down 6
- Duke Blue Devils (14-0, LW 1) - Duke has been coasting lately and even though conference play is starting that still might not change. The ACC is nowhere near as talented as it once was but they will have one of their tougher tests this week at NC State.
- Michigan Wolverines (15-0, LW 1) - Two Big Ten games, two 28-point wins. That's how Michigan opened up last week against Northwestern and Iowa. The Big Ten is by far the best conference with six team ranked and three in the top-ten. We will see how good this team is with back-to-back road games against Ohio State and Minnesota coming up.
- Louisville Cardinals (13-1, LW 3) - The Cardinals had a huge win over rival Kentucky, a game they saw their center Gorgui Dieng back in action. He only saw 20 minutes that game but against Providence he recorded 11 points, 11 boards, and 4 blocks.
- Indiana Hoosiers (14-1, LW 5) - IU was tested in their opener at Iowa mainly in part because sharp-shooting Jordan Hulls went 0-10 from the floor and 0-4 from 3 (he's over 50% for both on the year). They bounced back though with a 74-51 win at Penn State. Next up a tough Minnesota team.
- Kansas Jayhawks (12-1, LW 6) - Temple tried to take down its second top-ten team this year but Kansas was too much down the stretch. With only a surprise loss to Michigan State, this Jayhawks squad is poised to make a strong push through the Big 12.
- Arizona Wildcats (14-0, LW 4) - I wanted to drop the Wildcats further because if it wasn't for a bad call by the refs this team would not be undefeated. Even with a review they still took away Colorado's Sabatino Chen's last-second 3. None-the-less Arizona pulled the game out in OT but it will be interesting to see what happens in a poor Pac-12 where they are the only ranked team.
- Syracuse Orange (14-1, LW 7) - The Big East is going to be a two-team race between Syracuse and Louisville for the top spot. The Orange has a guard oriented offense led by Michael Carter-Williams and if he can learn to be a consistent scorer, they can be a very dangerous team down the stretch.
- Minnesota Golden Gophers (14-1, LW 8) - Minnesota still isn't getting the credit they deserve from the media in my opinion. After a convincing 13-point win over Michigan State maybe that will change. The Gophers are strong on D, leading the Big Ten in blocks and steals. We will get a real sense of this team as their next 3 games are at #12 Illinois, at #4 Indiana and home against #2 Michigan. Yikes!
- Gonzaga Bulldogs (15-1, LW 11) - Last week they had 3 road wins including, at Oklahoma State and at a tough Santa Clara team. The West Coast Conference always has its share of teams looking to upset the Bulldogs including Saint Mary's (next up) and BYU.
- Florida Gators (10-2, LW 13) - The Gators looked nice early on but are climbing the ranks because of other reams losing. Playing in a watered-down SEC they will have to win a lot of games decisively and not slip up against any of the middle teams to stay respected
- Missouri Tigers (11-2, LW 12) - After a nice win over Illinois, Missouri fell to UCLA in OT and sneaked out a win over a strong Bucknell team. Phil Pressey has been leading the charge of last with 19 points and 19 assists against UCLA and 26 points against Bucknell.
- Illinois Fighting Illini (14-2, LW 10) - Illinois is starting to get a little shaky of late going 2-2 in its last 4. They started conference play with an ugly loss to a bad Purdue team 68-61 but followed it up with a very impressive win over OSU 74-55. They will get another test their next game at home against Minnesota.
- Creighton Bluejays (14-1, LW 15) - The Missouri Valley Conference always has teams that sneak up on people once the tournament comes around but not this Creighton team. Lead by Doug McDermott, who is third in the nation with 23.1 point per game, they will be a team to watch the rest of the season.
- Notre Dame Fight Irish (14-2, LW NR) - Since losing early to Saint Joe's in OT, the Irish have picked up wins over BYU, Kentucky and most recently on the road at Cincinnati. Jack Cooley has been a double-double machine averaging 15 points and 11 rebounds. I bet their fans quickly turned their attention to the hardwood after the performance from their football team last night against Alabama in the BCS Championship game.
- Ohio State Buckeyes (11-3, LW 9) - So apparently this team doesn't fair well against ranked opponents. Their three toughest games have been their three losses (Duke, Kansas, Illinois). The Buckeyes will have to find another scoring threat to go along with Deshaun Thomas or else the Big Ten season will be long and ugly for OSU.
Biggest Drop - Ohio State down 6
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
College Basketball Power Rankings: December 25
Merry Christmas everyone! This past week we saw the biggest shake up of top teams in the country as four took a loss, two for the first time this year. In ranked matchups, Kansas took out Ohio State 74-66 and Missouri beat Illinois 82-73. The biggest upset was Temple over Syracuse 83-79. Here are my latest rankings.
Biggest Drop - Florida down 6
- Duke Blue Devils (11-0, Last Week 1) - The top-ranked Blue Devils disposed of Cornell and Elon on back-to-back nights. Mason Plumlee and Seth Curry continue to be a great inside-outside tandem.
- Michigan Wolverines (12-0, Last Week 2) - Michigan continues to get contributions from the entire team as four players average over 12 points per game. After a 93-54 drubbing of Eastern Michigan, they finish with the directional schools in the state, taking on Central Michigan this week.
- Louisville Cardinals (11-1, Last Week 4) - Rick Pitino's squad showed its defensive prowess holding FIU and WKU to 55 points. They are rolling as a date with rival Kentucky looms this week.
- Arizona Wildcats (11-0, Last Week 5) - The Wildcats opened up the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii with wins over ETSU and a solid Miami (Fl) team. A game against San Diego State in the championship could prove a tough test.
- Indiana Hoosiers (11-1, Last Week 6) - Since their loss to Butler, Indiana has taken their frustration out on lesser opponents Mount St Mary's and Florida Atlantic. They still remain the nation's highest scoring team.
- Kansas Jayhawks (10-1, Last Week 9) -The Jayhawks received a big boost after beating OSU in Columbus 74-66. Ben McLemore scored 22 and seems to be improving each week.
- Syracuse Orange (10-1, Last Week 3) - After getting coach Boeheim his 900th win, the Orange dropped a surprising game at Temple 83-79. Michael Carter-Williams went 3-17 from the floor and 7-15 from the line, while their leading scorer James Southerland managed only six points.
- Missouri Tigers (10-1, Last Week 15) - After watching the Tigers beat Illinois rather convincingly I'm starting to believe in this team. They were able to control the paint as Laurence Bowers and Alex Oriakhi each posted a double-double and Mizzou had a 51-29 rebounding advantage.
- Ohio State Buckeyes (9-2, Last Week 7) - OSU dropped a big game at home to Kansas as they were only able to shoot 31% from the field. They have lost their only games to top ten teams but this was one the needed to show they can compete with the elite teams in the country.
- Minnesota Golden Gophers (12-1, Last Week 11) - Minnesota has its eyes set on Michigan State on NYE. I believe this team can contend for a Big Ten title and the Spartans will provide a good test.
- Cincinnati Bearcats (12-0, Last Week 12) - The Bearcats looked good in the second half in a 60-45 win over in-state rival Xavier but they continue to shoot a poor percentage from the field, ranking 164th nationally. Their defense is great, but it will be interesting to see what happens when they face a ranked team.
- Illinois Fighting Illini (12-1, Last Week 10) - Illinois struggled mightily on offense shooting 33% while Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson combined for 8-31. This was the first setback to a surprising start for this team.
- Gonzaga Bulldogs (11-1, Last Week 13) - The Zags took care of Campbell now look towards playing two Big 12 teams in Baylor and Oklahoma State.
- Florida Gators (8-2, Last Week 8) - Florida has dropped two of its last three after falling 67-61 to Kansas State. This team looked good early on but is starting to stumble on the road.
- San Diego State Aztecs (11-1, Last Week 14) - A win over Arizona in the championship in Hawaii will turn some heads for this team.
Biggest Drop - Florida down 6
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