Re: College Hoops Thread '10-'11
 

Spiders bite the Commodores, 69-66. Hey, I've been telling you all year that Richmond can be tough.

Aztecs beat up on NC (that's Northern Colorado, so don't get too excited) 68-50.

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Nice, NICE win for Morehead. I hate 'em, but WELL DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2 Dances in a row, the OVC gets a win. Looks like a winnable Round 2 game also.

Wow, Vandy, 2nd year in a row. Gonna leave a mark with that one!

Florida is having a real tough time ;). Glad to see the Cats were able to squeak a win out.

I forgot to put up any brackets this year.

Re: College Hoops Thread '10-'11
 

Type it out on google docs or gmail, then cut and paste.

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Big sigh of relief to get our first win...looking forward to Saturday....:noon

Re: College Hoops Thread '10-'11
 

your boys are playing well now.

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The Cats were up in today's 1st game, against the same school that bounced them last year. Little better outcome for the Faithful today :noon:noon. It was a good game; I would not be surprised if any of you heard my wife screaming at the refs, coaches, or players :sl.

The Gators are in a fight against the Bruins as I type, with less than a minute to go. Again, another good game.

Ordering in for supper; can't miss the Morehead/Richmond match coming up.

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Whew!!!! Butler drops Pitt! Whatta finish! I was impressed that Butler was able to stand in there against a very good 2nd half from Pitt, especially with the disadvantage in rebounding.

I rooted for Butler, and was glad the refs called the last 1.4 sec as close as the rest of the game. I gotta say though; that kid made a mistake, but his coach lost the game for them right there. What in the world was he thinking, having his kids lined up at the line for the 2nd Pitt free throw and going after a rebound?!?!?!?!? 1.4 seconds left, ain't no way Butler gets a rebound and heaves a shot over 3/4 court for the win. Stupid!!! Keep your kids out of the way! I feel sorry for the kid, just as I did when Mack fouled.

Didn't see much of the SDSU game, but 2OT's is usually a fun game to watch. Coach K vs Coach Fisher again???

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It was fun, State could have won a little easier, almost bit through my cigar watching it.-(P

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Drats! Thought Dook was toast, but they hung in for the win.

Tough ending for the Huskies. Don't know if the extra time would have helped them get a shot off or not, but I hate to see any game end like that, especially at this level.

Same is true for the Texas/Arizona matchup. Tough non-call at the end. I couldn't tell from the first replays, whereas last night's replay on the Butler game was conclusive.

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Wow so many close games. Sad about my Huskies, but they put on a thrilling game. Credit to UNC and Coach Roy.

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syracuse put a dagger in my heart yesterday but at least I have my red sox to look forward to now.

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Temple done in by missing lay ups!.....like 5 or 6!....great game but Sweet 16 woulda been, well....Sweet!

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Let's Go Red Sox.......

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Alas, San Diego State is out, but we had a great year and hopefully we will get just a little respect out West.....

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Wow! Was hoping dook would get beat, but did not expect the beatdown they received!!! Really did not expect it from 'Zona, given how close their previous 2 games were.

VERY glad to see Butler make it through their game.

Got to watch the Kemba vs Jimmer show. UCONN doesn't appear to be weakening any.

Kansas and NC are putting clinics on right now; it's getting past embarrassing for Richmond and Marquette. Both teams are colder than ice from outside.

Go UK!!!!!

Re: College Hoops Thread '10-'11
 

Interesting Friday. The last 2 games were as fun and exciting to watch as the first 2 were painful and boring to watch. I figured KU would win theirs, but I expected it to be closer than that. I halfway expected the Heels to go down, and instead watched another beat down.

I didn't see as much of the VCU/FSU game as I would have liked, given the UK game was on. It was a bigger battle than that game, given the OT situation. Really proud of both teams; they played tough.

Some of the guys at work were giving THE OSU and 10 points; looks like they owe some folks a coke :noon:noon:noon. Really proud of the Cats. Got in foul trouble early and often in the 1st, but some good substitutions with a not-so-deep bench worked out well, and they did not lose a lot of ground. I thought for a little bit that it might get as chippy as the KU/Richmond game (no class, btw, Jayhawks, in running up the tunnel).
I thought the officiating stank in this one. There were bad calls on both teams, I thought. Really didn't get the T thrown on Calipari.
Really proud of Harrellson. He has steadily progressed over the course of the season. Jared Sullinger is just a force, and is one of the top inside guys in the nation this year. Harrellson didn't beat him, but he did counter him very well on both sides, so that the Cats did not have to rely soley on guard play. Given the defense of OSU's guards, I was happy UK was able to stay close all game and come away with another last-second win.


Poet, I'm sending a stripper and a line of credit to the Belagio for Charles Barkley, so that he picks UK over UNC :r. His picks this week have been pretty accurate. Should be a good game.

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Yeah real classy blocking the tunnel with your little Rah Rah huddle..Spidyman..

They probably drive in the left lane talking on their cell phones too.

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You would have thought BOTH teams would have been motivated by that little exchange. The Spyders, however, reminded me of Garfield vs the spider cartoons, with KU doing ALL the stomping ;). Richmond just folded their legs up under them and died.

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Great game and great finish in today's first match. The Gators and Bulldogs both played pretty good. I thought Butler was out of steam there for a while, but they reeled the Gators back in. Really exciting game to watch; these guys are playing so hard. Hated to see either one lose. Not good possessions by Florida on the last two; there was plenty more time to set up a shot, even the last one. I really thought Florida had them at the end, but defense held, and 40 foot jump shots are not easy.

One team in, 3 to go!

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And then there were none. When is the last time that no #1 seeds survived to the Final Four?

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I think it's the first time since the change from the 32-team format.

This has been an exciting Dance. I'd not be surprised if CBS is disappointed with the Butler/VCU side of the bracket, but I'm not. Lots of people root for the underdog and love both these teams. That said, it might, then, have been better if these 2 were facing one of the other 2 teams, for ratings sake.

I REALLY didn't expect VCU to survive this game. KU, as much as I don't like them, has a good team. But I didn't think they were more dominant than THE OSU, who was probably as dominant as any this season. And this season, anyone could be beaten. You could see it on his face during the game; Self couldn't believe this little twit of a team was beating his Jayhawks. I was pretty surprised myself.

I figured the Cats had a shot at the win against the Heels, though. They delivered. I missed most of it, so can't comment a lot. It sounded like there was some more solid defense and guard play, up-tempo ball, and good inside performance from Harrellson. These guys are really gelling right now, and the UCONN game should be fantastic.

I have no idea on Butler/VCU. I'd say Butler will have the edge, but after watching VCU pop the Jayhawks, I've no clue. Should be fun to watch, though.

Re: College Hoops Thread '10-'11
 

Just FYI, I've not been ignoring youse guys . . . I've spent the last week+ in the hospital following emergency surgery.

Thanks for keeping the thread alive. I'll let you know if the doctors managed to do the same for me. :sh

Re: College Hoops Thread '10-'11
 

Best wishes for full and speedy recovery, Poet. I imagine Dancing is the least of what's on your mind right now.

Re: College Hoops Thread '10-'11
 

Get well soon, Poet. Hope the surgery went well and everything is ok.

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Here's hoping the doctors successfully did their doctor thing. Get well soon, bro...you have a full season of watching mediocre pitching ahead of you. ;) :D

Re: College Hoops Thread '10-'11
 

Well, more B'Ball fun for the weekend.

VCU/Butler was fun to watch, but I think Butler's coach was ready for them, and they wore them down in the end. VCU did a great job though, and was in it for most of the game.

UK/UCONN was a surprisingly low-scoring matchup, I thought. I was surprised at the Cat's 1st half FG%, and the Huskies 2nd half FG%. I figured a little better for both. In the first, the Cats looked the the Road Team I've seen all season. Lethargic at times, and couldn't hit the side of a mountain. 25% FG...OUCH!!!! Must have been a good butt stomping in the locker room at the half for the Cats. But once they got back up with them, the shots quit falling again, and the Huskies were able to hold on. HORRIBLE execution for the Cats last in-bounds play, though the Huskies D had a lot to do with that. But it looked like some of the Cats either got too tired, or just lost the aggressiveness after they tied it back up. Short shots, missed free throws, and not as much hustle for loose balls, for a Final 4 appearance. Hey, UCONN was warn out too, but still hustled a little better than some of the Cats. Also thought they were never really able to use Harrelson as much as needed, though foul trouble helped there. Also one missed goal tend call against UCONN in the 2nd and a missed double-dribble against them too.
But, a good game.

Go Butler!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What did y'all think???

Re: College Hoops Thread '10-'11
 

Womans final four...Texas A&M win over Stanford was a great game!! :tu :tu

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Generally, I couldn't care less about the women's final four, but I am rooting for ND to upset UCONN. Up 10 with 6:30 left.

I'll be rooting for Butler to upset UCONN tomorrow as well.

Re: College Hoops Thread '10-'11
 

Oh my goodness, did NOT expect THAT final!!!!

Probably neither did Butler, nor UCONN. That had to have been one of the hardest-to-watch games I've ever seen. Good defense is one thing, but Butler's score went well beyond that (UCONN was not much better).

Be interesting to see if this was Calhoun's last game.

Re: College Hoops Thread '10-'11
 

ditto:tu

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Potentially bad news for brother Joe (jcruse64) today. It has been announced that beginning in the '12-'13 season, Belmont will be leaving the Atlantic Sun conference and shall join the OVC instead. I could easily see them becoming the dominant team in that league . . . which would not bode well for Joe's MSU Racers.

Re: College Hoops Thread '10-'11
 

That could make it interesting. Also, Morehead State has been coming on strong the last few seasons. It looks like a good move for them, with a much less onerous road travel ordeal. Should be good for the OVC too.

Head Coach Billy Kennedy is reportedly going to Texas A&M on Monday, replacing former coach Mark Turgeon, who got the Maryland job. Good luck to BK; he was not my favorite Racer coach, but he had an excellent run with them, and was well liked and respected by the community and university.

Re: College Hoops Thread '10-'11
 

I agree that the travel ordeal should be significantly eased by Belmont's inclusion in the more centrally located OVC. Yet knowing them, I feel sure they wil still schedule a few top opponents at a distance from Nashville.

And yes, Coach Kennedy will be going to College Station TX to lead the Aggies. He had good success with the Racers, and should be able to make the transition to this next level. Only one caveat/quibble from me: He is only 47 years old, and has spent the past five at Murray State. But aside from being a former assistant at A&M, he has also spent bench time at Wyoming, Tulane, Creighton, California, New Orleans, Southeastern Louisiana, Miami, Northwestern State, and Centenary.

That's what, eleven jobs in maybe 25 years . . . or, subtracting his five at MSU, 10 in 20? Hmmmmmm. :confused:

As for your sake, Joe, I hope you find a good replacement for him.

Re: College Hoops Thread '10-'11
 

Developing news out of Storrs, home of the reigning national champion UConn Huskies. Though it has not been announced officially, it does seem likely that UConn will lose two more scholarships next season because they failed to meet the NCAA's APR (Academic Performance Rating) over the last four years. The minimum rating is 925, whereas their 4-year total is 893, with the score for the '09-'10 season being a paltry 826.

If you know anything at all about Jim Calhoun, it will not surprise you that he denies any personal responsibility for this problem, stating at a recent Husky Day rally "If because someone left early or didn't finish, all those various things that get you . . . when you have 16 kids leave in a 10-year period, you are more likely to be more open to (a low APR) happening." Of course, the fact that he recruits "kids" who have no interest in obtaining an education plays no factor in the matter. :D

Sadly for him, his university does not exactly see it that way. A clause in his contract requires him to donate $100,000 to a scholarship program (what irony there!) if his program doesn't meet the APR. And to add injurious insult to insulting injury, he will also forfeit his postseason bonus of $87,500.

But he DOES get to keep the national championship . . . at least, for now. ;)

Re: College Hoops Thread '10-'11
 

There's sort of an odd and interesting situation that's developed out of State College over the past week. Ed DeChellis surprised people last week when he resigned as head coach of Penn State to take the vacant job at Navy. In itself, this seems a bit strange to me. But that alone is not what's struck me. PSU decided to seek the advise of Eddie Fogler in their search for a new basketball coach. Then it was reported that Larry Brown has expressed interest in acceptiing the position, but the AD thinks he is not a good fit for several reason (age, lack of recent recruiting experience, fears he'd want too much money, his peripathetic history, etc.). However, PSU is apparently looking into both East Carolina's Jeff Lebo and Tulsa's Doug Wojcik.

OK, so here's the thing:

Eddie Fogler = A Tar Heel, played for Dean Smith.
Larry Brown = A Tar Heel, played for Frank McGuire and Dean Smith.
Jeff Lebo = A Tar Heel, played for Dean Smith.
Doug Wojcik = Not a Tar Heel. But was an assistant at Notre Dame and UNC for Matt Doherty, a Tar Heel who played for Dean Smith.

Wassup with dat? Am I seeing stuff that ain't there, or what? :r

Re: College Hoops Thread '10-'11
 

I could be wrong but they are stuck with Paterno and they might be afraid to bring another legend on board until they can lose Papa Joe.

Re: College Hoops Thread '10-'11
 

Good point, but it also sort of shoots holes in the objection to Brown's age of 70, when compared to Paterno's 84 . . . and counting. :r

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OK, I admit I don't know what to think of this one. It's a bit of a head-scratcher, and I believe a few of you will either laugh or cry "FOUL!", yet it thus needs to be reported.

The Univeristy of Detroit has announced that, in a ceremony to be held early this coming December, the home court of their Titans will be named after . . . Dick Vitale. Dicky V, long-time college hoops analyst, was the coach of the team for a brief time, between 1973-1977, achieved a 'meh" record of 78-30, was named AD in April '77, then left a year later to become the coach of the Pistons.

To me, I don't care if you like or hate him as an analyst, you still can't totally denigrate his "impact" on sports broadcasting. Yet his contribution specifically to UD hoops seems pretty menial to me. Hey, he's not exactly Hank Iba, Phog Allen, Adolph Rupp, John Wooden, Dean Smith, or Lou Carnesecca.

Re: College Hoops Thread '10-'11
 

...or John Chaney :tu...agreed !

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Two stories of note, one sad and one sadly shockingly unsurprising:

Sixteen-year-old Indiana high school star Austin Hatch, a recent recruit accepted by the University of Michigan, is in a drug-induced coma while he attempts to recover from brain swelling following an airplane crash on Friday. His father, Stephen Hatch, was the pilot, and both he and Austin's stepmother Kim were killed in the crash. The elder Hatch was also the pilot in a 2003 crash which Austin survived, but which killed his mother and two siblings. Although there are some encouraging signs that Austin's condition is improving, it is still too early to state that he will recover, or even survive.

Meanwhile, in Lexington KY, the University of Kentucky has announced it has given John Calipari a new 8-year contract worth $36.5 million, plus incentives. This announcement follows Calipari's proposal made last week that UK should champion a drive to persuade 63 other teams to flee the NCAA and form their own multi-division league, thus freeing them of the restrictive rules and regulations of that governing body, which would allow them (for instance) to award their athletes a stipend of $3,000 - $5,000 per annum in spending money . . . which Cal likely has on him at any given moment.