It doesn't get much better than back-to-back non-conference matchups in Madison Square Garden.
In the 7PM game, Maryland tackles BEast favorite Pitt. Maryland found themselves a lead guard in Pe'Shon Howard in their opener against Charleston. Howard got a lot of attention for hitting the game winning basket, however he really won them the game far before that, with his defensive effort in the the final five minutes on Andrew Goudelock who was running rampant on the Terps for 35 minutes.
Howard will have his hands full tonight with veteran Brad Wannamaker and the Pitt Panthers. Pitt is big and tough, and Ashton Gibbs is a legitimate BEast P.O.Y. candidate. Maryland has some athletes, but lacks the shooting, size and ballhandling to hang with the Panthers. Give me Pitt is a double-digit win.
The nightcap is an intriguing one, featuring two teams who late season sputters torpedoed promising season in 2009-2010. Texas was ranked #1 in the country as the calendar turned to 2010. Halfway through Big Ten play, Demitri McCamey looked like a challenger to Evan Turner for Big Ten POY candidate, and the Illini were in a five-way tie for first place.
By the end of the season Texas bowed out in the first round of the tourney as a #9 seed, and the Illini headed for the NIT.
Both have much higher expectations for rebounding this season. Texas lost some size and scoring, but might actually be better for it. Rick Barnes squad struggled with shot selection all season long, perhaps with too many self-proclaimed All-Stars taking wild shots. They also had tremendous issues at the point, both with injuries and erratic play. Illinois returns McCamey and enters the season ranked in the Top 25. Both teams fancy themselves as deep participants in March. Tonight will be an interesting barometer of how far along they really are.
I like Texas's athleticism and defensive pressure to stiffle an already suspect Illini offense. If Texas can avoid their oft brutal foul shooting, I like the Horns in a good early season matchup.
Maniac's Picks: Pitt -7.5, Texas +3.5
2010-2011 Record: 4-4
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Showing posts with label Maryland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maryland. Show all posts
Moving Up and Moving Out - ACC Edition
Welcome to a new feature on March Maniacs called "Moving Up & Moving Out". Each week we are going to take a look at the biggest movers in what is emerging as one of the most tumultuous seasons in recent memory. I still defy any expert or pundit to make sense of the ACC. I really don't think it is possible at this point.
Last week, in my now destroyed Bracketeering Projection, I argued the Top Three teams in the ACC are Duke, Georgia Tech and Clemson. I still think that is true, particularly after Maryland's loss to Clemson last night. I'm not as high on Florida State as some others are, and still project them in the NIT. I wasn't sold on Virginia, but the way they handed Carolina their backside on the home floor (again) seems to tell us something... though which team it tells us more about it debatable.
The ACC is a mess, and I wouldn't wager a dime on a single conference game the rest of the year my waging-minded friends. That said, here is a quick status check of the many ACC bubblemates.
Clemson - notched a big win last night over Maryland to move to 4-4 in conference. Two of their losses are to 5-2 Duke, so winning the ACC is pretty much out of reach. However those two losses to the Dukies mean their remaining schedule allows them eight league games without facing their nemesis in Durham. By the end of the year, Clemson wins 10-11 games in league and makes the tournament wearing white jerseys in Round One.
Florida State - Yes, it was Boston College, but any road win in the ACC is a good win. It pulled the Seminoles to 4-3 in conference and leaves them squarely in the race.
Virginia - What to make of the Cavs? I still contend that unless they win 11 games in league they will have a tough time making the tourney because of the brutal non-conference losses they sustained. One could even argue that Virginia's success damages the league's hopes to earn six or seven bids as it devalues the percieved quality of the teams. All that said, they went into Chapel Hill and beat the hell out of Roy Williams' and his seemingly never-ending parade of McDonald's All-Americans and moved to 4-2 in league play.
Miami (FL) - Yes, they finally got a conference win this weekend. However of the Hurricanes 16 wins, only SIX of them have come against teams in the RPI Top 200. Let me repeat that. TOP 200. Yuck.
Virginia Tech - And of you are team that loses to the aforementioned 'Canes, your stock has to drop a bit. Coming right on the heels of a good win in Charlottesville, it has to be a particularly deflating loss. It looks like yet another NIT stop for Seth Greenburg and the Hokies.
North Carolina - What to say about the Tarheels? This week they fall to 2-4 in league after getting decimated at home by Virginia. It is one thing to struggle on the road; most conferences do. It is quite another to be hammered at home in back to back games by Wake Forest and Virginia. I had the Tarheels as a #7 seed in my first bracket projection. It has nothing to do with the "name on the jersey", in fact I would argue the Tarheels were slightly undervalued for the exact same reason and heightened scruitiny.
It is getting real hard to argue on Carolina's behalf at this point. Will they make the tourney? It seems hard to imagine they can't get that awesome collection of talent steadied, but it seems equally abysmal watching their last two home games. This week they have two road games; at VA Tech and at Maryland. They really need to win both to be on decent footing before the following week's visit from the Dukies.
Last week, in my now destroyed Bracketeering Projection, I argued the Top Three teams in the ACC are Duke, Georgia Tech and Clemson. I still think that is true, particularly after Maryland's loss to Clemson last night. I'm not as high on Florida State as some others are, and still project them in the NIT. I wasn't sold on Virginia, but the way they handed Carolina their backside on the home floor (again) seems to tell us something... though which team it tells us more about it debatable.
The ACC is a mess, and I wouldn't wager a dime on a single conference game the rest of the year my waging-minded friends. That said, here is a quick status check of the many ACC bubblemates.
Moving Up:
Clemson - notched a big win last night over Maryland to move to 4-4 in conference. Two of their losses are to 5-2 Duke, so winning the ACC is pretty much out of reach. However those two losses to the Dukies mean their remaining schedule allows them eight league games without facing their nemesis in Durham. By the end of the year, Clemson wins 10-11 games in league and makes the tournament wearing white jerseys in Round One.
Florida State - Yes, it was Boston College, but any road win in the ACC is a good win. It pulled the Seminoles to 4-3 in conference and leaves them squarely in the race.
Virginia - What to make of the Cavs? I still contend that unless they win 11 games in league they will have a tough time making the tourney because of the brutal non-conference losses they sustained. One could even argue that Virginia's success damages the league's hopes to earn six or seven bids as it devalues the percieved quality of the teams. All that said, they went into Chapel Hill and beat the hell out of Roy Williams' and his seemingly never-ending parade of McDonald's All-Americans and moved to 4-2 in league play.
Moving Out:
Miami (FL) - Yes, they finally got a conference win this weekend. However of the Hurricanes 16 wins, only SIX of them have come against teams in the RPI Top 200. Let me repeat that. TOP 200. Yuck.
Virginia Tech - And of you are team that loses to the aforementioned 'Canes, your stock has to drop a bit. Coming right on the heels of a good win in Charlottesville, it has to be a particularly deflating loss. It looks like yet another NIT stop for Seth Greenburg and the Hokies.
North Carolina - What to say about the Tarheels? This week they fall to 2-4 in league after getting decimated at home by Virginia. It is one thing to struggle on the road; most conferences do. It is quite another to be hammered at home in back to back games by Wake Forest and Virginia. I had the Tarheels as a #7 seed in my first bracket projection. It has nothing to do with the "name on the jersey", in fact I would argue the Tarheels were slightly undervalued for the exact same reason and heightened scruitiny.
It is getting real hard to argue on Carolina's behalf at this point. Will they make the tourney? It seems hard to imagine they can't get that awesome collection of talent steadied, but it seems equally abysmal watching their last two home games. This week they have two road games; at VA Tech and at Maryland. They really need to win both to be on decent footing before the following week's visit from the Dukies.
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Weekend Review - ACC Jan 10th
The salvo Georgia Tech fired across Duke's bow Saturday has to resonate leaguewide. The message? The ACC is more wide open than it has been in a decade. Duke loses their road opener and North Carolina has looked incredibly vulnerable in the young season. I wrote several weeks ago that #3 through #11 this league was as jumbled as any. Perhaps it should be ammended to #1-#12; i.e. top to bottom.
Clemson handled their homecourt with ease, downing Boston College 72-56. The win was a nice bounce back for the Tigers after their opening loss in Cameron. The game of the day was Miami defeating Wake Forest 77-76 at home. Both teams look like NCAA Tournament teams to me, though there is still a long way to go in a brutal conference slate. Miami, unranked as of yesterday, is off to a 15-1 start. Might it be view the Canes as legitimate conference title challengers?
The ACC has long played some of their finer confernce games on Sunday night. While most people were watching the NFL, Maryland got a huge win, 77-68 over Florida State. It seems the Terps are annually on the bubble and the non-conference performance leads you to believe it might be more of the same in 2010. Conference wins will be huge, and it is important to win at home if you want to dance in March.
Carolina pulled away late and got a got win over a better than advertised Virginia Tech ballclub, 78-64. And speaking of bubble, Seth Greenburg's Hokies are annual staddlers as well. With Miami and FSU up next, they can ill-afford a 0-3 conference start and will need to knock off one of them.
Lastly, hats off to Virginia. The Cavs were largely picked last in the preseason but won their opener 70-62 over NC State, on the road no less. Let's not get hasty booking tourney plans, but it seems that all 12 teams will be capable of winning, and losing, on any night.
Team Up: Virginia, Maryland, Miami
Team Down: Boston College, NC State
Week ahead highlights: Maryland @ Wake (Tues), UNC @ Clemson (Wed), GA Tech @ UNC & VA Tech @ FSU (Sat), Wake @ Duke (Sun)
Clemson handled their homecourt with ease, downing Boston College 72-56. The win was a nice bounce back for the Tigers after their opening loss in Cameron. The game of the day was Miami defeating Wake Forest 77-76 at home. Both teams look like NCAA Tournament teams to me, though there is still a long way to go in a brutal conference slate. Miami, unranked as of yesterday, is off to a 15-1 start. Might it be view the Canes as legitimate conference title challengers?
The ACC has long played some of their finer confernce games on Sunday night. While most people were watching the NFL, Maryland got a huge win, 77-68 over Florida State. It seems the Terps are annually on the bubble and the non-conference performance leads you to believe it might be more of the same in 2010. Conference wins will be huge, and it is important to win at home if you want to dance in March.
Carolina pulled away late and got a got win over a better than advertised Virginia Tech ballclub, 78-64. And speaking of bubble, Seth Greenburg's Hokies are annual staddlers as well. With Miami and FSU up next, they can ill-afford a 0-3 conference start and will need to knock off one of them.
Lastly, hats off to Virginia. The Cavs were largely picked last in the preseason but won their opener 70-62 over NC State, on the road no less. Let's not get hasty booking tourney plans, but it seems that all 12 teams will be capable of winning, and losing, on any night.
Team Up: Virginia, Maryland, Miami
Team Down: Boston College, NC State
Week ahead highlights: Maryland @ Wake (Tues), UNC @ Clemson (Wed), GA Tech @ UNC & VA Tech @ FSU (Sat), Wake @ Duke (Sun)
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Feeding the Fire
Yup. For those of you counting the Maniac has now hit on 8 of 9 picks, nearly every one of them not just right, but almost exactly mapped in terms of tempo and margin. SO - what do we have in store for today?
Here's some quick Sunday picks:
No official pick here, but I have a feeling UCF is going to give Notre Dame a handful and even pull off an upset today in the Joyce Center.
1PM - South Carolina is banged up, Clemson is coming off a stunning second half twenty-plus point collapse against Illinois. The Tigers will be jacked up and focused to host in state rival USC and cover the 7 point spread.
7PM - Arizona is 3-3, but has lost multiple OT and two point heartbreakers. Tonight they are getting 8 points at less-than stellar Oklahoma. This line fluttered too far after Oklahoma laid the lumber to Arkansas. It looks good in the boxscore, but again, Arkansas has been combing the campus to find bodies to dress. It is akin to beating a low-major this year. Give me Nic Wise and Sean Miller's Cats to cover.
7:30PM - Touch this game at your own peril. Villanova takes their #3 ranking to take on the Terps in DC...and is laying only 2? Seems low, but would anyone be surprised to see Grevies Vasquez go off for like 27-8-8 today in an upset? I wouldn't. I think 'Nova should be laying more but am staying away from an official pick on this one.
SEASON RECORD: 21-12-1 ATS
Here's some quick Sunday picks:
No official pick here, but I have a feeling UCF is going to give Notre Dame a handful and even pull off an upset today in the Joyce Center.
1PM - South Carolina is banged up, Clemson is coming off a stunning second half twenty-plus point collapse against Illinois. The Tigers will be jacked up and focused to host in state rival USC and cover the 7 point spread.
7PM - Arizona is 3-3, but has lost multiple OT and two point heartbreakers. Tonight they are getting 8 points at less-than stellar Oklahoma. This line fluttered too far after Oklahoma laid the lumber to Arkansas. It looks good in the boxscore, but again, Arkansas has been combing the campus to find bodies to dress. It is akin to beating a low-major this year. Give me Nic Wise and Sean Miller's Cats to cover.
7:30PM - Touch this game at your own peril. Villanova takes their #3 ranking to take on the Terps in DC...and is laying only 2? Seems low, but would anyone be surprised to see Grevies Vasquez go off for like 27-8-8 today in an upset? I wouldn't. I think 'Nova should be laying more but am staying away from an official pick on this one.
SEASON RECORD: 21-12-1 ATS
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Big Chance for the Big Ten
It has been widely covered this week how the Big Ten has never beaten the ACC in the Challenge. I found that surprising, given the ACC's recent top-heaviness, but am not stunned. Regardless, this year seems to be the Big Ten's chance to break through.
Here is a guide to this week's games:
MONDAY: Penn State def. Virginia - Not surprising as Penn State is as strong as any 8th or 9th place team in any normal size (BEast excluded) conference in America. It's a good start for the Ten.
TUESDAY: A really good slate of games highlighted by Michigan State's trip to UNC at 9PM (ESPN HD). The undercard isn't bad either with Wake @ Purdue, Northwestern at NC State, Maryland @ Indiana, and Iowa @ Virginia Tech.
I am not sure exactly how the matchups are determined, but Maryland v. Indiana seems an odd mismatch, with IU being figured no higher than 9th (probably 10th or 11th) in the Big Ten. When your predicted finish is lower than the number of teams in the NAME OF YOUR LEAGUE it is not going to be a real banner season. Ditto for Iowa, the only team scraping the bottom with Indiana. Their draw of VA Tech seems a bit ambitious as well.
MANIAC'S PICKS: Purdue, Maryland, VA Tech, Northwestern in a surprise, and North Carolina continuing to haunt Izzo and the Spartans; this time with a nearly entirely new cast...
WEDNESDAY: More great action starts at 7PM with Illinois trying to stabilize a disappointing start with a win at Clemson. Other games in the early going feature Minnesota @ Miami, and Boston College @ Michigan. The late games are two really good ones when Duke tries to do what very few have recently; win at the Kohl Center against the Badgers, and Florida State visiting Evan Turner and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
MANIAC'S PICKS: Clemson, Miami (FL), Michigan, Duke and Ohio State.
FINAL TALLY: ACC gets 'em again, by a close 6-5 margin.
Here is a guide to this week's games:
MONDAY: Penn State def. Virginia - Not surprising as Penn State is as strong as any 8th or 9th place team in any normal size (BEast excluded) conference in America. It's a good start for the Ten.
TUESDAY: A really good slate of games highlighted by Michigan State's trip to UNC at 9PM (ESPN HD). The undercard isn't bad either with Wake @ Purdue, Northwestern at NC State, Maryland @ Indiana, and Iowa @ Virginia Tech.
I am not sure exactly how the matchups are determined, but Maryland v. Indiana seems an odd mismatch, with IU being figured no higher than 9th (probably 10th or 11th) in the Big Ten. When your predicted finish is lower than the number of teams in the NAME OF YOUR LEAGUE it is not going to be a real banner season. Ditto for Iowa, the only team scraping the bottom with Indiana. Their draw of VA Tech seems a bit ambitious as well.
MANIAC'S PICKS: Purdue, Maryland, VA Tech, Northwestern in a surprise, and North Carolina continuing to haunt Izzo and the Spartans; this time with a nearly entirely new cast...
WEDNESDAY: More great action starts at 7PM with Illinois trying to stabilize a disappointing start with a win at Clemson. Other games in the early going feature Minnesota @ Miami, and Boston College @ Michigan. The late games are two really good ones when Duke tries to do what very few have recently; win at the Kohl Center against the Badgers, and Florida State visiting Evan Turner and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
MANIAC'S PICKS: Clemson, Miami (FL), Michigan, Duke and Ohio State.
FINAL TALLY: ACC gets 'em again, by a close 6-5 margin.
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Quick Viewing Guide to Maui Classic
A good tourney tips off today at 3PM with Gonzaga playing Colorado. Cincinnati/Vandy at 5:30, and the lat night games with host Chaminade playing Maryland at 9:30 and Arizona and Wisconsin at midnight-ish. All games will be live on ESPN2 except Maryland, which is on ESPNU and ESPNM 360.
For more info on the tourney, check out their official site here:
Maniac's Quick Take on an All-Tourney Team:
Matt Boldin (Gonzaga), Lance Stevenson (Cincy), Grevies Vasquez (Maryland), AJ Ogilvy (Vandy) and Nic Wise (Arizona)
For more info on the tourney, check out their official site here:
Maniac's Quick Take on an All-Tourney Team:
Matt Boldin (Gonzaga), Lance Stevenson (Cincy), Grevies Vasquez (Maryland), AJ Ogilvy (Vandy) and Nic Wise (Arizona)
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Quick Guide to Tipoff Tourneys - Maui
For me, it is simply a wonderful time for College Hoops; the smorgasboard of early season tournaments. It is a great chance to see the nation's elite teams retreat from the comfort of home and match up against other elite powers.
This year seems to have brought more marquee matchups than ever as Puerto Rico, Orlando, Cancun amd the Virgin Islands bring solid fields to join the usuals in Maui and New York.
Maui Invitational: Nov 23-25th
A field loaded with good, not great teams kicks off with a quadruple header on ESPN. Ned a reason to watch? 5 of the 8 teams have legit "bubble" written all over them and some would lump Gonzaga in as the 6th.
12:30 Colorado v. Gonzaga, followed by Cincinnati v. Vanderbilt
7 PM: Maryland v. Chaminade followed by Wisconsin v. Arizona
Nov 24th: 7PM: Md/Cham v. UC/Vandy, 9:30PM Gonz/Colo. v. Wisc/AZ
Nov 25th: Afernoon, 5th-8th, 7PM Consolation, 9:30 Championship
Maniac's Picks: Maryland over Cincinnati & Gonzaga over Wisconsin, Maryland cutting down the nets, Cincinnati winning the consolation game in a style-contrasting battle with Bo's Badgers.
This year seems to have brought more marquee matchups than ever as Puerto Rico, Orlando, Cancun amd the Virgin Islands bring solid fields to join the usuals in Maui and New York.
Maui Invitational: Nov 23-25th
A field loaded with good, not great teams kicks off with a quadruple header on ESPN. Ned a reason to watch? 5 of the 8 teams have legit "bubble" written all over them and some would lump Gonzaga in as the 6th.
12:30 Colorado v. Gonzaga, followed by Cincinnati v. Vanderbilt
7 PM: Maryland v. Chaminade followed by Wisconsin v. Arizona
Nov 24th: 7PM: Md/Cham v. UC/Vandy, 9:30PM Gonz/Colo. v. Wisc/AZ
Nov 25th: Afernoon, 5th-8th, 7PM Consolation, 9:30 Championship
Maniac's Picks: Maryland over Cincinnati & Gonzaga over Wisconsin, Maryland cutting down the nets, Cincinnati winning the consolation game in a style-contrasting battle with Bo's Badgers.
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Bad and Worse - Saturday's Disatrous Losses
You always hope to write about teams playing their way IN come March, but the more astute observation would be that at least three teams played themselves OUT of the tourney today, with a fat additional handful doing their damndest to do likewise. Here is a quick rundown of the worst and wors-erest (?) performances Saturday:
Maryland - Rest in peace Terps. All goodwill stashed away from last weekend's Carolina thriller was washed away by a loss to conference doormat Virginia. With the plethora of teams snuggling on the bubble, it is hard to imagine a 7-9 ACC team with losses to Morgan State and UVA get the nod.
Cincinnati - Is "deader" a word? The Cats were "dead" after the USF loss this week. TOday's home defeat to Seton Hall makes a home-game in the NIT questionable.
Kentucky - I was joking with Poppa Maniac that the UK-UF game looked like a "play-in" game all season; today was a "play-out" game. I still think Florida is not getting in - and that Auburn would be more deserving of a 4th SEC spot than the Gators (who I really liked a month ago, admittedly...). That said Kentucky went from "bubble" to "Seeking a miracle." The Maniac will put it on record that they won't get it...and instead of a miracle will soon be seeking a head basketball coach.
Not saying ANY of them would TAKE the job, but here is my short list of GREAT FITS:
1. Jay Wright - I was stunned they didn't take a run at him when they settled for Dizzy Gillespie. Wright looks the part, plays the style of hoops that will win him fans in Lexington and would be wise to get out of the hyper-competitive Big East where Villanova is an unlikely perennial Top 4 team.
2. Darrin Horn - I know, I know, I know. He is in year one at South Carolina and has likely led the Gamecocks to a bid (over Kentucky). That said, he is a young, energetic coach who played his prep ball in.... you guessed it, the Bluegrass.
3. Can there be a more ideal fit than Travis Ford?? The gutty, beloved point guard on the 1993 Final Four team has exceeded expectations and has Oklahoma State on the verge of an unlikely tourney bid. He will be an exceedingly hot coaching commodity, and I am not convinced Oklahoma State is a destination job. Suffice it to say, Kentucky would be for Ford.
Come to think of it, I'd lay an even-money wager Ford is coaching the Cats within 15 months.
Ok back to the point - those were my three homicidal coach-killing losses. Here are a few that aren't deadly, but sure as hell made things sticky.
1. Creighton - Getting pasted by 27 in the semis of your 1-bid conference tournament is NOT a real good way to lock up an at-large birth. The Maniac STILL likes the Jays chances, but Creighton better root like hell for Xavier, Butler, Gonzaga during their conference tourneys... and likewise would be wise to root against Ohio State, Maryland, Virginia Tech. Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and St. Mary's...
2. Minnesota -Most experts think the Gophers are still in; the Maniac thinks they better be real nervous and would behoove them to win at least one in the Big Ten tourney. Everyone says "conference affiliation doesn't matter to the selection committee" but I cry foul on that notion. It is going to be tough to get eight Big Ten teams dance cards. Minnesota gets in a crowded spot with Ohio State, Michigan and...
3. PENN STATE - Seriously, all they had to do was beat Iowa and they move to LOCK status. So of course, they lose in OT to the Hawkeyes. At 10-8 in the Big Ten, they are in decent shape, but by no means a LOCK. The first round of the Big Ten tourney is going to be really interesting next week as 5 teams (six actually, don't discount Northwestern) are scrambling for bids.
Maryland - Rest in peace Terps. All goodwill stashed away from last weekend's Carolina thriller was washed away by a loss to conference doormat Virginia. With the plethora of teams snuggling on the bubble, it is hard to imagine a 7-9 ACC team with losses to Morgan State and UVA get the nod.
Cincinnati - Is "deader" a word? The Cats were "dead" after the USF loss this week. TOday's home defeat to Seton Hall makes a home-game in the NIT questionable.
Kentucky - I was joking with Poppa Maniac that the UK-UF game looked like a "play-in" game all season; today was a "play-out" game. I still think Florida is not getting in - and that Auburn would be more deserving of a 4th SEC spot than the Gators (who I really liked a month ago, admittedly...). That said Kentucky went from "bubble" to "Seeking a miracle." The Maniac will put it on record that they won't get it...and instead of a miracle will soon be seeking a head basketball coach.
Not saying ANY of them would TAKE the job, but here is my short list of GREAT FITS:
1. Jay Wright - I was stunned they didn't take a run at him when they settled for Dizzy Gillespie. Wright looks the part, plays the style of hoops that will win him fans in Lexington and would be wise to get out of the hyper-competitive Big East where Villanova is an unlikely perennial Top 4 team.
2. Darrin Horn - I know, I know, I know. He is in year one at South Carolina and has likely led the Gamecocks to a bid (over Kentucky). That said, he is a young, energetic coach who played his prep ball in.... you guessed it, the Bluegrass.
3. Can there be a more ideal fit than Travis Ford?? The gutty, beloved point guard on the 1993 Final Four team has exceeded expectations and has Oklahoma State on the verge of an unlikely tourney bid. He will be an exceedingly hot coaching commodity, and I am not convinced Oklahoma State is a destination job. Suffice it to say, Kentucky would be for Ford.
Come to think of it, I'd lay an even-money wager Ford is coaching the Cats within 15 months.
Ok back to the point - those were my three homicidal coach-killing losses. Here are a few that aren't deadly, but sure as hell made things sticky.
1. Creighton - Getting pasted by 27 in the semis of your 1-bid conference tournament is NOT a real good way to lock up an at-large birth. The Maniac STILL likes the Jays chances, but Creighton better root like hell for Xavier, Butler, Gonzaga during their conference tourneys... and likewise would be wise to root against Ohio State, Maryland, Virginia Tech. Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and St. Mary's...
2. Minnesota -Most experts think the Gophers are still in; the Maniac thinks they better be real nervous and would behoove them to win at least one in the Big Ten tourney. Everyone says "conference affiliation doesn't matter to the selection committee" but I cry foul on that notion. It is going to be tough to get eight Big Ten teams dance cards. Minnesota gets in a crowded spot with Ohio State, Michigan and...
3. PENN STATE - Seriously, all they had to do was beat Iowa and they move to LOCK status. So of course, they lose in OT to the Hawkeyes. At 10-8 in the Big Ten, they are in decent shape, but by no means a LOCK. The first round of the Big Ten tourney is going to be really interesting next week as 5 teams (six actually, don't discount Northwestern) are scrambling for bids.
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Players of the Weekend
The beautiful thing about college hoops is you never really know who and when the stage will be stolen. With just three weeks until Selection Sunday, the Madness got a great prequel with a handful of spectacular performances.
Player of the Weekend:
Grieves Vasquez recorded Maryland's first triple double in more than twenty years in leading the Terps to an improbable OT comeback victory over the Tarheels. Trailing by six with less than a minute to go in regulation, the Terps surged back with trapping D and clutch scoring; the final bucket to tie coming on a Vasquez drive with seven seconds to play. For good measure he blocked Ty Lawson's buzzer beater attempt and controled overtime for the entire five monutes.
Honorable Mention:
AJ Abrams looked more like the November All-American worthy version than the Abrams that showed up the past few weeks. With the Horns on the ropes and the season on the verge of slipping away, Abrams scored 15 points in the final five and a half minutes and shot Texas to a huge victory over arch rival Oklahoma
Gordon Hayawrd (Butler) - The sensational freshman upstaged the heralded Steph Curry netting 27 points in Butler's easy victory over Davidson. The bitch of "Brackbuster Weekend" is that is a lose-lose for the small schools. Butler wins, and "Davidson isn't that good." Meanwhile, for Davidson it is another strike in the "they can't hang with the big boys" column. Unfortunatly for the 'Cats, it means they better win he SoCon tourney in two weeks if they want to dance.
OK, off my soapbox - the point; Hayward and the Bulldogs looked great.
Player of the Weekend:
Grieves Vasquez recorded Maryland's first triple double in more than twenty years in leading the Terps to an improbable OT comeback victory over the Tarheels. Trailing by six with less than a minute to go in regulation, the Terps surged back with trapping D and clutch scoring; the final bucket to tie coming on a Vasquez drive with seven seconds to play. For good measure he blocked Ty Lawson's buzzer beater attempt and controled overtime for the entire five monutes.
Honorable Mention:
AJ Abrams looked more like the November All-American worthy version than the Abrams that showed up the past few weeks. With the Horns on the ropes and the season on the verge of slipping away, Abrams scored 15 points in the final five and a half minutes and shot Texas to a huge victory over arch rival Oklahoma
Gordon Hayawrd (Butler) - The sensational freshman upstaged the heralded Steph Curry netting 27 points in Butler's easy victory over Davidson. The bitch of "Brackbuster Weekend" is that is a lose-lose for the small schools. Butler wins, and "Davidson isn't that good." Meanwhile, for Davidson it is another strike in the "they can't hang with the big boys" column. Unfortunatly for the 'Cats, it means they better win he SoCon tourney in two weeks if they want to dance.
OK, off my soapbox - the point; Hayward and the Bulldogs looked great.
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Saturday's HUGE Wins
Yet another bizarre and delightful day of college hoops. Wake Forest did pollsters a favor by eliminating any possible consternation over who will be number one when the polls come out tomorrow when they lost at the buzzer to previously winless Georgia Tech. Yep, 0-6 in ACC play before taking on the Deacons who have beaten Duke and UNC. You try and figure out this season...
Yet The Yellow Jackets don't make our "Big Win" list; because the game ostensibly means very little. Georgia Tech is building for next year, but is in too deep of a hole to even entertain dreams of an at-large bid. It is unlikely they will see North of .500 and be eligible for post-season play period. SO, they don't make the list. (However, Wake could make the "bad loss" list for sure!)
Let's run down some of the biggest wins across the country yesterday:
Missouri got a much-needed win, and in convincing fashion whn they whooped Baylor yesterday. The Bears don't seem to have the magic they had last season, and are in real danger of missing the tourney. Missouri puts themself back in solid position after slipping a little with thir loss to K State earlier in the week.
Speaking on whom, how about Kansas State?? Left for dead a week ago, they beat Missouri and then go into Austin for their second straight win yesterday. It is still a tall mountain to climb, given their poor non-conference resume, but for the immediate time being, Kansas State has put themselves back in the tourney conversation.
What to make of the Pac-10? Just when everyone was ready to write off UCLA, everyone collapses around them and the Bruins once again look like the team to beat after a 30+ point beating of Stanford. Washington captured a huge win (84-71) at Arizona State yesterday, and Arizona continues their spirited resurgance winning over Washington State. Meanwhile USC reasserted their tourney hopes, and diminished those of Cal with their 73-62 win late last night.
It is a similar mess in the much maligned SEC. Tennessee was on the ropes but bounced up nicely with a sound beating of the Gators last night in Knoxville. The win pulls the Vols into a 4-way 2-loss tie atop the SEC East. South Carolina put a huge chip in their tourney pile with a win yesterday in Lexington. The Gamecocks are the most overlooked of the bunch, but at 16-4 (5-2) with their only non-conferences losses against Clemson and a tough Charelston squad and wins over Baylor and Kentucky their resume is looking tourney-solid.
LSU appears to be asserting themselves as the team to beat in the SEC West with another convincing victory, this one over Arkansas. Meanwhile Ole Miss made things more interesting beating in-state rival and formerly West-leading Mississippi State.
The two teams in the ACC that needed wins to keep their sagging tourney hopes alive got them yesterday. Boston College got a nice win over Virginia Tech, and Maryland got a desperatly needed victory over bubble-mate Miami. Again, there is still a month to play but BC and Maryland are right in the same sentance as Miami, Virginia Tech and FSU right now. I wouldn't want to be the committee who has to pick two or three and leave the others behind.
And perhaps the biggest "bubble-win" of the day, Northwestern (12-7, 4-5) downs Wisconsin. It wouldn't have seemed possible two months ago, but right now the Wildcats would be one of the last two or three teams left out of the tourney. The Big Ten will get six or seven bids, and Michigan and Wisconsin are leaving the door wide open. Northwestern is just a few wins from being in the Field. It goes without saying we will continue to follow the Wildcats' progress as they chase the school's first EVER NCAA bid.
Yet The Yellow Jackets don't make our "Big Win" list; because the game ostensibly means very little. Georgia Tech is building for next year, but is in too deep of a hole to even entertain dreams of an at-large bid. It is unlikely they will see North of .500 and be eligible for post-season play period. SO, they don't make the list. (However, Wake could make the "bad loss" list for sure!)
Let's run down some of the biggest wins across the country yesterday:
Missouri got a much-needed win, and in convincing fashion whn they whooped Baylor yesterday. The Bears don't seem to have the magic they had last season, and are in real danger of missing the tourney. Missouri puts themself back in solid position after slipping a little with thir loss to K State earlier in the week.
Speaking on whom, how about Kansas State?? Left for dead a week ago, they beat Missouri and then go into Austin for their second straight win yesterday. It is still a tall mountain to climb, given their poor non-conference resume, but for the immediate time being, Kansas State has put themselves back in the tourney conversation.
What to make of the Pac-10? Just when everyone was ready to write off UCLA, everyone collapses around them and the Bruins once again look like the team to beat after a 30+ point beating of Stanford. Washington captured a huge win (84-71) at Arizona State yesterday, and Arizona continues their spirited resurgance winning over Washington State. Meanwhile USC reasserted their tourney hopes, and diminished those of Cal with their 73-62 win late last night.
It is a similar mess in the much maligned SEC. Tennessee was on the ropes but bounced up nicely with a sound beating of the Gators last night in Knoxville. The win pulls the Vols into a 4-way 2-loss tie atop the SEC East. South Carolina put a huge chip in their tourney pile with a win yesterday in Lexington. The Gamecocks are the most overlooked of the bunch, but at 16-4 (5-2) with their only non-conferences losses against Clemson and a tough Charelston squad and wins over Baylor and Kentucky their resume is looking tourney-solid.
LSU appears to be asserting themselves as the team to beat in the SEC West with another convincing victory, this one over Arkansas. Meanwhile Ole Miss made things more interesting beating in-state rival and formerly West-leading Mississippi State.
The two teams in the ACC that needed wins to keep their sagging tourney hopes alive got them yesterday. Boston College got a nice win over Virginia Tech, and Maryland got a desperatly needed victory over bubble-mate Miami. Again, there is still a month to play but BC and Maryland are right in the same sentance as Miami, Virginia Tech and FSU right now. I wouldn't want to be the committee who has to pick two or three and leave the others behind.
And perhaps the biggest "bubble-win" of the day, Northwestern (12-7, 4-5) downs Wisconsin. It wouldn't have seemed possible two months ago, but right now the Wildcats would be one of the last two or three teams left out of the tourney. The Big Ten will get six or seven bids, and Michigan and Wisconsin are leaving the door wide open. Northwestern is just a few wins from being in the Field. It goes without saying we will continue to follow the Wildcats' progress as they chase the school's first EVER NCAA bid.
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