Yancy Gates was too much to handle for Vanderbilt and Maryland. How will Gonzaga slow him down?
- The BearCats are for real. Everyone knew they were loaded coming into this year, it was just if the pieces could fit together. Well, Mick Cronin has the Cats rolling as they knocked off their second consecutive ranked opponent last night in Maryland. Yancy Gates has another monster night (17 points, 13 rebounds), while Lance Stephenson put up a nice line (11 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists) in 29 minutes. Next test for Cincy comes against Gonzaga (4-1) tonight in Maui. The Zags beat up Bo Ryan’s Wisconsin Badgers last night 74-61.
- Texas Tech (6-0) barely survived Stephen F. Austin 63-61, while fellow Big XII team Colorado(3-2) lost in overtime to Arizona 91-87. The Buffs look improved, but unfortunately have lost two heartbreakers on consecutive nights (Arizona, Gonzaga).
- Cornell (2-2) missed their second consecutive opportunity to pick up a big out of conference win when they lost to Syracuse (5-0) at the Carrier Dome. The Orange avoided a huge letdown after their big wins over the weekend. The Cuse’ have really exceeded my expectations this season…
- Providence (4-1) destroyed Vermont 106-64.. this is the same Vermont team that knocked off hapless Rutgers. Needless to say it could be another long year at the RAC.
- NJIT (2-2) beat Division-1 Wagner (0-3). That was a rare feat for the Highlanders who only beat 1 Division-1 squad last season.
- Iowa State (5-0) is going to knock off a couple really good teams this year, I love the way the Cyclones are playing.
- Utah (2-2) has fallen far from last season’s #5 seed in the Tournament. They lost to Seattle last night!
LSU at (13) Connecticut
The Tigers head into the Garden for the Pre-season NIT in what will surely be a virtual home game for Uconn. Forwards Storm Warren (15.3 ppg, 11.7 rpg) and Tasmin Mitchell (11.7 ppg, 9 rpg) will provide some stability against the Uconn bigs, while Bo Spencer (20.3 ppg) can light it up from anywhere. The Huskies have been fairly unimpressive against three overmatched opponents, but have a three headed monster with Jerome Dyson (20 ppg, 6 apg), Kemba Walker (14.7 ppg, 4 apg) and Stanley Robinson (16.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg). The Huskies should be favored, but I like the Tigers, who can really lock it down on defense.
The Pick: LSU 72 Connecticut 68
Cincinnati vs. Gonzaga — at Maui
The BearCats are rolling and are really looking like a team to be reckoned with in the Big East and nationally. Gonzaga is an awful tough team, but they always play better against less athletic teams. This Cincinnati team is full of athletes who can run the floor and an elite scorer in Deonta Vaughn. I think this one will be close, but Cincy pulls away in the final 8 minutes to win by double digits.
Ryan Wittman will try to lead Cornell to a big upset over #9 Syracuse.
- The Longhorns (3-0) have added to the misery in Des Moines, Iowa with their dominating win over the Hawkeyes (1-3) in Kansas City. Dexter Pittman had 15 points and 8 boards, while Damion James had 10 and 12. This Texas team is very scary, with a ton of depth.
- Wayne Chism had an enormous game (24 points, 5 rebounds), but his biggest shot of the night was no good and the Volunteers (4-1) fell to Purdue (4-0) in the Virgin Islands. E-Twaun Moore and Robbie Hummel scored 22 and 20 respectively and Scotty Hopson was shut down by the Boilermakers. Hopson had his second straight poor shooting performance, after beginning the year on a tear.
- Clemson (4-0) is becoming unbeatable in non-conference games, as they won their 30th consecutive November contest.
- Cincinnati (3-0), another team I picked to surprise, beat #24 Vanderbilt (2-1) with a big effort from Yancy Gates (16 points, 10 rebounds). Cincy has some real star power and will go as far as Deonta Vaughn and Lance Stephenson can take them.
- Could it be possible that DePaul (3-1) has actually improved? The Blue Demons had a great showing against Tennessee and picked up a solid win over St. Joes last night in the Paradise Jam.
- Give credit to Virginia Tech (3-0) for going to Campbell (3-1). It is far too often that the big boys will refuse to give a mid-major a chance in their gym.
- Montana (4-1) increased the heat on Ernie Kent, whose Ducks fell in Eugene 68-55. Kent probably needs a solid season to save his job!
(3) Texas vs. Pittsburgh — in Kansas City
This game should be a good indication of where Pitts season is going. I know it’s still very early, but the Panthers are quite a mystery and this game should clear some of that up. Pitt’s bigs are pretty inexperienced, so I expect Pittman and James to feast on them down low.
The Pick: Texas 68 Pitt 59
Cornell at (9) Syracuse
The Big Red missed a huge opportunity against Seton Hall on Friday night, but they will try to regroup in the Carrier Dome. Syracuse has been on fire with impressive wins over California and North Carolina, so this one should be a cakewalk right? This could be a game that Syracuse doesn’t show up for, which would be a huge mistake. I like Ryan Wittman and Louis Dale to keep the Big Red around, but Wes Johnson and Arinze Onuaku will be too much.
Coble's loss has hurt the Wildcats aspirations for their first NCAA bid.
Just some thoughts from last nights games:
- Kansas barely survived their first test of the year, which shocked me. I did not expect Memphis to be up to the task, but maybe people have slept on the Tigers this year. Obviously Josh Pastner is keeping this program running at the level Calipari had (hopefully without the scandals).
- Michigan State showed a lot of guts by rallying against Gonzaga proving that they are worthy of their high-ranking. I knew this would be close because Gonzaga could keep up with Michigan State. Give the Zags a fast paced game and they struggle because they lack the athleticism of other top programs.
- Louisville’s win over Arkansas is meant almost nothing. The Hogs are bad and I still have a lot of questions about the Cards.
- St. John’s survived St. Bonaventure in Rochester. A loss would have made the heat on Norm Roberts unbearable. This is his make or break year.
- A highly touted Holy Cross team is now 0-2. This is not good for the Patriot League, as the Crusaders are expected to carry the conference banner this year.
- Nice win for LSU over Western Kentucky 71-60. The Hilltoppers are always tough, and I expect them to be there at the end for the Sun Belt.
- Iowa State beat down Drake last night in Des Moines. This is relevant since they had lost their previous three vs. the Bulldogs and means that the Cyclones should be 6-0 when they take on in-state rival Northern Iowa.
- Wow, Iowa is really bad! Todd Lickliter has some bigtime pressure on him and has to be regretting his decision to depart Butler. Take a look at what the Hawkeye fanbase feelings are on Lickliter.
(10) Butler at Northwestern
This is the game of the night, but one that has lost a lot of its luster with the loss of Kevin Coble for Northwestern. The Wildcats were poised to make a run at their first NCAA bid in school history this season, but that task has become that much harder. Butler on the other hand is loaded and ready to make a push for a Final Four. I had the Bulldogs as a sleeper Final Four contender and I like that pick more and more each day. They are so disciplined and committed to their system. Hayward, Veasley and Howard will pace the Bulldogs in this one, and I like Butler to win this one. If Northwestern still has NCAA aspirations, then they seriously need a strong non-conference win and this would be huge.
John Wall celebrates his game winning shot against Miami (OH) on Monday night.
John Walls 15-foot jumper carried Kentucky past Miami (OH) last night at Rupp Arena, as Kentucky avoided a third straight November shocker. Wall, who was touted as the nation’s top player, took an inbounds pass coast to coast and pulled up for the 15-footer to send the Kentucky faithful into a frenzy. Miami (OH) led by 18 at one point couldnt deliver on another early season upset, of which they have become accustomed to delivering.
The 24-hour ESPN marathon is well under way and it began with a shocker as the Baby Bruins of UCLA fell to the Titans of Cal-St. Fullerton. UCLA was expected to be down this year, but this has to be a demoralizing loss for the Bruins and Ben Howland. Expect UCLA to go through some growing pains in the non-conference, but should be strong enough throughout the season to earn another NCAA berth.
Memphis at (1) Kansas
The Tigers roll into the Phog with the tough task of taking down the Jayhawks and their high-powered attack. Xavier Henry has had an impressive start to his collegiate career and could be poised to continue his scoring barrage against Memphis.
The Pick: Kansas 74 Memphis 58
Gonzaga at (2) Michigan State
The guard combination of Steven Gray and Matt Bouldin will try to make an early statement in East Lansing, while the Spartans look to work out any early season kinks against a quality opponent. I think the Zags will stay in this game because of the pace, but I think the Spartans have too many weapons for Gonzaga to stop. Lucas and Summers outduel the Bulldogs in their first legitimate test.
Well, if you have paid any attention to my blog, you know that Rider is one of my five teams to surprise. The Broncs are seriously talented and went out and proved it at (19)Mississippi State on Friday night. They are very athletic and should not be overlooked by anybody, including Kentucky. I know the coaching staff and they are tireless workers and genuinely good guys. Look for them to give Kentucky all they can handle.
On another note, I’d like to congratulate my friend Matt Blue as he and the Lafayette staff engineered a season opening win for the Leopards. Blue is another guy who works tremendously hard and will do anything for his players. I fully expect him to have a long and successful coaching career.
Seton Hall, oh boy! Without the heroics of Eugene Harvey it may have been the start of a long season. First, its Keon Lawrence making stupid decisions to hurt his team off the court and then it was an awful performance by the heralded Pirates on the court. Thanks to the friendly folks of piratecrew.com, game details were easier to come by. Jeremy Hazell went 0 for 16 from the floor in a god-awful shooting performance. Another move making waves was Keon’s prescence on the bench and his apparently awful attire. Note to Keon: If you wanna make a good impression, don’t dress like a 17-year-old schoolboy trying to be the talk of everyone.
How about Rotnei Clarke?!!! The kid hits 13 threes as Arkansas steamrolled Alcorn Sate 130-68. Clarke’s 13 were an SEC record, as he also piled on the Braves with 51 points on the night.
I would really like to say how impressed I am with the MAAC after last nights games. Niagara and St. Peter’s played very tough on the road against quality opponents, while Rider took down a big dog at the Hump. Loyola,Iona, Fairfield and Siena all also won, giving the MAAC a very impressive opening night. Loyola and Iona’s wins came against two of the preseason favorites from America East in Vermont and Boston U.
Saturday brings another full slate of games, including some very interesting affairs to keep track of.
Davidson at (10) Butler
I pegged Butler as a dark-horse to head to the Final Four and I’m sticking to it. I LOVE the Bulldogs, they play great defense, all buy into a system and are very disciplined. Davidson is the same way, but was awful without the services of Steph Curry last year.
The Pick: Butler 72 Davison 49
Creighton at (22) Dayton
Talk about a barn-burner to open a season. You have perennial Valley top dog Creighton visiting a very good A-10 team. Dayton is the team to beat this year in the A-10, while Creighton will look to go dancing after a 26-7 snub. Dana Altman’s crew is always very solid, but seem to struggle with early season road games. I’ll take the Flyers who are money at home.
Boeheim patrolling the sidelines in Syracuse win Monday night.
Jim Boeheim picked up his 800th career win last night with a win over Albany 75-43. Boeheim’s impressive resume includes the 2003 National Championship that was delivered by Carmelo Anthony over Kansas. The win over Albany has to feel good for the Cuse’ after all the national press about their stunning loss to division 2 LeMoyne.
In some stunning news that has to kill Bobby Gonzalez, northjersey.com is reporting that ultra-talented Keon Lawrence has been suspended indefinitely for a drunken driving incident. The report seems credible as a New Jersey State Trooper has been quoted stating that Keon’s blood alcohol was over the legal .08. Obviously this incident could have been avoided if Lawrence was not out on a Monday morning at 3 am during the week of most anticipated Seton Hall season in a longtime. The question now becomes whether Lawrence will miss the rest of the season or if Seton Hall may even dismiss him from the program. Either decision that is made, Gonzalez must now get his team to focus on their Friday night opener against St. Peters and hope this poor decision by Lawrence does not cause a hangover for the Pirates.
Picks (Wednesday-Thursday)
Detroit at (12) California
The Golden Bears avoid an opening season shocker to Ohio Valley stalwart Murray State and will look to knock off Detroit behind sharpshooters Jerome Randle and Patrick Christopher. I like Cal to win comfortably before a highly anticipated game vs. Syracuse
The Pick: California 85 Detroit 62
Robert Morris at (25) Syracuse
The Cuse overcame Albany to quiet any doubters after their shocking loss to LeMoyne and in the process gave Boeheim his 800th win. I think this could be the first upset of the season with Rob Robinson (11.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg- 2008-09) matching up with the strong front line of the Cuse and Jimmy Langhurst letting it fly from long range. If Robert Morris can contain Wesley Johnson, than they stand a great shot of pulling the upset.
Welcome to the 09-10 Season! I’m glad to be back for my third year analyzing college basketball and am hoping for another great season. I’m also on my third season as a manager at Susquehanna University, so I will be sure to give updates throughout the season on how the Crusaders are fairing. I welcome any comments and will continue to post videos and polls all season long. I’d like to wish my good friend Matt Blue and former Susquehanna assistant coach a lot of luck in his first season as an assistant at Lafayette College in the Patriot League.
I like the Spartans to win it all.
Bracketman’s Top 20
Michigan State- Great defense carries the Spartans as always
Kansas- At least we KNOW the Jayhawks will fight for one another!
Texas- Explosive team with the potential to unseat the Jayhawks in the Big XII.
Villanova- Love Jay Wright’s squad as he adds another great class.
Kentucky- A great class combined with Meeks and Patterson makes for a potential title run, but at what cost?
North Carolina- Loaded as usual, but I don’t see a repeat title in Chapel Hill.
West Virginia- Athletic and not-without their own problems, we’ll see if Mazzula and Bryant can team up with Ebanks and company to win the Big East.
Purdue- This squad impressed me when they knocked out Washington, they should challenge MSU for the Big Ten.
Duke- Duke and UNC for the ACC, what else is new?
Washington- I love the way Lorenzo Romar’s team plays and I like them to win the Pac-10.
Oklahoma- No Blake Griffin but the Sooners are plenty good.
California- Mike Montgomery’s team was a disappointment in March, this year will be different.
Tennessee- The Vols rebound from a down year.
Butler- This is the year Butler is a legitimate Final Four sleeper.
Illinois- Bruce Weber is feeling hotter after a sour loss in March.
Connecticut- UConn just reloads and contends for another Big East title.
Wake Forest- The Deacs don’t want people to forget about them, can they learn to defend?
Louisville- Scandal ridden and with a lot to prove, this may be too high to even rank the Cards.
Minnesota- Tubby Smith has done a great job at Minnesota, this year he wants a deep tourney run.
Seton Hall- Surprised? Don’t be. The Pirates have the talent to be a top 5 Big East team and have plans for a deep run into March.
Five to Surprise
Seton Hall- Bobby Gonzalez has the program going in a great direction after a very rocky start. The Pirates will now use the services of three impact transfers in Herb Pope, Keon Lawrence and Jeff Robinson. As I said, I like the Pirates to shock the Big East and make a deep March run.
Butler- They are now a perennial tournament darling, but this year they return such depth and experience that they can be considered a dark horse Final Four contender.
Virginia Commonwealth- Grant and Maynor are gone to bigger things but the Rams will once again be dancing.
Cincinnati- The Bearcats have a very talented roster and a coach who I believe in… Another team that shoots up the Big East ladder into the upper echelon.
Rider- The Broncs must knock off Siena, but they are ultra athletic and stand a fighting chance to go dancing, where they could be very dangerous. We will find out more about this team with an early season trip to Kentucky.
Season Storylines
The Bluegrass State- No state may be more hotly contested this season with John Calipari on at Kentucky and Rick Pitino feeling some serious heat about his past transgressions. I won’t hide the fact that I don’t think very highly of either of these two coaches, no matter how many games they win in their careers. I am shocked that Louisville has administered no penalty to Pitino, but that is the nature of big time basketball….at least we all know why they call him Slick Rick. Calipari on the other hand has destroyed schools on his way to prominence and will once again be in the title hunt at Kentucky.
The Big East- The monster conference lost so much talent, yet it has reloaded. Nobody expects the conference to be nearly as strong, but it will still be very formidable and could still find a way to get eight teams into the tournament. I like Seton Hall, Cincinnati and St. Johns to all rise thru the standings while Louisville, Syracuse and Marquette all take steps back.
Memphis- How the Tigers handle the departure of Calipari will be a great storyline to follow throughout the year. Josh Pastner takes over and should stabilize the program, but it doesn’t look like the Tigers will be the favorite in Conference USA. Can they claw their way into the Dance?
National Champ- Obviously the pick that everyone has been waiting for: my national champion. I have an itch to pick West Virginia, but Bob Huggins NCAA struggles just totally ruin that pick. After much thought I had to go with Michigan State, who I believe is hungry to return to the Title game and prove their worthiness. Never bet against a Tom Izzo team that was embarrassed and the Spartans got licked by North Carolina. I like Michigan State to beat Texas for the National Title.
Cedric Jackson and Renard Fields celebrate their 84-69 win over Wake Forest.
The first round ended with a flurry last night as Cleveland State (had them); Wisconsin and Siena all won exciting games. I finished the first round at 25-7, but only have 12 of 16 Sweet sixteen teams remaining. Eight teams will punch tickets to the Sweet Sixteen today with UCLA and Villanova tipping off at 1:05 EST.
(6)UCLA vs. (3) Villanova
Site: Philadelphia
What will happen: Villanova survived an onslaught by a tough American team and now the Cats can settle in. UCLA’s offense did not impress me in their 65-64 win over VCU, and Nova could cause the Bruins some problems if they press them. I like Scottie Reynolds to get untracked and Villanova to enter the Sweet 16.
(10)Maryland vs. (2) Memphis
Site: Kansas City
What will happen: Maryland surprised me by using a big second half spurt to beat California and Memphis struggled to dispose of a 17-13 CS Northridge team. The ACC went 3-4 in the first round, which makes me believe Memphis will have their way with a suspect Maryland squad. I like Memphis to click on both ends and win about 12.
(1)Connecticut vs. (9) Texas A & M
Site: Philadelphia
What will happen: Connecticut was just absolutely dominant in their first round tune-up over Chattanooga (103-47) but now they face some real competition. Texas A&M is a physical team who has previous March experience. They fell last year to UCLA in a second round thriller and I expect them to play Uconn well today. I just don’t know if A&M will have the horses down the stretch. I like the Huskies to win by 8.
(5) Purdue vs. (4) Washington
Site: Portland
What will happen: Purdue looked like they might cruise past Northern Iowa, but the Panthers responded by going to the wire. Washington (a trendy upset victim) looked very impressive on Thursday by handling Mississippi State with ease. Washington’s defense will be the deciding factor here and Brockman could have a big day. I like my Final Four pick Washington to advance to the Sweet 16 and set up a brilliant game with Connecticut.
(1) North Carolina vs. (9) LSU
Site: Greensboro
What will happen: For anyone who didn’t see LSU play they are very athletic and Marcus Thornton can play a little. Carolina went to work on Radford in a blowout 101-58 win setting up this match-up of speed and athleticism. The Tigers MUST get a big effort out of F Tasmin Mitchell and C Chris Johnson on the boards if they want to have a chance. This one is closer than people think and LSU might have an upset in them. However, talent prevails and UNC wins by 11.
(2) Oklahoma vs. (10) Michigan
Site: Kansas City
What will happen: Michigan got a win over another fluke ACC team. Oklahoma is going to come to play and the Wolverines will have no answer for Blake Griffin; Sooners by 14.
(12) Western Kentucky vs. (4) Gonzaga
Site: Portland
What will happen: Gonzaga struggled for a while against a game Akron squad but used a 19-1 run to win that game. Western Kentucky is better than Akron and has already knocked off one pretended. I have Gonzaga in my Final Four, but this game really scares me. You know Western Kentucky is going to come to play and you know they are going to be there at the end. I’ll stick with Gonzaga, but by less than 5.
(7) Texas vs. (2) Duke
Site: Greensboro
What will happen: Now that the ACC has been exposed and the Big 12 has opened eyes (but not these, had them 6-0) with their great start to the tournament, I have to wonder if Duke has it in them to beat Texas. Texas MUST pound it into Dexter Pittman and hope that A.J. Abrams will be on for them to have a shot. Duke will come at the Longhorns with an assortment of three point shooters, but a lack of interior game. This should be a great measuring stick for Duke and give us an idea of how they will handle a hulking big man (if they meet Pitt).
Other topics:
Wakes downfall: This one should have been more obvious to people, with a Wake team that struggled down the stretch (8-6), lost in the first round of the ACC Tournament, struggled to shoot from outside and a team that was so young. The Vikings are mature, run good offense and play solid defense. My only regret here is that I didn’t take Cleveland State to the Sweet 16.
Utah: The Utes never found a rhythm with Luke Nevill in foul trouble all night. Arizona deserves a lot of credit for going at him and not backing down when Utah finally made a run.
VCU: I love Eric Maynor, but VCU let that game slip away. Their effort is unquestionable, but their shot selection at the end of their loss to UCLA raised some eyebrows. Maynor is your guy, yet they ran nothing for him nor gave him a chance to make a play for someone else.
Siena: The Saints have a flair for the dramatic as evidenced with Ronald Moore’s two huge threes. That game against Ohio State is what March is all about. On the other side you have to feel for the Ohio State kids.
No-Auto Bids: Every year some people raise the topic of eliminating auto-bids so more average major teams can make the tournament. I like how CBS addressed the issue last night, saying that the mid-majors are what make the tournament great. These kids get ONE shot at the big boys and bring their A game. East Tennessee State played a brilliant game and should hold their heads high (shoot their free throws and we might have our first 1-16 upset ever), but you know that loss hurt those kids. It’s great for the kids of these programs to be able to tell their children one day that they had a shot at North Carolina or Pitt. The day that auto-bids are taken away is the day that I lose all faith in the NCAA and stop watching.
Washington will meet Louisville in a national semi-final that nobody saw coming. Can Louisville’s guards handle the pressure that I am sure Washington will throw at them? I like Louisville to win because they are more dynamic offensively and I don’t think Terrence Williams will be contained. Samuels vs. Brockman will be a great battle as the freshman and senior battle for supremacy down low. Louisville will advance to play Pittsburgh for the National Championship on Monday night as the Panthers will slip past Gonzaga. The Zags will reach this game because of their balanced attack (6 players scoring at least 9.2 ppg) and their size. I also feel like Gonzaga has a chip on their shoulder, that people don’t take them seriously as a contender for the title. However, on this night it will be about Pitt. The Panthers big three (Blair, Young, Fields) is going to be the difference in this game and throughout the tournament. Any one of these players can put the team on their back and they will have just enough to advance to the National Championship.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
It’s a heavyweight match-up pitting two of the elite players in the country against each other. Terrence Williams is the key that makes the Louisville machine roll. T-WILL is averaging 12.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 5.1 assists, but he has a senior presence that isn’t inherent in every player. Earl Clark, also a senior, possesses great size and athleticism and leads the Cardinals in scoring (14 ppg, 8.8 rpg).The x-factor for the Cards will be Samardo Samuels who is no longer a freshman after the Big East grind. Samuels (11.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg) has to somewhat neutralize DeJuan Blair because if Blair gets going he is going to will the Panthers to a championship. Blair (15.6 ppg, 12.2 rpg) has proven everything he needed to this season, establishing himself as arguably the 2nd best big man in the nation behind Blake Griffin. Blair is a force and he teams up with Sam Young. Young has thrown down some vintage dunks (see bottom) this season. Young leads the team at 18.7 ppg and grabs 6.1 boards a game. Levance Fields completes the trio at 10.6 ppg and a nasty 7.6 assists. I see this game as coming down to foul trouble: If T-WILL is in trouble or Samardo Samuels gets in trouble then Pitt is in control of this game. However, if either Young, Blair or Fields finds themselves on the bench then Pitt could be sunk. No champion the last four years has won the title with a defensive rating lower than 25th and the Panthers enter the tournament at 34th. Louisville comes in ranked 2nd on the defensive side which is why they will win this game. At some point in this tournament Louisville is going to NEED a stop or they will go home and I believe they are going to get it. No team goes through a tournament without a scare and more than not it is the team who plays tough defense that comes out on top. So, the 2009 National Champion is…
LOUISVILLE
68-63
Here are some great dunks by the ultra-athletic Sam Young:
