Interesting weekend of games starts today, highlighted by #3 Kansas @ #4 Baylor at 1 on CBS and slumping #12 UVA at #10 UNC. Michigan State at Purdue is a big game at the top of the Big 10.
Some chances for bubble teams to really solidify their spots: Va Tech at Louisville or Houston hosting SMU.
For the NY/NJ locals, Nova visits Seton Hall today and a big game in the NEC at Hackensack, Mount St. Mary's comes to Fairleigh Ridiculous.
Enjoy!
No Reynolds again? That's 3 games now, no? It's tough to get back to a Final Four only playing 7. Just getting there with this team playing 7 all year might be the best coaching job of Wright's run here.
RAMS RUN RICHMOND!
Brunson might have to make a business decision at the end of the year.
Hart or Mason is going to win it, but theres been no doubt that Ball has been the best player so far.
Brunson missed a free throw.
Being the selfish alum I am, I hope he stays. I'd love to see Spellman next year with a vet PG who has literally seen it all through (hopefully) 2 consecutive deep NCAA tourney runs. Today aside, I don't think his jumper is close to NBA ready. In the end, I'm sure he'll at the very least inquire with the draft committee to gauge his pro prospects like Hart and Big Smoove did last spring.
Wow.
I made the trip back for the game. It was absolutely awful. Even badger fans were upset when the calls went against Maryland at some point. Just let em play.
Also, absolutely brutal job by Turgeron. Got a T when the game was close and had to rest Trimble for the last 5 minutes cause he was winded. That's awful awful work by him.
Quote:
one of the worst officiated games I've watched in a while.
I made the trip back for the game. It was absolutely awful. Even badger fans were upset when the calls went against Maryland at some point. Just let em play.
Also, absolutely brutal job by Turgeron. Got a T when the game was close and had to rest Trimble for the last 5 minutes cause he was winded. That's awful awful work by him.
Turg has many issues as an in-game coach. He has no feel for when to take a TO to break the other team's momentum and his substitution patterns are all over the place. That technical was very out of character for him. He usually gets accused of not being emotional enough.
Quote:
one of the worst officiated games I've watched in a while.
I made the trip back for the game. It was absolutely awful. Even badger fans were upset when the calls went against Maryland at some point. Just let em play.
Also, absolutely brutal job by Turgeron. Got a T when the game was close and had to rest Trimble for the last 5 minutes cause he was winded. That's awful awful work by him.
Do you really want to get me started? I guess those refs were ready for their close-up on national TV. Wisconsin had 27 points in the first half - TWENTY BY FREE THROW. They shot 37 for the game. But the game went pretty much according to a script I feared. Wisconsin was going to be physical and just plain wanted it more - no shame in losing this one ut highlights the lack of a post presence.
Turgeon has a lot of faults as a coach - I mean a lot - but making the tournament with this team is a real accomplishment and he's had three good seasons in a row now.
That was highway robbery.
It's across the country, because the Big 10 ones are just as bad. I just saw Tough Guy Teddy Valentine call a technical on the Michigan bench from across the court in a close game when they reacted to a bad call. Beilein doesn't go nuts too often, this was one of those times.
Link - ( New Window )
Poor kid can't catch a break - no pun intended.
I know Virginia fans like the fact that they have been winning in the regular season under Bennett, but I would have a real hard time if I were a fan of this team watching them play every night. It's just plain old boring basketball. And this style he plays will never get to a final four, never mind win a title.
I was at the game on Saturday at UNC and watching them play offense is painful.
He has a name. It's Future Knick Bruce Brown.
Quote:
In the last 40 seconds tonight. Absolutely pathetic.
I know Virginia fans like the fact that they have been winning in the regular season under Bennett, but I would have a real hard time if I were a fan of this team watching them play every night. It's just plain old boring basketball. And this style he plays will never get to a final four, never mind win a title.
I was at the game on Saturday at UNC and watching them play offense is painful.
Pretty much.
The refs should've counted the not-quite buzzer beater based on the shitty calls they made against Miami down the stretch. That baseline ref shouldn't see an ACC tournament game.
If you can guard Parrentes, UVA has nothing. You can't play into OT and have less that 50 points.
Unfortunately, right now the offense is completely broken. With what we graduated, I knew this season would be a test. I was also looking fo seeing Austin Nichols in the system who would have been the highest-rated recruit on paper that Bennett had gotten at UVA. And with two years of eligibility left, he was going to be our anchor inside on both the defensive and offensive ends.
More importantly, after graduating Gill and Tobey, we relied on Nichols because he was going to be our only legitimate interior offensive threat. But Bennett kicked him off the team after one game for drugs, apparently. I applaud Bennett for sticking to his principles (Nichols is still enrolled in classes), but it also meant that this season had a lower ceiling than in previous seasons.
So now we have absolutely no inside game and every team is starting to realize that and know that if you extend your defense and chase our guards off the perimeter, we can be contained rather easily. We still move well without the ball, but we can't play any type of inside-outside game, and we lack the speedy guards that are great at getting to the rim. We are also terrible at drawing fouls, so we have become completely one-dimensional on offense.
Virginia's offense reminds me very much this season of the Giants offense. Defenses can play the same away against us (cover 2) because they know that we can't run the ball or throw to tight ends over the middle, and so defenses will keep playing that way and the offense will continue to stall all season.
In the last two weeks our offense went from the 3rd most efficient per KenPom to the 39th. But the defense is still #1. If the offense can figure out something new and get back into being one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country, the season is far from over.
-------------
That said, the idea that UVA will never get to a Final Four under Bennett because of his system is stupid. They've been one of the most consistent winners over the last 3-4 years, and they were a terrible collapse (with some brutal no calls against Tobey when we busted Cuse's press) and Malachi Richardson pulling a horseshoe out of his ass in the second half from being in the Final Four last season.
Much of the season, the offense was working great. But like I said, teams have figured out how to shut us own and we haven't figured out our next move to beat it. Sometimes, though, bad shooting is just a matter of a team pressing during a really tough stretch.
Saturday they definitely missed open shots. That guy kid the freshman could not throw the ball in the ocean, every time he came in he was shooting and missing.
I also think Benetts style catches up with teams sometimes at the end kf the year. It has to be exhausting to play grind it out games all year
Given how consistently we've been fucked over by ACC refs over the past two decades, forgive me if I don't give a flying fuck. Didn't matter anyway.
Perrentes can't carry a team. He's a great complimentary player, but he can't create his own shots. We have zero inside game - Salt has no offensive skills, Diakite is too skinny to play the post, Wilkins is too small - and we don't have guards who can finish at the rim. Hall and Shayok can get to the rim but have a bizarrely difficult time converting layups.
Probably ends up being a rebuilding year. Guy and Jerome are struggling like everyone else right now, but they've both shown flashes on offense and I'll be interested to see Huff and Hunter next year add some size and scoring ability.
ESPN continues to be a clownshow.
They'd no longer be the Waaaaahoos if they couldn't complain about the refs.
Bottom line:
Baylor sucks
Syracuse has the talent but the basketball players shouldn't be any where near a college.
UNC will be completely irrelevant once the litigation is over. Fake classes? Not even Dean Smith's ghost can save them from that.
Virginia never had an offense and defense doesn't win championships, guard play does.
Notre Dame's introduction into the ACC, how about completely dominating and winning it the first year? We're established.
Bunch of wannabe's complaining about the referees doesn't change the fact that Mike Brey is the top coach in the conference.
Duke is always a contender. Coach K is arguably the best ever in the history of the game. Mike Brey is the disciple that can out coach the master.
There really isn't anyone else in the conversation since Dean Smith is about to be publicly erased and anyone after him at UNC will not matter.
The ACC, yeah, we saw, we came, we conquered. All without compromising acedemic integrity. It's ours to take in the tourney again, riding a 4 game win streak.
I'm wishing the best for 'Cuse tomorrow night, a loss and it's "there's no shame being invited to the NIT" but realistically, Coach K needs this win, the voters know this, a Syracuse win when Coach K means business is a quality win come tourney voting.
Good luck, your season comes down to beating Duke. I'd love to see you in the tourney knocking off The Waaaaahoos again.
ESPN continues to be a clownshow.
Dakich was really critical of Indiana last night and with good reason - their players are really dumb especially the backcourt. Injuries is one thing, but stupidity is another. And lest we forget that Dakich regularly calls Michigan games where his kid was a walk-on and now on scholarship.
And it's not like Bob Griese didn't call his kid's games and those of Purdue for years.
They'd no longer be the Waaaaahoos if they couldn't complain about the refs.
1/24/17, @ND: UVA 71, ND 54
1/6/16, @UVA: UVA 77, ND 66
1/10/15, @ND: UVA 62, ND 56
2/18/14, @UVA: UVA 70, ND 49
1/28/14, @ ND: UVA 68, ND 53
Quote:
Seriously doing an Indiana game tonight?
ESPN continues to be a clownshow.
Dakich was really critical of Indiana last night and with good reason - their players are really dumb especially the backcourt. Injuries is one thing, but stupidity is another. And lest we forget that Dakich regularly calls Michigan games where his kid was a walk-on and now on scholarship.
And it's not like Bob Griese didn't call his kid's games and those of Purdue for years.
Was he? I didn't bother watching the game once I heard him announcing. And I try to stay away from any game of his.
And the whole deal with Izzo was ridiculous too. The guy is a turd. He and Walton are the absolute worst. I'd actually take Vitale over both of them.
Quote:
They'd no longer be the Waaaaahoos if they couldn't complain about the refs.
1/24/17, @ND: UVA 71, ND 54
1/6/16, @UVA: UVA 77, ND 66
1/10/15, @ND: UVA 62, ND 56
2/18/14, @UVA: UVA 70, ND 49
1/28/14, @ ND: UVA 68, ND 53
Solid response, but the rest of us chose to ignore that senseless diarrhea of the keyboard above. For starters, Notre Dame went 6-12 in conference its first year in the ACC. Second, the team has never finished higher than 3rd in the standings - so I'm guessing the troll is talking about an ACC tournament weekend against other teams already ticketed for their 2-4 seeds in respective regions.
Oh and of course as far as "future Coach K" goes - 16 years into his tenure i still dont see a final 4 appearance... did it read wikipedia wrong?
Quote:
They'd no longer be the Waaaaahoos if they couldn't complain about the refs.
1/24/17, @ND: UVA 71, ND 54
1/6/16, @UVA: UVA 77, ND 66
1/10/15, @ND: UVA 62, ND 56
2/18/14, @UVA: UVA 70, ND 49
1/28/14, @ ND: UVA 68, ND 53
Anyone else hear that Bennett is going to Indiana after this year?
If we start with the 14-15 season, ND has 6 NCAA tourney wins to UVA's 4. ND also has an ACC championship while UVA has underachieved in both the ACC conference and NCAA tourney. ND is also highly likely to finish higher in the ACC than UVA this year and UVA is trending down big time.
UVA has had great head to head success versus ND, but I'd take ND's past few years (and current season outlook) over there's.
No disrespect meant to UVA though, I think Bennett and Brey are the two best in-game coaches (i.e., recruiting not factored) in the ACC and love seeing UVA beat the UNC/Duke types of teams. Just need to respond to people shitting on ND basketball program for no reason.
Give me regular season ACC CHAMPIONSHIPS over 4 day tournament ones any day of the week.
The basketball team's practice facility is worse than ~98% of "power" conference teams and more akin to a cheap mid-major program. Add in the academic restrictions (which of course are tougher than for the ND football team) and it's a really tough place to recruit to.
I'd love to see what Brey can do in the last 10 years of his career with a real ACC facility and some support from the admin, but no work has even started on a new faciilty. The back to back elite 8s and ACC title should've helped recruiting but the gains have been modest.
I'll be mostly OK with watching an ND that makes the tournament 80% of the time, upsets a few of the big boys every year, makes it to the second weekend of the tourney in good years, and maybe can be a final four contender if everything breaks right. I just feel bad for Brey because he's such a good basketball mind that I'd love to see what he can do with consistent top 25 recruiting classes.
Because it's the 3 most recent seasons?
Give me regular season ACC CHAMPIONSHIPS over 4 day tournament ones any day of the week.
I guess I'm still a Big East guy where the conference tournament really was a goal in and of itself.
Congrats?
I actually like Notre Dame athletics - pull for the football team like Mook - but how proud everyone wears one ACC weekend tournament is a little odd.
Quote:
how random. Was it because Notre Dame was dreadful in 13-14 and UVA went 16-2 in the ACC that year?
Because it's the 3 most recent seasons?
And yes, of course it's a 100% super convenient anchor but not completely arbitrary.
I guess I'm still a Big East guy where the conference tournament really was a goal in and of itself.
I respect that. But you dont mention UVA's regular season dominance/titles anywhere in your comparison which i think really discredits your "analysis"
seems to me the obvious comparison is the last 4 years... which is A) a full education cycle and B) the number of years Notre Dame has been the in ACC.
Congrats?
I actually like Notre Dame athletics - pull for the football team like Mook - but how proud everyone wears one ACC weekend tournament is a little odd.
How is making the elite 8 twice not a significant accomplishment? ND basketball isn't on the same playing field as UNC, Duke, KU, UK, etc.
If you can't be proud (even if of course wondering would would've happened if you won) with two elite 8s and winning the conference tourney for the best conference in the country, then why follow the sport? Should only UNC, Duke, UK, and fans 5 or so other teams get to be happy?
Quote:
I respect that. But you dont mention UVA's regular season dominance/titles anywhere in your comparison which i think really discredits your "analysis"
It wasn't intended to be an objective "analysis." Greg just posted a list of head to head results so I responded with similarly limited facts.
MAB - Tony already turned Indiana down once - he was offered the job before they hired Crean. They screwed his sister over when she coached there.
Admitting my own biases....I honestly don't see him leaving for another college job, only if the NBA ever came calling. Paul Tudor Jones will make sure he never leaves for financial reasons. He isn't the kind of guy who wants to deal with pushy boosters and ADs. He will do things his way, which is often idiosyncratic. He doesn't cater to HS kids, which is a big reason why we haven't landed a real blue chipper despite the success of the past few seasons. They absolutely have to give max effort on defense or they won't play, simple as that. Players have to be unselfish - there's no hero ball at UVA, which isn't something a lot of huge recruits wants to hear. As he showed with Austin Nichols, he will run a kid who breaks the rules even if it significantly impacts the team. He doesn't blow off academics either - in his first season as coach, he kicked Sylven Landesberg off the team for poor grades when he was the only good player we had.
Tony's a great fit for UVA and UVA is a great fit for him. I don't think he'd be as successful or happy at a blueblood where winning is absolutely everything. He's a fierce competitor who wants to win, of course, but he's committed to doing it his way.
Yet, if he started with 2013-2014, when Notre Dame entered the conference and a natural four-year cycle, he would have to include Virginia's 16-2 run in the ACC, a regular season ACC "title", an ACC tournament title, and two additional NCAA tourney wins.
The last four years, Virginia has had the 1, 1, and 2 seeds in the ACC tournament.
Trending in the wrong direction? We are having a down-season after graduating a lot of talent and then kicking off the best (or perhaps most important) player on our team. This year's freshman class (two of the players are red-shirting), is the highest-rated class Bennett has ever had on paper.
Even with that down-season, we are still #9 in KenPom, #10 in Sagarin and are playing efficiently. Our defense is still rated #1. We are just severely limited offensively right now because we lack interior scoring. And our team looks even worse because we are in a dreadful shooting slump having played four tough games in nine days against tough teams and three overtime periods.
Also our team looks worse because we are in a funk and have been on the wrong end of every buzzer-beater, tip-in, and overtime game this season. Some bad luck and some lack of composure closing out games.
But rumors of our demise have been greatly exaggerated.
MAB - Tony already turned Indiana down once - he was offered the job before they hired Crean. They screwed his sister over when she coached there.
Metnut threw that one out there, not me. Seems to me Bennett is building a nice program at UVA... money always talks, but not sure why he'd leave if UVA continues to treat his family well.
I'll say this much - all the assholes at the Sabre who complained about Tobey for four years because he didn't become the dominant center they expected sure have changed their tune now that we have no inside scoring whatsoever.
The drop-off has been tremendous. Salt and Diakite are just incredibly raw players without any refinement in their offensive game.
Once Nichols went down, we overperformed because we were one of the best shooting teams in the country. Now teams are scheming us better and our legs are also getting tired. They are chasing us off the perimeter, unconcerned about our interior players, we don't have the guards to penetrate and draw fouls.
Right now, this team is completely one-dimensional.
As I've stated before, we are like the Giants. Teams now know to completely ignore the run game or tight end and sit in deep safety coverage and we are not able to overcome it yet.
But if shots start falling again, things will look a whole lot different. We still play excellent defense even during this brutal stretch of offensive stagnation.
So finances won't drive him away. By all accounts, he and his family are very happy living in Charlottesville. At this time, the school has been very hands off and given him total control of the program, and he's built up an enormous amount of credibility and goodwill. So long as that continues, I don't see him leaving.