Re: College Basketball 2008-2009

[Vanilla Ice]

Duke thumped Xavier at Cameron. Too bad, Xavier winning would've been real nice for the RPI, but I think they were a bit overrated in the polls.

 

It wasn't at Cameron. It was just in East Rutherford, where we are now 18-1. 18-1 was also, coincidentally, the score after about 4 minutes of the game.

[Guest]

That was a very entertaining game.

 

ETA: Err, I was referring to UConn-Gonzaga. Clearly not a Duke-Xavier game that started out 18-1.

[SouthSideRyan]

Alex Legion's debut in about 5 minutes(well the game's in 5 minutes, I'm guessing he won't come in til after the first time out.) on Big Ten Network.

[woodchip2153]

Alex Legion's debut in about 5 minutes(well the game's in 5 minutes, I'm guessing he won't come in til after the first time out.) on Big Ten Network.

 

I just hope he plays some defense.

[Guest]

Anyone see the end of the ASU-BYU game? Crazy ending, can't tell if the refs got that right.

[SouthSideRyan]

Anyone see the end of the ASU-BYU game? Crazy ending, can't tell if the refs got that right.

 

I don't think they did. Wonder if that goes BYU's way if the game was in Utah.

[SouthSideRyan]

What the hell is wrong with you idiots?

[SouthSideRyan]

Oh and this play by play guy is HORRENDOUS

 

Beyond the fact that he keeps misidentifying people, he's clearly never watched an Illinois game this year or last. He's dumbfounded that Mike Tisdale can hit jump shots.

[NeifiIsMyHomeBoy]

I am really surprised to see Ed Hightower officiating the Illinois game. I guess he didn't want one of the high profile games today.

[Andy]

I am really surprised to see Ed Hightower officiating the Illinois game. I guess he didn't want one of the high profile games today.

He did a Ball State game last year. I have no idea how that happened. The two teams shot like 80 combined free throws.

 

Notre Dame beat another nobody tonight. They'll beat another nobody on Monday. I look forward to actually playing real teams again.

 

Stupid Texas losing.

[Guest]

The negative: UCD lost again, this time to Loyola (Md.) 95-89.

 

The positive: I got to go on the radio during halftime for the first time and talk with one of the radio guys about the team.

 

On another note, after watching him coach, it doesn't surprise me in the least that Jimmy Patsos (the Loyola coach) would do something insane like put two guys on Stephen Curry the entire game. The guy is insane and is one of the most animated coaches I've ever seen. Both myself and the reporter from the Sacramento Bee were laughing at his antics the entire night.

 

He's barely got a voice left, yet yelled the entire game at everybody even if it was a good thing. He paced the sideline and sat down at the far end of the bench multiple times. At one point while UCD was shooting free throws at the other end of the court, he shouted at one of his players to tuck his shirt in.

[Derwood]

PSU wins again, and will likely be 11-2 heading into conference play. Can't complain about that. Looks like an 18-20 win season depending on how the breaks go

[mul21]

I am really surprised to see Ed Hightower officiating the Illinois game. I guess he didn't want one of the high profile games today.

 

It's close to home for him and probably pays the same as having to spend 2 days trying to fly in somewhere and waste a bunch of time instead of being able to drive there and back and officiate the game in 1 day. He lives in Edwardsville so it's only about 2.5 hours to UI.

[rchap24]

21-0

 

I was at a wedding all weekend so I didn't have a chance to post, but good god did we dominate Curry. I thought we'd beat them and semi handly, but not the way we did on Sat...

 

The Big Ten is playing really well this year Minnesota and Mich St big wins as well

[SouthSideRyan]

Tick Tock Mizzou.

 

Tick Tock.

[NeifiIsMyHomeBoy]

Tick Tock Mizzou.

 

Tick Tock.

 

Can't wait for this game, I've got second row floor seats. It's my first BR game, and it should be competitive as always. If Mizzou doesn't get us this year, it could be a long long time until they do.

[bukie]

Tick Tock Mizzou.

 

Tick Tock.

 

Can't wait for this game, I've got second row floor seats. It's my first BR game, and it should be competitive as always. If Mizzou doesn't get us this year, it could be a long long time until they do.

According to both Sagarin and Pomeroy, it's actually a battle between two top 20 teams. Both of them doing better than expected at this point.

[SouthSideRyan]

It's probably more important to our NCAA chances than theirs. The Big 12 isn't very deep, especially in the north, and Mizzou should be able to rack up quite a few easy wins. Mizzou's path to 11 conference wins is a lot easier than ours(and I think the loser of this game needs that to feel comfortable on selection Sunday.)

[bukie]

It's probably more important to our NCAA chances than theirs. The Big 12 isn't very deep, especially in the north, and Mizzou should be able to rack up quite a few easy wins. Mizzou's path to 11 conference wins is a lot easier than ours(and I think the loser of this game needs that to feel comfortable on selection Sunday.)

Yeah, the only good team they'll have to play twice is Kansas. KSU, Nebraska, Colorado, Iowa State twice each should be able to pad the conference record.

 

Illinois, on the other hand, gets no home game with Northwestern and no road game at Iowa.

[CubInOK]

It's probably more important to our NCAA chances than theirs. The Big 12 isn't very deep, especially in the north, and Mizzou should be able to rack up quite a few easy wins. Mizzou's path to 11 conference wins is a lot easier than ours(and I think the loser of this game needs that to feel comfortable on selection Sunday.)

Actually, Mizzou is looking like one of the better teams in the Big 12. They only have one game against each of the Big 12 south teams, so that will help them.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Like most Mizzou games, this game will hinge on rebounds and turnovers. They've had trouble giving up too many offensive rebounds this year, and Illinois has height on them in the post. On the other hand, Illinois hasn't been all that great at taking care of the ball, especially for a power conference team. If the on-ball pressure can lead to some easy baskets and fast breaks, then Mizzou doesn't need to do as well in rebounding margin.

 

As for a prediction, I really don't have much idea since I haven't seen Illinois play and haven't really the last couple years, so I'm pretty unfamiliar with Davis, Tisdale, obviously Legion, etc. I think Mizzou will be alright(that is, not fighting to keep it a game) as long as one guard has a nice game like typically happens. Some nights it's been Tiller(though he always fills the stat sheet), other nights it's been Denmon or English, a couple times Paul has even done well for himself creating easy buckets for others. That happens and it's likely a possession for possession game down the stretch, and hopefully Mizzou will make some free throws and not choke it away like the Xavier game.

[bukie]

Like most Mizzou games, this game will hinge on rebounds and turnovers. They've had trouble giving up too many offensive rebounds this year, and Illinois has height on them in the post. On the other hand, Illinois hasn't been all that great at taking care of the ball, especially for a power conference team. If the on-ball pressure can lead to some easy baskets and fast breaks, then Mizzou doesn't need to do as well in rebounding margin.

 

As for a prediction, I really don't have much idea since I haven't seen Illinois play and haven't really the last couple years, so I'm pretty unfamiliar with Davis, Tisdale, obviously Legion, etc. I think Mizzou will be alright(that is, not fighting to keep it a game) as long as one guard has a nice game like typically happens. Some nights it's been Tiller(though he always fills the stat sheet), other nights it's been Denmon or English, a couple times Paul has even done well for himself creating easy buckets for others. That happens and it's likely a possession for possession game down the stretch, and hopefully Mizzou will make some free throws and not choke it away like the Xavier game.

The most annoying thing to me about the game (similar to the Clemson game a few weeks back) is that both teams should already be ranked, but since they aren't, the loser is going to have to work twice as hard to even get back into the ranking discussion.

[SouthSideRyan]

TT, the last thing you need to worry about is our rebounding. We were outrebounded 43-14 against Hawaii.

 

Hawaii.

 

Regarding TOs, top of my head we've been good at holding on to the ball this year(including against a similar defense in Clemson) and even better at taking it away.

 

We seemed to do best against Clemson when we got out and ran to beat the press, and I hope we stick to that against Mizzou. I'm all for rapid fire substitutions at the guard position to keep everyone fresh against the press. I'd want Frazier or DMac in there at all times as the primary ballhandler, but rotating Legion, Meacham, and Jordan at the other guard positions(along with Frazier or DMac when they're in together) is fine by me. I don't think there's a lot of room for Calvin Brock in this one.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

TT, the last thing you need to worry about is our rebounding. We were outrebounded 43-14 against Hawaii.

 

Hawaii.

 

Regarding TOs, top of my head we've been good at holding on to the ball this year(including against a similar defense in Clemson) and even better at taking it away.

 

We seemed to do best against Clemson when we got out and ran to beat the press, and I hope we stick to that against Mizzou. I'm all for rapid fire substitutions at the guard position to keep everyone fresh against the press. I'd want Frazier or DMac in there at all times as the primary ballhandler, but rotating Legion, Meacham, and Jordan at the other guard positions(along with Frazier or DMac when they're in together) is fine by me. I don't think there's a lot of room for Calvin Brock in this one.

 

I'll be interested to see how Anderson approaches this one with regards to pressure(at least I hope so, I just found out I'll be going to a Christmas Eve Eve service tomorrow). Against the likes of Stetson and Arkansas Pine-Bluff he institutes the press since he knows he's the superior team and can just run them into the ground in every way. Against power conference teams a lot of times he's not gone full court except for strategic stretches, although there's almost always full court ball pressure. That pressure is what I'm referring to, while it's not likely to make Chester Frazier roll into a ball and cry, you can get a couple turnovers a game from relentlessly being around the ball and aggressively closing out passing angles in the half court.

[Butterscup1679666578]

Needless to say, I'm pretty damn excited about tomorrow night. I'm not predicting a win, but like someone said, if we don't win it might be awhile before we do.