NCAA hoops 2014-2015

[walto]

So strange. I had Iowa State pegged as a first half team. I guess they're actually a one-half team. Could be either half.

[jon abbey]

Kentucky gets by a gritty Georgia team in their last road game of the year, down 62-56 with 5 minutes left in front of a raucous crowd (the coach trying to pump them up with his arms), Kentucky closed on a 16-2 run and even the 2 was a garbage-time hoop after the game was basically over, so impressive.

so 3/4 of the way to 40-0 at 30-0, obviously the last two or three will be the toughest. Florida in Lexington on Saturday is the last regular season game, then three in the SEC tournament and six in the NCAAs.

[walto]

Tre Demps (son of the former NBA player and current GM) is money. With 4 seconds to go in regulation he hits a three to send it to OT. Does the same thing in OT. And, in an extremely entertaining game, NU beats Michigan in double overtime on senior night.

OTOH, Rhody gets pasted at Dayton, likely meaning they'll have to make some noise post-season.

Oh, and really nice come-backs by Kansas and Texas.

[walto]

I just read Seth Davis's long rant about the decline of college hoops (in scoring, particularly) being the fault of the coaches (rather than the players, refs, etc.), and he makes a number of compelling points, I think. Anyway, I have no problem with any of the changes he's looking for myself.

But my first thought was that I hope both Illinois and Purdue fail to get Tournament bids, that that would help his cause. I hate watching those teams. With Purdue in particular it must be intentional. They had the worst defensive efficiency* rating in the B1G last year and have the best this year. They have two giants, can't shoot and don't want to, hold the ball until the last five seconds every possession, grab, punch, etc. The Mich State team looked like Civil War vets after the game last night. Illinois is similar: no flying Illini this year. The stuff Davis hates is the stuff those guys are intentionally doing in attempts to win games.

Fuck those teams. If only a couple of B1G teams got in, that'd be fine with me. I think Lunardi currently has seven(!)



*The last couple of years, "score the basketball" and "ball screen" were the phrases that were apparently required to be used by announcers and color guys on every play. This year it's "efficiency" or "efficient." Every goddam play. Doesn't matter who's calling the games. I also think "big fella" and "young fella" should be banned.

[walto]

Just like with A & M, the Razorbacks run up a big first half lead against South Carolina only to completely squander it in the second half and then eke out a win. It's a good thing this season is almost over, because they're going to give my wife a heart attack.

[surfer]

I just read Seth Davis's long rant about the decline of college hoops (in scoring, particularly)

Link? I cant seem to find it.

[walto]

Sorry. I got the link from his twitter feed. I'll try to find it and report back.

[The G Man]

The hammer falls on Boeheim and the Cuse basketball program.

"The NCAA on Friday has suspended Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim for nine conference games and has taken away scholarships as a result of a multiyear investigation into the university's athletic programs.

Syracuse's penalties also include a five-year probation and for the school to vacate all wins in which ineligible men's basketball students played in 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2010-11 and 2011-12 and ineligible football students played in 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07."

[walto]

Here it is:

http://www.si.com/college-basketball/20 ... oring-pace

[surfer]

Thanks. I think that is a reasonable and accurate assessment. The only thing I would quibble with is his dismissal of the "one-and-done" rule as being unconnected to the decline in scoring. Its true that before that, it was "none-and-done" as he puts it, but there was also iirc, fewer options for players who declare but are undrafted or dont make an NBA squad. There was less pressure for kids to declare for the draft. The rise of European leagues, and the NBA D-League mean that players who should imo stay in college get a agent or a friend in their ear telling them they are a lottery pick, and then end up stagnating in Eastern European backwaters and the D-League. I dont begrduge kids their payday, but this has happened with at least a half dozen or more Arizona players in the last 5 years. I agree with Davis that coaching has a lot to do with it, especially weaker teams trying to wrestle better teams instead of playing a more open game, but at Arizona that is not really what I am seeing. Its not like the Wildcats are grabbing and hand-checking the likes of USC because they feel overmatched. Its clear that Arizona just doesnt have the shooters and scorers they had 5, certainly 10-15, years ago. I dont know if that has to do with Miller's recruiting preferences, but I doubt it. Arizona has for the last few seasons been getting a very similar type of athletic, fast, physical type of player who isnt a very good shooter, and doesnt pass well. Rebounding and defense. Maybe that's on Miller, maybe that's the type of player these kids are, maybe its both.

[walto]

The hammer falls on Boeheim and the Cuse basketball program.

"The NCAA on Friday has suspended Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim for nine conference games and has taken away scholarships as a result of a multiyear investigation into the university's athletic programs.

Syracuse's penalties also include a five-year probation and for the school to vacate all wins in which ineligible men's basketball students played in 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2010-11 and 2011-12 and ineligible football students played in 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07."

I know they didn't follow their written drug policies, but what were the recruiting violations, if you know?

[crawjo]

The hammer falls on Boeheim and the Cuse basketball program.

"The NCAA on Friday has suspended Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim for nine conference games and has taken away scholarships as a result of a multiyear investigation into the university's athletic programs.

Syracuse's penalties also include a five-year probation and for the school to vacate all wins in which ineligible men's basketball students played in 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2010-11 and 2011-12 and ineligible football students played in 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07."

Does it really hurt them that much? No postseason ban beyond this year. The scholarships will hurt a bit, but they should still have plenty of resources to do well.

[jon abbey]

Here it is:

http://www.si.com/college-basketball/20 ... oring-pace

this is in the print issue this week, so I just read it. it's funny that most of the proposed fixes are essentially "make it more like the pro game".

[walto]

I hadn't thought of that, but I guess that's right. I also didn't know that they'd given up the trapezoidal lane in international play.

[The G Man]

The hammer falls on Boeheim and the Cuse basketball program.

"The NCAA on Friday has suspended Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim for nine conference games and has taken away scholarships as a result of a multiyear investigation into the university's athletic programs.

Syracuse's penalties also include a five-year probation and for the school to vacate all wins in which ineligible men's basketball students played in 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2010-11 and 2011-12 and ineligible football students played in 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07."

Does it really hurt them that much? No postseason ban beyond this year. The scholarships will hurt a bit, but they should still have plenty of resources to do well.

How many scholarships do teams normally get per year?

[walto]

I finally saw the Zags play last night. They didn't look that great, honestly.

[crawjo]

The hammer falls on Boeheim and the Cuse basketball program.

"The NCAA on Friday has suspended Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim for nine conference games and has taken away scholarships as a result of a multiyear investigation into the university's athletic programs.

Syracuse's penalties also include a five-year probation and for the school to vacate all wins in which ineligible men's basketball students played in 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2010-11 and 2011-12 and ineligible football students played in 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07."

Does it really hurt them that much? No postseason ban beyond this year. The scholarships will hurt a bit, but they should still have plenty of resources to do well.

How many scholarships do teams normally get per year?

13

[walto]

I'd think all he needs is six or seven new scholarship athletes a year and he'd do just fine.

To me, it seems like the only big deal here is the damage to Boeheim's "legacy": it'll be tougher to get to 1000 wins with those take-aways.

[walto]

Iowa State has another single-half game, finishing with a 12-0 run to take their first lead of the game as time runs out after smelling up the joint the entire first half.

[Tanager]

Iowa State has another single-half game, finishing with a 12-0 run to take their first lead of the game as time runs out after smelling up the joint the entire first half.

You can play a single-half game when you're going against Texas, which is a single-half-season team. Barnes is the latter-day Cremins - recruits like Calipari, is one of the highest-paid coaches in the NCAA, and can be relied on for (a) a high preseason ranking, (b) collapsing in the second half of the season, and (c) going home early from the postseason.

-Tanager