The selection committee sent a message to Syracuse yesterday.  We here at Big East Hoops were able to intercept the message using tactics we’d rather not divulge lest we incriminate ourselves.  The following is a verbatim transcript of the message:

Dear Coach Boeheim,

We regret to inform you that your team has not been selected to participate in this year’s NCAA tournament.  While we see you as a worthy candidate, this year’s class of teams was extraordinarily talented, and ultimately we did not have a spot for your squad.

However, we did have a spot for Arkansas.  Have you seen them play?  I mean, damn, they went 7-9 in the SEC West, competing twice a week against the likes of Mississippi, Mississippi State, Alabama, Auburn, and LSU.  Talk about a tough conference, ya know!?  And even though they lost to every team I just mentioned (with the exception of Alabama), they were able to beat those teams in the conference tournament, along with Vanderbilt and NIT beast South Carolina, on their way to the conference tournament final, where they proved once and for all that they were nowhere close to the top team in the SEC.

Oh…and I almost forgot about Texas Tech.  That Bob Knight is quite a character!  I love it when he yells at the refs and stuff.  So, like, despite losing 7 of their last 13 games to teams like Missou, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Baylor, and getting absolutely ripped by Texas (by 29) and Kansas State (by 21), we let them into the field of 65, because…well…losing to Texas by 29 is kind of equivalent to losing to Villanova by 3.  You see what I’m saying?  Yeah, we use sound logic here in the Selection Committee.  I particularly love saying buzzwords like “body of work” and then I throw in some French words like “repetiore” and “cache” to sound, you know, like we know what the heck we’re talking about.

So basically, we’re sorry we have to say goodbye to you this year, but we do want to congratulate you and your players on a fine season, and remind you that we don’t respect the fact that you are Syracuse and that you have a tremendously rich history in college basketball, we couldn’t care less that you went 10-6 in the Big East and that no 10-6 team in Big East history has ever been left out of the tournament, we don’t find your strong performance at the end of the season all that impressive (even with your wins over Marquette, G’town, and ‘Nova), we don’t acknowledge that you have a veteran squad with three senior starters, we will choose to ignore your decent showing at the Big East Tournament, and we would really, really like you to play in a more difficult conference.

Oh, and if you could go on the road for more of your out-of-conference games, that’d be great.   Doing this will make us like you better…for reasons that we can’t really explain all that well.

Cheers, and good luck motivating the guys for the NIT!

-The Selection Committee (consisting of representatives from Ohio St., UCLA, George Mason, Utah, University of California-Riverside, Kent State, Virginia, Princeton, The Horizon League, and the SEC)

Categories: Commentary, Mister D, Postseason, Syracuse
4 Comments »

It’s early on Saturday afternoon, and I have the TV to myself for this great game.  Lots of implications in terms of the Big East Regular Season Title (for G’town) and in terms of actually getting to the Big East Tourney (for UConn).  It’s a Big East game at the end of the year, so this one’s gonna be close.  Can’t wait.

I was psyched for the opening tip: the 7’2″ Hibbert vs. the 7’3″ Thabeet.  Turns out to be one of the weakest tips ever.  You couldn’t have scripted a more anti-climactic opening. The tip goes out of bounds, the refs are slightly confused…they guess it’s UConn’s ball.  Nice job, Thabeet.

19:40. A fantastic first play by UConn: a pass from the top of the key down to an open Thabeet for the lay-in.  You’d almost think they ran an offensive play or something.  Nah…

19:00. Georgetown responds with a garbage bucket by Hibbert.  I’m still psyched about this Hibbert/Thabeet matchup.  There’s something delightfully awkward about these two guys which gives them a somewhat endearing quality.  I mean, when Thabeet pumps his fists after a good play, can you really take him seriously?  Moreover, can you even keep a straight face?  Is it even possible for these uncommonly tall and gawky-looking gentlemen to give off a genuine bad-ass persona?

17:34. Green is probably the best player on the court right now, but he’s off to a shaky start.  Other than a sweet running hook in the lane, he’s turning the ball over, missing some gimmies…looking like he hasn’t figured out the UConn defense yet.

14:21. Hibbert is playing like a man possessed.  He’s blocking everyone in sight, rebounding on both ends, and he’s got 6 of G’town’s 8 points right now.  Maybe he really is a bad-ass.

13:01. Good things happen when you get Jeff Adrien the ball at the high post.  I’m not sure if Calhoun is aware of this fact, but it seems as if UConn scores 80% of the time when this happens.  Adrien can shoot from anywhere within 17 feet, and as long as he doesn’t try to do too much with the ball (i.e. dribble-drive and juke people), the UConn offense is typically successful.

Timeout.  I’m sitting here watching this commercial, and I can’t say for certain whether I’ve ever consumed a Michelob Light in my entire life.  I mean, I went to college.  I was until now convinced I had tasted every awful-tasting cheap brew known to man.  On an unrelated (sort of) note, I don’t know if Michelob’s new bottle shape is going to make the predominantly male audience want to head to the local package store.  Is that why guys buy beer?  I mean, what is the marketing strategy over there at Michelob?  New, interesting-shaped bottle will appeal to young American males, so let’s show off the new bottle with this commercial!  I’m happy not to have stock in Michelob. 

How much do you want to wager that Patrick Ewing Jr. looks in the mirror every single morning and thanks the Lord On High that he doesn’t look too too much like his father?  Yeah, I wouldn’t want to take that bet either.

9:00. UConn has just gone on a 10-2 run, causing G-town to call a timeout.  A few excellent dribble-drives by the UConn guards, capped off by an improbable over-the-outstretched-arms-of-Hibbert shot by Adrien.  The Hoyas seem to be having some trouble on defense.

7:58.  Jeremiah Rivers drives the lane, slips a bit, and is called for traveling.  This of course begs the question: is he white, or black?  My money is on the latter, though if he is black, he’s not black by much.

Random trivia question:  Who is Hasheem Thabeet’s father?

Answer:  Roy Hibbert.

6:13. I’m not really sure what Calhoun is thinking here.  UConn has a clear advantage in the backcourt.  They took the lead just a few minutes ago because their guards were able to penetrate against the G’town defense.  Georgetown has the advantage in the frontcourt.  I’d take Green and Hibbert over Thabeet and Adrien any day.  Therefore, why is UConn passing it down to Thabeet and Adrien in the low block?  It makes no sense.  The only way you’re going to beat the Hoyas is if you let your guards penetrate.  And if you really want to get Adrien involved, pass it to him at the high post or free throw line and let him create.  Oh, and don’t pass it to Thabeet.  Ever.

3:20.  See?  Two straight 15-footers from Adrien.  UConn takes the lead, 22-21.  Timeout.  I’m a genius.

2:41.  Sapp to Green on a gorgeous back-door pass.  This is why G’town basketball has become a gorgeous thing to watch.  I love it when those plays come together.  And here I am a Syracuse fan.  I think I need to take a shower.

1:00. Thabeet twists an ankle.  This is not, however, your typical ankle twist where one player lands on another player’s foot.  Thabeet is so preternaturally talented, he was actually able to twist his ankle by jumping up and landing on the floor.

:08. Jerome Dyson drives past the G’town backcourt, into space, and hits the floater.  Wow, you figured out a way to score against the Hoyas!  Why didn’t I think of that?  Wait a sec…

Halftime. The only way UConn wins this game is if they leave it to their guards to drive and keep the game up-tempo.  If it’s a plodding contest, as it now stands, Georgetown will not reliquish their 30-26 halftime lead.

I’m on Seth Davis overload.  I hear that large quantities of beer will cure this affliction.

19:25. Hibbert is making Thabeet look like a helpless little boy out there on the court.  Here’s what just happened in the last 35 seconds.  Hibbert gets the ball on the low block and draws a shooting foul on Thabeet.  He hits both free throws.  Now on defense, Hibbert literally grabs the ball away from Thabeet (from behind) and outlets to a guard.  Back on offense, he calls for the ball in the post, establishes excellent position, and lays it in over Thabeet.  He then told Thabeet to go to his room, and that he’s lost his television-watching priviledges for the week.

17:48. Is DaJuan Summers trying to keep UConn in the game?  Two straight ugly turnovers, and I’m not convinced he’s done anything positive thus far in the contest.  I think he’s 1 for 6 shooting with 17 turnovers or something.

17:00. UConn turnover

16:51. G’town turnover

16:30. UConn turnover.

Man, this is getting ugly.  Two more turnovers between the 16:30 mark and the 15:45 mark.  And through all of this ugliness, Georgetown is able to establish a 40-27 lead–their biggest of the afternoon.  How exactly they did this despite this sloppy play, I’m not quite sure…

Man, UConn’s rough season just doesn’t feel right.  As has been the case in early March over the past number of years, these two teams’ situations have been reversed.  UConn is usually on top of the standings, Georgetown somewhere down the list.  I imagine sales of Paxil have skyrocketed in the state of Connecticut this year.  Remember, this is a state where UConn basketball IS their professional sports team (ever since…sniff…sniff…the Whalers moved).  Now that the men are not going to make the Big Dance and the women are floundering (relatively), what are people in Connecticut going to do on the weekends other than wash down anti-depressants with brandy old-fashioneds?

Wha…what…WHAT!!!  CBS has just tuned away from the G-town/UConn game to show us Kansas vs. Texas!  NOOOO!!!!  Damn you, CBS!  Thus begins my annual love/hate relationship with CBS, which typically manifests itself during the actual NCAA tournament, but I suppose they decided to start early this year (in their defense, Georgetown was starting to dominate and pull away from UConn…though I really wanted to see more cutaways of Jim Calhoun ripping the hair out of his arm, follicle by glorious follicle).

Final score: 59-46 Georgetown.  Player of the game goes to Hibbert, no questions asked.  If you’re a UConn fan this is a disappointing end to your regular season. Major congrats go to the Hoyas for clinching a share of the Big East Regular Season Championship.

Categories: Connecticut, Game Banter, Georgetown, Mister D
8 Comments »

I can’t say I’m not disappointed in the season my beloved Orange(men) have put together this year. In fact, I’m bummed. This was supposed to be a fantastic year for them. They’re a team that starts three seniors (Roberts, Nichols, Watkins), has a top freshman in the country (Harris), and a junior point guard (Wright). They should be better. If they were a stock, they’d be rated “Underperforming.” If they were an NFL quarterback, they’d be Daunte Culpepper. If they were a supermodel, they’d be Tyra Banks.

The Cuse are 17-8 overall, 6-5 in the Big East. They have an underwhelming two quality wins (at Marquette, vs. Villanova). Add to that some lousy losses to Drexel, St. John’s, and UConn, and you have an eminently unspectacular bubble team, likely doomed to the NIT unless they can win four out of their next five and make it at least one round deep at MSG. Don’t hold your breath, Orange(men) faithful.

So, why? Why is this happening? What the hell is going on?

I have no idea, but here are a few possibilities:

• The Big Dog Dilemma. Demetris Nichols is the best player on Cuse, and should probably be First Team All Big East. He can score from anywhere, and will probably be a decent NBA player due to his extensive skill set. Therefore, get him the damn ball! His teammates should be passing the ball to him like every time down the floor…no excuses. Every team has a go-to guy, and Demetris fills that role. His teammates need to be less selfish, allowing him the opportunity to carry the team.
• Same old, same old. Boeheim is perhaps becoming way too predictable. I know, he’s a Hall of Fame coach, and I love the man more than most of my relatives. But by now teams know exactly how he calls a game, exactly what’s coming on defense and offense, and therefore they can adjust. I don’t think mean to speak ill of Coach B., but it’s a possibility, right?
• The Wright Stuff? Josh Wright is a good point guard, but sadly he’s not as good as he thinks he is. Gerry Mac was a great point guard because he understood that guys like Roberts and Watkins needed the ball in space. Gerry delivered on-the-money passes, and consistently found guys at the right time during a play. Wright still forces things…he’s not yet a great leader, and when he gets flustered, he tends to make bad decisions that make the team worse.
• Mother Nature. It snowed a lot in Syracuse. This must have something to do with their mediocre showing this year. Don’t ask me how.
• Diaper Dandy…sort of. Paul Harris was supposed to be the best player Syracuse has seen in a long time. However, his progression has been slow this season, and he clearly needs more time to develop and play quality team-oriented basketball.
• KarmMelo. First, Carmelo gets suspended for the sucker-punch. Then he teams up with a Georgetown alum. Bad karma all around.
• Eric-tile Dysfunction. Devendorf takes too many ill-advised shots. This is an objective, measureable, and indisputable fact. At least half of his FG attempts should go to Nichols, or to a spot-up shooter like Rautins. Sorry, Eric, but I think Coach Boeheim benched you for this exact reason. Now, please do not hurt me for the ED comment.

I suppose their performance could be chalked up to a combination of these factors. All in all, it’s been disappointing. I think everyone who follows Big East basketball would agree that this is a good team that should be much better than its record would suggest.
Of course, they’ll probably squeak into the Big East tournament, win the damn thing, lock up a 5 seed in the NCAA Tourney, and then lose to the 12 seed. Gotta love the Cuse.

Categories: Commentary, Mister D, Syracuse
3 Comments »

Alright, WVU fans. Time to give you something to talk about on this here blog.

West Virginia is one of the most unique teams in the country, let alone the Big East. Up until last year, they were characterized by a cast of misfits…a freakish 7-1 center who drained 24-footers with regularity, a feisty German swingman, a skinny white kid who could always play smart, unselfish, high-quality basketball. This year, with the exception of senior forward Frank Young, they’ve become a cast of no-name freshmen and sophomores.

One thing, however, remains the same: Coach Beilein’s game philosophy.

If he were to write a description of his philosophy in forty words or fewer, it might read something like this: “Play aggressive, zone (1-3-1), trapping defense to force transition hoops. On offense, motion around the perimeter, and if at any point you catch a slightly obscured, fleeting glimpse of the rim, jack up a three!”

I have two questions about this philosophy. 1) Can WVU really expect to win a championship this way? 2) Who would even want to play in this system?

Certainly, they’ve had success in the past few years. I’d be both remiss and incorrect if I didn’t admit this. Big East tourney runner-up and regional finalist two years ago; Big East Tourney semi-finalist last year and a sweet 16 berth. Yet, while competitive, they never really seem to get over the hump. They haven’t won that big, big game to earn them a conference championship or get them to a Final Four. I know, I know…you could say this about tons of teams in college basketball. But considering no team has ever won a championship using the type of system that Beilein uses, I think it’s more than fair to question his philosophy.

Let’s start with the offense.

Offensive Philosophy: The old saying goes that if you live by the three, you die by the three. And then there’s West Virginia, who jacks up more threes than any other team in the Big East. They’ve attempted 531 three-pointers this year—the most in the Big East by 67 attempts (Notre Dame is in second place, having played two more games than WVU). These numbers are consistently absurd, and absurdly consistent.

This particular style of play has been established for several years now under the tutelage of Beilein. They’ve jacked up more threes than any other Big East team for each of the last few years. But why play in this manner, when most other college basketball programs, and most of the greatest college basketball coaches in the world, have their teams shoot so many fewer three-balls per game? Wouldn’t someone have said, “Uh, coach? Why are we taking such low percentage shots every time down the floor? Shouldn’t we get closer to the rim, and then use the three to spread the defense? You know, keep them off-balance?”

Indeed, West Virginia plays Keno, while the rest of the country plays blackjack.

But is there method to this madness? Maybe. Perhaps Beilein recruits players to fit this mold—guys who can drain 22-footers all night. Perhaps Beilein feels that this type of offensive play forces the opposing teams into a competitive mental state where they attempt to match threes for threes, thus bringing opponents out of their gameplan. Who knows. All I know is, they haven’t won that big game.

Now, to the defense.

Defensive Philosophy: I’m sorry, but the 1-3-1 is gimmicky. It screams: “We can’t man up! Try to beat us using diagonal passes!” Certainly it can be effective because teams aren’t used to seeing it on a regular basis. It’s difficult to prepare for a half-court trapping zone defense in just a few days’ time, and WVU uses this to its advantage. Still, more often than not, a balanced, disciplined team is going to exploit their defense. Which is part of the reason why they’ve never won that big game.

Now, on to the second question: who would ever want to play in a system like this? Well, just ask all of the NBA players who hail from WVU.

Oh, wait. There aren’t any active WVU alums in the NBA.

In fact, WVU is the only Big East team that currently doesn’t have an alumnus playing in the NBA. Even South Florida has NBA representation, for crying out loud!

And here’s a question for you Howie Schwab types: Who was the last player from WVU to play in an NBA game?

Give up?

Lowes Moore, class of 1982.

Yes…”Damn!” is what I said too.

Why no representation in the NBA? I say part of it is due to Beilein’s system.

First of all, WVU is considered a soft team. They play a gimmicky defense, which you never ever see in the NBA. Furthermore, their perimeter trapping defense, combined with their perimeter offense, usually means that they’re being out-rebounded in every single contest because they’re so far away from the rim during any given play (last in the Big East this year in total rebounding). Frontcourt players are forced outside, severely limiting their rebounding potential. And NBA scouts notice. Kevin Pittsnogle, for example, was 7-1, agile, and one of the worst rebounders on last year’s team. Think about it: if an NBA team is going to draft somebody who’s 7-1, they’re going to want him to box out Yao, grab boards, and play in the post, not sit outside the arc and throw up bombs. Part of the reason he’s not in an NBA uniform is probably his fault, but surely part of it is the system in which he played.

The same can be said about the backcourt players. They show a decent amount of athleticism, but much of what they do is pass the ball and jack up threes. If you want to be able to play in the pros, you better be able to show the pros that you can do more than shoot and pass, you better be able to take someone off the dribble…which WVU doesn’t stress in their offense (last in the Big East this year in total free throw attempts).

Look. Don’t get me wrong. I love the way WVU plays. On both ends of the floor, they play differently than 99% of the teams in Division I college basketball, which is really cool to watch. Moreover, the players themselves look as though they’re having fun playing this way. However, just because their style of play is pleasing to the average spectator doesn’t mean that their style of play is the best way to build a championship program or produce professional-caliber players. In fact, the evidence clearly points to the contrary.

Unless you can convince us otherwise, Coach B.

Categories: Commentary, Mister D, West Virginia
4 Comments »

L’ville 82, Miami (Fla) 59

Terrence Williams and Juan Palacios secure the front line for the Cardinals. They’re tall, athletic, fast, lanky–everything you’re looking for in post players. They consistently rebound, score, play major minutes (~30 per game), and tend to be unselfish with the ball. Center David Padgett, though slowed by years of injury, is a tremendously talented big man whose good footwork and excellent court savvy translates into quality minutes.

So, why was Louisville 5-4 and looking like a big disappointment after their performance against Kentucky?

Their backcourt.

Coming into the season, most thought that senior guard Brandon Jenkins, and sophomores Andre McGee and Will Scott would carry the Cardinals to an NCAA Tournament berth. However, game after game, observers would see inconsistent play, the inability to get to the basket, and worst of all, woeful outside shooting from the guards. Though it pains the Louisville faithful to admit it, such performances might have been expected. Jenkins broke his leg and sprained an ankle back in August, and McGee is coming back from knee surgury of his own. Injuries of this magnitude and severity are not easily overcome. As a likely result, both players have been below average this year, and both are perhaps pressuring themselves too much, laden with unrealistic expectations of their physical capacity to play basketball at a high level–especially the senior leader, Jenkins.
Consider Louisville’s loss to Kentucky. The Cardinals, despite their awful shooting, were still able to keep the game close due to their frontcourt’s athleticism. It was one of those games that could have been a win…an easy win…had Louisville’s backcourt been able to make a few shots or draw a few more fouls. Instead, starters Jenkins and McGee were a combined 2-13 from the floor, and a combined 1-2 from the foul line. The former stat suggests that they’re not able to keep defenders honest by making the outside shot; the latter stat suggests that they’re not driving the lane and drawing double-teams and/or fouls. Guards have to be able to do both–Louisville could not to either…until this past weekend.

Rick Pitino, apparently, had seen enough. Against Miami, Pitino started his two freshmen guards, Edgar Sosa and Jerry Smith. Sosa, a slasher with a confident air about him, went just 1-6. However, due to his fearlessness in the lane, he was able to get to the foul line for 7 attempts. At times he’s a ball-hog, but no one is questioning his ability to get into the lane. Smith is more of a spot-up shooter, and he showed his ability going 8-11 from the floor (including 6-8 from three-land). When you get this kind of performance from a young backcourt, it makes the already solid frontcourt that much better…and then good things happen, like a 23-point drubbing of an ACC team.

So watch out for Louisville’s all-freshman backcourt. One can penetrate and disrupt the defense, one can shoot the lights out and keep defenders honest. If Pitino sticks with them and uses the upper-classmen off the bench, Louisville could improve their team balance, do some serious damage in Big East conference play, and easily make a run at the NCAAs.

Categories: Commentary, Louisville, Mister D
7 Comments »