Topic: Running 2011-12 College Basketball thread

[Big Circus]

Honestly, he should have been at URI from the get-go. Then he'd be able to transfer and use a redshirt year.

[bigpern23]

Feel for the Baron kid, but as they said in The Last Crusade, "He chose . . . poorly."

A couple people I know said the literally the same thing at the time he transferred. There had been a groundswell for a few years to oust the elder Baron but his contract and hard economic times in the state basically made it impossible, so there wasn't much thought it would happen. Jim Baron Sr. probably would have been gone three years ago if he didn't have five years left on his contract at the time.

Honestly, he should have been at URI from the get-go. Then he'd be able to transfer and use a redshirt year.

I agree to the extent that his dad was on slick footing because the Rams kept missing the NCAA Tournament, but remember, they won 20 games four years in a row, basically during the time Billy was making his decision. There was some unrest because of the lack of tourney appearances, but with a few years left on Senior's contract, his job was fairly secure when Billy was making his decision.

Not only that, but if you're 18 and you have a chance to go play in the ACC, especially after seeing what his brother did against Duke (I think he hit eight 3-pointers) in 2008, it's hard to fault the kid for wanting to get away from home and play in the country's best conference.

[Big Circus]

Pern, I'll defer to you on the state of Rhode Island hoops and how that played into Baron's decision. Also, whenever I read one of your posts, I find myself staring at your avatar for minutes at a time.

But the real reason I came here to post is to show why Mike Scott has no chance at ACC POY, and why people think the ACC establishment is hopelessly biased toward Tobacco Road, all encapsulated in one delightfully asinine tweet:

@CaultonTudor
My 1st team: The 4 Heels & Rivers. Player Zeller; coach Gottfried; Rookie Rivers; Defender Henson

[Crash]

Pern, I'll defer to you on the state of Rhode Island hoops and how that played into Baron's decision. Also, whenever I read one of your posts, I find myself staring at your avatar for minutes at a time.

But the real reason I came here to post is to show why Mike Scott has no chance at ACC POY, and why people think the ACC establishment is hopelessly biased toward Tobacco Road, all encapsulated in one delightfully asinine tweet:

@CaultonTudor
My 1st team: The 4 Heels & Rivers. Player Zeller; coach Gottfried; Rookie Rivers; Defender Henson

Mark Gottfried and Coach of the Year in the same sentence is pretty hilarious.

[Chef2]

Creighton just saved a lot of bubble teams a lot of angst by beating Illinois State in OT.

Would Creighton have been in the Tournament if they had lost?

I don't ever remember the Mo Val getting 3 teams in.......You would have to assume WSU is a lock.

[Ben_Hecht]

Creighton just saved a lot of bubble teams a lot of angst by beating Illinois State in OT.

Would Creighton have been in the Tournament if they had lost?

I don't ever remember the Mo Val getting 3 teams in.......You would have to assume WSU is a lock.

They can't leave Wichita out . . . though I'd pay a lot of money to see Wichita/Murray.

Creighton wouldn't have deserved to be screwed, but a number of sides on the fringes can say the same thing.

[Mystery Meat II]

Creighton just saved a lot of bubble teams a lot of angst by beating Illinois State in OT.

Would Creighton have been in the Tournament if they had lost?

I don't ever remember the Mo Val getting 3 teams in.......You would have to assume WSU is a lock.

MVC had four in 2006 -- Southern Illinois, Bradley, Northern Iowa and Wichita State -- with decent cases to be made for Missouri State (21 RPI) and Creighton (39)

[SalukiNC]

Creighton just saved a lot of bubble teams a lot of angst by beating Illinois State in OT.

Would Creighton have been in the Tournament if they had lost?

I don't ever remember the Mo Val getting 3 teams in.......You would have to assume WSU is a lock.

MVC had four in 2006 -- Southern Illinois, Bradley, Northern Iowa and Wichita State -- with decent cases to be made for Missouri State (21 RPI) and Creighton (39)

Those were the days ....

[Roscablo]

Creighton just saved a lot of bubble teams a lot of angst by beating Illinois State in OT.

Would Creighton have been in the Tournament if they had lost?

I don't ever remember the Mo Val getting 3 teams in.......You would have to assume WSU is a lock.

MVC had four in 2006 -- Southern Illinois, Bradley, Northern Iowa and Wichita State -- with decent cases to be made for Missouri State (21 RPI) and Creighton (39)

Those were the days ....

I think Creighton was a lock. They have three top 50 wins, including Wichita State and San Diego State on the road, and a possible fourth if Northwestern moves up a couple of spots. They also won six straight going into the title game and have a top-30 RPI. Had they lost in the first round of the Valley tourney it might have been sweating time, but not by getting to the championship.

[Ryan_Sonner]

Paul Hewitt picking his nose on live TV. Sonner must be so proud.

Nah. Cutting a 28-point deficit to six? Sure.

[rmanfredi]

As a Duck alum, I pretty much pretend college basketball season doesn't exist, but thought I would drop in to share this:

Current score in the first half -- Oregon 32, Utah 2.

Oregon might be the third-best team in the Pac-12.

For the record, Utah still managed to outscore USC on Saturday. The Trojans held Washington State without a field goal for the last nine minutes of the game and still managed to lose 43-38. (That's the men's team, BTW).

[Ben_Hecht]

As a Duck alum, I pretty much pretend college basketball season doesn't exist, but thought I would drop in to share this:

Current score in the first half -- Oregon 32, Utah 2.

Oregon might be the third-best team in the Pac-12.

For the record, Utah still managed to outscore USC on Saturday. The Trojans held Washington State without a field goal for the last nine minutes of the game and still managed to lose 43-38. (That's the men's team, BTW).

There isn't enough lipstick in the WORLD for that pig of a conference, this year.   Washington's the only team which should make the Dance, in a just world.

[king cranium maximus IV]

The SEC Tournament returns to New Orleans for the first time since the last time Kentucky went undefeated in conference play. Those Wildcats refused to cut down the nets after winning the conference tourney, noting that they'd have the opportunity again at the Superdome because the Final Four was there that year.

And then this happened. Whoops.

[Flying Headbutt]

Whoever @CaultonTudor is, he's blind and dumb.  Seriously, step away from Tobacco Road and look around.  Stop being lazy.

Here's the All-ACC voting:

FIRST TEAM

Tyler Zeller, North Carolina (186)
Mike Scott, Virginia (184)
John Henson, North Carolina (170)
Austin Rivers, Duke (164)
Harrison Barnes, North Carolina (153)


Zeller is good, I won't for a second dispute that.  But Mike Scott should absolutely be the POY and it shouldn't be close.  I hate damn near everything about the University of Vagina, but I can't say one bad thing about Mike Scott.  Well, ok, he can't dribble out of a double team.  But holy shit, he is good.  And he's clearly, unquestionably, the best player in that conference.

[zagoshe]

As a Duck alum, I pretty much pretend college basketball season doesn't exist, but thought I would drop in to share this:

Current score in the first half -- Oregon 32, Utah 2.

Oregon might be the third-best team in the Pac-12.

For the record, Utah still managed to outscore USC on Saturday. The Trojans held Washington State without a field goal for the last nine minutes of the game and still managed to lose 43-38. (That's the men's team, BTW).

There isn't enough lipstick in the WORLD for that pig of a conference, this year.   Washington's the only team which should make the Dance, in a just world.

What has happened to the Pac 12 - how in the world could it be this bad?

All of those schools out there are ALL rebuilding at the same time?

It just seems really ridiculous that a power conference could be so collectively bad.

And you watch, because it is a power conference it will get one at-large berth, even though it doesn't deserve even to have its automatic qualifier in.

[Big Circus]

What has happened to the Pac 12 - how in the world could it be this bad?

All of those schools out there are ALL rebuilding at the same time?

It just seems really ridiculous that a power conference could be so collectively bad.

And you watch, because it is a power conference it will get one at-large berth, even though it doesn't deserve even to have its automatic qualifier in.

Hey, we got an exhaustive study on one team's failings. Does George Dohrmann have 11 more of those in him?

[Ryan_Sonner]

Whoever @CaultonTudor is, he's blind and dumb.  Seriously, step away from Tobacco Road and look around.  Stop being lazy.

Here's the All-ACC voting:

FIRST TEAM

Tyler Zeller, North Carolina (186)
Mike Scott, Virginia (184)
John Henson, North Carolina (170)
Austin Rivers, Duke (164)
Harrison Barnes, North Carolina (153)


Zeller is good, I won't for a second dispute that.  But Mike Scott should absolutely be the POY and it shouldn't be close.  I hate damn near everything about the University of Vagina, but I can't say one bad thing about Mike Scott.  Well, ok, he can't dribble out of a double team.  But holy shit, he is good.  And he's clearly, unquestionably, the best player in that conference.

I'm confused. Is that Tudor's ballot or the actual selections? Isn't POY given out tomorrow?

[Big Circus]

That's the actual all-ACC team, which came out today. POY comes out tomorrow.

Tudor voted for that first team but replaced Scott with Kendall Marshall because Scott was "just average in 2 games that mattered most - v. NC."

[king cranium maximus IV]

That's the actual all-ACC team, which came out today. POY comes out tomorrow.

Tudor voted for that first team but replaced Scott with Kendall Marshall because Scott was "just average in 2 games that mattered most - v. NC."

...and Zeller was damn near directly responsible for Duke winning in Chapel Hill. His point?

[93Devil]

As a Duck alum, I pretty much pretend college basketball season doesn't exist, but thought I would drop in to share this:

Current score in the first half -- Oregon 32, Utah 2.

Oregon might be the third-best team in the Pac-12.

For the record, Utah still managed to outscore USC on Saturday. The Trojans held Washington State without a field goal for the last nine minutes of the game and still managed to lose 43-38. (That's the men's team, BTW).

There isn't enough lipstick in the WORLD for that pig of a conference, this year.   Washington's the only team which should make the Dance, in a just world.

What has happened to the Pac 12 - how in the world could it be this bad?

All of those schools out there are ALL rebuilding at the same time?

It just seems really ridiculous that a power conference could be so collectively bad.

And you watch, because it is a power conference it will get one at-large berth, even though it doesn't deserve even to have its automatic qualifier in.

Zag, those are very good questions.

Taking a quick glance at the Rivals lists from the last 3-4 years, there really has not been a ton of "wow" players from the Pac 10 recruiting grounds. And those that were decent, some left.

Jordan Hamilton - Texas
Michael Snaer - FSU
Renardo Sidney - Miss St
Kawhi Leonard - SD St
Enes Kanter - Kentucky
Terrence Jones - Kentucky

I am unsure of all these players backgrounds, but they played high school ball in California or Oregon and moved on to other parts of the country. Has the Findlay Prep program produced many Pac 10 players of note?

I would think something is going on out there with the AAU teams. That region just does not dry up talent-wise.

[Big Circus]

That's the actual all-ACC team, which came out today. POY comes out tomorrow.

Tudor voted for that first team but replaced Scott with Kendall Marshall because Scott was "just average in 2 games that mattered most - v. NC."

...and Zeller was damn near directly responsible for Duke winning in Chapel Hill. His point?

kcmiv:


Big Circus:

[Matt Stephens]

Somehow, Steve Fisher was named the MWC Coach of the Year. Why not TCU's Jim Christian? Beats me.

[dixiehack]

Western Carolina, down 10 with about a minute left, just took Davidson to OT.

[MileHigh]

Gonzaga big comeback in the last minute and a deep three to force overtime with Saint Mary's. Best week of college basketball, bar none.

[qtlaw]

Gonzaga big comeback in the last minute and a deep three to force overtime with Saint Mary's. Best week of college basketball, bar none.

St. Mary's is our local team and its a wonderful little slice of paradise in which to watch basketball.  Here's hoping that team somehow pulls a VCU/James Madison.