Notes on Early Games
--- The new TV format is outstanding. Great to have the freedom of watching any of the four ongoing games the first two days of the tournament. I know that in offices around the country, folks are still watching one lone game on their computer, but they'll be in heaven tonight as they switch around.
--- Pitt is in real danger of becoming the Atlanta Braves of the NCAA Tournament. Pitt displays little emotion each Selection Sunday when their location is announced and I feel like maybe this lack of obvious concern/pride hurts them in the one and done nature of the NCAA's. I picked Pitt to get to the Championship Game this year and spent the first half of their game this afternoon against a bad UNC-Asheville squad kicking myself. They just don't look like a Final Four team, especially offensively. And it was curious to see Heat President Pat Riley watching the Panthers, as Pitt has no obvious NBA players. Guess he's waiting for Kemba Walker's game tonight.
--- The game I paid the most attention to was Morehead State vs. Louisville. A terrific contest that came down to the last few seconds. If Louisville's center from last year, Samuels, hadn't done an unwise thing and declared for the NBA Draft, Rick Pitino might have one of the best teams in the country. As it is, they're headed home. The 'Ville had no big men besides an undersized Jennings to contend with Morehead State's rebounding beast, Kenneth Faried, who absolutely killed the Cardinals on the glass at both ends. Though Faried was a disaster when M State was running their offense through him in the high post, I still think he has plenty of Rodman-type ability. Morehead had three guys who can really play and two white dudes who stunk, but they hit enough 3s in the second half to win the game. And great no call by the referees on the last shot by Louisville; it was a definite shot block and no foul, regardless of what the announcers inexplicably claimed live.
--- Great to see Butler senior stalwart Matt Howard win the game against Old Dominion on the buzzer beater. If he had shot that follow just an inch lower off the glass it would have rolled out, but the man put enough english on it to get the ball to crawl in at the clock ticked down to zero. Great job.
--- The University of Kentucky unis are simply dreadful. The tops are too tight and the "Kentucky" is too small. Just brutal. Back in the early 80s I thought that UK had the baddest uniforms in the game. Not so anymore. Can someone please help John Calipari out with this?
--- The Mid American Conference is in a major basketball rut. The conference champ, Akron, is a 15 seed. Compare that to the Patriot League winner Bucknell, a 14. Wow. The league that gave the NBA Ron Harper, Dan Majerle, Earl Boykins, Gary Trent, and Chris Kaman is just not getting the three star recruits anymore. What gives?
--- Pitt is in real danger of becoming the Atlanta Braves of the NCAA Tournament. Pitt displays little emotion each Selection Sunday when their location is announced and I feel like maybe this lack of obvious concern/pride hurts them in the one and done nature of the NCAA's. I picked Pitt to get to the Championship Game this year and spent the first half of their game this afternoon against a bad UNC-Asheville squad kicking myself. They just don't look like a Final Four team, especially offensively. And it was curious to see Heat President Pat Riley watching the Panthers, as Pitt has no obvious NBA players. Guess he's waiting for Kemba Walker's game tonight.
--- The game I paid the most attention to was Morehead State vs. Louisville. A terrific contest that came down to the last few seconds. If Louisville's center from last year, Samuels, hadn't done an unwise thing and declared for the NBA Draft, Rick Pitino might have one of the best teams in the country. As it is, they're headed home. The 'Ville had no big men besides an undersized Jennings to contend with Morehead State's rebounding beast, Kenneth Faried, who absolutely killed the Cardinals on the glass at both ends. Though Faried was a disaster when M State was running their offense through him in the high post, I still think he has plenty of Rodman-type ability. Morehead had three guys who can really play and two white dudes who stunk, but they hit enough 3s in the second half to win the game. And great no call by the referees on the last shot by Louisville; it was a definite shot block and no foul, regardless of what the announcers inexplicably claimed live.
--- Great to see Butler senior stalwart Matt Howard win the game against Old Dominion on the buzzer beater. If he had shot that follow just an inch lower off the glass it would have rolled out, but the man put enough english on it to get the ball to crawl in at the clock ticked down to zero. Great job.
--- The University of Kentucky unis are simply dreadful. The tops are too tight and the "Kentucky" is too small. Just brutal. Back in the early 80s I thought that UK had the baddest uniforms in the game. Not so anymore. Can someone please help John Calipari out with this?
--- The Mid American Conference is in a major basketball rut. The conference champ, Akron, is a 15 seed. Compare that to the Patriot League winner Bucknell, a 14. Wow. The league that gave the NBA Ron Harper, Dan Majerle, Earl Boykins, Gary Trent, and Chris Kaman is just not getting the three star recruits anymore. What gives?
posted by joe sweeney at 5:20 PM
1 Comments:
About Butler, it was exciting to see them win at the buzzer! I hope they make another improbable run to the national championship game like they did last year.
About Louisville, they deserved to lose today! They failed to recognize the situation at the end. With a two point lead and time winding down, they should have fouled Demonte Harper before a shot was attempted. That would have resulted in a one-and-one, and the game most likely would have gone into overtime at the worst.
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