Some Basketball Thoughts
1) Harrison Barnes of Carolina may have scored 40 today, but he remains more Tim Thomas/Bob MacAdoo type than a true superstar. The reason is that he doesn't make anyone else better. Barnes does not work well with his teammates offensively. Sure, the guy made a ton of jumpers, but Carolina struggled and had to go to overtime to pull out the win over an overmatched opponent.
2) Championship Week is almost as much fun for me as any of the NCAA Tournament weeks. The reason is the plethora of celebrations. Watching the coach and players at BU going crazy with the school's first Big Dance ticket in nine years was terrific. They surely won't be celebrating and carousing next week when they get slaughtered by a #1 or #2 seed. The conference tournaments are pure joy, though. Great stuff for this hoops junkie.
3) This might be the best team Notre Dame has ever had. They made a Final Four way back in 1978 and had some incredibly talented players go through South Bend in that 70s/early 80s era with Coach Digger, but never really played to their ability. This year's team might have zero NBA players on it, but I can see them winning six games and potentially winning it all. I'm not saying they will, just that they can. I can also see the Domers, with their heavy reliance on perimeter shooting, going out next Saturday or Sunday in the second round against a good 7 or 8 seed. Congratulations are in order, to be certain, to Coach Mike Brey for getting the max out of the Irish.
4) Not that anyone cares about my opinion on the matter, but this Miami U. alum would like it if Coach Charlie Coles rode off into the sunset. The Miami program has become mediocre, having not won 20 games since the Sweet Sixteen team in 1999. The school can and should expect more out of the program than .500 records year after year. Thanks for some great memories, Coach Charlie, but it's time to go.
5) Nolan Smith's toe injury for Duke is very reminiscent of Jayson Williams ankle sprain in the ACC Tournament in 2001. It looked to me that, when Williams went down, Duke's season was over. But the Blue Devils won the National Championship that year, and Williams played well. Can Smith, the lifeblood of a terrific Coach K squad, do the same in 2011? That remains the same. The timing of the injuries is eerily similar.
2) Championship Week is almost as much fun for me as any of the NCAA Tournament weeks. The reason is the plethora of celebrations. Watching the coach and players at BU going crazy with the school's first Big Dance ticket in nine years was terrific. They surely won't be celebrating and carousing next week when they get slaughtered by a #1 or #2 seed. The conference tournaments are pure joy, though. Great stuff for this hoops junkie.
3) This might be the best team Notre Dame has ever had. They made a Final Four way back in 1978 and had some incredibly talented players go through South Bend in that 70s/early 80s era with Coach Digger, but never really played to their ability. This year's team might have zero NBA players on it, but I can see them winning six games and potentially winning it all. I'm not saying they will, just that they can. I can also see the Domers, with their heavy reliance on perimeter shooting, going out next Saturday or Sunday in the second round against a good 7 or 8 seed. Congratulations are in order, to be certain, to Coach Mike Brey for getting the max out of the Irish.
4) Not that anyone cares about my opinion on the matter, but this Miami U. alum would like it if Coach Charlie Coles rode off into the sunset. The Miami program has become mediocre, having not won 20 games since the Sweet Sixteen team in 1999. The school can and should expect more out of the program than .500 records year after year. Thanks for some great memories, Coach Charlie, but it's time to go.
5) Nolan Smith's toe injury for Duke is very reminiscent of Jayson Williams ankle sprain in the ACC Tournament in 2001. It looked to me that, when Williams went down, Duke's season was over. But the Blue Devils won the National Championship that year, and Williams played well. Can Smith, the lifeblood of a terrific Coach K squad, do the same in 2011? That remains the same. The timing of the injuries is eerily similar.
posted by joe sweeney at 4:06 PM
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