Category: College Basketball (Page 121 of 153)

Dayton won a hard fought game in overtime against St. Louis on the road and Rhode Island used the clutch shooting of Head Coach Jim Baron’s son to nip Duquesne on Saturday….

I had an opportunity to watch St. Louis (coming off a record setting perfomrance for offensive futility vs. George Washington) almost pull off one of the biggest upsets of the season. They led 20th ranked Dayton for most of the game and had a wide open three point shot by their best shooter, Kevin Lisch, rimmed out in the last 30 seconds. A shot that would have given them the lead and the win. Instead they succumbed to Dayton in overtime.

It was two remarkable performances. One by Coach Rick Majerus who rallied his Billikens to within a jump shot of the the win. The other by Dayton guard Brian Roberts.

St. Louis is a team devoid of talent. They have no inside presence to go to which makes them work extrememly hard on every possession. However, they might be one of the best defensive teams in the country. All night long they made Dayton work for every shot. They allowed only a couple of baskets in transition the entire game. Also, they made Brian Roberts work for everything he got.

That is what is so amazing about Brian Roberts. He scored 30 points and hit every big shot the Flyers needed. He has a great presence on the court and a tremendous basketball IQ. It is easy to see why Dayton is off to such a great start. He is the brains and the catalyst. Remember his name because yo will see him in the NBA!!

Meanwhile Rhode Island battled tooth and nail against a rejuvenated Duqeusne squad. Ron Everhart has done a remendous job of elminating the losing attitude that has pervaded the Dukes for so many years. With the addition of two transfers and a former Marquette signee, he has his team in position for an at large bid.

Rhode Island on the other hand has a myriad of weapons. Led by the sharp shooting of Jim Baron, jr. Rhode Island came from behind to beat the Dukes. Will Daniels provided the inside scoring with 28. Look for the Rams to be NCAA bound as they improved to 15-2.

Five teams are left without a blemish on their record. No one has been able to run the table since the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers did it. Here is a breakdown of the five left and their chances.

North Carolina– They have depth and play very aggressive on every possession. The key will be that Tyler Hansborough stays healthy and out of foul trouble in every game. I don’t believe they can pull it off due to the number of true rivals they face in this league. I think Duke will pull it off at least once.

Washington State— A big win over USC last night, but the true test comes this weekend against UCLA. If they can get by UCLA than it is a possibility. All the media talks about how balanced they are which is code for no NBA players. However, I think they have at least one in their starting lineup. Due to travel and the tradition of UCLA I don’t think they have a chance to run the table.

Vanderbuilt– Kevin Stallings has done a wonderful job, but with trips to Florida and Alabama on the horizon I don’t believe it will happen. What is more startling is that they are playing at Kentucky this weekend and they are the favorites. Yes, you heard that right. I guess Tubby Smith wasn’t that bad. Look for Gillespie to get his first good win as the Kentucky coach and knock the Commodores from the ranks of the unbeatens.

Kansas— The Jayhawks are deep in the backcourt and the frontline play of Arthur and Jackson has been very good. If that continues you’re looking at a repeat of 1988. I believe that the Jayhawks have the second best chance of running the table. They have leadership in Russell Robinson and experience at every position. Also, outside of Texas and Texas A & M the Big 12 is not very good. I think they will run the regular season table.

Memphis— John Calipari has done what only Jerry Tarkanian was able to do at UNLV. He has recruited above the level of his conference. Give him credit. He could sell ice to eskimos. His team is so deep that his second string could start at most schools in the league. Also, Conference USA is the weakest of the leagues to compete against. Only one team in the league could give him a scare and that is Houston. If they play the perfect game they can beat the Tigers. I don’t see that happening. They are going to run the table in the league. Mark it down!

49-20!! That was the score of the St. Louis-George Washington game yesterday. No, not the halftime score! The Final Score!!The 20 points scored by St. Louis is the fewest points scored in the NCAA since the arrival of the shot clock. Here are the stats from last night:
7-49 from the floor
1-19 from the 3 pt. line
14 turnovers (not too bad)
Tommie Liddel–1-12
Kevin Lisch– 1-9

Those numbers are astounding. What is even more amazing is the fact that Rick Majerus has coached this team to 9 wins in 15 games. I had an opportunity to watch them practice early in the year and thought if they could win ten games that would be a heckuva coaching job. They have no inside threat to speak of and their point guard is average at best. Kevin Lisch is a good shooter, but streaky and Tommie Liddell for all his hype is just an athlete who is still learning to play the game.

Coach Majerus has tried to slow the game down and play possession basketball. This is a tough thing to do when you don’t have an insider threat and a good point guard. I am sure there are writers and critics out there who will say Majerus doesn’t know what he is doing. Those are the guys who have never laced them up or called a time out in their lives. Afterall, the Billikens have beaten S. Illinois and Summit League leader IUPUI this season.

On Saturday the Billikens will face nationally ranked Dayton. Look for a tight game and if Lisch and Liddell play up to their preseason hype then St. Louis will not only score more than 20 points, but pull off the upset as well.

The Big 12 is last conference to begin league play as the teams will kick off this weekend. The following is a snippet of each team and where they stand as well as where they are heading.

Kansas— Healthier and deeper than just about any team in the country. This is a national championship calibre team.
Texas A & M–Mark Turgeon inherited a roster full of talent. More importantly, he has kept the same type of style as former coach Billy Gillespie that has enabled his players to flourish.
Texas— I am not one to say they are better without Kevin Durrant, but the truth is they are a year older and more balanced than last year. If Augustin continues to have a great year, look out for the Longhorns.
Baylor— Scott Drew has the Bears out of the ashes and into the penthouse. Aaron Bruce is one of the best guards in the league. Baylor should be dancing come March.
Oklahoma— Blake Griffin has performed in the shadow of K State’s Michael Beasley, but been just as impressive. Youth could be served if they win a couple of games early.
Kansas State— Nine new players and a new coach. This is a recipe for disaster, but when you have a player as talented as Michael Beasley and a guy like Frank Martin at the helm you can set your worries aside. This team will hit some potholes throughout the year, however, look for the Wildcats to make the tournament for the first time in over a decade.
Missouri— 94′ of hell brought in by Mike Anderson has become just a slogan for right now. Demare Carroll is an all league addition who will excell in this system, but there is just not enough depth to do what Anderson wants to do.
Oklahoma State— Sean Sutton is on the hot seat and I don’t think they have enough talent or chemistry to save him.
Texas Tech— Bob Knight will continue to coach his tale off, but the dearth of talent will keep them relagated to the bottom of the pack.
Iowa State– Greg McDermott is one of the better coaches in the country, but as Al McGuire said “you can’t make chicken salad out of chicken shit.”
Colorado— Jeff Bzdelik took his third job in four years and still has not had to move his family. Walking into a tailor made situation at Air Force with experienced players who had won was a much different task than what he faces at Colorado. New players will have to learn a new system. His coaching expertise will be tested to say the least.
Nebraska— Doc Sadler has figured out a way to build the roster around Alec Marics. This fact and the fact that he is the best post man in the league will enable the Cornhuskers to make the tournament.
Recapping the league:

NCAA Participants–
Kansas/Texas/Texas A & M/Baylor/Kansas State/Nebraska

NIT
Oklahoma/Missouri

New Coaches at the end of the year—
Oklahoma State/Texas Tech/Oklahoma

Southern Mississippi head coach Larry Eustachy became the fourth Division I coach to take a leave of absence during the season. Never before can I recall anything like this happening. Albeit the four situations are different, but is does show just how much pressure coaches are putting on themselves. Not that I am saying other people don’t have pressure and that they are not compensated rather well. However, with the passing of Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser this summer there has been much more talk and reflection about how the job has changed.

Larry Eustachy— left due to his mother’s fight against cancer
Lute Olsen– personal problems stemming from his potential divorce
Perry Watson– health concerns
Jessie Evans– personal reasons (forced out by his athletic director)

I hate to be callous, but the reality was that all four teams had underperformed this year. Could be a lack of concentration by the head coach or just a coincidence. You decide.