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Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that my bracket was terrible–I had Texas beating Memphis to advance to the Final Four, which just goes to show what I know. But I’m going to throw myself on the mercy of the court because I simply didn’t have much time to follow basketball this year, so my pro-KU, pro-Big 12 prejudices dominated my thinking about the brackets.
I’ve gotten caught up in a hurry so that I can fully savor tonight’s game.
On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, all I heard about in the media was about how there was simply no way that Kansas could beat UNC. After all, they had a high speed offense led by Tyler Hansbrough that had been shutting down defenses all year.
Well, after reading that I did some stats looking, and determined that while it was true that UNC had a high powered offense, it’s also true that KU does too–only one that’s more balanced and doesn’t depend on a single player for execution. So that real battle, I decided was going to be on the defensive end. It didn’t take long to conclude that here KU had a monster advantage–UNC’s defense was, at the time, ranked only 17th in the nation, and its performance tended to be worse against top-25 teams. So I went around obnoxiously telling everyone I talked to the game about on Friday and Saturday (before the game) that KU’s defense was going to be the reason why KU would win it.
And, as it turns out, I was right.
Defense, however, is not Memphis’s weak point. They’ve got some great action and good shot blockers, and have been consistently performing well all year. Indeed, as every sports columnist in the country has noted–KU and Memphis boast similar offensive strategies. I agree–we should be looking at a fast-paced, high scoring game. In all probability. And in a fast-paced, high scoring game, I have to give a slight edge to the Jayhawks. The simple reason?
Depth. KU is balanced enough down the bench that will simply have the ability to out-rotate players over Memphis. In a fast paced game, that can make all the difference. It certainly made a big difference against UNC, who staged a pretty scary comeback but couldn’t make it stick because their players just. got. tired.
There is also, I admit, something nagging me in the back of my mind. As noted above, I do agree with sports pundrity that we’re likely to see a fast-paced, high scoring game–lots of intensity and crowd pleasing steals and alley oops.
But here’s the thing…
Bill Self likes to mix it up. He likes to focus on other team’s weaknesses and stab at them, like he did with weak side defense against UNC. KU and Memphis typically play with similar styles–fast pace, etc. But where KU almost stumbled in the tournament was against Davidson–who managed to slow down the tempo of the game and make it a grinding defensive and outside shooting battle. Seeing as how Memphis plays a similar game to KU, one can’t help but wonder if a slower game might cause them to stumble, too.
So here’s where that might come in–when it comes to the frontcourt and post, KU has an edge over Memphis. I can’t help but wonder if it might not be a bad strategy for KU to simply slow the game down by playing a zone, eschewing their three-guard setup in favor of a big man in the middle and keeping Memphis to the perimeter, creating a lower-scoring, outside shooting battle. That’s the kind of game Self liked to coach when he started at KU, and still does it occasionally. I don’t honestly expect to see that, but I won’t be too surprised if it happens, either.
In either case, I do think that if KU can keep their mistakes to a minimum, they have an edge over Memphis and will take the national title for the first time in 20 years. We’ll know for sure tonight.
Knowing how much Cal and Stanford like each other, this news can only be seen as a sign of the apocalypse.
BERKELEY, Calif. - California has turned to its biggest rival to find its new basketball coach, hiring former Stanford coach Mike Montgomery on Friday to replace the fired Ben Braun. Montgomery was to be officially introduced at a news conference on campus Saturday, the school said.
Montgomery, who spent 18 years with the Cardinal, has been out of coaching since August 2006 when he was let go after two seasons in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors. He has announced college games and been an assistant athletic director at Stanford while still collecting money from the final two years of his contract with Golden State.
Braun was fired last week after 12 seasons as coach when the Bears missed the NCAA tournament for the fourth time in five years. Montgomery made the tournament his final 10 years at Stanford, winning at least one game each time.
Whether Montgomery could continue that streak at Cal would depend heavily on the decision leading scorer and rebounder Ryan Anderson makes about the NBA draft. Anderson said Thursday he would test the waters by declaring, but would not sign with an agent to leave the option open of returning to school for his junior year.
I never thought it was fair to judge a college coach till he is able to bring in his own recruits.
Montgomery was successful at Stanford, including a final four appearance 10 years ago. Because of that and his over 500 career lifetime wins, I see Montgomery having a reasonable chance at doing well at Cal. I just wonder what diehard Bear fans think about having a former Stanford Cardinal in their midst. Guess it won’t matter if Cal basketball gets invited to the NCAA tournament consistently under Montgomery.
This news comes days after Stanford was eliminated from the NCAA tournament.
The Lopez twins are going pro together. Stanford sophomore Robin Lopez is joining his 7-foot brother Brook in entering the NBA draft. The brothers made their announcement to The Associated Press on Monday through their mother, Deborah Ledford.
It was expected that Brook would declare himself eligible for the NBA, but Robin was not so certain. They were prep stars in Fresno, Calif., and came to Stanford together. Now they will depart as a tandem, too.
“This has been a very difficult decision for me because I really enjoyed my two years at Stanford,” Robin Lopez said in a statement released to the AP. “I have always hoped I would have an opportunity to play in the NBA and I feel now is the right time to make that dream a reality.”
Brook Lopez, a third-team All-American and a first-team Pac-10 selection, averaged 19.3 points and 8.2 rebounds to go with 56 blocks this season. He scored the game-winning basket with 1.3 seconds left in an 82-81 victory over Marquette in the second round of the NCAA tournament to put Stanford in the regional semifinals for the first time since 2001.
Both Brook and Robin will hire agents and thus forgo their remaining two years of college eligibility, their mom said.
Since I rarely follow basketball(Pro or college) I am clueless as to the chances the Lopez brothers have of sticking in the NBA. To be honest, I would stay in college. Especially since its Stanford.
There has been a history of twins, identical and non-identical in professional sports. Hardcore golf fans will know golf Hall of Famer Curtis Strange has an identical twin brother Allen. In the NHL right now there are the identical Sedin brothers, Daniel and Henrik who play for the Vancouver Canucks. In baseball there were the Canseco brothers and the O’brien brothers.
If Robin Lopez can’t make it in the NBA, he can always caddy for Michelle Wie. SI reported recently that the two of them are dating.(Hat tip- ROK Drop)
Say it ain’t so.
The Ivy League and Harvard will review whether recruiting violations were made by the Crimson men’s basketball program.
A story in The New York Times on Sunday chronicled, among other issues, recruiting efforts by a man who is now an assistant coach at Harvard, and how those efforts might have been in violation of NCAA rules.
“We’re going to do what needs to be done, and it’s going to be done in a timely way,” Jeff Orleans, the Ivy League executive director, told The Times for Wednesday’s editions.
Kenny Blakeney, the top assistant on coach Tommy Amaker’s staff, reportedly visited two recruits — Max Kenyi, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Washington, D.C., and Keith Wright, a 6-7 forward from Norfolk, Va., when in-person contact is not allowed.
Kenyi told The Times that Blakeney had played basketball with him in June or July 2007. Wright told The Times that Blakeney had visited him at one of his summer basketball team practices in Norfolk, saying, “He actually got to play with us, because he wasn’t actually on Harvard’s staff … He didn’t sign anything yet, so he got to play with us, and we talked and exchanged numbers.”
Harvard announced Blakeney’s hiring on July 2, 2007. In addition, visits such as Blakeney’s may still be a violation, according to NCAA spokesman Erik Christianson, because the rules state, “Should a coach recruit on behalf of a school but not be employed there, he or she is then considered a booster and that recruiting activity is not allowed.”
Should a school be punished for the actions of a coach before he worked for the school? Some NCAA rules seem silly to me.
A Ivy league school being investigated is not unheard of. A google search found this article on Brown. Learn something new every day.
He won his 900th game as a head coach last month. From AP-
LUBBOCK, Texas - Bob Knight resigned Monday at Texas Tech, a stunning midseason move by the winningest men’s coach in major college basketball.
Known as much for his fiery temper as his basketball brilliance, Knight gave no hint a change was coming. He will be replaced by his son, Pat, a Red Raiders assistant.
Chris Cook, a spokesman for athletic director Gerald Myers, confirmed the resignation, which was first reported by the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
Related links
Bob Knight’s milestone wins
In September, Knight signed a three-year contract extension that runs through the 2011-12 season. In 2005, Pat Knight was appointed his father’s successor.
“Coach Knight has had a great career. His coaching record speaks for itself. His love for basketball is clear, but most importantly his love for teaching and the students has been a hallmark of his tenure here at Texas Tech,” said Sally Logue Post, a spokeswoman for Texas Tech.
Bob Knight has 902 career wins, more than any coach in the history of Division I men’s basketball. Win No. 900 came last month against Texas A&M. The Red Raiders are 12-8 this season.
Knight arrived at Texas Tech in March 2001, six months after being fired by Indiana for what school officials there called a “pattern of unacceptable behavior.”
I expect Knight is done with coaching. He certainly was a successful if controversial coach. Good luck in retirement Bobby.
The school gave him a contract extension three years ago. From AP-
CORVALLIS, Ore. - Oregon State fired basketball coach Jay John, whose team is 6-12 this season and winless in the Pac-10. Attendance is reaching record lows at Gill Coliseum and the school has had only one winning season since 1989-90.
Assistant Kevin Mouton will temporarily run the team after the rare midseason coaching change, which was announced Sunday night by athletic director Bob De Carolis. De Carolis did not rule out Mouton as a permanent replacement.
John, in his sixth season, received a five-year contract extension in 2005. Oregon State owes him about $1.1 million.
*****
John did not have a chance to meet with the team Sunday night. He had a record of 72-97 and a conference mark of 26-68, including 0-6 this season. The Beavers, however, showed some grit in nearly upsetting Washington on Saturday.
You have to wonder about the people in charge of OSU’s sports programs. They give a coach with limited results a contract extension, then fire him in mid-season for not turning around a perennial loser. Paying someone not to coach your team seems like a waste of money to me.
He has been on leave since early November. From AP-
TUCSON, Ariz. - Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson said Thursday night he would extend his leave of absence through the end of this season, citing undisclosed family matters that require his attention.
In a statement released by the university, the 73-year-old Hall of Famer said he plans to return to coach the Wildcats for the 2008-09 season.
“There are personal issues within my family that need to be addressed and I must devote my full energy to that,” Olson said in the statement.
Athletic director Jim Livengood said assistant coach Kevin O’Neill will continue to serve as interim coach for the rest of this season. The 22nd-ranked Wildcats (5-2) are at Illinois on Sunday.
I hope whatever the cause of Olson’s leave isn’t too serious. God bless.
The coach of 1997 NCAA Champs issued a statement today.
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona coach Lute Olson is taking a leave of absence for unspecified personal reasons.
In a statement issued by his public relations firm on Sunday, the 73-year-old Hall of Famer said the matter was not health related.
*****
Olson said he wanted to “reassure everyone that this isn’t a health scare, but rather a personal matter that needs my undivided attention.”
The specific reason was not given.
“I want to thank everyone in advance for their support and prayers and request that the media respect my family’s privacy during this time,” he said.
Assistant coach Kevin O’Neill will assume Olson’s duties in his absence.
*****
Olson has a 780-280 record in 34 seasons as a major college coach. In 24 years at Arizona, he is 589-187 with 23 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. His Wildcats have won 11 Pac-10 championships, reached the Final Four four times and won the 1997 NCAA title.
If I were to take a guess, it is that Coash Olson or a close family of his(wife, child, grandchild) has a serious medical issue. No matter what the reason, I wish the coach well and look forward to his return.
It looks like the UF coach has changed his mind.
The Orlando Magic today will allow Billy Donovan out of his 5-year, $27.5 million contract that he signed on Friday.
“It’s over,” said a source close to the situation.
Donovan had reservations about leaving the Florida Gators for the NBA on Friday and spent all weekend trying to find a way to get out of his contract. On Saturday, Orlando Magic General Manager Otis Smith went to Gainesville to try to convince Donovan to honor the deal. Smith talked with Donovan again on Sunday, and so did Magic President Bob Vander Weide.
Unless Donovan wakes up today and changes his mind, the Magic will let him go, the source said.
Almost everyone at Florida, from people on his staff to other NBA coaches to even his wife, told Donovan to go to the Magic — but after Friday’s emotional news conference in Gainesville, he started thinking he might have made a mistake. That was the first time he even mentioned there being a problem.
*****
On Monday morning, Joel Glass, vice president for communications for the Magic, released a statement:
“While Central Florida, the Orlando Magic and Billy were energized with the announcement of his contract signing on Friday, we know there was a different feeling in Gainesville and people have been tugging at him since that time. Billy is conflicted with those emotions and the opportunity he has ahead in Orlando and in the NBA. We’ve had numerous conversations and a personal visit in Gainesville with Billy over the last 48 hours and we have a commitment from him that the dialogue between us will continue.”
I thought all along that Donovan was going to stay in Gainesville. Coaching in the NBA is a whole different affair than college ball and the Magic are a mediocre team at best. The money and close proximity to his current job, were inviting, but Donovan has job security where he is. In five years or less, Billy could be looking for work again. Do you trade long term stability for short term gain? I wonder if that’s what went through Billy’s mind.
This about face may destroy any chance for Donovan to become a NBA coach, but who knows. Some franchises are desperate(like in any team sport). The Gators will be happy to have their coach back, that is for certain.
From the Orlando Sentinel-
The Orlando Magic have made a whopping offer Thursday morning to Florida Gators basketball coach Billy Donovan, sources close to the situation told the Orlando Sentinel.
The Magic expect Donovan to accept the offer to replace Brian Hill as the head coach by the end of the week.
Donovan, 42, led the Gators to back-to-back NCAA titles.
I don’t know. There is a mighty large difference between coaching college and the pros. Donovan could be successful in the NBA, but the egos a coach has to endure may not be worth it, or the fact that Orlando has been a pretty hapless franchise for most of its history. On the other hand how much more can Donovan due at UF after winning back to back national titles?
My prediction- Donovan stays put.
From the Sun-Sentinel-
TALLAHASSEE — Florida A&M University basketball coach Mike Gillespie Sr. was jailed Friday on a misdemeanor stalking charge, police said.
Police said they were called Friday morning by a woman, who said she was stalked at work Thursday evening and again on Friday morning.
She had told authorities on May 15 of Gillespie’s advances, but didn’t want to file charges, hoping he’d stop contacting her, a police report said.
The report said police had investigated Gillespie several times since March 2005 on stalking complaints and warned him to stop his behavior. It was not immediately clear who made the complaints.
Gillespie’s attorney, Tim Jansen, said he hoped to have the coach released sometime late Friday on $1,000 bond.
*****
Gillespie, 56, just completed his sixth season at Florida A&M by taking the team to its first 20-win season since 1988-89 and its second NCAA tournament appearance under his tutelage. He is married and has two adult children. His son, Mike Gillespie Jr., serves as his top assistant.
The school, which is already struggling with financial issues, released a statement saying it was reviewing the charges against Gillespie.
I blogged today about FAMU’s more serious problems at present. Apparently not many people at this university are using their brains at present.
Her condition has been upgraded from critical to serious.
SEATTLE - Washington State women’s basketball coach June Daugherty was upgraded from critical to serious condition Wednesday, a day after going into cardiac arrest while at a medical clinic for a checkup.
The 50-year-old Daugherty was “doing as well as can be expected,” said Mike Daugherty, her husband and the team’s associate head coach.
The Daughertys are the parents of 13-year-old twins.
Fired by Washington, Daugherty was hired last month at Washington State. She took over a program that has not had a winning season since 1995-96. She replaced Sherri Murrell, who resigned April 5 after a 27-114 record in her five years as coach.
Daugherty coached Washington to the NCAA tournament the past two seasons and in six of her 11 years with the Huskies. She was dismissed by Washington on March 18, one day after the Huskies lost their first-round game in the NCAA tournament to Iowa State.
At Washington, Daugherty compiled a 191-139 overall record and a 113-85 Pac-10 mark. Daugherty coached from 1989-96 at Boise State, where she had a 123-74 overall record.
Only last year Army women’s basketball coach Maggie Dixon passed away at age 28. Please say a prayer for June Daugherty and her family.
The NCAA will move the 3-point line starting in November. For men only.
Two decades after adding the three-point line, the NCAA men’s basketball rules committee approved a measure Thursday that will move the line back one foot — from 19 feet, 9 inches to 20 feet, 9 inches. If approved by the playing rules oversight committee on May 25, it would mark the first major change to three-pointers since their adoption.
The change would not take place until November 2008.
The move comes after years of debate about extending the line. Rules committee chairman Larry Keating said two proposals were considered. The other would have moved the line to 20 feet, 6 inches, the same distance as international 3-pointers. Both are shorter than the NBA line, which ranges from 23 feet, 9 inches at the top of the key to 22 feet at its nearest point in the baseline corners.
“We made it a point to come up with a distance that was correct for us and that didn’t necessarily mimic the international line,” Keating said.
The women’s basketball rules committee did not adopt the change and will keep the 3-point line at 19 feet, 9 inches.
I’d have liked to see the NCAA go with the international line, which would help our guys prepare for the Olympics and World Championships. It’s ridiculous to give 3 points for a shot essentially at the top of the key.
According to CBS, Don Imus has been fired from his radio show today after being fired from his MSNBC simulcast earlier this week.
(CBS) NEW YORK CBS 2 has learned that CBS-owned radio station WFAN has fired Don Imus. The news comes a day after MSNBC discontinued their relationship his radio show.
CBS Chairman and CEO Les Moonves met with Reverends Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson on Thursday morning to discuss Imus’ future with the company. The shock jock has been in hot water since calling members of the Rutgers women’s basketball team “nappy-headed hos.”
In the past week or so, two men commenting on sporting events got themselves into hot water. Their divergent fates says something about their releative sins as well as about how they’ve handled them. In the more celebrated case (enough to knock the paternity of Anna Nicole Smith’s baby down a few notches) Don Imus referred to Rutgers women’s basketball team in a derogatory fashion. No one defends Imus, though there doesn’t seem to be a concensus what a fitting punishment would be. Baseball Crank though criticizes Rutgers for making the championship team into a bunch of wimps.
Somebody gave these young women the message - or at least failed to disabuse them of the notion - that they should take Imus’ words seriously, take them to heart. This press conference was a show of the coach and the players wallowing in Imus’ words, embracing them, and thus elevating them as if any serious person would think less of them - rather than of Imus - for what Imus said. This story should never have been about the players, because Imus’ words were generic (indeed, that’s precisely why they were offensive). It’s the Culture of Victimology at its most destructive, teaching these young women that they should consider themselves to have been genuinely maligned by an aging boor and to seek out the status and posture of one to whom a deep wrong has been done and who is owed.
To have had the team come out and say, “Nothing a declining two bit hack says can take away our triumph” would have put Imus in his place quite nicely.
On the other hand Billy Packer stood his ground, SarcastiPundit agues, as he should have.
“I said he fagged out on me and it had nothing to do with sexual connotation,” Packer told the Philadelphia Inquirer. I got to know Charlie a number of years ago and have great admiration for his program and intellect. He is a big Dukie, and he has been talking a number of years about coming to the Final Four to be a runner.” Packer explained that he was using the word in the wholly legitimate form of an adjective meaning to exhaust or tire out. I’m certainly no fan of Packer; he’s (for lack of a better term) a college basketball supremacist and generally a blowhard. But I have to give him props here for refusing to be bullied in a situation where he has done nothing wrong. Anybody so ignorant as to be offended by such a thing should spend more time educating himself or herself and less time trying to impose speech codes on others.
And SarcastiPundit remembers a time when an inoffensive word led to a resignation due to mass ignorance.
Crossposted on SoccerDad.
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