It's a FABULOUS day for a game!

Hello friends,

What an amazing day of basketball!! I am so drained from so many games, I almost don't know where to start. Marquette upsets UConn, Syracuse NARROWLY escapes DePaul, Illinois over Indiana at the buzzer, West Virginia comes back to beat Lousiville, Georgetown DESTROYING Duke, Texas loses to Baylor in OT...I'm out of breath just making that list. So here are some thoughts, observations and general comments from the day that was...

KENTUCKY vs. VANDERBILT

It was pretty much a given that Kentucky was going to play out of their minds today after the loss to South Carolina on Tuesday. That said, it remained to be seen whether it would be out of their minds in a good way or a bad way...well, I THINK they answered that question with some authority.

The key really for the Wildcats was HUSTLE, especially from DeMarcus Cousins. UK ran the floor, dove for the ball, crashed the boards and basically took Vandy out of any kind of game they hoped to have. Cousins was a complete beast inside, using his size and strength to its fullest and really taking it strong to the hoop down low. He was surely a difference-maker in this game and his presence absolutely shook up Aussie star A.J. Ogilvey, who got into foul trouble and didn't even score his first points until he went to the FT line with a few minutes remaining in the first half. With Cousins dominating inside, Patrick Patterson decided to assert himself from the 3 point line and hit some key shots, especially in the first half and John Wall (still love him) set a Kentucky freshman assist record.*
*Sidenote: One of the reasons I LOVE John Wall...he can clearly score early and often, yet he's really unselfish with the ball and ALWAYS looks up the floor. Apparently he hasn't been playing as well in games lately, but when you consider a "bad game" to be 12 points and 9 assists (and ok, 7 turnovers, not so good), I think he'll be fine. Plus, it's the old standby--teams are keying on him more and more, so he'll just have to adjust.
Kentucky got in foul trouble early (at one point, Bledsoe, Wall and Cousins were all sharing the bench for a significant period of time in the first half) and I'm not sure if it was that or Kentucky relaxing a bit with the large lead that allowed Vanderbilt to fight back a little in the second half--but all I want to know is this from Commodore Jeffrey Taylor: When you are down 12 on the road and have a chance to cut the lead to 10, why, why, WHY do you decide to showboat and completely MISS a reverse dunk that leads to a Kentucky score and a lead of 15?!?!?! Vandy just looked completely out of their element. I haven't really watched them at all this year, so I can't really comment on this or that, but I was really surprised at how poorly they played.

MICHIGAN STATE vs. NORTHWESTERN

Now HERE are the Spartans I know and love. The score is a bit deceiving, because it makes it look like the game was a lot closer than it was, but once the second half started, the Spartans were in control and never looked back. Northwestern actually played well--they hit amazing shots in the first half to keep it so close and hit some big 3s toward the end to make it appear they had a chance. The thing I really noticed about the Wildcats was their confidence. I have never seen a Northwestern team look like that--they didn't seem intimidated or flustered no matter what the score. Everyone wrote them off after Coble got injured and it gets mentioned a lot that NO ONE expected them to be this competitive without him. I hope they do well....just not against MSU...ha!

But back to the Spartans. All the analysts have talked about Kalin Lucas and how AMAZING he's been in the last two games (Minnesota and Michigan)...while I do think he's great, I've personally felt like he hasn't really shown up until late in the game (and thank goodness he DID, but it would have been nice to have him the whole time) and FINALLY tonight I saw the old Kalin the entire game. Sharp passes, slashing to the basket, hitting FTs, all of it! The team as well looked pretty sharp. They crashed the boards HARD, took care of the ball really well, always looked to make the extra pass, were strong inside...it was great! Durrell Summers was ridiculous and even Chris Allen had some spectacular dunks that I don't think I've ever seen before. Raymar Morgan didn't have a stellar game, but he still played pretty well and I think some of the fouls that took him out of it were a bit silly. The other thing that I loved was that the Spartans were calm and poised even after NW hit shots and closed the gap. They hit (most) of their free throws down the stretch as well....although Draymond Green needs to spend a BIT more time at the line (still adore him though).

KANSAS vs. KANSAS STATE

I am not going to into super-analysis on this one, because I was watching MSU most of the time, but CRAP!! WHAT A GAME!! K-State came out of nowhere for me, so I really know nothing about them, but the last few minutes and especially the overtime were really exciting. I loved the energy of the crowd as well...they were so loud and excited the entire time, their hearts must be crushed right about now. One thing that was interesting was watching Kansas be a little flustered and make some crucial mistakes that (almost) cost them the game--like missing free throws, almost throwing the ball away on the last possession of regulation and Collins then tripping on his drive that led to OT. HOWEVER, Collins did step up big time and hit a HUGE tough shot to seal the win...regardless of anything else, K-State couldn't seal the deal and Kansas did. It will be interesting to see how the Big 12 plays out...a lot of great teams in that conference.

GENERAL THOUGHTS:

~It seemed like the refs were calling a LOT of fouls today. I don't know if they have been told to tighten up or with all the close games they wanted to keep control...but the whistles were going left, right and center. It actually got a little annoying, because it interrupts the flow of the game, but regardless, it just seemed like more than usual. Who knows.

~DeMarcus Cousins contributes in a lot of positive ways to Kentucky basketball, but he needs to shut his mouth. Cousins does a lot of jawing and has thrown a few questionable elbows, especially today. It disappoints me to see a kid behave that way, especially when his play can do the talking. Shut your mouth and play kids. Thanks.

~Hopefully now that MSU beat Northwestern at the Breslin, we can stop talking about how Kevin Coble single-handedly destroyed the Spartans last year. We get it, he was amazing and hit 3 pointers backwards, upside down, off his left pinkie toe. We ALL remember. No need to keep re-living it. Thanks.

P.S.--Props to the K-State crowd. Incredible. I haven't heard a game that loud in a loooong time. I also love that they refer to the arena as "the Octagon of Doom." Awesome.

It's Never Too Early To Start Thinking About Hoops....The Wigs' 2009-2010 Season Preview Part One

I know, I know--It's AUGUST. We are on the cusp of football season and I'M thinking about basketball? But I'm unashamed. Now that everyone's headed back to school and sports are back in session, I can't help but get fired up. So I decided to take a look at how things are shaping up as we head into another academic year.

Now bear in mind that I don't have the privilege of actually watching any of these guys play just yet, so my musings are limited to what it all looks like on paper. HOWEVER, rather than rank these teams #1 through whatever (because I think preseason rankings are worthless anyway), I've created my own categories. These aren't necessarily the 25 BEST teams (although I think some of those are included), but teams I think we will hear about throughout the year, teams that will be extremely competitive in both their conferences and the tournament, teams I enjoy watching and of course, teams at the top of the pack.

Category 1: Teams that were great last year and will be again
~KANSAS JAYHAWKS
Lost: Pretty much no one.
Returning: Basically everyone, including guard Sherron Collins (Sr. G) and junior center Cole Aldrich. Bill Self will also get a little more inside presence from twins Markieff and Marcus Morris and Collins will get backcourt help from Tyshawn Taylor. Throw in role players like Brady Morningstar and Quintrell Thomas and it's no wonder most preseason polls are listing KU as the team to beat. There are also high expectations for newcomer Xavier Henry, a highly ranked shooting guard (#3 in the ESPNU 100) who originally committed to John Calipari at Memphis. Once the coaching carousel began to turn and Cal jetted off to Kentucky, Henry backed out and pledged his loyalty to Lawrence.
The Jayhawks finished last season with a loss to Michigan State in the Sweet 16 and now that everyone is older, wiser, faster and stronger, this is definitely a group to be reckoned with. Collins shows strong leadership and experience to go along with his quickness and offensive production both in and outside the arc. He's also one of those guys you look at and think, "Didn't he graduate yet?!?! Or leave for the NBA?!?! Hasn't he been there for like, 6 years?" He's one of those rare 4 year players that is so good, opposing fans pray he takes a hike and each year he stays in school seems like 2. Aldrich, who is listed at 6'11 but seems closer to 7'2 by the way he plays, is a dangerous shot blocker and a real defensive threat to anyone who tries to get into the lane. Last season, teams were successful when Aldrich could be drawn away from the basket, but it remains to be seen whether or not that strategy will work this time around.
That said, at the very least Kansas should be able to defend their Big 12 title and make a deep run in March.

~MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (once you've recovered from the shock of me not listing them first, read on)
Lost: Center Goran Suton, guard (and defensive stud) Travis Walton
Returning: Big Ten Player of the Year Kalin Lucas, sophomore forward Delvon Roe, senior forward Raymar Morgan
The Spartans' road to Ford Field was well-documented last season and although the 15 point loss to North Carolina (*sigh* It still stings four months later...CURSE YOU TARHEELS!) wasn't QUITE the ending they had in mind, Tom Izzo and company should have every reason to believe they can climb the ladder one more time. Unfortunately, their road to the top won't be easy. MSU lost a LOT of firepower in Suton and Walton--Suton's rebounding and scoring ability (8.4 rpg and 10.4 ppg) and Walton's leadership and ability to shut down every opponent's best players with his defense will most definitely be missed. Kalin Lucas will need to step up and take over where Walton left off and continue to lead his team on the offensive end of the floor. More importantly, senior Raymar Morgan needs to stay healthy and stay relevant--If Morgan struggles with his consistency the way he did last year, the Spartans are going to be in some trouble. Sophomores Delvon Roe and Draymond Green had promising seasons last year and should be strong in the post to deliver much-needed scoring and rebounding on the inside. With the speed of Durrell Summers and the shooting touch of Chris Allen, Michigan State should have plenty of weapons to defend their Big Ten title against a field of much-improved conference opponents.

~PURDUE BOILERMAKERS
Lost: Reserve and role player Nemanja Calasan
Returning: Everyone else, including forward Robbie Hummel (aka the Bane of My Existence OR The Kid Who Always Seems to Have the Game of His Life Against Michigan State and Makes Them Look Like Chumps) and defensive specialist Chris Kramer.
Coach Matt Painter has his entire starting lineup heading back to West Lafayette this season, much to the chagrin of their Big Ten opponents. The Boilermakers ended last year with a Big Ten tournament championship and a Sweet 16 loss to Connecticut and are no doubt hungry for more. I'm a big believer in the idea that teams that have the advantage of playing together, getting a taste of success and falling just short of where they want to be are the most dangerous and Purdue is a perfect example. Hummel will need to stay healthy (he battled back spasms and a stress fracture last year), guard E'Twan Moore should be able to run the ball consistently, JaJuan Johnson will give some size down low. A full season of experience should make this group a top challenger for the Big Ten regular season title.

~VILLANOVA WILDCATS
Lost: Forward Dante Cunningham
Returning: Guards Scottie Reynolds, Corey Stokes and Corey Fisher
After dismantling opponents on the way to the Final Four last year, Jay Wright and his crew surprised a lot of people with their dominance. Clearly, their rugged Big East schedule toughened them up for what was ahead, but this year it may not be so easy to sneak up on people. The Wildcats will have speed, great range and solid ball-handling from Reynolds and the Coreys. Their experience and leadership should come in handy when guiding the newest recruiting class, which includes 2 McDonald's All-Americans (Dominic Cheek and Maalik Wayns) and is considered to be among the tops in the nation. The real question mark comes in the form of big men (as most of them are freshmen), but if Antonio Pena can provide some offense and one of the youngens is willing to step up, Nova should be okay. The Big East lost a LOT of talent to both graduation and the NBA draft, so this group should have a leg up on their opponents.

~DUKE BLUE DEVILS
Lost: Guard/Forward Gerald Henderson, guard Greg Paulus (who didn't have another year for basketball, but decided to use a 5th year of eligibility to fling footballs around at Syracuse...THAT should be interesting...)
Returning: Junior forward Kyle Singler, senior guard Jon Scheyer, junior guard Nolan Smith
After being bested (and overshadowed) by National Champion North Carolina, the ACC-runners up may not have to suffer the same fate this season. Although Coach K will definitely miss the presence of Gerald Henderson, Scheyer, Singler and Smith have plenty of experience and talent to shoulder that burden. The Blue Devils also have a little bit of size on their side, and frankly, the guys that head to Duke to play ball are USUALLY pretty good (please note the sarcasm in that sentence). They may have a bit to prove, but it's a pretty safe bet Duke with be competing with the best of the best.

One other general observation--If last year was the year of the Big Man (think Blake Griffin, Luke Harangody, DaJuan Blair, Hasheem Thabeet and Tyler Hansbrough), 2009-2010 just might be the guards' turn...

P.S. Props to anyone reading this before November. I salute your dedication. :)

Check back soon for Part Two!!!!!!!